For close to 4 years now, I’ve been an Apple convert.  The time has passed by quickly, and I don’t regret making the switch one bit.  My first Apple product was technically my 40GB iPod photo which now looks like a giant brick! I can’t believe I used to carry that around with me! But then, I can’t believe I used to carry my walkman and 5 or 6 cassette tapes to school each day, nor that I used to have a little bag with my discman and a few CDs in it that I used to wear around me.  Something I forgot until my iPod had to be sent away for repair during my second year of university was that CDs JUMP.  How we’ve come to expect perfection!  Or I have, anyway – I have no patience for songs skipping, I have little patience for my iPod taking a while to get its head round a song I want it to play.

However, I never considered getting an iPod as becoming an Apple convert.  Once I saw how easily my iPod worked and how straightforward the menus were, I became interested in getting an Apple laptop, especially as my current laptop was slower than a dinosaur.  During my first year of university, I had lots of problems with anti-virus software and protecting my computer.  It became ridiculously slow, and in addition to that, the laptop I had had a poor attempt at imitating Microsoft Office.  In the end, I had enough, and just before Christmas 2005 I ordered my first Apple laptop, an iBook G4.  It took me a month to get used to the fact that there was no right-click button, that the tabs and x’s and everything were in different places.  Also to get used to the fact that as a Mac, my computer was practically already virus-immune without constant annoying updates from AVG and Spybot and Norton Anti-Virus.  The resolution and picture quality was far superior than what I had been used to, and although there were several software compatibility issues, they were a lot easier to overcome than I had feared.  The aforementioned Microsoft Office was no longer needed, as I didn’t require any spreadsheets, and I could open and create word documents in TextEdit.  So it was all good!

Of course, it’s not all been problem-free.  I’m now on my third iPod (which is just over a year old), a 120GB silver iPod classic.  I’ve had it just over a year, and apart from the fact that the click wheel only clicks in the headphones, it is behaving quite well. For a while it was working extremely slowly, but the iPod software update on Snow Leopard fixed it and it’s back to normal.  I have had a lot of iPod issues in the past, having to send back my iPod time and again and getting replacement ones.  Particularly in the case of my first iPod (the photo one), I got into a rhythm of hitting it and knocking it in order to get it to behave and function, which in retrospect was quite ridiculous.  My second iPod, a 5th-generation iPod classic with video, still works, though it went through a period of deleting itself of all my music which was why I got a new one.  Because I have such a huge amount of music (though 120GB is more than enough space, and I haven’t come close to filling this iPod yet, with 35GB still free!), having to reload it onto my iPod is a MASSIVE pain, and now I use a handy program called iLinkPod to back up my iPod every month or so.  It’s a great security blanket, and ensures that I never lose my songs (something which is a much more real concern with digital music – it’s far easier to lose a file than to lose a CD), nor my formatting – I am a little bit anal about how I categorise my songs and make sure that everything has the correct artwork.  So with my new iPod, I bought AppleCare to keep it under guarantee for a lot longer, and I feel a lot more secure now.  And everything is working fine!

The introduction of an Apple Store to Bristol has also been a great advantage.  Up until the opening of Cabot Circus last September, there was an Apple retailer in Temple Meads which was more or less hopeless when it came to fixing any issues that I had.  Problems with my first laptop and its CD drive went unrepaired because they were so pathetic in their service that I just preferred to persist with the problem than get it fixed by them. (When my CD or DVD would skip upon putting it in the drive, I would just beat the base of the computer and it would work.  Again, I am glad to say those days are long gone!)  When my hard drive finally corrupted (I think to be fair, that was my fault because in Spain, I would leave my computer on my bed and it would overheat lying on the thick blanket that I had bought), it was easier just to buy another laptop than get it fixed by them and face their judgement.  Also, their costs would probably have been close to the cost of another laptop anyways.  I bought my second laptop in Easter 2007, and I still have it today!  The one time that I had a problem with it, last Christmas when it would only work with the power adapter plugged in, I took it to the Apple Store in Cabot Circus, who repaired it and although they had said that providing a new logic board would cost £400 (a price I decided I was prepared to pay), they fixed it for no charge.  It was a lovely Christmas Eve present, and to this day I’m not sure if that was a mistake… I just got out of the store clutching my laptop before they could change their mind!

Updating my operating system to Leopard and recently Snow Leopard has kept my laptop current, and although it is 2 and a half years old now, I don’t feel that it’s been left behind or is lacking anything. I have got a Microsoft Office replacement now called NeoOffice, so that I can plot my anti-snacking spreadsheet and make a beautiful printable CV.  Using the real Microsoft at work has made me appreciate Apple all the more.  My Dell laptop starts up and shuts down so slowly; it installs updates at a snail’s pace; Microsoft Office is actually not that user friendly, with certain apparently-advanced functions being a rigmarole to discover.  And don’t rely on the help section – it only helps you with incredibly obvious things, and anything more technical is a struggle to even find according to their index system.  I conclude that their help sections must have been written by morons, and this week at work, I have solved my queries by using Google, seeing that the Microsoft help section had failed me so.  In short, I can’t see myself going back to Microsoft.

However, there is one area of my life where I’m not willing to let Apple in.  The iPhone, while I appreciate is a marvellous piece of kit and has so many useful (and useless! ) apps as well as a slim touchscreen, iPod capabilities and Safari web browser, is just far too common.  I see it everywhere. In addition, it’s expensive and I’m not really into buying phones on contract (I get easily confused), so I prefer to buy them SIM-free and then just keep my standard O2 Simplicity contract, which gives me unlimited web browsing, and enough free texts and minutes for £20 to keep me satisfied. I see iPhones everywhere, and while they are pretty and fantastic devices, I prefer to be a little bit different.  I have the LG Prada II, which is a beautiful sleek black touchscreen phone.  However, it also has a pull-out QWERTY keyboard (one of the main selling features for me) so after a little bit of teething, I can text pretty damn quick. I also have the internet and a camera and all the other important things I wanted in a smart phone.  But for me, it is more beautiful than an iPhone, it has the designer name which makes it a little more special to me, and I have never seen another one being used in public.  I am confident that the iPhone is probably a superior piece of kit, but not by much – I am happy without all the extra apps, as long as I have my QWERTY keyboard, free internet browsing, emails, beautiful phone and unique phone.  The LG Prada II has taken me a few months to get my head around (the instruction manual is not very clear, and it does randomly do crazy things such as restart when I receive more than one email), but I have grown to love it and appreciate its quirks as much as its beauty and functions.  As I’ve only had it for 5 months, I’m not really looking into what phone I might get next (iPhone or otherwise), as technology these days (particularly with smart phones) evolves so quickly that I won’t even think about it until my current phone starts getting tired and a new one will be necessary.  However, I know that Dior have got a beautiful phone on their website…

Fonte:phonedog

I’ve you’ve been hankering for the new LG Prada device, the aptly named LG Prada II (LG KF900 Prada) could be found under your Christmas tree this year. That is, if you happen to live in Europe, and money is no object. The device is now on sale for €600 (that’s over $800 USD).

The device looks mightily similar to the first gen edition, and comes complete with a 3″ WQVGA touchscreen (240×400) and a full touch user interface. Apparently the new display now features multi-touch technology. There is also a full QWERTY keyboard (it’s a slider), WiFi, Bluetooth and HSDPA. A 5MP autofocus camera with Schneider-Kreuznach optics is on board, and the camera also has the ability to record D1 (720×480) videos at 30 frames per second. Read More LG Prada II Image Gallery Hits the Web

Click Here To see LG Prada II Image Gallery

Deuxième incarnation du téléphone LG Prada sera en boîte avec Bluetooth Watch Prada

LG a officiellement annoncé le lancement du nouveau téléphone Prada avec la nouvelle Pradra Lien, une montre Bluetooth.

Le LG KF900 est une mise à jour de la précédente Prada combiné, l’ajout d’un slide-out clavier qwerty, le retour haptique pour l’écran tactile, un appareil photo de 5 mégapixels, Wi-Fi, 3G et HSDPA capacité, ainsi que les mises à jour logicielles.

L’appareil conserve le design de base simple et inclut le contenu de Prada y compris le Prada Automne / Hiver Lookbook Prada et films d’animation.

Le Lien Prada, LG ou LBA-T950, se connecte au téléphone par Bluetooth et informe les utilisateurs par le bruit ou les vibrations des appels entrants, les messages et les alarmes. Le texte intégral de SMS peuvent également être lus sur l’appareil.

Le Lien comprend également une montre, chronomètre et est fait de métal et de verre trempé avec des lanières de cuir. Le design a été inspiré par la philosophie de conception sous-estimée de la tradition Prada “et vise à« repousser les limites de style et de technologie “.

Les deux dispositifs sont censés frapper européen des magasins d’ici la fin Novembre 2008 des prix de détails doivent encore être confirmées.

LG and Prada have finally announced the much anticipated Prada Touchscreen phone, also known as LG KF900. The phone is brilliant with modern features such as active flash UI technology and haptic feedback. The slide out keyboard makes things easier for internet surfing, email writing and other activities.

The design is commendable with a full QWERTY keyboard, 3-inch WQVGA touchscreen display. In addition Prada II also comes loaded with PRADA ringtones, wallpapers and video clips, including 2008 Fall/Winter ‘lookbook’ and PRADA animation films. 5MP autofocus camera, Wi-Fi, TV-out, full HTML browser, video calling capabilities, Bluetooth 2.0, and HSDPA connection (up to 7.2 Mbps) are some of the other impressive aspects.

The PRADA II phone will be available in Europe for €600.

Yes, I have finally found it and all of you guys are going to want it too. So I know last week I said I wanted the Samsung Haptic and I still do but for right now I can do with the LG Prada II and I’ll tell you why…Once again Prada and LG gave us a slick cool looking phone in the LG Prada II, but know they have just announce that the will create the Prada Link. The Prada Link is a Bluetooth watch that lets you read you text messages and look through you call information on the watch (the perfect reason to not pay attention in class). Of course, the phone come with some tight features too. The phone now has a full touch screen, slide-out keyboard, a 5 megapixel camera, and internet (real internet). Plus it has all the things that you expect in a phone now (like MP3 and all that). 

Sad though, Prada & LG have yet to give a US release date and right now it is only available in Europe. Of course it is we never get anything except the iPhone, but you probably can expect this one to hit the states at the end of this year or early next year. Again it’s pricey, and it looks like this one will go for anywhere between 400 and 500 USD and the watch looks like it will go for about 200-300 USD. Like I said there is a price for being cool.

Yeah I know…

El ‘PRADA Link’ es un nuevo complemento (reloj), lanzado junto al teléfono presentado ayer en Londres, que funciona a través de Bluetooth y está diseñado para monitorizar de forma remota las llamadas de teléfono y para leer los mensajes de texto sin necesidad de sacar el teléfono del bolso o del bolsillo.

Con el estilo del teléfono PRADA, la intención de diseñador y fabricante es “añadir un sentido práctico y mayor comodidad, dentro de una fuerte apuesta por la moda”.
El precio será de 299 euros y se podrá adquirir a través de los principales distribuidores de equipos móviles de Reino Unido, Francia, Alemania, Italia, España, Holanda, así como en otros países europeos.

Prada II es el nombre del nuevo LG que se presenta en este momento en Londres. Similar en apariencia al que sacara hace ya un par de años, en esta ocasión se incorpora un teclado QWERTY físico (desplegable), lo que le proporciona unas medidas de 10,4 x 5,4 x 1,68 cm.

Entre sus características técnicas, cuatribanda GSM/EDGE, dual HSDPA (850MHz/2100MHz), batería de 950mAh (escasa para las prestaciones), pantalla de 3 ” con resolución 240×400. Cámara de 5 Mpx autofocus, Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi , sensor de movimiento y radio FM
Equipa un chipset Infineon MP-EH + M180, basado en la plataforma S-GOLD3H cuyas características técnicas permite ofrecer al fabricanete video telefonía, video streaming o emisión y grabación de vídeo en alta calidad. Así mismo, soporta cámara de alta resolución, hasta 5 Mpx (como en este caso), gráficos 3D y 2D y los últimos standars de audio y vídeo (MP3, MP4 entre otros). Soporta, así mismo, GPS asistido.
El Prada lleva también sensor de movimiento y Radio FM con gran sensibilidad de sintonía.

Llamativo resulta el interfaz de usuario que, en reposo, presenta un sistema de widgets con un reloj que movemos con el dedo hasta situarlo donde queremos y que podemos convertir en digital o analógico con un solo toque y según sea nuestra necesidad o nuestro gusto. Y, al igual que el Xperia X1, tiene un animalito vagando por la pantalla, mariposa o pez que se dirige allá donde pongamos el dedo, aunque, como es habitual, el tema se puede personalizar. Iconos de diseño silueteados, el menú sigue las pautas de otros LG, es decir está dividido en submenús dispuestos verticalmente y cláramente ordenados.

El click sobre el teclado parece bastante efectivo aunque no hemos tenido oportunidad de probarlo y entre las aplicaciones, resulta llamativa el reloj mundial.

LG presentó el Prada II, la nueva versión de su lujoso celular con pantalla táctil, que ahora también tendrá un teclado QWERTY deslizable.

Otras características de este estéticamente perfecto celular son:

• Compatibilidad 3G con videollamadas
• 7.2 Mbps HSDPA
• Navegador full HTML
• Cámara de 5 MP con lente certificado por Schneider-Kreuznach
• Wi-Fi

Estará a la venta en algunos países de Europa para finales de octubre o principios de diciembre a un precio cercano a los 600 euros (815 dólares).

Como dije, estéticamente me parece perfecto, y la integración del teclado me parece muy práctica, pero el precio le borrará la sonrisa a más de uno.

Fuente: Wayerless

LG say yes to the second Prada instalment

LG have confirmed to T3.com that there will indeed be a follow up to their first Prada phone.

After supposed leaked pictures reached cyberspace showing off what appeared to be the revamped version of the popular LG handset, the manufacturers have admitted defeat in keeping up the pretence and confirmed that the Prada II is in the pipeline.

One speculated feature is a slide out QWERTY keyboard, which should go some way to solving the difficulty of text entry on the previous model.

To the disappointment of those Stateside, but to the glee of Prada phone fans here, the sequel looks set to reach European shores first.

Not much else is known about the latest Prada incarnate, but as always T3 will endeavour to keep you posted on any more Prada II related revelations.