There is an interesting article over at Pocket PC Thoughts regarding the rumoured Zune Phone. Whilst I am far from opposing the idea I think it is something that Mircosoft feel they have to have a stab at given Apple’s success. It would be clever to wait until the folks who have signed up for the iPhone are coming to the ends of their contracts and try to sway them away. Also this would give them a good 12 to 18 months to get it right.
I have held off jumping into writing a review of the iPhone 3G deliberately because of all the euphoria and hype surrounding it’s launch you can so easily get carried away with it, so now nearly 3 weeks after getting my hands on one it is time to share my thoughts on the good the bad and the ugly sides of this years most anticipated phone.
The iPAQ 914c is another great looking device from HP. The iPAQ 914 is a blackberry-style Windows Mobile device with a fixed full QWERTY keyboard. Typically you would expect a device of this form factor to be a Windows Mobile Standard style Smartphone but in this case HP have included WM 6.1 professional complete with touchscreen.
Phillip is putting a review together for us which should be here next week, so until then, here is our unbox video:
HP iPAQ 914 Specification:
Like a trusted business partner, you can depend on the iPAQ 914C Series Business Messenger to keep you connected and productive.
This is the mobile email experience you’ve wanted. The QWERTY keyboard makes text entry fast and efficient. Scroll elegantly through your emails with the track wheel.
View and print attachments from a variety of applications. And it’s so much more than wireless email. Make calls and go online in countries around the world via 3G and Quad-band wireless technology, all from the iPAQ 914C!
EDIT: Phillip’s HP iPAQ 914 review is now live.
Posted by: Matt
[Post tag(s): smartphone blog, Pocket PC blog, Tracy & Matt, iPAQ, HP]
Msmobiles are reporting that the HTC Touch Diamond has hit Vodafone. Have a look here. Quoting from the Vodaphone website:
Over at Engadget Mobile is a story about how the iPhone is developing hairline cracks. They are showing up on the white iPhones probably due to easy visibility. Guess questions must be asked as to what materials were used in making the phones exterior.
Sidekicks have always felt like they were playing catch up with the more popular phones. They have a very attractive form factor and are easily more fun than business. Engadget Mobile have the specs of T-Mobile’s incarnation which seems to be just the normal incarnation. One paper the specs don’t dazzle but they are very much a standard you would at least expect.
Update: Gizmodo have posted a review of the device.
Boy Genius Report has the skinny on a new application called Magicpad. Seems its is currently under review for release in the App Store and contains the following features:
MagicPad is a note-taking app that includes a handful of basic ‘word processor’ functionality such as the ability to change font size / color and yes, copy / paste functionality. Of course copying and pasting text is limited in this application as you can only copy text within MagicPad and paste it within MagicPad.
Still a step in the right direction.
Introduction
I have to admit that I was a little skeptical about a Budget camcorder from a relatively unknown company. Usually these sort of devices are purchased purely based on their price and not quality. However could the Aiptek Z500 Plus buck the trend and provide both low price and high quality?
NOTE: Images in the review can be clicked to see a larger version.
What’s in the box?
Aiptek PocketDV AHD Z500 Plus Specification:
GENERAL
Looking at the Aiptek, as you would expect from a pocket device it’s pretty small for what it is. The unit is not going to win any awards for great and innovative styling but it is pleasant enough to look at.
On the front of the device is obviously the lens. The great thing about this is the clear cover, meaning to clean all that has to be done is wipe the clear lens cover as oppose to cleaning the various parts of the lens. Below the lens are the LED lights for added light when recording and below that is the flash strobe for stills.
The back of the device is home to all of the controls etc. Working from the top the is a four way directional stick which controls things such as the flash and macro mode as well as navigating menus. To the left of this is the mode button and to the right the menu button. Below these is the shutter button used for capturing still images. The Zoom slider located below this which is also used for manual focus. The record button sits below this, with the AV connector/Headphone input situated below this. There is then a cover which when removes reveals the mini USB and the HD out inputs.
Open: The 2.4” LCD screen has 3 buttons attached on the left hand side these are playback controls used to fast-forward, rewind etc.
On the bottom of the device is the tripod socket and under the battery cover is the SD Card slot.
Highlights and Lowlights
+Price
+Ease of use
-Lack of features & Functions
REVIEW
As I mentioned earlier Aiptek was a brand I was unfamiliar with and therefore was rather skeptical when it came to the Z500 plus a HD camcorder, capable of shooting in 1080p and offering a 5mp stills feature to boot all for £250.
The Z500 is very easy to use right out of the box turning on as soon as the 2.4” LCD swivel screen is opened, the ease of use continues throughout filming with simple point and shoot controls.
The Z500 plus is a relatively plain device which is certainly small enough to fit inside a trouser pocket or a camera bag, it feels rather well built for a camcorder of this price range which is surprising. The device has very few buttons for you to worry about the menus are navigated quickly and easily with the four way directional stick.
The camcorder is offers 1080p Recording at 30fps, 720p at 30 and 60fps as well as standard DVD quality for non HD filming, footage is stored with the use of an SDHC card with support for up-to 32gb allowing for hours of 1080p footage or 1000’s stills. The bundled component cable allows for easy playback via a High Definition TV, while the USB cable and software allow for easy transfer between the device and a PC or Laptop.
A big giveaway in budget camcorders is often the audio quality. The audio quality of the Z500 is pretty good, certainly bearable, but does not really match the quality of the picture which is a disappointment but the sound is certainly not as bad as other budget camcorders on the market. There is a speaker on the top of the device for playback using the device of course you can plug your headphones in, and sound quality when displayed on a TV is acceptable but nothing special.
Using the Z500 plus is very much and point and shoot affair with features such as macro mode and both auto and manual focus. On top of that there’s a very useful night mode allowing for enhanced quality in low light situations this teamed with the LED lights works really well for a camera of this size and price and certainly improves the quality greatly. The 3x optical zoom is not fantastic and the zoom is pretty slow taking a good few seconds to go from wide to telephoto. With macro mode the camcorder is great at shooting both distant and close subject in great quality. The swivel is screen is a fair size and is pretty clear during playback and the handy controls on the side of the LCD are a great addition and add to the Z500’s Ease of use. The swivel screen also allows for easy viewing when using the camcorder to film yourself for video diaries etc.
The camcorder works well as a still camera offering a 5 megapixel shot and with a built in flash allowing for shots to be taken under all circumstances, the camera also offer a standard mode as well as classic and black and white shots however nothing special is on offer in this department. It also come with a voice recorder for notes etc. which is always handy.
Battery life for the device is not bad but not fantastic it will last around 70minutes with continual 720p recording and close to 200 shots using it as a stills camera.
The camcorder comes bundled with a number of things including the handy pouch with belt loop for keeping you Z500plus safe protected and within reach at all times. It also comes with a remote control which is a very useful thing to have when it comes to easy playback control as well as navigation etc. and it saves you having to fiddle around with the device all the time.
The software included on the disk is QuickTime player, HD-DV Decoder, Total Media Extreme, Photo impression and a E-Manual. Many of you I am sure will already have Quicktime therefore will find little use for the software on the disk but it is always worth checking it out and of course more advanced software can be purchased online.
I captured a few still shots and sample video for you to have a look at.
CONCLUSION
During this review it was very difficult not to compare the Z500 Plus to other more expensive HD camcorders such as those from Sony however the price is the first thing that draws your attention to this camcorder and for £250 it does not disappoint, it is a great camcorder for someone wishing to upgrade to HD filming with ease of use and great point and shoot teamed with a 5 megapixel camera with flash. The lack of advanced features and functions means this is not a device for hardcore move makers looking for all the features and functions associated with higher end camcorders. Overall a great entry level HD camcorder but lacks the depth and functionality to compete with the higher end models. Perfect for amateur movie maker looking for an introduction to the world of High Definition Filming.
Review by: Nick
Phone Arena have posted a video review of the Samsung Omnia. Between this review and the Mobility Today video review I think almost everything has been covered. The flaw really are a shame as this could have been a major player in today’s market.
Mobility Today have posted a video review of the Omnia. Its feature packed but have a few problems in and around the hardware, especially for those Stateside. Worth checking out, video is after the break.
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