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Wildseeds Smart Skins for Wireless phones
Description: The company is a pioneer in the worlds first intelligent faceplates called Smart Skins, to be used for wireless phones. Funky? You bet. Launch date for the first Smart Skins is set for 2004 to the MTV demographic. Companies offering the skin phones include Kyocera Wireless Corp. offering their CDMA phone called KURV, and Curitels GSM phone called Onyx.
Whats cool: You can change the personality of your cell phone by swapping on a new skin. Also: each “skin” has a SmartKey microprocessor that automatically configures the software to reflect the Smart Skin theme. That means you dont have to do any installing and configuring yourself. For other neat features, check out Wildseeds website from the url.
Whats not so cool: Some skins seem customized for Barbie. More for the MTV generation. Girl Power! Boy Bands!
URL: http://www.wildseed.com/index.htm
MobiPowers Tele-Parking system
Description: A wireless gadget that eliminates the need for parking meters, now in New York. The Tele-parking System allows drivers to not pay cash for parking. Thats right – one click of the little black box inside your car starts the meter running and the bill gets sent to you by mail.
Whats cool: You dont need to scramble for quarters anymore. Oh, and theyre saying things like – “all cars on the road will have some telematic device in it within five or six years.”
Whats not cool: The revenue the city stands to lose from hounding all those people who forget to pay for parking.
URL: http://www.teleparking.com/about.html
NetMotion Mobility 4.0
Description: NetMotion Wireless Inc.s new NetMotion Mobility software provides a secure connection to your corporate network, even if youre moving from a local to a wide area wireless network or hotspot.
Whats cool:Works with the entire 802.11 Wi-Fi range.
Whats not cool: Another layer of software to manage for wireless connectivity
URL: http://www.netmotionwireless.com/
T-Mobile Sidekick
Description: The Sidekick is an integrated all-purpose wireless communications device. It also functions as a cell phone.
Whats cool: Its got the works – browser support, GPRS, email and instant messaging.
Whats not cool: No memory expansion slot or speakerphone, somewhat bulky.
Kyocera 7135
Description: Its a wireless phone/PDA hybrid that uses the Palm OS.
Whats cool: It offers high-speed wireless access, has a built in MP3 player, image viewer and also has a memory card expansion slot.
Whats not cool: Wouldve been more attractive if it had come out sooner. Now, it appears bulky and slow to respond when you touch the keypad numbers.
URL: http://www.kyocera-wireless.com/7100_phone/7100_phone_series.htm