Motor Authority - blog Tag: Mobile

Nokia’s luxurious Vertu series of mobile phones has been expanded with a new range of high-end Ascent models grouped under the Ti Carbon-Fiber collection. Continuing to lead the way with the application of innovative materials used on some of the world's most exclusive mobile phones, the latest Vertu Ascent Ti Carbon-Fiber mobile phones feature—you guessed it—lightweight carbon-fiber for their outer casing.

The collection includes the actual Ascent Ti Carbon-Fiber Limited Edition handset, as well as three different grips made from either pure carbon-fiber, carbon-fiber and aluminum, or carbon-fiber and copper.

Handcrafted in England, the...

Nokia’s luxurious Vertu series of mobile phones has been expanded with a new range of high-end Ascent models grouped under the Ti Carbon-Fiber collection. Continuing to lead the way with the application of innovative materials used on some of the world's most exclusive mobile phones, the latest Vertu Ascent Ti Carbon-Fiber mobile phones feature—you guessed it—lightweight carbon-fiber for their outer casing. The collection includes the actual Ascent Ti Carbon-Fiber Limited Edition handset, as well as three different grips made from either pure carbon-fiber, carbon-fiber and aluminum, or carbon-fiber and copper. Handcrafted in England, the carbon-fiber used for the handsets has been repeatedly tested to ensure the optimum amount of fibers and resin, which are then processed together to achieve a flawless uniform look on both the flat and curved parts of the handset. The diagonal rib appearance of each phone is achieved using a twill carbon-fiber weave process resulting in a modern look whilst the actual carbon-fiber used has been tailor-made in the smallest 1k weave width to create a clean pattern profile. As with all Vertu's a number of other high-quality materials are used, including titanium for parts of the exterior and sapphire for the screen. The handsets go on sale later this month with pricing available upon request. Read More

The iPhone or the latest Blackberry or Nokia offerings are often taken as the gold standard of mobile phones for most folks. But sometimes you need a phone that just works, even if you dip it in mud, drive over it with your truck, dunk it in water and drop it onto the pavement. That's where Land Rover steps in.

Or at least that's the pitch for the new Land Rover S1 mobile phone. The device is designed to be ultra-rugged for real field use, but how do you measure just how rugged rugged is? “When we started making these handsets, there was no standard for how to test and benchmark rugged phones, so we created our own," said Bob... The iPhone or the latest Blackberry or Nokia offerings are often taken as the gold standard of mobile phones for most folks. But sometimes you need a phone that just works, even if you dip it in mud, drive over it with your truck, dunk it in water and drop it onto the pavement. That's where Land Rover steps in. Or at least that's the pitch for the new Land Rover S1 mobile phone. The device is designed to be ultra-rugged for real field use, but how do you measure just how rugged rugged is? “When we started making these handsets, there was no standard for how to test and benchmark rugged phones, so we created our own," said Bob Plaschke, CEO of Sonim Technologies, the company that manufactures the S1 for Land Rover. "The Land Rover S1 is tested according to our own ‘Rugged Performance Standard’, a specific 12-point test to ensure our phones remain of the highest quality and don’t let you down when you need it most.” Judging by the photos, the torture test is some pretty tough stuff - note the phone strapped to the wheel of the Defender in the photo above. It's not all about toughness, however, packing a respectable feature set into its rough-and-tumble casing. A 2MP camera, GPS, flashlight, FM radio, 2GB memory slot, mobile Java and Bluetooth complete with a built-in Opera Mini browser for surfing the web. The phone will be available this month, but only in Go Mobile stores in the UK, priced at £299.99 ($488). Land Rover S1 Specification * Fully submersible to a depth of one meter (3.3ft) * Survives being dropped onto hard surfaces from up to two meters (6.6ft) * Extra-Loud speakers for use in extremely noisy environments * Extra-long battery life with over 1500 hours of standby time and 18 hours of talk time * Durable keyboard mechanics and extra-wide buttons for ease of use * Keypad buttons tested to over 500,000 pushes * Completely dust and micro-particle resistant – IP-67 Rated * Resistant to road shocks and vibrations to over 2000 random vibrations in the 500Hz range * Operational under temperatures from -20° to 55° C (-4° to 141° F) * Resistant to extreme pressure up to 400kg (880lb) * Resistant to punctures at 75kg/cm2 (1,065psi) of pressure. * Three year unconditional guaranteeLand Rover S1 mobile phone Read More

Car-themed phones are nothing new, but phones designed by Porsche's Design Group are less common. Today Porsche Design announced a second phone in its 9000 series of communications products, the P'9522.

The first Porsche Design Phone, the P'9521, was a flip-style phone, but the P'9522 is a one-piece 'candybar' style unit, with a case machined from a single piece of aluminum. Core features, beyond the elegant and minimalist design, are the 2.8in touchscreen active matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) display, fingerprint recognition and built-in GPS with navigation functionality.

A five megapixel camera, MP3 player and WiFi access... Car-themed phones are nothing new, but phones designed by Porsche's Design Group are less common. Today Porsche Design announced a second phone in its 9000 series of communications products, the P'9522. The first Porsche Design Phone, the P'9521, was a flip-style phone, but the P'9522 is a one-piece 'candybar' style unit, with a case machined from a single piece of aluminum. Core features, beyond the elegant and minimalist design, are the 2.8in touchscreen active matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) display, fingerprint recognition and built-in GPS with navigation functionality. A five megapixel camera, MP3 player and WiFi access are also built into the quad-band (nearly) global phone. It won't work in Japan or Korea, however, due to incompatibilities with those countries' networks.Porsche Design P9522 Phone Read More

Mobile communications devices are truly coming into their own with the BlackBerry, iPhone, Sidekick and more making it easier than ever to stay connected via the Internet, voice and text. But all that connectivity can be a major distraction behind the wheel, and so Aegis Mobility has developed a service that helps keep drivers focused on the road ahead by intercepting calls and messages when subscriber is driving.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving causes 80 percent of all accidents. Just a few weeks ago, a study was released claiming texting while driving to be more dangerous than alcohol or... Mobile communications devices are truly coming into their own with the BlackBerry, iPhone, Sidekick and more making it easier than ever to stay connected via the Internet, voice and text. But all that connectivity can be a major distraction behind the wheel, and so Aegis Mobility has developed a service that helps keep drivers focused on the road ahead by intercepting calls and messages when subscriber is driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving causes 80 percent of all accidents. Just a few weeks ago, a study was released claiming texting while driving to be more dangerous than alcohol or cannabis. “Research has confirmed that the distraction associated with cell phone use is much more dangerous than originally suspected,” said Aegis Mobility spokesperson David Teater. “This problem has grown out of the rapid adoption of mobile technology and our need to stay connected. Aegis Mobility has created the first effective technology solution for this issue.” DriveAssist works by detecting the movement of the phone, so it activates itself transparently. Once active, the DriveAssist software intercepts calls, rather than merely refusing them, and keeps a log of who called while the phone owner was driving. Text messages are delayed, then delivered once the phone stops moving at vehicular speeds. DriveAssist can also provide the vehicle's location to callers under certain conditions. For passengers or while riding trains, buses, or other mass transit, there is an override function. This does open up potential for abuse of the override system, but it's a necessary function where commuters might use more than one mode of transport - common in larger cities. To help deter such abuse of the override system, the Aegis Mobility ContextEngine records the circumstances (i.e. location and date) of the override for later use if necessary. Emergency calls are always allowed, with no override necessary. The program will be software-based and offered through wireless service providers beginning next year. So far, no wireless carriers have adopted the service, but it is being backed by auto insurance company Nationwide. “There are 42,000 traffic fatalities each year in the U.S. and traffic accidents have long been the number one cause of death for teens,” said Teater. “This is exciting technology that will help people drive more responsibly.” Read More

A trio of Japanese companies have come together to create the world's first mobile phone that also acts as an electronic key for certain vehicles, allowing its owner to automatically unlock their car door and start the engine without having to fish around in their pockets for a traditional key.

Developed by Nissan, Sharp and Japanese telco NTT Docomo, the new device will only work with Nissan's electronic ‘Intelligent Key’ feature, which has been installed on almost a million Nissan and Infiniti models since 2002.

The convergence of automotive and cellular technologies was made possible by Docomo’s expertise in the... A trio of Japanese companies have come together to create the world's first mobile phone that also acts as an electronic key for certain vehicles, allowing its owner to automatically unlock their car door and start the engine without having to fish around in their pockets for a traditional key. Developed by Nissan, Sharp and Japanese telco NTT Docomo, the new device will only work with Nissan's electronic ‘Intelligent Key’ feature, which has been installed on almost a million Nissan and Infiniti models since 2002. The convergence of automotive and cellular technologies was made possible by Docomo’s expertise in the marketability of mobile phones, Sharp's development of the phone itself and Nissan's provision of technical support to ensure the key's operability with its vehicles. The phone was created as a response to the increasing ubiquity of mobile telephones in today's world, and a desire to make the consumer experience as seamless as possible. The mobile phone will be used mainly for automatic keyless entry and engine ignition, lockout prevention, and conventional remote locking and unlocking. The separate companies will demonstrate their new 'Intelligent Key' mobile phone in their respective exhibits at CEATEC Japan 2008, which begins September 30 and runs until October 4. The three firms will continue to develop the product with an aim for commercial distribution in the middle of next year. Read More