The omnipresent phone: TerraStar Genus smart/satellite handset

When I think of satellite phones, I always think of the movie "Jurrasic Park 3." Those scenes involving a yellow satellite phone -- on the plane that eventually crashed, of the protagonists sifting through a mound of dino-crap and looking for the same satellite phone -- somehow convinced me that having a satellite phone means having a constant access to a dependable means of communication. (Although, it could also mean potential bad luck for whoever is holding the phone.)


TerraStar Genus smart/satellite phone

Now come media reports that a relatively unknown tech company has convinced a major U.S. mobile service provider to sell its satellite phone that moonlights as a smartphone (or is it a smartphone doing part-time work as a satellite phone?).

The Genus handset from TerraStar is smaller than previous satellite phones, yet it comes with so much more features. The Genus also includes some premium features including a common number for satellite and cellular services.

It has a touchscreen display (2.6-inch, bright active matrix), a full QWERTY keypad, a 2-megapixel camera, and the usual smartphone features. It is a smartphone -- that works as a satellite phone, in short.

And Bill Gates' fans would love it for its Windows Mobile Media Player. It shoots and plays back videos. It plays back MP3 and a long list of standards of music media. It even offers digital voice recording capability.

Now, that's what I call ubiquitous connectivity.