Cell-Phone Boosters

Cell phone users are all too accustomed to dropped calls and dead zones. One way to alleviate those problems is to boost the phone's signal with an external antenna. One such device is the Spotwave Z1900, which is geared for homes and small offices of up to 2,500 square feet. The indoor, wireless system works with cell phones, PDAs and 3G laptop cards.



The Wi-Ex zBoost works in the 800MHz and 1900MHz bands, both at home and in the car. According to a New York Times story, it's legal for consumers to purchase and own the cellular boosters, but Federal Communications Commission regulations are unclear about whether they're legal to use. Wireless companies, the Times reports, say the use of unauthorized repeaters can cause interference.

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New moto phones?

At 3GSM this week Motorola also announced several new upgrades to their KRZR, SLVR and RIZR lineups.The Motorola SLVR L9keeps the SLVR’s slim design however brings a more updated design to it. The SLVR L9 comes packed with Quadband GSM, EDGE, an upgraded 2 megapixel camera with flash, microSD memory card slot and a FM radio.

“MOTOSLVR L9 takes Motorola’s breath-taking MOTOSLVR design and packs it with outstanding music and imaging capabilities.” said Ron Garriques, president of Motorola Mobile Devices. “The handset has an eye-catching mirror-reflective finish with feature rich functionality to deliver an entertaining mobile experience that matches today’s digital lifestyle.”

The next is the Motorola RIZR Z8is the all newly designed RIZR thats powered by Symbian UIQ and comes packed with Quadband GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, 2 megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth and microSD memory card slot.

“MOTORIZR Z8 is yet another example of how Motorola is redefining the mobile experience for consumers,” said Ron Garriques, president of Motorola Mobile Devices. “By introducing, for the first time ever, true high-definition mobile multimedia, and once more reinventing the form factor, we are delivering on our ‘no compromises’ approach to leading this industry by uniting cool design and cool experiences.”

Second last is the Motorola KRZR K3, the next addition to the KRZR series which just upgrades the KRZR K1 with HSDPA and adds a camera for video calls. Last we have the Motorola W510 which comes in a KRZR-like design and comes with Quadband GSM, EDGE, microSD memory card slot, 1.3 megapixel camera and stereo Bluetooth.
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MotoRIZR Z8

Motorola has re-entered the Symbian/UIQ arena with the MotoRIZR Z8 launch that runs on UIQ 3. Touted to be the first ever "kick slider" handset from Motorola, the Z8 boasts a graceful mechanism that glides open in a curve which matches the natural contour of your face for a more comfortable conversation. The Motorola Z8 features a 2 megapixel camera, tie-ins with mobile data-based TV, HSDPA connectivity, a superb 16 million color QVGA display, 90MB of internal memory, and a microSD memory card slot. Will cellphones be taking a curved approach from now on, like how Nokia's banana handset made a splash on the global stage when Neo in The Matrix endorsed it?


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Gadgets caught in daylight-saving switch

Daylight-saving time is arriving three weeks earlier this year, thanks to a new federal law aimed at decreasing energy use. Unfortunately, some of the gadgets consumers depend on will need help catching up to the time change.
Smart phones aren't smart enough on their own to know that DST begins on Sunday, March 11 this year instead of the first Sunday in April as in years past. It also ends a week later than before, so this year, clocks fall back on Sunday, November 4.
The BlackBerry 8800 from Research In Motion, which debuted this week at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, requires owners to download a software update that will tell phone the correct moment to switch into DST mode.
RIM has a special section on the BlackBerry Web site with instructions for how to install the software patch. Get the update here. -http://www.blackberry.com/select/dst2007/
The move could impact time-sensitive applications other than calendaring, such as those that process sales orders or keep track of time cards. Gartner, for example, says the bug could lead to incorrect arrival and departure times in the travel industry and result in errors in bank transactions, causing late payments. In addition, trading applications might execute purchases and sales at the wrong time, and cell phone-billing software could charge peak rates at off-peak hours.
On top of that, the effect is expected to be felt around the world: Canada and Bermuda are conforming to the U.S.-mandated change, and time zone shifts have happened in other locales as well.

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