5 Healthy and Unhealthy phones

Researchers have been divided over the effects of cellphone radiation on human beings. While some studies suggest a link between long-term (10 years or more) cellphone use and cancer, many maintain that there is not conclusive or demonstrated evidence that cell phones cause adverse health effects in humans.

US-based Environmental Working Group (EWG) is among the organisations who believe that there is compelling evidence to prove the link between cancer and cellphone radiation. The group recently came out with five safest and five worst mobile phones in terms of cellphone radiation. The study is based on SAR or Specific Absorption Rate. SAR according to the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association is “a way of measuring the quantity of radio frequency (RF) energy that is absorbed by the body.” For a mobile phone to get FCC certification in the United States, the maximum SAR level must be less than 1.6 watts per kilogram. In Europe, the level is capped at 2 watts per kilogram while Canada allows a maximum of 1.6 watts per kilogram.

Here’s looking into the EWG’s 5 Best and Worst mobile devices for radiation.

Best: Samsung Impression

Maximum radiation: 0.35 Watts per kilogram (W/kg) (based on reported radiation level when held up to your ear)

Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)

SAR when held at the ear: 0.35 W/kg

SAR when worn on the body: 0.83 W/kg

Best: Motorola RAZR V8

Maximum radiation: 0.36 W/kg

Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)

SAR when held at the ear: 0.36 W/kg

SAR when worn on the body: 0.86 W/kg


Best: Samsung SGH-T229

Maximum radiation: 0.38 W/kg

Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)

SAR when held at the ear: 0.38 W/kg

SAR when worn on the body: 0.69 W/kg


Best: Samsung Rugby (SGH-A837)

Maximum radiation: 0.46 W/kg

Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)

SAR when held at the ear: 0.46 W/kg

SAR when worn on the body: 0.57 W/kg



Best: Samsung Propel Pro (SGH-I627)

Maximum radiation: 0.47 W/kg

Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)

SAR when held at the ear: 0.47 W/kg

SAR when worn on the body: 0.68 W/kg

Worst: Motorola MOTO VU204

Maximum radiation: 1.55 W/kg

Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)

SAR when held at the ear: 1.55 W/kg

SAR when worn on the body: 0.58 W/kg


Worst: Blackberry Curve 8330

Maximum radiation: 1.54 W/kg

Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)

SAR when held at the ear 1.54 W/kg

SAR when worn on the body 0.99 W/kg


Worst: Motorola W385

Maximum radiation: 1.54 W/kg

Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)

SAR when held at the ear: 1.54 W/kg

SAR when worn on the body: 1.13 W/kg


Worst: Kyocera Jax S1300

Maximum radiation: 1.55 W/kg

Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)

SAR when held at the ear: 1.55 W/kg

SAR when worn on the body: 1.18 W/kg


Worst: TMobile myTouch 3G

Maximum radiation: 1.55 W/kg

Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)

SAR when held at the ear: 1.55 W/kg

SAR when worn on the body: 1.43 W/kg

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Very First Lighter Phone

Although I fully admit to chuckling quite a bit after first seeing this cellphone with a built-in cigarette lighter, I can see some practicality with it. After all, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard of my smoking friends losing their lighter. I’ve been asked numerous times if I happen to have a lighter on me, despite that they’re fully aware I don’t smoke. Having a lighter built into your cellphone would come in incredibly handy. After all, your phone is almost always somewhere within reach.

I know, smoking is a nasty habit, but smokers catch enough grief as it is. It only seems fair that they get the occasional high tech item to make their lives easier. The phone comes in a few different colors, like red, brown, black and a silver/gold combination. The phone has a dual SIM card, a 1.3MP camera, an FM Radio, Bluetooth and can play MP3/MP4. You can check it out on Seabright.

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Wrist Watch Phone with built-in camera

Phones are just about all the same thing over and over. Yes, the high end phones have some cool features, but it’s the same type feel. Not many really shake things up and make an attempt to really change things up. This watch could never be defined as classy and it’s definitely not going to have as cool of features as your iPhone, but at least it is a little different from the rest.

No, I’d probably never rush out and purchase one, but you have to appreciate the manufacturers that don’t just release the same thing over and over. This phone has a built in 1.3MP camera along with being able to tell the time. Alright, so it being able to tell the time is a pretty obvious function. It also has an FM radio, Bluetooth, an MP3 player and a 1.3-inch touch screen. You can purchase it for $137.70 from i-Pmart. It does ship clear from China though, so you can expect it to come with some hefty shipping fees.

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Stream your Zune Pass music to your iPhone

Dru at Gearlive has unearthed a fascinating Escherian software solution that allows you to stream ZunePass music. Zune Pass, for those not in in the know, is Microsoft’s $15 a month streaming service that can blow music through your Zune and onto your Windows desktop. Then you need Orb. Then you send the music straight to the iPhone over the Interwebs. Simplicity itself.

Read his whole DIY if you’re so inclined. Then you can listen to your Orb-streamed music anywhere in the world.

Here you can see me playing some classic Michael Jackson. I downloaded all his albums with my Zune Pass, and had immediate access to them on the iPhone, by way of OrbLive. Do note, in OrbLive, you can specify if you are on Wi-Fi, 3G, or EDGE in the settings, and it will determine quality accordingly. So if you have a strong 3G connection in the car, you can even enjoy your tracks over your car stereo.

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Use Your iPhone as a Metal Detector

On the beach with your family, or just walking around town? You probably could use some extra cash. Whip out that iPhone 3GS and see if you can track down some metal.

With this handy little app released by GP Imports, 3GS owners can use the phone's internal compass to sense strong magnetic fields (other than the north pole), thus pointing to metals. The app allows you to see how strong a magnetic field actually is and adjust the sensitivity of your detector, so you won't get stuck digging for mere chump change.

The app costs $0.99 and is available for download at the iTunes Store.

Also if you're looking to enhance the experience check out these Metal Detecting Sandals.

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Cell Phones for Summer

These sand-proof, water-resistant camera phones make great beach buddies.

Most cell phones hate water. Get a few drops under the case, and that horrible little moisture indicator next to the battery goes red. Next thing you know, your phone doesn't work, and your carrier won't replace it.

So bringing your phone to the beach can be a risky proposition. The good news is that there are plenty of handsets built specifically for active fun. They're not only great for outdoors, but they're also terrific for the accident-prone and those who work in rough environments.

The Casio Exilim C721 on Verizon Wireless is the ultimate summer phone. Why? Because it also doubles as a waterproof, 5-megapixel camera with 3X optical zoom and video capture—so you can leave your fragile digital camera at home, too. The Exilim is wrapped in a protective coating so you can shoot underwater. It's also certified to military specs against shock and vibration. If you spend a lot of time at the beach, this phone will be your best friend.

Starting at $279.99 with a contract, though, the Exilim isn't cheap. Verizon's $129 Casio Gz'One Boulder is also waterproof, and with an even tougher body for a lot less cash. You will, however, have to give up the 5-megapixel camera for a much weaker 1.3-megapixel sensor. Still, for quick snapshots and making calls, this phone is a good value.

Outdoorsy T-Mobilers should consider the unlocked Sonim XP3.20 Quest, which is the world's toughest phone—a claim I tested thoroughly. It can be tossed around violently, submerged, frozen, hit with a chisel, and used to hammer nails. Even if it does break, it comes with a no-questions-asked replacement guarantee. The Quest model I tested in May isn't on the market yet, but the similar XP3.10 is available now.

On Sprint, the Nextel i580 is the way to go if you're worried about durability. Bear in mind: It isn't waterproof, it's water-resistant—it'll survive a quick dunk or splash, but you can't completely submerge it. In my tests, it survived freezing, washing, dropping from a second-story window, and getting run over by a sports car. The i580 also has great call quality and a built-in MP3 player.

AT&T users should go straight for the Motorola Tundra VA76r. This flip phone is not only water-resistant and sand-proof, but it has the best reception and call quality of any AT&T phone we've tested to date. Its 2-megapixel camera takes decent beach shots, and you can pipe music from the Tundra's MP3 player out its beefy speakerphone.

These tough phones will do more than just serve you through the summer; they'll also withstand autumn mists and winter snow. Compare specs for these phones side-by-side and read the full reviews below.

Outdoor-Friendly Phones Featured in this Roundup:

Casio Exilim C721 (Verizon Wireless)

The nation's best beach phone is waterproof and features a 5-megapixel camera with video recording and optical zoom to capture your summer fun.

Casio Gz'One Boulder (Verizon Wireless)

Verizon's other waterproof phone has a much lower resolution camera, but it's also much more affordable.

Motorola Tundra VA76r (AT&T)

Not only is the Tundra water and sand resistant, it's got the best call quality of any AT&T phone out there today.

Nextel i580 (Sprint)

A durable, water-resistant case lets this flip phone go beyond its original target market of outdoor workers needing extra-tough gear, to anyone who's around sand and water this summer.

Sonim XP3.20 Quest (Unlocked)
Hands-on preview. Not rated
The world's toughest phone isn't officially out on any carrier yet, but it works with AT&T and T-Mobile.

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David Blaine now douching up your iPhone

I don’t know if you guys are aware, but nothing is better for making people think you’re awesome than doing card tricks. No, seriously. Anyone you know with a ton of friends only has so many friends because of their card trick repertoire.

Actually, there is one thing that’s cooler than doing card tricks: doing card tricks with virtual cards. For maximum cool, it must be done on an iPhone. Just when you started to think such incredible feats were impossible, David Blaine has saved the day with an iPhone app: David Blaine’s Street Magic: See-A-Card by David Blaine [brought to you by David Blaine].

For just $1.99, you can get all the benefits of knowing a card trick without actually learning a card trick. Whoever said you can’t buy friends?

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Palm Treo Pro Price down by $150

Unlocked phones are always a tough sell in the U.S. due to the high up-front pricing, despite all of their benefits. Nonetheless, Palm is doing its part to help by slashing the price of the unlocked Palm Treo Pro from $549 to $399, Brighthand reports.

That move could help spur sales for enterprise users, as well as global travelers that like to switch out SIM cards overseas and avoid paying horrendous roaming charges to AT&T or T-Mobile.

The Treo Pro is a solid smartphone even in unlocked form, as I found in my review. It's quad-band EDGE and tri-band UMTS/HSDPA device with a 400 MHz CPU, a reasonably comfortable keyboard, and some subtle but significant UI enhancements on top of Windows Mobile.

Sprint's subsidized version of the Treo Pro remains at $200 with a two-year contract--in that case, it's a tough sell against the stellar Palm Pre.

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Samsung Eternity for Dad

For many of us, our dads are the pillar of strengths in our lives, standing up for the family when the chips are down, making sure everyone is well provided for and basically being there for us whenever we stumble and fall down. While you might have laughed at him recently for not knowing what an iPhone is or wondering why are people lining up outside the Sprint store to get the Palm Pre, why not help him stay slightly up to date by getting him a new handset this Father’s Day instead of using his monochrome display cellphone from Ericsson before they entered into a joint venture with Sony? If you’re thinking along that lines, AT&T has just the package for you with the Samsung Eternity this Father’s Day, boasting a special price of just $79.99 - it definitely won’t be able to get any better than this.

The Samsung Eternity isn’t exactly the newest handset around, but at least it will be able to handle just about anything the average phone user would do with one. For instance, you get a 3.2″ touchscreen display that is all the rage these days, complete with a full QWERTY keypad that makes instant messaging and emailing a snap. The inclusion of AT&T Mobile Music alongside Napster Mobile offers dad the chance to sit back and relax with his favorite tunes wherever he is, while the 3.0 megapixel camera allows him to capture the more tender moments during family gatherings. In addition, the Eternity’s browser offers the ability to navigate pages with the touch of a finger, where he’ll think its the next best thing since sliced bread (that’s because he hasn’t tried out the iPhone’s Safari browser…)

In addition to all the above, you can further personalize your gift for dad thanks to support from several of AT&T’s most popular services, including AT&T Mobile TV for the TV fan that offers full-length, broadcast-quality live and time-shifted television programming from 12 leading news and entertainment brands including CBS Mobile, CNBC, Comedy Central, ESPN Mobile TV, FOX Mobile, FOX News, MSNBC, MTV, NBC2Go and Nickelodeon, as well as programming exclusive to AT&T customers from CNN Mobile and the movie channel Sony Crackle (formerly Sony PIX). Unlimited access for this service starts from $15 monthly - small price to pay considering the hundreds he spent on you each month at college. Needless to say, this $79.99 offer will be tied down to a 2-year contract, where by that time, dad ought to move on to the iPhone 3G by then.

Press Release

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Top producing Unit for Nokia, Chennai, India

Nokia’s Chennai factory is now the Finnish giant’s largest cellphone manufacturing facility by volume in the world, edging past China.

China has two factories while Chennai has one. Nokia’s Chennai plant has now gone past the larger of the two Chinese factories, which till date was the company’s largest in the world.

While the company refuses to divulge the annual capacity at its Chennai factory, a senior member of its global planning team said the unit is now indeed its largest manufacturing facility. Unofficial reports suggest Chennai manufactures over 100 million phones every year.

Interestingly, women make up over 70% of the 8,000-strong employee pool at the Chennai plant and are involved in a mix of running productions lines, maintenance and assembly & testing operations.
Nokia operates nine state-of-the-art mobile phone manufacturing units in India, Finland, China, Korea, Mexico, Brazil, Romania and Hungary.

“The Chennai factory is the largest in Nokia’s global ecosystem, although the dynamics in terms of product line vary in each market. But the international markets that we serve out of Chennai have seen the largest growth in terms of volume. At present, Nokia ships GSM phones from the Chennai factory to over 50 markets spanning South-East Asia-Pacific (including Australia), India, the Middle East and Africa,” said the senior official who did not wish to be named.

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Solar Powered Phone

Leading mobile handset manufacturer Samsung launched a low-cost solar-powered mobile phone, and said it was planning to introduce about 20 more models by year-end.

The new handset, launched under its low-cost line of products -- "Guru" -- at a price of Rs 2,799, has a solar panel on the back, which can be used to charge the battery anywhere the sun is shining.

"We have developed this phone keeping in minds the needs of the consumers, especially for people in areas where the electric supply is unstable," said J S Shin, president and chief executive of Samsung, Southwest Asia.

The phone, christened the "Guru E1107", can provide around 5-10 minutes of talk-time with one-hour of solar charging when the handset is turned off and sunlight has adequate intensity.

"Solar charging can give you enough time to make few important calls when there is no electricity or you are not close to a plug point," said Sunil Dutt, country head of Samsung India. The battery will attain full power with about 40 hours of solar charging.

"But that is really not the intention behind the launch of this phone. It is to enable customers to make a call when there is no electricity," said Dutt.

The handset, the 11th model in the Guru series, will be in shops by month-end. The first few batches of Guru E1107 will be imported from South Korea. Samsung has already launched about 20 models this year and plans to take this number to about 40 across categories.

Asked whether the company would consider introducing solar charging features in high-end phones, Dutt said, "We would definitely consider doing so."

Samsung, which has invested about $44 million in developing its mobile manufacturing facility in Noida, also has ambitious plans for the huge Indian mobile market.

"Our market share is in the early double digits currently. We plan to increase it by about 5-6 per cent this year," said a company official.

The company is also planning to introduce in India its solar-powered touchscreen mobile handset, Blue Earth - unveiled at a technology conference in Barcelona, Spain early this year.

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HTC launches Touch Diamond2 in India

HTC Corporation has launched its latest flagship smartphone, HTC Touch Diamond2 in the Indian market.

The 13.7mm thick Touch Diamond2 has 3.2-inch high-resolution wide-screen VGA display and packs a new touch sensitive zoom bar for faster zooming.

Touch Diamond2 has 5 megapixel auto focus camera, expandable memory, gravity sensor and an ambient light sensor. For connectivity, the phone has 3G, Wi-Fi, EDGE and Bluetooth with A2DP.

The company has also introduced a new people-centric communication approach, providing a single contact view that displays the individual conversation history of contacts regardless of voice, text or email used.

The phone is also equipped with HTC's latest TouchFLO 3D interface. The company has also introduced a Push Internet technology, which relieves slow downloading and rendering of Web pages on a mobile phone.

The new HTC Touch Diamond2 comes with a price tag of Rs 29,990.

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Waterproof EXILIM 5.1 Megapixel Phone

Verizon Wireless and Casio today finally officially announced the EXILIM phone, a waterproof, 5.1-megapixel camera phone with a swiveling screen and 3x optical zoom.

The EXILIM will be Verizon's best camera phone, and it might be the best phone to take to the beach this year. But I will always remember it as the phone that was pre-announced by a pair of soft porn style videos on YouTube, which were pulled down as soon as horrified Verizon and Casio execs discovered what their rogue PR agency had done.

The EXILIM is the follow-up to Verizon's waterproof Gz'One phones, and it's apparently just as rugged as those blockier devices. But it's a lot less noticeable - it looks like a normal flip phone. Other features, along with the high-end camera, include the usual GPS, visual voice mail, Rhapsody music, memory card slot and Bluetooth.

The EXILIM is also the first phone with optical zoom to be released by a US carrier since the Samsung SCH-A970 back in 2005.

The EXILIM is available today for $279.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year contract. Prices go up to $449.99 for month-to-month contracts.

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Magellan RoadMate 1475T hits the streets

Magellan hasn’t exactly lit up the world with its offerings of late, but it is nice to know that they’re still in the GPS navigation system game with their latest device, the RoadMate 1475T. This model from MiTAC Digital Corp. will bring together premium features in a relatively compact body to make sure that you’ll always reach your destination using the most efficient route possible, regardless of whether this is your first time in a foreign land or not. What makes the Magellan RoadMate 1475T special is its ability to be equipped with traffic-enabled device (VPA) that offers subscription free, real-time traffic alerts, incidents and road congestion reports, letting you avoid all the potential traffic hotspots in the area..

Just like many other new models in the Magellan RoadMate series, the Magellan RoadMate 1475T will boast the revolutionary OneTouch favorites menu which will place personally selected addresses and searches within a mere click away. Once the user has identified and stored his/her preferred banks, restaurants and other destinations into the OneTouch favorites menu, they’re easily accessible regardless of where they travel, as the RoadMate 1475T dispenses with the closest preferred destinations there and then. In addition, the Magellan RoadMate series comes with searchable AAA TourBook listings that comprise of AAA Diamond Rated restaurants and lodgings, alongside attractions, events and campgrounds, making it much easier to plan your trip whenever you hit the road. You can also access AAA-Approved Auto Repair shops and businesses that offer AAA member discounts through the listings, and Magellan assures you they won’t bring you round the block like a headless chicken as all listings include the exact GPS location.

Features of the Magellan RoadMate 1475T include :-

* New 4.7-inch, WQVGA - color, anti-glare touch-screen display in an ultra-thin design
* Acclaimed easy-to-use OneTouch favorites drop-down menu with personalized search icons to easily find favorite places
* Features AAA TourBook listings and member Roadside Assistance menu
* 6 million points of interest (POI)
* Spoken street name guidance tells the user the street name and which way to turn before each maneuver
* Highway Lane Assist points the user in the right direction and ensures the correct lane will be chosen before the next interchange or exit
* Highway Exit POI search let the user find gas stations, restaurants and hotels near upcoming exits
* QuickSpell with New SmartCity Search intelligently narrows searches and checks spelling when entering addresses
* Offers multi-destination routing with route optimization lets the user plan trips with multiple stops in the order they want or optimize a trip for the most efficient route, saving them time and money
* Includes NAVTEQ maps of the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico

Expect to fork out a relatively affordable $299 for this puppy.

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What Processor Is in the iPhone 3G S?

From a chip standpoint, this is one of the key questions of the iPhone 3G S launch. And one which Apple doesn't seem too inclined to answer, at least at the moment.

Which processor is in the iPhone 3G S? Odds are that it's an ARM chip, as the Samsung ARM 11 was the chip used by the previous iPhone 3G. But the real question is whether or not it's a chip from the PA Semi team that Apple acquired for $278 million in 2008.

The issue is the instruction set. Apple's iPhone OS is written for the ARM architecture, will be available for the iPhone 3G and the new 3G S; if Apple planned to move to a new processor architecture, the iPhone OS 3.0 would not straddle both phones. So we can assume that the 3G S is an ARM phone.

Unfortunately, Apple wasn't talking. I interviewed Bob Borchers, senior director of iPhone worldwide product marketing, who declined to comment on the chip's speeds, architecture, which company designed it, or even if it was an ARM architecture. "Within the mobile space we're mainly talking about what you can do with it," Borchers said.

What we don't know, as phone analyst Sascha Segan points out, is what particular flavor of ARM chip it is. Is it a Freescale Cortex chip? A more prosaic ARM derivative, merely clocked higher? My notes show that Apple's characterizations of the iPhone 3G S performance focused on four key"benchmarks": the ability to lauch messages (2.1 times faster than the 3G), loading SimCity (2.4 times faster), viewing an Excel attachment (3.6 times faster) and loading the The New York Times.

According to Borchers, those metrics indicate "real-world things that make a difference". The software's new voice control options and the ability to edit video on the fly are two other indications of the software's performance, Borchers said.

On the plus side, the new iPhone 3G S also includes substantially more battery life, as Sascha Segan captured with his camera in our liveblog story: nine hours of Wi-Fi time for the iPhone 3G S versus six hours for the iPhone 3G; thirty hours of audio versus twenty-four for the iPhne 3G; and twelve hours of 2G talk time for the 3G S versus ten for the older 3G. That seems to indicate a process shrink, or shrinks, as well as some improved power management capabilities.

One other bit of news: there is no 802.11n in the iPhone 3G S, according to Borchers.

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New iPhone finally gets video and Lot more

At the World Wide Development Conference, the new iPhone, dubbed iPhone 3GS (speed) introduces a much faster interface and processor, cut and paste, yada yada yada, but what iPhone fans will really enjoy is the new 3MP camera with autofocus, auto white balance, and VIDEO!

BUt that isn’t more. Not only can users capture those priceless moments in video, but they can also edit those clips with the new editing app and then upload either to YouTube, Mobile Me, or email.

The camera shoots in standard definition VGA with audio and at 30 frames per second. Users can also swap between still photo and video mode on the fly. And a new API will enable integration of video capture into applications so that apps of the future will enable the video feature to it’s fullest potential.

There are plenty of other features as well, including vastly improved battery life, a digital compass, voice control, remote wipe in case users find they’re in the unfortunately position of having their iPhone lost or stolen, but the video option means that long weekends and vacations can now be enjoyed and remembered on the fly without lugging around yet another camcorder for video. Very nice.

Cost is $199 for 16GB, 299 for 32 gigs, and the 8GB stays at $99. Comes in black or white and is available June 19th.

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Pharos Traveler 137 GPS Smartphone

Most smartphones these days come with GPS navigation capability, but they were made by companies that have phones as their primary business. Turn the tables around and you’ll get the Pharos Traveler 137 GPS Smartphone - this is a GPS unit with cellphone capabilities, or should we call it a cellphone with GPS navigation skills? Regardless of what you classify it under, we’re pretty sure you’d be well pleased with the following specifications :-

• Qualcomm MSM7201A 528MHz Processor
• 3.5” WVGA 480 x 800, 65K color TFT LCD with touch panel
• Tri-band AWS 1700/1900/2100 MHz, UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA: 384K/7.2M/2Mbps
• Quad-band 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, GSM/GPRS/EDGE
• Built-in GPS
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity
• FM transmitter
• 3.1-megapixel camera
• 0.3-megpaixel front camera
• Free real-time traffic, gas price, movie and weather information

This cute little number will retail for $599.95 - pretty hefty since it comes unlocked and is not subsidized by any carrier.

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Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference 2009

The Apple WWDC: For developers, it's another opportunity to join the thousands of application makers who want to be part of the Apple ecosystem. But for fans and customers, it's another opportunity for Apple to release some cool new toys.

Anticipation of a new iPhone is running high; the Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg virtually confirmed that he had one in his hot little hands. New rumored capabilities include video recording, uploading to YouTube, and movie downloads via Wi-Fi; plus improved battery life. ("Rumors roundup" image courtesy of TGRBlog.com; click to enlarge.)

It's been just about a year since the release of the iPhone 3G, which solved the problems associated with the first iPhone: namely, lack of a high-speed 3G connection. But as you'll note in our review, some of the first iPhone 3Gs were plagued with reception and delay problems.

Sascha Segan and I will be in San Francisco, huddled in line along with the rest of the Apple faithful. Sometime before 10 A.M. Pacific, 1 P.M. Eastern, we'll take our places in the Moscone Center auditorium, waiting for the next update to the iPhone, and possibly Apple's lineup of iPods as well. Join us then for our live blog of the event!

Sony Ericsson goes green with GreenHeart phones

It is nice to see companies taking more responsibility in keeping the planet clean with each product release without sacrificing on performance, such as LCD monitors and now, cellphones. Sony Ericsson just unveiled a couple of GreenHeart pioneer products that underline the efforts the company is taking when it comes to environmental sustainability, featuring eco-friendly products that won’t compromise on product design and functionality. The two handsets on parade today would be the C901 GreenHeart as pictured as well as the Naite.

The flagship C901 GreenHeart will comprise of an electronic, in-phone manual that does away with the standard paper version - good thinking on their part. Now all they need to do is to sell a gazillion of these handsets in order to make a real, significant impact when it comes to deforestation prevention. Well, sarcasm aside, this move looks set to save more than 90% in paper, further reducing the environmental impact during transportation of the final product as it would mean a more compact packaging. As for the case, the C901 GreenHeart handset uses at least 50% recycled plastics within, while the optimized display light sensor will further reduce your carbon footprint.

Interestingly enough, the Sony Ericsson C901 GreenHeart will be equipped with a WalkMate application that enables users to literally walk the talk as it goes about calculating the exact number of steps you’ll take in an equivalent journey traveled by car, showing how much CO² you save in the process whenever you walk to your destination instead of drive.

Some of the features found on the Sony Ericsson C901 GreenHeart will include :-

• Smile shutter
• One-click uploading
• Face Detection
• GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
• UMTS/HSPA 900/2100.
• 5 megapixel camera with 16x digital zoom and xenon flash
• Video recording capability
• Bluetooth stereo A2DP connectivity
• 2.2″ 240 x 320 resolution TFT scratch-resistant display
• Memory Stick Micro slot

Quickoffice Announces Major Update for iPhone Suite

I recently reviewed Quickoffice Mobile Office Suite 1.1.1 for the iPhone, and found that it's a capable first stab at a document editing program--with some serious omissions. It turns out that Quickoffice has been listening. The company just announced version 1.2, which includes a number of additional features--including some that should have been there in version 1.0.

For Quicksheet, the Excel file editor, users can now edit cells in landscape mode. In addition, Quicksheet now supports direct double-tap cell editing in both landscape and portrait mode; copy and paste for columns, rows and cells; improved formula building; and the ability to add a new sheet within a worksheet.

Meanwhile, Quickword (the Word document editor) adds auto-correct--hooray!--along with auto-capitalization; a search function; indentation level adjustments for bulleted lists, numbered lists and paragraphs; and double tapping space bar to enter a period. Finally, Quickoffice Files now lets you run slideshows of images for remote and local folders, and you can also bookmark the last viewed position in a given document.

The updates are free to all current owners, and will apply both to the full $19.99 suite as well as the individual $12.99 apps. Quickoffice already submitted the updated versions to Apple and are just waiting for approval before they can appear in the App Store.