Palm-Held Devices Reviews

Palm TX Handheld

2011-06-18T07:02:00.000-07:00

Product Description

Created for today's fast-paced mobile landscape, the sleekly lightweight Palm TX handheld keeps you connected to your most important data--from email to files stored on your office PC--while you're away from your desktop with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless connectivity. It also features a high-resolution 320 x 480-pixel screen (with portrait and landscape orientation modes), a fast Intel 312 MHz ARM-based processor, expansion slot for Secure Digital (SD), MultiMedia (MMC), and Secure Digital I/O (SDIO) cards. The 128 MB of non-volatile flash memory (of which approximately 100 MB is available for files and software) protects your documents and information, even if the device is not charged and the power runs down. And, of course, the Palm TX features Palm's suite of information management applications, the ability to edit Word- and Excel-compatible files, and synchronization with Microsoft Outlook (Windows only). Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Wireless Connectivity
Stay connected easily when you're on the go with the built-in Wi-Fi wireless connectivity (802.11b), which enables you to access email and browse the Web at hotspots such as at coffee shops and in airports, or in your office if you have a wireless LAN network. You can even retrieve documents from your main computer with the included WiFile LT software. The Palm TX also comes the following enhancements:

Added ability for the device to scan for available networks
Improved connection logic to automatically connect to available compatible networks
Three steps to easily set up a new network connection
A free 30-day subscription to all T-Mobile Wi-Fi hotspots

With built-in wireless Bluetooth connectivity (version 1.1), you can synchronize the Palm TX with a Bluetooth-enabled computer from across the room (within a range of 10 meters, or approximately 30 feet). But that's just the start. Using a compatible Bluetooth-enabled phone, you can send and receive e-mail and connect to the Web, send multimedia (MMS) or text (SMS) messages, and even automatically dial any number in your handheld's Contact's application. (You can also synchronize data the "old-fashioned" way via the USB connection at the base of the handheld.) For mobile professionals, the Palm TX provides all the conveniences of managing email on the road. With Wi-Fi access or Bluetooth technology, you can check corporate or campus email as well as personal accounts; download, read and edit a Word or Excel report on the fly; synchronize Outlook contacts, calendar, tasks and memos; and work with Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, using VersaMail software, to synchronize email and calendar
Expansion Capabilities
The expansion card slot for MMC, SD and SDIO formats lets you insert a memory card from a digital camera and view photos on the large, color display; you can even can add transitions between photos and present them as a slideshow. The Palm TX handheld's compatibility with SD Cards up to 2GB lets road warriors carry a few favorite home videos and be entertained on long trips.
Support for Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF files
With the included DataViz Documents To Go software, you rehearse your PowerPoint presentation discreetly in an airport, make last-minute changes to a Word document, and check the numbers in an Excel spreadsheet and update them on the spot. The Palm TX comes with support for native Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files. And with the included Adobe Reader for Palm OS, you can download and view converted Acrobat files.
Multimedia
The Palm TX comes bundled with Pocket Tunes MP3 player for playing music files or Podcasts, which allows you to create and edit play lists, shuffle songs and navigate by album, artist or genre. The Palm TX also includes built-in software for viewing digital photos and video clips. And with MobiTV software (sold separately), you can view a wide range of television programs, including news, sports and entertainment, directly on the Palm TX handheld.
Operating System and Software
Veteran Palm OS handheld users will immediately notice the new Favorites view, which provides easy access to applications, files, and folders. The installed Palm OS 5.4 also introduces the Files application, which enables easy navigation among folders and files. It uses the intuitive and easy-to-learn Graffiti 2 writing software to input data into the handheld (as well as an on-screen keyboard). Windows users can synchronize their calendar, contacts, tasks, and notes with Microsoft Outlook. The Palm OS features the following organizer applications:

Contacts: Lets you store several addresses for each contact, and with new fields for more phone numbers, multiple e-mail addresses, instant messenger IDs, and Web sites.
Calendar: Use the new Agenda view to see upcoming calendar events, tasks due, and important e-mail, and color-code your events to provide an easy way to reference your calendar in the Agenda, Day, Week, and Month views. Take more notes, or synchronize more details from your desktop, in the larger Memos and Notes fields.
Tasks: Use tasks with alarms and repeating tasks to set reminders for important commients.

Compatibility
The Palm TX is compatible with PCs running Windows Windows 2000 (SP4) and XP (Outlook synchronization requires MS Outlook 2000, 2002, or 2003; sold separately), and with Macs running Mac OS 10.2.8 to 10.4.

What's in the Box
Palm TX handheld, flip cover, USB sync cable, power adapter, 3-step setup poster, Graffiti 2 sticker, Software Install CD-ROM with Palm Desktop, Tutorial, Getting Started Guide, User Guide, and bonus software.

Review by Stephen Charme
I have been using a Palm m515 for the past several years and was waiting for the right moment to upgrade. I purchased the TX with some reservations because Palm has had quality issues, and I wanted to avoid the aggravation I initially had with my m515. I have owned my TX for about a month and have no complaints so far.

In reading my review and other reviews, keep in mind that each person buys this unit with different expectations and uses, and what matters to one person may be irrelevant to another. With that perspective in mind, let me go over the features that I like.

The TX has a nice feel and appearance;the stylus is nicely weighted and fits snugly in the slot. The color screen is vivid and beautiful to look at. I read literally dozens of e-books each year, so screen resolution and brightness are important to me. The TX excels. Even when the brightness is dimmed to the lowest setting, which I sometimes do when reading in bed at night, reading is very easy.

Wi-Fi access is effortless. I took it on vacation and had no trouble using the wireless network at the resort where I was staying. The same is true when I use it at home. I purchased the Handmark Pocket Express software, which comes as a trial version, which I find a very convenient way to keep up with the news, sports, stocks, weather etc. when traveling. Even in my own house I use it since it is often easier to reach for my Palm TX rather than my laptop or go to my desktop. I have also ordered a cable from SupplyNet to connect my TX to my cell phone(I don't have a bluetooth phone) when wireless is not available.

I own an ipod mini, and found that trying to use the TX as an mp3 player was not worth the bother compared to the ease of use with my ipod. There is a reason that Apple dominates the mp3 player field.

Downloading photos is easy, but they don't look as bright and sharp as I would have liked, though the quality is still acceptable.

As other users have pointed out, the power button is too recessed and can be a bit of a nuisance to use. I seldom bother with it anyhow and use a free program called Off-It to turn the TX off, and one of the buttons at the bottom to turn it on.

When I upgraded from my m515, I did run into some compatibility problems, but this is no different than buying a new computer(and the TX is indeed a computer) and trying to download programs that are several years old. For programs that did not wind up on the TX after I synced, I simply beamed them from my m515 to the TX; some worked and some did not. I also had to beam my contact database and datebook database because for some reason they did not hotsync. I strongly recommend a free program called FileZ that enables you to manage your files, and beam databases. If you are upgrading from an older handheld, make sure that you have it installed in case you run into a problem, as I did, during the hotsync process.

Graffiti 2 is a bit different than the original Graffiti, but not a big deal to learn. If this is your first Palm, Graffiti 2 is so much easier to learn.

The TX comes with VersaMail, which unfortunately does not retrieve Hotmail. But it does retrieve email from most major internet providers, so when I travel I just use one of my other accounts. You do need a bit of technical knowledge to configure your mail settings, but once that is done, sending and retrieving messages is effortless so long as you don't need to send or view attachments, which always has certain problems.

I strongly recommend purchasing an SD card and a well known program called BackupBuddy, which will enable you to schedule daily automatic backups to the SD card(the TX does not need to be left on to do this--my backups are at 4am each day). When I had my m515, more than once when I was on vacation and not able to hotsync, I had the unit crash and lose all the data, which I then restored from the backup on my SD card.

I use Datebook 5 instead of the built in calendar, and find that the version for the operating system on the TX has some nice extra features that I did not have when I used my m515.

For my purposes the TX is perfect, and so far has worked without any problems. You really have to decide what you are looking for in a handheld before making your purchase decision. That way you won't be disappointed.

Update January 1, 2009: After three years and a new motherboard, my Palm TX needed a new LCD display. Rather than spending any more money for repairs or buying a new unit, I instead decided to purchase an iTouch 16 GB second generation. I have written an extensive review showing how the iTouch can be used as a pda in place of a Palm TX.

Update November 1, 2009: I have had a great experience using my iPod Touch as a PDA in place of my Palm TX. Unless there are specific applications that you need (such as medical applications) and which exist only for the Palm TX, I would definitely NOT buy a Palm TX as a PDA, especially since the price has increased dramatically even though no improvements have been made to the OS. The iPod Touch is just a superior product in so many ways.

Update December 3, 2010: I am still using my same iPod Touch 2G as a pda and am very happy that my Palm TX days are long gone. As of this date my lengthy review of the iPod Touch and how to use it as a pda is under tab 30 of my reviews, though that number will change as I continue to write more reviews.

View original article and reviews here

BlackBerry OS 7 Is a Step Sideways, Not Forward

2011-06-13T15:46:00.000-07:00

Research in Motion (RIM) took the wraps off the successor to BlackBerry OS 6 yesterday. For some reason, the company decided to call to BlackBerry OS 7, even though it’s much more like OS 6.5. It has some nice new features, but it’s not a major upgrade — and this is a time that RIM can’t rest on its laurels.
RIM is in an odd situation. It is currently one of the top sellers of smartphones, but many experts think that it has been surpassed by the iPhone and the Android OS not just technologically but also in terms of customer awareness. Most of what’s keeping it afloat is the conservatism of IT managers, who like BlackBerry as a safe choice. Consumers, on the other hand, are turning to devices that are more oriented toward them and therefore more fun. This is what’s pushing the iOS and Android past BlackBerry.

Up By Its Bootstraps
But because RIM is still doing well, it has an opportunity to rescue itself. Doing this is going to require dumping the tired old BlackBerry OS and going with something more powerful. The good news is that the company is already doing this — it’s switching to a new operating system based on QNX, the same OS that runs on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. The bad news is that this transition is taking a long time.

RIM said it was starting this move last fall, and information leaking out of the company says the QNX-based version of the BlackBerry OS is going to come out in 2012. So the change is going to take about two years, which isn’t bad, but could be worse. In fact, it still can be worse, if RIM doesn’t buckle down and ends up having to push the release back to 2013.

Take a look at Palm, Inc. if you want a good example of how this process can go wrong. Early last decade, this company was on top of the PDA world. But it ran into a snag: the Palm OS was out of date and needed to be replaced. Thanks to several false starts, it took about seven years to come up with the webOS. As a result of this painfully long delay, a once powerful company has become a shadow of its former self. This could happen to RIM too, if it doesn’t buckle down and make the transition to a more advanced operating system.

What a Difference a Version Makes
BlackBerry OS 6 was a significant change over its predecessor. It brought an array of new features, most notably a web browser that people were actually willing to use.

The new BlackBerry OS 7 is going to be a much smaller change. RIM has further improved the web browser, added voice searching, and is including a system designed to keep the secure corporate information on BlackBerry smartphones away from the consumer-oriented apps like Facebook. Nice, but hardly impressive.

The QNX-based version will include some really major changes, like support for running Android apps and an Adobe Flash player. These features are already part of the PlayBook, or will be soon, but smartphone users are going to have to wait another year for them.

Is BlackBerry OS 8 going to save RIM?: I don’t know — the competition from Google and Apple is fierce. But getting a much more powerful operating system out as soon as possible is a requirement if it hopes to have any chance at all.

View original article here

Where Is the Samsung Droid Charge?

2011-06-13T02:39:00.000-07:00

Last week, Verizon got a bit of egg on its face when its 4G LTE network failed across the entire U.S. This was especially bad timing for this carrier, as it was scheduled to release its second smartphone with LTE support, the Samsung Droid Charge, the next day. Verizon got the network running again in about 24 hours, but still postponed the launch of its next 4G handset.

More than a week later, the Droid Charge is still MIA. I had expected it to launch on May 5, as this carrier likes to introduce new models on Thursdays. But this didn’t happen, and Verizon is keeping mum about why. And, in fact, the company has never said what the problem was that caused its LTE network to fail.

Verizon customers have been able to access LTE service again for more than a week now, but this carrier has yet to release the Droid Charge. Why the extra delay?

Is the Droid Charge at Fault?
I’m slightly suspicious about the timing of the LTE outage — less than a day before the launch of the Samsung Droid Charge. Is it possible that a bug in this model is somehow responsible?

I know this sounds like a conspiracy theory, but the fact that the network failed at the same time Verizon stores all across the U.S. were getting this model in stock, followed by the long delay in the release of this smartphone, seems to stretch coincidence more than a bit.

Whatever the case, I’m sure there are plenty of Verizon customers across the U.S. who will be happy when they can finally get their hands on the Samsung Droid Charge. Assuming it’s bug free, of course.

UPDATE
The Samsung Droid Charge finally launched on Saturday, May 14, over a week after this blog post was written.

Samsung Droid Charge Preview
The Droid Charge is going to be a cutting-edge smartphone with a 4.3-inch WVGA (800 x 480) Super AMOLED Plus touchscreen. It is going to debut with Google Android OS 2.2 (Froyo) running on a 1GHz processor, with Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface layered on top.

In addition to Verizon’s 4G service, this Samsung model is going to have Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS, and DLNA. Multimedia features will include a rear-facing 8 megapixel auto-focus camera with flash, a front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera for video conferencing, and an HDMA (720p) video-out port.

It is being priced at $300 with a two-year contract, well above the typical cost of similar models.

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Samsung - Galaxy Mini

2011-06-12T23:35:00.000-07:00

Samsung seems to churn out smartphones at a rate of knots. Part of its strategy involves keeping those at the top end of the market on their toes, and the recent Samsung Galaxy S II has really given the market leaders something to aim at. But Samsung is busy at the middle of the market too - and the Galaxy Mini feels in many respects like another very samey product with a different name.

The clue is in the name
One thing about the Galaxy Mini that's indicated by its name is that it is small. At 110x61x12mm and weighing just 107g. it's handy for little pockets and smaller, probably younger, hands. Such people might be fine with the somewhat lower-end specifications, as might those just dipping a tentative toe into smartphone waters for the first time.

Squished screen
But users should take care when they compromise, as the combination of features might not be quite what they're after. The small overall size of the Samsung Galaxy Mini makes for a slightly squeezed screen - 3.1 inches, in fact. And its resolution is low, at just 240x320 pixels. That's not ideal for web browsing, catch up
TV or other media-rich activities.

The Galaxy Mini's screen is also unusually proportioned; slightly wider than usual so that you don't get the full widescreen effect when you twist it into 'wide' mode. That might sound like a small thing, but if you like your widescreen video or widescreen web browsing, it could be a bind.

Compromises, compromises
While the basic smartphone essentials of Wi-Fi, GPS and HSDPA are all present and correct, and the Samsung Galaxy Mini runs Android 2.2, there's no Flash support. The 600MHz processor can't handle it. So there's no streaming of video embedded into web sites. And in general the processor did seem to struggle at times. Finger presses were not responded to with lightning-fast reactions, video occasionally stumbled... that kind of thing. It's not a disaster by any means, but it's something to note.

Entering text is no fun fest either. The small screen makes for a squished keyboard, and only very small adult hands or children's digits are likely to find the process comfortable. There's 164MB of internal memory, which is a bit on the mean side, but you can add more using a microSD card. A 2GB card is supplied in the slot on the right-hand side to get you started.

The 3-megapixel camera does a reasonable job, and you start with three home screens to pepper with widgets. You can raise this to seven in individual increments if you need more. We rather like that feature.
The Samsung Galaxy Mini is a neat, small smartphone at an attractive price. But check the specifications carefully to make sure the compromises will suit you before buying, though.

BEST POINT: Small and pocket-friendly; low cost.
WORST POINT: Low screen resolution; under-powered processor; basic camera.

View the original article here
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T Mobile Coverage | Lowell ZBA Delays Cell-antenna Bid

2011-06-12T03:52:00.000-07:00

LOWELL — The city’s Zoning Board of Appeals final night behind statute on T-Mobile’s offer to put unit antennas on tip of the town H2O container at 78 Wedge St. and asked the firm to pay for an eccentric examination of its plan.

ZBA members told the telecommunications firm that they wish explanation from an unbiased source that there is truly a cellphone coverage hole in the area surrounding the H2O tank.

Some house members moreover mentioned they wish to find out if the draft site could assimilate similar antennas for two extra users, that is compulsory for cell-tower proposals beneath the city’s zoning ordinance.
Representatives for T-Mobile who were present final night mentioned they did not have the control to consent to profitable is to peer-review study, but would look for that skill and inform back to the ZBA at its next scheduled discussion on June 13. At that time, the parameters for what the counterpart examination would concentration on could be more evidently defined.

Andrew Thompson, a real-estate dilettante for T-Mobile, moreover emphasized the firm has no control on either the town decides to franchise extra space on top of the H2O container to other telecommunications companies.

The City Council voted Jan. 18 to franchise the space on the H2O container to T-Mobile for 5 years with the chapter that the firm pay the town $1,800 a month with a annual escalation of 3 percent.

In new weeks, Highlands residents have advance to the City Council and orderly

Three of the ZBA’s 5 choosing by casting votes members mentioned they had major questions about the Wedge Street offer and two indicated they would be hard-pressed to encouragement the plan.
ZBA associate Vesna Nuon mentioned he was anxious the draft place is in the heart of a residential neighborhood. He moreover mentioned he was disturbed that if T-Mobile’s request was granted, it’s expected other firm would advance back in months and inquire to co-locate unit antennas at the tip of the H2O tank.

“I regard you should look at other options,” Nuon mentioned to T-Mobile.
The communications firm countered that fixation antennas on an existing make up is sufficient reduction forward in a village than installing a new tower.

T-Mobile seems to need an extreme amount of unit towers in the city, mentioned ZBA associate Corey Belanger. He sharp out that the communications firm has a building roughly every 1 to 1.5 miles opposite Lowell.

The telecommunications firm has unit antennas at 1221 Westford St., 204 Liberty St., 106 Marginal St. and 900 Chelmsford St., amid other places in the Highlands. The firm is moreover conducting an eccentric counterpart examination for its offer to franchise home from the town at 363 Boston Road to erect a 150-foot unit tower.

“It is apropos a bit sufficient when you are inundating our neighborhoods with these towers,” Belanger said.
State Rep. Kevin Murphy, a Lowell Democrat who represents the Highlands, mentioned there have been no complaints of bad T-Mobile coverage in the area. He highlighted that he and a organisation of local residents tested T-Mobile gadgets in assorted tools of the village final week and had burly accepting signals on the phones and successfully finished calls.

Steven E. Grill, a counsel for T-Mobile, mentioned the tests Murphy conducted were anecdotal and the communications firm is focused on enhancing coverage for users inside their homes.
Marion Dodge, a ZBA swap not long ago allocated by City Manager Bernie Lynch, was the usually associate of the ZBA to voice encouragement is to proposal, mission the H2O container “a great site.”

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Music Mobile | Can The IPad And IPhone Rescue The Cloud?

2011-06-11T17:08:00.000-07:00

The hype on the cloud is just as loud as the hype on mobile computing. Both appear to be gold rush destinations for vendors seeking to capitalize on all the stuff that buyers allegedly can’t get enough of. But if you look at the numbers, you see that mobile is where the money is being made, while the entire cloud market pulls in about 1 or 2 percent of what mobile does.

It seems to me that the cloud needs to be rescued, and perhaps mobile la iPad, iPhone, and Android is the technology to do it.

The numbers overwhelmingly point to mobile’s bulging bank account

But first, let me detail the numbers. Cloud services brought in about $3 billion in 2010 from its three main components: infrastructure (IaaS), platform (PaaS), and software (SaaS) offerings. In IaaS, Amazon.com’s Amazon Web Services (AWS) made about $500 million in 2010, and Rackspace — the No. 2 IaaS provider — raked in about $100 million. SaaS did better: Salesforce.com pulled in $1.3 billion in 2010, with the other four major SaaS providers — NetSuite, RightNow, SuccessFactors, and Taleo — earning about $200 million each. Revenues for PaaS offerings — exemplified by Salesforce.com’s Force.com and Microsoft’s Azure — aren’t broken out but are widely believed to be minuscule.

I’m not counting sales of so-called private cloud technology, as that means pretty much anything in a data center, which covers most of what IT’s expenditures ($1.5 trillion on tech last year). Whether you think a private cloud is a real cloud or just marketing buzz for the same old server, storage, and network gear (using virtualization, of course!), it’s money that IT would be spending anyhow. Even if you decide that virtualization spend should be counted as cloud spend, that adds “only” about $5 billion to the cloud total, bringing it to $8 billion.

Now to some real money: Mobile technology brought in $173 billion in 2010 from its major sources: $62 billion in 3G data plans, $99 billion in smartphone sales ($29 billion to Apple, $20 billion to Nokia, $15 billion to Research in Motion, and $9 billion to Samsung), $10 billion in tablet sales (almost all iPads last year), and $2 billion in app sales ($1.7 billion to Apple alone). Note that I’m not including iTunes and similar music, book, and video sales via mobile devices, as they can be accessed on both PCs and mobile devices. If you’re curious, they added up to $8 billion, with $4.1 billion going to Apple and $3.3 billion going to Amazon.com, including for the Kindle hardware.

How the cloud can hitch itself to the mobile bandwagon
As these numbers show, when you look at the whole mobile market, the cloud appears downright sickly as a business. Maybe mobile can help. After all, what other computing platform is more dependent on the cloud concept than mobile?

Let’s start with the obvious: storage. Although mobile devices have local storage, they’re not anywhere near as capacious as PCs — and a lot of that space is taken up by all your music. Mobile users should be helping drive the cloud storage business, to companies such as Box.net and Dropbox .

On the consumer side, Google is moving in that direction as well for its Music Beta service, and rumors are rampant that Apple plans an iCloud service that will merge its MobileMe storage/collaboration service with a new iTunes-in-the-ether service. In the not too distant future, you may have most of your data living on a personal storage cloud and a business storage cloud service for access anywhere by pretty much any computer or mobile device. Here’s an opportunity for an Amazon.com to grow its IaaS business.
Then there’s SaaS, which is where the big money (relatively speaking) is today in the cloud. With HTML5 now widely deployed , it’s time for SaaS and traditional providers alike to get cracking on really usable Web apps that auto-adjust to your mobile device of choice. Rather than sell an app once for $5 or so, developers could charge subscriptions for mobile Web apps and have that recurring revenue to keep making them better. Given that updates are free to iOS and Android apps, at some point native-app developers are going to run out of customers and, thus, income to pay for continued enhancements. Switching to SaaS could fix that — and help both developers and the cloud market.

Apple could be an ally here, as it already has a subscription model in place. Sure, it’ll charge you 30 percent , but that gives it a huge vested interest to encourage app purchases — it makes more money when developers do. There’s a reason Apple made 16 times as much money from app sales as Google did last year, despite the Android smartphone sales surge . Imagine if Apple’s revenue-sucking magic were applied to SaaS apps!
Beyond SaaS are all the other possible services that mobile users would need a cloud to access: navigation, for example. ATT charges $10 a month for its mobile navigation service. That model could be extended to almost anything: videoconferencing — after all, you’re already paying for voice and data subscription, so why not video? — radio and TV streaming, travel information and management, and expense reporting, especially if mobile payments happen . It’s too bad Google is all about destroying competitors with free services and then selling ads to deliver to us — it could drive a lot of cloud revenue if it put together a monthly Google Mobile service that included a Yellow Pages-like facility and a collection of such services.

OK, I’m being a little facetious, but on the serious side, the whole cloud mentality is about charging people to rent resources rather than buy them once. That’s why vendors love the idea; they can make a lot more money if you keep paying for a service rather than buy — er, license software. Long ago, enterprise software vendors realized they could collect rent on the software they sold by instituting (required) maintenance plans . Now consumer software makers are getting a clue: Adobe Systems recently unveiled subscription offerings for Creative Suite that effectively double or triple the price .

That is where mobile can perhaps help the cloud the most: It’s trained people and companies to pay a monthly fee for access (your $30 or whatever a month additional cost for data access ), as well as to keep an active credit or debit card for impulse shopping (such as via the iTunes Store, Kindle Store, and Android Market). Mobile and cloud are more aligned on the business model side than I suspect most people realize.
That may not be good for individuals and businesses — you’ll have several strangers’ hands permanently in your pocket — but it could be what makes the cloud as big a business as mobile. Otherwise, I’m not sure the cloud will be meaningfully more than what it is today.

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Mobile Phones | Broadcom Says Wi-Fi Direct Ready To Dominate Mobile Phones

2011-06-11T06:24:00.000-07:00

Wi-Fi Direct, a peer to peer networking standard that came out last year but has been slow to appear in consumer products, will be in a large percentage of mobile phones by year’s end, according to communications chip maker Broadcom.

“There’s a huge push now from the carriers to have Wi-Fi Direct,” said Michael Hurlston, senior vice president of Broadcom’s Home and Wireless Networking Business Unit.

Wi-Fi Direct is the first standard, practical mechanism for devices to communicate via Wi-Fi without joining a wireless LAN and going through a central access point. It is designed for linking peripherals to PCs, doing quick file transfers and linking home entertainment devices. The Wi-Fi Alliance began certifying Wi-Fi Direct products last October, but when consumer electronics vendors had gathered for the International Consumer Electronics Show, few were demonstrating equipment that used the technology.

The new standard hasn’t hit the ground nearly as fast as some Wi-Fi advances have in the past. This is partly because Wi-Fi Direct doesn’t just define faster performance for current uses of wireless LANs, as 802.11n did. It requires new software for new uses. Also, building chipsets that support the new standard into mobile devices is harder than sliding them into laptops or access points, because space and power are at a greater premium.

Broadcom believes mobile will be one of several big uses for Wi-Fi Direct. Carriers see it as a way to make it as easy as possible to move content from phones to other devices, such as TVs, Hurlston said. The same technology will find its way into tablets, he said. Standardisation under Wi-Fi will help to give consumers confidence that, for example, their phones will be able to display photos on their friends’ TVs, he said.
Because it is an open industry standard, Wi-Fi Direct will form a widely supported foundation for peer to peer networking on which other protocols, such as DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) can be implemented, according to Vijay Nagarajan, manager of product marketing in Broadcom’s Mobile and Wireless Group. On top of Wi-Fi Direct, handset makers can implement software that makes it very easy to pair devices and set up communication, while DLNA can determine whether a particular piece of content from one device can be played on another, Nagarajan said.

To demonstrate Wi-Fi Direct, Nagarajan paired a Motorola Xoom tablet with a TV and played a video game. Because of the high speed and low latency of the Wi-Fi Direct connection over a short range of a few feet, the tablet and TV displayed synchronised video, and he could control the game on the tablet while watching the TV.

The Xoom and TV needed to have prototype communication devices wired to them for the demonstration, but Broadcom plans to offer components that can be integrated into both types of devices for a pure wireless experience, Nagarajan said.

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Microsoft Mobile | Taiwan To Show Tablet Challengers

2011-06-10T19:54:00.000-07:00

COMPUTER manufacturers of all sizes and descriptions have been pushing to get a piece of the ever-expanding tablet market created by the launch of Apple’s iPad in April 2010.

The obsession with tablet computing will be on full display Tuesday as Computex, the world’s second-largest computer show, begins its annual five-day run in Taipei.

The prominence of tablets underscores a dramatic shift under way in the personal computer industry – and keenly felt in Taiwan, which is home to some of the world’s biggest PC manufacturers – as many consumers opt to buy a tablet rather than a new PC.

Computex will feature more than 50 tablet models, said organise Taipei Computer Association, with big names including Lenovo Group Ltd. and Toshiba Corp. having their products displayed.

Researchers have predicted slower growth in PC sales this year because of the rising consumer interest in tablets. Gartner Research recently cut its sales growth forecast for global PC sales in 2011 from 15.9 percent to 10.5 percent. According to IHS iSuppli, world PC shipments declined 0.3 percent year-on-year to 8.1 million units in the first quarter of 2011, with sales by No. 3-ranked Acer plunging 20 percent.

Many analysts say it may take two or three years before mobile device software from Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp. can catch up with iPads, which have thousands of applications for consumers to choose from. That may mean a hard time for many PC makers in the short term.

Research company CDC says Apple Inc. had a 73 percent share of the tablet market in the last quarter of 2010. South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co. was a distant second with 17 percent. It said 2010 tablet sales totalled 18 million units. CDC expects Apple to account for 70-80 percent of 2011 tablet sales that it predicts will reach 50 million units.

Besides tablets, Computex will also feature corporate and home servers and other cloud-based computing equipment and services, a sector Taiwanese firms have recently entered to make up for shortfalls in PC sales.
The world’s top contract laptop manufacturer, Taiwan-based Quanta Computer Co., is among those producing servers for global firms such as Google.

Cloud computing involves running applications in web browsers. The cloud allows users to store and retrieve data over the Internet whenever it is needed, instead of saving it on their own computers.

At least 10 of the tablet models to be shown at Computex are powered by Intel Corp.’s new Atom chip, the U.S. technology giant’s first microprocessor designed for tablets. Intel has moved into the fast growing market now dominated by chips using designs by UK-based ARM Holdings.

The new Atom “delivers improved video playback, fast Internet browsing and longer battery life,” Navin Shenoy, general manager of Intel’s Asia-Pacific region, said in an emailed statement.

There is “a tremendous amount of experimentation going on in the industry,” Shenoy said. Tablets, which are more popular in mature markets, will not replace PCs, he said, noting the strong PC demand in Asia and emerging markets.

Taiwanese high-tech firms are also entering the mobile device market pressured by Apple, whose market dominance – extending to the second generation iPad2 – has cut into their PC sales and dented the profits of some.

Taiwan’s top two PC vendors, Acer Inc. and AsusTek Computer Inc., are among those using Computex to display a range of touch-screen tablet computers. Their tablets run on the Android operating system that Google distributes free to allow quick Web browsing or film viewing, or on Microsoft mobile software that mostly targets the commercial market.

Acer and AsusTek have promoted their tablets – Iconia Tab and Transformer among others – as having expandable memory slots, hoping to lure consumers with more storage needs. The iPads don’t have built-in USB ports.

In addition, the companies say their sleek devices can become full-fledged laptops when plugging them into a keyboard docking station for easy typing.

In terms of tablet prices, Apple’s big orders give it a huge edge, while South Korean Samsung Electronics is able to bring costs down by making key components in house – an advantage denied local makers, said Simon Yang, an analyst with Taipei-based Topology Research Institute.

So far, the Taiwanese company with the best success in selling mobile devices is HTC Corp.
The company manufactured the first handset based on the Android operating system in 2008. It has since marketed a wide range of smartphones to meet different tastes, and has recently introduced a movie viewing program called “HTC Watch.” HTC’s sales jumped to 9.7 million handsets in the first quarter, up from 3.3 million a year earlier.

HTC’s first tablet, the 7-inch Flyer, sold well in pre-orders in Taiwan this month, vendors say. Its 16 gigabyte Wi-Fi version is priced at $499, the same as the 9.7-inch iPad. But HTC says its smaller-size device has an advantage, because it is lighter, and more manageable than the iPad.

By contrast, Acer and AsusTek have pursued a low-price strategy. Their Iconia Tab and Transformer models – despite having larger 10.1-inch screens – are priced at $450 to $500.

“Taiwanese companies are yet to become serious rivals to Apple,” said Yang. “They either price their tablets too high or sell them at a loss in order to become competitive.”

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Related Products

Cowon-X7

2011-06-10T09:24:00.000-07:00

Smartphones such as the Apple iPhone 4 and Android handsets may be the dominant devices for playing music and video on the commute, but for longer trips there's room for a portable media player that offers serious sound quality and an insanely long battery life.

That's exactly what Cowon is aiming for with its X7, a 79x127x15mm touchscreen device whose 4.3in AMOLED panel measures just 480x272 pixels.

Audio playtime
Music is the X7's strength: it manages to play a host of files dragged onto it from a PC, including MP3 and WMA as well as lossless types such as WAV, APE, AIFF, FLAC and OGG.

That's a lot more comprehensive than its Apple rivals, and the X7 also adds a huge 160GB hard disk and 1GB flash drive, though the device isn't compatible with Mac or Linux-based computers.

Other audio features include a radio (FM only) and tiny built-in speakers, though we'd highly recommend you primarily use this device with some decent headphones. Bluetooth is also present, enabling you to pair the Cowon with some wireless headphones.

The 200g X7 is less of a heavyweight with video, supporting only non-H.264 video codecs (conversion software is supplied), and no capability for playing MKV, MP4 or MEPG files. We did, however, get AVI and WMV files to play. Adding files requires you to use a proprietary USB cable, so you'll have to remember to carry that with you. A composite video cable is also supplied to hook-up the X7 to a TV.

A look at the interface
In place of a generic interface, the X7 is graced by its own rather fussy onscreen graphics. The lack of a multitouch display is a shame, but more disappointing is the screen's lack of responsiveness. It's a chore to scroll through lists of songs or videos, and it regularly took us two - sometimes three - touches to get some simple commands through to the X7.

Depress the ?M' button (the only physical control on the device, apart from volume controls) for a few seconds, and the X7 changes to a simple list-based interface that's actually easier to use.

In terms of architecture the X7 is well designed, with widgets for all of its major features presented in a list, though it plays to its strengths - a piano icon on the home screen lets you skip tracks and pause music playback without having to delve into any software.

Pictures can be displayed one by one, but not swiped, and text files read, though the latter is rather painful to use as is the oh-so-simple 'Typist' virtual keypad and text input note-taker app.

Where the X7 truly impresses is with its battery life. Playing video, the device lasted for around 10 hours, but with a music-based diet it stretched to an enormous 80 hours on a single charge.

Sound quality
Capable of some serious bass and high volumes, the X7's audio performance is pretty much peerless. The supplied headphones are basic, but paired with some reasonably good quality in-ear alternatives the X7 doesn't disappoint.

There are dozens of EQ settings in a suite called JetEffect 3.0, with +BBE Mach32Bass and several headphone modes subtly and delicately improving on what is already a highly detailed and robust sound that goes up to impressively high volumes.

The Cowon X7 looks like an old-fashioned PDA, and its touchscreen isn't significantly more responsive - but appearances can be deceptive. The X7 proves its worth on long journeys with a huge battery life and rugged build quality, both of which are highly unusual in a touchscreen device.

Musos will love the X7 for its huge capacity, stunning sound quality and extensive file support, and though those same qualities should make this a decent option for watching movies on the go, its screen isn't the best around - either to watch or to touch - and video file support is poor.

BEST POINT: Superb sound quality; battery life of up to 80 hours for audio.
WORST POINT: The display isn't great, and support for video file formats is limited.

View the original article here
Related Products

HTC-Sensation

2011-06-09T17:23:00.000-07:00

The HTC Sensation has joined the dual-core party alongside arch-rival the Samsung Galaxy S II. The new HTC smartphone boasts Android 2.3, code-named 'Gingerbread', plus an updated version of the HTC Sense user interface and a large, high-resolution screen.

Big and bold
Overall the HTC Sensation is quite a large smartphone. It weighs in at 148g, which you'll certainly notice in your pocket - and at 126x65x11mm, many will struggle to reach right across the screen one-handed.
But what you get for this inconvenience is a super screen measuring 4.3in and offering 960x540 pixels. It's sharp and bright - though it isn't at its best outdoors. And in the short term, you may find your favourite apps don't quite fit. Most high-end Android handsets have a screen resolution of 800x480 pixels, and apps will need to be tweaked to fit the Sensation's display. Apps ought to run, but you might find there's some banding round their edges.

Build quality is very good, with a backplate that unusually stretches round the edges of the chassis, a fair amount of metal in the build, and, beneath the screen, four touch buttons for Android Home, Menu, Back and Search functions.

Tweaks, tweaks, tweaks
Android 2.3 is joined by an updated version of HTC's Sense user interface, which has undergone a rage of tweaks to bring it to version 3.0. We don't have space here to cover everything that's changed, but will mention some highlights you'll meet early on.

There's a clever lock screen that lets you have four app shortcuts on it so you can quickly get to your favourite apps. Transitions between home screens are now carousel like - visually rather neat. And the trademark HTC Weather app has some new animations and even sound effects (which you can turn off if they annoy, as they did with us fairly quickly).

There's a lot more too. For example, HTC includes its Reader app, which has lovely new page transitions that are different depending on where you touch the screen in order to turn a page. Reader requires a subscription to Kobo though - and you may prefer to stick with the Kindle app if you already use it.

Movies, anyone?
HTC has also added a new app called Watch from which you can rent or buy movies. The range is limited, pricing a little heavy (£2.49 per movie), but it could be another money spinner for HTC in the long term.
And we've not even mentioned the core specifications yet. A 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 8-megapixel main camera, front-facing camera, GPS, Wi-Fi (plus the ability to work as a Wi-Fi hotspot for other nearby devices) - you name it, HTC seems to have thrown it into the pot. The battery should see many people through a day, though heavy users may need to give it a boost during that time.
The HTC Sensation is a good, solid handset, and it sits well at the head of HTC's Android range. Dual-core smartphones are suddenly burgeoning, and for us Samsung has the best offering, by a whisker, with the Galaxy II S. But if you're a fan of HTC and the HTC Sense interface, the Sensation should not disappoint.

BEST POINT: Clever lock screen, large high-resolution display.
WORST POINT: The screen isn't great in bright sunlight.

View the original article here
Related Products

MOTOROLA XOOM Android Tablet (Wi-Fi)

2011-06-09T14:06:00.000-07:00

Redefining the tablet by providing more ways to have fun, connect with friends and stay productive on the go, the Motorola XOOM boasts a dual core processor with each core running at 1 GHz, 10.1-inch widescreen HD display, and ultra-fast Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking. Winner of the Best of Show award at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the XOOM also offers support for Adobe Flash Player--enabling you to view the web without compromise.

Dual-core processing, Android 3.0 Honeycomb platform, and 10.1-inch HD multi-touch display (see larger image).

Front-facing camera for video chats, and rear 5-megapixel camera for HD 720p video capture (see larger image).

It runs Google's Android 3.0 Honeycomb operating system, which offers a multi-touch, holographic user interface that improves on Android favorites such as widgets, multi-tasking, browsing, notifications and customization. It also offers the latest Google Mobile innovations, including Google Maps 5.0 with 3D interaction, access to over 3 million Google eBooks and Google Talk with video and voice chat.
The Motorola XOOM features a front-facing 2-megapixel camera for video chats over Wi-Fi via Google Talk, as well as a rear-facing 5-megapixel camera (with LED flash for stills) that captures video in 720p HD. The 10.1-inch display delivers console-like gaming performance on its 1280 x 800-pixel display, and it features a built-in gyroscope, barometer, e-compass, accelerometer, and adaptive lighting for new types of applications.
Other features include a 32 GB internal memory, memory expansion via optional microSD cards (with future software upgrade), 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi networking, Bluetooth for hands-free devices and stereo music streaming, access to personal and corporate e-mail, HD 1080p video playback, HDMI output for connecting to a compatible HDTV or monitor, and a 3250 mAh battery for up to 10 hours of Wi-Fi internet browsing.

Android 3.0 Honeycomb

Specifically optimized for devices with larger screen sizes such as tablets, the Android 3.0 platform (dubbed Honeycomb) introduces a brand new, truly virtual and "holographic" UI design. With five customizable home screens, you can easily access your favorite live widgets or application shortcuts. Each screen features a familiar launcher to access to all installed applications, as well as a Search box for universal search of apps, contacts, media files, web content, and more.

Multitasking in Android 3.0 is easier than ever, and you can use the Recent Apps list in the System Bar to see the tasks underway and quickly jump from one application context to another. You'll even see a snapshot of the last screen viewed in that app as a visual reminder. The Android onscreen keyboard has also been redesigned to make entering text fast and accurate on larger screen sizes.
Other features in Android 3.0 Honeycomb include:

Scrollable and stackable widgets.

Scrollable and stacked widgets let you scroll or flick through content within the widget itself, on the home page, without opening the application.
Unobtrusive notification system displays icons for different notifications (messages, downloads, system updates, etc.) in the lower right corner. Just touch the digital time display to open the entire notification panel.
Redesigned YouTube application with a cool 3D gallery.
Android Market for Android 3.0 is your one-stop-shop for eBooks, games, and applications.

Power Accessories beyond the Charger

The Motorola XOOM has a wide range of optional accessories to expand its power and capabilities. The "smart docks" are no longer just a place to charge your device; they make Motorola XOOM a portable play and work station that fits your lifestyle. The Standard Dock can be used for watching video content or listening to music through external speakers as the device charges. The Speaker HD Dock allows you to send HD content directly to your TV or blast your tunes without attaching external speakers.

Connectivity

Ultra-fast Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g/n) for accessing home and corporate networks as well as hotspots while on the go.
Bluetooth connectivity (version 2.1) includes profiles for communication headset, hands-free car kits, and the A2DP audio streaming Bluetooth profiles.
Onboard GPS for navigation and location services.
Integrated Google Maps with turn-by-turn navigation, street, satellite, and three-dimensional landscape views.

Optional speaker dock.

Now Upgradable to Android 3.1

Support for the new Android Market Movie rentals service with thousands of titles available for immediate viewing on the Motorola XOOM's high-resolution display or on a larger screen via HDMI.
Full support for the new release of Adobe Flash Player 10.2 delivering significant performance enhancements when viewing rich Flash content on the web.
Resizable widgets to enable further customization of home screens.
Support for USB-connected peripherals and accessories such as keyboards, mice, game controllers and digital cameras.
Expanded Bluetooth features to support Bluetooth headsets in Google Talk^TM video chats and Bluetooth mouse support in addition to additional shortcut keys with the Bluetooth keyboard
Picture Transfer Protocol Feature support to enable easier transfer of photo files to your PC without the need for drivers.

Communications & Internet

Video chat on Google Talk with any other Google Talk-enabled device (smartphone, tablet, or PC).
Access to personal and corporate e-mail (including support for Exchange and push Gmail).
Desktop-like web browser (HTML5-based Android Webkit) with tabbed browsing and Chrome bookmark sync.

Design and Hardware

1 GHz dual-core processor enables web browsing at unprecedented speed and accelerated multi-tasking.
Integrated NVIDIA graphics delivers smooth, full frame-rate 1080p HD video playback
1 GB of DDR2 RAM
10.1-inch multi-touch HD display (1280 x 800 pixels; 150p per inch) with 720p video capture and pinch-to-zoom navigation.
Onscreen keyboard

Memory

32 GB internal memory
Memory expansion via microSD card slot with support for optional cards up to 32 GB (functionality requires future software upgrade).

More Features

HDMI audio/video port enables you to output pictures, slides and videos in HD quality (1080p) via HDMI cable (sold separately).
Micro USB port (not for charging)
3.5mm headphone jack
Data encryption ensures the privacy and security of data on your

Camera

5-megapixel rear-facing camera for optimized resolution when capturing photos on the go. Includes dual-LED flash, auto-focus, and digital zoom.
2-megapixel front-facing web cam for video chats. Includes indicator light when used.
HD 720p video capture capabilities
Instantly upload video to sharing sites or view and edit on the fly.

Multimedia

Music player compatible with MP3 and AAC/AAC+/eAAC+
Video player compatible with MPEG4 and H.264/H.263

See larger image.

Vital Statistics

The Motorola XOOM weighs 25 ounces and measures 9.8 x 6.6 x 0.5 inches. Its 3250 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 10 hours of video playback, up to 10 hours of Wi-Fi web browsing, and up to 3.3 days of MP3 playback.

What's in the Box

Motorola XOOM handset, charger, data cable, quick start guide, user manual

Technical Details

Next-generation tablet with 10.1-inch HD display, Android 3.0 platform, and ultra-fast Wireless-N Wi-Fi connectivity
Powered by NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core mobile processor; support for Adobe Flash for viewing web sites, movies, games, and more
Front-facing 2-megapixel camera and microphone for video chats; rear 5-megapixel camera with LED flash for high-res stills and HD 720p video
32 GB internal memory; HDMI output; microSD expansion (with software upgrade)
Up to 10 hours of video playback/Wi-Fi web browsing

View original article here

HTC HD7 Windows Phone (T-Mobile)

2011-06-09T01:52:00.000-07:00

One of the world's first smartphones using the Windows Phone 7 operating system, the HTC HD7 for T-Mobile pairs rich mobile multimedia features with a 4.3-inch touch display--the largest screen available on a Windows Phone 7 handset in the U.S. Its size not only gives you an extra-large virtual keyboard, but also allows you to enjoy your favorite videos and movies in cinematic style. It's also powered by a blazing-fast Qualcomm 1 GHz Snapdragon processor for a fast mobile data experience.

The HTC HD7's large 4.3 inch screen makes multimedia come to life (see larger image).

The HTC HD7 delivers advanced phone features including GPS functionality with access to turn-by-turn navigation from TeleNav GPS Navigator, 16 GB of internal memory, a 5 megapixel autofocus camera with dual LED flash, and HD 720p video recording. Other features include Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking, Bluetooth for hands-free devices and stereo music streaming, and a 1230 mAh battery for extended use while on the go.
Enabled for T-Mobile's high-speed 3G network, the HTC HD7 offers fast data delivery and an enhanced Web-browsing experience that lets you connect quickly to social networking sites. And the 3G-enabled HTC HD7 will benefit from the enhanced speeds of T-Mobile's upgraded HSPA+ network, which is being rolled out nationwide to reach up to 200 million people by the end of the year and offers speeds close to 4G connectivity (read more about HSPA+ below).

The Power of Windows Phone 7

The Windows Phone 7 operating system has been carefully crafted to help you get more done in fewer steps with a unique Hub and Tile interface. Instead of the common icon displays on the screen, Windows Phone 7 uses Live Tiles, which allow you to find out what's going on, what's happening next, and what you've missed without having to open an application.

Hubs bring together a related set of applications, services and content into a single view to simplify common tasks. Your contacts, music, games, and work can be shared, synced, and accessed virtually wherever you happen to be. Windows Phone 7 also integrates with many popular Microsoft services such as Xbox LIVE, Windows Live, Bing, and Zune.
Live Tiles on the Start screen dynamically update, so there is no need to open an app, and you decide the Tiles you want and where you want them. The Start screen includes the People Hub, which constantly refreshes with status updates from your favorite friends. The Me Tile lets you update all your social media sites, like Facebook--just type once and post everywhere with ease. Other Tiles allow you to quickly see new e-mails arrive in your inbox, play games via Xbox LIVE, and access recent photos and albums to view as well share with others. Swipe up to view more Tiles like music, Microsoft Office, and more.
In addition to Internet Explorer 8 for full HTML Web browsing, the HTC HD7 also includes fully integrated Microsoft Exchange e-mail and calendar as well as the Microsoft Office Hub, which offers mobile versions of popular productivity programs, including Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, OneNote, and SharePoint Workspace Mobile.
With Windows Phone 7 you can stay on top of your inbox and quickly cut through the clutter to see only unread, urgent, or flagged messages. Move or delete messages in bulk, and respond to meeting invites right from your inbox with Microsoft Outlook Mobile. Streamlined account setup works with Windows Live, Google, Yahoo!, and other popular providers. Windows Phone 7 also combines your work and personal calendars in a single, color-coded view, making it easier to spot conflicts and manage your life.
Microsoft Office Mobile is another reason you won't miss your PC when you're away from your desk. Windows Phone 7 has mobile versions of Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint on hand for reviewing or editing on the go. Notes in OneNote Mobile--grocery lists, meeting memos, spontaneous musings--can sync wirelessly to the web and include voice clips and pictures. SharePoint Workspace Mobile makes it easier to collaborate with your coworkers when you're out and about.
You'll also be able to personalize your phone with the Marketplace Hub. Read reviews, check out ratings, and test out content before you buy.

Entertainment To Go

With the new HTC HD7, customers can access their favorite movies, TV shows, games, music, and more on a large 4.3-inch screen. The HTC HD7's top pre-installed entertainment applications include the following:

Netflix for streaming thousands of movies and TV shows for Netflix members to watch instantly on the HTC HD7's large, crisp screen.
T-Mobile TV offers access to live and on-demand TV, including free programming from ABC News NOW, FOX Sports, PBS Kids, Azteca America, family holiday movie favorites, and more.
Slacker Radio for listening to free, personalized radio with over 130 genre stations and the ability to create stations of your own.
Xbox LIVE unlocks a world of games and fun, connecting you to a global community of more than 25 million active Xbox LIVE members and offering easy access to Xbox LIVE features such as Friends, Avatars, Achievements, Messaging, and more (learn more below).
Zune for loading your favorite media--music, movies, TV shows, and podcasts--and taking it wherever. With a Zune Pass subscription, stream millions of songs right to your phone--no need for extra memory.

T-Mobile Family Room

The HTC HD7 is the first device to offer T-Mobile Family Room, a new application exclusively from T-Mobile that helps families keep in touch and manage their busy lives. You can write a note on a virtual chalkboard and add shared calendar events for your Family Room group to coordinate get-togethers. Sharing pictures and interacting is easy, with real-time notifications alerting users when any family member posts something for everyone to see.

See larger image.

Key Specifications

Fast 3G connectivity via T-Mobile's HSDPA/UMTS network. (1700/2100 MHz bands, UMTS/HSDPA; see more about T-Mobile's 3G service below)
Windows Phone 7 operating system
4.3-inch touchscreen display (480 x 800 pixels, 16 million colors) includes light and proximity sensors.
Full QWERTY virtual keyboard
5-megapixel autofocus camera with dual LED flash gives you a brighter light source for taking photos in less-than-ideal lighting situations.
HD video capture capabilities (720p)
Digital media player compatible with MP3, WMA, AAC/AAC+/eAAC+ music formats and MPEG4 video.
Ultra-fast Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g/n) for accessing home and corporate networks as well as hotspots while on the go.
Bluetooth connectivity (version 2.1) includes profiles for communication headset, hands-free car kits, and the A2DP Bluetooth profile--enabling you to wirelessly stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones or speaker dock.
GPS navigation with access to turn-by-turn navigation from TeleNav GPS Navigator
16 GB internal memory
Text (SMS) and picture/video (MMS) messaging
Access to popular instant messaging services
Access to personal and work e-mail (supports Microsoft Exchange corporate e-mail)
MicroUSB port (2.0)
3.5mm headphone jack

Vital Statistics

The HTC HD7 weighs 5.71 ounces and measures 4.8 x 2.67 x 0.44 inches. It has a 1230 mAh lithium-ion battery that provides up to 6.3 hours of talk time and up to 310 hours of standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies, as well as T-Mobile's 3G network (1700/2100 MHz).

What's in the Box

HTC HD7 handset, rechargeable battery, international charger, USB cable, wired stereo headset, quick start guide, user manual

T-Mobile Services

High-Speed Data Connectivity via T-Mobile's 3G Network
In addition to its quad-band GSM connectivity, this phone is also compatible with T-Mobile's UMTS/HSDPA 3G network, which operates on the 1700/2100 MHz AWS spectrum. This phone is designed to automatically connect to the best available network (3G or GSM/GPRS/EDGE) to provide faster data speeds when accessing the Web.
In areas where the 3G network is not available, you'll continue to receive service on T-Mobile's EDGE network (which stands for "Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution"). This high-speed, mobile data and Internet access technology is fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services (with average data speeds between 75-135Kbps), including full picture and video messaging, high-speed color Internet access, and e-mail on the go.
While this phone is optimized for use with T-Mobile's high-speed 3G network, many of its functions will also work well on the moderate-speed EDGE network. If you plan to access the Internet extensively on your phone, 3G network coverage may serve you best.

View original article here

Motorola Charm Android Phone, Cabernet (T-Mobile)

2011-06-09T01:41:00.000-07:00

Offering the power of an Android 2.1 smartphone in a pocketable design, the Motorola CHARM for T-Mobile is great for on-the-go social networking thanks to the enhanced MOTOBLUR functionality--the only service that continuously syncs and merges all your friends, e-mails, contacts, messages, and Facebook, MySpace, Twitter feeds and happenings.

The Motorola CHARM in cabernet (see larger image).

The BACKTRACK navigation pad, located to
the right of the camera on the back, is similar
to a laptop touchpad (see larger image).

You'll enjoy a complete Web experience from the 2.8-inch touch-enabled display, which offers pinch and zoom capabilities (in photo gallery and Web browser). Adobe Flash Lite enables rich media content such as banners and videos. Navigation is enhanced with another Motorola innovation--the BACTRACK rear navigation pad, which simulates a PC experience and makes scrolling and surfing effortless. With the rear BACKTRACK touch pad, you can flick through photos or Web pages for your friends without your fingers obscuring the home screen.
Enabled for T-Mobile's high-speed 3G network, the CHARM offers fast data delivery and an enhanced Web-browsing experience that lets you connect quickly to social networking sites. And the 3G-enabled CHARM will benefit from the enhanced speeds of T-Mobile's upgraded HSPA+ network, which is being rolled out nationwide to reach up to 185 million people by the end of the year and offers speeds close to 4G connectivity (read more about HSPA+ below).
With integrated Google technology, the Motorola CHARM brings one-touch access to the popular Google mobile services millions use every day, including Google Search by voice, Google Maps with Street View, Gtalk, YouTube, Picasa, and contacts/calendar synchronization. The CHARM also provides easy access to both personal and corporate e-mail, calendars, and contacts supported by Exchange Server and Gmail.
Other features include a physical full QWERTY keyboard, Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g), Bluetooth for hands-free devices and stereo music streaming, memory expansion via optional microSD cards (up to 32 GB in size; a 2 GB card is included), 3-megapixel camera/camcorder, integrated GPS with navigation capabilities, Visual Voicemail functionality, and up to 9 hours of talk time (with included extended battery).

The Power of Android and MOTOBLUR

The Motorola CHARM runs the Android operating system, which provides easy access to a wide assortment of messaging tools and Google apps. With Android, you're able to richly personalize the entire theme of the Motorola CHARM with new widgets, icons and wallpapers--which can be added directly on the home screen--in order to truly make it your own.
Developed by Motorola, MOTOBLUR is an innovative solution that manages and integrates communications--from work e-mail to social networking activity--on your CHARM. Updates to contacts, posts, messages, photos and more are streamed together and synced from sources including Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Gmail, and work and personal e-mail. MOTOBLUR automatically delivers these updates to the home screen in easy-to-view streams so there is no need to open and close different mobile applications to keep up with the latest content.
MOTOBLUR filters can be selected from a single social networking account, contacts, group or messaging account so that you can select only the information you want to stream live to the Happenings and Messages widgets. You can move and resize pre-loaded home screen widgets to personalize up to seven home screen panels for an even more custom experience.
Contacts in MOTOBLUR are automatically synced to the phone from personal and work e-mail and social network accounts. MOTOBLUR provides convenience and peace of mind, as lost devices can be located from a secure personal information portal and even remotely erased if necessary. In addition, one user name and password brings back contacts, messages and connectivity to previously configured networks and e-mail providers.
Finally, Moto Phone Portal enables you to access and manage your phone's data from any browser through a USB or Wi-Fi connection. Edit content and view important phone information while at home or on-the-go. Leave pictures on a friend's PC, share a video at the local Internet cafe, or share a presentation during an important business meeting.

Key Features

Fast 3G connectivity via T-Mobile's HSDPA/UMTS network. (1700/2100 MHz bands, UMTS/HSDPA; see more about T-Mobile's 3G service below)
Powered by the Android 2.1 operating system with deep integration of Google services and access to thousands of apps to customize your phone via the Android Market.
Innovative widget-based MOTOBLUR overlay to Android automatically delivers Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Gmail, and corporate and personal e-mail updates to the home screen in easy-to-view streams so there is no need to open and close different mobile applications.
Update Facebook, MySpace and Twitter at once instead of opening individual apps with MOTOBLUR as well as upload your photos to Facebook, MySpace, Picasa, and Photobucket.
Customize your home screen with your favorite widgets and short cuts.

The enhanced MOTOBLUR syncs contacts, posts, messages, photos, and much more into easy-to-manage streams (see larger image).
3-megapixel camera/camcorder with up to 8x digital zoom, multi-shot capabilities, multiple shooting modes, and 24 fps video capture rate.
Kodak Perfect Touch technology for better, brighter pictures
CrystalTalk PLUS for enhanced audio and call quality with a second microphone for increased voice quality while filtering out background noise.
Built-in GPS for real-time location on maps, driving directions, and more (additional charges may apply)
Google Maps Navigation (Beta) provides free, pre-loaded turn-by-turn voice guidance. Powered by Google and requiring an Internet connection, it enables you to simply say "Navigate to [your destination]" to get on your way. See live traffic, use Street View or satellite imagery to view your route, and get access to the most recent maps and business information from Google Maps without ever needing to update your device.
Real HTML Web browsing provides more pages and better Web content delivered efficiently to your phone.
YouTube app for streaming video over 3G and Wi-Fi connections.
Visual Voicemail allows you to listen to your voice-mail messages in any order, respond in one click and easily manage your inbox without ever dialing in to the network.
Voice-activated dialing lets you call someone with simple voice commands when your hands are busy.

Specifications

2.8-inch touch-enabled display (320 x 240 pixels)
Physical full QWERTY keyboard
Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g) for accessing home and corporate networks as well as hotspots while on the go.
Bluetooth connectivity (version 2.1) includes profiles for communication headset, hands-free car kits, and the A2DP Bluetooth profile--enabling you to wirelessly stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones or speaker dock.
2 GB microSD card with support for optional cards up to 32 GB.
Text (SMS) and picture/video (MMS) messaging
Access to popular instant messaging services
Access to personal and work e-mail (supports Microsoft Exchange corporate e-mail)
Music player compatible with MP3, AAC/AAC+/eAAC+, WMA
FM radio
Video player compatible with MPEG4,
Flash Lite 4 support providing compatibility with a majority of Flash Player 10.1 content.
Organizer tools including calendar, tasks, and calculator
Airplane mode allows you to listen to music while the cellular connectivity is turned off
MicroUSB connector with mass storage and charging capabilities
3.5mm headset/headphone jack
Hearing Aid Compatibility = M3

Vital Statistics

The Motorola Charm weighs 3.9 ounces and measures 3.9 x 2.7 x 0.5 inches. Its 1420 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 9 hours of talk time, and up to 360 hours (15 days) of standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies, as well as T-Mobile's 3G network (1700/2100 MHz).

What's in the Box

Motorola Charm handset, 2 GB microSD memory card, extended battery with back door cover, charger, USB cable, quick start guide

T-Mobile Services

High-speed data connectivity via T-Mobile's 3G network: In addition to its quad-band GSM connectivity, this phone is also compatible with T-Mobile's UMTS/HSDPA 3G network, which operates on the 1700/2100 MHz AWS spectrum. This phone is designed to automatically connect to the best available network (3G or GSM/GPRS/EDGE) to provide faster data speeds when accessing the Web. In areas where the 3G network is not available, you'll continue to receive service on the via T-Mobile's EDGE network (which stands for "Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution"). This high-speed, mobile data and Internet access technology is fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services (with average data speeds between 75-135Kbps), including full picture and video messaging, high-speed color Internet access, and e-mail on the go.
While this phone is optimized for use with T-Mobile's high-speed 3G network, many of its functions will also work well on the moderate-speed EDGE network. If you plan to access the Internet extensively on your phone, 3G network coverage may serve you best.
Activities that work well on EDGE or 3G networks:

E-mail, instant messaging, and texting
Downloading ringtones, CallerTunes, wallpaper, light data files
Sending photographs via e-mail or picture messaging

Activities that work best on a 3G network:

Viewing content-heavy websites (lots of images or videos playing)
Viewing YouTube and other video files (they will play on EDGE, but require loading time)
Uploading large files (photos, videos, presentations) to sharing websites
Downloading large files from an e-mail or a website

T-Mobile's 3G network is currently available in more than 220 cities nationwide and covers more than 160 million people.

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Pentax - Optio S1

2011-06-09T01:22:00.000-07:00

The Pentax Optio S range has always been popular, because it combines stylish good looks with a solid build and high-quality photo images. You won't be surprised to learn that the Optio S1 continues in the same tradition.

It's been three years since we saw the last in the range - the S12 - and Pentax has predictably incorporated many of the features that shine in its other compact digital cameras. Yet we still have that 'snug in the hand' feel (it's only 20mm thick and 120g in weight) with smooth curves, sturdy aluminium casing and three chic colours: cool chrome, jet black and aquamarine (the latter two with extra gloss coating).

Bigger zoom
All of the S1's controls are clearly labelled and simple to use. They include a dedicated video record button for filming 720p HD movies at 30 frames per second (although there's no HDMI output). Since the S12, megapixel size has been expanded from 12 to 14, the optical zoom has grown from 3x to 5x (equivalent to 28-140mm) and the LCD is slightly larger at 2.7in.

There's now triple anti-shake protection, using a mixture of CCD-shift-type SR, automatically boosting ISO sensitivity in low light, and Movie SR, which digitally narrows the angle of view. There are hordes of scene modes (22 in all), including Auto Picture which will detect 14 of them, plus upgraded face detection.

In addition, a set of filters and effects has been included that can be added to your finished shots (or pre-set, in the case of Miniature and HDR filters), plus an extremely effective Super Macro setting for close shots from between 5 and 30cm. As you'd expect, the images are uniformly crisp and colours vivid in daylight conditions - and as long as you avoid very high ISO settings, you'll get surprisingly good results in dim conditions.
The Optio S1 maintains the smart looks, high performance and solid build of its predecessors, while upgrading the detail and zoom and adding a host of new filters and system improvements.

BEST POINT: Range of new and upgraded features.
WORST POINT: No HDMI output for HD movies.

View the original article here
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Motorola Droid X2 First-Look Review: Blazing Fast

2011-06-08T08:39:00.000-07:00

The X2 is, rather obviously, the successor to the Motorola Droid X released on Verizon last summer. Physically the two are almost identical: same design, same dimensions, even the same weight. The only way to tell the difference between them is to read the model name on the back battery cover. Like its predecessor, the X2 is somewhat broad and flat, although not as much as competing models like the Samsung Infuse 4G. It also features aluminum trim around the screen, which gives it a bit of a hefty, solid feel.

The Droid X was originally one of the forerunners of the "big-screen smartphone" trend, and the new version has the same size display -- although it's since been surpassed by models like the Infuse and Dell Streak. That said, its 4.3 inch screen still puts it in the top tier in this area, and it's now been upgraded from the "old" WVGA (800 x 480) to a cutting edge qHD (960 x 540) resolution. This change is definitely visible when you're looking at icons and zoomed web pages, although it's not as major a shift as going from the older HVGA (320 x 480) Android devices to the current standard WVGA.

PERFORMANCE
Once you get to the internals you really start to see the differences between the X2 and its predecessor. The Droid X2 has been upgraded with a dual-core processor for more speed, and it really delivers -- if processor power is important to you, the Droid X2 has it in spades. Not only does it outperform it's predecessor on benchmarks, it does so by a more than two to one margin.

The processor is definitely the main draw though, as the X2 has the same internal memory, same wireless options, and almost the same specs in every other way as the older Droid X. I would go so far as to call it more of an update than an upgrade, providing a few software benefits and improved performance, but otherwise providing nothing too revolutionary.

PRELIMINARY CONCULSION
If you were about to buy a Droid X, there's certainly no reason not to choose the Motorola Droid X2, although I'm withholding judgment as to whether it outpaces similar competing models until I've had more time with it. That will come with the full review, available soon, along with full benchmarks, more photos, battery life tests, and the works.

View original article here

Samsung Infuse 4G First-Look Review: Big and Beautiful

2011-06-08T08:38:00.000-07:00

AT&T's latest Android OS smartphone offers a 4.5-inch touchscreen, larger than the 4.3-inch displays on some of its competitors. Other cutting-edge features include a 1.2GHz Hummingbird processor, HSPA+ support, and an 8-megapixel camera.

I've had the new Samsung Infuse 4G for about 36 hours now, and I'm ready to make some preliminary observations.

BUILD & DESIGN

Right out of the box, the Infuse is unlike most smartphones. Broad, long, and thin, its design is clearly all about the screen. I'm sure some people will be disappointed that the resolution on the 4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus display is "only" 800 x 480 (WVGA), instead of the new vogue 960 x 540 (qHD). Realistically though, the screen looks beautiful as it is, and I could hardly ask for better.

In fact, using it is enough to make me a convert to OLED screens: not only does it have fantastic contrast and colors, but the greenish tint I observed in my last OLED-based review unit is entirely absent. On top of that, it has superior performance in direct sun, not just compared to older OLEDs (which struggled in sunlight), but also to most LCDs.

I feel like if they made this thing much thinner, I could peel fruit with it. Not only is it one of the thinnest smartphones on the market (just 0.35-inches), but the large, flat footprint makes it feel even thinner in the hand. You might think that due to its size, the Infuse would be unwieldy to hold. Surprisingly, this isn't the case: it's width is quite manageable, although people with smaller hands might find it less comfortable. And yes, it feels a bit strange to put it up to your head to talk on it.

PERFORMANCE
There's been a rumor going around that starting with the Infuse, AT&T would start to allow "sideloading," which is installing applications from sources other than the Android Market. I can confirm that this is indeed the case: the Infuse now loads non-Market apps with no more hassle than any other Android device. This means AT&T users can finally load apps from other sources, including the Amazon app market, without having to hack their devices first.
The broad, flat design also provides room for a surprisingly large battery: 1750 mAh, much higher in capacity than most phones, which run from 1200 to 1500. And the difference shows, since the battery performance so far has been stellar: even after a fairly robust day, with Wi-Fi running constantly, music playing, some streaming video, a little GPS, and lots of web surfing, the battery was still showing 32%.

PRELIMINARY CONCLUSION
So far, the Samsung Infuse 4G is showing a great deal of promise. I'll have a lot more to say about it in the full review, including performance benchmarks, more battery testing, and discussion of who the design is aimed at, and why. Stay tuned.

View original article here

Panasonic - Lumix DMC-FT3

2011-06-07T19:06:00.000-07:00

Compact digital cameras are often small enough to fit in a shirt pocket, but Panasonic has gone the other way with its Lumix DMC-FT3. Only recently launched but already discounted online, its tough exterior is an attempt to create a camera that can withstand the rigours of travel, hiking or adventure sports. And it really works.

Safe from the elements
As useful to the clumsy as to seasoned globetrotters and adrenalin addicts, this red or aqua blue-coloured compact's claims include being waterproof to 12m (anything deeper requires a separate ?marine case'). It's also dust-proof, operational down to -14ºC temperatures, and droppable from two metres. This resilience comes largely from the way the camera's inputs and outputs are housed. The camera's SDXC card slot and Lithium-ion battery compartment, as well as its mini-HDMI and AV/micro-USB out, are kept safe from the elements by a flip-open door that's lined with a soft rubberised plastic seal. On the door is a catch and - crucially - a sliding lock. It's a simple and well executed system, and though the DMC-FT3 doesn't look too macho (it's reminiscent of a camera from four or five years ago), in our tests it withstood a good soaking and some needlessly nervy rough play.

Travel-friendly
Other traveller-friendly features abound, although most of them sit on the wrong side of novelty. If you've headed into the outback and you're relying on a digital camera's compass, altimeter and barometer for survival, good luck to you.

More useful is the camera's GPS feature, which effectively gives your photos a caption: country, region, state, city and town can be set, and all can be toggled on and off, while landmarks from a database covering 78 countries are also included. We're not sure how crucial this feature is, especially as it relies on finding a satellite - which can mean being ?offline' for sometime, affecting accuracy. Even when it's correct, it's often meaningless.

If you're on the road, more important than all of that is the DMC-FT3's battery life. With the above functions used sparingly, we managed around 290 shots between charges, which isn't bad.

Standard spec
Behind that tough exterior lies some thoroughly respectable capabilities for a compact. Full HD video recording (in the AVCHD format) comes courtesy of a 12.1 megapixel sensor and a 28mm wide angle Leica DC-Vario Elmar lens.

The all-important optical zoom reaches 4.6x and is reasonably quick to work, while the 2.7in LCD screen is sharp with reasonably accurate colours. There's also a useful ?power save' option that lowers brightness, a handy way of preserving power on trips away from modernity.

Although it's quick to wake and reload between shots, it takes a little practice to get to grips with all of the DMC-FT3's features. The menus have a rudimentary design and are difficult to follow initially, and though they're not exactly complex, full manual control is not what's on offer here (though white balance and ISO can be tweaked). A plethora of scene select modes are provided (candle light, pets, children, etc.) and there are also some notable editing features included, such as cropping, when in playback mode.

The LED flash is also decent; there's no flooding of the picture in poor light, while the auto-flash systems appear to err on the side of caution. That's good news, because the pictures we managed to shoot with the DMC-FT3 were as sharp as similarly priced compacts, with close-ups particularly impressive and low-light shots free from too much digital 'noise'. Video recording in Full HD is also a feature worth exploring, with AVCHD format files it creates enjoying the fruits of autofocus, face detection and even that LED flash for close-ups.

3D chops
Perhaps the most unusual feature of the DMC-FT3 is its 3D option. Rather than using dual lenses to shoot an accurate double image, thereby mimicking human sight (as found on the FujiFilm Finepix XP30), this is a software-driven strategy; 20 separate pictures are taken as the shutter is held down and the camera panned horizontally, with the ?best' two frames - as chosen by the camera - overlaid on each other and saved as an MPO file. Most 3D displays can show this, though in our tests using one of the latest generation of Panasonic Viera 3DTVs, the results were mixed: some were effective, but with an effect that was either slightly forced or confused, while others surprisingly accurate. Still, the cumbersome 20-shot rule means this feature is unlikely to catch on across single-lens cameras.

The outdoor crowd have seen a slew of ?rugged' cameras slip through their fingers over the past few years. At first glance, this may appear to be all about its novelty GPS, compass, altimeter and 3D features, but Panasonic has delivered a something genuinely new to the market: thoroughly reliable photography. Ideal for paddlers, snorkellers and clumsy backpackers after something more than just a ?tough' camera, this compact is good enough to record any point-and-shooter's progress around the globe.

BEST POINT: Good, reliable image quality with ruggedness.
WORST POINT: 3D images are a bit of a gimmick.

View the original article here
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Epson - EB-W10

2011-06-07T01:25:00.000-07:00

Portable and exceptionally bright LCD projector.

There used to be a firm dividing line between video projectors that were designed for home cinema, and the data projectors intended for business presentations. Not anymore. Epson's tiny - 295x228x77mm (wdh) - EB-W10 LCD projector is an effort to create an all-rounder that can do its daily grind of PowerPoints and the odd video clip in boardrooms, but which lucky execs can ?accidentally' take home to beam a Premier League match against their living room walls.

What's it like?
Petite, clad in white and weighing in at a highly portable 2.3kg, the EB-W10 is quoted as running for 5,000 hours per lamp (which cost around £145 each). The design is particularly good, with travel-friendly flourishes like a flip-to-close lens door and recessed zoom/focus controls. Meanwhile, there are IR sensors on both the front and rear of the projector, while the remote also includes useful 'pointer' and 'freez'e options - all welcome features on a portable projector that will get used in a range of environments.

All-rounder
Talking of different environments, the EB-W10 copes easily with heavy ambient light thanks to its 2600 (2040 on ?eco' mode) ANSI Lumens of brightness.

The usual colour presets are here for ?dynamic', ?presentation' and so on, together with a useful contrast-push ?theatre' mode and two colour compensation formats for projecting on to a blackboard or whiteboard.
Equipped with an throw ratio of 1.30-1.56:1, an optical zoom ratio of x1.2, and able to project a 60in image from around two metres, we found the Epson's keystone correction mode to be simple enough, but missing are the manual lens shift levers found on almost all of Epson's otherwise fairly similar budget home cinema projectors.

Easy to use
Setting the Epson up is easy, right out of the ugly (but adequate) carry bag. All controls (such as source select, menu, volume and even a ?help' button) are on top of the device, so it's possible to operate the EB-W10 without the remote control.

Even better, the EB-W10 has been designed with the non-techie in mind; there's a great ?source search' button on top of the remote that simply switches to any input from live devices. This can include a USB-to-USB connection from a PC to display its desktop, which worked on our netbook after a very short setup wizard. Our only issue, control-wise, is the fact that the small remote's buttons are tiny, and there's no backlighting.

Well connected
Ins and outs are plentiful. As well as a HDMI input, the rear also houses ports for analogue VGA (15-pin), S-video and composite video, USB Type A and Type B, while audio is ouput either via left/right stereo phono plugs or the EB-W10's built-in speaker. Weak and lacking in clarity, its 1W speakers will only be of use in small boardrooms - and certainly not in the living room.

Although with plenty enough hardware to accommodate almost any gear we can think of, the EB-W10 can provide a limited presentation even without a laptop. Insert a memory stick or external storage drive via USB and this machine instantly displays thumbnails of JPEG photos complete with easy navigation controls and a slideshow option.

Unfortunately no other files play via the EB-W10's USB connection, which is a shame considering how ubiquitous the likes for AVI, MPEG and even MKV video clips are becoming.

Sharp and precise
While the EB-W10 does have a foot in both the data and video camps, it's fairly lop-sided towards PowerPoints and photos (of which it produces a supremely sharp and precise picture from a PC) than it is for playing DVD or Blu-ray movies in the comfort of the living room.

The projector's WXGA resolution (strictly speaking, actually a touch bigger than WXGA at 1280x800 pixels, making it 16:10 aspect ratio) hampers its progress somewhat, and though it does reasonably well with standard-def video, even that can look a touch soft - and the pixel grid is always visible in bright areas.
An auto iris function monitors ambient light and adjusts it accordingly, and is worth toggling on - its adds believability to blacks, though not to a very great degree.

While the EB-W10 didn't have the pixels to make much of our Blu-ray test disc, it managed to display some Xbox360 games without much in the way of blur or judder, which is an impressive trait for a budget LCD model.

Noisy performer
The EB-W10 suffers from one major drawback, however, and it applies to all small projectors: noise. With such a small baffle the air has to be pumped relatively quickly around the lens to keep it cool enough, especially at this high brightness - and on full power that means a 37-decibel operational sound that's more than noticeable in an otherwise quiet setting.

This noise can make watching a movie especially difficult - though how much depends on what you watch - a dialogue-based film could be drowned out, though something little more raucous generally beats the EB-W10 at its own game.

Noisy but nice, Epson's latest portable projector is exceptionally travel-friendly, a great performer for the money, and flexible enough to display presentations from a laptop, photos from a USB stick, or movies. And while we wouldn't recommend the EB-W10 as a video projector - a visible pixel grid and average contrast put paid to that - it's easily versatile enough to take home from work for some bigscreen gaming. It's also great for using in daylight, but the flip-side of that brightness is decibels aplenty.

BEST POINT: Very flexible, with plenty of travel-friendly options.
WORST POINT: No great shakes as a video projector; very noisy.

View the original article here

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INQ - Cloud Touch

2011-06-06T21:03:00.000-07:00

The INQ Cloud Touch is the long-awaited ?Facebook phone' - so called because of its integration with the social networking site, which goes deeper than in any previous smartphone. Well... yes, it does. But that doesn't mean it's all sunshine and roses - there are plenty of ups and downs with this handset, too.

Facebook integration
The Cloud Touch's Facebook integration comes via one of the smartphone's five Android home screens. The bulk of this home screen is occupied by a news feed. You tap arrows to move from earlier to more recent feeds. This feed is a widget, and you can add four more to sit above it choosing from things like Notifications, People, and Places.

Tap any of these Facebook widgets, and they take you straight to the relevant area of the site, saving you the bother of fiddling about within the site itself. It's clever, but there's a fair bit of waiting around for data to load, which we found quite irritating. We'd really have liked to sweep the big news feed to move around rather than have to find and tap small back and forwards arrows.

And the rest
You'd be wrong to think that Facebook integration is the only novelty on offer in the INQ Cloud Touch. There's Spotify, for example. For the first time this has been integrated into an Android smartphone, and if you have a paid subscription you can stream music. If not, you can sync playlists over WiFi on your home network and use Spotify or the Android music player as your default.

But there's a lot more to attract your attention here. How about the nifty set of gesture controls? Sweep the screen to perform pre-defined actions. And a keyboard whose predictive text system learns the words you like to use. Or INQ Type, which you can call up from the lock screen or by sweeping upwards from the Home button (a stylised INQ logo beneath the screen), and which lets you Google search or start an SMS message really quickly. There's more too, but we lack the space to cover all the nips and tucks.

However...
As we said at the outset, it's not all sunshine and roses with the INQ Cloud Touch. Despite being an Android 2.2 smartphone, it lacks Flash support. The 600MHz processor simply can't handle it - and that under-powered chip also causes some screen lag problems at times, too.

At 3.5 inches, the Cloud Touch's screen is a fair size for a lower-priced handset, but its resolution of 320x480 pixels isn't great - and it's not as sharp or vibrant as many.

The 142MB of onboard memory is on the low side, but our review sample came with a 4GB microSD card to help bump this up, which was welcome. In the end, that sort of sums the INQ Cloud Touch up. It's a handset that includes some star features, but one that needs a bit of rethinking and a second edition to really reach its potential.

The INQ Cloud Touch is a clever idea for those who simply can't leave Facebook alone, but it needs a faster processor to really give you ?speed of light' updating.

BEST POINT: Facebook integration.
WORST POINT: Low screen resolution; slow to update Facebook information.

View the original article here

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Foxconn - NT-535

2011-06-06T06:16:00.001-07:00

Powerful barebones net-top PC that's let down by its 3D graphics performance
After the craze for netbook computers started to die down - mostly due to the sudden rise in popularity of tablets - manufacturers struggled to find a way to use up their massive oversupply of Intel's low-powered Atom chips. The answer they came up with was the 'net-top.'

Best thought of as a netbook without the screen and battery, nettops aren't designed to replace your main desktop - but they do make a cheap, low-power secondary system you can use to, say, hook up to your TV or stereo to let you browse the web or stream music. At least, that's the sales patter for the Foxconn Nettop NT-535, a bare-bones unit that promises a lot but sometimes struggles to deliver.

Core specification
At its heart, the Foxconn Nettop NT-535 is compact motherboard with an Intel Atom D525 processor embedded. Unlike earlier models, the D525 is a dual-core processor clocked at a reasonably impressive 1.8GHz, and includes Intel's HyperThreading technology to run four simultaneous threads across its two physical processing cores.

That's the good news. The bad news is that, unlike some more expensive net-tops on the market, with the NT-535 Foxconn has chosen to implement the Atom's embedded graphics, the Intel GMA 3150. While this is adequate for 2D tasks, it's really not up to 3D gaming - as our testing rapidly discovered.
Memory and storage are both left up to the buyer, with a single DDR3 800MHz SODIMM slot to fill and room for a 2.5in SATA hard drive. If you need removable storage, there's an integrated card reader which is compatible with MemoryStick, SD, and MMC cards - but a lack of optical drive is something to consider when you're wanting to install an operating system.

Foxconn has been relatively generous with the ports on the NT-535, with the aforementioned card reader, two USB 2.0 ports, and audio input and output ports located at the front, while the rear includes a wired Ethernet port, a digital audio output, VGA and HDMI video outputs, and a further four USB 2.0 ports. Sadly, there's no USB 3.0 support - and eSATA is also missing from the list.

As well as the wired gigabit Ethernet port, there's 802.11b/g/n WiFi included as standard, with a dipole antenna that can be used in a variety of alignments - handy, when you consider the impressive versatility of the box.

The choice is yours
Nobody should think of buying a net-top for power - it's really a case of buying the smallest device that will still function as a computer. To appeal to a buyer's desire for flexibility, Foxconn includes three mounting options as standard on the NT-535.

By default, the unit sits flat on a surface, using either non-slip rubber feet or a set of disappointingly weak magnets. Included in the box is a stand to sit the unit upright as an alternative, although its wide base means a surprisingly large footprint.

The best option, however, is to use the included VESA bracket, which allows the NT-535 to be attached directly to the back of a monitor or HDTV using four screws - creating a remarkably cheap alternative to a 'smart TV' or all-in-one system.

There's one thing to be aware of when positioning the box, however: the design of a nettop does cheat slightly to get the size down to a minimum, by equipping it with a small laptop-style external power supply.

Performance
To take the NT-535 through its paces, we inserted a 2GB SODIMM and a 96GB SSD, onto which we installed the 64-bit edition of Windows 7 - but we did encounter a couple of minor niggles.
First was the cheap plastic casing of the device, the top of which is secured by four small screws. Once we'd removed the screws, we found it difficult to get the lid off - eventually having to prise one corner up with a screwdriver in order to get the thing started.

Secondly, it's worth leaving the protective stickers on the casing until you've installed your hardware - otherwise you're more than likely to find that the shiny finish, available in black or white, gets scratched as you work.

With the hardware installed, we reassembled the unit and attached a USB DVD drive to install the operating system. While none of the hardware was supported by default, Foxconn includes a driver CD with a one-click installation process to get you going.

After a quick reboot, the system was up and running - and a sudden burst of Windows start-up music revealed a hidden feature: the NT-535 includes an in-built speaker, activated when there's no external speaker or HDMI cable attached. Whether that's a positive or a negative thing is personal opinion - but it certainly came as a bit of a surprise in the quiet of the lab.

General performance of the NT-535 is good, helped along by the dual-core processor. Internet browsing was smooth, video playback stutter-free, and 2D graphics performance nothing short of perfect.

The same can't be said of the system's 3D performance. Without the benefit of a dedicated accelerator such as Nvidia's Ion, the graphics processor integrated into the Atom architecture is woefully inadequate. Even with the settings at their minimum and the resolution turned right down, we were unable to get playable frame rates on any recent games.

Sadly, the graphics proved to be something of an issue generally: the included software somehow convinced Windows that it was running on a laptop, offering the choice of two displays - an external display and an internal display. Initially, this was set as a dual-display clone function - and it took some convincing before the system would run our single display at its native resolution.

We also installed Ubuntu 11.04 to see how well Foxconn's selection of hardware worked under Linux - and we were pleasantly surprised. All hardware worked immediately, with both wired and wireless networking springing into life with no drivers required.

The build quality of the NT-535 isn't the greatest - and the fan, while quiet, could become annoying in a living room environment - but it's a remarkably powerful machine for the price. Sadly, it is severely limited by its poor graphics performance - especially when it comes to 3D use.

BEST POINT: It's tiny, low power, and runs general-purpose software perfectly.
WORST POINT: The in-built graphics processor is woefully under-powered for 3D tasks.
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