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• Text and voice tagging
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If you’re traveling by car this holiday season, you may be considering installing a GPS-based navigational device in your vehicle to reduce at least some of the hassles of the trip. A variety of such products are available, should you opt for an in-vehicle device.

But you may also be considering a navigational service delivered to your cell phone. One such service is TeleNav’s GPS Navigator, available now to Alltel Wireless customers using selected handsets.

Alltel announced rollout of the service earlier this month. Here’s how it works: if you own one of the supported phones (for now, BlackBerry 8703e or Samsung u520), you can subscribe to the service (unlimited use) for $9.99 per month. One-day use subscriptions also are available for $2.99 on the Samsung phone. You’ll also need an Alltel Wireless data plan (optionally, you can choose to use voice minutes). 

Once service is activated, the TeleNav GPS Navigator application can be downloaded directly to your phone.

TeleNav’s GPS Navigator includes the following features:

• Voice and on-screen turn-by-turn directions

• Biz Finder (find businesses, services, WiFi hotspots, and more)

• Fuel Finder (locate lowest gas price in five-mile or wider radius)

• Full-color moving maps (pan and zoom)

• Easy destination entry (preplan trips online, type destinations into phone using keypad, dictate destination using voice recognition system)

• Automatic map updates

• Spot marker (e.g. find your car wherever you park it)

• My Favorites (save multiple addresses for later access)

TeleNav’s director of business development, Hassan Wahla, exuded the expected enthusiasm in his statement about expanded coverage of the service to include Alltel customers: “With Alltel’s expansive wireless network and reputation of embracing advanced technologies, Alltel’s customers have come to expect the very best from their wireless service.”

Just another thing to consider this holiday season.

Ah, the rumor mill regarding the alleged Apple iPhone allegedly slated for release early in 2007… well, that rumor mill is in full swing again. This time, various reports have it that Apple will not be launching the iPhone at MacWorld Expo in January.

At least one report traces the rumor back to a Sydney Morning Herald article published today, in which reporter Asher Moses quoted CIBC World Markets analyst Ittai Kidron as having written last week that iPhone will be commercially launched late in the first quarter of 2007, or early in the second.

The Sydney Morning Herald report also noted that Wall Street analysts acknowledge even speculation about a delayed launch is affecting Apple’s share price.

Of course, all of this is predicated on the idea that Apple is, indeed, planning to introduce a cell phone/iPod combo next year. In fact, as Jupiter Research analyst Michael Gartenberg pointed out in the Herald report, Apple has never verified that there actually is an iPhone in the works.

"Is it possible to call a product that hasn't been acknowledged, much less shipped, delayed?” Gartenberg asks.

Good question.

Expectations have reached a fever pitch as MacWorld, Apple’s yearly venue for major product announcements, draws near. With Apple and its CEO Steve Jobs as tight-lipped as ever, all anyone can do is gossip about what might be the next big thing.

Phone rumors were fanned into flames anew recently when apparently “definitive” information surfaced that manufacturer Foxconn Electronics had received an order from Apple for 12 million iPhones.

And, that was on top of the fact that on August 7, Apple filed a U.S. patent for a phone/music player combo. Why, it’s enough to lead anyone to an inescapable conclusion: the iPhone must be just around the corner.

But, now, it seems more likely (at least, if you believe the Herald) that in January Steve Jobs will instead unveil a home theater content steaming device (iTV, anyone?) that was demoed at a press conference in September but has not yet been commercially launched.

Okay, everyone, hold your horses. January will be here soon enough.

I guess it was just a matter of time before the power of Google Earth leapt off the computer screen to become part of a real-world (as opposed to virtual world) tool. Recently various cell phone services have begun to create mash-ups of sorts with Google Maps. But Trackstick Pro, which I stumbled across the other day in my wireless wanderings, takes this idea to a whole new level.

What is Trackstick Pro? The manufacturer (Telespial Systems) describes it as “an advanced GPS data logger capable of continuously recording its own location histories for extended periods of time.” It can log months of travel histories, with user-configurable recording intervals. The oldest location histories are erased first when the 4MB of memory fills up—or data can be moved to a computer using a USB cable.

The device is primarily marketed to government agencies to help them manage vehicles and other assets. It comes with a cigarette lighter plug for charging, and also can be hard-wired to any vehicle.

Trackstick Pro uses Google Earth mapping to provide “an effective solution for tracking moving assets including police, parking enforcement, busses, street cleaning, utility and other city or federal vehicles.”

Just what data, exactly, does Trackstick Pro record? Answer: date, time, location, speed, direction, altitude, signal strength, and temperature.

TrackstickPro.com said its device “is a low cost solution that will document and validate the location of anything that moves.”

Ah, I can hear those concerned about privacy saying it now: “How long until people are outfitted with Tracksticks so the government can keep tabs on their whereabouts?” Perhaps not a silly question, since on its Web site Telespial suggests that Trackstick Pro can be used to find out where you kids have been, verify employee driving routes, or check up on the driving habits of family members.

Yeech, scary stuff. I would rather see Trackstick Pro be adapted for use in house-arrest situations or attached to a wandering pet.

Trackstick is available only through authorized resellers. See www.trackstick.com for details.

Have you spotted similar tracking products that seem cool or give you the creeps? Let me know.

In a way, its strange how grocery stores have turned into one-stop shops for running most of your errands. Some of the larger chains now incorporate pharmacies, banks, dry-cleaners, childcare rooms, and other non-food-related resources within their walls.

Recently I was meandering down the hardware aisle in a supermarket, and noticed that they were selling portable chargers for cell phones designed to give you a little bit more juice without having to plug the phone in.

Well, to me that proved that grocery stores now truly are “supermarkets.” I mean, if I can buy cell phone accessories there, the sky’s the limit.

And speaking of portable chargers, Motorola Canada today announced the availability of its version of the product.

MarketNews.ca described the $59.99 product as a device “that provides back-up power to its cell phones while on the go.” It connects using a mini USB plug, and once charged up (yeah, you do have to charge the charger) provides “from one to two full battery charges to a handset. It can also power a compatible Bluetooth headset up to a total of 10 charges.”

It seems like a sign of the times that such products are available. And, until cell phone batteries are enhanced with much greater charge lives (maybe with methanol cartridge fuel cells?), a portable charger seems a handy thing to carry around.

Seen any other cool, new cell phone accessories out there? Let me know.

Well, Thanksgiving is over. You know what that means. If you’re someone who celebrates Christmas, it’s time to get started on your holiday shopping in earnest. And, if you’re a tech geek like me, you probably have at least a few gadgets on your list—to buy for friends and family, or that you are hoping they’ll buy for you.

If you are also somewhat of a butterfingers, or the person you’re buying for is, you may be worrying that the new toy you get won’t last very long before it breaks.

Well, at least if you’re talking about smartphones and PDAs, there is a company out there with an alternate solution to waiting several weeks for the manufacturer of a Treo, for example, to replace a broken screen.

A rep from the company, PDAParts.com, recently got in touch to tell me about their solution: replacement parts for some of the most popular Pads, and instructions for how to fix the device yourself.

Before we go any further, it should be noted that attempting self-repair of a PDA will void your warranty, so you’d need to be fairly confident that you can successfully complete the task before starting.

PDAParts.com offers replacement screens, motherboards, keyboards and other parts for a pretty broad range of PDAs, including Palm Treo, Visor, and Clie. They also offers parts and repair instructions for iPods.

Seems like an interesting idea, although I’m not so sure whether voiding your warrantee is a good thing. If you’re really impatient, or the warrantee on your PDA already has run out, this could be an option.

Now, here’s hoping you never will need the services of PDAParts.com!

Apple’s line of iPod MP3 players have dominated the market for a while now. But a preliminary study Nielson Media Research may indicate that by turning its device into a media player (iPod Video) for TV and movies as well as music, Apple may have overextended its reach.

A Reuters report I came across this morning said that data Nielsen has gathered so far show that “despite iPod's upgrade to video capabilities in October 2005, the device is still

Well, the Apple iPhone rumors are back. This time, word has it that Taiwan-based manufacturer Hon Hai Precision Industry (also known as Foxconn Electronics) received an order from Apple for 12 million iPhones. That’s the same company, InfoWorld says, that builds Apple’s iPod.

According to AppleInsider, the new iPhone rumors started with a report published Thursday in China Times. So far I haven’t been able to locate an English version of the report to verify. (It should be noted that InfoWorld claims the news was broken by a publication called Commercial Times; all I can conclude is that the news came out of Asia.)

AppleInsider also claims the iPhone, which allegedly will include an MP3 player and a 2.0-megapixel camera (with components and assembly from Largen, Micron and Foxconn subsidiary AlusTech), will start shipping in February, 2007.

“Intel, Sharp, Tripod Technology, Broadcom and Sunrex are also said to be part of the mix, supplying the memory, LCM display, circuit board, baseband chip and keypad, respectively,” AppleInsider said.

Also according to AppleInsider, “Apple will reportedly tap long-time iPod casing manufacturer Catcher Technology to mold and manufacturer the phone's exterior housing.”

Of course, so far none of the manufacturers cited will confirm that they’re involved. And Apple, as usual, is presenting a perfect poker face. So we’ll just have to wait till February to find out if the rumors are correct.

But, while we’re waiting, there are other aspects of the alleged upcoming iPhone launch to consider. Take distribution and profits, for example. InfoWorld in a report today quotes Bear Stearns analyst Andy Neff as saying that he figures Apple will ship 29 million iPhones next year, and that the new device could reduce sales of iPods somewhat.

Neff estimates that iPhone sales could reach $6 billion during 2007. Obviously, this is just an estimate since we don’t know yet how much the supposed iPhones will sell for, nor how many units Apple will make and ship next year (if any).

Another thing to consider is how popular and iPhone will be, when it is launched (I won’t say “if,” because I think it’s a sure thing at some point in the future). At first glance, I would hazard a guess that many, many people will snap up iPhones as soon as they arrive.

But at least one person is less than enthusiastic. ZDNet blogger Jason O’Grady predicts that the iPhone will incorporate “a candy bar or slider form factor,” rather than arrive in smartphone format—and that poses a dilemma.

“My problem is that I don't really want an iPod/phone hybrid - I'm more of a smartphone guy,” O’Grady writes. “Readers of this blog know that I'm a huge fan of the Treo (I live on the thing) and can't really see myself giving it up any time soon.”

O’Grady acknowledges, though, that plane and train commuters, as well as students, probably will “freak out” about iPhone. He even admits that he probably will buy one, but not to use as his primary phone.

If you’re just dying to let the world know if you will buy an iPhone, cast your vote using O’Grady’s poll.

Okay, that’s it for now from the rumor mill. Do let me know if you happen across any related, semi-likely info, okay?

A couple of items caught my eye this morning, both of which relate to the ways in which mobile technology is changing the way we live, work, and play. One is a study commissioned by Nokia, the other is a news story citing Samsung’s predictions about the future of mobile phones.

I take these news items, by the way, with a grain of salt, since in both cases the info is being provided by companies that make the technology in question—and thus have an obvious stake in the matter.

First up is a study Nokia commissioned from London School of Economics, about the impact of mobile television, specifically on the broadcasting and advertising industries.

The report predicts that, unlike broadcast TV, mobile TV will be characterized by a more personalized experience for each user.

“Users will be able to receive content anytime, anywhere, choose what is most relevant to them, and even create and upload their own television content, while content providers and advertisers will be able to tailor their offerings more specifically to the user,” Nokia said in a press release about the report.

User-generated content—like that found on YouTube—also will be a key trend in the mobile TV market, Nokia said.

Successful advertisers, the report said, will adapt to this new paradigm both with better-targeted ads, and by catering to the short attention span of viewers by displaying 5-7 second ads.

When it comes to what genres of programming will be most popular among mobile TV users, the Nokia-commissioned report puts news, entertainment, sports, music, and children’s shows on the list.

Hmm… doesn’t that kind of sound a lot like current TV offerings, but just available on the-the-go?

I think the format of the programming, as predicted by Nokia, is more interesting; the study says that mobile TV programs will be both shorter and more interactive than current offerings.

The shorter part makes sense to me—if a person is watching a show on an iPod while waiting in doctor’s office, riding the train, or even (heaven forbid) killing time while sitting in traffic, it needs to be a quick program or the user’s attention probably will wander.

I’m not so sure about interactivity—unless we’re talking about gaming rather than TV viewing. For me, at least, watching TV has always been a passive activity, a way to escape (and maybe learn something) without having to expend much (if any) mental effort. Why should that change if I am carrying a show around on a portable player?

Okay, moving along to Samsung’s mobile phone predictions...

In a Channel NewsAsia article today, reporter Johnson Choo quotes Samsung as saying that it predicts mobile phones will soon outperform computers.

The company says that manufacturing handsets incorporating many features—such as cameras, music players, and mobile TV players—will help make mobile phones even more useful, and even more successful in terms of sales.

Samsung added that its brand of wireless broadband, WiBro, is a key feature of tomorrow’s mobile phones. Future phones also will includes features like 1 GHz processors, 10 megapixel cameras, as much as 20GB of storage, digital TV receivers, and GPS navigation.

The result, Samsung says, will be a “true all-in-one handset.”

The timing of this article is interesting, as my husband I just last night were talking about ways to get away from our computers more—and one concept we came up with was to adopt more single-function devices, like iPods, that do one thing well and don’t present the temptation to get involved in other projects.

While I can see the allure of a cool handheld that does it all, I have to wonder why if most consumers really are interested in performing true computing functions on a device that so small they can only type with their thumbs, and with a screen so small they have do a lot of squinting and scrolling to see everything.

Why not just carry around a small, light laptop instead, and grab an iPod when you want to listen to music, or your mobile phone when you want to make a call?

What do you think? Are mobile phones destined to become miniature computers? And will mobile TV be interactive?

Turns out that PDAs can be hazardous to your health. Who knew?

USA Today reporter Stephanie Armour wrote in an article today that, increasingly, companies are facing workers’ compensation claims from employees claiming they were injured by PDAs.

Okay, it’s true that PDAs don’t literally bite the hand that feeds them, but excessive use of such a device can lead to hand injuries—much as the repetitive stress associated with use of keyboards and mice can lead to carpel tunnel syndrome.

There’s even a name for PDA-related hand injuries: BlackBerry Thumb.

The USA Today report cites the American Physical Therapy Association as saying that BlackBerry Thumb is characterized by “hand throbbing, tendonitis and swelling.”

Armour quotes Cornell University ergonomics professor Alan Hedge saying, “If you develop full-blown symptoms, it’s pretty severe. Employers can train people how to correctly hold and use the handheld device and encourage employees to write brief e-mails.”

I’m skeptical about the idea that people might cut down on their PDA usage, but maybe it is possible to hold the devices in ways that aren’t quite so damaging. (Just as an ergonomic keyboard is better than a regular one.)

Washington, D.C.-based lawyer Frank Morris is quoted in the USA Today article as saying that, to protect themselves, employers should develop policies for PDA policies.

Part of the problem is that employees are simply using PDAs too much, the article quoted Stacey Devon, president-elect of American Society of Hand Therapists, as saying.

“In the workplace, you should dock them into a regular-size keyboard and monitor,” Devon says in the report.

So what should we learn from all this, beyond the fact that excessive use of any device can be dangerous? Well, I for one feel a lot more enlightened to know that a) it is possible to be a professor of ergonomics and b) there is an organization called American Society of Hand Therapists.

Here’s my question to you: do you use a PDA? And, have you suffered hand injuries from using it? I’m curious how widespread this problem is.