Quick Look at the Motorola Charm

The latest Android phone from Motorola has He-man written all over it!! “Charm” is just as manly and intimidating as “Droid”, right?!

The TELUS Motorola Charm is going to be a phone you either love or hate. It’s cute in an ET kinda way and very pocketable. Whether you love it or not, you have to love the price; $249 off contract makes it almost an impulse buy (as smartphones go) and it comes with Android 2.1, full QWERTY keyboard and more.

Here is my quick look at the Motorola Charm. Full specs are in the link below the video

Full specs (and I DO mean “full”!!) here

WiFi is Eating Our Children!!

680News.com is reporting that parents of Simcoe County Public School students are convinced of the evils of WiFi.

Parents are saying that their children are becoming light headed, dizzy and falling down because the schools have installed WiFi that is accessible from the classrooms. They say their children are fine on the weekends and have been fine over the summer holidays but when school is in, the wifi boogie man is out.

While this all sounds very convincing…I would like to suggest a few other, potential reasons that I am sure were ruled out: ventilation, lack of air conditioning, cafeteria food, airborne viruses, complete boredom and probably many others.

Nah, you’re right parents of SCSB students! Despite the proliferation and long time adoption of WiFi and the fact that workplaces and coffee shops have had them without these adverse affects, WiFi is clearly bad for Simcoe County. In fact, it may be the Intertubes or that thar technology gizmos that is contributing. Perhaps it’s a combination of Simcoe County water and the whyfies or it’s magnetic fields produced by the powerlines or maybe even the known alien presence, but whatever the reason, Simcoe County Public Schools should fear the voodoo knows as “The Wia Fyz”.

Otterbox Tandem Case for Palm Pre / Pre Plus

I’ve had the chance to try out the Otterbox Tandem case on my Palm Pre and really liked it.

For those that don’t know, Otterbox makes protective cases for most popular models of cellphones. For those that have gone through the trauma of a broken phone, this is the way to save having to go to all the support group meetings; just put an Otterbox case on.  Its also very handy for those times you need to hang pictures but can’t find a hammer. (do NOT try that at home, I’m a trained professional)

The case for the Palm Pre comes in two pieces to accommodate the sliding keyboard. Also included is a screen protector that just doesn’t cut it.  More on that in a sec.

The plastic case snapped on very nicely and felt quite secure. In fact, it was actually hard to get the crazy thing off the first  couple times but it does get easier.  Once in place, the two halves allow the keyboard to open and close with just a bit extra resistance. There is a slight lip on the part around the screen to keep the screen away from direct contact to any surface.

While there was no way I was going to test the case by driving over it with my Hummer (if I had one) you can tell that there is a lot more protection there. The case feels good on the hand and although it added bulk it wasn’t bad considering the protection enhancement.

The screen protector that is included just does not work for the Pre. It does seem to be a very nice quality but on the bottom it ends at the bottom of the screen.  As anyone who uses a Pre can attest, we spend half our time swiping up from below the screen.  The edge of the screen protector was far to pronounced to make this comfortable.  The protector should have covered the whole screen.

Overall, I liked the case quite a bit. It did crowd the top row of the keyboard a bit too much, but I got used to that.  Highly recommended for keeping your Palm Pre (or any other smartphone) protected; $29.95 well spent!

Impressions: Bell Samsung Vibrant (Galaxy S)

A very nice phone with all the bells and whistles but just a little bit uninspiring.

For the last week I have been using the Samsung Vibrant from Bell and am liking it.  I can’t say I love it, but it really is quite nice.

The Samsung Vibrant is part of the Galaxy S line with a design that looks very much like the iPhone.  Certainly, its meant to compete with the iPhone and it does a nice job at doing so.  This is really the part of this phone that is a let-down for me.  I stay away from the iPhone simply because everyone else on the planet seems to have one.  I don’t really want a phone that is a carbon copy.

Don’t tell Mike I stole one of his pictures!!

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Sample Pics from Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini

Just wanted to throw a few pictures up that were taken with the X10 Mini. This is a tiny phone and you just don’t expect the camera to be much good, but it’s actually VERY good. Enjoy some pics of my family!

Rogers is On Fire! Many New Phones Announced

Rogers is pulling out all the stops with great new devices coming out! In the last week they have announced that the following are either available or coming soon:

Apple iPhone 4 – Well, we all knew this was coming but for those that are fans, nice to see if it here. The iPhone 4 includes an all new sleeker design, very high resolution screen and a much more powerful processor.

Blackberry Torch 9800 – Just announced yesterday, the Torch is a large (huge!) Blackberry device with a slid-down qwerty and touch screen. For many this is going to be a very nice compromise allowing for a larger screen than most Blackberries (Blackberrys?) but still enjoying a nicely sized qwerty keyboard.

Curve 9300 – The Curve line of smartphones lives on with the 9300. There really isn’t a lot to write home about the 9300 other than to say it continues the line of very capable and reliable Blackberries at an affordable price point.

Motorola Flipout – Have you seen this cute little phone!? It is small and square, at least until you swing the screen around, much like the old Sidekick phones. It runs Android and uses Motorola’s Blur interface to stay in touch with friends. Very nice phone for the price for the younger smartphone user.

Galaxy S Captivate – The Juice!! The Samsung Galaxy S line of phones comes to Rogers as the Captivate, the same model as AT&T carries in the US. It’s a beautiful 4″ Super AMOLED display with a VERY thin profile, nice angles and a very fast and powerful processor. It’s a more expensive option, but with the included specs it’s worth it.

Nicely done Rogers! Keep bringing us Canadians lots of choice in phones and we will hug you!

Comparing Cameras: Samsung Captivate, SE X10 Mini, Palm Pre

Just a quick post to compare the same shot taken with three different phone cameras. Take a look and comment on your opinion of the shots.

Samsung Captivate, 5mp camera

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini, 5mp camera

Palm Pre, 3mp camera

Initial Thoughts: Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini

Has anyone made a name-is-longer-than-the-phone joke about the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini? Well, joke about the name all you want but this phone is no joke. The X10 Mini is a fantastic little Android phone.

The X10 Mini is a follow on to the Xperia X10 (previous posts here and here) in a very different format. While the X10 is a high-end device with a large 4 inch screen the X10 Mini is…well, mini. The display is 2.6 inches making it easily the smallest Android phone. The size overall is just 83 x 50 x 16 mm (3.3 x 2 x 0.6 inches), and it weighs just 88 grams (3.1 oz).

The X10 Mini is available from Rogers for just $29.99 on contract, or $324.99 outright. Good price!

Shrinking Android down to work on this device took a fair bit of work by Sony Ericsson, which is the reason this is only running on Android 1.6. But Sony has done a very good job of making Android work on such a small device.

[follow link for more impressions and pictures]

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Rogers Offers First Bada Phone: Samsung Wave

Earlier this year Samsung introduced it’s new operating system, Bada.  Their first phone is called the “Wave” for it really does look quite nice.  It is available from Rogers for $99 on contract.  Full Press Release below:

Samsung Makes a Splash with the Launch of Wave

First smartphone to feature Super AMOLED display and bada, Samsung’s open platform

MISSISSAUGA, ON, July 8 /CNW/ – Samsung Mobile, the leading mobile phone brand in Canada, today announced the availability of the Samsung Wave (model: S8500), the first smartphone to leverage bada, Samsung’s new, open smartphone platform. The Samsung Wave is the first Canadian smartphone to feature Samsung’s Super AMOLED screen technology – providing users with improved outdoor visibility, reduced power consumption and unrivalled picture clarity.

With the launch of the Wave, Samsung is actively constructing a total eco-system around the bada platform including Samsung Apps, an integrated application store. Samsung Apps will increase the premium content and applications pool through collaboration with partner companies and developers.

The availability of the Samsung bada SDK (Software Development Kit) will ensure that consumers can experience a steady stream of new applications that support bada platform.

“The Samsung Wave represents our strategy to deliver rich, exciting smartphone experiences to everyone via one of the highest quality display screens in the industry,” saidPaul Brannen, vice president, Samsung Mobile. “We also anticipate that Samsung bada will significantly expand the smartphone consumer market in Canada, which will create an ocean of opportunity for developers.”

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Welcome Our Newest Contributor; Dave Evans

I’ve known Dave for quite a while, from back when he was helping to organize the Ontario PocketPC User Group. I think he even came up with that catchy name!. I had to twist Dave’s arm pretty hard to get him to accept phones to review…

Anyway, we welcome Dave as our newest contributor and look forward to his reviews and thoughts.  Dave’s first post can be found here and another will go live in just a bit.

Next to the mic is Dave himself:

I began my journey down the handheld road with a Palm III. Not long after that the shiny new iPaq appeared. With all that colour, who could resist? It wasn’t long before Dale Coffing asked me to help him at Pocket PC Passion as a moderator and news editor. Myself and a few other enthusiasts started a users group in Toronto. This is where Darren Humphries and I first met, and later Mike and I met at one of the meetings. Darren started a site that was hugely popular back then called SmartMobileAssets and I joined him as a news editor. I have been a member at several other sites as well usually hiding behind the username “Paragon”. Somewhere in all that I was even an MS Mobile Devices MVP for a while.

Over the years I have used, and or, reviewed many, many, Windows Mobile devices, accessories and software. I now find myself in a position where I’m looking to try something new, which is why I was excited to give this latest review with the Android Acer Liquid E a go.

I remember many years ago making a statement on a site saying “One day we will be able to use our handheld device to take a picture and sent it off to someone asking which one should I get of these two, and get an immediate response” Everyone laughed at me. No one believed at that time that single device would have the capabilities to do all those things, and do them in real time. Who knew? And, who knows what tomorrow will bring? But it sure is fun getting there.

Dave Evans

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