Samsung Galaxy Tab - Mind Blowing (if you can handle the size) - Part 1

Its now been 2 days since I've been getting to know my new Galaxy Tab and the least I can say is - its one helluva piece of technology. One that is a preview to the next era of the convergence of mobility, computing, convenience and beyond. The only question is, can you handle the size?

Form factor
The Galaxy Tab has a unique form factor given that it is much larger than the large-screened mobile phones (iPhone, Nokia N8, HTC HD etc.) but it is also much smaller than the iPad and other tablets. To me it is a much more practical alternative than other similar tablets like the iPad or the Archos tablets simply because it is a device I can actually carry around in my pocket without having to loose the luxury of the much larger screen compared to the common smart phone. Compared to the larger tablets like the iPad or Archos too, its size eliminates the need for carrying it around in your hand or in a separate bag and hence occupying a hand at all times. And I don't need very large or custom built pockets. It would actually fit very nicely in the rear pocket of your jeans or in the inner pocket of your jacket.

Another important aspect is the weight, because this decides how long you will be able to use a device comfortably. Especially if you will be using it for mails, blogging (which can require a lot of typing, etc.). The Galaxy Tab weighs in at around 380 gms compared to an iPad which weighs almost double. But it certainly weighs much more than the common smartphones. From a practical standpoint, I have used it for various things (web surfing, mails, reading books, etc.) almost continuously through the 2 days and did not feel any kind of discomfort or pain. But my brief experience with an iPad a few days ago did make me realize that weight matters.

But I also agree that its not everyone's piece of cake. Not everyone can handle such a large device. But for those looking for real, crude mobility with no compromise on power / performance, this is the device to go for.

Tech Specs
The low down on the tech specs can be found here
My thoughts : The Galaxy Tab is a heavily loaded tablet by all means when compared to others in the tablet family. A 1 GHz processor, massive 7" capacitive touchscreen, 2 video cameras, 802.11 n WLAN, HDMI Out, Bluetooth 3, loads of memory (16 GB of Application space + 16 GB of internal user storage + upto 32 GB in a micro SD card), to name just a few. Safe to say the hardware will never be a bottleneck when you are trying to get some serious stuff done.

The only area of improvement is probably the main camera. It would have been nice to have a higher resolution sensor since most phones now come with at least 5 MP sensors. Anything above that would make the Galalxy Tab a hands down winner in the tablets category.


...to be continued in Part 2 (coming soon)

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Sony Ericsson MW600 Bluetooth Headset - User Review - Day 1

I got the MW600 yesterday and have been using it most of today. So the following thoughts are the initial impressions of the MW600.

For starters, I must say, for those of you who have been listening to music on the go for sometime now, I can say with a lot of certainty that there aren't many other devices that can beat the sound quality of the MW600. I'm sure if we looked far and hard (and had an endless pocket) we could find better sounding headsets. But for it's price, it beats most other Stereo Bluetooth headsets hands down.

Let's look at the different aspects in a bit more detail.

Construction
The main body is plastic and hence is light but fragile too. I'd imagine that if you were to fall down face-first while running and had the MW600 clipped to your shirt in front, there was a good chance that it'd break. On the flip side, since it is lighter, it does not really distort your shirt pocket or collar like the Sony Ericsson HBH-DS200 / 205 may do because of the metal casing.

But the aesthetics are very good. The color, the glossy finish in the middle etc. looks elegant. The buttons are placed in comfortable positions and you would rarely press buttons accidentally. Though I think the touch sensitive volume control is not as responsive as I'd like it to be.

Another point for those considering to buy the MW600, it is a bit smaller than it seems in the promo pics on the Sony Ericsson website. Before this, I had the Sony Ericsson HBH-DS200. For those who might have this or the Sony Ericsson HBH-DS205, the MW600 is slightly smaller than them in length and much lighter (as I have mentioned above).

Sound Quality
This is where the MW 600 surpasses almost all other Stereo Bluetooth Headsets on the market. The first time you hear it, it blows you away. On other headsets, you'd probably need a much higher volume and a bit of jiggling with the equalizers to get the kind of Bass and clarity that the MW600 produces with equalizers set to default. The noise cancellation from the silicone cushions are much better compared to other wired or wireless earphones I have used. I also felt that the Silicone cushions fitted well in my ear as compared to the numerous other Sony Ericsson / Nokia earphones I have used before. In most older ones, they'd usually fall off if I was eating while listening to music with them. But the earphones bundled with the MW600 are a bit larger and also fit much more snugly in my ear. But this is a individual thing and may not be the same for someone else.

The microphone and the ambient noise reduction works very well too. It works amazingly well even if you have the headset pinned to your shirt pocket and are in a very noisy place like a market or a movie theater. This is a bit surprising because the microphone resides on the main unit and if it is pinned to your shirt pocket, there is almost 1 foot of distance between your mouth and the microphone. And yet the person at the other end can hear you loud and clear. This is not something I have experienced with other Bluetooth headsets.

Battery life
It's been well over 9 hours (running time) that I have been listening to music on and off and the battery indicator on the device doesn't seem to have budged a bit. This is a real boon for people like me who spend a lot of time either on lengthy calls or listening to music. With the HBH-DS200, I used barely get 5 hours of listening time. So after a busy day of work (involving numerous phone calls and phone meetings) by the time I hit the gym, the HBH-DS200 would have usually died out. So I'd have to plug in a wired headset during my time at the gym. Given the 11 hour run time of the MW600 I am certain I won't end up in the same situation.

The MW600 uses a USB charger, which means you can charge it from your PC too. This is a good option for busy people like me who do quite a lot of their work on the phone and computer. It is also means, you have to carry one less charger. Not that you would actually need it anyway with the MW600, given the 11 hour talk time.

Connectivity
With almost all the previous Bluetooth headsets I have owned, I have had a consistent problem of random disconnection from the phone. Sometimes it would disconnect during a call or just when I dialed a call, or it would just disconnect if the phone was idling overnight. There was no specific reason for disconnection. This is with different phones I have used (Nokia E90, Nokia 5800 XM and currently Nokia N97). Until I got the MW600, I had almost gotten used (read: insensitive) to the disconnection. Surprisingly with the MW600, I have not had any disconnection thus far. I sincerely hope it stays like that.

Another great feature is the Multipoint Bluetooth connection. That is, the MW600 can stay connected to 3 Bluetooth devices simultaneously. This means you can be connected to your phone (to answer calls) and to your PC (for listening to music) at the same time. In my case, I listen to music from my phone on my way to office and when I am in office I switch over to my PC for the music. It takes a split second to switch the Music mode from Phone to PC.

I must mention though that one short fall with the MW600 is that it disconnects all connections when you plug it into the charger. So in the scenario where you are on a call and the MW600 is running out of steam, you cannot plug in the charger and continue attending the call. This was possible in all the other headsets I have used before. I wonder why they decided to do this with the MW600.

Display
The OLED display is very clear and is probably one of the contributors to the long battery life.

Compatibility
The MW600, like all other Sony Ericsson Bluetooth headsets has very limited compatibility with non-Sony Ericsson mobile phones. So a word of caution for those people who use a non-Sony Ericsson phone (ie. >80% of the mobile user population), you won't be able to use all the Bluetooth AVRCP (Audio Video Remote Control Profile) features. For e.g. you won't be able to see the Song Title or the name of the caller on the headset. But with a Sony Ericsson phone you do get all these features.


Cost
I got the MW600 in India for Rs.3800/- which, compared to other bluetooth headsets I have bought before, is amazingly cheap. Though I had read the initial reviews on the internet, I was a bit skeptical when I saw the low price. But all that they have said in the reviews is true and so is the low price.

Conclusion
All in all, the MW600 surprises you with many new features (e.g. multipoint) and much better performing usual features (e.g. 11 hr talk time, Ambient Noise Cancellation, Sound Quality, etc.). When compared to what I would like in the "ideal" Bluetooth Headset, there is very little that remains (e.g. no disconnection while charging, Bluetooth profile compatibility with non-Sony Ericsson Phones)

Nonetheless, I would strongly recommend the MW600 for anyone on the look out for a Stereo Bluetooth Headset.

The Nokia 5800 Xpressmusic rocks !

And believe me, I'm understating !

Nokia has done a darn good job with it's first touch screen phone. Not too shabby for starters.

For those of you who have been using the N or E series phones, it has the same familiar home screen and menus, so you'd be comfortable with it from the get go. In fact, the 5800 will feel more instinctive as you can now actually touch the icons instead of navigating around using a 5 button D-pad. The screen quality is fantastic, bright enough for a sunny day and crystal clear. I feel the colors are more vivid than the N and E series. I used to own an E90 before this.

For those who do not use a Nokia, but do use Business softwares like Lotus Notes, etc. You seriously need to reconsider moving to a Nokia. Coz that's the only place you'd get the following amazing features.

• (No brainer) Synchronization of Contacts, Calendar Entries, Notes, etc.
• Phone PC connectivity over bluetooth, cable and infrared (though the 5800 sadly does not have an infra red port)
• Automated Synchronization of Images, Music and Videos (even over bluetooth)

From the time I switched on the phone, it took me less than 10 mins to get to the state where I was on my E90 w.r.t. having all contacts, and calendar entries in place (very crucial for me !) and another 20 mins to personalize the phone with themes, ringtones, apps, etc.

I am one of the users who probably uses all the possible connectivity options on the phone and all of it works like a breeze on the 5800. I did have some challenges in setting up the same stuff on my E90 before, but not the same with the 5800. Just to give you an example of what all I do with the 5800,

• I am connected over wi-fi both at home and in office
• Outside home and office I am connected over 3G
  
• I replicate my lotus notes mail and gmail every 3 mins
• I extensively use Maps
• Click a huge amount of photos and shoot a lot of video
• Surf the internet multiple times a day from my phone
• I use a bluetooth headset 24 x 7 ( I have 2 : Nokia BH-903 and the SonyEricsson HBH-DS200)
• Synchornise contacts and calendar over bluetooth with my PC
• And many more things.

The things I am not able to do on the 5800 (as compared to the E90), mostly due to the missing IrDA (infra red) port is

• Not able to trigger my Nikon D80 DSLR camera remotely / wirelessly
• Not able to operate my TV and PC (while watching movies)

I am really looking forward to the N97 as I understand it is all of the 5800 (+ the IrDA port) and mammoths more.

Sony Ericsson Bluetooth Headsets & Nokia E90 - fatal combination !

I have been using a Nokia E90 phone for over an year now and I simply love it. One fantastic device it is. Since I prefer my hands to be free to do work in parallel while on a call, I have used bluetooth headsets for a couple of years now. I have used Logitech, Nokia and Sony Ericsson (SE) over the past years but most of them were mono headsets.

Then I stumbled across the new Stereo Bluetooth Headsets and after a quick comparison of features and design, I zeroed in on the Sony Ericsson HBH DS-200. In the beginning it was fantastic. Very non-intrusive, excellent sound quality (which can be even better when you replace the included ear phones with a better one (KOSS spark plugs for e.g.)), good mic reception, very effective ambient noise adaptation and very stable bluetooth connection.

But just after a month of use, the bluetooth connection started getting disconnected unexpectedly. Mostly it would be when I was dialing out a call and it would be on an average for every 4th or 5th call I dialed out. But then over the last few months it has progressively increased. It started getting disconnected on almost every 2nd call. Each time I got disconnected, the bluetooth headset freeze for a few seconds and then reset automatically. So I had to go and re-pair and connect it from my phone. Very very annoying !!

But being an optimistic techno-enthusiast I gave the benefit of the doubt to SE based on the assumption that it might just be this specific piece that is malfunctioning. So last month I went out and bought another SE headset. This time it was the HBH DS-980. A very cool looking headset and with a lot more features than the HBH DS-200. It has been working very fine since barring 2 instances where it got disconnected. It is a feature packed device where I can connect to my phone and my PC at the same time and listen to music from either. It automatically stops the music (from where ever it is playing i.e. PC or Phone or any other device) when you get an incoming call. But it has a small glitch. The music control features (play, pause, stop, etc.) work only with the last connected device. So if you were to connect your phone first and then your PC, it would not be able to control the music player on the phone. I am sure SE didn't really think it through before releasing this headset !

I truly hope this doesn't end up like the HBH DS-200. More on the HBH DS-980 to follow when I have used it for some time.

cheers for now.

Impressions of Rome - Day 2

Our original plan for today and tomorrow was that we would take a guided tour through the city today and then re-visit the places we liked tomorrow again, to spend more time there using the hop-on-hop-off bus service.

The day started with a bit of a miscalculation of time. We were supposed to reach the Tour Agents office (Green Line tours) near the Termini Station at 8:45 but we got stuck in traffic and reached there at around 9:20. So we decided to change plans and take the hop-on-hop-off service today and the guided tour tomorrow. Not a bad decision, I'd say.

The hop-on-hop-off bus service was pretty convenient. It let's one explore the city at your own pace. It let's you spend time at places that interest you. We did the same. We went through all the 9 stops and spent time at 2 of them.

The first of these was Vittoriano Museum and Altare della Patria. This massive building, also nicknamed "The Typewriter" (because it looks like one) is where Mussolini stood and addressed the nation.

The next was the Vatican. It was a major contrast to Rome. It was much cleaner and organised. Very impressive, I'd say. Due to the Good Friday and easter rush, we were unable to see the inside of the church. But we clicked some very good shots outside.

By that time, we were extremely exhausted. So we returned to the hotel around 7:00 PM.

Had dinner and then a good night's sleep.

Impressions of Rome - Day 1

It was one of our (my wife's and my) wishes to visit and experience Rome in it's told grandeur.

So we finally managed to organise a trip to Rome in April, 2007. We were so excited when we started the trip from Stockholm. We kept reminding each other that we were finally going to Rome ! :-) It was exciting. But our excitement was short-lived.

We reached Fiumicino Airport on the evening of 4th April. When we were collecting our baggage at the airport, my colleague (who was accompanying us on the trip) discovered that his digital camera was stolen from his bag. Having lived in Stockholm for almost an year, it seemed his (and our) perception of the cunning world outside had changed a bit. We seemed to have assumed for granted that the world was as trustworthy elsewhere as it was in the Nordics. Unfortunately we realised the hard way it was not. Then came the second disappointment, when we found that our own bags had broken due to mishandling. Well after all the complaints and formalities we finally got out of the Airport.

From there we took the non-stop train to the Roma Termini Stazione (Central Station). It costed 11 Euros per person for a one-way trip.

During this journey from the Airport to the Termini Stazione, it seemed like we were headed for even more disappointment. Enroute to Termini Stazione, we saw loads of places along side the train routes that seemed flithy (to be modest). Reminded me of my train journeys to remote parts of India 20 years back ! I even saw people in torn clothes running around dump yards ! Not something one would expect from a country with heritage that dates back to the begining of recorded time !

Nonetheless, we kept our hopes high and ignored these minor things.

We reached the Termini Stazione and found the typical taxi touts hunting for foolish passengers. When I told one of them the name of the hotel we were going to, he asked for 70 Euros ! Fortunately, I had already enquired with the Hotel and knew that it should not cost more than 20-25 Euros. So we ended up taking a registered taxi (the white ones).

The taxi driver was a very good gentleman. Though he was dressed in a Leather biker's jacket and had long hair tied up behind his head and had an unclean look, he was very courteous and good to talk to. A major relief was that he spoke English reasonably well and that is not common in Italy. Leaving the Termini Stazione, I felt relaxed in less than 10 seconds. That's because it took me less than 10 seconds to realise that decent driving was not the most favoured code of conduct on the road. This was the kind of road sense I had lived with for the larger part of my life in India. Zipping in and out of lanes without using the indicator and getting into tight gaps between cars seemed quite normal to me and everyone else on the road.

Well, we finally reached the hotel and that was the first relief of the day. Though it was far from the city (~10 Kms), it was very impressive. The hotel & our room was spacious, clean & comfortable. The property seemed realtively knew. We were able to relax and have a good night's sleep.