The Nokia Lumia 800 versus the iPhone 4S

Read more about this post at GadgetHeat.com

The Nokia Lumia 800 marks the first device released after the announcement in February of a partnership between Nokia and Microsoft. The Finnish manufacturer’s first Windows Phone device, there is great expectation that the Lumia might help Windows Phones gain ground they may have lost to Apple and Android. This Christmas, top of the wishlist for many will be Apple’s new device, the iPhone 4S. Does the cheaper price of Lumia 800 contracts have what it takes to knock the iPhone off the top spot?

Both are slim devices. The Nokia Lumia has a 3.7 inch display with an AMOLED screen and ClearBlack display, designed to reduce reflection. Produced using the same technology as Nokia’s popular N9, the new device has the same polycarbonate casing that feels both ergo-dynamic as well as rigid and secure. The iPhone 4S is also sold on the basis of being a slim, sleek and stylish phone. Its screen is a little smaller than the Lumia at 3.5 inches but both are striking devices.

The Lumia 800 is powered by a 1.4 GHz processor. It has only 16GB of internal user memory but, utilising Microsoft’s SkyDrive cloud service there is 25GB extra free space. This makes it a powerful device, yet the iPhone would largely edge it out with its A5 chip and dual-core processor. On light usage, both last around a day. Complaints over the iPhone 4S battery life are likely to be ironed out in the next iOS5 update.

In terms of camera, Apple states the iPhone 4S’ camera is so good, you won’t believe it’s on an smartphone. Both measure up at 8 megapixels. Nokia has a proven track record in delivering excellent smartphone cameras. The N8’swas marketed as having the best smartphone camera in the world. The Lumia 800 uses Carl Zeiss optics. The delivery is sharp images that are crisp and make it easy to pick up rich colours and a variety of textures. It will be up to taste as to preference between the iPhone 4S and the Lumia 800, but the lack of a front-facing camera on the Nokia might put some off.

In terms of operating systems, all eyes will be on the Mango architecture on the Lumia 800. The first Windows Phone by Nokia there is great expectation of how well it will work. The look on initial use, the live tiles that show different applications laid out in coloured blocks on the opening screen does look very different from Android and Apple. Receiving email from any account, better integrations with social networking sites like twitter and Facebook show a desire to bring the Windows Phone more in line with other smartphone OS. The Apps available in the Windows Phone Marketplace show a desire to gain ground on Apple and Android. Many developers have favoured their competitors. An improved OS with better integration between Apps suggests while it may look different, Windows Phone is working to behave in a more iOS manner.

Whether Nokia’s new device will be enough to tempt buyers away from the best phone contracts for the iPhone 4S is a matter of some debate. Its price bracket at around $399 SIM-free puts it in the same as the latest Android and Apple devices. Nokia’s name has always been in building solid, sleek and stylish devices. It is not the only smartphone to be launching with a new operating system, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus utilising Android’s new Ice Cream Sandwich will turn heads. But the fact that, for the first time, Nokia can be seriously discussed in contention with the leading smartphones on the market shows they have made considerable headway with the Lumia 800.

US Government Phone Apps: Why Does Android Get No Love?

Read more about this post at GadgetHeat.com

Last week, the FBI released a mobile phone app called Child ID which is meant to allow parents to keep up-to-date biometrics of their children in the event that they have to file a missing child report to law enforcement. Instead of guessing weight and height and struggling to provide further useful descriptive information, parents can simply send their pre-plugged data directly to authorities. It’s a remarkable bit of technology paid by tax dollars, but there’s a snag: parents with a 4G Phone Samsung Exhibit or other device that runs on Android are unable to download the app at this time. The currently version only works on Apple iOS.

Upon further investigation it seems that the overwhelming majority of mobile apps the U.S. Government provides are built solely for iOS. This includes a travel information app offered through the State Department, an app for looking up available government jobs, and one that encompasses the entirety of USA.gov itself. These are seemingly extraordinarily useful programs to be able to run from a mobile device. For the minority of Americans who have iPhones this is fine. For the majority of smartphone-wielding Americans this could be considered a blatant misuse of tax dollars.

While not every tax payer has a smartphone it’s estimated that 50 percent of the American public will by 2012. The iPhone market is rapidly expanding, but the Android market had long since been empowered ever since Google willingly let multiple device manufacturers use their open source OS. Simply put, if you had to put your money on the mobile operating system that is to eventually become the majority of the smartphone market, you’d go with Android.

So why the government is preferring Apple’s iOS for their app development is beyond me. Does it have something to do with a predominance of government developers savvy in Apple languages, but not the basic C and C++ of Android? That’s doubtful considering that Microsoft systems have dominated government information infrastructure for the last fifteen years.

It probably has a lot to do with the lack of coordination among government agencies. Each individually funded and given independent autonomy to an extent, they likely create these apps at the whim of internal interest.

Don’t envision some grand legislative act that made app-creation a unilateral priority of all departments of the executive branch. Instead, picture a random sequence of app creation each allowed to choose its own platform on which to write the app for. Without an overall sense of properly providing the public with apps that can be used, these agencies and departments are all deciding to make apps for the iPhone and no one else.

If you’re an Android user interested in government apps, make a point to contact your member of congress about the issue. At such a hectic time in our government, it won’t be a priority until the people make it one.

New developments in under the hood technology

Read more about this post at GadgetHeat.com

Image courtesy of Expansys

Predictions of the next big thing in computer technology are often cloaked in the hyperbole of grand ideas and lifestyle determinants. Product launches take this to a natural conclusion with all the fanfare necessary to capture the imagination as well as a healthy market share. What is clear in the latest big ideas, whether for business or leisure, is that computers are on the move. Virtualisation, cloud computing, the latest laptops, netbooks, phones and tablets have all helped shape mobile communications and entertainment. Yet there is life in desktop PCs still and what is under the hood is no less dynamic and every bit as functional.

It is an exciting time for the tech-savvy consumer, a time when digital technologies finally realise their potential for complete lifestyle integration. The days of sitting at a work desk communicating via a LAN connection are history and, with business networking gone mobile, there are ever increasing overlaps between business and leisure spaces, in both real and virtual worlds. In the current climate there must be value for money too, a cost-effective imperative which has seen virtual and cloud technologies take business computing by storm.

The benefits of virtual machines are obvious. Having multiple operating system environments in a single machine certainly allows for increased functionality but the true benefits come from ease of maintenance and off-site disaster recovery. Process virtualisation is a key ingredient too, particularly with regards to the huge array of available mobile apps, perfectly suited for this single process technology. It is a natural evolution of virtualisation into public or business cloud computing, where the key benefits are efficient application delivery, data storage and data recovery.

Advances under the hood of desktop PCs are, as ever, microprocessor driven but with some very new and radical developments too. With 64-bit technology finally achieving industry standard status, high use CPU intensive applications such as gaming, multimedia recording and editing have more than enough RAM to cope. Additionally, after the success of dual-core processing, quad core, employing high end Intel processors, has entered into the mainstream and even eight-core is available, courtesy of Sun Microsystems Niagara chips.

Where the radical new developments come into desktop PCs is in expanded functionality. Just as TV goes 3D, computers take on the TV and even other computers in Wi-Fi range, but the most significant development is in touch screen technology as seen with the latest Hewlett Packard desktops. Just as with mobile technology, this is intended as an ergonomic, intuitive and interactive experience.

Skullcandy Lowrider Headphones Review

Read more about this post at GadgetHeat.com

OK we know, long-time-no-see etc but we’re back with the Skullcandy Lowrider Headphones Review. Why? Don’t ask why just don’t look a gift horse in the mouth…..

Big, ear-muffin headphones have been in the spotlight for a while now and who are Skullcandy to buck a trend? Skullcandy ratings and reviews remain consistently high, product after product so we had high hopes for the Skullcandy Lowrider Headphones.

These highly portable headphones can fold-up into your jacket pocket no sweat and are equipped with a 40mm speaker which although produces an undeniably quality sound, it can also be heavy on the bass on occasion.

The headphones are iPhone/iPod compatible due to the 5mm jack and can also fit a wide array of other mp3 players. The only major drawback we came across was their size. Yes we know we lauded them for being highly portable but therein also lies the problem. They are can-style headphones with smaller than average cans meaning you get plenty of sound leakage and can’t really get into that ‘audio-zone’ as you can always make out noises around you.

For the average, casual listener this flaw of the Skullcandy Lowrider Headphones may not be a big no-no but for the dedicated audiophile, meh.

Chrome Operating System Video

Read more about this post at GadgetHeat.com

Chrome Operating System Video

Today the big G (that’s google to you and me) released a video of the much hyped Google Operating System. Don’t get your hopes up though, the video itself is very ‘sketchy’, literally. The video is a walk through of what the chrome OS will be all about when it’s released sometime next year.

Check the Chrome Operating System Video below. For some reason it looks like they disabled embedding so you will have to hop over to You-Tube to get the full effect.

Google Chrome operating system

Space Invaders Autopsy T-Shirt « Cut ‘em up

Read more about this post at GadgetHeat.com

Space Invaders Autopsy T-Shirt

Space Invaders is the classic space shoot-em-up but the Space Invaders Autopsy T-Shirt proves that the little invading critters can be equally as popular in the cut-em-up genre.

Designed by Chris Rowson on Threadless, you can bet your bottom dollar that the Space Invaders Autopsy T-Shirt will be a staple garment in many a geeks wardrobe come the summer heat. For $18, it’s not a bad design and may even score you a few cool-points with other uber-geeks (although maybe not with the laydeez but you never know…).

The Space Invaders Autopsy T-Shirt is available now from Threadless. Don’t forget to wear your Space Invaders watch too for that classic 80′s fanboi look (we jest not).

Space Invaders Autopsy T-Shirt

source

LG Chocolate Touch » Fresh from Verizon Wireless

Read more about this post at GadgetHeat.com

LG Chocolate Touch

I am sure you must have heard about a special brand of chocolate in town now that wouldn’t help lower your blood pressure due to its anti-oxidizing abilities instead requires a monthly subscription fee, then you definitely know I am referring to LG Chocolate Touch which is fresh from Verizon Wireless.

It possesses boastful qualities such as FM Radio with Presets, Integrated Song ID, Dedicated Side key e.t.c. LG Chocolate Touch definitely worths it

Access to social networking sites such as facebook, Myspace, Twitter e.t.c is possible through the patronage of this chocolate. You may want to try it out.

source

Verizon iPhone » Could Be Launched By Next Year After All

Read more about this post at GadgetHeat.com

verizon iPhone

Even though Verizon made adverts squashing the iPhone, You will definitely agree with me that its quite unconceivable for Apple to consider the use of its popular smart phone with Verizon. Anyway, there are reports to the contrary.

It is now confirmed that Apple will be launching its Verizon iPhone by the third quarter of next year (i.e 2010). They are presently working tooth and nail to produce a “worldmode” iPhone which will be compatible with Verizon Wireless.

I can conveniently say that the handset will have a small screen (about 2.8 inches), definitely smaller than the current iPhone’s 3.5 inch screen. Reason for this is still not yet known.

source

Easy Piano » Hits The Market Soon

Read more about this post at GadgetHeat.com

Easy Piano for Nintendo DS

I have got clues that the DS lite will be a relic of a lost age before long. With the release of Easy Piano which is hitting the market soon.

It has just been announced by Valcon Games that its Piano-Teaching Title is scheduled for release in North America by 2010 and there is the potential that the sales will definitely push DS lite to the back bench.

For Piano Lovers and Music Enthusiasts, Easy Piano might just be what you need to combine fun and learning.

source

Creative’s ZEN X-Fi2 Touchscreen » Now Selling

Read more about this post at GadgetHeat.com

Creative’s ZEN X-Fi2 Touchscreen

I am pleased to be the first to inform you that Creative’s ZEN X-Fi2 Touchscreen is now on sale at Creative although I wouldn’t expect you to break the bank to purchase one.

Talking about some of its features from 3-inch Liquid Crystal Display to its Integrated FM tuner, Creative’s ZEN X-Fi2 Touchscreen should definitely catch your fancy.

Creative’s ZEN X-Fi2 Touchscreen is available for a sultry price of $129.99 for the 8Gb model, $179.99 can fetch its 16GB model and $229.99 can purchase its 32GB model. What are you waiting for folks?

source