N-Gage is back

I realize I’ve been on this whole Nokia kick, but for good reason. There is a lot to be excited about. Using the IFA as a vessel to promote their newly designed N Gage gaming service, that’s right, “service” not that wanna-be hand held gaming device they released way back when. Nokia seems to be approaching the mobile phone in a more social interactive manner. With the release of their multimedia N-series phones, Nokia seems to be evolving into a new breed of cell phone producer, shifting to connectivity between your mobile and the web. With the majority of their phones now supporting integrated WiFi, the Canadian consumer won’t have to fear streaming over-priced megabytes over their 3G networks, allowing users to participate in what Nokia has in store for us.

IFA Berlin is here!

Since its conception in 1926 this international radio exhibition has expanded to consume all forms of electronics, and is one of the largest and most popular European Consumer Electronic trade fairs to date. We kick off today with a 6 hour time zone lag.

With over 1,212 exhibitors gracing us with their presence there is no shortage of choice or innovation.

The majority of the products being presented won't be seeing any Canadian winters immediately, but it's always nice to see what the producers have in store for the upcoming year, and where these technologies are leading us.

Nokia N95 - A Multimedia Powerhouse.

Introducing what I consider the most powerful cellphone to date. Nokia actually classifies it as a portable computer due to the vast features that are offered.

This sliders form factor is on the chubby side but that's not necessarily a bad thing. With all these RAZRs and Katanas on the market, I feel we've been exposed to sleek sheik long enough. Sure, they're stylish and concealable but they lack the power some multimedia fans crave. Enter the N95. At 99 x 53 x 21 mm and 120g all that functionality and feature can't be packed into a sliver of a phone (pardon the pun). This especially rings true if you like to drop your phone now and again.

So lets get down to it. The N95 boasts a 5.0 megapixel camera with a Carl Zeiss lens. Records video at DVD-like quality (640x280 at 30fps). Has integrated GPS mapping functionality that allows for a very intuitive user interface and also incorporates POI. A gorgeous 2.6" QVGA
(240 x 320 pixels) display. A micro SD slot that supports up to 2GB. An integrated video player (MPEG-4 , H.264/AVC , H.263/3GPP, RealVideo 8/9/10) along with music support (MP3/AAC/AAC+/eAAC+/WMA) and FM radio openly welcome their dedicated keys that are hidden on the opposite slide position. Staying in concert with many of their recent models, WiFi (802.11b/g) is a must these days and the N95 is no exception. Unfortunately, I believe that is why Nokia and other WiFi enabled phones are not being adopted as eagerly by Canadian carriers.


Talk time is slated at 4.0hrs and 215hrs standby. So if you see yourself as a power user, be sure to keep that charger on you. And of course if you're going to be fiddling with all the features (How could you not) make sure to keep that charger handy, for you're going to want to give it some juice every 1.5 days.

The operating system is the new Symbian S60 that Nokia favours so much. Being open source, you can find just about any application you would ever need to make your life as easy or as difficult with the N95.

Here's where we get a glimpse of the genius that is Nokia. A video-out jack is located on the left side of the phone, enabling you to view your phone's screen onto a TV or projector. This becomes especially useful when you want to show off all those movies and pictures to family or friends, play your S60 games in a hotel, or even mystify colleagues with your .ppt presentations. With such heavy focus on multimedia, it is admirable to see the dedication that Nokia has put into their product.

Regarding Canadian availability, the N95 is available on the North American market, but it does not have any carriers backing it, so you will be paying a premium price of roughly $700. None the less I stick by my opening statement and look forward to more users who transition to devices that incorporate the many aspects of their day to day lives.

Back In Action

I'd like to start off by apologizing for my tardiness. Had a slow start, but I think I'm ready to get this machine going.

With the fall season approaching, school commencing, and all you fine tech-heads out there needing their "new gadget" fix, do not fret. There is much to be excited about in the coming season, and I plan on keeping you informed. So stop by from time to time and let's quench this thirst for all things new, shiny and electronic.

Welcome

Honestly I can't really tell where this whole thing is going to go, but I do welcome interested viewers and thanks for joining me in exploring new and up and coming tech products.

The NYC Experience

At 6:30 August 4th the trek began. Armed with an HP hw6515 with its formidable GPS feature, two laptops (Compaq R4000, Dell 640m), Nikon D80, Sony NWA-808 Walkman, along with the Sony Ericsson W810i. My father and sister will be joining me on this tech infested discovery of New York City.

The big lights, big city, big hustle is what awaits us. Now the challenge of making the 8-hour drive from Guelph, Ontario was going to take its toll on my fatigued body. The past couple days I have been prepping my self and my gear for a 5 day adventure in New York City (there will be a lot of walking). From the list provided you can assume how my lust for electronics has consumed me.

The HP hw6515 isn’t the newest GPS toy on the market, but that could be a plus for the frugal techie. This specific model was loaded with the iGO application which has a very pleasant navigational voice, along with easy to use routing options. The unit provided what I found to be incredibly accurate directions and I much more prefer it than the TOM TOM application available for the HP which had issues with accuracy, something that is of obvious importance. Unfortunately the screen is very glare-prone and is incredibly hard to be viewed in direct sunlight. We’re highly relying on this device to keep us on track and so far, it’s doing the job. Without XM or Sirius, our music selection is very limited in regards to radio. Infamous southern-country-rock bands are constantly being streamed through the airwaves. From Lynard Skynard to Journey, it gets a little much. I get the message America! I’m here, quit reminding me. That’s where the laptop comes in. My personal Dell 640m is perfect for a long road trip due to its extended battery life and 14.5” screen, making this a portable powerhouse, pushing around 6-7 hours without the use of Wi-Fi. Not only am I able to listen to my entire music collection, it’s incredibly easy to make play lists on the fly with an ample user-interface as compared to your standard MP3 player. My sister, sitting in the back, is watching the OC on the 17” Compaq R4000. Although on the bulkier side when compared to my 640m, it does provide plenty of viewing space. Battery life will obviously not last the 8-hour trip, so we made sure to bring a 75W DC power converter. That will keep her quiet for a while, enough at least for my dad to give me a history lesson and do a little bonding.

Finally, the tiresome journey had come to an end and entering the Jersey Turnpike I couldn’t help but feel a bit like Tony Soprano with Tom Waits playing in the background. So, we made it all in one piece and without the hassle of maps or any sort of bygone method of navigation. Now to decide what to do with all this technology. Do I leave them on me to get robbed? Do I leave them in the hotel room to get stolen? Or do I leave them in the car to get jacked? Just a little over-exaggeration…

Arriving in NYC was overwhelming to say the least. One always has a vague image of locations they’ve seen in movies, TV-shows or images. But there is something to be said about viewing a geographic local, and physically being immersed in it. Granted I felt Times Square to be smaller than my mental comparison, but after spending some time commanding my way through hundreds if not thousands of people I couldn’t help but immediately feel like a New Yorker. Be it a good thing or a bad thing, it felt powerful. I can imagine very few places could make you feel this way.

We had decided, once we had all unpacked to make our way down to Times Square. Since it was about a 40-minute walk from the hotel we were staying at we decided to make the trek. After all, we were cooped up in a car for the past 8 hours or so. We began heading towards Central Park, where we started abusing the spectacular functionality and clarity of the Nikon D80. After discovering many a-homeless men, we kept heading for Times Square. Upon arrival amidst the chaos and glory of it all, I had made a point to stop at the Virgin Records Mega-Store to absorb the atmosphere of Sir Richard Branson’s brain child. And absorb I did. From vinyl to CD to direct downloads via Zune’s marketplace, audio temptation was surrounding me. I approached the Zune station as if it were a shrine (you see the Zune is not available in Canada). Pre-loaded with a modest amount of music and video the Zune really demonstrated its capabilities. I was expecting a larger form factor, but was pleasantly surprised to see that it was a comfortable size, granted a bit larger than the IPod in comparison. Functionality, screen size and general user interface was absolutely gorgeous. For a second I thought, “Finally! Microsoft has done something right and is able to kick Apple’s ass!” But there’s always that important yet commonly over-looked DRM factor. Apart from that the Zune is a gorgeous piece of portable music/movie storage that delivers excellent audio quality, with some added features (radio for starters).

So after exploring a bit more of Times Square, I couldn’t help but notice all these cheap electronic stores selling everything from iPODs to PSPs.

Buyer beware: These stores tend to sell refurbished products. It seems very enticing but these products tend to have a shorter life span.

Shortly after that, we had decided to take your standard double-decker bus guided tour. I won’t bore you with the basic touristy details, but it was well worth the money for a first timer in NYC.

After making our way back to the hotel, we relaxed with a couple beers and enjoyed the spectacular view from our hotel upon the Queensboro Bridge. And thus ends the day.