Sony Ericsson G502 Review

The newest member of the Sony Ericsson G-lineup was only announced a few weeks ago with a stark commitment to deliver great internet experience. Compact and stylish, this bar has the looks and our preview has already lifted a corner of the curtain on performance. Join us as we start our answer-to-all-your-questions Sony Ericsson G502 review.
Key features

.2" 262K-color TFT LCD display of QVGA resolution
.GPRS, EDGE and 3G connectivity with HSDPA
.Great web browser
.Great battery life
.Compact size
.M2 memory card slot
.2 megapixel camera
.Media center
.Comfortable keypad
.FM radio with RDS
.Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP support
.USB connectivity

Main disadvantages

.Camera produces mediocre pictures
.Poor display legibility under direct sunlight
.No video-call camera
.No document reader
.D-pad might be uncomfortable at first

The market, at which Sony Ericsson G502 is aiming, is not really overcrowded. There are only a handful of budget handsets to feature HSDPA and at least decent browser capabilities. The strongest challenger is probably the Sony Ericsson K660 but it will probably be a bit more expensive due to the few extra features it offers. Whether the dedicated browser keys are worth the extra cash is debatable but, as these are internet-centered devices, they might just make a difference.
Motorola RAZR maxx V6 is also a reasonably priced HSDPA-enabled handset that comes with the Opera web browser. This might just be enough for some people to choose it over the G502. The form factor could also be decisive here as the maxx V6 is a flip.

The slider Samsung F330 may appeal to the music-lovers, as it features some dedicated music keys to compliment the HSDPA. Some people might prefer the sliding design to the Sony Ericsson G502 bar. We for one do happen to like the G502 browser and general interface more.

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Microsoft`s WorldWide Telescope

Microsoft has released a free public beta of its WorldWide Telescope, which is software that lets both amateur and professional stargazers explore the universe from their PCs. The WorldWide Telescope is a rich Web application that accesses high-resolution images taken by ground- and Earth-orbiting telescopes such as the Hubble Space Telescope, the Chandra X-Ray Observatory Center, and the Spitzer Space Telescope. Read Steven Musil's blog for more details.

The main screen of the Worldwide Telescope contains stars visible to the human eye that are mapped into constellations.

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Motorola MING A1800 with dual-SIM, dual-network

The Motorola MING A1800 is a highly intriguing device that recently leaked online. It can work with two SIM cards, but what's even better it can work with two networks standards as well - CDMA and quad-band GSM.
Boy Genius Report recently got a hold of the otherwise officially unannounced Motorola MING A1800, which comes as an update of the Linux-based MING lineup. Having in mind the CDMA functionality, it's almost sure that the handset will be targeted at the American market, still it would be perfectly usable n Europe too.
The Motorola MING A1800 also sports a 3 megapixel autofocus camera and Bluetooth. Unfortunately, no other specifications are available, but you can enjoy some of the BGR photos.

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_ming_a1800_is_dualsim_dualnetwork-news-467.php

AT & T To Bring Mobile TV In May

AT&T announced that the nation's largest wireless carrier will offer subscribers ten channels of live, mobile TV on at least two new phones starting in May.

AT&T Mobile TV uses Qualcomm's MediaFLO system, which we reviewed last year with two Verizon phones. The MediaFLO system allows for at least 14 channels. AT&T and Verizon will share eight: CBS, Comedy Central, ESPN , FOX, MTV, NBC, NBC News, and Nickelodeon. AT&T will get two exclusive channels of their own, which Verizon customers won't have access to.

Verizon, for its part, added two exclusive channels this week: ESPN Radio and a Latino-focused MTV spinoff, "MTV Tr3s".

MediaFLO channels aren't simulcasts of broadcast TV. Rather, they're rearrangements of the TV schedule to play popular programs several times a day. Late night talk shows pop up during morning commuting hours, for instance, and the NBC channel mixes in both NBC network programs and popular shows from NBC's Bravo cable channel.

Since AT&T uses the exact same mobile TV network as Verizon, we expect quality to be the same (excellent, just like 'regular' TV) and pricing plans to be the same (around $15/month.)

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'WoW' bot sued by Blizzard

We've long known that publishers of massively multiplayer online games like World of Warcraft don't like it when players mess with the purity of their games.

That's why they routinely issue stern warnings that anyone caught gold farming or buying accounts or using bots that automate various processes will be punished in some way, including being banned from the game.

But now, it seems, WoW publisher Blizzard Entertainment is taking its enmity toward this kind of behavior to the courts.

As reported by the BBC, Blizzard has sued the creator of a program, or "bot," known as MMO Glider. According to the MMO Glider site, the "tool...plays your World of Warcraft character for you, the way you want it. It grinds, it loots, it skins, it heals, it even farms soul shards...without you."

That is anathema to Blizzard, and the company is trying to get the courts to stop Glider's creator, Michael Donnelly, from selling it.

Blizzard's court filing asserts that "Blizzard's designs expectations are frustrated, and resources are allocated unevenly, when bots are introduced into the WoW universe, because bots spend far more time in-game than an ordinary player would and consume resources the entire time," according to the BBC.


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PlayStation Store may have been breached Sony warns

Sony Computer Entertainment has issued a statement warning that a "small percentage" of PlayStation Store accounts may have been breached, and subsequently had their passwords changed.

The company says it's working around the clock to rectify the problem, though it notes that because entire details aren't displayed on the Store, the chances of your credit card information being leaked is "very unlikely".

"We have investigated the extent of unauthorized access and possible alteration of passwords that could have occurred before corrective measures were taken, and are directly contacting customers who may have been affected by this incident," the statement says.

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New Facebook privacy controls generate good reviews

After enduring withering criticism late last year for the lack of adequate privacy controls in its Beacon advertising system, Facebook Inc. today garnered positive reviews for new controls that let users more strictly monitor who can access the content they create on the site.
The privacy controls launched Wednesday let users limit access to information like photo albums or contact information to specific Facebook friends or friends lists, the company said. Facebook had rolled out the friends list feature in December as a way to help users communicate with groups of friends on the network.

Nick O'Neill, a blogger on All Facebook, noted that the new features provide users with more granular privacy by specifying various settings for each friend list. "This means that, in theory, all of my professional contacts will no longer be able to access my photos, and I can start posting those photos of my crazy times in college," he added.

"These new settings have theoretically transformed Facebook, making it possible to manage all of my contacts from one site," O'Neill wrote.

The All Facebook blogger also noted that the social networking firm today also launched a new option that allows users to opt-out of personalized SocialAds that integrate into photos a notice telling his or her friends about recent purchases made at various online retailers.

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