Reviews

By November 18, 2007 Read More →

Polaroid 37″ Definia review

Have Polaroid developed an instant success with the Definia?

INTRODUCTION

The Polaroid brand probably isn’t one that you would immediately associate with LCD televisions, however Polaroid have been making LCD screens for some time now. The Definia range is Polaroid’s first attempt at making it in to the mainstream LCD TV market.

Polaroid Definia

Polaroid Definia

It comes as a surprise to many, when you mention Polaroid as an LCD manufacturer. Polaroid have decided not to spend millions of pounds on fancy advertising campaigns, the cost of which would have to be bourn by increasing the price of their products. Instead Polaroid have given their LCD TV’s an excellent specification and have placed them along side the no-name brands in high street stores. The idea is that they will exceed the specification, but not the price, of the own-brand sets that you’ll find in store.

Available in 32, 37 and 42-inch flavours, the 1080i Definia range packs a number of features you’d expect in higher-priced heavyweights, such as detachable virtual-surround speaker bar, subwoofer out and a raft of AV connections, including 2x HDMI’s.

What’s in the box?

There’s a good chance that you’ll have seen my unboxing video of the 37″ Definia so I won’t go into a great deal of detail here. However you will find:

  • The LCD TV (I’d hope so!)
  • Infrared Remote Control Unit (with batteries)
  • Manual
  • Getting Started Guide
  • Mains Power Cable
  • Component Video Cable
  • Composite Video Cable
  • GENERAL

    The Definia LCD is housed in a rather unassuming matt black chassis and sits on a large, sturdy, black pedestal. The front of the unit is clean, with no buttons or controls visible. The only thing to be seen from the front is the power LED (more on this later) and the IR sensor.

    Definia Matt Black Finish

    Definia Matt Black Finish

    The right hand side of the screen is where you’ll find the controls. These include Power, Volume, Channel and Menu buttons to name but a few. Having these on the side helps to keep things neat.

    Definia Controls

    Definia Controls

    Also on the right hand side, but nearer the back of the unit, you’ll find the two HDMI sockets and next to these a VGA input connector and PC audio input.

    Definia HDMI/VGA

    Definia HDMI/VGA

    At the back of the unit you’ll find the main AV connectors. These include Digital Audio Out, Antenna, Component Input, S-Video, two Scart Sockets and a CI slot.

    Definia Main Inputs

    Definia Main Inputs

    Finally, on the left hand side of the unit, just behind the screen, is a proper Power Button. This means that you can switch the Definia OFF rather than leaving if in an electricity wasting Stand-By mode.

    HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Good specification and screen size for the money
  • Great sound
  • Ease of setup
  • Excellent connectivity
  • Great colour reproduction
  • LOWLIGHTS:

  • Analogue TV picture can be messy
  • Motion tracking not perfect
  • Excessively bright power LED
  • Matt black chassis not to everyone’s taste
  • REVIEW

    Unboxing the Definia is a straight forward affair but is definitely a two-man job. Lifting off the top of the box reveals the TV standing upright already mounted on it’s stand and with the speaker bar in place. This means that, unlike other sets that we have used, you don’t have to spend the first half an hour working out how to assemble everything. This we like!

    It’s then a simple matter of lifting the TV out of the bottom part of the box and removing the rest of the packaging. At this point the unit is ready to plug in for the first time.

    The quick start guide covers everything you need to get the unit plugged in and powered on. The steps are easy to follow (although I didn’t read them until later!). Within about two minutes we had the unit plugged in and turned on.

    The first time you power the unit up you are asked to go through the automatic setup procedure which searched for the terrestrial TV channels etc. This process takes about five minutes, long enough to make a cup of tea.

    After this you’re soon up and running. The Definia scores well on the ease of setup, I look at it from the point of view that even my dad could do it!

    The first thing we try is the TV tuner functions. The analogue TV tuner performance is rather poor to be honest, and was disappointing; noisy and high contrast scenes shimmery. This isn’t down to my aerial or reception as other sets we have are fine.

    Switching over to digital TV is a different story though. The picture colour is impressive high contrast scenes detailed and motion tracked more smoothly. With the digital change-over the analogue performance may not be such and issue.

    Next up we test the performance with a Blu-Ray film – Spider Man 3. The screen can accept 1080p signals but scales these back to 720p quite happily. The amount of detail in the picture is superb but, despite the Definia’s 8ms response time, fast motion scenes can suffer a little from motion blur which is especially noticeable when switching between very bright and very dark scenes. This is very common with LCD TV’s

    Hooking the unit up to a PS3 gives us the ability to easily test 720p and 1080i video sources. Plugging the PS3 in via HDMI is easy thanks to the side facing sockets, there is no need to scrabble around on the floor behind the unit.

    Blasting through fairly dark PS3 games such as ‘Resistance: Fall Of Matt’ yield pleasing results at both 1080i and 720i. The contrast is excellent and blacks are, well, quite black. Once again there are times where you notice some motion blurring or lag but this isn’t terrible and is not so noticeable after a while. The more cute and colourful games are rendered in a bright and rich fashion. Gaming is where this TV seems strongest.

    Finally we tested the Definia’s performance with regular DVD’s. Here the picture isn’t as perfect as I would like. There is a shimmering effect during some scenes which is especially evident on the trees during the opening battle of Gladiator or Kingdom of Heaven. I suspect that this is something to do with the scaling of the picture with the native resolution of the Definia at 1336 x 768.

    Time to talk about the sound. Polaroid have spent a lot of time working on the soundbar mounted on the bottom of the of the Definia and it shows! The high end has a bright, sharpness to it, decent midrange and, despite their relatively small size, a fair bass performance. Should you wish to get a better bass performance, there is a connector on the back of the unit for a subwoofer. I connected up my Kenwood subwoofer and there is an immediate difference.

    The Virtual surround performance is pretty good. Granted it’s no where near as good as a proper 5.1 or 7.1 system but it adds real depth and width to the audio reproduction. This coupled with an inexpensive external subwoofer will probably be sufficient for most people’s taste.

    My biggest pet-peeve with this LCD TV is the power LED. Polaroid have invested a lot of time and money into getting the design of the bezel just right so that you do not get any glare from ambient lighting that would distract you while watching the TV. This works well and even with the bright lighting in our lounge there is little light reflected off the matt black bezel. Where Polaroid have got it wrong then, in my opinion, is in using an excessively bright LED power indicator. When in standby the light is red and when powered on is a bright blue and is VERY distracting and almost negates the effort put into the rest of the design. In fact the LED is so bright that the light bleeds over in to the IR receiver.

    Definia Power LED

    Definia Power LED

    To their credit, once I commented on the LED to Polaroid they did say that they would investigate this and see if there was anything that could be done to alter things during production. That’s not to say that they will but it’s a step!

    CONCLUSION

    I think that the Definia range offers excellent features and good value for money. In fact the feature list makes you forget that this is aimed mid-market and you begin to try and compare the Definia to higher end models. I have to remind myself that it’s not fair to compare this unit to the Bravia for example.

    If you are looking for an LCD TV and do not want to spend a fortune on it, while at the same time wanting decent features, something easy to set up and the backup of a recognised brand, then the Polaroid Definia is well worth a look.

    If you are looking for high end HD performance or you are fanatical about your films and DVD’s then this unit probably isn’t for you, but then you probably knew that already!

    The Definia is a good LCD TV if you are a gamer and want a second TV to play your Playstation or X-Box on.

    Review by: Matt

    [Post tag(s): , , , , ]

    Posted in: Reviews
    By November 12, 2007 Read More →

    Living Images 7″ Digital Photo Frame Review

    Digital photo frames have been around for a little while now, but now that the prices are falling to a more mainstream point I expect that they will start to become a more common feature in the home and office.

    I’m sure that some people try to use them to store all their images, but I suspect that the more common usage is to sit on the mantlepiece or office desk and replace the family photo frames.

    Living Images 7" Digital Photo Frame

    Living Images 7″ Digital Photo Frame

    So just what does this particular frame have to offer….

    What’s in the Box?

  • Digital Photo Frame
  • Stand (clips into the back of the frame)
  • Power Adapter
  • AV Cable
  • USB Cable
  • Remote Control (Battery IS included)
  • User Manual
  • General

    This particular frame is a 7″ widescreen with 480×234 pixel resolution. It’s capable of playing MP3’s and MPG’s (type 1/2/4) as well the more common JPEG file formats. It also has 128Mb built in memory.

    It comes with a remote control and supports USB keys as well as SD, SM, MS, CF and MMC memory cards to extend its memory (or indeed just to transfer images to the frame)

    Photo Frame card slots

    Photo Frame card slots

    There is also an AV cable to allow you to connect the frame’s output to a bigger display.

    Highlights

  • Bright screen
  • 128Mb built in memory
  • Capable of handling very large JPG’s (the specs say it can handle 8000×8000 pixel images!)
  • Remote control comes with a battery
  • Built in controls as backup in case the remote’s battery fails
  • Lowlights

  • to make the most of the frame you need to have images with 16:9 ratio
  • interface has a certain method of doing things, which can be frustrating
  • Review

    On first opening, the screen is pleasant to look at (like lots of things on the market at the moment it’s design has obviously been influenced by Apple’s products).

    Setup is a simple process, taking no time at all. You just clip in the stand (it only goes in one way around), plug in the power adapter, remove the tab from the remote control and you’re up and running. It really is that easy.

    To get images (or MPG’s or MP3’s) onto the frame you can plug in a USB key, a memory card (SD, SM, MS, CF and MMC are all supported) or else you can connect the frame to the computer with the included USB cable.

    You then use the interface on the frame to either playback the images directly from the memory cards or else you can copy the images to the internal 128Mb of memory of the frame itself then playback from there.

    NOTE : 128MB of built in memory might not seem like much, but if your JPG’s are resized to the size of the screen then you’ll store plenty of images on the frame (480×234 jpeg ~70kb each = 1872 images in 128Mb!)

    Photo Frame Controls

    Photo Frame Controls

    The frame is capable of resizing your images on the fly to fit the display (it claims to be able to handle up to 8000×8000 pixel images and I certainly had no problems with anything I threw at it). The remote also allows you to change the aspect ratio of the image playback, but this will apply to all images so everything will either attempt to be 4:3 or 16:9.

    Once you’ve selected the folder of images to show the frame cycles through the images.

    This cycling can be set to go though the images in order or randomly, then you can change the speed this should happen and the effect that you want to use for the transition between 2 images.

    The remote allows you to control everything function on the frame – navigating the menus, zooming images, volume, aspect ratio of playback. There are also buttons on the frame itself so you can still control the frame if your remote’s battery run’s flat – they aren’t particularly easily positioned, but most of the time you’ll be using the remote after all.

    The AV socket allows you to connect the frame up to a larger display with composite input like a TV.

    Photo Frame connectors

    Photo Frame connectors

    [The one thing that the manual doesn’t really seem to mention about this is that you can only get into this mode from the top level menu in the interface, then you press the AV button on the remote and hey presto the output goes to your TV]

    You can apparently set the display up to play music and show images at the same time, but this doesn’t seem to be covered in the manual at all. (On other frames this usually requires a CF card for the speed of access)

    If you playback MP3’s on their own the display shows a little graphic display of the music during the playback.

    Playback of MPG’s is the one area where the frame doesn’t seem to let you have any control over the aspect ratio as it seems to stretch them all to widescreen regardless of their original format or any buttons that you may press.

    I dont think that anyone is really going to use a digital photo frame as an MP3 or movie player, but it’s nice that these features are there for those that might.

    There are also built in Calendar and alarm functions, but again I’m not really sure what you’d use them for.

    Conclusion

    If you aren’t willing to prepare your images to make the best of the widescreen ratio, then you’ll probably find this frame a little underwhelming, and the interface issues will rapidly start to get on your nerves.

    If you ARE willing to prepare your images and you just want digital photo frame that will sit on your desk, shelf or mantlepiece cycling through them, then this is a nice bright screen for just that sort of purpose.

    Review by: Iain

    [Technorati tag(s): , , , , ]

    Posted in: Reviews
    By October 31, 2007 Read More →

    Samsung SGH-i620 review

    The Samsung i620 is a darn good smartphone and here’s why:

    INTRODUCTION

    While everyone and their uncle have been waiting patiently for their Kaiser, I’ve been frustrated that other devices seem to have struggled for any publicity in the face of the behemoth!

    One device that does continue to make news, is this Samsung i620, and expansys have helpfully supplied us with a review device.

    Samsung SGH-i620 review

    Samsung SGH-i620

    Since Matt has been officially banned from reviewing this device, since he appears to be in love with the HTC TyTN II, I managed to steal the Samsung i620 and have been using it over the past few weeks.

    The device has been used as my sole phone device, and has been travelling in car, down to the pub, and as my work mobile as well. It’s also one of only two non-HTC Smartphones I’ve used.

    The i620, supplied by eXpansys, is as far as we can tell, a final retail device. So lets see what you get for your money.

     

    What’s in the Box?

    You may have seen Matt’s Samsung SGH-i620 unboxing video already but here’s what you get with the device.

    A very slim box would appear to suggest there isn’t a lot to see within, but in fact, having got inside, there’s a great selection of accessories – some you’d expect, and some you wouldn’t. I’ll explain more about the multitude of batteries later in the review.

    The Samsung branded box is nice enough, but they haven’t reached the heights of HTC branding, and fanciful packaging quite yet.

    Inside you’ll find:

    • The i620
    • Mains Charger
    • USB Sync/Charge cable
    • Application CD with Activesync and software pack
    • ExtUSB hands free headset
    • Standard Battery
    • Extended Battery
    • Two battery covers (one for each battery)
    • External battery charger/holder
    • Manual & getting started guide

    Samsung i620 Specification

    • Network: HSDPA / GSM 900 / GSM 1800 / GSM 1900
    • OS: Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.0 Standard Edition
    • Display: Type TFT, 65K colors, Size 320 x 240 pixels
    • Memory
    • Phonebook 1000 entries, Photocall
    • Call records 30 dialed, 30 received, 30 missed calls
    • Card slot microSD (TransFlash)
    • Data GPRS: Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 – 48 kbps, HSCSD: No, EDGE: Yes, 3G: HSDPA, 1.8 Mbps
    • Bluetooth: Yes, v2.0 with A2DP
    • USB:Yes, v1.1 miniUSB
    • Messaging: SMS, EMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging
    • Browser: WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML, RSS feeds
    • Camera: 2 MP, 1600×1200 pixels, video, flash; secondary VGA videocall camera
    • Java MIDP 2.0
    • WMV/3GP/H.263/MPEG4 player
    • WMA/MP3/AAC/AAC+/OGG/ASF player
    • Organiser
    • Document viewer (MS Word, Excel, PPT, PDF)
    • Built-in handsfree
    • Dimensions: 113 x 59 x 11.8 mm; 95 grams

    GENERAL

    Yes, 113 x 59 x 11.8mm is small, if a little wide. It reminds me very much of Orange’s C500/C600 phones, and must be up there with the slimmest of Windows Mobiles. It is a fair bit wider – to accommodate that full QWERTY keyboard, but it sits in the hand very nicely. Again due to its slim nature, it fits in the pocket nicely. I’m not sure of dimensions, but it can’t be that much wider than the original Motorola RAZR anyway. Certainly it’s a lot easier to carry about with me than my original TyTN.

    On the front panel, we see the 320×240 landscape screen towards the top, and the main control set just below. These are in the main, all touch sensitive. There are no buttons for either the soft keys, call keys or Home and Back keys – just touch sensitive areas, which do seem very sensitive.

    Samsung SGH-i620

    Samsung SGH-i620

    The lower centre area contains the wheel, and directional pad. The wheel itself is a free-flowing scroller, which for me works better than a jog wheel, with the added bonus of being a direction pad as well – push soft and spin, or push harder to click the direction pad. In the middle of all of this, is the action buttons, common to most Smartphones.

    Sliding the phone to its open position, as the spring loaded mechanism hits it home point, a full QWERTY keyboard is visible. The keys are very, very small, and I was a little worried that my stubby fat fingers would struggle. Not so though – the gaps between the buttons, and the buttons themselves seem to be perfectly adjusted. The keyboard is responsive, and I can really hammer an email in quickly, without it missing a press.

    Samsung SGH-i620 keyboard

    Samsung SGH-i620 keyboard

    Also included at the top right hand corner of the screen, is the utterly pointless forward facing camera. Does anyone still ‘do’ video calls? Well it’s there in any case!

    The bottom of the device is nearly completely blank. A small mic hole is the only blemish on an empty bottom panel.

    Samsung SGH-i620 bottom

    Samsung SGH-i620 bottom

    The right hand side is a little less sparse, with a “phone” button – this just brings up the system menu, containing flight mode activation, along with profile selection. This used to be brought up on Smartphones by tapping the power button – however, on the i620 this button is used to lock and unlock the device. Confused? Me to – but you do get used to it.

    Samsung SGH-i620 right

    Samsung SGH-i620 right side

    Also housed on the right hand side, behind a rubber grommet, is the main charge/sync/audio port. It’s proprietary, and yes its annoying. Even more so because it appears to me that a mini-usb port would have fitted quite easily along the bottom. My guess is that there is probably a reason for it – I’m just not sure what.

    Moving to the left hand side, we see the microSD slot – again hidden behind a well fitting rubber grommet, and below that, a up/down jog-rocker switch. This feel really comfortable to use – but annoyingly seems to have no use by default other than to adjust volume – it can’t be used to scroll messages or websites for example.

    Samsung SGH-i620 left

    Samsung SGH-i620 left side

    On the reverse side of the i620, when closed we see a plain black battery cover, with the Samsung emblem, website address and ‘HSDPA’ designation. When we slide the phone open, the 2 megapixel camera becomes visible, next to a small mirror. When the phone is closed, the camera is completely protected against scratches and smudges on the lense.

    Samsung SGH-i620 back

    Samsung SGH-i620 back

    Finally we move to the top of the device, and once again there isn’t a lot to see (Can you see the pattern emerging here). A solitary, recessed power button is on the right hand side, and it’s alone – nothing else to see.

    Samsung SGH-i620 top

    Samsung SGH-i620 top

    SOFTWARE

    This is where I was surprised. Although HTC are slowly adding bits and pieces of their own software, you don’t get a lot of software with their devices. They are usually very ‘vanilla’ to Microsoft’s operating system.

    Samsung however have really come up trumps. The menu system has been edited and the structure reminds me of a dumb-phone. Easy when you need it, but complex when you need to dig a bit deeper and use things like file manager.

    The jewel in the crown for me is in the ‘Internet Services’ menu. Yes we’ve got Pocket Internet Explorer – and Windows Live is also included (At least in this Samsung ROM), along with some Samsung specific software like an RSS reader and Podcast organiser. The single most useful add-on though – is Opera. Included in the base ROM, fully activated, trial-free. I’ve used it on pocket PCs – but if anything the Smartphone version is better. Far faster than PIE, and far more feature rich. It also supports the scroll wheel – and that coupled with the direction pad makes it nearly as easy to use as a full web browser on a PC – the software and hardware connection really is THAT good.

    Clearvue document viewers are also installed – and don’t appear to be trialware – do need to check that though.

    Samsung have also created little apps to group together, and improve the look of certain features. A good example of this is found in the ‘Applications’ area, and is called the ‘Organiser’. In actual fact, is just a collection of improved tools that are available by default in the smartphone OS, but aren’t always that easy to find. A much better Alarm’s section is available, voice notes are linked in, along with a world clock and something called “D DAY”

    I always get a shock when looking for the Wireless Manager. I forget that this is a HTC addon and not part of the operating system by default. The samsung version is OK. Its functional, but certainly doesn’t look as refined as those found on HTC devices.

    Finally a completely pointless, but ulimately lovely “Living World” homescreen is provided. This is an animated home screen, in which clouds and birds float in the sky of the image, and the lighting changes depending on the time of day. As I said – pointless, but it is implemented really well.

    Highlights:
    Size/Looks: This thing is small. It also looks amazing. I say without any concern that this is the best looking Windows Smartphone available. It’s exceptional, and when released, I’d hope it is marketed at everyone – not just as a business phone.

    Keyboard: The sliding querty keyboard is excellent. Its responsive and doesn’t miss keypresses. The number pad is also integrated very well.

    Battery life: The box contains two batteries – but I’m not sure why The difference in size is just a few millimetres, and although the standard size battery is in itself pretty good, I struggle to see why you would not just use the extended battery in day to day use.

    Display: Razor sharp, if small. Colours are exceptional, and it looks and feels an expensive device, for this reason alone.

    Lowlights:
    No Wifi: I’m just starting to relealise the potential of Wifi in phones. Everywhere you go these days, there are wifi stickers in windows, and its a shame I can’t take advantage of the exceptional Opera browser in this way.

    Slider mechantisem could be better: It’s by no means bad, and I think we were given a slightly ropey unit to be honest – but the slider isn’t exactly firm. Its a bit sloppy, and also appears to not fit right on the left hand side. I would hope this is a per-unit issue, and not a major problem affecting the majority.

    REVIEW

    Right so we’ll ignore the standard battery for now, and go straight in with the extended battery pack, and secure it with the extended battery cover (with me so far?!)

    Turning on the power, we first see the Samsung “The Ultra Messaging” logo. This then pushes onto the Windows Mobile screen, and finally the Samsung logo and swirl animated startup sequence.

    First things first, I need to get up some data connections. Due to it being an expansys device, this unit came setup for Vodafone. For my sins, I’m an Orange customer, so was about to dig out the settings. Being a geek, I was already playing about in the Control Panel, when I found a ‘Operator settings’ button. As suspected, this told me I was setup for Vodafone UK. Changing this was a doddle, and the software deleted my Vodafone settings, and helpfully set up GPRS, MMS, and everything else I’d need to Orange UK.

    Samsung SGH-i620 open left

    Samsung SGH-i620 open left

    So now I’m up and running and straight away I’m in Opera to see just how good it is. Answer: Very. As I said earlier though, this is in part to the great hardware and key configurations. Its hard to fault Samsung with this device – it really feels like they have thought about what people will want from it, and how they will want to use it.

    I’m already getting annoyed by the key-click sound so before I send off a round of SMS’s – I nip into the control panel again to turn this off, and also to engage automatic slider keylock. I don’t think I need to explain too much about what that is. Because of the touch sensitive controls though – I should point out that the End Call key does not work as you’d expect. Because of the risk of the touch sensitive buttons being touched during the call, the phone requires you to press the middle action key first, then press the key you want. Its not ideal, if understandable, so you might want to consider how much of an annoyance this would be to you.

    Back to the messaging then – and what becomes apparent straight away is that when reaching for the ‘send’ softkey – I knock the home button and end up where you might expect. Leaving my message sitting there rather than being sent. I have over the days I’ve had the i620, got used to this, and became more confident with the phone in general. Even with smartphones and a stand OS – each new phone does have a slight learning curve, and there are no major issues with the use of the i620.

    Samsung SGH-i620 open right

    Samsung SGH-i620 open right

    The QWERTY keyboard itself, as I’ve stated already is absolutely excellent. The size doesn’t seem to course any problems, and unlike a certain other device I’ve reviewed recently – it works absolutely 100% perfectly. The layout for symbols, and function keys is spot on – with all the main punctuation getting their own key.

    The default profiles all seem OK – and in all honesty, I didn’t really have to do anything to the phone before I was happy. Its set up really sweet from the off. As you’d expect the sync ability is exactly like any other phone, and I quickly copied a mp3 ringtone to the phone via explorer/activesync with no apparent problems.

    The camera application is OK. It’s very similar to the HTC standard app, but takes slightly longer to long. In reality though, its more or less identical, and since there is no problem with either – it makes it easier to switch between phones! It comes with a completely pointless digital zoom, but its there if you want it, and the video recording seems pretty nifty as well.

    This is a nice bit of kit, but having had bug-ridden devices in the past – how does this compare? Very well actually. I’ve not had it fail, I’ve pushed it as best I can – and it hasn’t faltered. It isn’t the quickest device at times, but even when its got a lot to do – it does it well, and it hasn’t crashed at all, in the time I’ve used it. The Samsung ROM (and I’m told its typical of Samsung WM device ROMS), is solid as a rock. I’m not even sure what I could suggest to improve it.

    i620 vs i600

    i620 vs i600

    CONCLUSION

    This is the best Windows Mobile device I’ve ever used. Its exceptional, it looks great, feels better and is a joy to use. Other than the slight slider issues, the build quality is great and feels really robust.

    The lack of Wifi and GPS will be killer for some, at least for the former, but for what it is – I don’t think there is a device that does it better.

    I’ve got to send this review unit back now, and I really don’t want to. I’ll be buying it on Vodafone when it comes out (hurry up Voda!)

    This device is the closest we have in the Windows Mobile world, to getting the hoards of teenage girls parting from their RAZR’s. It’s not quite there – but it’s very close.

    100% recommended.

     

    Posted in: Phones, Reviews
    Tags: ,
    By October 8, 2007 Read More →

    Samsung Q1 Ultra (quick) review

    A brief look at the Samsung Q1 Ultra

    I had my hands on a Samsung Q1 ultra for a couple of days earlier this month and I thought I’d share my impressions. I’m sure that most of you will have seen Matt’s Q1 Ultra unboxing video so here is my quick heads up.

    Highlights:

    Size: it’s fantastic that Samsung have crammed this entire computer into such a compact form factor

    Handwriting recognition: I know this isn’t Q1 specific but been able to use the stylus to scrawl my handwriting onto the screen and have the Q1 recognise it 99% of the time is a real bonus. I could actually see myself using the Q1 in meetings as it’s not much larger than a notepad and with that level of recognition you can take real time notes. I’d have liked the input area to be larger but I’m definitely going to push for a tablet the next time I upgrade.

    No Lights:

    Speed: I suppose it’s expecting a lot but the Q1 does struggle a bit with a few applications open I’d like to see how the Q1 ultra performs with XP tablet edition

    Lowlights:

    The hardware thumbboards: like struggling with a natural keyboard but having to use a coffee cup to hit the keys, the keys are just too small for quick input the space would have been better used for more screen estate in my opinion

    Review

    The Q1 feels solidly built and looks pretty good the glossy black finish is eye (and fingerprint) catching

    Samsung Q1 ultra

    Samsung Q1 ultra

    Mobile computing has come a long way, in my kit bag 10 years or so ago was this:

    The Toshiba T1910CS and the Motorola 3200 GSM

    The Toshiba T1910CS and the Motorola 3200 GSM

    I’ve always said that my Toshiba Libretto, which replaced the 1910, was a damn good size; portable but lacking a battery life and the same size as a good old filofax so one of the first things I did was compare it to the Q1u.

    Samsung Q1 ultra compared

    Samsung Q1 ultra vs Toshiba Libretto

    The Q1 comes out very well ideal size (that’s the extended battery in front) and as you can see it runs Vista Home premium. The built in WiFi was great and all in all it’s a pretty good piece of mobile kit.

    The review device had been blanked a few times so the Samsung extras, the quick panel to allow you to change various settings wasn’t installed and unfortunately one of the best features, the dial keys, which are two radiating thumbpads on the bottom corners of the display, weren’t available either. I wasn’t able to locate them on Samsungs website so I didn’t get to try them out.

    Q1 Ultra keypad

    Q1 Ultra keypad left

    The Q1 is a great size and weight-wise you can hang on to it comfortably for reasonably extended periods even with the extended battery connected (the batteries have convenient LED charge meters on them so you know how much juice you have left). From a performance perspective Vista Home Premium is probably stretching the specs a little, although it does run Aero there are times when the responses are a little tardy, I suspect enough to be frustrating over time.

    Q1 Ultra keypad right

    Q1 Ultra keypad right

    The inclusion of a Home version of Vista also suggests that Samsung are aiming the Q1u at the home media market rather than the business sector which is confusing to be honest as I’d have though business mobilising their workforce would be a more logical target market than the home entertainment sector.

    The revelation for me was the handwriting input and I can see myself using this or something similar in meetings notes taking would be a breeze and so much better than clogging your shelves with notebooks.

    Q1 Ultra stylus

    Q1 Ultra stylus

    With Bluetooth built in you could use an external Bluetooth folding keyboard to speed up input but you’d be in danger of clogging your kit bag.

    In a more static location the Q1 offers Ethernet, USB and VGA connections.

    Q1 Ultra connectors

    Q1 Ultra connectors

    So you could use the device in an office environment without a docking station.

    I only had a brief time with the Samsung Q1 Ultra and although I won’t be running out to buy one I can see that it will definitely appeal to many especially those wanting true hand-held computing. There were enough enticing features in the platform to make me consider a UMPC.

    By the way the HTC shift is out on my Birthday if anyone is feeling really really generous.

    Review by: Alasdair

    [Post tag(s): , , , , , , ]

    Posted in: Reviews
    By October 2, 2007 Read More →

    Sony Ericsson P1i review

    The Sony Ericsson P1i – how smart is a non Windows Smartphone?

    OK I’m a self confessed Window Mobile devotee, note I don’t say fan because I like to think I view the OS without fanboy’s glasses, however there’s an original Orange SPV in my trailing edge technology collection so I’ve been using Windows Mobile Devices as long as they’ve been commercially available.

    On the other hand I’m also a bit of a Sony Ericsson style fan, my last pre windows mobile device of choice was the Sony Ericsson T610 which although not that smart was smart looking, perfectly sized and once I’d got used to the menus I enjoyed using it.

    Following the T610, I had a brief dalliance with the Sony Ericsson P800, that ever so feminine powder blue number with the break offable removable keypad and weird flat stylus, frankly the synchronisation of non WM devices with outlook (this was pre exchange activesync) was a pain so I went down the WM route and have rarely looked back or sideways since.

    So I’m a little out of touch with other mobile operating systems, and was looking forward to rekindling my acquaintance with the new ‘slim line’ Sony Ericsson P1i with Symbian 9.1 layered with the UIQ 3.0 interface. The P1i promises to be the best that Symbian can offer and the styling of the device looks pretty good.

    Environment
    I’ve used the P1i like all my other review devices in a real business environment, as part of an Exchange 2003 messaging system now with Symbian this means third party software to achieve synchronisation on the go, I’d steeled myself to having to shell out on an app or make do with a trial but with the Sony Ericsson P1i you get to download Dataviz’s mobile synchronisation software Roadsync for free which clearly points the P1i at the business market, a nice touch.

    Highlights:

    Form Factor: I like it, a lot, the P1i is great, retro futurist; feels substantial and is silver and black a winner on the looks front, saying it is slim line is a bit poetical, yes its only 19mm thick but it’s big for a phone and pretty large compared to the current raft of other PDA style devices out there.

    The screen: bright and clear and touch sensitive

    The Camera: 3.2 Megapixels and good clean auto focus, it’s one of the first phones where I thought I may get away without taking my Casio exilim card camera along with me and still get reasonable shots.

    The script input: it takes a bit of getting used to unlearning all those muscle memories for the WM and Palm Graffiti I’ve used over the years however the ability to write real letters anywhere on the screen is much more intuitive for the new user

    No Lights:

    Keyboard input: OK you have QWERTY but frankly it’s too damn fiddly, the rocking key input was a pain for me, not even easy to text with, yes it’s QWERTY but it’s in a really annoying form and you spend half your time tangling fingers and mis-keying.

    Desktop Synchronisation: the synchronisation app is a pain; I’ve been used to WMDC and activesync which just works (mostly). With the Sony Ericson version you have to chose whether your device is a phone to synch or install apps on or a device to sync media and transfer files to every time it connects. Too fiddly and what led me down the WM route in the first place

    Charging kit: out of the box you need to use the charging cradle and separate psu which is a monster no USB direct charging here, or even a vaguely portable single piece charger a real oversight which sullies the overall design a little

    Lowlights:

    Sony Phone Explorer: a by product of the messy sync application means yet another addition to ‘my computer’ and it crashed windows explorer again and again and again.

    Review

    Appeals to me, I think it’s a very good looking bit of kit, it looks for all the world like the kind of device that Q would have handed to Sean Connery, sleek, matt silver and black with a touch of 60s retro futurist about it. The P1i takes its design cues from the old T610 and looks business like and professional

    Sony Ericsson P1i

    Sony Ericsson P1i

    There’s a keypad which doubles as a QWERTY keyboard of sorts (lets call it a padboard) below the screen and the 3G video calling VGA camera is visible above the screen to the left

    From the back and a distance you’d think it was a camera with the 3.2 Mpixel camera logically located and the branding running vertically up the casing to be visible when using the camera in landscape mode.

    Sony Ericsson P1i back

    Sony Ericsson P1i back

    The P1i is relatively compact (remember we’re talking about a PDA / Phone with WiFi, 3G , HSDPA and a half decent camera built in) although probably a little large for some and it feels substantial I should think it will bear up pretty well to day to day use although it may be a little susceptible to dents and surface wear.

    Specs wise the P1i is as I have said a Symbian 9.1 device with the latest UIQ 3 interface quad band 3G and 160 Mbyte memories with 802.11b and g thrown in, with touch screen interface to boot.

    Talking of the form factor the P1i hardware features are not so badly placed, power on the top;

    Sony Ericsson P1i top

    Sony Ericsson P1i top

    jog wheel and IR to the left;

    Sony Ericsson P1i left

    Sony Ericsson P1i left

    Sony Ericsson proprietary connector to the bottom (why not mini USB anyone?)

    Sony Ericsson P1i bottom

    Sony Ericsson P1i bottom

    and camera button and storage card slot to the right.

    Sony Ericsson P1i right

    Sony Ericsson P1i right

    The stylus placement puzzled me; it’s on the left top corner at the back,

    Sony Ericsson P1i Stylus

    Sony Ericsson P1i Stylus

    Which is a little counterintuitive if you’re a right hander (which the device is set up for) the jog wheel falls under your left thumb and you have to reach across yourself to retrieve the stylus which is a minor irritation, I imagine as a left hander you’ll find this arrangement much more agreeable.

    The stylus location is pretty key and the P1i relies on its use a lot, if you look at the keypad you’ll see a couple of glaring omissions:

    Sony Ericsson P1i keypad

    Sony Ericsson P1i keypad

    There’s no traditional send or end key here you have to click call on the screen to initiate a call and although the padboard is there it’s a pain to use you have to press the left or right of the key to get the appropriate letter (I would need much much more practice to achieve a reasonable input speed and it’s so out of the ordinary as to make you wonder why you would bother) you find yourself using the stylus to write text.

    Stylus input is pretty easy however as there are no prescriptive input areas here, unlike other devices you can just scrawl anywhere on the screen and the P1i recognises your text. This natural text input is actually more intuitive for a beginner than the specific list of graffiti symbols you have to learn to use WM or Palm Oss but having used graffiti in one form or another since Palm III days I found it a little difficult to break the habit. The letter t caused most problems the across and down graffiti symbol I’m used to reeling off so quickly really confused the P1i. That’s not a particular failing of the device more an artefact of the idiosyncratic stylus input methods of handhelds and if you are new to styli then you’ll probably be glad of this.

    The proprietary connector is the location for your wired handsfree and headphones to connect which is as annoying on the P1i as it is on the latest HTC devices; you’re going to have to get an adapter if you want to be able to use any reasonable headphones to listen to music. The included headphones are Ok but not to an audiophiles standards. Toshiba really have this problem beaten with their handy adapter that allows you to use your favourite headphones with the Toshiba handsfree.

    Operation

    The P1i is pretty rapid in operation with no stability issues, voice quality was great

    Battery life is Ok the Pi had fairly constant use over a couple of days snapping pictures and WiFi usage as well as 3G, GPRS and calls and the battery held up well, this is a good thing as you wouldn’t want to be lugging the charger everywhere with you

    Sony Ericsson P1i stand

    Sony Ericsson P1i stand/dock

    Configuration

    the P1i is a laid out much more like a phone than a PDA it works but the padboard is a problem, the stylus placement is annoying and but it will appeal to someone looking for a phone like device with PDA functions

    GUI

    I am a GUI trainspotter, the only reason I’m interested in an iPhone is multitouch, which is an innovation I’m really interested in so I was looking forward to playing with UIQ initially the look is very crisp default fonts look smooth and the overall appearance is very pleasing

    Sony Ericsson P1i homescreen

    Sony Ericsson P1i homescreen

    But the home screen can get a little cluttered when used in anger

    Sony Ericsson P1i homescreen mess

    Sony Ericsson P1i homescreen mess

    The icons can get overwhelming there’s a lot of information to take in here. But you can get to a lot of information quickly and on the home screen which you’ll need third party apps on a WM device to replicate

    The jog wheel makes one handed navigation pretty although its it’s all up and down no left and right but don’t forget the P1i has a touch screen, it’s a little precise and fussy so you will probably find yourself using a stylus not your finger to navigate.

    Navigating brings my first niggle, I’m used to Windows Mobile with nicely labelled icons:

    Windows Mobile Icons

    Windows Mobile Icons

    Whereas UIQ is a little more mysterious, not that it matters on the main screen , contacts, calendar, games and mail are pretty obvious the circles signify the
    applications menu but when you start to navigate the icons become a little less obvious

    Sony Ericsson P1i GUI

    Sony Ericsson P1i GUI

    and the need to use the open button is a bit counter intuitive, I suppose I’d get used to it with time but is seems a little lazy it can’t be that difficult to provide labels adjacent to the icons.

    When you get into the right place the list view has descriptive labels which is a great improvement

    Sony Ericsson P1i control panel

    Sony Ericsson P1i control panel

    Some of the configuration is a little tricky setting up WiFi for my home encrypted network was a drag it’s accessed through connections manager and not being immodest I’m a dab hand at this by now but it took three goes to get the thing to work

    Sony Ericsson P1i WiFi set up

    Sony Ericsson P1i WiFi set up

    I then had to go into internet accounts to set the priority to ensure that applications used the WiFi otherwise they would insist on connecting via GPRS,

    Sony Ericsson P1i connectivity settings

    Sony Ericsson P1i connectivity settings

    This is a bit of a shame as WiFi is one of the selling points of the P1i but this configuration is a long way from the intuitiveness of script entry. and it took a few more goes to keep the device connected as I had to find power save not under the WiFi tabs but in power settings a good few clicks away

    Overall I found the OS easy to use, in some ways more in other ways less intuitive than Windows Mobile, I think the more technical aspects are a little disorganised in that logical related features are distributed through the menus making quick and easy setup a bit onerous. Don’t go looking for help from Sony Ericcson just yet though:

    Sony Knowledge Base

    Sony Knowledge Base

    Applications

    I was a little worried about the availability of applications on the Symbian platform, my first task was to locate an application that allowed me to capture screen images for this review, to be honest I had no problem as there’s a wealth of little applications out there and a good deal of them are available as trials or freeware. This was a bit of a surprise for me as I’d always assumed windows mobile had such a larger pool of amateur developers however it seems the Symbian community is quite active too, there’s also a lot less duplication so your choice of alternative apps is a little more limited but at least you do get a choice and happily the download sites aren’t rammed with tons of half finished applications and widgets with barely distinguishable features.

    I settled on the open screen capture to provide those all important screenies which works well, with little lag and saves the screenshots as png files on the storage card in the device no need to be connected to your desktop when grabbing either but this is probably as much to do with avoiding having to use the clumsy desktop integration as anything else

    Office applications:

    The P1i has quickoffice mobile installed which is a reasonable facsimile of another vendors office suite you get functional word processor that reads the popular file formats, not the latest .x versions but then only a handful of Window Mobile devices do.

    Sony Ericsson P1i QuickWord

    Sony Ericsson P1i QuickWord

    A great spreadsheet application

    Sony Ericsson P1i QuickSheet

    Sony Ericsson P1i QuickSheet

    This suite is a reasonable alternative for Office Mobile on the Windows Mobile platform.

    Sony Ericsson P1i office tools

    Sony Ericsson P1i office tools

    You also get PDF viewer quick notes, tasks and a business card scanner which is a little hit and miss to be really useful.

    Web browsing: the built in browser is functional.

    Sony Ericsson P1i web browser

    Sony Ericsson P1i web browser

    Pretty easy to use and offers some options for rendering pages on the small screen

    Sony Ericsson P1i web browser options

    Sony Ericsson P1i web browser options

    Some of which are more practical than others:

    Activesync Synchronisation

    I had some of my biggest misgivings about this aspect of my daily usage, I work in a world with native Exchange integration, setting up a synchronisation partnership is a breeze Sony Ericsson have happily bundled Roadsync from Dataviz which you can download from the vendors website and install.

    Once installed setup is pretty easy although we needed to tweak the exchange server to allow non standard devices to connect and get direct push up and running. The application is pretty verbose and gives you some useful troubleshooting info in the logs so we were able to get enough information to identify the issues and get it working.

    Sony Ericsson P1i activesync

    Sony Ericsson P1i activesync

    Once installed the activesync email client is pretty usable

    And is found under messaging

    Contacts are clearly laid out

    Although I prefer list views to tabbed ones on a mobile device the layout is easy to navigate and preserves categories

    Desktop Applications

    Now I wouldn’t normally comment on desktop applications for a reviewed device as it’s normally simply a matter of using WMDC or Activesync to connect however the P1i has its own Sony Ericsson PC suite which is installed from the accompanying CD-ROM

    You also get Photoshop Album SE to help you edit those 3 Megapixel photos, Quicktime and Disc2Phone which enables media synchronisation to your P1i

    PC suite is different to activesync, every time you connect the P1i you’re prompted to choose whether you want to connect in phone mode or file transfer mode,

    The former allows you to synchronise with a PIM or use the phone as a modem, the latter if you want to transfer files to the device, this is partly true you get access to different applications as well dependent on the mode

    Those on the upper tier with green borders are only available in phone mode the lower tier in F file transfer mode, this is really hard to go back to after the seamlessness of activesync add to that that the Sony Ericsson File Manager crashed windows explorer several times and you’ve got an area that needs a good look at before it’s going to be right.

    Stability

    Overall application stability is very good, I had no problems with application hangs or voice performance, the device performs well.

    Ease of Use

    there are pluses and minuses here the Symbian OS and UIQ get some things right and some things wrong overall for a newbie using the device on it’s own as a PDA it’s as good as the equivalent windows mobile device, if you’re intending to use it in a Microsoft Exchange environment or use some of the techier features regularly Windows Mobile devices beat the P1i, I’d acknowledge that my WM understanding is deeper than the Symbian OS but I don’t think this influenced me greatly.

    Overall Assessment

    despite some misgivings I like the P1i, the styling appeals and it’s small enough to hold to your ear without feeling self conscious. There are details that need some more thought; the QWERTY rockable padboard is frankly a pain but an interesting attempt to do something different. It’s 3G which is a plus and the bundled Roadsync aims the P1i at the Microsoft Business market, I just don’t think there are enough compelling benefits to make me recommend this over a windows mobile device there.

    In conclusion, the P1i is a stylish PDA and if you are using it to organise your personal life you’ll probably love it, if it’s coming to work with you youmight find it a little more challenging.

    Review by: Alasdair

    [Post tag(s): , , , , , ]

    Posted in: Reviews
    By September 7, 2007 Read More →

    HTC TyTN II review

    Does the new HTC TyTN II live up to the hype?

    INTRODUCTION

    I think it’s fair to say that the HTC Kaiser is the worst kept Windows Mobile secret ever! Looking back at the posts on our site it was almost a year ago that we first mentioned HTC’s new device. Since then rumour and speculation have been the order of the day with the odd ‘leak’ from HTC thrown in.

    HTC TyTN II

    HTC TyTN II

    To be fair, it does look like HTC have been managing the flow of information quite well and the little bits of info have only served to further heighten the interest in the device.

    As I’m sure you’re all aware, the HTC Kaiser (aka HTC P4550) had its name officially changed to HTC TyTN II just a few weeks ago.

    This isn’t our first look at the device, we have been lucky enough to fondle a couple of demo units over the past few months, but this review will be based solely upon the TyTN II retail unit we received earlier this week.

     

    What’s in the Box?

    By now you should have seen my TyTN II unboxing video (if not go have a look now!).

    The TyTN II comes in the standard HTC black box and is presented in much the same way as the HTC Touch; the device sits right on top surrounded by black foam. The flap on the front of the box is secured by a magnet.

    HTC TyTN II box

    HTC TyTN II box

    Inside you’ll find:

    • The HTC TyTN II (obviously)
    • Suede effect case
    • Mains Charger
    • USB Sync/Charge cable
    • Application CD with ActiveSync, Sprite Backup, GPRS Monitor and TomTom 6
    • ExtUSB hands free headset
    • Battery
    • Clear screen protector
    • Spare Stylus
    • Manual & getting started guide

    HTC TyTN II Hardware Specification:

    • Windows Mobile 6
    • Tilted 2.8” 240*320 QVGA touch screen
    • Sliding QWERTY keyboard
    • built-in GPS
    • 3 mega-pixel auto focus camera
    • VGA camera for 3G/UMTS video-calling
    • HTC Home menu screen
    • Tri-band UMTS with Quad-band GSM/GPRS/Edge
    • HSDPA up to 3.6 Mbps HSUPA
    • ROM 256MB and RAM 128MB
    • 360 degree 3 way jog wheel paired with OK button
    • microSD card slot
    • WiFi 802.11 b/g , Bluetooth 2.0
    • TouchFLO Technology

     

    GENERAL

    At just 110x58x18mm it’s a full 4mm thinner than the original TyTN and is only a few grams heavier, its size is comparable to the HTC Trinity (Orange M700).

    On the front of the TyTN II you’ll find the usual 5-way d-pad, a couple of soft keys, ‘send’ and ‘end’ phone buttons, an IE button, Email button, Windows Button and, finally, an OK button.

    HTC TyTN II review D-pad

    TyTN II D-pad

    Just above the screen you’ll notice a front-facing VGA camera for 3G video conferencing.

    Looking to the bottom of the unit there’s a microSD card slot (just below the navigation buttons) which comes complete with a plastic dust cover. There’s also an ExtUSB connector for sync/charge and audio. Next to that a reset button and the space for the full-size stylus.

    TyTN II Bottom

    TyTN II Bottom

    On the right hand side are power and camera buttons.

    TyTN II right side

    TyTN II right side

    And on the left a scroll wheel along with OK and voice notes buttons.

    TyTN II left side

    TyTN II left side

    Turning the device over reveals the loudspeaker and a 3.0 megapixel camera. Note that there is no flash or mirror however. It’s also on the back that you’ll find the biggest give away one of the TyTN II’s best features; built in GPS as indicated by the large rubber cover over the external GPS antenna socket. More on this later.

    TyTN II back

    TyTN II back

    It’s not until you slide the screen open that you discover the TyTN II’s best party trick; the tilting screen. The spring loaded screen slides back to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard which has decent sized keys that are slightly raised which makes them pretty easy to use. You also get a couple of indicator LED’s that show you the Caps and Function status.

    TyTN II Keyboard

    TyTN II Keyboard

    I have to admit that I wasn’t sure about that tilting screen, and didn’t think that it would be that useful or practical. However, in practice I have to say this is a great idea! The TyTN II sits neatly on my desk and with the screen tilted it’s easy to see the display and it looks like a baby laptop.

    TyTN II tilted

    TyTN II tilted

    In the past, some HTC devices have been affected by problems with touchscreen alignment, but you shouldn’t have any problems with the TyTN II in this department. The 240 x 320 display is clear and bright and also seems not to suffer from yellow colour cast that has been common on earlier devices.

    The keyboard has a nice positive action to it and works extremely well. It’s virtually identical to the HTC Herald, and very similar to the HTC TyTN. Holding the device in both hands it’s easy to type at a fair rate using just your thumbs.

    Finally, to insert a SIM card you have to slide the keyboard open and then look on the rear of the screen. Under a flap you’ll find the SIM card slot.

    TyTN II sim socket

    TyTN II sim socket

    SOFTWARE

    This final production build of the ROM varies in a number of ways to the demo units we’ve seen so far. The most obvious addition is TouchFLO. Don’t expect the TouchFLO experience to be the same as the HTC Touch, however, as this is a somewhat cut down implementation of the technology and is limited to a home screen plug in offering a large digital style clock, favorite people speed dials, local weather, a quick launch tool and profile controls. You won’t find the 3D cube on the TyTN II and no gesture based swipes across the screen as these both require a more sensitive touchscreen technology. That said, I think that HTC have included the best features of TouchFLO anyway.

    TyTN II TouchFLO

    TyTN II TouchFLO

    Naturally, that TyTN II runs Windows Mobile 6 professional and works fantastically well. The WM6 UI tweaks coupled with that 400mhz CPU and the additional RAM mean that the device flies along quite nicely, switching between screens and bringing up the start menu rapidly. The difference is very noticeable compared to my Samsung i600!

    As this is an HTC branded device it’s a fairly standard build of WM6, there are a couple of HTC customisations, ie. TouchFLO and Task Manager but you wont find any operator specific home screens and no one has removed Windows Live Messenger or played around with the icons. Naturally as operators begin to release their own versions of the TyTN II we’ll see more customised versions of the ROM.

     

    Highlights:

    • Keyboard: The built in keyboard is fantastic, certainly one of the best I’ve seen from any mobile device.
    • Specification: 400mHz CPU, 256mb ROM, 128mb RAM, EDGE, HSDPA, HSUPA, GPS – the list goes on!
    • Camera: 3.0 Megapixels may not sound like a lot these days but picture quality is good and the autofocus works really well. Certainly the best camera I’ve seen in a WM device.
    • GPS: I know that I mentioned this already but having GPS built into a device and not having to have an external unit is a real boon!

    Lowlights:

    • Size/Weight: The TyTN II is no lightweight device. It weighs more than the M3100 and much more than some of the Smartphones that I am used to. It’s also quite chunky in your pocket.
    • Display: It’s a pity that HTC didn’t squeeze a VGA screen in to the TyTN II, if Toshiba can do it with the G900 then why can’t HTC?
    • Battery Life: Although the TyTN II isn’t the most battery hungry device out there you’ll still find yourself having to charge the unit fairly regularly.

     

    REVIEW

    So to get started with the device you’ll first have to install the battery. This has proven to be rather tricky for some. The rear cover of the TyTN II slides up and off and is quite stiff initially (take a look at my how-to video).

    You’ll also want to install your SIM card at this point as attempting to do so while the device is on simply turns it off, and rightly so. The SIM socket is under the back of the screen so you have to slide the screen open to access it.

    The first time you turn the device on it will take a while to get going, it will ask you to align the touchscreen and ask you questions about your location etc. and finally the customised ROM settings/applications are applied/installed before a quick, automatic reboot.

    First of all you’ll probably want to set up your internet/network connection. As you already installed your SIM card (you did install your SIM card right?!) a wizard pops up and asks if you want to automatically configure your device. If you say yes at this point the phone will set itself up and then reboot.

    TyTN II network wizard

    TyTN II network wizard

    So now you can set up your email. If you are using Exchange you can do this through activesync or if you are using pop3/Imap4 you’ll have to set this all up on the device. At this point I put in the details of my account and exchange server address. A few seconds later and the TyTN II starts to synchronise with Exchange and in no time at all the process is complete and I have all of my contacts and emails across. It’s very impressive how quickly this works which has a lot to do with the fact that I have HSDPA coverage.

    HSDPA!

    HSDPA!

    It’s at this point that I see that I have 4 unread emails and slide open the keyboard in order to reply. Then I realise that the jingle played each time the keyboard is opened or closed isn’t quite a fun or cool as I thought it was and decide to turn it off there and then. This is done under settings > keyboard sliding sound. That’s much better!

    The keyboard itself is a real pleasure to use. I’ve been used to the raised keys on the i600 which are ‘ok’ but the TyTN II is so much better! The keys have a nice tactile feel without being ‘clicky’ and in no time at all you can start typing at a fair rate with your thumbs. I think you’d have to have pretty small fingers to touch-type here though. The keys are backlit but the backlight only turns on when the conditions are dark enough, thus saving a little more power.

    Email replied to it’s now time to install the apps that I use most. Skype, Opera and CamerAware are the first to be installed. This all happens without a fuss and many of you will be pleased to know that Skype works on the TyTN II without a hiccup. Paul @ MoDaCo also tells me that, although existing versions of CamerAware will work on the TyTN II, he is working on an optimised version.

    Skype Works!

    Skype Works!

    I prefer Opera to Pocket IE but both work smoothly thanks to the decent CPU and fast 3G/HSDPA coverage.

    Time to have a play with the Camera. The 3.0 megapixel camera has been talked about quite a lot. 3.0 mp may seem poor by today’s standard 7mp+ digital cameras, but lets not forget that this is a mobile phone. With that in mind the quality of the photos taken with the TyTN II are pretty good and thanks to the auto focus even macro shots come out reasonably well. The camera application software has also undergone an update since the days of the TyTN and now you can use the front-facing VGA camera for taking pictures which is why you don’t need the little mirror on the back.

    TyTN II distance shot

    TyTN II distance shot
    TyTN II macro shot

    TyTN II macro shot

    So on to the GPS on this puppy. I think that GPS will be the biggest reason for people to upgrade to the TyTN II. I do not use Sat Nav very often but this is mainly because I don’t want to carry an external Bluetooth GPS unit, turn it on, pair it, wait for a fix etc. Obviously the idea of a GPS enabled Windows Mobile device is nothing new, HTC themselves have released several in the past such as the HTC Trinity and the HTC Artemis but neither of these devices had a keyboard and I cant sacrifice a keyboard for GPS. Luckily the TyTN II does not force that sort of a compromise offering GPS and Keyboard in one package.

    Like the Orange M700 a number of people are initially confused looking for the GPS on the TyTN II. When they enter Comm Manager or look through the settings menu and programs list there is little to give away the fact that the device has built in GPS. There is no definitive GPS on/off switch, you simply enter a GPS enabled application and things should start to work.

    TyTN II Comm Manager

    TyTN II Comm Manager

    Eager to put this to the test I installed the version of TomTom that comes with the TyTN II. This is a cut down or ‘taster’ version of TomTom 6, it is the full application but you are limited to one city map download. Of course you can always buy more maps if you need to.

    After installation the first thing to do is run ‘QuickGPS’ which you’ll find in the program menu. This application uses any internet connection to download satellite lock information that is designed to improve the GPS signal acquisition time. The download is really quite small and there is no need to do this every time you want to use the GPS, the data it downloads is valid for around 7 days! The only problem I’ve had with quickGPS is that it wants to change the timezone. So far I’m not sure how to get round this.

    TyTN II quickGPS

    TyTN II quickGPS

    So how quickly do you get a satellite signal on the TyTN II? Very quickly is the simple answer. Turning TomTom on for the first time while standing outside I get a valid GPS signal in about 40 seconds. This is very impressive compared to the time it takes my M700 to acquire a lock. The tracking seems to be accurate with very little drift, certainly accurate enough for Sat Nav needs. Overall I’m impressed with the GPS.

    Finally, in order to test the horsepower of the TyTN II I installed The Core Pocket Media Player and watched a few sample videos. What amazed me here is that I was able to put a video clip on the internal storage memory of the device that was NOT optimised for pocket PC and despite the DivX video being 640 x 320 it played back without so much of a stutter! This is something that I’ve never been able to do on any other device.

     

    At this point I feel I should mention the stability of the TyTN II. I’ve had this retail unit for about 4 days and I’ve been using quite intensely, installed a variety of applications and generally given it rather a hammering. During this time I’ve experienced no stability problems at all, no forced reboots, no hang ups or crashes. This current ROM build seems to be rock solid!

    CONCLUSION

    The HTC TyTN II is an extremely impressive device, I’m an addict after just a few minutes. This really is the device that so many people have waiting for, no compromises, it includes the much needed keyboard, fast CPU and plenty of memory. The built in GPS is starting to become the norm and works well. The TyTN II may be on the heavy side but just think about all the technology crammed into such a small package!

    So would I recommend this device? You bet I would!

    Review by: Matt

    [Post tag(s): , , , , , ]

    Posted in: Phones, Reviews
    Tags: ,
    By August 28, 2007 Read More →

    TomTom GO 720 review

    Can TomTom improve their already well respect range of ‘Go’ products?

    TomTom GO 720 review

    The x20 range is the latest Portable Navigation Device from the market leaders TomTom. Thanks to the guys at Clove Technology, we’ve managed to get our hands on a Go 720 to review.

    The 720 was launched in Europe alongside its little brother – the 520. A 920 is noticeable by its absence currently, but there are a few pointers to suggest an announcement won’t be too far away.

    These new x20 devices come pre-installed with the latest firmware, and navCore7 software. The x10 range, and indeed the PDA/Smartphone software currently runs navCore6 – which lacks some of the newer features found here.

    The first improvement we see with navCore7, is an improved GUI. It’s really only a different skin – but for what its worth – it is an improvement.

    As you may have seen from Matt’s unboxing video, the TomTom branding is omnipresent as usual, and the box is packed full of pretty much all the main peripherals. A car charger (rather obviously), and a natty desktop docking station found on the newer model – I assume because they are now so slim they won’t stand up!

    TomTom GO 720 stand

    TomTom GO 720 stand

    The spec sheet for the 720 is really quite impressive; a 4.3in widescreen TFT ‘matt finish’ screen using a 480×272 resolution, and backed up by a 400MHz CPU and 64meg of RAM. The TomTom 720 comes with 2gb of onboard memory, but the vast majority of this is taken up by the supplied maps and addons. Bluetooth, and, a first for TomTom, a built in FM transmitter. The battery life is stated as 5 hours, and it weights just 220g.

    TomTom GO 720 review

    TomTom GO 720 back

    Environment:
    This device has been used for the past 2 weeks on every journey, as a direct replacement for TomTom Navigator 6 running on my personal iPaq PDA (A rx3715 from a few years ago). Consider this a comparison review between these methods of satnav, and my experiences with other brands.

    Highlights:
    Form Factor: At 118 x 83 x 24mm, TomTom have managed to shave a fair bit off the older 710 model, and I can’t really see them being able to go much smaller, since a decent size screen is mandatory on a satnav device! It’s still not exactly easy to carry about with you though – especially if your a male without your manbag! Luckily this problem goes away if your partner is with you.

    FM Transmitter: Finally! This feature is a real winner in my opinion. It works well, its easy to turn on and off – and unlike those cheap things you buy off ebay, there is no sign of crackle or interference. It just works, and works well. You are able to select whether music and navigation announcements are made over the FM transmitter, or either or. Music is stopped during announcements, and resumes automatically when it’s finished telling you what to do!

    Speech Recognition: To be honest I was expecting this to be appalling. Having been around the IT industry for the past 10 years or so, I know that by default, all voice/speech recognition products are 1) appallingly bad; or 2) none-functional. Surprisingly I’ve not managed to get the 720 to get anything wrong! Once again, rather like the FM transmitter, it just works. It seems like a simple thing to say, but it amazes me how TomTom have managed to get it to recognise my voice, in a clapped out 10 year old car! By selecting the navigate via speech option, you are told to say the city you need to get to (as per usual TomTom define any city, town or village as a city!). A list of possible matches is displayed, to which you say the number.

    Text-to-Speech: The TomTom 720 has also applied some massive improvements to the core of the satnav system Road name are now spoken by the new “computer voice”. This feature was also seen on the Go 910, but the 720 massively improves on even that. Its got a few bugs, a few oddities, some street names just don’t quite work, but the majority of the time, its very clear, and does help out over the standard “Turn left” style commands.

    TomTom GO 720 screen shot

    TomTom GO 720 screen shot

    Package: As I’ve already said – the whole package is pretty impressive. A carry case or sleeve would have been nice, but the inclusion of a dock is welcomed, and I can’t really fault the content much at all really.

    Screen: The screen seems to be covered in some sort of matt finish cover. This might sound nasty but in practise it works well at keeping the screen visible in strong sunlight. Although its perhaps not as clear in normal lighting because of this, on the whole, the cover does improve things.

    TomTom GO 720

    TomTom GO 720 screen

    Low Lights:
    Battery Life: Still not ideal in my eyes. The advertising spiel says 5 hours, and it is a bit less than that I reckon. I would normally always use this plugged into a car charger – but clearly the fact its got a battery suggests that not everyone works this way. I guess the screen size limits what can be done about the battery life. Hopefully 5 hours is enough for the majority though

    Sound quality: This was the biggest problem I had with the TomTom. I’ve used quite a few of these PNDs, and PDA software navigation system from TomTom, and the early PNDs such as the Go 300 had excellent loud and clear speakers. Much better than my iPaq’s speaker. These new systems, presumably because of the smaller size suffer from very poor quality speakers. They aren’t particularly loud either. While I’m sure it will be bearable to most – its extremely disappointing after the quality of the earlier models.

    No Bluetooth Network Connection support: Since we like our Windows Mobile 6 devices here at TracyAndMatt, It very, very disappointing to find that these new models STILL don’t support Bluetooth PAN. It has the usual Dial Up Networking profile, and will work with most normal phones. However WM6 supports a new Bluetooth profile – The Bluetooth PAN connection. Effective this allows ‘Internet sharing’ within WM6 to act as your internet router – no messing about with dial up – connect to the PDA and you’re connected. Unfortunately even the brand new x20 range doesn’t support this, and what’s worse, because WM6 no longer includes the old DUN profile, you cannot use it for Internet Sharing with the TomTom

    Speed: Oddly the system isn’t as quick as refreshing as my iPaq – even with all POIs turned off. I’ve noticed this before, and I not 100% why this is the case. However, its perfectly usable, the GPS fix is found ultra quickly, thanks to the software downloads available via TomTom Home.

    The unknown!
    Unfortunately I didn’t manage to get the MapShare technology to work at any point. Everything seemed to go ok, my own fixes appeared to be uploaded OK, but nothing even changed on the map itself. I tried many different options to get it going but nothing seemed to give me much success. I do have the device for a couple more days, so I’ll update this should I make any progress!

    Review

    OK, so I admit I’m a bit of a SatNav obsessive (according to Matt!) and I am a big big fan of TomTom stuff. I prefer it to iGo and CoPilot. I’ve never used a Garmin device, but I think in terms of ease-of-use – nothing comes close to TomTom.

    I’ve tried to use the device as a ‘noob’ but to be honest its a bit difficult since I’ve used these products in various forms for years. Even so, I’ve tried to remain impartial.

    However, the first thing to say is that this is a damn good satnav. The new features are well thought out and genuinely improve an already good range of products. TomTom appear to have listened to the community as well. The system allows a much greater level of control over the look and feel of the built in OS. You can (finally) change the position icon (formally the blue arrow), to a logo or images of your choice, or one of the built in ready made pictures. I went for an orange F1 car.

    Equally useful is the ability to move the status bar from the bottom of the screen to the right hand side. I wasn’t sure if I’d like thus, having been used to the standard look of TomTom, but its a great idea – certainly on widescreen models like this. It seems to use the screen space better, and still allow a large driving view.

    There are many other minor improvements, that I’ve seen people moan about in previous editions of navCore. You can turn on an audible alert when travelling x% over the speed limit. You can now turn off the speed limit monitoring completely – something missing from earlier versions. A built in light sensor allows you to choose to automatically dim the screen when it gets dark. All minor updates, but it shows an attention to detail that was perhaps lacking in the early TomTom releases.

    The current version of the software (7.0) is, being honest, a bit crash happy. It doesn’t seem to want to open some of the photos I’ve uploaded to it, and just jams itself until I’m forced to press the reset button. The menu also has a tendency to hang either permanently, or for a few seconds at a time. Unusually though when on a route, and the device is left to its own.. erm.. devices, its perfectly stable.

    The suction cup and mount is somewhat different to the old Go models. There is no built in charger, or any port replication. Many people believe this to be down to the problems TomTom faced with the old active mounts. The suction cup is, as ever, very strong, and ‘parking’ the device takes a bit of getting used to, but very intuitive once the learning curve is complete! I can see the mount being a pain in the **** for people having to plug the charger, an external GPS aerial, and a FM Traffic receiver in every time they set off!

    There are improvements to the way TomTom handle SD cards. In older models, the SD card ‘replaced’ the onboard memory – so a complete copy of the software and maps had to be loaded onto the SD Card. This is no longer the case, and the TomTom combines any folders called the same on both memory areas. This allows you to use all the space on your memory card. As ever though, images have to be in /images, mp3s have to be in /mp3s etc etc. Otherwise they just aren’t seen in the Jukebox or picture viewing software.

    TomTom GO 720

    TomTom GO 720 bottom

    Operation

    The overall operation of the device is exactly like any other TomTom. I think the buzzwords are evolution not revolution. If you can handle your current TomTom device, you’ll be fine with this. There are minor improvements, for example the user-configurable quick launch menu, and depending on how old your device is, you’ll be surprised to find Postcode navigation now hidden in the ‘address’ area. Routes can, as ever, be calculated by the quickest route, shortest routes, various different methods for pedestrians and fixed speed vehicles. Routing seems good, if not perfect – and the mapshare technology will only improve this.

    Disappointing to me was the recent announcement that TomTom are to buy TeleAtlas mapping. Having used one of the few TomTom rider units supplied with NavTeq mapping, I think in comparison, the TeleAtlas stuff is lacking – even in Europe. Routing also seemed much better using the Navteq maps. However, I fear this is something that we’re gonna have to manage with. It’ll be teleatlas all the way from now on.

    A minor gripe is the car mount. It’s a little too small, and too short. This means that the unit is held firm, and shake-free, but it a long way away from the driver – especially for control with driving. My PDA mount for example sits a lot further away from the windscreen, and closer to me – meaning its much easier to control without stretching.

    Stability

    Overall stability is pretty good while routing, but as stated earlier, its prone to crashes, especially when modifying settings within the large menu system.

    Ease of Use
    Its TomTom. Its like the rest, and I don’t believe its that steep a learning curve for people new to satnav. For a new entrant to the world of satnav – you won’t find a much easier starting point than this.

    TomTom GO 720

    TomTom GO 720

    Overall Assessment
    TomTom have really raised the bar with the release of the 720. 2gb onboard memory, and a wide variety of major and minor fixes and feature improvements. While I have a few issues with it, I can’t help but heap praise on TomTom who have made possible the biggest improvements to the devices since the original TomTom Go.

    It’s a great device for both new users, and old pros looking to improve what they already have. The FM transmitter is exceptional – and space saving since it’s all built into the small case. The text to speech, and speech to text systems are the best I’ve ever used. They are highly useful, and I think that’s the main plus point for me – all the new features are genuinely useful to the end user. So silly gimmick here – just solid feature requests being added to an already good base product.

    In conclusion, if you are looking for a new satnav right now – this is the best on the market. It’s well supported both officially and unofficially, and the ‘fan’ sites have large communities of experts ready to help out with any problems. The pricing is highly competitive, even against its stablemate the Go 520.

    TomTom GO 720 Specification:

    • CPU – 400MHz
    • Memory – 64MB Ram, 2GB Internal Storage Memory
    • Screen Size – 4.3″ 480 x 272 pixels
    • Dimensions – 118 x 83 x 24mm
    • Bluetooth
    • FM Transmitter
    • Built-in speaker and mic
    • SD memory card slot
    • Weight – 220g
    • Battery Time – 5h
    • Pre-installed maps of Western Europe

    Note: Since writing this, I noticed Clove have reduced their price again – just £255 (£299.62 inc VAT)

    Review by: Mark

    [Post tag(s): , , , , , , ]

    Posted in: GPS/Sat Nav, Reviews
    Tags: ,
    By August 15, 2007 Read More →

    HTC Touch review

    Could the HTC Touch be a Windows Mobile iPhone Killer?

    HTC Touch today screen

    HTC Touch today screen

    The Touch appeared at the same time as the iPhone initial release date and the TouchFLO™ interface is certainly innovative but it’s no iPhone pretender, nor do I suspect was it supposed to be.

    The key to understanding the Touch is bioscreen, the driver behind TouchFLO™ and the touchcube, but more of that later.

    I’m a bit of a ‘GUI spotter’ and the touchcube interface really intrigued me, so I awaited the Touch’s arrival so I could have a play.

    First thing to say is that the Touch comes as a really nice Package, see Matt’s unboxing video for the packaging porn but throwing excess consumption to the winds it was really refreshing to open a box containing a £300 device and feel like you’ve opened a box that should contain a £300 device. Nice styling details including the magnetic clasp and the subtle stamped indents and the device is presented very professionally. I’ve seen the Touch criticised as a ‘Paris Hilton’ device, certainly the package would please anyone obsessed by design or receiving it as a present. The form factor is a little feminine but the overall feel is very slick.

    Specification wise the Touch is as I have said, a Windows Mobile 6 professional device with a TI OMAP™ 850, 201 MHz processor; only 128 Mbyte ROM and 64 Mbyte RAM ( a bit underpowered) and connectivity through GSM/GPRS/EDGE Tri-band 900, 1800, 1900 with 802.11b/g thrown in.

    Environment
    As always the Touch has been used in a real business environment, as part of an Exchange 2003 messaging system using Exchange Activesync. As a comparison, my current two devices of choice are my SPV E650 (HTC s710 or Vox) and the Orange SPV m3100 (HTC Hermes/TyTN).

    Highlights:
    Form Factor: the finish is the now voguish HTC matt black, the Touch is tiny and light and the screen is pretty bright.

    Bioscreen: this is the technology that underpins TouchFLO™ and the touchcube and means that the screen on the Touch senses the area you’ve touched and decides what you were actually aiming for, no more back of the fingernail tapping, even I can use my stubby thumbs to use the interface one handed.

    The HTC Today Screen Theme: very informative, showing the key things you need to know. Email, texts and missed calls along with a big bold digital clock and two more tabs nicely located that reveal an accuweather application and an application launcher. The weather app needs tweaking as the cities are pretty limited but you can find details here.

    Battery Life: pretty damn good, it’s gone a full weekend with fairly heavy phone, WLAN and Bluetooth use with no need to recharge. I’ve used the Touch as my GPS (with an external Bluetooth unit) so it’s on and off its cradle and it’s never run out on me.

    Package: you get a lot of stuff in that box, not only the USB cable and mains charger and the now standard HTC extUSB headphones and handsfree, but also a natty pouch, a 1Gb MicroSD card an 1100 mAh battery and an applications CD that includes SPB GPRS monitor and Sprite Backup.

    No Lights:
    Touchcube: Ok it was vaunted by journalists as an iPhone killer but it’s far from it, just a jazzy launcher that you can’t customise enough. It sits precariously on top of the Windows Mobile UI with poor integration and doesn’t really add that much to the user experience; it looks pretty but that’s about it. It certainly has a wow factor but I’m rarely wowed by wow factor alone

    NO 3G: come on it’s the 21st century! I’m sure it would have resulted in a slightly larger device but it’s a shame you have to compromise on bandwidth and simultaneous data and voice access.

    The screen: it’s a bit dim on standard battery setting, too dim to see in direct sunlight at least, but you can turn the backlight up a bit.

    Lowlights:
    Speed & Memory: the device seems slow at times, I can’t decide whether it’s the additional processing power needed by bioscreen or the underpowered device itself, you do get used to it but it’s a bit of a bind and causes temporary hangs every now and again. The lack of memory is a pain as all too frequently the Touch screams to free up memory when using the camera for instance.

    Performance of Activesync: now I know ideally the connector of choice would be Vista and the mobile device centre but using Activesync 4.5 to sync mobile favourites etc, really, really grinds. It seems to adversely affect PC performance as well to the point where it becomes unusable with the Touch connected – this is a little unscientific observation and warrants more investigation really but it’s a pain.

    Review
    Frankly the touch is a good looking bit of kit, it might be a bit feminine for some peoples taste but there’s no denying its good looks. It’s compact and a departure from normal utilitarian Windows Mobile devices; it’s the first Windows Mobile device that I’ve had that has ever elicited the question “is that a new Blackberry?”. The size is a big winner, I remember the excitement I had when I first used the iMate JAMin, and I thought it was the perfect size, and the touch definitely beats that. It sits easily in the hand and can be used one handed with little difficulty.

    The matt black finish is great although the screen and the case are magnets for fingerprints, when my wife saw it I nearly lost the device as she loved pretty much everything about its styling.

    The touch has very limited buttons, a combined four way rocker and action button and two barely decipherable end and send buttons on the front, a camera button to one side, intuitively positioned and power and volume control, the latter seems a little flimsy, the action is not particularly positive but it does the job. You’ll notice the lack of softkeys under the screen which is a real bind until you get used to it.

    MicroSD and SIM slot are under a flap on the right hand side which is a little awkward to locate and even more awkward to open, you need to remove the battery cover to manage this; I have to admit to reading the manual to discover how, a first for me! That said in normal operation this is not something you’ll be doing everyday so it’s not too much of a problem.

    There’s no cover on the extUSB port, thank heaven, and there’s a reset hole on the base of the device.

    Operation
    The Touch is a little too slow, not so slow as to make you want to throw it against something but slow never the less. Memory is lacking and far too often the camera application complains that there’s not enough memory on launch. A problem only rectified by a soft reset. This may be a memory leak and this might be addressed in a patch, here’s hoping as it’s one of the few things that let the Touch down. Slow it may be, but actual hangs were rare, maybe a function of how much more robust Windows Mobile 6 is. Voice quality was good no hints of tinniness and the volume more than adequate.

    Battery: life is great, using WiFi, Bluetooth and Cellular extensively over a full weekend caused no problems at all no battery warnings.

    Configuration
    It was interesting to go back to a touchscreen-only device after enjoying my QWERTY devices. I thought I’d miss having a QWERTY keyboard, however, after a little while the benefits of the bioscreen driver began to shine through. With a bit of practice you can use the on screen keyboard with your thumb making text entry a reasonably easy one-handed affair.

    The screen needs firmer than usual pressure but once used to this you can reel off a text or two in fairly short order.

    Applications

    The winner on the touch is the HTC today plug-in:

    A nice big digital clock with Outlook mails, texts and missed call registers clearly visible. The three tabs below are the home screen, and an accuweather connected forecast app.

    HTC Touch weather

    HTC Touch weather

    With a five day forecast.

    5 Day forecast

    5 Day forecast

    And a useful application launcher.

    Application Launcher

    Application Launcher

    A mini task manager is included as well.

    Task Manager

    Task Manager

    Which allows you to kill memory loaded programs to free up the Touch’s sparse resources, unfortunately a necessity rather than a helpful addition to the home screen.

    TouchFLO™: TouchFLO™ is the much talked about interface that operates on the touch, running you finger from the bottom to the centre of the screen (just like using gestures on a tablet PC) launches the touch cube, a swipe right to left or left to right rotates the cube.

    TouchFLO transition

    TouchFLO transition

    To reveal a second application launcher.

    TouchFLO apps

    TouchFLO apps

    (Completely superfluous as you have one in the HTC today plug-in, it even has less (6) unconfigurable options). There’s also a quick contact selection screen which allows you to store 9 contacts with their pictures.

    TouchFLO contacts

    TouchFLO contacts

    BUT (Only if you have the pictures in your contacts) you can click to open the appropriate contact, launch the phone application, the call register or your contacts.

    The final option is a media screen.

    TouchFLO media

    TouchFLO media

    Which allows you to access HTC audio manager (a media player with an interface remarkable due to it’s resemblance to an iPod) or pictures or videos.

    Touchcube is a great idea just really poorly implemented, the gestures could be great and if any of the launcher screens added anything to the device they could be pretty useful. Instead it’s a waste of time apart from the afore mentioned wow. It’s not an iPhone clone, it’s not multitouch, the key is bioscreen; the averaging technology which is a way of making a Windows Mobile 6 Professional device manageable. Like a standard phone, one handed operation is a breeze.

    Office Mobile: Microsoft continue with their incomprehensible hiding of the office suite not visible in the programs folder just in the start menu. It’s an implementation of Office Mobile professional so you get spell checking and all the other bells and whistles.

    Windows live messenger is included in this build. I bit the bullet and decided to make use of this, pretty standard fare but useful nonetheless.

    CD based Aplications: The inclusion of full versions of Sprite backup (a very useful backup and restore program, even restoring after ROM upgrades) and SPB GPRS monitor to track those so called unlimited downloads.

    Stability
    Overall application stability is pretty good, only a couple of application hangs in a months use. Speed is an issue as sometimes you can wait 10 seconds whilst the touch contemplates it’s next move. Hopefully a patch will rectify this. The speed doesn’t make the device unusable just a little frustrating.

    Ease of Use
    The handset is tiny and one handed operation is pretty easy, the bioscreen driver makes the delicate device usable by even the most ham fisted – with a little practice.

    Overall Assessment
    Despite the speed problems I love the Touch. It’s the most appealing form factor I’ve had the pleasure of using and it’s going to replace my m3100. No more the geeky pouch on my belt, the portability of the Touch means you can lose it in a shirt pocket.

    It runs TomTom 6, memory map and OneNote Mobile without a hiccup (only on their own mind you). Battery life is fantastic and the only way I would improve the Touch would be to beef up the memory and add 3G support.

    In conclusion, the Touch is a very portable device that requires a little patience but provides a very satisfying user experience. TouchFLO™ is a gimmick (a pretty one) but if your looking for a fully featured yet discrete device you’ll have to go a long way to beat the Touch.

    So, could the HTC Touch be a Windows Mobile iPhone Killer? – I don’t think so… however I don’t think HTC thought so either.

    Review by: Alasdair

    [Post tag(s): , , , , , , ]

    Posted in: Reviews
    By August 3, 2007 Read More →

    UBiQUiO 503G review

    Another review from Mark, this time the UBiQUiO 503G.

    The device is the very first non-HTC Windows Mobile device I’ve ever used. Naturally, as I nearly end up throwing my Hermes device out of the window at times, I was eager to try it.

    I must point out that I am reviewing a pre-production unit here. There are a number of issues with the unit, which I’ll address; but these are apparently known faults and I have been assured that they will be resolved in the final retail build of the device.

    UBiQUiO 503G Front

    UBiQUiO 503G Front

    Design-wise the UBiQUiO 503G looks similar to the iMate JAQ3 (both are manufactured by TechFaith Wireless). In fact the keyboard looks identical.

    On the left side of the device you’ll find a scroll wheel, voice notes or voice navigator button and a button for the camera.

    UBiQUiO 503G Left Side

    UBiQUiO 503G Left Side

    To the right you have you’ll find nothing more than a microSD card slot under a rubber cover that seems to have become standard amoung WM devices.

    UBiQUiO 503G Right Side

    UBiQUiO 503G Right Side

    When powering up the unit, there is one “feature” that immediately jumps out at you – the screen. It’s brilliantly bright, clear and the colours are exceptional. Even my acid-test of a converted YouTube video looks great on it. The 503G wipes the floor with any device I’ve used. This extends to the touch screen functionality as well. It’s very very sensitive, with only the lightest tap enough to activate whichever control you are targetting. Similarly, it seems highly accurate at well.

    Running Windows Mobile 6 Professional, also means you get all the usual niceties with the newer applications, gradient taskbars, and… annoying Customer Satifaction rubbish from Microsoft!

    The UBiQUiO 503G itself reminds me a little of a scientific calculator. It’s very thin, has a lot of buttons, and is a similar shape too. It is made of plastic, but doesn’t look or feel like it. A brushed metal look is used throughout – apart from a chrome directional pad. There’s no joystick or trackball to be found here – but the direction pad seems fine to me. However, there is currently a problem with the pad, and indeed the QWERTY keyboard as well. While most keys work fine, feel sturdy and give a nice click sound – there are a few troublesome ones which don’t always fire. I’ve been assured that this is a known fault, and well definately NOT affect the final retail device.

    UBiQUiO 503G Keyboard

    UBiQUiO 503G Keyboard

    I very much like the use of a touchscreen with a keyboard as well. It just seems the best solution for a “use anywhere” approach – and although slightly larger than its Blackberry competition, I think it pulls this off rather well. It’s also possible, after practise, to use the device keyboard with just one hand. Certainly useful at times to me, and I’m sure to quite a few people.

    Unlike operator-branded kit, and indeed HTC, UBiQUiO don’t appear to have added any of their own software to the mix. It looks to be a fairly plain Microsoft install of WM6. This is either a good thing or a bad thing depending on your outlook I guess. I certainly don’t hold it against the device. Not even a today plugin is included – beyond the WM defaults. As you might expect though, all the today plugins I tried worked fine.

    There’s another couple of oddities about the device I should bring your attention too; firstly, CAB files designed to put Operator specific connections and so on, onto HTC devices, don’t seem to work. I couldn’t work out why this is. I used the HTC windows .exe installer, selected Orange UK, and it all downloaded and installed OK via Activesync. Indeed, the connections are even listed correctly on the device but they simply do not work, and just hang when connecting. This is strange, especially as setting up seemingly the same connection manually works fine!

    As well as this, the device seems to only want to charge from its own AC charger – and not any of my old mini-usb chargers (usually sourced from HTC devices). This is slightly annoying, as I have gotten used to not having to remember to take chargers with me! It doesn’t even seem be able to run from AC power, unless using the one supplied!

    UBiQUiO 503G USB

    UBiQUiO 503G USB

    Aside from these minor issues, the UBiQUiO 503G is good. It’s very quick, and seems to handle full screen MP4 videos fine and copes just well with anything else thrown at it. The form factor seems to fit my hand quite nicely, and although it’s fairly large in some respects, it’s so thin that it fits nicely in the pocket.

    The integrated WiFi is nice on any device, and certainly a bonus on a device that genuinely can be used for useable web access. The 503 connects quickly to the WiFi point I have at home and performs very well. Along side this, is full HSPDA 3G connectivity. Whether Orange have enabled HSDPA in my area yet, I’m not sure, but the device absolutely flies, both in PIE and Opera and my email arrives VERY quickly.

    It’s always hard to judge whether a WM device is easy to use or not, because I’m so used to the OS now. I certainly don’t see any major problems here though. If I was being picky – I’d say having the full stop on a secondary function on the keyboard is a mistake though!

    As I’ve said – the device is fussy about how it charges – but it does have a standard Mini-USB socket.. and… wait for it… a normal 2.5″ earphone jack!! Round the corner from this, you’ll find a Micro-SD slot, with nice rubber cover so no need to remove the battery to change cards!

    The 2 megapixel camera is about what you’d expect for a phone this size…. not bad, but no digital camera replacement. Phone-wise, calls were good quality, better than I’m used to I think, and it seemed to keep a signal is the area I live very well.

    UBiQUiO 503G Camera

    UBiQUiO 503G Camera

    Despite the ‘issues’ with this pre-production version I would still recommend the UBiQUiO 503G and once the problems have been resolved in the retail version it has all the potential to be a killer. I’ll be following up the review with an update just as soon as I can get my hands on the retail build!

    As a final note for Gilbert, who asked about Program and Storage space. Currently, the UBiQUiO 503G shows the following memory usage:

    Storage:
    Total: 192.00 MB
    In Use: 158.05 MB (!!)
    Free: 33.95 MB

    This is down to the pre-release rom build. The ‘fluff’ will be removed from the final retail ROM build.

    UBiQUiO 503G

    UBiQUiO 503G

    UBiQUiO 503G Specification

  • Windows Mobile 6 Professional
  • AKU 3.5.0
  • GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900, UMTS850, UMTS1900, UMTS2100
  • CSD, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA
  • 520 MHz Intel 270 CPU
  • 1.9-megapixel CMOS camera
  • 2.4-inch 320×240-pixel LCD Touchscreen 262K colours
  • 192MB ROM, 96MB RAM
  • SDIO, microSD expansion slot
  • Stereo Bluetooth 1.2 with A2DP
  • WiFi 802.11b/802.11g
  • 1250 mAh Battery
  • 65 x 123 x 15.7mm
  • 150 grams
  • You can order the UBiQUiO 503G now from eXpansys for just £389.95.

    Review by: Mark

    [Technorati tag(s): , , , , ]

    Posted in: Reviews
    By July 29, 2007 Read More →

    HP iPAQ 514 review

    For months I have been complaining to Matt about the size of my T-Mobile MDA Vario (HTC Wizard) – It’s been a good phone over the past year but now looks like a brick compared to all the latest phones available (As well as the multiple lines over the screen and various other faults from time to time). I also wanted to try Windows Mobile 6 to see just what improvements our friends at Microsoft had made. When he said he was going to send me the new HP iPAQ 514 Voice Messenger I shuddered – The word iPAQ just reminded me of countless hours with rather oversized and cumbersome PDA’s and the wish to go back to a diary!

    Well, the day finally came when this rather small box arrived on my desk. I did think it was the wrong parcel for a moment as even the box appeared to be smaller than my MDA Vario! But, on opening, true to Matt and Tracy’s word was a HP iPAQ 514.

    HP iPAQ 514

    HP iPAQ 514

    I feel I must set this review in a little context as well though; I am a techie (sorry!) and generally work from home or customer sites. I live by my phone, e-mail and laptop so this review will be more focused around a business environment (To be honest, HP in my opinion have firmly and squarely aimed this phone at the business market so that should suit).

    Opening the box see’s plenty of HP’s current “The computer is personal again” logos and branding, various getting started guides, maintenance guides and a start-up CD. So, I did what everyone else I know would do – Chucked them to one side and grabbed the phone. First stop was adding a little juice into the phone battery. HP actually ship a really neat power adapter with this phone, complete with interchangeable US and European Plugs. Running at 1amp it should also work as a charger for most other USB devices. (See also Matt’s unboxing video.)

    Removing the back of the phone is designed for someone with fingernails, but perseverance led through and the back was removed. Removing the battery (Lithium Ion 1100ma) reveals the standard SIM socket. I dropped in my T-Mobile SIM, replaced the battery and cover and hit the “on” button. Once the phone had started I was offered either T-Mobile or Virgin Mobile presets for network selections. After selecting T-Mobile and within seconds I was up an running with SMS, Phone and Mobile 6.

    I have to say I was impressed with the look and feel of the iPAQ 514 from the outset – 107mm Tall, 48mm Wide and 16mm Thick and only weighing 102g is keeping the same size and ‘candy-bar’ shape of today’s smartphone generation (and giving the Blackberry Pearl a good run)

    Looking around the phone displays the usual array of connectors – On the left hand side is the volume up/down buttons, a protected slot for a MicroSD card and the headphone socket (Please Note – HP in their wisdom have added a 2.5mm Headphone jack so you will need to get an adapter to use normal headphones but at least it better than an extUSB socket!). As this socket is on the side of the phone it may well cause problems for users or get knocked easily.

    HP iPAQ 514 Left

    HP iPAQ 514 Left
    HP iPAQ 514 Right

    HP iPAQ 514 Right

    The bottom of the phone has a standard USB adapter for charging and synchronisation (This is only USB 1.1 – maybe a cost saving move?) and a small slot in the case for a hand strap.

    HP iPAQ 514 bottom

    HP iPAQ 514 bottom

    The left hand side provides the button for “Voice Commander” HP’s in built Voice Control – More on this later…

    The keypad layout is quite similar across many phones at the moment. The four way d-pad top centre provides most functions and the well-sized centre button gives easy use and stops miss pressing other keys. Standard select keys above the Call and Hang-up buttons provide the remaining controls. In use these are reasonable although the keys are very smooth and shiny limiting the feel a bit. They do require a good press for sure and may limit your texting speed!

    HP iPAQ 514 Keypad

    HP iPAQ 514 Keypad

    Once I’d played a while I thought I had better set the phone to some use. Downloading and installing the SSL Cert for our mail server was simple and straight forward and configuring Outlook Mobile was a dream – Dropping in the server address, name and password had my e-mails heading down to the phone within seconds. (I don’t know why we don’t get the date/time on the display as standard but this was soon changed within the display settings)

    The standard T9 implementation works well and I have to admit moving from the Vario keyboard and back to T9 took a little bit of practice but I was soon back up to speed and to be honest I’m sure text entry is faster on T9 (Well for me certainly) and means I can use the phone one-handed.

    Office Mobile is included as standard with the normal Excel, Powerpoint and Word (No PDF Reader though for some strange reason). These are usable on the screen but, as with most phones get ready to use those scroll buttons…. The screen is actually pretty good although small (176×220 pixels); surprisingly clear and sharp with a good deal of brightness. The display is a 2” transflective (A type of LCD screen in which the pixels are illuminated from both the front of the monitor’s screen and from behind the screen) – These are meant to be good in all lighting conditions but I was a little disappointed in bright sunlight – The screen was quite difficult to see in these conditions.

    iPAQ 514 vs M700

    iPAQ 514 vs M700

    The iPAQ 514 is pretty quick in operation too with a TI OMAP 850 Processor running at 200Mhz, 64MB SDRAM for applications and data and a 128MB flash ROM. On a clean phone you are left with only 48MB of available space so that MicroSD card will come in useful.

    Specification-wise sees a whole raft of standards included, the phone itself has integrated quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE – No 3G Support included, perhaps this may come with future releases. We do however have really good wireless capabilities with Integrated WLAN 802.11b/g and Bluetooth® 1.2.

    The wireless connection connects well and offers a reasonable signal range (about 2/3rds the distance of my laptop) and of course offers internet based calling options as standard.

    I did try the multimedia elements of the phone and they are just about ok. Let’s remember this is more of a business phone built to a price so for music I will certainly be sticking to the iPod – The first thing you will want to do is get and adapter and use your own headphones as the supplied ones do leave a little to the imagination. HP Have included a 1.3M pixel camera with the phone which is probably one of the best I’ve seen on a device in this class. I’m sure many people will look at this and laugh at “only 1.3M Pixels” but let’s be honest – If you want to take good pictures don’t you buy a decent camera? For simple shots, moments in the pub or recording the aftermath of the latest floods outside your door for Sky it’s perfectly good enough. For anything else, buy an DSLR!

    HP iPAQ 514 camera

    HP iPAQ 514 camera

    There are some very good aspects to the phone though, the battery life is excellent – The quoted 188 Hours of standby and 6 Hours 30 Minutes of talk time can actually be exceeded. My Vario needed charging up each day (and usually a top up during the day) especially if I sent a lot of SMS. The HP on the other hand would still be some 70% charged at the end of a normal working day. The lower processor power and small screen will certainly be helping here.

    I mentioned earlier the “Voice Commander” system on the iPAQ 514. With a little practice this could be a useful feature (If you can’t access your phone if you are driving for example.) the Voice Commander allows you to “talk” to your phone and control it. At first I found this quite tedious and certainly rather Americanised in recognition as well as the Voice…

    In essence, pressing the voice commander button allows you to Call People, Have your e-mails and Text Messages read to you and even record Voice annotated replies to messages received. Well, It took me around 20 tries to get it to call someone but with a little practice this gets better. Road noise does have an impact and you could end up calling the wrong person so be wary before you say “Hi Honey….”. The e-mail read feature is good, but HP really need to offer an alternative voice option. This sounds like a female Stephen Hawking on the Simpsons… I was going to e-mail my self “The Nature of Space and Time” but that would have been really sad…

    So – What has the phone been like in use? I’ll skip the Windows Mobile 6 side of things as this has been well covered by Matt in the past and the HP Version is just the same as everyone else’s. The phone is very easy to use, once set up everything functions “as it should” there are no great surprises and the Voice Commander may get used by some people. But for some reason – I really like this phone, It has everything I need (and I would expect the same for most people in business) it’s fast to operate, the clear although small screen displays my E-Mails, SMS Messages and Appointments. I’m glad I’m back to T9 typing for sure and would rather carry around a much smaller lighter phone with the exceptional battery life the HP has.

    HP iPAQ 514

    HP iPAQ 514

    In fact – (Remington springs to mind) – I liked it so much I bought myself one and I am now using my iPAQ 514 full time as my mobile device. I’m sure other manufactures will follow suit and start building simple, straightforward easy to use phones that are affordable to users. The only downside? Why call it an iPAQ ?!!!!

    HP iPAQ 514 Specification:

  • Windows Mobile 6 Standard
  • 201 MHz Texas Instruments OMAP 850 CPU
  • 64Mb RAM / 128Mb ROM
  • 2″ 176 x 220 color transflective TFT
  • GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900
  • CSD, GPRS, EDGE
  • Built-in numeric phone keypad, 12 keys
  • SDIO, microSD memory slot
  • Bluetooth 1.2
  • USB 1.1 client
  • WiFi: 802.11b, 802.11g
  • 1.3 megapixel camera
  • 1100 mAh battery
  • 48.6 x 107 x 16.3 mm
  • 102 grams
  • What’s even better is that Clove Technology have just dropped the price of the iPAQ 514 to just £149 (£175.08 inc VAT)!

    Review by: John

    [Post tag(s): , , , , ]

    Posted in: Reviews
    https://www.ukmeds.co.uk/surgical-face-masks