Chimo NgeBlog : Motorola PHOTON 4G Review by Aaron

Choice is always a good thing, and if you're Sprint, you're quickly becoming the go-to carrier for awesome Android handsets. Announced at a special event in June, the Motorola PHOTON 4G is the manufacturer's first WiMAX smartphone. It follows the popular HTC EVO 3D, and with a 1 GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, 4.3-inch qHD display, 8-megapixel camera, global roaming capabilities, and Android 2.3 preinstalled, it comes out of the box swinging. Is it the must-have Android device on Sprint, or is the EVO 3D (and HTC's Sense user interface) the reigning champion? Better yet, is it worth holding off for Samsung's Galaxy S II line?

Design & Features

At first glance, PHOTON looks a lot like it belongs on the NEXTEL side of the network. Coming in at 5 inches tall by 2.63 inches wide by 0.48 inch thick and weighing in at 5.57 ounces, its boxy design and brash curves resemble a larger version of the Motorola i1. The left side of the unit houses the microUSB and HDMI ports, the volume rocker and camera shortcut button can be found on the right side of the unit, and the power button and 3.5mm headphone jack are located on the top.

Sprint ships the PHOTON 4G in a rectangular box with an AC adapter, microUSB cable, and instruction manuals. The PHOTON packs a 4.3-inch qHD display with PenTile technology, meaning that the display is brighter and easier to read outdoors versus the competition. Where that technology falls behind the competition is in pixelation - when holding up a PenTile display beside a competitor (Retina, Super AMOLED Plus, etc.), there's a noticeable level of pixelation.

Usability & Performance

Packing a 1 GHz dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, the PHOTON 4G is speedy. Apps loaded up with ease, pictures and videos popped up quickly, and the device scored a respectable 2,383 in Quadrant Standard. PHOTON ships with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and a new build of Motorola's Applications Platform, formerly known as MOTOBLUR. Take every perception you had about BLUR and throw it out the window, though - this build of Motorola's custom user interface is a night-and-day difference over the original. With a blue color scheme, MAP (which is what I'll call it for the remainder of the review) offers an app dock similar to TouchWiz and Apple's iOS. It's not going to win any design contests (admittedly, HTC's Sense 3.0 looks far better), but it's incredibly functional and is a huge improvement in the speed department. It also offers some nifty features like the ability to remove individual items from the notifications bar, improved transition effects, and a dedicated app dock at the bottom of the screen.

The usual Sprint bloatware like NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile, Sprint Mobile Wallet, Sprint Music Plus, Sprint Radio, Sprint TV, Sprint Worldwide, and Sprint Zone can be found on the PHOTON, though I was surprised to see Sprint ID preinstalled considering PHOTON's high-end status. Fortunately, Sprint has listened to its customer base and allows most of the apps to be uninstalled.

The 8-megapixel shooter offers 720p HD video recording. It's not going to replace your regular camera and pales in comparison to other smartphone camera leaders like the iPhone 4 and myTouch 4G Slide, but it's decent. There is a dedicated camera button on the side, though it doesn't offer the ability to autofocus (you have to use the on-screen button for that). Editing options include several scenes (auto, portrait, landscape, sport, night portrait, sunset, macro, steady shot) and effects (black and white, sepia, negative, solarize). In the 720p HD video test, the audio was impressive, though the video was average in comparison to other recent Android releases. It's not going to replace your main camcorder, but for the casual video, it works just fine.

The PHOTON 4G's biggest strength lies in call quality. The wireless radio on the device is the best I've ever used on Sprint. Calls are exceptionally clear, my callers had no issues hearing me, and the earpiece and overall call quality were exceptional on my end. I took the PHOTON to a Sprint dead zone that I test at regularly, and while other Sprint devices typically register 0-1 bars of service, the PHOTON held strong at two bars. Calls were slightly choppy at times, but far better than other Sprint devices I've tested in the same area.

PHOTON is the first Sprint 4G device to offer global roaming capabilities via a SIM card slot in the back. There's a Sprint SIM card preinstalled in the unit, though a quick Google search suggests Sprint is accommodating to unlocking requests. Unlike the United States, GSM is the predominant wireless technology in the rest of the world, and thanks to the slot, you can either utilize Sprint's international services while traveling through Europe, Asia, and the like. Those that globe-trot regularly will be relieved to find a high-end Android device that also sports global roaming capabilities. No more switching between that Android phone and the BlackBerry Bold 9650!

Unfortunately (and not by the fault of the PHOTON 4G), Sprint's data speeds are incredibly inconsistent. When 3G and 4G work, they work extraordinarily well. At some points, I saw 3G download speeds between 1.01 and 1.91 Mbps, and 4G download speeds between 7.73 Mbps and 12.01 Mbps. Most of the time, however, the network's 3G speeds are abysmal. Again, it's not the PHOTON's fault, but given the phone's data-centric features, it's often challenging to get things done (browse the web, download apps) in a reasonable time frame. I won't deduct points since the PHOTON's not to blame, but those considering a migration to Sprint should take advantage of the 30 day trial to ensure that the data speeds are adequate for daily use.

With a 1,650 mAh battery, overall longevity has been on par with most other Android phones I've worked with in recent months. With moderate use like calling, sending a few text messages, browsing the web, downloading apps, and keeping the PHOTON synced to my email accounts, I was able to make it into the evening before I had to drop it into the charging dock. With heavy use, you'll want to snag a car charger or a spare battery. Motorola and Sprint offer an HD media dock, which doubles up as a charging station.

Conclusion

The Motorola PHOTON 4G is the best smartphone available on Sprint right now. The user interface may not be as animated as Sense 3.0 on the HTC EVO 3D, but the device more than makes up for it with astounding call quality and a great list of specifications. The Tegra 2 processor is incredibly fast, Motorola's revamped custom UI is far better than MOTOBLUR, and the global roaming capabilities make it a great choice for those that travel internationally. It's the first WiMAX device from Motorola, and as far as I'm concerned, Motorola nailed it with an exceptional device that competes with similarly-spec'd units from HTC and Samsung.

Wrap-Up

What's Good: Fast dual-core processor; vibrant display; Android 2.3 and Motorola's new UI out of the box; global roaming capabilities; exceptional call quality.

What's Bad: The PenTile technology used in the qHD display is more pixelated than the high-resolution competition (Retina, Super LCD, Super AMOLED Plus).

The Verdict: The PHOTON 4G is an all-around fantastic smartphone with a wireless radio that bests anything on Sprint at the moment. If you need a great phone with a killer specifications list, the PHOTON is the device to get.

Source : http://www.phonedog.com/2011/08/15/motorola-photon-4g-review-by-aaron/

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Chimo NgeBlog : Leaked Samsung Roadmap Reveals Nexus Prime Launch Date, 720p Super AMOLED Display

A new leaked Samsung product roadmap may have revealed a Nexus Prime, along with several other noteworthy Android smartphones, and specs of the Android Ice Cream Sandwich bearing Google phone. According to GSM Arena, an Ice Cream Sandwich-packing Nexus Prime should launch on week 48 of 2011, with a rather large 4.65-inch Super AMOLED HD Plus display. Here are the leaked specs for the device:

4.65″ SuperAMOLED of HD resolution (1280×720 pixels), Android Ice Cream sandwich, 5 MP camera.

We’ve been hearing a lot of rumors out of the Samsung camp recently, including a leaked teaser video for the IFA trade show in Germany, along with a possible October launch date for Ice Cream Sandwich, which would squarely put Android’s next generation operating system against the launch of Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 Mango devices and Apple’s iPhone 5 with iOS 5. As Ice Cream Sandwich is supposed to unite smartphone and Honeycomb tablet OSes into one, there has been a lot of excitement behind this OS.

Additionally, at the same time–week 48–as the Nexus Prime launch, it appears that a device with a 4.5-inch Super AMOLED display will also launch, possibly being the recently leaked Samsung Celox, which would come with 4G LTE.
There’s also mention of a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED HD display device as well, which would launch with Gingerbread, dual-core 1.4 GHz CPU, and an 8-megapixel rear camera. That device will be coming in week 43, ahead of the launch of the Nexus Prime. The leaked roadmap also points to other Samsung devices, including a 7-inch Galaxy Tab with the same 1024 X 600 resolution as the Tab that was launched in the same display size as before, but would be utilize Super AMOLED display technology. The new device would come in WiFi-only version and one with built-in mobile broadband and will come with Android Honeycomb, presumably Android 3.2.
Here’s the full leak:

• Samsung I9250 (W48) – 4.65″ SuperAMOLED of HD resolution (1280×720 pixels), Android Ice Cream sandwich, 5 MP camera.
• The Samsung I9220 (W43) – 4.3-inch Super AMOLED of HD resolution (1280×720 pixels), Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread, 1.4 Ghz dual-core processor, 8-megapixel camera.
• The Samsung I9210 (W48) – 4.5″ WVGA SuperAMOLED, Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread, 4G connectivity, 16 GB of memory, 8-megapixel camera with LED flash, GPS, Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi b/g/n, 1750 mAh battery.
• The Samsung I8150 (W40) – 3.7″ WVGA LCD, Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread, 1.4GHz processor, HSDPA, 4GB of memory, microSD support, 5 megapixel camera with 720p video recording, Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi, DLNA, GPS and FM radio.
• Samsung B5510 (W41) – 2.8″ display, Android 2.2.2 Froyo, 800MHz processor, QWERTY keyboard, 3 megapixel camera, FM radio, WiFi.
• Samsung S5610 (W42) – 2.4″ QVGA display, Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread, 5 megapixel camera, 150 MB storage, HSDPA.
• The Samsung GT-S5360 (W42) – 3″ QVGA screen, Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread, 2 megapixel camera.
• Samsung P6200 (W44) – 7″ Super AMOLED of SVGA resolution (1024 x 600 pixels), Android Honeycomb, HSDPA, Wi-Fi, 3 megapixel and 2 megapixel cameras.
• Samsung P6210 (W44) – Wi-Fi-only version of the P6200.

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Chimo NgeBlog : The New Reliance 3G Tab: A Review

The tablet market in India is yet to pick up in a big way, though that might soon change now that a company as big as Reliance has entered the fray with a product priced at just Rs. 12,999. That would fetch you a Reliance 3G Tab, and might just be the product that the masses have been waiting for to hook them onto the tablet craze on a really grand scale. Not that tablet PCs are an alien concept here, with several big names such as the Apple iPad 2, Motorola XOOM, Asus Transformer or the Motorola PlayBook already on sale along with several prominent domestic products, among which is of course the Notion Ink Adam. However, none is as affordable as the Reliance 3G Tab, and that’s one reason why we would like to explore it in a bit more detail.

Hardware:

The Reliance 3G Tab comes with a 7 inch 480 x 800 pixel capacitive multi-touch display. Behind the screen, a 800 mhz processor does duty in conjunction with 512 MB RAM, while storage is in the form of an external SD Card memory which is expandable up to 32 GB. Right now, the company is offering a 4 GB card free with every purchase. The tablet is in reality a re-branded ZTE product, with it being ZTE Light that Reliance has chosen for its maiden foray in the tablet sphere. No wonder, its light weight is one of the biggest USPs of the tablet since at just a mere 389 grams, the Reliance Tab is really easy to carry around and operate.

Providing the juice is a 3400mAH, Li-On battery which, as usual with Reliance, is good enough for up to 9 hours of talk time. However, heavy multimedia usage is sure to bring that figure down by a couple of hours.

The tablet does include a camera each at the front and the back, though it’s just a VGA unit at the front for video calling or for taking self portraits. On the back, it’s a slightly better 2 megapixel camera, though many cheaper smartphones come with much better integrated cameras.

The Reliance Tab looks well built, though the presence of the usual Android buttons for Home, Back, and Option will surely be a disappointment for many. This bring us to the next part of our story, the software side of it all.

Software:

Android 2.3 Gingerbread was chosen by Reliance to run the tablet, with which no doubt will put off many who would have liked Android Honey here. More so after Google has launched an Android version that makes the Android 3.2 Honeycomb as palatable in smaller 7 inch sized tablets as it is in the bigger 10 inchers. Of course, Reliance’s answer will be the affordable price point, which means those looking for a cheap Android Honeycomb tablet option will have to wait longer or look for other usually pricey options. The tablet will have access to the official Android market, which means downloading your favorite apps is just a few taps away.

The Reliance Tab comes pre-loaded with quite a few apps so as to enhance the overall tablet experience. These include youtube, gmail, facebook, Google maps, and Google search. The tablet also comes with R World Online, an app that opens the door to a host of Reliance provided entertainment options, such as news, music, movies, wallpapers, and so on.

The tablet is compliant with a host of audio formats which includes AAC, AAC+, AMR/AMR-NB, MP3 MIDI, Ogg PCM/WAV, while the compatible video formats include MP4, H.263,H.264. These apart, the Reliance Tab is also able to decode image files such as BMP/PNG/JPEG.

Another aspect of the Reliance Tab is that it can also double up as a smartphone and can be used to make regular voice calls. In fact, the voice call features the tablet has on offer include mute in call, speed dial, Switch to Bluetooth device, and 3 way calling. Other features the tablet offers include Video recorder, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Bluetooth Voice calling, GPS, , Alarm, speaker phone, SMS, and MMS. The tablet also offers FM Radio, while the Live TV feature will ensure you are just a tap away from keeping in touch with all that is going on in the world around you.

Another feature of the tablet that will be appreciated by both the corporate world as well as general users is push email, which has really caught on with the advent of smartphones. Further, ‘Documents To Go’ will allow one to view and work with Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and PDF documents.

The Reliance 3G Tab is currently available in Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata at Reliance World and Reliance Mobile stores, while more cities will be included in that list.

e-Reader Apps

Android tablets have a wellspring of Indy Reading Apps and mainstream ones to choose from. These allow you to buy ebooks directly from retailers to aid you in loading in your own. If you are into comic books, there are plenty of apps available to read as well. I am a big fan of Droid Comic viewer and Aldiko for comics and ebooks.

If you are more of a fan of getting a e-reading application that allows you to get books, magazines and even newspapers you might want to check out Canadian based Kobo. They have over 2.3 million books right now and a fair number of them are free. The company also shines with international books and makes purchasing content from India and other countries easy as pie.

A 7 inch tablet is normally more portable then its larger screen cousins and more indicative to reading news and even RSS feeds when you are commuting. It is simply easier to carry it around with you and read it on the bus or tube.

The colors on magazines and other content really shines on this gadget. One of the best apps you can get to get the most out of magazine type content is Zinio.

Conclusion:

Reliance is offering the tablet for a price of Rs. 12,999 up front. When combined with data usage from Reliance, the price goes up to 17,499, 18,499 and 19,999 for the tablet + data plan that offers 1, 2 and 5 GB of data usage respectively every month for a year. When availed of separately, the same would cost Rs. 7,788, Rs. 8,988 and Rs. 14,388 on top of the initial tablet price. In that sense, the top end combo plan is now available at a discounted price of almost 51 percent, which is indeed a good thing.

However, the biggest question is if it still makes for a decent buy? Well, the Beetel Magiq is its biggest competitor in the budget tablet segment with the price being even less at just Rs. 9000, a good 4K less than the Reliance Tab, while the Beetel will also not be 3G compliant. What the Reliance Tab has in its favor is that it has the backing of one of the biggest business conglomerates in India, which in turn will surely add to its appeal. So it really will be interesting to see if the Reliance 3G Tab really makes it as big as its makers hope to.

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Source : http://goodereader.com/blog/tablet-slates/the-new-reliance-3g-tab-a-review/

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Chimo NgeBlog : McAfee WaveSecure security app now available for iOS devices

Major antivirus firms have noted that mobile is the wave of the future, and the latest to join the group is McAfee. Although McAfee has had a version of WaveSecure on Android for some time, this is the first time consumers will have an opportunity to get McAfee security on iOS.

The new WaveSecure iOS Edition is $19.95, and is available from the iTunes store. Corporate iPhone users have already had access to McAfee's security technology via its Enterprise Mobility Manager software.

WaveSecure requires iOS 4.0 or greater. With it, an iPhone user can wirelessly back up his contacts, photos and videos from the iPhone, as well as track his device's location, with or without GPS enabled, through the McAfee WaveSecure online portal.

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Nicely, if you were to lose your iDevice and (iDevices users would say) went to Android for a replacement, you could sync your data back to the Android device using the Android version of WaveSecure.

More security software companies are seeing the "gold" that is mobile, and adding security offerings for those platforms. Symantec recently saw the Android version of its mobile security app, Norton Mobile Security Lite, exit beta.

McAfee's move of making the app sell for a one-time fee is a bit unusual. Companies like Lookout and Symantec, as well, often give the app away for free, but charge a subscription for an enhanced feature set.

The subscription model is common in desktop security, as well.

McAfee acquired the WaveSecure technology when it bought tenCube, the creator of WaveSecure, a year ago. Also about a year ago, Intel announced it had acquired McAfee.

Source : http://www.examiner.com/technology-in-national/mcafee-wavesecure-security-app-now-available-for-ios-devices

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Chimo NgeBlog : Movie Review: 30 Minutes Or Less

Director Ruben Fleischer has a variety of unorthodox ways to evoke action, rampage, and chaos. After only two feature-length films (first being Zombieland) we can see that his forte may already be established and that his vision has become distorted by things that go boom. Innumerable are his whacked out and distinct ideas that somehow and some way get made into a film that either succeeds or misses the mark somewhat. Refer to Zombieland, in which that film sufficiently mapped out and exhibited more than a dozen extravagant ways to execute an approaching zombie.

His approach to 30 Minutes or Less is even more chaotic yet less coherent and blatantly contrived. The lack of regard for more details that he displays here (this deficiency can be attributed to the 83–minute run time) may represent his inability to structure a fully believable tale that consists of mindless individuals in incomparable circumstances.

The world Fleischer delivers us to is vague and extremely unintelligent. Reasoning has become extinct, and the only means of getting out of a dangerous situation is by simply applying yourself to it, almost as if it is a human-sacrifice. If you fail you die. If you succeed you live. Very simple. And the emphasis that this film puts on this simplicity is the foundation that makes it watchable and, surprisingly, somewhat enjoyable. All the characters are one-dimensional. They know what they want and unhesitatingly go for it. They offer us little revelation or surprise. Such things come from first time screenwriter Michael Diliberti’s outlandish and vulgar script, which venerates sensation and surprise, taking this film to places that we hardly see coming.

Things aren’t looking too well for our idiotic villains. Dwayne (Danny McBride) and Travis (Nick Swardson), the former being the son of a multi-million dollar father (Fred Ward), are best friends living a mundane and sad existence. Their kicks come from watching Jason Voorhees’ films and eating at a taco joint. These activities don’t promise them everlasting happiness nor even fleeting happiness. They are lost souls. What they do for a job is clean Dwayne’s father’s enormous pool for measly pay. When at a strip club they meet Juicy (Bianca Kajlich), a stripper who Dwayne tells about his inheritance when his father dies. She comes up with a plan involving her pimp (Michael Pena), who will take out Dwayne’s father for one-hundred grand.

But to get one-hundred grand is what is impeding Dwayne and Travis’ scheme. They know of a pizza joint that promises delivery in less than 30 minutes or the order is free. The delivery driver, Nick (Jesse Eisenberg), exerts a ton of effort in getting his deliveries on time. So Dwayne orders a pizza, Nick delivers it, he gets knocked out, and wakes up to find a bomb strapped to his chest. Nick has ten hours to rob one-hundred grand from a bank. If he fails he dies. If he succeeds he lives. But since the villains are a duo, Nick would need a partner in crime. He resorts to his best friend Chet (Aziz Ansari), an elementary school teacher who freaks out about everything in obnoxious tirades, including Nick’s relationship with his twin sister, played by Dilshad Vadsaria.

The human behavior seen in this film is at an all-time low, becoming even more exacerbating as things move forward. Everything that comes out of McBride’s mouth is aggressive, infernal, and vicious. McBride saves the movie with his performance as a disillusioned infantile grown-up who believes his absurd scheme will grant him ultimate happiness. His character is one-hundred percent believable as opposed to the character portrayed by Eisenberg. His Nick is panic-stricken. Eisenberg proved in Zombieland and The Social Network that losing one’s cool isn’t acceptable. His demeanor alone signifies he is wrongly cast for this role. The dialogue that comes out of his mouth isn’t in accordance with his demeanor. Eisenberg comes off as being more awkward than panic-stricken.

Diliberti’s script laces hilarity with the despondency found at the soul in every character in this movie, and in doing so mildly subdues the film’s maliciousness. Lifeless and inhumane are the many who occupy a role in this movie. But the stupidity and lack of refinement found in each one of them proves to be a necessary component in the film’s attempt to acknowledge the extremes individuals are willing to endure in order to ensure themselves a complacent existence even if they can’t fathom the ramifications their actions would entail.

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Chimo NgeBlog : SSDownloader: 50 security apps in just a few clicks

Your friend's PC has been hit by malware, and you're trying to help him out. He doesn't have any security apps installed, though, and so normally that means a lengthy browsing session around your preferred vendors, locating and downloading the tools they need.Unless, that is, you've a copy of the free, portable SSDownloader to hand. It's a small and easy-to-use download manager that can grab your choice of 50 security applications in just a few clicks.

The program presents its applications in well-organised tabs. If you're looking for an antivirus tool, say, just click the Free Antivirus tab, check the box next to your choice of engine (Avast!, AVG, Comodo, Avira, Microsoft or Panda), and click Download. SSDownloader will then figure out the file you need (XP or Windows Vista/ 7, 32 or 64-bit) and grab a copy for you.

Other tabs provide support for downloading all the main firewalls (Comodo, ZoneAlarm, Online Armor, OutPost and more) and malware removal tools (Malwarebytes, SuperAntiSpyware, HiJack This, Spybot -- Search and Destroy, and so on). An "Other Tools" tab includes useful accessories and diagnostic utilities (AutoRuns, Process Explorer). And if the free tools simply aren't enough, then there's also support for downloading your selection of eleven security suites (Avast!, Avira, BitDefender, Norton, Kaspersky, F-Secure and more).

SSDownloader isn't trying to do anything too clever. It won't attempt to install the applications it downloads, for instance; that's your job. And it doesn't check your system to see what's installed, or alert you to any updates. This is just about downloading the setup files you choose, and nothing more.

If you regularly work with new or poorly equipped PCs, though, SSDownloader has more than enough power to save you plenty of time and hassle, and it's the perfect candidate for a place in your portable troubleshooting toolkit.

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Chimo NgeBlog : Norton Mobile Security Lite

Symantec today announced the release of Norton Mobile Security Lite (free), a simple antivirus and anti-theft product for Android. Today also marks the release of Norton Mobile Security 2.0 from beta testing.

Norton Mobile Security Lite offers exactly the same antivirus Android-specific protection as the non-Lite edition. It scans all files and updates downloaded to your phone and automatically removes any threats. LiveUpdate ensures that malware definitions remain up to date. It refrains from updating while you're roaming, to avoid unnecessary data charges. Naturally you can launch a manual scan at any time.

In the event your smartphone is lost or stolen, you can use Norton Mobile Security Lite to lock it, so a thief can't also steal your data. That's the extent of the free edition's features. If you want the ability to wipe or locate the phone remotely or require a password before allowing the SIM card to be changed, you'll need to update to the full product. Kaspersky Tablet Security also offers antivirus protection, but without remote locking or any phone-specific features.

Specifications

Type

Business, Personal, Professional

Free

Yes

Tech Support

Forum-based support.

More

The non-Lite edition includes a number of other features such as phishing protection. If you browse to a fraudulent site on your mobile phone, it will warn you. Webroot Mobile Security for Android offers a similar feature to keep you away from malicious sites, while Trend Micro Mobile Security for Android blocks both malicious and phishing sites.

The full, paid edition also can block unwanted phone calls or texts. Users can review the call log or SMS log to choose numbers that should be blocked. A prominent "Upgrade to Full Version" button allows users to pay and perform the upgrade from within the free edition.

Norton Mobile Security Lite is available as a free download from the Android Market.

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Chimo NgeBlog : HTC Ruby 1.5GHz Dual-Core Android Smartphone Details Leaked

The last time we spoke about the possibility of a device by the name of HTC Ruby, it was an image reflected in a tablet screen – very strange! Since then, we’ve gotten word that HTC will be releasing several new handsets by the end of 2011 and our sister-site Android Community has seen the HTC Ruby photographed by Mr Blurrycam. Now we’ve got a whole boatload of details and some additional leaked photos that you’re gonna love.

Two of your humble narrator’s favorite devices of late are the myTouch 4G Slide for its awesome camera and camera application and the HTC Sensation 4G for its awesome dual-core processor and superior build quality. What the HTC Ruby appears to represent is a perfect marriage between the two. This device has the speaker grille of the myTouch 4G Slide, the camera app of that same device, and a processor inside that’s more advanced than either device: a 1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon. Sound like a sweet enough package for you?

This device will sport a 4.3-inch high-resolution qHD display, 1GB of RAM, and the same set of cameras we’ve been seeing in all the best big-time Android smartphones as of late: 8-megapixels on the back and 2-megapixels on the front. This device will also of course be featuring Android 2.3 Gingerbread and MAYBE Sense UI 3.5, that being the newest version of Sense on the market. No matter what the version number, Sense will be advanced – as evidenced by every single HTC device released lately having its own unique features based on the build of the device.

Will you wait for this device, or will you be grabbing a version of the Samsung Galaxy S II if it’s released first? How about the Motorola DROID Bionic with its dual-core processor and Verizon’s 4G LTE? Which shall win for you?

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Chimo NgeBlog : Movie Review: Final Destination 5

To begin with, the makers of Final Destination 5 want to impress upon you the advantages of seeing the film in 3D. The opening titles feature a series of large objects hurled through plate glass directly at the screen — lumber, fire extinguishers, iron poles — as if to tell us “last chance for 3D glasses!” The sequence runs on to an absurd length, dispelling illusions that this film will be about anything besides flying objects and the nasty things they can do to people. Just as we begin to enjoy the credits as free-standing abstract art, the actual movie begins.

A young man on a crowded bus witnesses a horrifying chain of accidents, in which he and many others die violently on a collapsing bridge. But thank goodness! It was all a premonition, and he has time to save a handful of his friends and co-workers before the disaster happens in real life. Which it does.

Now, he and the other survivors want to know just why this vision came along to spare them (but only them), and what it means for the future. Is death still on their heels, or can they avoid its grasp the next time it comes calling?

Sound familiar? This is more or less exactly the premise of four previous Final Destination movies. Fans of the series know the formula by heart now. We begin with a hideous inciting disaster, foreseen and narrowly escaped by a small group of characters. Then these survivors go their separate ways, and one by one each meets with some manner of bizarre accidental death. The fatalistic conceit is that even when a premonition of danger allows us to escape one accident, another soon follows to claim us and “balance the books.” As our dour mentor character tells us time and again, “Death doesn’t like to be cheated.”

That mentor is Tony Todd, famous to horror fans as Candyman and returning after his absence from THE Final Destination, a.k.a. Final Destination 4. As the mysterious coroner, he presides over the aftermath of each death scene and warns the surviving characters to watch out. He is clearly on a friendly level with death, and takes quiet satisfaction in watching these games play out, one by one.

As in previous chapters, the writers of this movie go to the trouble of giving things an extra twist. Tony Todd introduces us to a new rule that if you are destined to die, you may take the life of another first and death will leave you alone… for a while. Naturally, one grief-stricken character will take this notion to heart, which guarantees the story an action-packed climax.

However, as Nick Cave once said, “Sooner or later we’ve all gotta die.” Those initiated in the ways of Final Destination will probably spot the twist ending a mile before the finish line, but it gives the “life for a life” rule extra weight and a tragic resonance in every chapter that came before.

So how is the movie part — that is to say, the dramatic scenes that pad the space between elaborate deathtraps? Deliciously bad. The dialogue is cheesy, the stock characters allowed no more than one trait apiece, the situations contrived and the relationships laughable. And do we care? Probably not. At least these characters are friends and co-workers, so that they have some dramatic excuse to stick together and check up on one another. Somehow this rings more true than the group of virtual strangers in Part 4, who had to be dealt on-the-nose labels like “that racist guy” and “the foul-mouthed mother of small children” so that the characters we actually cared about could identify their remains later on the news. But do you want to talk about freaky? How do all the survivors in this film always arrive at the scene of an accident at exactly the same time?

At first glance, there is a terribly fine line between enjoying a Saw movie and enjoying a Final Destination movie. However, thin though it may be, the line is there and quite important. Ultimately it boils down to dramatic context, because in terms of content the need for one chapter to top another has driven the writers of both franchises to similar extremes.

So why did I cringe with glee through Final Destination 5 and practically snore through Saw 3D? I know I am not alone, so let’s put aside the obvious accusation that I am a sociopath and a hypocrite. I, like many of you, do enjoy violent movies… but not all violent movies. The distinction in question is that Saw visits ruthless inhumanity and torture on victim after victim, all the while trying to make some straight-faced point about the basic darkness of human nature. To this end the producers march out such a ludicrous parade of automated eye-gougers, gut-pullers, and people-sawing gadgets that the satirical thrust of the first film — would you saw off your own leg to escape death and save your family? — is lost forever.

Final Destination, however, is no celebration of torture. It is a series of horror films playing on a universal human phobia — that deadly freak accidents threaten us with every step we take. Since the premise does not depend on machines made explicitly for hurting and killing people — in fact, quite the opposite — this series has the potential to live on as long as people keeping buying movie tickets. There is no calculable limit on the number of ways that mundane situations and objects can backfire. The popular TV series 1,000 Ways To Die is proving that point on a weekly basis.

For those of you still scratching your heads over the possible appeal of this concept, consider also that Final Destination is as much about setup as it is about payoff. As each deathtrap winds up to its blood-soaked punchline (so to speak), the camera clues us in to tiny details that may ultimately affect the situation in big ways. A loose screw, a frayed wire, or a carelessly placed candle is all it takes to set off a destructive chain reaction. The people who write these movies appreciate the value of misdirection and red herrings, so that once the audience is good and ready for one shocking disaster, a completely different one will swoop in from the side and get the job done first. This formula works over and over again, assuming it has worked on you once.

To help guide you in your enjoyment or avoidance of this film, walk with me through the major IFs…

IF you have zero constitution for witnessing gruesome accidents, you are too healthy to watch movies like this. IF you enjoyed any previous Final Destination movie, do not miss this this one. The franchise is running at full strength again after the last sequel dipped rather sharply. IF your kids want you to take them, think carefully about it first.

Finally, IF you decide to see Final Destination 5, go for the glasses. It is a film so shamelessly custom-built around 3D — even more than its predecessor — that to see it any other way must be a letdown. This may mean bad news for future DVD sales. If you want to go — by now, you should know — go big screen and go 3D. End of story.

Oh, and please drive carefully.

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