I’ve been toying with the HTC Magic and my verdict has been telltale of expectations that were basically preconceived with a “Google OS.” Apparently Android may be too early in its stages to support a couple of things, especially with the Mac. I’ve been having bad trouble trying to do two things:

1. First, a total free sync solution to the HTC Magic with my iCal and Address Book. If there existed one, the telco where I got it from didn’t really elaborate on the apps. Apparently, not all Androids are created equal and the version for the Philippines packed into the HTC Magic doesn’t even have the online marketplace or Google sign in. Sad!

2. Second, although my USB port recognizes the HTC Magic as a device and charges it, I can’t use it as a target drive to store data. I can’t even detect the microSD card inside it. Transferring photos and vids can be such a pain.

I’ve Google’d. I’ve even Yahoo’ed. Has anyone found a solution to these?

The “Death by Cellphone” series is heartbreaking. Accidents caused by driving while using a cellphone is a no brainer yet people still do it. I guess the emotional trauma is abstract to those who do not understand the loss of a loved one due to bring a victim of mobile phone carelessness. The Distracted Driving site aims to spread the awareness of cellphone hazards while driving, showcasing stories from the family members of car accident victims due to mobile phone distraction.

The fact sheet actually says it all. Here is an excerpt:

# Using cell phones while driving is a very high risk behavior with significant impact on crashes and society. More than 50 peer-reviewed scientific studies have identified the risks associated with cell phone use while driving.

# Drivers who use cell phones are four times more likely to be in a crash while using a cell phone. (1997 New England Journal of Medicine examination of hospital records and 2005 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study linking crashes to cell phone records).

# There is no difference in the cognitive distraction between hand-held and hands-free devices. (Simulator studies at the U. of Utah.)

# Cell phone use contributes to an estimated 6 percent of all crashes, which equates to 636,000 crashes, 330,000 injuries, 12,000 serious injuries and 2,600 deaths each year. (Harvard Center of Risk Analysis).

[image c/o Distracted Driving]

Amazing. Found this out and I’m quite amazed that we have a comprehensive SMS blacklisting tool available for the Symbian platform.

There are really just those annoying SMS messages that come from unknown senders or stalkers. Wouldn’t it be nice to automatically quarantine them for “future reference” with the business end of the law? Also, wouldn’t it be nice to auto quarantine annoying text spam from your carriers asking you to sign up for new promotions and useless downloads? Well, MCleaner does this all. It’s a customizable spam filter, a mobile phone SMS firewall. And your new best friend.

There’s a small caveat though, which is especially true to certain Nokia phones that do not distinguish between the first few numbers of two different SIM cards. In this case, MCleaner has a tough time with international format numbers that end up in the black list.

[photo and source]

Similar to how Nokia launched their Ovi Music store in Singapore, it seems like the new Android OS for the HTC Magic isn’t fully implemented in other parts of the world. In the Philippines for instance, the Android store isn’t even a built in on device application which you can launch.

There isn’t even talk about integration with your Google Applications. Nonetheless, the HTC Magic is a good piece of hardware that seems very promising in what it can deliver. Not sure about when HTC will deploy the rest of the features, or if this is something the telcos should be pushing rather than the phone manufacturers. *shrug*

[image c/o myself]

The Samsung OMNIA Pro is a side slider QWERTY device that runs on Windows Mobile 6.1. It is basically an enterprise-targeted device that goes head to head with the HTC Touch Pro 2 because of its really big AMOLED screen.

truth be told, I’m not too keen anymore with enterprise phones using Windows Mobile. If not for the corporate lock outs (I guess buying in bulk through cheap biddings really pay off), I’d prefer having my entire team running on Blackberries because at the very least, sending SMS would be a breeze.

That, or we wait till Windows Mobile 7.0.

[image c/o Samsung PR]

A few weeks ago I previewed the Nokia E75 and posted some shots as well. I’ve uploaded a PDF — oh wait, our other blog, The Gadget Blog — has uploaded one as well so let me link to that instead.

Specs aside, I’m wondering if this device will appeal to people who have already beheld the N97. Yeah, they may be both QWERTY devices, but there are subtle differences especially in the way each phone handles mobile email.

If you’re in the mood for an up and coming multimedia slider from Sony Ericsson, the T715 may be something you can grab when it comes out. The phone itself comes with a 3.2MP camera with a geo-tagging feature, 90MB internal memory, audio, mobile blogging — well it’s pretty much the same features you’d find in a mid range phone from SE. But still, it is a beauty!

[photo c/o SE]

Back in circa ‘98 I rememeber HP releasing its toughest PDA, the HP Journada which could survive a car running over it. Today, Land Rover (OMG they make phones??) shows off the new S1, the toughest phone ever made. It can be run over by a Land Rover, stepped on by an elephant, dunked in gunk and lager beer, microwaved and finally gave in when a forklift truck crushed it.

[photo and source]

The All About Symbian blog has a listing of the most popular QWERTY keypad phones in the market today. Note that this isn’t confined to Nokia phones only — as Symbian is an open platform allowing other phone manufacturers a hand in developing around it. Which is why, in this list, we have a player from LG. I’m sure we’re going to get more QWERTY devices from other manufacturers running S60 as the future comes to present.

So the verdict? In descending order, it seems that the best would be the Nokia E90, a fantastic phone that spelled the “last” of the Communicator line — or is it?? Heh.

Bottom of the list? Surprisingly, Nokia’s new N97! Interesting.

[image c/o author]

This may be considered as one of Samsung’s entrry level phones with basic features but the fact is, if you’re an outdoor lover, the B2100 is water resistant up to one meter for 30 minutes, dust proof, shock proof and can claim to be elegant even when placed in front of the meeting desk. The B2100 comes with a 1.3MP camera, Mp3 player wth loud speakers and 6MB of internal memory + memory expansion.

[photo c/o Samsung Press Site]