Sumsung Epic 4g

Sumsung Epic 4g

Samsung Epic is the one fastest smartphones and it has also dominated HTC recently but failed to make an impact over Motorola who is currently leading the whole market. Samsung Epic contains the Android 2.1(éclair) operating system and has many other power packed features that willrock the user.

Specification:

CPU: 1 GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor, PowerVR SGX540 GPU, Hummingbird chipset

Display: Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, 480 x 800 pixels, 4.0 inches

Memory: 512 MB RAM, 512 MB ROM, up to 32gb extended microSD option

Battery Time: up to 300h with 6 hours talk time.

Norton Mobile Utilities Beta

Norton Mobile Utilities Beta (for Android)Since its introduction for DOS nearly thirty years ago, Norton Utilities has carved out a space for itself as definitive utility software for the PC. With Norton Mobile Utilities Beta (Free), Android device owners now have the power to analyze, organize, and optimize the software on their smartphones. Whether you're uninstalling apps, stopping them in their tracks, tracking mobile data usage, or unpacking detailed information about your mobile phone and OS, Mobile Utilities is your Swiss Army Knife.

Granted, it is an economy model. Its four applications—Device, Usage, Installer, and Apps—are a far cry from the 14 featured in the original Utilities Suite written for DOS and Windows 3.1, and its capabilities are largely available already. However, Norton Mobile Utilities is a free app (the software for DOS cost $80). Unifying a host of otherwise disparate tools in one app backed by the Norton name, Mobile Utilities deserves a spot on your smartphone.

Device
For Android propeller heads, the Device module is your toolbox. Want to know about your phone's CPU? (My Galaxy S has an "ARMv7 Processor rev 2 v71"). Or perhaps the temperature at which it runs? (80.6 degrees Fahrenheit for me). How about the signal strength of your service provider? (My T-Mobile service: "-73 dbm 20 asu," for what it's worth). And that's just the System Information screen.

Norton also includes some terrific real-time charts that'll help you visualize your battery and CPU usage, memory, network up and down speeds, and internal storage capacity. Most of it's overkill, but for the technically-inclined, Norton serves up more detailed information than you'll find in your Android Settings, though it still cannot rival the specificity of SeePU.

Usage
If Norton Mobile Utilities Beta's Device module is for the geeks, Usage is for everyone else. Mobile data plans aren't cheap, so any tool that lets you track your talk, SMS, and data usage deserves a mental bookmark. Norton lets you specify a plan, add a billing start date, and enter voice and data caps. Because you can browse previous usage (I went back to the start of May), Usage makes for a penny-wise roamer. There's also automation in Usage that Norton doesn't deliver elsewhere. For example, under Settings I set up a Usage Alert that would automatically notify me if I exceeded three-quarters of my usage (as defined by my plan).

Installer
Installer will be incredibly useful for 10 percent of Android device users and incredibly confusing for the other 90 percent. The reason is, you don't need it if you get apps from the Android Market. However, for those who dare to dip outside the Market and either transfer rogue apps from their desktop or download them directly to their phone as .APK files, Norton Mobile Utilities' Installer will spare you headaches. If you have a .APK file on your SD card, Installer finds it and lets you install it by tapping the name (it will even delete the .APK if you ask it to). I tested it using the PCMag 2011 Fastest Mobile Networks field test software, the Sensorly's Field Test. It made the process easy, though most Android users will probably never know or care.

Apps
Of Norton Mobile Utilities Beta's four modules, the Apps component has the broadest appeal. It's not that Norton Mobile Utilities does that much more than is already included with "Manage applications" (Settings/Applications/Manage Applications), but rather that it makes that functionality deeper and easier to find.

When I opened the Apps module on my Galaxy S Android phone, I could easily see that four of my eight applications that were running. Clicking "Show System" adds system processes (34 for me) to the mix. Norton lets you quit apps individually by clicking an "X," or end them all by tapping "Stop Running Apps." I can see how the ability to batch-quit could be useful if you're a bit of an app hoarder and all those Angry Birds are egging your phone's performance. Also useful is the ability to open, uninstall, or reveal detailed information (including the version number, location, permissions, memory usage, and even battery usage) about an app simply by clicking it.

While I think the batch-quit functionality deserves praise, I would have loved to see the Apps module do more. As it stands, there isn't a distinction between apps or services, so I'd warn against tampering with system "apps." Along the same lines, I would have loved to see Norton bring un-delete to Android (remember the original version of Norton Utilities for DOS had UnErase). As it stands, the Apps module feels more like Norton's take on Advanced Task Killer—useful if unremarkable.

Utilities Made Easy
Don't think of Norton Mobile Utilities Beta (for Android) as heir to the company's comprehensive desktop utility software. It doesn't need to be. Despite the capability of today's smartphones, thankfully there isn't the need for such maintenance. Instead Mobile Utilities makes sense as an "app." It's free, simple, and gathers tools otherwise scattered across system settings and third-party apps. Already a solid beta, Norton Mobile Utilities should also get even better: The company intends to add storage optimization, greater widget customization, and monthly Wi-Fi usage monitoring in the coming weeks. However, if you want a useful maintenance tool for your Android device, don't bother waiting—download Norton Mobile Utilities Beta (for Android) today.

More Mobile Utilities:
• Norton Mobile Utilities Beta (for Android)
• The Missing Sync for Android 1.4
• doubleTwist 2.6
• Google Android 1.5
• Apple iPhone OS 3.0

GateGuru for Android

GateGuru (for Android)
Pros
Clean UI. Integrates with Tripit and Kayak for flight details, Gowalla, Foursquare, Twitter, and Facebook for sharing. Checkpoint wait time estimates. Tips, reviews, and deals. Airport maps.
Cons
Tips would be more useful if GateGuru added recommendations from established location-based social networking sites such as Foursquare. Airport maps deserve a shortcut on the home screen.
Bottom Line
GateGuru (for Android) is an app to pack: It will help you navigate airports, anticipate wait times, find the freshest food, and travel with greater confidence.

Imagine this grim scene: You have a three-hour layover at LaGuardia and the unenviable choice between the Auntie Anne's or the sports bar—which option is least apt to inflict irreversible damage on your stomach lining? With GateGuru (for Android) you can use your smartphone to save yourself the plight of past LaGuardia travelers. User-submitted reviews help you ferret out the best grub, tips enable you to spot a deal on that day-old pretzel, and airport maps and checkpoint wait times will spare you from extending your tenure. Add integration with social networking sites for real-time status updates (to satiate your friends' schadenfreude) and tie-ins to KAYAK and Tripit for flight details, and GateGuru proves a gracious travel companion in the least hospitable airport.

Credentials, Connections, and High Flyers
Of the app's four main modules—Trips, Account, High Flyers, and Airports—you'll probably spend most of your time taxying the Airports section, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't go exploring. While GateGuru doesn't require users set up an account to use the app, if you're interested in managing travel and social networking tie-ins, you can sign up through the Account section ("User") of the app. From here you can also connect with Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and Gowalla to share updates on the social networks or sign into Tripit or KAYAK to see your flight information from GateGuru ("Connect"). You can even post your own suggestions ("Reviews & Tips") or tabulate the points you've earned through activity ("Scores").

The Trips and High Flyers sections build on those features. In High Flyers, you can access the leaderboard and view Global champs (forget Mayors, "60MinuteMan" is "Captain" of GateGuru) or filter to your Facebook friends. Meanwhile, Trips automatically retrieves itineraries from KAYAK or Tripit (registered through Accounts).

Plenty of Coverage
As useful as the previous modules may be, Airports is the hub of the app, and indispensible to your LaGuardia layover. GateGuru includes impressive airport coverage, especially for the domestic traveler: Despite cautious international support (just 6 in Asia and 7 in Europe), GateGuru has entries for 94 airports in the United States. You can either browse the entire list ("All"), filter by your location ("Nearby"), or search by an airport code or city name ("Search"). Clicking on an airport—I used New York LaGuardia Airport for my testing—opened a fresh screen with tabs for Terminals, Checkpoints, Reviews, and Tips.

Sony Ericsson C510

The Sony Ericsson C510 is a stylishly designed mobile phone and is packed full of the highest quality imaging technologies. The C510 is the most affordable Cyber-shot mobile phone to date making it more accessible to the consumer. Measurements for this exciting and fashionable phone are 107mm x 47mm x 12.5mm and weighs only 92g making for a great handset to be used with ease and to be carried or stored easily. With the 2.2 inch TFT screen displaying over 262k colours with screen resolutions of 240 x 320 pixels any photos taken will look crisp and very clear. We believe the Sony Ericsson C510 mobile phone will be hard to put down, what with call times available of up to a massive 10 hours plus video call time up to over 2 hours with stand-by time of up to 400 hours.

Sony Ericsson C510 Review – Camera & Imaging

Now we'll get down to the real feature that is at the heart of this fantastic mobile phone and that is the Sony Ericsson's C510 imaging qualities. The 3.2 mega-pixel camera function comes with the highest of quality features which include 3.2x digital zoom to zoom on the more distance of objects, Face Detection meaning the phone will automatically focus on the faces in the photo, Smile Shutter this feature will the camera automatically take a photo when the subject smiles, there is a Photo Light to brighten those darker surroundings, Photo Fix this feature will adjust the light and contrast after the picture has been taken, Auto-Focus, Geo Tagging and Picture Blooging allowing the user to put their photos on-line in seconds. Recording video footage is also a great a feature as the C510 mobile phone has video recording capabilities. With the video function there is a photo like the camera light to brighten dull and dark environments plus the Video Blogging technology enabling the user to share their footage with friends and family by putting them on-line within moments. Enjoying video streaming is possible also on the handset. There is an illuminated short cut key that offers fast and easy access to the camera feature. To view any images captured on the elegant Sony Ericsson C510 mobile phone in either portrait or landscape mode the user just simply needs to rotate the handset.

Sony Ericsson C510 Review – Music Entertainment

For entertainment quality besides the brilliant 3.2 mega-pixel camera feature the user can enjoy the built-in music/media player system on the Sony C510 mobile phone. There is an FM Radio with RDS technology, Bluetooth Stereo with A2DP technology, Album Art, Mega-Bass to really give those tunes more a kick and tone, Muisc Tones in MP3 and AAC music formats, PlayNow enabling the user to download music straight to their phone and TrackID allowing the user to record a few seconds of a track and have all the details of the artist and album sent to the handset within seconds. The user can make their new C510 Cyber-shot mobile phone sound unique by choosing a ring-tone of their choice with Music Tones function. There is only 100 mega-bytes of built-in internal memory with a memory card support for a Memory Stick Micro M2 which will provide a huge amount of storage space for all the users photo's, videos, music and downloads.

Sony Ericsson C510 Review – Internet & Connectivity

Accessing the internet from a mobile phone is a way of life these days and more and more people are using their mobile phones facilities. The C510 uses the built-in WAP 1.2.1, WAP 2.0 XHTML, Web Feeds and Access NetFront web browsing technologies all which a speedy connection to net and a marvellous quality of service. Connectivity technologies included to provide a smashing service and speedy data and transfer rates are Synchronisation, Modem, Bluetooth, USB Support, USB Mass Storage and PictBridge. The networks supported on the C510 are GSM-GPRS-EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 UMTS/HSPA-850/1900/2100 enabling the user use their C510 mobile phone whilst abroad.

Sony Ericsson C510 – Messaging Services

Sending a message is a great way to stay in contact with friends and family the user can choose from the following options of services. SMS, MMS (multi-media messaging), Instant Messaging with the assistance of Predictive Text Input, Exchange ActiveSync and Emailing. Which ever service the user chooses they can get their messages, pictures or even videos sent in no time at all.

Sony Ericsson C510 Review – Gaming & Applications

Another form of entertainment to the user is the gaming facilities supplied on the fabuloous Sony Ericsson C510 mobile phone. The user can choose to play the Java and 3D games available and with the Motion Gaming technology the user can really get into the game interactively. YouTube has become ever so popular and now users can access this site instantly from their mobile phone and can enjoy viewing and save clips.

Application tools are a fantastic way to stay organised and stay on route to any destination with the tools available on the Sony C510. The Google Maps feature ensures the user will be get lost, the Tasks, Timer, Alarm Clock, Flight Mode and Calculator tools to name a few are all there to benefit and assist the user with most tasks at hand.

Sony Ericsson C510 Review – Summary

The Sony Ericsson C510 Cyber-shot mobile phone really is a competitor with camera phones. Ok the Sony Ericsson C905 mobile phone features an 8.1 mega-pixel camera the C510 really does feature the same highest imaging technologies along with the Sony Ericsson C902i. The Sony C510 has style and elegance packed full of the latest technologies and entertainment qualities and is more affordable than other leading mobile phones.

Sony Ericsson Aino

Sony Ericsson Aino, the long awaited PS3 phone with its large 3 inch touch screen and the ability to stream content from your PS3 wherever you are. Sony announced this device in May 2009 and is said to be “coming soon”. The exterior is found not to be outstanding nor does is have the wow factor. The Sony Ericsson Aino is available in obsidian black and luminous white colour choices. When the Sony Ericsson is in its closed position it has an unassuming look. Is this the phone of your dreams or does it leave you wanting more? The device is made that bit more tempting with its Remote Play Feature which was initially developed for PSP. The unfortunate thing is that this is not a real PSP phone as the user is not able to actually play games only allowing the user to turn the PS3 on and off using their Sony Ericsson Aino. The SE Aino has the ability to enable users to control and access media content on Playstation 3 just about anywhere from their phone.

The bundled charging stand allows the Sony Ericsson Aino to connect automatically to a Playstation 3 gaming system. Users can access music, film, TV shows on their PSM via the Aino. Sony Ericsson have made the Aino that bit more tempting by including WI-FI® for both high speed internet connections and GPS.

The large 3 inch display of the Sony Ericsson Aino is the first to sport a widescreen and touch screen display but the touch screen is only usable in the multimedia part of the menu and with the camera interface. There is an impressive 8 mega pixel camera with the usual benefits of 16x digital zoom, auto focus, flash, face detection and video record. The Aino includes stereo Bluetooth, A-GPS and an 8GB microSD™ card. Sony Ericsson have chosen to have a microSD™ card slot, does this mean the end of the memory stick? The Sony Ericsson Aino is the third phone from the company that has the touch screen feature, following the Xperia X1 and the Satio. The Sony Ericsson Aino draws its power from a 100 mAh Li-Po battery, giving 13 hours GSM talk time, 4 and a half hours 3G talk time, 380 hours GSM standby and 1.7 hours 3G video call time. The SE Aino weighs 134 grams and is 15.5 mm thick, so its fat as well as heavy.

Sony Ericsson Aino - Construction and Design

The Sony Ericsson Aino has the look of a full touch design and is rather compact. There are no keys on the front panel and has the slimness of other touch screen devices. There are touch screen functions but these are limited when using some multimedia parts of the menu. These functions have been seen before in the LG KF750 Secret. The fast port is on the left side and the volume rocker, (which doubles as a zoom lever) and the camera button are on the right side. The microphone pinhole and the loudspeaker grill are on the bottom of the device. On the top of the Sony Ericsson Aino handset is the lock key. The camera is located on the back of the device but is not protected with a lens cover. When the slider is fully opened you reveal a key pad and the Sony Ericsson Aino handset then becomes an incredibly long handset.

Sony Ericsson Aino - Applications

The touch screen capabilities of the Sony Ericsson Aino are limited to a new and specially designed multimedia menu. The user interface is Flash-based. The Aino at first glance looks like other Sony Ericsson phones of the past 24 months, and like the Sony Ericsson Yari the interface has had updates. The Sony Ericsson Aino is equipped with the latest Walkman player 3.0 as does the Sony Ericsson Yari. The FM radio has touch optimised user interface and is possibly the best amongst mobile FM receivers. The Aino Camera menu is operated by touch and according to press info the Aino should be able to take 8 mega pixel photos and capture VGA video at 30 fps. The interface is similar to other touch camera user interfaces like the Xperia X1 and G900. The Sony Ericsson Aino has an integrated GPS receiver that has the function of assisted start. Wayfinder is the navigation software that comes with the Aino and Google Maps™ 3.0 is also included.

The Sony Ericsson Aino has the same web browser as the Yari, an updated version of the NetFront 3.5 mobile browser. Web pages are accessed quicker and zoom levels are found to give comfortable reading. The NetFront 3.5 web browser operates in full screen mode with features such as mini-map, enter an address, favourites and downloads.

Sony Ericsson Aino - Summary

Overall we really like the Sony Ericsson Aino, with its compatibility with the PS3 it is bringing something different to the mobile phone market. But just because it has this feature the phone has not been compromised in other areas. It still has a decent camera and will let you browse the internet.

Samsung C3050

Samsung C3050 is a revolutionary slider mobile phone from Samsung. It is a truly attractive mid range mobile phone with all features you can expect for the price you are paying. It weights only 86g and you will never even remember that you have a mobile phone in your pocket. For a slider phone, the dimensions of 97 x 47.3 x 14.9 mm are truly attractive. The C3050 supports quad band 2G GSM networks and hence, it can be used worldwide. If you are looking for a stylish phone with basic multimedia features without much of technical options to enjoy using the phone, then Samsung C3050 is right for you.

Samsung C3050 has a 2-inch TFT screen that can display 65K colors. At 120 x 160 pixels resolution, you can get brighter images under good lighting conditions. As with any slider phone, you can find the call keys and D pad navigation pad at the bottom of the screen. The C3050 looks and feels pretty small and the outer frame makes the screen look much smaller. The phonebook can store as much as 1000 entries with the ability to store 30 calls for each type of call log. As with any mid range phone, if you are going to use the Samsung C3050 especially for calling purposes, you will be impressed by the call quality. The Speaker on the phone also performs well.

There is a primary VGA camera that can be used to take decent quality pictures. There is no self portrait mirror or LED that can be normally expected from a Samsung phone. However, since the camera is not a megapixel camera, Samsung might have eliminated the additional features. You can't expect anything more than basic quality images from a VGA camera. However, since the Samsung C3050 is just for basic mobile phone users, you must be satisfied with this camera.

The messaging features of Samsung C3050 are good to use. Just slide this Samsung handset to start using the alphanumeric keypad with well placed keys. The MMS and email messaging facilities are also available. GPRS and EDGE support with Samsung C3050 makes it possible to browse the Internet. The WAP browser is simply basic, but it should be convenient for you to browse some websites and take a look at the mails you have got. As with any modern day mobile phones, the Samsung C3050 supports both polyphonic and MP3 ringtones. You can use the stored ringtones or get more tones from your friends or using the Internet. Bluetooth connectivity enables file sharing between devices in a specific range and you can use USB to connect the phone to a computer.

The Samsung C3050 does not disappoint you when it comes to entertainment option because you can find an FM radio on it. This can be used to listen to your favorite channels wherever you go. There are games available on the C3050. If you want more, you can always use the Internet to download more. The internal memory is just 15MB which is definitely not sufficient for an passionate mobile phone user, but you can use the microSD slot that offers an extension of up to 8GB memory.

The battery used in the Samsung C3050 is a standard Li-Ion 800 mAh battery providing 340 hours of standby time and 7 hours of talk time. As the Samsung C3050 is not essentially a multimedia phone, the battery is sufficient even for those who get frequent calls. The mobile tracker feature of Samsung C3050 deserves a special mention since not all midrange mobile phones have this feature. The organizer applications are just basic and useful. The Samsung C3050 is a great midrange phone for those who can't afford other high end phones, but still need a phone with all features.

Wi-Fi Motorola Xoom

The good news is that the 3G-less Xoom will be available from March 27and will cost $599, a price match to the equivalent iPad 2. The bad news is that Motorola still hasn't fixed some of the issues with the Xoom, and the 3G version still costs more than the equivalent iPad.

The Wi-Fi only Xoom comes with 32GB of on-board storage and costs just as much as a 32GB Wi-Fi iPad: $599. Although Motorola pushed for a price match, the entry price for a 16GB iPad is $100 cheaper at $499. Motorola didn't introduce a third model of the Xoom with only 16GB of storage, but perhaps it should have, considering the $499 iPad is the model flying off the shelves the quickest.

Spec-by-spec comparison of five competing tablets.Pricing aside, Motorola still hasn't fixed some of the issues with the Xoom meant to give it an edge over the iPad. Motorola's press release says a beta version of Adobe Flash 10.2 will be available as a download, not preloaded onto the Wi-Fi Xoom. Last week Motorola announced the 3GXoom will get a software update that will support an upcoming Adobe Flash Player 10.2.

Essentially though, the original Xoom still has no Flash support, a month after the original tablet was released. However, Adobe said a beta version of Flash Player 10.2 for Android will be available on March 18 for current Xoom owners, and it will probably come bundled on the Wi-Fi-only Xoom later this month.

Motorola also didn't address another ardent issue: SD card support. The Xoom touts memory expansion via SD cards, but the slot is still unusable due to lack of software support. Again, Motorola gave no clear indication whether this issue would be addressed by the time the Wi-Fi only Xoom arrives next week.

Motorola's Xoom does indeed have better cameras and more RAM memory (see a comparison chart) than the iPad 2, but Apple's tablet is much thinner and lighter (some reviewers called the Xoom obesein comparison). Finally, the iPad 2 has the advantage of a more mature App Store, with thousands of apps in comparison to a few dozen on the Xoom. This is why even the price-match Wi-Fi Motorola Xoom won't trump the iPad 2 any time soon.