Canon PowerShot SD880 IS

The 10 megapixel PowerShot SD880 IS Digital Elph is the follow up to the popular SD870 IS, and what a worthy successor it is. It's capable of producing truly excellent pictures for a camera of its size and it has nice components for a sub $300 model including a wide angle lens and optical image stabilization. There are a couple weaknesses, but nothing that keeps it from being an excellent point and shoot camera.

At 6.3 ounces and measuring 3.7 inches wide by 2.2 inches high by 0.9 inch deep, it'll fit more comfortably in a pants or coat pocket than a shirt pocket, but it's by no means big. Compared with the SD870 IS, the SD880 IS has the latest version of Canon's image processing engine, Digic 4, jumps from 8 megapixels to 10, and offers a few more scene modes. The 4x f2.8-5.8 28-112mm lens is a highlight of the camera the wide angle is so nice to have on a camera this small, and it's a tad longer zoom than on the SD870.

It also records video using the H.264 codec instead of Motion JPEG. The directional pad is pretty standard; instead it's the thumb dial that adds interest here. In SCN mode, the dial is used for rifling through your options. It's also used for swapping between Auto and Program in Shooting mode and tone control in Video. It works well, but you can barely feel stops when spinning the dial making it just a little too easy to switch out of whichever mode you want.

The dial can be used for navigating Menu settings, too. Overall, I like the key design and wheel, but I can also see it confusing new users to the point of frustration. The buttons have a pillowy, convex shape, which is not only attractive, but makes for unmistakable presses. The Print and Share button can be turned into a shortcut key to access one of nine shooting functions. As for performance, the SD880 IS is fractionally slower than the first rate SD870 IS.

Time to first shot is 1.2 seconds and you can shoot again in 1.9 seconds. Shutter lag was great just 0.4 second in bright conditions and 0.8 in dim. The only marked decrease in speed is if you're using the flash. The shot to shot time extends to 3.2 seconds, which is a generally slow time and nearly a second longer than the SD870 IS. The typical burst speed is a respectable 1.4 frames per second.

The 3 inch Canon PureColor LCD II performed well in direct light and has a wide viewing angle. More impressive than the SD880 IS's speed is the picture quality. Colors were always natural and vibrant. White balance was accurate and pictures showed good detail and sharpness at ISO 200 and below. Also, if you take a lot of landscape photos, note that the SD880 IS is prone to fringing. Video is better than average considering it tops out at 640x480.

Kodak EasyShare M1033

Measuring 2.3 inches tall by 3.7 inches wide by 0.8 inch deep, the M1033 slides easily into a back pocket, and at 5.2 ounces, it won't weigh you down, either. The camera's mostly metal body comes in six colors black, silver, pink, copper, red, and gray feels sturdy, and has a clear cut design, so you can hand the camera to anyone and let them shoot away. Buttons for the shutter, power, flash, and mode selections are on top, flush with the body, adding to the camera's streamlined looks.

On back is a 3 inch LCD that's bright enough to remain visible in sunlight. A relatively large rocker zoom switch for the 3x 35-105mm equivalent f3.1-5.7 lens is well positioned to the top left of the screen. Below it sits a five way joystick for navigating menus and for the playing of images and video. That's flanked by Delete, Playback, Menu, and Kodak's standard Share button, which lets you tag an image to be printed or e-mailed the next time the camera is connected to a computer.

Powering on to first shot takes 1.7 seconds on average and typically takes the same amount of time from shot to shot. Using the flash adds nearly a second to that. Shutter lag is very good for its class at only 0.4 second in bright conditions and 0.9 in dim. Burst mode offers only a three shot spurt in approximately 1.4 seconds. It's important to note that if you let it by pressing the shutter button completely rather than halfway and waiting for a focus confirmation will take a picture without locking focus.

This does let you capture images extremely quickly, but they'll frequently be blurry. Press the Mode button and you get four options Smart Capture, Program, Scene, and Video. Smart Capture mode integrates scene and face detection, optimized auto ISO, and a broader dynamic range among other things, so you truly don't have to worry about a setting to take a decent picture. This mode also applies Kodak's PerfectTouch technology to help improve detail and contrast.

In general this system works, producing fine photos regardless of subject or lighting conditions. Which is good, since the camera always starts in Smart Capture, regardless of your settings at power off. Kodak EasyShare M1033 also has 22 Scene modes you can switch to in seconds. These include standards like portrait and landscape as well as things like in camera panorama (left to right and right to left), candle light, panning, and blur reduction. The Program mode gives you slightly more control for exposure compensation and metering, color (natural, low, black and white, sepia), white balance, and ISO. It's nice to have, though I'm not sure it's wholly necessary.

Panasonic TC-P54V10

The same basic story stays true for the TC-PV10 series, but it's even better than the G10. This Panasonic plasma has the same deep blacks that grace its less expensive little brother, and adds a couple of key improvements: better video processing to handle 1080p/24 sources, and more picture adjustments that allow it to transcend the limitations of THX mode. Its picture should satisfy all but the pickiest of videophiles, and it also outperforms any LCD based display, LED or otherwise, we've ever tested.

Beyond image quality, the V10 delivers plenty of features and an eye catching one sheet of glass design, for a combination that deserves serious consideration from buyers willing to pay for it. The 50 inch Panasonic TC-P50V10, but this review also applies to the 54 inch Panasonic TC-P54V10. The two sizes share identical specs and should have very similar picture quality.

The Panasonic TC-PV10 series also includes 58 and 65 inch models, but we will review those larger sizes separately when review samples are available later in 2009. Panasonic TC-PV10 is one sleek plasma. Its main external differentiator is what the company calls "one sheet of glass" design, where a pane of glass extends beyond the edge of the screen and over the bezel itself, leading to a seamless look that's even more impressive in person than in pictures.

(It's worth noting that only the 50 and 54 inch models feature the one sheet design the larger members of the series have the more traditional, visually separate bezel around the screen). The V10 series eschews the relatively bright silver fade along the bottom of the frame seen on the company's step down TC-PG10 models, instead opting for a much subtler silver accent that arcs slightly upward in the middle.

We think the V10 looks more attractive and sophisticated than the G10, and indeed it's one of the coolest looking TV designs we've seen this year. As Panasonic's nearly top of the line plasma series, excepting the Z1, the V10 models offer a couple of extras. One is the ability to refresh the screen at 96Hz, which allows the TV to properly maintain the cadence of film when fed a 1080p/24 source typically from a Blu-ray player (the refresh rate remains fixed at the standard 60Hz for non-1080p/24 sources).

The V10 also has a 48Hz setting, but we recommend using 96Hz instead since the 48Hz option can introduce flicker. (Here's where we mention that, like all Panasonic plasmas, the V10's spec sheet includes mention of a 600Hz subfield drive. Our best advice is to ignore this spec it has no visible bearing on picture quality, aside from a slight improvement in motion resolution that's extremely difficult to see.)

Panasonic TC-P50G10

Panasonic announced the TC-PG10 series at CES, we immediately knew it would go up against the Kuro in our lab. What we didn't know is that Pioneer would stop producing HDTVs, leaving the hill wide open for anybody to claim the king's throne. Panasonic G10 series is the new king. No, it's not as good overall as the soon to be extinct Kuro Elite, but it comes closer than ever in the arena of black level performance, and mounts a good fight in just about every other field of picture quality, with the exception of some color accuracy issues.

Panasonic steeped the G10 in extra features compared with its less expensive brethren, adding a THX mode that's largely responsible for its excellent picture, along with VieraCast for access to a limited range of Internet extras. The downside, as always, is that it costs significantly more than lower end models, but if you're looking for the best picture quality in a post Kuro world. The Panasonic TC-PG10 series is the safest bet so far this year.

The 46 inch model, the TC-P46G10 ($1,699 street price), but our remarks on picture quality also apply to at least two other models in the series, the 42 inch TC-P42G10 ($1,299) and the 50 inch TC-P50G10 ($1,999) all three share identical specifications except screen size. The largest model in the series, the TC-P54G10, also shares similar specifications, but the screen size difference is great enough to warrant another hands on evaluation when that model becomes available.

Samsung Preston S5600

Samsung Preston S5600 mobile phone in global market. Boasting a compact design and intuitive usability, the new smartphone answers today’s customer needs of a full touch phone at an affordable price. Supporting 3G networks, Samsung is able to expand its full touch product portfolio and target various consumers.

Prior to the market availability, Samsung Preston has attracted tremendous market interest and demands. Samsung Preston attracts style conscious users with its slim and compact design. Full Internet browsing support with an accelerometer sensor for auto rotation also gives users exciting mobile Internet experiences via 7.2 Mbps HSDPA connectivity.

Equipped with a 2.8 inch QVGA full touch screen, Samsung Preston adopted the TouchWiz User Interface and "Gesture Lock" feature, designed to customize and personalize the way you use your phone. Mobile widgets can be placed on the screen for one click access to your favorite applications.

Samsung Preston comes with a 3.2 mega pixel camera, Music Recognition using Shazam's "Find Music" service, and Multi codec support including H.263, MPEG4, and WMV. The handset's generous memory (80MB and Micro SD slot up to 8GB) ensures ample storage space for multimedia content. Samsung Preston will be available in Sweet pink, Snow white, and Charcoal grey colors. Samsung S5600 Preston will be available in Europe and Asia.

Samsung Jet S8000

Samsung Jet mobile phone offers the very best in speed, power, and dominant performance and will be at the subject of Samsung’s latest advertising campaign 'Impatience is a Virtue'. Samsung S8000 Jet is not simply another full touch mobile phone it is the must have product for those who live fast paced lives and want to pack more of everything in their day.

Samsung Jet epitomises speed, quality and choice with vivid display and a super fast processor which makes Jet the fastest full touch handset on the market today. Samsung Jet also supports the latest smartphone features which include multi task manager and Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, bringing user friendly menu navigations in a sleek and compact design. Samsung Jet cell phone will be supported by a £5 million advertising campaign ‘Impatience is a Virtue'.

The campaign will run during the months of July and August and will challenge the assumption that impatience is bad, and look to emphasise how consumers increasingly want more of everything in their day to day life and how new Samsung Jet can provide this. Samsung Jet smartphone boasts worlds first in both display technology and speed of performance.

Its pioneering 16M WVGA AMOLED display (3.1") offers the most vivid and colorful full touch mobile experience available the WVGA AMOLED screen provides a resolution that is four times higher than a WQVGA screen. Its 800MHz application processor delivers breathtaking speed and stunning performance, making Jet the fastest full touch handset on the market today.

With its eye catching brilliant screen, Samsung's latest TouchWiz 2.0 user interface gives an unrivalled user experience and includes iconic new features such as motion UI, smart unlock, customisable widget screen, which are all perfect for managing your life at work and at play giving you what you want, faster than ever before..

MSI X340

MSI X340 is the first laptop we've reviewed with the single core SU3500 processor, and it seems like an excellent test case a superslim 13 inch that reminds us of much more expensive systems such as the Dell Adamo or MacBook Air, albeit with a much more plastic feel. At the same time, MSI X340 ends up in the same murky middle ground as systems with AMD's new Neo processor that are aimed at Netbook users who want to trade up to a bit more power for a bit more money, but without buying a standard sub-$1,000 Intel Core 2 Duo mainstream laptop, or Apple's $999 basic 13 inch MacBook.

We've never met anyone who admitted being part of this highly specific target demographic. But while X340's price may seem excessive viewed through the prism of low power 11 and 12 inch Netbooks, it seems much more reasonable when compared with traditional ultraportable systems or the aforementioned slim 13 inch models, which can cost $1,500 to $2,000 or more.

MSI X340 scores points for feeling much lighter than it looks like it should. It's also among the slimmer 13 inch systems we've seen, matching up nicely with the MacBook Air and Dell Adamo. The somewhat schizophrenic chassis mars the look a little, with a glossy black lid and screen bezel, but a matte black keyboard tray and wrist rest.

The large flat key keyboard is similar to what you'd find on an Apple or Sony laptop, and is well laid out, with the exception of a shortened right shift key and a shortened backspace key, which made it far too easy to hit the "Home" key just to its right. Our main complaint was that the keyboard flexed a great deal while typing, making the entire system feel flimsy. The large, indented touch pad gave us plenty of room to mouse, but we'd prefer separate left and right mouse buttons, rather than the one long rocker style button included here.

The F5 key is also labeled "Eco," and using it with the Fn function key cycles through several screen brightness presets, including a very dim "turbo battery" mode. The 13.4 inch display has a 1,366x768 pixel native resolution, standard for a 16:9 display this size. While it lacks the clean looking edge to glass of more expensive 13 inch systems, this display was clear and bright, and not excessively glossy.

Samsung Tocco

Although it is considered a trend, not everybody seems keen to rely solely on a touchscreen, and it are exactly these consumers that demand a general keypad. They're hesitant to switch to a full touchscreen operated mobile phone. The solution for this group is the Samsung Tocco. This mobile phone combines a general numeric keypad with a touchscreen, thus providing the user with two operating options.

Samsung Tocco handset (also called Samsung Ultra Touch, and Samsung S8300), with the included accessories located one level below. The phone comes standard with a battery charger, a headset, a memory card of 1GB including adapter, a data cable, instruction manuals and a software CD. Samsung Tocco can be considered compact yet bulky at the same time it may seem reasonably compact for a touchscreen phone, but for a slider, it is still rather bulky.

The handset is colored in grey or black with several red details. The edge around the screen is brushed aluminum and quite scratch prone, unlike the rest of the phone. The first impression is good, although the phone is slightly smaller than expected it to be. Samsung Tocco is its dual operation touchscreen and general numeric keypad at the same time. The idea is appreciated people who are not sure whether they like a touchscreen will still get a chance to work with it.

In fact, the common keys are superfluous, since every action can be done via the touchscreen. It is simply an extra option to enter phone numbers or write text messages. From experience, we know that you will start by using the keys, but from there you will soon move on to the touchscreen. It only takes some time to get used to, and it really does work well. You'd soon open the phone when in use, even if you don't use the keys.

Personally, I don't really like the phone's hand-fit when using the keys. As said before, the handset is just a tad too big for a slider phone. You will really notice it when sending a text message using one hand the space bar is located bottom right, and if you use it, the phone becomes top heavy.

You also have to confirm every setting via the touchscreen, there are no general keys available below the screen except for the answer or end call buttons. However, it is always an extra option to fall back on if you prefer not to use the touchscreen for sending text messages. I expect the user to work via the touchscreen in the end, which makes the phone needlessly heavy and bulky due to the available numeric keys.

Samsung Alias 2

Samsung Alias 2 mobile phone, also known as Samsung SCH-U750, gives you the convenience of a QWERTY keypad in a unique flip style format. The Samsung Alias 2 cell phone from Verizon Wireless has the same dual hinge design that made the original Alias a hit, but Alias 2 adds a touch of magic a Magic Key keypad using e-ink technology. In phone mode, it’s a standard phone keypad.

But in texting mode, the keys change into a full QWERTY keypad. It makes everything you do faster and easier. Samsung Alias 2 handset also has a large 2.6" QVGA display for crisper, clearer viewing, a 2.0 megapixel digital camera and dedicated hot keys for one touch access to the features you use most. Who says sequels are never better than the originals?

Samsung Alias 2 mobile phone has the same dual hinge design that made the original Alias so special open one way to call and open the other way to text. And with One Touch Access, you will always be one touch away from texting, Bluetooth, Visual Voicemail, games and more. With a Bluetooth headset you can go hands free and wireless with the Samsung Alias 2. Now it's easier than ever to carry on conversations without putting your job (or your life) on hold.

Casio Exilim C721

Casio has decided to combine the Exilim camera brand with its rugged handset philosophy, resulting in Casio Exilim C721, possibly the country's first high end megapixel camera phone built to be water and shock resistant. Indeed, the C721 has a 5.1 megapixel camera with plenty of features that rival that of standalone point and shoots. It even has a rotating display that fold out to act as a camera viewfinder. On top of that, it comes with a music player, EV-DO Rev.

A, and a HTML Web browser. If you want a high quality feature phone built to withstand the elements, Casio Exilim C721 is certainly the one to get. Still, the C721 won't be cheap it'll cost $279.99 with a two year service agreement and a $50 mail in rebate, which is pricier than most smartphones. Casio Exilim C721 does not look a thing like a ruggedized phone. Unlike its G'zOne brethren, Casio Exilim C721 has a sleek, smooth, and stylish exterior, which is more indicative of the Exilim brand.

You would never think that the Exilim C721 is military certified (under code MIL-STD 810F) to withstand immersion in water, blowing rain, shock, dust, vibration salt fog, humidity, solar radiation, and high altitudes. The chassis is a hard plastic shell, and the headset and microSD ports are protected with tight rubber seals. There's also a slide lock mechanism for the battery cover.

Though we didn't submit Casio Exilim C721 to the same battery of tests as the military, we did dunk it in water and throw it on the floor a few times to test its durability. It kept on working without a problem. We even managed to take a couple of photos with the camera while it was still in a tank of water. Measuring 4.06 inches long by 1.97 inches wide by 0.77 inch thick and weighing 4.76 ounces, Casio Exilim C721 is wide yet slim, and has a nice solid heft in the hand.

The entire front surface of Casio Exilim C721 is clad in glossy black save for the Verizon logo at the bottom. However, if you activate the phone, you will see a monochrome OLED display that shows the signal strength, battery life, and a digital or analog clock (you can choose the clock format in the settings). It also displays caller ID, and if you have any new messages or missed calls. It even shows the currently playing track if you have the music player activated.

Of course, it doesn't support photo caller ID, and you can't adjust things like backlight or font size. On the left of the phone are a microSD card slot and a charging pad. On the right are a headset jack, a back button that doubles as a rewind or previous track key for the music player, volume controls that can be used to navigate the camera's menu and as camera zoom controls when in camera mode, a side control key that can only be used in camera mode for selecting functions and settings, and the camera shutter button. On the back of Casio Exilim C721 are the camera lens, a very bright LED flash that can also act as a flashlight, and an external speaker.

Sony Ericsson W995a

Despite its many features, Sony Ericsson W995a manages to be rather compact (3.8 inches tall by 1.9 inches wide by 0.6 inch thick) and lightweight (4.0 ounces). The phone travels well and it has a solid feel, but we noticed that the slider mechanism wobbled just a bit. The W995a comes in progressive black, cosmic silver, and energetic red, though the features are the same on all models. Sony Ericsson W995a's real estate is dominated by a gorgeous 2.6 inch display.

Supporting 16.7 million colors (320x240 pixels), it lends itself well to still graphics, photos, and simple animations. The menu interface is standard Sony Ericsson you can choose from four styles, but we consider the list and grid options to be the most intuitive. You can adjust the brightness to your liking. Sony Ericsson can stumble when designing navigation controls, but the W995's come off pretty well.

The circular toggle and central OK button are large and pleasantly tactile. The surrounding navigation controls, which are shaped like half circles, are a bit small, but they're also raised above the surface of the phone. You'll find two soft keys, a clear button, and a control that activates a user customizable shortcut menu. Spacious Talk and End or power keys sit on either side of its navigation array. The keypad doesn't fare quite as well, unfortunately.

The buttons are rather small and they have a slippery feel. Compared with other slider phones we could dial without looking, but it wasn't the most comfortable experience for rapid dialing or texting. Also, we're worried about long term durability since the area that surrounds the keys "gives" just a bit when we pressed down. It's worth noting that a similar phone the Sony Ericsson W580i developed cracks over time.

On the left spine you'll find a Walkman player shortcut and the proprietary Sony Ericsson headset jack. We're hoping that before too long Sony Ericsson joins other manufacturers in moving to a standard Micro-USB charger connection. On the right spine are a camera shortcut, music player controls, and a volume rocker. The latter doubles as a zoom control for the camera, though it's a little too small for our tastes.

The 3.5 millimeter headset jack rests conveniently on the top of the phone between stereo speakers. You'll be able to use your own headset while carrying the phone in a pocket. On the rear side are the camera lens, flash, and kickstand. The former two are in the top right corner so that Sony Ericsson W995a resembles a standalone camera from behind. The camera controls are easily accessible when the phone is the horizontal position just be sure to keep your fingers out of the way.

As we mentioned, you can use the kickstand to prop the W995 on a table without resting it against your hand or a book. It certainly makes for convenient media viewing, though the kickstand's hinge is rather loose. We'd prefer that it click into place in the open position. And for what it's worth, we'd like it even better if the display offered better video quality.

Nokia E75

Nokia E75 smartphone is expected to prolong the success of its predecessor, at which the Nokia messaging feature is very likely to help. One difference between this service and a comparable one such as that of BlackBerry, is that the latter settles for any company network, whereas the Nokia user is dependent on Nokia's network. "Designed for the way we manage our business" this is Nokia's message on the box of Nokia E75.

The visual messages on the box imply Nokia E75 is meant for all round communication. You can gain access to all your email accounts in three steps select 'set email' and start the program. Select manage email account and enter your password, whereupon you, as a Nokia E75 owner, are ready to communicate with the outside world. Nokia E75 has a high quality appearance. The handset features attractive curves and fairly compact dimensions.

Nokia E75 feels solid partly thanks to the materials used. When we slide the device sideways to open it, a QWERTY keyboard appears. In horizontal position, Nokia E75 lies safely and stable in your hand, providing easy operation. The equipment included with Nokia E75 comprises of a set of earplugs (HS-43), USB cable, battery charger, BL-4U Lithium-Ion battery, microSD memory card and an instruction manual. A voice recognition navigation system with maps for a period of 3 months comes with the E75 as a nice extra, although this may vary by region.

For the Nokia E75 review, we received a silver and black version, however the handset is available in several other colors (also depending on the region). Nokia E75 cell phone has a stylish design. Whereas before, the Nokia phone design used to be somewhat conservative, or in other words ordinary and certainly not trendy, Nokia E75 is an eye catcher.

It has a striking appearance and will look good on any desk. The weight of the device is considerable yet not too heavy. It provides essential stability. Compared to its predecessor, the E71, the Nokia E75 is somewhat larger in size. On the other hand, the E71 is wider than the Nokia E75. Altogether, it doesn’t make much of a difference as far as the total dimension is concerned, although personally I do prefer Nokia E75.

The back features a truly attractive finish, and seems to radiate pure luxury. The engraved pattern gives the phone a classic yet modern appearance. The form factor a slider phone with a keyboard that slides open sideways, is new for Nokia. Nokia E75's form factor may in fact signal a new generation of Nokia slider phones.

Toshiba JournE M400

The arrival of digital photo frames allows you to display hundreds of pictures in the living room without having to make prints first. However, some consumers do not settle for slide shows with a preset interval between the pictures they like to have more possibilities with their picture frame. Toshiba meets this demand by launching the JournE series of digital photo frames. The Toshiba M400 supports video, music and even digital TV.

The first thing you notice about the Toshiba M400 is its appearance. The photo frame looks rather bulky and large, due to its dimensions of 12 x 8 x 1.7 cm. However, once you have found the stand on the back of the Toshiba, the device holds its own compared to other photo frames. The Toshiba M400 digital photo frame has attractively chic and durable looking edges. The media player uses a microSD memory card for storage and has a 3mm jack, an on or off slide bar and an expandable antenna.

Everything is well positioned on the media player. Upon activating the media player, a menu similar to that of a TomTom navigation system appears. Instead of routing options, the Toshiba media player allows you to take your pick from music, picture, video, digital TV and radio and settings. The interface is clear, partly thanks to the large buttons and the icons (whether or not clear).

Thanks to the clear menu, you hardly ever, if at all, have to touch the screen twice in order to get the desired action to take place. To my surprise, the operation through the 4.3 inch touchscreen is great, even from the very first touch. The screen feels soft, which makes it very pleasant to navigate by using your finger. Music gets stored on the microSD card and is displayed on the Toshiba the same way you have put it on there, with exactly the same file names etc.

There are two possibilities to listen to your music via the external speaker or via the 3mm jack. The external speaker produces a reasonable sound if you put the M400 on its stand. Naturally, it is impossible to produce a similar sound to that of a genuine speaker, but the M400's external speaker is well on its way. If you listen to the music through headphones or earplugs, you get a similar music quality. The music sound is pleasantly flat: kick, bass, snare and tone, it's all there, nothing more, nothing less.

No music effects that usually deform rather than improve the sound, no equalizer or other music technologies. In almost all cases, this is positive, with the exception of the lounge, soul or R&B genre. Sometimes, these songs sound as if they’re being sung a capella and for these genres, you could have done with music options. It is also annoying there is no possibility to rewind or fast forward your songs. It's not such a problem with songs that last 3 minutes but if you are listening to a mix which lasts for 30 minutes, it would be nice if this option was available.

When you are playing a song, an equalizer animation is played on the screen, but it only serves a visual purpose, nothing else. If you leave this animation to play with your screen on, you will have to recharge the Toshiba M400 very quickly, because it drains the battery faster than the song takes to actually play, as a matter of speech. The Toshiba JournE M400 supports the MP3 format.

Samsung Pixon

Just like many other brands, Samsung too gives its new mobile phones a genuine name. Recently, we have seen this happening with the Samsung INNOV8, the Samsung Omnia, and now once again with the Samsung Pixon. In addition to a more positive feeling, this name giving also offers information about the cell phone, unlike a type number.

For example OMNIA means 'all' in Latin, and applies to the huge applicability of this handset, whilst INNOV8 refers to innovation, 8 Megapixel digital camera and 8GB internal memory, and last but not least; Pixon naturally refers to the integrated digital camera. The mobile phones do not only keep their names but also their type numbers, which means that the mobile phone we have reviewed is called the Samsung Pixon M8800.

Samsung Omnia came in a package bigger than a shoebox, and compared to this, the package of the Samsung Pixon has been kept strikingly compact. On the package, the features of the camera are displayed as well as a same amount of other functions of the mobile phone. Samsung mainly refers to the digital camera when it comes to name, package and promotion of the Pixon.

The included standard accessories are a battery charger, headset, data cable, stylus pen to attach to the phone, a short user manual and a small software CD. Samsung Pixon cell phone sports a 3.2 inch touchscreen monitor. Operation mainly happens via this touchscreen monitor. Furthermore, three buttons are found below the screen. The touchscreen is fairly hard and quite sensitive. However, a brief touch is not enough you have to press somewhat more clearly. Still, the operation is easy and pleasant.

A stylus pen, which can be attached to the phone, is also included, although the pen is not really necessary. The large icons and the clear structure make operation with your finger easy. A standard keypad with T9 functionality is available to insert SMS text messages, however if you tilt the phone; a full digital keyboard becomes available. This is extremely handy, as it means you always have the choice between the two, and quickly switching between them is also possible.

Sony Ericsson Satio

The ultimate multimedia experience with the new Sony Ericsson Satio multimedia mobile phone. Feast your eyes on movies, TV series’ and video clips thanks to the 3.5 inch screen and crystal clear 16:9 wide screen format just like watching them live. A friend pulling a funny pose? Snap them with the amazing 12.1 megapixel digital camera and share the picture with friends.

Sony Ericsson announced Satio which provides you access to all your media in one place just tap directly into your favorite features with the five standby panels and you're ready to go. First introduced in Barcelona as the ‘Sony Ericsson Idou', Satio puts the future of mobile entertainment in the palm of your hand. You can watch your favorite movies on the bus or catch up with your TV shows while on your lunch break thanks to Satio.

Download exciting music, movies and games from Sony Ericsson PlayNow arena to personalise your entertainment experience on Sony Ericsson Satio and enjoy them in crystal clear 16:9 wide screen format. The Sony Ericsson PlayNow arena provides a full range of mobile entertainment available by dual download to both your Personal Computer and mobile phone with specially developed ring tones and music tones and DRM-free music tracks and TrackID charts from around the world.

Sony Ericsson Satio features

• Visual communication like never before
• True 16:9, 3.5 inch wide screen feast your eyes on movies
• Express yourself through images 12.1 megapixel camera
• Intuitive touch focus, Xenon flash and face and smile detection
• Web albums with messages talk through pictures and share info
• Intuitive full touch media menu tap into your favorites, from web pages
• Symbian Foundation operating system 1000+ applications available online
• Music player play your tunes loud and proud
  

Sony Ericsson Satio technical specifications

• Size : 112 x 55 x 13.3 mm
• Weight : 126 grams
• Colors : Black, Silver and Bordeaux
• Main screen : 16.777.216 color nHD TFT
• 16:9 wide screen
• Resolution : 640 x 360 pixels
• Size : 3.5 inches
• Cell phone memory : 128 MB
• Memory Card Support : SanDisk microSD
  

Sony Ericsson Satio mobile phone supports GSM / GPRS / EDGE 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 and UMTS / HSDPA 850 / 900 / 2100. Sony Ericsson Satio multimedia phone will be available in selected markets from early Q4 in the colors Black, Silver and Bordeaux. As soon as we receive a Sony Ericsson Satio test sample, we will publish a photo gallery with high resolution pictures, followed by an extended Sony Ericsson Satio review.

Trueview digital photo streamer

Viewsonic is always on the move to change the digital world as it has revealed threenew digital photo frames that might impress you. The are aprt of the Trueview line of range between 7 inches and also 10.4 inches in size.


The Trueview Digital photo frames Specs:

ViewSonic’s 10.4" VFD1020-12 digital photo frame stylishly displays up to 1,000 of your digital photos

• Features 2GB of internal memory
• Beautiful ebony frame complements any home or office décor
• Slideshow feature lets you customize your viewing
• Ultra-high 800 x 600 resolution shows your photos in brilliant detail
• Load photos using the USB port or your SD, MMC, or MS memory card
• Clock and calendar functions keep you on schedule while still showing your favorite photos
  

Features for the Trueview series are:

• 4:3 aspect ratio displays digital photos without distortion
• Clock and calendar keep you on schedule
• Remote control and easy-to-use on-screen menus
• Slideshow feature lets you add transition effects and vary display speeds
• Supports JPEG photo format
• Supports most popular memory cards
• USB 2.0 port allows for fast photo imports
  

These frames only different when it comes to its resolution. The 7-inch and 8-inch frames sport a 800 x 600 resolution and the 10.4-inch frame has a 1,024 x 768 resolution. You can use these TrueView frames to play slideshows, show static images or you can even display a clock and calendar. These ViewSonic TrueView frames will be available by the end of next month.