Technknowledge

As we move toward 2010, there is little question that mobile devices and smartphones will continue to have a huge impact on the market. Research firm Nielsen predicts that smartphones will dominate market share by the end of 2011, with the iPhone and Android-based phones taking the lead spots by a wide margin over traditional cell phones.

As devices mature, Wi-Fi connections become more ubiquitous, and 3G networks become more reliable, consumers will start looking for new ways to use their smartphones as replacements for other larger devices, such as PCs and TVs. One area that has been called out for growth is mobile video and TV, as well as streaming movies directly to a mobile device.

mSpot CEO and co-founder Daren Tsui made the case to me recently that full-length streaming movies will be important to consumers in 2010 because people want entertainment on the go and on demand. Research suggests that the adoption curve will be lead by young males 18- to 24-years-old and parents with young children looking to keep kids distracted.

Not surprisingly, mobile carriers are very supportive of mobile movies. According to Tsui, mSpot has been powering mobile movies on the Sprint wireless network for three years and is currently working with other carriers to bring the service to their user base. Realistically, carriers will always be happy about services they can offer and charge for, but the real question is if they could handle an influx of users sucking down huge amounts of bandwidth.

The obvious obstacle to be overcome is the strength of the data network. Streaming full-length movies to a phone is data-intensive, and therefore relies heavily on a strong, consistently reliable network. Assuming WiFi is available, this is a non-issue, but, as an example, AT&T's 3G network has struggled with the data usage of iPhone users and you can just imagine what will happen when millions of people start streaming movies.

Anecdotally, I can tell you that my wife and I bring an iPod Touch out with us to entertain my 2.5-year-old with various games and movies. Pocket-size mobile devices, iPod or otherwise, can be great learning tools as well as distractions when things are going sideways or when you just want to go to a restaurant and not chase a kid around. That said, my iPhone/AT&T network experience has been so spotty that I would likely opt to keep the content local, though in an ideal world new content could be downloaded in the background.

Assuming bandwidth is not an issue there are many possibilities for mobile content to take the place of traditional PCs or print media but in the near term mobile content will be only as good as its data connection.

Online video-streaming site Ustream announced on Wednesday that a mobile app that allows users to view Ustream content is available now in the Android Market.

According to Ustream, the app, dubbbed Android Viewer, allows users to watch any show on the site over Wi-Fi or 3G. The app works with

Android software versions 1.5 and up. It also includes a chat function, allowing users to communicate with others who are also watching the show.

This isn't the first time Ustream has released an application for Android. The company already offers the Android Broadcaster, which allows users to stream a show to viewers from their Android-based gadget.

Those looking to try out Ustream's new Android app can download it for free from the Android market.

Design

Its slim, slider design complemented with a metallic silver shell and a black rim around the display make the Samsung S6700T an elegant looking phone. At 106x50x13mm and weighing just 105 grams, it sits comfortably in the palm of the hand and is light enough to carry in your pocket.

At the back of the phone sheltered by the slide is the camera lens, flashbulb and self-portrait mirror. A multifunction jack (USB, headphones and charger port all-in-one) is located on the right edge of the phone above the camera/application switch key. Volume controls can be found on the opposite side.

The flat numeric keypad under the slide is surprisingly simple to use, as the keys are decently sized and not too close to each other.

The 2.4-inch QVGA display is quite luminous and comes with three pre-installed themes, with an option to make your own from images, colours and patterns. Even the dialling display can be modified if you find the default one boring. The homepage is bare by default apart from the date, time and shortcuts (the shortcuts screen can be tailored to accommodate your own preferences). As a whole, the interface is very clean and intuitive, making it easy to navigate and discover features.
Features

Along with the standard phone features including messaging (SMS, MMS, email), voice and video calling, the Samsung S6700T also comes with decent multimedia features and is compatible with Telstra's Next G network.

The 3-megapixel (MP) camera with flash and auto-focus comes with a number of options for capturing photos. You can have fun with various shooting modes like Smile shot, Continuous, Panorama, Mosaic and Frame, along with effects including black and white, sepia and watercolour. Conveniently, there's an image editor for basic touch-ups such as cropping. The camera acts as a camcorder too, recording video in MPEG4 format.

The music player (supporting MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR, EMA) lets you set up playlists and synchronise your phone with Windows Media Player. The phone has 120MB of internal memory, which may not be enough to stack up all your favourite tunes, but it can be expanded up to 8GB with a microSD card. If you have a song stuck in your head, but don't know who the artist is, Samsung has included a cool music recognition feature that identifies the artist and title for you.

You probably won't find the WAP browser dazzling, but it's functional and does an OK job for simple browsing. Anything more complex, like instant messaging is pretty cumbersome. We found the "copy URL to" and "Send URL" options pretty handy. Social media junkies can upload content directly to sites like Facebook, YouTube, Flickr and MySpace via apps on the phone.

Other features worth noting are an RSS reader, multi-purpose converter, voice recorder, FM radio, Mobile TV and conference calling.
Performance

Over an intensive period of listening to the FM radio for around 10 hours, using the camera and browsing the web, the battery lasted around a day and a half, while minimal use of the phone (calls, SMS and occasional browsing) led to a battery life of nearly a week without recharging.

Watching Foxtel on Mobile TV was a delight; impeccable audio and good image quality delivered an engaging experience overall. This goes for call quality as well. We found both video and voice calling very clear, even when in noisy places and on the speakerphone.

We could browse the internet at fairly fast speeds; however, occasionally we came across warnings that the page was too large to render properly.

We were quite impressed with the camera on this phone. For a 3MP phone camera the image quality was excellent. We took photos both in natural light and indoors and they came out very sharp, clear and with enough detail. At 15fps video quality isn't worthy of praise, but satisfactory for a mobile phone.

The performance of Java applications is solid, as revealed by JBenchmark tests 1 and 2.
Overall

The Samsung S6700T should be an appealing choice for anyone wanting an inexpensive phone with a decent number of features and a good camera. Employing a minimalist design approach, Samsung has created an aesthetically pleasing and simple to use handset inside and out. The multimedia attributes shouldn't fail to keep you entertained and the call quality is nothing short of outstanding.

On the downside, the lack of a standard headphone jack might be a minus for some and the browser is not fantastic, but it serves its purpose.

The Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 doesn't leave much room for complaint. It fits comfortably in your hand and works on almost any surface, thanks to Microsoft's BlueTrack sensor technology. It would make a useful addition to your mobile arsenal.

The Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 is Microsoft's latest travel mouse. It offers many of the same features as the Explorer Mini Mouse, but costs less. This AU$69.95 device also uses BlueTrack sensing technology, which lets you use it accurately on a variety of surfaces that a normal laser mouse can't handle. Although less ergonomic, the 4000 fixes several of the Mini's flaws, including the omission of a power-saving off switch and the right-hand-only design.
Plug-and-play design

The 4000's plug-and-play hardware design makes it easy to pair it with a host computer. A small USB-powered wireless transceiver pops out from its hiding spot in the undercarriage, which also houses the power switch, as well as a slot for an AA battery. While we normally prefer rechargeable mice, Microsoft claims the mouse will work flawlessly for up to 10 months on a single battery. The top of the mouse also houses a small red LED that alerts you when battery power is low. Microsoft offers the mouse in five colours: blue, pink, green, black and white.

Microsoft includes its IntelliPoint 7 software for both PC and Mac. You'll find settings for button assignments, and scroll and click speed, as well as help files, in an easy-to-use program. If you don't have the CD with you while you're travelling, you can still use the mouse with your computer's internal settings — no external drivers are required.

One of our major complaints with the Mini was its right-hand-only design — its contours made it uncomfortable for lefties to use. Thankfully, the 4000 is symmetrically shaped, making it equally easy for left-handed users to scroll and click the four buttons. The entire mouse is covered with soft textured plastic for extra grip.

The scroll wheel sits between the two main buttons and moves from side to side, as well as up and down. There's one minor tactile difference between the two scroll modes: horizontal scrolling with the dial results in a tangible click as each page moves, but up and down scrolling is completely smooth, with no tactile feedback. We prefer the ratcheting feel of a click wheel for scrolling through individual pages. The smooth dial that Microsoft incorporates into its mice feels awkward. The scroll button itself is preset to activate the new Windows Vista Flip 3D overlay, in which you can quickly view all of your open windows in a digitally organised stack. As with most mice, you can reassign all the buttons with the IntelliPoint software.
Versatile and convenient

At just 103mm long and 61mm wide, the 4000 tucks easily into a laptop case or bag. The wireless transceiver can supposedly deliver an uninterrupted connection up to 9m away. The promise of cable-free trips is definitely a plus for mobile professionals and travelling Web surfers.

The technical highlight of the 4000 is Microsoft's proprietary BlueTrack technology, which combines the precision of laser tracking with the wide coverage of a standard optical mouse. The 4000 scrolls beautifully on virtually any surface, with the exception of clear glass and mirrored surfaces. This versatility should come as a relief for jet-setters who don't want to lug a mouse pad around with their hardware.
Conclusion

The Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 is a very capable travel mouse that's well worthy of our recommendation. Convenient, versatile and reasonably priced, it doesn't leave much room for complaint.