Phones

National Geographic cell phone travels well

This seems odd at first, but I think I get where National Geographic is coming from.

For decades National Geographic has been delivering fantastic photography (and more recently, TV footage) that has moved people to jump on planes and travel to the farthest corners of the globe where our cell phones promptly refuse to cooperate. Now it seems like they're trying to make up for that.

The educational and scientific society announced Wednesday that it is partnering with Cellular Abroad to make the National Geographic Talk Abroad Travel Phone, a bar-style GSM phone that operates in more than 100 … Read more

SimulScribe turns voice mail into text

As our lives get busier and we become more reliant on text messages and e-mail, voice mail is starting to seem a tad archaic (not to mention impractical if you're sitting in a business meeting or loud bar). A company called SimulScribe has come up with a technology that claims to be the answer.

The New York-based start-up uses voice recognition technology to transcribe voice mails into text. Instead of having to sit through Grandpa Bill's three-minute voice mail, you'd get a written message, via SMS or e-mail, approximately two to five minutes after the voice mail … Read more

Is your cell phone your new wallet?

Cell phones make calls, take pictures, and play music, but could they replace your wallet as well? We hear a lot of such promises here at Crave; that someday you'll be able to use your phone as a debit card and pay for things like your morning cup of coffee or the evening's movie tickets. Phooey, you say? Well, don't dismiss the idea just yet, as a number of companies already have rolled out the technology.

A company called MobileLime has been around for a couple years now and actually has such technology on the market. But … Read more

Helio has a QWERTY phone in the works

Well looky what we got here: Phonescoop spotted this shiny new Helio QWERTY phone on the FCC site this morning, and it looks to be a triple-layer wonder. Not only does the phone slide up to reveal the number keypad, it also slides sideways to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard--both the keypad and the keyboard are on separate layers. Manufactured by Pantech, the phone is tentatively called the PN-810, but we're guessing Helio will name it something else to suit their current lineup of the Hero, the Kickflip, and the Drift. Known features of the phone are impressive: EV-DO … Read more

V Cast TV could launch March 1

The tech sites are buzzing with loads of Verizon Wireless dish today. First and foremost, it's now almost certain that Verizon's V Cast TV is aiming for a March 1 launch date. That's a bit sooner than we expected (Verizon originally said near the end of March) so it's very good news indeed. If you remember, V Cast so wowed us at CES that we chose it as our best in show pick for the cell phone category.

Though Verizon showed two V Cast TV phones at CES--the LG VX9400 and the Samsung SCH-U620 (aka the … Read more

Palm Treo 700wx finally lands at Verizon

Boy, are Palm Treo 700w owners going to be miffed. Today, Verizon Wireless and Palm announced the availability of the Palm Treo 700wx, which is almost identical to its predecessor except for one key difference: it ups the 700w's paltry 32MB of RAM to 64MB, clearing the way for snappier performance. Aside from the increased memory, there aren't any major differences or upgrades (ahem, Windows Mobile 6) from the Treo 700w or Sprint's version of the 700wx. The Windows Mobile 5 smart phone has push e-mail capabilities, EV-DO support, a 1.3-megapixel camera, and Bluetooth. The Palm … Read more

Crave has an alter ego

As the skies have darkened, we at Crave understand the need to bring in some light whenever possible. So we offer you the option of viewing us with a white background (yes, with black type).

To get it, just click on the small white box marked "page options" at the top right of any page. To switch back, click the black box in the same place.

In addition to helping stave off seasonal affective disorder, you might find the lighter version easier to read too.

Answering machine or sushi plate?

As technology manufacturers continue to design products that blend more naturally into the decor, some are taking the concept to an extreme--so much so that the items aren't even recognizable at all. Take the new voice-activated answering machine from Hammacher Schlemmer, for example. The idea behind the device is admirable, activated by the simple phrase "answering machine" and responding to 15 voice commands including "play new" and "set volume." We're just not exactly sure about the design; is there some reason it needs to look like a sushi plate? It's not … Read more

Touch and go - Motorola A1200

My general interest in the ever growing area of touch screen technology along with my odd obsession with cell phones recently led me to the Motorola A1200. While touch screens are the norm for smart phones, the Motorola A1200 stands out in two respects. First is that it is one of a very few phones to run on the open source platform Linux, and second is that it weighs an infinitesimal 3.3 ounces.