SanDisk on Wednesday unveiled the Sansa slotMusic Player, its new MP3 player for listening to music on the go. According to the company, the plug & play, portable music player was specially designed for use with the new slotMusic cards available today in the United States. The company rolled out both a Sansa-branded player and new personalized, branded slotMusic players for popular artists such as Robin Thicke and ABBA -- both of which are shipping to U.S. stores today, including Best Buy and Wal-Mart and are expected to be available from retailers in Europe and other regions of the world in 2009. The Sansa slotMusic Player ($20) was made to play slotMusic card albums or a self-loaded microSD card full of music (and doesn’t require a PC, internet or any time spent managing music). In addition to slotMusic cards, the MP3 player can play songs from any microSD card with music encoded as MP3 and WMA (DRM-free only) files. The artist-branded slotMusic Player is a stylish, all-in-one player, which includes both the slotMusic card and a trendy player bearing an artist’s name and image. It weighs just over two ounces and measures 2.75” W x 1.4375” H x 1.4375” D. The player comes pre-loaded with an album on a 1GB slotMusic

  Elephants are text messaging themselves out of trouble, thanks to an SMS system implemented in a Kenyan nature reserve. The gentle-ish giants are outfitted with SIM cards in their collars, which automatically alert wildlife rangers if they get too close to nearby farms. Rangers can then shoo them away before they do damage to interspecies relations by, say, eating the season's harvest. Pachyderm rescue group Save the Elephants started the scheme up after five elephants who refused to stop raiding crops had to be shot by the Kenya Wildlife Service. The project, still in its infancy, is expensive to implement and not without its troubles. But it's already saved the life of one regular crop fiend, a bull named Kimari who's been intercepted 15 times since he was first connected.

  As more phones come with built-in GPS capabilities, importing smartphones into Egypt is proving increasingly difficult - thanks to local laws which restrict the use of GPS without a license. “GPS is allowed in Egypt but you must have a license after getting approval from security authorities,” Sherif Guinena, vice chairman of the National Telecommunication Regulator Agency (NTRA), told the Daily News Egypt newspaper. Anyone importing GPS capable phones - or any device using GPS facilities - faces having not only the unauthorised devices confiscated, but the entire stock belonging to the retailer or wholesaler. “There have been negotiations between us and the authorities to allow GPS commercial use but we didn’t reach anything yet,” added Mr. Guinena. Despite the ban on GPS capable phones, people still smuggle them into the country and use them illegally without a license. The government not only has people ignoring the law, but it also loses the revenues from import taxes on phones. There are also a lot of commercial companies making use of GPS functionality - although they still need to acquire a license from the security authorities. “Officially, any GPS-equipped device from Nokia is [barred] entry into the

Motorola announced its new model of industrial CPC VC6096-based operating system Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional. This, with increased protection to external shocks, the device manufacturer positioned as a mobile computer to use it in cars to help their owners during their frequent visits. For this purpose, Motorola VC6096 is equipped with all modern features including work in the GSM and 3G networks, support for Wi-Fi wireless networking, Bluetooth technology and telematics.  Brief specifications Motorola VC6096: Dimensions: 242x235x49, 5 mm Weight: 2.2 kg External keyboard: 65-Key QWERTY Display: 6.5-inch color with a touch panel, resolution VGA (640x480) Interface: 2 USB1.1 host TYPE A, USB 1.1 Type mini-B, 10/100 Base-T Ethernet, 50-pinovy port with the support of SAE J1708 or SAE J1939, RS-232 digital input / output, analog input Slot under the SD Memory Card Processor: XScale PXA270 624 MHz Operating System: Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional Edition Memory: 128 MB SDRAM/256 MB Flash Protection: IP64, MIL-STD 810E, Method 514.4, Ground Mobile (VIII), MIL-STD 810E 516.4, MIL-STD-810E, 516.5 Proc VI, MIL-STD 810F, MIL-STD 810E, Method 505.3 Support for mobile networks: GSM, HSDPA

The European Union already initiated a Battery Directive in 2006 that aimed to make it easier to dispose of and recycle old batteries, but it looks like it's now taking things one big step further with its "New Battery Directive," which proposes that batteries in all electronic devices should be able to be "readily removed" for replacement or disposal. New Electronics' Gary Nevison further adds that "the requirement is clearly intended to ensure that users can remove batteries by opening a cover by hand or after removal of one or two screws," which would obviously pose a bit of a problem for the iPhone, not to mention every iPod and even a few non-Apple devices. Then again, this wouldn't be the first time that Apple has tangled with the EU, and we have a sneaking suspicion that it won't be the last. Source

UK: Vodafone has launched a new battery charger serivce in-store, for customers to recharge their mobiles, and other portable media devices. From October apparently, customers in some stores will be able to hire a “chargebox” (locker) where they can choose from a bunch of connectors from different manufacturers - think there will be a Nokia one in there?! Prices start at £1 for 30 minutes of charging, and a maximum of £2 for 90 minutes. Customers can pay by inserting the money directly in to the ChargeBox, or pay via text message. Thirty Vodafone stores will provide the ChargeBox including those in Kings Cross St Pancras, Harrods in London, Birmingham Bull Ring, Newcastle’s Douglas Way, Bristol Broadmead and Belfast’s Victoria Square. Interestingly, people can use the service whether they are a Vodafone customer or not - I would presume the kickback for Vodafone on customers that are not already theirs is that they can try and convince them that Vodafone would be a good Operator to have service with.

  Hop-on today announces that its GSM cell phone, the HOP1811, will be available in the United States for $13.99 with a Graffiti Wireless Airtime Plan. “I use a 3G iPhone, it is a complicated, expensive device. Our phone is an 850/1900 MHz with AMR. You are not going to drop calls in similar areas as our competitor’s device. I challenge anyone to make a call faster than on the HOP1811,” says Hop-on CEO Peter Michaels. “With the cost of living and a borderline recession, this phone is going to be a huge sell for Hop-on in the US and international commerce. We also have a European 900/1800 MHz phone for our international partners.” The HOP1811 is a dual-band 850/1900MHz, or 900/1800MHz phone for Europe and Asia, weighing a scant 79 grams, offers 4 hours of talk time, 150 hours of standby time and polyphonic ring tones. Though low in cost, the HOP1811 uses reliable Infineon chip sets for excellent audio quality, reception and call stability. An MP3 option can also be added to this low-end phone. The company offers a $5 rebate for returning the phone to encourage recycling to “Keep it Green.”

Reliance Communications and Research In Motion (RIM) launched the first prepaid service for the BlackBerry® wireless solution in India. This first of its kind ‘pay as you use’ pricing model in India is in line with Reliance Communications’ strategy to extend BlackBerry services to customers who are looking for cost-effective options, giving customers flexibility and control over their expenses for wireless services. Reliance Communications has been on the forefront of offering a wide range of prepaid options to consumers across its data cards, mobile phones and fixed wireless phones offering. This prepaid service option is available on a range of BlackBerry smartphones including: The BlackBerry® 8830 World Edition smartphone, which operates on both CDMA & GSM networks The BlackBerry® Curve™ 8330 smartphone on CDMA networks The BlackBerry® Curve™ 8300 smartphone on GSM networks The BlackBerry® Pearl™ 8100 smartphone on GSM networks The BlackBerry® Pearl™ 8130 smartphone on CDMA networks, and  The BlackBerry® 8703e smartphone on CDMA networks For further query, customers can visit any Reliance World or Reliance Communications

RIM, Zain Malawi, and EMS (Emitac Mobile Solutions) yesterday announced the launch of the BlackBerry solution in Malawi underscoring Zain’s commitment in modernizing telecommunication industry in the country. At launch, BlackBerry Enterprise Server and BlackBerry Internet Service will be offered as well as the BlackBerry Curve 8900, the lightest and thinnest BlackBerry mobile device with QWERTY keyboard. Zain subscribers in Malawi will be pleased to enjoy easy access to multimedia, email and other services on the go. Source: GSMPress ® in cooperation with Research In Motion

RIM, Zain Malawi, and EMS (Emitac Mobile Solutions) yesterday announced the launch of the BlackBerry solution in Malawi underscoring Zain’s commitment in modernizing telecommunication industry in the country. At launch, BlackBerry Enterprise Server and BlackBerry Internet Service will be offered as well as the BlackBerry Curve 8900, the lightest and thinnest BlackBerry mobile device with QWERTY keyboard. Zain subscribers in Malawi will be pleased to enjoy easy access to multimedia, email and other services on the go. Source: GSMPress ® in cooperation with Research In Motion

Samsung launched a new phone powered by T-Mobile and packed into a slider form factor. What amazes about the new SGH-T729 is the incorporated qwerty keypad. Which helps users to reply faster and in a more comfortable manner to e-mails, as the phone supports Yahoo, Gmail and Aol messengers and e-mail services. The Blast slider will be available in two color schemes and features EDGE technology, Bluetooth, a 1.3 MP camera, MicroSD slot and MP3 player.

Qt Software today announced that Qtopia, a platform for creating user interfaces and applications for advanced consumer electronics based on Linux, has been renamed and launched as Qt Extended 4.4.Qt enables developers to build innovative services and applications once and then extend the innovation across all major desktop, mobile and other embedded platforms without rewriting the code. Qt Extended extends the Qt application development framework, bringing increased functionality to embedded Linux. Qt Extended inherits the Qt WebKit Integration, which helps device manufacturers enrich applications with live web content such as online maps, music stores and instant messaging.Qt Extended 4.4 includes a new Video IP Desk phone reference design which demonstrates an Internet-connected video desk phone UI for finger touch interaction for 3.5" screens. The objective of the reference design is to illustrate the versatility of Qt Extended.Qt, originally developed by Trolltech, is a proven development framework for multiple operating systems. It is used by many leading consumer brands and is found in embedded Linux devices. In June 2008, Nokia completed the acquisition of Trolltech and it is now a fully integrated entity within the Nokia Devices unit, called Qt

The BlackBerry Bold smartphone is already available on the new HSDPA mobile network of Telecom New Zealand. The BlackBerry Bold smartphone comes with a stunning LCD display, Wi-Fi, and GPS. The keyboard is surrounded by a black exterior and the frame is finished with satin chrome. You can buy the BlackBerry Bold from Telecom New Zealand for $1,199. Source: GSMPress ® in cooperation with Research In Motion

Reliance Communications and Research In Motion (RIM) launched the first prepaid service for the BlackBerry® wireless solution in India. This first of its kind ‘pay as you use’ pricing model in India is in line with Reliance Communications’ strategy to extend BlackBerry services to customers who are looking for cost-effective options, giving customers flexibility and control over their expenses for wireless services. Reliance Communications has been on the forefront of offering a wide range of prepaid options to consumers across its data cards, mobile phones and fixed wireless phones offering. This prepaid service option is available on a range of BlackBerry smartphones including: The BlackBerry® 8830 World Edition smartphone, which operates on both CDMA & GSM networks The BlackBerry® Curve™ 8330 smartphone on CDMA networks The BlackBerry® Curve™ 8300 smartphone on GSM networks The BlackBerry® Pearl™ 8100 smartphone on GSM networks The BlackBerry® Pearl™ 8130 smartphone on CDMA networks, and  The BlackBerry® 8703e smartphone on CDMA networks For further query, customers can visit any Reliance World or Reliance Communications

RIM, Zain Malawi, and EMS (Emitac Mobile Solutions) yesterday announced the launch of the BlackBerry solution in Malawi underscoring Zain’s commitment in modernizing telecommunication industry in the country. At launch, BlackBerry Enterprise Server and BlackBerry Internet Service will be offered as well as the BlackBerry Curve 8900, the lightest and thinnest BlackBerry mobile device with QWERTY keyboard. Zain subscribers in Malawi will be pleased to enjoy easy access to multimedia, email and other services on the go. Source: GSMPress ® in cooperation with Research In Motion