Not content with its efforts to put television on mobile phones, Vodafone has now launched a plug-in keyboard that turns your TV into a mobile phone.
The ‘Webbox’ is aimed at emerging markets rather than the UK, with Vodacom in South Africa preparing to start selling the Webbox next week. It’s a 14cm x 25cm QWERTY keyboard with standard RCA connectors to plug into almost any television. No set-up is required; the Webbox has its own mobile internet connection (GPRS & EDGE) offering SMS, email and the Opera Mini 5.1 web browser along with FM radio, a music player and a photo gallery.
Patrick Chomet, Vodafone’s Group Director of Terminals, said “The Webbox is a simple yet very innovative product. It has the potential to make a powerful difference in the lives of people in emerging markets who have limited access to the internet, but where TV penetration is typically very high. The simplicity of the product is striking – it brings the internet to the TV, be that at home for the family, in schools for education or in small businesses to assist local economic growth.”
Vodacom will sell the Webbox for R749 (around £64) including a free 2GB SD card and a prepaid SIM with R12 of data credit.