Ulysse Nardin “Chairman”

You would think it is a symptom when a watch manufacturer’s main novelty at a fair is a mobile phone. If it is, then I am certain that it is not a good one. When Ulysse Nardin presented the “Chairman” I was sort of surprised to see then embark on this route. Actually, the last watch manufacturer y expected to see in this battle. The design was interesting initially although after further inspection it turns out that the product is flawed in many, many ways.

The first flaw is what in a way makes it special. The kinetic rotor. For one I do not think that this would be an adequate power source for a mobile phone. There is no way that a mobile phone gets the activity that your wrist does. Inside your pocket or on a table the rotor is completely redundant. Hence, if you wish to charge it by means of the rotor you will end up embarking on a rather “obscene” workout. Quite stupid for a phone that will most likely be priced in the absurd range. So, the result is that you paid a whole lot of money to look like a fool once your battery is down… I wonder how this would look in a bar when you are trying to pickup a girl and she has a friend. You need to call your buddy to team up for the kill… It’s 2 o’clock in the morning… your battery is almost dead… will you go to the bathroom to give it a good, jerk? I guess I have no need to go any further.

The second flaw is the software. Support will be highly doubtful. Believe me, if they say otherwise they are lying! Software support was less than satisfactory when Vertu first started and they had Nokia behind them. It is a fact that all smartphone software is still crapy and buggy unless you are an iPhone. Lest face it, if you want a smart phone you would go with and iPhone or a Blackberry. If you want a good looking high-end phone you want a Vertu with a straightforward, clean, not-so-buggy Symbian 40 software.

The third and fatal flaw is its size. It just HUMONGOUS! Way larger than an iPhone, any Blackberry, all HTCs and even Sony-Ericsson’s P1. Hell, it’s practically the size of a PSP!!! In these days you really have to be a whole new level of retarded to come up with something like this and think it will sell. Believe me, in the mobile phone business the LAST thing you want to do is go Panerai!

The design on the other hand is a matter of personal taste. Personally, the more I look at it, the less I like it.

This sleek touch screen phone is loaded with the latest features, and they are all easily accessible from the 3.2 inch display through the touch screen and full-touch QWERTY keyboard.

This 3G-enabled phone is compatible with AT&T Navigator GPS turn-by-turn directions, AT&T Mobile Music, Video Share service, and Mobile TV. The AT&T 3G network makes it possible to enjoy a variety of wireless multimedia services, and it gives you the advantage of offering simultaneous voice and data services.

The Eternity offers a full range of email, text, and multimedia messaging options. The phone has an internal 200 MB memory that is shared between the address book, MP3 player, and camera, and it’s expandable via optional MicroSD memory cards. The 3.2 megapixel camera can shoot photos up 3x zoom.

After sheathing its Nokia 8800 Arte series in carbon fiber, the Finnish mobile phone giant has announced its latest iteration – the Gold Arte.

Dipped in 18-carat gold and clad in premium quality white leather, the Nokia 8800 Gold Arte touts the same specifications as its carbon fiber cousin, that is, 3G, a 4GB built-in memory, an OLED display, and a 3.2 megapixel camera.

It also features the range’s hallmark tap-for-time and turn-to-mute features. Expect the Nokia 8800 Gold Arte in Asia-Pacific from the second quarter of 2009.

The Prada II’s partner in crime, the Prada Link Bluetooth watch, can display caller ID information, call history, and text messages without having to remove the phone from your purse or pocket. Also, the Link alerts you with a ring or vibration when you have an incoming call, and it doubles as a stopwatch and alarm clock.

The LG Blog says the phone will be available through major dealerships in Italy, UK, France, Germany, Spain and Netherlands before Christmas for a retail price of 600 Euros ($760). No word on whether it will be available in the U.S. anytime soon, but I’m sure you’ll be able to find it through importers shortly after its release.

PradaphonebyLG.com

Previous Vertu phones for Ferrari have all used the Ascent model as a base but this time, there is a simple prancing horse and bonnet detailing on the back in place of the shift gate and brake pedal on the back.

Like the Ascent Ti, the case is made of titanium, which is a fitting tribute to one of the world’s most famous racing marques.

The Vertu Ascent Ti Ferrari Nero (black) is a limited edition of 2009 sets while the Ferrari Rosso (red) and Ferrari Giallo (yellow) not limited. As is usually the case with Vertu, exclusive ringtones – including engine sounds of the F430 and the 612 Scaglietti, and music by Dave Stewart – are part of the package.

Armed with a roomy touch display, stereo speakers, and—eventually—a year’s worth of free music, Nokia’s long-awaited touchscreen phone (formerly known as “The Tube”) will make its debut in London today. Can it compete with the iPhone and T-Mobile’s Google-powered G1?

First, let’s cover the specs: Measuring 4.4 by 2 by 0.6 inches, the 3G- and Wi-Fi-enabled 5800 (set for global release by the end of the year, but not in North America until the “early part” of 2009) is more or less the same size as the iPhone 3G and the G1, although at 3.8 ounces, it’s significantly lighter than both of its touchscreen competitors (the iPhone is about 4.8 ounces, while the G1 weighs in at a hefty 5.6 ounces).

So, how’s the 5800’s 3.2-inch touchscreeen? I haven’t had a chance to try it in person, but the Symbian-powered display looks (from the press images, at least) reasonably sleek—somewhere between the clunkier interface on the G1 and the iPhone’s eye-popping UI. No multitouch (so no “pinch”-type gestures), mind you, but the 5800 has an accelerometer that lets you turn the phone sideways for a virtual, landscape-oriented QWERTY keypad. You’ll also be able to enter text using a half-size, portrait QWERTY keypad (with a stylus, if you like), T9 text prediction, or handwriting recognition.

Nokia promises a couple of key one-touch interface features, including a “Contacts Bar” that gives you quick access to your “favorite” four contacts, along with a “Media Bar” that’ll let you tap into your music, videos, and images. Not bad, although I’d also like to see a status/alerts toolbar like the G1’s.

As its name implies, the 5800 XpressMusic is more about tunes than productivity, so don’t expect out-of-the-box support for BlackBerry or Exchange servers (although this being a Symbian phone, there’s nothing stopping third parties from filling the void). Instead, the 5800 comes with stereo speakers, support for stereo Bluetooth headsets, a 3.5mm headset jack (which doubles as a TV-out port), and up to 16GB of microSD memeory expansion for your tunes.

The 5800 will also support Nokia’s much-touted “Comes with Music” service, which will let you download all the free tunes you can stand—but just for 12 months, with a helping of DRM on the side. (CNET has details on all the restrictions right here.) Also, keep in mind that the cost of all those “free” tunes will be passed along via an inflated price tag for upcoming “Comes with Music” handsets (the Nokia N95 and 5310 XpressMusic phones will also be getting “Comes with Music” support), although Nokia reps didn’t have details on how big the surcharge will be. Still, the music catalog looks to be pretty solid, with all four of the major labels (as well as some indies) signed on.Back to the 5800 itself: The phone also comes with a 3.2MP camera, complete with Carl Zeiss optics, a dual LED flash, and video recording (up to 30fps). GPS and Nokia Maps are included for navigation. Sorry, gamers—no N-Gage support on the 5800, at least for now.

Nokia hasn’t released U.S. pricing details—or carriers, if any—for the 5800 yet. (Since the 5800 is a GSM handset, it’ll only work with GSM-based carriers such as AT&T and T-Mobile.) In Europe, however, the phone (minus “Comes with Music,” for now) will sell for 279 euros, or about US$385—not bad, considering the sky-high price tag of Nokia’s N-series beauties.

How does the 5800 XpressMusic stack up with the iPhone and the G1? Well, hard to say until I see the phone itself in action—and especially whether the 5800’s touch interface measures up to the two touch heavyweights.

My initial impression? I’m a bit underwhelmed, frankly; it’s almost as if Nokia is wading cautiosly into the touchscreen pool with the 5800. What I’m really waiting for is a full-on, touchscreen Nseries handset, complete with a revamped interface designed specifically for touch. In any case, I’m reserving any final judgement until I get an actual unit in for review. (Update: Gizmodo just published a quick hands-on report, and so far, the touchscreen sounds pretty lackluster: “On the prototype we played with briefly, it’s much harder to get touches to register, and far less accurate than the iPhone’s capacitive screens. The 5800 packs a built-in stylus for this reason—you’ll be using it a lot.” Ouch.)

Thanks, Yahoo

Ben Patterson: The Gadget Hound

Samsung officially announced the Pixon, a touchscreen phone with 8 Megapixel camera. The Pixon is the world’s slimmest full-touch 8-megapixel camera phone, measuring 13.8mm thick.

Samsung Pixon features a 3.2-inch full touchscreen, Bluetooth 2.0, integrated media player, FM tuner, the latest TouchWiz OS, 200MB internal memory and a microSD card slot. Samsung Pixon’s 8 Megapixel camera offers 16x digital zoom, auto focus, fast-shutter, face detection, geo-tagging function and Advanced Shake Reduction. The camera can also capture 720×480 videos at 30fps or QVGA clips at 120fps.

Pixon supports quad-band GSM and HSDPA networks. Samsung Pixon will be released first in France in mid-October and then other European and Asian regions.

There have been various models in Vertu’s luxury handset line now, and it is unclear which models exactly will be sold in Japan. Regardless of which, they will likely be priced from 890,000 yen (US$8,422) to 5 million yen.

I’m talking about Motorola and it’s Moto Z10 smartphone that was supposed to go on sale last October.

Well, you start leaking the details to the press through your branch managers, about what an awesome line-up of phones you have planned for the next year. And then start copying meaningless design/co-branding additions, your rivals did months ago, and add bundles to a year old flagship you have now.

In addition to Ferrari colors and logos, MOTO Z8 Ferrari Limited Edition comes bundled with 2 Ferrari videos, pre-registration to the official Ferrari site (www.ferrariworld.com), custom Ferrari wallpapers and ringtones, direct links to to online Magazines like Top Gear, Auto Express, GQ, Esquire and Autosport, and a bundled “The Bourne Identity” movie.

I’m sure it will appeal to some diehard Ferrari and MOTO fans, but otherwise it’s just plain old Motorola Z8 phone.

And it won’t even be available for Christmas. MOTO Z8 Ferrari Limited Edition will come on sale through Ferrari Store and major Motorola retailers in Q1, 2008.

Echoing this latest edition to the Ferrari GT stable, the phone is encased in red and black Ferrari leather with black lacquer stripes running at the sides. Carefully crafted with the same precision and attention to detail given when assembling a Ferrari, the Vertu Ascent Ferrari 1947 Limited Edition celebrates the delicate balance between form and function.

The bezel nose on the front of the phone features the famed Ferrari Prancing Horse, while on the rear back plate there is a scaled down iconic Ferrari brake pedal, crafted from high-graded aluminum, like that used in Ferrari cars. To underline the exclusivity of the Vertu Ascent Ferrari 1947 Limited Edition each piece is individually serialised 1 to 1947 – paying homage to the very year when the first car to bear the Prancing Horse marque was built by the founder, Enzo Ferrari.

This Lamborghini 500-piece limited edition will also feature Lamborghini graphics as wallpapers, screen savers, ring tones, and even has a short documentary video about the Lamborghini. I am not sure what the price is but it has to be something good, like it said “for the right person with the right pockets”. However, who knows if these collectors edition cell phones will go up in value over the next few decades.