Mar 30, 2009

K850i 5 MP Sony Ericsson Camera Phone Shoots And Scores

Picture_6Image isn’t everything. Beyond a solid Cyber-shot-branded cam, this tidy 118 gram candy bar comes chock full of sweet, easy-to-master programs that let you edit, remix and publish sharp pics and vid clips on the fly. In minutes, we whipped up a 45-second, 1.7 MB video slideshow that looked surprisingly decent online at 240x320. But despite Bluetooth, adequate web browsing and RSS feeds, this pin-striped, 3G beauty isn’t picture perfect. Switching between the somewhat finicky partial touch screen and quasi-D-pad really took some getting used to. And the keypad’s tiny nubs could aggravate even the daintiest netizens of Thumb Tribe, USA. —Steven Leckart

WIRED Truly pocket-size; accelerometer allows quick-flips between landscape and portrait. Swift and seamless, on-the-go publishing to Blogger. Always-on headlight option for dim video shoots. BestPic takes rapid sequence of nine images — bonus: “best” recommendation is mostly right on. Super accessible microSD slot can hold up to 4GBs (perfect for those Cloverfield moments)

TIRED No optical zoom. Sluggish Auto Fix takes 30-45 seconds per pic. Snapping shots silences FM radio. No Wi-Fi, no GPS, no geocoded vaca pics. Neither a 3.5 mm nor a 2.5mm headhpone jack (better RFID that Sony FastPort set of earbuds!)

$500, sonystyle.com (story Link)

Cowon Q5W 40GB Portable Media Player

Q5wWith a Windows CE OS, an AMD 600MHz processor, and Wi-Fi web browsing, Cowon's newest media player seems more like an Ultra Mobile PC than a PMP. And like the poorly received UMPC, the Q5W doesn't quite deliver on its abundance of promised functionality. The unit's gorgeous 5-inch, 800 x 480 LCD touch-screen and built-in DivX and XviD codec support make watching flicks on the go the Q5W's forte, with 40GB or 60GB to store plenty of compressed video. The rest of the player's functions are hampered by the Q5W's slapdash UI — it actually runs as a program on top of the Windows CE interface, complete with annoying hourglass loading visuals. The interface's minuscule on-screen buttons, especially in sub-menus, make using the stylus an unfortunate necessity. Even though the Q5W conveniently supports flash-based web-browsing, surfing duties are relegated to Windows CE's Internet Explorer, rendering both the mobile and standard version of YouTube inoperable WTF? This is supposed to be a video centric player, not a video player hater. Add the Q5W's absurdly high $550 base price — almost twice of the lovely Archos 605 WiFi — and its quirks are even tougher to stomach. —Carlos Bergfeld

WIRED Fantastic audio quality and video playback. Loud, built-in stereo speakers for group viewing parties/rocking out. Support for DivX, XviD, MPEG4, WMV 7/8/9 video files. Bevy of audio formats including: Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, and Monkey's Audio. Wi-Fi enabled with MSN messenger and Flash-supported web browsing. Can act as a USB host to directly upload and view images from cameras, with format support for previewing Nikon RAW pics. Component/composite TV-out and remote for big-screen viewing. Bluetooth 2.0 support for wireless headphones.

TIRED Poor UI coupled with Windows CE 5.0 gives the Q5W the feeling of a shoddily constructed homebrewed device. We got only 4.8 hours of video playback; significantly lower than Cowon’s estimated 7 hours.  Aluminum housing gets scorching hot after an hour of video play. No kickstand for hands-free use. Music library uses a horrid file tree for browsing media. Deficient 128MB RAM not enough to support flash-intensive web sites like YouTube. Can't charge battery via USB cable. High price cripples good looks.

$550 as tested, cowonamerica.com (story Link)

Nokia E90 Communicator Acts Like a Laptop, Makes Calls Like a Phone

Nokia5

Many moons ago, a laptop, a cell phone, and a cinder block got together for a hot three-way love fest. The product of this freaky, sweaty, and possibly illegal union? The Nokia E90 communicator — a device with some serious identity issues, but also one with some serious talent too.

Let’s be up front about it: this monstrous device at 7.4 ounces and 5.2 x 2.24 x 0.79 inches is not attractive in the slightest. In fact, the unappealing shell and sheer physical size make it a colossal pain in the ass to lug around in public. Clearly, the E90 is made to fit in briefcases—not skinny hipster jeans. Business folks and texting junkies, though, will love the full QWERTY keyboard, a feature that makes composing legalese missives, or elaborate IMs a relatively painless process. (Ever try tapping out a Google doc on the iPhone’s touch screen? Yeesh.) But even more appealing is the impressive palette of functions Nokia manages to cram into the beast: a 3.2 megapixel camera with flash and autofocus, 640 x 480 video resolution at 30fps, 3G compatibility, Wi-Fi, infrared, and Bluetooth connectivity, a voice recorder, GPS Navigation, push-to-talk, both Flash and (scoff) Real Player.Nokia6

Nokia3No, it’s not going to tuck you into bed at night, and we’re guessing it won’t get you chicks either (really though, what gadget does?) but the E90 is definitely a good choice for those who want laptop functionality dressed up in the guise of a cell phone. —Nate Ralph

WIRED Great for creating and editing text docs. Can be easily set up as a wireless modem. Integrated GPS means you’ll probably never ask for directions again. Functions perfectly as a cell — the voice quality is on par with the iPhone. Reads PDFs.  Robust keyboard means you can work on that novella while waiting for the bus. No more procrastinating!

TIRED Finding applications in the endlessly layered menu system is consistently confusing. Flat keypad makes typing often feel ambiguous. Screen is hard to see in direct sunlight. Pricey, ungainly, and, worst of all, fugly. $1100, nokia.com (story Link)

Logitech DiNovo Mini Remote Masters Your PC/ Home Entertainment Center

LogitechdinovominiSchwag bags and hangovers aren't the only things we brought back from CES. We also got a stowaway in the form of Logitech's diNovo Mini. Cracking open its stylish, black clamshell revealed everything we've ever wanted in a keyboard/remote hybrid: A full QWERTY layout, dedicated media buttons, and a mini trackpad. Paired with its rechargeable lithium-ion battery and Bluetooth connectivity, the Mini should've been the Holy Grail for home theater PC controllers. Unfortunately, when it came to pairing that style with actual functionality, Logitech balances things ...poorly.

Logitech had the right idea in bringing the keyboard to the living room, and that's where the Mini truly shines. Although it feels more like a Blackberry than a traditional QWERTY, the Mini's rubberized keys were easy to navigate and responsive. Switching from movies to IMing was as simple as hitting the pause key, using the trackpad to navigate to the IM window, and then typing away. But at a little over six inches wide, you're not going to be clocking Mavis Beacon speeds. We found that the best strategy for hammering out URLs and short messages was using our thumbs.

When it came to web surfing and other tasks that relied heavily on the trackpad, we hit a few bumps. The good news is that the trackpad can be toggled into two modes: One for basic "up-down-left-right" movement, and another for traditional analog control. We had little trouble with the simple quad-directional interface, but that's probably because we only found it useful for navigating Media Center menus. However, the analog control was much more finicky, requiring a lot of sensitivity tweaks to pull off semi-advanced moves like clicking and dragging icons. Setbacks like these make it clear that the Mini is a niche home theater device first, and a mouse/keyboard replacement second. On top of its triple digit price point, it looks like we'll stick to walking across the room to press our buttons. —Terrence Russell

WIRED A quick fix for the home theater PC/remote conundrum. Decent battery life. Bluetooth dongle hides away in battery compartment. Easy setup. Orange and green backlit keys ensure easy usage in the dark. PS3 compatible.

TIRED
At $150, it should control more — like maybe a game console. Trackpad wakes up slowly. Plastic housing feels flimsy and attracts fingerprints. Don't even think about high impact FPS action. Lack of IR capability limits use with other components.  No Apple or XBox 360 support? FAIL!  $150, logitech.com (story Link)

Mar 29, 2009

T-Mobile G1 Slam Dunks Software, Airballs Hardware

Between the Youtube videos, fan sites, and ever-cranking rumormills, it’s like we knew all about the first phone running Google's Android OS before we ever got our mitts on one: a boatload of apps available through the Market, built-in Amazon music store, 3G, Wi-Fi, Google Maps with Street View, that crazy shape-driven lock code, and so on. Sure enough, all those message board stars are present and accounted for on the G1, but don’t worry: There are still plenty of surprises to keep you entertained.

Google4Surprise #1: Android is pretty freaking on-point for a first-gen software release. Sure, it has bugs—Web pages don’t automatically re-size and the zoom feature blows—but it’s also remarkably polished, bristling with nifty tricks. Take the long touch: Not unlike the windows-born right-click, it brings up useful contextual menus. Long touch a field of text, for example, and you get the option to select it, copy it, or paste something in (take that, Jobs!). And though Android’s first home is a touchscreen phone, you can tell that the OS was designed to work with hard-buttons as well.

Google5In fact, if you can’t abide fingerprints, you can get around the G1 quite well without ever smearing the glass. There’s a BlackBerry Pearl-esque trackball in the center of the button bank that lets you cruise menus, websites, or any other screen you can bring up. Five other buttons flank the trackball: the ubiquitous green and red phones, “back,” “home,” and “menu.” The keys are useful, but their physical location is a problem that ties into the most noticeable G1 bugaboo: its size. This is a big bitch for us—nearly a half-inch thick—and its problematic girth is made worse by an annoyingly curved-up section that makes the phone frustrating to pocket: that button bank. If you want to rock a G1, be prepared to bust out the manpurse or multi-pocketed raver jeans (sorry, Hipsters).

Google_2The phone’s main interface is a 3.2-inch touchscreen that swivels out of the way along an arced path to reveal a QWERTY keyboard. The keyboard is fine, but that frakking curved button bank (which also houses the mechanics of the arced hinge) makes typing uncomfortable. Also, since the screen swings to the right, non-lefties will have to reach across the phone to flip it open with their thumbs—and no amount of soft-touch plastic is going to keep them from dropping the G1 from time to time.

The capacitive touchscreen is fine—neither the best nor the worst we’ve seen in terms of appearance or sensitivity. G-Mobile uses a half-assed haptic feedback mechanism (the phone vibrates) to confirm touches, but you can (and should) turn it off.  —Joe Brown

Google2WIRED Android is legit, and future iterations should get even more impressive. 3G on a T-Mobile phone. Tons of apps that will keep you entertained for the duration of your 2-year contract—and all of them are free until Google decides on a way to charge. Relatively cheap, and data plans include T-Mobile hotspot subscriptions. Snappy processor never seems to get bogged down, even with multiple apps running. Decent battery life: a day of heavy use or three if you have no friends. Mounts on both Mac and PC as an external drive, allowing you to drag-and-drop music or videos.

TIRED Fugly. Bulky. No 3.5mm headphone jack and no adapter that lets you plug your own buds into the HTC mini USB multi-port. T-Mobile’s 3G network not as quick as AT&T’s, and nowhere near as pervasive. We don’t mean to whine about free stuff, but the included 1GB MicroSD card seems a little dinky compared to the 8-gig iPhone you can get for $20 more. Camera is slower than a three-toed sloth to respond.

$180 with 2-year contract, t-mobile.com (story Link)

Now Samsung’s P3 in India

Samsung India has officially launched its widescreen portable multimedia player, P3 in the Indian market.

"Whether it's the P3's sharp and bright 3-inch touch screen for video and photos or the advanced user interface, consumers will be guaranteed a more personal entertainment experience." states Mr R Zutshi , Dy Managing Director , Samsung India .  
Featuring a 3-inch WQVGA TFT-LCD touch screen, the P3 allows for widescreen enjoyment of video and photos at a 16:9 aspect ratio, without any need for letterboxing. It includes Samsung's upgraded EmoTure touch interface with true haptic feedback. With every command gesture, from swiping a finger across the screen, to switching audio tracks, to holding down a digital button for fast-forwarding video, the P3 reacts with a variety of physical sensations. The new Music Hot Touch Key, located just below the touch screen, allows users to instantly access favorite music features and selections without needing to cycle through multiple menus.
The P3 also incorporates Samsung's updated DNSe 3.0 sound enhancement technology.
At 0.39 inches thin, the P3 squeezes a 16:9 widescreen video player, studio-quality audio player, ultra-portable photo album, personal voicerecorder, FM radio, and a portable storage drive into one device. The P3 can also be paired with a Bluetooth-enabled phone, allowing owners to use the built-in microphone to answer calls directly through the player. 
Available in matte black and matte silver finishes, the P3 is available with 8GB and 16GB storage capacities, priced at Rs. 11,900 and Rs. 14,900 respectively (official).
Check out our review of the P3. (story Link)

10 Creative - Futuristic iPhone & Nano Concept Designs – Say Hello Again!

m10 Beautiful Apple iPhone Concepts

While the world is waiting for the announcement of the next generation Apple iPhone, we decided to showcase our favorite iPhone concept designs. Enjoy!

iPhone Concept from Japan

Apple iPhone concept by Japanese photographer Isamu Sanada [link]

iPhone Concept from Japan

iPhone Concept from Japan 2

Apple iPhone Nano Concept

Creative iPhone Nano concept with microphone integrated into the earbuds designed by Tracy Hall. [link]

Apple iPhone Nano Concept

Apple iPhone Nano Concept 2

iPhone Slider Qwerty Concept

Apple iPhone Slider Qwerty concept designed by Aaron Besson. [link]

iPhone Slider Qwerty Concept

iPhone with iChat Concept

Designed by Rodolphe Desmare, this Apple iPhone concept was inspired by the curves and tapering of the Macbook Air. [link]

iPhone with iChat Concept

iPhone ELITE Concept

iPhone ELITE concept, designed by Mat Brady, comes with optional slide out keyboard and front-facing camera that enables video conferencing. [link]

iPhone ELITE Concept

iPhone ELITE Concept 2

iPhone Pro Concept

Extended version of the iPhone ELITE concept with added direction pad and two buttons for better gaming. [link]

iPhone Pro Concept

Titanium iPhone Concept

Beautiful titanium Apple iPhone concept designed by Jim Young. [link]

Titanium Apple iPhone Concept

Titanium iPhone Concept

Titanium iPhone Concept 2

Titanium iPhone Concept 3

iPhone Air Concept

This is the iPhone Air, a duel touch screen iPhone with a clam shell design to protect both screens. When closed you can still see and control what is playing on your iPod as well as see an incoming call. [link]

iPhone Air Concept

iPhone Nano Concept

Another beautiful Apple iPhone Nano concept design. [link]

iPhone Nano Concept

iPhone Nano Concept 2

Futuristic iPhone Concept

See-through Apple iPhone concept designed by Robert Davis. [link]

Futuristic iPhone Concept

 

(story Link)

Creative : EP-430 Noise Cancelling In-earphones

Creative has introduced a new in-earphones model - EP-430 - that comes with color options. These noise-isolating in-earphones are ergonomically designed to minimize external surrounding noise and provide long hours of pure music listening experience. The Creative EP-430 In-Ear Earphones are available in six bubble gum type colors of red, pink, blue, yellow, grey and black to "suit the vibrant everyday lifestyle of users."

The Creative EP-430 In-Earphones claims to feature powerful bass effect, delivering a fuller and richer range of sounds. We will have to see that in the review. The in-ear design isolates noise in the background, allowing users to fully immerse themselves. It comes bundled with 3 pairs of interchangeable soft silicone tips in different sizes.

The Creative EP-430 In-Ear Earphones will be available at a suggested retail price of Rs. 899. For more information about the product, please visit www.in.creative.com. (story Link)

Sparkle's GTS 250 Launched in India

After introducing Sparkle's range of low-profile HTPC graphic cards, Abacus has just launched the Sparkle GeForce GTS 250.

The card comes in two variations - one with 512 MB DDR3 and another with 1 GB DDR3 video memory. Its 55nm processor boasts of a 738Mhz core speed, while the shader clock runs at 1836MHz.
The cards are available for Rs. 9,800 (512 MB) and Rs. 11,000 (1 GB). (story Link)

3 New Series of Headphones from Sennheiser

Sennheiser has introduced three new series of headphones, the CX II, IE and MM series.

The CX II range includes noise-isolating, in–ear canal headphones, with bass-driven stereo sound. The series in the Street, Sport, Gaming, Travel and Style lines guarantee a unique sound experience and exclusive design and colors.
The IE series caters to specific consumer needs. The flagship model, IE 8, marks a milestone in the development of ear-canal phones and enables the user to precisely fine-tune the bass response according to individual preference. The dynamic drivers and powerful neodymium magnets of the IE 6 ear-canal phones deliver high-fidelity sound with an enhanced bass response. The IE 7 range delivers an audio reproduction that is balanced, precise and true-to-life.
The headsets in the MM series are foldable and specially designed for the iPhone and Nokia phones. (story Link)

HP EliteBook Notebook Series – All Muscle No Fat

HP India has announced the launch of its HP EliteBook Notebook PC series designed for the style-conscious corporate mobile professional.
Launched in a gym to reiterate the ruggedness of this series that is inspired by aircraft construction, these notebooks adorn military-standard durability, which is designed to be business-rugged withstanding dust, vibration, altitude and high temperature.

The HP EliteBook series comprises a total of six premium business notebooks - 2530p, 2730p, 6930p, 8530p, 8730w and 8530w - encompassing the professional (p) and mobile workstation (w) class notebooks series.
"HP EliteBook's sleek, innovative designs combine a sophisticated look with durability, thus aligning to the evolving mobile work environment," said Anurag Arora, Country Manager – Business Notebooks, Personal Systems Group, HP. "Furthermore, HP has incorporated the right amalgam of hardware and software features to deliver a dependable business notebook PC that delivers enhanced security & improved ease of use in a stylish new package." (story Link)

Apple Schedules Developers Event For June

Apple has scheduled its annual developers conference for the second week in June, with plenty of buzz surrounding its product plans.
The company announced the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference would be held June 8-12 in San Francisco. Apple will have more than 1,000 engineers on hand as it welcomes an expected 5,000 outside developers

The event will focus on the new iPhone 3.0 software as well as Snow Leopard, the forthcoming operating system for Mac computers. Although every Apple event is greeted with much anticipation in the consumer technology world, expectations seem to be running especially high this year.
Apple unveiled its new iPhone software and applications development kit last week, and some analysts expect the company to announce a new iPhone model at the developers conference. At last year's gathering, Chief Executive Steve Jobs took the stage to formally unveil the second-generation, 3G iPhone. The device was an immediate hit with consumers, selling 6.9 million units in its first quarter on the market. Apple, as in years past, did not immediately announce a keynote address for the conference. Jobs is on a medical leave of absence until the end of June. When asked whether Jobs would be speaking at the event, a company spokesman said, "As you know Steve is on medical leave of absence and there's nothing further to say." (Story Link)

Mio Knight Rider GPS

Krrightview061608It's been a rough couple of decades for Knight Rider fans. In 1982 the show's co-star, an AI-enhanced Trans AM named KITT, stole our nerdy hearts. Seven years after the series ended, everyone's favorite talking car started a downward spiral...by moonlighting as a high school teacher. And don't even get us started on the stinking zombie resurrection that is Knight Rider 2008.

It'd be great to hearken back to the glory days of '82 — '86. Thanks to Mio, fans of the Reagan era television series can rehash this magic with the Knight Rider GPS unit. This svelte handheld doesn't just mimic the physical style of KITT's trademark dash console. It also provides turn-by-turn directions in KITT's original voice (aka William Daniels).

...and, yes. It greets you as "Michael" (with synchronized flashing LEDs!) when you boot it up.

Unfortunately, that's where most of the fun ends. Sure, hearing KITT smoothly tell me to "turn left in 300 feet" produced all the expected geekgasms. But they subsided when I realized actual streets names were nixed from the voice prompts. Another foible was the unit's POI system. As a whole, the Knight Rider GPS borrows its user interface from Mio's Moov units. This turned out to be great for simplicity and ease, but it also meant the interface's crippled POI search functions were along for the ride.

These were relatively small gripes considering the unit's quick 'cold' acquisitions and consistently reliable routing (via Tele Atlas). But let's face it — this is a pricey vanity gadget, not a groundbreaking piece of Knight Foundation tech. So, here's the bottom line: if a love for KITT (or a perverse William Daniels fetish) ranks higher than cutting edge features, this is your ride. Otherwise, one of Mio's (cheaper) Moov units make for a more sensible choice. Well at least far more sensible than watching the re-booted TV series. Sorry, Val Kilmer!  —Terrence Russell

WIRED "OMFG — KITT just asked me where I wanted to go!" Acquires reliably and routes quickly form a cold start. Slim, light, and stylistically accurate form factor. 4.3-inch touchscreen is both bright and responsive. Amusing (but distracting) voice activated LEDs can be disabled. Sports over 300 recorded names for the 'non-Michaels' of the world.

TIRED Essentially a pricey Knight Rider paintjob on a cheaper device. Only traffic capable through additional accessory and subscription. Included car charger, wall charger, and dash mount look/feel ridiculously cheap. Advanced POI functions (i.e., searches around eventual destinations) are AWOL. Lacks voice recognition capability (unlike its source inspiration).

$270, knightridergps.com (story Link)

Verizon Plans to Sell Netbooks

Verizon Wireless will start selling a netbook - a cheaper, more basic version of a notebook - as early as next quarter, Bloomberg said, citing a person close to the project.
The devices are being developed with more than one PC maker, the news agency cited the person as saying. Price and plan details aren't complete, the person told the news agency. Verizon Wireless, owned by Verizon Communications Inc and Britain's Vodafone Group Plc, competes with AT&T and Sprint Nextel in the wireless carrier market. Verizon Wireless and AT&T see devices used mainly for data rather than voice as the next phase of wireless growth as the vast majority of the U.S. population owns mobile phones. (Story Link)

New Range of Samsung Digicams in India

Samsung India has launched a range of compact digital still cameras for the Indian market.
The new line up of digital still cameras comprises of 8 models including the flagship Samsung WB500.

"The new Digital Still Camera range comprises of Slim, higher resolution cameras with advanced features like powerful portrait technology, smart functions, large LCD display and digital image stabilization", said R Zutshi, Dy MD, Samsung India Electronics Pvt. Ltd.
The 10.2 mega-pixel WB500 offers an ultra-wide 24mm Schneider lens with 10x optical zoom, a host of manual controls, including the ability to adjust shutter speed, aperture, exposure, and focus. The camera also incorporates both Optical and Digital Image Stabilization to help reduce image blur. The WB500 gives shooters the ability to capture video in 720p high-definition at 30 frames-per-second (fps), and with H.264 compression, users can record video for longer periods of time, allowing them to better utilize the remaining memory capacity on theirmemory card. Additionally, shooters can utilize Optical Image Stabilization and the camera's 10x optical zoom while recording video, as well as Samsung's Successive Recording mode, which allows the user to pause and then resume filming without having to save the clips as individual files.
The WB500's Face Detection technology detects faces and automatically adjusts focus and exposure to ensure better composition and image quality. Smile Shot automatically triggers the WB500 to take a photo only when the camera detects smiles on the subjects' faces, and Blink Detection automatically fires three consecutive shots if the camera detects that a subject's eyes are closed. The Beauty Shot automatically brightens and evens out skin tones as well as removes blemishes.
The Samsung WB500 is priced at Rs. 19,990.
The Samsung PL60 with 10.2 megapixel CCD sensor features Dual Image Stabilization with Face Detection technology and Perfect Portrait System that includes beauty shot, face detection and blink detection, self portrait, smile shot and an automatic red-eye fix. It also features Samsung's unique Digital Contents Management system that significantly reduces the time of the user to find their favorite photos. Loaded with features such as 5x Optical zoom, ISO 3200 and a 2.7” intelligent TFT LCD, the Samsung PL60 is priced at Rs. 12,490.
The 21.5 mm slim PL50 comes with a 10 mega pixel, 3x optical zoom function; portrait technology and Samsung's Digital content management system. It is priced at Rs. 9,990.
In the 12.2 megapixel category, Samsung has introduced the PL65 and the ST50, packed with features like Dual Image Stabilization, high sensitivity ISO 3200, Face detection, smile and blink detection and beauty shot with self portrait. The 16.6mm ultra slim stainless steel Samsung ST50 also features a 3x optical zoom and 2.7" TFT LCD, while the Samsung PL65 boasts of a 5x optical zoom and a 3" TFT LCD.
The Samsung PL65 and the ST50 are priced at Rs. 14,490 and Rs. 15,900 respectively.
The addition of the entry level Digital Still Cameras Samsung ES10, ES15, ES55 completes the new line up of Samsung digital still camera range. The 8.1 MP Samsung ES10 and 10 MP ES15 cameras offer 3x optical zoom, face detection, beauty shot and self portrait in addition to 2.5" LCD display.
The 10.2 MP, Samsung ES55 offers built-in red-eye fix and Multi slide show in addition to Digital Image Stabilization face detection and beauty shot features. It allows users to movie record their favorite moments at 30fps that can be enjoyed on its 2.5" LCD display.
The Samsung ES10 is priced at Rs. 7,990, ES15 is priced at Rs. 6,990 and ES55 is priced at Rs. 7,900. (story Link)

15 Worst iPhone Concepts - Funny

 

We've finally seen the iPhone and we're all waiting to get our grubby hands on one when they finally become available sometime in June 2007. But until then we have to do something to curb that iPhone urge so we decided, with all the speculation that was going on up until the unveiling last month, to compile a list of the worst iPhone concepts that the denizens of the web came up with.

Here you have it, iPhone concepts from Apple fans who thankfully were NOT on the design team:


Your new iPhone also doubles as a faceplate for your car stereo, in case you want to deter thieves from stealing your sounds by masking your $200 stereo with your $500 iPhone.


This either goes on your wrist, which sorta makes sense, or on on your head, like a headband, which makes less sense. I kinda like this one. If it shot webbing, then it would be perfect.


Apple went back in time to the 80s and stole the design for the Sony Discman, figuring that most iPhone groupies would be too young to recognize the Discman, or even know what a compact disc is. Remember when you could pry open the Discman lid while it was on play and see an actual laser? Ah, good times.


Hmm, this is where the remote control for my massage chair went. Let's see ... setting 2 for camera phone and deep tissue massage, please.

No, it's not mints. It's birth control. These very words were spoken to me by my freshman year girlfriend. She was a swell girl.


"What we cannot speak of we must pass over in silence." - Ludwig Wittgenstein


Call me old fashioned. I actually want one of these. When old tech and new tech combine to give you a zero sum gain, that's innovation!

Where refurbished flat-screen iMacs go to be repurposed as unusable iPhones. Where's the display, where's the keys, where's everything you need in a phone but the handset?


At least the rotary dial will prevent accidental 911 calls.


The design team went to a Nokia store and rummaged through the overstock bin of starter cell phones.

Because I'm getting too good at texting, the designer of this concept decided to up the ante with a circular keypad.

 

 

Ah, when conversation is just too much of a hassle. Phones are getting slimmer but your wrists keep getting weaker. Thank goodness for the lawn-chair design of the new iPhone. Now, my phone and I can relax as I make my necessary connects.

Looks like a glass case but it's not. It's the new iPEZ dispenser.

Texas Instruments and Apple decided to collaborate and build the world's most powerful tip calculator. If you're short on the bill, you can call the 'rents to wire you money fast. Also does square roots to the 8th digit. So nice.

Err...

There you have it, folks. The best of the worst. Most of these were concepted in fun, but there were a few we think were serious concept predictions for the iPhone. I hope those were conjured up in a nice safe padded cell. (story Link)