Imagine taking a picture with your mobile phone of a product and then having comparison prices and other data (reviews, store locations to buy it etc.) shown on its screen.

that future is near - check out Check Out Smart Shop.

I am also loving Evernote, a digital file cabinet application. Its new iphone app is particularly good - you can take pictures (white board, signs, scans etc) and word recognition software allows the text within images to be indexed and searchable. Also, it has a voice memo function, which is something I’ve missed on the iphone prior to this point.

Evernote would be the ultimate killer app if it also integrated with Amazon’s Kindle, so my notes and highlights on the kindle are also indexed and searchable. Amazon should acquire Evernote simply for this functionality.

Cool branded app, to build virtual lego creations. Mobile devices are great outlets for casual, branded games.

previous Nokia video concepts

here

and

here

A prototype software app is able to check an automobile’s vital stats, open and close windows, retain user configurations for seating options and even start the ignition. Video demo link here.

Also, Apple has filed a patent for ordering and paying for products on the iPhone. Imagine not having to wait in line at Starbucks! [source article here.]

I’ve covered e-paper here before, but Philips is prepping to launch an e-paper technology that can be integrated with mobile phones. Basically, it’s a large, flexible, touchable and expandable screen, which is energy efficient, and would not add much weight or thickness to devices.

this is a test of a new word press plugin for blogging on my iPhone.

[update - the plugin is basically useless because I can’t blog pictures or movies. Wordpress should get on this, and start incorporating the cool features of tumblr.com, or it will be left in the dust.]

this is great

Designer James Zhang has designed a transforming mobile phone that morphs its form to fit various applications, including mobile phone, wrist watch, mobile computing, and multimedia player functions. [thanks, Yanko design]

Be sure to check out this 6 minute Intel sponsored video of where technology is going.

Also, there’s a second video here demonstrating future mobile technology [click here]

Finally, check out this video of an ultra mobile device set to be unveiled in 2008.

It’s a slow news week so far this week, so I’d like to share my enthusiasm for the Helio Ocean, a smartphone in the vein of the Sidekick III, but with much more functionality and 3g network access. It’s a very slick design, with a dual slide Qwerty keypad, which makes it more messaging and email friendly than the iPhone, and a nine-key keypad for phone dialing. Its proprietary software includes an easy to use UI, with an email inbox for numerous email and messaging accounts, GPS photo and friend tagging, a multimedia emporium, and a browser. Helio is losing a ton of money, but the Ocean holds the promise to revive the Company’s prospects. The Ocean will be available for $295 this Spring. Check out the video!

[UPDATE: check out this extensive 2 part article about the Ocean’s design in Technology Review.]

[UPDATE - 5/13/07: I checked out the Ocean at the Helio store in Palo Alto today.  They had sold through their inventory and had a waiting list for the next arriving shipment on Tuesday.  It has a very solid, quality feel, but is a bit thick and heavy.  I did not have a chance to try out all the cool proprietary software.  So, I’m still impressed, but not quite enough to break my current mobile phone contract.]