Archive for December, 2009

Samsung passed the SCH-U820 CDMA/EVDO phone through the FCC today, the second CDMA phone approved for Samsung in the past two days.  We don’t know much about the device, but since the SCH-U820 sports a US information phone number we’re guessing that this phone is destined for the States.

Although the HP Mini 210 netbook hasn’t been officially released yet, the device is already showing up as ‘In Stock’ at eTailer eCost.  The HP Mini 210 will be one of the first netbooks to sport Intel’s new PineView Atom processor.

You can’t actually add the HP Mini 210 to your cart at eCost…yet.  But, it does seem like the Mini 210s have physically arrived at eCost’s warehouses, so I’d expect that the netbook will be released within a week or so.

The Samsung N150, a PineView-powered netbook, first popped up on the FCC ten days ago.  Today, another filing for the N150 appeared on the FCC, this time for WWAN, Bluetooth and WiFi features.

The test report for the N150 shows support for 850/1900 GSM/EDGE/WCDMA WWAN, as well as Bluetooth powered by Broadcom and an Atheros WiFi card.  Other than that, there’s not much new to see here.

There’s still no indication of when the N150 will be released, however as we previously mentioned there are already some product pages up for the N150, so a January launch seems likely.

The novel WL150N-USBx 802.11 b/g/n adapter from AmbiCom ditches the traditional USB dongle for just one big antenna with a USB adapter at the end.  The antenna on the WL150N-USBx has a hinge near the end, so you can bend the antenna up or down or sideways, keeping it out of your way when you type.

That’s an improvement over typical USB dongles that protrude a few inches from your laptop and can be easily broken or bent.

No word on pricing or availability, but AmbiCom has a decent presence in the US, so it’s likely that the WL150N-USBx will appear in stores soon.

3G routers are becoming increasingly popular, and for good reason.  These devices allow you to share your 3G connection with several computers – a big plus when you’re spending $60+ a month for a 3G modem.

The 3GT1Wn 3G router from NetComm pictured above brings a lot to the table.  Like the MiFi, this device is battery powered, so you’re not stuck next to an electric outlet.  And unlike the MiFi, the 3GT1Wn accepts any USB 3G modem, so you can use the device with a variety of carriers.

No word on pricing or availability, but NetComm operates mostly in Australia, so hopefully the company gets a distribution channel in the States.

Samsung passed their SCH-i225 mobile phone through the FCC today.  This is a CDMA/EVDO device with Bluetooth, and if the information phone number on the label of the SCH-i225 is any indication, this device will be sold in the US.

There’s not much more information in the FCC filing, although we do get an idea of the SCH-i225’s form factor from the label placement pics above.

This surprising device passed through the FCC today.  Known as the Netgear PTV1000 Push 2 TV Adapter, this device uses Intel Wireless Display technology to wirelessly stream video and audio from your laptop to your TV via WiFi.

The benefits here are obvious – instead of connecting a bunch of wires to your notebook, just wirelessly pipe YouTube or Hulu to your TV.  The PTV1000 can also save you time when making presentations – just wirelessly connect to a projector, and you’re set.

The Intel Wireless Display technology is a unsecured output, however, so Netgear warns users that they may not be able to play some protected DVD and Blu Ray discs.  The technology is only available for Intel Core i3, i5 or i7 notebooks with an Intel GMA HD graphics adapter and Windows 7, as well.

No word on pricing or availability, and Intel Wireless Display technology seems to be a pretty well kept secret so far.  I’d expect to see an official unveiling of Intel Wireless Display and the PTV1000 at CES, however.

This Windows Mobile device, called the ZTE R1010, passed through the FCC today.  With a 2.5” screen, 3.2 MP camera and full QWERTY keypad, this sleek device doesn’t look bad at all.  And unlike other WM devices with this form factor, the R1010 has a touch screen and a stylus.

Sure, there’s not a lot to like about Windows Mobile at this point, and external pics of the R1010 suggest the device might be offered only by China Unicom for the time being.  However, with support for 850/1900 GSM and WCDMA bands II and IV, this device may make it to the States via importers, or perhaps will be rebranded by a US carrier.

The P9020 slider from Pantech, pictured above, passed through the FCC today.  This odd-looking device measures 3.67” x 2.51” x 0.58”, and sports a 2.8” display.

Despite its small form factor, the P9020 sports a full QWERTY keypad, along with email, texting, and instant messaging features.  The device can also record video and still images, and play back multimedia content.

The P9020’s user manual mentions several AT&T wireless services, including AT&T’s Navigator service, AT&T Radio, and access to AT&T apps.  The device also has limited access to the web, although only mobile web content is supported.

The P9020 is a quad-band GSM phone with support for 850 and 1900 WCDMA bands.  No word on pricing or availability.

It’s been a busy holiday season for Wacom.  A couple of days ago, the company passed a new version of their Intuos4 digitizer through the FCC.  Today, Wacom followed up with a new version of their popular Bamboo Pen digitizer, called the CTL-660.

We don’t have much more on the CTL-660 than the label pics above.  The device does seem similar in size and shape to previous versions of the Bamboo Pen, however.