N-Gage handhelds production stops as Nokia plans to focus on other mobile entertainment mediums.

Nokia's VP of corporate strategy, Antii Vasara, has confirmed that there are no plans to develop future versions of the N-Gage. In an interview, the Vice-President admitted that the N-Gage did not achieve the projected targets. "N-Gage is still being sold but it was not a success in the sense of developing a new category." He said, "We learnt that people want to play games on all devices. As such we are integrating the gaming software into Series 60 phones."

The company now plans to Focus on mobile TV and music with the N91 Handset, a smartphone that can hold upto 3000 music tracks.

The company still has plans for gaming though. According to Vasara, Nokia will emphasize even more on mobile gaming in 2007, a time by which the mobile technology will allow for better games.

Support for the existing N-Gage and N-Gage QD handsets continues, despite the fact that there are no plans to introduce further iterations in the series.

A good handset down the drain...

Google tests click-to-call

Google is testing a service to get advertisers and consumers talking on the phone. The system works by putting a phone icon next to some search results. Clicking on the graphic lets you enter your phone number - Google will then connect you, for free, to the advertiser.

Your phone will ring and when you pick it up you will hear it ringing at the advertiser's office. The advertiser won't get your phone number - Google keeps that encrypted. Bearing in mind how hard some companies make it to find a phone number or other contact details on their websites this might just work.

It will also benefit companies with little or no web presence - they still get to give Google their marketing money.

Nice going Google! Good market to keep Microsoft's and Yahoo's feet on fire.

It looks like crap. But at least it’s free.

After 6 years of planning, Asiatotal - a Hong Kong-based organization - has finally launched the iT project. The purpose of this project is to provide low-end personal computers, free of charge, to small businesses or low-income families.

The computer comes with:

• Keyboard
• Mouse
• 7-inch LCD monitor with speaker
• Smart card reader
• Microsoft Windows CE as its OS

As you can see, the iT is not your typical computer. It is made with the computer-illiterates in mind. It does not allow the users to install softwares without certification, thus reducing its risk of virus infection. But surprisingly, the iT can do quite a bunch of stuffs:

• Surf the internet with Microsoft Internet Explorer
• Connect remotely with Remote Desktop Protocol
• Setup dial-up networking
• Normal word processing with WordPad
• Viewer for viewing documents such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, and photos
• Plays MIDI, WAVE, AIFF, WMA, AU, SND, MPEG-1, WMV, and MP3

And what makes the iT free, are the 14 dedicated keys on the keyboard. Each key, when pressed, will bring the user to individual sponsors’ website.

Last month, Asiatotal announced plans to ship 200,000 iTs to Brazil over the coming months. And at this moment, Asiatotal is still seeking sponsors to fund distributions in India, China, and Russia.

Source: http://www.hiptechblog.com/category/computer-technology/

Looks like a lot of people are trying to make the world a more connected place to live in. A sponsered PC - i like the sound of it. And why the hell should Brazil get the first 200000? there are poorer countries in Africa who'd do better with one PC per community than one in every home. And who the hell is providing internet connectivity? Telecom companies? Come over to villages in India and see how well its working. Take this example; a telecom giant in India decided to put up electronic billboards in all villages that would display SMS messages useful to the farming community - u know, like weather forecasts, current market prices, etc. . And guess what, the system worked well for a month probably and then went fizz... Reason: POWER. Where in the world does a village in a developing country have steady power? Alternative: Solar power - but who the hell will maintain it? I guess they need to work on in a little longer...