LG Telecom to Launch Rev. A Phone
All-in-One Hybrid, Dual OS Portable Computer
North Korea to Lift Cell-Phone Ban in April 2008
Panasonic Markets DSC Featuring Subject-Following Feature
Amuse and KDDI Set Up New Music-Distribution Company Together
Watch-Style Alarm Gives Well-Rested Awake
Modu Makes Guinness Book of Records as World's Lightest Cell Phone
Microsoft to Set Up Technology Center in Taiwan

LG Telecom of South Korea, the smallest of the nation’s three carriers, plans to launch the canU801Ex phone, compatible with its new 3G data service called OZ, in early April 2008, reported the Korea Times. OZ is the service name for LG Telecom’s new CDMA 2000 1x EV-DO Rev. A service, which offers web surfing and e-mail.

The canU801Ex phone sports a 2.8-inch TFT-LCD display with WVGA resolution. A hot key on the phone allows the user to connect to the Internet. The user can also bookmark frequently visited sites.

The phone’s 5.15-megapixel CMOS auto-focus camera is handshake compensated. The swivel-style phone measures 50mm (w) x 103mm (l) x 18.9mm (d). The canU801Ex is powered by an MSM 6800A + SH Mobile 3AS chipset.

LG Telecom’s canU (from the Korean word "kaenyu") series is co-developed with Casio in Japan. The first model in the series, the HS5000 was launched in early 2003. Since the debut of the HS5000, LGT has marketed seven more canU models in South Korea. A Japanese website reports that the new canU801Ex phone is based on Casio’s W53CA handset, which is available through KDDI (au) in Japan. [M. Robertson, Portelligent]

MIU (Mobile Intelligent Ubiquitous) Co., Ltd., of South Korea unveiled its so-called HDPC (Hybrid Dual Portable Computer) in its home country, reported technology weblog Engadget. According to MIU, the HDPC is a portable computer that can use either of two different operating systems, its hybrid function, and wireless IP (Internet Protocol) support.

The word Dual in its name refers to the HDPC's dual boot options: Windows XP + Windows CE 5.0 or Linux Qplus. The word Hybrid refers to its multiple functions: cell phone, navigation device, PMP (portable media player), electronic dictionary, Internet phone, voice recorder, games machine, mobile IPTV (Internet Protocol TV) device, and digital camera.

The HDPC features a QWERTY keyboard and a 4-inch touch-sensitive display with 800 x 480 pixel resolution. It is powered by a 1GHz or 500MHz VIA C7M ULV/ARM9 processor, with up to 4GB DDR2 memory. The HDPC also supports 802.11b/g WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0. Other features include video replay, web browsing, MP3 player, electronic dictionary, DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting), voice calls, and text messaging.

MIU will begin selling the HDPC in July 2008 for 400,000 to 500,000 won ($407.75 to $509.69 @ won 980.99/$US 1). Multiple images and specifications are located at http://www.miubit.com/bbs/view.php?id=g_board2&no=39. [M. Robertson, Portelligent]

The North Korean government plans to lift its ban on cell phones in April 2008, starting in the capital city of Pyongyang, Tokyo Shimbun reported in February 2008 (quoting a North Korean source in Beijing).

Since a railroad explosion in Ryongchon, near the Chinese border, in April 2004, the North Korean government has forbidden the use of cell phones within the country.

However, in January of 2008, the North Korean Central Agency announced that the state-run Korea Post and Telecommunications Corporation would cooperate with Orascom Telecom of Egypt to provide wireless service. The service provider in North Korea will be a subsidiary of Orascom Telecom, which will own a 75-percent stake in the joint venture. Orascom Telecom will maintain the right to operate wireless service in the world’s most isolated nation for next the 25 years, with exclusivity in the first four years. Orascom Telecom is expected to spend as much as $400 million to install the network and license the North Korean wireless venture.

An executive of Orascom Telecom commented to a Reuters reporter in March 2008 that the company hopes to sign up 100,000 subscribers initially when it launches wireless service in North Korea the following May. The executive strongly believes that the service will gain several million subscribers in North Korea over next three to four years, and he sees ARPU (average revenue per user) in the range of $US 12 to $15. [M. Robertson, Portelligent]

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., of Japan, internationally known as Panasonic, announced a new digital still camera, the LUMIX DMC-FX500, with a special “subject-following” feature, reported Tech-On! The touchscreen of the camera has an embedded sensor that automatically follows the movements of the subject, brings it into focus, and controls exposure. The touchscreen subject-following feature is referred to as AF/AE (auto-focus/auto-exposure). The camera will go on sale in Japan in mid-April 2008.

The AF/AE feature allows the user to choose a subject using the camera’s touchscreen, bring that subject into focus, and adjust the exposure. The function works well for kids and pets, typically difficult subjects to bring into focus because they move around so much.

The LUMIX DMC-FX500 features a 5x optical zoom and optical handshake-compensation mechanism. The image sensor is a 1/2.33-inch, 10.1-megapixel CCD (charge-coupled device). Images are stored on a SDHC (Secure Digital High-Capacity) memory card or SD (Secure Digital) memory card. The camera also has 50Mbytes of internal memory. It measures 94.9mm (w) x 57.1mm (l) x 22.9mm (d) and weighs 175gm.

Panasonic plans to ship 30,000 units a month. Its estimated retail price is around 47,000 yen ($474.60 @ yen 99.03/$US 1). [M. Robertson, Portelligent]

Amuse Inc. of Japan and KDDI, that country’s No. 2 wireless carrier, announced in March 2008 that the pair would set up a company to create and distribute music for and to cell phones beginning in April, reported ITmedia. The joint venture called A-Sketch represents a combined investment of $450 million. Amuse will own a 66-percent stake in the new company and KDDI a 34-percent stake.

A-Sketch will leverage KDDI’s know-how in distributing content to cell phones and networked PCs, and Amuse’s artist-discovery and development expertise. Music distribution to cell phones will be at the core of the new company’s business, along with sales of CDs and DVDs. A-Sketch will discover new artists and cultivate new types of network services. [M. Robertson, Portelligent]

A new device called the Sleep Tracker Pro allows people to wake up refreshed and well rested, reported nikkei.com in March 2008. The watch-style alarm clock supposedly can monitor a user’s sleep pattern. It issues an alarm only when the user is in a stage of lighter sleep, when it’s easier to wake up.

The principle behind the Sleep Tracker Pro is this. Even if someone gets the same amount of sleep each night and sets his alarms to go off at the same time every day, some days it’s harder to wake up than others. It’s a common problem for many people. The reason is that there are two kinds of sleep: shallow sleep and deep sleep. When someone is asleep, he or she is actually cycling through both states. When awakened from a state of deep sleep, it’s harder for that person to wake up feeling well rested.

The Sleep Tracker Pro solves this problem. A user straps it on like a wristwatch and wears it to bed. The Sleep Tracker Pro then monitors the user while asleep. The unit’s sensor instantaneously detects movements associated with shallow sleep. The alarm goes off only when the monitor detects that a stage of shallow "almost awake" sleep has been reached.

The Sleep Tracker Pro’s USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface allows a user to download his or her sleep-cycle data to personal computers. Using the bundled management-utility software, a user can also display his sleep patterns visually. Although the Sleep Tracker Pro can hold only a day’s worth of sleep data, the user can store long-term sleep data in any computer.

For the Sleep Tracker Pro to function properly, the user must wear the device strapped tightly to his or her wrist, with the back of the unit (where the sensor is located) touching the skin.

The Sleep Tracker Pro retails in Japan for 24,480 yen ($247.20 @ yen 99.03/$US 1). [M. Robertson, Portelligent]

Modu Mobile of Israel announced that the company’s small, lightweight cell phone, the modu, was certified as the world’s lightest by Guinness World Records, MYCOM Japan in March 2008.

The modu phone is actually a modular device to which functions (like a music player or a digital camera) can be added by attaching the appropriate modules.

The modu measures 72.1mm (l) x 37.6mm (w) x 7.8mm (d) and weighs only 40.1gm (a world record!). [M. Robertson, Portelligent]

Microsoft announced in late March 2008 that it would cooperate with Hewlett-Packard to set up a technology center in Taiwan.

Although Microsoft did not disclose the amount of its investment, this is the first time the U.S. software giant has cooperated with Hewlett-Packard in Taiwan.

Dell and HP are the major personal computer suppliers of the world. However, about 80 percent of their notebook PCs are produced by Taiwan OEMs, such as Quanta Computer and Compal Electronics.

Taiwan’s IT (information technology) industry posted $100 billion in revenue in 2007. Taiwan is the home of Acer, the world’s third largest personal computer manufacturer and TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company), the world’s largest contract semiconductor producer.

Microsoft says that the proposed technology center will provide the latest software, hardware investment, and improved technical support to its Taiwanese partners. Microsoft and HP forecast that the center would generate $83 million in revenue over the next five years. Microsoft operates 16 such technology centers around the world. [M. Robertson, Portelligent]