odin

How a souped-up Huawei Vision gives insight to the blind

When members of the blind community petition the National Federation of the Blind about cell phones, they repeatedly ask for two things: a mobile phone that's easy to use, and audiobooks.

So says Odin Mobile, a new mobile network catering to the visually impaired. The Huawei Vision, Odin Mobile's star of the show at launch, promises to deliver both of those most-wanted attributes as soon as July -- and then some.

Less important than the coincidentally named and preexisting Huawei Vision debut device is the modified operating system that's loaded onto the Android phone. Called Project Ray, … Read more

Newly minted Odin Mobile sells phones for the blind

People with visual impairments just got a new champion in the cell phone world. Odin Mobile launched on Wednesday with a vision of bringing specialized cell phones to customers with limited eyesight.

Accessibility features -- inputs meant especially for those with special needs -- are baked into nearly every cell phone and smartphone, but the three handsets that Odin Mobile stocks in its online shelves are specifically created for blind and low-vision customers.

The Huawei Vision ($300), a Project Ray device backed by Qualcomm and built on an Android phone, was designed specifically for the blind.

Phone owners will navigate … Read more

More Sony Xperia Z, ZL details emerge

New details have surfaced for the Sony Xperia Z and Xperia ZL just days ahead of an assumed CES announcement.

A chief difference between the two models is that the Xperia ZL will be a dual-SIM variant of the Xperia Z, reports Android Authority.

While this wouldn't be Sony's first smartphone to offer dual-SIM capabilities, it is the first time we've seen this rumor tied to the upcoming handsets. Interestingly enough, there are also rumors that the dual-SIM Xperia ZL will be less expensive than its counterpart. This latter bit of news dovetails with earlier whispers of … Read more

Sony Xperia Z, Xperia ZL pop up on Web site ahead of CES

Sony's Xperia Z and Xperia ZL have been found hiding on Sony's Web site, hinting at things to come for next week's CES show.

Known in other circles as the Yuga and Odin, these two Sony devices have been tied to numerous rumors over the last few months.

The Sony Xperia Z (Yuga) is the larger of the two smartphones however, the Xperia ZL may possess similar internal hardware specifications. Reportedly, the Xperia Z will possess a quad-core 1.5GHz processor, a 5-inch 1080p HD display, 2GB RAM, and a 13-megapixel camera.

Both are expected to offer … Read more

Rumor Has It: The ultimate cable killer coming from Boxee?

According to the report, the rumored new device would combine a TV tuner with a DVR and media-streaming capabilities, so you could record over-the-air TV. Do you care? Emily does, but she could be alone on this one -- just like she's alone in not knowing who one of America's favorite stars is.

Also, Facebook might finally release a native Android app so HTML5 will stop holding everyone back from stalking their friends at the speed of light.

Speaking of light, Sony's next flagship phone could be made out of a Norse god's lightning bolt and … Read more

Sony 'Odin' tipped as 2013 flagship device

We might be a few months away from CES and Mobile World Congress, but that doesn't mean handset rumors are going to wait around. The preliminary details for a new Sony smartphone have surfaced, possibly laying the groundwork for a new "flagship" device.

According to information first noticed by Blog of Mobile (translated), Sony is prepping a C650X smartphone under the code name of Odin. As detected in its User-Agent Profile (UAProf), the phone looks to run Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean and Sony's 10.1.A.0.XXX firmware.

To be clear, there is … Read more

BlackBerry Storm 3 specs detailed in leaked slide?

If the above leaked slide is to be believed, the Odin Refresh (which is most likely referring to an updated version of the current Storm 2) will probably be the first touch-screen BlackBerry to ship with BlackBerry 6 out of the box.

A "whole new user experience" is promised (we're guessing that refers to the upcoming software), along with a Webkit browser, built-in 512MB RAM, 5-megapixel camera with an updated interface, Wi-Fi 802.11n, 3G mobile tethering, and a vague "..mber" launch date. That puts it as early as September, or later in November/December, … Read more

'Buddha phone' launches, plays Nirvana

MP3 playback? Check. Two cameras? Check. Built-in mobile Buddhist altar? Che... Wait, WTF?!

You read correctly. The Odin 99 has landed on the streets of China, and a single tap of the phone's dedicated lotus-leaf button will load a private, customizable, animated altar.

The idea is to allow Buddhists to perform their dedications and rituals conveniently when away from home. You can simulate incense burning and purification rites and play music to help you meditate wherever you happen to be.

As far as our knowledge goes of inventions that seamlessly converge religion with phone calls, this takes the gold … Read more