Gizm0 - Gadget Blog for the Technology Obsessed.

You were fun, iPhone, but now you’re starting to get a little heavy in the pocket - that shine is getting dusty, and you’re creakin’ like a 40 year old. Your features are getting all confused. You blank in and out cause your light sensors are broken. That EDGE data is starting to creep slower than molasses, and gosh darnit, I don’t want to see a miniature version of the NYTimes, I want to see a mobile version! Oh yeah your camera sucks and how come you can’t shoot video? Aren’t you supposed to be the illness?

Face it, we’re bored with the iPhone’s pet tricks. On to the new. We’re consumers and gadget freaks and we want more, more, more!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Enter the Motorola Z10, the cell phone that knocks the iPhone out until June or so when a 3G version of the Mc phone is unveiled. Even then I might be enjoying the video camera on my Moto 210 too much to give it up. Here’s hoping the 3G iPhone has a few more tricks up its sleeve.

The Motorola Z10 has a 3.1 megapixel camera, which isn’t that great at all, but passable. Key however is the phone’s slick look and ability to shoot video.

Like Music? Peep this beauty, the Samsung SGH-i450. Featuring a full digital music player, a 3.5mm headset jack, and Bang & Olufsen speakers. The dual-slider design also offers a touch wheel for menu navigation. Slickz.

Nokia N96: the top phone for Europeans

This thing is the new champ but it sure does cost a whole lotta dough (550 euros). We’ve called it the world’s first superphone. For goodness sakes you canwatch TV on it. But peep out the price, 550 euros is like $800 or something. Still for the feature obsessed, this is the king.  As picky as we are, this thing has more features then we could ask for.  Well, let’s hope the N97 can shoot HD video!  Just kidding, the N96 doesn’t even arrive until late summer 2008!

Full specs of Nokia N96 include:

• WCDMA2100/900 (HSDPA) / EGSM900, GSM850/1800/1900 MHz (EGPRS) connectivity
• DVB-H Class C, 470-750 MHz
• S60 3rd edition, FP2 UI
• 2.8” QVGA (240 x 320 pixels) LCD TFT display with up to 16 million colors
• 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus and auto-exposure
• Dual-LED camera flash, video light, recording indicator, auto-focus assist light
• Secondary VGA (640 x 480 px) camera for video calls
• Video capture in MPEG-4 up to VGA at 30 fps
• Digital Video Stabilization
• Built-in GPS/A-GPS
• WLAN - IEEE802.11 g/b
• Stereo FM radio (87.5-108MHz, 76-90MHz) with RDS
• Hi-Speed USB 2.0 with Micro USB type B interface
• 3.5mm stereo headset plug , TV-out support (PAL/NTSC)
• Bluetooth 2.0 A2DP stereo/EDR
• 950 mAh battery with up to 220 min talk, 220 hrs standby time, 5 hrs video, 14 hrs music or 4 hrs TV playback
• Dimensions: 103×55×18 mm
• Weight: 125 g

Related posts

• Garmin Nuvifone, iPhone's Newest Competitor? (0)
• Phone of the (Near) Future: NVIDIA's superphone (0)
• Nokia N95 News Round Up (0)
• Macbook Air vs Thinkpad X300: Tale of the Tape (0)
• Macbook Air Battery Replacement - Not a Big Deal Afterall? (0)

Barcelona, SPAIN - Sony Ericsson launches the Xperia X1, which sounds like an S.U.V., but perhaps that’s the feeling they want to convey - a utilitarian device for the modern urbanite.

This so-called convergent slider device, (we prefer aspiring superphone) packs in a funky design, Wi-Fi, assisted GPS, A2DP stereo Bluetooth, and an auto focus 3.2 megapixel camera with a photo light and video recording. Neat. We especially like the photo light. That one trick opens up the whole world of phone photography into dusk and night.

Related posts

• Goodbye iPhone, hello Motorola Z10 (0)
• Sony XDCAM EX-1, best Video Camera Under $10K? (0)
• Sony W300, a 13.6 Mega Pixel Cyber-Shot! (0)
• Nokia N96, World's First Superphone (1)
• Nikon D60 or Canon Rebel XSi? (0)

Sorry iPhone, but the Nokia N96 is THE phone for people obsessed with features and functionality. The Nokia N96, which is supposed to drop in Q3 for €550 is the son of Nokia’s N95. Just peep this pic and the following specs and tell me you’re not salivating.

Don’t worry iPhone, if you added a keyboard, kept your awesome operating system and matched the Nokia N96’s other features, we’ll fall back in love with you. Too bad we don’t expect that to happen anytime soon.

Some Features of the Nokia N96:

2.8″ screen, 16GB of internal storage, Wi-Fi, HSDPA, a microSD expansion slot, built-in 3D stereo speakers, a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, a 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, flash, and video light, assisted GPS with photo geotagging, an integrated kickstand for video viewing, and in select markets, an integrated DVB-H receiver for watching live broadcast TV..

According to Electronista.com, “a second phone, the N78, is designed as a budget alternative to the N82: also resembling the N81, the new phone uses a lower-resolution 3.2-megapixel camera and strips most built-in storage in favor of microSDHC cards. It nonetheless uses assisted GPS, Wi-Fi, and a native 3.5mm headphone jack; in a unique twist, it also sports an FM transmitter for broadcasting its music to other devices. Nokia bundles the N78 with a 2GB microSD card and ships the phone during the spring for 350 Euros ($508).”

Related posts

• Macbook Air Battery Replacement - Not a Big Deal Afterall? (0)
• Goodbye iPhone, hello Motorola Z10 (0)
• Garmin Nuvifone, iPhone's Newest Competitor? (0)
• What's the Best Computer Speakers? (0)
• transfer Vinyl Music to your Ipod/iPhone, without a Computer! (0)

Garmin, a company known for their GPS receivers, is entering the the phone market, and in a big way. The Garmin Nuvifone is made for the iPhone age, except that shows up to the party wearing a few things the iPhone can only dream of, like true GPS navigation, (of course), 3G, ability to geo-tag photos, MMS and instant messenging and a built in video camera!

Available in Q3, the interface is also a surprise. It’s the same interface as used on the TomTom. With big icons and an easy to navigate user-interface, Garmin’s Nuvifone isn’t really meant to be an iPhone killer, just the next level of portable GPS - but its hard to deny that the two worlds are coming closer and closer together.

See it for yourself at 3GSM in Barcelona, February 11th-14th.

What follows is Garmin’s own press release on the Nuvifone - read only if you’re very interested or very geeky:

“The nuvifone is an all-in-one device offering unmatched integration of utility and function in a single mobile device,” said Cliff Pemble, Garmin’s president and COO. “This is the breakthrough product that cell phone and GPS users around the world have been longing for — a single device that does it all.”

The nuvifone is an innovative mobile phone that has a wide range of advanced yet easy-to-use features. The all touchscreen device is the first of its kind to integrate premium 3.5G mobile phone capability with an internet browser, data connectivity, personal messaging, and personal navigation functions in one device. When powered on, the 3.5-inch touchscreen display reveals three primary icons — “Call,” “Search,” and “View Map” which allow the user to effortlessly master the nüvifone’s functions.

The nuvifone is the ultimate multi-tasker. Calls are easily initiated by tapping the “Call” button and selecting a name from the contact list or by using the on-screen keypad. When the user is trying to juggle talking on their phone while entering their vehicle to start a trip, the nuvifone makes the transition simple. When the nuvifone is docked onto the vehicle mount, it automatically turns on the GPS, activates the navigation menu, and enables hands-free calling so that the user never misses a beat in the conversation and is able to begin routing to their destination with ease.

Customers familiar with Garmin’s industry leading nuvi(R) product line will feel right at home using the nuvifone’s personal navigation features. It includes preloaded maps of North America, Eastern and Western Europe, or both, and allows drivers to quickly find a specific street address, establishment’s name or search for a destination by category using the nuvifone’s built-in database with millions of points of interest. Turn-by-turn, voice-prompted directions guide the user to their destination. If they miss a turn along the route, nuvifone automatically recalculates a route and gets them back on track, speaking the names of the streets along the way.

The nuvifone is Garmin’s first device to include Google local search capability, which harnesses the vast point of interest information available from the world wide web. Nuvifone users can search for locations like “coffee shops” and Google will sort the results based on the user’s current location and relevance. Information provided by Google includes a web-based rating so that users can select the most appropriate destination and route directly to it. In addition, the nuvifone includes a web browser incorporating premium features and touchscreen operation for an optimum mobile browsing experience. The nuvifone also includes personal messaging functions, including email, text, and instant messaging.

For the ultimate in safety, the “Where am I?” feature lets users touch the screen at any time to display the exact latitude and longitude coordinates, the nearest address and intersection, and the closest hospitals, police stations and gas stations. The nuvifone also helps drivers find their car in an unfamiliar spot or crowded parking lot by automatically marking the position in which it was last removed from the vehicle mount.

In addition to navigation, the nuvifone includes access to Garmin Online(TM), an online service offering constantly-updating information such as real-time traffic, fuel prices, stock prices, sport scores, news reports, local events and weather forecasts.

The nuvifone also includes numerous mobile entertainment applications. The built-in camera allows individuals to take a picture that will automatically be tagged with the exact latitude and longitude reference of where the image was taken. The user may then save the image so they can navigate back to the location, or email the image to a recipient who can navigate directly to the location. The nuvifone also provides direct access to millions of geo-located landmark and sightseeing photographs available through Google’s Panoramio picture sharing site. The Panoramio photo search feature enhances the enjoyment and adventure of sightseeing in an otherwise unfamiliar location. Other multimedia functions of the nuvifone include a built-in video camera, MP3 and MPEG4/AAC.

Garmin anticipates that the nuvifone will be available in the third quarter of 2008. Specific details about pricing and sales partners will be announced in the future. Additional information about nuvifone is available at http://www.garmin.com/nuvifone.

Related posts

• Nokia N95 News Round Up (0)
• Goodbye iPhone, hello Motorola Z10 (0)
• Garmin Nuvi 850 First Look (0)
• 3D GPS Navigation Arrives (0)
• Nokia N96, World's First Superphone (1)

Garmin unleased a plethora of Nuvis for CES.  The most feature rich may be this Nuvi 850, which sports a ton of features, an appropriately lofty $800 pricetag but no Bluetooth!

It does however make up for that wireless support by providing 4.3 inch 480×272 resolution touchscreen, rechargeable Li-on battery, speech recognitition, 3D map-view, micro-SD slot, FM transmitter, and built-in media player. You can cop this in Q2 ‘08 but for $800, we’re kinda missing that Bluetooth. Sorry guys.

Related posts

• Garmin Nuvifone, iPhone's Newest Competitor? (0)
• Goodbye iPhone, hello Motorola Z10 (0)
• Hot New Gadgets for Your Car (0)
• 3D GPS Navigation Arrives (0)
• Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 - Bad Name, Cool Phone! (0)

The Nokia N95 may be the biggest competitor to the iPhone yet.  Here at Gizm0.com, we’re tracking alot of buzz on this mobile monster.   First n95blog.com posted “25 must have apps for the n95“.  Among the best apps, Fring, which is free mobile VoIP which enables free  internet calls and live chat over wifi and not your phone minutes.  Seems to work like a charm.  We also like Lifeblog, a mobile photo album tool.

BGR posted a story on limited edition pink Nokia N95s selling on eBay for about $650, or about $75 more then the basic silver variety - not bad.
Now your Nokia N95 can not only shoot pics in glorious 5 megapixels, record DVD quality video or guide you to the bar with its GPS navigation, but you’ll be able to match it with your girlish wardrobe.   Ladies, (and lady-men) you’ve come a long way.

Related posts

• Garmin Nuvifone, iPhone's Newest Competitor? (0)
• Goodbye iPhone, hello Motorola Z10 (0)
• 3D GPS Navigation Arrives (0)
• Nokia N96, World's First Superphone (1)
• Macbook Air Drops Tomorrow - Buy or Not? (0)

Peep this out cousin, that whip ain’t just a whip, its more like your personal Man Den but on wheels.  That means you can’t be content to listen to bad stock DJs on ghetto stock stereo systems.  You need the real dealz.  Well if your hearin’ me, this is what you’ll want:

Flir Pathfinder, $4,100

This thing will do your laundry and hook up your wife if you’re not feeling up to it.

Maestro Elite 5340 GPS by Magellan

This is a top of the line Magellan for about a grand.  Cop it if you feel like you need the best in GPS.

Garmin Nuvi 880, $1,000

You know Garmin can do GPS, but did you know it can talk to you now too?  You can also set it up with your mobile phone, etc.  Basically if you want to burn a $G instead of $200, cop this.

Sirius Backseat TV

Keep your ADD kids fixated for hours while you try to figure out how to get out of the Bronx Expressway.

Atlas CPC 1200

Confuse the hell out of your car passengers so they won’t dare touch your music.

Sync, a Ford/Microsoft callabo that’s actually pretty impressive.  You spit game at it, and it listens to you!  Like this “play ‘Throw Some Dee’s on It’.   Now Play ‘Tiffany’.”

Related posts

• Goodbye iPhone, hello Motorola Z10 (0)
• Garmin Nuvifone, iPhone's Newest Competitor? (0)
• Garmin Nuvi 850 First Look (0)
• Nokia N95 News Round Up (0)
• Macbook Air Drops Tomorrow - Buy or Not? (0)

If your Garmin or TomTom doesn’t make your driving life sexy enough, along comes 3D GPS Navigation/Mapping system by obscure Nav N Go. Sporting their own graphic engine, Nav N Go will be the dedicated software manufacturer and will probably license this technology to the TomToms and Garmins of the world.

The question is, is it worth it? A few articles bemoan 3D GPS as “gimmicky” but we think its kind of sweet, so long as they don’t add too much to the price. Who doesn’t to have one eye on the road and the other on “Vice City - Brooklyn”? The pic is is obviously from much more natural and French speaking environs.

Related Recommend Products:

Garmin nüvi 200 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

Related posts

• Garmin Nuvifone, iPhone's Newest Competitor? (0)
• Nokia N95 News Round Up (0)
• Garmin Nuvi 850 First Look (0)
• Hot New Gadgets for Your Car (0)
• Goodbye iPhone, hello Motorola Z10 (0)