2006 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) trade show today, but this UVIA M100 mobile infotainment device from Unwired Vehicles is one of the sweetest. The box uses EV-DO mobile broadband from Verizon or Sprint to deliver rear-seat passengers in your vehicle a selection of entertainment apps along with broadband Internet access so you can check your e-mail, IM, check your fantasy teams and stream music and video. And speaking of video, the company says it works with SlingMedia’s SlingBoxes, letting you control and watch your home TV in your ride. It’s an aftermarket install, but it’s modeled after other current entertainment systems.
The UVIA M100 utilizes vehicle optimized hardware with Unwired Vehicles’ own infotainment control software pre-installed. High quality displays are installed in either the headliner or seat headrests. A 3G wireless broadband antenna is mounted externally to increase reception quality and bandwidth throughput.
The UVIA M100 will be available in Arizona, California and Nevada in December 2006 and will be available nationally in early 2007 for $3,499. (Well, we didn’t say it was gonna be cheap.)
Unwired Vehicles UVIA M100 [press release]
Novatel Wireless Ovation U720 USB Broadband Doogle [Slashphone]
Sprint Launches Nation’s First EV-DO Revision A Mobile Broadband Network [Press Release]
, except that it’s closer in size to their candybar-style phones.</p>
<p>Indeed, next to the 4:3 screen (320 x 240?) on the face is a regular cellphone-style keypad, T9 and function buttons. Turn the unit sideways, however, and a Wizard-style keyboard slides out. While it offers full QWERTY, there are only three rows, so the space bar has been shifted to the right of the M key. It might take some getting used to, but it’s a novel approach to usability. No other specs are available now.</p>
<p>The phone, for CDMA networks (Spring and Verizon), also features EVDO Rev. A, which means it’s fast, data-wise. It should be available next year, and a GSM/UMTS version is sure to follow later.</p>
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HTC Libra To Support EVDO Rev. A [Phonescoop]
If you have an ExpressCard port in your laptop rather than the good old workhorse PC Card, you might be wondering if all the various hardware makers are going wake up and create cards for your early-adopting self. Now some have jumped into the fray, including Verizon Wireless, providing a Novatel V-640 ExpressCard for its EVDO connectivity, and the GearLive crew tested one for our reading pleasure.
The verdict? The reviewers dug the card in their MacBook Pro, lauding its easy setup and real-world download speed of 370kbps which increased to 448kbps as they got closer to downtown Seattle. While not at its theoretical maximum speed of 500kbps, it was still not bad considering that reception wasn’t perfect (no surprise when dealing with Verizon Wireless). Upload speed was somewhat slower at 114kkbps but still acceptable. Looks like quite a bargain at $99 with a two-year contract, but then there’s that $59.99 for unlimited broadband access that might be a bit of a burden. Even so, Gear Live laid a 9/10 rating on the Verizon V640. Looking good.
Verizon V640 EVDO ExpressCard Review: MacBook Pro [Gear Live]
