Phone New Update: 2009

FAQ : Making free calls using Pennytel

First Wishing all my blog readers a very very Happy New Year. This time of year, almost everyone wish their friends and family, the call volumes increasing to a great extent.

Well, Few days back we posted about PennyTel voip service and their new year offer in which it offered unlimited free voip calls to India and other 5 destinations. Many people have been sucessful in using this PennyTel voip service and have been making more than 3 Hrs of phone calls each day.

To bring to your notice that the PennyTel voip service is still working good, and you will be able to make free calls to India and wish everyone a happy new year. For those who were not able to make calls using PennyTel, just check the few points below and check where you were wrong.

1. You registered on the website "PennyTel" and received email confirmation with login details. Now you are able to login properly.

2. You filled your email address on the xmaspromo page on the pennytel website - Link.
Only this will entitle you to get free 10 M minutes of free calls.

3. You received confirmation mail regarding free 10 M minutes - that is SIP details. Now when you login to your account you can see the plan type as "Free access Plan (10 M Minutes Free) [ON your home page - when you login to your account ]

4. You have successfully launched PennyTel softphone : and it shows Registered (after it has loaded). (Check the Pin I posted in the earlier post).

5. To dial the number you dial : 919891XXXXXX (India Mobile) or (00919891XXXXXX)
India Landline as - 91 11 XXXXXXXX or (00 91 11 XXXXXXXX).

Your call should get connected now. But if you miss any of above said steps and probably you should correct it to make free calls.

Yamaha NS-SP1800BL 5.1 Channel

Yamaha NS-SP1800BL 5.1 channel home theater speaker package is a low cost, convenient way to enjoy the full benefits of 5.1 channel home theater sound. Yamaha NS-SP1800BL 5.1 Channel features advanced Yamaha active servo technology (Advanced YST) is a unique system in which the speaker and amplifier work together to cancel out impedance so the speaker unit has a perfectly linear motion. Advanced YST helps to ensure the highest levels of sound pressure and overall performance.

Product Specifications

Brand Name : Yamaha
Color Name : Black
Speaker Type : Home theater speaker system
Driver Configuration : 1x 2.5" Cone
Frequency Response Curve : 28 Hz - 50 kHz
Audio Sensitivity : 82 decibels
Impdedance : 6 ohm
Cabinet Material Type : Plastic
Speaker Driver Material Type : Paper
Price : $149.95

Logitech Rechargeable Speaker S315i

Digital music has revolutionized how you listen to music, because you can listen to your favorite songs anywhere. Logitech Rechargeable Speaker S315i will blow you away with 20 hours of music when you use the power saving mode. That's a full day's (or night's) worth of music without missing a beat. This little beauty powerfully reproduces your favorite songs with accurate highs and every note will be heard loudly and clearly.

A custom, full range driver brings you crisp, sharp sounds. And since it's rechargeable, this is a sleek and stylish speaker and goes with you wherever you go. You can play and charge your iPod or iPhone with a dock connector. The result is a product that makes the most of your music. Go ahead. Play a song or two or 300 without recharging.

Technical Details

Rechargeable with up to 20 hours of listening pleasure (in the power saving model).
Play and charge both iPod and iPhone.
Weighs just 1.47 pounds, so it�s easy to take with you.
A 3.5 mm auxiliary input lets you connect and listen to other portable players.
Fold-in foot makes it easy to take with you around town.
Price : $114.00

Dial91 : Dial India, India Calling Card : 1.5 Cents/Min

This holiday season, a large number of voip providers have lowered their call rates to India. If you are paying more than 1.5-2 cents per minute to call India, then you are definitely losing money.

We have so many options now to make calls to India. Free Calls to India is offered by Pennytel this holiday season (till 2nd Jan2010), it also offers free voip calls to other countries. If you talk of calling cards Pingo is obviously a good option, but you can explore others too.

Due to the every growing competition, many voip providers are forced to lower call rates. Dial91 has reduced its call rates to India. Dial91 is now offering 1.5 cents/minute to call India. One of my friend is using Dial91 to make calls from USA to India, and he is very much satisfied with the call quality.

Another good thing about Dial91 is that you can buy as low as a $2 calling card, which will give you 134 calling minutes to India with effective calling rate just 1.5 cents/minute. So I guess you can try it by buying a $2 card, and continue with the voip service if you like it. Soon you will be able t access Dial91 from Skype, another cool thing !!

FriendCaller Calling Guide: Get Free Calls Credit

Yesterday I posted about FriendCaller and about its giving free voip credit to make free voip calls. FriendCaller is giving 10 Eurocents credit, so that you can make free calls. The call rates to India is around 2 eurocent so your trial call will lasts for 5 minutes.

However, a lot of people complained that they were not able to register properly, and did not got free calling credit. I have checked again and yes FriendCaller is still offering free voip credit.

Follow the steps below :

1. Visit Friendcaller (Its a Java applet so you may need to install some program depending on your browser).

2. Click on Register (left sidebar).

3. Enter Details (Name, Last Name, Email Address, Password).

4. Do note that enter a valid Email address (as each unique user is tracked via email address, and you will get free credit only when you verify your email address.

5. Submit the form.

6. You will be automatically be logged in (without credit- you wont be able to place calls as you still have no credit.). So Logout.

7. Visit your mail and check mail by FriendCaller, verify your mail address using the link Friendcaller mailed you.

8. Login again. Now you should see 10 eurocents credit in your accoun. I have pasted a Printscreen image showing the free credit.

9. To make calls, click on phone sign below your name (homepage). Enter the number and enjoy free calls.

If you like the FriendCaller voip service then you can continue with them by buying voip credit as the call rates offered by FriendCaller are also cheap.

FriendCaller : Webphone : Free Voip Calls (Browser based calling)

Making calls directly from your web browser has been very popular. You dont need to download any softphone (Pc application) to make Pc to Phone calls, neither you have to dial any access numbers.

Now with FriendCaller make FREE Internet calls and cheap phone calls straight from your browser. If you have internet connection, PC, Headset and mic bingo, you can make free voip calls. With FriendCaller, no software installation required. It's a Java-based temporary browser applet that is loaded onto your browser when you log-in.

The best part about FriendCaller is that it is offering free voip credit to test their service using which you can call India or any other country for free. The test credit lasts for about 5 min-7min call to India. Register with FriendCaller, and make free calls using the its Java applet.

If you have iPhone, then you can also use FriendCaller on your iPhone.

If you like FriendCaller Voip service and wanna talk for long then you purchase credit from Friendcaller and make free voip calls.

PS: To make unlimited free calls to India during these holidays (till 2nd Jan 2010) try Pennytel.

Airtel Call India : Airtel Call Home No Rental Plan

Airtel Call Home is used by many, many calling India from USA (famous among NRI's). The service by Airtel call home is indeed good, and that's the reason people favor it.

When Airtel Call home launched its 1 cent plan to call India (Airtel call India) people did not registered for it because of the rental thing. Actually Airtel Call Home was charging some rental for India Calling Plans. Now Airtel Call home has launched another plan with Zero Rental. With thins Airtel Call India, you can make very cheap calls to India.

Airtel Call Home (Airtel Call India) Zero Rental Plan :
Plan Value : $15
Talktime : 938 Mins
Duration or Validity : 60 Days

Plan Value : $25
Talktime : 1563 Mins
Duration or Validity : 90 Days

Effective call rates to India by AirtelCallHome was 1.6 cents per minute (which is same as its 1 cent per minute plan). Good things about this plan is validity is long, good for the ones who don't talk too much and spend about $10/month for calling India. Airtel Call Home is worth trying voip provider if your calling minutes don't exceed 1000.

PS: This holiday season don't spend any money for making calls to India. Check out PennyTel for making free calls to India. It is offering 10 Million free till 2nd Jan 2010 to make free voip calls to India, Australia, UK, USA etc.

PennyTel : Unlimited Free Calls to India, International using Pennytel

This is about making Free international calls using Pennytel. Its the new Pennytel promotional offer, a Christmas and New year promotion by voip major PennyTel. When you avail this Pennytel offer, you will get entitled to 10 Million free minutes of calling to India, Australia, Canada, China, UK and USA.

Pennytel promotion is during the holiday season and it wont last for long. Let me put this in detail.

To help you talk to your friends and family this holiday season Pennytel is offering unlimited free calls to above said countries (India included) ( 10,000,000 minutes of FREE calls ).

Pennytel Free International Calls : 10M Minutes Free Promotion

This Pennytel offer is available to all new customers as well as old customers. So, if you have not signed up with PennyTel earlier then you can sign up now and make use of the offer. Again : Pennytel offer is for limited time, so make most use of it now.

PennyTel 10 Million free minutes offer will run till 2nd Jan 2010, or when you have used all your minutes (whichever is earlier).

Now Pennytel offers a variety of ways to use their service, use SIP or you can even use PC to Phone calling (Use softphone directly from their website).

I have myself registered for the service and have been using Pennytel softphone to make calls. The call quality (using the softphone is very good) and call lasts for as long as yo talk.

UPDATE : Please refer to the youtube video below to make free calls using Pennytel. Simply use Pennytel SIP settings in Nimbuzz to make Free PC to Phone Calls.

My review is very positive (considering it is unlimited free calls). So I would recommend Pennytel to everyone. This will indeed help you save all your money which you would have otherwise spent on wishing your friends and family "Happy New year".

Make most of it now, Share your reviews and please post your comments if you face any difficulty (We will help you out as we have been using it for making free calls). Signup with Pennytel now !!

.

Vopium Call India , Call Pakistan , Call Bangladesh Plans

First wishing all my blog readers Merry Christmas. Hope Santa brings you lots of gifts !!

Yesterday we talked about Vopium Christmas and new year offer. Vopium is very popular as a mobile voip provider, so if you want to make calls from your mobile phone and club that with the benefit of using voip then Vopium suits your needs.

Vopium offers quite attractive packages to call India, Call Bangldesh and to call Pakistan. We thought to discuss these calling packages with you.

Vopium Call India : Call India for EUR 0.01/min only.
Buy the "Call India" package and receive 750 min for only EUR 9.95 to call any landline and mobile in India. You also get 100 free international SMS on top. The package is valid for 30 days

Vopium Call Pakistan : "Call Pakistan" package allows you to call Pakistan for EUR 0.04/min only!
Buy the "Call Pakistan" package and receive 350 min for only EUR 12.95 to call any landline and mobile in Pakistan. You also get 100 free international SMS on top.The package is valid for 30 days.

Vopium Call Bangladesh : "Call Bangladesh" package allows you to call Bangladesh for EUR 0.02/min only!
Buy the "Call Bangladesh" package and receive 750 min for only EUR 12.95 to call any landline and mobile in Bangladesh. You also get 100 free international SMS on top.The package is valid for 30 days.

PS: If you are looking for a calling card to India, then you must try Pingo Calling cards (offering less than half a cent per min to India).

Vopium : Half Rates calls on Christmas and New Year

Vopium is a very popular mobile voip provider. I guess many of you are using Internet facility in their mobile phone. So its better to use Voip in your phone itself and save big bucks on your phone bills, by making mobile voip calls.

Without going into details about Using Vopium, let me staright get you to the Voip Deal which Vopium is offering on this Christmas and New year Seasaon.

Vopium has decided to offer you 50% off on the 24th, 25th and 31st of December as well the 1st of January. There are no restrictions. Vopium will cut both the per minute prices and the SMS prices in half, so that you can call all mobiles and all landlines in all the countries of the world 50% cheaper. Indeed a great deal.

PS: Use Vopium to call India, Pakistan and other Asian countries. Offcourse, you can use it to call USA, Canada, Europe as the call rates are very cheap by Vopium. If you are looking for a calling card then Pingo is a good option, as it is offering less than a cent call to India.

Panasonic Pro AG-HMC150

The cooler than cool Panasonic Pro AG-HMC150 drew big crowds at the 2008 NAB Show. Why? Simply because it offers an unheard of Bang for the Buck, in a 1/3 inch three chip hand held tapeless HD camcorder, while retaining the core versatility of the DVX100B. Panasonic Pro AG-HMC150 sports a 28mm lens right out of the box and a new PH Record mode (21 Mbps) which offers higher resolution with a host of recording formats including 24p.

Add to that, amazing low light performance, long record and battery time and professional Audio capabilities at a price that will make it an instant hit with a wide range of AV Shooters, Indie creators and Event video professionals. Panasonic Pro AG-HMC150 represents a major step forward in the introduction of a next generation solid state HD camera that extends the six year successful track record of the popular DVX100 plus a lot more.

Panasonic Pro AG-HMC150�s lightweight (lightest 1/3 inch 3CCD available), well balanced professional design features a high performance wide angle Leica 13X zoom lens, 24 and 30 frame progressive capture, both in 720 and 1080 formats, making it perfect for even high level projects. Designed from a clean sheet of paper with much customer input to Panasonic's product development engineers, Panasonic Pro AG-HMC150 sports a Die Cast Alloy chassis and a Three year warranty (upon customer registration) that further endorses its reliability.

Using the latest in compression technology (AVC High Profile) and widely available SD memory cards as the recording media, Panasonic Pro AG-HMC150 is as easy to use as a digital still camera. The content recorded on the SD card can be directly played on a growing number of affordable consumer players, including select models of Playstation 3, Blu-ray players, plasma screens and PC�s. With most NLE systems now supporting AVCHD, content can be edited and rendered to play in any type of SD or HD playback system.

Dynamic Range Stretch
With DRS ON your customer can capture better Video quality when shooting bright, halftone and dark objects in the same frame. (Bride�s white gown details and the Groom�s shades of tuxedo black.) This clever circuit estimates the gamma curve and knee slope of each pixel�s brightness and applies the estimate on a real time basis. The result is more accurate Video with a visually wider dynamic range.

Features

Full range of HD formats : 1080/60i, 1080/30p, 1080/24p (Native); 720/60p, 720/30p, 720/24p (Native)
Higher bit-rate recording than consumer models (21 Mbps PH Mode)
Three latest design 1/3 inch CCD Progressive Imagers
13X Wide angle 28mm lens out of the box (35mm equiv.), MOD .6 M, 72mm � (Shoot in confined spaces with no need to buy an accessory lens)
Time Date Stamp for Legal Depositions or surveillance
Waveform Monitor, Vectorscope plus two Focus displays for accurate, quick focus
Professional XLR audio input connections
Time code (DF, NDF, REC RUN, FREE RUN) and USER BIT
HDMI out, Component Out (mini D terminal), Composite Video Out and RCA Audio Out jacks
External Time Code Link (Slave & Master Preset) uses the Composite Video Out terminal
USB 2.0 for file transfer (no need for a VTR)
3.5 inch LCD monitor displays thumbnails for quick non-linear access to clips
Remote control connection for Zoom, Focus, Iris, and start and stop functions
14 bit A to D converter and 19 bit Image processing
Cinelike Gamma &, DRS Dynamic Range Stretch (Filmaker requested features)
Three Neutral Density Filters 1/4, 1/16, 1/64
Pre-Record (3 Seconds), Digital Zoom 2X / 5X / 10X (in 1080/60i & 720/60p only)
Three User Set Buttons with 11 choices for customizing Camera to Shooter

Panasonic Professional AG-HMC40 AVCHD

Panasonic Professional AG-HMC40 AVCHD handheld combines Full HD AVCHD video recording with high resolution 10.6 megapixel still photo capture, giving you the benefits of two professional cameras in one affordable package. Compact and lightweight, Panasonic Professional AG-HMC40 AVCHD is a versatile HD camcorder offering high quality AVCHD recordings, high resolution still photo capture, an easy to use SD card workflow, and professional audio capabilities for a wide range of applications and markets including schools, government agencies, event videographers, web designers and more.

With a full resolution 3 megapixel, 1/4 inch 3MOS imager, Panasonic Professional AG-HMC40 AVCHD produces stunning 1920 x 1080 video in AVCHD (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264), delivering images far superior to HDV. When used for digital still photography, the camera captures photos with 10.6 megapixel resolution directly onto the SD card as a JPEG image. The camera can also be connected directly to a PictBridge photo printer (no PC required).

And unlike HDV tapes, video and photos can be accessed randomly and immediately from the SD cards and played back on a number of consumer devices. With a full resolution 3 megapixel, 1/4 inch 3MOS imager, Panasonic Professional AG-HMC40 AVCHD produces stunning 1920x1080 video in AVCHD (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264), delivering images far superior to HDV. When used for digital still photography, the camera captures photos with 10.6 megapixel resolution directly onto the SD card as a JPEG image.

The camera can also be connected directly to a PictBridge photo printer (no PC required). And unlike HDV tapes, video and photos can be accessed randomly and immediately from the SD cards and played back on a number of consumer devices. The camcorder's advanced Leica Dicomar lens system offers 12X optical zoom, wide angle setting (40.8mm) and an optical image stabilizer (O.I.S.) feature for precise shooting. The compact camera is also packed with professional video and audio features (HDMI out, date or time stamp, remote zoom, XLR option, etc.).

Using high capacity SD memory cards, Panasonic Professional AG-HMC40 AVCHD provides hours of beautiful high definition recordings at professional level bit rates. It records in a range of 1080 and 720 formats with all four professional AVCCAM recording modes PH mode (average 21 Mbps or Max 24Mbps), the HA mode (approx.17 Mbps), the HG mode (approx.13 Mbps), HE mode (approx. 6 Mbps). AVCCAM offers the benefit of a fast, file based workflow using widely available and reasonably priced SD memory cards.

Technical Details

HD formats : 1080/60i, 1080/30p, 1080/24p (Native) 720/60p, 720/30p, 720/24p (Native)
Three latest design 1/4.1 Progressive 3MOS Imagers for full HD resolution
Long record time : 3 hours with included battery (7 hours continuous with 5.800mAh Battery)
Touch Panel 2.7 inch Widescreen LCD displays Thumbnails & Audio Metering
HDMI out, Component Out (mini D terminal), Composite Video and Stereo Audio Out with included cable

Sony HVR-HD1000U

Sony HVR-HD1000U was created to meet the growing demand from users who are looking for mobility and professional appearance. This camcorder features a shoulder mount design and black matte body similar to that of professional camcorders making it perfect for weddings, corporate communications, colleges, universities, and sporting events where appearance makes a difference. Premium design characteristics and high definition HDV1080i recording are the main features of this new one piece shoulder camcorder, ideal for working videographers on a budget.

A built-in down converter creates DV material, perfect for standard DVD productions. Plus, a special still photo mode is ideal for producing DVD cases and making wedding photo albums. Whether you are recording weddings and corporate communications or helping students make a documentary, Sony HVR-HD1000U is the best choice on the market today as an entry level professional camcorder.

The next generation of Sony imaging sensor, the ClearVid CMOS Sensor used in Sony HVR-HD1000U camcorder, is quite unique and different from current CMOS technology. The ClearVid CMOS Sensor uses a unique pixel layout rotated 45 degrees to provide high resolution and high sensitivity. This pixel layout technology is also used in higher end professional camcorders. The ClearVid CMOS Sensor, coupled with an Enhanced Imaging Processor (EIP), generates stunning images. Moreover, thanks to the CMOS technology, bright objects do not cause vertical smear.

Sony HVR-HD1000U offers benefits for SD productions, as well as HD. It is easy to use HDV recordings for your current DV editing work. Sony HVR-HD1000U has a down conversion feature that outputs converted DV signals through the i.LINK connector to your current DV non-linear editing system, while retaining an HD master on the tape for future use. Furthermore, Sony HVR-HD1000U offers a DV recording mode (4:3 or 16:9), which can provide a recording time of approximately 120 minutes in LP mode.

Technical Details

Enhanced mobility and professional aesthetic with this shoulder mount design and black matte body
HDV1080i recordings can be captured on DigitalMaster professional tape as well as consumer MiniDV
Built-in down converter creates DV material, perfect for standard DVD productions
Easy viewing with this large, freely rotating 2.7 inch LCD screen
Features a Carl Zeiss Vario Sonner T lens with 10x optical zoom

Price : $1,574.00

Sony HDR-FX7

Shoot like a pro with Sony HDR-FX7 High Definition Handycam(R) camcorder. Capture amazing video and still images in high definition with the first HDV 1080i 3 CMOS sensor consumer level camcorder and player in the world. The three 1/4" ClearVID CMOS Sensors provide stunning detail and precision, while a 20x Optical Zoom Carl Zeiss Lens maintains image clarity. Since Sony HDR-FX7 records video in high definition, you can dual record still images at the same time.

So no matter what the occasion, Sony HDR-FX7 is the perfect camcorder for the situation. A Sony developed Real Time MPEG Encode/Decode system with reduced energy consumption and compact size to fit inside a personal camcorder. This provides efficient MPEG2 compression, and recording and playback of clear HD images at the same bit rate of the DV format, so that High Definition video can be recorded on the same cassettes as are used for MiniDV recording.

From the authority in lens technology, the Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T lens provides a high quality 20x optical zoom which maintains image clarity and color while reducing glare and flare. Dual independent zoom and focus rings provide precise and detailed control over the amount of zoom and the overall focus of the image with just a turn of the rings. Fast, intuitive framing when zooming, and finely detailed focusing is easy with the natural "feel" of the rings.

Easily adjust the amount of light entering the lens by adjusting exposure brightness in accordance with the iris and gain. The Iris control allows the volume of light to be adjusted (shutter speed and gain are adjustable). Though not small enough to carry with you to Disney, this camcorder opens up new opportunities for serious amateur and semi professionals to record videos suitable for play on new widescreen HDTV sets.

Technical Details

Record and play back HDV 1080i video : switchable recording in standard definition
ClearVid CMOS sensor : 20x optical zoom
Wide 3.5 inch Hybrid Touch Panel Clear Photo LCD Plus display
Capture 1.2 megapixel stills to Memory Stick Duo
Professional 62mm Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T lens

IndiaLD : India Calling card : Call India for 0.7Cents/minute

This holiday season with Christmas and new year around, we assure you that you will not spend much on your phone calls. Thanks to the latest new year promotions and offers by various voip providers offering cheap and free voip calls.

Yesterday we posted about Pingo Calling cards which is offering very cheap calls to India clubbed with some great offers (offering effective rate of less than one cent). Today we will discuss another such offer by well known IndiaLD.

Already very popular IndiaLD is celebrating its 1st anniversary with some very good promotions to call India. Lets talk about these promotions and benifits in details.

1. 5000 Mins for $35.00 plus tax with effective calling rate of .007 Deal :
Call India Land & Mobile For $.007/min.
45 Day Validity. Recharge Allowed.
No Fees. No Hidden Charges.
Pinless Dial Per Account.
The sad part - USA ACCESS NUMBER ONLY! (California access number (949) 259-9907.)

2. 1.5¢ India Calling Card, NEW From IndiaLD :
Call India Land & Mobile For 1.5¢/min.
90 Day Validity. Pay As You Go.
No Fees. No Hidden Charges.
Send Free SMS to India.
Call From 11 Countries.

According to me, if you are from USA and making a lot of calls to India then $35 plan is good for you. It is not for the people who make less call to India and are not sure that they will be able to consume 5000 minutes in 45 days.

Pay as you go plan is good by IndiaLD, the calling rate to India is very competitive. I guess Pingo Calling card is equally good or a better option for those who want to make calls to India. So I would suggest you to check both and then make a choice.

Canon EOS 7D

Canon basically ceded the entry level pro performance market to Nikon in 2005 with the arrival of the D200 since then, Canon's 30D, 40D, and 50D have taken the slower but less expensive road, with a relatively stagnant AF system, which Nikon leapfrogged. But with entirely new AF and metering systems, a new high resolution eight channel readout sensor coupled with dual Digic 4 image processors and a new 100 percent coverage viewfinder, plus 1080p video capture, Canon EOS 7D looks like an aggressive attempt to make a comeback.

In addition to a body only version, Canon sells Canon EOS 7D in a kit with the 28-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS lens (44.8-216mm equivalent). One of the heavier single grip dSLRs available, there are no radical design departures in Canon EOS 7D but there are tons of subtle, and a few conspicuous, interface changes that greatly enhance the fluidity of the camera's operation. The new viewfinder is great, comparable with that of the D300s big and bright, with an optional overlay grid.

It's also slightly more comfortable than the D300s' because of the larger eyecup. Adding to its traditional array of buttons for metering, white balance, autofocus, drive mode, ISO sensitivity, and flash compensation Canon EOS 7D now includes an M-Fn button used to cycle through the AF point options, plus Canon brings the LCD illumination button into action for registering the orientation linked AF points. Unfortunately, the buttons are very difficult to differentiate by feel, and the M-Fn and illumination buttons are even smaller and harder to use than the others.

Following trends in consumer dSLR design, Canon EOS 7D now also has an interactive control panel for changing frequently accessed settings, called up with the Q button. Canon went from very few AF options to a gazillion in one model. Of course, there's the veteran full automatic AF selection. Spot AF is a subarea of the traditional single point AF, and for both of these you can choose from any of the 19 AF points. AF point expansion uses the three or four (depending upon location) points surrounding the chosen one.

Zone AF is similar to AF point expansion in that it allows you to define clumps of points in the center, top, bottom, or sides of the full AF area, but in contrast to expansion, where you still choose the primary focus point and it only uses the other points if the subject moves, the camera automatically chooses points from within the defined zone. The bulk of these are really designed to improve focus tracking during continuous shooting, and, much like Nikon's AF system, you have to think very carefully about matching the AF choice with the shooting situation or you can end up with surprising results.

Ditto for the flexible global and lens specific micro-adjustment tools, which it carries over from the higher end models. Very few users need all of these options, and Canon provides a solid interface for enabling or disabling the choices to minimize on the fly confusion. In Live View mode you have three AF options Live mode (contrast AF), face detect Live mode AF, or Quick AF (the "traditional" faster Live View AF, which uses the faster phase detection scheme but requires more mirror flipping).

Pingo Calling Cards Reduces Call rates to India : Free Credit

Its been long we have posted about Pingo. Pingo Calling cards is one of the most widely used calling cards to make calls to India. The call quality is good, cutomer support is good and method to call is also easy.

In the past too, we have posted about Pingo Calling cards and all the new offers it has launched in the market. Lately, Pingo has come up with new offers and the best part is that Pingo has reduced its normal calling rates to India.

Without any offer : The calling rate offered by Pingo Caling card is 1.95 Cents/min.
Now lets talk about the offers Pingo is offering. If you sign up for 5$ you will get $10 (that is $5 bonus). If you sign up for $10 you will get $20. That is like 50% bonus. This makes your effective calling rate to India to just .9 cents (that is less than one cent -- once again its approx 1 cent per minute).

50% off calls on Wednesday : Promotion will be available starting 2nd month from your sign up. Example: If you signed up in month one, your 50% off calls on Wednesday promotion would be applied starting your 2nd & 3rd month of service.

That means, your calling rate to India on Wednesday gets to - half a cent per minute (0.5 cent or $0.005 per minute).

One more good thing about Pingo Calling cards is that it is now offering a softphone (so unlike other calling cards, you can use Pingo from anywhere in world if you ar connected to Internet). You can use Pingo softphone to make calls to India.

If you are having a smartphone then you can even use Pingo in your mobile phone, now the best part-- You will get $5 free voip credit to try Pingo in your mobile phone.

For more info, and to sign up Visit Pingo.

Truphone : Celebrate Christmas with half priced Truphone calls

I dont think Truphone as such needs any introduction. Widely used by many, Truphone has offered all its users Half priced calls during the christmas and new year season.

Now celebrate your holidays by saving your money (not spending on the phone calls). Buy gifts and enjoy free voip calls.

During the 12 days of Christmas, Truphone is cutting its TruStandard landline rates to 30 popular destinations by 50% so you can talk even more for less. As a bonus, calls to mobiles in the USA, Canada, Hong Kong, China and Singapore will be included in the promotion. Half-price calling starts at 00:01 (GMT) on 25th of December, 2009 and finishes at 23:59 (GMT) on 5th of January, 2010.

The amount you will save totally depends on the current rate to the country you are calling. Many popular destinations are included in the list (on the ocassion of Christmas).

Truphone has some bonus for you. Truphone is offering free calls to these 30 countries on the eve of New Year. New Year's Day bonus will run between 12:01 (GMT) on 31st of December, 2009 and 11:59 (GMT) on 1st of January, 2010.

Poketalk : free credit and cheap voip calls : Poketalk Pro

Poketalk is already a very famous and widely used voip provider, rated as no 1 free calls provider by many voip blogs. We have also posted about Poketalk, and the post was a big hit.

Poketalk has introduced some new exciting offers and also changed some of the plans. Earlier Poketalk was limited to offering free calls from few countries to about 60 countries. Now Poketalk offers web initiated calling, this means you can now use Poketalk from anywhere in the world (not everywhere but many countries -- most included).

Now Poketalk doesnot offer unlimited free calls but when you sign up for free service then you are being offered 5 free calls each of 10 minutes (phone to phone calls using web initiated calling method). You can also try Pin access, local numbr method or the SMS method to make calls. More information about this is available on the Poketalk website (with videos explaing the method of making calls).

If you enjoy the service you can then upgrade to PokeTALK Pro for the best valued calls at the highest quality.
You will get then get free calls upgrading to Pro. Yes of course. With each purchase you receive bonus calls, and the more credit you add the more bonuses you receive.

What is PokeTALK Pro?
Pro offers you the best valued calls at the highest quality. PokeTALK offers multiple services including web callback, sms call back, dial in numbers, and more, all of which are accessible with Pro credits. PokeTALK pro saves you up to 95% on you long distance bills by offering calls at local rates.

Lets get to the point : Free credit to make free international calls.
Poketalk is offering free calling credit in the month of December. For the FULL month of December, every invite that you send your friends will have a coupon with free Pro credits to call anywhere they want! You can login to share and invite all your family and friends to call free these holidays!

Each invite will have a different amount of credit between $1-$10, so your friends will be able to call you for hours. Once your friend receives the coupon and registers, they enter it in the ‘Got a coupon’ link. If you want to invite multiple friends quickly you also have the option to import your full email contacts.

Free Calls to India from worldwide (different countries)

Access based number dialing is getting very popular now. Lots and lots of new access based number services are coming up which offer free international phone calls. Earlier, there was only Freedomcalls which offered a Australian access number dialing which you can connect to 60 countries for free.

Today, local access numbers are offered from various parts of world. You can use mobile cap minutes to dial these numbers for free and then dial your international number (international part is covered by these voip providers).

Below is the access number and calling procedure from various countries. Note that you need to check with your telecom provider if they offer free/cheap calls to these local access numbers.

1. Free calls to India from Australia :
Dial access number 0424 21 5054 .
Press 1 to make calls.
Dial Destination Number
Dial the international number (destination number). Prefix 0011 + Country code + Destination Number + #
e.g. To Make a call To India Dial 0011 91 (destination number) # Get connected straight away in the cost of local mobile call.

2. Free calls to India from New Zealand :
Dial our access number 028 3000 010/020/030
When prompted, dial the international number starting with the country code.
e.g. To Make a call To India Dial 0091 (destination number) #
OR
+91 (destination number)#
Get connected straight away in the cost of local mobile call.

3. Free calls to India from South Africa:
Dial access number 087 5102 035
Dial Destination Number
When prompted, dial the international number starting with the country code.
e.g. To Make a call To India Dial 0091 (destination number) #
OR
+91 (destination number)#

4. Free calls to India from UK:
Dial access number :08430180011
Dial the number you wish to call, including 00 and the country code.

Note :: I am again repeating that you may be charged too much by your telecom provider to call these local number. So first check with your telecom provider, if its free or the calling rate is very cheap then you can easily enjoy free international calls. (Some even offer free calls to Pakistan).

BDPhoneOnline Review: Unlimited calls to India Bangladesh Worldwide

Its the new year time, the call volumes increase during this time of year. We thought to explore some more voip provider which offer cheap International phone calls. We found a voip provider names BDPhoneOnline which is offering unlimted worldwide calling at cheap rates.

Bdphoneonline is offering unlimited phone calls to about 60 countries which include India and Bangladesh. Yes this means, that its unlimited phone calls to India.

It also includes low international rates & free "in-network" calling
Free phone adapter.-- Linksys Phone adapter to make phone calls from your normal phone.
Includes features such as Call Waiting, Forwarding, Voicemail and more!

First let me tell you the price, the price mentioned at the homepage says - $20.99 per month. (Thats actually not the exact price). You will have to pay ($20.99+$7.00 tax/fees + $2.00) $29.99 every month.

You initial order will cost you (1st mo $20.99+ setup $10.00 + Tax $7 + Shipping & Handling $8.95 + $2.00) $48.94. After that only $29.99 every month.

One more thing to has to be noticed is the calling limit -:
Average 2 hrs daily or 60 hrs/month for FREE international call. No Limit for calls to USA, CANADA, incoming call and call between BdPhone to BdPhone. Over the limit Free International call will be charge at 3 cents per minute.

Now in terms of money, the call cost comes to be less than a cent per minute, but the thing is, offer by BDphone is useful only if you are spending $30 per month with your other voip provider. The deal is useful for the ones who talk more than 3000 minutes to India or these 60 countries.

If you have already used BDphoneonline then your review (comments) will be very useful for others. Please share your views.

Rebtel Cheap calls to Saudi Arabia, UAE and Kenya

After launching computer calls (Pc to Phone calling service), Rebtel has lowered its calling rates to many countries. Among the ones which have significant reduction in calling rates are Saudi Arabia, UAE and Kenya.

The best part is that now everynone could use Rebtel. If your country is included in Rebtel countries list then offcourse you could use Phone to Phone calling service, else you could opt for Pc to Phone calling service (Computer calls by Rebtel).

To Saudi Arabia, the rate has dropped from 15.9¢ to 7.9¢ to fixed lines and the mobile rate has been lowered from 19.6¢ to 14¢. About 29% off.

To UAE, the rate has dropped from 19.9¢ to 14.4¢ to fixed lines and the mobile rate has been lowered from 21.1¢ to 14.4¢. About 32% off.

To Kenya, the rate has dropped from 11¢ to 8.3¢ to fixed lines and the mobile rate has been lowered from 24¢ to 10.9¢. About 55% off.

To call India, the calling rates are already low by Rebtel, offering just around 1.8 cents per minute.

Samsung Intrepid SPH-i350 (Sprint)

Samsung Intrepid SPH-i350 (Sprint) isn't much of a looker. It measures 2.4 by 4.9 by 0.5 inches (HWD) and weighs 4.3 ounces. It's finished in black plastic with a dark chrome band around the front panel edge. The 2.6 inch plastic resistive touch screen offers just 320 by 240 pixel resolution. It's small and stubborn enough that you'll need the stylus tucked into the bottom right corner for just about anything not on the home screen or main menu (more on that later).

Six function keys bracket a large, rectangular five way control pad all were easy to press in regular use. The four row QWERTY keyboard felt a little cheap, but it was fine for modest typing chores. As a dual-band EV-DO Rev A (800/1900 MHz), quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) and UMTS (2100 MHz) device, Samsung Intrepid SPH-i350 (Sprint) is a true world phone just as its namesake implies. It also includes Wi-Fi. Voice quality was solid in both directions, with a trebly, crisp tone in the earpiece and good wind rejection.

Reception was average. Annoyingly, the OS couldn't keep up with dialing numbers all the tone sounds piled up a second or two afterward and cut each other off. The booming speakerphone was plenty loud for outdoor use. Calls sounded fine through a Plantronics Voyager Pro Bluetooth headset. Battery life was excellent at 6 hours and 34 minutes of talk time.

Windows Mobile, Business Support, and Apps
Without the proper tuning a la HTC TouchFLO or Samsung TouchWiz, Windows Mobile looks archaic. Version 6.5 brought a much needed refresh to the home screen which actually looks and works nicely, with its larger buttons and clearer fonts. But the rest of the OS remains ugly and outdated right down to the old school touch screen calibration process on first start up. At least Internet Explorer Mobile 6 is slightly improved from earlier horrific versions, and even renders static

Flash content in a pinch. But it renders desktop pages very slowly and hangs up loading scripts, and the touch screen controls still feel like an afterthought. As a proper Microsoft powered smartphone, Samsung Intrepid SPH-i350 (Sprint) views, creates, and edits Microsoft Word and Excel documents, and views PowerPoint files. It connects to Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Exchange Server accounts for Direct Push e-mail.

The Intrepid isn't a bad smartphone for third party apps, thanks to its 528 MHz Qualcomm MSM7600 processor, 266MB of free internal storage, and 193MB of total RAM, with a generous 153MB available for user programs. A microSD card is located underneath the battery cover and off to the side. You have to pull the battery to swap cards, which is a royal pain. An ill fitting battery cover compounded the misery it always took five or six tries to seat properly. Multimedia fans get the usual compliment of Sprint Power Vision services, including dozens of Sprint TV channels (live and simulcast), Sprint NFL Mobile Live, and NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile.

The GPS radio hooks into the TeleNav powered Sprint Navigation for voice enabled, turn by turn directions. Samsung Intrepid SPH-i350 (Sprint) locked onto my location quickly and spoke clearly, although the low-res screen and Windows Mobile's fixed upper and lower UI bars made for a tiny map window. Sprint included quick links to Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr for social networking duties. Instant messaging was a disappointment, the tabbed interface works with AIM, Windows Live, and Yahoo accounts, but charges for each message as a 20 cent SMS.

Doro PhoneEasy 345gsm

Doro PhoneEasy 345gsm is a comfortably sized candy bar style phone at 4.9 by 2 by .6 inches (HWD) and 3.5 ounces, coated in a soft touch black or white plastic. The phone has huge rubberized buttons and a bright enough, basic 1.8 inch 128 by 96 colors LCD screen with large fonts. At US$40, with no contract service plans from Consumer Cellular starting at US$10 a month, Doro PhoneEasy 345gsm is extremely affordable.

Consumer Cellular uses AT&ampT's physical network, but charges less than the major carriers do per minute for light users (though they don't offer free nights and weekends.) But here's the design flaw. Doro PhoneEasy 345gsm has a "panic button" on the back that calls a user programmed number if you press it three times. The panic button is exactly where it put my index finger when I'm holding the phone up to my ear. This is very annoying. Now, not everyone puts their finger in that location.

Doro PhoneEasy 345gsm is a decent voice phone, but I like its stablemate the PhoneEasy 410gsm better. Like the 410gsm, Doro PhoneEasy 345gsm gets better reception and sounds better than AT&ampT's other simple phone, the Pantech Breeze. But Doro PhoneEasy 345gsm sounded a bit muddier, both on receive and transmit, than the 410 it was still acceptable, just not as good as its cousin.

The speakerphone was loud but sounded hollow. Like the 410gsm, Doro PhoneEasy 345gsm has a powerful vibrate mode and comes with 20 ringtones, including classical music and traditional phone rings. It connected with my Plantronics Voyager Pro Bluetooth headset without a problem.

Samsung Instinct HD (Sprint)

First of all, it has an awesome camera. Recorded HD (1280 by 720) and VGA videos were sharp, super smooth, and well lit only the flat colors and slightly pixelated look gave away the tiny cell phone lens. Photos taken with the 5 megapixel still mode looked very sharp outdoors, with plenty of detail in bricks, grass, and tree leaves. There was quite a bit of noise in darker rooms indoors, but shots were acceptably sharp and detailed with enough light.

Shutter speeds were about one second even with auto focus, and the phone recovered almost instantly after every shot. To play back HD video (either recorded or sideloaded), you have to attach a US$29.99 HDMI cable, sold separately. When do you want converted a few 720p movie trailers to MP4, sideloaded them to the microSD card, and hooked up the Instinct HD to a 42 inch plasma HDTV. The video even played simultaneously on the Instinct HD's screen. (The TV only shows video output, incidentally not UI graphics.)

Other media features here are flexible, but inconvenient and buggy at times. You need to pull off the stiff battery cover and remove the battery to replace the memory card. My 16GB SanDisk microSD card worked fine, and Sprint tosses a 4GB card in the box. The phone has a standard size 3.5 mm headphone jack. AAC, WMA, and MP3 music tracks sounded clear over Motorola S9-HD Bluetooth headphones. The music player displayed album art when available.

Various Sprint themed services like NFL Mobile Live and NASCAR come as part of Sprint's Everything plan, and you can buy music tracks over the air from Sprint's music store. I ran into several glitches playing music and video. The volume inexplicably started deafeningly loud on every track for the first quarter second, and the unit hard reset itself in the middle of an MP3 track.

Popping the battery and microSD card reset it. The video player oddly forced me into the TV app when it was done, even though I hadn't been using Sprint TV. The Instinct HD has the right hardware for gaming with its large touch screen and accelerometer. But it wouldn't run any of our Java benchmarks, and the one preloaded game demo ran poorly. It appears all that CPU horsepower is geared toward HD video.

Dixipe: Cheap voip international phone calls

Each day new voip providers enter the market offering cheap voip phone calls. One of the latest entry into the market is Dixipe. Still in beta phase, Dixipe offers cheap voip phone calls (PC to Phone calls).

Dixipe is Pc to Phone calling service, offering free softphone. You can link your facebook account with Dixipe. But the calling rate aint cheapest considering the rates offered by so many other Pc to phone voip providers. Dixipe offers 3 cents per minute to India mobile. So, aint a good option for making calls to India.

If you want to call other countries, check the Dixipe rates and if they are less then you can go ahead with Dixipe. Only good thing, is that it is offering 10% dicount if you buy credit. I have not checked the call quaity but I guess it should be like other Pc to Phone calling providers. (Also to let you know that call quality also depends on your bandwidth incase of Pc to Phone calls).

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Rebtel : Make PC to Phone calls (Computer Calls)

Rebtel is liked and used by many, specially Rebtel has been very popular on this blog. Last year, Rebtel launched many promotions offering very cheap calls to India. At present, Rebtel is running promotion in which it is offering calls to India at around 1.8 cents per minute.

Rebtel offers a local number for each of your contact, dialing which you can connect to your friends and family. Now suppose, you dont have a Mobile, landline phone and still want to make calls using Rebtel. (This situation is quite common with Indian students living in USA and not having any mobile or landline). Rebtel has recently launched computer calls (Pc to Phone calls) , using Rebtel computer calls you could use Rebtel voip service even if you are not having a mobile phone.

This service can also be used from the countries where Rebtel does not provide local phone numbers (like UAE, India etc).

With Computer Calls you’re able to call your Rebtel contacts from anywhere in the world using your regular Skype™ client. You initiate the call on the Rebtel website and use your Skype client to talk. As you’re calling directly over the Internet with Rebtel, you don’t have to pay a single cent for connection fees or high per-minute rates to Skype. Only the Rebtel rate. Computer Calls also allow you to get a local number for your friends Skype Name and call them on it from your regular phone.

Using Computer Calls To Call Rebtel Friends

1. Go to your contact list on the Rebtel website, click on the local number of the friend you want to call and choose the new “Call from your computer” option.

2. Your Skype client is launched and you will be connected to your friend. You only pay the Rebtel rate.

So, who were not using Rebtel just because they wanted to make Pc to Phone calls can now go ahead and start using Rebtel Voip service.

RIM BlackBerry Bold - black (AT&T)

When you first lay eyes on RIM BlackBerry Bold - black (AT&T), the words "sleek," "sexy," and "cool" don't exactly to come to mind. At 4.5 inches high by 2.6 inches wide by 0.6 inch deep and 4.8 ounces, RIM BlackBerry Bold - black (AT&T) is bulky and wide, making for a bit of a tight fit in a pants pocket. It doesn't exactly take your breath away like the iPhone 3G, but that's not to say it's a bad looking phone. RIM BlackBerry Bold - black (AT&T) chassis and silver trim are attractive enough and the rounded edges give the handset a streamlined design.

Plus, if you turn the phone over, you'll notice that the back has a leatherette texture (no more slick plastic), providing a sophisticated look. If you want to customize your device a bit, RIM will sell replaceable backplates in different colors, including blue, gray, and red, for $29.99 each, which is a little pricey in our opinion. Now while the overall design isn't particularly flashy, the true beauty of RIM BlackBerry Bold - black (AT&T) lies in the display. The smartphone boasts a 2.75 inch half VGA, non-touch screen that shows off 65.000 colors at a crisp 480x320 pixel resolution.

It's quite possibly the best looking screen we've seen on a smartphone to date. The iPhone and HTC Touch Diamond come close, but we did a quick comparison between the iPhone and Bold and found that pictures on the Bold looked slightly smoother and crisper. Colors pop on the screen and video playback was truly impressive. With such a beautiful screen, we're glad to see that RIM BlackBerry Bold - black (AT&T) features an updated user interface, much like the RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220.

Some of the new icons are a bit difficult to identify at a glance (e.g., downloads, applications, and settings), but as you scroll over, each item is identified by name along the bottom. As usual, you can customize the home screen with various themes, background images, font size and type, and backlight brightness and time out. Below the display, you get the standard navigation controls, which include Talk and End or power keys, a menu shortcut, a back button, and a trackball navigator. The one benefit of the phone's wider size is that these buttons are plenty large and easy to press.

RIM BlackBerry Bold - black (AT&T) has a QWERTY keyboard that RIM likened to a modernized Curve keyboard, but it reminded us more of the BlackBerry 8830. We know some 8800 series users had issues with the keyboard, but we didn't have any problems with the Bold. The keyboard buttons are of a good size and have a nice tactile feel to them. We were able to compose e-mails and text messages with minimal errors. They're also backlit for easy typing in darker environments.

On the left spine, you will find a 3.5 mm headphone jack, a mini USB port, a customizable shortcut key, and a microSD or SDHC expansion slot. The right side holds the volume rocker and another user programmable convenience key. There's a mute button on top of the handset, and the camera and flash are located on the back. AT&T packages RIM BlackBerry Bold - black (AT&T) with an AC adapter, a USB cable, a wired headset, a software CD, and reference material. For more add-ons, please check our cell phone accessories, ringtones, and help page.

HTC Imagio (Verizon Wireless)

Though HTC Imagio (Verizon Wireless) touts itself as a multimedia smartphone, it is not as flashy as other multimedia focused hand helds. This is not to say it isn't attractive indeed, we love the large touch screen display as well as the smooth edges and tapered corners. But the dimpled bezel surrounding the display, which doubles as the speaker, and the thick plastic casing gives it more of a hefty industrial feel. Measuring 4.6 inches tall by 2.4 inches wide by 0.5 inch thick and weighing 5.25 ounces, HTC Imagio (Verizon Wireless) has quite a sturdy construction and is not at all flimsy or cheap.

The back of HTC Imagio (Verizon Wireless) is partially covered in a matte black soft touch finish, which gives it a comfortable feel in the hand. By far the most stunning thing about HTC Imagio (Verizon Wireless)'s appearance is its large 3.6 inch WVGA touch screen. It has 65.000 colors output, 480x800 pixel resolution, and a smooth glass surface, which result in beautifully crisp images and sharp text. The extra screen real estate lends itself well to Web page scrolling and video viewing as well.

Also handy is the built-in accelerometer that switches the screen from portrait to landscape mode when you rotate the phone. This is only applicable in certain situations, though, like with the Web browser, e-mail, photos, and videos. Even though HTC Imagio (Verizon Wireless) does not have the Touch branding. Like that on the HTC Touch Pro2, you get additional tabs for the Calendar and Stock quotes, plus the ability to add and remove tabs on the Home screen. We also really like that the Start menu is presented in a grid view, which you can customize with different apps and settings.

HTC Imagio (Verizon Wireless) has a resistive touch screen rather than a capacitive one. We usually complain about this because resistive displays require more precision than capacitive screens, but in the case of HTC Imagio (Verizon Wireless), we were quite pleased with it. The touch screen felt responsive and easy to use, even when we were just using our fingers instead of the included stylus. We even liked the onscreen QWERTY keyboard, especially since it supports XT9 auto word complete and tapping the keys provides haptic feedback.

We do prefer using the keyboard in landscape mode rather than in portrait mode, however, as the keys are a bit bigger, thus resulting in fewer mistakes. The zoom in and out bar underneath the display helped a lot when reading and selecting hyperlinks in the Web browser as well, since you could just zoom in easily by sliding your finger on the bar. It does take a couple of seconds for the page to render when zooming in, though. Underneath the zoom controls are the Talk and End or Power keys, a media key, the Start menu key, and a back key.

The media key can be mapped to any media application, like V Cast TV, V Cast Video, or the music player. The keys are flat, but there is enough delineation between each key that they weren't hard to press. The volume rocker is on the right spine and the mini-USB port and 3.5 mm headset jack are on the bottom. On the back is the camera lens plus an antenna that doubles as a kickstand simply press the release button and it'll pop out. This way you can set HTC Imagio (Verizon Wireless) on a flat surface and watch videos as if it were a portable television. Also on the back toward the lower right is the stylus compartment. The microSD card slot is inconveniently located behind the battery cover on the right side.

Samsung Omnia II (Verizon Wireless)

Like many of the touch screen smartphones available today, Samsung Omnia II (Verizon Wireless) has a candy bar design but it is slightly on the bulkier side at 4.69 inches tall by 2.35 inches wide by 0.52 inch thick and weighing 4.76 ounces. However, there's good reason for the extra size and that's the gorgeous 3.7 inch WVGA (800x480 pixels) AMOLED touch screen. When compared with the first Omnia and other touch screen smartphones, videos and photos look amazing on Samsung Omnia II (Verizon Wireless).

It has a smoother picture, wider viewing angles, and higher contrast. Also, a built-in accelerometer changes the screen orientation when you rotate the phone for certain applications like the Web browser, messages, photos, and video. Also, while the smartphone's touch screen is resistive and requires a bit more pressure than a capacitive touch screen to move among various home screen panes, we found it quite responsive and didn't require the precision of a stylus to select items.

We should note that the touch screen was a bit temperamental when we first used it, but after realigning the screen with the stylus, everything was fine. Below the display, you get Talk and End or Power keys and a Main Menu key (more on this later). There is an OK button, but it's on the left side of the phone along with the 3.5 mm headphone jack and volume rocker. The microSD expansion slot is also located on this side but you'll have to remove the stylish red battery door to access it.

On the right spine, you'll find the stylus, a Micro-USB port, a lock key, and a camera activation or capture button. Last but not least, the camera and flash are located on the back. The only thing we missed was having a back button for returning to the previous screen, since an on screen option wasn't always available. While the physical aspects of Samsung Omnia II (Verizon Wireless) aren't radically different from the competition, the smartphone's does have some unique "design" features are beneath the surface.

For one thing, it offers an on screen portrait and landscape QWERTY keyboard with Swype technology, which Webware previewed a while back. Instead of pecking at individual keys, Swype lets spell out a word by dragging your finger on the keyboard from letter to letter. Swype's algorithm then does its best to figure out what word you're trying to input it also automatically enters a space after you complete a word and includes certain tricks, such as circling a key to input a letter twice. Admittedly, we were very skeptical of Swype.

However, to our surprise, it worked and was mostly accurate. We ran into some problems when entering terms that weren't true words, such as an IM handle, though Swype will try to come up a list of possible results. It also takes some adjustment to enter long words since you have keep your finger on the screen the whole time. Still, we were always amazed when it came up with the correct word. Samsung also completely redid the main menu page. Pressing the menu key below the display will bring up a grid view of all your phone's apps. There 12 icons per page and each page is customizable so you can rearrange the apps in the order you want.

All you have to do is press the Edit button on the bottom of the screen and at that point you can move the icons to any position on any menu page. Pages will be added as you add more applications to your phone, and you can move among pages by swiping your finger left to right or vice versa. Right next to the Edit button is one of our favorite additions the new Task Switcher function. This feature shows you all your running applications in thumbnail visuals and lets you easily switch between tasks, exit out of an app, or end all running programs. It alleviates one of the biggest problems of Windows Mobile, which was multitasking. In fact, TouchWiz 2.0 in general does a good job making the OS more easy to use, so much so you can hardly tell it's a Windows Mobile smartphone.

Finally, like the Samsung Behold II, Samsung Omnia II (Verizon Wireless) offers the 3D cube interface for the phone's various multimedia capabilities. However, unlike the Behold II, there is also a toolbar on the where you can launch the same entertainment apps with a simple tap, which is much more functional than the gimmicky cube. Overall, TouchWiz 2.0 makes much more sense and is more useful on Samsung Omnia II (Verizon Wireless) than the Behold II, as it provides the customization abilities that Windows Mobile lacks and offers a much more intuitive user interface.

Sanyo SCP-6760 Incognito (Sprint)

Sanyo SCP-6760 Incognito (Sprint) takes a cue from a few other cell phones before it. We've seen its horizontal flip design on handsets like the LG enV Touch, but this is the first time it's been on a Sanyo phone. The sturdy handset measures 3.7 inches tall by 2.2 inches wide by 0.7 inch thick and is a tad heavy at 4.3 ounces. Its reflective skin catches the light and doubles as a mirror, though it also attracts smudges by the ton. The flap opens just short of 180 degrees, but you can view the internal display at a slight angle when holding the phone in your hands.

Also, we like that Sanyo SCP-6760 Incognito (Sprint) doesn't wobble when you rest it in a table in the open position. The face of the Incognito is more than just a shiny surface it's also a large alphanumeric touch pad and navigation array. It's invisible when the backlighting is off, but a flick of the small switch on the left spine will activate the controls that include a standard 12 digit keypad, a back key, the Talk and End buttons, four directional arrows, and a central OK button.

The keys need just a light press and a vibrating feedback lets you know that your touch has registered. The arrangement is quite spacious so you shouldn't have a problem pressing the wrong key. Though Sanyo SCP-6760 Incognito (Sprint)'s design is unique, it's not always easy to use. As you'd expect, the touch surface is slippery and you'll leave a visible fingerprint with every press. We'd also like more customization options as it is you can't change the backlighting time, the touch sensitivity, or the intensity of the vibrating feedback.

We also didn't like the tiny external display. Not only is it monochrome so it won't show photo caller ID, but also you can access only a few menu options. Though we admit that we'd rather use the internal display under most circumstances, we'd like to see some color here at the very least. On Sanyo SCP-6760 Incognito (Sprint)'s right spine you'll find the microSD card slot, Micro-USB charger port, a voice dialing control, and the volume rocker. The latter is a bit small and located too close to the bottom of the phone.

The camera lens sits on the rear side next to a speaker. Sanyo SCP-6760 Incognito (Sprint) doesn't allow for self portraits. On the bottom of the device is the 2.5 mm headset jack; we'd prefer a 3.5 mm jack on a music phone. The internal display measures 2.6 inches and supports 262.000 colors (320x240 pixels). It's bright and vibrant with sharp colors and graphics and the menu interface is easy to use.

As on similar phones the display has a landscape orientation for easier messaging. Sprint also adds its own spin with the carrier's OneClick interface, which offers customizable shortcuts to favorite features. You can change the display brightness and backlighting time. Users with visual impairments should note that the font size on both displays can be quite small.

Motorola Droid (Verizon Wireless)

Officially announced on October 28 and set for a November 6 release, Motorola Droid (Verizon Wireless) delivers on much of the hype. The display is gorgeous, the Android 2.0 updates are excellent, and the handset is lightning fast, particularly for an Android phone. We'll refrain from using the dreaded "iPhone killer" expression, but comparisons between the two devices are obvious, and we see the Droid as a real competitor to Apple's device.

On the downside, Motorola weren't crazy about the keyboard and dial-pad accessibility, the calendars aren't fully integrated, and we'd prefer to see dual mode (GSM or CDMA) capability. But for Verizon's first pass at Android, Motorola Droid (Verizon Wireless) more than delivers. And even better, it's a clear departure from Verizon's locked down past. At US$199, Motorola Droid (Verizon Wireless) is on par with T-Mobile's Android device, but it's slightly more expensive than Sprint's devices.

At first glance, you might not think Motorola Droid (Verizon Wireless)'s design amounts to much. Its build is rather dull and the sharp angles result in a boxy look. But this is a smartphone with a lot of surprises, the biggest being the positively gorgeous WVGA display. At 3.7 inches, it surpasses even the iPhone and is firmly in the bounds of what we consider to be an acceptable size for a touch screen display. Color support is generous (16 million hues) and the resolution (440x854 pixels) is some of the richest we've seen.

We aren't kidding when we say that this display is bright and brilliant with vibrant colors and sharp graphics. It also lends itself well to the welcome Android 2.0 interface updates (more on that later). The capacitive display's touch interface is quick and responsive and we love the added multi touch capability. As with previous Android phones, there's vibrating feedback only for certain functions (like a "long press"), though you can turn off the haptic feedback completely if you desire. When we selected items and scrolled through long lists, there was no lag time in performing the command (more on that later, as well).

You also can customize the display's brightness, backlighting time, and animations. The accelerometer will adjust the display's orientation as you rotate Motorola Droid (Verizon Wireless) in your hands, but you can turn this feature off. Outside of the upgrades from Android 2.0 and Motorola Droid (Verizon Wireless) specific tweaks, the basic interface will be familiar to Android users. You get only three home screens we prefer the five we got on the Motorola Cliq but you can customize each pane with widgets. And, of course, the central pane has the Google search bar. The main menu is accessible via the pull tab at the bottom of the display. The menu's design is mostly unchanged. You can move icons around and add shortcuts and folders.

Samsung Moment (Sprint)

You wouldn't be off base if you initially confused the Moment with Samsung's other touch screen phones. Indeed, with its rounded ends and prominent display it looks a lot like the Samsung Rogue. Yet, a closer look will show that Samsung Moment (Sprint) is larger than its siblings and its color scheme and soft touch material on its battery cover put it more in line with the Hero. The result is a rather unremarkable design, particularly when compared with its Android counterparts, but the smooth lines give the Moment a minimalist appeal.

Samsung Moment (Sprint) is more than just large (4.6 inches by 2.34 inches by 0.63 inch), it's also quite heavy (5.67 ounces) for any kind of cell phone. The extra bulk is noticeable and Samsung Moment (Sprint) can make for a tight fit in some pockets, but the trade off is a solid device with a sturdy build. The slider mechanism is sufficiently stiff and the handset has a firm feel in the hand. We noticed, however, that when the slider is open Samsung Moment (Sprint) feels a bit top heavy. When typing, be sure to steady the back of the slider with your fingers.

At 3.2 inches, the Moment's vibrant AMOLED display is smaller than the iPhone's, but still large enough to allow for comfortable navigation. Though the resolution (480x320 pixels) is lower than on the Rogue, the rich color support (16 million hues) means that colors and graphics pop right off the screen. You can change the brightness, the wallpaper, and the backlight time, and you can adjust the accelerometer settings so that the display doesn't change automatically when you rotate the phone. A proximity sensor will switch the screen off when you're on a call.

Samsung Moment (Sprint) ships with Android OS 1.5 so its three home screens and phone dialer interface will be familiar to Android users. The dialer features round buttons and offers quick access to a list of favorite contacts, though it lacks the additional shortcuts we liked on the Cliq. The main menu is also unchanged from other supported handsets to access it, tap the small pull tab at the bottom of the display. Naturally, you can add or delete shortcut widgets and move them around the home screens.

But in a change from other Android phones, the display offers vibrating feedback for the virtual keyboard and keypad (you can turn this feature off). Fortunately, the physical controls just below the display are better. You'll find large Talk and End or power keys and a square OK button that doubles as an optical mouse. The latter is a unique Samsung creation that acts like a touch pad. By swiping your finger cross the control, you can move the cursor or swipe between home screens. Though the optical mouse is tiny, it works well. In fact, it's so sensitive that you need to use it carefully.

On the downside, we'd prefer to have a dedicated search control. Other exterior features include a volume rocker on the left spine and a camera shutter and a voice dialing button on the right spine. A Micro-USB port on the left spine accommodates the charger and a USB cable. We thank Samsung for giving us a standard charger port and the 3.5 mm headset jack on the Moment's top end. The camera lens, flash, and mirror sit on the rear side near a speaker. You will need to remove the battery cover to access the microSD card slot.

Essentials include text and multimedia messaging, a vibrate mode, a speakerphone, a calculator, an alarm clock, and a nifty "Device self Service" that allows you to, among other things, quickly activate your phone. Some basic apps like a world clock and a notepad remain absent, and we're a little perplexed by the new File Viewer feature. Though we welcome the capability to view files that are stored on the phone a feature not available on previous Android phones you can't do anything other than delete the files once you find them.

To be really useful, we should be able to move files as well. Beyond the basics, you'll have 802.11b Wi-Fi, USB mass storage, Google Talk, instant messaging, Sprint visual voice mail, stereo Bluetooth, PC syncing, and speaker independent voice dialing. The Moment also comes integrated with apps from Facebook, The Weather Channel, CNN, ESPN, and a demo version of Bejewled. Of course, Google voice search is also onboard and you can populate the home screen with a handy search widget.

Palm Pixi (Sprint)

A smaller, cheaper version of the Pre, Palm Pixi (Sprint) is aimed at a younger audience and to those who put a precedent on messaging or are making the jump from a feature phone to a smartphone. You can think of Palm Pixi (Sprint) as the replacement to the Palm Centro. Since it is a more entry level smartphone, you sacrifice some features, such as Wi-Fi and a better camera. In addition, Palm Pixi (Sprint) feels underpowered compared with the Pre.

However, what you do get is an incredibly sleek smartphone with an improved keyboard and enhanced contact management and messaging features. Plus, you still get 3G support, Bluetooth, GPS, and the great multitasking abilities of WebOS. For first time smartphone buyers and casual users, Palm Pixi (Sprint) is enough, but power users and tech enthusiasts should go with the Pre. Palm Pixi (Sprint) goes on sale November 15 as a Sprint exclusive for US$99.99 with a two year contract (it requires one of the carrier's unlimited data plans, such as Simply Everything or Everything Data) and after a US$100 mail-in rebate.

The price is OK, and Sprint offers some of the better valued voice and data plans. That said, to make Palm Pixi (Sprint) a real enticing package, it'd be great to see Sprint shave off even US$10 on the price, considering that the Pre is only $50 more and you can get the HTC Droid Eris from Verizon for the same price with Wi-Fi. While Palm Pixi (Sprint) name won't appeal to some people, we can certainly see where the inspiration comes from, as the smartphone is downright petite and dare we say, cute?

Palm Pixi (Sprint) is Palm's thinnest device to date and measures a slight 4.37 inches by 2.17 inches wide by 0.43 inch thick and weighs 3.26 ounces. It easily slips into a pants pocket and is incredibly light in the hand without feeling fragile. The back of the phone has a nice soft touch finish so it doesn't feel as plasticky or slick as the Pre. Plus, it has a more solid construction without any moving parts that come with a slider design. Of course, with the compact size and slate form factor, there are some trade offs, most notably, screen size.

Palm Pixi (Sprint) features a 2.63 inch capacitive touch screen with a 320x400 resolution, so it's a bit of adjustment coming from the Pre's 3.1 inch, 320x480 HVGA display, particularly when viewing Web pages and videos. The app panels can also feel a bit cramped when you've got the quick launch bar or an e-mail preview occupying the bottom of the screen. Like the Pre, Palm Pixi (Sprint) has multitouch capabilities so you can use the pinch gesture to zoom in and out of Web pages, photos, and maps.

In addition, there's a built-in accelerometer as well as a proximity sensor so the display will automatically turn off when you're on a call in order to prevent any accidental mispresses when holding the phone up to your ear. Below the display is a gesture area that's not visible to the naked eye. However, once you touch it, you'll see a single line in the center light up. This replaces the physical center button found the Pre and when touched, it brings you back to the deck of card view if you're working in an application. Swiping your finger right to left will also return you to the previous screen and dragging your finger from the gesture area up to the screen will bring up the launcher bar, just like the Pre.

HTC Droid Eris (Verizon Wireless)

In the hand, HTC Droid Eris (Verizon Wireless) feels like a solidly constructed phone. It measures 4.45 inches tall by 2.19 inches wide by 0.51 inch thick and weighs 4.23 ounces, so it's slim enough to slip into a pants pocket and feels comfortable to hold during phone calls. In addition, HTC added a proximity sensor, a feature that was missing on the Sprint HTC Hero, so now the screen will turn off when you're on a phone call to prevent any accidental misdials from a brush of your cheek.

Speaking of the screen, HTC Droid Eris (Verizon Wireless)'s 3.2 inch HVGA capacitive touch screen is hard to ignore. With a 320x480 pixel resolution, the display is amazingly sharp and vibrant. Text is easy to read and the colors of images are vibrant and rich. The Android interface, with its icon based main menu, is familiar, but we're disappointed that HTC Droid Eris (Verizon Wireless) comes only with Android OS 1.5. That means you'll have to wait for OS 1.6 and 2.0. In addition to a light sensor, the screen has a built-in accelerometer so the screen orientation automatically changes from portrait to landscape mode when you rotate the phone.

Be aware that the feature only works in certain applications, such as photos, the Web browser, and e-mail. The onscreen keyboard also will change depending on the phone's position. Just like the Hero, HTC Droid Eris (Verizon Wireless) uses HTC's own virtual keyboard rather than the stock Android one. We find it to be a little easier to use with its bigger buttons, white background, and more spacing between the keys, particularly in landscape mode. Even with those refinements, it's slightly behind the iPhone's in terms of precision, but it's responsive and provides haptic feedback.

The capacitive touch screen generally is responsive, whether you're tapping an icon to open an app, scrolling through long lists, or swiping through the various home screens. We love that HTC Droid Eris (Verizon Wireless) offers full multi touch support in the Web browser and photo gallery. That means that you can zoom by pinching your fingers and by double tapping the screen. It's a big improvement over the first-gen Android phones and it removes one of the last remaining advantages of the iPhone's browser. On the bottom of the display are three touch controls for the main menu, a home screen customization menu, and the calling menu.

The latter opens the phone dialer and offers access to your recent calls and your contacts list. There are other ways to interact with your device. Below the display you get four navigation buttons : Home, Menu, Back, and Zoom. However, unlike the Sprint and GSM Hero, these four navigation controls are touch sensitive rather than physical buttons. Like the keyboard, they provide haptic feedback and we preferred them over the Sprint Hero's since they have a more spacious layout and are more responsive. We occasionally had to press the Menu button a couple of times for it to register, but it wasn't a big problem. You also get some physical controls, including a Talk and End or power keys and a trackball navigator.

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