Samsung Jet

Samsung Jet Review

The Samsung Jet is a slimline mid-range touchscreen phone that gives a lot, for a modest price. It's a superfast phone, with a responsive touchscreen interface, plenty of online widgets, an excellent web browser, multi-tasking and a superfast processor to power it all. With a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and flash, a music player, FM radio with RDS, and the capability of playing DivX & Xvid videos, it has plenty of entertainment on board. We have to mention the incredible AMOLED display, the 2GB of built-in memory, the 3.5mm audio jack, WiFi and HSDPA. There are just too many good features to list!


The Samsung Jet has been launched with the slogan "Impatience is a Virtue" and according to Samsung it is "the must-have product for those who live fast paced lives and want to pack more of everything into their day."

Yes, the Jet is fast, with a powerful 800 MHz processor (theoretically even faster than the processor used in the iPhone 3G S), a responsive touchscreen user interface and fast web browsing with HSDPA. But for us, the real story is the price. Even though it's only available on Vodafone initially, you can buy the Jet for just £20 per month on contract, which seems like a bargain to us.

The Jet looks pretty much like all other touchscreen phones, with some nice detailing on the three buttons below the screen to set it apart from the common herd. Apart from that, it's almost identical to phones like the Tocco Lite - quite impressive, when you consider how much hi-tech wizardry is packed into this slimline device. So, not only is this a fast device, but it's also sleek and streamlined too, and will easily fit into a shirt or jeans pocket. The TouchWiz 2.0 user interface is tried-and-tested technology and shouldn't cause any problems for most users. And it is very fast and responsive too.

We've got to be impressed by the AMOLED display on this device. It's slobberingly gorgeous. AMOLED is bright, with high contrast, so you can see it outdoors much easier, and the resolution on the Jet is an incredible 800 x 480 pixels, which makes it the best screen we've ever seen on any Samsung phone. In fact it beats most high-end smartphones, yet costs half as much! At 3.1 inches, it's large and this makes a real difference for any touchscreen user interface. This display is so good, it's worth buying the phone for this feature alone!

So, in terms of usability, we'd give the Jet a 10 out of 10. But let's look at the features now. For a mid-range phone, the featureset must rate about 9 out of 10. The camera has 5 megapixels, with autofocus, smile detection, digital zoom and a dual LED flash. It's not going to be shortlisted for the best camera phone ever, but it still beats most of the others in its class. The Jet can record video too, and can play back videos in high resolution in DivX & Xvid formats without conversion. A second camera enables video calling over a 3G network. Musically, the Jet delivers, with a music player capable of playing most common music formats. With DNSe and a 3.5mm audio jack, this ticks our boxes. There's also an FM radio with RDS, so you can see what station you're listening to, and even the name of the artists and song playing.

One of the other strong points of the Jet is the whopping 2GB of memory built into the phone. This will probably be enough for most users, with the capacity to store around 1,000 music tracks, but can be expanded to 16GB with the addition of a microSD card.

Although it's not a smartphone, the Jet does have multi-tasking support, and the TouchWiz interface includes online widgets that can deliver applications like Facebook, weather reports, etc. So unless you're a geek who likes to download and customise, you'll find the Jet answers most of your needs. And if you're one of Samsung's target users living a fast-paced life, you probably don't have time for the downloading and installing stuff anyway. If you do need to download, you'll find the 3G HSDPA and WiFi connections to be nice and fast, whether you're watching YouTube videos or just surfing the web. The web browser is excellent too. Thanks to the huge screen and the one-finger zoom feature, viewing full web pages is easy. The web browser is very well featured, with support for Flash and even multi-window support. It's not quite a laptop, but it's definitely a good mobile web experience.

As well as WiFi support, the Jet has Bluetooth and USB, naturally. The 3.5mm audio jack is very welcome too, enabling the use of standard headphones, or the possibility to connect to an external speaker system or a car stereo. A GPS receiver is included too, but no Google Maps.

So, the Samsung Jet: it's a fabulous phone, with some truly exceptional features. Just remember that it's not a smartphone, so don't compare it with the iPhone, or phones like the Samsung i8910 HD (which both cost twice more than twice as much as the Jet!) Really, this is a fabulous phone for someone wanting more than the Tocco Lite, but not willing to fork out £40 a month for a top-of-the-range smartphone. We guess that ticks a lot of people's boxes.

Features of the Samsung Jet include:

* 5 megapixel camera with autofocus, 4x digital zoom and dual LED flash
* Video recording plus DivX, Xvid playback
* Second video camera for video calling
* Display: AMOLED, 16 million colours, 800 x 480 pixels (3.1 inches)
* Music player (MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA, WMV formats)
* FM radio with RDS
* 64-voice polyphonic ringtones / MP3 ringtones
* Messaging: SMS, MMS, email with Microsoft® Exchange ActiveSync® support and document viewer
* A-GPS
* Integrated handsfree speakerphone
* Personal organiser functions
* Memory: 2GB plus MicroSD memory card slot (expandable to 16GB)
* Connectivity: Bluetooth, USB, 3.5mm audio jack, TV-Out
* Internet: Full web browser with Adobe Flash support, WAP 2.0, GPRS Class 10, EDGE, 3G HSDPA
* Quadband GSM plus 3G (UMTS)
* Size: 109 x 54 x 12 mm
* Weight: 110g
* Talktime: 180 minutes
* Battery standby: 250 hours

LG Cookie KP500

 LG Cookie KP500 Review

The LG KP500 is a touchscreen phone for those on a budget. It's a compact device but with a large touchscreen display that's easy and fun to use. With a 3.2 megapixel camera, a media player, an FM radio, Bluetooth wireless connectivity and a memory card slot, this phone has all the essentials. Although it misses out on 3G and a top class camera, it has most features that most people will want, and for the money you'd be hard pressed to find anything better than this! Now available in Pink!, Best buy: *Free* with free line rental or £220 auto cashback from

The LG KP500 is nicknamed the Cookie. It's billed as an affordable touchscreen phone and in fact there are some amazing deals out there to tempt you. But before you rush off to buy one, join us in a tour of the Cookie, and let's find out what's missing compared to the more expensive rival touchscreen phones.

Let's start by looking at what you do get. You get a genuine touchscreen-driven phone (not just one with touch-sensitive buttons) that is controlled by pressing virtual buttons and icons with your finger or the stylus that's supplied with the phone. Pioneered by the iPhone (and others), touchscreen is the hottest trend in mobile phones in 2009, and it's hard to underestimate the amount of fun that you can have pressing virtual buttons on a screen.

Especially for people like us, who don't get out enough. In the early days touchscreen phones were often tricky to use, but these days they're all pretty easy once you've got used to them. We don't think that the Cookie will pose any trouble, although some may find the stylus a nuisance. Anyway, great fun to use! The KP500 also has a built-in accelerometer, which simply means that it senses which way is up and automatically rotates the display. The virtual QWERTY keyboard slides into view when you turn the phone to landscape mode, which looks very cool. The accelerometer is also used when playing games, so you can tilt and turn the phone Wii-style to control movement. You can shake and flip the phone at other times to control various functions. It's all great fun, as long as you don't mind being stared at by passers-by.

The Cookie is more compact than most touchphones. It's about 20% smaller than the iPhone 3G and several millimetres thinner than its big brother, the LG Renoir. And weighing just 89g, it's probably the lightest touchscreen phone ever. We can't think of any lighter ones off the top of our head anyway. But, and this bit is important, LG have cleverly made the phone smaller without reducing the size of the screen. At 3 inches across, it's a big display by any standards, and when it comes to touchscreen, size really does matter! A bigger screen makes it easier to use, and the Cookie is definitely an easy phone to use.

So, the ergonomics are good, and the screen is good. What else is good? Well, it has a media player that plays most popular digital music formats. It also has a stereo FM radio. It's got a good web browser. It supports email and has a document viewer installed. Connectivity includes USB and Bluetooth, and the operating frequency is quadband GSM, so you should be able to use the phone anywhere in the world.

Now let's take a look at what's missing.

The camera is not as good as the 5 or 8 megapixel cameras seen in LG's high-end phones. It's limited to 3.2 megapixels, and there's no autofocus but this is reasonable when you consider the price. The memory is also more limited at 48 MB, although you can add a microSD memory card to bring this up to 8GB. It's not 3G and there's no WiFi, so web browsing probably isn't a good option, despite the big screen, which is a shame.

Inevitably there are trade-offs between price and features. We feel that LG have got the balance just right with the Cookie. By removing the features that most people won't miss, and by installing an average camera, they've not only slashed the cost, but have also made the phone more compact and easier to use in many ways. As long as you won't miss high speed web browsing or the camera quality, you can have all the benefits of the latest touchscreen phones for a fraction of the cost. For example, on contract you can expect to get the LG KP500 with half-price line rental for the duration of the contract, or a freebie such as a Nintendo Wii Fit, an XBOX 360 or even a couple of hundred quid cashback! With deals this generous, it's very hard to find fault with the Cookie.

The new Samsung Tocco Lite is an almost exact copy of the Cookie - there's little to choose between the two phones, except that our users seem to feel that the Tocco Lite is a more robust phone - the Cookie seems to annoy a few people with reported software glitches.

Features of the LG KP500 Cookie include:

* 3 megapixel camera with digital zoom
* Video recording
* Touch sensitive screen: TFT LCD, 262k colours, 240 x 400 pixels (3 inches)
* Handwriting recognition
* Music player (MP3/AAC/AAC+/AAC++/WMA formats)
* FM radio
* Speakerphone
* Messaging: SMS, MMS, Email
* T9 predictive text
* Document viewer (TXT, PDF, DOC, PPT, XLS)
* Ringtones: 64 voice polyphonic ringtones / MP3 ringtones
* Wallpaper
* Java 2.0 games
* Phonebook (1000 names)
* Memory: 48 Mbytes plus microSD memory card slot (up to 8GB)
* Connectivity: USB 2.0, Bluetooth
* Internet: WAP 2.0, GPRS, EDGE, web browser
* Vibration alert
* Quad band
* Size: 107 x 55 x 12 mm
* Weight: 89g
* Talktime: 3.5 hours
* Battery standby: 350 hours

Samsung Tocco Lite

 Samsung Tocco Lite Review

The Tocco Lite is Samsung's answer to the LG Cookie. Available in black or pink it's a bargain touchscreen phone. Although it lacks 3G, it offers a fabulous fun user interface with easy access to Facebook and YouTube, plus all the features that you'd expect: a 3.2 megapixel camera, video recording, music player, FM radio with RDS, memory card slot and Bluetooth. Available free on contract with a choice of free gifts: from free line rental to a free laptop or XBOX 360.

The best-selling phone in the first half of 2009 has probably been the LG Cookie. The secret to the Cookie's success is simple: it's a touchscreen phone with loads of gadgets for just £100. So now Samsung have released the Tocco Lite to go head to head against the Cookie for best budget touchscreen phone. Which phone will win in the Cookie vs Tocco Lite battle?

Well, the Tocco Lite is arriving on the scene 6 months later than the Cookie, so it should be 6 months ahead of the curve, and a clear winner. But in fact the specification is almost exactly identical to the Cookie, and the Tocco Lite is retailing at a slightly higher price, although this may fall in the weeks after launch. What then, is the point of the Tocco?

Physically, the two devices are exactly the same size, to within a millimetre! The screens are identical in type, size, colour definition and pixels. With a good size screen (3 inches) and high resolution, Samsung's TouchWiz user interface works well on the Tocco Lite. TouchWiz can now be regarded as a mature technology, and it seems to be pretty much universally popular. Mobile widgets let you customise your home screen and give easy access to apps such as the clock, weather forecast, etc. There are also widgets for popular web apps such as MySpace, Facebook and YouTube. The built-in accelerometer sensor will automatically rotate the screen when you turn the phone on its side, so you can easily switch between portrait and landscape modes. The virtual QWERTY keyboard is easy to use, and we think that you'll have no problems using the touchscreen. The addition of "real" keys for call, send and select make it even easier to use than a full touchphone. The user interface also supports handwriting recognition and gesture lock.

As we commented earlier, the spec of the Tocco Lite is virtually identical to the Cookie's. There's a 3.2 megapixel camera with digital zoom. Samsung's "Smile Shot" feature lets you take a photo when the camera thinks your subject is smiling. You can also edit your photos on the camera itself. A basic camcorder is available too. There's a music player, FM radio with RDS, and support for downloadable MP3 ringtones. Audio quality is good, with a virtual 3D surround effect, an equaliser and support for DNSe. The memory is similar to the Cookie's, and is expandable to 16GB with a microSD card. When it comes to connectivity, the Tocco Lite supports Bluetooth and USB. Like the Cookie, there's no WiFi and no 3G, which means that features like YouTube are going to be on the slow and jerky side. But remember that this is a budget phone - you can't have everything, and this seems like a reasonable compromise.

The web browser is very good, making excellent use of the large screen and with easy access to RSS feeds, Google Mail, Google Search and Google Maps. The lack of 3G does hamper the web browser though in terms of download speed.

Battery life seems to be pretty good. The Tocco Lite doesn't have the heavy duty battery of its big brothers, the Tocco or Omnia, but it has fewer gadgets to power, so it seems to be up to the job. Just don't expect it to last as long as your ancient Nokia and you'll be OK.

Taken on its own terms, the Tocco Lite is a fabulous phone. Whilst it lacks some of the features of high-end phones (3G, GPS, 8 MP camera, WiFi, etc), it does offer a lot for your money: a beautiful touchscreen user interface with 3.2 megapixel camera, stereo FM radio with RDS, accelerometer sensor, handwriting recognition and up to 16GB microSD expandable memory. It's available at launch with some fabulous contract deals: free line rental, or free gifts such as an XBOX 360, etc, and it comes in a choice of pink or black. The big question for many will be whether to choose the Tocco Lite or the LG Cookie. We have struggled to find a real reason to prefer one over the other, and frankly we can't. It seems that Samsung have made a phone so similar to the Cookie that there's virtually nothing to choose between them. But don't get the impression that we dislike the Tocco Lite - quite the reverse. It's an excellent phone offering outstanding value. Whether you choose the Tocco Lite or the Cookie you'll be getting one of the best phone bargains of 2009. On balance, our user reviews seem to be giving a slightly higher score to the Tocco Lite.

Update: a minority of users have reported a problem with the audio cutting out every few seconds, so that you can't hear the caller. As far as we can tell this happens on O2 only. Mike B has a possible fix for this problem for O2 users: Try going to Menu - Applications - O2 - Get Settings. Install the settings you are sent and reset the phone. Since I did that, and received the settings for PAYG from O2 I haven't had any problems with calls, (at least for the last 2 days). Hope it helps ! Thanks to Mike B, and if you have tried this, please write a review to let us know how it worked. Please also report this problem if you experience it on any other network. John L has an alternative fix for O2 users: go to settings, network settings and for network mode select GSM 900/1800.

Features of the Samsung Tocco Lite include:

* 3.2 megapixel camera with digital zoom
* Video recording (QVGA 15fps)
* Display: TFT, 262K colours, 240 x 400 pixels (3.0 inches)
* Music player (MP3/AAC/AAC+/AAC++/WMA formats)
* Stereo FM radio RDS
* 64-voice polyphonic ringtones / MP3 ringtones
* Integrated handsfree speakerphone
* Personal organiser functions
* Memory: MicroSD memory card slot (up to 16GB)
* Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.1, USB 2.0
* WAP 2.0, GPRS Class 10, EDGE
* Quadband GSM
* Size: 106 x 54 x 12 mm
* Weight: 94g

Apple iPhone 3G S

 Apple iPhone 3G S Review

The iPhone 3G S is easily the best iPhone ever. Apple have filled in the missing pieces of the jigsaw and created possibly the best phone / media player / internet device ever. Highlights include GPS navigation with a digital compass, OS X applications from the App Store, super fast web browsing, Apple's famous music-playing capabilities, up to 32 GB of built-in memory, and Wi-Fi. The only real problem is the price.

The latest iPhone - the iPhone 3G S - launched in the UK on June 19. It is exclusive to O2, and available from free on contract, although you'll have to pay £35 per month for the basic 16GB version. The iPhone 3GS adds features like a video camera, voice control and a digital compass. The camera has been upgraded to 3 megapixels with autofocus. Battery life has been improved and applications run faster. And, set your eyebrows to "shocked" because you can now copy and paste text, and forward messages. It looks like Apple have now managed to fill in the missing pieces of the jigsaw and produce a phone that can really deliver on its promise.

There was never any doubt about the basic platform on which the iPhone is built. The original iPhone set the benchmark for touchscreen phones, and the iPhone 3G S is arguably still the best touchscreen-driven phone on the market, in terms of usability. What was lacking in the first two generations of iPhone was the featureset that power users expect from a modern phone. Now, with the 3G S, we can say that there is nothing missing and that the latest iPhone can match any smartphone on the market. That's not to say that it's the best in every department. The camera is still relatively basic when compared to the 8 megapixel camera with xenon flash on the Sony Ericsson C905 for instance. And the HTC Touch HD has a much higher resolution screen. Etc, etc. The point is that the perfect phone doesn't exist - will never exist - and as buyers we have to weigh up the options and choose the one that seems to meet our most important needs. In the past, the iPhone often failed to meet quite basic needs, and had to be excluded from the shortlist, but now it does enough to be considered a real player.

First off, there can be no doubting the sheer style, ease-of-use and fun that the iPhone 3G S delivers. It's such a slim, tactile, good-looking phone with such gorgeous graphics that we want to just kiss it - phwa! The iPhone delivers on its promise to replace three devices with one. One - it works brilliantly as a phone, and once you've started touching your friends' names in the contacts list to make a call, you'll never want to go back to a conventional phone. Two - it replaces your iPod, obviously, no contest. Three - it's definitely one of the top mobile internet devices around, with the wonderful Safari web browser and the easy scrolling and zooming of full web pages, displayed in all their glory. It's also brilliant at email. But the iPhone has more than this. It also has the App Store, which is now a mature library of thousands of applications, many of which you can download for free. Whether you want to play games, access Facebook, edit your photos or plan your finances, you can probably find an app that does what you want.

The camera is a considerable improvement on the previous iPhone. It's now up to 3 megapixels and crucially has autofocus. This works really well in fact - you just tap the screen to tell the camera where you want to focus - quite a brilliant innovation we think. Although the camera can't match most similarly-priced smartphones, it's probably good enough for 90% of users. The video camera isn't bad either, with a respectable VGA resolution and up to 30 frames per second.

The GPS system has been upgraded, with a digital compass added, which is very handy. There are other improvements across the board, such as enhanced YouTube support, voice memos and voice support, and faster apps. All these improvements make a big difference in fact.

We think that Apple have finally made a device that ticks nearly every box. The iPhone works well as a phone, brilliantly as a media player and portable internet device, and perhaps most of all as a portable mini computer internet games music camera thingy that is so good it's virtually a must-have. Once you have it, you'll ask yourself how you ever lived without it. The only problem is the price. Although it's the best value iPhone yet, it's still very expensive, and you'd be silly not to consider what else you can buy for this kind of money. Options include the Nokia N97, LG Viewty Smart, Samsung i8910 HD, HTC Touch HD or HTC Magic. The bottom line is that if you have this kind of money to spend, you're really spoiled for choice.

Features of the Apple iPhone 3GS include:

• OS X Operating System
• Assisted GPS with digital compass
• 3 megapixel camera with autofocus
• Video camera (VGA, 30 frames per second)
• Display: 480 x 320 pixels (3.5 inch) touchscreen
• Music player (AAC, Protected AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 1, 2, and 3), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV formats)
• Voice control, voice memos
• Messaging: SMS, MMS, email
• Memory: 16GB or 32GB flash drive
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), 3.5mm headphone jack
• WAP, EDGE, HSDPA
• Size: 116 x 62 x 12.3 mm
• Weight: 135g
• Quad-band (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) plus UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz)
• Talktime: 5 - 12 hours
• Battery standby: 300 hours
• Audio playback: Up to 30 hours

Toshiba Satellite P505

 Review

The Toshiba Satellite P505 is a multimedia powerhouse that packs an ATI Radeon HD 4650 and a massive 18.4" display. Offering dual drives for optimal performance and storage, this notebook handle all your multimedia needs, while still being able to power through games. In this review of the Toshiba P505-S8950 we find out how well it performs in daily activities, and if 18.4" is really too big to still be considered portable.

Toshiba Satellite P505-S8950 Specifications:

• Windows Vista Home Premium (SP1)
• 1680 x 945 HD+ TriBrite Display (Glossy)
• ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 with 1GB GDDR2
• Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 (2.53GHz, 1066MHz FSB, 3MB Cache)
• 6GB DDR2-800 RAM
• 64GB Toshiba SSD + 320GB 7200RPM Hitachi
• Slot-Loading DVD SuperMulti (+/- Double Layer) with Labelflash
• Intel 5100AGN, Bluetooth v2.1, and Atheros AR8131 1GB Ethernet
• Harman/kardon speakers
• Built-in web camera
• 12-cell 10.8v 87Wh (100Wh actual) battery
• Dimensions: (LxWxH) 17.4 x 11.6 x 1.63"
• Weight: 11 lbs., 0.3 oz. as configured
• Retail Price: $1,599

Build and Design

The Satellite P505 is a massive notebook, dwarfing even large 17" gaming systems. Combine that with a heavy body and you are left not wanting to stick it in a backpack; and good luck finding a slip case big enough. The exterior appearance is classy with a glossy black pinstripe finish and chrome trim around all the edges. Inside the color scheme stays the same, with chrome speaker grills, screen hinge, and touchpad buttons. The matching keyboard does a good job of blending in, with glossy black keys and white characters with white backlighting. While its size might make people turn their heads and stare, the tasteful color scheme does a good job of helping the notebook blend into the background. If you are using this as a multimedia hub for a bedroom or dorm, this is exactly what you want, as you aren't distracted by flashy colors or lots of LEDs.


Build quality is above average, although with the high weight and long width, you will see some mild flex if you try to carry the notebook by a corner. Plastic creaking is minimal and the chassis as a whole feels very strong. The keyboard area and palmrest show no signs of flex, even under very strong pressure. The glossy plastic finish seems to resist minor scratching, keeping a clean look even after wiping the body down multiple times for fingerprints. The screen has excellent protection from the backside, as well as the front thanks to the all-glass panel covering the LCD. Even with strong taps to the front and back of the display, there are no signs of color distortion. The only downside to the massive screen is its weight seems to act against the screen hinges, giving it some wiggle when in an open viewing position. You don't notice this unless you are constantly shifting around with the laptop on your lap though.

Users looking to upgrade components will enjoy the easy access to both hard drive bays and memory slots. Each hard drive is located in its own individual bay, with a third panel giving you access to the RAM. With the middle panel off you also get a glimpse at the graphics card, but the opening is not large enough to remove the card through. No "warranty void if removed" stickers were found anywhere on our review unit.

Screen and Speakers

 
The 18.4" panel on the Satellite P505 has a resolution of 1680x945, which seems lacking for something this large. Most high-end multimedia notebooks of this size usually offer a 1080P display, which takes more advantage of the greater surface area. That said, the panel still looks very nice for viewing games, images, or HD video. Colors appear bright and vibrant, thanks in part to the glossy surface. Depending on the viewing situations, reflections can play a huge role in what you are viewing on the display at any given time. While using this notebook at my kitchen table in front of a window, all I saw was the bright sunlight and slates to the shade reflecting off the screen. You can alleviate this by rotating the notebook or tilting the screen, but it is still quite annoying. Vertical viewing angles are average with colors starting to shift or distort as soon as 15 degrees forward or back. Horizontal viewing angles were better, staying true until roughly 50 degrees where reflections on the screen started to overpower the screen itself. Backlight bleed was minimal at the highest brightness setting, and never noticeable in normal viewing conditions.


The last notebook that really impressed me with the onboard speaker system was the Toshiba Satellite A305, giving rich audio from oversized flush-mounted speakers. The P505 continues that trend with an impressive harman/kardon sound system. Unlike the majority of notebook speakers, you can actually hear bass and midrange, although not enough to shake picture frames off walls or annoy neighbors. For a small room the sound system is more than adequate for watching a movie or just playing music in the background. For larger areas, headphones or a stereo system would still be preferred.

Keyboard and Touchpad

 
The keyboard was very comfortable and responsive while typing and the backlight helped greatly with low-light visibility. The 18.4" frame gave ample room for a full-size keyboard and keypad, with enough room left over for a 1" wide touch sensitive multimedia key section. Individual key action was springy, with a soft click when fully pressed. The layout was easy to follow, but the tight key spacing did take some getting used to. The top of each key was slightly larger than normal beveled-edge keys, giving less buffer space between each of them. The LED-backlighting was clean and just the right brightness to not be overpowering when typing in dark rooms. With the backlight on you could see some light shining through the edges of keys at a certain angle, but it was not overly apparent.

Toshiba incorporates a large flush-mount Synaptics touchpad into the palmrest of the P505. While we normally praise most Synaptics touchpads, this specific model had inconsistent lag and was frustrating to use. No amount of adjustment in the control panel would help it, since it seemed to be tied directly to its slower refresh rate. Movement across the surface felt inconsistent, and took a bit to get used to. This may be entirely related to buggy drivers or a faulty touchpad on our review unit though. The touchpad buttons were large and easy to trigger with the side of your thumb, giving off a mild click when pressed.

Ports and Features

 
Port selection on the P505 was good, with three dedicated USB ports, one eSATA/USB combo port, a FireWire connection, LAN, VGA-out, HDMI, and audio jacks. Our model also included a legacy modem port. The notebook could have fit a few extra USB connections, but four should suffice for most people. 

ASUS Eee PC 1101HA

Review

The newest 11-inch netbook from ASUS looks remarkably like an enlarged ASUS Eee PC 1005HA Seashell, but there's more to the new 1101HA than meets the eye. Inside you'll find an average Intel Atom processor and software that allows you to overclock this netbook for roughly a 33 percent boost in performance! Is the Eee PC 1101HA the king of the 11-inch netbooks? Keep reading to find out.

Our ASUS Eee PC 1101HA features the following specifications:

• Operating System: Genuine Windows XP
• Processor: Intel Atom Z520 Processor 1.33GHz (can be overclocked to 1.74GHz)
• Memory: 1GB DDR2 SDRAM (667MHz)
• Internal Storage: 160GB 5400 rpm SATA HDD plus 10GB Eee Online Storage
• Display: 11.6-inch diagonal WSVGA (1366x768)
• Graphics: Intel GMA 500
• Wireless: Broadcom 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 EDR
• Expansion: 4-in-1 media card slot
• Ports and connectors: (3) USB 2.0 ports, VGA OUT, power connector, RJ-45/Ethernet (Gigabit), stereo headphone/line out, stereo microphone in, 1.3 megapixel webcam
• Dimensions (H x W x D): 0.9-1.50 x 11.25 x 7.75 inches (including feet)
• Weight: 3.0 lbs (not including weight of AC adapter).
• Power: 6-cell Lithium-Ion battery (5600mAh, 63Wh)
• Warranty: One-year standard warranty
• MSRP: $429.99

Build and Design

I have to confess to feeling a strong sense of deja vu when I opened the box containing the new ASUS Eee PC 1101HA. The latest entry to the Eee PC family of netbooks looks remarkably like the Eee PC 1005HA that I previously reviewed ... and with good reason. The 1101HA is essentially nothing more than a larger version of the 1005HA with a larger screen and a few different parts inside the clamshell chassis. Although the 1101HA needed to be physically larger than previous Eee PCs in order to accommodate a larger 11-inch screen, this new Eee PC is still exceptionally compact and makes a convenient travel companion.

Since the new 1101HA has so much in common with the 1005HA, some of our readers may want to jump ahead to the sections discussing the new 11-inch display and the performance and benchmarks. Beyond that, much of this review will be surprisingly similar to our review of the last Eee PC.

As previously mentioned, if you look at the top of the 1101HA it's easy to see to confuse this laptop with one of the earlier "Seashell" Eee PCs ... but that's not such a bad thing. The simple styling, solid build quality and budget prices are all reasons that the ASUS Eee PC line remains popular among many retailers. The glossy black plastics aren't prone to flex and the keyboard is very firm ... two things you usually don't see on larger budget notebooks. The various parts of the chassis come together with tight build tolerances like a higher-priced laptop. The 1101HA isn't a premium laptop by any stretch of the imagination, but this netbook is pretty solid build for a street price of only about $410.

The bottom of the netbook looks very clean and smooth with an easy-access RAM cover, heat vents, and the battery. If you want to upgrade the RAM in your 1101HA all you have to do is remove one screw on the access panel on the bottom of the netbook. I would have also liked to see an easy-access panel for the hard drive, but most netbook buyers aren't going to mess with the hard drive.

Screen and Speakers
 
The new Eee PC 1101HA Seashell uses a reasonably impressive 11-inch LED-backlit display panel with a 1366x768 native resolution. The glossy screen in the 1101HA offers good color and contrast, though images looked a bit washed out at default settings. Glare and reflections indoors under strong lights or outdoors under direct sunlight can be a problem because of the glossy surface, but the LED backlighting is usually strong enough to overpower any reflections on the screen. Again, the most noteworthy feature here is the 1366x768 resolution which is a nice boost over the 1024x600 resolution on 10-inch screens. Vertical viewing angles are average, with some color distortion when viewing from below and over-exposed colors when viewed from above. Horizontal viewing angles are better with colors staying accurate at extremely wide viewing angles with just a little bit of color wash out.


The built-in speakers, like those found on virtually all netbooks, are pretty weak. You can use them to listen to short online video clips or system alert sounds, but if you want to enjoy music or a feature-length movie while traveling then you'll need to purchase a good set of headphones.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The 1101HA uses a new 95% full-size keyboard that is marginally larger and more comfortable than the 92% of full-size keyboard first seen on the 1008HA Seashell. The keys on this netbook keyboard are still slightly smaller than the keys on an average notebook and the spacing between the keys is a little cramped. If you prefer the shape and feel of traditional keys then you'll probably like the new keyboard. That said, I personally prefer the "Chiclet" style keyboard on netbooks since Chiclet keys provide more space between the keys to prevent me from accidentally hitting the wrong key. Still, the keyboard on this netbook is quite usable and should be perfectly fine for typing quick emails or editing documents while traveling.

The Synaptics touchpad used on the 1101HA appears to be identical to the gesture-enabled models on the 1008HA and 1005HA. This allows you to use multi-figure gestures such as "pinching" your fingers together or "pulling" your fingers apart to zoom in or out. You can also use a "three-finger tap" as an alternative to a right click on a mouse. The Synaptics control panel in Windows also allows you to customize these gestures as well. The touchpad surface is covered in dots that provide a clear indication of the edges of the touchpad, but this also makes the touchpad surface too rough for quick finger movement. The left and right touchpad buttons are located beneath a single rocker-style button, but with no separation between the left and right side it's easy to accidentally press the middle of the touchpad button when you're trying to press the left or right side. The touchpad buttons have extremely shallow feedback, so it isn't always easy to feel when you have or have not pressed a button.

The 1101HA lacks a dedicated wireless on/off switch, but ASUS did include a dedicated touchpad on/off button as well as FN keyboard shortcuts for wireless, screen brightness, video output, volume, and Windows task manager.

Input and Output Ports

The 1101HA features an identical port layout to the one seen on the 1005HA. Specifically, you get three USB 2.0 ports, a 4-in-1 media card reader, headphone and microphone jacks, Ethernet port, and the return of a standard VGA out port. The 1101HA lacks the protective port covers seen on the 1008HA, but I personally don't like protective covers since I have to move them to use the ports.

The 1101HA also features the "Eee Docking software" first seen on the 1005HA. In much the same way that the Apple OS X dock or ObjectDock from Stardock software allow you to use quick shortcuts to utilities and applications, the Eee Docking software provides an easy way to locate utilities, software and digital content. It consists of the following: Eee Vibe (music/media application and Eee download website), Sharing (Data sync, messenger, and Eee Storage), Xperience (Voice Command) and Tools (Parental Control, Font resizer, and Settings), and all of these suites are easily accessed from the top of the screen and is semi-hidden when not in use.

Elements MULTi6-FASiSO

Finally, a matching puzzler with a twist – match elements of the same size to fuse them into larger elements! Harness the power of nature’s greatest forces in this addictive swap-and-match game. Follow the clues from the Book of Elements and Leonardo da Vinci’s greatest confidante to conquer all 50 levels and unlock the Elixir of Life!

Download Here
http://rapidshare.com/files/284031653/Elements.MULTi6-FASiSO.rar

Empire Builder Ancient Egypt

Become ancient Egypt`s greatest architect and construct world famous monuments as you raise an empire from the sands of time! Help powerful pharaohs build along the lush Nile River and solidify their life legacy in Empire Builder – Ancient Egypt. This detailed Strategy game challenges you to protect your people from locust plagues and terrifying mummies, while creating some of the Wonders of the World!

DOWNLOAD LINK

http://hotfile.com/dl/12649378/b770c3f/Empire_Builder-Ancient_Egypt_.rar.html

OR

http://rapidshare.com/files/280214819/Empire_Builder-Ancient_Egypt_.rar

I Spy Fun House New

Explore a carnival full of brain-teasing illusions in this Hidden Object game! Get ready to enter a topsy-turvy world where nothing is as it appears! Solve enigmatic puzzles and play multileveled games to earn tickets for the Funhouse. The more tickets you earn, the more games in the Funhouse you’ll unlock!

DOWNLOAD LINKS

http://hotfile.com/dl/11371756/d117c1b/I.Spy.Fun.House.v1.0-TE.rar.html

OR

http://rapidshare.com/files/274952273/I.Spy.Fun.House.v1.0-TE.rar

Time Breaker PC Game

A giant sea serpent lashes at the screen. A majestic Pharaoh dances like an Egyptian. A helicopter spins and whirls in three-dimensional space. The detail on the chopper is so extreme, you can see through its window and into its cockpit. Like a mad scientist’s fusion of Magic Ball and Hyperballoid, Timebreaker features jaw-dropping 3D animated levels. Your mission: Smash them into smithereens with your ball and paddle.

In addition to eye-popping visuals, Timebreaker offers a collection of unique bonuses, including a gravity power-up that gives you control of where the ball goes and a helper droid who’s as cute as he is useful. What’s more, the game is tailored for players of all skill levels; whether you’re a novice or an expert, Timebreaker will entertain and challenge you. Download the free trial version now, and experience the new standard in Arkanoid games.

DOWNLOAD LINKS

http://hotfile.com/dl/11875175/ced06c5/11_TimeBreaker.rar.html

OR

http://rapidshare.com/files/277132788/11_TimeBreaker.rar

Foreign Legion, Buckets of Blood RIP

Foreign Legion: Buckets of Blood is a cartoon-style third-person shooter. You take the role of a last-standing hard-boiled Legionnaire on a mission to protect a village against an entire rebel army.

As the last survivor of a Foreign Legion strike team, you alone must protect a village against a local rebel group. The villagers took refuge and fortified themselves inside the town hall and are waiting for the rescue helicopter to arrive. It’s your job to protect the villagers from the rebels’ ambushes!

DOWNLOAD LINK

http://hotfile.com/dl/11241089/5cc9476/F.L.B.o.B_ferrocan.rar.html

OR

http://rapidshare.com/files/273727224/F.L.B.o.B_ferrocan.rar

Drawn The Painted Tower

Much like the Dream Chronicles series or the more recent Princess Isabella: A Witch's Curse, the new casual adventure game Drawn: The Painted Tower drops you in a gorgeously drawn world filled with items to find and puzzles to solve. The story and artwork wrap the game in a brilliantly mysterious package, delivering a feast for your senses as you devour the simple (but tasty!) gameplay.

A shadow has fallen over the dark kingdom, but a legend tells of a girl who will restore the light. She lives out her dreams within the walls of the Painted Tower, drawing the world as she sees it and creating sketches and paintings with magical abilities. Imprisoned at the top of the tower, it's your job to work your way through the dark halls and set her free.

It's easy to spot the hidden object influence in a title like this, but once you start the adventure, you'll realize it's all about the story, the puzzles, and the breathtaking scenery. Each scene features a few clickable hotspots that contain mini-games, puzzles, or objects to collect. Quite often you'll come across pieces of things, such as scraps of cloth, shards of glass, etc., that need to be gathered in your inventory and assembled somewhere nearby.

Your objective is listed on the left side of the screen, but finding the right items to complete that objective may involve a little travel. A hint system is available, and it recharges a few minutes after each use, so if you're stuck, give it a click to see if it can nudge you in the right direction.

Weaving through the tower may seem like a drab affair, but thanks to the girl's vivid imagination, you'll visit a stunning variety of locations. It's a reward in itself just to see the inside of a new painting. The very first chapter takes place in a warm meadow, and the minute the screen loads, you'll be floored by the visual detail. When I saw a fully animated grasshopper crawl through the brush, I wanted to sit and stare at the scene rather than play the game.

Analysis: The biggest standout feature of Drawn: The Painted Tower is, well, everything you see and hear, from the artwork to the voice acting and even the music. The game comes to life on your screen, filling your eyes with beautifully illustrated locations that burst with vibrant (or murky, depending on the setting) colors. It's like wandering around in a slightly grim fairy tale. Appropriate given the game's plot.

The gameplay itself isn't anything new, per se, though I appreciate how easy it is to find, combine, and use items without fumbling with the interface. The usual battery of mini-games are strewn about the world, popping up in the form of jigsaw puzzles and the like when you've found all the pieces of a riddle. While the games are well-integrated into the environment, they aren't anything special, and sometimes I wished they were left out altogether. After a few seconds fiddling with each puzzle a skip button appears, so if you aren't having a good time with the mini-game, feel free to forget about it!

Beautiful presentation on every front, smooth gameplay, and an intriguing story that unfolds as you play. Drawn: The Painted Tower is a bit short, but the ending leaves plenty of room for a sequel. It may not reinvent the casual adventure game, but Drawn: The Painted Tower is definitely one of the shining stars of the genre.

DOWNLOAD LINK

http://hotfile.com/dl/11686658/0752af6/Drawn_The_Painted_Tower.exe.html

OR

http://rapidshare.com/files/276607269/Drawn_The_Painted_Tower.exe

Mobile Windows Mobile 6.5, Future

In a very surprising release from Microsoft, Redmond-based giant has announced that Windows Mobile 6.5 handset that will be first issued on 6 October, or about 3 weeks after the release of the Zune HD.

If read carefully, this will be the first thing with what is known as "Windows Mobile" and the other side also promised a new consumer experience and a good browser capabilities. All of this will also be featured windows market share for mobile (as a retail store applications), Microsfot My Phone (a backup service) and Office Mobile.

As we have seen the phone, all the average branded HTC, HP, LG, Samsung, Toshiba, Sony Ericson and several other major players in the market. With a presence in each carrier in the world (save T-Mobile USA), also voiced his support.

Miranda IM 0.8.7

Chat client that has the basic characteristics and capabilities of most of its competitors. With this difference that is significantly smaller and takes less system resources. With it you can chat simultaneously in: AIM, ICQ, IRC, and MSN networks. And the official site you can download and other plugin-, skin-s, sound and other extras.

Miranda IM 0.8.7 Preview Release 1 is an instant messaging client open source that allows access to services and contacts of different messenger networks, including: MSN, Yahoo, ICQ, Jabber, Gadu-Gadu, Tlen or Netsend.
The aim of the developers of Miranda IM 0.8.7 Preview Release 1 is to achieve a flexible and with low resource consumption, therefore, the functions included are basic.

These can be extended using plugins. For now, the number of extensions available for this tool is 350.
Another advantage of Miranda IM 0.8.7 Preview Release 1 is that you can use with any Windows operating system from version 95 to Vista.

Size: 1.55 MB
Publisher: Visit Website
Release Date: 2009-9-25
OS: Win 9x/ME/2K/NT/XP/Vista

DOWNLOAD HERE

Sony Ericsson P-800 Smart Phone

This smartphone or mediaphone (according to the manufacturer) was one of the most desirable handsets in the year 2002. It was planned to launch P800 in autumn but than the data was postponed to the 4 quarter. P800 has only one competitor in its class - Nokia 7650. It works under Symbian OS control, it has an integrated camera and almost the same features. However, the phones have some specific differences which I hope we'll discuss next time.

P800 is produced only in one colour - Silver White. The dimensions of this device are quite large (117x59x27mm), it's not comfortable to wear it in jeans or in the breast pocket. The phone looks nice in case, it is larger than other modern phone but you don't feel any discomfort while wearing it though it weighs 158g. If you remove the flip key-pad you can reduce the phone mass by 10 grams. But it's not easy to do this operation, though all the steps are thoroughly written in the manual - guide. During my experiments I hardly didn't break the holders of the key-pad. Phone design is very unusual. If you look at the phone, you'll see that the key-pad occupies only half of the phone's height and it is used as a cover for a touchscreen. While using the key-pad you just substitute stylus taps for keystrokes. The similar solution was used in Ericsson R380 which also had a touchscreen.

If you can open or remove the flip key-pad the phone will switched to the full-screen mode. An on-screen key-pad works in this mode too. You can see it on the photo below.

In contrast to other phones from SonyEricsson some new keys were added here: the Ok key (a soft-key that is used for the confirmation of the information), the back key that takes the user one step back while the menu navigation (the function of clear or reject keys in previous models) and the menu key. The latter is used to access different menus depending on where the user is in the menu system. The keys are highly visible at night, touchscreen itself is used as a backlighting. On the contrary in a daylight symbols on the keys are not clearly visible because of the too small font size.

The keys are made of plastic, they respond well if you press them up to the stop. The keys are spaced rather far from each other, it's impossible to dial a phone number quickly. Of course we shouldn't forget that a key-pad is only an additional accessory for such device, some kind of a luxury, which is used only for dialing. So we can be satisfied by it quality.

The screen has a resolution of 208x144 pixels (40x28mm) with the closed flip, when the flip is opened or removed the resolution is 208x320 pixels (40x61mm). It is non-reflective and retains visibility in all conditions. The screen shows 4096 colours (12-bit colour depth). Sometimes it's easy to read the text even without backlighting. You see only a part of the working screen when the flip is closed. The advantage of the key-pad is also in protecting the screen from the contact with your cheek while talking. As a result the screen doesn't become dirty quickly.

Naturally there is a stylus in a standard kit contents which you can find on the right backside. To take it off you should pull it up. It seems to me that the style of the stylus is a little bit different from the whole design, the stylus is lucent and light, but it functioned quite good. 

Two more keys are placed on the right-hand side: the upper one is used for browsing WAP sites, the lower one is a shutter button. It provides a shot-cut to camera application in the standby mode. A camera lens is positioned on the back of the phone, it doesn't cover with a shutter, and hence, it is sensitive for dust and moisture. Later I will tell more about the photos quality and the usage of integrated camera.
On the left of camera lens there is an external antenna connector and an office handsfree speaker, the latter is also used for incoming calls signals reproduction.

A handsfree connector and JogDial are placed on the left-hand side. No doubts that JogDial is a feature from Sony products, it simplifies and speeds up the navigation. JogDial can be rotated in five directions. You can turn it in a vertical plane to scroll the lists, press it to confirm the choice or deflect it up/down to enter/exit a menu. There were no problems with the JogDial navigation during the practical tests.

There are also an infra-red port and a power button on the left-hand side. A system connector which is similar to other phones from SonyEricsson is placed on the bottom of the phone. Thus, almost all accessories of a new smartphone are compatible with modern phones.

And some words about a system CD. It enables the user to load a definite language and switch the phone's user interface language. The first phones (aimed to the European market) will support the following languages: Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish. No Russian. Hope, it will be realized later.

This CD also contains a PC software for synchronization between the P800 and such applications as Lotus Notes, Microsoft Outlook, Lotus organizer. Moreover, P800 has a SyncML and, hence, it can synchronize data with modern applications which support a general standard.

There are also many applications that can be used for reading documents in different formats, the most pleasing thing was to see a support of MS Word and MS Excel.
Other important utilities are the following:

• Backup and restoration of the data from PC. This utility makes a reserve copies of the phone memory.
• File transfer utility which enables files to be viewed and moved to a PC and to the phone. Usually it is used for viewing graphical files.
• Set-up utility which helps to download new applications to P800.
• Modem Driver file.
• Ebook reader - an application for reading books

Thunderbird 3.0 Beta 4

Thunderbird 3.0 Beta 4 | 8.40MB

Thunderbird is a great email client from the same people who brought you the Firefox browser.

Thunderbird gives you IMAP/POP support, a built-in RSS reader, support for HTML mail, powerful quick search, saved search folders, advanced message filtering, message grouping, labels, return receipts, smart address book LDAP address completion, import tools, and the ability to manage multiple e-mail and newsgroup accounts.

Thunderbird 3 Beta is a preview release for the next major version of Thunderbird. It is being made available for testing purposes only. Features in Thunderbird 3 include:
* A new Activity Manager
* An Archive feature similar to the one in GMail
* A new global database

Download

Hotfile | Easy-share

Switch Sound Format Converter 1.4 Simple audio converter

Switch Sound Format Converter 1.42 to program to convert audio files for Windows or Mac. The program can convert audio files from many different file formats to MP3, WAV, or WMA. For example, you can convert wav files to mp3, mp3 to wav, wma to mp3 or many other formats. Just add the files you want to convert, select the output format, and then click "convert".

Switch Sound Format Converter 1.42 for Mac is an application that allows conversions between audio files.
Very easy to use, supports a wide variety of different file formats, including MP3, OGG, WAV, AIFF or FLAC.
The application allows you to select the properties of sound files, including the quality or channels, and edit your metadata.
Switch Sound Format Converter 1.42 can also extract the sound of a video in MOV.
Note
For Mac OS X 10.2 or later.
Also available in other Operating Systems:
Download Switch Sound Format Converter 1.42 for Windows
Size: 0.39 MB
Publisher: Visit Website
Release Date: 2008-12-1
OS: Win 9x/ME/2K/NT/XP/Vista

                             DOWNLOAD HERE

iOrgSoft DVD to BlackBerry Converter review

iOrgSoft DVD to BlackBerry Converter 3.3.8 is a Video Converter product from iorgsoft.com, get 4 Stars SoftSea Rating, DVD to BlackBerry Converter is a practical and easy to operate software for BlackBerry users. iOrgSoft DVD to BlackBerry Converter allows you to convert DVD to BlackBerry video for Blackberry without region code limitation. It can rip DVD to AVI, 3GP, MP4, WMV, H.264, and H.263 video format for playback on BlackBerry cellphone. Besides, it also allows you to rip DVD audio to MP3, M4A, AAC, WMA and AMR format.
DVD to BlackBerry Converter packs strong editing features into an intuitive interface. You can select any favorite part of DVD movie for conversion using Trim function. Oppositely, you can join several DVD chapters or titles into one file provided tick the Merge into one file option. iOrgSoft DVD to BlackBerry Converter offers other rich options such as DVD video crop, special effect setting, subtitle and audio track selection, etc.
Now, just a few clicks to complete DVD ripping on BlackBerry. Take your favorite DVD movies and music on your BlackBerry. Turn your BlackBerrry phone into a mini DVD player with iOrgSoft DVD to BlackBerry Converter!
DVD to BlackBerry Converter Key functions:
* Rip DVD to BlackBerry video
* iOrgSoft DVD to BlackBerry Converter enables you to rip DVD to AVI, 3GP, MP4, WMV, H.264, and H.263 video, and enjoy DVD movies on BlackBerry.
* Convert DVD to MP3, M4A, AAC, WMA and AMR audio
* DVD to BlackBerry Converter can extract DVD audio, and convert it to MP3, M4A, AAC, WMA and AMR format.
* Select DVD subtitle and audio track
* Select any available subtitle and audio track provided your DVD movie offers.
* Advanced Video Encoding Settings
* Video encoding settings: video resolution, frame rate, encoder, and bit rate.
* Audio output settings: sample rate, channel, encoder and bit rate.
* Merge into One file
* Support join several chapters/titles into a signal file with "Merge into one file" option.
* Trim any DVD title chapter
* Convert any clips of DVD chapter/title which you like most.
* DVD Video Cropping The license of this video & dvd software is Free Trial Software, the price is $29.95, you can free download and get a free trial before you buy. If you want to get a full or nolimited version of iOrgSoft DVD to BlackBerry Converter, you can buy this video & dvd software.

ASUS F50Sv-A2

ASUS F50Sv-A2
This inexpensive 16-inch multimedia notebook packs speedy performance, gaming punch, and smooth Blu-ray playback. Just keep the power cord handy.

A multimedia machine with flair, the F50Sv-A2 marks ASUS’ entrance into the emerging category of 16-inch notebooks. Thanks to its fast Core 2 Duo processor and Nvidia graphics, this $1,149 system provides stellar performance and graphics punch. Add in a compelling design and included Blu-ray optical drive and you have a serious contender. The sub-2-hour battery life is a definite turn-off, but this desktop replacement offers a lot of bang for your buck.

Design and Ports

Sporting a gray and white pinstripe infusion styling on its scratch-resistant lid, the F50Sv-A2 has an attractive look. The pattern extends under the hood to the palm rest and touchpad where a swirl-like pattern, reminiscent of HP’s Imprint finish, stretches across the deck. Surrounding the display is a glossy black bezel; both it and the palm rest pick up their fair share of fingerprints and smudges. We recommend keeping the included polishing cloth handy.

At 15.0 x 10.4 x 1.7 inches and 6.3 pounds, the system isn’t as svelte or thin as the Lenovo IdeaPad Y650 or the Samsung R610-64G, but we were still able to fit it in an average size laptop bag and take it with us to Starbucks for the day. The extra girth accommodates a number of ports: its left side has three USB 2.0 connections, ExpressCard/54, microphone, headphone, Ethernet and modem ports. The back has one more USB 2.0 port (bringing the grand total to four), HDMI, VGA and the right side a Blu-ray drive.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The full-size keyboard on the F50Sv-A2, like that on the ASUS N81Vp-C1, isn’t the best we’ve encountered, but it gets the job done. The individual keys offered decent feedback, but the overall feel was a bit too soft and mushy. We also would’ve liked the keys to have a glossy coating to match the other areas of the machine, like that on the Acer Aspire 6930G or HP Pavilion notebooks.

Below the keyboard resides a spacious touchpad that allowed us to navigate the desktop smoothly. However, its single, fairly stiff mouse button took some getting used to; we prefer two dedicated buttons. Above the keyboard is strip of silver shortcut keys for turning on the power, switching power settings, and dedicated buttons for launching Windows Media Center, Internet Explorer, and turning off the touchpad.

Updated Express Gate

The leftmost button above the keyboard activates ASUS’ Express Gate instant-on environment. After pressing the button—a lightning bolt–emblazoned circle—the home screen appeared in just 10 seconds. ASUS has updated the look of Express Gate; the icons that launch the various applications (Chat, Music Player, Online Gaming, Photo Manager, Skype, and Splashtop Browser) cycle horizontally around a virtual axis; the icon in the center is the largest.

Overall, Express Gate looks a lot more polished than the previous version. The six icons also appear in a dock along the bottom of the screen, along with icons for configuring system settings. Tapping the touchpad while the cursor is hovering over an open app’s icon, the program’s window will either minimize or maximize. It’s a nice feature to keep the desktop from becoming cluttered.

Unfortunately, Express Gate doesn’t remember settings that have already been entered in the Windows environment, such as Wi-Fi passwords. Configuring this software to connect to access points in our office was difficult and much less intuitive than in Vista. Once we were up and running, the Splashtop Browser (which is based on Mozilla) loaded in 20 seconds; the Music Player took 5 seconds to launch. So, from a cold boot you can start surfing the Web in 30 seconds, or you can wait for Windows to load, which takes 30 seconds more.

ASUS W90 (W90Vp-A1)

ASUS W90 (W90Vp-A1)
Packing quad-core power, twin ATI Radeon graphics cards, and Blu-ray, this is one droolworthy multimedia machine.
Price as Reviewed: $2,499.00

When we first unboxed the ASUS W90, a behemoth that weighs 13.4 pounds, it was quickly dubbed The Beast for very obvious reasons. However, the 18.4-inch desktop replacement’s physicality isn’t the only reason the notebook earns that moniker; the Intel quad-core CPU, dual ATI Crossfire graphics cards, and 6GB of RAM enabled the machine to steamroll through every benchmark we could throw at it. Add in Blu-ray, a premium design, booming speakers, and a beautiful Full HD display, and the $2,499 ASUS W90 stands as one of the premier gaming and multimedia notebooks available today.

High-End Design

The first thing you’ll notice about the ASUS W90, besides its massive 17.7 x 13.2 x 2.5-inch girth, is the slick aesthetic; ASUS has taken great care to make certain that the PC screams high quality. The W90 features a gray brushed-metal lid (highlighted by ASUS’ logo), a black brushed-aluminum base (which picks up lots of fingerprints and smudges), a glossy bezel surrounding the keyboard, and leather touches near the hinges. As with many premium notebooks, the W90 features an edge-to-edge display, which is a first for any ASUS notebook.

At more than 13 pounds, we can’t imagine the W90 being lugged around very often (especially with its 2.6-pound power brick, which weighs more than some netbooks). Still, ASUS is prepared for that eventuality, shipping the W90 with a backpack. Good thing, too, since the notebook is too big to fit into most laptop cases.

Keyboard and Buttons

The wide base provides plenty of room for comfortable touch-typing. The keyboard itself has some unfortunate flex, but not so much that it’s a major issue. In addition, we would’ve preferred the keys to be covered in a glossy coating to match the eye-popping appeal of the rest of the system; the matte keys felt fine, however. A large, trapezoid-shaped touchpad allowed us to navigate the cursor around the desktop with ease, and the mouse buttons were responsive but a bit stiff.

Above the keyboard is a glossy strip that houses a number of responsive, touch-sensitive keys for muting audio, disabling the touchpad, and adjusting the screen brightness and color. Also counted among these keys is a zoom button (that gives users a 3X zoom into the desktop or Web page), a 2-megapixel webcam launcher, and a power-setting button that lets users toggle between Standard, Power Savings, and Overclocking modes. On the far left is a button for booting into the ASUS Express Gate instant-on operating system.

The ASUS AI TouchMedia control panel (a touchstrip located left of the keyboard), let us raise and lower the sound with ease, as well as skip DVD chapters. All in all, the touchkeys were responsive, but the forward skip button is located too closely to the volume strip; attempting to raise the audio resulted in several instances of jumping to the next chapter.

BlackBerry Tour (Verizon Wireless)

A fast processor, modern design, good keyboard, and international connectivity make the Tour an excellent smart phone.

Combining some of the best aspects of the BlackBerry Bold and the BlackBerry Curve, the BlackBerry Tour from Verizon Wireless is a sleek, fast smart phone with a comfortable keyboard. This device ($199 after $70 mail-in rebate) doesn't offer Wi-Fi, and it's Web browser isn't as good as the competition, but the Tour's speedy processor, sharp display, and global connectivity make it well worth the investment.
Design

The Tour has a beautiful design that puts the old, boring Curve 8330 and the 8830 World Edition to shame. It has a chic black face, keyboard, and recessed trackball. The Tour also has a dark metal border running around its edge, and a subtle yet unique dark-blue carbon fiber-like design on the back cover. Plus, the 2.4-inch, 480 x 360-pixel display is bright and vivid, even if the high resolution often caused us to squint when viewing Web pages.

Measuring 4.4 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches and weighing 4.6 ounces, the Tour is nearly half an ounce heavier than the original Curve, but it’s still pocket-friendly. On the left side is a voice control toggle button, and on the right you’ll find a full 3.5mm headphone jack, volume controls, a camera quick-launch button, and the phone’s microUSB charging port. The top of the phone has two soft keys for locking and muting the phone, design touches pulled from the Curve 8900 and the Storm.
Keyboard

The backlit QWERTY keyboard features beveled keys separated by frets (like the BlackBerry Bold), but, because the Tour is narrower than the Bold, the layout is somewhat cramped. Despite that small caveat, the Tour still has a better keyboard than most smart phones on the market today.

blackberry_tour_6241g.jpg

We typed a 45-word block of text on both the Bold and the Tour to get an idea of how fast we could type on each device. On the Bold, we completed this test in 55 seconds with 3 errors; on the Tour we typed the same snippet in 1:04 seconds with 6 errors.
User Interface

The BlackBerry 4.7 OS interface is plain but intuitive, with six icons on the desktop and more inside the main menu. While phones such as the Palm Pre have introduced new operating systems with enticing card–based user interfaces that make it easy to switch between open apps, RIM hasn’t made any noticeable changes to the Tour’s operating system. It works, but it’s far from fun or exciting. On the other hand, you can multitask on the Tour, something you can’t do on the iPhone. For example, we enjoyed surfing the Web and checking e-mail while streaming music from Slacker in the background.

BlackBerry Curve 8520 (T-Mobile)

With the BlackBerry 8520, RIM has created a well-rounded smart phone for an unbeatable price. Offered through T-Mobile for $129 but sold at Wal-Mart for just $48.88 (and Amazon.com for one cent) this smart phone features the same excellent keyboard and data services that BlackBerry users have grown to love. Plus, RIM has added a responsive trackpad (in place of the trackball) and dedicated media keys for music playback, in addition to the ability to make unlimited calls over Wi-Fi networks. The Curve 8520 is a bit watered down compared to higher-end BlackBerrys—it lacks 3G data, GPS, and a high-res screen—but among T-Mobile phones this device offers the best bang for your buck.

Design

Like the BlackBerry Curve 8900, the Curve 8520 measures 4.3 x 2.4 x 0.5 inches, but at 3.8 ounces it’s a bit lighter than the 8900 (3.9 ounces). The 8520 is almost a full ounce lighter than the BlackBerry Tour on Sprint and Verizon, and that’s because our glossy black version of the 8520 (also available in Frost blue) lacks the metal accents or back plating of premium BlackBerrys; instead, the entire façade and back plate is plastic. The 8520 feels cheaper than the 8900 and Tour, but it doesn’t feel chintzy.
On the top of the Curve 8520 are rubber media key controls for pausing/playing music as well as a button to silence the phone. That rubber extends down the sides of the phone and around to the camera on the back, which allows for a good in-hand grip. Volume controls and a camera quick-launch button are on the right of the phone, while a button that defaults to the voice-dialing feature is on the left side of the phone. Just above is a microUSB charging port and a 3.5mm headphone jack. On the back of the unit, the Curve 8520 has a 2-megapixel camera;  the 8900, Storm, and Tour all have 3.2-MP cameras.
Up front is a 2.5-inch display with a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels. Pricier BlackBerrys have higher-res screens (480 x 360). This difference is especially noticeable when browsing the Web (see below), but the LCD on the 8520 is fine for e-mail, viewing pictures, using apps, and most other tasks.

Keyboard

The Curve 8520 has a keyboard that’s nearly identical to that of the 8900 and 8300 series Curves. RIM calls this a narrow-full QWERTY as opposed to a full QWERTY: the keys have more space between them and are raised more than the Bold or Tour keyboards, and it’s comfortable and easy to type on. Current Curve owners won’t be let down. The layout felt stiff at first, but once we broke it in (which took a few days) we were entering text quickly.

New Trackpad

On the Curve 8520, RIM has replaced its trusty trackball with a new optical trackpad. This design change not only streamlines and modernizes the design, it eliminates the threat of lint and dust. You interact with it much like you would a laptop’s touchpad; simply slide your finger around the pad to move the on-screen cursor in the right direction. We found it to be more responsive and easier to use than the trackpad on the Samsung Omnia. Just like with the trackball, when you’re ready to make a selection, you simply press the pad. If you find the default settings make navigating sluggish or too fast for your tastes, you can customize the trackpad’s sensitivity inside the settings.

Dell Latitude E6400 XFR

 Price as Reviewed: $5,137.00


When it comes to building a notebook that can withstand abuse, companies used to simply sacrifice general aesthetics in favor of overall ruggedness. But the Dell Latitude E6400 XFR—a bulked-up version of that company’s business-class E6400—has all the amenities and performance a field worker could need, and is durable enough to handle much more extreme environments than the boardroom. In fact, Dell’s exclusive Ballistic Armor Protection System is designed to meet or exceed military standards (MIL-STD-810F). At $5,137, it’s hardly inexpensive, but for those who work in harsh conditions—EMTs, firefighters, and the military, for example—will appreciate the XFR’s durability.

Design

Road warriors who carry around the E6400 XFR will actually look the part; its gray and black exterior, with large, raised “XFR” letters on either side of the lid, has a don’t-mess-with-me quality. The entire chassis is made from PR-481—a proprietary composite material that Dell claims has twice the impact strength of traditional magnesium alloy. Dell combines this with PrimoSeal (to keep water and dust from entering the ports), DirectVue (for screen protection), and QuadCool (to prevent overheating) for a total package that it calls Ballistic Armor.

Each corner of the notebook has a black rubber bumper, further protecting it in the event of a drop. All of the screws holding the bumpers are exposed, and the zinc hinges are a silver color, making the XFR look all the more tough. Inside, the bezel and sides of the notebook are the same gritty, gray plastic. Finally, the lid of the XFR is held shut by a spring-loaded aluminum latch.

While the XFR looks like it could survive any post-apocalyptic future imagined by Hollywood screenwriters, that doesn’t mean it abandons all aesthetics. On the contrary, the system has a level of elegance and design sophistication that is somewhat lacking in the General Dynamics Itronix GD8000, and the most rugged of Panasonic Toughbooks.

Measuring 13.9 x 11.5 x 2.2 inches, the XFR is larger than the GD Itronix GD8000. Checking in at 9.0 pounds, the XFR’s weight is mitigated by the large, comfortable carrying handle on the front, but you’d definitely notice this machine if it were stowed in a backpack.

Keyboard and Touchpad

Like the consumer-grade E6400, the XFR’s black, full-size keyboard is very comfortable to type on. In contrast to the rest of the chassis, the keys are smooth, but we didn’t find our fingers slipping. There is no flex whatsoever in the keyboard, and the keys themselves offer responsive feedback. Additionally, the keyboard is backlit, and can be automatically or manually activated and adjusted; we found this quite helpful when typing in darkened rooms. While the GD Itronix GD8000 goes a different route with glow-in-the-dark keys, the result—a white keyboard on a gray deck—doesn’t look nearly as classy.

In between the G, H, and B keys is a concave trackpoint; while consumers used to the convex trackpoints found on systems such as Lenovo’s ThinkPads may find it unfamiliar, it was easy to use.

Below the keyboard is a 2.6 x 1.5-inch touchpad, which seems a bit small considering the space on the chassis. However, it had little to no friction, and was easy to use. The buttons below are covered in a soft rubber membrane that repels water, but they didn’t feel overly mushy.

Display and Audio

Befitting a notebook that will see a lot of outdoor use, the E6400 XFR’s 14.1-inch, 1280 x 800-pixel resolution screen was incredibly bright. With 730 nits at our disposal, we were able to comfortably keep the display at 40 percent brightness while working indoors; outdoors, the matte screen was also easy to view. On an overcast day, we were even able to turn the brightness to its lowest level.

The display also had excellent viewing angles. We could easily see the picture on the screen from nearly 90 degrees horizontally, and the images didn’t reverse themselves until the display was almost parallel to the chassis.

An ambient light sensor automatically adjusts the display and keyboard depending on the surrounding brightness; at times, we found it to be a little hypersensitive, but you can easily disable this feature. As mentioned previously, you can also manually adjust the brightness of the keyboard backlight to your liking.

Audio, too, was better than we expected, given the utilitarian nature of the XFR. While listening to music streamed via Pandora, the stereo speakers were able to fill a small room. However, we noticed a slight echo, undoubtedly caused by the cavernous interior of the notebook.

Get FLV Pro

GetFLV Pro 8.8.38 is a Flash Tool product from getflv.net, get 5 Stars SoftSea Rating, GetFLV Pro is a completely integrated suite of strong utilities to download, manage, convert, repair and play FLV video files (Flash video).
FLV Downloader: A strong tool to download FLV from all video sharing sites with the technologies of automatic URL-parsing.
FLV to Video Converter: Convert FLV files to popular video formats. It lets you convert FLV to AVI, MPEG, MP4, 3GP, MOV, WMV and etc.
FLV Audio Ripper: Extract FLV Audio to popular audio format. It lets you convert FLV to MP3, WMA, WAV, AAC and etc.
Video to FLV Converter: A professional conversion tool to convert video to FLV. It supports almost all types of video formats such as MPEG, AVI, WMV, MOV, ASF, MP4, 3GP and etc.
FLV Fixer: Repair the FLV video files that can't be seeked.
More FLV utilities will be added.
GetFLV Pro can do:
* Download and manage FLV video files
* Convert FLV files to popular video formats
* Extract FLV Audio to popular audio formats
* Convert popular video to FLV
* Repair FLV video that can't be seeked
* More FLV utilities will be added in future
7 strong utilities of GetFLV:
* FLV Browser, FLV Downloader, FLV to Video Converter, Video to FLV Converter, FLV Audio Ripper, FLV Fixer, FLV Player The license of this design software is Free Trial Software, the price is $29.95, you can free download and get a free trial before you buy. If you want to get a full or nolimited version of GetFLV Pro, you can buy this design software.

Norton AntiVirus Download

With the development of network communication, Internet has already widely used in various fields all over the world. But the large numbers of reparative programs come into our life too, such as virus, spyware and adware etc. These harmful programs can delete our files, make our computers slow and slower, filch our important information and sensitive privacy, and even crash our operating system. So powerful and easy-to-use anti-virus software is very important for us indeed. But which one should we select among the lots of anti-virus software in the market? Do you have the same troubles as me? Dont worry about it! Now I introduce you a very simple yet powerful enough utility which I have used for a long time. That is Norton AntiVirus which was published by Symantec Corporation. Did you hear about it? I insure that it will become a great assistant of you. Your system will keep safe and quick for ever. Following is the detailed introduction of Norton AntiVirus.

Norton AntiVirus is the world s leading anti-virus software. Just install it and forget it! It s always working in the background to protect our PC, and automatically updates its virus definitions when we are connected to the Internet. It also scans files we download from the web, as well as attachments us get through email, instant messages, and others by automatically removing viruses, worms, and Trojan horses. Norton AntiVirus users also get the assistance of the Symantec AntiVirus Research Center (SARC), whose global staff is on duty 24 hours a day detecting new viruses and developing antidotes to safeguard your data.
The key features and benefits of Norton AntiVirus include:

1. Improved performance delivers faster scans.
2. One click access to expert support.
3. Works quietly in the background.
4. Network mapping provides a view of our home network.
5. Detects and removes spyware and viruses.
6. Blocks spyware and worms automatically.
7. Anti-virus protection for email and instant messaging.
8. Prevents virus-infected emails from spreading.
9. Rootkit detection finds and removes hidden threats.
10. Includes protection updates and new product features as available throughout the renewable service period and much more.

In addition, Norton AntiVirus provides a free trial for us but only can be free used 30 days and some functions of it are disabled. It is a standalone software and does not need any extra software and hardware requirement. Norton AntiVirus does not contain any adware or spyware, so we can use it safely and undisturbed.

In a word, Norton AntiVirus has a friendly and easy-to-use interface, so we can scan virus by simply few clicks. This is a very nice, easy to use and full-functions anti-virus scanner. Not only can beginners use it simply but also experienced users can also use it for advanced application. With all these features, simple interface, excellent usability, low cost and free trial period - why are you still reading? Download the free trial now and experience what powerful and effective it is at once! If you feel this utility is helpful indeed, introduce it to your friends please!

Norton AntiVirus 20090914-003-i32.exe is a Antivirus Software product from symantec.com, get 5 Stars SoftSea Rating, Norton AntiVirus is the world's leading anti-virus software. Just install it and forget it! it's always working in the background to protect your PC, and automatically updates its virus definitions when you are connected to the Internet. It also scans files you download from the web, as well as attachments you get through email, instant messages, and others by automatically removing viruses, worms, and Trojan horses. Norton AntiVirus users also get the assistance of the Symantec AntiVirus Research Center (SARC), whose global staff is on duty 24 hours a day detecting new viruses and developing antidotes to safeguard your data.
Symantecs Norton AntiVirus is the worlds most trusted antivirus solution. It removes viruses, worms, and Trojan horses automatically - without interrupting your work.

New Norton Internet Worm Protection blocks certain more sophisticated worms (such as Blaster and Sasser) before they enter your computer. Norton AntiVirus can also detect spyware and other non-virus threats.

Here are some key features of 'Norton AntiVirus Final':
- Norton Internet Worm Protection stops certain damaging Internet worms at their attempted point of entry.
- QuickScan tool automatically searches for and removes viruses whenever new virus protection updates are downloaded.
- PreInstall Scan quickly detects and removes infections that can interfere with installing and launching Norton AntiVirus.
- Automatically removes viruses, worms, and Trojan horses.
- Scans and cleans both incoming and outgoing email messages.
- Blocks viruses in instant message attachments.
- Detects spyware and certain non-virus threats such as adware and keystroke logging programs.
- Scans compressed file archives before you open them and risk infecting your computer. (Available only on Windows XP/2000 Pro.)
- Downloads new virus protection updates automatically to protect against new threats.
- Worm Blocking and Script Blocking can detect new threats even before virus protection updates are created for them.

Norton AntiVirus offers:
- Auto-Protect to automatically scan files
- Quarantine
- LiveUpdate that updates your DAT files over the Internet
- LiveAdvisor personal Email support (requires registration)
Limitations:
- 30 day trial The license of this antivirus & security software is Free Trial Software, the price is $37.9, you can free download and get a free trial before you buy. If you want to get a full or nolimited version of Norton AntiVirus, you can buy this antivirus & security software.

Download  Norton AntiVirus

Disk Wiper 10 Professional

Disk Wiper 10 Professional

Simply erasing or reformatting your hard disk drive may not be enough to prevent financial records, passwords and other confidential documents from falling into the wrong hands. Safeguard your personal identity or company trade secrets with Paragon Disk Wiper Professional! Disk Wiper Professional provides skilled resources and comprehensive wiping tools to help you with this important but often overlooked security risk!
Price per license: $149.95

Disk Wiper 10 Professional allows you to:

* Completely and easily erase all live data so as it cannot be recovered with any existing technology.
* Quickly and efficiently sanitize the hard disks in order to protect valuable business information and also because there is, in the most countries, a legal obligation to do so.

Wipe operations

* Wipe a partition
* Wipe an entire hard disk
* Wipe only free space (destroy any remnants of deleted files/directories left on the disk without affecting data stored in used sectors)
* Major government and military security standards supported (US DoD 5220.22-M, US Navy standards NAVSO P-5239-26, British HMG Infosec Standard No.5, German VSItR Standard, Peter Gutmann's algorithm, Bruce Schneier's algorithm, etc.)
* Choose from Paragon's developed algorithm or create your own customized wiping method (extreme customization option has 4 wiping patterns with up to 99 passes each)
* Integrated reporting on accomplished wipe operations; print or save them locally
* View sector information on existing partitions; verify when wipe operations have been successfully accomplished
* View logs of identified bad blocks (corrupted sectors) discovered during wipe operation

Hard disk partitioning operations

* Сheck File System Integrity
* Create, format and delete partitions
* Set or change a drive letter (Windows NT/2000/XP/2003 only)
* Update the Master Boot Record (MBR) with standard code

Safety and Recovery

* Recieve automatically-generated operations logs by email for quick and easy technical support
* Bootable Wiping Media provides the same interface and functionality under DOS
* Power Shield™ technology - resume critical operations after a power failure
* Disk surface test function

Easy to use

* Virtual pre-execution for all not wizard-guided operations
* Automatic e-mail notifications
* New Wipe Wizard helps successfully destroy all on-disk information including standard bootstrap code and other system service structures; provides a high level of security - even beginners can understand
* Create bootable wiping media with the DOS-based version of the program; boot from and destroy all on-disk information even when the current operating system cannot boot anymore
* Operations usually not possible under Windows NT/2000/XP/2003 will be automatically performed in a special mode during OS reboot with an easy-to-use graphics user interface

Auxiliary utilities

* Script Generator
* Burn any ISO image with the help of the Wiping Media Builder

Download Trial Klik Here

Photoshop Elements 7 for Windows

The Bottom Line

Photoshop Elements is Adobe's photo-editing software for amateur photographers, digital imaging enthusiasts, and small business users. As the name implies, Photoshop Elements is built around core elements of Adobe Photoshop, excluding some advanced, professional-level features and adding its own unique features specifically for photo-hobbyists. Photoshop Elements includes a fully featured photo editor, a powerful, integrated photo organizer, project layout templates, artwork and themes, and a number of sharing options. While I still highly recommend Photoshop Elements, the upgrade value from version 6 is questionable.
Compare Prices
Pros

* Expertly bundles photo organizing, editing, and sharing into a complete package.
* Balances ease of use and flexibility. It's beginner friendly but not oversimplified.
* Based on 17 years of Photoshop development by Adobe, the leader in digital imaging software.
* New text search box makes it even easier to find photos in your collection.
* Photoshop.com integration provides backup and anywhere access to your photo collection.

Cons

* Sluggish performance when switching modes. Some crashes and program errors in Vista 64-bit.
* Ads for Photoshop.com membership throughout the program can be annoying.
* Some issues converting catalogs from older versions.
* Windows AutoPlay integration does not work under Vista 64-bit.
* New version 7 features provide little upgrade incentive for users of version 6.

Description

* Photoshop Elements has everything most people need to organize, edit and share digital photos.

* The Organizer and Editor are divided into activity-based tabs where you can Organize, Fix, Create, and Share photos.

* Organizer lets you organize your photos with keyword tags, then search and share them in Creations.

* Creations include slide shows, video CDs, cards, email, calendars, online albums, and photo layouts.

* Quick Fix lets you crop, fix red eye, adjust lighting & color, and sharpen with a before/after view.

* Standard editing tools for correcting and enhancing photos, drawing, painting, selecting, and adding text.

* Support for multiple layers, layer styles, and adjustment layers provides editing flexibility.

* New: online backup and sharing, Photomerge Scene Cleaner, Automated Actions, Touchup Tools, Smart Brush, Surface Blur Filter.

* Enhanced: adjustable workspace brightness, text search, new guided edits, AutoPlay integration, art/templates, Camera Raw.

* Printing options: Contact Sheets, Picture Package, labels, single prints, and online services.

Guide Review - Photoshop Elements 7 for Windows
Photoshop Elements incorporates many of Photoshop's powerful features without being too overwhelming to the novice user. A guided editing mode helps users get started, and automated features simplify many tasks, such as posting online photo galleries and stitching multiple photos to create panoramas. The user interface is friendly to beginners, but not "dumbed-down" to the point that it frustrates experienced users. Photoshop Elements also includes a powerful photo organizer, drag & drop photo creation layouts and artwork, and many sharing options, which makes it a perfect all-in-one solution for photo hobbyists.

Version 7 brings the following new features:

* Photoshop.com Integration for Online Backup and Sharing
* Adjustable Workspace Brightness
* Text Search Box
* Photomerge Scene Cleaner
* Automated Actions and New Guided Edits
* Quick Edit Touch Up Tools
* 2-in-1 Smart Brush
* Surface Blur Filter
* and more.

Photoshop Elements is an excellent program, and I highly recommend it, but the new features in version 7 are not all that exciting if you already have version 6, and the over-aggressive push for Plus membership may turn off new users.

If you've never used Elements, or you're considering an upgrade from an older version, take a look at the new features added in Photoshop Elements 6, Photoshop Elements 5, and Photoshop Elements 4 for a taste of what Photoshop Elements offers.

It's a shame that sluggish performance continues to afflict this product, but Elements is good enough that I feel the draggy performance is worth putting up with. All in all, Photoshop Elements remains a powerful photo suite that every photo hobbyist should have, but version 6 users don't have a lot of incentive to upgrade.

USB Disk Security 5.2.0.5

USB Disk Security provides 100% protection against any threats via USB drive, however, the majority of other products are unable even to guarantee 90% protection. USB Disk Security is the best antivirus software to permanently protect offline computer without the need for signature updates, but other antivirus software should update signature database regularly, and they cannot effectively protect offline computer.
Product Highlights:

*100% protection against any malicious programs via USB storage
The best solution to protect offline computer
Other antivirus software should update signature database regularly, and they cannot effectively protect offline computer that is not connected to the Internet. When new viruses, worms and other malicious attacks strike, traditional signatures are insufficient. Every minute one waits for a virus signature update creates a window of vulnerability that could have devastating consequences. USB Disk Security uses advanced proactive detection techniques, requires no signature updates, and closes the window of vulnerability left open by other reactive, signature-based responses.

*The world's fastest and smallest antivirus software
With USB Disk Security, it’s not necessary to sacrifice speed for detection and scanning. Compare antivirus software and you'll discover that USB Disk Security is by far one of the smallest applications in the industry. For example, the v5.0 of USB Disk Security installer is just 1 MB. The program utilizes approximately 1 to 7 MB of RAM.

*100% compatible with all software
Incompatibility between antivirus programs is an issue. In the vast majority of cases, installing two antivirus programs from different vendors on one machine (for increased protection) is technically impossible, as the two programs will disrupt each other's functioning. However, USB Disk Security is 100% compatible with all software, including Windows Vista.

*Simple to use
USB Disk Security has been specifically designed to perform effectively regardless of the user’s level of computer expertise. Just install and forget it.

DOWNLOAD

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Samsung Tocco Lite Review

In a nutshell: The Tocco Lite is Samsung's answer to the LG Cookie. Available in black or pink it's a bargain touchscreen phone. Although it lacks 3G, it offers a fabulous fun user interface with easy access to Facebook and YouTube, plus all the features that you'd expect: a 3.2 megapixel camera, video recording, music player, FM radio with RDS, memory card slot and Bluetooth. Available free on contract with a choice of free gifts: from free line rental to a free laptop or XBOX 360.
Best buy: *Free* with free line rental or £200 auto cashback from Mobiles.co.uk (Black) or Mobiles.co.uk (Pink) or free with a free PS3 or a laptop from Dialaphone (Black); or £78.25 on PAYG from Dialaphone (Black, Pink or White) or £79.95 from the Carphone Warehouse (Black or Pink).

The best-selling phone in the first half of 2009 has probably been the LG Cookie. The secret to the Cookie's success is simple: it's a touchscreen phone with loads of gadgets for just £100. So now Samsung have released the Tocco Lite to go head to head against the Cookie for best budget touchscreen phone. Which phone will win in the Cookie vs Tocco Lite battle?

Well, the Tocco Lite is arriving on the scene 6 months later than the Cookie, so it should be 6 months ahead of the curve, and a clear winner. But in fact the specification is almost exactly identical to the Cookie, and the Tocco Lite is retailing at a slightly higher price, although this may fall in the weeks after launch. What then, is the point of the Tocco?

Physically, the two devices are exactly the same size, to within a millimetre! The screens are identical in type, size, colour definition and pixels. With a good size screen (3 inches) and high resolution, Samsung's TouchWiz user interface works well on the Tocco Lite. TouchWiz can now be regarded as a mature technology, and it seems to be pretty much universally popular. Mobile widgets let you customise your home screen and give easy access to apps such as the clock, weather forecast, etc. There are also widgets for popular web apps such as MySpace, Facebook and YouTube. The built-in accelerometer sensor will automatically rotate the screen when you turn the phone on its side, so you can easily switch between portrait and landscape modes. The virtual QWERTY keyboard is easy to use, and we think that you'll have no problems using the touchscreen. The addition of "real" keys for call, send and select make it even easier to use than a full touchphone. The user interface also supports handwriting recognition and gesture lock.

As we commented earlier, the spec of the Tocco Lite is virtually identical to the Cookie's. There's a 3.2 megapixel camera with digital zoom. Samsung's "Smile Shot" feature lets you take a photo when the camera thinks your subject is smiling. You can also edit your photos on the camera itself. A basic camcorder is available too. There's a music player, FM radio with RDS, and support for downloadable MP3 ringtones. Audio quality is good, with a virtual 3D surround effect, an equaliser and support for DNSe. The memory is similar to the Cookie's, and is expandable to 16GB with a microSD card. When it comes to connectivity, the Tocco Lite supports Bluetooth and USB. Like the Cookie, there's no WiFi and no 3G, which means that features like YouTube are going to be on the slow and jerky side. But remember that this is a budget phone - you can't have everything, and this seems like a reasonable compromise.

The web browser is very good, making excellent use of the large screen and with easy access to RSS feeds, Google Mail, Google Search and Google Maps. The lack of 3G does hamper the web browser though in terms of download speed.

Battery life seems to be pretty good. The Tocco Lite doesn't have the heavy duty battery of its big brothers, the Tocco or Omnia, but it has fewer gadgets to power, so it seems to be up to the job. Just don't expect it to last as long as your ancient Nokia and you'll be OK.

Taken on its own terms, the Tocco Lite is a fabulous phone. Whilst it lacks some of the features of high-end phones (3G, GPS, 8 MP camera, WiFi, etc), it does offer a lot for your money: a beautiful touchscreen user interface with 3.2 megapixel camera, stereo FM radio with RDS, accelerometer sensor, handwriting recognition and up to 16GB microSD expandable memory. It's available at launch with some fabulous contract deals: free line rental, or free gifts such as an XBOX 360, etc, and it comes in a choice of pink or black. The big question for many will be whether to choose the Tocco Lite or the LG Cookie. We have struggled to find a real reason to prefer one over the other, and frankly we can't. It seems that Samsung have made a phone so similar to the Cookie that there's virtually nothing to choose between them. But don't get the impression that we dislike the Tocco Lite - quite the reverse. It's an excellent phone offering outstanding value. Whether you choose the Tocco Lite or the Cookie you'll be getting one of the best phone bargains of 2009. On balance, our user reviews seem to be giving a slightly higher score to the Tocco Lite.

Update: a minority of users have reported a problem with the audio cutting out every few seconds, so that you can't hear the caller. As far as we can tell this happens on O2 only. Mike B has a possible fix for this problem for O2 users: Try going to Menu - Applications - O2 - Get Settings. Install the settings you are sent and reset the phone. Since I did that, and received the settings for PAYG from O2 I haven't had any problems with calls, (at least for the last 2 days). Hope it helps ! Thanks to Mike B, and if you have tried this, please write a review to let us know how it worked. Please also report this problem if you experience it on any other network. John L has an alternative fix for O2 users: go to settings, network settings and for network mode select GSM 900/1800.

Nokia 5800 XpressMusic Review

In a nutshell: Nokia's first touchscreen phone is impressively good. It may not have quite the polished feel of the iPhone, but with so many good features, it's in many ways better than the iPhone. Headline features include the very high resolution touchscreen with 16 million colours, the 3.2 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, 3G video calling, an excellent web browser with support for Flash, the music player & FM radio, GPS positioning with Nokia Maps, WiFi, Bluetooth and an 8GB memory card. Available in black, red or blue.
Best buy: *Free* with half-price line rental or £100 auto cashback from Mobiles.co.uk (Black) or with half-price line rental from Dialaphone (Black) or Dialaphone (Comes With Music Edition); or £149.95 on PAYG from the Carphone Warehouse (Red) or £195.70 on from Dialaphone.
 
We've waited a heck of a long time for Nokia to catch up with Apple, LG and Samsung and launch a touchscreen phone. And here it is at last! It's a 3G smartphone, and belongs to Nokia's XpressMusic range.
At first glance, it looks like it was worth the wait. It's a very stylish handset. All touchscreen phones tend to look pretty much the same to be honest. What distinguishes the 5800 is its sleekness: it's much narrower than the iPhone 3G, in fact with a width of 52mm, it's probably the narrowest touchscreen phone around. This means that you can easily operate it with one hand. It has a lovely big screen too, with a very high resolution (640 x 360 pixels), which helps to make the user interface easier to use. The device has a wide range of input options: finger touch, stylus and plectrum with a virtual alphanumeric keypad, full and mini QWERTY keyboards and handwriting recognition. The display will rotate automatically when you turn the phone to landscape mode. Normally the XpressMusic phones have dedicated buttons for music, and the 5800 has a dedicated virtual media bar for quick access to music controls, as well as functions like the gallery and web browser. There are also physical keys for power, send and end, menu, screen lock and volume. The big question is: "Is the touchscreen on the 5800 as good as the iPhone?" Sadly, no. But it isn't at all bad. It's just that you need to use the stylus sometimes and the whole experience isn't quite so much fun. But stick with the review, because the 5800 has a lot going for it, and beats the iPhone in a number of departments.
The 5800 has a proper camera for a start. At 3.2 megapixels it isn't the best camera phone by a long way, but it uses Carl Zeiss optics, has autofocus and a double LED flash and leaves the iPhone standing. It also has a decent video camera, which can record at up to 640 x 480 pixels and at 30 frames per second, with stereo sound. A front-mounted video camera enables you to make video calls on a 3G network.
The music player in the 5800 is excellent too. We found the touchscreen controls to be very easy here, and all the features that you'd hope for are here, including an 8-band graphic equaliser and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The phone is supplied with an 8GB memory card, which can store up to 2,000 MP3 tracks (or 4,000 in AAC format), and if your music collection grows even bigger, you can upgrade this to a massive 16GB. The optional Comes With Music feature gives you unlimited music downloads for a whole year! There's also a built-in FM radio. No complaints for music then.

The 5800's big touchscreen is ideal for web browsing. With very fast download speeds thanks to the 3G HSDPA implementation and a quality web browser, there's nothing to hold you back. The 5800 beats the iPhone here too, with support for Flash meaning that you can watch videos from YouTube and other sites on your phone. The phone is also WiFi compatible, so you can get super fast data transfer speeds in the vicinity of a WLAN network or a WiFi Hotspot.

GPS is included too, together with Nokia Maps. As well as 3G and WiFi, the connectivity options include Bluetooth and USB, plus a TV-Out connection (cable supplied.)
The 5800 XpressMusic is a Series 60 phone, and potentially there are going to be a lot of third-party apps available for downloading too. You get a couple of games and the standard Series 60 organiser applications with the phone, including document browsers and a good organiser.
Finally, we want to mention that the battery life is very good. Phones like this do tend to get used rather a lot, and big screens are hungry for power, but the battery capacity seems to be up to the job.
The sales package is generous, including all the cables you'll need, a stereo headphone, an 8GB memory card, a case, a stand and a stylus. The phone is available in black, red and blue too.
We weren't sure what to expect from Nokia's first touchscreen phone. It's obviously spent a lot of time in the design studio, and it looks like Nokia wisely resisted the temptation to rush something out. The 5800 no doubt has the occasional bug (all smart phones do), but these are few and will probably be ironed out pretty quickly with firmware updates. The 5800 XpressMusic manages to combine the benefits of touchscreen, without many downsides, and avoids being just another iPhone clone thanks to Nokia's attention to detail. It may not be perfect, but we're impressed by just how good it is, and it would be churlish to award anything less than 5 stars.

Just a footnote: some people have got the impression that the 5800 automatically includes Nokia's "Comes With Music" service, which gives you free music downloads for a year. This is not the case. Unless the product is described as "Nokia 5800 Comes With Music" then it's just a standard Nokia 5800 XpressMusic phone. Hope this clears up the confusion!

Apple iPhone 3G S Review

Review: June 2009.

In a nutshell: The iPhone 3G S is easily the best iPhone ever. Apple have filled in the missing pieces of the jigsaw and created possibly the best phone / media player / internet device ever. Highlights include GPS navigation with a digital compass, OS X applications from the App Store, super fast web browsing, Apple's famous music-playing capabilities, up to 32 GB of built-in memory, and Wi-Fi. The only real problem is the price.
Best buy: *Free* on contract from Mobiles.co.uk (16GB Black) or Mobiles.co.uk (16GB White) or £96.89 on contract from Mobiles.co.uk (32GB Black) or Mobiles.co.uk (32GB White). 



The latest iPhone - the iPhone 3G S - launched in the UK on June 19. It is exclusive to O2, and available from free on contract, although you'll have to pay £35 per month for the basic 16GB version. The iPhone 3GS adds features like a video camera, voice control and a digital compass. The camera has been upgraded to 3 megapixels with autofocus. Battery life has been improved and applications run faster. And, set your eyebrows to "shocked" because you can now copy and paste text, and forward messages. It looks like Apple have now managed to fill in the missing pieces of the jigsaw and produce a phone that can really deliver on its promise.

There was never any doubt about the basic platform on which the iPhone is built. The original iPhone set the benchmark for touchscreen phones, and the iPhone 3G S is arguably still the best touchscreen-driven phone on the market, in terms of usability. What was lacking in the first two generations of iPhone was the featureset that power users expect from a modern phone. Now, with the 3G S, we can say that there is nothing missing and that the latest iPhone can match any smartphone on the market. That's not to say that it's the best in every department. The camera is still relatively basic when compared to the 8 megapixel camera with xenon flash on the Sony Ericsson C905 for instance. And the HTC Touch HD has a much higher resolution screen. Etc, etc. The point is that the perfect phone doesn't exist - will never exist - and as buyers we have to weigh up the options and choose the one that seems to meet our most important needs. In the past, the iPhone often failed to meet quite basic needs, and had to be excluded from the shortlist, but now it does enough to be considered a real player.

First off, there can be no doubting the sheer style, ease-of-use and fun that the iPhone 3G S delivers. It's such a slim, tactile, good-looking phone with such gorgeous graphics that we want to just kiss it - phwa! The iPhone delivers on its promise to replace three devices with one. One - it works brilliantly as a phone, and once you've started touching your friends' names in the contacts list to make a call, you'll never want to go back to a conventional phone. Two - it replaces your iPod, obviously, no contest. Three - it's definitely one of the top mobile internet devices around, with the wonderful Safari web browser and the easy scrolling and zooming of full web pages, displayed in all their glory. It's also brilliant at email. But the iPhone has more than this. It also has the App Store, which is now a mature library of thousands of applications, many of which you can download for free. Whether you want to play games, access Facebook, edit your photos or plan your finances, you can probably find an app that does what you want.

The camera is a considerable improvement on the previous iPhone. It's now up to 3 megapixels and crucially has autofocus. This works really well in fact - you just tap the screen to tell the camera where you want to focus - quite a brilliant innovation we think. Although the camera can't match most similarly-priced smartphones, it's probably good enough for 90% of users. The video camera isn't bad either, with a respectable VGA resolution and up to 30 frames per second.
The GPS system has been upgraded, with a digital compass added, which is very handy. There are other improvements across the board, such as enhanced YouTube support, voice memos and voice support, and faster apps. All these improvements make a big difference in fact.

We think that Apple have finally made a device that ticks nearly every box. The iPhone works well as a phone, brilliantly as a media player and portable internet device, and perhaps most of all as a portable mini computer internet games music camera thingy that is so good it's virtually a must-have. Once you have it, you'll ask yourself how you ever lived without it. The only problem is the price. Although it's the best value iPhone yet, it's still very expensive, and you'd be silly not to consider what else you can buy for this kind of money. Options include the Nokia N97, LG Viewty Smart, Samsung i8910 HD, HTC Touch HD or HTC Magic. The bottom line is that if you have this kind of money to spend, you're really spoiled for choice.