Remember that scene in 'The Dark Knight' where (spoiler alert!) Batman uses the city's cell-phones to look through walls and find the bad guys? Totally awesome, right!? A group of scientists at KDDI apparently thought so too, creating a prototype they say could do something similar. Using geomagnetic sensors, accelerometers, and GPS, the device is able to determine its position and render its surroundings on the screen in OpenGL, including areas that are currently out of sight. We're guessing you must have already scanned those areas with the phone and that it can't actually see through walls, but we'd be happy to be proven wrong -- whenever they actually have something to show us. Like the group's funky concept phones we brought to you earlier, this one doesn't actually work. Yet.

  CHIBA, Japan--If the concepts on display at Ceatec are any indication, completely deconstructing the traditional form factor of the mobile phone is one of the next major phases of design and development research. Japan has one of the most robust mobile phone cultures anywhere, and it shows here on the second day of the show. Sharp, Fujitsu, NTT DoCoMo, and KDDI each had intriguing takes on the next form factor for devices used not just for mobile communication, but watching videos, playing games, and performing mobile navigation. Take the necklace on the right. It alerts the wearer when there's a call or a message incoming. It's made by Fujitsu and, while it isn't an actual product, is indicative of how cell phones are thought of here: not just communication devices, but accessories made to fit neatly and inconspicuously into the daily routine. Then there were a host of phones whose screens and keyboards pull apart to be used separately. The Fujitsu version shown below uses magnets to connect the two pieces in the desired configuration. NTT DoCoMo was demonstrating a similar concept. But as far as futuristic, elegant design goes, KDDI was far and away the winner. The wireless company showed off beautiful designs, which are nowhere close to being...

  Motorola first endorsed Google's Android platform almost a year ago. Yet now that HTC and T-Mobile are about to release the G1 phone, Motorola has confirmed to BetaNews that it will actually dive into the Android waters. In a statement to BetaNews this morning, Motorola confirmed industry speculation that it is working on products for the Google-spearheaded Android platform. But a Motorola spokesperson refrained from commenting on published reports that the company is boosting its Android team from 50 to 350 developers. "We're excited about the innovation possibilities on Android, and [we] look forward to delivering great products in partnership with Google and the Open Handset Alliance (OHA)," a Motorola spokesperson said, in a statement to BetaNews. The official confirmation of Motorola's plans for Android products should come as no surprise, really, since Motorola acted as one of the OHA's founding members upon the organization's launch back in November of 2007, along with fellow cell phone makers HTC, LG, and Samsung. Yet while HTC's "Dream" phone is one and the same as the Android-based G1 phone that T-Mobile rolled out last week, Motorola and the other handset partners in the OHA have held back from making Android product...

  Let’s start with a nice concept born from a research partnership between Fujitsu and Docomo. As can be expected, this concept is a very interesting mobile phone. What’s so special? According to David, their advanced concept will allow you to configure your mobile as you want. Actually, your mobile can be split in two parts (screen and keyboard). The screen features all software (as the video function), while the keyboard communication, radio functions (3G, network…) The keypad is a touchpad that can used horizontally or vertically…Why? You’ll be able to stick (with a magnet) this part on the side of the screen for a Willcom D4 form factor, or stick it at the bottom of the phone for a standard mobile phone. Communication between both parts is done through Bluetooth. Of course both parts can be used separately to listen to music, watch video.... We don’t know when it will be released, but for sure, this device could be great!

  Seems High Tech Computer (HTC) doesn’t want to put all the eggs in one basket and will continue to simultaneously develop smartphones based on Windows Mobile and Android platform. HTC is Taiwanese-based phonemaker for Android’s first phone, T-Mobile G1. Android and Windows Mobile handsets can complement each other in the market, offering consumers and telecom service providers more choice, according to John Wang, CMO, High Tech Computer (HTC), who added in saying the company will continue to simultaneously develop smartphones based on the two platforms Windows Mobile and Android handsets form separate ecosystems with their own merits and advantages, Wang explained. The former provide users with high performance, interoperability and a large library of applications, while the later give handset design companies and developers more flexibility, he detailed.

  Brand name Sagem will disappear from the streets at the end of 2008. The phone manufacturer has been active at the European market since the beginning of the mobile time age as a producer of phones for the start section of the market. The brand name Sagem will vanish because Safran, owner of Sagem, stopped the mobile phone division at the end of July. At the end of July, Sagem was taken over by investment company Sofinnova. The mobile phone division will go on under the wings of Sofinnova as an independent hardware distributor and will deliver OEM based hardware to other companies, which means that Sofinnova will produce devices for and under other brand names. For example, some Sony Ericsson devices are produced by Sofinnova. Furthermore, the company will produce devices for network operators, which will come to the market as branded versions (with the name of the carrier). In most cases this will concern devices for the start section of the market, such as prepaid phones. Besides the OEM production, Sofinnova will also focus on the development of new products and innovations for the mobile industry. Because Safran Group has stopped Sagem the brand name Sagem will silently disappear from the market. Devices that are momentarily planned will partly...

  According to the company Nanoradio, in the near future will be the first in the mobile phone industry, combining the opportunity to work in third-generation networks and support standard UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access - link cellular and Wi-Fi networks with imperceptible transition between them). The phone, called Samsung P270 chipset will be based on "Always On WiFi" of Nanoradio. In addition, on the basis of "Always On WiFi" Another model is designed to support UMA, but the networks 2,5 G - Samsung P250. As the producers, especially chipset "Always On WiFi" (NRX700 / 2) is a low energy consumption, thus increasing the time an autonomous work phone. Mobile phones Samsung P270 and P250 with the support of UMA standard will be on sale in Europe in the near future.  

  The developers of applications for mobile phones have long puzzle to create applications using the capabilities built-in camera. That's a company Nokia has proposed new technology Shoot to Translate. This application was on a photo text in another language and translates his native language of the holder of the phone.   Suffice it to photograph the text and Nokia Multiscanner translates it and displays on the screen at your selected language. Libraries language stored in the phone and can be later updated. Library language type of English, French or Greek, took about 600 Kb, a type of Japanese language or Chinese (with characters) requires about 3 MB of storage.

  LG Electronics announces the launch of LG KP500 with an affordable introduction price never offered before. This attractively-priced full touch screen handset is complete with the latest touch technology and features found in the existing high-end full touch screen handsets currently available on the market. “The feedback we receive from consumers around the world indicate that there’s more people who wish to try the latest touch screen phones,” said Dr. Skott Ahn, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “We want to reach out to this group and LG KP500 is our answer to deliver a high quality full touch screen phone that is easy to use and much easier to afford. Within reach of many consumers, we hope that more people will experience the joy of using the latest touch screen technology with LG KP500.” Since the first full touch screen phone, the PRADA Phone by LG arrived on the market, LG has been advancing touch screen technology in new models of phones that suit different consumer needs such as the LG Viewty, the top-selling 5 mega-pixel camera phone with full touch screen providing a complete new viewing enjoyment. With continuous advances in touch screen technology, the LG KP500 has LG's...

  Neither LG nor Samsung have ever gone so far to as pin down an actual release date for their promised Android-based phones, but it looks like they could each now be giving themselves yet more wiggle room, at least if the supposedly in the know Mirae Asset Securities is to be believed. According to it, we now shouldn't expect to see Android handsets from either manufacturer before the second half of 2009 "at the earliest," which doesn't exactly match up with earlier word that both companies were aiming for a release in "early 2009." Venturing even further into speculation, Mirae says that the delay is a result of "negative responses" from mobile phone operators like Vodafone, as well as some general skepticism among advertising sponsors about Google's profit model for the phones. Of course, none of those parties mentioned are actually saying anything themselves just yet, so you may do well to take all of this with a hefty grain of salt for the time being.

  "Planned" and "executed" are two very different things, and while we knew Sony Ericsson was mulling the idea of hacking 2,000 jobs, the hammer has finally fallen in Research Triangle Park, NC. The company will soon be axing 450 employees at its North American headquarters as part of a large reorganization, with most everyone knowing by the week's end whether they'll stay or go. According to Aldo Ligouri, Sony Ericsson's head of global communications and public relations, the RTP cuts are "part of company-wide changes that Sony Ericsson announced in July," and in whatever context, he added that "this is our map of how we see things moving forward." Just to put things in perspective, the outfit only has about 750 workers in the North Carolina-based facility, which is primarily seen as an R&D hub. Tough news to hear, no matter how you spin it.  

Samsung today unveiled a very slim full touch 8-megapixel cameral phone Samsung Pixon. The phone will available in October to consumers who want to easily capture and share life’s unexpected moments anytime, anywhere they desire. Ever seen something and thought, “if only I had my camera with me”? Many people experience those perfect moments that cry out to be captured – a beautiful, astonishing, indescribable or unexpected moment that should be kept and be shared with friends and loved ones. Capturing those moments has never been easy simply because people don’t walk around with their cameras on all the time. Missing those perfect moments will become a thing of the past thanks to the new Samsung Pixon.  Photos featuring friends and family doing funny things or having funny things done to them, bumping unexpectedly into a celebrity or a pet doing something hilarious were all moments which were difficult to capture before because getting a camera out and switched on always took so long. Now all of these will be wonderfully easy to capture because the Samsung Pixon is as good a camera as a standalone camera. Being the world’s slimmest full-touch 8-megapixel camera phone, the Samsung Pixon boasts a 13.8mm slim design...

  Despite of the fact that the Porsche phone was produced by Sagem, known for userfriendly prepaid devices, the Sagem P'9521 wasn't one of the cheapest mobile phones in the Winter of 2007. It turns out that the male public also likes to spend a little money for a real fashion statement with nice technical things, the device was namely sold well. This Winter, Sagem and Porsche want to make the heart of the male pubic beat a little faster, an introduction of the Sagem P'9521 is coming up. The website Ecran Mobile was present at the French launch of the Sagem P'9522 Porsche and reported expandedly. With this new device, we have to say again that the design looks superb and tough and that it has a high gadget standard. The Sagem Porsche is made out of one piece of pire aluminium and it is equipped with a reasonable large touchscreen. Just like her predecessor the Sagem P'9522 also has a fingerprint scanner. With this, you can protect your phone so only you can operate it. By moving your finger over the scanner (which is placed between the call and end call key) the device calculates whether you are the real owner. After this, the touchscreen will come to life. You can also protect the files on the memorycard with your fingerprint. A 5 megapixel camera is...