Nokia E71

I finally gave up my HTC Touch phone for this one.

This is my second symbian. My first was Sony Ericsson P910. Nokia E71 uses Symbian S60 (3rd Edition). It's a predecessor of E61i. The design is sleek, covered with stainless steel housing, makes it elegant and sexy. The qwerty keyboard and screen has shrunk and compact in design.

I have been using windows mobile since 4 years ago. I am kind of tired with stylus and slow processing of windows mobile OS. Symbian OS is snappy and very straight forward. It provides business application that is useful. With the qwerty, typing is a breeze. It's very good for email and sms. You may think that the keyboard it's very crampy, but when you get used to it, it's very easy to type.

Nokia E71 is a excellent business phone. Of course it will not have variety of softwares if you compared with windows mobile. The phone features beats WM flat. It comes with all connectivity that is known, which is bluetooth, 3G, wifi and GPS. So far, the connectivity is fast. Bluetooth pairing is definitely faster than WM. It comes with 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus and flash.

In the box, it comes with a pair of ear phone, a charger, a leather pouch, 2GB micro SD card and cd & manuals.

This phone will satisfy your one hand operation.

The only drawback I have with this phone is that the glossy housing attracts finger prints. But once you clean it, it's a real bling bling!

iPhone vs. Windows Mobile

iPhone 3G finally arrived on 11 July 2008 worldwide.

There were massive congestion in Apple & AT&T stores. This time round, all customers have to choose a plan and activate in the store before leaving. This has caused a longer waiting time in the store. Furthermore, iTunes experienced problems during the launching day. Apple did not anticipated the overwhelming response on that day. On the same day, iTunes launched worldwide the v7.7 software upgrade. This has added to the congestion and caused the delay.

So, now the question is, does the Apple iPhone 3g worth it?

Let's compare with Windows Mobile:

1. 3rd party applications in iPhone 3G cannot run in background: only one application can run at any given time in iPhone 3G so no background. running of applications possible! In Windows Mobile phone several (many) applications can run at the same time so it is possible for example to simultaneously run in Windows Mobile: a) downloading a 50 MB MP3 file with a podcast, b) IM chatting with somebody including native Skype client for windows Mobile or native Live Messenger from Microsoft, c) edit Office documents, d) browse Internet, e) make a phone call, etc.

2. iPhone 3G has resolution of only 480×320 which is 2 times less than VGA (640×480) and W-VGA (wide VGA = 800×480) used in several Windows Mobile phones, what practically means: you can read more text on the display at once and everything is sharper

3. camera in iPhone 3G is inferior to camera in many Windows Mobile phones: it has only 2 megapixels compared to 3 to 5 megapixels in Windows Mobile phones and it does not have auto-focus - also present in many Windows Mobile phones .

4. one cannot record videos with built-in camera of iPhone 3G, what is possible up to resolution of 640×480 pixels and 30 FPS (frames per second) in Windows Mobile phones.

5. iPhone 3G supports HSDPA of maximal speed only 3.6 MB/second, while some Windows Mobile phones (including HTC Touch Diamond) suppport HSDPA of speed 7.2 MB/second.

6. iPhone 3G does not have exchangeable battery that all Windows Mobile phones have, but only built-in battery so if you run out of battery you cannot replace it to prolong battery life - as it is possible with Windows Mobile phones.

7. original (i.e. from Microsoft) Office Mobile is built-in in each Windows Mobile phone and allows not only for viewing but also for editing of Office documents, so there is no need ot buy 3rd party software for it .

8. there is much more 3rd party applications (programs) for Windows Mobile: over 20,000 compared to 500 for iPhone 3G

9. to make applications for Windows Mobile one needs either PC computer or Mac but to make applications for iPhone 3G one needs to buy a Mac computer - if you don’t have Mac computer then you cannot develop applications for iPhone 3G

10. most Windows Mobile phones come without SIM lock so they can be used at any operator in given country and with SIM cards from abroad (important when traveling and you want to use local prepaid SIM card to avoid International roaming fees) while iPhone 3G has SIM lock and can work with only this operator at which it has been purchased

11. iPhone 3G has capacitive touch-screen meaning that it must be used with fingers and that it cannot be used with stylus or fingernails (what women like).

12. iPhone 3G has no physical keyboard or keypad, so users have no choice but to use virtual keyboards on the display while Windows Mobile offers phones in various form-factors, including such that have both touch-screen and a physical QWERTY keyboard Conclusion: do not buy iPhone 3G but instead buy one of many Windows Mobile phones!

You decide....

New Rapidshare

This is the new rapidshare logo and it comes with a new interface as well.

Good news to all rapidshare premium account holder. They has increased from 25GB quota to 50GB for every 5 days usage. This will allow user to download double the original size before reaching the quota.

I feel 25GB is not sufficient if you download HD movies. So, now with 50GB, I can download 2-3 HD a day.

AVG Free Antivirus 8.0

AVG have recently upgraded their software to 8.0. For those who are still using version 7.5, I recommend you upgrade to 8.0 by clicking here.

By May 31st, AVG will no longer support updates for version 7.5.

Don't worry, AVG is still giving it all free in version 8.0, including free auto schedule updates.

The user interface looks better and the AVG logo is in 3D. I guess the virus scan engine has also improved.

Panasonic Viera 42" Plasma HDTV

Finally, I've bought my very first HDTV. It's a Panasonic Viera 42 inch Plasma HDTV.

Why Plasma? After looking at so many models and frequent visists to AV forums, I realised there are many advantages of Plasma against LCD TVs.

1. It does not have motion flow problem as to LCD.
2. Plasma screen can be viewed in all angle without compromising the quality
3. It has higher contrast ratio with deeper black.
4. The lifespan now increases to 100,000 hours
5. Overall, in long run, plasmas has better power consumption.
6. Plasma has a stronger glass panel with shock resistance.

Manufacturing plasma tvs are cost more than LCDs. That's why you don't see many brands carrying Plasma range. The best plasma in the market with high price tag is Pioneer and follows by Panasonic.

This model has 15,000:1 native contrast ratio and 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, which makes black blacker with minimal picture washed out effects. There are 3 hdmi ports, 1 SDHC card slot at the front and 1 VGA PC input. It comes with swivel stand.

This is not a Full HD model. As I mentioned in my previous post, you can't tell the difference between a 720p and 1080p when you watch within 10 feet from the 42 inch screen. 720p movies already very sharp and awesome. After that, you cannot accept standard definition in your CRT tv anymore. Click here to look at the chart on "Screen Size Vs Viewing Distance".

This is a very affordable HDTV based on the specs given. It's really value for money.

I am planning to get HD media player with plays all my mkv HD 720p files from a hard drive. Still exploring what's good in the market. Dvico TVIX sounds good.

Corsair Flash Voyager

I remember my first computer (1996) was equipped with 500mb harddisk space. On those days, it was considered a very large hard drive. Flash memory has been evolving very rapidly over the past years. Usb flash drive are getting larger and larger over the years. The record so far now is 32GB space.

I got my 1st usb flash drive of 256mb in 2003. Now with the same price, you can get a whooping 8GB usb flash drive. Again, economies of scale did the job.

As usual, I did my product research on the brands available in my place and I decided to get a 8GB Corsair Flash Voyager, as shown in the picture below.

This usb flash is different from the rest. The obvious difference is the all-rubber housing that makes it durable, water resistant and shock proof. The Flash Voyager has been shown laundered, baked, frozen, boiled, dropped and even run over by a SUV in many third party reviews. The durability of this drive is awesome.

The drive comes in 2 versions, the normal flash voyager (green) and the high performance GT (red). Corsair Voyager GT is considered the fastest usb flash drive in the market now. Of course, everything comes with a price. GT is priced 2-3 times more than the basic Voyager. If speed is critical to you, GT is the one for you.

Inside the box, it comes with a lanyard and a usb cable extension. It also includes True Crypt security application. Corsair is very generous by giving a 10 year warranty. They are very confident about their products.

I just read in CNET news that flash memory is getting more attention as developers are builting new techs around it. Apple are some early adopters of flash memories such as iPod and iPhone products.

Flash memory is compact and does not need external power source to run. It is amazing how a micro SD card, so small can store up to 8GB of stuff.

Corsair Flash Voyager is highly recommended!

New Extreme Website Conversion Software Promises 40% More Sales!

So ... what is Virtual Smart Agent and how can it benefit you?

This technology is so new ... it almost looks like science fiction! VSA is the world's FIRST stand-alone Virtual Sales Agent enables you to put an automated chat solution on your website WITHOUT having to pay someone else for the service...

But I didn't stop there. I also made it BETTER than anything else out there, by making it possible for you to train your virtual agent, split-test the results, and even build your opt-in list on autopilot!

This technological masterpiece has already been PROVEN to boost sales by upto 40%, and the marketers who manage to get their hands on it are going tobe at a huge competitive advantage.
Not only does it boost sales, but it can also build your list on autopilot,and even increase your affiliate commissions.



It's basically like having your own virtual "employee" that never sleeps. Itjust keeps working for you and building your business 24/7 with no breaks.

You see, Dave Guindon, the product owner, is also an experienced online marketer as well as an advanced software developer. So he knows how to deliver quality products along with how to use the products to your advantage.

Not many product owners even attempt to over-deliver as much as Dave does!

Here is a short list of the powerful features this software provides:

01. Increase your website conversions up to 20-40% in a little as 2 weeks!

02. Dramatically reduce your shopping cart abandonment.

03. Instantly increase the value of each website visitor.

04. Improve your website visitor's experience (builds trust and repeat business).

05. Increase your customer loyalty and overall satisfaction.

06. Quickly grow a highly responsive opt-in list of interested prospects.

07. Reduce labor costs.

08. Save time by reducing questions and support requests.

09. Up-sell or cross-sell similar and/or additional products to boost your revenue.

10. Find out WHY customers are leaving your site.

11. One installation works on ALL your websites... boost your entire business!

12. Builds your opt-in list on autopilot!

13. Auto follow-up emails to your web visitors after they leave your chats!

14. And a lot more ...

Dave Guindon offers an unbelievable LIFETIME money back guarantee!
So you basically have nothing to lose ... I didn't!

Click here to find out more.

HTC Touch

This is my 3rd PDA phone (windows mobile). My first was O2 Mini (2005), O2 Atom (2007) and now I'm using HTC Touch with windows mobile 6.0.

I've got myself the enhanced HTC Touch version with double memory (128MB RAM, 256MB ROM). It comes with 4 variant of colours as shown in the picture above. The housing has a rubbery feeling and it grips on your hands very well. However, I am afraid that it will chip off over time, when the rubbery hardens. I am using a crystal case to protect the housing overall.

The highlights for this device is the Touch FLO, similarly to the iPhone multi touch. You drag your fingers from the bottom to the top, you will see a different sets of menu. And when you drag your finger from centre to the left or right, you are browsing the menus. To resume back to the original windows mobile desktop, you simply drag your finger from centre to the bottom.



HTC Touch uses a slow and steady TI OMAP850-201Mhz processor. To me, it does not show any lagging, unless you open too many programs running in the background. With this processor, the plus point is the battery life span. It can last up to 2-3 days with normal basic usage with bluetooth and wifi turned off.

The speaker phone feature is awesome, as the both the mic and speaker as clearly heard from both ends. This device uses IEEE 802.11b/g wifi connections. Detecting and connecting to the nearest wifi hot spot is not an issue. The speed is reasonable as well.

The build in camera is 2.0 megapixels. For a phone camera, the quality is acceptable. It is better than both my old O2 Mini and O2 Atom.

The design is slim and nice to hold on your hands. I think this is the slimmist pda phone in the market. The box comes with 1 headset, 1 charger, 1 earphone, 1 battery, 1 screen protector, manuals and cds and 1GB micro SD card.

Overall, I am very satisfied with the pda phone as windows mobile 6.0 has improved a lot compared with it's predecessor.

WD My Book (Home Edition) 500GB

I just purchased a 500GB hard drive for my high definition videos storage. Currently I am storing my videos in a internal SATA 250GB which is now running out of space. So I went out there and did my research on external hard drive and WD My Book (Home Edition) wins my heart.

At the front of the drive, you can see a gauge indicator which tells you the capacity used or space remaining. When the drive is running, you will see it moving up and down like Knight Rider. Pretty cool indicator, I say.

It has an sturdy and elegant design and comes with 3 type of connections - USB 2.0, Firewire 400 and eSATA. The box comes with only USB and firewire cable. If you have a eSATA port in your PC, the speed of transfer is amazingly fast. However if you use eSATA, this hard drive will not shut down accordingly with your PC. And the gauge indicator will not work too.

After trying out 1 day, I realise the speed of transferring via USB is slightly slow. If you frequently access the drive, I will suggest you to connect using eSATA. It comes in 320GB, 500GB and 1TB capacity. And there are 5 different types of collections for WD My Book Edition. Click here to see. It comes with 3 years warranty.

This drive is extremely quiet, as it does not operate with fan. It's small for space saving purpose. When your PC inactivity for sometime, this drive will hibernate until the next time you activate your PC. This will avoid overheating and reduce wear and tear.

I am planning to to play my high definition videos by connecting my PC via HDMI connections to my future HDTV. New graphic cards comes with HDMI port. 500GB = 100 (720p) high definition videos ready to play. No more clumsy discs.

For you guys out there thinking of getting an external harddrive, I strongly recommend this product.

iPhone Developer Program

iPhone as default has limited applications built it. Steve Jobs announced previously that Apple will open iPhone to developers. On March 6, Steve launch the iPhone Software Roadmap. Apple will allow developers to develop their applications for iPhone and Apple is willing to promote it to all iPhone users with a profit sharing arrangement (30% to Apple and 70% to Developers). The developers will have full liberty to decide the selling price.

If developers who wish to give out the applications for free, Apple will distribute it at no cost via iTunes. At the same if the application come in future updates, iPhone users will be prompt to download and install the updates for free.

With this arrangement, Apple have create a new channel for iPhone users to select their applications to be download and at the same time developers can ride on this program to distribute their applications.

iPhone users can download & install the applications via wifi or local network connections from iTunes and use it almost immediately.

However, Apple mentioned that certain type of applications such as gambling, porn, etc will be rejected as part of the limitations for this program. Developers who wish to participate in this program are required to pay a fee of $99 for Standard Program and $299 for Enterprise Program.

We are about to see hundred of applications flooding itunes and it is already happening. If you look at the numbers of iPod accessories available in the market, you can tell how successful this program can be for iPhone.

I really hope, they have good word processing and spreadsheet applications which can share with Microsoft Office. I am sure many PC users love that. This will give the windows mobile users a good reason to change to iPhone.