You know you’ve hit the big time when you knock the number one website off its perch, and this is exactly what Facebook has done to Google in the US.

According to the latest traffic statistics from Hitwise, the social networking site accounted for 7.07 per cent of all web visits against 7.03 percent for Google, for the week ending March 13, 2010.

There seems to be no stopping Facebook, which has seen its market share increase by 185 per cent since this time last year.

The popular social networking site further reached the 300 million user mark last year, and can thank annoying games including Farmville for its recent surge in traffic.

Hitwise analyst Heather Dougherty said in a blog post that this feat wasn’t a first, with Facebook previously topping Google last Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.

“The market share of visits to Facebook.com increased 185 per cent last week as compared to the same week in 2009, while visits to Google.com increased nine per cent during the same time frame,” she said.

But do these statistics, as impressive as they are, mean that Google is on the wane?

Not quite when you look at how each site is monetising their enormous share of web traffic.

While Google runs a profitable business model that reports $23 billion in sales annually, Facebook is still testing out means of advertising and is considered a start-up company with Forbes.com valuing it around the $11 billion mark.

The last time Google fell to the number two spot for a full week was in September 2007, when it fell behind MySpace, which has since declined in popularity after Zuckerberg came on the scene.

Do you Facebook more than you Google? Leave us a comment and let us know.

Facebook Overtakes Google As Number One Site is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

HTC has caused a bit of a stir in the mobile phone world lately with a slew of new releases including a whopping three at this year’s Mobile World Congress.

So if you’ve developed a bit of an interest in the Taiwanese manufacturer like the rest of the world seems to have, which phone should you go for?

HTC has released a number of handsets aimed at different markets, though there are a few mobile phone deals to be had.

We’ve taken a look at what HTC have to offer and whittled it down to a top five. Let’s see what took top awards and why.

Number 5. HTC HD2

This may be a controversial choice to include in our line-up, with an OS that’s already a bit behind the times, but we think that if you want a phone that makes you stand out like an individual when you pull it out of your pocket, the HD2 is the handset for you.

The HD2 is all about the screen- it’s big, bright and, let’s face it, beautiful. A massive 4.3-inches pixel-packed display will keep you watching movies on this thing for hours.

The phone itself is thinner than Victoria Beckham and will be picked up by an intrigued onlooker when you place it on the table in the pub.

It’s also the Taiwanese company’s first Windows phone to embody HTC Sense, which means half the time, you don’t even realize you’re using a WinMo platform.

When I say Windows, I do mean version 6.5, which is old news with the new Windows Phone 7 hitting the market, and unfortunately handsets on any Windows 6.x platforms won’t be able to upgrade.

Under the bonnet is a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and 448MB RAM. There is a microSD slot however, so don’t despair about not packing your music collection into this phone.

The HD2 looks sexy and has enough on the inside to not even make this a question of beauty over brains- there is a lot of functionality, but it’s just not the latest thing.

Number 4. HTC Tattoo

HTC’s affordable Android handset has been a winner from the start, packing the best of Google’s OS into an accessible phone.

Not only can more people get their hands on a usually rather hexy Android, the Tattoo even packs the newer version Android 1.6, which provides an excellent interface for Google’s Android store, organising apps into a rather Apple Store-esque: Top Paid, Top Free and Just In.

Spec-wise, the Tattoo is cheaper for a reason, with a 2.8 inch resistive touch screen, compared to the Hero’s 3.2 inch capacitive screen. IF your not sure what that really means, take a look at our attempt to explain.

You also get a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, which may not sound newsworthy, but seeing as the HTC Magic didn’t have a headphone socket at all (hence NOT featuring in our top line-up) we felt this was worth mentioning.

What is also a nice touch is the range of skins you can choose from to customise your phone. This is on top of choosing from a range of widgets for your home page.

Just because it’s a cheaper Android phone, that doesn’t mean that there’s no cool features included, which is why we’ve given the Tattoo the thumbs up.

Number 3. HTC Desire

It may not be as sexy as the HTC Legend, but under the bonnet the Desire comes into its own with a 1GHz processor as opposed to the 600MHz. HTC Desire reviews have been largely positive and it’s easy to see why.

The phone runs the latest Android 2.1, and boasts a 3.7-inch screen, making it basically the Nexus Two. What sets it apart from Google’s Nexus One is HTC’s own Sense user interface in the Desire, which is a joy to use.

HTC’s Desire also differentiates itself from the Nexus One by upgrading the trackball with a navigation pad, which isn’t as tactile but means less moving parts. This is good news for handset longevity, which is music to anyone on a two-year contract.

A 5 megapixel camera with LED flash on the back of the phone keeps the Desire in line with today’s mainstream phone camera specs, and it also features autofocus and digital zoom.

The Desire goes one up on Google’s first handset, and the integration of the Sense UI kept us entertained with this Android phone.

Number 2. HTC Legend

While most phones have a front and back that clip together like a clam, the Legend is out of a single block of aluminium. That made you kind of swoon, didn’t it?

The Legend lives up to its name with a with 3.2-inch AMOLED capacitive touch-screen, with a 320 X 480 resolution display that makes for clear viewing.

This handset is about keeping it personal, with a wider choice of widgets which you can expand even more through an online widget library, so no matter what you’re interested in, you should be able to find something to keep you occupied for awhile.

The HTC Legend also has Friend Stream, which consolidates your various social networking personas into the one place for you to easily keep track of who updated their wall and what was last tweeted. Friend Stream also lets you be a bit lazy by updating both your Facebook and Twitter statuses in the one go.

HTC has gone for the human touch with this phone, with features including “the ringer that knows when it has been heard.” When you pick up the phone, the ringer lowers in volume, and silences completely if you turn the handset upside-down.

We like the legendary features you get with this handset, and all in a sleek, sexy package.

Number 1. HTC Hero

Number one in our HTC count-down of awsomeness is the only handset produced by the Taiwanese manufacturer that could actually go all the way and challenge the iPhone.

The HTC Hero has access to a range of apps and superb web browsing capabilities, all in a stylish interface. Sounds rather Apple-esque, no?

The Hero is the perfect example of what an Android phone should be, with HSDPA connection speeds offering 7.2Mbps downloads and 2Mbps uploads. The online

There is also a GPS receiver providing accurate time and weather readings, amongst other purposes like, say, navigation.

The phone takes the idea of mobile web navigation to its full potential with all Google services such as Gmail, Google Talk and Maps specifically designed with a smaller screen in mind.

With HTC’s Sense UI, you have access to seven customisable home screens. There is also a new Scenes profile feature which lets you switch your phone over from the functions you need during the work week, to a fun phone on the weekend.

There is again the human touch on this phone, with the ability to dial your mates just by typing in the first few letters of their name; as the banks say, no one is just a number anymore.

The Hero also comes to the rescue when you need to find something, with a dedicated Search button that combs through Twitter tweets, your contact list, emails, calendar appointments and would probably find your lost car keys as well if it could.

HTC’s Hero got top billing with its combination of class both on the outside and inside, and with the Android market picking up in number of apps, Apple may just need to look twice at this handset in its rear mirror.

What’s your top HTC handset? Leave us a comment and let us know.

Check out Recombu for more mobile phone deals

Top 5 HTC Phones: Android vs. Windows is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Overview:
It may sound like an SMS typo, but the Motorola Dext is anything but a mistake, powered by Android and featuring a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard. But after the success of the super-thin Razr, how well will this stocky big brother be received? Let’s take a look.

Review:
Motorola has gone from one extreme to another, rolling out the rather chunky-feeling Dext after its Razr which could have been used to cut bread.

The Dext measures in at 58 x 114 x 15.85mm, meaning it’s quite thick for a modern-day phone.

Its slide-out QWERTY keyboard is behind the solid feel, but just because it has keys for you to quickly and accurately type out emails, doesn’t mean the screen is just going to sit there.

The 3.1-inch, 320 x 480 pixel, touchscreen display has its own keyboard, giving you the option of exactly how you’re going to update your online statuses, which brings us to the point of this phone.

Motorola has looked to create a social networking-friendly handset through its Android-based Motoblur UI.

Motoblur’s number one feature is that it automatically displays your messages, posts, tweets and pics without you having to open multiple apps to access them.

All of your important feeds from Facebook, Twitter, Google and MySpace are available right there on your home screen, so you can see who’s doing what under Motorola’s “Happenings” umbrella. I guess the heading “Status Updates” was already taken.

All of your contacts from your various online personas also come together in the one place, with the Dext importing your social network friend details and merging them with your Google account into the phone’s address book. You can then choose to sort your contacts either by name or latest updates- sorry, “happenings”.

Motoblur also takes the unnecessary hassle of updating your Facebook and Twitter status separately, by synching both so you only need to type in what you had for breakfast just the one time.

Social networking aside, Motoblur also comes with an online service, which can backs up your various accounts and messages.

This online service is also handy from a security point of view, using the Dext’s GPS connection to have the phone tracked, so if it’s not in your pocket like it should be but has somehow made its way to Poland, you can clear all of your personal details from the phone remotely.

Onto other features, the Dext comes with a decent 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and geo-tagging.

It will also record video at 352 x 288 pixels, which isn’t top market but will do the job for capturing your mates’ embarrassing moments at the pub. Being a social kind of handset, you do get the options of uploading your Spielberg attempts straight to YouTube, Picasa, Facebook or MySpace.

Music-wise, there is a standard 3.5mm headphone jack so you can use your very own headphones to listen to Beyonce on this phone.

The option for a 32GB MicroSD card further ensures you can cram all (or at least most) of your tunes onto the handset.

The Dext also comes with a digital compass, accelerometer and proximity sensor so it knows when you’ve got it up to your ear.

Available for free on a £20 a month plan from MobileShop.com, the Motorola Dext is one for the Twitter addicts out there.

The Gaj-It Verdict:
Design: 7/10
Usability: 8/10
Features: 8/10
Value: 8/10

We Say:
Motoblur is makes brilliant use of Android 1.5, and extends Google’s OS in the right direction- simplified web use. The Dext may not be the best looking phone on the market, and let’s face it- will rip through a few pockets, but we love playing around with the social options this phone presents and feel that life is just that bit more orderly knowing that you haven’t missed out on that big Twitter announcement of who’s died lately in Hollywood.

Review: Motorola Dext. Facebook Just Got Even Easier is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Overview:

It looks as ice-cool as a Finnish swimming pool, and under the surface Nokia’s new X6 aims to please as well with a slew of features and free access to Nokia’s Come With Music service. But just because the phone comes pre-loaded with a few Gavin and Stacey episodes, will it keep you entertained in the long run? Let’s take a look.

Review:

Nokia has decided it was onto a good thing when it went from being a mobile phone manufacturer to a company producing entertainment devices. Well ok, that’s not entirely true- its handsets do still call people and send texts. However the Finnish company is breaking the mould with its music and video offerings, and I for one am entertained.

The X6 is currently out in the UK for free on a plan around the £30 a month mark, which doesn’t sound all that competitive until you realize that you get a year’s worth of free music included.

We will focus on the 32GB phone in this review, though Nokia has also just released a 16GB version without the Comes With Music service and at a lower price.

Entertainment

The X6 includes Nokia’s unlimited music download service Comes With Music as standard. The service allows albums and singles to be purchased, but with the X6 you get free range on the service for a year.

However, if you’re on a 24 month plan as is pretty much standard, you will need to confirm with your network that your Comes With Music contract will be extended. You do get to keep the files you have already downloaded though.

The X6 will happily take on board around 7,000 songs, which can be easily downloaded from the intuitive music service.

The phone also has a built-in DJ which will choose your tunes for you based on the mood you select.

If that’s not enough to get you started, the phone also comes pre-loaded with the entire third series of Gavin and Stacey, exclusively for Vodafone UK customers.

Style

The X6 is sleek.

I almost feel like I can leave this section at that sentence, but probably should elaborate a touch.

Nokia has gone minimalist with buttons on this phone as it has included a capacitive 3.2 inch touchscreen which we’ll look at in the next section of this review.

The handset itself is tall and skinny like a cappuccino, measuring in at 111 x 51 x 13.8 mm.

The X6 feels a touch on the chunky side, which invites you to hunt around for a physical keyboard to slide out, but there is none to be had with all typing and navigation done on the touchscreen.

Keeping it sleek, the receive and end call buttons are the only ones on the front of the phone under the elongated screen, which brings us to the next section.

Screen

We’ve already mentioned that the touchscreen is capacitive, but what exactly does that mean?

Up until now, all of Nokia’s touchscreen phones have had resistive screens, which requires a stylus for accurate selections. Not wanting to get too boffin on you, but resistive screens use two metallic layers which connect when you touch down on it.

Capacitive screens are glass coated with a transparent conductor. As your fingertips are also conductors, touching the surface will distort the electrostatic field and choose the next song you want to listen to.

This means you have more accuracy and speed with finger typing and can perform intuitive moves such as pinching the screen with two fingers to reduce the image.

While these options are made available on a capacitive touchscreen, Nokia still hasn’t taken the plunge into pinch-to-zoom which is a shame really. Instead, the zoom function can be activated by double-tapping the screen.

Science lesson aside, the 3.2 inch screen displays at 360 x 640 pixels which makes for some bright viewing.

Camera

The 5 megapixel camera on the X6 takes sharp clear pictures, thanks to its autofocus.

It also boasts a nifty Carl Zeiss lens, dual LED flash and 4X digital zoom.

In low light however, the camera did struggle a bit, churning out some fuzzy images, which is a shame as the specs are impressive enough to combat this.

The video mode worked a treat though, producing 640 x 480 movies at 30 frames per second, and the TV-out connection allows you to instantly share your Spielberg masterpiece with the family.

Features

Being an entertainment device, the X6 comes with Nokia’s Ovi store which allows you to download apps and games for when you get through Gavin and Stacey.

To compensate for making you sit on the couch watching sit coms, the X6 is also Ovi Map compatible, providing you with free walk and drive navigation, as well as Lonely Planet and Michelin trip guides.

The handset comes with a standard 3.5mm headphone jack as well, so thankfully, no proprietary headphones are needed.

It also features an FM radio, podcast client and can read Microsoft Office documents that may get sent through on your email.

Under the Bonnet

Connectivity-wise, the X6 comes with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G and a microUSB port.

It uses an ARM 11 434 MHz processor, which does the job of quickly handling all of the phone’s apps and entertainment features.

The battery will last for 17 days on standby time which is great, but with the slew of features on this phone, it probably won’t be left lying on your bedside table for that long.

One downside is that the 32GB of memory is it, with no external memory slot. Still, it’s not a bad amount to be given and as previously mentioned, does hold 7,000 songs still.

The Gaj-It Verdict:

Design: 9/10
Usability: 7/10
Features: 8/10
Value: 8/10

We Say:

There’s a lot to like with the X6 and this phone will keep you interested when other phones won’t. Nokia still have a bit of a way to go though in fully utilising the capacitive touchscreen, but as a first attempt in this area, it has produced some sharp images and, let’s face it, this phone is all about the music anyway.

Review: The Nokia X6. Let It Entertain You is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Google has rolled-out mobile advertising for YouTube in a bit to raise funds from the popular, but financially-floundering site.

The move follows YouTube’s recent launch of pre-roll ads at the start of its videos. The pre-roll ads are skippable, but that doesn’t mean they’re not annoying.

The new mobile ads seem unobtrusive enough as a screenshot, but on the small screen they do actually take up a fair chunk of your screen.

“This is a great way for advertisers to reach YouTube viewers across multiple platforms,” Taylor Cascino, Strategic Partner Development Manager at YouTube said in a blog post.

“In fact, at launch YouTube will immediately provide one of the largest audiences for a mobile ad campaign anywhere on the mobile web.”

In terms of monetisation, YouTube is targeting a platform that is becoming more popular than ever, with YouTube’s mobile site traffic expanding by 160% last year.

The Google-owned site has been in desperate need of extra funds for awhile now, and still remains in the red.

We’re lucky enough to be spared mobile ads here in the UK, with YouTube’s initial roll-out only hitting the US and Japan markets.

With Google desperate to turn the fortunes of YouTube around though, it will only be a matter of time before we have to scroll just that little bit more to see a Simpsons clip.

Do you stream online video to your mobile? Leave us a comment and let us know.

YouTube Switches On Mobile Advertising is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

In news that will be welcomed by the thousands of Twitter users who have fallen prey to a phishing attack, the popular micro blogging site has decided to fight back.

Del Harvey, director of Twitter’s trust and safety team announced the roll-out of its new security service in a blog post yesterday.

Twitter can now detect, intercept and prevent the spread of malicious links before they reach an intended victim.

“Today, we’re launching a new service to protect users that strikes a major blow against phishing and other deceitful attacks,” Mr Harvey said in the post.

“Even if a bad link is already sent out in an email notification and somebody clicks on it, we’ll be able keep that user safe.”

The system is similar to current Gmail security, which automatically checks link destinations, and works by all submitted links being routed to this new service.

It is currently live in Twitter’s Direct Messages and email notifications, where attackers hit the hardest.

Users won’t notice any difference to their normal use of Twitter, except for seeing shortened links using Twitter’s own “twt.tl” URL shortener.

Before the implementation of this security feature this week, Twitter had previously kept an eye out for accounts that had been hit by a phishing scam, and had then reset affected account passwords.

While this method thwarted the attempts of phishers, it only worked in reaction to an account being hacked in the first place.

“My team can only detect these scams after malicious links have already been sent out,” Mr Harvey said.

Twitter’s new system aims to prevent the security risk before an attacker can get a look in.

In a previous blog posting, Twitter noted that the most wide-spread attacks on its site involved scammers attempting to gain the log in credentials of users, before sending spam messages from the hacked accounts in an attempt to make money.

Have you ever swum with the phishers? Leave us a comment and let us know.

Twitter Targets Phishing Scams is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Overview:

Here at Gaj-IT, we often talk about phones living up to their names, and being called Desire gives HTC’s latest Android release a lot to live up to. So does this big brother of the Google Nexus One get us hot under the collar? Let’s find out.

Preview:

We took a quick look at the HTC Desire when it was launched at this year’s MWC, and first impressions were good.

HTC has a track record for consistently doing well in other mobile phone reviews, so we’re feeling pretty good about the Desire already.

The phone is basically the latest version of the Nexus One, with a few more features under a sleek bronze exterior.

What you notice first with this handset is the large 3.7 inch screen, which makes you want to just sit there and watch videos for awhile. This is enhanced by AMOLED technology over ye olde TFT, resulting in a brighter picture with bolder colours.

The Desire does a good job in feeling desirable with its curved edges and thin 11.9mm body. Coming in a bronze-toned colour, it also makes for something different to the ton of black plastic on the market today.

Under the bonnet, you will see similar specs to the Nexus One with 512MB flash memory, 576MB of RAM and a microSD slot so you can attempt to store at least half of your music collection onto the phone.

The phone comes with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HSDPA, GPA and A-GPS connectivity, so you’re not short of options for reaching the outside world.

The 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor also brings the Desire in line with the Nexus One.

So where do the differences come in? The main disparity is the HTC Sense UI on the Desire, which has gone through some tweaks and is faster and integrates a bit more logically with the phone’s other features.

HTC’s Sense gives you seven home pages, which is two more than you get on the Nexus One. If you’re a fan of your widgets, the extra access to photos, your calendar or quirky game on your home screen won’t go unappreciated.

Thanks to the multi-touch enabled screen, you can do some pretty nifty things with Sense, such as using two fingers to pinch whichever home screen you’re on to go into Leap thumbnail view, which let’s you see all of your home screens at once.

Another difference is the Desire’s use of a navigational trackpad over a trackball, which does makes for a less tactile feel when scrolling through menus, but will increase the longevity of the phone as trackballs have been known to fail over time which isn’t good when you’re on a 2 year contract.

A 5 megapixel camera with LED flash on the back of the phone keeps the Desire in line with today’s mainstream camera specs on the market. It also features autofocus and digital zoom.

With a number of HTC Desire deals out there, this phone makes getting your hands on an Android handset accessible.

Overall the Desire has a great balance of things you’d want in a smartphone, and once you feel one in the palm of your hand, you may never want to put it down.

The Gaj-It Verdict:

Design: 9/10
Usability: 8/10
Features: 7/10
Value: 8/10

We Say:

We love the big, bold screen on the Desire and think this is the handset to get people really longing for an Android phone. It may not have the flashest specs on the high street, but it ticks all the boxes and with the HTC Sense UI, brings something of its own to the phone world.

Preview: HTC Desire. Does it Make You Long for an Android? is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

It may look like a mobile phone, but it could hold the key to your impending YouTube stardom.

Sanyo’s new Xacti VPC-CS1 is hailed as the world’s smallest camcorder, measuring in at a teeny 27mm wide and weighing a feather-light 142g.

Available in purple or silver, this tiny package packs a punch under the bonnet, recording in 1081i, which is pretty darn close to high definition (1920×1080 pixels).

Your movie creations are captured in MP4 format using an AVC/H.264 codec, and can be stored on SD, SDHC or SDXC memory cards.

It also snaps still images at a reasonable 8 megapixels, with a 38mm lens and 9x optical zoom to get in close and personal.

If you’re concerned about making your viewers sea sick, the pistol handle shape of the camcorder gives you increased stability when shooting. Footage that is.

Built-in digital image stabilisation will further keep you looking like a pro behind the screen.

You can keep track of your mini-masterpiece on the Xacti CS1’s 2.7 inch LCD screen, which is rather sizey considering the smallness of the camcorder.

Hitting the big screen is easy too, thanks to a HDMI port, letting you directly stream to an HD TV set.

The camera can also be used with the Eye-fi SD card, which makes for even easier transfer via Wi-Fi.

Nifty features include Sanyo’s “Face Chase” technology, which keeps your subject’s faces in focus and well exposed while you’re shooting video.

The tiny Xacti also comes with a “sound zoom” feature, which lets you hone in the focus of the audio recording field, and exclude sound either to the far left and right of the camera. This means you’ll have more chance of clearly hearing what your subject is saying.

In shops now, the Xacti CS1 will set you back £250.

Are you a YouTube Spielberg? Leave us a comment and let us know.

Sanyo Unveils World’s Smallest Camcorder: Xacti VPC-CS1 is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Samsung has extended its H-series camcorder range to include a whopping four new camcorders: the HMX-H200, HMX-203, HMX-H204, and HMX-205.

Each camcorder can record in full high-definition (1920 x 1080 pixels) in H.264 format.

The new H-Series four also come with Samsung’s new BSI CMOS imaging sensor, which works wonders in low light conditions. Samsung says that its sensors absorb more light than regular Charge Couple Devices (CCDs), which is Sony’s trademark technology.

To get up and close, all four camcorders have 20x optical zoom with a 37mm wide angle lens.

There is optical image stabilisation as well, with a time lapse mode, however this only works at 720 pixels.

Your Spielberg-esque movies can be viewed on the 2.7 inch touchscreen, or can be connected to your telly using HDMI.

So what makes each camcorder stand out from each other? It all comes down to memory, with the H205 boasting a 32GB SSD, the H204 packing 16GB and the H203 with just 8GB.

The poor H200 has no onboard storage, but all cameras can be expanded through SD cards.

As expected, all models take still images at an ok 4.7 pixels.

Battery life on each camcorder is at the 2hour mark, which doesn’t sound like much, but remember you’re making a full HD video. It will extend longer if shooting at a lower res.

Samsung Digital Division General Marketing Manager, Steve Mitchell, said that the new additions to the family were aimed at making new technology more affordable.

“Consumers want the ability to capture family events – birthday parties, football games, graduations, and more – with the utmost detail and clarity, but full HD video recording has come at a price premium in the past,” he said.

“Samsung’s H-Series camcorders give consumers the ability to capture life in full HD with a wealth of functionality, features, and performance, all at an affordable price.”

The new range will reach the UK in June this year.

Do you shoot in HD? Leave us a comment and let us know.

Samsung Unveils Four New HD Camcorders is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Overview:

After a rocky start, in the market the Sony Ericsson Aino has looked to offer more than your average phone, being PlayStation compatible and featuring everything we’ve come to expect from a new phone- good camera, plenty of storage and bits to keep us interested. Let’s take a closer look at Sony Ericsson’s gaming phone.

Review:

First impressions of the Aino is that it is a regular touchscreen handset, but get it in your hands and you’ll be nicely surprised in finding it’s also a slider phone.

The large screen gives the Aino a bold look, and is good for, oh say, playing games for instance.

Luckily the Aino is the first phone from Sony Ericsson to bring PS3 connectivity to a phone. While this is indeed a step in the right direction for Sony Ericsson, don’t go listing your PSP on eBay just yet.

The Aino features Remote Play which allows you to control and view content on your PS3, which until now was a feature exclusive to the PSP.

In short, that Aino makes use of PS3 multimedia functions more than providing you with all your PS3 favourites on your handset. Still, that’s impressive enough to warrant some gamer interest.

Another point of interest is the whopping 8.1 megapixel camera, placing it at the upper end of the mobile snapper spectrum.

There are 5 picture-taking resolution options available including 1080p 16:9.

Camera settings include flash, macro mode, autofocus, a self-timer and an infinite focus mode for long distance shots.

Photos can be shot with a simple tap on the screen which is a nice touch, and after you’ve captured the moment, you can utilise an array of editing effects including red-eye reduction.

The Aino also comes with GPS support, so you can rely on Google maps to get you to that obscure pub your mates are hanging out at after work.

We mentioned before that the Aino was both a touchscreen and slider phone, but how does this marriage work?

Well, the touchscreen can only be used when the slider is closed, and even then it can only be used with the phone’s 3D media browser.

Being a multi-media friendly handset, the Aino’s music player comes with features such as aeroplane mode, playlists and EQ presets, which each have different art icons, keeping the music interface fun.

As with the W995, the Aino also comes with Shake control which means you can wave the phone in the air to shuffle between tracks.

There is also an FM radio, but sadly no standard 3.5mm headphone jack, so you’re required to use Sony Ericsson’s earbuds with proprietary connection.

Another interesting feature on the Aino is the search function on the bottom corner of the home page, which allows you to connect to the world’s favourite website; Google.

Available for free on a £25 a month plan from MobileShop.com, the Sony Ericsson Aino is a PlayStation fan’s phone.

The Gaj-It Verdict:

Design: 8/10
Usability: 7/10
Features: 8/10
Value: 8/10

We Say:

We like how Sony Ericsson has finally decided to integrate its gaming and phone technology in the Aino, and there is a lot on this phone to keep you interested. It comes with everything you expect from a smartphone, plus a bit more. If you’re a gamer, the Aino may get you excited, and for the rest of us, there are still music and photo features abounds.

Review: Sony Ericsson Aino. The PS3 Phone is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com