Unwired View » Neonode

Neonode Inc’s Swedish subsidiary files for bankruptcy

David Gonzales — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:02:59 +0000

Despite the Neonode N2 being an interesting and very innovative device from Neonode Inc, it wasn’t enough to keep the company’s Swedish subsidiary, Neonode AB, afloat amidst the current financial crisis. In other words, Neonode AB has just filed for bankruptcy.

Neonode Inc CEO and Charmain Per Bystedt explains that they have been trying for the past six months to turn the business around and somehow solve the financial situation of Neonode AB. But as luck would have it, All attempts were unsuccessful. Bystedt further comments, “We continue to have great belief in our technology and believe we have a competitive product in the Neonode N2 but without sufficient funds we cannot continue operations.”

There is hope yet in this story, though. Neonode Inc will still continue to operate as a so-called technology licensing company, developing and marketing zForce, their internally-made and patented touchscreen technology that works with optical/infrared sensors instead of just relying on resistive or capacitive touchscreen displays. You can learn more about this in our short Neonode N2 review.

Neonode Inc as a company is also in the midst of a complete restructuring. After this, who knows? They might get up and really wow is with another new innovation in touchscreen development. If only they would catch on, that is.

Neonode N2 gets software upgrade

bogdan — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:16:02 +0000

The smallest touch screen phone around, the Neonode N2, was released at the start of last year and Unwiredview has reviewed it a while ago. Still, Neonode, a company that only released three models in its seven year history, won’t let go of the N2.

Neonode has recently announced a software upgrade for the device, which will add a few new features to it. The upgrade will provide Neonode N2 with Winwap Technologies’ browser, for better web browsing, a better user interface and, most importantly, at least for some of the users out there, a Sudoku game…

The software upgrade for the Neonode N2 also adds a new music player, which allows better cataloging of the tracks you have on your mobile.

It also provides the user with an audio recorder application and, hold on to your seat, “extended area for text messagging”. That sounds quite appealing…

Neonode N2 touchscreen phone review. Really small and responsive

Staska — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 15:06:40 +0000

iPhone may have set a new standard in touchscreen responsiveness and usability, that everybody is still trying to catch up to a year later. And they have patented a lot of capacitive touch technologies that went into making one.

But during Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, I found one really interesting device maker, that just might have already caught up with Apple, at least when it comes to the responsiveness of the touchscreens.

It’s Neonode and their new handset Neonode N2.

While looking at their PR materials I was pretty skeptical about the possible user experience of such a small device. After all, you do require a sizable display for finger touch interface to work.

And Neonode N2, which with it’s 47×77x14,7 mm dimensions, 60 g of weight and 2″ touchscreen display is smaller then a credit card, hardly seemed up to the task.

Well, having played a bit with it, I can say that it works. At least on first impression. Instead of capacitive or resistive touch, used in iPhone and other touchscreen phones, Neonode has developed it’s own optical/infrared touchscreen technology called ZForce, which hardly requires any touch to work.

Just swipe a finger gently over the display or tap it and you are scrolling through address book, selecting menu items, dialing a phone or typing a text message.

And the small size of the device has actually it’s own advantages. Thank’s to it, very responsive touchscreen and internally developed “neno” interface, single hand operation actually works very well on Neonode N2. That is, you can easily hold N2 in one hand and use it’s thumb to operate the phone and perform any functions on it. Just like you do on a non touch phone keypads.

Here’s short video of Neonode N2 in action:

Of course, Neonode N2 is not that good as a media player or the net browsing device.

But used for it’s primary purpose – as a mobile phone, it works great.

And it’s really portable. Instead of worrying where to carry it, you might be spending more time figuring out into which pocket it went, when you need to make a call.