We already knew that Motorola was looking to resuscitate their mobile phone biz by developing for Android, but a recent job posting on Coroflot may have revealed a twist in their plans. The posting calls for an Interaction Designer "responsible for leading and actively participating in the concept, design, documentation and development of user interfaces for our mobile products including our new Android Social Networking SmartPhone."

Read More »

Today marks the 25th Anniversary of the first commercial mobile phone call in history. On October 13th 1983, Ameritech executive Bob Barnett called the grandson of Alexander Graham Bell using the now legendary and bricktastic Motorola DynaTAC 8000X. Here's our modified mobile phone timeline highlighting this historic event. You can click on it to see the full 2,300 pixel wide version.

Read More »

We've known that the Motorola Q11 (an update to the Q9) was in the works, but today Motorola made it officially known. Maybe I'm the last person you should listen to when it comes to this particular Windows Mobile line, but I don't even think Motorola cares about this baby. It does have the requisite Wi-Fi, GPS, microSD support up to 32GB, a 3-megapixel camera and the ability to read H.264-encoded video, but with the same tight 2.4-inch LCD and no 3G data connectivity, the rest is for naught. Unwired View predicts that this omission is a sign of a low price, still unannounced. Me, I just see it as another example of Motorola running around like a chicken with its head cut off. [Motorola via Unwired View]

In what it could seem like their last change to regain some relevance in the mobile phone market--and actually survive the current war--Motorola has confirmed their bet on Android in an official statement answering previous rumours:

Read More »

TechCrunch is reporting that Motorola is getting pretty serious about Android, with immediate plans to expand their dedicated project team from 50 to 350. If true, this could mark a turning point for Motorola, whose phones have been seeming less and less competitive every day. While putting more than a few eggs in Android's basket might not be advisable quite yet, our own succinct Brian Lam put it best: "Motorola hardware plus Android OS = WANT" (This is how he always talks, by the way). In case you were wondering what exactly that unfamiliar sound was, Motorola, I'll tell you. That was the sound of unbridled enthusiasm for one of your potential phones, AFTER 2004. Did you enjoy it? Then keep hiring. [TechCrunch]

Read More »

It's not revolutionary tech, but this Motorola picture frame concept combines a few different fields to create a pretty practical device. The device looks like a digital picture frame, but it also supports VOIP and acts as a wireless information hotspot with femtocell integration (cellular base station that can cover wireless formats from GSM to WiMAX). With a few UI tweaks, we'd gladly hang one on our wall. [via Crave]

Read More »

If you're tempted to buy into WiMax technology but don't want to purchase a whole new computer to partake, this Motorola USB adaptor offers WiMax to any laptop with a USB port. Coming in multiple bands for worldwide compatibility (2.3GHz, 2.5GHz and 3.5 GHz), global travelers will, unfortunately, have to collect all three. No price yet, but we can expect the units to go on sale in Q4 2008.

Read More »

Motorola doesn't seem to have a great plan for the mobile space in the next few years, and these spy shots do little to assuage our fears of imminent crappiness. I mean, there's nothing immediately wrong with what we've heard and now seen of the Q11—GPS, Wi-Fi, and 3G are standard fare for smartphones (and even feature phones) of the day—but there's almost definitely nothing exciting.

Read More »

I have to hand it to the guys at Motorola for coming up with the idea to integrate a femtocell and a VoIP soft phone into a digital photo frame. Femotcells help cover weak spots in a cellular network by sending calls over the internet—which is a good idea except that it would involve yet another device cluttering up your workspace. The choice of a frame as the focal point for the system is a clever solution to this problem because it already utilises a touchscreen and it blends in well with the surrounding environment. Femtocells have yet to make a big impact on our wireless networks, but I can see devices like this helping to speed up adoption. [connectedhome2go via ZatzNotFunny]

Read More »

In a panel at GigaOm's Mobilise conference today, Motorola VP of Applied Technology Fred Kitson revealed some prototype display technologies they have in the works, confirming the company has more on the mind than the damn RAZR. One phone prototype Kitson described involves an embedded projector that made use of 3 lasers that project on a wall, while another makes use of a headset display. He also made mention of home displays that could automatically detect your phone as you move into a target range, and dedicate a portion of that screen to your mobile.

Read More »