MiFi from 3 Review

I have recently been trialling Three’s MiFi device as a way to get my Apple iPad online when I’m not near a WiFi Hotspot. Is is any good? Read on to find out…

What’s a MiFi?

You should be familiar with the term WiFi, which allows you to surf the Internet without any wires from the device of your choice (PC, Mac, Games Console, Mobile Phone etc) to a WiFi Hotspot, which is in turn, connected to a telephone line to an Internet Service Provider (ISP).

You might also have heard of a Mobile Broadband Dongle. This is a USB device that plugs into your computer and allows you to connect that computer to the Internet using a Mobile Network (Orange, Vodafone, Three etc).

A MiFi is basically a combination of the two. You can connect any device to it using WiFi, and then the device connects to the Internet using a Mobile Network, rather than a fixed line (from BT).

Why use a MiFi?

The beauty of using a MiFi is that you don’t need to have a traditional telephone line connection to the Internet, you can connect your device to the Internet wherever you happen to be (provided that you have mobile signal!).

Also, unlike a USB Broadband Dongle, which allows one device to connect to the Internet at a time, a MiFi allows up to five devices to use the same Internet connection.

The MiFi is compact and light, and will easily slip into a pocket or bag so that you can hop onto the Internet wherever you choose to take it!

Using the Three MiFi

Getting the unit up and running is a breeze, although you do actually need a PC for the first part.

There are a selection of lights on the unit that give statuses to different parts of the MiFi service, Clockwise from top-left are:

• Network coverage - This will go green when it detects a mobile signal
• Battery Status – This will change from green, yellow and red, as your battery is used
• M (Mobile Broadband) – This informs you that you have a Internet connection (dark blue/light blue for super fast connection)
• W (WiFi) is enabled – This allows your devices to connect to the MiFi
• R - is only seen when you are roaming (using the MiFi abroad)

There are 3 buttons down the side of the unit, a power on/off plus a button to turn on/off WiFi and Mobile Broadband independently.

Getting the unit up and running requires pressing (and holding for 2 seconds) these buttons in a certain order – Power, WiFi then Mobile Broadband, with each related light flashing, and then turning solid to indicate its active.

Once the lights are static you are good to go.  All you then need to do is enter the provided WiFi Key on your WiFi device and you should be surfing the net in no time.

Results

The speeds of the MiFi have been pretty great. I have been getting between 1.5Mb and 3Mb.

I have streamed video to my iPad and iPhone from TVCatchup simultaneously using the same MiFi connection, and got fault-less picture quality.

I downloaded a 450MB App from the iTunes Store in under 40 minutes.

After the initial 12 hour battery charge, it then takes 3 hours for a full charge (from mains).

With a standard 3G connection to the Internet, the Apple App Store would detect that you are not using WiFi and prevent any downloads over 20MB. Not so with the MiFi, as your immediate connection is WiFi, there are no restrictions. This is great, but be aware that you will gobble up your mobile broadband data allowance quickly with large downloads.

Conclusion

The Three MiFi is an awesome gadget! Why pay for Mobile Broadband restricted to one device when you can get one of these and connect whatever devices you like to it.

For iPad owners it will cost you an extra £100 to upgrade from the 16GB WiFi model to the 16GB WiFi+3G unit. A Pay-As-You-Go MiFi is half that price (£49.99) and allows you to connect ANY device to the mobile Internet.  I think it’s a bit of a no-brainer!

The unit is solid, and light, and while connecting is easy, I think that it really needs to be simplified to a one button activation.

It’s also a shame that you are unable to charge the device via USB when plugged into a USB port on a computer.

The PC MiFi Manager Software is a bind and would be a problem for Mac users (like me), so for people who are using an iPad then it would be nice to access the control panel via a web browser.

Faults aside – it’s a very usable device – and I would highly recommend this to anybody!

You can pick a MiFi up from Three for as little as £49.99 on Pay As You Go.

]]> http://mypocketos.com/2010/06/07/mifi-from-three-review/feed/ 0 http://mypocketos.com/2010/06/05/switcheasy-vulcan-case-for-iphone-3gs/ http://mypocketos.com/2010/06/05/switcheasy-vulcan-case-for-iphone-3gs/#comments Sat, 05 Jun 2010 16:46:39 +0000 Neil Bird http://mypocketos.com/?p=1549

SwitchEasy Vulcan Case for iPhone 3GS Review

The Apple iPhone is a great looking mobile and although I love to keep my gadgets like new, free from bumps and scratches, I don’t won’t to wrap the phone in a lead box to keep it safe. Why have a cool mobile and hide it behind tons of plastic?

I have recently been testing a new case for my iPhone 3GS – the SwitchEasy Vulcan which gives your phone lots of protection, but without much additional bulk.

Contents

Inside the packaging you will find the following items:

• Shock Proof Semi-Soft Case
• 2 Anti-Static Screen Protectors (1 spare)
• 2  Connector Port Protectors (for the headphone jack and dock connector port)
• 1 Micro-fibre Wipe
• 1 set of Instructions

Fitting

Adding the SwitchEasy Vulcan to your iPhone was a breeze, after a quick polish of the handset to remove any dust from the device, peel off the protective film from the sticky side of the screen guard and apply it to the front of the iPhone pushing out any air bubbles from the screen.

Next it’s just a matter of attaching the back cover to the iPhone.  Now the cover is very snug, and you will have to slip one end of the iPhone into the cover and forcefully pull the other end over the phone.  It’s reassuring to know that its so snug that you know that your phone isnt going to come out of it anytime soon.

First Impressions

On first glance it looks like a solid black plastic enclosure, but on closer inspection you notice that the plastic is actually see-through, allowing the Apple logo and iPhone model details to be seen through the back. There are also some subtle curved lines that run up through the back of the case that you notice as its catches the light.

The phone feels good in your hand, and the screen doesn’t impair usage of the touchscreen interface in any way.

What is does and doesn’t protect

The protective case sits snugly across the back of the iPhone which also covers the Power button and Volume up/down buttons, but leaves the switch to silent button and headphone jack exposed, as well as the mic/speaker and dock ports at the bottom of the handset.  The kit does come with covers for the headphone jack and connector port, but these are so small that they will easily be lost.

The screen protector covers the entire face of the iPhone, with a hole for the Home button, which doesn’t get covered.

Conclusion

I have used some other similar and more expensive covers on my iPhone, which have been a little more rubbery. After time the corners of it weaken and have started to pop-back exposing my iPhone on a few occasions while taking it out of my pocket.

The SwitchEasy Vulcan is a very solid case, and as it was snug in fitting, you know that it’s not going to come off very easily. It also doesn’t feel like it adds any extra bulk to the handset.

The case has a bit of a non-slip feel to it, maybe not as much as some other cases, but is adequate enough to stop it easily sliding out of your hand.

I have been very please with the SwitchEasy Vulcan iPhone case and would highly recommend it to anybody looking to get a sleek protective case for their iPhone.

You can get the SwitchEasy iPhone Case from mobilefun.co.uk for £19.95.  They also have a huge selection of other iPhone covers.

Hands on with the Nokia CK-200 Car Kit

You will probably by now have read about my recent experiences with a Maserati that was kindly dropped off to me as part of the #NokiaNav Challenges. If you havent take a look at the Delivery Day and Challenge 2 posts.

The main reason that myself and 4 other bloggers received a sports car each for the week, was to try out a Nokia Car Kit called the Nokia CK-200. This kit was fitted to each of the cars, and was the basis for the #NokiaNav Challenges that took place.

The Nokia CK-200 Kit

The Nokia CK-200 is a small car kit that intergrates with your existing car stereo. The unit allows you to wirelessly connect you Nokia mobile phone to your cars audio system via Bluetooth.

The CK-200 unit itself has 2 components, the first is a small LED display that can attach to your dash:

The other part is a remote control dial for controlling the kit which can be attached anywhere in your car using the velcro pad.

Setting-up the CK-200

The device itself is easy to set-up, just pair your Nokia mobile to it as you would any Bluetooth device.

You will then be prompted on your phone to connect to the device:

Once connected you also have the option to download your phones contact list to the CK-200 unit.

The CK-200 in use

The Nokia CK-200 gives you freedom to use certain features of your mobile while you are diving. My main experience was to use the connected Nokia N97 Mini with OVI Maps to navigate to the specified locations during the #NokiaNav Challenges.

With the contacts list downloaded to the CK-200 it also gives you quick access to your phonebook for calling friends and family, with a quick scroll to your desired contact and pressing the dial & hangup buttons respectively.

Using voice commands on your Nokia handset (dependant on model), with one touch operation from the CK-200 you are able to tell your phone a command (that it recognises) and it will perform an action, such as read new Text Messages/Email or even play music from your mobile, which of course can then be streamed via Bluetooth to your car stereo.

Unfortunately I was unable to use the cars own built-in entertainment system, due to a lock-code issue, which meant that I was unable to see how the CK-200 handled overriding the cars radio/CD for audio alerts and calls to and from the mobile.

Other Features

The display colour of the CK-200 can be changed to suit your personal choice, from white, blue, orange and green.

The CK-200 is also easily removable from it’s mount and small enough to fit into a pocket or your glovebox as not to attract the attention of unwanted eyes when your car is parked.

The same is said for the CK-200 control unit, which can be removed fom it’s Velcro mount and hidden from view.

Conclusion

The CK-200 performed as expected working with the Nokia N97 Mini, I did try pairing with my iPhone but sadly nothing happened.

The unit is very sleek looking, and doesn’t look at-all out of place sat on your dash. The display is crisp and bright, especially during night time driving, I did however struggle to see the display when wearing sunglasses in bright sunshine though.

The unit is very simple to use, and once you figure out what all the buttons do, it’s fairly easy to navigate your way around the system, without having to take your eye of the road.

If you are looking for an easy way to connect your Nokia handset to your car stereo then this could be the solution for you. That being said the ‘CK-200 to phone connection’ is the easy part – the wiring of the CK-200 to the back of your stereo may require some more expert help.

I have mixed feelings about the CK-200, while my overall experience of the unit was good, I just cant help wonder why you wouldn’t just buy a car stereo system that is already Bluetooth-enabled?

The Nokia Car Kit CK-200 will be available in the summer and is expected to retail for approximately €140.

More images of the CK-200

iPhone Desktop Sync/Charger Review

If you are in the market for a desktop syncing and charging solution than look no further than the Kidgi Desktop USB Cradle for Apple iPhone 3GS.

Contents of the box

The Desktop cradle comes in a clear plastic case, with the black desktop sync base clearly on display. Unlike most packaging similar to this that needs a pair of scissors to get into, the back very easily pops off and can even be resealable.

The contents are pretty self-explanatory, we have the black desktop base, a USB cable and a UK mains adapter.

Up and running

Set-up is pretty straight forward, plug one end of the USB cable into your computer and the other into the cradle. You should then have an illuminated blue light to indicate that the desktop sync/charger is receiving power. All you need to then to do is slip your iPhone 3G / 3GS into the dock and off you go.

The USB Desktop Sync base is very solid in construction, and feels quite weighty, giving you reassurance that its going to hold your precious iPhone upright and not allow it to topple over.  The base also has some non-slip feet that also keep the unit firmly in place.

The unit has a clear plastic lip around the dock connector that gives the phone a snug fit and gives the iphone support while it is connected.  Unfortunately as this is a very snug fit, it does mean that anybody out there that has a cover on your iPhone will have to remove it to use this unit.

With the ability to also plug this straight into the mains, you could even use this as a bedside charging station for your power-hunger iPhone.

Price

You can get the Apple iPhone 3GS / 3G USB Desktop Sync & Charge Cradle from MobileFun.co.uk for £9.99 who also specialise in a range of iPhone Accessories.

Conclusion

All-in-all this is a great value desktop sync and charge solution for your iPhone at just a tenner.  With the official Apple Universal Dock coming in at £36 (although that does come with a remote) this is a steal! All you need it to do is charge and sync, and it does what it says on the box.

Hands-on review of the Nokia N900

Back in September last year, I was invited to the onedotzero event at the BFI London and was one of the first people to get their hands on the shiny new Nokia N900. During the event I was able to grab a quick hands on with N900 with my fellow bloggers, but sadly the time was limited and didn’t get to try out the new handset as much as I’d have liked. Thankfully the lovely people at WOMWorld/Nokia we kind enough to send out a trial handset that I could test properly. Read on to find out more…

Whats in the box

The Nokia N900 comes in a stylish square grey box with an embossed outline of the N900 handset, with Nokia Nseries and Nokia N900 written in silver writing.

I’ll come to the main item in the box in a minute, but for now here’s some of the other things that you’ll find in your N900 box:

A video out cable to connect your N900 to a TV/sound system, and a Micro USB > USB cable for connecting your N900 to your computer.

Now that Nokia have signed-up to use a standard phone charger with other phone manufacturers, they have been good enough to include an adapter that will convert your old Nokia charger cables to the new Micro USB format.

Also included is a Nokia Nseries cloth to clean those grubby little finger marks that you are going to leave over the phone.

A set of Nokia earbuds, and a power adapter are the remaining items that can be found inside your N900 package along with the usual manuals.

The front of the N900

So here it is, the Nokia N900. The handset sports a glossy 3.5 inch touch screen which dominates the font of the device. The handset is designed to be used primarily in landscape mode, as you can tell from the orientation of the Nokia logo and model number above the screen.

The earpiece can clearly be seen on the left of the screen, and on either side of the handset are the stereo speakers.

On the right hand-side of the device you will find the headphone jack, mic, lock switch and the infamous Nokia Stylus that they like to include on their touch devices.

The back of the N900

Flipping the glossy screen over for a minute, we take a look at the back of the N900. Here you will find the 5 megapixel Carl Zeiss lens with dual LED Flash. Surrounding the camera is a kickstand which can be used for propping up the N900 to watch a movie.

The slide-out Keypad

As well as being a touchscreen device the N900 has a slide-out keypad containing a nice set of QWERTY keys. The slide mechanism gives a nice solid click as the device locks open.

Unlike the similar-looking Nokia N97 (which runs Symbian OS) – the QWERTY keyboard feels much more like a traditional laptop keyboard, but in miniature.

Keys are nicely spaced, and a joy to use.  There isn’t a navigational D-pad like on the Nokia N97, but instead arrow-keys like the Nokia N97 Mini. I did miss not having the D-pad, I guess thats a personal thing, but it’s removal of course keeps down the size of the device which is more important.

The Touchscreen

The screen is gorgeous, and has a bright 800 x 480 touchscreen display.

You are presented with a ‘desktop’ on your phone that allows you to put shortcuts and widgets to your favourite applications and sources of information for quick and easy access.

The top left of the screen is your main navigational method through the device. This can take some getting used to, as it’s not immediately obvious how you cycle through the various Applications/Desktop/running apps modes of the phone. The top of the phone also has a menu bar that can be tapped to pull down more options depending on what you are doing, again this isn’t that intuitive and can take a bit of time to get used to.  Once you do understand how this works, it does become second nature though.

One of my main concerns about the touchscreens used in the N900 was that it uses resistive instead of capacitive touchscreen technology. Basically the difference between the two is that you have to apply more pressure to the screen on a resistive screen (ie like you are pressing a key) where as a capacitive screen can pick up light taps (like the iPhone). On the Nokia 5800 and Nokia N97 you have to firmly press the screen and slide to scroll.  Thankfully the resistive implementation of the Nokia N900 is pretty darn good, almost as good as the light touches you would apply to an iPhone.

Inside the N900

The Nokia N900 flys! This is one fast mobile, in-fact it can’t really be called a mobile, it truly is a pocket computer.

At the heart of the N900 is an ARM Cortex-A8 processor running at 600 MHz. This provides the N900 with plenty of power that gives the user a desktop-like experience in the palm of their hand. Opening and switching applications is painless and quick, its really is a tiny powerhouse.

The N900 comes equipped with 32GB of internal storage which is plenty of room to store all your applications and documents.  This can be expanded should-you-really-need-to with the included MicroSD card slot, although this will only be up-to an extra 16GB.

The camera is a standard issue 5 megapixel Carl Zeiss lens, that we have come to know and love from previous Nokia handsets.  Great pictures as expected, and with the dual-LED it can help out in some lowlight situations.

Here here for the full list of N900 Technical Specifications.

Quick Questions Answered

I know that you cant really compare like-for-like on handsets that are made by different manufacturers for different audiences, but when people have a choice of choosing between 2 similar-in-spec devices they really want to know basic things like ‘is it fatter than my friends iPhone?’ So here I have tried to answer some of those questions:

• How heavy is the N900? – The N900 weighs 181g.
• Is the N900 fatter than an iPhone – Yes the N900 is fatter than an iPhone, for those familiar with the Nokia N95 its pretty comparable to that.
• Can the N900 run more that one application at a time? – Yes the N900 has full multitasking, unlike the iPhone.
• Are there lots of apps for the N900? – At the moment the platform is fairly new, but new apps are always being added to the Ovi Store.
• Will my existing Symbian apps work on the N900? – No, The Maemo Operating System is different than Symbian.
• How much is a Nokia N900? – The SIM free price of the N900 varies, but you can expect to pay around £460.

In you have a question about the N900, add it to the comments below, and I’ll get it answered for you.

Desk Genie Mobile Stand Review

I was fortunate to be sent a Desk Genie by the guys at MobileFun.co.uk for review.

The Desk Genie is an all-in-one Mobile Phone Holder, USB Hub, and Memory Card Reader, that you can use with any mobile of your choice all for £15.

Read on for more information.

Contents of the Box

Inside the box is the stand itself, a USB cable to connect to your computer, a series of mobile phone charger adapters, and a small cable to connect these to which then plugs into the Desk Genie.

The stand itself is made of black plastic, with aluminum on the sides of the base. There are no brackets or catches to hold your mobile to the Desk Genie, instead there is a large non-slip area on the front of the stand that holds your mobile phone firmly in place.

Ports and Connectors

On the left side of the Desk Genie you will find the All-in-One Memory Card Reader that can read any of the following cards:

• M2
• MS,/MS Pro Duo
• Transflash/Micro SD
• SD/MMC/RS MMC/Mini SD

On the right hand-side you have two USB ports to connect your other devices.

Mobile Phone Charger Adapters

The Desk Genie comes with a total of 9 different mobile phone charger adapters, that should pretty much fit and mobile phone currently on the market:

• Apple iPhone/iPod
• Nokia 2mm (works with 5800, N95, 6700 and more)
• Nokia 3.5mm (works with 3310, 6680, 6230 and more)
• MicroUSB (for Nokia N97/BlackBerry 8900/Samsung Omnia II and more)
• Mini USB (for BlackBerry 8300/HTC Hero/MP3)
• LG (works with all LG phones)
• Samsung Tip1 (works with D900, U600, D800 and more)
• Samsung Tip2 (works with Omnia, Pixon, Tocco Lite and more)
• Sony Ericsson Fast Port (works with all Sony Ericsson phones)

These adapters connect to a small cable which then connects to the back of the Desk Genie.  This is also where you plug in the USB cable to link to your computer.

Using the Desk Genie

The Desk Genie can pretty much take any mobile phone and hold it in place securely, even if you have a cover on your handset. As there are no grips or clips it doesn’t matter how thick or wide your mobile is, the Desk Genie is able to hold it.

The non-slip ‘tacky’ surface of the Desk Genie may pick up the odd bit of fluff over time, but it is easily wipe-clean with a damp cloth without loosing any of its stickiness.

As you can see the Desk Genie is ideal for the Apple iPhone or HTC Hero.

The Non-slip surface of the desk stand holds the mobile securely in place and should you get a call, all you do is lift the handset away, no clips or catches to undo. Easy.

If you need to charge your mobile, just pick the appropriate charger adapter and connect it up to your computer (PC or Mac compatible).

Use the Desk Genie to watch films/TV

Not only can the stand be used in portait mode, but it will also securely hold your mobile in landscape, which makes it ideal for watching films or TV.

Where to buy the Desk Genie

The Desk Genie is available from MobileFun.co.uk for £14.99 plus  £2.50 p+p.

Conclusion

The Desk Genie is a brilliant stand that is so simple and just does what it is supposed to. Its a nice looking stand, and with the subtle blue glow from the base of the stand, gives a nice touch when connected to a computer.

The non-slip surface holds the mobile really firmly, and those who are worried about their precious and expensive mobiles coming of the stand need not worry.

The inclusion of the different phone adapters means that there will be a charger for any type of mobile, and that alone is worth the money.

A great piece of kit – highly recommended!

Review of the Nokia N900 the first phone to run Maemo

Over the weekend I was lucky enough to be invited to London for the onedotzero event at the BFI, an exhibition showcasing ‘adventures in motion’. At the event were Nokia, who were showing off their brand new Maemo based smartphone called the N900.

During the event we were able to have a private discussion with Jussi Makinen, the N900 Product Manager, where he talked about the N900 and its evolution from the Maemo driven Nokia Tablets to a pocket computer with mobile phone functionality.

About the Nokia N900

The Nokia N900 is a brand new handset recently announced by Nokia prior to Nokia World at the beginning of September due for release sometime in October.

To the uninitiated the N900 looks like a re-packaging of the Nokia N97 – both have touch screens, 5 mega-pixel lenses, and slide out keyboards.  It’s under the hood where you find the real differences as the handset does not run the familiar Symbian operating system found in the majority of current Nokia handsets, but instead taking a leaf out of its Tablet line-up (the N770, N800 & N810) and opting for the Linux-based Maemo platform instead.

The Hardware

The Nokia N900 comes in black and features a 3.5in touch-sensitive widescreen display, with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.  The build quality feels very sturdy unlike many of the recent Nseries handsets that have appeared since the N95. The N900 is designed primarily for use in landscape mode, both by using the touch screen and keyboard, but as always Nokia like to include a stylus for those people really stuck in the early 90′s!

Held in landscape, the front of the N900 is button-less, with the large display dominating, and a small front-facing camera flush under the glass top left.  Buttons on top include the camera button, volume rocker, power button/options. The stylus, 3.5mm headphone jack and screen lock can be found on the right with The Micro USB Charger port on the left. Stereo speakers are also to be found on the top left & right sides of the handset which gave very loud and deep sound.

The Keyboard

On opening the device you are presented with a 3-row QWERTY keyboard.  The keys are good-sized and feel easy to use mainly because Nokia have dropped the D-pad found on the N97 freeing up more space for proper laptop style keys. Navigation of the keys felt great and I was able to reach all of the buttons quickly and type at speed without many errors, even on first use.

The keyboard slide mechanism felt solid and gave a firm click as it snapped into the open position.

The Camera

On the back of the N900 you will find the 5 mega-pixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens and dual LED flash hidden behind a protective slide cover.

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to test picture quality, but as many Nseries handsets have had a 5 mega-pixel Carl Zeiss Lens since the N95, its pretty much a tried-and-tested feature that we already know gives good results, so I wouldn’t expect any less.

Surrounding the camera, is a small pop-out stand that will allow you to prop the handset up while watching a movie for example.

The Software

The Nokia N900 is the first mobile phone to feature the Maemo operating system which has previously only been found on Nokia’s N770, N800 & N810 Tablets.

The Linux-based OS brings a new, more modern UI to a Nokia handset, ditching the what seems very clunky Symbian S60 interface. Moving to a desktop feel, where you can swipe left and right to display widgets and shortcuts to your favourite apps (like Android) or tap a button to bring up the applications folder.

It’s easy to switch between running applications on the N900, the OS gives you a thumbnail view of whats currently running on the handset.  Click the X to close it, or tap elsewhere to open it. Easy.

Time using the OS was unfortunately limited, but I hope to get hold of a N900 again soon for a more detailed Maemo OS review.

One thing that I did note about my first experience in using the new OS, is that I have slight concerns that it may not be that intuitive or immediately obvious how you navigate around the phone and applications.  Even going into settings for each app by tapping the title bar in the app was not that obvious at first, but when you picked that up it was then consistent throughout the interface.

Compared to other mobiles

It’s always good to compare a new handset to some others that you are already familiar with, so here’s the N900 alongside the Apple iPhone, and Nokia E71 and E55.

And here is the Nokia N900 sat againist the Apple iPhone.  As you can see they are comparable in height and width.  The N900 is thicker than the iPhone due to it’s slide-out keyboard.

Workshop with Jussi Makinen the N900 Product Manager

During the time with Product Manager Jussi I asked him if this was Nokia’s response to the likes of the iPhone and Android phones, which appear to be leading the market, and leaving Nokia to play catch-up. He obviously denied that, but moments later a Maemo developer said refering to the N900 “finally something that can be said in the same breath as iPhone and Android phones”.

It may be that the N900 isn’t destined to be a mainstream iPhone competitor just yet, as Jussi said at the start of his talk “the N900 was aimed at early adopters and tech enthusiasts”.  He then later on referred to ‘testing the water with the handset to see the reaction to it’. He also hinted that this wasn’t Nokia’s primary flagship device, but that it would sit alongside the traditional Symbian-based smartphones such as the N97.

Nokia do have a tendency to release a product and see the results before fine-tuning and releasing a tided-up version – the N95/N95 8GB is a fine example of that.

Conclusion

I am very excited about the Nokia N900 – the first time I have felt like this in a long time about a Nokia device. It’s felt that for a while Nokia have rested on their run away success of the N95 and just kept re-regurgitating that handset in various re-stylised iterations!

The Maemo platform should bring some fresh focus to the what now seems like a dinosaur Symbian/S60 UI and bring Nokia back onto the running with which Apple and Android already have a head start.

The hardware is great, the software looks promising, and if Nokia can get developers to create apps for the new platform they are in with a good chance of making this a fantastic Nokia handset.

I think that now is the time that the Mobile OS wars are really going to get interesting!

Many Thanks go to Donna, Robbie and Adam from WOM World/Nokia for arranging the event and looking after us during our time in London.

Review of the Android HTC Magic

The HTC Magic is the second HTC handset to hit the shelves running Google’s Android platform. If you were a little disappointed by the G1, then you will want to take a look at the HTC Magic.

Hardware

The Magic is the second Android phone produced by HTC, the first of course being the Google G1 that launched the Android platform in October 2008.

This new iteration of Android mobile phone, is smaller, lighter and sexier!  The chunkiness has now gone and we now have a sleek, curvy handset that can at least give the iPhone a run for its money.

The slide-out screen and keyboard from the G1 has also gone – this phone is purely about touch!

Like the G1 the Magic features hardware buttons on the front, this time with the addition of one more – Search which sits alongside Home, Menu, Back and Call Pick-up and Call Hang-up and the trackball.

The side of the handset features the volume rocker and the bottom has the USB charger slot.  Sadly HTC failed to listen to the complaints about the lack of 3.5mm headphone jack on the G1 and again opted for the headphones to be used via an adapter plugged onto the USB slot.

On the back of the handset you will find the 3.2 megapixel camera, again no flash.

Tech specs

• 3G / HSDPA
• 3.2in TFT LCD touch screen
• 3.2 megapixel camera with auto-focus
• GPS
• WiFi
• Bluetooth 2.0 (with A2DP)
• MicroSD Card slot

Software

The underlying Android OS has been slightly improved upon since the G1 with the release of Cupcake, which brings video recording & sharing, Widgets, Voice Search, better web browser and all round better security and speed improvements.

The same lightening fast set-up with Google is still there, provided you already use Google’s services.

The handset also has a link to the Android Market – a shop front of games and applications that you can download (some free) to your handset. It may not be as well known or well stocked as the iPhones App Store, but the content is growing daily.

Compared to other handsets

The HTC Magic is a great looking handset, it’s light and will fit easily in your pocket.  Holding the HTC Magic and the Apple iPhone at the same time, did make the iPhone feel really big and heavy.

As you can see from the image below there isn’t much difference in size between the Nokia N97, HTC Magic and Apple iPhone.

HTC seem well on their way to getting into the same league as the iPhone, with great hardware and the unrestrictedness of Android, Apple had better watch their backs!

Review of the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic phone

This is the first Nokia handset to run S60 5th Edition – a touch-enabled update to their popular S60 3rd Edition user interface (UI) found on many high-end Nokia handsets.

Although this may be their first true touch-enabled handset it is not marketed as an iPhone killer, but instead aimed at the mass mid-market.

The package

The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic comes in a black box with bright circular splashes of colour. On opening the lid, you are presented with the handset itself. Removing the handset and top layer of the box reveals all of the extras.

The package come with an assortment of extras:

• Power cable
• USB Cable
• TV Out Cable
• Stand
• Headphones & Music Control Adapter
• Case
• Stylus
• Plectrum!
• User Manuals

The plectrum is quite an interesting inclusion – the triangular piece of plastic attached to the phones strap provides another way to interact with the touch screen instead of the stylus or even your finger!

The hardware

The first thing that you notice about the Nokia 5800 is that it doesn’t have a keypad. This is because this is Nokia’s first touch-enabled handset. It has a clean look – dominated by it’s large touch screen, with a front-facing camera top-right and 3 slightly raised buttons at the bottom (pickup call, menu, and end call).

The top of the handset has the power on/off button, Power Adapter, 3.5mm headphone jack and a Micro-USB port and on the side you can find the camera button, keylock switch and volume rocker.

The phone fits nicely in your hand, but with the lack of keypad the big touch screen does somewhat make the handset feel long. The build quality feels very sturdy, and seems like it could take a knock-or-two unlike some other Nokia handsets currently on the market.

Touch Screen

The Nokia 5800 is all about touch and with the S60 5th Edition interface the handset delivers that quite nicely. Nokia have provided some tools to help the touch experience along with an included stylus and plectrum. I do find having these a bit old-school, but there are some areas of the touch interface that don’t work very well with a finger – the scroll bar on the right-hand-side being one!

The new user interface (UI) seems to work well, and is basically a touch-enabled version of the standard S60 UI that most Nokia users will be familiar with.  If I am being honest it is a little clunky, but it works.

The Nokia 5800 uses resistive touch technology which means that you have to press down on the screen as you would a normal button to make an action.  Those of your familiar with the iPhone, which uses capacitive touch technology, may take a while to get used to this as you cant just tap the screen! When selecting something your are also given feedback (like the click of a key) by a quick buzz from the vibrate mechanism in the handset – you’ll either love it or hate it.

Software

The software on the Nokia 5800 is pretty much as you would expect with any S60 3rd Edition handset, but one of the joys is that its great for video playback.  The package came with a small fold-out stand that supports the handset when laid horizontally – brilliant for watching videos.

The Nokia 5800 is also supported by BBC iPlayer which means that you can catch-up with your favourite BBC TV shows on the lovely 3.2in screen.

Camera

The Nokia 5800 has a 3 megapixel camera supported by a dual-LED flash.  Simply pressing the camera button on the side of the handset will start-up the camera application. Image quality is generally good, provided that you are in good light conditions, although the white balance is poor as you can see from the snow picture below:

Compared to other handsets

As you can see from the image below, the Nokia 5800 is a nice sized handset.  By itself it does seem long without a keypad, but sat against other phones you can see that it is really just a standard candybar phone.

Review of the Google G1 – the first handset to run Android

On the 22nd October 2008, Google entered the mobile world with it’s first mobile phone, called simply the G1.  The handset manufactured by HTC was powered by a brand new mobile operating system designed by Google called Android.

Get Started

Once you have the phone out of the box and powered on, you will be prompted to enter your Google Account if you have one.  On entering these details within moments, your Google Contacts, Calendar and Emails are all swiftly synced to your phone. It really is an amazingly simple process, and even tops Apple on simplicity.  Of course this is all well and good if you use Google’s services, but then this is a Google phone!

The Hardware

The Google G1 (or HTC Dream as it is also known) doesn’t have the wow factor that the iPhone holds.  It is a nice little handset, but there is just something about it that just makes it look chunky and clunky.

The handset features 5 buttons and a track ball on the front of the device.  These are Menu, Home, Back, Call Pick-up & Call Hang-up. On the side you will find the volume rocker and on the bottom you will find the port for charging.

One thing to note is that the handset does not feature a standard 3.5mm headphone jack for listening to your music.  This can be done via an adapter in the port at the bottom of the phone.

Touch screen

The G1 is primarily a touch screen handset and is dominated by the 3.2in display. All of the phones features can be accessed by touching the display when held vertically, this includes the phone dialler.  When the handset is rotated into landscape, the keyboard can also be used for navigation.  The touch user-interface does not appear as polished as that of the iPhone and Multitouch is not present – the feature that gives the slick pinch-and-zoom experience.

One thing that the touch-screen does suffer from and that is fingermarks!

Keyboard

Not only is the G1 a touch screen handset it also features a slide-out QWERTY keyboard for use in landscape mode. The buttons are easy to use, and don’t feel at all cramped.

It’s nice to have a choice between touch-based text entry and using a physical keyboard.  Sometimes it’s just easier to use a tactile buttoned interface for writing emails and responding to text messages.

Android

Android has come into a market already shaken up by that of Apple’s iPhone and of whom have already set a very high standard. Google’s new OS is a very nice OS to use, and it certainly makes the likes of Nokia look really old and stale.  There are lots more settings available to the end user than you find on an iPhone and the OS makes the whole user experience much more customizable allowing you to have things how you want rather than being dictated.

The home screen is much like the desktop of your PC, allowing you to have icons, and links to your favourite applications.  These are easily drag-able and can be placed where you want them.  You can swipe the screen left/right for more desktop space.

All of your applications are neatly tucked away in the applications folder, which can be accessed by pressing the menu button, or pulling the tab up from the bottom of the screen.

Although there is much more user freedom with Android,  it just doesn’t quite have the spit and polish that Apple have with their iPhone.

Compared to other mobiles

The image below shows the Google G1 sat beside some of the other high-end smartphones available at the time.  These are from left to right the Nokia N82, Google G1 and the Apple iPhone.

The Apple iPhone is currently the leader of the technology pack at the moment, it may be flawed, but the all round design and user experience are second to none.  The Google G1′s Android operating system, neatly puts it into technology’s second place with Nokia’s Symbian trailing in third.  Nokia had previously a leader in mobile technology and now with the likes of the iPhone and Android have suddenly made the interface and user experience very dated and in much need of an overhaul. The hardware of the G1 may not be to everybody’s liking, but it is still a nice little handset.