Archive for March, 2009

By March 17, 2009 Read More →

iPhone 3.0 details emerge

image As we already expected Apple are announcing a preview of the 3.0 Software Update for the iPhone and here is a list of the added features that we will soon see:-

For consumers

Cut, Copy and Paste at last, great implementation across all applications including third party apps.

Sending of photos in email now not restricted to one at a time.

Landscape keyboard in all key applications, mail, sms, notes

MMS messaging is included but only on iPhone 3G

Forwarding of SMS messages

Search functionality in all applications like mail and even on an Exchange Server

Spotlight home screen with search

A2DP Stereo bluetooth

Notes Sync

Tethering will be built in once negotiated with Carriers

iPhone OS 3.0 will be available this Summer. A free update to all of our iPhone 3G customers. And it works on the original iPhone. Now the hardware has changed between these two devices. For instance, A2DP and MMS won’t be available on the iPhone 1st gen. It’s also available for the iPod touch… for $9.95."

For Developers

Whole new set of API’s

New api for streaming video and audio

Subscription model applications in the App Store like magazine apps and extensions to games.

Support for Peer to Peer gaming for multi play

Enable accessory developers to build apps that talk directly to the hardware like the dock connector

Developers can now do turn by turn GPS applications

Push notifications are a go but no background applications due to battery life problems

Photo courtesy of Engadget

Posted in: Phones
By March 17, 2009 Read More →

A farewell to Palm Os

hkpug-party-31109-3 Ever wonder what a Palm OS farewell party in Hong Kong would look like? Well wonder no more… The HKPUG (Hong Kong PDA User Group) just held such a party last week and has posted some interesting photos from the event.

The group decided to host a get together in honor of the Palm OS’s recent retirement mandate. Members brought along their Palm OS devices from over the years and swapped stories and bits of data over IR. Nearly every Palm OS powered device from the Pilot 1000 to the Centro was represented and most all of them were still in good working order. Read on for a couple of more shots and checkout the full details in these HKPUG posts.

via Palm Infocenter

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Posted in: Phones
By March 17, 2009 Read More →

Sony Ericsson W302 review

The W302 Walkman phone from Sony Ericsson could be seen as the low cost way to enter into the continuously growing Walkman range with phones ranging in price and performance. The important question with the W302 is that of whether or not it has what it takes to live up to the iconic Walkman brand.

w302_angled_right

The Sony Ericsson W302 Walkman Phone

What’s in the box?

  • Sony Ericsson W302
  • User guide
  • Software CD
  • Battery
  • Mains Charger
  • Stereo Portable Handsfree
  • USB Data Cable
  • 512MB Memory Stick Micro (M2)

Check out Matt’s Sony Ericsson W302 unboxing video for a more detailed look at the handset and what you get with it.

 

Sony Erisson W302 Walkman Phone specification:

  • Dimensions – 110 x 49 x 11.7 mm
  • Weight – 99.8g
  • Screen – 240×320 pixel – 2.2 inches
  • Music – Walkman Player – PlayNow™
  • FM Radio
  • Bluetooth stereo (A2DP)
  • Camera – 2 mega-pixel
  • Networks – GSM 850, GSM 900,GSM 1800, GSM 1900
  • Messaging – Email, MMS (Multimedia Messaging)
  • Memory – 20 MB memory – Memory Stick Micro™ (M2™) support (512MB included in box)
  • Bluetooth 2.0

 

General

Looks-wise the W302 is a very small, extremely compact device. However as is so often the case with technological products smaller is not always better. The phone feels very small in the hand and feels very light indeed so certainly won’t be leaving any unsightly bulge in your pocket.

The Front of the device is obviously where the main controls of the phone can be found. The screen is a fair size and below this are the navigational buttons which also double as playback controls. Either side of this are the call and shortcut keys.

Sony Ericsson W302 front view

Sony Ericsson W302 front view

The left side of the phone is home to the standard large Sony Ericsson proprietory connector port and situated further along the phone is the Walkman quick launch key, allowing quick access to the phones multimedia functions.

Sony Ericsson W302 left side

Sony Ericsson W302 left side

The right hand side of the W302 is again fairly limited button wise, there is a two way volume control which can also be used to check the phones status(battery life, available memory etc.) and located further down is the camera quick launch and shutter button.

 Sony Ericsson W302 right side

Sony Ericsson W302 right side

The Back of the device is home to a 2 mega-pixel camera however no flash which is a little disappointing, below the batter cover apart from the obvious is the M2 card slot for additional phone storage.

Sony Ericsson W302 back view

Sony Ericsson W302 back view

The top and bottom of the Sony Ericsson W302 are rather non eventful, which when you take into account the lack of buttons on the sides of the device there being no buttons on the top and bottom does leave the W302 very bare and rather plain looking.

 

Highlights

  • Small and Compact
  • Low Price

Lowlights

  • small and fiddly buttons
  • Low in-built memory

Review

So lets start this review with the styling and overall appearance and feel of the W302. As I mentioned earlier the W302 is very small and very compact and feels very lightweight, I also said that smaller is not always better when It comes to mobile phones and I have to be honest and say in the case of the W302 its size is also a downside, The phone being small and light is great as it makes the phone easy to carry etc. however a downside to this is the size of the phones keys, on multiple occasions while texting on dialling I found myself pressing 2 buttons at once and I don’t have particularly large thumbs. The phones styling is fairly minimalist with little in the way of buttons around the sides of the device making it a clean, sleek and smart device.

Being a Walkman device it is important to talk about the W302’s multimedia functions. The phone has 20MB of internal memory and included support of up to 4GB via M2 memory card. This is not great however given the phones price it seems like a reasonable compromise. The multimedia features are extremely simple to use and as with other Walkman devices the navigation is the same allowing those with previous experience to navigate quickly and easily. Transferring music from PC to mobile is as it always is with Sony Ericsson and that is quick and simple whether you take advantage of the software included or not. If you have read my reviews before you will be well aware of my personal gripe with the Sony Ericsson proprietory connector not only the size but also the Position, although this is not a massive problem when I see the size of Nokia’s connector and the fact that it would not be out of the question to include a standard 3.5mm jack on the device I cannot help but feel annoyed at this obvious design flaw.

Sony Ericsson W302 bottom view

The W302 would certainly be described as a ‘budget phone’ now this tag a few years ago would have left you expecting no more than the basics and possibly a basic camera if that, however now a budget phone can have no excuses in not meeting the changing demands of the consumer and I just feel that the W302 does not quite come up to scratch when compared to other devices of a similar price elsewhere.

The W302 comes equipped with a 2 mega pixel camera but as I mentioned earlier no flash, despite this I have to be honest and say that the image quality the W302 produced did surprise me somewhat, the phone also boasts a video recorder, the quality of which will be of no surprise to regular Sony Ericsson users and for those of you who have not experienced a Sony Ericsson before the quality is fair however is certainly nothing compared to a budget camcorder or in many cases as high as the video function on many digital cameras. Accessing photos and videos can be done with ease through the familiar Sony Ericsson navigational menu, the screen which is a 176 x 220 TFT makes for a reasonable viewing surface however is not ideal for watching videos of any great length and is not particularly friendly when it comes to sharing photos with friends.

I mentioned a little earlier about using the phone on a day to day basis and as with all Sony Ericssons I have used in the past the W302 is no different, simple and easy to use with easy to navigate menus which on occasion I did find to be a little slow on the W302. The phone comes with the usual batch of free games and features including a very addictive Roller-coaster simulator. The phone also includes an FM radio and the ever useful inclusion of Track ID for when those DJ’s just refuse to name the song. As for connectivity, connections between the phone and PC are made via the propitiatory connector to USB or bluetooth. That is about it for connectivity as is expected of a device of this price it is very unlikely to include premium features such as Wi-Fi etc. The W302 has a quoted battery life of around 7 hours talk and 300 hours standby however as I always do I feel it is important to note that these quotes can differ, often quite dramatically based on personal usage so are always hard to review however in the time I spent with the phone I didn’t find myself reaching for the charger a whole lot.

There are areas of the W302 which I feel could do with some improvement, changes which I feel would have been easy enough to make and would have just helped the device in going that little bit further to competing with other budget music devices. It will not be encouraging you to bin your dedicated MP3 player just yet but is a step in the right direction for Sony Ericsson and with a little improvement and tweaking lets never say never.

Sony Ericsson W302 keypad

 

Conclusion

The Walkman brand is certainly an Iconic one and I just feel that although the W302 Is a step up from previous budget Ericsson phones it just misses the mark slightly. It does have the features we have come to expect it does do what it says on the box but it just doesn’t go that little bit extra which in Today’s highly competitive and expanding market of budget phones can make all the difference. The Sony Ericsson W302 would make a perfect first phone for any young music lover however will certainly seem insufficient for the hardcore music loving phone user. A good offering from Sony Ericsson just missing the mark in some minor areas.

 

Review by: Nick

[ Post Tags: Sony Ericsson, W302, Walkman Phone, tracyandmatt.co.uk, unboxings.com ]

Posted in: Reviews
By March 16, 2009 Read More →

SBSH Calendar Touch 2.1

imageSBSH Mobile Software announced today the long waited update for its best selling PIM application SBSH Calendar Touch version 2.1. Following the growing demand for innovative Touch-oriented design, SBSH released today Calendar Touch 2.1 featuring a set of new market leading touch technologies: Touch Scrolling, Touch Tray Bar, and Full Screen Touch Menus. More information after the break including a promo video and for a hands on review take a look here.

Posted in: Phones
By March 16, 2009 Read More →

iWindowsMobile Communication Suite updated

Fans of VITO Techlology’s iWindowsMobile Communication Suite will be pleased to hear that the suite has just been updated and now includes the newest versions of many of VITO featured applications.

image

Press release:

VITO Technology Releases New Version 1.8 of iWindowsMobile Communication Suite. Communication Suite makes your Windows Mobile device look stunning with new graphics and finger-friendly interface and reveals the real potential of Windows Mobile touch screen device.

iWindowsMobile Communication Suite has in it all 5 bestsellers from VITO Technology including new Winterface 1.31, and the forever favourites SMS-Chat, FunContact, ZoomBoard and an improved free Weather app with added options and all bugs fixed.

If you haven’t tried our new Winterface 1.31 yet, here is what you will find different in it. It offers you the possibility to choose between black skin with white stylish icons or bright one with colorful icons and 3d images. Furthermore what makes Winterface even more attractive is the ability to switch on or off Windowed mode. This mode allows you either to show or hide the standard top WM bar that shows the essential info like start button, time, profile, mobile operator, etc.

Together with the new Winterface 1.31 this is what Communication Suite includes:

FunContact for managing all your contacts in a fun way with clear and stylish icons.

SMS-Chat for threaded SMS on your device where all SMS written and received appear in a very user friendly way.

ZoomBoard for finger-friendly typing with options to add any language you need.

Weather gives you regular updates on weather of the day and weather forecasts. The new Weather  gives the option to choose how frequently updates should appear: every hour, 3 hours or 12 hours. The skin of Weather app changes together with the Winterface skin. All major bugs have also been fixed.

Communication Suite is available for $39.95 at http://www.vitotechnology.com/communication-suite.html. Purchasing the Suite you are saving $30! You may download 14-day free trial version to check the deal.

 

Posted by: Matt

Posted in: Apps & Games
By March 16, 2009 Read More →

Gigabyte GSmart M1220 runs 6.5

gigabyte

This one went under the radar at MWC 2009, but kudos to Hungarian site MobileArena for spotting it. It looks like the Gigabyte M1220 may turn out to be the second thinnest Windows Mobile device ever…beaten only by the original Motorola Q (by a mere .1 mm). The Windows Mobile 6.5-based device is running with a 528MHz CPU with 256MB ROM and 128MB RAM, plus has a full QWERTY on the front. It’s sporting a unique Flash-based user interface, but sadly does so with a 2.4" QVGA touchscreen display. Beyond that, it includes the usual goods like WiFi, HSDPA/HSUPA, aGPS, and dual cameras. It’s expected to hit Europe around September of 2009. For even more specs, check out PDAdb.net.

via Pocketnow

Posted in: Phones
By March 16, 2009 Read More →

Hyundai watch easier to justify

hyundai-mb910-wristwatch-phone

Coming weeks after Orange announced they would be pushing LG’s pricey watchphone, Hyundai have produced a watchphone not priced at £1000. Read the rest of the post from PMP Today after the break.

Posted in: Phones
By March 16, 2009 Read More →

T-Mobile G1 unboxing

It’s been some months since we first looked at the T-Mobile G1 (HTC Dream). We were lucky enough to be able to attend the G1 launch event and to get some hands-on time with the first Android phone.

I finally managed to get hold of a retail G1 handset which, following the unboxing video below, Steve will be reviewing for us. Steve and I are fairly firm Windows Mobile fans so we’ll be making comparisons between Android and WM.

G1_angled_open 

The T-Mobile G1

 

I’ve only used the G1 for a short period but I have to say that I am fairly impressed. The clarity of the screen is good and the touchscreen is really sensitive and responsive which means that you can navigate and use the handset without needing a stylus. The menus are fairly logical and easy to find your way around. The web browser is also rather good and does a decent job of rendering webpages, almost as well as a desktop computer albeit on a smaller scale.

Have a look at our video and pop back soon to see the full review.

 

T-Mobile G1 (HTC Dream) unboxing video

 

T-Mobile G1 specification:

  • 55.7×117.7×17.1mm
  • 158 grams
  • Google Android 1.0
  • 32bit Qualcomm MSM7201A 528MHz CPU
  • 192MB RAM, 256MB ROM
  • 3.2" 320×480 color transflective TFT LCD
  • Proprietary audio jack
  • GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900
  • UMTS1700, UMTS2100
  • microSDHC memory card slot
  • mini-USB port
  • Bluetooth 2.0
  • WLAN – 802.11b/g
  • GPS, A-GPS, QuickGPS
  • Slide-out QWERTY keyboard
  • Accelerometer
  • 3.1MP camera with autofocus
  • 1150mAh removable battery

 

If you like unboxing videos you can see hundreds more on unboxings.com!

 

Posted by: Matt

[ Post Tags: t-mobile G1,HTC Dream,press release,smartphone news,tracyandmatt.co.uk ]

Posted in: Videos/Unboxings
By March 15, 2009 Read More →

Minoru 3D Webcam unboxing

Here’s something a little different for us, the Minoru 3D Webcam. I thought it was worth looking at the 3D webcam to see if we could record some of our unboxing videos in 3D!

minoru

In essence the Minoru 3D webcam is two webcams in one package and connected to the PC via one USB cable. The software on the PC then uses this stereoscopic image and applies a red filter to one channel and a blue filter to the other. The ‘channels’ are then combined in to one image and when you look at the image with the appropriate red/blue 3D glasses you see a 3D image.

The Minoru is east to setup, simply requiring driver installation and then a quick configuration process. Once set up you can take still photos or record 3D video to upload to YouTube etc.

We thought it would be fun to play with the Minoru 3D webcam and hope to have some sample 3D video for you. If you have some 3D glasses take a look at the sample images at the bottom of this post.

We have a quick unbox of the Minoru 3D webcam (not recorded in 3D) for you to have a look at and hope to follow this with some 3D footage later.

 

Minoru 3D Webcam unboxing video

 

The Minoru 3D Webcam is the worlds’ first 3D Webcam. It connects to your PC just like any standard USB Webcam and once you install the supplied software it opens up the whole new world of 3D to you.
This webcam allows you to have 3D video calls using your favourite webcam software or chat program such as Skype, Windows Live Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger, ooVoo and many other webcam compatible software packages that are already available.

Minoru 3D Webcam Specification:

  • 3D Image when viewed with 3D glasses
  • 2D Image when the viewer doesn’t have any 3D glasses
  • Picture in Picture (PiP)
  • Easy one click uploading of 3D videos to YouTube
  • 3D snapshots can be sent by e-mail to your friends with a single click
  • Works with other recording and messaging applications just like any standard webcam
  • Multi-position stand – sits or stands on the user’s desk
  • Perches on top of a flatscreen monitor
  • Interface: USB 2.0 High Speed 3D Webcam
  • Output Modes: 3D, 2D and Picture in Picture (PIP)
  • 3D Mode: Optimised Red/Cyan Anaglyph viewed with Red/Cyan 3D glasses
  • Output size: 800×600 / 640×480(VGA) / 352×288 / 320×240 pixels
  • Frame rate: 30 Frames per second

 

Minoru 3D Webcam Photo1 Minoru 3D Webcam Photo2

Minoru 3D Wedcam sample image (3D Glasses Required)

 

If you like unboxing videos don’t forget to check out unboxings.com!

 

Posted by: Matt

Posted in: Videos/Unboxings
By March 15, 2009 Read More →

iPhone 3.0, what to expect, maybe

iphonevsstone1

If you cast your mind back to January, Macworld came and went with absolutely nothing for iPhone users to get excited about. The Apple keynote finished with Tony Bennett singing “The best is yet to come”, well hopefully on Tuesday 17th March 2009 we will, at last find out what that “Best” is.

There have been many posts over the last few days predicting what we can expect from the 3.0 Firmware and this picture above sums things up nicely. Apple have to start filling in the blanks of normal functionality, the Palm Pre which in my opinion has pushed Apple to do this, has all of these features out of the box with the exception of a changeable memory card which when you have 16 gigs of storage onboard is not really an issue anyway for iPhone users.

Posted in: Phones
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