Being the world largest Smartphone manufacturer HTC and facing rough competition coming either from Apple, Sony Ericsson, LG or Samsung, HTC had no other choice to once again to bring mobility one step ahead by introducing another impressive Windows Phone with the Touch HD2

Download video

Hardware
When it comes to built quality, the iPhone with its almost perfectly made case is hard to beat, and despite HTC’s effort with the Touch HD, the “Jesus Phone” was still so far my favorite… Yes so far since Apparently the folks over at HTC Taiwan decided to deliver one of the most impressive pieces of hardware ever!
Like the iPhone, the HTC Touch HD is a perfect mix of plastic, glass and aluminum.
HTC did not decided to just match the iPhone path and spec, but rather decided to set its owner standards by offering our Touch HD2 the most powerful CPU available on the market with a 1GHz Snapdragon chip as well as integrating 512MB of ROM memory and 448MB of RAM memory.
Want more? So what about a gorgeous and impressive 4.3” multitouch screen cover by a strong piece of glass? That will make your day? Coz I don’t know about you but it really did mine!
Finally, specs also includes WiFi b/g, HSDPA and HSUPA, a 5Mpix Camera with AF and Dual Led Flashlight, Bluetooth, GPS, G-Sensor and so on…

No really hardware wise there are very few things to complain about, and only nitpicking guys like I am would complain about the lack of internal memory forcing you to purchase a microSDHC cards to store your apps, which ultimately will run slower on the memory card than on your device internal memory and also perhaps the overall quality of the camera module.

Everyday Usage
I have been playing with the Touch HD 2 since 5 days now, and I am still playing with it has we speak and moving from the iPhone to the Touch HD2 has been nothing but a pleasure.

Thanks to a powerful CPU and a slightly improved Windows Mobile OS (6.5), the Touch HD2 is really fast and responsive, something that has never been seen before on a Window Phone… Also, and to make things even better, HTC decided to offer the Touch HD2 its SENSE UI, which not only completely take over Microsoft basic UI but also drastically improve the way you will interact with your phone.
SENSE goes beyond the UI thingy and provide many little tweak and nifty apps like a Twitter client, a gorgeous weather app, an improve calendar (Seriously Microsoft, no improvement in that regards since your first Pocket PC?!?!?), better PIM management, Better SMS and Email integration… Basically HTC went all over Microsoft Phone 6.5 OS and decided to “almost” brew its own OS, and despite the fact that HTC is primarily a hardware manufacturer, the result is really impressive giving the Touch HD2 a unique experience that no other Windows Phone 6.5 devices will have the pleasure to get.

And what a better way to enjoy HTC’s SENSE UI than having a 4.3” Multitouch screen tweaked to works with, unfortunately, a limited number of application like our phone default browser, maps and photo application where the pinch and zoom works exactly like on the iPhone.Don’t blame HTC here, but blame Microsoft for not fully supporting the multitouch technology as well as other 3rd party software manufacturer which are yet to release multitouch capable Apps

Finally and if I would like to you to discover by yourself many of this tweaks and improvement next time you have the opportunity to play with a Touch HD2, I cannot resist in sharing with you two of the Touch HD2 little secrets… Unlike many other Windows Phone devices, the HTC Touch HD2 features 2 nifty features when it comes to handle your Phone Ring and Notification with the “Quiet Ring on Pickup” and “Pocket” modes, which basically will adapt your Ring volume to the way you are carrying or handling your phone.

The “Quiet Ring On Pickup” will for example, automatically decrease your phone ringtone when you are physically pickup your phone for a table for example, while the “Pocket” mode will in the other hand increase your phone ring to make sure you can hear your device ringing even if your Touch HD2 is at the bottom of your pocket (The phone will detect automatically its surrounding and increase its Ring volume automatically) .

Below SENSE…
Once HTC SENSE UI removed or switched off, our Touch HD2 is just another fast 6.5 Windows Phone. Believe me I have been quite disappointed before with 6 and 6.1, but for what it worth and despite its limitation, I kinda like 6.5 improvement and basic design. Sure you can see in both Microsoft My Phone and Marketplace a desperate move from Microsoft to copy both Apple Me.com and App Store service, but both MS version works pretty well, but hey, Rome has not be been built in day, and we will have to wait a couple of month more to get iPhone like quality Apps coming in Microsoft Marketplace… Yeah SPB, SBSH and RESCO, I am talking to you right now… so don’t let us down !

Conclusion
Since I plugged my AT&T 3G Card in my Touch HD2, I have yet found time to use my iPhone… Elegant, Fast, with a brilliant UI, the Touch HD2 is really something that I was expecting for a very long time in the Window Phone world.
Yes the Touch HD2 is the ultimate Window Phone yet, and there will be very few competitors capable to offer a real alternative to this device, however, and if I really like this new Touch HD2, the lack of a proper App Store, or should I say the lack of proper applications as gorgeous as the one which can be found on the iPhone App Store could make the Touch HD2 a bit less appealing for many.
Finally more targeted to high-end user, the Touch HD also lack of the iPhone “Made for Everyone” attitude and will only attract a limited number wealthy customers….

Reader Comments

• dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)
• Japan Probe – Japan news and entertainment (Subscribe)

When Nikon first announced the S1000pj Projector Camera I had a good laugh and just forget about it… But then the opportunity came for me to test this camera and to give it a try.

Since the S1000pj is not our average Point & Shoot, I will try to review this baby differently, and skip many aspect that we usually cover when review a camera, and let’s be say it now… And despite its 12.1Mpix Censor, the image quality of the S1000pj just plain sucks… No offense to any Nikon fan boys here, since the S1000pj is in fact not worse or better than other 12.1Mpix capable Point & Shoot, but there is no way for us to advise you to purchase a S1000pj solely on its image quality.

Now this said, the S1000pj is definitively not your average Camera, and its huge plus comes to its tiny little embedded video projector module which will change once and for all the way you used to share photo and video with your friends.
Really it makes sense when you think about it, and we wonder why such cameras haven’t reach the market before.
Making it WAY more expensive than other equivalent Point & Shoot, the S1000pj with its Video projector is just brilliant and will give you instant sharing capability wherever you are and almost whenever you want. Just shoot a couple of picture or a tiny little video, find a dark place whether at home or in the street, press the Video projector button… “Tadaaaa” You can instantly share with your friends your photo on a surface equivalent to a 40” display…
If seriously you cannot expect HD capabilities on such tiny projector, the output image is just enough to enjoy a propose slideshow with your friends or family and share how much fun you had during your holidays.

Granted the S1000pj is more expensive than other 12.1Mpix capable cameras, but the addition of this video projector is enough to justify the price bump, and with an impressive built quality added to an easy to use UI and correct pictures up to ISO 640 (Clean enough to be printed), really worth the extra cash needed to get one of these.
No of course if you still don’t get it or if you think that this video projector is just a lame gadget, and you will be wrong, it will be difficult for us to advise you this camera, but if you just think about it and often needs to share pictures with your friends or parents but don’t want to be bothered with cables or do not have a TV with Jpeg and SD card support around you, the S1000pj is definitively made for you !

PS : For those curious to see some photo samples taken with the S1000pj just follow this link !…

Reader Comments

• dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)
• Japan Probe – Japan news and entertainment (Subscribe)

Many of you enjoyed the tracks we are using on our videos, and many of you asked us by email the name of the artist behind the music of our videos. Well finally we took the time to visit Coppe in her studio in Japan to interview her and to give you a glimpse of whom she is.

Now It will be very difficult for me to describe Coppe’s music style, but her sensual voice mix with her amazing always happy and ready to party personality with a touch of naughtiness gives us a unique musical experience.

Download video

Coppe’s Track can be found on the iTunes Music Store, as well as on Last.Fm, Amazon, The Zune Marketplace and many other places… And if I had to recommand one album it will be without a doubt Fi-Lamenté… I had the chance to listen to “Nicola” during a live concert and lord this is good music… Cannot wait next spring for her new album… Coppe… We love you, really love you !…

Reader Comments

• dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)
• Japan Probe – Japan news and entertainment (Subscribe)