BenQ might not jump into your head when it comes to mobiles as fast as, say, Boris Johnson when you say "useless foppish toff", but it's still in the mobile game. Its new C36 handset looks almost identical to 3's Skype handset we looked at back in October (and still use). It's a music phone with support for MP3, WAV, AMR and good old MIDI files, has a 176x220-pixel LCD display and -- chickety-check this out -- "health management".
No, it won't perform the Heimlich manoeuvre when you're choking on a granddad-friendly Werther's, and neither will it avert epic heart fails. But it'll apparently tell you your Body Mass Index and, providing you're either a woman or a bloke who should really check himself into the nearest hospital pronto, it'll give you updates on your menstrual cycle. Evidently BenQ plans to keep on the bleeding edge of technology, at least for a brief period. Bdum tsh!
You'll also have video playback, a 1.3-megapixel camera that works as a webcam, a microSD slot and built-in stereo speakers, but only a pitifully slow USB 1.1 connection, so any MP3s you want to put on the handset will take until the next ice age to complete.
It'll launch in Indonesia in May, with "other countries to follow in the coming months". No word on pricing, but if it comes to the UK, we expect it to be free on contract. -Nate Lanxon
A company by the name of DnC Multimedia is showcasing at CES a new portable media player design it says is cutting edge. It’s not clear however whether the company will market this product on its own or let others brand it instead.
Today T-Mobile has announced the launch of the new Shadow mobile phone from HTC. This is the first of a number of Shadow-branded phones that T-Mobile has planned for the future as devices that are “designed for people who have lives beyond work.”, according to Robert Dotson, president and CEO of T-Mobile USA. The device runs on an enhanced version of Windows Mobile 6 which hides a lot of the usually interface from Windows Mobile and replaces it with custom menus and navigation. According to T-Mobile the enhanced interface makes the Shadow more intuitive and easier to use.
To address the numerous emails we’ve received over the past month after T-Mobile officially announced the Sidekick LX asking when it will be available, today is the day. The Sidekick LX is now available starting today from T-Mobile for $299 with discounts. It comes in colors of brown or blue and features a swivel screen and wireless Bluetooth.