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The 3G iPhone has finally arrived–a year and a half after CEO Steve Jobs first confirmed rumors Apple would indeed be making one of those fancy mobile phone things.
Since then many iPhone clones have been born–many with fleeting lives–and the mobile industry has done a whole lot of waking up and smelling of coffee.

But we’re not about to sit here going gaga over the gadget, sleek though it may be. There are plenty of functions and features where we feel Apple could up its game–so here are 10 things we’d like to change about the 3G iPhone:

1. No keyboard…
The touchscreen is certainly the best on the market but it’s never going to be everyone’s bag, certainly not if you are a touch-typist. Plenty of mobile bloggers out there would jump at the chance to pair some kind of Bluetooth keyboard (foldable and/or otherwise) with their iPhone.

2. The camera needs more megapixels…
2.0 megapixels is camera phone 1.0 when you consider there are mobiles out there that are pushing eight megapixels now. And while we don’t expect Apple to stretch itself that much we’d like at least three megapixels–and a better lens please. The camera also has no flash, so photography in low-light conditions is a no-no.

3. Still no cut and paste…
We’re children of the internet and life without cut and paste is like living with one arm tied behind the back–especially when it comes to swapping the web’s official currency: URLs. Apple is reportedly ‘working on the issue’–but it hasn’t delivered yet. (more…)

Discover what the hype is all about.

Physically, the Blackberry Curve 8320 is the same as the previous Curve models. It also features the same thin and light design, a small but very usable QWERTY keyboard, a 2-megapixel camera, and a gorgeous 320-by-240 display.

What makes the 8320 an excellent alternative to the older Curve models? This model combines the best of the previous two models and has an added bonus: While the old 8820 supports Wi-Fi for data only, the 8320 lets you make voice calls over wireless 802.11b/g networks too.

Like all BlackBerry units, it is a stellar e-mail device, with support for ten accounts. The included camera (which sports a flash and a 3X digital zoom) took adequate but–like many camera phones–occasionally blurry snapshots. Among other multimedia features is an audio and video player that supports most formats (including MP3, AAC, WMA, WMV, and MP4). The player’s interface is basic, but audio quality is good and video looks great. The device also has a 3.5mm headphone jack and a microSD card slot. With all of these features combined with the 8320’s sleek design and awesome e-mail handling, it makes for a winning package.

See specs and prices at http://gadgetgrocery.com/Blackberry%20Curve%208320.html

The BlackBerry Pearl 8120 is the first in RIM’s line of petite handsets to support Wi-Fi for speedy Web surfing and e-mail management; a sharp-looking upgrade that improves on its predecessor in some key areas, but also shares at least one major short-coming of the earlier model: it’s still not a 3G phone. However, it’s important to note that this is the first Pearl with Wi-Fi support.

Like earlier Pearls, the 8120 is slim and elegant, yet solidly crafted. It weighs in at a featherweight 3.2 ounces, and measures 4.2 inches in length, a hair less than 2 inches wide, and slightly more than half an inch thick. The glossy titanium color also looks classy, following its family member, the Curve 8320.

The Pearl uses RIM’s unique SureType keyboard, which lays out letters in QWERTY position but places two letters each on most of its 20 keys. The keypad is laid out in five columns of four keys each. The keys in the three central columns, which also contain the numerals, as on a traditional phone keypad, are colored silver; they’re flanked by a single column of black keys on each side. But unlike most non-QWERTY keypads, the Pearl doesn’t make you choose between the two letters on a key (by double-tapping for the second) when typing most words: You simply type as though the letter you want were on its own key, and the device’s SureType software almost always figures out what word you had in mind by the time you press the space key.

RIM had been criticized in the past for positioning the microSD memory card slot under the battery on the older models; meaning you’d have to shut down the device before being able to swap cards. Well, it seems RIM has heard the public calls for change and the microSD slot on the 8120 is now conveniently located on the side. In other words, you can finally “hot-swap” memory while the device is still switched on. (more…)

The 12 megapixel EOS 450D seems like a very similar camera to the EOS 400D, however there are a range of significant improvements:
a higher megapixel CMOS sensor, 3.0″ LCD monitor, Live View with both AF modes (contrast-detect and passive), 14-bit processing and RAW, spot metering, improved AF, 3.5 fps continuous shooting, a larger viewfinder, SD/SDHC storage and a new higher capacity battery.

The EOS 450D is designed to make photography a fluid experience for photographers of all levels and experience. Housed in a compact body that weighs less than 475 grams, the camera features an improved grip design that provides a natural, ergonomic fit with the user’s hands. A large, bright viewfinder makes image composition clearer and more comfortable. The menu system inherited from professional EOS cameras uses a simplified tab structure that does away with scrolling. It includes a user-defined My Menu tab for instant access to frequently used settings.

Available for the first time on a Canon consumer D-SLR, Live View mode makes it easier to shoot from awkward angles, such as ground-level macro shots or when shooting from a tripod. The image from the Live View mode is displayed as a smooth, 30fps video feed on the 3.0” LCD, which is 50% brighter than the screen of the EOS 400D.

All in all, this model has a fairly impressive range of usage-oriented improvements and refinements.

Check prices and specs at http://gadgetgrocery.com/Canon%20EOS%20450D.html

Apple’s new laptop, the MacBook Air, may not be the true ultraportable that many had hoped for, but it still easily breaks new ground for small laptops. Mimicking the 13-inch silhouette of the current MacBook line, it’s only 0.76 inch thick at its thickest, and Apple calls it the “world’s thinnest notebook.”

The MacBook Air includes an iSight camera and mic, and an LED-backlit display that works with an ambient light sensor to adjust the screen brightness in response to the light in the room.

The revamped trackpad is large, measuring nearly 5 inches diagonally, and it works with new multitouch gestures. Other MacBooks let you do things like use two fingers to scroll through documents–this one lets you use three fingers to go forward and back in your Web browser history, and use your thumb and forefinger to zoom in and out of documents and photos–much like on the iPhone. The three-finger forward/back gesture was immediately useful.

Another noteworthy new feature is the remote disc function. Since the Air lacks an optical drive, you can instead remotely use the optical drives of other systems, PC or Mac, as long as they’re on the same network.

The good: Incredibly thin yet surprisingly sturdy; new trackpad gesture controls are very useful; remote optical drive makes living without a built-in drive much easier.

The bad: Very limited connectivity; SSD hard-drive option is expensive and standard hard drive is small; battery is not user replaceable.

The bottom line: The design is revolutionary, but Apple’s MacBook Air will appeal to a smaller, more specialized audience than the standard MacBook, thanks to a stripped-down set of connections and features.

Check Specs and Prices at http://gadgetgrocery.com/Apple%2013%20MacBook%20Air.html

If you’ve pondered ditching your landline or cellphone because of exorbitant phone bills, MagicJack may be the ultimate gadget for you. It’s an unassuming cigarette lighter-sized plug-and-play USB telephony device that offers unlimited local and long distance calling within the U.S. and Canada (international dialing expected by the end of the year). You’ll be surprised with how easy it is to use and the quality it provides for only a one-time fee of PhP 4,800.

Installation is simple: plug the 0.9-ounce magicJack into a USB port on a Windows-powered PC or a Mac OS X and about 3 minutes later the bundled software is automatically loaded. After registering the device and receiving a personal MagicJack phone number, you can start begin making landline or cellphone calls. Users who wish to forgo a traditional handset can opt to use a cordless phone.

You can also use the MagicJack to make calls using your PC, whether you’re at home or on the road. Dial using the keyboard or an onscreen keypad, and you can talk using either a headset or your computer’s built-in microphone and speaker.

The overall voice quality is good: better than most cell phones but not quite on par with true landlines. Users have reported an occasional crackle and pop, but there have been no frequent encounters of dropped calls on several tests. This level of quality and stability is said to be attributed to MagicJack’s proprietary network, which maintains a solid, reliable connection that the company claims cannot be achieved on traditional VoIP channels. (more…)