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Author: The Editor

  • Nokia 6500 Review

    Welcome to the Nokia 6500 (Slide) Review. Although we’ve been using this phone for a while other newer models have taken away out attention from writing up a decent review. It shouldn’t be that way since we often use it to test the various screen savers that we make on the phone before release!

    Anyway the 6500 is on of the newer phones in Nokia’s lineup being less than 12 months old (2008). It’s distinctly mid-range functionality and construction so we and you, shouldn’t expect every option but expect at least decent construction. It meets it’s target perfectly, the phone look s and feels great in the flesh and using it was like any other Nokia phones running the S40 5th Edition operating system.

    There are two versions, the 6500 Classic and the 6500 Slide. Both use the same OS and have the same features but differ in terms of physical construction. Ie. One is a slide and one is a standard candy bar.

    Construction of the phone uses real brushed stainless steel for most external surfaces including black coated ends. Only the keypad is plastic. We loved it. There are some nice details like the headpiece and flash coverings, etched and colored Nokia branding around the phone. It’s not a cheap phone and you should expect detail like this! The slide mechanism is very smooth and sounds and feels solid. After many slides over the last few months the slide still works perfectly. The downside of all this metal is that the phone feels solid and heavy. The ear piece occasionally catches your hair and the back cover occasionally moves out of alignment are notes we have to make. Overall we didn’t mid one bit because it does look good.

    The screen

    The 6500’s screen is again one of the best, nice and clear, sharp and the backlight bright. You should not have any complaints about the quality in this regard. The screens on other phones may appear better but that’s because they’re smaller in terms of physical size.

    Battery Life

    The battery life of this phone is good. With normal use and roaming on GSM networks you can get at least 5 days of standby time. On 3G networks its about 4 days. Left on purely on stand by your looking at 7 days. Since everyone’s definition of normal is different the we feel that the pure standby time is the best measurement.

    Speed

    The phone is fast but not the fastest we’ve used. It activates all functions except JAVA based programs with minimal delay of about 1/2 a second. Menu navigation and activating messaging function is as fast as any other reasonable phone.

    Functionality

    The 6500 does everything you could want on a regular phone. Since it is also 3G capable you shouldn’t be wanting for anything that you can’t download. There aren’t any work type programs like Word or Excel editing but then that’s not what this phone is about. Making and managing calls and text messages a bit of internet, music and of course pictures is what the phone is all about. No specialization, just good at everything.

    Connectivity

    The 6500 now uses a micro USB connector, Bluetooth, RGB output but unfortunately no infra-red or Wi-Fi.

    All those who derile infra-red are just following the leader or just plain stupid because infra-red is a very useful feature! We made a fantastic infra-red program that can control various TVs, DVD players, Stereo system and the computer of course. We may release it for free one day. ‘One remote controller to rule them all’!

    MP3 and video/sound

    The sound quality and volume coming from this phone is very good but no where near the 6233 bench mark. Though the head piece, it sounds acceptable for a non-dedicated music phone. Video playback works fine.

    Web Browser

    There are 2 browsers on the E61i one for WAP sites and one for normal internet pages. Both work well with CSS and BLOG sites. However like all mobile web browsers Flash based content or Youtube videos are not capable of being displayed with in the browser. If a website has streaming content the RealPlayer is activated to view the content.

    The camera/video/voice recorder

    The 6500 has a decent camera lens by Carl Ziess with auto focus and digital zoom but good pictures are more than just the lens. Overall the pictures at the maximum 3.2 megapixels is very good by mobile phone standards. Apart from lots of ‘noise’ that can be cleaned up by various photo editing software the pictures are acceptable. Close up pictures are almost macro like and surpisingly good for a mobile phone camera. Easily better than the soft an fuzzy K800i pictures. The flash is a standout being very bright so when taking picture you don’t need to stand too close to your subjects. The autofocus and zoom works well. Picture to picture time is about 5 seconds which is that same as most camera phones. Overall just make sure the pictures are in focus and you be happy enough.

    The video camera like the pictures is quite good for a mobile phone – same comments as above. You view either camera or video without cringing at them too much. That said it only helps if you knew how bad other camera/video phone images are. Note that the auto focus does take a few tries before it finally locks on to the subject you want.

    The Voice recorder works well since you don’t have to shout into the phone to make it record. Playback quality is also surprisingly good.

    Call quality and network reception

    Very good voice quality on both GSM and 3G networks. The quality of the loud speaker really helps. It can also do video calls but you have to turn the phone around which defeats the purpose of video calls. Mind you very few people make video calls so its not exactly something to complain about. However you must be is a high reception area for the best results.

    Network reception capabilities is poor by Nokia standards. The 6500 seems to have trouble with maintaining a strong signal. However this could be due to outdated phone operating software.

    Issues

    Not many real issues to complain about. If pushed to write something bad it would for Nokia to improve quality control on the rear battery door and memory card holder.

    Network

    Most networks sell the phone so look for a network free version on a plan if you can.

    Summary

    It’s a good mobile phone period! It does everything – if your life involves phone calls and text messaging. If you plan on using 3G content it works as well as any other model. The browser is as good as on any other phone except on the S60 based Nokias or iPhone.

    It has a good camera and video recorder lovely screen and lots of various programs to try out. Bluetooth connectivity works with almost any enable computer

    Like all Nokia’s there are plenty of customisation options – some are hard to find – but read the manual and virtually the entire interface can be changed.

    It’s physically a good looking phone and feels expensive too which helps the ownership experience.

    Price history

    $450-549 AUS 2008

    Manufacturer : Nokia
    Model : 6500
    OS: Nokia S40 5th Edition Feature Pack 1
    Network : Tri-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
    3G WCDMA 850, 2100 MHz
    Design: Slider/Candy Bar phone
    96.5 x 46.5 x 16.4 mm
    109.8 x 45 x 9.5 mm
    Weight 125/94 grams
    Silver/Mocha/Black/Bronze
    Display/s : 16Million 24-bit colour TFT – 320 x 240 pixels
    W5.8cm x L4.8cm
    Main Camera : 3.2MP Camera with auto focus, 8xzoom and dual flash
    Main Video Camera : up to 640×320 auto focus, 4xzoom, 15 FPS
    Video phone Camera: 176 x 144pixels
    Video capable MP4, WMV, 3GPP, RealMedia, Flash
    Connectivity : Bluetooth, USB
    Memory : 20 MB internal memory
    MicroSD memory Hot Swap Up to 2 GB
    Ring tones : AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, MP3, MP4, WMA, AMR-NB, Mobile XMF, SP-MIDI, MIDI Tones (poly 64), True tones
    Animated wallpaper and screensavers Flash Lite 2 capable
    JAVA MIDP 2.0
    Modem for PC
    Web browser (WAP 2.0 – xHTML)
    Mono Speaker Phone/Hands free
    Media player with 2.5mm RCA socket.
    GPS connectivity via Bluetooth
    Speed : Vs Nokia 6230
    Navigation 9/10
    Battery Life : BP-5M 3.7V 900 mAh
    Claimed operating times:
    Standby 13.3 days
    Voice 6 hours
    Sample camera :

  • Game Review – Castlevania Aria Of Sorrow

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    NAME: Castlevania Aria Of Sorrow
    VERSION: 1.0.0
    COMPANY: Konami
    PLATFORM: JAVA
    GENRE: RPG
    SIZE: 563 KB
    TEST PHONE: K800i
    RATING: 7/10
    DEMO:

    Welcome to Castlevania Aria Of Sorrow game review. We haven’t played the original Gameboy series of the same name so didn’t have any idea what the game was going to be about. Essentially we saw it as a platformer game with RPG elements such as character customization and special powers.

    After a bit of research on the original game we found that the JAVA version for mobile phones uses the same story line! In fact the game mechanics are identical apart from the graphics. As a result the game is a rare almost full version of an original. That said we haven’t finished the game since it takes up more time than we have at the moment.

    The story is all about defeating vampires, you play Soma Cruz character guiding him to defeating various enemies and realizing his true destiny. We won’t spoil the story for you but clearly the good usually triumphant over evil.

    Game play is like the original so a hack and slash set using vampire and mystical attacks as well as metal based implements. Destroying your enemies sometimes results in them dropping items that you can use to increase your various stats. This includes money to buy items from a NPC in the game.

    Graphics are mobile phone standard as is the sound. As a difference you can choose between standard background music or special effects sound only. (You can only have one or the other!) We’ve never seen this sound/music option before and think it’s an excellent idea. Anyway your character simply glides around the screen flicking out your sword or what ever weapon you’ve chosen when here’s an enemy nearb. Just remember to equip your character with upgraded items – it’s not automatic.

    Game controls are very simple to learn with additional menus easy to activate, navigate and select. The options presented are clear. The only thing we are unsure about was the Tactical Soul System…

    So if you want a classic RPG platformer style game on you phone Castlevania – Aria of Sorrow is a good start. It is easy to understand the game play since it is based on traditional rules, far easier than say Puzzle Quest to learn.  Note that the two games are completely different in concept.

    Further comparisons it’s much like the Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull platformer but with character customization. The only flaw we detected in Castlevania was the need to find a ‘save game’ room before being able to save.

    Overall a good game and worth getting if you have the time.

  • Game Review – Centipede

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    Centipede Tn
    NAME: Centipede
    VERSION: 1.0.4
    COMPANY: GLU
    PLATFORM: JAVA
    GENRE: Retro Shooter
    SIZE: 289 KB
    TEST PHONE: K800i
    RATING: 9/10
    DEMO:

    Welcome to the review of the Centipede game for the mobile phone. Lets start off by saying that we have been unimpressed by remakes of old games. The remakes are often poorly made and even if licensed by the original developer they still don’t do the original justice. So we where in 2 minds to get Centipede. However one of us took the plunge and the rest is history.

    Centipede is a simple shoot game. Shoot all the parts of the centipede (which we feel is more caterpillar ) that turns into mushroom barriers and and anything else like spiders, fleas and even scorpions to get points. The game is has multiple levels and 2 types of game play. The classic mode that uses retro graphics and powerup mode which brings it up to date graphics and logically powerups. Aside from the two modes there is also 3 level of difficulty and different game themes to unlock. Fully packed for a retro game!

    Gameplay is excellent. Controls work immediately and the positioning on the screen is precise. There is an autofire which suits the game since the phone keypad these days are getting smaller. Nothing to complain about. Even the in game menu and help system works well.

    Very easy game to pick up and leave especially on train and buses. However it has one flaw – This game is addictive. You think you can just pick up and leave – but you are wrong. 5 minutes turns to 10 then you jet sore thumb because you’ve been playing for 30 minutes. This is especially so in the Powerup mode.

    Graphics are retro in classic mode which suits the game completely. In Powerup mode the graphics have been updated to a modern 2D environment. The update looks good although you’re too busy shooting centipedes to admire the background and icons.

    The games sounds are standard MIDI but with effects when new enemies appear or explode. Nice change from just generic BMG. (Back Ground Music) Strangely we rate the sound effects better than other games we’ve tried to date.

    Conclusion: we where impressed with this remake! The gameplay of the original but actually enhanced with this release. Objectively, like the original there is no ‘ending’ which is not a problem but a story line would have been nice at least in the new Powerup mode. You will definitely enjoy the game for the first few hours but over time you will probably lose interest.  However we think this is a must have have game on your phone.

  • Game Review – Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

    Indiana Jones - Kingdom of the skulls

    NAME: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
    VERSION: 1.0.4
    COMPANY: THQ
    PLATFORM: JAVA
    GENRE: Platformer
    SIZE: 640 KB
    TEST PHONE: K800i
    RATING: 7/10
    DEMO:

    Welcome to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull JAVA game review. You’re probably planning to see the movie and perhaps even buy the game? Yes big movies these days have even bigger merchandising opportunities and the games aspect is no different! There are so many versions of the game released with the movie to go for – but is the mobile version worth it?

    You play as Indiana Jones action adventure archaeologist tomb raider. The only weapon he has is his whip and physical skills eliminating Nazi enemies and dangerous animals. So jump, swing, whip and run as much as you can.

    The game also alternates between Jones and his sidekick (aka son – Mutt) who doesn’t have any weapons but you must complete the various Mutt stages to unlock keys for later stages by doing time based stages.

    The story line is not the same as the movie so it is worth the playing time.

    The graphics and sound are standard mobile phone, so it’s a 2D and MIDI based game. There is nothing exceptional at all. However there is something nostalgic about hearing the theme tune again after so many years that adds to the anticipation of playing the game.

    The controls are basic but it works better using the keypad as opposed to a navigation key. Easy to play in most locations you’re at.  The collision detection is forgiving enough to make the game enjoyable rather than a technical exercise in positioning.

    There is nothing new or special about this game – it works well, better than the fiddly Tomb Raider series for the mobile phone but most of all Indiana Jones is entertaining. Worth the download.

  • Telstra F256 Review
    Welcome to the Telstra/ZTE F256 mobile phone review. Once again Telstra has physically and rebranded a ZTE model. Rebranding in this fashion is quite farcical since when you go back to Telstra to get the phone fixed and told to go to ZTE. Telling it 'like it is' Telstra, if you want to rebrand phones with your logo then you have a responsibility to get it fixed. That goes to all manufacturers who do this sort of thing. The ZTE F256 was another initial release phone for the the Telstra NextG network. It's was one the the only flip phones that was available at the time of the network's launch back in 2006. Lately this model has dropped significantly in price and also become a pre-paid phone. You can get only on the pre-paid scheme but locked to the Telstra network for as low as $69. (Previously it was priced at $249) It now undercuts the F152 and F56 by half. But is it good value? Top save you reading the entire review if you get bored easily, the F256 is really just a flip phone version of the F152 and F156 but cheaper! Battery Life The battery life of the F256 is very good. On standby essentially 7 days. With normal usage 3-4 days. Since it operates on the NextG (850Mhz 3G) network its a bordering on excellent in most instances. Note that batteries are not compatible with the F156. Speed The phone operations are very fast. Menu navigation and running applications are flawless. Turns on and off quickly too! Since it's a 3G phone loading web pages and streaming videos work really well. It does have HSDPA so the quality of the streaming video quality and the sound is just as good as more expensive phones. However the volume of the loud speaker is on the soft side. Camera/Video Picture quality is OK for a mobile phone. Like older 3G phone it has only one camera that you rotate if you want a face shot or regular photos or video camera. Picture quality is the same as the other phones in the ZTE lineup. See the specifications for more details. It has the capability to record videos in MP4 format or 3GP format which is nice. Media Player The MP3 player included is basic missing multiple playlists, EQ, ID3 tag display, and easy navigation. At least it sounds reasonable through the head phones. The only problem is that is uses it's micro-USB connection as the headphone socket. So you can not charge the phone or do data transfers and listen to music through the headphones at the same time. This is not a media focused phone so we were not expecting a lot of functionality anyway. Screen The internal screen used on this phone reflects its pricing position. It's the industry standard circa 2006 176 x 220 pixels with 262K colours. Specifications indicate a sharp and clear screen but in reality it's nothing special. Its probably because of its slightly larger is size. The screen's back light is very good with adjustable levels. The external screen is small but appears sharp and clear indicating that it's a TFT - no specifications where included in the box so at a guess it's 80 x 40 pixels. Construction Like almost all Telstra/ZTE phones the major flaw is the construction materials. Don't believe the pictures it doesn't look as good in real life. Yes like the others it is sturdy but just looks and feels bargain basement. The flip mechanism works well and is sturdy. The buttons look like they are metal but we think they have just glossy surface so we think it'ss plastic. The deforming micro SD card cover is a shocker but at least it has one! Functionality It is a 3G phone so you'd expect a reasonable offering. Indeed it doesn't let you down. It has everything you'd expect in a mobile phone made in 2007. However it lacks a lot of customization features that would make ownership more enjoyable. Also lack of any additional content in terms of games of wallpaper images for wallpapers was also disappointing. All manufacturers include at least 1 or 2 additional images and games that have been optimized for the phone's screen these days. At least there are the numerous ring tones. For the customization features it does have it has pre-set phone groups and custom ring tones. It can run JAVA games and other applications but we haven't tried it yet. Call quality Overall very good. Callers and us where heard without any break up or static. We where impressed that the F256 has the ability to connect an external antenna - to boost the signal - this is a rare feature in 2008 and I hope they continue to include it. We certainly use it. Network It has almost all frequencies you need 3G HSDPA and UMTS in 850Mhz or 2100Mhz, GSM 900, 1800 and 1900. Not many phones have dual 3G frequencies which is thus a stand out. Network reception seems in our 'marginal' area is good but should be better. In fact the GSM signal was always better then the 3G signal for Telstra. Whether its the actual network coverage or phone receiver we aren't quite sure. Conclusion All up the Telstra/ZTE F256 is a good mobile phone. In fact the entire range or variants of the current ZTE line-up are reasonable phones. All use the same underlying phone OS hence all have the same functionality. Price differences are just that and dependent on demand and marketing of particular models. For the price catergory for 2008 they are in they are hard to beat. For example not many are Tri-band GSM and dual band 3G phone with bluetooth, memory card expansion a decent screen. The only thing missing are more customization options. Only being able to change wallpapers and ring tones is pretty lame in 2008. So a good, stable but cheap looking mobile phone. If your after 'personality' in a phone look else where. Specifications
    • Telstra/ZTE F256
    • Network 3G HSDPA / UMTS 850 / 2100 MHz Tri-band GSM (900/1800/1900 MHz)
    • Design Flip or clam shell phone L99 x W49 x D19 mm Weight 125 grams
    • Display/s Intenal TFT 176 x 220, 262K colours External TFT
    • Camera 1.3 MP main camera
    • Connectivity USB
    • CPU 225MHz Processor
    • Memory 64MB internal memory 47-48MB available to user Up to 2Gig Trans Flash cards
    • Ring tones MP3, MMF, MIDI, Vibration
    • Features SMS, MMS, WAP, EMAIL MyWords predictive text JAVA MIDP 2.0 Bluetooth V1.2 - Supports FTP / HFC / A2DP Speaker Phone/Hands free Customizable backgrounds Picture Viewer Video calling Voice memos Calender and organizer 200 Hrs Standby, 180 Mins Talk Time
    • Package contents Vista Compatible PC suite Personal hands free kit Travel charger
    • Price history Between $69-249 AUS PRE-PAID 2008

  • Games Help – Puzzle Quest Warlords

    So you’ve got the game and you want to know what we reckon are the ultimate spells runes and characters?

    Well to be honest there isn’t a best of character in Puzzle Quest to select – all of them have they good points. So we’ve listed all the powerups we’ve got so far. Remember that the list varies according to the character you’ve picked and of course each spell and rune have different effects and mana requirements.

    Runes to add to your weapon are:
    Wind Armor
    Bravestone
    Swordbreaker
    Sheath of Ages
    Mana reserve
    Mana thief
    Serpent tongue
    The War Dancer
    Runeforged
    The Saint
    Master of war
    The mercenary
    Fatebound
    The sadist

    The list of Spells are:
    Gemberry
    Thornlash
    entangle
    Forest fire
    Evaporate
    Gust of wind
    Earthquake
    Whirlwind
    Hurricane
    Freeze
    Channel water
    Wild magic
    Mob up
    Rain of fire
    burial
    rend
    mug
    Spectral force
    Channel earth

  • Game Review – Puzzle Quest Warlords

    Puzzle Quest TN

    NAME: Puzzle Quest Warlords
    VERSION: 1.0.4
    COMPANY: Infinite Interactive/THQ
    PLATFORM: JAVA
    GENRE: RPG
    SIZE: 513 KB
    TEST PHONE: K800i
    RATING: 8/10
    DEMO:

    Welcome to the Puzzle Quest Warriors game review. This review is for the JAVA based mobile phone version of the game. You can get it for all the other consoles and PC? platforms by the time you read this review.

    This is an interesting game, as it part RPG and part matching colors games. It reminded us of a game called Archon released way back in the 80’s except that it was a chess game then a shoot’em up when pieces met. In puzzle quest it’s an RPG and when characters meet they have a matching colours game.

    Game play is initially simple until you realise that you need to learn about the other combat moves like casting spells and mana collection into order to proceed and complete the game. Additionally you will need to learn about activating or tuning runes and learning new and different spells. All these tasks are done via the matching colored gems game. Once you get the drift of the game mechanics it all becomes quite easy to remember.

    You can pick from 8 different characters with differing attributes, warrior classes and even male and female avatars. This is quite unusual in a mobile game. Each character has a different ‘featured ability’ but it largely becomes irrelevant by the time you reach the maximum level of 20 since by then you should have virtually all the spells and runes at your disposal. Even after your character reaches level 20 you can still upgrade your abilities!

    The RPG or adventure part of the game is pretty much fixed, meaning you get the same quest regardless of character, however the puzzle part of the game is quite random. That said the AI can defintiely tell when you’re on a winning streak because your opponent can get ‘suddenly’ VERY lucky with the matches – so we reckon its biased! This is good because it makes the game far more interesting to play.

    Gameplay is done very well and simple to control even on the test k800i which has the fatal flaw of dodgy joystick and poor ergonomics. We’d play the game on a Nokia or Samsung any day!

    In game sound and music is typical mobile phone MIDI ‘middle age’ theme and boring.

    Graphics are 2D but are done very well. They are usually static except for the various effects when using spells of when you’ve collected the required minimum of 3 matching puzzle pieces. The animated effects are quite effective and also well done.

    Conclusion: This is a great game however it takes a little while to bet into. Due to this it won’t attract a huge following but anyone who does get it and learns the ropes will be rewarded. It is that it is different to any other RPG style game and more a matching colors game than out right quest RPG.

    Check out our game help section for game hints.

  • Motorola models for 2007

    This is the next part in a series of reviews on the major mobile manufactuers for the 2007 range. Motorola mobiles where the top of the heap in the 90’s. Unfortunately it has been largely down hill from then.

    For 2007/2008 Motorola finally released the V8 and V9 handsets, the so called next generation to the very popular V3 series of models. Indeed if you’ve ever used them they are amazingly designed to look at and feel. Aside from the physical aspects the phone’s screen quality and calling sound quality are top spec. You’ll probably see lots of them once the price goes down a bit.

    However it all falls down when you start using the interface. The graphics even when customized by the various networks carriers look basic and down market. Sure most models work quickly but the lack of logical setting menus and the ability to customize the interface are limited or non-existent.

    Aside from these 2 models the only other models with any interest is the Q9 a Blackberry like and Windows Mobile based device and the new Z series of sliding handsets.  Since we haven’t tried the new Z series we can’t comment.

    To sum up 2008 is not going to be a good year for the maker. The competition is fierce, although none have a equally stylish flip phone. Motorola hardware is state of the art, they really need to improve the OS and to offer more functionality and more customization and software developer friendly phones. As a manufacturer all their phones work best as voice only models.

  • Sony Ericsson models for 2007

    It may seem too late to comment on Sony Ericsson’s mobile phone range but if you think about it all their 2007 models will be the most common models that will be sold this year (2008).

    2007 was a very ordinary year for the phone manufacturer.  It’s easy to see why.  The only shining light in their range was the k800 which was the halo model due to a starring or should we say product placement in the Jame Bond movie Casino Royale of 2006.   It was a genuinely good phone so much so that at least 2 of us had one during the year.  It probably did well too because everyone had a Nokia before and switching brands to try different models have always appealled to the majority of mobile phone users.

    Well, lets face it almost everyone has a Nokia of some sort and Sony Ericsson managed to tap into the ‘be different’ set with it range.   No-one wants to have the same phone as your friends. However Sony’s break didn’t last long.  They failed to update their range with the latest features the quality of designs and their materials just fell into a black hole.

    In terms of hardware Sony Ericsson models often lack 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS capabilities.  Even worse they use the rare Memory Stick M2 which is hard to find adapters for.  They so use and will continue to use propriety connectors. Their designs try to be different but are let down in the quality of materials.  Sony products used to have the best look, quality and feel.  See the k800 replacement the k850 – what a shocker.   The only saving grace is the W890 and perhaps the W910.

    In terms of software they come with all you need for calls and text messaging. Their web browser is very basic due to  their lack of 3G capable models. Customisation of the interface is also limited. Sony Ericsson phones mainly use UIQ or Symbian based OS and because they don’t offer state of the art functionality but they are very stable phones.  Standout models are their Walkman branded model are the best sounding mobiles around.  Also their Cyber-shot branded models have arguably the best mobile phone camera and picture quality.

    So for 2007 we can summarise by saying that Sony Ericssion mobile phones are good and stable but lack state of the art design or functionality.