Nokia N900: Powerful, but Missing Some Key Features

Nokia fans disappointed by last summer's N97 smartphone, get excited: The Nokia N900 ($570, unlocked; price as of December 18, 2009) delivers on its promises of fast performance and excellent Web browsing. It also offers solid multimedia features, as well as one of the best cameras I've used on a smartphone. But the N900 isn't for everyone: Some people might find the Linux-based Maemo (MAY-mo) platform confusing and not as user-friendly as other platforms.The handset is also missing some crucial features, such as app-store support and MMS messaging, as well as full Exchange support.

The brick-like Nokia N900 isn't exactly pocket-size. Measuring 4.4 by 2.4 by 0.8 inches and weighing 6.4 ounces, this slider phone is a little heftier than most smartphones out there. The build feels solid, however, and the display slides up easily without feeling as if it's about to snap off. The N900 is meant to be used mainly in landscape mode, which became evident when I tried to use a couple of apps in portrait mode--they didn't work. In fact, the only app that I could view in portrait mode was the phone app.

Buttonwise, the N900 is pretty minimalist. The front face has no keys--not even Talk/End keys. The top spine (when you hold the phone in landscape mode) has a volume rocker, a power button, and the camera shutter button. A hold switch, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a stylus can be found on the right spine, while the micro-USB port is on the left. The camera lens and flash are on the back, as is a kickstand for propping up the device to watch videos.

Lenovo's C300

Lenovo's C300 may have more storage than any similarly priced all-in-one PC we've seen,

but the system (which costs $549, as of December 8, 2009) makes a number of sacrifices that almost counterbalance its good general performance and price.

Intel's 1.6GHz Atom 330 processor is the only dual-core processor in the Atom lineup, and it helps the C300 deliver acceptable--but not stellar--performance in our WorldBench 6 test suite. The system's score of 42 in our benchmark is on a par with what's typically delivered by similar all-in-ones; it just edges out the 20-inch Asus Eee Top ET2002, despite both systems sharing CPU model and type. Current-generation gaming is out of the question on the C300, as is the case for all models on our budget all-in-one PC chart.

As hinted at the outset, the C300's 640GB hard drive is the most storage we've seen on an all-in-one this side of $1000, and its 4GB of DDR2-667 memory isn't bad, either. The problem is, Lenovo preinstalls a 32-bit version of Windows Vista Home Premium, whereas you need a 64-bit OS to fully address all 4GB of memory you're paying for. Whether you opt for Windows 7, Vista, or XP, go 64-bit if you've got 4GB of RAM or more.

The C300 also has no touchscreen, which is tough given that several competing (and less expensive) all-in-ones do. And finally, the C300's networking is pretty weak: It has only 802.11g Wi-Fi (no N), and 10/100 ethernet instead of gigabit speeds. This won't affect your usual Web browsing experience, but it will certainly bog down your network file transfers.

The unit's 20-inch (1600-by-900 resolution) screen provides a good mix of strong contrasts and colorful saturation. The only real flaw is in extremely dark scenes, where a faint bit of backlight glow can be detected at the top and bottom of the display. The C300's integrated sound, however, is another story.
The included speakers aren't very pleasant to listen to at all--they're worse than what you'd typically find on a run-of-the-mill laptop, which in itself is a rather low bar.

Six USB ports line the sides and rear of the C300, along with a multiformat card reader and a mini-FireWire 400 port. It's nice to see Lenovo at least attempting to offer a connection above and beyond the standard USB. You also get an integrated DVD writer (you can watch DVD movies with it, too). That's a good thing, as you can't actually go into the C300's guts to replace or modify either component. What you buy is what you get.

The compelling features of Lenovo's C300--good performance, good price, great capacity--show that the company did well in considering the big-picture elements that go into a successful all-in-one system. However, drawbacks like poor networking features, the lack of a touchscreen, and that 32-bit OS issue all limit the unit's appeal.

Mvix Ultio Pro 1080p HD Media Center With PVR (Personal Video Recording)

The market leader in technology and products for hard-disk based HTPCs, portable media-centers and high-definition digital signage players, MvixUSA has announced its new HD (1080p) HDD-based home theater media center – Mvix Ultio Pro (MX-880HD), which features an unprecedented full HD 1080p media compatibility and PVR (personal video recording) capability,

aiming to enrich your home entertainment experience.

Download iPhone SDK 3.2 Beta To Develop Applications For iPad

After launching its latest multi-touch iPad, Apple has released its iPhone SDK 3.2 beta for developers to start developing applications for iPad. The iPhone SDK 3.2 beta is being designed to include all the necessary tools which allow the developers to start developing and optimizing iPhone OS applications for iPad. The iPhone SDK 3.2 beta is only available for iPhone Developer Program members.

(Speed And Control Surfaces) Razer Vespula Dual-Sided Gaming Mouse Mat

The global leading maker of high-end precision gaming and lifestyle peripherals, Razer Group has launched its new lightweight gaming grade mouse mat, named as Razer Vespula, which features an unique dual-sided design to offer gamers 2 distinct gaming-grade surfaces for suiting their preferred level of gaming glide – Speed Surface for faster mouse movements and Control Surface for ultra-precise movements and tactile feedback.