The much anticipared Motorola Droid 4 is available starting Feb 10 in Verizon Wireless Communication Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com. Measuring less than half an inch, the DROID 4 packing dual-core 1.2 GHz processor and 1GB of RAM is the world’s thinnest and most powerful 4G QWERTY smartphone. Designed to handle even the most demanding lifestyle, it also features five-row QWERTY keyboard with a PC-like layout and edge-lit keys for fast, precise typing, even in the dark.

Boosted by Verizon Wireless 4G LTE, users can expect blazing fast download speeds of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speed speeds of 2 to 5Mbps in 4G LTE Mobile Broadband coverage areas. Although its running on Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread, its expected to be upgrades to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich soon. Motorola Droid 4 also boasts 4.0-inch (940 x 540) qHD display with scratch and scrape resistant glass. For imaging, Motorla Droid 4 is equipped with rear facing 8-megapixel camera with 1080p HD video capture and 1.3-megapixel front facing camera for video chat. Storage options include 16GB of built in memory, with support for up to 32GB microSD cards. On top of that, Droid 4 can also function as 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot supporting up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices. Battery life is pretty good with talk time up to 12.5 hours and standby time up to 8.5 days.

Droid 4 is also equipped with Enterprise features such as Business Ready with government-grade encryption (FIPS 140-2) for email, calendar and contacts. Droid 4 is also pre-loaded with Citrix Receiver for Android (available in webtop) for desktop virtualization and access. Other that that, business professionals can plug in the Droid 4 into a HDTV to impress their potential customers. It can also function as a full-fledged mobile office when combine the Droid 4 with Lapdock 500 and its 14 inch display. Using the Lapdock’s full keyboard, they can edit document quickly and email them to collegues or customers. The Lapdock also features built in webcam for video conferencing purposes. Droid 4 is available on Verizon shelves and online for $199.99 with a new two-year customer agreement.

ORIGIN PC offers the ultimate mobile 3D experience with new EON17-X3D laptop, the most powerful 3D laptop crammed with dual overclocked graphics cards in SLI for gamers, artists and professionals. This big and powerful desktop replacement solution is built around the latest Intel X79 chipset with 2nd generation Intel hexcore processors, and a pair of overclocked NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M graphics cards in SLI for immersive viewing experience. The EON17-X3D also represents the first 3D laptop from ORIGIN PC with a customizable backlit keyboard with three lighting zones and choices of seven colors.

ORIGIN PC’s EON17-X3D Laptop with 17 inch display boasts built-in 3D Emitter and 1080p 3D Display. The system comes with a pair of NVIDIA 3D Vision 2 Wireless Glasses with LightBoost Technology. For memory, it supports up to 32GB 1333MHz Corsair Quad Channel Memory or up to 16GB 1866MHz Corsair Vengeance Quad Channel Memory. EON17-X3D Laptop supports up to Three Hard Drives with up to 3TB’s of Hard Drive Space. Although its probably easier to carry around EON17-X3D laptop than a desktop PC, but carrying around a 5.5kg “baggage” is not very feasible. This beast machine is fully Customizable starting at $3,032.

Centralized email client with powerful unified inbox: With Blackberry PlayBook OS 2.0, users have the choice to use a unified inbox that combines all messages in one location, including messages from Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter and also personal and corporate email accounts.

Social Integration with Calendar and Contacts apps: The preloaded calendar takes advantage of information from social networks and makes it easily accessible where and when users need it. Contacts cards are enhanced with a consolidated view by populating updated information from Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Enhanced BlackBerry Bridge app: This proprietary app provides a Bluetooth connection between users BlackBerry Playbook and core apps on their BlackBerry smartphone (including BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), Email, Contacts, Calendar and Browser) to allow users to view content on a bigger tablet screen. Now its easier and faster to take documents, web pages, emails and photos that is displayed on their BlackBerry smartphone and display them on BlackBerry PlayBook for improved viewing and editing experience. The new Bridge app also enables BlackBerry smartphone to function as a wireless keyboard and mouse for BlackBerry Playbook.

Upgraded mobile productivity: Enhanced document editing functions, the latest Print To Go app and improved control and manageability of business data with BlackBerry Balance which allows users to do more from their BlackBerry PlayBook every day. On top of that, an updated virtual keyboard with auto correction and predictive next work completion for faster typing.

New apps and content: BlackBerry App World makes discovering new apps, ringtones, themes and games easier than ever. Users can quickly find specific apps, filter their search based on the app rating and request an app from a friend. A new BlackBerry Video Store is making a debut.

Other than the GPS unit itself. the Go 2050 comes together with the usual windscreen suction cup mount, USB charging cable and car charger. The windscreen suction cup mount and USB charging cable attaches to the Go 2050 magnetically, which allows the device to be easily attached and removed with minimum effort. Equipped with a screw down lock, the suction cup seems to be firmly stuck on the windscreen as compared to lever-style suction cup lock of other brand.

The TomTom Go 2050 is also a top performer, locking it on satellites takes about a minute and a half from turning it on. If its already turned on, the GPS can get a lock in as fast as give to ten seconds. The menus can be comprehended easily, but it can be a bit confusing in the first screen because users are shown the map screen instead of navigate to screen. The solution is to tap on the map itself. The touchscreen is fluid and responsive, but suffers from lag when typing an address. The characters appearing on the screen are always lagging behind what the users are typing. The large screen is bright and the volume levels are very loud.

One of the unique features of TomTom GPS is the ability to purchase a number of celebrity voices to replace the standard ones that is preloaded in the device. The choices include deep bassy voice of Darth Vader, funny voice like Homer Simpson or smooth sexy voice like Roger Moore. By tapping on the microphone icon onscreen, users can use the voice command feature, though not as advanced as Apple’s Siri. The Go 2050 also functions are a handsfree kit for user’s Bluetooth enabled phone. After pairing the devices, users can browse their phone book or call history, dial and talk directly to the Go 2050.

The TomTom interface is quite precise, especially with Advanced Lane Guidance which shows users a graphical rendition of what the lane they are supposed to turn will look like. On the downside, TomTom used maps sourced from Tele Atlas, which is not as accurate as free community maintained maps like Malfreemaps. With roads changing almost everyday, the built in map was not updated periodically. Just for your information, TomTom provides one year free subscription to the latest maps, with guarantees of updates at least 4 times a year. After the one year subscription has expired, users need to pay for map updates.

The TomTom is well built with gorgeous screen and all the features you would expect from a higher end GPS car navigation unit. The magnetic windscreen suction cup mount is also well designed. Unfortunately, the software is a huge let down with unaccurate maps. I am sure users would not mind paying after the one year free subscription, provided its more complete and detailed than the free ­community-based ones.

Design

The look as feel of GX1 is constructed with premium materials and the aluminium chassis was definitely better than the plastic feel of the latest GF cameras. With choice of colors of either silver or black finish, it gives retro-loving users a choice of colors. The GX1 is physically smaller than the GF1, with the biggest difference in the significantly smaller pop up flash. On top of that, the improved rubber handgrip improves the camera’s handling and is comfortable to hold. There is also an accessory port for attaching the optional viewfinder as well as the flash hot shoe. As for the buttons layout, it remains similar to the GF1, with two customisable function buttons for making changes on the fly. Its also comes
with user friendly Quick Menu button to enable users get around the camera’s many settings. With the inclusion of a 3in LCD touchscreen, its easier to navigate the menus and the Touch AF and Touch Shutter features are useful for snapping quick shots. The touchscreen interface is clean and clear, with Touch Tab that nearly hides up to five icons. As for shooting modes, there’s the usual P, A, S and M modes as well as Creative Control options for applying fun filter effect over the photos. Not so advanced users would be pleased with Intelligent Auto mode.

Performance

The GX1 boasts an improved 16 megapixel Live MOS Sensor, similar found on Panasonic’s G3, with a pretty wide ISO range from 160 to 12,800. The startup time was quite impressive, less than one second. Although the GX1 uses a contrast autofocus system normally found in compact cameras, the camera’s autofocus performs just as fast as a DSLR camera, with the exception of shots taken in low light situations. Just like a compact camera, the new power-zoom lens extends when the camera in switched on and retracts when powered off, making it more portable. The impressive feature of the lens is how it can silently and smoothly zoom in and out of a regular handheld shot, resolving problems like camera shake or motor noises when shooting videos with a regular lens. Image quality is so far the best on its Micro Four Thirds camera. It able to capture fine details with the quick autofocus speed locking on to subject. At 16 megapixel resolution, users can snap with 4.2 frames per second continuous shooting. If users desire to shoot even quicker, there’s an option to shoot at blazing 20fps though they need to lower the image quality down to 4 megapixels. The only qualms that we had was the JPEG images were a little soft so users may have to do some retouching on Photoshop or make adjustments to the sharpening setting in camera. Noiseless images were produced when using ISO 160 to 400, but there was little noise when shooting at ISO 800 onwards.

Video functions

For those who prefer to take videos instead of stil photos, you’re in luck. The GX1 is now equipped with improved video recording capabilities and is able to record in Full HD resolution. In addition, users no longer need to record in AVCHD to get the best audio quality as they can also record in 1,920 x 1,080 pixel resolution in MP4 format. The results from the two formats were almost similar in quality. Video quality was pleasing on the eyes, offering good levels of detail. On top of that, the image stabilisation offered by the X series lens assists to keep things stable. Sound quality from the recording is clear because there is now a built-in stereo microphone.

Verdict

Though compact in size, this speedy little shooter comes with autofocus that almost match a dSLR. The GX1 inherits a lot of the classic GF1, making it easy to use. With the flexibility to use either the touchscreen or physical buttons, it improved the overall operation of the camera. Image quality was sharp and detailed, with even clearer pictures in low light conditions with the usable ISO 1600 option. Overall, GXI is a a fantastic upgrade to the Micro Four Thirds cameras. Its not only great for beginners, but also for advanced users who prefers to use manual options.

The original Galaxy Tab had a plastic paperback like casing whereas the improved Galaxy Tab 7.7 is sleek and sexy due to its slim brushed metal body with matching grey platic strips on the top and bottom back. Its also extremely portable at 7.89mm thin and only 340g light. Due to its small size, users can easily slip it into cargo pants or for the ladies, carry it around in their handbag. At the top edge is a 3.5mm headphone jack whereas at the bottom is twin speakers along with the charge/data connector. Unlike its predecessor, microUSB port is not included. At the sides of the tablet are the power/lock button, volume rocker and SIM and microSD slots. Similar like Samsung Galaxy S II smartphone, the Galaxy Tab 7.7 boasts a Super AMOLED Plus display which represents a clear step up by delivering mesmerizing colors with wider colour gamut, deep contrast, sharpness and response time that other tablets’ screens look washed-out in comparison.. Although the screen size is wider than the original Tab, but the resolution is still maintained at 800 x 1,280 pixels. The Tab is running on 1.4Ghz dual core Exynos processor as well as 1GB of RAM and a Mali-400MP graphics engine.

The powerful Tab 7.7 runs smoothly and quickly launching apps and the interface was reponsive in all taps and swipes. Lags were noticable when changing the orientation or swiping to flip pages, but it didn’t pose any huge problem. The Tab includes all the standard tablet features including WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, an ­accelerometer, digital compass and ­gyroscope, and ­ambient light ­sensors. The Tab 7.7 is powered by Android Honeycomb 3.2 operating system with the TouchWiz UX skin running on top of it. The enhanced OS includes general bug fixes and performance improvements such as optimisation for smaller Tablet sizes. The TouchWiz UX delivers customisable home screen experience, which mean frequently accessed program such as emails, s a galleries, favourite websites and social networking feeds can be placed on the homescreen. The tablet is also a versatile multimedia player with support for MPEG4, H.263, H.264, WMV and DivX as well as handling full HD 1080p video playback. Unlike its fiercest rival (iPad) which does not support Flash, Tab 7.7 does.

The Tab 7.7 can also function full fledged phone with a complete phone app. Tab 7.7 comes with a built in earpiece beside the front camera and a microphone at the bottom for making calls. Other than that, the innovative proximity sensor turns off the screen when the face is pressed against it during calls. However, its bound to get some weird stares and giggles because its not a norm to speak using a tablet. Additionally, the call quality was not really up to par, with muffled voice clarity and the person on the other size did not sound natural. A better idea would be to use the speakerphone function or plug in a headset or Bluetooth equivalent when making private calls. Users can also connect each other using video calls, send SMS or MMS on the Tab 7.7. The device only has a 3 megapixel main camera and a 2 megapixel front facing camera. As a result, the shots taken were below expectations. The colour and sharpness of the photos were not satisfying despite shooting in bright sunlight. Fortunately, the macro shots fared better with more details in each image. The video recording is nothing to shout about, only 720p. Tab 7.7 is equipped with 5100mAH battery pack which allows more than 10 hours of occasional web browsing, checking e-mail, updating social networking feeds and watching one or two movies.

Verdict

In summary, the Tab 7.7 is a beauty that offers powerful performance with a gorgeous display and phenomenal battery life. It’s also highly portable with slim sleek design. Unfortunately, the tablet’s camera did not hit the mark and its a tad pricey. Alternatively, you might want to consider a cheaper option – the bigger and more popular 16GB 3G-based Galaxy Tab 10.1 and iPad 2.

At first glance, users will notice the X10 comes with retro styling sporting leatherette finish, the angular body shape, the rangefinder windows, metal lens cap and even the threaded shutter release looks as if it would on a classic rangefinder film camera. The camera feels solid in the hand yet does not weigh you down. From the top, users will find shooting mode dial, a small customisable FN button, an exposure compensation dial, flash hotshoe and a small pop-up flash. One of the unique feature of the X10 is the method for powering on – rather than a power switch, users just rotate the lens from the Off position to the first number on the zoom range (28mm) and vice versa to turn it off.

On the rear of the camera, there is 2.8in LCD screen with standard buttons you will find on most compact cameras along with a small job dial. X10 sports a simple optical rangefinder which zooms in sync with the lens instead of the funky hybrid viewfinder found in the X100. The optical rangefinder does not have information displayed in it and have problems with parallax due to its slightly off from the lens axis, what you see is not the same as what you get, especially as you get nearer to the subject matter. As a result, the rangefinder windows is more suitable for quick street photography whereas the camera’s live view LCD screen is better for capturing close-ups. On the downside, the camera does not have an eye-level sensor so that the LCD will automatically turn off when you raise the camera to the eye, which can be disturbing with the brightness of the LCD.

The autofocus in X10 is pretty quick, even better than the X100. The only situation where autofocus seems to have problems is when shooting video in continuous autofocus in low light situations. In these events, the camera took longer than normal to focus, resulting in videos that alternately between blurry and clear shots. Shooting shot-to-shot times were relatively good in JPEG mode, averaging about a second or two, although RAW shooting is quite slow at about six seconds between shots. Equipped with a 2/3in sensor, noise was not very apparent although at higher ISOs. Its recommended to shoot with ISO 100 to 400 for very low noise throughout and significant amount of detail preserved. Even at ISO 800, noise level was pretty low and acceptable, despite the noise reduced was turned up a big higher resulting in some loss of details. As for battery life, it should be able to last for a week with moderate shooting.

If you’re at the crossroads unable to decide whether to buy or not, making a decision isn’t an easy one in this case. X10 comes with above average feature set, but its not outstanding. The attractiveness of the X10 lies not in the features but in the retro design and luxury look and feel of the all metal body and the leatherette finish. However, it poses several weaknesses like shooting in RAW format are pretty slow as well as continuous AF in low light is subpar performance when shooting videos. Its’ also quite expensive, so you might want to consider higher quality entry level DSLR’s which are available for the same price.

One of the coolest improvements in Canon 1100HS is the inclusion of touchscreen interface. With the touchscreen, its easier to check whether the image is sharp after every shot taken. However, it may pose a problem when used to navigate long scrolling menus entirely by touch. Beginners may prefer to use the full automatic mode to enable the camera to decide on the best settings. Advanced users may explore the program mode which is able to access more technical aspects of the camera such as setting the ISO, white balance and exposure compensation. Similar to a growing number of cameras in the market, you can expect to find creative filter modes on the Canon 1100HS.

Users need not worry about missing a special moment because 1100HS is capable of capturing in under three seconds from start up. The autofocus is generally fast and responsive with slight shutter lag although it takes some time in dark scenes. Shots revealed that the camera’s white balance tended to lean towards the warm side when tested indoors. Nevertheless, still dynamic range was quite impressive as it handled high contrast scenes very well. The face detection feature was quite accurate to get focused shots with human subjects. Images are pretty acceptable up to ISO 800 though objects start to look softer around ISO 400. The results is quite good for a compact camera, but it will not be clear and sharp for making A4 sized prints.

Video recording is pretty decent with HD image quality and stereo sound recording. The camera also includes additional movie recording modes like Movie Digest that automatically records four seconds before each shot and merges the clips into one movie. In terms of battery performance, 1100HS is capable of taking over 300 photos before needing a recharge. In the nutshell, the Ixus 1100HS is suited for beginners who dislikes having to change camera settings before taking photos. The camera’s 12x zoom range is handy for snapping far away object and it is sufficiently wide to capture indoor scenes. Unfortunately, we find the touchscreen interface did not meet our requirements as it was difficult to change modes and settings using it.

The slim, sleek and sophisticated BlackBerry Bold 9790 comes with a fluid high resolution touch screen, accurate optical trackpad and classic QWERTY keyboard in a compact, lightweight form factor that fits nicely in the hand or pocket. Elegant lines and premium materials wrap a powerful processor that delivers a truly outstanding experience. Running on BlackBerry 7, this operating system has a number of preinstalled applications and integrated functionality for increasing productivity, and easy sharing and collaboration right out of the box. BlackBerry Bold 9790 smartphone is a compelling choice equally suited for both professional and personal use.

Design

BlackBerry Bold smartphones have always been known for their flawless design, and the BlackBerry Bold 9790 smartphone continues this tradition with its iconic form factor. This BlackBerry Bold 9790 is constructed of quality materials and crafted with precision detailing. The tactile keyboard, brilliant high-res touch screen and streamlined silhouette complements together to provide users with a compact yet powerful smartphone. The QWERTY keyboard makes typing emails, using BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) and social networking updates much easier and quicker whereas the fluid touch screen provides a truly responsive touch experience so you can enjoy the web, media or photos with a swift swipe, zoom, pinch or pan. The Bold 9790 has a diminutive 2.45-inch capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 480×360 pixels. For storage, BlackBerry Bold 9790 comes with an expandable memory card slot that supports up to 32 GB of additional storage.

Performance

Under the hood, this smartphone boasts a powerful 1GHz processor which give users the power and performance to keep you moving at full speed. BlackBerry Bold 9790 delivers fast, smooth performance for running apps, working with documents, and enjoying multimedia. BlackBerry Bold 9790 is fast and responsive, with menus opening zippily and apps loading promptly but some sluggish speeds were encountered when browsing more graphics intensive sites. However, there’s no Adobe Flash support so lots of online videos will not play. Call quality on the 9790 was clear and crisp, without any dropped calls or other connectivity problems. As for battery life, it will last 18 days on standby, or up to 6.3 hours of video playback or 33 hours of music. Talktime is also reasonably good for 5.2 hours of continuous talking.

Software

The innovative BlackBerry 7 OS enables users to experience significantly faster page loading with the enhanced BlackBerry Browser and new features like Augmented Reality and Near Field Communication (NFC). NFC allows users to read smart tags on signs and posters and connect to othr NFC enabled devices with a simple tap. BlackBerry Bold 9790 has the power to support today’s busy professional with great tools like voice-activated Universal Search and Documents to Go® for mobile collaboration, yet it can also transition to social networking. Facebook, Twitter, and BlackBerry Messenger are all pre-installed and integrate with selected apps allowing you to share, chat and post with ease. The universal voice activated search comes handy when you need to search for something on the web or on you BlackBerry smartphone. However, it is it’s far less sophisticated compared to Apple’s Siri voice assistant.

Verdict

BlackBerry Bold 9790 sporting slim and stylish design is a powerful, full-featured smartphone with enhanced communications, multimedia, productivity and social connectivity features. However, it won’t win many new fans because it has several profound weaknesses such as small touchscreen, uninspiring operating system and has much fewer apps than iPhone, Android or Windows Phone. There are now more than 50,000 apps in BlackBerry’s store, but pales in comparison with over 600,000 apps in iOS and 400,000 apps in Android.

If you are a sucker for stunning audio and visuals, HTC Sensation XL with Beats Audio might just fit in because it claims to deliver the best sound and sight you can get on any mobile device. The amazing 4.7 inch screen combined with a specifically optimized audio system will surely get users drooled with its immersive multimedia experience. With a tagline of “feel every single beat”, HTC Sensation XL will ensure users experience sounds just like the artist intended. On top of that, it comes with customized Beats headset which is specially engineered to deliver extraordinary sound.

Design

HTC Sensation XL with Beats Audio may have a large screen, but it’s not a huge phone. In fact, the sleek 9.9mm thin smartphone that feels just right in the hand. Thanks to the big screen, whether its surfing the web, watching movies or playing games, it gives much more rewarding mobile experience. The display is not Super AMOLED but the S-LCD technology, yet able to produce impressive viewing angles and colors. The s-LCD panel is coated with Gorilla glass for scratch and crack resistance. The bigger screen also means a bigger virtual keyboard, which in turn means its easier to type. Unfortunately, despite its huge screen size, the resolution is still quite low at 480 x 800-pixels. Underneath the display are the Home, Menu, Back and Search soft buttons. There is a volume rocker at the right hand side of the phone whereas the microUSB port is located on the left. Lock/power button as well as 3.5mm jack is located at the top. Surprisingly, HTC Sensation XL does not have a microSD slot, instead users have to rely solely on the internal 16GB storage.

Performance & Software

Under the hood, there is a single core 1.5GHz processor and 768MB RAM which is capable of handling most of the tasks without any hiccups. The HTC Sensation XL runs the Android 2.3 ‘Gingerbread’ operating system, but its HTC’s Sense skin that’s the real star of the show. It enables quick access to check up on your portfolio, view your friend’s status, and many more directly from the home screen. Its also enhanced with richer internet experience, such as surfing the web in style with multi-window browsing, a quick lookup tool for jumping to Wikipedia or YouTube and the latest Flash support for smooth video playback. HTC Sensation XL integrates HTC Watch, an application and service that puts an entire library of the latest premium movies and TV shows right at their fingertips.

Camera

HTC Sensation XL boasts an 8MP camera with amazing HD video recording capabilities to capture perfect moments with stunning clarity. The instant capture camera allows photos captured the moment users press the button. The BSI CMOS camera with F2.2, 28mm lens enables users take sharp, great looking wide angle shots evem in low-light conditions. There are all sorts of settings, including face detection, picture effects, white balance ­ presets, geotagging and more. To enable your video recordings more depth and clearer sound, HTC has built in two microphones that enable users to record with surround sound and cancel out unwanted noises.

Verdict

All in all, HTC Sensation XL is a solid smartphone with stylish design, large screen, good camera but its main selling point is the incorporation of the Beats Audio system. Voices come through crisply and the bass is deeper, fuller, rounder. Its not exaggerating to say the Beats Audio system produces one of the best audio quality we have seen on any handset to date. Unfortunately, without support for microSD cards, this smartphone is one feature short of being truly awesome.