Friday, February 1, 2008

New Diamond Cell Phone from Tiffany

Luxury cell phones are not a new thing anymore, but they keep on appearing to satisfy the fashion needs of those who have larger bank accounts. SoftBank, a leading Japanese mobile carrier,

partnered with Tiffany Japan to bring such a phone, that will be sold for 10 million Japanese Yens, meaning about $93,600. It cannot compete against the world's most expensive phone, Goldvish Le Million, which costs more than 1 million USD, but it's still a terribly expensive device.

The handset comes encrusted in no less than 400 diamonds, totaling a bit over 20 carats, and will be available starting this month, most probably before Valentine's Day, to make an extravagant gift.

There aren't many technical details about the Tiffany handset, except the fact that it's a 3G device. However, judging by the specs the other SoftBank phones announced for 2008 have, this diamonded clamshell might pack a good photo camera and even Mobile TV features.

The real manufacturer of the phone is unknown for the moment, but it sure isn't Tiffany, known mainly for being one of the most respectable US jewelry brands. It's hard to believe they have a secret cell phone division, so it is more likely that they only worked on the handset's luxurious cover. Most probably, as the phone seems to be a clamshell resembling the majority of the phones released in Japan (except the diamonds, of course), the non-jewelry part was created by a Japanese producer. So it could be a Sharp, Toshiba, NEC, Fujitsu, Panasonic, Sanyo or Hitachi. Hard to tell.

The new Tiffany phone is available only from SoftBank starting February, as a limited number edition, so the Japanese men who want to offer their lovers a flower and hundreds of diamonds on a phone should quickly pay a visit to their bank for a small withdrawal.

Source: softpedia.com

BlackBerry Bluetooth music add-on


Research in Motion has developed a new BlackBerry add-on that look as if it will be coming to market soon.

Revealed in FCC filings in the States, the small new device is a consumer-friendly offering that's music-related.

The device, referred to in the FCC paperwork as the "BlackBerry Remote Stereo Gateway", is a Bluetooth receiver that will stream music from a BlackBerry phone to an audio system/speakers.

As the info has come been revealed as the device was going through the FCC approval process no other details, such as pricing or availability, have been unveiled.

The new product suggests that RIM plans to continue their push into the consumer market.

Source: pocket-lint.co.uk

Google improves search facilities for mobiles

The new Google mobile search service that was launched in the US in March last year is now available in the UK, France, Germany and Canada, and has been improved.

The upgraded service is claimed to offer faster searches and "more relevant results", according to the BBC.

Previously, mobile phone users using Google had to specify a search type in advance, or afterwards choose between different indexes such as local results, images or websites. This has now been changed.

A Google spokesman told the BBC: "The big thing that people will notice is that they just get the results they want, without them having to think ahead of time what sort of information they are looking for.

"You don't have to click through so many pages on that tiny little screen and on those tiny little buttons."

He added that mobile phone users tend to want specific information as opposed to browsing, continuing: "If you are looking to buy a digital camera then you are not going to do all the research for it on your mobile phone - it's not practical.

"But if you are looking for a restaurant and you are out and about, it's as easy to access the number and address on your phone as it is to call a directory service."

As the statement suggests, the key improvement is more location based searches, as Google says that mobile searches are more often than not used to find something near to where the mobile user is - for example, a cinema and film listing.

This announcement comes after Google's chief exec told delegates at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos that location-based advertising on mobile phones was going to cause a revolution for organisations like his own.

According to the BBC, Google has now set up engineering groups in North America and the UK to develop new applications.

These may include offering results in the form of a timeline or map, says the BBC.

Source: pocket-lint.co.uk

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

How Sony Ericsson PSP Could Look Like

In the Summer of 2007, rumors about a Sony Ericsson PSP mobile phone have appeared, allowing both Sony Ericsson and PlayStation fans to hope that, someday, a device that combines
the two brands' technologies could really exist. Since then, the PSP handset was confirmed, denied and almost confirmed again, so it has become a sort of a mobile myth. However, it is a general belief that the phone will exist sometime in the future, as officials from Sony Ericsson stated they seriously consider creating it.

Recently, new images of how Sony Ericsson PSP might be like appeared in the January issue of Stuff magazine in the UK, showing a device that looks almost real. Unfortunately it's not, being only a very well done Photoshop rendering. However, this imagined PSP phone could be very close to the real one that Sony Ericsson will work on (or maybe it's already working on it and keeps everything secret until the device is ready – I believe no one would be upset about this).

The Sony Ericsson PSP conceived by the Stuff magazine looks simply beautiful and has a sliding design, a wide screen and a large, simple keypad that would surely be easy to use. When closed, the phone only reveals its game control keys, that can probably have phone functionality too. This new PSP handset looks different from the original concept, which has more rounded shapes and doesn't come with a sliding design, but with a touchscreen that rotates to offer both a phone and a gaming mode.

Whether Sony Ericsson PSP will indeed exist is a fact that no one can be certain of. But, as I said, all the PlayStation and Sony Ericsson fans are waiting for an official confirmation of the device that should bring excellent gaming and phone capabilities.

Source: softpedia.com

Samsung E590 Review

Design
The most notable thing about the E590's design is its simplicity. There are no glossy surfaces. There are no touch-sensitive keys. There is no floral embossing. This lack of festive flair doesn't make for a boring phone though -- the phone has a clean, utilitarian design, but then so does a little player called the iPod.

The candy bar E590 comes in black or white, and at 66 grams almost floats on the palm. Grasping it in your hand, you feel like a giant meddling with the mobile of a standard human -- the footprint is about the same as a second-gen iPod nano.

A 220 x 220-pixel, 262k colour display sits atop a grid of refreshingly normal number keys and navigation buttons. All are the same shape -- think the cross-section of a Tic Tac. A stubby joystick handles the on-screen menu movement.

On the back of the phone is a 3-megapixel camera in a solid cylindrical housing that protrudes from the main casing. There is no lens cover, and the cam is in just the right place to get in the way of your fingers when holding the phone upright.

The sides of the E590 are punctuated thrice each with an array of elegant buttons and ports. On the left are a volume rocker, a multi-purpose connection port (headset, USB and charging), and a microSD slot. The right face houses a dedicated camera zoom key, a shutter button and a Mode key that switches between applications when the camera is enabled.

We weren't huge fans of the headset design; the plug sticks out too far to the side of the phone and you can't substitute standard headphones because it's a Samsung proprietary port.

Features
The spotlight feature on the triband E590 is the 3-megapixel camera, which oddly does not come equipped with a flash, LED or convex self-portrait mirror. To be fair, these omissions are redeemed in other areas: the cam is equipped with autofocus and the dedicated zoom rocker is a rare and welcome inclusion.

A basic image editor allows you to adjust colour settings and apply effects, frames and clip art to your snaps. It's not Photoshop, but it is diverting enough to hold your interest on the train ride home.

The Java World menu option features an array of trial games such as Cannonball, Forgotten Warrior and Midnight Pool. Our handset came with Paris Hilton's Diamond Quest, a simple gem matching game with an utterly ludicrous premise. A pixelated version of the lazy-eyed heiress pops up on screen with a speech bubble that says "I've got a hot idea for a jewellery line and I need the best gems for it. That's where you come in, babe". Cheers darl!

A music player, voice recorder, FM radio and Web browser round out the features list. The player has a simple interface but offers quite a few customisation options such as repeat, shuffle, equaliser presets and a rainbow of visualisations.

Performance
We were a little concerned that the teeny proportions of the phone would result in it being difficult to handle. Fortunately, these worries came to naught. The keys may be small, but their widely spaced placement precludes any accidental fat-fingered button mashing.

The camera performed nicely at higher resolutions, but didn't do so well at the lower end. Shots taken at the minimum resolution looked grainy and shapes were ill-defined. The autofocus was a blessing though, and the plentiful shooting modes -- including panoramic -- offer a lot of flexibility.

All up, the E590 is a solid phone that performs well, and goes back to the basics instead of relying on gimmicks. There’s no fuss, no superfluous decorative fancy bits, and no performance problems to speak of. We liked it a lot, but if you prefer your gadgets a little more flashy, you might find the look a little bland.

Source: www.cnet.com.au

Nokia 5310 XpressMusic Review



The Nokia 5310 XpressMusic is a compact & versatile music phone which the user will be proud to own. The handset is incredibly stylish which comes in a mainly black coloured casing complete with coloured sections which makes this phone look very fashionable. The 5310 XpressMusic comes with a choice of either bright red or bright blue coloured sections which highlights the phones large screen & dedicated music keys. The screen is 2 inches in size & has a high resolution & high colour display for the user to enjoy a full colour experience on their screen. The handset is compact & thin which measures 9.9mm in depth, 44.7mm in width & 103.8mm in length. The phone is lightweight therefore easy for the user to carry with them at all times which weighs 71 grams including the battery. The 5310 XpressMusic is a member of the XpressMusic family which includes other music orientated stylish handsets including the Nokia 5300 XpressMusic & Nokia 5700 XpressMusic.

This music focused mobile phone comes with an easy to access music player which supports MP3, MP4, AAC, eAAC+ & WMA music formats. The user can access & control their music easily using the three dedicated music keys which are situated to the side of the high colour screen. The Nokia 5310 XpressMusic comes with high quality music features including album art, music playlists & an equaliser. The user can listen to their favourite tunes over the phones speaker system or simply plug in the headset provided in the kit to experience a private listening experience. This phone will certainly keeps its music loving user entertained with up to 18 hours of music playback time & the 5310 XpressMusic can store approximately 3000 tracks for the user to enjoy. The user can search for music & games on the Internet by accessing the XHTML browser on their Nokia 5310 XpressMusic.

The phone comes with preinstalled games which include music guess, snake III & citybloxx games. The phone Nokia 5310 XpressMusic supports Java™ games & applications which allows the user to download more games of their choice. The user can access their games whilst on a plane using the flight mode feature. The user can store up to 2,000 contact names with up to three contact numbers under each contacts name. The calendar feature can hold up to 3,000 entries at any one time including Birthday reminds & appointments. The 5310 XpressMusic comes with easy to access countdown timer, clock, alarm, stopwatch features & much more.

The 5310 XpressMusic comes with thirty Mbytes of built in memory & the phone supports MicroSD™ memory cards which allow the user to add a memory card up to 4 Gbytes. The phone works over a tri band technology which works over GSM 900, 1800 & 1900 networks. A fully charged battery will provide the user with approximately 300 hours of standby time or 5 hours of talk time. The user can transfer music files & download music easily using either a Bluetooth™ wireless connection or a USB cabled connection between compatible devices.

The user can capture photographs & video clips using the integrated 2 megapixel camera feature. The camera comes with a useful zoom feature which allows the user to get closer to their subject when taking a shot. The zoom is a 4 x digital zoom & the user can view their subject on the 2 Inch high resolution screen. The phone supports video capabilities which allow the user to view & record their video clips. The user can share their photographs & video clips with others by using the MMS messaging service or the email service with supports attachments. The user can create an email complete with an attachment in JPEG, 3GPP, MP3, PPT, DOC, XLS or PDF format. The MMS messaging service allows the user to send & receive messages complete with photographs, images or video clips with sound & text.



Nokia 5310 XpressMusic Specifications & Features

Screen
2 inch 16.7 Million Colour QVGA Screen (240 x 320 Pixels)

Imaging
2 Megapixel Camera
4 x Digital Zoom
Ambient Light Sensor
Photo Editor
Video Record
Video Player
Animated Colour Screensavers
Colour Wallpaper

Messaging
SMS (Text Messaging)
MMS (Multimedia Messaging)
Email (IMAP4, POP3 & SMTP)
Email Attachment (JPEG, 3GPP, MP3, PPT, DOC, XLS & PDF)
Nokia Xpress Audio Messaging
Predictive Text

Sound
Music Player (MP3, MP4, AAC, eAAC+ & WMA)
Three Dedicated Music Keys
Loudspeaker
Stereo Headset
Real Time Equaliser
Album Art Display
Playlist
Video Ringtones
MP3, MP4, Polyphonic MIDI Ringtones

Entertainment
Music Guess Game
Snake III Game
Citybloxx Game
Java™ Games
Downloadable Games
Organiser
Phonebook (2K Contacts)
Calendar (3K Entries)
Alarm Clock
To Do List
Notes
Clock
Stopwatch
Countdown Timer
Calculator
Converter
Flight Mode

Connectivity
Bluetooth™
USB
GPRS
HSCSD

Network
Tri Band Technology (GSM 900, GSM 1800 & GSM 1900)

Internet
XHTML Web Browser
WAP 2.0

Memory & Talk Time
30 Mbytes Memory plus MicroSD™ Memory Option up to 4 Gbytes
5 Hours Talk Time
300 Hours Standby

Weight & Size
70 g
103.8 x 44.7 x 9.9 mm


Source: www.yourmobilephonereviews.co.uk

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Motorola MOTOFONE F3 Review



Design
What does seventy bucks buy you? Well, in mobile terms, any number of capped plans for a month, or about one-tenth of a decent phone. What you wouldn't normally expect it to get you is a half-decent phone -- or at least a phone that looks like it was designed in the last six years. That's where Motorola's low-cost MOTOFONE is deceptive; it's a thin, stylish phone with enough features liberally cribbed from Motorola's bag of design tricks to appeal to most users -- but it's also only one dollar short of seventy bucks. For some mobile phone users, that's practically throwaway money.

The other notable thing about the MOTOFONE, from a design perspective, is that it's remarkably thin for a candybar form factor phone. It measures in at 114 by 47 by 9 millimetres with a carrying weight of 70 grams. The keypad is large and easy to use, with simple dial, hang up, contacts and menu buttons surrounding a five-way keypad.

Features
The crux of whether or not the MOTOFONE will appeal to you lies in its feature set -- or lack thereof. It's a GSM-capable mobile phone, which in the Australian market is locked to Optus -- and it comes with a prepaid SIM in the box. It'll do SMS, and you've got a choice of some very standard monophonic ring tones. That's it, however -- there's no Bluetooth, GPRS, camera, GPS, 3G, HSDPA or even simple phone games. If you're incurably addicted to features like this you'll find the MOTOFONE vexatious in the extreme. Then again, it's a phone, and it works. Why pay for stuff you don't need or use?

The MOTOFONE features a rather unusual display, for two primary reasons. It uses a black and white electrophoretic display that Motorola brands as ClearVision. The intention with ClearVision is that the display should appear as paper-like as possible, but also with an eye to being viewable in all sorts of lighting conditions, including direct sunlight. The other display oddity is in the font used, which is massive. That's undoubtedly a plus for those with visual difficulties, but the horizontal orientation of the text, which only ever scrolls like a ticker along one line, means that most SMS messages -- and even missed calls and contact details -- scroll along multiple screens, which can make comprehension difficult. If anything, it's a strong incentive to use SMS-speak, if only to enable easily scanned messages.

Performance
In case it hasn't sunk in yet, the MOTOFONE is just a basic phone, and as a basic phone it works quite well. Call clarity was good in our tests -- those of a paranoid bent might like to note that the default call volume is quite loud -- and battery life was fairly solid. Motorola rates it for up to 450 minutes talk time and up to 270 hours standby time -- largely because when not in use the screen powers down to a simple digital clock display. In our testing, it lasted around three days heavy usage before needing recharging. This brought up one of our lesser concerns about the MOTOFONE, and that's in the fact that it takes quite a while to recharge. This isn't a concern if you're an overnight recharger, but it's not possible to do a quick recharge and get anything but a perfunctory charge into the MOTOFONE.

In order to make sense of the MOTOFONE's icon-based and rather simple menu system, the phone comes with voice prompting for each and every feature in a variety of languages. It's a good way to get to grips with how the phone works -- and how its menu designers think -- but can be quite embarrassing in public situations to have your phone patiently explaining how to send an SMS. It's basically a training tool; once you've worked out the menu structures you'll undoubtedly want to switch the voice prompting off as soon as possible.

SMS was acceptable, but the phone is lacking in one feature we'd say was essential for SMS devotees -- there's no predictive text facility. Admittedly, the huge size of the screen font could make some automatically completed words indiscernible, but it's still something we missed having.

There's no doubting that there's a whole market out there that would hate the MOTOFONE for its lack of high-end features, but that's not the market that Motorola's after with the impressively simple MOTOFONE. For what it is, and what it sets out to be, it succeeds admirably, and comes highly recommended.

Source: cnet.com.au

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