Thanko’s new slick and slim Video Camera Spy Pen

Thanko lights the day up again. Its latest gadget – Video Camera Spy Pen literally gives me persecution mania. The slim and stylish pen contains equipment with which even Mr. Bond would be complexly satisfied. All what we knew about previous Thanko devices is embodied in the Video Camera Spy Pen, but is better, has higher quality and is up to live longer. Still, the best thing about it is that we do not have to wait for it to come out. The gadget is already available in Japan for 6,980 JPY (75.5 EUR or 55 USD). Full specs follow.

Let’s start with video capabilities. Thanko Video Camera Spy Pen can shoot 736 x 576 video in .avi format at 19 to 22 frames per second. Unlike Panasonic HDC-HS350 we have recently reviewed, Thanko’s pen will wear the battery down before you exceed memory space. Now in course: onboard battery life is limited to 3 hours when internal memory has 2GB. Memory expansion is available via MicroSDHC card to 10GB overall. Charge is done via USB. Spy pen can also shoot photos in 1280 x 960 resolution in .jpg format.

In rest, you get a normal ball-point pen with 6 months warranty (!), pretty slick, slim and stylish.

Next Sony Ericsson XPERIA is expected with Android 2.0

Another Android smartphone is leaked, but unfortunately we can’t say that it is going to start its sales any tome soon. This time it’s Sony Ericsson who fancy Android for its top range mobile phone, for next XPERIA division model to be precise. Parallels with HTC Hero here are possible, of course, but I fear they would be untimely because Rachel, so is its codename, sports some interesting features that make it stand out a bit.

There is not much to say about the next Sony Ericsson XPERIA, but we already know that it might whop Hero’s nose. First of all, SE is preparing a 8 megapixel camera with autofocus. Nothing with more humble pixel density was expected for the XPERIA because guys at Sony Ericsson were always taken up with cameras. Which probably explains a over 12 megapixel phone from them by the end of the year.

Now, there is more. HTC Hero comes with 528MHz processor. The XPERIA in turn is expected to be fitted with a latest 1GHz processor. That of course would make a difference no matter what the phone will be used for.

The last thing so far is the OS. SE Rachel is rumored to be one the first devices out there with Android 2.0. This fact arises questions like whether it will have something at least remotely like Sense UI? Or one which is even more actual: how long to wait fir it? All we know is that Android 2.0 comes in autumn, hopefully Rachel also.

BMW to keep you abreast of weather and gas prices

BMW to keep you abreast of weather and gas prices

BMW is becoming yet more attentive to their fans offering an intelligent contraption which is capable of detecting current weather as well as gas prices. This high tech addition from BMW operates in real time displaying the information on your on board computer system.

The good news is that starting the year 2009 the majority of BMW models will be equipped with Assist and Navigation systems. If you are a BMW buff, you might be satisfied with this new option available in new models with you being the first to know the real time weather, fuel prices and even stock indices.

You will be able to know the latest weather forecast for a period of the next 3 days including warnings and weather advisories of the area you are about to drive. Being informed about fuel prices, you will be able to find the cheapest gas so that you could buy it at a bargain.

In order to be able to use the service, you will have to subscribe to the BMW Assist convenience plan. In this case you should be an owner of the BMW vehicle coming with BMW Assist and BMW Navigation system.

With Google Maps connection already included in the latest models, weather forecast and fuel prices you will be able to save both time and money. So what could be more desirable than that?

As you drive by you will be able to view nearby fuel stations along with gas prices and once the best choice was taken, the navigation system will provide you with the address saving some money.

Samsung Instinct vs Apple iPhone comparison

When the iPhone first debuted in 2007, it was almost certain that this device from Apple would have an impact on the cell phone and smartphone market. Of course, the idea of touch screen is not new; it has been in PocketPC’s for ages. However, Apple made a very interesting decision – they made a touch screen device that is fully finger operated, and that made a success. Multi-touch technology is not the point; the main point is that you do not need a stylus to work with your phone anymore. Certainly, after the success of iPhone, many other brands tried to make something similar. HTC Touch, smartphone based on Windows Mobile, made a little step forward to the finger navigation, but it failed this task, not because the model is bad, but because the OS it uses is not very finger-friendly. Therefore, in usability part, the Apple smartphone does not have any competitors. Or does it?

One of the biggest cell phone manufacturers, Samsung, observing the success of iPhone and playing on the wave of nowadays fashion, released the new model, completely finger-operated, which can be called true rival of iPhone. It is called Instinct, and is currently sold under Sprint carrier brand. It uses the same philosophy according to user interface as iPhone – finger navigation and complete rejection of stylus. So, we decided to compare this two interesting cell phones and review the advantages and flaws of each.
First, we will start from basics.

Design

When it comes to design, it is certain that there cannot be one true answer, which phone looks better. Everyone has different tastes, so it is better to review some of the design specs this phones have. First – the shortage of hard navigation keys. iPhone has only one button on its face, while Instinct has three. It is arguable what solution is more useful, but in any case, these phones are touchscreen operated, so there could be no hard keys at all, every action can be done via virtual buttons on the screen. Both phones use similar style for icons and menus, however, Apple iPhone icons look somehow more polished. In any case, the design side of device is completely a matter of taste.

Display

When it comes to display, this is where the differences begin. The Instinct has a haptic touchscreen, which is very different compared to iPhones multi-touch. It can imitate the feel of regular button press, which is very useful for sensor screen devices; the main problem of virtual buttons is that they are unreal. Providing “real” feedback from pressed button is very nice feature than iPhone lacks. However, the iPhone gets it on the multi-touch side – unlike Instinct, it can be operated using two fingers, which makes the navigation much more intuitive and simple. Which one to choose? It is up to you. The display resolution is better on the iPhone though: 480 x 320 against 432 x 240 in his competitor, and it is 0.3 inches bigger.

Internal hardware

While both devices can send and receive calls, they do this in a very different way. iPhone use GSM connection, while Instinct is purely CDMA phone. Of course, Edge, used on iPhone, is far less rapid than EV-DO on the Instinct, but Apple phone has Wi-Fi, which is faster than both are. The camera on both is almost equal and has 2-megapixels. Instinct is a little more advanced in this domain – it can record video in QVGA resolution, 15 FPS. While iPhone uses triangulation as its GPS, and can draw a circle on map with approximate 1km radius, where you are standing now, Instinct has a true GPS chip that can tell your whereabouts far more precise. Instinct also has a slot for microSD cards, and its memory can be expanded up to 8 GB. Not bad, but iPhone had 8GB right from the start, and now there are even 16 GB models on the market. The only good side of microSD cards is their replaceability, so you can carry several cards and change them as you like. Moving to the musical side, both devices have 3.5 mm minijack for usual headphones, which make this phones look attractive for people who like music. Still, the headphone jack in iPhone is a little specific – it is sinked a little so only specific headphones can be plugged! There are tons of accessories that are used like adapters, but in any case, it is much more comfortable to just plug your headphones and go without need in purchasing some third-party adapters.

Software

The Apple smartphone is powered by specially redesigned Mac OS X, which will be familiar to all Mac users. However, it is not a copy of desktop edition; it is a very different product. While it has a possibility to work with installed applications, Apple blocked away this ability until release of iPhone SDK. Even now, when SDK is already released, it is not easy to just write your own program for iPhone – you must obtain a certificate from Apple first. Hackers already managed to overcome this limitation (trick known as “jailbreak”), but still it limits abilities of the device. Instinct is not a smartphone; it uses its own proprietary operating system, so you can forget about installing any software on it. It still has BREW though, used for navigation application. Moreover, it really is navigational software, not just Google Maps service that iPhone use.

In other domains, such as audio and video software, photo gallery and such, they are almost the same. iPhone is fully iTunes compatible, so if you already purchased your music at this store, you can always upload it to the iPhone. Instinct has its own music store, powered by Sprint, and many other Sprint services such as Sprint TV.

Unfortunately, Instinct lacks all that interesting features that are possible on the iPhone thanks to multi-touch. Even if you are not using this feature often, it is better to have this possibility. Safari is also Apple exclusive, so on Instinct you are left with a proprietary internet browser, which is far less intuitive and fast as Safari is.

Taking in consideration iPhone’s iTunes compatibility, it certainly has one of the best audio player software in the modern devices, simple and finger-friendly, as most of Apple devices are. Both phones support almost every multimedia format, after some conversion of course. Widescreen display aspect ratio and high resolution make these devices perfect for the role of portable multimedia centers. Let us not forget Instinct TV services, which makes it even more multimedia-oriented.

Conclusions

These two phones cannot be compared directly, because they belong to the different types: iPhone is a smartphone with a growing list of applications, and Instinct is a usual phone based on touchscreen. However, it is definitely true that Instinct is the best carrier phone from Sprint. iPhone lacks 3G capabilities, but it is already fixed in new model, which has GPS and 3G functionality, so Instinct wins this round only compared with original iPhone 1G. It is hard to declare the winner, so it will be the best to say that you should try both and select one that fits you the most.

Samsung Instinct vs. iPhone 3G: which one will be better?

It’s not only the battle of two devices it is the battle of two cell phone services providers: Sprint and AT&T. These two phones will be their best and most powerful presenters that they have. iPhone 3G is not out yet but AT&T was successfully selling the previous versions of iPhone for almost a year now. So some people love AT&T and other love Sprint and it’s their choice. What we are going to do is compare the features of the two phones.

First of all let’s do the comparison of the exterior of Samsung Instinct and iPhone. Instinct is made mainly of plastic which is not that neat today; iPhone has pats made of metal and harden glass to prevent it from scratching.

As to AT&T vs. Sprint there are some advantages and disadvantages; but concerning these phones Sprint is giving very high internet speeds and music store from any point of coverage. AT&T’s iPhone can only connect to iTunes store via Wi-Fi, which restricts it to the city limits. Besides, everybody knows about Samsung Instinct’s and iPhone’s GPS capabilities.

I personally liked the voice control on Samsung Instinct; however not sure if it would work as good as they demonstrate it, so train your speech to be able to control it.
I’m not sure if it was a good idea to have the keyboard only in landscape mode. My personal opinion is that I want to choose what mode to use because it really frustrates me that I need to turn it every time I want to input some text.

One more thing that I love about Instinct is its open platform. I really like to install and use the software I choose. iPhone has made a pretty good job on giving positive experience for the customers but it is closed platform.

Another good thing about Instinct is that they give an additional battery and an external battery charger, which can be very helpful during traveling.

iPhone should be twice as fast in web browsing as the old iPhone is. It supports Bluetooth, GPRS, GSM, EDGE, Wi-Fi, HSDPA, UMTS connectivity and that’s what they are proud about. One of the biggest news: it will be able to give you 3G video talks with your friends.

One other big news is that Apple is going to allow third party applications on their iPhone but only those that are approved by them. Not sure how popular that will be. Apple has done a pretty good job on the user interface. And the question I have is: “Will the third party applications be free or they are going to charge the customers for that?” The platform it is running on is Mac OS X Mobile which should bring the customers best experiences.

In the rest of features the iPhone 3G will be just as its predecessor (one of the best phones out there.) It will roll out on July the 11th in 70 countries of the world. The 8GB version will cost $199 and the 16GB version will cost $299.