We were so beguiled by AD's bamboo-bound smartphone that we had to track down the designer to get some hands-on time with these work-in-progress prototypes. We met up with Kieron-Scott Woodhouse (pun unintended) and he offered to bring along several of the latest prototypes for us to get to grips with. While the finished product will arrive in the bamboo material but smoked to the darker finish. The darker model's button layout is also closer to what we can expect on the final device. The ADZero is still set to launch between the end of 2012 and the start of 2013. Sustainable smartphone fans can browse through our gallery below, or read up on the phone's journey -- and our impressions -- right after the break.
Gallery: ADZero bamboo smartphone prototypes hands-on
Continue reading ADZero bamboo smartphone prototypes hands-on (video)
ADZero bamboo smartphone prototypes hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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This is the ADzero, a smartphone with a four-year old, organically grown bamboo unibody shell. It was designed by British student Kieron-Scott Woodhouse, a final-year product design student at Middlesex University. After his concept designs were spotted online, the 23 year old was approached to help design a real device. The Android-powered phone is built with an eye on sustainability, but isn't scrimping on the technical: its packing a camera with a reportedly unique ring-flash that encircles the lens. It'll be released in China and the UK shortly, with a focus on getting it into the hands of design-focused consumers. After the break we've got a clip of Mr. Woodhouse as he looks to carry on the tradition of world-class British designers.
China suffered another setback at the WTO yesterday, thanks to a ruling that could spell trouble for its controversial rare earths industry. In a decision issued Monday, a WTO panel determined that the Chinese government has been acting in violation of international trade rules, due to export restrictions on a number of raw materials. These restrictions, the panel said, allowed Beijing to inflate global market prices, while giving an advantage to domestic producers. As a result, China will likely have to adjust its trade policies to comply with WTO regulations. In a statement, the country's Ministry of Commerce said it "deeply regrets" the decision, but confirmed that the People's Republic will adhere to it. This week's ruling applies to materials like bauxite, coke, magnesium, manganese and zinc, but, most notably, does not apply to rare earths -- a group of 17 elements critical to the production of tablets, smartphones and myriad other gadgets.
It's no secret that certain countries have different views over freedom of expression on the internet, but this hasn't stopped Twitter's attempt to keep its service running in as many places as possible. In its latest blog post, the microblogging service announced that it'll begin "to reactively withhold content from users in a specific country" when required, in order to keep said content available to all users elsewhere (as opposed to blocking it globally). The withheld tweets will be marked accordingly while their authors get notified with reasons where possible, and internet legal rights monitor Chilling Effects will also post the relevant take-down notices on a dedicated page.
A mysteriously packaged Samsung device departed the FCC's secure zone with a few question marks over its character. We know it's got GSM/EDGE 850 - 1900 radios and can access WCDMA Bands II and V, plus the usual WiFi and Bluetooth gear, but that's about it. The folks at Wireless Goodness are staking the GT-i9070 as a China-bound variation of the Galaxy SII (assessed for roaming safety), which would seem logical, since we've clearly got enough models over here.
Sustainable transportation broke new boundaries by land and sea this week as Inhabitat reported that China launched the first 300 passenger bus and the world's largest solar ship closed in on completing its first trip around the globe. We also saw Drayson unveil a turbocharged 850 horsepower all-electric supercar while Mercedes announced plans to bring its B-Class E-Cell electric Vehicle to the US next year. Speaking of hot upcoming cars, this week we brought you a video showcasing 5 of the most exciting eco cars from the 2012 Detroit Auto Show and we shared 7 new hybrid and electric vehicles that you'll be able to purchase this year.
Back in April, Ericsson and ZTE filed patent infringement lawsuits against each other, with each party claiming that its 4G / WCDMA / GSM technology had been illegally appropriated. Today, though, the two have apparently decided to bury the hatchet, and withdraw their lawsuits. In a statement issued yesterday, ZTE said the two firms arrived at the decision after "extensive discussion and consultation," adding that the move will bring an end to "the patent infringement lawsuits filed by Ericsson against ZTE in the U.K., Germany and Italy, as well as the patent infringement lawsuit filed by ZTE against Ericsson." The company went on to deny earlier reports that it was forced to pay €500 million (about $647 million) to Ericsson, though Ericsson has yet to offer any comment on the matter. 
Thought that Facebook's and Google+'s requirements that you use your real name were draconian? Just be thankful you're not a weibo addict in China. The government is planning to expand a program that demands users register their real names and disclose their identity. Wang Chen, China's top internet regulation official, said the eventual goal would be to get all 250 million microbloggers registered, starting first with any new users signing up. The obvious privacy and free speech issues that could arise from such a move shouldn't need to be explained -- especially considering the country's track record of censorship and politically motivated arrests. Sadly, unlike SOPA, putting an end to this troubling law isn't as simple as putting up a black banner or emailing your congressman.
Talk about a New Years Resolution: ZTE's head of handset strategy Lv Qianhao, in an interview with Reuters, mentioned that in 2012 his company expects to double the number of smartphone shipments made last year, as well as expand its Windows Phone efforts. While we're not completely certain as to what that specific number was, Lv stated that it far exceeded its target of 12 million. Regardless of how much it shipped last year, we can't imagine it would be terribly easy to double it, but it signifies ZTE's intent to grow and expand in markets like the US and China. This news seems to coincide with the company's plans to introduce high-end LTE-capable smartphones in the US market in the middle of this year. Does this mean the OEM will be pushing hard to gain more acceptance from stateside carriers? If it results in new top-notch devices coming into the market, then we sure hope so.
