Recommended Universities For USA

Recommended Universities:They don't represent rankings. But Recommended programs by graduates hotline.
# Princeton University
# Stanford University
# University of Southern California
# Cornell University# University of Colorado
# Oregon State University (VLSI-excellent)
# Purdue University
# University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
# University of Massachusetts at Amherst
# Rice University# University of Michigan
# University of Wisconsin-Madison
# University of Minnesota# Harvard
# University of California-Berkeley
# University of Rhode Island
# Johns Hopkins University
# University of Notre Dame
# Carnegie Mellon University
# Yale University
# University of California-San Diego
# California Institute Technology
# University of California-Irvine
# Northwestern University
# Virginia Polytechnic Inst & State University
# University of Wisconsin-Madison
# University of Virginia# University of Iowa# University of Washington
# Vanderbilt University
# Case Western Reserve University
# Ohio State University# University of Texas at Austin# Washington University
# North Carolina State University
# University of Rochester
# University of Pennsylvania
# Massachusetts Inst of Technology
# University of California-Santa Barbara# University of Minnesota
# Drexel University
# Texas A&M University
# Brown University
# Arizona State University
# University of Maryland College Park
# Colorado State University
# Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst# Pennsylvania State University
# University of Florida# Michigan State University
# Clarkson University
# University of Arizona# University of Utah
# University of California-Los Angeles
# University of Cincinnati# Duke University
# Lehigh University
# Georgia Institute of Technology
# Columbia University
# Louisiana State U & A&M College
# Northeastern University
# University of California-Davis
# Boston University
# Worcester Polytechnic Inst
# Clemson University
# Rutgers State University-New Brunswick
# University of Illinois at Chicago# Iowa State University
# Washington State University# University of Houston
# University of Missouri-Columbia# University of Delaware
# University of Tennessee-Knoxville# University of Pittsburgh
# George Washington University# New Jersey Inst of Technology
# Stevens Inst of Technology# Texas Tech University
# University of Missouri-Rolla
# University of Mass-Lowell# Syracuse University
# Illinois Institute of Technology
# San Jose State University (EE/CS)
# SDSU (EE/CS)
# Utah State (EE/Civil)
# Portland State (EE)
# Wayne State University
# George Mason (EE/CS)
# University of Kansas
# Kansas State University
# University of Dayton
# University of Toledo
# University of California Santa Cruz
# University of North Carolina Chapel Hill# Oregon Graduate Institute Science & Tech
# University of Kentucky
# University of Alabama Huntsville
# West Virginia University
# State U of New York-Stony Brook
# Auburn University
# University of Arkansas-Fayetteville (Mech)
# State University of New York-Buffalo
# Colorado State University
# University of Connecticut
# University of Alabama-Birmingham (Biomedical)
# University of Akron (Biomedical)
# University of Oklahoma
# University of Texas Arlington
# University of Texas Dallas
# Brigham Young University
# RIT (CS)
# Harvey Mudd College
# Seattle University (CS)
# Cal Poly?San Luis Obispo# Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech.
# Temple University(CS)
# University of Maryland Baltimore County
# University of Mass Lowell

Nokia 8800 Arte/ Arte Sapphire

When is a Nokia 8800 not a Nokia 8800? When it's a Nokia 8800 Arte. This is much more than a slightly warmed over version of the Nokia 8800 Sirocco - it's a completely new handset, effectively the Mark III version of the original Nokia 8800, with quite a lot of features taken from the 8600 Luna. And it's certainly not as hideous as the Nokia 8800 Sirocco Gold Edition.

There are two variants of the Nokia 8800 Arte, the standard one and the Sapphire Arte which features a gemstone navigation key and a soft leather finish. We kid you not.

Ignoring the rather bonkers Sapphire edition, the Nokia 8800 Arte is a much improved device over its predecessor. This is a 3G phone with a 2 inch 240 x 320 (QVGA) pixel OLED display, a 3.2 megapixel camera and 1GB of internal memory. Add in Bluetooth and a multimedia player, and the 8800 Arte is pretty much on-the-button for a contemporary 3G phone.

Here's the catch - the Nokia 8800 Arte costs a whopping €1000 (£700) and if you want the Sapphire edition then that will set you back €1150 (£815) before tax and subsidy. For those basic specs, you can get a 3G phone an awful lot cheaper - so what is it that sets the 8800 Arte apart from a run-of-the-mill handset?

The answer is, the 8800 Arte follows in the tradition of other 8000 series Nokias by paying very close attention to detail and the quality of construction. The 8800 Arte is constructed from steel and glass, at a time when most phones are made primarily of plastic. The non-stick surface on this new 8800 is a feature that many owners of "glossy" phones will see the need for, and there's a smooth sliding mechanism designed to give the 8800 Arte an air of quality.

It's more than just the build quality, Nokia have gone to some effort to create a whole "8800 Arte" experience. The musical themes for this handset have been created by Kruder & Dorfmeister (check out the soundtrack on the 8800 Arte's launch page), it comes with something called "living wallpapers" and a nice touch is that if you flip over the phone when ringing, it goes mute. There's a desk-stand included in the sales package too, along with a Bluetooth headset as standard.

Although the inclusion of 3G, QVGA and an improved camera are certainly improvements, there are still a few shortcomings with the Nokia 8800 Arte. For starters, this is not a smartphone - the 8800 Arte runs the standard S40 operating system found in Nokia's "dumb" phones. There's no WiFi, the camera lacks a flash and there's no expandable memory either. Video capture is a lowly 177 x 144 pixels, and the 8800 Arte also lacks GPS.. and even though SatNav is a bit of a luxury, the 8800 Arte is a luxury phone. It's only a tri-band GSM phone, so the the 8800 Arte isn't really suitable for the US market,

So, it's quite a lot of money and not as feature packed as the N95 8GB or E90, but the Nokia 8800 Arte is certainly a very desirable phone. Nokia say that the Arte should be available during Q4 2007, and the Arte Sapphire is anticipated for Q1 2008.

Nokia 8800 Arte/ Arte Sapphire at a glance
Available: Q4 2007 - Q1 2008
Network:GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900UMTS 2100
Data:GPRS + EDGE + UMTS (3G)
Screen:240x320 pixels, 16m colours
Camera:3.2 megapixels
Size:Large slider109 x 46 x 15mm / 150 grams
Bluetooth:Yes
Memory card:No
Infra-red:No
Polyphonic:No
Java:Yes
Battery life:3 hours talk / 12 days standby

Nokia N82

How do you follow up a success like the Nokia N95? Well, one way to do it is to follow the path of the Nokia N95 8GB and give it more memory and a larger screen. If you wanted to go further, then you'd probably dream up something even more superlative than the N95 and call it the Nokia N96. So, the Nokia N82 is a surprise, because it's not really what we would imagine a successor to the N95 to be like.

The very first thing that strikes you about the Nokia N82 is just how ordinary it looks. Where the N95 was frankly a bit mad with its two-way slider, the N82 is a straightforward monoblock design with an uncluttered keypad and large QVGA display.

Pretty much everything from the original N95 has been directly ported over to the N82. There's a five megapixel camera with Xenon flash, autofocus and a Carl Zeiss lens, 3G support with HSDPA, WiFi, microSD expandable memory (with 2GB in the sales package), A-GPS (Assisted GPS), a video calling camera, FM radio and stereo Bluetooth.

This is a Symbian S60 smartphone, so it comes with a web browser, email client, document viewer, advanced multimedia player and the N82 also has a set of personal information management (PIM) applications. Nokia Maps is preinstalled for basic GPS use, although expect to pay a fee for more advanced mapping functions. Video capture is an impressive 640x480 pixels at 30 frames per second.

Because this is based on the N95, you can expect everything to work well (yes, some of the early N95s were buggy, but owners can easily update their phone's firmware now). The camera quality should be excellent, and that's mostly down to good optics rather than raw megapixels.

One nice new feature is an iPhone-style sensor that changes the screen orientation when the phone is rotated.

There are a couple of drawbacks. The uncluttered look of the Nokia N82 means that there are no dedicated multimedia keys, and the display is smaller at 2.4" in size, compared to 2.6" on the N95 (and 2.8" on the N95 8GB). We anticipate that the newer Nokia N95 8GB will continue to be sold alongside the N82 as the N95 8GB is somewhat more highly specified.

The model name is a bit of a giveaway - Nokia are positioning the N82 in a slightly lower product range along with the new N81. This leaves the N95 8GB and Nokia E90 as the flagship devices in Nokia's lineup.

Perhaps the Nokia N82 is a little disappointing in some respects. If you already own a Nokia N95 then there's no real reason to change your handset. However, if you're in the market for a quality 3G phone with a first rate camera, then the Nokia N82 is going to be very hard to beat.

Nokia say that the N82 is available now from selected retailers at an unsubsidised cost of around €450 (or approximately £300).

Nokia N82 at a glance
Available: Q4 2007
Network:GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 UMTS 2100
Data:GPRS + EDGE + UMTS (3G) + HSDPA + WiFi
Screen:240x320 pixels, 16m colours
Camera:5 megapixels
Size:Medium monoblock112 x 50 x 17mm / 114 grams
Bluetooth:Yes
Memory card:microSD
Infra-red:No
Polyphonic:Yes
Java:Yes
Battery life:3 hours talk / 8 days standby (3G)4 hours talk / 9 days standby (2G)

JCB TOUGHPHONE

This unusual looking handset is the JCB TOUGHPHONE (yes, it really is spelled all in capitals). There are no prizes for guessing what the TOUGHPHONE's main sales proposition is - but in case you haven't guessed it, the clue is in the TOUGHPHONE's name.

The TOUGHPHONE is rated to at least IP52 specifications* which doesn't mean much to us, but it does mean that the handset is very resistant to dust, shock, moisture and impact. The handset should survive being dropped onto a concrete floor while in use, and it can also cope with temperatures ranging from -20 degrees to +40 degrees celsius to. It's pretty clear that the TOUGHPHONE actually is a tough as it looks.

The distributors of the JCB TOUGHPHONE are pitching the handset at trades such as construction, farming, transport and any other application where robustness is useful. It should also survive most outdoor leisure pursuits, or possibly even a trip down to the pub.

There's a glare and scratch resistant screen, and the TOUGHPHONE also has a very loud Dual Speaker phone for use in noisy environments, it has a WAP browser and Bluetooth. The standard sales package also includes a USB cable and belt clip. It's a pretty large handset at 113 x 50 x 22mm, mostly down to the chunky design. The TOUGHPHONE isn't all work and no play though - there are some fun JCB style graphics and an exclusive ringtone that sounds like a JCB digger starting up (although this is possibly less useful if you happen to work with diggers!)

One of the TOUGHPHONE's other strong points is its Push-To-Talk support (PTT or PoC). If you have a tariff that supports it, the TOUGHPHONE can be used as walkie-talkie and it can be integrated with other PTT/PoC solutions.

The JCB TOUGHPHONE is actually manufactured by Sonim Technologies as the Sonim XP1. Sonim aren't some nameless third-tier manufacturer, they are actually specialists in enterprise and industrial communications systems.
On the negative side, the screen is only 128 x 160 pixels in resolution, and the TOUGHPHONE lacks a camera or multimedia capabilities. What you do get though is an extremely rugged and durable handset, backed by a no quibble three year guarantee.

The JCB TOUGHPHONE will be availabe from Phones4U during November (where it is free on a contract of £25/month or more), and also Speedy Hire and Plumb Center stores with other retailers following from February 2008 onwards. We also understand that Vodafone themselves will be carrying their own variant of the Sonim XP1 during 2008. The Sonim XP1 is also currently available SIM free for around £200 / €300.

JCB TOUGHPHONE at a glance
Available: Q4 2007
Network: GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900
Data: GPRS
Screen: 128x160 pixels, 65k colours
Camera: No
Size: Large monoblock113 x 50 x 22mm / 130 grams approx
Bluetooth: Yes
Memory card: No
Infra-red: No
Polyphonic: Yes
Java: No
Battery life: 4 hours talk / 8 days standby

Sagem my150X

A slightly more upmarket version of the Sagem my150X, the Sagem my220X is a very lightweight and incredibly inexpensive phone that looks like it costs a lot more than it actually does.

Let's not beat about the bush - this is a really cheap phone, coming in at less than £15 (€25) for a prepay handset. What you get for your money is a very elegant device that's just 10mm thick and weighs only 65 grams, with easy-to-use menus, a speakerphone, built-in polyphonic ringtones and a colour screen.

The screen is a simple 128 x 128 pixel CSTN panel in 65,000 colours. As with the my150X, the Sagem my220X has funky backlights on the keypad too. The standard colour is chrome/black, but Sagem also have a gold version (as pictured) which should be available in the shops.

Talktime is a reasonable 3 hours with up to 10 days standby time. Yes, there are phones will greater battery life, but then at 65 grams this is certainly one of the lightest devices around, partly down to the slimline power cell.

We like the my150X a lot - and the Sagem my220X is basically the same handset with a conventional colour screen. It certainly looks like an expensive phone and the sleek design will attract some admiring glances.. and it's a handset that could definitely make a good Christmas gift.

Sagem my220X at a glance
Available: Q4 2007Network:GSM 900 /1800
Data:No
Screen:128x128 pixels, 65k colours
Camera:No
Size:Slim monoblock107 x 47 x 10 / 65 grams
Bluetooth:No
Memory card:No
Infra-red:No
Polyphonic:Yes
Java:No
Battery life:3 hours talk / 10 days standby

Nokia 3110 Evolve

If you're the sort of person who thinks that not using a plastic bag for your shopping is actually some meaningful way to save the planet, then the Nokia 3110 Evolve is for you.

Based on an unremarkable and fairly inexpensive handset launched earlier this year, the 3110 Evolve is a basic tri-band GSM phone with a 128 x 160 pixel display, 1.3 megapixel camera, FM stereo radio, microSD expandable memory and an MP3 player, plus Bluetooth and USB connectivity.

It's a pretty lightweight handset at 87 grams, but you can tell by the specification that the screen is the 3110 Evolve's biggest weakness.

So what makes this different from a standard 3110? Well, Nokia say that there is "bio-sourced material on the covers", and they also say that the cover material is 50% renewable - so we guess that it uses some sort of plant-based hydrocarbon compound rather than plastic from fossil fuels. The Nokia 3110 Evolve comes in a much smaller sales package consisting of 60% recycled content, and there's a new more efficient phone charger. Nokia say that the charger uses "94% less energy than the Energy Star requirements" but does not give any figures comparing it to a standard unit.

In other words, the Nokia 3110 Evolve uses less plastic, is more efficient to transport and uses less power than a standard 3110. These are all good things, but add them together and they are hardly going to counteract all the billions of tons of carbon dioxide that humans are pumping into the atmosphere. Sure, getting a slightly greener phone (and using less plastic bags) is a good thing - but real change will require much harder lifestyle choices than this. And surely this sort of approach from manufacturers is the very least we should expect.

We think that there is a fatal flaw in Nokia's thinking - the Nokia 3110 Evolve is not the sort of phone that you'll want to hang onto for a few years. The limitations of the low-resolution screen will probably drive many people to replace it quite early. Our advice is this - buy a better phone, and keep it for longer. Then when you've finished with it, recycle it and raise some money for a worthwhile charity. Oh, and unplugging your phone charger when not in use is a good thing too.

The Nokia 3110 Evolve should be available during Q1 2008. No pricing was available at the time of going to press.

Nokia 3110 Evolve at a glance
Available: Q1 2008
Network:GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900
Data:GPRS + EDGE
Screen:128x160 pixels, 262k colours
Camera:1.3 megapixels
Size:Lightweight monoblock 109 x 46 x 16mm / 87 grams
Bluetooth:Yes
Memory card:microSD
Infra-red:Yes
Polyphonic:Yes
Java:Yes
Battery life:3.5 hours talk / 16 days standby

Samsung F250

The Samsung F250 is a bit of an oddity - it looks expensive, but it isn't really. And it also comes with an unusual combination of features that means that it doesn't quite fit into a traditional product range.

The most obvious thing about the SGH-F250 is the glossy looks. Slide it open, and there's a stylish metal keypad, and the presence of dedicated media keys on the front indicate that this is a multimedia device. In fact, the Samsung F250 can play back a variety of multimedia files, has an FM radio, microSD expandable memory and Bluetooth 2.0.

Where it gets a little strange are the rest of the specifications - the 2 inch display is only 128x160 pixels, and the digital camera comes in at a so-so 1.3 megapixels. So in fact, what we have here is a phone with pretty good multimedia capabilities but one that cuts other features back to keep the price down. At around €190 or so SIM-free, the F250 costs roughly the same as the Nokia 6300 - but the Nokia 6300 has a much better display and camera.

Most customers will probably buy the SGH-F250 based on looks alone, and it's certainly an attractive looking device. The F250 should be available at the beginning of Q1 2008, although the only country where it has been confirmed for release so far is Russia.

Samsung F250 (SGH-F250) at a glance
Available: Q1 2008
Network:GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900
Data:GPRS + EDGE
Screen:128 x 160 pixels, 65k colours
Camera:1.3 megapixels
Size:Medium slider94 x 46 x 18mm / 96 grams
Bluetooth:Yes
Memory card:microSD
Infra-red:No
Polyphonic:Yes
Java:Yes
Battery life:Not specified

Hi All,
Wishing each one of you a very happy and prosperous deepawali. May this year brings you lots and lots of happiness in life and fulfill all your dreams.

As the candlelight flame,
Ur life may always be happiness' claim;
As the mountain high,
U move without sigh;
like the white linen flair,
Purity is always an affair;
As sunshine creates morning glory,
fragrance fills years as flory;
with the immaculate eternal smile,
attached to u mile after mile;
All darkness is far away,
As light is on its way;
Wish all of u a very Happy Diwali and a Prosperous New Year.

Diwali Greetings

Diwali Graphics

Motorola RAZR2 V8 Luxusy Edition

The Motorola RAZR2 V8 is a pretty decent multimedia phone that has only just hit the market. Obviously, Motorola think that this isn't enough and have come up with the Motorola RAZR2 V8 Luxury Edition for those who want something a little more showy.
Yes - that yellow metal on the RAZR2 V8 Luxury Edition is real gold - well, 18 carat and 24 carat gold plate to be precise.

The back of this RAZR2 is embossed with a snakeskin effect, and the front has an unusual striped looked. The navigational control has been given "linear etching", the phone itself has complementary themes and Motorola include a gold-plated Bluetooth headset in the package.
Underneath is a very capable music phone with 2GB of internal memory (the standard V8 has 420MB), a large internal and external display, with touch-sensitive media controls on the exterior screen, a 2 megapixel camera and Bluetooth. It's the same size as the ordinary version of the V8, although we don't know how much this edition weighs.
Let's face it.. the Motorola RAZR2 V8 Luxury Edition is not for everybody. It's not so much a question of price - Motorola haven't said how much it will cost - but really a question of taste*. It's in the same sort of league as the Gold Nokia 8800 Sirocco or the old RAZR V3i Gold.. so if those phones appealed to you, then this one will too.
The design is in the details, so we have included some close-up shots of the RAZR2 V8 Luxury Edition below so you can see the design detail more closely.
Taste: OK.. we admit it. We think that the Motorola RAZR2 V8 Luxury Edition will probably appeal to you if you like Burberry baseball caps, Hackett polo shirts, sovereign rings and badly customised Vauxhall Corsas. It's truly hideous and if there's one good thing going for it, it's that the real gold might make it too expensive for your average Chav. Sorry, Motorola, but this is just truly hideous.

Motorola RAZR2 V8 Luxusy Edition at a glance
Available: Q4 2007
Network: GSM
Data: GPRS + EDGE
Screen: 240x320 pixels, 262k colours (main)240x320 pixels, 262k colours (sub)
Camera: 2 megapixels
Size: Slim clamshell103 x 53 x 12mm / approx 117 grams
Bluetooth: Yes
Memory card: No
Infra-red: No
Polyphonic: Yes
Java: Yes
Battery life: 8 hours talk / 10 days standby

ITT Easy Use Phone

I believe that technology should be accessible to everyone - and although we love our high-tech gadgets, we understand that there's also a place for handsets that are very easy to use.
Falling into this "easy-to-use" category is the ITT Easy Use Phone, a device that has several features that are designed to appeal to those who struggle with today's tiny and over-complicated mobile phones.
The first thing to notice is that this is a big phone - much larger than a conventional handset (it's almost the same size as the brick-like Nokia E90). This isn't a bad thing, because it means that the Easy Use Phone comes with a set of really large buttons on the front. The keypad consists of a standard numeric layout, plus "call" and "hang up" keys and then four quickdial memory keys, designed either for frequent calling or emergency use. Below is a size comparison between the Easy Use Phone and the Nokia 6300, so you can get a feel for just how large the buttons are.
We haven't seen the display, but we understand that it comes with white-on-black text and has been designed for clarity. Technically, it's a "transflective negative LCD" with a backlight, so it should be usable in most lighting conditions.
There's a 50 number phonebook, and a choice of nine polyphonic ringtones. There's no mention of text capabilities, and since the Easy Use Phone has no letters on the keypad, we assume that SMS messaging is not possible.
Accessibility isn't all about big buttons and simple displays - the Easy Use Phone also comes with a very loud speakerphone, strong vibrate mechanism and it's hearing aid compatible too. There's also a headset included in the standard sales package. The Easy Use Phone is available in black or silver colour schemes.
Despite the Easy Use Phone's considerable size and weight, the beefy 100mAh battery only gives about 6.5 days standby time and 2 hours 20 minutes talktime. For a phone of this type, we feel that the battery life should be much longer. Bear in mind that the ITT Easy Use Phone will be used by people who might not always remember to charge their phone, so twice the talktime and standby time would be very useful.
The ITT Easy Use Phone is available from selected retailers across Europe - in the UK it is available for around £138 SIM Free from Matamobile, in Germany Amazon.de stock it for €169.

ITT Easy Use Phone
Available: Now
Network: GSM 850 / 1900GSM 900 / 1800
Data: None
Screen: Monochrome
Camera: No
Size: Large monoblock135 x 38 x 16mm / 152 grams
Bluetooth: No
Memory card: No
Infra-red: No
Polyphonic: No
Java: No
Battery life: 2 hours talk / 6 days standby

i-mate Ultimate 9502

The flagship handset in i-mate's range of Windows Mobile devices, the i-mate Ultimate 9502 is pitched directly against high-end smartphones such as the Nokia E90. What's immediately obvious about the i-mate Ultimate 9502 is the sliding screen with the QWERTY keyboard underneath, reminiscent of the T-Mobile Sidekick range.. and it's roughtly the same size as the Sidekick too.
This is a highly sophisticated Windows Mobile 6 device. The most prominent features on the Ultimate 9502 is the large 2.8" 640 x 480 pixel (VGA resolution) touchscreen. There are not many devices on the market that can compete with that, especially when it comes to web browsing.. although the Nokia E90 is one of them.
Underneath, this is a quad-band GSM device with GPRS and EDGE, tri-band UMTS (3G) with HSDPA high-speed data plus WiFi. On the back is a 3 megapixel digital camera with autofocus and flash, and the i-mate Ultimate 9502 also has microSD expandable memory and Bluetooth.
One unusual feature with the Ultimate 9502 is the inclusion of GPS (global positioning system). There's no satellite navigation software included with the 9502 as far as we can tell, but there are several packages that will run on the Windows Mobile platform.
Another unusual touch is an XGA resolution video out port, which means that the Ultimate 9502 can drive a projector at up to 1024x768 pixels. Mobile versions of PowerPoint, Word and Excel are included, plus Windows Media Player.. so the i-mate Ultimate 9502 looks to be a good alternative to using a laptop for presentations.
It's quite a large device - the i-mate Ultimate 9502 weighs 200 grams and measures 116 x 60 x 18mm. That's slightly lighter than the E90 and a fair amount more compact. Talktime is quoted as a little over four hours with a maximum standby time of 7.5 days on UMTS.
It's certainly one of the most sophisticated phones ever made. Our main criticism is that it's a somewhat unappealing device to look at.
i-mate have quoted a US price of around $725 before tax and subsidy. It might seem expensive, but you could easily expect a smartphone of this type to cost $1000 or more. No European pricing is available at the time of going to press. The Ultimate 9502 should be available from November 2007 onwards.

i-mate Ultimate 9502 at a glance
Available: Q4 2007
Network:GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900UMTS 850 / 1900 / 2100
Data:GPRS + EDGE + UMTS (3G) + HSDPA + WiFI
Screen:640x480 pixels
Camera:3 megapixels (main)0.3 megapixels (sub)

Size:Large PDA/slider116 x 60 x 18mm / 200 grams
Bluetooth:Yes
Memory card:microSD
Infra-red:No
Polyphonic:Yes
Java:Limited
Battery life:4 hours talk / 7 days standby

3 Skypephone

We've not often seen such a media buzz accompanying the launch of a new handset, but the 3 Skypephone certainly seems to have generated So what is it about this unremarkable looking mobile phone that seems to have generated all the excitement? Yes, the name Skypephone and the large Skype button on the keypad are pretty obvious, but why should an inexpensive VOIP handset be of any interest to consumers? After all, we've seen plenty of VOIP devices before that have hardly set the market alight.
In fact, what really makes the 3 Skypephone work isn't the Skype component - because that's available on many other mobile phones, but it's a combination of 3's very inexpensive calling plans and a handset that has been designed to use Skype from the beginning - rather than as an afterthought. And as far as consumers are concerned, Skype is synonymous with internet-based telephony.
Before we look behind the scenes, let's have a quick look at the 3 Skypephone's hardware. Obviously, it's a 3G device as it runs on the Hutchison 3 network. It has a 2" 176x220 pixel display, a 2 megapixel camera, microSD expandable memory (with 256MB in the box) and Bluetooth. Software includes a multimedia player and web browser, and of course the built-in Skype application. It's a fairly modest hardware specification, but then the 3 Skypephone is very light at just 86 grams and it has a good 4.5 hours talktime and 13 days standby time - remember that this is a 3G phone, and mobiles of this type tend to be larger and more power hungry than GSM phones. There are three colours available - white/blue, white/pink and black.
Annoyingly, this is just a dual band 900/1800 MHz GSM and 2100 MHz UMTS phone, so it won't work in the US. There's also no video calling camera - although we suspect that people will miss that rather less.

As we said, Skype is built into the Skypephone's software as an integral component. The Skypephone isn't exactly a smartphone, but it is built on Qualcomm's BREW platform which is a sophisticated and well-regarded development environment. BREW is often seen as an alternative to Java, but the Skypephone will also support Java-based applications such as games.
The Skype integration appears to be pretty seamless - Skype details show in the Skypephone's contacts and can be selected and called using the Skype button.. if they're not a Skype user, then you can just click the standard call button. The Skypephone shows the status of each contact, so you know if they're logged onto Skype or not. You can also use the Skype IM (Instant Messaging) client, although remember that the Skypephone doesn't have a QWERTY keypad.
We said that the other component that made this work was 3's pricing structure - and 3 have certainly made it an attractive proposition. In the UK, all subscribers get 4,000 Skype minutes for talk and 10,000 Skype messages - that's 66 hours of talk per month. That's not just the deal for contract customers - prepay customers get exactly the same deal. Contract deal start at £12 per month with a free phone, and the Skypephone is £49.99 for pay-as-you-go customers. In other countries, the deal and pricing will vary somewhat. Other Skype and VOIP devices rely on WiFi for a low-cost internet connection, but 3's deal makes this unnecessary for most users. However, We don't know how much Skype will cost if you go over the limits.
One final twist is this - in the UK, the launch date for the 3 Skypephone is 2nd November, just a few days before O2's launch of the Apple iPhone. Although the Skypephone and iPhone are very different, we suspect that quite a few people may see the Skypephone as being more useful.
3 say that the Skypephone will also be available in Australia, Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Italy, Ireland, Macau and Sweden during the remainder of 2007.a lot of comment, even from the BBC.

3 Skypephone at a glance
Available: Q3 2004
Network:GSM 900 / 1800UMTS 2100
Data:GPRS + UMTS (3G)
Screen:176x220 pixels, 262k colours
Camera:2 megapixels

Size:Medium monoblock100 x 44 x 14mm / 86 grams

Bluetooth:Yes
Memory card:microSD
Infra-red:No
Polyphonic:Yes
Java:Yes
Battery life:4.5 hours talk / 13 days standby

Psion Teklogix iKôn / Psion Teklogix 7505

Imagine what would happen if you decided to design a mobile handset with absolutely every feature you could think of. Sure, it would be great.. but it would probably be huge and expensive. But what if size and cost werWell, you might well end up with a beast like the peculiarly named iKôn from Psion Teklogix (or rather more mundanely, the Psion Teklogix 7505). It might not look too large in the picture, but this 450 gram monster measures a sizable 115 x 80 x 40mm. The weight is at least partly due to the 5000 mAh battery pack, with around five times the capacity of a standard smartphone power cell - Psion Teklogix say that the iKôn's large battery "ensures full-day productivity for mobile workers".
Well, you might well end up with a beast like the peculiarly named iKôn from Psion Teklogix (or rather more mundanely, the Psion Teklogix 7505). It might not look too large in the picture, but this 450 gram monster measures a sizable 115 x 80 x 40mm. The weight is at least partly due to the 5000 mAh battery pack, with around five times the capacity of a standard smartphone power cell - Psion Teklogix say that the iKôn's large battery "ensures full-day productivity for mobile workers".
You might guess from the physical characteristics that the Psion Teklogix iKôn isn't really a consumer handset - this is aimed at corporate customers, especially those working in the fields of warehousing and distribution, healthcare, field service and any other application that potentially requires a very powerful handheld device.
The most striking feature on the iKôn is a huge 3.7" VGA resolution (480 x 640 pixel) touchscreen, which is easily one of the largest on the market and has four times the pixel count of a standard QVGA smartphone display.

Underneath the screen is a numeric keypad with large, easy-to-use buttons. If you're familiar with current Psion Teklogix they you'll notice a familiar set of function keys and softkeys, so adapting existing handheld applications should be relatively easy. Alternatively, you can specify a QWERTY option instead of a numeric one - and a close examination of the iKôn product photo shows a set of accessible screws in the front indicating that this swap-over might be quite easy to do.
On the back is a two megapixel camera, and on the top is a barcode scanner.. again, if you're familiar with Psion Teklogix handheld terminals, then you will have seen this before. This means that an operator can take reasonably good photographs of anything that they might need later, and also scan in product and packaging barcodes directly into the handheld.

Network connectivity is through GSM/GPRS/EDGE, UMTS (3G), WiFi or Bluetooth, so the iKôn is very flexible and it should always be possible to get a network connection. There's a USB connector, and usefully for this type of device, you can also plug in an old-style RS232/serial cable.
There's also a built-in GPS receiver, although you would need to add your own satellite navigation software to it. Inside the iKôn is a 624 Mhz XScale processor with 128MB RAM. The 7505 / iKôn also takes microSD memory cards and is SDHC compatible which should mean that you can fit a 4GB card in or even bigger.

When you order the iKôn, you can tell Psion Teklogix which operating system you would like it to come with - a choice of Microsoft Windows CE 5.0, Windows Mobile 6.0 Classic or Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional. This may seem like overkill, but this will help many corporate customers port their applications onto the iKôn.
The whole package is wrapped up in a rugged housing that can protect the iKôn from a 5 ft drop onto concrete. It's also highly dust and water resistant, can withstand shocks and vibrations and it is specified to work in a wide range of temperatures. Add to this a range of accessories such as vehicle mount kits, holsters, carrying straps and docking stations, and you can see that the iKôn is a well-rounded device for industrial applications. But then with the name Psion Teklogix on it, most customers would expect nothing else.
Of course, the what you get out of a device like the iKôn depend on what you put into it. For the maximum benefit, you'll need to write or adapt your own packages for it, but that can be as simple as a web-based application that can be used on the large 480 x 640 pixel display.

Psion Teklogix haven't confirmed how much the iKôn will cost - but in all honesty, if you're worried about the price then it's not for you. Our guess would be something roughly in the £1000 / €1500 / $2000 range, but in any case it will vary according to the exact specification you order. Psion Teklogix say that the iKôn should start to become available from December.
If we had to make a criticism of the iKôn / 7505 then it will be this: it's a shame that there's not a version of this for office users and consumers. It's also ironic that it's a Windows device, as Psion Teklogix is part of Psion who invented (and then sold on) the Symbian operating system. But perhaps we will one day again see the Psion name on a consumer device.. we certainly hope so!

Psion Teklogix iKôn / 7505 at a glance
Available: Q4 2007
Network:GSM + UMTS
Data:GPRS + EDGE + UMTS (3G) + WiFi
Screen:480x640 pixels
Camera:2 megapixels
Size:Hand-held terminal115 x 80 x 40mm / 450 grams
Bluetooth:Yes
Memory card:microSD (SDHC)
Infra-red:No
Polyphonic:Yes
Java:Limited
Battery life:Not specified

HTC Omni surfaces at Google as HTC "Dream"with Android OS

It’s been a while since we last heard about HTC Omni communicator, the info about which leaked last July together with HTC roadmap for 2007.
Now we may know why it was never mentioned again. Looks like HTC was persuaded to drop Windows mobile OS and made Omni into Google’s Android demo phone.Don’t believe me? How about this Forbes description of HTC “Dream” handset used in Google’s Android demonstrations:
The phone, code-named “Dream” inside Google, looks somewhat like Apple’s iPhone: It is thin, about 3 inches wide and 5 inches long, and features a touch-sensitive, rectangular screen… The bottom end of the handset, near the navigational controls, is slightly beveled so it nestles in the palm. The screen also swivels to one side, revealing a full keyboard beneath. (The screen display changes from a vertical portrait mode to a horizontal display when someone uses the keyboard.)
Let’s take a closer look:
It’s thin. Check
Length: 130 mm - 5.11″. Check
Width - 81 mm - 3.18″. Check
Touch-sensitive, rectangular screen. Check
bottom end … slightly beveled… Check
screen swivels to one side, revealing a full keyboard beneath. Check
HTC Dream looks very similar to HTC Omni for me. So what else is new about it?
Forbes tells us a few interesting things that will be in HTC Omni/Dream:
time-sensitive touch gestures: Hold down your finger longer, and the area you’re controlling expands
easy navigation with icons for e-mail, text documents and YouTube along the top of the screen
virtual machine for true multitasking. Applications can launch once during a session, then reside in the background
it should go into production soon and start shipping next summer
And from the former leaks we know HTC Omni/Dream specs that were planned few half year ago, so some of them could have changed to the better. And they already are really impressive:
32 bit Qualcomm MSM7200 Chipset, 384 MHZ CPU Clock
256 MB ROM
128 RAM
800 x 480 px TFT 262 color touchscreen
GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900, UMTS850, UMTS1900, UMTS2100 connectivity
CSD, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA data support
Built-in QWERTY-type keyboard, 65 keys
SDIO, microSD, TransFlash expansion slots
USB 2.0 client, 60Mbit/s , USB Series Mini-B (mini-USB) connector
Bluetooth 2.0
802.11b, 802.11g
NMEA 0183 , 20 channels built-in GPS
3.1 Mpx camera with LED flash
640×480 VGA secondary camera
Dimensions: 81 x 130 x 16 mm
Well if my ramblings above are at least half close to the truth, come next summer, with HTC Dream/Omni Google may have a real killer flagship to introduce it’s Android platform to masses.

Fly Mobile SLT100 (Fly Mobile SX210)

Marketed as the Fly Mobile SLT100 in the UK, and the SX210 in most other countries, this sliding phone is quite inexpensive and has a neat trick up its sleeve.Retailing at about £60 or so for a pay-as-you-go handset on Virgin Mobile or Vodafone, the Fly Mobile SLT100 surprisingly comes with a 320 x 240 pixel resolution touchscreen, which we think is almost definitely the cheapest touchscreen device on the UK market for prepay customers.
This is a stylus driven device with built-in handwriting recognition, but you can also use an on-screen keyboard. Of course, as it's a slider phone you can use the keypad if you prefer.
The other features on the Fly Mobile SLT100 are pretty good too - there's a 2 megapixel camera with a flash, microSD expandable memory, an MP3/AAC player, video player, FM radio, Bluetooth, web browser and a set of personal information management functions. In terms of size, the Fly SLT100 is pretty typical for a GSM device, coming in at 96 x 49 x 14.9mm and 101 grams in weight. The talktime is a pretty short 2.5 hours with 7.5 days standby time. The battery is only a 600mAh module, which we think is a little on the feeble side, although in all honesty the battery life is probably good enough for most people.
It's not exactly a stunning phone to look at, but it is a neatly laid out device with some quite classy looking metallic highlights. Standard colours are a grey-sliver, black and the almost inevitable pink, although these will vary from operator to operator.
The Fly Mobile SLT100 is certainly no iPhone killer, but it's incredibly good value for money and the touchscreen will appeal to many. At this sort of price range, the SLT100 is likely to find its way into many Christmas stockings.
The SLT100 is currently available in the UK from Argos, Currys, The Link and Woolworths.

Fly Mobile SLT100 (SX210) at a glance
Available: Now
Network:GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900
Data:GPRS
Screen:240x320 pixels, 262k colours
Camera:2 megapixels
Size:Medium slider96 x 49 x 15mm / 101 grams
Bluetooth:Yes
Memory card:microSD
Infra-red:No
Polyphonic:Yes
Java:Yes
Battery life:2.5 hours talk / 7.5 days standby

Sony Ericsson K660i

Sony Ericsson have had a buoyant 2007 - sales have been good, helped by strong brand recognition and quality products. So, Sony Ericsson probably have high hopes of this latest K-series camera phone, the Sony Ericsson K660i. Yes, we've seen K-series devices from Sony Ericsson lots of times before, and the K660i doesn't even qualify as a Cyber-shot phone, but it does have a few interesting tricks up its sleeve.
The most significant feature in the K660i is the inclusion of HSDPA high-speed data. This makes web browsing and multimedia downloads much quicker than standard 3G, and it also means that the K660i can be used as a broadband modem for a laptop. The other important feature is an improved web browser, designed to be much more like a PC browser, complete with a pointer and scroll bars, along with a screen that can be used for web browsing in either portrait (tall) or landscape (wide) modes.These two features aside, the Sony Ericsson K660i is otherwise pretty standard fare. It's a 3G phone with a 2" 240x320 pixel display, 2 megapixel digital camera, video calling, stereo Bluetooth, a multimedia player, FM radio, email client, web browser and R.S.S. feed reader. There's a mapping application too.
The K660i's memory is expandable using Memory Stick Micro (M2) cards with 256Mb included in the box. Underneath is a quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz phone with UMTS 2100 MHz, plus GPRS, EDGE and HSDPA data. The K660i measures 104 x 47 x 14.7 mm and weighs 95 grams, which is pretty light for a 3G phone.
This phone won't change your life, but it certainly has some nice features. Sony Ericsson say that the K660i should be available during Q1 2008 in Lime on Pink and Wine on Black colour combinations.

Sony Ericsson K660i at a glance
Available: Q1 2008
Network:GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900UMTS 2100
Data:GPRS + EDGE + UMTS (3G) + HSDPA
Screen:240x320 pixels, 262k colours
Camera:2 megapixels
Size:Medium monoblock104 x 47 x 15mm / 95 grams
Bluetooth:Yes
Memory card:Memory Stick Micro
Infra-red:No
Polyphonic:Yes
Java:Yes
Battery life:9 hours talk / 14 days standby (GSM)4.5 hours talk / 14 days standby (3G)

Motorola debuts the Motorola MOTOPURE H12 Universal Bluetooth headset

Following on their “TrueComfort” line of uber-comfortable Bluetooth headsets, Motorola has just announced their newest Bluetooth headset - the Motorola MOTOPURE H12 Universal Bluetooth headset. The sleek, silver, almost Mac-like design (notice the MacBook Pro-esque main button and perforated metallic bezel) adds a touch of style to the headset’s impressive feature set. And, the MOTOPURE H12 isn’t just a looker, it’s diminutive size makes it all but disappear on your ear.

The MOTOPURE H12 Universal Bluetooth headset rocks Motorola’s CrystalTalk audio-enhancing technology, previously only found on the company’s high-end mobile phones, to ensure that you can hear the conversation clearly, even in the noisiest of environments. But, it’s not all about hearing the conversation, Motorola wants to make sure that you can be heard clearly and accurately as well. The MOTOPURE H12’s noise-reduction technology works in tandem with a dual-microphone setup to isolate your voice and deliver sharp, natural sounding speech to the listener.
But, all the features in the world do nothing for the user experience if the headset is a pain to wear. So, Motorola has also designed the MOTOPURE H12 with the “TrueComfort” philosophy of headset design that we saw launched with the Motorola H680 and H375 Bluetooth headsets. As the new flagship of Motorola’s Bluetooth headset lineup, the MOTOPURE H12 Universal Bluetooth headset packs in all the features that Motorola has at its disposal. The feature-set reads like a rundown of Motorola’s Bluetooth headset know-how - high-fashion design, CrystalTalk technology, noise-reduction DSP with dual microphones, and TrueComfort wearability. Oh, and the MOTOPURE H12 Universal Bluetooth headset is good to go for 5.5 hours of talk-time with continuous noise-reduction.

What more could you ask for? What’s that you say? You want the price? Well, dear reader, the price is not yet known, but we can tell you that the MOTOPURE H12 Universal Bluetooth headset will be hitting the market in Q4 2007.

THREAD FOR OCTOBER GRE QUESTIONS

CHK OUT: http://eisn.net/walkin/index.php?board=25.0

FOR ANY STUFF RELATED TO GRE, TOEFL,AND MS.....CHK OUT THIS

http://ms-aspirants.blogspot.com/2007/10/all-gre-toefl-ibt-links-tips-2-ace-exam.html

i-mate shows two new phones

i-mate has updated its site design and now showcases two new smartphones: one Standard edition and one Professional. Both come with the JAMA branding and are tri-band GSM phones which limits them to mainly European usage. Both run on Windows Mobile 6, 300Mhz processor and have 128MB ROM; 64MB RAM and microSD slot. 2-megapixel camera with auto-focus is also a common feature for the two.The JAMA 201 is the WM6 Standard smartphone with landscape display and full QWERTY keyboard below it. The display attracts with its VGA (640x480) resolution and size of 2.5 inches.The JAMA 101 has 2.4” QVGA touch display. We guess it will have low price and will be targeted as affordable WM6 Professional phone.

Courtesy-www.phonearena.com

Top 10 most beautiful cellphones-From fosforgadgets.

1. KDDI Penck by Makoto Saito

2. LG KG-800 Chocolate

3. Helio Kickflip

4. Black Diamond

5. KDDI Neon by Naoto Fukasawa

6. Samsung SGH-E870

7. O2 Ice

8. KDDI Talby by Marc Newson

9. Samsung SGH-E900

10. Hitachi W42H

Nokia 6500 slide

Mobile phones’ manufacturers are fairly creative setting up their market strategies in the pursuit of attracting greater attention towards their products. As a rule, Nokia phone models have been known for their “letter-number” codes, yet complete names have also been introduced recently. This is a good move to accentuate a specific product (or series) with the goal to facilitate its fixing in the customer’s mind. Developing the idea further, the Finnish announced two new models with identical number codes but different extensions: 6500 classic and 6500 slide.

Today, we will review the capabilities of Nokia 6500 Slide in more detail. The name itself gives a hint at its type. This is an attractively designed up-to-date unit that belongs to the upper medium class, featuring the well-known Series 40 user interface, enabled to operate in 3G networks, and disposing of a 3.2 megapixel Carl Zeiss optics camera.

Sales package contents:


Nokia 6500 slide
Nokia Battery BP-5M
Nokia Charger AC-4
Nokia Wired Stereo Headset HS-47
256 MB Micro SD Memory Card
Micro USB Cable CA-101
TV-Out Cable CA-92U
CD ROM
User guide

This is a good set with enough accessories to immediately commence utilizing the full potential of the device. In case the micro SD card would seem small to you, bear in mind that the phone officially supports up to 4 GB memory, which is the maximum for this standard. There are, indeed, the so-called hi-capacity (HC) memory cards with even larger memory space, which are not supported by the phone, though.

Courtesy:www.phonearena.com