Mobile Phone

Google e-Reader iRiver Story HD Review and Spec

2011-07-13T00:22:00.000-07:00

Google e-Reader iRiver Story HD

Google e-Reader will go on sale on July 17 in Target stores in the US. E-reader allows readers to access collections of digital books in Google‘s library of high-resolution screen and equipped with e-ink and qwerty keyboard. Google already has the lions share of the smartphone market with their Android OS, as well as the search engine market. There next step is social media, with their Google+ service.

Google e-Reader Spec coming soon..

White Iphone 4 Launch

2011-04-26T21:08:00.000-07:00

White Iphone 4 Launch

Apple will ultimately launch its white apple iphone 4 that will both AT&T and Verizon will offer you.
A few shops, such as Best Buy, mention they'll begin promoting the white apple iphone 4 on April twenty seven.

After several months of delays, the white apple iphone 4 will ultimately get its retail store come out.

The apple company actually released the white apple iphone 4 in June 2010, however quickly announced that processing issues.

There seems to be a minor delay caused by what was announced to become that the color,would probably peel from the lime whenever the gadget was heated and issues with a sensing unit inside the device.

However, white is a really well-liked color for consumer gadgets and several are likely to wait.

There is no verification, but some reviews suggest that the new apple iphone may run on T-Mobile

SAMSUNG GALAXY Tab 10.1 and GALAXY Tab 8.9

2011-03-22T08:38:00.000-07:00

SAMSUNG GALAXY Tab 10.1 and GALAXY Tab 8.9

SPECs

Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1

Network     HSPA+ 21Mbps 850/900/1900/2100
EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900
OS     Android™ 3.0 (Honeycomb)
Display     10.1" WXGA 1280x800
Processor     1GHz Dual Core application processor
Camera     Main(Rear) : 3.0-Mega Pixel Camera AF with LED Flash
Front : 2.0-Mega Pixel Camera
Video     Format : MPEG4/H263/H264,Divx/Xvid
Playback : 1080p Full HD Video @ 30fps
Recording : 720p HD Video
Audio     MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, OGG, MIDI, AMR-NB/WB
3.5mm Ear Jack, Surround Sound Stereo Speakers
Enterprise Solutions     Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync
Quickoffice HD Editor
Value-added Features     Android Market™
Google Mobile Services :
Google™ Talk Video Chat, Google™ Maps, Books, etc.
Samsung TouchWiz UX
Samsung Mini Apps Tray
Social Hub, Music Hub, Readers Hub
*Availability differs by region
Adobe Flash Player 10.2
Connectivity     Bluetooth® technology v 2.1 + EDR
USB 2.0
WiFi 802.11 (a/b/g/n)
Sensor     Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Ambient Light sensor
Memory     16G / 32G / 64G, microSD (up to 32GB)
*Size     256.6 x 172.9 x 8.6 mm, 595g
Battery     6800mAh

Samsung GALAXY Tab 8.9

Network     HSPA+ 21Mbps 850/900/1900/2100
EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900
OS     Android™ 3.0 (Honeycomb)
Display     8.9" WXGA 1280x800
Processor     1GHz Dual Core application processor
Camera     Main(Rear) : 3.0-Mega Pixel Camera AF with LED Flash
Front : 2.0-Mega Pixel Camera
Video     Format : MPEG4/H263/H264, Divx/Xvid
Playback : 1080p Full HD Video @ 30fps
Recording : 720p HD Video
Audio     MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, OGG, MIDI, AMR-NB/WB
3.5mm Ear Jack, Stereo Speaker
Enterprise Solutions     Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync
Quickoffice HD Editor
Value-added Features     Android Market™
Google Mobile Services :
Google™ Talk Video Chat, Google™ Maps, Books, etc
Samsung TouchWiz UX
Samsung Mini Apps Tray
Social Hub, Music Hub, Readers Hub
*Availability differs by region
Adobe Flash Player 10.2
Connectivity     Bluetooth® technology v 3.0
USB 2.0
WiFi 802.11 (a/b/g/n)
Sensor     Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Ambient Light sensor
Memory     16G / 32G / 64G, microSD (up to 32GB)
*Size     230.9 x 157.8 x 8.6 mm, 470g
Battery     6000mAh

iPad 2 Specs - iPad 2011 - iPad 2 Specifications - iPad 2 Price

2011-03-02T18:23:00.000-08:00

iPad 2 Specs - iPad 2011 - iPad 2 specifications - iPad 2 Price

Gyroscope for position-based apps.
Dual-core A5 processors to improve speed, graphics will run up to 9x faster while using the same battery life.
Front and rear-facing cameras. Rear camera is 720p resolution, front is "VGA quality" -- it's meant to be used for Facetime chat primarily, so quality isn't that big a deal.
Lighter, at 1.33 pounds versus 1.6 pounds for the current iPad.
33% thinner than the first iPad at 0.34". It's 9.5" high and 7.3" wide.
It ships on March 11 in the U.S. -- that's less than two weeks away. March 25 in the rest of the world.
Starts at the same price: $499. So it won't be dramatically cheaper as some had proposed. It also comes in the same models as the current version: Wi-Fi and 3G (Verizon or AT&T) in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB sizes.

Pricing & Availability
iPad 2 with Wi-Fi will be available on March 11 for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model, $699 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G will be available for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G compatible with the Verizon network will be available in the US only for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad 2 will be sold in the US through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iMovie and GarageBand for iPad apps will be available on March 11 for $4.99 each from the App Store on iPad or www.itunes.com/appstore.

iPad 2 will be available in Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Switzerland and the UK on March 25; and in many more countries around the world in the coming months. Further international availability and pricing will be announced at a later date.

iPad 2 Specs - iPad 2011 - iPad 2 specifications - iPad 2 Price

HP Veer Specs - Smallest WebOS 2.2 Smartphone

2011-02-04T17:35:00.000-08:00

HP Veer Specs - Smallest WebOS 2.2 Smartphone

Color	Black
Operating system	HP webOS
Network specs³	HSDPA 7.2/HSUPA 5.76 Quad-band GSM/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE
Display	2.6-inch multitouch screen with a vibrant 18-bit color, 320x400 resolution
Keyboard	Slide-out physical QWERTY keyboard
Email⁴	Microsoft^® Exchange email with Microsoft Direct Push Technology POP3/IMAP (Yahoo!^® Mail, Gmail^™, AOL, Hotmail^®, etc.)
Messaging⁵	Integrated IM, SMS, and MMS
GPS⁶	Built-in GPS (A-GPS)
Digital camera	5-megapixel camera with extended depth of field, geotagging, and video capture
Audio	Speakerphone; dual-mic for noise cancellation for quieter calls.
Sensors	Accelerometer, ambient light, and proximity
Media formats supported	Audio formats: MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR, QCELP, WAV Video formats: MPEG-4, H.263, H.264
Wireless connectivity⁷	Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n with WPA, WPA2, WEP, 802.1X authentication; Bluetooth^® wireless technology 2.1 + EDR with A2DP stereo Bluetooth support; Wi-Fi router functionality for up to five devices using HP mobile hotspot.
Memory⁸	8GB (~6.5GB available) USB mass storage support
Battery⁹	910 mAh (non-removable); up to 5.0 hours of talk time or 300 hours of standby time.
Connector	Charger/magnetic connector with USB 2.0 Hi-Speed
Headphone jack	Magnetic connector with 3.5mm stereo headset adapter included
HP Touchstone¹⁰	Compatible
Processor	Qualcomm MSM7230, 800Mhz
Dimensions	Width: 54.5mm (2.15 inches) Height: 84.0mm (3.31 inches) Thickness: 15.1mm (0.59 inches)
Weight	103 grams (3.63 ounces)

HP Veer Specs - Smallest WebOS 2.2 Smartphone

Phone Review Samsung Rugby II

2010-06-01T02:14:00.000-07:00

Short Review
Specs:

Phone Design
Phone Type Basic
Clamshell
Side Keys
Weight 3.52 oz. (99.8 g)

Network
Data Edge,HSDPA

Size/Design
Antenna Internal
Dimensions 4.01" x 2.05" x 0.86" (101.9 x 52.07 x 21.84 mm)

Camera and Video
Features Video capture
Megapixels 2.0
Streaming Video
Keyboard/Buttons
Standard 12 button

Battery
Standby Time 250 hours (10.4 days)
Talk Time 3 hours (180 minutes)
Type 1300 mAh

Display
Colors 256K
Type TFT,TFD,LCD (Color)

Data Messaging
Instant Messaging
Text Messaging MMS,SMS

Music and Multimedia
FM Radio
GPS Navigation
Music Player MP3,AAC,AAC+
Speaker Phone

Organizer
Alarm
Calculator
Calendar
Voice Recorder

Phone Book
Capacity 1000
Multi Numbers per Name
Ringer ID
Voice Dialing

Other Features
Multiple Languages
Push-to-Talk
Vibrate Alert

Connectivity
Bluetooth A2DP, HSP, SPP, DUN, OPP, FTP
E-Mail Client
USB Port
Web Browser

Phone Review: HTC HD2

2010-03-02T20:48:00.000-08:00

Short Review
Specs:

Features: Video capture, geo-tagging, autofocus
Bluetooth: Yes, v2.1 with A2DP
Data: Edge,3G,GPRS,HSDPA
Keyboard/Buttons: Touchscreen
Talk Time: 6 hours (360 minutes)
Touch Screen: Yes - capacitive
Operating System: Windows Mobile 6.5
Wi-Fi
Phone Design: Bar
Phone Type: Smartphone

Size/Design
Antenna: Internal
Dimensions: 120.5 x 67 x 11 mm
Headset Jack: 3.5 mm
Keyboard/Buttons: Touchscreen
Phone Design: Bar
Phone Type: Smartphone
Side Keys
Weight: 157 g.

Network
Technology: GSM
Frequencies/Bands: 20
Data: Edge,3G,GPRS,HSDPA

Battery
Standby Time: 390 hours (16.25 days)
Talk Time: 6 hours (360 minutes)
Type: Lithium Ion

Camera and Video
Features: Video capture, geo-tagging, autofocus
Flash: LED
Megapixels: 5.0

Data Messaging
Instant Messaging
Text Message Templates
Text Messaging: MMS,SMS

Display
Multitouch
Resolution: 480 x 800 pixels 4.3" capacitive
Touch Screen: Yes - capacitive
Type: TFT,TFD,LCD (Color)

Music and Multimedia
FM Radio
GPS Navigation
Music Player: Yes,MP3,AAC,AAC+,WMA,WMV,WAV,MP4,eAAC+
Speaker Phone

Connectivity
Bluetooth: Yes, v2.1 with A2DP
E-Mail Client
Java Applications
Memory Card Slot: MicroSD
Operating System: Windows Mobile 6.5
PC Sync
USB Port
Web Browser: Yes,Full,WAP2.0,XHTML,HTML
Wi-Fi

Organizer
Alarm
Calculator
Calendar
Voice Recorder

Phone Book
Capacity: Practically unlimited
Multi Numbers per Name

Other Features
Multiple Languages
Polyphonic Ringer
Vibrate Alert

Mobile Phones Review LG Chocolate Touch

2010-03-01T20:28:00.000-08:00

Short Review
Specs:

Features: Video capture, self timer, shot types, color effects, white balance, dedicated camera key, image editor
Bluetooth: Yes, v2.1+EDR Supported Profiles: HSP 1.1, HFP 1.5, OPP, FTP, PBA, DUN, A2DP 1.2, AVRC 1.3, BPP 1.2, BIP, HID
Data: EVDO,1xEVDO
Keyboard/Buttons: Touchscreen
Phone Design: Bar
Talk Time: 5.1 hours (306 minutes)
Touch Screen: Yes - resistive
Phone Type: Messaging

Network
Data: EVDO,1xEVDO
Technology: CDMA
Frequencies/Bands: 9

Keyboard/Buttons: Touchscreen
Phone Design: Bar
Phone Type: Messaging
Antenna: Internal
Dimensions: 4.30" x 2.20" x 0.47" (108 x 54 x 11.6 mm)
Headset Jack: 3.5 mm
Side Keys
Weight: 4.17 oz. (118 g)

Battery
Talk Time: 5.1 hours (306 minutes)
Standby Time: 407 hours (16.95 days)
Type: 1000 mAh

Display
Colors: 262K
Resolution: 400 x 240 pixels 3.0"
Touch Screen: Yes - resistive
Type: TFT,TFD,LCD (Color)

Data Messaging
Instant Messaging
Predictive Text Entry
Text Message Templates
Text Messaging: MMS,SMS

Music and Multimedia
FM Radio
GPS Navigation
Music Player: Yes,MP3,AAC,AAC+,WMA
Speaker Phone

Camera and Video
Features: Video capture, self timer, shot types, color effects, white balance, dedicated camera key, image editor
Megapixels: 3.2
Streaming Video

Connectivity
Bluetooth: Yes, v2.1+EDR Supported Profiles: HSP 1.1, HFP 1.5, OPP, FTP, PBA, DUN, A2DP 1.2, AVRC 1.3, BPP 1.2, BIP, HID
E-Mail Client
Memory Card Slot: TransFlash,MicroSD
USB Port
Web Browser

Phone Book
Capacity: 1000
Multi Numbers per Name
Photo Caller ID
Ringer ID
Voice Dialing

Organizer
Alarm
Calculator
Calendar
Voice Recorder

Other Features
Adjustable Text Size
Flight Mode
Hearing Aid Compatible: Yes,M4,T4
Multiple Languages
Polyphonic Ringer
Vibrate Alert

Phone Review Motorola Droid

2010-02-26T20:28:00.000-08:00

Short Review
Specs:

Features: Video capture 720 x 480 @ 24 fps, autofocus, geo-tagging,digital zoom, white balance control
Bluetooth: Yes v2.1 + EDR Supported Profiles: HSP 1.2, HFP 1.5, OPP, PBA, A2DP 1.2, AVRC
Data: 3G,EVDO,1xEVDO
Keyboard/Buttons: Full QWERTY,Touchscreen
Phone Design: Bar w slide Keyboard
Phone Type: Smartphone
Talk Time: 6.4 hours (384 minutes)
Touch Screen: Yes - capacitive
Operating System: Google Android
Wi-Fi

Size/Design
Keyboard/Buttons: Full QWERTY,Touchscreen
Phone Design: Bar w slide Keyboard
Antenna: Internal
Dimensions: 4.55" x 2.35" x 0.55" (116 x 60 x 14 mm)
Headset Jack: 3.5 mm
Phone Type: Smartphone
Side Keys
Weight: 5.99 oz. (170 g)

Network
Data: 3G,EVDO,1xEVDO
Technology: CDMA
Frequencies/Bands: 9

Battery
Standby Time: 270 hours (11.25 days)
Talk Time: 6.4 hours (384 minutes)
Type: 1400 mAh

Camera and Video
Features: Video capture 720 x 480 @ 24 fps, autofocus, geo-tagging,digital zoom, white balance control
Flash: LED
Megapixels: 5.0
Streaming Video

Display
Touch Screen: Yes - capacitive
Type: TFT,TFD,LCD (Color)
Colors: 16 mil
Resolution: 480 x 854 pixels 3.7"

Data Messaging
Instant Messaging
Text Messaging: MMS,SMS

Connectivity
Memory Card Slot: TransFlash,MicroSD
Operating System: Google Android
Bluetooth: Yes v2.1 + EDR Supported Profiles: HSP 1.2, HFP 1.5, OPP, PBA, A2DP 1.2, AVRC
E-Mail Client: Yes,POP3,IMAP4,SMTP,Microsoft Exchange,GMail,IM via Google Talk™
PC Sync
USB Port
Web Browser
Wi-Fi

Music and Multimedia
Music Player: Yes,MP3,AAC,AAC+,WMA,eAAC+,MPEG4
GPS Navigation
Speaker Phone

Organizer
Alarm
Calculator
Calendar

Other Features
Flight Mode
Hearing Aid Compatible: Yes,M3,T3
Multiple Languages
Vibrate Alert

Phone Book
Ringer ID
Voice Dialing
Multi Numbers per Name
Photo Caller ID

more Motorola Droid

Phone Review: Motorola Clutch i465

2010-02-26T20:07:00.000-08:00

Short Review
Specs:

Features: Video capture and playback, 4x zoom
Bluetooth: Yes v1.2 Supported Profiles: HSP 1.1, HFP 1.5, OPP, DUN, PBA, BPP 1.2
Data: EVDO,1xEVDO
Keyboard/Buttons: Full QWERTY
Phone Design: Bar
Phone Type: Messaging
Talk Time: 3.4 hours (205 minutes)

Network
Data: EVDO,1xEVDO
Technology: CDMA
Frequencies/Bands: 8

Size/Design
Antenna: Internal
Dimensions: 4.45" x 2..15" x 0.61" (113 x 55 x 15.5 mm)
Headset Jack: 2.5 mm
Keyboard/Buttons: Full QWERTY
Phone Design: Bar
Phone Type: Messaging
Side Keys
Weight: 3.47 oz (98 g)

Battery
Standby Time: 100 hours (4.2 days)
Talk Time: 3.4 hours (205 minutes)
Type: Lithium Ion

Display
Colors: 64K
Resolution: 128x160 pixels 1.79"
Type: TFT,TFD,LCD (Greyscale)

Camera and Video
Features: Video capture and playback, 4x zoom
Megapixels: VGA

Data Messaging
Predictive Text Entry
Text Message Templates
Text Messaging: MMS,SMS

Music and Multimedia
GPS Navigation
Music Player: Yes,MP3,WAV,MIDI
Speaker Phone

Phone Book
Ringer ID
Ringer Profiles
Capacity: 600
Multi Numbers per Name
Voice Dialing

Connectivity
E-Mail Client: Yes,POP3
Bluetooth: Yes v1.2 Supported Profiles: HSP 1.1, HFP 1.5, OPP, DUN, PBA, BPP 1.2
Data/Fax Capability
Java Applications
USB Port
Web Browser: Yes,Openwave

Organizer
Alarm
Calculator
Calendar
Voice Recorder

Other Features
Multiple Languages
Polyphonic Ringer
Push-to-Talk
Vibrate Alert
Adjustable Text Size
Flight Mode
Hearing Aid Compatible: Yes,M3

LG Lotus Elite Cell Phone Reviews

2010-02-20T19:20:00.000-08:00

Short Review
Specs:

Data: 3G,EVDO,1xEVDO
Features: Video capture, PictBridge, brightness, white balance, self timer
Keyboard/Buttons: Full QWERTY,Touchscreen
Phone Type: Messaging
Phone Design: Clamshell
Talk Time: 5.9 hours (354 minutes)
Touch Screen: resistive
Bluetooth: Yes, v2.1 + EDR Supported Profiles: HSP 1.1, HFP 1.5, OPP, FTP, PBA, DUN, A2DP 1.2, AVRC 1.3, BPP 1.2, HID

Network
Data: 3G,EVDO,1xEVDO
Technology: CDMA
Frequencies/Bands: 9

Size/Design
Phone Type: Messaging
Side Keys
Weight: 4.76 oz. (136 g)
Antenna: Internal
Dimensions: 3.42" x 2.44" x 0.72" (87 x 63 x 18 mm)
Headset Jack: 2.5 mm
Keyboard/Buttons: Full QWERTY,Touchscreen
Phone Design: Clamshell

Battery
Type: 1000 mAh
Talk Time: 5.9 hours (354 minutes)

Display
Touch Screen: resistive
Type: TFT,TFD,LCD (Color)
2nd Display: Touchscreen 262,000-color TFT LCD 320 x 240 pixels 2.4"
Colors: 262,144 (18-bit)
Resolution: 320 x 240 pixels 2.4"

Camera and Video
Features: Video capture, PictBridge, brightness, white balance, self timer
Megapixels: 2.0
Streaming Video

Data Messaging
Instant Messaging
Text Message Templates
Text Messaging: MMS,SMS

Music and Multimedia
GPS Navigation
Music Player
Speaker Phone

Connectivity
Bluetooth: Yes, v2.1 + EDR Supported Profiles: HSP 1.1, HFP 1.5, OPP, FTP, PBA, DUN, A2DP 1.2, AVRC 1.3, BPP 1.2, HID
E-Mail Client
Java Applications
Memory Card Slot: TransFlash,MicroSD
USB Port
Web Browser

Phone Book
Multi Numbers per Name
Photo Caller ID
Ringer ID
Voice Dialing

Organizer
Alarm
Calculator
Calendar
Voice Recorder

Other Features
Adjustable Text Size
Flight Mode
Hearing Aid Compatible
Multiple Languages
Polyphonic Ringer
Vibrate Alert

Phone Review HTC Hero CDMA

2009-10-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

Short Review
Specs:

Data: EVDO,1xEVDO
Keyboard/Buttons: Touchscreen
Phone Design: Bar
Phone Type: Smartphone
Talk Time: 4 hours (240 minutes)
Touch Screen
Features: Video capture, Auto focus
Bluetooth: Yes, v2.0 +EDR and A2DP Supported Profiles: HSP 1.1, HFP 1.5, A2DP, AVRC
Operating System: Google Android
Wi-Fi

Size/Design
Antenna: Internal
Dimensions: 4.46" x 2.22" x 0.54" (113 x 56 x 13.7 mm)
Headset Jack: 3.5 mm
Keyboard/Buttons: Touchscreen
Phone Design: Bar
Phone Type: Smartphone
Side Keys
Weight: 4.5 oz (127.6 g)

Network
Technology: CDMA
Frequencies/Bands: 850, 1900
Data: EVDO,1xEVDO

Battery
Talk Time: 4 hours (240 minutes)
Type: Lithium Ion

Display
Colors: 65K
Resolution: 320 x 480 3.2" HVGA touchscreen
Touch Screen
Type: TFT,TFD,LCD (Color)

Data Messaging
Instant Messaging
Predictive Text Entry
Text Messaging: MMS,SMS

Camera and Video
Features: Video capture, Auto focus
Megapixels: 5.0
Streaming Video

Music and Multimedia
GPS Navigation
Music Player: Yes,MP3,AAC,AAC+,WAV,MIDI,AMR,AMR-NB,Windows Media Player Mobile
Speaker Phone

Phone Book
Multi Numbers per Name
Photo Caller ID
Ringer ID
Voice Dialing

Connectivity
Bluetooth: v2.0 +EDR and A2DP Supported Profiles: HSP 1.1, HFP 1.5, A2DP, AVRC
E-Mail Client: Yes,POP3,IMAP4,Microsoft Exchange,GMail,push email
Java Applications
Memory Card Slot: TransFlash,MicroSD
Operating System: Google Android
PC Sync
USB Port
Web Browser
Wi-Fi

Organizer
Alarm
Calculator
Calendar

Other Features
Flight Mode
Multiple Languages
Vibrate Alert

Smart Choice for Smart Smokers

2009-10-10T17:05:00.000-07:00

Nowadays many bad smokers have realized the long terms effect of smoking. The smokes can disturb both active and passive smokers. However, they cannot stop their habits since they become addicted. Today, some experts that understand these problems try to help bad smokers to have healthier ways of smoking.

The terms of using e cigarette or electronic cigarette have been introduced since 3 years a go. Governments also admit and support the business on e cigarette to replace the selling of tobacco cigarette in the future society. Today people can easy buy these products from internet by browsing at Ecigaretteschoice.com. This web offers you many electronic cigarettes that equipped with starter kit bundles on it with affordable price from various famous branded. Besides selling the main products, this web also sell the supported equipments such as various type of e cigarette batteries for traveler, refill cartridges, and chargers. It suggested buying the packages products rather than the separated products since you are able to receive discount up to 15% for the starter kit packages.

If you interested to join their forum and have access to their daily news, you can make your own account in this web. For ordering information, you are welcomed to call their line at 877.771.5196.

Phone Review: HTC Tattoo

2009-09-23T10:34:00.000-07:00

Short Review
Specs:

Data: Edge,GPRS
Keyboard/Buttons: Touchscreen
Phone Design: Bar
Phone Type: Smartphone
Talk Time: 5.7 hours (342 minutes)
Touch Screen

Features

Bluetooth: v2.0 + EDR & A2DP
Operating System: Google Android
Wi-Fi

Network

Technology: GSM
Frequencies/Bands: 850, 900, 1800, 1900
Data: Edge,GPRS

Size/Design

Antenna: Internal
Dimensions: 4.17" x 2.17" x 0.55" (106 x 55.2 x 14 mm)
Headset Jack: 3.5 mm
Keyboard/Buttons: Touchscreen
Phone Design: Bar
Phone Type: Smartphone
Side Keys
Weight: 3.99 oz. (113 grams)

Battery

Standby Time: 340 hours (14.2 days)
Talk Time: 5.7 hours (342 minutes)
Type: 1100 mAh

Display

Resolution: 240x320 pixles 2.8" QVGA
Touch Screen
Type: TFT,TFD,LCD (Color)

Camera and Video
Megapixels: 3.2

Data Messaging
Instant Messaging

Text Messaging
MMS,SMS

Music and Multimedia
FM Radio
GPS Navigation
Music Player: Yes,MP3,AAC,AAC+,WAV,MIDI,AMR,AMR-NB,Windows Media Player Mobile
Speaker Phone

Connectivity
Bluetooth: v2.0 + EDR & A2DP

E-Mail Client: GMail
Memory Card Slot: TransFlash,MicroSD
Operating System: Google Android
PC Sync
USB Port
Web Browser
Wi-Fi
Organizer
Alarm
Calculator
Calendar

Phone Book
Multi Numbers per Name
Photo Caller ID
Ringer ID

Other Features
Polyphonic Ringer
Vibrate Alert

Phone Review: HTC Hero

2009-09-01T19:55:00.000-07:00

Short Review
Specs:

Features
Auto focus
Bluetooth: v2.0 +EDR and A2DP
Operating System: Google Android
Wi-Fi

Network
Technology: GSM
Frequencies/Bands: 850, 900, 1800, 1900
Data: Edge,GPRS

Data: Edge,GPRS
Keyboard/Buttons: Touchscreen
Phone: Design Bar
Phone Type: Smartphone
Talk Time: 7 hours (420 minutes)
Touch Screen

Size/Design
Antenna: Internal
Dimensions: 4.4" x 2.2" x 0.5" (112 x 56.2 x 14.35 mm)
Headset Jack: 3.5 mm
Keyboard/Buttons: Touchscreen
Phone Design: Bar
Phone Type: Smartphone
Side Keys
Weight: 4.76 oz (135 g)
Battery
Standby Time: 440 hours (18.3 days)
Talk Time: 7 hours (420 minutes)
Type: Lithium Ion

Display
Resolution: 320 x 480 3.2" HVGA touchscreen
Touch Screen
Type: TFT,TFD,LCD (Color)

Camera and Video
Features
Auto focus
Megapixels: 5.0

Data Messaging
Instant Messaging
Text Messaging: MMS,SMS

Music and Multimedia
GPS Navigation
Music Player: Yes,MP3,AAC,AAC+,WAV,MIDI,AMR-NB,Windows Media Player Mobile
Speaker Phone
Connectivity: Bluetooth
Yes, v2.0 +EDR and A2DP

E-Mail Client
Memory Card Slot: TransFlash,MicroSD
Operating System: Google Android
PC Sync
USB Port
Web Browser
Wi-Fi
Organizer
Alarm
Calculator
Calendar

Phone Book
Multi Numbers per Name
Photo Caller ID
Ringer ID

Other Features
Multiple Languages
Vibrate Alert

HTC Dash 3G

2009-08-15T04:27:00.000-07:00

Short Review
Specs:

Data: EVDO,HSDPA,1xEVDO,1xRTT
Keyboard/Buttons: Full QWERTY
Phone Design: Bar
Phone Type: Smartphone
Talk Time: 5 hours (300 minutes)

Features: Video capture, time stamp, white balance, brightness, panorama, spot metering functions
Bluetooth: 2.0 with EDR Supported Profiles: HSP 1.1, HFP 1.5, DUN, OPP, FTP, PBA, SAP, A2DP, AVRC, PAN, HID, BPP 1.2
Operating System: Windows Mobile 6.1
Wi-Fi

Network
Technology: GSM
Frequencies/Bands: 850, 1900
Data: EVDO,HSDPA,1xEVDO,1xRTT
Size/Design
Antenna: Internal
Dimensions: 4.5" x 2.5" x 0.47" (117 x 61 x 11.9 mm)
Keyboard/Buttons: Full QWERTY
Phone Design: Bar
Phone Type: Smartphone
Side Keys: Yes
Weight: 4.23 oz. (120 g)

Battery
Standby Time: 480 hours (20 days)
Talk Time: 5 hours (300 minutes)
Type: Lithium Polymer
Display
Colors: 65K
Resolution: 320 x 240 pixels (QVGA) 2.4"
Type: TFT,TFD,LCD (Color)

Camera and Video
Features: Video capture, time stamp, white balance, brightness, panorama, spot metering functions
Megapixels: 2.0
Streaming Video: Yes

Data Messaging
Instant Messaging
Predictive Text Entry
Text Messaging: MMS,SMS

Music and Multimedia
GPS Navigation
Music Player
Speaker Phone

Connectivity
Bluetooth: Yes, 2.0 with EDR Supported Profiles: HSP 1.1, HFP 1.5, DUN, OPP, FTP, PBA, SAP, A2DP, AVRC, PAN, HID, BPP 1.2
Data/Fax Capability
E-Mail Client: Yes,POP3,IMAP4,Microsoft Exchange,GMail,AOL Mail,Yahoo! Mail,Windows Live
Java Applications
Memory Card Slot: TransFlash,MicroSD
Operating System: Windows Mobile 6.1
PC Sync
USB Port
Web Browser: Internet Explorer Mobile
Wi-Fi

Organizer
Alarm
Calculator
Calendar
To-Do List
Voice Recorder

Phone Book
Capacity: Shared Memory
Multi Numbers per Name
Photo Caller ID
Ringer ID
Ringer Profiles
Voice Dialing

Other Features
Adjustable Text Size
Flight Mode
Hearing Aid Compatible
Polyphonic Ringer
Vibrate Alert

Phone Review: BlackBerry Tour

2009-07-31T12:19:00.000-07:00

The BlackBerry Tour is a global 3G device that will allow customers to call or access e-mail and the Internet from over 175 countries. Other key features included in this SmartPhone are push-based e-mail, IM, SMS, MMS, GPS, and a 3.2MP camera. Stay tuned as we find the rest of the specs!

Short Review
Specs:

Data: 3G,EVDO,1xEVDO
Features: Video capture, auto-focus, geo-tagging
Bluetooth: v2.0 + EDR Supported Profiles: HSP 1.1, HFP 1.5, DUN, PBA, A2DP, AVRC, (OPP)
Operating System: Blackberry OS
Keyboard/Buttons: Full QWERTY
Phone Design: Bar
Phone Type: Smartphone
Talk Time: 5 hours (300 minutes)

Network

Data: 3G,EVDO,1xEVDO
Technology: CDMA
Frequencies/Bands: 850, 1900

Size/Design

Headset Jack: 3.5 mm
Keyboard/Buttons: Full QWERTY
Phone Design: Bar
Antenna: Internal
Dimensions: 4.4" x 2.4" 0.6" (112 x 62 x 14.2 mm)
Phone Type: Smartphone
Side Keys
Weight: 4.58 oz. (130 g)

Battery

Talk Time: 5 hours (300 minutes)
Type: 1400 mAh
Standby Time: 336 hours (14 days)

Display

Resolution: 480 x 360 pixels 2.4"
Type: TFT,TFD,LCD (Color)
Colors: 65K

Camera and Video

Megapixels:3.2
Streaming Video
Features: Video capture, auto-focus, geo-tagging
Flash: LED

Data Messaging

Text Messaging: MMS,SMS
Instant Messaging

Music and Multimedia

Music Player: MP3,AAC,AAC+,WMA,eAAC+
Speaker Phone
GPS Navigation

Connectivity

Java Applications
Memory Card Slot: TransFlash,MicroSD
Operating System: Blackberry OS
Bluetooth: v2.0 + EDR Supported Profiles: HSP 1.1, HFP 1.5, DUN, PBA, A2DP, AVRC, (OPP)
Data/Fax Capability
E-Mail Client :push email
PC Sync
USB Port
Web Browser: Full,HTML

Organizer

Calendar
To-Do List
Voice Recorder
Alarm
Calculator

Phone Book

Photo Caller ID
Ringer ID
Ringer Profiles
Voice Dialing
Capacity: Shared memory
Multi Numbers per Name

Other Features

Multiple Languages
Polyphonic Ringer
Vibrate Alert
Adjustable Text Size
Flight Mode
Hearing Aid Compatible: M3

Credit and debt consolidation

2009-07-25T20:13:00.000-07:00

Because with the loan, you will be able to make in a big problem. problem can not pay back your bills and you have to deal with debt collectors. each person had to use certain types of credit. And there are always dealing with the dept collector, but there are also people who are able to manage financially. if you include those who are always dealing with the dept collector then you should learn how to better manage your finances.

3debtconsolidation is a company engaged in the field of debt Consolidation loan. that will help you to overcome your credit card debt. 3debtconsolidation will provide the best solution to help overcome the problems of debt and eliminate debt, your debt. if you are interested to use the services 3debtconsolidation or want to learn a little about managing your finances. you simply select the type of debt Consolidation loan. 3debtconsolidationwill provide credit consolidation
and debt consolidation for free.

so you should be more careful when taking the credit, you must make sure that the credit that you can take your pay. if you can not pay your debt, then are prepared to deal with the dept collector.

See you in my another articles. i hope you enjoy. and in other time please coming here again. thank's

Phone Review: HTC Ozone

2009-07-17T01:45:00.000-07:00

Short Review
Specs:

Data: EVDO,1xEVDO,1xRTT
Keyboard/Buttons: Full QWERTY
Phone Design: Bar
Phone Type: Smartphone
Talk Time: 4.8 hours (290 minutes)
Features: Video capture, auto-focus
Bluetooth: v2.0 + A2DP for stereo support
Operating System: Windows Mobile 6.1
Wi-Fi

NETWORK

Technology: CDMA
Frequencies/Bands: 850, 1900
Data: EVDO,1xEVDO,1xRTT

SIZE/DESIGN

Antenna: Internal
Dimensions: 4.5" x 2.5" x 0.5"
Keyboard/Buttons: Full QWERTY
Phone Design: Bar
Phone Type: Smartphone
Side Keys
Weight: 3.7 oz.

BATTERY

Standby Time: 324 hours (13.5 days)
Talk Time: 4.8 hours (290 minutes)
Type: Lithium Ion

DISPLAY

Colors: 64K
Resolution: 320 x 240 pixels 2.4"
Type: TFT,TFD,LCD (Color)

CAMERA & VIDEO

Features: Video capture, auto-focus
Megapixels: 2.0

DATA MESSAGING

Instant Messaging
Text Messaging: MMS,SMS

MUSIC and MULTIMEDIA

GPS Navigation
Music Player: Windows Media Player Mobile
Speaker Phone

Connectivity

Bluetooth: v2.0 + A2DP for stereo support
E-Mail Client
Memory Card Slot: TransFlash,MicroSD
Operating System: Windows Mobile 6.1
PC Sync
USB Port: Yes
Web Browser: Internet Explorer Mobile
Wi-Fi

ORGANIZER

Alarm
Calculator
Calendar
Voice Recorder

PHONE BOOK

Multi Numbers per Name
Photo Caller ID
Ringer ID
Voice Dialing

OTHER FEATURES

Hearing Aid Compatible: Yes,M3,T3
Multiple Languages
Polyphonic Ringer
Vibrate Alert

Phone Review: HTC myTouch 3G White

2009-07-14T01:34:00.000-07:00

Short Review
Specs:

Data: Edge,3G
Keyboard/Buttons: Touchscreen
Phone Design: Bar
Phone Type: Smartphone
Touch Screen
Features: Video capture
Bluetooth
Operating System: Google Android
Wi-Fi

Network

Technology: GSM
Frequencies/Bands: 850, 900, 1800, 1900
Data: Edge,3G

Size/Design

Antenna: Internal
Keyboard/Buttons: Touchscreen
Phone Design: Bar
Phone Type: Smartphone
Side Keys

Battery

Type: Lithium Ion

Display

Resolution: 3.2" HVGA with accelerometer
Touch Screen
Type: TFT,TFD,LCD (Color)

Camera and Video

Features: Video capture
Megapixels: 3.2
Streaming Video

Data Messaging

Instant Messaging
Text Messaging: MMS,SMS

Music and Multimedia

GPS Navigation
Music Player
Speaker Phone

Connectivity

Bluetooth
E-Mail Client
Operating System: Google Android
PC Sync
USB Port
Web Browser
Wi-Fi

Organizer

Alarm
Calculator
Calendar

Phone Book

Multi Numbers per Name
Photo Caller ID
Ringer ID

Other Features

Multiple Languages
Vibrate Alert

Phone Review: BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 Silver

2009-07-02T21:31:00.000-07:00

Short Review
Specs:

Data: EVDO,1xEVDO
Phone Design: Clamshell
Phone TypeL Basic
Talk Time: 3.5 hours (210 minutes)
Features: Video capture
Bluetooth: Yes, v2.0 Supported Profiles: HSP, HFP 1.5, (DUN, OPP, PBA, A2DP, AVRC)

Network

Technology: CDMA
Frequencies/Bands: 850, 1900
Data: EVDO,1xEVDO

Size/Design

Antenna: Internal
Dimensions: 3.98" x 1.97" x 0.69" (101 x 50 x 17.5 mm)
Headset Jack: 3.5 mm
Phone Design: Clamshell
Phone Type: Basic
Side Keys: Yes
Weight: 3.6 oz (102 g)

Battery

Standby Time: 216 hours (9 days)
Talk Time: 3.5 hours (210 minutes)
Type: Lithium Ion

Display

2nd Display: 65, 000-color TFT LCD/ 128 x 160 pixels
Colors: 65,536 (16-bit)
Resolution: 240 x 320 pixels (QVGA)
Touch Screen
Type: TFT,TFD,LCD (Color)

Camera and Video

Features: Video capture
Flash: LED
Megapixels: 2.0
Streaming Video
Video Sharing

Data Messaging

Instant Messaging
Predictive Text Entry
Text Messaging: MMS,SMS

Music and Multimedia

FM Radio
GPS Navigation
Music Player: P3,AAC,AAC+,WMA,eAAC+
Speaker Phone

Connectivity

Bluetooth: v2.0 Supported Profiles: HSP, HFP 1.5, (DUN, OPP, PBA, A2DP, AVRC)
Data/Fax Capability
E-Mail Client: POP3,IMAP4,Microsoft Exchange,Lotus Domino,push email
Java Applications
Memory Card Slot
TransFlash,MicroSD
PC Sync
USB Port
Web Browser

Organizer

Alarm
Calculator
Calendar
Voice Recorder

Phone Book

Capacity: Shared Memory
Multi Numbers per Name
Photo Caller ID
Ringer ID
Ringer Profiles
Voice Dialing

Other Features

Adjustable Text Size
Flight Mode
Hearing Aid Compatible: M4,T4
Multiple Languages
Polyphonic Ringer
Vibrate Alert

Phone Review: Motorola Stature i 9

2009-05-12T10:57:00.000-07:00

Short Review
Specs:

Data: 1xEVDO
Keyboard/Buttons: Standard 12 button
Phone Design: Clamshell
Talk Time: 4.25 hours (255 minutes)
Features: video capture
Bluetooth

Network

Technology: CDMA/iDen
Frequencies/Bands: 850, 900, 1900
Data: 1xEVDO

Size/Design

Antenna: Internal
Dimensions: 2.1" x 4.1" x 0.6"
Keyboard/Buttons: Standard 12 button
Phone Design: Clamshell
Side Keys
Weight: 4.7 oz

Battery

Standby Time: 79 hours (3.29 days)
Talk Time: 4.25 hours (255 minutes)
Type: Lithium Ion

Display

Type: TFT,TFD,LCD (Color)

Camera and Video

Features: video capture
Flash: LED
Megapixels: 3.1

Data Messaging

Text Messaging: MMS,SMS

Music and Multimedia

GPS Navigation
Music Player: Yes,MP3,AAC,AAC+,WAV,eAAC+,MIDI
Speaker Phone

Connectivity

Bluetooth
USB Port

Organizer

Alarm
Calculator
Calendar
Voice Recorder

Phone Book

Multi Numbers per Name
Photo Caller ID
Ringer ID

Other Features

Polyphonic Ringer
Push-to-Talk
Vibrate Alert

Phone Review: BlackBerry Curve 8350i

2009-04-15T18:35:00.000-07:00

Keyboard/Buttons: Full Qwerty
Data: EVDO,1xEVDO
Phone Design: Bar
Smartphone: Yes
Features: Video capture; Max. Length: available memory up to 240 x 180 pixels / 15 fps, 5x zoom
Talk Time: 4 hours (240 minutes)
Operating System: Blackberry OS
Wi-Fi: Yes
Technology: iDen
Bluetooth: Yes v2.0 Supported Profiles: HSP, HFP 1.5, PBA, A2DP, AVRC
Frequencies/Bands: 850, 900

Antenna: Internal
Dimensions: 4.37" x 2.44" x 0.71" (111 x 62 18 mm)
Headset Jack: 2.5 mm
Phone Design: Bar
Side Keys: Yes
Keyboard/Buttons: Full Qwerty
Smartphone: Yes
Weight: 4.76 oz (135 g)

Battery
Type: 1400 mAh
Standby Time: 168 hours (7 days)
Talk Time: 4 hours (240 minutes)

Display
Colors: 65,536 (16-bit)
Type: TFT,TFD,LCD (Color)
Resolution: 320 x 240 pixels (QVGA)

Camera and Video
Megapixels: 2.0
Features: Video capture; Max. Length: available memory up to 240 x 180 pixels / 15 fps, 5x zoom
Flash: LED
Streaming Video: Yes

Data Messaging:
Instant Messaging: Yes
Text Messaging: MMS,SMS

Music and Multimedia:
Music Player: Yes,MP3,AAC,AAC+,WMA,eAAC+,AMR
GPS Navigation: Yes
Speaker Phone: Yes

Connectivity
Data/Fax Capability: Yes
E-Mail Client: Yes,POP3,IMAP4,SSL,OWA,Microsoft Exchange,Lotus Domino,GroupWise,AOL Mail,Yahoo! Mail,MSN Hotmail,push email
Bluetooth: Yes v2.0 Supported Profiles: HSP, HFP 1.5, PBA, A2DP, AVRC
Java Applications: Yes
Memory Card Slot: TransFlash,MicroSD
Operating System: Blackberry OS
Web Browser: Yes,WAP2.0,XHTML,HTML
PC Sync: Yes
USB Port: Yes
Wi-Fi: Yes

Organizer
Calendar: Yes
Voice Recorder: Yes
Alarm: Yes
Calculator: Yes
To-Do List: Yes

Phone Book
Multi Numbers per Name: Yes
Capacity:Shared memory
Photo Caller ID: Yes
Ringer Profiles: Yes
Ringer ID: Yes
Voice Dialing: Yes

Other Features
Flight Mode: Yes
Adjustable Text Size: Yes
Hearing Aid Compatible: Yes,M3
Polyphonic Ringer: Yes
Push-to-Talk: Yes
Multiple Languages: Yes
Vibrate Alert: Yes

Phone Review: LG Versa VX 9600

2009-03-20T19:21:00.000-07:00

Short Review
Specs:

2.0 Megapixel Camera with Autofocus, Flash & Picture/Video Editing
Large 3” Touchscreen with Tactile Feedback
EVDO Rev A
Virtual QWERTY Keypad & Detachable QWERTY Keypad
3 Customizable Home Pages
HTML Web Browser
V CAST Music with Rhapsody (subscription, wireless and PC downloads)
Stereo Bluetooth
Music Formats Supported: MP3, WMA, unprotected AAC & AAC+
Chaperone Parent/Child capable
VZ Navigator
Up to 16GB MicroSD Optional Removable Memory
Visual Voice Mail
Nationwide Plans Only
Talk Time: Up To 290 Minutes
Connect & Premium Plan Capable
Standby Time: Up To 430 Minutes
Size: 4.16H x 2.07W x 0.54D
Weight: 3.81oz.
Screen Size: 3.0″
Screen Resolution: LCD: 262K Color TFT, 480 x 240 Pixels
Number of Contacts: up to 1000 Entries with multiple contacts

Versa The VX9600 features a modular design that allows a full QWERTY keyboard which is attached as required. The main interface is through the 3-inch touchscreen display. Key features include the animated 3D user interface on the home screen, web browsing, visual voice mail, and support for RSS feeds. With a 2MP camera Versa also offers great camera functions like face detection and SmartPic technology to improve picture quality.

Phone Review: BlackBerry Curve 8900

2009-02-17T13:34:00.000-08:00

Short Review
Specs:

Wi-Fi® Support
Built-in GPS
Camera (3.2 MP)
Wireless Email
Organizer
Browser
Enhanced Media Player
Video Recording
BlackBerry® Maps
Phone
Corporate Data Access
SMS/MMS

Size and Weight

Width: 2.36 inches (60 mm)
Height: 4.29 inches (109 mm)
Weight: 3.87 ounces (109.9 grams)
Depth: 0.53 inches (13.5 mm)

Data Input & Navigation

Trackball located on front face of device, ESC key to the right, Menu to the left
35 key backlit QWERTY keyboard
Dedicated Keys: Send, End, Mute, Lock, VAD (user customizable), 2-stage camera (user customizable), 2x volume/zoom
User Interface: Intuitive icons and menus

Voice Input & Output

Integrated speaker and microphone, Hands-free headset capable, Bluetooth® headset capable, Integrated Hands-Free Speakerphone
Rating for hearing aids (PDF): M3 (in cellular bands only)

Battery & Battery Life

Battery: 1400 mAHr removable/rechargeable cryptographic lithium cell
Talk Time: 5.5 hours
Standby Time: 356 hours

Display

Transmissive TFT LCD
Screen Size: 2.44 inches (diagonally measured)
High resolution 480x360 pixel color display
Supports over 65,000 colors

Media Player

Audio Format Support: .3gp, WAV, MIDI, AMR-NB, G711u/A, GSM610, PCM, MP3, AAC/AAC+/eAAC+, WMA9/10 Standard/Pro
Video Format Support: DivX, XviD (MPEG4 Advance Simple Profile), H.263, WMV3

Ringtones & Notifications

Ringtones: .3gp, WAV, MIDI, AMR-NB, G711u/A, GSM610, PCM, MP3, AAC/AAC+/eAAC+, WMA9/10 Standard/Pro
Notifications: Tone, vibrate, on-screen or LED indicator; notification options are user configurable

Camera & Video Recording

Video Camera: Normal Mode: 240x180 pixel, MMS Mode: 176x144 pixel
Camera: 3.2 MP camera (JPEG Encoding) with Auto focus, Image stabilization, Flash and 2X Digital Zoom

Bluetooth

Bluetooth v2.0 + EDR; Headset, Handsfree, Serial Port Profile, Stereo Audio (A2DP/AVCRP), SIM Access Profile and Dial-up Networking supported

GPS & BlackBerry Maps

Assisted and autonomous GPS enabled

Keyboard security

Keyboard lock
Password protection
Sleep (standby) mode

Wireless Networks

North America: 850 MHz GSM®/GPRS networks
North America: 1900MHz GSM/GPRS networks
Europe/Asia Pacific: 1800MHz GSM/GPRS networks
Europe/Asia Pacific: 900MHz GSM/GPRS networks
EDGE networks

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi Alliance Certifications: WPA/WPA2 Personal and Enterprise, WMM, WMM Power Save, Wi-Fi Protected Setup
802.11b/g enabled
Wi-Fi access to BlackBerry® Enterprise Server
Wi-Fi access to BlackBerry® Internet Server
Cisco CCX certification planned
Direct IP web browsing over Wi-Fi
Support for UMA/GAN

Valentine MP3 Download

2009-02-09T00:16:00.000-08:00

Valentine arrived. You may also want to have a collection of mp3 songs of love. This is a website that provides a lot of songs of love. Free valentine provides a lot of valentine song lyrics. You can download now.

http://freevalentine.blogspot.com/
Download Valentine MP3

Buy Affordable Prescription Eyeglasses Online

2009-02-07T05:13:00.000-08:00

In this bad economic condition, people will likely want to be more economical. It is not about merely being economical, but it is because they sometimes cannot afford to buy certain things that are increasing lately. Unfortunately, it is sometimes difficult to be more economical since people do need certain things. Therefore, people will likely acknowledge guides or tips that can help them become more economical.

As you can see at nytimes.com, there is complete guide for you that will help you to be more economical when you need to buy prescription eyeglasses. As a matter of fact, prescription eyeglasses can be expensive as you might need certain adjustment on the lenses. It will become more expensive if you choose designers eyeglasses. The article at this website will give clear and detail steps on how to buy affordable prescription eyeglasses. Surprisingly, you can find Zenni Optical in the New York Times?! One reason why this article mentions this online optical store is the fact that this store sells prescription eyeglasses for only $8! This means that you will be able to be seeing straight without breaking bank.

In sum, if you are in your way to be more economical on prescription eyeglasses, this article will be very helpful. In addition, Zenni Optical can be more helpful.

Phone Review: Nokia 7510

2009-01-16T22:48:00.000-08:00

Short Review
Specs:

Keyboard/Buttons: Standard 12 button
Phone Design: Clamshell
Data: Edge,GPRS
Talk Time: 3 hours
Bluetooth: Yes
Features: Video capture QCIF 176x144 @ 15fps, 4x digital zoom
Operating System S40
Technology: GSM
Frequencies/Bands 850, 900, 1800, 1900
Antenna: Internal
Dimensions: 3.64" x 1.83" x .66"
Phone Design: Clamshell
Side Keys: Yes
Weight: 4.37 ounces
Battery Standby Time: 12 days
Battery Talk Time: 3 hours
Battery Type Lithium Ion
2nd Display: 128 x 160
Colors: 16 million
Resolution 240 x 320 2.2"
Type TFT

Camera and Video
Features Video capture QCIF 176x144 @ 15fps, 4x digital zoom
Flash LED
Megapixels 2.0

Data Messaging
Predictive Text Entry: Yes
Text Message Templates
Text Messaging

Music and Multimedia
FM Radio
Music Player: MP3,AAC,AAC+
Speaker Phone

Connectivity
Bluetooth
Java Applications
Memory Card Slot TransFlash,MicroSD
Operating System S40
USB Port
Web Browser Yes,XHTML,HTML

Organizer
Alarm
Calculator
Calendar

Phone Book
Capacity 1000
Multi Numbers per Name
Photo Caller ID
Ringer ID
Voice Dialing

Other Features
Flight Mode
Multiple Languages
Polyphonic Ringer
Vibrate Alert

Phone Review: BlackBerry Bold 9000

2008-12-27T08:28:00.000-08:00

Short Review
Specs:

Memory - 1GB on-board (storage) and 128 MB Flash (applications)
Est. Battery Life - Standby: 13 days, Talk Time: 5 hours
Size - Length: 114mm, Width: 66mm, Thickness: 14mm
Weight (with battery) - 133g (same as the 88xx series. I can attest to it!)
Battery - 1500mAhr lithium cell0
Network Support - UMTS: 2100 / 1900 / 850MHz, GSM: 1900 / 1800 / 900 / 850 MHz, GPRS, EDGE and HDSPA networks
Display - HVGA, 480 x 320 pixels, Transmissive TFT LCD, supports over 65k colors
Wi-Fi - 803.11a/b/g enabled
Media Player, Video Support - DivX 4, Div X 5 & 6 are partially supported, XviD is partially supported, H.263, H.264 and WMV3
Media Player, Audio Support - .3gp, MP3, WMA9 (.wma/.asf), WMA9 Pro/WMA 10, MIDI, AMR-NB, Professional AAC/AAC+/eAAC+
Camera - 2.0MP, 5 x digital zoom (with flash of course)
Media Player, Audio - BlackBerry Media Sync allows you to transfer your desktop iTunes music to your BlackBerry!!!
GPS - internal GPS with extended ephemeris, BB Maps is standard
USB Port - Enables charging and high-speed data synchronizations via USB "A" to mini-USB "B" cable (I can personally say moving files back and forth is now lightning quick!)
Bluetooth - Bluetooth v2.0, all the normal stuff and Bluetooth Stereo Audio via A2DP and AVCRP
Browser - HTML browsing, View Movies/Clips from websites built for mobile streaming, RSS feed support

Free MP3 Christmas & Ringtones Download

2008-12-19T18:49:00.000-08:00

Free MP3 Christmas & Ringtones Download for you. Merry Christmas 2008.

photo via freedigitalphotos .net

Nokia 6300 Review

2008-12-09T19:32:00.000-08:00

We all have different standards and requirements to determine with cell phone that suitable for us. Some of us prefer to prioritize the technology and features offered, some prioritize the stylish designs, and some prioritize the deals offered, especially those with limited budget. If you are a part of the last group and looking for a good Nokia cell phone that will be enough to complete your needs from various aspects, take a look at the Nokia 6300. This cell phone is not really glamorous and stylish on the design. But just like what Nokia said for this cell phone, it is simply beautiful.

This cell phone is a neat and comfortably small phone. Eve though the shape the rectangle shape is not up-to-date enough, the corners and edges is still smoothly curved and shiny because of the stainless steel cover. You can choose it if you put the usability accompanied by looks as your priority in choosing a cell phone. The keypad is the standard easy and reliable use Nokia layout. Even though it has simple appearance, this cell phone has all the basic features expected for a new mid level mobile phone handset. You can enjoy the 2 mega pixel camera, good music features with Fm radio and MP3 player, and a good web browsing experience. Of curse you still can find the standard features of mid level cell phone. It might be not a fashion award winning cell phone, but still reasonably priced with good features.

If you are interested on this cell phone, you can take a look the offers at dialtosave.co.uk. This website has various mobile phone deals including for this cell phone. Check out the pay As You Go mobile phones that you can also call as pre pay mobile phone. It is not locked to a specific mobile phone network so you can change the network as you like.

Phone Review: BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220

2008-12-01T06:49:00.000-08:00

Short Review
Specs:

Make/Model: Blackberry Pearl Flip 8220
Data: EDGE, Wi-Fi
Network: GSM 850/1900 (There are European/Asian versions)
Size: 3.98” x 1.97” x 0.69”
Carrier: T-Mobile
Weight: 3.6 oz
Display: Internal is 240 x 320 TFT, external is 128 x 160 TFT (262k colors)
Form Factor: Clamshell flip with external display
Memory: 128 flash; The hot-swappable microUSB comes w/ 256 MB, and accepts 16GB
Notable Features: smooth external display with email/message previews; myFaves; voice notes; voice dialing; push email; stereo bluetooth; 2 MP cam with LED flash and 5X digital zoom, which can be controlled with the trackball. It also captures video.

Plus:
surprisingly music-friendly; external play/pause button; stereo bluetooth, standard headphone jack; UMA capable; unique form factor; slick new BB interface; more compact than other BlackBerries; still has the BB office apps that keep executives aboard, but feels like a fun phone.

Minus:
no GPS; weak web browsing; some lag here and there.

If you're looking for a strong messaging device that works with a variety of communications platforms, the cap does not disappoint. Make calls over Wi-Fi, and provides excellent call quality in adverse environments. Almost any type of text communications platform available today is accessible on the lid. However, without 3G and a real browser, do not expect to be navigating at night.

Phone Review: Samsung Highnote M630

2008-11-25T15:39:00.000-08:00

Short Reviews
Specs:

Make/Model: Samsung Highnote (M630)
Data: 1xRTT/EV-DO (3G)
Network: CDMA 800 / 1900
Carrier: Sprint
Weight: 3.5 oz (99 g)
Size: 4.0" x 1.9"x 0.6" (102 x 48 x 15 mm)
Form Factor: Slider with bi-directional vertical action.
Memory: Comes with 1GB microSD, accepts up to 16 GB
Display: 2” TFT; 262k colors, 176 x 220 px
Notable Features: Face slides up for keypad access, and down to reveal speakers; dedicated music button for quicker media control; a driving mode that includes computerized reading of text messages among other features; 2.0 MP cam with 4 X digital zoom, video capture, and night shot - no flash.

Plus:
Very music-friendly; loud and clear speaker; 3.5 mm (standard) headphone jack; stereo bluetooth; comes w/ 1 GB microSD and accepts 16 GB; dedicated music button; Sprint's One Click carousel interface; Sprint TV and Music Store capable; GPS; click-able scroll wheel; SD adapter for quick swapping.

Minus:
One music button is better than no hardware media controls, but I'd prefer the scroll wheel act as a jog/shuttle, and that some other buttons served as play/pause/skip. I like One Click, but would prefer hardware media control. That's it.

If you want to use the phone as their primary device for MP3, the Highnote definitely worth considering - especially if you want to hear without the aid of a headset or car adapter. This is aimed squarely at music fans, and almost all aspects of the phone reflect this. The scroll wheel on the face of the device is not for the music of control. I want to get in shape, because this false hope caused me a brief disappointment with what happens to be a great little music player.

Phone Review: Samsung Rant Black

2008-11-20T07:41:00.000-08:00

Short Reviews
Specs:

Network: CDMA 800/1900 MHz
Make/Model: Samsung Rant
Data: 1xRTT/EV-DO (3G)
Size: 4.5" x 2.1" x 0.7" (114.3 x 53.3 x 17.8mm)
Carrier: Sprint
Weight: 4.58 oz (130.4g)
Display: 2.1” TFT with 172 x 220 pixels and 262k colors
Form Factor: Candybar with full slide-out QWERTY
Memory: Comes with 256MB microSD, expandable to 16GB
Notable Features: killer QWERTY(!); 2 MP cam with mirror and video capture; Sprint TV, Music Store, and One-Click services; and it's only 50 bucks with a contract and rebate.

Plus:
It's a godsend for mobile text/IM/email addicts; slide-out QWERTY is comfortable and requires about 60 seconds of adaptation; it's Sprint TV and Sprint Music Store capable; music plays in background; stereo Bluetooth; camera with video capture and night shot; photo caller ID; GPS; comes with extra back cover, complete with curly doodles; loads of fun.

Minus:
Web browsing is low-priority; no dedicated music controls; background noise on Rant end can be problematic; more SD storage out of the box would be nice.

If you want to maintain contact along the way, the Rant you covered. Messaging is a monster that is easy to use. It supports Sprint TV and Sprint Music Store, and not surprisingly well in the department of multimedia, messaging phone. A video camera and some base effects make it the perfect accessory for shooting outside the updates or flirting with friends. With expandable storage and a focus on fun, the Rant is an explosion of mobile perpetual.

Phone Review: HTC G1

2008-11-15T07:37:00.000-08:00

Short Reviews
Specs:

Operating System Android™
Processor : Qualcomm® MSM7201A™, 528 MHz
Dimensions (LxWxT) 117.7 mm x 55.7 mm x 17.1 mm (4.60 in x 2.16 in x 0.62 in)
Memory ROM: 256 MB RAM: 192 MB
Display 3.2-inch TFT-LCD flat touch-sensitive screen with 320 x 480 (HVGA) resolution
Weight 158 grams (5.60 ounces) with battery
Network HSPA/WCDMA: US:1700/2100 MHz
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
Up to 7.2 Mbps down-link (HSDPA) and 2 Mbps up-link (HSUPA) speeds
Connectivity: Bluetooth® 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate
GPS GPS navigation capability with Google Maps™
Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11b/g
Camera 3.2 megapixel color camera with auto focus
HTC ExtUSB™ (11-pin mini-USB 2.0 and audio jack in one)

Plus:
Android experience is excellent; Web browser is amongst best available on cell phones; Great touchscreen; Touchscreen plus trackball plus QWERTY board provides multiple input options; Notifications bar is handy; Great GMail & Google services implementation; 3G and WiFi for fast data speeds; Amazon provides DRM-free mp3 downloads via WiFi

Minus:
Big, bulky, heavy, and not particularly attractive; QWERTY thumbboard is not as good as those on other recent HTC phones; Lacks 3.5mm headphone jack; No Stereo Bluetooth or video capture/playback support out of the box

Android will change the game, and although far from perfect, the G1 is more than convincing. I have a list of grievances a mile long, but was overshadowed by the amusing way the user experience of Android is on the T-Mobile G1.

The Right Place to Get Your Favorite Music

2008-11-14T20:48:00.000-08:00

If you are one of the music lovers then I am sure you have your favorite singer. So, who is your favorite singer? Is it Britney Spears? Is it Josh Groban? Well, no matter who your favorite singer is, I am sure you love collecting their albums and their CDs.

If you are looking for the albums or CDs of your favorite singer then you better get it online. Do you want to know why you should buy it online? Buying the CDs online from shop dot com will allow you to get the larger choice then you will get from the traditional store.

Buying the CDs on the traditional store will only takes your precious time and you will get only limited choices. You will also have to leave your home and spend some money for taxi or gas. I think this is a little bit too complicated for you.

If you are looking for the best and the simplest way to shop for your favorite CD then you can use the internet and visit the shop dot com. This is the perfect place for you to shop for your favorite CD. All you have to do is just visit the site and choose your favorite singer. Then make a simple click on the site and you will be able to see the prices from the different providers. This list of price will help you to choose the lowest price to get your favorite CD. Isn’t it great?

So, what are you waiting for? If you are willing to get your favorite CD online then what you need is just visit the shop dot com and make an order now. Good luck!

Phone Review: Samsung i900-Omnia

2008-11-07T07:05:00.000-08:00

Short Reviews

Specs

Make/Model: Samsung SGH-i900 (Omnia)
Data: Quad-band EDGE, Bluetooth 2.0, Wi-Fi,
Network: HSPDA 7.2 Mbps
Carrier: Unlocked
Weight: 122 g
Size: 112 X 56 X 12.5 mm
Form Factor: Candybar with full Touchscreen
Memory: 16GB/8GB with an SDHC expansion slot that supports an additional 16GB
Display: 3.2” TFT WQVGA (240 X 400)
Notable Features: 1440mAH battery; Windows Mobile 6.1 professional, Push email, tv-output, business card recognition, Samsung's proprietary easy sharing capabilities, nice camera.

Plus:
Universal landscape mode and universal landscape QWERTY; optically-enhanced action button functions as a scroller or track pad; appropriate use of haptic feedback and accelerometers; excellent 5 MP camera with LED flash, auto-focus and face detection; secondary cam for video calls; embedded GPS; FM radio and overall A/V-friendliness; large, welcoming and sensitive screen; it's a generally comfortable phone that makes you feel cool even though you're obviously using a Windows product.

Minus:
Windows Mobile may be a bit cumbersome and inaccessible for some users, even with Samsung's TouchWiz UI, which is a bit bland, but better than WM default; reception problems in sketchy coverage areas; no built-in stylus sheath; volume rocker sits RIGHT next to the camera button; in-call screen lock can be a hassle; proprietary headphone jack.

The Omnia is at the top of each list-gotta-try that phones with touch screen. You can hardware and a generous screen, big and sensitive enough to compete in the PC market-driven. The unlocked version is expensive, but it's cheaper than the nearest rival - The HTC Touch Diamond. And it feels harder than other phones in the same price range. Windows Mobile is not the favorite of all interface, but you really have to play with this beauty to appreciate the manner in which rests comfortably in the hand.

Phone Review: HTC Touch - Diamond

2008-11-01T14:57:00.000-07:00

Short Reviews
Specs:

Make/Model: HTC Touch Diamond
Data: GPRS/EDGE/W-CDMA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.0
Network: GSM/HSDPA: 900/1800/1900 and 900/2100, respectively.
Carrier: Unlocked
Weight: 110 g
Size: 102 X 51 X 11.35 mm
Form Factor: Candy bar with Touchscreen
Memory: 256 MB ROM, 192 MB RAM, Internal storage: 4 GB
Display: 2.8-inch TFT-LCD flat touch-sensitive screen with VGA resolution
Notable Features: Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, TouchFLO™ 3D, GPS (A-GPS-capable with additional free software),
FM Radio,
3.2 MP camera with auto focus, and a secondary VGA CMOS cam for video calls.

Plus:
Stunning hardware design and elegant software user interface; front panel is subdued, intuitive and refined; display is bright and sharp with excellent contrast; sensitive touch-screen; amazing orientation and localized haptic feedback capabilities; secondary camera for video calls; easy internet connection sharing; glorious font rendition.

Minus:
Stylus is a virtual requirement for accessing certain parts of the user interface; landscape mode is underutilized and landscape QWERTY availability is far too rare; some minor integration flaws between Windows Mobile 6.1 and TouchFLO 3D; no memory expansion options; proprietary HTC USB jack for headphones.

With its unique body and incredibly elegant interface, HTC Touch Diamond is a beautiful, distinguished headset. The sharp screen is a joy to play, and the screen is very sensitive to the touch. The accelerometers are equally sensitive and accurate, and localized tactile feedback is the best I've experienced. Innovative hardware and software interface elements, like the almost imperceptible movement ring, are so well integrated and rewarding that you wonder how you lived without them. It's a great phone, but the rarity of casual behavior and unfulfilled expectations are evidence that the software needs to catch up with the very capable hardware.

Ringtones Free Download

2008-10-02T19:50:00.001-07:00

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Top iPod Classic Accessories

2008-09-08T22:34:00.000-07:00

The popularity of Apple's iPod has spawned a huge industry of iPod accessories. There is such a wide difference to choose from, it crapper be hornlike to decide which ones are important to countenance at and which ones are pointless fluff. Here's a countenance at the five iPod artist accessories that every iPod someone needs to consider.

Case

The first iPod artist clothing that every someone should purchase is a protective case. A case is especially important if you travel with your iPod, and if you force it in your pocket or purse with your keys you're just asking for trouble without a case. The closing of the iPod artist is especially undependable to the dings and dents of everyday life. A protective case will keep your iPod hunting pristine, and helps keep dust and soil away from the undependable electronics inside.

Screen Protector

Almost as important as a case is a concealment protector. Most cases do not cover the screen, because users want to be able to see the concealment without taking it out of the case. A concealment protector will protect the screen, which is modifying more undependable to scratches than the metal body. And a scratch across the concealment is modify more galling than a scratch across the body, because you'll be hunting right at it every time you countenance at the screen. Like the case, if you move your iPod artist around a lot, a concealment protector is a valuable iPod artist clothing that will keep your iPod hunting good.

Charger

An iPod with a dead shelling is basically a paperweight. An extra device or two is an iPod artist clothing worth having, both for convenience and to reduce the chance of running out of juice. Having an extra device means you crapper charge your iPod at bag and in the office, and you won't run out of power in the middle of the day. If you pay a aggregation of time in the automobile and listen to your iPod patch dynamical (through speakers or an iTrip, please don't use headphones patch driving), a automobile device that plugs into the lighter diddley will ensure that you hit penalization the full way.

Cables

Cables are another needed iPod artist accessory. With just about every computer peripheral now using a USB connection, free USB ports may be at a premium on your computer. Fear not, because you crapper intend a telegram that lets you connect your iPod to your computer's FireWire port instead. Also, if you hit iTunes installed on your computer at the duty as well as your bag computer, an extra sync telegram will spend you from having to transport the telegram back and forth. There are also cables available that let you connect your iPod to your bag stereo.

Speakers

Speakers are one of the most popular iPod artist accessories, and thence come in a wide variety. Most speakers plug into the headphone jack, and are either shelling powered or plugged into a surround outlet. There are also speakers that the iPod artist crapper dock with, which will hit the additional benefit of charging the unit patch it's playing. Many of these speaker docking stations come with a remote, so you crapper skip songs and adjust the volume without feat over to the unit. Speakers will generally give meliorate good than headphones, and will allow you to share your penalization with everyone in the room. If you're hunting for portability, go with the battery-powered speakers. Otherwise, AC-powered speakers will good meliorate and crapper hit the additional functionality of being a docking station.

The wide difference of iPod artist accessories available crapper be overwhelming. Now, you've been given the information that should help you to decide on what accessories you need, and what ones you crapper avoid.

Free Download Symbian Anti Virus

2008-09-01T04:19:00.000-07:00

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2008-08-25T03:43:00.000-07:00

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2008-08-22T03:16:00.000-07:00

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Phone Review LG Viewty KU990

2008-08-17T20:45:00.000-07:00

3G video calling (VGA camera, 30 frames/second)
Touch sensitive screen: TFT LCD, 262k colours, 240 x 400 pixels (3 inches)
Document viewer (TXT, PDF, DOC, PPT, XLS)
5 megapixel camera with Schneider-Kreuznach lens, autofocus and SmartLight
Video recording (MPEG4, 320 x 240 pixels, 120 frames/second)
Ringtones: 72 voice polyphonic ringtones / MP3 ringtones
Wallpaper
Java 2.0 games
Music player (MP3/AAC/AAC+/AAC++/WMA formats)
FM radio
Speakerphone
Voice recording
Messaging: SMS, MMS, Email
T9 predictive text
Phonebook (500 names)
Internet: WAP 2.0, GPRS Class 12, EDGE, 3G HSDPA (3.6 Mb/s)
Google Package
Connectivity: USB 2.0, Bluetooth 1.2
Memory: 90 Mbytes plus 2 Gbyte microSD memory card
Weight: 112g
Talktime: 3.8 - 5.9 hours
Battery standby: 430 - 450 hours
Vibration alert
Quadband (GSM 900/1800/1900/2100) plus 3G
Size: 104 x 54 x 15 mm

Phone Review Sony Ericsson C902

2008-08-12T20:35:00.000-07:00

Short Reviews

Specs:

Media player
FM radio with RDS
MP3/AAC ringtones
3G video calling
5 megapixel camera with LED flash, autofocus, 16x digital zoom and lens cover
Video camera
Display: TFT, 262,144-colour, 240 x 320 pixels
Speakerphone
Voice recorder
Messaging: SMS, MMS, Email
3D Java games
Size: 108 x 49 x 10.5 mm
Weight: 107g
Personal organiser functions
Flight mode
Vibration alert
Animated wallpaper
Web browser, RSS feeds, blogging
HSDPA (3.6 Mbps)
Memory: 160 Mbytes plus support for Memory Stick Micro™ (M2™) (up to 4 GB)
Connectivity: Bluetooth, USB mass storage, modem
Quadband (GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900) plus 3G (UMTS 2100)

Phone Review Samsung F400

2008-08-08T19:12:00.000-07:00

Short Reviews

Specs:

Display: TFT, 240 x 320 pixels (2.2 inches), 262,144 colours
Music player (MP3 / ACC / ACC+ / eAAC+ / WMA formats) plus FM radio
Music Recognition (Shazam)
3 megapixel camera with autofocus, flash and 3x digital zoom
Video recorder (MPEG4 / 3GPP / H.263) & 3G video calling
72-voice polyphonic ringtones / MP3 ringtones
Speakerphone
Document viewer
Java games
Memory: 20 Mbytes plus microSD memory card slot (up to 8 Gbytes)
Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.0, USB 2.0
Voice memo recorder
Messaging: SMS, MMS, email
Internet: WAP 2.0, GPRS, EDGE, 3G (HSDPA 3.6 Mbps), web browser
Triband (900/1800/1900 MHz) plus 3G
Offline mode
Size: 103 x 49 x 17 mm
Weight: 108g
Talktime: 4.5 hours
Battery standby: 600 hours

How to Get Free SMS and AIM Instant Messaging by iPhone 3g

2008-07-27T16:42:00.000-07:00

Video:

Phone Review: LG Dare

2008-07-23T15:49:00.000-07:00

Short Reviews

Specs:
Make/Model: LG Dare
Network: CDMA 850 / 1900
Carrier: Verizon Wireless
Size: 104 x 56 x 13 mm
Weight: 107 g
Data: 1x EV-DO Rev. A (3G)
Memory: 200MB Internal Memory, microSD card slot
Form Factor: Candybar with Full Touchscreen
Display: 3.0” Color LCD, 240 x 400 resolution, 262,000 Colors
Notable Features: Full touchscreen; Virtual QWERTY/T9 and handwriting recognition; 3.2MP camera with flash; VGA video capture with slo-mo up to 120 fps; HTML Web browser; VCAST Video and Music Support; Rhapsody streaming music support; GPS with VZ Navigator software

Plus:
Attractive, highly customizable UI with home screen shortcuts; Compact design with high-res touchscreen; HTML Web browser and Email app with EV-DO Rev A support; VCAST Music and Video Support; Rhapsody streaming music support; 3.2 MP camera with flash and VGA video capture; 3.5mm headphone jack; Accelerometer and proximity sensor

Minus:
“Full HTML” Web browser is mildly disappointing; Touchscreen can take a bit of getting used to; No VCAST TV support

Dare is the best multimedia phone and Verizon currently offers the best camera ever has offered. It may well be the best camera available U.S. of any airline at this time, too. Although the touch screen is smaller than those of its competitors (iPhone, Instinct, and Vu come to mind), is bright, clear and relatively sensitive. If you do not need or QWERTY VCAST TV, Dare is the best feature phone VZW, and possibly the best of the media-rich handset currently available in the U.S. an airline.

Phone Reviews: Samsung Instinct-M800

2008-07-03T02:58:00.000-07:00

Short Reviews

Specs:
Make/Model: Samsung Instinct (M800)
Size: 116 x 55 x 12.4 mm
Weight: 128 g
Network: CDMA 850 / 1900
Data: 1x EV-DO Rev. A (3G)
Memory: 32 MB built-in, microSD card slot, 2GB memory card included
Carrier: Sprint
Form Factor: Candybar with Full Touchscreen
Display: 3.2” Color LCD, 240 x 432 resolution, 262,000 Colors
Notable Features: GPS with navigation; Support for Sprint Music Store, Sprint TV, Streaming music services; Voice control system; First Sprint EV-DO Rev. A device for consumers

Plus:
Supports every feature Sprint offers; EV-DO Rev. A data speeds; Good touchscreen response; Bright, clear display; Excellent GPS/navigation and voice command features; Good visual voicemail feature; 3.5mm headphone jack and stereo Bluetooth; Second battery included in packaging; Excellent value at $129 retail price

Minus:
“Full HTML” Web browser is disappointing; No IM support; No calendar synching; No support for user-created ringtones or background images on menu screens; No phone as modem support on mandatory Simply Everything plan

Sprint new flagship of the media phone is a device very good, although I wish it had jumped around the "Instinct vs. iPhone" marketing campaign. The web browser and the needs of working mobile instant messaging addicts are left in the cold of Instinct, but otherwise Instinct offers strong support across a wide range of excellent features and implementation of GPS navigation and voice commands activated In particular. Although plans start at $ 70/mo high, if you use the unlimited use of data, navigation, Sprint TV and it's actually a good value. And you can not beat the $ 129 price.

Phone Reviews: LG enV2

2008-06-23T17:16:00.000-07:00

Short Reviews

Specs:
Make/Model: LG EnV2 (VX-9100)
Network: CDMA 850 / 1900
Size: 102 x 54 x 16.5 mm
Weight: 120 g
Data: 1x EV-DO Rev. 0 (3G)
Carrier: Verizon Wireless
Display: 2.4” Color LCD, 240 x 320 (QVGA) resolution, 262,000 Colors (main); 1.45” Color LCD, 160 x 64 resolution, 262,000 colors (secondary external)
Form Factor: Clamshell (Horizontal-opening with dual displays and keyboards)
Memory: 63 MB built-in, microSD card slot
Notable Features: Internal QWERTY keypad and external 12-button dialing keypad; Dual displays; Stereo speakers; VCAST Music and Video compatible; Stereo Bluetooth

Plus:
Sleeker and smaller than the original EnV. Comfortable QWERTY keyboard and QVGA internal display make texting fun. Huge external keypad makes dialing easy. VCAST music and video support. Support for laptop tethering (phone as modem).

Minus:
External keypad makes the phone look like a retro calculator, although I suppose that could be seen as a good thing. Space bar is small and oddly placed. Verizon’s menu system can be confusing. Limited Bluetooth functionality. Still a little bulky.

LG and Verizon dropped the ENV and the results are good. While the original env an innovative but (very) large and expensive high-end phone, EnV2 is smaller, cheaper, and slots in downtown VZW line phone messaging. Text addicts who do not need the Voyager touch screen - and additional size and cost - Australia must find joy with this affordable and capable handset.

Phone Reviews: Motorola Z9

2008-06-20T17:11:00.000-07:00

Short Reviews

Specs:
Data: HSDPA (3G), EDGE
Make/Model: Motorola Z9
Network: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Quad-Band)
Carrier: AT&T Mobility
Display: 2.4” Color LCD Touchscreen, 240 x 320 (QVGA) resolution, 262,000 Colors
Memory: 51 MB built-in, microSD card slot
Size: 114 x 54 x 14 mm
Weight: 140 g
Form Factor: Slider
Notable Features: Crystal Talk noise reduction technology; 3G data speeds; AT&T CV Video Service; MobiTV Video Service; AT&T Music Store; XM Radio Compatibility; 2MP Camera with Flash; A-GPS with AT&T Navigator Service

Plus:
Great voice quality; fast 3G data speeds; good GPS system; mobiTV compatibility; sleek, attractive design; clean menus and UI; solid build; easy to hold and use

Minus:
Rather large for a sliderphone; some may not like tiny buttons; heavy

Mota's Z9 is a first-class featurephone that provides access to almost all of AT & T data and multimedia services in an attractive form factor. The phone is quite large and quite high, which is either really kind of pleasant or annoying, depending on your perspective. If you do not mind - or even like - the size and Z9 Heft, you're sure to enjoy his big screen bright, quick access to data of 3G, built-in GPS chip and navigation on board.

Phone Reviews: Samsung Glyde

2008-06-17T04:37:00.000-07:00

Short Reviews

Specs:
Make/Model: Samsung Glyde (SCH-u940)
Network: CDMA 800/1900
Size: 103.8 x 50 x 17.8 mm
Weight: 117 g
Display: 2.8” Color LCD Touchscreen, 240 x 440 resolution, 262,000 Colors
Data: 1xRTT/1xEVDO rev.0
Carrier: Verizon Wireless
Form Factor: Candybar with Slide-Out Keyboard
Memory: 40 MB built-in, microSD card slot (up to 8GB officially supported)
Notable Features: Touch screen and side-sliding QWERTY board; 2MP Camera with Autofocus and Flash; Audio/Video Player with stereo speakers and VCAST streaming media support; GPS with new build of VZ Navigator Service

Plus:
Touchscreen and Full QWERTY Keyboard in Compact Body; Clean Menus and “Croix” User Interface; 2MP Camera with Autofocus and Flash; GPS with VZ Navigator; Full HTML Browser; Good Sound Quality

Minus:
Touchscreen Can Be Difficult to Use, Especially Around Edges and Using Web Browser; Slightly Thick Profile; No D-Pad

Samsung F700 reduced to a cool and compact size in making the Glyde. The slide-out QWERTY board is very practical and comfortable is surprising given its small size, and finger-friendly touch screen is generally quite good (with some peculiarities constantly frustrating). Glyde provides much of the Voyager a flash smallest, simplest device, and is a new option for fun in messaging Verizon phone lines.

Video Phone: Sprint Samsung Instinct vs Apple iPhone - GPS

2008-05-20T08:52:00.000-07:00

Phone Reviews: Nokia N82

2008-05-16T08:46:00.000-07:00

Short Reviews

Specs:
Size: 112 x 50 x 17.3 mm
Weight: 114 g
Make/Model: Nokia N82
Network: GSM (Quad-Band)
Display: 2.4” Color LCD, 320 x 240 (QVGA) resolution, 16.7 Million Colors
Memory: 100 MB built-in, microSD card slot
Data: EDGE, WiFi (802.11 b/g); 3G (WCDMA 2100 - not for U.S. market)
Carrier: Unlocked GSM
Form Factor: Candybar
Notable Features: 5MP Camera with Auto-Focus and Xenon Flash; VGA video capture @ 30fps; Integrated GPS with location based services; 3.5mm headphone jack w/TV-Out; Auto-Rotating Display; Front-facing secondary camera

Plus:
Incredible Camera w/Xenon Flash; Full VGA Video Capture; Excellent Web Browser; WiFi; Extendable Operating System; 3.5mm Headphone Jack

Minus:
Cheap-Feeling and Plasticky; Small Keys; Music File Sort Issues; S60 OS Too Complex for Average User; Device is Bulky; Very Expensive

Nokia N82 may be the best camera phone on the market right now, but it is a voluminous, complicated, expensive device for Geeks and not the average consumer. Would you like characteristics? N82 has' em and then some. You want a sleek phone that fun to use? Look elsewhere.

Phone Reviews: BlackBerry RIM Pearl-8120 Titanium

2008-05-13T08:42:00.000-07:00

Short Reviews

Specs:
Size: 107 x 50 x 14 mm
Weight: 91 g
Make/Model: RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8120
Network: GSM
Display: 2.25” Color LCD, 260 x 240 resolution, 65,000 Colors
Memory: 64 MB built-in, microSD card slot
Data: EDGE, 802.11 b/g WiFI
Carrier: T-Mobile (Locked)
Form Factor: Candybar
Notable Features: SureType QWERTY keyboard; Trackball navigation; Push Email; IM Clients; HotSpot@Home (UMA calling); myFaves support; 3.5mm headphone jack; 2MP camera;

Plus:
Integrated WiFi for Web, Email, and HotSpot@Home UMA Calling; Trackball is easy to use; Integrated IM Clients; Second-to-None Push Email; 2MP Camera with Flash; 3.5 mm Headphone Jack; Compact Size

Minus: OS Menus and Fonts Remind me of 1989; SureType QWERTY board will be too small for some; Video capture quality is mediocre

T-Mobile the new pearl is a good thing and makes it better through the integrated Wi-Fi networks for data access and T-Mob's HotSpot @ Home. Some other minor improvements to the handset's media player and the keyboard a little better. Pearl still too small for my hands, but the functionality and features packages smartphone saving money on a large device that looks and feels like a phone - not a brick. RIM's gotta revise its user interface soon, however. The icons and fonts are feeling more and more each day's date.

Phone Reviews: LG Venus

2008-05-10T08:36:00.000-07:00

Short Reviews

Specs:
Size: 102 x 51 x 15.7 mm
Weight: 107 g
Make/Model: LG Venus (VX-8800)
Network: CDMA
Display: 2” Color LCD, 320 x 240 resolution, 262,000 Colors
Data: EV-DO (1x EV-DO r0)
Carrier: Verizon Wireless (Locked)
Form Factor: Slider with Half-Touchscreen
Memory: 64 MB built-in, microSD card slot
Notable Features: Touch controls with content-sensitive menus; VCAST Music and Videos compatible; 2MP camera

Plus:
Beautiful display; Context-sensitive menus; Extensive feature set; VZ Navigation works very well

Minus:
Half a touchscreen sometimes feels gimmicky and frustrating; Touch controls sometimes unresponsive; Poor voice quality with unacceptable hiss on some calls; Somewhat bulky overall

Venus' half-touch/half-not screen is an interesting idea that ultimately frustrated me more than it charms me. The screens are beautiful and morphing large menus, but I found myself wanting to play the entire screen and not just the bottom. Some of them do not mind, however, and for which Venus can be a dream come true: a feature-rich skid with a beautiful high-resolution display and access to all multimedia offerings save Verizon VCAST TV.

Phone Reviews: LG Rumor White

2008-05-07T07:52:00.000-07:00

Short Reviews:

Specs:
Make/Model: LG Rumor
Size: 109 x 51 x 17.8 mm
Weight: 117 g
Network: CDMA
Data: EV-DO (1x RTT)
Display: 2” Color LCD, 176 x 220 resolution, 262,000 Colors
Carrier: Sprint (Locked)
Form Factor: Candy bar with Horizontal Slide-Out QWERTY Board
Memory: 16 MB built-in, microSD card slot
Notable Features: A-GPS with location based services; 1.3MP camera; Email and IM clients; Auto-Rotating Display

Plus:
Compact, rugged design with full QWERTY keyboard; Easy to use; Auto-rotating display; Good SMS, IM, and Email integration

Minus:

Limited functionality beyond voice calling and messaging; No Power Vision access makes for slow Web browsing; Reports of laggy software and keyboard issues (I encountered none); Weak camera

Rumor is a candy bar phone with a focus on messaging, and in this sense that really shone in my tests. I found the headset easy and fun to use so long as he kept his strengths: Messages and more messages with voice calls and a shortage of media and Web functionality thrown in Rumor of comfortable QWERTY board, rugged design and soft finished grip, and self-rotating screen make it a solid choice for cellular phone users that the value of both text (or more) as voice calls.

Phone Reviews: Nokia N810 Silver

2008-04-28T23:56:00.000-07:00

Short Reviews

Specs:

Size: 72 x 128 x 14 mm
Weight: 226 g
Make/Model: Nokia N810 Internet Tablet
Data: WiFi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth connectivity for use with cell phone as modem
Carrier: Unlocked
Memory: 128 MB RAM, 2GB built-in storage, miniSD card slot
Network: None (WiMax Edition will be compatible with Sprint’s forthcoming XOHM service)
Form Factor: Candy bar with Horizontal Slide-Out QWERTY Board
Display: 4.13” Color LCD display: 800 x 480 (WVGA) resolution, 65,000 Colors
Notable Features: Linux-Based Internet Tablet OS is extendable and customizable; Web browser supports Web 2.0 functionality including AJAX and Flash 9; GPS with maps and navigation support; Front camera with video calling support; Skype and Rhapsody support; Audio and Video player supports local and streaming media.

Plus:
Stylish, compact design with large touchscreen and full QWERTY keyboard; Excellent build quality; Extendable Linux-based operating system backed by Nokia-supported developer community; Ships with Skype and Rhapsody clients installed; Excellent Web browser supports Web 2.0 technologies; WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity; Great for mobile bloggers, early adopters/would-be hackers, and Linux fans.

Minus:
Touchscreen isn’t responsive enough and can be hard to use even with stylus; Top row of QWERTY board is cramped, and all keys are mushy to type on; No Stereo Bluetooth support; Overall experience isn’t ready for mainstream consumers; Pricey

Nokia steps to evolve the N-Series tablets of "strictly for geeks" to "consumer friendly gadgets." The N810 - and recently launched N810 WiMax Edition - represent another step in that evolution, but this is still an Internet device for Geeks and non-mainstream consumers. To be fair, is the early adopter geek that make up Nokia N810 for the public.

Download: Windows XP SP3

2008-04-24T06:38:00.000-07:00

Windows XP SP3 being manufactured and available for release on April 29, but if you enjoy the thrill of downloading unproven software, you can get on:

Download: Safari 3.1.1 released

2008-04-20T07:17:00.000-07:00

Safari 3.1.1 is now available for Windows and OS X. According to Apple, this update includes improvements in stability, compatibility and security. "

In terms of security, this security bulletin describing the changes. It seems as if there was a vulnerability that could allow malicious sites spoof URLs headers or execute arbitrary code. There are two issues that specifically affect the version of Safari, so users of both platforms should ensure upgrading.

Just a reminder - some plugins, as Saft, will stop working after installing the upgrade. Visit the plugin author of the homepage to download the latest versions as they become available.

Download ...

Phone Reviews: Treo

2008-04-10T15:12:00.000-07:00

Short Reviews

Specs:

Size: 107 x 54 x 18.5 mm
Weight: 119 g
Make/Model: Palm Centro (690)
Network: CDMA
Data: EV-DO
Form Factor: Candybar
Display: 2.25” Color LCD, 320 x 320 resolution, 65,000 Colors
Memory: 64 MB built-in, microSD card slot
Carrier: Sprint (Locked); GSM version available from AT&T
Notable Features: Palm OS Smartphone Platform; POP3, IMAP, and MS Exchange Email support (including MS Direct push); IM support for multiple procotols; Web browser; Sprint TV and Power Vision compatibility including laptop tethering; ocketTunes Deluxe music player software including Internet Radio support; Sirius Satellite Radio support

Plus:
Full-featured, easy to use smartphone for entry-level price; Clear, bright, high-resolution touchscreen; Compact body with rounded edges; Zippy EV-DO data with access to Sprint TV service; A-GPS works with location-based services

Minus:
QWERTY keys are small and cramped; Display is smallish (if still easy to read); Hardware and software design feels a bit dated; Noticeably thicker than comparable devices; No Music Store access (yet)

Get Center in their hands. If you like the way it feels and if the buttons are not too small for you, you might you have found the best value currently in a smartphone with full-featured built for consumers. Palm OS is not stain, but it works well and fast Sprint EV-DO and excellent data network music store add value to the device. But the lack of space and the small buttons on the screen dealing with offenders for some.

Phone Reviews: Samsung Mysto

2008-03-29T08:31:00.000-07:00

Short Review

Spec:
Display: 2.2” Color LCD, 320 x 240 (QVGA) resolution, 262,000 Colors
Make/Model: Samsung Mysto
Network: CDMA
Data: EV-DO (1x Rev. 0)
Size: 105 x 50 x 12.7 mm
Weight: 95 g
Form Factor: Slider
Carrier: Helio (Locked)
Memory: 106 MB built-in, microSD card slot
Notable Features: Integrated GPS with location based services; 2MP camera with LED flash; Email and IM clients; Music Store access; Flickr and YouTube upload clients; Helio on Top RSS feed reader

Plus:
All kinds of multimedia, web, and location-based features; Super slim profile; Speedy EV-DO access; GPS; 106MB of internal memory

Minus:
Touch-sensitive controls are very finicky; End key in a strange place; Call quality only do so; House is not as good as the original U600

Samsung brings its Ultra U600 sliderphone to USA In the form of the Mysto Helio. Although Mysto slim profile is sexy and Helio to the multitude of features are excellent, this headset of electrostatic touch controls are more sentences that are worth. Helio fans love Mysto May as companion to its oceans, but others may look elsewhere.

Video Tutorial: Noah talks about iPhone SDK, unlimited calling, and much more

2008-03-14T22:19:00.001-07:00

Unlocked iPhone with Noah from PhoneDog.com. Apple unveils the iPhone SDK and announces iFund. Unlimited plans take center stage with Sprint and Helio leading the way. Hands-on with the Helio Mysto and Palm Centro for Sprint.

Phone Reviews: BlackBerry RIM Curve-8320 Pale Gold

2008-03-07T15:21:00.000-08:00

Short Review

Specs:

Size: 107 x 60 x 16 mm
Weight: 111 g
Display: 2.5” Color LCD, 320 x 240 (QVGA) resolution, 65,000 Colors
Network: GSM Quad-Band
Memory: 60 MB built-in, microSD card slot
Data: EDGE (2.5G), WiFi (802.11 b/g) with UMA support
Carrier: T-Mobile USA (Locked)
Form Factor: Candybar
Notable Features: Push Email with MS Exchange and Lotus Domino support; Extensive IM support; A/V player; Trackball navigation and full QWERTY keypad
Make/Model: RIM BlackBerry Curve (8320)

Plus:
Excellent QWERTY keypad; WiFi for Email/Web and UMA voice calling; Legendary push Email system; Trackball navigation; Media player with 3.5mm headphone jack.

Minus:
No 3G data; No GPS; Web browser not on par with best smartphones; Memory card hidden behind battery.

T-Mobile's version of the curve is one of the best smartphones on everything. There is a lack of data access high-speed data, but adds WiFi for data access and unlimited calls AMU, and the inclusion of a 2MP camera with flash and making standard headphones to make this the most oriented Consumer BlackBerry ever. Overall it is an excellent smartphone adds some entertainment value to the renowned BlackBerry push email service, and is actually a hair more sensitive than AT & T version.

Phone Review: Motorola U9

2008-03-04T16:14:00.000-08:00

Motorola's worrying convention for giving its mobile phones silly, truncated names may have been taken to breaking point with the PEBL, but few would be prepared to deny that the handset was a considerable hit with fashion-conscious consumers.

The company has now updated the concept with the rather more ordinary sounding U9, which retains the pleasingly rounded appearance of the PEBL but brings some intriguing features of its own to the party.

The most notable aspect of the phone is the shiny, mirrored front that conceals a surprisingly vibrant external screen and some undetectable touch-sensitive controls. When the U9 is dormant, the reflective casing is blank and unassuming; an incoming call triggers a showcase of colour and sound as the phone immediately springs to life. Also, when in music-player mode, the track name is displayed on the external casing.

The touch controls mimic those shown on the RAZR2, the big difference being that there's no tactile feedback this time around, which often makes it hard to discern when your presses are actually registered by the phone. But this is a minor quibble; the external appearance of the U9 is uniformly excellent and the smooth lines that made the PEBL such a crowd-pleaser are all present and correct here.

Opening the phone reveals a set-up that should be familiar to Motorola fans. The layout of the keypad is similar to that seen in previous handsets and the D-pad is a direct copy of the one seen on the RAZR2. Those of you savvy enough to follow Pocket Gamer's mobile handset reviews will undoubtedly recoil in horror at that last observation – when we reviewed the RAZR2 we were highly critical of the D-pad because it just wasn't up to the task of playing games on the go.

Thankfully the U9 comes as a marked improvement, and this is largely thanks to the dimensions of the phone itself. While the RAZR2 was thin and therefore awkward to hold correctly when involved in some particularly heated gaming action, the U9 is slightly fatter and its rounded form sits more comfortably in the palm of the hand. The upshot of this is that your thumb rests better on the D-pad, resulting in a far superior degree of control.

Our review unit came complete with a version of sudoku, which (as you might expect) singularly failed to put the D-pad through its paces. However, upon downloading some action-packed classics we were pleasantly surprised by the performance of the controls. It's still not completely perfect but makes the U9 a far more attractive proposition for mobile gamers than the RAZR2 ever was.

The joy of finding the U9 adept at mobile gaming was dulled slightly by the entry-level technology found elsewhere on the handset, though. The two-megapixel camera is acceptable but unexceptional, with no auto-focus or flash, while the 25MB of internal storage is unlikely to hold many music tracks. MicroSD support is included but we found it irksome that the slot is located under the battery, meaning that the phone has to be completely powered down in order to swap storage media.

Given the modest price point of the U9 (under £100 on PAYG at the time of typing) these rather underwhelming specs are a little more forgivable, but it's worth noting that other sub-£100 phones are available with much more power under the bonnet.

Taking into account the fact that the phone comes in garish purple and shocking pink (with metallic black almost coming as an afterthought), we'd assume that Motorola is gunning for the female customer with the U9. The PEBL was a hit with the ladies and it would be fair to expect this updated version to perform just as admirably with the fairer sex.

Combine the looks with the aforementioned low selling price and the phone to reach a wide audience, becoming yet another successful release for Motorola, but there's certainly room for improvement should the company choose to revisit the 'phone as a stone' idea.

by Damien McFerran

source: pocketgamer. co. uk

Game info: Nintendo games available on a mobile phone

2008-02-26T15:54:00.000-08:00

For hardcore game fans, the concept of play Nintendo games on your mobile phone is as fascinating as it is unlikely, with the Japanese giant flatly refuses to license its titles or participate in the development of third-party hardware. Indeed, it seemed that we have to wait until the rumor that both Nintendo phone before they had come to take Mario obtain cellphone.

Now, however, it seems that all may change with the advent of new mobile MC100 Fly, the first handset to support both Java games and classic Nintendo game platforms, including NES, SNES, Game Boy and Game Boy Color.

While this does not exclude, of course, in all three dimensions, for example, in GoldenEye N64 until Super Mario Galaxy Wii, there is still an incredibly rich heritage of the old skool titles with the likes of Mario, Zelda and Metroid still holding that make their mobile Bowman.

What's more, to ensure that games can be enjoyed as intended by the owners of the MC100 special gambling are keys on the top of the phone, as well as a robust joypad that seems to be designed with a subtle wink to the D-pad style.

Other features of the entertainment theme will include a special phone chipset for Yamaha audio output high-quality, built in the e-book functions and email client, a two-megapixel camera and a microSD card for storing games and music.

Before you get too excited, however, there are two reservations to be taken into account. First, the phone is currently only available in the USA At a price of $ 270 (£ 137).

Secondly, and perhaps more pressingly, the question remains as to exactly how these games are legitimate (Nintendo and knows how much on the set-up). The official press release only states that "the games (nes / smc / gb / gbc) can be freely downloaded from the Internet and create their MC100 Fly."

Although we have not yet received official confirmation of the company, we can only assume this refers to ROM instead of playing with official license. If that's the case, then do not be surprised if Nintendo whole legal department gave a buzzing fly in the next couple of weeks.

Suffice it to say that we will be monitoring developments closely and hope to get our hands on an MC100 to see if we can put the manufacturer claims to the test in the next couple of weeks.

N-Gage Game: World Series of Poker™ Pro Challenge

2008-02-17T17:25:00.001-08:00

How do you stack up against the poker pros?

Feel the rush of going head's up against Johnny Chan, Chris Ferguson, Scotty Nguyen, Shannon Elizabeth, and other top poker pros. Don't forget to pay attention to their unique animations and emotional responses as you learn to read them. Play your hands correctly to frustrate the pros, and eventually put them "on-tilt" as you build up your bankroll and reputation, enter higher stake tournaments, and win coveted WSOP bracelets. It's in your hands.

Features:

Top Poker Pros - Play head's up poker against Johnny Chan, Chris Ferguson, Scotty Nguyen, Michael Mizrachi, Annie Duke, and Shannon Elizabeth
New Perspective - 1st person perspective view brings your opponents' reactions, emotions, and tells to life like never seen before
Tells - Watch your opponents closely! They may hint at the strength of their hand
Advanced AI - A true test of your poker skills where the AI adapts to your play-style and becomes more difficult as the user progresses through career
Tilt Meter - Unique twist on gameplay, where if you play your opponent correctly, you frustrate them, eventually filling up their tilt meter to put them "on-tilt". They will then make poor poker decisions and show tells very often
Signature Chips - Earn special Signature Chips achievements by reaching milestones and completing specific objectives

N-Gage Game: Tetris®

2008-02-15T03:31:00.000-08:00

Captivating, fun, addicting.

Tetris history: A simple Russian computer puzzle. A worldwide PC videogame smash hit. One of the most popular mobile games ever created. More than 60 million fans hooked on the endlessly fun strategy game. Now, Tetris is on your N-Gage! Block your opponent’s efforts to clear lines. Race a two-minute clock in Ultra and try Forty Line, clearing 40 lines as fast as you can. With great new play modes including Clash and Challenge, Tetris takes mobile fun to the next level.

Features

Dazzling graphics and amazing sound effects.
Play against the computer in the exciting Versus battle mode.
Test your brain power in the new Challenge and Clash modes.
Check the Statistics to keep track of your game performance.

iPhone: SMS messages may be displayed in the wrong order when sending or receiving text messages

2008-02-05T14:47:00.000-08:00

Issue or symptom

When sending or receiving text messages on the iPhone, the SMS messages may be displayed out of sequence.

Solution

This can occur if the iPhone is not displaying the same date and time setting as the carrier network time.

Make sure iPhone is setup to receive the network time. Choose General > Date & Time and turn Set Automatically to ON. (Note that in some locations, network time may not be available and in some cases, you may not see this option).

If the issue continues after turning this setting on, the issue may be occurring because messages are being sent in quick succession (more common if the messages consist of only a few short words).

This document will be updated as more information becomes available, please visit apple.com.

source: apple .com

Download N-Gage Game: System Rush: Evolution

2008-02-05T05:48:00.000-08:00

Flowing from the massive repercussions from the "Kenjou" system hack in the original System Rush, the player is now in an authoritarian planet-wide "lock down".

The player resorts to a new form of experimental technology to shatter the 10 newly installed network "firewalls" and prove to the corrupt governments that the flow of information will never be halted.

The user is 'hardwired' into the system, effectively becoming a part of the network. Although advantageous, it has one very serious downside; the user cannot remove themselves from the network if a hack goes awry.

Features

Infiltrate 10 dangerous virtual sub-networks
Interactive game-play modes (Infiltrate, Shutdown & Evacuate)
Customizable player Co-Vec (Code Vehicle) that evolves according to your gameplay style
Two player head-to-head action on the N-Gage Arena

Genre: Action Arcade
Players: 1-2
Developer: Ideaworks3D
Publisher: Nokia

File Download: System Rush: Evolution (13.2 MB)
Please read Downloading the Pre-Release Version of the N-Gage Application before you download.

System Rush: Evolution Video
source: n-gage .com

source: n-gage .com

Download N-Gage Game: Hooked On: Creatures of the Deep

2008-02-05T05:24:00.000-08:00

Prepare for the fishing adventure of a lifetime!

Incredibly easy to pick up and nearly impossible to put down, Hooked On: Creatures of the Deep is a fishing game like no other. Travel to every corner of the globe and catch boatloads of fish, sea creatures, and other crazy items. You'll have a blast catching the Loch Ness monster in Scotland, pirate treasure in the Caribbean, and gigantic tuna in the Atlantic.

Cast your line and catch hundreds of fish, sea creatures, and unique items to store in your virtual live-well. The single-player career mode will challenge you with dozens of quests as you freely roam the expansive fantasy and real-world fishing destinations.

Features

Travel the world, complete daring quests, and discover hidden treasures
Hundreds of unique fish, items, and sea creatures
Journey to exotic real-world fishing locations
Aquarium screen-saver shows off your catches
Enjoy unlockable mini-games such as boat racing, target practice, and fish quizzes
Compete against others worldwide with Global Rankings and Leaderboards

Genre:Casual Sports

Players:1

Developer: Infinite Dreams

Publisher: Nokia

File Download: Hooked On: Creatures of the Deep (28 MB)
Please read Downloading the Pre-Release Version of the N-Gage Application before you download.

Hooked On: Creatures of the Deep Video

source: n-gage .com

Download N-Gage Game: Space Impact Kappa Base

2008-02-05T05:02:00.000-08:00

Customize your fighter with weapons and components, and then fight across ten sprawling, action-packed levels in this arcade shooter. Battle more than thirty different enemies, including explosive ballistic cannons and deadly energy leeches. Dodge enemy projectiles to increase your power meter, or unleash devastating combo attacks.

Once you've finished the single player campaign, connect online through the N-Gage Arena and fight it out in World Battle Mode for the ultimate glory.

Features

Create your own Skyblade and customize its weapons, engines and generators for an arsenal of over 400 different combinations
Fight your way through 10 challenging missions featuring a variety of environments and 3D interactive elements
Maximize your ship's power as you dodge enemy fire via Space Impact Kappa Base's unique "Kinetic Energy System"
Log onto the World Battle server and compete globally

Genre: Arcade shooter
Players: 1
Developer: Method Solutions
Publisher: Nokia

File Download : Space Impact: Kappa Base (11.7 MB)
Please read Downloading the Pre-Release Version of the N-Gage Application before you download.

Space Impact Kappa Base Video

source: n-gage .com

Downloading the Pre-Release Version of the N-Gage Application

2008-02-05T04:09:00.000-08:00

This post taken from forums.arena.n-gage.com ...

To get started, please review the Terms and Conditions of First Access and the End User Software Agreement first.

Current Version:

N-Gage Pre-Release Version 1.0 (build 1262)
February 4, 2007

ATTENTION: PLEASE INSTALL THE N-GAGE APPLICATION TO A MEMORY CARD / MASS STORAGE, NOT DEVICE MEMORY!

ATTENTION: IF YOU PURCHASE A GAME, USE A VALID EMAIL ADDRESS AND SAVE ALL EMAILS WITH YOUR ACTIVATION CODES!

IMPORTANT: When you first use the N-Gage application, you will be prompted to create an N-Gage Player Name and password, and provide an email address. This will be your temporary First Access Player Name that will be valid for the duration of N-Gage First Access. It is only used on the device. It is not linked to your forum name (if any), and your forum name will not work on the device!

N-Gage Player Names (created on device), N-Gage Points, and N-Gage Game Ranking will only be valid for the duration of First Access. Once First Access ends, the N-Gage databases will be reset.

STEP ONE - DOWNLOAD THE N-GAGE APPLICATION

OPTION 1 - Broadband Bundle

The broadband bundle includes the pre-release version of the N-Gage application, three game trials and detailed instructions on how to get started. Additional games will be available through the Showroom within the N-Gage application.

N-Gage application + 3 game trials (58.6 MB)

OPTION 2 - Separate Downloads

Download the N-Gage application, and choose additional game files at your discretion. You can also download the games later, either over the web or through the Showroom on the device. NOTE: You must have the N-Gage application installed first in order to install the game trials or download additional trials over the air.

N-Gage application (required) (6.3)
Space Impact: Kappa Base (11.7 MB)
System Rush: Evolution (13.2 MB)
Hooked On: Creatures of the Deep (28 MB)

STEP TWO - INSTALLING THE N-GAGE APPLICATION AND GAMES

The following are step-by-step instructions on how to get the N-Gage application from your computer to your device. First, you'll need to download the N-Gage application to your computer, and then you can transfer it to your device.

METHOD 1: USING PC SUITE (PC users only)

If you do not yet have PC Suite version 6.84 or better installed on your computer, please click here. PC Suite is a software program that will help you easily install the N-Gage application, and the games, on your device.

1. Start PC Suite on your PC.
2. Connect your device to your PC using a USB cable.
3. Select PC Suite Mode in the dialog box on the device.
4. Click the Get Connected button on PC Suite and follow the on-screen directions to enable the connection to your device.
5. Click the Install Applications icon on PC Suite.
6. Follow the on screen directions to transfer and install the N-Gage application (.sisx) file from your desktop to your device.
*** Be sure to select 'Mass Memory' or 'Memory Card' from the drop-down menu when choosing a destination on your device. ***
7. Start the N-Gage application on your device by clicking the N-Gage icon in the Applications Folder.
8. Now you are ready to install the games. Double-click the N-Gage game file (the .n-gage file) on your PC, and follow the on-screen instructions.
9. The on-screen instructions will remind you to have the N-Gage application installed, and prompt you to finish the installation on your device.
10. With the N-Gage application running, install the games to your device's mass memory or memory card.
NOTE: If you own the N81 8GB, your 8GB of memory is displayed as the memory card.
11. Complete the installation and start the game.

NOTE: You may need to attempt this process several times; see the KNOWN ISSUES section, below.

NOTE: If you encounter the error "Application can not be installed to the device. Not enough memory available." during PC Suite installation, this means you do not have enough free device memory to begin with. Please free up enough device memory to proceed, or use the Mass Storage / Data Transfer Mode method of installation, described below.

METHOD 2: USING MASS STORAGE / DATA TRANSFER MODE (PC and Mac users)

METHOD 2: USING MASS STORAGE / DATA TRANSFER MODE (PC and Mac users)
-------------------------------------------------

1. Connect your device to your computer using a USB cable.
2. On your device, select: Data Transfer or Mass Storage Mode (refer to your manual if you do not know which Mode to use to transfer files). Your device should now appear on "My Computer/Finder" as an external drive or removable disk.
3. Copy the N-Gage install file (.sisx) from your computer to a folder on your device's mass memory or memory card (such as the Other folder).
4. Disconnect your device from your computer.
5. From the File Manager application on your device (under the Tools menu), navigate to the memory card tab. Open the N-Gage install file to start the installation process. Follow the on-screen instructions on your device. It may take several minutes or more to install the application, so please be patient. You will be notified when the installation is complete.
6. Run the N-Gage application once to verify it is working.
7. Now you are ready to install the games. Re-connect your device to your computer using the USB cable.
8. From your computer, copy the N-Gage game file (the .n-gage file) to the N-Gage folder on your device memory. This folder is created the first time you run the N-Gage application.
9. Disconnect your device from your computer.
10. Start the N-Gage application on your device by clicking the N-Gage icon in the Applications Folder. The N-Gage application will detect your games and prompt you to install them. (If you are not prompted to install the game, use File Manager to open the game install file and start the installation process.)
11. Complete the installation and start the game.

NOTE ON BLUETOOTH: It is possible to install the N-Gage application using Bluetooth, however the games will not be recognized. We recommend you use PC Suite or the Mass Storage Method to install your games, as described above.

IMPORTANT NOTES

The Nokia N81 device has been released in country-specific variants. Unfortunately, the pre-release version of the N-Gage application is not currently compatible with the Nokia N81 that was released in China.

N-Gage services are network-dependent and require network support. In order to be able to use these services, you must ensure that your service provider supports data traffic delivery (GPRS) and that you have subscribed to a GPRS service, or that you have access to a WLAN (wireless network). Some networks have limitations that may affect your ability to use the services. Check with your mobile service provider for more information.

Are there any fees or costs involved with N-Gage First Access?

Nokia does not ask for payment for creating an N-Gage Player Name, trying the trial versions of the games, or using the pre-release version of the N-Gage application. However to access full versions of the games you will be required to purchase a game license.

In addition, use of the N-Gage service from a mobile device requires the use of air time (i.e. network connection). In order to use the N-Gage service mobile data traffic delivery services (GPRS, 3G and/or WLAN) are needed. Network connection and data charges may apply for the downloading of applications, games and game trials via Internet and/or from your mobile device. Please contact your mobile service provider for information on your data plan. Make sure that you have an appropriate data plan as part of your subscription so you can use the N-Gage services in the most cost efficient way.

PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU PURCHASE A GAME THROUGH N-GAGE FIRST ACCESS, BE SURE TO ENTER A VALID EMAIL ADDRESS IN ORDER TO RECEIVE A RECEIPT CONTAINING YOUR ACTIVATION CODE. PLEASE RETAIN THIS EMAIL AND ACTIVATION CODE FOR YOUR RECORDS.

Terms and Conditions of Use

Usage of the N-Gage application is governed by certain terms and conditions, which each user must agree to upon registration and adhere to during their use of the software.

End User Software Agreement

N-Gage First Access Begins!

2008-02-05T04:08:00.000-08:00

What is N-Gage First Access?

N-Gage First Access allows Nokia N81 owners to download the pre-release version of the N-Gage application, try and buy N-Gage games, and provide feedback on the experience. It’s a great opportunity to be the first to join the new wave of mobile play.

The features available through this pre-release version of the N-Gage application are constantly evolving, so keep in mind that this offering is only the beginning, and our feature set, game catalog and device portfolio will continue to grow in the weeks and months ahead.

If you own our Nokia N81 device, then visit the First Access forums to download the pre-release version of the N-Gage application, start playing games, and have fun!

source: n-gage .com

N-Gage Compatible Devices - Nokia N81

2008-02-05T04:03:00.000-08:00

Nokia N81

The Nokia N81 brings together the entertainment that moves you, whenever you're on the move. Preview, download and store thousands of songs from a catalog of over 2.5 million tracks, to bring music to every moment, every day. Let N-Gage gaming bring you exceptional, made-for-mobile games to play with friends around the world or across the street. Integrate and control all your media intuitively and seamlessly. Your music, your games, your entertainment: always with you, always on.

Gaming Features

Landscape and portrait gaming
Dedicated game keys with Intelligent Key Illumination
Large, bright 2.4" QVGA main color display with up to 16 million colors
Integrated stereo speakers
Micro USB 2.0, full speed connection to PC
MicroSD support
Bluetooth wireless technology 2.0
5-way Navi™ wheel and intuitive multimedia menu

The supported devices described above may change. Please check www.n-gage.com continuosly regarding supported devices.

source: n-gage .com

N-Gage Compatible Devices - Nokia N73, Nokia N82, Nokia N95

2008-02-03T02:45:00.000-08:00

Nokia N73

For some moments, there are no words. But when life starts moving, the Nokia N73 has you covered. Edit your photos and movies on the go. Upload instantly to Flickr. And with 3.2 megapixels of clarity, up to 20x digital zoom, and enough space for feature-length memories, you can let your images do the talking.

Gaming Features

Portrait gaming
Large, bright 2.4" QVGA TFT display with 262,144 colors
Integrated stereo speakers with 3D sound effects
Pop-Port™ connection to PC with USB 2.0 full speed
Bluetooth wireless technology 2.0
MiniSD memory card support (hot swappable)

Nokia N82

The convergence of GPS, photography, video and the web has changed the way you experience your world. Discover new places with integrated GPS, maps and search. Document your adventures with a 5 megapixel camera, built-in Xenon flash photography and one-click photo upload to the web. Instantly share your mobile gallery with others through emails, blogs and instant messages. Relive your moments just as you experienced them. And start telling better stories.

Features that support gaming:

Portrait gaming
2.4 inch QVGA display with up to 16.7 million colors
TV out support (PAL/NTSC)
Micro USB with USB 2.0 full speed connection to PC
Up to 100MB internal dynamic memory
2GB MicroSD memory card support
Bluetooth Wireless Technology 2.0 with A2DP stereo audio

Nokia N95

The Nokia N95 is the definition of optimal performance with 5 megapixels, DVD-like quality footage, and Carl Zeiss optics. Access your music, access your emails, plus advanced web browsing and GPS mapping. Upload instantly to Flickr, download movies in a heartbeat. Whatever you need. Wherever you are.

Gaming Features

Portrait gaming
Large, bright 2.6" QVGA TFT color display with millions of colors
Mini USB 2.0, full speed connection to PC
TV out support (PAL/NTSC)
Up to 160MB internal dynamic memory
MicroSD memory card support (hot swappable)
Bluetooth wireless technology 2.0 with A2DP Stereo audio

The supported devices described above may change. Please check www.n-gage.com continuosly regarding supported devices.

source: n-gage .com

N-Gage Compatible Devices - Nokia N95 8GB, Nokia N93i, Nokia N93

2008-02-02T03:41:00.000-08:00

Nokia N95 8GB

A new look. A bigger screen. Up to 8GB of internal memory. The Nokia N95 8GB multimedia computer has more of what you're looking for. Five megapixels. DVD-like quality video. Carl Zeiss optics. Access your music, access your emails, plus advanced web browsing and GPS mapping. Upload photos instantly to Flickr, download movies in a heartbeat. It's what you need. It's where you are.

Gaming Features

Landscape and portrait gaming
Crystal clear 2.8" QVGA display with up to 16 million colors
Integrated stereo hands-free speaker and Bluetooth stereo audio support
TV out support (PAL/NTSC)
3D engine
Mini USB 2.0 connection to PC
Internal 8GB memory available for storage
Bluetooth wireless technology 2.0

Nokia N93i

When moments begin to take shape, life has the power to be cinematic. The drama unfolds. The characters are revealed. Armed with up to 3x optical zoom and Carl Zeiss optics, your vision becomes clear. Shoot, edit, and share your stories in DVD-like quality — whether they turn out to be epic dramas or misunderstood masterpieces.

Gaming Features

Portrait and landscape gaming
Rotatable 2.4" QVGA (240 x 320 pixels) TFT full transmissive color display with up to 16 million colors and wide 160º viewing angle.
Up to 50MB internal dynamic user memory
MiniSD memory card support (hot swappable)
Approx. memory capacity indication with 1GB miniSD
Support of applications in both portrait and landscape orientations

Nokia N93

Armed with Carl Zeiss optics and 3.2 megapixels, the instant your eye catches it, that's the moment you shoot it. That is the beauty of dedicated controls. Steady, clear movement, delivered at up to 30 frames per second. DVD-like quality. Edit it, rewind it, watch it on your big screen at home. And before you know it, it's like you're there all over again.

Gaming Features

Landscape and portrait gaming
Large bright 2.4" QVGA display
3D graphics accelerator
Stereo speakers
Pop-Port™ connection to PC with USB 2.0
TV out support (PAL/NTSC)
Bluetooth wireless technology 2.0

The supported devices described above may change. Please check www.n-gage.com continuosly regarding supported devices.

source: n-gage .com

Software Info: Google tweaks mobile search offering

2008-02-02T01:42:00.000-08:00

Google has launched a revamped version of its mobile search for select markets. The service is available in the UK, USA, France, Germany and Canada. The new system offers blended results and has a stronger location-based element. Blended results mix in local and news search results with web search results. In practice this means that Google shows the result type that it thinks is most relevant first. Read on for more and lots of screenshot examples.

The new version also features a redesign which gives the service a cleaner look and feel and closer association with the PC version.

A single search box replaces the previous search box with radio option (for search type).

The results that appear depend on the keywords used. Many results will be pure search results, as shown in the N82 example above. However other results will blend in other information. For example a search for arsenal will bring up information about the last match that Arsenal Football Club played, then some related news (second screenshot below) and finally some pure web search results. Similarly a search for darling news will feature recent news stories about the UK Chancellor Alistair Darling first and then present general search results.

Some results will automatically trigger a local search (location must be entered manually but is remembered between search sessions). You can see an example of this with garage search shown below. The local results are shown first with, lower down the page, general web search results second.

Location based search has been improved. You can enter a location and it will subsequently be remembered and used in later searches (as in the garage example above). Location services are presented in a different format to regular searches, with pertinent information (phone number and distance) displayed on the search results page, and you have the option to view the results on a embedded Google Map. Clicking on a result takes you to a page showing a detailed map and further information (if available). Phone numbers are hyper-linked to allow for direct dial from the browser.

News and image results are still available separately via links at the bottom of all search results, as demonstrated in the screenshots below:

By: Rafe Blandford

Source: allaboutsymbian .com

Privacy Policy

2008-02-01T17:25:00.000-08:00

Privacy Policy Statement

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Note: the privacy practices set forth in this privacy policy are for this web site only. If you link to other web sites, please review the privacy policies posted at those sites.

Collection of Information
We may collect personally identifiable information, like names, postal addresses, email addresses, etc., when voluntarily submitted by our visitors. The information you provide is used to fulfill you specific request. This information is only used to fulfill your specific request, unless you give us permission to use it in another manner, for example to add you to one of our mailing lists.

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We may share information with governmental agencies or other companies assisting us in fraud prevention or investigation. We may do so when: (1) permitted or required by law; or, (2) trying to protect against or prevent actual or potential fraud or unauthorized transactions; or, (3) investigating fraud which has already taken place. The information is not provided to these companies for marketing purposes.

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We reserve the right to make changes to this policy. Any changes to this policy will be posted.

iPod Introduction & Review

2008-01-26T16:04:00.000-08:00

Introduction

The iPod is a brand of pocket-sized ultralight hard-drive based audio players designed and marketed by Apple Computers. Today the iPod comes in a range of models such as the Nano, Shuffle and Mini (discontinued now). All of the models in the iPod family are designed to be user friendly, and can easily be used by young children. Therefore they offer a simple user interface and a central scroll wheel to browse the iPod navigation system. The scroll wheel has been redesigned for the various models, such as with the Nano. The Nano is so small the wheel used on the previous iPod's wouldn't fit. Unlike portable cassette or cd players the iPod stores media on built-in memory. This means you do not need to insert a cassette or a cd. The older models like the iPod 20GB and Mini use a hard drive, while the smaller and more modern iPod Nano and Shuffle use flash memory.

Currently in 2005 Apple are offering these models (subject to change),

Model - Storage - Songs - Display
iPod - 20GB disk - 5,000 2" - colour
iPod - U2* 20GB disk - 5,000 2" - colour
iPod - 60GB disk - 15,000 2" - colour
iPod Photo - 60GB disk - 15,000 2" - colour
iPod Mini - 4GB disk - 1,000 1.7" - mono
iPod Mini - 6GB disk - 1,500 1.7" - mono
iPod Nano - 2GB flash - 500 1.5" - colour
iPod Nano - 4GB flash - 1,000 1.5" - colour
iPod Shuffle - 512MB flash - 125 - none
iPod Shuffle - 1GB flash - 250 - none

Additional models since 2005,

iPod classic 160GB - none
iPod touch 8GB - colour
iPod touch 16GB - colour
iPod nano 8GB - colour
iPod Classic Silicon Sleeve - 80Gb - colour

2007 was not only about the iPhone. Apple had a total makeover of it's iPod lineup. The iPod Touch featured the iPhone interface, and players like the Nano had an upgrade to be more video friendly. Below are pictures of the new 2007 lineup,

New Nano redesign 2007

Classic 2007

The Touch which features the iPhone interface

The following is a help guide to finding a cheap ipod from the various comparison services and retailers found online.

History of the iPod

The Apple Coporation first released the iPod on October 23, 2001. The idea was first brought to the attention of Apple by Tony Fadell. Before this Tony Fadell had shopped the idea to Phillips and RealNetworks . Luckily for Apple they hired him as an independent contractor, and the iPod project began. To begin with the one serious flaw with the iPod, was the price. The machine cost $400 in the US, and many consumers simply couldnt afford this price. Also the lack of PC support wasn't a strong point to begin with. Steve Jobs soon noticed this error and PC support was promisted soon after the launch. The iPod was launched only one month later in Europe. This contributed to Apple selling a massive 125,000 new iPods in 2001. Over the years many software updates have been released to fix several bug fixes from the generation 1 iPod's. One area Apple ran into problems with was Apple Corps, the holders of the Beatles copyrights. They sued Apple for infringement on previous agreements for the iTunes Music Store. Basically Apple Computers were only allowed to use the Apple name in products unrelated to music, the lawsuit was eventually settled out of court. By June of 2003, Apple had shipped one million iPod's worldwide. The iPod has since become the biggest selling portable hard disk player, and has sold around twenty million units from 2001-2005. A big contribution to this has been the maketing of the iPod, with some of the best ads seen in years. All the ads featuring the coolest tunes playing in the background.

The silhouette ads were hugely popular.

iTunes Software

The iTunes software that uploads music and photos is included when you buy any iPod. The software is called iTunes, and has often been likened to a jukebox. It will play, store and organise all the digital music and video files on your iPod. Another feature of iTunes is it can connect to the iTunes Music Store, where you can purchase music files to play on your iPod. Even though iTunes has been developed by Apple it's not only compatible with the Mac OS X operating system. iTunes will work with Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 operating systems. Since version 3 iTunes will no longer work with Mac OS 9, or Windows 98 or ME. iTunes is also freely downloadable on the web. When you get your iPod, you’ll want to start transferring songs to your iPod. This starts with your computer and iTunes. You will need to install iTunes on your computer, you can do this be using the CD that came with your iPod, or the url link below. Then, you can buy songs from the iTunes music store, or import CDs to your iTunes music library. Then all you need to do is connect your iPod to your computer. The iTunes software will then automatically transfer the music to your iPod. iTunes is setup to automatically update your iPod with the new songs you have downloaded. After you’ve transferred the music from iTunes to your iPod, you can then use the Click Wheel to browse through your music by playlist, song, artist, album, or genre. With iTunes you can also create playlists, where you group songs from different albums and artists into a mix tape. It's fairly easy to create playlists with common themes or moods, and you can use these for any occasion, like at a party. It's become common for celebs like Leonardo DiCaprio to DJ at LA clubs from the playlists on their iPod.

Download iTunes - http://www.apple.com/itunes/

iPod Functions

Above is an image detailing all the basic functions of the fourth generation iPod.

As the above images shows, the iPod has five main buttons,

Play / Pause.
Menu.
Previous which skips back a track.
Next which skips forward to the next track.
Select button which is in the center of the scroll wheel.

Note: With the itroduction of the fifth-generation iPod, Mini, and Nano, these models now incorporate the above buttons into the scroll wheel.

On the first generations of the iPod screen navigation included standard features such as Playlists, Browse, Extras, Settings and Backlight.

As the iPod advanced and came with a colour screen so did the features, such as photo browsing and the ability to shuffle songs.

iPod Generations

The design of iPod's has changed over the years, while the hardware and capabilities have pretty much stayed the same. The batteries in early iPods have been known to fail after a time (300 to 500 charge/discharge cycle / two to three years). People have sued over this problem www.appleipodsettlement.com. Currently there are 4 main generations,

1G - mechanical scroll wheel and four buttons. There was no remote control and games available for it, except for breakout.

2G - touch-sensitive wheel, 10GB and 20GB hard drives.

3G - touch-sensitive buttons and USB connectivity. For third-generation iPod you're eligible for a free battery replacement or a replacement iPod at Apple's discretion. But you need a proof of purchase and to file a claim by September 30, 2005.

4G - click-wheel and only two hard disk version, 20GB and 40GB. The fourth generation of the Apple iPod doesn't sound any better than the third, but it's still the mp3 player to beat. Other improvements are the control wheel adopted from iPod mini and improved battery life. The dimensions are 4.1 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches and weight: 5.6 oz.

5G - Now comes in a 60 GB version. The new 5G 60 GB fifth-generation iPod now had 64 MiB of RAM, this will also extend the battery life as well. The more ram the less work is required of the battery. Comes with iTunes 4.7.1 also so it autosyncs album cover art. The cover art downloaded when you purchase music from the iTunes Music Store is transferred to iPod photo along with the music. So while iPod photo plays your tunes, you can enjoy the album art in colour. The fifth-generation iPod now incorporate all the original iPod buttons into the scroll wheel.

Video iPod - The latest iPod now has video playback. The iPod video is capable of decoding (or playing back) videos encoded in either of two codecs, MPEG-4 or H.264. It seems presently that the MPEG-4 format is likely to be your format of choice if you want to play high-quality converted widescreen DVD videos on your iPod.You’ll want to pick a resolution of around 480 or 720 pixels and encode. Apple have stated publicly that the iPod has the following video limitations:

H.264 MPEG-4
Maximum Resolution 320x240 480x480
Maximum Bitrate 768 kbps 2500 kbps
Maximum Framerate 30 fps 30 fps

Standard Hardware

Connectivity

FireWire connectivity is included except for the Shuffle and Nano, they use USB (USB 2.0). The technolgy is also integrated into Power Macs, iMacs, eMacs, PowerBooks and iBooks. The FireWire technology was developed by Apple ad was honored by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in 2001 for it's impact on the television industry.

CPU

The first three generations have two ARM 7TDMI CPUs running at 90 MHz. The ARM7 TDMI core is a 32-bit embedded RISC processor and delivers a hard macrocell optimized to provide the best combination of performance, power and area characteristics. This means that the ARM7 TDMI core enabled the iPod system designers to build embedded devices requiring only a small size, low power and high performance. Ideal for asmall portable media player. Models after the 3G version use chips of 80 MHz, the plus point of this is that battery life is saved.

Hard Disk

Standard Pods have a 1.8-in ATA hard disk from Toshiba. Weighing around fifty grams. When launched the 40GB of storage was the largest single platter capacity yet achieved on a 1.8in drive, or so Toshiba claimed. They later achieved a two-platter, 80GB version in 2004. The iPod mini uses a 1 inch disk from Hitachi. When launched the six-week waiting list to get a popular iPod Mini digital music player meant Hitachi had to double production. Hitachi GST's Microdrive is also used in Creative Technology's Nomad MuVo MP3 digital music player.

Memory

All models with a hard drive include 32-MiB flash ROM chip, this includes a bootloader which informs the iPod to load the operating system from the hard disk. This process will start the operating system when the user turns on a computer system. 4MB of the ram is used for the operating system; the other 28MB are used for buffering data from the hard drive. Except for the 5G 60 GB iPod all of the models have 32 MiB of RAM. This ram contains all the firmware and and stores the cache data to load songs from the hard drive. The new 5G 60 GB fifth-generation iPod now had 64 MiB of RAM, this will also extend the battery life as well. The more ram the less work is required of the battery. Experts feel that Apple failed with the memory because the iPod does not have the ability to read from its RAM chip while writing to it. This results in the iPod which stopping for one to two seconds while it reloads the buffer after playing all 28 MB of data.

Connecting your iPod to a computer

By default, iPod imports songs automatically when connected to a computer.

For windows and mac

Plug the cable into the FireWire or high-powered USB 2.0 port on your computer.
Then connect the other end to iPod.

The USB and Firewire ports looks like this,

iPod Battery Guide

All iPod's come as standard with a non-removable, lithium rechargeable battery. When the battery has been fully charged it can last from 8 to 15 hours of battery life. The battery charge will last about 14 to 28 days without use. The iPod lcd diplay shows the level on the upper-right corner of the screen. You charge your iPod by connecting it to either,

Connecting the iPod to an Apple iPod Power Adapter.
The high-power USB port of a computer.

A full charge takes around four hours, and 80% charge around 1 hour. Newer models like the Nano charge times may vary.

Tips to save battery charge

Putting your iPod on HOLD will help keep your iPod from turning itself on and wasting battery life. This can happen if an iPod is tossed in a bag. It's also a good idea to keep your iPod turned off when not using it. It stops your iPod hard drive from spinning, and will generally make it last a bit longer.
Update to the latest software.
Keep iPod at room temperature.
Do not charge iPod while it is in a carrying case or cover.
Pause iPod when unattended.
Backlighting uses a lot of battery power. If you are not using the backlighting, turn it off.
Turning off the Equalizer will extend your battery life.
Avoid changing tracks, again this uses up you battery life.
Use compressed songs, the larger the music file the more battery power it uses.

If you do develop problems with your battery Apple has an official battery replacement program. In this US this costs around for $59. The will be required to send in your iPod. If you live in the US you can contact Apple on US: 1-800-APL-CARE. The reason why you need to send your iPod to Apple for repairs is because the iPod's case is not designed to be opened. In this respect your iPod is not like your PC. Your iPod does come with warranty for one year. And it does cover the battery. Plenty of retailers also offer inexpensive extended warranty coverage for the iPod.

Problems with the iPod's battery has been a major concern to many iPod owners. It even led some people to believe the batteries only last for around 18 months. Because Lithium ion batteries are generally only good for 300 to 500 charge/discharge cycles many experts believe this to be the cause. But Apple assure customers the batteries should last much longer, and battery failures are caused by certain customers' usage patterns. This has caused the occational battery to degrade, or fail, sooner than others. It is however true that lithium ion batteries degrade overtime. But this process should be a slow degradation which will not affect, or be noticed by, most users. It will most likely only be noticed by heavy users, and similar lithium ion batteries used in laptops and mobile phones degrade just the same, this is not unique to the iPod.

Typically the various iPod's use these batteries,

1G and 2G iPods use a Sony UP325385 A4H 3.7V 1230mAh lithium ion polymer battery.
3G use ("dockable") iPods use a 3.7V 850mAh lithium ion battery.
iPod mini uses a Sanyo EC003 lithium ion battery.

If your battery does fail dont worry about losing all your files and photos. The iPod stores all of its music on a hard disk. So even when the battery fails or is drained completely, the hard disk will remain intact. And if you have a iTunes music library on your computer you can quickly transfer you songs back onto you iPod..

iPod's can play these file types

MP3
WAV
AAC/M4A
Protected AAC
AIFF
Audible audiobook
Apple Lossless

iPod's cannot play these file types

Copy protection WMA files
Ogg Vorbis
FLAC

iPod Games

iPods with the exception of the Shuffle also feature games. These include,

Breakout / Brick

A clone of an Atari game. Which Steve Jobs had workd on.

Parachute

Shoot down paratroopers and helicopters.

Solitaire

Card game also included with Windows operating systems.

Music Quiz

No image

Quiz featuring the user's own songs. What happens is the iPod will play a song for you, and then give you four choices, and you have to scroll down to the one you think it is, and select it. Yous score is then based if you correct or not, and the time it took to be guessed correctly.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On the later iPod models you can now use your own music as the soundtrack to a game.

You can play more games if you install Podzilla however (changes the operating system on the iPod to a Linux system). These system comes with games such as,

Hunt The Wumpus
Invaders
iPobble
Lights
Minesweeper
Othello
Pong
Tic-Tac-Toe
Tunnel

iPod Earphones

All new iPod models come with earbud headphones. They come with white cords, however many users replace them due to low quality. One of the chief complaints is that they seem to lack good bass response. The white cords have now become symbolic of the iPod brand. This can be a dangerous thing as well, many people have been mugged for their iPod because a mugger saw the white cord. As Apple advertisements for the devices feature the white buds prominently you may wish to change the earbuds for safety as well as quality reasons.

There are slight changes between the earbuds for the 1st/2nd Generation iPods and 3rd/4th Generation iPod and iPod mini. This iPod Remote and Earbud set for the 1st/2nd Generation iPods is not compatible with 3rd Generation, 4th Generation iPod with Click Wheel or iPod mini.

2nd Generation

3rd/4th Generation

As you can see form the above images the cosmetic differences are not noticable. All iPod ear buds rely on Neodymium transducers, which is a rare earth magnet that significantly enhances frequency response. Apple state that this will produce overall sound quality, and should result in being five times as powerful as other headphones that use aluminium, cobalt, or ceramic drivers.

The headphone set for iPod's also include a wired remote which lets you fast forward, rewind, play/pause, and control the volume with four simple buttons. There is also a Hold switch which allows you to lock your iPod remote so buttons cannot be pressed by accidental. You can also clip the remote to your shirt for easy access.

Podcasting

Another great feature of owning an iPod is the grass-roots phenomenon known as "podcasting". Podcasts are radio shows or other audio programs that are downloadable over the Internet. Podcasting is where someone can record a discussion and then post the audio file on the Internet. This means people can download the file and listen to file on their iPod. And when an update is uploaded to a discussion an iPod owner can get a warning on their iPod. Podcasting is generally credited to former MTV video jockey Adam Curry and Dave Winer. The idea was popularised at the idea beginning of 2004, with subscriptions to podcasts generally being free to listeners. With iTunes 4.9, you can now browse and subscribe to podcasts at the iTunes Music Store. One of best places to find podcasts is at iPodder.org, which was originally started by Adam Curry to centralise information about podcasting. Still the central point where new podcasters go to have their shows added.

source: ipodreview .co .uk

Smartphone Operating Systems

2008-01-25T20:52:00.000-08:00

The most important software in any smartphone is its operating system (OS). An operating system manages the hardware and software resources of smartphones. Some OS platforms cover the entire range of the software stack. Others may only include the lower levels (typically the kernel and middleware layers) and rely on additional software platforms to provide a user interface framework, or AEE. The smartphone operating systems are:

Symbian
Symbian OS is the operating system for more than 100 different models of phones. The operating system consists of the kernel and middleware components of the software stack. The upper layers are supplied by application platforms like S60, UIQ, and MOAP. Though it's dominant in the market right now, with an estimated market share of 51 percent [Source: LinuxDevices.com],the research firm, The Diffusion Group, estimates that Linux and Microsoft will hold more of the market share than Symbian by 2010

Linux
Linux is unique among the other operating systems in that its development is driven by a community of developers rather than by a central company. According to ARCchart, the Linux OS supports more processors than any other operating system on the market, though the most popular phone models still use the Symbian OS. There are some drawbacks to the system, however. Since Linux is an organic OS, with developers constantly changing and updating it even at the kernel level, platforms based on Linux code can be very different from one another. Some smartphone companies find the risk too great to invest in Linux. Six telecommunications companies are responding to this by forming the LiMo foundation, an organization that is attempting to create a standardized Linux platform.

Windows Mobile
The Windows Mobile OS encompasses the entire software stack from the kernel to the application interface. The OS is based off of Window CE.NET. On February 12, 2007, Microsoft unveiled Windows Mobile 6, the latest version of the software platform. Much of the strength of this OS lies in the compatibility with the Microsoft Office suite of programs.

Java
Some smartphones have operating systems based on the Java programming language. The SavaJe OS is a Java-based system that includes everything from the kernel to the user interface framework and application suite. By using the Java language, the OS allows manufacturers or users to customize the interface as much as they like. Java-based phones have not made a huge impact in the marketplace so far, but some analysts think the operating system could gain ground while the big boys battle for the lion’s share of the market.

Garnet OS
Formerly known as Palm OS, this operating system combines a Linux-based foundation with applications written for the old Palm OS. The Palm OS was mainly used in PDAs, though the Treo line of smartphones used it as well. Phones using the Garnet OS should become available in late 2007.

Unique Operating Systems
Apple’s iPhone uses a variation of the Mac OS, known as OS X. The RIM BlackBerry has its own proprietary OS as well.

source: howstuffworks .com

Free SMS on Email2sms

2008-01-03T17:05:00.000-08:00

Reasonably fast and reasonably reliable service that lets you send SMS to many mobiles world wide, and, most importantly, it is FREE!
No registration required, just go to our free SMS page and send your text.

Phone Introducing: Motorola Q9m

2007-12-28T15:33:00.000-08:00

Introduction
I first glimpsed the successor to the MOTO Q back at CTIA Orlando in April of this year. A Motorola executive seated next to me at a Smartphone Summit panel discussion pulled a pre-production Q9 from his packet and used it to check his email while I tried to sneak a look. Eventually he noticed, and after I introduced myself he let me check the device out. I remember being impressed by the new Q's QWERTY thumbboard - the layout and individual buttons felt much more comfortable and responsive than the keys on the original Q. Beyond that, I remember thinking the Q9 looked sorta cool - well, sorta cool for a smartphone anyway - but that was about it.

After some time with the Verizon Wireless version of the Q9m, I've more or less come back to that first impression of the new Q. The Q9m - the consumer-targeted, music-oriented sibling of the all business Q9h - is a slightly faster, slightly more capable upgrade to the original Q. That new QWERTY board is, in fact, better than the original, and the Q9 also ships with Windows Mobile 6 and VCast multimedia capabilities. But it's bigger and heavier than the original, and not as powerful or versatile as the competition it faces in today's smartphone marketplace. Is the Q9m worth a look if you're considering smartphone power with media-friendly features? Yes, but serious business users will probably want to look elsewhere for their next handset.

Design
The original MOTO Q was a breakthrough in smartphone design. Q's tall, wide, and thin candybar form factor made the idea of a stylish, business ready device a reality - as a result, Motorola sold tons of the things to fashion-conscious executives, first time smartphone owners, and a fair number of young, geeky hipsters. Even though Q's performance and battery issues turned me off, its form factor really made me rethink the idea of a smartphone that would fit comfortably into the front pocket of my jeans. And it spawned a legion of similarly designed smartphones from HTC, Samsung, and others.

This new Q is a little bigger all around as compared to the original. At 117 x 65 x 11.9mm and 135g, the Q9m isn't exactly chunky, but it's noticeably thicker and heavier than the Q. Verizon's Q9m is finished in a sporty black and red color scheme, and features nice, big, clearly marked buttons and a large, silver-finish D-Pad in the middle of its navigational array.

A 2.5" TFT display - the same size as the original's screen - takes up the top third or so of the front panel, bordered by a silver Motorola logo on top and a navigational array on the bottom. Navigational controls include Call and Cancel/Power keys on the far left and right and two softkeys and Home and Back buttons bracketing a five-way D-Pad in the center of the horizontal layout. The D-Pad is raised up and the four sides of the rectangular pad slope gently towards a select key in the center. The ridged plastic of the D-Pad makes for easy one-handed use, and even though the other controls are flush-mounted with the surface of the handset, I also found them quite comfortable to use.

The QWERTY keyboard located on the bottom third of the handset is excellent. I much prefer the Q9m's rectangular buttons as compared to the Q's bubbled, oval-shaped keys - they actually remind me of the QWERY boards on RIM's BlackBerry 8800 series handsets. Even though there's no spacing between the buttons in the Q9m's QWERTY, they're big enough that it doesn't matter - the keys textured, provide good tactile feedback, and I didn't have any problems accidentally slipping from the key I wanted to an adjacent button during typing. Twelve keys on the left side of the QWERTY layout double as the phone's dialing layout, and are labeled with red letters as well as the standard white numbers and symbols found on the other keys in the thumbboard.

On the left side of the phone there's a mini USB port and covered slot for miniSD memory cards. The right side features a customizable shortcut key and a scroll wheel that can be pushed to select on screen items. The wheel itself works well, but a plastic ridge similar to ones found on Sony Ericsson smartphones made it kind of hard to click the wheel in - I'm not entirely sure what purpose the ridge serves, actually.

The top edge of the Q9m houses a 2.5mm headphone jack, while the back of the phone features the camera lens and flash assist light along with dual stereo speakers. Removing the lower portion of the back panel gives access to the phone's battery slot.

This Q is bigger than competitors like the Samsung Blackjack, and a little blockier looking than the HTC Dash. It's still small enough to fit into a suit jacket or jeans pocket, and while not exactly cool, the red trim definitely works to give the handset a bit more mainstream flash than buttoned down all grey look of its predecessor.

Features
Verizon Wireless' Q9m is a full-blown smartphone designed to be consumer-friendly and music-centric. What's that mean in English? On top of the standard Windows Mobile 6 interface, VZW has added a custom home menu designed for easy access to their VCast music store, and a hardware key dedicated to bringing you back to said screen whenever you feel the urge to rock out.

The VCast store is quite good, second by the slightest of margins to Sprint's music store when it comes to over the air purchase and downloads in the U.S. Unfortunately the Q9m doesn't support VCast videos, which makes the video and mobile TV compatible LG Voyager a more appealing choice in VZW's lineup for true multimedia fanatics.

Personally, I found the new multimedia home screen a bit confusing and pretty unattractive, to boot. But several people I know really like the new look, and the standard WM6 Home Screen is an available option on the new Q, so it wouldn't be fair to take points away from the device based on the "New Home." What is fair to mention, however, is that while Motorola and VZW loaded new features into the Q9m, they didn't do enough under the hood to help the device run those features smoothly. I suffered many a delay, stutter, hiccup, and freeze when trying to do more than one thing at a time on the Q9m, which gave me flashbacks to my painful go-round with the original Q. If you're going to market a handset as a smartphone, make sure it's smart - the new Q is better than the original, but it's no match for more robust WM6 devices currently offered by the likes of HTC and iMate. If you're planning to run more than one application at a time on a regular basis, think twice before buying the Q9m.

In addition to WM6's support for HTML Email and other productivity goodies, VZW ships the Q9m with DataViz's DocumentsToGo package instead of the standard Pocket Office install found on other WM6 smartphones. DocumentsToGo supports PDF viewing along with MS Office document creation, and works noticeably better than Microsoft's own Pocket Office apps. DocumentsToGo also lets you, gasp!, cut and paste between Email messages and Office documents which, believe it or not, is a revelatory experience on a mobile phone.

The standard, extensive PIM and synching options found on other WM6 devices are also present on the Q9m. Without launching into a diatribe, it suffices to say that WM6 is clunky to use but compatible with so many corporate IT environments that it's become something of a necessary evil for business users who don't want to run their own tech support.

Camera
The VZW Q9m features a pretty run of the mill 1.3 megapixel camera with a flash assist light and 6x digital zoom. Given that the Q9m is the long-awaited upgrade to Moto's flagship smartphone, I would have thought a bump to a 2MP shooter in order, but apparently Motorola and VZW felt differently (note that the newer Q9h does feature a 2MP camera).

Photos taken with the Q9m were sharp if a bit dull - that is, image details rendered clearly, but colors lacked pop and richness. Photos taken in low-light and/or with the flash assist light were flat-out blurry. Five resolution settings, three shooting modes, and white-balance and brightness settings let you tweak your images, but honestly there's not much you can do when the camera optics themselves are pretty mediocre. On the bright side, the Q9m's software makes it pretty easy to attach photos to MMS and Email messages, or to transfer them to a PC via Bluetooth.

The Q9m's camera is handy for "I was there!" snapshots on the go, and the new full screen viewfinder is a nice touch, but it's not going to replace your digital camera. Not by a long shot.

Video capture is also supported on the Q9m, with clips capped at 30 seconds in length and resolution of 176 x 144. Audio capture is supported in video mode, and video clips may be sent as MMS messages.

Display
The 2.4", 320 x 240 pixel display on the Q9m is fairly average by current smartphone standards. QVGA resolution isn't at all bad, but the 65k color depth is a little behind the 262k or 16 million colors supported by Q's competitors. Menus, images, and text all rendered clearly and crisply on the device, and unless you're used to a more state-of-the-art mobile display you probably won't really notice the relatively limited color spectrum found here.

Direct sunlight rendered the Q9m's display almost impossible to read, but it held up pretty well in most other conditions. An ambient light sensor adjusts the screen's backlight according to external conditions; there are no manual brightness or contrast settings available on the device.

As mentioned earlier, the new Q features two home screen options. While the custom multimedia screen is supposed to make it easier to access your music, images, and videos, I found it pretty unwieldy and wound up using the standard Windows Mobile home screen most of the time. T-Mobile and HTC did a great job of "masking" the WM6 user interface on the new Shadow; VZW and Motorola missed the same mark here with the Q9m.

Note also that the Q9m's display is not a touchscreen. In and of itself this isn't a problem, as the five way D-Pad and thumbwheel provide plenty of navigation options. However, given the recent trend towards finger-friendly touchscreens on high-end featurephones and smartphones alike, this leaves the Q9m's targeted buyer in a bit of a pickle. How attractive will the Q9m really be to the multimedia-focused user with flashy touchscreen devices like the Apple iPhone, LG Voyager, and HTC Touch also vying for his attention and wallet?

Audio
I tested the CDMA Q9m in the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. Voice calls were generally loud and clear with a little bit of static here and there but no notable reception problems or dropped calls. The rear-mounted stereo speakers were plenty loud for voice calling and surprisingly decent for music playback, and the speakerphone also performed quite well as compared with other handsets.

The Q9m features a 2.5mm stereo headphone jack, but the retail package does not include a wired headset. I used a 2.5mm to 3.5mm adapter to connect earphones to the device, which yielded good results when listening to music. I also tried a standard 2.5mm mono earpiece with an inline mic, which worked well for voice calls. Voice dialing is also supported on the Q9m, and it worked well for me with all of the headsets I connected to the phone.

Mogul supports mono and stereo Bluetooth audio, and I had no trouble pairing headsets with the device. Audio quality over Bluetooth was very good, both for voice calling (mono) and music playback (stereo). The Q9m's color scheme also matches nicely with Motorola's S9 stereo Bluetooth headset, if you're into that sort of thing.

Messaging
Messaging on Q9m works quite well. SMS and MMS messaging is supported, as are various types of Email accounts. A configuration wizard will attempt to set up your POP and IMAP Email for you based on your Email address, or you may enter account settings manually. Corporate Email is of course supported by WM6, including MS Exchange and Good Mobile Messaging. Verizon's own Wireless Sync system is also supported, though I don't have much to say about it that's positive.

Outlook Mobile features good integration between messaging accounts and contacts, and Windows Mobile 6 upgrades Outlook to support full HTML email. Email attachments are also supported, and as mentioned, the Q9m ships with the DataViz DocumentsToGo application, which lets you deal with MS Office and PDF Email attachments on the go.

Internet
While the Q9m doesn't feature integrated WiFi, Verizon's EV-DO network makes for robust Internet access wherever there's network support - even though the Q only supports Rev 0 EV-DO, and not the speedier Rev A. If you're really jonesing for WiFi, however, you can install a WiFi card in the device's MiniSD slot, which is a pretty neat trick.

Web Browsing using the included Internet Explorer browser was okay, but things perked up considerably when I downloaded and installed Opera Mobile. IE has never been my favorite browser, and the mobile version suffers from quirks and crashes more than its desktop counterpart does - particularly so on a device with underpowered hardware like the Q9m.

That being said, IE did a generally okay job of rendering Web pages but the experience on Opera Mobile was just an all-around smoother, better one. The Q9m is also compatible with Verizon Wireless' VCast music store for over the air browsing, purchase, and downloading of songs. VCast music store worked pretty well on my review unit, and downloads were sufficiently speedy.

The Q9m may also be used as a cellular modem. Note that VZW's data plans are generally a bit pricier than comparable plans offered by Sprint, whose Q9c variant - the Q9c - is now available.

Connectivity
The Motorola Q9m for Verizon Wireless is locked to VZW's CDMA network in the United States for voice and data access. The device features a relatively small amount of internal memory - 64 MB, of which 50 MB is user-accessible - and has an integrated slot that officially supports removable miniSD cards up to 32GB in size. A 128MB miniSD memory card is included in the retail packaging. The card slot also supports WiFi expansion cards for 802.11b/g network access.

Motorola built Bluetooth v2.0 into the Q9m, and file transfer, information synching, voice dialing, laptop tethering, and both mono and stereo (A2DP) audio are supported. The device also supports GPS, but only for emergency 911 purposes. An integrated mini-USB 1.1 jack can be used to connect to a computer for synching, file transfers, and use as a cellular modem. A 2.5mm headphone jack supports mono and stereo audio devices including earphones.

Conclusion
I had a bad experience with the original Q when I reviewed it some time ago. While I loved the smartphone's slim profile, QWERTY thumbboard, and always-on EV-DO connectivity, it crashed on me so often that I found it more frustrating than useful. I still remember being stuck in an airport waiting for a delayed connecting flight and trying to kill time browsing the Web on the Q. It crashed and crashed and crashed some more.

The new Q9m is a bit of an improvement over the original in most regards, but packs basically the same hardware under the hood as its predecessor did. As such, Motorola has basically given us a cosmetic upgrade featuring a roomier, more comfortable keyboard, and not much else. Windows Mobile 6 is a bit of an upgrade on WM5, but the Q9m doesn't really have the horsepower to make the most of its multitasking, document editing, and HTML email features. Don't get me wrong, it's a serviceable device ... so long as you don't plan on doing much multitasking.

If you look at the Q9m as less of a true smartphone and more of a messaging phone with access to the VCast music store, you might be happier with what you see. Verizon Wireless customers who want a handset that can do Email and music but don't like Voyager's bulk (or price tag) might just opt for the Q9m. If you're one of them, just make sure you install Opera Mobile and don't run too many apps at once on the Q9m - used within its limits, the new Q is a perfectly capable handset for the music hungry consumer who doesn't demand too much from his smartphone.

Cell Phone News: LG Viewty Debuted in Korea

2007-12-28T14:54:00.000-08:00

LG Electronics unveiled the long-awaited Korean edition of its Viewty phone, which was previously launched in Europe in October.

The Viewty is LG's first high-tech category phone, in contrast to the company's popular Black Label Series of design-focused handsets with emotional appeal. Armed with a 5.0-megapixel camera with certified Schneider-Kreuznach lens and manual focus, this full touch screen camera phone is for the serious photographer. ISO800, SmartLight and Image Stabilizer help users take images in low light or while moving. However, one of the Viewty's unique features is the ability to play video at one-fourth normal speed, thanks to is high-speed 120fps video recording function.

Additionally, handwriting editing and drawing function allows consumers to add a creative touch to images directly through the 3-inch LCD touch screen. Finally, users can share their creative work by directly uploading it to the mobile edition of Cyworld, the Korean equivalent of Facebook. For the global version of the phone, the LG KU990, uploads can go directly to YouTube.

The Korean edition of the LG Viewty comes in three models of 7.2-Mbps 3G phone, respectively tailored to all three major Korean network service providers: SK Telecom, Korea Telecom Freetel and LG Telecom. The global edition is a single 3.6-Mbps HSDPA model for the European open market.

The LG Viewty was also launched in Singapore, South Africa, Malaysia, Taiwan, UAE and Thailand in November. The phone will be available by the end of this year in other parts of Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Source: mobil edia .com

Phone Introducing: LG KE850 Prada

2007-12-08T13:52:00.000-08:00

LG KE850, also known as the LG Prada, phone resulted from the work of 2 renowned companies: LG Electronics and the Italian fashion brand Prada. Actually, you can see the phone as a piece of LG software "dressed" in Prada designed clothes. Moreover, LG Prada is considered by many as being the first mobile phone that uses complete touchscreen display. The resemblance with Apple's iPhone is striking and LG Electronics claims that the latter's design has been copied from the LG Prada handset. True or not, the fact is that while LG's Prada is just a simple fashionistas mobile phone, the iPhone features a MAC OS X which makes it a true smartphone.

Unveiled in September 2006 when it has also received the iF Design Award prize, LG's Prada has been made available on the market in late February 2007. The price starts from USD 700, but may vary greatly depending on the location, plan and network operator.

Design

Besides the iF Design Award prize won in 2006, LG's Prada also won 'Best of the Best' red dot Design Award in 2007. I believe this says everything about the phone's design which is as stylish as can be. While two thirds of the sold phones are clamshells, the candybar form seems to be a little bit unpopular, but LG Prada comes to contradict these statistics. The phone is slim and the no-button interface with the entire phone face covered by a touch-sensitive screen may look very much like Apple's iPhone, but people must understand that besides the design you can't really compare the two devices.

The 12mm-thick handset measures 98.8mm x 54mm and weighs only 85 grams (battery included). This is a light candybar with a very big display (240 x 400 pixels) and no visible keyboard. It is made from a plastic (cheap or not, it's still plastic) material, which is very easy to scratch whether or not you're using the leather case that comes with the phone. In fact there's a big chance that you'll be scratching your display if you use the leather case and the only efficient way to protect it seems to be the "invisibleSHIELD" sold by a company called Zagg Inc. (it is delivered worldwide). Right under the big screen, there are three keys that you can use to Accept/End calls and a dedicated "Back" key. The volume dual-key and the speaker/profiles key are placed on the left side of the phone. Besides changing the Profiles of the phone you can use the speaker key to bring up the virtual keyboard on the screen during a call.

There's also a slot covered by a plastic stripe where you can plug in the wired headset or the charger. On the right side of the handset, you can find the Lock/Unlock key and the MP3 player/Camera key. The latter will open up the music player if you push it once or the camera if you push and hold it for a few seconds. On the back of the phone, LG included another 2 Megapixel camera that features Schneider-Kreuznach lenses with flash and self-mirror capabilities. The external speaker was strangely placed on the bottom of the phone.

LG Prada comes in an exquisite box which contains a leather case, wired headset with remote control and a 256 MB microSD memory card.

Display and Camera

LG KE850 comes with an unusually big TFT touchscreen (240 x 400 pixels resolution) that supports up to 256k colors. The screen won't respond to any commands if you use a stylus or other objects and you will only be able to handle it with your fingers. This is the first handset that relies entirely on the use of the touchscreen for accessing the phone's functions. LG warned users that the phone will not work in hot or humid conditions, but neither in case you're wearing gloves. Thanks to the capacitive technology, the display responds very quickly being also quite accurate; however, it might be a pain to handle for people with wide fingers. The most annoying thing by far is the scrolling, which is very hard to execute, unless you're using the dual volume key. Outdoor use of the phone can mean trouble for you especially if you're looking to initiate calls, because it's almost impossible to see anything on the screen in sunlight. There's still a chance that you can use the phone on sunny days, but you have to protect the display from direct sunlight. Word of advice – protect your screen with your life as it scratches very easily even if you're using it with gloves (which you cannot, as I’ve already told you).

The 2 Megapixel camera features Schneider-Kreuznach, flash and self-mirror capabilities. The quality of the pictures depends very much on the light conditions. The maximum resolution available for taking pictures is 1600 x 1200 pixels, but you won't be able to use the zoom capabilities of the camera with this resolution, so you must lower it to at least 640 x 480 pixels (you can zoom with the dual volume key).

As you can see from the pictures below, it's comparable with LG Shine's camera. Indoor pictures are looking much better than those made outside.

The flash is too weak to count, so don't try to take shots at night, unless you're really close on the subject. The usual functions and settings are available for the camera in photo modes as well as in camcorder mode. You can shoot 30 fps video clips in 400 x 200 pixels resolutions and save them in the usual 3GP format.

Menu and Software

LG Prada features a more "primitive" menu than any other LG mobile phone. The interface is simple, intuitive and very easy to use, even for people that are not acquainted with LG mobiles. The four shortcuts on the main screen are not configurable (that is, you cannot change them) and will only give you access to Main Menu, Dialing Pad, Messages and Contacts. The clock on the main display can be easily moved with your fingers anywhere on the screen and can also be used to quickly set an alarm. There are 4 great themes that you can use to personalize the phone, including a black and white Prada theme. All themes are keeping the floating clock on the main display, which by the way can be seen as digital, analog or in both modes. You will have no problems "fingering" through the various menus of the phone, but you will have a hard time texting or scrolling.

Unfortunately, the phone's software has lots of bugs, exactly like those found in many other LG mobile phones (LG KU580 makes an exception). People will find that they won't be able to attach icons to all contacts or play some MP3 files. All these problems seem to appear randomly, but frequently.

Although the phone features Java MIDP 2.0 emulator there's a big chance that you won't be able to run some Java compatible applications on the phone – reason unknown. Also, you can set MP3 files as ring tones if you open the music player and run those files or if you go to Profiles and personalize the caller ring.

Fortunately, there are some good applications pre-installed on the phone that you can use. There's a Unit Converter, Calculator (basic and scientific), Alarm (only one alarm to set!), World Time Clock, Calendar and Memo. With the help of a Document viewer, you will be able to read any .ppt, .doc, .xls, .pdf or .txt format file. The big screen will offer you a better view, especially when using the Landscape mode, but again…scrolling will be a pain.

The File Manager of the phone is called My Stuff and here's the place where you can store any image, music file or document. The basic Internet browser included won't offer you too many choices, but at least you'll be able to open full HTML web pages. As it came up right before the latest KU580 Chocolate, Prada's firmware needs some adjustments to improve functionality. Even if it’s a fashionistas phone, people will want to be able to play MP3 files no matter where they are, copying them or maybe install some other Java compatible third-party applications.

Communication

I'm surprised that this phone features EDGE technology, but I'm equally surprised by the lack of 3G. The GPRS Class 10 (32 - 48 kbps) is enough for users of this type of handset, but it would've been great to be able to make videocalls on such a big touchscreen. Anyway, LG doesn't escape its mediocrity regarding the connectivity tools and offers only 89 Kbps download and 51 Kbps upload data transfer speeds when activating EDGE technology. I've been able to transfer files through Bluetooth 2.0 with speeds up to 37 KB. LG said that the phone definitely supports A2DP, but there seem to be problems and not all Bluetooth headsets are fully compatible with LG's Prada. Some users even experience problems during music playback, like disconnection between the two devices when you want to stop music play for a short period of time. If you want to synchronize the phone with your PC through the USB 2.0 port you must first choose which mode to use: Data transfer or Mass Storage. Furthermore, you need to install the LG Mobile Sync software that comes with the phone to be able to actually get synchronized.

Be very careful when synching your Contacts as the phone doesn't make any difference between the SIM contacts or Phone Memory contacts, mixing them both in one long list, so you'll probably discover that you have the same contact twice. Again, it takes too much time to actually connect the phone with the PC and you won't be able to use any Outlook with your contacts. The phone features all messaging capabilities (POP3, SMTP and IMAP4), but lacks any SSL security compatibility.

The tri-band (GSM 900 / GSM 1800 / GSM 1900) network compatible candybar has a mediocre GSM signal reception. Sound is clear but much lower than any other LG mobile phone. It's almost impossible to have a conversation in crowded areas even with the help of a handsfree headset.

Processor and Memory

LG KE850 Prada features an ARM9 family processor running at up to 117 MHz speeds, the same as the one embedded in Chocolate Platinum. Even if it's a low class CPU, it is more than enough to handle most of the operations needed. Nevertheless, you'll experience lags and frames losses when running movies and the gaming experience will be less smooth than expected. As I have stated above, the phone features Java MIDP 2.0 compiler but it seems to have some troubles in running some third-party applications.

I cannot understand why LG chose to include only 8MB internal memory on this phone, but also offer a 256 MB microSD memory card in the sales package. Why not 256 MB internal memory and no microSD memory card in the package or a bigger one? While this phone cannot compete with Sony Ercisson's Walkman series or Nokia's multimedia phones, I'm sure people will want to load up their phone with many music files. For that, you can buy yourself any microSD memory card up to 2GB and insert it just under the SIM slot.

Multimedia

The candybar features 40 channels polyphonic sounds, less than previous Chocolate models, but seems to offer a good multimedia experience. It sounds pretty good with the stereo wired headset included in the package. You can even use other headphones thanks to the 2.5mm compatible remote control. The music player included in the Prada phone is different and looks much better than those found in any other LG model. Unfortunately, you won't have any complex functions like equalizer or stereo widening to improve the quality of the sound. Still, the music sounds very loud when you set the volume to the max and isn’t really not devoid of bass.

On a scale from 1 to 10, I would give this phone a 7, especially because the big wired headsets have been replaced with others which are smaller and fit much better into your ears. You can set any MP3 files as ring tone if you open the music player first and play them or you can go to Profiles and personalize the caller ringtone. Don't forget that you must put the MP3 files in the MP3 folder on the phone's memory or on the external memory (microSD card). There's no way to associate any MP3 files to Message alerts or any other alert except for the ring tones. The basic FM Radio doesn't have any RDS capabilities and it can only memorize 12 base stations. Furthermore, the reception is pretty good, but surprisingly enough, you cannot run it in the background.

Battery

This is probably the weakest point. Even if LG didn't state more than 3 hours of talk time and 300 hours of standby, what if the real numbers are lower than this? The 800 mAh Li-Ion battery didn't last more than 4 days on a light use and no more than 2 and a half days on a heavy use. There's not much to say about the phone's battery only that it simply SUCKS.

Impressions

LG Prada is one of the nicest candybars on the market and I'm not the only one who thinks that (see how many prizes it got). Its design is almost flawless and offers a surprisingly great functionality through its touchscreen. This is definitely a fashionistas phone and no businessman will want to buy it. At the moment, this is the best-looking LG handset; what's it gonna be next?

The Good

Glancing at any latest LG handset you cannot avoid noticing their stylish and innovative designs, and LG Prada has them both ... 100%. Its lightweight and its perfect ergonomics put it in a "One man show" position and recommend it for heavy worldwide sale. The innovative touchscreen technology improves the functionality even if this is no smartphone. These features will surely be enough to please most of the LG brand fans and conquer the hearts of any fashionistas.

The Bad

I’m trying to figure out why every time I'm using an LG handset I discover so many software related bugs. This is becoming embarrassing for LG who usually makes great good-looking phones, but the lack of a good firmware will only handicap the phone's functionality. Bad software is probably the most important thing I noticed on LG Prada. The second one is the low power battery which will probably convince you not to buy this phone, but when it comes to tastes… who can tell for sure? I would recommend people that are using text messaging heavily to avoid this phone as it lacks a virtual QWERTY keyboard, unless you are a very patient person of course.

Sales package

LG KE850 Prada
Battery Li-Ion 800mAh
Charger 230V/EU
Cleaner
Leather case
256 MB microSD memory card
microSD adapter
Headset with remote control
USB Cable
CD ROM with software
User Guide

Source Soft pedia.com

Phone Introducing: Samsung SGH-A727

2007-12-08T13:09:00.000-08:00

Samsung's SGH-A727 is yet another continuation in the company's push to develop ultra thin, ultra chic phones with larger and brighter screens for improved viewing of mobile content.

Brimming with multimedia options from AT&T's video and music services, the A727 brings music, video and a multitude of downloadable material to the user with the latest in HSDPA high-speed data transfer technologies. The phone is fully equipped with a 1.3-megapixel camera and camcorder, MP3 music player, Bluetooth 2.0 technology, speakerphone and microSD external memory card slot.
The most noticeable highlight of the A727 is the 1.8 x 1.5 inch, 65K-color 220 x 176 px TFT display set on a trimly designed, 0.35-inch thick phone - one of the thinnest models around. For users searching for a stylish multimedia phone with a slim design that slides almost too easily into pockets and purses, the A727 may be one to consider.

Design

Chosen as one of 2007's International CES Innovations Design and Engineering Award Honorees, the sleek A727 comes in a black exterior and closely resembles Samsung's slightly thinner candy bar handsets like the 0.33-inch thick T519 "Trace" and R510 "The Wafer" models. The A727 measures in at 4.5" x 1.98" x 0.35" and weighs a slight 2.82 ounces.

Its main display screen measures 1.8-inches diagonally and utilizes 262K-colors and TFT technology to produce beautifully vivid images. Users can customize the phone's backlighting, brightness and dialing font.

Below the screen is an extremely smooth keypad, toggle and other buttons that lie flat on the phone's thin surface. Surrounding a circular navigation toggle and WAP browser shortcut button are left and right soft keys, which appear to take more force to push than other keys. Below the soft keys is the shortcut button to activate the phone's music player, one button to "swap" between multiple applications, a "clear/back" button to navigate within the phone's menu and other programs, and a power/menu exit button. From a usability standpoint, the numeric keypad seems pushed too low down on the phone for comfortable dialing or texting and may be difficult to use for people with large hands.

The A727's left side panel includes a jack for a headset or USB adapter and up and down keys for volume control. The right panel touts a microSD memory card slot as well as a shortcut key to activate the phone's camera and camcorder. The phone's antenna is located in the bottom half of the handset. On the flip side, the top left hand corner of the phone is home to the camera/camcorder lens. This particular model lacks a flash and an additional screen to guide self-portraits.

Overall, the A727 is a very thin and lightweight phone to carry around. While the design is aesthetically pleasing, there may be some issues with the phone's potentially slippery keypad and position squashed toward the bottom of the face of the phone.

Out of the box, the Samsung SGH-A727 comes with a standard 900 Li-Ion battery, AC Travel Adapter and User Manual.

Camera

The A727 uses a 1.3-megapixel camera and SIM card that enabled for the phone's Video Share service to distribute real-time video to subscribing friends. Pictures can be taken in five resolutions (1280 x 1024 px, 800 x 600 px, 640 x 480 px, 320 x 240 px and 240 x 180 px) and under five different quality settings (Super Fine, Fine, Normal, Low and Economy).

To adapt to a variety of settings, the camera can use night mode and has controllable brightness and white balance features in Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Incandescent or Fluorescent. There is also a 4x digital zoom that can be used when the camera is set to the highest image resolution.

With the Multi-Shot function, users can snap six, nine, or 15 shots at a time, and under "Mosaic" Shot Mode, they can combine groups four photos into a single photo. Other features include a self-timer, 20 fun frames and three color effects (Black & White, Sepia and Negative).

After snapping a photo, save them to the phone, send them to friends in a picture message or set them as the phone's new wallpaper or caller ID photo. The A727 offers a wide range of editing options users can apply to photos, including redeye repair, partial blur, image resize, cropping, color effects and inserting emoticons, clipart or text. The camera also has several shutter sounds to choose from.

The phone's camcorder can capture video footage in two resolutions (176 x 144 and 128 x 96 px). consumers can save them on their phone and even send them to their contacts as up to 30-second-long multimedia messages. Regular videos can be recorded at any desired length, or until they fill up the phone's 30 MB of memory. Because space is somewhat limited, a microSD card might come in handy in the long run.

The 1.3-megapixel power of the A727 takes decent to average photos; however, image quality won't be near what most of the newer digital cameras have to offer.

Basic Features

The A727 operates on a quad-band GSM network which supports all four major cellular frequencies (850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz) for improved call quality and fewer dropped calls anywhere in the world.

The phone's basic features include a Stopwatch, World Time, Measurement Converter, Calculator, Tip Calculator, Calendar, Alarm, Voice Memo, Airplane Mode and text display in English, French or Spanish. There is also a multitasking mode that will pause the music track being listened to when receiving a call. When the call is over, the phone's playlist will resume.

The A727 holds 1,000 contacts and call logs for the last 20 incoming, outgoing and missed calls. Each phonebook entry can hold up to seven phone numbers, two email addresses, instant messaging information and notes. An additional 250 names and numbers can also be stored on the phone's SIM card.

Battery life on the A727 offers four hours talk time and up to 10 days of standby time. Charging time on the battery is up to three hours, according to Samsung.

Screen

Samsung's A727 boasts an impressive 1.8 x 1.5 inch, 65K-color TFT display with a resolution of 220 x 176 px. The A727's screen is much wider than most phones and measures at about 1.5-inches wide - perfect for watching video clips with its Video Share capability or simply viewing high-resolution pictures and videos straight from the phone's built-in 1.3-megapixel camera.

he phone's only screen uses TFT, or Thin Film Transistor, technology that produces bright and vivid images with quick refresh rates in comparison to older LCD technologies such as STN or OLED. However the drawback is increased power consumption and shorter battery life.
Compared to other devices on the market, the A727's 65K-color screen is mediocre at best. While priced for the value-conscious consumer, most phones nowadays come with 262K-colors with top-of-the-line handhelds such as the Nokia Nseries manufactured with 16.7 million colors.

Audio

With the purchase of a headphone adapter or Bluetooth headset, users can turn the A727 into a portable MP3 player. In music mode, users can listen to their tunes on the go and still stay in touch with contacts. A multitasking feature on the A727 will automatically pause the music being listened to when receiving a phone call, then resume with the playlist once the call is completed. The music will also continue to play when receiving text messages, instant messages or multimedia messages. While not comparable to the music playing functionality of the Apple iPhone, the A727 offers the essential features for music listening on the go.

The A727 comes with 10 ringtones and supports both MP3 and 64-note polyphonic ringtones. Additional audio features include speakerphone and multiparty calls.

Messaging

Mobile messaging capabilities on the A727 include text messaging, Web-based email and instant messaging. Users can share text and multimedia messages on the A727 with messaging services from AOL, Windows Live and Yahoo! Messenger. With MMS (multimedia messaging service) compatibility, users can send mobile text messages complete with sound, images and video.

Another messaging feature is the phone's updated T9 text input system which uses a pre-set dictionary of words, emoticons and punctuation, and anticipates the next move as it is keyed in text messages and emails.

Entertainment

The AT&T Video network provides a wide selection of media offerings centered mainly around videos and music. With AT&T Video, users can view on-demand streaming video clips from popular channels like CNN, Comedy Central, ESPN, VH1 and The Weather Channel. And just for kids, AT&T also offers content from The Disney Channel, Muppets Mobile and The Cartoon Network.

Video content purchases are charged to users' accounts and priced according to the size of the files downloaded. If consumers are planning to download regularly, they can have the MEdia Net plan for unlimited use for $19.99 a month. For an extra $4.99, they can also have access to premium content channels like HBO Mobile and Music Choice.

AT&T Video's MEdia Net is focused on providing content subscribers want right at their fingertips. Users can customize their homepage with on-demand, streaming content in categories including news, weather and entertainment.

For those who like to groove on the go, the A727 can upload existing MP3 playlists from a personal computer. However, to do that requires a separate purchase of accessories like a USB cable, microSD and headset adapter. Connecting the phone to Windows Media Player can be done with most PCs operating Windows 2000 or newer. Users also have the option of downloading additional songs from the digital music libraries of Napster and Yahoo! Music.

Also unique to the AT&T Music network is the AT&T MusicID service, which analyzes songs and provides the user with the song's title and artist. Just let the song play in the phone's speaker for a few seconds and a text message will be sent to users for 99 cents per song or $3.99 a month for unlimited use. Songs that the service can't identify won't be charged.

For those looking to add a personal touch to their phones, additional ringtones, games, graphics and applications can be purchased and downloaded through the AT&T MEdia Mall. The A727 already comes with five game previews: Asphalt Urban GT 3D, Diner Dash, Ms. Pac-Man, Platinum Sudoku, Tetris, and World Poker Tour. Expanded versions are available for purchase. The phone also comes with a number of wallpaper, menu styles, background colors and alert sounds to choose from.

Internet

Powered by 3G-HSDPA (3rd Generation - High-Speed Downlink Packet Access), the A727 can handle multimedia downloads both at a higher speed and a higher capacity. The feature is definitely a plus for users expecting to use the phone to its top potential for downloading music, radio feeds and video.

The A727 supports all the broadband multimedia features available from AT&T Video, formerly known as Cingular Video.

Storage

The A727 holds 30 MB of data between the camera and music player features. This is slightly more storage space compared to older phones with similar features, but seems inadequate for use as a truly multimedia-centric phone, like the Samsung M500 or the LG Chocolate VX8500 which offer 53 MB and 128 MB, respectively. Luckily for the A727, additional memory cards can be purchased for use in the phone's microSD external slot.

The phonebook on the A727 holds 1,000 alphanumeric entries and the last 20 incoming, outgoing and missed call logs. It also stores eight one-touch contact entries. Each contact entry holds seven phone numbers, two email addresses, instant messaging information and notes. The phone's SIM card memory also holds an additional 250 names and numbers.

Connectivity

The A727 can also connect to Bluetooth-compatible devices like stereo headsets or handsfree devices that can be used within a 10-meter or 30-feet distance from the phone.

Other supported Bluetooth 2.0 profiles include Dial-Up Networking (DUN) to connect the A727 to a laptop and use it as a modem; Basic-Printing Profile (BPP) for wireless printing capabilities; Object-Push Profile (OPP) for file transfers such as vCards, vCals, vMsgs and vNotes; File Transfer Profile (FTP) to access to the file system on another device; and data transfer via serial port connection.

The Bluetooth profile list is comprehensive and standard with the exception of the newest profile, A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile). Fortunately A2DP is also supported, which allows listeners to enjoy wireless stereo music wirelessly from A2DP-compatible headphones.

Conclusion

Continuing the tradition of ever-slimming devices, the A727's smartly thin design offers fast access to email, mobile media and the ability to share content with the other members of users' calling community. Offering multimedia capabilities through the MP3 player, consumers can also enjoy wireless music via A2DP-compatible headphones.

But some users have said sound quality on the A727 is not outstanding, and battery life is rather short. Partly due to the TFT display, the sub-par colors should still be sufficient for viewing videos, photos and other downloaded material. As for its 1.3-megapixel camera, image quality won't be equal to a regular digital camera, camcorder or high-end cell phone camera.

Regardless, with the right accessories and subscriptions, the A727 has the potential to be the ideal phone for someone looking to gain access to the newest in mobile multimedia content. With blazing-fast HSDPA Internet speeds supporting quick access to AT&T Music and AT&T Video services, the Samsung A727 becomes a integrated online multimedia powerhouse.

Source: mobil edia.com

Phone Introducing: HTC Touch

2007-12-07T00:50:00.000-08:00

by Noah Kravitz

Introduction
To be fair, HTC was developing the Touch long before Apple's iPhone hit the market. But iPhone came to market first and quickly became the gold standard for a new breed of mobile devices marked by giant touchscreens and smartphone functionality combined with mainstream usability. As such, it's really impossible not to consider iPhone when using or reviewing Touch. So I'll do my best to look at the Sprint-branded Touch both as a next-gen Windows Mobile smartphone built with a finger-friendly touchscreen and refined UI, and as an "iPhone alternative" in the newly burgeoning world of mainstream-friendly, multimedia-centric handsets. As the former, Touch is one of the best, easiest to use Windows Mobile devices around so long as you don't need to type on it. Touch fits easily in one hand, and the combination of a flush-mounted hard plastic touchscreen and the Sprint-enhanced TouchFlo UI makes it much easier to use without a stylus than any other WM device I've ever tried - including the GSM Touch previously released as an unlocked device by HTC . Beware, however, Touch's virtual QWERTY board. While it's better than the standard WM onscreen layout, it isn't really all that usable for thumb typing - I wound up reaching for the stylus every time I tapped out a message. From the iPhone alternative perspective, Touch is less expensive and more extendable than iPhone but it really can't hold a candle to Apple's darling when it comes to overall hardware and software design. iPhone's multitouch screen and user interface are head and shoulders above Touch when it comes to touching, typing, flicking, and pinching your way around Web sites, Inboxes, and multimedia content. Still, Windows Mobile offers things that Apple's OS X doesn't, and Sprint's 3G network offers speed and accessibility that AT&T's Edge network can't (even backed by iPhone's WiFi capabilities). So Touch is worth a look whether you're considering an iPhone or a more user-friendly Windows Mobile experience. And I should say, it's funny ... I've read a review or two written by folks who swear Touch bests iPhone for usability, specifically in the realm of using the touchscreen. I disagree. Wholeheartedly, even. But, hey, I mention it just to say that we all have different preferences and usage patterns - so what I prefer about iPhone's screen design and response might be exactly what draws you to Touch instead.

Design
HTC has made a name for themselves building solid smartphones with imminently usable QWERTY thumbboards and business-ready feature sets. But where their last Sprint device, the Mogul, put a button just about everywhere you could possibly want one no matter how you were using the phone, there's nary a button to be found on Touch. Departing from the tried and true formula of a touchscreen combined with a horizontal slide-out QWERTY board and softkeys everywhere, Touch instead is sleek and simple. You get a D-pad and Call/Cancel keys on the front, a couple of buttons on the edges, and that's it. No QWERTY board, and no oodles of programmable softkeys. Measuring just 101 x 59 x 14 mm, Touch was also built with a shorter, wider, slimmer body that fits comfortably into the palm of one hand and can be used one-handed with your thumb manning either the D-Pad or touchscreen. Weighing only 114 g, Touch is also plenty light enough for extended one handed use. A side-mounted rocker switch controls volume and there's a power button along the top edge. A mini-USB port on the right edge and the camera lens and speaker on the back round out Touch's minimalist design. Unfortunately, the microSD memory card slot is hidden beneath the back panel by the battery. While you don't have to remove the battery to get to the card, a side-mounted port would have made life with Touch much easier. The compact, rubberized body is sleek and easy to hold, and the black and dark grey color scheme definitely sets Touch apart from the pack when it comes to WM devices. Where other HTC handsets like Tilt and Mogul are all business in a high-tech executive sort of way, Touch has more of a mysterious executive bent to it. You can pull Touch out of a breast pocket and check messages or view a document with a few swipes of your thumb - advanced functionality demands two-hands and/or the stylus, but many tasks can be accomplished on the down low with a single hand. On its own merits, Touch deserves praise for its style, innovation, and user interface (which we'll get to in a moment). And then there's the iPhone comparison. Touch's flush-mount, hard-plastic display is far more finger-friendly and scratch-proof than the standard soft-membrane touchscreen but it's not on par with iPhone's hard glass display in terms of performance or durability. Tapping and sliding work pretty well once you get used to the handset, but there's no pinching, zooming here and while two thumbed typing can be a reality on iPhone with practice, it ain't gonna happen on Touch. You'll be hunting and pecking on Touch's virtual QWERTY pad - I found typing with the stylus much less frustrating than trying to do it with my thumb, in fact.

Features
Touch is, in some ways, the most advanced Windows Mobile 6 smartphone on the market. I say this because the extensive functionality of WM6 Professional is added to by the utility of the TouchFlo interface and the addition of Sprint's multimedia offerings. Honestly, Touch would be all the more useful if it had a physical keypad of some sort for time when the touchscreen just doesn't cut it - primarily for text input. Word is a GSM variant - the Touch Dual - will soon address this issue with a slide-down keypad. Whether or not the Dual with make it to Sprint remains to be seen. But Touch is here now on Sprint and it's got a lot going for it. The benefits of WM6 Professional - from HTML email to mobile office document creation to enterprise support for syncing and device management - have been well documented elsewhere, so let's look instead at what makes Touch unique. TouchFlo is basically a customized layer of user interface optimized for stylus-free use on a touchscreen. A revamped home screen provides a clean, attractive grid with a giant clock arrayed above one-touch access to messages, call lists, application shortcuts, and weather info. You can touch various items to dig deeper into their menus and features, or place a finger or thumb at the center of the screen's bottom edge and drag straight up - this activates a cube-like 3D interface. From this screen, you swipe left or right to cycle through three menus: Applications, Contacts, and Sprint Power Vision, the latter offering access to the carrier's premium subscription services including Sprint TV and Sprint Music. The interface is great - a huge step up in terms of usability and simplicity from the standard Windows Mobile install. Clean grids with big icons and readable text make for easy access to the stuff you use most - messaging, Web, and phone settings. Where Touch lacks a bit is what happens once you get into those applications. While tapping and finger sweeping work well (though I had to be deliberate when it came to sweeps), touchscreen typing or even clicking on smallish icons or Web hotlinks is just a bit more difficult than it should be on this device - all the moreso (here it comes) if you've ever used an iPhone. Since I invoked the i-word just then, let's be fair and talk about all the things that Touch does that possibly no other touchscreen-centric handset in the world can do. If you're willing to pay for it, you can download music and watch TV and movies over Sprint's Power Vision network. The Music Store is soon to get a much needed visual overhaul (or so rumor has it), but offers an extensive catalog at great prices nonetheless. And you can download music right over Sprint's cellular network - no need for an open WiFi signal. And speaking of networks, Sprint's made it easy to use Touch as a broadband modem to get your laptop online via EV-DO - try doing that with an iPhone. Yeah, you can't. Sprint TV is cool, but I'm still not a big fan. Quality is usually so-so, and I had particular problems getting the service to work on my Touch loaner. Whether it was the device or Sprint's coverage in the Berkeley-Oakland area, I spent an entire twenty-minute bus ride home from work trying to load some programming and never watched a single frame. I have used the service on other Sprint devices in the same neck of the woods with better results, but I'm still not sold on mobile TV just yet. The On Demand service, on the other hand, is excellent. I've written about it before, so I'll spare you the long version here. On Demand provides quick snippets of info customized to your locale (set by entering your zip code). It's excellent. And oh yeah, there's integrated GPS as well, for optional navigation and other LBS services. And then there's all that 3G-enhanced data goodness. The promise of free, open WiFi whenever you go has not yet been fulfilled, and as such there's a lot to be said for smartphones with 3G compatibility. Sprint's EV-DO network is generally excellent for Web browsing and email use, and the WM6 operating system underpinning the TouchFLO enhancements supports full HTML Web browsing and Email. For best results I recommend installing Opera Mobile (or Opera Mini) and using it for Web browsing instead of the pre-installed Internet Explorer. Opera provides a far better browsing experience than IE, hands down.

Camera
HTC built Touch with a two megapixel camera with a self-portrait mirror but no LED assist light. The camera’s performance was lacking a little, despite such accoutrements as 5x zoom and a bunch of image settings. Still images captured in natural light and well-lit indoor conditions looked okay, but many shots suffered from strange tints and less than accurate colors. Video capture on Touch worked fairly well for a camera phone, but also suffered from some image quality issues. Videos may be captured with or without sound in MPEG 4, M-JPEG, or H.263 formats and one of two resolutions. Images and video clips are easily attached and sent off with Emails or MMS messages over Sprint's network.

Display
Touch features a 2.8” touchscreen capable of 240 x 320 pixel resolution at 65,000 colors. The display has a hard plastic surface that's meant to be poked and swiped with fingers and styli alike - it's more scratch proof and durable than standard membrane-based touchscreens, if not quite on par with iPhone's hardened glass display surface. Touch's display specs are pretty middle of the road by current smartphone standards, but I found the screen to be sharp with good color saturation and plenty of brightness in almost all lighting conditions. Text, graphics, and images all displayed clearly and accurately, and issues I had with playback of Sprint TV video seemed to have more to do with my connection to the network and service than with Touch's display or processing power. Videos played from a memory card via Windows Media Player looked much better. Mogul’s touchscreen sensor also worked well, though again I must draw two comparisons: Compared to other Windows Mobile touchscreen devices, Touch is a revelation for everything except text input. The combination of a revamped UI and a finger-friendly display works very, very well - it's a pleasure to be able to pull the device out of a pocket and quickly swipe and tap to read a new message or check weather or news updates. While this is technically possible on a standard WM6 handset like the HTC Mogul for Sprint, Touch is made for it - the difference shows in large menu choices that respond to fingertips, as opposed to tiny links that respond only to fingernails wielded with surgical precision (or, of course, the stylus). One thing you can do on Touch that you can't do on other WM touchscreens is sweep to scroll - Touch recognizes the difference between a tap and a sweep, which comes in handy for quickly moving up and down Inboxes, long messages, and Web pages. Compared to iPhone, however, Touch sports yesterday's technology. Swiping, in particular, is where Apple's tech outdoes HTC's. Flicking a finger across iPhone's display works every time. Touch requires a more careful touch - I had to get the hang of a more deliberate "press and move" motion to consistently garner the reactions I wanted from the TouchFLO UI. The other area in which Touch lags is the onscreen keyboard. Touch features a 20 key virtual QWERTY board that's similar in layout to the SureType keyboards found on BlackBerry phones and the new HTC Juno (aka Shadow to you T-Mobile fans). The virtual keys are large enough to hunt and peck at with fingertips, but I pretty quickly grew frustrated with that method and reached for the stylus. iPhone's keyboard isn't perfect, but I'm able to two-thumb type on it with pretty good success, which I attribute to the multitouch display, the predictive text software, and practice. I'll never get there on Touch - the display simply isn't responsive enough for two thumbs to fly around on. Writing a message on Touch meant using the stylus, either with the virtual keyboard or in handwriting recognition mode. If you're not used to an iPhone, you'll likely neither notice nor care about the comparison I just drew - Touch's interface works well and, again, is a big step up from other WM6 devices in terms of intuitive ease of use. But it's definitely a noticeable step behind the current state of the art.

Audio
I tested the CDMA Touch in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. Voice calls were generally loud and clear with a little bit of fuzz here and there but no notable reception problems or dropped calls. The internal speaker was plenty loud for voice calling, and people I talked to all said the quality of my voice end on their end was excellent. Unfortunately Touch's speakerphone leaves a lot to be desired. It's neither loud enough nor clear enough, and was basically useless. Okay, you can make do with it in a pinch, but a phone like Touch is not supposed to be about merely making do. A set of wired stereo earphones with an inline microphone is included. The phones connect to Touch via a mini-USB plug, and a USB-to-2.5mm adapter is also included. I used the earphones quite a bit for handsfree calling and found them to be a bit better than your run of the mill stock earbuds in terms of both comfort and audio quality. The earphones also make for decent music listening, though a 3.5mm jack/adapter would make it much easier to plug a good set of stereo phones into the device. Touch supports mono and stereo Bluetooth audio, and I had no trouble pairing headsets with the device. Audio quality over Bluetooth was very good, both for voice calling (mono) and music playback (stereo).

Messaging
Messaging on Touch was a mixed bag. While the speed of Sprint’s EV-DO network made sending and receiving Email quick and easy, writing messages on Touch wasn't quite so quick or so easy. If you're looking for a device on which to regularly write emails and texts, you might want to wait for Touch Dual and it's slider keyboard to make it to the states. At the least, try Touch out for yourself and see how you like the virtual keyboard before you buy one. Windows Mobile 6 provides support for multiple POP and IMAP email accounts and while there’s no ultra-friendly setup wizard, I was able to configure a few of my accounts - including server options and signature files - with no trouble. Outlook Mobile features good integration between messaging accounts and contacts, and Windows Mobile 6 upgrades Outlook to support full HTML email. Email attachments are also supported, and as mentioned, Touch ships with pocket versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint which allow for document creation and editing in addition to viewing.

Internet
Web Browsing using the included Internet Explorer browser was okay, but things perked up considerably when I downloaded and installed Opera Mobile. The TouchFLO system made it easier to click links and scroll through Web pages on Touch than on other Windows Mobile phones I've used, and the D-Pad may also be used for navigating around Web pages. There's no WiFi antenna on Touch, which some will see as an oversight but probably contributed to HTC and Sprint being able to offer an exceedingly small, slim device that combines good power and good battery life. Apple chose to leave 3G access off of the first-gen iPhone in the name of battery life - HTC seemingly opted for 3G over WiFi for the same reason. In any case, Sprint's Power Vision network is fast enough that I really didn't miss having WiFi when browsing the Web or retrieving Email. Touch may also be used as a cellular modem, and Sprint’s new Internet Sharing app makes the process even easier. You will, of course, need to subscribe to a data plan to access all of this high speed Web goodness.

Connectivity
The HTC Touch for Sprint is locked to the Sprint network in the United States. It combines a CDMA cell phone with EV-DO data services for Email, Web, and other Net-based applications. The device ships with 151MB of onboard memory accessible to users, and the integrated microSD card slot allows for expansion up to 4GB per card. HTC built Bluetooth v2.0 into the Touch, and file transfer, information synching, voice dialing, laptop tethering, and both mono and stereo (A2DP) audio are supported. The integrated mini-USB jack can be used to connect to a computer for synching, file transfers, and use of the Touch as a cellular modem. The USB jack is also used for charging the device and for connecting to the included stereo earphones. A dual port-replicator/2.5mm headphone port USB cable is also included..

Conclusion
Sprint's CDMA version of the HTC Touch is an upgrade from the unlocked GSM version of Touch, and is in many ways a step up from every other Windows Mobile device available right now. The TouchFLO UI adds a huge layer of improvement and usability to the WM 6 platform upon which it rests. Commonly used applications and services can be launched via big, clear - and attractive, even! - icons on the home screen, and a swipe of the finger launches an easy to navigate 3-D gateway to second-level features like your Contacts list and Sprint's multimedia offerings. TouchFLO really makes Touch a lot more fun to use than your ordinary Windows Mobile phone. Beyond that, Touch is cool to look at and great to hold, use, and put away in your pocket. It's small, light, well-proportioned, and easy to hold and operate. And Sprint's network has always been reliable in my testing, and offers great data speeds and a music store that's on par with anyone's when it comes to selection and pricing (though it really needs that UI update). If you're willing to pay the various service fees, you can use Touch for everything from staying in touch with the office to surfing the Web to downloading music and streaming video. The problem with Touch lies in trying to write words on the thing. While the virtual keypad is better on this Touch than on the original GSM variant, it's still not that great - at least, I had problems using it. Tapping icons and swiping lines on Touch with your fingertips works pretty well, but typing on the 20-button QWERTY layout doesn't. Heavy text and email users looking at Touch should try it out for themselves first, and consider the benefits of a device like Mogul which adds a physical keyboard at the expense of bulk and weight. Touch begs an iPhone comparison because Apple set the current gold standard for feature phone usability and Touch's display and interface improvements are clearly meant to address Windows Mobile's usability issues. In my view, Touch isn't in Apple's league when it comes to usability, but that doesn't mean it's bad. Windows Mobile offers a lot of things to a lot of people that no other mobile platform can, and Touch makes it all a lot more usable. And a lot more attractive. If you're in the market for a new smartphone and considering Sprint as your carrier, Touch is definitely worth a look ... and a touch.

source: phone dog.com

Phone Introducing: Sony Ericsson W580i Carbon Grey

2007-12-06T23:56:00.001-08:00

by: Noah Kravitz
Introduction
My wife has used a Samsung T809 ever since we signed a service contract a year and a half ago and she got one for free (after rebate, of course). She really liked the phone's sleek slider profile, big, bold display, and overall cool factor. Mind you, she's not a geek in any sense of the word - she's got style and so did her T809.

But the T809 broke a few months ago and she'd been using one of my extras until the Sony Ericsson w580i arrived at our place. Lots and lots of handsets pass through our home office, and this is the first one that actually made her say, "Hey, lemme see that!" when I unboxed it and showed it to her. It's a slider, it's sleek, and it's got this very hip grey with blue trim thing going on.

Lucky for us Sony Ericsson makes an unlocked version of the w580i as well as the locked AT&T version. We tracked down an unlocked model for her to use, and I got to play with the AT&T model for this review. And we're both happy. The w580i combines SE’s latest Walkman music player with full HTML Web browsing, Email, and an RSS feed reader into a very slim, light slider phone. If you can live with EDGE-only data speeds, Sony Ericsson’s latest Walkman slider packs a lot of punch into its sleek little body.

Design
Measuring just 99 x 47 x 14mm and weighing only 94 grams, the w580i is sleek and lightweight. Sony Ericsson sent me the Urban Grey color scheme w580i, which is finished in dark grey matte plastic with silver and blue accents and black side panels. I really like the handset’s look - it’s slick and fun in a semi-understated way. A white/orange 580i is also available.

A slider phone, the w580i features an angled bottom edge that makes for easy one-handed operation - you can grip the backside of the “curled” edge with one or two fingers for leverage while sliding the front panel open/shut with your thumb. It’s a funky look that’s actually inspired by functionality.

The front of the handset shows a 2” TFT display above a control layout built around a circular array of media player buttons that’s become quite popular on musicphones as of late. The shiny silver circle of buttons on the w580i is actually a five-way directional pad comprised by a play-pause button at the center surrounded by a ring-shaped four-way rocker switch labeled with track forward/back and camera icons. Flanking this iPod-esque array on the left is a round Walkman button topped by a circular two-button array providing Return and soft key functionality. This arrangement is mirrored on the right edge of the front panel with a programmable shortcut key below a Clear/soft key duo.

Sliding the front panel open reveals a standard 12-button dialing layout. The keys are black plastic with blue labeling and two columns of silver plastic dots separate the three columns of buttons for easier navigation. Rounded left and right edges on the dialing buttons echo the rounded edges found all over the handset, and the buttons are also slightly domed in shape, which assists in blind dialing.

The left edge of the phone features a lone rocker switch, finished in chromed silver plastic, which controls volume. On the right side is the charger/accessory port, which is a change from older SE handsets that place the port on the bottom edge of the device. Along the top edge of the w580i is a plastic-capped slot for the M2 Memory Stick micro card and a power on/off button. The back of the handset is blank save for SE and Walkman logos, but when the phone is slid open, the camera sensor is revealed along the rear of the front panel . The design allows for lens-cover functionality when the slider is shut, and SE finished the area around the camera sensor in a reflective blue plastic with a grey pattern printed on it.

All in all I really like the design of the w580i, with a few small exceptions. The handset is exceptionally light and sporty but still has a solid build and feel. And while the slider mechanism and dialing keypad are solid and comfortable to use, the front panel controls are a bit on the small side. The center-mounted control ring for the media player is particularly tricky, as the outer ring is both narrow and mounted against a raised plastic ridge that looks cool but can be a little harsh on the thumb during repeated button mashing.

Features
Sony Ericsson packed nearly all the features of its high-end k790/800 handsets into the w580i, making it a very versatile device for entertainment and communications purposes. The 580’s interface, Web browser, RSS reader, email cilent, and file manager will all feel very familiar to users of these devices, but as a Walkman-branded device, the 580 also gets SE’s latest music player software. As such, this is really a feature-packed “non-smartphone.”

The w580i also features a few fun additions not found on SE’s other handsets. A pedometer function will track your every step (so long as you carry the phone around with you all day), and the same technology that senses your footsteps also powers the Shake to Shuffle feature that lets you advance through your music randomly by literally shaking the phone in your hand. The pedometer works pretty well - and its functionality is enhanced by Fitness applications that time and track your workouts - but I found Shake to be a bit hit or miss.

An FM radio, Java games, organizer/PIM programs, Blogger integration, and a graphically-enhanced music sequencer program add to the handset’s functionality. The front-mounted shortcut button features a four-tab dialogue box that allows for quick access to favorite programs, Internet destinations, running applications, and an Events log. As on the K790a, I really appreciated having a dedicated shortcut button on the w580i - it made it much easier to access my favorite of the handset’s many functions without having to click through multiple layers of menus.

Camera
Sony Ericsson is a bit like Nokia when it comes to cameras in their mobile phones - they seem to have a dozen or more different cameraphones with at least that many differently configured cameras. SE brands their imaging-centric phones as the Cyber-Shot line and their music-centric phones as the Walkman line, but of course the Cyber-Shots play music and the Walkmans (Walkmen?) take pictures. So sometimes it gets a bit confusing.

The w580i is a Walkman phone that features a two megapixel camera, much as my old w800i is a Walkman phone that features a two megapixel camera. However, the cameras on the two phones are quite different. While my w800i’s camera sports autofocus and an LED flash-assist light, the w580i’s shooter has neither of those features. As such, the w580i is a pretty average picture taking cameraphone. The camera settings and included PhotoDJ software allow for a fair amount of image correction and editing, but image quality is hurt by the lack of autofocus, and without any sort of flash shooting in low light conditions doesn’t yield very good results (though a night vision mode compensates a little). Video recording is also limited to QCIF (176 x 144) resolution, and captured clips are pretty jittery.

Viewing saved photos using the handset’s gallery software is, on the other hand, an excellent experience. The Camera Album is very similar to the one found on the K790a, and allows for thumbnail and full screen viewing in both landscape and portrait modes. Album thumbnails may be viewed en masse or viewed by month in Timeline mode. A “Blog This” function allows for easy uploading of photos to a Blogger account for Web-based sharing.

Display
Though only 2” in size, the w580i’s display is big, bold, and bright - unless it’s in direct sunlight. Capable of QVGA (320 x 240) resolution at 262,000 colors, the 580’s screen generally looks very good - all the more so because the phone’s user interface is such a pleasure to work with. While confusing menus and hidden features are common complaints in the world of mobile phones, SE’s UI is refined and mature - both intuitive to use and easy on the eyes.

Icons, images, and videos all looked very nice on the w580i, and the included themes show off the phone’s capacity for displaying animated backgrounds. The newest version of SE’s Walkman music player displays album art on the w580, and video files can be downloaded from the Internet or loaded onto an M2 memory stick card for playback on the handset as well.

Using the phone in bright, direct sunlight did prove to be a bit troublesome - perhaps just a bit more so than to be expected on a phone of this caliber. Just to be sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me, I asked my wife if she’s had any trouble seeing the screen on her unlocked w580i. She furrowed her brow for a second and replied, “Yeah, just a little sometimes when I’m outside.”

Audio
I tested the quad-band GSM w580i on AT&T’s network in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, and my wife and I also tested the unlocked w850i on T-Mobile’s network in the same general locations. While I ran into a few problems with interference and dropped calls on the AT&T version of the phone, we had no such issues with the unlocked version on T-Mobile. So I’m pretty sure any calling problems I encountered were caused by AT&T’s network and not Sony Ericsson’s handset.

Audio quality during phone calls either good or riddled with problems. Again, the problems seemed to stem from AT&T network coverage in specific locations (and at specific times), and not with the w580i. When signals were solid, the handset was plenty loud and voices came through clearly with minimal interference on either end. When problems occurred, I experienced everything from static and interference noise in the background to repeated call dropping. The noise problems occurred whether I was using the earpiece, built-in speakerphone, wired headset or a wireless Bluetooth headset during calls.

Sony Ericsson included a Walkman music adapter and stereo canalphones in the w580i’s packaging. The adapter snaps into the handset’s accessory port and features a 3.5mm stereo audio jack with an integrated microphone and single button for answering calls. You can use the included earphones with the adapter, or connect your own ‘phones - while I’d prefer the headphone jack to have been built into the handset itself, at least SE includes an adapter (and better than average earphones) so you can use the Walkman features straight out of the box. With a good pair of earphones and some tweaks to the EQ settings, the w580i sounds as good as most portable media players when playing back music.

The w580i’s built-in speaker is also quite loud. Music, ringtones, and calls on speakerphone all rang out noticeably louder than they do on most handsets I’ve reviewed recently. Stereo Bluetooth is also supported by the w580i, and music can be played and controlled via AD2P-compatible wireless headsets. Certain SE Walkman-line Bluetooth headsets also support caller ID and music library browsing on the w580i via remote displays.

Messaging
For a consumer phone that doesn’t have a QWERTY board, the w580i’s messaging features are fairly robust. The phone supports SMS and MMS messaging and POP/IMAP email via pre-installed software.

Messaging setup is fairly easy, and text, MMS, and Email messages are stored in separate mailboxes. The phone’s camera software makes it easy to take a photo and include it in an MMS or Email message, and video clips may also be attached to messages.

As always, I really liked SE’s implementation of predictive text input on the w580i. The software itself works well and allows for adding custom words to the standard dictionary, and SE’s user interface makes it easy to choose from word suggestions via a pop-up menu.

Internet
Sony Ericsson feature phones generally include full HTML Web browsers, which is still something of a rarity in the marketplace these days. The w580i features the latest revision of their browser, which can handle all but the most complex of Web sites with commendable grace, even constrained by relatively slow speeds of AT&T’s EDGE network.

Standard Web pages are reformatted into a single column for easier viewing, and both landscape and portrait display modes are available during browsing. The browser of course also can handle mobile format WAP pages, and the toolbar-esque integrated Google search feature was also quite handy.

Even more handy, however, was the RSS feed reader. Web browsing via EDGE isn’t as horrible as some 3G-aholics might have you believe, but it’s not particuarly well suited to quick checks of image-heavy sites and blogs, either. RSS is a great solution for mobile browsing over EDGE - I set up the phone’s RSS reader to track feeds from a handful of sites, and was able to get news updates much quicker this way than by checking and rechecking the sites themselves. The RSS reader shows feeds as headlines with collapsible teaser bodies capable of displaying images and inline links to the original articles.

Connectivity
The Sony Ericsson w580i is a quad-band GSM phone locked to AT&T in the United States. An unlocked quad-band GSM version is also available. The phone is compatible with EDGE networks for data transfer and does not have a WiFi radio.

Bluetooth implementation on the w580i includes support for file transfer, data synching and mono and stereo (A2DP) audio. I had no trouble pairing the phone with headsets or my computer, and I was able to move files between the phone and my computer easily. The included software allows for PC syncing and music management, though music can also be dragged and dropped directly to the phone or via the included M2 Memory Stick card. I was also able to sync the phone’s address book and calendar data with my Mac via a free plug-in for Apple’s iSync software.

Sony Ericsson has migrated away from the Memory Stick memory card format to the newer, smaller Memory Stick M2 Micro format. The w580i includes a 512MB M2 card and an adapter for use with flash memory readers made for the older, larger Memory Stick format. Music and video files, applications, and other data can be copied between cards and the handset’s 12MB of internal memory via the integrated File Manager software.

The w580i may also be connected to a computer via the included USB cable that connects to the phone’s accessory port. Data transfer, synching, and charging are all supported over USB.

Conclusion
Sony Ericsson continues to make some of my favorite music and cameraphones, and the w580i brings a sense of style to their US market offerings. This Walkman line handset offers one of the most complete out-of-the-box music phone experiences available this side of top of the line handsets costing hundreds of dollars more. Between the refined user interface, included music adapter and stereo earphones, and 512 MB memory card, the w580i is ready to be loaded up with tunes and used on your daily commute as soon as it’s taken out of the packaging.

Seen as an upgrade from the w800/810i Walkman phone (the 810i was also offered by AT&T), the w580i is a sleeker, sexier model with a better display and user interface but, oddly enough, a weaker camera. SE would should at least built the 580 with the same autofocus lens and LED flash assist light found in those older Walkman models - instead a very good cameraphone is reduced to an average one.

Still, if you like the way it looks and feels, the w580i is a great choice in a handset that does just about everything a cell phone can do this side of full smartphone functionality. The lack of 3G data is a sore spot, but between the Walkman features, the HTML and RSS browsers, Email, and even the pedometer functionality, the w580i is a small slider with a lot going for it. Definitely check it out if you want something more than the average cell phone that won’t break your bank.

source: phonedo g.com

Phone Introducing: Motorola v220

2007-12-05T22:17:00.000-08:00

The Bottom Line

Should satisfy both demanding users and bargain seekers. Power users should look for the v400 or v600.

Pros

Small and very lightweight at 3.70 ounces
Excellent battery life
Excellent set of features and personalization

Cons

Ringer speaker may be low at times

Description

Technology support: GSM/GPRS
Clamshell design
STN color display

Guide Review - Motorola v220 Review

The Motorola v220 is an entry-level version of popular Motorola phones such as the v300, v400 or v600. It offers basically the same features, but in a smaller, simpler form factor. For example, the color display is just a STN, not a TFT. However, this gets the job done and, appart from some rare caveats, the Motorola v220 has it all. Free do-it-yourself ringtones and graphics, video playback, a VGA built-in camera and a speakerphone. Battery life is excellent! The speakerphone is loud-enough but the speaker for the ringtones can sometimes be very low if it's in your pocket or against something. I missed a couple of calls because of that. In a few words: a nice little fun that has a lot to offer at a relatively low price.

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GPS6

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Battery9

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HP Touchstone10

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