Nokia 3600 Slide Mobile Phone

Nokia has been embarking upon all-round features and good quality phones. This phone is a similar offering of power-packed features retaining the utility functions. The slider technology styling has been quiet a hit among the Indian market with the popularity of Nokia 5200/5300/6500 etc.

This phone is based on the same styling and appeal with a bonus of varied features. If the prices are reduced further it could become the most popular slider phone ever in India by Nokia.

Design
The phone is based on a simple design and looks sophisticated, nothing flashy about its appeal. It as a design based on previous Nokia slider offerings with the same placements of buttons and the rectangular design. The phone has a 3.2 megapixel camera at its back with provision of flash. The loudspeaker is placed below the camera and it gets covered if you try holding the phone and listen to music through the loudspeakers. The slide is smooth but it doesn't feel as sturdy as the Nokia 6500. The display is a large 2-inch screen which boasts 16 million colors.

Key Features
The phone is a bundle of features as mentioned above and has host of functions to offer. One of the most popular features being the 3.2 megapixel camera with a dual-LED flash. The camera quality is good but not as the other Nokia phones offering the same imaging specification. The reason being it does not have a Carl Zeiss lens. This phone has a background noise cancellation facility which works satisfactorily. It doesn't completely zero down the background noise but it limits the noise levels and enhances the caller voice. It has a sum of 64 MB of internal memory out of which 30 MB is dedicated to content and data storage. It has expansion of up to 4 GB and includes a 512 MB card with the sales package.

The phone has VGA quality video recording feature and a unique TV connect option. The music player and the FM radio come in quiet handy when you want entertainment. The games run on J2ME which offers excellent quality games. It has an enhanced talktime of 5.5 hours, which enables lot of entertainment and utility.

Cons
Though nokia 3600 mobile phone is supplemented with all kinds of varied features like maps, music, camera capabilities etc but the quality is not the best of all. The camera feature is decent but doesn't seem like a 3.2 megapixel offering. The music quality is good on headphones but the loudspeaker quality doesn't match even the earlier Nokia phones abilities. The designing is very simple and no innovations on that front. The phone doesn't feel all that durable and the slide seems fragile but the build is good and you can bank upon Nokia's quality.

Conclusion
This phone is a 'Jack of all trades and master of none' and it truly comprises of all the features but doesn't specialize in any one. The pricing of the phone is still questionable and you would see the sales go up as some corrections in pricing are made.

Monty Alexander is a well known writer and has penned on many topics i.e. nokia mobile phone, mobile shops, mobile store etc.

Samsung Wave II S8530 Review

Samsung has become one of the leading brands among Smartphones nowadays, competing quite easily with the likes of Nokia, Blackberry and the Apple iPhone. Many must have heard about the Samsung S8500 Wave manufactured by Samsung. It hit the market with huge waves washing away all its competitors. Samsung has in fact just announced the arrival of Samsung Wave II S8530.

From what we know at this moment, the Samsung Wave II S8530 looks quite impressive and feature filled much like its predecessor. Even though there aren't many differences that have been announced yet between the two, The most distinct difference is that the Wave II S8530 will feature a larger 3.7 inch screen with Super Clear LCD technology, instead of the Super AMOLED screen in S8500. The display comes along with accelerometer sensor, proximity sensor, scratch resistance surface and multi touch input to enhance its capabilities further. Many may not welcome this change, but according to Samsung, it was one that needed to be made. It was also stated by them that the Super Clear LCD helps to make the display thinner and improves brightness, color strength, and resistance to reflections.

The Wave II S8530 will have an inbuilt memory of 1.5GB with support for micro SD cards upto a maximum of 32 GB.

It will also feature a 5 Mega Pixel Camera with LED Flash and 720p HD Video Recording at 30 fps, hence not being much different from its predecessor in terms of multimedia. Other common features between the two Wave smartphones include support for high speed connectivity via 3G and Wi-Fi, inbuilt Bluetooth and GPS etc.

Nothing at all has been announced about the audio, at this moment, so we will have to wait on that.

The other new piece of information that has been revealed is that the Wave II S8530 will run on Samsung's Bada OS 1.2. It will provide some small features, stability and performance updates along with the new TouchWiz 3.0 UI which is not only quite user friendly, but also makes the navigation easy and fast. Other detail differences include the introduction of the T9 input method trace as well as the swype keyboard.

A wide range of applications is expected to be supported with Samsung claiming that there are more than 1000 compatible apps available for the Wave II S8530 in their Apps Store.

Details about the battery has not been announced as of yet, and is likely to be a Li-ion 1500 mAh battery, similar to the one included in the S8500 Wave.
It has been announced that the Wave II S8530 will hit the shelves in November 2010. Rumours of the expected price are unconfirmed as of now, but is said to be around 429 EUR which is around to 549 USD.

For now, that's all we know about the Wave II S8530. While we wait for further announcements, its worth asking, is the new Wave II really worth it? There is definitely some speculation present there but, it is definitely going to be an exciting release, and Samsung is not to be underestimated. Who knows?, they might surprise us yet again.

You can compare deals for the Samsung Wave 2 S8530 as well as the new Samsung Galaxy 551 by visiting Best Mobile Contracts.

The Best Cameras From Point-And-Shoots To Digital SLRs

Find Your Perfect Camera

I did some extensive research to find the best camera to buy in five different categories:

• Best Budget Point-and-Shoot


• Best Enthusiast Point-and-Shoot


• Best Entry-Level DSLR


• Best Semi-Pro DSLR


• Best Professional Full Frame DSLR

To pick out what I think the best cameras are in each of these categories, I spent countless hours researching different websites gathering as much information as possible to find the best camera in each category. My research includes looking at customer reviews on Amazon, Adorama and BH Photo Video, reading professional reviews from DPreview, Imaging-Resource and Steve's Digicams, and reading numerous online web forums and discussion boards. Of course I'll add my OWN personal opinion in the mix, also. Oh, a quick note... if there's one thing to remember when shopping for new a camera, it's that megapixels DO NOT MATTER. These big camera companies boast about having the most megapixels, trying to use it as a selling point, when they really don't matter. Multiple resources on the web will say the same. Let's start, shall we?

Best Compact Budget Point-and-Shoot

Canon SD1400IS

Staying under the $200 mark, and from the research I did, this little gem can take one heck of a picture, along with HD video, too! That's right, this tiny guy has 720p (1280 x 720 pixels) High Definition video. Something that is rarely seen in a camera this cheap. From what I read while researching, this camera takes good quality photos for the price. The only drawback on it I found online is a slightly more grainy photo due to the 14MP censor. Other than that, people love it for the ease of use, pocket-able size and good price-to-feature value. Other features include a large 2.7-inch LCD screen, optical image stabilization, a wide 28mm equivalent lens (I love wide angle lenses), HDMI output, and Smart AUTO. I head a lot of good things about smart AUTO. From what Canon says, it will "intelligently select between 22 different predefined settings." Oh, and it comes in HOT PINK! Not that I care... After researching this class of camera for hours, the general consensus is that Canon makes awesome compact budget point-and-shoots. You will be satisfied with any of their budget models, including the SD1400IS. I have yet to find an awful one.

Best Compact Enthusiast Point-and-Shoot

Canon S95

Okay, now in my honest opinion, this is a no-brainer. The previous version, the Canon S90, was a massive hit. And the Canon S95 improves upon it. I mean come on! For a camera under $400, it has 720p HD video (with stereo sound!), a super bright f/2.0 lens, RAW mode (my favorite), a wide 28mm equivalent lens and HDMI output. Those are just a few features. The best part, and the part that makes the S95 the best enthusiast point-and-shoot camera, is the control ring. This thing makes it a breeze to adjust focus, exposure, ISO, white balance, and pretty much all the manual controls. It seriously has everything a camera enthusiast would want in a point-and-shoot, and more! Let's see... AUTO ISO, Color yRGB histograms, bracketing, a metal body, and crap tons of gimmicks and useless modes. It also has an HDR mode. I'd never use it, but I guess it works pretty good. It takes three consecutive shots and merges them together for you. You can then edit them later on your computer. I, however, find it rather lame because all the important features are locked out, such as exposure and white balance. And HDR on a point-and-shoot? What has this world come to. Just buy this camera. Seriously. In all honesty I didn't really do much research on other cameras in its class, because once I knew Canon was making the S95, it was going be a hit. Sure there are other good enthusiast cameras out there, but none that are nearly as awesome as the Canon S95 for the same price and size!

• Canon G12? Big and bulky at a price of around $500.


• Panasonic Lumix LX5? Still bigger, and still more expensive. Price? Around $450.

I think I proved my point. Of course this is just my opinion. I'm sure others will disagree with me.

Best Entry-Level DSLR

Nikon D3100

The Nikon D3100 is another obvious buy if you're looking to get a Digital SLR. At around, or under, $700, you get one heck of a camera (with lens!) that is jam-packed full of features for the price. It's also Nikon's first DSLR to feature full 1080p HD video. Let me explain why I picked it as the best entry-level DSLR. First off, it comes with a very good kit lens, the 18-55mm AF-S VR, which is known to be a very good all-around kit lens. It's sharp, has VR (Vibration Reduction) can focus very close - almost macro like - and has Nikon's Silent Wave Motor which gives it fast, quiet autofocus. Everything I read was positive, except for the occasional "bad copy." The images the D3100 pumps out are so close the professional Nikon D3 and D700 in good light, that you could never tell the difference in a side-by-side comparison! High ISO on the D3100 is excellent, considering it's not a full-frame camera. I would say it's just as good Nikon D300s I own in terms of high ISO. In other words, don't be afraid to shoot at ISO 1600. In-fact, make it your friend! The viewfinder in the D3100 is clear and distraction free. What I mean by that is it doesn't have as much clutter going on in the viewfinder. This will make it easier to compose shots. Also, it's a small, ultra-lightweight DSLR weighing in at 505 g (1lb 1.8 oz.) This is a plus to some, a negative to others. For me personally, I could go either way. Other features include a large rear 3-inch LCD, 11 Autofocus Points, AUTO Distortion Correction, and Nikon's new EXPEED 2 image processing engine. There are few (very few) things that the D3100 is missing, though, compared to higher end cameras; You can only use lenses that have a built in motor such as Nikon's AF-S lenses (other lens makers have similar lenses) since the D3100 has no motor drive, there's only one manual preset WB memory position, you don't get any depth-of-field preview, and there is no Kelvin White Balance setting. If you're in the market for an entry-level Digital SLR, now is the time to buy. And I recommend the Nikon D3100. And so do thousands of others.

Best Semi-Pro DSLR

Nikon D7000

Nikon's newest DSLR, the D7000, is also one of the best in its class. Featuring a brand new and amazing User Definable Settings (U1, U2) right on the mode selector dial, these handy shortcuts allow you to set, store and change your cameras setting without having to go deep into the menu system! I'm envious. I want my D300S to have this. Actually, I'm considering getting the D7000 for this feature alone. There are other features I, and others (from what I saw numerous times) love about this camera, too, such as:

• Full 1080p High Definition video


• Light in weight, yet still ergonomically comfortable


• Best-in-class high ISO photos


• Quiet... Very quiet operation...Shhh...


• Ground-breaking 2,016-Segment RGB Meter


• Superior weather and dust sealing


• Six frames per second continuous shooting up to 100 shots


• New EXPEED 2 image processing


• 39 autofocus points with nine cross-type sensors

So as you can see, this camera is a bargain for its price, which is around $1200 (body only.) My research on the D7000 wasn't as extensive as others in it's class, due to the fact it just got released. And people are having a hard time finding it; it's always sold out! I have yet to read ANYTHING bad on the camera. All I could find is that it can only bracket three exposures instead of the 5-9 that some other cameras can do. People are raving about the fast autofocus, and amazing metering due to the new 2,016-Segment RGB Meter. The Nikon D7000 is already a smash hit at the time of this article. It's all sold out. Not surprising to me, since it's just as good, if not better than the Nikon D300s which is $300-$400 more. Now if you excuse me, I have to go buy this camera.

Best Full Frame DSLR - TIE

Canon 5D Mark II and Nikon D700

After hours of research, I was determined to pick either the 5D Mark II or the D700 as the best professional full frame DSLR. One or the other. Not both. Well, after those hours of research I did, I failed. My final verdict is that you can't go wrong with either of these stunning full frame DSLRs. They both provide breathtaking photos, even at high ISOs. And they both have excellent build quality that will last you years upon years. But what are the differences?

Let me explain:

Canon 5D Mark II Advantages

Good for: Travel, Portrait, Fine Art, Family and Landscape Photography Why:

• High Resolution for more detailed landscapes and fine art prints


• Lighter weight for traveling


• Fully loaded 1080p HD video good for family vacations and traveling


• Very handy Total Recall memories with C1, C2 and C3 positions on the command dial to swiftly swap between different camera setting on the fly without pushing tons of buttons

Nikon D700 Advantages

Good for: Low-light, Action, Sports, News Why:

• Superior autofocus with 51 AF points with great low-light performance


• Tough body construction for the very active news journalists


• Fast 5 frames per second and up to 8 FPS with optional MB-D10 grip, perfect for action and sports

The research done on these two cameras came up with mixed results. Thus the reason of my outcome. The one reoccurring problem I read was on the 5D Mark II, which was a faulty On/Off switch. Few reported it though. Price is negotiable; the D700 is $100-$150 cheaper. But to me, that shouldn't be a deciding factor. If you want an excellent landscape camera (without going to medium or large format) than spending $100 more over the D700 to gain extra resolution is fine, and in that case you should buy the 5D Mark II. Personally, I would choose the D700 since I take plenty of low-light action shots of bikes.

Conclusion

I spent a good two days researching all kinds of cameras, and these six cameras were the ones that consistently came up as being the best in their class. This is just a guide I did for fun in my spare time, so please take it as a grain of salt. I like to think my opinion matters, but it doesn't... In my opinion, of course. There are others out there whose job is to review cameras and test them to the point of failure. I simply go online and read reviews and opinions for hours upon hours finding out what people say. So until next time, Keep on shooting!

Have you ever wanted to take better photos? How about create awesome images with the help of Photoshop? I know I have. With the launch of my new website, I'll let you in on some secrets to creating stunning, memorable images, and how to get the most out of your camera.

These photography tips are sure to improve anyone's photography.

Flip Video Tips - Why Folks Are Flipping Over This Tiny Video Camera

What do megastars Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey and Jennifer Aniston have in common? They're all flipping out over Pure Digital's Flip camera! Other Flip fanatics include Rosie O'Donnell, Pamela Anderson and the Barack Obama campaign...

It's not just celebrities who are flipping over the Flip... Rave reviews have come in from all corners of the media world, from Time magazine, ABC News and Extra TV to the Wall Street Journal, CNN and USA Today.

With product evangelists like that, perhaps it's no surprise that Pure Digital just sold their one millionth Flip Video Camcorder! The Flip has been the number one best-selling video camera on Amazon since its launch, and the camera's popularity shows no signs of abating.

In fact, Flip just released their newest and slimmest model yet, the Flip Mino. (pronounced "minnow"). The Flip cam has made shooting and uploading videos easier than ever. They have simplified the world of online video and leveled the playing field so that anyone can play!

Shooting videos with the Flip couldn't be easier, and the camera's simple interface makes recording a breeze. Just point, press record and shoot! When you're done, "flip" open the Flip's USB port, plug it into your computer and upload video instantly to the web. The Flip's built-in software even gives you the option to quickly and easily upload your video directly to YouTube, AOL Video and - with the new Flip Mino, you can upload right to MySpace, too!

It's convenient, easy to use and affordable. No wonder consumers and the media alike are gushing over the Flip...

In July, 2008, for example, the Flip won Business Week's IDEA (International Design Excellence Awards) Gold honors in the entertainment category. Business Week raved:

"This is the first camcorder to simplify the process of capturing and sharing video. With integrated software, the Ultra enables editing, organizing and seamless uploading to AOL, YouTube and other video sharing sites. Challenged to develop a product that communicates this simplicity in a fun and user friendly manner, the design team focused on the form factor, ergonomics and control layout. The result is a highly-compact camera that can fit in any pocket and provide unmatched portability and intuitive use for capturing, editing and sharing high-quality video."

The Flip was also high on the list of TIME magazine's "25 Gotta Have Travel Gadgets," calling the minicam "so easy a technophobic wife can use it." Here's what TIME had to say about the new Flip Mino model:

"Finally, a video camera so easy, a technophobic wife can use it. That's precisely the point of Flip's Mino, a cigarette-pack sized video recorder that's basically built around a big, fat, red RECORD button: Better to have a cute video camera that you'll toss into your pocketbook and use, instead of a big, complicated beast that stays home. Two gigabytes of internal memory provide 60 minutes of record time. A rechargeable battery lasts around four hours and a USB plug built onto the device lets you plug it in to a PC or Mac and automatically upload your riveting movies of Grandpa Ernie standing in front of a restaurant on the Left Bank to Myspace, YouTube or AOL."

And U.S. News & World Report claimed that no video camera is easier to use than the Flip. The magazine's David LaGesse gushes: "The Flip has made its mark with its ease of use. I know from experience that a 6-year-old can handle it. Push the red button to record; push it again to stop. Hit the play button to review clips. Plug the built-in USB connector into a PC, and a few mouse clicks later you have video online."

So what are you waiting for? Whether you go for the new $180 (USD) Mino, or the earlier and less-expensive $130 - $150 Ultra, you gotta get a Flip!

Lou Bortone is an award-winning writer and video producer with over 20 years experience in marketing, branding and promotion. As an online video expert, Lou helps entrepreneurs create video for the web at http://www.TheOnlineVideoGuy.com - You can get your own free guide to the Flip at http://www.FlipCamTips.com

New Touch Screen Smartphones Revealed at Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show

Between the 6th and the 9th of January 2011 the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) event took place in Las Vegas. This popular International tradeshow showcased many new innovations and technologies becoming available from the electronics industry, including several new products from mobile phone manufactures. There were approximately 2700 exhibitors, all showing electronic products which will be available in the near future. As I am sure you are aware, the mobile phone industry is always moving fast due to new technologies that are being developed and during the event a selection of new Smartphone's were announced which have caused quite a stir within the industry and are sure to have the same effect on general mobile phone consumers too. Three Smartphone's in particular seemed to receive a lot of attention, all of which are expected to be released in the UK and Europe during the first half of this year.

LG were busy revealing a stunning new Android Smartphone named the LG Optimus Black, which along with its rather sleek name comes with an incredibly slim design casing. LG have stated that this will be the slimmest Smartphone available when it is released, with its depth measuring a mere 0.92cm in total. This latest device from LG also supports new technology known as 'NOVA' via its touch screen, which should provide the user with purer and crisper white tones due to its higher levels of brightness, meaning that the screen can be viewed in brighter environments such as on a sunny day as its display can tolerate direct sunlight. The new NOVA technology is also expected to reduce power consumption, which would be an improvement to other LCD screens that are currently available and leaving more battery time for the user is always a winning point. The Optimus Black is a super slim Android Smartphone which is crammed full of features and technologies and will be warmly welcomed by many LG Smartphone users due to its innovative design.

Meanwhile Sony Ericsson where showing a beautifully designed 3G touch screen Smartphone of their own which was gaining much attention from industry professionals and consumers alike. Sony Ericsson announced the XPERIA Arc which is an Android Smartphone complete with an interesting arc shaped design. It is a highly specified handset complete with all the features and technologies today's Smartphone's are expected to offer, however the Arc supports extremely impressive imaging features which include a two megapixel front facing video camera and an 8.1 megapixel rear facing camera that supports video recording at 720p for HD video capabilities. The Arc also offers the latest Sony Mobile BRAVIA reality touch screen display and its casing is streamline in shape due to its arc form, measuring only 0.87cm at its thinnest section. The Sony Ericsson XPERIA Arc certainly seems to be gaining much interest and it maybe the next must have Smartphone to hit the marketplace. One thing is for sure the attention gained towards the Sony Ericsson XPERIA range is starting to really bring Sony Ericsson into the spotlight once again.

Last but certainly not least, Motorola impressed the crowd too with a new and interesting Smartphone which will be known as the Motorola Atrix. The Atrix supports a dual core processor running the Android operating system and comes with a large touch screen with Gorilla glass and multi-touch capabilities. The main attraction and selling point of this Smartphone is its capability to be a mini computer and to provide its user with a user friendly and computer-like experience. At its full potential this new device can provide its user with up to forty eight gigabytes of memory via its internal memory and external memory card option, which is quite impressive. Additionally the Atrix is expected to offer an excellent Internet experience with touch screen controls, stunning user interface layout and search facility which should make it a popular choice for business professionals.

So all in all it looks like the CES had yet another successful year and these three rather impressive Smartphone's are sure to be popular and gain much interest when they are released.

To find out more about these and other new Smartphone's why not visit our website to read our mobile phone reviews, find the latest phone deals that are currently available and compare mobile phones.

The HTC 7 Mozart Offers the Power of the Windows Phone 7 Operating System

The HTC 7 Mozart offers the power of the Windows Phone 7 operating system with tiles on the Start screen for immediate access to information such as missed calls, new messages, the weather and more. The handset features a powerful processor and 8 gigabytes of internal storage memory, along with an 8 megapixel camera for HD video recording and photo capture.

The handset has a large 3.7 inch touch display with pinch-to-zoom capability and WVGA resolution (480 by 800) through which the Start button on the front of the device shows the Start screen featuring a set of customised tiles. Tiles can be anything, from a photo slideshow to the latest emails to come in from multiple email accounts. The phone is powered by a 1 GHz processor with 576 RAM and 512 ROM allowing it to keep the Windows Phone 7 operating system and HTC Hubs running seamlessly, and simultaneously, as this handset is capable of multitasking.

The 7 Mozart has an 8 megapixel camera with auto focus and a Xenon flash capable of photo capture with in-built effects such as candlelight, landscape and others; while video recording is performed to High Definition with 720 pixel resolution. Multimedia can be viewed back through the Pictures Hub, which also connects to and displays your photos from Facebook and Windows Live accounts. Meanwhile, the Music and Videos Hub powered by Zune, allowing you to enjoy your music library, download more, and also listen to live music and news thorough the radio. The handset also offers high quality audio with the Dolby Mobile and SRS surround sound, along with offering Bluetooth 2.1 with enhanced data rate, which has the A2DP profile for wireless stereo headsets to listen to music through. Additionally, the phone also has a 3.5mm AV connector for standard headphones.

The phone has great social networking with both Facebook and Windows Live (Hotmail et cetera) integrated, and SkyDrive allowing you some Cloud space for you to share your photos on instantly. The internal GPS antenna meanwhile offers automatic Geotagging of all your photos and videos taken with the powerful camera, along with the Bing Maps application offering maps and onscreen directions.

The HTC 7 Mozart is a smart device featuring one of the latest operating systems to hit the market which is more then capable of offering the same as rivals, with a different twist, such as the Start screen. With powerful hardware and an 8 megapixel camera for HD video recording too, it is a great handset.

HTC 7 Mozart
HTC HD 7