Since we posted very quickly on the two biggest stories of the show, the Xperia and Android hands ons, you'd figure we were organized. No. We booked hotels late, and apparently, Barcelona doesn't have too many of these accommodations relative to the size of Mobile World Congress. Rooms were going for 1000 Euros by the time we went hunting, so we ended up with a room in a place about 45 minutes outside of the city. At least in theory.

Our cabbie just wouldn't shut up. Later, Jesús told me he wouldn't stop bitching about his wife divorcing him. But while we were driving, all I could notice was that he was talking a lot more than he should have been, especially venturing outside of the city without a GPS or map. He overshot our exit by 30 minutes. And because it was getting late and he was sleepy, he insisted on turning the A/C off. It was freezing, and winding through the mountain roads, in the fog, exhausted and cold, I got motion sick or food poisoning set in. I puked a river at some random junction.

When we got to the hotel, turns out it was a quaint little monastery. To my American eyes, used to strip malls and 100 year buildings at the oldest, the place just looked incredibly similar to the scenery in Resident Evil 4. (The best zombie games of all time. Fact.)

At this point, I was so sick and exhausted that I swore I kept seeing things moving in the dark corner of the room and got an hour of sleep. It sucked.

In other news, Nigel from Red Ferret hit 10k posts. And Adam Frucci is Geek Sugar's "Geek we love". Fine achievements on both their parts.

See you Stateside, hopefully with some Airtight package of Spanish Ham smuggled into my suitcase. Shhh!

That second chocopad screen sits just below the upper 2-inch LCD. The KF600 uses it to contextualize menus, just like the Samsung Soul and its OLED soulpad. Unlike the Soul, this phone sucks. Don't be distracted by the eye candy in the video, but note how ineffective Jesús's presses are.

*Cellmakers have told me that marketing directly equals sales for handsets, and carriers choose phones partially on ad budgets.

P.S. Don't confuse this phone with the KT610, a symbian powered phone we saw at this same show.

Seoul, Feb 11 (Korea Newswire)— LG Electronics, a worldwide technology and design leader in mobile communications, today announced the European launch of its 2008 iF product design award winning LG KF600, a new mobile phone that is as feature rich and easy to use as it is stylish, thanks to its unique InteractPad¢â.

The InteractPad¢â replaces physical navigation keys with context-specific virtual keys that change to fit the task at hand. This new interface comes in response to the need for a simple way to navigate through the multitudinous features on today¡¯s mobile phones.

The LG KF600¡¯s InteractPad¢â and its virtual menu keys show the exact keys a user needs to complete the task at hand eliminating distractions. This is far more flexible than standard hardware keys and eliminates the need to memorize exactly which key performs what function. These virtual keys are also larger and better spaced than physical keys, improving accuracy.

The InteractPad¢â is an ideal interface for controlling multimedia features like the LG KF600¡¯s digital audio player, camera and video camera. Because its controls are not tied to physical buttons, each of these functions has a custom interface that makes it incredibly intuitive to use.

To make it easier to use, the InteractPad¢â is equipped with multi-sensorial feedback that provides users with audio, visual and tactile cues. When a virtual button is pressed it becomes larger and the phone vibrates just slightly and makes a clicking sound. This feedback is not only designed to make these virtual buttons seem more like real ones, it also makes the phone more comfortable to use and improves accuracy.

gives the phone a different character that can act as an extension of its owner¡¯s personality. These themes, many of which were inspired by the work of famed artist Keith Haring, affect all aspects of the LG KF600¡¯s interface including the InteractPad¢â. When users choose a theme, all the layouts of each application will be reflected in menu, icons as well as wallpaper under the integrated theme.

The LG KF600 is far more advanced than other slide phones and unlike any other phone available because of its unique interface and feed-forward tactile navigation made possible by the InteractPad¢â.

Dr. Skott Ahn, CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company said, ¡°The LG KF600 and the InteractPad¢â reflect LG¡¯s commitment to making its handsets easier to use through improved user interface technology. Usability is truly at the centre of this handset¡¯s design and it represents LG¡¯s latest achievement in making phones that connect with their users. This handset offers a mere glimpse into a newly emerging trend in the mobile market. LG is researching and developing new ways to improve usability and will continue focus on features that add practical benefits for users.¡±

The LG KF600¡¯s powerful multimedia features include a 3 mega-pixel camera, MP3 player, video recording, FM radio, Bluetooth and more. Its ergonomic trapezoidal shape is the ideal complement to the phone¡¯s sleek, glossy finish.

The LG KF600 will be available for purchase starting from January and will be introduced at World Mobile Congress 2008 in Barcelona, Spain in February.

1) Main Features
¡ÜInteractPad¢â Unique interactive touch-based virtual navigation keypad that interacts with upper display and with the user
¡ÜDynamic graphic interface themes Eight integrated graphic themes that are reflected in all menu, icons, wallpaper and other comprehensive interface features
¡ÜMultimedia Features Music player with FM Radio, 3 Mega pixel camera & camcorder, and touch-control games

2) Basic Specifications

RF band: EDGE 900/ 1800/ 1900
Dimensions: 101.2mm (L) x 50.7mm (W) x 14.1mm (D)
Upper display: 320 x 240 pixels, 2.00¡È, 262K color TFT
Lower pad (InteractPad¢â): 240 x 176 pixels, 1.5¡È, 262K color TFT
Weight: 107g
Standard battery: Li-Ion 800 mAh
Standby Time, Max (hrs): 300 hrs
Talk Time (hrs): 3 hrs
Color choices: Pastel pink, shiny pink, wine red and titan

Media Contact : LG Electronics Global PR, Corporate Communications
media contact: Judy Pae at lgpr@lge.com, phone: 82-2-3777-7144

Seoul, Feb 11 (Korea Newswire)— LG Electronics, a worldwide technology and design leader in mobile communications, today announced the launch of its LG-KF700, a new multimedia phone that combines three input methods to create an amazingly intuitive user interface and provides instant access to features.

The world¡¯s first phone with three separate input methods, the LG-KF700 integrates a 3-inch touchscreen, alpha-numeric keypad and Shortcut Dial. Each of these input methods is assigned to the tasks at which it is most efficient, making LG¡¯s highly intuitive interface possible. With its user-optimized navigation, all of the phone¡¯s functions and features are instantly accessible.

¡°Our consumers told us that they wanted a phone that had plenty of multimedia features, but doesn¡¯t take a long time fiddling with menus to figure out. We created the LG-KF700 based their insight,¡± said Dr. Skott Ahn, CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. ¡°Internal research showed that a phone¡¯s multimedia features often lay dormant if they are hard to access. On many phones these features are hidden deep in menus, requiring too much time and effort to find them. The LG-KF700 eliminates these endless menus with its intuitive interface and multiple input methods.¡±

LG has already established itself as a leader in phones with touch technology, and the LG-KF700¡¯s 3-inch full touchscreen provides easy access to features and its wide aspect ratio makes it perfect for watching movies or browsing the internet. From the phone¡¯s main screen users can flip through several handy widgets, including a calendar, scheduler, and memo pad, with the swipe of a finger. The large touchscreen also means that the phone can provide an adaptable on-screen interface, rather than tying users to a fixed, preset button layout.

The Shortcut Dial on the back of the phone quickly scrolls through six user-selected features by controlling a virtual dial on screen, rather than wasting time digging through menus. This can be done at any time, from any application, not just when the phone is idle. The Shortcut Dial can also be used to scroll through web pages or e-mails, adjust volume and perform other functions for which a wheel is naturally best.

Most of the new touchscreen phones currently available eliminate some formerly universal features like the alpha-numeric keypad. LG consumers said that consumers still wanted this particular feature, not only for its familiarity, but also because it simplifies the process of making phone calls and is excellent for typing text messages. For this reason, LG incorporated a slide-down alpha-numeric keypad into the LG-KF700.

Used together, the LG-KF700¡¯s input methods become even more powerful and efficient. When browsing the internet on the wide touchscreen, the shortcut dial zooms in and out on websites. When sending text messages, the alpha-numeric keypad provides all of the letters, while frequently used symbols are readily available on the touchscreen. These symbols change based on users text messaging habits.

One of the LG-KF700¡¯s powerful multimedia features is a full featured Web browser that provides full access to Google Search, Blogs, Gmail, Maps and Youtube. Support for HSDPA 3G networks* makes web browsing extremely fast and makes other features like video telephony possible. Other features include an MP3 player, MPEG4 video player, 3.0 megapixel camera, Bluetooth connectivity and more. All of these multimedia features are packed into a slim and stylish package with a clean, minimalist look.

LG will introduce the LG-KF700 at the GSMA Mobile World Congress 2008 on February 11 in Barcelona, Spain during its press conference. The phone will be available in Europe in mid March and will become available in other markets in the months following.

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The phone has a slightly smaller 2.8 screen at 240 x 320, it has quad band, 3G (but not the US flavors), haptic feedback on the touchscreen and a 5MP camera. It also has a limited set of widgets for the front page, including a birthday reminder, world times and that's pretty much it. (It's not open source, so you can't add to it, or write your own, either.) The phone's touchscreen supports swipes through menus, but in the opposite fashion you're used to on the iPhone. (Swiping down moves the cursor down, not up, as you can see in the video.)

Note: The back of the phone has a new designer texture that we like a lot more than the now generic velvechron grip coating you see on a lot of handsets. We didn't get to play N-Gage on this phone to test out the gaming-specific button backlights (another upgrade from the N95) but we'll have some video of that next. I would not recommend it as an upgrade for existing N95 owners, but those interested should be reminded that the DVB and the non-US frequency 3G won't help you much.

Android is Dead

In the media player, you get FF/RW and play/pause controls; in the calculator, you get plus, minus, subtract and divide buttons. The soul patch (my name) even vibrates when you click it, thanks to the same Immersion tech found in Playstation and Wii rumble controllers. Congrats to Samsung in making a touch UI that overcomes some of the shortcomings of touchscreen controls in a nice looking package.

The working prototype here is very rough. It's missing animations between picture swipes and lacks truly natural menu swiping. It also doesn't support multitouch here, but that's a matter of hardware—and this is early software, so we should be not too harsh on Symbian for updating their great OS to keep up with the Joneses. But we can conclude one thing from this demo: Despite doing a good job of building a touch UI on S60 without alienating current users, Symbian is far behind Apple in UI development, by months, if not years.

An ugly giganfatastic beast made of multiple boards right out of a Terry Gilliam movie set. It was faster and had wireless connectivity, something that the ARM model didn't had enabled. And obviously, it was untouchable and development oriented.

As you can see, while the Android platform is solid enough for development and testing, it seems we are far away from seeing actual products getting into the market. ARM told us that everything is still pretty much up in the air at this point, and the actual physical cellphone specification is still coming from the Open Handset Alliance.

We will update this post with more Android prototypes hands-on and impressions.

Nokia N96: The one to watch Most advanced multimedia computer optimized for entertainment Mobile World Congress 2008, Barcelona, Spain/Espoo, Finland - Nokia today unveiled the Nokia N96, a multimedia computer truly optimized for video and TV. With a large 2.8" screen, 16 gigabytes of internal memory and support for high-quality videos in a wide range of formats, the dual-slide Nokia N96 represents an exciting new chapter in mobile media. The Nokia N96 multimedia computer is expected to begin shipping in the third quarter of 2008 with an estimated sales price of approximately 550 euros, before subsidies or taxes. "In 2007, the Nokia N95 became an icon of convergence of Internet and mobility. With over 7 million units sold to date, the N95 has changed the way people use their mobile device. The Nokia N96 we introduced today builds on the success of N95, further enhancing the experience," says Jonas Geust, who oversees Nokia's Explore category. "Through the power of the Internet, video and TV are becoming even more prevalent in people's lives. With its large, bright screen, and a range of high-speed connectivity options and the enhanced Nokia Video Center, the new Nokia N96 is a personal window to entertainment." Accessing internet videos is quick and simple. The Nokia N96 supports common video formats including MPEG-4, Windows Media Video and Flash Video, making favorite videos easy to view. Transferring and accessing videos is even faster with the high-speed USB 2.0 connection and WLAN and HSDPA support. In select markets, the integrated DVB-H receiver offers live broadcast TV with an automatically updating program guide. The massive memory can store up to 40 hours of video content. The storage capacity of the Nokia N96 can even be further expanded with an optional microSD card, such as the new Nokia 8GB microSDHC Card MU-43 which increases the available memory of the Nokia N96 to a total of 24 GB. For added convenience, the Nokia N96 features a 'kickstand' on the back cover that allows for hands-free viewing. The Nokia Video Center offers one place to discover and access a variety of mobile content ranging from movie trailers and comedy to news from world-leading content brands such as YouTube, Reuters, and Sony Pictures. The catalogue of internet video feeds is continually expanded with more regional and country specific content. For a superb music experience, the Nokia N96 features media keys, a 3.5 mm headphone connector and built-in 3D stereo speakers. The Nokia Maps application offers richer maps with urban details and satellite views and has upgrade options such as City Guides, turn-by-turn pedestrian mode and voice-guided car navigation. The Nokia N96 boasts a 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, flash and video light. It allows DVD-like quality video capture at 30 frames per second. Further, with the integrated A-GPS, consumers can now 'geotag' their pictures with location data and share them with their online communities. The Nokia N96 naturally supports the Ovi family of Nokia internet services, including maps, music, media sharing and more. Nokia Nseries is a range of high performance multimedia computers that delivers unparalleled mobile multimedia experiences by combining the latest technologies with stylish design and ease of use. With Nokia Nseries products, consumers can use a single device to enjoy entertainment, access information and to capture and share pictures and videos, on the go at any time. www.nseries.com

Staying connected: compact Nokia N78 puts online communities in the palm of the hand Fully-featured multimedia computer optimized for sharing music, images and 'new discoveries' Mobile World Congress 2008, Barcelona, Spain/Espoo, Finland - Nokia today introduced the Nokia N78, a multimedia computer that combines music, navigation and photography with the benefits of mobility. The Nokia N78 is designed to take advantage of the new suite of Nokia services, including the Nokia Music Store, Nokia Maps, and Share on Ovi - a new online service that enables consumers to share their personal media. The Nokia N78 is expected to start shipping during the second quarter of 2008, with an estimated retail price of approximately 350 euros, before taxes. The Nokia N78 packs a powerful range of technologies, including integrated A-GPS, with free Nokia Maps, WLAN and high-speed HSPDA 3G connectivity, a 3.2 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, and support for microSD memory card, currently available at up to 8 GB, to store favourite music and media. The novelties of the N78 are geotagging of photos and an integrated FM transmitter that allows music to be played on any FM radio, in a car or at home. "The Nokia N78 truly lives up to the Nseries promise of delivering unparalleled mobile multimedia experiences with the very latest technologies and services," says Jonas Geust, who oversees Nokia's Nseries devices. "The Nokia N78 empowers people to explore their passions, enjoy their favourite music and share their experiences with others and is set to continue the range of well-balanced Nseries devices such as the successful Nokia N73." Search, snap, tag and share Taking advantage of its integrated A-GPS functionality and 3.2 megapixel camera, the Nokia N78 introduces the increasingly popular online practice of geotagging' to a Nokia device. The Nokia N78 automatically tags images with capture location metadata, making it possible to view the capture location on a map either on the device itself, or online. With its high-speed internet connectivity, over WLAN or HSDPA, uploading photos and videos to online communities like Share on Ovi, Flickr or YouTube is a single key stroke away. Music remains a core feature of the Nokia N78 and Nokia's range of Nseries multimedia computers. In addition to the up to 8GB of memory, internal speakers and support for standard 3.5mm headphones, the N78 also comes with Nokia Internet Radio, giving instant access to thousands of radio stations around the world.

Stay on the map with the Nokia 6210 Navigator

New converged device with integrated compass offers easy navigation for drivers and pedestrians

Nokia today introduced the new Nokia 6210 Navigator, the company's first GPS-enabled mobile device with an integrated compass for pedestrian guidance. The Nokia 6210 Navigator comes with Nokia Maps 2.0, also announced today, and includes full voice and visual turn by turn guidance at no extra cost. The Nokia 6210 Navigator is estimated to start shipping in the third quarter of 2008 in select markets with an estimated retail price of EUR 300, before taxes and subsidies.

Combined with an 'accelerometer' which measures changes in direction and orientation, the built-in compass makes it easy to follow the map when strolling about on foot. When turning the device, the map automatically maintains its orientation. The integrated Nokia Maps 2.0 application will plot the quickest route to the desired destination and illustrate it on the map. Thanks to high-speed 3.5G connectivity, detailed information about each point of interest, like the phone number or web address is a click away.

"The personal navigation market is expanding rapidly and mobile phone navigation is its fastest growing area. According to recent market research by Canalys, over 60% of mobile phone users are keen to have navigation on their phones," says Markku Suomi, the head of Nokia's Connect device category. "The Nokia 6210 Navigator offers the next generation in mobile navigation to a broad consumer base. Mobile phone users around the world will be able to enjoy the benefits of navigation with a device that not only navigates, but also communicates."

Car navigation is also simple with the pre-installed one-touch navigation, full voice guidance and self-mount car kit of the Nokia 6210 Navigator. If the user makes a wrong turn, the device will automatically calculate a new route.

The Nokia 6210 Navigator supports assisted GPS (A-GPS), which enables the GPS receiver to acquire the satellites in just seconds. The device is ready for use out of the box, even without a SIM-card. Local maps are pre-loaded on the 1GB memory card of the Nokia 6210 Navigator and map updates are included in the sales price. For an additional fee, users can purchase multimedia city guides from premium content providers via Nokia Maps application and download additional map areas for free via Nokia Map Loader at maps.nokia.com.

Browsing the Internet and using instant messaging, email and widgets is fast with the high speed 3.5G HSDPA technology on the Nokia 6210 Navigator. The device also features a 3.2 megapixel camera, MP3 player and stereo FM radio. The Nokia 6210 Navigator is based on S60 software, allowing users to download and use thousands of new applications in addition to the ones already found on the device.

Nokia 6220 classic: redefining the definition of 'share' Converged device offers excellent imaging capabilities, navigation and advanced sharing features At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Nokia introduced the Nokia 6220 classic, a full-featured device that combines a 5 megapixel camera with A-GPS functionality to give new meaning to the phrase "to share". High quality images and videos can be snapped, tagged, edited and shared online, phone-to-phone or even viewed on a television. The Nokia 6220 classic is expected to start shipping in the 3rd quarter of 2008 in selected markets with an estimated retail price of 325 euros, before taxes and subsidies. The highlight of the Nokia 6220 classic is its 5 megapixel camera with Xenon flash and Carl Zeiss optics - on par with many single purpose digital cameras on the market today. With its high-speed HSDPA connection updating blogs or uploading photos and videos to favorite sharing sites like Share on Ovi or Flickr can be done right from the Nokia 6220 classic. A-GPS functionality allows photos to be 'geotagged' - making them easier to search and share. Images can also be viewed on a television screen with the integrated TV-out feature, sent from phone to phone via wireless Bluetooth connection, or viewed in full color on the phone's large 2.2 inch display. "The Nokia 6220 classic will help web 2.0 novices and experienced bloggers snap, save and share pictures and videos easily. Saving, tagging and uploading pictures can now be done on the phone, seconds after the picture has been taken," says John Barry, Director, Connect devices, Nokia. "The Nokia 6220 classic, with its 5 megapixel camera, auto focus and xenon flash is a credible and reasonably priced alternative to single- purpose digital cameras and has the added benefit of A-GPS for location tagging, Nokia Maps and possibility to upgrade to full navigation." The Nokia 6220 classic comes loaded with the new Nokia Maps 2.0 application which helps consumers find the best routes or explore any city for new restaurants, hotels, tourist attractions and other points of interest. The pre-loaded WidSets service brings web content directly to the device via mini-applications called widgets, providing quick and easy access to news updates, games and web communities. As a full- featured converged device, the Nokia 6220 classic also includes internet browser, email, music player, FM radio with RDS and up to 8 GB of memory. In addition to its imaging capabilities, the Nokia 6220 classic enables Adaptive Multi Rate - Wideband speech coding technology, giving a more natural sound to human voice in phone calls. It helps when having a conversation in a noisy environment such as in traffic or public place.