Nokia's N95 8GB for North America gets v20 firmware as well

It isn't hard to see to perks to Apple's "one size fits all" approach to software for the iPhone and iPod touch. After making N95-3 (the regular ol' N95 for North America) users wait months to get the software updates of their European counterparts, it took 'em another few days to get the N95-4 (the 8GB version for North America) up to snuff as well. Of course, the N95 8GB already had a few of the software improvements, but this seems to pull it in line with the v20 firmware all the cool kids are rocking. Unfortunately it's not all gravy, you're going to have to do all the heavy lifting of backing up and re-installing your apps, and we've been having trouble getting the update to work at all on our particular 8GB -- we'll let you know how that goes. Still, the speed gains are (probably) worth all the hassle, so fire that sucker up and get updating!

Update: Problem solved, turned out to be a bum USB port on the PC we were using. You may also run into Vista compatibility issues using Nokia's Software Update app, though we had no problems when we told Vista to front like XP SP2 using the shortcut. Proceed at your own risk!

RM-mp1 Media Remote Control

I must say the RM-mp1 media remote control looks more like a stylish cell phone at first glance, but this wireless device doesn't do phone calls. Instead, it is meant to allow you to wield your slideshows with impunity, featuring a touch pad mouse, a laser pointer, relevant multimedia buttons and a wireless USB receiver that makes it possible to walk all over the stage without losing control of your slideshow. In addition to presentation slides, the RM-mp1 is also a nifty media center remote that will definitely find a spot in any worthy living room. No idea on pricing or availability, but it will come in either black or white colors.

T-Mobile releases Nokia 5310 XpressMusic Phone

At long last, T-Mobile has finally made available the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic from May 28th onwards, long after it was announced and released in other markets outside of the US. T-Mobile will be offering two pre-loaded songs with each purchase, one from rock sensation Panic At The Disco and the other from Phantom Planet. In addition, you will also get Panic At The Disco’s latest video, “That Green Gentleman,” with an exclusive making-of video with a greeting from the band. Other features found on the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic include :-

• T-Mobile myFaves-enabled
• Music player with dedicated external music controls
• MP3 and video ring tones
• Stereo Bluetooth connectivity
• 2.0 megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom
• Video capture and playback
• FM radio
• 1GB microSD card included in box (support for up to 4GB)
• Digital music player (supports AAC, eAAC+, MP3 and Windows Media Audio formats)
• 2" QVGA 240 x 320 display with up to 16 million colors
• Stereo wired headset
• 3.5 mm headphone jack
• Hands-free speaker
• Voice dialing, voice commands and voice recorder
• Tri-band 850/1800/1900 MHz GSM, GPRS, EDGE

Alienware Assimilates Dell's Gaming Business, XPS Gaming Machines On the Way Out

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Dell is killing its four big balls XPS gaming machines (not the entire XPS line, like the standard notebooks, which are selling really well) to focus all of its juice on Alienware as its sole gaming brand. The timeline isn't overly specific, but the clock is ticking for Dell's XPS WoW notebook and their car-sized (and priced) 730 tower. We actually sorta figured this was coming.
While the cross-competition issue is obvious, our suspicions became more solid because of the bit buried in the announcement of Alienware's mondo 17-inch gaming notebook that Alienware was going to move into budget gaming PCs for more mainstream gamers. Why cannibalize themselves on both the upper and lower ends? Course, this just means the Alienware name is going to be tied even more closely to Dell, so whatever cachet left in the name is probably toast, like your wallet after buying one.

COWON D2 16GB Available in the U.S

I had wrote that "Rival is fiercely as Cowon D2 16GB arrive" and now it is available at JetMall.net for $239.99 which could also be seen in Ebay with the same price. Not a bad price though a little expensive for me:). The price is a little lower when it was first post and now it is up, obviously it was being likely by others. The most feature for it is its storage capacity. It was announced a few months ago as I had wrote.
SPECIFICATIONS in Ebay:

Playback format Music MP3 : MPEG 1/2/2.5 Layer 3, ~320kbps, ~48khz, mono/stereo WMA : ~256kbps, ~48khz, mono/stereo OGG : ~Q10, ~44.1khz, mono/stereo FLAC : Compression Level 0 ~ 8, ~44.1khz, mono/stereo WAV : ~48khz, 16bit, mono/stereo APE : TBD ** JetEffect (BBE, Mach3Bass, MP Enhance, 3D Surround, Stereo Enhance) support Movie AVI : MPEG4 ~ 2Mbps, 320x240, 30fps, MP3 audio WMV : WMV9 ~ 768kbps, 320x240, 30fps, WMA audio TV OUT support (TV OUT Cable Optional) Recording WMA : 32~256kbps Recording and Playback Voice Recording, Line-In Recording, External MIC support Photo JPG, No limitation on image size and capacity Text TXT file Viewer Support up to 2MB Folder Limit 500 folders and 5,000 files Radio support FM RADIO : 76Mhz ~ 108Mhz, 87.5Mhz ~ 108Mhz WMA : 32~256kbps recording support Display 2.5 inch 16 million color(24bit) TFT-LCD : QVGA (320x240) Touchscreen support. Built-in memory 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, 16GB External SD Card and MMC Card Slot PC interface USB 2.0 High Speed File transfer speed Max. 35Mbps (Upload 40Mbps) Power Up to 52 hours (Music) of continuous playback (Movie 10 hours) Charge time About 3.5 hours by adapter, About 7 hours by USB Button 3 Button(MENU, VOL-, VOL+), POWER & HOLD Switch SNR 95dB (A-Weighted) Frequency Range 20Hz~20KHz Max Output 16 Ohm earphone : 37mW + 37mW Size 3.07 X 2.18 X 0.65 inches (78.0 X 55.4 X 16.6 mm) Weight 3.21 oz (91 g) (Include Lithium Polymer battery)

* Playback time is based on company's self-test, The playing time may be shortened according to LCD usages ** TBD => Fast, Normal, 16bit, greater than v3.93

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Pentium 200MHz or Higher 32MB Main Memory or more 50MB Hard Disk Space or more 256 or Higher color display OS - Microsoft Windows 98/98se/ME/2000/XP - MAC OS 9.X, 10.X (Only data transfer supported) - Linux kernel v2.2 or higher (Only data transfer supported) - USB Port - CD-ROM Drive