Well, it seems the Android phones are coming thick and fast, now, as a story’s popped up on the Boy Genius Report, about the Motorola Calgary, the American manufacturer’s first Android device. Now, it’s not a new story, the rumours about Moto’s 2009 line-up first appeared in December last year.

However, it’s become apparent that one of the phones on that list, the Calgary, is actually an Android phone.

Even I have to concede that despite it being Motorola (not a good thing, in my book), I actually quite like the look of it. It’s got a sharper design than most smartphones, dropping curves and graceful for lines for almost art deco-ish hard edges, and the flat QWERTY keyboard actually looks rather appealing. So, could it be Motorola’s saviour?

Well… let’s not forget it’s going to be up against some serious competition, especially if it doesn’t launch within the next, like, 3 weeks (unlikely, since that pic’s a render, not even a proper prototype). Even just from the Android point of view, there’s the HTC Magic arriving very soon, and after that, the Samsung I7500 will be blitzing shelves. And while the Moto Calgary is nice compared to other Motorola phones, it looks like a dog’s breakfast compared to the Samsung.

And, of course, if you’re talking QWERTY phones, don’t forget the Palm Pre is on its way, and that promises to give just about everything else out there a sound kicking.

So, whether it’ll save Motorola… who knows…

TruPhone was one of the first apps to provide VoIP functionality as well as Skype support on both the iPhone and iPod Touch, but since its release late last year, Skype has likewise come out with an iPhone app of its own challenging the novelty of the TruPhone iPhone app.

Well, TruPhone 3.0 is now available, and proves that they’re not down and out just yet. Providing a simpler and easier to use interface as well as speedier performance, this latest iteration, more importantly, unlike the Skype iPhone app, also allows you to make VoIP calls using a 3G connection through its TruPhone Anywhere feature. Understandable, this isn’t free, but it only gets charged at a local rate. Using Wifi to call Skype and Google Talk users or sending IM to MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, AIM, Skype and Google Talk, on the other hand, are all free-of-charge.

So, if you’re a little bummed out at the WiFi limitation on the Skype iPhone app when it comes to VoIP calls, then you might want to try out the new and improved TruPhone 3.0 app for the iPhone.

We’ve seen and heard what the new Samsung i7500 Android phone has to offer, but we all probably know by now that what’s printed on paper doesn’t necessarily get translated in to real-world performance.

So, if you still have some apprehensions as to the performance of Samsung’s first Android, then this hands-on video might cast those doubts aside. True, it’s a bit amateurish and we don’t exactly get a thorough walk through into all of its features, but it does give us an idea as to how responsive and snappy it really is. Of course, we don’t really have a choice now as far as Samsung i7500 Android phone demo video goes so this is as good as it’s going to get for the time being.

Likewise, we still have no idea as to when and if it’ll debut stateside, but we’re still hoping that it will. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that more info regarding this matter will be made available once it’s officially released in Europe this June.

To help them achieve reach their goal of 10 million global sales, LG is apparently releasing a CDMA version of their popular LG Cookie mobile phone.

Called the LG KX500, this new version features all of the goodies found in the original LG Cookie and adds CDMA2000 1x connectivity into the mix. It’s expected to be released in the Asia-Pacific region starting next month for roughly $276. We’re not sure if it’ll also be made available in European and North American markets, but with a significant number of carriers running a CDMA network in the US and Canada, it would be a shame if this doesn’t get released in this part of the globe.

Anyway, the idea of a CDMA-flavored LG Gookie becoming available soon should be good news on its own especially for those who have been eyeing this affordable touchscreen phone for quite a while now but have been turned-off due to its GSM limitation. We’ll report more on this as soon as it hits the market next month.

Still remember those fancy looking Verizon Motorola phones leaked late last year? Well, we’ve got a couple of updates regarding some of the phones featured in that batch.

First off is the Calgary. It’s now confirmed that this QWERTY-equipped slider will indeed be Motorola’s first Android phone. It’s expected to be released in Q2, but due to the lack of any concrete evidence that Motorola is already progressing in its development, we seriously doubt that this will happen.

Next is the Flash and Inferno/Torch. Unfortunately, this bit of news isn’t as pleasant as the first one. Apparently, both phone have been canned and won’t go into full production. They probably don’t see these two making a significant impact in the market forcing them to cut their losses while it’s still early. While we don’t exactly share the same point-of-view with regards to its potential, we applaud them for taking a preventive stance rather than a reactive one.

Last, but certainly not the least, there seems to be another new Motorola phone in the works named the Rolex. We still don’t know its exact specs and what it will look like, but from what we gather, it will be made of hardened glass similar to one use on the uber-expensive Aura. The pic above is just a teaser as to what we can expect from Rolex. Though price and availability wasn’t mentioned, we’re guessing this will be another expensive and limited series thus leading us to believe that it also won’t be an exclusive item on Verizon.

While the canning of the Flash and Inferno is disappointing to hear, the new Motorola Rolex and the confirmation that the Calagary will be Motorola’s first Android phone is sufficient enough for us to get over our temporary moment of grief.

RIM, the maker of BlackBerry Phones, partnered with UK’s Selfridges department stores, launching Yellow color BlackBerry phones to celebrate Selfridges;s 100th birthday. There will be exactly 100 yellow color BlackBerry Bold manufactured, and each of them will be numbered. The phone will be sold for £1,000, a price that is over expensive and seems like ripping off the customers.

The Tocco family just got a brand new addition after Samsung confirmed the S5230 will be launched as the Samsung Tocco Lite here in the UK. The latest member of the Tocco range again serves up touchscreen technology but with the Lite moniker, have Samsung stripped out the goodies?

The answer is a satisfying and resounding no! The S5230 Tocco Lite features a crystal clear 3.0 inch touchscreen display supporting Handwriting recognition, a built in Accelerometer and something called Gesture Lock which allows you to lock the handset with a customisable gesture on the touchscreen. The phone itself runs on the popular Samsung TouchWIZ user interface which gives you an interactive menu bar from which you can drag and drop shortcuts (or Widgets as Samsung like to call them) on to the home screen. This plays out like a simpler and more user friendly Symbian homescreen that’s definitely alot easier on the eye.

The Tocco Lite features 3.15 Megapixel camera which is more than capable of handling any situation thrown at it. Samsung have also included Smile detection (the camera will focus but then only capture the image once your subject is smiling) which is a nice addition to an already competent camera. Video capture is also on the cards at a sturdy 15 frames per second in QVGA resolution.

As for music and video playback, the Tocco Lite will support MP3, AAC and MPEG4, among others, and the addition of a micro SD memory card slot means the fun doesn’t have to end at the 50MB internal memory. A built in FM Radio and Bluetooth v2.1 (allowing music to be streamed wirelessly to a compatible headset) further boost the Tocco Lite’s credentials as a portable multi media player.

It seems the only place the Tocco Lite earns its ‘Lite’ tag is in the connectivity department as Samsung have dispensed with 3G connectivity in favour of standard GPRS support. We can hardly complain as Samsung had to cut some features otherwise the Tocco Lite would’ve just turned out too similar to the original.

LG Xenon GR500 absolutely a must mentioned cellphone. It is a 2.8-inch touchscreen cellphone. Its large touch screen with vibration feedback and enhanced flash increases its functionality. In addition, the Xenon also includes a slideout QWERTY keyboard, speaker independent voice commands, and a 2 MP camera. So it can meet most people’s daily use.

The LG Xenon weighs 3.81 ounces and measures 4.16 x 2.11 x 0.62 inches. Its 950 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4 hours of talk time, and up to 264 hours (11 days) of standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies as well as AT&T’s HSDPA 3G network (850/1900 MHz). This is why so many people are crazy about it.

With so many wonderful features, how can people refuse LG Xenon GR500?

And LG Xenon is very good looking, you can see that from the picture above, the youth like it most. It’s very fashionable.

LG Xenon GR500 Features:

• The LG Xenon has a 2.8-inch LCD touchscreen with a 240 x 400-pixel resolution and support for 262K colors.
• The phone comes with an 80 MB internal memory, which is expandable via optional MicroSD memory cards (up to 16 GB in size).
• Handsfree communication is easy thanks to the integrated speakerphone.
• The digital audio player is compatible with MP3, AAC/AAC+, and WMA files, and it allows you to create and manage playlists directly on the phone.
• The 2-megapixel camera offers four resolution modes (1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 640 x 480, and 320 x 240 pixels) and it has a 2x digital zoom.

These are the main features of LG Xenon GR500 Phone, it has many other cool features such as SMS text and MMS picture/video messaging, Mobile Email, so on and so forth. You will find them out when you use it.

PROS: great battery life, very intuitive, responsive and bright touchscreen, memory slot is easily accessible on the side, three tabs on the homepage to organize/group your favorite contacts(very useful!), the camera (with flash) is AWESOME even at just 2MP, the huge and rubbery qwerty keyboard and I actually like the blue “xenon” color. And judging from the LG phones I’ve owned in the past, this phone should be very durable and reliable.

CONS: the speakerphone is horrible for both the talker and the listener (kind of a shocker because all my past LG phones had great speakerphones) and I’d like it if the slider were a bit more resistant

LG Xenon GR500 Specs:

• Dimensions : 105.5X53.5X15.8mm.
• Weight : 108g.
• GSM Quadband (850/900/1800/1900MHz).
• GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) Class 10.
• EDGE (Enhanced Data for Global Evolution) Class 10.
• UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System).
• HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) 850/1900MHz 3.6Mbps.
• xHTML/HTML/2.0 WAP browser.
• Support A-GPS function.
• Support Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity.
• Support Java 2.0 platform.
• IM (Instant Messaging).
• MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service).
• 2.4” 240X400 pixels 65536 colours touch screen WQVGA TFT LCD display screen.
• 2M resolutions digital camera with video recorder/playback and digital zoom function.
• MP3/MPEG4/3GP/WAV/e-AAC+/WMA/AMR player.
• Slide out full QWERTY keyboard.
• Speakerphone.
• Internal antenna.
• Call vibration.
• Voice recording function.
• MP3/MIDI polyphonic ring tone.
• Text input predictive software.
• STK (Sim Tool Kit).
• MicroSD/TransFlash card expansion slot.
• MicroUSB 2.0 clients.
• Downloadable animations and ring tones.
• Store up to 500 contact persons in phonebook.
• 80MB internal memory.
• Alarm clock, world clock, stopwatch, calendar, calculator, memo, handwriting recognition software, RSS reader, Email, PC sync, photo album, photo editor, wallpaper and games.
• Up to 250 hours of standby time.
• Up to 4 hours of talk time.

The most exciting part is LG Xenon GR500 Price. The normal price is $299.99, but you can get it with $0.01 if you use their service plan. This is super cool, right? No wonder so many people love it like crazy.

Samsung has officially become the first company among the global top three mobile phone manufacturers to release a Google Android mobile phone soon, as they announced the I7500 Android-powered mobile phone. Featuring a cutting-edge smarthphone, the I7500 features a 3.2-inch AMOLED full touch screen, 7.2 Mbps HSDPA and WiFi connectivity, the I7500 gives users quick access to Google’s plethora of mobile services topped by full web browsing at fast speed.

Among the many Google mobile services to be featured on the Samsung I7500 are Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Google Calendar, and Google Talk. It also features GPS receiver for the use of Google Maps with various features including My Location, Google Latitude, Street View, local search and detailed route detailed route description.

And being an Android-powered phone, the Samsung I7500 would also give users access to the many third-party applications available at the Android market.

Aside from these Android-related features, the Samsung I7500’s other features include a large 3.2-inch AMOLED display, full touch screen, 5 megapixel camera, long battery life, 8GB internal memory, 40 GB extended storage and a slim and compact design measuring only 11.9mm thickness.

Other features of the Samsung I7500 phone include Bluetooth 2.0, USB 2.0, WiFi, MicroUSB, and 3.5mm ear jack. The Samsung I7500 is a EDGE / GPRS (850/ 900/1800/1900) phone. It is slated for a European release sometime in June.

I was recently introduced to the hilariously depressing user-generated stories at FMyLife.com. The self-deprecating shorts are great reminders that no matter how crappy your day may have been, it could have been a lot worse. And, now that F-MyLife is available for the iPhone (in the App Store, of course), it’s even easier for iPhone users to get their daily dose of “make-me-happier” anytime and anywhere.

FMyLife is a collection of “everyday life stories,” FMLs for short, that begin with “Today” and fittingly end with “FML.” Users cathartically submit paragraph-length stories that broadcast to the world just how badly “F’d” their life is at that particular moment in time.

F-MyLife for the iPhone allows you to not only read and keep up with other people’s misfortunes, but it also allows you to write your own FMLs, moderate non-public FMLs, leave comments, track your favorite FMLs and share notable FMLs through Facebook and Twitter. You can even sort FMLs by category, recent posts, featured posts or shuffle posts.

If you’re not addicted to FMyLife yet, you will probably will be after you download this iPhone app.

F-MyLife (iTunes link)

Motorola Korea announced it has launcheda 2G flipper in Korea, called MOTO V10. The company adopted Tandem Display technology for the Moto V10, with a handset featuring two displays, one embedded on either side of the flip. This clamshell handset is also designed with a unique gradation of black and red.

Spec of the MOTO V10 are:

• Support networks: CDMA 1X/EV-DO Release 0
• Dimensions: 53h103, 7h11, 9 mm
• Weight: 123 gr.
• Main display: 2.2-inch, TFT, permission 240h320 points
• External Display: 2-inch, resolution 240h320 points
• Camera: 2 MP
• Memory: 256 MB, expandable memory card microSD (up to 2 GB)
• Communication: Bluetooth 1.2 Class 2, microUSB GPS navigation (sGPS / aGPS)
• Battery: 740 mA / h
• Media Player: 64-s tone polyphony, playback AAC +, AAC, H.263, H.264, MPEG-4, MP3, MIDI; MOD / VOD
• Other applications: Calculator, Alarm clock, Notes, Recorder, World Clock
No info on pricing so far. Quite a basic phone with great design

Verizon got the Samsung Smooth today, a fairly entry-level phone. The Samsung U-350 or the Smooth is a flip phone scheduled to arrive on April 1 from Verizon Wireless. Some of the Smooth’s features include Bluetooth, speakerphone, a VGA camera that sports a nighttime mode and more.The dual-band CDMA handset has access to the provider’s VZ Navigator service, and is capable of browsing the web, checking e-mail and accessing instant-messaging programs.

Detailed spec:

*VGA Camera with Night Shot
*Speakerphone
*Bluetooth Enabled for Wireless Headset Support
*VZ Navigator with turn–by–turn directions
*Chaperone Parent/Child
*Games, Ringtones, and Wallpaper
*Mobile Email
*Mobile Web

The latest good news from Nokia is their third Near Field Communication (NFC) cellphone Nokia 6216 Classic can securely store a user’s credit card information on the SIM card using NFC (Near Field Communication) technology, so user account and other security details on the SIM card, the 6216 classic can be used to pay for items, travel, or sign-in to systems simply by tapping it against, or waving it in front of, a wireless reader. This is a very cool new feature.

“With the Nokia 6216 Classic in your pocket and the ticketing applications on the SIM you can replace the multitude of cards in your wallet,” said Jeremy Belostock, Head of Nokia’s Near Field Communications group. “Having the applications on the SIM consumers can bring their secure applications to their next Nokia NFC enabled phone.”

The Nokia 6216 classic implements the Contactless Communication API (JSR-257), for 3rd party NFC development. Use the Nokia 6216 classic for easy sharing of mobile content between other 6216 classic phones and other compatible NFC devices. NFC service initiation is also available to allow interaction with NFC tags for multitude of applications. Contactless ticketing and payment are available through the SIM. The Nokia 6216 classic supports dual-band WCDMA and quad-band GSM. Additional features include support for 8GB microSD cards, USB 2.0, Bluetooth 2.0 +EDR, Bluetooth stereo, Flash Lite 2.1 and MIDP Java 2.1 with additional Java APIs.

Now let’s take a look at what kind of wonderful features Nokia 6216 Classic has.

Nokia 6216 Classic Features:

• Near Field Communication (NFC) technology lets users use their phone as a travel card and payment card — requires a service subscription, the installation of an appropriate secure application onto the device and compatible infrastructure (NFC is subject to service availability)
• With NFC, high-speed 3G connection and Bluetooth technology, users can choose the best way to connect to others
• Capture quality images and video with the 2.0-megapixel camera, digital zoom, and built-in LED flash — and with NFC technology, sharing is just a touch away
• Integrated FM radio lets users tune in to local or national stations, while the built-in music player gives access to favorite stored tracks

If you need to know Nokia 6216 Classic Specifications, you can visit Softpedia.

There is a press release about Nokia 6216 Classic’s payment feature, let’s take a look at it.

Press Release:

NFC technology takes its next step with the Nokia 6216 classic

Espoo, Finland and Monaco, Monaco - At the opening keynote of the 3rd annual WIMA conference, held at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, Nokia announced its third fully integrated Near Field Communication (NFC) device, the Nokia 6216 classic. The new arrival is Nokia’s first SIM-based NFC device which enables operators to build NFC services on to the SIM card. With NFC consumers will benefit from greater ease of use, more convenient sharing of content - such as images, weblinks, audio files or contact data - as well as secure payment and ticketing transactions, all with just one tap of the device. The Nokia 6216 classic is expected to start shipping in the third quarter of 2009 in select markets with an estimated retail price of EUR 150 before taxes and subsidies.

“The Nokia 6216 classic will be amongst the first commercial devices in the market complying with operator requirements using the SIM card in connection to secure transactions with Near Field Communications,” says Jeremy Belostock, head of near field communications at Nokia. “With the Nokia 6216 classic in your pocket and the ticketing applications on the SIM you can replace the multitude of cards in your wallet. Having the applications on the SIM consumers can bring their secure applications to their next Nokia NFC enabled phone.”

Owner’s credit card information can be stored securely on the SIM card and waving the device in front of a contactless terminal enables quick payment and simple ticketing services*.

“The launch of the Nokia 6216 classic SIM-based NFC handset is a great step forward for payment and ticketing services,” says Alex Sinclair, the Chief Technology Officer of the GSM Association. “We believe this will drive more rapid deployment of the technology and expect this to signal launch of NFC services in the market by operators.

In addition to the NFC technology, the Nokia 6216 classic is outfitted with the features people desire from a next generation mobile device, including digital camera, bright display, stereo FM radio and music player, 3G connectivity and a microSD slot which is expandable up to 8GB.

*A compatible NFC SIM card is required in order to be used with contactless ticketing and payment services, and require a service subscription and installation of an appropriate secure application.

About Nokia
Nokia is the world’s number one manufacturer of mobile devices by market share and a leader in the converging Internet and communications industries. We make a wide range of devices for all major consumer segments and offer Internet services that enable people to experience music, maps, media, messaging and games. We also provide comprehensive digital map information through NAVTEQ and equipment, solutions and services for communications networks through Nokia Siemens Networks.

So what do you think about Nokia 6216 Classic Phone and its cool features? Do you think its payment feature will be a new trend for cellphone?

Orange Vegas, the affordable touchscreen phone that we saw about a month ago, has now been officially released in the UK.

The Vegas is sold by Orange for £48.50 (€54 or $71) on Pay As You Go. It’s available in two colors – black and pink, the latter being exclusive to Orange.

As we previously reported, Orange Vegas is a pretty basic handset.

It features a one-touch UI especially designed for Orange, a 2.4-inch QVGA display, Bluetooth, MP3 player, FM radio, 1.3MP camera and MicroSD card support.

For the moment, Orange Vegas is available only in the UK, but it will probably be launched in other Orange markets too.

LG GD900 Crystal, one of 2009’s most interesting phones, will be released in the UK via The Carphone Warehouse.

The giant retailer says the GD900 is expected to hit the shelves in mid-May, but, of course, the release date might be pushed back.

No word yet on the price of LG GD900 Crystal. However, given its specs and its unique transparent keypad, I guess the handset will not be on the affordable side.

First showcased by LG during MWC 2009, the GD900 comes with a WVGA touchscreen display, S-Class Touch UI, an 8MP autofocus camera, Wi-Fi, HSDPA connectivity, TV out and Dolby Mobile audio technology.

On top of the above-mentioned stuff, both the display and the transparent sliding keypad of GD900 feature multi-touch input and handwriting recognition.

Acer, the world’s third largest PC maker, is getting serious about cellular phone market. Today, Acer announced 4 new Tempo-series smart phones for the Asia-Pacific region, showing its ambition in cell phone maker, after seeing the recent boom of smartphone / PDA phone market. The 4 new smartphones are X960, F900, M900, and DX900.

X960

The X960 looks very alike to HTC Touch phones. In fact, the phone has almost identical features of HTC Touch, such as GPS, PDA, camera, MP3 player and a widget-based friendly interface for instant access to the web, email and your life online.

F900

The F900 is there to challenge iPhone 3G. It features a gigantic 3.8-inch WVGA touch screen. Like iPhone 3G, the X900 phone relies on visual QWERTY keyboard for input. It features a widget-based home screen based on Windows Mobile OS.

M900

The M900 looks very alike to Pantech Duo. The phone is powered by Windows Mobile 6.1, and is designed for mobile professionals who need to access corporate emails frequently. The phone has a gigantic 3.8-inch WVGA touchscreen, a sliding QWERTY keyboard, and Outlook Mobile.

DX900

The DX900 is the world’s first dual-sim phone to support 3G and 2G Sims. This feature allows users to have flexible mobile connectivity for fast Internet access on the same phone. This might not make sense for US users whose phones are mostly carrier locked, but for other countries, where users are free to swap carrier by having changing sim cards, the dual-sim feature would help users.

Aliph, well really, Jawbone, is a name that most people will recognize as a leader in noise-cancelling Bluetooth headsets. The original Jawbone, and then the Jawbone 2, have become the benchmark against which all other Bluetooth headsets are judged. And, to keep that bar raised nice and high, Aliph has introduced a new Bluetooth headset. The Jawbone PRIME features all sorts of upgrades over the Jawbone and Jawbone 2 that should keep Aliph at the top of the noise-reduction-game.

With improved NoiseAssassin technologies, the Jawbone PRIME takes noise-cancellation to a whole new level. New Digital Signal Processing algorithms allows the Jawbone PRIME to clean up audio in up to 10mph winds, while the Voice Activity Sensor (VAS) senses vibrations along your jawbone to isolate speech.

The Jawbone PRIME is being offered in an array of eye-catching EARCANDY colors for $129.99. You can pre-order yours today, and expect units to start shipping and hitting store shelves on May 2.

Motorola will release its mid-end 2G clamshell phone in South Korea. The phone supports EV-DO Rev. 0 connectivity, a 2MP shooter, Bluetooth, a music player, and a memory expansion slot. This clamshell handset is also designed with a unique gradation of black and red. No info on pricing so far

The BlackBerry Curve 8350i is packaged with the device, battery, a home charger, USB cable, 1GB microSD card, wired stereo headset, belt clip, CD, and instruction manuals. We were pleased that the device offers a belt clip instead of the standard BlackBerry pouch, saving users a few bucks at the accessory store.

The 8350i is a fantastically built BlackBerry. Due to the increased height and length of the device, it fits well in the hand. Additionally, the keyboard is ever so slightly different, with the keys being a bit firm to the touch versus the soft-press keys on other Curve models such as the 8330 - a testament that the device is geared toward the construction crowd. The black faceplate looks good, though it does show scratches more than the other BlackBerry's.

One of the frustrations of the device is the 2.5mm headphone port, which represents a shift back from the typical 3.5mm jack found on other recent BlackBerry devices. In order to use the device to play music, you'll need a 2.5mm to 3.5mm adapter, which is sold separately. Speaking of music, the device has a microSD card slot located under the battery which will support up to 16GB cards, making the 8350i more music-friendly than its predecessor.

BlackBerry Curve 8350i
Usability & Performance

The operating system is one of the areas where the 8350i shines. The device is preloaded with OS 4.6, meaning that the software is as up to date as possible; something that can't be said for the other Curve devices. A number of design enhancements in 4.6 make it a worthy upgrade from its predecessors, and it offers a clean user interface to boot.

When we received the device, it was preloaded with the 8350i launch software, OS 4.6.1.83. Various users of the initial software build have complained of poor reception, battery life, messaging issues, and an echo. A few weeks prior to our review, Sprint and BlackBerry offered OS 4.6.1.128 as a software update, and we installed it upon quickly testing 4.6.1.83. Our test unit had no problems with either software build, but for those that are experiencing issues, we would recommend a software update.

Beyond the software refresh, the Curve 8350i retains most of the BlackBerry programs that they have become famous for, including a calendar, address book, task list, internet browser, memo pad, voice recorder, and media manager. With the advent of OS 4.6 on the device, it is preloaded with DataViz Documents To Go Standard Edition, giving the user the ability to view Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents. In order to edit them, however, the user must purchase the Premium Edition.

On the messaging front, Nextel uses MMS to send both pictures and text messages, and as any Nextel user knows, text messaging on the iDEN network can be hit or miss. We never had any trouble with messaging on either software build, but have heard of many that have. Additionally, those that are in the habit of typing quickly may be disappointed, as there is an ever-so-slight lag in the device. Often times when typing, a 1-2 second delay would be present between typing words, leading the user to believe that it was typed improperly, and overcorrecting as a result. Heavy texters, use at your own risk.

Like any BlackBerry, the 8350i supports RIM’s award winning push e-mail solution. On the note of e-mail, however, a recurring issue we heard about in other reviews was the reliability of sending and receiving e-mails. We had absolutely no problems doing either - in fact, we were set up and ready to go in about ten minutes, using the 'E-Mail Settings' icon on the phone. This was a well-documented problem of the older operating system build, so we're guessing that they were running the older 4.6.1.83 build at the time.

The two-megapixel camera wasn't much to write home about. Pictures were decent enough when lighting was perfect, but dreary days and low-light areas left a lot to be desired. Pictures taken in undesirable conditions came out dark and grainy, and the shutter lag posed a problem for taking pictures on the fly. After taking the picture, the user can rename it, and adjust White Balance, Picture Size, Picture Quality, and Color Effects.

In regards to reception, the phone was tested in various places throughout the city, and for the most part, was a decent performer. Calls did drop more frequently when outside of the city limits or off of the main highways. Unfortunately, due to the fact that we know no one with a Nextel handset, we weren’t able to conduct a Direct Connect test. There was a noticeable amount of white noise during calls, but in fairness, these problems should be partially blamed on Sprint's iDEN coverage area, and not completely on the phone itself. Based on testing, one could fault the internal antenna - since iDEN devices are fairly new to having internal antennas, reception on the 8350i versus the i880, for example, is noticeable. Throughout the history of the technology, however, iDEN has always proved to be a bit frustrating on the reception front. Essentially, when the phone shows anything less than three bars, the user must be cautious, as the call can suddenly drop.

The device ships with a 1,400mAh lithium ion battery. In our tests, battery life was slightly higher than what a CDMA BlackBerry Curve would provide, usually lasting for about a day under heavy usage (calls, messages, BlackBerry Messenger), and extending to a day and a half with light use (messaging only). We were able to make about five hours worth of calls before the battery would die, but the test was a combination of e-mail, text messaging, and phone calls.
Conclusion

Overview Overall Rating: 4.5/5 Positives: Well-constructed BlackBerry, feels great in hand, running OS 4.6, offers new media options to Nextel customers.Negatives: Not-so-great call quality, slow data speeds, unpredictable text messaging Introduction It's no secret that iDEN has been a step behind when it comes to new phones. While their CDMA and GSM counterparts were enjoying fast, colorful devices with a slew of capabilities, iDEN users were stuck with relatively drab, boring handsets - until now. The BlackBerry 8350i represents a huge shift forward for Nextel users, who have been stuck with the BlackBerry 7100i since 2005. We spent several weeks reviewing every aspect of the Curve 8350i, and for the most part, came away impressed. Design & Features The BlackBerry Curve 8350i is packaged with the device, battery, a home charger, USB cable, 1GB microSD card, wired stereo headset, belt clip, CD, and instruction manuals. We were pleased that the device offers a belt clip...

Today, at the start of the 3rd annual WIMA conference, Nokia announced its third NFC phone, the Nokia 6216 classic.

Coming as the first SIM-based NFC handset from Nokia, the 6216 classic should allow mobile carriers to deploy NFC (Near Field Communication) services via compatible NFC SIM cards.

By using an NFC device, you can easily share content (like images, audio files or contact data), or make ticketing transactions and secure payments.

Your credit card information can be stored, in a secure way, on a compatible SIM card. After you insert the SIM card into the phone, quick payments can be done just by waving the handset in front of a contactless terminal.


“The Nokia 6216 classic will be amongst the first commercial devices in the market complying with operator requirements using the SIM card in connection to secure transactions with Near Field Communications. With the Nokia 6216 classic in your pocket and the ticketing applications on the SIM you can replace the multitude of cards in your wallet. Having the applications on the SIM consumers can bring their secure applications to their next Nokia NFC enabled phone,” declared Jeremy Belostock, head of near field communications at Nokia.



Apart from NFC, Nokia 6216 classic also featuers:

* GSM/EDGE connectivity, 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
* WCDMA connectivity, 850/2100 MHz
* 2 inch TFT display with 16.7 million colors and QVGA resolution
* Enhanced Series 40 UI
* Bluetooth
* 2MP camera with flash
* 22 MB of internal memory
* microSDHC card support, up to 8GB
* Talk time: up to about 3 hours
* Standby time: up to 300 hours
* 114.7 x 47.1 x 14.5 mm
* 88 grams

Select markets will get the Nokia 6216 classic starting the third quarter of 2009. The handset’s retail price will be of around €150 ($195).

Samsung Trance was officially announced by Verizon Wireless. The handset will be available for purchase as of tomorrow, April 24, in two color versions: Electric Red and Piano Black.

Samsung Trance is a slider presented by Verizon as a “high-powered music phone”, and that’s due to its Bang & Olufsen ICEpower amp that should provide an enhanced audio quality.

The handset also has a touch-sensitive navigation pad, stereo Bluetooth, 3.5mm headset jack and 1GB of internal memory.


Other specs include:

* 2.1 inch TFT display with 176 x 220 pixel and 262K colors
* 1.3MP camera
* MicroSDHC card support, up to 16GB
* Talk time: up to 270 minutes
* Standby time: up to 300 hours
* 4.0 x 1.97 x 0.55 inches
* 3.53 ounces

The price of Samsung Trance? Only $49.99 with a 2-yr contract agreement and after a $50 mail-in rebate.

Palm is now offering unlocked GSM Centro smartphones for $199 in cobalt blue, ruby red or glacier white.The phone has a full QWERTY keyboard, a 320 x 320 display, a microSD card slot capable of 4GB of external storage, Bluetooth, a 1.3-megapixel camera. It has two internal storage options: 64MB or 128MB and supports Google Maps, Office and PDF files.

was going to get a couple of equally powerful siblings to join it in the market; the TG02 and the TG03. Well, now, thanks to Handspreca Mobile, we have some pics of these two new wonder-phones.

Not only that, but we have some new specs to ogle over, especially on the Toshiba TG03, since it looks… hmmm, what’s phrase… proper mint!

However, let’s look at the TG02, first, since it looks basically the same as the Toshiba TG01. Same Snapdragon processor, same 4.1 inch screen, same camera… BUT, the TG02’s also water-resistant. It looks like it manages that by having a rubberised shell (at least, if the blue bit round the screen is rubber), and let’s face it, water-resistance on a 9.9mm thick phone that’s more powerful than any other Windows Mobile device on Earth is pretty damn cool…

However, it’s with the Toshiba TG03 that things get more exciting. It’s still got the Snapdragon processor, it’s still got the 4.1 inch screen, but the camera’s been upped to 5 megapixels. Oh, and although that image that’s popped up of it is clearly a render and not a photo, if they keep that apparently metal-cased design, it looks stunning.

The best bit, though, is video, since it has two things that really make it stand out (if this rumour is accurate): video streaming from a PC it’s connected to, and best of all, Dolby 5.1 sound built in.

You’d never guess Toshiba make top-end TVs as well, would ya…

You have to admire the Japanese. Not only are they one of the coolest nationalities on the planet, but they also make some of the most advanced gear ever seen by man. Playstation, Wii, Aibo, Nissan GT-R… All of them came from the land of the rising sun. However, they also have a penchant for making waterproof phones, for some reason (maybe they use the phone in the bath a lot?), and now Sharp have gone one step further, to create the world’s first solar-powered waterproof phone, according to Fast Company.

It seems as though the solar charger in it is a bit efficient, as well…

It’s being reported that just 10 minutes in the sun will give the phone enough juice for a minute-long call, or 2 hours of standby time. Now, granted, that ain’t gonna be enough to save someone’s life, but if you’re lounging on the beach, it’d be perfect.

Of course, being waterproof’s going to help there, although I’m at a loss as to how they waterproof it. It’s quite clearly not been rubberised or ruggedised, so maybe it’s some kind of nano-plasma-coating-type-thing. Either way, since it’s Japanese, you can guarantee it’ll be sci-fi.

Now the bad news… the chances of this appearing in the UK is about the same as me winning the Grand National, without a horse. Of course, we might not have much use for the solar-charging bit (although it was really sunny, today), but the waterproofing could be useful, given that our rainy season has lasted since about the 15th Century…

Aye, the Japanese seem to get all the good gear. It’s even rumoured that the sensors in their Cyber-Shot camera phones are better than ours. Well, at least until the Sony Ericsson Idou comes along. Then we’ll show ‘em who’s boss…

Aliph has just announced the Aliph Jawbone Prime, the successor to the highly acclaimed Aliph Jawbone 2 from last year. The Aliph’s latest Jawbone headset is a terrific choice for anyone who’s stymied by wind—or just wants a high-quality, high-style headset. The Prime features the company’s NoiseAssassin 2.0 technology, which is designed to eliminate background and wind noise more effectively.

To accommodate the different ways users wear the headset, the product features an Acoustic Voice Activity Detector (AVAD) that reportedly operates when the Voice Activity Sensor (VAS) is not touching the user’s face. The Jawbone Prime will be available May 2 for a $129 suggested retail and come in Blah Blah Black, Coffee Talk, and Going Platinum. The new Jawbone Prime include a more comfortable fit thanks to rubber ear buds with loops. Other features include multipoint functionality, a listed talktime of 4.5 hours and “more than” eight days of standby time. The Earcandy line includes Frankly Scarlet, ‘Yello!, Drop Me A Lime and Lilac You Mean It (purple).

The Bluetooth SIG has formally adopted Bluetooth Core Specification Version 3.0 High Speed (HS), or Bluetooth 3.0. This latest iteration of the popular short-range wireless technology fulfills the consumers’ need for speed while providing the same wireless Bluetooth experience – faster. Manufacturers of consumer electronics and home entertainment devices can now build their products to send large amounts of video, music and photos between devices wirelessly at speeds consumers expect. Bluetooth 3.0 gets its speed from the 802.11 radio protocol. The inclusion of the 802.11 Protocol Adaptation Layer (PAL) provides increased throughput of data transfers at the approximate rate of 24 Mbps. In addition, mobile devices including Bluetooth 3.0 will realize increased power savings due to enhanced power control built in.

This newest version of Bluetooth technology builds on the inherent qualities of the current 2.1 EDR version, including Simple Secure Pairing and built-in, automatic security. And as with all versions of the Bluetooth specification, Bluetooth 3.0 HS provides developers, manufacturers and consumers with the benefit of backwards compatibility, enabling both the expansion and enhancement of this technology with every new specification release. Once products reach the market, the easiest way for consumers to learn which devices are compatible with other Bluetooth enabled devices is to visit the Bluetooth Gadget Guide.

Applications
With the availability of Bluetooth version 3.0 HS, consumers can expect to move large data files of videos, music and photos between their own devices and the trusted devices of others, without the need for cables and wires. Some applications consumers will experience include:

• Wirelessly bulk synchronize music libraries between PC and music player or phone
• Bulk download photos to a printer or PC
• Send video files from camera or phone to computer or television

Availability
The Bluetooth SIG’s formal adoption of the specification is only the first step in the product lifecycle. News out today from wireless chip manufacturers and Bluetooth SIG member companies Atheros, Broadcom, CSR, and Marvell shows the second step – getting silicon solutions to device manufacturers – is already underway. End products for consumers are expected to be in the market in 9 to 12 months.

Technical Specifications
This new specification release includes several major enhancements (learn more here – page requires member login):

• Generic Alternate MAC/PHY (AMP)
• 802.11 Protocol Adaptation Layer (PAL)
• Generic Test Methodology
• Enhanced Power Control
• Unicast Connectionless Data

 

 

Sent to you by Rubbi.... via Google Reader:

 

 

Look up Weather and Events with Nokia's "Here and Now" App

via Cell Phone Digest by Patrick Birmingham on 4/22/09

Nokia Beta Labs has launched a new software application called "Here and now" (see video to the right) to help answer two vital questions that most of us ask each day: Is it going to rain tonight? What's going on in town? The software application allows you to get the local weather and events directly to your mobile browser. There is no configuration; just click and go, which Nokia Beta Labs calls "context sensitivity". Here and Now will be preinstalled in several upcoming Nokia devices, but now you can try it out in advance. Weather and Events are the first services available, however, Nokia plans is to add more. Download Here and Now.

 

 

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Samsung T119 is a very simple phone, it’s super simple, but people just love it like crazy. Maybe it is a trend, now people are tired of complicated stuff, so simple phone could be a new trend.

Samsung T119 is best for anyone who would like to keep things simple. It features a clear display, easy to use keypad perfect for text or instant messaging, speakerphone, voice dialing/memo and a WAP browser to surf the web. See, just very simple, clean. What’s more, it has a very simple design, but it is very good looking, you can see that from the picture above.

If you are looking for a value priced phone for T-Mobile that does the basics well, the Samsung T119 is absolutely your best choice.

Features:

• Web Access
• Text Messaging
• Lightweight
• Speakerphone
• Razor Thin
• Simple Phone
• Long Battery Life

Specifications:

• Size (LWH): 1.8 inches, 4.1 inches, 0.6 inches
• Weight: 3.04 ounces
• Network Compatibility: GSM
• Phone Book Capacity: 500 Entries
• Minimum Rated Talk Time: 240 minutes
• Minimum Rated Standby Time: 100 hours
• Battery Type: Lithium Ion

Samsung T119 Price:

• Retail Price: $59.99
• Contract Price: $0.00

Samsung T119 Technical Specifications
General
Status Available
Introduced December 2008
Announced October 2008
Network (2G) GSM 1900 / GSM 850
Form factor Block
Antenna type Internal
SAR Value 0.958 W/Kg
Size
Weight 83 g (with battery)
Dimensions 104.9 x 44.7 x 14.2 mm
Display
Type Graphical
Coloured Yes, CSTN, 65K colors
Size 128 x 128 pixels
Memory
Numbers in phone 500
Received calls 30
Outgoing calls 30
Lost calls 30
Shared memory 1.5 MB
Ringtones
Polyphonic ringtones Yes
Ringtone profiles Yes
- MP3
Networking
GPRS Yes, Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
USB Yes, 2.0
WAP Yes
Browser Yes, WAP 2.0/xHTML
Features
Vibration Yes
SMS Send / Receive
Java Yes
Games Yes
Clock Yes
Alarm Yes
Calculator Yes
Calendar Yes
Voice memo Yes
T9 Yes
- Organizer
Standard Battery
Type Li-Ion
Amperage 1000 mAh
Standby time GSM: 144h
Talk time GSM: 4h

Intelligent Shot Mode and Advanced Camera Features
LG conducted consumer preference surveys in fourteen countries including the U.S., U.K., France, Brazil, Russia, India and China to learn what consumers wanted to see in the next generation mobile device and one key finding was that users thought current camera phones were too complicated to operate.

LG’s engineers addressed this issue in the Viewty Smart with Intelligent Shot Mode, which analyzes the subject, background, and lighting conditions and compares the data against seven pre-programmed scenarios to take perfect pictures every time. This feature, still rare on high-end stand alone compact digital cameras, is a first for a camera phones and only available from LG. This hassle-free mode completely eliminates the need to check settings before taking a photo. It even provides instantaneous feedback, showing exactly how the camera is analyzing a particular scene with real-time indicator bars.

With 8 megapixels of resolution, Viewty Smart’s pictures are not just great for sharing online, but are even sharp enough for printing and framing. With a maximum ISO setting of 1600, shots previously considered too dim or dark can now be captured even without a flash. This can be further augmented with the phone’s LED flash. Viewty Smart adds several new camera features including Multi-Face Detection and DVD-quality D1 video recording. It also carries over features such as Touch Shot, Art Shot, Beauty Shot, Panorama Shot and Continuous Shot.

S-Class User Interface Enhanced for Camera Features
Viewty Smart also includes the easy-to-use 3D S-Class UI, which debuted on LG’s ARENA earlier this year. LG has tailored S-Class around Viewty Smart’s camera features with an on-screen dial for instantly switching shot modes and a thumbnail viewer that shows recently taken photos without having to switch to the photo gallery. LG even included an easier way to zoom in and out: Simply move your finger in a clockwise circle on the touchscreen to zoom in, as if turning the zoom ring on an SLR camera. Zoom out by moving the finger in the opposite direction. Zooming in and out is also possible with multi-touch pinching and stretching.

Viewty Smart is as good at sharing photos as it is at taking them. Its wide, sharp 3-inch WVGA screen provides full 800 x 480 resolution, great for seeing every detail in pictures and movies. With 7.2 Mbps HSDPA network and Wi-Fi compatibility, Viewty Smart can upload photos over the internet at broadband speeds. With A-GPS based geotagging, friends can even see the exact spot where a photo was taken. The Viewty Smart can also store photos on its 1.5 GB of internal memory or on MicroSD cards up to 32 GB.

Extremely pocketable, Viewty Smart is just 12.4 mm deep, making it the slimmest 8 megapixel camera phone available. However, with its svelt camera-like design, few people will want to keep this phone hidden from view.

LG Viewty Smart will be available through operators in Europe starting this May and then launch in other markets around the world.

The full list of specs LG Viewty Smart GC900 comes with includes:

* 3.0 inches TFT touchscreen display with 800 x 480 pixels
* S-Class Touch UI (like the LG Arena)
* Quad band GSM connectivity (850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz)
* HSDPA 2100 connectivity
* A-GPS, geotagging
* Wi-Fi
* Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP
* Music player
* DivX/XviD/MPEG4 player
* 1.5GB of internal memory
* MicroSDHC card support, up to 32 GB
* 100.8 x 55.8 x 12.4 millimeters


LG GC900 Viewty Smart will hit the market in May, via several European carriers (Orange is probably one of them, since we saw the phone with its logo on it). After that, the Viewty Smart will be released in other markets around the world.

The handset’s price was not announced by LG.

A promo video with the Viewty Smart can be seen below:

BlackBerry Curve 8350i is a very cool cellphone just released by Sprint. Now more and more people begin to love it. So let’s talk about it here today.

The BlackBerry 8350i represents a huge shift forward for Nextel users, who have been stuck with the BlackBerry 7100i since 2005.

The BlackBerry Curve 8350i is packaged with the device, battery, a home charger, USB cable, 1GB microSD card, wired stereo headset, belt clip, CD, and instruction manuals.

The 8350i is a fantastically built BlackBerry. Due to the increased height and length of the device, it fits well in the hand. Additionally, the keyboard is ever so slightly different, with the keys being a bit firm to the touch versus the soft-press keys on other Curve models such as the 8330 - a testament that the device is geared toward the construction crowd. The black faceplate looks good, though it does show scratches more than the other BlackBerry’s.

BlackBerry Curve 8350i is available now for $149.99 with a two-year contract and comes without the 2-megapixel camera for those customers whose workplaces ban the use of camera phones.

Now let’s watch a video review about BlackBerry Curve 8350i.

Any Max OS X fans out in the crowd? If there are, chances are they will appreciate this new theme for the BlackBerry Storm, at least on some level. The new (and free) ‘MacinStorm’ theme from PimpMyBerry is very reminiscent of OS X. It combines the familiar OS X dock with standard BlackBerry Storm-ish buttons for what looks to be a very nicely done theme… The icons on the dock will even ‘bounce’ when selected, just like they do on your Mac.

With a price that can’t be beat (free), it’s certainly worth a look for anyone packing a BlackBerry Storm. For more information, screenshots, download links and more, simply head on over to PimpMyBerry.

With the first release date leaked by Expansys UK early last month, we knew that the Touch Diamond2 availability date will be around April 17th and will be priced at 488 USD before tax or 561 USD after tax. HTC has confirmed that it will start selling the windows phone next week from April 22nd in Taiwan and to be priced at around 650 USD. Its pricing would be different depends on your region, and the Touch Diamond2 should be available in many countries by end of this month.


The Touch Diamond2 incorporates a larger 3.2-inch high-resolution wide-screen VGA display for a greater viewing area in a design just 13.7mm thick. The phone also includes a 5 megapixel camera, microSD card slot, light sensor and a new touch sensitive zoom bar for faster zooming of Web pages, emails, text messages, photos or documents. Compare to first generation of the Touch Diamond, the battery capacity is increased to 1100 mAh from 900 mAh to improve the battery life.
HTC Touch Diamond2 specifications:

• Processor: Qualcomm MSM7200A, 528 MHz
• Operating System: Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
• Memory: 512 MB ROM / 288 MB RAM
• Dimensions: 107.85 x 53.1 x 13.7 mm
• Weight: 117.5 grams (4.15 ounces) with battery
• Display: 3.2-inch TFT-LCD touch-sensitive screen with 480 X 800 WVGA resolution
• Network HSDPA/WCDMA:
• Europe/Asia: 900/2100 MHz
• Up to 2 Mbps up-link and 7.2 Mbps down-link speeds
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE:
• Europe/Asia: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
• Device Control TouchFLO 3D
• Zoom bar
• Internal GPS antenna
• Bluetooth 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate and A2DP for wireless stereo headsets
• Wi-Fi
• HTC ExtUSB (11-pin mini-USB 2.0 and audio jack in one)
• Camera Main camera: 5.0 megapixel color camera with auto focus
• Second camera: VGA CMOS color camera
• Audio supported formats AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, QCP, MP3, WMA, WAV, MIDI, M4A
• Video supported formats WMV, ASF, MP4, 3GP, 3G2, M4V, AVI
• Battery Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery
• Capacity: 1100 mAh
• Talk time:
• Up to 300 minutes for WCDMA
• Up to 340 minutes for GSM
• Standby time:
• Up to 500 hours for WCDMA
• Up to 360 hours for GSM
• Video call time: Up to 150 minutes
• Expansion Slot: microSD memory card (SD 2.0 compatible)
• Special Features FM Radio, G-Sensor

If you’ve been following the cellphone market, you’d know that National Geographic has already release a mobile phone not so long ago. Following up this phone is its second dubbed Duet D888. What’s so special about this phone aside from being a National Geographic branded phone is the fact that it has dual-sim capability. The D888 has one slot for your international sim card and another slot to hold the SIM card of a carrier of your choice.The Duet D888 is an unlocked phone, so you can pretty much use whatever SIM card you want to use. You can use a prepaid or postpaid SIM card such as AT&T’s various data plans.

The National Geography Duet D888 phone was manufactured by Beyond E-Tech. While it maybe special for the fact that it is a dual-sim phone, the Duet D888 is still an ordinary looking mid-range mobile phone with features such as a 2.8-inch QVGA screen, MP3 Player, FM Radio, Bluetooth, and a not so great 2 megapixel camera. Interestingly, given that you’d be using the D888 when you travel a lot, a higher megapixel resolution camera would have been better. Nonetheless the camera phone can also be used for video capturing and it support 3GP video format.

The Duet D888 is tri-band GSM (900/1800/1900MHz) phone with GPRS, WAP, GMS and STR connectivity features.

The phone can max out 4 hours of talk time and 130 hours standby time. It is available now at the Beyond Etech site for around $349.

Samsung had officially acknowledged that they would be putting out three Android handsets this year, and we had seen some blurry hints of the first, but now we’ve got a clear view of the second: the S8000. The specifications, as leaked by Russian reseller Euroset, are:

* 3.1″ AMOLED WVGA touchscreen
* 5 megapixel camera with dual LED flash
* FM radio + RDS
* 2 GB internal memory and microSD slot
* 3.5 mm headphone jack3G, Wi-Fi, aGPS
* 12mm thick
* DivX andXviD support
* 3D UI (S-Class?)

Considering the European source, we might not be seeing this one in North America any time soon, but for those on the other side of the pond, the preorder price was set at 470 euros before the S8000 was taken down. It looks like a very sleek device - borrowing that cube-ish home button from the Ultra Touch was a good move.

SoundID 300 Bluetooth headset sets out to be THE most comfortable Bluetooth headset on market. No matter how small or lightweight your Bluetooth headset might be, there’s a limit to just how long you can wear it on your ear before becoming uncomfortable. The problem lies in the ear-plug design. That little piece of awkwardly-shaped plastic squeezed inside your ear canal isn’t going to sit there long-term without some irritation kicking in. But, what if an ear doctor designed the ear-plug for maximum comfort? Well, then you’d have the SoundID 300 Bluetooth headset.

Designed by an ear doctor at Stanford University (along with a team of acoustics experts and engineers), the SoundID 300 Bluetooth headset sets out to be THE most comfortable Bluetooth headset on market. Period. And, it touts noise cancellation technology and adaptive acoustics for better voice clarity.

But, is it really possible to go all-day wearing a hands-free headset without feeling any in-ear irritation? Read on and find out.

SoundID 300 Bluetooth headset

Pros:

• All-day comfort
• Adaptive acoustics
• Noise cancelling
• Sleek, minimalist design

Cons:

• No battery-life meter
• Noise cancellation not perfect with background speech

The SoundID 300’s (and the lower-end SoundID 200) fame to claim is its ergonomic ear-plug design that improves voice clarity and gives the SoundID 300 day-long wearability. The SoundID boasts NoiseNavigation technology that uses the dual beam-forming microphones to isolate speech and algorithms to help reduce background noise. The PersonalSound feature offers three adaptive-acoustics settings that tweaks the conversation to best fit your hearing preference. And, the Automatic Volume Control feature automatically adjusts headset volume to match changing ambient noise levels.

So, does the SoundID 300 really deliver on its promise of long-term comfort? Indeed it does. With a couple caveats (there always are).

Ergonomics
In terms of ergonomics, the SoundID 300 just can’t be beat. At first glance, the strangely-shaped ear-plug and protruding loop of plastic doesn’t look all that comfortable. But, stick the headset in your ear and twist upward (to push that plastic loop up against your ear lobe), and you’re in for a surprise. Rather than trying to cram itself into your ear canal, the SoundID 300’s RealComfort ear-plugs gently slip inside your ear canal and even more gently props itself up against your ear. This tiny little headset tips the scales at just 8 grams, so you can be sure it won’t weigh you down.

When was the last time you wore a headset all day without an iota of discomfort? Have you ever forgotten that your headset was on your ear? With the SoundID 300, you can wear it all day and you might even forget that it’s on your ear at the end of the day.

The headset comes with a variety of patented RealComfort ear-plugs that help you tailor-fit your SoundID 300 to your ear’s shape. Remember, the RealComfort ear-plugs were designed by an ear doctor, and the SoundID proves that it is the single-most comfortable headset we’ve ever worn.

Sound Quality
What good is a Bluetooth headset if you can’t hear the caller on the other end. The SoundID 300’s specially-designed ear-plugs help channel the audio into your ear, which makes for a clear conversation on its own. The incoming conversation (what the headset-wearer hears) is tweaked by SoundID’s PersonalSound technology, automatically enhancing different frequencies to better fit your own personal hearing preference - older users might not have the same high-frequency hearing abilities as a teenager. PersonalSound offers three distinct audio profiles to improve speech clarity without raising the volume.

The NoiseNavigation technology works to clean up your conversation, helping your listener hear your voice, and your voice only. Dual beam-forming microphones and a sprinkling of magical “algorithm dust” helps the SoundID 300 isolate just your voice and send it along to the listener. In theory, the system should work well, but it’s not perfect. “Droning” noises like those from background wind and coffee shop blenders are easily isolated and suppressed. Background noises from TV, radio or someone talking too loud on their cellphone aren’t as effectively suppressed. This particular drawback is common to many dual-microphone noise-cancellation solutions - it’s hard to distinguish legitimate speech from background speech.

Battery Life
SoundID claims 6 hours of talk-time or 9 days of stand-by time on the SoundID 300. We did our darnedest to test that 6 hour talk-time limit, but after a day and a half of making excuses to talk to friends on the phone, the SoundID 300 is still going strong. Unfortunately, we have no idea just how much charge is actually left - a battery-life indicator would be incredibly helpful.

Overall
The SoundID 300 is a damn good Bluetooth headset. It’s noise-suppression systems aren’t as robust as the class-leading Jawbone2, but it’s definitely on par with other dual-mic setups. PersonalSound is cool, but we didn’t find ourselves needing anything other than the default setting. And, we’d like to see future SoundID headsets featuring battery-meters. It can be nerve-racking wondering when the battery on our headset is going to quit on us.

In the end, the SoundID 300 performs where it counts - this is THE most comfortable headset on market.

The SoundID 300 goes on April 15 for about $100, which is a nice little discount from the $120 MSRP.

Say hello to the very popular iVista 2 BlackBerry App, we said that we would bring you BlackBerry apps daily so here it is.

iVista 2 is pretty good offering you the best of both worlds, this is what they call BlackBerry theme sophistication because it gives you the Apple iPhone icons and the clean professional look and build of Windows Vista. You will love it trust us, ok don’t trust us just give it a go.

Main features include: Easy to read fonts, Visually stunning, A completely custom home screen, minimum of 5 customizable home screen icons, HIGHEST quality theme sold on MobiHand, plus –

• Storm / Bold / 8900 — versions feature “widgetesque” desktop
• Bold / 8900 — versions feature NINE (9) customizable home screen icons
• Storm / Bold / 8900 — versions have a Today area
• Storm — version features ELEVEN (11) customizable home screen icons

Compatible on these devices: -

• Pearl - OS 4.5 (BlackBerry OS 4.5)
• Curve - OS 4.5 (BlackBerry OS 4.5)
• Curve (8350i) - OS 4.6 (BlackBerry OS 4.6)
• 8700 - OS 4.5 (BlackBerry OS 4.5)
• 8800 - OS 4.5 (BlackBerry OS 4.5)
• Bold - OS 4.6 (BlackBerry OS 4.6)
• Curve (8900) - OS 4.6 (BlackBerry OS 4.6)
• Pearl Flip - OS 4.6 (BlackBerry OS 4.6)
• Storm - OS 4.7 (BlackBerry OS 4.7)

Buy now for only Price: $6.00 here