I was very impressed with the ASUS eee PC, which is a well designed and engineered product that delivers a lot at a modest cost. Forbes has a story, :Eee! A New Cellphone!, on ASUS’s plans to manufacture mobile smart phones. In fact, their latest phone, the P527, is already available for sale in the US (e.g., $590 at Amazon, unlocked).

“ASUS says the P527 has a raft of features, including a touch screen, wi-fi, a camera, Windows Mobile software and a number of practical-minded applications. To distinguish it from competitors like the Samsung BlackJack or Motorola (nyse: MOT - news - people ) Q, ASUS loaded the phone with GPS, an FM radio, a business-card scanning program and a “travel log” feature that lets users record their travels and peg photos to specific locations using Google Earth. Even more unique: a feature that acts as a remote control for PowerPoint presentations (via Bluetooth) and an “S.O.S.” service that can track a user’s location and send it, along with a text message, to up to five numbers. “We’re trying to get a unique edge by thinking what users would want on the road and how they could carry less gadgets,” says Huang.”

Reviews, such as this CNet review, are mixed with many complaining about the phone’s slowness.

Related posts: • Smart doorknob: an exciting RFID application;  • Unlock your cell phone;  • Google SMS query service;  

Posted on Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008 at 8:22 am in categories [Mobile Computing]. Comments feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site. edit