Nokia E63 NAM Sells For Cheap
The Nokia E71 is probably one of the best QWERTY smartphones that the company has ever created. It looks great and comes with some terrific features, including a 3.2-megapixel autofocus camera and integrated GPS. Unfortunately, some people don’t want to spend that much money for an unlocked phone (though it is available through certain GSM operators in locked form).
Nokia tackled this issue by creating the Nokia E63, which is basically a lower-end version of the E71. Unfortunately, the original release of the unlocked E63 still cost $500 and it didn’t have North America-friendly 3G bands. Well, Nokia has tackled those issues too with the new Nokia E63 NAM (North America version). It’s got 850/1900 for HSDPA and it’s priced at under $300 direct from Nokia.
You lose a few things compared to bigger brother E71, of course. The 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera is replaced by a 2.0 megapixel fixed focus camera, you lose the GPS, and the choice of materials is downgraded. Most of the important stuff stays intact, though, like the aforementioned 3G connectivity, quad-band GSM radio, microSD memory card expansion slot, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.) with A2DP, Symbian OS 8.2 (Series 60 v3.1), 3.5mm audio jack, and media player.
You can choose between the Ultramarine Blue or the Ruby Red version. I’m thinking that if Nokia wants to market the E63 as an affordable alternative to business professionals, it would be in their best interest to create a gray or black version as well.
Linksys Fills Your House With Audio
Linksys unveiled quite a large number of products at the show. All of which serve to fill your house with glorious audio without the use of wires. One of the devices on display called the DMC350 is a complete, portable, self-contained wireless music system that can be used to bring music to any room of the home. It features an LCD touch screen for easy navigation through your music library and an integrated CD player to play those songs that you have not digitized yet. They had another unit called the DMC250 which still uses an LCD, but is controlled via a remote control and loses the CD player. It sports a 50 watt internal amplifier so you can attach your own speakers. This trio is completed by an even simpler unit called a DMP100 that basically contains an on and off switch, but allows you to extend your music to any existing audio system.
As you start rolling these units across your home, it might be nice to be able to control them remotely, even when out of sight. Well, Linksys has also released the DMRW1000 Wireless Home Audio Controller that ties all these units together via a high quality color touch screen.
A Real Digital Experience
Even before the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show officially opened its trade show doors, Futurelooks had the opportunity to check out a lot of cool stuff. CES Unveiled was fun, but Digital Experience was a heck of a lot bigger and came with a nifty ’50s diner theme. Too bad I didn’t have time to grab a milkshake and a greasy burger as Futurelooks had to jet off to host the legendary “Night Before CES Party” which took place at the ultra posh Palms Place (coverage to come). More pictures from this event are available in the gallery on the next page. Stay tuned to Futurelooks for more coverage from CES 2009!
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