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Showing posts with label Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Review. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Sony TX10 Review - What To Expect From This Camera Waterproof

It was originally announced the launch in March 2011, but was moved to another month. Now, the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-TX10 is finally on the market, it seems that buyers face another obstacle, as most of the colors of the TX10 camera are limited stocks of the remaining stores online. Some say that the tsunami hit in Japan the number of electronic products from the country devastated.

In this article I will give you an opinion of the Cyber ??TX10 so you can decide if you prefer to buy now before stocks run out or just wait for the cameras Sony has not yet published.

Slim form factor

If you are familiar with many Sony cameras, you probably already know that the TX-Series models are known for their elegant form factor and stylish - that you can easily slip in and out of your pocket to de-boost plans -moment. Personally, I prefer the kind of cameras that heavy, bulky dSLRs.

Better picture quality

You'd be surprised at the image quality. Although it might not have all the bells and whistles of a DSLR, Sony says that the sensitivity of the cameras this year, has improved considerably, thanks to the R-Exmor technology that captures more light than conventional CMOS sensors. In other words, we expect sharper images even in low light.

3D, high definition movies, Panoramic Shots, and many more features

Yes, you read right. The Sony TX10 is able to take 3D images using a single lens. Just follow the onscreen instructions to help you take pictures in three dimensions. Obviously, you need a 3D TV to better enjoy your photos.

You can enjoy recording HD video too - and full, I think the 1080p resolution. This is probably the greatest test of point-and-shoot cameras today. The popular pan according to Sony cameras is also included to facilitate the registration of panorama images.

For outdoor enthusiasts, this unit is highly recommended, as frost, shock and water resistant. You can literally take anywhere without having to worry about where to put it. Although some versions TX are also excellent for use outdoors in the extreme, the TX10 is simply better protection - up to 16 feet of the board and can withstand drops from about 6 feet.

The advantage and disadvantage

So far I have spoken only features. But the most important question is whether the TX10 upgrade? Reviews were generally mixed on this.

On the one hand, users have reported a more attractive user interface and more responsive touch screen. But on the other hand, some people have expressed their disappointment to discover some features missing.

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Wednesday, December 29, 2010

HTC Desire HD Review

The HTC Desire HD is one of the most anticipated superphone this year and it’s coming to town in time for Christmas (or so they say). Check out our full review of the Desire HD after the jump.


As a successor to the popular HTC Desire, the Desire HD brings with it most of the desirable features of its predecessor then wrapped it with a huge 4.3 inch screen (see our review of the HTC Desire here to get a better perspective).

With such a huge screen real estate, the handset makes for a very good first impression very few smartphones ever get. The 4.3? LCD display is already bordering on the tablet category, just right under other 4 and 5-inchers like the Archos 43 and the Dell Streak.


The build and form factor is nothing new to us as we’ve already seen it over a year ago with the HTC HD2, although that one was running on WinMo 6.5 (there’s a hack to install Android on that one too) so it’s not a surprise that people are eager to see the marriage of the HD2's hardware and Android OS.

What we missed with the Desire HD that we really liked with the older Desire is the inclusion of an AMOLED screen. While the LCD on the Desire HD still brings in that bright and clear display, the crispness and depth of contrast we get from AMOLED is very noticeable.


The resolution is at 480×800 pixels — it was just right on the Desire but the Desire HD’s 4.3? display seems to big for such resolution that widgets and icons are a bit oversized. The 3.7? Desire can accommodate 4 rows of icons and the 4.0? Samsung Galaxy S can do 5 rows; despite the 4.3? screen of the Desire HD, it can only do 4 rows (a limitation brought upon by the resolution). In retrospect, this might be good for those who have bigger than normal fingers.


However, if that switch was the one that made the Desire HD more affordable (with a 35k SRP compared to the Desire’s 34.9k SRP), then I think it is a reasonable trade-off since the launch price are practically the same.

That, or there’s just not enough supply of AMOLED these days.


Construction-wise, the Desire HD is tightly built. If you’re familiar with recent HTC handsets or have owned one, you’d agree how solid the units are. It’s got some heft to it, considering the size and materials used. The width is just right although people will smaller hands might have a harder time with the grip. It’s relatively thin too and somewhat tapers towards the edges with curves just at the right places; it’s actually thicker in the center where the camera is positioned.

The front panel is all covered with the glass display while the bottom end leaves enough space for the usual touch controls (similar to the Nexus One) of Android devices. I would have preferred the physical buttons like the ones on the older Desire but we’re pretty much familiar with how this works so it’s not a huge deal.


Above, from left to right: HTC Desire, iPhone 4, Desire HD, Galaxy S


The back panel has two compartments you can pry open — one for the SIM card slot on the right side and another one at the bottom part for the 1230mAh Li-Ion battery. The 8MP camera is positioned in the top middle part of the back panel with the dual-LED flash is on its right side and the microphone on the left.


The lens is protected by a metallic barrel around it. The barrel somewhat protrudes from the back so it usually ends up as the first point of contact when you put down the handset on tis back. As such, it’s also prone to bruises — I’ve already peeled off a tiny bit of dark paint off of it.


Like many top-of-the-line handsets, I guess you’ll really need to get a protective case for the device once you start using it. A thin, soft gel case would suffice.

While the camera has been cranked up to 8-megapixels, there isn’t much improvements in the photo quality. There’s no dedicated camera button too. Images are between decent to good when in the outdoors or with sufficient lighting but not much on low-light conditions. The 720p video recording looked much better though. Audio quality is good and sound volume is just enough for music or movie playback .

Here are some sample photos I took using the Desire HD:


You’ll notice that shots taken at low-light conditions tend to be bit grainy. The video quality is better though. See sample below (just set it to 720p when viewing).


The Desire HD performs very well; it’s very snappy and responsive and with the HTC Sense UI wrapped around Android Froyo, the interface is all pleasantness. You get the cool HTC widgets, themes and skins as well as the entire 7 home screens. There’s not much difference with the older Desire except for the pre-installed HTC Hub, Media Link and HTC Likes (recommended Android Apps).


The calendar widget now has a flipping animation when updating the time. Drag down the notification toolbar and you’ll see a list of recent apps. The virtual keyboard is now also expanded to include 4 arrow keys so you can navigate thru text much easier. Then there’s the Universal Search that collates all searches in one results screen.


We’ve also seen Flash 10.1 running on this device flawlessly. It’s way better than Flash Lite on the older HTC Desire. You also get the mobile hotspot (WiFi tethering) which comes with Froyo.

Performance is top notch, with the second generation 1GHz SnapDragon chip and 768MB RAM taking as much load as you can fire up apps on the device. We’ve had several apps running in the background including Angry Birds (which looked gorgeous, btw), DropBox uploading a video file, the full Harry Potter 7 website loading and a YouTube streaming all at once. Web browsing is also better with the large screen and full Flash experience.


As an added bonus, HTC has also launched HTCSense.com, a remote device management service for the Desire HD and Desire Z. It allows for data storage on the cloud (contacts, text messages, and other details) as well as security features like phone locator, remote lock and remote wipe of handset data.


Battery life is another thing altogether. With only a 1230mAh rating on the Li-Ion battery, the handset barely lasts the entire day especially when you’re connected to the net. This isn’t an isolated case though. We’ve experience the same with the Desire and the Nexus One before so if you’re coming from another Android device, this is already expected. Either you bring a charger all the time or carry a portable rechargeable pack.


HTC Desire HD specs:
4.3? Super TFT display @ 480 x 800 pixels
1GHz Qualcomm 8255 Snapdragon CPU
1.5 GB internal
768MB RAM
up to 32GB via microSD
HSDPA 7.2 Mbps, HSUPA 2 Mbps
WiFi 802.11n
Bluetooth
GPS w/ aGPS support
FR Radio tuner
8MP camera with dual LED Flash
720p video recording
Li-Ion 1230mAh battery
Android 2.2. Froyo
Price: Php35,000
Release Date: December 2010


The HTC Desire HD is definitely a great phone. It’s one of the best Android phone we’ve tested this year; actually, among the best smartphones we’ve used ever. It’s not a perfect phone; it’s got a few shortcomings too (yeah, that resolution was a bummer) but over-all, I’m pretty impressed with the handset. With a suggested retail price of Php35,000 it’s actually right within the range of all other flagship smartphones out there.

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Tuesday, December 28, 2010

BlackBerry Curve 3 G 9300 Review

I've been using smartphones for more than half a decade now having tried almost all types of except for one, the BlackBerry smartphones. Five years ago, BlackBerry would be synonymous to enterprise phones. An ordinary consumer wouldn't even dare to get one. But now, it's totally different. You'd see normal people carrying to BlackBerry even if they don't have an Outlook email. "CrackBerries" are so addicted with their phones. Check out our full review of the BlackBerry Curve 3 G after the jump, my first for a BlackBerry smartphone.


BB 9300 curve 3 G is equipped with BlackBerry OS 5. It's not the newest OS from the Canadian company but is very capable, very clean and stylish. The OS is as snappy as my iPhone. Swiping on the optical trackpad is a smooth as butter.

Display is at 320 × 240 pixels - not the clearest screen around but it's more than decent. The Curve 3 G is just an upgraded version of the BB 8520. The main difference is, you guessed it right, its 3 G - capable.

They're like twin brothers; they look, feel, and weigh exactly the same. One is more of to runner with its 3 G speed. The build is on the "plasticky" side though. You'd feel it is an entry level smartphone, which it actually is. It's so light you wouldn't feel it inside your pocket which I really liked.


Curve 9300 and Bold 9700

Just like the curve 8520 curve 3 G has the multimedia buttons at the top, to pause, forward, back and play music. The phone can play a slew of audio and video codecs. I was amazed that the phone can't even play .avi files. The speaker is really loud. I was able to play an entire episode of Glee inside the car using it's built in speaker. It has a 3.5 mm headphone jack and the sound quality is above average. The phone could easily replace your regular mp3 player.

BlackBerry did not upgrade the camera of the phone. It is still using the same camera 2MP found in the 8520. The camera is decent but not something you'd be printing off of. It's not awful but definitely not great. There's no Flash by the way but you can record videos.


One thing I like about the BlackBerry line is the consistency with its qwerty keyboards. I heard a lot of good things with it. I'm happy to admit that everything they say about the keyboard is true. You'll get a good feedback whenever you type something. It's a bit on the side of "clicking" compared to the Nokia C3 harder and the higher end modes like Bold 9700. What I love about the BlackBerry keyboards are the shortcuts you can do with it and some customizations. This is what I missed the most from using touchscreen phones. You will still get the 4 standard buttons like the call, end, back and BB menu buttons plus the optical trackpad that also acts as an Enter button too.


The unit I got didn't come with the "App World" app so I had to download first to get some apps on the phone. The phone came with BBM, several IM clients like YM, GTalk and Windows Live messenger, Twitter and Facebook app. You can set up your personal email with just a few clicks. One unique feature of BlackBerry OS is the unified inbox which I totally love. The few apps they have is so integrated with the system like the Facebook and Twitter app. Everything is connected to the unified inbox so you would be reading all your messages from Twitter, Facebook and email in one inbox.

WiFi is not so straightforward when setting up. I had several problems connecting to my home network. Bluetooth connection was simple. Connecting it to the computer via the USB port would give you access to its folders. You can easily drag and drop media files on it.


Bold 9700, 9300 and curve 8520 curve

Personally, the 3 G speed is not maximized on this phone. The reason for this is the browser. The browser is still a bit clunky especially when compared to iPhones and Androids. It's like you're still using a browser from a Windows Mobile in 2006. I don't need 3 G speed to send IM messages nor BBM messages. I don't need it for tweeting as well. It's probably more useful when browsing Facebook.

I never had an issue making calls. No signal attenuation issues here. The line was clear on both ends. The battery is not so great when 3 G is activated. With heavy use of YM and BBM, this phone could only last you under 12 hours. This is mainly caused by the 3 g This is at par with any smartphones these days. It's not really the phone's nor its battery size's fault but rather how you use 3 G in a day.


Curve 9300 on top and curve 8520 at the bottom

By far, this is one of the best messaging phone available. That is if you're only sending text messages, BBM-ing, tweeting, Facebook posting entries and sending to thousand emails everyday.

If you're lifestyle is limited to those tasks, then I suggest you join the bandwagon. If you have more than 5 close friends using BBM, I suggest you get this phone. BBM-ing is really addicting, it's like you have your own chatroom with friends. You can broadcast to post, upload picture to everyone and send files. This is the one aspect of the BlackBerry that I never got to know until now. After 2 weeks of using it and around 10 friends on BBM, I got hooked with it easily. You could also say this is a good social network phone.

The unit is estimated to sell for Php15k to Php18k depending on where you buy it. Expect telecoms to postpaid plans for this offer. You also need to shell out about Php1, 500 to month to get unlimited BIS (internet and BBM services) on this device.

Is this phone for me? I'd say no. I could easily get a C3 Nokia phone with almost the same features except for the BBM for half the price. If your friends are using BBM already and you're thinking of jumping to the ship, this is one of the phones you can get best smartphone. If you're a BB 8520 user, I could not recommend getting this phone. You're better off getting a Bold 9700 if you really want an upgrade. You won't need the 3 G most of the time anyways. But if you're thinking of joining the BlackBerry cult, this is a solid entry level BlackBerry phone.

BlackBerry Curve 3 G 9300 specifications:
2. 4? screen with 320 × 240 pixel color display
Full QWERTY keyboard
WiFi 802.11b/g/n
Bluetooth
3.5 mm stereo headset capable
2.0MP camera
2 GB microSD card included
BlackBerry OS 5

BlackBerry OS 6 is set to be finalized and released in the first quarter of next year. The Curve 3 G will be able to upgrade to BB OS 6 while the curve 8520 is stuck with OS 5 so that's something to consider.

Editor's Note: Dale is a reviews & special assignments for YugaTech contributor. This review had some minor revisions from me. You can follow him on Twitter @ dalekins. -Yuga

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MSI FX400 Review

It MSI FX400 is the first notebook we have tested boasts NVidia Optimus which basically has a discrete graphics and a GPU embedded as HD Intel graphics technology. Click the link to see the full review after the jump.

With a matte finish on the cover together with some sort of design with texture (stretching of unity to the palm rest), the FX400 seems a little elegant but nothing too enormous scandal. Even so, corrects the usual problem with smudges and fingerprints.


The keyboard features full chiclet style keyboard while seem to be shrunk a little Center when there is still enough space. It is even more convenient to use even when you're typing. There is an additional column of keys on the right side to include the page scrolls (pages above, for Dwn pages, etc.) that may be confusing, because the keyboard layout has been altered.

The trackpad is relatively wide and spacious, drain a little to the left and clearly separate left and right clickers. The trackpad is a pimpled to give you better control and there is a specific button only in the upper left corner to disable tracing.


14-Inch screen is bright and crisp but uses outside 1366 x 768 pixels. Why most notebooks of (14 & above) large settle today so that the resolution is still open to debate.?

MSI collaborated with THX sound & speakers engineering on this system. Sound quality is excellent and audio is crips even if volume is not a little moderate side.


MSI FX400 specifications:
14? display @ 1366 x 768 pixels
Intel Core i5 450 M @ 2.4 GHz with Turboo reinforcement
2 GB DDR3 RAM *
NVidia GeForce GT 325 M 1 GB
Intel high-definition graphics
DISK HARD OF 500 GB
CD / DVD + RW
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 2.1
3 USB 2.0 ports
eSATA port
HDMI port
MP webcam
SD/SDHC/MMC
GigaBit LAN
4400 mAH 6-cell battery
Windows 7 Home Premium

* The specifications on the laptop sticker indicates 4 GB RAM (2x2GB) but Spectrum shows only 2 GB. It seems a 2 GB RAM stick was removed from the slot. Probably because it is only a drive engineering and review. Available has a slightly different specifications.

Drive performance is good. Evaluation of Windows experience provides the i5 CPU of a sub-score 6.8 core while NVidia GeForce GT 325 earned a sub-score 6.0 in gaming.


There is a specific button on the keyboard to change the system to optimize viewing movies or games in 3D mode. Button Turbo (P1) sits at the side of the power button in the middle that cranks discrete graphics card performance.

The inclusion of an eSATA and HDMI port, as well as GigaBit Ethernet is great, but lacks support for USB 3.0.


6-Cell battery can do only around 2.5 hours on a single charge when using NVidia graphics. You can extend to more than 3 hours when using graphics technology integrated.


There are two configurations are available for this model - a core i5 M 450 2.4 GHz, 4 GB of RAM, 320HDD Php39, 995 for retailers and a core i3 350 2.26 GHz, 4 GB RAM, 320 GB HDD sold by Php35, 995. Sales prices do not come with pre-installed Windows 7.

div class = "tfc_widget" algorithm MSI FX400 @ testfreaks.com

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Tuesday, December 14, 2010

HTC Trophy Windows Phone 7 Review

Dubbed as a "Spark" HTC trophy is the latest HTC phone Windows 7 to be on the market today.

The material.
The HTC trophy is not high range hardware device. It sports a capacitive touch 3.8 inch provides screen which supports 480 x 800 pixels resolution, 1 GHz snap dragon processor, 512 MB Rom and RAM, 576 5 mega pixel camera with flash LED, WIFI, Bluetooth 2.1 support and HD 720 p video recording. It offers a 8 GB storage space. It also includes various severity sensors, compass, proximity and ambient light etc...

Design
The device weighs approximately 140 grams, which is quite heavy for its Android models. The screen is not surprisingly plastic glass. The listener is barely visible at the top of the screen glass and sports 3 touch buttons for dos, start and search background brightness of LEDs. One major drawback is that it has no front camera. It sports a Jack 3.5 mm for your headphones music delivery.

Battery
The trophy 1300mAh battery and its ability to power the handset by the day. As can be expected, battery life decreases rapidly with the use of the camera and the video recording feature without support flash LED. One day especially heavy use, we have drawn a 15-minute video and stills 30 requires us a resume the wall charger after about 10 hours.

The camera
Trophy was basically re-incorporated the same camera equipment in the handset from HTC. The camera performs exellent work shooting diurnal shoot outdoors, but not quite poor on the inside and low light situation. Flash sometimes feature on bleeches images makes poorly appear.  Trophy sprouts H.264 encoded video to VGA resolution container. MP4. You can change it to pull the encoded MPEG-4 video resolution 720 p container. MP4 video resolution is reset whenever you leave the whole camera APP performance is not bad compared to the old Windows Mobile in the series.

Wrap Up
At the end of the day, you will find the trophys isn't exactly the best smart phone comes out on the market, but it does justice to the price at which it is offered.

Read more >>

Friday, November 5, 2010

Super Silent Manager 2.22.1.351: [Review & Download]

piravi.com has released a Server Monitoring product, Super Silent Manager 2.22.1.351. It is a great tool for watching suspected computer activities of children, employees, spouse, family members or even some where on the internet. This tool also saves the activities as movie files for recordical purpose.

super silent manager 508x380 Super Silent Manager 2.22.1.351: [Review & Download]Yo can watch your home computers web cam while you are at work or travel. For that there’s no need to remember the the IP address of your home computer. Just enable the dynamic IP address remembering service, and directly you will get the latest home IP address. On your computer just click on the “Connect” button to connect to the other computer.



Super Silent Manager 2.22.1.351 is 1.85 MB in size and comes for $39. You can directly download it for free from the given link: Download Super Silent Manager 2.22.1.351.
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Thursday, November 4, 2010

HTC Trophy Windows Phone 7 Review

 Dubbed as a "Spark" HTC trophy is the latest HTC phone Windows 7 to be on the market today.


The material.
The HTC trophy is not high range hardware device.It sports a capacitive touch 3.8 inch provides screen which supports 480 x 800 pixels resolution, 1 GHz snap dragon processor, 512 MB Rom and RAM, 576 5 mega pixel camera with flash LED, WIFI, Bluetooth 2.1 support and video recording HD 720p.Il offers 8 Go.Il storage space also includes various severity sensors, compass, proximity and ambient light etc...


Design
The device weighs approximately 140 grams, which is quite heavy for its Android .the models ' screen is not surprisingly plastic glass .the ' listener is barely visible at the top of the glass and sports 3 touch screen buttons for dos, start and search background brightness of LEDs.  One major drawback is that it has no front camera. It sports a Jack 3.5 mm for your headphones music delivery.


Battery
The trophy 1300mAh battery and its ability to power the handset by the day.As can be expected, battery life decreases rapidly with the use of the camera and the video recording feature without support flash LED.One day especially heavy use, we have drawn a 15-minute video and stills 30 requires us a resume the wall charger after about 10 hours.


The camera
Trophy was basically re-incorporated the same camera in the handset around HTC.La camera equipment performs exellent work shooting diurnal shoot outdoors, but not quite poor on the inside and the status light faible.Flashez sometimes feature on bleeches images makes poorly appear.Trophy sprouts H.264 encoded video to VGA resolution container. MP4.Vous can change it to pull the encoded MPEG-4 video resolution 720 p container. MP4 video resolution is reset whenever you leave the whole camera APP performance is not bad compared to the old Windows Mobile in the series.


Wrap Up
At the end of the day, you will find the trophys isn't exactly the best smart phone comes out on the market, but it does justice to the price at which it is offered.

Read more >>

Friday, October 29, 2010

Microsoft Visual Studio Express 2010 Review

Microsoft has developed Visual Studio 2010 Express is a set of free tools from Microsoft that offer an exciting experience with the new integrated development environment. Visual Studio 2010 is a new editor built in Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) and support for the new .NET Framework 4 for developers of non-professional as students.



Professionals can create dynamic window applications, Web sites and Web services.Basically, Visual Studio Express 2010 is the light version of Visual Studio 2010.Vous can download Microsoft Visual Studio Express 2010 official site of Microsoft.


Visual Studio 2010 product express informedVisual Basic 2008 Express Edition - productivity that is ideal for the first time or casual Windows programming.Visual c# 2008 Express Edition - a great combination of power and productivity for the developer.Visual Windows C++ 2008 Express Edition - HP with a finer control than the other Express Editions.Visual Web Developer 2008 Express Edition degree - an easy to use for dynamic Web application development.SQL Server 2008 Express and SQL Server Compact Edition - powerful and easy-to-use database to complement each Express Edition environment.

Free tools for Visual Studio Express 2010


Choose the language which is suitable for you.Visual Web Developer Express 2010 - dynamic environment Web application development.Microsoft VB 2010 Express is ideal for the developer, learn programming on Microsoft ® Windows ® .Microsoft Visual 2010 Express offers a great combination of power and productivity for developers of window on.NET.Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Express provides developers with a finer degree of control than other productions Visual Studio Express horses.

Express Visual Studio 2010 features

Visual Studio 2010 Express supports the new .NET Framework 4 products in Visual Studio 2010 Express have a new IDE (IDE), including a new Windows Presentation Framework code editor.In environment this new version, Visual Studio ® 2010 earnings multi-monitor support as part of the new Visual Studio ® 2010 Express IDE.Unique Express is a new streamlined user experience, focuses on the most used commands by masking some menus and toolbars the more avancés.Elles are easily accessible by users of the Tools / menu parameters.

Features included in Visual Studio 2010 express they are MFC or ATL and lack of Windows GUI libraries and includes fichiers.afin that users not able to develop applications Windows GUI for editing Express.Vous can download Visual Studio 2010 express free from microsoft.com.


Source: http://www.microsoft.com/express/windows/

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