Computers and Electronics

The Mini Mi Stackable Speaker

2005-03-04T14:09:00.000-08:00

In today’s world of high frequency product launches and developers trying to convice customers their product has something to do with whatever new hipness Apple’s rolling with, it was only so long before we came to this name. The Mini Mi is a stackable speaker unit—several stackable speaker units, actually, using powerful magnets to form solid towers, pyramids, or expensive Jenga games. I like the idea of getting a bunch of them and building an unstoppable wall of sound, but I’m not to crazy about powerful magnets being near the rest of my electronic babies. How do they sound? How much do they cost? No idea. I’ll find out in May, same as you.

HP DJammer

2005-03-04T14:05:00.000-08:00

Wired News has more the HP DJammer we talked about before, including early reaction from the DJ community and new developments on teaching it to beat match and its Wi-Fi capabilities. And yes, you’ll still look like you’re five minutes into a seizure while using the DJammer, but that’s how you indie kids dance these days, what with your hip hopping.

Create Digital Music has somewhat shocking information that HP might actually be doing something cool, as the electronics giants shows off the “DJammer.” The device is more than just a digital music player, as it can also hold and scratch tracks via motion sensors, and can stream to other devices for collaboration. HP has been showing the DJammer off at the Playlist club in London, and we should apparently expect more news to come. One thing’s for certain—I like faux wood inlays.

Honda Numo Hybrid Scooter

2005-03-04T14:02:00.000-08:00

Dear Competition Pro engineers: Life is full of tough choices. I’m sure with your education and experience there were many career paths open to you, many places you could have landed in the scientific, engineering, or medical development fields. You took the road less travelled, adding a USB connection to a twenty some-odd year old joystick that’s only has four buttons. The world may not understand you, your families may reject you and baffled children may chase you through the streets with hurled copies of Wizard of Wor, but we salute you.

The Competition Pro, Now With More Buttons

2005-03-04T14:01:00.000-08:00

Dear Competition Pro engineers: Life is full of tough choices. I’m sure with your education and experience there were many career paths open to you, many places you could have landed in the scientific, engineering, or medical development fields. You took the road less travelled, adding a USB connection to a twenty some-odd year old joystick that’s only has four buttons. The world may not understand you, your families may reject you and baffled children may chase you through the streets with hurled copies of Wizard of Wor, but we salute you.

Pininfarina and Motorola Concepts

2005-03-04T11:27:00.000-08:00

The Pininfarina design team has already worked with Motorola to create a series of ugly, race-inspired clamshell phones that you can purchase if you have no real concept of good design. There might be hope for the collaboration yet, as Pininfarina shows off a prototype design [pictured] to go along with the Birdcage Maserati concept car [not pictured]. It doesn’t look very practical in any ways that matter, but it does exhibit the typical Italian over-styling we’ve all come to love

Here are some more interesting “Motorola Seamless Mobility” concepts from Pininfarina like the concept phone we just talked about. Will we ever see any of these as actual products? Probably not, but they’re fun to look at, and it’s very possible design cues will be taken from these concepts to be seen in future Motorola products.

More pictures after the jump.

Intel Mini PC

2005-03-04T11:17:00.000-08:00

SAN FRANCISCO–Intel on Wednesday showed off its living room PC of the future–and it looks a lot like the Mac Mini.

As part of a speech at the Intel Developer Forum here, Vice President Don MacDonald demonstrated several concept PCs, including the Sleek Concept Entertainment PC–a square, metallic-colored device that was immediately reminiscent of the desktop computer Apple Computer introduced earlier this year.

Adobe Release Open Source Interface Software

2005-03-04T11:14:00.000-08:00

Graphics software giant Adobe Systems has released some components of its commercial products as open-source software, a move intended to help others ease a tedious but important part of programming.

The San Jose, Calif.-based company released two packages, Adam and Eve, that it uses for the creation of the interface people use to control software. The packages were posted last week on the company’s Web site.

Adobe said it released Adam and Eve “to give back to the wonderful open-source community which gives us so much” and to enlist the help of others in improving the packages.

Ultimate iPod Accessories

2005-03-04T10:11:00.000-08:00

Speck iSport

Fanny packs aren't exactly our idea of cool, but they're handy when you're jogging with your music, a wallet and a set of keys. The sturdy black iSport ($20) gives you a pair of zippered compartments for your valuables, plus a pouch in the center for your iPod. The pouch has a molded circle on the front that sits atop your iPod's Click Wheel; you can't scroll, but at least you can pause the music or skip tracks. There's even a flashing blue hazard light for night jogging.

AudioOutfitters EarPod

If you use your iPod's earbuds along with the wired remote control, there's probably a ritual you go through every time you take the player out of your bag: unraveling that way-too-long cord. For you, the EarPod has arrived. Wrap your excess cord around the EarPod to shorten it, or slide open the EarPod's lid to store some of the cord inside. This accessory also has an optional belt clip, which is especially useful if you have an iPod case on which to fasten it.

BTI iPod Battery

This big, ice-white brick of a battery may tip the scales at nearly 10 ounces, but it will run your iPod (via its dock connector only) or iPod Mini for as long as 40 hours on a single charge. The iPod Battery ($80) won't charge the iPod itself, and it's not exactly suitable for jogs around the park, but this jumbo, backpack-style accessory will keep the tunes playing during lengthy flights and road trips.

Ten Technology NaviPod

Turn your iPod into a home-stereo component with Ten Technology's NaviPod, a wireless remote for the iPod that can control basic playback functions from across the room. Use the iPod as part of your existing sound system in this manner, or combine it with the NaviPod and a powered speaker system such as JBL's Creature line to form a standalone home stereo. Mimicking Apple's in-line remote, the saucer-shaped NaviPod has five buttons for volume, forward, reverse, play, and pause. Plug your iPod into your hi-fi stereo, relax in the La-Z-Boy, close your eyes, and enjoy complete control over your tunes.

Altec inMotion iM3 speakers

If you're looking for a no-fuss, no-frills way to pump up the volume on your iPod, give Altec's inMotion iM3 speakers a try. About the same size as a small hardcover book, the ice-white, 15-ounce iM3 speaker set ($180) snaps into an L shape, with a small speaker on each side and an iPod dock in the middle. Plus, it comes with a wireless remote control.

PCS Phone palmOne PDA Phone

2005-03-03T17:43:00.000-08:00

Features:
The Treo 650 gives you just what you need to stay productive and in-touch.
A vibrant 320-x-320 touchscreen display that's easy to read, even in sunlight
Integrated Bluetooth® technology for communicating with wireless headsets, car kits, and other Bluetooth devices
An improved digital camera that also captures video and an improved backlit QWERTY keyboard for even easier typing
Support for corporate email access to Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 using VersaMail™ email software

Editorial Review:
The PalmOne Treo 650 boasts all the legendary features of the venerable Treo 600, plus a whole lot more. Now with Bluetooth, a higher resolution screen, a removable battery, and an improved keyboard, the Treo 650 is once again on the cutting edge of Smartphone technology. It offers all the functionality of a high-end Palm OS-powered PDA, a cell phone and a VGA camera. Simply put, it's the ultimate mobile office companion.

Design

Click the image to get a closer look at the Treo 650's features.
Under the hood, the Treo 650 features Palm OS 5.4, 32MB of RAM (23MB available for end user storage), and an Intel PXA270 312 MHz processor. The design retains the same popular form factor as the Treo 600 with a few subtle, yet significant, changes. The unit's screen has been dramatically enhanced to support 320 x 320 resolution and the full QWERTY keypad has been redesigned for greater ease of use. The top of the unit features an expansion card slot for SD and MMC-based memory and expansion cards. There's also an infrared port here for line of sight data transfers, as well as a handy switch for turning off the phone's ringer. A five-way navigator controls most of the phone's menus and operating system functions, while quick application buttons on either side of the navigator get you to your favorite applications in a snap. The left side of the unit features a volume up/down toggle plus a handy user-customizable button that can be assigned to any phone or PDA function. The rear of the Treo 650 houses a loudspeaker, as well as the VGA (640x480) camera unit. A touchscreen stylus can be tucked away on the right side of the phone. Meanwhile, a combined charging, data, and accessory attachment port is housed on the bottom of the unit, as is a standard 2.5 mm stereo headset jack.

Calling and PDA Features
All the of the Treo 650's phone and PDA functions are designed to provide an integrated, seamless experience. For instance, you can type in the name or initials of a contact on the keypad to dial them. Or, use the touchscreen and stylus to copy information from an email and quickly paste it into another email or text message. All of the latest phone features folks expect are built-in, too, like a handsfree speakerphone, polyphonic ringtones, a vibrate mode and picture caller ID. The capacity of the unit's address book is only limited by the amount of internal and expansion memory available. Use the Treo 650's Bluetooth capability to wirelessly sync your contacts with your PC or Mac (yes, Mac!). Headsets, car kits and other wireless peripherals can also be paired with the unit via Bluetooth.

The Treo 650 is also a fully functional Palm OS device. That means that a huge library of applications, from spreadsheets to word processors to games, can be added to the Treo 650. It's easy to perform multiple tasks like checking your calendar while talking on the phone or dialing calls directly from your contacts list. Familiar Palm OS software ships with the handset including calendar, calculator, clock, contacts, memo, and task management applications. Real Player for video and MP3 playback, VersaMail email client, and DataViz Documents to Go for mobile access to spreadsheets and text documents, are also included.

The unit's memory expansion slot allows you to transfer music, photos, and video from your desktop. Or, use it to load additional games and applications.

Messaging and Internet
The device fully supports SMS and MMS messaging for rapid exchange of pictures, text and video via Sprint's instant messaging system. Other Sprint PCS Vision services are also supported, such as mobile email, web browsing and instant messaging. Sprint's PCS Business Connection service, which is fully compatible with the Treo 650, gives you secure, remote, real-time access to Microsoft Outlook Exchange-- including email messages and attachments, calendar, business directory and personal contacts. You can also respond to meeting requests, access documents stored on your desktop PC, and view email from POP3 and IMAP4-based email accounts, including Sprint PCS Mail, Yahoo!, Earthlink and more.

Imaging and Entertainment
The Treo 650's built-in camera features a 2x zoom, a flash and a self portrait mirror. While the camera is great for taking stills, it can also function as a camcorder, allowing you to capture MPEG4 video to the unit's memory. The device ships with two games, Zap! 2016 and Handmark Solitaire, and many more Palm-based games are available. As mentioned, the device ships with Real Player, so you can use your Treo 650 as a portable MP3 and video player. Keep your tunes loaded on a memory card and you're ready to go with stereo sound wherever you roam.

Vital Statistics
The PalmOne Treo 650 weighs 6.30 ounces and measures 4.40 x 2.30 x .90 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 5 hours of digital talk time, and up to 300 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the CDMA 800/CDMA 1900 frequencies. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

What's in the Box
Treo 650 handset, lithium-ion battery, USB HotSync cable, headset, AC charger, user manual, software CD-ROM.

SV i700 Waterproof MP3 Player

2005-03-03T14:24:00.000-08:00

:: Waterproof MP3 Player Housing

:: Waterproof Headset (included)

:: Fits any of the iRiver iFP-700 Series flash-memory player

:: Allows easy access to control the MP3 Player functions

:: Submersible up to 10ft/3m

:: Secure latching system

:: Neoprene Armbands & SwimBelts Accessories available

Ambient Orb: Wireless Information System

2005-03-03T11:23:00.000-08:00

Product Detail:

"The Ambient Orb may look like a crystal ball on acid, but it's really more of a giant mood ring -- plugged straight into the fluctuations of the stock market or anything else you care to track."
Time Magazine

Watch the orb gracefully change color to reveal important updates – from the direction of the stock market to the state of your local traffic. This beautiful glass sphere receives information via radio signal and communicates it to you through a color-coded system. If you're watching the stock market – green means the market is up and red means it's down.

Receive the following broadcast information for free:

The Dow Jones Industrial Average
NASDAQ
S&P reports
Weather reports for NY, SF, Atlanta and Chicago
The Homeland Security Report

Then, for a small subscription fee:

Pollen reports
Traffic reports
Public opinion polls
Your individual stock portfolio
Local weather
E-Mail and voice-mail alerts
And much more

Register your orb and manage your reports online or by calling a toll-free number. There is no configuration needed and no PC or Internet connection required. Just plug it in and sit back while the Orb's continual updates tell you the vital information you need to know.

Creative Updates Zen Micro to 4GB, 5GB, and 6GB

2005-03-03T11:19:00.000-08:00

Creative responds to the Apple Ipod Mini Update with a bump in the Zen Micro line, which now offers not only $200 4GB and $250 6GB models, but a new 5GB model in between for just $230. I don’t know that people really need that much granularity in their Zen choices, but whatever works, I guess. Even better, Creative has a $20 mail-in rebate on the 4GB models, knocking them down to just $180. As long as you’re not majorly into iTunes Music Store, you probably can’t go wrong with that.

Mac mini Lexus

2005-03-03T11:16:00.000-08:00

In the glove box of this new Lexus sits a Mac Mini, USB 2.0 hub, and an easy bundle of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support. On the dash is a Pioneer in-dash receiver with touch screen displaying the mini’s OSX output. Gin and juice, money on your mind optional.

Hopefully within a couple of months this will be so common it’s not notable.

Hitachi 32HDT20 32-inch Plasma HD Television Review

2005-03-03T11:13:00.000-08:00

MSRP: $5,999

Quick Take:

A small plasma television, at just 32-inches, the Hitachi 32HDT20 packs an impressive 1024x852 HD resolution in it's 16:9 widescreen format. The unit is ready to go right out of the box, with a built-in tuner and speakers. It sports an attractive design, but is considered expensive for it's screen size.

Pros:

- Hight definition resolution at 1024x852 pixels
- Wide assortment of connections makes it a flexible addition to a home theater system
- Built-in speakers and tuner
- Natural colors, especially with DVD sources

Cons:

- May require some color adjustment our of the box to reduce red levels
- "Wide" viewing mode creates too much picture distortion
- Small screen for larger rooms
- Considered expensive compared to other plasma televisions, even including 42-inch models

Beovison 7 Home Entertainment System

2005-03-03T11:08:00.001-08:00

Bang & Olufsen’s is theis the prettiest demand to hand over my wallet I’ve seen in a while. This home entertainment center is built around 32-inch widescreen LCD screen that automatically adjusts picture quality upon powering up. The screen also includes an intergrated DVD player and top box controller module for pulling in satellite channels. It’s only $12,000, or three stolen babies.

ClockBall Desk Clock

2005-03-03T11:08:00.000-08:00

I suck at math, but even without the long series of equations I can tell that ClockBall’s neat factor is pretty much equal to its complete and utter uselessness. ClockBall is a desk clock that rolls forward a centimeter ever hour until it reaches the black border of its pad. Then it rolls backward. Time is told in both direction by a yellow bar across the black number line in the middle. Pretty cool, but call me back when they make a Phantasm version.

Also, this picture is awful, but has to be respected for making something that rolls forward and backwards look the least bit dynamic. I think I had this on a Trapper Keeper once.

Adidas 1 on March 18th

2005-03-03T11:05:00.000-08:00

Almost a year after they were first announced, the Adidas 1 self-adapting shoe will be hitting the streets, with limited supplies shipping out March 18th and an official worldwide launch April 1st. Adidas is putting plenty of money on the line, with a $20 million ad rollout and all the necessary promotion needed to convince people that they need a pair of $250 kicks. I have a feeling they won’t have much trouble making that money back if the Adidas 1 does everything it promises to. (Thanks, Carlos!)

Plasma Screen Televisions are COol!

2005-03-03T11:01:00.000-08:00

Plasma screen televisions are the coolest. They might not run the coolest, but man, plasmas sure look the coolest. I’ve wanted a plasma screen television since the very first time I saw one. I’m not positive what it was that first attracted me, but I’d reckon that it had to be the flatness of it all. I’ve dreamed of a television that I could hang on the wall ever since I was a little kid…

Of course it was mere science fiction, back then. I remember watching Star Trek for the very first time - amazed at the huge television screen at the front of the the bridge of the Starship Enterprise. Now if that huge screen wasn't a premonition of a plasma TV, I don't know what was.

And I remember walking into a Gateway store and seeing an (almost) affordable flat screen plasma television for the very first time. It was at that moment when I realized it was only a matter of time until plasma TVs would be truly affordable to the masses...

Gateway put the pressure on to lower plasma television prices. And I'm heartened to see that the prices continue to drop dramatically. I've seen entry-level 42" screens for a good bit less than US$2500. Of course, the high-end HDTV models can easily cost twice that amount, it's great to see the prices move downward, overall.

Walking into a Best Buy (or other big box electronic store) these days is a bit like walking through Times Square - or through a gargantuan Las Vegas casino hotel sports book. The lure of the giant screen televisions is inescapable.

But I'm not ready to buy a plasma television just yet. Quite honestly, there are still thousands of reasons why not... and just about every one of those reasons has George Washington's picture on it.

LCD televisions are turning up the heat on the plasma screens in smaller sizes. And really nice conventional flat screen monitors have become incredibly inexpensive when compared to the LCDs and plasmas. Prices on conventional widescreen projection TVs have plummeted and the Digital Light Projection (DLP) TVs look to be a sweet alternative to the bigger plasmas.

But it's not just about the money.

There's a buzz that the picture quality of some early plasma TVs isn't holding up over time. It's one thing to spend the cash. But it's quite another to have a piece of technology that won't just be outdated in short time, but shabby.

"Gee, remember that Superbowl when your plasma TV was brand new and the picture was crisp? How many years ago was that?"

The electronics industry has gotten really really good at producing conventional televisions. The oldest TV here at Ranchero Indebto is over twenty years old... it's never been in the shop and it still works just fine. When the new plasma and LCD technology can boast that reliability, I'll get right in line to flash the plastic.

Until then, I'll just be browsing (and slobbering)...

Nintendo DS New Colors in Japan

2005-03-02T15:17:00.000-08:00

Nintendo is releasing four new colors (maybe five, if that silver is different than the original) in Japan, including ‘Candy Pink.’ I’d say it’s likely we’ll get our colored DS soon, although knowing Big N, it’ll be a few months after the March and April launch in Japan (and probably not as many colors).

Handsets Move Forward

2005-03-02T15:15:00.000-08:00

The most advanced range of 3G handsets yet for NTT DoCoMo's Foma service will be on sale in Japan in the first quarter of 2004. Highlights include a 2-megapixel camera on models from Mitsubishi Electric, Sharp, and NEC, compatibility with miniSD or Memory Stick Pro Duo memory cards, and, on Fujitsu's handset, a fingerprint scanner.

Sharp has also built in a new software system that allows users to display and read Microsoft Word and Excel documents on their phones. Better yet for users is longer battery life and reduced weight. Standby time has been extended to 300 hours, and continuous talk time is 140 minutes on four of the five handsets. The weight is between 4.1 ounces and 4.6 ounces.

The handsets support WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) but are only compatible with NTT DoCoMo's Japanese network and offer no overseas roaming.

Chewbacca I-Pod Pouch

2005-03-02T15:14:00.000-08:00

I’m actually looking for another iPod case for my 3G (which is harder than it should be), so I want this lawsuits-be-damned Chewbacca Pod Pouch to be the one. But the thing is, if I’m going to stuff my iPod inside a $16.50 merkin, I at least want to be able to control it from the outside. Sadly, you’ll have to leave a little bit of this fur muff sticking out of your jeans for frequent flicks of the button.

Hitachi Super Battery

2005-03-02T15:11:00.000-08:00

Portable Power

Are you always recharging or replacing the batteries in your handheld devices? Have we got news for you: Hitachi says it has developed a full cell battary that uses methanol, air, and water to provide a cheap, long-lasting power source for portable devices.

The prototype is about 0.4 inches in diameter and 2.0 inches to 2.4 inches long, or similar to an AA battery. Hitachi says it plans to continue development of the device and put it on the market in 2005 along with a compatible PDA. At least two other Japanese companies, NEC and Toshiba, are developing similar devices.

Handheld PDA Comparisons

2005-03-02T01:15:00.000-08:00

Chances are you don't carry a digital camera with you on a daily basis, but your PDA? Yes. What if you happen to find the perfect site for your new business or see your favorite celebrity walking down the street but have no way to document it? We have a solution: handhelds with built-in cameras. While these devices will never replace your standalone digicam or camcorder, they're great for quick snapshots to e-mail to friends and family or to use as a digital photo album. Here are five handhelds that will have you happily clicking away.

Handheld PDA palmOne Zire 72

As the popular Zire 71 goes into retirement, the Zire 72 is here to take its place. Boasting more memory and a faster processor, the PalmOne Zire 72 also lets you take photos and videos, connect to devices via Bluetooth, listen to music, and watch videos. Its eye-catching blue design and its multimedia capabilities will appeal to young professionals who want a device that can get the work done but still leaves room for fun. However, if you're looking for a product with a more business-oriented agenda, the $300 Zire faces tough competition from the Sony CLIE PEG-TJ37, which offers similar features (integrated camera, video and audio playback) and includes Wi-Fi.

Handheld PDA palmOne Zire 72

PalmOne revamped the look and feel of the Zire, giving it a bit of flash with its electric blue color. And forgoing the plastic casing of models past, the Zire 72 comes sheathed in a soft, rubbery material that feels like it could endure some rough treatment. However, if you don't want the color to scratch off, store the device in its case. The Zire 72 has a different look than the TJ37, which is enclosed in a more traditional and businesslike silver-metallic shell. Still, the Zire feels sturdy in your hands, and it's compact and light (4.6 by 2.9 by 0.7 inches, 4.8 ounces), especially for a PDA with a built-in camera.

The Zire sports a beautiful, 320x320-pixel, transflective 65,000-color display. Just beneath the screen lies the five-way directional keypad with a center select button and four shortcut keys to the Calendar and Contacts apps, as well as the camera and the RealOne audio player; you can, however, customize these shortcut controls to launch different apps. Though the design isn't anything revolutionary, we felt comfortable using the device one-handed.

The compact Zire gets flashy with its electric blue casing.

The Zire's camera is built into the back of the device, where it (along with the expansion slot) adds a bit of bulk to the top of the handheld. Unlike the TJ37 and the Zire 71, the 72 doesn't include a protective cover for the camera lens. Even though the lens is recessed into the device, we're concerned it will get scratched or damaged over time if the cover isn't in place. Also on the back of the Zire is the unit's speaker, which actually surrounds the lens, and a small Reset hole.

The rest of the design is fairly standard. The bottom of the device houses the USB cable and power adapter ports, while a lone voice-record button occupies the left side. Rounding out the Zire's layout are the expansion slot for SDIO/MMC media, the power button, and a stereo jack that accepts Walkman-style headphones, all located on the top. We have one complaint about the expansion slot, however. Like the zira, the Zire 72 has a slot that is deeply recessed into the top of the unit; we found it difficult to insert and remove the memory card.

Take cover. Protect your Zire with the included carrying case.

The Zire 72 comes with a protective carrying case, but we were disappointed that PalmOne excluded the desktop cradle that came bundled with the 71. At posting time, the company had not made a decision on whether it would offer a desktop cradle for separate purchase. Also, the rechargeable lithium-ion battery is not user replaceable.

Handheld PDA palmOne Zire 72 Features

Compared to the Zire 71, the Zire 72 runs on a faster 312MHz Intel PXA270 processor, and it has twice the memory, for a total of 32MB (24MB of which are user-accessible). But perhaps the most noteworthy addition to the 72 is the integration of Bluetooth. With this technology, you can engage in short-range communication (around 30 feet) with Bluetooth-enabled devices, such as computers, phones, and printers; surf the Web (requires ISP account); share files; and more. PalmOne even includes some useful Bluetooth utilities. For example, if you have a supported Bluetooth phone with GSM/GPRS service, you can use the dialer function to access numbers straight from your Contacts page, and the PalmOne Messages app allows you to view and send text and multimedia messages. Note: Check the included documentation for compatible phones or download more phone drivers from PalmOne's Web site.

The Zire 72's 1.2-megapixel camera with 2X zoom takes pictures in four different resolutions, from 160x120 up to 1,280x960; in comparison, the TJ37 has only a 310,000-pixel camera with 2X zoom. The Zire 72 holds up to 83 highest-resolution photos, though you can always transfer the shots to a memory card. You'll also find settings for lighting, and you can add special effects such as sepia, black and white, and blue tones. You won't get the same image quality as found on a dedicated digital camera, but the Zire is good for quick snapshots to view on the handheld or to e-mail. You can also switch the camera to video mode and record short clips with audio. Again, it's by no means a replacement for a camcorder, but if you're in a pinch and want to record a scene on the spot, the Zire provides that option. And you'll definitely want to invest in a memory card, as video takes up roughly 2MB of storage per minute of video.

The Zire 72 runs the latest Palm OS 5.2.8 with all the usual PIM apps. We're glad to see that PalmOne updated the Address Book and Schedule apps to the newer Contacts and Calendar, which contain enhanced features and sync better with Microsoft Outlook. The company also throws in a number of other software programs--way more than the TJ37's basic package. You get DataViz's Documents To Go for creating and editing native Microsoft Word and Excel files; VersaMail 2.7 for sending and receiving e-mail; and Adobe Acrobat Reader. But you can't have all work and no play; the Zire comes with Palm Reader so that you can listen to audiobooks (requires separate subscription), as well as RealOne Player and Solitaire.

Handheld PDA palmOne Zire 72 Performance

Armed with the 312MHz Intel PXA270 processor, the Zire 72 enjoys slick operation. In contrast, we encountered delays and "please wait" messages when switching between apps on the TJ37. The new Intel processor also features technology for enhanced multimedia performance; thus, videos ran smoothly, and MP3 playback was impressive, with clear sound and volume, even in noisy environments.

In CNET Labs' tests, we looped a clip using Kinoma Video player and set the screen at 50 percent brightness. The battery ran out of steam after 3 hours, which is slightly better than the TJ37's numbers. PalmOne says the Zire 72 should last about 5 hours with continuous MP3 playback, and our tests found this to be true, with the battery expiring after 4 hours, 40 minutes. With normal use, the Zire should last about a week before needing a recharge, according to the company.

Using Bluetooth, we were able to connect to a Bluetooth-enabled Pocket PC and seamlessly beam data. You'll also find the convenient Bluetooth Manager utility, which lets you turn Bluetooth on or off, set up devices, and connect to network service, all on one screen.

The Zire 72 took decent photos. Indoor shots came out sharp and fairly well lit, but outdoor pictures looked washed out at times. The picture quality deteriorated with video clips; images appeared pixelated, especially when there was lots of movement in the scene, but again, this PDA isn't meant to be a replacement for a video camera. For viewing photos and other apps, the Zire's screen was a standout. It produced bright and sharp images, and it performed well in sunlight. There's no debate that the 72 takes the prize in this category compared to the TJ37, which also displayed sharp images but suffered from a particularly dim screen.

Editors' rating: handhelds
We rate handhelds on a scale of 0.0 through 10.0 (see "What the numbers mean" below). The editors calculate the overall rating from a series of subratings, on a scale of 1 to 10, that gauge key aspects of the product. Each subrating is weighted based on its relative importance. For example, a handheld's performance score counts less than its design score.

The rating criteria with the weightings by class are:

Design
(45 percent of the total rating)
This criterion covers the look and feel of the handheld as well as ease of operation. We consider the size, weight, and shape of the device. We look for intuitive layout of buttons and examine the ease of use of any keyboard or cradle that is included. We also take into account ergonomics, how cool it looks, and how well the implementation achieves its implicit design goals. An uninspiring but functional design will rate a 5. An especially small or lightweight handheld will earn a higher rating.
Features
(35 percent of the total rating)
We rate a handheld's feature set relative to its competitors, looking for that perfect combination of capabilities that matches its users needs. We consider factors such as processor, RAM, and expansion slots. A product that provides just a basic electronic organizer functions will rate a 5. Products with wireless connectivity, abundant software packages, or other, more advanced features will earn a higher rating.
Performance
(20 percent of the total rating)
We evaluate the performance of a handheld in comparison to similar handhelds. We also evaluate battery performance and the quality of the display under varied lighting conditions. A handheld that can perform basic organizing tasks seamlessly will rate a 5. Devices that can perform more sophisticated operations seamlessly will earn higher scores.
What the numbers mean
10.0 (Perfect):
This exceedingly rare score is reserved for a product that is as perfect as it could be. A product that receives this rating could not be reasonably improved upon in any meaningful way. We unequivocally recommend products that score a 10.

9.0 to 9.9 (Excellent):
A product that receives a rating in this range scores high on all of its rating criteria. It succeeds at meeting all of its intended users' needs and has no meaningful drawbacks. It would be difficult, though not impossible, to improve upon a product that scores in this range.

8.0 to 8.9 (Very good):
A product that receives a rating in this range is superior in so many ways that its relatively few drawbacks are not very important.

7.0 to 7.9 (Good):
While the strengths of a product scoring in this range certainly outweigh its weaknesses, it has some faults that certain users should be aware of.

6.0 to 6.9 (Fair):
This range represents a product that is dead average for its market. Its strengths and weaknesses balance each other out, making it adequate for most uses but not a standout. If you can find it at an extremely low price, it may well be worth purchasing, but be on the lookout for a better product.

5.0 to 5.9 (Mediocre):
A product that scores in this range is merely average in the negative sense--in other words, mediocre. These products tend to have enough weaknesses to dampen their strengths. A much better product probably exists in its category, so you should consider others first.

4.0 to 4.9 (Poor):
Products that just don't work well tend to fall into this range. While they may have some positive qualities, the overall package simply lacks the cohesive quality that makes other products successful.

3.0 to 3.9 (Very poor):
You probably should not consider a product in this range or lower. It has few positive qualities, if any, and its weaknesses outweigh them.

2.0 to 2.9 (Terrible):
A product that receives a rating in this range scores low on all of its rating criteria. It does not satisfy any of its intended users' needs and has no meaningful strengths. It would be difficult, though not impossible, to find a worse product in its category.

1.0 to 1.9 (Abysmal):
A product in this range would have virtually no effective or fully functional features. The rare product that falls into this bottom-of-the-barrel range has no redeeming qualities at all.

Hitachi Plasma Flatscreen 50VS810

2005-03-02T01:05:00.000-08:00

For the last couple of years, manufacturers have been striving to make their TVs look wider, flatter, and slimmer--in short, more like plasmas. The all-picture style is alive and well with the Hitachi 50VS810, which looks, from the front at least, almost exactly the same as the company's plasma sets (such as the 42HDT51). Go around to the side, however, and you'll see it's not exactly ready for wall mounting. While we loved its classy look and boatloads of features, its image quality, while very good, doesn't quite match that of competing microdisplays. That said, its excellent out-of-the-box settings will definitely appeal to people who don't want to spring for professional calibration, especially those who see rainbows with DLP sets.

Hitachi Plasma Flatscreen 50VS810 Design

Finished in minimal black, with angular cutouts for the speakers on the sides, when viewed straight on the Hitachi 50VS810 looks almost like a frame of wide film--which, judging from Hitachi's TV commercials, is the effect the designers were going for. A single pane of acrylic fronts the entire cabinet, with the exception of the speakers, which get nice black-metal grilles. The acrylic looks good and protects the screen, but we wish it were removable, since it collects a lot of ambient room light.

A newly designed light engine allows the part of the cabinet below the screen to be remarkably thin--just 2.5 inches, compared to the typical microdisplay's 8 inches or so--a move that considerably reduces the height of the TV. This television measures about 29 inches tall, 55 inches wide, and 16 inches deep, and it weighs 110 pounds. It doesn't include a stand, so most buyers will probably opt to buy the matching stand from Hitachi, model SPF50 ($399 list), or stick the set into a custom entertainment center.

Hitachi stashed a few controls and auxiliary inputs on the side of the set, leaving the front clean but for a couple of logos and indicator lights. One of these glows during the approximately 40 seconds it takes for the set to warm up. As with all bulb-driven microdisplays, the 50VS810's user-replaceable lamp ($199) will eventually expire; Hitachi estimates this will take 6,000 to 10,000 hours, depending on usage.

The company redesigned its high-end remote controls this year, and they now include scrollwheels for volume and channel. We're big fans of this innovation--the wheel works great for quickly reducing the volume of commercials. The blue-backlit universal wand is otherwise well laid out, although we would like to see more differentiation between the six important buttons surrounding the big cursor control. The onscreen menus are simple enough and include thoughtful numeric indicators for picture parameters.

Hitachi Plasma Flatscreen 50VS810 Features

Like Sony's homelier KDF-50WE655 and Hitachi's own 50V500 from last year, the Hitachi 50VS810 uses LCD projection technology as opposed to the DLP and LCoS chips found in competing microdisplays. Unlike the Sony, this Hitachi has a trio of LCD chips with a native resolution of 1,280x720, which exactly matches that of 720p HDTV sources. Of course, in addition to standard-def resolutions, the set can accept and display 1080i HDTV. You can't easily connect a computer, however.

Equipped with a CableCard slot, the Digital Cable Ready 50VS810 can tune digital and HDTV cable channels without an external box. It also has a built-in HDTV tuner to grab over-the-air digital channels.

A few other unique features distinguish the VS810 from the competition. Videophiles will enjoy the adjustable color decoder, which lets you precisely balance the color, and they'll also love the black-and-white color-temperature preset--one of four. Also onboard is our custom-picture favorite: separate day and night independent memories for each input. This year, Hitachi even added a timer that automatically switches from one to the other depending on the time of day.

Conveniences abound on the 50VS810, including a comparatively flexible PIP/POP feature that in most situations allows you to watch two 1080i or 480i sources simultaneously. The main restriction is that you can't watch 480p, 720p, or digital channels in the second window in POP mode (which places three windows next to the main one) or when the main window is 1080i. The selection of aspect-ratio controls is similarly comprehensive. You can choose from six modes for standard-def sources, while high-def and HDMI sources allow three modes, and the Zoom modes allow you to adjust the image up or down.

This is one of the few HDTVs we've seen that includes not one but two HDMI inputs. The back panel also includes two broadband component-video inputs, but unfortunately you can't use them at the same time as the HDMI inputs. In short, you have to choose between component and HDMI (we recommend HDMI if available; see Performance for more). The rest of the input bay includes two A/V inputs with S-Video and composite video, two RF inputs, and a CableCard slot. A monitor A/V output with S-Video is also onboard along with an optical digital output for HDTV's surround-sound audio.

On the side panel, the set has A/V inputs with S-Video plus a USB port that's strictly for displaying digital photos onscreen. We tried it with a camera and a USB keychain drive, and the TV found and displayed the JPEG images without problem.

Hitachi Plasma Flatscreen 50VS810 Performance

The Hitachi 50VS810 offers similar performance to that of the 50V500 from last year, although the new reflective screen does hamper image fidelity when the lights are on. The VS810's main strengths are excellent out-of the-box settings (its precalibration picture is much more accurate than that of the Sony KDF-50WE655, for example) and plenty of control over the picture. Its weaknesses, especially compared to competing DLP-based sets such as the Samsung HL-P5085W, are lighter blacks and the screen-door effect. DLP technology, in particular, has improved since last year, so we gave the VS810 a lower performance mark than we did its predecessor.

Before we calibrated the set for color temperature, the Medium preset was extremely close to the standard of 6,500K. The Standard and Black And White color-temperature presets were quite red; in fact, for black-and-white movies, you should use the Standard preset, since it comes closest to the black-and-white standard of 5,400K. After calibration, the grayscale improved somewhat (see the geek box for more). The set's color decoding was extremely accurate out of the box, with just a bit of red push. Still, we couldn't resist using the excellent color-decoder controls to make it as close to dead-on as we could. The result was deep, rich colors and natural-looking skin tones.

When we watched the opening sequence of Alien, a torturous combination of very dark images, a couple of things immediately became clear. First, the black of space appeared deeper on Samsung's HL-P5085W DLP (which we viewed side by side with the Hitachi). But space also appeared slightly noisier on the DLP, with faint-green "snow" visible in the black from our seating distance of about eight feet. We also saw the rainbow effect on the Samsung. It showed up, for example, as flashes of red, green, and blue that followed the letters of the credits when we swept our eyes across the screen. We saw nothing of the sort on the Hitachi.

When sitting closer than about eight feet to the 50VS810, we noticed signs of a screen-door effect--the result of being able to discern the spaces between pixels. For example, when the crew was exploring the planet's surface, what looked like a very faint grid appeared over the flashlight-lit background behind Captain Dallas. We didn't notice the grid from further back, and neither the JVC HD-52Z525 nor the Samsung evinced this effect.

A couple of other differences emerged when we compared the Hitachi to the JVC and the Samsung. The 50VS810 displayed less color uniformity across the screen. For example, we saw very faint discolorations in shots of cloudy skies. And while the Hitachi's geometry and convergence were excellent, with straighter lines than the other sets' and none of the fringing that marred the JVC's picture--we noticed that the entire image shrank and expanded as the picture content changed from light to dark and back. Bright areas left curious afterimages; for example, the cloudy ball from the THX intro left a reddish spot against the black background after it exploded.

HDTV looked excellent overall, with great detail and color saturation. When we watched the montage of images from the Digital Video Essentials DVD via 720p, we enjoyed superb color in the garish clothes of some frolicking kids and could see every link in a chain on a ferry across New York Harbor. With both HDMI and component video, our Accupel signal generator indicated that the set resolved more detail than the Samsung at 720p and 1080i and about as much as the JVC. We did most of our tests via component video, but when we checked out the HDMI input, we definitely saw an improvement. With Sony's DVP-NS975V DVD player displaying Alien at 720p resolution, the blackness of space appeared even cleaner, with very little visible noise.

Editors' rating: televisions
CNET Electronics editors rate televisions on a scale of 1 through 10. Any product achieving an overall score of 8 or better can be considered for an Editors' Choice award. To calculate the rating, different criteria are scored on our 10-point scale. These scores are then weighted as detailed below, added, and converted to conform to our rating system.

Here are the rating criteria, with the weightings by class:
Design
(25 percent of the total rating)
We look at not only the overall aesthetics of the product but also its interface and included remote. An uninspiring but functional design will rate a 6. Higher scores will be given for a well-designed remote with backlit buttons, a clear onscreen navigation system, and particularly sleek cosmetics. Since we rate TVs relative to the whole spectrum of products, flat-panel plasma and LCD sets generally score higher in the design category.

Hitachi Plasma Flatscreen 50VS810 Features

(30 percent of the total rating)
The range of features is considered in determining this portion of the rating. From picture-in-picture (PIP) and 3:2 pull-down to the appropriate number of A/V inputs, we consider everything this product delivers to the consumer. A set that comes armed with a suitable number of inputs and basic features will earn a 6. Products with high resolution, DVI inputs, individual input memories, or other extras will earn a better rating.

Performance
(45 percent of the total rating)
We consider picture quality to be the most-important criteria for displays, so we give it the most weight. A score of 6 represents a television that can produce a serviceable picture with only a reasonable amount of adjustment. Sets with a particularly sharp picture; rich, accurate color; and good video processing will earn a higher score.

What the numbers mean
10.0 (Perfect):
This exceedingly rare score is reserved for a product that is as perfect as it could be. A product that receives this rating could not be reasonably improved upon in any meaningful way. We unequivocally recommend products that score a 10.

9.0 to 9.9 (Excellent):
A product that receives a rating in this range scores high on all of its rating criteria. It succeeds at meeting all of its intended users' needs and has no meaningful drawbacks. It would be difficult, though not impossible, to improve upon a product that scores in this range.

8.0 to 8.9 (Very good):
A product that receives a rating in this range is superior in so many ways that its relatively few drawbacks are not very important.

7.0 to 7.9 (Good):
While the strengths of a product scoring in this range certainly outweigh its weaknesses, it has some faults that certain users should be aware of.

6.0 to 6.9 (Fair):
This range represents a product that is dead average for its market. Its strengths and weaknesses balance each other out, making it adequate for most uses but not a standout. If you can find it at an extremely low price, it may well be worth purchasing, but be on the lookout for a better product.

5.0 to 5.9 (Mediocre):
A product that scores in this range is merely average in the negative sense--in other words, mediocre. These products tend to have enough weaknesses to dampen their strengths. A much better product probably exists in its category, so you should consider others first.

4.0 to 4.9 (Poor):
Products that just don't work well tend to fall into this range. While they may have some positive qualities, the overall package simply lacks the cohesive quality that makes other products successful.

3.0 to 3.9 (Very poor):
You probably should not consider a product in this range or lower. It has few positive qualities, if any, and its weaknesses outweigh them.

2.0 to 2.9 (Terrible):
A product that receives a rating in this range scores low on all of its rating criteria. It does not satisfy any of its intended users' needs and has no meaningful strengths. It would be difficult, though not impossible, to find a worse product in its category.

1.0 to 1.9 (Abysmal):
A product in this range would have virtually no effective or fully functional features. The rare product that falls into this bottom-of-the-barrel range has no redeeming qualities at all.

Mitsubishi WD-52525 Flatscreen TV

2005-03-02T00:55:00.000-08:00

Mitsubishi's 52-inch WD-52525 is one of a growing crop of DLP-based big-screen HDTVs from an increasingly wide variety of TV manufacturers. DLP and LCD represent the two principal microdisplay technologies that are rapidly replacing older tube technology for big-screen rear-projection HDTV. To date, we believe DLP to be slightly superior in picture quality to LCD--but the implementation of the technology in each model influences the image just as much as the technology itself. This Mitsubishi is a case of good implementation of DLP. Although not without its weaknesses, we were quite happy with the WD-52525's overall performance; in fact, it ranks as one of the top DLP sets currently on the market.

Flatscreen TV Design

The design of the WD-52525 is very similar to that of the wildly popular Samsung models that came to market two years ago. A black bezel surrounds the entire screen area, and below that the rest of the chassis is finished in a dark gray. There is a flip-up door below the center of the screen that reveals a full set of A/V inputs with S-Video, a FireWire port, and four flash memory card slots for quick display of digital photos: Memory Stick, CompactFlash, SmartMedia, and MMC (MultiMediaCard)/SD (Secure Digital).

Compared to other microdisplay sets, the Mitsubishi is rather heavy at 134 pounds, and its 17-inch depth is typical of the category. You'll need to set it atop some sort of stand to get it to eye level; naturally, the company offers a matching stand with space for components, model MB-52525, for another $299. The TV is equipped with a protective acrylic shield, which we found reflected a tremendous amount of glare from the room. Happily, we were able to remove it quite easily; the manual provides complete instructions.

The remote control is identical to those of Mitsubishi's other big-screen remotes. It's on the large side, but well laid out with a minimum of buttons, and we found it intuitive to operate. We were also pleased to find that the most commonly used buttons can be backlit by pressing a button on the right side of the remote. The graphical menu system is fairly straightforward and easy to navigate.

Flatscreen TV Features

The feature package on this set is simply too lengthy to list completely. It starts off with Texas Instruments' HD2+ DLP engine, which has a native resolution of 1,280x720, an exact match for 720p HDTV. All other sources, including 1080i HDTV, DVD, and standard television, are scaled to fit the available pixels.

Dual-tuner PIP and POP head the list of conveniences, although digital and HDTV channels can be viewed only as the main picture, not as the sub picture. Mitsubishi's NetCommand system is also onboard, which allows you to use the TV--via a series of IR blasters and an onscreen interface--to control other components in your system. This digital-cable-ready set also incorporates the new CableCard feature that allows you to view scrambled cable channels without a cable box, as long as your cable provider offers the service (by now, most do).

Picture-enhancing features include three selectable color temperature settings (Low, Middle, and High), 2:3 pull-down in the video processing, and a Perfect Color menu for adjusting the color decoder. We counted six aspect-ratio modes for standard-def sources, and only two for HD.

Connectivity is also extremely comprehensive. The WD-52525 has a built-in HDTV tuner, and in fact both RF inputs will receive and display HDTV as well as NTSC signals from an antenna or cable--the latter can work in conjunction with the CableCard slot. There are three component-video inputs, one of which can also accept RGBHV signals. An HDMI port and two FireWire (DTVLink) I/Os are also on tap here for direct digital-to-digital connections. Two A/V inputs with both S-Video and composite video and stereo audio are provided for analog sources, along with a 15-pin VGA input for use with a PC and an RS-232 port for use with AMX or Crestron touch-panel remotes. Finally, there is an A/V output with composite video only and a coaxial digital output for routing audio to an A/V receiver.

Like all microdisplay TVs, the WD-52525 has a lamp that will eventually burn out. Mitsubishi unofficially rates lamp life at around 6,000 hours, although at 4,000 hours a message appears telling you to consider buying a replacement assembly ($299).

The WD-52525 is also available in a 62-inch version, model WD-62525.

Flatscreen TV Performance

Performance
Overall, we found the WD-52525's picture quality to be among the best we've seen yet from a rear-projection DLP, although in our initial setup we did run into some problems. During calibration, for example, a lack of grayscale adjustments at the low end resulted in less than ideal grayscale tracking--disappointing, given the potential of DLP in this performance area (see the geek box for details).

We were also disappointed to find that the WD-52525 did not fully resolve every line of a 720p test pattern, although, to be fair, we've seen this kind roll-off in some other "native 720p" sets. Edge enhancement was still clearly visible after turning off the DefinEdge feature and turning the Sharpness control to zero. On the upside, the video processing with film mode turned on does have 2:3 pull-down, as evidenced by the clean rendition of the opening sequence of the Star Trek: Insurrection DVD.

Mitsubishi's color decoder is not particularly accurate from the factory, but the Perfect Color feature is designed to help you fix that. We were able to eliminate red push but unable to completely remove the errors in green, because adjustments to green adversely affected red. The end results were good, however, and we applaud Mitsubishi for making this adjustment available.

After calibrating the WD-52525, we watched some scenes from the Seabiscuit (for color evaluation) and Alien (for black-level performance) DVDs. Chapter 12 of Seabiscuit looked good, with excellent color saturation, accurate skin tone rendition, and plenty of detail. Chapters 2 and 3 of Alien, mostly dark scenes, looked pretty good, although we could see some low-level noise in the darkest scenes. We also noticed trails of color following the white credits against the black of space (rainbow effects). Both of these are typical of DLP TVs, though, and were not any worse than we've seen on other such sets with similar technical specs.

HD looked quite good on the WD-52525, particularly with bright material. HDNet from our DirecTV HD satellite feed had excellent color saturation and good detail.

Editors' rating: televisions
CNET Electronics editors rate televisions on a scale of 1 through 10. Any product achieving an overall score of 8 or better can be considered for an Editors' Choice award. To calculate the rating, different criteria are scored on our 10-point scale. These scores are then weighted as detailed below, added, and converted to conform to our rating system.

Here are the rating criteria, with the weightings by class:
Design
(25 percent of the total rating)
We look at not only the overall aesthetics of the product but also its interface and included remote. An uninspiring but functional design will rate a 6. Higher scores will be given for a well-designed remote with backlit buttons, a clear onscreen navigation system, and particularly sleek cosmetics. Since we rate TVs relative to the whole spectrum of products, flat-panel plasma and LCD sets generally score higher in the design category.

Features
(30 percent of the total rating)
The range of features is considered in determining this portion of the rating. From picture-in-picture (PIP) and 3:2 pull-down to the appropriate number of A/V inputs, we consider everything this product delivers to the consumer. A set that comes armed with a suitable number of inputs and basic features will earn a 6. Products with high resolution, DVI inputs, individual input memories, or other extras will earn a better rating.

Performance
(45 percent of the total rating)
We consider picture quality to be the most-important criteria for displays, so we give it the most weight. A score of 6 represents a television that can produce a serviceable picture with only a reasonable amount of adjustment. Sets with a particularly sharp picture; rich, accurate color; and good video processing will earn a higher score.

What the numbers mean
10.0 (Perfect):
This exceedingly rare score is reserved for a product that is as perfect as it could be. A product that receives this rating could not be reasonably improved upon in any meaningful way. We unequivocally recommend products that score a 10.

9.0 to 9.9 (Excellent):
A product that receives a rating in this range scores high on all of its rating criteria. It succeeds at meeting all of its intended users' needs and has no meaningful drawbacks. It would be difficult, though not impossible, to improve upon a product that scores in this range.

8.0 to 8.9 (Very good):
A product that receives a rating in this range is superior in so many ways that its relatively few drawbacks are not very important.

7.0 to 7.9 (Good):
While the strengths of a product scoring in this range certainly outweigh its weaknesses, it has some faults that certain users should be aware of.

6.0 to 6.9 (Fair):
This range represents a product that is dead average for its market. Its strengths and weaknesses balance each other out, making it adequate for most uses but not a standout. If you can find it at an extremely low price, it may well be worth purchasing, but be on the lookout for a better product.

5.0 to 5.9 (Mediocre):
A product that scores in this range is merely average in the negative sense--in other words, mediocre. These products tend to have enough weaknesses to dampen their strengths. A much better product probably exists in its category, so you should consider others first.

4.0 to 4.9 (Poor):
Products that just don't work well tend to fall into this range. While they may have some positive qualities, the overall package simply lacks the cohesive quality that makes other products successful.

3.0 to 3.9 (Very poor):
You probably should not consider a product in this range or lower. It has few positive qualities, if any, and its weaknesses outweigh them.

2.0 to 2.9 (Terrible):
A product that receives a rating in this range scores low on all of its rating criteria. It does not satisfy any of its intended users' needs and has no meaningful strengths. It would be difficult, though not impossible, to find a worse product in its category.

1.0 to 1.9 (Abysmal):
A product in this range would have virtually no effective or fully functional features. The rare product that falls into this bottom-of-the-barrel range has no redeeming qualities at all

Mitsubishi Flatscreen LCD DISPLAY

2005-03-02T00:05:00.000-08:00

The good:

Excellent cable-feed system; integrated USB hub; handy joystick button for navigating the controls; highly adjustable for a 17-inch LCD; extendable warranty.

The bad:

Mediocre image quality; expensive.

What's it for:

Basic home and office computing.

Who's it for:

Anyone for whom great image quality is not a priority.

Business use:

Basic office computing, such as e-mailing, Web surfing, and word processing.

The bottom line:

All the little details are in place, but the so-so image quality and the high price detract from its appeal.

The NEC-Mitsubishi MultiSync LCD1770NX has a number of great features and it's well designed, and if that were all that mattered, it would be a great display for office and home users alike. Unfortunately, what's plain as the nose on our Labs technician's face is the 1770NX's disappointing image quality. For about the same price, you can get a better LCD, such as the Samsung SyncMaster 711t, or at the very least, you can get away with paying less for an LCD of similar quality, such as the ViewSonic VX710.

The LCD1770NX makes a great first impression. It's framed by an unobtrusively skinny bezel. Along the bezel's bottom edge are four rectangular adjustment buttons that launch and exit the onscreen menu and switch between analog and digital inputs. A tiny joysticklike wand handles intramenu navigation and makes adjusting the image easy and fun. There are five USB ports located on the back of the panel--one upstream and four downstream--and one USB cable is included, along with an analog signal cable.

The LCD1770NX inhabits a sparsely populated middle ground between highly adjustable LCDs and those with nary an articulation point to be found. Its base has a lazy Susan that allows for nearly 360 degrees of side-to-side swivel--an excellent range of motion that makes it easy for workers in open-plan office environments to share their creations. The neck can be raised four inches to accommodate users of varying heights, and the panel tilts about 30 degrees back and forth. The panel can be attached to a VESA wall mount, but it'll require some unscrewing. The only adjustment option not included is a Portrait/Landscape pivot. This feature is usually found in larger LCDs, though some 17-inchers, such as the Samsung SyncMaster 711t, can make the switch to Portrait mode. Where most LCDs have a straight up-and-down neck, the LCD1770NX's curves forward. This doesn't seem to serve any particular purpose, except make it hard to raise and lower the panel. The telescoping action is stiff, the angle is a bit awkward, and the base wobbles and kicks up a lot when you try to adjust the height.

NEC-Mitsubishi has put quite a bit of thought into the cable-feed system, something neat freaks are sure to appreciate. There are three plastic loops on the back of the display where the neck meets the panel and two more loops alongside the neck. The loops vary in size, so some of them can accommodate more or thicker cables. Once you have the cables all tucked in, you can snap the plastic cover over the back of the neck to cover everything up.

Through the onscreen menu (OSM), you can adjust basics such as horizontal and vertical positioning, menu timeout, brightness, and contrast. But the LCD1770NX also has what's called an AccuColor control system, which amounts to a few extra color temperature settings, including sRGB, which uses a standard red, green, and blue setting so that you can easily communicate color settings for consistency across different displays, and native, which is the original color presented by the LCD. Another touch we like is that through the OSM, you can set it so that the joystick button automatically takes you to brightness and contrast adjustments. If you don't like using the OSM, you can download NEC-Mistubishi’s NaViSet software and perform all of your adjustments with your mouse and keyboard through a tabbed Windows interface.

We were considerably less excited about the NEC-Mitsubishi LCD1770NX’s image quality. We tested it using CNET's DisplayMate suite at the monitor's native resolution of 1,280x1,024 with a 60Hz refresh rate. Text was somewhat faint and lacking in contrast, which made it less sharp than we like. The dark end of the grayscale took on a greenish tint instead of staying pure gray, which indicates color-tracking errors, and extreme black could have been a good deal darker. We also noticed that the screen was not uniformly lit: the bottom half was a lot lighter than the top half, and there was a bright edge along the top and sides of the screen. DVD playback was tolerably smooth but background colors and skin tones showed some digital noise.

The NEC-Mitsubishi MultiSync LCD1770NX comes with a standard three-year warranty on parts, labor, and the backlight. You can extend the warranty one year for $50 or two years for $80. Toll-free phone support is available 24/7, and live chat with a tech-support representative is available via NEC-Mitsubishi’s Web site Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. MT.

Motorola Cell Phone V710 Review

2005-03-02T00:03:00.000-08:00

Being the first CDMA phone with Bluetooth functionality, the Motorola V710 gained quick acclaim when details of its features leaked. Being more prevalent in GSM, the CDMA market had never quite embraced Bluetooth. And users have waited anxiously in hopes that a device may soon come.

Users may have to wait a bit longer for full Bluetooth functionality though. Angry consumers have filed a class action lawsuit over Verizon's sly firmware change; crippling Bluetooth by disabling file transfers. However, crafty consumers have managed to re-enable their Bluetooth transfer capabilities by re-flashing their firmware to other versions.

Regardless, the Motorola V710 is still a capable device, featuring a built-in 1.2-megapixel camera with video recording capabilities, MP3 player, speech recognition, memory card slot, vibrant 262K color screen, and Bluetooth that can pair with accessories and be used as a modem.

Design

The Motorola V710's clamshell design has many similarities to its predecessors. The two-toned stylish and refined appearance measures 94 x 49 x 23 mm and weighs approximately 4 ounces; large enough to text message conveniently while small enough to comfortably fit in pockets.

Allowing users to quickly glance at information, the closed exterior contains a 4K color 12-bit display giving users access to date, time, battery life, signal strength, and caller ID. The upper portion encloses a raised rim containing the lens to a 1.2-megapixel camera, capable of capturing images up to 1280 x 960 px in resolution, while a built-in flash rests in the lower left.

Turned around, the back includes a capped external antenna port on the upper left, for those rare times when the extendable antenna may not be enough, and a speakerphone on the bottom allowing clear and loud handsfree access.

Opened, the Motorola V710's vivid 176 x 220 px internal screen is revealed, displaying an impressive 262K colors. Navigation is performed by a 5-way directional keypad situated below, surrounded by Send, Camera, Menu, Clear, Power / End, and Left and Right soft keys. A slightly unorthodox keypad embeds the center row keys within the left and right row of numbers. While somewhat unique, the numeric keypad, used with iTAP predictive text input, provides for trouble-free messaging.

Against the left side are volume keys and a speakerphone button, while the right features dedicated camera and voice dial buttons. A covered TransFlash memory card slot and 2.5mm stereo headset jack is built into the top, while outlets for attaching the charger and accessories are located along the bottom.

Out of the box, the Motorola V710 comes with a standard 700 mAh Li-Ion battery, AC adapter, holster, and manual.

Samsung A890 Review

2005-03-02T00:02:00.000-08:00

Featuring an integrated 1.3-megapixel camera, video recorder, 262K color screen, and 64 chord polyphonic ringtones, the Samsung A890 is the latest multimedia phone to be released on the Verizon Wireless network.

However unlike previous devices, the A890 takes advantage of Verizon's new high-speed EV-DO network. As one of the first handsets compatible, it's able to access a variety of VCAST applications including Video-on-Demand (VoD); designed to stream television content such as news, weather, sports, and movie trailers.

Design

Resembling the Samsung MM-A700, Sprint's first video phone, the A890 is similar in shape and size. Built with rounded curves in a clamshell form factor, the front panel contains an external color screen, capable of displaying 65K colors at 128 x 96 px. Positioned above, a lens and flash to the 1.3-megapixel camera allow photos and video to be captured, while a front speaker on the bottom left loudly plays ringers.

Turned around, the back includes a second speaker grill in the upper right for multimedia content, and a capped antenna port on the upper left to attach an external antenna for extra reception.

Flipped open, an internal screen is revealed, able to display 262K colors with a resolution of 176 x 220 px. And navigation and text messaging is performed with the standard 5-way directional and numeric keypads.

Against the left, up and down side keys adjust the ringer volume in standby and earpiece volume during a call, while a 2.5 mm headset jack allows for handsfree access. To snap unexpected moments, a dedicated Camera Key is positioned on the right side. Meanwhile, outlets for attaching the charger and accessories are located on the bottom.

Out of the box, the Samsung A890 comes with a standard 1100 mAh Li-Ion battery, desktop charger, stereo headset, Welcome CD, quick reference guide, and user manual.

Camera

A rotating 1.3-megapixel camera is attached to Samsung A890's hinge, able to take pictures at up to 1280 x 960 px in resolution. Other resolutions include 640 x 480 px, 320 x 240 px, and 160 x 120 px. Also functioning as the viewfinder, the internal screen shows camera information such as control options, resolution, and available memory. The versatile design of the rotating lens allows users to snap pictures from different angles, such as shooting over a crowd, or taking self-portraits while looking at the screen.

Additionally, an abundant array of camera filters and controls are incorporated including Brightness (EV -4 to +4), Rotate / Flip, Color Effects (Normal, Backlight, Solarize, Negative, Sepia, Black and White), File Quality (Low, Medium, High), Flash (On, Off, Auto), Zoom (5X), and Self-Timer.

Video clips recorded on the A890 are encoded in 3GPP2 codec (MPEG-4 and H.263 Video, AAC and AMR Audio) format. Limited to 15 seconds in length, the A890 takes advantage of MPEG-4 for delivery of video and audio.

Sony Ericsson S710a Review

2005-03-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

With clamshell phone designs, manufacturers can fit larger screens on more surface area in a compact size. Last year, Sony Ericsson added a "twist" to convention by releasing the S700; a device designed with a distinctive swivel form operating more as a digital camera than a phone.

Unfortunately, the S700 was never introduced to North American consumers. Planned to be carried in Cingular's portfolio line, the Sony Ericsson S710a succeeds the S700 by including many improved features such as EDGE high-speed Internet access.

Design

Similar to the S700, the S710a features a rotating form focusing on digital imaging. The front panel contains a TFT color screen, capable of displaying 262K colors at an impressive 240 x 320 px resolution. Positioned below, a 5-way navigation key is flanked by two Selection keys above and Back and Clear keys below.

Turned around, the lens to the advanced 1.3-megapixel camera is sheltered by a sliding cover lock. A Photo Light placed above the lens provides illumination in low light conditions, while a mirror situated under allows users to see where to aim during self-portraits. Additionally the grill adjacent to the camera allows handsfree speakerphone access.

Quick keys provide shortcuts to frequently used functions. A charging light, Lock / Light switch, and infrared port are placed along the left, while a Memory Stick Duo slot, Shutter Release key, and side volume buttons align the right. Ports for the charger and 2.5 mm headset are located on the bottom of the S710a.

By working closely with Sony's digital camera experts, Sony Ericsson incorporated a sleek exterior and unique with overall styling, resulting in a design resembling a cell phone with true camera style. Featuring a revolutionary 3-way design, the S710a allows multiple operating styles depending on what the situation demands.

In Browsing Style, with the S710a closed, users can glance, talk, and view messaging without having to open the phone. Access to a variety of applications is even possible such as Media Player, 3D games, MusicDJ, and Internet access.

In the traditional clamshell open position, the Communication Style provides familiar cell phone usability allowing speedy messaging with T9 predictive text and call functionality.

And Imaging Style is accessed by swiveling the screen closed, positioning the display opposite the camera lens to become the viewfinder; providing a more traditional digital camera look and feel by allowing 2-hands operations for more stable picture taking.

Siemens S66 Review

2005-03-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

Long awaited by consumers, the Siemens S66 is the top-of-the-line model of the x65 series, featuring the same platform as the CX65 and M65, the S66 is targeted towards business consumers.

With an integrated 1.3-megapixel camera, extra large color screen, and 10 MB of memory, the Siemens S66 features a comprehensive set of applications and tools packaged in a sharp design.

Design

Featuring bold edges and lines, the stylish S66 measures 109 x 48 x 18 mm and weighs 98 g; perfect for busy professionals looking for a compact device with a clean professional look. Having a black and chrome minimalist appearance, the front features a large 132 x 176 px screen capable of displaying 65K colors, a 5-way navigation joystick situated between two soft keys, and angular numeric keypad.

Turned around, a port for an external antenna accessory is included on the upper left; for those times when the internal antenna may not be enough. Additionally, the lens to the built-in 1.3-megapixel camera is situated on the back, able to capture high-resolution photos up to 1280 x 960 px in size.

Along the left side, an infrared port provides wireless transfers and synchronicity between PCs, while up and down keys along the right provide shortcuts to initiates sound recording, activates camera mode, and functions as scroll and volume adjustment buttons. Connection ports and a RS-MMC slot are located on the bottom, while a spot for a car holder kit lies on top.

Out of the box, the Siemens S66 comes with a standard 750 mAh Li-Ion battery, AC adapter, 32 MB RS-MMC, RS-MMC to MMC adapter, mini CD, and user manual.

Camera

The 1.3-megapixel camera, built with a maximum resolution of 1280 x 960 px, includes other photo sizes such as High - VGA (640 x 480 px), Medium - QVGA (320 x 240), Low - QQVGA (160 x 120 px), and Wallpaper (180 x 240 px).

In Camera Mode, the S66's screen becomes the viewfinder, displaying useful information such as zoom and brightness levels, resolution, as well as available memory.

Should shutterbugs need to get closer to the action, a 5X digital zoom is included; controlled by moving the navigational joystick up and down. However to truly zoom in, consumers will have to walk. Rather than optical zoom, digital merely enlarges the photo much like cropping, as opposed to getting closer. Due to limitations in hardware and moving parts, optical zoom is not yet feasible in camera phones.

Additional camera functions allow users to control Color Modes (Normal, Sepia, and Grey Tones), White Balance (Automatic, Indoor, Outdoor), Brightness (Joystick Left / Right), and Self-Timer. Unfortunately, there is no mirror for self-portraits, so users will have to either use the Self-Timer or randomly point and shoot. When the optional flash accessory is attached, additional menu options (Automatic, Off, Red-Eye) are enabled.

Encoded in MPEG-4, video clips can also be captured at either QCIF (176 x 144 px) or Sub-QCIF (128 x 96 px) resolutions at 15 fps limited to a maximum length of 30 seconds. Photos and video taken with the S66 can be either stored on the internal memory or a memory card.

Sony Ericsson P800 Review

2005-03-01T22:49:00.000-08:00

Introduction

Sony Ericsson's new P800 might very well be the most advanced triband smartphone in the industry. It's the first attempt of Sony Ericsson to break into the phone/PDA combo, and the first Symbian OS v7.0 handset available. It's aimed at the high end $1000+ mobile phone market, carrying with it a slew of features, options, and gadgets.

The feature rich P800 delivers with a vibrant 4,096 color display which puts it up there with the likes of the popular Nokia 9200 Communicator series and the Handspring Treo.

Design

The P800 has the sleek look one would expect from Sony coupled with the practicality of Ericsson. Notables in the P800's design include the built-in digital camera (which is a convenient, popular thing nowadays), VGA touch screen, and a removable flip (you can actually operate the thing as a phone even without the flip. It simply goes into "virtual flip" mode).

The camera takes pretty sharp pictures, especially given the fact that the camera is not the phone's primary function. However, like most, if not all of the other phones that include digital cameras, the P800 is more suited to outdoor photos because of the natural light provided. Indoor pictures tend to be on the dark side because of the lack of a flash.

As a phone, the P800 actually isn't much larger than the Sony Ericsson T68i. Although it includes PDA features, the phone still retains many of the qualities that make it a mobile phone.

Shortcut buttons conveniently located provide quick and easy access to commonly used functions like the contacts list, call history, and messages. As a PDA, the P800 is typical for phone/PDA combos in terms of size. Navigation is accomplished with the included stylus.

Screen

With a vibrant 12-bit, 4,096 color VGA touch screen, PDA display is at least on par with the pure PDA's out there. In flip closed mode (operating as a standard phone), the phone can show up to the standard 5 lines of text. Nothing groundbreaking but it works, and it works very well.

Controls

The buttons are small which is typical of any cell phone out on the market today following the trend to conserve space. However, those that either have big hands or just don't like small buttons, the phone does operate in flip open mode (or with the flip completely removed as it really isn't all that necessary). As mentioned above, the phone goes into virtual flip mode when the flip is detached. You would dial simply by using your stylus.

The stylus itself is pretty normal. It's a little thicker than normal - built like a mechanical pencil with a sharp, accurate tip. Nothing particular or special although it is worth noting that unlike most PDA's the P800 doesn't have a built-in slot for holding the stylus. It just kind of sticks to the side which means it might get lost a lot if you're anything like me. You might want to consider carrying extra styluses/styli around with you just in case.

The responsiveness of the phone/PDA to the touch of the stylus is what one would expect. Not overly sensitive but sensitive enough so you don't crack the screen from pressing so hard.

The P800 is also equipped with a 5-way jog dial. I know. 5-way? Sounds confusing. But it's actually quite intuitive and cool. Scroll up, scroll down, push inward, push away, pull toward. Once you start using it, it makes sense. And it's pretty cooperative and gets what you want done. One of the best things Sony ever came up with. Navigating through complex menus become a breeze.

Hitachi 32" Plasma PD5000TA Review

2005-03-01T22:13:00.000-08:00

Hitachi 32" Plasma PD5000TA Review

by theVooner

With the way in which Plasma prices have fallen since I first got one nearly 3 years ago, I knew it was only a matter of time before I bought another one. I've had my eye on the Hitachi Plasma's for quite some time now and I was so ready to pull the trigger last summer. The PD32A3000 32" Plasma was the perfect model for my bedroom - it had great picture quality and looked extremely good. But I held off.

For one reason after another, I just waited. And then, just when I finally decided that it was time to get it, Hitachi announced an upgrade, the PD5000. With a higher luminance (i.e. brighter screen) and built-in tuner, to name but a few improvements - I was sold. I couldn't take it anymore and finally threw down my credit card. My bedroom finally has a Plasma TV. Yeah!

Form

The PD5000 has excellent aesthetics. It comes in an extremely attractive metallic color which is much more of a darker gray than the brighter silver that many other Plasmas come in. Initially, I didn't like it as it seemed too dark. But the color is actually very good. It's not overly sharp so that it's distracting and it is very easy to match with any existing furniture or room.

The PD5000 comes with both a stand and a wall mount. I especially like the stand because it swivels. Thus, you can move the Plasma into different angles. This is a really outstanding design given that Plasma TV's are still pretty heavy and not so easy to turn or move.

Access to the input panels at the back is easy to reach and with the swivel, it's a breeze to connect and disconnect any peripheral devices. There are AV inputs for most everything and even serial inputs for RGB inputs like PCs. Although Plasma designs today seem relatively standard, there are not many complaints on the PD5000. It lacks the luster of the beautiful new Sony Plasmas with their "glass" frame. But, the PD5000 is no slouch and deserves some credit. I like it much better than many of the other Plasma's available out there.

Function

Bear in mind again that this is the 32" model. I had my mind purely set on getting a 32" model for the bedroom because there is just not enough room to put in a 42" model. In truth, the price differential between the 32" and the 42" isn't very much so a 42" seems like a better buy. But I wanted something that would fit my room and a 32" model is a perfect fit so I still opted for that.

As far as 32" Plasmas go, the PD5000 is one of the best if not the best one out there. Ok, first, before I get into the image, I must back track a little. I did consider looking at 32"+ LCD options as well. I compared side-by-side, from different angles, looking at TV images - then DVD, sound, etc. At the end of the day, I just felt that Plasma, and more importantly, this Hitachi PD5000 Plasma was the best. I liked the Sony 30" KLV-30MR1 LCD TV as well but while the images are slightly brighter, some of the image quality was poor, particularly when watching TV. Strangely, because the LCD screen is brighter, it seemed to exaggerate the blurriness of standard TV, especially here in Asia when satellite signals still look pretty hazy. I didn't like that. As for the talk that a Plasma will end up having a shorter life. That life is still like 25,000 hours or something. If you do the math and presume you watch 5 hours a day all year long, that's still 13+ years. I don't think that's going to bother me much. I'll be surprised if I don't buy a new TV in the next 5 years! (There are other reasons as well why I chose this model and I'll get into that a bit later.)

The main strength of the PD5000 must be the quality of its image. Although it might be argued that Plasmas are relatively similar, when you compare the PD5000 against other Plasma TVs, it is sharper, brighter, has less 'snow', and has more vibrant colors than any others. You do have the option of calibrating individual colors but this is probably not necessary as the default settings are already very good. This is a very subjective matter but if you want to see it for yourself, just go to the store and do a side-by-side comparison and make up your own mind. For me, the quality was just there.

Part of this quality is the actual image itself. One thing that I really like about the Hitachi Plasmas are their different viewing angles. Of course, in order to fit the widescreen format, Plasmas tend to stretch or zoom some pictures (like regular TV for example) in order to fill-in the whole screen. My older Fujitsu Plasma tends to stretch out the images so that people look FAT! Not so with the Hitachi, you got quite a number of different picture modes and the Panoramic mode is the best and does a very good job with regular TV pictures. This is a big plus.

One of the big swing factors in my decision to get the Hitachi PD5000 was the built-in tuner. It just makes things hassle free. Most other Plasmas, including past Hitachi models came with a separate box that was a tuner/AV center. The PD5000 has everything built-in. At first, I was closely thinking about the Sony, but apparently, the Sony tuner that comes with the LCD and Plasma is a PAL only tuner. That means I can't receive certain NTSC channels (NTSC countries probably come with only a NTSC tuner). In Hong Kong, we have both signals, and this was a great annoyance. I like that Hitachi made everything so easy by building everything into the unit.

The PD5000 has two built-in speakers (that are detachable and that have interchangeable faceplates). These speakers are more than adequate for day-to-day TV viewing. Even for movies, they more than serve the purpose. There are additional sound enhancement features like built-in SRS Bass and surround sound modes that help enhance the quality. But if you want anything close to a theatre experience, you'll want to purchase something extra and separate. The different sound modes do help make it somewhat better but is still probably not enough for a true movie experience.

The remote control, while adequate enough, is nothing special to write home about. It is a standard remote without any special features. I don't know why, but I just always expect more in terms of the remote, especially when I buying a pretty big piece of equipment like a Plasma. Having said that, the remote that came with my Fujitsu Plasma was the absolute worst one I have ever gotten. So in comparison, I suppose the Hitachi isn't that bad.

Factor

That being said, what is there to complain about having a Plasma TV? It's pretty cool. Given what I wrote above, if you are in the market for a smaller Plasma (32" in this case), the Hitachi PD5000 should be your right pick as of now. It's picture clarity, images, input, built-in tuner, etc. all makes this the best choice and your ESSENTIAL multimedia screen. Sure LCD and other plasmas will eclipse it one day, but not now. I'd definitely recommend this one to others.

Nokia 7600 Review

2005-03-01T22:11:00.000-08:00

Nokia 7600 Review

by theVooner

Every now and then, a new mobile phone comes along that tries to break the norms. The norm in this case is the traditional design of a handset. Touting a "futuristic" design, the Nokia 7600 is just such a phone.

The 7600 represents Nokia's first entry into 3G. It has a dual-mode W-CDMA (3G) chip as well as a GSM (900/1800) chip built-in. Technically, this should be able to give you access to 3G networks (currently we have NTT Docomo's FOMA in Japan and Hutchison's 3 network in Europe, Australia and Hong Kong with more on the way).

In addition to the dual-mode, the design of the 7600 is what makes this phone unique. The 7600 has a very unusual "square" shape. This shape gives it both its allure and yet is probably is most challenging hurdle. I was given the opportunity to own this handset as part of my providers marketing ploy. Needless to say I took them up on this opportunity to try it out.

Form

The biggest hurdle to the 7600 is definitely its shape. Most people either love it or hate it. Having used it, I have grown from disliking it to getting more comfortable with it. From a user's perspective, it does have its charms. The square like shape is definitely a novelty although it does seem more feminine. The awkward shape also means that you have to tilt the phone sideways to use it with the ear receiver in one corner and the microphone in the other corner.

The biggest hurdle is of course the keypad layout. Scattered along the sides, the 7600 abandons any traditional number layout and instead relies on you adjusting to it. Try typing SMS on this phone - you almost have to relearn it again from the beginning as it just doesn't flow as well typing in this layout.

Hence, the layout is slightly awkward but it's clearly just something that takes getting used to. The question is do you need to do that? I mean it's a mobile phone and many users have enough difficulty navigating the menus. Getting comfortable with a strange keypad layout may just be too much for some users.

Function

The 7600 is a dual-mode W-CDMA/GSM handset. Unfortunately, in its initial launch, it didn't work in the 3G mode as the operators had not yet launched 3G. As a result it was just a simple 2G phone (although Hutchison is now selling it for use in its 3G services in Europe and Australia as I understand).

As a 2G phone, it seems perfectly fine. Reception is typical Nokia quality - very good. I was though disappointed that it was only a GSM900/1800 model which means its not yet capable of use in the US (I think tri-band GSM is an absolute must these days). As a 3G phone though, the main lure of 3G (in my opinion, video calls) is lost as the 7600 does not do live video calls. Hence, to me this is still a standard 2G phone.

It does though take and playback video clips which you could technically send as well. In that respect, the 7600 actually does really well. The camera lens picks up a lot of light and when you set it to the night mode, you can actually get some relatively good video clips. The same can be said of the camera with picture quality pretty good considering these are not high-resolution images (though for a mobile phone, 640x480 is already very good these days).

The 65k color screen is decent and for Nokia, this was certainly an upgrade. The details didn't 'wow' me as other handsets have. Still the screen for all practical reasons is fine. I only had a chance to moderately try the music playback function, but it's definitely not something I would use - my P900 plays back MP3 much better. There is nearly 30MB of space for storage of multimedia files though I doubt this is enough for real MP3 use. The phone also comes with the usual host of Nokia functions including Bluetooth, PIM, GPRS, handsfree, games, etc.

Factor

At the end of the day, the quirky shape/layout and the lack of tri-band capability means I would more than likely give this phone a pass. I kept it for less than 2 months, and most of that time, it was used by my better half who thought it was pretty cute. I barely used it for a week before I gave it to her. With more handsets on the way and lots of really nice choices out there, I would definitely think the 7600 today is a WASTE OF TIME.

Sony Ericsson T630 Mobile Phone Review

2005-03-01T22:10:00.000-08:00

Sony Ericsson T630 Mobile Phone Review

by theVooner

The SE T630 is an upgrade to the T610. I reviewed the T610 nearly a year ago. At that time, I really like the T610 and it turned out to be a great recommendation because the T610 was a huge success and I believe it was the main reason why the Sony Ericsson JV turned around. Even today, the T610 is still a great handset.

As some of you might know, I have moved on to 3G. But I did end up keeping my 2G account as well for the time being. But I decided that I didn't want to keep my Sony Ericsson P900 even though I quite liked it. Instead, I sold it and turned to the T630 as my backup.

Form

The T630 is extremely similar to the T610. Technically, the T630 is slightly smaller and lighter (less a whopping 2.5 grams!) than the T610. But the difference is so inconsequential, it's very difficult to tell the difference. For argument sake, I'd say they're the same. On its own merits, the T630 is extremely small and a welcome to most users as it travels well in a pocket, purse, or jacket.

There are some nice cosmetic changes on the T630 over the T610. First, the T630 comes in a much nicer "shiny" finish than the T610. Some may argue that it looks a bit "plastic" but the T630 has a beautiful chrome/metallic finish. I love the floating look on the front where the Sony Ericsson sits on top of a mirror finish. This phone is simplistic and stunning at the same time.

I also really like the new setup and buttons for the keypad. Instead of the very tiny silver buttons, the T630 comes with a much larger plastic keypad. The buttons themselves almost feel like rubber that makes them feel much sturdier. Even though the keys are right next to each other, dialing or texting is much easier in my opinion with a T630.

Like the T610, the T630 is the "brick" design that Nokia is famous for. In truth, I still am relatively indifferent between the "brick" versus the "clamshell" design debate for handsets. I like them both! However, I find some "clamshells" a bit thick though I like the protective design of covering the keypad and the screen. I have no complaints about the T630. Some may argue that the Z600 is better. Again, that's a personal preference. Since I've had both, I guess I'm able to give a fair opinion. Personally, I like the T630 better. The screen on the Z600 is outstanding, but the Z600 was just a bit too thick for my liking. I really think Sony could have made it thinner.

The T630 comes in only two colors at the moment - white and black (I don't think there will be others as the K700 just hit the market). In contrast the T610 came in a red and a blue in addition to the metallic/black version. But both the black and the white T630 stand out on their own and despite splashes of color, they look pretty remarkable.

Function

There isn't too much of a difference in terms of function between the T610 and the T630. Voice quality is as good as before, functions and menus are as easy to navigate and use as before. Again, please refer to

The main difference that I know of is that the T630 has a better screen. The T630 has a TFT LCD while the T610 had a STN. In that respect, you can tell the difference. The T630 is brighter than the T610, especially in daylight. If you had the T610 or know what that's like, then you'd definitely notice a difference. Images and pictures look better on the T630 (though it still doesn't compare to other brighter and better screens on other mobiles). The screen size though is the same and while the colors are brighter, you do sacrifice quite a lot for the small size of the phone. I'm used to larger screens and its hard to move back.

I've read other places that note you can add the gamepad to the T630. Well with the upgrade for the T610, you can use it there too! Also, my T610 had the V-Rally game as well so that's not much of a difference. One new function I did find was the inclusion of the 'My Friends' folder that helps you manage your friend's contacts.

I did complain in the past that the T610 seem to have a little "time" lag in some of its functions. You push the button and you'd have to wait just that extra split-second more than other mobile phones. Well, the T630 isn't that different. Although it feels as if the T630 could be slightly faster, there are times when it just takes a few extra moments to react. (Canceling a call for instance seems somewhat sluggish to react.)

In general, its very much the same phone, and who could blame SE for doing that - the T610 worked perfectly fine and for the purpose of the T630, it will do just as well.

Factor

The T630 is only a marginal upgrade to the T610 and as a result may not excite too many users. But, given the improvement in the screen, and the fact that the T610 was such a good runaway success, you probably won't go too wrong with the T630. Best of all, at just around US$270 for the phone, the T630 is an amazing value. The T630 is an ESSENTIAL buy if you are looking for a cheap, good quality, nice-looking, well-tested phone today. If you are looking for the latest, coolest handset, then this isn't for you. Try the SE K700 or the new Nokia 7610.

Sony Vaio VGN-T17GP Review

2005-03-01T22:08:00.001-08:00

Sony Vaio VGN-T17GP Review

by theVooner

It's only been just over 3 months that I got my U70. I really enjoyed the size of this laptop - it's just too cool. Having something so powerful yet so incredibly small was pretty stunning. It definitely had a high-tech factor of 10 and it certainly attracted a lot of attention.

Having said that, as I began to use it more, I started to get bothered by a few short-comings. First, the U70 needed a bit of help in the design area. As I indicated, placing the power outlet at the bottom of the device made it extremely difficult to balance. You have to buy Sony's case with the stand for it stand-up on its own. Otherwise, there was no way the screen could balance on its own. That was an additional US$70 expense. But that wasn't the worst peeve I had, it was all down to what I thought the U70 would be able to do, had a significantly long battery life. It didn't. As a result, after several months of repeated use, there wasn't much choice but to review my options and consider moving on to something else. Sure, I could get an extra battery, but let me explain why I didn't do that.

Battery life has suddenly become one of the key criteria in my laptop use. I am finding that from a practical standpoint, for me, there is such a big premium for long battery life when it comes to laptop. And I don't mean gaining a few extra minutes from turning your laptop screen down to a paltry black glow, I mean, I want long battery life.

So with that in mind, I weighed my options. The most logical choice was of course to spring for the extended battery that was available for the U-series. The crazy thing about that is that the extended battery costs well over US$400! That to me is ridiculous, and you only gain 4 hours of use (versus the 2 hours you get with the standard battery). I cannot and will not justify spending another US$400 on just a battery. Consequently, the only other choice was to see if there were other options for a new, mini-notebook.

By coincidence, Sony had come out with specs on its new T-series notebooks. The most glaring spec to me was of course the quoted battery life of 8 hours, which would make it one of the longest if not the longest battery life offered as standard for a laptop. That caught my attention very quickly and I began to investigate this new laptop. In truth, the T-series didn't look very exciting or enticing because it wasn't a particularly striking design, have any unique features or come in some great color/shape. But sometimes, it's what's "under the hood" that counts and in that respect, the T-series was appealing. I'll get to that a bit later.

I wavered on what to do for over 2 weeks and then I finally saw the T-series in person and I was sold. I just wanted it. Next, I had to sell my U70. Well it turns out that the U70 is still in demand and there's a general overall shortage. Someone suggested that the U-series was being discontinued, but the Sony HK store has said that the U-series will be sold here by the end of this year (and they have just started to advertise it on their website) so it looks as if it might still have a lot of life left. Anyway, because of the demand and the shortage, I got a great resale price. Considering that I didn't have to pay another US$400 for an extra battery, and I got the T-series for only a few hundred dollars extra, I was pretty happy.

Form

The T series is a mini notebook that would fit into the same category as the TR-series and the Fujitsu P series notebooks. Consequently, it's designed to be small and as a result, is not suited for everyone. Unlike the TR, the T does not have a built-in camera which is the most notable missing application. However, interestingly, the T series is slimmer than the TR and does end up feeling much smaller.

This profile is especially well liked because it makes it the laptop very thin and stylish. Even with the incorporation of the DVD+/-RW drive, the computer still maintains its slim design. The T17 has a very rectangular shape to it and though Sony touts "round-edges", the shape is rather plain and "squarish". While I think the T17 is rather sleek, it lacks any great or unique design. The shape is very typically rectangular and doesn't feature any new design change from other newer Vaio laptops.

The T-series though does come in several different colors which in itself is a very different change in style for Vaio. The T comes in a red (actually more a deep maroon) and a blue in addition to the traditionally silver finish. At the time I bought the laptop, it was only available in red or silver and I chose the silver. Honestly, the maroon color is horrible looking. The silver is much more low profile and is in line with their existing color for other Vaio laptops. I have since seen the blue and I must say that it looks very nice and I might have chosen that had it been available. Different countries will have different options available so not everyone will have all the color choices.

The T does offer some new button layouts. There is a quick DVD button layout at the top of the keyboard, which is still accessible with the screen closed. This makes playback of music possible even with the screen closed. I really like this feature and I think it is a selling point. It can make having a MP3 players like the iPod nearly redundant, but I suppose there's still some reason to carry those. You can control Sony's Sonicstage playback, but the buttons work even on other non-Sony programs like iTunes so I was able to listen to hours of music with the laptop screen closed, but still turned on in my backpack while walking around. I'm not sure this is the best way to utilize the battery but say your transporting the T17 between your home and your office and you know that it's going to be recharged later, well then you can just use the T17 as a personal music player. The overall strain on battery life isn't too bad considering it already has a very good battery life and with the screen closed, the T17 could play music for quite sometime.

Given that this has a larger, extended battery (which I'll discuss in much greater detail later), the laptop still only weighs 1.38kg which is still extremely light. As I noted, the T feels much thinner than the TR and as a result has a much greater appeal to its sleek profile. The keyboard is less "elevated" off any desk surface which actually makes typing more comfortable. The keyboard pitch at 17mm still allows me to type relatively quickly but this might not be very ergonomic for anyone with larger hands or used to larger keyboards.

Other than that, the T is very straightforward. There isn't much change in the overall design that makes it particularly different. Two USB ports, firewire, VGA output and PC Card slot on the left; DVD drive on the right. I like the slim form factor overall.

Function

First of all, the T17 is a full fledged laptop. Of course, given its size there are a few trade-offs. It does have a Centrino 1.1GHz chip which is a slight improvement over the TR chip I had. The 2MB cache does improve speed slightly and versus the TR, this is noticeably faster. The downside of something this small is that it has to have a shared video card. That will likely limit some ability to play certain games and running some heavy duty programs like Photoshop can be slightly slower than other full-sized laptops. But hey, this is a small, traveling laptop and that's where it really excels. Basic program functions run superbly and I have no problems multi-tasking Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, Explorer, and a few IM programs. Those are probably going to be the bulk of the kind of work you do on this laptop. We'll leave real photo editing for my larger, more powerful laptops.

The T17 comes with a 10.6" Widescreen display. The screen has the new Clear Bright LCD which is supposed to be better than the previous XBRITE screen that Sony had on previous Vaio laptops. From what I can see, the Clear Bright is better for normal computer functions but the XBRITE is better for viewing movies. In truth, it's quite similar. The T17 only has one lamp so that means it's not as bright as some of the larger screen laptops which have 2 lamps. Having said that, I was fairly impressed with the screen brightness and it was noticeably better than the TR, which I was slightly disappointed didn't have a better screen. It also appears sharper and brighter than the large 15" Dell Inspiron 8200 UXGA screen that I also have which is fairly impressive.

The biggest lure to me was the T17's battery life. More than anything else, this was the best feature/attraction that makes the T17 stand out above other laptops. In general, laptops are already heavy, and adding additional bulk like battery power is not something most designers plan for. Those that want extra power can always buy another battery pack. Unfortunately for the most part, extra batteries for laptops are expensive. The standard laptop battery has between 2400 mAh to about 4000 mAh. That seems to be the optimal size between decent battery life and size/weight. Unfortunately, that gives most batteries approximately 2-3 hours of standard life. That's pretty unacceptable. Remember the U70 only had an 1800 mAh battery and life ran down pretty quickly despite its overall small size.

What I like the most about the T17 is that it comes standard with a 7200 mAh battery. Importantly, this does not add a huge amount of additional bulk. There is an extra cell that sticks out the back but it isn't much of a big deal and doesn't make the laptop look ugly or feel awkward in any sense. I suppose to some, this isn't a very big deal because manufacturers, especially Sony, have for a long time sold "extended" batteries for laptops. Usually, these are much higher capacity (double or even triple the "standard" battery model) and could equate battery power to something quite similar to what was given with the T17. The issue I have is that Sony and many other manufacturers charge an obscene amount for these batteries. For example, when I was looking at the S-series Vaio in comparison, I inquired about their optional 7200 mAh battery which would bring it in line with the T17. The price of that battery alone was close to US$400. For a roughly US$2000 computer, you'd need to pay an extra 20% just to get a higher capacity battery! That seems unreasonable to me.

In comparison, looking at the T17, it just seems like a much better value. I've rambled on for way too long about the battery, but I think you can get a sense of what I'm driving at - the T17 is the right package in this respect. So how did the battery do? Well it's pretty amazing. It's the first time that I've been able to work on full resolution relying just on a battery for hours and hours. Realistically, you get at least 5 whole hours of pure activity (I get almost 6 hours in total of normal use). That is the best battery life that I've been able to ever get on a laptop, and all this while running at the highest brightness screen setting. I could not have been happier. Sony claims 8 hours of battery life and I'm sure that if you tweak with the brightness setting you can get a few more hours in there.

Sony bundles a lot of its standard software on the Vaio. I hardly use any of it so I uninstalled some of it to free up some hard disc space (I have 40GB overall). The T17 did come with some standard features which kept its price high (in addition to having that "Sony" premium). A DVD+/- RW drive comes standard so you can burn DVDs. I burned one disc and although it worked without a hitch, it was relatively slow, limited by the 2x DVD writing speed. Still it's fantastic to have and is a really easy way to backup, make copies, etc.

Other than that, the T17 has relatively standard laptop specs that you have come to expect. 512MB of RAM keeps things on the fly, 802.11 b/g for fast connectivity, 2 USB 2.0 ports, firewire, PC card slot, etc. The T17 comes with a new Memory Stick slot that takes the MS Duo cards without an adapter. One thing that is pretty disappointing is the "speakers" that they put into the T17. I would have thought given today's technology, that the speakers would sound much better despite its limited size. No matter how I tweaked the settings, the sound is pretty horrible and most anyone will have to use headphones to listen to anything on the T17. Thus, watching movies or listening to music on the Vaio without headphones is somewhat disappointing. The model I bought did not come with Bluetooth but I saw the T17 model from the US and it did come with Bluetooth. This would have been a nice addition. Also, in the past week, a lesser model, the T16 has appeared. The only difference seems to be a CDRW/DVD combo drive instead of a DVD +/-RW drive and hence US$130 less.

Factor

Overall, in terms of small laptops, I really like the T17. It would seem to me like the ESSENTIAL laptop you would take if you had to be completely mobile. The battery life is absolutely outstanding and the screen sharpness/brightness is excellent. Sure you could buy an additional battery or an extended battery that would help resolve this issue for other laptops but this one is included and for its size, function, power, and capability, I think it's the best mix right now in the market. I looked at the NEC, Fujitsu, Sharp, and a few others in comparison, but the Sony T17 is the one I still liked the most. Once you get it in your hands, you'll understand what a great little package the T17 is. To me, this is the best blend of form and function. I compared it to the slightly larger S series and when you put in a comparable battery, the weight and size difference is worlds apart. The T is a fantastic package of portable computing - for now anyways.

Sony Vaio VGN-T17GP Review

2005-03-01T22:08:00.000-08:00

Sony Vaio VGN-T17GP Review

by theVooner

Form

Function

Factor

Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) Review

2005-03-01T22:07:00.000-08:00

Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) Review

by theVooner

To me, the Sony PSP is one of the most sought after gadgets for sometime. I remember buying my first Nintendo Famicom game console when I was about 6 years old. I was so excited. Since then, I've owned practically every single game console. I'm not a real game fanatic though. I don't sit for hours every night finishing the latest games and in truth, I'm actually a horrible game player.

The Sony PSP is one of those next-generation players. It's like when Sony released the PS One or when Microsoft released the Xbox. There was enough buzz and collective anticipation that we gadget collectors just had to get one. I saw the PSP up close for the first time last month and I was completely sold. The screen as I said was the most incredible thing I had seen and to add to that, the processing power, which was able to render images that would compare to any current console. All that in a portable device that offered MP3, video, photo playback, etc. I was pretty much sold from the beginning.

Sony launched the PSP in Japan on Dec. 12. Unfortunately I wasn't there for it or I probably would have been one of those crazy people that lined-up all night for it. Instead, I waited the extra day and bought it from a local game store. Being overseas though, the stores knew what was in demand, and everyone wants the PSP. The premium on the machine run from anywhere between 80-100% above the retail price in Japan! It hurt hearing the prices the people were asking. The yen's strength combined with the strong demand didn't help either.

I walked around the computer/game mall for an hour trying to look for a better price. Meanwhile PSPs were flying off the shelves and people just had to get one. I found the lowest price I could, and the guy was actually a nice guy so I took the plunge, paid a ghastly premium, but got my PSP. Can't complain I guess - I have a PSP!

Form

The PSP is an absolutely beautiful device. Sony really made an effort to design a great console. The surface is an absolutely amazing shiny, metallic black finish. It's a little annoying that your fingerprints get easily left on it, but it's a spectacular finish. Compared to the Nintendo DS that just came out, it's a whole different level. The finish on the PSP has a very solid metallic feel to it. Sort of reminds me of a shiny new car finish. The DS feels like the typical plastic Gameboy.

The console is quite big though. This is predominantly to accommodate the 4.3 inch screen. At first, you might think that this makes the machine quite big, but in reality, it's an excellent size for what you want in a handheld. The size seems to mimic many of today's joysticks for consoles. When you hold the PSP, it feels as if you're holding and PS2/Xbox/Gamecube joystick - the spacing is very similar so it feels comfortable. And that's what makes the PSP such a good design, because it doesn't ask you to change your gameplay even though you are using a portable device.

I bought the "Value Pack" version which meant I also got earphones, a remote, a Memory Stick Duo, a case and a strap. The earphones look like the iPod ones but seem to sound better. The remote is small and functional (nothing special). The handstrap is a white leather PSP strap which is actually very important. The PSP is sturdy but it's just too easy to get involved in your game play and forget that you're holding this screen in your hands and drop it. The strap adds that certain sense of protection and safety that allows me to not worry about dropping the machine.

The case is a very generic sleeve and I was disappointed they didn't have something more sturdy built for the Value Pack. I'm sure there will be hundreds of cases for you to buy soon though. The Memory Stick Duo says PSP on it but since it's a 32MB card, it's almost unusable. 4 songs, plus your game data and that's it. Sony of course did that on purpose so you'd have to go and buy a 256MB card.

The weight of the PSP is quite solid. It weighs 260g which isn't bad and certainly doesn't feel heavy. I was able to play the machine for a good solid hour without it feeling heavy or my arms getting tired (of course, my fingers are another story as they were pretty sore).

The layout of the PSP is also very intuitive. I was one of the early buyers at the store I bought it from so that he and about 3 other sales staff all gathered around to learn how to setup the machine - they hadn't even opened a unit yet. The games load on top through a slot very similar to an MD player. In fact, the games look like MDs except that they're not square. The game buttons are all there - even the left and right index buttons at the top of the joystick which now come in a very cool looking clear buttons. The PSP did add a small button underneath the usual joypad that has a "swing" motion. I think it's for certain games that require this type of motion - it made the car in my game gently lean left or right.

The power button is on the right, the WiFi on the left. Volume control, screen brightness, and different sound settings are underneath the screen. There's a USB slot at the top but it did not come with a USB cable. I'm tempted to plug it in with the cable I have just to see what would happen. The battery attaches to the back of the machine and on the opposite side (on the left when you look at it from the top) is the Memory Stick slot. It's not difficult to figure out the layout. All in all it was a very well designed handheld with an even better finish. So how's the gameplay?

Function

Before I get into the gameplay, let me go back to the screen. I really can't stop talking about it because when you look at the thing, you just marvel at it. It's better than many portable devices today even those portable media centers. The screen kicks out 16.7 million colors and let me tell you that you can really see the difference. All I can say is wow!

You can adjust the brightness of the screen though I would definitely leave it at the brightest setting unless battery power is low. The screen though is typical of any LCD screen in that it's very easy to get fingerprints or smear marks on it. As a result, you need to invest in one of those protective layers and I bought one. It has a slight bluish tint to it as opposed to the typical clear film but it does seem to enhance the screen. More importantly, it's much more difficult to have any smear marks on the screen now.

The guy at the shop kept trying to get me to buy these first generation PSPs because he said the screen is much better than later PSP machines. He claimed that these first generation "Made in Japan" PSP had the much better Sharp LCD put in. He said that later generation models would be "Made in China" (no surprise) and that they would have a Samsung screen which wouldn't look as nice. How they found that out and verified is a good question, but even if it's true, I'm sure it will still look pretty good. If you care about these things, then you'd better go and buy a PSP soon. I'm sure they will have to eventually bring production to a cheaper manufacturing area like China.

Ok, so you have a great screen. Well Sony put in a fantastic little processor as well which is what makes the game play and screen really shine. Opening scenes are now exactly like the bigger game consoles. You have those cool, long animation introduction/mini-movies. The only game I decided to buy this time around was Ridge Racers. There were actually 6 games in total but some of them were very Japanese RPG like games so it was a clear choice between this one and golf. Being a huge golf fanatic, I had wanted that but it wasn't a very good game honestly and I'm waiting for other options or when it gets a little cheaper. Metal Gear Acid out later this week looks very cool. The games were selling at between US$50-55 which is about what they cost in Japan.

The processing time is very similar to any other console and they even throw up a little pre-game/mini-car game while it's loading. I can't remember what that game was called but I remember I used to love playing it. Anyway, during the game, you get all the options you would on a full console. Everything from changing the BGM (you get a lot of sound options) to 25 different car colors. I was impressed by how much you can do on something so small.

Game play to me is fabulous. It was exactly the same game play as the PS2 version I remembered. Right up to the helicopter circling around to the camera flashes as you zoom by the grandstands. I tried 4 of the available courses and they all look really amazing. The background is really spectacular and the motion of the action is very smooth. I can't wait for more games!

I should add that the PSP is a Japanese-only console right now, but at the startup, you can choose the menu language between English or Japanese. From the main menu, you have all the choices you want, between playing MP3/video/photo to accessing the network (via WiFi). Yes, interestingly, the PSP has WiFi built-in and I got it to recognize my wireless network almost immediately. From there you can play against friends on the network or upgrade the software/firmware. Pretty neat.

Sound quality is excellent. The machine itself has a good set of speakers and even in a loud, crowded area, I cold still hear engine noises. It really shines when you put on the earphones though. MP3 playback was very good and the sound quality/clarity is really clear. The battery is an 1800 mAh which is supposed to last 4-6 hours. I'll be looking at buying an extra battery when it becomes available. I read that they'll have additional accessories like a keyboard, camera, GPS, etc. I'm sure there will be many more add-ons for the PSP in the coming year.

Factor

What more can I say. It certainly lived up to all the anticipation. This is without a question, Sony's entry into the handheld market. I don't know what Nintendo is going to do, but the DS is not it. It's completely different. I guess the DS will still appeal to anyone under 10, but the PSP is the next generation machine. Even though I had to pay a hefty premium to get my machine, I still think it was worth it. If you're patient and wait a few more weeks/months, the price will come down. At an entry point of about US$200 for just the machine (19,800 yen) Sony is certainly raising the bar and bringing the competition to Nintendo. Sony could have charged a lot more in the beginning and I'm sure they would still have flown off the shelves. But this time, it's really trying to take market share, and it's probably likely they will. It's a fantastic purchase and if you can get your hands on one before Christmas, treat yourself to it. It's an ESSENTIAL gadget that will continue to sell for a long time. Go get one!

Mini XDA II - PDA Smartphone Review

2005-03-01T22:06:00.000-08:00

Mini XDA II - PDA Smartphone Review

by theVooner

Although I thought the V3 was a brilliant phone, it just wasn't the phone for me. I haven't had a PDA in sometime now. With all the smaller laptops I've been buying, there just isn't a reason for me to have one. All the functions of a PDA seem lost on me. But with the trend towards Smartphones that merge all the functions of PDA with the convenience of a mobile phone, I knew I would eventually be lured to one.

I had stayed away from the XDA phones initially because of their size. It was predominantly a PDA with phone functionality built-in. But that wasn't enough to lure me over. Other Smartphones like the Treo 600 were all suitable alternatives, but they each had their own shortfalls as well. After trying out the P900 and the P800, I knew the Sony Ericsson models just didn't measure up as well. As a result, I have stayed away from Smartphones over the past year.

When I first read about the Mini XDA II, I was wondering if this could finally be the phone that wins me over. The specs looked ideal - especially its size. But I needed to see the unit in person before I made up my mind. When it finally hit the stores, I went in to take a look. The unit was as small as the specs said it would be, and the overall shape and finish looked very good.

Within 2 days from when I first saw the unit all the Mini XDAs available in the market were sold out! I couldn't believe it, were that many people looking for and waiting for a small Smartphone? I didn't feel the same appeal to the phone that so many others seem to have. Turns out the Mini is an extremely popular model. Anyway, I kept looking at all the specs and comments about it and after weighing my options, I decided to take the plunge. Knowing that there was still a very good 2nd hand market for my V3, I decided to swing a deal and get my Mini XDA. It took me another few weeks but eventually, I got one. I've given the handset a good run through over the past few weeks.

Form

First of all, the main appeal of the Mini XDA right now is the size. By no means is this a small mobile phone (like the V3), but for a Smartphone, this is definitely one of the smallest and best looking. The Mini XDA is a very simple design - a brick style handheld with the body more typical of PDA than a phone.

The screen dominates the entire front of the handheld although there are buttons and a joypad located right below the screen. At first glance, the screen looks much too small - for a PDA, especially if you already using a full size PDA. But after awhile with the Mini, you get used to the size and suddenly it doesn't seem that small anymore. In fact, I really have come to admire the size of the screen as well as the size of the device. It's small enough to fit in pockets, yet large enough to view the necessary information, including scrolling through screens of text.

Button layout is very good and you can easily access all the necessary buttons including the on/off switch, camera, start/end call, etc. The joypad is very good and highly responsive. The pen slides just down the right side of the phone and is easily accessible. The SD card slot is at the top, very typical to any PDA. On the back of the phone is the camera lens along with a "mirror" that lets you take self portraits. The bottom of the phone has the charge/sync port as well as the earphones connection.

The outer shell is a nice metallic finish although it is a dull grey color rather than a bright shiny grey. In many ways, this reminds me of my Vaio finish. I read somewhere that the phone scratch's very easy so I've bought a protective shell for the phone (a rubber cover I like to call the "condom" cover).

The sides of the phone have this black plastic grill that goes all the way around. It actually creates a very nice unique look for the phone (although that's certainly less visible with the cover around it). At first glance, some have said the Mini looks very "feminine". I would disagree with that - the Mini is a very sleek looking phone and actually looks very high-tech. I like that they didn't try to do too much to the design like make it black (like the XDA IIs) or give it a plastic finish (like many of the Nokia phones which make them feel very "cheap"). All in all, the form certainly is very good and makes not only for a good looking handset but a functional one as well.

Function

After using it for sometime, I can say that this is my first real Smartphone. Although I've tried and played with many others, this is the first one that has real use as both a phone and a PDA. The real distinguishing factor about this one is that it's a fully functional PDA first and a phone second. The others I've had, even the Sony Ericsson P900 were all phones first and a PDA second. This actually made them rather disappointing.

Part of this functionality has to be attributable to the new Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition operating system. I can certainly see all the old PDA Pocket PC attributes from the iPaqs that I used to own. This update has all of the same features, but seems to flow much better, especially with the add-on functionality of the phone.

Let's start with the phone first. The Mini is certainly adapt at making phone calls. Placing and receiving a phone call is a breeze with the dedicated connect/disconnect phone buttons. An onscreen dialpad pops up and although the screen is touch sensitive, the use of the stylus is probably more responsive than your fingernails. In fact, screen sensitivity is much less than comparable PDAs. I put on an additional clear cover/screen protector which prevents scratches and grease stains on the screen but could possibly have made it even less sensitive than it already is. Still, it is adequate enough for use and actually can be a good thing as you wouldn't want all the data to be accidentally accessed while in your pocket.

Overall, I didn't expect voice quality to be very good. Well, actual usage was somewhat mixed. While others can hear me very clearly, indicating that the microphone is sensitive enough, the sound quality from the phone can sometimes waver in and out. On a loud street, sound quality can be relatively weak and it can sometimes be tough to hear the other party. It's not because it's too soft, because the volume levels are more than adequate, but there just isn't a very clear connection and sometimes I find myself unable to tell what the party is saying. Is this a problem with my mobile provider? I don't think so and I tried a different SIM card in the phone and had similar results.

Still, this was not a problem I encountered all the time, but periodically, I did have some trouble with voice quality. The problem is a somewhat static-like distortion which blurs out the other person's voice. Thus far, I've had about 3 conversations that I had to call the person back, but the second connection was improved after I moved into a more quiet area. So overall I'd rate the voice quality as just slightly above average, but certainly not great and not as good as some mobile phones. Certainly acceptable for today's standards - maybe we're just too used to perfect quality all the time. I should add that the speakerphone works fine and so far, I've been happy with the quality of sound from that.

Now onto the PDA function - I've really been impressed with the Mini as a PDA. The main thing that really caught my eye was the speed of the system. It was much more reactive than I remembered from my older PDAs. Switching between programs, opening files, making changes, viewing PDF, etc. all flowed effortlessly. Even better was the ease in which ActiveSync was installed onto my PC and then connected to the Mini. Absolutely no problems, faults or issues happened at any point, and it has been a breeze ever since. I remember in the past there were all sorts of difficulty that I had in the sync process and also in the exchange of data. There have been none to date and I don't know if it's the better computers, better OS, or the Mini. Either way, it works great. I'm not sure if everyone will have the same ease of connectivity and integration, but I hope so.

I think all the features are fantastic. Word/Excel read all my files, my Outlook synchs perfectly, and even third party programs like Avantgo and Clearvue work well. My mobile phone provider even has a program that allows me check my e-mail using GPRS and that works well as well (though it is kind of slow). The point is that all the PDA functions worked very well and they were fast and smooth. I should add that other functionality like MMS worked without a hitch.

The stylus works well with the functions of the PDA. You have plenty of text input options to choose from so that makes everyone's personal preference relatively easy. I use a combination of the keyboard and the T9 text input to send messages which works well for me. SMS is actually made easier with the Mini than a regular phone.

One interesting thing that I didn't realize was that the PDA never actually gets turned off. There is an off switch with turns off the device, but it really just switches off the screen and puts the PDA in a semi-sleep mode. You can still receive calls even when its "Off" so it technically isn't really off. There's an "Inflight Mode" which turns off the radio/mobile phone signals for when you're on a plane but other than that, the phone technically stays on.

When you open different programs, those programs still in the system even when you close them down. You have to get into the settings and stop the programs from staying in the background or it does slow down the system. I don't know if I need to, but I like restarting the phone (soft reset) every so often just to get things rebooted.

Although the screen is rated at just 64k colors, I was expecting to be disappointed with the quality of images, colors, contrast, and sharpness. But, from that perspective, I was very impressed. The screen is bright, clear and sharp enough for all the functions of a PDA. I was hoping for one of the brighter screens like those that I've seen on newer mobile phones (like the Sharp GX32) but this was no worse/better than the Motorola V3 screen which is supposed to have a 262k color screen.

One big disappointment in functionality is the camera. As I have read others write, I would agree as well that image quality taken with the camera has been very disappointing. The 640x480 images taken with the Sony Ericsson P900 before were much clearer and sharper. Although the Mini has a 1.3 megapixel camera, images aren't very good. Also, the responsiveness of the camera was somewhat slow between when you take a picture and when it is recorded. Although I don't really use the function of the camera much, I must say that it should have been better given the specifications. You can also record video and that was fairly decent relative to other video functions on other phones but certainly not as good as digital cameras that have video recording functions.

I've seen a lot of comments about the battery life of the Mini and how disappointed people have been. I think many of these comments were written by people that haven't used the Mini. In truth, I have had no issues related to the Mini in terms of battery life. I gave the Mini a very strong workout the other day, talking for an extended period of time, checking e-mail, sending messages, reading Avantgo for 30 minutes, etc. and I still couldn't get the battery life down to 60% after a full day. As a result, I would rate battery life no worse or better than many mobile phones today. The battery is a hefty 1200 mAh which is nearly twice that found in many mobile phones. My opinion is that for those of you worried about battery life, don't worry. If it's such a big deal, you can always buy a spare one.

I should add that one of the big reasons that I have not had a problem with the battery life is that I am in front of a laptop all day long. I usually plug in the PDA to the laptop in the day as it synchs to my Outlook. So when you combine the use/frequency of synching with your PC and then charging a phone at night all week long, you never can run out of battery! (A synch/charge cable is provided.) I've used the phone on the weekend from Friday night to Sunday night without charging the Mini and it never even got low on battery. So, to me, battery life isn't an issue.

The phone has plenty of other functionality. Bluetooth setup was very easy and I transferred all the contacts from the V3 using Bluetooth. One big disappointment that many have mentioned and complained about is the lack of built-in WiFi. Certainly, this is one add-on that I really missed. I would have loved to be able to connect to WiFi on the go, especially when we have plenty of free WiFi networks here in Asia.

If WiFi is needed, you'll have to purchase a SD WiFi card. While this is an easy solution, it sometimes can be impractical as the SD slot is usually taken up by an SD card that carry's your information. In addition, most SD WiFi card, including the Sandisk one that has 256MB of space built-in, has a piece of the card that sticks out which makes me worry that I might break/snap it off. If I have to keep inserting and taking out an SD WiFi card, I'll probably lose it. I wish WiFi were integrated, but that would probably drop battery life even more and may not have necessary fit in this small shape. Still, I hope it's something that is planned the next time around.

Factor

I can't tell you how much fun I am actually having getting to use a PDA Smartphone. The combination of a full working PDA with a mobile phone has been fantastic. I was always scared away by the size of the Smartphones because I didn't want to carry around a huge device. Well with the Mini, that's no longer an excuse. The Mini is comparable to many mobile phones in terms of size but has all the functions of its larger PDA Smartphone brothers. The OS has finally gotten to where it no longer crashes all the time and where the response time is absolutely superb.

The phone was launched well over a month ago, but in many stores and locations, it's sold out. I was in a computer mall today and people were searching all over the mall for Mini XDAs. That alone proves its popularity and if I didn't have one, I'd probably not understand its attraction. Having had one, I can tell you that I'm happy that I made the switch over to a Smartphone. I don't think I can ever go back to a normal mobile phone. It's not perfect (better sound quality and built-in WiFi would have been awesome) but it's the best Smartphone in the market today and I would rate it an ESSENTIAL piece of gadget hardware. I'm glad I got one and I'm pretty sure you would be too.

Motorola Razr V3 Review

2005-03-01T22:04:00.000-08:00

Motorola Razr V3 Review

by theVooner

I've had my Motorola Razr V3 now for about 3 months now, so yes, this review is a bit old, but it still seems to be the trendy mobile to get, especially in the US so I still think this review might be relevant. Anyway, I was desperately languishing with my very useless Nokia 7610. I should have done a review on that too, but in short, it's not a very good phone and I don't like it. So much so that I didn't have it long enough to take pictures of the phone so that made any review less appealing. I just wanted to move on from that handset and what came next was the V3. At the time, I was struggling between the V3 and the Sony Ericsson S700. Both had just come out and although the S700 was supposed to retail for about US$120 less, because it was so new, they were both selling at about the same price - just over US$750.

To me that's a really steep price for a mobile phone, especially these days. I went to a local electronic store to play with both phones. Honestly, if the S700 didn't have a "premium above retail" at the time, I would have bought that one (the S700 had just come out and most retailers were asking a US$150-200 premium above the retail price). But as they were the same price, I had to consider both in the same light. The V3 is incredibly small and light, and that has to be its main appeal. In contrast, the S700 has better features (better camera, larger/better screen, etc.) but it is incredibly big and much heavier. Plus, the V3 was being offered with an "expansion pack" that included a Bluetooth headset, extra battery, and a quick charger. That plus I managed to get a little bit of a discount so the deal was done. I walked away with the V3.

Form

The V3 has to be one of the thinnest, lightest phones available in the market. It's so incredibly small that sometimes you can easily forget it's in your pocket or where you put the darn phone (I keep thinking I lost the darn thing, only to find it stuck between a few files or something). That has both its pros and cons and anyone wanting a very small phone should definitely look no further than the V3. The V3 reminds me a lot of an updated, modern Motorola StarTac. Who could forget those early GSM StarTac phones that cost a bomb but were incredibly small and light relative to anything else in the market (I remember having paid what US$1500 for one in 1996 I think it was). The V3 must have incorporated some new technologies and innovative design to justify the price.

The metallic finish is a very nice matte silver - extremely sleek and low profile. It's a nice enough finish that it doesn't scratch that easily. Having said that, small scratches can appear, especially on the bottom of the phone (where some paint have already chipped off mine) so it's best to have it in a case or small pouch. Flip the phone open and you reveal a very high-tech looking keypad. I like the design of the keypad. The numbers are very big and light up so it's easily seen. The keypad has a nice touch sensor which makes it easy to dial or SMS.

Button layout is very good and the multi-directional keypad is very user friendly.

The buttons at the side of the screen also provide some easy shortcuts for certain things but I just prefer to go straight into the menus. The battery sits nicely in the back of the phone, but removing the lid on the battery cover takes some effort and this was definitely a poor design flaw on Motorola. As I have two batteries, changing them can be a pain as I have to scrape and claw at the cover with my fingernails to remove the cover. Getting it back on also takes practice as you have to evenly distribute the sides correctly or else it won't correctly slot back in.

The V3 comes with two color screens. The inside screen is a very nice 2" 260k color screen which produces vibrant colors and images. The outside screen though… I mean why bother? The screen is so small and dark, I can barely see the black and white time much less any images in color. Although it's supposed to be a 4k color screen, you'll almost never need to use it so it's almost a design (and a cost) waste. Motorola could take some lessons from the Japanese and Korean makers that produce bright color sub-displays on the outside (even some mono-color sub-displays look better than this one). It's certainly something that was designed for looks than for actual usage.

One of my gripes with the V3 is the design of its flip. The spring that is loaded into my V3 is way too strong for what it needs to do. Let me put it another way, when you flip open the phone, the V3 feels as if it wants to leap out of your hands because the flip is so powerful. When you shut the phone, you get this very affirmative slap of metal. I don't like this because if you flip the phone with one hand, the chance of you dropping the phone is actually quite high. It just seems a little to spring loaded for my taste. If you happen not to close the phone properly, the spring pops the phone back open and this can easily result in you dropping this phone.

To me, that's a major design flaw because a phone this small is probably already really delicate. Who needs another design feature that makes the phone more delicate? How many of us have accidentally dropped or had a phone slip? Dropping the V3 would not be a pleasant experience. Luckily, I dropped mine on a cushioned floor the first (and only) time so it still works perfectly.

Function

First things first, as a phone, the V3 is very good. Voice quality both ways is excellent and the speakerphone is nice and loud. Placing calls, SMS, etc. all comes very easy and naturally. Motorola has done a very good job of upgrading their ease of navigation in building this interface. I was pretty happy with navigating around all the different settings and functions and changing the features is not too difficult.

As I mentioned above, the outside sub-display is pretty useless so I'll just leave it at that. The inside screen though is bright, vibrant, and clear. Although there are certainly better screens (like those on the Sharp GX32 or Z200) but this is definitely one of the better screens available today. I understand that given the design, there are of course limitations, but I did wish the screen could have been a little bigger (well longer actually) - the screen feels very "square" to me.

It did take me some time to get the phone configured for data use. GPRS functionality would not work until I messed around with a lot of different settings. It's not as simple or as easy as a Nokia handset. However, I'm sure I could have saved myself the headache by just going to my phone provider to set the phone up for me.

The camera is really disappointing considering this is a high-end phone. VGA quality (640x480) means that most pictures are not good enough except for viewing on the phone. I'm surprised Motorola decided to put in such a poor camera in such a nice high-end phone. To make matters worse, the phone interface actually displays the images even smaller as they have this ugly menu bar below the image. Overall, images are fine for a phone but disappointing if you want to e-mail or even share them. Unfortunately, there is no video taking so the video function/playback of the phone is fairly wasted.

The V3 comes with a number of different applications and games. Navigating the menus is fairly easy with a very similar main menu as what we see on Sony Ericsson menus. The games are Java based and ok if you are trying to pass time. (Of course they are no match for my PSP so I don't even bother playing with it.) The applications are fairly standard, from contacts to a calendar. One new application that they put in was a built in Instant Messenger software. Of course I had no one to IM nor could I even set it up properly to work. Still it's an interesting application to have on there and who knows, may just catch on. I should add that there is no MP3 playback functionality as well.

By paying the super premium to own the V3, I guess Motorola felt bad and decided to throw in a bunch of freebies. I got an "expansion pack" for free which, as I mentioned, included an extra battery, standalone charger, and a Bluetooth headset. I chose not to use this headset as I already have a few others lying around the house. Connectivity is relatively easy and I had no problems getting it to recognize a few different headsets. Speaking of the battery, battery life is moderately good. You can pretty much run the phone for at least two full days of use before you'll need to recharge or switch. Plus, I have an extra battery so this isn't really an issue.

The phone can be charged through a normal wall charger or through the USB cable. Motorola offers you some connectivity with a USB charge/synch cable.
Unfortunately the software that you get with the phone (the Motorola Mobile Phone Tools) needs a lot of work. Other than to backup my contact lists, I had a lot of problems trying to change ringtones, uploading files, etc. The software just isn't very user friendly and I couldn't get it to work properly. It crashed when I tried to match it up to my Outlook so I gave up. I just use it in the office to charge the phone.

Factor

Overall, the V3 is probably one of the slimmest, nicest phones available. As it has continued to hit the markets over the past few months, it's certainly gaining in popularity. When I bought it, the retail price was just over US$750. It's since dropped to just under US$650 but to me that's still way overpriced for this phone. I agree it has very impressive looks, but in terms of features, I'd probably look elsewhere. As the price drops, this phone will become more appealing. But by then, you'll have more and certainly newer options. If you have MONEY TO BURN and still want one of the lightest, newer phones today, this is it - it certainly looks good. However, if you're looking for a feature packed phone, there are some other options I'd consider today.

Sony Ericsson P800 Mobile Phone Review

2005-03-01T22:01:00.000-08:00

Sony Ericsson P800 Mobile Phone Review

by theVooner

Anyone that has followed mobile phone trends has been waiting for the P800 for sometime now. I wrote about it last August in my blog and sadly, Sony Ericsson has delayed the launch again and again. It's now March, and I'm happy to report that it is finally available.

I was so turned off by the constant waiting that I completely gave up on the P800. With the number of new models that have been coming out, I just couldn't resist buying other phones in the interim. So finally, when it was available, I hesitated. I just wasn't sure that the P800 was going to be any good now that we had waited so long for it. But, I had to go see it for myself. So I went by a mobile phone seller and tried out the P800. I have to admit that my initial impressions were much better than I expected. The next thing you know I had ordered one from my provider and it was delivered to me the next morning.

Form

The P800 is a pseudo-flip design. What I mean by that is that while the P800 has a flip like function, in fact, that flip "lid" actually can be taken off. You can remove the flip so that the phone only has the screen visible. I did that for a day or two but in the end put the flip back on because it serves two important functions: 1) it's a lot easier to dial and receive calls with this flip on, and 2) it protects the screen. This latter function is actually pretty important as a mobile phone can get dropped or have things fall on it so you have to protect the screen more so than you would other things. I also didn't like the virtual dialpad that appears when the flip is removed because it made dialing phone numbers very difficult. Your fingerprints get all over the screen area and it gets pretty ugly and dirty pretty quickly.

Also, the flip actually doesn't flip like other phones. To answer a call, you just press the OK button, and not actually flip the phone open. To make a call, you dial the number and then press OK again. You don't flip open the phone like other flip phones. In this regard, the flip isn't really a flip. You can set it to function more like one, but it wasn't meant to. In fact, if you flip open the phone while you are making a call, the speakerphone comes on.

I like the light blue color and the fact that it does not have an antenna. I have become a huge fan of the jog dial now as it makes surfing the menus and options a breeze. I am not though a fan of the silly little pointing device (like a pen) that attaches to the side of the phone (and covers the MS Duo slot). Sony must have known you would lose these things because they include an extra 3 pens. I much prefer to use one of my extra CLIE pens or the pen from my Tablet PC.

The screen is also slightly disappointing. On the one hand, it's massive. This is by far the largest screen I have ever had on a mobile phone. On the other hand, coming from the GD88, the 4096 color STN screen is no comparison to the 64k TFT screen. Images are not as sharp, contrast/color is not as vibrant -- it's just not the same. Having said that though, anyone that migrates from a non-color or even the small color Nokia screens will be extremely impressed.

The one big downside is of course its size. This baby packs a lot of functions as I'll highlight but it still comes in a very big package. Anyone used to a small Nokia phone is going to get a big surprise as this is not exactly a very "pocket-friendly" mobile phone. It is certainly much bigger than I'm used to but relatively comparable to the Nokia 7650 that I had before. This is probably the biggest hurdle for anyone that is considering a P800.

Function

This is probably the biggest selling point of the P800. I don't even know where to begin. The P800 didn't come with a 195 page instruction manual for nothing. This review would take 30 pages if I were to go through every function, so I'll just touch on the main points and highlight what I think is the most important and interesting. The P800 is so much more than a mobile phone. It has incorporated so much PDA functionality into the phone. Let's begin first with its function as a mobile phone.

The P800 is, and should be first and foremost, a phone. So I was a little disappointed that in that respect, the quality was mediocre. I don't know what it was, but even though I had my ear next to the earpiece, the quality of the sound remains unclear. I don't know how to explain it, versus my Panasonic GD88 or my past Nokia phones, the P800 sounds as if the other party is speaking to you in a tunnel or with something blocking their mics. At first I though it was just my phone or the other person, but I have now come to the conclusion that it is just the P800. In all fairness, the volume on the earpiece is more than ample. The volume level of the earpiece can be cranked up really loud so hearing phone calls isn't a problem. I don't know why but the call does not sound crisp or clear. I should say though that the speakerphone works very well and is always an option that I like to have.

In addition, I feel that the earphone does not do a good job of picking up my voice. Perhaps because of its placement which appears to be on the underside of the phone by the charging contacts. Consequently, when I try to whisper, the P800 does not pick up my voice as well as other mobile phones can.

Making phone calls is intuitively different than other phones and takes some getting used to. For example, you use the same button to start as you do to end a call. I'm so used to different call connect/disconnect buttons that this took some time to get used to. The menu system is also different and takes some time to figure out, with simple functions like finding someone in your directory slightly more difficult. On some occasions, I have found the menu system slow. Normally, the menu system is fairly instantaneous, but like a PDA, the P800 sometimes stalls as you navigate through the different menus. This slight pause is only noticeable when you are used to other mobile phones, but it is noticeable.

A major difference between this and other phones, is that it comes with a cradle docking station which you can (and need) to connect to a computer. The cradle is very much like a PDA cradle where the phone sits on top of it. Unfortunately, Sony Ericsson did a very poor job with the connectors. The P800 does not fit very easily on top of the cradle and you have to spend some time aligning all the contacts. It then takes a bit of effort to connect the P800 as you "wiggle" it into the cradle. All in all, poor ergonomics. Considering the P800 was delayed, you would have though they could get some simple things right. The ease of a Sony CLIE cradle's would have been well employed here.

Then came the nightmare: installing the software into my PC was a major headache. For the first two hours, I just couldn't get it to connect. It would not recognize the P800 no matter what I did. I eventually guessed that the problem was my WLAN and after the 20th try of rebooting, true enough, when I turned ON the WLAN, the P800 suddenly worked. Once I overcame this compatibility issue, things went much better. The P800 was synched (although I had to import everything into MS Outlook from my Palm software) and the P800 was now synched with my address book. Finally! I would hate to have to go through that again.

Why then do you even need to synch with a PC? (BTW, there is no Mac compatibility so Mac users will be out of luck.) Because you still have to install a bunch of items on the P800. Specifically, items like the games and additional viewers were not pre-installed so before I could show off the P800's cool gaming capabilities, I had to resolve the PC issue. Total time wasted: over four hours. Finally, I had all the necessary programs and drivers installed and we were ready to see what the P800 could do.

While we are on the subject of the games, I can conclude that in general, they are pretty pathetic. The main two games which showcase the P800 are especially disappointing. The sound and motion of the car game Stunt Run is pretty decent, but using the jog dial to turn left and right is just no fun. It gets pretty boring after awhile. The Men in Black game was even worse. Playing a Doom-like game while using a pen to point at targets to shoot on the screen becomes really lame really fast. Sometimes the simple things are the best: the Chess game and the Solitaire game are fine. Still this isn't a Gameboy. I saw much better games on the Sharp phone (like Galaga) then what the Sony had to offer. There are a few downloadable games online, but they all seem to cost money and I don't think I'll be throwing more money into this phone.

The PDA ability to write on the screen is a major plus though. Just when I was getting used to the T9 text input, I don't need it anymore. You can now enter text right on the screen with the pen or any PDA pen. You can write in the graffiti Palm style or just use normal handwriting. Recognition is actually very good and SMS is now a breeze.

GPRS functionality is a big plus. For the first time, I can now download FULL Internet pages - graphics and all. Of course it still takes quite a bit of time, not to mention that it doesn't fit very well on the screen, but it is still there. Very cool. MMS and e-mail also works very well.

I only managed to try the Bluetooth with a headset and it works fine, but I have yet to try it with a PC. I'd be curious to see how difficult (or easy) that will be.

The remaining functions are very PDA. You get the standard calendar functions, tasks, voice memo, calculator, clock functions, etc. You have a jotter function which let's you doodle maps or whatever else you want. One function I really like is the ability of the P800 to view Word, Excel and even Acrobat files. That's neat. Along with that, the P800 can view MPEG-4 video files. The demonstration file is fairly impressive though I have some reservation as to how useful this function will be. Not until 3G at least. But it's a step in the right direction.

The two fun functions the P800 excels at are its camera and MP3 capability. The camera on the back of the phone is much better than anticipated, and its larger camera lens gives much better resolution pictures. The P800 can take 640x480 resolution pictures and at fine resolution, the pictures can be as much as 100k each, which is a lot. The camera has a very simple button on the side of the phone for taking pictures and does take very good pictures. It is the best camera on a phone that I have had yet. The music functionality is also impressive with MP3 playback. Though this is not something that I will use often on the P800, it is though a good function to include. The included earphones are fine (they are a different size than usual headphones) and are used for MP3 playback and as a headset for the phone.

Many of these additional functions hinges on the Memory Stick Duo. This new format from Sony is basically a chopped down version of the Memory Stick. Similar in size to the SD format, the MS duo attaches onto the side of the P800 and can be used to store data from the camera, music, video, excel files, etc. You get a 16MB card which isn't much room but it will do nicely if you just use it for some functions like the camera. With an included MS adapter, you can download additional data to your PC or PDA (like photos taken) thereby saving storage space.

Factor

I probably haven't touched on all the functionality and ability of the P800. At the end of the day, it's a mobile phone with some PDA functions. I think it's much better than some of the other models out there which are PDAs with some phone functions like the XDA O2 and the Handspring/Palm models. But this is a matter of function. As I have said many times, I have never been a fan of convergent products. The P800 though is a fairly good try. My main disappointment is the size of the device and the screen. Although these are relative issues, having used phones with a better screen and that are much smaller, I just haven't grown to love the P800 as I thought I would. It is a super cool gadget. But it's probably got a short term life with theVooner. The P800 may be the coolest phone out there right now, but it's only something that should be considered if you have MONEY TO BURN. For US$700, the P800 is nearly 50% more than the new Nokia 7250 model which I think may have been a better option. Lastly, after having waited so long, I was tainted slightly by the constant delays though it's nice to see it finally hit the stores.

Sony Ericsson Walkman Phone W800i

2005-03-01T20:56:00.000-08:00

Your music in your phone — W800i Walkman

Have your music with you wherever you are. One press on the music button to start your in-phone digital music player, choose your favorite song or playlist and enjoy. Getting your music into your mobile is easy – W800i comes with CD ripping software. Move the music from your CDs. Quick and easy. Drag and drop.

Easy imaging

The W800i is also a 2 megapixel digital camera with video recording capability. Save your images in the W800i image gallery or move them to a PC. Let your friends see what you see using picture and video messaging (MMS) phone-to-phone.

Store more

W800i has plenty of memory inside for storing your favorite songs, images and video. And when you need to store more, use Memory Stick™ PRO Duo. In addition to the phone’s internal memory, you can have up to 1GB expandable memory. Thousands of images. Hundreds of songs.

Enhance with accessories

A quality headset is included in the phone kit. To enhance your sound experience even further, connect your W800i to your stereo with the Music Cable MMC-60. Keep listening but never miss a call. Your music automatically stops when a call comes in.

Designed for use

W800i never compromises on ease-of-use. Synchronize and transfer files rapidly with the Fast port connector. Go wireless, connect to other devices with Bluetooth™. Share with friends and family in seconds with QuickShare™.

Nokia 5140 Cell Phone Review

2005-03-01T20:15:00.000-08:00

It is believed that only three things will survive a nuclear war: Volvos, cockroaches, and Twinkies. But with its 5140 cell phone, Nokia might have added another item to the mix. Wrapped in rubber and solidly constructed, the 5140 is a sharp departure from the common mobile form factor. The black-and-blue candy bar-style handset looks like it could stand up to any manner of abuse. It also has an assortment of oddball features--including a thermometer, a compass, and a flashlight--that would benefit anyone lost in a post-apocalyptic world. The 5140 camera phone promises push-to-talk (PTT) capability, but its weirdness may in fact work against it by limiting its appeal to a mass audience. At the time of this writing, the GSM and EDGE-enabled mobile is not offered by a carrier, so its $249 price tag isn't cheap. But that could change if a carrier decides to pick it up.

Nokia 6015i Cell Phone Review

2005-03-01T20:13:00.000-08:00

Key features of the Nokia 6015i

Weight	3.87 oz (110g)

Dimensions	4.26" x 1.96" x 0.91" (108mm x 50mm x 23mm)

Form Factor	Bar Extendable Antenna

Battery Life	Talk: 3.70 hours Standby: 360 hours (15 days)

Battery Type	LiIon 1070 mAh

Display	Type: LCD (Color) Size: 96x65 pixels 4096 colors / STN

Platform / OS	(N/A)

Phone Book Capacity	250

Basic specs for Nokia 6015i (Ntelos)

Band / mode-- CDMA 800/1900
Talk time-- Up to 184 min
Analog roaming capable-- Yes
Bluetooth enabled-- No
Multi-use / PDA phone-- No
Included accessories-- Lithium Ion battery, compact wall charger
Style-- Candy bar
Body Color-- Silver
Weight-- 3.9 oz
Width-- 2.0 in
Depth-- 0.9 in
Height-- 4.3 in

Cell Phones

2005-03-01T20:10:00.000-08:00

Whenever you're shopping for a cell phone--or any high-tech item, for that matter--it's good to know what products are on the horizon. That way cell phones, you won't end up wishing you'd waited a few weeks for that next-generation cell phones model the salesperson conveniently forgot to mention. Buying Cell Phone cell phonesThus, we've come up with our handy list of release dates for cell phones, complete with photos.

Bear in mind that manufacturers and service providers usually don't set firm release dates for new models, and schedules have a tendency to slip. You should also be aware that even more phones are due to hit the marketplace in the next few months. Unfortunately, we're not allowed to talk about them yet, but as soon as we can, we'll update this list. Buy Cell Phone cell phones

Nokia 3220 Cell Phone Review

2005-03-01T20:07:00.000-08:00

With its flashing lights and instant-messaging support, the Nokia 3220, like other Nokias before it, is squarely aimed at the youth market. If you're looking for Bluetooth, an infrared port, or other business-oriented features, try elsewhere--this handset appeals to those seeking a small and stylish phone with some fun details. The 3220 delivers on this promise, but a few irritating features could keep this phone off of many users' must-have lists. The GSM phone is a bit pricey for teenage pockets ($229), but you should be able to find it at a discount if a carrier picks it up.

The good:

Small and light; strong battery life; automatic volume control; IM capability; support for EDGE data speeds.

The bad:

Poorly designed scroll key; unintuitive contact-entry system; inferior camera; low-volume speakerphone.

What's it for:

Making calls and taking pictures.

Who's it for:

Young people looking for a small, lightweight phone with a fairly basic set of features.

Essential extras:

Faceplates; headset; Bluetooth headset adapter; car charger; image viewer; image frame; data cable.

The bottom line:

Although the 3220 includes a VGA camera and a speakerphone, this handset will appeal mostly to those looking for an attractive but fairly basic cell phone.

Nokia 6019i Cell Phone Review

2005-03-01T19:51:00.000-08:00

The Nokia 6019i is a light little phone (3,87oz, or 109g), it has exchangeable faceplates, built-in games, a wap microbrowser, 250 phone book numbers and many more features (see table below).Technologically, the Nokia 6019i works on CDMA networks.

Apple I-pod Review Music Players

2005-03-01T19:44:00.000-08:00

The Apple iPod is a religion for some users (and not all of them own Macs). I was among the first people with the original 5GB iPod. At the time, nothing touched iPod usability; the dial-pad on the original iPod might be Apple's best achievement since the original Mac. iTunes was a software player for Mac users only. AAC had not yet supplanted MP3 as Apple's format of choice. For Windows users, WMA hadn't quite commanded the full attention of audio users as an alternative listening format.

Flash-forward two holiday shopping seasons and the iPod ships with as much as 40GB of disk space. iTunes is the most popular legal music download site on the planet, with support for both Windows and Mac users. 500+ devices support WMA, including portable players, car stereos, and home theater devices. More importantly, some of the portable devices deliver a user experience just as good as the iPod for a fraction of the cost.

500 devices mean tons of confusion. A majority of those devices fall into two categories: hard disk players and flash memory players. Hard disk players appeal to the user who wants to take their entire music library with them everywhere. Flash memory players are great for taking a couple hours of music to the gym.

To help narrow the field, I decided to compare my two favorite WMA devices with the iPod. I own both the 20GB Rio Karma and the 20GB Dell Digital Jukebox. My brother owns a 20GB iPod. All three devices have specific strengths.

Apple iPod

The Apple iPod remains one of the friendliest interfaces in the hard disk player category. Menu systems are easy to navigate. Numerous preset EQ options make mixing audio easy. Extra software features like contact storage and an alarm clock are useful functionality extenders. The 25 minute song buffer to prevent excess disk access is a smart feature. Belkin makes a ton of add-ons for the iPod, adding battery life, voice recording, and a media reader for transferring photos. A remote is nice for more convenient play control when using a belt clip. Track bookmarking was added in the most recent firmware upgrade, which is important for audio books. The iPod interface is the most ambidextrous of the three, thanks to no buttons on the left side of the device.

The obvious negative to all iPod models is price. Compared to either the Karma or Dell DJ 20, the 20GB iPod is $115-135 more expensive. The new Touch Wheel isn't as responsive as the original mechanical dial, reducing iPod usability. The iPod lacks support for WMA, which means iTunes is the only source for purchased downloads. Despite buffering songs to reduce disk spinning, the iPod offers half the battery life of either the Rio Karma or Dell DJ. All power handling is done via a docking station, which is fine at home, but inconvenient when packing for a trip.

Dell Digital Jukebox

The Dell DJ is a clear winner on price, coming in at a current $269. If you need to make audio notes, a built-in microphone handles the job nicely. Support for both WMA and MP3 provides a wide range of online music store options. The limited onscreen menu is easy to navigate, mostly because it lacks menu options included on the Rio and iPod. A remote is included with the DJ.

Of the three players, the Dell DJ is my least favorite. Dell made the device good enough, without adding software extras in the device operating system. Not having better onboard song sorting is just plain poor design. A two-part power supply, similar to the ones used by Dell laptops is absolutely silly (although the attached cable wrap is a nice touch). Because I'm left handed, the power button is in a perfect spot for me to accidentally turn off the player. At 7.6 ounces, the DJ weighs 30% more than either the iPod or Karma, which matters when you are carrying a cell phone, digital camera, wallet, and normal pocket stuff.

Rio Karma

This device makes great use of available space, weighing slightly less than the iPod, with a form factor almost twice as thick. Karma fits nicely in the hand, with a thumb control system providing better navigation than the current iPod wheel. A docking station for connecting easily to home theater systems via RCA jacks is nice, as is the DHCP capable Ethernet connection (WiFi would make this the perfect player). Docking provides a true line-out, by passing onboard volume controls (a feature not found on the other devices). Software provides numerous playback options, allowing you to easily create on-the-fly playlists through a built-in DJ or via preset options. Karma includes audio bookmark management. Visualization support makes the screen more than just a menu. Support for OGG, in addition to MP3 and WMA makes Karma the player with the best format support. Ethernet and RCA cabling ships in the box. At $285 online, minus a $20 rebate, the Karma delivers iPod-like elegance for a Dell DJ price tag.

Like the Dell DJ, the Karma is designed for right-handed users, although button positioning on the Karma makes accidental adjustments or power-off unlikely. No remote is included, which hasn't mattered so far. Only 5 preset EQ options require more user intervention, however, onboard gain control will automatically balance out fluctuations in volume between tracks (which should be listed as a plus).

Bottom Line

Rio Karma, Dell Digital Jukebox, and iPod represent three of the best choices in the market for hard disk players. In my opinion, the Rio Karma currently offers the best value for the money, providing an iPod equivalent user experience, with the added benefit of more formats supported, in addition to built-in Ethernet and RCA connectors. The added benefit of being able to integrate with all music stores except one (iTunes only works with iPod devices) allows me greater freedom of choice. Check out the side-by-side feature comparison below for further illustration of the differences and similarities between these three players.

Why I excluded Creative...

I owned a Nomad Jukebox Zen Xtra for about 24 hours. The material used for the case seemed cheap. The front face detached too easily (which is supposed to make changing the battery possible). The onscreen navigation just didn't make much sense to me, due partially to poor button placement on the device. Despite a $300 price for a 40GB player, I just didn't feel like the value was there.


Player:	Apple iPod	Dell Digital Jukebox	Rio Karma
Current Price	$399.00	$269.00	$284.88
Storage Capacity	20GB	20GB	20GB
File Types Supported	AAC, MP3, Audible, WAV, AIFF	WMA, MP3, Audible, WAV	WMA, MP3, Audible, OGG
Battery Life	8 hours	16 hours	15 hours
Weight	5.6 ounces	7.6 ounces	5.5 ounces
Size (HxWxD)	4.1x2.4x0.62 inches	4.1x2.7x0.86 inches	2.7x3.0x1.10 inches
Display	160x128 greyscale	160x104 greyscale	160x128 greyscale
Voice Recording	Belkin Add-on	Built-in	N/A
PC Interface	USB 2.0, FireWire via Dock	USB 2.0	USB 2.0
Equalizer	20 Presets	8 Presets, 4-band Custom	5 Presets, 5-band Custom
Lock Buttons	Yes	Yes	Yes
Audio Book Bookmarking	Yes	No	Yes
Notable Extras	Remote	Remote	Dock with Ethernet and RCA connectors
Charging Time	3 hours	3hr 30min	3hr 30min
Box Includes	Earbud headphones, dock, remote, carrying case, AC adapter, FireWire cable and 4-pin-to-6-pin FireWire adapter	Earbud headphones, slip cover, AC adapter, USB cable, Remote	Sennheiser earbud headphones, docking station, USB cable, stereo RCA cable, Ethernet cable, AC adapter
Current Price	$399.00	$269.00	$284.88

Best Portable Music Players

2005-03-01T19:35:00.000-08:00

Best Portable Music Players - a comparison

The best portable music players on the market today would have to be
Ipod, Nomad and Rio the most popular being the Ipod with its simplicity and wide coverage. The new Ipod Minis have enough room to store hours of music and are small enough to keep in your pocket with the slightest bulge.

iPod Shuffle: best portable music player for the money

The latest flavor, the diminutive iPod shuffle, proves that fewer bells and whistles can be just as good as more.

Unlike previous models, it uses flash memory instead of a hard drive. It's also much more compact -- and, starting at $99, much less expensive.

And despite the absence of a display to tell you what's playing, the shuffle's ease of use is unrivaled. It's also a solid performer with sounds that holds up against most other flash memory-based MP3 players you'll find on store shelves.

The AP has joined in with the teeming masses of mainstream reviewers heaping praise on the iPod shuffle. The news service reviewed the US$99 512 megabyte model of Apple's newest and smallest iPod, which the company released in January during Macworld Expo. The reviewer, Ron Harris, praises many aspects of the unit, and calls it "the best portable music player for the money."

Mr. Harris put the unit through its paces by auto-filling it ("too much Insane Clown Posse and not enough Andres Segovia"), and by working with the shuffle feature. The iPod shuffle has no display and is intended to be filled and shuffled through its playlist.

While Mr. Harris said that those who want quick access to a specific song will find that to be a drawback, his impression was that Apple's paradigm works.

He also talks up the unit as simple to work with, easy to charge, and that Apple's design "proves that fewer bells and whistles can be just as good as more."

It works for what it's intended for, not for evey use. Some reviews I've read have lamented the inability to use playlists or get individual songs. (FWIW, try doing that with one of the other flash-based MP3 players: you usually have to cycle through EVERY song, one at a time, on a teensy display.) Other people want a video iPod (a really bad idea because of the tiny screen)--and, of course, they want it for $12.95.

I prefer to look at devices for what they ARE, not for what they AREN'T or even what they MIGHT be. Think about how you might use something and decide whether it's worthwhile to buy it, rather than whining about what it doesn't do. If you want playlists, access to individual songs, a display--get an iPod or iPod Mini. However, if you run/jog, expect the HDs to skip once in a while (especially if you carry the iPod on your hip instead of your arm). For that use, the Shuffle is better. (An added benefit: if it's stolen, you're only out $99 or $149, not $249 or more.)

My main use for my iPod is listening to audiobooks in my car through an iTrip. (I'll get one of the direct connections soon.) For me, the Shuffle is pretty useless, so I won't buy one for myself. (I may get one for one of my nieces, who's 15. She would use it while exercising.)

Buying Plasma Televisions

2005-03-01T15:52:00.000-08:00

How to buy a Plasma Television in 10 easy steps.
Step 1: Introduction to Plasma TV Technology.
by Phil Connor ©

This first step is a brief guide about plasma technology starting with the history and leading into the main benefits and advantages of plasma technology.

If you are already familiar with this information or would prefer to skip it for now, you can follow the link at the bottom of the page to the next section, which discusses which size screen you should consider for your application.

A Bit of plasma history
Plasma screens first entered the US market towards the end of 1999, but the concept has been around since July of 1964 at the University of Illinois. The first displays were nothing more than points of light created in laboratory experiments. The technology was developed and improved, and by the late 60's, it had become advanced enough to allow the scientists to construct geometric shapes.

Today the progression in high speed digital processing, materials, and advanced manufacturing technology has made full color, bright plasma displays possible.

Digital television is now a reality -- but you're not going to see it the way it was meant to be seen using yesterday's TV sets. Today, we're in the midst of a digital video revolution, thanks to HDTV, DTV, DVD-Video, digital satellite broadcasts and computer video. Plasma display technology is one way to fully enjoy the dramatically improved image quality of all these digital video sources.

Some of excellent advantages of plasma technology include:

	Higher resolution Plasma display devices have higher resolution than most conventional TV sets, and are capable of displaying full HDTV and DTV signals as well as XGA, SVGA and VGA signals from a computer. For example, a plasma display with a 1024 x 1024 pixel resolution can display images from 1080i and 720p HDTV resolution, as well as 480i and 480p HD signals.

	No scan lines Plasma screens have no scan lines due to the fact that each and every pixel cell has its own transistor electrode. This creates a smooth evenly lit image across the entire surface of the display. Most current plasma displays also include built-in line doubling to improve image quality from low resolution video signals. Conventional CRTs use an electron beam to scan the picture tube from top to bottom at regular intervals, lighting the phosphors to create the image. With standard (NTSC) TV, visible scan lines can be seen.

	Exceptional color accuracy High-end plasma displays are capable of displaying 16.77 million colors -- providing superb color realism with exceptionally subtle gradations between colors. Color saturation is one of the most poignant factors elevating plasma screens over other display technologies.

	Widescreen aspect ratio Plasma display devices have a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio, which states the dimensional relationship between the screen's width and height. This is the proper aspect ratio for HDTV viewing, and is also the best aspect for DVD replay. What happens when viewing a regular TV or computer image? Does the image look stretched? There are several aspect ratios which plasma displays use to size the incoming video image. All plasma screens can show the image in its original 4:3 format with bars (either black or gray) on the sides of the image. There can be some variation among plasma screens in how well they convert a 4:3 image to the widescreen monitor. Manufacturing engineers accomplish a best of all worlds approach by limiting the stretching in the center of the screen and also by enlarging the entire image size to larger than the screen size. This scaling technique allows the most stretching to be located on the sides of the image thus reducing visible distortion. So the answer to the question is that a viewer may watch the image on the plasma screen in a variety of ways when displaying an incoming "normal" or 4:3 picture image from satellite, VCR, or cable TV. It can be displayed as is with the bars on the sides. In Zoom mode the image will have very little distortion or stretching and will fill the entire screen area. However, this mode usually is not favorable because it cuts off too much of the picture image and also because it causes motion artifacts and pixelation, or grainy appearance. The 16:9 aspect option will not be the preferred method of converting a 4:3 image because it will be the most visibly stretched and distorted of all the options. The best option for converting a 4:3 NTSC TV signal to the widescreen monitor is the "just" or "full" mode. Each manufacturer calls this mode something different. This aspect ratio option converts the 4:3 image with specially designed algorithms, which reduce the visible "stretching" as much as possible by using a combination of techniques. The end result is that the viewer will get passable performance and be able to enjoy the full screen dimension of the plasma display. This is accomplished by slightly enlarging the picture past the actual viewing area of the plasma panel while keeping the center of the picture more accurate. The sides of the image will appear slightly more distorted and stretched but the overall result is acceptable for long and short-term viewing. Much will depend upon what the viewer is watching. When I watch sports such as football or golf, I prefer to watch the original 4:3 format to see the most accurate production possible. When watching movies or sitcoms or the news, I watch the converted full screen mode. Of course, HDTV is shown in widescreen, which gives the widescreen format an advantage on future viewing.

	Perfectly flat screen Plasma display monitors have screens that are perfectly flat, with no curvature whatsoever. This eliminates the edge distortion that can occur in CRT displays and also assists in allowing the wide viewing angles. The plasma display element (glass) is most often protected by an antiglare Plexiglas layer.

	Uniform screen brightness Unlike some rear and front projection televisions that suffer from uneven screen brightness -- seen as "hot spots" in the middle of the screen or a darkening near the edges and especially corners -- plasma displays illuminate all pixels evenly across the screen. This gives plasma displays their "smooth" appearance.

	Slim, space-saving design Plasma display monitors are only a few inches in depth, providing installation options never before possible. Depth is usually measured at around 3.5 inches on 42" displays and 4" for 50" screens. In addition to stand mounting, they can be hung on a wall or from a ceiling, allowing you to enjoy big-screen impact from a component that doesn't dominate floor space. Conventional CRT's, DLP TVs, and rear projection TVs take up far more space and are much more limited in placement flexibility. Plasma monitors are constructed with a chassis that's not much wider than the actual display screen, giving the monitors an elegant, understated "picture frame" appearance that blends inconspicuously with any décor. Because they eliminate the need for a front projection unit and a projection screen, plasma display monitors are also ideal for use in a wide variety of business and commercial applications where the use of a front projector would not be feasible.

	Wide viewing angle Plasma displays offer a viewing angle of 160 degrees (top to bottom and left to right) -- much better than rear projection TVs and LCD displays. This allows a larger number of viewers to enjoy proper image reproduction from a wider variety of locations throughout the room.

	Universal display capability Most plasma monitors can accept any video format. Typically, they will include composite video, S-video and component video inputs, plus one or more RGB inputs to accept the video input from a computer. The composite video inputs are NTSC, PAL, and SECAM compatible, and are equipped with standard RCA or BNC jacks.

	Immunity from magnetic fields Components such as loudspeakers that contain strong magnets can distort the picture if placed too close a standard TV. However, because plasma displays do not use electron beams, as conventional CRT displays do, they are immune to the effects of magnetic fields. Plasma displays can be placed in close proximity to any type of loudspeaker and not experience image distortion. This is also the case when crossing into the Southern Hemisphere. Boats may use plasma displays as they are not sensitive the earth's magnetic fields.

Plasma & Flat Screen TV Buying Tips

Plasma monitors are measured diagonally across the screen, as are other television sets and monitors. Plasma screens start at 32" and increase in size up to 63".

The typical sizes are: 32", 40", 42", 46", 50", 61", 63"

The most popular screen sizes are 32", 42" 50" and 61". Screens smaller than 32" are considered LCD monitors.

The first stage in selecting the desired plasma screen size should be to measure the space it's going in. When recessing the unit in a space allow at least 3" of open space at the top and adequate ventilation space behind the unit to allow heat to escape. Remember that most plasma TVs do not have built in speakers but do offer some type of attachable side speakers, so allow an extra 3-6" on each side if you plan to use these.

Size of Room/Viewing Area

Make sure you have adequate viewing space between you and the TV. With Plasma TV's becoming more and more popular these days, the temptation to purchase the largest screen possible is hard to pass up. However, you must have the proper distance to have the most pleasing viewing experience.

Rough seating to plasma screen distance recommendations are as follows: 32-37" screens may be viewed from 6 to 10 feet. A 42" plasma display may be optimally viewed from 10-14 feet. A 50" plasma display will look best from 12-16 feet.You should have at least 15 feet to work with when installing a 61-inch or 63-inch plasma screen.

One of the key determining factors in selecting your plasma screen should be its resolution. HDTV (high definition TV) plasma screens are always more expensive than EDTV (enhanced definition TV screens) due to the fact that it costs manufacturers much more to make the plasma display element.

A high-resolution monitor may or may not offer a better picture than an EDTV resolution monitor. That really depends upon the signal input and the manufacturer make. An HDTV signal may actually appear better on a non-HDTV/ EDTV resolution plasma screen depending upon other considerations such as the contrast ratio, brightness, and manufacturer make of the plasma.

Generally, when comparing a high-resolution plasma display with an EDTV resolution plasma - both from the same manufacturer - with an incoming HDTV signal, the viewer will find a 10-15% better picture from the higher resolution unit IF they are watching the two units side by side. Non-HDTV/EDTV plasmas may look better with lower end video signals such as regular cable or satellite TV - as well as DVD. This is because they have less converting to accomplish from signal input to signal display. Again, this will depend upon manufacturer make and the internal scaling and converting technology of the plasma.

So why make plasma displays with higher resolution which cost more? Aside from the minor increase in quality from HDTV sources, a higher resolution allows for much better display of computer XGA signals (1024X768) - the most popular current computer display output resolution. This is especially the case with static images and numerals such as an Excel spreadsheet.

With streaming video content such as DVD, TV, HDTV the more important question is about the internal conversion and other essentials such as contrast. Higher resolution can, but does not in many cases, equate to a better picture.

To figure out which plasmas have high resolution all you need to do is look at the screen's native pixel resolution:

Non-HDTV resolution: (480p signals)

853 x 480 typically found on non-HDTV 40", 42", 43" & 46" plasma screens

HDTV plasma screen resolution:(720p and 1080i signals)

1024 X 852 found on 32" plasma screens
1024 x 1024 found on 42" & 43" plasma screens
1024 X 768 found on 42" & 43" plasma screens
1365 X 765 found on 50", 61", & 63" plasma screens
1365 X 768 found on 50", 61", & 63" plasma screens

All plasma screens are considered HDTV compatible or HDTV ready in that will all convert the signal somewhat and display it. Most manufacturers including Panasonic and NEC offer two versions of their 42" screens, one with the standard 853 x 480 resolution and the other with a 1024 x 768 or 1024 x 1024 HDTV resolution.

If you are unsure about spending additional money on an HDTV plasma, we suggest checking with your local cable or satellite provider to see what HDTV channels are available in your local area. As well, think about what computer resolution you will be displaying and what kind of content. You may also wish to join TitanTV.com which shows what channels are available and coming soon in your local area. For more information on HDTV signals please read our "Resolution Explained" article:

The following are updates on upcoming 2003 and beyond HDTV commitments by broadcasters. As you already realize, we are only the messengers. But it is a frequently asked topic so we wanted to report on what we could find out.

Philips and Sony are the only current plasma TV manufacturers that incorporate built in speakers into the plasma frame. Most other manufacturers offer optional speakers, which can be attached to the side of the plasma TV. Amplification of these speakers comes through 7 to 12 watt amplifiers, which are built into the plasma display (this is plenty of wattage for excellent audio output). Many users will want to attach speakers to the amplifiers for watching simple programming such as the news or displaying the unit in a board room or at a trade show. There are two options to consider here:
The user may purchase flat, slim speakers which attach to the sides of the plasma monitor
The viewer may choose to use his or her own bookshelf or satellite speakers. Small cube type speakers may also be attractively mounted on the wall beside the plasma display TV.
In addition, home users will often use a sound system with surround sound or their external amplifier/receiver component. Some manufacturers of plasma TVs offer no built in amplifiers for sound. In this instance an outboard amplifier/receiver must be used.

Step 5: Mounting Options
by Phil Connor ©

The following is a brief description of the most popular methods for mounting plasma TVs. Some manufactures will include a tablestand or mount on certain screens - check with your supplier for mode information.

Flat Wall Mount
Flat Wall Mounts are the most common mounting option for Plasma TVs for home or business use. This option is the least expensive and allows the plasma monitor to remain closest to the wall, adding under 2 inches to the depth. It is used in the home living room or the company boardroom to achieve the sleek appearance for which plasma tvs have come to be known.

Tilt Wall Mount
This mounting option is used when placing the plasma TV higher than the desired eye level. The user can pull the plasma monitor from 0°-15° degrees from the wall and tilt the unit from between 15° to 20° degrees - depending upon the brand. It is commonly used above fireplaces or for bedroom applications. It is also used for business to display the plasma in counter areas above head though it will normally have a ceiling mount option attached. The tilt wall mount adds from 4° to 6° inches to the overall depth of the plasma display when mounted.

Table Stand
The table stand is used for all table applications, boardroom or living room. These units are custom made to manufacturers specifications as each plasma display has its own requirements regarding how the stand fits the plasma. The stands will generally raise the height of the unit 2.5 inches from table to base of the unit. Some monitors include a table stand in the package. The table stand allows for a surprisingly sharp look and allows for maximum flexibility.

Plasma TV Cart
Typically used for business applications, this display solution us used for trade shows as well as roll up presentation use. It is used often in a courtroom setting or to mobilize up to the edge of a boardroom table for maximum visual presentation. It may include a platform for placing a DVD player, laptop computer, or VCR.

Articulating Wall Mount
This apparatus uses a swivel arm which folds up when not in use, allowing the plasma to be "flush mounted" like the tilt wall mount. It adds between 3 to 4 inches to the depth of the plasma mount depending on the manufacturer. It is used for maximum flexibility in Sports Bars, library studies, and commercial display operations. It can turn 120° degrees in either side to side direction and 0°- 10° degrees top to bottom tilt direction.

Ceiling Mount Options
The ceiling mount is normally used with the tilt wall mount and provides an attractive mounting options for airport displays, check out counters, hospital rooms, and bedrooms. Though the ceiling mount can be used with flat wall mount tilting the unit downward is normally necessary. Lengths of ceiling mount poles are variable depending upon customer needs. Standard lengths are 24 to 43".

Step 7: How and Where to Buy a Plasma TV
There are basically two options available to the consumer or commercial concern wanting to purchase one of the above listed products, retail store locations and online stores.

Brick and Mortar Retailers
There are many positives with going with an actual local store. Number 1: they are almost always authorized and therefore the manufacturers warranty will be intact. Number 2: they sometimes have more lenient return policies (though they are becoming tougher about restocking charges). Number 3 You can actually view the display that you are thinking of purchasing, which is at least an advantage for aesthetic reasons if nothing else (I'll explain this further).

There are also a number of negative aspects of purchasing from retail locations. Number 1: price - not very cometitive - prices are near or at Minimum Advertised Pricing policies. Number 2: sales tax. Number 3: They tend to side with one manufacturer over another based not on the merits of the product but instead on which manufacturer is giving the best spiffs, or getting them the most product. The retail stores I visit normally have and promote two brands of plasma/LCD monitors/TVs. These are the brands they carry and they really do not want to carry more or do proper comparisons of the product, choosing instead to just rehash whatever the manufacturers tell them. Number 4: Product knowledge which ranges from exceedingly poor at a Best Buy to very good at some specialty home theater stores.

Basically, there are two flavors of brick and mortar retailers: Category 1 is the big box retailer with poorly qualified, low-paid sales clerks that will tell you that the gas has to be replaced on a plasma TV. They usually sell less expensive merchandise from what I would call low grade to middle grade. They will usually have the best prices of the brick and mortar retailers and sometimes good specials.

Category 2 includes the smaller home theater retailer to the middle sized specialty chains like Tweeter that has salespersons that know the product fairly well, or really well - depending. They typically sell a bit better equipment, and different models than the big box outfits, but sometimes unnessessarily more expensive. They can also convince customers to spend more on higher end products, which for some customers is fine. The peace of mind is there. The customer knows they are paying more for merchandise that will last and is recommended by someone that knows something about it.

Online Web Dealers
There is a wide chasm in the quality of dealers online. Much can be ascertained by the professionalism of the web site, the depth and breadth of specification information given, and whether or not the online web site advertises that they are authorized. Prices will be MUCH lower than those of brick and mortar retailers. Personally, I would not order a product this large without speaking with someone on the phone first. I would want them to be authorized by the manufacturer. I would test their knowledge and ask questions about "what if" the unit I receive is defective, "what if" the unit goes bad after 6 months, "how can" you gaurantee me that it will be repaired. The following is a little guide as to how I suggest you narrow your choices:

The following is a little guide as to how I suggest you narrow your choices:

Authorized Dealer Status
As already mentioned above most all brick and mortar retailers are authorized, but what about Internet companies? Not the case. Some are, but its not common. In most cases, Internet e-tailers are not authorized. Being authorized is a difficult process for Internet companies. To get set up with manufacturers is a painstaking process in which the manufacturers verify the validity, standards and credit-worthiness of the dealer. In many instances, manufacturers will require a technical service center. In almost all instances they will require a showroom for the product and a warehouse for stock. Most Internet companies drop ship product from distributors or other dealers, and thus have no power to replace defective merchandise, get the customer a needed part, handle a return, give you technical assistance with the unit. Lastly, an unauthorized dealer cannot gaurantee that you will receive the manufacturers warranty nor even an extended warranty if purchased. An unauthorized dealer cannot even gaurantee you whether the unit will be new, unopened, and unused since they have no control over the shipping of the product.

Address Information - I always check for the physical address of an online company from which I am seriously considering ordering. No P.O. boxes. No international addresses (Canada included, and beware of Canadian companies that have incorporated in Deleware - same difference). No New York addresses. I might even go as far as verifying the address information with the Better Business Bureau (if the BBB insignia is posted on the web site). Reason? If I have a conflict I can get to them with certified mail, FedEx, or a law suit if need be. If a company is trying to hide this information I would not purchase from them. Basically, are they up front with who they are and where they are.

New York
Bad reputation for peddling gray market goods (products having the same model numbers but not designated for sales in the U.S. and therefore not having the applicable U.S. manufacturer's warranty).

Secondly, the salespeople are often selling you a box and understand little about the product (if there is a problem with the product or order, i.e. I get a defective unit or one with technical problems, who are you going to call?). Thirdly, from what I have found, the shops are not dealer authorized though they will swear they are. Next, purchasers have complained that they have received repackaged or refurbished merchandise in place of new product (also called B-stock). And of course, they dont actually stock the product and may be a sort of electronics clearing house from distributors. The New York e-tailers do typically have very low prices listed, but beware of those shipping and warranty charges. This is just one person's opinion, but I would not order a big-ticket item over the Internet from a New York e-tailer.

Auction Houses
Please read our online article about auction scams.

Pricing Portals
Beware the pricing portals, such as Pricegrabber.com, Dealtime.com, Nextag - there's an assortment of them. Why? This is a highly technical piece of electronic equipment, not a CD or a book.The companies represented on pricing portals rarely if ever have: Inventory, knowledge of the product, clearly written and decent return policies, the ability to replace defective merchandise, manufacturer relationships, technical expertise, a selection of added accessories, good warranties etc. etc.

One other strong word of caution here on the pricing portal "dealer reviews." The only plausible explanation that could produce 20 five star (out of 5 star) reviews in a row is.... - that's right, you guessed it - the "dealer" is writing all those reviews! Do people really give 5 star reviews out of 5 stars. Nothing ever wrong? No way. Those "dealers" pay the portals in several different ways. It behooves the pricing portals to allow this bogus practice.

Free Shipping Can be a Negative
I know that the company is paying for shipping - so they must be making up my free shipping somewhere else. Also, if they are shipping it for free then they must be shipping it as cheaply as possible, which is fine for a book. However, with a plasma television, shipping via the cheapest method possible could cause major headaches and hassles down the road when I get my broken screen. I expect to have to pay reasonable shipping prices. In most cases, a consumer still wins by not having to pay sales tax.

Warranty
Ask an Internet dealer what the standard warranty policy is. They should give a month guaranteed replacement policy for defective units. Many Internet dealers drop ship the product from distributors. They really have no control over the returns or replacement process for defective merchandise, and as a result a customer could end up having to ship the defective unit to a repair center even though it was a new purchase. Always try to purchase from a dealer that buys direct from the manufacturer and stocks the inventory.

Remember: There is only so much protection your credit card gives you. The policies of the dealer must be observed in the credit card purchasing process.

Extended Warranties
A quality retailer will sell a quality extended warranty from a well known brand. After an extended warranty is purchased it is out of the dealer's hands. Beware of "fly by night" extended warranty companies - if they go out of business so goes your warranty.

Physical Warehouse
I would ask the customer representative at the online dealer if they have a physical warehouse - if they stock the products they sell. Many companies will claim to have a physical location but are truly working out of an apartment or house or small office with little to no control over the process once the transaction has been made. Ask them if you can visit the showroom or store location where they stock the product.

Corporate Clients
I like customer references/reviews and corporate client listings. If a company is selling to corporations and government then I feel they must have their act together somewhat. It's reassuring.

Yahoo, Lycos or Ebay Internet Stores
These are examples of Internet dealers that just drop ship from distributors. They have no control over the process of shipping, replacing, repairing, or taking back defective merchandise.

Major Turn Offs on Web Sites

Web retailers that are trying to sell EVERYTHING - too many products means not enough specific knowledge.
P.O. Box - If a P.O. Box is given as the address for the company I would not bother with them.

Policies
Make sure you can access the policies on the dealer web site with regard to returns and every other aspect of the transaction.

Tech Support
Ask the company representative you speak with some specific questions about the product before ordering. Make sure they can give you some after-purchase technical assistance and guide you in the purchase of accessories.

Advice
Look for knowledgeable, unbiased advice on which products may best suite your needs.

Generally, you are looking for a well established, specialized dealer who will give you a good price AND good service/ support. The better the etailer knows its products the smoother the ordering process will be.

You will find the best prices online for sure. There is also good customer service to be found there as well, but use this guide to cut down the possibility of a bad online ordering experience.

Find an online vendor.
Purchasing your plasma TV is a big decision, currently the following companies are the main online plasma TV retailers. Before you purchase your Plasma TV monitor we suggest you read our How and Where to Buy a Plasma TV/Monitor article. We also suggest reading our Avoiding Plasma TV Auction Scams if you are considering purchasing your plasma display through an online auction. You may also read dealer ratings on the most popular online retailers.

Plasma Screen Television Installation
by Phil Connor ©

One common question people have regarding plasma is, "is the plasma TV hard to install?" The short answer is, no. Installing a plasma TV is relatively easy, there are just a few things to consider.

When mounting the plasma on the wall with one of the various wall mounts, there will be a few things you will need. You will need a stud finder in order to locate the studs in the wall. Once you've done that you are ready to anchor the mount on the wall using a drill and four screws. During this procedure, it helps to have at least two people present to help out with this process. Now all you have to do is hang the plasma on the wall and you are ready to go.

Running the cable behind the wall becomes a bit more complicated and depending on your carpentry skills may require some professional installation. There are also ways the cables can be concealed aesthetically without damaging your walls.

If you are planning on placing the plasma TV on the table stand, it is very easy. It is just a matter of lining up the two holes on the bottom of the plasma with the supports on the stand. The cables run behind the unit and are generally concealed behind the furniture that the plasma is resting on.

Connecting your Plasma TV to your other home theater components.
by Phil Connor ©

Connecting your plasma TV to your other home theater equipment may at first seem a little daunting, but can be made easier when you know which audio or video device should be connected to each jack. Below are a list of commonly found input on the majority of plasma TVs. Please note some plasmas may offer just a selection of these:

Composite Video Inputs * (RCA or BNC)
The old "AV" standard connector. This is color coded Yellow for Composite video.

S-Video Inputs
Better than "composite video because it separates the luminance (white level) and chrominance (color information). Used on DVD players, TV's, Satellite receivers and Cable TV boxes. Also used on some Computers with TV outputs.

Component Video Inputs * (RCA or BNC)
This is used on most HDTV's and decent or better DVD players. Notice the Red, Green and Blue color coded connectors.

*RCA and BNC are different types of jack inputs with RCA being the most common. BNC cables may be ordered at some higher end stores specializing in plasma display products.

VGA (Video Graphics Array) Inputs
VGA inputs are typically used to connect PCs to plasma screens, the type of cable used is a 15 pin VGA cable which is the same type used to connect regular computer monitors to processors.

On certain models such as the Sony PFM series of plasma displays the VGA input can also be used to connect video components using an RCA - VGA cable. The majority of plasma displays only use the VGA for computer use, so check with your vendor before purchasing a RCA - VGA cable.

DVI (Digital Video Interface) Inputs
This can be either a digital only connection or a combination digital and analog connection. Many new DVD's and STB's (Set top Boxes) for Satellite (DSS) or Digital Cable TV will have these connectors this year. Many new HDTV's and Projectors are using this connection already.

A DVI connection can be one of three types - DVI-I, DVI-D or DVI-A (very rare!) .

DVI-I:
DVI-I contains both the digital and analog connections, (DVI-D + DVI-A) , It's essentially a combination of DVI-D and DVI-A cables within one cable.

DVI-D:
DVI-D (like DFP or P&D-D (EVC)) is a digital only connection. If both devices being connected support a Digital DVI connection (DVI-I or DVI-D compatible) and are compatible in resolutions, refresh rates and sync, using a DVI-D cable will ensure that you are using a digital connection rather than an analog connection, without playing around with settings.

DVI-A:
DVI-A is really rare. Why use a DVI connector when you can use a cheaper VGA connector? see DVI-I P&D-A (EVC) is more common with projectors, and you should go to your projector manufacturer for recommendations.

Audio Inputs
Stereo Analog Audio connections use red and White color coded "RCA" connections. These support mono or stereo analog audio.

* Note: We would like to thank RAMElectronics for providing the cable connection pictures and input descriptions for this part of the guide.

Nintendo DS Review

2005-03-01T15:36:00.000-08:00

I love the launch of a new system. I really do. It's always fun to open it up for the first time, and to see how the games are packaged and how the controller feels. Even after the industry shows, the demos, the pitches, and the marketing I never really know how I feel about a system until I can sit down with it in my apartment and give it a whirl myself.

So I didn't know what to think when I hit the town looking for a Nintendo DS. Like most of us I was skeptical of the unit at first, the idea of a handheld with two screens and touch capabilities seemed too gimmicky, almost as if Nintendo was getting into the PDA market. Sony seemed ready to take the handheld crown from Nintendo with specs that were more initially impressive.

The tune was changed when we were able to get a closer look at the system. The screens were a good size, and had a clear picture. What was even better was the tech demos, the touch sensitive screen was being used in so many interesting ways. We saw people drawing images on the screen only to have them enter the game world as an item, we heard Nintendo talk about wireless play, and unlike Sony Nintendo seemed to be stressing the games. Then they released the price at a very attractive $150 and people began to really take it seriously as a console.

So for you, my readers, I ventured out this Sunday and tried to buy a unit. This proved a lot harder in practice than it was in theory. It seems as if Nintendo was barely able to stock preorders, and many of the major video game chains claimed to be sold out through the holidays. I finally tracked down a unit at a Circuit City (I got the second to last one) and bought some software to go with it. After calling around and asking a few questions it seems as if finding one of these before Christmas may be a chore. Several sites are reporting that the DS is selling a lot higher than expected in Japan, and that Nintendo is considering opening a new factory to pump up production. Before that happens though, good luck and happy hunting.

I had mine in hand though, and I sped home to spend some time with it and my two software purchases: Nintendo's Mario 64 DS and Sonic Team's Feel the Magic. How does it stack up? Is it worth upgrading from the Game Boy Advance? Are you better off waiting for the PSP? Well, dear reader, grab a stylus and let's find out.
Is there makeup in here?

The box is in the classic Nintendo style, with a large graphic assuring us it does in fact come with a Metroid Hunters demo inside. To be honest, this is a pretty good spread for a system. While most console manufacturers try to cut every corner to get the cost of systems down Nintendo went the extra mile here to give us a good initial package. In the box you get the Nintendo DS system itself, the AC adaptor so you can charge up the battery, a wrist strap/stylus (more on that later), one regular stylus in the unit along with a backup stylus in the packaging, and the Metroid Hunter demo in a nice cardboard case.

It's a really slick little bundle of stuff, and I love the fact that you have a playable demo right out of the gate. It helps also that the Metroid demo shows off so many of the features of the DS. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

The system is large for a handheld, but it fits easily into my coat pocket. It's larger than the SP but not so large as to be unwieldy. The exact dimensions are 3.3in x 5.8in x 1.1in, and it weighs in at 9.7 oz. The system is powered by two processors, an Arm9 and an Arm7. The developers can choose which processor powers which screen, although the obvious choice is to use the weaker processor for the touch screen.

The DS system closed

It feels solid and well put together in your hand, even if it does bare a striking resemblance to a woman's compact. The system has good tension on the hinges and can click open at two angles.

The DS system opened

There's actually a lengthy set-up process upon first power up. You have to give it your name, your favorite color, your birthday, set the date and the time. The name is used to identify you in multiplayer games and in chat. The date and time are shown every time you turn on the unit, before you pick your game. The interface is actually stylish, and while I normally hate not having a system go straight into the game upon power on it makes sense in this case.

The DS has a slot for both DS games and GBA games. You put the DS games on the top, the GBA game goes on the bottom. When you turn on the system you get a clean, easy-to-read screen that has a clock, a calendar, and it lists the games you have in the side. You can either tap the name of either game to play it, or choose to enter PictoChat or a multiplayer game. Easy to use, and very functional. It would have been interesting if they had added a date book function in there as well, since the calendar is already displayed. I'd be surprised if we don't see a third party PDA app soon.

I found out later that if you want to go directly to your game you can adjust that setting in the options menu, so that's a nonissue. I still prefer the menu upon startup though.

Nokia N-Gage

2005-03-01T14:51:00.000-08:00

Take down all your enemies by arming yourself with N-Gage^TM. Fight anyone, anywhere, with this high performance, multiplayer mobile gaming deck.

If you're still up for it, get in the ring at the N-Gage Arena and kick some serious butt. You'll be facing tough competition from global gamers. Show the world your best moves, get hints, tips, cheats and check out titles from publishers like Eidos, Sega and THQ. See if you've got what it takes at the N-gage Arena. It's a revolution in mobile online gaming.

	Wireless Multiplayer Game Play

	Bluetooth Wireless Technology

	Supports 3D Graphics

	Killer game titles from top publishers

	N-Gage Arena

Is it a phone or a games console? Available 4th quarter 2003, the Nokia N-Gage offers both! Forget the kind of games that mobile phone users are used to, the Nokia N-Gage is a full-blown games console; lightweight and ergonomically designed for 2-handed game play, with a high -res 4096 colour screen and amazing 3D graphics. The controls are designed for gaming, without sacrificing phone ease-of-use.

A key feature of the device is multiplayer gaming, either using Bluetooth™, or the mobile internet. Example games include:

Sega Rally (Sega)
Marcel Desailly Pro Soccer (Ubi Soft/Gameloft)
Pathway to Glory (Nokia)
PuyoPop (Sega)
Rayman 3 (Ubi Soft/Gameloft)
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon (Ubi Soft/Gameloft)
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (Ubi Soft/Gameloft)
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (Activision/Ideaworks3D)
Virtua Tennis (Sega)

The Nokia N-Gage is also a phone, with sophisticated features like Bluetooth, Java, high-speed internet and multimedia messaging, based on the same core platform as the Nokia 3650 or 7650. With the N-Gage, Nokia have created a product that will satisfy both hard-core gamers as well as those seeking an all-round fun mobile phone package with games thrown in. We predict that this will be the phone to be seen with this Christmas!

Features of the Nokia N-Gage include:

Large 4096 colour display (176 x 208 pixels)
5-way directional controller (works 8 ways in games)
Online gaming and multiplayer gaming via Bluetooth™
Digital music player (MP3 & AAC formats) & digital recorder
Stereo FM radio
Stereo headset
Nokia Audio Manager PC software
WAP, GPRS, HSCSD (high-speed internet), Email, XHTML browser
Symbian operating system
Java™
MMS multimedia messaging & enhanced SMS
64 Mbyte external memory card
USB connectivity for music download from PC
Built-in handsfree speaker
Calendar, contacts
Voice dialling
Size: 134 x 70 x 20 mm
Weight: 137g
Battery standby: 150 - 200 hours
Battery talktime: 2 - 4 hours (3-6 hour game play; up to 20 hour radio play)
Vibration alert
Tri band

The Digital Age

2005-03-01T14:23:00.000-08:00

Where is the future taking us? With the advanced tech gear of tommorrow already in the here and now and the upgrades of computers spiraling onwards to meet the demand of the digital age, the future is already here. Consumer products are on a rampage when most of home products run on some sort of electricity. This blog was created to review some of these products and keep tabs on what is cool and what is not. Welcome to Computer and Electronics on Blogger!

My name is William Edward Terry and I will be your host for the next indefinite future.