This week we managed to get another podcast out without the fatal technical flaws that saw last weeks output being obliterated from time and space. Andy and I have a chat about Windows Mobile 7, iPhone 4.0, the Palm Pre Plus and China SMS nightmare.
Being the clever clogs that I am, anyone that caught the Mobiletech Addicts special podcast at the beginning of the year may recall that I predicted that we would see Gigabyte G-Smart release some Android powered devices this year. Well sooner than expected we’ve already seen an announcement from Gigabyte about exactly that! 🙂
The Gigabyte Android smartphone doesn’t have a name yet, but it’s part of the GSmart series – which, until now, included only Windows Mobile devices.
The new handset runs Android 1.6 (!), has a trackball and measures 103 x 54 x 13.4mm
G-Smart android phone specification:
We’ve reviewed most of G-Smart’s handsets in the past so I hope to be able to get my hands on one of these for review soon too! 🙂
Shame it’s only Android 1.6 though!
Posted by: Matt
Apple is expected to announce its latest must-have piece of kit tomorrow at an event in San Francisco and I’m sure by now you’ll know that almost everyone is expecting the big announcement to be that Apple are to release an all-new product called the iSlate.
Now thus far we have no real idea what the specs will be, how big it is what OS it will run etc. but we’ll know for sure this time tomorrow. I’ll be keeping a close eye on the event for sure and will post news as I get it.
The question I have is where does such a product sit? Apple have a successful mobile device and a range of laptops so do we expect that the new iSlate will fit somewhere between the two?
Posted by: Matt
In our first podcast of the year, Matt from TracyandMatt.co.uk correctly predicted that Gigabyte would adopt Google’s Android OS and slap into on the G-Smart. They did.
The Gigabyte Android smartphone doesn’t have a name yet, but it’s part of the GSmart series – which, until now, included only Windows Mobile devices.
The new handset runs Android 1.6, it has a trackball and measures 103 x 54 x 13.4 millimeters. Mobile-review has some photos of the device:
wmpoweruser.com have today published the specs of the HTC Obsession. The device is rumoured to be sporting a 3.7 AMOLED screen and will be coming to AT&T and T-Mobile in the USA later this year. Lets hope the UK follows shortly.
They have also been told that the device may ship as early as June 2010 which would be nice, if true, as it is allegedly going to be released with Windows Mobile 7!
Here’s a quick run down of the believed specs:
Sounds pretty sweet doesn’t it? Fingers crossed HTC or Microsoft will have further news at Mobile World Congress next month.
Posted By: James
As he lay in excruciating pain under six storeys of masonry after the earthquake struck, US film-maker Mr Woolley, barely able to move, was so convinced he was going to die that he wrote a moving diary for his two sons and wife, thinking he’d be dead when they read it.
Mr Woolley had suffered head wounds and a fractured leg, and was trapped for 65 hours. But he never gave up hope.
He downloaded a first aid app that told him how to make a bandage and tourniquet for his injured limb and how to stop the bleeding from his head.
The app warned him not to fall asleep if he felt he was going into shock, so he set his alarm to go off every 20 minutes to keep him alert.
Via Metro and StormyLeeUK
Acer have released a wave of new mobile phones lately, and this is the latest one for us to look at, the Acer beTouch E200. Like the E100/E101 that we looked at just last week the E200 is Windows Mobile 6.5 powered but where the E200 differs is that it has a 3″ widescreen and a sliding numeric keypad. The E200 also features 3G/HSDPA where the E101 does not.
The Acer E200 looks like being another good value for money handset offering good features such as Windows Mobile 6.5, GPS and the widescreen display, at an entry-level price.
I think it’s good to see that Acer, like HTC, are not limiting themselves to just one OS or platform for their smartphones releasing an Android powered Acer Liquid recently and now several new Windows Mobile 6.5 devices. I’ll be interesting to see if they release more Android devices and what the ratio of WinMo to Android ends up being at the end of 2010!
We’ll be reviewing the beTouch E200 over the next week or so along with the E101 and will have the review up for you soon. Please take a look at the unboxing video below where I’ll also take you on a tour of the handset and a brief overview of the OS.
Acer beTouch E200 specification:
Posted by: Matt
Here at tracyandmatt we’ve reviewed a huge selection of Panasonic digital cameras and we are generally impressed with their ease of use, performance and compact size.
Today Panasonic announced a new DMC-TZ8 which is the successor to the popular TZ6 that we reviewed a little while ago. The press release below outlines the specification and key features of the new camera. We’ll try to get our hands on a review unit soon too!
Panasonic’s DMC-TZ8 – Perfect for all your Travelling Photography Needs
Successor to the hugely popular DMC-TZ6, Panasonic’s new DMC-TZ8 with a 25mm ultra wide angle and powerful 12x optical zoom in a compact body continues to push the boundaries, offering consumers the perfect travel companion. This 12.1 megapixel powerhouse performer TZ8 includes a multitude of features, such as Intelligent Resolution Technology and manual exposure, whilst remaining pocket sized to ensure portability and convenience.
Pocket Sized Power
The TZ8 features a high-quality LEICA DC VARIO ELMAR 25mm ultra-wide-angle lens with a 12x optical zoom. A lens like this, with a range from 25mm to 300mm, is almost inconceivable in such a small, lightweight camera. Comprising 10 elements in 8 groups, including 2 ED lenses and 2 aspherical lenses with 3 aspherical surfaces, and utilizing new lens material in its design, this advanced lens unit realizes the outstandingly slim and compact body while passing Leica’s stringent standards to deliver exceptional optical performance. Thanks to the newly incorporated Intelligent Resolution technology, a ground-breaking Intelligent Zoom is available with the TZ8 which extends the zoom ratio by approx.1.3x maintaining the picture quality even combining a digital zoom. This means the 12x optical can virtually ex tend to 16x equivalent. Furthermore, the Extra Optical Zoom function that extends zoom power to 21.4x (at 3-megapixel resolution) by using the center part of the large CCD to bring subjects even closer.
The new model has a 14.5-megapixel CCD and shoots with up to 12.1-megapixel resolution. This is because the CCD on the TZ8 is multi-aspect and can reproduce images shot with the lens set from 25mm to 300mm in any of three aspect ratios – 4:3, 3:2 or 16:9 – so you can always capture dynamic, richly expressive shots with a wide perspective. The Multi Aspect mode lets you to take an image in all three aspect ratios simultaneously then choose the one that best suits your scene after shooting.
New Intelligent Resolution Technology
The high-speed, high-performance Venus Engine VI has been re-engineered to compile the new image processing technology “Intelligent Resolution”. It enables the recording of beautiful photos and high-definition movies with higher quality signal processing.
With Intelligent Resolution technology, 3 areas – outlines, detailed texture areas and soft gradation areas are automatically detected. The outline parts are enhanced effectively to give edges more clarity while giving a moderate accentuation to the texture areas to look it more finely detailed. To the soft gradation part, the superior noise reduction system of the Venus Engine HD II is applied to make it smoother. Apart from the uniform enhancement of sharpness, the innovative Intelligent Resolution technology precisely performs signal processing pixel by pixel in the most effective way for it. As a result, images are naturally clear and crisp in both photo and movie recording.
The Intelligent Resolution technology also realizes Intelligent Zoom, which virtually extends the optical zoom ratio to its 1.3x equivalent maintaining the picture quality even whilst using the digital zoom. The details of an Image taken in high sensitivity recording tends to be lost in the noise reduction process, however the Intelligent Resolution works to keep the detail, improving the picture.
At the same time, the multi-task image-processing engine Venus Engine VI supports a super-fast response time. The shutter release time lag is as short as approx. 0.006 seconds and the camera’s quick response makes it easier to capture sudden, spur-of-the-moment photo opportunities together with the Sonic Speed AF (Auto Focus) that lets you lock on the subject minimum in approx. 0.35(wide-end) / 0.41(tele-end) seconds[2] and the short startup time of approx. 1.1 seconds.
Power O.I.S to Combat Handshake
Following in the footsteps of the award winning TZ6, the TZ8 of course includes Panasonic’s iA (Intelligent Auto) mode – a hallmark of Lumix cameras – featuring Face Recognition. AF Tracking, Intelligent ISO Control, Intelligent Scene Selector and Intelligent Exposure. Additionally, the new model also features new POWER O.I.S (Optical Image Stabilizer) which features a double the suppression power compared to the conventional image stabilization system, MEGA O.I.S. The hand-shake, which is physically generated when pressing the shutter button or when shooting at night with a slow shutter speed, is effectively compensated by the new POWER O.I.S. to enjoy blur-free photography. The iA mode is also available in movie recording mode. It automatically selects the most suitable Scene mode and helps to correct handshake, focus and brightness problems – making iA mode your one-stop solution to capture beautiful still and motion images.
Featuring Manual Exposure
Building on the success of the hugely popular DMC-TZ6, the TZ8 goes one step further to offer manual control for advanced expressive shooting. It has A(Aperture Priority) / S(Shutter Speed Priority) / M(Manual Exposure) modes for step up users to enjoy the creative shots depending on the subject or the scene by controlling the shutter speed and aperture. Each of these modes and iA mode can be quickly set by the mode dial on the top of the camera unit.
Bright and Beautiful Motion Pictures
Not only can you capture beautiful still images – the TZ8 also offers HD movie (1280 x 720) Recording in Motion JPEG at 30 fps – ensuring no matter what your special moment, the TZ8 can capture it.
In addition to the conventional SD/SDHC Memory Card, the DMC-TZ8 accepts next-generation SD format SDXC (SD eXtended Capacity), that features high potential in both capacity and data transfer speed. The DMC-TZ8 is compatible with Windows 7 and includes software PHOTOfunSTUDIO 5.0 for your convenience.
Perfect for all occasions, the small and stylish sized DMC-TZ8 offers a wealth of features and effortlessly slips into your pocket ensuring you are ready for any photographic occasion. With an extended battery life of approximately 340 pictures (CIPA) you can be sure you’ll never miss that perfect shot – truly making the TZ8 your perfect travelling companion. Available from mid March 2010, the TZ8 will be available in a choice of black or silver.
Posted by: Matt
Mobile World Congress is the biggest most important event about cell phones. It takes place in European Union, in a warm country and at the seaside. Previously it was in Cannes, France and now it is in Barcelona, Spain. However one must point out that it is an event for professionals – mostly employees and managers from mobile operators and entry costs thousands of Euros and apart from cellphones itself also cellular network infrastructure is covered… so in fact it is a very professional event and if you don’t wear a suit you are confused for a homeless bum and asked out.
Previously we were reporting about the first iPhone app about Mobile World Congress and here comes the second one (we tried it! while it was constantly crashing over WiFi, it worked fine over cellular network strangely):
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