just got larger with the Samsung Omnia, measuring in at a whopping 112 x 56 x 12.5mm. It has a new way to touch life to your phone called TouchWiz that wants you touching the screen, not tapping it with a stylus. When you touch the screen, the whole phone will actually vibrate, giving the user feedback of the touch. The all-new on-screen QWERTY keyboard gets rid of unwanted space at the bottom of the phone for a smaller, sleeker and more comfortable grip. The all-new feature to this specific touch-screen phone is that it actually has a built-in optical joystick with virtual mouse functionality. The phone itself only comes in two standard colors, which are black and silver, just like the Apple iPhone. The Omnia is slightly smaller length- and width-wise, but the thickness of it is just a little bit bigger, though the iPhone has a slightly bigger screen.Andrew’s take: Personally I think other than the screen size, the Omnia is better than the iPhone. But the iPhone has all the good applications at this point.
Pros: built-in touch screen, QWERTY keyboard, 5 megapixel camera, Wi-fi capability, embedded GPS, sleek and stylish
Cons: damaged easily, no storage for stylus (though it’s not necessary since the phone is designed to touch with fingers), speed could be improved due to any 3G capabilities, applications aren’t very good
ITEM: The new Hewlett Packard TouchSmart IQ816t series touch screen all-in-one PC is bringing a whole new outlook to personal computers. This exact model comes stock with
Windows Vista home premium, Intel core 2 duo processor, 4GB DDR2 system memory, 512MB Nvidia GeForce 9600M HD graphics card, 750GB hard drive, and a built in Blu-ray player. With this high-speed, all-in-one computer, you can do just about anything you have ever imagined and some you have imagined that you can’t do on any regular computer. The HP TouchSmart comes with a standard 22-inch touch screen but can go as large as a 25.5-inch screen diagonallyAndrew’s take: The HP TouchSmart series is a nice little thing that you could buy if you had the $1,500 to $2,500 to pay for it. The computer itself is a nice design; it’s small, sleek, and you would have no problem sitting it on a desk, but when it comes to the usage, it’s hard to find everything and get used to the whole touch screen itself.
Pros: Very sleek and slim, all-in-one means no clutter, built-in image and music editing programs at one touch, integrated web cam and microphone
Cons: Expensive, not waterproof, not good to take in areas where other potential messy things occur (kitchen, etc)
ITEM: You know how there is always the problem with losing the remote controls, so you go out and buy a universal one so you don’t have to have 3 or more of them? Well, this new remote from Logitech will solve your remote problems and give it a cool, sleek style too. But you better not lose this one in the couch cushions, as it costs around $240. This remote features back-lit buttons, a LCD touch screen, works with Windows and Macs, has excellent button layout, superb ergonomic design, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, and a dock for recharging when it’s not in use.
Andrew’s take: The Logitech Harmony One universal remote is an excellent product to have in your home whether you are one of those electronic nuts or if the old remote broke. It features many new designs and fits comfortably in your hand without making the remote oblong and ugly.
Pros: Rechargeable lithium-ion batter, own docking station, ergonomic design, and LCD touch screen.
Cons: The price is set a little high at $240; there is no RF (radio frequency, which is standard on many older-style TVs) compatibility
