Gizm0 - Gadget Blog for the Technology Obsessed.

Over at the New York Herald, the iPhone 2 is getting only a so-so review.  Calling it more “like the 1.5 than the iPhone 2″, the Herald disses on the lousy 2 megapixel camera (no flash, no video, no zoom) that is still “hanging on for dear life” on the iPhone 2.  They recommend waiting until that’s fixed, in a year or so, and encourage only purchasing it if you’ve never actually owned the iPhone before.  Newbies, go nuts, everyone else, don’t toss Jesus Phone Uno quite yet.   Got it, thx New York Herald!

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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

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Got a Mac? Got an iPhone? Want free ringtones? If your answer is yes, yes, and yes, well, you have problems, but that’s for another professional. Besides we’re guilty of all the above as well. We hate the idea of paying for ringtones of songs we already own. Here’s a neato how-to by lifehacker to cut “the man” out of the system, of course by using all of “the man’s” tools.

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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).”

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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.

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Ever since I copped that new Ghostface album, I’ve been fiendin’ for real speakers to go with my Macbook Pro.  Something with a little bass and good-looking enough to kick it in the living room.  Oh yeah, it should be very portable, and not be full of wires sticking out.  Allright, based on pouring through the web, these seem like good moves - what do you think?

DreamGear i.Sound Tripod PC Speaker System

Reviews: Not great

Here’s a sample:

“Nice Speakers, loud, tone is good, but they need grill covers to protect the speakers from damage. I had them 30 seconds and when removing the unit from the box, pushed on the speaker and creased it, without knowing that they did not have grill covers installed.”  T. Hatcher

Whatever homes.  You shouldn’t been pushin’ up on your brand new speakers!  Besides, he says it sounds good.  This thing looks sweet!  I can lay it down in the living dining table and when guests come over with their Ipods or iPhones, they can just plugin and rock out.  Very easy way for others to rock on your speakers - but there’s no point if it doesn’t rock.  Hmm…

Altec Lansing FX4021 2.1 Powered Audio Speaker System

Reviews: ill, it gets 5 stars and its priced around $83!

Looks like I have my computer speakers.  The style factor isn’t high though.  Let’s cop the throwback Apple joints first before checking out.

Harman Kardon Soundsticks II 3-Piece Plug and Play Multimedia Speaker System

Yeah!  This is listed at $109 and such a great bargain - sounds great, looks sweet.  This is alot like the first one except I believe the blue LED light is new.  Anyhow, the price is for the work of art it is and the great sound is just gravy.  I’m going with this folks.

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Gizm0.com wasn’t too pysched that like the iPhone, the Macbook Air’s battery wasn’t designed for easy replacement, but new reports by Mac fanboys are suggesting that while its not as simple as popping out the old and popping in the new, its not all that difficult either. Apparently all you need is a single size-0 type screwdriver and “some diligence”.

According to AppleInsider, ” Once flipped upside down, the MacBook Air’s bottom cover is easily unscrewed and removed, providing immediate access to the battery cavity. From there, the battery can be unscrewed from the chassis with the same screwdriver and unplugged from the circuit board with a simple tug — it’s not soldered to the board.

The entire process, according to those in the known, can be completed by any service technician in as little as three minutes.”

Of course three minutes to an Apple Insider may be 30 or 300 minutes to me and you. As we suggested they might, Apple also announced a Macbook Air Out-of-Warranty Battery Replacement Program, which takes 5 days and will cost you $129 to get some third party retail store to do the work for you. Arghh.. Sounds annoying doesn’t it? Apple Insider suggests that because its so easy, fly-by-night websites could soon offer do-it-yourself kits.  Sounds like a pain to me, guys.

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the Numark TTi is an ill way to pump vinyl tunes to your iPod. First of all, it looks great. Numarks aren’t Technics 1200s but they do make good stuff, and at slightly below the Technics price point. The TTi comes with an iPod dock (pictured), USB interface, and line-level output. You don’t need a computer go-between and can transfer directly to your iPod, but should you want to take that Jimmy Cliff song to your laptop or desktop, the Numark TTi comes with software for PC or Mac. Not bad for $449, and from a company you can trust.

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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.

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By way of BGR comes word that iPhone is going corporate as of January 21st!  That means all of you Blackberry holding corporate types can finally let go and cop yourself the iPhone via your corporate purchasing department! (read: free or steeply discounted).   This doesn’t mean Exchange support, yet but at least you won’t be the only one in the office rocking an iPhone.

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