Best New Technology

In this week’s Gadget Lab Podcast, Dylan Tweney and Jose Fermoso talk about the 2008 CTIA Wireless conference, highlighting the next step in cell phone technologies like improved haptic technology and five-megapixel cameras.

In addition, they go over one of the most surprising trends from the conference: companies are actually using unique names for their products again (like Alias and Instinct), rather than the usual model number gibberish. No more 33465huv-u40!

Finally, they discuss the sublimely tacky existence of David Beckham’s golden iPhone, and why it provides the Gadget Lab team with many laughs and inspiration.

Thanks again for listening. Remember, you can subscribe to the podcast feed right here. And you can find the twenty-two previous podcasts after the jump.

The Podcast (above) requires Quicktime (you can download it at Apple’s page here).

The last few Gadget Lab podcasts are below:

The Wired Gadget Lab Podcast #22: Motorola’s Split, The Sony Crapware Saga, and More

The Wired Gadget Lab Podcast #21: The Wireless Spectrum Auction, HTC’s Googlephone, and Evil Keyboards

The Wired Gadget Lab Podcast #20: Exploding Batteries, Lost gadgets, and the Week’s Best Reviews

The Wired Gadget Lab Podcast #19: From the iPhone SDK Release to Microsoft’s TechFest

The Wired Gadget Lab Podcast #18: From Nokia’s Phone of the Future to the DIY-Friendly Chumby Gadget

The Wired Gadget Lab Podcast #17: The Bankruptcy of The Sharper Image and Insider Info on the Death of HD DVD

The Wired Gadget Lab Podcast #16: The End of the hd dvd Format, 1080p Projectors, and More

The Wired Gadget Lab Podcast #15:Technologies from Orwell’s 1984, Cool Gear From the Super Tuesday Primaries, and More

The Wired Gadget Lab Podcast #14: From Garmin’s Nuviphone to the Linux-based Haier Ibiza Rhapsody mp3 player

The Wired Gadget Lab Podcast #13: Macworld 2008 Review and macbook air First Impressions

The Wired Gadget Lab Podcast #12: CES 2008, with Pioneer’s Project Kuro, the Dystopian Life Wall, and More

The Wired Gadget Lab Podcast #11: The CES 2008 Preview with Touchscreen TVs, Wireless Phones, and More

The Wired Gadget Lab Podcast #10: Last-Minute Holiday Gifts for Geeks and Wired’s 2007 Vaporware Awards

The Wired Gadget Lab Podcast #9: All Around Smackdowns Between the ipod and Zune 2 Media Players and Kid-Friendly Laptops

The Wired Gadget Lab Podcast #8: From Dell’s New Retail Strategy to the Film vs. Digital Deathmatch Controversy

The Wired Gadget Lab Podcast #7: From the Blu-ray/HD-DVD Wars to the Exploding Battery Mystery

The Wired Gadget Lab Podcast #6: From The Microsoft Zune 2 Release to Warner Music’s Surprising iTunes About-Face

The Wired Gadget Lab Podcast #5: From Google’s Android Alliance to the iphone’s iBricking Firmware

The Wired Gadget Lab Podcast #4: From Wal-Mart’s Early Black Friday To NBC’s Word War With Apple

The Wired Gadget Lab Podcast #3: From the CTIA Trade Show to the Leopard Launch

The Wired Gadget Lab Podcast #2: We’re Giving Away Good Times (Nokia N810 Tablet and iPhone Apps)

The Wired Gadget Lab Podcast #1: Listen and Be Amazed (Microsoft’s Zune and the Gateway One PC)

Posted Apr 4th 2008 3:32PM by Nilay Patel
Filed under: cellphones, Misc. gadgets

Alright everyone, let’s review: If you’re going to put out a joke press release for April Fool’s Day, it’s important to make sure it’s actually April 1st. That’s a little lesson the folks at AbleComm apparently didn’t get, because the company’s April Fools press release about Panasonic putting partially-Ablecomm-sourced plasma screens in cell phones went out yesterday, April 3rd — and got subsequently picked up by a variety of news outlets, including us. Yep, we got punked, we’ll admit it. Unlike us, however, AbleComm hasn’t yet had the stones to issue its own retraction, instead ordering PR Newswire to completely pull the release and put out a new, PRNewswire-written three-line retraction elsewhere. Yikes. We’ll probably live without plasmas in our cellphones, but c’mon, people, at least admit it when the joke goes bad. Check out the retraction and the original fake press release after the break.

[Thanks, David]

PRNewswire — April 3, 2008

We are advised by AbleComm, Inc. that journalists and other readers should disregard the news release, Panasonic To Put Plasma Video Displays in Cell Phones, issued earlier today over PR Newswire, as the entire news release is completely false.

_________________

PRNewswire — April 3, 2008

MILFORD, Conn., April 3, 2008, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — At a press conference on Tuesday, Panasonic revealed major changes in its telecommunications and high definition television divisions. New low-voltage plasma technology, partly sourced from AbleComm, Inc., is uniting the two divisions in new product initiatives, including plasma video displays for cell phones to use with AT&T’s recently announced Mobile TV service.

The service will provide full-length television content and sporting events from CBS, Comedy Central, ESPN, FOX, MTV, NBC and Nickelodeon. It will be available in May.

Panasonic Communications and Networking Division Vice President Hiroshi Mitsukoshi told of a leadership shift in business phone systems, and Robert A. Perry provided a look at the future of Panasonic’s HDTV business.

Larry White, who had been National Marketing Manager of the Communication Systems Group, has left the company. White will be replaced by Mark Balsama, who had been Group Manager of the Communications Systems Division until his retirement last summer.

Mitsukoshi told reporters gathered at AbleComm headquarters in Milford, CT, “I am extremely pleased that we have been able to convince the beloved Mark-san to come out of retirement and return to his desk. He worked at Panasonic for nearly 35 years and has an unmatched reputation and a special relationship with our dealers and distributors, and he will be a vital part of preparing the division for the future.”

“We have defined our future as the dominant seller of plasma televisions, even though other display types have taken away percentage points in some screen sizes. We know that plasma is still the magic word that excites most buyers, and recent decisions by Pioneer and Fujitsu to exit the plasma display panel business offer us the opportunity to gain market share.”

Mark Balsama then addressed the group and revealed plans to incorporate newly developed, miniature plasma displays in telephone products. “This is my first official day back at work, and I have a very exciting announcement to make. For nearly a decade, Panasonic’s engineers have been secretly working on a thin, lightweight low-voltage compact plasma display. We have recently reached a licensing agreement for some key technology with product developer AbleComm, Inc. — the same company that conceived our very successful KX-TVS50 voicemail system over 10 years ago. We will be able to incorporate miniature plasma displays into both consumer and business telephone products starting this fall. They will rival OLED displays for brightness, contrast and thinness, and can be manufactured for much less money.”

AbleComm president Michael N. Marcus said, “This is an unexpected and happy coincidence for all of us. Our company has had a long relationship with Panasonic. Several years ago we developed a family of high-efficiency headsets for use with Panasonic business phones, and it turned out that a proprietary component used in those headsets was exactly what Panasonic needed to complete the development of their low-voltage miniaturized plasma displays.”

Balsama continued, “Many of our new phones will have vibrant color plasma screens that can run on just 1.5 volts and won’t require any additional wiring or special power supplies. We’ll be able to put plasma in cell phones, business phones, consumer phones, corded phones, cordless phones, and even door intercom monitors and fax machines. We will revolutionize the consumer electronics business, as Panasonic has done many times before.”

Robert A. Perry, the new Senior Vice President of Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company who is responsible for marketing plasma and LCD HDTVs, also addressed the meeting. He said, “Our plasma expertise and our large- scale, efficient manufacturing will allow these new small Panasonic plasma screens to replace LCDs in many applications — gasoline pumps, automated teller machines, camera viewfinders, MP3 players, vending machines, automotive displays, digital photo frames, appliance touch screens and even the little pop-up screens on printers. In fact, I am pleased to announce that we will be supplying mini plasma screens to HP for an exclusive two-year period for use in their printers. We view our thin low-voltage PDP technology as a pre- emptive strike against OLED technology.”

He pointed out that despite Panasonic’s strong belief in the superiority of plasma displays, “We can’t afford to ignore the growing demand for LCD HDTVs. At the same time that we are OEM-ing plasma for Pioneer, we will be quickly adding many models of LCD TVs to our line, buying OEM LCD display panels from Sharp, our good neighbor in Osaka.”

“This strategy,” Perry concluded, “will position Panasonic as the world leader in television sales among first-tier brands, capitalize on the economy of scale and cost savings of both LCD and plasma technologies from our new business partners, minimize future production risks and stabilize long-term profitability in a chaotic market.”

SOURCE AbleComm, Inc.

http://www.ablecomm.com

Yes, it’s true. Internet telephony company Jajah is participating in the iPhone Developer Program. That means in addition to its existing web-only client, there will also be a native VoIP app for the iphone this summer.

You can expect the new client to be available via the App Store, which is launching sometime in June.

If you recall, after a lot of speculation about what would and wouldn’t be allow to run on the iPhone, Steve Jobs said VoIP would be permissible at the SDK roadmap event last March, but that mobile carrier networks were off limits.

The exact wording from the SDK agreement is as follows: "If an Application require or will have access to the carrier network, then additionally such Application: …May not have Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) functionality."

Pretty clear cut. Jajah is apparently adhering to this stipulation, which is almost certainly tied to the contracts Apple has with AT&T and other individual carriers in Europe. The compay says the new native app will either be free or a low-cost service, depending on the call destination or source. At the very least, it’s going a be a great option for jet-setters who want to avoid those ridiculous roaming charges.

Griffin iClear Transparent Hard Case for iPod Nano

Protect your iPod nano from the daily abuse of active lifestyles with Griffin’s iClear case. This sturdy polycarbonate case is completely transparent so that it can protect your iPod from dust and scratches without marring its cool looks. The simple clam-shell design is easy to install. Press on the front, swing up the back and snap the clasp. You’ll get a snug fit that stays secure through even the most rigorous activities. The iClear also has openings for your iPod’s control wheel, audio jack, on switch, USB port and LED. Full access to controls and ports ensures that you’ll never have to take your nano out of the iClear’s protective grip. A tough ipod nano case that you’ll hardly even notice is there: the Griffin iClear.

Technorati Tags: gadgets

Colour Phasing Sphere

You can have this for ?24.95

Had enough of the usual gang here on Gadget Lab? Think you can do better than the multitalented (but inescapably British) Rob Beschizza? Now’s your chance to show us what you’ve got.

We’re looking for an enthusiastic, eager, tech-savvy blogger to join the Gadget Lab team and help cover the most interesting and compelling daily tech news for Wired’s most popular blog. We’re not just shoveling press releases onto the web here, unlike some blogs we could mention. That’s why we want someone who can bring an intelligent, informed and entertaining perspective to our gadget coverage.

In return, you’ll get unparalleled exposure on Wired.com, plus the chance to test out, play with and write about all kinds of new gadgets long before your friends do. Oh yeah, and we pay money too.

If this sounds like your dream job, send me an email with your resume, links to 3 recent blog posts you’ve done, and a sample Gadget Lab post on a tech news item from the day you send it. Resume not up to date? Fine, just tell me what jobs you’ve worked lately. And please keep your sample post to 150 words, tops.

Photo: foundphotoslj / Flickr

eMusic, together with the Music Intelligence Institute, presents this Music Intelligence Quiz developed by experts in the music field. It consists of 30 multiple-choice questions covering many genres and eras of music. The maximum number of points is 180, and there are 5 levels of music intelligence: Top 40 Radio Listener, Air Guitarist, Birthday Party DJ, Mix-Tape Master, and Musical Magician.

What’s great about this test is that, unlike other assessments out there, you are not obligated to provide a name or email address or register in order to see your results, although after you view your results eMusic invites you to check out some music suggestions based on your music intelligence level, but that’s fine. You can provide some demographic info (year of birth, gender, location) which is no big deal, but that would be cool if you could see some sort of results breakdown by these factors, or if you could get a badge to post on your social networking profile. Perhaps in the next version. Anyway I feel that this test is fair and accurate, as my music IQ turns out to be 126 which makes me a Mix-Tape Master. Try it yourself, but no cheating and no taking it over and over again to try to improve your score!

Read [Seen This]

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Digital Trends reviews the LG CU515 and writes, “The phone’s email is compatible with Yahoo!, AOL, AIM, Windows and other formats, so your current email provider is more than likely. The 1.3 MegaPixel camera isn’t especially powerful, but it does take crisp and clear pictures as well as decent video – even without a light source from the phone. It does require a steady hand, so avoid using it in shaky situations. The CU515 is also Bluetooth compatible.”

Read more about the LG CU515.

Microsoft is going to add new features to the Live Search found on BlackBerry and Windows Mobile devices, according to a keynote speech made by Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft’s Entertainment & Devices Division, at CTIA wireless 2008.

One of the changes in the Live Search feature for blackberry devices is the addition of voice-enabled search, in which users will be able to talk at their phone to find businesses and get driving directions alongside results shown on interactive maps. On the other hand, Windows Mobile users will get the ability to view the addresses of contacts on a map, get directions and view custom maps of user-made locations and events. WinMo users will also be able to launch Web search directly from the client, and find Web pages, product comparisons, and other information on the Internet. Weather updates will also be included in the set of new features for Windows Mobile devices.

The updates for Windows Mobile are expected to be released by spring, while the BlackBerry update’s release date is still uncertain.

Read [CNET]

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Apple finally managed to scoot ahead of Wal-Mart to become the U.S.’s largest music retailer — at least for the first two months of the year. According to the latest data from NPD MusicWatch, Apple beat out the retail giant in both January and February music sales.

Based on a congratulatory noted circulated to Apple employees — and obtained by Ars Technica — we do know that the iTunes Store captured a 19 percent share of all U.S.-based retail music sales for at least one week in January, which was just enough to propell the online music store to the No. 1 spot, a few points ahead of Wal-Mart’s 15 percent share.

The NPD Group hasn’t released a breakdown of latest figures, but it’s certainly been quick climb for Apple to the top. Last June, the company breezed by Amazon to become the number three music retailer in the U.S. Six months later, iTunes bested Best Buy for two position. The only thing that remains uncertain is whether this momentum will carry Apple through the rest of 2008.

UPDATE: So there was a great deal of confusion this morning relating to the Ars Technica Apple retail report. Ars proclaimed that Apple was now the No. 1 music retailer in the U.S., but was using one week’s worth of data in January to make that claim. This, of course, also conflicted with the company’s late February announcement that it was now firmly entrenched as the No. 2 position. In a friendly note to Wired, Ars pointed out that that No. 2 position was based only on December information and was outdated. In fact, it was based on the entire year, according to the folks at NPD.

Anyway, most of the confusion was put to rest when Apple finally issued a new press release declaring itself the No. 1 music retailer for both January and February. We’ve updated our post to reflect this.

[Via Ars Technica]

Photo: Flickr/maury.mccown