Flee Digital Camera

Going by the name it's easy to see why it's called the Flee. It's a digital camera inside a ball with wings (depicting the design of the common fly), the cool thing is it also has Bluetooth, which means you can connect it to your mobile device and have it send pictures to it.

"flee" is a design solution which is a set of digital camera and a bluetooth receiver for mobile phone. When the "flee" thrown away, it starts taking photos in customized time interval and sending them to your mobile phone by using the bluetooth signal.
just for fun!!!

A pretty useful piece of technology for those wanting to take pictures from a whole new interesting angle and perspective. Very interesting concept, let's hope it's also very durable too!



Designer: hakan bogazpinar

via [Tuvie]

Fit Wireless Cellphone Concept

In the days of Touch Screen and Voice dial it can be easy to forget about those less unfortunate, such as the blind and the deaf who may want to use mobiles too! The elderly cna also find it difficult to use modern handsets, they can find them confusing and too technical.
The SENS phone concept aids the visually impaired and blind, the Fit Wireless Cellphone designed by Jongmu Lee helps the issue with the elderly. Designed with a central movable console which can be moved up and down to select, highlight, and change menus, settings, speed dial, and many other functions. Not only is this concept a useful one for the elderly, but it also has some serious design features. A big touchsreen (ala the iPhone) makes this device a great one for your grandparents! You won't be ashamed of them showing of their old bricks anymore! In fact you might be envious!



via [Tuvie]

Hands on Pics of iPhone 3G

The first hands on pictures of the new iPhone 3G have been circulated.



Both Laptop Mag and iLounge have done some reviews on the device. Some simple tests like 3G speeds and build are mentioned, highlights from both websites respectively below:

via Laptopmag

Speedy Browsing
After checking out the new hardware, it was time to put the 3G to the test. It took about two seconds to transition from Wi-Fi to the 3G network. I tested out the speeds on three sites: It took the phone 4 seconds to load www.laptopmag.com, 2 seconds to load cnn.com; 3 seconds to load www.nytimes.com. Pretty damn speedy.

Swift GPS Connection
I couldn’t get the best handle on the GPS here in the convention center. But I was able to bring up a map of the San Fran area. According to an Apple rep, turn-by-turn directions will be available through the Maps program. Above the map was a button to find “current location.”

via iLounge

Unlike the original iPhone, which has proved much more resilient to the sorts of scratches and scuffs that plague iPods, the iPhone 3G’s shell is indeed just glossy plastic with a thin layer of clear coating. It’s not ceramic, as some might have guessed, and not covered in a magic material that won’t scuff: as a result, you can expect to see marks similar to the ones on first-generation iPod nanos and fifth-generation iPods, all over again. The black version, as shown here, picks up fingerprints and smudges at an impressive rate; we wish we’d been able to take some pictures without the smudges. Ironically, the white plastic color that Apple discontinued for iPods may wind up being the most attractive color for new iPhones, especially after spending a few days in a pocket or purse.

Courtesy of TechEBlog

Leaked Sony Ericsson Slider Pics

Another day and another set of pics of the mysterious Sony Ericsson slider phone appears. Personally I'm not sure what the big fuss is about. Looking at the pictures it sports a 1.3Megapixel camera, the design is somewhat debatable and generally it doesn't even interest me in the least.

Honestly, these days I think leaked pictures need to be put into perspective, unimpressive pictures and handsets being revealed is plain and simple boring, let's not get it all snowballing out of control for no apparent reason. There is nothing remotely interesting about this leaked slider.

Pictures after the jump.


Click on the pictures for a higher resolution.



Source SE4M

WOW Sony Ericsson Xperia X1, Nokia What?

There were many things I was looking forward to being revealed in Barcelona at the Mobile World Congress 2008. Nokia's UI was one of the things that had me excited, also to see which new devices they would be revealing, which they did. The 6210 Navigator and the N78 at which Zach at SiMo seems to be very happy with and so he should be, finally Nokia have done something right for the NAM market. Myself personally, I couldn't give a (insert expletive here)! Yes they give the NAM market a reason to love Nokia and will probably give them a way into the US market as evidently it has been a pretty poor show on their part.

The N96 and 6220 classic were also announced and yet still I'm not the slightest bit excited, so there seems to be only one thing left that could get me excited, Nokia S60 Touch UI! Wow!, Well it should have been, except it kinda blows, why? Two main reasons:

1. What's New? Apart from it being a "touch" OS there has been nothing added nor is there any WOW factor in the UI to get excited about. Yes it keeps in with the S60 OS and users will be familiar with the interface and menus, but where is the WOW factor!?
2. Where is an actual working model? Even a prototype model running the Touch UI would have gotten a better response and anticipation, seeing is believing, see the Google Android Demo here, working on an actual device!

Personally I was expecting more from Nokia, and as it seems to have been for the last few years, they don't seem to do it first time!

One thing that did WOW me and nearly knocked the socks off me was the first pictures of Sony Ericsson's Xperia X1.
Let's just take a few moments to gawk at this beauty (click through for full size and more pictures...)



Now breath in again...

This is exactly what I mean about the WOW factor! Just the pictures have gotten me all intrigued into finding out more about it. What is it? When is it available? What are the specs? None of the questions I had in my mind when viewing the Nokia handsets released nor the Touch UI Demo. Last time I got that excited was with the Nokia N95 and I went out and purchased it first day of release!

Moving on to the Xperia X1, clearly that's where the attention deserves to be on the sheer wave of excitement. Some of the key features to look out for; HSUPA! 3-inch TFT Display! QWERTY Keypad! Touch UI! Is that not enough? Well it also comes with aGPS, 3.2 Megapixel Camera, 30fps VGA video capture and playback, Windows Mobile OS. Still not enough?! Seriously?! For the full specs and product page, check them out on the Xperia X1 web page and Product Page respectively.

The big question here is, will this be replacing my N95 and N800 combo? My answer right now is most likely it will. I had my mind set on the N82 Black, but as it still hasn't been made available here and as I have yet to visit the Nokia flagship store in London (which would have been the deciding factor) it looks like Nokia missed the boat on that one.

Will I be missing the S60 OS, perhaps, as we all know there has been lot of progress made in the year or so, and with it's great developers it will get stronger. What the S60 needs right now is perhaps better marketing strategy and some WOW features to freshen things up.
Whilst S60 bloggers have been throwing the convergence word around a lot, I have yet to see something that actually lives up to a solid convergence device. The N95 did a lot striving towards it, but ever since then it's been an evolution from one device to another. What's needed here is a revolution not an evolution. Look what the iPhone did to the Mobile Market last year. It got everyone realising what seemed like a dream (pretty close one mind) into reality with the blink of an eye. The iPhone might not have been the best device in terms of features but what it did was revolutionise the market. It brought fantasy to reality, made the consumer "realise" they could do more with their handset than voice and SMS. Who's going to take the torch and carry it forward? Nokia? My bet, probably not.

A Year on With the N95 Pt 2

This is the second part of my post on A Year on With the N95, to read Part 1 just click the link.

This part will be covering 3rd party applications and great software available for the N95.

3rd Party Developers
One of the key factors of the longevity if the N95 is thanks to many of the 3rd party developers who create great applications for it both enhancing the experience and making it stand out from the rest.

In recent months there have been many applications developed making use of the built in accelerometer since Nokia revealed the demo of the Moving Ball, an application which reacts to the various tilts of the handset. With this, the floodgates of great applications utilising this feature started to be released one by one.
Leading the way was Samir a developer from France who brought us great applications such as;
rotateMe - an application which rotates the screen to landscape view when the handset is tilted horizontally, similar to that of the iPhone's.
Nokmote - an application which detects the movement of your handset to navigate through your menus.
ShutUp - an application which literally "shuts up" your handset when you get an alert by simply flipping it over.

There are many others which utilise the built in accelerometer, this is something I'm a big fan of and I can't wait for the many other great applications to be developed.
Although the accelerometer has been a big success since it was revealed, there have been many more practical applications, utilities and some must have applications which change the way your handset works and you'll never be able to live without again. Read on to find out which they are.

Y-Tasks and Y-Browser by Dr Jukka
These two are essential utilities for any S60 user. They help to trouble shoot, log and monitor process, problems and analyse all the goings on in your handset. There will be occasions when these applications will save you a lot of trouble from having reset your handset, reinstall all applications and backup your data because something has corrupted in your handset. Y-Browser is a file browser and Y-Tasks is a diagnostic and monitoring application. For a full review on how they work you can visit Symbian in Motion. Just click through for the Y-Browser and Y-Tasks reviews respectively.

This application is one that falls into the life saver category. Literally it can do that, stopping you from taking a wrong turn or finding out where your when lost, this does the job simply, quickly and fairly accurately. Since the native version for the N95 was developed which included support for the internal GPS and virtual GPS which pinpoints your current location using Cell towers and your mobile handset signal it is one of the best freeware applications available and a must have for all N95 users.
To install the application you need to head over to http://www.google.com/gmm on your mobile's browser, once visited it will detect your handset and download the appropriate version. For a full review and more in depth information check out Stefan from Intomobile's review here.

emTube
emTube is a great application which gives direct and full access to the entire library of Youtube. This is possible since the release of Flashlite 3 by Adobe. emTube let's you search, browse, download and stream videos from the Youtube site because it supports the flv file format which is becoming the standard for streaming videos. There is a more in depth review by myself which you can find on Symbian in Motion by clicking through to emTube Quenches your thirst for Youtube.

Tube 2 is a great Java application which works on all models with J2ME support. This is a very basic Underground map available for London, New York City and Paris currently. This is a very useful application because it is very quick and comes in useful when navigating your way through the underground maze. Searching via station, planning routes, and directions via text and animation on map makes this the ideal.
This application is not freeware and will cost $10 and can be purchased from the Visual IT website.

Palringo Vocal IM
If you are looking for a good Instant Messaging, Push-To-Talk application Palringo is one of the best around. It supports many of the popular IM platforms including Gtalk, AIM, Yahoo, MSN and ICQ. There are a few cool features which make this stand out from the rest; Push-To-Talk, Send Photos, Groups and the ability to Leave Messages for off-line contacts. Palringo lets you keeping in contact with your friends easy and simple. There is an in-depth review of it by Zach on Symbian in Motion. Click through to find out more.

Screenshot
Screenshot by Antony Pranata is a must have for all bloggers, testers, themers alike who want to take a snap of their current screen. This application is key to many of the previews you see of newly created themes, reviews of beta applications and error documenting on the internet. The application is very simple, uses up little RAM and is one of the best around. The best thing is it's absolutely FREE! It is available for all S60 devices and you can download it from Antony Pranata's website.

QIK
Qik was recently released and is available but it is still in Alpha stage. Qik streams videos from your handset to your personal page setup on Qik. What makes this so special is how fast it does it and how simple it is to use. The results are good and the video is streamed instantly to your personal page on Qik. Be aware on what you record and make sure set it to private if you don't want to stream it as it's set on public by default.
You can sign up and download the application from the QIK website.

There are dozens of more cool and great applications out there developed by 3rd parties, these are just a few of my personal favourites and ones I have used constantly and are still on my device. If you do have any suggestions on applications I should be aware of or would like me to review, please send me an e-mail (can be found at the bottom of the page).

That about wraps up my "Year with the N95" review. I'd just like to point out one more feature which has made my experience enjoyable; THEMES! Great looking themes which change the look of the handset anytime you want it, reflecting your mood, scene or just to match what you are wearing. I'll be doing a post on my favourite themers and themes of all time for the N95. So stay tuned for that soon.

A Year on With the N95 Pt 1

It's been just over a year since I purchased the N95 and impressions of it haven't changed much. It's still the awesome device it was when I first got it. The iPhone came, created waves but to be honest it wasn't going to dislodge the N95 from it's position standing above all handsets as it's more of a mid-range device if you compare the features. The N95 8GB came and gave a different option in comparison to the original. Bigger screen, bigger memory, bigger storage, bigger battery, everything is bigger with the N95 8GB, but it doesn't necessarily mean better.

There are a few reasons why the N95 still stands as the benchmark to compare all upcoming high-end handsets to;

• Firmware upgrades, specifically v2
• S60 platform
• Integrated GPS
• 5 Mega Pixel Camera
  
• 3rd party developers
  

all which contribute towards the longevity and success of the N95 and continue to do so.

Firmware Upgrades
Firmware upgrading is crucial to a handsets longevity in the current fast paced market. If a manufacturer can tweak the firmware of a handset and add significant changes it will have a very positive effect on not only the current users, but potential users. The first few firmware upgrades which I wrote about didn't enhance the users experience to a degree where one could say it was satisfactory or significant enough to change the user experience.
There were some changes with camera, tweaks with the UI, and more stability of which only the latter would be a positive addition during the v11.0.026 and v12.0.013 firmware upgrades, but they didn't enhance the user experience enough to convince the current users or potential new users that it was worthwhile. But all changed with the V20.0.015 firmware upgrade!
The latest version brings many significant changes which improve the experience considerably. The UI is much faster, accessing the gallery and camera is much faster, all due to demand paging, there is more RAM, support for the new N-Gage platform, general stability of the phone itself is improved all which add to a very positive experience making the handset feel as if it's completely different. A full change log can be found over at Symbian-Freak.

S60 Platform
One of the key features which makes the N95 able to always evolve and keep up with the moving market. The S60 platform enables the N95 to add features which would allow it to keep up to date with new applications being created and added to future handsets being made available now. Take for example the N-Gage support, Nokia officially announced it would be available to the N81, but it's also available to the N95 equipped with the V20 firmware. Nokia also has a site dedicated to new applications which are being developed and tested for the S60 platform; Nokia Beta Labs. There are many different applications which you can install to enhance your experience with an S60 device, applications which will enhance your device, from finding information about your handset to blogging from your handset or uploading your pictures to your Flickr account. There are many more add-ons that make the N95 more flexible, more ready to evolve and keep pace with the ever changing market.
Some of my personal favourites are:

• Device Status
  
• Share Online
• Gizmo
• Widsets
• Channels Media Service

Integrated GPS
The first mobile handset to include this, it made waves when first announced. It is now an essential feature for any N95 user, be it planning a night out, finding where you are, nearest hotel, train station etc. It's one feature not to be underestimated. Many will question the addition and the use of such a feature, but until they use the device on a daily basis and find out how you start to rely on it, you can't judge what a great added feature it is. It's always an addition one would be glad to have available when needed rather than not have when in need.
Using the Nokia Maps or any other 3rd party Navigation suite it can become very handy in travelling, providing voice guided directions, travel information and services. Ever since the N95 came out with the GPS, there have been many handsets which have started to come out with GPS integrated, and it's not just handsets, electronic devices themselves have started to be released with integrated GPS. In recent times the sales of GPS capable devices have had an increase, was this due to the N95? I'm not sure, but I would like to think it is!


5 Megapixel Camera
The N95's camera made headlines when information was revealed to be a 5 Megapixel camera, and even still surprises some people. The camera has been tweaked with the firmware upgrades and it seems to be a great addition when out to catch a quick snap, or out on a social event with your friends. Even in dark situations, it copes with the LED flash.
Video capture on the N95 is impressive as there aren't any handsets on the market that can compete with it. With the option of TV out watching what you've recorded on a bigger screen is always impressive. As with the GPS feature it's one I'm glad I have in hand and available rather than need it and not have. I've taken many pictures with the N95, and it hasn't let me down at all, always finding it up to the tasks asked of it. I tested the Macro function early on once I got my hands on it. Coupled with Photoshop it produced some pleasant results as can be seen on my post here.

With this I'll conclude the first part of this post as I'd like to dedicate the 2nd part to the 3rd party developers partly because there is a lot to cover and also they deserve some credit for their contributions to the S60 platform.

To Read Part 2 Click Through

Impulsive Shopping

So on an impulse I went out and bought the Nokia N95, not a bad impulse buy in my opinion, I've done worse!

First impressions were yes this is fantastic, and 3 weeks on has my opinion changed? No. Simply put. There are a few things that could be improved but there always is, nothing is perfect. Although N95 is very close to being perfect. Not everyone will agree with me, but each to their own. Two things that do come to mind always are the RAM and Battery Life.


Battery Life:

The main point which I do agree with many users out there is the battery life. Yes Nokia should realise that with the beast the N95 is, it would be drinking the life out of the battery like an alcoholic at a bar. But even so it doesn't do too bad. I can compare it to my LG Kg800 Chocolate, it's got the same sort of battery life. Compare both phones features to see that the battery life isn't so bad.

RAM:

The main thing that annoys me is the RAM. I've read an article by Steve Litchfield posted on AllAboutSymbian and have to say I agree with him. He has more or less hit the nail on the head. It needs more RAM and loads of it. Take this example fore instance:

I just shot a 30 second clip on my N95 at the highest setting, I click stop and try to review it and see if it is any good, and oops "not enough memory...blah blah", it means I've got to close the camera down (exit), then browse to my gallery and check out the clip to see if it is any good. That is very annoying.

I hope Nokia can sort it out soon with some sort of Firmware upgrade, if not the whole hullabaloo about almost DVD quality video capture is not such a big deal.

But on a positive note, the video editing on the N95 itself is awesome, simple, extensive and great fun. Check out Steve Litchfield's video review.

Those two are probably the only negatives I've found on the N95 so far, let's hope it stays at 2 or decreases to one.