it would seem that google is your friend and nokia isn't. no flaming pls i am an n800 and n95 user !

Sorry to say this but that is definitely an AD-47W, I have one myself. All it does is let you listen to A2DP stereo on Bluetooth headphones with your PC as the source.

To add to the discussion though, the left side of the rumoured new tablet reminds me a lot of the earpiece on some mobile phones. Is it possible that you really can talk into the new tablet (for Skype calls etc) by holding it up to your head like a normal phone? It might look a bit odd as it's such a broad device, but no more odd than using a Blackberry or iPhone.

sorry guys.....

Yeah that is the nokia bluetooth streamer. I just wanted to spice up the discussion. I totally knew that some one would find that out and thrash me left and right ......but i wanted to have a really good discussion about this idea.
Coming to the point..... is such a device really possible .... technically?

That definitely would be great because i keep carrying both my phone and the n800 everywhere. So if i had a really small adjunct which can actually be used to recieve and make phone calls by itself and could be paired with the tablet for more complex calls.... that would be great.

I am extremely sorry for the misinformation. I deserve whatever punishment you throw my way!!

I had mentioned something in another thread suggesting that someone should make a GSM adaptor for the ITs, so that if you wanted to use your tablet as a phone you could (via bluetooth or wires, either one) ... but such that it wouldn't add to the basic weight and format of the core device.

It was a nice thought that they had actually done it ... and a slight disappointment to find out it's not what the OP thought.

What I would think is necessary for such a device:

1) the tablet will need to have software that allows it to control the GSM device: tablet uses its contacts database to dial calls on the GSM device, tablet acts as "handset/headset", the GSM device can tell the tablet its caller-id information, etc.

2) the tablet does NOT need to have a bluetooth headset itself. Its existing wired headphones are "good enough". But having compatibility with bluetooth headsets would be a good idea.

3) 3G GSM is a good option. So is a CDMA2000 EVDO device (since EVDO is faster). So, probably 2 products, which differ only in network covered, is a good idea. (and, it would be interesting if the planned WiMAX support turned out to be through such a device; that'd make 3 devices). It would give the tablets very good vendor compatibility without complicating the tablets themselves.

4) it doesn't matter to me if it's a bluetooth or USB dongle. Charging via USB is a good idea (then you can use USB car chargers to power it directly), but a choice to connect via bluetooth OR USB is probably a good idea too.

5) interestingly, you could skip #1 and #2, and just make such a device as a DUN/PAN product. Literally "just a mobile modem", and not a mobile phone in any way.


I think the most interesting form factor for such a device, though, would not be a keychain fob or dongle. I had an idea about this time last year, that was confirmed by the same idea being stated by the VP of technology at HP: why put a cell radio in every device, just make a personal mobile gateway that all of your devices can talk to. They came up with the same form factor I did: a watch.

Having this device in a watch gives you some interesting possibilities:

- a basic display if you want to use it directly (with a bluetooth headset) for making calls. Just need 2 or 3 buttons on the watch, and a small integrated contacts list.

- any bluetooth device with DUN can talk through it to the internet (and maybe also have it support PAN)

- any bluetooth device, with the right software, could control it the way I outlined with #1 above.

The complications are:

- antenna size and location ... you can probably put the antenna in the watch band, but I have no idea just how good that will really be. And, personally, I'd wonder about the health effects of that.

- power - I don't see a tiny watch battery giving you a ton of power for maintaining a long term signal.

So, maybe the watch idea is a little further away (HP said 2015ish). But, it shouldn't be too hard to make something that's the size of a USB dongle + battery (since people already make USB dongles that are GSM modems). Say, something the size of a deck of cards, that you can put in a coat pocket, briefcase, or backpack. Maybe a very simple display and 2-4 buttons.

Gumstix recently put out a GSM adaptor for their product line. Might be possible to make such a device that would fit in an altoids tin.

There have been some nice very small CF modules offering GSM/GPRS in both tri (audiovox) and quad (enfora). These had a universal headset 2.5mm four-pole jack socket for audio. They had no battery, display, keyboard, and only a SIM slot. Snag is that they suck power like crazy from the host, so anyone who used one in their ipaq/zaurus/etc couldn't really use this to make a clever smartphone (I know, I have one for my zaurus).

I know there's a USB 3g adaptor out for data purposes:
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/11...connect_modem/
but without audio it's purely a data-only device.

A little while ago NEC made a tiny GSM phone with no mic or earpiece, just a small display and number pad, it relied totally on a bluetooth headset for audio.

So, I conclude that the original poster's idea is perfectly valid technically, just needs someone to implement it. I for one would be quite keen to see a nice usb quad-gsm/3g adaptor for data and voice.

Is this pertinent to the thread?
http://www.carrypad.com/journal/2007...-hsupa_15.html

3.5G HSDPA/HSUPA would possibly be a better option than EVDO. It's much faster than 3G, about the same speed as EVDO, and it's being deployed worldwide as an upgrade to existing GSM and 3G networks, including those in the USA.

EVDO tends to only be used in upgrades to CDMA networks, which pretty much means just in America.

there you go:
http://gadget.brando.com.hk/prod_det...?prod_id=00455

:-)

-ioan

Amusingly enough, I believe you're referring to the NEC N900. Only it didn't offer bluetooth and instead relied upon a wired headset.

Rebski:

It would be IF:

1) the N800 had a USB Host port, and drivers for that device
or
2) the device had a battery and bluetooth DUN support

But that's basically the kind of USB dongle I was talking about. Falcon makes one as well. I think pharscape makes a couple of them as well.