“Capacitive touchscreens work by sensing the conductive properties of your skin. Mujjo gloves are made of high-quality silver-coated nylon fibers knitted into the fabric of the glove. These silver-coated nylon fibers make the gloves conductive and therefore touchscreen compatible! We’ve been spending hours and hours in our lab to get the fabric just right.”

Very clever idea because I can use my Android phone exactly as I normally would. It’s as if the Mujjo gloves are a second skin. Some other gloves only have the tip of the index and thumb with touch screen sensitivity, but Mujjo gloves are sensitive ALL OVER. You don’t have to rethink how to use them, as they let you use every finger you own. Some Android phones like the Samsung Galaxy S ll – SPH-D710 are able to sense all ten fingers. Others like the SAMSUNG SPH-M930 can only handle input from five fingers. With the Mujjo gloves on you use your phone to it’s maximum capacity.

This is a little video I made using the gloves to play with Fleya – my favorite entertainment on any touch device. I put the right glove on my right hand to show that there is no difference in operating the device with or without the glove.

From mujjo

I also discovered that the glove is so effective that even holding the other glove in the already gloved hand still communicates with the touch screen. At about 1:33 I hold the left-hand glove while still wearing the right glove and run it over the screen to continue creating those fluid dynamics visions.

Are these gloves warm enough for really cold weather? The coldest it has been here so far is 16° (F) or about -9° (C) and part of that evening I was driving. I could feel the VERY cold wheel through the gloves. Generally the temperature where I live are higher than freezing so the gloves have been perfectly fine and comfortable. I supposed if you lived in the North Pole you might have to add mittens over the Mujjo gloves, but it’s still better than having nothing. I was also concerned about how rugged the gloves would be. Would the conductive thread get caught in sharp objects, getting pulled out? After each daily wearing I examined the gloves and they have consistently appeared to be perfectly fine. They are not ‘delicate’, They are in fact quite sturdy. What a relief!

Right now they only come in black and in two sizes. I hope these gloves really take off because they are quite a wonderful idea and Android devices with touch screens are unlikely to disappear. If the good people making these gloves want ideas for the future it’s to add various colors, maybe adding other textures like fleece and including hooks to connect the gloves together. Yes, I like my gloves with hooks – that way they never get lost. But I am just delirious with these gloves. It makes it so easy to use my phones no matter where I am or what I am doing. I’ve even texted comments to Facebook and Goggle+ and sent email with no difficulty wearing these gloves.

There’s no reason to wait….these are fabulous! Get them now!

Mujjo

Small / Medium and Medium / Large sizes available
€24.95 (easy enough to covert with the various free apps on one’s smartphone)

mujjo

This Samsung Galaxy S ll is quite a lovely phone. The screen is a nice easy to read size with crisp graphics. The WiFi is very fast, In fact it seems to me using the WiFi is faster than any other device I’ve used recently. It would be hard to prove that, however. One thing I am very impressed by is the 8 megapixel camera. It’s undoubtedly the best I’ve seen on a phone to date. If you look at the bee at the top that is a crop (not zoomed in) of a section of one of the images taken with the Galaxy S ll. You can see the wings of the bee very clearly. And I was a bit unsteady as I tried to get close to the bee without scaring it away. You can see the entire image in the photo album here:

Samsung Galaxy S ll

I generally keep the default settings but one I feel really makes a difference is changing the ISO to 400. I assume this imitates a faster shutter speed of a film camera. The higher the ISO number the more sensitive the image sensor is to the amount of light present.

I discovered this while i was taking pictures on a rainy day. This one is using the default ISO which I think is 100:

From Samsung Galaxy S ll

And this is right after I changed the ISO to 400 and changed the focus to Macro.  Same flower, just the user figuring out how to use the camera properly:

From Samsung Galaxy S ll

While looking around for useful and fun Android Apps I discovered Magnify.

You don’t have to have old eyes to have trouble reading that darn small print. You can now hold your phone over your Aunts medicine label and actually read it without squinting. This has so many practical and fun uses that even a NON-geek friend of mine was impressed when I showed it to him. You basically hold the phone at least four inches over the target, tap the “eye” to force a focus. It does that quickly letting you read those darn tiny words. And you can also take a photo – with or without flash. It’s quite a nice app. Here’s some images I took:

If you wish to see the images from the album just click on them directly. It will take you directly to the album so you can zoom in and examine in detail.
Before i leave this topic I’d like to point out that because I connected my gmail account with the Galaxy S ll phone and I have Google+ every time I take a picture I have it set up to “instant upload” to Google+

This is incredibly convenient – especially for me. Each instantly uploaded photo is placed in a private album. When I go to my G+ account I can then move each image to whichever album I wish. In my case it’s generally to the album dedicated to the phone I am reviewing. I’ll be doing a future article on G+……..

WiFi  *  3G   *   4G

The Samsung Galaxy S ll has 4G, 3G and WiFi. I have always had some trouble getting a good Sprint signal at home. I think I am in a digital hole or something. After all, I do live in a Metropolitan area, not in the boondocks, so I’m not sure what the problem is. It does get a bit better away from the house. Compared to past Sprint phones the signal on the Galaxy S ll is much better and I do get fewer dropped calls. I’m explaining this because I’m not sure if an issue I am having is the phone or my lack of Sprint signal. I was under the impression that the Galaxy S ll was supposed to “automatically” switch to 4G if the WiFi signal gets out of range. It certainly seems to always be on 3G (I mean I have it turned on and doesn’t go off. But then it’s for data).

In this screen-grab WiFi is on. I’m told I can’t have WiFi on if I wish to use 4G:

4G disconnected and 3G is on…probably because a photo is being uploaded.

This screen-grab shows that the signal is not found. The phone does not seem to be able to automatically switch between WiFi and 4G. I have to manually tap the WiFi button to turn it on. And at home I have a very healthy WiFi signal. The Phone doesn’t have to try hard to find it.

At home when I tap the 4G button it does go into ’4G scanning’ mode. In moments it disconnects because, as I have said, I have crappy Sprint signal at home. But no switcheroo to WiFi.

Various Apps

The Galaxy S ll comes with a music player. I uploaded a few mp3′s and the phone put them in a folder it called “Bluetooth” because I suppose that was the method I used. The music player just seems to know where those files are and I can play them from the list. Unless the song comes with it’s own image one of several images are supplied as background. A tap on the screen gives me other features, like the slider to move the song along and randomizing the play list,

When playing music I love that the GUI is added to the nice pulldown menu so I can access it (pause or go to the next song) without having to find the app. Very nicely done. I plugged my headphones in – sound is good.

You can now turn your smart phone into Mr. Spocks Tri-Quarter. Sort of. Try Metal Detector. The Sweet spot seems to be around near the camera. Wave it around and find hidden metallic objects. It really does work. When it gets RED and vibrates you’ve hit IT!!

With AndroSensor you can examine all sorts of technical details of the phone and your surroundings. I was able to get the screen to register all ten on my fingers. Yes, this stuff is Exciting!!

With Speedtest you can see how fast your connection is.

Opera Mini continues to be one of my favorites on any phone. And they keep improving it.

Here is Opera Mini with tabs (see that “2″ on the bottom of the screen? Two tabs are open). It’s very easy to add and switch between tabs. And Opera is Very Fast on this phone.

Nook works very nicely on the Galaxy S ll. Even on a smaller screen the reading is comfortable and easy.

Careful tap and drag will get let you select text. I love that I can highlight this or add a memo. Turning down the corner bookmarks that page.

Sometimes I turn the page just to see how lovely the animation is.

The Nook shop

USB Connection

There’s two ways to connect the Galaxy S ll to one’s computer via the USB cable. If you plug the cable in to your computers USB port it is immediately “seen” as a ‘camera’. This is how it shows up on my Ubuntu:

This is the notification on the phone that it is USB MTP-connected. If you only wish to see the photo’s on your phone this is an ok process.

On the other hand if you want complete access to all the files on your phone you must connect it like a storage device. Before plugging in the cable, go to the settings, then the USB Utilities.

You are then instructed to connect the USB cable from the phone to the computer.

then tap the “Connect USB storage” button and your computer will see a storage device open a file manager as usual and move around whatever files you wish. When you are done just go back to the screen on the phone with the green android fella and tap on the words telling you to disconnect from the PC.

You can also Tether the phone to the computer simply by going to the settings – “Tethering”. Plug the phone in via USB cable, Tap yes to tethering and BAM, little blue icon appears at the top of the screen indicating that you can share the phone’s WiFi with the computer. Instructions are included.

If you are dying to see the Large Hadron Collider experiments working on your phone install LHSee.

I’m still not sure what to do with this (not being a physics PhD), but I just like the Idea that I can see collisions on a smart phone.

PressReader, an App I’ve reviewed before works great on the Galaxy S ll. On the main page you can either read OR listen to the entire issue of that newspaper. Just tap the “audio” icon:

This brings you immediately to the front page of that paper. As the audio is reading the article you can change the volume, go to the next article or previous if there is one and you can see how long it will take to listen to the article.

When you are done listening you can read the usual way

Being a HUGE fan of the Showtime TV program, Dexter it should come as no surprise that one of my favorite Apps is Dexter. It lets you choose wallpapers, watch episodes, and previews, get Dexter notifications, read about the cast, and make your own amusing picture with that delightful Dexter flavor.

The Samsung Galaxy S ll phone is quite a delightful muffin. Or was that Dexter’s donut? No, really, it’s a honey. I can get lost in the live wallpapers and the fun apps and the fabulous camera. Wow!

Cons

Dial Mike? Or Mike? Or perhaps Mike?

No phone is perfect and the Samsung Galaxy S II, while coming close, really only fails in the bundled software. Samsung has little tweaks all over the interface which are largely fine. The dialer, which includes quick name lookup, is nice and the other tweaks are either improvements or simply brand the Samsung Android experience more closely to them.

The real failure is the inclusion of Vlingo. Vlingo is a voice controlled assistant. Have you heard of Apple/iPhone’s new Siri? Vlingo is Siri’s mentally challenged cousin. It was one of the first and in our very humble opinion it’s one of the weakest. It has problems understanding what you say even when you stick to the letter of the suggested commands.  If you tell it to dial someone, and by some minor miracle it gets the right person, it then asks you which of their numbers to dial.  Showing you their name repeated for each number but without showing the actual numbers. So it’s a guessing game! Which you loose.

Since this isn’t a Vlingo review let’s just say that if for some reason you don’t absolutely love it – it’s too bad. Because Samsung/Vlingo provided no way at all to turn this off. Which is a crime since Android’s own Voice Dialer and Voice Search work very well and actually make sense. But if you double tap the HOME icon (which I do all the time to go the the launcher screen and then to the home screen of the launcher) instead I get Vlingo. Even if I tell it to not obey that double tap it does anyway. When I’m on a Bluetooth headset there is no way to use Google’s own included voice tools. Vlingo just steps in front of them and fails to understand anything I ask of it.

Where to Buy

The Samsung Galaxy S II is available from Sprint, T-Mobile and AT&T under their various brandings.  $199.99, $229.99 and $199.99 respectively.

In addition to its textured finish and chrome metal details, the HM7000’s portable charging cradle keeps the headset encased and protected when snapped closed, allowing for maximum portability and charging on the go. With one, quick nudge at the case’s hidden hinge, the cradle seamlessly unfolds into an attractive desktop dock, providing a smart and efficient charging station and display stand for the HM7000.  This really works well and as you can plug the charging cable into the headset directly or the charging cradle you get the best of both worlds.

In addition to portability, the HM7000’s charging case provides the user with a very strong battery life, adding the ability to fully charge the HM7000 up to three additional times while on the go without having to plug into the wall. The case also features an on/off switch on the side to conserve power, as well as LED battery status indicators on both the case and the headset. With its extended battery life, Samsung made sure to fit the HM7000 earpiece with an advanced ear gel design for maximum comfort and wearability.

The HM7000 is equipped with Samsung isolāt™, Samsung’s most advanced dual-mic noise reduction and echo cancellation technology to date, as well as a boom mic for enhanced call clarity in a variety of environments. Voice commands and voice prompts come standard on the HM7000, while the Samsung FreeSync Android App, available for free at the Android Market, provides users with added features such as text-to-speech capability for e-mail and text messaging, social media feed updates, caller ID and more.

The only cons I found related to the built-in voice commands, but since my Android phone has it’s own voice technology (that I’m quite used to) I simply used it in place of the Samsung voice commands which I found less intuitive than those on the phone.

Samsung HM7000 Product Specifications

• Bluetooth version 3.0
• Profiles: Stereo (A2DP) Bluetooth Codec (MP3, SBC), Mono (HFP)(HSP)
• Talk time: Up to 4 hours (headset); up to 16 hours with charging unit
• Standby time: Up to 160 hours (headset); up to 640 hours with charging unit
• Voice Prompt & Command
• Text-to-speech functionality with Samsung FreeSync Android App
• Samsung isolāt™ Dual mic noise cancellation/echo cancellation technology
• Music streaming (A2DP support)
• Active Pairing
• Multipoint technology

The Samsung HM7000 will be available in late October for $99.99 at T-Mobile retail stores nationwide and at www.T-Mobile.com, and at select RadioShack stores nationwide starting in November. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

The tug of war for devising the supreme tablets infused with the best in technologies has been seen to be getting tougher and tougher. After witnessing an array of feature-loaded tablets from manufacturers worldwide, we now have the new 10-inch Toshiba Thrive which touts to be just as speedy as any other Honeycomb tablet in the market. Though slightly late in stiffening the competition, the company however lays claims to revamp the tablet interaction with a whole new approach.

Featuring a high resolution 10-inch LED-backlit display, the performance-oriented device emerges to be just perfect for watching movies, reading books, surfing the web, or playing interesting games. For enhanced versatility and legibility, the integrated adaptive display technology enables users to bring adjustments to its brightness and contrast according to the surrounding light conditions.

The tablet stays incredibly competitive with its incorporated Nvidia Tegra 2 chip. By taking advantage of this, users can now conveniently experience extreme multitasking with the foremost mobile dual-core processor. There will be faster browsing, console-quality gaming, hardware-accelerated Adobe Flash, and high-definition videos with an Nvidia GeForce GPU. Powered by the fully optimized Android 3.1 Honeycomb platform, the stylishly designed Thrive also offers complete access to Google Mobile Services, customization tools, and Android Market Apps.

Tagged with an affordable price point, the device comes equipped with full SD card slot and support for HDMI and USB. However, the device’s thickness may appear as a disappointment to consumers who prefer piggybacking a lightweight device on their trips. In terms of design, Thrive houses a slip-resistant, rubberized surface and renders users with a choice to personalize their tablet’s appearance with six vibrant colors.

Apart from this, the stylish tablet comes equipped with stereo speakers and impressive custom sound enhancements to render an immersive user experience. With this one around, users can seamlessly watch their time-gripping flicks, listen to favorite music, and bring games to life in a way never experienced before. The performance-driven device also accommodates several sensors such as gyroscope and accelerometer. Users can simply tilt the tablet into a portrait or landscape format by utilizing its integrated capability of a full 360 degrees of rotation. The feature-packed device boasts of Toshiba-branded file manager and Resolution+ software. Weighing around 1.6 pounds, the tablet also reveals a 3.5mm headphone jack and a docking port for its video and audio accessories.

Some other attractive features comprise a 2 megapixel front webcam, a 5 megapixel rear camera for photos and videos in high-definition, stereo speakers, Resolution+ Video Enhancement Technology, user replaceable battery, and removable back cover. The Honeycomb tablet indeed delivers an unprecedented experience by allowing multimedia enthusiasts to access various Google Mobile Services and customization tools.

The new 10.1-inch Toshiba Thrive tablet is available now in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB of capacities with a price tag of $429, $479 and $579, respectively.

About the author: Amanda Kidd is a blogger who is fond of writing on tech help and most expensive gadgets. She is all into computers and in recent times she learnt a lot about software downloads and android on windows mobile. These days she is busy in writing on social media.

The GALAXY Note is a new category of product, developed through Samsung’s deep consumer understanding and insight. It combines core on-the-go benefits of various mobile devices while maintaining smartphone portability, to create a whole new user experience.

The GALAXY Note has a 5.3” display which is the largest screen size with smartphone portability. It features the world’s first and the largest 5.3” HD Super AMOLED display, an expansive high-resolution screen that provides an immersive viewing experience. Taking full advantage of the large display, users will be able to do more tasks to create and consume more, with minimum scrolling and screen transitions, while on the go. An advanced pen-input technology, called the S Pen, is combined with the GALAXY Note’s full touch screen to introduce a new type of user-experience. Through this, consumers are able to freely capture and create ideas while on the go.

“The GALAXY Note is a device borne of our insight and innovation. We examined the fundamental elements of mobile culture, entertainment and communication in order to bring together the best experiences in a single, elegant device,” said JK Shin, President and Head of Samsung’s Mobile Communications Business. “The huge, 5.3” HD Super AMOLED screen is the largest, highest quality display available in any phone; the touch screen and S Pen combine to produce a uniquely accurate level of control and finesse, along with rich expressions across the GALAXY Note experience, enabling the introduction of new smartphone experiences.”

“The artistic freedom of a paper notebook is coupled with the benefits of Samsung’s smartphone technology and services, allowing users to create, edit and share with more style than ever before,” Shin added.

State-of-the-art Display

The GALAXY Note features Samsung’s own 5.3” HD Super AMOLED display providing vivid clarity that is superior to conventional HD displays. This ensures the best viewing experience for video, photo, document and web on the go with deep blacks and bright colors. The superior screen also offers a 180 degree viewing angle, allowing contents to be shared comfortably.

At 5.3” the best-in-class display is the largest ever included in a primary mobile device; measuring just 9.65mm thick, the GALAXY Note fits comfortably in a pocket to offer true portability.

Full Screen Utilization

The high resolution display ensures that PowerPoint presentations, web-pages, news apps and e-books can be viewed comfortably with minimal scrolling or zooming. Minimizing the need to switch between applications, the GALAXY Note’s HD super AMOLED screen is large enough to allow meaningful split-screen operation in the most frequently used native apps.

Samsung has also included S Planner, a smart professional planning tool that makes full use of the device’s large screen. The management planner integrates the phone’s To-Do list and schedule; control and navigation is intuitive, helping users to comprehensively organize their lives.

Free Capture & Creation 

The GALAXY Note’s advanced pen input functionality is combined with the full touch screen to create a new input experience. The incorporated digital S Pen can be used for accurate sketching and artwork, and instantly capturing ideas freely before they float away.

The GALAXY Note features S Memo, a multimedia application designed to record all forms of user-created content. Pictures, voice recordings, typed text, handwritten notes or drawings can all be captured via a single application and converted to a ‘memo’, to be edited, annotated and shared as desired.

A one-step screen-capture function also allows users to instantly capture any screen; captured images can also be freely and accurately annotated using the S Pen before being filed or shared.

The S Pen functionality has been deeply integrated into the GALAXY Note’s native applications to provide a richer interactive experience. Users will benefit from increased accuracy and control when editing or personalizing captured videos or photographs; and users will be able to draw and send handwritten images and notes via text message, email, and Samsung’s ChatON communication service.

Broadening the opportunity to create new user experiences, Samsung plans to release the S Pen SDK allowing app developers to create fundamentally new applications and services incorporating the pen functionality.

Superior Usability, Powerful Performance

The 1.4GHz dual-core processor ensures the device is incredibly fast and a smooth user interface ensures seamless usability. Lightning fast network speeds are enabled through the HSPA+ and LTE-enabled device’s super-fast connection, ensuring a quick and seamless browsing experience. This means that users can stream videos in real-time or engage with their friends through online gaming platforms.

Samsung is enhancing enterprise capabilities of the GALAXY Note through its partnership with Juniper Networks. Juniper’s Junos Pulse SSL VPN provides secure remote access to corporate network resources. The SSL VPN enables large enterprise and service providers to meet high-volume secure access and authorization requirements, protecting corporate data with centralizes control and supporting employees’ personal device efficiently.

Samsung GALAXY Note Product Specifications

• Network
  HSPA+ 21Mbps 850/900/1900/2100
  EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900
• Processor
  1.4GHz Dual Core Processor
• Display
  5.3” WXGA(1280×800, 285ppi) HD Super AMOLED
• OS
  Android 2.3(Gingerbread)
• Camera
  Main(Rear) : 8 MP with LED Flash
  Front : 2 MP
  Action Shot, Beauty, Panorama Shot, Smile Shot, Share Shot
• Video
  Video : MPEG4, H.264, H.263, WMV, DivX, Xvid, VC-1
  Recording 1080p@24~30fps, Playing 1080p@30fps
• Audio
  Codec : MP3, AAC, AMR, WMA, WAV, FLAC, OGG
  Music Player with SoundAlive
  3.5mm Ear Jack, Stereo FM Radio with RDS
• Value-added Features
  Samsung AppsSamsung Kies 2.0/ Samsung Kies airSamsung ChatON mobile messenger service
  (Downloadable via Samsung Apps)

  Samsung TouchWiz/ Samsung L!ve Panel UX

  Smart Note Apps

  S Pen / Pen UX

  Social Hub
  - Integrated Messaging(Email, SNS), Contacts/ Calendar Sync
  - Basic: POP3/IMAP Email

  Social Hub, Readers Hub , Music Hub

  GoogleTM Mobile Services
  - GmailTM, Google TalkTM, Google SearchTM, YouTubeTM, Android Market TM,
  - Google MapsTM with Google Places and Google Latitude

  A-GPS

  Enterprise Solutions
  - ODE, EAS, CCX, MDM, VPN, WebEx

  NFC (optional)

• Connectivity
  Bluetooth® technology v 3.0 + HS
  USB 2.0 HOST
  Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct
• Sensor
  Accelerometer, Light, Digital compass, Proximity, Barometer
• Memory
  16/32GB Internal Memory + microSD (up to 32GB)
• Size
  146.85 x 82.95 x 9.65 mm
• Battery
  Standard battery, Li-on 2,500 mAh

When I sent this HTC Thunderbolt Android™ phone back I was very very sad. It was hard to say goodbye. I’m becoming a HUGE android fan. Yes, I am! The more experience I have with the Android OS the more I fall in love with it. It feels very comfortable. Since I spend most of my time with Linux, it’s only natural that I feel so at home using a phone based on Android OS.

While you don’t need a gmail account to use the phone it does make it convenient. When The Thunderbolt arrived I turned it on (love the thunderous opening screen and sounds) and I logged into my gmail. I connected to my Google Voice number, and the phone was then synced up to my contacts. I also noticed that this included the online Gmail images I have for my contacts. I still have to add the personally assigned ringtones, but the fact that everything else is copied over makes the process real easy!. Next, all I needed to do was indicate that I wanted the contact to see my Google Voice number when I call them and I was Good to Go.

I love the Weather app. It has the most adorable animations…..thunder and lightening, rain with a wiper, snow flakes, fall leaves and so on. I added several cities around the world just so I could see various weather conditions at will. It’s better than TV. Really.

The Thunderbolt also comes with a small Wall/USB charger and detachable microUSB cable. The USB cable does double duty connecting to a computer for exchanging files and then connecting to the charger to sup up the battery.

The phone also comes with a 32GB microSD card and a Sim card.

The basic Thunderbolt stats are that this 4G LTE Verizon Wireless network phone runs on the Gingerbread Operating System with a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor. I felt is was quite fast and responsive. The Android™ 2.2 with HTC Sense 2.0 Display and 4.3″ capacitive touch screen looks beautiful. And of course, when I looked at the 480×800 WVGA display and realized I had a hankering to change the wallpaper I did a bit of research and found that I could take any picture I liked and scale/crop so it’s 960 x 800. Then copy the image to the phone in any number of ways (more on that later) and, once on the phone, access the settings to change the wallpaper. Locate the image where you saved it, assign it as a wallpaper and voila! New image on your screen. I found something I liked and scaled it. If you get this Android phone you can use it too:

 
Connecting
So, now my main focus is how many ways can I connect the HTC Thunderbolt to other devices. The first method is using that USB cable. When I connect to my Ubuntu laptop the Thunderbolt shows up as two devices

The “Verizon Mobile” section contains the boot files and you can safely ignore it. Turn your attention to the “32 GB Filesystem” because this is where you can add images, ringtones and any music you wish to enjoy.

Of course, it can get tiresome to always have to find and plug in a cable just to transfer files. Are we getting lazy?? Well, yes. Anyway, wireless is fun and convenient.
First thing I do is check out the Android Market and find myself a scanner app. There’s several to choose from and I just picked “bwscan”.
This way if I saw an app online with a code I could point the phone at my screen, the camera would scan the code, and this would send me to the app or a web site. This sort of app is way cool and Über fun and very convenient. I’ve seen those codes all over the place including restaurants, newspapers, magazines and so on.
In the Market I also found some way cool live wallpapers:
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.AOI.hqq.LiveWallpaper_Skyrocket
https://market.android.com/details?id=fishnoodle.aquarium_free
Yes, i get mesmerized by moving things.
And speaking of Moving and Mesmerizing, I got my favorite app – Fleya. At some point this great app sent an update to the phone…..check out the pics. I love this thing. Others play games, I message the touch screen. Many of the gravity effects work wonderfully on the Thunderbolt. I rotate the device and it’s very responsive. I must look crazy ‘wrestling’ with a phone, but I’m used to that.
on HTC – 480 x 800 res

I connected my computer to the HTC Thunderbolt via Bluetooth. And as I have a DropBox account, made my files available on the Thunderbolt. I’ll be talking about DropBox in a future article. What I love is that when I have snapped a picture and wish to send it somewhere all I have to do is tap on the image and the Share icon appears. I can email it, or upload to Bluetooth or send the image to my DropBox. All with a few touches. Ah, wonderful!

People do lots of Sharing on Facebook so I downloaded the Facebook app. This lets me upload a picture I just took with the camera. The process is – I go to the album I wish to upload first, then take the picture. The app doesn’t let me add a description of the picture but I can add a comment. However for me the important feature is getting the image to the album I wish it to live in.

There’s a ton of apps available for any Android device and I have already tested PressReader. You can check the article out:
PressReader Brings The World to my Fingertips

It’s another really great app that makes your Thunderbolt a convenient digital secretary.

Camera
Taking pictures is one of those activities that I do a LOT of and the convenience of being able to carry a phone to do that is very important for me. The HTC Thunderbolt has a nice healthy 8.0 MP rear camera with Auto Focus and dual LED Flash in addition to a 1.3 MP front camera. I’ve been able to take images up to 3264 x 1952 resolution. Check out several of my pictures:
still photos Taken with a HTC Thunderbolt

And the HD video recording can go up to 1280x720p which is really nice for a phone. When taking images you can add effects like Sepia, Negative, Solarize, Posterize, Distortion, Vignette, Depth of Field and so on. Once an image exists I could locate it in the Gallery and add even more effects. This image was snapped with the incorrect White Balance (Incandescent instead of Automatic).

So I played around with these effects and choose “Glimmer” which appears to be changing the color curve and adding a Vignette. It really changes the original image for the better.

being an artist I generally prefer to download images for further processing using professional programs, but while these effects will not substitute for my basic work flow, it’s nice to have a few extra tools for those moments when I know they will work.

Don’t be sad like me….get your HTC Thunderbolt Android™ phone right now and be happy!

more info

Droid Sees YOU

IN THE RED CORNER… Weighing in at just over four ounces, the challenger, the HTC Incredible, a.k.a. Droid Incredible.  In this generation of the cell phone wars, all phones are in contention with the eight hundred pound gorilla in the room, known as AT&T’s iPhone; enter the newest challenger, Verizon’s Droid series.  The Incredible, powered by the now beloved Android OS, comes to the ring well equipped with both features and marketability.  The feature list of the Incredible is just that, incredible.  What’s more, the sky is the limit to the word of mouth marketing surrounding this device.  In the never ending free for all of the cellular phone market, the Droid Incredible definitely comes out swinging.

Physically the Incredible is, to coin Monty Python, wafer thin; however, the bright and large screen should be the first indication that this phone isn’t skimping on any feature.  Currently, the single most important feature is the ability to download, install, and use new applications with the phone.  Yes, it does have “Apps”; it has the Droid Marketplace, and that is no small repository.  The Droid line up by Verizon are all “powered by Google,” meaning quick and easy access to your e-mail, the internet, GPS, and it’s all built-in–before you go looking for that “App.”  The phone has a great camera, built in flash for the camera, a camcorder, a voice recorder, 8GB memory (about 7GB available for recordings), WiFi, 3G, an FM radio, and the list goes on and on.  Before dropping the expected feature list on you, the dear reader, a moment must be given to the included Skype Mobile.  Verizon, oh how slick you are, having entered a contract with Skype to provide a mobile version of Skype to help reduce the cost of the international calls utilizing the built-in 3G–nice.  The Incredible stands toe to toe with Apple/AT&T’s iPhone in the feature department, and utilizing Android OS will allow the eventual surpassing of the reigning champ.

[ Features Courtesy of HTC ]
Detailed focus. With eye-popping 8-megapixel resolution and built-in editing, it’s not a camera phone. It’s an amazing camera that happens to be an amazing phone.

Built for speed.. HTC designers found inspiration for the Droid Incredible by HTC in a jet-black Italian sports car. With a blazing-fast 1GHz Snapdragon™ processor, it seems our hardware engineers did, too.

Instant sharing. Capture the moment and post it instantly on Facebook®, Flickr®, or Picasa™. Mail it, message it, or send a peep to all your peeps.

Instant friends. With the Friend Stream app, you always know what’s going on on Facebook and Twitter™, without actually going on Facebook and Twitter.

Instant apps. The Android™ OS with HTC Sense™ delivers easy access to thousands of apps and games available at the Android Market™.

[Specifications Courtesy of HTC]

CPU Speed     Qualcomm® QSD8650, 1GHz Snapdragon™

Platform     Android™ 2.2 (Froyo) with HTC Sense™

Memory     Flash 8GB + 512MB/RAM 512MB

Dimensions (LxWxT) 4.63 x 2.30 x 0.47 inches

Weight     4.6 ounces (130 grams) with battery

Display     3.7-inch touch-sensitive screen with 480 X 800 WVGA resolution

Network     Dual-band (800 and 1900MHz) CDMA2000 1xRTT/1xEVDO/1xEVDO rev. A and IS-95A/B voice or data with up to 1.8 Mbps uplink and 3.1 Mbps downlink speeds (Band frequency and data speed are operator dependent.)

Onscreen Navigation     Optical joystick

GPS     Internal GPS antenna

Sensors     G-Sensor

Digital compass

Proximity sensor

Ambient light sensor

Connectivity     Bluetooth® 2.1 with FTP/OPP for file transfer, A2DP for wireless stereo headsets, and PBAP for phonebook access from the car kit

Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11 b/g

3.5mm stereo audio jack

micro-USB (12-pin micro-USB 2.0)

Camera     8-megapixel color camera with auto focus and flash

Video capture

Audio Supported Formats
Playback: .aac, .amr, .ogg, .m4a, .mid, .mp3, .wav, .wma
Recording: .amr

Video Supported
Formats     Playback: .3gp, .3g2, .mp4, .wmv
Recording: .3gp

Battery     Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery
Capacity: 1300 mAh
Talk time: Up to 313 minutes
Standby time: Up to 146 hours
(The above are subject to network and phone usage.)

Expansion Slot     microSD™ memory card (SD 2.0 compatible)
Up to 32 GB card support. No pre-installed card.

AC Adapter     Voltage range/frequency: 100 ~ 240V AC, 50/60Hz

DC output: 5V and 1A

Email     Push Gmail™ and Exchange

Special Features     Friend Stream

In-Box Content     Main unit, Micro USB cable, Battery (1300 mAh), AC adapter, RF Brochure, Product Safety & Warranty Statement, Quick Start Guide

Feature after feature, and selling point after selling point mean very little if the product cannot get placed or advertised effectively.  Good thing Verizon has the marketing knowledge to get something off the ground, no matter how much you hate “Can you hear me now? Good.”  They have taken the Android OS, and made it, in the eyes of Joe Public, their own invention.  They have grabbed the reigns of the designers and steered the horse in a direction of their choosing.  Honestly, someone at Verizon must have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night, because going to the length they did with Lucasfilm to secure the term “Droid,” is paying off in spades.  The case design of the phone simply screams “R2D2,“  and that is not the special edition model.  We live in an era where the “it factor” plays a major role in a cell phone purchase.  Your cell phone is almost a badge of status indication within the workplace.  Thus, when people in the office stop mentioning the eight hundred pound gorilla, and stand in awe of the challenger–your marketing team has come up with a winner.

The only flaw, if it can even be called that, is that the user will have to download VZAccess to utilize the Mobile Broadband Access as advertised with the Droid Incredible.  Keep in mind that Verizon, and every other carrier, charges a premium for this, so be aware of what is currently a nasty cost before entering any service agreements.  With that said, it is only a matter of time before the cost mobile broadband is comparable with that of DSL Service or Cable.  The speeds of transfer are already comparable if one is in the coverage area.  ( up to 1.4 Mbps for mobile broadband, and 3.0 Mbps for most DSL services)  The speed may not be what your teenager wants to download an entire discography via bit torrent, but suffices for most multiplayer online games–voice chat included.  Specifically, the Droid Incredible performs just as well as, if not superior to, the USB760 Modem (also available from Verizon).

What’s this about Froyo then?  Froyo is simply the latest version of the Android OS for Android powered devices, including the Incredible.  The big deal is performance, which was quick to begin with; now, the Incredible is a speed demon compared to many of it’s competitors.  While there isn’t a ton of graphical updates, the under-the-hood aspect has seen massive improvements.  The browser core has been enhanced for faster web browsing (namely the JavaScript engine), in excess  of twice the speed for Dalvik based applications, and improved memory management (faster switches between processes/applications).  The developer side of this update is also extensive, and results in massive improvement to all apps that run on the Android platform.  Of particular interest, is the ability of apps to “live” on an SD card (external storage) while still launching, and running on the device.  The Froyo update for Android is the big deal; the Incredible can now download, render, and display web pages faster than the iPhone (and the Incredible renders Flash Anims, the iPhone does not).

Overall, the impressions of this phone is all about incredible.  The name, Incredible, simply fits.  Yes, this phone does make one feel like it is 1999, when all your co-workers are standing in awe of your Motorola Razr.  Oh yeah, it has all the features and apps needed in today’s non-stop busy world.  Even the big boys are recognizing the importance of supporting the Android OS; heck, even FoxNews has developed an application for the Android.  The Verizon executives must be having a party, because they see the reigning champ is dazed, and the Droid line is still throwing jabs.

At a glance

The Galaxy Tab is a 7 inch capacitance touch screen tablet with a resolution of 1024 by 600. Depending on the carrier, it comes in white or black, glossy or matte. It’s the first major Android tablet to fully feature the latest iteration of the Android operating system, version 2.2 (Froyo). It has a speedy processor, fast wireless data connections, copious amounts of storage, exceptional video support, multiple cameras, and weighing in at less than a pound, it’s quite easy to use with a single hand.

Design

There are tablets with larger screens, some with much larger screens. Screen size isn’t everything. If it were, all laptops would be 17” behemoths. There’s a reason consumers are drawn to devices with smaller screens, the reason is usability and portability.

In designing a device that measures just 7.48” by 4.74” by 0.47”, Samsung has made a clear concession to usability over screen real estate. The Tab is not just half the size of the iPad; at only .8 lbs it’s fully half the weight. Unlike its larger competition, the reduced size and weight of the Galaxy Tab allow for easy one handed use. No, there’s not as much screen real estate as there would be on larger tablets, but we find ourselves taking the Tab along when we’d leave a larger device behind. While the Galaxy Tab is not what one would typically define as “pocket-able”, it’s very easily carried about and fits well in many coat pockets and hand bags. And cargo pants.

While the Galaxy Tab is a sharp, modern looking device, we can’t say it has an especially unique look, as it doesn’t. Most recent tablets have taken on very similar appearances. We suspect this is largely driven by the realities of the necessary hardware. There are only so many ways to package a capacitance touch screen device.

All versions of the Galaxy Tab have a plastic case with a familiar black bezel surrounding the screen. The sides are black while the color and finish of the unit’s back varies depending on the carrier. The decision to go with a plastic instead of a metal case helps explain why the Tab weighs so much less than its most notable competition. Large flat devices can tend to flex without a very rigid case. The smaller size of the Galaxy Tab likely obviated the need for a metal case. The rigidity of the unit we tested is exceptional in that it shows absolutely no case flex. While the case feels very sturdy, the Gorilla Glass screen seems especially strong.

Hardware

The Galaxy’s has a 1020 by 600 pixel TFT LCD capacitance touch screen faced with Gorilla Glass ^TM. The pixel density of the screen is 171 pixels per inch, which while not as high as some smaller phone screens is significantly higher than that of the iPad.

Perhaps one of the more noticeable differences between the Tab and its competition is the 16:9 aspect ratio of the screen. 16:9 is the ratio for which most movies and TV shows are currently developed. Video can be viewed on the Tab in the intended ratio with no extraneous black bars on the top and bottom. In comparison, some cheap imported Android tablets and Apple’s iPad use the outdated 4:3 ratio.

The Galaxy Tab has a 1 GHZ Cortex ARM A8 Hummingbird processor, including a Power VR SGX 540 graphics processor. The device has two cameras, a 1.3 mega pixel front facing camera for video conferencing, with a higher quality 3 megapixel camera on the back of the device. The rear facing camera also includes a very bright LED flash.

The unit charges through a 30 pin Samsung specific non-proprietary connector. The reason stated for not adopting the familiar MicroUSB charging port is that the USB specification does not provide enough power to quickly charge the unit. The included charger fully charged the device in a bit over 3 hours. It would apparently take twice as long were the device to have used MicroUSB for charging. Another advantage is that apparently sound output and input and video output is carried on this connector as well to use with special cables and docks. While the 30 pin connector is of Samsung’s own design, Samsung is reportedly not requiring third parties to license the connector. This suggests that a flood of inexpensive third-party adapters, connectors and docks should be hitting the market shortly. Through an included adapter, this 30 pin connector is also the method through which the Tab provides USB connectivity for side loading content.

Those familiar with other Android devices will find the familiar Menu, Home, Back and Search integrated into the black bezel at the bottom of the device. They are in the same design as those found on Samsung’s popular Galaxy S line of phones. The buttons are not physical and completely disappear when not selected. The edges of the device feature the power button, volume rockers, MicroSD card slot, and 3.5 mm audio jack. The bottom edge of the device features two, surprisingly loud, speakers.

The Tab supports 3G data networks. In our experience, the speed was very robust. Wi-Fi support is provided from 802.11 A through the latest 802.11 N standard. These are speedy connections with which we were able to stream some rather large videos. The Tab has Bluetooth 3 connectivity; a feature that largely seems intended for use in video conferencing. Like its high-end smart phones cousins, the Tab includes a GPS receiver, MEMS accelerometer, and a magnetic compass.

On board memory differs depending on the carrier and version purchased. Most units feature 2GB of internal memory with an additional 16 to 32 GB provided in the form of an included MicroSD card. Currently, the Tab supports user upgradable MicroSD cards up to 32 GB in size.

Software

A common critique against the Android OS is that it’s built to work best on the smaller screens found on smart phones, not the larger screens found on tablets. Google has not yet released a ‘Tablitized’ version of the Android OS nor has it yet upgraded most of the core applications to take specific advantage of a tablet’s extra screen real estate.

Samsung has anticipated these issues by building their own tablet versions of many core applications. Samsung has a long history of robust software development, their experience shows in these included applications. The key to most of Samsung’s alterations can be summed up in two words – Dual Pane.

The Tab’s email client has been comprehensively reworked to elegantly function within a tablet’s larger workspace. The dual-pane design should be familiar to anyone who has used a desktop email client like Outlook. The very fast and responsive email client automatically reconfigures for landscape or portrait. The client automatically displays dual panes of information viewing in landscape mode, though this can be customized to the user’s preferred mode. Multiple email accounts are supported and can quickly be switched.

Similar dual-pane customizations have been made to the SMS messaging client, file manager, the new memo application, and a number of others. These applications all move to a dual-pane configuration when the device is tilted to landscape mode, retaining a single pane look when rotated to portrait mode.

Rumors abound that Google’s upcoming Android version will have a significant number of tablet specific customizations and upgrades. Samsung has indicated that the upcoming Android version 2.3 (Gingerbread) will be made available for Tab users shortly after its release.

Browser & Flash

The Tab’s internet browser has taken a lot of criticism from some members of the press and in most all cases it comes down to the inexperience of those writers in how to use the Android browser or a failure to appreciate all that is offered in web browsing on Android.

The Browser itself is based off the stock Android browser but Samsung has reworked the interface to make it tablet-friendly. You won’t find yourself poking at the Menu button nearly as often as the Back/Forward, Favorites and Windows buttons are all on the main interface around the URL bar. The Windows and Favorites buttons also invoke quick onscreen menus rather than sliding over to a new menu screen like Android does on phones. The Samsung menus really make switching between multiple browser windows effortless.

Normally browsing is fast and fluid – but if a page contains any Flash elements it’s going to render a bit slower. I have no complaints about being able to view Flash on the websites when I want it but I do think Samsung should have defaulted to having Flash available ‘on demand’. (this is the area that some reviewers didn’t understand in that they could turn Flash off) The browser should also only turn Flash on for individual elements rather than the entire page at once. It would also be an excellent idea to offer a white-list option so you can mark certain sites so they always show Flash and leave it off for the others.

If the included browser isn’t right for you – then you’re going to find something more to your taste in the Android App Market. Many people are recommending the Dolphin HD browser which is very tablet-friendly – but there are many choices.

Watching Video

While Android 2.2 comes with video playing built into it’s Gallery app, Samsung went a step further and included a very nice Video player that is fully Divx certified. The video player actually offers a full interface for controlling video playerback and will show you any videos it can play that are loaded on your Tab.

In our tests we loaded a variety of Divx and Xvid videos as .AVI from a number of sources and all of them played smoothly. MKV videos showed in the player but none of the ones we tried would play.

We also took a quick dip into the Samsung Media Hub – their answer to iTunes. It allows for renting and buying movies and television shows at fairly standard prices. You can stream preview clips as well. It feels a touch shallow but everything is there that you need for now. It’s a welcome addition since carriers often offer addon services that cost far more than this.

Ebook Reader

Samsung originally demonstrated a full suite of reading apps on the European versions of the Tab. Since then the carriers have exercised their options and had some items removed and some replaced.

The original ereader demonstrated was eBook from Samsung. This turned out to be not ready for wide release, partially due to it being very slow, and has only been released to our knowledge on one European version of the Tab. Since then Kobo and Kindle have been offered by different carriers on their versions of the Tab. Both are excellent ereaders but a third-party ereader, Nook, from Barnes and Noble has jumped ahead of all of them and works beautifully on the Tab as well. Once the issues are worked out we’re sure Samsung will release their eBook ereader soon.

Samsung also showed daily newspaper reading, via the app Press Display, but this has not been made available on the US variants of the Tab. Possibly this is due to licensing agreements. We haven’t seen this in action here but it’s supposedly been updated regularly and still needs a bit of polish.

The third app in Samsung’s Readers Hub was for magazines and was an Android port of the Zilio magazine reader. It was released in beta and in our opinion might have been released early. It’s a bit unstable and appears to be a lite version that doesn’t support all the features of the iPhone and iPad version. We talked with Zilio about this and they replied that they plan to make some new announcements this week and through the holidays. Specifically they’ll be releasing a lite version (similar to the Galaxy Tab app) that can work on all Android devices and an Adobe Air version for higher-end devices that will support all Zinio publications with all features. If these new releases are as stable as the iPhone/iPad versions then the wait will have been worth it.

Apps and Market

A lot of talk has focused on how the Android market doesn’t have a tablet specific section. To read some gripes, you’d almost think the Galaxy Tab is incapable of running most of the 100,000 + apps in the Android market.

Nothing could be further from the truth. In our experience, with the many apps we tried on the Galaxy Tab, we found they just worked. This is not to say that all apps displayed in full screen mode, but they did function as designed. Fact is, we couldn’t really find an app that couldn’t work at all unless it was only meant for telephone use. Because apps on the Tab with Android actually scale up properly for larger screens you don’t have to settle for pixel doubling on pre-tablet apps.

The real issue seems to be that certain developers did not explicitly follow Google’s current specifications, making their apps unable to scale to full screen or scale improperly. As has been pointed out in the Google Developer forums this isn’t terribly hard to do and we hope most apps will catch up on this. That said, a great many apps do scale properly and look especially good on the Tab. In the past week, we’ve noticed a rush of updates to Android market apps to fix any large screen issues.

There are already many apps that look amazing on the Tab. Wordsy, a Scrabble-like game for playing against other players online, looks designed for tablet displays. Nearly all games from Gameloft not only play in full resolution on the Tab but look even better than when on a phone. The new massive multiplayer online game, Pocket Legends, is perfect on the Tab and you can see more details that would be lost on a smaller device. RSS readers like Pulse and MyTapu really shine with the larger screen and offer a unique approach unlike your average RSS reader.

We have talked with a few publishers and most everyone are on-board for tablet-friendly interfaces. Best of all, they won’t have to do this in separate versions. (although they might). We have run into a few developers who erroneously think that if Google hasn’t said ‘program for tablet’ then they shouldn’t do so. They forget that Android is an open platform and Google aren’t the only ones moving it ahead.

Negatives

The Galaxy Tab isn’t perfect. No surprise. We think the price is too high when compared to the market as a whole. When compared to similar iPads it’s only about $50 less for a much smaller screen. Some will read that as a bargain – some will not. The Barnes and Noble Nookcolor has similar specs – but an ereader-specific interface and is only $249. The browser could use some work as we mentioned.

We’ve also noticed some minor differences in the software and OS itself on different carrier’s Tabs. This should be fixed in a carrier-agnostic upgrade. We hope. Specifically we’ve noticed that no Tab seems to have the Calculator app included. However there are dozens to choose from on the App Market so this is little more than a curious omission. On the Verizon Tab the Qik video calling app is missing. However the cross-platform Video Calling app Tango is available on the App Market and works just fine on all Tabs and Android phones, iPhones, iPads, etc.

Summing up

The Galaxy Tab defines a new market segment. Not only is it the first major Android tablet, it’s the first major 7 inch tablet. Despite critiques to the contrary, we don’t see the Tab as simply big phone, but a fast, powerful, full-featured Android tablet that’s also completely mobile. Apple’s iPad is also a fast, powerful, and full-featured tablet but it’s size makes it far less portable.

The Tab has strong advantages over a smart phone. The 7 inch screen size and wide viewing angles makes it far easier to read documents, view videos, and most importantly share content with others. The Android OS seems far more suited to tablet needs with it’s true-multitasking, notification bar, and configurable home screens. Our week with the Tab leaves us quite impressed. Of the Android tablets we’ve tested, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab is the first that we can whole heartedly recommend.

Pricing

Prices vary by carrier of course and that’s not counting the upcoming WiFi only version that keeps being leaked by Best Buy. Here are the prices as of today:

T-Mobile

$399.99 (after instant and online discount) on a 2yr contract with
*$39.99/mo 5GB data OR
*$24.99/mo 200MB data
$599.99 no contract with
*$39.99/mo 5GB data OR
*$24.99/mo 200MB data (same as 2 year contract prices)

Sprint

$599.99 no contract
$399.99 (after $50 instant savings) on a 2yr contract with new activation and
*$59.99/mo 5GB data OR
*$29.99/mo 2GB data

Verizon

$599.99 on a 2yr contract with or without contract and
*$50.00/mo 5GB data
*$35.00/mo 3GB data
*$20.00/mo 1GB data

AT&T

$649.99 with pay-as-you-go

US Cellular

$399 after rebate and a two years contract

Specs

• Operating System Android 2.2 Froyo
• Screen Resolution 1024 x 600
• Screen size 7 inches diagonal
• Display type WSVGA TFT Capacitance Touch Screen w/t Gorilla glass
• Processor 1 GHZ Cortex ARM A8 Hummingbird with 512 MB – PowerVR graphics
• Memory 512 MB
• Internal Memory 2GB internal device storage
• External SD Card 16 GB included, user expandable to 32 GB
• Battery 4000 mAh lithium ion
• Cameras Rear facing 3 megapixel – Front facing 1.3 megapixel
• Dimensions 7.48 inches x 4.74 inches x 0.47 inches
• Weight 0.837 lbs
• Network HSUPA 5.76 / HSDPA 7.2Mbps 900/1900/2100
• Edge/GRPS 850/ 900/ 1800/1900 – WiFi a/b/g/n, – Bluetooth 3.0, DNLA
• Video Playback Full HD (1080p)
• Video Formats Supported XviD, Divx, MPEG4, H 263, h.264, AVC
• Video Recording 720 x 480 @ 30fps
• Ports 3.5mm ear jack, MicroSD, 30 pin port
• Additional Features GPS navigation, MEMS gyroscope, Swype keyboard application, ThinkFree document viewer and editor,

The BH-214

Nokia BH-214 Adapter

The BH-214 is a Stereo Bluetooth adapter with a built-in clip and 3.5mm audio jack, allowing you to use your headphone of choice. If you noticed we called it an adapter and not a headset. Technically a headset  consists of both headphone and a microphone. The microphone itself is built into the BH-214 and it isn’t until you attach an ear/headphone can it be categorized as a Bluetooth headset. Even though you do have the option of using you own headphone, Nokia does include one (in-ear) called the Nokia Music Headset HS-44.

Nokia HS-44

The BH-214 seems to be a direct replacement for the Nokia BH-500, gaining a more refined and sophisticated design, but looses the included Nokia Wireless Audio Adapter AD-47W, a Bluetooth USB adaptor which lets you use the BH-500 with your PC. But as most modern laptops and desktops already have built-in Bluetooth, we certainly agree with Nokia’s decision to drop that accessory, which should help lower the overall price. And in fact it did. The Nokia BH-500 was a fairly expensive accessory and it was pretty common to see it offered well above the $100 mark, while the BH-214 can be easily found in the $50 range, making it a very good deal. 

Compared to its predecessor, the 214 seems to be the overall winner and even though it does have a smaller rechargeable battery, Nokia has managed to squeeze similar talk/music times as the 500, which is a very impressive feat by itself. However its still a mystery to us as to why the older BH-500 has the more advanced Headset profile 1.5, while the newer product includes the lower 1.2 profile.

When it comes to design, the BH-214 takes the complete opposite route compared to what we saw on the BH-500 and goes for a white and light grey theme. The overall look is traditional Nokia with the square shape, rounded edges and an almost futuristic design typically found with Nokia accessories. The overall white and grey theme holds surprisingly well against scratches, dirt, smudges and anything else that the elements can throw at it. You will have to clean it from time to time, but not as much as we expected.

***Pic Glass front***

  The front of the adapter is dominated by a see-through plastic that has a light Blue-Grey color, giving it an almost glass-like effect. They also subtlety integrated the answer/end and music controls in this see-through plastic, giving it a nice minimalistic look. Completing the design is the Nokia logo behind this plastic cover. Despite throwing it into a bag full of keys and other gadgets that might get it scratched, we were surprised to find that it’s virtually scratch free.

The back of the unit is done in a light silver plastic finish, but is mostly dominated by the integrated clip. The clip is integrated into the shell of the body, making it very sturdy and difficult to break. The top has microphone, power button and indicator light. This light if of the multi-color kind, serving several purposes instead of cluttering the overall clean design. There’s also a 3.5mm audio jack right where the body and clip are held together. The right side has the volume controls , while the bottom and left side are free of any buttons.

The supplied Nokia  HS-44 are mostly White, but has a light Blue-Grey accent to match to the BH-214. In certain situations we did find the cable for the HS-44 way too short and a bit to thin for our taste. For this last reason we really don’t expect them to last long and they got tangled way too easily. With the addition of the clip, Nokia expects the BH-214 to be held close to your head making the short cable something you could work with. But in certain cases you’d want to clip the BH-214 lower, for example on your belt or pocket. For these cases the cable is simply too short, forcing you to clip it closer to the neck area. However we do expect that a good chunk of BH-214 owners will buy this product for its music capabilities and simply swap the HS-44 for high-end headphoneS or in-ear monitors.

Performance

Both the BH-214 and HS-214 impressed us during the performance tests. Nokia states that fully charging the battery can take up to 2 hours, but during our testing we found this to more in the range of 30 to 45 minutes which is reasonably fast. However in future version of the BH-214,  we would like to see a fast-charge system,  like the one used on the BH-904. We were easily able to connect it to our laptop, Playstation 3 and several mobile phones with any problems. You can pair it with up 8 devices, but it can hold a connection with only 1 device at the time. In future versions we would like to see it have the ability to connect to two devices simultaneous, like a mobile phone and laptop for Skype calls. This is a future we’ve already seen on the BH-904.

The Bluetooth wireless range was something that truly stood out. Perhaps due its larger size, the BH-214 was able to hold a connection at almost twice the usual 33 feet (10 meters) range of your typical Bluetooth headset and has the longest Bluetooth range we’ve ever seen! This was only equaled by the ultra expensive Nokia BH-905.  As we moved farther away from our test mobile device, the music seem to almost pause for a split second, but quickly continued without any problems. Our guess is that as you increase the distance the BH-214 will increase it’s power to keep performance in check. Another interesting observation was how the BH-214 maintained its solid performance even with 2 walls between us and the test mobile device.

But were the BH-214 truly excelled was in the audio department, earning a flawless performance. Even more impressive when you consider that this is coming from a $50 accessory. The supplied earphones are usually the last thing manufacturers think about, but despite the HS-44’s short and thin cable, it also positively surprised with us a very good performance. Listening to these was like listening to $75-$100 earphones and not some bonus earphones included with an accessory. We decided to takes things a step further and attach the $550 Shure SE530 PTH to the BH-214. This little wonder was able to easily drive the SE530 with clean audio and plenty of volume headroom into levels that would do damage. With so many Bluetooth accessories lacking in volume, the BH-214 falls into the rare category that does. We simply couldn’t tell the difference with the our reference Shure SE530 plugged directly into our test Nokia N900 or wirelessly connected to the BH-214, proof  of its audio output quality. 

Phone calls with the BH-214 sounded excellent, with the supplied in-ear HS-44, it sounded a bit too good. However be prepared for a few stares while using the BH-214 for calls.

With a tiny and compact body, the BH-214’s 3.5mm jack could easily be put to use with more than just earphones and headphone. It worked nicely with speakers that accepted a 3.5mm audio-in, making our Bluetooth enabled smartphones a surprisingly good wireless remote.

Conslusion 

If you love music, especially streamed wireless, you should take a serious look at the Nokia BH-214. Audio streamed vai Bluetooth has been synonymous with lower quality and in fact it still is. The BH-214 is one of those rare devices that shows that wireless audio can sound as good or close to what can be achieved with a direct cable connection. During our testing with high-end earphones the BH-214 proved that it can sound as good as plugging our reference In-ear monitors directly to our mobile device. The supplied HS-44 earphones sound surprisingly really good, even though its cables are thin and way too short. This shouldn’t be such a big problem as we expect many owners to simply swap these with custom with high-end earphones or headphones. The BH-214 had one of the longest wireless range we’ve seen on an accessory and battery life is equally good to its predecessor with a smaller battery.

If you own high-end earphones or headphones and want some wireless freedom? We highly recommend the Nokia BH-214. It gets a 9.9 out of 10.

Pros

-Holds surprisingly well against dirt and scratches.

-With smaller battery gets equal music/talk time

-Impressive audio quality

-Supplied HS-44 earphones sound very good

-Lightweight and sturdy body

-Built-in clip

Con

-No microUSB charging

-HS-44 cables are too short

My Apple Days

My conversion to Android began a little less than two months ago when my iPhone 2G had the top half of it’s screen suddenly stop responding to touch. I’d been an iPhone user for quite some time.

Before the iPhone I was using the T-Mobile Shadow. Non-touchscreen but very easy to use one-handed. Based on Windows Mobile Standard with a very nice interface added to make the phone easy to use. The reality was that I knew I was out-of-date in my mobile phone and it was kind of embarrassing since I ran a gadget site!  I was looking to make a change.

Nonetheless, I was a late conversion to the Church of iPhone and might not have even seriously tried it had I not had the chance to get it for basically next-to-nothing. The 2G model was a good choice as my mobile carrier is T-Mobile as we love their family plan rates and features. At the time I got the phone T-Mobile still didn’t have 3G in my area and the 2G didn’t offer it anyway. A good match.

Of course I jail-broke the iPhone to use it on T-Mobile and was a happy purchaser of many apps. I even paid many shareware fees and donations to the regular app developers and to the jailbreak community. I modded my iPhone heavily and then took it back down to only a very few modest enhancements that I really liked.

I mention all this to make it clear I had a very thorough iPhone experience and that I really enjoyed it. I spent almost two years with the iPhone in all and it was my sole primary phone during that time.

My only gripes almost all dealt with the artificial limitations Apple placed on the iPhone. A deliberately reduced-feature Bluetooth stack was originally my biggest gripe, but then when iPhone 3.0 came out and several features (notably Voice Control and a better Bluetooth stack) were withheld arbitrarily, I was able to add a few more gripes. They all amounted to the same thing. Apple restricted how its customers could use the products they bought.

I was still happy enough and gobbled up all Apple/iPhone news daily. Since I keep track of several news feeds from all gadget areas I was aware of Palm’s WebOS (still a huge fan but the hardware just wasn’t a fit for me) and Android. I’d reviewed Android devices before and wasn’t a convert. I thought the lack of control on quality in the App Market there was telling and that the interface itself looked like a mishmash of styles. So I ignored Android — at least until my iPhone basically died.

Domo Arrigato Mr. Android

When the top half of my iPhone’s screen went dead to touch it was pretty much dead period. You really can’t use it without touch working everything – naturally. Repairs were more expensive than buying another iPhone 2G on the cheap. Heck, I could even get an iPhone 3G on the cheap for about the cost of repairing my iPhone. So I realized I was going to have to change platforms again. Since my next favorite, WebOS, wasn’t on T-Mobile it was going to have to be Android.

T-Mobile had been the launch partner with Google for the first Android phone, the T-Mobile G1. It had a unique design and a real keyboard. Well, with iPhone I had adapted to a soft keyboard on a touch screen. Besides the only G1 I had was the first model and it had seen better days. The myTouch 3G was available but I didn’t have one yet. I did have the advantage of having a Verizon Droid Eris and a Sprint Hero handy though. So I started some trial runs with those, and forwarded my T-Mobile number to one of those and the other as I tried them out.

I found I liked them. Android, even at 1.6, had matured a great deal more than I had expected. It’s App Market was pretty well stocked with apps and the quality apps had risen to the top. Sure you could find crappy apps in the App Market but that was true of the iPhone App store too. I’m sure the WebOS has lots of poor apps as well.  I drifted towards using the Droid Eris a bit more while trying out the different devices…really, other than case styling and the HTC Sense interface, the Eris and Hero were pretty much the same device. They were snappy, responsive, and did quite a few things (like multitasking) that the iPhone couldn’t do at all.

Just when I thought I was ready to go and buy myself a myTouch 3G – Google announced the Nexus One – launching with T-Mobile! I started feeling some tentative excitement about moving to Android now. I’d followed the release of the Motorola Droid but wasn’t sold on it. The hardware wasn’t to my liking…with a big slide out keyboard, I wasn’t sure I’d like that as I hadn’t liked that form factor in the past. I did like the looks of Android 2.0… but now that Google was releasing the Nexus One they also showed it running Android 2.1 and it was bigger than the usual .1 upgrade.

With more than a little luck and some professional reviewer-style begging I got a Nexus One. (Thanks Google!) and it was definitely worth the effort and the wait.

I’d cover the Nexus One in more detail but that’s been done everywhere. Suffice to say that I’ve had zero problems with the hardware design. I know there are documented issues with the multi-touch but it simply doesn’t come up in normal usage at all. It’s got a very nice touch screen, vivid colors that even jump out in full daylight. My two minor gripes are that the proximity sensor can fail if sunlight is hitting the screen (and your ear can start dialing as a result) and sometimes the soft buttons at the bottom don’t respond on the first touch.  Meh. No big deal.

What I am going to tell you about is Android. To be specific Android version 2.1. It’s what I’ve been using now for over a month and it’s what currently best represents the state of the art in Android powered platforms.

When I moved to Android I assumed I’d give up a lot of the apps that I’d grown accustomed to on the iPhone and wondered how I’d compensate for all the differences. Well, I was wrong. Almost every app I used on the iPhone was either already on Android or some third party had their version. But in most cases, it was the same app.

For example, Flixsters Movie app is on both iPhone and Android. Same app. USA Today, BBC News, eBay, Craigslist, and the list just goes on and on. I mean it really does. My observation is that it would appear that very few major content providers committed solely to the iPhone. They covered themselves and at least did an Android version as well and some did WebOS (but that’s for another article). I’ve seen more content providers, such as the New York Times, bring their apps over to Android recently as well. This is what I expect is going to be a continuing trend as more and more Android-based phones are available across all carriers and markets.

I also used a lot of apps that were strictly freeware/ad-ware level. Apps that stored your loyalty cards (with bar codes) for scanning. Apps to read my RSS feeds (ala’ Google Reader), eBook readers, grocery list keepers, Dropbox, Google Voice managers, and even little administrative utilities.

Again, I didn’t have to compromise here. In fact, similar apps on Android were often better. NewsRob (my RSS Reader) automatically sync’ed with my Google Reader account so I could read on-the-go or in my browser at home without re-reading the same articles like I would often do on the iPhone since my reader there didn’t sync to my Google Reader account.  HandyCards beat Cardstar as having more complete support for a larger variety of stores and offered the barcode in a larger display and resolution. While we’re talking about barcodes it’s worth noting that Barcode Scanner is a free app on Android that can be used pretty much on all Android phones to scan barcodes using the camera and Google Shopper allows you to take a scanned barcode and research the item and pricing on the Internet as well. In fact HandyCards uses Barcode Scanner to input loyalty cards as well.

This is where the power of real multitasking on Android started to show it’s versatility. Apps could communicate with each other and build on each other. A simple, free, barcode scanning app becomes a much more powerful tool when integrated into a variety of apps that give the codes real-world relevance. The apps using it gain a standardized scanning tool and the user benefits all over the place.

I’m not a huge gamer but I do enjoy casual games. That said, my favorites on the original PalmOS and Windows Mobile Standard, were the PopCap games. I really miss Cubis and the others but most of their library of games have yet to be ported to any of the new touch platforms. I don’t know why they don’t like money, but there it is. Of course when Flash is more widely available on Android then you can just go play their games on their web site. Aside from that, nearly all the classes of games are equally well represented on both platforms and work well. The only two games I really miss giving up on iPhone are Words with Friends and Mille Bornes (Mile Bones). However some of that is offset by getting Android specific games like Trap and a version of Frozen Bubble that plays well. (the iPhone version of Frozen Bubble is pokey and slow)

Hardware Schmardware

As the editor of a gadget-reviews site I’ve had the enviable position of being able to try a large number of phones. When I started my journey here I was using the Verizon Droid Eris which has quietly been retired, or at least de facto replaced, by the Version Droid Incredible. Which as their advertisements obliquely state – is actually incredible. Comes with a large screen, no hardware keyboard, but gigs of memory onboard and all the usual expansion. It’s quite fast overall. However the original Motorola Droid, with a slower processor but very fast graphics processor, seems every bit as fast and it does have a hardware keyboard. HTC also has a large 4 inch screen phone called the EVO 4G that Sprint is carrying and T-Mobile looks to be soon carrying the Samsung Galaxy S — boasting a large screen and the most advanced display technology yet – AMOLED, but I won’t go into that here.

There are naturally quite a lot of phones using the Android OS. After all, it’s free and very powerful. This is one of the great strengths of Android and shows the weakness of iPhone.

With iPhone you must wait on Apple to decide to advance the platform. Their latest, the iPhone 4, is catching up in a number of areas based on their announcements and they’re still more focused on long battery life than any other phone designer. However there’s simply no real choice. Aside from higher resolution graphics and this and that it’s still the same design. Glass front, ear slit, microphone hole, volume, hush switch, on/off, etc. The only big change is metal back on 1st gen, plastic back on 2nd and 3rd gen, and now a glass/ceramic back on the 4th gen.

Android phones come in an huge assortment of styles and features. Fixed keyboards, no keyboards, and sliding keyboards. Small screens under 3 inches or huge 5 inch screens. There are even 7 inch screens on tablets coming out soon that are really full phones. Anything a manufacturer or cellular carrier wants – they can get and will sell to you. So you can find what you want.

Fin

There are many things that I’m finding Android does just far-far better than iPhone. Obvious things like multi-tasking (which iPhone will sort-of get with it’s upcoming task switcher in iPhone 4.0 …and if you don’t think that’s a task switcher, I’ve got a bridge in Manhattan to sell you… ) but other things like notifications, universal voice input for all apps, better voice control, much better mobile email, widgets, a more open app market… well, I really could go on for quite a bit. The final thing I will point out is speed. I never really realized how SLOW the iPhone is until I used Android. Even comparing a 3GS against a Sprint Hero I feel like the Android device is faster. The main issue is how long it takes for apps on the Apple to launch. I can’t tell you why they take a second or two to launch, they just do. You’ll notice that nearly all iPhone apps either feature a Splash screen to intro the app or a snapshot of the app that holds onscreen until you can start using it. On Android far fewer apps bother with Splash screens because the apps start almost the second you touch their icons. It’s just a world of difference and a welcome change.

I will say that it’s good though that we have all of these platforms. iPhone, Android and WebOS make for very strong competitors to each other and so long as no-one platform tries to simply bully the others (Apple, I’m looking at you and those ridiculous patent-trolling lawsuits) and everyone competes on real innovation we’re all going to win.  I think Apple needs to learn from Android. Jailbreak apps have proven that the iPhone can do real multitasking… it’s sort of ridiculous that Apple is only willing to offer a half-baked task switching. Apple could have also offered the universal voice input and should. Android, for it’s part, should learn from Apple and clean up a few areas of it’s design. Android’s come a long way from it’s first release but it still has a few rough edges.

In the end, I not only survived leaving the iPhone, I’ve been happier for it.

Yet… what if I’m just fickle?

Hardware

Let’s get this out of the way; this laptop was not designed for the on-the-go people who require ultra-portability. The laptop is sturdy and thick, covering up plenty of lap space. The design may be thicker and heavier than most people want, but as a multimedia home laptop it works fine. This laptop is meant for the average person, for use at home to do serious work. With the powerful 2.2 GHz processor, working is made easy and multitasking is simple.

The keyboard on the laptop is by far its worst feature. It feels cramped together making it harder to type. Also, the directional pad feels totally misplaced and if you plan on playing games with this laptop (very likely), then be prepared to have to look down at your hands every time you move for the directional pad, at least until you become used to the placement. The track pad is also a little too small and the click buttons seem to come out of nowhere as they are raised up above all the other buttons and are shiny and silver against the background of basic black.

The M505 has plenty of ports with 3 standard USB ports, an eSATA port, an HDMI port, a headphone and microphone jack, an Ethernet port, a VGA output, a six-format flash-card reader, and an ExpressCard/54 slot. The HDMI port is a welcome addition to this laptop for all your multimedia needs. The laptop also includes an 11-format DVD disc reader. It’s a standard, but welcome, feature.

Toshiba also included a webcam and microphone on the laptop, and they both do a fine job. The microphone is adequate for video chat, but don’t get too fancy unless you want it to be muffled. It’s also quite sensitive to background noise, but not too bad at all. The webcam image looks sharp and beautiful on the screen. The only time I would have problems with the webcam is in low-light areas, where it couldn’t seem to focus at all.

Now, on to the main event: the screen. The screen is bright, vivid, and gorgeous. Watching movies is a pleasure on the beautiful widescreen display. It’s sharp, quick, and just plain amazing. It gets even better when you get to touch and interact with this wonderful display. The touch screen controls work marvelously and are great when you need to quickly move a window while typing and don’t want to have to find the track pad. The only problems I ever experienced with the touch screen was when I was on a web page and needed to click on a small link, it would sometimes miss the text I was aiming for.

The glossy finish proves to be a slight downside to the otherwise industrial design. It would have been better to use a less-shiny plastic as the one chosen is a fingerprint magnet. If you’re the kind of person which is bothered by appearance and such, this may cause you to carry around a cloth to wipe down the top every now and then.

Software

As you most likely already know, Windows 7 is a fantastic operating system. The OS is gorgeous to look at and functions extremely well. The Windows 7 Touch adjustments give plenty to the experience of using it with no noticeable drawbacks or lag to the OS’s performance at all.

With this laptop, Toshiba is rolling out their new custom software called LifeSpace. The two main features of LifeSpace are the Bulletin Board and Reeltime. The Bulletin Board can be used as a sort of task manager with adjustable to-do lists, calendars, clocks, labels, with videos, documents, photos, and links. You can use the touch screen to move all of these around to your liking and use the multitouch to resize them. Reeltime is an innovative way to help users search through files visually based on when they were last used. Both LifeSpace components are useful, non-intrusive and a welcome addition to Windows 7.

Final Grade

B

I’m giving the Toshiba Satellite M505 Touch laptop a B because while the software is fantastic, user-friendly, and extremely useful, the keyboard and track pad need some adjusting.

Specs

Performance Processor*

Intel® Core™  i3-330M Processor

Operating System*

Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)

Graphics Engine*

Mobile Intel® HD Graphics

Graphics Memory*

32MB-1696MB dynamically allocated shared graphics memory

Memory and Storage

Memory*

4GB DDR3 1066MHz memory

Hard Drive*

500GB HDD (5400rpm)

Optical Drive*

DVD-SuperMulti (+/-R double layer) with Labelflash™ drive

Audio and Video

Display Size*

14.0″ widescreen

Display Type*

HD TruBrite® LED Backlit display with Touch-screen capability

Display Resolution*

1366×768 (HD), Supports 720p content, 16:9 aspect ratio

Audio

Built-in microphone, Headphone jack (stereo), S/P DIF output port (shared with headphone port), harman/kardon® stereo speakers with subwoofer, Microphone jack (mono)

Communication

Webcam

Webcam and microphone built into LCD bezel

Wireless LAN*

Wi-Fi® Wireless networking (802.11b/g/n)

Bluetooth

No Bluetooth (No Antenna)

Modem

No Modem port

LAN

10/100 Ethernet LAN

Power

AC Adapter

65W (19V 3.42A) Auto-sensing, 100-240V / 50-60Hz input

Battery

Li-Ion (4800mAh, 6-Cell)

Expansion

PC Express Slot

1-ExpressCard™ Slot

Media

Memory Card Reader, S/P DIF output port (shared with headphone port)

USB Ports*

1-eSATA/USB (2.0) combo port with Sleep and Charge, 2-USB (2.0)

HDMI

HDMI-CEC (Regza Link™)

Software, Support and Security

Security and Protection

HDD Recovery, Security Cable Lock Slot

Software*

TOSHIBA Power-Saving eco Utility™, Corel® DVD MovieFactory® for TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA PC Health Monitor, Norton Internet Security™ 2010 (30-day trial), Microsoft® Silverlight™ , WildTangent® Orb™ Games Console, TOSHIBA Hard Drive Impact Sensor (3D sensor), TOSHIBA Face Recognition, TOSHIBA ConfigFree®, Microsoft® Works Version 9.0, TOSHIBA DVD Player, Microsoft® Office Home and Student 2007 Edition (60-day trial), TOSHIBA Disc Creator, Microsoft® Windows Live Essentials including Photo Gallery, Messenger, Mail and Writer., TOSHIBA Recovery Media Creator, Dolby® Sound Room®, TOSHIBA ReelTime™, TOSHIBA Bulletin Board™

Standards*

RoHS Compliant, Energy Star Qualified, EPEAT™ Gold

Standard Limited Warranty*

1-Yr Parts and Labor, 1-Year Battery

Physical Description

Inputs and Controls

Mute button, CD/DVD Buttons (Play/Pause, Stop, Prev Track, Next Track), TouchPad™ pointing device with multi touch control, TOSHIBA eco utility™ (Energy-saving mode), Premium US keyboard (Black), Media button

Weight*

Starting at 5.18 lbs.

Color

Fusion® Finish in Sonic Black

Just like you don’t think about the neurons in your central nervous system connecting your brain to the world around you, the new Nokia Nuron is the easier-to-use touch screen for T-Mobile customers. Much like other Nokia cells*, the Nuron is pocket size, easy to use, and durable. Other phones utilized by T-Mobile with the same feature set, come in one of two flavors: bulky or difficult to use. The Nuron has nearly every expected modern feature, and the raw horsepower to make it work. Nokia has set the MSRP for the Nuron to be $180 without a contract, and $80 with the contract**.   Consider for a moment that a 4 gig micro-sd card retails for about a third of that $80, and it is easy to see why T-Mobile would be excited about marketing this little gem.

Features at a Glance

• GPS
• QWERTY Keyboard/ Handwriting pad
• Radio/MP3 Player
• “Lock” button
• 3G
• Game Capable
• Voice Recognition
• Web Video Ready
• Vivid screen with great resolution
• Tilt Detection
• “Rumble” or “Force Feedback” feature

The Nurons on Tour

Well, not the band, but the preview time for this, the latest offering from Nokia and T-Mobile at the cost of numerous hours enjoying the exploration of all the features this new device had to offer.  One of the most intriguing features was the Built in GPS. This feature, foreign to me and my normal T-Mobile Dash, had me entertained with every trip to the mall, grocery store, and, hell from one side of the yard to the other. The GPS is easily visible and accurate enough to send me to the right places.  Once, I managed to “outrun” the GPS, but the Nuron only took a moment to recalculate the directions–no worse than a Garmin or TomTom. Like most higher-end phones, the camera in the Nuron can capture negative images, a little feature to entertain yourself during boring university lectures.  The camera lens provided on the phone takes crisp images that look really good on the vivid touch screen of the Nuron.

The 3G reception of the phone works better than expected, as T-Mobile has been relentlessly expanding their 3G coverage. An interesting feature of the Nuron is a twist on the “back” button providing instant access to a visual browsing history that utilizes a scaling reminiscent of  the Mac’s tool-bar.   Another included feature the Nuron has to offer is the FM Radio. After about a minute of the radio tuning, one can easily receive all the stations in an area, and the radio/mp3 player is located right in the drop-down shortcut bar. These features, as well as the many others the Nuron provides, are all dependant on one thing, the touch-screen.  With some phones this is problem; Nokia’s Nuron, not so much. The sensitivity of the Nuron’s touch pad could only be described as touch-immersion, since the implementation  of the rumble makes the use of it feel organic.   For a modern smart-phone, with a laundry list of features, that lives this close to the “entry level,” an organic or intuitive touch screen was a welcomed surprise.  In fact, after just one week of use, this phone feels like a natural part of daily life, not unlike those strange little electrochemical transmitting beacons of the same name.

Drawbacks:

• Like all phones, battery gets hot too quickly (use a headset!)
• The one speaker for the speakerphone is not enough. Needs to have a second speaker on the other side of the phone (Rock the Ringtones)
• Ringtone settings are not in an expected location
• This phone does not have Wifi. (Cut our 3G bill; let us use our Wireless N, thank ya)

Positives:

• Less than 1hr to fully charge, REALLY quick charge!
• Download times using 3G is robust
• The pixel ratio is small enough to accurately display web content, particularly online videos
• Elderly friendly

Base Specifications

• Screen:
• Size: 3.2”
• Type: 640 x 360 (nHD)(WS)
• Touchscreen: Yes (Scratch Resistive)
• True-Color
• Camera: 2 mpx
• Accelerometer
• MicroSD (4G incl, 16G max)
• Internal Memory: 70M
• Data:
• Micro USB 2.0
• Bluetooth 2.0
• 3G
• Other:
• Nokia  AV (3.5mm)
• MP3 Player
• FM Radio

As Compared to….

T-Mobile Tap:  We really have no idea who makes the Tap for T-mobile, it’s a rebranded something. We think…  Aside from that, the difference in the cost is the amount someone would pay for the micro SD card that is included with the Nuron, but missing from the Tap.  Somehow, the tap is expected to have a lesser quality touch-screen too.

Samsung Behold:  A whole different price range, and a smaller SD card to boot.

T-Mobile G1:  About a 25% cost increase over the Nuron, but again slashing on the SD by 75%. Nice.  However, the G1 does have WiFi capabilities, possibly making that monthly bill a bit smaller.

In Conclusion…

It isn’t that the Nokia Nuron has better features, or even more features; no, what it has is a generally more intuitive interface and a better price point for those features when considering a major label phone.  This phone, the Nokia Nuron, and it’s introduction may mean more for T-mobile’s line up than simply rounding out their catalogue.  To borrow a phrase from a certain U.S. President, it will fundamentally change the economics of the entire T-mobile catalogue of phones.  Mark this day on a calendar, gadgetnutz, this is the day that Nokia changed T-mobile’s phone pricing structure–whether they know it or not.

Notes:
*Sorry, the pun was intended.
**This is an expected set of prices that are subject to change

Big thanks to Charles U. for research, testing, notes, and the rough draft.