Apple Wants Your Ears to be Safe

Apple has prided itself on always being one-up on competition when it comes to being innovative with their technology. Their latest concern is for their consumers and the fact that they could be slowly going deaf. Since most people listen to music on their iPods at full volume on a consistent basis, experts have stated that prolonged exposure to loud music could ultimately lead to hearing loss. This would undoubtedly lead to a loss in sales of iPods and other music players alike naturally.


Apple has decided to take a stand on the situation by developing a system wherein your iPod would not only work as your health partner with the likes of the Nike + system but it would also try to ensure that you simply don’t go deaf. The system Apple intends to initiate is an automatic volume adjuster. How it would work is, after a awhile of listening to your iPod or iPhone at full volume the device would automatically begin to reduce the volume to a safer level.

According to the Daily Mail, the iPod can reach decibel levels of 100 which may be good in a noisy city like ours, but in reality the safest volume recommended for your ears is 70 decibels or less.

NOKIA N888-A CONCEPT MOBILE

This is a new concept mobile communication device which looks funny but is a serious thingy newly released in the mobile world. A new launch by Nokia, this slim paper-like phone has a lot of features which people just used to imagine about.
The piece is designed by “Tamer Nakisci”, who has already won “The Nokia Benelux Design Awards” and now is a jury member of Apple iCan 06.

The phone is completely flexible and can be carried any where and in any form. It can be bended in any shape, or can be rolled up round the wrist, or if at all you are not comfortable with this, then you can just use the phone as a clip for your shirt. Never ever was there a concept of this kind… and is already in huge demands prior to the release of this piece.

This phone can change it’s own shape whenever you need to talk like a normal phone. Talk without words, but with emotions which can be sent and recieved by other Nokia 888 users.
Things like liquid battery, speech recognition, flexible touch screen, touch sensitive body cover and extremely new ones into the world of Nokia Mobiles.
The color can be changed along with the shape of the phone. What else you need? Everything is unique and new… so you will really enjoy using it… not just a mobile, but it is Fun!

WORLD'S SLIMMEST MP3 PLAYER

TM-M1
Mp3 player is coming from South KoreanIxing Display
measures 1.5-inch (3.8 cm). It comes in 3 different packages - 1GB,
2GB and 4GB. Battery lasts for 10 hours, and for the charge you will
need 2 hours. However the best thing about this player is it’s
slimness - only 5.6 mm. That is even nearly 1 mm slimmer than
iPod NanoPrise is around 100$ for 2GB model.

Nokia E90 Smartphone

Technical specifications

Key features

• Browse the Internet and transfer media-rich files via HSDPA (up to 3.6 Mbit/s enabled) and 3G high-speed mobile broadband
• Increase mobile productivity with applications for browsing and editing documents
• Talk on every continent with quad-band GSM and automatic switching between bands
• Access voice and data functions quickly and easily with convenient shortcut keys
• Locate meeting venues, restaurants, and places of interest with the integrated GPS
• Send images captured with the integrated 3.2 megapixel camera with flash and autofocus

Operating frequency

• GSM quad-band (850/900/1800/1900)
• WCDMA HSDPA 2100

Size

• Inner: Active matrix color display (800 x 352 pixels), 16 million true colors
• Outer: Active matrix color display (240 x 320 pixels), 16 million true colors

User interface

• S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 1
• Java™ MIDP 2.0

Imaging

• 3.2 megapixel camera with flash and autofocus
• QCIF camera for video calling. Up to VGA (640x480) at up to 30 fps.

Messaging

• Supports POP3, IMAP4, and SMTP
• Support for email with filtering, including Nokia Intellisync Wireless Email
• View, open, and edit email attachments with Quickoffice (documents, spreadsheets, and presentations), ZIP Manager, and Adobe Acrobat Reader
• Remote contact look-up
• Instant messaging
• Text-to-speech message reader
• MMS and SMS

Multimedia

• Video calling, video streaming
• FM radio
• Music player (MP3, AAC)
• Media player

Memory functions

• Up to 128MB free memory for user data and applications
• Extendible up to 4GB with microSD Memory Card

Applications

• Quickoffice tools with editors
• Maps application for location-based services
• Nokia Office Tools 1.1 (including Active notes)
• VoIP 2.1
• Use the Download! client to personalize your device with add-on applications
• Support for Nokia Intellisync Mobile Suite
• WorldMate service, Psiloc Wireless Presenter application, and Global Race – Raging Thunder game available for download via Download! client
• Supports Windows Live providing mobile access to Windows Live Messenger and Windows Live Hotmail. Application is available via Download! Tool.

Connectivity

• ntegrated WLAN
  • WLAN: 802.11b, 802.11g*
  • WLAN Security: WPA2-Enterprise, WPA2-Personal, WPA-Enterprise, WPA-Personal
  • WLAN Quality of Service: WMM, U-APSD
• Mini USB, USB 2.0 full-speed
• Bluetooth wireless technology 2.0
• 2.5mm Nokia audio connector with ECI
• Infrared (up to 115 kbps)

Browsing

• Web browser (x)HTML
• JavaScript 1.3 and 1.5 supported
• Flash Lite 2.0 supported

Data transfer

• WLAN 802.11b, WLAN 802.11g*
• HSDPA up to 3.6Mbit/s enabled
• WCDMA 2100 MHz with simultaneous voice and packet data
• GPRS/EGPRS (Class A, MSC 32)
• 3GPP rel 5
• Dual transfer mode MSC11, SAIC rel v1

Voice features

• Voice dialing
• Voice commands for menu short cuts, keypad lock, and profiles
• Voice recording for making notes or recording conversations
• Internet Call release 2.1 for making VoIP (Voice over IP) calls
• Text-to-speech message reader
• Enhanced voice commands with Speaker-Independent Name Dialing (SIND), and voice aid for eyes-free control of core functions
• Integrated handsfree speaker
• Push to talk (PoC)

Other features

• ntegrated GPS
• Support for Nokia Intellisync File Sync Device Management
• Stereo FM radio
• Vibrating alert feature

Power management

Battery	Talk time	Standby time	Capacity
BP-4L	Up to 5.8 hrs GSM	Up to 14 days GSM	1500 mAh

* Operation times vary depending on the network and usage.

Nokia N76

The good: Dedicated multimedia playback buttons on the top LCD; 3.5mm headphone jack; quadband with 3G; external microSD card slot; loud onboard speakers.

The bad: When plugged in the 3.5mm audio jack restricts the opening of the clamshell; requires SIM card tray; difficult to open clamshell with one hand; no Bluetooth stereo; image quality sub-par.

The bottom line: In terms of features and performance, the Nokia N76 performs decently, but it's mostly let down by a number of design flaws which users should know about before buying the handset.

Our first impression of the Nokia N76 is the similarity with the Motorola RAZRs. Either the engineers at the Finnish company worked on the same drawing board as those from Motorola, or it's pure coincidence this Nokia clamshell looks so much like the RAZR series. The N76 has a couple of admirable points such as a 3.5mm headphone jack and is running on a robust Series 60 platform, but it's mostly let down by design shortcomings.

Design
The Nokia N76 is a slim and sexy clamshell. That's something we cannot deny. Its top panel is reminiscent of the mirror-like finish on the LG Shine (KU970) which we reviewed recently. The screen itself is actually much smaller, measuring 1.3 inches diagonally across. It seems like an awful waste of the surrounding space if you ask us. Not to mention that it is also extremely fingerprint-prone.

Music lovers, however, will appreciate the quick-access multimedia playback buttons below the LCD. Because these keys are on the outside, there's a chance you may press it accidentally when the phone is in your trouser pockets, so we recommend turning on the automated keylock function. Fortunately, you can also unlock the phone using the external buttons.

There's a serious design flaw on this Nokia. The 3.5mm slot is on the top edge so you don't get the headset connector protruding from the sides of your pockets. That’s good, but this also means it restricts the top lid of the clamshell from opening fully when the headset is plugged in. When there's an incoming call while you're humming along to your favorite track, you'll have to unplug your headset before you can put the phone your ear. There's a work-around, though. You won't have to unplug your own 3.5mm earphone if you use the bundled earpiece.

Inside, the keypad on the N76 reminds us of the ones Motorola uses on its RAZRs. It looks aesthetically pleasing, but its flat, undulating surface means you can't really feel one button from the next. When you move into a darker environment, the ambient light sensor will activate the keypad's backlight in a shade of brilliant blue. There's also a customizable multimedia key which we can configure to access frequently used multimedia programs. What we didn't quite fancy were the Edit and Clear buttons that are spaced too closely to each other below the four-way direction control.

Editors' Rating:

6.7 out of 10

Acer Ferrari 3200

The good: Cool case design; integrated 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth; DVD±RW drive; 4-in-1 flash memory card slot.

The bad: Unimpressive performance and battery life; can't pick and choose components; sparse support Web site.

The bottom line: Unless you're looking for a laptop to go with your red sports car, there are better-performing thin-and-lights than the Ferrari 3200.

The chance to race with Scuderia Ferrari (Team Ferrari) may never come your way, but Acer's offering a consolation prize: the opportunity to own an official team laptop. The sleek, thin-and-light Acer Ferrari 3200 sports the same color and logo as the team cars. Like its namesake, the laptop offers premium internal parts, including an AMD mobile Athlon 64 2800+ processor, a 128MB ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics chip, and 802.11b/g wireless. Unfortunately, the Acer Ferrari 3200 performed more like a Ford Escort in CNET Labs' tests, and the laptop's battery scores proved merely mediocre as well. This slick laptop will undoubtedly turn heads, but if speed and performance on the go is your ultimate goal, check out IBM's faster thin-and-light, the ThinkPad T42.

Design
Design-wise, the Acer Ferrari 3200 lives up to its name. At 330 x 272 x 31mm, the modest-sized, 3.01kg laptop boasts a candy-apple-red lid that promises to remain smooth and shiny, thanks to its scratch-resistant coating. The inside of the case is made of a tough, silver-magnesium alloy.

Ferrari's official logo sits conspicuously in the bottom-right corner of the lid and by the wrist rest, but the comfortable, smile-shaped keyboard is pure Acer. A standard touch pad and two mouse buttons sit under the board, along with a handy third button for perpendicular or horizontal scrolling. Four convenient, user-programmable application buttons reside above the board, and the Ferrari 3200's big 15-inch display offers a fine 1,400 x 1,050 native resolution.

The sides of the Acer Ferrari 3200 accommodate an impressive assortment of drives, ports, and slots. The left edge offers four USB 2.0 ports, one Type II PC Card slot, a FireWire port, and three audio-related jacks. The DVD+RW drive on the right side is a particularly cool and unique touch--instead of the usual sliding, flimsy disc tray, it's a simple slot that smoothly accepts and ejects discs. The Ferrari 3200's front edge features two typically tinny laptop speakers, an infrared port, two on/off buttons for the integrated 802.11b/g and Bluetooth adapters, and a four-in-one card reader that's compatible with Memory Stick, MultiMedia, Secure Digital, and SmartMedia flash memory cards. Parallel, VGA, 56Kbps modem, S-Video out, and Gigabit Ethernet ports sit on the laptop's back side.

Features
Unlike many major manufacturers that let you custom configure their laptops, Acer offers just one version of the Ferrari 3200. It runs a low-voltage mobile AMD Athlon 64 2800+ processor running at 1.8GHz and has 512MB of 333MHz DDR memory, an ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics chip with 128MB of dedicated video RAM, and a 4,200rpm hard drive with a generous 80GB of storage space. In light of the system's slow showing in CNET Labs' mobile performance, we wish Acer provided the freedom to add memory and choose a faster processor, graphics chip, or hard drive. Also onboard the Ferrari 3200 is a cutting-edge DVD-rewritable drive that supports -RW, +RW, and -RAM formats; a large 15-inch screen with a high 1,400 x 1,050 native resolution that displays graphics in fine detail; and integrated 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth adapters.

If you're looking for a similar design at a lower price, consider the first model in the Ferrari series--the Acer Ferrari 3000LMi. But beware: the Ferrari 3000's performance was even slower than the 3200's. Also worth noting: the 3000's lid lacks a scratch-resistant coating, requiring extra care if you want to avoid marring its glossy surface.

As with its hardware configuration, the Acer Ferrari 3200 does not offer a choice of operating systems--you're stuck with Windows XP Professional. The bundled software is also sparse; the highlights are CyberLink's PowerDVD for DVD playback and NTI's CD-Maker for disc burning. We wish that Acer had at least included a productivity minisuite such as Microsoft Works for home users.

Performance
Acer might want to rethink the Ferrari 3200's name. The system gave a thoroughly mediocre mobile performance in CNET Labs' benchmarks. The 1.7GHz Pentium M-based IBM ThinkPad T42 slaughtered the Ferrari 3200 in mobile tasks, but a couple of factors in this carnage bear explanation. First, the Ferrari 3200 carries AMD's 2800+ mobile Athlon 64+ processor (which AMD rates at approximately 1.8GHz); many of the applications from Microsoft, Adobe, and others in our MobileMark 2002 tests were developed with Intel processors in mind. In addition, our tests measure a thin-and-light's speed in the real world--that is, unplugged. And many laptops, including the Acer Ferrari 3200, automatically instruct their CPUs to slow down when running on battery power. We acknowledge that the Ferrari 3200 would likely see a performance boost when it's plugged in and running applications that are optimized for the Athlon 64+.

Battery Life
The IBM ThinkPad T42 gained the upper hand in CNET Labs' battery-drain tests. Though the ThinkPad's 10.8V, 4,360mAh 47.09WHr) battery is smaller than the Acer Ferrari 3200's 14.8V, 4,400mAh (65.12WHr) cell, the ThinkPad still lasted nearly 1.5 hours longer than the Ferrari. But the ThinkPad had a big point in its favor: a 14-inch screen with a 1,024 x 768 native esolution, which consumes much less power than the Ferrari's 15-inch, 1,400 x 1,050 display. Like the Ferrari 3200, the eMachines M6000, which has a big 15.4-inch screen with a 1,280 x 800 native resolution, also suffered from a shorter battery life.

Service And Support
The Acer Ferrari 3200's one-year warranty falls right in line with those of most other laptops. The term includes free parts and labor via mail-in or carry-in service. You can extend the warranty period for two years for an few extra cost. Around-the-clock, toll-free phone support lasts for the length of your warranty.

Acer includes a good user manual that provides extensive detail on the Ferrari 3200's features and functions. However, the company's support Web site pales in comparison to those of other manufacturers. The site's FAQ list contains a short and somewhat random assortment of questions related to all Acer notebooks rather than to specific models. Conspicuously absent are a user forum and the ability to chat with a tech-support rep in real time.

To find out more about how this product's warranty really stacks up and what you should look for in terms of service and support, take a look at CNET's hardware warranty explainer.

Price as on December 2007 : Rs 98,750 + Taxes

Editors' Rating:

7.0 out of 10

Top 5 Laptops

Top 5 Laptops:
1) Toshiba Satellite M35-S456 Laptop Computer
2) Apple iBook G4 Laptop Computer
3) Apple MacBook Pro - 1.83Ghz (100 GB HD) Laptop Computer
4) Apple PowerBook G4 12" Laptop Computer
5) Apple PowerBook G4 Laptop Computer

Top 5 Cell Phones

Top 5 Cell Phones:
1) Sony Ericsson W600i Walkman Cell Phone
2) Nokia N80 Cell Phone
3) T-Mobile Sidekick II Cell Phone
4) Sony Ericsson W800i Cell Phone
5) Motorola Razr V3 Magenta Cell Phone

Steal This Camera: 24-Karat Gold-Plated Minox DC1011 Carat

Nothing says "steal me" quite like a pair of white earbuds or a 24k gold camera. The Minox DC1011 Carat appears to fit the bill, a compact digital camera with 24-karat gold plating and ten 2-millimeter diamonds surrounding its lens. Never mind that it's a 10.1-megapixel camera with a 2.5-inch viewscreen and a 3x zoom.

For those less well-heeled, there's a Minox DC1011 camera without all that glitter, undoubtedly at a more earthbound price. How much is this golden embodiment of farce? No one's talking just yet. – Charlie White

Minox DC1011 Carat [Let'sGoDigital]

Nokia Launches 6110 Navigator in India

Nokia India has announced the launch of the Nokia 6110 Navigator, the first dedicated phone optimized for GPS and navigation functionality.

The 6110 comes with pre-installed maps of eight cities including Delhi and NCR, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Pune, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. These maps include the locations and details of 75,000+ km of roads, 10,000+ restaurants and hotels, 10,000+ banks and ATMs, 5,000+ schools and colleges, 3,000+petrol pumps, 3,000+ places of worship, 2,000+ hospitals and medicine shops, 2,000+ car and auto service stations, and 1,000s of other places of interest.

Users can also download maps of over 150 countries on their phone.

The 6110 features integrated maps, routing and navigation available with the click of the one-touch Navigator key. This handset features the full turn-by-turn 3D navigation feature that suggests the best route to follow to reach a location. Instructions by voice guidance and turn arrows on a map ensure finding the fastest way to the destination.

The Nokia 6110 Navigator will be available in the Indian market from end December at an MRP of Rs. 20,869.

Devinder Kishore, Director, Marketing, Nokia India, said, "The mobile industry is converging towards Internet driven experiences and Navigation is one of the key drivers in Nokia's vision of combining Internet and mobility. With the Nokia 6110 Navigator, mobile phone owners will be able to enjoy the benefits of navigation in their daily life - whether they want to explore a location within a city, search for restaurants, ATMS, shopping malls and other points of interests.

Sony PS3 Now Cheaper By $100

Sony Corp. on Thursday cut the price of its PlayStation 3 game console in the U.S. and announced an even cheaper model that will arrive before the holiday shopping season.

The top-line PlayStation model, with an 80 gigabyte hard drive, now costs $499, down from $599. That effectively eliminates the lower-end model, which has a 60-gigabyte drive and has sold for $499.

A new low-end model with a 40-gigabyte drive will go on sale Nov. 2 for $399.

Unlike the other PlayStation 3 models, the new one won't be able to play games made for the PlayStation 2. In a statement, Sony said this was due to a more extensive lineup of games of the PlayStation 3.

The U.S. launch of the 40-gigabyte model was widely expected, since Sony has already announced it for Japan and Europe. It narrows the price gap with competing game consoles, but the PlayStation is still the most expensive.

Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 costs $350 and Nintendo Corp.'s Wii costs $250. The PlayStation 3 has been trailing them both in U.S. sales, and the Wii has been a breakout hit for Nintendo, with more than 9 million units shipped. Sony has sold 5 million PlayStation 3s since they went on sale in November last year.

O2 Launches Xda Flame in India

O2 has announced the launch of the Xda Flame in India. According to the company, the Xda Flame is the first PDA-phone to harness the full multimedia capabilities of a 3D graphics processor.

"It encapsulates everything O2 stands for – innovation and performance in a sleek, desirable package. It has all the qualities O2 fans have come to love about our brand and products," said Mark Billington, CEO of O2 Asia Pacific and Middle East.

"The Xda Flame is designed for mobile professionals and tech pioneers with the highest appetite for innovation, business productivity and multimedia experiences," he added. "We're delighted to be working with Nvidia to create this new class of device and demonstrate O2's commitment to growing the category space and enhancing mobile experiences for our customers."

The Nvidia GoForce 5500 graphics processing unit (GPU) accelerates multimedia tasks such as audio and video in hardware. The improved speed allows console-class 3D gaming, DVD-quality video and photo playback, and the ability to display interactive 3D charts and diagrams.

With this GPU, the Xda Flame also becomes the first PDA-phone to feature two processors, the other being an Intel CPU. This allows the workload to be split between the two, leading to overall device efficiency and a smoother enduser experience.

Business users will appreciate the device's productivity features, including Microsoft Office for Windows Mobile, Office Outlook Mobile with Direct Push Technology, Adobe Reader, and other popular O2 applications. Multiple applications will run smoothly, thanks to the 2GB ROM and 128MB RAM.

Those who need to stay connected will benefit from a range of options: wireless LAN, Bluetooth 2.0, and a micro-SD card slot. Customers can also connect USB devices via USB OTG (On-The-Go) technology and use the device as a host. An infrared remote control feature lets the Xda Flame manage appliances such as TV, video and audio players wirelessly.

The 3.6" TFT VGA LCD touch panel supports 262K colors at a resolution of 480x640. If you want a bigger screen, you can hook up the Xda Flame to a TV or computer screen via its TV-out connector. It also has a 2.0 megapixel camera. SRS WOW HD surround-sound ensures high-quality audio through the device's dual speakers.

The Xda Flame will retail this month at Rs. 39,990 (inclusive of taxes) across major cities in India. It comes with a one-year local warranty.

Toshiba Launches A200 Laptop

Toshiba has released a new laptop and with it revived its Satellite pro series of laptops. The new model – the Satellite Pro A200-EZ2204x – offers an Intel 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo processor, a 15.4 inch panel with a native resolution of 1280x800, 1 GB RAM, 120 GB hard drive, dual layer DVD burner, 802.11 a/b/g wireless, GMA X3100 graphics card, and Windows XP Pro. The laptop will be available for $1000 upwards.

Vertu Ascent Ti

Features
The Ascent Ti runs on a Series 40 platform. What?! That's the reaction a few readers had, I know. That was the same reaction I had when I saw it too. But believe me, with 16 million colors at your disposal it’s fantastic. It’s crisp, clear and seems to be simplistic yet loaded with any and all the regular features you’d want.

Do understand that although a rich businessman may very well be able to afford this, it’s not a device for business. The business functionality is quite limited. The phone is 3G-enabled and supports EDGE and Bluetooth, and also comes equipped with the new standardized microSD slot for PC connectivity. It has a great music player as well and since it supports A2DP you can get yourself a Stereo Bluetooth headset and truly enjoy the experience.

eAn impressive feature Vertu has incorporated into its mobiles (including the Ti, naturally) is the Vertu Fortress application. This synchronizes and backs up all your data (viz., contacts and calendar entries) to a very, very secure server somewhere in England, located in what they claim is an ex-military bunker. Underground too. Hmm, so that’s what rich people do when they lose their phones and need to get their info back: stash it underground.

Another impressive feature is the Concierge service, which is accessible by a single press of a button. This special service is specific to Vertu customers and offers them a host of features, including shopping, travel etc. but only in the highest of circles. Nice!

Everything about the Vertu Ascent Ti seems to be car-related – from the animated wallpaper to the themes and the brilliant stopwatch that looks like a dashboard of some fabulous car. It has a pretty good audio player as well, like most S40 phones, and the 3 megapixel auto-focus camera is really good too, even in low-light areas with the LED flash. (At least it looks good on the phone display; it could be a different story on the PC when blown up to actual sizes though.)

The settings help you adjust the camera as best as you can to make sure you get good pictures. Other multimedia options include a voice recorder and a video player. It even comes with an FM radio. And you never have to worry about space with 4GB of internal memory.

Specs

Vertu Ascent Ti
Network	GSM 850/900/1800/1900, 3G
Physical	160 g
Display	240 x 320, 16m colors
Memory	4GB internal memory
Media	MP3, 3GP, MPEG, Voice Recording
Camera	3 megapixel auto-focus, LED Flash video
Connectivity	microUSB, Bluetooth with A2DP
Price	Rs 3,26,000

Pen Projector

Pen Projector
I love watching videos on my PMPs and mobile phones but the screens tend to be a bit small. So what I figure is some sort of gadget small and light enough to plug into my device that would project the image on to any flat surface. I know that some guys at Motorola are already developing an in-phone projector, but I'd like to be different. I think a pen-like device would be perfect. Simply plug it into the device's AV-out and point it at a clean wall.

Nokia to Invest $75 Million in India Plant

Nokia to Invest $75 Million in India Plant

World's Nokia to Invest $75 Million in India Plantleading cell phone maker Nokia announced yesterday an investment of $75 million in its manufacturing plant based in Sriperumbudur near Chennai.
The Finnish giant, for which India is the second largest market after China, has so far invested about $210 million since January last year in the plant.
"The decision to make additional investment in the plant is a reflection of Nokia's commitment to the Indian mobile communications industry and of the increasing demand for mobile devices from Asia, Middle East and Africa," said Raimo Puntala, senior vice-president, operations and logistics, Nokia.
"Nokia will continuously strengthen its manufacturing network to drive greater agility within the business and increase its competitiveness," he added.
The Chennai plant has also turned out to be one of its major export hubs for the firm. It sends handsets manufactured here to countries across the Middle East and Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, while 50 percent is sold within India.

cool music player Creative To Launch 32 GB Zen

Creative To Launch 32 GB Zen

We reported in October that there was a new Creative PMP out in the market simply named - The Creative Zen. The two models 4Gb and 8GB were priced at Rs. 9,999 and Rs. 13,999 respectively and are available in India.

According to a CNET report, this same player is apparently getting an upgrade to include a whopping 32GB of internal memory. The current version also has an SD/MMC card slot in case users wish to up the memory. The newer 32GB version will not be hard drive based but flash based and would, we’re presuming, be a little bigger. There’s no word yet on the release date or any price tag.

Stay Tuned for the Creative Zen review this week.

Nokia N81 8GB

The Bottomline
This may arguably be the first Nokia phone I’m not happy with. Although I had a blast with the music player and watched many videos (that I personally converted) I was quite disappointed on the whole. While it's great to have 8GB of storage, it’s also a rather bulky device to be hauling around. Then there’s the bad key placement, and the new touch-sensitive navi-wheel is not quite up to the mark.

At its price of around Rs 22,000, I have to give this a thumbs down. If the price drops – and I mean really drops – I just might be tempted to up my rating, but not as things stand.

Specs

Nokia N81 8GB
Network	UMTS, GSM 850/900/1800/1900, EDGE, 3G
Physical	102 x 50 x 17.9 mm, 140 g
Display	240 x 320, 16m colors, TFT, 2.4 inch
Memory	8GB
Media	MP3, AAC, MPEG4 WMA, Stereo FM, 3GP, Voice Recording
Camera	2 megapixels, flash, video (QCIF), secondary VGA
Connectivity	MicroUSB v2.0, Bluetooth with A2DP, Wi-Fi
Battery	400 hrs standby, 3.45 hrs talk
Street Price	Rs 22,000

Samsung SGH-F210

Samsung SGH-F210
Music StickSwivel


Samsung’s latest swing music phone, the F210, comes with an innovative MP3 player design and necklace integrated earbuds. The unique swing-open form factor allows for a perfect combination of mobile phone and MP3 player functions.

The F210’s portability and compactness does not compromise ease of use. When closed, it creates a full MP3 player experience with a scroll wheel interface and a horizontal display of the playlist, equalizer settings and track information.

To satisfy users, the F210 also enhances a perfect compatibility with the latest Windows Media Player 10. A Music Setup Wizard lets you customize sound conditions according to your preferences. It also offers a Music Library feature that enables you to organize music into various folders.

Through the MTP, users can transfer music files to the mobile phone automatically listed in the proper folders without re-entering data.

The mobile phone supports advanced functions with the familiar 3x4 keypad, which maintains the same feel as a regular mobile phone when swiveled open. For more storage, it supports 1GB internal memory and a microSD slot for expandable memory up to 2GB.

The F210 was launched in Germany in the middle of October, and will be available in other European countries shortly. The price is around 280 Euro without subsidy.

As music dedicated devices, Samsung music phones allow users to play various types of music files including MP3, AAC, AAC+, e-AAC+, WMA, WMDRM and store additional music through the external memory slot. To support various formats including WMDRM, Samsung brings seamless compatibility with files purchased from online sites.

Geesung Choi, President of Samsung Telecommunication Network Business, said: "We have tried to understand what music lovers want from their music phones. I’m very confident that Samsung’s music phone lineup is the best solution for users. With our phones, users can enjoy 100% phone and 100% music player at the same time.”

He added that Samsung will continue to provide unique music phone experiences with various products.

Samsung SGH-F330

Samsung SGH-F330
Ultra Slim HSDPA Music Slider

The Samsung F330, a dual face slim slider, will attract music buffs with its music-centric design. As a successor to the F300, the F330 shows Samsung’s efforts to provide more advanced music features and designs.

With its external music control keys located on the front and sides for easy and direct access to the tunes, the F330 offers enjoyable music experiences. The F330 provides enhanced multi-tasking features that enable the users to do other things with background music play.

The phone also supports multi-codec files and quick sync with Windows Media Player to maximize the extensibility for music phone users.

Supporting HSDPA connectivity at 3.6 Mbps, the F330 is rich in extra features, including a 2 megapixel camera and microSD slot for memory expansion up to 2GB in an extremely portable 13.5mm slim profile. The F330 also provides multitasking features and airplane mode for convenient use.

The F330 was launched in Germany in early October and will be available in other European countries shortly. The price is around 260 Euro without subsidy.

Samsung Launches New Music Phones

Samsung today announced its new music phone lineup: the SGH-i450, SGH-F330 and SGH-F210.

With the launch of music-dedicated phones such as the SGH-F300, Samsung has developed an innovative Physical User Interface (PUI), a mechanism ideal for music lovers.

With an optimal PUI, Samsung offers its users the opportunity to enjoy its music player as if it were an MP3 player, even when the mobile phone is turned off.

Samsung SGH-i450
Dual Slider with Touch Wheel Music Navigation
The Samsung i450 enables users to enjoy a unique mobile experience, as the two-way slide form factor enhances the usability to control music and mobile phone functions.

When you push the slide up, the phone supports powerful smartphone features with Symbian S60 OS. Running the Symbian S60 3rd Edition operating system, the i450 provides download application and multitasking features with fast speeds through HSDPA connectivity at 3.6 Mbps.

With the slide down, the phone activates as a music player with touch-wheel navigation, which enables users to control the multimedia menus easily. Moreover, metallic speakers supporting ICEpower amplifier developed by Bang & Olufsen offer superb sound quality to music phone users.

For its advanced music features, the i450 supports a unique music UI and multi-codec music files. It also offers 35MB internal memory and microSD slot up to 4GB to store more music.

The i450 will be available in Italy from the end of October and in other European countries shortly thereafter. The price is around 360 Euro without subsidy

After a bit of time with the Nokia N810

The Nokia N810 is the third product in the Internet Tablet lineup from the Finnish handset manufacturer. Featuring a large 4.1" touchscreen with 800x480 pixel resolution and based on Maemo, a Linux based user interface, Nokia's Internet Tablets are slowly progressing from a geek toy to a consumer device.
With the N810, Nokia has added a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and a built-in GPS receiver. Nokia also stuffed 2GB of built-in memory inside, with a miniSD card slot for expanded storage. The N810 retains many of the hardware features of the N800, such as a built-in VGA resolution camera for video calling, hardware buttons for zooming in and out on the interface, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The N810 uses a micro-USB port for data transfer and also sports a built-in kickstand for convenience.
With the N810, Maemo also got updated to Tablet OS2008, code named 'Chinook'. This new version adds quite a bit of eye candy, with semi-transparent menus and home screen applets, as well as a more finger-friendly menu system. Updated Flash means that YouTube videos play easily in the new Mozilla-based browser, as well.
The Nokia N810 with OS2008 also features an updated Gizmo Project client, which allows you to use the tablet as a VOIP phone, and also supports tablet-to-PC video calling. An internet radio directory is also included, so users can easily use the Nokia N810 as a portable Internet radio player. The N810's processor runs at a speedy 400MHz, which keeps the menus snappy.

The slide-out QWERTY keyboard on the Nokia N810 is a welcome addition, and offers much quicker text input versus the N800's on-screen virtual keyboard options. The top row of keys, however, are a bit difficult to reach, since the bottom edge of the top sliding portion stops right above them. Otherwise, the in-hand feel of the device on a whole is simply phenomenal. The N810 feels rock solid, and the new smooth aluminum faceplate adds greatly to tablet's looks. The N810 is overall thinner than its predecessors, measuring 128mm x 72mm x 14mm (5" x 3" x .55"), though it is still well balanced enough so as to be comfortable to use.
The N810 features stereo speakers, located on the sides of the device, which unfortunately directs the sound away from instead of towards the user. Included in the sales packaging is a new dashboard mount, so that the Nokia N810 can function as an in-car GPS solution. Wayfinder mapping software is included with user-downloadable maps, though navigation is a paid upgrade.
The Nokia N810 Internet Tablet is currently available at Nokia.com with a suggested price of US$479.99