“The iPad is our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price”. No prizes for guessing that these are the words of Steve Jobs. He also added during his speech at the launch of the device, “We’ve wondered for years as well — in order to create that category, they have to be far better at doing some key tasks… better than the laptop, better than the smartphone“. He followed up that with, “Now, some people thought that was a netbook — the problem is that netbooks aren’t better than anything!“  Yay, what gem of prejudiced insight can we expect next? As always, he kept on praising Apple and its products. Someone needs to tell him that  calling your own creations “magical, revolutionary, ground-breaking, phenomenal, extraordinary, unbelievable” each and every time makes you sound ridiculously cheap.  Not to mention the repetition of super annoying lines like “It’s that simple… it just works… right out of the box“. I wonder why he can’t just unveil the product and let people judge it. Since most tech bloggers are paid off by Apple anyway, I see no reason for Steve to loudly push his products like a hawker.
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BlackBerry has hit the American market with the second wave of its “Storm“.  As expected, no signs of this gale are to be seen here. Hence, us poor Indians will probably have to make do with a preview, rather than a full review. The Storm2 9550 has few upgrades over its predecessor, the Storm 9500. Don’t remember that phone? Well, does the name Lewis Hamilton ring a bell? Some popular Storm users are Formula One race driver Lewis Hamilton, as well as web celebrity and amateur comedian Barack Obama.

Anyway, we were talking about the Storm2. Unfortunately, this device hardly has anything new or exciting over its predecessor. That explains my rambling in this paragraph — I’m paid by the word, you see. And oh, if you still haven’t remembered the Storm ad with Hamilton in it, here it is for your viewing pleasure:
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Oh yes, I already know what you’re going to say. “You’re too late dude, the entire internet’s beaten you to publishing a list of the best and worst of 2009. You suck!“. To which I’d say: well, you’re right. But what else can you expect from a website that wasn’t updated for a whole year? Besides, better late than never, right? Right?

Well, like it or not, here I am with my very own “worst list” of 2009. A disclaimer before we proceed: This list is based purely on my personal choices and prejudices, and the amount of scientific research put into ascertaining facts is a big, grand zero. This explains why the list is dominated by Apple products. What’s more, some of these devices were actually launched much before 2009. If you don’t like it, go make your own list. Tthengaa!
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Sony Ericsson has announced the Elm, the latest in its GreenHeart series of mobile phones. ”GreenHeart” is indeed a funny name for any mobile company’s lineup, considering phones don’t really have hearts. According to Sony Ericsson, GreenHeart phones are the result of a “longstanding commitment” to eliminate the use of environmentally-hazardous substances from the product, and using recycled plastics during the manufacturing process. What a great initiative! They’re saving the world from the carbon footprint of a mobile… Wait, isn’t the carbon footprint of a mobile negligible? “Greener” cars do make sense, but greener mobiles are just a marketing gimmick.
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Many people use Tom Tom, Garmin and Magellan’s GPS based navigation systems. They buy the device, then also pay for a voice-guided navigation service. The whole thing costs thousands of rupees. What’s worse, these devices can only be used in a specific region. If you happen to be touring another country, you’ll have to buy map data for that country.

If you’re pissed off about this issue, you’re not alone. A guy named Anssi Vanjoki also hates the idea of carrying multiple gadgets, such as a mobile and sat-nav device.  Like you, he too dislikes the fact that they are limited to the map software you’ve loaded. Well, what makes this guy so special?

Unlike you, he can do something about it, since he’s the Executive Vice President of Nokia. Which is good for you. In a recent press release, he put forward the idea: “Why have multiple devices that work only in one country or region? Put it all together and make it free!”. His statement was enough to reveal Nokia’s plans to make high-end, walk-and-drive navigation free on its smartphones.
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The world’s largest manufacturer of mobile phones has recently been losing some of its market share in the high-end segment. In my not-so-humble opinion, there were three reasons behind it. 1. Samsung dropped its prices insanely; 2. People actually bought the iPhone; 3. Blackberry started making phones that weren’t fugly. Now, the Market Leader (Nokia) had cause to worry. It needed to come up with something extraordinary, a feat that’s not unknown to it. True to expectations, it has brought out its ”silver bullet” in time — the N900.
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