Nokia X7 review - The phone from outer space

When the Nokia X7 arrived to my home, courtesy of the nice folks at WOMWorld, I wasn't there to receive it as with almost every package that comes with my name on it. So my wife received the package. I usually ask her to open up the package and plug the phone into the charger so I can use it fully charged when I get back home. When I get home I usually find the phone still connected to the charger lying on the kitchen table. So, I go and grab the phone and start playing with it. The day I got the X7, I had a "WTF?" moment when I got home... The phone wasn't there where all phones are left my wife for charging. So, I scratched my head, and I asked her where it was. She told me that the battery was almost full, and she didn't plug it, but she used it the entire day, shooting photos and videos of my kid, and playing Angry Birds on it. My jaw dropped! It was the first time I've seen my wife being so enthusiastic about a phone. And a touch phone none the less! She's a sworn enemy of touchscreens. She completely ignored the C7, E7 and N8, but she could not resist the X7. And after I held it in my hand I understood why. It has something, that just attracts you to it. it may be the design, it may be the way it feels in your hand. Bottom line, it's a joy to behold.




I usually shoot an unboxing video for every phone I receive, but I barely got 15 minutes of use of the X7 that day, and shot the unboxing next morning while my wife was still asleep, otherwise I might have waited for a few more days.

The X7 doesn't have the camera that the N8 has, doesn't have the sliding keyboard, the Clear Black Display, or the front facing video camera, but it has personality, and it's just a beauty. It's sleek, and I'm talking SE Xperia Arc-like sleek, but much stronger and much better build quality than the Xperia. Because of the design of the phone, the screen seems to be even bigger than it actually is. And the design, makes it look like something from outer space, which made me wonder which planet did the DHL guy came from :P

No one can accuse Nokia of lacking originality and innovation when it comes to design. These days Apple sues Samsung because of "rounded corners with one button" phones. They should take a look at what Nokia does design-wise and innovate instead of wasting time and money in courts.

Back to the X7. The phone is equipped with the same EDoF 8MP dual led flash camera like the C7 and E7. It cannot be compared with the 12MP AF camera of the N8, but still holds it's own, even indoors.

The phone has an unbelievable balance between size and weight. It feels solid, and just fills the palm of your hand.




The display is very bright, but the X7 does not have ambient light sensor. Maybe it was meant to be that way since it's an entertainment phone and most of the times you'll be holding it in landscape mode, and the light sensor may get covered up by your hand.

So, the X7 doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the E7 or the N8, but it quickly became my favorite.

Another thing I liked about the X7 was, and you're gonna think I'm out of my mind, the fact that the touchscreen is not insanely sensitive like the E7's. It does not register a click after the slightest of touches. On the E7 I got a lot of accidental clicks, but with the X7 it never happened. Maybe this is one of the reasons I favor it over the E7.

I got a lot of WOW's at work when I showed up with the X7. And for good reasons.

The picture quality is good, not best, and the HD video recording is very good, as I was expecting from a Symbian^3 device. But the device really shines when you're playing games. It's a whole new experience. The phone seems to be designed to be used mainly in landscape mode, held with both hands. Angry Birds just got better on the X7's screen.

The gaming side is enforced by the two games that come preloaded, Galaxy on fire and Asphalt 5. Both play very well on the X7.

Unlike it's S^3 brethren, the X7 does not have any internal storage, but it has an SD expansion slot and it comes with an 8GB SD card preinstalled. You might think about getting a larger SD card if you plan shooting HD videos a lot, because they tend to eat up your SD space.

HARDWARE

There's not much to be said about the hardware, it's about the same as on every other S^3 device, besides the screen and keyboard.

GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100
AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Resolution: 360 x 640 pixels, 4.0 inches
Gorilla glass display
Proximity sensor for auto turn-off
Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate
Memory: 256 MB RAM, 1 GB ROM
Expansion: microSD, up to 32GB, 8GB included
Size: 119.7 x 62.8 x 11.9 mm, 85 cc
Weight: 146 g
Stereo speakers
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP
microUSB v2.0, USB On-the-go support
Camera: 8 MP, 3264x2448 pixels, EDoF(full focus 40cm to infinity), dual-LED flash
Video: 720p@25fps
OS: Symbian Anna
CPU: 680 MHz ARM 11 processor, Broadcom BCM2727 GPU




The box comes with a micro-USB charger, a first for Nokia Symbians. The X7 uses only the micro-USB port for charging, being the first Nokia that does not use the classic Nokia pinhole charger.

The box also contains a micro-USB data cable, and a set of earphones.




On the top of the X7 you can find the micro-USB port, the 3.5mm jack port and the power/unlock button. Unlike previous Nokia touch phones, this one does not have an unlock knob, the only to unlock it is by the unlock touchscreen button. This is more in line with modern smartphones, even though I have to say I miss the unlock knob.




On the right side of the phone you can find the volume rocker and the camera key.

On the left side you have the SD card tray and the SIM card tray.

On the front of the phone you have the ear piece with the proximity sensor, the large 4 inch touchscreen and the classic menu button. There are no dedicated call and hang up keys. The menu button is nicely located in the middle.

On the back we have the 8MP camera with dual-LED flash.

The grids on the bottom corners of the phone hide the stereo speakers. The phone only has 2 speakers, not 4 as it may seem, the top grids being there for design only.

SOFTWARE

The X7 is powered by Symbian Anna, with the additional games I mentioned above. The Symbian Anna review I wrote was done on the X7.

So, how good is the user experience? Well, think about this: It turned my wife who's a touchscreen hater, and who could not use an Android phone if her life depended on it. She loved it, and now she wants one for Christmas. Hope it'll get cheaper by then.

Here is my unboxing and video tour in case you missed them:

Mac Os X Lion Review

 X Lion

Gadget Mobile Technology: Mac Os X Lion Review - Apple has released Lion, the latest version of its OS X operating system for desktops and laptops. Shane Richmond reviews it.

Apple last updated OS X two years ago with the release of Snow Leopard. That version of the operating system that runs Apple’s desktop and laptop computers focussed mostly on performance improvements and ‘under the hood’ tweaks. Lion, released today, is a different beast; it has more than 250 new features and some of them will change significantly the way you work with the operating system.

Between Snow Leopard and Lion, something important happened. The iPad, dismissed by many as a gadget that nobody needed, proved to be enormously popular. So popular, in fact, that Apple has brought some of the features of the iPad operating system, iOS, back to the Mac. This ‘iPad-ification’ of the Mac is most obvious in LaunchPad, a new feature that displays all the applications on your Mac on an iPad-style grid. You can even create folders and pages of apps, just as you can on an iOS device.

Experienced users may ignore LaunchPad. I had to remind myself to use it during my time testing Lion. If I want an app that isn’t in my dock, I habitually use Spotlight. However, this isn’t a feature for power users. It’s a cleverly-targeted feature for those whose only experience has been on an iOS device - an iPad, iPod touch or iPhone. Thinking of moving from an iOS device to your first Mac? LaunchPad makes everything look a little more familiar.

If LaunchPad is the part of Lion that most looks like the iPad, there are changes right across the new OS that bring the feel of the iPad. The iPad, and other iOS devices, are touch-based experiences, obviously. A new range of multi-touch gestures in Lion brings some of that experience to the laptop and desktop.

There are two-finger gestures - swipes, scrolls and taps - that work within apps and three-finger gestures that work between apps. Swiping three fingers upwards reveals another new feature: Mission Control. It shows everything that’s running on your Mac on one screen. It’s a super-charged version of expose and it’s much more useful. I’ve been using it constantly.

Source

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New Macbook Air Review

Macbook Air

Gadget Mobile Technology: New Macbook Air Review - Thinner is better. At least, that's what Apple seems to think, judging by the new MacBook Air. It's so thin you could use it to shave. In fact, the 11-inch version is the most portable laptop we've ever encountered, even taking netbooks into account. But can it possibly be worth its £870 price tag?

Model behaviour

The 11-inch version of the MacBook Air comes in two basic configurations. The cheapest model offers 64GB of flash storage, a dual-core 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, 2GB of RAM and an Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics card. If you're willing to stump up £1,020, you can get a version with 128GB of flash storage. The RAM and processor options on both versions can be upgraded slightly, but it'll cost you.

Design is one of Apple's main strengths, and the 11-inch Air is another exemplary effort. It measures 300mm wide by 192mm deep. When closed, it tapers from 17mm tall at the back to a mere 3mm at the front. It can be hard to get your head around figures like that when you're not actually holding the machine, but take our word for it -- the Air is mind-warpingly thin.

Heavy metal

This computer will slide snugly into a bag -- and maybe even a large handbag -- with less fuss than any other laptop we've seen. But you might be surprised by its weight. The Air might look like a sheet of A4, but, at 1.06kg, it definitely feels like a computer. This machine is still lighter than just about every other laptop and netbook, though, so it's not going to shatter your bones or crush your children.

Another thing to bear in mind when it comes to portability is that the Air's power cable is very long and the transformer is bulky. If you're planning to charge the Air up while you're out and about, you'll need to make extra space in your bag.

The computer's weight is largely down to its aluminium construction. While the Air would be a darn sight lighter if its chassis were plastic, its aluminium carcass makes it a sturdy chap, which is important when you're dealing with something thinner than an After Eight.

The aluminium chassis also lends this computer a classy feel. Slim, glossy and elegant, there's very little to criticise about the Air's design. Our only real gripe is that the aluminium bezel around the screen doesn't look as classy as the black glossy version on the MacBook Pro.

Track and feel

The Air is a pleasure to use. The keyboard is massive, running nearly to the edges of the chassis. Each key is large, and there's enough space between them to reduce the potential for typos. Rattling off emails at speed is definitely on the cards. Sadly, the keyboard has no backlight, unlike the MacBook Pro.

The trackpad is fantastic. Large, responsive and silky smooth, it's extremely satisfying to use, and you'll quickly get the hang of swooping through the Mac OS X interface using multi-touch gestures.

It's the Air's ease of use that really blows the 11-inch competition out of the water. There are other machines of this size that look good and offer reasonably speedy performance, but none that come close in terms of usability. Creating a miniature computer that's a genuine pleasure to use is no mean feat.

A snifter of port

Previous versions of the Air received a merciless drubbing for having barely any connectivity options, sporting only one USB port, and lacking a FireWire socket, Ethernet jack and optical drive. The situation hasn't improved much on the new Air, although the notably absent ports are arguably less important than they used to be.

Down the left of the 11-inch Air, you'll find a USB port and a 3.5mm socket for plugging in your headphones. On the right-hand side, there's another USB port and a DisplayPort connection. That's your lot.

So what will you miss out on? Playing DVDs is out of the question, but arguably they're becoming less important to many computer users. The lack of an Ethernet port is a bitter pill to swallow, though -- if you want to get online, you'll have to rely on Wi-Fi. That's bound to prove massively inconvenient at some point. There's no SD card slot either, unlike on the 13-inch model. That could drive camera owners crazy.

We don't think the lack of connectivity options hamstrings the Air, but we suggest you think about when and where you'd use this laptop before making a purchase, as well as what other pieces of tech you'd use it with.

Despite Apple touting the Air as an 11-inch machine, its display actually measures 11.6 inches diagonally. The screen boasts a resolution of 1,366x768 pixels, which is higher than that of most netbook displays. It's a high resolution for a fairly small screen, so you might occasionally find text in Web pages appears uncomfortably small. Still, in general, the Air has a great display. It's bright and extremely colourful, with a wide viewing angle.

Stale chips

The Air's processor options are rather long in the tooth. As standard, you get a dual-core Intel Core 2 Duo CPU clocked at 1.4GHz with 3MB of L2 cache. You can upgrade the 128GB model's processor to one clocked at 1.6GHz if you fancy a minor speed boost, but it'll set you back £82, and we'd be surprised if it delivers very much extra grunt. Each model comes with an Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics card too.

The Air offers 2GB of DDR3 RAM as standard, but you can upgrade to 4GB of RAM for £80. If you're going to splash out any extra cash on the Air, we reckon upgrading the RAM should be a priority, as 2GB is pretty measly.

Our review model was the most basic version, with a 1.4GHz CPU and 2GB of RAM. When we ran the Xbench benchmark test, the Air scored 123.50, which is pretty average. The 13-inch Air with a 1.86GHz Core 2 Duo chip scored 162.45, which is better, but still pretty mediocre.

Despite having a dedicated GPU, the Air's graphics performance isn't up to much. The Air ran our Cinebench graphics test at 10.92 frames per second, which isn't very good at all. Don't expect this machine to handle games well.

On paper, then, the Air's performance isn't great. Anecdotally, however, we never found the Air to be sluggish. Swooping around OS X and opening software all proved reasonably swift and, most importantly, high-definition video played really smoothly, with only very occasional stutter.

But, any way you slice it, paying a premium for somewhat dated hardware never feels good. We've few complaints about the user experience the Air offers, but, if you're not comfortable with its processor options, you might want to wait until the next version of the computer is released. Hopefully, we'll then see more up-to-date chips snaking their way into the Air.

Flashy fella

The Air uses flash storage. It's expensive, but flash is more reliable than a traditional hard drive because it doesn't have any fragile moving parts, so it's more likely to survive a nasty knock. It's also faster. But it's worth bearing in mind that, even if you could get inside the chassis, the Air doesn't use a standard solid-state drive, so replacing or upgrading the drive will be nigh on impossible.

We tested the Air's battery by running high-definition video on a loop and timing how long it took for the laptop to run out of juice. It lasted for around 2 hours and 30 minutes, which is quite impressive, and makes us think Apple's claim of 5 hours of wireless usage isn't too far off the mark. It's worth noting that the 13-inch Air managed 3 hours and 10 minutes in the same test.

Conclusion

The 11-inch Apple MacBook Air is a delightful little machine, but, before buying it, make sure you know exactly how you'll use it. Otherwise, your new aluminium buddy could turn into an expensive nemesis. For casual Web browsing, multimedia playback and travel purposes, it's a great option.

If you need a machine that can handle intensive computing tasks, though, you'll need to keep looking. We'd advise checking out the new 13-inch MacBook Pro. It's powerful and not too much bigger.

Source

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Product Review Canon 350D

Digital SLR ini termasuk favorit banyak fotografer. Termasuk (yg bukan) fotografer seperti saya. Bodinya ramping mudah dibawa kemanapun. Walaupun bodinya imut, namun fungsi sudah sangat memadai untuk membuat gambar bak fotografer professional. Dengan kemampuan 8 megapixel-nya yang diolah dengan DIGIC II image processor membuatnya tidak kalah dengan kamera kelas profesionalnya.

Menu-menu yang ditawarkan sangat mudah diakses melalui tombol-tombol yang user friendly. Pengalaman saya dalam menggunakan 350D sebagai my firs DSLR sangat-sangat memuaskan. Dengan mudah kita bisa mengaplikasikan teknik dari buku panduan. Mencari menu atau pengaturan mode kreatif sangat mudah dilakukan.

Dari sisi, compatibility dengan berabagai macam lensa Canon maupun produsen lainnya tidak ada masalah. Anda akan memiliki pilihan lensa yang sangat luas, mulai dari lensa L-series, EF, EFS dari Canon, Tamron for Canon, Sigma, dan Tokina. Saya sendiri sangat puas dengan kombinasi Canon 350D ini dengan Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II LD Aspherical (IF).

Mungkin satu-satunya keluhan terhadap kamera ini adalah dari mereka yang memiliki tangan dan jari yang besar. Karena body 350D cukup mungil, menyulitkan mereka memegang dan mengoperasikannya. Selebihnya kamera sangat saya rekomendasikan.

Nah review lengkap produknya seperti berikut (dikutip dari www.canon-europe.com )

Faster processing for better results
Underpinning the camera's performance is Canon's high-speed DIGIC II (Digital Image Core) processor, as found in Canon’s professional series EOS-1D Mark II and EOS-1Ds Mark II. DIGIC II is Canon’s second generation image processor, purpose built to handle the complex algorithms required for maximum image quality; optimally processing functions such as white balance and colour rendition. By integrating key functions onto a single processor, DIGIC II delivers superb quality images without trading camera responsiveness. "Digital image quality is dependent on three factors: lens quality, sensor performance and image processing capability,” said Jensen. “Canon is a developer, designer and manufacturer of the key components in each of the three critical technology areas: lens, CMOS sensor and image processor. It is the leadership position in each of these core technology areas that gives the EOS 350D Digital its edge.”

Better focusing
Focus can now be selected between One Shot AF (for single shot focusing), AI SERVO AF (for predictive tracking of subjects approaching at up to 50kph up to 10m away ) and AI Focus AF (switches automatically between One Shot AF and AI SERVO AF when subject movement is detected). This improves on the EOS 300D by providing direct selection of the three focusing modes. For more flexible focusing, AF point selection is now possible with the cross keys as well as from the main dial. Full time manual override is available with all EF Auto Focus lenses, while a new Precision Matte screen gives a brighter viewfinder image for easier, more accurate manual focusing.Improved flash, The pop-up flash has a guide number of 13 and sits even higher (95.5mm) above the optical axis than on the EOS 300D, helping suppress red eye effect and reducing the possibility of lens barrel shadow. Angle of coverage extends to support wide lenses to 17mm. Flash compensation of ±2 stops in 1/3- or 1/2- stop increments is available with both the built-in flash and with all EX-series Speedlite flash units. Optional wired or infra red wireless remote control is available.

Comprehensive accessories, software and online access
The EOS 350D Digital comes complete with NB-2LH battery pack, charger, USB cable, video cable, wide embroidered anti-slip neck strap. A new optional Battery Grip BG-E3 gives the camera a solid and balanced pro feel, particularly when the camera is fitted with longer lenses, and includes a shutter release and main dial for vertical/portrait shooting. It comes complete with one magazine that takes 6 AA batteries and another that takes two NB-2LH Li-Ion rechargeable batteries.Purchase of the EOS 350D Digital entitles photographers to membership of the CANON iMAGE GATEWAY with a 100 MB online photo album for image uploads. As well as Digital Photo Professional RAW image workflow software, ZoomBrowser EX 5.1 (Windows) and ImageBrowser 5.1 (Mac) are included for handling image file transfers between camera and computer, managing and printing files, and preview and conversion of RAW images.

Selengkapnya: www.canon-europe.com

Nokia E7 review

Well, two weeks ago the nice people at WOMWorldNokia have sent me the latest Nokia flagship, the almighty E7. Why almighty? Because when held in hand you find yourself staring at it and only one word comes out of your mouth "WOW".




The huge 4 inch display dominates the front of the phone, along with a single menu button. The blacks of the CBD(Clear Black Display) are outstanding. I honestly could not see where a gradient that ended in the black color ended and the display bezel started.

On the left side you have the unlock knob, while on the right side you have the SIM card housing, the volume knob(yes knob) which replaces the traditional volume rocker, and the dedicated camera key. On top you have the micro-USB port which serves for charging too, the HDMI port and the power button.




There is no SD card slot(not that you'd need one anyway) and on the down side, the battery is non replaceable because of the unibody design.

The anodized aluminium case is as strong as it can be on a cell phone, and the Gorilla glass covering the display should prevent scratches from deteriorating the 4 inch screen.

The phone feels solid(and probably is) and the sliding mechanism is very easy to use once you get the hang of it. The first time you open the keyboard you feel like the phone is ready to snap out of your hands, like a wild horse. But once you get familiar with it, it's actually a very nice feeling.




The keyboard is the best I have ever seen. The keys are comfortably placed and spaced, and pressing them is as easy as can be.

The SIM card is not hot swapable, the phone reboots after the SIM card is changed.

The build quality overall is excellent, but there's just one thing... the menu button. It seems a bit fragile, but I guess it can leave that impression compared with the rest of the hardware.

After using and Android phone in for some time now, I have to point out one thing that Nokia phones, not just the E7 have that droids do not: Wake up on alarm. This means that if you have set an alarm clock and the phones is turned off, the Nokias will power up and ring while the Android phones will not. It is a very important feature to remember when buying a new phone.

As usual on Symbian^3 devices, a full range of video codecs is supported including avi and divx files, which, along with the 4 inch screen can mean you can even watch movies on it while traveling.





HARDWARE

2G Network - GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network - HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100
Dimensions - 123.7 x 62.4 x 13.6 mm, 104.9 cc
Weight - 176 g
AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size - 360 x 640 pixels, 4.0 inches
- QWERTY keyboard
- Nokia ClearBlack display
- Multi-touch input method
- Proximity sensor for auto turn-off
- Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate
- Scratch resistant Gorilla glass display
Loudspeaker, 3.5mm jack
Phonebook practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall
Call records - Detailed, max 30 days
Internal - 16 GB storage, 256 MB RAM, 1 GB ROM
No card slot
GPRS - Class 32
EDGE - Class 32
3G - HSDPA, 10.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 2 Mbps
WLAN - Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth - v3.0 with A2DP
microUSB v2.0, USB On-the-go support
Primary Camera - 8 MP, 3264x2448 pixels, fixed focus, dual-LED flash, geo-tagging, face detection
Video - 720p@25fps, video stabilization
Secondary Camera VGA
OS - Symbian^3 OS
CPU - 680 MHz ARM 11 processor, Broadcom BCM2727 GPU
Messaging - SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM
Browser - WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML, RSS feeds
Radio - Stereo FM radio with RDS
GPS with A-GPS support - Ovi Maps 3.0
Java - MIDP 2.1
- Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
- Digital compass
- TV-out (720p video) via HDMI and composite
- Dolby Digital Plus via HDMI
- MP3/WAV/eAAC+/WMA player
- MP4/H.264/H.263/WMV player
- Voice command/dial
- Document editor (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF)
- Video/photo editor
- Flash Lite 4.0
- Voice memo/dial
- Predictive text input
Standard battery, Li-Ion 1200 mAh (BL-4D)
Stand-by - Up to 432 h (2G) / Up to 480 h (3G)
Talk time - Up to 9 h (2G) / Up to 5 h (3G)

SOFTWARE

I'm not going to do a full software review, as I've already published a full review of Symbian^3 and unfortunately, the E7 does not come with Symbian Anna update yet, so I'll only mention the apps that are specific to the E7.





First of all the E7 comes with a full QuickOffice license unlike the C7 I previously reviewed, and a full license of Adobe PDF.
Another software difference is the Communicator software installed on the E7, and that is expected in a business device such as the E7.

Overall, the software experience is smooth, but some apps are better optimized than others, so the user experience is not as consistent as it should be. However, things should change once Symbian Anna will be available for the E7, which is gonna happen in the following months.

Now, I have heard a lot of opinions about the E7. Some say it could have been more than it is. Others say it's more that they could have expected. I think that if you want the level of customization of Android, this phone is not for you. But if you want a reliable business phone, which can also entertain your while traveling(and I mean movies, games and so on) then you should seriously give it a go.

The 8MP camera takes very nice pictures, and it's very very snappy, because of the EDoF technology used. It's a full focus camera, and landscapes are just a pleasure to shoot. Folow the link to check the quality of the photos taken with the E7.

Here is my unboxing and hands on in case you missed it:

The Review For Playstation Vita

Playstation Vita

Gadget Mobile Technology: The Review For Playstation Vita

What are the PlayStation Vita Specs? The specs for PlayStation Vita show off a very powerful handheld system, with graphics that are as powerful if not more so than current generation videogame consoles (the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii) and much more powerful than its forebear (the PlayStation Portable or PSP).

The system also has a number of new features like a touchscreen, two cameras, rear touchpad, built-in GPS, sixaxis gryo/accelerometer, extensive online features, etc. as we discussed in-depth in our PlayStation Vita Preview.

Here is the full spec list for your perusal:

CPU

AR Cortex-A9 core (4 core)

GPU

SGX543MP4+

External Dimensions:

Approx. 182.0 x 18.6 x 83.5mm (width x height x depth) (tentative, excludes largest projection)

Screens

Front touchscreen: 5 inches (16:9), 960 x 544, approx. 16 million colours, OLED multi touch screen, capacitive type.

Rear touch pad:

Multi touch pad, capacitive type.

Cameras:

Front camera.

Rear camera.

Frame rate: 120fps@320×240(QVGA), 60fps@640×480(VGA).

Resolution: Up to 640×480(VGA).

Sound:

Built-in stereo speakers.

Built-in microphone.

Sensors:

Six-axis motion sensing system (three-axis gyroscope, three-axis accelerometer).

Three-axis electronic compass.

Location:

Built-in GPS (3G / Wi-Fi model only).

Wi-Fi location service support.

Keys / Switches:

PS button.

Power button.

Directional buttons (Up/Down/Right/Left).

Action buttons (Triangle, Circle, Cross, Square).

Shoulder buttons (Right/Left).

Right stick, Left stick.

START button, SELECT button, Volume buttons (+/-).

Wireless communications:

Mobile network connectivity (3G / Wi-Fi model only).

IEEE 802.11b/g/n (n = 1×1)(Wi-Fi) (Infrastructure mode/Ad-hoc mode).

Bluetooth 2.1+EDR (A2DP/AVRCP/HSP).

Slots / Ports:

PlayStation Vita card slot.

Memory card slot.

SIM card slot (3G / Wi-Fi model only).

Multi-use port (for USB data communication, DC IN, Audio [Stereo Out / Mono In], Serial data communication.

Headset jack (Stereo mini jack) (for Audio [Stereo Out / Mono In]).

Accessory port.

Power

Built-in Lithium-ion Battery.

AC adaptor.

Supported AudioVideo content

# Music

MP3 MPEG – 1/2 Audio Layer 3, MP4 (MPEG-4 AAC), WAVE (Linear PCM).

# Videos

MPEG-4 Simple Profile (AAC). H.264/MPEG-4 AVC Hi/Main/Baseline Profile (AAC).

# Photos

JPEG (Exif 2.2.1), TIFF, BMP, GIF, PNG.

This video shows off the features of the PlayStation Vita as well as some games for it.

Source

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Symbian Anna review - How does the game change?

Well, Symbian Anna is an evolution of Symbian^3. It fixes most of the things that were annoying in Symbian^3 and also adds new features that were missing.

The biggest improvement that is very noticeable is the overall speed of the new Symbian. The previous iteration used to lag here and there making it a mixed bag from the user experience point of view. Most of the lags are gone now, and the user experience is more fluent than any touch enabled Symbian available.

The text input




One of the most expected and needed updates is the text input. The Symbian^1 alphanumeric keypad was inherited by Symbian^3 without notable improvements, but Anna finally changes that. A full QWERTY split-screen portrait and landscape keyboard is available now, and it is used by most of the applications. There are times when you find yourself in the same situation as with the original S^3, in a full screen input dialog, but that one also has the portrait QWERTY enabled. I'm sure it's just a matter of time, before all apps will use the split screen keyboard.

The full QWERTY is not the best in business, but it does have some features that other QWERTY keyboards are missing, like the editing menu, or the arrow keys for moving the cursor around.

The icons




Another big change is the icon theme, which is the same icon theme used on MeeGo, where icons are square with very well rounded corners. The icons for folders are more visible, and things are not as confusing as the were with previous iterations. The folder icons are filled with a single color and have suggestive imprints over them. In other words it's almost impossible to mistake a folder for an app with the new Symbian Anna.

In the settings menu, and most of the apps provided by Nokia, the list icons are now monochrome, bringing a more minimalistic look to the icons.

The homescreen




Another big improvement is the speed of the homescreen and the way the widgets are refreshed. The swipe gestures on the homescreen lead to immediate homescreen slides compare with the old version where you used to swipe left or right and after a fraction of a second, the homescreen would scroll over.

Th widgets show a loading circle when they are refreshing so you know what happens with them at all times, as opposed to the old way where you had no idea a widget was refreshing until it actually finished.

And the improvements do not stop here. Some applications got notable updates, and here they are.

The Calendar




The calendar display includes the events for the current day as well as the full month view. A nice touch is that now the month view has pinch to fullscreen. When you pinch in, the full month view shows on the entire screen, and if you pinch out, the month view also shows the today events too.

The calendar got another improvement in the form of the new event dialog. It's now easier to add and configure a new event than it was on the previous version.

The file manager




The file manager was pretty good to start with, but now it has a new feature, that was very much needed, the mark multiple items. The file manager switches the view to checkbox selectable items, and you can mark as many items as you want by just touching them. The file manager still misses the range mark ability, but it's still very usable. In other words you may not need an alternate file manager again.

The email client

The email client got a big improvement in the speed chapter, and scrolling trough your email list is now smoother that it ever was on Symbian. The email view is also faster, and the email client seems to be now suitable for all email needs.

The camera application

The camera application also got a boost, and now the settings view is better organized, closing the gap between the old camera app, and the best camera applications in business.

The browser




The browser got a huge update. Nothing about this new browser reminds you of the old Symbian browser. Even if the user experience is still a bit clunky, the browser is far better that it ever was on Symbian. The speed of the page loading is better, the address bar is new, and the menu is better organized. You have a soft back button which is very helpful in many situations, and you can open a new window whenever you like.

The contacts application




The contacts application was also updated, and the search trough contacts is done now by typing on the QWERTY keyboard instead of the old alphabet that was popping out on the old version. This kind of search seems more natural than before.

Additions




In addition to the usual application package, Symbian Anna comes with the topApps application pre-installed. The topApps application gives you a hand in deciding which apps you should download to your phone, have three categories, Featured, Staff picks and Reviewed. The user interface is similar to the Ovi Store interface and it is a good place to start when you're looking for applications.

All in all, Symbian Anna brings more background changes, in terms of optimization and speed, than user interface changes. It removes most of the nags that Symbian^3 inherited from Symbian^1, and if you compare Anna to S^1 they don't seem to be from the same planet.

It's pretty clear to me that Nokia is preparing for Symbian Belle later this year, and by the looks of it, it will change the way we perceive Symbian in a big way.

Good job Nokia!

Comparethemarket.com – A TCIB Review

Recently the blog received a comment from FrankPR who handle promotional campaigns for price comparison website comparethemarket.com. They were interested to know what I thought of the car insurance comparison service offered by their client.

Comparethemarket.com has been around for a couple of years now providing price comparison for a range of insurance products. The site recently underwent a facelift in preparation for a massive TV campaign to advertise their car insurance channel.

Always willing to please I made a visit to comparethemarket.com to test out their car insurance finder. Here’s what I thought…

First impressions...

…the first impression of the site is a very positive one, the layout is extremely user-friendly, taking care not to overload you with too much information, navigating to the car insurance comparison tool is simple enough even for the most novice user.

So, what about the comparison service itself...

The question set you have to fill in may well be interpreted by some as being ‘too long’. In truth I would prefer to call in thorough; the site says you can compare quotes in 4 minutes and that seems about right from the searches I performed.

One thing to remember when using price comparison websites is the more questions you answer the more accurate your quotes will be. If you want to use a service where the questions can be answered in seconds be ready to receive inaccurate questions based on many assumptions.

The comparethemarket.com question set strikes a good balance between the two. The questions are ones you would expect and there’s nothing you won’t be able to answer in your lunch hour.

On to the results...

Again the layout is easy on the eye and simple to understand. The quotes are understandably ordered by price with other primary information such as provider name and monthly cost also clearly visible. Clicking on the ‘more info’ link under each quote provides further policy details to help you make an informed decision.

Finishing your application...

The comparethemarket.com site has a promise ‘the price you see is the price you pay’. For a price comparison site this is a massive promise and one that can be very difficult to deliver.

Upon proceeding with my first application, which was a very straight forward process, the price was indeed the same as quoted, which was highly impressive given the number of accuracy complaints associated with the price comparison industry. Admittedly a few other quotes did deviate by a few pounds but overall the accuracy was commendable.

What else impressed...

A particular favourite of mine was an option on the results page to amend and recalculate your quote. You could change your cover type, excess and add/remove legal protection, breakdown cover and NCB protection and generate new quotes without having to take a backwards step. This is a great timesaver that I’m sure is well received by many customers.

The retrieve a quote option is also incredibly handy. If you don’t have time to complete your application, simply save it and return later on. One point on that, if you’ve already obtained a price you like make sure you return before the quote expiry date passes.

Areas for improvement...

When compared to the long established aggregators the number of quotes returned can be a little thin on the ground for more specialised insurance requirements. If they continue to grow I’ll be looking for comparethemarket.com to include as many providers and quotes as possible to persist in improving the service they provide.

Introducing some free guides and tips to help customers better understand their car insurance policy and the money saving options open to them would be a useful addition to the newsletter option currently offered. I would also like to see a forum introduced to increase customer interaction. As the car insurance comparison industry becomes evermore competitive customer retention will be vital to long-lasting success.

My overall opinion...

Comparethemarket.com is a welcome addition to the car insurance comparison arena. A well presented, easy to use site combined with accurate results makes for a very satisfying experience for the customer.

The site offers excellent possibilities for finding a cheaper motor insurance policy and has the potential to break the stranglehold enjoyed by the established aggregators.

Should you use it...

I would certainly add comparethemarket.com to your list of price comparison sites when searching for cheap car insurance quotes. The site is easy to use, offers a thorough comparison (for those prepared to answer the questions) and most importantly works to provide accuracy in its search results.

From my experience most people prefer one comparison service over another depending on what they’re looking for as well as their level of expectation. The next time your comparing car insurance quotes give comparethemarket.com a try and see how they stack up to any others you may have used in the past.

To learn more about comparethemarket.com visit their site.

If anyone has used comparethemarket.com to search for car insurance please share your opinions with us, good or bad, in the comments.

Nokia N8 review - A smartphone with character

When I first heard from Paul at WOMWorldNokia about sending me a Nokia N8, I frankly didn't know what to expect. It was the phone that started all the Symbian 3 hype, but I already tested and reviewed the bigger and meaner E7 and the cheaper C7(Without the 12MP though), so I said to myself, How can the N8 surprise me? And boy, was I in for an answer!



You can look at the N8 from two angles: first is from the normal user POV where it performs exactly like the C7, with Symbian at the helm. The N8 however did get an updated QuickOffice, now able to edit office files.

The second POV is the photography enthusiast POV. Here is where all he fun starts. Here is when you realize you can't stop clicking the damn shutter key.



Oh, and I forgot... the phone is just beautiful... It's built like a tank, but the feeling you get while holding it in the palm of your hand is priceless. You can't help but love it.

Now I don't want to come across like a Nokia fanboy, because I'm not. I love Nokia hardware, but when it comes to the software I have my doubts. But I could not help myself with the N8. It is just soooo..... N8.

In my opinion the N8 is the original flagship, and still stands tall. Even if it's flagship position is threatened by the likes of E7 and X7, I have not yet seen a Symbian device to match the character of the N8.



I have to say that this is the first time it happens to me to start reviewing a phone, and actually get so close to it that I'm at times considering it my personal phone.

To be honest, I started reviewing the device and ended up reviewing and greatly enjoying it's camera.

I already reviewed Symbian 3 to it's core so I won't start over again, since not much has changed. I will do a full review when I get a hold of an Anna device.

And now, on to the thing that makes the N8 have a league on it's own: The Camera.
The camera is addictive, you can't stop snapping pictures. You snap pictures of everything... You snap and snap and snap, and then go to bed, and the wake up, and snap and snap and go to bed again.



I own a Nikon Coolpix LP16 digicam, and I have to say that it doesn't hold a candle to the N8. Besides it's optical zoom, it is surpassed by the N8 on every possible chapter. Starting from the time it takes a picture, on with the quality of the pictures and finishing with the resolution(only 7MP compared to 12MP on the N8).

You can give away your pocket digicam if you own an N8, you won't need it anymore.



Everyone who expects a detailed technical review from me, you'll have to excuse me, but I could not do it with this phone. You can only understand that after you've held it in hand and used the camera for a while. I actually pulled it out of my pocket every few minutes just to look at it. It's the second time this has happened to me, the first being when I bought my first touchscreen phone.

In broad daylight the N8 captures great details and it's just a joy to use. In low lighting conditions it does suffer from motion blur at times, but I have to tell you that the pictures taken in low lighting conditions were of people dancing, so the motion blur is only normal.



I have to say that I did miss one thing, the recording light. Since the N8 comes with a Xenon flash instead of the dual LED flash found on the E7 and C7, it cannot provide this function. Still, the videos shot in low light conditions look great. I would trade LED video light for Xenon flash any day.

A good thing I noticed in the Ovi Store is that there are lots of free quality games that you can download for Symbian 3 devices, which include Assassins Creed, Angry Birds Seasons, Angry Birds Rio, Fruit Ninja, Galaxy on Fire, Farm Frenzy, Climate Mission and many other titles.

This is one device I am heartbroken over.