RIM BlackBerry Storm Vodafone

RIM BlackBerry Storm by Vodafone

For the past 18 months, we've seen a multitude of manufacturers trying to create a touchscreen handset that can compete with the iPhone, most of which don't come close to the design or usability of Apple's device. But what I never imagined was that the best alternative to an iPhone would be a BlackBerry. The Storm is probably the most anticipated BlackBerry ever, not just because of the obvious comparisons with the iPhone, but also because it's the first touchscreen BlackBerry, which in itself is quite a milestone for RIM. The question is whether RIM can create a touchscreen device that's as attractive to the general consumer as it is to the corporate, mobile email junkie.

The answer to that question is quite complicated though. I do like the BlackBerry Storm, I like it a lot. But I also need to point out that it's not perfect, not that I've ever found a handset that is. But in this context, there are some issues with the Storm that simply shouldn't be there, and end up taking some of the shine off an otherwise excellent device, much as with the original iPhone in fact. But I'm getting a little ahead of myself. Let's cover the basics first.

The Storm looks great, finished in a mix of brushed metal combined with silver and black plastic. The edges have a rubberised coating that makes it really easy to get a good grip on the device, unlike the iPhone - especially the first generation model. The Storm is ever so slightly shorter than the iPhone, although it looks significantly shorted due to its tapered edges. It is, however, noticeably thicker, although this doesn't make it uncomfortable to hold, quite the contrary in fact.

The Storm is heavier than the iPhone at 157g compared to 143g for the original iPhone and 137g for the iPhone 3G. You can feel the extra weight in your hand, but again it's not something that bothered me. With dimensions of 113 x 62 x 14mm (LxWxD) it's clear that this isn't a small phone, but it's no bigger than any other decent touchscreen device.

Obviously the front of the Storm is dominated by the touchscreen, but I'll cover that later on. Below the touchscreen are four buttons - Call, End, Back and Menu. The Menu button is key here, since it is the traditional BlackBerry Menu button, which will bring up a list of options that are applicable to the current screen or application. There are two more buttons on the top edge - Mute and Lock. The latter will lock the handset and disable all inputs until the Lock button is pressed again.

BlackBerry PlayBook

RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook ( hit the link for an overview ) has been a lot in the news recently and that’s partly because of a certain amount of unrest surrounding the product. Considering that the company’s marketing director will be stepping down from his position, I would say that it’s understandable that the company is facing certain issues at the moment. Despite that, during a recent UK event, Steven Bates, a RIM representative that was showing off the BlackBerry PlayBook stated that the company is still aiming for a March US BlackBerry PlayBook release date.

Although there were rumors of the BlackBerry Playbook not reaching us by the end of March ( even an April 10th BlackBerry PlayBook release date has been recently rumored ), it seems that we will be getting it this month after all. For users in Europe the BlackBerry PlayBook will be released sometime in Q2 with the UK being among the first countries in Europe to get it.

RIM: BlackBerry PlayBook US Release Date This Month, UK to get it in Q2

BlackBerry’s PlayBook is powered by a Texas Instruments OMAP 4 dual-core processor clocked at 1 GHz per core, 1 GB of RAM. It sports a 7 inch display with a resolution of 1024 by 600 and on the connectivity front it will come with Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, 3G and Bluetooth with GPS support.

Multimedia wise, the users of the BlackBerry PlayBook can rejoice as the tablet will come with two cameras, a 3 megapixel front-facing camera and a 5 megapixel rear-facing camera, all of this surrounding a QNX-based OS. Their claims are that the operating system running on the BlackBerry PlayBook is highly customized for graphics, multitasking and of course stability, but then again, that’s what everyone claims.

The reason for which this was a major concern amongst RIM and BlackBerry users was mainly due to the fact that the iPad 2 got announced just recently and with the Motorola XOOM also being around for a “bloody” tablet war, the RIM BlackBerry PlayBook might have missed its golden opportunity to snag some of those sales figures. Considering that it was probably the first tablet announced from the three, it’s easy to see why everyone is slowly but surely getting impatient.

All in all, if they do manage to set it up with some competitive pricing I would say that it’s got a solid chance against the two tablet monsters currently battling it out for supremacy.

Keep your eyes out for this one as the BlackBerry PlayBook release date is scheduled for this month in the US and for Q2 in Europe with UK being amongst the first on the list. Stay tuned for more!

RIM’s BlackBerry

RIM’s BlackBerry Bold Touch Dakota Rumored

Research in Motion has long been a big player in the mobile world but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t faced stark competition. In fact, both Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS have been giving Research in Motion and their line up of BlackBerrys a run for their money for quite some time. While many say that RIM needs to do something fast in order to keep up, there is still a highly dedicated community support the BlackBerry ecosystem.

Such folk will be happy to hear that a device known as the BlackBerry Bold Touch Dakota or BlackBerry Bold Touch Montana has been spotted in the flesh, as seen above. This device, quite obviously, is to feature a 2.8-inch capacitive touchscreen with 640 x 480 resolution, 512MB of RAM, 6.5GB of built-in storage, a 5 megapixel camera, NFC, accelerometer, magnetometer and a proximity sensor. Additionally, this device runs on RIM’s BlackBerry OS 6.1.

There’s no telling when exactly this device will make its way to market or even what it will be called but we’ll certainly keep you posted.

GoGear Muse 3 portable media player

Philips introduces the new GoGear Muse 3 portable media player. Available in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB capacities, the new Muse has a 3.2-inch LCD display. It features the FullSound technology and sound isolation earphones that block out background noise to providing clear and detailed music experience. It also includes the Surround for Movie to deliver cinematic movie sounds. To avoid damage to your ears, the new player also features the SafeSound technology that analyzes your listening and informs you when volume levels and exposure may impact on your long-term hearing.

Once warned, all you have to do is press the ‘Safe level’ button and the volume is automatically adjusted to the safe sound level so you can enjoy your music at a safe volume.

Philips GoGear Muse 3 PMP Features

• Dispaly screen: 3.2 inch touchscreen
• Resolution: 480 x 320 pixels
• FM radio
• Internal Memeory: 8GB/16GB/32GB
• Picture browser
• Support Audio and Video Files : MP3, WAV, WMA, AAC, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, APE, MPEG4 SP/ASP, MPEG4 AVC/H.264 HP, RMVB, WMV9, JPEG, PNG, BMP, GIF file support
• Micro SD card
• Rechargeable battery
• Philips GoGear Muse 3 PMP battery

The new Philips GoGear Muse 3 PMP has a long battery life that offers up to 24 hours of music playback or 5 hours of video playback.

Harmony 8000 Hi-Fi System

Philips Harmony 8000 Hi-Fi System Series

Philips 8000 series DVD component HiFi system is Hi-Fi system comes with new ClariSound speakers, which provide finest balance between natural sound, detailed precision and bass tightness. The Philips Harmony 8000 combines the finest materials like pure aluminum for the casing, real wood for the speaker boxes and glass fiber woofers, giving a unique design identity to the speakers. The system is designed with a 2 x 80W RMS Class-D digital amplifier, a CD player, a DVD player with an HDMI output and 1080p up-scaling and a USB 2.0 port, allowing you to play your favorite music from a USB thumb drive.

Harmony 8000, Philips announced a DVD HiFi system component products for Harmony’s new 8000 series for music lovers. Hifi speaker sets are equipped with new ClariSound, which offers “the best balance between sound natural, detailed precision and a steady bass.” Philips uses glass fiber cone woofer in a speaker to ensure a natural result of sound and instruments.

Harmony 8000 is perfect for music listeners who want to feel loyal to a clean sound naturan, Harmony 8000 is interesting.

Harmony 8000 is designed with digital amplifier 2 × 80W RMS Class-D and includes a CD / DVD player, integrated port for the iPad, iPod and iPhone and a USB port for music playback from USB storage devices.

JVC UX-FH5 Mini Compact Stereo

JVC is ready to release the UX-FH5 compact stereo in August 2010. This mini stereo system boasts an FM radio, a CD player, a couple of 20W speakers, an iPhone/iPod dock and a video out for iPhone/ iPod. The JVC UX-FH5 will be available in black (UX-SH5-B), pink (UX-SH5-P), silver (UX-SH5-S) and white (UX-SH5-W). Pricing info is still unavailable at this time. so stay tuned.

The JVC UX-FH5 will be available in black (UX-SH5-B), pink (UX-SH5-P), silver (UX-SH5-S) and white (UX-SH5-W). Pricing info is still not available at this time. Stay tuned.

VC release the UX-FH5 compact stereo in August 2010. This mini stereo system boasts an FM radio, a CD player, a couple of 20W speakers, an iPhone/iPod dock and a video out for iPhone/ iPod. The JVC UX-FH5 will be available in black (UX-SH5-B), pink (UX-SH5-P), silver (UX-SH5-S) and white (UX-SH5-W). Pricing info is still unavailable at this time.

Harman AKG GHS-1

Harman AKG GHS-1 Gaming Headset

The new portable gaming headset from Harman, the AKG GHS-1, which are designed to be a portable gaming headset with a range of features.It has a boom microphone that filters background noise as well as earcups that provide some passive noise isolation, ensuring your game is all you hear. The headphones sport a ’3D’ folding headband, and are available in black or white or in camouflage.

The Harman AKG GHS-1 headset offers a frequency range from 18 Hz to 24KHz, and claims 115db of dynamic sensitivity—if your ears can still detect all that, you probably haven’t been gaming enough. It also features the built-in microphone, controlled via a special remote placed right on the audio cable. The estimate retail price point for all of these versions being set at $79.95

The Harman GHS 1 headphones are lightweight and built to provide comfort and performance for the continuous use required of serious gamers. These headphones are equipped with a directional cardioid boom microphone to filter out background noise as well as an in-line volume control and microphone on/off switch, reducing the need to interact with the game console or other source.

The Harman GHS 1′s closed-back design provides an added level of comfort to your gaming experience and enhances passive noise reduction. The patented AKG 3D-Axis2 folding mechanism in the headband not only adds to the GHS 1′s performance fit, but it allows these headphones to fold away flat.