Author: Daniel Sung
8-megapixel Nokia N86 availble for pre-order now
It shoots 8-megapixel resolution, it’s got a Carl Zeiss, 28mm wide-angle lens and it’s the first mobile phone to have a variable aperture. Ladies, gentlemen, camera fiends, the Nokia N86 is ready for pre-order.
It’s got an 8GB expandable memory and 2.6-inch OLED to show off your amazing snaps. A-GPS will ensure you can do all your geo-tagging and it’s the first Nokia handset to come with Nokia Maps 3.0 which offers 3D angles. Got a feeling you’ll still be using Google’s but I appreciate the gesture.
Best of all, the N86 is free on contract with the Carphone Warehouse from 19th June and then available from all but Vodafone come July. If you must go SIM free, you can pre-order now but it is going to cost you £399.
I thought the N97’s camera was outstanding. So, this one is going kick bottom. No word on the flash but I’m presuming double LED.
Nokia N86 pre-order
LG app store to launch in July
LG has told the Korean press that they’ll be launching their own app store next month which is lucky because we don’t have enough of them. They’ve also said they’ll be an LG Android handset within a year too.
The comments come from the company’s CEO, Ahn Seung-kwon, at an event for the KM900 Arena in Seoul. The boss man outlined plans to become the world’s second biggest mobile seller, behind Nokia, having notched up 9% of the global market in 2008. He said:
“We will focus on customized products. We don’t have a plan to additionally release a phone with an AMOLED panel as such models are too expensive for general consumers to buy.”
“The key thing to success for smart-phones depends on content. In line with the perception, LG will open ‘LG App Store’ in July to share contents for mobile applications.”
Presumably the AMOLED remark was a dig at countryman Samsung, who is pushing the screen technology on all their new handsets, while LG instead is looking to listen to their customers and provide them with the best UI possible.
I like the LG’s sentiment but the main failing of the Arena is the terrible touchscreen. The UI isn’t excatly brilliant either.
(via OLED-info)
LG Arena review:
Microsoft to release beta of the free anti-virus of to-Morro
Microsoft is prepping a beta release of their free anti-virus software, Morro. There’s no fixed date as yet but with the full version set for launch by the end of the year The Soft has hinted that we’re looking at a matter of weeks/days.
The move comes as one hell of a pain for the likes of McAfee, Symatnec et al who’ve responded with the usual scaremongery about their experience in the field and superior levels protection and blah, blah, blah but their share prices have dropped by a per cent or nonetheless.
Morro appears to be a stripped down version of Microsoft’s failed $40-a-year Live OneCare suite, which was a commercial disaster, and is set to be pulled in November. Doubtless, it’ll have a significantly better uptake now that you don’t have to pay for it and I’ll be interested to see whether the likes of Dell still offer trials for subscription anti-virus. Looking forward to the waves.
iPhone 3G S secret specs leaked by T-Mobile
The secret behind what makes the iPhone 3G S tick is out the bag this morning after the Dutch carrier of the latest Apple phone spilled the beans on their website. The three phrases that come into my head are “whoops”, “ha ha ha” and “nice”.
As it goes, they’re pretty much what we expected from the rumours all those weeks ago and I’m rather chuffed on my guesswork in the super smartphone comparison feature I put together yesterday.
All the same, I’m sure Apple is none to pleased that T-Mobile wasn’t quite with the program. Personally, I don’t see what there was to hide. A 600MHz processor and 256MB RAM is a perfectly respectable chipset. It could be something to do with all the iPhone 3G handsets that are about to be pelted at O2 execustives.
(via Wired)
SHINY VIDEO REVIEW: Nikon D5000 DSLR
I love a good camera and that’s exactly what the Nikon D5000 is. I can’t say I was too impressed the first time I picked it up. You don’t feel like you’re getting an aweful lot of bang for your quite considerable £639.93 buck whch was more like £700 plus when it was launched a few weeks back.
This one is a real grower, though, and, if it weren’t for the disappointing kit lens, I’d say get your wallet out now. There is always the body only option though.
If you want to see that video I shot with it, press play on the frame below.
I felt like there were quite a few gimmicks to suck the family in with the D5000 and it made me resist its charms at first. But, one day, I’m going to have to buy a camera that I want to use, that my kids – should I trust them enough – can operate too. This DSLR does offer that.
I would never bother with those scene modes but the tilting screen did come in handy once or twice when sitting at the back of a press conference and I’m gutted at having to go back to the old Nikon less graphic interface.
If you’ve got a lens or two, or don’t mind picking some up, then I’d say you could do a lot worse than this piece of photographic hardware. Just the body, remember, not the kit!
VIDEO: iTunes App store wall at Apple WWDC 2009
Like ’em or loathe ’em, you can’t help but be impressed. This is what the Apple iTunes App Store is doing right now. It’s a live feed of the 20,000 most popular applications in real-time plus a five minute delay. Each time one of them blinks, it’s being downloaded onto an iPhone or iPod Touch somewhere in the world. Take a look…
It’s like watching camera flashes at the opening ceremony of the Olympics Games. If you pause the video to read the display, which is sitting outside Apple WWDC, you’ll see that it’s approx 3,000 apps per minute. A very nice advert for would-be developers.
Look to the right and you’ll notice the installation is run on 20 Mac Pro towers with OS X Snow Leopard all synchronised on 20 HD 30-inch Apple cinema displays. Pretty good advert for their hardware too.
iPhone 3G S vs Palm Pre vs Nokia N97 vs Toshiba TG01 vs HTC Magic – that's a lot of smartphones
I’m out of contract. As a matter of fact, I’ve been out of contract since October. The trouble is that this summer’s going to see the hottest set of handset releases that I can remember. There’s the HTC Magic, the Palm Pre, the Toshiba TG01, the Nokia N97 and the recently announced Apple iPhone 3G S, however much O2 may be doing to ruin it. So, the question is, which is the best phone? Come this way and we’ll break it down.
Size
The length of breadth of these handsets isn’t so much important to me as the the thickness. I’ve never met a phone I couldn’t fit into my pocket. It’s more about which one ruins the line of my clothes.
WINNER -TG01: 9.9mm
iPhone 3G S: – 12.3mm
HTC Magic: 13.65 mm
Palm Pre: 16.95 mm
N97: 15.9mm – 18.25mm
The Toshiba is by far the most fashion friendly of the five. It’s the only sub 1cm handset on the block and that’s very nice work for the relatively new kids on the block
The Magic is of a perfectly reasonable thickness and, having used the N97 for a couple of weeks, I haven’t found carrying it around a problem. I’ll have to reserve judgement on the Pre until I’ve held on in my hands.
To put them in perspective, the G1 sits at 17.1mm thick which, although a touch bulky, I wouldn’t turn it down for its size. Obviously the size problem that these three share is down to their slide out QWERTYs but that’s the price you have to pay for multi-functionality.
Weight
Again, weight isn’t a major issue for me but I appreciate that it is for some. I’ve normally heavier things to worry about on my person other than my phone but a category’s a category.
WINNER – HTC Magic: 118.5g
TG01: 129g
iPhone 3G S: 135g
Palm Pre: 135g
N97: 150g
Given it’s not the thinnest, the Magic’s done very well to keep the weight down and, naturally, the QWERTY carrying two are at the bottom once again. However, where the Pre has only just pulled up short of the others, the N97 is looking like a right old lump to heft about. Again, having used it, I don’t find the 150g of the N97 a problem but you do feel like you could brain someone with it if push can to shove. Probably not a feature that Nokia advertises.
Screen
Convergence, people. That’s what we’re talking about here. These smartphones have got to be our MP3 players, our PMPs, our very eyes and ears. It’s no good squinting at them. We need screens and we need them good.
WINNER – TG01: 4.1″ with WVGA 480 x 800 pixel, 262,000 colours and REGZA technology
N97: 3.5″ with 360 x 640 pixels,16,777,216 colours in 16:9
Palm Pre: 3.1″ with 24-bit colour 480 × 320 pixel and 16,777,216 colours
iPhone 3G S: 3.5″ with 480 × 320 pixels and 262,000 colours
HTC Magic: 3.2″ with HVGA 488 x 320 pixel resolution
It may not have the 24-bit Trucolour system of the N97 or the pre and it may not be the quite spot on 16:9 aspect either but you just can’t beat the TG01 for straight up size and resolution. It’s an awesome display backed up with all Toshiba’s high end LCD know how. If it’s all about watching video on the go, then look no further.
The N97 is not a million miles off with a good splash of colour and, if it weren’t for its tiny size, you could live comfortably with the screen on the Pre but beyond that it’s fairly standard stuff. Tosh all the way.
Camera
WINNER – N97: 5 megapixels with Carl Zeiss Tessar f/2.8 optics and dual LED flash
Palm Pre: 3.0-megapixel camera with LED flash and “extended depth of field”
iPhone 3G S: 3.0 megapixels and still no flash!
TG01: 3.2 megapixels and no apparent flash
HTC Magic: 3.2 megapixels and no flash
No shadow of a doubt in this category who takes the prize. The camera on the N97 is simply divine. It’s streets ahead of the others in resolution, glassware, flash and functionality. Frankly, it’s better than half the compacts on the market.If the camera on your smartphone is the most important feature for you, then stop reading now and go and buy the N97.
The only other handset to even bother with a flash is the Pre which gives it an automatic second place and I’m putting the iPhone 3G S into third, despite it losing out on the other two in terms of resolution, because even in the iPhone 3G the snapper was well integrated if seriously underpowered.
I wouldn’t rate the other two at all for their picture taking quality.
Processor
It’s not good these phones being able to cook your toast at the same time as make calls if it takes half an hour to do so. CPU power with a little help from the RAM will help your handset running smoothly.
WINNER – TG01: 1GHz Snapdragon platform (256MB RAM)
Palm Pre: 600 MHz Texas Instruments OMAP 3430 (256 MB RAM)
iPhone 3G S: Unknown – “twice as fast as the last one” (600MHz suspected with 128MB RAM)
HTC Magic: 528 MHz Qualcomm MSM7201a (192/288 MB RAM)
N97: 434MHz ARM11
The Toshiba is the clear winner here. It’s the only phone using Qualcomm’s brand new Snapdragon platform and it’ll probably need it to orchestrate all that REGZA technology, and the WinMob nonsense too.
The Pre puts in a good effort and should run well and I’m giving Apple the benefit of the doubt here. They make their machines well and I’d be very surprised if their “twice as fast” claims didn’t have at least some truth. We probably haven’t heard the exact figures because they’ll sound scarily low against the competition despite their efficiency and performance.
The Magic runs ok from experience and even the hopelessly underpowered N97 has run without too much a hitch in trials. Can’t say it’s lightening but it works.
Storage
With audio and video playback to go with a library of 3-megapixel plus camera snaps, storage has become an issue. Which one can hold and which will fold?
WINNER – N97: 32GB onboard plus 16GB microSD = 48GB
iPhone 3G S: 32GB
HTC Magic: 512MB + 16GB microSD = 16.5GB
TG01: 512MB + 16GB microSD = 16.5GB
Palm Pre: 8GB
Really disappointed with the Pre to see it sporting 8GB and no expandability. Serious loss of brownie points there. This is definitely the N97’s turf though. The iPhone 3G S shows enough but hardcore music lovers may run out of space pretty quick on the Tosh and the Android handsets.
Battery
It’s hard to equate battery stats directly to performance given each phones different CPU and display requirements but it does give at least some kind of indication. No winners and losers this time. Just take note.
N97: Li-ion 1500 mAh
iPhone 3G S: Unknown – 10hrs of video
Palm Pre: Li-ion 1150mAh
HTC Magic: Li-ion 1340mAh
TG01: Li-ion 1000mAh
The TG01 battery is tiny – possibly to keep the phone slim and light and possibly because the Snapdragon system is very efficient – but I am told you’ll get one day of heavy use out of it before you need to recharge. I suspect it’s not the best of the bunch, though.
For the others, the iPhone 3G S is much improved and should last a little longer; the N97 is the biggest and has been performing well in review; the Pre is a little concerning but unknown and the Magic has been ok – better than the G1 by a long shot but still just ok.
OS
Operating systems are a matter of personal choice but absolutely crucial to your enjoyment of the phone.
WINNER – iPhone 3G S: iPhone 3.0 OS
WINNER – Palm Pre: WebOS (Linux-based)
HTC Magic: Android Cupcake (1.5)
N97: S60 5th edition
TG01: Windows Mobile 6.1
From all the hype, the iPhone 3.0 OS and the Pre’s WebOS are supposed to be ace. You’ll love them both. Android, I’d say, is a very close runner – lot’s of fun but no way near as slick. The N97 suffers from lack of excitement in the OS department. We’ve known about Symbian 60 for years but it does work very well indeed. Bit of a Volvo.
And that leaves me with the TG01 and Windows Mobile. I hate Windows Mobile but that’s a personal choice. It’s clunky, fiddly and over-complicated and, until I’m shown otherwise, I want no part of it. It’ll suit some people out there but not many.
UI
Usability is fundamental to these machines. If they’re pain to play with, then you’ll learn to hate them. There’s no two ways about it.
WINNER – iPhone 3G S: Capacitive multitouch screen
WINNER – Palm Pre: Capacitive multitouch screen + QWERTY
N97: Resistive touchscreen & QWERTY
HTC Magic: Capacitive touchscreen
TG01: Resistive touchscreen
If it weren’t for the keyboard on the Pre, I’d hand the prize to the iPhone’s legendarily user friendly system but the Pre is supposed to be a joy to get your fingers on too. It’s a serious battle royale there.
The N97 isn’t 100% responsive – more like 95% – but, again, it sits above the 99% Magic by virtue of the excellent QWERTY.
No one’s been allowed to touch a working model of the TG01 but I suspect it’s going to lose out in this department. I’m just not convinced that Tosh has the experience. I could be wrong. I hope I am.
Applications
The need for applications has become a real driver for the smartphone market and will soon become the number one feature usurping the public’s love for megapixels. So who’s got what the people need?
WINNER – iPhone 3G S: iTunes App Store
HTC Magic: Android Marketplace
Palm Pre: Palm suite & open source mobile applications
N97: Ovi Store
TG01: Windows Mobile Market
With 50,000 apps in the store and developers wetting their knickers for a piece, you just can’t touch iPhone. The Andriod Marketplace doesn’t even come close with the 5,000 they’ve got on offer and, at the time of writing, Ovi is a bit of a shambles despite the grand plans.
Other considerations
iPhone 3GS: Accelerometer, compass, video shooting, oil resistant screen, a world of supporting gadgetry, aGPS, Bluetooth
HTC Magic: Accelerometer, compass, video shooting, GPS, Bluetooth
Palm Pre: Accelerometer, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR with A2DP, touchstone induction charging, synchs with iTunes, aGPS
TG01: Accelerometer, aGPS, Bluetooth,
N97: aGPS, Bluetooth, video shooting,
Conclusions
Very, very tricky, this. I’d like to start in true reality TV style by saying that all the contestants have done a fantastic job and I genuinely mean it when I say that I’d be proud to carry any of them around in my pocket.
I think the objective choice is probably the iPhone 3G S. It scores consistently well in all the categories that really matter with second or third places at the worst. Now that the software allows for video capture, MMS and tethering – even though at a premium – there’s no department where it has a shocker any more.
Personally, I might rather plump for the Palm Pre just to have something a little different as much as anything else. It’s got a slightly better camera and screen which is important to me. It’s apparently as good an interface and experience as the iPhone plus you get a QWERTY as well. I’d be a little concerned by the lack of app support and probably find the small memory a little testing but I think the originality of choice would make up for it.
The other handset that gets close for me is the N97. If Ovi gets its act together, and I think it will, we’ll see a surprisingly large smug group of people carrying this phone around – more than the Pre, I should think. There is life beyond Apple.
The TG01 is the risky choice. I’d have to be really blown away by that screen and the speed of the processor to overlook the WinMob albatross. I slightly wonder if this mobile has specs better suited to a PMP than a telephone?
Lastly, and, quite surprisingly, I’d go for the HTC Magic. The trouble is that it doesn’t excel in any areas. Android is the thing it really has going for it but even there it’s beaten by both Palm and Apple in the key clashes.
I’m sure you’ll have your own opinions and this is by no means a definitive guide. You could look at a few other smaller issues but I believe these have been the most key. Send me a shout, drop me a comment. Which would you buy? Which do you own?
Samsung entertains with the R720 17.3-inch notebook
I feel like computer manufacturers have really started to get it right recently and the announcement of the 17.3-inch Samsung R720 is just that kind proof within the laptop pudding.
It’s designed as a gaming/entertainment PC with a 16:9 SuperBright Gloss LED screen. Were it smaller, I’d suggest that matte might have been the way to go but, if it’s going to be staying at home, I think gloss is probably the right call.
There’s Sound Retrieval System (SRS) 3D sound effects to back up the visuals. It’s supposed to offer a richer, deeper experience through the two onboard 2W speakers and dedicated sub-woofer and, if you plug in your headphones phones, you’ll get a virtual 5.1 surround effect.
There’s a 512MB/1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD4650 graphics card for your inner gamer and a Blu-ray player to appreciate the machine in all its high-defness. Presumably there’s some HDMI ports to out the signal to your big old TV but I can confirm six whole USB ports including one which is chargeable and another in combo with eSATA for 3GB per second data transfer potential.
It’s all powered by an Intel Centrino 2 chipset, as everything seems to be these days. No mention of the exact model or amount of RAM but I can imagine you’ve plenty of upgrade options to choose from.
Last of all is the slightly hyperchondriac addition of an anti-bacterial keyboard. It’s making me think about the kinds of entertainment people use their entertainment PCs for. I’d probably best stop there. Sorry, hope I haven’t spoilt your afternoon tea and biscuit – soggy or otherwise.
It’s out from July starting at just £599 and sounds like a pretty good option to me.
aaSNES1 – Acer Aspire One/SNES PC/console mod
“Take one of the greatest games consoles ever made, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Then gut it to place a fully working PC inside of it.” Words spoken from the brains of a true modder.
This is the Acer Aspire SNES 1. It’s an 8.9-inch Acer Aspire One A150 / Super Nintendo Entertainment System (UK) remix built from the genius of two British super-hacks by the names of quangDX and DuPPs.
Their masterpiece isn’t quite finished – they’re waiting for a few bits and pieces from Hong Kong – but you can already appreciate what a great job they’ve done. Some clever use of LEGO blocks to get the components to sit at the correct levels and a USB to joypad converter for your mouse, or what have you, but the best touches have got to be the 4-LED SNES logo on top and the way that the Super Mario World game cartridge is used to house both a webcam and a slot-loading DVDRW. Nice touch.
Go and take a closer look of how it’s all done on their website but, before you go, do show your appreciation of a rather splendid piece of work. Hip, hip…
iPhone 3GS: prices and plans on O2
O2 has pretty much matched what AT&T is charging for the new iPhone packages by replacing the dollar sign with a pound. I didn’t know the exchange rate was that bad? Oh no, wait a minute, it isn’t!
While prices in the States have gone down, in the UK, they’ve actually gone up. O2, who’s got some serious explaining to do today, has jacked the 16GB iPhone 3G up from £149 to £184.98 if you wish to add the letter S and a slightly better camera. The 8GB iPhone 3G which costs an equivalent £61 in America is £96.89 over here.
The 32GB iPhone 3GS comes in at £274.23 and all three of theses prices stay until you get to the £44.05 per month tariff with 1200 minutes and 500 texts. With the lower packages, you’ll either pay £34.26 per month for 600 mins and 500 texts or £29.38 for 75 mins and 125 texts. Watch those texts, though. One MMS will take away four in one go!
For straight PAYG
- iPhone 3G 8GB – £342.50
- iPhone 3G S 16GB – £440.40
- iPhone 3G S 32GB – £538.30
So, how do you feel about this? Will you be buying? Will you be upgrading and will you be forking out for the tethering bolt-on on top of this?
iPhone on O2
