by Techno Witch on August 8, 2008
Yes folks, Siemens do actually manufacture mobile phones, and although you won?t see Siemens grabbing hold of a huge chunk of the mobile market or going up against some of the more notable mobile monsters out there in mobile world, they do on rare occasion launch a new mobile phone or two.
And it?s time for one of those rare occasions as Siemens has launched two eco-friendly mobile handsets; the Gigaset Eco Visions Leaf and Solar mobile phones.
Both Gigaset Eco Visions Leaf and Solar mobile handsets are constructed from recycled materials, and draws on the energy of the Sun to power them up ready to go.
Unfortunately there is no word on specs for these two eco-warriors as yet, and the same goes for availability and pricing. But we will be keeping our eyes open and as soon as we find out more we will be passing it along.
by Techno Witch on August 7, 2008
According to IntoMobile there is something called ?Apple Logo Screen of Death? also known as ?Bluescreen of Death? (BOD) after iPhone application installations and updates.
iPhone problems after problems seem to be looking, what with ?The Kill Switch? and lagging problems and now this, apparently there are reports coming in that iPhone?s and indeed iPhone 3Gs that are running on the 2.0 OS and iPhone 2.0.1 OS are having serious problems of crashing after iPhone application installation and updates which is a worry, the ?Apple Logo Screen of Death? is rumoured to be random and may need an iPhone restore process to fix it.
We want to know if your iPhone has crashed and if you have come across the iPhone Bluescreen of Death, have you had to put the iPhone back to restore mode and has it bricked you iPhone?
If you do have problems you will need to take these steps:
1. Connect it to iTunes.
2. Hold down the Power/Sleep button simultaneously with the Home button.
3. Keep both buttons pressed down until your iPhone powers off.
4. When your iPhone turns off, release the Power/Sleep button, but keep the Home button depressed until iTunes detects the iPhone.
by Techno Witch on August 7, 2008
This is hot news and we can understand why, some iPhone user has discovered either something good or something a little too far in the way we get controlled. Apparently there is a kill switch that allows Apple to wipe out unauthorized or malicious iPhone apps, and it does not matter if it has been paid for and installed on your iPhone, they can still wipe it of your device.
If this is all true then that means Apple can delve into our iPhone which should be for our eyes not theirs, many will say that this is breach of our secrecy and that we may all argue that the blacklisting feature is not in the best interest of iPhone users, some may say it is a good thing because it will stop damaging malware and of course deadly viruses hidden in some applications.
We know that not everyone can sell all applications through the AppStore. In fact there is a thorough approval process in place, which is designed to create a high-quality and especially safe place to shop for iPhone software. Registered iPhone developers have to submit their applications to Apple for an approval before the company makes it available to iPhone users through the App Store digital delivery mechanism.
What we do not know is that Apple has created additional hidden tools which will blacklist any bad misbehaving apps from the iPhone; this can be done after purchasing and installing the application on the handset.
So basically in a nutshell Apple can and will remotely kill and wipe out any application on your iPhone that breaks company rules, the question we would love answered if this is all true that is ?Will Apple repay us back our money we have spent on applications if they remotely kill it? We should not pay for something only to have it taken away and not being refunded for our troubles.
Phones Review Says: The remote kill switch is a very good idea, basically takes the application of our iPhone devices if it is suspected to be of a threat, yes we should be refunded. My main concern is how much does Apple know about our devices, in that I mean if they can delete an application do they know what we have on our iPhones, surely that is a breach of privacy.
Apple you need to do some explaining so we can understand where we all stand on this matter.
Do you think the Kill Switch is a good idea?
by Techno Witch on August 7, 2008
Well of course they?re expensive. They?re $ony. What do you expect? Paying a premium for a $ony is like paying a premium to have a Mac. It makes you feel superior even if your pocketbook is emptier. And it?s no different for $ony?s new DR-BT140QP Stereo Bluetooth Earphones. But can earphones be worth a hefty $150 price tag? Well, yes and no. Yes, they could be since the ability to be free from wires while listening to your favorite MP3s is something most would pay a premium for. It would be worth it just to never have to untangle another set of earbuds again. The only caveat is, you must have a Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP support for the corresponding device, which isn’t too bad since most new devices these days are readily equipped with that.
On the plus side, however, the Derbys feature a Bluetooth range of 10 meters, a battery life up to 12 hours of playback and 200 hours of standby, have onboard controls, and come in a fun array of black, pink and iPod white. Too bad Apple and Sony have compatibility issues or these would be must haves for that iPhone you just bought and jailbreaked. But then, there?s that proprietary thing again.
Oh well, still might be worth a look ? er ? listen.
by Techno Witch on August 7, 2008
The Flip has taken the YouTube crowd by storm as a low budget, bare bones camcorder for around $129. It has done so well that Pure Digital has vowed to donate a million Flips to to qualifying non-profit organizations in a buy one, get one free affair. So, when Kodak announced a budget HiDef pocket camera for just south of $200, you better believe that Pure Digital was paying close attention.
Kodak calls it the Zi6 HD Pocket Video Camera. It comes in either black or a rather bold looking, yet girlish, pink, records in 16:9 720p wide screen at up to 60fps, comes with AA rechargeable batteries and recharger, and can be expanded using SD or SDHC memory cards up to 32 GB (internal memory up to 128MB)! It also has the standard jack knife USB plug, direct to YouTube support, 2/4? LCD, AV & HD video component cables and Arcsoft Media Impression software for editing.
All for $179.00. That?s rather impressive considering that the Flip Ultra with 2GB of memory goes for the same price, but is only standard ? 640 x 480 video, just slightly better than VHS. The ZiX is 720p. And also what’s interesting is that while several of the accessories on the upcoming Kodak are included at no charge, they would cost about $15 each for the Flip.
That should give Pure Digital reason to worry. I, for one, can?t wait to test the ZiX. (get it?)
by Techno Witch on August 7, 2008
Sony’s on a roll with yet another digital camera that will be released on the market this September – the Cybershot DSC-T700. This svelte digital camera measures just 16.4mm slim (15.2mm at its thinnest point if you’re a stickler for details), and amazingly enough it comes with a whopping 4GB of internal memory for you to store an average of 40,000 images (the final amount depends on image quality, of course), making it your very own portable photo album that can be viewed anytime, anywhere.
The T700 is smarter than your average photo album. All your pictures are stored in handy folders, so it’s easy to manage your memories and track down that special shot in moments. If you’re on holiday or taking a business trip, the camera will recognize when shots were taken, indexing them automatically for easy reference. Album mode organizes your pictures into folders containing babies, children or adults – or even smiling faces. It’s also brilliantly easy to select shots and upload them to your photo blog or favorite image sharing website. PC sync allows easy synchronizing between the Cyber-shot and a PC. With a single click, Easy Exporter in Picture Motion Browser transfers full-sized images to the computer for storage and transfers smaller, resized copies of the images back to the Cyber-shot to allow mobile viewing enjoyment of thousands of photos. The original full-sized data remains stored on the PC. Like the T77, the Cyber-shot T700 features enhanced Smile Shutter, improved Face Detection, anti-blink technology and refined Intelligent Scene Recognition.
Below are some of the features and specifications found on the slim Sony Cybershot DSC-T700.
- Choice of five fashion colors
- 10.1 effective megapixels
- 4GB internal memory, stores up to 40,000 photos
- Powerful album functions to store, organise and share your photos
- Smile Shutter
- Face Detection and Anti-blink technology
- Extra-large 3.5″ touchscreen LCD display
- Easy web upload for sharing images on social networking sites
If you hate buttons, then this digital camera is just for you since the whole back portion consists of nothing but a touch screen display. Better get that screen protector and handkerchief ready, if you want one!
by Techno Witch on August 7, 2008
Sony aims to wow the digital camera world yet again with a couple of new Cybershot digital cameras – the DSC-T77 and the DSC-T700. We’ll take a look at the former first – don’t be fooled by the T77’s slim and svelte package as it packs in a fair amount of features that will satisfy even the most hardcore casual shutterbug (sounds like an oxymoron, no?). Being extremely slim (13.9mm at its thinnest point), it will definitely slip into just about any pocket without causing an unsightly bulge. Let’s have a look at what the Cybershot DSC-T77 has to offer on paper.
Sleek, chic looks are accentuated further by the big, beautiful 3″ touchscreen LCD. All functions are controlled with a touch of the screen, cutting down on fiddly controls while giving you a widescreen view of your pictures. Inside its super-svelte lines, the Cyber-shot T77 is crammed with smart Sony technology to help you shoot, share and enjoy better-looking pictures. There’s a crisp, clear Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens to ensure peerless image quality, with a powerful 4x optical zoom range for detail-packed close-ups. Additionally, the T77 is the thinnest Cyber-shot ever to feature a powerful 4x optical zoom range for detail-packed close-ups. Now even easier to use, Smile Shutter lets you capture more happy moments. Just select Smile Shutter mode and aim the camera: the Cyber-shot T77 automatically fires the shutter when someone smiles. Face Detection has also been improved for even better results, allowing you to prioritise children or adults for natural portraits with spot-on skin tones, exposure and focus. Brand new ‘Anti-blink’ technology cuts the risk of closed eyes spoiling portraits of friends and family. Portrait Mode shoots two images in quick succession, automatically throwing away pictures where the subject’s eyes are closed. Intelligent Scene Recognition has been further refined. Now it will automatically adjust settings for great results over an even wider range of common shooting situations like portraits, landscapes and close-up macro pictures.
- Super-slim, beautiful design with choice of five fashion colors
- 10.1 effective megapixels
- Smile Shutter
- Face Detection and Anti-blink technology
- Carl Zeiss 4x optical zoom lens
- Optical SteadyShot for crisper, clearer photos
- Stunning 3″ touchscreen LCD
- Intelligent Scene Recognition with new Portrait mode
No idea on pricing, but the DSC-T77 will be available for purchase this September.
by Techno Witch on August 7, 2008
By Jonathan Kimak
Asus has announced a new controller. The Eee Stick is a wireless controller that senses motion. But don’t let the similar sounding name, design and function of the Eee Stick fool you, it’s made for PC gaming.
The controller will be bundled with a variety of Asus brand computers and some games designed specifically for use with the Eee Stick.
So are the controllers a good alternative to Wii-less people who have a PC but not a Wii? Or is it a cheaply made knock-off intended to sell mini computers? Only time, and comments from consumers will tell.
[ Asus ] VIA [ Electronista ]
by Techno Witch on August 7, 2008
Now we all like mobile phone accessories, especially when they are a novelty, well check out the cool novelty hair dryer headset which we think you will love.
Headsets are either to boring, really expensive and most of the time ends up in the bottom of a drawer with the rest of the rubbish we have bought in our time. Well check out these new hair dryer earphones from DealExtreme.
If you get bored of them after a while it may not be a problem because they only cost a mere $7.59, the blue earphones are pretty cool and will definitely get people chatting, come on imagine walking down the street and someone sees you having a conversation with a hair dryer.
The mobile phone hair dryer headsets are 6.22 x 3.94 x 2.76 inches and are compatible with Samsung, Nokia and Sony Ericsson mobile phones.
by Techno Witch on August 7, 2008
I had a chance to try out the DSC-H10 from Sony, and I was quite pleased at what I saw, as well as the pictures that I took.
The DSC-H10 has 8.1 Megapixels of action, in addition to a Carl Zeiss 10X Optical Zoom Lens. So not only did I get clearer shots, but this clarity can be accessed from a distance.
The camera worked out of the box after charging, and I was able to take my first picture after entering the date and time. I was soon taking wonderful shots with an automated flash that pops up when needed.
There are a lot of features on this camera, such as the Face Detection, Anti-Blur Solution, Super SteadyShot Optical Image Stabilization, In-Camera Red-Eye Correction, and High Sensitivity (ISO 3200) Mode. It also has an Advanced Sports Mode with a very high shutter speed of up to 1/4000 second.
As for the filming mode, it can shoot for up to ten minutes in VGA (640 x 480) at a rate of 30 frames per second. The internal memory has 31MB, and there is a built-in memory card slot which accepts Memory Stick Duo (as well as Duo PRO) media.
By the way, the user has an option of connecting the camera to any HD Compatible TV in order to view photos from their own television.
The Sony DSC-H10 is available now on the Sony website for about $299.99, and it is quite something for your money.
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