Smart Digital Devices Blog

Acer will likely launch its first smartphone near the end of this year or early next year and it will be a Microsoft-based device, the president of the company said Wednesday.

Smartphones will represent as much as 10 percent of Acer’s revenue in the next few years, said Gianfranco Lanci, president of Acer, at the company’s first quarter investors’ conference in Taipei.

People on the lookout for such a device should remember Acer, the world’s third-largest PC vendor, owns several brands now, including Gateway of the U.S. and Packard Bell in Europe. Lanci said any smartphone launched by the company could enter the market under any of the brands it owns.

Acer’s quick entry into the smartphone market comes largely due to its NT$9 billion (US$297.3 million) agreement last month to purchase handheld device maker E-Ten Information Systems of Taiwan.

E-Ten has developed and sold several smartphone models over the past several years, including its Windows Mobile 6.0-based Glofish smartphone with GPS (Global Positioning System), in addition to other handheld electronic devices such as GPS devices and pocket PCs.

Read rest of story here.

Whenever you are busy, and you don’t have the time or hand to write a brief memo, you can just say it and convert your speech to text with Jott. This is extremely useful for busy executives. Great also if you are driving a car.

How does it work?

Dial a number or Speed-Dial button to call Jott.
Respond to the voice prompt and say your memo. Messages can be up to 30 seconds. When you are finished, stop talking.
Within a few minutes, your message will be sent to you via email or text message.

Apart from memo, Jott can also be used to create a reminder, post to your blog, create a Google Calendar item or send email/text messages to your contacts.
Note that you need to register Jott and give your details before you can use the service.

Source: PcWorld

Nokia today introduced the Nokia 6212 classic featuring integrated Near Field Communication (NFC). The 3G handset allows consumers to conveniently share content, access services and information as well as conduct payments and ticketing with one tap of the device. The Nokia 6212 classic is expected to start shipping in the third quarter of 2008 in select markets in Europe and Asia with an estimated retail price of EUR 200 before taxes and subsidies.

Near Field Communication is designed for intuitive, simple and safe interaction between electronic devices. By tapping an NFC-enabled tag, consumers can receive new content such as weblinks, audio files or contact data directly to their phone. They can activate a profile in their handset or open applications such as FM radio or web browser. Photos and videos can be easily shared by tapping another NFC-capable phone and pairing with a Bluetooth NFC-enabled device, like the new NFC variant of the Nokia BH-210 headset, happens with just one touch. The lightweight Nokia BH-210 with NFC headset allows users to access all functions easily with a single multifunction key. The widely compatible headset can be used with a number of Nokia devices as well as other manufacturers’ phones.

The Nokia 6212 classic can also be used as a travel ticket or for mobile payments. Travel tickets can be charged over the air, so there is no need to wait at the service counter. Users can store their credit card information on the device and access their account online directly from the handset. Using the Nokia 6212 classic for payment and ticketing purposes requires a service subscription and the installation of an appropriate secure application. Security for transactions is assured as the handset can be set to allow payment only when the user expressly authorizes the transaction via an additional passcode.

The Nokia 6212 classic allows consumers to personalize and edit their own NFC tags, be it for writing calendar entries or setting the alarm clock. The sales pack of the Nokia 6212 classic comes with three sticker tags, one of which opens the NFC introduction in the phone.

The slimline Nokia 6212 classic comes with an extensive set of features such as a 2 megapixel camera, bright 2-inch QVGA display, stereo FM radio and music player supporting multiple formats. An optional microSD memory card of up to 4GB provides ample space for personal content such as images and songs.

Nokia 6212 Classic