Cell Phone Reviews

Nokia N81

2011-04-01T06:12:00.000-07:00

Since my last mobile phone are now almost two years passed and slowly began to subside, the battery strong. Just in time for my mobile phone contract upgrade time I stomped on the website of my provider. Since I “did” a very reasonable agreement with minimum revenue was € 10, the desire for the quad band cell phone was to meet not just cheap.

When I saw the mess in the 3-digit price range, I slightly desperate, but then chose several models and compared them. I chose the unit with the longest battery life. I have paid for € 119.99 – for new Treaties, the thing is already free …. The unsigned price is 300-350, not the most expensive representatives. After almost two weeks waiting vulgar threw me the postman on a Saturday morning rock hard out of bed – and there was the new toy!
Nokia N81

The phone is available in cobalt blue and graphite gray, my provider offered only the gray model – * *. schnüffz This is the 2GB version.

(Even if the null interested me before I say yet again the same Mecker comment on a cell phone report of war: SAR 1.15 W / kg – the maximum limit is 2 W / kg radiation)

The most important :

~ Quadband Mobile Phone
~ 2 megapixel camera
~ OS S60 3rd Edition
~ UMTS, WLAN, Bluetooth, USB
~ Up to 17 days of standby time

And all sorts of things more that you learn in the course of the report, or compact under the link above you can read.

Delivery :
~ Handy
~ Music Headset HS45 with cable remote control
~ Compact Charger AC-5E
~ 2 GB Micro SD Card
~ USB Cable
~ Software CD and Manual
~ BT-6MT 1050mAh battery
Optics and construction

My last phone had an S40 interface, the S60 before that, but still one of the first versions. The S60 3rd Edition of the N81 is a completely revised and much improved version. Then do not work for me Themes files for N95, which seems highly trafficked and popular N95 to have only 2nd Edition. I had to lie, although here, but me no closer in question. (Should only take pictures of it reasonable sale ….) – but here I must have gotten the latest software-the latest, which makes me very happy.

The Nokia N Series is a very unique class and totally different than my previous Nokia phones. This was seen already on the packaging, the box was the same time twice, after unfolding the phone is effectively presented.

Even at first glance, it makes a lot of visual impression. The high-gloss black finish turns out immediately as a paradise for the collection of fingerprints.

With 140g it is slightly heavier than my last model, but only half as thick: length: 102 mm, width: 50 mm, height (max.): 17.9 mm. The N81 is a slider, that is a slider phone. The top half is very flat with about 4mm, the sliding mechanism is easy, but not by itself My old model had weight problems here, the upper part was so hard that it like to direct again zuschnippste times when not enough is postponed. That does not happen here.

The display is large and fits in a flat and smooth the surface of the device. Even the keys are flat and integrated into the surface. Which there is plenty to see on the device, which you can see, not all at once. The number keys are hidden in the bottom half, and only come to light when opened. Unfortunately, adjacent to the deferred upper half very nearly 1,2,3 above the keys, so you have problems with fat fingers, would have to meet them.

At the top we find some keys. The Nokia experienced user can directly make known: a four-way Navitaste (silver, above) with confirmation button in the center, right and left top two menu buttons. Also shown: the left and bottom right menu and one for C delete. Quite the outside, we assume the left and right red green – call and reject (or menu) close.

But there is more: the right of the Naviknopf we find yet another key (also gray and above) and all around the Naviknöpfchen we find the control keys for the music player. These are dimly lit and, therefore, for telephone use only dimly discern.But that’s not all.

Left and right of the ear, we find two more buttons – but only if they are available. Otherwise they remain black and invisible. They are used to play and to zoom into the gallery view. Right outside we find the up / down buttons – among others. responsible for volume control and zooming while shooting, further down on the side of the camera key. Above, there is the Power button and a lock button – for the key lock.

Furthermore, there is between the top two buttons of the port for the headset – a 3.5 mm jack – thank you Nokia! Thus, we can finally connect any stereo headset to listen to music. The plug must be headphones plugged far and engages in the end a clear and heavy, as wags matter because nothing slips out.

On the left side we find the slot for the memory card. The fact that she hides in the inside at delivery, a flip of the fence post – see is a trick. What we do not find anymore: a push to talk key – thank God, because this was on my old phone …. just to thumb height

At the bottom there is the tiny power supply and the miniUSB port, and at a corner holes made for a Handybändel. Even the USB connector keeps lies, but not quite as firmly as the headset cable in the device.

The back of the camera gives us expected, unfortunately, not again face down. For this, a very powerful photo light is included. Forward on the right we have top of the corner or a VGA camera for video telephony. The back glistens in the right light angle a little and is not as black as the raven-front, but just scratches.

I am Nokiafan. No question. But after the first study I looked for my taste but with too many buttons face illuminated by the way ….. They are white.

Assembly

Of course you have to cobble together a new unit only. The memory card I tried in vain – I found it in the slot in the phone. Also in vain I sought the SIM space – a look at the manual revealed that is hidden in the bottom of a drawer for it. If the SIM stowed one puts in the small but powerful battery. Remove and close the back cover is a bit fiddly. A very tiny push-button opens the lock and the lid can be lifted off. When wearing but it’s quite easy to see that he is not stuck properly closes and wrong. Since sensitivity is required.

The aforementioned card slot is also quite ne fumbling. First, you have to pry off the door with a fingernail, this is still at a corner. The map resolves itself by pressing them, something which also is only possible with your fingernail. And then? Good question! The card snaps not far enough out, you really need to fiddle until they rausbekommt. Rein it is also something hakelig, the card is just too tiny. Who invented microSD should be punished.
Now a phone to the current – et voila, the new technological marvel is ready for use.

Functions, menu options

The first start amazed and surprised – no PIN request? Hmmmm – the solution: The device is basically first in offline mode and ignores the SIM consistently.

If you have this fixed now – is logging the device automatically times without being asked in the UMTS mode, rather than in the GSM mode. Very rude. So moved quickly to the menu for phone connections and all.

As is common in smart phones, is plastered at the beginning of the phone screen with a loud annoying stuff. Tasks, appointments, menu shortcuts. I do not know about you, but I want a clean screen. Under System – Preferences – General – Personalisation – Standby mode, you can leave your: Active Standby off. Here you’ll find all sorts of other useful things directly to set: Theme – choose only change the look of the phone. Included are all five similarly-sighted NSeries Themes – I opted for what their own. Under http://gallery.mobile9.com/c/nokia-n81-themes/ or http://www.zedge.net/themes/1488/nokia-n81-themes/ are also a number of downloadable and completely free and there are some really nice here.

The menu can display in several variants. I choose the simple habit list. Is fast and you just stand, what’s what, at the grid has only one picture, the name appears only when the icon is selected. For this you can even change the order of menu items as desired and so the most used to get forward.

Very nice : you can yourself select the display brightness with a darker screen and save electricity. Also how long can the backlight stays on after the last key press to select (5-60s in steps of 5). The maximum duration of 90sec regards to the power saver is already It defaults. The greeting can be up from here, although standard text or photo switch, which is two hands with melody but unfortunately we still can not get rid of my old phone I could not turn off ….. at least the melody, but very pleasing when the light proceeds shall be retained a residual light and you can still see what the display without having to again turn on the light. Very pleasant.

Of course you can also choose tones, Nokia also supplies various standard things, but also mp3s and dcf – presumably so that they can continue to use as mp3 not, it is in fact a Moby track. The other songs and artists are completely unknown to me. So fast draufgespielt my own sounds again and rest is in a box)

Do not we stay a little longer in recruitment. As usual, I can set that will be adopted when pushing a call is terminated when the slide is the conversation. We can also carry the Navitaste to a Navi-wheel, you can then navigate through certain menus and programs such as the iPod click wheel. Smart idea, a nice gimmick. One can also continue to make settings for equipment and programs and determine how to behave on the phone.
Of course, one can also show the menu buttons at the start screen of their own. So I’ve brought out the things that I need more often. Messages, contacts, and on the four key ways including the calculator and converter.

Which brings us already landed in the programs. The converter is now directly searchable, with me it was hidden in the submenu. Disadvantage: The courses required for all currencies must themselves be entered. After setting a base currency, however, he expects this price then good back and forth between them. All other conversion types, such as temperature, length, weight … are naturally present.

3 games are included, even the full version of FIFA 2008 – but I have this really zero interest and have them deleted all unseen. The phone handles Java games and games of the N-Gage platform.

The phone is also Nokia Maps. A few tickets are also on it – for example Berlin, Unter den Linden. But costs me too much, I do not need (for the trip I have the laptop mitm Street Atlas aufm knee) and is aufm Handy display eh stupid anyway.

The phone also has an installed Acrobat Reader – you can therefore read PDF files. Of course there is also a calendar where you can enter appointments, with alarm, an alarm clock in the Clock, a world clock with all kinds of cities to choose from and a notepad.

The phone book is well-known with many possibilities. To a name you can address, email, multiple phone numbers, pager number, etc. Save, associate photo and ring tone. About the PC Suite you can synchronize with the MS Outlook or Lotus Suite. I did not both, so I’ll give a hand. What is something annoying, but I’m only 15 or 20 contacts, because then goes quite fast. Using Bluetooth, you can also synchronize with each other and two cell phones saves retyping. But it will be dead in the phone book file never going;)

Can communicate with the phone a lot. SMS, MMS, email or audio messages. I will limit myself to occasional SMS ….

Music player …. runs in the background and can be turned off not go away. If anyone still knows how, he may deliver me. If you call the Player menu will appear, not as close to the other but only hide, which the player remains active. You can also listen to radio, a list of radio stations in the area you can download, since you do not have to search by hand. Very practical. Ollie: The list is unsorted and breadth, some channels multiple times and then some of them without significant reception. The phone can also podcasting – that podcasts from the web download and play on the phone, just as one knows it from the iPod. A link to the music store can be found here – of course. For videos, there is the Real Player, there is a Voice and a Flash Player is also installed. It was thought of all eventualities. Also nice: it must be seen not say where the music is. He finds it by itself, in which he durchscannt phone and memory, and everything added to the library, which he finds Sun Good boy. Gets you to the player, then the player buttons illuminated.
What bothers me that so simple things like the protocols are stored in deep sub-menus and I do not for example the missed / received calls, as before, may call for a key press.

Connections

In addition to four GSM networks, the phone still dominates up some more. First, UMTS, but I do not use. Then the clever little fellow has a Wi-Fi Finder. So I can go with the phone via my wireless router into the network, at no extra cost. Clever Case das. My site is even considerable, albeit much too large for display. Here you can rotate the display in landscape mode on demand and use what is recommended primarily for websites.
Data transfer to PC is possible via Bluetooth or USB cable. After some heel I have the laptop also coupled with the mobile phone and was able to my recent images and sounds ruckzuck hunt the telephone. Unfortunately, it stores the music and pictures while in the desired folder or in the music library, but leaves the original in your inbox – and hey presto, the 25MB phone memory was close! Must be a yes but also once said that he virtually copied …..

About the USB cable, you can choose between various types of connections: data transfer – then the cell phone (or its memory card) to a removable disk, simple thing with Windows. Or you have a photo printer, then you can select it and print the photos from the mobile phone camera.

For the PC there is the PC Suite for NSeries included. Select the mode, then PC Suite. This can be applications such as themes, install programs, etc. directly into the phone without the file to send to the telephone need only circumstantial. Also synchronization with Outlook & Co is here – for lack of use not tried. An Adobe Photo program was included, I use or might not. This enables you to manage their images from the camera and sort. Unfortunately, I have a simple file explorer that I can move files via drag & drop files between phone and PC, this is music management and media management to be specifically set to a given case and therefore no use to me.

Sound

For a small telephone the little shit things by the noise. Thanks to support 2GB card (up to 4GB cards) you can also download music at high quality and is thus in the enjoyment of a really surprisingly good sound. The two speakers are left and the right not to be overlooked on the device, the phone even offers 3D sound effects for the call signal, such as turning in circles or zigzags back and forth. Funny, but only to antesten times, in the long run it would be just annoying.
The headset allows the connection to the receiving radio, the antenna is installed in the cable. The sound through the headset is really good because I was really surprised. Thanks to an optional remote control that is included, you can control the player and still take calls. There is also a clip is attached with spring, not a cheap plastic clip. The cables are indeed thin, but still stable. The left is shorter than the right, it is always the remote sideways and not distracting in the middle and can be festgeklipst to the clothes.

During a telephone conversation, the sound in the first moment is significantly different from my previous phones. It is darker, but still loud and clear – if one considers that the unit is factory set to rather low and you turn the volume accordingly. No jamming, no noise, no popping – which is of course to the excellent reception.

Imaging
This term sums up Nokia together everything that has to do with pictures, videos and camera. So do I sometimes.

The camera can be activated with the designated button, the display now works in landscape mode. Positive: the old mobile phone gave a little pressure and the camera jumped on, even when they are tapped by accident – here you have to hold down the button for a moment so that the camera is concerned. At the highest resolution I get on it to rest 1.8 GB over 7500 images. Unfortunately, the camera is really not the screamer. For black or dark areas and shadows is generally green. This is not, as initially adopted an appearance in the viewfinder display, which illuminates so happy, so you can target the motive, but the picture was in the dark areas then also greenish, though not quite as extreme themselves. While there are settings such as night, landscape, portrait, but these have either no effect or cause other extreme color casts. Pity, at best camera for accident evidence fit. Videos I’ve not yet turned. The front camera can be activated camera exchange these over the menu, the image is not color cast, but you have the phone already loose blocking out 30-40cm, to see the whole head – so that the other party one can detect also, you’re gonna get heavy arms .
For normal photography but there are also variants such as sepia, black and white negative display or for fun, friends, direct dial before the shooting. The flash is actually not bad in performance, the range can be up to 3m even see.

The gallery can be on the normal menu, or accessed via the Media button. This is the single key to the right of Navifeld. With the two keys next to the ears I can zoom into the images or change the view in a slideshow-like presentation and browse the Navi wheel. Very practical and comfortable. About the Media button shows in the menus of the preinstalled Maps-cards, music players, games, contacts, and Internet. Except for the gallery function, I find the media key somehow superfluous.

The display can be absolutely convincing with 16.7 million colors. The presentation is clean and clear, the colors of pictures that I uploaded, are true to life, everything is rendered sharp, with large pictures you can of course zoom in decency, to see even more. 240×320 pixels is of course the PC comparison tiny, but for a very neat phone. Also the display is located directly behind the glass, not as in my old, where there was still a little space and therefore always a dark edge was created by shadows, because the display is too deep seated.
Other

The phone is high-quality, the holes for the ribbons are incorporated in the housing, not with a cheap plastic cover glued like my old phone that had been adopted directly. The charger plug is classic crooked and bent, there was an animal stoned during assembly. The charger is very tiny, only 2.5 x2, 5×1, 5cm, it brings about with it – very convenient for the luggage. The battery was fully charged, after less than an hour.

The summit has a great stamina. Even after two days of testing, and call on the phone do not even play around extremely one line was gone. The phone is a “when actually I have the last loaded” candidate, because people there usually can not remember it. His life’s work is so astonishingly high – here it gets all the plus points from me.

The guide can be booked against kloppen joke and in the ton. Not a picture / graphic is to find it and basically it is just a list of functions “do you want that, you go there, find you there, oh and by the way, the network can download and give us money ….” – In principle one could have omitted it. The 5seitige GettingStarted leaflet is useful because it explains the basis of graphics, which is where the unit just pocketed card and battery and even when the charging plug hinmuß.
The power saving mode is ne smart thing, after all, the battery promises a lot (which he also holds). However, the phone goes down so far that it looks as if it was switched off. But not quite. In the 10sec intervals, the ring flashes to Navitaste on – as a short message: I’m still alive. Who does not know that it can be totally confused when it shows up in the corner of my eye. I thought at first, I got a kink in the optics.

The key for the keypad – saugeniale invention. Although the familiar *- OK now stop away is …. The point: I activate the lock with the key that makes rüberziehen and again zurückschnippst and tight enough to do without it even in the case of delay, acts as lock and unlock a buck. Pressing the lock button again stands out this function again. Alternatively, the passing game even with proof: more keypad lock in, lock ask whether or nothing.
With the delete button, you can clear away not only wrong characters in the file manager can also be removed as things simple or uninstall programs, even if I have to get used only for that deleting the wrong character is no longer the second menu button there. The back button is now on the right menu button on the left we will find other options in the menu or select / OK, depending on use.

The phone offers general addition to the usual profiles, Loud, Quiet and Silent also an offline mode where any SIM activity is switched off – practical flight mode. About the off-key, there are also here to remove the item “Memory” where you can remove the card during operation.

Summary
A visual treat that looks very noble, due to its shining surface, however, quickly toll. The surface is extremely scratch, from the fingernail, the menu button shown after one day mark. The service is for Nokia users usual self, the differences are clear to S40 phones, but no hurdle and you get used to a fast. The phone offers several options, even if one does not determine all needed. I need it mainly because of its quad band support for a trip where you would just simply end with Triband.

A few menus are deeply involved, there must durchwuseln you are. What annoys me is the constant current music player that consumes on standby in the background of course resources.
The number pad is relatively small, you tend to quickly to tap with a fingernail, which immediately caused scratches. The top row is also a little too close to the edge of the upper slider, and the bottom is directly below the last button closing time, which is not just beneficial if you use the phone with one hand times must be really, then tip it just constantly high. The power button can also be difficult with all the fingers to operate a fingernail is also recommended. But has the advantage that the phone can not lead a life of its own.

To customize colors and themes, in addition to a lot of practical settings for keys, codes, and menu screens, so everyone can make their own individual phone from the N81. Quite good I think the permanent weak backlight, which continues to allow a view on the display until the screen saver comes. The camera could have been much better

CONCLUSION

Visually elegant, unfortunately, sensitive, technically extensive and versatile, menu user-nokiatypisch, very well made and equipped with very strong battery, can the N81 in the sum perfectly convincing, one loses but because of the points listed under the line a point is replaced but still a recommendation. For better contracts or new contract the phone is already to have nothing. Although I’ve never paid a high price for a cell phone and did pretty well swallowed, but I personally think the investment was worth it because for me the important points are true and complete satisfaction. The points that I have criticized depend on my personal feelings and are important to me in a phone mainly less, so I can live with it. Finally I got to photograph an expensive equipment, listening to an iPod and for route planning or emails on the road a reasonable laptop. In this sense, is communicative!

Pro : Features, operation, facilities, sound
Cons : extremely scratch, various – see report

5) Load Free Ringtones Into Your Nextel!

LG KC910 Renoir Review

2011-03-31T13:13:00.000-07:00

Image via WikipediaIf it is a phone you want with a top notch camera, the LG KC910 Renoir will not disappoint you. Announced in August 2008, the phone is available in the market since November 2008. LG has always made it a point to incorporate the latest technology and make the handsets feature-filled.

Similarly, for KC910 Renoir, they left no stone unturned. It has the newest connectivity technology and champs the world of camera phones. Along with the attractive display feature, KC910 Renoir is a high flier.

Design and Dimension

The slight mirror finish rendered to the phone adds on to the glamour quotient. It is of the slate form factor. Somewhat similar looking to an iPhone, the 3.0 inch touch screen makes the most of the front panel. It weighs 114 g and the dimension is 107.8 x 55.9 x 14 mm. The Renoir looks great, but is not counted on the slender genre.

Camera

If asked to score for the Renoir camera, one would rate it at nothing less than 8 out of 10. The 8 Mega Pixel camera does all the talking. The 3264 x 2448 pixels increases the image quality. Along with it, the new features are pretty interesting. One of them is the touchscreen focus. With it, if you want to focus at a particular object, you can do that just by pointing at the screen. Other than that, there is the blink detection feature which works just as well. The face tracking focus is also there. The DivX 5 video codec is used for video recording.

Basic Features

LG Renoir has an upgraded task manager. Compared to the LG Viewty and LG KF700, KC910 Renoir is much more moldable.

User Interface: The LG operating system works quite well. The user interface has been upgraded from the previous handsets. Though a bit slow, the interface has incorporated lots of animations. The main menu can be reorganized, and the icons can be interchanged. Scrolling is also much easier and smoother and each touch is accompanied by vibration. The home screen widgets have been updated and the Status screen is also installed.

Phonebook: Photo calling is possible in the Renoir, and video calling can also be done.

Screen

KC910 Renoir is blessed with a large 3.0 inches display. Screen of all LG phones always define class. So does the Renoir. The TFT touch screen is resistive. However, overall functioning it is not as difficult and is as good as the capacitive ones. It has a resolution of 240 x 400 pixels and 256K colors. Flash user interface is incorporated and accelerometer sensor is used for auto rotation. Wallpapers can be downloaded and applied.

Keypad and Controls

The touchscreen features a full QWERTY keypad. Due to the touch screen, the keypad is also easy to handle. Longitudinal view of the QWERTY keypad is also available. Beneath the 3.0 touch screen, there are three controls buttons each for receiving and ending calls and to open the application launcher. Above the display, there is the video call camera and ambient light sensor. On the right, there are two controls for the camera. The camera lens cover is manually controlled.

Audio

The speakerphone installed in the handset is quite powerful. The Renoir boasts of Dolby sound which acts on its favor. The Dolby for Mobile is not applicable on videos. The music player is not over the top, and there are no equalizer settings available. The Dolby sound enhancer acts at a single click to improve the sound quality.

Messaging

Messaging is quite easy if you are used to the touch screen keypad. Even if you are not, no difficulties are expected to arise. The touchpad is prompt. All the primary messaging features are available. SMS, MMS, EMS and Email facilities are provided.

Media

Image viewing, media player, video playback, gaming, picture editing and lots more are brought together with maximum efficiency in this handset. The screen is so fluid that flipping through images is more than natural. The image editor is excellent and feature filled. The latest one is the Face Beauty option. It brightens portraits and repairs blemishes. The Smart Light feature is also quite useful.

The music player is average, but the video support is too good. The LG Renoir could easily play the DivX files that were not played in the other smart-end phones. The large screen makes it comfortable for playing games.

Internet

Though the Safari browser was excellent, the web browser in LG Renoir is not far behind. The fluid feel has been inherited. The web pages are loaded pretty fast. The pages are also cached. However the only glitch is the zoom option. It is not quite accurate, and sometimes fails to enlarge the section of the page selected. To zoom an object, it is to be pressed and held together.

Storage

Like any other standard phone, the internal memory is 100 MB. Call records can register up to 40 dialed calls, 40 missed calls and 40 received calls. The external memory slot can support external memory up to 16 GB.

Connectivity and Data

The LG KC910 Renoir uses some of the latest connectivity technologies. It is a 3G enabled handset with the HSDPA at 7.2 Mbps. GPS technology is enabled. Then there is the Wi-Fi feature. Though there is no infrared port, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP allows data transfer. There is also a USB port.

Usability and Performance

The Renoir is rich in multimedia capabilities. The design is conservative, yet sharp enough. Good care needs to be taken for this phone. Performance is laudable, so is durability.

LG KC910 Renoir Phone Specifications

Weight: 114 g
Width: 107.8 mm
Height: 55.9 mm
Thickness: 14 mm
Display size: 3.0"
Announced: 2008, November
Colors: Black
Network: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - HSDPA 900 / 2100 for 3G
Screen Resolution: 240 x 400 pixels 256K colors, TFT resistive touchscreen
Data: GPRS Class 10, EDGE, Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP, USB v2.0 microUSB, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps
Memory: microSD, up to 16GB and internal 100 MB storage
Connectivity: USB v2.0 microUSB, Bluetooth 2.0
Web Browser: WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML, RSS feeds
Media and Music: MP3/MP4/AAC/DivX/Xvid player - MP3/WMA/WAV/RA/AAC/M4A player Supported (MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, WAV - MPEG4, H.263, H.264, WMV, RealVideo 10)
Camera: 8 MP, 3264x2448 pixels, Schneider-Kreuznach, auto/manual focus
Messaging: SMS, MMS, Email, IM - IMAP, POP3, SMTP, Microsoft Exchange
Expansion Slot: microSD
Tones: Vibration, Downloadable polyphonic, MP3 ringtones
Software Features: Java MIDP 2.0
Other Features: Voice memo, Games, Alarm, Calendar, To-Do / TV-out, FM radio
US Sar Values: Head: 0,59, Body: 0,49
Battery: Li-Ion 1000 mAh
Talk Time: up to 180 mins
Standby: up to 264 hours

Pros and Cons

Pros

Resistive but responsive touch screen
High quality 8 MP camera
Improved image editor
Superior appearance

Cons

Not slender
Less available applications
Not a music phone

5) Load Free Ringtones Into Your Nextel!

Nokia 5730 Xpressmusic

2011-03-31T13:10:00.000-07:00

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeSometimes the brand name is just enough for the customers. Any new handset in the market from their house gets the publicity required, and thus gets swept up in a jiffy. Quality and reliability is the key word. Latest on the list is the Nokia 5730 Xpressmusic.

Somewhat similar to the 5630 except for the slide out QWERTY keypad, the handset took the followers by surprise as it is the first music edition phone with a QWERTY keypad. It is a fully music optimized and bequeathed with dedicated gaming keys. The phone is just apt for the music frenzies and text savvies.

Design and Dimension

This new end phone is a look alike of the normal music edition Nokia phones. The length has been extended with a provision for QWERTY keypad. However the plastic built is not much of a catch. It weighs some 135 g and features a 2.4 inches display. The general dimension is 112 x 51 x 15.4 mm.

Camera

The 5730 Xpress Music is laden with a 3.15 mega pixel camera. The camera is not over the top, but gives decent quality pictures. The 2048 x 1536 pixels automatically boosts the performance. The optics has been put in from Carl Zeiss. The camera comes with basic features such as autofocus. A LED flash helps in lighting up the image.

Basic Features

Nokia 5730 is a complete package Smartphone on the line. Aimed for the younger throng, the phone justifies its features. Beginning with the general features available in every phone, the handset is loaded with integrated facets and works well too. The software has also been upgraded from previous 5630 model.

Interface: 5730 Xpress Music runs on a Symbian operating system. The 9.3 version comes with the 3rd edition user interface of S60. It has the Feature Pack 2. However, few changes have been incorporated to facilitate ease of usage. One of the changes is a new contact bar for the standby screen. This new feature makes the screen more interactive because of contact pictures and RSS feeds. Certain graphics such as animated phone browsing also accompanies the Feature Pack 2.

Phonebook: Like all Symbian handsets, the Nokia 5730 also features unlimited contacts storage capacity virtually. The contacts can also be easily edited as per requirements and even new fields can be added. Saving a contact name is done by the first or the last name and can be searched by the same. Groups can be created, and synchronization is also easier.

Screen

The Nokia 5730 Xpressmusic has the display tilting in its favor. The phone has a decent 2.4 inches QVGA screen. With a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels, the display is quite appropriate. The 16M colors are highly vibrant. Brightness of the screen is adjustable and doesn't hurt the eyes. The contrast is also quite good. The sunlight legibility makes sure the display is not washed away by the sunshine and remains immensely readable. Though a 2.4 inches screen is enough, a little larger would have done no harm.

Keypad and Controls

The handset is utterly well balanced, and takes care of the messaging folks extra especially. The numpad serves its purpose dedicatedly. Marked by digital style digits, it shows off a great deal. The keys are easy and good and don't have problems like the previous models. The show stealer is the QWERTY keypad. It is spread out in four rows and makes proper use of the space. The keys are well spread and writing tools are easier to access. Typing on this phone is really top notch.

Audio

It goes without saying that an Xpress music handset will deliver nothing but quality sound features. So the audio quality is just as expected. The dedicated music keys add on to the music experience. It supports many audio formats such as MP3, AAC, WMA and eAAC+. Obviously music can also be played in the background. Though the equalizer is preset with five elements, new ones can be edited or created. The Say and Play feature is also quite welcoming.

Messaging

Symbian is a great software that supports messaging like nothing else. Teamed with a user friendly keypad, texting couldn't be easier. It supports SMS, email and MMS as they are the climbing rungs.

There is a separate editor for SMS and audio messages. Basic features like delivery report are there and converting a SMS to a MMS is also quite neat. You can even listen to your emails using the message reader.

Media

The available multimedia options are meant to improve the phone's features. The homescreen is commendable. Through it, direct access can be gained to the applications like N Gage, Facebook, Maps, Ovi contacts, messaging, photos etc. dedicated gaming and music keys are also praiseworthy.

Internet

Nokia Smartphones are always good when it comes to web browsing. Pages open up with great ease and scrolling through them is easier. The RAM boosts the performance of the browser and multi tasking capability makes this phone even better. The browser supports Java and Flash, and zooming options are also made available.

Storage

The internal storage memory is f 100 MB with a 128 MB RAM. It comes with a micro SD slot and the external memory is expandable up to 16 GB. Call records are also stored for maximum 30 days.

Connectivity and Data

The Smartphone has numerous connectivity and data transfer options. Basic ones like USB 2.0 and A2DP Bluetooth 2.0 are supported along with HSDPA that supports 3.6 Mbps RAM. As the icing on the cake, Wi-Fi is also supported.

Usability and Performance

The handset meets all the primary requirements. The organizer and applications are quite functional and have good managerial skills. The mobile office is also supportive and editing features are common. It is not expected to be top notch, but stays true to its promise.

5) Load Free Ringtones Into Your Nextel!

Nokia X6 16GB

2011-03-09T17:42:00.000-08:00

Phones – oh, there are so many cell phones out there and so many different brands out there. This particular post is going to be able Nokia and I can tell you for sure that the brand new Nokia X6 16GB is definitely one of the hottest new phones that is going to be coming out on the market.

This particular phone is available in all black, all white, white with pink and white with yellow – all your choice! The color choices though are not the only things that are cool with the Nokia X6 16GB. This phone is powered by a 433.9MHz processor with a 5-megapixel camera with dual flash LED for low light photography, Bluetooth 2.0, a 3.5mm headphone jack, A-GPS and WLAN. The Nokia X6 16GB will be sold without the Come with Music service but will come with the latest Symbian S60 5th edition.

5) Load Free Ringtones Into Your Nextel!

LG LU2300

2011-03-09T17:40:00.000-08:00

One thing that I have noticed lately is that Android phones seem to be popping up everywhere. Not only does every single carrier seem to have one Android phone but I have to say that the newest LG LU2300 is definitely one phone that I think I could see myself investing in.

This is the newest addition to the LG company and I have to say that this particular handset sports a heck of a lot of specs … and that is what we are going to go over. For example a 3.5-inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, a 5-megapixel camera with 720p video support, Android 2.1 operating system, WiFi, GPS, and a digital TV tuner.

South Korea is going to be the first place that gets this phone but hopefully, it will move on over to the states soon enough!

5) Load Free Ringtones Into Your Nextel!

Motorola releases Milestone XT720

2011-03-09T17:39:00.000-08:00

Motorola recently released the Milestone XT720 that will be first rolling out in Europe. The Milestone XT720 is expected to turn the heads of those who love to snap pictures and videos with their cellphones at it comes with a sensor of 8 megapixels, 720p, 24 frame per second, and a xenon flash which is first for the popping-everywhere Android phones. The Milestone XT720 comes with Android version 2.1.

Other notable specs include:

* 3.7-inch screen with 480×854 resolution
* A8 CPU with 550MHz AM Cortex
* Talk time – 9 hours
* Standby time – 320 hours

The looks of this new release is pretty much similar to the Motorola’s prowling the scene of the Chinese market. It also looks that Moto is sticking with keyboard-less form handsets for now as they push for their goodies in Europe.

There has not been any update if the Milestone XT720 will head to the US. It might or it might not but we are guessing that they will make the European market as the barometer.

Initial reviews of this phone over the web complain about some shortcomings on the ergonomics department plus a bit of friction when you use the touchscreen. It is pretty much exciting to see a 10.9×13.7mm Android phone without keyboards but we hope it will not disappoint us when we get to feel it in our own hands.

If you live in the UK and you're looking for the best deals on plans and phones, check out Dialaphone, they've got the goods!

5) Load Free Ringtones Into Your Nextel!

Sony Ericsson Vivaz

2011-03-09T17:37:00.000-08:00

The Vivaz is the latest smart phone offering from Sony Ericsson. The Vivaz uses the Symbian operating system which some people like and others really don’t so your opinion on this phone will be largely influenced by your opinion on that issue. If you are a fan of the Symbian operating system than this is a phone that you may want to consider.

The first thing that you will notice about the Sony Ericsson Vivaz is how light it is, this is a very light weight phone. In order to do this the phone had to be made mostly of plastic which gives the feel that the Vivaz isn’t really that solidly built, but that is the trade off of keeping the weight down.

Typing messages on the Vivaz is fairly easy, at least it is if you use the right keyboard. There is a traditional alphanumeric keyboard which works fine. There is also a full QWERTY keyboard that if fairly easy to type with. The mini QWERTY is the one that is a hassle to use, it is way too small to be of any real use. It pretty much requires a stylus to be of any use, there really is little use for it. The stylus itself is a little bit irritating since it dangles off the phone.

The camera on the Sony Ericsson Vivaz is a bit of a disappointment, it works fine if there is a lot of light but it isn’t all that effective in low lighting conditions. There is a flash, sort of, it doesn’t actually flash, you turn it on or off. Even with the flash on the picture quality isn’t that great in low lighting conditions. The same is true of the video camera, it works fine if there is a lot of light but not so well in low lighting conditions.

Over all the Sony Ericsson Vivaz a decent phone but a little bit of a disappointment. There are all the apps you would expect on a modern smart phone on the Vivaz but nothing that really stands out. There are other, better phones that use the Symbian operating system that are better than this phone. The biggest issue is it camera, so if you aren’t too concerned about taking pictures this phone is probably fine for your needs, otherwise you may want to consider a different phone.

5) Load Free Ringtones Into Your Nextel!

HTC Gratia

2011-03-09T17:30:00.000-08:00

The HTC Gratia can be considered as a compact, subdued, and old machine but at the same time it manages to be capable, edgy, and new. The HTC Gratia will be the newer version of the HTC Aria that will be rolled out in Europe.

The world of Android consists of screaming big screens which somehow makes it difficult to find something in a small package.

Summary of Features

* 3.2” capacitive HVGA touch screen
* Froyo and Sense UI
* Quad band
* Wi-Fi capable
* 5 MP camera
* microUBS and Bluetooth connectivity
* PDF and Office viewer
* Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube integration

Some of the down sides of this offering from HTC are the following: sunlight legibility is poor; there is nosecondary camera for video calls; no dedicated key for the camera; and the card slot located beneath the battery cover.

We cannot say anything about the design lines since it stands out carrying its signature back panel screw. Somehow it has the hints of the HD Minibut still exudes its uniqueness. The user interface too is very usable giving focus on the social media craze these days. Using the Froyo instead of the Éclair also gave the setup a speed boost.

The sound quality of the HTC Gratia is also very crisp with no problem in terms of signal reception.

The HTC Gratia performs well as a mid range smartphone but the Aria still has a better impression overall. The price might also be something people in the old continent might not be pleased with side by side the other droid phones.

5) Load Free Ringtones Into Your Nextel!

Samsung Tocco

2009-08-03T05:55:00.000-07:00

Image by mefdada via Flickr

Samsung Tocco is one of the latest accession to the wide

range of blow awning phones offered by Samsung. With a

spacious abounding blow screen, minimalist design, and powerful

camera features, this buzz is basically a adaptable powerhouse

Designing & Presentation: The all-embracing designing is sleek,

smart and there is a authentic crispiness about the layout.

The admeasurement is appealing adequate too at aloof about 99 mm in

length and back compared to added contenders in this

segment, the Samsung Tocco may be the aboriginal one.

Further, the buzz feels nice to anchor and it is accessible to

hold it in one duke again tap on the screen. To accord it some

unique architecture elements an added cover, i.e. the battery

cover has been provided and it comes absorbed to a screen

protector. This is a accessible way of ensuring that the screen

is adequate adjoin scratches. In agreement of blush hues, a

very academic set of shades has been called and it is only

the avant-garde fascia that has a bit of beam to it, antic a

slightly shinier adumbration of black. What does accomplish it appear

like a high-end alms is the metallic-looking, thin

silver-colored lining that has been done about the

speakers and beneath the blow screen. The avant-garde screen

measures 2.8 inches and this makes the Tocco one of the

most carriageable touchscreen adaptable devices.

Performance: The capital band on the avant-garde apparent has a

'End' button that does bifold assignment and it can be acclimated as

the On/Off button too. A actual duke affection — the

small 'hold' button which can be apprenticed to attenuate touch

functions. The one affection that makes Samsung Tocco a

unique touchscreen hypothesis is its interface that can be

personalized according to alone preferences. The

customization is offered via a different Drag & Drop System

which can be acclimated to actually 'put' any of the chosen

Widgets on the capital screen. The absolute action is rather

simple — the capital awning has a aftereffect and when

tapped, it opens and the arrow that emerges contains all

the Widgets. From here, you accept to artlessly accept and drag

the applications you appetite on the capital screen.

Others: The angel accuracy is ablaze and the 320 x 240

pixel resolution ensures accurateness of the pictures and the

text. Another absorbing affection is the affluence with which the

music playback action can be operated and the 220 MB

built-in anamnesis too comes handy. The array activity is simply

stunning and offers added than ten hours of uninterrupted

performance, alike back arena the music. The camera has

definitely afflicted us with its 5.0 mega-pixels resolution

and comes with autofocus, face detection, smile bang and

several added avant-garde camera capabilities. The audio

quality has been added by accouterment congenital speakers

and the new Samsung Blade stereo jack. Your MP3 caliber is

taken affliction of by the Windows Pocket Media Player 10 that

comes as a allotment of the accepted packing. Storage memory

expansion is accessible via the SDHC microSD slot.

Conclusion: if you are analytic for a handset that is a

bit unusual, but performance-oriented and is able with

some affluence and chichi architecture elements, again the Samsung

Tocco is your answer. This handset will not get outdated

for absolutely some time and its appearance caliber has a universal

appeal.

5) Load Free Ringtones Into Your Nextel!

Nokia 5800 Star Trek Edition

2009-07-24T18:44:00.000-07:00

Accordance with the name Nokia 5800 Star Trek Edition, cell phone from nokia this have content related with Star Trek the movie such as app phaser, lightsabre application, wallpaper, screensaver and ringtones exclusively as “Phazer Shot,” “Red Alert” and “Kelvin Communicator”. Nokia 5800 Star Trek Edition is available starting in the UK version in the colors red, blue and black / silver, with the contract price Pounds Sterling 25 in local mobile operator.
5) Load Free Ringtones Into Your Nextel!

Motorola i465 Clutch

2009-07-24T18:43:00.000-07:00

Motorola Clutch i465 is a candybar phone equipped full QWERTY keyboard. Coming with some features such as stargger resistant, push-to-talk designed to ease type message and upgrade software for the IM style text, Vibration-resistant, dustproof and anti-solar radiation, where the phone is able to survive in all conditions of any kind. Will be present in the second quarter in 2009 or about June, not yet have infromation about price.
5) Load Free Ringtones Into Your Nextel!

HTC Touch Pro Cell Phone Review

2009-07-20T18:43:00.000-07:00

Image by cheukiecfu via Flickr

Enjoy movies, music, Mp4 music, videos, and beck annihilation from the Internet like you never anticipation it accessible on a adaptable phone. The HTC blow Pro provides you with the Opera 9.5 web browser so you will get the best acquaintance while surfing about on the Internet. It is additionally actual accessible to cross about on your buzz with the actual ample 3.8″ 65K-color touchscreen and a blow acute annal wheel.

The 3.5G technology let you download from the Internet with a accurate broadband speed. If you are application the appropriate networks, the adaptable phone´s Internet affiliation let you download with 7.2 Mb per second. When application your buzz to download argument abstracts you can additionally use the MS Office Adaptable certificate editor to adapt the text.

I accept to accept that the air-conditioned aerial resolution 3.8″ affectation (480×800), 3.15 megapixel camera and ability of Windows Adaptable absolutely makes the Blow Pro an adorable device.

The actuality that this buzz looks appealing abundant the aforementioned way as its “twin brothers” the HTC blow Diamond and the HTC blow HD doesn’t accomplish me beneath aflame to try it out but afterwards all, the phones about accept the aforementioned architecture and platform.

Some of the key appearance of the Blow Pro and Blow HD is that they both accept a slide-out keyboard (which the Diamond does not have). They additionally accept a Wi-Fi connection, congenital FM transmitter so that you can accept to the radio and they accept a microSD anchorage to accommodate added deejay space. The Blow Pro additionally has a Standard miniUSB anchorage and the Bluetooth v2.0 so it is actual accessible to accomplish it acquaint with a computer. The Pro adaptation additionally has a actual air-conditioned YouTube client.

Of advance there are additionally some disadvantages. I acquisition it appealing large, massive and heavy, area the accompanying brother, the Diamond, is a lot thinner and lighter. It is additionally appealing adamantine to see absolutely what´s on the awning in sunshine and alike admitting that the annal action is a actual air-conditioned apparatus I acquisition it to accept bound use.

Compared with the HTC blow Diamond I would adopt the Diamond, because it’s so abundant thinner and I don’t charge the slide-out keyboard. I adopt the “normal” buzz keyboard.
5) Load Free Ringtones Into Your Nextel!

Nokia N86 8MP – coming to the United States

2009-07-20T00:08:00.000-07:00

Image by RafeB via Flickr

The accolade acceptable Nokia N86 8MP, the best avant-garde Nokia imaging device, is advancing to the United States. With its eight megapixel camera, bifold LED beam and Carl Zeiss Optics, the Nokia N86 8MP will acquiesce US consumers to backpack a accurate backup for distinct purpose point-and-shoot camera. With a admirable 2.6-inch AMOLED screen, examination images and video has never been added pleasurable.

Sharing images and video with your amusing arrangement couldn’t be easier with the Share Online applicant that is preinstalled on the Nokia N86 8MP and its one-click upload. With over-the-air uploads, media can be apparent aural abnormal from Ovi Share and added media administration sites. The Nokia N86 8MP additionally comes preloaded with Ovi casework including Ovi Maps, N-Gage and Ovi Files. With aberrant body affection and loaded with features, the Nokia N86 8MP continues the acceptability that bodies apprehend from the Nokia Nseries.
5) Load Free Ringtones Into Your Nextel!

HD iPhone Converting Tutorial

2009-07-19T18:17:00.000-07:00

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Hey guys actuality is my tutorial on converting top, aerial affection HD video for the Apple iPhone and iTouch. Works for movies, tv shows, and music videos. 1. Download Handbrake for free. http://handbrake.fr/ I will let you catechumen videos to comedy on your iPhone 3G AND 3GS. 2. Download a antecedent if you don’t already accept a video. If you do accessible your video in handbreak. To do this bang Antecedent > Video Book If you appetite to use the aforementioned video I am (Katy Perry – Hot and Cold) the download articulation is below. http://www.megaupload.com/?d=KR9O1KGH

3. Select the preset. In this case we will use “iPhone and iPod Touch”

We’ll change some stuff.

Format: Mp4

Width : 480 Height: 320 (If you appetite to accumulate added of the admeasurement but accident accepting a advanced awning attending again leave the acme area empty).

Under Video Tab

Video Codec: Mpeg-4 (FFmpeg)

Framerate: Aforementioned As Antecedent or 29.97

Constant Quality: 100%

4.

Select your achievement name and destination. Bang Browse (in the average of the screen). Go to the binder of your choice, blazon in the name you would like the book to be adored beneath (Katy Perry – Hot and Cold if you acclimated my provided video), and bang Save.

5.

At the top bang Start.

Your quality, if you use my settings, alone depends on the video you acclimated to convert. So amuse do not ask me questions if the video turns out bad. Comedy your aboriginal video book first, if it looks acceptable again your accomplished adapted artefact will attending good.

6.

After you catechumen artlessly locate your video, annoyance it into iTunes (or accessible it in iTunes) and it will be beneath “Movies.” Go to it, appropriate bang > Get Info > Go to Info Tab > Blazon In Artist Name/Song (Or TV Show/Movie Name)> Go To Options Tab> Change the Media Kind To Music Video/TV Show/Movie.

YOU’RE DONE!

READ BELOW FOR TIPS AND A TUTORIAL ON HOW TO DOWNLOAD HD YOUTUBE VIDEOS.

That’s it. These settings will accord you optimal affection to the point area your video will attending so bright it could be HD.

Some tips:

Use videos with aerial resolution. The bigger the video the bigger it will look.

If you appetite abate sized videos (mb wise) artlessly about-face bottomward the Frame Rate and Constant Quality.

To get the videos on your iPhone/iTouch annoyance them into your iTunes and Sync.

For music videos the best sources are .Vobs. They’re basically HD Rips. Additionally HD .Avi’s are prime.

Handbreak doesn’t catechumen mpeg files to added mpeg files in best cases so you’ll accept to use addition advocate for mpeg-mpeg conversion.

Don’t use files that are beneath 480-320 as they will not attending acceptable converted. Stretched and pixelated outputs will occur.

To download HD Youtube videos (from videos with an HD option) artlessly download Chargeless Studio Manager’s Youtube Download Program. It’s chargeless and installs in seconds.

http://www.dvdvideosoft.com/products/dvd/Free-YouTube-Download.htm

Go to your HD Youtube Video of best and archetype the link.

Open up the Chargeless Youtube Download Program and adhesive the articulation in by beat Paste.

In my case I acclimated this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwnBqLC2Kk4&hd=1

You can additionally aloof blazon &hd=1 at the end of the articulation if it is HD. To chase for HD video blazon in your chase and change Blazon to HD.

In the Youtube Downloader change the architecture to: Avi Aerial Definition Video. We can’t catechumen the Mp4 blazon in Handbreak.

You can additionally change your Achievement binder to area anytime you appetite so it’s easier to acquisition the video afterwards it has been downloaded.
5) Load Free Ringtones Into Your Nextel!

Camera Cell Phone Samsung

2009-07-19T14:27:00.000-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

Camera corpuscle buzz by Samsung - description. Samsung accomplish a ample alternative of cellular phones including camera corpuscle buzz by Samsung. An archetype are abundant phones like SPH-a600 agenda camera corpuscle buzz by Samsung that allows accessing the web and SGH-e105 buzz that allows assorted messaging capabilities. Camera corpuscle buzz by Samsung - Samsung SGHV-205. The Samsung SGHV-205 is an amazing GSM camera corpuscle buzz by Samsung that uses GPRS technology. It is a abundant acquirement for anyone wh
5) Load Free Ringtones Into Your Nextel!

Hello Kitty iPhone 3G Knockoff

2009-07-13T19:43:00.001-07:00

Instead of waiting to read about the latest Hello Kitty branded cellphone knockoffs you can now go to the one stop shop that sells them all. HelloKittyPhones.com is a site that sells just about every Hello Kitty cellphone that is out there at the moment- Even one that looks extremely like an iPhone. It is called the Hello Kitty Phone 3G and prices range from $89 to $109 depending on capacity. So if you love anything Hello Kitty and don’t mind using knockoff cellphones, then this is your source.
5) Load Free Ringtones Into Your Nextel!

Nokia Surge coming to AT&T on July 19th

2009-07-13T19:37:00.000-07:00

The new Nokia Surge (Mako)is the first weird looking Symbian phone in the USA market. The Symbian S60-based smartphone features a full QWERTY keyboard, a browser with Flash support, a pre-installed JuiceCaster app for easily updating your Facebook / Twitter status . The price?, $79.99 after rebate,

you’ll also get a 2 megapixel camera, AT&T Navigator, AT&T Video Share and the pleasure of handing over at least $30 per month for a required data plan. If you’re sold already, you can get yours on July 19th.

5) Load Free Ringtones Into Your Nextel!

Motorola Razr V3: Transfer Files Through Bluetooth

2009-07-10T13:43:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know that motorola wants you to spend money on the their mobile phone tools. You can easily transfer files without it by using a bluetooth dongle.

This requires that you have already established an active connection between your computer and cellular phone through bluetooth. They need to be "paired."

Send Files to Phone:

1. Click Start

2. Click All Programs

3. Click Accessories

4. Click Communications

5. Select Bluetooth File Transfer Wizard

6. It will load, click Next

7. Click Send File

8. In the Send to: box your phone should be listed. If not, browse to find it. Click Next to advance.

9. Browse for your file and click Open and after select the file you want to move.

10. Click Next

11. Accept the file transfer on your phone.

12. Save the file on your phone

Send Files From Phone to Computer:

I am going to describe moving a picture. Sounds and video work the same way.

1. Click Start

2. Click All Programs

3. Click Accessories

4. Click [b]Communications

5. Select Bluetooth File Transfer Wizard

6. It will load, click Next

7. Click Receive File

8. In your phone goto My MEdia

9. Goto Pictures

10. Select the picture you wish to send

11. Push the menu key

12. Select Move or Copy (copy will leave the picture on your device while move deletes it from your device after the copy)

13. In the Object Exchange screen, the name of your computer should be listed. Select your computer. If it is not, then select [Look for Devices] and then select your computer once it shows.

14. The file will be copied or moved over

15. Back on your computer now, name and save your file.

16. Click Next

17. Click Finished.

Blackberry 8310 GPS

2009-07-05T13:21:00.000-07:00

There are so many options of the Blackberry. If you need the Blackberry with the GPS features, there are still some options that you could get. One of the options is the Blackberry 8310 with the GPS feature. This is one of the ultimate GPS phones that you could use to have some positioning services.

The AT&T and RIM have made an announcement about the Blackberry Curve 8310. A built in GPS has already being added in the Blackberry Curve 8310 series. The blackberry 8310 gps application is provided by the AT&T. The blackberry 8310 gps has the ability that allows us as user to make some location identification with the built in GPS Navigator. The system works as much as the Telenav’s GPS navigator works. The best part is, this is for free.

The blackberry 8310 gps phone offers us some features. The Blackberry 8310 is featuring a large screen with the ultra bright 320-by-240 pixel display that supports more than 65,000 colors. The Blackberry 8310 has only 4.2 x 2.4 x 0.6 size. With only approximately 3.9 on weight, this is such a light big phone. This is such a perfect device to have. If you are a gadget mania, this is certainly a gadget that has its own style.

iPhone 3G cell phone is replaced by 3G S

2009-06-22T06:38:00.000-07:00

A better camera, a faster performance and new features: these are the proposals that come with the new iPhone 3G S that had been announced by Apple, the California-based company, during a press conference.

Now, the new smartphone is available for sale at Apple stores around the globe and official distributors. The same as when the previous version was released (the iPhone 3G), this time also there were people who waited in line next to the doors of the stores in order to be the first ones to purchase the new mobile.

In New York, in spite of the rain, about a hundred people stayed under their umbrellas awaiting the initial open hours of the store (starting from 7:00 AM). This time, the launch of the smartphone was carried out at a global level and similar situations happened in London and Madrid, but with less people waiting in lines.

With the iPhone 3G S, there are several features that have been improved, especially an improvement in speed. In fact, this phone is called 3G S, with the S meaning “Speed”. This way, it is possible to have faster and efficient interactions between users and this iPhone compared to the previous models. According to some reports, the iPhone 3G S is 2 times faster than the 3G version.

BlackBerry Curve 8520

2009-06-21T06:02:00.000-07:00

The BlackBerry Curve 8520 cell phone features Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, a 2 megapixel camera, QWERTY keyboard, 128 MB RAM / 256 MB ROM, Wi-Fi, EDGE, GPS, USB.Cell Phone Hands-on Photos:

source

Samsung has announced it's first solar powered GSM cellphone

2009-06-11T15:59:00.000-07:00

Samsung Introduces Its First Solar Powered Mobile Phone

Samsung leads solar panel mobile market with

the launch of Crest Solar (E1107)

Seoul, Korea, June 10, 2009 - Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd, today announced its first solar powered mobile phone, the "Crest Solar" (E1107). The new handset enables its users to charge the battery anywhere the sun is shining when electricity is unavailable.

"The Crest Solar represents our effort and commitment to strengthen our leadership in the solar panel mobile market," said Executive Vice President JK Shin, head of the Mobile Communication Division at Samsung Electronics.

"With Samsung's cutting edge technology and consumer-oriented strategy, I believe the Crest Solar will be the perfect fit for anyone in any market – not only because it is solar powered, but because it has features that were designed to appeal to various cultures."

The Crest Solar will be available in numerous markets including India, Europe, Southeast Asia, Southwest Asia, and Latin America from June 2009.

Powered by the Sun

With an extended solar powered battery, the Samsung Crest Solar solves the problem of unavailable or unstable electrical outlets, particularly in rural areas. The phone has the capacity to provide around 5~10 minutes of talk time with one hour of solar charging.* Moreover, the solar panel charging allows its users to save money and energy consumption on traditional electrical charging.

* Measured when the phone is turned-off under the sun light of 80,000 Lux. Results can be different depending on circumstances.

Localized Features for Various Markets

The Crest Solar comes in a compact design with essential mobile phone features such as FM radio, MP3 ring tones, embedded games and a powerful torch light. For consumer safety, the phone offers Mobile Tracker, which automatically alerts when the SIM card is changed or sends out an SOS message in an emergency. The Crest Solar also has a fake call feature, so users can pretend they have an incoming call to escape unsafe situations.

To satisfy Crest Solar users in various markets, Samsung offers localized features for different countries. For instance, it offers profile screening for bikers in the Southeast Asian market that provides incoming call alerts only from selected contacts for safe riding. The Crest Solar also provides specialized features for different religions, such as alerts for prayer time.

Calling Cards for Students

2009-06-09T22:23:00.001-07:00

Students are the younger generation and they are the future of the world. So, it is very important that the get the right guidance in anything that they do. As they are not much experienced, they tend to do a lot of mistakes. In the same way, a student must be careful in selecting a calling card. Most of the students choose a bad calling card and then feel for it. Before buying anything, a person should know its statistics, advantages and disadvantages and think before buying it. In the case of a Calling card, one should keep in mind, the following points and check whether his/her calling card supports the following.

* The card should not have any connection fee, taxes, surcharges or any other fees. Most of the students tend to buy the cards with all these and get a bill shock. The connection fee is taken every time a call is made, but even if the person does no pick up the call, this fee is taken and it varies from 5 cents to 1 dollar.
* The Rounding minutes or Bill increment is another important factor. Remember that the higher the rounding number on your card, the more you lose when you make short and frequent calls. When you make fewer and longer calls, it’s recommended that you get a bigger rounding. This is the main factor that every student has to keep in mind.
* See to it that you buy the card with the expiration date far enough from the date of purchase and finish your talk-time before the expiration date. Because, if the expiration date has arrived, even if you have talk-time balance, you will not be able to talk.
* Your card should offer Speed-dial, PIN-free dialing and multiple calls.
* Recharging can be done in two ways, out of which you can choose one. The first one is the normal refilling when the balance in your card is zero or null. The second one is Autorefill with which you allow the card to refill itself when the balance is low or null. Out of these two options, the first one would be better. You can choose the Autorefill option in your purchase screen while purchasing.
* Apart from the above mentioned fees, there is also the maintenance and service fee. As the name suggests, service fee is taken for the service and maintenance fee for the maintenance. The maintenance fee is too high and is the most notorious, hidden fee which is taken without the notice of the customer.

Choose the best calling card and enjoy talking without any hesitation. You can buy your card on the internet or any other customer care shops of some reputed big company using your credit cards or debit cards. Most of the students use calling cards nowadays as they feel that they are of great advantage.

How To Use phone cards to pay less on Long distance calls

2009-06-09T22:21:00.000-07:00

Long distance calling cards are very useful for the people who make international calls on daily basis. These cards make it very easy to call from one place to the other from any phone at reliable and affordable rates, as compared to normal long distance call. Customers who buy calling cards can use a PIN code number in order to make a call from any phone, whether it is payphone, cell phone or a landline without paying any extra charges on international calls. The advantage of an international calling card is that one does not need to worry about call cost and call charges that are deducted as the call ends.

The facility of calling from any phone also makes these cards a great option as one doesn’t need to carry a cell phone with an international SIM card. You can easily buy calling cards to call anywhere in the world whether it is India, China, France, Australia, UK, Germany, US or any other country. Here are some important points that need to be considered before purchasing any international calling card. First of all you should compare the providers of each card. There are many phone cards providers that are giving calling cards at different rates. You should do a complete and thorough research so that you can get the best calling card. You should check the providers in both the country from where you are calling and the destination place so that you can get a better price for the call charges.

Try to compare the hidden fees of every card. With the price of calling card, there might be some hidden charges like connection fee, activation fee, hang up fee and many more. You should also check the per call charges and choose the one that best suits your budget. Pay more attention to the providers that are providing large number of minutes but after the hidden charges are announced you will get less minutes that you were thinking before purchasing the card. For example a $ 5 card advertises 1000 minutes to China or Pakistan but after the fees are applied you may finish up getting only 200 minutes. There are some providers that offer a lower rate but you should purchase the card that have the lower price only if you buy $90 card or higher and there could be some extra

or hidden charges. The best and reliable card is an honest one that shows all charges and deducts only the anno

unced fees without any surprises to the customer.

There are many companies that provide . These cards are recharged when the calling time is expired. Also, make it sure that you know the expiry date of your calling card as most of the cards expires after 3 to 6 months from the date of purchase. You can easily recharge the card by calling the service provider tool free numbers. International calling cards are the best way to keep in touch with your family, friends and relatives. Instead of paying huge amount of bills, buy a cheap and affordable phone card today and talk without worrying about extra charges and fees.

How To Making International Calls at Affordable Rates

2009-06-09T22:20:00.001-07:00

International calls can be costly and stressful after getting the bill at the end of each month; you may have a problem in paying your phone bill. Local calls are less costly than long distance calls and generally companies do have different calling rates. Long distance calling rates are really higher than local, and if you have some loved one or relative working abroad, you might think twice about picking up the phone and dialing their number. And the bad thing is that your loved ones feel that why they have not heard from you in ages!

There is a wide variety of phone cards and each vary with the recharges, rates and services, as there are some calling cards that provides local and international coverage. Every prepaid calling card has different texture and functions, so you need to buy the calling card that suits with your needs. Prepaid calling cards have different fees and charges so you should know the exact fees and charges that go with the cards. The fees or charges that you are going to pay may be some hidden fees, maintenance charges, connection fees and service fees. So you should know about all the fees charged by the service providers. You also need to know about the rates per minute call of every calling card.

With the most calling cards, you need to buy the products in order to know about its advantages. If they do not work properly, it becomes really difficult to get a refund. Also, calling cards for long distance calls are not cheap, so in case you don’t like the product, you ultimately lose a lot of money. Though there are some good options and now you can sign up for an international trial offer and check if the service satisfies your needs or not. If you like the overall plan and it is within your budget then you can sign-up and continue to use the particular phone card service.

After the end of trial period, you can use the account. In case you don’t like the plan, you can end it after you have used-up all the free calls. With such plan, you don’t need to give any personal information or a credit card number. The email address is required to activate the account. After the account is activated you can start making calls online. If you thought that affordable and cheap long distance calling is a dream, then you have not probably heard about phone card advantages. Phone cards are said to be the best ones for international or domestic calls. You can make an international call from anywhere around the world. You can easily use the card through the cell phone, landline number or any hotel phone. When you want to talk to your family, time and money flies and you finish up with no balance in your account.

The Explora K75 GPS phone

2009-06-09T11:27:00.000-07:00

While others, read Garmin, are taking all the time in the world to launch the nuvifone, Mio is getting ready to launch its own GPS cell phone which is codenamed the Explora K75 GPS phone. The phone will be installed the Sprint GPS navigation software and the company can ship it to your end with the features like:
Although we do not have any word about the date when Mio will put the new cellphone on the market and how the price level is, we feel that you will get it before the nuvifone.

Samsung B5100

2009-06-06T15:48:00.000-07:00

Samsung B5100 will adds Samsung’s smartphone line-up soon. This mid-end candybar smartphone is not announced officially yet.Comes in a metallic chassis, Samsung B5100 runs on Symbian S60 OS and packs QVGA display, 3MP camera with LED flash, Wifi, HSDPA connectivity, GPS, Bluetooth and USB 2.0.

More over, B5100 support DivX movie playback. No TV and FM radio Sammy ?

[source]

Verizon Ozone, aka the HTC Snap Cell Phone

2009-06-06T15:46:00.000-07:00

Verizon Ozone, aka the HTC Snap Cell Phone, is coming. One of BGR’s sources has passed along some pictures of what Big Red is calling the HTC Ozone which is simply the Snap all dressed up wearing the brand of the nation’s largest carrier. Alongside the HTC Touch Pro 2, the Ozone should be a pretty nice addition to Verizon’s line-up of Windows Mobile 6.1 devices.It is said the Ozone is a cool world phone , thus features CDMA and GSM connectivity with Wi-Fi, VZ Navigator, Visual Voicemail and Internet Explorer 6. Like the original Snap, the Ozone also comes with a QVGA non-touchscreen display, a full QWERTY keypad and, probably, a 2MP camera.

Sony Ericsson Idou

2009-06-04T15:14:00.000-07:00

The word Idou in Japanese means “a change”, the name could imply a change for the better. Sony Ericsson Idou itself is a Japanese company; therefore it is likely for the codename to be based on the Japanese word.

Sony Ericsson Idou can become a perfect traveling companion as it has tremendous 12 Megapixel camera. The camera boasts of an immense resolution of 4000X3000 pixels for fabulous photographs. It is loaded with Dedicated Camera Key, Auto Focus, Xenon Flash, Geo Tagging, Face & Smile Detection, Picture Album and much more. Sony Ericsson Idou is incorporated with so many other features which attract people for many purposes.

Screen

Idou plies 3.5 Inch TFT 16 Million Colour Touch Screen and 640 x 360 Pixels resolution. The user can enjoy simple touch activated controls on the touch screen which allow the user to control & access all their built in features.

Battery

This impressive Smartphone provides an expandable memory card slot which allows the user can insert a memory card to suit their storage needs. The Idou supports MicroSD™ type memory cards & the user can insert the memory capacity to suit their requirements.

Browser

The user can surf the Internet for pleasure or business needs & enjoy viewing their selections on the large screen. It comes with a WAP Internet browser & the user can enjoy RRS feeds & a HTML Internet experience on their new 3G Smartphone.

Miscellaneous

It provides SMS, MMS, Email, SMS Long and Predictive text messages services. The 3G HSDPA phone plies so many connectivity features like; USB, Bluetooth, EDGE, GPRS and TV Output. This Quad Band Phone is incorporated with java games, 3G games, A GPS Navigator, Google Maps, Flight Mode, Document reader, Document editor etc…
So, by the end of this article we can say that This Sony Ericsson Idou plies a variety of snapper functions as well as so many excellent features. Furthermore this phone is really one of the complete mixtures of Intelligence and Entertainment.

Nokia 6120

2009-06-04T15:13:00.000-07:00

The Nokia 6120 is a simple phone with features that would suit any users’ needs.

Here are the different features of the handset:

*

The Nokia 6120 measures one hundred and five millimetres tall by forty six millimetres wide by fifteen millimetres deep, and has a weight of eighty nine grams.
*

It also comes with a two inch TFT screen that can display up to sixteen million colours, and has a display resolution of 240 pixels by 320 pixels.
*

Users could choose to download MP3, AAC and polyphonic ring tones or they could just put their mobile phone in silent and turn on the vibration alert.
*

It is equipped with a 2.5mm audio jack for users to be able to plug in compatible headphones.
*

It has thirty megabytes of internal memory for storage, and sixty four megabytes of Ram and one hundred and twenty eight megabytes of ROM. This handset further comes with an expandable memory card slot that enables the user to further increase his memory capacity to up to eight gigabytes of additional memory storage, using a microSD memory card.
*

The Nokia 6120 comes with EDGE technology for users to be able to effect quick and easy data transfers.
*

It also has Bluetooth connectivity and USB connectivity for users to be able to share files to compatible devices.
*

This handset has a two megapixel camera with an LED flash feature for users to be able to capture high quality pictures and videos. It also has a secondary VGA camera that can be sued for 3G video calls.
*

The Nokia 6120 is running under Symbian Operating system version9.2.
*

It has a built in music player so users could enjoy listening to their favourite tunes. It also has FM radio with RDS so users could also listen to different radio stations.
*

It also comes with a document viewer that enables the user to view their files in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF formats.
*

The battery can provide up to three hours of talk time and two hundred hours of standby time.

Sony Ericsson announcing phones June 4th

2009-06-02T17:55:00.000-07:00

Back in September 2008, Sony Ericsson had announced a concept phone made out of recycled material, called the Green Heart.

"The GreenHeart™ is a full concept with all life cycle in mind it includes features such as bio-plastic housings, recycled plastic keypads, zero charger with 3.5mW standby power, HTML based e-manuals, a game style educational application ‘Ecomate’ and environmentally conscious packaging."

Now, it seems, the company is ready to announce the first commercial handsets that have benefitted from the Green Heart concept it will announce on Thursday, June 4 via a webcast. We can't wait to see what Sony Ericsson has in store for us!

Thanks Mike!

Read

Verizon announces LG enV3, enV Touch, Glance

2009-05-29T08:43:00.000-07:00

Verizon Wireless announced three new LG phones that are headed to its network, the enV3, enV Touch and Glance. All of the phones have text and multimedia messaging with threaded messaging, mobile Web, mobile e-mail, Bluetooth, and GPS.

You will be able to purchase the enV 3 tomorrow for 129.99 with a two-year contract and after a $50 mail-rebate, while the enV Touch and the Glance will be put out for sale on June 5 for $149.99 after a $70 mail-in rebate and $49.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate respectively, both with a new two-year contract.

enV3: This successor to the enV2 is a sideways clamshell with full QWERTY keyboard. Its 3 megapixel camera has a flash and video capture, as well as Smile Shot and Panorama shooting modes. It has a 2.6-inch internal display, support for 16GB microSD cards, A2DP, 2.5mm headset jack and can be used as a wireless modem tethered to a laptop.

enV Touch features a touchscreen on its exterior face, opening up to reveal a WVGA display and QWERTY keyboard. LG rounds out the enV Touch’s feature set with a 3.2-megapixel auto-focus camera, microSD card slot, image editor and 3.5mm headphone jack.

The LG Glance, photos of which have been recently leaked, is more on the budget-oriented side of things. Still, LG has managed to make it not less seductive than a high-end make by adding a dainty looking back panel to the design. It features 2-inch QVGA display and 1.3MP camera.

The Motorola Ming phone rises again

2009-05-28T04:22:00.001-07:00

It is not a bad idea for a very successful cell phone to be brought from the dead, especially if the certain phone is expected to still create sensation if it were available in the market. It is not a bad idea if the company knows very well that there’s a real demand coming from the customers concerning the cell phone in discussion. Otherwise, efforts are useless.

This is what happened with the Motorola A1200, which was known as the Motorola Ming phone. It behave better than the company would have expected it to behave when it was released, back in 2006. Yearning for those days, Motorola decided to revive that fever, so it has just unveiled the new Motorola A1200R.

The most important differences between the two handsets consist of the following features that you won’t be able to find withing the old version: widgets (you have easy access to weather information, news and so on), the Microsoft Office document editing, FM radio, business card scanner which is based on OCR technology (also known as Optical Character recognition) and an external memory of 1GB that is included in the package.

The camera and the display are exactly the same: a 2 megapixel camera and a QVGA display with touch sensitive capabilities.

The new Motorola Ming phone has just been announced in Argentina, so chances are very high for it to become available in other countries from Latin America. As for its price, we don’t know how much it will cost you to revive the Ming fever, but we’ll keep you informed.

(Source: UnwiredView)

Cheap cell phone plan for T-Mobile USA

2009-05-28T04:20:00.000-07:00

A couple of days after the release of the Samsung t349, which was presented as an affordable device with a half-QWERTY keyboard, aimed at budget-conscious people, T-Mobile USA announced the introduction of another similar cell phone.

The new phone is called Samsung t239 and it seems that T-Mobile is preparing the same cheap cell phone plan for it as for the t349. More than that, rumors say that the new model is going to even cheaper than the previous one.

The slider comes with the following list of features: dual band GSM connectivity 850/1900 MHz, a TFT display with a resolution of 177 x 220 pixels, a VGA photo camera, Bluetooth connectivity, MMS, Web2go, myFaves and an internal memory of only 10MB. Being a basic cell phone, you shouldn’t expect to get more. It measures 1.87 x 3.78 x 0.68 inches.

The phone is expected to become available in two different colors, dark scarlet and grey, with a pre-pay price of no more than $59.99. According to Howard Forums, you can immediately buy the Samsung t239, if you want to, via Sears.

As for the availability via T-Mobile USA, the details are still unknown, but hopefully you will be able to buy it for free, without signing a contract agreement.

(Source: UnwiredView)

Chess For iPhone

2009-05-28T04:18:00.000-07:00

Back in the days when I was a little kid, my grandfather taught me how to play chess. Unfortunately for him, my n00bish days ran out pretty quick, and I started to beat him before going to school. Over a decade after that, I started to play chess with computers, and I suddenly found myself cornered. In the meantime, my best chess partner was my uncle, but he wasn't kicking my ass all the time... and now, it seems virtual partners are showing up everywhere, including on tiny handheld devices.

Obviously, I am talking about chess for iPhone and iPod Touch here, and today's pick is called Deep Green. Why Deep Green? (just think about the deep grin you'll get when beating it! ;)) Simply because Cocoa Stuff updated this chess for iPhone app less than a day ago, bringing the current version number up to 1.1, that's why! I hope you don't need any other reason...

... but if you do, here's the features list of Deep Green:

- Play against Engine or Human, or Engine versus Engine

- Adjustable Engine strength

- Concentration setting allowing the Engine to play more like a Human

- Manual board setup

- Game playback - First/previous/next/last position, auto-playback, drag slider

- Replay of last move

- Move suggestion animated on board

- Take back - Undo, all the way back to start

- Free choice between tap/tap and drag/drop moving (no need to set preference)

- Display of Captured Pieces

- Smooth animations everywhere

- Game and state saved between program sessions

- Built-in Help

- Rich, analog-type sounds, optional

- Callout notification for Check, Stalemate, and Checkmate

- Vibration on Check, Stalemate and Checkmate, optional

- Board Coordinates

- Board Auto-Rotation

Requiring iPhone or iPod Touch 2.1 or later, Deep Green 1.1 needs only 4.3 MB of free space, and it also comes as a free version, simply entitled "Deep Green Lite." Deep Green 1.1 for iPhone is priced at $7.99, and can be purchased via the iTunes App Store, while the Lite edition can be downloaded from this page.

BlackBerry Curve 8900

2009-05-28T04:16:00.001-07:00

BlackBerry Curve 8900 release date is finally announced by AT&T. From 22 May, you can already buy this less expensive Blackberry. As we previously talked about Blackberry Curve 8900 features, this smart phone doesn’t support 3G.

But that doesn’t make BlackBerry Curve 8900 worthless to buy, especially if you want a Blackberry but doesn’t need such a glamour features on Blackberry bold. The Blackberry Curve 8900 price also revealed, $199 and a 2-year contract and it’s yours. Well, want to buy it? Save your money for Friday then

Samsung Gloss

2009-05-28T04:14:00.000-07:00

Samsung Gloss has just launched on US Cellular today. The new cell phone has a full QWERTY keyboard, 1.3 megapixel camera and Stereo Bluetooth. Well, looking on Samsung Gloss appearance, this phone definitely for girls (and woman).

ODIN 99, World First Budha Phone

2009-05-28T04:13:00.001-07:00

ODIN 99 is a great news for those believe in Budha and able to read Chinese. This Budhist phone features a lotus leaf button (which is Budha symbol) that allow you to bring a fully customizable altar directly on your screen. ODIN 99 also preloaded with Budha-theme animation, background images and ring tones (chants).

The phone itself provide a camera with two memory card slots and can play MP3 files. If you buy this phone, you will also get a protective plate for the screen, a CD-R with various Buddhism-related content and two batteries (one of them is engraved with the word “gift” written in Chinese). Too bad ODIN 99 doesn’t preloaded with Budha’s phone number

Via CNET Japan

Microsoft's MyPhone Beta

2009-05-24T11:09:00.000-07:00

Microsoft® My Phone syncs information between your mobile phone and the web, enabling you to: * Back up and restore your phone's information to a password-protected web site * Access and update your contacts and appointments through your web account * Share photos on your phone with family and friends
To signup for the service visit MyPhone.Microsoft.com.

T-Mobile Upcoming phones 2009

2009-05-24T11:07:00.000-07:00

Not only T-Mobile is rolling out its 3G Network rapidly, but also, is going to launch new great phones this year. Just few days ago, T-Mobile just launched the new Samsung T239… not a big deal. but What else is coming? and When?

Here we have the list and a new panel with model/names and launch dates. (click on the picture)

SE CS8             06.24.09

HTC Dash 3G/Snap 07.01.09

SE CS5 07.08.09

Samsung t469 “Smiley” 07.15.09

Samsung t549 “XO”              07.15.09

Samsung t559                       07.15.09

HTC Touch Pro2 07.22.09

Samsung t749 07.22.09

HTC myTouch/G2?/Magic      July 09

BB Curve/Gemini 8520 July 09

Samsung t659                        08.19.09

Samsung Spark    Aug 09

Scarlet                                       Aug 09

Motorola Morrison    Oct 09

SE Elle T707                               Oct 09

HTC Touch Pro2 (aka T-Mobile Wing 2)

3.6 inch High Res screen with slide out QWERTY keyboard– a great touch screen which, if it’s anything like the Touch Pro’s– and we assume this one’s much better– means you’re in for a great device. And like the older AT&T Tilt, the touchscreen tilts up- very cool.

T-Mobile 3G

WiFi

GPS

Windows Mobile 6.1, with the ability to upgrade to the new Windows Mobile 6.5 later on– Good OS, and you can add apps and customize it pretty well. Windows Mobile 6.5 adds an official App Store (called Windows Marketplace for Mobile), a new homescreen and an improved mobile Internet Explorer web browser among other things. Windows Mobile 6.5 should be out later this year, and we’ll cover it more when that time nears. HTC also puts YouTube, Opera, and Facebook apps included on the phone, and they even throw in a cool, fun game called Teeter which uses the phones’ accelerometer (reorients the screen according to holding position-think iPhone) and you use it to move a ball into a hole. It’s better than that just sounded– trust me.

3.2 Megapixel camera with flash and auto focus

HTC Magic (aka T-Mobile G2)

Wow a lot of T-Mobile’s phones are rumored to come from HTC! Now this phone is a little more mysterious. As we mentioned before, this is the next Android handset rumored to arrive to T-Mobile. Unlike the first T-Mobile Android phone, the T-Mobile G1 (out now for T-Mobile, you can find out more here), this phone is all touchscreen, kinda like the iPhone and Blackberry Storm for AT&T and Verizon respectively.

Samsung Xo

Samsung XO is a clamshell GSM featuring QWERTY keyboard, camera, color display, Bluetooth, music player and microSD slot for memory.

Samsung Smiley

Maybe the Gravity 2 is a side-slider GSM featuring QWERTY keyboard, camera, color display, Bluetooth, music player and microSD slot for memory.

HTC Snap

HTC Snap is a quad-band GSM smartphone with HSDPA support. It features landscape oriented QVGA screen, 2MP camera, GPS, Wi-Fi and QWERTY keyboard. It runs Windows Mobile Standard 6.1 and is powered by 528 MHz processor.

Sony Ericsson CS8

CS8 is no other phone but the C905, only redesigned in order to work on T-Mobile’s AWS 3G band. It is a high-end 8MP slider with a Xenon flash that incorporates everything a modern user would want: a GPS receiver, Wi-Fi (without UMA) and a 3G connectivity, on top of a quad-band GSM support.

Sony Ericsson CS5

CS5 is no other phone but the C903, only redesigned in order to work on T-Mobile’s AWS 3G band. It is a high-end 5MP slider with a Xenon flash that incorporates everything a modern user would want: a GPS receiver, and a 3G connectivity, on top of a quad-band GSM support

Stay tuned for more information

Free Ringtones For Your Cricket Cell Phones

2009-05-22T11:11:00.000-07:00

Traditionally, people did not have much to about when it came to the sound of a phone ringing. But of late, having a cool and trendy ringtone for a cell phone is in fashion. Ringtones are the sound that alerts the person that his/her cell phone is receiving a call. Ringtones today have become very popular especially among the younger generation. However, they are growing in popularity with almost every segment of the cell phone market as time goes on.

Thanks to a growing demand for, and interest in, ringtones, there are a number of free ringtones that are readily available to users. For cricket fans, a ringtone that gives them the feeling of being seated and enjoying the game of cricket in a stadium is a great choice. Imagine the tones and sound of the commentator shouting, “And it’s a six!” or better still, “He’s out!” These are just some of the possibilities for free cricket ringtones available for cell phones.

Free cricket ringtones are very popular with cricket fans. There are many different tones out there – and there should be something that suits just about any kind of cricket fan. Many cellular phone service companies provide free cricket ringtones as a part of their services. These are usually offered to people who are on the monthly billing plans. For prepaid service users, free cricket ringtones are available only as a part of the introductory plan, wherein the person can use it only for a limited span of time. This time limit would likely be based upon how often and for think how much money the customer buys additional prepaid minutes.

Free cricket ringtones can be downloaded to your cell phone and can also be found via the Internet. So, the next time the World Cup Series is live on television, make sure you have one of these sporty free cricket ringtones on your cell phone. This will keep the spirit of cricket and the World Cup always with you, no matter where you go.

FunTonia

How to Unlock a Cell Phone

2009-05-22T11:06:00.001-07:00

There are two major communication systems used for cell phones. The CDMA system is a coded response system that ties a phone and its user together to a particular system and to a particular number. The CDMA system is widely used in the United States and a few other countries in the World. The second system is known as GSM. This stands for the Global System for Mobile Communication. The GSM system is becoming more popular in the United States and is the common standard in over two hundred other countries in the World.

The GSM cell phone uses a SIM card to communicate with a particular network. The network providers have the ability to lock the cell phone so that it will not respond to a SIM card from an alternate provider. They do this for competitive purposes, but the practice is deemed unfair by many. When the cell phone is purchased and owned an individual, he should have the ability to change the SIM card and use the phone on any network that he prefers to use. This allows the phone to be used when traveling, especially in foreign countries without paying excessive roaming charges.

So, the question is: how to unlock a cell phone? The first step is to determine the type of phone. If it is a CDMA phone, it does not use a SIM card and there is no need to unlock it. The second step, once you are sure it is a GSM phone, is to determine if it is really locked. The simple way to do this is to borrow a SIM card from a friend with a different service provider and see if this SIM card works in your phone. If you insert the new SIM card, and the phone thinks it is now your friend's phone, it is not locked. If it is locked, you will get some sort of error message.

The next step is to explore the internet and find a reputable company that provides the unlocking code. The company will charge a rather nominal fee to email you the code. The code merely needs to be keyed into the phone to unlock it. You will usually get a rather encouraging message from the phone itself, but in any case, you can test it by using another SIM card as you did in the previous determination process.

Unfortunately, some models of cell phones can not be unlocked with a simple code. The cell phone unlock service that provides the codes can determine if your model can be unlocked by code or not. If not, the phone needs to be connected to a piece of hardware via a USB cable to be unlocked. You will need to send the phone away to have this done although this can usually be done rather quickly in an emergency. You can all purchase the hardware and the unlocking software and do it yourself. This method might be the more expensive choice.

An unlocked cell phone is the basic right of its owner. The locking of a GSM phone to make it impossible to choose your own provider is an unfair practice. Fortunately, this is one injustice that can easily be corrected.

Top Camera Phones

2009-05-15T05:08:00.000-07:00

Sony Ericsson K810i
Easily one of the best camera phones that the Swedish company made; the K810i still rocks even after two years of being in existence. The K810 has wonderful picture quality, which is complemented by the awesome xenon flash that makes it a great tool for photographing in the dark. Colors are natural and exact, which will definitely please the purists. Macros, which have always been a forte of Sony Ericsson phones, are delivered with aplomb.
The 3.2 megapixel resolution might not seem much, but for all practical purposes it is more than enough for a mobile phone. You also get a convenient lens cover, which will start the camera when slid open and protect the lens when closed. Only major flaw that I can point out is the low resolution video recording. But apart from that this phone lives up to the Cyber-shot brand name, and at Rs. 10,000(INR), you cannot get a better camera phone.

Motorola ZINE ZN5

Motorola shied away from camera phones for a long time, conveniently ignoring it and equipping its phones with the same old boring 2 Megapixel camera. But then they finally thought enough was enough and decided to make an entry into the camera phone market. And what a device they chose to make that entry! The picture quality rocked and even taught long time camera phone makers Sony Ericsson and Nokia a thing or two about making camera phones. Motorola partnered with Kodak for the software part but the hardware is their own. The 5 megapixel sensor captures superb details, but what really impresses are the lush warm colors that bring the images to life. At night the brilliant xenon flash comes to the rescue and the lens cover protects the lens from scratches and dust. Video recording, however, is once again a weak point for the ZN5. Priced at Rs. 15,800(INR) the ZN5 is terrific value for money and a superb camera phone.

Nokia N82

Nokia's best camera phone; the N82 has almost everything that a camera phone should have. A 5 megapixel sensor, renowned Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus, xenon flash and a lens cover. All you could have wished for is optical zoom. The N82 produces some fantastic pictures that will at times make you wonder whether it really came out of a mobile phone. Little wonder that it is the most popular camera phone today and the Internet is littered with pictures by N82 photographers.

But what really seals the deal in N82's favor is the superb 640 x 480 (VGA) resolution video recording at 30 FPS. The videos not only look great on the phone but also on the PC screen. What's more, the phone can also use the built-in GPS receiver to Geo-tag the images, so you know exactly where you have taken them. Priced at Rs. 18,800(INR), the N82 is the best camera phone that you can find in this price range.
Sony Ericsson C905
The highest resolution that you can have in a mobile phone camera today is 8 megapixels. Sony Ericsson was the first to bring out an 8 megapixel camera phone; the C905. Along with an 8 MP sensor, they have also armed the phone with autofocus and xenon flash along with a nifty LED flash. This works as focus assist as well as a lamp that constantly stays on for video recording in the dark. A well-designed lens cover mechanism protects the lens from damage.
The quality of the images is really good. The high resolution sensor works its magic in capturing even minute details of the subject. In low-light conditions, the powerful xenon flash can make your images turn out great. The C905 can also Geo-tag its images with the help of the built-in GPS. The only area where you wish its performance was better is video recording, as the C905 still captures videos in QVGA resolution at 30 FPS.
Having said that it would be hard to find a phone with better picture quality, and at Rs. 26,000(INR) the C905 is the pick of the lot.

Samsung INNOV8
In a bid to have everything but the kitchen sink, Samsung included a superb 8 megapixel camera in the INNOV8. The INNOV8 might lose out to the C905 when it comes to having a xenon flash on board, but it more than makes up by having better picture quality during daytime with more details and warmer colors.
What's more, the INNOV8 is also capable of recording videos in VGA resolution at 30 FPS, something the C905 cannot do. It also has a massive 16 GB built-in memory with option to expand it further, so you'll never have to worry about running out of space for your favorite photos and videos. Priced at Rs. 37,000(INR), the INNOV8 is a bit too expensive, but that's more because of the overall package that it offers than just camera performance. Along with the C905, it is one of the best camera phones that you can buy.

HTC Willow Cell Phone

2009-05-14T08:23:00.001-07:00

New HTC Willow Cell Phone Preview: HTC Willow use a straight QWERTY keyboard design, it is equipped with a 2 megapixels camera and 2.4-inch screen (pixels 320 × 240) as well as 528MHz Qualcomm processor, 128MB memory, support Bluetooth 2.1, and with the Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system.
New HTC Phones - New HTC Willow Cell Phone Picture

Buisness class Nokia cell phone E52

2009-05-13T10:16:00.000-07:00

Nokia E52

Today Nokia launched a new buisness cell phone E52, it is upgraded E51. E52 can work 8 hours talk time, but in stand-by e52 will work 23 days. Nokia E51 is classic buisness mobile phone and it great for emailing, it has Nokia Messaging, Mail for Exchange and IBM Lotus Notes Traveler services.

Nokia E52 is equipped with a 2.4-inch large display, A-GPS, Nokia Maps, HSDPA and HSUPA connections and 3.2 megapixels camera, previous E51 has 2.0 inch display and 2 megapixels camera. Nokia Messaging, Mail for Exchange and IBM Lotus Notes Traveler service makes very e-mail account managing.

The device also sports a compass alongside Nokia Maps and A-GPS. Plus, with speedy HSDPA (10.2Mb per second) and newer HSUPA upload access at up to 2Mb per second, the E52 is equipped for effortless content sharing on the move.

Buisness class Nokia cell phone E52 with great battery life

Buyers will receive a 1GB microSD card in standart package. Phone will be available in two colors - gray and golden . Nokia E52 will be available this year second half and it`s price before taxes will be 245 euros.

Diamond studded pink BlackBerry Bold from Amosu

2009-05-07T07:59:00.001-07:00

Diamond studded pink BlackBerry Bold from Amosu

Here is the world world’s first pink BlackBerry Bold,created by Amosu.The pink BlackBerry Bold comes with 86 white and pink sapphire diamonds of approximately 3.95 carats, fixed firmly on the front and 242 on the back of the phone. The phone, which is the only present a woman would love to have this Valentine’s Day, will sell for whopping £4000 (approx. $5,684) with a 24-hour one-year international concierge service.

via bornrich

FCC Reveals Nokia 6750 for AT&T

2009-05-07T07:57:00.000-07:00

The FCC has revealed the successor to the Nokia 6650 clamshell for AT&T in the 6750 Mural.The clamshell features a dynamic outer display similar to the 7510 and 7205 Intrigue, external media player controls, micxroSDHC expansion slot, quadband GSM/EDGE and dual-band HSDPA, Bluetooth with stereo audio support, 2.0 megapixel camera and support for AT&T services with a dedicated Cellular Video key and support for Mail, IM, XM, Music, Video Share and mobiTV.

FCC Has Approved Sony Ericsson W995a

2009-05-07T07:56:00.000-07:00

There are no information about price, but Sony Ericsson W995 phone has been approved by the almighty FCC. It means that the phone will be released in the US and Canada very soon. It is actually the second handset from Sony Ericsson handset that comes equipped with an 8MP camera, a music player, a 3.5mm headset jack, the Walkman 4.0 player software, shake controls, TrackID, Bluetooth connectivity and built-in stereo speakers.

Nokia E71

2009-05-07T07:54:00.000-07:00

Nokia is among the best companies that manufactures quality and durable mobiles. The mobiles do not speak for its reliability but are equipped with the latest features as well. The Nokia is again out in the market with a bang! The latest Nokia E71 is causing a sensation among various mobile models. It is overloaded with features and is launched under the new Nokia E series.

This Nokia E71 review will detail you about all its attractive features.

• The looks of the Nokia E 71 almost resembles black berry model of Nokia. It is more sturdy and attractive.
• Nokia e 71 is compatible with 2G GSM 850/900/1800/1900 and 3 G HSPDA 900/2100 and HSPDA 850/1900- American version networks.
• The dimensions of the good looking phone are 114 x 57 x 10 mm and weighs only 127 grams that is quiet lighter than other mobiles models available in the market.
• The TFT display with a 16 M colors allows you to have a great wonderful experience while watching movies and videos.
• Nokia E 71 QWERTY keyboard allows you to write mails and messages at a great speed. You can have a full computer experience on the new Nokia e 71.
• The five way scroll key and 2.5 mm audio jack are other great features of the mobile.
• The phonebook allows you to store as many names as you want. You can make photo calls as well. The phone comes with an internal storage capacity of 110 MB and a 128 MB RAM. You can increase the memory up to 8 GB with a card slot.
• It has a 3.15 megapixel camera. The camera has an auto focus and a LED flash so that you can take brighter pictures.
• The phone works on Symbian OS 9.2

The above mobile review gives thumbs for Nokia E71 price as well - The Quality product rated at the right cost.

Apple Ipod Touch Second Generation 16GB

2009-05-06T19:03:00.000-07:00

Product Name : Apple Ipod Touch Second Generation 16GB

This Apple Ipod Touch Second Generation 16GB comes with a storage capacity of 16GB, which saves upto 4000 songs, 20 hours of video and a 3.5-inch coloured LCD touchscreen display. The player also has features like Photo Viewer, Contacts, Calendar, Games and Clock. It supports AAC, ACC Protected, MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible, Apple Lossless, WAV and AIFF audio formats. It has Equalizer, password protect feature and an in-built Lithium Ion rechargeable battery with playback time of 22 hours. The player comes with earphones, USB cable, docking station and carrying case. The unique feature of the player is its wi-fi connectivity.

Save Money on Cell Phone Bills

2009-05-05T09:38:00.000-07:00

Every one and their mother today has a cell phone. Can we live without them now? It doesn’t seem like it, but you have to admit that they are a great necessity. You can check your e-mail, call anyone at anytime, and the best thing is that you can do this just about anywhere!

When it comes to a strapped budget, you may soon find out that your cell phone bill is getting a little too high for your liking. Are there ways to save? Of course there is! There are ways to save on everything. Today, I’m going to give you some tips on how you can save on your pesky cell phone bill.

Buy some of the prepaid packages

The text messaging package and the data packages may look like a lot of money ahead of time, but you’ll soon find out that you may actually use these services. If you don’t text or use data like the Internet, e-mail on your phone, this won’t affect you, but if you do, you may want to consider the text messaging and data packages. It doesn’t make sense to pay per text message, when you can buy 100s at a time.

Know how many minutes to use

If you have a higher end plan with a lot of minutes, you may not need all of them. Take your last three statements and look at how many minutes you’re using. If you’re only using 400 out of the 900, you may want to downgrade to a 500 minute package. You may realize that you’re spending a lot of time talking on nights and weekends, which could be free, and don’t apply toward your normal minutes.

Who do your friends use?

A lot of big name carriers like Verizon allow you to talk to other Verizon members for absolutely no charge, no matter what time of the day it is. If all of your friends have Verizon, why not have that carrier? Ask the people you talk to the most on what carrier they have. It may be worth it to switch, once your contract expires.

Look over your entire bill

I know I already told you to look at your last three statements, but it’s time to do this again. You’ll want to look at each charge that is listed on your bill. Are you using each service and taking advantage of it? If you’re not, you may want to call up and get it cancelled. If you don’t have your last three bills, you can always log into your account and download them.

Consider pay as you go plans

If you find yourself not using your phone a lot, try considering a pay as you go plan. These are fairly cheap and you only pay for the minutes you use. Most major carriers have them and if you’re interested, I would contact the carrier you’re working with today.

These are some of the main tips that you can use when it comes down to saving money. If you’re paying more than $75 for your cell phone bill and you want to save money, I would highly recommend you check out some of these tips. There’s no reason you should be paying a high amount to talk on your cell phone.

Touchscreen Cell Phone with Dual SIM + Dual Screen - $ 117.50

2009-05-04T19:13:00.000-07:00

Touchscreen cellphone with dual SIM + dual standby, two screens, three GSM bands, and rich media features as its signature features. This touch screen mobile phone represents true convergence technology. On one side of the device is a simple and fast phone with full keypad and on the other all the phone functions are paired with a touch screen and full multimedia PDA powerhouse - TV, FM Radio, software tools, and media playback on a larger QVGA screen. The media side also gives access to the phone so you’ll never miss a call even when watching a movie or listening to music. The included TF card slot ensures you’ve always got plenty of expandability and Bluetooth functionality will grant you wireless music streaming and data transfer. Sure to be a hot seller, this mobilephone has it all! Order stock today from your favorite no M.O.Q. (no minimum order quantity) drop-shipping wholesaler - Chinavasion.

At a Glance…

Dual screen and dual camera mobile phone with rich multimedia and software features.

Two SIM card slots with dual standby.

Advanced Bluetooth features including A2DP + AVRCP.

Media friendly cellphone with built in TV and FM Tuners and support for many popular audio and video playback formats.

The screen switch button at the left side of the phone allows instant-on switching between displays.

NOTE: This product is compatible with GSM at the frequencies of 900MHz, 1800MHz and 1900MHz. Please check with your local provider if you are unsure of your local band requirement.

How To Get Free Ringback Tones

2009-04-14T16:01:00.000-07:00

Looking for free ringback tones? This article will provide you with all the details readily available on the subject so you can get your own free ringback tones.
Ads by Google

Enhance Cell Phone Signal
Complete Solutions for Weak Signal and Dropped Calls...w/ References
mycellularsolutions.com

Verizon Cell Phones
Get A Free Verizon Wireless Phone & Free Shipping w/ New Service Plan!
www.Wirefly.com

Free Cell Phone Search
Instant Cell Phone search lookup Get Name, Address. City & more
www.CellPhoneDirectory.com

What exactly are free ringback tones? Free ringback tones are the tones that someone heres when they are calling you. For most phones this is a standard bell style ringer, but many cell phones will allow you to customize it so that when someone calls you it plays something different.

Before you go any further, you should find out if your cell service will even let you have them. Also you need to find out where they allow you to buy them. You may have to get it from them which will significantly reduce your chances of getting free ringback tones.

OK, on to free ringback tones. The fact is that you can't really get them free most of the time. You can get them sometimes with a coupon. Do an internet search to see if you can find current deal or coupons. Often some services such as jamster will offer specials or buy one get one free deals.

A quick not about ringback tones: many cell phone providers do not call them ringback tones. Instead they call them something else. You should check with them to find out what they are called.

Once you have downloaded a free ringback tone, or any other one for that matter, you can go online and login to your cell phone providers web site to manage your ringback tones.

Nokia 7610 Supernova Specification and a Review

2009-04-06T17:09:00.000-07:00

Review:

Nokia 7610 Supernova is very similar to the 7510 but is in slider form-factor. It also has QVGA display, microSD, Stereo Bluetooth and FM radio, but its camera is 3.2-megapixel with VGA video capturing.

Specification:

SIZE:
Dimensions: 98 x 48 x 15 mm, 63 cc
Weight: 100 grams

Display:
Type: TFT, 16M colors
Size: 240 x 320 pixels, 2.0 inches

Sound:
Alert types: Vibration, Downloadable polyphonic, MP3 ringtones
Speakerphone: YES

Memory:
Phonebook: 2000 entries , Photocall
Call records: 20 dialed, 20 received, 20 missed calls
Internal: 64 MB
Card slot: microSD (TransFlash), up to 2GB, 512MB or 2GB included

Data:
GPRS: Class 32, 88 kbps
HSCSD: YES
EDGE: Class 32, 296 kbits
Bluetooth: Yes, v2.0
Infrared port: NO
USB: Yes, v2.0 microUSB

Camera:
Pictures: 3.15 Mega Pixels, 2048x1536 pixels, autofocus, dual LED
Video: VGA@15fps

Features:
Messaging: SMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging
Browser: WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
Radio: Stereo FM radio with RDS
Games: YES
Colors: Muted Gray, Steel Blue, Red, Bright Lilac, Pristine White, Graphite, Passionate Purple
GPS: NO
Java: Yes, MIDP 2.0
Supported Formats: MP3/AAC/AAC+/eAAC+/WMA/MP4

Battery:
Stand-by: Up to 300 hours
Talk time: Up to 5 hours 20 minutes

Click Here For Market Rate of NOKIA 7610 Supernova

Samsung C3110H

2009-03-16T09:02:00.000-07:00

The Samsung C3110H is pretty nice phone considering it’s a low-end slider. It is the same device as C3110 but just got an “H” at the end of its name for the Hong Kong market. Available in black, silver and lavender pink, SAMSUNG Anycall C3110H’s matte material gives it a softer look and easier grip, while the brushed metal look creates a contrast that makes this model a timeless classic

The Anycall GT-C3110H is a quad-band GSM phone sports a 2-inch 220 x 176 resolution display, 1.3 megapixel camera, FM radio, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, microSD card slot supporting up to 8GB, speakerphone, up to 8.5 hours of talk time (510 hours in standby), a built-in music player, an incredible 15MB of internal storage, dynamic noise suppression, handset echo canceller and nifty fake call feature. Pressing the bottom navigation four times will get the user an incoming call which can also be prerecorded with a custom message.

Samsung is offering the device under its Anycall brand for HK$1,080, which is about $139.

Motorola Evoke QA4 phone

2009-03-16T09:01:00.000-07:00

Motorola Evoke QA4 phone has appeared on Motorola’s site although it hasn’t yet been officially announced. The Evoke will be a slider with 2.8″ touch screen and a single button when closed and a numeric keypad when opened. The Phone measures 108 x 50.5 x 17.5 mm and weighs 128 grams.

Motorola Evoke QA4 features a standard 12-button keypad and 3G connectivity, support for CDMA / EV-DO Rev. It comes with a virtual QWERTY keyboard. Other specs of the handset include Bluetooth with A2DP, MP3 player, E-mail, Instant Messaging, Voice recognition, a 2-magapixel camera with video recording capabilities, as well as a MicroSD / MicroSDHC memory card slot.

No more details to judge this Moto handset nor it will be available with Sprint, Verizon Wireless or with both

Sprint Treo Pro officially

2009-03-16T09:00:00.001-07:00

Sprint is now offering the Treo Pro after a few delays and reports, rumors and stories. Nevertheless, the Sprint Palm Treo Prois now on sale for $199 after contract and rebates for Palm’s latest Windows Mobile phone. Get free shipping and free activation when you purchase a device with a new line of service online. The site lists that: “The Treo Pro is a feature rich Windows Mobile 6.1 PDA that’s a perfect balance of productivity and simplicity.The Treo Pro has full QWERTY keyboard, touchscreen and instant on WiFi button you can operate the Treo Pro with ease.

Other features include:

*Sprint Navigation with GPS-enabled turn-by-turn driving directions, traffic rerouting and more than 10 million local listings.

*Built-in Wi-Fi features one-touch access to 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi.

*Sprint TV with an extensive selection of live and on-demand programming.

*Sprint Music Store allowing users to wirelessly download full-length songs directly to their phone for just 99 cents each.

*Several streaming-radio applications, including Sprint Radio with more than 150 channels Integrated 2.0 megapixel camera/camcorder with up to 8x digital zoom and video capture.

*Expandable Memory for MicroSDHC cards up to 16 GB.

*Bluetooth® enables hands-free, short-range wireless communication using a Bluetooth headset and wireless uploading/downloading to or from a computer.

*Speakerphone makes safe, hands-free conversations always available

Sony Ericsson C903

2009-02-16T23:00:00.000-08:00

The Sony Ericsson C903 Cyber-shot is a media-focused slider phone with a 5-megapixel camera. It also has Bluetooth, including the A2DP profile to enable compatibility with stereo Bluetooth headphones, and GPS with Google Maps. The C903 is a quad-band GSM device and there will also be a variant, the C903a, that will be compatible with 3G networks in Europe and AT&T's network in the US. The C903a will be available in Q2 and pricing has not yet been announced.

Bluetooth Definition

2009-02-13T06:48:00.001-08:00

Bluetooth is a specification for the use of low
power radio communications to wireless phones,
computers, and other network wireless devices over
short distances. The name Bluetooth is actually
borrowed from Harald Bluetooth, a Denmark king
more than 1,000 years ago.

The technology of Bluetooth was primarily designed
to support simple wireless networking of devices
and peripherals, which includes cell phones, PDAs,
and wireless headsets. The wireless signals that
are transmitted by Bluetooth cover short distances
of up to 30 feet, generally communicating less
than 1 MPps (Mega Byte per second).

The networks of Bluetooth feature dynamic topology
called PAN or a piconet. The piconets contain a
minumum of two and a maximum of eight peer devices.
The devices will communicate using protocols that
are part of the specification.

Even though the Bluetooth standard will utilize
the same 2.4 GHz range as 802.11b and 802.11g,
the technology isn't suitable for a Wi-Fi
replacement. When compared to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
is much slower, limited in range, and actually
supports less devices.

For short range devices, Bluetooth is rapidly
becoming the best. The technology is more popular
with cell phones, as Bluetooth headsets are the
way to go these days. To use Bluetooth, your
cell phone will need to have it enabled, or an
infared device somewhere on the phone.

Upcoming devices are utilizing Bluetooth as well,
such as PS3 and the Nintendo Revolution. The
wireless controllers will be Bluetooth enabled,
which will give players the cutting edge.

If you own a cell phone or other wireless device,
you should look into Bluetooth. The technology
is nothing short of spectacular, making it
something that will be around for years and
years to come. As technology gets bigger and
bigger, you can expect Bluetooth to advance
as well.

Bluetooth Basics

2009-02-13T06:47:00.003-08:00

The technology of Bluetooth wireless is a short
range communications method intended to replace
the cables that connect portable or fixed devices
while maintaining the highest levels of security.

The key features offered by Bluetooth include
low power and low cost. The specification in
Bluetooth defines a uniform structure for a wide
range of devices to communicate and connect with
one another.

The technology behind Bluetooth has achieved
global satisfaction such as enabled devices, almost
everywhere in the world. Bluetooth devices will
connect and communicate without wires through
short range and networks known as piconets.

Each device will simultaneously communicate with
up to seven other devices within a single piconet,
meaning that each device can also belong to
several piconets simultaneously. The piconets
are dynamically established as Bluetooth enabled
devices enter and leave the proximity of radio.

A fundamental to Bluetooth strength is the
ability to handle both data and voice transmissions
simultaneously. This will enable users to enjoy
varieties of innovative solutions such as hands
free talking, printing and fax capabilities,
and other applications.

Specifications
Unlike other standards of wireless, the Bluetooth
specification gives product developers both a
link layer and application layer definitions,
which will help support data and voice applications.

Spectrum
The Bluetooth technology operates in the industrial
and scientific band at 2.4 to 2.485 GHz, using a
spread spectrum, frequency hopping signal.

Interference
The adaptive frequency hopping of Bluetooth
technology was designed to reduce interference
between wireless technologies that share the 2.4
GHz spectrum. Adaptive frequency hopping (AFH)
works well within the spectrum to take full
advantage of the frequency available.

AFH hopping allows for more efficient transmission
within the spectrum, which provides users with
greater performance even if they are using other
technologies along with Bluetooth.

Bluetooth Applications

2009-02-13T06:47:00.001-08:00

With Bluetooth being very popular with wireless, it's
no wonder there are many applications available for
the technology. Below, you'll find the applications
for Bluetooth.

1. Wireless networking between laptops and desktop
computers, or desktops that are in a confined space
and little bandwidth is needed.

2. Peripherals such as mice, keyboards, and printers.

3. Cell phones with Bluetooth technology have been
sold in large numbers, as they are able to connect to
computers, PDAs (Personal Data Assistant), and various
other devices. The standard also includes the
support for more powerful and longer range devices.

4. The transfer of files, images and MP3, between
mobile phones.

5. Certain MP3 players and digital cameras to
transfer files to and from computers.

6. Bluetooth technology headsets for smart phones
and cell phones.

7. Data logging equipment that transmits data to
a computer via Bluetooth technology.

8. Sony Playstation 3 and Nintendo Revolution will
both use Bluetooth technology for their wireless
controllers.

For Bluetooth, there are literally hundreds of
different applications and devices available for you
to use or purchase. As you may already know,
Bluetooth is the most popular wireless technology
in the world. It's very reliable, very dependable,
and very hard to crack into.

There are many other applications for Bluetooth in
development now, many of which plan to take the
wireless age to the next level. Video game systems
are using Bluetooth technology as well, for their
wireless controllers. This is great news for gaming
fans, as Bluetooth offers the best in wireless
data transmission.

If your curious about applications for Bluetooth
that are still in development, you can search on
the internet. You can find all sorts of information,
especially when it comes to Bluetooth. As the
future arrives, you can expect Bluetooth to bring
bigger and better things.

Bluetooth And Infared

2009-02-13T06:46:00.003-08:00

With new electrical devices being produced every day,
the problem of connecting things is becoming more
and more complex in nature. The system that comprises
computers and other electronics makes use of varieties
of wires, cables, etc.

These parts will communicate through light beams,
lasers, radio signals, and infrared. The problem
however, is the devices and technology is often the
connection between each component. Therefore, most
electronic systems aren't used to their full extent
due to the problems and imperfections.

To help simplify things, a solution was created -
the solution of Bluetooth. Bluetooth is wireless
and automatic, offering users a variety of features
that have simplified the art of connection. Bluetooth
has revolutionized the standard methods of connecting
things to enabling almost anything to be connected
to a single system.

Aside from Bluetooth, there are other ways of
connecting wireless devices. One example of such
is the IR or infrared. Infrared allows low frequency
light waves to transmit signals to another component.
This technology is easy to create and the cost of
putting the IR device into a system is rather low.

Infrared technology is a one to one process. Due
to the limitation, you may only send signals from one
device to another, similar to a television set and
remote control. You can only transmit signals
between the two although not with a seperate system.

Aside from the fact that these two natures of
infrared are obstacles to acquiring results, these
same qualities have worked in advantage to the
connection. Infrared devices need to be lined up
directly, meaning too little interference can occur
between the transmitters and receivers.

The technology behind Bluetooth works by transmitting
signals through low frequency radio signals. The
path of communication is working on 2.45 GHz, which
is the same frequency band used in ISM devices.

Bluetooth And Apple

2009-02-13T06:46:00.001-08:00

The new Apple powerbook G4 are among the first
computers to offer Bluetooth technology 2.0+EDR.
The 2.0+EDR technology, which still backwards
compatible with 1.0, is up to three times faster
than previous versions, offering maximum data rate
transfers of up to 3 MBps. Being the first company
to certify a system with 2.0+EDR, Apple continues
to make great use of the Bluetooth technology.

Full support
In addition to the powerbook G4 portables, there
are other Bluetooth enabled computers available
from Apple, including the iBook, iMac G5, eMac,
and the Power Mac G5.

Making life easier
When you turn the Bluetooth feature on, your Mac
can easily perform a file transfer or even a
synchronization. From the Bluetooth selection
menu, you can choose to either send a file or
browse devices, quickly and easily. Or, you can
click the sync button in iSync to update your
cell phone or Palm OS handheld.

The Mac and GSM/GPRS mobile phone with Bluetooth
work to make each other more useful. By using
iSync, you can keep your phone updated without
having to type any info, as you can keep the
information in the more manageable address book
on your Mac instead.

You can also use your Bluetooth enabled Mac to
print documents and digital images to select a
printer that also supports the technology of
Bluetooth. Or, you can also use a headset to
talk to your friends during an iChat session.

Your Mac also has the ability to use Bluetooth
technology to communicate with your Palm OS
handheld. This way, you can perform a HotSync
operation without using any cables. You can also
send your business card or calendar events directly
to someone else's handheld usingthe technology of
Bluetooth.

The implementation of Bluetooth by Apple is the
latest in a series of moves that have caused
great shift in the computer industry. Apple
established USB as the standard interface with
the launching of the first Mac back in 1998.

Since then, Apple established the 802.11 wireless
standard of networking with the launch of the
iBook and AirPort in 1999. During 2003, Apple
launched AirPort Extreme, which was based on
the new 802.11g high speed technology of wireless.

Now, Bluetooth helps to further strengthen the
dominant position of the Mac in wireless
communications, helping to preserve Apple's
reputation for being the first to market with
innovative technology that integrates right into
the operating system.

Bluetooth Technical Operations

2009-02-13T06:45:00.001-08:00

Bluetooth Technical Operations

Bluetooth is a high speed, low powered wireless link
technology that's designed to connect phones or other
portable equipment together with little to no work
required by the user. Unlike infrared, Bluetooth
doesn't require line of site positioning to work.

Current prototype circuits are contained on a board
that is 0.9 cm square, with a much smaller circuit
board being developed.

When one Bluetooth device comes in contact with
another, they will automatically exchange addresses
and details of capability. Then, they can establish
a 1 MB link with security that they will use as
required. The protocols involved with handle both
data and voice, with a very flexible topography.

The technology achieves its goal by embedding tiny,
non expensive short range tranceivers into the
devices available today. The radio operates on the
2.45 GHz frequency band, and supports up to 721
KBps, along with three voice channels.

Each devices offers a unique 48 bit address from
the IEEE 802 standard, with the connections being
point to point or multipoint. The max range is
10 meters, although it can be extended to 100
meters by increasing the power. The devices are
also protected from radio interference by changing
their frequencies, also known as frequency hopping.

What's important, is the fact that Bluetooth
devices won't drain battery life. The specification
targets power consumption of the device, limiting
the drain on the battery. The radio chip will
consume only 0.3mA in stand by mode, which is less
than 5% of the power that standard phones use.

Bluetooth will also guarantee security at the bit
level. The authentification is controlled by the
user via a 128 bit key. The radio signals can
be coded with anything up to 128 bit. With the
frequency hopping, Bluetooth is already very
hard to listen into.

The baseband protocol is a combination of both
circuit and packet switches. Slots can be reserved
for synchronous packets as well. Each packet
will be transmitted in a different hop frequency.
Normally, a packet covers a single slot although
it can be extended to cover up to five slots.

Bluetooth can also support data channels of up to
three simultaneous voice channels. Therefore,
it's possible to transfer the data while you talk
at the same time. Each individual voice channel
will support 64 KB.

From a technical standpoint, Bluetooth is very
different indeed. It's the best wireless method
in the world, surpassing even infrared. For
communication on the go, Bluetooth is indeed
very hard to compete with.

Advantages And Disadvantages of Bluetooth

2009-02-13T06:44:00.001-08:00

Advantages And Disadvantages

Bluetooth has a lot to offer with an increasingly
difficult market place. Bluetooth helps to bring
with it the promise of freedom from the cables and
simplicity in networking that has yet to be matched
by LAN (Local Area Network).

In the key marketplace, of wireless and handheld
devices, the closest competitor to Bluetooth is
infrared. Infrared holds many key features,
although the line of sight it provides doesn't go
through walls or through obstacles like that of the
Bluetooth technology.

Unlike infrared, Bluetooth isn't a line of sight and
it provides ranges of up to 100 meters. Bluetooth
is also low power and low processing with an
overhead protocol. What this means, is that it's
ideal for integration into small battery powered
devices. To put it short, the applications with
Bluetooth are virtually endless.

Disadvantages
Bluetooth has several positive features and one
would be extremely hard pressed to find downsides
when given the current competition. The only real
downsides are the data rate and security. Infrared
can have data rates of up to 4 MBps, which provides
very fast rates for data transfer, while Bluetooth
only offers 1 MBps.

For this very reason, infrared has yet to be
dispensed with completely and is considered by
many to be the complimentary technology to that
of Bluetooth. Infrared has inherent security due
to its line of sight.

The greater range and radio frequency (RF) of
Bluetooth make it much more open to interception and
attack. For this reason, security is a very key
aspect to the Bluetooth specification.

Although there are very few disadvantages, Bluetooth
still remains the best for short range wireless
technology. Those who have tried it love it, and
they know for a fact that Bluetooth will be
around for years to come.

10 Benefits Of Bluetooth

2009-02-13T06:43:00.000-08:00

Below, are 10 benefits and reasons to use Bluetooth
technology.

1. Wireless
As you probably already know, there are many benefits
and advantages to using wireless devices. Along with
improving safety as a result of eliminating wires
you don't need, wireless also offers you plenty of
other advantages. When traveling with your laptop
or other wireless devices, you'll no longer have to
worry about bringing connection cables.

2. Bluetooth is actually inexpensive
The technology of Bluetooth is cheap for companies
to implement, which results in lower costs for the
company. These savings are then passed from the
company on to you.

3. Bluetooth is automatic
Bluetooth doesn't have you set up a connection or
push any buttons. When two or more devices enter
a range of up to 30 feet of each other, they will
automatically begin to communicate without you
having to do anything.

4. Standardized protocol
Bluetooth is standardized wireless, meaning that
a high level of compatibility among devices is
guaranteed. Bluetooth will connect devices to
each other, even if they aren't the same model.

5. Low interference
Bluetooth devices almost always avoid interference
from other wireless devices. Bluetooth uses a
technique known as frequency hopping, and also
low power wireless signals.

6. Low energy consumption
As a result of Bluetooth using low power signals,
the technology requires very little energy and will
use less battery or electrical power as a result.
This is an excellent benefit for mobile devices,
as Bluetooth won't drain the battery.

7. Sharing voice and data
The standard for Bluetooth will allow compatible
devices to share data and voice communications.
This is great for mobile phones and headsets, as
Bluetooth simplifies driving and talking on your
cell phone.

8. Instant PAN (Personal Area Network)
You can connect up to seven Bluetooth devices to
each other within a range of up to 30 feet, forming
a piconet or PAN. For a single room, you can
also set up multiple piconets.

9. Upgradeable
Upgradeable is the standard for Bluetooth. There
are newer versions of Bluetooth in the works,
which offer many new advantages and backward
compatible with older versions.

10. The technology stays
Bluetooth technology is a world wide, universal
wireless standard. With it being as popular as
it is, you can count on it being around for years
to come. As more and more devices start to use
Bluetooth technology, more manufacturers will be
eager to make their products compatible. A chain
reaction will occur, making Bluetooth the standard
for cutting edge wireless.

Samsung Gravity

2009-02-12T17:06:00.000-08:00

Do you need a smartphone or do you just need a smarter cell phone? In these days of touchscreen cell phones that constantly make headlines, you might find yourself wondering if you need a mini computer clipped to your belt, of if you'd be better off with a far less expensive phone that still lets you stay in touch in a variety of ways.

The Samsung Gravity is attractively small and yet still contains a variety of connectivity options. It's sold by T-Mobile and is available for free with a $149.99 Web-only discount and a $50 mail-in rebate.

You can choose from two color schemes; we tested the gray with lime accents model, and thought the vibrant green gave a fresh energy to an otherwise staid design.

The Gravity measures 4.53 x 2.07 x 0.7 inches and weighs 4.3 ounces. It's not the slimmest or smallest phone around, but it easily slides into a jeans pocket.

It's a quad-band (850/900/1800/1900) GSM phone, so it's a good choice if you travel to Europe or other GSM areas often.

The front holds a 176 x 220 pixel display, and beneath that is a clickable direction pad. The pad is surrounded by the usual four controller buttons (two contextual soft buttons, plus call start and stop buttons), as well as one button for calling up your favorite messaging app (choose from your in-box, IM app, or e-mail client) and one for moving back one screen.

The left side holds the volume buttons and the microSD slot (the phone supports up to 4GB cards), while the right side holds a proprietary headphone slot and a camera button. The box includes a set of headphones that work with this slot, but we would have preferred a standard 3.5mm headphone jack and the ability to use whichever headphones we like.

The back of the Gravity holds the lens for the 1.3 megapixel digital camera. There's a silver self-portrait mirror, but unfortunately no flash.

There's one more piece to see, though, and that's the slide out QWERTY keyboard. Slide the bottom of the phone to the left and the screen automatically goes into landscape mode, and the direction pad now works with the new orientation.

We found the keyboard comfortable to use, although the keys were just a bit stiff. After playing around with the Apple iPhone and the BlackBerry Storm, we were hoping for typing timesavers, like the ability to create a period by hitting the space bar twice, but there's nothing like that to be found here.

The Gravity supports Bluetooth, but not WiFi. With no high-speed data network (just EDGE), the Gravity is purely for people satisfied with texting, e-mailing, and calling (of course).

It's easy to navigate the T-Mobile menu, and to create new messages.

We like that there's 60MB of internal memory, which you can use to store songs for the installed music player. Helpful extras include a calculator and a tip calculator. The battery is rated for 6 hours of talk time and 12 days of standby.

More isn't always better, and if you're looking for a bargain phone on the lowest-priced carrier, the Gravity is a solid way to go.

Troy Dreier is veteran tech writer who is a regular contributor to PDAStreet,Wi-Fi Planet, Intranet Journal, and Laptop Magazine.

Samsung YP-VP1 A Photo Clicking Voice Recorder

2009-02-09T07:36:00.000-08:00

Samsung has rolled out another of its multi tasking device known as the Samsung YP-VP1, a voice recorder device that also has a built-in camera. It lets you snap a photo of things or people and tag it with the voice recording. The device also includes voice detection, noise reduction, and FM tuner, along with 2-4GB of internal memory. Available in black and silver shades for unannounced price yet. sadly, the device only made available for the Korean markets. [NewLaunches]

Sony Ericsson Hikaru

2009-02-09T07:35:00.000-08:00

We have the first leaked picture of Sony Ericsson’s new Walkman phone. Dubbed as the Hikaru, the music phone will be officially announced on 15th February, 2009, before the MWC 2009, Barcelona. The specs are include a 2.6 inch display, an 8MP camera, Walkman player 4.0, stereo speakers, dedicated music keys, a 3.5mm headset jack and 8GB of internal memory. There is no word on pricing yet. [SEMC Blog via Upcoming Cell Phones]

LG Arena KM900 Gets Official

2009-02-09T07:33:00.000-08:00

The highly anticipated LG Arena KM900 is finally official and ready to be launched at MWC 09 in Barcelona. Specs are mostly the same as we have mentioned earlier, but the company also mentions several more details including 7.2 MBps HSDPA data throughput, Dolby and Divx technologies, and their new 3D S-Class user interface: a cube-based layout that will give you four customizable home screens for direct access to all features on intuitive, touch-based 3D menus. Pricing is still unknown at this moment. [Unwiredview]

Samsung A237 Cell Phone Deals

2009-02-09T07:30:00.000-08:00

price: $199.99
with deals: $0.00
+ free shipping!

Free Cell Phones: Get the Samsung A237 (AT&T) cell phone free after instant discount.

Free Cell Phones - Samsung A237 Cell Phone Deals

- $199.99 instant discount with cell phone service plan

- Free shipping

Samsung A237 Cell Phone Overview

Talk easily and conveniently with the Samsung A237 camera cell phone. It has messaging and entertainment capabilities plus a camera - all in one compact flip that's attractively priced. The a237 cell phone offers Bluetooth® wireless capabilities, mobile email, MEdia(TM) Net browsing, plus both text and instant messaging. Now in three colors. Choose black, blue or red.

Samsung A237 Black (AT&T) Cell Phone Features:

* Super-slim and Lightweight Flip Phone

* Bluetooth Wireless Technology

* Built-in VGA Digital Camera Lets You Take and Share Photos

* Windows Live, AOL and Yahoo! Instant Messengers Pre-loaded

* IM: AOL, Yahoo, MSN

* Rich Color Display Shows Over 65,000 Colors

* Send and Receive Instant, Email, Text and Picture Messages With Sound - for Picture Messaging

* IM: AOL, Yahoo, MSN

Included Cell Phone Accessories

* Battery

* Wall Charger

* User Guide

Greenest

2009-02-08T11:15:00.001-08:00

Motorola Renew Side

Motorola Renew

Ben Patterson from Yahoo Tech: Buzz up!on Yahoo!I have to say, it’s been years since I bothered to test a handset as basic as the Renew. Then again, it’s not every day I get to review a cell phone made out of recycled water bottles.

Announced during CES and available now on T-Mobile ($9.99 with a two-year contract, or $59.99 without), the three-ounce Renew is not exactly, how shall I say … packed with features.

No Bluetooth. No GPS. No video player. No camera. Wi-Fi? Please. Oh, by the way—2002 called, and it wants its 1.6-inch, 128 by 128-pixel display back.

That said, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a greener handset than the Renew, starting with its brown cardboard package (made from post-consumer recycled paper) and ending with its plastic, green-and-black casing, which is both molded out of recycled water bottles—there’s a first—and also “entirely recyclable,” according to Motorola.

And while the Renew’s features are indeed basic—just a bare-bones WAP browser and MP3 player, a few low-tech games, a basic calendar and address book—Motorola clearly took pains to get the basics right.

Example: Call quality on the CrystalTalk-enabled Renew is notably impressive, with callers sounding loud—way loud, actually, especially over the speakerphone—and clear. I didn’t notice any echoing or drop-outs during my tests, although your mileage may vary depending on local coverage (and I’ve certainly heard my share of complaints from T-Mobile subscribers). Moto promises a whopping nine hours of talk time on a single charge, and yes—the Renew works with T-Mobile’s MyFaves plan (good for unlimited calling to any five friends).

Specs:

POWERUSAGE TIME (CONTINUOUS)*up to approx. 9 hours

STANDBY TIME*up to approx. 18 days

MESSAGINGMULTIMEDIA MESSAGING (MMS)2TEXT MESSAGING (SMS)2Store up to 500 SMS text messages

FORM FACTORCandy bar

MATERIALS AND FINISHPost-consumer recycled plastic

REMOVABLE MEMORY1up to 2 GB removable memory

ANTENNA TYPEInternal

GSMNETWORKS2Dual Band GSM 850/1900

CONNECTIVITYDATA ACCESS4GPRS Class 10

CONNECTOR TYPEMini USB port

MUSIC AND VIDEOMUSIC ENABLED3MUSIC PLAYERMP3

ACCESSORY COMPATIBILITYHEADSET JACK2.5 mm

HP iPAQ hw6515 Mobile Messenger Cell Phone

2009-01-20T23:30:00.001-08:00

HP’s hw6515b Mobile Messenger is capable of working with almost any GSM/GPRS network worldwide. An unlocked Mobile Messenger can be used overseas with a new SIM and separately purchased service plan from an international wireless service provider or with an existing GSM/GPRS wireless service plan.

When you purchase an unlocked HP Mobile Messenger, you are purchasing it without a wireless service plan. As a result, HP does not provide a new activation discount for this model.

Please Note: Some wireless service providers in North America utilize technology not compatible with the hw6515b Mobile Messenger. If in doubt, call your wireless service provider to make sure their service is compatible with phones that run on the GSM/GPRS network before purchasing an unlocked Mobile Messenger.

1GHz Processor on the Mobile Phone

2009-01-17T11:01:00.000-08:00

In August 2001, Intel announced its 1GHz desktop processor. It has gone a long way since then. This year, your mobile phone could be powered by a 1GHz processor too, according to an announcement by Marvell with its PXA168 CPU.The Marvell PXA168 processor is scalable beyond 1.0GHz and it’s only going to be a matter of time before we see media players and mobile phones running this processor (my guess is before 2009 ends).

Marvell PXA168 is based on a new innovative architecture that delivers the processing capabilities of an entry-level laptop to instant-on, digital consumer devicesby enabling full-featured web surfing, Internet widgets, multi-format video, Adobe Flash-based content playback, image processing, video conferencing and advanced graphical user interfaces (GUIs) – at consumer price points with ultra-low power for longer battery life {source}.

There are a lot of smartphones right now that sport fast processors — the Nokia 5800 has an ARM 11 369 MHz CPU, several HP iPaq and the O2 XDA has the Intel PXA272 416 MHz processor, the Xperia X1, HTC Touch HD and the upcoming Motorola A3100 has a Qualcomm 528 Mhz processor.

The fastest so far is the new Asus P565 that runs on Marvell TavorP 800 MHz. One gigahertz isn’t that far in the horizon and when those processors arrive, we could be looking at some serious computing power in mobile devices.

Carbon Fiber Cell Phone

2009-01-16T19:01:00.001-08:00

Tired of those cheap rubber iPhone 3G cases? You paid $200 for your phone and you’re hiding it essentially in a thick piece of rubber.

Look no further than ION. They have created some of the most elegant-looking iPhone cases. Combining leather or suede with carbon fiber, these cases are fit for iPhone users who have an affinity for style and are serious about protecting their mobile phone investment.

Sharp SH903iTV Cell Phone

2009-01-15T22:17:00.000-08:00

Is pink the new black as far as fashion is concerned? We suspect not, however, it is becoming increasingly apparent that pink gadgets obviously have enough of a consumer base to merit manufactures producing pink versions of just about every gadget these days - the latest addition to our pink gadgets collection being Sharps new SH903iTV Cell Phone.

The SH903iTV, which serves as both a cell phone and a highly portable TV viewing and recording unit, comes complete with a three inch 204×400 pixel resolution, 256000 colour swiveling widescreen super-V LCD display, an inbuilt 2-megapixel camera and MicroSD card support which can boost the SH903iTV’s capacity up to 2GB.

Sharp’s Pink SH903iTV cell phone will become commercially available from 3 August though, at the time of writing, we are unable to obtain pricing details.

[Source | MobileWhack]

Mi Phone Barack Obama Cell Phone Hits Kenya

2009-01-15T22:15:00.000-08:00

It really had to happen – our faith in human nature would have been called into question had it not – but you can, at last, get your hands on a Barack Obama branded cell phone, released by Mi phone and referred to as the ‘Mi-Obama phone’, but you’ll have to live in Kenya in order to do so.

The Mi Phone Mi-Obama cell phone, which comes with the phrase ‘Yes We Can’ emblazoned on its rear, is tailored for emerging markets so is, as you’d expect, a fairly base-level device but this enables the price point to stay low hence making it affordable (or, rather, more affordable than it otherwise may have been) at just $30 a pop and apparently its already shifted over 1,000 units in just Nairobi since in its first week of availability.

‘The coming of the new President of the USA is an auspicious moment for all Kenyans and the people of Africa. It is our pleasure to be able to launch the Mi-Obama phone as a memento that will always stay within the user’s hearts and minds’ said Alpesh Patel, Director of Mi-Fone who ‘thought the opportunity was just too good to miss’ though, personally, he uses a BlackBerry.

Further details can (not) be found at the Mi Phone website which comes complete with an especially irritating pleasing soundtrack.

[Source]

How To use iPod Touch

2009-01-13T02:26:00.000-08:00

The Apple iPod Touch is a unique device that has many options that are available to its users. Alot of people have no clue what the iPod Touch is capable of. It reminds me of my brothers BMW 3 Series where there are tons of small features that make the car more luxurious such as automatic side view mirrors that reflect down when you reverse so you can better see the parking lines or curbs. The Apple iPod Touch has tons of these such small features.

1. Take a Screenshot

Like your computer, the Apple iPod Touch can take a screenshot. Now there isn’t a print screen function but if you click and hold the Home button (round button at the bottom) and then tap the sleep button at the top left, it will take one for you. You’ll know its worked when the screen flashes. The screenshot will be saved in your Saved Photos section of your Apple iPod Touch. This unique feature is how I got many of my pictures for this post.

2. Save an Image

You can directly save a photo onto your Apple iPod Touch with the touch of your finger. All you have to do is hold down on the image with one of your many fingers and a screen will come up that allows you to save the image directly to your saved photos folder.

How to Save an Image

3. Magnifying Glass

I discovered this tool by accident and some of the best things have been discovered by accident. This is no exception. This tool will let you pick the exact place you want to put your cursor. By holding the text and moving your finger you’ll be able to exactly place your cursor. Sweet!

Magnifying Glass Tool

4. In-Screen Music Player

Hate it when you have to click the Home button to change your music or put it on pause while you are in an application? We’ll Apple has the solution for you. Click the Home button twice and an in-screen music player will pop up giving you control of your music.

In-Screen Music Player

5. Move Your Apps Around

I discovered this tool by accident as well and it provides another bonus. You can delete your apps with this method. Hold an app for about 2-3 seconds and they will start moving around. They will also have an “X” on the top left so you can delete any of them except the standard ones which come with your Apple iPod Touch. You can also move your apps anywhere you’d like by clicking, holding, and dragging them to there desired place.

6. See the link before you click it

A computer will tell you where a link is pointed to if you hover over it. Likewise with the Apple iPod Touch, if you click and hold any link, it will tell you where it’s pointed to.

With these little tips and tricks, you’ll be utilizing your Apple iPod Touch to its full potential.

Motorola MOTOZINE ZN5 (T-Mobile) - Unboxing

2009-01-13T02:00:00.003-08:00

iPhone 3g v HTC Touch Diamond v Samsung Omnia, Pt 1

2009-01-13T02:00:00.001-08:00

Samsung Instinct Cell Phone

2009-01-13T01:59:00.001-08:00

Packed with features like a vibrating touchscreen, GPS, web browser, expandable memory, and a great accessory bundle the Samsung Instinct cell phone is a hot contender to be considered one of the c...

Kogan Agora Android Cell Phone is a Major Breakthrough

2009-01-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while you read an opinion piece that is so misguided that it begs for a response. Such was the case with an article that appeared on Blorge, a site that I generally enjoy browsing. The article in question was by writer Gareth Powell and entitled, Kogan Agora Android is interesting, not a major breakthrough.

First things first, most people probably haven’t heard of Kogan. Kogan is a small Australian electronics company that sources products from manufacturers in China, presumably from some of the same manufacturers that produce things for more famous brands. A browse of the Kogan site reveals a respectable, but not mind-blowing range of electronics with the budget-minded gadget hound in mind. While most of the goods at Kogan are pretty standard fare, there are two products that are said to be coming later this month that are attracting a lot of interest from tech aficionados, namely the Android based cellular phone known as the Kogan Agora Android and it’s more powerful sibling, the Kogan Agora Android Pro.

As Powell rightly states, Kogan doesn’t make electronics, they buy them from China. Presumably they bundled together a list of specs, and discussed a production run with a manufacturer and presto, they got themselves an affordable phone that has some cool features, runs an open source operating system and that is not locked to any carrier. Without Wi-fi it will set you back AUD0, while Wi-fi will hit you up for another 0.

It is in the latter stages of his article that Powell goes hideously off course, sounding one part jilted lover and two parts tall poppy hater:

Now sort out something [from Alibaba] that looks a bit like the Kogan Android and drop them a line saying you want an unique machine and your initial order will be 1,000 units and there will be a bank guarantee. Having done that you are a breakthrough Android mobile phone maker. No risk.

Android is merely the system created by Google. A mobile phone designed to use it is not a major breakthrough. A mobile phone with Android and a lot of other gubbins thrown in is not difficult if you have a contact in Shenzhen and if you have built up a relationship — very, very important, called guangxi (sic) in Mandarin — with the manufacturer.

If you look at the pictures appearing on other sites you, too, will come to the published conclusion that: ‘the Agora is a little bit Blackberry, a little bit Treo — with a decent looking QWERTY keypad and square screen. In other words, quite different to the G1.’

True, it is a little bit of a lot of things. But mostly it is Chinese.

While the Kogan Agora Android might not be as pretty as an iPhone, but it looks quite good, has a nice clear touchscreen and a QWERTY keyboard. In fact it has everything that you need in a 3G phone. It is not locked to any carrier and Kogan will ship it internationally. Sure, in China and Hong Kong there are plenty of cheaper cell phones to choose from, but such phones rarely make it outside of Asia and their quality varies greatly. Here we see what appears to be a well-designed phone, with a good set of features that is priced to move. It has been brought to market by a virtually unknown brand, which has succeeded in making the tech world aware of its existence and it is not locked to any carrier, so anyone can get one. All of these things make it a break through in my book.

Building your own phone might be as simple as finding a manufacturer, but building up a relationship takes a lot of time and ordering 1,000 units requires a reasonable amount of money. Ruslan Kogan has put his money on the line under the assumption that people will want his phone and it looks like it has paid off; and I want one.

Nokia 1100

2009-01-12T05:58:00.000-08:00

The Nokia 1100 is an entry-level phone with a thin, stylish design and a built-in flashlight. Key features include a ringtone composer, alarm clock, and internal antenna.
Antenna Internal
Headset Jack -
Keyboard/Buttons -
Phone Design Bar
Side Keys -
Smartphone -
Battery
Standby Time 350 hours (14.6 days)
Talk Time 4.00 hours
Type Lithium Ion
Display
2nd Display -
Colors -
Resolution 96x65 pixels
Touch Screen -
Other Features
Flight Mode -
Hearing Aid Compatible -
Multiple Languages Yes
Polyphonic Ringer -
Push-to-Talk -
Vibrate Alert Yes
Data Messaging
Instant Messaging -
Predictive Text Entry Yes
Text Message Templates Yes
Text Messaging -
Camera and Video
Features -
Flash -
Live TV -
Megapixels -
Streaming Video -
Video Sharing -
Music and Multimedia
FM Radio -
GPS Navigation -
Music Player -
Speaker Phone -
Connectivity
Bluetooth -
Data/Fax Capability -
E-Mail Client -
Infrared (IR) Port -
Java Applications -
Memory Card Slot -
Operating System -
PC Sync -
Pop Port -
USB Port -
Web Browser -
Wi-Fi -
Organizer
Alarm Yes
Calculator -
Calendar -
To-Do List -
Voice Recorder -
Phone Book
Capacity 50
Multi Numbers per Name -
Photo Caller ID -
Ringer ID -
Ringer Profiles -
Voice Dialing -

BGP100 Bluetooth Game Pad

2009-01-10T14:58:00.000-08:00

I guess I didn’t know that the Mobile Gaming market is growing, but I suppose it was only a matter of time before somebody made joysticks for mobile phone games. In the case of the BGP100 Bluetooth Game Pad, these controllers are wireless.

The BGP100 has a 4-way pad for directional control, and seven programmable buttons for whatever else the game requires. As you can see, these controllers can affix themselves to the side of the mobile device with the use of included rubber strips.

Just think of it as turning your mobile phone into a mobile gaming device like a PSP or DS, and the BGP100 is also designed for Pocket PCs as well as Pocket PC Phones. The BGP100 supports a number of platforms including Window Mobile 2003, plus the Symbian Series.

As for power, the gamepads are powered by a 1.5V AAA battery, which is good enough for three and a half hours of continual use. As far as the range is concerned, it is about 55mm with the smartphone or Pocket PC in the middle, but it can also be used from a larger distance with the Bluetooth-enabled mobile unit sitting on a desk.

The BGP100 Bluetooth Game Pad is available from the Smarterlife Web site for a price of AU $128.45.

Slacker Radio brings BlackBerry !

2009-01-09T20:50:00.000-08:00

"postBody">

(Credit: Slacker)

This week at CES, Slacker made good on its word and released a version of its mobile, streaming, Internet Radio app for BlackBerry.

Slacker Radio for BlackBerry, a free over-the-air download for BlackBerrys running version 4.3 and above, gratifies with crisp album art, intuitive navigation, and all the customized streaming stations you could want.

What impressed us most is Slacker's newly added feature--right now just for BlackBerry--that caches songs as they play, allowing you to essentially play back your stations offline. It only works if you've got a microSD card, mind you, but once you're set up, you'll be able to crank tunes in the background while e-mailing and otherwise futzing with your phone.

The only catch: the app currently works for U.S. customers only.

US's First Projecting Cellphone

2009-01-08T18:30:00.000-08:00

We've seen plenty of units from overseas manufacturers, but the Logic Bolt will be the first US cellphone on the market with a tiny projector squeezed inside.

Scheduled for release next month at a pre-contract price between $400 and $500 (or $100 w/contract), the Logic Bolt is a GSM handset with a 320x240 touchscreen, 3MP camera, 4GB storage and MicroSD expansion. Using a bundled adapter, the phone can accept VGA and RCA inputs, passing the signal on for built-in 640x480 projection (or it can obviously play any preloaded media straight from the phone). The battery can only last 2 hours in projection mode, so a second battery comes bundled with the phone.

As you can see, the projection quality doesn't exactly dazzle, but in all fairness, these shots were taken under the less ideal bright conditions of the show floor.

Manufacturer Logic Wireless hopes to release a CDMA/WinMO version of the phone in the next four months, and they're planning a 2.0 version of the product with QWERTY and possibly Android by the end of 2009.

HTC S743 Sliding-QWERTY Cellphone

2009-01-07T16:02:00.000-08:00

HTC has just pulled the wraps off its US-bound S743 cellphone. It's a variation on the S740 sold in Europe, and it's a smooth-looking candybar with traditional 12-key keypad and a full sideways-sliding QWERTY keyboard.

It's also a non-touchscreen device, apparently "ideal for those who prefer a more traditional user interface," and has a 2.4-inch QVGA screen. The phone's body copies the HTC Touch Diamond's faceted shape, weighs 4.9-ounces and is a narrow 1.7-inches wide. Inside there's Windows Mobile 6.1 purring away, and HTC's highlighting that it's designed for "an outstanding voice experience," and "interfaces seamlessly with Microsoft Exchange as well as personal POP3 and IMAP4 email protocols" and has IM standards built-in.

As a result the phone, with its simple, dark looks, keyboard and non-touchscreen, seems aimed more at the business market--its HSDPA connectivity making for fast access to your emails while on the move, but the smallish LCD making it less of an Internet-surfing device.

The S743 will be available during the first quarter 2009 through select retail outlets, which includes Dell.com and Cdw.com, price to be announced.

[image via Infosyncworld]

Cell Phone With Built-In Projector?

2009-01-07T14:48:00.000-08:00

The Logic Bolt Phone:

Logic Wireless

Details are still fuzzy, but with very little fanfare it appears the world's first cell phone with a built-in projector has arrived. A company called Logic Wireless is claiming a CES debut of The Logic Bolt (in partnership with T-Mobile, no less). The phone has "razor-sharp" projections which can grow its screen size by 3000 percent and still retains a remarkably slim footprint, if the photos are any indication.

Make it Bigger: Logic Wireless

Besides the obvious display uses (pics of the dog, porn, music videos), the Bolt is packaged with PowerPoint, Excel and Word. And indeed the company is touting it as a necessary "business tool." Future versions promise to have the entire Windows Mobile Software pack and full video-conferencing capabilities. At $100 with a two-year contract, this seems nearly too good to be true. But stranger things have happened. Folks, we may be looking at the future of phones here.

Full specs below:

Network: QUAD Band GSM/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900

size for reference 115.6X23.3X48.6 mm

Talk time: 2-3 hours

Stand-by Time: 200-250 hours

Video play time under projector mode: More than 2 hour (Battery)

Battery: 1800mAH

Main Display Screen: 240×320 QVGA 2.4 TFT LCD

Resolution of projector:640×480 VGA

area/distance for projector :as TV screen of 34-64. 1-2m focus can be adjusted

External Video Interface: CVBS, support VGA Interface through a conversion line

that connects with PC

Camera: 3 Mega Pixels

mp3, mp4 player, support 3GPP/AVI

Support DVD, PMP, TV BOX, PC and Table computer to project.

Support Bluetooth.

Language: English and other languages supported!

Motorola to launch eco-friendly phone

2009-01-06T11:09:00.000-08:00

Motorola Inc. will introduce three new mobile phones this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, including the first in a developing line of “eco-Moto” products.

The Moto W233 Renew (left) is in line with an unofficial green theme of the 2009 CES gadget-fest, which officially opens Thursday, with several product makers introducing items that consume less energy or are made of recycled materials. Motorola is using recycled water bottles to make the plastic housing protecting the Renew, which will be available at T-Mobile in the first quarter.

Motorola didn’t disclose a price for the Renew, but a spokeswoman said it will be “very affordable.”

The Schaumburg company called it “the world’s first carbon neutral phone.” In an alliance with Carbonfund.org, Motorola said it has offset “the carbon dioxide required to manufacture, distribute and operate the phone through investments in renewable energy sources and reforestation.”

Also, Motorola will include a postage-paid envelope in the Renew’s packaging to encourage buyers to return their old mobile phone for recycling.

Motorola is likely to introduce more eco-Moto products this year, now that the company has developed “green design” standards to study the environmental impact of its products.

For people whose phones gather a lot of environmental detritus because their gadgets hit the ground often, Motorola also will introduce the Tundra VA76r. It’s a phone designed for campers and contractors that can withstand drops, rain and severe temperature swings.

The "rugged" phone (right) will include two microphones to help drown out exterior noise and improve call quality. Motorola calls the technology CrystalTalk 2.

Prices have not been announced, but it will be available from AT&T on Jan. 13.

Finally, the MotoSurf A3100 (left) smartphone will be launched in Asia and Latin America in the first quarter. The touch-controlled phone will run on the Windows Mobile 6.1 software platform.

A Motorola spokeswoman said there are no U.S. plans for the MotoSurf.

That’s a shame since it looks like an interesting product and U.S. consumers are still waiting for a follow-up to the Moto Q smartphone, launched in 2006.

Phenom cellphone watch

2008-12-31T02:42:00.000-08:00

Sure, it might seem silly to use a wrist watch phone these days to some, but I don’t care. It’s all kinds of kid imagination awesomeness on your wrist. Back in the day everyone was using them, from Dick Tracey to countless Sci-Fi dudes. And we dreamed of one day having our own.

This Phenom watch is a completely unlocked GSM phone ready for any SIM card you have. It also functions as an MP3/MP4 player through a MicroSD port. Some other features include a 1.3″ touchscreen display, Bluetooth, speakerphone, numeric keypad and a videocamera. Yep. Video. But does a touchscreen even matter when you get this small?

The SpecialOps will cost you $300, but if that’s too much, Phenom has other models available.

HTC G1 Review

2008-12-30T06:00:00.001-08:00

What’s Good: 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

What’s Not Good: 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

Bottom Line: Android will change the game, and while far from perfect, the G1 is more than compelling. I have a list of complaints a mile long but they’re overshadowed by how fun the Android user experience is on the T-Mobile G1.

Specs:

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

BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 Review

2008-12-30T05:56:00.000-08:00

Introduction

I am not a BlackBerry user. I mean, I've touched them and played around a bit, but I'm certainly not part of the crowd that experiences withdrawal symptoms after a day or two without BlackBerry interaction. Though I can assure you, such a crowd exists. Crackberry numbers are strong. There must be good reason for such loyalty and even addiction.

Perhaps my lack of BB experience is appropriate for this review, because the Flip might be the one that can do just that; upturn the notions of people who thought they knew what a BlackBerry was all about. The name obviously refers to the phone's form factor first, but the physical changes seen in this release may represent a shift in the BB's overall appeal in the cell market. The Flip goes after the young messaging demographic while retaining enough familiar features to keep the exec loyalists around.

HTC Touch Review

2008-12-30T05:51:00.001-08:00

Introduction

As its name makes clear, the focus with the HTC Touch is on the touch screen. The compact, professional looking Windows Mobile smartphone is offered by Sprint and from the simple design of the phone to the unique Touch Cube interface, many features highlight the TouchFLO technology in the screen.

The simple hardware design generally gives users all they need, although the only keypad available is on the touch screen and it is small. Fortunately, there is a QWERTY keypad layout available which could keep some users from reaching for the stylus that comes with the phone. Overall, the screen is very responsive to finger taps and swipes, although occasionally the need to keep tapping repeatedly to press a button on the screen can be frustrating.

While the highlight of this phone is the touch screen, some other features - notably the sound quality - are just okay. But for users looking for a practical, professional smart phone, the Touch has a lot to offer.

It does fall short when compared with Apple's iPhone, on which the interface is much more intuitive, aesthetically attractive and simple to use. The iPhone's larger screen makes better use of the touch screen feature, giving users the opportunity to accomplish more through a touch of the finger - no stylus needed.

The Touch offers great potential for connectivity, with access to Sprint's high-speed EV-DO network, the ability to sync the phone with a PC and to use the phone as a modem for a PC, if the user is signed up for Sprint's Power Vision Modem Plan.

Design

Since the TouchFLO technology takes care of most of the operations on the Touch, HTC was able to keep the phone itself very simple. There are only three buttons on the front face of the phone: a green-lit talk key, a red-lit end key, and a large silver navigation and "enter" key between them. The multi-directional navigation part of this key allows users to move right, left, up and down, and then make a selection by pressing the "enter" key at the center. This key is convenient, and allows users to choose between touching the screen and using the key to navigate through some of the phone's functions. In terms of design, it makes the Touch a little chunkier than the sleeker iPhone navigation key, which is one simple button in the same location near the bottom of the phone.

The smooth black exterior of the phone seems well-made and does not pick up marks or scratches very easily. The surface is hard yet slightly rubbery to the touch, making it easy to grip. The touch screen avoids smudging relatively well, an important feat since users' fingers will come in contact with it a lot - unless they prefer to rely exclusively on the stylus.

HTC Touch FrontA small power button sits on the top left side of the phone, and the small, square earpiece - combined with the notification LEDs - is centered at the top of the phone's face. These LEDs could be helpful, if users can remember the meanings associated with all the different lights. The left LED shows green and amber lights for standby, message, network and battery charging status. The right LED shows an amber light to indicate GPS status, and a flashing blue light when the Bluetooth system is powered up and ready to transmit a radio signal.

The stylus slides into a slot at the upper right corner of the phone, and in general it can be removed easily when the user pushes up on the small ledge on the stylus' head. Below the stylus on the right side of the phone is the storage card slot cover. Unfortunately, plugging in the tiny microSD card can be inconvenient because it requires the back to be removed and a flexible tab on the right side of the phone to be pulled out.

On the bright side, the back of the phone slides up easily in one motion to remove the battery or plug in the microSD card. Immediately below this long tab is the photo button.

There is a tiny reset button at the bottom of the phone, toward the right side, which can be used to soft reset the phone. Since the button is so small, the stylus must be used to do this. The micro-USB port sits in the middle of the bottom of the phone, between a reset button and the microphone, and it does not have a tab. This lack of a tab on the micro-USB port makes charging the device and connecting it to a PC very simple, especially for people who are frustrated by constantly having to fiddle with small tabs every time they charge their phones. Hopefully the uncovered port will not pick up dirt or get damaged.

To the left, at the bottom of the phone, is a small microphone. There is also a slot for a lanyard, and further up the left side of the phone is a volume slider that users can push up or down to adjust volume. The speaker, which is a small circle, is on the back of the phone. The 2.0-megapixel camera is also on the back of the phone, and the self-portrait mirror is just above the camera lens. This unique feature looks like a small silver button and while it isn't big enough to enough to check one's appearance, it does allow users to make sure they are positioned correctly to show up in a photo.

The Touch feels quite small in the hand and is more compact than Apple's iPhone, although the Touch is a little thicker. The Touch is 2.4-inches wide, 4-inches long and just 0.6-inches thick. By contrast, the iPhone is 2.4 inches wide, 4.5-inches tall and only 0.46-inches thick. The Touch is also a light phone, weighing in at 4 ounces.

The Touch is attractive on its own but if design is a top concern, the iPhone is still sleeker and more beautifully designed than the Touch.

Out of the box, the HTC Touch comes with the necessities and also some useful accessories. This includes a headset that plugs into the mini-USB port, a USB sync cable, a 2.5 mm headset adapter, a two mini-USB adapter, a microSD card, a stylus, a pouch, an LCD screen protector and a software installation CD for Microsoft ActiveSync 4.5, Windows Mobile Device Center, a user guide and 60-day trial for Microsoft Office Outlook.

Basic Features

The Touch runs Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional, so users have access to Excel Mobile, PowerPoint Mobile and Word Mobile. The Touch is also sold with Internet Explorer already installed.

The phone turns on to a home screen, also referred to as the "Today Screen." This includes a very large clock, weather information that users can customize to their city and new messages and missed calls. There is also a customizable launcher where users can add applications of their choice.

HTC Touch ScreenWhether users prefer the "Today Screen" or the iPhone's simpler home screen with more icons linking to applications, weather and other items may depend upon the person. It did seem easier to reach these things on the iPhone, rather than finding them on the Windows Start menu or interface on the Touch.

The three-dimensional Touch Cube interface is nonetheless one of the highlights of the Touch. This feature is accessed by swiping a finger up from the bottom of the screen, and then swiping a finger to the right or left to spin the cube and pan through applications, media and contacts. The contacts side of the cube displays the user's top nine contacts with their photos. Unfortunately, the Touch Cube interface is only available when the phone's display is in portrait view. Therefore, users need to make sure the display is not set to landscape view, to enable this feature to work.

Basic features on the Touch include a calculator, calendar and camera album. The one-touch talk button near the bottom of the phone brings up a keypad for users to make a call, and the end button closes this. The Touch also has access to GPS through Sprint Navigation.

The Touch features a Li-Ion battery, and the phone generally has up to four hours of talk time. The media playback time is up to eight hours for video and 12 hours for audio.

Motorola Krave ZN4 Review

2008-12-30T05:47:00.000-08:00

The Krave's innovative design is truly eye-catching. With two levels
of touch-screen menus, this Motorola handset exudes style and technological
savoir-faire. Smaller and easier to carry in a pocket than most touch screen
phones, the Krave weighs 4.59 oz. and measures approximately 4.13" (H) x
2.0" (W) x 0.75" (D).

It has a touch-sensitive transparent flip cover with tactile feedback.
Users can conveniently view and access commonly used features. A circular
Motorola emblem that doubles as a speaker to turn the Krave into a portable
music player. Opening the flip answers calls, and the speaker's opposite
side reveals the earpiece.

Opened,
the top of the inside screen are two buttons - one button for power and
one "home" button that will return users back to the main screen. An internal
microphone is located below the screen.

Both of the Krave's touch screen offer iPhone-like navigation by sliding
a finger up and down the screen.

On the left side of the phone there's a covered 3.5mm headset jack, and
below that are volume controls and a covered Micro-USB port for transferring
data from the phone to another device. The Krave's right side bears a camera-dedicated
key, covered microSD memory card slot, "voice" key for recording voice memos
and sending voice-activated commands, and a screen lock that deactivates
the touch screen cover, preventing users from making unintended calls and
exchanges.

The Krave's rubberized back won't get sullied by smudgy fingerprints
like other shiny-surfaced touch screen phones. This is a plus considering
that consumers will already have two touch screens to worry about keeping
clean.

Also located on the back of the phone is the 2.0-megapixel camera/camcorder
lens, recessed to prevent scratching and smearing. In the phone's left-hand
corner is an enclosure for a hand strap.

Watching mobile TV and viewing picture slideshows on the Krave's long
2.8-inch, 240 x 400 px touch screen is another one of this its great assets.
During calls, buttons for mute, speakerphone, Bluetooth connections and
ending calls appear on the screen.

The outward appearance of the Krave is one of a well-designed phone.
But because the Krave's touch screen duo divides the phone's features in
two places, it may take some time to learn which features are available
on which screens. Another common complaint about this handset is that its
transparent cover actually gets in the way of two-thumb typing on its full
QWERTY keyboard.

Out of the box, the Motorola Krave ZN4 comes with a standard 950 mAh
Li-Ion Battery, Power Cable and User Guide.

Basic Features

One of Krave's unique features is its visual voicemail application from
Verizon. Using the touch screen, users can scroll through their voicemail
inbox, click on the messages they want to hear or delete the ones they don't
want. The Krave also comes with basic necessities including a 1,000-contact
phonebook, calendar, notepad, calculator, alarm clock, world clock, tip
calculator, icon glossary and text display in English or Spanish.

Special
functions include passcode protection, a check for software updates, airplane
mode, TTY mode for the hearing impaired, voice readout for keypad digits
and voice commands for sending messages, calls and activating music playlists.
The Krave doesn't come with any games, but they are available for download
on the phone's web browser.

Add a personal touch to the Krave by choosing from a selection of wallpapers
and 24 polyphonic ringtone options. Features like alert sounds, keypad volume
and display backlight can also be modified to any preferences.

The Krave uses a 950 mAh battery with an impressive standby time of 500
hours (20.8 days) and talk time of 260 minutes (4.33 hours).

Verizon is selling the phone with a two-year service agreement for $179.99,
after a $50 online discount. The package comes with a travel charger, 950
mAh battery and user guide. The Krave is reasonably priced, not too expensive
and also not the cheapest touch screen phone in Verizon's lineup. Other
similarly priced touch screen phones from Verizon include the Samsung Omnia
and LG Dare.

Entertainment

Verizon VCAST Mobile TV and Music lets consumers to take their calls
and entertainment with them wherever they go. With the touch cover down,
they can access menu links for videos or music. Once users have made their
selection, turn the phone horizontally for a 240 x 320 px wide-screen view
of favorite shows or use a finger to swipe through album covers in queue.

Starting at a subscription fee of $13 per month, VCAST Mobile TV offers
live television programming straight to the phone from networks including
CNBC, CBS, Comedy Central, ESPN, Comedy Central and MTV. This is television
that's sure to add enjoyment to midday coffee breaks and idle moments.

If users don't have enough music already, Verizon downloads via Rhapsody
are $1.99 for each song or $14.99 for unlimited access. On a PC, they can
browse and purchase tunes from the VCAST Music online store via Windows
Media Player 10. Then manage their music library, create playlists and sync
songs to the phone.

Verizon VCAST also offers 3G streaming video, downloadable games, display
themes, ringtones and more at prompt download speeds of about 500 kbps to
800 kbps.

Storage

With 130 MB of internal memory and a micoSD card slot that supports up
to an additional 8GB (around 2,000 songs), the Motorola Krave is a data
storing powerhouse among multimedia cell phones. Users wrho plan on using
the phone as a portable music player should invest in a memory card. Extra
storage and USB cables for are sold separately.

The Krave can store 1,000 phonebook contacts with space in each entry
for five numbers (labeled under home, work and fax), two email addresses,
photo ID and a customized ringtone.

Connectivity

The Krave supports some of the more popular Bluetooth 2.0 wireless connections.
Headset Profile (HSP) and Hands-Free Profile (HFP) such as handsfree car
kits or conference room devices can be enabled for use within a 10-meter
distance from the phone. Dial-Up Networking (DUN) allows the phone to be
used as a modem for a laptop or PDA. And for stereo sound, AVRCP and A2DP
profiles will send audio from your phone to a Bluetooth compatible device.

Phone book access (PBAP) lets users share contacts, name card and calendar
entries. Other profiles on the Krave include Basic Printing Profile (BPP)
for Bluetooth-enabled printers, Object-Push Profile (OPP) for sending virtual
business cards and File Transfer Protocol (FTP).

Bluetooth accessories for the Krave are sold separately.

Vertu Boucheron 150 Crafted from Solid Gold

2008-12-30T05:46:00.000-08:00

Luxury mobile phone maker Vertu has teamed up with French jewellery house Boucheron to create the Vertu Boucheron 150, a limited edition mobile phone built from solid gold.

Prepared in celebration of Boucheron's 150th anniversary, the Vertu Boucheron 150 is crafted from individual solid gold ingots taking over 1000 man hours to cut to shape, with over 700 man hours of hand polishing followed by 500 hours of hand building.

The concave sapphire crystal keypad is intricately designed with 400 points, providing the toughest of challenges for the most skilled of craftsmen. The constantly changing angled surfaces allow a cut stone appearance, inspired by the clearly faceted stones which are part of Boucheron's core craft.

The Boucheron 150 was created to reflect both brands. The Vertu V-shape morphs into random proportioned patterns and directions of the three sided surfaces creating a blend of Vertu and Boucheron elements. It gains a visual sparkle not from precious stones but instead through pure form and line achieved with precious faceted metal.

The Boucheron 150 is housed in a bespoke hand-made wooden case by Reuge, the market leading Swiss makers of artisan music boxes. The box has a custom-built brass music drum that plays the signature Vertu sandpiper ringtone upon opening.

"Using the Vertu Signature platform, but taking it away from the core design and creating a visibly stunning statement that breaks all expectations of mobile phone design, resulting in a true piece of sculpture," said Frank Nuovo, Principal Designer of Vertu.

The Vertu Boucheron 150 will cost $30,000 and be on display at the recently launched Vertu store in London starting November 19, before a showcase tour at Vertu stores in Paris, Milan and Tokyo.

BlackBerry Curve 8320 Wi-Fi Phone Launches on AT&T

2008-12-30T05:41:00.000-08:00

AT&T today released the BlackBerry Curve 8320, a smartphone with built-in Wi-Fi for access to thousands of AT&T Wi-Fi hotspots in the U.S. The BlackBerry Curve 8320 combines email and messaging with a full QWERTY keyboard, built-in spell checker and organizer. A large 65K-color display (320 x 240 px) has light-sensing technology that automatically adjusts backlighting for optimal viewing. An improved user interface and support for HTML email allows users to download attachments ...
The BlackBerry Curve 8320 has 802.11 b/g to automatically connect to any of the more than 17,000 AT&T hotspots, include Starbucks, Barnes & Noble and thousands more restaurants, airports, hotels and other convenient locations across the U.S.

Global Wi-Fi capabilities cover more than 150 countries and make or receive phone calls in more than 200 countries.

Other features include Bluetooth 2.0 technology, a 2.0-megapixel camera with zoom, flash and video recording, advanced media player with desktop media management software and expandable memory of up to 16GB via its microSD memory card slot.

"AT&T customers can also use their BlackBerry Curve smartphone to connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot both in the U.S. and abroad," said Michael Woodward, vice President of AT&T. "This allows our customers to be even more productive and get greater value out of their BlackBerry smartphone, particularly when they can connect free of charge to an AT&T Hot Spot in the U.S."

The BlackBerry Curve 8320 is available in sapphire blue starting at $149.99 with a two-year contract and mail-in rebate.

Nokia N85 and N79 Released in the U.S.

2008-12-30T05:38:00.000-08:00

Nokia has started selling the N85 and N79 in the United States, available unlocked through the Nokia Flagship stores in New York and Chicago, online and from independent retailers. Both devices integrate a 5.0-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and dual LED flash to capture high-quality images and video clips at 30 frames per second. Photos can be geotagged to record the capture location and shared online on sites like Share on Ovi or Flickr. They have ample storage space included ...

Pantech Sky IM-S400L

2008-12-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

Available only in Korea,the CDMA slider boasts a 2.6-inch LCD, and a keypad using the company’s new “Glide Sensor” technology which it says operates like a laptop trackpad.It’s not clear where this will be available outside of Korea, but it should work on most places in the United States, Japan, China, and Southeast Asia as a fine CDMA phone. Available colors are white, pink, and blue.

BlackBerry Storm / Thunder Storm Advisories

2008-12-22T11:43:00.000-08:00

If you were able to weather the BlackBerry Storm lines and get a BlackBerry Storm you may be wondering as Southern California preps for mudslides and our own storm rages, "Should you use a BlackBerry Storm, aka Thunder during a storm?"

The answer is not easy to determine. But if you go by the motto, "Safety first," BlackBerry Storm use during a storm should definitely be curtailed outdoors.

Personally, I would not use the BlackBerry Storm, outside, during lightning or thunder. Cell phones have antenna, which can attract the lightning. It can even be worse, because humans usually survive being hit by lightning due to a "flash-over" effect, because skin does not conduct electricity into the the body. A letter in the British Medical Journal from doctors reported that a cell phone can interrupt the flash-over, direct lightning into the body and cause internal damage which can result in cardiac arrest and death. They cite cases where people using cell phones were injured due to lightning.

A lightning expert at The University of Florida, Vladimir Rakov, doesn't think that a cell phone can affect the outcome of a lightning strike but still advises, "Don't remain outdoors during a thunderstorm, whether you carry a cell phone or not."

Clearly, water may damage your BlackBerry Storm. RIM advises in its safety manual to keep your BlackBerry Storm away from liquids, therefore use in the rain could damage the device. If you work out in the field or in a carreer where the BlackBerry Storm may be exposed to water, a water proof case is a must. Otterbox is expected to have a case out in January.

During a lightning storm you can seek safety in car if it is a hard-topped car, SUV, minivan, or bus. But you have make sure all doors are closed and windows rolled up. Do not touch any metal surfaces, says the National Weather Service. They claim that it is safe to use a cell phone during a lightning storm, because there is no direct path between you and the lightning. They do advise people not to use corded telephone unless it's an emergency.

The best safety zone is inside a building during a thunder storm.

The BlackBerry Storm has many features that would come in handy during a thunder storm, indoors, such as full HTM web browsing for weather information, email for letting your friends and family know what's happening. GPS for turn-by-turn directions, media player for viewing videos or listening to music and video recording to record the flash of lightning from inside. The BlackBerry Storm has about five hours of battery life, so if the power goes out, you may want to shut it off for while to make sure you can weather the storm.

Application management to drive mobile phone innovation in 2009

2008-12-22T11:41:00.000-08:00

The iPhone. Blackberry. T-Mobile G1.

Ready or not, the mobile device marketplace continues to evolve and 2009 promises to change the mobile application landscape in ways no one imagined just a year ago.

With the much-anticipated introduction of T-Mobile USA Inc.’s G1 smartphone in October, the market definitely got more interesting, with mobile applications experts calling it a “game-changer,” a device that will offer the Apple Inc. iPhone a run for its money, providing real competition not only for the hearts of consumers, but for the attention of application developers as well.

What caused much of the anticipation was the introduction of Google Inc.’s Android, a completely open source cell phone operating system, developed in partnership with the Open Handset Alliance.

Unlike Apple, which fiercely controls every aspect of its product development process and its proprietary iPhone operating system, Google encouraged third-party application development for the G1. Android joins a growing list of mobile device operating systems that includes Symbian, Brew and Windows Mobile, to name just a few. Therein lies a problem: Many of today’s most popular devices feature their own operating systems and a host of applications specific to both the operating system and the device, and sold through each company’s online market. For example, if you own a Nokia handset and want to download an application that wasn’t developed specifically for your phone, you’re out of luck. To make matters worse, consumers often are forced to search for an application online, buy it, download it, and make sure they keep it updated.

That’s why 2009 is shaping up to be the “Year of Mobile Device Management.” Developers say that the real story for 2009 is not new applications for mobile devices, but the ability to buy, use, and update them easily, regardless of device or operating system.

Lori Sylvia, executive vice president of marketing for Waltham-based Red Bend Software Inc., which specializes in firmware that manages mobile device applications, said, “The dynamics of the mobile phone industry are changing because operating systems are opening up. It’s going to be all about streamlining the purchase and upgrade of applications so the consumer will have a richer, more efficient experience.” According to Sylvia, consumers soon won’t have to worry about whether a particular application will work with their phone and service, while manufacturers and operators won’t have to worry about compatibility and user upgrade issues.

At the Mobile Business Expo held in New York in September, a panel of mobile application developers discussed open operating systems and the consumer desire for a richer experience that in the past meant device-installed applications, but now includes more web-based applications. What might some of those applications be? Mobile financial services for one, if initiatives launched by both Sprint Nextel Corp. and AT&T Inc. are any indication. Both carriers are looking to promote mobile banking through mobile devices, though that might be more of an uphill battle than one would think. According to Forrester Research Inc., while 85 percent of the U.S. population owns a cell phone, only 11 percent access the mobile web more than once a month. Industry analysts agree that mobile banking will grow slowly but steadily over the next few years.

For Killer Mobile Software LLC’s Josh Alner, 2009 will see increasing interest in security apps. “I see security applications gaining a lot of ground,” states Alner, whose company is based in Oregon. “These apps will include anti-theft and device recovery features via GPS. We’re seeing a lot of interest from business users who want remote data locking and wiping of their employee’s devices. This type of application will certainly gain some traction in the next couple of years, especially as employees put more and more sensitive data on their devices.”

Julian Bourne, CEO and founder of Weston-based Proxpro, which develops location-based, just-in-time mobile applications, says that security has been a development area for mobile applications because of identity theft and privacy issues. “Privacy concerns have all been hashed out by the carriers,” states Bourne. “Social networking applications are now possible on mobile devices that couldn’t even be considered a year or two ago.”

For Bourne, the development situation is “a hundred times better than it was three years ago — the carriers had complete control then.” Bourne sees rapid growth in the high-end smartphone business, growing to be as much as 50 percent of the market within two years.

For consumers interested in add-on applications for their smartphones, Jim Levinger, CEO of Nextcode Corp., a Concord-based developer of mobile applications using barcode scanning technology, the iPhone and new G1 smartphone represent the “tip of the spear” for how applications, web access and service will be provided in the future. “Carrier revenue is going to come from data service, not voice, and the iPhone and G1 are setting expectation levels for consumers,” observes Levinger.