A Nokia site reveals the first information on a couple of new CDMA phones. Both seem to be targeting the Chinese market and we don’t believe they will come to the U.S. carriers, but nothing is impossible.

Nokia 3608 is a very simple clamshell, with 1.3-megapixel camera, microSD slot, two color displays and music controls when closed. It is very similar to the 3606 but lacks the AWS band.

Nokia 8208 on the other hand, is an interesting multimedia device. It is dual-slider, similar to the Nokia N95: on the one side it has numeric keypad and on the other, music controls. It features a 2.2-inch QVGA display with up to 16 million colors and 3-megapixel camera. The 150MB of built-in memory is expandable via microSD card, and a music player and FM radio are present as well, the battery is claimed for 20 hours of continuous play and a 3.5mm jack is present.

Nokia 3608 is said to use Series 40-l ... Read more »

9th July 2008, 4:02 PM   by Eric M. Zeman

Today the FCC agreed to extend the deadline for filing comments on the AWS-3 auction by 16 days, with the new deadline set for July 25. The original deadline had been set for today. While it is not the three months that T-Mobile was pushing for, the FCC did give the carrier a little bit more time to continue testing for interference. All replies to comments are now due on August 11.

more at RCR News »

8th June 2008, 5:34 PM   by Eric M. Zeman

The NFC Forum has set two new specifications for near-field communication-equipped devices. The Generic Control RTD specification sets a standard communication protocol for requesting a specific action, such as launching an application. The Connection Handover specification will help two NFC-equipped devices pair other wireless communications, such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. This specification, in particular, will be important for other standards bodies for creating interoperable services and standards. It will enable two NFC devices to come in range, and then initiate the proper sequence of events to pair for things such as file transfers. The end result should be easier pairing and setting up of services for end users.

more at NFC Forum » / more info »

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8th June 2008, 4:46 PM   by Eric M. Zeman   updated Today, 3:06 PM

The user manual for the upcoming Palm Treo 800w was posted to the Sprint site, providing details of the new device ahead of its launch. The hardware appears to be similar to the existing line of Treos with a few small changes, including a button on the top that toggles on/off the Wi-Fi radio. The 800w runs Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional (for touch screens) and can access Sprint's EVDO Rev. A high-speed network. It has a slot for microSDHC cards, though what capacity it will support was not made clear. It is the first Treo to have 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and GPS, supporting turn-by-turn directions, on board. It also packs in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR and stereo Bluetooth. The display has been improved to 320 x 320 pixels, which matches the resolution on Palm OS-based Treos for the first time. It has ... Read more »

8th July 2008, 3:54 PM   by Eric M. Zeman

T-Mobile is asking the FCC to delay a vote on final rules for the proposed AWS-3 auction by another three months. The FCC is currently seeking public comment about another advanced wireless services auction. This one would require the winner to provide open access to a free wireless broadband service that includes filters to block adult content. T-Mobile says further testing needs to be done to ensure that there is no interference between the proposed spectrum to be auctioned and existing networks. Though FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has met with resistance, he has political backing that may entice him to move forward with the auction's rules as proposed. A final vote could take place as early as next month.

more at RCR News »

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