Samsung Trance SCH U490 Review

     

Whats hot: Good looking slider phone with good audio and a very nice music player. Whats not: No 3G EVDO or music download over the air. Can’t record video. CheckedMay 21, 2009 by Tong Zhang, Senior Editor The Samsung Trance is the latest music phone from Verizon Wireless with enhanced audio courtesy of Bang & Olufsen’s ICEpower amp. The slider phone has ample internal memory and a built-in music player that can play mp3, non-copy-protected iTunes music and Windows Media format music. Like the popular LG Chocolate 3, the Samsung Trance has touch sensitive front buttons with haptic vibration. The phone also has a built-in GPS, a 1.3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth with A2DP and a standard 3.5mm stereo audio jack, all packaged into a stylish slider that’s available in Piano Black and Electric Red. But multimedia fans who are looking to upgrade from your LG Chocolate phones should know that the Samsung Trance doesn’t support EVDO 3G. It does work with the V CAST Music with Rhapsody, but you will need to download the music to a PC and then transfer the tracks to your phone. Other multimedia services such as the V CAST Video are not available on the Samsung Trance since it lacks EVDO. Design The Verizon feature phone collection is dominated by flip phones. For those who want a slider phone, the Samsung Trance is appealing. The phone has a sporty form and curves that make it comfortable in hand, though the surface is slippery. The phone has a 2.1” display and the touch sensitive d-pad, shoulder keys, music launcher and back key live below the display. They disappear into the shiny piano black surface when the phone is asleep, and light up when you activate the controls. You can turn haptic vibration on or off and set different vibration levels. The call send and end buttons live on the slide-out number pad. Unlike the Samsung Sway, another slider phone from Verizon, the Samsung Trance isn’t particularly thin. Measuring 4.0 x 1.97 x 0.55 inches, the Samsung Trance has plenty of room for side buttons. You will find the microSD card slot, key lock, volume rocker and the phone charm holes on the left side; and the Samsung blade-style charging/syncing port, speakerphone key and a standard 3.5mm headphone jack on the right side of the phone. The powerful speaker lives on the back of the phone and the 1.3 megapixel camera reveals itself when you slide open the phone. Phone Features and Reception The Samsung Trance gets a meager signal though surprisingly it has not dropped a call even with only 1 bar of signal. The audio is excellent on the incoming end and very good on the outgoing. The Samsung has comprehensive voice command software for not only voice dialing but also searching contacts for email addresses, phone numbers, etc., launching applications, playing all music tracks, checking the phone’s various status and more. The voice recognition was accurate without any voice training in our tests, but the software does offer an option to train it to better adapt to your voice. Voice command can also do some menu and text message readouts, the voice is digitized rather than natural, but it’s completely clear and very easy to understand. The Samsung Trance has a contacts database that can store up to 1,000 entries and each contact can have 5 numbers, 2 email addresses, street address, picture ID, ringtone and more. The phone also offers 1-touch, 2-touch and 3-touch speed dialing.

Music

The Samsung Trance is a V CAST Music phone in the sense that it can play V CAST music tracks, but you can’t download the music over the air directly to the phone since it lacks EVDO. You’ll need to subscribe to V CAST Music with Rhapsody on a Windows PC (sorry, no Mac version is available) and download your tunes to the PC, then put them on a microSD card or use the included USB cable to sync music to the phone. What if you want to listen to non-V Cast music? No problem, the Samsung Trance can work with many popular music formats including .mp3, .wma, unprotected .aac and .aac+ files.

The music sounds full and loud thanks to Bang & Olufsen’s ICEpower technology. We do like this partnership and hope to see more phones with this technology. The Samsung has a standard 3.5mm stereo headphone jack, though no headset is included in the package. The audio quality is excellent through a good wired headset with a lot of depth and bass power. We heard a low buzzing sound with certain headsets in our tests. The sound was great via Bluetooth stereo headsets.

GPS and VZ Navigator

The Samsung Trance has built-in aGPS that works well with the VZ Navigator even over the Trance’s slower 1xRTT data connection. The integrated GPS gets a good signal and accurate position fixes. The navigation is reasonably fast but the maps take some time to download since there’s no EVDO. The turn-by-turn directions seem on target and the voice guidance sounds loud on the Samsung. Be aware, if you start navigation with the Samsung Trance’s slider open, when you close the slider the sound will transfer to the earpiece from the speakerphone even if you’re in the middle of navigation. But if you start the navigation with the slider closed, the voice guidance will stay on the speakerphone.

VZ Navigator offers local search, traffic information as well as sharing locations and directions with family members who have that Verizon service. For parents who value Verizon’s Chaperone child locator services, the Samsung Trance works well with that service.

Camera

The Samsung Trance doesn’t have an impressive camera. The built-in 1.3 megapixel camera can take only still images but does provide options for image resolutions, picture quality, brightness and effects settings, night mode, multishot and self timer. The photos taken with the Trance look good by 1.3 MP camera phone standards with balanced colors and sharp images (there’s some over-sharpening). Some images look a bit dark but colors look natural nonetheless. Battery Life The Samsung Trance has a small standard battery that’s 880 mAh in capacity. In our battery tests, accessing V CAST multimedia services via EV-DO is usually the biggest battery-draining task. Since the Samsung Trance has only 1xRTT connectivity the battery, though small, has good runtimes. The claimed talk time is 4.5 hours which seems on target and the battery can last many hours for music playback. The phone also has good standby time and can easily go for a week with very light use.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a phone with a pretty face and a beautiful voice, the Samsung Trance fits the bill quite well. In addition you also get the built-in GPS that works with VZ Navigator and Chaperone, a roomy 1GB of internal memory, a microSD card slot and a camera. Music download isn’t the most convenient compared to the LG Chocolate 3, but it doesn’t affect those who load their own music instead of buying tracks over the air. The lack of EV-DO means you won’t get Verizon’s multimedia offerings such as V CAST video or a fast Internet connection with a full browser, but it also means lower monthly cost.

Pro: Sporty, shiny looking phone. Good screen and excellent audio. Large internal memory and the music player can play tracks in a good selection of formats.

Con: No 3G EVDO and no over-the-air music download. Camera can’t record video.

Price: $49.99 with 2-year contract after mail-in rebate and discount.

Web sites: www.samsungmobileusa.com, www.verizonwireless.com

Specs:

Display: 2.1” 262K color TFT screen. Resolution: 176 x 220 pixels.

Battery: Lithium Ion rechargeable battery, 880 mAh, user replaceable. Claimed talk time: up to 4.5 hours. Claimed standby time: up to 12 days.

Performance: 1GB internal memory. Phone book can store 1000 entries.

Size: 4.0 x 1.97 x 0.55 inches. Weight: 3.53 oz.

Phone: CDMA digital dual band, 800/1900 MHz. 1x for data. No EV-DO 3G.

Camera: 1.3 megapixel with digital zoom. Supports multi-shot and night-shot features. Still image resolutions: 1280 x 960, 1024 x 768, 640 x 480, 320 x 240, 160 x 120 and 128 x 96 pixels. Doesn’t record video.

Audio: Sound technology by Bang & Olufsen ICEpower. MP3 player onboard to play music in MIDI, MP3, AAC, AAC+ and WMA formats. 3.5 mm stereo audio jack. Supports vibration alert.

Networking: Bluetooth v2.0. Supported profiles: headset, hands-free, stereo, basic imaging, Object Push for vCard and vCal, serial port and phonebook access. USB 2.0.

Software: Verizon flash-based UI with ERI personalized banner support. WAP browser and Web-based email and chat on board. PIM tools include contacts, calendar, notepad, calculator with converter, world clock, alarm clock and stopwatch.

Expansion: 1 microSD card slot. Supports SDHC cards.

In the Box: The Samsung Trance phone with standard battery, wall/USB charger, USB cable and printed manual and guide.

                                                         ( Author : Tong Zhang, Source : mobiletechnews )

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LG VX8300 Review

   

Checked July 14, 2006 by Tong Zhang, Senior Editor Last year, the LG VX8100 became one of Verizon’s EVDO flip phone hits. It had a sweet set of features including a bright display, a Mini SD expansion slot, 1.3 megapixel camera and of course EVDO with V Cast support. It hit the feature phone sweet spot: a flip phone that packed in all those features plus an MP3 and video player with sound via its beefy stereo speakers (and headphone jack). This year the VX8300 updates the LG VX8100 on Verizon’s network. The differences? A much slimmer and sleeker body, OLED external screen and a microSD card slot. Throw in integrated Bluetooth, Mobile Web 2.0 support, voice recognition and basic PIM applications, and you’ve got the new and improved LG VX8300. Design and Ergonomics The LG VX8100 was not a hefty phone, and the VX8300 slims the body down to 3.38 x 1.93 x 0.92 inches. The clamshell feels nice in hand and is balanced well for one-handed operation. The blue cover has been replaced by a more contemporary and business-like grey which makes the phone looks slimmer as well. The outer color OLED display is bright and functional music player control buttons sit right below. The 1.3 megapixel camera and flash live above the outer display. Like the VX8100, you will find the stereo speakers on each side of the top hinge. The LG has just enough buttons to provide the necessary shortcuts and you won’t feel that there are so many buttons as to overwhelm. You will find the volume up and down rocker and the voice command keys on the left of the phone and the camera key and the MicroSD card slot on the right. The headset jack and the fixed antenna live on top of the phone and the charger port is at the bottom. The battery lives under the battery door on the back. When you open the clamshell you will find the bright and color saturated main display and the earpiece on the top panel and the keypad along with a five way directional pad above it in the bottom panel. Two soft keys and the call send and end buttons as well as CLR key surround the d-pad. The two soft keys provide different options in the context of your application and data while the 4 navigation keys around the OK button on the d-pad launch Get PIX & FLIX, calendar, Mobile Web and GET IT NOW. If you’re a Verizon Wireless regular, you’ll recognize the “Verizon UI”. Phone Features and Reception The LG VX8300 is a digital dual band phone supporting both the 800 MHz CDMA and 1900 MHz PCS bands. Like the VX8100, the LG supports Verizon’s V Cast service for high speed download and playback of video and V Cast gaming. You can download the latest music tracks, music videos, made-for-mobile short films/cartoons, and news from all major news sources like CNN, ABC along with sports and weather reports. The LG has both 1xRTT (2.5G) and EVDO (3G) for data which means fast download speeds for music and videos. The Mobile Web 2.0 web browser works well with WAP sites and can handle some HTML sites. The LG has a good set of phone features for a phone in this class, plus a voice command feature that makes it stand out from the crowd. The basic phone features supported include speed dial (98 speed dials plus a voicemail speed dial), 72 chord polyphonic ring tone support plus 15 unique ring tones and vibrate and silent modes. You can have caller picture IDs and caller ring tones IDs so you can tell who is calling by photo and ring tone. The LG has an enhanced speaker-independent voice recognition which you can use to dial numbers, send messages, look up something, etc. and you don’t have to record a voice tag for it to recognize your command. You can also use the phone to record voice memos. The voice recognition software works very well in all the tasks and applications. Verizon has slightly poorer coverage than Sprint in the North Dallas area. The LG usually gets about 2 bars on EVDO network and 1-2 bars on the voice network. If you are in good coverage area for Verizon you should have no problem using this phone. With 2 bar signal strength throughout this area, we got decent voice quality with some distortion in some calls. Like the VX8100, the VX8300 is plenty loud. Make sure that you adjust the volume to avoid more distortion.  The LG comes with a messaging application that can send and receive text messages, MMS messages with sound, images and videos. The email plugin takes you Mobile Web’s free email portal where you can access your MSN, AOL, Yahoo and other free email service web sites. The email on the LG VX8300 doesn’t support POP3/IMAP. There is also web based chat plug in. IM is supported by the LG, but there is no IM client included on the phone. You can download it from Verizon’s mobile web site. The LG VX8300 comes with some basic PIM (Personal Information Manager) applications which you can find under Tools. The contact application can store up to 500 entries with 5 numbers, two emails and a picture ID for each entry. Other PIM apps include calendar (a basic scheduling tool), notes, alarm, world clock, calculator and a tip calculator.

Display, Gaming and Multimedia Following the tradition of the VX8100, the LG VX8300 has a beautiful screen. It’s bright, vibrant and color saturated. The 262K color TFT internal screen can display 176 x 220 pixels with 10 lines and the 65K color OLED outer display is set at 96 x 96 pixels at 6 lines. If you are a fan of music videos, photo albums and are V Cast user, you will appreciate the screen. One of the biggest draws for the LG is its multimedia features which include full-duplex  stereo speakers, a music player, camera and software to display photos, video playback and of course, V Cast service support where you can download the latest music, videos and games right on the phone. The stereo speakers are loud and have decent sound when you play music or watch videos with sound. If you want to get better sound, purchase the Verizon’s V Cast Music Essentials Kit which includes a pair of stereo earbud headsets or plug in a nice pair of external speakers. Once you have paid and downloaded the songs, ring tones and videos, you can find them in My Tunes/Tones and My Flix. The V Cast service also include news, stock, weather and other info you need daily. In addition to news, V Cast also offer some comedy shorts, cartoons and other popular programs on MTV, VH1, Sesame Street and more free of charge. It will certainly keep you entertained while waiting for a flight or stand in line. If you do get the Music Essentials Kit you will get the software for ripping songs from the CD and a USB cable you can use to transfer songs from your PC to the phone. The LG can only play songs from the V Cast download library or CDs ripped using Windows Media Player 10. It can’t play iTune songs and V Cast music isn’t compatible with Mac OS X. Playing 3D games is a pleasure on the LG VX8300. We saw great performance when playing some of the latest games such as Cars and Elder Scrolls Oblivion. The D-pad and other control buttons are just big enough to play action game.

Camera

Though the camera resolution stayed at 1.3 megapixel resolution, the quality of photos is noticeably better than those taken by the VX8100. The focus works well for both landscape shots and close up shots. Compared to the VX8100, the VX8300’s photos are sharper, more saturated and have less noise. You’ll get less whiteout in full sun shots and clearer indoor shots (if lighting is good). The VX8300 camera and software are some of the better among 1.3 megapixel camera phones. The phone can save photos and videos directly to a MicroSD card, if present.

You can launch the camera by either pressing the dedicated camera button on the right side of the phone or by going into the Get It Now menu and selecting Get PIX & FLIX/Take PIX. In Verizon V Cast lingo, PIX are photos and FLIX are videos. While in the camera application, you can set resolution, self timer, flash, brightness, shutter sound, while balance, color effects, night mode and front display. You can choose from 5 resolutions and the max setting is 1280 x 960 and the minimum setting is 16 x 120 which can be used for photo call ID. The flash is quite bright with reasonably wide coverage and can illuminate dark areas for a decent photo, though it tends to white out light objects. The color and light meters are user adjustable. So make sure that you check the settings before take photos for best quality. The outer display acts as a secondary viewfinder that makes taking self-portrait photos a breeze.

The LG VX8300 can take videos with audio at 176 x 144 resolution. You can shoot videos of any length as long as your have enough memory to store it. The quality of the video is largely the same as the VX8100’s video quality. Well-lit areas yielded the best quality videos with no ghosting or blocky artifacts. The camera can’t deal with poorly lit areas for recording videos, and with no option to turn on the flash light you will get videos that are too dark even after you crank up the brightness settings. The audio syncs with video very well.

Sample photos taken at full resolution and at the highest quality setting. Unedited other than re-sized to fit this page.

Bluetooth and MicroSD Slot The LG VX8300 has integrated Bluetooth v1.1 and supports Bluetooth Headset, Hands-free, serial port, object push and dial-up networking (DUN) profiles. The Bluetooth software can store up to 20 pairing partners and can connect to one Bluetooth device at a time. The LG worked well with several Bluetooth headsets we tested it. It’s easy to pair it with all headsets. Go to Settings and Tools and launch the Bluetooth app (# 7 on the list) to find new pairing partners. When the phone and headset are paired all the button press sound, music, video and call voice will pipe through the headsets. When working with the Cardo scala 500 Bluetooth headset, the LG has loud and clear incoming voice. The outgoing voice quality through the scala headset is above average with volume on the low end. When we tested the phone with the Jabra FreeSpeak BT250 Bluetooth headset we got excellent incoming and outgoing voice quality and very high volume. FreeSpeak users should enjoy using this phone with their headsets. The range however couldn’t reach more than 15 feet with any headset. If you plan on using your phone with vehicle accessories as hands free solution, you can check the compatibility chart for popular vehicles that can work with the phone here. vCard push is supported, but not object push. This means you can’t transfer files from your computer to the phone. The LG does support Dial Up Networking (DUN) which is a step up from the VX8100 (Verizon disabled DUN on the 8100). If you want to use the phone as a modem via Bluetooth, you will need to get the Verizon tethering service plan and make sure you have the correct Verizon access software and settings. You will need to turn on the Discovery mode in Bluetooth on the VX8300 in order to pair it with your PC/Mac. Leaving Bluetooth on doesn’t deplete battery life by much, which means you can leave it paired to your Bluetooth headset constantly without worrying about draining the juice. The LG VX8300 comes with a MicroSD (aka TransFlash) slot which is the best way to transfer your multimedia files from the phone to your PC. We tested a SanDisk TransFlash card with the phone and had no trouble transferring files to and from the card using the phone, a PDA and PC with card reader.

Battery Life

The LG VX8300 comes with a rechargeable Li-Ion battery that’s user replaceable. The battery capacity is 1,100 mAh which is 100 mAh more than the VX8100. That’s a small bump up. But given the fact that most of the features have remained the same, the VX8300 increased talk time from 3.7 hours (VX8100) to 3.8 hours. The claimed standby time however has doubled and now is at 15 days which sounds overly optimistic but it’s very close to our actual test results. The battery life is comparable to other CDMA phones with similar features. It will last you for about 2 days if you talk for 40 minutes on the phone, play games and watch V Cast videos for half an hour with some light use of Tools such as contacts and calendar. It will last you for about 2 hours if you continuously download videos, music and watch them on V Cast.

Conclusion

A sweet clamshell feature phone has just gotten sweeter and slimmer. The feature set is compelling with MP3 playback, a very good camera, Bluetooth and V Cast (EVDO).

Pro: Slimmer clamshell body, 1.3 megapixel takes very good photos and records nice videos. Both internal and external screens are bright with good color balance. The stereo speakers are good and stereo headset output is great! V Cast support creates enormous opportunity for the LG to entertain with video, music, news and more. Great standby time.
Con: Not much data usability outside the Verizon Web portal, WAP sites and the V Cast content (many popular web sites get out of memory errors, though the browser does manage to load the page or most of it). You need to buy additional kit to get the stereo headsets, music ripping CD and the USB cable.

Price: $99.99 (after a $50 rebate/online discount) with 2-year contract; $149.99 (after a $50 rebate/online discount) with 1-year contract.

Websites: www.lge.com, www.verizonwireless.com

Specs:

Display: 262K color TFT internal display, 176 x 220 pixels, 10 lines. 65K color OLED external display, 96 x96 pixels, 6 lines.
Battery:1,100 mAh Li-ion rechargeable. Battery is user replaceable. Claimed talk time: 3.8 hours, claimed standby time: 15 days.
Performance: 28 megs internal memory, undisclosed CPU.
Size: 3.58" (H) x 1.93" (W) x 0.92" (D), Weight: 3.88 ounces.
Phone: CDMA dual band digital (800MHz and 1900MHz). 1xRTT and EVDO for data.
Camera:1.3 MP camera with LED flash. 4x digital zoom. Camera Resolutions: 1280 x 960, 640 x 480, 320 x 240, 176 x 144, 160x120 pixels. Video resolution: 176 x 144 pixels, 3G2 format.
Audio: Built in stereo speakers, mic and 2.5mm headphone jack. Voice Recognition software included. Full duplex speakerphone. 72-Chord Polyphonic Sound Support, Voice Memo Recorder (1 Minute Each; Up to 200 Memos Total). 15 unique ring tones, plus vibrate and silent feature.
Networking: Bluetooth 1.1.
Software: Contacts, Calendar, text and MMS client, World clock, Notepad, Calculator, Mobile IM (downloadable), camera, Get it Now (download Pix and Flix, ring tones, games and applications), WAP browser that’s Verizon’s Mobile Web 2.0 service compatible.
Expansion: 1 MicroSD (TransFlash) slot.
                                          ( Author : Tong Zhang, Source : mobiletechnews )

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ASUS UL80Vt A1 Review

The ASUS UL80Vt is a 14” thin-and-light laptop with 10 hours of battery life, an overclocked processor, and switchable Nvidia graphics. Read on to find out if this battery-friendly powerhouse is worth your money.

Our ASUS UL80Vt-A1 has the following specifications:

• 14-inch 720p (1366x768) display with LED backlighting
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 Ultra Low Voltage processor (1.3GHz/3MB L2/800MHz FSB) overclocked to 1.73GHz/1066MHz FSB
• Switchable graphics: Nvidia GeForce G210M w/ 512MB GDDR3 dedicated and Intel GMA 4500MHD integrated
• 4GB DDR3-1066 RAM
• 320GB 5400RPM hard drive (Seagate Momentus 5400.6/ST9320325AS)
• 802.11n wireless (Atheros AR9285)
• DVD Super Multi drive
• Two-year warranty w/ one year accidental damage coverage
• 8-cell Li-ion battery (5600mAh)
• Weight: 4.8 lbs
• Dimensions: 13.5” x 9.6” x 1.1”
• MSRP: $849.99

Its also worth mentioning that ASUS informed us that Amazon.com has a rather attractive promotion going on after November 1, 2009. Anyone who purchases the UL80Vt-A1 from Amazon gets a $100 Amazon gift card.

The same promotion also applies to the ASUS UL50Ag-A2. Additionally, if you purchase an ASUS UL20A-A1 Amazon will include a $75 gift card. Details regarding this promotion were not available at the time of this writing, but you might want to check out Amazon.com for more information.

Build and Design
The UL80Vt has a classy design. With a height of only 1.1 inches it is certainly a thin machine, and the inward chiseled sides make it look even thinner. The lid is the most visually attractive part of the notebook with its brushed aluminum back and angled hinge design. The island-style keyboard also adds to the visual appeal; it sits flush with the surface of the notebook. Although the UL80Vts 8-cell battery is large the designers cleverly integrated it between the display hinges for a flush appearance. The UL80Vt has an understated look and fits in both home and work environments.

The UL80Vt has a plastic construction with the exception of the aluminum-backed lid. All visible surfaces are glossy which means dust and fingerprints show up easily; keeping this notebook clean is a chore. The plastics themselves are of reasonable quality.

Unfortunately the good news ends here. The UL80Vts build quality and construction are subpar. I was able to visibly twist the chassis using only modest pressure, and pushing down on the touchpad literally causes the chassis to sag and touch the surface it is resting on.

This unusually high amount of flex indicates that the notebooks internal frame is not strong enough. The lid also twists easily despite the aluminum back. Furthermore, the plastic screen benzel below the lid is very flimsy and can easily be pulled away from the screen about a half centimeter. Pushing on this area causes the screen to bend outward uncomfortably far. Lastly, the plastic trim above the keyboard is unsecured and has a few millimeters of up-and-down play. Overall while the build materials themselves are of reasonable quality the strength and construction of the UL80Vt are disappointing.

Screen and Speakers
The UL80Vt has a 14-inch display with LED backlighting, a 16:9 aspect ratio, and a 1366x768 resolution. Its glossy coating makes images look clearer at the expense of glare. The display has plenty of brightness but the contrast is low, making pictures look slightly washed out. Side-to-side viewing angles are adequate however are limited vertically; the display needs to be tilted just right to get an accurate picture. A better quality display would have been appreciated on a multimedia notebook like the UL80Vt.

The speakers are poor despite the Altec Lansing branding. They do not get loud enough and are very tinny. The headphone jack is fortunately static-free and the best way to get audio out of the notebook.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The UL80Vt has a chiclet/island style keyboard with extra space between keys. The keyboard is unfortunately mediocre and does not do anything well. While typing the keyboard feels loose as if it were merely resting on the chassis rather than being secured and has a cheap rattling sound, especially on the left side. Flex is also a problem on the left side. The tactile feedback is limited at best; there is not enough of it and key travel is too short. Moreover the keys are noisier than we prefer. As a result of these deficiencies typing is uncomfortable especially for extended periods.

The touchpad is also below average. Its glossy surface is difficult to track on and the single-piece button is somewhat noisy and difficult to press. I had to apply pressure at the far left and right edges of the button to get clicks to register.

Ports and Features
The UL80Vt has an adequate selection of ports, including HDMI. The notebook strangely does not have a Kensington Lock slot or built-in Bluetooth. All picture descriptions are left to right.

Left Side: Power jack, exhaust vent, VGA out, HDMI, 2x USB, microphone and headphone jacks

Right Side: DVD Super Multi drive, media card reader (MMC/MS/MS-Pro/SD/xD), USB, 1000Mbps Ethernet

Front: Speakers

Performance and Benchmarks
The UL80Vt has a unique ability to overclock its Ultra Low Voltage (ULV) Core 2 Duo processor from 1.3GHz to 1.73GHz, giving it a significant performance advantage over competitors with ULV processors. Coupled with 4GB of RAM and a quick 320GB hard drive, the UL80Vt is more than capable of handling everyday tasks and more intensive applications, and the Nvidia graphics card allows for casual gaming. All benchmarks were run with the processor overclocked to 1.73GHz.

Wprime processor comparison results (lower scores mean better performance):

PCMark05 measures overall system performance (higher scores mean better performance):

3DMark06 measures overall graphics performance for gaming (higher scores mean better performance):

Crysis gaming benchmark (1024x768 resolution and high settings):

HDTune storage drive performance test:

The Nvidia GeForce G210M is a mainstream graphics card and unable to play newer games like Crysis well. I tested an older game, Counter-Strike: Source, informally and it ran at all high settings without difficulty. The reality is that there is only so much that can be done with just 16 shader units and a 64-bit memory interface. For older games (~2005) the G210M will suffice but for newer games look for a notebook with a more powerful graphics card.

Heat and Noise
At idle the UL80Vt is essentially silent for all intents and purposes. Under full load the fan speeds up but is still muted; there is no fan whine or annoying tone. The fan exhaust is located on the left side of the notebook and does not expel a lot of heat unless under full load – this system simply does not produce much heat to begin with. The chassis manages heat well; the palm rests stay near room temperature and only on the left side does the notebook get slightly warm.

Battery Life
The UL80Vt lasted an extremely impressive nine hours and fifty minutes while surfing the web in power saving mode with low screen brightness. The large eight-cell battery is certainly a welcome feature. The switchable graphics and ULV processor greatly helped power efficiency.

Operating System and Software
The UL80Vt-A1 comes with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit and too many pre-loaded utilities. Several of these pre-loaded "bloatware" utilities (shown in the image to the right) are startup items which increase log on time whenever you turn on the laptop. If ASUS could consolidate all of these utilities into a central control panel then this would not be such an issue. The sheer number of them at present is unnecessary.

Since one of the key benefits to using Windows 7 is faster system startup, theres really no reason to slow down the computer with this much bloatware.

Conclusion
The ASUS UL80Vt is a notebook we really want to like but has too many drawbacks to overwhelmingly recommend. While it has a stellar ten-hour battery life, sleek design, and good overall performance, its weak build quality, abysmal keyboard, and unfriendly touchpad prevent us from signing its praises.

Pros:

• Sleek design (see cons)
• Stellar battery life
• Switchable graphics
• Good overall performance
• Runs cool and quiet
• Good warranty coverage

Cons:

• Subpar build quality
• Abysmal keyboard
• Unfriendly touchpad
• Screen needs more contrast
• No built-in Bluetooth
• Too many pre-loaded utilities

Source: Notebookreview.com

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Movie Review Sous Les Bombes Under The Bombs Arabic 2007

Sous Les Bombes (Under The Bombs) 2007, Arabic, is not about terrorism. Neither is it about religion, or extremism.

It is a story about a mother and a son separated by unfortunate bombings of a conflicted region in Lebanon.

It starts with Zeina rushing to Lebanon where she finds fear, apprehension, military, international media, destruction, distraught families. And then she finds Tony: a brave Christian cab driver. Both start on a dangerous journey to the disputed region, with their own motives (alert: Tonys motives do not see light until the very end).

What followed was beyond my predictions, and was subtle yet gripping. I forgot that I was watching a movie and not a well crafted documentary (I still believe some of the characters were actual victims of the war... I cannot fathom stage actors bringing the creepy calm that you see on their faces in some of the frames).

Tony, who starts with a greed to squeeze most of Zeinas money owing to her desperation, unravels his true self just when she needs it the most (I will keep the details for you to enjoy).

The frames are stitched together with eerie monologues, empathetic dialogues, poor yet helping hands, a failing state, and a dry yet gorgeous scenery of rural Lebanon.

In the end, sacrificing in their own ways, they do get within hands reach of Karim, Zeinas lost son.



But are they able to get to him? And what happens to their life thereafter? Does Zeina leave her uninterested business-man husband for a stranger she just met, because he provided more for her in 3 days than her partner of 20 years?

Watch it now to know more. I guarantee a wash out of all your strong prejudices against the Arabic people. You will find that common people nowhere want to bear wars, and the losses that fall out. You will realize that underneath that stereotyped Middle-Eastern face of Tony lies a young and soft heart who enjoys music, food, dreams and a struggle to get to them.

I rate it 4.7/5.0.

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