MWC: One Last Look at Mobile World Congress 2011

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Beyond hamming it up with wandering oompah bands at Mobile World Congress, Helena and I managed to  get hands-on time with some of the new devices and technologies that will be causing a stir in 2011 and beyond!

HTC’s New Android Devices

HTC won me over with their lovely new ChaCha. After using the BlackBerry Bold for a week, with its tiny little keys that I never got used to, the generously sized keys on the ChaCha, along with its softly curved body … I so wish that my Tru SIM had been installed in one of these babies.

Helena and I were both captivated by the 7? Flyer, HTC’s new tablet device. It will be shipping with Gingerbread rather than Honeycomb, but if it means that we can get our hands on it sooner (and that there might be a future update possible), then I’m not complaining!

MeeGo’s Intel Powered Two-Faced In-Vehicle InfoTainment System

Helena and I marveled at Intel’s Meego powered In-Vehicle Infotainment System of the future (IVI), which seemed to be suffering from multiple personality disorder. What we saw was a prototype device being shown by Intel that was essentially an IVI unit for your car, except that it has the ability to simultaneously play two different things on its display, depending upon which side of the car you were sitting on. A driver could glance at the IVI’s display for navigation data or the view from a backup camera, without being distracted by the movie being watched by passenger on the other side of the vehicle. In the backseat of the vehicle, it would allow one passenger to play video games while the other passenger watched a move … at the same time, and on the same screen. I need this in my next family wagon!

The technology being used here is essentially “reverse 3D” tech. And the way this IVI unit manages to pull this off is by having MeeGo process two videos at once and having them run interlaced. The system’s display itself also has a double resolution to accommodate two videos running interlace.

The Sony Ericsson Experia PLAY

For many the biggest news was the Experia PLAY, which is the long-awaited “PlayStation phone.”The Xperia PLAY is PlayStation Certified, making it the first of its kind. Full and high quality 3-D gaming is enabled by the 1 GHz Snapdragon processor inside, providing smooth, 60 fps gameplay. I was impressed by the gorgeous screen as well as the smooth graphics and game play. It looks like 2011 is the year that Android will really come into its own!

The Samsung Galaxy S2

Yes, it’s yet another Android device! When I first got my hands on the Galaxy S2, I IM’d Dan to tell him, “Wow this thing is amazingly thin and… Fast!!!” I believe that Francis has already got one on his wish list, and I’m sure he isn’t the only one! The Galaxy S II sports a dual-core application processor and advanced wireless network (HSPA+ 21) connectivity. The dual-core application processor “delivers compelling features such as fast web browsing, multi-tasking comparable to a PC-like environment, supreme graphics quality and instantly responsive 3D user interface on the large screen”. The powerful processor also comes into play when it comes to multitasking, gaming and video. The Galaxy S II also has BlueTooth® 3.0+HS, an 8MP camera and a camcorder with 1080p full HD recording and playback. The Samsung GALAXY S II has a gorgeous Super AMOLED Plus screen that “pops”.

Gear Diary’s coverage of MWC 2011 has been a cooperative reporting venture between Chip Chick and Gear Diary.

Please note, that in accordance to the FTC Guidelines and WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that Intel Corporation has covered my travel, accommodations and costs related to our visit to MWC 2011.

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About the Author

Judie Lipsett Stanford
Judie is the co-owner and Editor-in-Chief of Gear Diary, which she founded in September 2006. She started in 1999 writing software reviews at the now-defunct smaller.com; from mid-2000 through 2006, she wrote hardware reviews for and co-edited at The Gadgeteer. A recipient of the Sigma Kappa Colby Award for Technology, Judie is best known for her device-agnostic approach, deep-dive reviews, and enjoyment of exploring the latest tech, gadgets, and gear.

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