Introducing to you all our latest innovation, rewarding those who haven’t even posted or shared any part of their life but have been with us all throughout this journey.
The folks at Gmail Labs have been busy and they’re now dishing out offline access to Gmail.
On enabling offline access, Gmail will load in your browser even if you don’t have an Internet connection. You can read messages, star, label and archive them, compose new mail and messages ready to be sent will wait in your Outbox until you’re online again.
It’s built on the Gears platform, which has already been used to offline-enable Google Docs, Google Reader, and other third-party web applications
To get started with offline Gmail –
– Sign in to Gmail and click ‘Settings’.
– Click the ‘Labs’ tab and select ‘Enable’ next to ‘Offline Gmail’.
– Click ‘Save Changes.’
– In the upper righthand corner of your account, next to your username, there will be a new ‘Offline’ link. Click this link to start the offline synchronization process.
Standard Edition users can follow these instructions immediately, while Premier and Education Edition users will first need their domain admins to enable Gmail Labs from the Google Apps admin control panel.
digg_url = ‘http://coolgoodies-firstcrush.blogspot.com/2009/01/india-to-shut-off-25-mil-mobiles-in.html’;
Nokia just launched their highly anticipated touchscreen mobile handset the 5800 XpressMusic in India and I decided to grab me a piece of the action. Here’s my first impression on the latest multimedia marvel from Nokia.
Form Factor
Well it’s a lot thicker than I thought it would be (15.5mm), yet it’s still a well designed handset. It sports a large 3.2-inch TFT touchscreen (320 x 640 pixels, 16M colors) that’s very clearly visible even in broad daylight. The three keys located at the bottom utilize simple functionality – Call take and answer and the middle key is quick access to the menu. A small touch sensitive key, located just under the VGA video call camera above the display is for quick access to what Nokia calls the Multimedia Bar.
The 5800 manages to incorporate a Symbian OS extremely well on this touchscreen handset and still retain the familiarity of a typical Series 60 UI. The menu is large and clear enough to simply use your fingers for navigation. For typing, there are multiple keypads from a full QWERTY keypad that’s only usable in landscape mode, to a normal onscreen mobile keypad and a mini QWERTY keyboard. The 5800 also supports handwriting recognition so that’s another mode of input as well.
First Crush Rating: ( * * * * )
Palm has unveiled its Palm webOS mobile platform, built from the ground up to be constantly connected to the web, and the new Palm Pre, the first phone based on the new platform. Pre is scheduled to be available exclusively from Sprint in the first half of 2009.
“Palm products have always been about simplifying lives and delivering great user experiences,” said Ed Colligan, Palm president and chief executive officer. “webOS and Pre bring game-changing simplicity to an increasingly mobile world by dissolving the barriers that surround your information. It’s technology that seems like it’s thinking ahead to bring you what you care about most – your people, your time, and your information – in the easiest and most seamless way.”
At its core, webOS leverages web technologies such as CSS, XHTML and JavaScript. It introduces Palm Synergy, a key feature of webOS that brings information from all the places it resides into one logical view.
The Pre features a smooth, rounded ergonomic design and a physical keyboard that slides out only when needed. When closed, the phone is ideal for phone calls, web browsing, music, photos and videos; when open, Pre is optimized for email and text messaging.
Pre will support a variety of differentiated on-device Sprint services, including Sprint TV, offering an extensive selection of live and on-demand programming. Sprint Navigation provides GPS-enabled audio and visual turn-by-turn driving directions, one-click traffic rerouting and more than 10 million local listings. Sprint also offers more than a dozen streaming-radio applications, including Sprint Radio with more than 150 channels.
Palm Pre features include the following:
– High-speed connectivity (EVDO Rev. A or UMTS HSDPA)
– Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
– Integrated GPS
– Large 3.1-inch touch screen with a vibrant 24-bit color 320×480 resolution HVGA display
– Gesture area, which enables simple, intuitive gestures for navigation
– Slide-out QWERTY keyboard
– Email, including Outlook EAS (for access to corporate Microsoft Exchange servers), as well as personal email support (POP3, IMAP)
– Robust messaging support (IM, SMS and MMS capabilities)
– High-performance, desktop-class web browser
– Great multimedia experience and performance (pictures, video playback, music), featuring a 3-megapixel camera with LED flash and extended depth of field, and a standard 3.5mm headset jack
– Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR with A2DP stereo Bluetooth support
– 8GB of internal user storage
– USB mass storage mode
– MicroUSB connector with USB 2.0 Hi-Speed
– Proximity sensor, which automatically disables the touch screen and turns off the display whenever you put the phone up to your ear
– Light sensor, which dims the display if the ambient light is dark, such as at night or in a movie theater, to reduce power usage
– Accelerometer, which automatically orients web pages and photos to your perspective
– Ringer switch, which easily silences the device with one touch
– Removable, rechargeable battery
– Dimensions: 59.57mm (W) x 100.53mm (L, closed) x 16.95mm (D) [2.35 inches (W) x 3.96 inches (L, closed) x 0.67 inches (D)]
– Weight: 135 grams [4.76 ounces]
An array of accessories also will be available for Pre, including the first inductive charging solution for phones (sold separately). Simply set Pre down on top of the elegantly designed Palm Touchstone charging dock without worrying about connection, orientation or fit. Pre is active while charging, so you can access the touch screen, watch movies or video, or use the speakerphone.
Palm Pre is scheduled to be available first in the United States exclusively from Sprint in the first half of 2009, and will be followed by a world-ready UMTS version for other regions. Sprint’s pricing for the phone has not yet been determined.
LG Electronics today officially launched the LG KP500 (nicknamed Cookie) for the Indian market.
I was completely taken aback when I saw the box with the pricing of this touch screen handset the LG KP500 cookie – Rs. 13,990. It amazed me that a large screen touch sensitive handset would cost so little. This could well be the cheapest totally touch screen handset on the Indian market, but what I’m sure you’d need to know is if it’s still worth even that price. Let me clue you in this entry level touch screen handset.
Form Factor
The KP500 has a large 3-inch TFT touch screen display featuring a 240 x 400 pixel, 256K color resolution. Just under the display are a set of 3 keys – Call take, end and a center shortcut menu key that can also be used as a sort of ‘End task – Task Manager’ option to close all active applications. The stylus is neatly concealed and located at the bottom but slides out from the side.
This extremely slim handset (11.9mm) has a microSD card slot on one side followed by a screen lock key and a dedicated camera key located below that. On the opposite side is where you’ll find a proprietary port for the handsfree, charger and USB and volume/zoom keys. A 3 megapixel camera is located at the rear. That’s pretty much it for the design; it’s simple, slim and quite stylish. Here’s how it does in functionality.
Features and Performance
Interface
Running on a Flash UI the KP500’s touch screen functionality is a bit erratic most of the time. Then again there have been times that it’s been an absolute pleasure to use. Hence erratic is as accurate a term as any. The handwriting recognition would rival any Windows Mobile device and probably end up being better. The accelerometer is possibly the worst there is though and saying this was erratic would be an understatement. Nevertheless the KP500 sports a QWERTY style virtual keyboard when in landscape that is quite responsive and easy to manage.
The menu set up is a neat division of features according to functionality. I quite like this. It’s all very easily usable with just your fingers rendering the stylus redundant most of the time. The only time the stylus is handy is for drawing, handwriting as an option for writing messages and the browser that sometimes makes it a bit tricky selecting options or links from the screen.
There are times when the navigation can get quite frustrating if you’re using your fingers. Scrolling can sometimes be an issue as the sensitivity is not consistent and trying to insert a contact into a message is a bit off too.
digg_url = ‘http://coolgoodies-firstcrush.blogspot.com/2009/01/india-to-shut-off-25-mil-mobiles-in.html’;
LG Electronics today officially launched the LG KP500 (nicknamed Cookie) for the Indian market.
I was completely taken aback when I saw the box with the pricing of this touch screen handset the LG KP500 cookie – Rs. 13,990. It amazed me that a large screen touch sensitive handset would cost so little. This could well be the cheapest totally touch screen handset on the Indian market, but what I’m sure you’d need to know is if it’s still worth even that price. Let me clue you in this entry level touch screen handset.
Form Factor
The KP500 has a large 3-inch TFT touch screen display featuring a 240 x 400 pixel, 256K color resolution. Just under the display are a set of 3 keys – Call take, end and a center shortcut menu key that can also be used as a sort of ‘End task – Task Manager’ option to close all active applications. The stylus is neatly concealed and located at the bottom but slides out from the side.
This extremely slim handset (11.9mm) has a microSD card slot on one side followed by a screen lock key and a dedicated camera key located below that. On the opposite side is where you’ll find a proprietary port for the handsfree, charger and USB and volume/zoom keys. A 3 megapixel camera is located at the rear. That’s pretty much it for the design; it’s simple, slim and quite stylish. Here’s how it does in functionality.
Features and Performance
Interface
Running on a Flash UI the KP500’s touch screen functionality is a bit erratic most of the time. Then again there have been times that it’s been an absolute pleasure to use. Hence erratic is as accurate a term as any. The handwriting recognition would rival any Windows Mobile device and probably end up being better. The accelerometer is possibly the worst there is though and saying this was erratic would be an understatement. Nevertheless the KP500 sports a QWERTY style virtual keyboard when in landscape that is quite responsive and easy to manage.
The menu set up is a neat division of features according to functionality. I quite like this. It’s all very easily usable with just your fingers rendering the stylus redundant most of the time. The only time the stylus is handy is for drawing, handwriting as an option for writing messages and the browser that sometimes makes it a bit tricky selecting options or links from the screen.
There are times when the navigation can get quite frustrating if you’re using your fingers. Scrolling can sometimes be an issue as the sensitivity is not consistent and trying to insert a contact into a message is a bit off too.
digg_url = ‘http://coolgoodies-firstcrush.blogspot.com/2009/01/india-to-shut-off-25-mil-mobiles-in.html’;
It could be the start of a bad year for a lot of mobile phone users. Reports are stating that within the first week of January about 25 million mobile phones could be rendered un-usable due to a security issue. The department of telecom (DoT) has told all network providers in the country to disconnect all handsets which do not have an IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number.
This has been the works for awhile now due to the vast array of fakes and Chinese mobile handsets that have flooded the market in the recent months. Many of these handsets do not have IMEI numbers and considering the very recent bombings and terror attacks in the country, the government had decided that a serious clamp down is necessary.
In case you’re not very sure, an IMEI number is a 15 digit code that you’ll find underneath your mobile phone battery. The number is a technically a tracking system for mobile operators to know about the calls being made from the handset. This number will flash on their systems to derive further information for billing, security etc.
The same reports also state that the date that this ‘shut down’ system would fall into place would be January 6th 2009, which is not too far away. So if you happen to be using a fake handset or one of the Chinese varieties, you might want to take a quick peek underneath your battery to look for the number or enter *#06# from your keypad.
All right don’t go sobbing to your mom, since we haven’t received any official confirmation about this yet, but it seems Electronic Arts is considering axing the Need for Speed series for good.
According to The Electronic Playground EA has canceled all NFS games in production after the debacle that was Need for Speed Undercover. And it’s not just Undercover. Even since Most Wanted this series has been going downhill. I think Undercover just broke the camel’s back.
Either way we’ll keep you updated as and when we hear any sort of official announcement from EA.
Nokia yesterday unveiled the Nokia N97, the world’s most advanced mobile computer, which will transform the way people connect to the Internet and to each other.
Nokia N97 latest version of the Nokia N-series represents the next level in mobile technology. The Nokia N97 is designed for Internet savvy people, Nokia N97 runs the Symbian OS is most widely used smartphone operating system, this smartphone is equipped with a large 3.5 “touch display an easy-to use a QWERTY keyboard ‘always open’ window to favorite sites for social networking and Internet destinations, personalized homepage of the screen and the latest technologies of Wi-Fi and 3G.
The 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss lense.is support with a 20x digital zoom, flash, autofocus and 32GB of onboard memory that can be expanded with a 16GB microSD card. Phone supports wide range of multimedia functions and intergarted with MP3 player, FM radio and 3D stereo sound. The N97 promises both fun and functionality
Google’s Friend Connect is now available in beta, seven months after its preview release.
Friend Connect makes it easy for users to sign in to a website, share a bit about themselves through a personal profile, discover other people with similar interests, invite their contacts, and interact with friends, all through their existing account from Google, Yahoo, AOL, or OpenID.
Users can choose to to either establish a new profile or use profiles and friend sources from other social networks that have opened up their services, like Plaxo and Orkut.
Google’s been working with a handful of website owners, social networks, and application developers to improve Friend Connect’s speed and scalability, ease of use, and customization capabilities. They’ve also expanded the features available to users with more integrated profiles and new ways to discuss and share content, like including YouTube videos in comments.
Websites that use Friend Connect become OpenSocial containers, capable of running applications created by the OpenSocial developer community.
Click here for more.
