LG and Intel announced that they are partnering to produce MIDs (mobile internet devices) based on Intel’s Moorestown hardware platform and Moblin OS. LG hopes to release internet devices with low power consumption. They are also tapping Ericsson to provide 3G capabilities for the devices.

For those of you who are unfamiliar to these. Mooreswtown is a SOC (system on a chip) that integrates the Intel Atom processor, graphics, memory controller into one package. Moblin is a Linux-based operating system that Intel developed in-house.

We’ve talked about Moorestown and Moblin before. This MID platform is the logical next step. We’ve also seen other mobile computing platforms but none those caught on. Will this suffer a similar fate? What do you guys think?

Here’s the full release:

LG Electronics, Intel Collaborate on Future Mobile Internet Device

Seoul (Korea Newswire) February 16, 2009 02:08 PM — LG Electronics (LG) and Intel Corporation today announced collaboration around mobile Internet devices (MIDs) based on Intel’s next-generation MID hardware platform, codenamed “Moorestown,” and Linux-based Moblin v2.0 software platform. The LG device is expected to be one of the first Moorestown designs to market.   LG and Intel’s common goal is to unleash rich Internet experiences across a range of mobile devices while delivering the functionality of today’s high-end smartphones. The collaboration on the new design extends a close working relationship the two companies have enjoyed across their respective mobile product lines, which now spans the notebook, netbook and MID categories.  “The MID segment will drive growth at LG Electronics. We chose Intel’s next-generation Moorestown platform and Moblin-based OS to pursue this segment because of the high performance and Internet compatibility this brings to our service provider customers,” said Jung Jun Lee, executive vice president of LG Electronics and head of its Mobile Communications Business Division. “The collaboration with Intel on the MID platform has been valuable and further extends our longstanding relationship. Our efforts are well on track and we look forward to bringing the MID to market.”  LG launched a netbook, based on the Intel® Atom™ processor, in the fourth quarter of 2008, and has been supplying the mobile companion device to carriers and retailers worldwide. LG also continues to ship notebooks based on the Intel® Core™ processor.  MIDs represent an emerging growth category in the industry and are designed to bring a rich, interactive, PC-like Internet experience in pocketable devices. The experience on a MID will help usher in the many new Internet trends performed predominantly on a PC to mobile devices.  “Moorestown” is the codename for Intel’s second-generation MID platform, which consists of a System on Chip (codenamed “Lincroft”) that integrates a 45nm Intel® Atom™ processor core, graphics, video and memory controller. The platform also includes an input/output (I/O) hub, codenamed “Langwell,” that includes a range of I/O blocks and supports wireless solutions.  Intel’s “Moorestown”-based MIDs are expected to reduce idle power consumption by a factor of greater than 10 versus today’s Intel Atom processor-based MIDs. Additionally, the Moorestown platform will be accompanied by a newer Moblin software version, Moblin v2.0, that is based on the Linux operating system. This software is designed specifically to deliver a great PC-like Internet experience while also supporting cell phone voice capabilities. The “Moorestown” platform is expected to come to market by 2010.  “LG Electronics makes some of the most innovative computers and smart phones in the world, and is known to be a leading-edge player in every market segment they serve,” said Anand Chandrasekher, Intel Corporation senior vice president and general manager of the company’s Ultra Mobility Group. “We look forward to providing them some fantastic Intel products that will deliver the best Internet experience while dramatically reducing power –contributing to the development of ultra sleek devices that offer superb battery life.”  In order to offer a variety of network connections and Internet access, LG is also working with Ericsson to bring 3G network capability to its planned MID. This is an extension of the existing collaboration between the companies. LG has been supplying notebooks and netbooks with mobile broadband modules from Ericsson since the third quarter of 2008.  “We are glad that LG Electronics has chosen Ericsson to provide 3G capabilities in its Intel-based MID. We are working with LG and Intel to deliver industry-leading 3G capabilities on the Moorestown MID,” said Mats Norin, vice president and head of Ericsson Mobile Broadband Modules. “Ericsson’s unparalleled relationships with global service providers will be instrumental as we define plans with LG to take this MID to market across multiple geographies around the world.”  # # #  About LG Electronics, Inc.  LG Electronics, Inc. (KSE: 066570.KS) is a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, home appliances and mobile communications, employing more than 82,000 people working in 114 operations including 82 subsidiaries around the world. With 2008 global sales of USD 44.7 billion, LG is comprised of five business units – Home Entertainment, Home Appliance, Air Conditioning, Business Solutions and Mobile Communications. LG is the world’s leading producer of mobile handsets, flat panel TVs, air conditioners, front-loading washing machines, optical storage products, DVD players and home theater systems. For more information, please visit www.lge.com.  LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company (LG) is a leading global mobile communication and information company. LG creates handsets that provide an optimized mobile experience to customers around the world with its cutting-edge technology and innovative handset design capabilities. Increasingly, LG is pursuing convergence technology and mobile computing products. LG will continue to take leadership in the mobile communication environment with stylish designs and smart technology.  About Intel  Intel [NASDAQ: INTC], the world leader in silicon innovation, develops technologies, products and initiatives to continually advance how people work and live. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom and blogs.intel.com.

 

News Source: LG Electronics

When it’s closed, it looks like a regular Walkman music player and music controls appear under the display screen. When you slide it open, an alphanumeric keypad is revealed to give you normal cell phone capabilities. There is no information yet on whether the phone will be available in other countries.

Ericsson has big plans for cell phones – big plans. Ultimately by the 2012, the company sees 100+ Mbps connection with 12-20MP cameras as you can see by the chart above. Plus, your lowly phone will be able to record HD video and sport a 1GHz CPU. So in less than four years all this is suppose to happen, Ericsson? M’kay. The megapixal camera is within reason, and even the HD video part doesn’t seem that wacky within four years, but while Euro snobs and Japanese tech geeks might see the fast data speeds, chances are we here in the States will not see those quick speeds before flying cars.

We kind of knew these two Sony Ericsson products were dropping today, and so, here are the Sony W705 Walkman phone and MBS-900 Bluetooth speaker. The quad-band W705 seems like an upgraded G705 with WiFi, YouTube access, 3.2 MP camera, and a FM radio with TrackID built-in. Plus, it has a large 2.4-inch screen along with an accelerometer for Shake Control. The whole thing is made out of a metal finish that should help this slider stand out.

The MBS-900 Bluetooth speaker system is meant to play nicely with the W705 but it should work with any ‘ol Bluetooth phone. You can control the volume, along with playback selection, from the phone itself and if a call comes in, the speaker will mute. No word on pricing for either units, but they should launch in the first part of ‘09 in select markets.

And he’s right.

Laptops are outselling desktops at a decent clip, and handsets are getting more and more powerful, with bigger, higher-resolution screens. The combination means we’re more mobile than ever, and that requires connectivity. Unless some big providers really step up their implementations, Wi-Fi will indeed go the way of the landline phone: It’ll never go away completely, but it won’t be our primary communications channel.

Ericsson predicts demise of hotspots [Infoworld]

Sony Ericsson has just released two new phones which we will NEVER see in the U.S. The w960 (pictured right) comes packed with powerful features such as WiFi, a 240×320 touch screen for browsing media, 3.2 megapixel camera, and 8GB of storage.

The red w910 features a cool playback mode in which it plays music based on your mood. This feature will obviously be of no use to those in the emo crowd. One of the more useless features however, is being able to shake the phone to access the music store. A cool feature if you like pulling your phone out of a bag and having a few new Avril Lavigne albums.

Press release [SonyEricsson]

After covering Motorola’s multi-layer LCD solar display, Ericsson’s recently issued patent adds a feature in yet another direction: a multiple layered display. Ericsson has thought up a number of applications to fit more onto that tiny screen by layering the information.

Apple may be the company to do something like this justice, and after the jump you’ll see just how much work has already been done.

Ericsson’s technology builds upon the Asulab’s invention of multiple displays where one is superimposed on another, blocking vision of the second display.

Ericsson’s concept envisions using this technology as a way to ensure content or messages are being shown to the right user as a primary benefit. Ericsson’s dynamic touchscreen with user touchscreen adjustments for parallax error. Specifically, IBM’s inventors described:

An initial button or series of buttons of the application that the user is using is configured to sense the location where the user is touching. These initial button(s) are called adjusting buttons. The button sensing regions for the remaining buttons (non-adjusting buttons) are calibrated from these initial touched locations.

While a second or multiple layered displays to execute this kind of concept may not be necessary, the idea that doing more on a little PDA/cell phone screen may just be reaching a tipping point.

http://crunchgear.com/2007/03/28/patent-monkey-the-wireless-printer-pen/

This week, Ericsson received a wireless printer-pen patent that can transfer hand writing to electronic text to send emails and receives content and can print it to special paper taking into account the position of the pen on the paper.

With all this typing, is there still room for writing instrument innovation? After a few seconds of thinking, our answer is yes.

The Printer Pen
Ericsson’s new patent highlights the ability to write an email out on paper, and then transfer it to electronic text to send it. Moreover, the invention envisions also having a printing capability that relies on the position of the pen and the image to be output. This concept builds on a lot of prior inventions (list of related technologies).

The Digital Recording Pen
Logitech io2 is a pen and data capture device that Mi-Corporation has designed data capture software for. The ability to search for handwritten stuff is cool. People write stuff, even folks with BlackBerries, using a pen and making notes digital is a nice add. Losing a pen that costs $150, not so good.

The Digitally Controlled Ink Pen
Silverbrook Research has developed a number of ink technologies including a recently issued one that allows for electronic control of the pen’s writing abilities, such as turning on or off the ink when not in use or a different design to the path. Silverbrook has done quite a bit of work in the multi-ink, printer-style pen field worth flipping through as the idea of fusing inks in a pen like a printer is the makings for the ultimate 4-ink click pen. (List of Silverbrook Pen Patents)

The Digital Whiteboard

Mimio cracked this one about 10 years ago, but the market acceptance still is quite shallow (List of Mimio patents). Turning a white board into a digital display device plain makes sense if you do any of that office presentation and collaboration sort of stuff. Capturing notes from a meeting is a pain, and the reality is most notes from meetings are for archive and not for much else. Even cooler is what the folks at MIT did with this kind of technology: