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Latest mobile phones 2011: hottest handsets reviewed

<img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//classifications/Mobile%20Phones/Samsung/GALAXY%20Ace%20(S5830)%20Product%20image%20(1)-200-200.jpg"> In the ever-changing mobile market, it can be hard to keep pace with the latest mobile phone trends. That's why we've put together this hub for our new mobile phone reviews: to give you the ideal jumping-on point for understanding the most current handsets around. We cover a plethora of brands, including Apple, HTC, Nokia, Palm and Blackberry, and operating systems, such as Android, iOS and Windows Phone 7, so you should find something that piques your interest here. In short, if you're seeking a new mobile phone, this is a great place to start.Nokia C2-01 <img alt="Nokia c2-01" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/TechRadar/Mobile%20phones/Nokia/Nokia%20C2-01/pr/Nokia%20C2-01%201-420-100.jpg" width="420"></IMG> With the <a href="">ink now dry on the contract between Nokia and Microsoft</A>, the C2-01 is among the last of a dying breed: a Symbian OS-toting Nokia mobile. Oh, and it's sans touchscreen, too. Yes, for a new mobile phone, it's decidedly old-school. That said, it's cheap, simple and devoid of anything more fancy than a 3G connection, which will suit minimalists. But can it really hold up in market dominated by smartphones?HTC Incredible S <img alt="HTC incredible s" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/TechRadar/Mobile%20phones/HTC/HTC%20Incredible%20S/PR%20Shots/15127-htcincredibles1-420-100.jpg" width="420"></IMG> Incredible by name and only slightly less so by nature, this phone is HTC's entry into the underpopulated 4-inch touchscreen arena. In fact, it's among the first UK handsets to fill that niche, but more are on the horizon. It's blessed with HTC's slick Sense UI and a high-quality screen, but is this latest mobile phone's foibles enough to warrant waiting for its incoming competitors, or the <a href="">HTC Desire S</A>? Samsung Galaxy Ace <img alt="Samsung galaxy ace" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/Mobile%20Phones/Samsung/GALAXY%20Ace%20%28S5830%29%20Product%20image%20%281%29-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG> With a middle-of-the-range spec, 800Mhz processor and iPhone-aping looks, it may be hard to see why it's worth buying into the new Galaxy Ace. However, its Android 2.2 (Froyo) OS makes a considerable difference and is, in fact, this phone's ace in the hole. It won't cost you the Earth either, so look deeper and you may find just what you were looking for. Motorola Atrix <img alt="Motorola atrix" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/TechRadar/Mobile%20phones/Motorola/Motorola%20Atrix/pr/ATRIX%204G_Front_Home_ATT-420-100.jpg" width="420"></IMG> Smartphones have long been encroaching on the computing market, but the Atrix is annexing new turf. How? By including a built-in desktop OS and the ability to turn your phone into a so-called webtop computer. What's more, the dual-core 1GHz processor and 1GB of RAM that come stuffed into the Atrix should mean a blisteringly fast smartphone experience too. Follow the link to find out more about the Atrix's brand of magic. HTC Gratia <img alt="HTC gratia" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/TechRadar/Mobile%20phones/HTC/HTC%20Gratia/Press%20shots/HTC%20Gratia-Green%20Back-Front-Left-420-100.jpg" width="420"></IMG> Beneath the Gratia's divisive outer shell lies a great core experience that belies its slow-on-paper 600MHz processor. That sweet and gooey centre is down to the magic combination of Android 2.2 and HTC Sense. Upon it lie layers of extra functionality, but a few of these are soured by poor implementation. Read our review to see if the resulting flavour of smartphone is something you can stomach. Nokia C5-03 <img alt="Nokia c5-03" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/TechRadar/Mobile%20phones/Nokia/C5-03/PR%20Shots/nokia-c5-03_trio-420-100.jpg" width="420"></IMG> A minor upgrade to last year's<a href="">C5</A>, the C5-03 could be a good place to start if you're new to this whole smartphone thing. It's easy to use and has great battery life, plus the interface will be familiar to many. That said, it's not the fastest or most powerful beast, so let our review help you weigh up if it's really what you need. HTC 7 Pro <img alt="HTC 7 pro" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/TechRadar/Mobile%20phones/HTC/HTC%207%20Pro/pr/HTC%207%20Pro-420-100.jpg" width="420"></IMG> The only QWERTY keyboard in our latest mobile phone list, this is one of the first Windows Phone 7 mobiles to break cover since the OS's October launch died down, the HTC 7 Pro's headline feature is the slide-out keyboard that so many touchscreen smartphones eschew these days in favour of onscreen replacements. While it didn't always push our buttons, the great screen, solid build and sound battery life mean it's still worth considering this able companion. LG Optimus 2X <img alt="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com///classifications/Mobile%20Phones/LG/LG_Optimus_2x.jpg" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com///classifications/Mobile%20Phones/LG/LG_Optimus_2x-420-100.jpg" width="420"></IMG> A dual-core Tegra 2 processor, Android 2.2 and 1080p video recording from an eight-megapixel camera should all combine to make the LG Optimus 2X a potential powerhouse, especially for video. But how does this 4-inch WVGA-screened monolith really perform, and can it invalidate all that's come before? Our early review with the pre-release software might still have some questions unanswered, but early signs show this dual-core wonder might lack the grunt we were all hoping for.Samsung Wave 2 <img alt="Sasmung wave 2" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/TechRadar/Mobile%20phones/Samsung/Samsung%20Wave%20II/pr/Samsung%20Wave%20II%20GT-S8538%20PR%20image-420-100.jpg" width="420"></IMG> The second incarnation of the Wave has now washed up on UK shores, bringing with it an updated version of Samsung's own Bada OS in the Wave 2. The hardware it powers is undeniably great, with a 3.7-inch Super Clear LCD screen that lives up to its name and 1GHz of processing power. But can the OS ride that wave successfully, or is it a software wipe out? <a href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/samsung-wave-ii-gt-s8530-927543/review"></A>Nokia C6-01 <img alt="Nokia c6-01" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/TechRadar/Mobile%20phones/Nokia/C6-01/Official%20Gallery/c6-01_silver_grey_front_l_604x604-420-100.jpg" width="420"></IMG> The C6-01 is sure to divide opinion. Some would call the UI comfortable and familiar; others would say it's old. It's hardly a slinky number either, and some cuts have been made to keep the price low. On the flip side, it won't mean the gaping hole in your wallet that high-end mobiles are sure to inflict, and it can deliver much of the same functionality. Wrap your head around its intricacies by following the link below. <a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/98669742800/u/49/f/9809/c/669/s/13a3faaa/kg/201-216/a2.htm"><img border="0" src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/98669742800/u/49/f/9809/c/669/s/13a3faaa/kg/201-216/a2.img"></A><img height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/allnews/~4/0jOitbcRNEA" width="1"><img border="0" height="1" src="http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/9809/s/13a3f05c/mf.gif" width="1"> <DIV class=mf-related><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techradar/allnews/~3/ywqJ6WUl0oE/story01.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Article</A></DIV>

Latest mobile phones 2011: hottest handsets reviewed

In the ever-changing mobile market, it can be hard to keep pace with the latest mobile phone trends. That's why we've put together t...

In Depth: The hottest PC tech to look forward to in 2011

<img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//classifications/computing/upgrades-and-peripherals/processors/images/bobcat_bulldozer-200-200.jpg"> It's been a fine year for the PC in 2010. But what technological devilry can you expect for 2011? Faster, cheaper, smaller, funkier – all these are annual givens for the PC every year. But 2011 will bring much more than the usual incremental gains. The very identity of the PC looks set to shift and blur with new form factors, shapes and sizes. The way we interact PCs could well be revolutionised thanks to touch and context-aware interfaces. It could be all change for the software part of the PC equation, too, as the app-store paradigm arrives, cloud computing really kicks off and the explosive growth of social networking continues. The PC may be an old dog. But it's got plenty of new tricks lined up for 2011. Hot hardware Let's start with some key hardware upgrades. In terms of classic computer chips, the first big noise in 2011 will be Intel's new Sandy Bridge processors. Intel has made huge advances in recent years with its PC processors. So, you might think it hard to believe there's much more performance to be found. But found it Intel most surely has. Unfortunately, we're sworn to secrecy until early January regarding many of the details of Intel's latest PC processor architecture. However, what we can say is that the combination of a revised CPU architecture along with massively improved integrated graphics and novel features like the hardware video transcoder make for a compelling package. If you're a PC enthusiast, Sandy Bridge is going to blow your mind. All about AMD As for AMD, Intel's main competitor in the CPU game, 2011 is will be a make or break year. AMD will roll out its own new processor architecture, known as Bulldozer. In basic architectural terms, Bulldozer looks even more revolutionary than Intel's new Sandy Bridge. In fact, with Bulldozer AMD has done away with the conventional notion of CPU cores and created a much more modular chip designed to deliver a better balance of integer and floating point performance. If Bulldozer manages to even to close the gap significantly to Intel's Sandy Bridge, that will be some achievement. Beating Sandy Bridge outright is almost too much to ask for. The game is up for graphics As for PC graphics, 2011 could prove a tricky year. The first problem is the aforementioned Intel Sandy Bridge architecture. Its hardware video transcoder threatens to kill the concept of running non-graphics software on 3D chips, so-called GPGPU applications, before it's had a chance to take off. Similarly, Sandy Bridge's much improved integrated graphics core is a reminder that the days of the discrete 3D chips are numbered and the rise of fusion processors with the CPU and GPU in one chip will continue. At the same time, both AMD and Nvidia could be held back by production problems at TSMC. That's the Taiwanese chip foundry that makes most of the world's PC graphics chips. Both AMD and Nvidia will release powerful new graphics processors in 2011. But these could well be among the last of a dying breed. Tablets, tablets, tablets On a more upbeat note, could the PC benefit from the deluge of tablet computers expected in 2011? The majority tablet designs are likely to be based on ultramobile operating systems such as Google's Android and powered by ARM-derived processors. In that sense, they will be more overgrown smartphones than small PCs. However, there will certainly be some tablet designs using Intel's x86 Atom CPU and some of those will be running Windows 7 or a derivative of Windows 7. It's just possible Microsoft might launch an all new tablet-specific operating system, too. However it plays out with tablet computers, the PC will have an important role to play. Touchy feely Could touch be the next big thing in computer interfaces? If touch screen PCs don't begin to make inroads in 2011, it may never happen. On the plus side, touch-powered tablet technology will inevitably spill over over into the PC. On the other hand, the good old keyboard and mouse is unlikely to be usurped by touch when it comes to serious content creation. Apps on the up Whether its mobile phones, tablets or even HDTVs, everyone wants into apps. Why not the PC? Actually, it's already happening. Intel's AppUp store has been online since September. OK, it mainly aimed at netbook PCs. But it's fully compatible with full power laptop and desktop systems running Windows 7. Of course, you could argue that the PC already has the largest ecosystem of applications of any computing platform by a galactic mile. That's absolutely true. But traditional PC apps are clunky compared to the slick, clever and user friendly apps people are enjoy with their smartphones. Microsoft recently launched the Games for Windows Marketplace online store. What's more, it's rumoured that Microsoft's next major operating system, currently known as Windows 8, will include a full App Store as standard. As we all know, one of the key elements for a healthy app store is a big user base. They don't come any bigger than Windows PCs. Admittedly, Windows 8 isn't expected to arrive until 2012. But 2011 is still likely to see the emergence of the smartphone app-store as a new paradigm for PC software. Cloud and context-aware computing Another area where smartphone trends look set to influence PCs is cloud computing. By that we mean both applications in the form of services like Windows Live and Google Docs and also greater integration of social networking media. It's difficult to predict exactly how this will unfold. But the general trend will be away from heavy application installs and towards browser-based computing, remote storage of media and data and more seamless integration of social media and user content across platforms. From your phone to your PC, in other words. Context-aware computing is further smartphone-related trend that might hit the big time in 2011. Today's smartphone's have several context-generating interfaces including light sensors and GPS navigation. Expect to see PCs take a leaf out of this book with proximity sensors, ambient light sensors and perhaps facial recognition. Simply sit down in front of your PC and it will turn on, recognise your face and log you into both your local user account and various online profiles. Combine that capability with cloud computing and you have the possibility to sit in front of any PC and be presented with a familiar computing environment complete with all your personal files. Admittedly, it's unlikely we'll see such a refined solution in 2011. But the beginnings of this kind of ubiquitous computing platform will certainly be visible. Bits and PCs Elsewhere, PCs will benefit from faster file transfers thanks to bigger, cheaper and quicker SSDs, the increased uptake of SATA 6Gbps and widely available USB 3.0 peripherals. We're also hopeful the a recent trend for affordable POC monitors based on superior VA panel technology will take off in 2011. Meanwhile, the ongoing trend towards mobile platforms will continue. Laptops and netbooks just keep getting more popular. At the same time, all-in-one desktop systems could finally break out of their niche, especially if they offer features typically not found in conventional systems such as touch screens, sensors and integrated services. All of which means 2011 will probably be a big year for almost every kind of PC except the traditional tower system that started it all.

In Depth: The hottest PC tech to look forward to in 2011

It's been a fine year for the PC in 2010. But what technological devilry can you expect for 2011? Faster, cheaper, smaller, funkier – a...

Today's Hottest Computer & Internet Home Based Businesses

Without a doubt, the technological advances in recent decades have been the most potent catalysts for our culture's return to working at home, because since the advent of the internet, the entire face of home based business has changed. There is now plenty of freedom in many industries to work from home because a person can do so while staying in touch with business associates, regardless of where in the world they are. In fact, the internet has made it possible for businesspeople to not only keep contact with existing clients and coworkers but also to find new ones, which means that business owners no longer even need to concern themselves with finding office space if they so choose. If working on your computer from the comfort of your own home sounds like an appealing business concept, browse the following list of some of the hottest computer & internet franchises available today and see if one of them is right for you. Vehicle Tracking SolutionsThis is one business that is all about technology and remote communication. Marketing without physical borders, franchisees with this home business sell GPS vehicle tracking systems to businesses with vehicle fleets that they have to manage and track. Whether the client is a large corporation that provides executives with company cars that must be kept track of or a shipping company with delivery truck drivers that need to be kept to task, Vehicle Tracking Solutions provides what client companies need: the hardware and software that can chart the location of vehicles anywhere. One of the only businesses that sells this kind of merchandise and the associated service, Vehicle Tracking Solutions franchisees have access to all the necessary avenues of marketing and sales in an almost entirely untapped market, making this a great franchise opportunity. Virtuoso MusicNo matter how far we travel into the virtual world of the internet, mankind will never be able to leave the wood and brass of real musical instruments behind, and as long as there is music, Virtuoso Music franchisees will have clients. Whether clients find the company via the internet or another advertising touch point, the primary work of the Virtuoso Music work at home franchisee is to link music instructors with students in his local community, serving as a liaison between people who otherwise may not ever cross paths. Similarly, franchisees also serve as the go-to person for local musical events ranging from bar mitzvahs to recitals and concerts. Given a proven business model designed to get the business moving from the get-go, franchisees are also provided with ongoing check-ins from the franchisor to continually refine all aspects of the business. L&W InvestigationsHaving just expanded from an independent operation to a franchise business, L&W Investigations is a one-of-a-kind internet-based business that specializes in the investigation of insurance fraud claims. Equipped with expert training, ongoing support, and professional-grade investigation systems, franchisees have no need to come to the table with past investigation experience; they only have to come with the desire to provide their clients with fast, efficient, unrivaled service and results. To date, there are 30 locations established in 23 states, so the timing is still perfect to get in on this opportunity at the ground floor. WSI InternetNow in its 11th year of business, Wsi Internet has spent the last 7 of those years at the top of Entrepreneur Magazine's top computer & internet franchises, proving that this 1500-franchisee-strong business is one of the most dominant names in internet marketing consultation. Whether franchisees decide to run their franchises from home or an office, by themselves or with others, the franchisor's system for finding and serving the needs of small and mid-sized business clients is always a successful one. Because the business model has been proven so many times for so many different businesses, the only thing that a franchisee must bring to the table is the drive to succeed and the diligence to follow the franchisor's directions and methods. Air AdvantageOf all the things to come along and make the internet even more convenient and helpful than it already was, one of the greatest additions has been wireless connectivity, but to date, not everyone has access to it. Actually, one of the least internet-connected populations in the United States is rural America, because lines simply haven't reached that far, but Air Advantage is trying to change that. Acclaimed by the US Chamber of Commerce, this company has developed a way to extend wireless internet technology into the farthest reaches of unconnected American rural areas. Having just gained a lot of ground in Michigan, the technology and business structure have been adapted to make national expansion possible for franchisees who are ready to be the forerunners of what is likely to be a nationwide success. Not all home business opportunities fully capitalize on the business possibilities of the internet, but these certainly do. If using the technology currently available to you to its utmost as you gain financial independence is of value to you, any one of these fine franchises is a wonderful way to accomplish that. So sit down, pull up a laptop, and get to work. 	 	 		 			 				 					 						Find more <a href="http://www.homebasedbusinessopp.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_new">home based businesses</a> including computer franchises and internet small businesses at <a href="http://www.homebasedbusinessopp.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_new">Home Based Business Opportunities</a>

Today's Hottest Computer & Internet Home Based Businesses

Without a doubt, the technological advances in recent decades have been the most potent catalysts for our culture's return to workin...