10 cool things you can do with your cell phone

Nowadays cell phones can do almost anything, but now there is more to add to the list. Some of these cool features may not be available yet or are for specific models only, but rest assured with the increase in cellular technology it is on the way.

1. ID that song: Next time you hear a catchy song on the radio, you don’t have to try to memorize the lyrics so you can Google it when you get home. Now all you need to do is dial a code number, hold the phone to the speaker for a few seconds and within moments you’ll see the artist, title and album appear. This is only available with select models.
2. Have your phone wake you with music: Tired of your normal buzzer alarm clock from the 1980s? With some new models, including the LG Chocolate, you can select music as your alarm.
3. Text message a landline phone: Companies are now starting to offer text to landline messaging. Your text message is sent from your cell phone to a landline and is converted to a voice message that is played back on the landline.There is a small charge for this, but nonetheless interesting.
4. Scan in a business card: Ever wanted to get someone info off of their business card, but they only had one? Ok probably not, but some models have features where you can take a picture of a business card and have the picture trasferred to your phone book.
5. Have your text messages read back to you: Vemail Voice Email 2.0 (http://www.nch.com.au/vemail/index.html) enables usuers to read e-mail and easily reply by speaking. This application is $28 but can sure be useful for people on the go. More…

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Phone Friday! News & reviews on some phones

HTC release the Excalibur, better than the Q?

The Excalibur is HTC’s version of the Q, but appears to blow the Q out of the water. This thin smart phone comes with Windows Mobile and a full QWERTY keybaord. It also will have Mi-FI and Bluetooth, and like the Q it will have a method for one handed navigation. The Excalibur will have a touch sensitive scroll pad including home and back keys as well.
The Excalibur is rumored to launch with Sprint in the US by the end of the year, but no word on an exact date or price.

[Thanks for Geek.com for the pictures, and check out HTC’s website for more of their sleek phones.]

LG releases some white chocolate

Although this may not be the Chocolate, the LF1300 certianly has some flavor. The LF1300 comes with a 2-inch QVGA display, 1.3 megapixel camer, SD expansion, Bluetooth, and of course, an MP3 Player.

This slider measures 98 x 48 x 16.9mm and will be available through CYON. The LF1300 is said to be released only in Korea, and no word on pricing as of now.

[Picture and story from I4U.com]

Milk chocolate from Sony Ericsson?

Well this also isn’t the Chocolate, but Sony Ericsson has released a milk chocolate colored phone, calling it the K800i. It comes with a brilliant 3.2 megapixel camera, UMTS high-speed data, and and MP3/MPEG4 player.

The K800i will be released in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

[Picture from Gizmodo.com]

How does your provider and brand score?

Forrester Research released a recent survey asking how much they trust their provider, and their handset brand. Forrester Research asked 4,700 consumers across the USA and compiled all of the information and gave the major providers and brands grades.

Lets get right to the report cards, first the providers:

• Verizon: C
• Cingular: C-
• Sprint: D-

Now for the mobile brands:

• Palm: B+
• Motorola: B
• LG Electronics: C-
• Samsung: D-

[To read more, check out Yahoo!]

Mmm…Chocolate… LG’s VX8500 Chocolate

Monday, 31 July, saw the official release of the LG VX8500 Chocolate by Verizon Wireless.

The “Chocolate” is “Part MP3 player. Part phone. Totally sweet.” according to Verizon, and it really does look the business. They’ve gone for the stylish Nano piano black finish with stylish red accents for a stunning, sleek look.

Consumers have long been fed up with only being able to get a small handful of songs on their mobile phone handsets, but the Chocolate, with its support for 2Gb’s worth of expansion via microSD memory card allowing for the storage of almost 1,000 songs (in MP3 or Windows WMA format), makes the “Chocolate” a viable MP3 Player/Phone convergence device.

iPod like controls are available on the front panel, with the keypad concealed under the sliding top panel.

Verizon’s Chocolate music phone is also fully compatible with Verizon’s V CAST music service, which, (somewhat coincedentally), dropped it’s US$15 per month subscription fee on Monday. Chocolate lovers can now buy and download songs over the air for US$1.99 each.

Other features :

• QVGA screen (320×240)
• Bluetooth
• EV-DO
• 1.3 Megapixel camera (with video)
• Verizon’s VZ Navigator
• V Cast Music and Video compatibility (now with no monthly fees)
• Dimensions: 3.8″ x 1.88″ x 0.69″
• Weight: 3.53oz
  

The Chocolate really does look quite delicious, but c’mon Apple, show us what YOU have got!

Pre-order your Chocolate from Amazon now.