Nokia, Lenovo HP Roll Out Latest Gadgets at Digital Experience

By Nicholas Kolakowski

Sonim Technologies’ rugged cellphone has undergone the same “armoring” as rugged notebooks, offering field workers a communications device that resists dust and micro-particles as well as six-foot drops and random vibrations. The carrier-unlocked device can be submerged in up to three feet of water for 30 minutes. It will be released in the U.S. sometime in 2009, with a suggested price point of $499.

This smartphone, which will retail for $699, features 32GB internal memory (expandable to 48GB) along with Hi-Speed USB 2.0 connectivity, a 5.0 megapixel still/video camera with Carl Zeiss optics, and integrated GPS.

The Nokia N97 features a full slide-out keyboard, which appears when the device is re-oriented into a sideways configuration with a tilted screen. The 3.5-inch screen itself features a resolution of 640 x 360 pixels.

The BlackBerry Vehicle Visor mount streams calls and music from one’s BlackBerry through either the vehicle’s FM stereo system or the Visor Mount speaker. The Visor supports GPS Mapping voice prompts, Caller ID number announcements and voice-activated dialing.

Hewlett-Packard is marketing four external “hands free” hard-drives for backing up one’s laptop or desktop system. The two portable, laptop-centric drives come in either 320GB ($119.99) or 500GB ($149) models, while the desktop models have a capacity of 1TB ($149) or 2TB ($329.99). All four will scan a hard-drive and perform automatic backup, and support the majority of existing file formats.

Powered by the Intel Atom Processor N280, an running Windows XP, these mini-notebooks (popularly known as “netbooks”) are designed to be ultra-portable, measuring 1 inch thick by 10.4 inches long.

With regard to Internet capability, the mini NB205 includes Wireless LAN (802.11) and Bluetooth V2.1 + EDR. Memory stands at 1GB DDR2 800MHz, while the hard drive has a 160GB capacity.

This $149.95 portable video device, seemingly designed as a competitor to the low-cost Flip video camcorder, comes in five colors and will record 720p HD videos. The casing is weather-resistant, and built-in software allows videos to be uploaded to YouTube.

The Kodak Zx1 can record up to 10 hours of HP video with an SD/SDHC card slot.

The S10-2 ($399) weighs 2.2 pounds and comes equipped with an Intel Atom Processor N270 (1.60GHz). A slightly lighter version of the S10, it runs Windows XP.

The S10-2 comes with a 10.1-inch screen; memory-wise, it features 1GB DDR 2 667MHz.