Author Archive: Piero Chanchola

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By June 17, 2009 Read More →

Is Blue the next Green?

Yesterday we had a power cut.  For around 10 hours we were deprived of our computers, internet, Facebook, Twitter and a host of other daily “essentials”  When I say “WE”, I mean the whole island!  That’s right, approximately 700,000 people without power.  In my technological nakedness, I was trying desperately to find somewhere to charge my laptop and phone.  I had “forgot” to charge my phones and stuff the night before.  This got me thinking. I needed a way to charge my phone without a power socket, and sitting in the midday heat of Malta, I had a brainstorm.  Solar Power!

It seems some clever chaps from Samsung had already thought of this before me.  Whilst I was busy looking online in the wee hours of this morning for a Solar charger, I came across the Blue Earth phone.

samsungsolarphonewow

Samsung Blue Earth

The idea is brilliant.  Take a bundle of old water  bottles, re-mould them into a fetching blue design, stick a screen on it and a solar panel, and market the first “eco friendly” green phone and with this we can be more green!.  Most office calculators are using solar power nowadays and bus stops are usually honking great arrays of solar panels in Germany, so it made sense.  Then I had a think about it, and a read of a few of the comments online.  Lets break this down a bit.

This is what Samsung has to say on their website (http://www.samsungmwc.com/product.asp?Seqno=47&Rellink=Y)

Samsung Blue Earth is the first solar powered full-touch screen phone

Solar Panel on the back of the phone

Eco- friendly phone made from recycled plastic extracted from water bottles

Free from harmful substances such as Brominated Flame Retardant, Beryllium and
Phthalate

Eco-UI: Eco-mode / Eco-calendar / Eco-walk

5 star energy efficient charger which uses standby power lower than 0.03W

Small and light package made from recycled paper

All very impressive.  But is it just baloney and a marketing gimmick?

Sony Ericsson didn’t as much say “what a load of tosh” but reading in between the lines that’s what I understood when I read their  website  (http://www.sonyericsson.com/greenheart/2009/how-about-solar-cells/)

One feature that we get a lot of questions about are solar cells. We have been evaluating and tracked developments in the area of solar cells for years. As long as there is no breakthrough in manufacturing or efficiency it is not beneficial to put a solar cell on a phone from environmental point of view.

Because:

Current solar cells placed on a phone will, in their life time not generate enough energy to compensate for the energy it took to produce them. They are made out of silicon and to produce them takes a lot of energy.

Current solar cells which are the size of a phone can not replace a charger. The the size vs. efficiency of best cells today makes it impossible to generate enough energy.

….

There may be several reasons to put a solar cell on a phone but at current state of technology environmental benefit is not one of them.

Pretty decent argument against it.  Especially the line about not being able to generate enough energy to compensate the energy it took to produce.  So why have Samsung done it?

I love playing devils advocate 🙂

Samsung didn’t say that the solar panel would produce MORE energy that it took to produce said panel in the first place.  It does say though that the mobile could theoretically last a long time without the need for external power.  It DOES say that large-ish solar panel reduces / removes the need for a charger, even indoors.  That means if this phone lasts 10 years without breaking, then it will consume energy from solar power without ever having to use a wall socket, and ultimately not reduce CO2, but not produce any either.

Sony Ericsson are saying its just a marketing gimmick, and they are producing MORE CO2 than the phone is reducing.

If this is an “Eco Friendly” phone, why stick a great big touch screen on it?  Wouldn’t a smaller screen be more suitable? People are used to sacrificing functionality for the sake of the environment.  Look at the Prius.

Toyota have got into hot water about claims..  with over 168,000 units sold in 2008, Toyota admitted that it cost MORE CO2 to produce the car, than a normal gas guzzler, however claimed that over its life time it SAVED 43% of CO2 in a comparable car, due to its fuel efficiency.   They still haven’t told us how much more CO2 it costs to produce though.

Now..  until I get one of these in my hands to have a play, I will leave you with a few thoughts..

how the heck is it going to work when you have it in a pocket?

Unless my hands are suddenly made of glass, how am i going to benefit, even when I am outside on a gloriously sunny day?

Does it get delivered with oven mitts for when I leave it charging in the sun?

What is the operating temperature of the device?

Will it explode when i leave it on my car dashboard?

Why is no-one else marketing a solar powered phone?

If it costs MORE CO2 to produce than a normal phone, however uses significantly less energy and If the solar panel is SO good it can power itself even on over-clouded days, or indoors  ..  Why did they bundle it with a wall charger?

Posted by: Piero (MVP)

[ Post Tags: Samsung, Sony Ericsson, tracyandmatt.co.uk, Solar, Blue Earth]

Posted in: Editorial
By June 17, 2009 Read More →

ATP GPS PhotoFinder mini review

The ATP PhotoFinder Mini – photo geotagging made simple.

30grams, 16 hours continual usage, external display, simple one button operation, with docking station!  No, it’s not a phone, but a “geotagger” for normal cameras!

When Matt asked me to review this device, I was all over it like a 12 year old boy that had just found his dads stash of “private” magazines.  As some of you know from my previous reviews, I live in Malta. It’s a small country just off Sicily, about the size of a postage stamp and in the winter, has just under half a million people living there .  In summer, the population normally doubles!  It is a country full of heritage and has been attacked by pretty much every race that ever existed.  In short, it’s one of the most ideal places in Europe to take some really cool photos.

What’s in the box?

  • ATP Photofinder Mini (with built-in lanyard clip)
  • Docking station / card reader with LCD display.
  • Multilanguage “quick start” guide
  • 18 page user manual
  • A 1 month free voucher for a Locr Pro account (more on this in the review)
  • Multilanguage Manuals on in PDF format on CD
PF_mini_photo  The Official Press Pack Photo. (cards not included, and LCD screen by the looks of it!)

(Approximate) Specifications  of devices: 

GPS PhotoFinder Mini

Chipset SiRF Star III
Channels 20
Sensitivity (Tracking) -155dBm.
Reacquisition 0.1sec typical
Maximum altitude 18000 m
Maximum velocity 514 m/s
Update rate Continuous operation: 1Hz
Operating Temperature -20 to +60 degrees C (-4 to +140 degrees F)
Storage Temperature -20 to +60 degrees C (-4 to +140 degrees F)
Operating Time More than 16 Hours
Connectivity Card Complies with MMC Micro 128MB
USB Connector Mini USB to external power charger/ Link to PC
Memory card Optional 128MB MMC Micro memory card
Battery Li-polymer rechargeable battery 780mA Max.
External Power Adapter 100-240 VAC 5V@ 1.2A
Dimension 35.0 mm x 24.0 mm x 60.0 mm
Weight 30g

Multi-Function Docking

Display 128×32 Dot Matrix FSTN with backlight
UI Language English (Default )
Japanese ( Optional )
Traditional Chinese ( Optional )
Simplified Chinese ( Optional )
Operating Temperature -20 to +60 degrees C (-4 to +140 degrees F)
Storage Temperature -20 to +60 degrees C (-4 to +140 degrees F)
Connectivity Card Complies with Compact Flash Specification Revision 4.0
Complies with SD 2.0 SDHC
Complies with MMC 4.2
Complies with Memory Stick PRO/Duo
USB Interface to PC USB to Type A male connector cable
Power Jack Mini USB
External Power 100-240 VAC [email protected]
Dimension 83.6 mm x 93.0 mm x 51.0 mm
Weight 135g

Now.  Call me a bit suspicious, but when a device lists languages supported as English, then Japanese,then Traditional & simplified Chinese it normally means the device was manufactured in the reverse order.  It also pretty much guarantees that the user manual is going to be worth reading for spelling / grammarly reviews mistakes alone.  Boy was I not disappointed.

The first thing that struck me on the device, was even before I had opened the packaging.  Those little “we have changed our mind, or something wasn’t quite right when we designed the box” cover up stickers.   Noticeably, they were covering the operating temperature.   It seems that the website, and the original box claimed the device could operate at -20 degrees Celsius.  ATP amended that to 0 degrees C, and extended the range up by 10 degrees to 70C.  OK, not a deal breaker. You may not be able to take a picture, but at least you will know where you are when the fireball has died down.

I will warn you now, if you do not understand sarcasm, or “British” humour, then watch some Monty Python, and read this tomorrow.  It will all make sense in the morning.

The GPS module itself is actually so simplistic in design it scares the hell out of me.  It has one main power button, 3 LED’s,  a MMC Micro slot, with a 128mb card in it, and a rubber cover covering that and a mini USB hole.  It also has a rather nicely designed and sturdy Lanyard clip, with a well made heavy duty connector weaved, stitched, and covered also in rubber.  It’s Mirror black and silver design is appealing, and it looks just like a Bluetooth GPS mouse that we all used to lug around before HTC / TomTom / Garmin started to build them into their devices.

DSC_0265

DSC_0264

Sitting in its dock!

The cradle on the other hand is a bit plasticy, although it does have a fair bit of weight, and has a neat storage bit underneath for its USB cable.  I say neat, because it is also utterly useless, as you have to lug around a power supply. The cradle takes SD, MMC, MS and CF cards, and does work as a MMC Micro reader as well when the GPS unit is plugged in.  The display on the front of the unit is backlit, and easy enough to read.  understand NO, read yes!

DSC_0275

Storage for the USB cable, but you still need power to make it work!

How it works is simple.   The little GPS device records your position with the date and time every 10 seconds.  Then, when you get back to the docking station, it “reads” the time stamp on the photo’s, and inserts the geodata into each shot.  In theory…

At this stage I want to show you the “getting started guide” because that’s what I looked at on the box.  It’s printed there as well.

Tutorial

Simplicity in every way. switch on, take photos, plug card and unit into base, done..

Having received a few new devices over the years, and being a bloke, I don’t read manuals much. The box illustration lulled me into a false sense of security, and I wandered out, in the blistering heat, and gave it a road test!

OK.. So that was the plan and in true Murphy’s Law fashion, a couple of things didn’t go quite right!  First of all, I was doing a photo shoot for a client, one that involved me travelling almost all over the island in a single day. The prefect opportunity for testing.  Unfortunately, the customer didn’t agree to me using the device for testing, and I wasn’t allowed to keep the SD card that I had shot all my photos on.  (I was wondering why he handed me a brand new 8gig SD card when I started the shoot and asked me to use that!)

So, back home and suffering form heatstroke, I dumped my laptop and other kit, put on some shorts, grabbed my camera bag and the Photofinder, and headed out for a quick trip VIA water ferry to Valetta.  Knowing that it would take me about 90 minutes return trip using public transport, It would be an ideal time frame to get some good shots.  180 photos later, I was back home.

SO..  plug in device, insert card, press synch, set time zone, await result and upload into Picasa.  Easy as pie..

where2

Great English! 😉

That was the error I got almost continually.  no MAPPING FILE, Pease remove it!  This naturally caused me to scratch my head in frustration..  What is a mapping file, where should it be  and what should I remove?  I tried again, I swore, got on my messenger to Matt, re-read the manual, swore some more, scratched my head a bit then went on search of the website (and if anyone mentions PEBCAK, I will hunt you down!) A search through the site archives showed me a “technical manual” and FAQ, not surprisingly missing from the manuals, and then a reference to a wonderful firmware upgrade “in a few weeks” but with no date!.

I only mention this as a warning, and I have to post it.  I rarely pick a product apart so much, however..

Does the Photo Finder support CompactFlash or xD flash cards?
The Photo Finder supports all memory cards as long as they’re formatted using a FAT/FAT32 file system. For SD(HC) and Memory Stick cards, there is a built in card slot. For other memory card formats such as CF and xD, a standard USB reader (sold separately) can be directly plugged into the Photo Finder using the USB adapter cable (included).
??  where?  I have taken pretty detailed photos, so if you can see where a standard USB card reader can be “slotted in” please tell me! More importantly there was no cable to do this!

It takes a long time to acquire a signal from the GPS satellites?
It may take a long period of time to track a location depending on the positioning of the GPS satellites.  For the first time if it was placed at the area well exposed to the satellite signal, the device requires approx. 13 minutes (theoretically 12.5 minutes) to receive or update ALMANAC. Refer to trouble shooting guide when the signal is not received well.
Gotta love that clear concise English!

Is the Photo Finder compatible with Mac OS and Windows?
The Photo Finder will work in conjunction with any operating system which supported your photos without geotagging.
The Photo Finder actually logs and geotags without the use of a PC so there aren’t any compatibility issues with operating systems.
Tell that to my MONSTER of a PC, that the ATP Photofinder managed to bluescreen! (Specs & details below!)

Does the Photo Finder support RAW formats?
Unfortunately, the Photo Finder currently only works with JPEG type photo files.  ATP is currently researching the addition of RAW type format support.
OK..  point and shoot compatibility at least ! Shame I shot all my 180 odd photos in RAW, as I always do.

How long can the Photo Finder log GPS data for?<
With the built in 128MB storage, the Photo Finder can log up to 550 hours of location data.  This storage is also recycled so that you always have 550 hours of the most recently logged data.

At this point, I would like to draw your attention to the specs again! Do I notice a small discrepancy here?

Operating Time:  More than 16 Hours

How much more?  534 Hours? BTW  That’s 23 days, in a device that weighs 30 grams!  OK.. So you can basically have a holiday, and shoot a lot of photos, then synch everything when you get home, as long as you brought the charging cable.

Is there anyway to export the GPS logs from the Photo Finder?
ATP is working on a new firmware version which adds the ability to export route data using KML files.  KML files can be opened with Google Earth to view your logged routes.  This will allow for not only geographical viewing of your photos, but also the paths on which you took them.  This version should be released within a few weeks.
This worked on the firmware that I was using.  I GOT the log file, on my SD card, but not the geotag!

The ATP Photo Finder will not power on:
Open the battery cover and re-insert the battery.
The battery may not be inserted properly.
Check the rechargeable battery to see whether it is charged or not.
Now I pushed, pulled, twisted, tweaked,  breathed on and generally said every magic spell I know to open this fabled Battery cover.  It was no-where to be seen, or documented!

The ATP Photo Finder cannot connect with my PC and card reader:
You may be running on a low power batteries. Please replace the battery with new or charged ones.   ??? WTF?
Please check and make sure the USB cable is correctly connected in both ends.
Please ensure to use the alkaline battery (1.5V ) instead, as it is better than rechargeable battery. (1.2V) ???????
You may have used a card reader that the ATP GPS Photo Finder does not support.

battery

How is that supposed to fit in there?

Frustrated, I did what any tech guru does in this precarious position.  I searched for firmware, and found some!

At this point I would like to brag a little!

my-specs
That is a screen shot of my PC specs.  Yes, you are reading that right, I have 12gig of RAM.  It is the fastest processor on the market, and I have the fastest graphics card on the market to match! It rates a 6.5 on Windows 7, and only rates 5.5 on Vista due to an older 500gig hardrive!  The little ATP, weighing in at 30grams managed not only to cause an “out of memory error”, but ultimately caused a bluescreen!  Very annoyed that Matt put me through this torment of seeing a BSOD for the first time on my PC in over 6 years, I decided not to risk anything else on my machine, and use my laptop.  Guess what..  same thing!

So..  I started problem solving.  Out comes the GPS device from the cradle, and I decided to connect directly.  Works fine, shows me the MMC card as a card reader.  Perfect.  Lets have a look at the card contents, open explorer. Blue screen ensues.  I decided to buy myself a MMC micro reader,  and format the card.  Quick check of the manual.—–

Ok. cool. There is a format menu on the cradle.  Format again, after being forced to do a hardware test.  This time it works.  The GPS device, now void of all information again greeted me with blinky lights!  YAY!

You may be wondering why I went to all that trouble?  You need to load the firmware on the MMC Micro card to actually flash the device.

Device flashed, and apparently working, I looked down and realised it was 1am!  I had got home at 7:30pm.  Taking photos can wait until tomorrow!..

Day 2:

Camera charged, GPS module charged:  out into the wild I go.  Get home, plug in the card into the docking station and realise that I forgot to change the camera format to Jpeg!  DOH! Spend 2 hours trying to convert to jpeg whilst keeping the original time stamps, fail miserably.  go to bed.

Day 3:

Couldn’t be bothered to end my day on a low note: so left the device at home!

Day 4:

SUCCESS!

Yes I finally managed to crack the damn problem!  I set the camera to Raw + Jpeg, went out and tested it.

Important is that you do actually test!  Don’t go running out and doing a 3 hour shoot.  I had to set the sync to GMT +2, I think because of British Summer Time rules even though i tried with +1 first.   If i had been out for more than an hour, it would have screwed everything up!

However, I was NOT impressed with the accuracy that i received from the GPS module.  My Touch Pro2 has GPS built in, and does provide me with a more accurate fix of my position.   http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/albumMap?uname=jugglesXP&aid=5344277372419381921#map  has all the details of the very boring photos that I took!

Have a peek at that Picasaweb map, and you will see what I mean.   I was deliberately sticking to an area about 500 meters from my house.  I wanted to see how accurate it was before I take it out on an Island test tomorrow.  It only recorded 2 of the 6 locations as individual.

http://www.panoramio.com  displayed this a lot better!

actualPointer is where Google says I am, Red dot is where I was!

When i left it on, but sitting on my front room table for a few hours, this is what it recorded..

table

However, it is much better when travelling, Download my little tour file from www.freelanceitmalta.com/TandM.kmz

So. My verdict..

Great little toy when it works.  I would have LOVED a USB version, that plugged into your PC / Mac and had a software that installed.  I think for the first time in my life, this is a product I actually think would be great with a program bundled with it.  The installer should do a couple of things..

Allow me to download the GPS data directly.
Set the time zone
See the pictures in a nice interface!
Tell me what the heck that error message means!

For geotagging photos with “ease” the ATP is not great.  For logging where you were on a trip.  Its the bees knees!”  Oooh..  and just in case someone from ATP reads this, please outsource your user manuals to a company that specialises in writing them in English!  Cant wait for the RAW support though!  I did mention one thing right at the top, the Locr Pro “one month free” voucher..   Seriously guys..  It has a “value” of less than 2 dollars.  You could have saved yourself the hassle.

Posted by: Piero (MVP)

Posted in: Reviews
By June 7, 2009 Read More →

Touch Pro2 advanced tweaking

 

 

I have used the Touch Pro2 for almost a week.. I have lived with the ROM in its default naked splendour for as long as it took me to write the reviews.   I couldn’t resist having a peek in the registry now they are finished!

I am a self confessed power user.  The changes i am about to make have been tested, and used by me.. but neither I, nor Tracyandmatt.co.uk will take ANY responsibility for any damage and / or void of warranty that may incur!  As a general rule, if you mess up your registry, you may need to hard reset your device to get it working.  Worse case scenario, you will reduce your brand new device to a paperweight, or have it locked due to an Exchange admin that doesn’t allow any registry to be tampered with!

The essentials:

SPB Backup or similar.  (trial available)
Registry Editor (for editing directly on the device  Freeware)
Remote Registry Editor 1.2   (for editing the devices registry on your PC  Freeware)
Advanced Configuration Tool (Freeware)
Microsoft .NET compact Framework 3.5

 

First things first.  Some of the stuff that I am about to show you can be done in other ways!  There are settings in the Windows Mobile 6.1 menus that you can set.  I am doing this using a fresh install, with no additional programs or tweaks.  All i have done is connected it to exchange, and configured my 3g connection. Some of these tweaks may also work for the Diamond2, or other HTC devices.

The backup has already been done: so lets start by updating the .NET Compact Framework:
The download is around 40meg, but only installs a cab that’s about 4mb pre-reboot, and about 1mb after.

Next I install the registry editor, and Advanced configuration tool.  I have also extracted the remote registry editor to a folder on my desktop (no install needed!)

 

Firing up the configuration tool.  And a big heads up to Julien Schapman from http://www.touchxperience.com/ for this excellent tools. 
If you get this error, then go back and follow the instructions again!

 

advanced-config-error

You are greeted with the warning screen  and you can tick the box after you have read the warning, and hit OK.  You are then greeted with the initial screen.

advanced-config advanced-config-warning

 ac-initial ac-initial-2 ac-initial-3

ac-menu ac-menu-more

The amount of setting in here that can be changed is mind blowing!

There is a TON of configurations in this tool!  pretty much anything that you want to change can be done relatively safely from within the interface.  Green means default, a changed setting shows in RED.  The Menu option “More Settings” hides a few more as well! 

The First thing I change is the cab warning setting, under miscellaneous. 

as-misc-cab-on as-misc-cab-off

 

This doesn’t warn me anymore if the CAB file that I am about to install has not been signed by the Mother ship.  Luckily HTC and Microsoft allow unsigned apps to be installed, but do give you a “are you really sure” warning.  Your provider MAY disable the ability to install unsigned applications, and out of respect to those providers, I am not going to show you how to unlock that feature directly.  Please use Google in this case first, then come back.

The next setting that I like to change is under Phone settings, The call history cleanup.  I always set that to never, as I tend to get more than 300 calls a month!

 ac-phone-history1 ac-phone-history2

 

I personally also enable EONS, as I tend to find the info useful, however.. I am a geek!

ac-phone-eons

 

Next is the GPS Setting, and enabling assisted GPS

ac-gps-assisted

Onto Messaging, and enabling the sent SMS message.  I only activate this because i am paranoid about people actually receiving SMS’s and I always enable the delivery notifications as well.  Better to be safe than sorry!

ac-sms-notify

That’s all i really change with this tool, actually more to the point, that’s all i am willing to change at this stage.  There are a few other bits in there that i am interested in, mainly power management, but until i have time to road test them  I am not touching anything!

Time for a soft reset.  then on with the tweaking.

ac-reset ac-reset-2

 

Whilst the device is rebooting, Time to fire up the remote registry tool!  This tool is great!  It was designed by a company called Breaksoft, who seem to have just disappeared off the web.  So the download file listed above is hosted on my server for download.  It allows you to use the normal keyboard and mouse of your PC to edit the registry via Active sync or Windows Mobile Device Centre.  You need to attach via cable, or its slow!

I mainly use the registry to “unlock” new camera modes on the HTC Touch Pro2

 

The settings are found in Mobile Device\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\HTC\Camera

rrt-camera

 

Now..  those settings P1 – P10 are camera modes.  I activate them ALL, by going in to each one and making sure that the key “Enable” is set to “1”

Burst
Mobile Device\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\HTC\Camera\P6
Sports
Mobile Device\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\HTC\Camera\P8
Video Share
Mobile Device\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\HTC\Camera\P9
GPS Photo
Mobile Device\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\HTC\Camera\P10

 rrt-camera-moderrt-camera-mode-enable 

Change this key from 0 to 1 to enable the mode!

 

Another reboot, and lets view the changes.

 

camera-new camera-new2

 

The Burst option takes 30 pictures in quick succession.
The Sports Option Takes 5 pictures in REALLY quick succession.
The video share configures automatically for sending via email

The GPS Photo starts GPS taggingcamera-gps

Once you have taken the photo, save it to your PC, or upload it to your favourite web album. 

I Imported it to Picasa first, to show you the automatic tag. 

geo-tag-picasa

 

And I also uploaded it to my Picasaweb account.  http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/lh/photo/N31WUzl-mLI5FoWd9JoCXA?feat=directlink

Here you can see the linking automatically to Google maps.

 

So.. there we have a mini guide to a few tweaks that you can use to enhance your HTC Touch Pro2 even more.    

Posted in: Phones
By June 6, 2009 Read More →

HTC Touch Pro2 Review (the really long Part 3)

The Flagship of HTC’s 2nd quarter line-up is hoping to appeal to business and "normal" users.  Packed full of features, with the newly designed TF3D interface hiding the Windows Mobile 6.1 core, the Touch Pro2 just screams usability. In third and final part of the review, we are going into a  "detailed" version of the phone and its hardware.  We got a bit "snap / screenshot happy" on this review, so bear with us.  There are a ton of pictures!

 

 

pro2_angled_right  
The HTC Touch Pro2 Closed

What’s in the Box?

  • HTC Touch Pro2 Handset
  • 1500 mAh Battery
  • Mains Charger with UK adapter
  • HTC ExtUSB charge / sync cable
  • HTC Stereo headset, with inbuilt mic, and answer / reject button
  • Soft Case (without belt loop)
  • User Guide & Manuals
  • CD’s containing software & Manuals
  • Quickstart Guide.
  • Spare Stylus

Check out Matt’s HTC Touch Pro2 unboxing video for more info.

Technical Specifications of HTC Touch Pro2

  • Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
  • Qualcomm MSM7200A, 528 MHz
  • RAM – 288 MB
  • ROM – 512 MB
  • 3.6-inch TFT-LCD touch-sensitive screen with 480 X 800 WVGA resolution
  • Adjustable tilt screen
  • HSDPA/WCDMA:  Up to 2 Mbps up-link and 7.2 Mbps down-link speeds
  • Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE:  850/900/1800/1900 MHz
  • Bluetooth 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate and A2DP for wireless stereo headsets
  • Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11 b/g
  • HTC ExtUSB (11-pin mini-USB 2.0, audio jack, and TV Out in one)
  • Internal GPS antenna
  • microSD memory card (SD 2.0 compatible)
  • Slide-out 5-row QWERTY keyboard
  • Main camera: 3.2 megapixel colour camera with auto focus
  • Second camera: VGA CMOS colour camera
  • Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery 1500 mAh
  • 116 X 59.2 X 17.25 mm (4.57 X 2.33 X 0.68 inches)  (Some are reporting the size as 116 x 59.2 x 16.8mm)
  • 175 grams (6.17 ounces) with battery

 

General

Over the past few days I have had the pleasure of using the Touch Pro2, and I have to admit, it’s hard to imagine living without it.  Its one of those devices that business users are going to rush out and buy in their thousands, and the average Joe is going to think "I am not a business users, so why should I bother?"  Let me tell you why.  The phone is simply stunningly designed for ease of use, complete usability, an almost zero learning curve and a bundle of features that makes even James Bond wish "Q" had invented this when he was in a tight spot!

 

The entire handset has been gently curved to sit ergonomically in all but the tiniest of hands.  The front is simply dominated by a huge 3.6 inch screen, that displays its colour vibrantly in a resolution of 480 x 800 (or 800 x 480) WVGA.  On the top right sits a front facing CMOS video-call camera, whilst the centre sports a speaker grill flanked by 2 status LED’s and hidden to the left slightly under the dark facade is a proximity sensor for switching off the screen whilst in a call. 

pro2_front

The Touch Pro2 front view

 

 

Directly underneath the screen sits the Zoom Bar, and 4 lightly curved buttons.  These have the function of accepting a call, opening the start menu, going back and ending a call / calling up the home screen.  You can see from the reflections in the shots, that the whole front has a nice silver trim.   The whole rounded edge effect really does make the device exceedingly "clean" from a design perspective, and a fingerprint magnet from every other!

 

pro2_keys

Close up of the buttons on the Touch Pro2 

 

The bottom of the device has the usual microphone hole, and the HTC ExtUSB connector for charging / synching.  You can just see the stylus peeking there on the bottom right.

 

pro2_bottom  HTC Touch Pro2 bottom view

 

 

The top has a power button recessed enough not to be able to switch the device on by accident, but not too sunk in to make it a pain to operate.  You can also really see the curves.

pro2_top

HTC Touch Pro2 top view

 

The right hand side has a secondary microphone hole, and the stylus slot.

 

pro2_right

HTC Touch Pro2 right view

 

The left hand side shows the one-piece volume rocker (with 2 independent switches underneath!)

 

pro2_left

HTC Touch Pro2 left view

 

The back of the device  is again dominated, this time by a different feature, the speakerphone grill.  There is also a camera opening in the back cover (no plastic covering though!) and a LED lit mute button. This glows green when on a speakerphone call, and red when muted. I don’t normally mention anything negative at this point of the review, however there an exception has to be made!  I don’t understand why HTC decided NOT to cover the lens hole with a piece of clear plastic!  It is such a large opening, that i have found all kinds of stuff protruding from it!  It is also an obvious fluff / dust magnet for the inside of the device!  Don’t get me wrong, the lens is nicely recessed, but still…

pro2_back

HTC Touch Pro2 back view

 

This device looks sleek and not too dissimilar from another device when closed, with the exception its silver and black, not white.. ooh  and has a bigger screen!  Its appeal with most users will be the way in which it sits in the hand and effortlessly allows single handed use.  Open the device up however and you really let the beast out of its cage. in the best way possible.

 

 

Pro2_angled_open

The HTC Touch Pro2 Open and in full tilt

 

The Touch Pro2 has a similar action to the Tytn II when opening, a slide open, and then the possibility of tilting the screen, making it look and act like a mini Notebook / net book.  The hinges are spring loaded, and feel very solid.  HTC have improved the design over previous version considerably.  It feels secure, and even the tilt function feels natural.  The "first generation" of this design felt to me as though the screen would snap off.  This simply snaps into place and stays there.  The pressure needed to close it again is deliberate and just enough to make it ease into place.

 

pro2_open_front

The HTC Touch Pro2 full open view

 

The device sports a full 5 row Keyboard in a variety of configurations depending where you buy it.  We have the UK qwerty version.  The keys are spaced out, backlit, and a joy to use!  The difference from other HTC keyboard is obvious when you use it.  So much so, I actually wrote the first part of the review on it without any problems.  I love having a full row or number keys, and most of the symbols that you would use in day to day texting / emailing are there with a quick press of the function key.  There is also a dedicated mail / text button, and some of the keys double up to switch functions on and off, such as Comm Manager, Browser, XT9, and SMS.  There is also a dedicated crtl button, along with the shift and Function button.  I have no idea WHY there is a crtl button.  If anyone can enlighten me, I would be appreciative. It may be a Windows Mobile 6.5 pre-requisite, but that is just a guess.( ***  I got enlightened!  Its for copy and paste!  doh! ***)   There are 2 white LED’s that tell you the status of the keys as well.

 

pro2_keyboard_close

Close up of the keyboard

 

 

When closed, the size is not that different to the newly released Dimaond2, with the exception of the height of the device obviously.  The difference in screen size is accentuated by the design, and although not that much bigger, seems much more so. 

 

   pro2_d2

   HTC Touch Pro2 Vs Diamond2     

 

The comparison everyone will be making is against the TyTN II.  I have a friend that has a TyTN II and he had a "nerdgasm" and was shaking so much i removed the phone from his hands until he had sit down at a table.  Whilst he was working out how to sell his grandmother, and wiping the drool collecting near the beermats,  I had a chance to hold the TyTN II in my hand again, and I have to agree with Matt.  The TyTN II was in need of an overhaul.  The only similarities that the TyTN II has, is the open and tilt mechanism.  I cant think of one single reason not to upgrade!  I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

 

 

pro2_tytn2_d

 

pro2_tytn2_e

 

 pro2_tytn2_a

 

      pro2_tytn2_b

pro2_tytn2_c

This is where it really matters, compared to the Touch Pro2, the TyTN II has all the charm of a housebrick!

 

Review

I got a lot of feedback from the Diamond II review that I did a few weeks back.  The interface does have a lot of similarities, so I am not going to go over all the functions again, however i am going to cover a few of the things i covered in that review. The main thing you will notice are the screenshots of landscape view.  I have tried to show both views, as this device does lend itself extremely well to using it open and closed!  

 

The initial setup of the device is painless, and as is common in all the new Windows Mobile devices, requires minimal input.  Gone are the days of calibrating screens and setting the region.  I am not going to bore you with all the details that i put in part 2, but after setting up my 3G connection, and connecting to exchange I was greeted with the home screen, in an interesting shade of purple.

 

home-vertical  home-horizontal

home-horizontal2  home2-vertical 

 

The main screen now holds up to 5 appointments, and in landscape mode scrolls up and down in groups of 3.  You will also find that the "quick pick " navigation bar disappears, replaced by a little icon to save screen space in portrait mode.  This is a great idea, as it really does not make any sense to permanently use up a percentage of the screen when it could be showing a webpage!  Those eager eyed amongst you will notice that the clock cannot be minimized in horizontal mode.

 

home-horizontal-menu

 

Everything (almost)that was in the Diamond 2 is in the Touch Pro2, and a few more bits beside to make up for absent friends.  Yes I am talking about the thing that is creating more buzz online that a certain Scottish singers medicated rest.The FM Radio! It seems that someone in HTC though that the Touch Pro2 didn’t need a FM Radio and if the net rumours are true, this shaved 0.6 mm of the thickness of the phone, and brought the release date forward 2 weeks. 
I haven’t actually opened up the device with a Torx  and checked myself, yet (only joking Matt),  but the gaping hole in the F section of the all programs list does at least confirm that there is no FM Radio software included. So for all those that are so devastated and are seriously going to gripe about the lack of Radio Sussex availability , may I suggest pointing your Streaming Media Player to  http://lazygit.no-ip.info:5560/ and listening to Radio Caroline instead!

**** UPDATE  ***

Some clever folks over at another website that are a bunch of developers for the XDA have managed to create a CAB file that re-activates / installs the FM radio software.  There is still no official word as to the side effects that this may have by installing it!

 

 

The People Centric theme is continued and enhanced on the Touch Pro2.  The Contacts in the phonebook now have the native ability to link to facebook profiles, something that was "edited out" on the Diamond II, and is a feature you will either love or hate.  I would prefer having the ability to use Linked-In or another more "business orientated" service, but its a good start.  (More details in Part 2 of the review!)  The Landscape view of the people section is lousy.  This is one of the times that portrait wins hands down!

 

people-landscape

However, the menu item "people" makes up for it with a huge picture, and all the info next to it.  If you have multiple numbers and emails, the button increase as well allowing one touch dialling.

 

people-landsdcape2

Yes the photo is real, and yes it is my girlfriend!

 

 

The next tab worth noting is the Internet page.  In landscape, it is impressive!  The push pages are still present, and still allow the "pulling" of static pages. 

 

internetpage-wide

 

web-wide web-portrait

This is where the screen comes into its own.  The clarity of the screen is brilliant, and Opera does a great job of loading the page fast.  Youtube videos have vibrant colour, and the speaker is clear enough to hear  "Christian Bale vs David After Dentist" right the way down to the front pew of the church. (if you haven’t seen the clip..  go watch it now.. NSFW! I will wait!)

 

dentist1

 

The camera is not as powerful as the one recently outfitted to the Diamond II  but it is still a respectable 3.2 megapixel.  Now normally when cameras get tested we do a "real world" review.  Unfortunately for you guys my real world is very clear blue skies, brilliant sunshine and 30 odd degrees Celsius, and the picture quality does the weather justice!  I took 3 photos to test with, Indoors with OK lighting,  outside with indirect sunlight and outside in direct sunlight (actually, almost pointing at the sun!)  As you can see from the indoor shot, the camera is good enough to get by without a flash! Just so you know, the in camera focus was set on the beer glass during the first shot, by tapping the screen and moving the crosshairs.

IMAG0035   IMAG0038   IMAG0037

 

I also took some video as well, as i know this is something that you guys & gals care about.  Not very interesting video, but video nonetheless.

HTC Touch Pro2 video test

 

 

Before I move onto the actual phone features, I am gong to give a special mention to something tucked away in the settings menu.  Please welcome the very much grown up, and very mature Bluetooth interface.  I don’t know what Bluetooth Radio Stack that HTC is using, or who designed the new interface, but I bow down to you.  I have used a multitude of Bluetooth software in my time working with all kinds of mobile devices and PC’s.  This is by FAR the best implementation of Bluetooth software I have ever seen.  Its easy and intuitive, quick & powerful and at last has a status field so you can measure the strength of the Bluetooth signal.  It also has pretty pictures next to the names of the devices!

 

 

 bluetooth-2 bluetooth-4 bluetooth-1 bluetooth-3

jawbone bluetooth-search bluetooth-search-2 bluetooth-search-3

 

The phone part

HTC has the following to say on their website about the Touch Pro2:  

"Business success depends on human interaction. You can often get more done with a quick phone call or a face to face meeting than you can in strings of emails. So why do all business phones seem to ignore the importance of calls? The Touch Pro2 treats your calls with as much care and attention as your messages."

They have taken their people centric communication to new levels in the phonebook, and have integrated this seamlessly with the Phone, Email and SMS actions.  I didn’t realise how useful it would be having all the information in one place.  When I contact some clients, I often end up  calling them, messaging  or emailing information over the course of a day.  Its great to just pull up their contact, and have everything in one place.  The entire call history, all SMS’s and all emails and responses.  I love the way you can just press one button to call them from an email.  This was in the Diamond II review as well, so I am only going to highlight the new additions.

 

"Straight Talk"

 

The conference calling is a tough one..  Mainly because the software I use for my screenshots will not record the interface of a conference call!  I don’t know how HTC managed to do it, but it does actually do exactly what i says on the tin.  Its a common problem with any type of conference call,  that when 5 people get into a room, albeit virtual, they all start talking at once.  Have 3 people in one room, and 2 other phoning in and the problem compounds.  The Dual microphones do help a lot in this scenario, filtering out background noise to a minimum.  The speakerphone is solid and loud, and it helps to activate the audio booster.  Its not the loudest in the world, nor does it compare to some ?600 speakerphone options that I have used, but it is miles better than the other speakerphone options on the other HTC devices.

 

Cracking open the back of the device you can see the dual speakers flanking the camera lens, and also the white button that is LED lit for the mute function. 

open-back

 

DSC_7494.NEF
now you know why I let Matt take the photos!

 

For those of you looking for the reset button, it is hiding on the left hand side, and a pain to see, let alone press!

 

DSC_7499.NEF

 

The SD Card is sitting opposite on the right hand side, and i removed it a bit so show the slot more clearly.

 

 DSC_7496.NEF

 

Its amazing that those 2 speakers are capable of pumping out so much sound.  I don’t have a conference room, so I was limited to testing in a pub last night.  The people on the other end of the conference call didn’t actually know we were in a pub, and still had no idea 10 minutes later after I finished the call.  It certainly passed the real world test in my eyes..  Being able to have a business conversation whilst sitting in sunshine and drinking a beer is just one of the many un-advertised perks of this phone!

 

Conclusion (for now!)

 

Its bigger and heavier than the Diamond II, but doesn’t really feel it.  The software is a dream to use, and the keyboard is so comfortable that you can happily type a 1000 word review on it.  The web browser displays webpage’s in a way that i am used to on a normal monitor.  The PowerPoint facilities are brilliant.  It supports TV out, and that will be reviewed early next week when my cables arrive.  The speakerphone and conference calling works, and works well.  The battery life is really, really good.  I am able to last a full 20 hours on a charge, and I use the phone a LOT, a  "normal" user should see 2 days without charge.  

It’s the little things that just top this device off though.  The screen doesn’t switch off, it fades to nothingness, so does the keyboard lighting.   The menu items dissolve into each other in a subtle way that you know they did something, but you are not sure what.  There is nothing on this device that isn’t rounded, polished or generally overhauled.  That goes for software as well as hardware. Plus its one of the phones that is getting an boost to Windows Mobile 6.5 when it is released!

 

Is it worth and upgrade from a TyTN ii?  Yes.  From a Diamond II, if you want the keyboard yes.  From a Touch Pro?  Without a shadow of a doubt.  Is it the next best thing since the iPhone came out?  I don’t know. Honestly I love this device, and it is without a doubt the best Windows Mobile phone that I have had the pleasure of using, and owning.   Now.  where’s my next meeting?

See also Part 1 and Part 2 of my HTC Touch Pro2 review.

 

Review by: Piero (MVP)

Posted in: Reviews
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