T-Mobile introduces new Sidekicks - Screen resolution doubled

By Peter Svensson
The Associated Press

NEW YORK - T-Mobile USA is updating its Sidekick cell phones, adding a high-end model and the first Motorola-built entry in the line of quirky gadgets with a screen that swivels to reveal a keyboard.

The new luxury model, the Sidekick LX, has a screen with more than twice the resolution of the previous top-of-the-line model, the Sidekick 3. Criticism of the low screen resolution has dogged the line, which still has found a home among young people who like to communicate by text message.

The LX will go on sale online Oct. 17 for $300 with a 2-year contract, T-Mobile USA said Wednesday. The cheapest current Sidekick, the iD, costs $50.

Apart from the improved 3-inch screen, the LX is slimmer than previous models, with a more elegant styling. It's an attempt to broaden the Sidekick user base among older customers, said Leslie Grandy, vice president of product and systems development at Bellevue, Wash.-based T-Mobile USA.

The LX is also the first Sidekick to allow text messages with attached pictures. Previous models allowed pictures from the built-in cameras to be e-mailed, but Sidekick users prefer text messaging, according to Grandy.

T-Mobile also announced the Sidekick Slide, which breaks away from the Sidekick line in two ways: It's made by Motorola Inc. rather than Sharp Corp., which makes the others; and its screen slides up to reveal the keyboard, rather than swiveling.

The Slide is smaller than the other Sidekicks and is more tightly focused on messaging. For instance, it won't play music until you buy a memory card for it. It will cost $200 with a 2-year contract when it goes on sale Nov. 7.

The Sidekick runs software from Palo Alto, Calif.-based Danger Inc. The first Sidekick was launched by T-Mobile in 2002.

On Tuesday, T-Mobile announced that it was introducing a BlackBerry that can make and receive calls over Wi-Fi in addition to the cellular network. That substantially reinforces T-Mobile's HotSpotAtHome program, which previously has offered only two low-end phones, neither of them e-mail-oriented devices like the BlackBerry.

With a HotSpotAtHome plan, which costs $20 a month, subscribers can place unlimited calls over Wi-Fi routers at home or on T-Mobile's commercial HotSpot network.

The new BlackBerry Curve costs $250. AT&T launched the same model this spring, but without the ability to place calls over Wi-Fi.

Recording Songs from Albums

Adapted From: Digital Photos, Movies, & Music Gigabook for Dummies

Albums may be a joy for listening, but they're a pain to store. Plus, you always worry about when it's time to change the needle. Playing any rare singles? Don't they deteriorate each time they're played?

Converting albums to MP3 combats these problems and adds an advantage: Because the sounds originated from an album, the MP3 still holds some of that warm vinyl feel - none of that sterile CD feeling. Any of today's portable MP3 players will easily hold a full album - some, like Apple's iPod mini, can store 1,000 songs.

Most all-in-one MP3 ripping software records albums and converts them to MP3s on the fly, but that skips the WAV stage. Without this intermediate stage, you have no way to remove any recording flaws before the final encoding.

These steps show how to record songs from an album and save them as WAV files (where you can touch them up before turning them into MP3s):

1. Clean the album.

The cleaner the album, the cleaner the sound. Try these cleaning tips:

• Wash both sides of the album with a lint-free cloth. Most music stores sell record-cleaning brushes designed expressly for removing dust.

• To remove extra-stubborn goo from the grooves, try a mixture of 50/50 rubbing alcohol and distilled water. Lacking that, small amounts of baby shampoo can do the trick. Be sure to rinse well.

• Always wash the record with a circular motion; don't scrub "across grain" because it might scratch the grooves. When you finish cleaning, dry the album and touch it only by the edges.

• If it's an important album - a rare import, or an old 78 - check the phone directory for professional record-cleaning services found in many big cities. They can often remove any extra-persistent grunge from the vinyl.

2. Clean the turntable's needle.

Wipe it off with the little brush that comes with the turntable. Lost yours? Pick one up at the music or stereo store. They're cheap.

3. Connect the turntable's output cables to your sound card.

4. Adjust your recording level.

Your recording program will have a recording monitor display, which flashes according to the incoming volume levels.

Start playing your album and watch the monitor. If it flashes too close to the right end (or the red), turn down the volume going into the sound card, or use the sound card's mixer program to turn down the incoming sound.

If the level's too high, it will distort; if it's too low, you'll hear background noise. Take your time to find the right level before recording. Be patient.

5. Start the recording software.

Begin recording using Adobe Audition, Roxio Capture, or another recording-and-editing package.

6. Play the album.

Be sure to press the Record button on your recording software before playing the album. Don't worry about the initial plop when the needle falls onto the record or the empty space before the first song. You can easily edit out those sounds later.

As you convert album songs into WAV files, keep the following points in mind:
Hear a persistent humming sound in the background? Plug your turntable into the "unswitched AC adapter" on your receiver or amplifier. If you can't find the unswitched adapter, try plugging your computer and turntable into the same wall outlet. (Use an adapter, if needed.) The two devices then share a common ground.

Remember to record at a level that's very close to the 0 on the recording level - but never too close. Otherwise, the recording won't sound loud compared to others, like MP3s created from CDs.

Recording an old mono album? You might only hear the sound on one speaker. You can correct this with sound-editing software.

Record the entire album's first side and save that as a single WAV file. Then do the same with the flip side. You can easily separate the tracks into separate files later with sound-editing software.

In the eyes of the law, converting albums to MP3 files isn't any different from copying CDs. You can keep the file for your own personal use, but don't give it away or sell it, or you might be violating copyrights.

Gadgets at IFA promise simpler, more beautiful life

By Nicola LeskeMon

Television sets traditionally dominate the IFA consumer electronics trade fair but there is an abundance of new high-tech gadgets on display in Berlin this week aimed at making life simpler and more beautiful too.

Whether in the car, enjoying nature outdoors or even relaxing in the bath, reasons to be disconnected from the electronic matrix are becoming ever scarcer.

Creative minds at Dutch electronics group Philips (PHG.AS) presented a universal plug dubbed Power4life intended to be compatible with just about any portable device ranging from a laptop to a MP3 player that promises to put an end to batteries running out when it is least convenient.

The charger, which includes an LED indicator to tell how much power is left, is due to be available in December.

German company Sunload offered a greener approach to keeping portable devices fully charged at all times.

Its laptop bags contain a flexible solar panel that powers a charger inside. It also includes two USB cables and a storage battery pack.

A messenger bag starts at around 400 euros ($546) and a leather briefcase at around 1,000 euros. The laptop bags are available through the company Website (http://www.sunload.de/).

Keeping mobility in mind, German firm Funkwerk Dabendorf showcased a portable, hands-free communications kit called EGO Cup that fits into a car's cup holder and plugs into a cigarette lighter's socket.

It is compatible with eight different mobile phones and connects via blue tooth technology, the company said. The EGO Cup will be available for 89 euros in November.

While mobility is a major theme at IFA -- the world's oldest consumer electronics trade fair -- manufacturers also presented coveted objects for the home.

Swiss company Xounts offers a cone-shaped combination lamp and sound system with a choice of "skins" that currently come in a range of patterns and designs from which to pick.

Eventually customers will be able to upload their own images on the website and order a customized lampshade.

The basic version costs 329 euros and includes subwoofers, light sources, volume and bass controls as well as connections for a stereo line or iPod.

Currently only the European voltage model is available, but a U.S. model is in the works for next year.

German technology company Grundig brought back its iconic Audiorama speakers from the 1970s, known for their futuristic spherical design.

They come either as floorstanding or ceiling hanging configurations in black or white, both offering 360-degree sound. They are due for launch next February, with a price of 600 euros per set.

Ever wanted to watch television while soaking in the bathtub? Manufacturers at Germany's ad notam GmbH have a solution. The company makes sleek-looking LCD display screens that double as bathroom mirrors when shut off.

The Twister is fully rotatable and is made to be resistant to humidity and water. It can be attached to the bathroom wall or even the edge of the bathtub. Prices start at around $2,700.

Korean company esencia hopes to address those consumers concerned with ultimate cleanliness by taking dental hygiene to a new level with its toothbrush sterilizer.

The devices come in a portable version too and kill germs with UV rays. The company reasons that "bathrooms are a hotbed for germs" that makes the sterilization of toothbrushes "a very urgent issue."

The IFA consumer electronics fair is open to the public until September 5.

Creating an Online Presence is easy

by Dan Hounshell

I like the post Seth Godin made a few days ago: Memo to the very small.

I, too, believe that we are in the midst of change. Well, at least it is much easier to create an online presence today than it ever has been - especially for those that are very small. Of course there have always been inexpensive ways to create sites, but there weren't always good ways of promoting them. Don't tell me about webrings or other such nonsense. If you'd have mentioned directory listings then I would have given you partial credit because I built up some very good site traffic over a period of time almost completely attributable to multiple directory listings.

However, I'm talking about small business - the local mom-n-pop doo-dad shop.

Seth Godin's post mentions using hosted Typepad, building a Squidoo lens, and posting images on Flickr to help build a professional site and put some pieces together to generate traffic to the site. I'll take it a step further:

Save links to your site(s) via social bookmarking sites like del.icio.us
Put your url in your signature for any community sites that you frequent, especially for local-based sites like your town's site, forums, and newspaper.

The two above items will help get your small site noticed by search engines as well as help with rankings. Before you realize it, your site will be near the top of the results when doing a search for your business in your town - like "Anytown, OH doo-dad shop".

A lot of this stuff is still really a bit above the head of the non internet-savvy, but its nothing that your neighbor's kid couldn't accomplish for a couple of dollars. You might want to spend a little money on some good copywriting if you don't have the skills, but it's really an inexpensive exercise, with almost guaranteed results.

I won't try to amaze you with some of Seth Godin's quips like "Small is the new Big", but I will say that I do appreciate hometown businesses. I try to give them my business whenever possible. Those with an online presence make it easier for me to choose them.

Text Messaging On Steroids

By Mike Elgan

Each communications medium offers unique power. E-mail is asynchronous and can broadcast "one-to-many." IM and e-mail can be done on a PC and with a proper keyboard. IM and phone calls are instantaneous. SMS and cell phones calls catch people away from their desks, and grab attention by audibly ringing the phone.

A new service called Joopz combines the power of each of these media into one.

Joopz is a Web site that lets you send SMS text messages from a Web browser. Big deal, right? But check this out: You can send to groups, not just individuals, and reply to their replies. You can schedule messages. And you can forward conversations from the Web to your cell phone.

Those capabilities give Joopz advantages from the other four media: It's one-to-many like e-mail, instantaneous like phone calls, can be done from a PC like IM, and audibly rings the phone like SMS.

I'll give you some tips below that suggest how you might use these Joopz capabilities to be a more effective boss and a more productive person. But first, let me tell you how Joopz is different from other browser-to-phone text messaging services.

There are perhaps dozens of Web-to-text services out there. Some of those services don't allow replies. Others allow replies, but only to your phone. Joopz allows you to get your replies on the same page where you sent the messages. It's like instant messaging, but potentially one-to-many, then many back to one, and to cell phones rather than PCs.

If you're in the middle of a conversation, and gotta run, you can "forward" a Joopz conversation to your phone, and continue with "regular" SMS.

Like e-mail, but unlike most SMS, phone call or IM sessions, Joopz can "record" your chat, so you don't have to take notes to capture all the details.

When you start a group chat, you can be in "Broadcast mode," where the replies come back only to you, or "Chat mode," where the replies go to everybody.

You can set up several "groups," give each a name, then in the future "broadcast" to each group by simply sending to each group's name.

Joopz works with most, but not all, North American carriers, including Cingular/AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Virgin Mobile.

Serving Suggestions

Meeting reminders. One of the biggest time and money wasters in business is meetings. If ten people are invited to a meeting, and a couple people show up 15 minutes late, you’ve wasted two and a half man-hours before the meeting even starts. By broadcasting a meeting reminder five minutes before the meeting starts, you kill excuses for being late, and make sure everyone gets the reminder – even those away from their desks.

Wake up calls. If you really can’t afford to sleep in, use Joopz as your own wake-up call service, by scheduling an SMS. And if you really want to make sure your meeting goes well, set up a wake up call for colleagues as well.

Urgent information to groups. Let's say you have a meeting, and five minutes before it starts the meeting has changed. You can quickly broadcast the new details to everyone in the meeting.

Set "calendar reminders" – for others. If you ask someone to do something, you hope they add it to their calendar, sync their calendar with their phone, and get the reminder on their phone. But setting up a Joopz reminder is like adding an item to their calendar yourself.

Give yourself “just in time” information. Schedule messages just when you land in a new city with the rental car and hotel information you’ll need. Remind yourself a few days in advance about upcoming anniversaries, birthdays and other events.

Joopz is free for sending up to 10 messages per month. The "Premium" version costs $2.95 per month or $19.95 per year.

Joopz is powerful. It gives you the advantages of SMS – immediacy, mobility and audible alert that your message is there – and removes the disadvantages.

Use it. And take advantage of it. But, whatever you do, don’t tell anyone about it.

In addition to writing for Datamation, where this column first appeared, Mike Elgan is a technology writer and former editor of Windows Magazine. He can be reached at mike.elgan+datamation@gmail.com or his blog: http://therawfeed.com.