Omio

iPhone 3G vs. Blackberry Bold - Web Browser Battle!

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (223)

Welcome to a new head-to-head, pitting the iPhone 3G’s web browsing capabilities against the snazzy new Blackberry Bold. The results are pretty damning, with the iPhone 3G rendering the pants of the Bold, which showing sites really prettily but really slowly.

Performed by Mobile Computer Mag, they race through a few of the usual test sites like the BBC News site to see if Safari really is that fast. Which it is.

RIM lovers avert your eyes for the Slashdot page loading comparison, the results are pretty graphic.

Only problem,  it seems like the Bold was hamstrung by being on 3G/Edge a bit, whilst the iPhone is flying the Wi-Fi skies…hardly fair now, is it? They do prove at the end that it was on Wi-Fi, but the difference is so much we find it hard to believe. We’re conducting our own highly scientific tests here, the results of which will be up pretty sharpish…
Source: Gizmodo

Microsoft: Make Xbox Live iPhone Apps Free…Or Else

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (223)

Microsoft have decided that the current spate of iPhone apps which access player stats and achievements have to be given away, rather than charging gamers to get them.

The 1337pwn Friends List coders who managed to bring ‘Live Anywhere’ style functionality to the iPhone (remember them?) managed to develop a more marketable (in that there is no need to jailbreak) version of their popular program to put up on the App Store, and were briefly charging a steep £3.99.

For an app which is essentially a slightly slower version of their site which allows exactly the same functionality, is based solely upon Microsoft’s own Xbox Live data and infrastructure, turning around and selling it was a bit of a cheeky move in our opinion. Microsoft don’t want Apple making profits from their games console? That’s just…weird.

Still inexcusable that their own solution is still far from existance though. With the Leipzig Games Convention running this week, it is safe to say Microsoft will be bringing many wares to display, and that Live Anywhere will not be one of them.

Source: Kotaku

Nokia Tube To Be Released This Year?

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (223)

Nokia’s ‘Tube’ phone could actually appear in 2008, as the company’s intentions for the future were mentioned by a senior exec.

Dev Kishore is the marketing director for Nokia in India, and revealed much when speaking of their current situation: “We have been working on the Series 60 platform for touchscreen user interface, and a mobile device is expected to be launched by year end.”

Even though he was very careful in naming no names, the Nokia 5800 has been seen around town for many months now and is widely expected to the Finnish company’s keypad-less assault on the industry. Despite the excitement surrounding the phone, some have been underwhelmed by the very familiar look and feel of the interface. It seems very much like Nokia business as usual, which is a tad disappointing given how the iPhone and TouchFLO have revolutionised navigation.

What do you think? Could the Tube bring something new or is it too little too late for Nokia to muscle in on the touch party? Let us know in the forums!

HTC Touch Phones Even More Touchable?

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (223)

This video seems to show that the HTC Touch Diamond (and presumably the Touch Pro) gives a lot more touch than we had bargained for…

That’s right, not quite multi-touch on the screen but two finger capacitive recognition beneath it, all over the scroll wheel and keys! Crazy. This means that all the pinching and twirling to zoom that made the iPhone’s user interface so sexy are possible upgrades with a simple HTC firmware update.

Unfortunately, as the video shows it is only active in a test kit capacity but the practical third party applications will hopefully follow! Like the Touch Pro needed another reason to be desirable…

Source: Gizmodo/MobileTopSoft

HTC Touch Pro: Your Questions Answered

By Robin LandycloseAuthor: Robin Landy Name: Robin Landy
Email: talk@omio.com
Site: http://www.omio.com
About: See Authors Posts (9)

Our HTC Touch Pro has taken an absolute battering over the past week, as we pressed every button, checked every menu and tried to convince ourselves that HTC could make the Windows Mobile experience more enjoyable than pushing golden syrup up a sandy hill.

Meanwhile, the Omio forums have been filling up with questions. So here are some answers…

iPhone 3G Released In India, Expensive

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (223)

As the iPhone 3G continues on its round-the-world tour, it is clear to see that some nations are getting a pretty crummy deal compared to others. For India, the phone becomes a little more exclusive with some of the highest mobile phone price tags outside of the Harrods Vertu store.

The 8 gig model comes in at Rs 31,000, whilst the 16GB version is an equally unreasonable Rs 36,100. How much is that in pounds and pence? £382…for the smaller one. The white 16GB iPhone 3G will be a rare beast indeed at around £444. Yikes.

These prices are common to both the Vodafone and Airtel networks, as wranglings with Apple resulted in no subsidy deals for the carriers, and resultant astronomical prices all round. Not bad if they were unlocked to run with any SIM, but they aren’t. That’s the cost aside from signing up to a contract.

Oh, and there’s no 3G network up and running in India, so don’t queue overnight for it just yet. We think there will be a few left in stock.

Source: Cellpassion

Samsung i900 Omnia Unboxing: Awesome

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (223)

Not quite as good as our unboxing of the Touch Pro, but if you like the whole ’showy’ thing, then this is for you. Bet their camera was on macro mode (thanks Terry!).

The Samsung Omnia is available on Omio right now, but we cannot guarantee a similar box. Sorry.

Apple iPhone 3G Back Up To Speed With Software Update

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (223)

Good news for all those experiencing call drops and a distinctly non-3G performance from your iPhone 3Gs! The new 2.0.2 software update that has just been released is said to fix the issues once and for all.

After their unofficial official pledge to rectify matters regarding the shonky reception problem they have certainly been quick to act, with an update certified by iPhoneBuzz.com to make things much faster for all those slightly miffed iPhone owners.

Apologies for the audio quality, it is merely iPhone Buzz as opposed to an Omio text battle! Joking, obviously…

Some claim little to no change, but we will let you know once we take the 2.0.2 plunge. Still enjoying the return of Intelliscreen too much to do any more firmware updates just yet!

Source: iPhone Buzz

Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte: Aerodynamic, Expensive

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (223)

The 8800 series is Nokia’s flagship line for those with shallow pockets (full of money) and long arms, and they have released information showing off a lightweight addition to go alongside the Sirocco and Sapphire.

The Carbon Arte seems to fit the range perfectly, being a gorgeous looking slider handset with all manner of expensive accoutrements and little by the way of specs. This time Nokia have focused on build quality, using materials fit for an F1 race car rather than a mobile.

Carbon fibre, titanium, polished glass and stainless steel all feature in the phone’s construction, and with a press release full of descriptions of the body as a ‘chassis’ and gray ‘accents’ on the back, Nokia seem to be pushing the car analogy as far as they can.

Features? Ahh, features. The Carbon Arte’s exterior may be racing spec, but the stuff under the hood is a bit of an old banger. With GPRS, a 262k colour screen, a 3.2 megapixel camera and a desk stand(!), it is a bit pedestrian for a luxury phone. It does pack 4GB of memory though, a nice surprise. The 8800 series has always been about features however, and this one is no exception.

Tap the steel surface below the display to reveal the time, which is a shameless admission that most use their phones as really pretty clocks, but a nice feature all the same. It also has changing background pictures depending on the time of day, and that impressive turn-over-to-silence function is a welcome addition. Shame these all debuted on other handsets, though.

Undoubtedly the best feature to anyone who has ever had the Nokia 8810 is the anti-fingerprint coating. Those metallic phones were the original fingerprint magnets way before these touchscreen whippersnappers, so this new protection prevents the metal case from looking grubby after all those hangers-on have had a feel.

Set for a Q3 release, the price is a reassuringly expensive £870. Gentlemen, start your saving!

Source: PhoneArea

Blackberry Bold: Quick Hands On

By Robin LandycloseAuthor: Robin Landy Name: Robin Landy
Email: talk@omio.com
Site: http://www.omio.com
About: See Authors Posts (9)

‘Bold’ still sounds like a silly name for a phone but Blackberry have done themselves proud with their latest emailing machine. Feast your eyes on our quick hands-on.