The HTC Legend is the newest cell phone offering from HTC. HTC has been making touch screen cell phones for many years, and they are one of the few companies besides Apple who have managed to get these right.
The HTC Legend is an upgrade to the current version of HTC's latest phone, the HTC Hero. In addition to many hardware improvements, HTC has also improved upon the software of the device, and this new software is available to all current HTC Hero owners.
So let's take a look at the new THC Legend:
The first thing you'll notice about the HTC legend is that it has a full unibody metal casing. This makes it appear very similar to Apple's original iPhone. This full-metal enclosure is great, because you never need to worry about dropping the phone or accidentally sitting on it.
The other advantage for this type of casing is that all the innards of the phone can be accessed simply by removing a single snap-on case at the bottom of the device. This gives you access to the battery, the SIM card, and all the antennas. If you've ever tried to change the battery on one of your older touch-screen phones, this will come as a welcome relief.
Another improvement that will surely get other cell phone companies to take notice is HTC's implementation of an optical trackball rather than a traditional trackball. The trackball is usually used to change home screens and to otherwise navigate around the phone. The problem with these trackballs is that dirt or grime can get in them and cause them to stop working as effectively. The optical trackball is more like a "virtual trackball". It senses the movement of your finger, and it is surprisingly responsive.
One of the best new features is FriendFeed. If you like chatting with your friends on social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr, then you will love this feature. It basically combines all of the social networking sites into one place so that you don't need to keep hopping back and forth between them to keep checking your status updates.
The other great thing about the HTC Legend is the camera. Compared to most cell phone cameras, the Legend is capable of taking bright, crisp, and clear pictures. Even in the dark, the pictures are still pretty good. This is a feature that HTC consistently works hard at to continually improve.
The computer connectivity of the HTC Legend is implemented very well. It uses a Micro-USB port, so it should be compatible with all of your other Micro-USB devices. This is a welcome relief if you've been using a cell-phone which uses proprietary connectivity ports.
Friday 23 April 2010
Thursday 8 April 2010
iPhone Insurance Benefits
The iPhone is somewhat of an icon in the world of mobile phones these days but it does not come cheap. As a lucky owner, you may want to protect your pride and joy as much as possible. One way of providing peace of mind may be to take out iPhone insurance. So what are the benefits to taking out insurance for your iPhone?
After the warranty period
Your new iPhone comes with a manufacturer's warranty; however, this typically only lasts for a set period of time, often only a year. If it breaks down after the warranty expires, you'll usually have to fund the repair or even a replacement yourself.
Without iPhone insurance to rely on you need to find someone capable of repairing such a complicated phone, and also have to find the money for the repairs yourself, which may be costly. You may also be without your phone for quite some time if you have to send it away for repairs. That is if it is possible to repair it! If not, you are left holding what may be nothing more than an expensive paperweight.
If you have iPhone insurance to fall back onto, typically, the policy covers repairs or replacement after the manufacturer's warranty has expired. While of course you are still without a phone, if the claim is successful, you may be issued with a replacement or have your phone repaired and back to you in as little as 48 hours, with some insurance providers.
Other benefits of iPhone insurance
Accidents may happen no matter how careful you are with your iPhone. If you drop your phone, even on carpeting, your precious phone may become damaged or break. If this happens and you have insurance for your iPhone, depending on the insurance provider's terms and condition relating to accidental damage, your phone may be repaired or replaced.
One of the biggest problems with owning the latest gadgets, which of course an iPhone is, is the fact that they are often targeted by thieves. Phones are typically easy to steal in the street from your hand or pocket; they may be targeted in home burglaries, or stolen out of your car. Typically, insurance for iPhones covers theft of your mobile providing the theft meets the terms set out by the insurance provider.
When choosing iPhone insurance, do note that exclusions and limitations will generally apply and terms and conditions as well as price will vary from provider to provider. Therefore, it is important to always ensure that you are buying the cover that is most suitable for your needs, so always shop around and check that the gadget insurance you are buying ticks all the boxes in relation to what you want from it.
After the warranty period
Your new iPhone comes with a manufacturer's warranty; however, this typically only lasts for a set period of time, often only a year. If it breaks down after the warranty expires, you'll usually have to fund the repair or even a replacement yourself.
Without iPhone insurance to rely on you need to find someone capable of repairing such a complicated phone, and also have to find the money for the repairs yourself, which may be costly. You may also be without your phone for quite some time if you have to send it away for repairs. That is if it is possible to repair it! If not, you are left holding what may be nothing more than an expensive paperweight.
If you have iPhone insurance to fall back onto, typically, the policy covers repairs or replacement after the manufacturer's warranty has expired. While of course you are still without a phone, if the claim is successful, you may be issued with a replacement or have your phone repaired and back to you in as little as 48 hours, with some insurance providers.
Other benefits of iPhone insurance
Accidents may happen no matter how careful you are with your iPhone. If you drop your phone, even on carpeting, your precious phone may become damaged or break. If this happens and you have insurance for your iPhone, depending on the insurance provider's terms and condition relating to accidental damage, your phone may be repaired or replaced.
One of the biggest problems with owning the latest gadgets, which of course an iPhone is, is the fact that they are often targeted by thieves. Phones are typically easy to steal in the street from your hand or pocket; they may be targeted in home burglaries, or stolen out of your car. Typically, insurance for iPhones covers theft of your mobile providing the theft meets the terms set out by the insurance provider.
When choosing iPhone insurance, do note that exclusions and limitations will generally apply and terms and conditions as well as price will vary from provider to provider. Therefore, it is important to always ensure that you are buying the cover that is most suitable for your needs, so always shop around and check that the gadget insurance you are buying ticks all the boxes in relation to what you want from it.
Tuesday 6 April 2010
7 Tips to Find the Top Service for iPhone Music
iPhone owners are getting excited about loading their new gizmos with iPhone music downloads. After all, the phone-cum-digital portable media player can store up to 100 songs easily and allow a playtime of up to 24 hours of audio. This article will show you 7 hot tips to find the top service befitting of your new toy when it comes to iPhone music downloads.
1. Free or Paid
Freebie seekers probably would argue with me on this. There is nothing wrong with wanting free iPhone music downloads. Who doesn't anyway? But the trouble is that free websites that give you music for free are often associated with exposure to viruses, spyware and adware when downloading media files there. Our phones are too new and precious and to risk exposing them to these harmful elements is a No No.
How about downloading each iPhone song for $0.99 or more at online music services like HMV, iTunes and so on? People wouldn't mind if it is only one or two song. But if we are going to load up at least a 100 songs or soundtracks, this is going to be expensive.
There are now services that offer a lifetime membership for a flat fee of lower than $49.95 to access unlimited iPhone music downloads. These are the real gems!
2. Variety & Size of iPhone Music Library
Music lovers probably have their preferred music. You may not like pop but to another, pop may really sound heavenly. If you love all kinds of music, go with the services that offer multiple genres from Rock, Hip Hop, R&B, Classical to many unheard music genre. Several top sites now offer over 100 million media files including music videos, TV shows and even movies and games.
3. Download Interface
This is a key feature that must not be overlooked. For easy navigation, the interface must be simple to use and does not take long to search and find your music files. One way to get a rough idea is to see how professionally done the site is and to read comments of existing users.
4. Software Applications for Download and Conversion
Several of the more established services are providing free software applications required to download iPhone music as well as movie and video files. They also provide the conversion software needed to convert movies and music file formats into iPhone-compatible formats. The top services also offer you a free DVD conversion software that transfer movies from DVDs to your iPhone.
5. Fast Downloading Speeds
Make sure that the download speeds are fast. Music file sizes are about 3-4 MB per song. Assuming you are downloading 20 songs at a go, the service must not limit your bandwidth usage by slowing down the speed. This is what some poorly run B-grade services do.
6. Safe Download Environment
Some services do not provide good secured environment with a high level of security and safety when you download iPhone music downloads. The last thing you want to worry about is adware, spyware and viruses that could make their way to your computer because the music store refuses to buck up on its system architecture.
7. After-sales Customer Care and Support
Many services just want to make more money. While they promise a 24/7 technical support to entice you to join them, they are hardly around when you need them to help troubleshoot when you face difficulties. Thankfully, there are a few reputable ones who can deliver an excellent level of after-sales service.
1. Free or Paid
Freebie seekers probably would argue with me on this. There is nothing wrong with wanting free iPhone music downloads. Who doesn't anyway? But the trouble is that free websites that give you music for free are often associated with exposure to viruses, spyware and adware when downloading media files there. Our phones are too new and precious and to risk exposing them to these harmful elements is a No No.
How about downloading each iPhone song for $0.99 or more at online music services like HMV, iTunes and so on? People wouldn't mind if it is only one or two song. But if we are going to load up at least a 100 songs or soundtracks, this is going to be expensive.
There are now services that offer a lifetime membership for a flat fee of lower than $49.95 to access unlimited iPhone music downloads. These are the real gems!
2. Variety & Size of iPhone Music Library
Music lovers probably have their preferred music. You may not like pop but to another, pop may really sound heavenly. If you love all kinds of music, go with the services that offer multiple genres from Rock, Hip Hop, R&B, Classical to many unheard music genre. Several top sites now offer over 100 million media files including music videos, TV shows and even movies and games.
3. Download Interface
This is a key feature that must not be overlooked. For easy navigation, the interface must be simple to use and does not take long to search and find your music files. One way to get a rough idea is to see how professionally done the site is and to read comments of existing users.
4. Software Applications for Download and Conversion
Several of the more established services are providing free software applications required to download iPhone music as well as movie and video files. They also provide the conversion software needed to convert movies and music file formats into iPhone-compatible formats. The top services also offer you a free DVD conversion software that transfer movies from DVDs to your iPhone.
5. Fast Downloading Speeds
Make sure that the download speeds are fast. Music file sizes are about 3-4 MB per song. Assuming you are downloading 20 songs at a go, the service must not limit your bandwidth usage by slowing down the speed. This is what some poorly run B-grade services do.
6. Safe Download Environment
Some services do not provide good secured environment with a high level of security and safety when you download iPhone music downloads. The last thing you want to worry about is adware, spyware and viruses that could make their way to your computer because the music store refuses to buck up on its system architecture.
7. After-sales Customer Care and Support
Many services just want to make more money. While they promise a 24/7 technical support to entice you to join them, they are hardly around when you need them to help troubleshoot when you face difficulties. Thankfully, there are a few reputable ones who can deliver an excellent level of after-sales service.
Friday 2 April 2010
Apple Cage Match - iPad Vs iPhone and iPod Touch
Many people consider the iPad a bigger version of the iPhone or iPod Touch, and admittedly there is overlap in functionality. But I don't see Apple purposely making a product that directly competes with their iPhone and iPod cash cows. With that in mind, let's look at where these devices will cross paths and which one has an advantage.
Convenience
Since the iPhone is you know, a phone, it will often never leave your side. It rules as a go to device when you need to get access to something right this second. The iPad's size while svelt, won't exactly fit in your pocket. While more convenient to drag around than say a laptop, the iPad won't replace the iPhone as the go to device when needing to know the population of Kazastan during a conversation, or an replace an iPod when working out at the gym.
Usability
While the iPhone has greatly improved, if not reinvented, the user experience for a smart phone, the screen is only so big. I have tried using the iPhone as a ebook reader and personal video device and I can only stand the eye strain for so long. Even viewing webpages for any extended period of time can become bothersome on an iPhone or iPad Touch. The iPad's 9.7 inch screen, nearly 4 times larger, will allow for much more pleasant extended viewing sessions. The larger screen will also allows us fat fingered types to navigate apps easier and allow developers more screen space to display data.
Cost
Compared to a $99 iPhone or a $199 iPod Touch, the $499 for the 16GB iPad may seem steep. But we must remember the the iPhone price is subsidized by At&T and requires a 2 year contract to get that price. Also the $199 iPod Touch is only an 8GB model, the 32GB will cost you $299. Given Steve Job's statement of the iPad being positioned between the iPhone and the MacBook in Apple's product line up, we should also compare the iPad's price to the $999 cost of an entry level MacBook. While not exactly cheap, $499 for a 16GB iPad isn't unreasonable.
Apps
Since the iPad will run nearly all iPhone and iPod Touch apps, there will not be a lack of applications at launch time. If you already have a large library of apps in iTunes, you will be able to use these on an iPad without repurchasing. The iBook Store and iBook app will be limited to the iPad, and as developers come on board, exclusive iPad only apps will begin to appear. The price premium for an iPad optimized app is still unknown, but I would not be surprised to see an average price of $4.99.
Final Thoughts
Will the iPad cannibalize sales of other Apple products? For those who do not currently own an iPod Touch, or don't/can't get an iPhone, investing instead in an iPad could be a logical move. But since you won't be jogging with your iPad to listen to music, or answering phone calls with it, I don't see sales of iPhones and iPods being affected much. I will be very curious to see the numbers on people who bought an iPad and also own an iPhone or iPod Touch versus those that don't.
Convenience
Since the iPhone is you know, a phone, it will often never leave your side. It rules as a go to device when you need to get access to something right this second. The iPad's size while svelt, won't exactly fit in your pocket. While more convenient to drag around than say a laptop, the iPad won't replace the iPhone as the go to device when needing to know the population of Kazastan during a conversation, or an replace an iPod when working out at the gym.
Usability
While the iPhone has greatly improved, if not reinvented, the user experience for a smart phone, the screen is only so big. I have tried using the iPhone as a ebook reader and personal video device and I can only stand the eye strain for so long. Even viewing webpages for any extended period of time can become bothersome on an iPhone or iPad Touch. The iPad's 9.7 inch screen, nearly 4 times larger, will allow for much more pleasant extended viewing sessions. The larger screen will also allows us fat fingered types to navigate apps easier and allow developers more screen space to display data.
Cost
Compared to a $99 iPhone or a $199 iPod Touch, the $499 for the 16GB iPad may seem steep. But we must remember the the iPhone price is subsidized by At&T and requires a 2 year contract to get that price. Also the $199 iPod Touch is only an 8GB model, the 32GB will cost you $299. Given Steve Job's statement of the iPad being positioned between the iPhone and the MacBook in Apple's product line up, we should also compare the iPad's price to the $999 cost of an entry level MacBook. While not exactly cheap, $499 for a 16GB iPad isn't unreasonable.
Apps
Since the iPad will run nearly all iPhone and iPod Touch apps, there will not be a lack of applications at launch time. If you already have a large library of apps in iTunes, you will be able to use these on an iPad without repurchasing. The iBook Store and iBook app will be limited to the iPad, and as developers come on board, exclusive iPad only apps will begin to appear. The price premium for an iPad optimized app is still unknown, but I would not be surprised to see an average price of $4.99.
Final Thoughts
Will the iPad cannibalize sales of other Apple products? For those who do not currently own an iPod Touch, or don't/can't get an iPhone, investing instead in an iPad could be a logical move. But since you won't be jogging with your iPad to listen to music, or answering phone calls with it, I don't see sales of iPhones and iPods being affected much. I will be very curious to see the numbers on people who bought an iPad and also own an iPhone or iPod Touch versus those that don't.
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