News

HTC Advantage (X7500) in stock at Clove

The HTC Advantage x7500 is now in stock at Clove Technology.


The HTC Advantage has to be one of the most talked about devices of 2007 and priced at £579 (£680.32 inc VAT) it may seem like a lot of money but you have to consider the fact that the HTC Advantage is a Windows Mobile device like no other!

The HTC Advantage is a Mobile PC Communicator. Unlike laptops or computers, you do not need to wait for the device to (cold) boot up, you don’t have to worry about the battery dying within 2 to 3 hours or it being too heavy to be carried around.

The HTC Advantage has a huge 8GB hard drive, 256MB of ROM and 128MB of RAM combined with Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0, so you can run your most demanding business applications and store all the documents and files you need.

With its always-on, high-speed global connectivity, the HTC Advantage ensure you can keep in contact worldwide. As well as your email being “pushed” to you instantly, you can wirelessly synchronise files when away from the office.

The Advantage’s integrated 3.0 mega-pixel camera takes high-quality images, so you need never miss a moment. The 5” touch screen provides the ideal canvas for viewing their details clearly. The second VGA camera gives you everything you need to make video calls. You have 3G, WiFi and stereo Bluetooth 2.0 to open up a world of communication options.

The HTC Advantage’s large VGA touch screen, means you can easily view and work on your documents – while the detachable QWERTY keyboard makes it simple for you to work with everyday office applications.

The Advantage has been optimised for outstanding performance, whether it is to deliver the best possible web browsing experience or to give you up to 8 hours of ‘working’ battery life.

The 8GB hard drive can store up to 5 hours of video, 2000 songs or 25,000 photos taken on the auto focus 3 mega-pixel camera.

The Advantage’s inbuilt GPS and TomTom NAVIGATOR 6 navigation software will help you find your way quickly and easily from door to door.

Check out the HTC Advantage page on the Clove Technology website for more info.

Matt

[Post tag(s): smartphone blog, Pocket PC blog, Windows Mobile blog, T-Mobile, Ameo, HTC Advantage, HTC Athena, Tracy & Matt]

Dopod C730 details emerge

It’s been several months since we last heard anything about the HTC Cavalier and suddenly we discover that Dopod are set to launch their version of the device as the Dopod C730 sometime in May.

The HTC Cavalier is the eagerly awaited successor to the HTC Excalibur. The devices are similar in appearance but the Cavalier brings 3G/HSDPA to the table. It had previously been said that the HTC Cavalier would be ‘Delayed indefinitely’ and other articles refer to is as ‘Scrapped’ however, now that it’s coming to Dopod, hopefully the HTC Cavalier will see a worldwide launch!

Dopod C730 Specification

Posted by: Matt

[Technorati tag(s): smartphone, Pocket PC, Tracy & Matt, HTC Cavalier, Dopod S730, HTC Excalibur]

Save £20 with our Samsung i600 voucher

I’m sure that I lot of you have already seen our ‘Samsung i600 unboxed‘ and ‘Another Look‘ videos so if you fancy buying yourself an i600 we have teamed up with Clove Technology again to offer you a £20 discount off the purchase price!!

As with other Clove voucher offers, all you have to do is enter the voucher code below and £20 will be deducted from the purchase price at the checkout stage.

Voucher code: SAM600APR07

The offer is valid until the end of the month so hop on over to the Samsung i600 page on the Clove Technology site.

At £300 (+ VAT) we are pretty sure that Clove are one of the cheapest suppliers of the Samsung i600 and our voucher will give you a further £20 off!

Posted by: Matt

[Post tags: smartphone blog, Pocket PC blog, Tracy & Matt, Samsung i600, Orange, Samsung, Windows Mobile blog]

SanDisk and Sony announce SxS memory card

SanDisk and Sony Corporation today announced that the two companies have agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding with the intention of developing the SxS™ (S-by-S) memory card specification, with high-speed transfer technology compliant to the ExpressCard industry standard.

SxS™ memory cards will leverage the technology strength of SanDisk and Sony, who have a long and successful history of co-developing and promoting flash memory products. With this high-performance and high-reliability memory card, both companies are targeting workflow improvements for professional camcorders and non-linear video editing systems.

The SxS™ memory card specification uses flash memory and complies with the ExpressCard™ industry standard, and the card connects directly to computer systems through the high-speed PCI-Express™ bus. ExpressCard™ has been rapidly adopted by PC manufacturers to replace the legacy PC Card™ form factor, giving the SxS™ memory cards broad support in post-production hardware.

Sony will adopt this high-speed SxS™ memory card specification in its “XDCAM EX™“ series professional camcorders. SxS™ memory cards from SanDisk and Sony are expected to be available later in 2007.

Benefits

* High-speed data transfer of large video files. SxS™ memory cards are the first native PCI Express™ solid-state storage media1. PCI Express™ has a maximum data transfer speed of 2.5 gigabits per second, twice as fast as PC Card™-based storage media. In addition, SanDisk and Sony have optimized the technology protocol for controlling communication between hardware and SxS™ memory cards to enable high-speed transfer of large files, such as high-definition video, to PCs for non-linear video-editing. The target transfer speed of SxS™ memory cards is 800 megabits per second2.

* Compact Size. The SxS™ memory card specification uses ExpressCard™/34 modules (width: 34mm, height: 5mm, length: 75mm), half the size of PC Cards™. This enables the design of professional camcorders that are smaller and lighter, while still offering high storage capacities.

“Sony and SanDisk share the goal of providing leadership in high-performance, high-capacity recording solutions for professional video,” said Eli Harari, Chairman and CEO of SanDisk. “I am proud of the close cooperation we have had with Sony over the years, and I look forward to the exciting new products that SxS™ memory cards will enable.”

Yutaka Nakagawa, Executive Deputy President and Corporate Executive Officer of Sony Corporation, said: “Sony has successfully collaborated with SanDisk Corporation in promoting the Memory Stick formats. Significant milestones have been the Memory Stick PRO format in 2003, the Memory Stick Micro in 2005 and Memory Stick PRO-HG in 2006. I am delighted by today’s joint announcement of this new technology, which expands our collaboration to a new area, the professional video market, offering great benefits to users in this field. With the introduction of this SxS™ memory card, we will seek to expand its use throughout professional video applications to enable highly efficient workflow systems.”

Posted by: Matt

[Technorati tag(s): Tracy & Matt, SanDisk, SxS, Memory Stick Micro, Sony]

Nokia N95

There is no denying, within the Windows Mobile/Smartphone community, Nokia is considered to be something of a bad word. The word itself is often deliberately misspelt.

However with devices such as the Nokia N95 gradually developing more PDA-like features it’s becoming harder to ignore them.

The Nokia N95 was recently launched and offers functions similar to those that you would expect from a Smartphone but within a Nokia package running Symbian OS 9.2. The N95 is available to buy now from Clove Technology and more operators are offering the device to customers.

With all the advertising for the N95 cropping up all over the place we decided to take a look at one to see what all the fuss is about. Over the next few weeks we shall let you know what we think!

Nokia N95 Specification:

Features:

Quad Band

5 Mega pixel camera

GPS receiver

HSDPA/UMTS

WiFi

Bluetooth

Universal plug and play technology

What’s in the box?

Nokia N95

Nokia Video Connectivity Cable CA-75U

Nokia Connectivity Cable DKE-2

Nokia Stereo Headset HS-45, AD-43

Nokia Battery BL-5F

Nokia UK Charger

Printed Manual

Getting Started CD

Samsung i600 hits Orange website

Ok, so now it’s official, the Samsung i600 will be available on Orange ‘soon’. The device is now on the Orange website for all to see.

No details for the exact release date just yet but with the Samsung i600 being made avalable on the Clove Technology website I don’t suppose it will be too long before it becomes available to Orange customers. Probably business customers only to begin with as seems to the the way with Orange.

See for yourself on the Orange website or check out our Samusung i600 video.

Matt

[Post tags: smartphone blog, Pocket PC blog, Tracy & Matt, Samsung SGH-i600, Orange, Samsung Windows Mobile blog]

New CamerAware update

Paul from MoDaCo has just been in touch to let us know that there is a new vesion of his excellent CamerAware application available.

This latest BETA version of CamerAware includes the following changes:

– Added additional expert options (exit on disconnect)
– Updated auto bluetooth logic
– Updated GPS subsystem
– Updated installer code
– Added full screen mode
– Added support for night skins (included)
– Added support for customisable alert bar colours
– Improved horizontal alert bar reliability
– Updated power management settings when running but disconnected
– Updated to latest version of support libraries
– More menu options are now accessible without disconnecting
– Just for fun… 0-60 timer function added

Check out the full news item on MoDaCo and don’t forget to have a listen to our CamerAware podcast interview with Paul.

Matt

[Technorati tag(s): smartphone blog, Pocket PC blog, Tracy & Matt, MoDaCo, cameraware, podcast]

Orange SPV E650 available to business

Further to my post earlier this week about the imminent launch of the Orange SPV E650 it would appear that I was right on the money! Just a few minutes ago I received a copy of the official Orange press release which states that the E650 is now available to business customers.

Orange Launches First Windows Mobile 6.0 Device for Business Users

LONDON, April 11

– SPV E650 Combines Latest Microsoft Platform With Dedicated Messaging Features

Orange Business Services today launches the first Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.0-powered smartphone on the UK market. Available exclusively from Orange until the beginning of May, the compact SPV E650 combines powerful functionality with sleek design and the ability to connect with Wi-Fi, EDGE and GPRS networks, making mobile messaging easier than ever before.

Designed for business users, the SPV E650 offers all the advantages of a PDA, alongside quad-band functionality for ultimate connectivity. Users can update spreadsheets or documents on the move, using the mobile versions of Microsoft Excel and Word. Windows Mobile 6.0 means that documents appear on the device screen just as they would on a PC, avoiding formatting headaches.

The Orange SPV E650 also conceals a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, making it easier than ever before to respond to emails on the move. A generous screen, which switches automatically between portrait and landscape modes, provides optimum conditions for viewing and amending documents.

“We’re naturally excited to be the first operator to launch a Windows Mobile 6.0 smartphone onto the UK market,” comments Nick Horton, Head of Business Devices, Orange Business Services UK. “By offering this powerful new operating system in a device that combines a compact, attractive design with full QWERTY functionality, we believe the SPV E650 represents the best option yet for today’s mobile professional,” he added.

Windows Mobile 6.0 offers full compatibility with Microsoft Exchange Server, ensuring seamless synchronisation between users’ email accounts and mobile devices. Even hyperlinks are supported, enabling web pages to be accessed directly from emails whilst on the move.

Security features are another important feature of the SPV E650, allowing data to be erased remotely in the event of device loss or theft, via Microsoft Exchange Server.

The SPV E650 is now available to UK business customers for GBP165 (excluding VAT), or from free depending on contract. The device is also available to consumer customers from free to GBP161, depending on package.
SPV E650 – Technical Specification

Connectivity
Wi-Fi, EDGE and GPRS

Key Features
Windows Mobile 6® 6.0:
Create and edit Microsoft Word and Excel® and PowerPoint® documents.
ActiveSync® client with push-email support
2.0 megapixel inbuilt camera
Portrait and landscape screen modes
320×240 pixel touch screen with 65k colours
Video player, recording and streaming
Sliding keyboard
Loud speaker for hands free option

Accessories (in-box)
AC adapter with mini USB power plug
Mini USB/USB synchronisation cable
Headset
Battery

Specification
Form factor: sliding keyboard
Size: 101.5 x 50 x 17.5 mm
Weight: 120g
Talk time: up to 5 hours
Standby time: up to 7 days

I suspect that demand for this device will be pretty high and that it will become available to all within the next few weeks.

Now, where is that illusive SPV E600? 🙂

Matt

[Technorati tag(s): smartphone blog, Pocket PC blog, Tracy & Matt, HTC Vox, HTC S710, Orange, SPV E650]

End of the road for Dell Axim

Dell launched their Axim range of Pocket PC devices back in 2002 and after 5 short years Dell have officially announced that they are killing off thier Axim range.

Dell spokeswoman Anne Camden said that the Axim X51 family is no longer being offered and there are no plans for future devices. Apparantly sales have not been as good as Dell had hoped and for now it seems that the company is concentrating on its ‘other businesses’.

Matt

[Technorati tag(s): smartphone blog, Pocket PC blog, Tracy & Matt, Dell, Axim]

Orange SPV E650 this week?

Lots of rumours circulating about the eagerly awaited Orange SPV E650 as the moment the latest one suggests that the device could be released later this week!

We have already been told that some stores have received shipments of the E650 but I’m not sure how true that is. Anyone in Orange Retail able to confirm?

I’m have an HTC S710 in for review at the moment so will post a review of that shortly. In the mean time I can tell you it’s one of the nicest HTC devices I’ve seen for a while, if you want to ask me anything about it please feel free to contact me.

Orange SPV E650 Specification:

Posted by: Matt

[Post tag(s): smartphone blog, Pocket PC blog, Tracy & Matt, HTC Vox, HTC S710, Orange, SPV E650]