Rabu, 28 Juli 2010

Samsung Galaxy S : iPhone killer or iPhone wannabe?


The Android smartphone segment keeps getting stronger, and the Samsung Galaxy S looks set to be a key player in 2010. Not only does it get the company’s coveted Super AMOLED display, but a 1GHz processor, 720p HD video recording and plenty of wireless connectivity. Now freshly announced as incoming to Verizon as the Fascinate, T-Mobile USA as the Vibrant and of course AT&T as the Captivate, the Galaxy S is certainly spreading itself around. Is this Android’s answer to the iPhone 4?

In the time we’ve been carrying the Galaxy S, more than a few people – geeks included – have mistaken it for an iPhone 3GS. The glossy black plastic and metal-effect bezel both echo Apple’s second/third-gen smartphone; the irony, of course, is that the Cupertino company has now moved on with the almost retro lines of the iPhone 4, and the Galaxy S feels a little indistinct in comparison. It’s certainly a lightweight and slim handset, at 122.4 x 64.2 x 9.9mm and 119g, though it’s undoubtedly plasticky in its hand-feel. Still, there’s little creaking or flexing, and build quality feels decent.

Hardware controls are minimal, consisting of a volume rocker on the left hand side, the power/standby key on the right, and a home button under the screen that’s flanked by touch-sensitive menu and back buttons. Long-holding the menu key calls up search. The power button feels poorly placed, and we’d rather it were on the top edge of the Galaxy S; it’s also a little vague in its physical feel, and more than a few times we’ve accidentally hit it twice or held it too long and had to dismiss the power-off menu. The absence of a D-pad or optical joystick is generally not a problem; we only missed it when trying to precisely navigate within text to make spelling or URL corrections.

As for the rest of the hardware, keeping the whole thing moving is Samsung’s own 1GHz Hummingbird processor, paired with 8GB (or 16GB, depending on version) of internal storage. In our 8GB review unit that’s partitioned into approximately 2GB for apps and 6GB for media; there’s also a microSD slot (for up to 32GB cards). Connectivity includes triband 900/1900/2100 HSDPA/HSUPA along with WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 and a microUSB 2.0 port; there’s also GPS, an accelerometer, digital compass, and both proximity and light sensors. Like the iPhone 4, the Galaxy S has two cameras: one, a 5-megapixel autofocus unit on the back, and a VGA-quality front facing camera for video calls. No flash – LED or otherwise – however, though you can record 720p HD video at 30fps.

It’s probably the display that is the Galaxy S’ crowning glory, with Samsung’s own Super AMOLED technology making a reappearance after its decent showing on the bada-powered Wave. Here, though, it’s grown to 4-inches (800 x 480 resolution) and it’s quite the eye-catcher. Colors are vivid and beautifully saturated, while the brightness is easily strong enough on the medium setting. That adds up to reasonable outdoor performance, too; unlike the Nexus One, the AMOLED display of which requires more than a cupped hand in order to make it out, the Galaxy S is visible – though not ideal, we have to say – in normal daylight conditions.

The obvious comparison is against Apple’s new Retina Display technology, and of course the Galaxy S’ resolution can’t compete with the 326dpi of the iPhone 4′s outstanding screen. Nonetheless, it’s one of the best panels we’ve seen on a mobile device of late, and certainly better than most AMOLED and LCD displays. Here, Samsung have paired it with a decent, responsive capacitive touchscreen that requires only a relatively light touch.

Software wise, the Galaxy S runs Android 2.1 partially disguised by the company’s own TouchWiz 3.0 UI. The main improvement is in the notification bar, which now gets persistent shortcuts for toggling WiFi, Bluetooth, silent and vibration modes, together with media playback controls when the MP3 app is running. Four fixed icons – Phone, Contacts, Messaging and Applications – run along the bottom of the screen and can’t be moved or replaced. [Update: only Applications is permanent; the others can be swapped out by going into the app menu and choosing Edit from the menu - thanks tnt!] Still, we’ve made our feelings clear about TouchWiz (in its various incarnations) in previous reviews; suffice to say, it lacks the appeal of HTC Sense, and most of the time we’d have preferred the basic Android 2.1 interface. More worryingly, whatever Samsung has done to the ROM has introduced numerous points of lag and even freezing.

Try to open your email inbox, or view a specific message, and the Galaxy S sometimes seizes up for a few seconds before the content is shown. There are similar pauses when deleting items or marking messages unread, with pop-up contextual menus hanging around on-screen for seconds longer than they should. Meanwhile the back control can be reluctant in its action, before suddenly catching up and slinging you to the homescreen. We’ve got two Galaxy S handsets on hand from different sources and both show the same sort of issues (more noticeable when you’ve loaded your email inbox and contacts). It’s frustrating, especially given that the 1GHz chip can otherwise feel faster than smartphones running Qualcomm’s rival 1GHz Snapdragon CPU.

Lag isn’t the only problem we’ve had, either. The Galaxy S has randomly lost our email inbox in the time we’ve been using it – requiring inputing all our Exchange settings again, and performing a full sync – and the camera app has crashed a couple of times, refusing to load until we power-cycled the phone. Elsewhere, the UI is simply frustrating. New SMS alerts, for instance, aren’t removed from the Android notification bar until you not only view the message in the bubble conversation view, but actually tap the new bubble itself and “open” it on a separate page. No new information, but an extra step all the same. We prefer the regular Android icons to those in TouchWiz, though admittedly that’s a matter of taste, but the way Samsung has managed the desktop is slightly at odds with Google’s own approach with Android. The Galaxy S has seven homescreen panes with the default “home” pane on the far left; the Android OS is more used to the “home” pane being central, and so if you choose Google Maps as your Live Wallpaper – which normally uses GPS to center the map on your current location – the maps are offset since the center point is on homescreen four. Nit-picking, yes, but it’s the sort of poor polish that undermine a successful UI.

Sadly there’s no way to easily turn off TouchWiz and return to the native Android UI, so owners unwilling to experiment with unofficial ROMs will be stuck with Samsung’s interface. Some of the company’s preloaded tools aren’t bad, however; there’s a full copy of Swype, the gesture-based keyboard (though it isn’t enabled by default) and Samsung’s multimedia player is far better than the standard Google offering. It supports MPEG4, H.264, H.263, DivX, Xvid, WMV, AVI, MKV and FLV video, among others, together with a healthy clutch of audio formats including OFF and FLAC. Paired with the 3.5mm headphones jack and onboard storage you’ve got an Android phone that could certainly give an iPod touch a run for its money.

Social networking tools are fashionable, and Samsung’s approach is a little similar to HTC’s. The Galaxy S has Samsung’s Social Hub, a combined stream of Facebook, MySpace and Twitter messages – complete with a desktop widget and the ability to send out an update to one or all services simultaneously – but there’s also a “Mini Diary” app that allows you to easily create journal entries complete with photos, stored weather information, text notes and more. Unfortunately, once created they’re basically stuck on the phone; there’s no way to remotely sync them or upload them automatically to a blog somewhere.

More useful is Samsung AllShare, which takes DLNA media sharing and puts a cellphone-friendly face on it. AllShare allows you to stream multimedia from the Galaxy S to a WiFi-connected player – whether a standalone audio system, network-connected HDTV or a computer – or vice-versa, or even to act as a remote control for your media server, selecting files to play remotely. Video, audio and images can all be streamed, and the Galaxy S simply showed up as a media source in compatible apps.
As for playback on the Galaxy S itself, understandably it’s video that shines best thanks to the Super AMOLED display. We had no problems getting various DivX and Xvid files to play, with 720p HD video looking great. Interestingly, there’s a TV Out option in the settings pages, though no sign of an adapter in the box to actually hook up a bigger screen. Audio, meanwhile, is reasonably loud and clear via the Galaxy S’ own speaker, but Samsung’s bundled earbuds are actually surprisingly good and, while still not outperforming a reasonable aftermarket set, do at least avoid the noise leakage and underwhelming bass of Apple’s standard set. There’s also an FM radio, complete with auto-scan and user presets, though it relies on the headphone wire to act as antenna.

Samsung has something of a reputation for decent cellphone cameras, and the Galaxy S generally doesn’t disappoint. At 5-megapixels with autofocus, the only thing missing from the spec sheet is a flash of some sort. What you do get are various photography modes, including blink, face and smile detection, panorama and high-speed shooting, together with a decent amount of control over manual settings. There are also multiple effects, such as vintage and cartoon, and a high-visibility mode which boosts the UI so that it’s easier to see while outdoors. The end result are bright, clear and well balanced shots, with decent colors and – as long as you don’t use the digital zoom – little noise or pixellation. Without a flash you’re obviously limited in your low-light use, with focus being a particular trouble, though we might argue that LED flash units are generally underwhelming anyway. There are samples in the gallery below, unedited aside from being resized by 50-percent.

Video, meanwhile, can be recording in one of five resolutions from 320 x 240 to 1280 x 720, with or without audio and with manual control over exposure, contrast, saturation and sharpness. However there’s no focus control. Interestingly, during recording you can choose to either pause or stop; pausing allows you to chain several segments into the same clip. A size counter shows how big the file is getting while you can also use the 4x digital zoom (which is jerky moving between levels, rather than a smooth optical zoom). Files are recorded in MPEG-4 in a 3GP container and at around 11.6Mbps, along with mono audio from the Galaxy S’ single microphone.

We weren’t disappointed on playback, either. Audio, obviously, isn’t as precise as with a stereo microphone, but video was smooth, jerk-free and on a par with a point-and-shoot camcorder such as from Flip. Fast pans showed no blurring or jerking, and despite the absence of a manual macro mode during video recording close-up text was legible. It’s disappointing Samsung don’t include either an HDMI port or a suitable adapter cable for easily playing back content on a larger display, though of course if your TV is compatible you can use AllShare.

To get to grips with what the Galaxy S’ Hummingbird CPU could really deliver, we turned to Android benchmarking tool Quadrant. This measures processor, memory, I/O and 2D/3D graphics and combines them into a single numerical score. The Galaxy S (running Android 2.1) came in at 874, while a Google Nexus One (running Android 2.2 FRF50) scored 1,390. That’s a considerable difference, but a lot could be down to the OS rather than the hardware; according to Quadrant’s figures, the Galaxy S scored approximately 50-percent more than a Nexus One running Android 2.1, suggesting that should the Samsung handset get a Froyo update then it might pull ahead of the Google-branded phone.

Updates, though, are a sore issue among Samsung owners right now. The company recently pushed out Android 1.6 to its Behold II handset – launched in November 2009 with 1.5 – but also confirmed that the smartphone wouldn’t see any further upgrades to 2.x or beyond. Opinion understandably differs: some say the Behold II simply isn’t powerful enough to handle the Live Wallpapers and other system-intensive features of newer versions of Android, while others reckon Samsung are merely looking to forget the older phone and instead push on with their newer devices.

Meanwhile, Samsung has apparently confirmed that the Galaxy S should get an Android 2.2 Froyo update later in 2010, but the exact timescale for that still isn’t definitive. As we’ve seen with other Android devices that use custom UIs, manufacturers generally struggle to adapt to newer OS versions and that delays their release. Our advice is always to pick a phone which does what you want it to do today, rather than what it might do months down the line, but we’d also add that handsets with the basic Android build rather than a manufacturer-tweaked one should inevitably be your choice if speedy upgrades are your top priority.

We can’t fault the Galaxy S on phone performance. Voice calls are clear and loud, and the speakerphone is suitably booming. Unfortunately apps aren’t quite set up to take advantage of the front-facing VGA camera yet; Qik’s video call app only works on the EVO 4G right now, while Fring are still working on an update that can use the Galaxy S’ front camera rather than the back one. Battery life, meanwhile, proved more impressive than expected. With push email turned on and regular use, we got through two days from the Galaxy S’ 1,500mAh battery, surprising indeed for a modern touchscreen smartphone.

So what about the iPhone 4? There are certainly similarities: the processors (which despite the differing names were both developed by Samsung and Apple-acquired Intrinsity) each run at 1GHz, the camera resolution is the same, both are slim and relatively lightweight. However the two platforms – iOS4 and Android – differ significantly in their approach to users, developers and openness. Apple’s by now legendary approvals process for the App Store means that only those titles that suit the company’s intent for the iPhone will get through; on the other hand, users have greater confidence that the software they download is unlikely to negatively affect their handset.

Meanwhile the Android Market does without the strict gatekeepers, meaning the breadth of apps is greater though the risk of downloading something half-baked or even malware-infected is also higher. There’s growing choice, and the Android OS as a whole is far more flexible in terms of developer tinkering. In its more recent versions it’s relatively user-friendly, too, a far cry from the early days.
Is the occasionally staccato performance enough to sour the Galaxy S altogether, however? We’re not entirely sure what’s causing the occasional lag – poor CPU throttling perhaps – but we’re hoping Samsung can address it with a minor firmware patch. As it stands, it’s a frustrating mar on what’s otherwise a very strong smartphone experience. The Galaxy S’ screen is the best this side of a Retina Display – and larger too – while the phone, albeit erring on the plastic side, is well made and has impressive multimedia skills. It’s also slim, so despite the screen size can drop into a front pocket without causing problems. The strengths outweigh the drawbacks overall, though you may find yourself explaining more then once that no, this isn’t an iPhone, it’s something arguably just as good.

Source article: www.slashgear.com
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Kamis, 22 Juli 2010

HP's patented PalmPad Brand, to Competitor iPad?


Hewlett-Packard has patented a trademark with the name "PalmPad" . It is predicted as a tablet computer that would be it markets. Therefore, the patent for the brand category is for computer, computer hardware, computer software, computer peripherals, portable computers, handheld, mobile computers, PDAs, electronic notepad, and mobile digital electronic devices.

PalmPad is a WebOS based tablet, this is an operating system that was developed after the acquisition of Palm. HP is willing to spend $ 1.2 billion U.S. dollars to buy Palm. Shortly after the acquisition is completed, HP announced its intention to combine WebOS and its mobile devices including tablet PCs in the future. In addition HP also said that WebOS can also be used for non-computer devices and printers.

Hp initially cooperates with Microsoft to develop Windows-based tablet computers with a Slate 7. Tablet computers were first introduced by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer at the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona , Spain, earlier this year. However, once HP's acquisition of the Palm, such cooperation as just disappear. In fact, Ballmer in a recent presentation did not include a name in the list of HP's tablet computer development partners.
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Senin, 19 Juli 2010

Touch Screen Notebook: Fujitsu LifeBook UH900


Fujitsu is well known for making great UMPCs and netbooks. Here is another example of their superb engineering, Fujitsu Lifebook UH900. The UH900 has 5.6-inch sunlight readable display, just like earlier mini Lifebooks, U2010/U820 and U1010/U810. The display has WXGA (1280×800) display that supports multitouch. This thing is tiny, measuring just 20.4 x 10.65 x 2.4 cm.

It runs Intel’s extremely power-sipping Z530 processor that runs at a clock speed of 1.6GHz. The Atom Z530 gives almost same performance as the Intel Atom N280 CPU that runs at 1.66GHz clock speed. For storage, you 62GB SSD. It runs Windows 7 as its operating system. Available in black, red and gold colors.

On the connectivity front, you get 3.5 (WiMax), Bluetooth and WiFi built-in. display and it comes with 62GB SSD and optional integrated 3.5G WWAN. It weighs just 500gm, which makes it lighter than the SONY VAIO P as-well-as SONY VAIO X (slimmest notebook in the world). Given its small size, one would think that it would be difficult to use this micro-netbook, but that is not true. It has 5 thumb-controlled touch button on either sides of the screen. These buttons let you launch programs; rotate screen; perform page up and page down operations. There are webcam too, so that you can do video calls with ease.

To control the mouse pointer on the screen, you can use its small pointer, called the Thumb-glide point. Since, the display supports multi-touch, you can directly tap on the screen to select objects and so on. The keyboard is small and with a doubt, this is not a machine on which you can touch type. This 500gm wonder is made to get into those small pockets to let you take the whole PC-experience with you, everywhere you go.

Source: www.gadgetmix.com
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Kamis, 15 Juli 2010

New iPod Touch: iPhone fourth grade?


Apple predicted would release a new version of iPod Touch in September 2010. Reportedly, this device sail touch music player will be added new features iPhone 4th grade? Want to know the latest rumor? Site Electricpig technology managed to sneak into a slide show of an online store in the UK, Jhon Lewis, who revealed the latest iPod Touch for the upcoming holiday season. New features were revealed in there, among others, with a resolution of 5 mega pixel camera complete with HD video recording, flash, and applications to upload to You Tube, Face Time video calling for video communication with the camera facing forward, as well as the movement accuracy of better control. These features are already there on the iPhone 4.

Slide show does not mention in detail whether the new design is also similar between iPod Touch with iPhone 4. The new iPod Touch possibilities not too experienced changes in appearance since it has been streamlined shape.

New rumor circulating in Jhon Lewis is different from the rumors circulating in the online site of Vietnam that the new iPod Touch-resolution 2-megapixel camera. However, it called latter that it was just a test product, not a manufactured product that is almost complete. The new specification of the iPod Touch posted by Electricpig is also still rumors.

iPod Touch which was issued last year make people disappointed because Apple introduced the iPod Touch without a camera. However, if you want the iPod Touch classier, you would waiting until September and see what the features occurred on the new iPod Touch. Who knew the iPod Touch will be present with features like the iPhone 4 and complete with the new packaging.(AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
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Rabu, 14 Juli 2010

Nokia N8: 12 megapixel mobile phone


This is the first Nokia mobile phone equipped with 12 megapixel camera, Carl Zeiss lenses supported and xenon flash that is very helpful when photographing at night. N8 is also the first handset using the Symbian operating system 3 that claimed more intuitive, modern, and responsive, compared to Symbian 5th Edition.

The likes of the N97 and X6 have both been trumpeted by Nokia over the last year or so, but neither has particularly won critical acclaim, mostly due to a sub-par OS when compared to the whizz-bang-iness of the iPhone and Android set, as well as taking a veritable age to start using the latest technology, like capacitive screens and slimmer lines.


The Nokia N8 is a fairly large device - but that's not to say that it's chunky. It's merely large due to having a large 3.5-inch OLED screen, and it comes in at just 12.9mm thick.Admittedly it's not the thinnest on the market, but when it's down to a matter of a few millimetres, it doesn't really matter in the pocket right?

The frame is covered in anodised aluminium, which Nokia was keen to show us was resistant to scratches. However, as you can see by the side unlock switch, this isn't always the case - some colour has been lost.
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Selasa, 13 Juli 2010

Microsoft Tablet Show off to Competitor iPad


Monday (7/12/2010), Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Steve Ballmer is exhibiting a computer tablet with Windows 7 operating system. He said that more than 20 producers are prepared to release a tablet device to rival Apple's iPad.

A computer tablet with Windows platform has a compact size, can be gripped, and equipped with wireless access. Microsoft partners making the tablet are including Acer, Dell, Samsung, Toshiba, Sony, and a dozen other PC makers. Whether intentionally or not, HP's name is not mentioned, In fact, HP was the first partner who previously exhibited as a designer of Microsoft's tablet computer called the Slate.

"This year is a year which is very important to us because we want to make some major changes in the categories of smart devices using Windows 7," Ballmer said as he opened the Worldwide Partner Conference.

At the same conference, Microsoft also announced a new partnership with eBay, Fujitsu, and Dell to test Microsoft Windows Azure cloud as a services platform. Basically, this technology will help companies manage their computing power and data over the Internet without having invested in each device used.
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Senin, 12 Juli 2010

i Phone 4: Glod Plated



Goldstriker International, a British company known for its modifications of luxury electronic devices, has changed its Blackberry mobile phone, iPhone 3GS, Nokia, Television, Macbook coated in gold or device that is designed to be luxurious. Now turn the iPhone four who had just come on the market, also designed the gold-plated version of pure luxury.

Famous product designer, Stuart Hughes, designing four 32GB black iPhone and covering the metal rim with a choice of yellow gold, white gold and rose gold (pink) costing U.S. $ 1,960 (the rear is not coated with gold) and U.S. $ 2,700 (section behind coated with gold).
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Lenovo IdeaCenter A310: All in One Desktop PC


The new Lenovo All In One desktop PC. Lenovo IdeaCentre presence A310 with LED backlight with a stunning 21.5-inch Full HD 16: 9 widescreen. The shape and color on the side of the keyboard and mouse bluetooth connection on IdeaCentre adjusted to the shape of the A310 is made from glossy pearl-white shades.

IdeaCentre A310-sized 524 mm x 396 mm x 207 mm Core processors I3 Inter-350M, with 3GB of DDR3 memory support (up to 8GB) and use the operating system Windows 7 Home Premium (64 bit). For data storage size, IdeaCentre A310 supports up to 500GB and there is a 7in1 card reader, four USB2.0 ports, HDMI Out, DVD Super Multi, and WiFi.

Lenovo IdeaCentre A310 will appear on July 17 next to the price range 109 000 Yen (around $ 1,243) in Japan domestic market. Read more

Minggu, 11 Juli 2010

LG UX10 tablet : Android Inside



Fever tablet computer is still ongoing, and LG does not seem to want to stay silent. LG plans to release its latest product with the look of Windows 7 with a UX10. Engadget reports that the tablet output will be supported by LG operadi system Android.

LG plans to begin towards the end of this year. UX10 will most likely be using the processor 1GB of RAM, Intel Atom, and the Wi-Fi support. What and how other features of the UX10? We'll see the debut of the LG will be the product tablets.
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Sabtu, 10 Juli 2010

HTC Desire: Elegant and Abundant Features



Following the Legend, HTC continues its Android 2.1 lineup with the Desire -- a gorgeous cousin of the renowned Nexus One. We can trace our drool all the way back to the Desire's leak in December, but there have been some changes since then that made it slightly less desirable -- DivX support and 720p video capture never made it to the final build, but it's not like the company laid down any official promise on them, right? Anyhow, there's still plenty to be loved here, namely the speedy 1GHz Snapdragon, the large AMOLED screen, and HTC's latest revision of Sense UI that we've already seen on the Legend. Now, there are probably two questions floating in the minds of our readers: is the Desire worth the extra moola over the Legend? And is it any better than the Nexus One? Let's all find out together.

Hardware

The Desire has so much in common with the Nexus One that it feels like we've seen it all before. Spec-wise these two Android 2.1 phones have the same processor, 1,400mAh battery, 3.7-inch 800 x 480 AMOLED screen, 5-megapixel autofocus camera and 512MB of ROM, while externally they have very similar CMF (industrial shorthand for "color, material and finish") and weight (4.76 ounces). As for differences, the Desire packs 64MB more RAM than the Nexus One (512MB), lacks a second mic on the back for noise cancellation (more on this later), and dons physical buttons plus a clickable optical trackpad below the screen. We certainly prefer these real buttons since the Nexus One's touch-sensitive keys do sometimes miss our inputs; on the other hand the Nexus One may offer a better single-hand operation with its keys closer to the screen. Funnily enough, it looks like the Legend has the best of both worlds.
A closer look will also reveal the general structural differences between the Desire and the Nexus One -- in theory, the latter's unibody frame should be stronger than the Desire's old-fashioned assembly, but we haven't dared to apply more force on either solid devices to prove this (unless our good friend Peter Chou gives us his blessing). That said, if you're into hardcore tight jeans, then the stone-cold Legend should probably outlast the other two phones with its greater unibody coverage on the back.

To get to the battery, SIM card slot and the spring-loaded microSD slot, you need to rip open the back cover using the top slit, just like on the Hero. It's not a pleasant experience, as you'll see in the video below -- in the early days it felt like either our fingernail or the cover could break, and we'd kill for a slide-and-pop mechanism like on the Nexus One's smaller cover. Leaving this annoyance aside, both covers have similar "soft touch" suede-like textures -- certainly a warm welcome in the cold mornings, and it gives a comfortable grip as well.

Underneath the cover you'll see that the camera, LED flash and loud speaker are at the same positions on both devices, except for the missing noise-canceling secondary mic on the Nexus One. Are we missing much with just one mic? Not really -- in our comparison test, we noticed that calls made on the Desire (using the same O2 SIM card) are muddled only ever so slightly, and the phone certainly doesn't peeve your ears with distorted background noise as produced by the Nexus One. Have a listen yourself:While we're on the topic of audio quality: both speakers on the Desire do their jobs well -- we had no problem with the earpiece for phone calls, and the loudspeaker on the back is, well, pretty loud and clear. The handsfree kit, however, fails to impress as it barely fits in our ears, and the sound quality is on par with the cheap iPod earphones -- it lacks bass and clarity, making the stylish three-button remote control (backward, play / pause / call, forward) a bit of a waste. Too bad this is also bundled with the Legend and the Nexus One.

The Desire's screen needs no introduction -- we've already gone through the ups and downs of AMOLED in our Legend and Nexus One reviews, plus it appears to be identical to the Nexus One's anyway. Just for comparison's sake: the Desire offers sharper image than the Legend due to its higher pixel density (240 dpi versus 160 dpi), but both screens are equally hopeless when used in daylight -- basically, you'll most likely be seeing your own face while you try to watch the Trololo guy on YouTube. Let's hope that HTC will hook us up with some Super AMOLED love in the near future.

For our battery tests, we followed a similar routine as we did with the Legend -- occasional web browsing on 3G connection, took some photos and videos, almost continuous music playback (with the occasional FM radio), Twitter auto-updating, Gmail push notifications and no live wallpaper. This way we managed to squeeze six hours out of the battery, which is coincidentally what we got from the Legend and the Nexus One as well. We also did tests based on a more realistic usage -- same background apps, occasional web browsing on WiFi and no or little music playback -- and this got us two more hours. Needless to say, it's best to keep the charging cable handy throughout the day.

In general, the photos were of fair quality despite the aforementioned color issues. Daytime photos were slightly under-exposed but reasonably sharp, while nighttime shots looked great but also marked with a bunch of noise lines. Close-up shots were surprisingly good (see the keyboard photos), especially when you could go all creative using the tap-to-focus function in the camera app -- something badly needed on the Nexus One. All in all, you can't expect premium photo quality from the Desire (or any HTC devices, it seems), but the camera's there if you need it.

Camera

Given that all three phones have a 5-megapixel autofocus camera, we expected the same picture output from them all, but HTC's full of surprises. For starters, the Desire captures 5:3 wide still images, while the Legend does a narrower 3:2 and the Nexus One takes the good-old 4:3. Similarly, for video capture the Desire, Nexus One and Legend offer 800 x 480, 720 x 480 and 640 x 480 resolutions respectively. There's a mixture of color accuracy as well, with the Nexus One performing the best out of the three, whereas the Desire's photos tend to have a colder tint. That said, one thing that they all have in common is the weak filming performance in dark environments -- as with the Legend, you'll see reduced frame rate in videos recorded by the Desire under low light level. This could be HTC's attempt to compensate darkness by extending the exposure time, but we're pretty certain that many would prefer a smoother video.

Software

We don't need to say much here as we've already praised the latest Sense UI's new features -- the Friend Stream app, Leap (homescreen switcher, as pictured below), great keyboard and the enhanced text highlighting tool -- in our Legend review. Similarly, the Desire and the Legend both support the same wide range of audio file formats (AAC, AMR, OGG, M4A, MID, MP3, WAV and WMA) -- note that the Nexus One doesn't support Apple's M4A. Update: turns out the Nexus One supports M4A as well, but this wasn't mentioned on either Google's or HTC's spec pages. Given how smooth the general Sense experience was for us last time, we haven't noticed any significant performance increase on the Desire. That said, with the Desire packing 576MB of RAM while the Legend only has 384MB, it's safe to say that the big daddy can handle more apps at any time. We've also spotted some minor differences between the Desire's build of Android and the Legend's -- like the Nexus One, you can apply live wallpapers on the Desire as well, whereas the slower Legend lacks such option (although the Legend is the only one out of the three that lets you have a dedicated lock screen wallpaper). As with most sophisticated eye-candies, the live wallpapers do make the OS slightly choppy from time to time, and needless to say they'll have an impact on the battery life as well, so it's not something you'd want if a charging source is out of reach for some time.

Like the Legend, you'll also get the Flash Lite plugin on the Desire. As you might've already seen in the video earlier, Flash definitely performs better on the Desire thanks to the faster Snapdragon processor, but there's still a lot of work to be done here. Out of the several sites that we tested with, only the videos on BBC News' website had an acceptable frame rate, so using Flash on the Desire is pretty much a gambling game on the video data rate. (You can see our Flash plug-in hands-on in the first video.) On a similarly annoying level, the Desire lacks voice-to-text input as found on the Nexus One and other "Google experience" phones -- not the end of the world for us but some drivers may miss it.

Wrap-up

The Desire is yet another fine piece of work from HTC – build quality is top notch as usual, and there's little to complain about the software except for the Flash performance. Some may argue that the Desire lacks freshness since the Nexus One's already shown it all, but we'd disagree – at the end of the day it's mainly about the software and service, plus the Desire is available from more carriers to begin with (outside the US, anyway).

So, circling back to our earlier questions, for the extra cost of the Desire over the Legend you get a larger and sharper screen, faster processor, live wallpapers and video capture at a slightly higher resolution. On the other hand the Legend's button positions may provide better single-handed operation, and some may even prefer its silver metallic look and feel to go with certain Apple products (sorry, it's unavoidable), so you'd best get your hands on the two devices before handing over the cash. As for the Nexus One, despite the fancy dual-mic noise cancellation, unibody frame, touch-sensitive buttons and a trackball that glows, the only real advantages we see in it are its voice-to-text input and its slightly better camera (and this might only apply to certain batches since HTC might be sourcing from multiple sensor suppliers). We prefer the Desire with its more natural call voice (with its single mic), buttons that respond better, durable optical trackpad (which may not be everyone's cup of tea), and an excellent social networking aggregation service.

Of course, if you're really into the Nexus One's little glowing ball and touch-sensitive buttons, you can always try flashing the Desire ROM onto it (at your own risk, naturally). Have fun!

Review by Richard Lai
Link: www.engadget.com
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Kamis, 08 Juli 2010

i Pad : Wifi vs 3G


As most everyone has heard, Apple, Inc. has just released it’s latest product, the Apple iPad. Rumors about such a product have been around for the last ten years or so, and it is finally here. Before it was released, many were trying to guess the name for this new form of computer. These names included the Apple Tablet, Canvas, and the Slate. But the final decision was made, and the name iPad was decided on. The iPad seems to be a cross between the iPhone and the MacBook. Some have described it as an expanded version of the iPhone.


The Apple iPad is equipped with a 9.7 inch multi- touch screen. It comes with three flash storage capacities-16, 32 or 64 GB, depending on the model chosen. Its many built in apps were designed to work specifically with the large screen and advanced capabilities of the product. These apps can be used with the screen in any orientation, which makes it very different from other devices. The split screen works well when viewing e-mail, and the LED-backlit display allows for an enjoyable viewing experience whether looking at photos one by one, or as a slide show. The iPad is also perfect for watching HD movies, podcasts, music videos and even TV. Books are available from the iBookstore for use with the iBooks app which is free from the App Store. The iPad is capable of running almost all of the apps which are available from the App Store. However, there are a limited number of drawbacks with these first generation iPads. One feature which many feel should have been included is an internal camera, but others feel this is an unnecessary extra. Of more concern with the current iPad is the inability to multitask. It is unable to run more than one app at a time. This will most likely be addressed in future versions. Additionally, some are not comfortable with the on screen keyboard, but if necessary, they can purchase an external keyboard from Apple.


When Apple designed the iPad, it was decided to make two versions-the iPad WiFi, and the iPad Wifi 3G. Depending on who will be using it, and what it will be used for, one has to decide which version is best for his/her needs.


The first version to be released was the iPad WiFi. Many will find that this basic model will fill all their needs in regard to using the iPad. With this version, one will need to have access to a WiFi network in order to be able to make use of the internet and to gain access to the iPad store. If one will be using the iPad via a wireless router in their home, at their office, or in other known wifi hotspots, this version of the iPad will be perfect. When connecting to the internet, the iPad WiFi is much faster than the 3G. The experience of using the iPad WiFi in this manner is the same as when using the typical laptop computer for wireless computing. It works well when one needs to move large files on a local network. Many of those who are now using the iPhone 3G feel that there is no need to purchase another 3G service. Thus, one who has the iPhone can save money when buying the iPad by purchasing the WiFi version rather than the 3G version. In general, those who have not had the need for a 3G smart phone for a job or other reason will be well served by the Apple iPad WiFi.


However, there are many instances when one may find it necessary to have a service more dependable than WiFi. As mentioned above, for ordinary everyday computing, an iPad WiFi will be a sufficient computing device. But for those who are not always in a WiFi hotspot and need internet access no matter where they are, Apple has designed the iPad WiFi 3G. The “3G” stands for the third generation of cellular technology. This technology will allow the iPad 3G to connect to mobile networks such as AT&T, with whom they presently have a “data only” agreement. In this way, if a WiFi area is not accessible, the user will still be able to connect to the internet if the area is covered by the AT&T plan. This would be especially important for those whose business requires them to travel extensively throughout the U.S. Another added feature which comes with the iPad 3G is a GPS system. The GPS apps which are available for the iPhone will also work with the iPad 3G, thus allowing the user to make use of the navigation and location services.


The biggest difference between the iPad WiFi and the iPad WiFi 3G is the price. Depending on the size of the flash storage, the price of the WiFi ranges from $499 to $699, while the price for the 3G ranges from $629 to $829. For $130 extra, one will be able to buy the 3G version rather that the WiFi. However, that does not include the fee for a subscription for service from AT&T. As of this time, there are two 3G data plans available from AT&T for the iPad. The first plan includes 150 megabytes of data per month for a $14.99 plus taxes and any other fees. The other plan is for unlimited data at a monthly cost of $29.99 plus taxes and fees. But unlike most cell phone subscriptions, one is not committed to paying that fee every month. Because of the agreement AT&T made with Apple, one only has to pay the monthly charge if he/she wishes to make use of the 3G service that month. If one wishes, they do not ever have to use that feature. There are no contracts required. In addition, there is a “auto-cancel” setting so that one’s use of the 3G service for one month will not automatically carry over to the next month.


As can be seen, the Apple iPad is the most innovative computing device available today. Its computing capabilities are similar to those of the iPhone, and it is much more portable than the popular laptops. Both versions of the iPad have their pros and cons, and one must look at their lifestyle and computing needs before deciding between the WiFi and the 3G version of the iPad. No matter which iPad is chosen, when one owns an iPad they are on the threshold of a brand new computing experience.
(www.freeipad.net)
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Acer Liquid E: Android Inside



Size and Weight

Height: 115 mm

Width: 64 mm

Depth: 12.75 mm

Weight: 135 g

Features
• Unique, lightweight Ferrari design (just 135g)
• Acer Liquid E Ferrari Special Edition comes preinstalled with the superb Acer Media Player widget that gives you instant access to all your digital media and also the Acer Web player widget that lets you thumb through page previews of your web bookmarks and then load them with a simple tap.
• Prepare yourself for a whole new level of instant communication and social media with the latest Facebook® and Twidroid applications.
• Qualcomm snapdragon™ 8250 processor reduces CPU power consumption.
• Exclusive Spinlets™ application provides free streaming of worldwide music that can be shared with friends and family via the web or e-mail.
• 'Fooz Creator' lets you create a "virtual look-a-like", or your Fooz Avatar, and share it on Facebook®, MySpace and other social networks. You can also email it to your friends.


Available exclusively in glossy Ferrari F1 Red
3.5” high-definition (WVGA) capacitive screen. Unique, lightweight design (just 135g) . 5MP camera with autofocus and geo-tagging

Android Éclair
The Acer Liquid E Ferrari Special Edition was designed from the outset to keep you in touch and in control of your mobile communication unlike any other phone out there. To do just that, we've equipped it with the highly intuitive Android™ Éclair Operating System for a whole new level of interactivity and mobile freedom.

(www.mobile.acer.com)

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Rabu, 07 Juli 2010

Canon LEGRIA HF R16: Compact camcoder


Get into HD moviemaking with the LEGRIA HF R16. Lightweight, stylish and undeniably chic, it offers 8GB internal memory and memory card recording – all you need to make your own Full HD masterpiece.

Features

• 8GB Dual Flash Memory
• Smart Auto
• Video Snapshot
• 20x optical zoom lens Dynamic IS
• HD-SD conversion in-camera
• Canon HD Camera System
• Family friendly: Face Detection and Instant AF
• Pre REC
• Relay Recording
• Compatible with standalone DW-100 DVD burner


Everything you need to get started in HD


Dual Flash Memory
With 8GB of Dual Flash Memory, the LEGRIA HF R16 offers both internal capacity and memory card shooting. Store over 3 hours of movies to built-in memory – or record to SD and SDHC cards, which are great for sharing.

Smart Auto with Scene Detection Technology
For effortless point-and-shoot operation, the camcorder selects the most appropriate scene mode - from a choice of 31 - to automatically obtain perfect settings. Smart Auto mode uses intelligent Scene Detection Technology to select a scene mode based on brightness, contrast, distance and overall hue

Video Snapshot

Video Snapshot mode makes it easy to create your own short movies. Every time the Record button is pressed a short movie clip is captured – choose from two, four or eight seconds length. To make a movie, simply arrange your clips in a playlist on the memory card, select a soundtrack, and you’re instantly ready to play your movie on a TV – no need for editing on a PC.

Steady shots throughout the range
The LEGRIA HF R16 features a genuine Canon HD Video Lens with 20x optical zoom to get you closer to the action. The Dynamic Electronic Image Stabilizer helps achieve steady shots, even when moving.

HD to SD conversion
In-camera HD to SD conversion makes sharing movies easier. By reducing the size of your movies to web-friendly Standard Definition you can upload your movies faster.

Canon HD Camera System
Capture stunning images via the Canon HD Camera System: the LEGRIA HF R16 uses a unique combination of HD CMOS sensor, a Canon HD Video Lens with 20x optical zoom, and the DIGIC DV III processor.

Pre REC
In Pre REC mode, the camcorder starts recording three seconds before the Record button is pressed. These three seconds are automatically added to the beginning of each clip, so you can still capture the crucial moment even if you pressed the Record button too late.

Family friendly shooting
The LEGRIA HF R16 is perfect for capturing those special moments. Instant AF achieves pin-sharp focus quickly and Face Detection Technology optimises shooting settings for perfect people shots – tracking up to 35 faces in a frame.

Continuous shooting with Relay recording

If the built-in memory becomes full during shooting, Relay recording automatically switches to continue recording on an SDHC card – so you won’t miss a thing.

Source: www.canon.co.uk
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Toshiba Libretto W100 Dual Screen: One incredible way to enliven your life





Dual-Screen Versatility

The new libretto® W100 ultra mobile PC multiplies your possibilities by offering dual 7” diagonal multi-touch screens that work horizontally or vertically—perfect for ebooks or enjoying movies, music and photos. It also offers easy navigation, along with different virtual keyboards plus a “soft” track pad that let you type, click and browse the way you want.


Breakthrough Portability


Weighing in at under two pounds, the durable clamshell design of the libretto® PC makes even the lightest laptops seem heavy. Engineered for the ultimate in carrying comfort and handheld performance, it’s equipped with a spacious solid state drive for storing and sharing your files, along with music, photos and clips. And it’s encased in a black metallic finish.

Go-Anywhere Windows® 7 Performance

This ultra mobile PC is small, but never shrinks from the task at hand. Powered by Windows® 7 Home Premium, it offers familiar navigation and full multimedia capabilities. So now you can enjoy many different things—games, ebooks, movies, music and TV—from a single device. Perfect for multi-tasking, it also comes with an energy-efficient Intel® Pentium™ processor that lets you keep on doing and enjoying, wherever you’re going.

Wireless Freedom


Carry the libretto® W100 PC and you’re done with wires. Wireless-N puts you in touch from any hotspot. A built-in webcam empowers you to chat face-to-face all over the place. And integrated Bluetooth® v2.1 lets you lose the cords when using headphones, speakers or a mouse.

Seamless Synchronization

This PC definitely plays well with others. Driven by Windows® 7, it lets you easily share, stream and synchronize your files and multimedia through your home network or cloud. It also comes with a USB port and built-in memory reader so you can transfer stuff to and from external hard drives and other popular gear.


Source: www.laptops.toshiba.com
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Hello Kitty Stereo Headphone


Can you enjoy the music and become the fashion icon? Yes, you can. With the funny shape and adorable color on the ears, you can get both, music and fashion. The iconic Hello Kitty is available in Japan Hello Kitty Earphone. It will be great if used as a gift for girls too.

With soft, squishy and adorable color and shape make this headphone looks pretty. This headphone is utilized with pads to prevent the sound from leaking outside. Other people will pay attention to the ear because there are pinky Hello Kitties patching there. It can be used for any music devices, only if it is plugged with the standard 3.5 mm headphone. So, plug in your phone or mp3 player and enjoy the music.

This headphone is funny and unique for girls, but it will be weird if boys wear it. As the function of headphone, the listener should know about the sound. This information is available in the technical data. However, you cannot get the information about the additional tools, such as volume adjuster. Although the Pink Hello Kitty Headphone is cut, but you still need the function of headphone, the quality of the sound. So, before you buy this headphone, check detail information about the sound and the durability.

Buy here
Source article: www.cutiegadget.com
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Cute baby Androids: Sony EricssonXperia X0 Mini and Mini Pro



The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, an Android-based touchcsreen
smartphone, has been leaked and officially announced for months, even
though it’s still not on sale. We’ve also had rumours of the Xperia X10
mini, which has just been confirmed by Sony Ericsson at their press even
at MWC 2010.

We weren’t expecting, though, is the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10
Mini Pro, a tiny Android smartphone with a name that’s longer the phone
and a physical QWERTY keyboard – you know, for pros! Is the Xperia X10 Mini (and the Pro) any good though?
The Xperia X10 is a glorious-looking Android phone with a user
interface to die for. In fact, currently it’s the most drool-worthy of
all the Android phones that are on their way in the next couple of
months.

The Xperia X10 Mini is a cut-down version of the X10 with a much
smaller form factor, but the same user interface (albeit squished onto a
smaller screen). Some of the X10’s features have also not made it to
the Mini – the X10 will come packed with an 8 megapixel camera, for
example – but Sony Ericssoin reckon the smaller size will make up for
that for people who prefer small phones to feature phones.

What the X10 Mini Pro brings to the party is a new physical QWERTY
keyboard, for people who prefer a smaller smartphone, but hate the
thought of using virtual keyboards.

Despite being the little brothers of the Xperia X10, the X10 Mini and
Mini Pro are not exactly underequipped. Just check out this list of
features:

Despite being the little brothers of the Xperia X10, the X10 Mini and
Mini Pro are not exactly underequipped. Just check out this list of
features:



  • 5 megapixel autofocus camera with GeoTagging

  • Video recording

  • 600MHz Qualcomm MSM7227 CPU

  • WebKit Web browser

  • Sony Ericsson Timescape software, which seamlessly integrates all
    your social media activity into one rich app

  • Email

  • Microsoft exchange ActiveSync

  • Full set of Google Apps (GMail, Maps with StreetView, Voice Search,
    Android Market, etc.)

  • aGPS

  • YouTube

  • 16 million colour 2.55″ screen

  • Android OS 1.6

  • 2GB microSD card included (with support for 16GB microSD card)


All that in a phone that’s just 83×50x16mm in size (for the X10 Mini)
and weighing only 88 grams.


Source link : www.mobilementalism.com
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