SmartDock for Sony Xperia Ion gives an extra jolt

The SmartDock lands in 2Q 2012.

The 4G LTE-equipped Sony Xperia Ion is a nice handset, but what makes it truly powerful is the little known SmartDockaccessory.

Aside from the usual role of charging the Ion, it also has several features worth looking at.

For example, like with several other Android smartphone docks out there, an HDMI port mirrors your phone's display on the TV. You can see in our hands-on picture that there's a simple interface for browsing among content and features. Certain TV remotes will also be able to control media playback, presumably through HDMI-CEC.

Perhaps what's most interesting is the ability to plug up to two USB devices into the SmartDock, which can support a mouse and keyboard. That certainly could be a nice backup solution if your regular computer calls it quits.

With its looks, the ability to run any app through the dock, and support for input devices, the SmartDock could be a hard to resist item for Ion owners later this year.

The Sony Xperia Ion as seen on a TV.

Comments

Nokia Asha 200 ( Nokia Asha 200 )

Nokia Asha 200 is affordable QWERTY Dual Sim (GSM+GSM) Mobile Phone and offers faster emailing, chatting @ affordable price in India. Nokia 200 Dual Sim Mobile Features: Easily Swap Sim card without switching off the phone Short cut key for SIM card management FM Recording Social networking, email, IM support 2 Megapixel Camera Available in Eight Colors Nokia Asha 200 QWERTY Dual Sim Phone Technical Specifications: Dual GSM Sim Card 900/1800 MHz GPRS/EDGE 2.4” inch QVGA Display screen 10 MB free memory + up to 32GB Memory Card 2MP Camera with 4X Digital Zoom FM recording and Song Capture Bluetooth Powerful Loud Speaker (106 phon) Nokia BL-5J (1430 mAh) Battery Talk time up to 420 Minutes Standby time up to 37 days Dimensions: 115.4 x 61.1 x 14.0 mm Weight: 105 gm Nokia Asha 200 Price in India: < Rs. 5,000/- INR Nokia 200 Box Includes: Phone, Nokia Charger, Nokia Battery BL-5J and Nokia Stereo Headset WH-102

The joy of Microsoft's 'avoid ghetto' GPS patent

Indeed, not so long ago, one lady sued Google because the directions its map offered led her (she believed) to be struck by a car . Now Microsoft has been granted a patent that is designed to make its maps more pedestrian-friendly. Somehow, this patent has immediately been dubbed the "avoid ghetto" feature . Someone seems to have already attempted a ghetto-related mapping exercise, in Ohio. (Credit: CC JimBobThe Boss/Flickr ) The gist of it seems to be that Microsoft's GPS--which will reportedly be inserted into Windows Phones in the future--will use input from more varied and up-to-date sources in order to create suggested routes. Among these sources are crime statistics. Which has led some to the thought that this will somehow be an insult to poor neighborhoods. What is unclear, at least from my reading of the patent--which isn't written by anything resembling a human hand or mind--is what kind of crime statistics the...

Microsoft says 'see ya' to CES (live blog)

LAS VEGAS--Microsoft has sung its CES swan song. The company announced plans last month to walk away from the Consumer Electronics Show after a nearly two-decade involvement with the confab and the organization behind it. That made tonight's keynote address from Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer the beginning of the end. Microsoft didn't make any major announcements (other than the fact that Kinect is coming to Windows on February 1 ). But then, the company has said the timing of the annual confab doesn't generally align with its product news milestones, and that's the key reason it's bailing on the show. Microsoft talked up Windows Phone (its mobile phone operating system that's been getting some praise from the tech press), gave a look at some of the upcoming trim ultrabook computers running Windows 7 , demoed some previously disclosed features of Windows 8 (which should debut toward the end of 2012), and touted its tile-based Me...

!!!....Electronics world....!!!

Search This Blog