It’s a difficult time for feature phones, with smartphones fast becoming a viable option at the low-end of the market. On the one hand, most users are expecting smartphone features such as touchscreens and WiFi from their feature phones. At the same time, some folks still want an affordable, solid device that focuses primarily on making calls and sending text messages, with the occasional foray into entertainment and data-based communication. The Nokia X3-02 Touch-and-Type (not to be mistaken with the other Nokia X3) attempts to be that device, by adding a dose of touch and WiFi to the venerable Series 40 platform. Does it succeed? Read on.
Yes, it’s the Dell Venue, and no, you still can’t buy one outside Hong Kong or South Korea just yet. All we can speculate is that this Android phone is facing the same manufacturing issues as its WP7 cousin, but hopefully we’re wrong. Anyhow, what matters is that we’ve finally gotten our hands on a retail unit of the Snapdragon-packing Venue. So is it worth the wait for Androiders distanced from the Far East? And will this handset be the answer for our love-hate relationship with the Streak? Head on right past the break to find out.
With the tablet torrent at CES 2011 we’ll admit to having forgotten about bModo’s 12G tablet, announced in October last year, but the 11.6-inch Windows 7 slate has now shown up for a full review. AllTouchTablet picked up the $849.99 slate – which runs a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 single-core CPU with 2GB of RAM and Broadcom’s CrystalHD video accelerator – and found the Windows experience to be pretty solid, with media playback impressing.
Video demo after the cut
On its own, the Atom CPU and integrated GMA 3150 graphics aren’t going to do much good, but the Broadcom chip helps the tablet handle 1080p HD video (as long as it uses a supported codec). Unfortunately CPU-only tasks – like handwriting recognition in Windows 7 – aren’t as slick, and the 2.5-3hr battery life is pretty woeful when you compare it to the iOS or Android competition.
bModo has slapped a custom UI – triggered with a dedicated touch-sensitive key – to help Windows 7 with its finger friendliness, but it’s the lack of pocket-friendliness which really seems to scupper the 12G. At $849.99 – or $799.99 for the 1GB RAM version – and then another $75 for the optional dock (which doesn’t have an HDMI or other graphics output, and props the 12G up at a particularly steep angle) it’s expensive for a slate.
Sony Ericsson’s XPERIA Arc may be the company’s most eye-catching smartphone for the first half of 2011, but going by an early preview it might not be the best selling if the mid-range Vivaz 2 has anything to say about it. Mobile-Review has been putting a prototype Vivaz 2 – aka the Sony Ericsson Hallon or MT15i – through its paces, and finding it’s far more than just a Vivaz with Symbian swapped for Android 2.3 Gingerbread.
The 8-megapixel camera is the same EXMOR R blessed shooter as from the XPERIA Arc, and the display has been updated to an 854 x 480 panel to better suit Android. There’s also a 1GHz MSM7630 processor and Adreno 205 GPU, which keep the smartphone chugging along nicely.
In short, it’s an affordable – €320-350 ($430-470) – midrange smartphone which Sony Ericsson should be offering in a range of colors come April 2011. We’re expecting to see the Vivaz 2 at Mobile World Congress 2011 next month.
As you might have heard a little while back, Windows Phone 7 is the latest smartphone OS to have joined the SlingPlayer gang, meaning WP7 fanatics like Ballmer can be couch potatoes wherever they are. Well, assuming they have data connectivity — be it 3G or WiFi — and some battery juice on their phones. For better or for worse, the latest SlingPlayer Mobile app is very much like its other flavors — same easy preparation, a familiar interface, and a similarly tear-inducing $30 price tag. There is, however, one nice addition: a new “Zoom” button on the menu page, which actually chops away a good portion of the black border around the picture. Another noteworthy difference is the more stylish interface in comparison to the Android and iOS versions, but of course, some might think otherwise.
Also on the menu page is a “Quality” button for toggling between standard video quality and high video quality. Annoyingly, said switch is always set to standard at every launch. We can’t help but to think that this is for covering up the app’s shortfall — we noticed while high quality streaming does indeed have good picture quality, the frequency of buffering increased over time. Similarly, response time to our button and gesture inputs also got longer and longer — at one point it took about 20 seconds for us to change a channel on our Freeview box, and that’s with our HTC 7 Mozart sitting on the same network as our Slingbox Pro HD! Needless to say, it took even longer over 3G. We then double-checked using our iPhone and Nexus One but failed to reproduce the same bugs. Thankfully, a simple restart of the app eased our frustration, but we expect Sling Media to actually deliver a fix soon. Anyhow, there’s a video walkthrough after the break while you wait for the update.
We’re used to seeing all sorts of funky motion-based games on smartphones, but here’s something a little bit different: a retro-themed desktop 3D flash game that utilises your iOS device as an accelerometer and gyroscope-based wireless controller. The objective of kijjaa! is simple: just fly your vessel around, shoot down or avoid the enemies, and pick up extra lives. Don’t worry, there’s no jailbreaking involved here — all we had to do was visit kijjaa.com/air, and then copy the code onto our iOS app to establish the link via WiFi or 3G.
There’s no serious challenge in kijjaa! — based on the app’s description on iTunes, the game’s designed with students and office workers in mind, so it’s ideal for those seeking a fun quickie during their short breaks. We’d say the hardest part is trying to dodge the ghosts that show up randomly in short notice, but what really annoyed us were the occasional control lags that popped up even over WiFi. Still, for a promotional $0.99 pricing (the 70 percent price drop ends on January 17th has been extended to January 24th), this game has gone much further than most other games have, and it’ll only get better — already in the pipeline are Game Center support, new enemies, new bonuses, and achievements. Hopefully the developer will also throw in some more chiptune soundtracks as well. Demo video after the break — it kinda makes you want this on the Apple TV too, doesn’t it?
Thermaltake is a very well-known computer hardware company, and although they are most commonly recognized for their computer tower cases, they also have their own line of gaming peripherals for the PC. The company just recently rolled out these new additions to their hardware resume, and we were lucky enough to get a few pieces of this equipment in for review. The first up – the Thermaltake Black Gaming mouse. Let’s see how it performed.
Look and Feel
The first thing I noticed about this gaming mouse is how light it feels. The peripheral has almost no weight to it. I found that the mouse does come with weights already installed into its chassis, but they don’t provide much of a resistance when using it. I was able to slide the mouse across the desk with ease, and even pick it up with no effort. This was an issue for me, only because I like my mice heavy and stout. It’s real easy to shift the mouse all over the desk if you’re not careful.
The Black looks, however, extremely slick and modern. With matte and black gloss styling, the mouse makes a perfect addition to my desktop environment. It has red LEDs that light up when the PC is powered on, which makes it look even more like a mean, down-to-business mouse. Perhaps one of the best aspects of the aesthetic that the Black puts on is the thumb grip. Ridges on the left side of the mouse make for an easily-accessible grip that is very comfortable. With a braided cable, the mouse surely knocks it out of the park with looks.
Performance
In terms of performance, the mouse is hit and miss. The cool thing about the Black is that right below the scroll wheel lies the DPI buttons, to change the sensitivity up and down. The great thing about this mouse is the ability to click up – and back down. Most gaming mice make you cycle through the available settings over and over again, whereas the Black allows you to go back and forth until you find the right setting for you. Cycling from 200, 800, 2000, and 4000 DPI, the mouse makes these options easily available.
The problem with the above mentioned DPI settings is this: these are the only settings. There’s no option to fine-tune the DPI, nor is there software available to change the settings. It would be great to have this option available, because I found myself constantly switching back and forth between 2000 and 4000 DPI until I finally settled with 4000. It becomes frustrating sometimes.
The forward and back buttons work perfectly, and most of the time the Black is spot-on when I need it. There’s honestly not too much to complain about.
The Verdict
I would honestly say that the Thermaltake Black gaming mouse is solid, but not something I would dump a lot of money into. Right now the mouse is available anywhere from $40 to $60 online, which isn’t too bad. If you happen to pick this mouse up, it will do the job, but it won’t be a crucial piece of hardware to have and I can see consumers swapping out sooner than later.
While gaming the mouse did it’s job, but it did only that. With the prices I’ve seen for the Black, you’ll be paying for aesthetics and possibly comfort. If you’re okay with that, then go ahead and pick it up. Other than that, I would say continue looking.
There are tons of iPhone 4 cases out on the market now, boasting functionality, protection, or just looking snazzy. A big question to ask is what are these cases doing for our environment? We received a TRTL BOT Stand case for the iPhone 4 and it not only has functionality, but also was made from recycled plastic bottles. How many other cases can take that claim?
The TRTL STAND for the iPhone 4 comes in a clear plastic clamshell with the case visible via the front, and cardboard inserts with information about the cases are positioned inside the clamshell to keep the case in place. Cardboard and plastic clamshells are made from recycled materials as well if you were wondering.
The case for the phone is made of plastic (duh) and only comes in black. It measures 4.53” x 2.43” x 0.51” and barely weighs more than half an ounce. Looking down on it there is a large open space where the phone would go, and has a lip to keep the phone in place. (A mighty good grip if you ask me) The tops and bottoms of the case are 90% open as to not impede any plug-ins for the phone. On the left side there is an opening for the volume and sound control switch, and a hole has been cut out on the back of the case for the camera. Starting at the bottom right corner of the back of the case is where the stand resides, which is imprinted with TRTL BOT in big letters, and on the bottom left corner is the logo.
It’s a rather plain looking case, but does its purpose nicely. The snugness of the phone in the case, and my inability to get the phone out of it is a bit annoying, but it does its duty as a case with kickstand abilities. The fact that it’s hard plastic makes me nervous, because I not only have to worry about my phone breaking, but the case as well. Not to mention the fact that the face of the phone is completely exposed. It costs about $34.99, but can be found for cheaper elsewhere.
Ever since Apple added Bluetooth keyboard support to iOS, manufacturers have been working to deliver products that add a hard keyboard to the iPhone with at least a little bit of style. We’ve checked out a number of these before — namely the Nuu Minikey and the TK-421 — but we’ve yet to find anything that actually makes it worth the extra bulk (not to mention battery consumption). BoxWave’s Keyboard Buddy is yet another sliding keyboard case built for the iPhone, but is it better than the rest? Read on past the break to find out.
Apple’s AirPlay might be getting all the attention lately but it’s hardly the first solution for wirelessly streaming media to the television. Far from it. In 2003, the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) formed with its first set of interoperable products hitting the market in 2004. Since then, the alliance has certified thousands of products supported by more than 245 member companies, 29 of whom are listed as “promoter members” including such heavyweights as Sony, Nokia, Samsung, Toshiba, Verizon, AT&T Lab, LG, Qualcomm, Cisco, Microsoft, Panasonic, Intel, HP, and Motorola. Pretty much everyone but Apple. Recently, HTC joined the DLNA ranks with the introduction of two smartphones — the Desire Z and Desire HD — and a tiny media streamer known as the HTC Media Link, HTC’s first attempt to gain a foothold in the living room. Over the last week we’ve been testing the Desire Z (a Eurofied T-Mobile G2) with the Media Link, lazily streaming video, music, and images around the house using a myriad of sources and controllers from Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, and Western Digital. How did it perform? Click through to find out.
