Sony Ericsson Vivaz Review at phonearena!
March 30, 2010
“The currently available cell phones capable of HD video capture are still scarcer than chicken teeth. Of course, the undisputed leader in this market niche today is Samsung with their OMNIA HD i8910. The upcoming Samsung Wave S8500 and Samsung Beam I8520 are clear evidence the manufacturer intends to retain and strengthen its position. Said handsets happen to be, however, rather bulky.With the announcement of the Sony Ericsson Vivaz, the company showed its determination to fight for a chunk of the market of HD video capable cell phones and that such functionality does not necessarily equate to bulky size and hefty weight. The Vivaz is the second model of the communication entertainment series, with the Xperia X10 being the first. To win over customers, the device does not rely only on its capable 8-megapixel camera only, but proper multimedia functionality as well.The Sony Ericsson Vivaz is a high-end smartphone based on Symbian S60 5th Edition (also known as the Symbian^1) and the same personalized interface as the software-updated Sony Ericsson Satio. The Vivaz comes with 3.2-inch resistive screen, Wi-Fi with DLNA, HSDPA, GPS, accelerometer, FM radio, 720MHz processor and OpenGL ES 2.0 support.” Read more here:
Nokia N8 existence confirmed, nHD screen and Symbian^3 too
March 30, 2010
Some more specs of the rumored Nokia N8 were uncovered. What is said to be Nokia’s first 12MP cameraphone leaked through an XML on the company’s website. An nHD screen and Symbian^3 are all but certain, though nothing about the key feature of the phone, its camera is mentioned.
So, the screen on the Nokia N8 will sport the nHD resolution (360 x 640), which so far is the only resolution used by Nokia for their touch-enabled Symbian phones. The screen has 24 bits per pixel so that would make it capable of displaying 16 million colors.
What’s missing from the XML is whether it will be a capacitive or resistive. After the Nokia X6, it’s quite likely that the Nokia N8 will have a capacitive screen to go with the more touch-friendly Symbian^3. By the looks of it, the N8 will be Nokia’s first device with the new version of their proprietary OS.
The XML covers the connectivity – GPRS, EDGE, 3G with HSDPA, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. GPS is not mentioned but chances that the Nokia N8 won’t have GPS are slim to none. The CPU is a secret too – it’s an ARM processor, but that’s not saying anything.
Old rumors about the Nokia N8 had the 12MP camera shoot 720p video and play it over an HDMI port. The screen was put at 3.5″, resistive with multi-touch capabilities (!) . That rumor also talks about DivX – and the mention of MPEG-4 seems to confirm that.
Again, there’s a lot the XML doesn’t say about the Nokia N8. What we’re most eager to see confirmed is the 12MP camera.” via gsmarena.com
Photojournalism Award Judges Use Aperture
March 30, 2010
At the National Press Photographers Association annual Best of Photojournalism awards, the entire process of viewing and voting for images happened inside Aperture.
HTC Legend review A Hero becomes a Legend
March 27, 2010
“It took a little Magic and a Dream but Android eventually got a Hero to champion the OS. Now, the HTC Legend comes in an aluminum suit of armor to join the ranks of the Android army. So, is this knight in shining armor set to be the vanguard of the explosive growth of Android? The predecessor of the HTC Legend, the Hero, pioneered Sense UI and this latest gadget follows suit, but brings some innovation of its own.The HTC Legend borrows a page from high-end laptop design the aluminum unibody. The unibody design was touted as a game-changing breakthrough when it hit the laptop market. A lot of that was marketing hype, but the fact is that unibody metal designs still have a distinct quality feel to them.Before we jump into any details, well go over the key aspects of the HTC Legend and what we found lacking.” Read more here:
Android Based Alex eReader Can Now Be Preordered
March 26, 2010
“Book worms can now preorder the Alex eReader from Spring Design, the latest e-reading device competing with the Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble nook in an increasingly crowded eReader space. The Alex is a dual-screen Google Android-based model that offers web browsing as well as ebook reading.The Alex will feature a 6-inch display coupled with a 3.5-inch Android-powered LCD touchscreen, receiving its titles from Google Books over Wi-Fi.The device will support EPUB, PDF, HTML, TXT formats and the LCD touch-screen will support a full Web browser, allowing users to check email, watch videos, and access a number of Android applications.The dual screen also offers a novel feature called LinkNotes. With it, authors can insert hyperlinks into texts that will launch in the Alexs LCD screen, including multi-media and Web-based content. Users will be able to access the Web over cellular-wireless networks.”By combining a full multimedia browser with the efficiency and flexibility of an EPD screen supported by our open Android-based Alex eReader, we have truly placed a powerful tool in the hands of authors, publishers, professors, and institutions to create interesting interactive eBooks” said Dr. Priscilla Lu, CEO of Spring Design.The Alex eReader will ship with a 2 GB microSD card and is going to have an expansion slot supporting cards up to 32 GB. It will also sport a USB 2.0 port and comes with headphones, AC/USB power connector and a padded cover.The device will weigh 11 ounces and measure 4.7-inches wide and 8.9-inches high.”With its Android-based software, dual-screen display and Wi-Fi connectivity, the Alex eReader closely resembles the $260 Barnes & Noble nook –so closely that Spring Design filed a trade secret lawsuit against the bookseller last November claiming the two companies had previously discussed eReader designs in closed-door meetings and under a non-disclosure agreement.Spring Design then attempted to head off the Nook announcement by unveiling the Alex eReader just days before the launch of Barnes & Noble’s eReader.The Alex eReader can be pre-ordered now on the Spring Design websitefor $400.It is expected to shipApril 14according to its manufacturer.” via brighthand.com
Palm OS Apps Enabled on iPhone with StyleTap
March 25, 2010
“I am still remember my Palm OS days with the great Treo 650. While Palm OS applications can already be ran on Windows Mobile and Symbian platform using the StyleTap, the company has announced the StyleTap Platform for iPhone to enable your Palm OS applications to run on iPhone and iPod touch. StyleTap is giving a 14-day trial version at www.styletap.com/iphone. The full version is available for US$49.95.
StyleTap Platform for iPhone supports standard features that include TCP/IP networking, audio recording and playback, the ability to use the multi-gigabyte storage as a virtual memory card, and cut/copy/paste of text between native and Palm OS applications. It also provides innovative capabilities such as giving Palm OS applications access to the iPhone GPS by providing location information in standard GPS NMEA format.” via slashphone.com
Samsung Welcomes You to the "Smart Life" with the Global Launch of the Galaxy S
March 25, 2010
Skype Mobile for Verizon Wireless Available from Thursday
March 25, 2010
“With initial release to 9 mobile devices, Verizon Wireless and Skype has worked together to allow unlimited Skype-to-Skype calls for the company subscribers. The following devices, BlackBerry Storm 9530, Storm2 9550, Curve 8330, Curve 8530, 8830 World Edition, Tour 9630 smartphones, Motorola DROID, HTC DROID ERIS and Motorola DEVOUR will be the first to enjoy the service. Customers need a Verizon Wireless smartphone and data plan to use Skype mobile. Skype-to-Skype calls will not be charged against their monthly minute allowances or data plans.
According to the company releases, Skype mobile users can:
- make and receive unlimited Skype-to-Skype voice calls to any Skype contact around the globe;
- send and receive unlimited instant messages with other Skype users;
- manage the Skype contact list directly from the mobile application; and
- call international phone numbers at competitive Skype calling rates.
John Harrobin, senior vice president of digital media and marketing, noted, Skype mobile will change the way mobile consumers in the United States make and receive calls. With an always on capability, Skype mobile on your 3G smartphone means you never have to miss a call or make an appointment to connect with Skype users around the world. With Skype mobile, were untethering Skype users from their PCs and enabling them to stay connected on the best wireless network in the country. via slashphone.com
Dell Aero is ‘the lightest’ Android phone yet, poses for pictures
March 24, 2010
Introducing the Dell Aero Smartphone. The lightest Android smartphone coming soon to the nation’s fastest 3G network!
* 5 MP camera lets you share your life in a snap with integration into Flickr, Facebook, Picassa, YouTube and TwitPic
* Watch media come to life on the 3.5″ nHD display
* Stay connected with a variety of social networking apps including Facebook that is fully integrated into your phonebook and syncs events to your calendar!
* PC like web browsing experience with Flash Lite support for streaming audio and video content
* Connect to 20,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots
* Navigate using the onboard GPS system while talking hands-free. Check it here:
Kyocera First Android Smartphone Zio M6000 Coming Q2
March 24, 2010
“Kyocera Communications is back to smartphone market with its first Android smartphone called Zio M6000. Announced today, the Zio M6000 supports CDMA2000 1xEV-DO rev. A network, comes with 3.5-inch WVGA touch-screen, 3.2 megapixel camera, WiFi, 256MB internal memory and microSD card slot.
Returning to the smartphone space with a compelling Android-based device makes Zio a milestone product for Kyocera, said Eric Anderson, vice president of sales at Kyocera Communications Inc. Weve received great feedback about this phone from our customers and were confident that consumers will embrace it just as warmly.
The phones other key features include a virtual QWERTY keypad, advanced voice dialing, a superior speakerphone, stereo Bluetooth and 3.5mm stereo headset jack, USB 2.0, and a dedicated camera key to have fun with apps such as PhotoVault and Google Goggles. The handset measures in at 116 x 58.6 x 12.2 mm and has a talk time of up to 6 hours and standby of up to 18 days. Zio supports AAC, AAC+, eAAC and MP3 audio formats; H263, H264 and MPEG4 video formats; and BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, and SVG-Tiny image formats.” via slashphone.com