06.24.2009
Falling into the category of a smartphone-that-doesn't-look-like-a-smartphone, the Nokia N79 very nicely fills a niche in the vast array of mobile communication devices by packing robust PDA features into a sleek, fashionable candybar style phone.
The N79 is perfect for the busy executive, socialite, or about-towner that wants powerful calendar, contact, e-mail, and multimedia features without the bulkiness and utilitarian qualities of a Palm or BlackBerry… or the ubiquity!
Essentially an update to the Nokia N73, the N79 feature list is long. Standouts include: Symbian S60 3rd Edition FP2; 2.4" QVGA display with accelerometer and excellent readability / light sensor control; XpressOn covers - box includes several different shells that allow you to easily switch the color of your phone – switching the shell automatically switches the screen's color scheme to match; 5MP still / video camera with flash that is protected by a slide cover (which also activates the camera); secondary front-facing camera for video calling; Navi-wheel - lets you scroll through menus or lists iPod style; FM radio with integrated FM transmitter lets you listen to your music on your car stereo without additional hardware; handles up to 8GB microSD cards giving you lots of storage capacity for music, photos, and video; also includes Wi-Fi, voice-guided GPS, Quickoffice for working on-the-go, built-in stereo speakers, and, of course, HSDPA and Java-enabled browser to make internet surfing zippy.
The N79 is power in a small package and gets the thumbs up. The only real drawback is the keys. They are, indeed, a vast improvement over the N73 and one must take into account that there needs to be a balance between the relatively large screen and the keyboard size (and that I have large fingers), but it's definitely something to make sure you check out when considering this little beauty.
Currently on sale at the Nokia online store, so take advantage of the price drop now!
Posted by Brian
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06.17.2009
If you're one of the many people who've decided to wait to buy the iPhone 3G S until they are eligible for the best upgrade price, you may be in luck. Due to complaints from early adopters who bought their iPhone 3G when it first arrived last July, AT&T has slightly revised their upgrade pricing. Now if you're one of the people who would qualify for the upgrade pricing later this June, or sometime in July, August, or September of 2009, you can get your iPhone 3G S at the highest discounted price of $199/$299 for 16 GB/32 GB now instead of waiting a couple of months or paying more and fuming about it.
If you've already pre-ordered your iPhone 3G S, you don't have to do anything. If you're picking up your phone at an AT&T store, the price will be adjusted there. If you're getting your phone delivered from AT&T, you'll be issued a credit. If you pre-ordered from Apple, it's not yet clear if the price will be slashed at the store at the time of pick-up, but if you're eligible, you will get the credit.
This is great news, and kind of a hahaha to all the people (probably eligible for the upgrade already themselves) who have said the complainers were whining unreasonably. My view is that Apple/AT&T breeds the early adoption longing, and for re-upping your contract, complete with hefty data and texting fees, you should get the partially subsidized price. After all, at some next year, you may be able to get an iPhone that's not tied to AT&T.
My complaint? I have a three iPhone family plan, bought the iPhone 3Gs (that's plural, not the new model) last July when they came out, have a HUGE bill that's well over $300 a month, have never been late on a payment and yet somehow I am not eligible for the early upgrade, and won't be eligible for the full upgrade price until December. Why? My cynical side says that my billing profile screams someone who will impatiently buy the iPhone 3G S anyway, without financial incentive. This seemingly arbitrary system of awarding upgrades at different times, with vague explanations of a "formula" is definitely incentive enough for me to consider going elsewhere with my iPhone, as soon as I can. Also, stupid AT&T- I and I would think most people who pay their bills on time, can't afford a $700 phone.
The online eligibility tool to determine your highly individualized, seemingly random date of obtaining your iPhone 3G S at the upgrade price will be updated at some point tomorrow to reflect the new, less harsh upgrade policy.
2 Days to go! And I will be reviewing the iPhone 3G S (harshly, haha), just not buying one on Friday.
Posted by Mia
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06.10.2009
Amid all the iPhone madness, equal time for the Palm Pre, please.
The Palm Pre Smartphone--released last weekend and running a brand-new fast and versatile operating system, WebOS--has been received most enthusiastically in nearly all quarters. BBC News has thoughtfully rounded up several reviews so you can see for yourself.
Reviewers particularly liked the Pre's real keyboard, which that other phone still lacks. The cool QUERTY keyboard slides out gracefully so as not to interfere with the Pre's attractive and ergonomically sound curve design. Another feature unique to the Pre is its ability to multitask--you don't have to close one app to open another.
But. A big disadvantage of the Palm Pre is those apps. The you-know-what phone has a giant online store with thousands of them. The Pre's online app store has only a few for now, %^(. But let's be optimistic, %^). Surely developers will rush in to fill the gap, and software updates are expected to add spiffy features in the next few months.
However--and for me this is a huge however--there are thousands and thousands and thousands of apps that run happily on previous Palms. When the Pre was announced earlier this year, long-time Palm-lovers like me were devastated to be told that existing Palm apps would not run on the new WebOS.
Happily, Palm saw the wisdom of making a place for those of us who kept the Palm faith through the lean years. It's appropriately called Classic and makes it possible for most existing Palm OS apps run on the Pre, only faster. Even PIM databases like Contacts, Tasks, and Calendar. $29.99 and available through the Pre Apps Catalog too.
I can't share my Pre experiences with you because I haven't had any. I use the nifty Palm Centro and my current contract won't run out until next fall. Plenty of time for Palm to shake the bugs out of the Pre and issue some software updates--and for the App Catalog to fatten up.
Posted by Tam
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06. 8.2009
I know I'm rah-rah about the iPhone 3GS, but my ridiculous geek parade is being rained on, it seems. If you have an iPhone 3G, then the earliest you could have started your phone plan is July 11th, 2008, so you will not be eligible for the upgrade pricing of $199/$299 for the iPhone 3GS. At best, you may be able to get "early upgrade pricing" which is $399/$499 for 16 GB/32 GB, respectively. At worst, you'll have to pay full price: $599/$699.
It seems very odd, as most of the features of the new phone will be available in the free software upgrade, and only the most eager/geeky would care that much about the differences in the 3G/3GS. How many super-geeks don't have an iPhone 3G already?
Weird. I think June 19th just freed up for a whole lot of people.
Posted by Mia
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06. 8.2009
I'm obviously a tad over-excited about the whole iPhone 3G-S news, but here's a new tidbit that will make eager beavers like me a bit calmer: you can pre-order your new iPhone 3G-S, and be assured that you will have your phone in your hand on June 19th! Starting at about 5 PM EST this evening, you can go into any AT&T store and pre-order your phone. AT&T stores will open early, at 7 AM, on June 19th, just for those pre-order-ers, so you can pick up your phone before everyone else. Later tonight, online pre-ordering will also begin, and the online pre-orders will be received in the mail, rather than in-store pick-up. I am getting confirmation now about whether online pre-orders will be delivered by June 19th. This is a first-come, first-serve sale so availability may be quite limited.
You can also pre-order your iPhone 3GS at Apple retail stores.
The AT&T pre-order site will be open for orders later tonight.
Full press release:
AT&T Pre-orders for iPhone 3G-S
Update:
I've confirmed with AT&T that if you do your pre-order of the iPhone 3G-S online, your phone will be delivered on June 19th. At the mercy of FedEx, perhaps, but you won't spend hours in line.
Update #2:
Oddly, I've gotten emails/calls from people telling me their AT&T stores are not only not yet doing the pre-sale, but have no idea what they're talking about. I called a local store and was told to call the nearest Apple store. Wondering if the online pre-sale will go live, as promised, at "some point tonight".
I'm confused, but looks like the online site is taking orders:
Buy your iPhone early
Posted by Mia
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06. 8.2009
Another summer, a new iPhone model. The highlights:
- Much faster phone in general, so apps will load faster, run better, less crashing.
- Way better battery life: Up to 12 hours of talk time on the 2G network (still 5 on 3G), 9hours of wifi Internet surfing, 10 hours of video playback.
-Voice dialing and Voice Control of iPod functions.
-3.0 Megapixel camera with video, at last, and in-phone video editing. MMS (multimedia messages with photos and video) will be supported but won't be available until the end of the summer.
-Built in compass (in addition to the GPS, of course) to further help the directionally challenged.
-Spotlight search: search across the entire iPhone for any search term- you don't have to look separately in your calendar, contacts, etc...
Bottom Line- Do you need it if you have an iPhone 3G?
I think yes. But I'm crazy and I also have an Android G1 phone, the Palm Pre, and, um, a few others. The improved battery life of the iPhone 3G-S is reason enough for me to upgrade. The added processor speed (makes the phone about twice as fast) helps too, if you're a power user or use a lot of apps. The compass is good if you can't find your way out of your own house, like me.
But... other than the battery, processor, compass, and voice controller, most of the upgraded features will be included in the iPhone 3.0 firmware upgrade, which will be available for free on June 17th. This uncommonly gracious move allows iPhone owners to play around with the new features before deciding if they need the upgrade to the new hardware.
Continue reading "iPhone 3G-S D-Day- June 19th!"
Posted by Mia
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06. 3.2009
Function? Check. Fashion? Check.
Aimed squarely at the female slow-to-adopt-Bluetooth-headsets market, the brand new Jawbone Earcandy gives a fashionable girl everything she could want in a headset… Slim lines, the newest technology, and Spring's hottest colors! (Yes, guys, you can join in, too!)
Earcandy is the colorful version of Jawbone's newest family member, the Prime. These latest additions feature version 2.0 of Jawbone's patented Noise Assassin technology. Noise Assassin is Jawbone's military-grade noise canceling technology that makes use of a Voice Activity Sensor (VAS), which actually touches your face. The VAS helps differentiate and deliver the sound of your voice while eliminating background noise. This latest update to the Noise Assassin technology provides noted improvement over previous versions and can now handle wind gusts of up to 10 mph with ease.
Jawbone's developer, Aliph, has also made some welcome improvements over the last incarnation of their little Bluetooth wonder, the Jawbone 2. The operating controls, which are cleverly integrated into the headset's textured shell, are much easier to activate than those of the Jawbone 2. Also, the array of fittings included to help you customize the headset to your ear have been refined and are a welcome improvement, especially the new fit earbuds. These have an integrated loop that helps the unit stay put in your ear and renders the cumbersome over-the-ear hook loop unnecessary. Earcandy also boasts an impressive battery life at 4.5 hours talk time / 8 days standby time.
All the credit can't go to the design team, though. Aliph's marketing folks deserve applause for their sleek packaging and cleverly-named colors: Frankly SCARLET red, 'YELLO! Yellow, Drop Me A LIME green, and LILAC You Mean It purple. For those of you who prefer your tech in basic staple colors, the Prime's color range is for you: Blah Blah BLACK, COFFEE Talk, and Going PLATINUM. Just make sure your headset matches your shoes!
All in all, the Jawbone Earcandy (or Prime, if you prefer) has definitely come down the runway as the headset to beat this season.
Posted by Brian
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06. 1.2009
Last week, mobile phone maker Sony Ericsson, announced the release of a trio of phones that will put the company back in the running for phone dominance. One of these devices is the Satio. Billing itself as the "ultimate multimedia experience," the Satio has some cool features that will definitely appeal to the amateur photographer in all of us.
With a 3.5 inch, 16:9 widescreen format with 640 x 360 pixels for a crystal clear view. The touchscreen menu provides easy access to your favorite media including your favorite images, videos, and webpages. Satio is being run on a Symbian OS which is a plus since there are tons of apps already available when the phone goes to market
Continue reading "Satio: The Ulimate Cameraphone"
Posted by sherri
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05.20.2009
Samsung's latest smartphone is not the mythical "iPhone Killer" that mobile manufacturers have been searching for since Apple's creation first hit the scene, but it's still pretty sweet. Packed with cool features, Samsung is hoping that its latest offering can live up to its pedigree.
Continue reading "You Don't Know JACK...But You Will"
Posted by sherri
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05.20.2009
Many luxury cell phones on the market tend to be all bling and no substance. Not so with mobiles from Canadian company Mobiado. These phones are the real deal offering style and some respectable technology. The company is known for creating some showstopping devices including the 2004 Professional, the first phone to be created from aircraft aluminum and the 2008 Professional 105ZAF, the first phone to be made from sapphire crystal from front to back.
Hoping to expand upon the tradition, Mobiado has just announced the release of the PRO105GCB Rose. The new addition to the Professional line comes with a frame created from 18 karat rose gold with hand painted lettering and symbols while the front and back and buttons are crafted from sapphire crystal. The phone also includes a 2-inch QVGA display, 2 megapixel camera with video capability, a music and video player, 1GB of internal memory and 3G network capability.
No word on pricing yet, but since it's a luxury phone, expect this glitzy phone to cost a pretty penny.
Posted by sherri
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