Mobile phones reviews

Motorola Olympus enters rumor land, boasts Android and Tegra 2

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 03:56:24 +0000

Tegra 2 seems to be the hottest thing in Android town – the Motorola Olympus is yet another dual-core Android that has entered the rumor mill. Apparently, there is a second Olympus too though there’s not a shred of info on it.

The Tegra 2 platform is becoming commonplace in rumors of upcoming high-end droid phones (like the LG Star) and tablets. It offers a dual-core CPU and can record 1080p video, so the Motorola Olympus is bound to have impressive specs.

Right now however, we don’t know any of them. On the outside, it’s similar to the Motorola Defy, but with (maybe) a bigger screen. Since the Olympus is based on a completely different platform (Tegra instead of TI OMAP) the rest of the Defy’s specs don’t really tell us much.

Motorola Olympus photos

There have been a few phones recently that use name brand optics (like the Lumix phone or the LG L-03C with Lumix lens) but Motorola Olympus is probably just the codename and doesn’t indicate Olympus optics.

Anyway, this Olympus is said to be headed to AT&T but the rumor mentions a second Olympus phone from Moto – what it is, however, is anyone’s guess. It could be a non-AT&T version, a QWERTY version or it may not even exist – always take rumors with a pinch of salt.

Source

View the original article here

BBC iPlayer already available for iPad

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:59:43 +0000

For those of you getting ready to queue for an iPad on the day of launch but gutted about the lack of Flash: the BBC is coming to the rescue (sort of).Erik Huggers, director of BBC future media and technology, has apparently confirmed that the BBC iPlayer will be iPad friendly by 28 May – the day of launch.But Mark Prigg of the Evening Standard (who tweeted Huggers’ original comment) has confirmed that the iPlayer is now up and running on the iPad – so if you were lucky enough to get it early, check it out.Like YouTube but notThis means it will be working in the same way as the YouTube Widget, not using Flash (obviously) but still working as a web-only version.We assume that there won’t be any program downloading allowed, and for all we know 3G streaming won’t be allowed at the start.But given that apparently 40% of people would be ready to ditch a dedicated PC for a tablet according to Kelkoo (according to 950 people surveyed), it seems likely that this iPad-friendly version of the BBC iPlayer could provide yet another boon for Auntie’s online service.

Samsung Seek

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:59:17 +0000

Samsung Seek M350 is believed to be a replacement of the Exclaim, and will sport a quite similar design and features. By the looks of it, the Samsung Seek will seek to deliver some fresh looks through different colors and nice patterns on its back. In addition to keeping the QWERTY keyboard for those numerous texts, it seems like the Seek will also retain the same modest screen size of 2.6 inches with QVGA resolution.

images courtesy of samsung-phones.org

Basic specifications:

CDMA 1900/800
Average Dimensions – 4.12 x 2.08 x 0.58 inches (105 x 53 x 15 mm)
Average Weight – 3.85 oz (109 g)
Average display – 240 x 320 pixels
1.3 megapixels Camera, microSD/microSDHC slot
GPS – Yes

Photos:

Twitter now planning official Android app

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:57:43 +0000

Twitter has decided after buying Tweetie for the iPhone and turning it into an official application that it will repeat the trick for Android.Using the Chirp press conference as a forum, Twitter announced that it will be bringing its own official application for Android to mirror the iPhone efforts.Stick or twi(s)t?It’s still unclear whether Twitter will be porting over key findings from the iPhone to its Android effort (unlikely) or just starting it from scratch – which makes more sense considering the amount of competitors and free APIs kicking around out there.Android already has some pretty entrenched applications for Twitter in the shape of Twidroid, and pretty nicely wormed into the HTC Sense UI with Peep.However, an official application would likely be pretty darn popular with newbies to the Android world looking to fill their new phone with the latest applications, so moving into this area makes a lot of Sense for Twitter.

Nokia mobile phones bring in the Nokia 6303 Classic

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:57:26 +0000

Certain mobile phones in the market and certain mobile phone manufacturers have time and again mentioned and proved in the handset market that innovation and creativity are certain aspects which propels the mobile handset and the manufacturer ahead of the competition. This has been a very difficult task for most companies who have always tried to stand out while blending in. This is a fundamentally flawed strategy but the biggest problem with it is that it actually works and works well. It has kept the market working and moving forward for many years and will continue to do so for many years to come. Certain companies have also shown that specializing in a certain niche market or for only a particular groups of customers can prove to be beneficial only if there is a lot pf money involved and the product being sold is very expensive.

If these criterion are met and the company actually manages to create a sort of monopoly in the market then things might prove to be good for the company and help the company sustain their needs and consolidate their position for a few years. Such markets are never left alone like that for long. Competition always arrives which could be in a few months or even a few years but they always come. They always make their moves very fast and soon the monopoly is always broken down. Thus Nokia mobile phones have chosen the path of mass consumption making certain moves which make all the difference in the long run for the company.

Thus is the result of all this developments in the market and the Nokia 6303 classic makes all the difference to these new and ever changing needs of the consumer. There are millions of customers out their with different needs and wants and and some how the company Nokia mobile phones have managed to bring and bridge all the gaps in their handsets and thus make this new mobile phone the talk of the town and turn into a hit like the rest of the mobile phones of the company.

Palm Pixi Plus GSM

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:57:07 +0000

Palm Pixi Plus is a very compact and affordable smartphone with front-facing QWERTY keyboard and Palm’s webOS platform. In addition to all the features of webOS, the Palm Pixi Plus also shines with a 2.6-inch capacitive multitouch display, 2MP camera and Wi-Fi.

Basic specifications:

GSM 850/900/1800/1900
UMTS 2100
Small Dimensions – 4.37 x 2.17 x 0.43 inches (111 x 55 x 10.8 mm)
Average Weight – 3.26 oz (92 g)
Average display – 320 x 400 pixels; 262 144 colors
Standby / Talk times (350 h / 5.2 h)
2 megapixels Camera, 3G
webOS
GPS – Yes

Photos:

Emblaze Mobile pulls the plug on the First ELSE prematurely

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:57:06 +0000

We can hardly say we are completely shocked by this news but it?s a pity nonetheless. Today Emblaze Mobile announced that they are stopping the First ELSE project due to delays in deliveries and the project going too slow in general.

After the exciting announcement we saw last November and an encouraging hands-on experience at the MWC 2010 we had some hope that the Access Linux running device might just make it to the shelves. Alas, Emblaze is having some financial difficulties right now and saw seizing the funding of the First ELSE project as the quickest way out.

The company says that this decision will drastically reduce its operational and developmentcosts and will positively contribute to its route to profitability. No argument there, but the geeks in us would have loved it if the First ELSE actually made it.

Let?s hope that at least the company will seek to recoup some of its investment by selling parts of the user interface to some of the established manufacturers so we can have a taste of it elsewhere.

Source

Motorola WX290 US

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:56:14 +0000

The Motorola WX290 comes with 1.8-inch screen, built-in VGA camera, MMS capabilities, LED torch-light, Bluetooth 2.0, WAP 2.0 browser and FM radio with RDS.

Basic specifications:

GSM 850/1900
Average Dimensions – 4.24 x 1.78 x 0.56 inches (107.6 x 45.3 x 14.3 mm)
Small display – 128 x 160 pixels; 65 536 colors
Standby / Talk times (580 h / 8 h)
0.3 megapixels VGA Camera, microSD slot

Photos:

In Depth: Top 10 best Android games worth paying for

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:56:13 +0000

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not all free on Android. The paid-for development scene is alive and well and charging people money, with plenty of pro-level game entertainment on hand to help you happily spend all day staring at your mobile telephone.Thankfully, Android’s a world of bargains – most of the finest examples of paid-for Android games come in around the psychologically negligible ‘micro-transaction’ cost level, with the majority of developers selling their works for a couple of dollars, tops.So, now you’ve been gently acclimatised to the possibility of having to pay for something, pay for these things – the 10 best paid-for games on Android today.1. Robo Defense, $2.99What people who like to categorise things would refer to as a ‘Tower Defense’ game, Robo Defense has you micro-managing the stock inventory during a war.You win points for killing enemies, you spend points on upgrading your weaponry to fend off the next, more aggressive assault. Unlike many Android games, the difficultly level feels perfect – this has obviously been tested and tested and tested.2. Armored Strike Online, $3.99A quite superb turn-based strategy shooter thing, based on ancient classics like Death Tank and Worms. Everyone has a go at shooting, everyone waits to see if anyone else died, then the remaining living forces have another go. A superb game really brought to life by touchscreen controls and online play.3. Radiant, £1.50A modern take on the age-old Space Invaders theme, only dragging it all into the modern era with flashy, vibrant graphics and numerous ship upgrades to keep the game changing and growing as you progress. Works better on second-gen Android phones with a bit more processing power to keep everything running smooth.4. Flight Director, $1.99Our favourite of the many line-based air traffic control simulators, thanks to its smart use of satellite data to bring an added aura of reality and a sense that actual human lives are at risk to the action. Also has very small plane sprites, if you still call them sprites these days, allowing for super-precise plane placement.5. Space Physics, $2.99An utterly insane little game of physics and drawing, where players have to draw shapes on the screen – which then come to life – and hit certain awkwardly-placed trigger points. You draw a wheel and it starts rolling. Draw a lever and you can fling boxes around the place. It’s an incredible achievement.6. Zenonia, $5.99If you’ve had enough of two-minute-wonders based around puzzles and words, try Zenonia. It’s a role-playing game, one created in the traditional, complex, character-enhancing style more common to ‘proper’ games systems. Quests, items and battles combine to make one of Android’s most engrossing and long-lasting challenges.7. Colorix, €1.99Initially looks rather similar to the billions of other gem-based puzzle games out there, but Colorix wins by ramming loads more technical play into its approach. Complex combo bonuses and the challenge of placing ’special’ gems makes it much more challenging, while it’s all presented in an extremely pro style. A tiny bit of money well spent.8. Buka, £1.50If you’re going to play games on a touchscreen phone, you might as well play ones that utilise the screen properly. Which Buka does, by having you pressing and poking enemies, while dragging the poor, confused Buka around the screen to protect it from attack. The ideal game for those who’ve given up on buttons altogether.9. Shoot U!, $2.99A very odd-looking, hand-drawn physics game, Shoot U! has player firing a little person out of a canon – and trying to manage the laws of momentum and gravity to crash the poor chap’s body through walls, over walls, under walls and into the welcoming glow of the target. Very clever and technically brilliant.10. Sky Force, £1.99Probably of most interest to men who used to stand around in amusement arcades instead of working or going to school during the 1980s, Sky Force is a take on the classic 2D scrolling shooter. It’s been lovingly squeezed into Android, with 3D elements poking out of the background to be avoided or, more likely, destroyed.——————————————————————————————————

Make a swift exit from dull birthday parties

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:55:49 +0000

MANAUS, Brazil – If you thought researchers spent all their time knee-deep in nano-technology or with their heads in the clouds, then these two new apps from the Nokia Technology Institute (INdT) in Brazil might come as something of a surprise. What we have here is an app for getting out of sticky social situations and another for helping celebrate your friends’ birthdays. Find out more, and how to get your hands on them after the break.

Happy Birthday lets you turn your phone into a birthday cake. You enter your friend’s name and their date of birth and it produces a personally iced cake complete with candles. Hand it over to them and they can blow out the candles by puffing on the microphone.

Very silly, of course, but a fun way to show off your phone and do something nice for a friend at the same time. Happy Birthday works with S60 5th edition touch devices and is free from the Ovi Store.

The second app is called Desguiator. Again, very small and single-minded, it allows you to set your phone to ring in response to a simple gesture, such as tapping it. As we understand it, the idea is to prime it before what might be a disastrous date or other unwanted meetings. Just as the situation is becoming hopeless, a discrete tap – your phone rings, and – oh dear – you have to leave.

Desguiator is also a free download from Ovi Store and designed for touch-enabled S60 v5 phones.

In case you were wondering, the INdT’s work does not primarily consist of turning out party-trick apps. Its real work is much more serious. It’s been involved, for example, in creating apps to help contain the outbreak of contagious diseases through quick and easy mobile monitoring and data collation from field health workers. Still, good of them to use their spare time to create a pair of interesting apps for the rest of us.

image credit: Seattle Municipal Archives

Share and enjoy: