Podcast: Talking with Matt #20 (Anniversary special)

It’s time for another podcast (13 min) with Matthew Bennett (Nokia Daily News, US Mobile Industry):
- Audio version
- Video version

This Last week we celebrated the first anniversary of this podcast (already?) and the 3rd anniversary of my blog :)

Unfortunately, Matt’s camera battery died while recording, so we continued filming with the Nokia N900 but without the mic.

We discussed the cream of the crop for 2009: the Motorola Droid, the Nokia N900, the Palm Pre, and the Apple iPhone 3GS!

Other topic include the Samsung T939 (Behold II), and some commentary on Symbian and the Nokia N97…

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Podcast: Talking with Matt #19 (FoneFrenzy special)

It’s time for another podcast (35 min) with Matthew Bennett (Nokia Daily News, US Mobile Industry):
- Audio version
- Video version

This week we were joined by special guest Tony Peric (FoneFrenzy) and his (WiFi-less) Palm Pixi! We discussed the HTC Hero, the Motorola Droid, and the Nokia N900…

We also talked about unlocking and debranding the Sony Ericsson C905a, and we even covered the Acer Aspire 1410 and the HP Mini 311. Enjoy :)

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Motorola Droid camera

I’ve been using the Motorola Droid for a week now, and while the device is quite impressive overall, the camera is a mess…

“But wait,” you protest, “those shots look fine.” Sure, the Droid can take pretty decent pictures (slide show). But I’m a camera buff, and do you know how much effort I put into these?

Pictures taken with the Nokia N900

The Nokia N900 camera is really quite good. In fact, even with pre-release firmware, it walks all over the competition!

It’s no surprise. The N900 comes from a long lineage of great 5 megapixel phones from Nokia, such as the N95 and the N82. It features Carl Zeiss optics (with auto-focus and macro), a dual LED flash, and a sliding lens cover – as such, it’s virtually identical to the N97 camera…

Cameraphones have come a long way

I’ve been back from my yearly time on the playa for a few days now, and as I’m looking at my pictures, one thing is becoming abundantly clear: cameraphones have come a long way.

I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m still impressed with the ongoing improvements. I took 150 pictures, 34 with the Nokia N97, and the remainder with my Samsung T929 (Memoir)…

While the N97’s Zeiss optics clearly reign superior, the Memoir’s sensor wins hands down, especially in low light. I even shot using the digital zoom with great results!

Speaking of Zeiss optics and top notch sensors, there’s a Nokia N86 review unit coming my way, which I’m definitely going to compare with the Samsung Memoir – so stay tuned :)

One last thing. Despite taking my iPhone 3GS on the trip, I ended not doing any videos. However, one of my coworkers made this awesome time-lapse video.

It’s playa time

Tomorrow I’m leaving for my yearly 10-day vacation in Black Rock City…

I’m going to miss Nokia World and the live reports on the super awesome Nokia N900, but it’s OK – I’ll be back just in time for Mobilize (my readers get a 15% discount).

If you’re also going to the desert, look for me at Center Camp Cafe, where I’ll be volunteering most evenings. If you’re not going, follow me on Twitter, where I’ll try posting when possible :)

Beyond satellite service, and the occasional flaky WiFi, there’s extremely minimal mobile service at Burning Man for the first time this year.

I’ll be using my Samsung Memoir & the Nokia N97 for pictures, and my iPhone 3GS for videos.

It’s playa time – catch you later!

Podcast: Talking with Matt #14

It’s time for another podcast (25 min) with Matthew Bennett:
- Audio version
- Video version

This week (episode 15 14) we discussed the Nokia N900, the Nokia N97 (which I accidentally drop), and the Nokia 6790 (Surge)!

Other topics include Matt’s clever hack, the Toshiba NB205, and a few other things, all while sitting outside of Farley’s…

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Podcast: Talking with Matt #13

It’s time for another podcast (35 min) with Matthew Bennett:
- Audio version
- Video version

This week we discussed the Nokia N97, the Samsung i8910 (Omnia HD), and the Nokia E75!

Other topics include Matt’s adventures on the N97 24/7 Tour, plus a few other things, all while sitting outside of Cafe Flore…

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Podcast: Talking with Matt #12

It’s time for another podcast (30 min) with Matthew Bennett:
- Audio version
- Video version

This week we discussed the June tsunami – the Palm Pre, the Samsung i8910 (Omnia HD), the Nokia N97, the HTC Magic, and the Apple iPhone 3GS, plus a few other things, while sitting outside of Duboce Park Cafe on Pride weekend :)

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Apple iPhone 3GS vs. Palm Pre camera

iPhone 3GS sample pictures (slide show):

Pre sample pictures (slide show):

OK, you’re probably thinking this is a bit of an unfair comparison – although the Apple iPhone 3GS camera lacks an (arguably useless) LED flash, the Palm Pre camera lacks the (absolutely essential) auto-focus, as well as video recording…

But, other than the difference in camera and storage specs, the missing GSM/UMTS radios, and the limited selection of apps, the Pre provides 95-105% the iPhone 3GS user experience and features a QWERTY keyboard – that is pretty impressive!

People currently looking for a subsidized über-phone in the US are going to compare the iPhone 3GS and the Pre (and perhaps even the T-Mobile G1 and the Blackberry Storm). So what about the 3 megapixel camera on each device?