Phones

If there's one thing everyone agrees on, it's that we all need a better way to charge the multiplying electronic devices that run our lives. One of the more anticipated technologies in this department, for example, has been the "WildCharger" wireless recharging pad. Herman Miller, the office furnishing designer extraordinaire that gave us the "Aeron" chair, has apparently a concept similar to the WildCharger's and plans to use it in future desks.

The company has licensed a system called "eCoupled," which uses a magnetic field that can theoretically charge cell phones, … Read more

If the YOUniverse Funk Fone phone had been around in the late '70s, all of us Saturday Night Fever groupies would have been pleased to the max! Well, better late than never, we suppose.

This clunky, disco-shoe-shaped phone operates as a normal telephone, with flashing lights and three disco ring tones for a little Donna Summer flair. It measures 6.4 inches by 4 inches by 9.4 inches, goes for $19.99 and might just make the little disco diva in your life bust into the Hustle. Disco ball and polyester jumpsuit not included.

(Source: Chip Chicklets)

We've developed an intense dislike for the overuse of Bluetooth headsets, as they seem to encourage obnoxiously loud talking in public places. But if people insist on grafting them to their skulls, the least they can do is wear ones that look good. Bluetake meets that challenge with its latest offering. Gadgeteer wasn't thrilled with the performance of the BT400GL, which the company describes as "one of the smallest and lightest headsets on the market," but did note an important style point for fashionistas: It comes in "girly flashy pink and manly silver."

Goofy as it may look, the Audex knit cap with built-in MP3 player would still have some practical applications in cold-weather activities. But spring skiing is just around the corner, and you may not want to mess up your mullet with a knit cap if you don't need the added warmth.

One alternative is the Audex Motorola cargo jacket, a waterproof coat with Bluetooth speakers sewn into its collar. The jacket can play MP3 tunes or answer your phone with a built-in hands-free microphone. But for a retail price of $645, we think this garment should screen calls and … Read more

Recently, we rounded up some of the most overhyped cell phones to date, and we don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that the Apple iPhone might be headed that way. Yet amidst all the serious debate about whether the iPhone is a rip-off or a force to be reckoned with, there's still a little fun to had. BBSpot has a humorous little spoof of a showdown between the iPhone and the Palm Treo, noting upfront that "We haven't had our hands on either device, but that hasn't stopped us from … Read more

When I talk about niches of the "new Internet" that are pretty much totally saturated, usually I mention social networking sites or online video portals. Here's another one: Photo sharing! I'm inherently going to be pretty skeptical of any start-up that comes around and decides to take on the Flickrs and Photobuckets of the world. In order for me to be optimistic about a new photo-sharing site, it's going to have to offer something really new. The subject of this post, Radar, thankfully does. It's designed specifically for swapping camera-phone photos around with your … Read more

I returned recently from a trip to Hong Kong and found a cell phone lover's paradise just waiting to be explored. Cell phone shops line almost every street, and no, I'm not talking about stuffy carrier stores with a limited selection of only what they want to sell. Rather, I'm referring to full-fledged gadget shops with an untold selection of manufacturers and models, many of which I'd never seen in the flesh. It goes without saying that the offerings are light years ahead of what we get in the United States, but also the entire cell … Read more

Palm released a software update for the Treo 680 Thursday to fix a problem in which the embedded camera drains the smart phone's battery.

"Palm has identified that the Treo 680 device can experience reduced battery life when the camera is used. The camera may continue to draw power from the battery when the device is in standby mode," a posting on the Palm Web site said. All Treo 680 users should install the Camera Update, the company said. Find the update here.

Treo users had been complaining on user forums that the handset's battery was … Read more

The sharp guys at Phone Scoop have confirmed what we predicted at CES: Sprint will be the first U.S. carrier to land the new Samsung Ultra Music. Phone Scoop found the FCC approval forms, which indicate that the Ultra Music's model number will be the SPH-M620. This will be the first CDMA version of the phone since a GSM model made its first debut last month in Hong Kong. We hear Sprint will have it for sale by March.

You'll remember that the Ultra Music is the phone with two personalities that Samsung unveiled last week in … Read more