Mobile Computing News, Reviews, & Tips

Notebook Reviews: Desktop Killers

Featuring dual-core processors, fast hard drives, and wide-screen displays, the latest notebooks are powerful enough to make you never want another desktop PC. The PC World Test Center recently tested seven such notebooks to see how well they performed. Among those tested were Alienware's Aurora m7700, Dell's Inspiron E1705, HP's Pavilion dv8000z, and Toshiba's Qosmio G35-AV600. Read "Desktop Killers" to find out how they ranked.

Cell Phone News: High-Res Nokia Camera Phone

Nokia has announced three new Nseries mobile phones. Among them: the N93, which will let you shoot MPEG-4 VGA videos at 30 frames per second and burn the videos to DVD on a PC using included Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0 software for Windows XP. The phone will also have a 3.2-megapixel still camera with optical and digital zoom. The phone will cost $619 (without a contract) and should be available in July.

Tip: Free 411 Calls on a Cell Phone

Tired of paying $1.50 or so for 411 calls on your cell phone? Call 1-800-FREE411. You may have to listen to an ad before getting your number, but it's worth it if you use directory assistance often. Check out more cell phone tips from Steve Bass.

Suggestion Box

Is there a particularly cool mobile computing product or service I've missed? Got a spare story idea in your back pocket? Tell me about it. However, I regret that I'm unable to respond to tech-support questions, due to the volume of e-mail I receive.

Sign up to have the Mobile Computing Newsletter e-mailed to you each week.