HTC Touch Pro, More powerful than Touch Diamond, but much bulkier as well

In an attempt to meet the expectations of more smartphone users, the Taiwanese company HTC decided to improve its HTC Touch Diamond Windows Mobile device, by endowing it with a generous QWERTY keyboard. Those that were frustrated by the lack of a full QWERTY in the previous Touch Diamond model will be happy to find that HTC Touch Pro meets this requirement, and adds countless other stuff. Users won't find many changes in design, except for the thickness of the new Touch Pro, which is beyond any expectations. HTC Touch Pro doesn't come with anything innovative save that it adds more power and functionality to the previous Touch Diamond Pocket PC.

Announced in June 2008, HTC Touch Pro was made available on the market in August 2008. The slider smartphone from HTC can be acquired for about US$750, but pricing can vary, and depends on location or plan.

Design

If you are familiar with the HTC Touch Diamond design, then you won't notice too many differences compared with the Touch Pro device. Both come in the same size (102 x 51mm), but the thickness varies: 11.5mm for Touch Diamond, while Touch Pro has 18.1mm. The difference is huge also when it comes to their weight: 110g compared with Touch Pro's 165g (including battery). So, basically, you have the front of the Diamond, but the back of the phone has been completely reshaped. While HTC has kept the same diamond pattern on the battery cover of the device, the compound is mat plastic, and is something similar to the rubber-like material that has been used for so many other handsets as well – still, it is not quite the same. Actually, this is a good move on part of HTC, as the Touch Diamond had issues with the back cover, in that it was peeling off after heavy use.

The layout of ports and keys is much the same as on the previous Touch Diamond model. The middle D-pad button acts like a touchpad as well (much like a wheel), especially when zooming pictures in the Album area, browsing the Internet or when using the music player. There are two volume keys on the left side of the phone, and the miniUSB port on the bottom side, where you can insert the charger, a miniUSB cable for PC synchronization, or the headset that comes in the sales package. The Power button is placed, as usual, on the top side of the phone, and it can also be used to activate the phone when in standby mode. A very small ambient light sensor, the in-call earpiece, and a secondary VGA camera that can be used for video-calls have been placed above the 2.8'' display.

Below the screen, there are only four keys that can be used to control the menu of the phone, in case you don't want to touch and grease your device. The magnetic stylus can be pulled out from the bottom right part of the phone. The 3.2 Megapixel camera on the back doesn't have any protective lense, but it's placed a little bit behind a slim metallic plate, so it's not that easy to cause damage to it. A LED flash and a loudspeaker are also near the module camera.

Overall, I wasn't impressed by the new HTC Touch Pro device, and I noticed only a few differences compared with Diamond, but more similarities. Still, it is these differences that are important, as they make the smartphone seem appealing even to those who already own a Diamond right now.

Display and Camera

HTC Touch Pro embeds a large 2.8'' VGA touchscreen that supports 262k colors, but only displays 65k colors. The device supports a better resolution than most of the existing Pocket PCs on the market - 480x640 pixels.

Together with the new TouchFLO 3D interface, the screen offers marvelous quality viewing, which greatly improves Internet browsing and viewing of pictures. Just like with its Diamond predecessor, HTC literally outdid itself when developing such an incredible level of touch and view interaction. Thanks to the innovative TouchFLO 3D interface, HTC Touch Pro is very much comparable with the iPhone in terms of the level of sophistication of the interface.

The screen is very responsive to the touch, and pretty much readable even when exposed to strong sunlight.

HTC Touch Pro's 3.2 Megapixel camera features autofocus and flash capabilities. As is the case with Diamond users as well, you don't have a dedicated camera key so, in order to be able to take pictures, you'll have to use the large D-pad. Still, there's a trick that you might like and that's the "Touch and press" function. Basically, you can take advantage of the autofocus function by touching the D-pad. After the camera is focused, pressing the button will actually take the picture.

Even if the fact that the device lacks a camera button placed on either of the two sides is a bit annoying, the innovation introduced by HTC, back when the Diamond smartphone was available on the market, makes it a worthy change. In terms of quality, HTC Touch Pro is a considerable improvement over its Diamond “brother.” The plastic placed on the lenses of the Diamond, which was also the reason why pictures were sub-mediocre, has been eliminated. In fact, as you can notice form the sample pictures, the camera does way above-average snapshots. The 3.2 Megapixel camera of Touch Pro can be considered one of the best ever embedded in an HTC smartphone. The interface of the camera is rich in settings, with functions such as Brightness, White Balance, and Effect. Macro mode can also be used with ease, without the need of actually selecting the macro mode available.

Movies can be recorded in MPEG4 formats, but you will only get CIF mode recording at 30fps (352x288 pixels). You can even use the secondary camera placed on the front of the phone to take pictures of yourself. Overall, the camera is one of the pleasant surprises offered by HTC to its fans. Now, if only it also featured the geotagging function, it would have been perfect. Nevertheless, I believe that the Taiwanese company is taking into consideration all the feedback it receives from users, and further improves its devices.

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Nokia 7310 Supernova Review: Cheap mid-tier handset with good features

Starting 2008, Nokia launched a new series, mostly targeting emerging markets, but also fans that could not afford the Eseries, or the more expensive Nseries devices. The new Supernova series of mobile phones is also a remake of the older devices that “amazed” Nokia fans thanks to their exchangeable covers. Almost all Supernova mobile phones are offered now with various exchangeable covers, which are meant to keep the owners interested for much longer. Even if based on mid-tech features, Supernova series devices are offered at lower prices, to attract as many potential buyers as possible. Nokia 7310 has been included in the first wave of Supernova devices, which were meant to test the handset market. Today, Nokia has 5 Supernova series mobile phones available on the market, which means that Nokia 7310 has had a certain amount of success since its debut.

Announced in June 2008, Nokia 7310 Supernova was made available on the market at the same time. The handset can be acquired for no more than US$180, without any plan. Prices may vary by location and carrier, so chances are high that you'll be able to get it for under US$150.

Design

The candy-bar form factor is the one with the highest longevity through Nokia handsets, and the Finnish giant seems to have learned the secret recipe for its successful bar devices. For those interested in “history,” there are 2 candy-bar Supernovas, 2 sliders and 1 clamshell. Nokia 7310 Supernova can be easily included in the “classic” category in terms of design, as it doesn't stand out from the crowd because of its forms. The handset features the same “old school” bar form that Nokia took to the highest level of art. Still, without impressing too much at first glance, Nokia 7310 will eventually catch your eye only if you manage to stay with it a little longer. The device measures 106.5 x 45.4 x 12mm, and weighs 83g (including battery).

It feels good and fits perfectly in hand, while the construction is very balanced, even if it's made from cheap plastic. Users who aren't too careful with their phones may probably break it a few times, but, fortunately this one comes with an exchangeable cover. Nevertheless, the thing is that the supplementary cover is pink and, naturally, if you're not a girl, you'll surely dislike the color. Either way, let's get down to business and see what this phone has to offer in terms of design. Being a mid to low-end device has its advantages, so Nokia 7310 Supernova includes only a few external keys. Therefore, you'll only notice the dual-volume keys on the right side of the phone.

There's also a 2.5mm jack port on the top of the phone, together with a micro-USB port, whereas the charger port has been placed on the left part. The back cover of the phone is pretty thin, and made from a cheap plastic, as I have already noted above. Three loudspeakers are placed near the bottom of the back cover, and a 2 Megapixel camera on the upper part. However, this device also comes with some disadvantages, such as the lack of a dedicated camera button, and the hard to find memory card slot. The latter can be found under the back cover, so getting to it if you’re in a hurry can be a little bit hard. You can either power off the phone and pull out the back cover, or you can simply carefully take it out, so you won't move the battery.

The main attraction of the phone is undoubtedly the mirror effect of the display. Basically, the screen has been covered with a special plastic that mimics the mirror effect, pretty much like LG Shine and Sony Ericsson Z555i. The keypad has been also covered with the same plastic that simulates the mirror effect, but what's more important is that it’s not really a fingerprint magnet. Of course, it will be soiled and fingerprints will stand out, but only to a small degree. Otherwise, Nokia 7310 looks like an ordinary Nokia bar, neither too bad, nor all that great. The innovation comes in the form of exchangeable covers and the mirror effect of the small display.

Display and Camera

Besides the mirror-like effect, the 2-inch TFT screen supports 16 Million colors (24 bit color depth) and 240x320 pixel resolution. I wasn't too pleased with the quality of the imaging, but thankfully, it's readable under strong sunlight. As long as the phone is in standby mode, you'll only be able to see yourself reflected in the screen, as only after pushing a key, the display will actually be ready for use.

Menu and Software

Nokia 7310 Supernova classic runs on a S40 5th Edition interface with Feature Pack 1, which is the latest user-interface coming from Nokia. If you have owned a Nokia handset before and it didn't have a Symbian OS, then this candy-bar will probably feel the same. One of the most user-friendly interfaces on the market, the S40 seems unchanged on the surface, and offers the Nokia 7310 Supernova user an excellent experience. Nothing has really changed and you'll notice the same menus, submenus and icons, even the same animation.

Nokia's Series 40 5th Edition UI allows users to experience streaming videos, image rendering, mobile 3D graphics and scalable 2D Vector graphics. The Series 40 5th Edition also supports the latest version of Adobe's Flash Lite 2.1, the interoperable platform that enables the accelerated development and delivery of rich graphical mobile content, and includes audio file playback and streaming capabilities that provide audio and music enhancements to both mobile gaming and multimedia experience.

The handset also includes some useful applications, such as Search, Alarm clock, Calendar, To-do list, Notes, Calculator, Countdown timer, World Clock and Stopwatch. The menu is fully customizable and you can designate any MP3, MIDI or AAC file as ringtone. Nokia's integrated browser also did not change, but you might want to use Opera Mini for faster and smoother browsing.

The phonebook can store up to 2,000 contacts, and each one can be filled with up to five different phone numbers. The fonts can be customized, but only those displayed when opening Contacts, Web browser and messaging sections.

Also, some Java games come preinstalled – Sudoku, Snake III and Backgammon. The phone is compatible with Java MIDP 2.1 applications, but there is a limit to the size of any application that you might want to install on the phone, and that's the usual 1MB. This might be the case for most Java compatible applications, but I noticed that I could run some files that were around 1.5MB in size. Nevertheless, not all Java applications will work on this mid-end device, so you might want to try that out for yourself.

Communications

Nokia 7310 Supernova is fully compatible with GPRS Class 32 (88 kbps), HSCSD (57.6 kbps) EDGE Class 32 (296 / 177.6 kbps), but as benchmarks revealed, the device attained average scores in terms of data transfer speed (EDGE only 82 Kbit/s download and 49 Kbit/s upload), but that may greatly vary depending on the location and carrier.

The phone also features Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP and EDR for faster data transfers. Synchronization with PC is possible through the proprietary microUSB port, but don't forget to install the software that comes with the phone before.

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Sony Ericsson G502 Review: A cheap device offering fast Internet browsing

Released back in summer, the G502 mobile phone can be considered one of the few pleasant surprises coming from Sony Ericsson this year. There's no point in denying that Xperia X1 has been the most expected Sony Ericsson device in 2008, but G502 has its advantages and targets a different market than X1. In fact, Sony Ericsson G502 is among few other mid-tier mobile phones to feature HSDPA technology. It seems that its K660 predecessor had some success on the market, which made the Swedish-Japanese joint company launch another version, even cheaper – G502. The main attractions of the device are definitely the new integrated web browser and HSDPA connectivity capabilities.

Announced in April 2008, Sony Ericsson G502 was made available on the market in June 2008. To increase its appeal, SE launched the phone in three color versions: Champagne Black, Brilliant Hazel and Celerity Red. The phone can be acquired for about USD 180$, but the price may vary depending on location and plan.

Design

Sony Ericsson G502 features a stylish candy-bar form factor, but lacks any improvement from the previous Sony Ericsson bar handsets. It's like you've seen one, you've seen them all. Without being ugly, G502 doesn't impress in terms of design, but that is not what it's meant for. G502 is a small (103 x 46 x 13.5 mm) and light (83g, including battery) mobile phone made from polished plastic, which eliminates the feeling of owning something cheap.

Even if it doesn't stand out from the crowd, I'm still impressed by the fact that SE was very careful to avoid the standard look of its devices. Moreover, users won't have any problem with the phone catching fingerprints, as the material used keeps it clean. Instead, the screen could become soiled after each phone talk, in case you're putting it to your ear, and that will be visible more than it should. Another drawback that I have noticed is the fact that its paint peels off after heavy use, especially the silver paint on the back of the phone, near the camera. The joystick paint might also peel off if you're not careful with it. Well, that's about all the negative aspects I have noticed, so let's start checking the rest of the device.

The G502 bar handset features the proprietary Sony Ericsson port used for USB synchronization, charging or headset. It has been placed on the bottom side of the phone, together with a small eyelet. On the right side of the device, one can see the dual volume key and a dedicated camera key (thumbs up). There is nothing on top or on the left side, except for a small icon on the left side that indicates the fact that the phone features a micro M2 slot card under the back cover. It can be easily pulled out, which makes the process of replacing the memory card pretty easy. The 2 Megapixel camera on the back has been placed on a large silvery prominence, but lacks protective lenses, so it might be susceptible to damage. You can also find a very small loudspeaker, near the left side of the camera, exactly where a flash should've been.

The 2 inch display has been covered by protective plastic so it won't get damaged. Above it, there's only a large in-call speaker and no secondary camera for video-calls. The keypad below has been shaped to emulate a “ripple” effect. There are six keys above the standard keypad: two contextual keys, Accept and Reject call keys, Activity Menu key and a Clear key (Power off/on). The keypad is very easy to use on texting, very responsive and nice to the touch. Still, I have found that using the D-pad joystick might be a little tricky, even annoying sometimes. I didn't like the control of the six keys mentioned above or the D-pad. Otherwise, those using the phone for heavy texting will be more than pleased with the performance of the keypad. Backlighting is stronger on the upper part of the keypad, but overall you won't have too much trouble texting in the dark.

Sony Ericsson G502 may look pretty solid, but it is a little bit unbalanced, especially because it's too light for its size. Otherwise, it makes a fine addition to Sony Ericsson's portfolio of mid-level handsets.

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Palm Treo Pro Available Through Vodafone New Zealand

In an attempt to save its smartphone sales, the US-based company Palm announced that it would launch its latest high-end device, Palm Treo Pro, in New Zealand. The smartphone is available through Vodafone New Zealand for a recommended retail price of $760 USD or $1,300 NZD. Treo Pro is the first Pocket PC developed by Palm that runs on Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional version, after Treo 500v offered the 6.0 Standard Edition of Microsoft's operating system.

Announced in August 2008, it took Palm only two months to make Treo Pro available on the market. I believe that the collaboration with Vodafone offers Palm some sales backup, as the device will be advertised on the carrier’s expenses and will most certainly be a good choice for those that are looking for a cheaper high-end smartphone. Therefore, according to the plan you choose, Palm Treo Pro could be worth it.

"The Treo Pro smartphone with Windows Mobile 6.1 brings a powerful personal computer experience to the small screen, improving how people do business on the go on a single device," said Ben Green, Windows Business Group Lead, Microsoft New Zealand. "Windows Mobile 6.1 also comes with a new Getting Started Centre, which helps the new owner with the typical tasks the phone is used for in the first 10 days when setting up the device. This is just one of the many enhancements that come with the Treo Pro and Windows Mobile 6.1."

Some of Treo Pro's highlights include: full QWERTY keyboard, 2.5 inch touchscreen (65k colors support), HSDPA and Wi-Fi connectivities, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP support, 100MB built-in user available memory, 128MB RAM, Qualcomm MSM7201 400MHz processor, microUSB port, 3.5mm stereo headset jack, built-in GPS and a 2 Megapixel camera.

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Samsung M8800 Pixon Preview, Touch(y) high-end camera phone

After throwing on the market one of the first 8 Megapixel camera phones, Samsung iNNOV8, the Korean company didn't relent in its race to conquer the market, and announced its successor or, better said, its rival – Samsung M8800 aka Pixon. We had the chance to try one of the samples that are making the rounds before the release of the final product, and managed to make a preview of the latest 8 Megapixel camera phone. Before reading it, however, bear in mind that the version of the device we have received is just a sample product distributed only for testing purposes, so obviously, the final product will be much better.

Samsung Pixon was announced in September 2008, and will most likely become available at the end of October or at the beginning of November the latest. I'd say just in time for Christmas, for those that are in the habit of making “technological” gifts. Unfortunately, we couldn't learn the actual price of Pixon, but we estimate that one should pay between 400-500 Euros for it.

Design

At first glance, Samsung Pixon strongly resembles LG's Viewty and Prada, but one look closer and you'll immediately notice some major differences. Pixon is much slimmer than Viewty, and has a more generous display. In fact, Samsung Pixon is the slimmest mobile phone to feature an 8 Megapixel camera, at only 13.8mm. You would expect it to be rather big and heavy with such a large display and camera, but its measures (107.9 x 54.6mm) and weight (121g, including battery) make Pixon the “90x60x90” standard for 8 Megapixel camera phones.


The phone has a few external buttons and only 2 ports. Besides the camera key, there are also 2 keys controlling the volume and the zooming level when accessing the camera interface, and a dedicated Gallery key, all placed on the right side of the phone. The left side includes the microSD port, Shortcuts key (opens a small menu with most accessed functions) and the Hold key (locks/unlocks the touchscreen). On the bottom right of the phone, there's an eyelet that should help users keep the stylus that comes with the device. On top of the handset, you'll notice the well-known Samsung universal proprietary port.

There are only three keys below the large screen: the Accept/Reject call keys and a rounded button that functions as a Back (not Home) key. Above the display, there's a small secondary camera for video-calls, an ambient light sensor and the earpiece.

I was thrilled when I discovered that the phone featured a metallic finish but, at the same time, I was disappointed by the fact that it's a fingerprint magnet. Moreover, the large screen is very easy to soil, while the back cover, which is very well polished and shines, will be dirty most of the time. Anyway, every cloud has a silver lining, and the large screen, which occupies most of the front part of the device, doesn't catch fingerprints so easily. However, you must wipe it after every call if it touches your ear.

The back of the phone features the 8 Megapixel camera with flash and a small loudspeaker. I noticed that the metallic back cover was pulling out somewhat too easily, and you risk losing it if you're an active person. All in all, I've been positively impressed by Pixon's compact construction. I enjoyed the fact that it offered such a high-end camera and a large screen in such a pocket-sized form.

Display and Camera

Samsung Pixon embeds a 3.2-inch TFT touchscreen, supporting 262k colors and featuring accelerometer sensor. The colors displayed on the screen are well-balanced, contrast is very good and brightness can be set to any desired level. Moreover, it's perfectly visible in the sunlight, which is a wonder for a Samsung device, but we're talking about a high-end phone after all, so it should have been pretty obvious. I was very happy to find that the phone featured the Haptic technology, so the feedback when using the touchscreen is cool to experience.

Furthermore, the haptic feedback is very responsive and realistic, so touching a key displayed on the screen is like actually pressing it. The haptic feedback can be turned off/on from the Settings menu. The only drawback I noticed was a little lag when the accelerometer sensor is activated and the screen is turned in landscape mode, but I'm sure this will be corrected in the final version.

The 8 Megapixel camera features flash, autofocus, anti-shake digital image stabilization and geotagging support. It has some protective lens cover that opens when the camera button is pressed. I was disappointed by the LED flash, as I expected Samsung to include a Xenon flash. Consequently, don't bother to make night pictures, unless you are really close to the subject.

The maximum resolution of the pictures is 3264 x 2448 pixels, while movies can be recorded using a maximum resolution of 720x480 pixels. Camera interface is like nothing you are used to, and more user-friendly than with any other Samsung device. You are always 1 or 2 clicks on the touchscreen away from any setting or function of it. Even if it's just a sample version of the product, quality of the pictures is exceptionally good. The shots included below reveal astonishing pictures that cannot be compared with those taken with any other phone on the market that has less than an 8 Megapixel camera. The module camera doesn't lag, while the phone saves pictures extremely fast, even when the maximum resolution is used. You can easily take pictures in portrait or in landscape mode.

The phone can record QVGA movies at 30fps with no problem, and is one of the best clip recorders on the market. Another cool option is the Slow motion function, which enables the device to capture QVGA slow motion movies at 120fps. Unfortunately, this function doesn't work well with this sample device, but it's a very nice addition to the camera.

Overall, I believe Samsung's Pixon 8 Megapixel camera is one of the best on the market (can't really say for certain until I have tested all 8 MP camera phones available so far), setting a new standard for any company that targets the camera phone market with its products.

Menu and Software

Samsung Pixon features an especially created firmware that works very well with the device. Shaking control and the accelerometer sensor are very functional, and make the device more appealing and user-friendly. The Home screen has a menu bar on the left side that works just like a Windows Taskbar.

Samsung's taskbar is hidden, and can be displayed after touching it. You can add or delete any programs or functions you want, by simply dragging them in or out of the bar. The phone has full customization features and can be set to look exactly as you want it. Control is easy and can be done in two ways: touch and swipe.

The latter will certainly remind you of Apple's iPhone, which is controlled mostly through swipes on the touchscreen. In terms of productivity tools, Pixon features programs such as: File Manager, Calendar, Alarm (10), Memo, Task, World clock, Calculator, Convertor, Music player, Photo browser, Google Search, Google Mail, Google Maps, Access browser, Live pix, Video editor, Voice recorder, Timer, Stopwatch, RSS reader, Games, and many more.

Of course, The Widget is also present and fully customizable. The phone also features a Java emulator, which supports almost any Java application and game. Phonebook accepts up to 2,000 entries and around 500 SMS messages.

The phonebook can be displayed according to the user's choice, contacts found on the phone's memory only, or from both the phone and SIM memory.

Communications


Samsung Pixon features HSDPA (7.2 Mbps) technology, besides the usual EDGE (Class 10, 236.8 kbps). Although the NetFront 3.4 Internet browser works like a charm, EDGE speed is lower than expected. Pages are loaded pretty fast with this updated browser, and users can take advantage of the large screen, landscape mode or the mini-map function, which can be controlled with the zooming buttons on the right side of the phone.

Other connectivity solutions include USB 2.0 and Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP support. The phone can also be used as a modem with a PC in case you need one.

I could only use the built-in GPS receiver with the geotagging function of the camera. It’s a pity, but the Google maps localization doesn't offer too much.

Besides the basic message support (SMS, EMS and MMS), the email client is compatible with POP or IMAP accounts. Furthermore, you'll be able to set the email client to check for new messages whenever you feel like it. There's also a dedicated Gmail application that can be found in Google menu.

The quadband (GSM 850 / GSM 900 / GSM 1800 / GSM 1900) network compatible device has very good GSM signal reception, but mediocre when using the UMTS network. The sound is excellent, very clear and very loud when set to maximum volume. I haven't experienced any drops in signal reception, or missed a call while talking on the phone. Vibration is pretty intense, so you'll have a low percentage of missed calls even when the Silent profile is activated.

Processor and Memory

My guess is that Samsung Pixon features a powerful ARM11 family processor that runs at speeds up to 369 MHz.

The CPU is the strongest embedded into a Samsung mobile phone, so you can run multiple applications in the background with no problems whatsoever. The embedded Java emulator can handle any compatible large-size files, so 3rd party applications can be installed with ease.

The phone comes with 200 MB internal memory, but features a microSD memory slot card to expand the storage space up to 8GB.

The slot is placed on the left side of the phone, and a microSD card can be inserted without the need of powering off the phone (hot-swappable).

Multimedia

Samsung Pixon features a touch compatible music player that supports MP3, eAAC+, WMA, AMR files, but also an FM radio with RDS function. Both can be run in the background, or you can set their shortcuts on the taskbar in the home screen.

The phone comes with excellent earphones (made in China), but also with an adapter that enables users to attach any 3.5mm headphones.

The sound quality of the music player is way above average. In fact, you could expect such high quality only from those Walkman series devices made by Sony Ericsson. The music player features an equalizer: Rock, Pop, Jazz, Classic, Dynamic and Surround. The last one proves to be an innovation as the phone can be attached to a 5.1 channel sound system through a 3.5mm jack.

Battery

Pixon comes with a 1000 mAh Li-Polymer battery, which has an official lifetime of approximately 290 hours in standby mode, and 3 hours and 40 minutes in talk-time mode. For a heavy user that spends 2-3 hours a day talking on the phone, it needs to be recharged daily, but a soft user should do just fine with one recharge at 3-4 days. Overall, this is a high capacity battery of small dimensions that barely adds to the weight of the phone. Alas, this is also available for its autonomy.

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BlackBerry Pearl 8220

The first RIM smartphone to come with a flip design, known until now as BlackBerry KickStart, will in fact be released under the official name of BlackBerry Pearl 8220. Therefore, the upcoming clamshell smartphone will be the fifth device from the Pearl series, which is currently comprised of the following models: BlackBerry 8100, BlackBerry 8110, BlackBerry 8120 and BlackBerry 8130.

Research In Motion has not yet fully presented the new Pearl but, according to CrackBerry, the new smarpthone will be on sale in Canada starting mid-September, offered by Rogers. The price of the ex-KickStart is currently not known, but its' rumored to be of around $50 with a contract agreement. This would make the Pearl 8220 one of the most affordable smartphones ever, even more affordable than Palm's Centro, which has been sold until now in over 2 million units.

If we're to believe a leaked fact sheet with the BlackBerry Pearl 8220, its target is represented by the following categories of users: "young urbanites", "multi-tasking women" and "mobile men". As for the features of the flip smartphone, these are not too different from the ones found in the other Pearl handsets.

Of course, being a clamshell, the new 8220 brings an external display, said to have 160 x 128 pixels and to quickly show incoming calls, messages and so on. Other than that, the handset should pack a 240 x 320 pixels internal display, a SureType QWERTY keyboard, quad-band GSM connectivity (850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz) with GPRS and EDGE, Wi-Fi, a 2 Megapixel camera with flash and video recording, Media player, Bluetooth (probably 2.0 with A2DP), a 3.5mm headset jack, HTML browser, advanced email capabilities, embedded games and 80MB of internal memory, expandable via a microSD or microSDHC card.

Besides being launched in Canada, the Pearl 8220 will also get a US release, at about the same time, via T-Mobile.

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LG KC550 was launched

LG KC550, the latest 5 Megapixel handset unveiled by the South Korean manufacturer, was released today in Romania. The new KC550 is a slider that targets users in need of a mobile phone that can also act as a professional photo camera. Of course, the handset won't actually allow you to take photos at a quality that can beat the one real cameras can offer, but it's still a good "photo tool". The 5 Megapixel camera packed by LG in the KC550 features Schneider-Kreuznach lens, flash, image stabilizer, ISO 800 and video recording (30fps at a 720 x 480 maximum resolution). This camera is quite similar to the one of LG Viewty, a handset well-known for its photographic capabilities.

The rest of the specs the new LG comes with include: a 2.4 inch TFT display with 256K colors, tri-band GSM connectivity, accelerometer and motion sensor (M-toy), Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, Music and Video players, FM radio, TV out, email and Web capabilities, 6 pre-installed games and USB. LG KC550 weighs a bit over 100 grams and, when not slid, it measures 96 x 51.4 x 14.3 millimeters. Its battery should be able to keep it going for up to 6 hours in talk-time mode and up to 450 hours in stand-by mode.

With the KC550, LG has equaled Sonny Ericsson when it comes to the number of 5 (or more) Megapixel handsets. The new slider is the fourth LG to have such a camera, after the KG920 (released back in 2006), the Viewty (released in 2007) and the more recent Secret. Coming as one of the lowest-priced 5 Megapixel mobile phones, the new LG KC550 is available as of now in lots of retail stores across Romania. The slider can be bought for prices starting at 850 RON (the equivalent of about $370 or 235 Euros).

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Epoq ESP WP98B, the first watch phone on Windows Mobile

Although wrist-watch a mobile phone is too small to run on Windows Mobile, which was wrong. Epoq ESP WP98B produced by Epoq Multimedia, appears to be the first device of this type. WM His version is 5.0,
And despite the fact that they can not run on it as a normal telephone or Pocket PC, which runs somehow. Otherwise ESP WP98B producer not have said his tiny phone comes with the operating system, right?

In addition to the unusual interface, the new phone clock also offers some features that we can not find in many gadgets this type. Epoq ESP WP98B is powered by a 266 MHz processor ARM926 and offers 128 MB of RAM and a memory card of 512 MB that can be replaced by a 1GB. In addition, the device offers quad-band GSM connectivity (850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz) with GPRS, a 1.45-inch screen with handwriting recognition, Wi-Fi (although in this small screen of the navigation can not be too cool), Bluetooth, media player with support for MP3, MP4, WMV, AVI and 3GP, plus a 1.3 megapixel camera photo. The phone can come see two types of bracelets, a customer's choice: a stainless steel or leather.

Epoq ESP WP98B supports MSN and Skype, as well as 10 languages: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Russian, turkish, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese and Arabic.

ESP WP98B dimensions and weight were not announced, but is clearly the device is very small when compared with a simple cell phone.

If you are going to buy Epoq ESP WP98 what can be found on several online retailers (here, for example), the prices of at least $ 600. The only strange phone will be available beginning April 25, so we will have to wait a bit to get their hands on it.

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Umbrella Sports Built-in Screen, GPS, Wi-Fi and More

Imagine being stuck in a downpour, your destination still miles away - and you have nothing other than an umbrella to protect yourself. You resign to a dull, wet journey, right? Not if the umbrella happens to be the Pileus WiFi Camera umbrella.

The Pileus umbrella seems like it came straight out of a sci-fi movie – it has a built-in camera that you can use to shoot pictures in the rain, plus other add-ons too. That includes a GPS system (wow) and in the future, a video camera as well. Though I choose to be skeptical about the picture quality you'l get out of the camera under such weather conditions, I have to concede that the concept is definitely unique. The Pileus also has integration with Flickr! With a wireless Internet connection in place, the photos you click can be uploaded to Flickr at the touch of a button on the handle! Or you can browse photos from Flickr on the umbrella’s webbed innards just by “a snap of your wrist.”

I think the reasons behind the creation of this umbrella would be as interesting as the features themselves. There's no word yet on the release or detailed specs, but expect to see it selling soon on Sharp Edge.

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Sony CMT-BX50i and CMT-BX20i iPod Audio Systems

With the growing popularity of the iPod, Sony has recently launched a line of sound systems that will enhance the pleasure of listening to iPod users. Sony has developed with the CMT-CMT BX50i and BX20i micro-shelf audio systems specifically for use with various iPod models. These new micro audio shelf systems provide a range of features that allow its users with a more enhanced listening to the music through their habits of the iPod.

The CMT-BX50i and CMT-BX20i allow iPod users experience more powerful and richer sound in a HiFi system built specifically for the iPod. These audio shelf systems allow users to charge the game and control popular MP3 gadget through the audio system. The remote control is also available for music lovers, allowing for a more comfortable enjoyment of their favorite songs anywhere in the house they may be in.

Not only, the CMT-BX50i and CMT-BX20i is also equipped with a front loading CD player can read CD-R, CD-RW and MP3 discs. It is also equipped with an FM tuner integrated to allow users to enjoy music FM if they wish. The CMT-BX50i has all the characteristics of CMT-BX20i audio system, but has Stereo Bluetooth technology which allows users to wirelessly stream CD quality music to other Bluetooth devices helped as stereo headphones, digital music players and mobile phones.

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iPhone/iPod Touch to Interact with Blu-Ray Players through BD Touch

NetBlender has announced BD touch, a new technology which will allow iPod and iPhone touch users to control their Blu-ray players. Denny Breitenfeld, the CTO of NetBlender, gizmodo.com said that what they offer is far more than just a standalone app, but for a package that includes a professional Blu-Ray creative complete with an iPhone SDK for developers. They alleged that the users will be able to interact directly with movies, see additional information in the iPhone and evidently iTunes based on markets and on advertising film content.

"It is a technology that is built into our professional
Blu-Ray tool that will allow studios and independent film companies to allow BD Touch characteristics. These characteristics send data in both directions from the Disc to Iphone and vice versa. Video, sound, text and commands player can be sent"

said Breitenfeld Gizmodo.

Here comes the good part: "Well, now it seems that everyone likes the" remote control "idea" Breitenfeld continued.

"However, the player can control the IPhone as well. Another idea is to pull up automatically IMBD of the film you are watching right Iphone or send the movie in a movie information database on your phone. Ideas are limited only to what people want and will use ",

he argues.

NetBlender released a SDK for the iPhone community project (estimated at 100k) ", so that it can take advantage of its capabilities BD Touch build applications that can easily work with all types of securities, the company of CTO added.

NetBlender argues that the final iPhone app using tactile BD technology will be able to interact directly with movies, showing additional information in the iPhone, maintaining a database your movie collection, and even copies of digital film inside the Blu-ray Disc . The same source notes that there may have to be ported to iPod and iPhone touch playback.

The only problem we see with BD Touch is the piece that gave to MacWorld UK:

MacWorld UK also scored an interview with Denny Breitenfeld. Also, I received some additional information from NetBlender of CTO:

"The sophisticated user interface of the iPhone allows greater user interaction, and the power to leverage the iPhone's existing network,"

said Breitenfeld.

"Search, e-commerce and features that are associated with advertising content abound when film imagines a real-time communication between the iPhone and the content displayed now at a Blu-ray player."

He has hinted that users will be able to buy standalone content (such as a soundtrack of the film), while Blu-ray movie run

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Nokia Bluetooth Display Car Kit CK-15W

The Nokia CK-15 W Display Bluetooth Car Kit allows drivers to easily create and calls in style, while on the road. This novel car kit consists of a 2.2-inch bright, clear display screen where you can view different phone menus of your car dashboard.

The 200 x 170 pixel screen allows for a clearer picture of the phone menu that makes it easy to read while driving. The big screen offers the driver a good overview of the most important functions that call even more useful when driving a car. The car kit display the background and themes can also be adjusted and personalised with the automotive interiors and personal preference.

The Bluetooth wireless connection linking your phone to the car kit makes it possible for directors with a view to the road to browse through the phone menu even with the actual phone in their pocket. Handsfree communication is even easier with a separate input device that is installed in the car, usually close to the user's hand. The sound quality of the car kit is also quite possible to make a clear voice of the other line when making or taking calls.

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The first low-cost Ferrari cell phone

Then came with Motorola MotoRAZR Maxx Ferrari V6 Limited Edition, a Ferrari phone is not a new thing to see. But the V6 Maxx looks just like a phone, not like a car. Assuming that the world needed a phone that actually like a Ferrari, an anonymous producer came with such a handset. And I am not sure whether I should welcome this news with joy, or simply with a smile tendentious.

The handset we talk is simply "F1" and it was spotted on special phones - a dealer sells that devices manufactured in China, South Korea, Japan, China, China and China (with more than a mention of China is intentional, of course, because most of the phones sold through these dealers come from there).

The F1 Ferrari looks like a toy car, but in fact hiding under his red body, a functional mobile presented, which, if the "car" upside down. In relation to the functions, the F1 provides dual-band GSM connection, a 2.2-inch display (touchscreen apparently) with a 176 x 220 pixel resolution and 260k Colors, MP3 player, video player (3GP and MP4), WAP browser and embedded games. The phone weighs 82 grams, measures 120 x 42 x 25 mm (ouch, that's thick - 1 inch), and also has a 1.3-megapixel camera, integrated into the car windscreen. Pure genius.

The F1 can be bought from special phones for $ 190 (120 euros) plus shipping charges, without a contract and without any guarantee that they are working properly.

Anyway, I wonder what the actual Ferrari has to say about this. Not about the "work" part, but on the whole thing. I suppose, you know, Ferrari branded goods a lot of non-car-related products, including fragrances, eyewear, or pencils, but the F1 phone is not safe, following an agreement with the Italian company.

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Cool G108 the Watch Phone in a Clamshell Body

Cool G108 is one of the latest devices to come from China, and while you probably expect it to be a copy of an already existing product, as many Chinese gadgets are, the G108 is
a pretty original creation. The device combines a cell phone and a watch into a small case – which is not actually a new idea, but this is not important. The important thing is that, overall, G108 looks quite OK. For a phone-watch, of course.

Without its wristband, Cool G108 measures 51 x 51 x 20 millimeters (2.0 x 2.0 x 0.78 inches) and weighs 65 grams (2.29 ounces), hence it's almost like a normal watch. Given this small size, we can't expect the device to pack too many features, but its producer somehow found a way to squeeze in "things" like a 1.3 Megapixel camera, quad-band GSM connectivity (850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz), GPRS, Music player, Bluetooth (so you can talk without needing to approach your hand to your mouth), SMS & MMS capability and USB connection.

Moreover, Cool G108 can be opened like a clamshell phone, unveiling a round keypad and an internal 1.5 inch display with 256k colors support and a 128 x 160 pixels resolution. There's also an external LED display that shows you info like the battery status, signal reception and the current time (we're talking about a watch, after all). The internal memory of Cool G108 is only a 0.5MB one, but you can increase it via the memory card slot included in the device.

Cool G108's availability is not known for the moment, and nor is its price. Anyway, it's good to see China producing original stuff too, because copycatting is not really a thing to be proud of, and Cool G108 will be probably seen as cool, indeed, by gadget freaks.

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Firt Review

just a test

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