Archive for 2008
Part 5 – Bye bye Shift! đ
I’ve been using the HTC Shift for the past few weeks but sadly the loan unit is going back tomorrow and Iâm genuinely going to miss it. Ignoring showing off on Lombardy’s trains itâs been a real productivity boon. Yes I have some misgivings but overall Iâm really going to miss it, I may even shell out some of my hard earned and get myself one.
Iâve almost got used to the keyboard and I can rattle off even sizeable documents without too much trouble and can even carry it with me in my play life as opposed to just work. There do need to be a few tweaks for it to fulfil its original promise however itâs a great piece of kit.
Watch this space for the imminent full review.
Posted by: Alasdair
[Post tag(s): smartphone news, Pocket PC news, Tracy & Matt, Orange, HTC, HTC Shift, Microsoft Communicator]
We first heard about the HTC Diamond a few months ago when we learned from our contact at Orange that a new HTC product had appeared in the ‘coming soon’ section of the Orange price list.
Initial enquiries didn’t reveal much about the origins of the HTC Diamond – my initial thoughts were that this would be an existing HTC device that had been renamed for the Orange market. Our contacts as HTC even said that they had never heard of the HTC Diamond before.
However, we now know a little more about the HTC Diamond and can reveal the following:
The HTC Diamond will be HTC’s top-end device, it has been designed to compete directly with the Apple iPhone. Specs are said to include: 2.8″ VGA screen, 4GB Flash Memory, Multi-touch, new touchflo (TouchFlo II), Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, Qualcomm MSM 7201A @ 528MHz, 256MB ROM / 128MB RAM, 7.2MB HSDPA / HSUPA (rev A EVDO for Sprint versions), WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, eGPS, 3.1MP Camera with flash, Forward facing camera, TV out (Raphael only), Orientation sensor, FM Radio, microSD expansion, Diamond: 51x99x10.7mm – Raphael: 51x99x17mm
You can expect to see an annoucement from HTC in the very near future and this is something that we are going to be very involved with so watch this space for updates over the next few weeks. We suspect that the Diamond will be revealed at the press converence on the 6th May.
The suggested release date is June 2008.
Posted by: Matt
[Post tag(s): smartphone news, Pocket PC news, Tracy & Matt, Orange, HTC, HTC Diamond]
VITO Technology releases new black skin for Audio Notes Touch with absolutely new finger-friendly interface for audio recording on Windows Mobile. Minor bugs have also been fixed.
There are many users longing for black HTC Touch like skins in new finger-friendly applications at http://iwindowsmobile.com. VITO Technology has received a great amount of letters from our customers asking for a black skin of HTC Touch style. Therefore we decided to meet our usersâ demands and make black skin for Audio Notes Touch. Enjoy stylish and blackish design of your favorite application!
Minor bug connected with the ability to record on storage cards is fixed. When in autorecord mode Audio Notes Touch closes after saving the recording of the phone call.
Audio Notes Touch is available for $14.95 at http://iwindowsmobile.com/mobile-audio-recorder.html
Posted by: Matt
[Post tag(s): smartphone blog, Pocket PC blog, VITO Technology, Audio Notes Touch, Tracy & Matt]
The Asus M930 joins the ranks as one of the few devices to have both a numeric phone pad (outside) and a full QWERTY keyboard (inside). It’s a thin and elegant looking candy bar style device which looks more like an ‘ordinary’ phone rather than a Windows Mobile smartphone. BUT, when you open up the M930 it reveals a little secret as hidden away inside is another LCD Screen and a full QWERTY keyboard.
We only had the device the device on loan for a day so no time for a full review, however I’ve recorded an unbox for you and hope to get our hands on another M930 in a few weeks time in order to complete the review.
Asus M930 specification:
Posted by: Matt
[Post tag(s): smartphone blog, Pocket PC blog, asus, M930, Tracy & Matt]
A rether unusual device from HTC this one. The P6500 is a larger device that looks rather like a hand-held barcode scanner that you would see in your local supermarket. And that’s exactly the kind of application HTC have in mind for this device, even going so far as to say:
From logistics to warehousing and transportation, this full-featured PDA fits perfectly into any industry. With the open Windows architecture, it is simple to develop custom industry-specific applications that extend the use of the device far beyond making calls and sending e-mails.
The large 3.5-inch anti-glare screen enables images, media and data to be viewed with complete clarity. Combined with the auto-focus 3 megapixel camera which captures clear, sharp images, the HTC P6500 is perfect for 2D barcode and business card reader applications*. Critical data is kept secure down to storage card level with enhanced security features such as fingerprint ID sensors.
Once again, we’ll be reviewing the device over the coming weeks and are looking at it with more ‘industrial’ applications in mind. Here is the unbox to give you a better idea of what I am talking about:
HTC P6500 Specification:
Posted by: Matt
[Post tag(s): smartphone blog, Pocket PC blog, HTC, P6500, Tracy & Matt]
The Asus P750 has made the news a lot lately mainly because of its VGA screen which was initially set up as QVGA screen. Now with a ROM update you can use the P750 in its full 480×640 glory.
The P750 seems to be a popular device, each time we’ve mentioned it here on Tracy & Matt we’ve had a great response in terms of emails and comments. In fact one of our reviewers, Steve, has been asking me every day ‘When can I review the Asus P750?’. Well the answer is NOW! Steve is working on the review at the moment and we’ll have that here for you soon. For now though enjoy our unbox video:
Asus P750 specification
Posted by: Matt
[Post tag(s): smartphone blog, Pocket PC blog, asus, P750, Tracy & Matt]
Almost a year ago to the day I unboxed the first version of the HTC Advantage the X7500. It was, in fact, one of the first unbox videos that I recorded.
Now, almost a year and 80+ unbox videos later, we’ve got our hands on the latest HTC Advantage, the X7510. The overall look of the Advantage hasn’t changed much but it’s ‘under the bonnet’ that you’ll see the biggest difference. There’s now a 16GB Hard Drive included and Windows Mobile 6.1 professional for starters.
The other big change is to the keyboard. Earlier versions of the Advantage had proper tactile keys but this new model has been replaced with a flat membrane style keyboard which would look more at home on a ZX81! It does make touch typing something of an issue.
However, Owen is putting together our full review so we’ll see what he makes of it in day-to-day use. The review will be here soon (Won’t it Owen!?) but for now take a look at the unbox video:
Please ignore the fact that I call it the X7501 in the video. It is of course the X7510!
HTC Advantage (X7510) Specification:
Posted by: Matt
Don’t miss our coverage of the HTC Diamond launch event tomorrow. Coverage starts HERE.
[Post tag(s): smartphone blog, Pocket PC blog, HTC, X7510, Tracy & Matt]
It’s been a long timse since I’ve seen a Palm powered product and in fact we’ve never written a review on one. However, I saw the Palm Centro on Clove Technology’s wewbsite a few weeks ago and thought it was an attractive looking device with a built in QWERTY keyboard for well under ÂŁ200 – I decided it was worth a look!
So here is our unbox video for you to have a look at while we go ahead and prepare the review:
Palm Centro specification
Posted by: Matt
[Post tag(s): smartphone blog, Pocket PC blog, Palm, centro, Tracy & Matt]
Part 4 – Travelling with the HTC Shift!
I’m putting the HTC Shift through it’s paces, we’re off to Milan for a few days and unfortunately in this world of flexible working I have to attend a web and audio conference whilst we are away. The thought of lugging my notebook away on hols and all the Italian goodies I’d have to leave behind was a bit annoying (you just can’t guarantee that public machines have the right plugins)…… HTC to the rescue.
Fabulous idea the whole kit an kaboodle including a mini Brother printer fits easily in my hand luggage. There is one word of warning though, due to it’s diminutive size the security staff took some convincing that the shift was actually a notebook, had to do the whole turn it on and show it working thing for the resident security geek. When I did it elicited the usual grunts of approval.
Seems portability is gained at the price of smooth passage through the airport. Anyone else out there had similar experiences with the shift or any other gadgets?
Posted by: Alasdair
[Post tag(s): smartphone news, Pocket PC news, Tracy & Matt, Orange, HTC, HTC Shift, Microsoft Communicator]
Atraware and Idigicon have just released a new shoot-em-up called Platypus, and in so doing prove that a shoot-em-up can be cute!
From the press release:
Astraware and Idigicon are excited to announce the release of Platypus – the squishiest shoot-em-up ever – for Palm OS and Windows Mobile smartphones and PDAs.
Based on the cult classic for PC and Mac, Platypus is a fast, frantic and fun side-scrolling arcade shooter with a difference – the entire game is made from clay! The vast continent-spanning city of Collosatropolis has finally reached the limits of its expansion, and tall buildings cover every available space. The Collosotropolan leaders have decided the simplest solution is to invade the neighbouring country of Mungola. They don’t anticipate much of a struggle – Mungolans are simple, earthy types without much love for industry. In fact, Mungola’s entire defence force consists of a single squadron of fighter planes – the venerable F-27 ‘Platypus’.
Your mission is to pilot your trusty Platypus and save peaceful Mungola! Fly across the squashy fields and trees, avoid the snowy mountains and protect your planet. Shoot down the enemy ships and marvel as they disappear in a splat! Collect fruit bonuses and a range of power-ups to aid you in your quest!
Platypus is a fantastic, fun arcade game featuring 4 massive worlds each with several challenging levels. It’s the perfect casual game for arcade gamers and the perfect arcade game for casual gamers!
Platypus is optimised for play with 5-way or stylus and is available for Palm OS(R) and Windows Mobile(R) smartphones and PDAs, priced $19.95, from the Astraware website: http://www.astraware.com/platypus. Versions for Symbian(R) S60(R) and UIQ(R) will be released in Q2 of 2008.
Posted by: Matt
[Post tag(s): smartphone blog, Pocket PC blog, Tracy & Matt, Astraware, Platypus, Windows Mobile Blog]
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