Siemens is set to unveil two new flagship home-phone models with an updated version of the company’s Gigaset software that allows the handset to be customized with ringtones and images like a cellphone.
Siemens’ Gigaset SL780 and Gigaset SL785 (with answering machine) run Gigaset QuickSync 4.0 software that allows users to load digital photos onto the phone to use run as a slide show, a screen saver or in conjunction with stored numbers.
The software also allows a user to edit any digital song file into a custom ringtone. It processes all common non-copy-protected music formats, including MP3, WAV, AAC and WMA.
A user first selects on a PC how many seconds of the desired piece of music are to be used as the ringtone. The maximum length is 60 seconds; the default is 15 seconds. The music clips are then converted into the G.722 format and transferred to the handset via USB or Bluetooth in full DECT wideband quality.
For photos, BMP, JPEG and GIF files can be assigned to the contacts stored in the address book and are then shown on the phone’s display when that person calls. Different colors can also be assigned to callers or caller groups to enable quick visual recognition. If someone from a defined group calls, the display’s upper area changes to the chosen color . Six colors are available.
The Gigaset software can also be used to create a slide show, transforming the phone’s display into an electronic picture frame. The stored photos can also be used as screensavers for the handset. If pictures are transferred via Bluetooth or USB, the new software scales all the photos to 240 by 320 pixels (screensaver) or 240 by 130 pixels (picture clip) to save storage space. As a result, there is room for around 100 photos in 3MB of internal memory.
The software synchronizes the phone with Outlook, allowing individual address folders to be selected and synchronized separately. Multiple handsets can be administered simultaneously, making it possible to maintain private and business contacts on different handsets, for example.
The new Gigaset QuickSync 4.0 software is now available at www.gigaset.com for free downloads.
A firmware update for the previous Gigaset phone models is also available. The update is loaded via the phone’s USB interface. It also includes T9 text input in seven languages (German, English, French, Dutch, Swedish, Italian and Greek) to enable easy writing of SMS text messages in the fixed-line network, according to Gigaset
Pricing and additional phone specs will be announced later this month.
