A Guide To The HTC Desire

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The attractive looking HTC Desire is, in terms of its appearance, almost identical to the previously released Google Nexus One. It measures in at 119 x 60 x 11.9mm and weighs 135g. The handset packs in a vast array of features despite its small size, and is definitely up amongst the best smartphones on the market right now. You will be able to find smaller smartphones, but none that provide an impressive 3.7″ AMOLED screen as the HTC Desire does. The HTC Desire also includes a very good 5 mega pixel camera. It has autofocus as well as an LED flash which improves the quality of photos snapped in low lighting. The Desire can even capture video at a surprising 800 x 400. Although the 512 MB of included memory will not hold too much, the micro SD card slot allows for memory expansion up to 16 GB. The phone runs off a powerful 1Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon Processor.

This is the fastest processor available for cell phones and the result is that you never have to wait for screens or apps to load. As well as the increased processing power, other real crowd pleasers are the newly incorporated Sense user interface coupled and the Android 2.1 operating system. The homescreen is well presented and the navigation system is, arguably, the best that any manufacturer has come up with. Features of the Sense system include an improved calender widget which offers the user an agenda and not just a view of the present month. If you scroll your finger across the bottom of the screen while in an app, new elements of that app will open. Music tracks are easily changed by dragging a finger across the bottom of the screen, due to improvements made in the media player facility. The 3.7″ screen is a natural for handling movie playback and the Desire shows great responsiveness and an attractive natural deep black color in playback. To summarize, the HTC Desire has impressive looks, a speedy performance and a whole array of features. It is undoubtedly one of the best smartphones that will be released in 2010, and is definitely worth considering if you are in the market for a new phone.

If you wish to blog while away from your computer, this WordPress app will let you do just that, but on your Android phone. Bloggers can quickly create drafts, edit posts, and approve comments without the need for a Mac or PC. Tumblr is another popular microblogging platform that lets users quickly share and caption photos, quotes, chats, links, and more. Its app recently received an interface makeover that makes updates even easier. Let me be emphatically clear: Vine is not a great app. It is, however, a great service that lets you shoot and share six second, endlessly looping videos. Six seconds may not seem like much, but Vine can be used to make everything from tiny movies to miniature animations. On Android, its potential is held back by some weird audio issues, and the inability to toggle between the front and rear facing cameras. Once the developers lick these (and other) problems, Vine will be a great app for Android. Download the free plugin to get ALAC and WP4 playback.

Apple, Amazon, and Google have all launched music storage lockers. However, Google's decision to base its free storage option not on size but on number of tracks make it unique among its competitors. With the app, users can stream music they've uploaded and, when connected to Wi-Fi, download songs for offline listening. Best of all, Google has gone out of its way to make sure the Music service plays nice with whatever system you're using at home. The go-to app for streaming movies and TV shows, Netflix puts an enormous library of content at your fingertips. 7.99 for a DVD rental plan as well) make it a must-have app. Be sure to connect to a Wi-Fi network for the best viewing experience. A strong offering for the movie buff on the go, Movies by Flickster keeps you up to date on the latest releases both at the box office and on DVD. Flickster's app also gives you easy access to Rotten Tomatoes reviews and trailers, and it can even help you book your next movie outing or add movies to your Netflix queue for a night in. Though it has a few quirks, Movies is a valuable asset.

The granddaddy of smart, streaming music apps, Pandora has come a long way from its humble origins. The latest version of the app focuses on social aspects, showing you what your friends are currently rocking out to. Though it has a full spectrum of visual, audio, and video ads, Pandora still does a great job of seamlessly delivering you music. Working with a desktop application, SnapPea is the dead-simple way to move audio and video between your computer and your phone. While it's great at handling media files, it can do a lot more, including manage your apps, photos, and even send text messages from your computer. I don't even download music anymore. With Premium you can sync playlists to your Android device and play music offline, on the go. The app's interface is a minimalist adaptation of its desktop client. While there are a number of apps to keep your ears full of music, fewer focus on radio and podcasts.