Vodafone HTC Magic Smartphone

The stylish new handset is exclusive to Vodafone in the UK, Spain, Germany and France (SFR) and available on a non-exclusive basis in Italy. The introduction of the HTC Magic is the result of a successful relationship between Vodafone and HTC, and Vodafone’s joining, late last year, of the Open Handset Alliance.

A tablet-style device, with a sleek design and unprecedented compactness for a smartphone featuring the Android platform, the HTC Magic enables a superior mobile internet experience, providing broad flexibility for personalisation via the application-rich Android Market. Available in white in the UK, Spain and France, black in Germany and in both colours in Italy, the HTC Magic will be for sale in several other Vodafone markets over the next few months.

"The announcement of the HTC Magic is an important step for Android and the Open Handset Alliance," says Andy Rubin, Senior Director of Mobile Platforms at Google. "With it, Vodafone is opening up the mobile web for consumers across Europe and giving more third-party developers a platform on which they can build the next wave of killer applications."

Available from free on various price plans, the HTC Magic has a 3.2” QVGA touch screen display and features a trackball and navigational buttons for quick, easy access. The HTC Magic includes a variety of email options such as Google Mail™, POP3 and IMAP as well as Google Talk™ for instant messaging. The HTC Magic has a variety of powerful mobile internet capabilities beginning with an Android-optimised Webkit browser. It also features the popular Google™ applications, Google Maps™ and Google Search™ as well as favourites like YouTube™. In addition, Android Market allows for quick and easy downloading of games and applications utilising Vodafone’s fast and reliable network.

Android, Android Market, YouTube, Google, Google Search, Google Maps, and Gmail are trademarks of Google Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the companies with which they are associated.

Pictures © Vodafone 2009 - All rights reserved - www.htc.com

Zoom OMAP34x-II MDP Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) today unveiled an enhanced version of its OMAP™ 3 processor-based development platform — the Zoom™ OMAP34x-II Mobile Development Platform (MDP), which is designed, developed, and manufactured by Logic. The new platform gives Smartphone and Mobile Internet Device (MID) application developers who are eager to create applications for leading mobile operating systems, such as the Android Mobile Platform, Linux, LiMo, Symbian OS™ and Microsoft® Windows® Mobile, a robust handheld form factor with the wireless connectivity technologies, enhanced imaging (8 mega pixel camera sensor), video, display technology, software, as well as an optional 3G modem and optional DLP Pico™ projection technology module that enables big picture experiences in the palm of your hand. The new platform will be demonstrated this week in TI's booth at Mobile World Congress, Hall 8, 8A84.

Out of the box features of the Zoom OMAP34x-II MDP

• 4.1" WVGA multi-touch display with a QWERTY keypad in a landscape, handheld form factor
• High performance OMAP3430 applications processor that supports up to 720p HD video encode/decode
• Support for popular leading mobile operating systems, including Android Mobile Platform, Linux, LiMo, Symbian OS and Microsoft® Windows® Mobile
• Wireless connectivity technology from TI, including WiLink™ 6.0 (WL1271), a single chip with Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth® and FM functionality; and NaviLink™ GPS functionality
• 8 megapixel camera sensor
• Optional 3G modem solution, as well as flexibility to support any third party modem through an extension card
• In the future, an optional DLP Pico projection module will be available, taking mobile content from "tiny screen" viewing to a shareable "big screen" format.

Benefits of developing on the Zoom OMAP34x-II MDP

• Affordable, fully featured development platform and debugging tools to get to market quickly on Android and other mobile operating systems
• Small, portable form factor that replicates a real-world mobile environment
• Fully integrated hardware and software, simplifying the development process and enabling fast time to market
• Ideal platform for mobile innovation and creating new user experiences, due to the powerful combination of a high-performance OMAP3430 processor, multi-touch display, rich peripheral set and new sensor technology

Pricing, availability, tools and support

• The Zoom OMAP34x-II MDP was designed, developed, and manufactured by Logic, a lifecycle management company with more than 10 years experience working with OMAP technology and developer and manufacturer of customized MDP platforms.
• The Zoom OMAP34x-II MDP is available with or without a 3G modem and is available for ordering today through Logic-authorized distributors. The optional DLP Pico projection module for the Zoom OMAP34x-II MDP is expected to be available in mid-2009.

Photo (c) Texas Instruments Inc. - All rights reserved - http://www.ti.com/ - OMAP is a trademark of Texas Instruments Inc. All other registered trademarks and trademarks belong to their respective owners.