Apple iPad isn’t a cellphone. Apple iPad doesn’t have a forward facing camera. I’ve been ranting about that kind of stuff all over my Twitter account for quite a while. Seems like Truphone wants to shut me up with their announcement:

Truphone, the global mobile operator, today announced the availability of its application that offers thousands of Apple iPad customers the ability to make voice calls. The company’s award-winning VoIP application turns the tablet-sized device into a mobile phone that offers free or low-cost international calls, as well as advanced Instant Messaging features that integrate a user’s contacts from across multiple IM networks.

Truphone was the first to officially launch a mobile VoIP calling application for Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch platforms, and the company continues to lead the way with the launch of Truphone for iPad.

The Truphone iPad application offers customers free calling to other Truphone and Google Talk users when connected over Wi-Fi, and international calling to mobile phones and landlines for as low as 5 cents a minute. Truphone also offers an unlimited calling plan and free voicemail.

Yeah. So now you can use Truphone to actually make VoIP calls to other Truphone and cellphone users for relatively cheap. The Truphone application is free, there are some fees involved calling phones other than Truphone user to Truphone user.

[ Links: Truphone, Truphone Rates ]

Spanish blog MuyComputer (via Gizmodo) indicates that Microsoft is about to unveil their new Zune phone, co-developed with Nvidia.

The device should be unveiled at Barcelona’s Mobile World Congress 2010. According to the leak, the Zune Phone will have a 480 x 272 screen, HDMI video connection, weigh around 2.45 ounces (70 grams), and use Windows Mobile 7. There’s no word yet on any time frame for a launch, or what American carriers the device will work on when it arrives on U.S. shores. The Mobile World Congress takes place between February 15-18, so if you’re interested in a Zune phone, you shouldn’t have long to wait for more detail.

Link to the original article…

The other day Broadbandreports.com pointed to a report noting that magicJack was planning to offer users a device that would allow them to make cheap calls using a mobile phone. Unfortunately, there initial report was extremely limited on technical specifics for the unit, dubbed the “femtojack.”

Since then, magicJack has officially unveiled and demonstrated the device at CES, and offers up this press release with only a little more detail. Says the press release:

This femtocell will work with mobile phones from potentially any carrier and you may even use an old GSM cell phone without any paid service plans with a carrier. Not only can people connect to their own magicJack device but they can also connect to other femtocell-enabled magicJacks at friends houses and businesses. All the user has to do is come within eight feet of the magicJack one time to register the connection and then talk away within a range of a 3000 square foot house.

Since the system is GSM only, by “potentially any carrier,” the company means it will only work over the T-Mobile or AT&T network (no comment yet from either about how they feel about this). How specifically magicJack hopes to make this work isn’t stated, nor is there any additional technical details being offered on the company website. The Associated Press proclaims the system uses, without permission, “radio frequencies for which cellular carriers have paid billions of dollars for exclusive licenses.” But then the AP gives this breakdown of how it will actually works:

The size of a deck of cards, it plugs into a PC, which needs a broadband Internet connection. The device then detects when a compatible cell phone comes within 8 feet, and places a call to it. The user enters a short code on the phone. The phone is then linked to the magicJack, and as long as it’s within range (YMax said it will cover a 3,000-square-foot home) magicJack routes the call itself, over the Internet, rather than going through the carrier’s cellular tower. No minutes are subtracted from the user’s account with the carrier. Any extra fees for international calls are subtracted from the user’s account with magicJack, not the carrier.

While magicJack is very popular among users, they have a strong tendency to use more noise than signal in many of their marketing efforts – and this latest one certainly doesn’t disappoint. If they stay true to their word, the device will hit the market in “about four months,” and we’ll give it a spin.

Link to the original article…

[ Related Links: magicJack "One Year Later" Review ]

The leaked specs for the upcoming Google phone (aka the “Nexus One”) already indicated that the device was designed specifically for T-Mobile, though neither Google or T-Mobile confirmed it – until now.

Through information posted on internal T-Mobile systems, the carrier has confirmed that they’ll be handling “billing, coverage, features and rate plans” for the new phone, which will go on sale (but only through Google) starting January 5. Google is meanwhile sending out press invites for a January 5 press event. While a lot has been made about how Google hopes to shake up the U.S. wireless industry by selling unsubsidized phones and then letting consumers shop for a carrier, the excitement level drops substantially when the phone involved only really works on one carrier (unless you really enjoy AT&T EDGE connectivity).

Link to the original article…

Perhaps one of the worst kept secrets, the HTC built Google Phone, formerly named “Phone 88″ and now “Nexus One” – which still might be one of the project names and not its final name – has finally been sussed out and shown to the world… but not fully announced yet. So no release date but all indicators do point to a very likely February release.

Many sites are reporting more about this Android 2.1, HTC sourced phone that promises to have a speedy Snapdragon CPU mated with a 5mp camera and a 3.7″ AMOLED capacitive screen. Yep, I think I’ve found my next phone to replace my Apple iPhone.

More links for information pertaining the oft-rumored Google Phone:

Engadget – “What We Know, What We Don’t Know”
Gizmodo – “The Google Nexus One Phone, In Pictures”
UberGizmo – “Nexus One Has T-Mobile Support”
Neowin – “New Google Phone Pictures Leak“

I’ll update more as I find out more. But this is definitely a phone that might easily replace my iPhone or displace my Nokia N900 lust.

Callpod has introduced the Callpod Fueltank Uno, a small rechargeable battery that allows users to charge their devices some 3-5 times off of one Fueltank Uno Charge.

The Fueltank™ Uno can charge one small electronic device without the use of an outlet. It contains a rechargeable lithium ion battery. The Fueltank Uno has more than 4 times the capacity of a standard mobile phone. The Fueltank Uno uses device-specific adapters covering more than 3,000 different devices from all major manufacturers including: Apple, RIM/Blackberry, Motorola, Samsung, LG, Sony, Jawbone, Plantronics, Nokia and many others.

The Callpod Fueltank Uno costs $39.95 at Best Buy [ view product here ]

[ Callpod ] [ Related: iPower Apple iPhone Battery Case ]