Skype, originally bound securely to your PC has now flown the nest. With the Skypephone
3-Mobile have given Skype it's wings and let you take it out and about with you
In the highly protective telecoms arena new technology is almost invariably seen as a threat and viewed with a very wary eye by established companies. Thus it was with Skype and the whole "Voice over IP" (VoIP) concept. Mobile ISPs have felt especially threatened and this probably accounts for the usage limits in place for many mobile data tariffs - if you make the data bandwidth expensive people are less likely to squander it on phone calls.
Bringing together touch screen capable and Walkman music playing ability is the role of a new addition to the Sony Ericsson range of mobiles.
The W960i is, as you might guess from the familiar "W" prefix, yet another member of the Walkman family of mobile phones. With its GSM/GPRS functionality, this phone packs a 2.6-inch touch screen display and a 3.2 megapixel camera into its vinyl black body with a white 5mm band running around the sides of the phone. The unit measures 109 x 55 x 16mm and weighs 119g. Turning this phone on/off is carried out by pressing a recessed button on the top left of the handset.
Never before have I been presented with a working mobile phone and been invited to throw it against a wall and then drop it on a concrete floor. It was still working afterwards; this is a ruggedised mobile phone.
It is 11x5x2cm and weights only 125grams. It is matt black and as you might expect well padded. While you can store pictures etc it is only really a phone as a camera is always one of the most fragile parts it does not have one.
Keeping in touch with friends and family has never been easier with the wide range of communication devices that are currently available. A recent addition to home-based communication is the Gigaset S675.
Adding to the Siemens range of DECT phones is the black and silver Gigaset S675 model. Consisting of a base station, which can be wall-mounted or free-standing, and a handset, this DECT phone features an integrated calendar, address book, SMS functionality and an answering machine. It also brings a splash of colour to the user experience.
This is another in a growing band of phones with a 5mega pixel camera. While I doubt this will ever replace a digital camera for a photographer but, as everyone always seems to take their mobile phone with them it can be where a digital camera is not.
This phone certainly has a solid feel. It is 10x5x1.5 when closed and this increases by another 3.5cm when the screen is moved up to reveal the 12 key keypad. The phone weights 90grams. The screen on the KC550 is 4.9x3.8cm and is clear and easy to read. The first unusual thing is a slide on the rear that hides/exposes the 5 megapixel auto focus camera lens. When pulled down it exposes not only the lens but the flash and the self image mirror.
First impressions do not always work out as you might expect but I have to admit that the Sony Ericsson K660i did not flatter to deceive and was one of those products that lived up to its initial appeal.
Measuring 104 x 47 x 15mm and weighing 95g, the Sony Ericsson K660i candy bar style phone is predominately black in colour with silver trims around the edges and a wine coloured bar highlighting the non-keypad controls. If this colour scheme does not appeal then the phone is also available with a lime bar on white. Situated above this bar is the handset's 2.0-inch TFT QVGA screen capable of displaying 260K colours. For general use this screen will default to portrait mode.
This is MP3/phone as the face when closed has controls designed especially for working with music files. A recent survey said those under the mid twenties never tend to listen to more than thirty seconds of any track; this phone would be idea for them.
It is 10.5x4x1cm, flip it open and add 4cm to the length, it weights 72grams. It should fit in the palm of all but the smallest hand. The screen is 3x3.8cm, the whole colour scheme is matt black with and orange band, orange W for Walkman at the base and three interlinking circles on the area below the screen with the centre on in orange. The top of the phone has a hold slider, the left side the Walkman button and the proprietary connector for charging, transfer and earbuds.
This is a high quality DECT phone that works either singly or with extensions and unlike some other DECT phones works over good distances. Just for good measure it comes complete with an internal answering machine.
It is described as piano black and the phone itself is about the size of a larger mobile phone at 14.5x5x2.5cm maximum dimensions. It comes with a clip so that it can be fitted to a belt. A lot of DECT phones are stated to work at a certain distance but often this tends to mean in the middle of a field.
A somewhat different offering from LG, run your finger across the bottom part of the face and you can make your own music. This is a slim slider phone with a 3mega pixel camera with flash.
click image to enlarge the KF510 phone from LG is 10x5x1cm and weights a tad over 100grams. Push the slider up and the 10cm length is increased by 3cm and this reveals the 12 keys of the keypad. The right side has a metallic plug covering the input point charging, and proprietary earbuds and transfer cables. Also on this side is the on/off slider and combined camera/MP3 button.
The Micro SD card has shot up in popularity solely because most mobile phones manufacturers (except Sony Ericsson) now use it for storage; it’s cheaper for them than internal memory and a lot easier for you to move photos and videos around.
However until very recently transferring to a PC has meant not only removing the micro SD card from the phone but finding the adapter to convert it into a standard SD card and also then the card reader.
Lets return to the subject of nomophobia (after all my spell checker has been taught this word so I might as well make use of it).
Skypephone S2
Nokia E71 click image to enlarge Obviously believing that this fear of having no mobile connectivity should be
consigned to yesterday's dustbin, the mobile media company 3 has promised a
number of new products and initiatives that will be relieve this complaint.
Although many who would be totally lost if separated from their mobile phone for any length of time, the land-line phone still has a part to play in modern day living. This is especially true when the phone is a DECT device combining a degree of mobility with the more traditional aspects of a phone.
Unlike many of the new breeds of phones which are dominating the marketplace with small keypads and displays that cram in as much information as possible; the Siemens Gigaset E365 has been designed to be more accessible and user-friendly for the more mature user. Decked out in matt silver, the E365 kit consists of a base station and a handset unit - additional handsets can be purchased if required for your establishment.
This bluetooth headset takes advantage of available sunlight to help you
get through the day, supplementing the internal battery with solar power -
when we actually get some sun of course!
Iqua have a range of Bluetooth headsets - this is the first product that I've reviewed from the company - the iQua 603 SUN Bluetooth headset. Physically this headset is on the larger size measuring 48 x 25 x 12mm (LxWxH) and weights 14g. This extra size accomodates a small solar cell mounted on the outer face of the device. Included in the package are an ear hook, two different ear plugs a charger and a carry strap.
A small pebble like clamshell, the U9 is available in pink, purple or graphite (black) with a glossy smooth finish and curved edges this
phone feels great to hold.
The pink and purple varieties are most definitely aimed squarely at the female market, and in case you're not convinced Motorola provide a Pink or Purple test to help you choose your colour - question two asks whether you'd rather date Prince William or Prince Harry ( ). you can take the quiz here! The Motorola U9 is a quad-band phone that comes with a raft of features for those that prefer the clamshell format. Measuring 90 x 48.
The boss of LG in the UK made a great joke of telling journalists prior to the announcement that the name of their new phone was Secret. He was of course correct it is called ‘Secret’.
click to enlarge It is 10x4.5x1cm when closed, when the screen moves upwards to reveal the twelve key keypad this increases the first figure by 3.5cm. The phones weight is 110grams. It is matt black with a silver band and controls and the back is a fine checkerboard pattern of grey and black weaved to look like tweed. The viewable screen area is 5x3.7cm. The left side has the dual headset and charger port.
Surprisingly, as the chosen location was known as The Music Room, Sony Ericsson did not include any new models in its Walkman range.
It doesn't seem all that long ago since I last reported on the latest announcements from Sony Ericsson. Actually it was just over four months ago - doesn't time seem to fly by or maybe it is as a result of the onward drive to pump out new handsets and accessories by mobile phone companies. This time Sony Ericsson's product announcements cover new handsets, modems, headsets, gaming and a photographic competition.
With camera phone resolution improving it will soon be a phone camera. This unit has a three mega pixel offering and a good quality image would just about be printable at A4 without pixelization.
This phone is small enough to sit in the palm of an adult, in it's closed state it is 10x5x1.5cm push the screen upwards and reveal another 4cm that hides the keypad. It is matt black (it also comes in a rather smart black box) with a silver/grey stripe round the edge and the only immediately obvious control is a silvered wheel on the back left edge. Look closely in good light and several other buttons become visible on the edges.
Some mobile phones cry out to be picked up and used. While the Nokia N82 does not fall into this category, it is not too unpleasant on the eye.
click to enlarge Adopting a chunky candy-bar style, this Nokia N82 3G Smartphone dimensions are 112 x 502 x 17.3mm. It has a silver fascia with a large screen that gives a 38 x 50mm viewing area. The screen can display 16.7 million colours producing a clear display in various lighting conditions and had the capabiloity to smoothly change between portrait and landscape mode depending upon which way round you hold the handset.
This is a rather different phone with a camera in fact although it will do everything a modern mobile phone does I think a more accurate description with be camera phone as it is a 5MP camera with both auto and manual focus as well as flash.
click to enlarge This phone has a huge TFT and as soon as you use it you think why don't other phones work this way. The controls are minimal and that means the screen icons often have more than one level of action. However most actions are intuitive so you should - even without a manual - manage to find you way about. The dimensions are 10x5.5x1.5cm and it weights just under 100grams. As stated there are few buttons. The face has three answer, cancel and end.
A look at three different Bluetooth headsets to keep you safe while driving, or to keep your hands warm in cold weather!
Following on from jzblue's Bluetooth Headset roundup , it's my turn to review three additional headsets, taking the opportunity to look at the , the and the . published recently Motorola H375 BlueTrek SenSe Motorola H680 Motorola Universal Bluetooth Headset H375 This is a small reasonably unobtrusive bluetooth headset that was not uncomfortable in use.
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