Gadgets Blog » Smartphones

Just when you thought it was safe to watch Harry Potter on your cell phone, industry experts are saying it’s going to starting hitting you where it counts…in the pocketbook.

Do you remember the days before 3G coverage when we were forced to use tiny screens and actually push buttons and all we could really surf was out e-mail and a few sites designed for mobile Internet browsing. You remember those days? That’s when we actually used the phone to call people.

When 3G hit and phones were able to actually surf the web in its entirety, the game changed and we grew to not only love our new freedoms but also to covet and expect them. Soon, you could watch videos and television shows on the phone all while waiting in line for your groceries.

The major networks spent billions and billions of dollars to upgrade their infrastructure all the while offering unlimited data plans at a relatively cheap price. They made their networks better so we could watch Netflix from our phones and then seemingly paid the bill. Uh, yeah. Not so much.

Creative’s latest line of gadgets is certainly living up to its name. The company often gets lost in the shuffle of other big gadget and electronic companies. They don’t have the name recognition of Palm or RIM’s Blackberry, and they don’t have the sheer size of companies like Samsung or Sony. Nonetheless, in an announcement earlier this week, Creative rolled out a series of tablet-style devices that run using the Android 2.1 operating system.

While several of the devices are exciting, latest entry in their ZEN MP3 player lineup looks to be particularly worth getting excited over. Creative’s ZEN players have been strongly reviewed over the past generations, and customers have gradually begun to take note. The latest ZEN player is a direct response to the iPod Touch, something that the market certainly needed. The iPod Touch stands as the most popular MP3 player on the market right now. With its host of non-music features, it has been the go-to option for gadget aficionados.

The Creative ZEN Touch 2 stands as a pretty clear reaction to the success of Apple’s MP3 player. First and foremost, it comes with a full features set that is second to none. The Touch 2 is Bluetooth-enabled, has the potential for GPS navigation and has a Micro SIM card slot. Some of these features aren’t necessarily standard on MP3 players, but Creative’s dedication to giving a full-featured gadget really shines through here.

HTC’s latest and greatest smartphone, the Desire, is one of the best-looking devices to hit the market in recent memory. HTC’s other devices have pushed the envelope of size for smartphones, but none quite reach the point of the Desire. With a 4.3-inch screen, it’s about as big a unit as one can actually fit into a pocket.

But the Desire doesn’t stop there. The large screen comes with 800×480-pixel resolution, making it one of the best-looking screens, as well as one of the largest. If you’re looking for a great alternative to Apple’s iPhone 4, then the HTC Desire should be at the top of your list.

The hardware in the Desire is excellent, featuring a solid black unibody case made of aluminum. The look certainly resembled the iPhone from a distance, but up-close, the phone has its own unique aesthetic. A 1-GHz processor powers the device, which boasts an 8-megapixel camera. Powering the phone is 768 MB of RAM, giving it speedy response time, and a solid graphical component enables the phone to display 720-pixel HD video. All the hardware comes at a cost, though. The battery life requires management over the course of a day if you’re not able to recharge it.

The world of the smartphone has also become the world of the smartphone application. Ever since folks have taken to toting around mini computers in their back pockets, developers have been creating a bevy of apps, streamlined programs intended for the pint-sized processors. Apps take on all shapes and sizes, allowing you to do everything from reading the newspaper to manipulating your voice with autotune. However, in a news story from earlier this week, a number of applications are creating risk for data theft, potentially leading to fraud and other dangers of 21st century technology.

In a joint study performed by Intel labs, Penn State, and Duke University, researchers determined that many applications perceived as secure have glaring flaws in them that can easily be manipulated by an experienced hacker. Their program centered around the development of TaintDroid, their own app intended to collect information for their research (ironically enough, perhaps). TaintDroid provides real-time updates about how apps downloaded to a smartphone collect personal information off the device, oftentimes beaming this information to other sources. The program tracks the flow of sensitive data both on the phone and to outside sources.

In the study, 30 popular applications were tested for their security. It was discovered that 15 of the 30 beamed the users current location to advertisers, likely so that better-targeted ads could be shown to the customer. Additionally, 7 of the studied apps sent other parties information pertaining to the hardware in use on the phone, including serial numbers on flash memory and on the phone itself. The final results of the study found a staggering 68 instances of information being inappropriately shared by the applications.

Typically on the Smarter Gadgets Blog, we focus on consumer-oriented products designed to make our everyday lives easier. Products such as smartphones and laptop computers are used on a daily basis to network us with the world, gathering information from the Internet, and connecting with old friends.

Today, however, we’ll be taking a look at a very specialized gadget, one that won’t be seeing time on the market anytime soon. Earlier this week, a robotics team at Leeds University in the United Kingdom unveiled a metallic creation intended to explore the inner corridors of Egypt’s Great Pyramids, something that has puzzled archaeologists since the 1800s.

The Upuaut-2 robot, named for the Egyptian magician King Khufu consulted before building the Pyramids, has been specially constructed to penetrate into the inner chambers of the Pyramids. Two unexplored shafts of the largest Pyramid have puzzled scientists since the discovery of the Queen’s Chamber in 1857.

The folks over at Gizmodo had themselves quite the time with their most recent story. Some poor sod at a bar in Redwood City accidentally left a next-generation iPhone behind, which Gizmodo claims was “camouflaged to look like the iPhone 3Gs.”

Except it wasn’t, and the results of some keen hacking and testing were posted to their website in a news story that has gadget nerds salivating to be sure. The features of this new addition to the Apple family are certainly exciting, and represent some interesting changes in function that could really shake up the next round of smartphones. Design-wise, the gadget looks like an iPhone in an iPod classic body. The rounded corners and three-dimensional build make it look quite distinct from an ordinary iPhone.

The screen is vivid and clear, with resolution at a staggering 960×640, making for exceptional application use and crystal clear images. The device sports two cameras now, one mounted on the back for taking pictures and one on the same side of the screen, presumably for video chatting (!!!). The operating system is Apple’s brand new iPhone OS 4.0, which Gizmodo claims the phone was running prior to the official announcement of such a thing.

Weighing in at 3 grams heavier than the older models, it boasts a larger battery on the inside, presumably extending the life of one of Apple’s flagship products. Other technical changes are exciting, yet a bit puzzling at the same time. The smartphone uses Micro SIM cards, which is likely to be the industry standard in the future. Yet this development is a bit puzzling in light of the iPad’s release. Many were surprised to find out that Apple had not adopted the Micro SIM card for their tablet computer, and now it’s introduction onto the iPhone, and the announcement that the iPhone OS 4.0 will support multitasking, place some questionable light on Apple’s development of two of its featured products.

Ultimately though, Apple will continue to be the trendsetter for smartphones with the release of the next iPhone, and indeed there is much to be excited about, provided Gizmodo’s specifications are correct. If the introduction of the front-facing camera does indeed signal that video chatting will be present on the next generation of iPhones, then perhaps we are looking at applications to 4G technology that will revolutionize telecommunications. It seems as though Steve Jobs and company have created another winner, one that will dominate the market and thrill users for some time to come. Image Source: flickr.com/photos/niw/3347008791

Today’s topic on Best and Worst touches a sensitive spot in my heart. The other day, my beloved cell phone of a year suffered a career-ending injury. As I carried a table up a small set of stairs, I tripped, crushing the touchscreen, and thus rendering the top half of the screen black and unreadable. As anyone who has lost a phone can attest, the hassle that goes along with it is frustrating and time consuming. I was lucky enough to still be under warranty, meaning Verizon (bless them) will have a new device sent my way in a matter of days. However, finding a smartphone that suits your personal needs can be nothing short of laborious, especially considering how difficult it is to determine the long-term use of a phone during a first impression. Don’t be fooled by nice designs or attractive colors, the following phones have issues that make them some of the worst smart phones on the market.

T-Mobile Sidekick LX
This phone is the epitome of style over substance. Its flashy design and attractive touchscreen make it initially appealing, but several design flaws plague the Sidekick. First of all, the structural integrity of the design is a bit suspect, as the screen’s two-axis flip motion can break easily if the phone is subject to any sort of abuse. While the phone sports a full QWERTY keyboard, which can make texting a breeze, the buttons on this particular smartphone are packed together, difficult for anyone with larger hands (or anyone without the fine-tuned motor skills needed to operate a QWERTY keyboard successfully). You’re best off looking for an alternative, such as the T-Mobile Dash, which boasts a great interface based out of Windows Mobile.

Blackberry 8300
As a whole, the Blackberry line of smartphones are quite good, with many features available on a variety of networks. If you’re looking for a device with great business capabilities, web integration, and email, a Blackberry can be a great choice. However, not all Blackberries are created equal, and some, like the 8300, fall flat next to their siblings. The Blackberry 8300, in some regards, is a lesser version of other Blackberry phones, meaning that the interface and keypad aren’t as sturdy and up-to-date. For perhaps the best experience with a Blackberry, check out the Blackberry Storm, which boasts some great unique features.

Nokia Surge 6790
Our final smartphone to avoid also looks like it could be a winner. But, alas, looks are also deceiving, once again. The Nokia Surge has a slim black design and a slide-out keypad, making it one of the better-looking smartphones. The device boasts some great synchronization with Gmail, Yahoo, and Windows Live, even if its operating system is a bit dates compared to competitors. However, there are some puzzling design flaws that make using the Nokia Surge downright frustrating. It’s impossible to dial a number without sliding open the keypad, a flaw that becomes more and more upsetting the longer you have the phone. Also, the small and slightly off-center screen can be hard to squint at in dark environments, as the brightness is lacking. For a similar, but better, alternative, check out the Samsung Jack.