Nikon D40

The obvious shortcomings of compact cameras and the shrinking prices of entry-level digital SLRs have spurred a huge growth in the DSLR market. Nikon hopes to continue that trend with its new 6.1MP D40.

The Nikon D40 is a six-megapixel camera that features a 3X optical zoom with a 18-to-55mm range (equivalent to a 35mm lens with a 27-82.5mm zoom) and corresponding maximum f-stops of f/3.5 to f/5.6. Probably the best part of this is that it only costs $600.

Here are a few of the technical specifications for the D40:

• Street price: $599.95
• 6.1MP
• Maximum Image size: 3,008 x 2,000px
• SD memory card
• 2.5 frames per second

Things I like
The D40 is really compact. While people with big hands or people who are used to larger SLR’s probably won’t like this I really don’t mind. It makes it easier to lug around for a day of shooting. The D40 is a fairly good entry DSLR because of it’s low profile and low price. While it doesn’t have many of the features on the higher end cameras (or even some of the lower ends), it does have a few good things that I like. I would say the thing that I like most is the low noise characteristic when taking shots with a high ISO. For those of you who aren’t really into cameras this basically means when you’re taking pictures in a dark place (at night or in caves for example), the picture quality will be better than most other cameras.

Things I don’t like
The fact that this camera is only 6.1MP is the main thing that I don’t like. There are a number of cameras out there that have larger sensors. Even Canon’s Rebel XT is 8.1MP. The D40 also can be a little slow to focus at times, while this normally isn’t that bad of a problem if you’re taking pictures of fast moving objects it can be a pain.

Pros:

• Relatively cheap
• Compact size
• Low noise at high ISO settings

Cons:

• Only 6.1 MP
• Slow focus

Final Thoughts
The Nikon D40 is a great transition camera for going from point-and-shoot to your first DSLR. While I would personally go with Canon’s line of DSLR’s if you’re wanting to go with Nikon (or have a friend that’ll give you a number of lenses), the D40 is definitely your entry level camera.

Logitech Z-5500

Gamers love their sound. One thing that I’ve learned during my short, but extremely fun, gaming period is that sound quality can get you killed really easy. If you can’t hear the other character sneaking up on you then you mine as well stop playing. A number of speakers give you fairly decent sound, like the Altec Lansing VS4121 but none give you quite as good of a sound as the product I’m going to review today.

The Logitech Z-5500 5.1 surround sound speaker set is absolutely mind blowing. This set offers THX certified sound, 505 watts of power, a very cool remote and a very satisfied experience.

Here are a few of the technical specifications for the Logitech Z-5500:

• Street price: $249.95
• Total Peak power: 1010 watts
• Maximum SPL: >115 dB
• Frequency response: 33 Hz — 20 kHz
• Input compatibility: PC/MAC, cd, mp3, xbox 360, ps3, wii, etc…
• 4 satellites, 1 central channel, 1 subwoofer

Things I like
I would have to say the thing I like most about this unit (and the thing that I think is the most unique), is the ability to plug up to 6 inputs into the Z-5500. The control module’s rear panel boasts optical and coaxial digital-audio inputs as well as three 1/8-inch analog mini-jack inputs. You can configure the three mini-jacks as a group to connect a 5.1-channel PC sound card or independently to connect up to three separate stereo sources. The control module’s side panel hosts a 1/8-inch headphone output and a 1/8-inch auxiliary input for playing a device such as an iPod. This is really cool because it extends the usefulness of the product from purely a desktop speaker set to a full entertainment system.

The other thing I like about the Z-5500 is the sound quality. While the 505 watts is very impressive the speakers sound very nice. I was listening to a couple rock songs and I closed my eyes and I could imagine myself being in the concert. I’ve heard music being played from a few extremely good speakers (pro quality) and the Z-5500 were very close to that quality.

Things I don’t like
Coming in at $250 you’re definitely paying for what you get. While this isn’t that expensive overall it can be a little pricey for people who don’t have a lot of money to spend on a speaker set. While the subwoofer is very impressive I feel that it could be better. It just doesn’t produce that great of a sound for my liking. It does shake the room however. The midrange also suffers a little bit but it’s really nothing to worry about.
Pros:

• Great sound
• 5.1 surround sound
• 6 inputs

Cons:

• Expensive
• Bass and midrange suffer a little bit

Final Thoughts
The Logitech Z-5500 are amazing speakers. If you want quality sound and can pay for it I totally suggest that you pick these speakers up (use the little button below the post). So far out of all of the speakers that I’ve ever used these are my favourite. I 100% recommend them.

Sony VAIO Digital Studio

Over the past few years there has been a large improvement in the quality of laptops. Two years ago when I got my first laptop it had a 1.6GHz Pentium M processor with 1GB of RAM, a integrated graphics card and 100GB hard drive. It was by no means meant as a desktop replacement. A number of laptop companies are transforming their current laptop lines into desktop replacements.

The Sony VAIO Digital Studio VGN-AR730E/B is a laptop designed to replace a desktop. It has a 17″ widescreen LCD, 3GB of RAM, 2.10GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 320GB hard drives and a dedicated Nvidia graphics card.

Here are a few of the technical specifications for the VAIO Digital Studio Laptop:

• Street price: $1699.99
• 17″ WXGA+ LCD screen (resolution: 1440×900)
• 3GB RAM
• 160GB hard drive (x2)
• NVIDIA GeForce 84 00M GT
• Blu-Ray Player
• 1.3 MP camera and microphone
• 1.5-2.5 hours of battery life

Things I like
The thing I like most about this computer is its storage space. Fitting in two 160GB hard drives means that you’ll have a lot more space to store your files than in other laptops. One of the biggest things that stop laptops from being true desktop replacement devices is their limited storage space. If you can only hold 100GB of data it really isn’t a viable desktop option if you’re going to be doing anything that needs a lot of space. The VAIO VGN gives you enough space to store almost anything you would need.

The other thing I like about this laptop is its speed. With a Intel Core 2 Duo processor at 2.10GHz and 3GB of RAM (upgradeable to 4GB), you won’t see the usual slow performance of a laptop. This device will be able to run processor dependent applications without any real problems.

I also like the fact that there’s an included Blu-Ray player. Sony made a great choice on putting this in because Blu-Ray has beaten out HD-DVD in the high-definition format wars. Since a lot of current Blu-Ray players are fairly expensive this just adds to the value of the laptop.

Things I don’t like
This laptop is large, even for a 17″ model. If you plan on taking your laptop with you when you travel I would suggest getting a smaller laptop so you don’t break your back while carrying this. I think Sony could have put a larger disk in (maybe 200GB) and dropped the dual hard drives to cut down on the VGN’s weight.

I also don’t like the fact that the display does not support 1080p content. The17-inch display features a standard 1440×900 resolution, but this means it is limited to 720p playback for high definition content. It’d be really nice to be able to watch the Blu-Ray videos on full 1080p resolution.

Pros:

• Blu-Ray Player
• Fast processor with lots of RAM
• Large storage space
• Desktop Replacement

Cons:

• Very large and heavy
• Screen can’t display full 1080p content
• Not the best graphics card

Final Thoughts
This laptop is one of the better desktop replacement laptops. It has a fast processor, lots of RAM and a lot of storage space. It also comes with a Blu-Ray player which is a large bonus but unfortunately it’s extremely large and the screen can’t even display full 1080p content. If you’re wanting to play Blu-Ray movies on you computer I would wait a few more months until better and cheaper laptops come out with this feature.

Rating: 3/5

i pod Classic

In 2001 the audio world was rocked with the news of the first iPod. It could hold 1000 songs and used a hard drive to store the songs. Since then a number of iPod’s have been released in varying capacities but none have come close to the latest version.

The iPod Classic can hold an astonishing 40,000 songs or 200 hours of video and its all at a touch of your finger. The iPod Classic comes in two different capacities: 80GB and 160GB. While not cheap the Classic an hold your entire library of songs, pictures and movies all on a portable device.

The Classic also has the updated user interface and I must say that it’s an improvement over the last design that was on the old iPods.

Here are a few of the technical specifications for the iPod Classic:

• Street Price: $389.99 (160GB)
• 5.7 oz
• 160GB hard drive
• 2.5-inch with 320 x 240 resolution
• 40,000 songs or 200 hours of video

Things I like
The thing I like most about the Classic is its enormous hard drive. 160GB is more than some desktop computers have so you don’t need to worry about fitting all of your songs and movies onto it. While the 2.5inch screen isn’t ideal for watching videos it does produce a very nice picture and having all of your videos in your pocket is rather handy. I also like the new user interface. Apple has really been showing off their graphical power as of late and the ability to view album covers is a nice touch.

The final thing I like about the Classic is its battery life and charge time. The Classic’s battery will last 40 hours if you’re only playing music or 7 hours if you’re playing videos. This is really amazing considering that you have a working hard drive in there. Charging is really quick as well. To get an 80% charge you just have to plug it in for 2 hours. To get a full charge you’ll need to wait 4 hours but this isn’t bad considering you’ll have 40 hours of listening to your music.

Things I don’t like
There really isn’t much that I don’t like about the classic. I personally think Apple should have mixed the iPod Touch and the Classic together to make a Super iPod. But you can’t really fault the Classic for that so there isn’t anything I don’t like about it.

Pros:

• Large hard drive
• Nice Screen
• Amazing battery life and charging

Cons:

• none

Final Thoughts
If you need a new iPod I totally suggest buying the iPod Classic. In my opinion it’s the best iPod out there hands down because of it’s large capacity. While it is a little larger than the nano it can hold 20x more songs. I fully recommend buying the iPod Classic.

Apple iPod Shuffle 1GB

iPod Shuffle received a price cut which took the base price of the 1GB version of the player to 49$ from 79$.Apple also announced the 2GB version to the player to be sold for 69$.Apple iPod shuffle is the cheapest MP3 player from Apple and has been doing quite well for itself.We will look at its various aspects and features that makes it a good buy.

iPod Shuffle 1GB specifications:

• Dimensions : 25 x 85 x 9.7 mm
• Body: Anodized aluminum
• Formats supported : AAC,MP3,WAV,TIFF,Audible
• Li-ion battery
• USB 2.0 compatible

The most striking thing about this player is that the player is screenless.Although its subjective whether that is a good thing or not, in my opinion it is well and good for the price tag and also the fact that the product is a part of Apple family.The player is suited for people who are not concerned about choosing tracks or watching song information as it plays.The device is sleek and small making it very handy to carry around.

The player also has a belt-clip which keeps the player always within your reach.The player feature a 5-key navigation system.The play-pause button is the center most button.The volume buttons and track shuttle keys make up the other 4 buttons.There are additional two buttons at the bottom of player for turning the player on/off and a toggle button to shift between shuffle and repeat modes.

The charging and syncing is done through the cradle that comes bundled with the player.iTunes is the standard way of adding tracks to the music player.A new pair of earbuds make their way which are better than the ones which were provided earlier with the player.The Shuffle supports playlists which is very helpful for a screenless player.

The sound quality of the player considering its price range is good but it is nowhere compared to say iPod Touch or Creative Zen.The bundled earphones lack bass but overall is a decent performer.The battery life was found to be around 15 hours which is excellent.

Pros:

• Small and sleek
• Simple navigation
• Inexpensive
• Five available colors

Cons:

• No screen
• USB cradle needed for charging+syncing
• Just above average sound quality

Final Thoughts

The Apple iPod shuffle 1GB is absolutely worth the price after the price reduction and is a no nonsense player. If you like to flip through tracks and love to see song information then this player is not for you.Just above average sound is good enough for non-audiophiles.Hence buy this player if you are looking for cheap but good music player.

Rating: 4/5

Sony NWZ-A818

Some of the popular MP3 players like iPod Touch,Creative Zen Vision,Zune have already been reviewed here but one brand that also makes good players has not been reviewed here is Sony.Sony MP3 players are not as popular as some of the ones mentioned above but that might change if Sony manages to match them.The Sony NWZ-A818 is a very slick player that gives stiff competition to other MP3 players.

Sony NWZ-A818 specifications:

• Weight: 530 gms
• Display: 240 x 320 2″ TFT screen
• Flash memory: 8 GB
• Audio formats supported: MP3,AAC,WMA,PCM
• Video formats supported : MPEG4,M4V
• Image formats supported: JPEG
• 33 hours playback time on Li-ion battery

The Sony NWZ-A818 is a encased in a metallic body which is of high quality and you get to choose between 4 colors of your choice viz. black,white,silver or pink.The chrome finishing gives it a royal look.The display is an eye-catcher and its clarity will leave you craving for more.The 2″ inch screen has a resolution of 240 x 320 which displays excellent well lit photos having apt saturation level. The navigation on the player is controlled by a set of three buttons provided below the display.The four way-circular key , power/options button and the back/home provide you with all the navigations tools that you need with the player.You can control the volume through a dedicated button provided on the right panel.You will though find it difficult to access the hold button which has been placed at the back by Sony which is rather odd. The menu system has been well designed with many options provided on the main screen itself.You can also view the screen in landscape mode for viewing photos.The playback screen displays album art and other details related to the song.You can also set screen saver on it. Coming to the features aspect , the player is capable to playing the major formats like AAC,MP3 and WMV which are enough for most of the users.Support for MPEG4 movies and JPEG movies is good but Sony could have included a couple more here to make it more compatible.Also the player does not have a FM tuner which might not go down well with some users.Including it would have given Sony an upper hand over iPod in this department.The bundling of MDR-EX082 earphones with this player is one of the best reasons of buy this player apart from its performance which we will see next.So you won’t need to buy a set of good earphones as they are great even for audiophiles hence saving some cool bucks in the process. The performance is the forte of the player.The amazing sound quality will set your pulse racing leaving you asking for more.The bass is exceptional and the volume is not a concern at all for those who like to crank up it up to the highest.The bundled earphones double the joy of listening.The battery life at 33 hours for audio and 8 hours for video is great making sure you don’t need to find that socket every now and then.The video quality is butter smooth and images as said earlier appear good. Pros:

• Excellent sound quality
• Great display
• Fast processor
• Great bundled earphones
• Amazing battery life

Cons:

• No FM tuner
• Limited video/image formats supported
• Hold key inconvenient
• No expandable memory

Final Thoughts The performance is exceptional on this player which is at par or better than its iPod counterparts.The bundling of great earphones adds to the yum.You will hardly find such huge battery life on other MP3 players.No FM tuner or inexpandable memory are minor negatives of this player which get buried by its positives.The player costs less than 200$ which makes it excellent buy at this price.The Sony NWZ-A818 receives a big thumbs up from me!

Apple MacBook Pro

For years now Apple have been known for their stylish computer designs. They offer entry level laptops all the way up to professional level laptops.

The MacBook Pro continues Apple’s metal-themed industrial design for its “professional” market. The design has aged gracefully, with refinements such as a wider trackpad to match the widescreen display, smaller corner radiuses contributing to an impression of precision, and dual latches to hold the display shut. Technical improvements have included improved AirPort antennas, the new ExpressCard/34 slot, MagSafe power connector, and of course the built-in iSight camera and Apple Remote control, all introduced in the original MacBook Pro 18 months ago.

Here are a few of the technical specifications for the MacBook Pro:

• Street price: $1999
• 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
• 15.4-inch widescreen
• 2GB Ram,200GB hard drive
• NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT

Things I like
The MacBook Pro lives up to its name. This is one professional laptop. The Pro features a very pleasing design, a number of great features and it’s very quick. The thing I like most about the Pro is its long battery life. With everything running (even a movie) I still get over 5 hours of battery life. For those who don’t have a laptop this is extremely good. My other laptop gets just under an hour with everything running.

The other thing I like is the speed of the machine. Featuring a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor this thing moves. While not as quick as some laptops it’ll run any program you need without slowing down. The included 2GB of RAM will help as well.

Things I don’t like
The thing I like the least about the Pro is the fact that it only has 2 USB ports. While this isn’t that big of a deal it does mean in most cases you’ll need to spend a little extra to buy a USB hub to connect all of your devices. The other thing I don’t like is the fact that the Pro is expensive. Coming in at $2000 for the base model, the Pro is more expensive than most other laptops with the same specifications. You are definitely paying a premium for looks and the Apple design.

Pros:

• Very fast
• Excellent design
• Very long battery life

Cons:

• Expensive
• Only 2 USB ports

Final Thoughts
The MacBook Pro is a very nice looking and fast machine. The Pro features a blazing fast processor and will run any program you throw at it. If you have the money I would definitely recommend that you pick one of these up but they are expensive.

Motorola V360

Motorola V360 has a very reasonable price. The V360 has a number of great features like 3 different GSM bands, a number of applications like, java technology, calculator, and many more.

Here are a few of the technical specifications for the V360:

• Street price: $146.99 (unlocked)
• 7 Hours of talk time
• 104 grams
• USB connectivity
• Mini QWERTY keyboard

Things I like
I’m going to start off by saying that there isn’t much that I like about the V360. The only thing that I like about it is it’s battery life (which isn’t even that great). Unlike some cell phones that suck the battery dry the V360 gets a full 7 hours of talk time. This means that you won’t have to recharge it every couple of days. I generally go about a week between recharging and this is with moderate use. Other than the battery life however, there really isn’t anything else that I like. The software included is ok, it’s fairly easy to download new things but thats pretty much it.

Things I don’t like
This phone is definitely sub-par even in the under $200 class of phones. The quality of the speaker isn’t great, the phone feels cheap, and I don’t think this phone is worth it even if you get it for free with a plan. If you do need to get it then make sure you have a warranty because this phone won’t last. I have already replaced it twice because I broke it with normal use. The moral of the story is to stay away from this phone at all costs.

Pros:

• Fairly inexpensive
• Good battery life

Cons:

• Very cheaply made
• Breaks
• Poor speaker quality
• Stay away from this phone!

Final Thoughts
The Motorola V360 is a very poorly made phone. Even if you get it free with a plan I would spend a little more to get a different one. The V360 will break quickly and the quality of the phone isn’t great at all. I cannot recommend this product because it just isn’t that good.

Canon PowerShot SX100 IS

Canon has made a number of high quality digital cameras such as the Digital Rebel XT and Canon PowerShot SD750. Canon cameras generally feature high resolution sensors, great optical zoom lenses and in general a high quality to their design. Today’s review is no different.

The PowerShot SX100 IS is the first model in Canon’s new SX series of budget compact cameras. The SX100 comes with a 8.0MP sensor, a 10x zoom, optical image stabilization and a comprehensive range of manual photographic controls, all nicely wrapped up in a compact silver or black plastic body. Canon says the SX series offers exceptional performance in the hands of any member of the family and I’ve found this to be true.

Here are a few of the technical specifications for the SX100:

• Street Price: $300
• Resolution: 8.0MP
• 10x optical zoom with optical Image Stabilizer
• DIGIC III imaging processor
• Face Detection
• 2.5” LCD with 100% coverage
• 19 shooting modes

Things I like
The SX100 is a brilliant camera. It features a number of professional shooting settings for an amateurs price. I would have to say the thing I like the most about the SX100 is it’s excellent optical zoom. Most personal digital cameras come with a 3x or 4x optical zoom. This is good if you’re shooting people that aren’t too far away but as soon as you want to take real pictures at any distance 3x zoom just doesn’t work. With the SX100’s 10x optical zoom you’ll be able take pictures from a longer distance without having to worry about using digital zoom (and sacrificing photo quality).

The other thing I like about the SX100 is it’s focus speed. In some cameras, their automatic focus is almost useless. This is not the case however, with the SX100. The automatic focus is really quick and usually very accurate. The SX100 also has a very large LCD screen to view your pictures after you’ve taken them.

Things I don’t like
The two main things that I don’t like about the SX100. The first is its battery life. The battery life for the SX100 is fairly poor. If you’re planning on going out for a full day of shooting make sure you’re carrying backup battery packs because it won’t last I guarantee it.

The other thing I don’t like is the camera’s slow flash. In most cameras the you can take a number of pictures in a row. Because of the SX100’s slow flash this just isn’t feasible. If you want to take a number of pictures in a row I would think about getting a different camera because this PowerShot won’t be able to handle it. Other than these problems the SX100 is a great phone.

Pros:

• Good resolution
• Fast, reliable focus (except in low light at longer focal lengths)
• Big, fairly bright screen
• Useful zoom range (although no real wide angle)
• Good value for money

Cons:

• Very slow flash times (especially when batteries are weak)
• The battery life isn’t the best
• No wide-angle

Final Thoughts
The SX100 IS offers reliable image quality, a big zoom range and a good variety of photographic controls in a relatively compact body at a very competitive price. If you don’t mind the slow flash times (which can hinder the camera’s usefulness as a social snapshot tool) the SX100 IS is a perfect piece of equipment for anyone wanting to cover a large variety of photographic situations without breaking the bank or carrying a backpack full of lenses. It offers a well balanced package, value for money and is simply fun. If you’re in need of a new camera I totally recommend the Canon PowerShot SX100 IS.

Nokia N82

Nokia N-series managed to live up the hype created by Nokia and every cellphone that is released under this series makes it special.N73 and the N95 have been the best sellers in the N-series category and it was no sooner than later expected that Nokia would come out with their successors.Nokia N95’s successor N95 8GB is already out.N82 is touted as a successor to Nokia N73 and was launched by Nokia recently.

Nokia N82 specifications:

• Dimensions: 112 x 50.2 x 17.3 mm
• 2.4″ TFT Display,16M colors
• 332 MHz Processor
• 5 Megapixel camera with autofocus
• GPRS,HSCSD,EDGE,3G,WiFi
• UPnP Technology
• Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP
• Symbian OS 9.2
• Built-in GPS receiver
• 3.5 mm jack,TV out

Nokia has been kind enough to bundle a 2GB microSD card with the phone considering the fact that it not considered a multimedia phone and Nokia is known to give high capacity cards with those phones only.N82 has many improvements over the N73 and is also a serious competitor to N95.

Package and Design

In the package is included a microSD card with a SD adapter to make it compatible with card slots in PCs which is great thinking by Nokia.Bundling a TV-out cable along with the standard cable is a bonus.The N82 is a bar shaped phone and is currently available only in silver exterior though is black counterpart will be available in a couple of months.The silver version is not as elegant as N95 and that probably is one of the negative points of the phone! The placements of the button is pretty much same as N73.The major noticeable change is the placement of the multimedia key which has been placed between the right selection key and the clear key.The 3.5 mm jack has been put besides the power key.

Display and Keypad

The 2.4″ TFT display supports 16M colors and has QVGA resolution.The screen is an improvement over N73 but not as good as N95.The brightness is a bit on lower side but that doesn’t affect its performance in direct sunlight at all.

The keypad is not an improvement over N73 and is similar to one used in N91 which wasn’t good at all.The keys used are very small but have enough space between them.The backlighting could also have been better.Overall the keypad dissapoints and does not go down well with me atleast.

Music Player and Camera

The music is very similar to the one in N73 Music Edition and has all the features you demand it.You can create playlists,sort songs according to Albums,Genre,Artists etc.N82 supports almost all the major formats be it WMA or eAAC+.You can transfer songs via bluetooth,data cable or thanks to the SD adapter using the card reader also.The 5 preset equalizer settings are good for most but you can create your own custom eqaulizer settings if you like it that way.The audio quality is at par with N95 and the 3.5mm jack makes it possible to be able to plug in headphones of your choice.

The camera is another strong point of the N82.The integration of a 5MP camera adds a whole lot of value to the phone.The Xenon flash takes a step further than the N95 camera.The camera performance is fast and shot to shot times are comparable to Sony Ericsson phones.The camera interface is similar to N95 has all many settings to play around with.You can tweak the white balance,exposure,contrast,sharpness,ISO and other settings included under color tones.The addition of Xenon flash has made all the difference in night shots.To sum it up the N82 camera is one of the best cellphones camera you will come across till date and Nokia has done a great job with it.

OS and Web browser

N82 has been equipped with a Symbian 9.2 OS and also has the Feature 1 pack.The 128MB RAM is something that will enable you to multi-task as much as you like and still not run into memory low warnings.One of the coolest features of the phone is the auto rotation of the screen like the Apple iPhone but is not as smooth as it.The icons can be animated if you prefer it that way.The alarm clock has all the functionality one would desire including repetitive alarms.N82 also has voice recognition which can be used to control the device using voice commands and can recognise huge number of commands.

The bundled browser is a serious competitor to Opera Mini as it offers functionality similar to it.Features like virtual scrolling,mini map,different zoom levels offer a rich browsing experience.The font is readable but the viewing a site on 2.4″ screen isn’t the same as on a 2.8″ one! The sites fit to screen perfectly.High RAM is great for opening bulky sites.

Pros:

• Excellent 5 MP camera
• WiFi,UPnP,3G compatible
• GPS receiver inbuilt
• 3.5mm jack
• Great browser
• High RAM
• 2GB memory card bundled

Cons:

• Average keypad
• Average looks
• No USB charging

Final Thoughts

As you can already see the N82 has a huge list of pros compared to some minor cons.Nokia has made a excellent all-in-one device with the N82 and a great successor to N73.I am sure this phone’s sales will be at par or more than N73.So there is no reason to suggest why you should not buy this phone if you have the money! This phone receives a big thumbs up from me.

Altec Lansing iM600

Over the years the iPod has been gaining popularity in the Mp3 player market. With the popularity comes a number of accessories for it. Lately there have been a number of new iPod docks from companies like Bose, Sony, and Altec Lansing. Altec Lansing is known for their excellent desktop speakers and their iPod docks are no different.

The iM600 is no different in terms of quality from their other products. The iM600 has a number of really great features such as a radio, an alarm clock, and a second input jack for plugging in a number of different devices.

Here are a few of the technical specifications for the WD My Book:

• Street Price: $149.95
• Alarm Clock
• AM/FM Radio
• Remote Control

Things I like
The thing that stands out most about the iM600 is the sound quality. I’ve heard a number of different iPod docks and this one is by far the best I’ve ever had. This dock produces a very clear sound. The sound is of the same quality as some of the low end desktop speakers. The iM600 also features a stereo FM radio and can double as a clock radio when plugged in to an electrical outlet. It includes rechargeable Li-ion batteries and a wireless remote. And it syncs and charges all dockable iPod models. The battery is rated for 7 hours of continuous use so thats really good.

Things I don’t like
The thing I don’t like the most about the iM600 is the fact that it doesn’t secure your iPod from falling out. If your desk gets knocked it’s quite possible that your iPod could drop to the ground and get damaged. The other thing that I don’t like is the fact that the alarm clock feature only works with the iPod. It doesn’t work with the radio and in my opinion this is quite stupid. Sometimes I want to wake up to my favorite DJ’s instead of my favorite songs. The other thing I don’t understand is why Altec would make it so the rechargeable battery can not removed. This means that once it wears out you can no longer use it, you’ll need to plug it in.

Pros:

• Excellent Sound
• Radio and Alarm Clock

Cons:

• A little pricey
• Alarm clock only works with iPod

Final Thoughts
Altec Lansing has been in the iPod speaker market longer than anyone, and it shows. The inclusion of a rechargeable battery and an FM radio makes the iM600 incredibly versatile. If you’re in need of a new iPod dock I would totally recommend Altec Lansing’s iM600.

Sony W80

Cellphones are yet to match standalone digital camera’s performance and hence a digital camera has become an indispensable item in our life.Sony recently launched W-series of digital camera which hold have much in store.Sony W80 is one of them that has impressive specs but specs don’t guaratee performance!

Sony W80 specifications:

• Sensor resolution: 7.2 Megapixels
• Optical Sensor Type: Super HAD CCD
• Optical Viewfinder
• Upto 3200 ISO
• Optical Zoom: 3x
• 2.5″ TFT Display
• Optical Image Stabilisation
• Face detection
• Li-ion battery

W80 is a 7.2 Megapixel camera which even supports optical image stabilisation.The dimensions of the camera are pretty small and will fit easily in your pocket.The 2.5″ LCD display is bright and has two levels of brightness.The display clarity is good even in low light conditions.An optical viewfinder has also been provided which is rare to find in a digital camera.The standard dial is used for navigation between different modes as is standard with Sony digital cameras.The Li-ion battery is capable to taking 340 shots in a single charge which is very good.

The bundled package includes besides the camera and bettery you will find the charger,wrist wrap,USB+AV cable,manual and a CD-ROM with all the softwares.The charger takes mighty 4 hours to charge the battery completely.Sony although sells a faster charger at a premium.Sony’s proprietry Memory Stick Pro and Memory Stick Pro Duo cards are compatible with the camera.

The camera features a 3x optical zoom coupled with 2x digital zoom.The optical image stabilisation feature on this camera is amazing and you hardly manage to take blurry photos.This is great for beginners who most of the time end up with blurry shots.Optical image stabilisation works great even in low-light conditions.The flash is average and hence makes low-light shots grainy.

Face detection is another feature of this camera which works just as shown in the advertisements.It is capable of detecting upto 8 faces in auto and soft snap mode which results is more detailed and well focussed faces.Red eye reduction is not great as you do end up with red eye shots sometimes but you can remove them with the inbuilt red eye removal feature in the camera.

Start-up times,shutter speed,focus times is amazing as comapred to other digital camera.The camera starts up in a flat 1.5 seconds and has negligible shutter lag when taking photos.With burst mode you can take pics at 2.7 frames per second which is impressive.The bionz processor used in this camera has made it a fast performer.Menu navigation is not easy.Sony has messed up the menus and buttons and it will take you a long time before you become comfortable with it.

Coming to the main point the picture quality.The camera takes great shots in daylight but is not at the same level when taking pictures in low light conditions.The macro shots are decent.Overall it has good picture quality but not great.

Pros:

• Optical image stabilisation
• Small dimensions
• Excellent camera performance
• Good battery life
• Good daylight pictures

Cons:

• Slow charger
• Weak flash
• Limited manual controls
• Poor navigation menus
• Average low light pictures

Final Thoughts

Sony DSC W80 turns out to be a good performer but is plagued by a number of issues.The poor manu navigation system,waek flash and average low-light pictures are some of its downsides.On the brighter side the camera produces good daylight pictures and is a fast performer.Optical image stabilisation is a big boon.To sum it up the W80 is a good camera for beginners,others will notice the lack of manual controls and will demand higher quality pictures in low light conditions.

HTC Touch

PocketPC devices based on mportant;">Windows Mobile have stormed the market recently and they are available is all shapes and sizes. HTC has been producing amazing devices based on this platform which are very affordable too.HTC Touch aims to redefine them with a new navigation mportant;">system and other cool features.

HTC Touch specifications:

• Dimensions: 99.9 x 58 x 13.9 mm
• Weight : 112 gms
• 2.8″ TFT touchscreen with 240 x 320 resolution
• Handwriting recognition
• GPRS,EDGE,WiFi,mportant;">Bluetooth
• 2 MP Camera

The small dimensions of the HTC Touch earn it the tag of world’s smallest PocketPC. With the device weighing just 112 gms you won’t be able to realize its presence in your pocket. The rounded edges give it a “cute” look and holding the device is also a bit easier.It is powered by a 201 MHz mportant;">processor coupled with 64MB of mportant;">RAM and 128MB of ROM.

Display and TouchFLO

HTC Touch has a huge 2.8″ QVGA resolution TFT screen which takes up most of the space on the front leaving enough for the D-Pad.The visibility of the screen is good enough in sunlight but the screen tends to catch fingerprints making it smudgy at times.The screen is at par with other PocketPC devices and 65K does not make much of a difference.

TouchFLO is a much talked about feature of the HTC Touch.Although it is not a replacement for the mportant;">stylus but it creates a completely new dimension to navigation in PocketPC devices.Working with the TouchFLO cube is fun and accomplish many tasks.It reinvents the joy of working on a PocketPC and will give other manufacturers a food for thought.

Multimedia and Camera

The mportant;">Windows Media Player that is standard on the mportant;">Windows Mobile Platform is used for playing all the multimedia files. You can also watch TV or stream video using it.The library management is good as is with WMP.Additionally you can find Audio manager that can also be used to organize your music collection.The processor is the bottleneck to playing video files and HTC needs to think on that in its future devices.

Camera isn’t anything much to talk about as it is an under performer and disappoints.The lack of autofocus makes the pictures blurry. The menu navigation is easy and operatable through fingers.There are manual settings also at your disposable but the camera is just not good enough to utilize them to full effect.Video recording at 10fps and QCIF resolution seems to be native to previous generation phones.

Web browser and Organizer

mportant;">Internet Explorer is the default web browser as HTC did not bundle any other mportant;">web browser. IE is average at its best and I would recommend installing some third party web browser like Opera to get a rich browsing experience. Basic features like fullscreen mode,landscape mode are available and you can also fit the website to the screen but that is pretty much it.

Organizer can perform all the tasks be it from creating a to-do list,scheduling multiple alarms,creating notes,scribbling down notes in your own handwriting,voice recording,performing calculations. All the tasks are available at your expense.The search mportant;">application gives good results.MSN Live is now standard on WM 6.0 Platform.Other applications include Office Mobile,mportant;">Outlook,Adobe Reader, mportant;">Zip manager.

Pros:

• Small dimensions
• TouchFLO
• Good organizer

Cons:

• No 3G
• Poor processor
• Screen prone to fingerprints
• Lack of FM radio
• Below average camera

Final Thoughts

Being the sleekest PcoketPC it is a first choice for many.Apart from TouchFLO and good organiser there is not much to talk about the phone based on Windows Mobile 6.0 Platform. I feel it does not manage to utilize the full power of the platform.Slow processor and bad camera are some of major drawbacks of this phone.I would not recommend buying it unless you are happy after trying it out.There are better devices in the market but they don’t come as cheap as HTC Touch too!

Creative Zen Vision:M

Creative Zen players have always giving a strong competition to the iPod family. Creative Zen Vision:M promises to do the same and more. The Creative Zen Vision series is aimed at users who want to carry their entire music collection with them. They combine style and performance to fulfill every need of a music listener.

Here are its specs:

• Dimensions: 2.4 x 0.7 x4.1 ” (W x D x H)
• Weight : 5.7 oz
• Storage : 30 GB
• Voice Recording, Radio
• Audio formats supported : MP3, WAV, WMA, ADPCM, Protected WMA (DRM)
• Video formats supported : DivX 4, DivX 5, XviD5, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, WMV9, MPEG
• Image formats supported : JPEG,BMP,GIF,TIFF
• 2.5″ Display with 320 x 240 resolution

These are some of the major specifications of the Creative Zen Vision:M but there are a lot of other features. Coming to the most impressive part of the player is it screen. The 2.5″ screen is just amazing and displays colors vividly and excellent contrast and brightness. The brightness can also be changed manually but the viewing angle is not good.

Navigation buttons provided below the screen are not as good as the iPod.The 4 buttons and the touchpad provide you with the navigations features that you require to move through its menus or while browsing songs.Creative needs to do more work on them in its future versions.

The player plays almost all the popular audio/video formats and hence you will have to waste less or virtually no time in converting your audio/music collection.The player starts up quickly and so is it performance.It manages to play files quickly without making you to wait too much. Video playback is smooth but you do find few dropped frames now and then. The audio is great with bass,treble and vocals all sounding good even with the bundled earphones but you won’t regret spending on a better pair of earphones.

The radio is clear and loud with reception quality being good and it can store upto 32 channels.The pictures are scaled to its native QVGA resolution to fit its screen but can be zoomed to display them in full glory.The battery life is about 4 hours for video and 12 hours for music playback under optimal settings.Syncing options though are available for Windows XP only.

Pros:

• Brilliant Display
• FM tuner,voice recorder
• Good battery life
• Vast range of audio/video codecs supported

Cons:

• Average navigation buttons
• No OS X support
• Bad viewing angle

Final Thoughts

Creative Zen Vision:M manages to keep most of the promises that it makes but does leave room for improvements which can hamper its sales against the iPod.But lets not take the credit away from it.It has an excellent display which will make movie watching a pleasure and so is it audio quality.Hence it is a strong competitor against the iPod Video but might lose against the iPod Touch in my opinion.

Sony iPod Dock

When I first hear about Sony I think about the Playstation 3 and their great TV’s. Lately however, Sony has been getting into the home audio market and they’ve been doing a great job. This past summer Sony released a iPod speaker dock with a clock radio built in.

Sony’s iPod Dock with Clock (yes this is what it’s called) is a really cool iPod dock with a built in clock radio. It features a great adjustable backstop for iPods so you can fit all different types (not the iPod Touch however), a digital AM/FM tuner, dual alarms and the ability to charge you iPod as you play.

The great thing about this system is that you can get it for under $100. Most of the time with Sony products you pay a large premium but this seems to be competitively priced for once.

Here are a few of the technical specifications for the Sony iPod Dock:

• Street price: $99.95
• Dual Alarm
• AM/FM Tuner
• Adjustable iPod dock and charger
• FM: 87.5 - 108 MHz, AM: 530 -1710 kHz

Things I like
A lot of companies are jumping on the iPod bandwagon and releasing docks for it. I think the thing I like most about Sony’s product is the fact that they include a clock radio with their dock. This clock radio makes it stand out from the rest and also makes the dock more useful for around the house use. I must say that the speakers sound really good. Like the rest of the Sony products I’ve ever used the quality is definitely there. The fact that the dock is adjustable makes this product really great. A lot of the docks don’t allow for the nano to be attached and this is really annoying.

The thing I like most about the clock radio is the dual alarm features. You could set the alarms 10 minutes apart to make sure you actually wake up While most people probably won’t find this feature useful I certainly do. The clock is your basic clock radio with all of the normal buttons so it won’t be hard to get used to it.

Things I don’t like
There isn’t much I dislike about this product. Sony made something that works, doesn’t cost an arm and a leg and is fun to use. The only thing I can find is that the sound isn’t up to the quality of Bose or Altec Lansing. That being said you pay for what you get and this is a sub-$100 dock. If you don’t have $200+ to pay for a dock then this is a great product.

Pros:

• Inexpensive
• Great Sound
• Combined Clock Radio
• Dual Alarms

Cons:

• Sound quality isn’t up to professional levels (like Bose or Altec Lansing

Final Thoughts
The Sony iPod Dock with Clock is a great product. It sounds really good and the addition of a clock is a great feature. The dual alarms is also nice to have if you’re prone to sleeping through the first one. While the sound quality isn’t up to Bose or Altec Lansing levels it is really good. For under $100 this is a great product and I highly recommend it to anyone who needs a iPod dock.

Asus compact Eee

The Asus compact Eee compact laptop is one of several compact PCs to hit the market. Of late it competes with other manufacturers such as the Intel Classmate and One Laptop Per child XO. The Eee is a great little device with its 7 inch screen, and weighting in at only .92kg, Low end Intel mobile CPU, 512MB of Ram and 4GB solid state hard drive, there is also an 8GB model available. This compact laptop isn’t going to be your video or photo editing laptop for high end work loads with those kind of specifications but for day to day general computing needs this device has got it covered. With Wifi 802.11 b/g, built in camera, SD slot, Linux OS modified by Asus with an easy to use interface and a fast start-up time, it also comes with a ton of built in application, a tough shock proof design, and 3.5hrs of battery life I found the Eee great for most of my general computing and communication needs on the go.

Technical specifications

• LCD Display: Color 7″ TFT LCD with LED backlight at 800×480 resolution
• Intel CPU: 900MHz Intel Celeron-M ULV 353, Dothan-512 ultra-low-voltage, 90 nm
• Chipset: Mobile Intel 915GM Express Chipset with GMA900 GPU
• Graphics: Integrated Intel GMA 900 graphics processor using shared RAM
• Audio: High-Definition Audio CODEC with stereo internal speakers
• Input: Full size (for a notebook) keyboard and capable touchpad (as a mouse)
• Operating System: Linux, custom Xandros version. Able to run Windows XP (not included).
• LAN: Built in 10/100 Mbit Ethernet by Attansic Technology Corp.
• Wireless: 802.11 B/G WiFi, Atheros chipset
• Memory: 512 MB DDR2 (Non-upgradeable).
• Hard Drive: 4GB S.S.D. Storage (does not corrupt due to bumps and shakes)
• Card Reader: One slot reads MMC/SD/MS/SDHC cards
• Audio: Built in High Definition audio, Stereo speakers, Microphone.
• USB: 3 x USB v2.0 ports for maximum device connection
• Video-Out: Standard analog 15pin port for an external monitor (1600х1200 max)
• Audio-Out: Standard stereo 3.5″ jack for headphones or external speakers
• Battery: 4 cell, 7.4V 4400 mAH NiMH battery, around 2.8hrs of normal continuous use*.
• Other: AC adapter, recovery CD, a manual are all included.
• Major Applications: Firefox, Thunderbird, Open Office, Adobe Reader, Skype, Media Player
• Measurements: 9″ wide, 6.5″ long, 1″ high when closed, 2.25LB with battery.

What I really like about this product

I really like its portability, and of course the $399 price is great for what you get. The Asus Eee is great as a second computer or a PC you won’t mind taking with you on holidays or business trips because of its low cost. If it was stolen, lost or broke you wouldn’t be so worried compared to losing your Mac Book Pro. If you are in the market for a device for young kids to start their PC learning experience, this computer is definitely worth taking a look at.

Things that really need improving

For me there’s always a negative going to compact PCs, I have large hands and the first time when I used the Eee I did find myself mashing keys a bit but soon got used to the compact keyboard. I found this device to be a little sluggish when multi tasking as to be expected but single tasks usage it performed great. Also the low resolution screen could be upgraded in future models. Last but not least the size of the hard drives was a problem with all those application pre-installed on the Eee they was only 2 GB left of the 4 GB, these days that is just not enough, if your like me I don’t like to carry around extra USB drives and have thing hanging off my laptop to cover my storage needs but the nice thing is you can pop in an 4GB SD card and double you storage.

Pros

• Ultra portable sleek solid design.
• Very low cost.
• Great device to travel with.

Cons

• Cramped keyboard
• Needs more than 4GB or 8GB storage space.
• Could do with a higher resolution screen

Final Thoughts

Over all I like the Asus Eee its a great device to keep in touch, browse the net, for a traveling companion, and an excellent first PC for kids. With just a few tweaks in future models the Eee is surely going to keep making waves in the ultra compact PC market. With more and more of these devices been release and whispers of Apple releasing its own ultra compact laptop in early 2008 they will need to keep making great improvements to this range of compact PCs to stay in the top of the market.

Dell Inspironc 1520

Dell was recently reported to have lost a bit in laptop market share but that doesn’t take anything away from the great laptops that it manufactures.Dell laptops are a boon for geeks who want even their laptops to be custom built! Dell Inspiron 1520 is one of the most successful laptop to be launched by Dell and still continues to rule.

Some general specs:

• Intel® CoreTM 2 Duo Processor
• 15.4″ Widescreen WXGA Display
• Upto 4GB RAM
• Integrated 2.0 MP Webcam
• Upto 8600GTgraphics card
• 8 available top panel colors

Based on the santa rosa platform Dell Inspiron 1520 promises to deliver good performance at a reasonable price.You can choose from a wide range of Intel C2D processors. The look of the laptop is not as great as some of HP ones but the build of the laptop is very solid and compact.The lid is held firmly in place and easy to open and close. The keyboard is placed at a fair distance from the LCD. The touchpad is not big but has all the options like vertical scrolling,horizontal scrolling and the standard left and right click buttons.Both are well placed are comfortable to use for a prolonged period.

Coming onto the LCD screen, theInspiron 1520 has a glossy LCD screen and a native resolution of 1280 x 800.It reproduces colors very well and the brightness is high enough for every task. The LCD has gone major improvements and this has certainly helped in the sales of Inspiron 1520.

You can choose the 8600GT if you want to do hardcore gaming or a mediocre 8400GS if you are a casual gamer.The onboard graphics are good enough to run Vista which is the default operating system that Dell provides with the laptop.Sound is pretty average on the laptop and lacks the punch.Movie experience maybe marred due to this.The remote control is a good addition and helps you control your laptop even from a distance, heavenly for lazy users!

The battery life with the standard 6-cell battery is around 3 hours with casual use,optimal brightness and 8600GT being the graphics card.If that is not enough you can opt for 9-cell battery but be prepared to have a hump on the back of your laptop. The laptop runs super quiet under normal load.Heat dissipation is less and will at most make your lap warm .

Pros:

• Custom configuration
• Rugged build
• Good LCD Screen
• Quiet and cool
• Excellent package at reasonable price

Cons:

• Windows Vista only OS as option
• A bit heavy

Final Thoughts

There is not much negative to say about the Inspiron 1520. The Inspiron 1520 is priced very attractively at the moment and offers excellent value of money.So if you want a 15.4″ laptop go to Dell’s site and customize one for yourself.

Sony Ericsson P1i

Smartphones are the obvious choice when buying a cellphone but not many of us prefer PDAs in that category.But that might change with Sony Ericsson P1i which combines functionality and also fulfills downsides that older PDAs have. Sony Ericsson is expert at manufacturing excellent PDAs which put their Nokia counterparts to shame.

Have a look at its specs:

• Dimensions: 106 x 55 x 17 mm
• Weight : 124 gms
• 2.6″ Display 240 x 320 resolution
• QWERTY keyboard
• 3.2 MP Camera with Autofocus
• GPRS, HSCSD,3G
• Wi-Fi 802.11b
• Bluetooth v2.0 ,Infrared
• Symbian OS v9.1, UIQ 3.0

What sets this PDAs a league ahead of the other PDAs is the integration a high resolution camera which you do not see in a PDA along with its light weight. A 512MB Memory Stick M2 micro card comes with the package along with other standard accessories like stylus,stereo headset etc.

The P1i comes with a silver body which sports a large 2.6″ TFT screen.The VGA camera for video calls has been placed at left top.The keyboard is a new design with each key able to type two different characters depending on whether you pust it left or right which saves saves and also makes it a QWERTY keyboard.The memory card slot and camera key are placed on the right side of the phone.The speaker is at the back on top of the camera which has dual LED flash. All in all P1i feels nice and comfortable to use.

Display and Keyboard

The 2.6″ display having QVGA resolution is quite good but not as good as some of the Nokia displays.The performance of the display takes a beating in direct sunlight and it becomes tough to use.The color saturation is fine though.

The keyboard which is one of its kind although does save space but is nowhere near a full QWERTY keyboard and is not ergonomic and it will take you time before you get used to it.A regular keyboard or a full QWERTY would have been better in my opinion.

Camera,Music Player and OS

The camera quality is above average and produces good enough images for printing when sufficient light is available for shooting. The macro mode does its job well. The camera interface is not as responsive as the one found in Cybershot models of Sony Ericsson phones. The downside of the camera is it video recording capabilities as they turn out to be grainy and 15fps do not do justice to them.

The music player is same as ones found on Walkman series phones and hence offers full functionality.The loudspeaker sound quality is respectable for a PDA.The bundled earphones are not great and also you can’t plug in your choice of earphones as it does not have a 3.5 mm jack.Flipping through music tracks is a breeze with the jog dial button provided on the side.

UIQ 3.0 based on Symbian 9.1 OS has been used on the phone.The standby mode displays the standard clock,battery meter,signal strength and today screen which can be customized according to you.RAM management is very good and that helps in multi-tasking.The phonebook is very advanced and allows you to store extensive details about your contacts.

Web browser and Organizer

Opera Mini 8.0 has been used as the default browser on the phone which delivers excellent performance while surfing the net. It is capable of displaying various kinds of sites based on HTML,XHTML,JavaScript,CSS etc aptly. Surfing through web pages is fast but it gets bottlenecked as this phone is not EDGE compatible.

Notes and task applications allow you to makes short notes and schedule tasks respectively.Alarm clock is standard and does not offer any new functionality but does its job well. The calendar offers good functionality.You can store reminders for various kinds of events. Apart from these there are also many other settings that you can play around with.

Pros:

• 3.2 MP camera
• Good RAM Management
• Handwriting recognition
• WiFi enabled
• Crisp display

Cons:

• EDGE missing
• QWERTY keyboard not ergonomic
• No 3.5mm jack
• Bad Video recording capability

Final Thoughts

The Sony Ericsson P1i is a big step forward in PDAs.It does most things perfectly.The keyboard was a disappointment and so were its video recording capabilities.The organizer is top-notch. Handwriting recognition adds to the yum. So if you are not too much concerned about the half-QWERTY keyboard nor the lack of EDGE then it is a perfect PDA for you.