PacketVideo streams mobile TV to iPhone via WiFi

Most of the time, if you want a feature your phone or PMP doesn’t have, you buy a new phone or PMP that does have that feature. However, if you’ve fallen in love with an iPhone or iPod Touch, you may be more reluctant to leave that Apple goodness behind, despite the feature lure of other devices. Instead, you get creative with your solutions, and PacketVideo have come up with a stonking idea for those who want mobile TV access but lack a compatible device. Basically, the Mobile Broadcast Receiver (the white matchbox-sized lump in the photo below) picks up mobile TV and then squirts it out as a streaming video over WiFi.

That means rather than needing a specific mobile TV tuner, all your handset has to have is the far more common WiFi connection. PacketVideo are promising versions of the receiver which will be compatible with all major broadcast technologies, including TDtv, DVB-H and MediaFLO as well as WiMAX. The system automatically converts the video into a streaming format the connected device can display, for instance QuickTime for the iPhone.

A secure connection between the phone and the tuner means that premium channels can be purchased, and the hardware itself is relatively straightforward with only one control - for power on/off - surrounded with a colour changing halo that indicates the li-ion battery status. It measures 6.4 cm wide by 1.8 cm high x 4 cm deep and will be available later on in 2008, likely branded through a carrier.

[via TechRadar & Gizmodo]

G810 by Samsung: HSDPA/WiFi/GPS rival to Nokia N96

Samsung have featured in excess of a dozen new and tweaked handsets at the Mobile World Congress - including the U900 Soul, KF700, KF600 and KF510 sliders and the i900 smartphone - which is pretty much their line-up for the next six months, and frankly I’m losing the will to live trawling through them. Still, there’s the occasional diamond among the dross, and one such gem is the G810; thankfully it’s looking a whole lot more attractive than the claylike mockup we last saw.

Samsung have blessed the G810 with 3.6Mbps HSDPA, WiFi, GPS, a 5-megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom, face detection and onboard image editor, and a 2.6-inch screen. Running the Symbian S60 3rd edition Feature Pack 1, it will be available in Europe come March 2008, and be a direct competitor to Nokia’s freshly announced N96.

The gang over at the ever-reliable Mobile-Review have put together a preview of the SGH-G810 with more screenshots and tidbits than you could shake a cellular stick at; this looks to be a very interesting phone indeed!

[via PhoneMag]

BlackBerry Curve 8320 with WiFi set to hit T-Mobile on September 24th

You gotta love the Boy Genius. He’s always good for the inside line on leaked information. The latest BGR nugget is the BlackBerry Curve 8320, with the built-in WiFi radio - trick.

Apparently, there’s this leaked T-Mo document that indicates a September 24 launch date for the WiFi-enabled Curve - perhaps alongside that new T-Mobile HotSpot @Home router that we spied a little while ago.

The BlackBerry Curve 8320 will be rocking the same 2 megapixel camera, quad-band (850/900/1800/1900Mhz) GSM radio with EDGE, Bluetooth, microSD card slot, QWERTY-keyboard, and myFaves support of it’s younger sibling, the BlackBerry Curve 8300 - but now it’ll be sporting that snazzy WiFi connectivity.

With a WiFi BlackBerry Curve and the new T-Mobile @Home wireless package, you may never need to deal with a telco ever again. Of course, that’s all assuming the T-Mo @Home service actually gets picked up by enough people to stick around.

We’ll keep an ear to the ground for all you CrackBerry addicts out there.

[Via: Boy Genius]

Mobile VOIP fully supported on the feature rich Nokia N95 for all mobile networks

Mobile VOIP provider WiFiMobile have announced the release of their latest software Version 751 which provides complete support for the Nokia flagship handset, the Nokia N95.

With the much awaited Nokia N95 device now widely available on the market, users will be able to make VOIP calls either over Wi-Fi or through a 3G network. WiFiMobile’s OneFone software is fully supported on any Nokia N95, whether it be unlocked or network branded due to the inclusion of a full SIP stack in the application. In addition the software provides presence information in the form of a buddy list.

The Nokia N95 and indeed other select Nokia S60 devices can also be used as an extension to a corporate IP PBX system. This allows IT/Telecom Managers to carefully control their company’s continuously escalating mobile phone costs. IT Managers can re-program VOIP parameters for all of their employee’s mobiles at the touch of a button.

CEO and Telecoms expert Gerry O’Prey says “This is good news for customers of all mobile network operators. Mobile VOIP is rapidly becoming a must have feature in top end cellular phones.”

About WiFiMobileWiFiMobile was formed in 2002 in Santa Monica, California and has recently opened a European office in the UK. Founder and CEO Gerry O’Prey was instrumental in the nineties by helping to liberalise the European land line telecoms market. Since then his main focus has been developing software for Nokia S60 smartphones to facilitate calls over a WLAN network and over 3G networks. The company is poised to achieve phenomenal growth in the next year as a pioneer in the rapidly evolving mobile VOIP market.

For further information visit www.wifimobile.com or email pr@wifimobile.com.

WiFiMobile is a member of Forum Nokia PRO, a premium development program from Nokia that provides advanced technical, business development and marketing support to select mobile software companies. For more information visit www.forum.nokia.com/pro.WiFiMobile are committed to the future of mobile VOIP applications.

WiFiMobileHead Office:3250 Wilshire Boulevard9th FloorLos AngelesCalifornia CA 90010