Nokia N9 Special Preview

Last week I posted 10 Nokia N9 HD videos into my Youtube Channel and they have already received more than 18k views in less than 1 week. Looks like a lot of people are interested in this smartphone that runs on MeeGo 1.2 Harmattan OS.

Nokia N9

My Nokia N9 videos are quite brief because I had only 1 hour+ to explore everything on the phone during the special preview session. I tried my best to capture as many things on video but I think that’s not enough for you all so I decided to write this long post to feature all the important aspects I found in Nokia N9.

Below is a list of the key features of Nokia N9 :-

• OS: MeeGo 1.2 Harmattan
• Processor: 1Ghz ARM Cortex-A8 OMAP3630 (45nm)
• GPU graphics processor: PowerVR SGX530
• Memory: 1GB RAM
• Storage: 16GB OR 64GB
• Display: 3.9″ (resolution 854×480) WVGA AMOLED display with curved Gorilla glass, no air gap, anti-glare polarizer
• Network: Pentaband (WCDMA 850, 900, 1900, 1700, 2100), Quadband (GSM/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900)
• Camera: 8MP Carl Zeiss, auto-focus, 28mm wide-angle lens, 2x LED flash
• SIM card type: Micro-SIM
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.1, GPS, A-GPS, WiFi 802.11abgn, NFC, 3.5mm AV connector, micro-USB
• Battery: 1450mAh
• Size / Weight: 116.45mm (L) x 61.2mm (W) x 7.6-12.1mm (T) / 135g

Micro-SIM slot, micro-USB port and 3.5mm headphone jack at the top of Nokia N9

Nokia N9 will be available in 3 beautiful colors (black, magenta & cyan) and 2 variants (16GB & 64GB). The 64GB version will only be available in black, on the other hand the 16GB version will have all 3 colors. According to Nokia Malaysia, a matching protective case will be given in the box as well.

Nokia N9 comes in 3 colors.

The body of Nokia N9 is made of one piece poly carbonate with smooth shapes along with the curved glass. Nokia uses the durable Gorilla glass for the screen and removes the air-gap in between the glass and display so the images you see is like floating on top of the screen. There’s no front-facing button and only 4 buttons 3 buttons (volume +/-, power) on the sides.

It’s quite easy to operate the phone because everything is just a swipe away. There are 3 home views, each designed for a specific purpose :-

• 1. Application View: Display a list of all installed application
• 2. Open Applications: See all your running apps and multitask between them in this view
• 3. Events View: Your people, news & events in one view

Nokia N9: Swipe Gesture

Switching between these 3 views is easy, just swipe sideways.

3 basic swiping gestures for Nokia N9 :-

• Swipe from top to bottom : Close the application
• Swipe sideways : Put the application into background
• Swipe from bottom to top : Bring out the application shortcuts

Check out the swipe gesture video below to see it in action.

Nokia N9: Camera

A 8 mega-pixel Carl Zeiss camera is at the back of Nokia N9 and this 28mm wide-angle lens is auto-focus and great in low light with its large lens aperture f/2.2 and dual LED flash.

8 mega-pixel Carl Zeiss, 28mm wide-angle lens, auto-focus lens

The design of the camera user interface has been improved a lot. Now you can change any setting in one place without the need to go into one category to set the flash and another category to set the ISO. Besides, photo gallery icon is located on the camera screen so it’s just a click away to preview the photo taken quickly and easily.

Just tap anywhere on the screen to focus while shooting a photo in Auto mode. Digital zooming can be adjusted on the screen or using the volume button.

The rear camera is able to capture HD video in MPEG-4 at 720p @ 30fps and the front camera can be used for video calls.

Watch the video below to see the camera in action.

Nokia N9: Photo Gallery

Photos and videos are viewed in 2 separate apps in Nokia N9, unlike the Gallery in Symbian where all photos and videos are listed together. So, Photo Gallery is only for viewing photos and sharing it through a few ways: Near Field Communication (NFC) via Bluetooth, Email/Facebook/MMS, etc.

Slideshow function is available in Photo Gallery too. Besides, the app supports both pinch to zoom and double-tap to zoom.

Nokia N9: Music & Video Player

The main screen of Music Player shows 4 categories sorted by Artists, Albums, Songs & Playlists. A group of albums is displayed at the top of the screen for quick selection. Ovi Music still remains in Music Player even though this service already ceased its operation in many countries. However, Ovi Music is still available in country like India, China, etc.

In Video Player, videos are listed in portrait thumbnail view but will play only in landscape mode to make full use of the 3.9″ screen. Videos can be shared in the same ways as photos in Photo Gallery.

Related Youtube videos are suggested when you are viewing the details of a video.

Nokia N9: My Accounts

Nokia N9 manages multiple accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Nokia Account, Google Account, Skype, Flickr, Picasa, Youtube, etc) in My Accounts. My Accounts gives you a one-stop view to manage all different accounts at one place, for example setting online status for different online services (GTalk, Facebook Chat, etc). Sharing options for different online services can be set in My Accounts too.

All accounts in one place.

Besides, contacts from social network such as Facebook or Twitter can be imported into Nokia N9 and you can choose to show these contacts in Contacts by enabling it in My Accounts.

Watch the video below to have a brief view of My Account.

Nokia N9: Contacts

One of the features that is worth mentioning in Nokia N9 Contact is the “Import Contact” feature. This import function is compatible with Nokia, Android & Apple iOS devices and contacts can be imported easily via Bluetooth.

Sending contact to a device that supports NFC is very easy too, just activate NFC and touch the 2 devices to initiate the contact transfer.

Watch the video below to see how contacts can be easily transferred wirelessly.

Nokia N9: Email, Contact & Song Sorting, & Search Function

I love the user interface design of how Nokia N9 displays the order in email, contact, and song list. When you are scrolling at the edge of the screen, a huge alphabet/time display will be shown. Smart and nice!

Searching for anything in Nokia N9 is very easy too. Just type the phrase in Search app, all sorts of result matching the search phrase will appear including applications, contacts, phone functions, user guides, etc.

Check it out in the video below :-

Nokia N9: GPS Optimized For Driving

Nokia Maps are separated into 2 in Nokia N9: 1. Maps is optimized for walk & normal map navigation; 2. Drive is optimized for turn-by-turn in-car drive navigation. Therefore, Maps is displaying in portrait mode while Drive will only be in landscape mode.

GPS Optimized For Driving

Both Maps & Drive will always remain free in Nokia N9 and public transport routing will be available in selected countries. Voice guidance will be available in both GPS apps as well.

Nokia N9: Web Browser

The web browser in Nokia N9 doesn’t support Flash but is able to play online video on Youtube and Vimeo without a problem. When you click an embedded flash video on a website, a video player will pop up to play the video. According to Nokia Malaysia, web browser in Nokia N9 will not support Flash in the future and it’s built for wide HTML5 support, which offers access to rich web application and fast video playback.

Zooming is easy in Nokia N9′s web browser, just pinch to zoom or double-tap to zoom.

I have tested the Nokia N9′s web browser along with Apple iPhone 4 (iOS) and Samsung Galaxy S (Android) in a HTML5 test and the score is :-

HTML5 Test on Apple iPhone 4, Nokia N9 & Samsung Galaxy S

Nokia N9: Angry Birds Magic

Angry Birds Magic is a free games pre-installed in Nokia N9. This version of Angry Birds supports NFC feature, which allows you to unlock a new level by touching another NFC phone with Angry Birds Magic.

Nokia N9: Developer Mode

Developer Mode is available in Settings of Nokia N9, which enables some advanced feature such as X-Terminal, etc. I’m sure many advanced users will like this Developer Mode very much.

Ok, it took me a few hours to finish this long post, hope you all like it. :)
I’ll add more details into the post once I can recall other details that I missed while composing this post.

Review : I-connect View X Laser Pico Projector (iPod, iPhone & iPad Compatible)

Ever thought of having a laser projector that is small in size and light-weight so that you can conveniently bring it around and on top of that being compatible with many portable devices on different occasions? I-connect ViewX Laser Pico Projector could be the right projector for you.

I was totally impressed with the size and weight of I-connect ViewX Laser Pico Projector when I first got it for a review. It sports a dimension of 14mm x 60mm x 118 mm and weights only 122g including battery. It looks just like a mobile phone and I’m sure it fits nicely in any adult’s hand, even kid’s!

I-connect ViewX Laser Pico Projector

I-connect ViewX Laser Pico Projector is the first palm-sized projector that is compatible to Apple’s iPod touch, iPhone and iPad. The projector is completely plug-n-play and it works instantly with all these iOS devices. 

I tested the projector with my iPad 2 and found that it only works in 2 modes on iOS devices: 1. Video playing mode (playing video in iPad or online video on Youtube) & 2. Photo slideshow mode.

Playing movie from iPad 2


Viewing photo slideshow from iPad 2

Mobility is one of the main selling points of this palm-sized laser projector and therefore its compatibility does not end with Apple products only. A wide variety of devices with TV-Out function are supported as well, such as mobile phones, digital camera, video camera, etc. This feature is particularly  very useful when you need to view your digital media on a larger screen on different devices when you are on the go.

Playing Angry Birds on Samsung Galaxy S and project it via TV-Out

Conventional VGA port that we can find on most, if not all, PCs and laptops is of course supported on I-connect ViewX Laser Pico Projector too. However, a VGA dock is sold separately if you need to use the projector with PC or laptop. The good news is the VGA dock is included for free if you get it now in Malaysia.

Projecting via VGA port of a laptop

Instead of using LED bulbs like other conventional projectors, I-connect ViewX Laser Pico Projector uses the revolutionary PicoP display engine (uses blue, green and red lasers to create an image) to deliver immediate vivid big screen experience with no focus adjustment needed.

Below are the technical specifications in case you wish to know :-

• Resolution: WVGA (848×480)
• Brightness: 15 Lumens
• Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Widescreen
• Contrast Ratio: >5000: 1
• Throw Ratio: 1:1
• Image Size: 150mm-2500mm
• Charging port: microUSB
• Battery Life: 90 minutes

Everything in the box

My take on I-connect ViewX Laser Pico Projector

Plus points

• Very portable because it is small and light-weight
• Using PicoP laser technology to deliver vivid images
• Compatible to A LOT of portable devices (iPod/iPhone/iPad, mobile phones, digital camera, video camera, laptop, etc)
• Completely plug-n-play with no setup or software required
• No focus adjustment needed
• Good for instant viewing of many digital media, such as photos, videos, documents or games
• All compatible cables are included : Apple Connectivity Cable – iPod, iPhone, iPad; Composite Cable – mobile phone, camera, video camera
• VGA dock (worth RM299) will be included free

Minus points

• Only work in 2 playing modes on iOS devices, video playing mode and photo slideshow mode
• 90 minutes of battery life is a bit short if you want to watch a full movie
• Not suitable to use in a bright environment

Conclusion

I-connect ViewX Laser Pico Projector is truly useful for both business and leisure purposes. This laser projector can be used on many occasions, be it on a business presentation, showing photos/videos taken during a vacation, watching movie projected on the ceiling while lying on the bed at night, etc. Projecting digital medias from a wide variety of devices has never been so convenient on a projector like this considering all the plus points listed above. Well, the only concern I have for the projector is the rather short battery life. I hope the supported projecting modes on iOS devices are not limited to only video playing and photo slideshow in the future.

I-Connect View X Laser Pico Projector is available at the retail price of RM1399 (including VGA dock) and can be purchased at Challenger IT Megastore at The Mines Shopping Mall in Malaysia or via TimeTech online store.

Photo Gallery of I-Connect View X Laser Pico Projector

World’s Largest Stop-motion Animation Shot On A Nokia N8

September last year, Nokia shot the world’s smallest stop-motion animation named Dot using a Nokia N8. Now a short film namedGulp has broken a world record for the world’s largest stop-motion animation and it is entirely shot on a Nokia N8 too.

This new stop-motion film was created by Sumo Science at Aardman and shot at Pendine Beach in South Wales. Watch the video below and be amazed. :)

Watch the making of this cool stop-motion animation here :-

Motorola Atrix – Webtop Experience Using Multimedia Dock & Lapdock [Videos]

Last week, Motorola Atrix was launched in Malaysia and 2 specially designed accessories were introduced as well :

• Motorola HD Multimedia Dock : RRP RM439
• Motorola Lapdock^TM : RRP RM1399

Both of these accessories run on Motorola’s revolutionary webtop application, which aim to bring desktop-like or laptop-like PC experience on a smartphone. You may read the details of these 2 accessories and webtop application in my previous post.
Take a look of how Motorola Atrix is used on the Motorola HD Multimedia Dock :-

The video below will show you how Motorola Atrix is used on the Motorola Lapdock :-

Gamescom trailer: Play Xbox LIVE games on your Windows Phone 7

Gamescom trailer: Play Xbox LIVE games on your Windows Phone 7

 

Xbox fans – get ready to play your favourite games anywhere, anytime on your Windows Phone 7 mobile with Xbox LIVE, check it out in this Gamescom 2011 video trailer.

Gamescom 2011 video trailer.

Many thanks to Kim for the tip!

Victoria Nostalgic Internet Radio comes with retro looks

Combination of retro looks and modern technology has always been a successful dual, and if you’re looking for such a device, Grace Digital has something for you.
Grace Digital has recently announced a unique radio that combines the retro looks of the 40’s and the power of internet into one unusual device called the Victori Nostalgic Internet Radio. Besides the vintage looks, Victoria Nostalgic Internet Radio has a lot more to offer, and one of those things is Class D digital 16 watt RMS amplifier (50 watt peak), so that this radio can fill an entire room with quality sound. This radio also comes with a 4-line adjustable backlit display, five alarm settings, 110 station presets, built-in 802.11n wireless and Pandora controls on a special remote. In addition, you can also download Grace Digital’s remote control app for iOS and Android devices


As for the supported internet radio stations, the list includes Pandora Radio, SiriusXM, Rhapsody, NPR, Live365, DAR.fm, WeatherBug, and more than 50,000 AM/FM/HD radio stations. As for the price, Victoria Nostalgic Internet Radio will be priced at $229.99.

Latest solar gadgets: Solar Vox Ultra – a flower shaped solar charger

Solar chargers aren’t anything new, but most of these chargers come with an unattractive and simple design, and if you want a nice looking solar charger, then you should seriously consider the latest Solar Vox Ultra.
Solar Vox Ultra is an improved version of Solar Vox and it is designed by Eric Botzen of Botzen Design. Unlike other solar chargers that only come with a black solar panel, Solar Vox Ultra is designed in shape of a flower and it even comes with petal-like panels. Of course, these panels aren’t here as a decoration, and they are actually being used to reflect the sunlight at the center of a charger. Another thing that makes this charger so special is its small size, so it’s perfect for traveling.
Solar Vox Ultra charges all devices using its USB port so the list of compatible devices is endless. Sadly, this device isn’t available for sale yet, but we hope that we’ll see it in stores soon.

Light Blue Optic projector gets approved by FCC

Pico Projectors aren’t very popular, but that doesn’t mean that we won’t see more of them in the future. Speaking of projectors, the latest Light Blue Optics projector has arrived at FCC, which means that we might see it in stores someday soon.

What makes Light Blue Optic different is that fact that this projector is using a holographic laser that creates a touchable image on a surface. Light Blue Optic is using a combination of holographic laser projector and infrared sensors to create a virtual WVGA 10.1-inch touchscreen on any flat surface that is able to reflect the image. This projector comes with output of 35 lumens for images and up to 15 lumens for videos. There’s also a built-in mono speaker and a 3.5mm stereo out jack and a composite video input and micro USB connector. In addition, this device comes with integrated 802.11g Wi-Fi chipset and Windows CE as its operating system.
Light Blue Optic is an amazing product, and we’re hope we’ll see it in stores soon.