HTC Touch Pro smartphone

Windows Mobile phones lag behind Nokia and Research in Motion’s BlackBerry in terms of market share, but Microsoft’s platform is catching up fast.

Gartner calculates that sales of Windows-based smartphones were 20 per cent higher in the second quarter of 2008 than a year ago. One reason is the efforts of handset makers to combine more attractive, easier to use designs with the business functions of Windows Mobile.

Handset maker HTC’s latest business phone – the Touch Pro – shows just what can be done when those elements come together. The Touch Pro combines TouchFlo 3D, the touch interface first shown on the Touch Diamond handset with a slide-out physical keyboard.

TouchFlo is not quite as intuitive as the iPhone’s touch interface, but it works well enough for managing the phone’s basic functions, such as making calls, light web browsing or looking up calendar entries or contacts. Features such as the cute weather page and clock, carried over from the Touch Diamond, make the touch interface fun to use.

The phone has plenty of business features, too, such as support for high speed, HSDPA web browsing, GPS, Wi-Fi, out of the box support for Exchange e-mail synchronisation and the improved security features of Windows Mobile 6.1.

On the downside, the Touch Pro doesn’t feel all that responsive. Touch commands could be quicker. It also takes a few seconds before the phone registers that the keyboard is extended and it allows you to type.

The fact that HTC includes a stylus with the phone serves as a reminder that the Windows menu system is alive and well under the TouchFlo skin: all but the most casual users will use the stylus quite a lot.

The screen is high resolution, but relatively small (2.8 inches), so navigating those menus can be challenging. The Touch Pro is much more pocket friendly than many earlier Windows Mobile phones, but after a few hours use, a larger device might actually feel more comfortable.

Sometimes a larger, lower-resolution screen is easier to use, for example in poor light. Nor is battery life on the Touch Pro – two days at best – good enough to persuade this writer to give up his BlackBerry.

The HTC Touch Pro is one of the best Windows Mobile smartphones yet. But in trying to upgrade a consumer handset to business class, HTC has produced a good smartphone rather than a true wireless PDA for the road warrior. Heavy e-mail users who do not need to run Windows Mobile applications could also look at Nokia’s E71 or the new, 3G, BlackBerry Bold.

By: Stephen Pritchar, via: FT.com

Google Android (G1) - Everything you need to know

Apple has been waiting too long for a contender to its title as world’s smartest smartphone, and now it has one in the shape of the , formerly known as the .

T-Mobile and Google officially launched the G1 this week in New York, and despite clearly sticking with the touchscreen interface, it’s every bit as revolutionary as the iPhone was this time a year ago. It’s not just exciting for the fact it marks the search giant’s entry into the mobile arena. No, read of for a full break down of all the most exciting features you’ll witness when the G1 launches in the UK in November, and the impact it’ll have on the future of mobiles…

First Google phone
The G1 is made by HTC, but all the headlines are down to the fact it’s the first phone to run Google’s brand new operating system, Android. Google has a reputation for rock solid code and usability, so expect this to run fast, and smoothly.

Not only that, but because Google owns so many useful splinter services, such as a little video site called Youtube, its perfectly integrated them for use on the G1. There’s GMail on the go, which even includes Google Talk to chat to your buddies in real time.

Open source operating system
Android is open source, which means the code is free and available for anyone to adapt. The upshot: developers across the world can harness the G1’s power, bountiful screen space (3.2 inches) and GPS to make every type of program imaginable, from fitness trackers to Twitter clients. Think the iPhone’s App Store, but free and with many more options.

The software development kit is already out, giving programmers a whole two months to fine tune applications before release, so expect a feast of freebies come launch.

The perfect mobile broadband
Super fast surfing is a given, with 3G, Wi-Fi and blisteringly fast HSDPA all accounted for, but the G1’s web browsing really makes it stand out. The phone’s magnifying glass function zooms in instantly, making regular web pages easily digestible on a mobile screen.

Combine that with what promise to be some exceptionally great value packages on T-Mobile, and you’re faced with a contender for best smartphone out there

Innovative keypad
It may be bulkier than the iPhone, but that’s only because it’s stealthily concealing a svelte slide-out full qwerty keyboard. Touchscreen interfaces make for intuitive web browsing, but can be nightmarish to write messages on for anyone with large hands or chubby fingers. The G1 gives you the best of both worlds, as well as a trackball for scrolling if you’re used to a BlackBerry.

Next-gen GPS

The G1’s GPS will guide you wherever you need to go - it’s satnav for your feet. That in itself isn’t new, and nor is integration with Google Maps on the G1’s lush 3.2-inch screen, even if it is nifty. But for those who can’t read a map from a no entry sign, the G1 takes orientation to another level, with Google Street View and a compass showing you exactly where you are. If you’re still lost with this thing, you probably need to go to the opticians.

via: Info Gadget

Nokia Maemo Internet Tablet Gen.5 to Include HSPA and TI's Omap Processor

Nokia has been detailing further information on next generation of the Maemo OS that currently powers its touchscreen Internet Tablet range. The fifth generation of the Linux-based platform will include WWAN HSPA cellular connectivity as well as support for Texas Instruments’ OMAP 3 processor; the latter could lead to lower-power requirements along with improved graphics and faster cores.

The company has also suggested a high-definition camera with improved photo sharing, which could possibly be through Nokia’s Ovi content sharing service. Nokia has also donated its OMAP3-specific HSPA code to the Linux Foundation, and has been awarded Gold Sponsor status. They have also pledged to support Trolltech’s Qt and GTK - which Nokia acquired - and avoid fragmentation.

No word as to whether Nokia will offer the updated Maemo OS to owners of existing Internet Tablet devices, nor when we can first expect to see new products based on the platform. The company’s N810 WiMAX Edition is still waiting in the wings, unable to release until Sprint and ClearWire launch the US WiMAX network it will use for its high-speed connectivity.

Via

Registry Editor for Pocket PC

The Registry Editor allow you to edit your Pocket PC registry where all its configuration and tweeks are stored. It allows you to do the following tasks: Explore the registry to find the operating system and applications configuration, modify system and applications tweeks not available from the standard options screens, export all or parts of the registry to .reg files, backup and restore the complete registry and perform search on the registry data.

Author: Philippe Majerus

Website: www.phm.lu

Installer Size : 470KB

Download this application

TCPMP, 3GP, MPEG, DivX Player for Windows Mobile

This is a media player for embedded devices. It has built in codecs for video files (AVI, DivX), MPEG4 files (MP4, M4A), MPEG movie and audio files (MPEG, MPG, MPV, DAT, MP1, MP2, MP3, MPA), Matroska files (MKV, MKA), Ogg Vorbis files (OGG, OGM), AAC files (AAC) and supports third party plugins too.

Author name: Gábor Kovács

Download: Here

The Real Difference between the Apple iPhone and iPhone 3G

Finally, Apple has introduced a smartphone. The Apple iPhone 3G not only comes with high-speed mobile network access, but it is also possible to download new applications to the device. The capability to enhance the product by installing additional software makes the iPhone a worthy contender in the smartphone market. Advanced features, like A-GPS, Wi-Fi, 3G HSDPA, Bluetooth, and above all, the fantastic touch screen should make the iPhone a popular device for those who are looking for a high-end smartphone.

The Apple iPhone - launched one year ago – looks practically the same as the iPhone 3G. The differences between the first and second iPhone models can be found inside the unit.

Mobile network:

As the name implies, the iPhone can access high-speed 3G mobile networks built on the UMTS/WCDMA technology. The difference between the 2G GSM network and the 3G network is that even an entry-level 3G network provides data transmission rate of up 360 Kbps. If HSDPA technology is available - the iPhone 3G has HSDPA - the maximum data rate is 3.6Mbps.

Audio:

Audio quality during phone calls has considerably improved. Also the loudspeaker has better sound. The iPhone 3G comes with a standard 3.5mm stereo plug so you can use any headphones for listening to music. There's a built-in microphone for phone calls in the headset that's included with the product.

Battery life:

When the 3G mobile network connection is used for Internet access, the battery life is shorter than when Wi-Fi is used. This is peculiar behavior on a smartphone, and may indicate that updates will be on the way. Typically, the most energy-hungry method for Internet access on a smartphone is Wi-Fi, then 3G, and the least power hungry is GSM (GPRS or EDGE).

Software and Services:

With the built-in GPS receiver, maps are available for navigation. Photographers can post their pictures on shared maps on the Internet because GPS can save the exact location where the images were captured.

MobileMe (formerly .Mac) is a significant new service that will help iPhone owners to keep their data safe and in sync with their computers. You sign up to the service and make the initial sync on each Windows PC, Mac, iPod Touch, and iPhone you want to be in sync with other devices. Every time you create a new calendar entry on your PC, or snap a new picture on the iPhone, the information is automatically stored on your account on MobileMe server. Then, it is pushed to each device you have registered for MobileMe service. The same applies to email, notes, and other files. Annual subscription for individual account costs USD 99.

For free sync/backup service that works with iPhone, we recommend Zyb that can sync calendar, contacts and notes.

Corporate email users who have an Microsoft Exchange system at work, can read and send email on the iPhone using the Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync feature.

App Store for application downloads

Apple wants to control all software downloaded into iPhones for security and business reasons. The company has designed App Store, a dedicated online store that offers free and for-sale applications for the iPhone. You don't have to connect the iPhone to a PC for syncing with iTunes, because App Store can be accessed over the air.

The iPhone can't, however, run Java applications that are popular on other smartphones and mobile phones.

Tip: If you are contemplating the bits, bytes and prices of data plans, make full use of the iPhone's Wi-fi capability. If you have access to a Wi-Fi hotspot at home, in the office, at the campus or at the mall, you can use Wi-Fi for all your Internet and email access instead of 3G or 2G mobile network. This way, you can minimize data usage via mobile network and you can subscribe to a smaller data plan.

Apple iPhone 3G Key Features and Specifications:

• 3.5-inch touch-screen. Display resolution is 480x320 pixels. The display can viewed in landscape and horizontal position.
• Multi-touch technology allows control gestures like zoom in/out using two fingers simultaneously.
• Quad-band GSM world phone for networks operating in 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz frequency bands. EDGE data connectivity.
• As a dual mode phone, it can connect to 3G UMTS/WCDMA networks operating in 850, 1900, 2100 MHz frequencies, where available. High-speed data download (HSDPA) via 3G network provides maximum rate of 3.6Mbps (HSDPA may not be available even if 3G UMTS is available).
• WLAN for connecting to the Internet via Wi-Fi hotspots.
• A-GPS (Assisted GPS). A GPS receiver that can pick up satellite signals faster if something happens to be blocking clear view to the sky.
• 2-megapixel digital camera. No video recording. Pictures are marked with geographic position obtained from GPS (an activity also known as geotagging).
• Music player can play songs saved in MP3, AAC, Protected AAC, AIFF, Apple Lossless, Audible, and WAV formats.
• Video playback of H.264 (640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second), MPEG-4 (640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second) movie formats.
• Stereo headphones with microphone. iPhone has 3.5mm stereo plug.
• Text messaging (SMS) and email. No built-in picture messaging (MMS) feature.
• Browser software for viewing Web (HTML) pages.
• Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR feature for high-speed data transfer between compatible Bluetooth devices.
• USB 2.0 interface for hooking up the phone to a Mac or Windows PC via cable. iTunes 7.7 or higher required for data sync.
• 8 GB or 16GB of internal storage space. No removable memory card.
• OS X, a Unix-based operating system software is powering the iPhone.
• The 8GB model is available in black only, but the 16GB model comes in black or white.
• Battery life: talk time up to 10 hours on GSM network and 5 hours on 3G network. Standby time up to 12 days. When used as an iPod MP3 player, audio playback up to 24 hours and video playback up to 7 hours.
• Dimensions (height, width, depth): 4.5 x 2.4 x 0.48 inches / 115 x 62 12 mm. Weight 4.7 oz./133 g

In addition to the smartphone unit, the package includes stereo headset with microphone and a button for answering calls or muting audio, dock connector to USB Cable, USB Power Adapter, user guide, screen polishing cloth, and SIM eject tool.

Acer Aspire One Mini Laptop - Between PDA and Notebook

The world has taken yet another step towards truly mobile computing. One of the major PC manufacturers, Acer, has designed a mini-laptop, which is about the size of a mass-market book. Yet, it has a qwerty keyboard and 8.9-inch screen. The Acer Aspire One also comes with Wi-Fi, 3G, hard disk or flash memory for storage, and Linux or Windows operating system.

A mini-laptop is a perfect companion for anyone who regularly has to carry a computer. Maybe it is to a friend's house, to a hotel, to the college, or just the short distance from study to kitchen. The point is that the device is so small that you don't hesitate to take it with you. Ultra-portable PCs may lack a CD drive, huge storage space, or processing power to edit videos, because these features have been sacrificed for ultimate portability.

Our own experience with a mini-laptop is that a few missing features is worth the sacrifice for anyone who wants to have a laptop at hand practically anywhere they go. Typically, new individual usage patterns start to emerge with a tablet or ultra-portable PC. Someone may use a mini-notebook for instant messaging, reading news, posting blog entries, someone else for video chatting and viewing YouTube clips, or listening to music.

Acer Aspire One key features and specifications:

• 8.9-inch color screen in 1024 x 600-pixel resolution. It is a backlit CrystalBrite LED display.
• Qwerty keyboard.
• WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g Internet connectivity from hotspots.
• 3G or Wimax for high-speed mobile connectivity. It is good to keep in mind that Wimax is a future wireless technology, and not yet widely available.
• Linpus Linux Lite orMicrosoft Windows XP Home operating system software.
• Memory card slot that can read and write SD, MMC, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, and xD cards.
• 8GB of flash memory or 80GB hard drive for storage space.
• Webcam, Acer CrystalEye, capable of live video streaming and video conferences.
• VGA, Ethernet, and USB ports.
• 512MB or 1GB of RAM memory.
• Intel Atom processor.
• Available in four colors: dark blue, white, golden brown and pink.
• Dimensions of the unit: width 24 cm, height 17 cm.

Source: InfoGadget

Samsung i780 Review

The Samsung i780 is Samsung’s newest thin, QWERTY smart phone that runs Windows Mobile. Before being officially announced, the Samsung i780 was aptly called, the Blackjack II, after all, it is the second of Samsung’s Windows Mobile Device and still retains the Blackberry-like form factor.

Design

The Samsung i780 is a solid device, though larger, wider, and heavier than the Samsung i600. The Samsung i780’s larger form factor is understandable since it houses a larger screen. The screen on this device is touch sensitive, has 65k colors and is one of the first devices I’ve seen that has a 320 x 320 screen resolution. The Samsung i780 is not made from cheap plastic materials, the back cover alone has a somewhat leathery look and feel to it.

Features

Before I get to the Samsung i780’s feature, let me give you a run down of its specifications. The Samsung i780 is 3G, EDGE, HSDPA, and GPRS capable. This phone also has a 2 mega pixel camera with 2x digital zoom, WiFi, built-in GPS, 256MB or ROM, 128MB of RAM, Marvell PXA 310 processor up to 624 MHz power, and is powered by Windows Mobile 6.
The Samsung i780 is one of the more powerful Windows Mobile devices I’ve seen. It has three input options: Touch Screen, Touch Sensitive joystick, and of course, the QWERTY keyboard so users would have a variety of choice in handling the Samsung i780. You can use the touch screen with the included stylus or you may opt to use your fingers since the screen of this device isn’t recessed into the casing. The most innovative feature I’ve seen on the Samsung i780 is the touchpad or touch sensitive joystick. With conventional phones, you have to press the joystick but on this device, you have to swipe your fingers around the touchpad so you can gain access to a pointer. This allows you to handle the device with one hand but would take some time getting used to.

What really excites me about the Samsung i780 is its processor and RAM. While Samsung’s online information or any other specifications of the Samsung i780 online doesn’t reveal what kind of processor it houses, a little Google search revealed that it runs on the Marvell PXA 310 which is capable of around 624 MHz of power, almost similar to the processor running on the iPhone. This plus the fact that the Samsung i780 has a 128MB of RAM means that running a multitude of applications would be a breeze on this device and hang-ups would be kept to a minimum, which is something I can’t say about HTC’s windows mobile devices.

Conclusion

The Samsung i780 is one powerful device. HSDPA, WiFi, GPS and Windows Mobile 6 makes this phone a dream come true for Windows Mobile fans.

HTC Shift

The HTC Shift has just been released in the US and I think Sprint will be the one providing the mobile broadband feature. Here in the UK, the HTC Shift has long been launched by Orange.

This Ultra Mobile PC is like a Laptop and PDA in one since it is running both Windows Vista and Windows Mobile. It even has separate specs for the Laptop and the PDA. UMPC specifications for the HTC Shift include 7 inch touch screen, Intel A100 800Mhz processor, fingerprint reader, integrated web cam, integrated Intel GMA950 integrated video chipset, 1GB DDR2 RAM, 30GB hard disk drive, Bluetooth, HSDPA, and WiFi. The PDA specs include a 400 MHz Qualcomm processor, and 128MB of RAM.

Browser for Pocket PC

Opera Mini

The Opera Mini is the first web browser that I've found that blew me away. It was introduced during the iPhone hype and every windows mobile user wants a Safari Browser on their mobile phones. Well, I stumbled upon the Opera Mini during my search for a pocket pc version of the Safari browser. The Opera Mini is a java application so you have to run it on the midlet manager of your windows mobile device.

Pros:

* Fast rendering of web pages
* Smooth zooming
* Can view web pages on desktop mode or single column mode
* Smooth scrolling when using touch interface on touch screen phones


Cons:

* No tabbed browsing
* Data passes through servers so careful when visiting secured pages
* Cannot view flash-based sites
* Cannot copy and paste text

NetFront Browser 3.5

I've come across NetFront Browser during my regular visits to some windows mobile forums.

Pros:

* Supports tabbed browsing
* Smooth scrolling with touch screen phones
* Supports Java and Ajax
* Can copy and paste text
* Can easily switch away from scrolling mode so you can easily click on links



Cons:

* Mediocre page rendering
* Doesn't support flash-based websites


Skyfire Beta

I was one of the lucky ones to have the first Skyfire Beta release since most of the guys at the windows mobile forums still haven't gotten their copy even though they have signed up before I did.

Pros:

* Supports youtube in browser
* Supports some flash-based websites


Cons:

* Slow buffering of youtube videos
* Doesn't support copy and paste function
* Slow rendering of web pages
* Slow zoom in and out function
* Data passes through servers

Opera Browser 9.5

The Opera Browser 9.5 is also in Beta. I was only able to download it from XDA-Developers.

Pros:
Fast rendering of web pages
Smooth Zooming functions
Has Copy and Paste Function

Cons:
Does not support Full desktop YouTube (I don't know whether the problem is with the version I've downloaded since a guy at Youtube has posted a video of him using Opera Browser 9.5 for watching youtube videos. The video was blurry so I can't really tell if this video is real or fake)


Conclusion:

Of the overall browsers, my personal favorite is Opera Browser 9.5. It's the only decent browser among the bunch that can render web pages faster and has a smooth transition of zooming in and out of web pages. However, I use this in combination with Skyfire Beta. Whenever I have to visit some flash-based websites, I use Skyfire Beta since it's the only browser among the bunch that supports flash-based websites.

So I guess there's still no perfect browser for the Windows Mobile platform. Hopefully, if Skyfire is able to address their rendering issues and is able to render web pages faster without the use of data servers, it would become the browser to beat not only in the Windows Mobile arena but in the mobile browser category. (AllSymbian.CN)

Imate Ultimate 9502

At the recently concluded Mobile World Congress, i-mate has announced the latest addition to their Ultimate devices: the i-mate Ultimate 9502. The i-mate Ultimate 9502 is HSDPA as well as HSUPA compatible, allowing for a rated uplink speed of 7.2 Mbps and downlink speeds of 1.9 Mbps.

The i-mate Ultimate 9502 is a feature-packed device and aside from giving you 3.5G speeds, the device also comes with WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. Aside from bringing you the best of the web through the i-mate Ultimate 9502's variety of connections, the device also features a built-in GPS. Every feature on this device is geared towards business individuals, the device runs on Windows Mobile platform which allows users access to Word, Excel and PowerPoint on the go applications.

Probably the best feature businessmen can find useful on the i-mate Ultimate 9502 is its Direct Video Out Features which allows the device to be connected to projectors or TV so they can display their PowerPoint presentations on the big screen. The i-mate Ultimate 9502's Direct Video Out feature also allows you to view video calls on the large screen.

Telstra, Australia's largest mobile network will be the first to release the i-mate Ultimate 9502 on March for a suggested price of AUD$1099. Europe will soon follow.

HTC Touch Diamond Review

So HTC has announced another new HTC Touch, the HTC Touch Diamond. Frankly, this is what, the fourth time that HTC had a go at being iPhone’s main competitor? So, is the fourth time a charm? Let’s find out. Just a word of warning to iPhone haters, I’m not Apple fanboy, but frankly, HTC is just trying too hard at making an iPhone copycat.

Design

The HTC Touch Diamond still has the same 2.8 inch screen as other regular PDA phones. What is wrong with upping it to 3 inch, HTC? The design of the HTC Touch Diamond is reminiscent of the Nokia Prism phones, with diamond like patterns on the back of the device. Unlike the iPhone, the HTC Touch Diamond has a circular directional pad, much like the one in HTC Touch Cruise. Since HTC didn’t copy the iPhone’s design right off the bat, I have to give them points for design. The HTC Touch Diamond is one gorgeous, sleek phone.

Specifications and Features

The HTC Touch Diamond is a HUGE improvement from other HTC phones. Instead of the usual 400 MHz processor, you will get a Qualcomm MSM 7201A 528MHz processor plus you get a 192MB RAM. You’d think that the HTC Touch Diamond’s interface would be faster with the RAM and processor and all, however, the interface is still quite sluggish compared with the iPhone but a much better improvement from the HTC Touch Cruise’s sluggish interface. To get an idea of what I'm talking about...

Read all entries at: PhoneReviews

Palm Treo 700w Review

Palm’s line of Treo Smartphones has been widely praised since the first model was introduced, and while the Treo’s popularity has only grown with the passage of time, the same cannot be said for the Treo’s operating system, the Palm OS. During the Treo’s rise to popularity, Microsoft’s competing handheld OS, Windows Mobile, has become more favored and more widely used than ever before, a development that has pushed many away from Palm brand products and toward manufacturers willing to produce Windows Mobile devices.

Now, for the first time, and in a move that shocked many onlookers, Palm has put Windows Mobile on one of its handhelds. That handheld is the Treo 700w, the first Palm device to run any operating system other than Palm OS. It was Palm’s hope that a marriage of their popular and recognizable Treo with the increasingly favored Windows Mobile OS would make for an attractive mixture. They were right.

It’s hard to read a story about the Treo 700w without a few paragraphs concerning its running of Windows Mobile 5, and for good reason. What makes the 700w so desirable to so many consumers is the Windows Mobile platform, offering the first chance for fans of both the Treo and the Windows Mobile platform to find the two in one place. While Mac users will certainly be left out in the cold (as they have often been with other Palm products), the availability of a Windows Mobile Treo is a very welcome sight.

Because of the Treo’s history and its newfangled Windows Mobile workings, it’s difficult to know whether the 700w should be called a Pocket PC Phone or a smartphone. In the continuum between smartphone and PDA phone, the Treo 700w falls somewhere in the middle, and while arguments can be made that the unit is more PDA than smartphone or vice versa, everyone involved with the product considers it a smartphone, so we’ll acquiesce (although it is technically a Pocket PC Phone).

The 700w “smartphone” is powered by a 312MHz Intel XScale processor and contains a 128MB flash memory chip, of which approximately 66MB is free to the end user. Other features include a 240x240 color display, a full QWERTY thumb keyboard, onboard Bluetooth wireless, an SDIO-ready Secure Digital card slot, EV-DO high-speed wireless compatibility, an Infrared data port and a rechargeable, replaceable Lithium-Ion battery

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Palm Life Drive

Over the last few years we've seen PDAs evolve into more media friendly devices. While some PDA purists will tell you that PDAs were meant to be productive and not iPods, consumers want more choices and they want them in as few devices as possible. That's where the Palm Lifedrive comes in. While Palm calls their other devices handhelds, the LifeDrive is appropriately called a Mobile Manager. So what makes the LifeDrive so special? Follow us as we tell you more.
What Makes the LifeDrive so Special?
When you first see the Palm LifeDrive Mobile Manager, you realize this isn't your typical PDA. In fact, with all of the focus of promoting the LifeDrive as an entertainment device, you may wonder if Palm sacrificed on the PDA features. We'll talk about the "PDA-ness" of the Lifedrive in a minute but let's first talk about the hardware. For starters, the LifeDrive is the first PDA released in the US that uses a hard drive istead of flash memory for storage. What that means is that while the typical PDA might have 32 to 64MB of storage capacity, the LifeDrive gives you 4GB of storage.

Besides the massive storage capabilities, Palm also went all the way by including both 802.11b and Bluetooth wireless. For you long-time Palm users, you realize that Palm's embracing wireless to this extent is probably a bigger deal than the inclusion of a hard drive. We'll talk more about these innovations but first we'll start with the complete specifications.

Microdrive
The heart of the LifeDrive is a 4GB(3.85GB of usable storage) Hitachi Microdrive which is smaller than a matchbook. Microdrives are extremely reliable and aren't new to PDA Power users. Personally I've used a 1GB Compact Flash Microdrive on my PDA for several years with no issues.

For detailed info and specifications, click here...................................

T-Mobile gets official about new HTC-made phones

T-Mobile by now has been usually lax about selling unlocked phones, so many people were buying T-Mobile-branded HTC-manufactured Windows Mobile phones and using them with other operators. This time HTC is once again on the forefront when it comes to HTC phones and surely their offering may be appealing not just to T-Mobile customers…


Yesterday there was a press conference in Munich, Germany where T-Mobile introduced new HTC phones: T-Mobile MDA compact IV (pictured above, a version of HTC Touch Diamond), T-Mobile MDA Vario IV (with QWERTY keyboard) and the new 16GB Ameo (a version of HTC Advantage).








Today T-Mobile has published a story about this announcement, unfortunately only in German (yet) so here are highlights translated to English:

• release date for T-Mobile MDA compact IV is July 2008 - all over Europe (where T-Mobile has divisions)
• T-Mobile underlines the following features in MDA compact IV: 3D-touch-screen, 4GB internal memory and 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus
• T-Mobile MDA Vario IV - the one with keyboard - is coming late sommer, i.e. at first MDA Compact IV will be released
• T-Mobile confirms that MDA Compact IV has HSUPA for fast uploads!
• T-Mobile Ameo 16GB is coming to market in June 2008

Detail info.

E-TEN Shows Affordable Glofiish X610 Smartphone

Today E-TEN announced its latest affordable addition to its Glofiish lineup of Windows Mobile Professional powered smartphones, the X610. Like the DX900 and X900 that it was launched with today at the Computex 2008 show in Taiwan, the X610 makes use of E-TEN’s new 3D animated finger user interface - seen below.

E-TEN’s new finger touch UI extensions, which we first saw under NDA at the 2008 Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona, have an HTC TouchFLO-like appearance and provide users with 3D effects and large, finger-friendly buttons and icons to make it easier to control the X610 one-handedly, without the need for a stylus (which is still included). We haven’t seen the final version of the software, but what we saw in February looked promising.

Details on the X610 are otherwise a bit sparse, other than the fact that it has a built-in GPS module, but the device does seem to be the obvious successor to the X600, a smartphone equipped with a QVGA touchscreen display and quad-band GSM/EDGE network support. One thing is certain, though, the X610 runs the latest version of the Windows Mobile Professional OS: 6.1.

The X610 can be seen now through June 7th at the Computex show in Taipei, Taiwan. E-TEN has not provided an estimated availability date or price for the x610 as of this moment, and we are still waiting on full specs.

Detail Info

HTC Advantage X7510

The HTC Advantage is a tweener: it's not a UMPC like the HTC Shift and Fujitsu U810 because it doesn't run a full version of Windows. It's not a smartphone because it's too large to hold to the head, and in fact you can only use it for phone conversations with the included wired headset, built-in speakerphone or a Bluetooth headset. And it's not the first handheld computer with the Advantage name: HTC launched the Advantage X7500 last spring and the US version X7501 in mid-summer 2007. So now you know what it's not...

The HTC Advantage X7510 is nonetheless many things. It's a powerful handheld computer running Windows Mobile Pro with a 5" VGA touch screen, detachable keyboard, unlocked quad band GSM phone with triband HSDPA, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, a 3MP autofocus camera, a 624MHZ processor and 16 gigs of storage. It's the update with a new keyboard design, double the storage, Windows Mobile 6.1 and the amazing Opera 9.5 web browser that's not yet available for any other device besides HTC's own Touch Diamond. It's a GPS. The Advantage is a laptop replacement for those who don't need Windows XP or Vista specific programs: it has mobile versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Internet Explorer, Outlook and more. And with WAN, LAN and PAN (that's cellular, WiFi and Bluetooth in English) connections, the Advantage is perfect for those who need to stay connected wherever they go. Though large for a phone or even PDA, it's tiny by even UMPC standards and weighs just over 13 ounces (a few 10th of an ounce heavier than the first generation Advantage).

Because relatively little has changed with the X7510, we won't do a detailed review. Please read our original Advantage review for all the gory details. Sadly, because of the Qualcomm lawsuit and injunction, the Advantage X7510 will not be sold in the US. This has nothing to do directly with HTC, but rather Qualcomm filed suit to have certain chips and mobile CPUs blocked for sale in the US and the X7510 got caught in that mess. Though its CPU and chipset are no different from the US X7501 that shipped last summer, the X7501 was cleared for US sale because it already received the green light before the embargo began. A shame really, but you'll have to buy the X7510 from online importers, of which there are many.