01:47 PM by Colin Dunstan in Archive | Portable Audio/Video

PC Pro magazine tested 18 different MP3 players, and concluded that there were several lesser-known brands that noticeably outperformed the iPod.

According to the writer, "[t]he iPod is over-priced when compared with these competitors," and "[i]t also falls down on battery life, with some portable MP3 players lasting three times as long, while its lack of support for Windows Media files will upset many PC users".

Its recommendations instead: iRiver iHP-100 Series, Rio Karma, Rio Nitrus, iRiver iFP-300 Series, and the iRiver iFP-500 Series.

10:41 AM by Alexander Turcic in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

Geekzone has a review of PalmOne's new trendset PDA Zire 72.

From the review, "the screen is, as with all the new PalmOne screens, gorgeous. You can't dim it as much as the T3, which makes it a little bright at night, but that's the only fault I can find with it. As for the processor – it plays Sonic the Hedgehog (via GuineaPig) only slightly slower than my 400Mhz T3, a nicety of the new PXA270. Sound is very similar to that of the T3 – solid, but nothing particularly special." Sounds nice, especially for $299 ESP.

Only drawback is that the device has no Wifi support, which I consider obligatory for my use (I personally don't care for BT).

10:14 AM by Alexander Turcic in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

According to Reuters, the House Judiciary Committee approved a bill on Wednesday that would outlaw "upskirt" photos and other forms of video voyeurism made possible by cell-phone cameras and other miniaturized technology.

The Inquirer goes even one step farther and predicts the end of the mobile phone business if the banning of cell phones continues. It concludes:

"Genuine fad for true sneak "intimate" photography of ordinary pictures is most unlikely to become widespread. The resulting images are unlikely to be even vaguely erotic, and boredom would set in quickly. But the law prohibiting such devices may rest on many statute books for many years, nonetheless."

08:45 PM by Alexander Turcic in Archive | iSilo/X

Roderick Pommier posted a nice review of iSilo for PPC at pocketnow.com. His conclusion: "Isilo is an indispensable part of my Pocket PC arsenal, if you frequently find interesting web content Isilo is a must buy. Isilo also gives you access to hundreds of documents already converted to Isilo."

Pros

• Handles website conversion very well
• New features are frequently added
• Excellent functionality as reader
• Highly configurable, many options available to customize your experience

Cons

• Not able to update content without desktop companion
• Feature set can be intimidating at first
• More options on for customizing screen regions, perhaps closing the document or go full screen

07:35 PM by Alexander Turcic in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

At PocketPC Addict, I stumbled over a comprehensive review of Netfront Access 3.1 for PPC. The author Brad Isaac comes to the - unsurprising - conclusion: "Netfront finally makes browsing with the Pocket PC easy and enjoyable...I recommend it if you are wanting to bring a taste of powerful desktop browsing to your Pocket PC."

12:59 PM by Alexander Turcic in Archive | Portable Audio/Video

According to information leaked to AppleInsider, the next Apple iPod is due sometime this year with added video capabilities.

"When a user connects one end of the video-cable into the iPod's new dock connector and the other end into the TV, it will switch the iPod into video mode," the source said, which then allows the user to display video clips located in the iPod's 'movies' directory.

In other words, the iPod v4.0 is not a movie player by itself, but a remote harddrive with playback capabilities to an external video source.

11:58 AM by Alexander Turcic in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

I recommend you visit Brighthand who gives some details on the upcoming iPAQs for 2004. According to Brighthand, HP isn't planning to release any new handhelds for more than two months. And long-time iPAQ users will be disappointed to learn that the company is phasing out the use of expansion packs, which won't be necessary anymore with all the built-in functionality and the availability of CompactFlash or SDIO cards.

One new iPAQ on the list will be a new hx4700 model with 128MB of RAM, plus more than 20MB in a File Store. Another device, the hx2700, a replacement for the h5550, will include a fingerprint scanner, which could be useful for security protection in larger cooperations.

11:14 AM by Alexander Turcic in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

MaxiumPDA features a mini review on the new Dell Axim X3i (Dell's first PPC to include both Bluetooth and WiFi).

Technical details at a glance
- 64 MB RAM / 64 MB ROM
- Intel PXA 263 CPU running at 400 MHZ
- integrated Bluetooth
- integrated WLAN 802.11b
- Windows Mobile 2003 Software
- SDIO-Slot
- small and handy formfacot

Summery of the review: "The Dell Axim X3i is a great device at a moderate price. If you are a power user, don't forget to order the larger battery."