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The HTC Touch Diamond2 is in stock NOW from FREE on O2!
The hottest device of the moment with it's 5MP camera with touch focus and WVGA screen, the Touch Diamond2 is in stock NOW from FREE on O2 @ Mobiles.co.uk [aff]! Stock is expected to sell out fast... |  |
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Chris reviews the Touch Diamond2
Are you considering splashing out on the Touch Diamond2? If so, check out the MoDaCo review by podcast co-host and moderator Chris (aka Monolithix)! See this topic for his thoughts on HTC's hot new device! | |
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| Posted by Paul @ 11th March 2009 - 17:26 |
T-Mobile have announced a refresh to their popular FlexT tariffs, detailed in full here on the T-Mobile website.
The changes makes voicemail, 08 numbers, calls and texts abroad part of your allowance, as well as adding Web'n'Walk to all plans!
Good stuff... 
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Views: 3,346
Comments: 25
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| Posted by encece @ 26th February 2009 - 19:43 |
By now you have probably heard of the Peek, the email only device that does nothing more than allow you to send and receive email. That's right. Just email.
Can I make a call on it? No.
Can I surf the internet on it? No.
Can I play music on it? Take Photos? View my calendar? Run other apps? No. No. No. And, no.
If all the bells and whistles are what you desire...a true convergence device that does it all...and then some, then the Peek is not for you. The company states this themselves boldly on their page.
The Peek was born out of necessity when, company CEO, Amol Sarva, a seasoned wireless industry entrepreneur's, wife Ursula wanted a device that let her read her email while away from work on maternity leave. They couldn't find one that fit her number one need of simplicity...that is, with allthe bells and whistles she didn't want nor need. So he, with the help of others, after research and market tests, created the Peek. (http://www.getpeek.com). Nice to have friends & skillz!
A main feature of owning the Peek is the cost. Currently, the Peek costs only an amazing $49.99. Service is $19.95/month without any contract, charged to your credit card for as long, or short, as you wish. Service is currently only available in the US as it uses T-Mobile in the background as it's service supplier....and international roaming is not currently available. So you're stuck state-side.
So if email is all that it does, how well does it do email?
I had it registered to my son's gmail account. Setup was as simple as entering in his email address and password. The rest is automatic. Almost any POP3 (only) account can be used. The website lists but is not limited to: AT&T™, Comcast®, Verizon, Roadrunner™, BellSouth®, SBCGlobal, Earthlink®, Cox7®, Charter, Cablevision, and "many others". If you have a problem with your specific provider or account, Peek says to give them a call at 1-877-677-PEEK and they'll fill you in on compatibility or help with your setup from their end. Emails send and receive fairly quickly...but not immediate. Understandable as this is a periodic POP3 sync and not Push...but emails go out immediately upon SENDing and are received within minutes. Quick enough for me as I never had the need for immediate mail push.
Hardware/Software...
The device is offerend in three colors: Dark Grey, Cherry Red, or Aqua Blue. We received the baby blue unit, which makes it look like a toy, in my opinion. I'd personally go for the Grey or Red...but that's just me.
The screen is bright and the text is easy to read even outdoors. One handed navigation is easy with a clickable side scroll wheel and back button that sits directly under it. (al la Blackberry). Pressing the scroll wheel gets you to simplified menus that change context depending on which folder/screen you're in.
The keyboard keys are spaced out nicely but are waaaay too difficult to click to make any lengthy typing very uncomfortable. Maybe it's something you need to get used to as I'm currently using a the software keyboard on the iPhone so I may just be out of practice....Nah! It could be a lot easier to type on. There are also keyboard shortcuts that can be used to go to top and bottom of email lists, open or delete...to speed things along.
As you may have gathered...not much to offer on the software side of things. But I should add that along with email, there is a basic contacts list. Contacts are automatically added when you reply to a message or you can add them manually.
Image attachments can also be viewed on the device, though if they are small, there is no way to zoom in that I could find.
There are also a few different notification sounds to go along with the LED reminder of new emails.
In addition to emails, you can also send and receive text messages by entering a phone number in the TO: field. You can receive text messages as well, by someone either replying to the text message received (a routing address in the form of a hodge-podge of letters and numbers will be your temporary return number) or if their phone allows they can enter your email address into their TO: field.
In The Box...
Peek mobile email device
AC charger
Rechargeable lithium ion battery
Thin suede protection case.
10-Page Quick Start Guide
Specs...
Battery Life: 4-5 days under typical usage
Dimensions: 4.0 x 2.7 x 0.4 in (102 x 68 x 10mm)
Weight: 3.8 ounces (109 gm)
Display: 2.5 inches (320 x 240 pixels (QVGA), 65k colors)
Memory: 8MB of user memory (alot of email!)
Radio: US Triband GPRS (800, 1800, and 1900 Mhz)
Data: GPRS (Packet Data standard in GSM)
CPU: Embedded 104MHz ARM7 TI chipset
OS: Peekux
CPU: CPU is an embedded 104Mhz ARM7 that is part of the Texas Instrument Locosto chipset
Conclusion...
The Peek is a nice device if access to email is all you are about. Great for the non-tech savvy. (grandma? mom?) Or maybe even kids who aren't allowed to carry phones in school but are allowed other electronic devices. I would have loved one of these for my son a couple of years ago when I didn't think he was old enough for a phone but wanted him to learn how to email. AT&T used to offer a device called the OGO that was a text only device. But they later added phone service to it and then discontinued it altogether as phone service got cheaper. (Now he is at the phone age...so I missed the boat). But the Peek has filled in that little gap. A little niche gap....but a gap none-the-less! |
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| Posted by encece @ 20th January 2009 - 04:52 |
PRE-INTRODUCTION:
I need to personally and publicly apologize to the Pantech's marketing group for the delay in posting this review. The phone was kindly sent to us for review in November when my personal life began zig-zagging to the point that I didn't have time to post. I apologize but it couldn't be helped!
INTRODUCTION:
At first glance and touch, the Pantech Matrix is a beautifully crafted phone. This dual slider phone is tiny, though maybe a tad on the thick side. It's well made and feels sturdy in the hand. The spring assisted slide mechanism(s) are smooth and quick without any looseness nor any wiggle.
The upgraded looks to that of it's Windows Mobile predecessor, the Pantech Duo, are a great improvement. (The Duo was "U-G-L-Y...it ain't got no alibi", in my humble opinion). The phone is now smooth and untextured. It just looks and feels sleeker. We were sent the Black/Green version to review, which in photos seems the coolest to me. It also comes in a red combo, and blue combo that look quite appealing as well.
But I'm a Smartphone guy. Why did Pantech remove WindowsMobile from the phone and replace it with their proprietary standard phone OS? I'm sure they have their reasons, the simplest being appealing to a different audience. After all, why should Smartphones get all of the good hardware? What about the folks who don't want all of the bells and whistles or complications that come with a "Smarter" phone? After all, there are plenty of people out there who dont use their WinMo, iPhone, etc devices to their fullest capabilities.
That said...
- If you're after a Smartphone that has EVERYTHING...move on. This isn't the phone for you.
- If the basics are what you need...basic messaging/phone functions and a couple of cool extras like web browsing, music, and a small camera for those quickie shots...then please read on. This could be your next device!
HOUSING/BUTTONS:
As I wrote earlier, the phone is really well made. Though the exterior is plastic, it doesn't feel like a cheap phone. It feels heavy in the hand (thanks to the internal mechanisms and battery). And there is a coolness (temperature) to it that you find in metal exterior phones. Specifications list the phone at 4.02" x 1.92" x .78"/4.66oz. The D-Pad and six function buttons are comfortable and well spaced....with a dedicated music button that brings you right to the music menu. The Pantech uses rubber covers to protect the MicroSD slot and Charge/Headset slot. I'm normally not a big fan of these since my original Blackjack's broke off. These don't feel as cheap and ready to break after a few week's use...but I may just be more protective given past experience.
The MicroSD slot at the top is for extra music/photos/videos, listed as maxing out at 32MB...for adding on over the built in 45MB memory. On the left are well placed volume keys. Nothing on the bottom of the phone except for the mic. On the right side of the phone is the camera button and a peel-back-and-swing cover for the proprietary charger/headset port combo. (Note to Pantech and all other manufacturers: Standard Ports ALWAYS!)
I know this isn't pushed solely as a music phone, but the phone does have a decent music player with expandable memory. Pantech/ATT could have included a basic set of headphones along with the device. I know, I know..."just use Bluetooth headphones". But I don't have any to test with! Pantech lists the BT Audio with the following supported Profiles: headset, hands-free, dial-up networking, advanced audio distribution (stereo).
SCREEN...
The screen is a bit small at 2.2" (262L TFT) but standard for a regular phone. AT&T's Website incorrectly lists the resolution at 1280 x 960 (That's actually the camera resolution) but I'm sure it is 176 x 220. The response when flipping from portrait to landscape is immediate with no lag at all. (My biggest complaint about many sliders I've tried in the past. Windows Mobile or not!). It's not the crispest screen out there, as it seems a bit pixelated, noticeable on some photographic screens. But the darker messaging screens look great.
KEYBOARD....
The 16-Key numeric keyboard is spaced nicely and gives good tactical feedback. But on the flip side, the 35-Key QWERTY keyboard, though well spaced out and easy to thumb-type with, doesn't provide good feedback. Each key makes a standard beep and the number-pad portion makes the appropriate, though contrasting, DTMF tones. Even clicks would have been less distracting. They keys are also a bit too flush with the body. If they had raised them up a hair, with a bit more of a physical "click", it would get better marks. Not the greatest keyboard...but certainly not the worst.
CAMERA...
The camera is a mere 1.3 megapixel with a max resolution of 1280 x 960 and max video of 176 x 144 (Mpeg4-QCIF size). Standard for a standard phone. A bit short is these days of HighRes cameras and cameraphones. At least a 2MP camera would have been nice. Photos seemed a tiny bit grainy but expected for the resolution. In the end...nothing worth complaining too much about in such an economical camera-phone.
SOFTWARE
There's a good segway into the software starting with Bluetooth Connectivity (Which is technically hardware, I guess). I connected to my mac easily and was able to transfer photos, videos and music without adding additional software or needing any sync cables for that matter. Thanks to Pantech for not requiring additional & overpriced software to do this simple task (cough, cough...Motorola...cough!)
MUSIC PLAYER...
Surprisingly, there is a decent Music Player built into the phone with iPod-esque sorting of music by Artist, Song, Genre. Sound quality thru the built in speaker is decent with a good volume. Expandable memory via MicroSD max's out at 32MB, which is a decent amount of music! Headphone use couldnt be tested as a headset is not included in the box and the connection is Pantech's proprietary connection that plugs into the same side port as the power cable. If they HAD to have a proprietary connection, they should have at least included the headset as a standard accessory with the device.
CALENDAR, CONTACTS, MESSAGING
Calendar and email are the standard Java apps found on most phones with similar basic functionality. The calendar app is built in with minimal features, but the email requires an online connection just to be used and doesnt download email to the phone. Email accounts are limited to Yahoo!, AOL, Windows Live, & BellSouth and there is no way to add accounts other than these. (Hey Pantech...ever heard of Gmail?).
An AIM, Yahoo, & WLM Java app is also included for Instant Messaging, though you can't run it constantly in the background.
PHONE FUNCTIONS...
The phone has a good sound quality with a decent volume in the headset and speakerphone. Voice and ring volume controls are on the side where you'd expect and comfortable to use. The Matrix is a Quad band world phone with US 3G data speeds. My iPhone SIM wouldn't allow connecting to the web via the browser on this phone for some reason, but apps like XM and TeleNav opened and ran very quickly.
BATTERY...
I swear I used the phone for texts and voice for two days and the and only lost two bars. In the Pantech's defense...I could never do that on ANY smartphone I've ever used! Excellent!
OTHER APPS...
Yellow Pages, XM Radio, TeleNav....and the ability to add additional Java apps from the AT&T store. Other tools built-in (but not tested) include an alarm clock, notepad, voice memo, calculator, tasks, stop watch, unit converter.
IN THE BOX...
Phone, AC Adapter, Battery, Manual and QuickStart Guide. (Wish there was a headset for music and handsfree calls).
CONCLUSION...
As said earlier, Smartphone users will want to look elsewhere as there's not much excitement here for you. Especially if you were a fan of the Windows Mobile Pantech Duo, which this would have been a good upgrade of. But if a small, simple, easy-to-use, phone with basic features is what you're looking for....a simple messaging device with keyboard....a phone for mom, grandmom, or the pre-teen kids...The Matrix is a nice phone that gets the simple jobs done.
VALUE FOR THE MONEY...
Though $279 may be a little steep for a standard phone, if buying off-contract....on a new contract, you can pick one up for $80 bucks! At that price you can buy two, throw one against the wall and have yourself a spare battery and AC cable! (Or to be less destructive: To simply have two different color combos!)  |
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| Posted by tsutton @ 16th October 2008 - 21:36 |
I'm not as my contract is not due yet, but with the USA getting it around 22nd Oct while UK's getting it around 30th Oct - has anyone preordered it yet?
Excited about it? What are one (or two) things that you are looking forward to with the G1? And why?
Discuss away. |
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| Posted by tsutton @ 13th October 2008 - 21:36 |
T-Mobile sells over 1.5 million G1 Android phones
It's good to see a nice & healthy figure for the T-Mobile's G1 where they have sold 1.5 million units so far. And it's not even been released yet!
QUOTE(jkontherun) Word is now out that over 1.5 million units have been sold, and that before anyone in that big crowd has even seen a G1 in person. That tells you how excited people are getting over Android. Add 2 million units that are reported to hit retail stores this month to that 1.5 million in sales and the G1 could be even bigger than that fruity phone
I think it's amazing they have achieved it... but only if the figures are true as the figured were from rumour/word of mouth and as far as I can see, has not been confirmed by T-Mobile.
Either way, I look forward to play one of these phone.
Are you one of thoses who pre-ordered the G1? Will the G1 be overhyped like we saw with Apple's iPhone 3G?
[Via: jkontherun] |
Views: 3,215
Comments: 12
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| Posted by tsutton @ 13th October 2008 - 21:19 |
DivX Mobile Player Released!
I was looking to download DivX Player for my PC and came across this post which mentions DivX Mobile Player for Windows Mobile and Symbian. While I know this has been around for a while, this is the first time I've heard of so I thought I'd get the word out!
QUOTE(DivX Labs) DivX Video on Your Phone Want DivX video-on-the-go? You've come to the right place. There are two main ways to play DivX video on your mobile phone. You can either purchase a DivX Certified Mobile Phone or download the DivX Mobile Player.
So if your phone is not a DivX Certified Mobile Phone then this is what you need to get your phone to play DivX files.
Here are the download links:
Windows Mobile 5 or later including:
Windows Mobile 5 (Smartphone & PocketPC)
Windows Mobile 6 (Standard, Classic & Professional)
Symbian OS 9.0 or later including:
Symbian OS S60 3rd Edition
Symbian OS UIQ 3.0
Have you got it installed? Does it play good on your phone?
[Via: DivX Labs] |
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| Posted by Paul @ 10th October 2008 - 09:37 |
eXpansys have just dropped me a line to let me know that they are offering the new Nokia N96 for £469.99, today only between 11am and 4pm... this seems to be about 25 quid cheaper than i've found it anywhere else.
You can find the details here on the eXpansys site [aff], i'm also interested to hear people's thoughts on the device!
I've been contemplating grabbing a S60 device for a while (to look at CamerAware development on S60). I'm torn between the N96 and a N95 8GB, as the upgrades (to the untrained S60 eye) seem to be fairly incremental (given no DVB-H coverage for TV in the UK). Am I right?
Enjoy!
P
NOTE: the MoDaCo £10 discount vouchers are NOT valid on this item... |
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| Posted by tsutton @ 8th October 2008 - 19:38 |
Nokia Communication Center 2.0 Beta Released
For thoses of you who still use the oldie Nokia PC Suite will be pleased to know that v2.0 Beta has been released by Nokia!
Implemented:- Calendar editor
- Contact group support
- Contact thumbnail view
- Performance improvements
- Lots of bug fixes
And a note from Nokia:
QUOTE(Nokia PC Suite team) We at Nokia PC Suite team are further developing the Nokia Communication Centre application, and it now contains lots of improvements that you suggested during the previous beta testing period. We hope that you enjoy using the application, and take a look how easy it is to manage your device calendar from your PC. Please try it, share your thoughts, and report all your findings about the application. We will listen to your feedback again, and make the improvements in future versions. Please note that this is the first version, and might be unstable still.
Beware This is BETA software so do this at your own risk. Backup all of your contacts, calendar, etc before doing this!
You can download from this link
Is it any better than the old version? Do share your experience by replying here.
[Via: Daily Mobile] |
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| Posted by Paul @ 8th October 2008 - 08:29 |
Here's an interesting snippet from a PC World mailout I just received, showing that 3 are to release a Mobile Broadband WiFi router. This looks set to be a hot new market segment, with T-Mobile showing a very similar device at their recent Winter Showcase.
There really are no other details other than what you see here at the moment, but it DOES at least look pretty slick i'm sure you'll agree! 
I'm assuming the target market is those using Mobile Broadband instead of a home internet connection, but i'm sure you - the talented readership - can come up with some cool use cases! I quite fancy one of these plumbed into the car somewhere... hehehe...
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Views: 3,280
Comments: 14
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| Posted by tsutton @ 6th October 2008 - 19:43 |
CellTrack91 for Symbian
Interested to know which mobile phone mast you're connected to and want to know more about it? That's where CellTrack91 comes in!
QUOTE(MobileTopSoft) CellTrack91 is a Symbian application which will tell you more stuff about you’re the cell you are connected to. Using it you can collect GSM information like net monitor and more.
Seems a useful application if you're nosey or someone who is a phone geek. Best of all, it's freeware!
[Via: MobileTopSoft] |
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| Posted by tsutton @ 6th October 2008 - 19:28 |
silicon.com has been looking into the Five of the best touchscreen mobiles out there
They are:
1 ) Apple iPhone 3G
2 ) T-Mobile G1
3 ) Nokia 5800 XpressMusic
4 ) Samsung Omnia
5 ) Palm Treo Pro
For me, I do like T-Mobile G1 but more leaning toward the Samsung Omnia because of the phone design. But then I guess it's all down to what the operating system is offering you to meet your needs/
So which one of these five mobile phones do you like and why?
[Via: silicon.com] |
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| Posted by Paul @ 2nd October 2008 - 16:58 |
Yesterday I spent some time in London at the T-Mobile Winter Showcase. This is basically where T-Mo pimp their wares for the coming season... and this time they had the chance to show off a couple of devices of interest to readers here, namely the MDA Vario IV and the Android based G1.
I've included a video of the G1 in action (excuse the fact i'm a complete android n00b), as well as some MDA Vario IV pics below.
If you have any questions on either, hit me up in this topic! Really liking the MDA IV, bit slicker in appearance than the Touch Pro... really not overly enamoured with the uber-plasticky (especially in Black!) G1.
Discuss!
P
PS Apologies for the lighting in the video and pictures, the venue lighting was AWFUL! And very pink... 
PPS News page readers - photos after the jump!
PPPS That's not a Pink G1... it's the white one in the dodgy lighting!
CLICK HERE to view the full news item. |
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| Posted by tsutton @ 26th September 2008 - 22:12 |
T-Mobile G1 manual leaks out
T-Mobile G1 manual has been leaked, ahead of the G1's launch.
QUOTE(Engadget Mobile) It's going to be a few weeks yet until your unwashed hands are touching an actual G1, so how'd you like some reading material to pass the days in the meantime? T-Mobile has trotted out its first Android phone's user's manual -- probably not on purpose, if we had to guess -- and there are some interesting little morsels in there that'd be even more interesting if you actually had the phone in front of you. For example, did you know the G1 had a status light? Don't see those too often these days. You've also got a full rundown of the notification icons, apps (including the Android flavor of T-Mobile's myFaves app), and -- get this -- procedure for battery removal. Fancy that!
I've had a look at the PDF file and it covered all aspects of the phone. Something for you to learn how this phone works while waiting for the G1 to land on your doormat.
I still can't get over with the oddness of the phone design/style. But if it does the job, then so be it.
In case T-Mobile pulled the PDF file, I have attached it with this post.
tm30235.pdf ( 3.07MB )
Number of downloads: 454
Do you think the G1 is still a hype or will it be big?
[Via: Engadget Mobile] |
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| Posted by tsutton @ 26th September 2008 - 22:01 |
EU to slash more mobile charges
More good news for us... EU is pushing to make this a law to slash the cost of using mobile phones abroad, for text, data and voice calls.
QUOTE(BBC News) The European Parliament is to vote next spring on whether roaming costs for text messages should be capped. The cost of sending a message is expected to eventually fall by 60% from an average of 23 pence to 9p.
Voice calls would fall from 36p to 27p a minute and customers would be able to set limits on data downloads.
A reluctant mobile phone industry first had limits on its roaming charges imposed by the EU in September 2007. However, those applied only to voice calls, not those for texting or browsing the internet while users were abroad.
What a GREAT news for travellers who travels to Europe oftens if this was made into law. Lets hope this will happen!
What are your thoughts of this?
[Via: BBC News] |
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| Posted by tsutton @ 23rd September 2008 - 06:16 |
T-Mobile and Google has teamed up in New York to officially announce T-Mobile G1 which is well known as Google Android at their press conference.
This will begin TODAY (23rd Sept 2008) at 10:30am EST, which translates to 3:30pm BST.
You can watch it at http://announcement.t-mobileg1.com
I will be watching it and hopefully posting here to discuss about it.
Please do join us to chat about it! |
Views: 4,131
Comments: 34
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