It is now 1am Singapore Timing and my NDA has ended. Now it is time for me to talk about Nokia XpressMusic 5800 aka “The Tube”. I was invited by Text 100 (Thank You Supriya!) to the pre-media briefing of the Nokia Remix 2008 at Marina Mandarin. The media pre-briefing is held simultaneously with the Nokia Remix 2008 event in London and hence the weird timing of having it at 9pm last night.

The press release conference will happen later on at 9am and followed by a party at night at 7pm where I will be going with Li Xiang.

There will be 3 parts to this post, I will post the brief details about the Nokia XpressMusic 5800 which is in the PowerPoint presentation (full specifications will be out later), followed by my 1st impressions after playing it and lastly the pictures I taken at the pre-media briefing using my Canon iXUS 860IS.

Nokia XpressMusic 5800 “Tube” Press Shot

Brief Details on Nokia XpressMusic 5800

• Incredible Big Sound experience: High performance built-in stereo surround speakers
• Superb 30fps VGA quality video recording and playback on 3.2″ 16:9 nHD widescreen display (640×360, 16 million colors)
• Great music experience: 8GB MicroSD included, 35 hours playback, FM RDS Radio, OTA Podcasts
• Freedom of choice: 3.5mm audio jack, support for the leading digital music formats (MP3, eAAC+, WMA, M4A)
• Easy to side-load (USB) and download (OTA) using the new Nokia Music PC Client or the new Nokia Music Store user interface
• Key device for “Comes With Music” Service
• Direct Access: One-click media bar for quick and easy access to all your media
• TV-Out
• GPS with A-GPS
• Multiple input methods:
  • Stylus, plectrum, finger
  • Handwriting recognition
  • One-handed portrait usage (ITU-T)
  • Two-handed landscape usage (full QWERTY)
  • Tactile Feedback (vibra)
  • Copy/Paste functionality
• Automatic screen rotation using Accelerometer
• Running on Symbian OS 9.4 S60 5.0 aka S60 5th Edition
• RRP: €279 = SGD$558.20 (before subsidiaries and taxes)
• 3G version to be available in 4th Quarter 2008, GSM850/2G version to be available in 1st Quarter 2009
• Sales Package:
  • Nokia XpressMusic 5800
  • Extra Stylus
  • Stylus Plectrum in Wrist Strip
  • Protective Carrying Case
  • Portable Stand
  • MicroUSB Cable
  • TV-Out Cable
  • Charger
  • 8GB MicroSD Card
  • Battery
  • Stereo Headset with Remote Control
• For the full specifications, check it out here, http://www.forum.nokia.com/devices/5800_XpressMusic

1st Impressions

• THICK! Due to the built-in high quality speakers.
• No Multi-Touch. Due to different technology being used.
• Tactile feedback is something innovative and I kinda like it. Beats touching on a normal screen.
• VERY RESPONSIVE. Even though it is just a prototype that I am playing with, it is more responsive than the Apple iPhone and definitely much more than the Samsung Omnia.
• Love the “One-click Media Bar” that can be accessed by pressing the button on top of the screen (NOT phone)
• The main screen will allow you to add 4 favorite contacts where you can see your history calls, SMSes, etc to him. Think of it as Facebook friend feeds.
• I love the multiple inputs that this device can handle ranging from T9 keypad to full QWERTY.
• 3 buttons at the bottom, Call, Menu and End Call respectively.
• I love the sales package, lots of stuffs inside there especially the cool “Stylus Plectrum in Wrist Strip” and the nice looking “Carrying Case”
• The buttons are generally big and easy to press on, accidental press on other buttons have not happen to me yet.
• I would love to see how Nokia can evolve their touch technology next year. Perhaps a new Tseries?
• Symbian S60 5th Edition is used, 4th edition is skipped because Chinese believed that 4 is an unlucky number. S40 OS and S60 3rd Edition will still be maintained.
• Applications and games built for S60 3rd Edition is backward compatible on the S60 OS 5.0 although it may not be optimal because of the screen size.

Exclusive Pictures/Videos

Here is a video of the video playback on the XpressMusic 5800:

Here is the video of the XpressMusic 5800 User Interface:

Here is the video of the XpressMusic 5800 Internet Surfing/Browsing:

Here is the video of the XpressMusic 5800 Gaming:

PS: The video recording is a little blur due to my digital camera focusing. I apologized for that.

Here is a tutorial on how to configure your iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPod Touch or iPod Touch (2nd Gen) to connect to NUS Wireless network. We will be using NUS WLAN SSID “NUS” instead of “NUSOPEN”, as “NUS” is protected by PEAP and it is much faster.

Read More (182 More Words, 8 More Images)

I have been so busy with my school lately, despite having a 1 week holiday last week. I used to complete my never ending assignments. It seems that every week, there is an assignment due and it is all report writing, and reporting writing is basically testing your Googling, paraphrasing and smoking skills. There is 0 programming for me this semester and perhaps the next semester as well.

I have not been going to the movies for about 1 month or more!!! But anyway, time flies, half the semester has gone. 10 more weeks till end of exams and then I can enjoy my Taiwan trip!

Out of topic, I would like to show off my iPhone 3G Springboard!

My iPhone 3G Springboard

I have Jailbroken it using Windows QuickPwn 2.1 in less than 10 minutes.

The theme is based on Damino by Anjuna, the wallpaper is Seasons - Winter by Kol and the font is Silkscreen by Kottke.

This theme requires WinterBoard application and Five Icon Dock modification, both by Saurik.

A popular site (http://140.124.181.188/~khchung/cgi-bin/plutil.cgi) that converts binary .plist file to ASCII/Text XML .plist file is down for quite sometime. I decided to mirror the site, but instead of Perl, I am using PHP to do it. Similar to the site, the processing is done by http://homer.informatics.indiana.edu/cgi-bin/plutil/plutil.cgi/.

Here is the link: http://lesterchan.net/plutil/

Just in case you are wondering, .plist is used by jailbroken iPhone to modify settings such as font face, font size, font colors, etc. If the file is in binary, you can’t modify it and hence this converter converts the binary content within the file to ASCII/Text and this will allow you to modify it.

I ROFL at these questions.

• If Fed Ex and UPS were to merge, would they call it Fed UP?
• Do Lipton Tea employees take coffee breaks?
• If olive oil comes from olives, where does baby oil come from?
• If people from Poland are called Poles, why aren’t people from Holland called Holes?
• Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery?
• Why the man who invests all your money called a broker?
• If horrific means to make horrible, does terrific mean to make terrible?
• Why is it called building when it is already built?
• If a book about failures doesn’t sell, is it a success?
• If you’re not supposed to drink and drive, then why do bars have parking lots?
• If you take an Oriental person and spin him around several times, does he become disoriented?
• If vegetarians eat vegetables, what do humanitarians eat?? Human ??

Source: Hardware Zone Forums

T-Mobile announced the world’s first Android-powered phone which is known as the T-Mobile G1 either wise known as HTC Dream.

Here are some brief features from Wikipedia and Gizmodo:

• Qualcomm MSM7201A processor at 528MHz
• 128MB RAM / 256MB ROM
• 1GB MicroSD card preinstalled. Supports up to 8GB MicroSD
• Built-in GPS
• 3.1MP camera (no flash), 2048 × 1536 resolution
• No video recording
• GSM/GPRS/EDGE/Wi-Fi and UMTS/HSDPA 850/900/1700/1800/1900/2100Mhz
• 1150mAh battery (Talktime: 5 hours, Standby Time: 130 hours)
• Touchscreen size is 3.17 inches (81 mm) with HVGA (480 × 320) (65K color)
• 115 mm × 55 mm (4.53 in × 2.17 in), 16 mm (0.63 in) thick
• Internet navigation button controls
• Full QWERTY 5-row keypad that slides away when not in use
• Available in white, black and brown

The T-Mobile G1 will be retailing in the US for USGD$179 and it is tied to T-Mobile similar to how the iPhone is tied to AT&T. By the way, there is no 3.5mm headphone jack in the G1 as it is using the proprietary ExtUSB connector by HTC.

Press Release: The first Android-powered phone
View: T-Mobile G1

Adobe Creative Suite 4 has been announced officially:

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Sept. 23, 2008 - Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the Adobe Creative Suite 4 product family, a milestone release of the industry-leading design and development software for virtually every creative workflow. Delivering radical workflow breakthroughs that bring down the walls between designers and developers - and packed with hundreds of feature innovations - the new Creative Suite 4 product line advances the creative process across print, Web, mobile, interactive, film and video production. With new levels of integration and expressiveness for Flash technology across the entire product line, Adobe’s biggest software release to date includes Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design editions, Creative Suite 4 Web editions, Creative Suite 4 Production Premium, Creative Suite 4 Master Collection, as well as 13 point products, 14 integrated technologies and seven services.

Press Release: : Adobe Introduces Creative Suite 4 Product Family

Similar to Adobe Creative Suite 3, there are a total of 6 favors to it.

1. Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Standard
   1. InDesign CS4
   2. Photoshop CS4
   3. Illustrator CS4
   4. Acrobat 9 Pro
   5. Adobe Bridge CS4
   6. Adobe Device Central CS4
   7. Version Cue CS4
2. Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium
   1. InDesign CS4
   2. Photoshop CS4 Extended
   3. Illustrator CS4
   4. Flash CS4 Professional
   5. Dreamweaver CS4
   6. Fireworks CS4
   7. Acrobat 9 Pro
   8. Adobe Bridge CS4
   9. Adobe Device Central CS4
   10. Version Cue CS4
3. Adobe Creative Suite 3 Web Standard
   1. Dreamweaver CS4
   2. Flash CS4 Professional
   3. Fireworks CS4
   4. Contribute CS4
   5. Adobe Bridge CS4
   6. Adobe Device Central CS4
   7. Version Cue CS4
4. Adobe Creative Suite 3 Web Premium
   1. Dreamweaver CS4
   2. Flash CS4 Professional
   3. Photoshop CS4 Extended
   4. Illustrator CS4
   5. Fireworks CS4
   6. Acrobat 9 Pro
   7. Soundbooth CS4
   8. Contribute CS4
   9. Adobe Bridge CS4
   10. Adobe Device Central CS4
   11. Version Cue CS4
5. Adobe Creative Suite 3 Production Premium
   1. After Effects CS4
   2. Adobe Premiere Pro CS4
   3. Photoshop CS4 Extended
   4. Flash CS4 Professional
   5. Illustrator CS4
   6. Soundbooth CS4
   7. Adobe OnLocation CS4
   8. Encore CS4
   9. Adobe Bridge CS4
   10. Adobe Device Central CS4
   11. Adobe Adobe Dynamic Link
6. Adobe Creative Suite 3 Master Collection
   1. InDesign CS4
   2. Photoshop CS4 Extended
   3. Illustrator CS4
   4. Acrobat 9 Pro
   5. Flash CS4 Professional
   6. Dreamweaver CS4
   7. Fireworks CS4
   8. Contribute CS4
   9. After Effects CS4
   10. Adobe Premiere Pro CS4
   11. Soundbooth CS4
   12. Adobe OnLocation CS4
   13. Encore CS4
   14. Adobe Bridge CS4
   15. Adobe Device Central CS4
   16. Adobe Dynamic Link
   17. Version Cue CS4

Adobe Creative Suite 4 should hit shelves before end October 2008.

By the way, Adobe CS 3 was launched last year on 24th April 2007.

Microsoft Hardware celebrates 25 years of success by announcing several of its new hardware on Tuesday at Movida, St. James Power Station. Unfortunately I am not able to attend as I have lessons during that time.

Microsoft Arc Mouse
Microsoft Corp raised the style stakes with the unveiling of a revolutionary crescent-moon-shaped mouse designed to be just as fashionable as it is functional - the Arc Mouse. With its unique foldable design, Arc reduces by almost half for portability when it is snapped shut, but provides complete comfort when opened to its full size.

The Arc Mouse in black and red will be widely available in the fourth quarter of 2008 for an estimated retail price of SGD$89.00 respectively.

View:

• Microsoft Arc Mouse Product Page

Microsoft BlueTrack Explorer Mouse & Microsoft Explorer Mini Mouse
Microsoft Corp showcased in Singapore the world’s most advanced tracking technology, Microsoft BlueTrack Technology, which allows consumers to take their mice anywhere and work with confidence on more surfaces than before.

Microsoft’s new proprietary tracking technology combines the width and power of optical technology with the precision of laser tracking to allow consumers to mouse on virtually any surface - from a granite kitchen countertop to the living room carpet.

BlueTrack Technology will debut in two new top-of-the-line mice, Microsoft Explorer Mouse and Microsoft Explorer Mini Mouse, available this holiday season at authorized resellers.

The Explorer Mouse with BlueTrack Technology and the Explorer Mini Mouse with BlueTrack Technology will be available in the fourth quarter of 2008 at an estimated retail price of SGD$109.90 and SGD$79.90 respectively.

View:

• Microsoft BlueTrack Explorer Mouse Product Page
• Microsoft BlueTrack Explorer Mini Mouse Product Page

Microsoft LifeCam Show & Microsoft LifeCam VX-5500
Microsoft Corp unveils two new webcams - LifeCam Show and LifeCam VX-5500 - featuring stunning new designs that not only look great but also provide versatility for use on a laptop or desktop monitor, or sitting next to your PC. No matter where these LifeCams are used, they will make a statement.

LifeCam Show is ultra sleek which is one of the thinnest webcams on the market, while the LifeCam VX-5500 takes a more sassy approach with switchable faceplates in three colors and an innovative, collapsible design.

The LifeCam Show and LifeCam VX-5500 will be widely available in October 2008 for the respective estimated retail prices of SGD$139.00 and SGD$79.00.

View:

• Microsoft LifeCam Show Product Page
• Microsoft LifeCam VX-5500 Product Page

Microsoft SideWinder X6 Keyboard & Microsoft SideWinder X5 Mouse
Meet the Microsoft SideWinder X6 Keyboard - the most versatile gaming keyboard on the market with the first-ever switchable key pad that can be attached to the left or right side of the keyboard for ultimate flexibility.

To round out the SideWinder line, the Hardware team is also announcing the SideWinder X5 Mouse, a fast, powerful gaming mouse designed to give mainstream gamers a competitive edge.

The switchable key pad makes the SideWinder X6 Keyboard ideal for gaming as well as productivity, as the key pad functions as a standard num pad in normal keyboard mode, but becomes a programmable macro pad in game mode.

The recommended retail price of the SideWinder X6 keyboard is SGD$119.00. This holiday season in Singapore, the SideWinder X6 Keyboard will be only available in an exclusive holiday bundle with Electronic Arts’ highly anticipated real-time strategy game Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3. More details will be announced by Microsoft Hardware and Electronic Arts in early October 2008.

The SideWinder X5 Mouse will be widely available in October 2008 for an estimated retail price of S$79.00.

View:

• Microsoft SideWinder X6 Keyboard Product Page
• Microsoft SideWinder X5 Mouse Product Page

Microsoft Wireless Laser Desktop 6000, Microsoft Wireless Media Desktop 1000 & Wireless Mobile Mouse 3000
Microsoft Corp. showcased two new desktop sets - the Wireless Laser Desktop 6000 and Wireless Media Desktop 1000 — with stylish designs and high-end productivity features at affordable prices, giving consumers more quality options for their workspaces. A Comfort Curve design complements the sleek lines of the Wireless Laser Desktop 6000, making for hardware that looks and feels good at the same time. Slick design features also grab attention on the Wireless Media Desktop 1000, a keyboard-and-mouse combination created for digital media enthusiasts.

Microsoft today also introduced the Wireless Mobile Mouse 3000, a notebook mouse with stunning color offerings at an affordable price, based on the design of the No. 1 best-selling notebook mouse in the U.S.

The Wireless Laser Desktop 6000, Wireless Media Desktop 1000, Wireless Mobile Mouse 3000 will be available this quarter for estimated retail prices of SGD$139.00, SGD$69.90, SGD$49.90, respectively.

View:

• Microsoft Wireless Laser Desktop 6000 Product Page
• Microsoft Wireless Media Desktop 1000 Product Page
• Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 3000 Product Page

Bought the SwitchEasy Capsule Neo (black) case for my iPhone 3G for SGD$49.90 from GizmoSquare which is located at 102 Tanjong Pagar Road. I like the online store because I can pay by PayPal and then collect it at the physical store itself.

The opening hours on weekdays is from 12pm to 9pm, I went there at 5pm on Wednesday and I got a shocked that the store is closed. Before hand I emailed Curtis (the boss of GizmoSquare) and he told me to come before 7pm as he need to close early for the day and I did, I reached there at 5pm which is indeed before 7pm.

I saw the number pasted on the glass door, it was a normal land line number. I called the number hoping it get diverted to the mobile phone instead and indeed it gets diverted. Curtis picked up the call (I am assuming it is him) and told me that he will ask his neighbour to pass it to me. I was quite puzzled by the term neighbour. After 5 minutes, a man from the next shop which is a bridal shop came out and open the door of GizmoSquare. I took the Capsule Neo off the shelf and place it on the counter. The man made a call to confirm that it is the one that I bought and after that I got what I came for. Before leaving the shop, I ask the man are they affiliated and the man is actually the father of Curtis.

It did not leave a very good first impression to be honest.

I received an email after that from Curtis apologizing for the shop not being open. It is actually his girlfriend birthday and so happen that another staff is on MC as well and hence the shop is not open. This email erased the “not very good first impression” I have on GizmoSquare.

Came off and spend like 30 minutes to put on the Capsule Neo on my iPhone 3G. It is really a chore! In the process, the bottom part of the super thin silicon membrane was slightly torn as the plastic edge of the case was pretty sharp. Do note that the silicon membrane is so thin that there are 2 silicons included in the package just in case people tore it. Nevertheless, I managed to fit the Capsule Neo almost perfectly (covering the chrome edges is the hardest) which I am quite satisfied with.

Package Contents

Back View Of The Capsule Neo On My iPhone 3G

You can view the rest of the pictures that I posted in HWZ Forums.

Apple has just refreshed its entire iPod lineup during the Apple Event “Let’s Rock” which ended a few minutes ago. The last refresh was on 6th September 2008.

iPod Touch

iPod Touch (2nd Generation)

This is the 2nd generation of iPod Touch which features a stainless steel design, volume control on the side and built-in speakers. It comes preloaded with iPod Touch Firmware 2.1.

• 8GB = USD$229.00 / SGD$388
• 16GB = USD$299.00 / SGD$498
• 32GB = USD$399.00 / SGD$648
• View iPod Touch
• View iPod Touch Specification

iPod Nano

iPod Nano (4th Generation)

This is the 4th generation iPod Nano which goes back to the good old days of the tall iPod Nano. The 3rd generation iPod Nano is fat but now the 4th generation iPod Nano has lost some weight and grew taller. Now it has 9 colors for you to choose from. Not forgetting that now it comes packed with the built-in accelerometer and note the new curved aluminum and glass design.

• 8GB = USD$149.00 / SGD$248
• 16GB = USD$199.00 / SGD$328
• View iPod Nano
• View iPod Nano Specification

iPod Classic

iPod Classic (6th Generation)

The iPod Classic has not much changes, the 80GB (thinner one) has been bumped up to 120GB and the 160GB (thicker one) has been phrased out. The color option still remain the same, silver and black.

• 120GB = USD$249 / SGD$398
• View iPod Classic
• View iPod Classic Specification

iPod Shuffle

iPod Shuffle (2nd Generation)

Nothing much have changed except for the colors. The colors are now brighter as compared to its previous color.

• 1GB = USD$49.00 / SGD$78
• 2GB = USD$69.00 / SGD$108
• View iPod Shuffle
• View iPod Shuffle Specification

I think this Apple Event has the most accurate leaked news ever.