Tech Savvy

New Models

Transcending segments

The World was busy flaunting its best at the 3GSM Word Congress. Even Nokia had devices like its much awaited communicator, the E90, the 6110, E61i, E65 and the N77. However, the company maintained a good mix of devices. The Nokia 3110 classic has the right ingredients to make it a popular mass market product. With features like a 1.3 mega pixel camera, an MP3 player and an FM radio, the device borders on the entry-midlevel range of cell phones. You also get Bluetooth support and there is an external memory slot to store your favorite images and tracks.

One for the ‘Ultimate’

I-mate unveiled its upcoming Ultimate series at the 3GSM World congress. According to the company, the series is targeted at the elite users of cell phones. The device line-up in the series consists of five handsets across different form factors-the slider 5150, candy bar 6150, the PC tablet form Ultimate 7150, the super thin bar shaped Ultimate 8150 and the stylish clamshell Ultimate 9150. The Ultimate 5150 is power pack with a 520 MHZ Intel processor, 256 MB ROM and 128 MBRAM with a micro SD card expansion slot. The handset has a 2.

All said and done, for the time being the N91 8GB remains every die-hard music listeners’ dream come true. Upgrading the hard drive from 4 GB is a welcome step. Also added is A2DP profile for Bluetooth, which was sorely missed by many in the earlier version. We had learnt that the brand had refrained from providing A2DP in the original N91 as it degraded the audio quality. After listening to a few tracks on the N91 8GB on a pair of A2DP Bluetooth headsets as well as wired ones, we couldn’t agree more with Nokia’s logic. We could sense an appreciable drop in audio quality when a track is played over Bluetooth. However, as all major brands are promoting their music phones by emphasizing on A2DP support, Nokia couldn’t have taken a chance by omitting this feature.

To fill the extravagant 8GB of emptiness, you can connect the device with your PC or laptop and transfer songs from your existing database. On connecting, you will be asked to choose the connecting; you can opt for the Media Player mode and sync the handheld with your Media Player library. We prefer the mass storage mode that makes the hard drive visible as an external drive on the computer and you can simply drag and drop files. Interestingly, you get 100 DRM protected songs preinstalled on the device.

Whenever the music player is initiated after disconnecting the device, it asks for refreshing the music library as the OS senses that the library might have been updated, which is a neat touch. The music player interface offers segregation according to artist, album, genre and even composers. One feature that we haven’t seen on any other music phone is the ability to search for tracks. On entering of the options, rather than scrolling through all the tracks, start typing the name of the track you are looking for and the UI starts providing the matches. There is also an assortment of equalizer settings, though you can’t customize them. The N91 8GB, like the original N91, has a port for normal 3.5 mm audio jack. The bundled headsets are just about OK and audiophiles should ho for a better pair. The onboard speaker lacks quality though it is quite loud.

When nokia had first announced the N91, speculations floated all over the place whether the finish giant had sprung up an iPod killer. Almost a year the launch, the iPod still retains its ground and Apple has in turn plans to become a Nokia N-series slayer with its impressive iphone, Before this review gets rated R for excessive violence, let’s make it clear that both Nokia and Apple have their own USPs. There is no point speculating whether the world’s most popular portable music player and voice-versa. We just have three words for all those expecting the N91 8GB to finally be Nokia’s answer to Apple’s iPod-rest in peace.

The N91 8GB is a part of Nokia’s range of special music edition devices that also include versions of the N70 and N73. There are no major aesthetic variations between the earlier N91 and the new variant apart from the classy black finish that we are told has been achieved using a special technique. According to the company, the finish won’t wear off even after prolonged usage and is also scratch resistant. The black color also camouflages the large dimensions of the handset and it no longer seems out of place when kept beside other cell phones. Apart from the finishing, the exterior remains unchanged.

We expected that the company might have learnt some lessons from the older N91 and made a few changes in the older N91 and made a few changes in the layout of keys. However, the menu key still features on the upper right edge, which is an uncomfortable position to access. It is almost inaccessible if you hold the handset in your left hand. Considering this, it makes sense to customize the standby apps present on the home screen and add the functions that you frequently use. The alphanumeric keypad that rests underneath the sliding music keys panel also remains unchanged and is as uncomfortable as ever. Talking about the music keys, they are still deprived of back lighting. Probably, Nokia would address these issues in their next generation music phone, if there is any in the pipeline.

The shine series constitutes four handsets in three different form factors-slider, can debar and clamshell. The USP of the shine series is the screen, which disappears into thin air when it turns off and an all metallic brushed stainless steel finish. The first to hit the Indian shores will be the slider version, the KE970. We had never ever seen anything like it and it was difficult to tell whether it was really a cell phone. Being an all metallic body, it is on the heavier side and you can feel that you are holding some weight in your hand. When switched off, the 2.2 inch QVGA display screen transformed in to a mirror, which should make it popular with the fairer sex.

The most revolutionary part, however, would be the unique scroll wheel that is housed just below the screen. We had come across joysticks, four-way navigation keys, jog dials and even track balls, but this is the first time that we saw anything like the scroll wheel on the KE970. The scroll wheel was similar to the scrolled found on most optical mice these days, only that it has been placed horizontally on the handset than vertically. To make things easier, the menu items have also been arranged in the form of stack and not in a grid of rows and columns.

LG Shine Series

During the past few months, LG has undergone a phenomenal image makeover. Known earlier for its affordable and average looking handsets, the brand has sprung up a series of designer marvels that has made the world stop and take notice. Be it the marvelous Chocolate or its tie-up with design house Prada, whatever LG is doing seems to be going down well with the users. The latest addition to the pretty faces at LG is the shine series that will charm you with its sparkling smile.

LG has quite generous to send us an early version of the device, which we are more than glad to unveil for our readers. Mind you, it being an early version and not the final product that would hit the market, this is not a Burn Test.

Riding on the success of its Rizr Z3, Motorola showcased its Rizr Z8. The slider design is called the ‘kick and slide’ design the base supports the top panel at the bottom. Apart from the unique design, the handset has quite a few eye catchy things about it. To start with, it has been done up in a unique shade of black and fluorescent yellow. While the black color forms the base of the device is HSDPA enabled. The user interface is different from what we have seen on Motorola products so far. Features like a 2 megapixel camera, a 16 million color QVGA display and memory expandable up to 4 GB add up to the charm of the device. You can also watch complete videos at the speed of 30 frames per second on this beauty.

Notes from Sony Ericsson

Sony Ericsson did not announce or launch any handsets at the event. However, it did put up on display its four handsets-the K810, the K550, the W610 and the W880-that were launched recently. The W880 is a candy bar device that carries forward the famous Walkman series of the company. Done in a combination of burnt orange and black, the device bears the mark of its belongingness to the famous series. The W880 is 3G enabled and has a 2 megapixel camera too.

The KE970 is a stunner, not just in terms of appearance but also when it comes to features. All the devices in the Shine series boast of a schneider-kreuznach certified camera lenses. The KE970 has a 2 megapixel snapper with auto focus. The image results were quite impressive and the auto focus mechanism gives sharp results. It also has an internal 50 MB memory as well as a micro SD card slot. For music lovers, the handset supports A2DP profile for Bluetooth and the music can play in the background. Clearly, the shine series targets the fashionable lot but there is something for professionals as well-a document viewer app.

The KE970 will be followed by a candy bar version, the KE770. Just 9.9 mm thin, the KE770 will also sport a metallic casing along with all the features of the KE970. A clamshell version is also planned, though the name of the model hasn’t been disclosed yet. For countries that have 3G networks, LG has a 3G variant ready- the KU970. Following the shine series would be the exclusive Prada phone, which is said to rival the Apple iphone. Overall, it seems to be shiny days ahead for LG.

It is surprising that kids or school going children from a huge fan following for mobile phones. They play mobile games, read and talk about cellular technology. This makes it all the more ironical that we don’t have any cell phone meant only for kids. Firefly did have some products but the same were never launched in India. The latest kid on the block is an offering by South Africa’s mobiles2 go called kids. We caught glimpse of the device at the 3GSM World Congress.

The device is targeted at kids between the six-ten year age group and looks playful with two antennas popping out from the device. The device supports global positioning system that helps parents track their child’s movement (even while the device is switched off). Also included in the device are an emergency button and four pre-programmed numbers. The device is expected to be launched in India this summer.

The internet is a vast resource for exploring, communicating, shopping, and learning. But as it has grown in scope and popularity, it has become an avenue for identity thieves trying to trick consumers into revealing valuable personal information, predators stalking instant messaging conversations, and malevolent hackers attempting to infect unprotected PCs with viruses. Windows Vista includes features designed t help protect users and provide families with a safer experiences online. These features include the following.

Phishing Filter

Vista helps protect users against phishing, a technique used by online scam artists to illegally obtain a user’s valuable personal information, such as credit card numbers, passwords, and other account data.

Security Status Bar

The internet Explorer 7 Security status bar, located next to the address bar, helps you differentiate authentic websites from suspicious or malicious ones.

Windows CardSpace

When you visit a website that supports Windows CardSpace, you’ll have the option to submit an information card in lieu of a username and password to log in. Windows CardSpace is more secure than a username/password approach because the personal information in the information card is encrypted and stored safely on your PC with a trusted identity provider such as a bank, Internet Service Provider (ISP), or government agency.

Windows Defender

Windows defender is a feature of Windows Vista that helps customers protect their computer against pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware.

Windows Mobility Center

You use your mobile PC in more places and in more ways than you use a desktop computer, and you spend more time adjusting it for the environment that you’re in. in earlier versions of windows, to change your screen brightness, adjust the volume, or turn off your wireless connection, you had to search for the settings in control panel or on the task bar. Windows Mobility Center outs the most frequently used mobile PC settings in a single location. Now you make desired changes in an easy way and all synchronization can be done from one place.

Who would say that shoes had anything to do with technology? But ask the athletes at last month’s Olympics in Beijing. Wearing the right shoes is vital in a marathon. They to be tough enough to get the runner round the 42.195 km course, gentle enough to protect the hard pressed feet and light enough to keep the tiredness at bay.

Angola’s Joao N’Tyamba and Educator Franklin Tenorio, both marathon runners, raced in Spira Stinger shoes that have two stainless steel springs embedded in their sole. The steel springs returns the energy used by the runner and the energy the shoe returns reduces the stress on the body. Another athlete, Ryan Hall of the US, used the innovative Asics shoes which have husks meshed into the sole to absorb water and improve traction.

Associated press also reported on how technology development to aid astronauts in regaining their balance after long, zero gravity travels has been harnessed to help the elderly. The “iShoe’s” sole has sensors that measure the certain foot pressures associated with both good and bad balance. The technology for the shoe was developed by Erez Lieberman, an intern at NASA.

Muscle deterioration, poor vision and inner ear infections in old age leads to greater risk of falling. The ‘iShoe” is not a cure-all, only a recording device meant to determine objectively if a balance problem exists at all. The doctors can then take over. The “iShoe” will sell for $100.