Autoblog

It goes without saying that this isn't an officially-sanctioned Ferrari F430 cell phone. This is called the "F1 Phone," coming at you in bright-red injection-molded plastic direct from non-Ferrari manufacturing China. Like the Italian exotic, the F1 Phone offers a lot of performance with its dual-band support, a 2.2-inch touch-sensitive LCD display, music player, video player, memory expansion slot, USB connectivity, flashlight, and a slew of other electronic goodies (including three pre-installed games, though not a single one involving driving). Unlike the Italian exotic, this one sports a price tag of just $190, allowing you to save the other $185,000 for your text messaging bill. In case you were wondering, that bulls-eye smack in the middle of the windshield is the built-in 1.3 megapixel camera - you won't find one of those on any showroom Scuderia!

[Source: Techpin via Engadget Mobile]

If you have a 2007 Nissan Altima or a 2007 Infiniti G35 Sedan, you might want to keep your mobile phone in a different pocket than your car's fancy I-Key fob. The fobs, as you're probably well aware by now, enable and disable the cars' keyless ignition systems. According to Nissan, the problem is that if the fob is touched by a cellphone while a call is in progress, the software that controls the I-Key's automagic goodness could be altered or erased, rendering it useless. Furthermore, the damage is not reversible, and the I-Key simply becomes landfill fodder.

Nissan's modifying the key to correct the issue, and will provide new ones to owners once it's straightened it all out. According to the AP, this'll happen sometime in the fall. In the meantime, some dealers are stocking up on spares just in case, and you'd be advised to follow Nissan's advice and keep a little distance between the key and your phone. After all, you don't want the simple act of pressing the Start button to turn into an exercise in futility -- especially over something as mundane as checking your voice mail.

[Source: AP]

If Lamborghini can have its own mobile phone, we suppose it's only fair that Ferrari get one too. Introducing Motorola's MotoRAZR Maxx V6 Ferrari Challenge. With a V6, wouldn't that make it a Dino? No matter, because it does have 'the iconic prancing horse shield on the front and "Ferrari" in the company's easily recognizable font on the back. The phone turns on with the sound of a Ferrari Formula 1 engine revving.

It's available for pre-order from the Ferrari Store online for a mere $524 -- about the same price as the upcoming iPhone, but oh so much more, um, Italian. And it's about $1,200 cheaper than that Lamborghini phone which doesn't come with a red Ferrari leather case.

Read the Motorola press release with the phone's full specs and more photos after the jump.

[Source:Motorola]

For the Lamborghini owner on your Christmas gift list (we all have one, don't we?), here's yet another branded item to make sure everyone knows who left the LP640 with the valet.

Our friends at Luxist.com turned us on to the new limited edition Nokia 8800 Sirocco phone that features a stainless steel casing that is etched with Lamborghini's charging bull logo as well as the words "Automobili Lamborghini". The Lamborghini branding doesn't end there, either. The phone also comes with Lambo wallpaper graphics, engine-inspired ringtones and a short video documentary about their cars. Most notably, according to the press release, "ball bearings crafted by Lamborghini have been used, allowing a sophisticated slide mechanism". One can only ponder the cost of that clearly relevant engineering feat.

Nokia will only produce 500 of these exclusive phones, which will be sold through selected Lamborghini dealerships.

(Press release after the jump)

[Source: Luxist.com]

Back in April we told you about Vertu's Racetrack Legends series of mobile phones. At that time only Monza and Silverstone were available. But now filthy rich fans of LeMans and Indianapolis can chat on phones more expensive than a 10-year-old Miata. Made by Nokia, the $6,000+ phone is made of carbon-fiber-like leather, and an alloy called LiquidMetal laser-etched with a map of the namesake racetrack. Only 1,000 of each of six tracks will be produced.

But if you must talk on the phone while in the car, do the safe, courteous thing and pit.

[Source: www.sybarites.org]

Do us a quick favor. Take out your web-enabled phone, tap in www.autoblog.com and hit enter. Voila! Notice anything different, like a load time under ten minutes perhaps? Hmm... that formatting looks spot on, too. That's because the intrepid development team at Weblogs, Inc. has rolled out WAP-enabled versions of each site on the network, including ours truly. And you don't have to type in some wonky address like autoblog.com/mobile or mobile.autoblog.com, just type in the regular old URL (www.autoblog.com) and we'll figure out that you're using an itty bitty cell phone rather than a 30-inch LCD.

As we said earlier, this works for all Weblogs, Inc. sites, so if you're also into Engadget, Joystiq, TUAW, TV Squad and Cinematical, they'll play nice on your mobile phone now, too.

There are still a few phones on which the development team is attempting to fix compatability issues, and they include the Sidekick3, PSP, Opera Mini (Java), and some Motorola handsets, but around 85% of the devices out there should display the site just fine. If for some reason your phone isn't automatically redirected to the WAP version, you can also access it manually by typing in m.autoblog.com. This also might be a good alternative for people who are still using dial-up connection.

So now you don't have to miss any of our ongoing coverage of the Paris Motor Show, even if you do get summoned away from your cubicle. Happy surfing on the go!

Yesterday, in a ceremony in Oakland, California, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law a bill that would make driving while operating a mobile phone illegal on California roadways. The Golden State is now the fifth state to enact such a restriction and in doing so, ended a four-year long struggle, spearheaded by Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto. Simitian maintains that mobile phone usage while driving is the number one cause of crashes in California, while opponents of the law believe that distracted drivers, in general, are to blame.

The law will take effect January 1, 2008, imposing a $20 fine for the first offense and a $50 penalty for subsequent infractions, with no adverse affects on the driver's insurance. Motorists using hands-free devices will be exempt from the law.

[Source: San Jose Mercury News]

Reuters is reporting that Toyota is about to jump into the cell phone business with KDDI Corp., Japan's No. 2 wireless carrier of which 11 percent is owned by the Japanese auto giant. The company's ultimate goal is to close the gap between its cars and telecom networks, so the new phone will be compatible with Toyota navigation systems via Bluetooth. The pair of companies has also developed some type of battery charger that Reuters reports will attach to the armrest of a car and offer music and games downloads. Not sure how that's going to work until we see it. The new phone will also have emergency services on its speed dial in case a motorist gets into trouble on the road.

The Toyota phone will be called "TiMo" and go on sale at the end of October, right before Japan's cell phone users will be allowed to switch services and keep their current telephone number.

(BTW - the above picture is of a Motorola RAZR, as no one's seen the TiMo yet)

[Source: Reuters]

Forget fleeces, backpacks and skiwear -- Fiat wants its name on the ultimate fashion accessory, the moblie phone. Starting this month, Fiat will offer a number of different cell phone models, including some that are MP3 compatible and take digital photos and video.  Some of the phones are even 'waterproof' -- perfect for those who can't bear to catch a wave or two without phone access. The aluminum and blue finish boasts a high-tech look, while still drawing upon the ages-old Fiat logo, and the packaging draws upon the automaker's heritage as well -- the phone's sales packaging is a plastic tube designed to mimic the look of an an engine piston.

[Source: Italiaspeed]

Thanks to Noah for the tip.

According to the Washington Post, debt collectors are lobbying the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to again use automated dialers to contact mobile phones of debtors. Previously, collectors could use such technology but were banned back in 2003 as part of the FCC’s crackdown on telemarketers. Debt collectors argue they should not be under the same restrictions since their calls are not random, but rather targeted at debtors. Currently, collectors must dial cell numbers manually. The FCC has stated it will review the request.

Cell phones as driving distractions have been discussed here, here, and here. What’s your feeling about the collectors' claims? Would there be an impact if the FCC grants their request, or is this a non-issue? If granted, would it open the door for telemarketers and the ilk? (Answering the phone in the fast lane only to find a bill collector or telemarketer is recipe for road rage if we've ever heard one).

[Source: Washington Post via textually.org via Engadget]