Palm just announced the release of a new software development kit that they're calling a PDK. It's not an SDK since the folks behind the Palm Pre and Palm Pixi have already released one of those. Instead, the new system stands for a "Plug-in Development Kit," and is designed to extend the functionality that webOS-powered devices can handle.
One of Palm's earlier selling points for webOS was the ease with which developers can put together apps on the platform, being based upon web technologies such as HTML and Javascript. Problem is, that didn't exactly make developing 3D games for their handsets easy. With the depth and variety of games turning out to be a major selling point for Apple's iPhone, that's not a good thing.
So what exactly is a PDK? In Palm's terms, the new mobile development platform allows programmers to run C and C++ code on their phones, practically extending the range of software that can be run on their handsets. That means having the power to produce more compelling games than what simple web technologies would have allowed.
For developers, that means getting an existing game or application onto either the Pre or the Pixi won't require a complete redesign, allowing you to reuse existing code. Sure, it's not as simple as recompiling the exact same library for new hardware, but it will entail both less cost and effort.
[Palm via Mobile Crunch]
What tastes better than a cookie? A freshly-baked chip, of course. Maybe that's what LG was thinking with their brand new touchscreen based off of the popular Cookie (over 12 million units sold). Billed as the LG Cookie Fresh GS290, the phone just received its official stamp today.
The handset sports a largely youthful form factor and appears to be angling for the entry-level slice of the market. It sports a 3-inch TFT resistive touchscreen with 240 x 400 resolution, an accelerometer for auto-rotate and a "cartoon UI," as with the Cookie Plus.
Details of the Fresh GS290 include a 2.0 megapixel camera module, stereo Bluetooth, complete messaging capabilities (SMS, EMS, MMS, email), social networking integration, FM radio with RDS, a 3.5mm audio jack and microSD card expansion (up to 8GB). There's no 3G or WiFi, though, so you're stuck with GPRS/EDGE for connectivity.
The LG Cookie Fresh GS290 is slated for a European launch sometime this month and the rest of the world later in the year. It is expected to be released alongside the slightly more feature-rich Cookie Plus, although no pricing details have been announced yet.
On a side note, this battle of the Korean cheap-ass touchscreen phones between Samsung's ever-growing Corby line versus LG's similarly-multiplying Cookie probably won't end soon, would it?
[via Unwired View]
With the help of lip reading cell phones, you may not have to cup your mouth and talk in hushed whispers when you don't want to let anyone else hear what you're saying while on the phone. Yes, a new technology from German researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology claims to allow cellphones to read your lips and translate it as sound to the person on the other side.
Using the system, all you have to do is move your mouth like you're talking without actually letting any sound out. A sensor hooked up to the phone will pick up the lip motions and convert it into the equivalent words. Based on electromyography, the recognition is done by measuring electrical potentials generated by muscle activity on the face, rather than actual lip reading. What's the catch? In order to measure electrical impulses from your face, the system requires attaching nine sensors to it. Yikes.
The signals gathered by the sensors are then fed to a software that records and amplifies each, then passes them to a laptop via a wireless link. Once on the computer, the group's software decodes the data and converts them into words that a virtual voice can then read to the person on the other end of the line.
Yep, it's cumbersome and the group admits it might not exactly be a mass-market piece of technology. However, there could be some definite value to it. According to the KIT team, it can be used to transmit sensitive information (such as PINs and passcodes) over the phone, hold a lengthy conversation while inside a quiet theater, allow people who have lost their voice to communicate verbally over wireless and even translate from one language to another.
Of course, you can always just text what you want to say (unless you're talking to a foreign language speaker), but I digress. The research was shown off this week at the ongoing Hanover CeBIT trade show.
[Karlsruhe Institute of Technology]
Fashion phones usually come with a premium. Not the "catwalk-ready" Samsung S7070 Diva, a female-friendly, style-centric touchscreen device that has just been announced for the UK market.
While it fancies itself a "fashion mobile," the phone's general design actually doesn't veer far from Samsung's normal touch candybar aesthetic. In fact, the shape and layout are pretty much identifiable with the company's roster, with only the pearl white front panel, jewel-like center button and the 3D quilted back setting it apart.
Details of the Samsung Diva include a 2.8-inch resistive touchscreen (with 320 x 240 resolution), a 3.2 megapixel camera (with a couple of arty effects, such as beauty shot and lomo), stereo Bluetooth, built-in DNSe, quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE connectivity (no 3G or WiFi) and microSD card expansion up to 8GB. It runs the standard TouchWiz UI, features social networking integration (Facebook, Twitter and MySpace) and comes with an HTML browser.
Carphone Warehouse will be distributing the handset in the UK and are bundling a limited amount of gift bags for early customers. Each bonus bundle will come with various cosmetic products from Benefit, including portable concealer kits and cream-to-powder finish foundations.
The Samsung S7070 Diva will be available for free from both T-Mobile and Orange, provided you agree to a two-year service contract. You can also get it for only £130 with no contract.
[Carphone Warehouse]
Nokia has announced a new phone for T-Mobile USA, the first carrier-supported handset from the manufacturer to come with free voice-guided navigation (via Ovi Maps 3.0) in the States. Called the Nokia 5230 Nuron, the device will be a full-fledged touchscreen smartphone running Symbian S60.
With the GPS feature as its biggest selling point, the handset will come preloaded with maps of the US, Canada and Mexico, along with easy download access to 180 other maps via the Ovi service and the Lonely Planet guides. It will also come preinstalled with the Ovi Store app, which gives users access to Nokia's application and content storefront.
The Nokia 5230 Nuron doesn't veer away from its European version, featuring a 3.2-inch touchscreen (with 360 x 640 resolution), a 3.2 megapixel camera, a 3.5mm audio jack, stereo Bluetooth and microSD card expansion. It boasts fast HTML browsing via 3G and full messaging support (including IM and corporate mail), apart from the usual niceties offered by Symbian S60.
No official pricing has been given, with availability vaguely stated for "the coming weeks." According to rumors, though, T-Mobile might be offering the Nuron for as low as $69.99 on contract, which is a huge value, especially with free GPS software and a full smartphone OS in tow.
[Nokia Press Release]
