TechTalk: Exploring the Latest Technology News, Updates, Reviews, and Gossip

In this new year it would seem like the latest craze in gadget-dom is the Dick Tracy fad of mobile phones in wrist watches. Phenom Communications Inc., an American company has announced the launch of their The Phenom Watch Phone. It was only very recently that LG launched their GD910 wrist watch mobile. The Phenom Watch Phone is available in quite a few models. "Our lives are inundated with multiple gadgets. Phenom decided it was time to combine all the essential gadgets in one," said Mati Herbst, Phenom Communications CEO. "Our customers love it, not only for its incredible, cutting edge technology and functionality, but because it means they never have to think twice if they’ve taken their cell phone or MP3. It’s always attached to their wrist." These devices are unlocked GSM cell phones that incorporate an MP3 and MP4 player a digital still and video camera. Other standard features include – * Up to 2 GB memory * 1.3-inch TFT Touchscreen sporting 260k Pix...

HTC already had an i-Killer in their Touch and the much better HTC Touch Diamond. They even took it one step further with the Touch Pro and its slide out QWERTY keypad . It doesn't seem though like that was enough. Their latest offering is a handset that’s yet to make an official scene in some way, and all we have right now are a few candid images of the same. Reports say that the handset in question, is being referred to as the HTC Touch HD. In case you’re wondering, the HD stands for High Def and the reason it carries that tag is because of the screen resolution that is supposed to support a 480 x 800 pixel resolution. Yup, WVGA. The handset runs on Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional and comes equipped with a Qualcomm 7201A processor (@ 528MHz) with 512MB ROM and256 MB RAM (+32MB on processor). The same reports state that the Touch HD will be equipped with GPS, a 5MP camera with no flash though, microSD card support for extra memory and a 3.5mm earphone socket. According to some of ...

Velocity Mobile , a nine month old collaboration between one of the world’s largest notebook computer manufacturers and a team of veteran wireless designers and engineers, have announced the retail availability of their first touchscreen phone, the Velocity 103. The company's belief is that the simplest solution is often the best solution and have thus tried with this handset to combine an easy-to-use Odyssey Interface, Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone operating system and their Velocity Over The Air updates. The outcome is a sleek but rather similar-to-HTC form factor. "Consumers these days are demanding more from their phones. Our research tells us that people want experiences, not applications and functions," said David Hayes, president and managing director, Velocity Mobile. "Velocity Mobile has brought together some of the greatest minds and best of breed partners in the industry to deliver positive experience and value to consumers." Velocity Mob...

Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs took the wraps off a revamped line of iPods on Tuesday and trumpeted a truce with NBC Universal that means the TV network will begin selling programs again on iTunes. The iPod announcements were largely expected, and investors were less than energized, sending Apple's shares down $6.24, 4 percent, to close at $151.68. The iPod upgrades Jobs revealed Tuesday in a theater in San Francisco include two slick new Nano models, oval-shaped devices that Jobs said are the thinnest iPods Apple has ever made. They are less than a quarter-inch thick. A $149 version comes with 8 gigabytes of memory (enough for 2,000 songs); a 16-gigabyte version (which holds 4,000 songs) is $199. The new models acknowledge the incredible appetite for iPods - Jobs said Apple has sold 160 million iPods since their introduction in 2001, making them the runaway leader among portable music players. But Apple has to work hard to differentiate them from the iPhone, Apple's cell phone/iPod...

The BlackBerry Thunder was going to be RIM’s answer to the iPhone. With its large touch screen and seemingly sleek design, it could not go wrong. It's even undergone a name change. It's now called the BlackBerry 9530 Storm. What reports are stating is that the 9530 will be launched in a CDMA version exclusively for Verizon. Of course the company is still working out the kinks in the handset. There’s no word yet on the official availability or the pricing so stay tuned.

The 4 GB flash drive has a retractable USB connector and measures 40.6mm long by 18.4mm wide and 7.2mm thick. Each JetFlash V95 comes with a leather carrying-strap and is available in Onyx Black (JFV95C) and Satin Red (JFV95D), both with 4GB memory capacity. Austin Huang, Regional Head - Sales, SAARC and APAC, Transcend, "The JetFlash V95 is an innovative marriage of fashion and technology that not only offers elegant distinctive styling and ultra-portable convenience, but also performs brilliantly as an advanced storage device". Users can download and install Transcend's JetFlash elite data management tools onto the JetFlash drive to enhance their mobile productivity. JetFlash elite can turn the JetFlash V95 into a key to automatically log on to website accounts, or even temporarily lock the computer to prevent unauthorized access. Users can also browse their bookmarked websites and check their email from any compatible computer with the Internet Favorites and Mobile Ema...

Nokia is launching its N96 in Delhi today a few days before the iPhone 3G is launched here in India. The N96 was initially set to launch first in the UK on the first of October. But Nokia seems to have changed their plans and are launching it here first. The timing is so wickedly correct. Even as we wait for the iPhone, Nokia is dropping this fully loaded beauty into our laps and we estimate the price to be somewhere in the vicinity of Rs. 36,000. The quandary about what phone to buy just got bigger and more complicated with these two behemoths launching so close together. The Indian market is truly getting to be the biggest mobile market on the planet and personally, being spoilt for choice, we have no complaints whatsoever.

Nokia has introduced the Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte, a new premium mobile phone engineered from carbon fibre, titanium, polished glass and stainless steel. The 8800 is custom built to ensure the precision engineering that these materials require. The minimalistic and seamless surfaces, slide mechanism and light weight of the phone all feature throughout the Nokia 8800 Arte line. Also available on the Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte are soundtracks and wallpapers created exclusively for the range. The Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte offers the tap-for-time feature - consumers can tap the steel surface below the display twice and a clock appears on the screen. Background images organically change during the day, giving a unique appearance to the display. The turn-to-mute silencing mechanism allows individuals to silence incoming calls by turning the phone over, screen-side down. In addition to 3G capabilities and a 3.2 megapixel auto focus camera, the Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte has an OLED display and built-in me...

Long weekend coming up, so why don't I sign off with a bang? The latest LCD TV models from Samsung and LG have already been reviewed by us, and while they proved competent, neither was perfect in all respects. So it should be fun to play god and pit the 42-inch LG Scarlet against the 40-inch Samsung Series 5. On we go... Aesthetics and Form The LG Scarlet has become quite famous for its red back panel, which no doubt looks beautiful, but it’s at the rear! Are any consumers going to fall for this? There's no sensible explanation for putting the most striking design element where it's least likely to be seen. It must be some inside joke on LG’s part. The on/off button on the Scarlet is an awesome piece of work – no doubt about that. It’s a hole carved through the bezel’s bottom panel, which has a transparent ridged rim. It is touch-sensitive, and lights up subtly when on. On the other hand, the Series 5 is basic, with the high gloss black finish all over and a thin metallic s...

Palm is really getting very friendly on the Windows Mobile Platform as we see yet another handset to be launched with the Windows Mobile OS. The Palm Treo Pro is quite a snappy looking handset dressed in black. According to reports, the handset will support HSDPA, Wi-Fi, microSD external memory support, infrared, Bluetooth and a 3.5mm earphone socket. The same reports also state that the Treo Pro comes equipped with a 320 x 320 pixel touch screen, built in GPS (seems like that’s becoming a pre-requisite) and comes preloaded with Adobe Reader and Telnav. It has 256MB ROM and 128MB RAM.

Enter the BlackBerry Gold in all its splendor. RIM has finally launched their latest handset - The Bold. The handset is RIM’s first smartphone to support HSDPA and has features that include a half-VGA LCD display (480 x 320 resolution at 217 ppi), a 624 MHz processor, integrated GPS and Wi-fi support as well as 1GB internal storage memory and a microSD/SDHC expansion memory slot. The Bold also features a 2 megapixel camera with video recording capability, built-in flash and digital zoom. The advanced media player can display pictures and slideshows and play movies in full screen mode (thank goodness). Audio can be played over the handset's dual speakers stereo sound, and when using headphones or external speakers, the media player gives the user an equalizer with 11 preset filters. With the BlackBerry Enterprise Solution, users can stay easily connected to their email, calendar, contacts and other corporate applications in IBM Lotus Domino, Microsoft Exchange and Novell GroupWise e...

Hitachi has introduced the DZ-BD10HA - a Blu-ray Disc Hybrid Camcorder with the ability to record onto the Blu-ray. The DZ-BD10HA contains several new features and improvements including a newly developed 7 mega pixel CMOS image sensor, which captures videos and stills in FullHD (1920 x 1080). It can also record up to 4 hours 20 minutes of 1920x1080 video or 8 hours 40 minutes of 1440x1080 video onto the built-in 30 GB HDD. Additionally, the built-in SDHC card slot provides added flexibility by allowing for Full HD video and still recordings. It also offers a dubbing function that allows Full HD video to be transferred with a single push of a button from either the HDD or SDHC card to the BD drive, all within the camcorder, without having to connect to a PC. Editing functions such as split, splice, delete, merge, and transitions can also be performed within the camcorder before dubbing for additional functionality. The Transcoding feature allows for the camcorder to transfer full HD vi...

Transcend has introduced a new 64 GB high speed SLC 2.5-inch Solid State Disk (SSD). Austin Huang, Regional Head - Sales, SAARC and APAC, Transcend, said, "Transcend's 2.5" SSD can be used in most notebook computers and mainstream PCs just like a regular hard drive. When it comes to performance, Transcend's new SLC flash memory-equipped 64GB SSD offers data transfer rates that greatly surpass even the fastest 2.5" hard drives, delivering data read/write speeds of up to 119MB and 64MB per second, respectively. With these high-speed transfer rates and virtually non-existent (less than 0.1ms) latency, Transcend's SSD accelerates computer boot-up times, makes games and applications open faster and run more smoothly, and improves overall system responsiveness." Transcend's Solid State Disk's integrated ECC (Error Correction Code) ensures reliable data transfer and increases system integrity. Its built-in wear leveling technology also guarantees ultra-...

Lenovo, in its capacity as an official sponsor of the Olympic Games has released a couple of limited edition USB drives. These drives have been released under the Mascot series and are priced at $29 for 4 GB. In all, six drives have been released with their front side printed with a Fuwa image. Apart from this, the company is offering a 1 GB titanium limited edition drive that comes with a swiveling USB plug in a special mahogany box. Considering the amount, the company has probably already had to spend, it may be brave enough to venture a guess that we just might see an Olympic branded laptop sooner or later.

Catering to its Indian patrons, Logitech has announced the launch of its Tri Color optical mouse in time for our Independence Day. The new mini optical mouse that adopts the colors of the Indian flag is a simple plug-and-play device and comes with an all-terrain optical sensor. The mouse also has Logitech's integrated cord wrap feature that enables the user to wind the cord neatly into the mouse for easy packing. The Logitech Tri Color Mouse is priced at Rs. 640, is available at all leading electronic stores and has a replacement warranty of 3 years.

Samsung Telecommunications India (STI), has announced the launch of its full touch screen, ultra-slim lifestyle segment mobile phone – the Samsung TouchWIZ (F480)- in the Indian market. The TouchWIZ is being launched to coincide with the Olympic Games 2008. Announcing the launch of this new phone, Sunil Dutt, Country Head, Samsung Telecommunications India, said, "Given the growing consumer interest in touch screen phones , the Samsung TouchWIZ offers a brilliant full touch navigation experience; widgets with 'Drag and Drop' technology and User Interface with Haptic Feedback which makes the experience of using the phone highly interactive and easy." The TouchWIZ has 'drag and drop' technology, which allows widgets to be selected from the left panel of the screen and dropped anywhere on the home screen. Since the Widgets comprise widely used applications like clock, calendar, alarms, music player, FM, games and profiles, this equips the user to set hotkeys on th...

Access to product upgrades are one of the perks of being in the tech industry. If you've come across a great product, you can't wait to see what the company’s going to come up with next. For instance, Nokia's E61 and then the E62 made Symbian a force to reckon with in the business world, and the upgraded and slimmer E61i with a 2MP camera took it a step further. And now the E71 is here. This time Nokia's gone beyond a step – it's a big leap, in fact. Form Factor The design is superb.The E71 seems to be a culmination of elegance, style, and class, with functionality kept utmost in mind. I think its steel shell gives it a macho look and feel. The display may be a little smaller than the E61i at 2.36 inches, but on the whole the E71’s specs are way better. The QWERTY keypad looks rather compressed, however, and will take a bit of getting used to. But the five-way nav-pad and relevant shortcut keys are located for easy accessibility. The prominent bottom portion of the ...

The PMP is called the Creative Zen Mosaic. It has a rather chic design for a small PMP with features that include MP3/WMA playback as well as Windows Media DRM 10 support. It also allows users to view their images in JPEG format and AVI video file formats as well. It also has a voice recording feature and an integrated FM radio. Another interesting feature that Creative has included is the Microsoft Outlook 4 ToDo list and appointment calendar, address book and syncing, so users can have all their schedules stored. The Mosaic weighs in at just 43g and has dimensions of 79.5×40.0×12.8mm. It’s available in 3 capacities – 8GB, 4GB and 2GB. According to Creative the PMP can provide users with up to 32 hours of music playback. It has 8 EQ presets and a custom 5 band manually adjustable graphic EQ as well as Smart Bass Boost. It also has in-built speakers to share music. The Mosaic comes equipped with a 1.8 -nch TFT color LCD sporting a resolution of 128 × 160 pixels. The second player that ...

Since our last Wi-Fi router review, the market in India has expanded steadily and the device has today become a mainstream product. This expansion has been made possible by companies such as Netgear, D-link, and Linksys, which have gradually introduced a wide variety of products for Wi-Fi networking in virtually all categories, at prices ranging from Rs 1,500 to Rs 7,500. Looking to capitalize on this burgeoning market, well-known networking company Belkin recently introduced its range of Wi-Fi products in the country. We spent some time testing the N1 Vision router, which happens to be the company's flagship model. So how did it fare? Read on to find out... The N1 Vision is one of the smartest looking candidates we've got for review. Unlike other drab routers, this one has tried to set itself apart by going in for a polished smooth finish. For starters it stands upright on a nicely designed silver base, while the body on the front has a smooth glossy finish similar to that off...

Sony Computer Entertainment’s 3D puzzle game ‘Echochrome’ is now available for the PSP at almost all major retailers across India. The game’s available for Rs. 999, and here’s a little about it: It’s a simple concept: guide your walker through a series of 3D black and white mazes. At first glance, it seems impossible: the mazes contain holes, dead-ends and impossible-to-reach walkways and you find yourself walking in circles. However, by using the simple controls, you can tilt your view of the world, and before you know it, what you see is what you get. By viewing the maze from a completely new angle, you create a completely new maze. Rotate the maze to make a hole disappear behind a column, create a new walkway or join a staircase to another walkway. With a little perseverance, you can manipulate the maze to walk wherever you like.