Google enters mobile phone market

People will be able to access Google maps and Google Earth on their mobile phones from as early as next year, the world's largest search engine has announced.

Google has joined forces with some of the biggest handset makers to allow all of its applications to be installed on mobile phones.

News that the multi-billion dollar company is entering the lucrative mobile phone market comes only days before the UK launch of Apple's eagerly-awaited iPhone.

There had been widespread rumours that Google was developing its own handset, known as the Google phone or Gphone, to rival Apple's combined phone, iPod and internet browser.

Nokia unveils five new phones, shooting for 40 percent market share despite increase in competition

HELSINKI, Finland (AP) - Nokia unveiled five new phone models Monday, saying it was confident it could regain ground in the mobile phone market and reach 40 percent of the global market share.

Chief Executive Jorma Ollila said the Finnish company's market share had fallen to 32 percent, losing ground to competitors, including Motorola, Samsung and Sony Ericsson.

A report by market researcher Gartner Inc., however, calculated Nokia's market share even lower - at 28.9 percent in the first quarter of 2004, down from 34.6 percent during the same period last year.

Launching five new mid- to high-market phones, Ollila said Nokia was confident it could reach its 40 percent target, but did not say how long it would take. He declined to give details of the company's 2004 forecast.

He said the company expects to sell 600 million phones this year, one-third of them camera-phone models, which are expected to become more popular as the prices come down.

Following Monday's announcement, Nokia shares fell 2 percent to ?11.69 (US$4.42) in trading on the Helsinki Stock Exchange.

Nokia's news conference in Helsinki was connected to another in Singapore, where Nokia unveiled the five new phone models, including what Nokia says is the world's smallest 3G, or third-generation, phone - the 6630.

The 6630 - just 127 grams (4.5 ounces) - features a 1.2-megapixel camera, an MP3 player and will support broadband Internet transmission 40 times the speed of second-generation cell phone technology, Nokia said. It will be available the last quarter of 2004 and cost an estimated ?500 (US$600), the company said.

The new models also featured clamshell phones, a new look for Nokia's portfolio but also one competitors and consumers have already embraced.

Nokia plans to roll out 35 new products this year in an effort to fill gaps in the market.

The company also recently slashed prices for several models, following the lead of competitors whose phones have consistently been cheaper than Nokia's. Ollila said the new pricing would not significantly affect the company's margins.

Nokia remains the market leader for handsets, but earlier this month analysts said it was losing ground. U.S.-based Motorola has 16 percent of the market, and South Korea's Samsung has 13 percent.

Nokia, based in Espoo just outside the Finnish capital, has a market capitalization of ?54.4 billion (US$65.3 billion) with sales in 130 countries with 53,000 employees.

Nokia Already Working on First Microsoft Based Smartphone

Nokia's CEO, Stephen Elop says that the company has already started work on the company's first Windows Phone 7 based smartphone, just a few weeks after the company announced its shift from Symbian to the WP7 operating system. Although the company aims to deliver a handset by the end of this year, the first sales are still not expected until next year.

In an interview with the Reuters news agency, he also squashed rumours that Microsoft could launch a takeover bid for the company.

"I'm not aware of a strategic interest that Microsoft would have in the rest of the business," Elop said. "To the extent that a partnership has been formed around what they're really interested in, then what would an acquisition bring other than a good year of anti-trust investigation, huge turmoil, delays?"

He also dismissed rumours of a further shake-up of the senior management team following the recent reshuffling of the directors.

As recently noted, the final terms of the Microsoft-Nokia alliance are still being sorted out, but Elop said that he expects the final deal to be signed within the next couple of months.

Nokia Shows Off Two New Symbian Based Smartphones

Nokia has shown off two new smartphones - running its now legacy Symbian software - the Nokia E6 and the Nokia X7. The two devices are the first Nokia smartphones to contain the updated Symbian software, with new icons and usability enhancements such as improved text input, a faster browser and refreshed Ovi Maps.

"We are further strengthening Nokia's smartphone portfolio with these two new devices, both of which offer a more beautiful and intuitive user experience that will soon also be available for the Nokia N8, Nokia E7, Nokia C7 and Nokia C6-01," said Jo Harlow, head of Nokia's Smart Devices business.

Following on from Nokia's E71 and E72 devices, the Nokia E6 is a business smartphone with a full Qwerty keypad and touch screen display.

The Nokia X7 is an entertainment-focused smartphone with a large 4" display and an 8 megapixel camera.

The Nokia E6 and Nokia X7 are also the first smartphones to contain the complete update of the Symbian software user experience. This update offers a host of usability enhancements, including fresh, new icons, improved text input, a faster internet browsing experience and a refreshed Ovi Maps application with improved search and new Public Transport routes. The renewed software also offers a strong set of new features aimed at business users in particular, including true enterprise grade security with hardware accelerated encryption, and new e-mail features such as full meeting request support.

In coming months the software update, which is nick-named Symbian Anna, will also be available as standard on newly shipping Nokia N8, Nokia E7, Nokia C7 and Nokia C6-01 devices, as well as available to download on previously purchased models of those same smartphones.

Canon PowerShot SX220 HS review

The Canon PowerShot SX220 HS is a 14x zoom camera, the follow on from the neat PowerShot SX210 IS of last year. The travel zoom category is more competitive than ever, with all the major manufacturers having their take with some great models to choose from. Thanks to increasingly compact designs, the travel zoom category sees long zoom lenses packed into a body that in many cases is only fractionally larger than regular compact dimensions.

So is the case with the Canon PowerShot SX220 HS. It measures 105.7 x 59.3 x 33.2mm and weighs 215g including the battery (good for around 210 shots). It’s still pocketable and light enough to port around with you but still manages to pack plenty of features and controls into its frame. Inevitably this means there is no real grip for your right hand - you’ll end up with your thumb lying over the controls, resting on the shooting mode dial. The left hand is equally foxed by the pop-up flash, which sits on the left shoulder of the camera, so pretty much where your left index finger will be sitting.
This is something we complained about on the SX210 as well, although the camera doesn’t complain if you resist the flash opening, it just accepts that it can’t deploy - the flash can be thereafter flicked open and closed as needed, with the on-screen icon telling you that the flash has moved from http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifcancelled auto.

Otherwise the design is fetching, the concave silver waistband contrasting nicely with the dark grey of the body of our review model. As mentioned the controls lie to the right-hand side of the 3-inch 16:9 widescreen display, with only the shutter and encircling zoom control sitting on the top.

The power button finds its way onto the back slope which we found to be conveniently placed to hit when needed and avoid when not. The mode dial on the rear instantly grabs your attention, set slightly to an angle and offering up a knobbly grip to make changing modes quick and easy. Below sits the instant video capture button above a dial incorporating a four-way controller with a central function/set button and finally you get display and menu buttons. It’s certainly busy, but the abundance of controls lets you know that this is a little more than just a point and shoot camera.

Samsung Multi-Proof W200 Pocket Cam gets us wet

Having just announced its new ST93 compact camera, Samsung is to launch something a little bit tougher in the shape of the Samsung Multi-Proof W200 Pocket Cam.

The rugged W200 is designed to be taken into the toughest conditions and features a 5-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor along with a F2.2 Bright lens.

Although shockproof from 2 metres, the emphasis is firmly on its underwater capabilities, as the W200 pocket Cam can be submerged up to 3 metres in depth and has features such as an anti-water drop and anti-fog coatings. An Aqua Mode setting automatically sets the ideal parameters for the bright and clear underwater video.

The camcorder delivers Full HD video and has, what sounds like, a handy Record Pause feature which means after pausing you can resume at the same moment bundling the footage on the same file after filming - removing the hassle of merging footage from different files. Fish eye and vignetting features are also included.

The Samsung Multi-proof W200 Pocket Cam will be available in May for $159.

Nikon Coolpix P300 review

The Nikon Coolpix P300 looks to fill a gap towards the top end of the compact camera market that hasn’t been occupied with a worthy Coolpix model to date. Enter the Nikon Coolpix P300: a small, 12.2-megapixel compact with a 24-100mm F/1.8-4.9 image stabilised lens.

For a long time the high-end compact market has been dominated by Canon’s hold - with models such as the recent PowerShot S95. At a glance, the Nikon P300 is almost a visual carbon copy: it’s roughly the same size, shape and of a similar layout. Although this is seemingly the “inspiration” of the P300’s birth, it would be wrong to assume the two models as direct competitors. Alike though they may appear, but on the inside the P300 doesn’t quite match up to its competitive Canon model. Why? It’s all down to sensor size: the Nikon P300 has a 1/2.33 inch sensor, smaller than the 1/1.7 inch one found in the Canon S95.
A series of other features may also find those seeking truly high-end control looking elsewhere: there’s no manual focus capability, no hotshoe for an external viewfinder and no RAW capture option either. However, step down a notch in product positioning and the P300 is a tough cookie in the enthusiast sector. Look for the likes of the Samsung WB2000 and there’s a more immediate comparison in terms of control and layout as well as price sensibility.

When the P300 gets it right it really delivers. The top mode dial means immediate selection of shooting modes is a breeze and the twin thumbwheel-like controls (thumbwheel on top; rotational d-pad on the rear) make setting up manual shooting equally as simple. Aperture and Shutter Priority meet Program Auto and full Manual modes, plus Auto, Easy Panorama and Scene settings, in addition to both Backlighting and Night Landscape on the mode dial itself.

There are few controls on the rear and, although there’s a one-touch movie button, there’s no Function (Fn) button to be found anywhere on http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifthe body for quick adjustment of settings. As few settings show on the camera’s screen itself this feels like a drawback - even more standard compacts have on-screen quick menus to dash between ISO, metering setup and the like (including other Nikon Coolpix cameras). While those physical mode dials and thumbwheels are certainly on point, the P300 could really do with that extra user-assignable button for yet more control.
Design-wise the camera may look a tad “boxy”, though its small, trim size will easily slip into a bag or pocket to be carried anywhere - and that’s one of the prime features of a camera such as this. On the rear is a 3-inch, 920K-dot LCD screen that’s of a good resolution, though no viewfinder is built in or available for the camera. This may pose an issue in bright sunlight where the screen’s visibility may be reduced due to reflections or fingerprinting on the screen itself. This is a common feature for any compact, however, not just the P300.

Motorola Droid X2 squares up to the competition

You'd be forgiven for thinking that Motorola had thrown all of its Android eggs into the Atrix basket, as we haven't heard a whisper about any Droid action for a few months.

But now a spec sheet has turned up for the Motorola Droid X2 (pronounced X squared) proving that there's life in the old Droid yet.

First pictured on blurrycam back in February the spec sheet suggests that the X2 could be a decent mid-level Android contender.

The X2 is powered by a 1GHz dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, with 512MB of RAM and 8GB of onboard storage (expandable with microSD).
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Its display is 4.3 inches, 540x960qHD with a 240dpi pixel density and there's a 8-megapixel camera on the back capable of 720p (26-30fps) recording.

It can playback 1080p content at the same frame rate and has an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a proximity sensor, an ambient light sensor, a gyroscope and a barometer.

Connectivity options are plentiful (the usual suspects; Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3G) and there's USB and HDMI options too.

The only downside we can see - it's lacking Gingerbread. It's listed as a Android 2.2 device, although we'd be surprised if it came to market 0.1 down on the competition

Xerox ColorQube 9300 Series Introduced

Xerox unveiled the second generation of their high speed solid ink multifunction printers - the ColorQube 9300 Series - featuring Xerox's flexible Hybrid Color Pricing Plans this morning.

The ColorQube 9300 Series is a follow up on the ColorQube 9200 series, the series that first introduced the unique color pricing plans that allow customers to pay only for the amount of color on a given page, saving them up to 50% compared to laser printers. The company bases the Hybrid Color Pricing Plans on three standard levels of color:

• Useful documents - For when businesses want to use only a small amount of basic color, think a company logo or a single color highlighting important text
• Everyday color - Pages with moderate color coverage, so adding images to the initial small amount of color
• Expressive color - A high color coverage, think full page color with photos, etc.

The ColorQube 9300 Series features Xerox's unique solid ink technology using solid ink sticks offering 90% less waste than the traditional ink because the solid ink sticks have less packaging and no cartridge body.

The non-toxic solid ink sticks - made from resin - resemble large crayons (for more information, check out our solid ink article or Xerox Phaser 8560 review). The sticks are also designed for easy loading. And thanks to the solid ink technology, there are no fuser kits or drums to replace, just one simple cleaning unit that is only replaced every two to three years depending on the work flow.

The ColorQube 9300 series offers three models: the ColorQube 9301, ColorQube 9302 and the ColorQube 9303.

All three models feature print, scan, copy and fax capabilities along with a 160GB hard drive, 1GB of system memory, 1.5 GHz processor, 100-sheet automatic duplexing document feeder, a standard paper capacity over three trays of 3,200 sheets with a 100-sheet bypass feeder, front side USB port, built-in networking and automatic duplexing.

The ColorQube 9301 features print speeds up to 50 ppm in black and 38 ppm in color with a print resolution up to 600 x 600 dpi and a monthly duty cycle up to 150,000 pages.

The ColorQube 9302 features print speeds up to 55 ppm in black and 45 ppm in color with a print resolution up to 600 x 600 dpi and a monthly duty cycle up to 225,000 pages.

The ColorQube 9302 features print speeds up to 60 ppm in black and 55 ppm in color with a print resolution up to 600 x 600 dpi and a monthly duty cycle up to 300,000 pages.

Xerox offers several standard solutions with the ColorQube 9300 series including Color by Words, Mobile Print, user permissions, embedded videos on the user interface for troubleshooting, new security options and advanced scanning.

The ColorQube 9300 Series is available for order now through Xerox direct sales and authorized resellers starting at $22,299 for the base model.

HP Veer 4G First-Look Review

AT&T's HP Veer 4G is a webOS smartphone in a tiny little package. It has a 2.6-inch 320 x 400 touchscreen, a 5 megapixel camera with video capture, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi b/g/n plus mobile hotspot capability.

It will be available from AT&T on May 15 for $99 with a new two-year service contract, but we were able to get an early review unit so we could give a sneak peek and learn more about this interesting new phone.

BUILD & DESIGN

The Veer is best described as a pebble-shaped slider phone. When closed, the device is smaller than a credit card, which is a definite contrast to many of today's larger phones. All of the edges are rounded and it feels really good to hold in your hand. You'll hardly notice that it's in your pocket, since it weighs under 4 ounces.

Slide up the screen to expose the physical QWERTY keyboard; it's incredibly tiny, but I was surprised at how well I was able to use it right out of the box. There's a good amount of space between each key and strange as it sounds, I strongly prefer this keyboard to that of the HP Pre 2, even though this one is smaller.

The screen looks nice, though it's not terribly bright and is somewhat hard to see when you're standing in direct sunlight. Since I just got this phone today, it's hard to say whether it's a major issue with the screen or a case of my just not having found the brightness control yet.

PERFORMANCE

The HP Veer is snappy, responding to my every touch by launching the relevant app, switching between apps, etc. That's a nice surprise since it's powered by just an 800 MHz processor. I am slightly concerned about network reception, however, because I haven't been able to connect to 4G at my office. I will test this further in other locations to get a better idea of whether it's a concern about the Veer or just another example of my office as a dead zone.

The external speaker is plenty loud enough and the sound quality is good when listening to music. I'm quite concerned about the headphone jack though, which isn't actually part of the phone. In order to plug in headphones, you have to use a separate accessory that magnetically attaches to the side of the phone. It's an elegant solution to the problem of where to put the headphone jack when you're trying to design an ultra-small phone, and I'm glad it's included instead of requiring consumers to make a separate purchase, but I'm not sure how well it will work in real life.

The 5-megapixel camera takes nice photos with good detail, though it does seem a bit slow to focus and actually take the shot, especially when compared to a photographic powerhouse like the HTC Droid Incredible 2 I'm also reviewing. I didn't see any obvious problems with exposure or graininess though of course I will have to test the camera more thoroughly before I can make any definite conclusions.

PRELIMINARY CONCLUSION

I'm surprised by how much I already like the HP Veer 4G, even though I've only had it for a few hours. After reviewing so many gigantic smartphones it's nice to use something more petite that takes up hardly any room in my pocket.

I'm not sure whether my initial infatuation will last, however, because the Veer is the smallest phone I've ever used. The keyboard is surprisingly usable, but I do have to do a lot of scrolling to see entire email messages, for example, so there are some obvious downsides to the small form factor.