Apple iPhone 3GS

Speed, Smarts Keep iPhone 3GS at the Front of the Mobile Race

Apple outsmarted the mobile world by releasing the touch-controlled iPhone in June 2007. In July the next year, it rocketed to faster network speeds with the iPhone 3G while creating a massive ecosystem of apps, Apple will reassert its dominance by shipping the iPhone 3GS, outfitted with the operating system upgrade iPhone 3.0.

It's not as dramatic an advance as the previous ones. But the new phone introduces a long list of improvements, big and small. Taken together, they're enough to re-establish Apple's once-shrinking lead in a brutal technology competition that is making the chariot race in Ben Hur look like a stroll in the park.

The iPhone 3GS combines two sets of advances. The first group is available only to purchasers of the new hardware. The rest of the features are part of Apple's iPhone 3.0 software upgrade, which, beginning June 17, will be offered free to those with earlier iPhones. (iPod Touch users can get the new software for $10.)

I'll talk about the hardware-based features first. As promised, Apple has indeed ramped up the speed with which the new phone performs tasks like launching apps, loading web pages, and displaying graphics. Apple claims speed boosts of up to two times of what the 3G delivers, and in some benchmarks cites even better performance. I haven't done scientific measurements, but you don't need a stopwatch to notice the new phone is zippier than its predecessor. I appreciated getting box scores faster and videos playing sooner in the MLB.com At Bat application, and it was clear that web pages loaded faster. In the case of a game like Tiger Woods Golf, the boost is significant enough to make me more likely to play when I don't have much time.

Photos were a weak spot in previous iPhones -- they weighed in at a measly 2 megapixels -- but the iPhone 3GS has a 3-megapixel, autofocusing camera that's more sensitive and allows you to choose an object to focus on by tapping on it. (No zoom, though. Bummer.) Better yet, the camera also records quite creditable video. After you shoot your clip, there's a dead-simple function to for instant editing, after which you can send your masterpiece to YouTube or Mobile Me with a single tap.

The iPhone 3GS also has a hands-free feature called Voice Control. By holding down the Home button you simply say who you want to call or what music you want to hear. This also works with the expanded controls in the new headphones included with the phone. It's very useful, though it did better at figuring out the people I want to call than it did with music. When I said, "Call Diane Levy home," the 3GS dialed my sister's home number on the first try. But when I said "Play Lou Reed," it played Lucinda Williams. When I said, "Lucinda Williams," it played Gillian Welch. Close, but no guitar pick. Still, even with some false starts, Voice Control is easier than fumbling through the iPod menus, a difficult task while walking and a dangerous one while driving.

Another 3GS feature is a compass, which on its own isn't too thrilling (you can get a real compass in a gumball machine) but will eventually shine in a number of upcoming apps. The first of these is Google Maps, where an extra tap on the "locate" button will orient the map to the direction you're facing.

Of the features that aren't exclusive to the 3GS, but instead are part of the iPhone 3.0 suite, the biggest news is that you can finally cut, copy and paste text, photos and objects on an iPhone. Sadly, this isn't part of comprehensive iPhone multitasking -- a feature delivered superbly on a rival phone, the Palm Pre. (Apple's reluctance to embrace multitasking is based on its claim that it would wear down the battery -- and it's true that the Pre has a power issue.) So cut-and-paste will have to do for now. As you'd expect, Apple imaginatively uses its touch interface to make this feature intuitive and fun. Trust me, describing how to do it is much more complicated than actually doing it.

The new software addresses another previous gap by allowing users access to a bigger keyboard in landscape mode not just in the Safari browser but in mail and other apps. This makes Apple's "soft" keyboard much less prone to constant mistypings. iPhone 3.0 also offers deeper search functions. You can now search through the contents of your iPhone and get results that include apps, contacts, e-mail, calendar and notes. And e-mail search quickly locates messages both on the phone and, with IMAP or Exchange systems on a remote server.

Other iPhone 3.0 features that work as advertised are Voice Memos (a straightforward audio recording app), improved parental controls and auto-fill on Safari.

There's also a more compelling reason to sign up for Apple's $100-a-year internet service, MobileMe. As before, MobileMe users automatically have calendar, mail, and contacts synced. But now, those with Mobile Me can take advantage of Find My iPhone, which you call into action when your device is lost or stolen. Using your computer, you can locate the phone via GPS (very handy if you left it in a restaurant). You can also put a message on the screen, and trigger a two-minute ringing sound that will turn on even if the ringer has been switched off. The latter is perfect for those who lose the phone around the house. If the phone is really lost, you can then remotely wipe out the data to foil snoopers. I would suggest one further wrinkle: a small capsule of indelible red dye that would explode on remote command, splattering all over the swine who stole your gizmo.

There were two highly touted features I could not test out: MMS messaging (sending media files via a text-messaging-like service) and tethering (using the iPhone's modem to connect a computer to the internet). The problem is not Apple, which has built these into 3.0 and will instantly offer them in other countries, but AT&T, the exclusive U.S. network carrier. AT&T promises to deliver MMS for no extra cost later this summer, and says that tethering will be available at a future, indeterminate date, almost certainly at an extra cost.

A lot of the new value of iPhone 3.0 will come when all these features (and others I don't have room to mention) are exploited by the thousands of developers writing iPhone apps. You'll see apps that can sell things in the course of using them, such as extra levels of a game, apps that make use of your iTunes playlist, and apps that take advantage of P2P connectivity for head-to-head gaming and quick exchange of information.

In short, the 3GS offers a boatload of improvements on the iPhone 3G with no real downside and the same price. Brand-new iPhone customers should have no hesitation before buying: Considering the huge variety of apps, there's no better smartphone to buy today.

Current iPhone users have a tougher decision ahead. First they must ask themselves if the features offered exclusively on the phone (as opposed to the free upgrade, which they should download immediately) are worth the expense of a new phone. For some users, Voice Control, the new camera, and the speed boost will be worth the cost. For others, it won't be a huge sacrifice to go without.

Complicating the matter is ATT's upgrade policy. Generally, those who are in the second half of their two-year contracts can upgrade to iPhone 3GS for the same price as paid by new customers: $200 for the 16-GB version and $300 for the 32-GB. (The 32-GB version is the one to get, especially if you'll be using video and other media.) AT&T has just announced that people who bought 3G phones as late as September will be eligible for the new-phone price. All those cases involve a new 2-year contract obligation.

But more recent 3G buyers won't get that deal. AT&T will charge them either $400 or $500, depending on the storage, to upgrade to a 3GS with a new 2-year contract obligation. Another alternative is to pay full price for an "unsubsidized" iPhone: a whopping $600 for the 16-gig 3GS and $700 for the 32-gig version. Despite the fact that those buyers are relieving AT&T of the burden of its subsidy, they get no discount on their monthly bills.

In part because of this -- and in part because Apple is offering many of its innovations as part of the general iPhone 3.0 upgrade -- the wise thing for those more recent buyers to do will be to install the new software and stick with their 3G iPhones at least until their contracts run down. This will provide a saner upgrade path to the 3GS's considerable, but not earth-shattering, improvements. Speed is wonderful. But sometimes it's prudent to wait for it.

+ Faster. More storage. Better camera, with video recording capability. Search encompasses more data, not just one app at a time. Voice navigation. Feature-rich iPhone 3.0 software is free to current iPhone users.

- Multitasking still limited. No tethering or MMS support yet for AT&T users. Recent iPhone 3G customers must pay a fortune to upgrade.

• Style: Smartphone, Touchscreen
• Service Provider: AT&T
• Camera Resolution: 1 to 3 megapixels
• Operating System: OS X
• Manufacturer: Apple
• Price: $300 (32-GB version, with 2-year contract)

Sony Ericsson w995a

Streamlined Sony Ericsson Phone Is Smooth Operator

The recipe for cooking up a sweet multimedia phone? Take one part phone, mix two parts MP3 player, throw in some cool backlit buttons to impress the kids. Blend until creamy.

Sony Ericsson appears to have whipped up a crowd pleaser with the w995a. It features everything you'd expect from a music- and video-centric phone, with a couple bonuses to round out the package. Unfortunately, usability drawbacks and a lack of memory keep this from being the perfect multimedia phone.

The elegantly designed w995a doesn't deserve its awkward alphanumeric name. At 4 ounces, it sits comfortably in the hand, and the mechanism for sliding up the screen and exposing the keypad felt solid even after repeated use.

Because Sony conceived of the w995 as a media device, the button layout is relatively stripped-down and geared toward multimedia playback. In addition to the typical "call" and "end" buttons, the face of the handset sports four somewhat flimsy multipurpose softkeys and a decent four-directional D-pad. The right side of the phone is home to a set of playback controls, while the left side houses a puzzlingly large charging port.

In spite of the w995a's streamlined look, most buttons are far too recessed, making them difficult to push. It's especially irritating when the phone is in your pocket: Fiddling with ambiguous media controls means pausing a track when you intend to skip it and fast forwarding when you mean to turn the volume up.

Design quirks aside, Sony did an excellent job of cramming the w995a with features. As a quad-band GSM phone, it's set for world travel and supports both EDGE and 3G data connections. Stereo Bluetooth and reasonably reliable GPS functionality also are included. But honestly, the true draw of this device was its affinity for music, pictures, and video.

For starters, Sony's inclusion of a standard 3.5mm headphone jack instantly catapulted the w995a to rockstar status. It's rare we encounter multimedia phones that really get how audiophiles intend to interact with them, so not having to fiddle with headphone jack converters -- or worse, crappy proprietary headphones -- made the phone feel more like a traditional MP3 player.

Unfortunately, our joy was dimmed when we found out that the device has only a little more than 100 MB of internal memory. Sony covered its bases by allowing up to 8 GB of expansion (via Memory Stick), but we were still disappointed that it didn't give the phone enough memory to pull off the "standalone MP3 player" shtick. Other than this obvious setback, we were quite pleased with the reasonably crisp playback quality.

Rounding out the w995 is a slew of photo and video features, thanks to an integrated 8.1-MP camera with flash. Nifty features like face detection, image stabilization and 16X digital zoom make the phone slightly better than average for impromptu snapshots (suck it, iPhone 3GS!) though the results hardly rivaled our 6.1-MP pocket cam.

While we were reasonably pleased with the photo performance, the w995a's video was dreadful. Muddy audio and visuals were the norm, and even the handset's integrated video editing suite (dubbed VideoDJ) did little to sweeten the deal. We understand that it'll be a long time coming before there's an all-in-one that excels at everything, but for a phone that fancies itself a multimedia media powerhouse, we were expecting at least C-grade video.

Even with these fumbles, the w995a gets enough things right to score a passing mark. It's clear that Sony wanted to craft a fun, functional phone, and they've largely succeeded in that endeavor. Off the top, we can think of a few other devices that do a better job of nailing specific features, but Sony got enough of the recipe right to produce a very capable and versatile phone.

+ Standard headphone jack FTW. Slick animated menus and overall presentation. Sports a mini-kickstand for propping the phone up to watch video. Brilliant and colorful 2.6-inch 320x240 display. Decent audio clarity during headphone use. Decent data speeds with both 3-G and Wi-fi connections. Supports MPEG4, WMV, RealVideo, 3 GPP, and H.264 video playback.

- Low volume for music and calls. Music or voice, it doesn't matter -- the speakerphone just sucks. E-mail client is both chintzy and web-based. Mediocre call quality. Buttons sit in recessions so deep, they need a government bailout.

• Manufacturer: Sony Ericsson
• Price: $600 (unlocked)

The Next Generation of Logitech’s G-Series

The Next Generation of Logitech’s G-Series]

I’m a huge fan of Logitech products, and if these promo images are any indication, the next G-series of products will look pretty good. I’m not totally sold on the very angular turn that the G series has taken (which explains why I prefer the G5 mouse over the G9, and the original G15 over the new G15 – well, that and I prefer blue keys over orange keys and the extra macro buttons) but the new G19 looks pretty slick, and I’d definitely pick one up if it looked like that. And it had blue keys.

LaCie iamaKey: A USB Flash Drive that Looks Like a Key!

LaCie iamaKey: A USB Flash Drive that Looks Like a Key!

I know for a fact that I don’t need any more USB drives, but the fact that this one looks like a key and fits on your keyring is kind of compelling for me. LaCie has released the iamaKey USB Flash Drive that’s slim, tiny, shaped like a key, and even has a hole to fit on your keyring with the rest of your keys!

The drive comes in both 4GB and 8GB flavors, priced at $26.99 and $36.99 respectively – very affordable considering the size and portability. The drives are metal, not plastic, and look pretty sturdy–which they’d have to be if they’re going to live on your keyring. Besides, at least you can say that a drive like this will never get lost!

Gesture Controlled Mouse

Gesture Controlled Mouse Makes its Retail Debut

Nintendo’s Wiimote has been a big hit. Now a new mouse from HillCrest Labs uses similar motion-sensing technology to let users control an on-screen cursor with the flick of their wrist.

The bangle-shaped mouse called the Loop Pointer is designed for use by consumers who connect their PC or Mac to a TV, says the company. Through a combination of sensors and accelerometers, the remote feels the users’ movements and reflects it on the screen, much like the Wiimote. Users can then click the right or the left button on the remote to make their selections.

With the growth of online video and sites such as Hulu, an increasing number of consumers are connecting their home television sets to a personal computer. The Consumer Electronics Association estimates more than 7 million U.S. households have their PCs and TVs linked.

The Loop Pointer will make it easy for these consumers to search, browse and navigate the internet in a way that’s more fun than using the traditional two-button click mouse, says HillCrest Labs. To use the Loop, consumers have to plug a small USB 2.0 transceiver into their PC and get started.

The product was originally been developed as a concept to demonstrate Hillcrest’ motion control technology and we saw it showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show this year.

The Loop can also be used with the PlayStation 3’s web browser and can also work for Apple TV users who use a TV Flash software.

The Loop is available through Amazon and the company’s website for $100.

And if you are wondering about the similarity between the Loop and the Wiimote, it may not be entirely coincidental. Last year, HillCrest Labs filed a lawsuit against Nintendo alleging patent infringement over the motion-sensing technology.

HP Web-Connected Touchscreen Printer

HP Introduces Web-Connected Touchscreen Printer

n a bid to inject some spark into stodgy home printers, HP has introduced a new all-in-one touchscreen printer that can directly connect to the web and print coupons, maps, movie tickets, news and weather information without the need for a PC.

HP has also taken the idea of apps, popularized by smartphones such as iPhone and T-Mobile G1, and extended it to its product. That means the company’s latest printer will come preloaded with HP applications that can be accessed via the touchscreen panel. HP will also allow users to create and download apps from their site later this year.

“By giving people access to the content they want at the touch of a finger, the ability to customize their printing experience and create their own apps, we are driving a significant shift in how people will be printing in the future,” says Vyomesh Joshi, executive vice president, imaging and printing group, HP.

That means picture yourself just turning on this printer going to Fandango and printing movie tickets or accessing Coupons.com for the latest grocery deals, or printing directions right off the device.

The new printer comes with a rather clunky name–the HP Photosmart Premium with TouchSmart Web, and a hefty price tag. It will be available starting fall for $400.

The printer will have a 4.3-inch LCD touchscreen and can print, fax, copy and scan. It can also print directly from Wi-Fi-enabled PCs, Bluetooth-enabled devices, iPhone and the iPod touch.

The device’s user interface seems fairly easy to use and it will have the ability to browse the web, though it is not likely to be a complete browser. Among the early HP app partners will be USA Today, Google including mpas and calendar, Fandango, Coupons.com and Web Sudoku. The printer will also connect directly to a user’s Snapfish account to view, print and upload photos.

Bringing maps, news and coupons functionality to a printer makes it more likely that the average user will get more value from their printer. But unless HP can bring that $400 price tag down significantly, this could end up as a niche product.