Latest Xtreme Router by D-Link's Shows Pictures

A mere nine months after being announced at CES 2009 in Las Vegas, D-Link is today shipping the Xtreme N Storage router (model DIR-685), probably the first router to incorporate a digital photo frame on the front.

It's only a 3.2-inch color LCD, and not the first router to have a screen, but it is the first that's going to be powered by FrameChannel (which aggregates images from your Flickr, Picasa and Facebook accounts) to display not just pictures but also streaming digital video. The screen will also display the status of the router, Internet connection, and the weather.

A 2.5-inch, 1-terabyte external drive can plug into the side and make the 685 into instant network attached storage (NAS), which can be used to automatically store downloads from BitTorrent. It'll even do FTP file transfers. Or you can plug USB external drives into either of the ports on the router. Or plug in printers or scanners to share them across the network. Plus integrates D-Link's Green tech to use less energy.

What about the actual router part? It's a Wi-Fi Certified, single-band (2.4GHz) 802.11n access point coupled with a four-port Gigabit switch, the usual NAT/SPI firewalls, and Wi-Fi Protected Setup button. It won't come cheap to watch pics or video on a routers, as the 685 costs $299.99 list, but is already selling at Amazon for $249.88.

No. 2 Mobile OS Will be Android (Analyst: Android to become #2 mobile OS by 2012)

According to Gartner analyst Ken Dulaney, Google’s fledgling Android OS has the potential to become the number two mobile operating system (behind Symbian OS) by 2012.

This certainly sounds like a bit of a stretch considering that currently Android is operating on less than 2% of the world’s smartphones. However, in a recent interview with Computerworld, Dulaney said that he sees Google’s open mobile platform expanding to upwards of 14% market penetration over the next 24 months.

He supports his claim by citing the fact that some 40 new Android-powered devices are expected to be launched over the next year alone.

“Android rises to number two simply because, unlike Apple, they license their OS to multiple OEMs,” Dulaney said. “They have the number 2 OEM, Samsung, and strong players like LG, Motorola, HTC and now Dell. There are others in the works.”

Combine all the new handsets with the enormous draw that Google itself brings to the table, not to mention the anticipated release of Android 2.0, and the fact that Android is open source and has slowly but surely become more attractive to developers, and Dulaney may be on to something here.

Checkout future technology in coming cells in market

There’s a lot that going on right now in the Mobile world. Nokia World and IFA had some pretty interesting things to showcase in terms of future technology and what to expect. So here’s the latest list on what we can hope to see soon in terms of mobile tech.

Nokia N900
At the top of the list is Nokia’s new mobile computing solution - the N900. This is not like the N800 Series tablets that we’ve seen before. The N900 somehow manages to take things in a new direction. The company has decided to go with an open source

Linux-based platform called Maemo. Its ARM Cortex-A8 processor should make it quite a speedy device and OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics acceleration should really make the visual experience pop.

The Nokia N900 will feature –
- a 3.5-inch touch-sensitive widescreen display with an 800 × 480 pixel resolution
- Slide-out QWERTY keyboard and on-screen virtual keyboard as well
- 3G (HSDPA, HSUPA), EDGE/GPRS
- Wi-Fi
- Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, USB 2.0 (Micro)
- Integrated GPS with A-GPS support (Ovi Maps preloaded)
- Maemo browser powered by Mozilla technology and Adobe Flash9.4 support
- 32GB of storage, which is expandable up to 48GB via a microSD card
- 3.5mm earphone and handsfree socket (AV out)
- 5 megapixel autofocus camera (Carl Zeiss optics and a Tessar lens) with a Dual LED flash
- Video playback includes XviD support (FINALLY)
- Built-in FM transmitter and radio

LG BL40 Chocolate
LG’s latest in their previous popular chocolate series is the new uber sleek BL40. It’s a large handset with extreme widescreen capabilities. LG has gone with a slightly varied version of their S-Class UI that features multitouch. It appears to be quite a feature rich fashion phone that has a lot to offer users looking for multimedia provisions as well as good looks.

The long and slim (sorry, but there’s no other way to describe it) BL40 comes with -
- a 4.01-inch touchscreen with a widescreen resolution of 345 x 800 pixels
- 3G (HSDPA), EDGE/GPRS
- Wi-Fi
- Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, USB 2.0 (Micro)
- Integrated GPS with A-GPS support
- 1GB of storage, which is expandable via a microSD cards
- 3.5mm earphone and handsfree socket (AV out)
- 5 megapixel autofocus camera (Schneider-Kreuznach optics) with an LED flash
- DivX and XviD video support
- Built-in FM transmitter and radio
- Dolby Mobile sound engine


Sony Ericsson Xperia X2
SE’s Xperia 2 or X2, is definitely a better looking version that the previous. It has a slightly more refined and sleeker look, especially draped in black. Hopefully the QWERTY keypad will prove to be a little more comfortable as well. The layout of the handset does seem a little better as well especially with the larger optical trackpad for navigation. This upgrade will be released with Windows Mobile 6.5 (Professional) so we’re looking at a better looking UI as well.

Other features that the X2 will have will include -
- a 3.2-inch touchscreen with resolution of 800 x 480 pixels
- Slide out QWERTY keyboard and Optical trackpad
- 3G (HSDPA, HSUPA), EDGE/GPRS
- Wi-Fi
- Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, USB 2.0 (Micro)
- Integrated GPS with A-GPS support
- microSD card support
- 3.5mm earphone and handsfree socket (AV out)
- 8 megapixel autofocus camera with an LED flash
- XviD video support

Samsung Corby
Samsung’s Corby is a cute little handset that is slated to be in the low end touchscreen category. In fact the approximate pricing is about Rs. 10,000 (non-confirmed) which could easily make it one of the cheapest. The TouchWiz UI’s themes are light and colorful just like the handset itself. It has replaceable rear panels and honestly it seems like it’s directed at the female of our species considering the variety of the colors themselves. This is the cheapest handset on the list but it’s something that a market like ours can really look forward to.

The handset will feature -
- a 2.8 inch touchscreen with a 240 × 320 pixel resolution and 256K colors
- EDGE/GPRS
- Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP
- MicroSD card support
- 2 megapixel camera
- FM radio

HTC Tattoo
In the Android Section, HTC is still the leader in terms of handsets, with a new model being announced on what seems to be a monthly basis. Their latest is the Tattoo, so called because of the interchangeable and customizable panels. The Tattoo is also being marketed as a lower end Android handset directed at the younger segment simply because of this customization option. It’s not going give the Corby a run for its money but for those looking to experience a new OS and the new HTC Sense UI, the Tattoo Android powered handset should fit the bill.

The handset will also feature -
- a 2.8 inch touchscreen with a 240 × 320 pixel resolution and 65K colors
- 3G support EDGE/GPRS
- Wi-Fi
- Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP, USB 2.0 (mini)
- GPS with A-GPS support
- 3.5mm handsfree socket
- MicroSD card support
- 3 megapixel camera
- FM radio

Motorola CLIQ
It seems like Motorola has risen from the ashes with the announcement of their first Android powered handset the MOTOBLUR. The handset is going to be marketed with today’s fad, Social Networking, as its key element with features that will allow users to always be connected and sync information between their favorite Social Networking sources like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Gmail et al. This feature is what the company is calling MOTOBLUR.

This touchscreen handset also features –
- a 3.1-inch touchscreen with resolution of 320 x 480 pixels
- Slide out QWERTY keyboard
- 3G, EDGE/GPRS
- Wi-Fi
- Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, USB 2.0 (Micro)
- Integrated GPS with A-GPS support
- microSD card support
- 3.5mm earphone and handsfree socket (AV out)
- 5 megapixel autofocus camera with an LED flash

There’s plenty more that we can expect to see soon, as mobile technology is only getting better with time. I can say much for the designs of some handsets but this sentiment may not be shared with everyone. To each his own. At least we can be assured that there will be something for everyone and that manufacturers have decided that not everyone has the monetary capacity to pay for what they claim to be the best they can offer. So we can finally look forward to seeing some pretty good handsets in the mid range segment equipped with enough features to keep most users satisfied.

Coming soon Samsung's New 12MP camera phone

we were talking about Samsung’s latest 12MP camera phone the SCH-W880 that’s been fitted with a 3X optical zoom

lens. More news today says that it’s going to be around the South Korean market for awhile in a CDMA state.

The handset features -

• 3.3-inch AMOLED touchscreen display (capacitive)
• 3G capabilities
• Wi-Fi
• GPS
• Bluetooth, USB (micro)
• 4GB internal memory with microSD card support

The camera is of course the central feature of this handset. It also allows for HD video recording (720p at 30fps). The camera will come with variable aperture settings a Xenon as well as an LED flash. Aside form this being the first ever 12MP camera phone with optical zoom functionality the fact that it records video at the resolution it does is also a first. It seems like it's even designed to look and feel like a digicam with a dial selector for various modes placed on one side.

The European version of the same handset with maybe a few adjustments here and there to suit the crowd will be called the M8920. No word on availability yet.

How cute LG Annouces 'Pop', Compact Full Touchscreen Mobile

LG has just unveiled the LG GD510, or more simply, Pop what they’re calling the most compact 3-inch full touchscreen phone ever made. The LG GD510 is the handset people who want a simple touchscreen phone have been waiting for. LG has designed the handset to include the key features that most users crave without the overhead of features they didn’t use.

“We gave the LG GD510 an optimized feature set which allowed us to concentrate on making the phone more compact and simpler to use,” said Dr. Skott Ahn, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “Our high-end phones like the Black Label Series New LG Chocolate (LG BL40) may be getting all the attention but there’s a gap in the market for affordable touchscreen phones that we want to fill. The LG GD510 delivers all the essentials in communication, multimedia

and entertainment and comes in a compact form factor as well.”

The handset’s feature set includes:

• 3-inch WQVGA touchscreen that extends almost to the edges with a narrow 4.8 mm bezel giving the illusion of an uninterrupted sheet of glass
• 3G ready with EDGE/GPRS
• Bluetooth with A2DP, USB 2.0 (micro)
• FM radio
• 3 megapixel camera
• 8GB internal memory

The unit’s sleek design is accented by a single button on the face that functions as the menu, end and cancel keys, depending on the phone’s mode. A slim strip of light around the button shines either green or red to indicate the handset’s function. The LG GD510 is crafted from brushed aluminum which gives it that high-end sort of look. Though there's nothing officially mentioned in the press release, a couple of the press images show the handset with a solar panel battery cover. Interesting!

LG GD510 will be available beginning in mid-October in Europe, followed by other markets. Prices will vary country-to-country and will be announced at a later date so stay tuned.

Now Is it Time to Bid Goodbye to VoIP?

IB has instructed the Ministry of Communications to block all Internet telephony services

Just as the Department of Telecom, or DoT, has taken a call to bury IMEI-less handsets that could play into the hands of terrorists, reports suggest that your untraceable Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP services may not live very long too.

Reportedly, India's Intelligence Bureau (IB) has instructed the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to block all Internet telephony services in and out of India till DoT can devise a method to track such calls.


According to the report, "In the absence of Caller Line Identification (CLI) parameters of calls landing from abroad, it's next to impossible to identify the country of location of the caller. The calls passing through the VoIP/IP route contain inadequate parameters rendering it impossible to trace the actual callers. As DoT had conveyed that it is not possible to mandate transmission of CLI from abroad, IB has approached DoT to block such calls till a technical solution is found."


Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recommended the lifting of restrictions on Internet telephony in the country in August 2008.

As per TRAI, there are around 34 companies providing VoIP services in the country. If the block is implemented, it is likely to disrupt the habits and businesses of many.