Black Berry storm - Review

The BlackBerry Storm is generating a serious competition to Apple iphone, RIM introduced a genuine touch screen phone with all the features one could expect in an iphone.

Hardware of Blackberry Storm

The overall shape of Blackberry storm is more or less similar to other black berry mobiles, in size it is a little larger than other BlackBerries and the iPhone and is a little heavier too because of the larger screen - 5.5 ounces compared to 4.7 ounces for the iPhone 3G.

The most interesting feature of the Storm is the Sure Press touchscreen - using “click-through”. When you click something on the screen you actually click down on the screen, providing some feedback. While this may seem different, it works and you will quickly get used to it.

Main Buttons of Black berry storm

Touchscreen

The Touchscreen is the centerpiece of the BlackBerry Storm. This screen is different than the iPhone’s for a few important reasons. The screen on the Storm is higher resoultion, the storm is 480 pixels by 360 pixels the iPhone is 480x320 pixels. The screen will tilt between landscape and portrait using an accelerometer similar to the iPhones.

The main difference, though, is that the screen on the Storm uses “Click-Through”. This means that to press a button on the screen you are actually pushing down the screen. You can’t so much feel the screen press down as you get a nice feedback feeling letting you know that you pressed a button. This makes for great feel on the keyboard and other on controls.

This video will give you a good idea of the features of the touchscreen:

Keyboard

The keyboard feel on the BlackBerry Storm is full QWERTY when in landscape view. The feel is arguably the best of any touchscreen keyboard because of the clickable screen. While it will take a few days to get up to full speed, current BlackBerry users will be very happy with the typing on the device. When you switch to portrait mode - the standard mode for a cell phone, there are two options for typing. (1) The keyboard from the Pearl - 20 buttons, some with two letters, others with 1 or (2) A normal phone keypad where you choose letters by multiple taps on the numbers.

Camera

The camera on the Storm is great, certainly better than the iPhone’s. It is 3.2 megapixel with an autofocus, 2x digital zoom, autofocus, and video ability.

Storage Capacity

The Storm has 1GB of internal storage and ships with an 8GB MicroSD card. The Storm can handle MicroSD cards up to 16GB. The Storm will have enough room for any personal media player needs, but it may not be able to store your entire media collection - unless you buy a lot of MicroSD cards.

Software

The Software on the Storm is nothing groundbreaking. It lacks the visual appeal of the iPhone’s interface and instead stuck with the tried and tested operating system that BlackBerry users have grown used to. The operating system is very similar to the system on the BlackBerry Bold. Still, what it lacks in visual beauty or extreme innovation it makes up for in excellent functionality.

Web Browser

The Web Browser is full featured and at least RIM claims, top of its class. You double click to zoom in and slide your fingers to scroll and pan.

Media

The Storm allows for playback of most major audio formats, including WMA and mp3. The high resoultion screen and well volumed speakers mean that you can easily use the device to watch our favorite shows or even a movie. Besides the fact that it won’t connect to iTunes, the storm is on par with the iPhone as a media player. Overall it is a well featured personal media player.

Productivity

The Storm is as full featured as a business phone can be. It includes DataViz Documents to Go software to view and edit Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files.

Email

The Storm uses BlackBerry’s Push email system that is fully compliant with exchange server. You expect the best RIM can offer and that’s exactly what the Storm offers.

Visual Voicemail

Like the iPhone, you see a visual representation of your voicemail. This means that the phone shows the caller either by number or name (if they are stored in your phone) and the date, time, and length of the message. This is great because it lets you listen to the important messages, makes it easier to save messages, and best of all you can delete the ones you don’t want to listen to.

This phone is the first phone to really appear as a challenger to the iPhone in the premium smart phone category. While it would have been revolutionary if it came out two years ago, most of the technology is nothing new. Still, with a base price of under $200 with contract for regular users and a price of under $100 for business users, this phone is a steal. If you use a BlackBerry now, you would be even happier if you had a BlackBerry Storm.

The main problem with the Storm has nothing to do with the Phone itself. It’s the fact that it is only being sold by select retailers worldwide and in the US specifically Verizon. While Verizon has an excellent network and is certainly a quality company, it is also one of the most expensive mobile phone companies. If you are OK with paying a bit more for service, the BlackBerry Bold is definitely the phone for you.

Summary of Features:
Battery Life - 5.5 Hours Talktime / 15 Hours Standby.
Screen - 480 x 360 pixel sure press, light sensitive touch sreen.
Media Playback - Audio and Video including: MPEG4 H.263, MPEG4 Part 2 Simple Profile, H.264, WMV
Email Integration - Full BlackBerry Enterprise Server Options.
Camera - 3.2 MegaPixels with Video Recording.
GPS - Built in GPS with BlackBerry Maps.
Keyboard - Touch Screen QWERTY Keyboard.
Web Browser - Full HTML Browser in either portrait or landscape.

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SanDisk Sansa Fuze Review

The Sansa Fuze from SanDisk, is a cool little MP3/4 player along the same vein as the iPod Nano. We’ve recently been sent one to play with so here are our thoughts and findings (or a review so to speak).

Aesthetically the Fuze is a cute little player.The physical UI consists of a rotating front dial which also acts as the 4 navigation buttons with the center button for selection. The display crisp with a resolution of 220 x 176, large enough for watching the odd music video but you wouldn’t want to watch a feature length film on it. Sound quality was good (though as with just about any MP3 player the supplied headphones aren’t the greatest). What most impressed me about the Fuze are the extra features that you don’t find on other (note iPod) players, including:

Built in microphone
FM radio
microSD Slot, a really cheap way to expand the capacity
Easy to transfer files (drag and drop) without the need of propriety software
Though there are a few downsides:

Propriety USB connection, it obviously comes the cable but a standard mini USB connection would be much more convenient especially for charging
You bookmark videos but not audio books

The Fuze comes in 2, 4 and 8GB versions with prices starting from ~$70 at Amazon.

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Anthem Blue Cross health insurance

Anthem blue cross company is a A rated company from A.M. Best Company. It is the oldest and one of the most trusted insurance company in California. It provides insurance plan for dental, vision, life and disability.

Review of Anthem Blue Cross health insurance
Most of my friends and relatives residing at US are insured by Anthem Blue cross health insurance. It provides a better coverage in low cost, as low as 25$. It covers dental problems as well and many of my friends whenever required medical assistance, they had to pay a bare minimum cost and rest was taken care by Blue cross insurance company without any problem or glitch.

You dont have to run after this insurance compnay to get a claim which is really hectic for a patient and their relatives at that time because their whole attention is towards care of the patient.

Thus a person residing at US is strongly recommended to have Anthem Blue cross health insurance plan.

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Nikon D 90 - First digital camera with high definition videos

Review of Nikon D 70 Digital camera

Nikon has been pumping out digital SLR camera upgrades like crazy, over the past years, with the launch of the D60, D 300, D 700 and the D 3x to cover the low high and pro end lineup. It is company's newest offering in the mid level segment and has stolen the show.

The feature of D 90 that is most attractive is not its still photography but it is the first digital SLR on the planet with the ability to record movies and can do it in high definition, no less. None of that VGA (640 x 480 pixel) output that has been standard for compact cameras for years now.

It is cler that the D90 is a milestone in digital camera innovation, but its hard to escape the impression that this is first generation, and rather the early signs of things to come.

If you switch to the SLR world and need to zoom in our out, or if your subject is moving, you need to focus the lens manually. This is a drawback as it takes a lot to get accustomed to use it especially if you are habituated to use an automatic camera.

Sound recording is of nothing more to write about and the p[erson with camera can only hear it.

Honestly speaking, this is not a camera to buy for video capability, though video is an interesting extra feature. For still pictures it is beyond compare as the image quality is extremely good.

The D 90 is very much a complete kit, and builds on D 80's features by including many of the high end options from D 300. The automatic chromatic abberation is one example.

Features of Nikon D 70 digital camera

Format SLR
Price (street) 69,950 Rs.
Release Status Discontinued
Max resolution 3008 x 2000
Low resolution 2240 x 1488, 1504 x 1000
Image ratio w:h 3:2
Effective pixels 6.0 million
Sensor photo detectors 6.3 million
Sensor size 23.7 x 15.5 mm (3.67 cm²)
Pixel density 1.6 MP/cm²
Sensor type CCD
Sensor manufacturer Sony
ISO rating Auto, 200 - 1600
Digital zoom No
Image stabilization No
Auto Focus Nikon Multi-CAM900
Manual Focus Yes
White balance override 6 positions, plus manual preset
Min shutter 30 sec
Max shutter 1/8000 sec
Built-in Flash Yes, pop-up
Flash range 11 m
External flash Yes, hot-shoe
Flash modes Front curtain, Rear curtain, Red-Eye, Slow, Red-Eye Slow
Exposure compensation -5 to +5 EV in 1/2 or 1/3 EV steps
Metering 3D Matrix metering, Center weighted, Spot
Aperture priority Yes
Shutter priority Yes
Focal length multiplier 1.5
Lens thread Nikkor AF / F-mount, D-Type
Continuous Drive Yes, 3 fps, up to 12 JPEG images
Movie Clips No
Remote control Yes, Optional (ML-L3)
Self-timer Yes, 2 to 20 sec
Timelapse recording No
Orientation sensor Yes
Storage types Compact Flash (Type I or II)
Storage included None
Uncompressed format Yes, RAW
Quality Levels Fine, Normal, Basic
Viewfinder Optical (Pentamirror, 95% coverage, 0.75x magnification)
LCD 1.8 "
LCD Dots 130,000
Live View No
USB USB 1.0 (1.5Mbit/sec)
HDMI No
Wireless No
Environmentally sealed No
Battery Nikon EN-EL3 Lithium-Ion & charger included
Weight (inc. batteries) 679 g (24 oz)
Dimensions 140 x 111 x 78 mm (5.5 x 4.4 x 3.1 in)

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Reliance Monthly Income Plan (G) - A top rated mutual fund

A proper and trusted review is required when one goes for an investment. Keeping money in bank doesn't yeild much as the interent rate in savings account as well as fixed deposits are too low and is not expected to increase further. Investment in share market at present is too risky. So the best place for an investment in present scenario is mutual funds which is much safer with high return.

Review of Reliance monthly income plan (G) mutual fund

Reliance Monthly Income Plan (G) ranks second among the best mutual funds at present, but if we see the last five year return it had been on top for so many days. The 52 week highest Net asset value (NAV) was 16.75 Rs and at present its NAV is Rs.15.85. This indicates that in spite of bitterness in the equity market this company had judiciously invested their money and have a strong financial advisors.

In last 5 years in spite of global crunch it was only once when its return came into negative and that was 3 months back and that too negative by only 2.6%. More than 50% return has been given in last five years. The brand Reliance is itself a name of trust in financial market.

Thus in my view this is the best place to invest our hard earn money for proper growth.

Investment information

Fund Type : Open-Ended
Investment Plan : Growth
Asset Size (Rs cr) : 156.02 (Feb-27-2009)
Min. Investment : Rs 10,000
Last Dividend : N.A.
Bonus : N.A.

Performance of Reliance Monthly Income Plan (G)

The period and the average return in percentage given by Reliance Monthly Income Plan (G) is detailed below
1 month - (1.9%)
3 months - (-2.6%)
6 m0nths - (10.2%)
1 year - (11.7%)
2 years - (18.1%)
3 years - (27.0%)
5 years - (57.5%)

Thus it is strongly recommended to invest in this mutual fund.

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Nokia N97 - A cell phone which can created hurdle for iphone market

Review of Nokia N97 cell phone

Nokia is always a trusted brand and the durability, battery life, network catching capacity is not comparable with any other phone. The launch of iphone is appearing to be a big setback for the mobile market, but Nokia with its model N97 can create a big hurdle for iphone market. Its button is supposed to be minimum in comparison to HTC and blackberry with a highly sensitive touch screen. The screen is bigger and all features of an iphone is expected to be present. Its proximity sensor for auto turn-off can make it more useful in long journey where there is no facility to recharge.

The complete review will be posted once it is launched in Indian market but it is expected to serve as a palmtop.

Features of Nokia N97 cell phone

Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network HSDPA 900 / 1900 / 2100

Dimensions 117.2 x 55.3 x 15.9-18.3 mm
Weight 150 g

Display Type TFT touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 360 x 640 pixels, 3.5 inches
- Proximity sensor for auto turn-off
- Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate
- Full QWERTY keyboard
- Handwriting recognition
- Ringtones Type Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3
- Vibration Yes
- Stereo speakers

Memory Phonebook Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall
Call records Detailed, max 30 days
Card slot microSD (TransFlash), up to 16GB
- 32 GB internal memory

Data GPRS Class 32
HSCSD Yes
EDGE Class 32
3G HSDPA, 3.6 Mbps
WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, UPnP technology
Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP
Infrared port No
USB Yes, v2.0 microUSB
Features OS Symbian OS v9.4, Series 60 rel. 5
Messaging SMS, MMS, Email, Push Email, IM
Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML, RSS feeds
Games Yes + downloadable
Colors White, Brown
Camera 5 MP, 2584x1938 pixels, Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus, video(VGA@30fps), flash; secondary videocall camera
- Built-in GPS receiver
- A-GPS support
- Nokia Maps 2.0 Touch
- Digital compass
- MP3/WMA/WAV/eAAC+ player
- MPEG4/WMV/3gp video player
- Stereo FM radio with RDS
- TV out
- 3.5 mm audio output jack
- Voice command/dial
- Flash Lite 3
- Stand-by Up to 430 h

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Maruti Suzuki Alto LXi - BS III - A car which value money and status

Review of Maruti Suzuki Alto LXi - BS III

The one reason why people opt for Maruti car is the availability of service station. Inspite of being fond of bigger car small car becomes the automatic choice in a crowded city due to parking problems. Another benefit is the fuel efficiency as one has rightly said that a day will come when cars will be bought in cash and for fuel there will be easy monthly installments.

Maruti suzuki Alto LXi - BS III having all the above advantages, though from outside it seems to be constraint in space but it is sufficient for a four member family. 800 cc engine is a disadvantage but there is no problem with AC as it work efficiently without any problem in engine.

Overall Maruti Suzuki Alto LXi - BS III is a worth to purchase who can compromise with space inside on account of economy, value of price and reliability.

It has a nice and attractive look which certainly can match your status too. Thus Maruti Suzuki Alto LXi - BS III is a car which value your money and status both.

Features of Maruti Suzuki Alto LXi - BS III

Comfort

* AC with heater
* Rotary control for AC
* Tinted glasses
* Outside rear view mirror (RHS)
* Remote fuel lid opener
* Electronic power steering


Exterior

* Front Bumper
* Dynamic Front Grill
* S mark


Interior

* Fabric seats
* Moulded carpet
* Luggage compartment carpet
* Moulded door trims
* Cabin lamp
* Electronic Tripmeter
* Floor front console with cup holders
* Floor rear console
* Glove Box
* Front door pockets


Safety

* Clear lens headlamps
* Head lamp leveling dovice – 4 steps
* Clear lens tail lamps
* Collapsible steering column
* Side-impact beams
* Rear door child safety lock
* Front and rear seat belts
* Rear seat head restraints
* High mount stop lamp
* Booster assisted brakes

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