Nokia Killer is out!

This baby is going to be sold for less than RM700 a pop. It will make Nokia & SE cry. The present owners of the iPhone will also be cursing their luck. They bought theirs for more than RM1700.

Businessweek said:

Almost a year after upending the mobile-phone world with its first wireless handset, the iPhone, Apple unveiled a souped-up second version of the device, the iPhone 3G. Introduced by Apple (AAPL) CEO Steve Jobs in a June 9 keynote address in San Francisco, the iPhone 3G will sell for $199 for an 8GB version and $299 for a 16GB version. The new prices represent a departure from a year ago when the first devices sold for $599 on the upper end. The iPhone 3G will be available in 22 countries beginning July 11, and will eventually be sold in 70 countries in all.

The new phone derives its name from the faster Internet downloads available on advanced, or third-generation (3G), wireless networks. Jobs told the audience the new iPhone downloads Web pages as much as 36% faster than comparable phones from Nokia (NOK) and Palm (PALM). The new phone also sports a feature that lets users know their location using GPS satellites. Phones that run GPS technology are able to access an array of location-aware applications, including mapping within address books. Other improvements over the original device include improved audio quality on phone calls.

Read more here

Technorati Tags: iphone 3G, apple, nokia, cellphone

How harmful is our Cellphones?

It's in your head, in your head, zombie zombie... (remember Cranberries?)

Every now and then, I get an email from a friend or my wife detailing horror tales of supposed harmful effects of cellphones on our brain, kidney, sex organs, and even a child. Such as this story:-

"This morning I heard a sad real story from my colleague. She told me one of her friend always miscarriage when the baby 2-3 months old for few times continuously in few years time. The couple went to check with many doctors and lastly one of the doctor check on the death baby and found out the baby's body cells keeping die when baby growing up until he/she cannot be survived.

This is because her uterus has been affected by HANDPHONE radiotion. The doctor told she has no chance to get baby no matter how because the radiotion affected her uterus which the major portion of her uterus cells already death, cannot carry healthy baby. All this because of she has been keeping her handphone in her working jacket which the position just right to the uterus position for few years time. Please beware and take note the consequences is not worth."

Usually people take heed to these warnings to play safe. But are these claims old-wives tales (Urban legends) or are they for real?

The best place to check whether some tales are true or not is Snopes.com. You will find many of the emails you received about dangers Coke, Margarine and some health warnings to be nothing more than jokes. Remember the one about not using your mobile phone in Petrol Station? Read this to know the truth.

Anyway, there is no article on the harmful effects of cellphones in Snopes - so I did some snooping around elsewhere. And found this two useful sites: Howstuffworks and CNet's Quick Guide on Radiation Levels.



Chart for the radiation levels of different devices.
OMG! Cellphone is a microwave!(I can hear my wife panicking)

All electromagnetic energy falls somewhere on the electromagnetic spectrum, which ranges from extremely low frequency (ELF) radiation to X-rays and gamma rays. Read this article to know the levels of radiation affect biological tissue.

In short, after reading all this stuff and Wikipedia, the jury is still out on the question whether cellphones have any long term effects on our brain cells, kidney or sex organ. There is no conclusive proof that it is harmful to us.

All I know is that if you are one of those who keep buying a new cellphone every time a new model is out, then your brains must have been fried for sure.

Technorati Tags: Cellphones, Urban Legends, Health, Radiation of cellphones, Mobilephones, Mobile phone radiation and health

Mac Air

Thin as Air. All notebooks should be embarrassed.


This is a geek's latest object of desire. Read more here, here and here.