Nokia N81 8GB

  The Nokia N series has been around for quite some time now(or future computers as nokia likes to put it). The latest one in the block is the N81 8GB version which, along with its elder sibling N95 promises to be the next episode in entertainment.

THE DESIGN

This one is a bulky slider(as awkward as it sounds) but still impressed me with its polished looks. Strangely enough the 3.5mm headphone jack is placed at the top along with the power button and the keypad lock switch(which holds the keypad in its place). The two sides of the phone hold the set of the stereo speakers. On the right side, the zoom/volume buttons and the camera capture buttons are placed. The bottom holds a charging port and a new type of USB port. The 2.4 inch screen is brilliant. It actually has the capability to be a great gaming device and it also features dedicated gaming keys on the either side of the earpiece. Gaming is done in the landscape mode. The music keys are placed awkwardly. The are placed where the erase key should have been placed so, you'll end up activating the music player while trying to erase a word often.

FEATURES

This one runs on symbian OS 9.2, series 60 v3.1. The music quality is great(do I have to tell that too...Its an entertainment phone!). This one has a 2 megapixel camera(WHAT!) which looks strangely out of place in its long feature list. It is definitely a huge letdown. ISO level and exposure adjustment and flash helps, it is still not up to the mark.

On the connectivity front, it has Wi-Fi, 3G, HSDPA and EDGE. Bluetooth with A2DP is a nice addition. It also has a bunch of handy tools like calculator, calendar, notes, converter, etc.

BOTTOMLINE

Overall, I am disappointed with this one. And with that price tag of Rs 22,000, buy this one only the price falls by a huge amount or if you want a huge dent in your pocket for nothing great.

 

Connectivity	MicroUSB v2.0, Bluetooth with A2DP, Wi-Fi
Dimensions	102 x 50 x 17.9 mm, 140 gm
Display	240 x 320, 16m colours, TFT, 2.4 inch
Memory	8GB
Media formats	MP3, AAC, MPEG4 WMA, Stereo FM, 3GP
Camera	2 megapixels, flash, video (QCIF), secondary VGA
Network	3G, EDGE, UMTS, GSM 850/900/1800/1900
Battery	400 hrs standby, 3.45 hrs talktime
Price	Rs. 22,000

Need for Speed Carbon

Electronic Arts has struck again with a new NFS title to match the high expectations.

THE BEGINNING

The game starts off from where most wanted ended, your return to the gray city of Palmount.

SURPRISE!

Guess who' se back. While entering the city, you are chased by Cross. If you've played most wanted, you'll know who he is. For the rest of you, he is the best driver in the RPD(Rockport Police Dept). Your BMW M3 GTR is wrecked in the chase and Cross rushes towards your ride.

HOLD YOUR BREATH!

Cross catches you but you are freed by a guy named Darius. He lets you choose you between three rides:

THE THREE CLASSES

You have to make a choice between three classes-Tuners, which have great handling but low speed, muscles, which are insanely powerful and shoot like a bullet. They slide like oil on banana skin. The third class is Exotics which are natural supercars. Rewards and unlockables are different for the three classes.

NOW WHAT?

You have to capture the city by completing races. Each race unlocks a certain performance or visual upgrade and you earn money (that's the best part...you can earn money!!!!). After completing certain races in an area, you are challenged by the boss of that area. The race is a three stage affair. First is a regular race in the city streets. The second one is a canyon duel. You have to follow the opponent on a canyon track. The closer you follow, the more points you earn. In the second part of the canyon duel, you lead and the other guy follows. Your points decrease as he comes closer. You have to reach the end before your points run out.

THE GRAPHICS

The good part is the lighting effects. Cars look slightly better than most wanted but the road reflections are worse. Maybe because of the night time environment. This game hogs resources more than what it is supposed to.

BOTTOM LINE

If you've just finished most wanted, and the expectations are high, you'll be disappointed. Most Wanted was far better. Another thing, its too short(I managed to finish this one in four days flat!). For those who want to try out an NFS title for the first time, this one's good.

XFX PV-T88P-YDD4

The new Nvidia core 8800GT(codenamed G92) promises to blow many cards out of water at a great price. This one beats even the 8800 GTS in terms of memory and core speeds and is designed by 65nm fabrication process.

XFX PV-T88P-YDD4 is based on an overclocked chipset(670 vs 600 MHz) 8800GT core.

Stock cooling solution can mean a fried GPU. Temperatures can reach as high as an 8800GTX which is a bad thing. It can even beat the mighty G80 in a few scenarios. The most amazing thing about this one is the price(Rs19,500) which is about half the price of an 8800GTX. Instead of an 8800GTX, you can buy two of these in SLi and that leaves the G80 far behind in all the benchmarks.

Nokia N73 Music Edition

Gone are the days when mobile phones were about the size of a brick...and weighed a kilo! Nowadays, mobile phones are common as monkeys in a jungle. Nokia is releasing a new smartphone cramming as many new features as possible. If you're wondering why I am reviewing a smartphone six months old now and think that it is old enough to be kept in a museum, perhaps you're mistaken.

LOOKS:
This one is slightly oblong and its looks are definitely not the wow factor. I wonder why so much space has been left below the screen.

FEATURES:
This one comes with a 3.1 MP camera with flash which has great picture quality(one of the best on a phone), 42 MB onboard memory which can be expanded with the bundled 2GB memory card which should be enough for all those songs, videos and photos. It also has bluetooth v2 which is a good thing. GPRS takes care
 of internet browsing on the move.

PERFORMANCE:
The OS is sluggish at times but that is not a big problem. Music quality is excellent. Camera is great too. Videos and photos look great on that 2.4" screen.

BOTTOMLINE:
At its price, this one's a great buy and certainly worth a try.