Palm Treo Pro

Palm introduced Treo Pro, an effortlessly usable smartphone for businesses that want to simplify their IT infrastructures and lower costs, and for users who want to stay on top of their professional and personal lives.

With its streamlined design and Palm® shortcuts layered on Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, Treo Pro is a unique combination of sleek simplicity and robust productivity -- including email, Wi-Fi and GPS capabilities(1) -- that meets the needs of businesses and end users alike.

Treo Pro, which will be available from Vodafone and O2 in Europe(2) and from Telstra in Australia, also will be available in an unlocked version in the United States, Europe and Asia Pacific.

“Businesses want the control and savings that Windows Mobile affords, in an innovative and elegant package that keeps their users happy. That’s where Palm comes in,” said Ed Colligan, president and chief executive officer, Palm, Inc. “Everything about Treo Pro -- from the hardware design to the packaging and accessories – embodies the elegant and simplified end-to-end experience that our customers expect from Palm.”
The Treo Pro smartphone lets IT managers support an increasingly mobile work force with the ease of use and robust feature set business professionals demand. Besides the benefits of lower costs and increased productivity, Treo Pro can deliver the increased security, easier device management and access to information on the corporate network that Windows Mobile 6.1 provides.
Users can quickly respond to business and personal email, access the web, stay on top of appointments and contacts, and use Wi-Fi or GPS on the go.(1) Treo Pro’s thin design blends a flush, high-resolution color touch screen and a full QWERTY keyboard with a removable battery that packs up to five hours of talk time and enough strength for the business user’s needs, offering a powerful yet effortless mobile experience.
“I’m really happy with Treo Pro -- it’s a technology leap from a device design and capability standpoint, enhancing Palm’s presence in the Windows Mobile realm,” said Wasif Malik, senior systems consultant, Student Educational Services & Mobile Solutions, Ohio State University Medical Center. “It’s cleverly designed for Windows Mobile, with a large touch screen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and all the productivity applications for Windows Mobile 6 in a much thinner design.”
Palm Experience on Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
The Treo Pro smartphone, based on the popular Windows Mobile platform, helps optimize business processes by effortlessly mobilizing users with enhancements to the Windows Mobile 6.1 platform, including:
* One-touch Wi-Fi button -- Easy, fast Wi-Fi connection experience (802.11b/g).(1)
* Today screen enhancements -- Web search directly from the Today screen.
* Ringer switch -- Silences the device immediately.
* Screen saver -- Lets users know at a glance – without turning on the device – what time it is and whether they’ve missed a call or have a new SMS/MMS message.
* New voicemail indicator -- The center button flashes to let users know that a voicemail is waiting.(3)
* Dedicated email and calendar buttons -- Fast one-button access.
“Windows Mobile is delivering mobile solutions that help businesses address the changing competitive landscape,” said Andrew Lees, senior vice president of Microsoft’s Mobile Communications Business. “The Treo Pro smartphone brings together a powerful combination of Palm’s feature innovations and Windows Mobile 6.1, providing access to the information people need when away from the office.”
Lower Costs, Increased Productivity
With Treo Pro, businesses can quickly and easily deploy a secure, low-cost and compatible infrastructure for their mobile workforce by taking advantage of a tightly integrated Palm and Windows Mobile 6.1 solution, including:
* Microsoft Direct Push Technology(4) -- Direct connection to Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 SP2 or 2007 gives users up-to-date email, contacts and calendars.
* Microsoft System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008 -- With the deployment of Mobile Device Manager, the Treo Pro can deliver increased security, easier smartphone management, and access to information on the corporate network. IT professionals can confidently manage large Treo Pro deployments.
* Thousands of applications available for Windows Mobile -- Businesses can extend mobility beyond email to optimize business processes.
* World phone -- With high-speed UMTS/HSDPA network capabilities(5), Treo Pro is a sleek world phone that’s ideal for companies with an international work force.
* Integrated GPS -- Users can access maps, turn-by-turn directions and point-of-interest (POI) searches.(1)
* Support and training -- Palm shortcuts make Treo Pro so easy to use, businesses can spend less on training and support for their users. End-to-end enterprise support means companies can expand the scope of their mobile deployments without putting a strain on internal support personnel.
* Familiar Windows experience -- Users can browse the web with built-in Internet Explorer Mobile; open, view, and edit Word and Excel compatible files; review PowerPoint presentations and PDF files; and open ZIP files remotely.
Pricing and Availability
Treo Pro will be available in September in Europe(2) through Vodafone (from free to €399 with contract) and O2 (pricing is available from O2 direct sales and online business stores), and in Australia through Telstra (from free with contract). It will be available in the United States in the fall through the Palm online store (http://www.palm.com/store) as well as select Internet, retail and enterprise resellers for a suggested retail price of $549. The U.S. version is unlocked and unsubsidized, giving end users the flexibility to simply insert their existing active SIM card and immediately start using their Treo Pro without a new contract.
Detailed regional pricing is available from local resellers and distributors. Additional Treo Pro availability is scheduled to follow worldwide.
The Treo Pro smartphone comes with an international power charger, microUSB cable and a stereo headset (3.5mm). Other accessories designed exclusively for Treo Pro (sold separately) include a vehicle power charger, leather side case, travel microUSB cable, cradle, extra battery, TTY audio adapter, and replacement styli.
(1) Within wireless coverage area only. Wi-Fi within range of 802.11b/g Wi-Fi network. Some Wi-Fi hotspots require fee for usage. Email, web, and GPS require an account and data services at additional cost. GPS application not available from all carriers. Third-party software may be required. GPS coverage not available in all areas at all times.
(2) Treo Pro will be available from Vodafone in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands, and from O2 in the UK and Ireland.
(3) Within wireless coverage area only. Not available by all mobile service providers.
(4) Microsoft Direct Push Technology requires Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 with SP2 or Exchange Server 2007. Additional fees and software may be needed to comply with corporate IT policy. VPN may be required.
(5) More than 860 GSM networks provide coverage in 220 regions worldwide. Within UMTS/HSDPA data coverage area only. Actual data speeds vary based on network capacity and application design. Requires data services at additional cost.

HTC Mobile-HTC Touch2

 HTC have announced the HTC Touch2, which is a one of the first smart phones to run on Windows Mobile 6.5. Windows Mobile 6.5 enables the HTC Touch2 to utilize new services such as Microsoft My Phone and Windows Marketplace on their mobile.

It goes without saying that the HTC Touch2 is a full 3G touch-screen mobile. The Touch2 sports a compact design, ensuring it’s easy to hold and fit in your pocket or handbag.

The HTC Touch2 includes new HTC functionality such as TouchFLO, which is a new user interface featuring integrated weather updates and quick access to popular applications.

Windows Mobile 6.5 gives the HTC Touch2 award winning e-mail functionality with can easily be synced with Microsoft Exchange on your PC, as well as enabling multiple email account support.

The newly improved Internet Explorer Mobile enables all “PC” websites to be accurately display on the HTC Touch2. The new zoom bar enables text to be displayed at its optimum size while the pan and zoom functions ensure all content is displayed in the most user-friendly manner. The mobile browser also supports Flash, enabling all those flash videos and Youtube to run flawlessly.

The HTC Touch2 also comes with Google Maps and Youtube pre-loaded for easy navigation and video playback.

The HTC Touch2 features Windows Marketplace support, which means that applications can easily be downloaded to your mobile. Microsoft MyPhone is also supported making backup for music, email, contact and messages free and easy!

The HTC Touch2 will be available from October 6th in Europe

HTC Touch2 Specification

Model	HTC Touch2 (T3333)
Processor	Qualcomm® MSM7225™, 528 MHz
Operating System	Windows Mobile® 6.5 Professional
Memory	ROM: 512 MB RAM: 256 MB
Dimensions (LxWxT)	104 X 55 X 12.9 mm (4.1 X 2.16 X 0.51 inches)
Weight	110 grams (4 ounces) with battery
Display	2.8-inch TFT-LCD touch-sensitive screen with QVGA resolution
Network	HSPA/WCDMA: Europe/Asia: 900/2100 MHz Up to 384 kbps up-link and 7.2 Mbps down-link speeds Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE: Europe/Asia: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz (Band frequency and data speed are operator dependent.)
Device Control	Zoom bar
GPS	Internal GPS antenna
Connectivity	Bluetooth® 2.1 with Enhanced Data Rate and A2DP for wireless stereo headsets Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11 b/g 3.5 mm audio jack HTC ExtUSB™ (11-pin mini-USB 2.0)
Camera	3.2 megapixel color camera with fixed focus
Audio supported formats	AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR-NB, QCP, MP3, WMA, WAV, MIDI, M4A
Video supported formats	WMV, ASF, MP4, 3GP, 3G2, M4V, AVI
Battery	Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery Capacity: 1100 mAh Talk time: Up to 370 minutes for WCDMA Up to 440 minutes for GSM Standby time: Up to 500 hours for WCDMA Up to 370 hours for GSM (The above are subject to network and phone usage.)
Expansion Slot	microSD™ memory card (SD 2.0 compatible)
AC Adapter	Voltage range/frequency: 100 ~ 240V AC, 50/60 Hz DC output: 5V and 1A

Samsung's latest mobile-Samsung Jet

Samsung Electronics unveiled the latest in mobile handset innovation, Samsung Jet, at a series of global launch events in London, Dubai and Singapore. Samsung Jet enjoys the benefits of both advanced features of a smartphone and easy-to-use user interface of a conventional mobile phone.

Samsung Jet is not a simply another full touch mobile phone; it brings a brand new concept of mobile phone to today’s consumers. ‘Smarter than a smartphone,’ Samsung Jet supports the latest smartphone features which include multi-task manager and Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, bringing user-friendly menu navigations in a sleek and compact design.

Samsung Jet boasts world firsts in both display technology and speed of performance. Its pioneering 16M WVGA AMOLED display (3.1”) offers the most vivid and colorful full touch mobile experience available; the WVGA AMOLED screen provides a resolution that is four times higher than a WQVGA screen. Its 800MHz application processor delivers breathtaking speed and stunning performance, making Jet the fastest full touch handset on the market today.

With its eye-catching brilliant screen, Samsung’s latest TouchWiz 2.0 user interface gives an unrivalled user experience and includes iconic new features such as motion UI, smart unlock, and customizable widget screen, which are all perfect for managing your life at work and at play.

Samsung’s Dolfin Internet browser is designed to let users surf the net and access popular websites, especially social networking sites, with ease and speed. The browser enhances the mobile Internet experience by allowing users to view up to five web pages simultaneously and bookmark their favorite websites as widgets on the phone’s homepage. A built in ad-blocker, multiple downloading and background downloading feature, and multi-purpose address field, further enhance the experience while Dolfin’s unique one finger zoom enables users to zoom in and out of web pages using only one hand.

JK Shin, Executive Vice President and Head of Mobile Communications division, Samsung Electronics, explained, “Samsung Jet provides a seamless and unrivalled mobile experience as a result of our accumulated technology leadership and pursuit of perfect craftsmanship. Our aim is to deliver ultimate satisfaction to our consumers and I believe that Samsung Jet answers the calls of today’s mobile users who want smart features and easy-to-use user interface. This product perfectly reflects our consumer-oriented strategy.”

Unlike many smartphones that sacrifice features for form factor, Samsung Jet packs all of these into a super sleek body and super cool frame. Samsung Jet also boasts a host of multimedia features including a 5 mega-pixel camera, built-in GPS, DNSe & SRS Sound Effect technology for superior sound quality, and DivX and XviD video support for hassle-free video downloading and viewing.

Samsung Jet launches today at ‘Samsung Mobile UNPACKED’ events in London, Dubai and Singapore. Featuring the latest in live technologies and entertainment, the events will provide an exciting hands-on experience with the new handset. The events will also mark the culmination of a global teaser campaign, where one lucky winner from each country will unpack a Samsung Jet ‘live’ for the first time. For more information, please visit http://press.samsungmobile.com.

Samsung Jet _ Specification
Network		EDGE/GPRS Class 12 (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) HSDPA 3.6Mbps (900, 2100 MHz)
Display		3.1” 16M WVGA AMOLED
Camera		5.0 Megapixel AF camera+ Dual Power LED Face Detection, Smile Shot, Panorama Shot, Blink Detection, Geo-tagging, Photo Editor
Video		D1 Video Playback/D1 30fps Video Recording MPEG4, H.263, H.264, WMV, DivX, XviD, Video Editor
Audio		Music Player with DNSe & SRS WOW Sound Effect Find Music, 3.5 Ear Jack, FM Radio/Recording MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, AMR, MIDI, SP-MIDI, i-melody, WAV, MMF, XMF, OMA DRM v2.1, WMDRM, DivX VOD
Value Added Features		In-house developed Dolfin Browser, WAP 2.0, One finger Zoom Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, Share Pix & Mobile Widget, A-GPS, On Board Navigation(3D Map), TouchWiz 2.0, Motion UI, Media Gate 3D, Multi-tasking Manager
Connectivity		Bluetooth® v2.1, microUSB (USB v2.0 Hi-Speed), Wi-Fi
Memory		2GB/8GB, External MicroSD slot (Up to 16GB)
Battery		1,100 mAh - Talk time : 2G/492 minutes, 3G/300 minutes - Standby : 2G/422 hours, 3G/406 hours
Size		108.8 x 53.5 x 11.9 mm

Background Information
SAMSUNG JET: ‘SMARTER THAN A SMARTPHONE’
Samsung Mobile is proud to launch the Samsung Jet - a high end innovation to mark a new chapter in full touch phones. Packed with features, Samsung Jet delivers the very best in power, speed and brilliance, all housed in a sleek and stylish design, to produce a unique touch experience.
Smart features with user-friendly interface
Samsung Jet’s innovative smartphone-like features take the handset to the realms of being ‘smarter than a smartphone.’ Opening up a whole new world of web experience, its high performance Dolfin web browser has been developed in-house and allows easy, super fast surfing. Samsung Jet also supports the option of multi-window browsing to surf several web pages simultaneously - up to five pages at any one time. Also, it allows for multi-window web browsing and for book marking widget to save your favorite websites.
Samsung Jet features a bespoke multi-tasking manager, making it little bit easier. In addition, the multiple background download, multi-purpose address field and ad-blocker ensure users only need to focus on what they really want to. Samsung Jet is the first feature phone to adopt the Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync Email system, with a more convenient user interface as a result of more streamlined push-email for business users.
Breaking away from multi-touch zoom technology which requires the use of two fingers and two hands, Samsung Jet gives our consumers the ultimate in usability, portability and convenience through the brand-new concept -‘one finger zoom,’ which enables one hand operation to zoom in and out. One finger zoom can be used not only for the Internet browser, but also for Photo browser and file viewer to see TXT, PDF and PPT files in four times bigger size - all just with one finger tip while you’re on the move
An Ultra Brilliant Display with AMOLED
The Samsung Jet has a display which offers unrivalled quality and brilliance for its users. The 3.1” Samsung WVGA AMOLED display is four times sharper than a WQVGA screen. Samsung Jet’s screen provides stunning, super bright and vivid images in perfect natural colors, with the very best high resolution display for viewing multimedia on the go.
Samsung Jet’s ultra brilliant display has a 180° viewing angle, gives a super fast touch response and is also very efficient in its power consumption. Thanks to WVGA AMOLED technology, Samsung Jet consumes 40% less energy than a mobile phone equipped with TFT-LCD display.
The remarkable image quality transforms mobile content into amazing visuals. Thanks to the 480dpi brilliance in its WVGA AMOLED display, Samsung Jet provides a high quality multimedia experience, transforming mobile video into pure viewing pleasure.
Speedy Performance with an Accelerated Application Processor
Samsung Jet takes the meaning of performance in full touch mobile phones to another level with its revolutionary speed, which is all thanks to the 800MHz Accelerated Application Processor.
This sophisticated high performance processor is Jet’s secret to speed and versatility, integrating multiple applications into one marvelously seamless experience. Instant response from a 3D touch interface matches the speed of touch. The accelerated application processor can integrate various functions such as navigation and viewing, so users can access them all without usual lag time or blurred visuals that can disrupt the pleasure of the experience.
Intuitive Interaction with TouchWiz 2.0
To ensure the most hassle-free and pure experience for its user, Samsung Jet features TouchWiz 2.0 user interface (UI), an upgrade from previous TouchWiz user interfaces seen on the F480 (Tocco in UK) and other Samsung full touch mobiles. Building on the strong reputation of the interface of the F480, Samsung Jet houses an advanced TouchWiz 2.0, giving outstanding touch capability in online browsing and a powerful and responsive reaction.
Multiple applications run both seamlessly and simultaneously through the use of Jet’s powerful application processor, enabling users to dip in and out of the features as they wish. With its intuitive 3D media gate UI and motion-response UI, users can enjoy a dynamic, content-based experience.
The 3D media gate on Samsung Jet offers easy access to six key multimedia features, such as Photo album, Music player, Video player, FM Radio, Games and Internet, all simply accessed by rolling a six sided cube UI on the screen.
Samsung Jet features ‘motion gate,’ Samsung’s own motion recognition engine which brings you access to your multimedia favorites as well as speed dialing just by tapping, tilting or flipping the handset.
To enhance the usability in full touch screen, Samsung introduces ‘smart unlock,’ a feature which enables users to unlock the phone and execute the menu directly by drawing an alphabet letter on the screen. Users can set up the menu that they want to go to directly according to the alphabet letters from A to Z. The ‘smart unlock’ technology allows users to program their own, customized movements in order to operate the handset, bringing the ultimate in personalization.
Samsung Jet has an online widget function to access useful mobile applications and get live information such as weather, news and search engines by online widget downloading. There are more than 30 widgets already available on Samsung Jet and users can download more from the website. These include a personalization widget to adapt the screen layout and wallpaper.
A three-page main menu and three-page widget screen offer quick and easy application search and reuse.
Powerful, Fun and Easy to use Features
Samsung Jet also has an A-GPS application, to provide navigation services in life-like 3D, to convey real places, information and directions in real-time. This incorporates 3D Map Navigation, GPS on Google maps and location-Based Services. The GPS system features Geo-tagging, enabled through a Geomagnetic sensor to send location information and updates on traffic conditions by SMS, link location information to navigation, and a compass. Samsung Jet’s GPS application can run on ‘Drive to’ or ‘Walk to’ modes.
When it comes to music, Samsung Jet’s unique features give users the option to operate simultaneous playback audio and scroll through the phone’s music library with superb sound quality.
For video, the DVD-like video playback recording (with D1 Video Playback and D1 30fps Video Recording) enables seamless playback without residuals and the ability to instantly download and play DivX and Xvid formats without converting, resizing and lateration - all in HD-like quality on its brilliant AMOLED screen.

The DUO Turns your Laptop into a Tablet PC

The DUO is the perfect gadget for those who want a Tablet PC, but don’t really want to pay for it.

You can write or draw directly on the screen marking up documents or webpages on your desktop. Combining ultrasonic waves and infrared rays, the Duo instantly turns an ordinary laptop into a tablet.  It easily installs via USB and its included software will take your computer to new heights. You can draw shapes, and you can use the included pen to write on paper and have the image appear on the DUO’s NoteTaker Software.  Compatible with monitors, 17″ laptops, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 Tablet software. Lastly  it recognizes multiple languages.  The DUO retails for $119.95.

Nokia N900 Vs iPhone 3GS

Nokia has its latest smartphone experiment out in the form of the Maemo powered N900. We call it an experiment as Nokia is still promoting N97 over this wonderful gadget. Yes I certainly believe that the N900 is the best smartphone that Nokia has produced till date and no matter what comparisions say, the N900 comes real close to beating the iPhone 3GS, in some ways it does. The same old issue with the Nokia is the weight and the usability. iPhone scores there.

N900 weighs 181gms and has a large thick structure, which isn’t the best for mobility. The good with the N900 is the strong OS + openness that the iPhone lacks, good browser and the physical qwerty (though Nokia screws up the spacebar again). One impressive thing the N900 has is the 600MHz processor and 256MB ram. This is one area where Nokia has been a miser since ages, however they give good backing to N900 which runs a desktop grade OS. Is this enough? Will the 768MB virtual memory help? Not sure, but the videos we saw looked impressive.

The camera and video recording specs of the N900 might be better but the iPhone scores with better usability and web integration. However a 32GB smartphone with a strong OS for $650 is certainly good. The N900 is IMO the best from Nokia yet, but only time will tell how well it does against the iPhone 3GS. The App Store and slick UI of the iPhone is hard to beat. But Nokia vs iPhone doesn’t end here…

Maemo powered N900 from Nokia

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The Nokia 888 Can Change Shapes On The Fly

Nokia is planning to change the way we think of mobile phones. Their new phone will come in the form of a device that will roll up and mimic a bracelet, bend over and clip to your pocket, wake you up in the morning, form to fit your face when you use it as a phone and more. So far Nokia’s calling this cell phone a personal mobile communication device. To me it looks like a revolution in the way you look at a gadget.

It uses a liquid battery, speech recognition, and a flexible touch screen. The touch sensitive body cover lets it understand and adjust to the actions you take. Sometimes the sensitivity is positively eerie! When the phone rings, the Nokia 888 forms itself into the shape of a phone. You can personalize these forms and record them. So it fits you the best and makes your brother crazy. It’s like the feeling of having an electronic pet, or maybe a butler. As it senses your moves, it understands what you want, and responds to you in the way you love. It learns you, and learns to fit you better.

Also e-motions lets you send forms to the other Nokia 888 users and it. It could be the shape of a heart or a small dance. This way he can tell you he loves you without words.

By the way, e-motions stands for electronic motions. It works just like a program, where you can create forms to send to your Nokia 888 friends. You can send a heart shape to your girlfriend and her 888 will turn into the shape of a heart. That flexibility can get you thinking of all sorts of great things to do. Make a call to your boyfriend, and wrap him around your wrist; give it a date to remember and it can start flopping around. There are hundreds of ways to give the 888 a chance to surprise you. Form follows function and Nokia now lets form follow you.

“Google GO”

This good looking device comes to us from designer Tryi Yeh powered by Android known as the “Google GO”.

The Google GO isn’t a real Android phone. It is a concept from designer Tryi Yeh. Is not coming out soon and will probably never be built, but I am sure you would agree it has a beautiful design. The GO has touchscreen and slider functions.

The speakers and mike are positioned on the back which slides to reveal a camera and four customizable smartkeys for quick access to the mail, browsing and more. The buttons change depending on what you are currently doing. The GO comes with what seems an inductive charger, media hookup that uses Windows media centre like interface allowing you to watch TV on your phone or use your GO as a remote. Very likable and very realistic.

Source - Intomobile

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Nikon D300s

The world's best semi-pro digital SLR just got better. The Nikon D300s ($1,800; late August 2009) takes Nikon's two-year old D300 and gives it a modest upgrade, adding features like the improved 12.3-megapixel sensor from the D90, automatic Active D-Lighting, one-touch Live View, 24fps, 720p D-Movie recording with Autofocus, 7 fps shooting (8 with battery grip), and a stereo microphone input, while retaining the rock-solid build, spectacular 51-point AF sensor, and 3-inch, 920,000 dot LCD from the original.

More Apple Tablet PC Rumors

According to recent rumors, the long-awaited Apple Tablet will be released in time for the holiday season this year and it will be subsidized by Verizon.



I’m hesitant to post rumors, especially rumors regarding Apple, and even more so regarding the Tablet, but I have heard from other reliable sources that Apple has been talking to Verizon. While they speculated that this could have been about the iPhone moving carriers, when you take this into account, the Tablet seems far more likely.

If the Tablet were subsidized, one big concern, price, would surely all but disappear. Apple continually claims that they can’t (or won’t) make a low-end netbook citing that they want to make the best, not the most. This could allow them to make the best, but at a much more affordable price point.

But as always this is still a rumor, yet their annual September event is fast approaching, so take it with a grain of salt.

ASUS F50GX F50GX-6X059E Notebook Intel Pentium T3400 with Vista Business

Stylish, contemporary and versatile. The F50GX is designed to be the definitive notebook for the family. Powered by an Intel® Core™2 processor providing users with everyday computing efficiency the F50GX is the perfect addition to any household.

ASUS F50GX F50GX-6X059E Notebook Features:

Microsoft Windows Vista Business
Intel Pentium Dual Core T3400 2.2GHz Processor
NVIDIA MCP79MX Chipset
NVIDIA® GeForce® 9400M G Graphics
2GB DDR2 800MHz Memory
320GB 5400rpm Hard Drive
DVD Supermulti Drive
16.1" WXGA Colourshine (1366x768) HDMI
1.3 Mega Pixel Camera
Bluetooth
Battery Life: Upto 2.0hrs
Weight: from 2.85kg

Should You Get the New iPhone 3GS?

The whole Internet, it seems, is currently fawning over the new iPhone 3GS. That's partially because the device seems to be a worthy upgrade to the iPhone 3G. (We're not sure we'd call it a successor, since it will be sold alongside the existing handset; it's more like choosing between the basic MacBook and the souped-up MacBook Pro.) We also lay responsibility for the hype, though, on the shoulders of one of our pet peeves -- the media's love affair with Apple.

At least one Web site refuses to swallow the story whole, though. The popular tech blog TechCrunch's M.G. Siegler recently wrote an opinion piece arguing that the iPhone 3GS might not be the best bet. But then again, he lays that blame squarely at the feet of AT&T, only backing up our argument that the media may love Apple a bit too much to give a fair assessment.


It's hard to argue with his logic, though. As Siegler points out, AT&T will not be subsidizing the price of the upgrade for existing iPhone 3G customers (as it did for the upgrade from the first-generation iPhone to the iPhone 3G). When the iPhone 3G launched, AT&T offered it for a single price, $199, to new subscribers and existing iPhone customers alike, regardless of whether or not their contracts were up for renewal. Not so with the iPhone 3G. If you jumped on the iPhone 3G last year, you'll have to either wait another year to get the discount, or pay face value for the 3GS ($399 for the 16-gigabyte version, or $499 for the 32-gigabyte). Of course, if you're new to the iPhone or AT&T, or if you bought the original iPhone back in 2007 and your contract is up for renewal, then you can get the new iPhone 3GS for the nice price of $199.

Even worse, AT&T has yet to lock up exclusivity of the Apple handset. Currently, the contract between the two companies is set to expire in 2010, though AT&T is trying to extend that through 2011. If it fails to do so, you can expect the iPhone to find its way onto other carriers pretty quickly. This means that Verizon fans just might want to wait a year before they sign up for a 2-year contract with AT&T just to get an iPhone (we're not promising anything, though).

Given these stumbling blocks, what's the point of upgrading to or buying the new iPhone 3GS? We've come up with a few pros and cons.

Why you should upgrade: The primary reason you might want to get the new iPhone 3GS is because it's the fastest iPhone so far. The current iPhone is sleek and fancy, but certainly not a speed demon. Many purely 2-D games stutter and freeze, and even basic tasks, such as opening a text message, can sometimes take up to 30 seconds. The iPhone 3GS packs a significantly faster processor, more RAM, and a new 3-D graphics processor capable of handling much more complex imagery (in other words, games will more realistic and run more smoothly). Game developers are loving this new processor, and you'll likely see a number of games hit the App Store that require the 3GS and won't run on older iPhones at all.

Then there are the other perks that come with the upgrade, like the upgraded camera with auto-white-balance, auto-focus, and video capabilities. Naturally, it won't replace your point-and-shoot, but it should finally bring the iPhone up to speed with most other feature phones. And don't forget the digital compass, which may not sound like a major feature, but will make finding your way using the included Google Maps app much easier.


Why you shouldn't upgrade: Besides the pricing issues described above, the iPhone 3GS isn't such a big leap forward in technology that current 3G owners will be driven to assaulting those eligible for the upgrade. The move to 7.2 Mbps HSDPA (double the download speed of the current iPhone 3G) is only useful in areas where AT&T will actually upgrade its network (no specific areas or time frame have been announced), and if you can keep a 3G signal for longer than two minutes. AT&T's service is almost universally panned, and is notoriously spotty in many major metropolitan areas.We can tell you that coverage in New York City (where the Switched offices are located) is infuriatingly inconsistent and often slow.

Also, if you already on an iPhone, then many of the benefits of the iPhone 3.0 software update -- cut-and-pasting ability, MMS, a landscape keyboard for all apps, and turn-by-turn directions using the GPS -- will come to you in the way of an automatic software download and installation.

Bottom line: For users of the first gen iPhone -- or some other aging handset, like (gasp) the RAZR -- the iPhone 3GS might be a worthwhile upgrade. Ditto those who don't own iPhones at all, as $199 is a competitive price for a pretty advanced smartphone, and it's simply the best for watching video and listening to music on the go (especially if you already use iTunes). Make sure to check with other AT&T customers in your area to find out about 3G coverage if you're planning on doing a lot of Web surfing or like to use apps that need a Web connection, though. Another option, if you're a first-gen iPhone owner, is an upgrade to the standard iPhone 3G, which AT&T will be selling for $99 with a two-year contract. The 3G is still a capable handset, and more advanced than most other phones at that price point, which often lack touch screens, and can't match the iPhone's Web browser or catalog of applications. We expect Google, BlackBerry, Palm, and Microsoft to slip into panic mode any day now.

Our advice if you're a current iPhone 3G customer? Wait. The smart phone market is changing so quickly you may regret dropping $399 on phone just because you're impatient. Besides, you have another year left on your contract to see where the burgeoning smartphone market is going. . Android, Google's fledgling smart phone OS, is just starting to come into its own, Palm is experiencing a resurgence, Windows Mobile will be getting a major update in the next year, and BlackBerry is not resting on its laurels either.

In other words we're just now entering the golden age of affordable and advanced smartphones, iPhone 3G owners, so sit back, check out the new releases, save your money, and revisit this decision again in a year.

HTC Hero

We're going to need some real time with the device to make a final opinion, but we're cautiously optimistic that HTC has a winner with its new Hero. Here's what we've got from our first looks at the phone in London and NY:

* The beveled edges along the back makes the handset sit comfortably in the hand, and while the teflon coat doesn't necessarily feel revolutionary, it's going to make a world of difference after a couple of months riding in our grubby pockets. It's certainly solid, but much more so than other "brick" phones.
* The Sense UI (or as HTC terms it, "user experience") riding a capacitive touchscreen offers a people-centric approach to managing your information that is absolutely dreamy at first blush -- though it shares a lot of TouchFLO heritage. In fact, HTC promises to have a very similar Sense-branded experience for Windows Mobile.
* The on-screen keyboard also seems quite useable with a nice simulated haptic forced-feedback bounce when you strike each key in either landscape or portrait mode (which can naturally be deactivated). HTC has built its own touch keyboard from the ground up, and in our brief couple of tests we'd say it's probably the best touchscreen typing experience we've ever felt. It never lags behind, and has great colorful visual cues for its auto-corrected words -- green means it's suggesting a correctly spelled word, red means we've gone off the beaten path, and the T9-style multiple suggestions are heavenly.
* This intuitive one-hander isn't shy with the specs either as we've already seen in the official press release. Our only concern is possible sluggishness from the Qualcomm processor that cause the graphic transitions to stutter a bit and results in screen rotations that feel dangerously uncomfortable.
* We were told that the device we saw was running pre-production firmware so there's still time to tweak -- though not much with a July European launch.
* The Hero is not a "Google Experience" device. As such, you won't find the Google logo anywhere (no big deal) but you also won't be downloading any firmware updates over the air -- sideloading only kids. Not a deal breaker but an annoying and seemingly arbitrary limitation nonetheless. There's still a small lack of clarity of how updates will work with HTC's "mods" living on top of basic Android -- even if they're able to port in new Android versions seamlessly, we imagine there will be some breakage.
* For a device without a physical keyboard, the Hero seems a little thick up against its HTC Magic, Nokia N97, and iPhone 3G counterparts, but not overly so.
* HTC has confirmed that whichever (unspecified) carrier gets the phone in the US will have a modified version, both in software (carrier-specific services) and in hardware chassis tweaks. Just don't take our teflon away, ok HTC?
* Battery is the same larger slab that's in the myTouch, and HTC also claims to have done some vague, unspecified things OS-side to improve battery life as well. "Heavy users will be able to get through a day."
* The camera is responsive and seems to do a fine job at autofocus, but wasn't astonishingly great at first glance.
* The phone will be available for free on T-Mobile UK -- if only we could be so subsidy lucky in the US.

There are four videos for you after the break. The first shows Flash running at full screen on the HTC Hero courtesy of YouTube. The second, however, shows it failing when running a trailer from Yahoo Movies, just like Adobe did -- in fact, it crashed all four times that we tried it on what we were told was a Hero running the final build of the OS. Third one is a quickie showing the on-screen keyboard rotating from portrait to landscape and back. Lastly, we demonstrate the hardware a little bit and show off our lightning speed at typing. For the real completists, there's also a new gallery of hands-on shots from the NY launch event right below.

HTC Snap

Style & Handling Summary

The HTC Snap is reminiscent of the BlackBerry Bold, with a spacious QWERTY keyboard that has a rather fetching bronze tint.


User Friendliness Summary

The relatively small 2.4-inch screen hinders the internet experience, but navigating with the track ball posed few problems. Syncing with email accounts such as Outlook and Hotmail was also simple to do.


Feature Set Summary

Camera:2Megapixel.

If you’re not a fan of touch-screens then the QWERTY keypad will appeal, but the main attraction of the Snap is the ‘Inner Circle’ feature. Select your most important contacts and one press of the green button will bring up all their emails. Genius.


Performance Summary

HSDPA and Wi-Fi ensure speedy internet browsing but the camera performed poorly, with just two megapixels and no flash – this was always going to be the case.


Battery Power Summary

Battery life is good.


The Verdict

The Inner Circle feature is genuinely helpful, but as smartphones go, there are better-equipped models on the market..


HTC has been so caught up with the Google Android/touch-screen whirlwind that we’d almost forgotten about its longstanding relationship with Windows Mobile. The HTC Snap, which offers both the aforementioned operating system and a full QWERTY keyboard, doesn’t even look like an HTC device. In fact, it resembles something more akin to the BlackBerry Curve range, albeit slightly longer and thinner.


Look and feel



The HTC Snap’s slim appearance helps keeps its weight down to an impressive 120g, and we actually found the bronze tinted keypad rather endearing. The QWERTY keypad consists of four rows, with the letters on the left of the pad doubling up as numeric keys. Above the keypad is a trackball that is surrounded by the call and call end keys, two hard keys and the home and back buttons. The keys are in close proximity to each other, though there is enough to distinguish between them all.

The trackball is certainly a welcome addition, but we found it a little loose and the overall result wasn’t as fluid as the BlackBerry experience. This is a shame as, due to the lack of a touch-screen, it’s the main means of navigating around the phone.

Operating on Windows Mobile 6.1, the Snap is compatible with Outlook and can even be synced with other email accounts such as Hotmail. Outlook is the only account that has push-email though.


Inner circle



The Snap’s unique selling point is its ‘Inner Circle’, which aims to prioritise emails from your most important or frequent contacts. Pressing the green inner circle key on the bottom right of the keypad will pull up any emails from your chosen contacts. It’s a great touch from HTC, and a genuine time saver.

With on-board HSDPA and Wi-Fi, all your connectivity needs are catered for and the experience was a real breeze. However, we did find the screen a tad on the small side, as excessive scrolling through webpages is necessary.


On-board GPS



The size of the screen also demeans the navigational experience as once again you’ll be using the trackball to scroll around Google Maps. Sadly, it also took us an age to get a GPS satellite fix, though this did improve when we switched on the QuickGPS feature in the accessories menu. Google Maps does include a useful search facility however, that enables you to find the nearest coffee shop to your current location for example, simply by typing in the word ‘coffee’. You can then call that venue directly, which is useful if you want to book a table.

HTC has included a two-megapixel camera that lacks features, in what appears to be nothing more than a token gesture. There’s no flash for one thing, and though you can select from a variety of white balance modes, our photos always appeared far darker than the conditions in which we were taking them. There is a video recording functionality, though the same issues occur.


The verdict



The HTC Snap is a very competent smartphone with some innovative features, most notably the ‘Inner Circle’. However, the majority of today’s flagship handsets are affectively smartphones, even if they don’t market themselves as such, and these outgun the likes of the Snap. A noble effort by HTC, but we just wonder if phones of this ilk have seen their day.

Toshiba TG01

Style & Handling Summary

A good looking device with a minimalist design and an attractive WVGA touch-screen that dominates the front of the handset.


User Friendliness Summary

The TG01 is seriously lacking in terms of usability, with a clunky user interface, an unresponsive touch-screen and oversights in hardware finish.


Feature Set Summary

Toshiba’s device is lacking any kind of standout feature and setting up new applications is a long-winded process. It fails to compete with other hero handsets, most of which are far superior in terms of features.


Performance Summary

The TG01 is able to find and connect to Wi-Fi hotspots quickly, but the overall internet experience was glitch-ridden and the touch-screen’s lack of responsiveness was incredibly frustrating.


Battery Power Summary

On the plus side, battery life was above average.


The Verdict

A highly disappointing release from Toshiba, especially considering the hype surrounding its launch. It might look nice, but there’s not much else on offer.

Panasonic announces LUMIX DMC-FP8 digital camera

Panasonic continues with its barrage of digital camera releases by unveiling the latest model in its new FP-Series, where the LUMIX FP-8 aims to achieve a careful balance between design and function. With that in mind, you can be sure that you won’t be shortchanged should you decide to bring this puppy home as a present to yourself or a loved one, as you can now capture your favorite memories in full 12.1-megapixels glory, thanks to its high-quality 28mm wide-angle, 4.6x Leica DC lens with folding optics, all stashed away within a futuristic-looking stylish body.

Apart from the relatively unique design, the FP8 will also boast advanced functions such as high-speed Auto Focus (AF) and Panasonic’s Intelligent Auto (iA) suite of technologies. The fast AF, when coupled with a high-speed start-up of only 0.95 seconds, will enable anyone to capture even the most fleeting of shots courtesy of the FP8’s fast response time. In addition, Panasonic’s iA, a popular feature on LUMIX cameras, will now include POWER Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S.) that boasts double the repression power compared to the previous image stabilization system, MEGA O.I.S. You also need not worry about blurry images due to hand-shake generated during the pressing of the shutter button, or when capturing images under low light conditions using a slow shutter speed thanks to the improved POWER O.I.S.

Some of the features of the DMC-FP8 include :-

* HD Movies with VIERA Link Networking - Records dynamic HD motion pictures in 1280 x 720p at a smooth 30 fps, in addition to WVGA (848 x 480) and normal VGA (640 x 480). With HD component output capability, the user can enjoy watching photos and video in stunning HD quality by simply connecting the camera to a television via an optional component cable (DMW-HDC2)
* Scene Modes - Twenty-seven scene modes are available with the FP8, including the High Dynamic mode which helps to capture a scene with moderate exposure, even though the scene may contain both bright and dark areas together
* PHOTOfunSTUDIO 4.0 - Included with the FP8, this software allows users to view, edit and archive captured photos and videos with greater ease. The new PHOTOfunSTUDIO 4.0 features dramatic speed-up of operation and also allows users to store and sort for photos by a specific, recognized face in the image

You will be able to pick up the LUMIX DMC-FP8 this September for $299.95, where color choices are limited to black, red and silver.

Sony DSLR-A900, world’s highest megapixel camera

Sony has announced a new SLR addition to its digital camera lineup, the DSLR-A900. The high-end camera takes photographs at a 24.6-megapixel resolution, and is a full-frame camera meaning its sensor is the same size as a 35mm film frame.

Phil Lubell, director of digital camera marketing at Sony Electronics said “The α (alpha) DSLR-A900 introduction solidifies Sony’s position as a leading camera manufacturer that can meet the demands of serious enthusiasts…It represents the best in sensor and image processing technologies and offers enhanced functions, performance and reliability so photographers can push their creativity to the limit.”

The A900 can accept both Sony’s proprietary Memory Stick as well as the more common Compact Flash cards, which gives you a little flexibility when it comes to saving your pictures. The camera can hold both cards simultaneously, which can give you a little additional space to save your pictures as well without having to switch out memory cards.

The A900 has a 3-inch LCD, can shot photographs continuously at a rate of one photo per every 5 seconds, and has an HDMI output to high-definition televisions. The DSLR-A900 is expected to sell for around $3000 for the body alone, and is compatible with Minolta, Sony, and Konica-Minolta lenses.

The camera is the first to use Sony’s new “Intelligent Preview” function. The function allows users to press a preview button, and then adjust things like white balance and exposure compensation before actually “taking” the picture. The changes you make to the photograph show up on the screen, which makes it easier to make minor tweaks.

I’m personally pretty excited about the preview function. I often find myself at shoots where I’m adjusting a lot of settings. With my current camera I have to take the picture, look at it, adjust, then take another picture, look at it, adjust….it gets tiresome for both me and the subject being photographed. I love the idea of being able to adjust things like my exposure on the camera while I’m looking at the picture, and being able to see in real time how the changes I’m making are affecting my image.

So, for three grand would you buy one of these?

12 Megapixel Camera Phone, the latest release from Samsung

Samsung was the first to release the 8 Megapixel camera phone. Continuing the trend, Samsung is again the first to announce and launch its 12 Megapixel handset at Mobile World Congress 2009. Samsung is planning for the mass production of this latest 12 Megapixel handset before the end of February with its release in Europe first.

The Samsung’s 12 Megapixel camera phone, dubbed as the Pixon 12 (M8910) is featured with an AMOLED touchscreen display of 3.1 inches and a resolution of 720 x 480. Other specifications being its internal memory of 150MB, a microSD slot, FM radio with RDS, GSM / GPRS / EDGE, HSPA and GPS. As the reviews, the most attractive art of the phone is its integrated 12 Megapixel camera with 4000 x 3000 pixels, 28mm wide lens, xenon flash, Power LED flash and autofocus technology.

You can easily capture, browse and share your images on the brilliantly featured full-touch screen display. The Samsung Pixon 12 has an integrated and dedicated Camera Power Key, which offers you with one-touch feature for faster accessing of the camera. Just like any other advance digital camera of today, the Samsung Pixon 12 helps in aiming, snapping and capturing of images equally faster. It also offers fast saving of the image so that you can move on to the next shot within 2 seconds. The phone is also equipped with an internal memory of 150MB along with microSD card slot.

Measuring 108 x 53 x 13.8 mm in dimension, the new Samsung Pixon M8910 weighs approximately 120 grams. The phone supports video formats such as DivX, XviD, H.263, H.264, WMV and MP4. The supported audio formats are MP3, eAAC+, WMA and AMR. Although the phone has been set for its launch in Europe in June and other parts of the world by August. However, there’s still no news of the pricing yet.

Creative Zen x-fi

Zen_xfi_review:::

Creative's newest flagship product is the Zen X-Fi, a high-capacity flash-based digital media player that adds Xtreme Fidelity (X-Fi) sound technology, a built-in speaker, a few wireless functions, and a whole lot of extra buttons to the company's original ZEN device.

Do these new features take what was already a solid device to new heights of excellence? Read my full review to find out.

























This review is based on the Creative Zen X-Fi running firmware version 1.02.01.
System Specifications


Capacities:
8GB, 16GB, 32GB
Expansion:
SD card slot
Supported audio:::
MP3, WMA, AAC4, WAV (ADPCM), Audible
Supported video:
MPEG-4, WMV, DivX, XviD, MJPEG
Extras:::
Wi-Fi (16GB/32GB only), photo viewer,
FM radio, organizer, voice recorder
Display:
2.5” TFT (320 x 240, 16.7M colors)
Dimensions:::

3.3” x 2.2” x 0.5”
Weight::: 2.4 ounces
Colors:::
Black

Price:::
The Creative Zen X-Fi is available now in 8GB (no WLAN), 16GB, and 32GB capacities and carry respective MSRPs of $149.99, $199.99, and $279.99.