If there’s one company that can go toe to toe with Apple in the smart phone space, it’s not RIM, and it’s certainly isn’t Microsoft.   That’s right, it’s Nokia.  With the impending release of their 5800 XPressMusic phone, complete with touch screen and a one-year-free all-you-can-eat music download service, it certainly deserves a look by potential iPhone buyers.   But the question is whether or not this 5800 is the revolutionary advance Nokia needs to compete with the iPhone, or if it offers an over-engineered, offputting user experience like many previous Nokia products.

On paper, this thing is killer, though:

• GPRS/3G data network support
• Bluetooth
• WiFi (802.11g)
• 8  or 16 GB SD storage card (an option I sincerely wish Apple had included in the 3G iPhone)
• Video out (cool!)
• Touch screen interface. Not sure if it’s going to do gestures or multi-touch.  It does claim tactile feedback, probably by means of vibration, etc.
• 3.2″ display (iPhone has 3.5″)
• 3.2 mpixel Zeiss camera, like those in the N-Series (this will likely spank the iPhone’s camera, which is 2.0 megapixel and pretty piss poor)
• A self-facing VGA camera for video calls
• Maps application with GPS and voice-guided navigation. (Also an iPhone spanking feature)
• Headphones
• Symbian S60 version 5 operating environment (an upgrade to the OE used on the E-Series and N-Series phones)
• Free unlimited music downloads (not rentals) for one year (Windows Media, DRM’d)

Tags: 5800, camera, hardware, music, nokia

From Macintouch.com:

Apple Ultracompact USB Power Adapter Exchange Program
Today Apple announced the Apple Ultracompact USB Power Adapter Exchange program. Apple has determined that under certain conditions the new ultracompact Apple USB power adapter’s metal prongs can break off and remain in a power outlet, creating a risk of electric shock. We have received reports of detached blades involving a very small percentage of the adapters sold, but no injuries have been reported.
The ultracompact USB power adapters were supplied with every iPhone 3G sold in the following countries, and may also have been purchased separately as an accessory:
* US
* Japan
* Canada
* Mexico
* Several Latin American countries
(click here for a detailed list of countries)

Tags: accessories, hardware, power supply, recall

Well this is it — the first Android handset was introduced yesterday at Wembley Stadium (essentially Microsoft Stadium) in London, England.  We now know that the Android unit will indeed offer VoIP features out of the box, and that Google’s engineering team has confirmed that at least one carrier is on speaking terms about the addition of VoIP. This gives the Android a tangible edge on the iPhone, which is still in VoIP limbo.

Also included in the first Android handset, known as the G1, which has roughly the same form factor as the iPhone, is a touch screen and a set of nav buttons.  We also now know that this phone and the HTC Dream are one and the same.  The new device will be available on October 17, from T-Mobile, with other carriers, including Sprint, to follow next year.

Tags: android, google, hardware, t-mobile, voip, wireless

Old pal Phoneboy chimes in from his Joy of Gadgets blog to let us know about CellRanger, an antenna repeater which should improve your mobile signal while you’re driving.  As the packaging claims, CellRanger “drastically reduced dropped calls”.  Hmm.  Anybody tried this with an iPhone yet?  It’s only a $149 experiment.

Tags: accessories, dropped calls, hardware

Or iPod, for that matter. Star Wars official store has introduced an iPhone/iPod speaker dock featuring a character from the new animated feature, The Clone Wars, a fellow named Captain Rex. The unit requires four AA batteries and apparently does not double as a charger (bummer).  But if you want to get your Star Wars on, this might be the way to do it.

And in case you missed it, CrunchGear has startlingly cool video of The Force Unleashed for iPhone. In this game, you get to adventure through the galaxy as a Jedi, fighting the likes of Darth Vader and his minions. You control your character by using touch-motions on the screen–you can grab enemies and toss them right into the bottomless chasms Star Wars is so famous for. The graphics look downright awesome, and the game is due in a few months, so put it on your Christmas list.

Tags: accessories, hardware, music, software, star wars