Would You Like a Cell Phone, Concept Phone or CLIPit for Christmas?

According to reliable sources, the cell phone was invented by Dr. Martin Cooper, formerly with Motorola, who branded the “first portable handset” the Dyna-Tac. Supposedly Cooper made the first cell phone and placed a call in April, 1973 to his rival at Bell Labs.

Motorola Dyna-Tac

His Dyna-Tac only weighed 2.5 pounds and measured 9 x 5 x 1.75 inches. (Stick that in your pocket.) Ten years later,  Motorola released the first cell phone to the public.

Have you ever asked yourself “why do cell phones or mobile phones look the way they do?” Why are most cell phones candybar, clamshell, slide or swivel shaped?

To answer that question, check out Google, which shows over 4.5M listings for “cell phone design evolution.” While you could easily spend the rest of the year reviewing cell phone schematics and learning more about the innards of a cell phone, I’ll decrease the learning curve for you.

The evolution of the cell phone video:

Did you notice the similarity of cell phone design until around 2006-2007?

As we approached the introduction of the iPhone and other smartphones, the form factor or shape of mobile devices didn’t change significantly, but the display size and color resolution, the physical keyboard and added functionality did.  The definition of “mobile” itself changed.

Because the iPhone and similar devices performed more like a computer, the phone function, as well as user engagement, remarkably changed. Mobile phones, unlike the previous 20 years, were no longer “talking devices.” They became multi-functional mobile computers.

Since 2007, cell phone designers and manufacturers have been designing and manufacturing more advanced mobile computing devices. In fact, Nokia’s Gian Cioletti in his podcast interview with me on MobileBeyond said that Nokia no longer sells smartphones. Nokia sells mobile computers.

So making phone calls is only one function of “mobile phones” Why do mobile devices still look so much alike? Why are they rectangular? Why can’t cell phones look like they aren’t even cell phones? Why do you have to hold one in your hand?

A developing trend called “concept phones” has emerged from designers and and handset makers in the past couple of years. In many cases, concept phones don’t resemble mobile phones at all. Some look like coffee table decorations, others like necklaces. Shapes, sizes and functionality differ.

To whet you appetite, check out the Motorola KRE-8 Concept Phone for D.J.’s.

Time to throw away your midi keyboard?

Nokia wants you to buy multiple mobile devices. Need a new pair of stylish glasses…and a mobile?

Nokia ClipIT Mobile Device

Yanko Design would like you to sample its Nokia CLIPit concept mobile device. No SIM necessary, just your finger print.

All of the CLIPit’s data is “in the cloud,” accessible from CLIPit, other cell and land line phones and your car kit. Your fingerprint, different from all six billion humans on Earth, identifies you as the owner.

A steel touch screen at the top of the unit has light emitting diodes installed in the pad for dialing, sending and receiving text messages and navigating through your music library.

You may hold CLIPit during calls or put it on a table, without Bluetooth, and CLIPit’s speaker phone automatically turns on.

While you’re listening to your unlimited music library, hang CLIPit around your neck and insert the ear phones. Everyone will think you wearing a necklace made of turquoise and steel. When you’re on the go, clip CLIPit to your clothes, car dashboard, bike, friend, dog or wherever.

But where’s the screen?

Philips developed a technology called “Lumalive” letting you put CLIPit on a three inch piece of cloth. The lower layer in the cloth contains OLED’s which produce a color display in the upper layer. Want a larger screen? Say 12 inches? Attaching CLIPit to “smart fabric” touch-sense and LumaLive technology produces a 12-inch laptop display. When you’re through, fold the cloth, store it and away you go. Totally mobile.

Mohammad Zamani, one of CLIPit’s designers, is still positive about a 2010 release date. So you’ll probably not have a CLIPit from Santa under this year’s Christmas tree. But next year, when someone asks you what you want to Christmas, don’t say “post-it,” say “CLIPit.”

Can Mobile Phones Change the World?

The Economist has a special section this week on mobile phone technology in emerging markets. The section includes articles on trends in mobile phone ownership, the role mobile phones are playing in economic development, and new uses for the technology. Mobile phones in developing countries are now used to provide farmers with agricultural information, remind patients to take their meds, gather health information in the field, and transfer money. Jeffrey Sachs has called mobile phones “the single most transformative tool for development.”

Our will be open the Video Game Business

In order to thanks for customer support.we will be Open the video game in our shipping mall today.

Gmail push comes to HiPhone, Windows Mobile,OPhone

On Tuesday, Google expanded the over-the-air syncing capabilities in its Google Sync service to include Google’s email, but only for the iPhone and iPod Touch (version 3.0), and for Windows Mobile phones.

Google Sync began as a beta service to sync Google calendar items and contacts to iPhone, Windows Mobile and Symbian Series 60 phones. Owners of iPhones, iPod Touches and Windows Mobile phones can now set it up to include Gmail messages as well.

The phones will receive Google Sync messages through their native email, calendar and address book apps. Depending on a user’s settings, their phone could vibrate and/or chime to let them know a new message has come in.

Note that Google Sync will not push visual notification boxes to iPhone and iPod Touch interfaces. For that, users will need third-party apps such as GPush for iPhone. Instead, it pushes email from the server to the phone, rather than pulls in a list of email messages, a request that the phone’s email client makes of the server.

BlackBerry and Nokia Symbian Series 60 users will not have access to pushed Gmail yet, but they can still sync calendar and contact events to the phone’s built-in address book and calendar.

To get started, visit the Google Sync website from your desktop or mobile browser. The step-by-step setup process is best navigated from a computer, and will require users to ultimately configure their phone to sync over the Microsoft Exchange Server.

Cell phone restrictions on the way

Drivers caught with one hand on the wheel and the other punching in numbers on their cell phones will soon be dialing up trouble with the law.

And that’s a good thing, say some local Portage la Prairie area residents.

“It’s become an obsession,” said Dan Werbiski, while stopping at Portage Mall on Monday. “What I want to know is ‘Why’? Is it necessary to use the cell all the time?”

The provincial government announced on Sept. 21 new legislation is coming in the first part of 2010 placing a ban on hand-held cell phone use and cell phone texting while driving. To be permitted to use a cell phone, drivers need to avail themselves of a hands-free device.

Jim Stanley agrees using a hand-held cell phone or texting while driving is dangerous.

“Anyone driving and talking at the same time should be given a ticket,” said the Langruth resident.

service@cellphonesbox.com.

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