I've been wrapped in the embrace of Apple since the iPhone became available globally.

No Symbian (note: Symplification) phone released since then has been compelling (to date none has a competitive mobile browser and a quick look at shipping Nokia Symbian phones suggests that all such phones are not in the same "smartphone" league as RIM/Apple/Android - indeed, they are plagued with the same basic problem the Nokia 7610 had in 2004 - a non-Nokia guide + time is needed to use a Symbian phone to potential). Nokia's fortunes have fallen, as a result. In spite of this, as of Q2 2010, Nokia is still the world's leading smartphone (Symbian) vendor. This is a position that Nokia has held for at least the last 6 years. I suggest that this is not a fluke - Nokia has endured in spite of the mediocrity of Symbian as a smartphone OS because Nokia executes well (i.e. makes good devices and phones which are usable as phones).

By this logic, assuming Nokia continues to execute, they are poised to reverse marketshare losses - not because of Symbian (although presumably Symbian will eventually improve) but because of Maemo - now MeeGo. In particular, i think it is clear that Nokia is poised to take back marketshare once Nokia starts to ship a "current-gen" mobile OS.

While the question of whether MeeGo is a "current-gen" mobile OS is somewhat debatable until the first consumer devices ship, it is helpful to note: (i) MeeGo's precedessors have been reasonably acceptable (e.g. Nokia N900, although note that the Nokia N800, with a MeeGo-precedessor OS, never achieved the widespread popularity of the similarly positioned iPad); and (ii) MeeGo's adoption in July as the next reference platform by an automotive industry group which essentially comprises every car manufacturer of note, impressive because Android was the obvious alternative and perhaps choice, being also "open source".

All the above is not really news and was probably insufficient to save Nokia's current CEO from being axed, but what Oracle has started by suing Google is potentially even better for MeeGo - it might be the tipping point for manufacturer-led adoption of MeeGo.

This is because:
(i) MeeGo, Android, Symbian and Microsoft are the only available options apart from self-developing;
(ii) while Symbian was not used extensively when it was Nokia-controlled, Android has now been adopted extensively, providing a precedent;
(iii) Symbian is a non-starter (see above, ^3 etc. may help but OSes need devices, and Nokia has pledged that it's high end is MeeGo); and
(iv) Microsoft costs money (and is equally unproven).

Android was the obvious choice for as a manufacturer response to iOS because of track record (i.e. (ii)) and being free (iv), but with the patent litigation risk (see ArsTechnica for a legal analysis of Oracle's claim which seems to be credible) it is hard to see any manufacturer willing to continue to take the risk without serious mitigation -phones on current roadmaps are likely to continue to be released, but the obvious alternative is to spend more device R&D dollars on WM7 and MeeGo. This is especially true because that it is not clear that Google is actively assisting HTC in HTC's defence against's Apple's patent infringement suit, apart from issuing some PR-friendly statements .

Why does Nokia benefit from this? Again, execution. It's probably reasonable to expect that Nokia's phones will always be ahead (just!) of the pack. If the pack comprises all phone manufacturers of note, the bar becomes higher. I do like Nokia. While I expected that my next phone would be Android driven, perhaps not!

N.B.: The iPhone 4 is fine and dandy, it has a gorgeous screen, is faster and gets some data network connectivity in previously "dead" zones, but I've been suffering from dropped calls and bad voice connections (and I don't even use it terribly often as a phone). Coupled with the failure to implement some really basic interface features (e.g. the ability to quickly switch bluetooth/tethering on/off), as alternatives mature the temptation to jump increases. Maybe it's just because I'm a PC (*koffkoff*). As a brief aside, notice also that arguably the best hardware available as a non-iPhone smartphone is STILL the HTC HD2. Pity about the OS it runs and I wonder why even the newest Android HTC devices don't obviously surpass it.

Note: As of the date of this post, the author has no shares or other interest in any named company, except that in his capacity as a solicitor he may have acted for one or more such companies on matters unrelated to this post; the author has not acted for any company in relation to Oracle's claim.

In today’s world computers are more prevalent and more accessible than they have ever been before. The prices of computers all across the spectrum of manufacturers are beginning to decline and the feature lists keep getting longer. In this sea of computers a consumer can get overwhelmed, especially considering the varying choices available. The first rule of thumb is to decide which segment of the market suits you. Excluding those who prefer Apple computers(OS X)/iPads, Windows 7 is the obvious option, and the typical categories of computer hardware to choose from are: "on-the-go", "gaming" and "everyday".

The general populous, using their computers for the average tasks (checking email, surfing the web, basic document formatting etc.) are considered the everyday users and the best choice is to buy a name-brand (Dell, HP, Acer, etc.) desktop computer with a long warranty . Even the most affordable desktop computer is now more than capable of providing an excellent experience while checking mail, surfing the web, online shopping and more. Features and specifications are almost irrelevant if this is all you need to do - but buy something with at least 2 GB of RAM, allowing your computer to run smoother and faster when multitasking. Some really great products on the market include the Dell Inspiron 570 MT and the HP Pavilion p6500z series, both of which offer a black finish, 2 GB of RAM, 320 GB of hard drive and a standard Windows 7 OS to tie the components together for $299 excluding the monitor. Another option available are products from Acer, one of which priced at a little over $400 is an attractive deal coming with features such as 4 GB of RAM and 500 GB of hard drive, more than enough for your everyday user but for a reasonable price. If these options are right for you, then no problem due to how easy it is to add additional hardware and software components to your PC making it a user friendly option.

For on-the-go, portable computing, the first decision to be made is what your size and performance preferences are. If it is expected that the laptop will be carried around once a day or more, avoid computers which weigh more than 2kg. Such a user should also consider netbook options for on the go use, but needs to recognize the differences between a laptop and netbook. Major differences include the obvious such as screen size, keyboard size and trackpad size. There are however hardware and software differences including less RAM and less hard drive meaning you may not be able to accomplish everything you need to on a netbook. Before making the decision, go out and try one for yourself! Apart from going and trying one out for yourself utilize the internet, read articles and reviews and to ask questions at forums such as What Notebook Should I Buy" is a good idea. [et]

Besides the everyday users and the on the go users, there is a third category which is more demanding than the other two combined, the gamers. Don’t worry though, there are more than enough options for even the most hard core gamer out there due to the incredible number of computer parts on the market, allowing you to customize your setup to just how you want it. If a dual core processor isn’t cutting it, they make quad core processors and Mac is even coming out with a 12-core processor! Graphics cards are being made more powerful than ever allowing your gaming experience to be even clearer and more realistic and there are thousands of power and cooling options as well to make sure your set up doesn’t over heat and that you have enough good clean power to get the job done.

There are differences in computer users out there, but luckily there are enough options for everyone - just look into what is right for you and you will walk away with the right computer for you.

This is an guest post by Michael Blumreich, who is also a contributor to Laptop Reviews.com. He's currently a university student and lover of all things tech.

The joojoo looks hot. Look at the side/back view here.

There's some controversy, including a complaint prepared by a law firm. Engadget has more details.

I'm not sure I would actually buy it (yes yes, I know the Nokia 8800 is expensive), but if I wanted a web tablet and/or had $499 lying around... mm. Well. It's pretty.

One area in which Nokia has always been at it's best is in the production of 'luxe phones - which are just a little pricey... not massively pricey: e.g. Vertu.

Assuming this promotional video is correct, we'd say Nokia has a 'luxe phone hit on their hands. Looks positively scrumptious. If I get one, I promise to review it.

I was going to post about the Leica M9 (USD 7k, in black and steel grey, order now if you want one), which is another aesthetically pleasing 'luxe object - but The Online Photographer has linked most of the reviews I wanted to link... and has other relevant content for an aspiring purchaser. Get one as THE "status symbol" camera to go with your erdos - particularly when paired with the new a (USD 10k) Noctilux - 0.95 please. Although if you have that purely as a status symbol the phone you might need to have IS a Vertu...

[via Boy Genius Report]

The Symbian platform has been the cornerstone of the smartphone market, with a declining but still dominant marketshare - but for how much longer?

Mobile-review.com claims in a recent article that Nokia will no longer use Symbian in it's highest-end phones - instead Nokia will only use it where competing on price.

This claim, if true, together with the fact that Symbian ^4 is going to break application compatibility (devices from 2010) seem to indicate that Symbian is moving decidedly downmarket - while it's likely to still be a "smartphone" platform, in the technical sense that it will be able to run applications written for the phone (and not just in Java), I predict that Symbian's new target might be (or should be) to seriously unify the mid-range phone market. This is actually a good thing, and I hope it happens - there's simply no need (for example) to have the Nokia/Sony Ericsson "reversed" key approach, which are fossils from internally developed device OSes. This is also a good thing, because the lowest common denominator might become Symbian rather than Java.

Of course, perhaps this was all Symbian really ever was (sorry about the formatting *cough*). Mobile-review.com also suggests that Maemo is Nokia's new "high-end" OS, the true response to Apple/RIM/etc. One wonders how many platforms there can be before platform fatigue/irrelevancy sets in. Nokia should pray that Windows Mobile 7 is not as delcious as Windows 7 in its arena.

This is going to be terribly short.

1. The iPhone 3GS sounds better, through the UE11 Pro, than the iPhone 3G (3.0 - not tested with other firmware). It's noticeably better - a sufficient improvement that it's probably worth an upgrade if you listen lots.

2. I marginally prefer the sound of the iPhone 3GS, through the UE11 Pro, to that of a Sansa Clip 4GB (Revision 1 with firmware 01.01.32). For reference, I preferred the Sansa to the 3G, but stuck to the 3G for most uses for convenience.

3. The iPhone is, as previously mentioned, noticeably faster. This improvement means that reading an RSS feed or surfing, while listening to music, is almost entirely lag free. This is very nice.

To be clear, the audio comparisons are of the headphone out, without external amplification, of EAC-ripped, LAME encoded 320kbps CBR mp3s. Sorry that I'm not using a lossless format :p

The Apple iPhone 3GS is in Singapore! The new back and the un-updated look isn't all that exciting, but it -is- noticeably faster and in my view if you're willing to pay the asking price that feature alone means an upgrade is a great idea.

The Singapore launch happened on 10 July 2009. Prices were reasonable, from a certain perspective - any existing iPhone 3G user (and others on a running Singtel contract) could upgrade by paying an additional 300 Singapore dollars (USD 205) over the normal contract price and signing up for a new 24 month contract (more info).

Singtel, unfortunately, suffers from atrocious, awful, planning. Even though they forced payment of SGD 50 (refundable) for the privilege of reserving a phone, Singtel managed to give out enough reservations or allow a sufficient number of walk-ins, such that a wait of 5-7 hours was probably inevitable. More about this later.

New iPhone 3GS features and box contents

Apart from the speed, the iPhone also comes with a new slim AC adaptor. The US had a very small AC adaptor for the iPhone 3G, but this slim three pin version is new to me.

The iPhone 3GS also comes with headphones which have a volume control on them, and adds video recording/editting, a compass and a new oil-resistant screen coating. In Singapore, we also get (bundled) online video. I'll comment later on other features reviews tend not to focus on (like sound quality), but there are already several good iPhone 3GS reviews up at the usual suspects which are probably worth reading if you're interested in buying.

From Arstechnica: Review: iPhone 3GS lives up to its speedy claims
engadget: iPhone 3GS review

You should also note the news about the new screen wearing off, and the iPhone 3GS overheating.

More about Singtel's launch

The launch was widely advertised in email mailers, snail mail mailers, and when you actually reserved the phone online, to be from 6pm to midnight. This was misleading, sales started only at 8.30pm. Apparently this was clear from newspapers on the day itself. Perhaps I should start reading those. We eventually sat down.

I was sufficiently disturbed at the end of the ordeal (to be fair, Singtel provided bottled water, cakes, and ice cream) that I asked to speak with whoever was in-charge. The person I spoke with was James Askounis, who claimed he was head of Singtel Group customer care. Unfortunately, he had managed to run out of current business cards because he had been "giving them out". I'm sure he's nice enough, but pity James came across as being somewhat condescending (perhaps because I was a tad sensitive after the wait) and was, alarmingly, completely incapable of providing any good reason for the pathetic situation. James said that supplies were limited so they decided to go for a "first come first served" launch, he said that the iPhone 3G first-day launch was similar. The reader is left to consider why those are inadequate responses which border on being moronic (as reasons for a 6-7 hour delay for a paid-for pre-order).

Also, apparently Singtel doesn't put people in charge of particular events. Odd. That's the only time James became a little prickly - when I asked who was in charge (response: oh, there's no one person in charge). Maybe that's the reason for "the suck".

I have the distinct impression that the long queues were the plan, perhaps as part of a press stunt. If so, that's disgraceful. Perhaps Singtel should publish very clear disclaimers so I (and other people who don't like waiting in line for excessively extended periods of time) wouldn't have gone. Or maybe they should use reservations as reservations are intended to be used, by God. They should also invent plausible reasons, but I can't think of any except -not- taking the 50 bucks.

For the record, I was very pleased last year - I waited in line for about 30 minutes, after having made a reservation to pick up the phone at a specific time. I didn't even have to pay in advance. Singtel actually -regressed-! It's somewhat ironic that buying the "speedy" iPhone 3GS resulted in serious time wasting.

Singtel ought to learn that customer care is about actually providing top-class service the first time. James said he was happy to speak with me and politely said he was pleased to meet me after we finished speaking, but honestly, I'd rather be provided such great service that I never need to talk to a customer service representative except when buying a new phone/changing plans/etc. James, I'm sure you'll read this - the service is just not good enough.

Oh, and to rub salt into the wound, there was one thing which did stop at midnight - all the entertainment and background music. I can't actually comment on the entertainment, since I didn't see most of it myself. From LCD screens hanging around, I think there was a local group doing covers, a deejay, and appearances by some Singtel F1 Grid Girls. Maybe Singtel had a public entertainment licence or something which expired at midnight, but whatever the reason - still shoddy.

iPhone 3GS - PASS
Singtel- FAIL

Well. Singtel fails just for the launch event. We'll see whether surfing is actually faster - I'm not sure whether I should be hopeful. I've heard many awful stories about Singtel - e.g. ridiculous termination penalties which -carry over-. Maybe they're worth exploring.

Photos with further commentary

Step 1! Pity there were no indications of waiting time.

The sky was bright when we started

I want, but not enough to wait for 7 hours.

Ooh. Promising. A pre-order queue

This is when I got a little tired of taking photos

This is now empty (compare with the photo immediately above) because the queue has just stopped moving (since sales hadn't started). The "sitting down" photo should be added, chronologically, right here.

ZOMG. Movement!

The wait certainly wasn't 2X faster.

"Just one more queue, not too long, not too short" they said. LIES. DAMNED LIES!!!! Also, guys, a chirrupy deejay who says "Wow, amazing how you've all waited for so long! Keep your sprits up!" right before PACKING UP AND LEAVING, its really a bad idea.

[Photos: Symplification. With a Pentax K-7, DA* 16-50, DA 35/2.8 Macro Limited]

Introduction
Puzzle Quest is pretty fun.

If you haven't tried it yet, it's almost definitely available on any platform choice - it's on the Sony PSP, Nintento DS, PC (Intel GMA 950 is probably enough), Playstation Network (for PS3), XBLA (for XBOX 360), iPhone/iPod touch, and most other mobile platforms (although our affiliate Clickgamer unfortunately doesn't seem to carry it).

Anyhow, I've been playing it, on the PC (on which it looks pretty and has a easy mouse interface) although I've tested the iPhone and PSP versions (iPhone is slow, fiddly, PSP interface is not ideal). The PC version also appears to have mods - LINK - note that I have not tried them all.

History
The game was first released on the DS/PSP in early 2007, and those versions were pretty sweet - you could build characters which could annhilate an opponent in a single round (not luck based). However, at least the PC version has been... reduced, such that the best spells are now quite limited. Having said that, you can still build pretty potent characters, but the methodology isn't obvious from GameFAQs (although it's useful), and the combinations suggested from some type of mathamatical analysis are (generally) wrong.

So, how to build a dreamy character?

Classes

While I say "new", I know that the iPhone and some other versions have classes which I will not be dealing with, but in general the same principles (see end of article) should apply. For the PC version, the Knight is in the most difficult situation (although I haven't played one to 50 yet, might decide to, but I just can't see how to overcome luck consistently in the new PC version).

Assuming you don't update to 1.02, the Druid is the best, if you research Death Gaze. (Version 1.02 reduces the strength of the holy lance/unholy lance).

Wizard is second, Warrior is close behind (although both of these don't require you to research anything).

Equipment

First off, equipment. You can wear four types of items, head, weapon, body and misc. In general the best weapons need to be forged - the one who waits.com has a great section showing what can be made. To figure out where to find specific runes, use the map hosted by Infinite Interactive.

The best items are as follows:

Head: Rune of Jewels (head item) + Rune of Gods + Rune of (pick mana colour).
Body: Rune of (pick any body rune) + Rune of Gods + Rune of (pick mana colour).
Weapon: Firewalker's Staff (warrior/wizard), Holy Lance (Druid).
Misc: Rune of Music + Rune of Dragons + Rune of (pick mana colour).

Changes in the "New"

For the old versions, the key was to have enough mana (from your equipment), right from the beginning, to cast your "best" spell. For Warriors, Deathbringer. Wizards, Flaming Skulls. Knights and Druids, Death Gaze. The only spell which has not changed in the PC version is Flaming Skulls.

If you also have the appropriate skill pumped up (Warriors/Wizards, Fire - Druids, Air - Knight, probably battle), then you'd probably win right away.

Unfortunately (or, fortunately) Deathbringer and Death Gaze are now restricted to creating a maximum of 10 skulls, which means that you had better make sure you are using them only when there is a decent number of skulls (say, 10) or if you have no choice, no skulls, on the board. Otherwise, you're likely setting the opponent up (to pwn you).

To make matters worse, the forged equipment is also worse. Instead of +8 mana, a rune now gives +2 mana.

The weapons have also been toned down. Firewalker's Staff only adds half the damage it used to.

Finally, for spells with recharge, it appears that they recharge only when the opponent takes a turn, not when you get a "free turn".

Strategy

What do you do? Well, if you're a Druid, you can forge equipment so that you can cast Evaporate immediately, or as soon as you get a blue/yellow 4-in-a-row. Then cast Gust of Wind (you should have at least 40/50 yelllow). Reincarnation is also useful. In any event, because you can fill your mana reserves, you can then cast Death Gaze quite easily, and since Death Gaze doesn't use yellow, random skull matches afterwards will still do lots of damage.

For Wizards, just watch for the 4-in-a-row green/skulls or blue/red and use flaming skulls as appropriate.

For Warriors, look for 4-in-a-row red/skulls, or simply do Beserk Rage to get skulls on the table then hope that a Deathbringer sets them off.

Skill distribution

Druid:

39 earth (for 45 green mana, note that you can get +2 from a quest)
10 fire (for 30 red mana, note that you get +4 from a quest)
every thing else to Yellow (for Holy Lance).

Warrior/Wizard: everything to Red (for Firewalker's Staff)

So, principles: 1. Find spell/equipment. 2. Distribute experience to maximise the spell/weapon. 3. always have a dragonhorn (rune of music + rune of dragon forged item)