Mobile Computing News, Reviews, & Tips
Gadget Tip: Apple's IPod Nano Is Sleek--But Dangers Lurk
PC World reviewer Ed Albro finds a lot to like in the IPod Nano, the tiny successor to Apple's wildly popular IPod Mini. He loves the bright, crisp color screen and the fact that, despite its petite size, the Nano still makes tunes easy to navigate. The Nano is available in 2GB ($199) and 4GB ($249) versions. But a couple of caveats are in order.
Caveat 1: The Nano screen is getting a bad rep for being too easily scratched. A ton of messages have recently cropped up on Apple's Using IPod Nano forum from owners who claim the MP3 player's screen was scratched within a day or less of use. And I must admit that my IPod Nano, though gingerly treated, has already developed a few hairline screen streaks.
In response, Apple has admitted that a "small number" of IPod Nano screens have cracked and agreed to replace them, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Does this mean you shouldn't buy one of these beauties? I'd say get one--but consider investing in a protective case as well. For example, Speck Products has an interesting variety of stylish, protective IPod Nano cases.
Caveat 2: A recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle warns MP3 player users of potential ear problems, due to frequent use of in-ear headphones. Solution: Turn the volume down and use an over-the-ear headphone instead.
Smart Phone News: Windows Coming to the Treo
The Palm vs. Pocket PC war has officially ended--sort of. Palm has announced that a version of its popular Treo smart phone due early next year will run Microsoft's Windows Mobile 5 operating system rather than Palm's own OS.
Verizon Wireless will be the exclusive provider of the Windows Treo, at least for a few months; no pricing or specific availability details were available at press time. The Windows Mobile OS will allow users to hook their Treos into corporate Microsoft Exchange e-mail servers and use corporate applications written for Windows on their phones, which current Palm Treos can't easily do. So what does this mean for the future of the Palm OS? Read "Palm Announces Windows Treo" to find out what Palm president and CEO has to say on the subject.
Notebook News: Dell Notebooks to Offer Cingular Networking
Dell plans to offer notebooks with a built-in modem that connects to Cingular's High-Speed Downlink Packet Access network. HSDPA is a 3G network compatible with current GSM/GPRS and EDGE networks; Cingular has plans to offer a mixture of HSDPA connections in 15 to 20 markets by year end, according to the company.
Say what? In human terms, this means that a Dell notebook with Cingular networking built-in will be capable of DSL-like download speeds of 400 to 700 kilobits per second, which is competitive with Verizon Wireless's EvDO network.
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