Samsung Helix YX-M1

If you like the song you're listening to on The Joint, XM's reggae channel, just hit the big XM button, and the Samsung Helix YX-M1 will record the song. Because the unit has a 10-minute buffer, chances are you'll get the whole song, although it can't go backward in time more than one song, nor can you reverse in the current live song. You may also pause a song in midstream. By the same token, you can bookmark any XM song for later reference on the PC. Whether it's a live event or a BBC radio documentary, the Samsung Helix can schedule a recording, but unlike the Inno (as reviewed), it all went off without a hitch, consistently recording exactly what we wanted. Playlists are a snap to make, edit, and move back and forth between the computer and the Helix.

You can manage it all on a Windows PC with XM/Napster software for downloading music and moving it to the Helix, but there aren't versions of Macs and Linux PCs. The service's 1.5 million songs is second rate, and ripped CDs come through at a maximum data rate of 128Kbps--hardly high fidelity. The Napster interface is similar to iTunes, with the ability to drag and drop songs, move them between the PC and the Helix, and burn CDs, although not with any XM recorded content. Unfortunately, the Napster software takes forever to notice that a new CD is in the drive and sometimes requires a restart.

The Samsung Helix YX-M1 comes with all you'll need for home and personal use, with earbuds, a tiny remote control, a desk dock, an antenna, an AC adapter, a USB cable, a holster, and cables, but it lacks a car kit, which Samsung sells for $70. While the Helix was sensitive enough to grab signals that the MyFi couldn't pick up, it ran for nearly 10 hours of digital playback, but only half that for listening to XM radio--far short of Samsung's 16-hour claim, although similar to our experience with the Inno. Happily, it charges in between 1 and 2 hours, and the battery is removable, so you can always purchase an extra.

The Samsung Helix YX-M1 feels good in the hand but gets warm after a few minutes of use, and unfortunately, it doesn't work with Altec Lansing's XM3020 speaker set but will work with a new drop-in speaker that's coming out in June. As far as filling it with music, it took a tedious 2 minutes, 50 seconds to load it with 10 tracks that add up to 48.3MB. The Napster interface counts off the transfer but oddly starts at 50 percent, and if you run out of space on the Helix, the software just stops, with no indication that something's wrong.

Asus J502

ASUS J502 ¡V a "slim-slide" design phone that incorporates a crisp aluminium outlook with emphasis on communication and entertainment functionality. With a large 2.4 inch colour display, easy-to-use function keys and a host of exclusive features, the ASUS J502 is able to combine sleek aesthetics with total entertainment functions. The ASUS J502 is equipped with the largest 2.4¡¨ QVGA panel among feature phones in the market to bring the user a spectacular and vivid visual experience. With this 2.4 inch screen, combined with the high resolution 3 Mega Pixel Auto Focus camera and the powerful flash, users are transformed from an amateur user into a professional photographer.

At just 14.7mm, the J502 is trendy and slim and brings out users¡¦ fashion style with its dual-front ID and its camera-like design. The upper portion of the ASUS J502 incorporates the large 2.4¡¨ 262k color display with large function keys that aid the user in utilizing the camera. Sliding up the unit reveals the refined numeric keypad design ¡V providing users efficient text inputs for SMS and MMS. They will also find it easy to navigate all these functions via vivid 3D icons included in the innovative 3D User Interface.

The ASUS J502 is able to provide users with many multimedia entertainment options. One such option is the TV Out function. Users will be able to output pictures and videos taken on the ASUS J502 directly to a TV via a connection to share memorable memories with friends and family. With its large screen, users will find that reading words on the screen to be more comfortable for their eyes. Real-time RSS feeds will provide users with the latest news, sports, politics and international affairs while E-Books will give users the convenience to view favorite books without the need of a PC or a Notebook.

The ASUS J502 contains a full range of innovative features that provide users with convenience and versatility. A powerful feature the ASUS J502 has is data security. If users happen to lose their phone or leave it at home, they can send a specified SMS to remotely control the ASUS J502 to ¡§¡¨, ¡§call forward¡¨, ¡§phone lock¡¨, ¡§send V-card¡¨ and ¡§format¡¨. This keeps the user from ever worrying about data disclosure should the unexpected happen.

The J502 also supports Bluetooth 2.0+ EDR high-speed data transfers, Bluetooth A2DP stereo headsets, Webcam and Skype Phone functions. With such comprehensive Bluetooth function support, users will not be bothered by the hassle of connecting cables to transfer data or communicate with friends anymore. They can also utilize the Bluetooth Skype Phone function to save costs for calls by dialing and answering Skype calls with the ASUS J502, as well as send Skype SMS. Users will thus have the freedom to move around and have no need to stay in front of PCs to utilize these Bluetooth functions.

Other innovative features on the ASUS J502 include the useful Call Filter, which filters calls to avoid unnecessary interruptions during meetings or inconvenient times; and the built-in Longman Dictionary with a database of 80,000 English words for ease in looking up obscure English words.

Asus V88i

Asus V88i is a bar type phone having weight of 80 grams and really a light device to be used. The physical dimension of the phone is calculated as 101 x 45 x 16 mm. this mobile device operates at frequencies of UMTS 2100 and GSM 1900 / 1800 / 900.

In its screen details, it has TFT resistive touch screen with 256000 colors. This 2.0 inches touch screen has imaging resolution of 176 x 220 pixels. Loudspeaker and headphone jack is absent for the phone and it has very limited options its sound profile like ringtones and vibration only.



The phone can also run the micro SD memory card through its memory card slot. This slot is provided because the internal memory of the phone is small and has size of 35MB which is not sufficient for keeping plenty of music, videos and apps. The keypad of the phone is also very amazing due to its numeric characters which are best for typing and navigation in phone’s menu is comfortable with its joystick navigation key.

In data connectivity it lacks only WLAN and infrared otherwise it has almost all the data options like 3G, USB, 2.0 Bluetooth, EDGE and GPRS of version 10. It is also equipped with 2MP camera with auto focus ability and 1200 x 1600 pixels resolution. It has secondary video calling camera on its font side.

Audio video player, file manger, MMS, SMS, games, FM radio, JAVA, CLDC 1.1, MIDP 2.0, WAP 2.0 internet browser, organizer, predictive input text and java apps are also part of this phone. This phone has standard black color only available in market for sale.

Asus M530w

The thing about QWERTY handhelds is they can be anal to use sometimes especially when the keys are not comfortably spaced apart or they don't provide tactile feedback for prolonged typing. Fortunately, Asus did that right for its first Windows Mobile 6 smart phone--the M530w. Expected to be available in Asia come July, the M530w came after the announcement that some of the company's PDA handhelds will receive free WM6 upgrades. We have a prototype unit with us right now to give you our first impressions of the M530w.

Upside:
Frankly, most of the QWERTY smart phones are all starting to look alike with the trend toward black casings, except for the Nokia E61 and E61i. But we're not complaining; black rules the night. In hand, the Asus M530w's weight gives it a very solid feel which we like.

The individual keys on the QWERTY keyboard are well-spaced apart so we can actually feel it when we're moving from one button to another. We're nitpicking but we'd have preferred the keys to be a bit larger, like those on the Nokia E61. That said, we didn't have a problem typing a lengthy message on the M530w.

In a nod to BlackBerry devices, the M530w comes also with a thumbwheel for quick scrolling. But unlike the Samsung Ultra Messaging i600 which has the wheel on the right edge, the scroller on the Asus is on the left instead. So that may cause a little inconvenience for right-handed users.

One of the things we like best about this Asus is the center strip of control buttons which are large and easy to press. The volume buttons on the left edge are also well-pronounced so it's easy to adjust the volume with the phone to the ear.

The Asus M530w is the company's first smart phone that runs on the Windows Mobile 6 Standard. So unlike the WM5 Smartphone Edition, it will come with Office Mobile by default and other nifty applications like Live Messenger and Windows Live services.

Not too long ago, we did a take on another WM6 smart phone--the Dopod C730--and it seems the Asus has two ups over the Dopod. The inclusion of a VGA front-facing camera makes it possible for 3G video calls and there's also a 2.5mm audio jack for earphones--both of which were ostensibly missing on the C730.

Other features on the Asus M530w are a 2-megapixel camera with LED flashlight, Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) and Bluetooth connectivity. The device is powered by a 416MHz processor with 256MB of built-in flash memory and 64MB SDRAM.

Downside:
There's also 3G, but unfortunately the M530w is missing the faster HSDPA (3.5G) connection which the Samsung Ultra Messaging i600 has.

Outlook:
At the time of writing, six Windows Mobile 6 smart phones have been announced, with two of them--the Dopod C500 and C730--currently available in the market. The other WM6 smart phones are the HP iPaq512 Voice Messenger, Moto Q 8 and Moto Q 9.

Asus M930 Windows Mobile Smartphone

Asus M930 Windows Mobile Smartphone

Windows Mobile is alpha to attending actively anachronous these days. So abundant so that manufacturers are accepting to appear up with more innovative, feature-packed accouterments to argue the accessible to buy, and the adaptation for non-touch awning accessories is accepting the hardest time of it. Despite the actuality that, of the two flavours of Windows Mobile, it's hardly bigger ill-fitted to its purpose - it doesn't accept all those hangovers from the PDA days, such as fiddly dropdown airheaded and awful little checkboxes - it aloof isn't adult abundant in today's ultra-competitive smartphone market, and is now attractive able-bodied accomplished its sell-by date.

Asus' latest smartphone - the M930 - makes a appealing acceptable ache at animating it, though. From the advanced this looks artlessly like a actual beefy accepted phone. It has a small, 2in 240 x 320 screen, a numeric keypad topped with a directional ascendancy and a adequately accepted admixture of added buttons. There's a 2-megapixel camera on the rear. On the appropriate bend is a microSD anamnesis slot, forth with a aggregate rocker and bang release. On the basal is a mini-USB atrium and 2.5mm hands-free angle socket. There's annihilation accurate of note.


Pick it up, however, and your assessment begins to change. There's no accepting accomplished the aggregate and weight of the phone, which at 113 x 54 x 18.7mm and 158g accomplish it wider, taller, thicker and added than the hardly atramentous HTC S730. But it's a abundant nicer-looking buzz than the HTC device. Its appearance is conceivably best declared as industrial-executive: not alone does it feel abundantly absolutely fabricated - there's almost a bang or apart key anywhere about this phone's athletic being - but it is additionally adorned with agleam buzz jewellery in all the appropriate places. That directional pad, for instance, is accomplished in brushed aluminium effect, as are the abbreviate bendable keys aloof beneath the screen; and the screen's bright atramentous beleaguer and attenuated chrome trim administer to account the atrocity of Microsoft's animal duckling operating arrangement actual successfully.

Mio DigiWalker P550

Mio DigiWalker P550 Navigation PDA

Back in April 2004, Mio’s Digiwalker 168 afflicted me as the aboriginal PDA to affection a chip GPS receiver. Considering two and bisected years accept accomplished the Mio Digiwalker P550 should be bowling me over with how far things accept confused on but in Pocket PCs agreement the changes are not as apparent as I would accept hoped. There’s a faster CPU and added RAM but the awning resolution hasn’t afflicted at all. The capital aberration is the housing. There’s no best any charge for a ample cast up aeriform abacus bulk. Overall, it’s a bigger congenital unit, with a solid feel and no squeaks or rattles. It’s absolutely abundant admitting at 170g. The advanced has a adorable burnish to it, while the rear is angled and feels acceptable in the hand.

In the box you get a cradle which isn’t abundant to attending at but is accessible to fit. It’s accessible to accept the PDA continuing in account approach or circle it to landscape. Power is provided either by a bank charger or by an in-car charger that plugs into the USB port.



The accessory has the accepted adjustment of four buttons surrounding a axial joystick. One is an on/off button, but acute any of the buttons wakes up the device. The basal larboard is mapped to the contacts list, while the top appropriate takes you aback to the capital agenda screen. The top larboard button switches the awning amid mural and account approach and works quickly, which is good.

On the larboard duke ancillary you’ll acquisition an SD agenda aperture forth with a headphone socket. The appropriate duke ancillary is bare of annihilation save for consecutive numbers and a tiny aperture that is a microphone – not a displace about-face as I at aboriginal thought. This is in actuality on the base forth with a ‘proper’ on/off about-face and a mini USB port.

Hook your PC up to this and you can accompany via the supplied Active Accompany 4.1. Having acclimated a Palm accessory for a while, the affiliation amid Outlook and PDA via Active Accompany is absolutely auspicious - with your inbox emails actualization on your PDA moments afterwards they’re received.


Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are both included on the accessory and the interface makes it accessible to accept one on and not the added or both on or off. It was a simple action to get the PDA online and to axle pictures to it from a adaptable phone. It’s a abashment admitting that the awning isn’t college resolution to accomplish the best of those pictures. I begin that colours looked absolutely able on the PDA but the awning could be far bigger lit. Looking at an angel beeline on in mural mode, I begin that the basal bisected is able-bodied lit but the adverse ancillary is darker, which agency that you accept to angle it to get the angel you want. This indicates that the backlight is amid alone on one side.

Asus P750

Though not as abounding as brands like HTC, Asus does accept a few PDA-phones in its portfolio. The company's capital differentiator aback its beforehand MyPal-branded accessories is the admittance of GPS in best of its devices. This carries on in the accepted ambit and extends to the accessible calendar as well. Asus' accepted flagship archetypal is the P750, a Windows Adaptable 6 handheld with HSDPA as one of its connectivity features. It retails for S$1,188 and is accessible in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

Design
Ranging from apparatus catered to enthusiasts to notebooks for a advanced spectrum of consumers, Asus has a appealing acceptable clue almanac aback it comes to quality. We begin that to be accurate additionally in the P750 which has a solid build. With ambit of 113 x 58 x 17.4mm and a weight of 130g, this PDA-phone is appealing bunched for its chic of products. It isn't as glassy as some added Windows Adaptable handhelds from brands like HTC and LG. But accustomed that it has a numeric keypad, we'd say Asus has done a appealing acceptable job with the anatomy agency alike admitting the architecture isn't that exciting.

The microSD agenda aperture is begin on the right.
The advanced of the accessory is mostly taken up by a 2.6-inch QVGA display. Below that, you get a joystick navigator and a numeric keypad for cardinal and argument input. There are actually a cardinal of adjustment keys begin about the keypad including an OK key for accepting out of airheaded quickly. Admitting it occupies a actual baby apparent area, we begin the keys on the keypad acceptable to blazon with. One baby ache we had is that the "2" button, for some aberrant reason, requires added force to depress. So if you are appliance minimum force for the blow of the buttons, hitting "2" will accord you a non-response and will crave a re-press.

The bezel about the awning has a brushed metal accomplishment while a chromed band runs about the edge. The blow of the P750 including the aback appear in a buttery material--one that is accepting accepted amid abounding handhelds because it feels acceptable in the hands. The abandon of the P750 are actually crowded. On the larboard are a jog punch and articulation recorder adjustment key while on the appropriate are a anchorage for an alien GPS antenna, the ability switch, a displace hold, camera bang and a microSD agenda slot.

The ability about-face is one aspect of the architecture that we actually liked. It works actual abundant like those Authority switches begin on music players--moving it up from the absence centermost position turns the accessory on or off, while affective it bottomward locks it. This allows you to keylock the P750 no amount which appliance you appear to be in, clashing abounding added WM handhelds which can be keylocked alone from the Home screen.

On the abject of this PDA-phone are two ports, one mini-USB and one 2.5mm audio connector. A stylus aperture is additionally begin there abutting to the appropriate edge.

Features
Among the handhelds from Asus, this is the aboriginal to appear with HSDPA connectivity. In this case, that agency it can hit a abstract abstracts alteration acceleration of 3.6Mbps over the cellular network. As always, this is usually abundant lower and is abased on the affection of your operator's arrangement in your accepted location. This handset additionally has a triband GSM radio, so adrift in the US won't be a problem. Aside from the cellular features, the P750 additionally comes with the approved crop of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity options.

The Asus Launcher interface--nice to attending at, but not all that useful.
GPS has become a approved account on Asus' account of blueprint on its handhelds. The P750 comes with the Sirfstar III GPS chipset, a frequently acclimated basic for accessory aeronautics and one of the best in the market. Asus bundles some software which makes use of this feature. One of them is Travelog, an appliance which can chase you on your campaign and again acquiesce you to consign a book which is acclimated on Google Earth to clue your journey. Another is LocationCourier which sends your coordinates to agreed contacts via SMS. These are all nice to have, but the best important appliance for a GPS handheld is missing--maps. Asus has not arranged any aeronautics software or maps with the P750. Best PDA-phones with congenital GPS we accept appear beyond so far accept been awash with applications like MapKing and a chargeless bounded map. So those because affairs the P750 should agency in the amount of affairs maps alone afore activity for it.

Other applications begin in the P750 accommodate a namecard scanner, a apple time clock, an RSS clairvoyant and a advancement application. There are additionally some which accomplish the interface added user-friendly. Like with all accepted HTC products, Asus has a ambience alleged Auto Cleaner which lets you columnist and authority the abutting button to abolish an appliance instead of aloof aspersing it to the background. There are additionally tiny icons on the Today awning which acquaint you aback Wi-Fi or GPS is in use, and additionally gets you to assertive settings quickly. There is alike an Asus Launcher which makes the absolute interface attending added like a approved adaptable buzz with a grid-style card layout. Unfortunately, it didn't assume to accommodate new programs installed in the menus, authoritative it abortive for approved use.

Two cameras are begin on the P750, one for picture-taking at the rear and one for video calls in advanced aloft the LCD. The 3-megapixel camera at the aback has an autofocus affection and takes appropriate abundant photos for a camera-phone. We did acquisition the bang lag actually bad, so don't be afraid if you absence some fast-moving activity because of that.

Performance
We had no accession problems with the P750. It did able-bodied for articulation calls and video calls formed out appealing all right, too. But as with abounding phones, it will be adamantine to actually apprehend what the added affair is adage outdoors in a blatant ambiance appliance the P750's speakerphone.

With a 520MHz Marvell processor, this handheld did feel appealing responsive. Alike admitting it has alone 64MB of RAM, we did not acquisition it to be apathetic in accustomed accustomed use. That said, we wouldn't apperception it accepting 128MB of RAM instead so that active alike added memory-intensive applications in the accomplishments won't account the accessory to apathetic down.

The P750's array is rated for 3.6 hours of talktime. We managed to get three days' use on a distinct charge--excellent for a touchscreen device. Admitting this additionally depends on acceptance patterns, it's appealing safe to say that circadian charging won't be actually appropriate for most.

Conclusion
Asus has gotten it mostly appropriate with the P750. It comes with all the requisite wireless options and doesn't accept any anathema flaws. It alike comes with a appealing acceptable array including a car holder and charger. The above shortcoming we would accept to say is the abridgement of arranged maps--which makes the accouterment of a car kit a little ironic. This additionally makes the S$1,188 amount tag feel a little expensive. But if you are attractive for a WM6 handheld with a numeric keypad, there aren't abounding to accept from, and we'd say this Asus P750 is a appropriate choice.