Google Nexus S

The Google Nexus S is the successor to the Google Nexus One and is Google's "reference" phone for Android handsets that will be released in 2011. Intended for developers and more hardcore phone enthusiasts, the Nexus S comes stock with Android 2.3 (codename: Gingerbread) which is free from all the extraneous apps that manufacturers and carriers add which is a good thing. This is a great geek phone for all us geeks out there.

Hardware wise the device is based off of Samsung's successful Galaxy S featuring the same 400x800 resolution Super AMOLED screen(could have been better), and Hummingbird 1Ghz CPU, and adds a Near Field Communications (NFC) chip. Unlike the Nexus One the Nexus S cannot be purchased directly from Google but is instead available in traditional retail outlets so that is good news as we will be able to get it easily..  well hope so

Key Features

Runs Android 2.3 software

4" 800x400 resolution display

512MB RAM

16GB storage

B/G/N WiFi

User replaceable battery 

1500 mAH

6 hour talk time

428 hour standby

5 megapixel camera

front facing VGA camera

Near Field Communications Chip

Three-axis gyroscope

Anti-fingerprint display coating

Internet Calling (VoIP/SIP) built in

Things I like 

Runs the latest open source Android operating system (2.3)

16GB internal storage( could have been better but its good)

Slightly concave "contour display" - improves usability over perfectly flat

Powerful 1GHz Hummingbird CPU (A8 based)

4" WVGA Super AMOLED display (800 x 400px)

Built in gyroscope

Includes Near Field Communications chip making the phone future proof when the technology becomes more widely used

Front-facing camera for video calling

Things I Dint like 

No micro SD card slot for storage expansion

Phone exterior looks cheap with that plastic

Glossy black plastic enclosure - looks cheap, picks up fingerprints easily

No HSPA+ (cannot take advantage of any networks highest speeds at ~21Mbps)

No HD video capture

Display resolution could have been better

No notification lights

All being said this still is a good phone to wait for and should be a great buy. You will have a detailed review of it when the phone is out. 

As usual if you have any questions or comments just email me or leave a comment

Nokia C6-00 review

The Nokia C6-00 looks exactly like the popular Nokia 5230 but there are some differences when you look closer. First there is a full physical qwerty keypad  on the C6 and then there are the UI home screen and software like that that Nokia has for some reason deprived the 5230. I think Nokia wants to keep taking risks by this move cause according to me if they would put the UI homescreen on the 5230 (which the 5230 has the hardware to support) then the competition will totally be killed. Many people hare putting mods on the 5230 to get the UI through some software's anyway. Moving on reminding myself that this review is for the Nokia c6-00 so lets see how the phone scores.

The Nokia c6 has a very good feel to it in terms of build quality like all Nokia products and the Plastics feel good and confidence inspiring to hold.It has a  3.2 inch resistive touchscreen with  16M colors and a resolution of 360 x 640 pixels. It has a 3.5mm headset jack with good quality sound. There is a Internal memory of 240 MB and there is a card slot present which supports microSD, up to 16GB, 2GB included. The phone has 3G and wifi  capabilities. and also has Bluetooth with A2DP support. The phone has a 5 MP autofocus camera with resolution of 2592 x 1944 pixels with LED flash The camera quality was very good for a phone of its price range. there is also a Secondary QVGA camera for video calling. The Os on the hone is Symbian OS v9.4, Series 60 rel. 5.

The phone has a 434 MHz ARM 11 processor which feels good and enough to handle the UI and feels zippy. There is a browser that supports WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML and also RSS feeds. The audio player and video player is very good and makes a good multimedia phone. The phone has a 1200 mAh battery and has good battery life.

The only downside I have to this phone is that it feels a little bulky because the phone is 16.8 mm thick and 150 gms is heavy but its ok to carry the bulk cause the phone is fully loaded with features to justify the bulk. The first row of the qwerty keypad is also a little too clost to the slider so it will take a little time to get used to it.

So people who are looking for a good entry level smart phone with decent features take a look at this phone But if you are a power user then this phone is not for you cause under constant data use the battery will only keep you up to a day max, not what a power user needs.

As usual if you have any questions or comments just email me or leave a comment.

Razer Switchblade

The Razer Switchblade is a highly portable, handheld PC gaming device with dual 7" multi-touch displays. The second display features a layer of tactile, dynamic keys which adapt to different gaming situations. This is a great product from a company which has given us gamers a lot of cool gaming gear.

Additionally, the Switchblade sports an Intel Atom processor, a pre-installed copy of Windows 7 with a custom user interface and a 128GB solid state drive.

The Switchblade's dynamic keyboard can be set with whichever control scheme best suits the current game being played, allowing for full-sized keys and proper functionality in a small form factor.

The Razer Switchblade has mini-HDMI output - capable of outputting visuals onto a larger display and runs Windows 7 which is a great thing and They have gone through the pain of customizing the OS. I like its small, portable form factor and will be good for travel. It has a completely customizable keyboard - each key is an LED backlit LCD display, customizable per game controls. There is custom unknown hardware - clear support from Intel, and other un-named companies? Potential for this to materialize once finalized.There is a 128GB SSD - large enough for big games, faster, and more physically resilient than disk based storage and is much more storage then the other devices of this size. Razer is saying 4-6 hours of gameplay on battery so that's good news.This will be amazing for WoW and other MMO players.The build quality matte black build is said to be Top Noach.
The only drawback that seems to me  is the screen is a bit to small and  keyboard lacks standard key layout - poor for regular computer use.

So this Product is expected to launch in April and at that time I can give you a complete specs and verdict of whether to buy it or not. But it does seem a very good device for game fanatics.

As usual if you have any questions or comments just email me or leave a comment.

Apple iPad 2

The first upgrade to Apple's mainstream tablet device, the Apple iPad 2 was announced on March 2nd 2011. The major Upgrade was  an improved dual A5 processor for double speed and 9x the graphical performance. The iPad maintains the original 10 hour battery life while being 33% slimmer and 13% lighter.

This Upgrade brings the  the iPad closer to the iPhone 4 spec, the device now includes dual front and rear facing cameras for video capture and use with Apple's FaceTime video chat service, as well as a gyroscope for full motion game controls. Yes I now what you are thinking All these are in the Samsung Galaxy tab so maybe Apple did this upgrade in order that the Ipad does not loose its market share from the other tablets.

The one major new feature of the iPad 2 is the new magnetic cover system. Magnets built into the device now allow for covers to attach and protect the device without needing to be manually fiddled with. The magnet system also allows for the device to know when it is being covered or opened - making it automatically sleep and wake up without any other user interaction. There is a drawback though - The cover only protects the screen and not the back of the device. The device will launch with plastic and leather covers available directly from Apple.

Things  I  Like

Much more powerful - new dual-core A5 processor provides double the processing power, 9x graphical performance of the original I pad and now its closer to the other new tablets

Dual cameras - FaceTime and other video conferencing, image and video capture- Much needed as this was where the Ipad was lacking.

33% slimmer than the original

Capable of HDMI output up to 1080p

3% lighter - 1.3lbs vs 1.5lbs

Maintains the original iPad's 10 hours of battery life despite being slimmer, lighter and more powerful Thank God they dint reduce that.

Compatible with 'intelligent' magnetic covers and cases - automatically goes to sleep and wakes up when covered / uncovered


Things I dint like

HDMI output requires an overpriced adapter So no direct HDMI socket.

No SD Card slot. Have to purchase an expensive add-on To do that.

No upgraded Retina display - display resolution is lacking next to the iPhone and is same as the previous Ipad

Just a speed bump - no big upgrades / really useful features when compared to the previous model.

SO do I think you should upgrade to the New Apple Ipad. well If you already have a iPad or any good tablet it makes no sense to do so, so don't do that. In the Other case if you are in the market for a tablet and you Don't mind paying a Premium (Cause there are devices that will do this and more for less price) then you can buy it although be ready for hidden costs and expensive attachments later. Personally I wont buy it and would pick up a Motorola zoom or a Blackberry Playbook or a Samsung Galaxy tab 2 cause they offer me much more for my money.

As usual if you have any questions or comments just email me or leave a comment.

Philips SHQ4000 in-ear headphones

The SHQ4000 are waterproof neckband headphones  by Philips along with the SHQ1000 and SHQ3000 as part of their sport headphone line. This series features a bright orange color scheme and ultra-soft anti-bacterial silicon ear caps in three sizes which are washable as are the headphones by running under tap water.

The ear buds form a seal within the ear, making for an extended bass response as well as minimal sound leakage either in or out. A cable clip is also included for keeping the 1.2m cable out of the way during exercise. Similar to the SHQ3000, the 9mm diameter ear bud form has a frequency response of 15 - 20,000 Hz, compared to the basic SHQ1000s which are 13.5mm in diameter but have less power output and bass response. All three in the series have a gold-plated 3.5mm stereo connection, 1.2m cable, anti-bacterial ear caps and are waterproof.

Features
Frequency response: 15 - 22 000 Hz
Maximum power input: 20 mW
Impedance: 16 Ohm
Magnet type: Neodymium
Diaphragm: Mylar Dome
Sensitivity: 102 dB
Speaker diameter: 9 mm
Type: Dynamic
Voice coil: CCAW
Cable length: 1.2 m
Connector: Gold-plated 3.5 mm stereo
Comes with carrying pouch, cable clip and three sizes of ear caps

The headphones are made for rough use and sports use and will last a long time and the sound quality is really good.  The low level base frequencies are reproduced in a good way and is good. The headphones are sweat proof and that's a big thing as that's how many of my headphones were ruined. A must buy for the active music listener.

As usual if you have any questions or comments just email me or leave a comment.

HTC Inspire 4G

The guys at HTC are sure making some great phones and many of them with 4G. This is their newest 4G phone the HTC Inspire 4G. The HTC Inspire 4G is an upper mid-cost smart phone. This phone's HTC Sense feature groups every email, status update, tweet, text message and phone call by person for easy viewing and follow-up. The Inspire 4G's Friend Stream app allows you to quickly check what is happening on your social networks.

The display of this smart phone is 4.3 inches of WVGA screen. The Inspire 4G's Dolby + SRS Surround sound with noise cancellation ensures clear audio. So if you want a 4G phone that has great sound quality then look no further.  The sound quality was very very good. With 4G streams that are ten times faster than 3G, you can take in quality media without hassle. The Inspire 4G's DLNA connectivity allows you to stream videos, photos and music wirelessly to a larger display (which must also be DLNA certified, of course). This smart phone's 8MP camera is equipped with LED flash, in-camera editing and live picture effects. The Inspire 4G's camera is also equipped with 720p camcorder ability, for shooting HD video. The camera quality is very good in most situations. Once you have caught pictures or video, you can send it to social networks with instantaneous uploads. The HTC Inspire 4G smart phone is equipped with a 1230mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery. The battery life is very good for a phone with a 4.3 inch screen but it could have been better. the build quality of the phone is good and feels very good to hold in hand.

Features
Qualcomm QSD8255 1GHz Snapdragon processor
Android 2.2 (Froyo) w/ HTC Sense
4G speed
768MB/RAM 4GB/ROM
4.3" WVGA resolution w/ pinch-to-zoom
HSPA+ 850/1900 MHz
GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
GPS GPS/AGPS
720p camcorder
8MP color camera w/ auto focus and flash
Bluetooth 2.1
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
3.5mm stereo audio jack
Micro USB
Rechargeable lithium-ion battery (1230 mAh)
Up to 360 minutes talk time
Up to 15.5 days standby time
Dimensions: 4.8” x 2.7” x .46
Weight: 5.78 ounces (with battery)

This phone is another one in the list of 4G phones and according to me it should be among the top few best 4G phones. As usual if you have any questions or comments just email me or leave a comment

Motorola Xoom tablet.

The Motorola Xoom is a tablet PC, promoted by Motorola as the first to have Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) and a dual-core processor (each core runs at 1GHz). The Xoom is equipped with 3G capability, and is upgradeable to 4G. It is a impressive product similar to their Atrix phone.

The Honeycomb user experience improves on Android favorites such as widgets, multi-tasking, browsing, notifications and customization and features the latest Google Mobile innovations. The Xoom gives you instant access to Google Maps (with 3D interaction), as well as the millions of books that are in Google eBooks. The 10.1 inch display of this tablet PC is widescreen HD, with a 1280x800 resolution. On a single charge, the Xoom offers up to ten hours of video playback. Video is played in 1080p, and with the 2MP front-facing camera and 5MP rear-facing camera you can capture video in 720p, as well as hold video chats over WiFi. The Xoom's HDMI output allows you to display content on larger HD screens. Adobe Flash Player helps to make video and web content run smoothly. I used the product and this tablet feels very well built. The hardware on the tablet is really great and similar to the Blackberry playbook and as I told earlier both of these devices will easily beat the Ipad.maybe thats why Apple is going to launch a new one soon. Well this sure is a very good laptop and is one more option to the tablet hungry person.

Features
10.1" widescreen HD display (1280x800 resolution)
Android 3.0 (Honeycomb)
Dual-core processor
Verizon network
2MP front-facing camera
5MP rear-facing camera (w/ dual LED flash)
32GB on-board user memory
SD card support
1GB DDR2 RAM
720p video capture
1080p video playback/streaming
Audio playback capable
3G (4G LTE upgradeable)
802.11n personal hotspot
3.5mm jack
USB 2.0
Corporate Sync
WiFi 2.4GHz and 5GHz 802.11b/g/n
Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR + HID
Up to 10 hours of video playback on a battery charge
NVIDIA Tegra 2 1GHz dual-core processor (1GHz per core)
Weight: 730g

This is a great buy and will keep you away from blending into the crowd and is impressive on the specs too. So go and buy it if you want a tablet. As usual if you have and questions or comments just email me or leave a comment