NTT DoCoMo Launches Slimmest Smartphone Android

Slim continues to be for new smartphone: the Medias NEC C N-04, launched by NTT DoCoMo in Japan on Thursday, is approximately 8 mm thick.

The launch follows the introduction of the Samsung Galaxy S II and Sony Ericsson Xperia arc, which measures approximately 9 mm at thinnest point.

Smartphone manufacturers, production of thinner devices is a way to differentiate their products from the competition, according to Geoff Blaber, analyst at CCS Insight. Apple has proved that good design is a long way, but must be combined with a good interface, applications and content, said.

The Medias C N-04 has 4-inch screen, is 127 mm in height and width 62 mm and weighs 105 grams. The smartphone is based on version 2.2 of Android and will get an upgrade to version 2.3 of this year, according to the DoCoMo.

Other features include a mobile wallet, the ability to view digital terrestrial television mobile and a quick shot photo function that enables users to take consecutive shots every 1.1 second with 5 megapixel camera.

Users can access the Internet via Wi-Fi or HSPA (high-speed Packet Access) to 7.2 m bps (bits per second) for download and upload 5.7 m bps for data.

Pricing was not announced, but shipment will begin on March 15. There were no details about whether or when NEC would start selling smartphone outside of Japan.

NTT DoCoMo also said Tablet shipment will start again LG Optimus Pad--which relies on Android 3.0, the version of Tablet PC operating system optimized for Google--at the end of March.

Send news tips and comments to mikael_ricknas@idg.com

Smartphone: the next big security headache (PC World)

2011 is the year that mobile security is mainstream. Here at the 2011 RSA Conference in San Francisco many of security software companies I've spoken to have issued--or are planning to release an app mobile security of some kind.

And while the Smartphone is not yet an important goal in the United States, malware, there are reasons to be concerned about the future of mobile security.

One of Android is its openness. Just about anyone can write one application and deploy it without having to go through a review process long sometimes. But as is the case on the PC, this sort of openness makes it possible for malware writers to infiltrate smartphone. Security companies seem to think that Android is the next big target for malware, thanks to this opening and the fact that it runs on so many devices.

Some of the vendors I spoke also seemed concerned that the paranoia that users often make when it comes to downloading and installing the software on a PC may not carry forward to when they use a smartphone, even if there are threats.

Mobile Malware is already a problem in parts of the world. This past week, company of mobile security software that mobile Lookout found a Trojan that circulates through repackaged versions of Android apps and app deployed on alternative markets in China.

Raimund genes, Chief Technology Officer, Trend Micro, notes that malware authors are creating their own mobile shopping app to distribute malware in China. He predicts that in the United States see additional tests-concept malware mobile this year, and that it can become a serious problem in 2012.

Smartphone carrying additional information that we cannot keep on your PC, such as phone numbers of your contacts, photos, you've taken with your smartphone and so on. And unlike a PC, a smartphone that can be easily lost: you probably take your laptop with you if you get up and leave the Starbucks you're browsing the Web, but it is much easier to leave behind a smartphone.

In fact, Patrick Kennedy, Senior Director of Product Marketing with Webroot, sees this as the greatest threat to Smartphone now. And not surprising, many security smartphone applications that we have seen so far put great emphasis on the protection of your personal information if your smartphone gets lost or stolen.

Smartphone malware is in its infancy and is difficult to say what will happen next, but all signs point toward some serious problems in the not too distant future. In the meantime, keep the guard, remain vigilant and think before you install the next app.

Android Smartphone makers seek unique positions

Samsung is flexing his muscles with the Samsung Galaxy S II, while HTC and Sony Ericsson are betting on the deep integration of Facebook and mobile gaming as the war for smartphone supremacy continues at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week.

Not surprisingly, this year the show has been all about Android, according to Carolina Milanesi, research vice president at Gartner. With many vendors using the mobile operating system from Google, they must work to differentiate their products with other features.

Samsung kicks off Mobile World Congress with a bang: the Samsung Galaxy S II is thinner than the Galaxy S and comes with a dual core processor, a bigger, better screen and a faster Internet connection using HSPA + (High Speed Packet Access) up to 21 m bps (bits per second).

HTC has taken a different route with the sauce and the ChaCha. The two Smartphones come with deep integration of Facebook, including a Facebook button that lights up whenever there is an opportunity for users to share content or updates.

"[They are] different, and the fact is that what we're seeing on Android is very homogeneous. The same goes for the Sony Ericsson Xperia game; It's different in a sea of Android is that all look the same, "said Geoff Blaber, analyst at CCS Insight.

The Xperia has a chance to sell well if it's priced right, second Blaber.

However, today, both Sony Ericsson and HTC is a high-end smartphone with a dual core processor.

"They are both closely aligned to Qualcomm and Qualcomm was, up to this show, a little behind Nvidia ... but the reality is that we will see these products originating in that year by Sony Ericsson and HTC," said Blaber.

The number of consumers who really care if their smartphones have a dual core processor may be in the minority, though.

"I think from a perspective of mass market, consumers are still happy with single-core devices," said Milanesi.

LG Electronics is also trying to differentiate by adding a 3D screen smartphone Optimus 3D. Is one of the most revolutionary products in the mix, but the screen still feels a bit like a prototype, in Milan, he said.

However, the race of smartphones at Mobile World Congress not only high-end. The race to reduce the cost of smartphones based on Google's operating system also continued, according to Milanesi.

The most notable was the launch of Alcatel, according the Blaber.

The company announced five phones based on Android, Android market that will push in prepaid. A mobile phone, in particular, One Touch 890, which only has 2 G, seems destined to take Android under the level of $ 60 (US $ 80), with a small amount of subsidies, said Blaber.

ZTE and Huawei also launched low-end Android phones for my similar territory.

Android is now scale the end very, very low to high-end Smartphone with dual core processors, hardware acceleration and a lot of memory. The big question is how long the platform may continue to scale as that; There is a risk that you start to constrain developers in high-end, because they host multiple simple hardware, Blaber said.

Send news tips and comments to mikael_ricknas@idg.com

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ZTE intends to sell the first Smartphone in the United States. This year

Chinese handset vendor ZTE plans to launch its first smartphone in the United States this year, a move that follows the success of the company's most recent increased tightness of the mobile market.

ZTE made big gains in the mobile market in 2010, becoming the fourth largest supplier of telephone ahead of Apple, according to research firm IDC. During the year, the company has seen laptop shipments rise of 94%, up to 20.4 million units.

Now the company wants to increase sales of smartphones in 2011 by five times, up to 10 million units. For the North American market, ZTE said will more than double the portfolio of the device. The company adds that hopes to sell Tablet devices in the United States this year.

ZTE, a supplier of networking equipment, compiles even phones for mobile operators. The company has historically focused on developing smaller and mid-end laptops. But on Monday, the company announced a new development strategy that would move towards the higher end, by building more smartphones, tablets, and devices of Internet TV box.

While ZTE has yet to launch a smartphone in the United States, the company has seen one of its low-end phones offered by Verizon Wireless last year. Called the greeting, the device is available now for $ 20 with a two-year contract.

Earlier this week, ZTE has inaugurated a new low-cost smartphone called the skate at the Mobile World Congress. The device has a 4.3 inch screen and runs the operating system Android 2.3. The phone will start shipping globally during the month of May. The company is also preparing to launch a tablet running Android 3.0 in the third quarter.

The creators of Smartphone better equipped to make tablets: Analyst

Smartphone makers, not companies of personal computers, are better positioned to make the tablet PC because of close ties between operating systems and exterior design, a researcher from Taiwan said on Wednesday.

Vendors like Apple and Research in Motion (RIM), between the creators of today's most successful smartphone, capable of adapting portable tablet PC, operating systems to get parts and reuse easily the basic display technology for mobile devices is slightly larger, Ian Peng, an analyst with DigiTimes research in Taipei, said.

PC makers such as Acer and Asustek Computer of Taiwan have said they expect grab substantial market shares Tablet PC in 2011. However, on Tuesday, maker HTC smartphone released Tablet Flyer.

This could be a sign of the times. DigiTimes, which specializes in hardware consumer electronics, Apple believes, in its iPad Tablet market-leading PC shortly after the release of the iPhone, is an example of what's to come. "The iPhone and iPad are just different in their touch panel size," said Peng.

DigiTimes that forecasts will be compressed to 5-10 percent of the global PC market, reaching 55 million this year and 65 million in 2012. 2011 total, Apple will make some 40 million, with RIM and Samsung contributing most of the remainder.

Consumers are likely to see a strong connection between the two types of touchscreen device, he added. "People buy their smartphones first and then the Tablet," Peng said. "Why? Is the user experience. "

The latest smartphone makers don't expect to beat Apple on new technology, because it can take a year or two later and still make money without doing expensive preliminary research, Peng said.

"Steve Jobs is one guy who wants to make products considering human behavior, not components. Apple is willing to pay a lot of money on things that may never come true, "he said. "It is sufficient to support the industry by being very large. That is always the cycle. Apple will be first. "

Warm, powerful smartphone tablets: Mobile World Congress 2011 begins officially

Largest largest wireless telecommunications show in the world, Mobile World Congress, is only the beginning here in Barcelona, Spain, where this week, dozens of new handsets and tablets will make its debut. Every February, thousands of journalists, people in the industry and enthusiasts gather at the Fira de Barcelona to find out what the hottest upcoming smartphones, tablets and apps will be in the year to come.

Before the show officially kicked-off also Sony Ericsson has already announced his game of Xperia phone (aka the "Playstation"), the game Samsung unveiled the Galaxy card 10.1 smartphone's Galaxy II and LG announced a 3D smartphone and Tablet PC. We are looking forward to seeing more tablets, possibly including one from HTC and of course more phones 4 G with dual core processors. The show officially opens today and runs through Thursday.

(See: adapter Samsung Galaxy 10.1: first look and Sony Ericsson Xperia Play Gaming Phone: Hands On)

Most news from Mobile World Congress Europe impacts before and the United States at the end. For example, last year HTC has introduced a new line-up of Android phones that debuted in Europe in the first place, but then came to the United States under several different names and slightly tweaked specifications.

But the show is not entirely Europe-centric; some really big news that has affected the entire industry have been announced here. Two years ago, the second Android phone, the HTC Magic (known as the myTouch States) made her debut, and last year, Microsoft announced its new Windows Phone 7 operating system.

Mobile World Congress draws people, as well as companies from around the world. For example, in a Japanese aircraft carrier Docomo occur, RIM Blackberry and Ireland-based developer app. In terms of scale Mobile World Congress is great about how CES--except for just about every stand is a showcase something mobile-connected.

LG will make an announcement this morning and HTC will hold their press conference tomorrow morning. Check back here for exciting news from both of these companies as well as more news and hands-ons straight from the show floor.

Love in the Time of Smartphone

Here is a disturbing fact: the average user spends 79 minutes per day on their mobile phone for Web browsing or use of applications (source: AdMob). Who has time for love and meaningful relationships, when there are post Twitpics and levels of angry birds to fly?

But it's not exactly like that. Contrary to popular belief that technology has destroyed human interaction is significant, you can use your phone in a lot of ways to meet new people and date or improve your existing reports. But beware: sometimes using the telephone as a means of finding love can work against you.

Text messaging

Think of it--when dinner with plans for a date or with your partner or spouse, did you call or text them? Chances are that you did probably most planning via text. Texting is certainly preferable if you are planning a date with someone you don't know very well. Let's face it: calls are awkward, and it is less stressful to send 140 characters telling them where and when to meet you.

But texting can have some interesting implications for budding romances. For example, some people feel the need to text their love interests relentlessly. Whether it's commonplace on their day or texts of type "U Mission," this person show their affection through SMS.

So tread lightly: If you don't respond immediately, they'll probably take it personally. If you're the type who doesn't like a lot of text (or may not have a telephone keypad), is going to have to explain that to them — or gently moves.

Dating site Apps

Meeting people online thought as taboo, desperate and slightly creepy. Thanks to these advertising ubiquitous eHarmony, we now know that normal people, attractive-looking even find love online. And these days, it's even easier to find your future partner on the Internet thanks to mobile versions of your favorite dating sites. Sites like Match.com, OKCupid, and Plentyoffish all have applications for mobile devices that are compatible.

Basically, these applications are designed to provide access to frequently used features of the sites. For example, the app OKCupid alerts you whenever you have a new message, and allows you to match and see who was scoping out. You will also have access to IM clients within OKCupid.

The application allows you to control the Plentyoffish your e-mail messages and display the matches. It also uses a location-based technology to show the games in your area.

One app that may not be familiar with Flirtomatic, part social network and dating site. Most popular overseas in the United States, allows Flirtomatic "flirt" with strangers (or friends) or via the dedicated mobile app or mobile Web (for non-smartphone users who deserve love too). Make a profile, and immediately you are connected to thousands of other profiles. The service seems more like a fun way to lose more time to find true love, but if you're looking for your soulmate seriously, you can find people near you, who share similar interests.

But be wary. That sweet guy with big green eyes who loves puppies as may prove to be an ex-con a-bear who never met a puppy that he does not hate. When I meet people on one of these services, make sure you get in a public place, well lit and friends of alarm in case of necessity to bail.

Location Based Apps

Location based apps that let you control a bar or a restaurant, like Foursquare or Gowalla, are all the rage right now, especially since Facebook has jumped on the bandwagon. Can help friends find each other during a night on the town and are useful for sharing tips on a special hot beverages in the neighborhood.

But these applications are also a good way to keep tabs on your partner. Facebook allows users to control the people are with in a specific place, indicating not only where they are, but they're with. So if your girlfriend just checked in slanted door with her ex-boyfriend, you should check that.

I have also heard of people using these applications to avoid. You are about to hit the gym decked out in your sweat grossest, but--oh, wait--the ex-husband and his new girlfriend just checked. Better to wait until after dark to avoid a confrontation embarrassing.

Facebook will also send you a notification on your mobile phone when one of your friends stores in the same place that occurred. This is nice, because if that girl hot from your club bird-watching stores at your local dive grimy, you can have a small window of time sober and brushing her hair.

For the truly desperate, a handful of apps may indicate places where you might score a date. The lamely called where the Lord to app for iPhone uses the Foursquare API to determine exactly where the most "ladies" are concentrated. Apps like this can help you track other demographics of people, but I'll let you discover those on your own.

Video Chat and other applications

For those with spouses or partners travelling or working abroad, the next best thing to actually around you video chat with them. And now, shouldn't be tied to the PC to get some face to face with your loved one. Most of the high-end smartphones today, as the iPhone 4 G or EVO 4, front cameras have and are preloaded with video-chat software such as Skype or Yahoo Messenger.

Other applications may not be intended for romantics, but can still be used as such. For example, applications that allow you to share grocery lists--as grocery Gadget--are also a means to slip a cute "Love ya!" Note between "bread" and "lettuce."

And what is the most romantic way to ask someone out more by sending them a Google Calendar invite for dinner at Chez Panisse 8 PM? Or take a step further and send your guy or girl a calendar invitation for "Our Wedding" next year, Location TBA? OK, maybe not.

LG Smartphone details Optimus Pad, with 3D screen

LG Electronics has provided detailed information on some of his most anticipated mobile gadgets on Sunday, including the Tablet PC and smartphone LG Optimus Pad, that 3D Optimus will be shown this week at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

The Optimus Pad comes with an 8.9-inch touchscreen and built-in 3D camera, according to a statement of LG. Designed to take on Apple's new tablet iPad, LG has the latest version of Google's Android mobile OS on board, honeycomb and a dual core processor from Nvidia Tegra 2 1 GHz.

The device screen has a resolution of 1280 x 768. Pictures and videos taken with your camera, 3D can be observed on 3D TVs or shared on the Web via YouTube 3D, LG said.

LG Optimus 3D smartphone, with 4.3-inch screen without 3D glasses, features a dual lens camera to take photos and videos in 3D, the company said.

LG has used a parallax barrier technology applied to create the effect without 3D glasses on the screen. Technology poses a series of slots in the front of the LCD screen that block the light in a way that ensures a user left and right eye see different images, creating the illusion of depth of the 3D image.

Optimus 3D is based on a 1 GHz processor dual core OMAP4 Texas Instruments. Has a HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) and supports the DLNA network (Digital Living Network Alliance) that enables easy transfer of pictures and video between devices.

LG did not say what kind of operating system uses the phone and could not be reached immediately for comment.

The electronics giant in South Korea will also show two additional Smartphones at Mobile World Congress, the Optimus 2 X black and Optimus, details of which were announced earlier. Optimus 2 X has a dual-core processor with Nvidia Tegra 2 on board for multimedia powerhouse, including web browsing and smooth 1080p HD video playback, LG said. The black Optimus is a smartphone Android slimline and lightweight with a 4-inch display designed to read under any lighting situations.

LG said pre-orders 2 million have already been released for black Optimus, since it was unveiled at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January.

Operations phone LG has struggled last year due to a focus on emerging markets. The company captured on the rise of smartphones lag behind rivals, but worked hard to make a comeback.

At Mobile World Congress opens on Monday in Barcelona.

LG Announces 3D and medium-sized Tablet Smartphone

LG fired two shots are important in the Tablet PC and smartphone wars here at Mobile World Congress, announcing Optimus 3D smartphone and the LG Optimus Pad, an Android-based Tablet PC honeycomb.

LG Optimus says that 3D is the first dual-core processor, dual, 3D phone. The dual-core processor Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 in phone, LG says, helps your shoot and display 3D HD video while going easy on battery life. Upload Web pages and navigate through the tasks faster, the processor helps even the phone, the company says.

3D without glasses Dorky

The phone has a VGA 3D Optimus 4.3-inch display for 3D video playback. And best of all, you don't need to wear a dorky 3D glasses to view the video. LG showed videos of people using 3D video to keep important family events (baby taking first steps), by watching the video training and to make presentations.

Click to ZoomThe new phone has two 5-megapixel camera on the back to shoot the multiple dimensions of HD video. Shoots 720 p video in 1080p video and 3D in 2D. The video can be viewed on TV using a HDMI output, or wirelessly to DLNA-enabled home entertainment components. LG says it has a new deal with YouTube 3D video being uploaded to permitting easy and with special features.

The phone will be sold by carriers in may, but no u.s. carrier was announced, and there is no information available on prices.

"Everything is going to change this year. Smartphones are set for skipping in 2011, "said Dr. CEO of LG Jong-seok Park. "2011 will be the year that LG becomes a key competitor for smartphones".

LG Optimus PAD

LG is predicting a "real war of Tablet PC" starting in 2011, and so is launching a serious competitor in the fray--LG Optimus PAD.

The Tablet is a dual core processor and Nvidia runs Android 3.0, which adds support for Google Books and Google navigation for the Google operating system.

The PAD has a 8.9-inch display; the Tablet is bigger than a Galaxy Samsung and smaller than an Apple iPad. LG believes Tablet PC hits the sweet spot between portability and optimal screen space. Weighing 630 grams compared to 730 grams of iPad.

The PAD, like 3D, the smartphone has two separate cameras for shooting video on the back. A 2 megapixel camera on the front of the Tablet-PC can be used for conferences.

Intel's Medfield Smartphone Chip now in production

Intel on Monday said his chip Medfield, designed for low-end smartphones, is in production and will ship later this year.

Compressed using Oak Trail Intel chips will ship this year, before Medfield will appear in products, in accordance with

Anand Chandrasekher, senior vice president and general manager of Intel Ultra Mobility Group, who spoke at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Chandrasekher gave few details of Medfield different from saying that he will have the fastest processor on the market, the standby time same as chips from competitors and for the longest active power of any chip. Intel in the past said that the new chip, which includes an Atom CPU, will deliver even better graphics capabilities.

Medfield is a chip that combines an Atom CPU with a number of specialized cores for functions such as graphics accelerators. Medfield will first Intel chip for smartphones, code-named Moorestown, who was unable to find traction in the smartphone market.

But it remains to be seen if Intel can get manufacturers to adopt Medfield. No Smartphone with Intel chips are still available. LG Electronics has shown a smartphone Moorestown based last year, but was never sold. Intel Friday said a phone with chip Intel will ship later this year, but has not made the name of the creator of the phone.

Intel showed off some Oak Trail tablet at the Consumer Electronics Show last month. PC makers said that tablets based on the chip can run for up to eight hours on a single battery charge and play high-definition 1080p video.

Chandrasekher also said that Intel is accelerating the development of communication chip LTE (Long Term Evolution). The company plans to sample them this year in time for inclusion in products for the holidays year-end in 2012. Intel chip HSPA + is in production now, he said.

Intel last month completed the acquisition of $ 1.4 billion wireless division of Infineon, which was announced in August. Intel said in the future that will integrate the chips such as the radio 3 G and 4 G acquired by Infineon in its Atom processors.

Intel also announced a dual SIM product that enables users to run two SIM cards in one device. That is useful for those who want to have a phone number and personal account, as well as a series of works, but use the same device.

Intel also announced an agreement with Korea Telecom and Samsung under which the company will use Intel chips in all their LTE network installations combined.

ZTE launches Android 2.1 Smartphone, LTE promises Tablets

Skate is the latest addition to the portfolio of ZTE Smartphone low cost. Has a 4.3 inch screen and runs Android version 2.3, the company announced at Mobile World Congress on Monday.

The shoe will be the flagship of ZTE smartphone when you begin shipping worldwide in the month of May. Screens more than 4 inches in size are proving a popular item on other smartphones at Mobile World Congress, including the Samsung Galaxy S II and LG Electronics ' Optimus 3D.

Where Samsung and LG phones come with processor 1 GHz dual core, ZTE is instead went with an 800 MHz processor to lower the cost. 120 grams, ZTE smartphone weighs about the same as the Samsung device.

Most of the ski more specifications are also basic enough for today's smartphone standards, including a 5 megapixel camera, A-GPS (assisted-GPS) and Internet access through HSDPA (high-speed Downlink Packet Access) to 7.2 m bps (bits per second). How much will it cost to finish the shoe remains to be seen: ZTE does not announce any pricing before operators who sell smartphone weigh.

At Mobile World Congress, ZTE has also announced plans to launch a tablet running Android 3.0, the optimized version for tablets, in the third quarter. It has a 10.1 inch screen with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels.

Before that, in the second quarter the company will start shipping boards that will be able to access the Internet using WiMax or LTE (Long Term Evolution). Operators are now rolling out LTE networks, using a variety of different frequency bands. At the top of the list of ZTE is the 700 MHz band used by Verizon Wireless in the United States and the 2.6 GHz band used in Scandinavia.

When it comes to smartphones equipped with LTE, the company is taking a wait-and-see, but maybe will launch a phone this year, according to a spokesman.

Send news tips and comments to mikael_ricknas@idg.com