Archive for June, 2007

Nokia E90 Communicator

Saturday, June 30th, 2007

*Whimper* Now I don’t know what to do!

Nokia E90 Communicator

Nokia E90 Communicator

Specifications

Date Announced 2007, 1Q
Network Technology HSDPA/ UMTS / GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
Hardware/Processor 330 Mhz ARM processor
Dimensions (mm) 132 x 57 x 20
Weight (g) 210
Available colours Red, Mocha
Display
Screen Size : 800 x 352 (External: 240 x 320), touchscreen
Screen Color : TFT 16 Million colors
Design
Type : Others
QWERTY-Keyboard : Yes
Navigation Key : 5 way Navigation Key
Antenna : Fixed Internal
Memory
Internal(MB) : 128
Expansion : microSD (T-Flash), up to 2GB, Hotswap
Battery
Battery Type : Li - Ion 1500 mAh
Stand-by (hrs) : 330
TalkTime(min) : 300
Entertainment
Ringtones
Polyphonic : 64-chord polyphonics
MP3 Yes
A2DP Yes
TV Receiver Null
FM Radio Yes
Video Record Yes, 30 fps
Video Support H.263, H.264/AVC, MPEG-4, RealVideo 7,8,9/10
Audio Support AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, MP3, MP4, M4A, WMA, AMR (NB-AMR), MIDI Tones (poly 64), Mobile XMF, RealAudio 7,8,10, SP-MIDI, True tones (WB-AMR)
Voice Support Recording, Speaker

Messaging
SMS Yes
MMS Yes
EMS No
Email Yes
Push-To-Talk Yes

Connectivity
HSDPA Yes
EDGE Yes
Bluetooth Yes, version 2.0
3G Yes
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots)
Infrared (IrDA) Yes
USB Port Yes
WIFI/WLAN 802.11b/g
Software
Java (J2ME) Yes ,MIDP 2.0, CLDC 1.1
WAP Yes Ver 2.0
Platform / OS Symbian 9.2 - Series 60 user interface, 3rd Edition Feature Pack 1
Browser XHTML, HTML
Other Application GPS SiRFStar III, Document viewer(Excel,Word, Powerpoint, PDF), Zip
Personals
Themes Yes
Caller ID Photo ID, Video ID
ProfileID Yes
Camera
Lens Type CMOS, 3.2 Megapixel
Digital zoom 20x
Max. Resolution 2048×1536 (Secobdary : 320 x 240)
Flash Yes
Night Mode Yes
Multi Shot Yes
Extra Features Auto Focus, Red-Eye Reduction, Self Timer
Photo Format  
Video Yes, 30 fps
Video Format MPEG-4, H.263 (640 x 480)

Check out a review.

Summary

Undobtedly, the E90 is the most powerful Nokia Communicator ever created. Two fully functional screens and one of them offering the fantastic 800×352 resolution, not only UMTS but also 3.6 Mbps HSDPA connectivity, quadband GSM, built-in GPS receiver, fast and powerful OMAP2420 processor running at 330 MHz, 128 MB of RAM memory with almost 80 MB available for the user and providing true and unlimited multitasking, very good 3.2 MPix camera with autofocus producing both great still pictures and TV-quality VGA resolution (640×480 pixels, 30 frames per second) videos, superb keyboard with perfectly shaped keys and very good tactile feedback, high quality materials and superb build quality, USB 2.0 and Bluetooth connectivity, stereo audio with A2DP support for stereo streaming over Bluetooth, good standby and talk times, very good size and tolerable weight, elegant and stylish design…. quite a lot of powerful features for a single device. Of course, one might complain about lack of 8 GB Microdrive like in the HTC Athena (weighing 360 g), no triband WCDMA providing worlwide UMTS support, 2.5″ jack instead of the 3.5″ one, no WLAN A support, etc., etc., etc. What I feel, however, is that the E90 is a truly poweful mobile device, definitely one of the most powerful PDA-phones ever created.

What I liked:

  • powerful ARM11-based TI OMAP2420 processor running at 330 MHz
  • 128 MB of operating memory (RAM), about 80 MB available, providing unlimited multitasking
  • HSDPA 3.6 Mbps, UMTS, EDGE
  • built-in GPS receiver
  • fantastic 800×352 pixels internal screen
  • fully functional 240×320 external display
  • superb keyboard
  • quadband 850/900/1800/1900 GSM, 2100 WCDMA
  • Wireless LAN 802.11 b/g 54 Mbps
  • Bluetooth 2.0
  • A2DP profile for stereo audio over Bluetooth
  • USB 2.0 Full speed via USB Mini-B connector
  • 3.2 MPix camera with autofocus
  • TV-quality video recording @ VGA resolution and 25 frames per second
  • great build quality, elegant design, good size and weight
  • compatibility with existing S60 3rd Edition software
  • great performance.

What I didn’t like:

  • no fax support
  • some functions missing or too simplified compared to previous Communicator models
  • terrible, imprecise Camera button.

Above quotes from My-Symbian review.

Nokia N82

Friday, June 29th, 2007

I went to 3 today to see about the Nokia N95 I have been patiently waiting for. The girl said to hold out until next month for a newer phone which is supposed to have better features and be faster.

Here’s my guess: The Nokia N82…
—————————————–

This is a candybar device to followup the N73. Similar to the N81, it has quad-band GSM and 2100 HSDPA, BT 2.0 (w/ A2DP), WiFi (b/g w/ uPnP), but also adds built-in GPS, TV-out, FM Radio, and a MicroSD slot. The kicker is VGA, 30 fps video recording and a 5MP shooter with Carl Zeiss lens and auto-focus, similar to the N95. However, the N82 packs an awesome XENON flash for ultra-brightness.

The N82 is designed for style, but packing the features to make it worth the $$. Still running S60v3 FP1, the N82 lengthens the life-span of the S60v3 FP1 platform, and should be available in Q4 2007. It is targeted towards “tech-stylists 20-35,” with a female skew, but not enough to dissuade males of its power.

Full Specs:

* Dimensions: 112 x 50.2 x 17.3 mm
* Weight: 120 g [Target]
* Memory: Up to 100 MB in-build, support for hot swappable MicroSD card (1GB in-box)
* Talk time: GSM: 280min, WCDMA: 180min (Target)
* Standby time: GSM: 270hrs WCDMA: 250hrs (Target)

Display Specification

* Main Display: 2.4″QVGA 240×320, 16M colors

Camera Specifications

* 5MPix, Autofocus, up to 20 x digital zoom. Real Xenon flash. Integrated camera protection
* Secondary camera: CIF

The N82 is DEFINITELY something to write home about. Basically all the features of the N95, plus a better flash, and *hopefully* better battery/memory management in roughly the same size as the N73. I love it. What about you? Think it’ll be a hit? Skeptical of RAM and battery still?

Nokia N82

Congratulations Batty & Em!

Friday, June 29th, 2007

Well.. I suppose Batty did most of the work ;) hehe

Congratulations on your lil bub! Now I’ll have to make sure I come visit some time to see my little niece *g*

If you wish to add details to this, just chuck in a comment. Not sure how much you want to broadcast name and size, etc.

R.I.P Uncle Stevo

Sunday, June 24th, 2007

Well. He wasn’t really an uncle per se.. more my dad’s cousin, but when you are young everyone is your uncle.

I remember when we used to visit dad’s uncle Horace (or Uncle Horry as we called him) and Aunty Jean and Stevo. We had such great fun times at their place. I still remember getting up early and going into the back room where the old stove was and cooking some toast or something there.  Apparently when I was young I once had about four breakfasts there. Once with Uncle Horry, once with Uncle Stevo then when others got up.  I was a growing lad.

Stevo got himself an electronic chess game once, which was so exciting for me.. I was a geek even way back then.

Stevo even got a boat we used to go out in.

From time to time we’d visit over Christmas and the whole family would turn up to play cricket there.  Uncle Horry even let me drive the tractor when I was young.  It had an accelerator you could set at a particular speed on the steering wheel and I just had to steer.

Stevo was right into his squash games and was quite good at it.  He used to play often.  All the kids loved playing with him when we visited them at Dora Creek in the house his dad built.

Stevo was admitted to hospital this year and found out he had cancer. His mum died of cancer years ago.  He asked the doctor about it and it turns out lots of people who have jobs that deal with petroleum products getting onto the skin often will contract cancer at some stage. Stevo being a mechanic had petroleum on him most days, even if just to wash off the oil and grease.  They don’t tell you this while you have the job though.  The petroleum products are carcinogenic and get absorbed into the skin.

Last night, Stevo passed away with his brother at his side. He will be well remembered by the family.  I will have to see if I can make it down to Newcastle for the funeral.

We will miss you, Stevo.

Rainy overcaste day

Saturday, June 23rd, 2007

Yawn. What a rainy and overcast day.

I got home at 2am this morning. One of the bands I went to see didn’t get onstage until after 1am.. it was the band I was there mostly to see (The Kidney Thieves), however Ponyloaf were on before them and since they rock anyway I got to have a great time.

I got up at 6:30am to pick up Sienna and try to get her to Swimming Lessons on time but she is still sick from last weekend. She was running a temp and they didn’t have any Panadol so I brought her home and gave her some. She’s had it a few times today.  I’ve tried to keep her rather cool to bring the temperature down.  She’s been sleeping and lazing through most of the day and very clingy and cuddly.  I slept too, from 12pm to about 2pm. Not long after a couple of guys came to pick up the old lounge suite and give me my $1.  They also picked up from someone else a cabinet they won for 1c. He told them not to worry about the money.. heh.

The other night a guy came and picked up the videos.. Star Wars, Star Trek Voyager & TNG and a bunch of others. They actually forgot to bid on them on ebay but I said they could have them for nothing. The bid would have been $1 anyway *shrug*.

I picked up some eggs, bacon and chopped tomatoes for breakfast and had some this morning and will have the rest tomorrow. We had some eggs on toast for dinner, too.  Been watching Shrek 1 & 2 again today for something to do. Shrek 2 is nearly over again.

Second Life back again

Friday, June 22nd, 2007

I got my Second Life back again. I thought I’d give it one more go and went to the Second Life Support website and submitted a ticket and they answered. They asked me a few questions and got my account password reset! Yahoo!  Now I will be able to get back into it as soon as I get broadband attached at my new rental.  Striker has been bugging me for ages to get broadband and get back on Second Life since he’s started living in there hehe.

The new place also has Foxtel CABLE which means I won’t miss out on Channels 7 & 10 any more.  Sweet!  Gonna cost me $100 to get the connection moved and they won’t be able to connect it up until 16th July - two weeks after I move in! Oh well. At least I’ll have FTA and can watch stuff already saved on the hard drive of the Foxtel IQ box.

Had a great time at Mil’s book launch the other night. You can see one of the photos in my Flickr RSS feed in the top corner of this page. I was a photographer for them. She gave me her camera and I wandered around snapping photos of people.  There was a burlesque dancer called Kitty there as well, only she didn’t strip off enough for my liking. Apparently she usually goes down to tassells on her nips but a couple of times the tassells didn’t hold and um.. it was a bit embarassing and funny, so she didn’t take her top off this time… dammit!  Check the links from Mil’s blog on her MySpace.

A couple of my friends are flying down from the USA in October.  Runindeer (a really good friend from #crossroads EfNet IRC channel) and Lilith & Prez (really good friends from #Sydney & #Aussies EfNet IRC Channels) . I’m going to try and fly down to Sydney one weekend to catch up with everyone. Unfortunately all my Annual Leave will be used up with that week I took off and looked for a new rental, plus with my parents coming next month and Xmas hols.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIENNA!

Tuesday, June 19th, 2007

To my beautiful daughter, Sienna.

Happy 4th birthday!

I hope you get lots of pressies and have a fantastic day at kindy today.

Don’t eat too much of that ice cream birthday cake! It’s cold and you just got over being sick!!!! hehehe

*HUGS HUGS HUGS HUGS HUGS HUGS HUGS HUGS HUGS HUGS*

 Birthday cake

Daddy loves you! :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)