TechnicaMag.com

The future of mobile phones is touchscreen technology, and Nokia launched its own version in 2008 with the 5800 XpressMusic model. This mobile phone has some solid inbuilt features including a 3.2 megapixel digital camera, Wi-Fi connection, MP3 player, 8GB memory and GPS.

Functionality

The 5800 is neat and compact, smaller than its main competitors the iPhone and Blackberry, but with a nice solid feel. The stylus function may not be to everyone’s tastes, but it is necessary as the smaller screen on the 5800 means the touch buttons are tiny, and too fiddly to use with your fingers. The stylus tool is cleverly fitted into the casing though, and you have the option of using this tool in the handwriting mode, which you can use for jotting down quick notes or text messages. One small drawback is that Nokia have not included auto-correct on the writing modes, but this is more than made up for with the ability to cut and paste, a handy feature that is missing from the iPhone.

The hang up and dial buttons are situated clearly beneath the central 3.2 inch touchscreen display, with the volume, camera and toggle hold buttons on the sides. There is also a neat little menu button just above the touchscreen, which allows you to access the menu regardless of which application you are currently using, allowing you to switch easily between music, camera, web browsing and phone calls.

Technology

Nokia have included some good technical specifications on the 5800, with HSDPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth connectivity, GPS, 3.5mm headphone jack and front facing camera essential for video calling. Some reviewers have criticized the 3.2 megapixel camera, mainly because most of Nokia’s other phones now have the 5 megapixel camera as standard, but unless you are buying the phone specifically for the digital camera function 3.2MP should be sufficient for most needs.

Checkout this Nokia 5800 Xpressmusic video demo

Interface

The interface on the 5800 is user friendly, with a straightforward navigation experience that should suit most customers. The homepage gives you the additional option of assigning 4 icons directly to four people in your contact book, meaning you can phone or message then quickly without having to go into the contacts book each time. The web browser is a standard Nokia set up, and with fast, reliable access and is suitable for tasks such as watching video clips (with a full screen option) and browsing social media websites.

Music player

The 5800 has 8GB of memory so if you mainly use your phone as an MP3 player you will have plenty of room to store all of your favorite tracks and music videos. The sound quality isn’t brilliant, but still good for a device that combines so many applications and you can improve this a lot by buying some decent headphones to fit into the provided 3.5mm jack plug.

Conclusion

This is a good, all round touchscreen phone and fans of Nokia styling and technology will feel very at home with this model. The stylus interface will put some people off, as it has doesn’t have that smooth, gliding feel associated with some of the larger touchscreens like the iPhone. However there are some good features on this phone which make it competitive, and it comes with that feeling of solid reliability that Nokia mobile phones are so famous for.

Gamers have different requirements for their headphones than people who listen to music, as they need to not only be able to hear what’s going on in accurate surround sound, but also to communicate vocally. Gamers often play for long periods of time, so any headgear needs to be robust, comfortable and lightweight.

Most gaming platforms will incorporate a wide mix of vocals, music, bass and special effects so headphones need to be crystal clear and accurate, so that you can hear voices over background sound. They should also include a rich stereo sound to translate the atmospheric music and special effects properly, so that you get the full spine-tingling experience. The audio microphone on the headphones will need to be adjustable and also noise canceling, so that other gamers can hear you speak without getting a lot of interfering white noise. Controllers that are built into the cable are also useful, so that you can make quick adjustments when you need to in the middle of game play.

You can get some really good deals on gaming headphones at Newegg.com, and the excellent Logitech Extreme 3.5mm Supra-aural PC Gaming Headset is just $12.99, and features easily adjustable volume controls, noise canceling microphone and a lightweight style that fits comfortably behind the head. You can get even more savings on gaming headgear and other items on this site if you use a Newegg coupon code at the checkout, and these can be obtained by subscribing to the regular newsletter, which includes different discount coupons and offers each issue.

You can also get codes and coupons for other websites that can be used to get money off on gaming headphones such as the Best Buy Promotion Code which entitles you to free delivery on all items from the Gameplay website, as well as £5 off when you spend £35+ on gaming software and hardware.

Miniature laptops are becoming more and more popular as they offer light, powerful and portable computing at low prices, for example the Acer Aspire One , which runs on Linux has a screen size of 8.9in and is just £200.

Fujitsu have just released their entry onto this market, the tiny hand held 5.6″ screen U820 model. This is a touch screen laptop which provides a much improved battery life (the Acer is just 2 hours) and also has GPS and a 1.6GHz Atom processor.

The Fujitsu U820 is very light, only 1.3lbs and also includes a whole host of security features such as a BIOS lock, fingerprint sensor, and a Kensington lock slot which allows you to attach a security cable so that you can physically lock the U820 to a solid base to deter thieves. The U820 comes with Bluetooth wireless connection and preinstalled Windows Vista operating systems (either Business or Home Premium) and prices start at very reasonable $999.

Social gaming is a popular online past time, and allows people to have fun whilst they interact with each other, and make new friends in a common, interesting environment. Some of the top social games at the moment are:

• Sociotown – this is a huge 3D virtual city environment, and is one of the most sophisticated browser based social games currently online. You can have fun creating your own character, and do all kinds of urban things like buying your own apartment, shopping for clothes, visiting friends and neighbours at home in their apartments and also going to parties. There is a real time chat function, as well as dynamic speech bubbles so you can see exactly who is talking and what they are saying, and you can also listen to and even compose music.
• Rock band – the original rock band video game was a console gaming phenomenon, and in 2007 was released as an extensive community website, which was originally designed to widen the games parameters and extend its console features. The most recent version of the online game allows for leader boards, customizable band profile pages, band blogs, online forums, and customizable avatars (you can even actually order the clothes you wear in the game and real life figurines of your avatar.). Rock Band lets you perform in a virtual band playing either lead guitar, bass guitar, drums or singing vocals, using related devices that are plugged into the intermediary consoles (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 etc).
• Secondlife – this is another game based in a virtual ‘real life’ world, and members are called ‘residents’ and can create their own avatars, which are then used to explore and interact with others in the 3D environment. Residents can take part in group activities, buy and sell virtual property and also travel around the world within the game and the 3D modeling ensures a complex and vibrant environment in which to socialize in. Second Life has its own currency the Linden Dollar (L$) which can be used to trade for goods and services, and as the popularity of the game has increased land and property had become increasingly valuable within the virtual world, and the main bonus is that you can also use your Linden dolllars to pay your subscription fees, so they have value in the real world as well.

Social sites such as Facebook also include gaming additions to encourage users to socialise and have fun, and you can compete with friends at skill games like ‘Cubes Crash’ and ‘Bricks Breaking’ or just have a quick go alone on ‘Scarab Solitaire’. Facebook games are updated daily to keep things fresh, and you can also embed your favourite games into your profile and get your friends to join in.

One of the top makers of online social gaming is Kramaley Games who are based in London, UK. They run Metropolis, which is another excellent city simulation game, but also the best thing is that they also run games with a ecological slant, such as the ‘Stop Global Warming’ game which has raised $2,600 for charities and also the ‘Flora’ game which encourages people to protect and save areas of endangered rainforest.