In an exciting move, Samsung Electro-Mechanics have just purchased a technology called Quantum Tunnelling Composite or QTC that brings third dimension to touch screens. Samsung claims that QTC will allow devices like phones to accept 3D input - by being pressure sensitive.

Press hard on the scroll button and the page moves faster, softer, and it goes more slowly. In games you can move faster if you press harder, ease the pressure and you slow down. It's a technology that makes touch screen use more intuitive and has lots of potential.

Made by a Yorkshire based company called Peratech, Samsung Electro-Mechanics will build the new technology into mobile touchscreens to create pressure-sensitive phones. Because they sell phone components to a wide range of manufacturers, we could see this across a whole generation of new phones. Apparently it is already being built into a "Tier One" phone right now. We're not sure what yet, but we'll let you know.

Current resistive touchscreen devices such as the Blackberry have a simple on/off operation: allowing current to flow when a dome-shaped button under the screen is depressed.

Peratech have replaced the button with force-sensitive material called QTC - this makes the screen into one pressure sensitive switch: the more pressure is applied to the switch, the more current flows. Clever hey?

In the new phones a layer of this material will be embedded under the screen - I guess you can think of it as a kind of sponge that forces more current through the more it is compressed.

Not all touchscreens are resistive - ie have this button underneath them; some are capactive - the iPhone for example. You don't need to press the screen in on the iPhone, you just have to lay your finger on it. It works on an tiny electric current being passed through your skin, which is why you can't use your iPhone when you have gloves on.

Samsung Electro Mechanics think the new technology will be a game-changer:
"The pressure sensitivity of the QTC switches changes the game when it comes to human machine interface design enabling truly 3D user interfaces to be created in small, low power devices" said Dr. Ho-Chul Joung, Principal Manager at Samsung EM.

"This three-dimensionality cannot be matched with existing resistive and capacitive technologies and means that the next generation of mobile phones will have many new and exciting features because of it."

See more about QTC at peratech.com

Sony Ericsson have added a business phone to their line up of eco-friendly handsets. The multi-tasking Windows Aspen joins the Elm and the Hazel in the Sony Ericsson Greenheart range.

The phone's general features reflect the business niche that Sony Ericsson are gearing their Aspen handset towards: the key point being the Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system, the latest version of the Windows phone set up that allows users to co-ordinate their phone with their PCs. And a Blackberry-ish shape with both a touchscreen and a full QWERTY keyboard makes easy typing a priority.

On the entertainment side, there's also a media player and a 3.2 megapixel camera. The phone has built in Facebook and Windows messenger apps and the "Human Curvature" design lets it fit in the palm of your hand more easily.

It's not just calling the phones after trees that make these phones eco-friendly. Their green credentials come from the manufacture, the packaging and factors like power-consumption. Green features on the previous Greenheart phones that we hope to see on this one come in three categories.

1. Less energy and raw materials are used in their manufacture and packing:
- Made out of recycled plastics
- Free from hazardous chemicals
- The instructions booklet is not printed on paper but is an e-manual in phone
- Packaging has been minimised

2. The Greenheart phones are designed to be more energy-efficient
- Low power consumption charger (EP300 GreenHeart(TM))
- Clearer voice technology should mean lower volume is required
- A Widget Manager application, which allows users access to their social networking page via the stand-by screen and quickly switch between different social networks, reduces the battery-wasting waiting time.

3. They come with apps for helping you cut down on CO2 and energy use in other areas of your life..
- Walk Mate eco application
- Green calculator

You can also use a special power-saving charger which minimises the power wasted when charging the phone.

It will be available from April in Iconic Black or Silver White.

Google's Nexus One is cementing its status as a desirable phone: luxury case-makers are already rushing to case its slender slightly curvy body in plush materials. And the 3G network doesn't even work on it yet. Well not one the one I saw last week.

Waterfield designs have coated it in suede leather in what they describe as a smart-looking and snug jacket. They're also donating some of the proceeds to Haiti. Though it's not luxe perhaps the coolest case of all is the little Android robot one that comes with it. Anything with that little robot on it just shows you're really in with the whole Android chic.

But full marks to Gelaskins for creating some beautiful manga-inspired case designs for the Nexus: they're really lovely:

Sony Ericsson's new Kurara phone will have a whopping 8 mega-pixel camera. This trendy new Sony Ericsson Symbian phone is all about the photos and the video and follows the Satio in SE's communications and media portfolio.

Called the Vivaz, the camera has continuous autofocus video shooting with image stabilization, face detection, and captures the video in HD. Looking at the photos should be pretty nice as well, on the 3.2 inch screen WVGA screen.

The handset has an unusual curvature round the edges which Sony Ericsson are making a bit of a design trademark.

It'll be available in four colors -- Moon Silver, Cosmic Black, Galaxy Blue, and Venus Ruby and should be launching worldwide in the next few months.

Video below from a SE rep with a cute dimple in his chin:

Another nifty Samsung aimed at the youth market, the Genio Slide has a slide-out qwerty keyboard and touch screen, mixing the features of the Genio Touch with the Genio Qwerty.

Nice features for the target audience of teens and youngsters include full compatibilty with the BBC's iPlayer so users can watch TV programmes on the move and social networking apps connected to Facebook and Twitter.

The 3.2 mega-pixel camera has smile detection and shoots video. The phone has 3G internet connectivity and is wifi-ennabled (good, because it doesn't look like the Vodafone deals come with an internet allowance) and 3.5mm headphone jack. It has GPS too, which is a nice touch.

In another tidbit for a younger audience, the Slide has "customisable fashion jackets" ie. changeable plastic battery covers which make the phone more colourful and fun.

Exclusively available on Vodafone until February. Free on a £15, £20 or £25 deal for 24 months

Half of the population will be using their phones for more than texting and talking in 2010, suggest findings from mobile internet survey group Mediacells. They reckon 53% of us will be using apps, consuming media or doing other complicated stuff on our phones.

Basically that means over half of us will be using smartphones.

Since smartphones are getting so important Mediacells suggests that we start to redefine this all-important technology to reflect what the consumer can do with it instead of a list of technical specifications. We see their point: this tech is so integral that it is important people understand it and what they can do with it.

And as proud as geeks may be of detailed lists of Operating Systems and whether the touch screen is capacitive or not - what is most important to the average gal/guy on the street is an understanding of what those things ennable you to do.

So while Ms X wouldn't buy a handset for its OS, but she would because she can read the newspaper on it, update Facebook and send pictures straight to Twitter.

The traditional definition of a smartphone is: "a device that runs complete operating system software"

Mediacell's proposed new definition focuses on the uses: "a device which actively fosters non-voice/text habits like internet and email usage, media consumption, social networking, file-sharing and music management"

There you go - it's not the catchiest slogan ever ("get an iPhone and foster your non-voice habits!") but goes a little way to considering tech from a user's point of view. And seeing as these are the guys with the cash, that's not a bad idea.

Personally I'd go with "pocket computer".

Over 50% of customers in shops at Xmas 09 used their mobile in store to check up on the products they were buying. Customers would use their phone to compare prices, call up online coupons or check online reviews before making a purchase, according to a survey across 11 countries by Motorola.

The actual percentage of people whipping out their mobile to while in store was 51% so only just a majority but still a whopping number, and shows clearly that shops need to take mobile computing into consideration in their retail policies.

Other findings of the survey were:
1. Mobile-enhanced shopping exploded in the holiday season of 09.

2. 64% of Gen Y (age 18 to 34) shoppers used their mobile phones for in-store shopping-related activities

3. Coupons seemed to a be a deciding factor in many big purchases - perhaps reflecting the state of the economy: "surveyed shoppers sought more coupons and discounts in 2009 with 39 percent willing to abandon purchases if coupons and discounts were unavailable"

4. More sales were abandoned than in 08, but could have been salvaged with compromises on pricing: "nearly 40% of surveyed shoppers abandoned the purchase altogether - a significant increase over 2008 when 20% reported not buying the item at all. Interestingly, the majority of abandoned purchases could have been recovered, including 54% of abandoned purchases in consumer electronics retailers.. if coupons or discounts were more readily available."

Several apps for Android and iPhone among others offer discount coupons available on mobile phones. Other promotions involve discount codes sent out by text message.

Couldn't let this one go without comment - it's a sugar-powered phone, from a collaboration between Nokia and Chinese designer Daizi Zheng.

Just pour in some glucose solution - or any sugary drink, Coke for example, and the phone runs for several hours - up to three or four times longer than a lithium battery according to Zheng. The phone produces water and carbon dioxide as the battery runs down, but then can just be recharged with a new shot of sugary water.

The concept is to use a pollution-free bio battery to replace the traditional battery. this particular bio battery uses enzymes as a catalyst to generates electricity from carbohydrates.

In this era of green-focussed technology, having a phone which runs off sugar is the ultimate in eco-bling. We're not sure if the technology will become widely available, but certainly its application in places with poor electricity like that developing world could be really useful. Just don't drop it or you'll get Coke everywhere.

[from Daizi Zheng via Engadget]

Techies may argue as to whether it's been the year of the iPhone or the Anroid handset - but Tesco customers have already voted with their feet. Despite the supermarket chain having the iPhone on its roster, the most popular phone sold in stores at Christmas was £18.75 "party phone" the VX1i Party.

Tiny, cheap and cheerful it sold over 10,000 units in the two weeks leading up to the New Year. The VX1i Party phone is a Sim-free affair which you can stick your own Sim-card into (from any network) and keep your old number.

Though the smartphone market is booming, it shows that there's a still a strong bottom to the market with demand for simple, cheap devices that call and text and little else.
It's not just the price tag - it's the concept too.

The phone was literally designed as a temporary or replacement phone, ideal for parties - women preparing for a night out can slip the Sim Card out of their normal phone, slot it into Tesco's party phone: the slimmer, lighter handset is easier to carry and since it's under £20, customers can be less worried about getting it lost or stolen. In that sense it's not an alternative to a smartphone but it's almost supplementary.

Tesco Telecoms research found that "8 out of 10 of women find it annoying to carry a handbag on a night out, and that 69% of Brits find it uncomfortable to have a large mobile phone in their pocket."

The VX1i Party Phone, £18.75 is unlocked to work with any SIM card (excluding 3) and is available to buy in selected Tesco stores.

I get excited by pull-out keyboards, so a phone which has a keyboard that not only pulls out but flips back on itself could keep me occupied for hours. Before I even turn it on.

Motorola explain the thought behind the flip:"the truly original design allows BACKFLIP to create new ways to enjoy photos, music and more. In the reverse-flip, tabletop mode, listen to music or view videos hands free. The digital picture frame mode lets you show off your latest adventures. You can even turn BACKFLIP into a bedside alarm clock for your morning wake up call."

But though this hinge technology is pretty fun and gives the silver and black Backflip its name, it's what's inside that's exciting here: an Android OS with the Motorblur user-interface bolted on. I'm a fan of Motoblur - it's a social networker's dream and creates a mash-up feed of updates from Facebook, Twitter, email and native apps like the calendar and text messages. A little bit hyperactive in fact.

Motorola has jumped on the Android bandwagon, producing big-hitting smartphones on Android like the Droid, the Dext and the Milestone. It's a tactic that could pay off. I'm looking forward to getting hands-on with the Blackflip, not least just operating that flip mechanism.

Motorola Backflip will be available Spring 2010.

You remember the Dramatic Chipmunk? The little rodent whose dramatic head-turn and wild-eyed stare paired up with a dramatic chord to make possibly the best 5 seconds of animal video ever? Of course you do. Here he is:

Anyway, LG, the makers of phones like the Cookie and the Chocolate have released a viral video campaign which frees the chipmunk from his banal glass cage and sets him off to the Carribean and err, Bristol. There will be five videos in total which drive traffic through to a site www.liveborderless.net where LG fans can sign up for a competition which will send the winner on a trip around the world in 80 days with $100,000 in their pocket. Nice huh?

Here's the chipmunk's break-out scene.

See the rest on the Live Borderless youtube channel or find out about the competition on the Live Borderless website.

You may still be recovering from the celebrations of Christmas and New Year, but this is no time to pause and think you can get out of considering celebration-themed gadgets.
No! Valentine's day is only 41 days away! Get your hands on this heart-shaped phone quickly. Giving this to that special man/woman/picture of Zac Efron in your life will say I love you to whoever it is in the way that only a heart-shaped gadget can.

Buy this gadget for the kitsch design rather than the technology involved. It's a landline phone that plugs into your standard phone port via the cable provided. Features include a tone/pulse switch and a flash and redial button, it's not exactly rocket science. But, as gadget4all say, it will remind you to call the special person who gave it to you. AW.

Heart Shaped Phone: $23 (£15) from gadget4all

British women would rather lose their boyfriends than lose their mobile phones, according to a survey which polled 4000 women.

Mothers, then photos were the top two most treasured "possessions" of UK women the survey revealed, followed by mobile phones at three, best friends at four and boyfriends coming in fifth. 40% said they would be devastated to lose their mobile phone.

It makes sense - no boyfriend yet encountered comes with your personalised address book stored in his memory nor a storage and display facility for the photos you took at your birthday party and the hilarious text your sister sent you. Like Beyonce tells us, some things are more replaceable than others.

The poll by Borro, a British pawnbrokers, may not be the definitive last word in what matters to modern women: children didn't make it onto the list, which suggests that only younger women were polled.

Men can be reassured that they came above diamond rings, laptops, pets and hair straighteners.

From a tech point of view - it's also interesting that phones come several places above laptops, even though laptops are usually more expensive than phones and are likely to contain more personal information. Perhaps that's because it's easier to back-up laptops so even if you lose your computer the chances are you'll have the information stored somewhere else. Perhaps it's because you build up a more personal and significant relationship with your phone because you spend so much more time with it.

The survey only confirms the importance of phones in the tech world for 2010 - they're not just popular, they're loved.

Next year looks set to be the one in which the battle for the heart of the mobile phone goes into overdrive. While Apple continues to sign deals with UK networks, though you still only have one place to buy an iPhone in the US, its rivals are rallying the troops for a smartphone shoot out.

Nokia has big plans to re-ignite its smartphone range next year with handset that may use the new Maemo platform that debuted on the N900. Meanwhile Palm apparently has some big announcements lined for the CES gadget show in January.

As for Google Android, well that operating system appears to be getting everywhere from the new range of HTC mobiles through to models from Samsung, Motorola and others.

And now in another major boost for the Google platform it appears that Acer is set launch a slew of new Android phones in 2010.

Digitimes reports today that Acer is supposed to release 8 to 10 new smartphones in 2010 and more than half of the number are Android based - the others will use the latest versions of Microsoft Windows.

Acer recently debuted the A1 Android phone, a beast of a handset that has got a real cult following in both Europe and the US.

Vodafone has just gone live with its launch date for the iPhone. Its subscribers have not got long to wait as it hits the stores on January 14th.

If you were waiting for a bargain basement iPhone you'll have to wait a bit longer. The Voda iPhone kicks off at £30 a month - £5 cheaper than O2 but the same as Orange. If you want it free than it is £35 on a 24 month tariff or £40 on an 18 month contract. If it is a free iPhone 3Gs then expect to pay £45 a month.

Other things worth noting

£70 per month (on 24-month) will get you a free 32GB and 3000 minutes of talktime

The phone comes with 1 GB of data - which is slightly more than rival networks are offering

Unless you are on the cheapest deal you get free unlimited texts

Customers also get free Vodafone to Vodafone calls

More details here

Driving the eco-bandwagon into the mobile phone market, Sony Ericsson has just gone and launched a pair of green phones today, the Sony Ericsson Elm and the Hazel.

Elm and Hazel like the trees - the nice green trees.

"The Sony Ericsson Elm and the Sony Ericsson Hazel phones offer consumers a green choice without compromising on features or fun" say the company in a press release.

So, names aside, what's so green about these handsets?

1. Less energy and raw materials are used in their manufacture and packing:
- Made out of recycled plastics
- Free from hazardous chemicals
- The instructions booklet is not printed on paper but is an e-manual in phone
- Packaging has been minimised

2. The Greenheart phones are designed to be more energy-efficient
- Low power consumption charger (EP300 GreenHeart(TM))
- Clearer voice technology should mean lower volume is required
- A Widget Manager application, which allows users access to their social networking page via the stand-by screen and quickly switch between different social networks, reduces the battery-wasting waiting time.

3. They come with apps for helping you cut down on CO2 and energy use in other areas of your life..
- Walk Mate eco application
- Green calculator

Otherwise, these are nice mobile phones with good cameras: 5 megapixels, with up to 4x digital zoom. It has flash, video, a video light and face and smile recognition. The phones also make social networking easy, with inbuilt widgets.

The Hazel comes in Superior Black and Passionate Rouge, The Elm is a slider and longer and slimmer than the Hazel and comes in Metal Black and Pearly Rose.

The Elm:

The Hazel:

The Sony Ericsson Elm and Hazel are set for launch in the first quarter of 2010 and pricing will be announced closer to the time.

Related: Is it an app? Is it a user interface? No, it's a panel. The Sony Ericsson X2 has panels but what are they?

Phone-makers Samsung have launched into making phone software as well as handsets and released a new platform for apps that will run on their phones. It's called Bada and it's a rival to Apple's app store.

Samsung say: "Samsung bada (meaning Ocean in Korean) is a driving force in accomplishing Samsung's vision of a 'smartphone for everyone'." Like the app store it will be feature-rich for customers and it's a mobile ecosystem for developers.

Their partners include micro-blogging service Twitter, the movies and games rental outlet Blockbuster, Video and iconic games developers CAPCOM, EA Mobile, and Gameloft.

Samsung described Bada's key features:

1. User-interactive

The platform is tuned to Samsung's signature TouchWiz User Interface, and Samsung's bada platform provides an easy, simple, and intuitive UI without compromising efficiency.

Samsung bada provides flash control, web control, motion sensing,fine-tuned vibration control, and face detection. Also, it supports sensor-based, context-aware applications. By using various sensors such as accelerometers, tilt, weather, proximity, and activity sensors, application developers can easily implement context-aware interactive applications.

2. Service-oriented

Samsung bada differentiates its position by supporting various service-centric features such as social networking, device synchronisation, content management, location-based services, and commerce services - all supported by back-end bada servers. These ground-breaking developer-friendly features support developers to implement various services without additional effort.

3. Open and configurable

Samsung bada enables developers to take full advantage of mobile device capabilities to create compelling applications with ease. Applications can use device functions to make phone calls, send messages, or access the contact list. Also, various service applications can share information such as personal profiles, social relations, schedules, or contents with a simple user confirmation in order to provide services with greater personal relevance and cooperative service extension. The flexibility of the bada platform makes it applicable to a wider range of devices than any other mobile operating system.

Developer Platform here: http://developer.bada.com/

Amy Winehouse has them. So does Angelina Jolie... so could your phone. We're talking about tattoos.

O2 are offering free phone tattoos for new and upgrading customers in their London and Manchester stores over the next few months and there's a wide selection on offer. Visit site here to see the full amount. Pick your handset out then choose from the selection of designs. You can draw your own, or get your name put on it.

It's a smart move from o2 in a time when customisation is increasingly popular.

These are the stores where the service is available:
O2, 368 Oxford Street, London W1C 1JW
O2, Unit 168, Arndale Centre, Manchester, M4 2HU

Related: 10 geekiest tattoos

Anna takes on the Dext (or Cliq as it is known in the US) Motorola's first Google Android powered smartphone. It has a great keypad, an innovative interface called Motoblur and lots of cool features, but it has one big flaw

Available on different contracts from Omio

On paper this is Nokia's best handset in a while. It has a touchscreen interface, a great camera, shedloads of storage and Nokia's Spotify-a-like Comes with music facility. So is it an iPhone rival? Has Nokia produced a game-changing mobile? Andrea gives it a spin:

Nokia X6 Sim-Free at £449 from Nokia.com