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Innovators Shine At CTIA Wireless Conference
CWmike writes "The CTIA Wireless conference this week brought in larger crowds and more vendors than last year's event, but that probably isn't saying much, considering the recession had begun to hit hard in early 2009, Matt Hamblen reports from Vegas. The uptick pleased vendors exhibiting at the event, especially some of the smaller, lesser-known companies that sometimes offer the most interesting products, even if they never go gangbusters with the public. Matt highlights top innovative firms and products from the show, including W PhoneWatch (yes, a GSM phone watch for $199; see video), AT&T's Zero Charger (ends 'vampire draw'), Connectify (turns your laptop into a hotspot), and Line2, a Wi-Fi calling app for iPhones and iPod Touches (look out cellular voice service revenues)."
Android made quite a strong showing at the conference as well.
Just like the last round of VOIP apps for the iPhone, AT&T said "no" so Apple pulled them from the app store sticking the developer with the rebate expenses.
Then again, Apple has been less then consistant with the app store so far. So perhaps this one is OK while the last ones where "bad".
"Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
Connectify (turns your laptop into a hotspot)
I thought it was /. that turned my laptop into a hotspot ... oh wait, not /., p0rn.
end of double billing on cell phone calls in North America.
Have a weekend.
Yours In Yellowknife,
Kilgore Trout
Looks really, really, really tempting... but for even less I can get an unlocked HTC G1.... Hmm.. I don't wear watches anyway.
The only way I know of cor the so-called "vampire draw" to be "100% eliminated" is through a mechanical switch. Any circuit that detects the presence of a device on the other end must necessarily draw power from somewhere, and the device sure isn't going to provide it over USB. That's a violation of the spec. AFAIK, the USB device doesn't output any signal on the wire until interrogated by the host.
And even if you got past that somehow, you would still have some sort of trickle power available to power the power-switching circuit itself.
So basically the only way I can imagine this working is if they did something like putting a microswitch inside the USB connector, which is fine as long as you remember to unplug the cable at night, but that's hardly any different than unplugging the charger. You're just moving the problem a little farther down.
Am I missing something, or are these claims exaggerated somewhat?
Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.
I'm more interested in Sprint's EVO. Assuming the pricepoint is right that is. It's a real step towards video conferencing as a common form of communication. Plus the 8.1 Megapix camera that can record up to 720P and has HDMI out means I can lighten my load by about 3 devices...
Just like the last round of VOIP apps for the iPhone, AT&T said "no" so Apple pulled them from the app store sticking the developer with the rebate expenses.
Then again, Apple has been less then consistant with the app store so far. So perhaps this one is OK while the last ones where "bad".
China Mobile Phones
Seriously, Skype already offers WiFi calls for a lot less, and works well. I used it recently overseas via free hotel WiFi and it worked great. It's a lot cheaper if you don't want a Skype in number. Vonage has a plan as well but costs a lot more. Both are Wifi only, unless you have a jailbroken iPhone. The question is will Apple allow VOIP via 3G; if so I think the current crop of VOIP apps will quickly add that feature, making Line2Talk yet another me too app without the name recognition of the bigger players.
Of course, once Apple and ATT sort out the issue (which they seem to be doing) I expect one (probably Apple) to bring out their own VOIP via 3G app. Apple could easily integrate that into its phone App, if they could do so in a way that lets the phone know it's making a VOIP call then ATT could even add that as an extra cost feature. Being able to ID when an app wants to do VOIP would be, for ATT, a double win - more money for them as well as a way to block other VOIP calls via 3G unless they are paid for them. I don't like that idea, but ATT must be looking at ways to monetize VOIP using their phones. I realize many calls are already VOIP, but that's at ATT's end where tehy decide how to haul the traffic; this would put a meter on the consumer end.
I'm a consultant - I convert gibberish into cash-flow.
The little device that all you ignorant kids have never heard of that's "something like [...] a microswitch" is called a RELAY. It's an electro-mechanical device where an energized coil generates a magnetic field that pulls a solenoid that moves the leaf contacts of the switch.
These ingenious devices come with two kinds of switching: normally-open and normally-closed. That refers to the default state of the switch contacts. No power is required to return the switch contacts to their default state; mechanical springiness does it.
It's very easy to place the normally-open contacts of a relay in the path to the power supply of a circuit, and to have the coil energized under the control of the switched circuit. Then you also wire a pushbutton or similar across the relay contacts. Press the button, current circuits past the relay, energizes the circuit and hence the coil; now the relay turns on, and current continues to flow (now through the relay contacts) into the circuit, and the coil stays energized and the relay contacts closed when you release the button. The circuit has now stably latched itself on. To switch it off, you need only briefly interrupt the supply to the coil - for example, by having a transistor, or even another relay (this time with normally-closed contacts) in the circuit path to the coil and sending it a switching pulse. The coil de-energizes, the contacts spring back open, current stops flowing in the whole circuit, it latches itself right back off again.
This is really basic electrical circuit design stuff, it was already old tech when I was reading about it in Practical Electronics magazine as a kid in the '70s. How dare you call yourselves geeks without knowing this kind of basic Electricity-and-what-to-do-with-it-101 stuff?