Phones

Our somewhat unhealthy obsession over wireless speakers notwithstanding, we now see that we totally overlooked a related technology in the workplace: the wireless speakerphone.

Even the best speakerphones seem to require people leaning over with their noses in the microphone to ensure that they're heard. (It can be quite undignified.) And when the boss speaks, a gaggle of minions invariably rush to place it in front of him--often dragging cords and knocking over cell phones and coffee mugs in the process.

That can all be a thing of the past with a new wireless speakerphone from Panasonic and Willcom, … Read more

Every year, as we approach the annual CTIA cell phone blow-out, the industry's rumor mill kicks into high gear. And this year, the latest gossip to pop out of the blogosphere concerns the possible entry of French telecom giant Alcatel into the North American handset market. Phonescoop is reporting that the company will appear at CTIA to introduce a lineup of midrange and basic GSM phones. Specifics are few at this point, but it appears Alcatel is partnering with a company called Cellatel (catchy name, no?) to actually manufacture the handsets. Besides confirming the CTIA debut, Cellatel's Web site … Read more

It's karma: As the ravages of age befall us, products for the elderly that we used to mock suddenly don't seem so funny anymore. (It starts with bifocals.)

Nowhere is that truer than in Japan, where the aging population has become a source of national concern. So it's appropriate that NTT DoCoMo has developed the "Raku-Raku," a mobile phone designed specifically for people with impaired eyesight and hearing. The phone can slow down the words of an incoming call, read text and numbers aloud, and adjust ringtones and volume according to external noise, according to … Read more

From the very moment Steve Jobs unveiled the Apple iPhone at MacWorld two months ago, every corner of the tech world has been buzzing that the thing would be too darned expensive. Indeed, we said the very same thing in our initial analysis of the device. Apple is asking a lot of people to pay $599 for the 8GB version of the iPhone, particularly when that also comes with a two-year contract to Cingular. And what's more, a few studies conducted since January indicate that very few people (one study cited just 1 percent of respondents) would pay that … Read more

As mobile phones go, the Nokia 8800 is kind of the cellular equivalent of Eliza Doolittle: Everyone wants to dress it up and give it a makeover.

The "Sirocco" handset has been done in everything from 24k gold to the sleek stainless steel design of Lamborghini. Now, Russia's ISSE is weighing in with its own version, christening its "Monaco" brand of the 8800 with a variety of jewelry, colors and designs.

No information on pricing was available, but if all the handsets come in elaborate boxes like the one pictured here and on Slashphone (it … Read more

Sharp always seemed like a sensible brand, doing its share to come out with new technologies without being so flashy. So we're slightly disappointed that it has gone Hollywood for a moment with a solid gold stylus for a new smart phone coming out in Japan.

Nintendo also made a gold stylus for the DS Lite, but that's different. (Paris Hilton reportedly designed one of their special editions, after all.) Besides, the Nintendo stylus didn't cost $536, which is what the Sharp version will set you back. As Gizmodo notes, that's almost as much as the … Read more

This will be a weekly article tracking the most popular ringtones.

Ah, to be Chris Brown. The 18-year-old has a double-platinum album, was nominated for a Grammy, and has no problems with the ladies. But now, in even more exciting news, his single "Poppin'" is the top ringtone in the United States this week, according to Billboard.

The second hottest ringtone is Buckcherry's "Crazy B****." A catchy tune, yes, but you might run into trouble if you assign it to your girlfriend's number.

Proving that they're not dead yet, the Canadian rock band … Read more

The rumors were true: Nokia's N-Gage is returning, but it will be a gaming platform available on several new phones rather than on a single gaming handset. Gaming blog Kotaku was among the first to report on the news, which Nokia will expand upon at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco. Top mobile publishers such as EA, Glu Mobile and THQ Wireless are said to be on board, and Nokia is showcasing at least six N-Gage games, including versions of such well-known franchises as Brothers in Arms and FIFA 2008.

Nokia's press release specifically mentions that … Read more

Man, the RIM BlackBerry 8800 has to feel a little jilted. The sleek, full QWERTY device just came out over a week ago, and already we've moved on to the next big thing. That's a pretty quick 15 minutes of fame, even in the tech world. But can you really blame us? Not when there are rumors of a Wi-Fi-enabled BlackBerry 8820 out in the wild. And now, thanks to Spanish site Mentesdigitales, we can drool over another rumored RIM device, the BlackBerry 8300, aka "Daytona." This sexy beast sports an attractive silver casing as well … Read more