Archive for September, 2009

Sennheiser, maker of high end audio products, passed their RS 160 headphones through the FCC today.  The headphones are similar to the company’s RS 170 headphones that we posted about last week, with the exception of the transmitter.

The RS 160 features a puck-like transmitter that connects to your audio gear with a 3.5mm jack.  You can pair multiple RS 160 headphones to a single transmitter, or pair the transmitter with Sennheiser’s TR 160 ear buds.

Volume controls are located on the RS 160 headphones, so you can change the volume without having to walk back to the transmitter.  You can use rechargeable or disposable AAA batteries with the device.

I’m not sure why Sennheiser chose to use RF instead of Bluetooth.  Bluetooth seems like a better option, since it would allow you to pair the RS 160s with a mobile phone or computer as well.

Sharp passed their CDMA SH003 mobile phone through the FCC today.  Pics of the camera reveal a large auto focus digital camera with a 28mm lens.

The FCC label on the CDMA SH003 bears KDDI branding, suggesting that this phone may only be sold in Japan.  It is not clear why Sharp would go through the FCC approval process for the SH003 if the device is destined for Japan only.  However, the phone does support CDMA and EVDO, so it could make its way to Verizon, Sprit or an MVNO.

HTC passed their PB74100 mobile phone through the FCC today, although as usual the company only release label location pics of the device.

According to the test report, this is a Windows Mobile device with Bluetooth and WiFi that will support GSM 850 and 1900, suggesting that this device will be released in the US.

News of Sony Ericsson’s Yari mobile phone was leaked earlier this year.  On the surface, it doesn’t seem like there’s a lot new here – quad-band GSM, 5 MP camera, video camera, non-3.5 mm headphone jack.  But the real news with Yari is its gesture gaming technology.

The device uses a camera to track the movement of users, and uses this movement to control games.  Gesture gaming has been used in Japan for years, but this is the first time such technology has made its way to the States.

With the push for gaming on mobile devices, it’ll be interesting to see how popular the Yari is.  Like other gaming platforms, though, this one seems to rely heavily on software – a lack of games on this device could make the Yari a flop, while conversely a killer app could elevate the Yari to Wii status.

PC based light control and home automation is nothing new.  But Nedap is taking things to a new level with SenzaFil.  Plug the USB transmitter pictured above into your laptop, and you have control of up to 200 lights with the click of a mouse.

There’s some pretty interesting technology at work here, and the scale of SenzaFil is impressive.  Don’t expect to use SenzaFil in your home though – this seems like solution primarily targeted at commercial users.

Huawei passed a decent-looking GSM phone through the FCC today.  Called the G5760, this device has a vertical sliding keypad, 2 MP camera, video camera, Bluetooth, media player and FM radio.  Overall, not a whole lot new here, but still the device backs a nice suite of features.

This device looks like it may be headed to the US, although it will probably bear a different brand, since Huawei mostly operates as an OEM in the US.

What can you do when you combine GPS with a GSM modem?  People tracking.

That’s the core of Flaik’s GSM 2.03 device.  The GSM 2.03 uses GPS to determine your location, then sends this data to the Flaik network operations center.  Flaik makes this data available online, so you can track the movement of the device with your PC or mobile phone.

This device fits into the ‘neat by creepy’ category.  On one hand, you can use the GSM 2.03 for perfectly legitimate purposes, like keep track of your kids or recording workout data.  But this device could also be used to track people that don’t know, or don’t want to be tracked.

Workout monitoring devices have been all the rage recently, particularly with the success of Nike + iPod.  Fitbit has a similar idea with the F001 device, but instead of just monitoring workouts, the F001 tracks you throughout the day and night.

The F001 uses a motion sensor to track movement, calculating calories burned, steps, and distance.  There is also a wrist strap for the F001 that allows you to track your movements during sleep.

You can view fitness data directly on the F001, or wirelessly transfer data to your computer for analysis.  The device automatically transmits data to your PC when it is within 3 meters of the included dock/transmitter.

I suppose this data could be valuable…or just really depressing.  In any case, the Fitbit F001 will go on sale in October 2009 and cost around $99.

Speculation surrounding the Samsung SGH-T939, aka Behold 2, has been building since the device was certified by the WiFi Alliance in July 2009.  Today, the Behold 2 passed through the FCC, suggesting that the device may soon hit US shores.

According to the device’s test report, the Behold 2 will feature 850/1900 GSM, along with HSPA.  Other connectivity options include WiFi and Bluetooth.

According to Androidcentral.com, the Behold 2 will run Android, and sport a 3.2” OLED touchscreen.

M3 Mobile passed their MM3 portable data collection terminal through the FCC today.  This quad-band device runs on Windows Mobile and features a barcode scanner, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth and a camera.

The MM3 seems like a valuable device for the industrial crowd.  However, I take exception to some of the photoshopped pics in MM3’s user manual.

Granted, I like the first pic, below, of what seems to be Anne Hathaway holding an MM3 – let’s forget the fact that there are probably few girls who would actually use the MM3 while wearing a ripped halter with midriff showing.

But, the second pic is totally unnecessary.  I don’t see how a pic of a shirtless, tattooed guy holding the MM3 made its way into the user manual to begin with, let alone how this picture helps me to understand how to use the device.