I was lucky enough to have some quality time with Samsung’s new flagship on the AT&T LTE/4G network. The Samsung Galaxy S II SkyRocket. This Galaxy S II besides being white has a bigger screen (4.3 “) compared to the earlier released Galaxy S II phone on the AT&T network. The added applications like the Samsung media hub will take full advantage of the LTE/4G network.

Like I said before the only differences I can see between the regular Galaxy S II and the SkyRocket version is  in the specifications is the faster data connection, larger screen and a possibility of a White colored device.

Some key specifications are:

• Data: GPRS/EDGE/HSDPA+
• Android 2.3.4
• 1.2 GHZ Dual Core Processor
• 4.3 ” Super AMOLED Plus screen (on Samsung Site but AT&T says 4.5″)
• TouchWiz User Interface
• 8 MP Camera
• 2 MP front facing Camera
• Internal Memory 16 GB and an empty SD MicroSD slot
• HD 1080p Video capture
• More detailed specifications can be found here

Hands On Video.

The HTC Vivid 4G LTE phone is the latest LTE phone that launched this week on the AT&T network together with the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket. When you hold the HTC Vivid in your hand the first impression will be…wow this is a nice heavy and solid unit. But if you ever had the light weighted Samsung Galaxy S or S II series as your device you might think a little differently.

Facebook always had the option on your desktop to filter your news feed to just read the updates of people you had put into a custom list. However in a couple of the last updates on Facebook, Facebook has been automatically creating some lists for you as well. My main complaint on the Mobile Facebook apps was that you couldn’t filter your news feed to these list on the Mobile device applications. It is possible but it is not that obvious and requires a little trick.  In this article I explain you how you can do this on your Windows Phone, Apple iPhone, iPad and on all Android devices.

Facebook app for Apple iPad, iPhone and all Android devices.

Facebook app for Windows Phone

The Windows Phone allows you to create your own filtered groups by creating a group tile which is really the best way. I have described this in an earlier article. This will filter the facebook, linkedin and twitter posts from these people in this group.

The Windows Phone Facebook app takes a couple steps to see the specific news feed of on of your lists.

1. Open the Facebook app on your Windows Phone
2. Tap on “Friends” in the selections
3. Tap on “Lists” on the top of your screen
4. Select the List of your choice in the selections.
5. Select “News Feed” on the Top of your screen.

Many people have either a Gmail account or a Google Mail account for their own domain. However, the quick Gmail set-up on some phones only brings in your emails from your Gmail or Google mail account and not your contacts and calendar items.  This article will show you that it is possible to sync your Gmail- Google mail,  contacts and calendar items onto your device using the Corporate Exchange protocol. The advantage of using this protocol on an Android device is that you are able to change the sync settings to a specific time frame instead of the only Push setting in the standard “add Google account” on the Android devices. This can save you a lot of battery power.

Remove existing Gmail- Google mail account.

First of all we have to be sure that you start removing your earlier quick Google / Gmail account that you have set up on your Device. Go to your account settings on your device and remove all excisting Google Gmail account that were set up using the quick “add Google/Gmail” account.

Adding your Gmail – Google mail account using the Corporate Exchange settings.

The following steps will guide you in setting up your Gmail – Google mail account as an exchange account on your mobile device.

(Ps. If you have a account for your own domain you first need to activate the active sync functionality in your Google Domain Dashboard.  “Manage this Domain -> Mobile-> Check box “Enable Google Sync“->Save settings

1. On most devices you can add a new account in the settings section.
2. Tap on “Add Account” which is listed under your already set up email accounts.
3. Select “Corporate Account, Outlook or Microsoft Exchange” depending on your device.
4. Type in your email in the first field.   Name@gmail.com or Name@yourowndomain.com
5. Type your password in the password field
6. Type in the Server  field the server address “m.google.com“
7. Check the boxes for SSL and accept all SSL certificates.
8. Now the “Next” button on the top right of your screen will be active.
9. On most next screens you can select which data you want synced (Email, Calendar, Contacts) and the frequency. Select Push for instant download of all new items. But if you have many accounts on your device I would recommend changing it to a less frequent time to safe on your battery power
10. Now you should be all set. Your data connection will sync all your contacts , calendar and emails for this account.

Verizon’s second 4G LTE phone to be launched is the Samsung Droid Charge. After the launch of the HTC ThunderBolt Verizon is having some small issues with the stability of the LTE network. This might be the reason why the official launch date of the Samsung Droid Charge has been moved from April 28th to “Coming Soon“.

With an 8 megapixel camera and a 1.3  megapixel front facing camera in combination with the Super Amoled Plus Display and a 1 GHz Hummingbird processor this Samsung promises to be a buzzing device to have.

Unboxing

The video below will give you a good impression how the device looks and feels.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvP8u0MO7L8

Availability

The Samsung Droid Charge will be avaialble on the Verizon network soon for $299.99 with a 2 year contract.

Specifications

Full Technical Specifications Of Samsung Droid Charge

The LG Optimus 2X is the world’s first dual-core Android-phone using the NVIDIA Tegra 2 chipset, a mobile processor with both a dual-core ARM Cortex a9 CPU and a NVIDIA GeForce class GPU. LG claims the Optimus 2X is the fastest Android-phone on the market today and it will be the benchmark for other Android-phones to be released in the near future. In this review we’ll take a closer look at this new Android super-phone. Is it really the best your money can buy?

Specifications

Let’s start with the Optimus 2X specs:

• Dual Core NVidia Tegra 2 Processor @ 1Ghz
• Android 2.2 OS (Froyo)
• 4-Inches WVGA (Wide Video Graphic Array) 480×800 pixel resolution
• 8 GB Internal memory, Micro SD Slot Available (Expandable up to 32 GB)
• 8 MP Camera with LED Flash
• HD Video Recording at 1080p
• 1.3 MP Front Camera for Face to Face Calling Feature
• 1500 mAh Battery
• Color Output – 16M Colors
• Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP
• HDMI Mirroring 1080P Recording
• DLNA(Digital Living Network Alliance Compatible)
• USB
• Wireless Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n ,GPS

The design and build-quality

The LG Optimus 2X is a typical candy-bar shaped Android-phone. Although the 4″ screen is huge the Optimus 2X doesn’t look massive or bulky at all. Main reason is that the phone is only 10,9 mm thick. The phone-housing feels solid and the back cover has a special coating that provides a firm grip. Just below the screen you’ll find the 4 standard Android keys, menu, home, back and search. The Optimus 2X has a set of capacitive keys that are very responsive. At the top of the screen there is the earpiece, light-sensor and the front-camera. At the bottom there is room for the micro-USB port, the speaker and the microphone. On the top a 3,5 mm headphone-jack, HDMI port and the on/off switch. The left-side is totally clean and on the right-side are the usual volume-keys. The back-cover has a small metal strip in the middle with the “Google” logo and the 8 Mp camera and LED-flash. The metal strip is a typical design feature that you’ll love, or hate.

As stated before the overall build-quality is very good. The LG Optimus 2X feels solid and looks like it could easily survive your curious friends who are eager to take it for a test-drive. The back-cover fits firmly on the phone, even after removing it a dozen times. The only point of concern is the chrome finish along the edges of the Optimus 2x, like the iPhone, that looks like it could easily get scratched.

The screen and interface

The 4″ screen capacitive touchscreen has a 480×800 resolution, shows a lot of detail and is capable of bright, saturated colors. At first the colorful screen looks great, but when using the phone for a longer time I noticed the colors are a bit unnatural and overdone. The screen-brightness is impressive and is the main reason the Optimus 2X is great to use in-doors, but also in bright sunlight. The capacitive screen is multi touch enabled and very responsive. Pinch-to-zoom, swiping, using the on-screen keyboard, selecting, it all works like a charm.

Like other manufacturers (Samsung, HTC) LG provided the Optimus 2X with a special user-interface and ditched the standard interface Android provides. This LG-interface has its own widgets that look really nice, but in my opinion doesn’t provide a better user-experience then the standard Android-interface. Located at the bottom of the screen there is a dock with room for four apps. The app-drawer is divided into categories and you can move apps to any category you like or add your own categories. You can change the drawer-style  into horizontal, vertical or a list-view. You even can choose to set 3, 5 or 7 homescreens.

Every day use

There is no doubt at all. The LG Optimus 2X is fast, lightning fast. There is no lag at all, not even when you have several apps running in the background. Zooming, swiping, opening apps, scrolling, you name it, the speed witch the Optimus 2X shows brings out the best in Android. It is clear that this is where the NVIDIA Tegra 2 shows it’s capabilities. LG provides the Optimus 2X with the standard Android-apps and some extra’s as well. For instance a Twitter and Facebook app are pre-installed. It’s a nice gesture for first time Android-users so they can unpack, charge and start posting status-updates, but the apps are very limited so a visit to the Android Market is eminent.

Yes you can also make phone-calls with the Optimus 2X, in the end it’s an Android-phone. No complaints about the phone-functions. The sound is loud enough and clear. Also no dropped calls or other problems, just what you can expect form a modern cell-phone.

The 8 Mp camera should be able to shoot some decent pictures, and it does. It’s not a professional DSLR but for a phone the results are more then just ok. The camera a capable of taking pictures with high detail and the macro-function is great. But there is also a down-side. The colors look a little washed out. I took some pictures in my back garden and although the light-conditions were okay, the colors aren’t as bright as I would suspect them to be. The same thing occurred with the two macro-shots. There are different pre-sets available in the camera-software so you can quickly change from automatic settings to macro sports, landscape or a portrait-picture. Settings for ISO en White-balance are also available. Below you can see some samples from the camera. The last two pictures are macro pictures.

The NVIDIA Tegra 2 provides more then enough power to make sure the Optimus 2X is not only is great Android-phone but also a gaming-device. This is were the large and colorful bright screen kicks in and provides you with a gaming experience unknown to Android, until now. The only thing that causes the iPhone 4 to still be the leader of the gaming-pack is the large amount of games that can be found in the Apple App Store. It’s a good thing that Android is catching up on the gaming-front with new and exciting games being released every week.

Although the LG Optimus 2X has a large, bright screen and a swift processor the battery-life is what we can expect  from a modern Android power-house. I managed to use the Optimus 2X for two days on just one battery-charge, similar to the iPhone 4 and Samsung Galaxy S I also use.

The bottom-line:

If you are looking for a fast top-of-the-line Android-phone the LG Optimus 2X is the one to get. It’s lightning fast has a very nice screen and an overall good build quality. There’s no doubt the competitors like HTC en Samsung will soon release similar Android-phone’s, but for now the Optimus 2X is the benchmark they have to beat.

the good things:

• Speed
• Build quality
• Screen (bright and responsive)
• Battery life

The down side:

• Screen colors look unnatural
• The LG-interface doesn’t provide any advantage in user-experience. No easy way to switch back to the standard Android-interface

Today in London, HTC renews the definition of mobile entertainment by announcing the HTC Sensation. This pocket-sized entertainment center is the first device to feature HTC Watch, giving you on-the-go access to an entire library of the latest premium movies and TV shows. View purchased content on up to five HTC devices or on the HTC Sensation’s qHD 4.3-inch widescreen super LCD display with the highest resolution ever used on a HTC device: 540×960 pixels ! The touch screen surface is protected by a Gorilla Glass contoured screen that feels more natural as your finger glides across it. Additionally, an 8- megapixel camera which captures video at 1080p with new instant capture camera capabilities and dual-core Qualcomm^® Snapdragon^™ 1.2 GHz processor combines the power within the HTC Sensation’s sleek aluminum unibody design to provide a unique mobile experience. All this is powered by Android 2.3.3.

The HTC Sensation features everything you expect from a Smartphone: All means of connectivity, GPS, WiFi B/G/N, Bluetooth and a Micro-USB port with mobile high-definition video link (MHL) for USB or HDMI connection and a broad range of sensors: Gyro sensor, G-Sensor, Digital compass, Proximity sensor and an Ambient light sensor. All these features in the Unibody design weigh not more than 148 gram !

The newest iteration of HTC Sense optimizes mobile fun and productivity by bringing sharper graphics, vibrant animations and new widgets to the HTC Sensation. With the introduction of a customizable lock screen experience where the user can also place widgets onto, the locked display is transformed into a window with the most important information on your device, allowing you to receive real-time updates with a glance at your screen. Save time by quickly navigating to the feature you’d like to use to make a phone call, send a text or update your status directly from your lock screen. Even in its most inactive state, the HTC Sensation allows you to customize your device to put what’s most important front and center.

HTC Sense

Next to the HTC Sensation’s premium design is the latest HTC Sense experience that gives you a lot of new features and enhancements, helping people have more fun and getting more done. For instance, HTC Sense introduces a customizable active lock screen experience that transforms the lock screen into a real-time window to the most important information and content, such as social updates, photos, weather or stock updates that are viewed by simply waking up the display. In addition, the new active lock screen becomes a customizable gateway, which lets people quickly jump to the most-used features, such as making a phone call, sending an email, taking a picture or anything else, with the same quick gesture usually used to unlock the phone. For instance, the camera can be launched right from the lock screen with a single motion, saving precious seconds when you’re trying to capture the action. Sharper graphics, vibrant animations and new widgets make HTC Sense look better than ever and, by continuing to focus on all of the aspects, both large and small, that make HTC Sense special, HTC introduces a more cinematic and immersive weather experience with stunning imagery and audible weather effects.

HTC Sense also makes it easy to have fun by enabling people to capture and share special moments. The HTC Sensation’s 8-megapixel camera doesn’t just shoot awesome photos — with the new instant capture feature, it lets people capture the moments they want without worrying about missing or keeping up with the action. The HTC Sensation also shoots full HD video in 1080p resolution, with full stereo sound up to 30 frames per second, giving you smooth video that is better than many other phones. With the new Video Trimmer tool, people can crop their clips to the perfect size for easy sharing with friends and family.HTC Watch

The HTC Sensation is a smartphone that is built from the ground up for a sophisticated, evolved multimedia experience. The 4.3-inch widescreen display means that users can watch movies like they were meant to be seen — in their full cinematic glory, with no cropping or letterboxing. The HTC Sensation is also the first smartphone to feature HTC Watch — an application and service that puts an entire library of the latest, premium movies and TV shows right at your fingertips, letting people discover the latest video content in an easy and visually engaging way. HTC Watch uses progressive download technology that makes it possible to watch videos without waiting for a huge file to finish downloading. HTC Watch offers the choice of renting or buying videos and, if purchased, lets you watch them on up to five different HTC devices.

I did review the Verizon HTC Thunderbolt last week. During this week I have been using this first LTE device from Verizon and did notice a quick power consumption on this device. There are many other reports from users and reviewers having the same problem.

LTE is not widely available yet, but the huge power consumption seems to be affecting users in the non-LTE covered area as well as in the LTE covered area. The HTC ThunderBolt has no settings for turning off the LTE signal on the device to see if this is the cause of the fast battery drainage.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on an HTC ThundeBolt Extended Battery with the cover. The Extended Battery has a capacity of 2750 mAh which is almost double the size of the 1400 mAh battery that comes standard with the HTC ThunderBolt. The replacement cover will add double the thickness in on the middle part of the device but the cover is an official HTC  4G LTE branded cover.

The Verizon HTC ThunderBolt Extended Battery with Battery Cover cost $49.99.

Don’t forget to check out my earlier review of the Verizon HTC Thunderbolt.

The Verizon HTC ThunderBolt is available now for $249.99 with a 2 year contact with a required data plan package.

Comparising Video

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAtScTSXKPo

Verizon’s LTE network gives us the first LTE mobile phone, the HTC Thunderbolt. The form factor is similar to the HTC Evo 4G from Sprint and the HTC Inspire 4G from AT&T.  But the specifications of the HTC ThunderBolt beats the others.

The HTC ThunderBolt from Verizon will give you the LTE speeds if you are in and LTE covered area, if not you will be falling back on the huge 3G network from Verizon. I am one of those that is stuck between Boston and New York and my experiences are on the 3G Network instead. However next week I will be travelling to NY City and will get back with my experiences over the LTE network.

Even on the 3G network I experience fast speeds with data downloads and I am able to use the build-in Mobile Hotspot for my wifi only iPad with very good data download speeds. The 8MP camera is amazing and the camera menu allows me easy to make pictures with special effects and auto focus. Switching to the 2MP front camera can be done within the menu as well. The 2x LED flash and the 720p HD video recording makes this camera app very complete and powerful.

Built-in DLNA allows you to beam your media wirelessly to your flatscreen.

The device has an instant-boot feature, but I have seen reports that that can give some issues with other functionalities of the phone.

I downloaded skype and try to make a call, however the HTC ThunderBolt is on the 3G or LTE network Skype only allows me to make a call over the Wifi network and I wasn’t able to use the front camera, why??  Looks like the front camera will only work with Google talk if you use it, otherwise it will be a nice camera to use to take a photo booth picture. Yesterday I have been playing around with the phone for a while and noticed that the battery runs down very quickly. I have been looking in the settings if there is a possibility to turn off the LTE searching connection which might be the issue of the extreme fast battery drain. But I have no luck finding these settings. I guess I could pull out the Sim for that. Not my preferred choice though.

Technical Specifications

• Networks – LTE 700, CDMA EvDO revA
• Android 2.2 + HTC Sense
• 4.3″ WVGA TFT capacitive touch screen
• 8MP auto focus, 2x led flash camera
• 1.3 MP front facing camera
• 8 GB Internal memory with 768 Ram memory and preinstalled 32 GB micro SD
• Wifi 802.11 b/g/n
• Bluetooth 2.1
• GPS
• 1400 mAh battery
• Dual Mics with noise canceling
• Surround sound
• Compass
• G-Sensor
• Proximity sensor
• Light sensor
• FM Radio
• kick stand
• 1GHz Qualcomm processor

Unboxing Video

The video below will show you the unboxing experience of the Verizon HTC Thunderbolt.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPH3txRkIB8

HTC has delivered again to Verizon as they did with Sprint and AT&T the most powerful smartphone on these networks. The Verizon HTC ThunderBolt is available now for $249.99 with a 2 year contact with a required data plan package.

AT&T just launched it big campaign letting consumer know that their 4G network is the fastest and most reliable. The HTC Inspire 4gis their first phone promoted to their customers on the 4G network that also will have a build-in WiFi Hotspot application.

Since the loss of the exclusivity of the Apple iPhone AT&Tis working hard on giving their customers extra value. There was a promotion for an extra 1000 roll over minutes, some iPhone customers were allowed to switch back to the unlimited data plan again. And the upcoming iPhone 4 update would have the Wifi Hotspot application accessible. But you don’t have to wait for this because the HTC Inspire 4G has 4G data speeds capability and the WiFi Hotspot build-in already.

Other features on the HTC Inspire 4G included are: Entertainment HQ, HTC Sense, Built-in DLNA allows you to stream from your phone to your flat-screen, In-camera editing, and much more.

Technical Specifications

• Processor – Qualcomm® QSD8255, 1GHz Snapdragon
• Operating System – Android 2.2 (Froyo) with HTC Sense
• Internal Memory – 768MB/RAM 4GB/ROM
• Display – 4.3 inch WVGA resolution with pinch-to-zoom
• Network - HSPA+ 850/1900 MHz, GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
• GPS – GPS/AGPS
• Camera – 8-megapixel color camera with auto focus and flash
• Connectivity - Bluetooth® 2.1, Wi-Fi® 802.11 b/g/n, 3.5mm stereo audio jack, Micro USB
• Battery – Rechargeable lithium-ion battery 1230 mAh
• Talk Time – Up to 360 minutes
• Standby Time – Up to 15.5 days
• Dimensions – 4.8” x 2.7” x .46 (LxWxT)
• Weight – 5.78 ounces (with battery)

The specifications of the HTC Inspire 4G speak for it self. This is really a fast, powerful Android Google phone.

Video

The HTC Inspire 4G is available at AT&T now for a wonderful price of $99.99 after rebates and with a 2 year contract. (Requires a minimum data service starting at $15/month. 2 year contract & new activation required.)

If you are not on the AT&T network you might want to consider the following HTC Google Android devices.

• Verizon - HTC Thunderbolt (coming Soon)
• Sprint – Evo Shift 4Gor Evo 4G
• T-Mobile – MyTouch 4G
• Europe – HTC Desire HD

We were lucky enough to get our hands on the HTC Evo Shift 4G  from Sprintfor a very short period. The Shift is the successor of the HTC Evo also from Sprint. The big difference besides running on a newer version of the Android Fryo 2.2 is the Slide Out keyboard.

The HTC Evo Shift 4G has an 800 Mhz processor and with the 4G connectivity on the Sprint’s network this device will be very fast and functional. The QWERTY Slide out keyboard gives consumers now the option to choose this device over the HTC Evo 4G. Many consumers still prefer the keyboard to be part of the hardware over the on-screen keyboards.

The HTC Sense groups all the communications you have with a contact together. These communications include E-mail, text and the Friend Stream for your social media networks.

The build-in WIFI Mobile Hotspot app will allow you to connect up to 8 devices. These 8 devices will take advantage of the powerful 4G network that your HTC Evo Shift is connected to.

Unboxing Video

The video below will give you a quick impression of this powerful HTC Evo Shift 4G by Sprint.

Technical Specifications

• Processor - Qualcomm MSM7630, 800 MHz, Sequans SQN 1210 (for WiMAX)
• Operating System - Android™ 2.2 (Froyo) with HTC Sense
• Internal Memory - ROM: 2 GB eMMC,RAM: 512 MB
• Display - 3.6″ inch 800×480 WVGA resolution 262K-color TFT LCD (OS support 16 bit colors) Capacitive multi-touch screen
• Network - CDMA2000 1x RTT/ 1x EVDO/ 1x EVDO rev. A (800/1900Mhz) WiMAX IEEE 802.16e Wave2 (mobile WiMAX) Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11b/g/n compliant (for 2.4 GHz only) DL: 10+ Mbps (WiMax) 3.1 Mbps (CDMA) UL: 4 Mbps (Wimax) 1.8 Mbps (CDMA)
• GPS - GPS and AGPS
• Camera - 5 MP Color CMOS with auto focus
• Connectivity - Version 2.1 compliant with EDR Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11b/g/n compliant (for 2.4 GHz only) 3.5mm stereo audio jack, Standard 5 pins micro-USB
• Battery - Rechargeable lithium-ion battery 1500 mAh
• Talk Time - Up to 360 minutes or 6 hours
• Dimensions - 4.61 (L) x 2.32 (W) x .59 (T) inches
• Weight - Weight 166 g. with battery –5.85(oz); 134 g W/O battery –4.72(oz)

The HTC Evo Shift 4G is available at Sprint for $149 with a 2 year contract and mail-in rebate

HTC was honored to win the ‘2011 Device Manufacturer of the Year’ award at the prestigious GSMA Global Mobile awards at Mobile World Congress. HTC was voted the winner from a shortlist of three finalists which included Apple and Samsung.

Accepting the award, Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corp. said, “This award also belongs to the tens of millions of customers around the world who enjoy our phones and inspire us each day to create new innovative experiences. To those people, to our partners around the world and to the HTC family, you have my sincere thanks and congratulations.”

Read the full press release below:

HTC Corporation, a global designer of smartphones, has been honored this week with the highest industry honor as ‘Device Manufacturer of the Year’ by the GSMA at its Global Mobile Awards ceremony in Barcelona.  The award follows a year of global momentum for HTC, which saw the launch of a large portfolio of industry leading smartphones such as the HTC Desire. HTC was awarded from a list of three finalists that included Apple and Samsung.

“For HTC to be recognized by the industry in this way for the growth and success we have experienced in the last year is truly humbling.  Thousands of people at HTC work tirelessly to create the intuitive and deeply personal smartphone experiences for which we have become known. This award is a measure of their passion and dedication,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation.  “This award also belongs to the tens of millions of customers around the world who enjoy our phones and inspire us each day to create new innovative experiences. To those people, to our partners around the world and to the HTC family, you have my sincere thanks and congratulations.”

The GSMA judges commented, “this company (HTC) has built its market presence from nowhere, with fresh branding and marketing and a strong portfolio of devices across many platforms. In particular, it has proven an exceptionally popular and enduring phone manufacturer. With great communication and good customer service, this is a well-deserved award.”

HTC previously was awarded for the ‘Best Mobile Phone of 2010’ with the HTC Hero.

A committee of judges that include industry analysts and consultants, mobile operators, educators and other industry leaders determines the GSMA Awards.  For more information on the 2011 GSMA Global Mobile awards please visit – http://www.globalmobileawards.com

If you are not familiar with the the high grade Etymotic products yet, it is time to get to know them. Etymotic has the world most accurate noise-isolating earphones in the categories under $100 and under $200. During CES 2011 they launched a new program with ACS Custom to have custom fit molds earplugs made for just $100 using the ACS Network Audiologist. These custom molds earplugs will give superb comfort, secure fit, consistent noise isolation and of course a perfect sound.

I have been using the Hf5 earphones for a year now and never went back to any other one. The Hf3 Headset and Earphones are very similar. The Hf3 has an added audio control with microphone specially designed for the Apple mobile products like the iPhone, iPod and iPad’s. These controls let you answer your calls and control your music. I have tested these Hf3′s with the new Windows Phone 7 and Android devices, but the microphone and the Volume up/down buttons don’t work. Play and Pause will work. On my iPhone 4 it all works perfectly. If you have a Windows Phone, Android device, Zune or any other music/ media player you should get the Hf5 earphones.

The sleek design of the Hf3 (as well as the Hf5) with the 4 different possible earplugs (different in material and shape)  gives you a great in-ear fit just for your ear. The earphones don’t sit in your ear, but actually goes into your ear canal. This gives it a optimal noise isolation and a quality sound. Included in the package are:

• Headset/Earphone
• 4 different ear tips
• Manual
• Flyer on Custom Fit
• Zippered storage pouch

What I missed in the package is the special filter changing tool with an extra set of filters when you want to replace them. According to the site they should have been included.

Technical Specifications

• Frequency Response – 20 Hz – 15 kHz
• Accuracy Score – 85%
• Transducers – High-performance balanced armature
• Noise Isolation – 35-42 dB
• Impedance (@1 kHz) – 16 Ohms
• Sensitivity (@1 kHz) SPL at 0.1V – 105 dB
• Maximum Output (SPL) – 120 dB
• Accu Driver™ high performance, precision matched, balanced armature driver
• Cable – 4 ft with 3.5 mm plug -Kevlar®-reinforced cable for durability
• User Replaceable ACCU Filters™ – protects the balanced armature driver from ear wax
• Warranty – 2 years
• CUSTOM FIT Option
• Soft touch finish in 3 color options: Black, Ruby and Cobalt
• Documented highest noise isolation of any earphones or headphones on the market today
• Close-proximity high sensitivity microphone
• Apple iPhone, iPod and iPad compatible

Instructions for Use

I always had hard times of finding the right earphones for my ears. They always fell out, were uncomfortable, you name it. And I really didn’t want to be traveling with those over the ear headphones. But since I discovered the perfect solution of the Etymotic headphones it is going to be hard to replace these.

The manual and the site gives a great description how to select the right eartip and how to proper insert your earphones. Make sure to watch the video as well which will give you a great experience that I have as well.

Selecting an Eartip

The eartip that is most comfortable is the likely choice, but it MUST SEAL well in your ear. If you can easily hear others when the volume is off, you don’t have a good seal. Twist it in deeper, or choose another eartip.When changing eartips make sure the eartip fits securely on the stem of the earphone.

Proper Insertion

Important:Sound quality, full bass response and noise isolation all depend on a good eartip seal in the ear canal. View Earphone Insertion Video

• Carefully insert the earphone while pulling up and out on the back of the ear.
• Twist the earphone up into the ear canal while inserting, until outside noise is blocked out.
• 3-flange eartip: Moistening eases insertion.
• Foam eartip:Roll down or compress foam eartip before inserting. Hold the eartip in place for about 5 seconds while the foam expands to create a tight seal in the ear canal.
• Glider eartip: Simply push into ear canal.

Removal

Remove earphones slowly with a twisting motion to gradually break the seal. Do not pull on the cable to remove the earphones.

In another week I will receiving the custom ear mold plugs from ACS custom to go along with the Hf3 that Etymotic has provided me to get the best niose isolation and sound experience possible. ACS Custom products are being used by the best in the music industry like U2,Pink Floyd, BBC Symphony Orchestra, etc.

Stay tuned for an upcoming article of my experiences of getting these custom molds fitted to actually receiving them and using them instead of the already quality noise isolation ear tips. “True to the Ear”

The Etymotic Hf3 is available at the Etymotic site for $179

Today at Mobile World Congress 2011, HTC announced their first Android tablet called HTC Flyer. When I showed up at the HTC stand in Hall 1, I was kind of disappointed that I found the HTC Flyer behind glass, so I was unable to take any pictures of it close by. Later today I had a session together with several members of the dutch press with Mark Moons, Regional Director HTC Benelux, who showed us the new HTC Incredible S, HTC Desire S and Wildfire S. After that we all hoped for the new two Facebook phones ChaCha and Salsa and the HTC Flyer. Sadly Mark didn’t bring them, so apart from a brief introduction and a Q and A on both products, we left the building (where this morning’s press conference took place). Luck was on our side when we discovered inside the building some HTC people and one of them had both the HTC Flyer and the Facebook phones there.

To conclude this, we got the extended tour with the HTC Flyer and managed to take some pictures of it too. The circumstances were not ideal because of the bad lighting but I think the photos turned out quite well. Let’s have a look !

This picture show the Flyer in it’s full glory. You can see how the capacitive buttons on the bottom rotate when you turn the device. The buttons are now on the bottom in landscape mode, but in the picture below, you’ll see them on the bottom in portrait mode. At the top you’ll also notice the front camera.

In this picture you can also see Scribe in action in the application Scribble. When you tap with your pen on the screen, a screenshot is made and you can start writing on the screen. The pen indicator turns from red to green indicating the writing-mode. When you are done and saved or shared your document, the indicator returns to red again. More pictures on the indicator below:

One of the other things demonstrated was the use of the front camera. You can use it to create special effects to your picture. If you ever wanted a pixelated face, you need the app Snapbooth on a Flyer for that !

After the demonstration where we got an overview of all the apps which make the Flyer unique like Scribe, HTC Watch and apps for reading E-books, listening to music and all the other additions when you use the Sense interface. After this I could some pictures of the Flyer to compare it in size or show of it’s design aspects.

Only for a size comparison: This is the HTC Desire HD with it’s 4.3 inch screen next to the Flyer.

The back of the HTC Flyer where you can clearly see the camera, stereo loudspeakers and on the top right corner the 3,5 mm headphone jack and power button. You can also see the Unibody design here.

Here you can see the bottom where you can insert the charging cable and also the cable which enables you to connect it to any HDMI device.

This picture is a bit unsharp and it shows you the top of the Flyer. Power button and headphone jack.

I tried to capture the curves at the side of the device here. It is not clearly visible but there is a small curve on both sides, just to give you a little bit more grip when holding it on both sides. Reminds me of the G1 and Legend who also had a curve at the bottom of the device. Picture below shows the other side.

What I wanted to find out too, was if I can hold the Flyer comfortably with one hand and in fact, Yes I can ! Could be the ideal device for me…

Some more information: The pen will be included and a case which holds the Flyer and the pen will be there too when you one.
Suggested retailprice may be 699 euro incl VAT for the 32GB version with 3G. Maybe there will be other versions with Wifi and no 3G and/or smaller memory amounts but I guess we’ll have to wait for May to find that out.

In the last couple of months there were many rumors about the Facebook phone. Windows Phone 7 already has a great deep integration in their Peoples hub of the Facebook posts from your account. Soon Windows Phone 7 will have twitter integrated as well.

Today at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona HTC announced two new phones running on the android platform with deep integration of Facebook. The HTC Salsa and the HTC ChaCha have even a dedicated Facebook button.

Social media is becoming a big player in communications on mobile devices besides text messaging and e-mail.

As said before, Microsoft announced this week at the Mobile World Congress that Twitter will be deeply integrated as well in the new Windows Phone 7 update later this year. We can’t wait!!

Below is a short video of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg about the dozen of Facebook Phones coming out this year.

The last but absolutely not the least from Mobile World Congress 2011 in Barcelona is the introduction of the HTC Desire S and HTC Wildfire S. Both of these new Android smartphones offers HTC users to choose a devices that fits your lifestyle and budget. HTC Sense and a new design are the key features of the successors of the HTC Desire and HTC Wildfire which were introduced in 2010.

HTC Desire S

The HTC is the successor of the popular HTC Desire. Just like the HTC Legend, the Desire HD and the newly introduced HTC Flyer tablet, the Desire S features a aluminum Unibody design. It is powered by a Qualcomm 8255 processor which we all know from several other HTC devices. The 3.7 inch SuperLCD has a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels and has the same size as the original HTC Desire. As you have expected from HTC it features a 5 Megapixel camera with auto focus and LED flash at the back and a front facing VGA camera for video chatting. The silver color gives the device a distinguished look.

HTC Wildfire S: compact and complete

Like it’s predecessor, the HTC Wildfire S is mostly compact but packed with new features. It has Facebook integration and all the apps you’ll ever need can be downloaded from the Android Market with one touch of a button.You can completely personalize the Home screen with all your favorite apps, widgets and content. The 3.2 inch display got an upgrade too. It is now half-VGA 320 x 480 where the previous Wildfire only had 320 x 240 pixels resolution. It is only 101.3 mm long and 59.4 mm wide. Like all the other new phones, it sports a 5 Megapixel camera with auto focus and LED flash. If the internal memory is not enough to hold all your media files, just expand it with a microSD card. The Wildfire S now comes in three colors: black, white and purple.

Availability and price

The HTC Desire comes to a store near you in April 2011 for 469 euro and the Wildfire will be there one month later in May for 279 euro including VAT.

The third announcement of today from the Mobile World Congress 2011 in Barcelona is the introduction of two specially designed social networking phones named HTC ChaCha and HTC Salsa. Both devices combine the power of Facebook with the HTC Sense interface. A special Facebook button on both devices gives you direct access to the common features of the world’s biggest social network.

Facebook button

The Facebook-button on the HTC ChaCha and HTC Salsa gives you direct access to the most used Facebook functions. The button offers several options and lights up automatically when you can share content or send an update to your Facebook profile. You can update your status, upload a picture, share articles, check in to a location and all the other things you would like to do on Facebook. You can even share to which music you are listening to and share the track with your Facebook friends.

Both devices will feature the latest Android 2.3.3 version and the latest edition of HTC Sense. When someone calls you or you place an outgoing call, the latest updates, uploaded pictures and even the birthday (if this is present in their Facebook profile) of the person you are calling or calls you is shown on the display.

Both the HTC ChaCha and HTC Salsa offer many ways to personalize your device with the latest Facebook widgets. You can use Facebook chat and Messages to stay in contact with your friends. Facebook messages from your profile and conversations will be integrated now and appear automatically in your email inbox, next to your other conversations.

Mark Moons, Regional Director HTC Benelux: “The HTC ChaCha and HTC Salsa offer new options to use Facebook on your mobile device. There are over 500 million active Facebook users worldwide and for many people Facebook is synonym for social networking.”

HTC ChaCha: QWERTY and touch screen

The HTC ChaCha features a touch screen, a 3-row QWERTY keyboard with a fourth row of keyboard functions. It has two camera’s: A 5 Megapixel camera at the back with LED flash and auto focus and and a VGA front-facing camera. This enables you to take crystal clear pictures you can upload to your profile and the front-facing camera is is used for video chats with you friends. The 2.6 inch HVGA touch screen features a 480 x 320 pixel resolution.

HTC Salsa

The HTC Salsa offers the same Facebook integration like we have already seen on the ChaCha. It features the same set of camera’s: 5 Megapixel at the back and VGA at the front. The 3.4 inch touch screen has the same resolution as the ChaCha: 480 x 320 pixels. Apart from this, both devices will have a 600 MHz processor and 512 MB RAM and ROM. Only 120 grams of weight are shown on the scale for both devices. More specifications later…

Availability

The HTC ChaCha should be in stores by June, while the HTC Salsa should appear in stores one month later. The HTC ChaCha will be going for 299 euro, while the Salsa will cost you 369 euro’s. Both prices already include VAT.

Today at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, HTC introduces the HTC Incredible S. A brand new Android powered smartphone with a 4 inch Super LCD display, DLNA, front camera for video calling and HTC’s familiar Sense interface.With the new Incredible S, HTC amazes us again with a groundbreaking design combined with a complete mobile experience.

Some specifications of the latest smartphone from HTC: 1 GHz. processor, 1.1 GB ROM and 768 MB RAM, dimensions: 120x64x117 mm, a weight of 135,5 grams, 4 inch Super LCD with 480 x 800 pixels resolution, DLNA, GPS, Bluetooth 2.1, all the connectivity options you might need while on the road,  a 1.3 Megapixel front camera and a 8 Megapixel camera at the back with auto focus, dual led flash and 720p HD recording.

The HTC Incredible S is for sharing and more sharing. Video calling is made easy with the front camera. Crystal clear pictures taken with the 8 Megapixel camera can be uploaded at high speed to your social media networks. This is also the first HTC device with built-in DLNA. DLNA technology is used to share video’s, pictures and music with other DLNA capable devices like televisions or stereo sets.

Mark Moons, Regional Director HTC Benelux tells us: “The HTC Incredible S shows what can be accomplished when designers and developers work together and pushing the bar for designing new mobile devices higher and higher. This device completely suits the need for users to be always and everywhere online and share their lives with their friends”.

Availability and price

The Incredible S should be available in March 2011. The suggested retailprice is 519 euro including VAT. You might get it for a lower price when combining it with a mobile subscription.

Today at Mobile World Congress 2011 in Barcelona, HTC has unveiled their first Tablet with Scribe, Skype Video Chat and OnLive Gaming. This tablet combines HTC’s unique design with the familiar HTC Sense interface, which we all know from various HTC Android and Windows Mobile devices. This intuitive interface now combines touch and pen interaction. Another brand new service which debuts on the HTC Flyer is that HTC now works together with OnLive to give you the first cloud based gaming service on a tablet.

As you can see, the HTC Flyer features the same Unibody style which we all know from the HTC Legend and Desire HD. The Flyer has a 7 inch display, features a 1.5 GHz. processor and high speed wireless HSPA+. 32 GB of internal memory gives you enough space to store a lot of media files and if that is still not enough, just extend it with a MicroSD card. The dimensions are 195.4 x 122 x 13.2 mm and at a weight of 415 grams it is as light as a pocketbook. The huge 4000 mAh battery will keep the Flyer on standby time for up to 1470 hours and gives you a video playback time of up to 4 hours.

HTC Sense for tablet

The revolutionary interface of HTC Sense placed the user in the center of the whole experience and now the the Sense interface is extended to the HTC Flyer and gives you a 3D Home screen. A unique carousel of widgets shows the most important data in the visual center of the whole Sense experience. Support for Flash 10 and HTML 5 gives you the optimal browsing experience.

HTC Scribe

HTC Scribe is an awesome technology which comes very close to normal natural writing. A set of integrated digital ink innovations make it so much easier and more natural to take notes, sign contracts, draw pictures or even to write on a web page or picture.

Another feature is Timemark. Timemark gives you the possibility to synchronize written notes with a recording from a meeting. Just pressing the word is enough to go the the exact point of that particular recording. Notes are also synchronized to the calender. When a reminder shows up on the screen you can start a new note or continue with the notes of the last meeting if it was a recurring meeting. If you are using Evernote, the Flyer is your perfect partner. It now syncs with Evernote, a market leading company for notes applications and services

Video calling with Skype Mobile

A 1.3 Megapixel front camera makes the HTC Flyer the first tablet which integrates Skype mobile and video calling. The form factor of the Flyer makes it easy communicate everywhere using Skype.

Mobile gaming

Mobile gaming steps up to a new level on the HTC Flyer with the integration of OnLive, a cloud based gaming service. OnLive makes it possible for everyone to game from home by giving the option to play games on your television without having to invest in expensive hard or software. By using wireless broadband OnLive can is brought to your television or right to your tablet. At launch several games like Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood and Lego Harry Potter will be available.

The HTC Flyer is coming to a store near you from May 2011.

Today at the Mobile World Congress 2011 Sony Ericsson announced three new devices to expand their smartphone line-up. Coming shortly after the announcement of the Xperia Arc at the CES it is clear that the future for Sony Ericsson lies in the Android operating system.

All these devices will come with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread),DLNA,  320-400MB phone memory, a 8Gb micro SDcard, a Qualcomm’s  1Ghz processor and an Adreno GPU graphics processor combined with 480 x 854 pixels displays.

The most interesting one for our readers will be the Xperia pro with its slide out Qwerty keyboard. According to Sony Ericsson this device will include software features like Type & Send functionality (eliminating the need to open a dedicated app for each type of message), Smart Keyboard (which triggers predictive messaging actions) and Office Suite Pro for viewing and editing office documents.

The neo is more a mulitmedia device, both neo and pro have a Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine, a 8 megapixel Exmor R™ sensor for great photo’s and videos even in low light and HDMI support.

Finally, the PLAY is the first Playstation certified smartphone with a slide out game pad. Several content partners like Electronic Arts and Gameloft will offer games when this unique smartphone becomes available.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4lxuoGgbxs

Concluding thoughts

Sony Ericsson is bringing out interesting hardware this year and with the PLAY the first real gaming-system crossover to a smartphone. The Xperia neo and PLAY will be available (end of) Q1, the pro in Q2.