Hyper Multimedia

6. Motorola Krave ZN4 Black from Verizon

2008-11-08T20:07:00.000-08:00

Motorola Krave ZN4 Black

The Motorola Krave ZN4 for Verizon Wireless is Motorola's first iPhone-style touchscreen phone actually outdoes its competitors - the Krave boasts not one touchscreen, but two. The large main display is a 2.8" touchscreen, and a clear protective "touch cover" flips down while the phone is closed. This EVDO device supports Verizon's V CAST TV and Music, and makes it easy to manipulate all your media via well-designed menus. The Motorola Krave ZN4 for Verizon takes touchscreens to the next level.

Highlights

Beautiful Touchscreen Phone Actually Has TWO Touch Interfaces
"Touch Cover" Allows You To Control Some Phone Functions While It's Closed
Supports V CAST Mobile TV and Music Streaming Services
Streaming Stereo Bluetooth Wireless Technology
Giant Color Screen Is Great Way to Watch Video and TV On The Go
2.0 Megapixel Camera/Camcorder Takes Printable Photos And Long Videos
High-speed, Full HTML Experience Web Surfing

Additional Items Included - Battery, Wall Charger, User Guide

Advanced Features

Digital Camera - 2.0 Megapixels (1600 x 1200 Pixel Resolution Max), 4x Digital Zoom, Portrait Or Landscape Viewfinder
Streaming Multimedia Support - Yes, Watch Live Streaming TV with V CAST Mobile TV, Or On Demand Videos Or Music With V CAST Feature
Direct To Printer Printing - Yes, BIP Bluetooth Profile Supports Direct-to-printer Printing With Compatible Printer
MP3 Player - TBD
V CAST Music Player - Stream or Download Music From V CAST, Album Art, Playlists, MP3, WMA, USB 2.0, External Controls
Bluetooth Wireless Technology - Yes, Class 2, Headset, Handsfree, DUN, OPP, FTP, BPP, BIP Profiles Supported
GPS Services Support - TBD
Video Capture / Camcorder - Record Short Videos, Send To Friends With TXT+PIX+FLIX Messaging Add-on Rate Plan Feature
QWERTY Keyboard - TBD
Voice-driven Menus - Yes, Advanced Technology Requires No Phone Pre-training
Data Capable / Use This Phone As A Modem - Yes, With Software and USB Cable Sold Separately
PC Synchronization - Yes, With Software and USB Cable Sold Separately
Bluetooth Stereo Headset (A2DP) - Yes, Stream Stereo Music To and From Compatible (A2DP) Bluetooth Devices
Parental Controls - TBD

Messaging Features

Multimedia Messaging - Send and Receive Picture and Video Messages With TXT+PIX+FLIX Messaging Add-on Rate Plan Feature
Text Messaging (SMS) - Send and Receive Text Messages With TXT+PIX+FLIX Messaging Add-on Rate Plan Feature
Instant Messenger Built-in - AOL, Yahoo! and ICQ Instant Messaging With TXT+PIX+FLIX Messaging Add-on Rate Plan Feature
Verizon Wireless Mobile Web 2.0 - Yes, High-speed Web Surfing With Verizon Wireless Mobile Web 2.0 Add-on Rate Plan Feature
HTML Web Browsing - TBD
Email Client - Yes, Supports POP3 and SMTP Formats, With TXT+PIX+FLIX Add-on Rate Plan Feature

Personalization and Fun Features

Polyphonic Ringtones - Yes, Downloadable
Custom Ringtones - Yes
MP3 Ringtones - Yes
Ringer Profiles - Yes
Picture Caller ID - Yes
Multiple Languages - Yes
Games - Yes, Downloadable
Customizable Graphics - Yes, Downloadable

Core Features

Color Main Display - 320 x 240 Pixels, Over 262,000 Colors Displayed
Speakerphone - Yes
Voice-activated Dialing - Yes
TTY Compatible - Yes
Color - Black
Voice Memo - Yes
Style - Candy Bar
Warranty - Motorola Factory Warranty
Alarm - Yes
Calculator - Yes
Touch Screen - TBD
Calendar - Yes
Mini-USB Port - Yes
To-Do List - Yes
Vibrate - Yes
Phonebook Capacity - Up to 1000 Contacts
Multiple Numbers Per Name - Yes
Standard 2.5mm Headset Jack - Yes
M3 Hearing Aid Compatible - Yes, M3 Rated
Text to Speech - Yes
Manual Lock - Yes

Battery Life

Battery Type - Li Ion
Talk Time - Up to 240 Minutes
Standby Time - Up to 410 Hours

Technical Specifications

Application Platform - BREW
Network Compatibility - CDMA 850, 1900
Data Download Speed - EV-DO (Up to 700 Kbps), 1xRTT (Up to 130 Kbps)
Ringtone Types Supported - MIDI, WAV, MP3, AAC
Predictive Text Entry - Yes, iTAP
Built-In Memory - 64MB Built-in
Expandable Memory Capacity - Yes, microSD/TransFlash Format Compatible Up To 2GB Size
Dimensions - 4.2 in x 2.5 in x 0.6 in
Weight - 3.7 oz
Platform / Operating System - Synergy OS
3G Data Speeds - TBD
V CAST Enabled - Yes

Compatibility Features

Standard 3.5mm Stereo Headset Jack - Yes
Device Supports Voice Plans - Yes
Available For Purchase Without Service Plan - Yes

5. HP Pavilon dv5t review

2008-11-08T16:28:00.000-08:00

HP Pavilion dv5t

The HP Pavilion dv5t is the replacement for the ever-popular dv6000 series notebooks. It is a full redesign that includes many new features. The dv5t is based on the latest Intel "Montevina" Centrino 2 mobile technology and is available with powerful dedicated graphics.

HP Pavilion dv5t notebook has the following specifications:

* Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 processor (2.26GHz/ 1066MHz FSB/ 3MB L2)
* 15.4-inch WSXGA+ Infinity display
* Nvidia GeForce 9600M-GT w/ 512MB DDR2 dedicated video card
* 2GB DDR2-800 RAM (2x 1GB)
* 160GB 5400RPM hard drive (Fujitsu)
* Broadcom 802.11b/g wireless + Bluetooth
* Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit
* High-capacity 6-cell Li-ion battery

Design

The design of the HP Pavilion dv5t is simply beautiful. It is sleek and ultramodern, with tasteful accents. The entire notebook is streamlined, and no matter what angle you look at it, it looks great. This notebook has a "soft" design with all corners rounded off. Looking at the side of the notebook, the backside is a semicircle, and the front curves up like the bow of a boat. When the display is shut, the back of the notebook has a raked look to it, which is appealing. The display only has one large hinge, which adds to the sleek look. The chassis is relatively thin, at 1.37 - 1.65 inches thick.
Two general colors are used - silver and black. All of the viewable surfaces are glossy and reflective.
The entire display portion of the notebook is glossy black, including the hinge.
The status lights for power, battery charge, and hard disk activity are located in the front edge of the notebook.

Build Quality

The notebook itself is made of high-strength plastic and feels solid.

Screen

With the introduction of the HP Pavilion dv5 series notebooks, HP is finally offering high-resolution displays. The dv5t is currently offered with a WXGA or WSXGA+ resolution. The WXGA screen (1280 x 800 resolution) is what most 15.4-inch notebooks in stores have.It has 42% more viewable space than the WXGA display.
HP offers two display finishes in addition to the resolutions - the standard BrightView or the BrightView Infinity. The Brightview display has the standard glossy finish that nearly all new consumer notebooks come with. The Infinity display is a new option introduced on the dv5 series notebooks. The Infinity display is basically a large piece of clear plastic over the entire display. It makes the display look like it has no borders.

Speakers

HP has included brand-name speakers on their Pavilion notebook line for a long time.The dv5 series features two Altec Lansing stereo speakers. These speakers are a definite step up from standard generic notebook speakers in terms of sound quality.The sound is more enveloping than typical notebook sound.Below the front edge of the notebook are two headphone jacks, which are static free. Audio can also come through the built-in HDMI port - it is useful for connecting to external HDTVs.

Media Remote

HP includes a small remote with the dv5t, which fits in the ExpressCard/54 slot. This remote is designed to be used in media center. Overall, a handy and useful component.

Webcam

The built-in webcam is of average quality,it shows a decent amount of detail.

Heat and Noise

The dv5t with the Nvidia GeForce 9600M-GT dedicated graphics card gets hot while playing games.The bottom of the notebook doesn't get too hot when idle, but it varies depending on what sort of surface the notebook is sitting on. That said, the HP dv5t is definitely not a machine that should be used in the lap. At idle, the HP dv5t stays only lukewarm on the keyboard surface, though the bottom still gets warm (again, it depends on the surface).The one fan that cools down the dv5t is located in the back left corner. It is almost silent while performing regular activities, and even under CPU stress.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The HP dv5t's keyboard is truly enjoyable to use and feels of high-quality. The tactile feedback is excellent thanks to the just-right key travel and soft but not too soft cushion. The keys have a smooth, almost-glossy coating and feel nice. This keyboard is rock solid and does not suffer from any flex even when abnormal pressure is used. It is easy to feel your way around the keyboard without looking down at it.The HP dv5t's touchpad functions as expected. It has separate left/right buttons and a vertical scroll zone on the right. Its most unique feature is the on/off button above it, which is extremely convenient.

Input and Output Ports

There is a great variety of ports on the dv5t. Picture tour time (port descriptions are from left to right):
Left Side: VGA, docking station connector, Ethernet, HDMI, eSATA/USB combo, USB, IEEE 1394 mini-Firewire, ExpressCard/54 slot (top), media card reader (bottom) (reads SD, MS/Pro, MMC, XD).
Right Side: Optical drive, 2x USB, fillers for TV tuner/56k modem, Kensington lock slot, power jack.
Front: IR receiver, microphone, 2x headphone jack.
It is important to note that the dv5t includes not only USB ports, but also an eSATA port. An eSATA support is basically an external Serial ATA port for an ultra-fast connection to external hard drives.The dv5t's HDMI port is great for connecting to external HDTVs.

Wireless

HP offers two wireless cards in the dv5t - a standard 802.11b/g card, and the new Intel WiFi Link 5100AGN. The Intel card is an upgrade option and adds high-speed wireless N band support.

Battery and Power Adapter

There are two battery options on the dv5t - a standard 6-cell, and the High-Capacity 6-cell.HP dv5t's 90W AC adapter is light, small, and easy to travel with.

Operating System & Software

HP offers 32- and 64-bit versions of Vista on the dv5t. Home Premium is standard, while Ultimate is available as an upgrade.

Conclusion

The HP dv5t meets our needs perfectly. It is an extremely well-rounded 15.4-inch multimedia notebook at a great price point. A beautiful design, superb input devices, a great screen, and good gaming performance are the major highlights of this machine.

Pros
* Great value
* Beautiful, classy design
* Solid build quality - no cheap plastic
* Gorgeous WSXGA+ Infinity display
* Excellent input devices
* Port variety - eSATA, HDMI especially
* Good gaming performance
* Quality speakers
* Small AC adapter

Cons
* Runs warm while gaming
* High maintenance - keep a microfiber towel handy
* Pre-loaded bloatware
* Battery life with dedicated 9600M-GT may not be enough

4. Canon EOS 50D just have a look

2008-11-07T22:17:00.000-08:00

Canon EOS 50D

Many features stand out to make the Canon EOS 50D a great digital SLR camera. What will really catch and hold users is the impressive image quality they'll get from the Canon 50D across the standard ISO range of 100 to 3,200. New gapless microlenses allow greater light gathering ability, making for surprisingly detailed images even at ISO 800 and 1,600. The Canon 50D's 14-bit analog-to-digital conversion doesn't slow the frame rate down, either, as the camera clicks along at 6.3 frames per second. UDMA support lets the Canon 50D write to a CompactFlash card at up to 45MB per second, with support for future cards that will allow writing at up to 133MB per second, making the 50D quite fast in more ways than one. The addition of face detection gives the Canon 50D the most complete set of Live View features in an EOS camera, and other operational enhancements make the Canon 50D both easy to work with and provide more depth to explore than ever before.

Canon EOS 50D Specification

Style	Digital SLR
Megapixels	10
LCD Screen	3
MemoryCards	CompactFlash Type I/ II
Resolution	3:2
File Formats	JPEG / RAW
Shutter Speed	30 to 1/8000 seconds + bulb
Sensitivity	Auto (100-1600), 100-3200 (in 1/3-stop or whole stop increments)
White Balance Settings	AWB, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, White Fluorescent light, Flash, Custom, Colour Temperature Setting.
ExposureCompensation	+/-2 EV in 1/3 or 1/2 stop increments
Viewfinder	Pentaprism
Flash Modes	Auto, Flash On, Flash Off, Red Eye Reduction
Flash Range	13m
Shooting Modes	Portrait, Landscape, Close-up, Sports, Night Portrait
Metering	Multi-pattern, partial metering, centre weighted, spot
ManualControls	Manual exposure, aperture priority, shutter priority
Image Stabilisation	No
Self Timer	10 seconds or 2 seconds
Video Out (TV Playback)	Yes
Computer Connection	Yes
Batteries	Lithium ion
Dimensions	145.5 x 107.8 x 73.5mm
Weight	730g

3. FAR CRY 2 Review

2008-11-07T11:37:00.000-08:00

FAR CRY 2

Far Cry 2 throws the rulebook out the window and lets you tear apart Africa any way you see fit. That sense of freedom, along with non-stop action and decent multiplayer, make it a game worth checking out this holiday season.

In the game, you play a mercenary in Africa, rather than a tropical paradise. Right off the bat, you run into bad luck, ambushed by gun-toting guards and contracting malaria. When you come to, a criminal known as the Jackal, a local gunrunner, taunts you and declares himself invulnerable. Your mission in the game is simple. Find and kill the Jackal by any means necessary.

Similar to Grand Theft Auto IV, Far Cry 2 lets you accomplish goals at your leisure. There are numerous missions available, including main objectives, side tasks and alternative chores. How you complete them, however, is completely up to you. There's no pre-set order to follow, and you can go anywhere the African territory takes you. Steal a jeep and drive into the foothills, run rampant through a guard post or simply meander about and kill some wildlife. The sense of freedom is astounding, to the point that you won't play the same adventure twice.

When you finally reach your objectives (it's best to use a car), you also get to choose how to complete them. Whether you want to be sneaky, slice your target with a machete or go Rambo on an entire militia with a grenade launcher is, again, up to you. There are also supporters that lend a hand, including suppliers and buddies who watch your back after you rescue them. Just keep an eye on your health, as you'll constantly need to remove bullets and take malaria pills to avoid death.

Combat is mostly rewarding, and you'll enjoy coming up with new ways to kill bad guys. Case in point, we caused a three-car pile-up by mowing down a few soldiers with a mounted gun turret. Then we dropped a grenade on the whole thing and sent cars flying everywhere. Hang gliding also has a strange satisfaction, as you can swoop in and get a jump on an unsuspecting gunman.

Aside from the standard issue weapons, you can also upgrade to more powerful weapons, including a flamethrower. The only thing standing in the way is the stupid artificial intelligence, which has a nasty habit of repeatedly driving into trees or failing to notice its counterpart was shot.

In addition to the single player campaign, there's a multiplayer mode for up to 16 players through Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. Typical modes such as capture the flag (in this case, capture the diamond), deathmatch and team deathmatch are available, as well as an Uprising mode. Here, your team guards a person as he or she attempts to capture checkpoints. There's also a map editor available, so you can pave your own African battleground.

Visually, Far Cry 2 looks amazing. Ubisoft Montreal has done a splendid job recreating Africa, complete with swaying trees, bright green leaves and muddy roads. Other things are also noticeable, such as the effect malaria has on your player (the screen turns yellow and wavy) and the unbelievably realistic fire effects. The frame rate stutters from time to time, due to the absurd amount of detail. The in-game map also hinders your view both when you're on-foot or driving, although it's a handy tool in case you get lost.

Sound isn't nearly as impressive, but it's still decent. The characters sound realistic, although some are too emotionless. Effects, particularly the speaker-rocking explosions and gunfire, work nicely. The music fits the African setting, effectively building as you get into more intense situations.

Far Cry 2 runs the risk of being lost in the holiday shuffle to more popular games, but we strongly suggest giving it a chance. Its huge sense of freedom, eye-popping destruction and intense action make it a first-person shooter worth your dollars. Just keep that malaria in check. It's nasty.

2. Get the latest iPhone 3G.

2008-11-07T03:42:00.000-08:00

The latest iPhone's 3G wireless radio accelerates data surfing, but the new model offers little else to justify upgrading from the previous iPhone.

Innovative design and seamless integration between software and hardware propelled the first-generation iPhone to instant stardom. Its successor, the iPhone 3G, at once expands upon that innovation--and delivers it at half the entry price of its predecessor. The result is a classy device whose abilities continue to make it a strong choice for smartphone shoppers who value form that supports function--but less of a must-have upgrade than you might think.
Apple iPhone 3G Test Scores

* Overall 84
* Performance 65
* Features 70
* Design 95

Up front, Apple largely delivers on its promises. iPhone 2.0 software supports, among other things, the newly launched and eagerly awaited iPhone App Store. (Owners of first-generation iPhone can download the software for free.) A faster wireless radio loads Web pages up to three times faster. An appealing lower price makes the iPhone more accessible to an audience beyond early adopters and gadget hounds ($299 for the 16GB version in either white or black or $199 for the 8GB version--that's one-third the price of the original 4GB iPhone that shipped a year ago).

But in some ways, the iPhone 3G feels like an incremental upgrade at best--one that does little to capitalize on Apple's already sizable jump on its competition. The list of details that remain overlooked or are not included is sizable--no removable media, no Java or Flash support in Safari, no cut-and-paste. Almost all of these are points that Apple could have easily fixed--which makes their omission all the more frustrating.

The big news with the iPhone 3G is given away by its name: if you live within AT&T's 3G Mobile Broadband network (which uses HSDPA technology), the new phone can provide up to three times the throughput of AT&T's EDGE network. The original iPhone's lack of 3G support was widely criticized when that model first launched last summer--it used only AT&T's slower EDGE wireless data network.

AT&T says its third-generation mobile network is available in some 280 markets now; that number will grow to 350 by next year, according to the company.

How valuable 3G may be will depend entirely on AT&T's network coverage in your area. I tested the phone in suburban Long Island, New York--where AT&T shows 3G network support. At Inetworktest.com, the original iPhone's EDGE bandwidth was 174.8 kbps; the iPhone 3G's performance was just a little better, at 210.1 kbps.

In this corner of New York (at the Roosevelt Field shopping mall), Wi-Fi performance on the 3G iPhone blew all of those numbers out of the water: 1360.3 kbps.

When I visited a collection of six Web pages from my spot here in Westbury, Long Island, I discovered first-hand the variances that AT&T's 3G network can show. Supposedly, this area does have 3G coverage, however in my spot, I didn't find the performance up to par.

On the original iPhone, using AT&T's EDGE network: NBC.com took 65 seconds to load; an MP3 took 52 seconds to load; eBay's home page took 96 seconds; NationalGeographic.com took 45 seconds; Macworld.com took 117 seconds; PCWorld.com required 158 seconds.

The iPhone 3G, when set to use AT&T's 3G network took: 40 seconds to load NBC.com; 80 seconds to load an MP3; 23 seconds to load eBay's home page; 35 seconds to load NationalGeographic.com; 32 seconds to load Macworld.com; and 38 seconds to load PCworld.com. Those numbers don't support what I'd expect of 3G performance; I'll be interested to see how the phone performs in other regions when I travel about with it.

The iPhone 3G's Wi-Fi performance, predictably, came out on top. NBC.com took 26 seconds to load; the MP3 took 18 seconds to load; eBay's home page took 16 seconds; NationalGeographic.com took 22 seconds; Macworld.com took 18 seconds; PCWorld.com required 17 seconds.

Another big addition--a GPS receiver. The first-generation iPhone could triangulate your location based on cell-phone towers and Wi-Fi signals. The iPhone 3G's Assisted-GPS receiver should refine those results, both for mapping directions and for location-based applications (such as finding the nearest pizza place or hotel). We'll report back on the GPS's accuracy after we've had a chance to put it through its paces.

One pleasant surprise with this upgrade: Talk quality is vastly improved. The initial calls I made on the 3G network had excellent audio quality and clarity; and the volume button was very effective in adjusting the audio (I had issues with the first iPhone's loudness last year).

The new iPhone 3G has the same width and length as its predecessor, but it is .2-inch thicker. It has a curvier design on its underside, which makes the phone feel comfortable in your hand. The gorgeous multitouch 3.5-inch screen is back; pinch, squeeze, and glide gestures continue to make the iPhone one of the simplest--and certainly the most fun--cell phone to navigate.

Some of the iPhone 3G's design points have been switched up. Whereas before the back was metallic, now it's all molded plastic; and the buttons along the side--previously made of hard plastic--are now cast in solid metal (a subtle improvement). The plastic back helps account for the iPhone 3G's minutely lighter weight: 4.7 ounces to 4.8 ounces. But, it's very prone to fingerprints, and it both looks and feels a bit chintzy, like stepping down from a Lexus to a Camry.

Thankfully, Apple integrated one very necessary and welcome hardware change: The headphone jack is now flush with the upper edge of the phone, so you can use any headphones with a standard 3.5mm jack you wish. This marks a notable improvement over the previous version, which required a kludgy plug to connect a headphone.

The charger is significantly smaller and less obtrusive--that's important considering you may need to take it with you more often. You can't replace the battery yourself (Apple charges $86 to do it), and if you use the 3G radio, you'll drain the battery up to twice as fast as you would without the 3G radio. The phone no longer comes with a charging dock--Apple now charges an extra $30 for that (the dock is slightly smaller now). Instead, like iPods, the iPhone 3G now comes with just a USB charging cable.

You can now save images from the Web or from e-mail; simply press on the image for a few seconds, and you get a prompt asking if you want to save the image. The image then appears in your camera roll.

I welcomed the refreshed e-mail application, which now allows moving or deleting multiple e-mails at once; this feature made it much easier to perform e-mail management on the device itself.

In addition to being able to open Apple iWork documents and Microsoft Office documents, you can now view still-image PowerPoint presentations--a huge boon to mobile presenters, particularly with the impending arrival of micro-projectors that aren't much bigger than an iPod Classic.

Business features include support for VPN and WPA wireless security, neither of which I've tested yet. The iPhone 2.0 software also includes support for Microsoft's Exchange and ActiveSync for push e-mail, contacts, and calendaring; however, the iPhone only allows you to maintain one set of synced contacts, calendar, and e-mail on the iPhone at a time.

If you're handing an iPhone to a teenager, you may appreciate that iPhone 3G now has parental controls to limit, for example, YouTube and Safari use.

The iPhone remains a highly capable and easy-to-use audio and video player, thanks in part to its Cover Flow navigation (also found in the iPod Touch).

The new 3G network made it easier to access and watch videos via the YouTube application. Streaming video was smooth, with excellent picture quality.

As before, the iPhone 3G features a still camera. Unfortunately, the camera is largely unchanged--it's still sadly limited to just 2.0 megapixels, still lacks zoom and video recording, and still is clumsy for taking a picture (with no dedicated camera shutter button, you have to touch on the phone's screen to take a shot, jostling the phone as you do so).

What's new about the camera application is its integration with the iPhone 3G's GPS system. Now, you can add geotagging to your photos, which may become useful when you use your images in conjunction with geodata-aware applications.

Apple claims the iPhone 3G is capable of up to 300 hours of standby time, up to 10 hours of 2G talk time (up from 8 hours on the first-gen model), and up to 5 hours of 3G talk time. In our tests at the PC World Test Center, however, the iPhone 3G fell far short of its predecessor, averaging 5 hours, 38 minutes of talk time. Even so, that's a better talk time than other 3G phones we've tested could manage. See our full battery life test story for more details.

Furthermore, Apple also reports the iPhone 3G is capable of surfing the Web for 5 to 6 hours using the 3G connection; playing videos for up to 7 hours; and playing audio for up to 24 hours (which puts the iPhone 3G on a par with Apple's current iPods).

To get the subsidized $199 (8GB) and $299 (16GB) iPhone pricing, you'll have to sign a two-year contract with AT&T. AT&T plans to sell the phones at an as-yet-to-be-determined date without a contract, but those iPhones will cost $599 and $699, respectively.

The big difference with the pricing is that up-front, you pay less--but you will pay more over the long haul. AT&T now treats the iPhone 3G like any other smart phone. Now, you choose your voice rate plan, add in $30 for unlimited data use ($10 more than the previous iPhone's data plans; and that jumps to $45 for business users), and factor in $5 more for text messaging, too (previously, 200 text messages were included in the iPhone rate plan).

Assuming you want to send and receive text messages, that means you'll be spending $15 a month more for the iPhone 3G than you did for the original iPhone. That's $180 annually extra on your cell phone bill--not including taxes.

A year and an upgrade later, Apple's iPhone 3G stands in a class all its own. While this smart phone is still not perfect, its lower entry price, 3G radio, GPS, and business-friendly security features broaden the iPhone's appeal--and cements Apple's position as a defining force in the cell phone industry. I fully expect Apple to at least match its sales of the first-gen iPhone--Apple says it sold 6 million of those.

If you already own a first-generation iPhone, though, you should be wary of upgrading. You'll pay more for service, and if you don't live in a 3G-friendly area, or can manage well enough using a Wi-Fi network for Web browsing instead of a cellular network, the iPhone 3G doesn't represent a good value.

1. G-1.Google's first android phone.

2008-11-07T01:45:00.000-08:00

The first phone with Google’s Android operating system boasts excellent ergonomics and call quality, but it’s held back by the lack of such basic features as a standard headphone jack.

At first glance,the T-Mobile ($179 with a two-year contract) doesn't seem to merit much attention. It looks like just another bland, HTC-manufactured phone. But use the G1--the first phone to run android OS--for 5 minutes, and you'll start to see why it's one of the best-designed phones you can buy. Not only is the G1 intuitive to use, but its customization options (via Android) makes it a tweaker's delight.

Setup: From the start, the G1 offers a different, more intuitive smart-phone experience. At boot-up, the phone displays a cartoon graphic of an android, with an animated finger pointing at the android and instructions to "touch the android to begin."

The ensuing screens are clearly presented, and walk you through the speedy setup process. You'll need a Google account, the phone explains, for automatic syncing of your contacts, calendar, and e-mail with your Web-based Google data.

If you don't already have an account, you can sign up directly from the phone. Otherwise, sign in to link your existing Google account and the phone. After the initial, over-the-air synchronization finished, my Google e-mail and calendar info was available to me on the phone, and the phone was ready for use.

Design: The phone itself has a candybar design with a matte black finish and slightly rubberized plastic back. It's narrower than its chief rival, Apple's iPhone, but slightly thicker (the G1 measures 4.6 inches by 2.2 inches by 0.6 inch, and weighs 5.6 ounces). The 3.2-inch capacitive touch-screen display dominates the front face of the phone; the physical buttons on the phone are well chosen and clearly labeled.

The lower fifth of the phone holds an easy-glide trackball (similar to the trackball found on RIM BlackBerry devices) and five buttons: a green talk button to activate the phone itself; a home button to return you to home screen; a back button to move to the previously viewed screen in the browser and throughout the phone; a red end button; and a rectangular, context-sensitive menu button. This last button is conveniently situated beneath the screen (double press the button to quickly release the screen lock; hold it down for a couple of seconds to get a shortcut screen to recently used applications) and directly above the trackball.

A full QWERTY keyboard hides beneath display; when you press the middle left part of the phone, the display smoothly slides up. At the same time, the phone automatically rotates the screen's orientation from vertical to horizontal; you have to use the horizontal orientation for data entry tasks, as the phone lacks an on-screen keyboard (unlike the APPLE i-phone 3G or) .

The roomy backlit keyboard made typing easy, though the buttons felt a bit too flat for my comfort (because the flat buttons butt up against the rim of the phone, pressing the bottom row of buttons was sometimes difficult; the same issue arose with the buttons at the far right). My right thumb had to work harder than my left because, in effect, the keyboard was deeply inset (my thumb had to reach around and over the bottom fifth of the phone to reach it).

The only other physical buttons on the phone are a volume rocker switch on the upper left side, and a dedicated camera shutter button on the right side. A microSD Card slot is hidden on the left of the phone; to access it, you open the screen and press a subtle tab; the card then pops out of the side (warning: you'll need fingernails to get it to pop out easily). T-Mobile includes a 1GB card; the device has been tested with up to 8GB microSD Cards, and should support 16GB cards when available.

The rear cover pops off to reveal the unit's battery and SIM card. Because (like other HTC-designed handsets) the phone lacks a standard dedicated headphone jack, you have to use the included wired stereo headset, which plugs into the proprietary jack at the phone's base--the same jack that the charger plugs into. T-Mobile plans to offer a converter at extra cost, but the dongle approach seems as bothersome and inelegant as the apple iphone's non standard jack was. It's too bad, because the phone is certainly a capable media player.

Phone Use: The phone feels good in the hand, and it sounded great when I tested it. I received both 3G and EDGE network coverage in the San Francisco Bay Area; audio was clear, with no background noise or hiss.

In the PC World Test Center, the battery lasted for 5 hours, 51 minutes of continuous talk time--23 minutes longer than the iPhone 3G. In my hands-on use, the battery drained a bit faster than I had expected, though: After an hour of use (including phone calls, and music and application downloads), the battery had drained by 31 percent.

The Dialer application is simple to use. The on-screen buttons are well-spaced, and I had no difficulty using the app one-handed. Unlike with the iPhone 3G, I didn't accidentally trigger buttons by running my finger over the screen. I particularly liked the streamlined process for entering contact data, and the freedom I had to customize a contact's info to match the fields I wanted to fill. The Voice Dialer worked well when I tried it in a quiet environment.

Hardware and Software Integration: As with Apple's iPhone and its software, the integration of the G1's hardware with the Android software is crucial. Here, both the phone and Android shine: Thanks to its trackball and its slide-and-glide gesture-capable touch screen, the G1 had particularly intuitive and smooth ergonomics. Displays behaved as my fingers seemed to expect them to--except that I couldn't swipe left-to-right to scroll through pictures in my photo library, as I could with an iPhone 3G. The touch screen was usually highly responsive, but sometimes when I'd touch a hypertext link in the browser, I had to press twice for it to take. I liked being able to use my finger to drag open the Notifications status to see additional details about incoming text, instant, voice, and e-mail messages; and calendar events.

As the first Android device, the G1 teems with potential, and exploring the new interface is fun. Google's own clean, simple Web design has clearly informed much of Android's interface--and how you interact with the applications. You can tweak and customize everything, either through the deep and varied Settings options or through suitable apps.

The opening home screen consists of a myFaves icon at the upper left, an analog clock icon in the middle, and four primary applications: Dialer (also known as the phone), contacts, browser, and maps. Hold your finger down on an app, and the phone will vibrate once and release the icon so that you can move it to another spot on the screen.

Swipe your finger to the right, and the wallpaper continues onto a second home screen, with a Google search bar permanently fixed at its top. Press or drag the tab at the bottom of the screen (in vertical orientation; in horizontal orientation, the tab shows at right) to reveal the other applications. The icons, arrayed in rows of four, will include all of your applications. Apps are arranged alphabetically; the icons are smaller and slightly less distinctive than on the Apple iPhone, but they're comparable to what you'd see on a Palm OS or BlackBerry OS device. Hold your finger down on an icon to duplicate the icon on the home screen.

The phone has both assisted GPS and GPS. The Google Maps app built-in uses both, but in my casual tests in San Francisco, it didn't exhibit the same level of accuracy in picking up my location as an iPhone 3G's Google Maps app did.

At launch, the G1 doesn't support the stereo Bluetooth profile, according to T-Mobile; however, the phone may support stereo Bluetooth at some future time.

Applications: The phone comes with a number of apps preinstalled--and you can add tons more via the ANDROID market. The versatile IM lets you configure instant messaging with AIM, Google Talk, Windows Live Messenger, and Yahoo Messenger. Because Android permits multitasking--and no app actually closes--you can receive IMs after you've left the IM app to browse the Web, for example. (With the iPhone, you won't get your messages if you leave the IM app, and you have to log in again each time.)

Mail from Gmail gets its own icon, but you can set up other POP3 and IMAP e-mail accounts as well, in just a couple of steps (the software automatically configures the server settings). The calendar syncs with your Google Calendar. I had no trouble viewing the various calendar entries I'm privy to, or adding an entry to my calendar, but I couldn't add an entry to other Google Calendars that I have rights to. And bizarrely, Android has no Google Docs support at launch; the only way you can access Google Docs is through the Web browser--a bit of a pain. You can view Microsoft Word and Excel documents through Gmail, but you can't save and view these docs through the Web browser. Similarly, you can open and read PDF files received through Gmail.

The Web browser handled much of what I threw at it, but it balked at some tasks (for example, it lacks in-browser Flash support). I missed having discrete forward and backward controls (you can go back only by clicking the universal hardware back button) and an option for offline viewing (as on a PALM OS based treo), but adding and retrieving bookmarks was simple.

Multimedia: The Amazon MP3 app is a useful alternative to iTunes, and music downloaded quickly and easily. I could queue up the DRM-free tracks for download, which occurred in the background as I did other things with the phone. Unfortunately, the selection is less extensive than the one on iTunes.

The music player application is easy to navigate, and great for finding and playing back music. Music sounded okay when piped through the built-in speaker (on a par with the iPhone 3G's speaker). But the lack of a standard headphone jack limits the G1's potential as a music player.

The camera app is a big disappointment. Though the device has a 3-megapixel camera, it lacks a flash, a zoom, and any controls for adjust image quality, white balance, or the like. There's no camcorder, either, though T-Mobile says that the imaging sensor can capture video if someone writes a video capture app and offers it on the Android Market.

Final Analysis: T-Mobile's Android-based G1 isn't especially sexy or eye-catching, but it does a lot of things right. It's a strong first-generation Android device, but the absence of a standard headphone jack, a video camera, and Google Docs (and support for Word and Excel) at launch are notable detractions. Still, I would recommend this versatile phone over countless other smart-phones; Android's intuitive ease-of-use raises this phone above most Windows Mobile- and BlackBerry-based devices.