Blackberry 8330 Curve Review–Blackberry Standard

Despite the fact that Blackberry and I have had some troubles before for their near-constant array of wildly similar products, I have come to realize that the Blackberry line can be called dull and faceless, but they can also be called consistent.  And there is no more consistent product line, I’ve found, than Blackberry, as is evidenced by today’s review target, the Blackberry 8330 Curve.

The Blackberry Curve comes with wireless email, an organizer, a web browser, a two megapixel camera with video recording capability, Blackberry Maps, a media player, GPS, full QWERTY keyboard, the standard Blackberry trackball, Bluetooth connectivity, compatibility with MicroSD cards and a battery capable of generating a maximum of four hours of talk time.

And like most other Blackberry products, the 8330 Curve is an all-business phone with a overly sensitive trackball and plenty of nifty options.  This one is much like any other Blackberry, in pretty much every sense.

The Good

Consistency above all

Great for business

Plenty of useful features

The Bad

Short on fun

Another face in the crowd for Blackberry

Score 6/10

Toshiba Satellite E205-S1904 with WiDi

Best Buy has started to offer the Toshiba Satellite E205-S1904 which is considered the first laptop in the US that comes with WiDi technology, also known as Intel Wireless Display.

The WiDi module makes it possible to connect the laptop to a TV, wirelessly, and therefore stream content like videos and photos.

The Satellite E205-S1904 boasts an Intel Core i5-430M processor and a GMA HD intergrated graphics. The memory RAM is set at 4GB of DDR3 and the hard-drive has 500GB of storage capacity. This laptop comes with Windows Vista Home Premium OS and costs $900.

Samsung announces new laptops: R480 and R580

Samsung has recently announced their first laptop models of 2010 and the top-notch ones are codenamed R480 and R580.

The difference between the two models start with the small 14-inch display of the R480, while the R580 has a bigger screen with 15.6-inches. Another difference is on the graphics video card: the R480 boasts an Intel GMA and the R580 has a NVIDIA GeForce GT 310M.

On the other hand, the processors available for the two laptops are the same: an Intel Core i3 or i5.

The Samsung R480 will cost $830 while the R580 starts at $950 – both available on March 2010.

Fujitsu presents LifeBook P770

The new LifeBook P770 presented by Fujitsu is an ultra-portable notebook that has a WXGA display screen of 12.1-inches and its weight is close to 3.1 pounds.

The P770 has the fresh Intel Core i7-640UM processor, and even has the Intel Turbo Boost Technology to become faster. The operative system included in this LifeBook model is Windows 7 Professional.

Other features of the Fujitsu LifeBook P770 include a webcam, HDMI and e-SATA port, a touchpad with gesture functionality, a DVD-RW, and a starting price of $1,550.

Motorola MOTOCUBO A45 for the US

At first we thought the MOTOCUBO A45 smartphone was made for Brazil and the South American countries, but it seems that Motorola has started selling the device at their own stores on the US.

The MOTOCUBO A45 has an “Eco” tag that is directly related to the material used on the phone: recycled and corn-based materials. In the inside of the A45 you can find space for a microSD memory card of 32GB, a 2-megapixel camera, a full QWERTY keyboard, and a QVGA display. Nothing fancy but it is pretty good for an “eco” phone.

The Motorola MOTOCUBO A45 is already available for purchase.

Juniper System TK6000 Handheld Computer

For the people and companies in need of a rugged handheld device, the Juniper System TK6000 should be something worth considering. This rugged handheld computer is designed to withstand multiple 5-foot drops on concrete, is waterproof and works great in extreme temperatures.

Features of the Juniper System TK6000 include:

• 624 MHz Marvel PXA270 processor


• 128 MB RAM


• 1GB Internal Storage


• WiFi


• A battery that is good for 32 hours of use


• MicroSDHC card expansion

No word on pricing and availability for now.

Pro Video Guide for iPhones Released

Here is another reference iPhone app that people can use. The Pro Video Guide for the iPhone is ideal for the people in the video production industry. With the iPhone app, anyone can access a comprehensive mobile resource for in-depth information on technical aspects of video production, post production and distribution in SD and HD.

The Pro Video Guide for iPhones comes from Moviola Studios. The Pro Video Guide is now available through iTunes for $1.99.

Planex MZK-WDPR “Rugby” Wireless Router & Media Player Now Available in Japan

The Planex MZK-WDPR Rugby wireless network router and touch screen media player may look odd but is certain to be something unique to have. Aside from serving the usual WiFi needs in a small environment, you can also play YouTube videos with it.

It comes with 1.5W stereo speakers and a 2GB onboard memory. With its miniUSB port, you can hook it up to any PC to transfer MP3 files as well. The Planex MZK-WDPR Rugby wireless network router and touch screen media player is currently available in Japan for around $275. No word on whether it would be available internationally.

Verizon Wireless waives calling fees to Haiti

The Haiti earthquake situation and what it provoked is still very present to everyone and the popular mobile carriers like T-Mobile and Cricket had already waived its calling fees to the affected country, but now the time has come for Verizon Wireless to do the same.

With that being said, Verizon customers that are currently in Haiti will not be charged when making a call to the US via Verizon. This includes both wireless and wireline customers, and the calling fees will be waived until the 31st of January.

Thanks for the support Verizon, much appreciated!

Samsung Galaxy Portal on the UK

Samsung has released a new android smartphone on the UK, named Samsung Galaxy Portal.

In terms of technical specifications this Galaxy has a 800MHz processor and runs the Android OS version 1,5. It includes a 3.15-megapixel camera and also has 3G connectivity.

As for the display screen, it measures 3.2-inches and is actually a touchscreen with a resolution of 320×480 pixels. It supports DivX files and boasts A-GPS.

The Samsung Galaxy Portal is available for T-Mobile customers, and after monthly plan of £18 for 18months the smartphone is yours.

LG BL20 Chocolate launched in India

Remember the LG BL20 Chocolate that we talked about a few months ago? Well, that LG model has recently been released in the Indian market and is already available for purchase.

In case you don’t remember, the BL20 has a TFT screen with a resolution of 320×240, and a 5-megapixel camera so you can take a lot of photos and record videos onto the possible 8GB MicroSD memory card. Other features include a MP3, player, FM radio, USB2.0.

One of the most interesting features of the LG BL20 Chocolate is the inclusion of prebuilt applications like Google Maps.

Coca Cola Cup Landline Phone

For the zillions of fans who are hooked on to Coca Cola, here is something you can use or just add to your collection. It may look like a standard Coca Cola cup but it is really a landline phone in disguise. The dial pad is located at the bottom of the cup. After use, just place it down as any standard cup normally would look like.

Speakers are embedded inside the cup. It retails for only $6.64 and is something Coca Cola collectors must have!

Kapten GPS App for iPhones

Turn your iPhone into a useful GPS device with the Kapten GPS iPhone app. The app features support for multitransport navigation and a monthly license model that is renewable. It costs €3.99 to renew it and can even be converted into a permanent license.

Kapten for iPhones is available over at the French app store. They have country, whole Europe, or North America versions.

Averatec AVA8325E AIO Desktop Series

Averatec has launched two new all-in-one PCs with the release of the AVA8325E7BD and AVA8325E7SM. The AVA8325E7BD features a 3GB RAM and 320GB HDD while the AVA8325E7SM has 2GB RAM and a 250GB HDD.

Similar features for the two AIO include an 18.4” LCD screen with 1680×945 pixel resolution, a Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium OS, a 1.5 GHz AMD Athlon X2 3250e Dual Core CPU and a 1.3 megapixel webcam. Both models are expected to be released by January 29 with the AVA8325E7BD retailing for ¥89,800 and the AVA8325E7SM for ¥69,800.

Nokia X6 16GB Makes Up Through Colors

Though unofficial, the Nokia X6 16GB will reportedly come in multiple color variants which are not available in the 32GB models. The Nokia X6 16GB will come in black, pink on white and blue on white. Though the Nokia X6 may sport a limited number of features and storage, it is expected to be reasonably priced around $500.

Among the expected features of the Nokia X6 16GB include a 360×640 pixel touch screen display, WiFi, GPS, TV out and a 5 megapixel camera. No word on when it will be available but rumors have it that it will come out before Valentine’s Day.