First Impression

When I first saw the box, I was quite surprised. I had expected it to be bigger for some reason. The next surprise was the phone itself. It looked so small. And if that wasn’t enough I got another shock on sliding out the keyboard. The keys are so small but not in a bad way. It’s just that the photographs give you the impression of the phone being a bit bigger for some reason.

Build Quality

One word. Fabulous! It is a solid phone and feels great in your hands. I got the black one, which has a brushed metallic look. The top part around the stylus and camera and the bottom part at the back are a bit rubbery.

Keyboard

No one was exaggerating when they said the sliding mechanism is really good. It slides out very smoothly with a definite click at the end.

I did not feel the keys were too flush or did not have a lot of bounce. They feel quite alright to me. The top row of keys is close to the phone and you do sometimes bump while typing. I do have small hands so people with bigger hands might find this to be an issue. Try out the keyboard first if you have the opportunity to do so.

Other than that I wish they had dedicated number keys at the top but its not a deal breaker.

Since I was using a Nokia 6670 before, my fingers kept trying to find the alphabets in the dial pad fashion. It took me a couple of days to get used to a QWERTY version on a phone. But now that I have I enjoy typing on it.

Screen

Nice, bright and crisp. The resolution is awesome. My sister tried her IMATE from a couple of years back and was wondering why my phone had a sharper, crisper screen. It is because of the 800×480 screen resolution. Amazing!

However, this does lead to one problem. Very tiny fonts. Although this is a software issue and you can tweak your software to get bigger fonts in most, if not all areas.

Panels

This is a brilliant concept and really makes the Xperia a unique phone IMO. There was a time when I was debating between the HTC Pro and Xperia. However, with the HTC Pro I was stuck with the interface it came with or at max I could install another Today screen plugin. But only one option at a time.

With the panels, I can switch interfaces with the click of a button. Just have to wait for more panels to be developed now as there aren’t too many options available currently.

Responsiveness

I find the touch screen to be responsive. Although people who have used a capacitative screen like on an IPhone may not like it too much. The panels open up fast but once open it takes a couple of seconds to get it fully loaded. You see a screenshot while it loads in the background. Once you are inside a panel, then the phone works fast.

The only place with a noticeable lag is when you change the screen orientation of the panel view. The panels freeze for a split second while changing. But seriously it doesn’t kill you I hardly ever change orientation in that view anyway. You normally tend to do so when inside a panel to write an sms or to view a website in wide view.

Input

I love the multiple input options. You can use the stylus, touchscreen or keyboard. You can write directly on the screen using the stylus. And with the right software you can even talk to your phone.

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If you are like me and haven’t used a Win Mo device in years or perhaps never at all, then you might find the phone overwhelming to start with. There are so many options and tweaks that can be applied and so much to learn. But don’t worry, you get the hang of it.

Just think of Xperia more like a computer where it gets better with the utilities and tweaks you add as opposed to a phone you can use out of the box. You can still do that but you will be missing out on the best Xperia can offer.

–

Coming up soon: A list of Xperia Tweaks, Settings, Utilities, Panels, Software, Games, Tips and Tricks

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Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 – First Impression, Thoughts and Review

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I finally got my Canon SX10 IS camera yesterday night. Finally managed to play around with it a bit today.

What are you upgrading from…

A lot depends on your expectations of this camera and some of that depends on the what your last camera was. Especially if that was also in S series.

For example I upgraded from the S2 IS so for me this is a big upgrade although I do still have my quibbles. Those moving up from the S5 IS may find some stuff difficult to adjust to. It all depends…

People love to bash cameras

Let me rephrase that to they love to bash the latest versions. When the S3 came out, the majority of the reviews at that time claimed that it was no major upgrade. In fact many claimed the S2 IS was better.

Later when I researched on the S5 IS, apparently a lot of people thought the S3 IS was great and S5 IS not that much of an upgrade. Guess what they are saying for the SX10 IS. I am just waiting for the next version to come out so we can start getting rave reviews for the SX10 IS.

So how is it?

In two words:

I LOVE IT!!

HOW DOES IT FEEL?
It feels great in my hands. Although it is a bit larger than the S2 and much heavier. My hands were starting to hurt in the beginning. But I am getting used to it.

A lot of people claim it has a slippery grip. I personally don’t find it as such.

However, it is the lens cap which I do not like. Most people love the fact that it is a standard lens cap. But I find it a pain to put on and take off. I prefer the one from S2 IS. But I think with time I’ll get used to this one, too. It really isn’t a deal breaker.

PICTURE QUALITY
I am no pro. I take photos for the sake of capturing memories and I do some macro photography just for fun. So I’m not going to go into how the lens is slow at 20X zoom but rather that the 20X zoom is totally fab. I took some photos indoors and they came out so much better than I expected at max zoom.

I did notice that to start off with the camera was over exposing somewhat. I turned down the exposure a bit . The thing with me is that if there is something wrong with a photo I don’t go running off blaming the camera. It just means that I need to tweak it and learn its various moods and how to work it.

MOVIE
I so wish Canon had stuck to AVI. But it seems I am stuck with MOV here. The movie did go out of focus for a few seconds which has never happened with my S2 IS even when I used to move it around like mad. But I just made one movie and I don’t remember my zoom level at that point. So that might have been a combination of a high zoom level plus hand shake not to mention a very fast moving subject. My 2 and a half year old niece refused to sit still.

LCD SCREEN
It is the swivel screen which is one of the most important features of this camera for me.

People say the S5 screen was much better. I remember checking it in the store once and it most probably was. But since my comparison is with an S2 it is a major improvement. I have only tried it indoors as yet. So the real ‘in the sun’ test is still left.

It is true though that the viewing angle isn’t that great. The screen gets much darker if you vary your viewing angle even slightly. But then the whole point of a swivel screen is so you can look at it straight.

JOG WHEEL
I think I have hardly read a review where someone liked this. I can’t figure out why not. It works fine. I have absolutely no problems using it and choosing a setting by turning it. You might want to try it out in the store, though, as I happen to be the only person so far who is pretty ok with it.

NAVIGATION
I personally find the buttons and settings to be a lot more intuitive now. Really happy to have the macro button at the back as well. For me the layout is really good and everything is crystal clear and within my thumb’s reach

COLORS
And before I forget, I just love the colors. This camera makes things look better than they are. My niece was wearing a nice chocolate brown dress with multi-colored stripes. The camera made it stand out and the colors came out looking nice and vibrant.

RED EYE
The camera not only has the Red Eye reduction lamp but also has an inbuilt red eye correction. I have turned both to on and am happy to say I haven’t taken one photo with red eyes. I always got some with the S2 and loads with my sister’s camera. So this is a relief.

Love My Camera

I totally love this camera and am enjoying it thoroughly. I have been without my S2 for a few months and it is so good to finally get my hands on this. I was so lost without the swivel LCD and the zoom while using my sister’s borrowed point and shoot Canon. I cannot live with a fixed LCD and 4X zoom anymore.

This camera spoils you thoroughly. (And I haven’t even mentioned the wide angle, yet).

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I have my Canon SX10 IS – First Impression, Views and Review

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Sadly I have been trying to change my phone for the past 18 months and just didn’t find any that will fit the bill. And now 18 months later I am finding way too many options.

IPHONE

I have been eying the IPhone ever since it came out. I was unable to get it as it was carrier bound and only available in the US. This is the reason why I even waited 18 months to change my phone hoping they will release it in my country in just another 2 months. Well all those 2 months have added up.

And finally the Iphone is available unlocked in Hong Kong for around $800.

PROS

• Great looking phone
• Amazing Interface
• As far as I know the Iphone still has the best touch screen plus the multiple touch gestures, etc and is great in terms of speed.
• App Store
• Graphics Accelerometer.
• Orientation sensor works fast

CONS

• No Bluetooth
• No Video Recording
• No out of the box exchange support
• No self service battery replacement option
• No memory expansion slot.
• Still not available in my country. Will have to find a way to get an unlocked version from Hong Kong
• No physical keyboard

In other words a lot of missing stuff. But I still drool over the phone when I see it. If you could take the performance from IPhone and add the missing features, this would be the perfect phone! Although for most people it still is.

IPhone info at Apple.

Sony Ericsson Xperia X1

After getting sick of waiting for the IPhone to arrive, I started looking around for a similar if not better option. And this is when I found the Xperia X1 (not yet released) a few months back. Apparently I have a tendency of falling for stuff that is either not released or not available for purchase.

This phone is what I call perfect! Well almost.

It has all the features I want plus a few more. Seems like someone has finally thought of adding it all in the same phone. The only missing option is a graphics Accelerometer. I figured one can’t complain with the feature set the phone offers.

So I started following this phone set to release in Q4 of 2008.

It has finally launched in October in Sweden, Germany and UK. However, launched does not mean in the market. A few people have it in their hands in Sweden. Most are still waiting in the UK where the final date keeps getting pushed further and further. Other countries like the US, Australia and the rest will get it either by the end of 2008 or early 2009. Wanna bet which one?

PROS

• Great set of features. Covers 95% of what I want.
• The 9 Panel Interface which is a skin for Windows Mobile looks great.
• Expandable memory using a Micro SD card.
• Several input options using touchscreen, stylus and a physical keyboard which slides out.
• 800×480 screen resolution. The best out of the lot!

CONS

• No graphics accelerometer. You need to either open the keyboard or press a button to change the phone orientation from portrait to landscape mode.
• Phone is too new. Not many reviews out there. And the ones that are available are pretty mixed. Some love the phone and say it is fast and easy to use. Others claim it is laggy. In that sense it is still a risk to pre-order. Not to mention the earlier you get it, the higher the price.
• Very pricey. That is if you are looking at the unlocked version which is on average around 500 pounds or around $800.
• Can’t say if the keyboard is any good without trying it out.
• I can get it from the UK only if it comes in the market before Nov 15.

In other words I have fallen in love with this phone and am 85% convinced on buying it.

Check out the Official Website.
Check out the feature set at Sony Ericsson’s website.
SIM Free available for pre-order for 500 pounds at Sony Ericsson’s official E-Store.

HTC Touch Pro

If the above two options weren’t enuff, I decided to take a look at HTC Touch Pro.

WOW! The 3D Flo interface looks pretty impressive.

PROS

• Almost as strong a feature set as Xperia.
• Graphics Accelerometer. Senses phone orientation. Unlike the Xperia, the display automatically changes from portrait to landscape mode.
• Already available in the market.
• Less expensive than Xperia.

CONS

• Not too sure about the keyboard. The keys look more spaced out on the Xperia. However, some people prefer the Xperia keyboard while others like Touch Pro.
• The interface is pretty snazzy but I’m just wondering if it will get old with time. As a designer I know jazzy snazzy looks great to start out with but fizzles out with time. So is the Touch Pro interface one of those?
• Orientation sensor only works in some areas of the phone and the menu in landscape mode is not the same as the one you get in the portrait mode.
• Screen is slightly smaller than Xperia with a lower resolution.

Check out the product features at HTC’s website.

So Which One…?

The question now becomes which one.

IPhone is the first to go out of the picture. Mainly because of its missing features and the fact that it won’t be easy to get the unlocked version from Hong Kong.

The battle is between Xperia and Touch Pro.

I started reading as many reviews and watching as many videos as I could find on both phones.

The screen size and resolution on the Xperia is bigger and better. From the pictures and videos, the Xperia keyboard seems better to me. And I love the way it slides out.

The more I look at Xperia, the more I fall in love with this phone. The more I look at Touch Pro, the more I think I will get over the very WOW interface.

For now Xperia is the WINNER for me.

Now here’s to hoping it gets released in the UK before Nov 15 and for under 500 pounds – the lower the better.

–

If you own any of these phones, I would love to hear your experiences and thoughts. And if anyone has done a live comparison of the final versions … that is just fantastic and we are all waiting to hear from you.

–

Update: As you can see from my next few posts on the subject, I did end up getting Xperia and very pleased with the phone

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IPhone 3G vs Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 vs HTC Touch Pro

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Just when I thought I was 100% sure which camera I’ll get, they make the choice difficult by giving two options.

SX10 IS vs SX1 IS

The main differences between the two are as follows:

• SX1 IS uses CMOS while SX10 IS is CCD based.
• SX1 IS offers HD videos
• SX1 IS has a 2.8 “articulating LCD while the SX10 IS has a 2.5″ one.
• SX1 IS is not available in North America.
• SX10 IS ships out in October while SX1 IS will be shipping around November – December.

Which one to get?

I had a hard time with this question as I have access to both versions via relatives who will be visiting. However, the price differential is huge! The SX10 is $399 for pre-order on Amazon.com

The SX1 available in the UK is costing 519 pounds which approximates to $970.

So it is around $500 higher for HD video and CMOS so I have decided to pass for now.

Accessories

I do end up shopping a lot at Amazon and manged to add a few accessories for my SX10 ISl. I came up with these after a lot of research so hopefully it will save you some.

Kingston 8GB SDHC Class 6 Flash Card SD6/8GB
Turns out this camera can take SD HC cards. HC in SDHC stands for high capacity. SD cards work up to 2GB. So in order to get more GB you need to get an SD HC card. I prefer the Kingston brand as my previous Kingston card has been working great for ages.

Please note the higher the class, the faster the card. Class 6 is currently the highest one I could find.

Mobilelite USB 2.0 9-IN-1 Read
You might want to get a card reader which reads SDHC cards. Your old SD card reader will not read the Higher Capacity SD cards. While you are at it why not get one which reads 8 other cards and is small enough to carry around?

They have also thought of adding small lanyard with a metal ring to the cap so you don’t lose it. Talk about thoughtful! You can also hang it on a key chain because of the metal ring.

So this goes into my shopping bag as well.

SANYO eneloop 4 Pack AA NiMH Pre-Charged Rechargeable Batteries
The one thing I have always hated about AA NiMh batteries is they discharge too quickly. It really is a pain to charge them every few days when you are not using them. However, this can become a problem when you need to take that unexpected photo and your batteries are all drained.

The Sanyo Eneloop batteries claim to drain out much more slowly hence giving you the opportunity to not miss any precious moments.

I’ll be trying these out although I plan on getting the 8-pack as soon as it is back in stock.

Joby GP2-E1EN Gorillapod Flexible Tripod for Digital SLR Cameras
I am not much of a tripod person. I cannot dream of lugging one around all the time. Since I don’t do pro photography, it isn’t much of a concern either. However, there are times when I have felt the need. For example when I want to be in a photo and want to place the camera on a stand. Or if I want a bit more stability in low light conditions.

What I need is a mini tripod which won’t take up a lot of space nor weigh a lot. I almost bought the regular Tripods until I found this one. A flexible mini tripod. Now what can be better for casual use?

Love the fact that you can wrap this one around just about anything making it even easier to use.

I’m off to order…

Well I’m off to pre-order the SX10 IS along with the above mentioned accessories.

Now I just can’t wait.

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Canon SX10 IS – Time To Go Shopping!!

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You may ask…is it worth downloading? Is it worth trying out? And most importantly is it worth switching to?

I have been a hard core IE user since forever. Even though I like Firefox, somehow I have never been able to convert to it. So will Google chrome finally cure me of IE? Let’s find out.

Simplicity is the Key

The first thing you notice when you open Google Chrome is it’s simplicity. But that is to be expected if you look at previous Google trends – simple and functional!

You will be greeted with a simple screen which is customized as you start browsing.

On the left side, you can see screen shots of your most recent history with quick access to the rest of the list. on the right side, you can see a search option along with your most recently added bookmarks and most recently closed tabs. Simple options which provide easy one-click access. This is the most useful welcome page I have seen on any browser.

Lightning Fast

I heard people rave about the speed. This was the main reason why I downloaded the browser in the first place as I didn’t believe there could be a marked difference between Chrome vs Firefox and IE.

I was proven wrong. There is a difference and a noticeable one at that. Browsing is definitely faster on Google Chrome.

Space Saving

The maximum space is given to the screen. The browser shows the tabs at the top and the address bar by default. The bookmark bar has to be turned on for all pages.

However, the best feature is there is no status bar. Instead a blue bar pops-up to show the status when required and disappears when not needed. Therefore you get your status and yet do not have to deal with an ever-present status bar. For me this is pure genius!

Bookmark Bar

This is the most useful feature as of yet. And it is amazing that no one else ever thought of doing it this way.

This bar is only shown on the main welcome screen by default but can be turned on for all pages via settings. You can add as many bookmark folders and pages as you want (or will fit) on this bar. Talk about one-click access to your favorite and most used sites.

Spell Checker!?

Am I dreaming or am I getting a spell check on all my textarea boxes? Wow! And just when I thought there can’t be any more new and cool features.

So Have I Converted

Without a doubt. I love the intuitive features. Love the simplicity, the functionality and the speed.

The one complaint that I have read about the browser and the reason why a lot of people are averse to using it is because they don’t want Google collecting data. Please note there is an opt-out option right at the start when you download the browser. So don’t let that thought stop you.

Download Google Chrome

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The first deterrant to looking into this further was the fact that the website only had a video and hardly any content about the software. My speakers are not working at the moment and I find using my headphones to be a pain. However, I put them on unwillingly as I wanted to get more information.

If you are like me and don’t want to be forced to watch videos, here is a lowdown of what the software is about and what I liked and disliked about the product.

What It Does

The software links to your Wordpress database. According to the website:

TrackBoost is made for self-hosted Wordpress blogs, but will work with any blogging system that supports the MetaWebLog API

The software once connected to your database picks out a list of your recent posts and lets you edit them. You can also add new posts and publish them directly from within the software.

But this is not what the software is mainly about. Its main purpose is to let you search for your keywords and find blogs that allow trackbacks. You can choose the ones you want to add from a list of blogs. The software automatically gets the title, trackback link and excerpt from the website. All you gotta do is copy/paste.

What I Like About the Software

1. I like the way you can put in a certain search terms and get results of all blogs that offer the trackback option. This means that once you add a link to their blog, you will get a link in their trackbacks/comments sections for that post. Instant backlinks.
2. You can also preview the search results directly within the software. This way you can be sure the links you are adding are of some value.
3. You can also view the page rank and Alexa ranking of these blogs so you can decide if it is worth the effort or not. Ot you can decide to be nice to a new blogger and give them a backlink from your blog.
4. There is a lot of time saving involved here as you don’t have to browse through dozens of Google results for blogs that may or may not offer trackbacks. Plus you don’t have to painstakingly copy all the information like post title, trackback link, post excerpt, etc manually. The software does a great job of this.

What I Did Not Like About the Software

1. This is of course a personal preference but I don’t use WYSIWYG editors. And this software only offers that one option. I prefer controlling my own code. So this part does not work for me.
2. Softwares like these give people the chance to be lazy and put up blogs with nothing but links and excerpts from other websites. So if you do plan on using this software, please add good content along with the trackbacks.
3. Another pet peeve of mine – this software has the option of adding no follow tags to the trackback links. Now that is just bad! If you want a backlink, you should be willing to provide one, too. So IMO this option shouldn’t even be there.

Wish List

1. I wish it also had the option to detect blogs that offer trackbacks with the do-follow option. Without do-follow, the backlink is meaningless.
2. Two posting options like in Wordpress so those who don’t like the visual editor can turn it off.

Since this is a fairly new software I’m sure there will be updates and new features coming up soon.

[You might also want to read: TrackBoost: 5 Minutes to Killer Backlinks!]

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Generate Trackbacks and Backlinks using TrackBoost

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