Well, it sure looks quite impressive, very versatile and looks to work with one finger, if you count your thumb for a finger :-) Cheers Szemir
On February 11, 2010 09:47:32 GZone Account (If forwarding, PLEASE delete address from body of e-mail!) wrote: > *** Photo removed to reduce file size. *** > > I'm not much into these kinds of devices, but those who are may have a > better appreciation (or not?) of this new one, soon to be available, I > gather. I found Youtube videos showning the device as well. > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwTkPT4nt0I > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiJdOv7zGBY > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Tp9LW_XpQE > > The last video seems more geekish and has the commentary: It has been a few > years since we heard about the ACCESS Linux Platform (ALP) that was going > to be Palm's Linux OS. ALP is still alive and kicking and the folks at ELSE > Mobile showed me the first ELSE device. It is quite intuitive and provides > much of the "smart" in a smartphone I have been looking for in our devices. > > Gary > --------------------------------------------------------------------------- >----- > > > Is this the end of the iPhone? > > > > > By David Shamah > February 09, 2010 > > > > More device than phone, the First Else is an all-Israeli challenge to the > iPhone that promises to change the cell phone game and even potentially > shift its center to Israel. > > > In the 1990s the center of the cell phone world was in Finland, home of > Nokia. Then the action moved to California, where Apple's iPhone set the > standard for the new generation of smartphones. And now the center may > shift to Israel, because Else, a subsidiary of Israeli company Emblaze, has > developed one of the most innovative cell phone devices to hit the market > in a long time. Meet the First Else, described by Else CEO Amir Kupervas as > a "game changer" in the world of cell devices. The First Else outsmarts any > existing smartphone (including the iPhone and various Android offerings) > and will be available in the US and Europe by mid 2010. > > Kupervas tells ISRAEL21c that the First Else is more device than phone. > "Our approach to this device is to ensure that it provides users with the > experience they want, depending on what they use it for," he says. "If > users want to take a picture with the device, we want to make sure it > functions as a high-level camera, similar to a digital camera. If the users > want to watch video, the First Else will enable them to watch video with > the highest quality graphics possible." > > As a result, the First Else sports an impressive array of hardware > features, including near high-definition video and a battery that lasts at > least 50 percent longer than those used in many cell devices. > > Early adopters rave over it > > Moving beyond hardware, while it makes and receives calls and allows users > to send and receive SMS messages, the First Else is about providing a > top-flight user experience - and that, Kupervas says, is primarily what the > company's designers were working on for five years. The First Else was > designed from the ground up, with Emblaze leveraging the experience and > contacts the company has built up in more than a decade in the cell phone > business to include the best of everything. > > Some of the First Else's game changing features are its patented "sPlay" > interface, which facilitates control of just about every function on the > phone with just your thumb. This includes back-end data integration, which > connects all the diverse data on your device and presents it at the > appropriate time - so when a friend calls, you get all the relevant > information about the person, such as voice and SMS messages, calendar > entries, even the photos where you've tagged him or her. > > Other features include integration of all functions and features to > interact with your data, like the always-on GPS that automatically geotaggs > the photos you take with location and date; and an out-of-the-box > subscription to a music store with four million downloads that you don't > even have to sign up for, because all the "technical stuff" is taken care > of by your service provider. You just download and listen. > > Forget iPhones or Android devices, says Kupervas; even the most advanced > devices currently on the market are no match for First Else's user > interface. "When you have hundreds of apps on your iPhone, using it becomes > unmanageable," he says. "And most of the Android devices look and act the > same." > > The First Else, Kupervas claims, is very different and certainly early > adopters who have participated in usability tests and consumer test panels > are raving over it. In fact, the device exists right now and is almost > ready for market. Else/Emblaze are working on the marketing campaign to > introduce it in the coming months. > > Born and bred in Israel, where it intends to stay > > The First Else was born and bred in Israel, and is growing up there, as > well. Most of the operating system (based on a derivative of Linux) and the > user interface were developed in-house by Else/Emblaze engineers, but many > of the applications - such as the music player, video technology, etc. - > were developed by 30 different companies Else has partnered with, many of > them Israeli startups. > > "We prefer working with Israeli companies wherever possible," says > Kupervas. And by doing so, Else is seeding what could be the makings of an > Israeli center for the worldwide cell phone industry. > > Israeli startups in the cell phone business are known for their major > contributions to products made by multinational companies. For example, key > components of Motorola's cell phone technology were developed in the > company's Israel-based research labs. But Else is not developing its device > for anyone else - instead, it intends to see the product through, proudly > proclaiming it an Israeli product. > > In fact, says Kupervas, the company is so committed to the future of the > First Else that even though it plans to publish a development platform for > third parties to build applications for the device, it intends to keep a > wary eye on those applications, ensuring that they retain the high > standards Else has set. > > "There may be fewer apps on our platform, but they'll be better and more > usable than the apps available for other platforms," Kupervas asserts. And > by keeping its standards high and chiefly working with Israeli companies, > Else could be laying the groundwork for a major industry that could create > thousands of new jobs in Israel, while placing the sleekest, most > functional cell device in the hands of millions of people around the world. _______________________________________________ clug-talk mailing list [email protected] http://clug.ca/mailman/listinfo/clug-talk_clug.ca Mailing List Guidelines (http://clug.ca/ml_guidelines.php) **Please remove these lines when replying
