LG Rumor 2 Phone, Blue (Sprint) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)for a free phone, (the deal I got when I bought it) it ain't bad - texting is AMAZING!!! I can type SO much faster and with such ease!!! I've got bigger thumbs, too,...so that's really say'n someth'n.
don't get this if you use GPS very much, tho....that feature came to a screeching halt - the phone itself just doesn't have enough memory to recalculate after taking a wrong turn - it'll literally take minutes to recalculate a route. pictures're fine, but I miss the flash from my previous phone.
also, the media player isn't all that great,....you can make folders on the micro SD card, but it won''t recognize 'em, jumbling all your songs of different cd's and genres in to one big blop of music.
so, for a simple, phone, it's a good one, just don't expect to excel at much more than normal phone would - call'n and text'n.

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If you need to stay on top of your text, email and instant messaging as well as your social networks, the next-generation LG Rumor2 for Sprint makes it easy to quickly communicate thanks to its slide-out QWERTY keyboard.Perfect for those who want an affordable phone that keeps them connected just about anywhere they go at a great value, this new version of the popular Rumor features an expanded QWERTY keyboard with an additional row for easier typing, increased screen resolution to QVGA clarity, and Bluetooth stereo music streaming. It also has a removable backplate, allowing users to personalize their phone.
It's compatible with Sprint Navigation, which provides full-feature GPS navigation including voice and on-screen, turn-by-turn driving directions and more than 10 million business listings. Other features include a 1.3-megapixel camera/camcorder, Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity, multi-format digital audio player, MicroSD memory expansion to 16 GB, and up to 5.5 hours of talk time.
Sprint Service Sprint PCS Vision gives you instant access to amazing things you will really use, every day. You'll enjoy advanced wireless services, like web access, email and text messaging that is easy to learn and use anytime. Plus, with the Nationwide Sprint PCS Network you get the nationwide coverage and voice clarity you've come to expect from Sprint.
This GPS-enabled phone provides optional access to Sprint Navigation for driving directions on your mobile phone--by voice and onscreen. Along the way, turn-by-turn directions will be announced in a clear voice and displayed on your phone. For example, Sprint Navigation will say, "Go 1.2 miles and turn right on Elm Street." As you approach the turn, you will hear, "Turn right on Elm Street." Sprint Navigation also provides proactive traffic alerts with one click re-routing. And it's easy to find restaurants, banks, cafes, hotels and more from over 10 million points of interest across the U.S.
With Sprint Mobile Email, you'll get easy access to your favorite home email services including AOL, Yahoo!, Gmail, and MSN/Windows Live Hotmail and more. And Sprint Mobile Email Work enables you to access email from corporate servers, including Microsoft Exchange 2000, 2003, 2007 and Lotus Notes Domino versions 6.0, 6.5 and 7.0 (with the latest software update).
You can also can easily stay in touch with family and friends using Sprint Messaging, offering threaded SMS text messaging and the ability to share pictures and video with MMS seamlessly in one application. It also offers Sprint IM with access to Yahoo! Messenger, AOL's AIM service and MSN Messenger.
Stay Sporty with Sprint With NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile, instantly connect to the NASCAR information you want, when you want it. Follow NASCAR action from practice to race day with real-time leaderboard and alerts. Get exclusive access to your favorite NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver with real-time driver stats, breaking news and more. Live in-car audio, race radio, NASCAR on SPEED and other audio/video only available on select phones. Visit sprint.com/speed for details.
To access, just text "NASCAR" to 7777 on your Sprint phone or visit the Sprint Digital Lounge to download NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile (standard text messaging and data rates apply).
This phone also provides access to NFL Mobile Live--your all-access pass to the NFL from DRAFT to Super Bowl. Stay on top of every game with real-time red zone alerts, game center scores, stats, and more. Manage your fantasy football team like a pro with up-to-the-minute insights, analysis, stats and alerts. Access by texting "NFL" to 7777 on the handset to download NFL Mobile Live from Sprint Digital Lounge (standard text messaging and data rates apply).
Phone Features The Rumor2 offers one touch access to messaging through a softkey from the idle screen and it automatically populates the messaging menu when the slider is opened. You'll enjoy easy access to Sprint Mobile eMail to check and send mail from multiple accounts through familiar providers including Yahoo! AOL, Gmail and Microsoft Live. It also provides quick access to instant messaging services including AIM, MSN and Yahoo! as well as popular social networking communities. To personalize the text messaging experience, the Rumor2 offers the ability to assign "text tones" to address book entries for audible identification of text message senders.
The Rumor2's face has a 240 x 320-pixel LCD (262K colors), five-way navigation toggle, soft keys, and numeric keypad, and it smoothly slides open to the left to reveal the QWERTY keyboard (which automatically switches the screen to landscape mode). The internal phonebook has a 600 contact capacity, each with space for seven phone numbers, three email addresses, one Web address, and one IM address. You can also assign a photo ID to a contact entry, as well as assign it to a group as well as to a specific ringtone.
Handsfree communication is easy thanks to the integrated speakerphone. This phone provides the latest version of Bluetooth connectivity--version 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate), which makes pairing with the included headset as well as other Bluetooth devices a snap. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. You can connect your laptop (either via Bluetooth or wired USB) and enjoy dial-up networking--surf the Internet, send email, and access files from a server (additional charges or subscription applicable).
The 1.3-megapixel camera provides three resolution options (1280 x 960, 640 x 480, and 320 x 240 pixels), and features up to a 15x digital zoom, brightness and white balance controls, self-timer, and in-phone image enhancement. It also provides support for PictBridge technology so you can print your photos without the need of a PC (either using USB or Bluetooth). You can record video at two resolutions--176 x 144 and 128 x 96 pixels--at up to 2 hours for saving to memory card or in 10- or 20-second lengths for sending via messaging or email. Videos can be used as ringers and screen savers
Other features include:
Threaded Messaging lists text messages in a conversation format
Organizer tools: Alarm Clock, Calculator, Scheduler, Notepad, World Clock, Ez Tip Calculator, D-Day Counter, and Unit Converter
30 unique ringers plus vibrate and silent modes
Restrict & Lock: restrict incoming/outgoing calls to contacts/ special numbers only, data services, camera, and photo album
Alert Tones: set different tones for voicemail, text messages, picture mail, voice SMS, and email
USB mass storage capabilities for easy transfer of files between PC and phone
Digital audio player supports MP3 files (sideload files from PC to memory card only)
Airplane mode turns off cellular connectivity while allowing you access to music player and other features
Speaker-Independent Voice Dialing: Say the name of any entry in your phone book and the number is dialed automatically without using the keypad. This feature is speaker-independent, so there is no need to train the phone to respond to any one person's voice. Receive an audible status report of your phone/s coverage, signal strength, and battery strength.
TTY Compatible: This phone connects to a TTY device, allowing anyone who is visually- or hearing-impaired the ability to communicate.
Hearing Aid Compatibility: This handset has been certified as Hearing Aid Compatible in accordance with applicable industry standards. This handset has a HAC rating of M3 for hearing aids operating in the acoustic mode.


Vital Statistics The LG Rumor2 weighs 4.2 ounces and measures 4.4 x 2.1 x 0.7 inches. Its 950 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 5. hours of talk time, and up to 168 hours of standby time. It runs on the 800/1900 CDMA frequencies; 1xRTT Voice & Data Capable.

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JOBO photoGPS - GPS tracking logger Review

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(More customer reviews)The GPS in this unit is fast and accurate, which is the primary reason you pay twice what other units cost. It typically takes only a second for the little green light to shine, indicating a lock when outdoors. It has a "hint" button that you can press before entering a building. This will be used if a satellite lock is impossible.
The software supplied with the unit works pretty well. It not only tags the long and lat, it does altitude also. And it will also insert points of interest into your file. It also supports RAW, which is one of the reasons I bought it, by creating XMP sidecar files that Adobe products can use. There are two problems with this, though. The first, and the worst, is that it creates new XMP files; it doesn't insert the geotag data into existing files. That means that after downloading with the Adobe downloader, you have to put off looking at your photos until running the JOBO PhotoGPS program. If you use Bridge or ACR first, your changes are wiped out. This is a major oversight. The next big problem is you MUST have an Internet connection to run the software. It does make sense, because the PhotoGPS program has to query an online database for POI info. However, you cannot disable this. This mean that if you are on safari, etc., you can neither download your GPS data or work with your images. The capacity of the unit is 1024 captures, which means about two days of heavy shooting. It is doubly annoying that the database doesn't include Chile, the place I bought the GPS to work in. And even so, I must be online to geotag. (The database does include the USA, and the database is quite thorough there.)
Lacks: (1) No online manuals. I had to wait to get the product to see how it actually worked. And once I installed the program, it gave me a link to the manual which is on the JOBO website. It should be freely available. (2) No list of areas covered by the data base. (3) The unit's flash drive isn't visible. Again, you must be online for the software to geotag.
Serious problem: As another reviewer said, though the unit will fit cameras with a hot shoe (I have a 5D Mark II), it is quite loose. Sling the camera over your shoulder and the unit goes flying. I've resorted to tape. JOBO should have put some rubber on the foot of the unit or come up with some other securing measure. My unit has already fallen about 5 times, gotten lost in the car twice, and broken open once. Happily, it snapped together.
Good point: When download completes, there will be a KLM file in your tagged directory. You can use this file, so I'm told, with GPS Babel and other programs to do geotagging outside of the supplied software.
Would I recommend it? Yes, with cavets.

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Nokia 5310 XpressMusic Unlocked Phone with 2 MP Camera, MP3/Video Player, MicroSD Slot--U.S. Version with Warranty (Blue) Review

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(More customer reviews)The best thing I like about this cellphone is its loudness: built-in speaker is loud and speakerphone is loud. This helps a lot if you're in a noisy restraunt (reason I dumped my old cellphone).
Pluses:
1. Well designed music player UI and dedicated buttons.
2. Loud speaker for playing music.
3. Standard 1/8" mini jack for headphones.
4. Solid buttons, crisp display
5. Very small, stylish
Minuses:
1. Short battery life -- must charge almost every night.
2. Camera is fair in quality.
3. No 3G

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With a sleek aluminium finish, the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic phone blends an array of music playback features with tri-band GSM connectivity and a 2-megapixel camera. This phone has a dedicated audio chip that helps it produce crystal-clear sound from a wide variety of digital audio file formats stored on optional MicroSD memory cards, and it provides up to 20 hours of music playback. The 5310 also includes an FM radio. It features dedicated music playback controls along the side of the phone, next to the brightly colorful 2-inch LCD screen. Other features include Bluetooth connectivity for both stereo music streaming and communication headsets, full Opera Mini web browser, access to your email (with support for viewing attachments), and up to 5 hours of talk time.
This unlocked cell phone can be used with a GSM network service provider and it provides tri-band connectivity (850 MHz, 1800 MHz, 1900 MHz). It does not come with a SIM card, and it requires that you provide a SIM card for usage with your selected service provider. This phone comes with a one-year warranty from a third party provider.
Phone Features Measuring just 0.39 inches thin and weighing 2.5 ounces, the svelte candybar-style 5310 has a standard keypad, five-way navigator, send/end keys, and two soft keys, as well as music playback buttons (play/pause, reverse, forward) set on the left side of the LCD. The 2-inch screen has a 240 x 320-pixel resolution and support for 16.7 million colors. The phone also includes a mini-USB connection and a 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom. It has an internal 30 MB memory (which can be expanded up to 4 GB using optional MicroSD memory cards), and the phone book can store up to 2000 contacts (each with three numbers and one text field).
The 5310 provides the ultimate music playback experience from a mobile phone. You'll be able to play virtually any file, thanks to compatibility with MP3, MP4, AAC, eAAc+, and WMA as well as secure WMA songs purchased from Internet music stores. It also offers easy synchronization with Windows Media Player 10 and 11. Listen, create playlists, and manage your music within the 5700
This phone provides Bluetooth version 2.0 wireless connectivity with EDR (enhanced data rate), and includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, and audio/video remote control. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. You can connect your laptop (either via Bluetooth or wired USB) and enjoy dial-up networking--surf the Internet, send email, and access files from a server.
Other music-related features include up to 20 hours of playback time, album art display and audio visualizations, and enhanced audio controls (5-band graphical equalizer, stereo widening, loudness, and balance). You'll also be able to listen to your favorite radio station with the integrated FM tuner.
The integrated Bluetooth technology (version 2.0) allows handsfree communication with a compatible headset as well as the ability to exchange files with another Bluetooth compatible device. And, with the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. Additionally, you can connect to your PC using infrared or USB.
The 5310 offers a full range of email, text, and multimedia messaging options. It includes support for IMAP4, POP3, and SMTP email, plus support for attachments such as DOC, PDF, XLS, JPEG, 3GP, and MP3. In addition to SMS text and MMS multimedia messaging, this phone incorporates Nokia Xpress audio messaging, which allows you to personalize messages in a spontaneous and creative way. By using a specially designed menu, an audio message can be recorded and sent with only a few clicks of a button. Xpress audio messages can be sent to all MMS-enabled GSM handsets, and can also be shared with multiple recipients.
Other features include:
2-megapixel digital camera captures still images up to 1600 x 1200 pixels and includes a 4x digital zoom
Airplane mode allows you to safely use the non-wireless functions of a phone (music, games, or organizer functions) on an airplane during flight or in other situations where you need to turn off your cellular connection.
T9 predictive text entry technology makes it easier for you to enter words and text on handsets
Ringtone compatibility: 64-chord polyphonic; MIDI, AAC, eAAC+, MP3, MP4, and WMA formats; video ringtones
Synchronize with MS Outlook contacts, calendar, and notes
Organizer: Alarm clock, calendar, to-do list, notes, calculator, stopwatch and countdown timer; calendar provides up to 3000 entries with week view functionality including reminder, memo, call, and birthday notes
3rd Edition Series 40 user interface with Active Standby
Opera Mini web browser with XHTML and WAP compatibility
Bluetooth profiles: A2DP (stereo music streaming), AVRC (remote control), HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), DUN (dial-up networking), FTP (file transfer), HID (support for mice or joysticks), OPP (object push for business cards, calendar items, and pictures), PAN (personal area networking)

Vital Statistics The Nokia 5310 weighs 2.48 ounces and measures 4.09 x 1.76 x 0.39 inches. Its 860 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 5 hours of talk time, and up to 300 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies. This phone comes with a one-year warranty from a third party provider.

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Canon PIXMA iP6700D Photo Printer (1441B002) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am a very loyal consumer and will generally stay with the specific brands I buy. This was true with Epson printers that I have purchased for many years. Common sense finally took hold after the last tank change and subsequent 6 head cleanings before a good print could be made, not to mention almost 1/4 of the tank depleted. (at least by their monitoring system) Tired of wasted ink and paper, nozzle cleans, tank changes for 1 low color, etc., I decieded to make the change to Canon and purchased the ip6700D. Setup on my Intel driven Imac was a breeze! Talk about instant gratification! My very first print came out flawless with better resolution and sharpness than any Epson I have owned. I even had to look to see if it was doing anything during printing, unlike the Epson that was only rivaled by the dishwasher for making noise! Individual print setup was also a snap. The quality, paper and other parameters were simple utilizing the supplied software. I found the "trimming" capabilities were better and easier than some of my high dollar graphic programs I have. I printed out a box (100) of 4" x 6" prints, one after the other and didn't lose 1 sheet from a malfunction of the printer. No head cleaning. no alignments, no getting ready to do a tank change! Nothing but high quality prints. At least the remaining Epson borderless premium glossy paper worked well.
I guess I will pass this along as getting wiser with age and not putting up with poor performance again with using an Epson. Why did I wait so long? You won't be dissapointed with the ip6700D.

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The Canon PIXMA iP6700D Photo Printer is a versatile photo-printing powerhouse. Its patented print head technology and six ink tanks produce beautiful, long-lasting prints with startling color and detail. The extra-large, 3.5-inch color LCD viewer lets you enhance images before printing, and advanced paper handling increases your productivity. Plus, you can print from your computer, compatible memory cards, cameras, Bluetooth devices, and even camera phones. Ideal for home use, this economic, high-performance unit looks sleek and stylish on a desktop.About the iP6700D The iP6700D is an extremely user friendly, efficient machine designed to meet all your printing needs in one compact, stylish unit. Want to print out photos taken over the weekend, or fill an album with baby pictures right after your child takes his or her first steps? Need a hard copy of directions to a friends house or information from a web page? The single function iP6700D gives you more choices, more features and a better value, no matter what your needs. It also works fast, offering print speeds of 47 seconds for 4 x 6 inch borderless photos and 76 seconds for 8 x 10 inch photos. And the built-in two sided printing feature and second paper tray drastically reduce wait times. In addition, the iP6700D utilizes Canon Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering (FINE) technology and the ChromaLife100 ink system to produce high-quality, long-lasting photos. With smart LED equipped ink tanks and the Canon Advanced Paper Handling System, the iP6700D has the capabilities of a photo kiosk built right in.Easy Operation and Exceptional Resolution The iP6700D features 3,072 precision nozzles that create exceptional resolution of up to 9600 by 2400 color dots per inch (dpi). You'll also enjoy amazing, eye-catching detail in every print, thanks to microscopic one-picoliter sized ink droplets. Two high-intensity photo inks plus four conventional inks equals precise, life-like color. You get all this with simple, convenient operation. First, the iP6700D gives you the option to preview before you print. This way, you can fine-tune your images before you commit to printing them out. When you're ready, just connect your PictBridge ready digital camera, DV camcorder, or compatible memory card and print. It's truly that simple. For added convenience, the iP6700 also lets you print wirelessly right from your infrared-enabled mobile camera phone, or a compatible Bluetooth device, (using the optional USB Bluetooth adapter). You can do all this quickly and easily thanks to the USB 2.0 interface, which enables the fastest possible image transfers.Canon ChromaLife100 System For Image Permanence The iP6700D uses Canon's ChromaLife100 system, including FINE print head technology for vivid photo printing. When using select genuine Canon photo papers and inks, prints can resist fading for up to 100 years when stored in an archival quality photo album. The 100-year-lifespan rivals that of many traditional film based photos, long considered by consumers to be the benchmark for image permanence. Prints produced on Canon Photo Paper Pro with ChromaLife100 inks have an up to 10-year gas fastness when exposed to open air. Additionally, ChromaLife100 prints, when created using Canon Photo Paper Pro or Photo Paper Plus Glossy, have up to 30-year lightfastness when displayed under glass.Canon FINE Engineering Launched globally by Canon in 1999, the Canon Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering (FINE) advanced print head technology is one of the keys to the impressive speed and high photo quality in PIXMA photo printers. FINE technology uses a ground-breaking high-performance, multi-nozzle print engine that ejects consistent and microscopic ink droplets. The results are high-resolution photos with great detail and clarity in less time.What's in the Box Pixma iP6700D photo printer, print head, ink tanks (CLI-8 black, CLI-8 cyan, CLI-8 magenta, CLI-8 yellow, CLI-8 photo cyan, CLI-8 photo magenta), power cord, easy setup instructions, document kit (setup software and user's guide CD-ROM, quick start guide, direct printing guide, registration card, and cross sell sheet.)

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Sony Ericsson W995 Black Walkman Unlocked GSM Cell Phone International Version Review

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(More customer reviews)If anyone do not want to spend extra $$ for smart phone's data plan, this phone would be the best alternative. Great camera, Sony Walkman for MP3, plus wifi, it's definitly a great buy.


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Sony Ericsson W810i Unlocked Cell Phone with 2 MP Camera, MP3/Video Player, Memory Stick Duo--International Version with No Warranty (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)My previous phone was a Nokia 6600. It had a slow interface for 2006 and come on, I wanted to try somethingn new.Initially, I had planned on exploring my chances of buying a Treo but due to the rates, I gave up my plan. Without much pondering, I went and purchased a Sony Ericsson W810i. Now, it's been four weeks. Let me just give you a brief run thru of features, pros and cons.
Features
1. This phone is an mp3 player. This phone is a torch/semi flash light(with an SOS signal that can be configured). This phone has flash capability and further doubles up into a digital camera. Overall, it saves a lot of space to use this phone instead of just going out with a standalone mp3 player or/and a digital camera
2. The interface is fast. It takes around 8 seconds to get an auto focus and click a picture using the camera. I'll try and explain - to come out of the screensaver you need half a second, to activate camera using the shortcut it takes 3 seconds, a further 2 seconds for auto focus and an additional 1 second to click you picture. Overall,8 seconds to click one image.You can browse thru pictures very quickly. It's around 7 times faster than my Nokia. Images can be clicked in sepia, black and white, solarise(kinda yellowey), negative and normal modes. Brightness can be reduced within the click of a button. I noticed grains on images of larger size. I don't recommend using the flash camera unless you really must. Plus while clicking a video, the light goes on and off, if the flash light is turned on.
3. The build quality on the phone is both good and bad. I love the keypad and it is a major improvement from the 800i and sundry walkman phones. It took me three days to get used to the keypad. The dictionary like function on the phone keeps a track of all the words you spell. So they're definitely there the next time around. The front of the phone seems to appear too plastic. Especially the silver scroll keys and sometimes can make your phone look like a dummy piece. The sound speakers are situated on the backside of the phone and can be used conveniently even when the phone is upside down. You can insert your memory stick pro cards even when the phone is switched on. There is NO CAMERA SHUTTER like the previous installment of this phone (800i) The power button is placed most effectively just like the volume buttons on the right side of the phone which can be used for a host number of features.
4. The internal memory of this phone is 22mb and the accompanied card contains 512mb worth of memory. The usable memory,however, is only 431mb. Upon connecting to the pc, both are instantly recognized and act as removable drives on the "my computer" icon. The accompanied software is almost brilliant. I loved "Disc2phone" and there is so much more I keep discovering about the other programs. Despite lacking an English Manual, I found I didnt need one because I don't know too many people who would buy a sony ericsson phone and not be techies in their own rights who like to configure things on their own.
5. The bundled earphones are sublime. I cannot beleive the sound on these. They cancel all the noises in a room and it's a pleasure listening to beethoven playing away or Enya's mesmerising voice or even Tool's prog metal for that matter. The speakers are satisfactory and could have been louder. If used as a stand alone mp3 player with earphones, the phone would stand for around 6-7 hours.Playing the music without using earphones can eat up battery depending on the volumes of course. It supports m4a, mp3 and aac formats(and a few other formats)
6. The messages memory of the phone is limited to around 150+ messages and that is a big blunder. Despite having a 512mb of external storage the phone cannot accommodate a mere 200 messages. The size of notes is limited and you need to make a second note to carry on. Bluetooth transfers to Samsung,Nokia phones runs at 20kbps while it's a consistent 40kbps for Sony Ericsson phones. Very good for transferring media.
Pros
- It can be called an ipod replacement. I don't use mine quarter as much as I used to. This is owing to the absolutely brilliant earphones that sit within your ear and help you celebrate your time.
- I love how the phone slides into a digital camera. Good build quality for the particular feature.
- Good standby, saves battery, easy to work with 50% brightness. Even when I reduce brightness from 100% to 50% (lowest possible) there is hardly any noticeable difference on the screen. The keypad is much lighter but that's hardly noticeable.
- Fast processor, super graphics and wallpaper options, includes a good browser, calendar, good default themes
- The accompanied torch can be used to change a flat tire and can be switched on for 25mins even when the remaining battery is only 15%. (tried and tested)
- Good keypad(KEY FEATURE), good playlist configuring options
- Excellent software for the phone, mp3s can transferred at variable bit-rates without taking too long
- Excellent,fast log, the phones keeps track off the last ten numbers you've messaged and keeps them around for easy usage
- It's easy to store numbers cause the phone prompts to save numbers when a call from an unknown number ends
- Great handsfree
- There is a memory stick converter (The longer ones used in cameras) and that is a handy thing
- The MACRO mode helps in copying handwritten/type written documents using the camera
Cons
- too plastic, looks a bit boring too soon, screen can be scratched if no touchscreen is present
- the accompanied tones for messages is sad, the message memory is very limite (Big DEMERIT) and the size of a note is limited
- Call quality is not as good as can be
- sometimes it takes over a minute for the phone to recognize it has been plugged into a USB slot
- the accompanied FM radio needs to be in place to avoid screechiness in sound and proper volume
- Even though the phone provides 512mb worth of external memory, only 431mb is useable. Ideally, i'd have liked a one gig card so I could have doubled on my usage.
- Not enough upgradations over the W800i. People can settle for that phone because it has a slightly better talk life
- IT HAS NO ENGLISH MANUAL
- noticeable grains on 2megapixel images
Conclusion,
All though I am very happy with this phone, I cant help but throw a fit over the limited message storage, you can save messages onto your pc but come on, who's gonna do that?
Buy this phone if you like what you read. Not enough reasons to upgrade for 800i owners. BUT this phone has more appeal than 800i and has better more smooth graphics. There is a much better display and there is an improvement of 25% which I just noticed.However, unlike the 550i , there are no three way speakers and that makes "Stereo Widening" impossible.
Overall rating - 7/10
Very little to complain about,really
Good luck,fellow techies

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The Sony Ericsson W800 was a big hit. Now, here comes the sequel, the W810. All the same great Walkman features are here, along with robust phone functions, but now you get quad-band GSM, a larger and brighter display, and perhaps most importantly, support for EDGE high speed data. In addition to a powerful and easy-to-use Walkman music player, the W810 boasts a 2-megapixel auto-focus camera with flash, a Memory Stick Duo card slot, Bluetooth, and a speakerphone. Simply put, this baby's loaded.
Design The W810 follows a long tradition of beautifully designed and crafted phones from Sony Ericsson. The same candy-bar style that graced the W800 is here, as is the horizontally-oriented camera unit on the back of the phone, allowing you to hold the phone just as you would a camera when you're taking pictures. The W810's screen sports 176 x 220 pixel resolution with support for 262,000 colors. Quick access buttons below the screen make it easy to control the phone's Walkman music features, while a five-way center button controls most of the phone's menus and features.
The W810 contains 20 MB of embedded memory, but as mentioned, a Memory Stick Duo slot is provided, and it also supports Pro Duo cards, giving you storage capacities of 2 GB and beyond. Of course, there's also a port for the phone's included stereo headset. USB and infrared data ports are provided, as well, and the phone supports USB mass storage so you can simply plug the phone into your computer and drag and drop files into the phone's memory using the included Disc2Phone PC application. To top it all off, the W810's camera flash can double as a flashlight.
Calling Features The W810's phone book can hold up to 1000 contacts with multiple entries per contact. A call list remembers your most recent missed, received and dialed calls. The phone's voice activated dialing makes calling your contacts as easy as saying their names, while the built-in speakerphone makes it easy to talk without having the phone to your ear. Polyphonic ringtones are included and you can also use MP3 and AAC music files as ringtones. A cool application called Music DJ even lets you mix your own ringtones. Meanwhile, picture caller ID lets you assign a photo to specific callers. Similarly, a ringer ID lets you assign ringtones to callers. For those times you want to keep things discreet, there's a vibrate ringer mode. And because the W810 is Bluetooth-enabled, you can use a variety of headsets and handsfree kits for total wireless freedom when you're on the go.
Messaging, Internet, and Tools If you're looking for a mobile productivity partner, the W810 has you covered. Support is built in for sending and receiving pictures, text, graphics, and sound via MMS messages. When used in combination with the phone's built-in still and video camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging possibilities. The phone also ships with a built-in email client with support for POP3, IMAP4 and SMTP protocols, while the included Access NetFront Web Browser allows you to surf full HTML web sites. T9 text entry, a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit-- a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.
Getting on the Internet is easy with the W810, as it supports the GPRS protocol, as well as the high speed EDGE data protocol. When used with your carrier data plan and the phone's Bluetooth or USB data capability, the phone can be used as a wireless modem for laptops and PDAs.
A number of handy software tools are bundled with the W810, including a voice memo recorder, a to-do list, a calculator, a calendar and an alarm clock. The phone also supports the SyncML PC synchronization standard, which lets you synchronize your PC-based calendar, contacts, notes and tasks with your W810.
Imaging and Entertainment The W810 is a Walkman phone, and that means it offers a great mobile music experience. Load up your favorite songs in MP3 or AAC format on a memory card and listen to your heart's content. The user-friendly music player application also includes a "Music Mode" that shuts down the phone functions so you can listen on an airplane or anytime you don't want to accept calls. Meanwhile, Digital Mega Bass and stereo widening combine to enhance your listening experience. There's even an FM radio for catching the big game or your favorite stations. The radio also supports reception of digital song information from radio stations.
And don't forget about that powerful 2-megapixel camera, which features something most camera phones lack -- autofocus. Finally, you can get consistently great shots from any distance, shots that rival the quality of a dedicated digital camera. The camera also features an LED flash and a 4x digital zoom, and it can capture video, as well. Dedicated controls on the side of the unit will make you forget you're holding a phone in your hand.
And what about gaming? This phone is definitely geared for the mobile fun fanatic, as it supports widescreen and 3D games. The W810 comes preloaded with several games and more are downloadable from Sony Ericsson.
Vital Statistics The Sony Ericsson W810 weighs 3.49 ounces and measures 3.94 x 1.81 x .77 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 8 hours of digital talk time, and up to 350 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 frequencies. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

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Kodak EasyShare V610 6MP Digital Camera with 10x Dual-Lens Optical Zoom Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Kodak V610 review
I have owned this camera for about 3 weeks, and I love it. I have captured about 4 hours of video inside and outside and about 200 still shots inside and outside.
The V610 is a consumer point and shoot still camera and a great 640 by 480 - 30 frame per second movie camera, both with 10 times zoom. If you are looking to have a camera in your pocket whenever you come upon a situation where you want to take a high quality snapshot or a home movie video, I highly recommend this camera. It is fantastic. It takes a reliable snapshot and a very smooth video and fits into my shirt pocket
However, if you are looking to be the next Ansel Adams or need professional videos ... get other much larger and more expensive cameras, with much larger lenses and much more powerful lights.
In my opinion, this is the best and most powerful shirt pocket sized camera on the market today.
Prior to this I owned a digital still camera an Olympus Camedia C-4040 4MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Zoom and a very small DV video tape camera, a Panasonic model PV DV 201. Now that I own the V610, I no longer have to carry a camera bag with me to the zoo, or family reunions or other events. As a replacement for both of those cameras, this is a fantastic choice.
I can't tell you how many times I have seen great photo opportunities at events in the last several years before I owned this camera, but the appropriate camera was either in the camera bag or in the car, and how often I wanted greater than a 3x optical zoom in my still camera.
The 6.1 megapixel resolution is sufficient to allow you to capture nice snapshots, and with a powerful 10x optical zoom, you can be sitting in the back row still get a great still shot or a video and the video to my eye is nearly the equal of a consumer quality DV tape camera. I think that this is one of a very few digital still cameras that allow you to optical zoom while shooting videos.
As with most camera purchases additional equipment is necessary to make the camera most useable. I purchased the following additional equipment to go with the camera:
>> A 2GB high speed (x133) SD memory card which it allows me to shoot a combination of up to almost one hour of video or up to about 1,100 - 6 megapixel still shots- that's right, one hour of MPEG-4 video fits on the 2gb card, with good TV quality video and sound. I paid about $85.00 USD.
>> 3 spare non-Kodak brand batteries. I paid about $12.00 USD each.
>> A 6 in 1 San Disk PC card adapter - card reader for my laptop - no software needed for the laptop, and the SD memory card acts just like a hard drive and I copy the still pictures and the .mov quicktime videos to my hard drive (the provided USB cable is too slow and the camera needs to be turned on the entire time during downloads with a cable). I paid about $24.00 USD.
>> A thin leather case - To protect the camera. I paid about $15.00 USD.
>> A 250gb USB2 external hard drive for backing up the photographs and movies.


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Package Contents: EasyShare V610 Dual Lens Digital Camera, KLIC-7001 battery, USB and audio/video cables, AC adapter with power cord, carry strap, camera case, custom inserts for Freame and Printer Docks, EasyShare software
The Kodak EasyShare V610 Dual Lens Digital Camera captures all the vibrancy and color of those precious moments in your life. This 10X optical zoom digital camera features Kodak Retina Dual Lens Technology; it comes equipped with two professional quality Schneider-Kreuznach C-VARIOGON Lenses for exceptional clarity and sharpness. Embedded Bluetooth Wireless technology makes it easier to share pictures wirelessly. Its advanced engineering is rivaled only by its alluring design.Dual lens; 38-114 mm (35 mm equiv.) f/3.9-f/4.4 Aperture -f/3.9-f/7.1 at wide, f/4.8-f/8.0Shutter Speed -8-1/1200 sec.Scene Modes -Panorama, Sport, Landscape, Close-Up, Night Portrait, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Flower, Sunset, Custom and moreColor Modes -High Color, Natural Color, Low Color, Sepia, Black & White Up to 80 min. continuous video recording (based on memory capacity); saved as QuickTime VideoVideo resolution -640x480 (VGA) @ 30 fps; 320x240 (QVGA) @ 30 fpsSingle and continuous auto-focusWhite balance -Auto, daylight, tungsten, fluorescent, open shadeFlash Range -2.0-11.2 ft @ wide; 2.0-10.8 ft @ tele Self-Timer -10 sec, 2 sec, 2 pictureAuto picture rotation & auto-orientation 32MB internal memoryStores to SD/MMC cardsBluetooth 2.0 EDR Wireless with object push protocol; Transfer rate -Up to 3 MbpsI/O interface -A/V output (NTSC or PAL), Kodak Camera Dock/Printer interface, USB 2.0 connectorPictBridge compatibleKodak Li-ion rechargeable digital camera battery (KLIC-7001) Built-in lens barrier1/4 standard tripod mountSystem Requirements -Windows 2000 or XP, Mac OS X 10.3 (or higher); 128MB RAM; 200MB hard drive sp

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LG Shine KE970 Unlocked Phone Black-Label Series with Tri Band GSM, 2 MP Camera, Camcorder, Bluetooth, and MicroSD Memory Expansion--International Version with No Warranty (Shining Silver) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I must echo other online reviews about this phone. It shines... and basically that's what it does.
This is a phone about fashion. And thus, I believe it's geared towards fashion concious women.
I'm a middle aged male and I enjoy the shiny look and appreciate the elgant metal that covers most of the phone (so much that it's not just an "accent").
I also appreciate the good sound of the MP3 player and the autofocus of the 2 Megapixel camera with Schneider-Kreuznach Optics (whoever they are).
Therefore, I bought it for my wife. BUT I didn't notice that it didn't work on her operator's band, so I'm stuck with it.
As a middle aged male who's looking for more function than form, this beautiful phone just doesn't work for me, and here's why:
1. The scrolling wheel is not responsive enough.
2. The keys are awkardly placed. Reaching for the bottom row is uncomfortable, and the send and end keys are not where I expect them to be.
3. Also, there's not much tactile feedback to notice the separation between the keys (so you must be able to look at the phone when dialing). Try texting fast with it...
4. The interfase software is not great. Very basic MP3 player.
5. Love the autofocus... Hate the autofocus! It's great that you can get the camera to focus on things 1 inch away from the lens. Great to take a good pic of a business card or any other stationary object. Bad if you try to shoot a moving target, because it takes at least one full second to focus. It just won't work because there's such a delay (at least 2 seconds) from the moment you press the button to the moment the picture is taken, that you get either blurred pictures or the events you want to picture have already passed (and gone). You can't shut down the shutter (no mute, can't change the sound either). And where's the ZOOM??? Couldn't figure it out: Volume keys don't do it and scroll wheel doesn't do it either.
6. Shine! Really, I had never experienced such a frustrating thing as trying to use this phone in sunlight. It's near impossible. It REALLY is that bad.
7. Bluetooth connection has not happened smoothly. I haven't been able to send pics via bluetooth to my BlackBerry Curve. And when I connect the ear piece to the Shine, the ear piece loses all settings and stops connecting to my BB (so I must do the whole pairing process again). I had a Nokia before and I could connect my ear piece to both phones simmultaneously without a problem (I'm not saying I could have two conversations at once, but I could receive a call from any of the two phones at one time).
8. Reception is not good
9. Scratches easily all over; fingerprint magnet
10. I drive a lot. I LOVE voice dialing. Where is it?
11. The loudspeaker is so underpowered that the speakerphone function is close to useless. I love speakerphones because I can multi-task with both hands free.
So, if you're someone who expects a cell phone to be more functional than a basic $10 household phone, maybe this one's not for you.
If you want to shell $200 for a great looking phone that only works as a phone (and not the best at that), that's your call. You can alwas look at it as a piece of jewelery (or get one of those gold plated phones with diamonds and rubies).
I'm fine and happy with my BlackBerry Curve, thank you. Even if I still have to get me a better camera.
Two other words of advice:
1. I bought an unlocked phone imported from I don't know where. Thus, be sure to check connectivity with your operator first! Tri-Band means the phone works on any of 3 bands... make sure your operator has one of them.
2. My primary language is spanish and the phone I got seems to be an asian version. Thus I can only choose between english and a bunch of asian languages (vietnamese, chinese, simplified chinese, etc.)

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From its full stainless steel enclosure to its mirrored LCD screen that transforms into a high-quality color screen when the phone is activated, the LG KE970 Shine is set to capture the attention of mobile users who crave the perfect balance between design and technology. The super-slim design complements its high-tech functionality, which includes a 2.0-megapixel camera and an advanced scroll-key function. Other highlights include stereo Bluetooth, an advanced media player, a MicroSD memory card slot with support for cards up to 2 GB, high-speed data transfer over GPRS, and more.
DesignThe LG Shine is entirely about fashion, convenience, and usability. The ultra-thin, stylish slider design always keeps the unobtrusive internal antenna safely tucked away--always protected from snags or breaking, while the protective and alluring properties of stainless steel add to the phone's durability and style. The 262,000-color, 240 x 320 display is hidden when inactive, a key feature to save battery life, or when keeping a low profile is a must. Basic function keys and media control keys located just below the display are still accessible when the slider is shut, and the slider can be opened to reveal a handsome backlit keypad.
A multi-function scroll key located on the front of the device makes navigation an easy task, allowing for easy navigation of settings, contacts, messages, documents, photos, and videos with minimum effort. Meanwhile, the charging port, USB connection port, volume keys, music player activation key, and a camera key can all be found on the handset's left side. The unit's advanced camera lens and flash can be found on the backside, just above the battery cover. The phone also includes a memory card slot to boost the phone's internal memory.
Calling FeaturesThe Shine boasts powerful calling functions, such as speaker independent voice dialing, which makes it easy to call contacts by simply saying their names. No prior voice training is required and you can even speak individual digits to the phone for quick dialing of numbers you know by heart. And because the Shine is Bluetooth enabled, wireless headsets can be configured with the phone for total handsfree operation.
Messaging, Internet and ToolsThe phone's support for multimedia messaging means that text, photos, video, and audio can be sent with ease. When used in combination with the Shine's built-in camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun. The built in MMS editor allows the user to create convenient messaging templates for fast MMS messages, as well as the usual ability to create SMS messaging templates. And to make messaging even easier on the Shine, the phone comes stock with built-in T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets--a definite plus for mobile email and text messaging users.
When you need to check your email, or browse the Web for the nearest movie theatre and showtimes, use the phone's advanced WAP 2.0 browser. Find what you need fast over the supported GPRS transfer protocol. And with the phone's built-in document viewer you can view and transport .ppt, .doc, .pdf, .xls, and .txt files. A number of handy software tools are bundled with the Shine including a calendar, an alarm clock, a calculator, a stopwatch timer, a digital note pad, and a vibrating alert alarm.
Connect the Shine to a PC using a USB cable and it will become a mass storage device. Drag and drop files such as music, photos, videos, and more straight to the phone and you can carry them with you wherever you go. No software is required for the PC; simply plug and play.
Imaging and Entertainment The Shine arrives Java enabled, allowing you to play the latest games--a requisite for any high-end fashion phone. The Shine even comes stock with embedded games, and of course, more games can always be downloaded from the Web and loaded onto the phone via convenient USB and Bluetooth connectivity.
Into taking pictures or carrying your music with you everywhere? The Shine's 2.0-megapixel digital camera features a flash, a 2x digital zoom, a multi shot mode, and a photo album feature. The camera also offers up to one hour of video capture. When it's time for music, the Shine boasts an advanced built-in music player. Load up all your favorite music on memory cards, and take your favorite music with you. You can also take advantage of the Shine's Bluetooth wireless headset capability, allowing you to hook up a pair of Bluetooth stereo headphones.
The Shine also supports Flight Mode meaning that the phone's calling abilities are disabled so you can still listen to music, watch videos, play Java games, and more in locations where mobile phones are prohibited, such as aboard airplanes.
Vital Statistics The LG KE970 Shine weighs just 4.19 ounces and measures 3.93 x 1.99 x 0.54 inches. The lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3 hours of digital talk time, and up to 280 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the GSM/GPRS 900/1800/1900 frequencies.

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Qstarz BT-Q1000eX Professional BT Data Logger GPS (Lap Timing Analysis, Beeper, Vibration Sensor, 5Hz, 400,000 waypoints) Review

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(More customer reviews)This GPS data logger works great for the price as a motorcycle lap timer with the added bonus of GPS location info allowing analysis of any part of the track such as corner speed and location at 0.2 second intervals. However, it would be nice if it logged at 10Hz versus 5Hz. With GPS accuracy of 6-9 feet I don't know if it would really give you much better information as far as track location on the width of the track but would give you more information on speed through the corners as even at 60 mph you are traveling 88 feet per second and so at 5Hz you are only getting points every 17.6 feet. 10 Hz would bring the data points inline with the accuracy of current GPS systems with a recorded point approx. every 8.8 feet when traveling at 60 mph. You must download the data to a computer and use the companies Qsports software with lap analysis function enabled to view data since no local LCD screen controls etc..., but if Qstarz added these would definitely raise the costs which at the current price is a great deal and why I decided to purchase. A couple recommendations I have for using the gps data logger as a lap timer are to not select the check box to remove drift points when importing data from the device, I have not been able to determine from the literature what removing drift points actually does, but has messed up some data. The other recommendation I have is to download/import data from the device to the computer after each session on the track and delete the data stored on the device after successful import. The time for import is not as long and it ensures your sessions are kept as separate data files.

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NEW Version Ultra-thin Quad-band Watch Mobile Phone FM/MP3/MP4 2M Camera Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is the first time I have considered or used a watch phone.
I want to start out by saying the support behind this phone is far above average. I say this because my phone in fact broke down on me.
The people selling this out of Newport News, gave me the option of refunding or replacing and it won't cost me a dime. I am opting to replace and here's why.
-When the phone worked, it was great. It took a bit to figure it out because the user manual that comes with it is a little vague. A quick email with some direct questions cleared up all my questions and I started using all the functions.
-The first function is the phone itself. I used a Motorola H720 Bluetooth device with it because I hate constantly wearing a bluetooth device in my ear. The advantage this paticular ear piece has is it is instantly activated as soon as you open the mic boom. I like that, I can feel the buzz of a phone call on my wrist, look at my wrist to see who is calling, pull out my BT device, open the boom, hit the button and talk all in seconds.
-Most of the time, (at least 95% of the time), the reception was very clear. When it is not it was hard for me to say if it was the phone or AT&T. When the reception was not so good, you could still communicate with some light static. I've had Samsung phones that gave me far more heartache than that.
-Here is an advantage you don't normally think about. You can set the phone to a vibrate mode, it is sitting directly on your wrist. Your not going to miss a call because you couldn't feel or even hear the vibration, you will feel it every single time because it is directly on your skin. There is rarely a need to activate the ring tone. You will not miss phone calls and not disturb anyone by a irritating ring tone. That is the biggest advantage in my opinion.
-The camcorder; It works and it is easy to operate. I can't think of any practical use for that but that is just me. It is entertainment at the very least.
-The video player can be used to play stuff from You-Tube and other media sources, one thing about that is, you must download a program (free) to convert the video from almost any source to play it on your watch. You can download a movie if you so desired. You have to do that with your computer.
-The cameria; pretty much the same as the phone. It's easy to operate and the picture viewer is easy to use. If you can't view the picture, there are tons of free programs to convert the picture to a JPEG format which the phone uses.
-The link to the computer; It's easy! The cable that hooks into your power adaptor can be connected directly into a USB port into your computer. The watch will do several things but the two I myself have used it for was a mass storage device and to use the computer to provide power to the phone. I do not know if you can receive phone calls while hooked into the computer.
-The other way you can transfer data between the phone and computer is use the mini-sd card with an SD adapter (you have to buy one). That also means you can use more than 2GB of data but I never had the need to do so. It is far easier just to use the cable provided with the watch.
-The touch screen; I am not a fan of the touchscreen. This one feels more ruggard than other touch screens I have used in the past. Myself, I can use my fingers to punch in numbers and I missed a number maybe 1 out of 20 times. It was easier than I thought to use. If you hate touch screens, than this phone vs others has a keypad that you can use your fingers to operate. That as I see it can prolong the useful life of the phone. As the touchscreen wears out, you can use the keypad to accomplish making a phone call. If you buy a touchscreen only watch phone, I wouldn't think it would last very long. I am no expert on the lifetime of watch cell phones.
-So who wouldn't like this phone or couldn't get good use out of it? If you have small wrists, sorry the phone will go all over the place on you. I don't think you can go down to Walmart and get a smaller wristband for it but I could be wrong. If your eyes are bad and glasses don't help, forget it. You won't see a thing. If you have normal vision or vision that is corrected to normal, you should have no problem.
-If you are hard of hearing, forget trying to use the loudspeaker mode. Without a bluetooth device, you'll never really hear anything and you'll want to "hurt something" out of fustration.
-Remember, the advantage of this phone is to use a bluetooth and never depend on having to pull out a phone. All can be done in a quiet, polite mode. If you go to a lot of meetings, or work for the Army like I do, this has it's advantages. You can feel the buzz during a meeting look at your watch politely and make a decision if the phone call is important enough for you to leave the meeting or disrupt it. I just like the the fact that I don't have to pull out the phone to see who is calling. A quick flick of my wrist reveals that and just as quick I can pull out my Bluetooth, put it in my ear, and be talking before the answer mode picks up.
Anyways, if you are looking at this phone, I think it is the best one out there. It is also a unlocked, quad-band phone. If you don't know what that means, "here goes". That means, if you are in Korea, Japan, China or other places in Asia you can buy a sim-card and use this. If you are in Germany, or almost anywhere in Europe, buy a sim-card and you are talking. If you are in Iraq, this phone will work the same rules apply. Get it? It can be used almost anywhere.
The bottom line for those that skipped directly down is: "I like it and think it is worth the cost". Look around and I think you will find, this one is superior to the others that are out there.
Michael W. McFall
UPDATE 6/17/10:
I have my replacement phone. I really love it.
As far as the phone part and watch part goes, it works flawlessly. As far as the other features go, I am still learning it as I go.
One feature I really like is the fact I can put a picture on the phone's wallpaper and still have the time on it. Another feature that surprised me is that you can use the phone as a webcam. Think of how useful that can be using "skype" at the airport when you pull out your laptop and want to talk to your loved one. I really appreciate that feature and that changes the webcam feature from entertainment only to something I can really use.
The bottom line is this: The watch phone lives up to it's name and purpose. The advantage of a watch phone is, you never have to pull out your phone to see who is calling. A quick flick of your wrist and it's done. The second big advantage is you do not need to hear this phone. You can put it on vibrate and feel it every single time as it sits directly on your skin. Think of the advantages...
Warning: If you buy this, then get a bluetooth that connects fast if your not going to keep it in your ear. I have the Motorola H720. I can put it out of my pocket flip the boom and it is connected, "just like that". I love it!!! The bluetooth that comes with the watchphone really doesn't work in the way I just described. It is a stereo headset. I haven't played with it enough to determine how I want to use it.
The only thing I would change from when I first wrote this review is, the phone is far more reliable than I expected. When the first one broke I had my doubts, but this one really works and lives up to my expectations.
When they come out with an updated version of this, I plan to be checking it out.

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AOKA-1G: GiSTEQ Bluetooth GPS Adapter for Nikon DSRL (For Nikon D200, D300, D300s, D700, D2X, D2Xs, D2Hs, D3, D3X, and Fujifilm S5Pro) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought the AOKA-1G in preference to the Nikon GPS because feedback indicated that the power drain of the camera body was much lower. I found that the AOKA-1G had no discernible impact on battery life compared to no adapter at all. I chose a Tom Tom Bluetooth GPS (the selection of those devices is getting small) and after some fumbling managed to link the two. The GiSTEQ adapter's instructions for doing so were somewhat unclear but once I established the link, subsequent link-ups went smoothly.

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Canon PIXMA MP990 Wireless Inkjet Photo All-In-One Printer (3749B002) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Fair disclosure: I've had this printer up and running for less than 48 hours. But the early results have been so incredibly good, I felt a review was in order. If you, like me, have been on an endless search for an AIO that actually worked as advertised and could hold its own with minimal compromise vs. more task specific printers, then I believe your search has ended with the 990.
Setup: A+. I have two Macs, one a PowerMac G5 running 10.5, the other a Macbook Pro running Snow Leopard, both on my Airport Extreme (simultaneous dual band) network, and setup was about as close to plug and play as you could get. Just BE SURE that if you're running 10.6, you download all the latest drivers from Canon's website. The software CD packed with the printer is not updated for Snow Leopard.
Wireless Performance: As noted above, connecting to my home network was a snap. I've had no dropped connections over two days. Now, I've never had a problem printing wirelessly in the past, but scanning wirelessly and reliably? Forget it. At least, until the 990, which worked flawlessly on both machines from the first scan. You'd swear that Apple, and not Canon, had designed this hardware/software solution. Pop in a document, click scan, choose which computer you want to send it to and you're done.
Printing Quality: A. Superb quality on both black text and color graphics, and all reasonably quick.
Photo Quality: Haven't gotten into this yet, but professional reviews posted thus far indicate that the photo printing performance is excellent.
Scanning/Copying Quality: A. Scans and copies are incredibly good. Haven't tried negs or slides as yet.
Ease of Use: A. If Apple designed its own printer, this is how it would work. An amazingly intuitive interface.
I'll post an update after I've put it through its paces a while longer, but it's a definite 5 stars out of the box. Thanks for taking the time to read this review--I hope you found the info useful in helping you make a buying decision!
Update as of 10/16/09:
The Bad News: Within 2 weeks of posting my review, this printer has dropped in price by $100! Oh well... that'll teach me to be first in line to buy a new model! :-)
The Good News: I rated it 5 stars at $299 and I still think it's every bit as good as noted in my review. At $199, it's now a steal of a deal as well.
UPDATE AS OF 12/7/09
The professional reviews are now coming in for the MP990, and they're raving: Computer Shopper gave it a 9 out of 10, and [...] gave it Editor's Choice, stating that they had a hard time coming up with any "cons" for their conclusion. I remain totally satisfied after two months of use.
UPDATE AS OF 4/3/10
So, 6 months after purchase, do I still think this is a 5 star printer? Well, yes and no. The printer performance remains every bit as good as previously described. But the ink usage has been another matter. While I've owned a variety of other inkjets, this is my first Canon, and I feel it penalizes you more than other brands for light usage. After printing perhaps 2-3 dozen pages with color on them--and I'm talking very moderate amounts of color and no printing of photos--I've just had to replace all five color cartridges at a cost of $50 at Amazon discount prices. Do the math and you realize that this is a huge cost-per-page, driven by this printer's all-too-frequent automatic cleaning cycles of the print cartridges, which use up large amounts of ink whether you're actually priniting or not. Of course, all inkjets do this, but I feel this Canon takes it to a whole other level that just seems like a blatant cleaning of your wallet. That said, if you print color regularly, the ink usage may well be on par with the norm.

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Ultimate Wireless Photo All-In-One with 3.8-Inch LCD and Built-In Auto Duplex Printing.

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HP Photosmart B8550 Inkjet Photo Printer Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Fuzzy Wuzzy's Summary:
**** Recommended with warm fuzzies.
This printer joins my home office in addition to a Canon Pixma Pro9000 Professional Large Format Inkjet Printer (9995A001) large format photo printer and an older Epson RX500 All-in-One printer/scanner/copier. I tend to mainly use the Epson for low-color non-photo printing since it seems to be the most wasteful with ink usage (replacing its 6 ink cartridges is not cheap and the printer annoyingly always uses some of the 5 non-black color inks even if you are printing a black-and-white text-only page), with the HP B8550 and Canon Pro9000 being used exclusively for photo printing. I am a serious amateur photographer with way more DSLR cameras, lenses, and gear than can be justified given that I have never earned any income from my photography, but I enjoy printing everything from 4x6 photos to 13x19 enlargements. I frame the 13x19 photos and circulate displays of photos on walls around my house, as well as print photos for friends, so I suppose that is my "payback" for this hobby. My photography interests include people and pets, travel and vacation photos, nature photography and macro close-ups, and John Fielder-inspired wide-angle shots of landscapes and wilderness.
The B8550 printer's size is typical for a large format printer. At 23 inches wide, it is overall smaller than my Canon Pro9000 since the Pro9000 also has a top-feed paper tray whereas the B8550 input and output trays both are in front of the printer. In fact, it is probably one of the smallest and lightest photo printers available that can print on 13x19 paper. But if you place this printer on your desk next to your computer, the footprint of this printer will likely occupy a large portion of your desk. My home office consists of one desk, one computer workstation table, four 2-drawer file cabinets, and several bookshelves. Both the Canon Pro9000 and HP B8550 printers now sit on separate 2-drawer file cabinets.
Like many printers, the B8550 does not include a USB cable (my Canon Pro9000 also did not include the USB cable, even though I think that it is lame for manufacturers to not include the cable with their printers). I actually had to combine a 10-foot A/B plug USB cable with another USB extension cable in order to place this printer on another 2-drawer file cabinet that was farther away from the USB hub sitting on my desk. When used with the optional HP bt500 - Network adapter - USB - Bluetooth 2.0 EDR , you can connect this printer via Bluetooth. But I have not always been happy with the consistency of Bluetooth connections, and so I decided to use an extension USB cable instead. Another connectivity option that I considered was to use the HP Wireless Printing Upgrade Kit (Q6236A) , but judging from the widely varying opinions about that product, I also stayed away from that option.
I found that the top of the 23-inch-wide printer made for a convenient place to put 13x19 photos right after they are printed to ensure the inks are fully dry for a short period before further handling. And one nice aspect of 13x19-inch photo printouts is that they are very similar in size to the full-screen image that I preview on my 22-inch widescreen monitor. I also have to admit that after looking at my digital photos both on a 22-inch widescreen monitor and by selectively printing out 13x19 photos, I rarely print 4x6 or 5x7 photos anymore; 8x10 photos are now the smallest size that I print out.***** Excellent 5-fuzzies feature ratings:
***** The HP B8550 is a quality printer with a variety of thoughtful features built into it that accentuate its usability for those looking for a mid-range large format photo printer. If your main interest is in printing lots of 4x6 photos or if you are just using a low-resolution digital camera with a tendency to take blurry photos, you may be just as happy using a less expensive photo printer since a 13x19 photo will accentuate the imperfections that were caused by a bad camera shot. Also, if you print more documents than photos, a photo printer like this should not be your only primary printer.
***** Unlike the Canon Pro9000, the B8550's control panel includes a 2.4-inch color LCD display. It has a surprising variety of built-in functions. You can insert various memory cards into the printer and, just using the control panel without needing to access the computer, perform functions such as:
o Perform "Red Eye Removal" editing on your photos.
o Print out ruled notebook paper, graph paper, music paper, a task checklist, and even a fairly challenging maze.
o Clean and align the printhead.
o Print a "Printer Status Report" that shows the printer's model and serial number, how many pages you have printed so far, and the date when you installed each of the 5 ink cartridges.
o Set language and country/region preferences for the displays.
o Create and assemble photo album pages, create panorama prints, create wallet and passport photos.
o View and edit photos that are on your memory card. Rotate, crop, resize, perform a "Photo Fix" adjustment (which I did not really ever find to be useful), adjust brightness on the photo, add a "Color Effect" of Black&White, Sepia, or Antique, perform a Print Preview, add a date stamp to the photo being printed.
While the basic photo-editing functions suffice for printing 4x6 photos without needing to use the computer, if you are printing larger photos (especially 13x19 photo paper), you really should be editing your photos from your computer where you can see a much larger screen since the 2.4-inch LCD display only allows rudimentary previews of photos similar to the 2.5-inch LCD on digital cameras. But it is nice to at least give the user the option to insert memory cards or a USB storage device into the printer and immediately start printing after performing some basic photo editing. You can also connect a PictBridge camera to the USB port on the front of the printer.
***** Installation and set-up of the B8550 printer hardware went smoothly. In addition to the included "Start Here" set-up instructions, when you first turn on the printer, the LCD screen also guides you, using short animated videos, through the installation of the printhead and ink cartridges, and the loading of the paper into the two trays, the "photo tray" that holds 4x6 and 5x7 photo paper and the "main tray" that holds the larger paper sizes on up to the 13x19 paper.**** Good 4-fuzzies feature ratings:
**** Taking into account the mid-range price of this printer and the fact that it is one of the most inexpensive 13x19 photo printers, I would rate the print quality quite good. I selected various scenery and nature photographs that were taken using a Canon EOS 40D 10MP DSLR. On 4x6 photos, the B8550 output is pretty much identical to my Canon Pro9000. When comparing 13x19 photos using the best quality settings for both printers, however, my Canon Pro9000 does have better color quality, better color accuracy, and clarity than the B8550. But the differences are usually very subtle... which is a very pleasant surprise since I was comparing the output from the 4-ink-color (cyan-magenta-yellow-black) B8550 to the output from the 8-ink-color Pro9000. During these 13x19 photo comparisons, I was printing photos on the B8550 using both HP Advanced Glossy Photo Paper and HP Premium Plus Photo and Proofing Gloss paper. And the Pro9000 was printed using Canon papers. The Pro9000 is also about 40% more expensive than the HP B8550. Canon's Pro9000 is also packaged with far better software (aimed at the pro or serious amateur photographer) compared with what is included with the B8550.
Even though HP advertises that their "Vivera inks offer instant-dry, smudge-resistant photos", I left one slight thumbprint on the very edge of one of my first 13x19 printouts using their recommended HP Advanced Glossy Photo Paper when I immediately picked up the sheet the moment it fully came out of the printer. But if I carefully lifted the just-printed photo from the bottom and let it sit by itself for a few minutes, the photo ink did admirably live up to the smudge-resistant claim as I was able to vigorously rub my thumb over dark areas of the photo without creating smudges.*** Not-so-good 3-fuzzies feature ratings:
*** The one aspect of the printer that I consider to be a mechanical design flaw is in the way the output tray and paper extender lock into place when raised up to a 45-degree angle. The output tray and paper extender are housed in one unit that sits above and covers the main paper input tray below it. To access the main paper input tray, you pivot the output tray up and it clicks into place at a raised 45-degree angle, allowing you access to place paper onto the main paper input tray. But the output tray is held at this 45-degree angle with such a loose grip that a slight bump of the printer can cause the output tray to slam back down hard to its horizontal position. This happened twice on my printer and, both times, the output tray swung back downward with such force that I had to check that the plastic hinge on the output tray did not break or crack. Luckily, the tray remained intact, but I learned the lesson not to leave the output tray propped up at its 45-degree angle for too long and to carefully lower it back down with my hand underneath it whenever I load new paper into the main paper input tray...Read more›

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The HP Photosmart B8550 Inkjet Photo Printer makes it easy to produce lab-quality photos as large as 13 x 19-inches at home. Enjoy the versatility of printing from your computer, from a supported memory card, or directly from your PictBridge enabled camera. And because this Photosmart printer also produces laser-quality text, you can rely on it for all your printing needs.
Easy-to-access ports let you print directly from memory cards. Print Directly From Cameras and Memory Cards Printing photos and enlargements at home is convenient and cost-effective. The HP Photosmart B8550 Inkjet Photo Printer offers several printing options. With a 2.4-inch color LCD display, you can review, select, and enhance photos without the use of your computer. It features 15 convenient buttons that let you zoom-in to check out details before you print and perform quick editing tasks. With special HP technology, red eye reduction is as easy as pushing a single button, and the printer's four LED indicators let you know if anything needs your attention before you start printing.
Dedicated slots let you print directly from a variety of common memory cards, including Compact Flash, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Duo, Secure Digital/MultiMediaCards, and xD-Picture Cards. You can also print right from any PictBridge enabled camera or computer using one of the printer's high-speed USB connections. This printer also supports wireless operation with the use of HP Blue tooth adapters (not included).
Print Almost Anything, Fast The 125-sheet main tray holds paper from 4 x 6-inches to 13 x 19-inches, including envelopes, standard letter paper, and legal-sized paper. A specialized tray makes it easy to load paper in three common photo sizes--3.5 x 5-inches, 4 x 6-inches, and 5 x 7-inches. Additionally, borderless printing is supported for prints up to 13 x 44-inches.
Document printing is fast, at up to 32 pages per minute for black-and-white draft-quality letters and 31 pages per minute for color draft-quality letters. Unlike with some multi-use printers, photo printing is quick, too. A 13 x 19-inch color photo may be finished printing in as little as 95 seconds.
Innovative Technology for Quality and Reliability Four HP 564 dye-ink cartridges in cyan, magenta, yellow, and photo black provide vivid color images and high-quality black-and-white photos. For laser-quality black text on paper, a fifth cartridge contains black pigment ink. Combined with Advanced Photo Paper, these Vivera inks offer instant-dry, smudge-resistant photos. Plus, with the five-ink system, you only have to replace the cartridges you need, saving you money.
There's plenty of innovative technology behind HP's photo printers. Unique Auto Sense technology uses optical sensors to optimize settings based on what type of paper you are using. And when printing begins, dual-drop volume technology means the specialized print head delivers extremely small drops, allowing detailed images to contain smooth transitions.
When you select the "best" print quality option for color or black and white, this Photosmart printer prints up to 1200 x 1200 dpi. For photographs, it can render images with up to 9600 x 2400-optimized dpi color (when printing from a computer on selected HP photo papers and with 1200-input dpi).
This HP Photosmart printer is backed by a one-year limited hardware warranty and one-year of technical phone support.
What's in the Box HP Photosmart B8550, Printhead Assembly, HP 564 Black Ink Cartridge, HP 564 Photo Black Ink Cartridge, HP 564 Cyan Ink Cartridge, HP 564 Magenta Ink Cartridge, HP 564 Yellow Ink Cartridge, power cord, Software CD, Photo media sample pack, Start Here Poster, User Guide, and Creative Projects Guide.

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BGT-31: Genie BGT-31 Waterproof Sport Bluetooth GPS Data Logger with SD Expansion Slot Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I got this for cycling and kayaking, and love it.
I've been pleasantly surprised how easy it has been to use multiple functions; the interface is surprisingly mature for such a gadget.
It easily and automatically logs tracks in internal memory and/or SD card at rates up to 1/sec, or after you've traveled a given distance. You can download tracks in google earth format and show grandma where you kayaked, then forgot to turn it off and drove home, and then had your son strap it on his bike for a ride: [...]
Trip odometer/speedometer functions are good. The "speed genie" shows your speeds automatically when you exceed a certain amount, so you don't even have to set it to the right mode before taking off -- just turn it on and it will both track and show your speed.
Battery life is excellent; using it an hour or so most days, I can go for weeks without worrying about charging.
I've even used it in the car by uploading routes from google maps using the supplied software and setting it to beep at me when I approach my turns. (Now, if only it had different beeps for right and left turns...)

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Canon WFT-E1 Wireless File Transmitter for Canon 20D, 30D, 40D, 5D, 1D Mark II and 1Ds Mark II Digital SLR Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This device will use an ad hoc transmission to an FTP configured laptop (ie with built in wireless), but at the slower 801.11b mode - generally plenty fast enough >1mbyte/sec, so a high res raw file will be transferred in 10 seconds.
This has a great range - can cover a football field with extnded range antenna - blue tooth is unreliable across a dance floor.
If you are pro and need fast upload to acomputer for client reasons, go for it.
Pricey, but then they don't sell 1,000,000 of 'em to recoup the development cost.
One safe guard is it won't work if you are out of memory - you always have a backup of what you sent - on the card! Of course you can delete it then after your partner calls you on your blue tooth ear bud to let you know it was received and being printed for sale as you shoot your next shot!

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HP PhotoSmart 375B Compact Photo Printer with Battery Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This great little printer brings the magic of Polaroid pictures to the world of digital photography. I got it shortly before Christmas and then when we had the great day with the kids and grandchildren we found that we could easily print pictures from each of three different cameras and share them on the spot. Needless to say, the grandchildren were the most 'shot'. Everyone went home to their faraway places with current pictures in hand - not in the camera! My daughter-in-law, who is heavy into scrapbooking, decided she had to have one.
I bought this printer on the basis of a comparison study in The Wall Street Journal and have been more than satisfied. The editing is easy and thorough, the color rendition is excellent and the printing easy to set up for a series of pictures and more than acceptably fast. One word of caution - the color rendition is honest and will show you if your camera is lacking - my old camera was. With a new Nikon D70, the color comes out accurate and truly vivid. I cannot wait to take this little machine to our next family gathering or to the next wedding we are invited to attend. Imagine, being able to send the couple away on their honeymoon with a nice set of wedding pictures in hand!
Buy this printer and you will never regret it.


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HP Photosmart 375B Compact Photo Printer with Internal Battery - Are you a digital photographer on the go? Print, and share your best images at all your destinations without a computer with this handy, lightweight, mobile printer. Color speed - Best mode -as fast as 90 seconds; Normal mode -as fast as 60 seconds; Draft mode -as fast as 45 seconds Black resolution up to 1200 x 1200 dpi / Color resolution 4800 x 1200 dpi (optimized dpi on HP Premium Photo Paper)Print directly from your camera memory card or use a USB connection and PictBridge enabled camera / 4 memory card slots (CompactFlash Type I and II, SmartMedia, Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard, Memory Stick, XD-PictureCard compatible)May do wireless printing from a camera phone PDA, or other Bluetooth wireless technology device with optional Bluetooth adapter Extract photos from video clips and print Get beautiful black-and-white photos with the HP 100 gray photo inkjet print cartridge (sold separately)Unit Size -8.7 x 4.6 x 4.5 inches / Weight -2.59 lbs

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Canon PIXMA iP5000 Photo Printer Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I originally bought the Epson R200 because it was cheaper, but that printer guzzled ink like an SUV. So, I exchanged it for this printer, whose photos are just as good as the Epson (on glossy paper), with about 1/5 the ink costs. In the one year I had this printer (resulting in thousands of prints) the cheaper ink costs paid for themselves many times over.
One downside to the Canon is a tendency towards yellow tints (but you can adjust this). Also, the head-cleaning mechanism failed after a year of heavy use. By then I'd made thousands of prints, so I wasn't too upset, and in fact replaced the printer with an identical model.
The Pixma 5000's prints look stunningly great on glossy photo paper. They actually look better than the photo labs I've used, in my opinion. Contrast and color are great. Most 4-ink printers (as opposed to the 6-ink or 8-ink printers) suffer from "dithering", i.e. they give you tiny little dots instead of smooth colors, but the Canon has almost no visible dithering. The Canon's colors tend to be slightly yellow, but this can be adjusted in the print settings.
In photo quality, the Pixma 5000 beat every other 4-color Canon or Epson printer at my local store. Epson's "Durabright" printers pale in comparison, as do Canon's various all-in-one copier/scanner/printers.
However, photos on plain paper do not look good, and lack contrast and crispness. This is actually a problem with most inkjet printers, though the Epson R200 seems to do a better job with plain paper than the Canon, mainly because its black inks are somewhat darker. Printing on matte paper is also tricky - midtones come out too dark, so photos look dull and muddy unless you lighten the midtones in Photoshop.
The Pixma's small 1 picoliter droplets really help with text, which is crisper and sharper than the Epson R200. Text pages also print quite fast.
Best of all, the Canon is unusually efficient with ink. I got an impressive number of photos (over 250 glossy 4x6's) with each color cartridge, and almost 300 photos with the black cartridge. The Epson only gave me 50-60 photos per cartridge set. Not only do the Canon cartridges last longer, they are cheaper, and there are only 4 instead of 6 to buy. By my estimate, Canon ink costs 5-7 times less per page than Epson. In the long run this is a HUGE difference, and more than makes up for the slightly higher cost of the printer itself.
I have only one major gripe: After about 6 months of use, the printer's self-cleaning mechanism failed. This caused black streaks on the edge of prints. Cleaning the print head would help temporarily, but the streaks would return soon. After one year of heavy use, I had to replace the printer. But I definitely got my money's worth, and then some. Overall, this is still one of the best inkjet printers I've ever seen, combining high quality, low maintenance costs, and versatility with text and graphics.

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Printing professional quality photos from home has become a reality, thanks to easy-to-use photo printers like the Canon PIXMA ip5000. By combining five-color printing and a 1,856-nozzle print head that's capable of delivering superfine 1-picoliter ink droplets (up to 22 million droplets per inch), the ip5000 delivers stunningly accurate prints that should leave professional photo labs a little worried.
Color resolution is as high as 9,600 x 2,400 dpi, with black-and-white resolution of up to 600 x 600 dpi. Print speeds are as high as 25 ppm in black, 17 ppm in color, while a borderless 4-by-6-inch photo can take as little as 36 seconds. The same drive system responsible for the ip5000's improved print speeds also results in a low 34 dB(A) noise level. (All reported speeds are maximums. Actual speeds will vary.)
Precision Color Distribution Technology Unlike other systems, nozzle configuration in Bubble Jet printers is simple, so it is easier to make them smaller and more dense. Using its superior semiconductor manufacturing technology, Canon has succeeded in developing an ultrahigh-precision, multinozzle print head. The problem of color inconsistency has been solved by positioning a mirror-image line of 128 nozzles (600 dpi pitch for each color) at a half-pitch offset from the existing line. This configuration also provides the added advantage of enabling high-resolution printing at 1,200 dpi.
Easy-PhotoPrint v3.0 While most photo-editing software applications will brighten the entire image, Easy-PhotoPrint 3.0 accurately detects the subject's face and adjusts the skin to the optimum tone. Brighten dark faces caused by bright backgrounds. Choose from one-click automatic to correct the entire image all at once, or manual to correct just a selected area.

Easy-PhotoPrint 3.0 also lets you select and print any image on your PC, perfectly trim images, correct images using lab-quality retouching features, correct red-eye, smooth facial lines and skin tone, sharpen faces, remove blemishes, and print in a variety of sizes and layouts.
Along with a wide variety of plain and photo papers, the ip5000 also accepts envelopes and transparencies. The dual paper path allows you to print two-sided documents or simply store photo papers in one tray and plain paper in the other.
With its easy-to-use USB port, hooking up the printer to your computer is a snap, while a direct print port allows you to print directly from a PictBridge-compatible digital camera or DV camcorder, with or without your computer. The software bundle includes Easy-PhotoPrint and PhotoStitch. Compatible with both PC and Mac operating systems, the ip5000 comes backed with a one-year limited warranty on both parts and labor.
What's in the Box PIXMA iP5000 photo printer, print head and ink tanks (BCI-3eBK black, BCI-6BK black, BCI-6C cyan, BCI-6M magenta, BCI-6Y yellow), power cord, easy setup instructions, documentation kit (Quick Start Guide, Registration Card), Setup Software and User's Guide on CD-ROM, Canon Photo Paper Pro for Borderless Printing (4-by-6 sample pack); USB cable not included

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