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The Nokia N96 Reviews Are In!

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (491)

Arguably one of the most exciting handsets from Nokia in a long time (until they went and unveiled the 5800!), the N96 with it’s focus on multimedia playback and digital TV awesomeness has got a lot of websites excited, but some are underwhelmed…

GSM Arena is impressed by the phone in general, but have a few minus points including the battery life, a lack of USB charging and the hefty price tag. Having said that, they loved the camera and extra memory the N96 provides…

An excellent point which they raised was the DVB-H digital TV functionality. As awesome as it is, if you aren’t in the big universites of Oxford and Cambridge then no TV for you! Check out this list for which places in the globe currently support it. Lucky Nigerians.

Stuff.tv have a glowing 5 star review of the phone, stating that it picks up the mantle from the Nokia N95 in impressive fashion, and bar an 8 megapixel camera it provides to be everything a smartphone should.

If only it could cut down on the pies a bit and had a more svelte, Samsung i8510-esque look, the N96 would have torn the industry asunder! As it is, features like the vibrant 2.6 inch screen and BBC iPlayer will be more than enough to convert mobile phone fans to pray at the altar of the N-Series.

As soon as we can have a sneaky peek at one, we’ll let you know our take on it…

Nokia N96 Out Today! New Firmware Update Messing With It?

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (491)

Good news for those who didn’t win the Euromillions this weekend, as the N96 is now a little cheaper having been released on Pay Monthly at the major retailers!

I’m slightly biased, but Omio have some really great Nokia N96 deals which went live today.

£35 a month for 600 minutes and unlimited texts on Orange with the phone costing only £29.99 from Dial-A-Phone is our most popular one, and it’s not hard to see why!

Quite the bargain for the super multimedia successor to the N95, complete with digital TV, BBC iPlayer and a whopping 16GB of storage for all your music and movies! If you’re in two minds about taking the plunge, get an in-depth rundown on the Nokia N96 features page!

Slightly less happy news from some early adopters is that the newest firmware update released by Nokia is making their gorgeous new handsets play up a little. The v11.018 update seems to wonkify call quality and speaker output a little bit, but this is the opinion of big time Nokiaholics in the official forums so we’ll wait and see whether these problems are widespread…

Source: Pocket Picks

Music Video Shot With Nokia Handsets, Not Awful

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (491)

It is definitely Nokia who are the most inventive with their marketing ideas at the moment. The al fresco Nokia N96 unboxing shot with an N96 was a breath of fresh air, and the next logical step was to shoot an entire video on an N-Series handset.

So they did.

Eskimohunter’s hot new video ‘Surfing at 32ºF’ (me neither…) was shot only using a Nokia N93, a Nokia N93i and an N95, and it doesn’t look too bad for it!

A little on the avant-garde side, the video was filmed by maverick director Mike Hodgkinson using guerilla tactics like fishing line rails for tracking shots and chocolate bar wrappers for lens filters.

See the making of the video below… This may be a subtle marketing ploy, but am all for marketing ploys with a little ingenuity involved!

Source: Podcasting News

EISA Awards, Gongs For HTC And Sony Ericsson

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (491)

A European Imaging and Sound Association Award is recognised amongst the mobile phone community as an impressive plaudit, recognising those handsets which break new ground in the field of multimedia functionality. This year was no different with very deserving winners, although not necessarily those one might expect…

The best music phone went to the Sony Ericsson W980, a justifiable winner through being the perfect combination of looks, functionality and audio support. 8GB of storage with that Walkman touch that Sony gives the W-series phone makes for a handset offering a better aural experience than even the iPhone 3G.

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Is Reset Generation THE N-Gage Title?

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (491)

It is very easy to mock Nokia’s first real foray into gaming, the N-Gage, with derision and references to the visual similarity of the handset to a traditional Mexican dish. However, their efforts were very committed, their heart was in the right place and the N-Gage has gone from strength to strength as a platform as soon as they ditched the hardware route.

Despite these improvements, there has not yet been a single title to maximise the potential of the N-Gage 2.0, until Reset Generation. Word in mobile gaming circles was that Reset Generation is the big one, the game which brings online gaming, persistent Xbox Live-style accounts, and cross platform multiplayer, and will get Nokia recognised amongst the gaming fraternity for once.

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QWERTY vs. Predictive Text : Which Is Quicker? FIGHT!

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (491)

The Symbian blog has posted up a genius report exploring whether the predictive text function on a keypad is in fact quicker than using a full PC-style setup.

They mention the excitement surrounding the E-series turning a corner with the Blackberry QWERTY-keyboard stylings of the new E71, and lined it up against the classic 12-button N95 layout and the middle ground of an E90. The subsequent tests are rather thorough, and the respective input mechanisms are really put through their paces. The winner?

The more you practice, the quicker you get. A bit of getting to grips with the wider layout of a smartphone, and your text speeds can begin to fly. However, those T9 predictive text freaks would need to make a big change to increase performance speeds on a full QWERTY layout (you know who you are…).

Visit their site if you want to see the breakdown in even further detail. Be warned, there are graphic depictions of both tables and text message imagery. You have been warned.

Source: Symbian Blog

Nokia N96 Delayed Until October

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (491)

Apologies to all those who threw their N95s out of the window in excitement or adopted a panda in an attempt to get their hands on one early. It seems like the sexy multimedia handset needs a little more time before being unleashed on the majors…

Nokia and the Carphone Warehouse have announced the new launch date as 1st October, not August as originally slated. It will be available on all networks though, so no exclusivity deal as with the 6650.

Early hands-on reports and previews have been positive but hardly proclaiming the Second Coming, so if digital tv on the go and a revamped N95 is all you want…you have to wait a little longer.

Source: Electric Pig

O2 Redefines ‘Push To Talk’ With Pedal Charger

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (491)

Not to be beaten by Orange’s innovative mobile phone festival solutions for Glastonbury with their Dance Charger and mobile charge tent, o2 have unveiled their gimmick for the upcoming Wireless Festival this weekend. Eschewing solar power with the fickle nature of the British summer, they will offer specially equipped bikes which turn pedal power into phone juice.

In Hyde Park from the 3rd to the 6th of July, o2 will be turning revellers into Chopper lovers and BMX bandits in order to charge their handsets. However, they won’t be getting very far.

Not least that it is a difficult environment to stand upright let alone pedal about, the bike will be secured to the ground much like an exercise machine. Probably to dissuade light-fingered music fans from riding clean out of the park with a bunch of expensive tech.

Not the most fun alternative to watching your favourite band, sweating in a field to charge your phone. But at least the real-world implications for this technology is far more practical than Orange’s efforts, with that deadly commute to work being less pointless if boosting your mobile was a byproduct of push power.

Could even turn those exercise bikes in homes across the country into something other than a coat rack.

Obviously, o2 have no plans at present to release it commercially. That would make too much sense. As easy as it is to power the headlamp on a Raleigh with these things, charging a drained Nokia N95 might require a trip to the Cairngorms…

Nike PhotoID : Trainers Literally From The Streets

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (491)

Nike has unfathomably managed to maintain its ’street’ image, despite being a Fortune 500 company with revenue in excess of £8 billion in 2007. Now that’s gangsta.

This latest method of shoe customisation from them no longer requires your sister’s highlighters, but photos from the real world.

Taking one step further from the “get your name on your shoes” concept of NikeID, this time foot fun ensues as any photo sent from your camera phone is turned into a unique colourway. These colours are then placed digitally onto an image of a pair of Nike Dunk trainers, and the image sent to your phone.

What now? You buy them of course! You can pop and lock down to Niketown or purchase them online. Or you can keep the image as a fly-ass wallpaper for your mobes.

Hold up a minute… As the promo vid shows (with nice N95 product placement), the unique colourway is essentially two prominent colours distilled from the image sent by MMS. Two colours. Arguably a lot less freedom than offered by the original Nike ID site from many moons ago (just peep my suede blue and orange lo-tops as proof of that!). However, that didn’t have the cool hip tie-in of mobile phones, did it?

You can just see the suited execs from AKQA (responsible for this new campaign) wracking their brains of how to ’synergize’ the youth markets of trainers and phones. Self described as “a watershed moment in mobile campaign activity,” you can text yourself a shoe in one of nine European countries from today.

Word.

Source: The Guardian

Sony Ericsson F305 : PSPhone?

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (491)

All the signs are there… X and O buttons, a little Playstation-esque d-pad and the dedicated ‘game’ shortcut button has the familiar joypad outline on it. Except it isn’t.

The new handset unofficially outed by the Unofficial Sony Ericsson blog in a completely unofficial manner is the new F305.

The F stands for fun apparently, and no genuine connection aside from the vaguely cosmetic has been made to Sony’s successful handheld. It has already been branded the PSPhone by at least one blog (this one…), and it is obviously designed with an eye towards being a gamer’s handset. It comes preloaded with this season’s hot new bandwagon, motion sensitive games!

Completely unlike the Wii (or LG Secret, or LG Orsay, or the N95….), there are a range of waggle-based games designed for use with it. In an impressive touch, albeit a relic from the heady days of Battleships on the Ericsson T68, Bluetooth multiplayer is also available.

It is also replete with all the great things you grow to expect from a new Sony Ericsson with RDS radio, Track ID, memory card support and amusing colours (”Polar” White and “Mystic” Black).

It is probably alright at making and receiving calls too, but does that even matter anymore?