Sony Xperia Neo L MT25i smartphone with Android 4.0 ICS OS Full Specification

 Sony recently made the official introduction of its all new smartphone, named Sony Xperia Neo L MT25i in China,The new Sony Xperia Neo L MT25i is the company's first smartphone to run on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS.

  The new Sony Xperia Neo L MT25i smartphone comes equipped with a 4-inch touchscreen display with FWVGA (854 x 480) resolution and is powered with a single-core 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 processor along with 512MB RAM and 1GB Internal memory.

 Other Features of Sony Xperia Neo L MT25i smartphone includes 5 megapixel camera on rear side with LED flash, 720p video recording,  front-facing VGA camera, HSDPA and a microSD card slot with up to 32GB support.The smartphone packs a 1,500 mAh battery for power supply.

Sony Xperia Neo L MT25i smartphone colors(shades) available

Black

White

The smartphone also weighs 131.5 grams and has a dimension measuring 121 x 61.1 x 12.2 mm

Analyst Says the Apple iPhone 4S Is Heading for Sprint, T-Mobile

 The next smartphone from Apple will be called the iPhone 4S, according to one industry analyst. This model will supposedly be offered by not just AT&T and Verizon, but also Sprint and T-Mobile.

 This information comes from Peter Misek, a telecommunications analyst from Jefferies & Company, who says he got it from "industry checks". Apple itself has not yet said anything about its next-generation handset, which up to now many have been calling the iPhone 5.

For many years, AT&T was the exclusive provider of Apple's smartphones. Earlier this year, though, Verizon was allowed to introduce the iPhone 4. So adding two more carriers to this list would be a departure from Apple's current strategy, but not a huge one.

According to Misek, some versions of the iPhone 4S will support HSPA+, a 4G wireless networking standard used by AT&T and T-Mobile. It won't, however, have LTE or WiMAX, the 4G standards used by Verizon and Sprint, respectively. AT&T is also building an LTE network, and Apple supposedly wanted to add LTE support but the necessary chips won't be ready in time.

The analyst from Jefferies went on to predict that this model will have better cameras, though he didn't specify what the new resolutions for the front- and rear-facing camera will be. Previous reports have said the rear-facing one is going to jump from 5 megapixels to 8 megapixels.

He also said that it is going run the Apple A5 1 GHz dual-core processor. This same processor is used in the Apple iPad 2, and there's a general consensus that this company's next-generation smartphone will be built around it too.

Misek's sources said the smartphone will include unspecified "minor cosmetic changes". However, they apparently made no mention of the next iPhone having a larger screen, a feature of many previous reports about this handset. According to those earlier sources, this bigger display will not increase the overall size of the device. A few images and renderings supposedly showing this new configuration have appeared on the Web.

Coming this Fall?

This analyst said nothing about when the iPhone 4S is going to be released, just that it's headed for all four of the top U.S. wireless carriers. However, there's growing evidence from other sources that it's not going to hit store shelves until months after many had previously expected.

For several years now, Apple has released a new smartphone near the beginning of each summer. This year many be different. There are reports from an array of sources such as analysts and even an AT&T employee that the fifth-generation iPhone isn't going to debut until late summer or early fall.  

Sony Xperia S smartphone Global Launch Details, Specifications

 Sony recently announced the global launch of its all new smartphone, Sony Xperia S smartphone which was previously available only in UK.Now the Sony Xperia S smartphone will be soon made available in India and all other markets world wide.

 The new Sony Xperia S smartphone comes equipped with a 4.3-inch scratch-resistant TFT touchscreen display with 1280 x 720 pixel  resolution and Mobile BRAVIA Engine.The smartphone is powered by a dual-core 1.5GHz processor along with 1GB RAM and 32GB Internal memory.

 Other exciting features includes 12.1 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash and Sony Exmor R for mobile CMOS sensor, 1080p Full video recording,  a front-facing 1.3MP camera, HSPA, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, GPS, geo-tagging, NFC (quick tap), and WiFi 802.11 b/g/n.

 New Sony Xperia S smartphone runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS. The battery provides about 8 hours 30 minutes of talk time, 420 hours of standby, 25 hours of music playback.Sony Xperia S weighs 144 grams and its dimensions are 128.0 x 64.0 x 10.6 mm.

Electrical & Fire Safety

Fire and Burn Prevention

• Fires and burnsare the second leading cause of household injuries.  Each year nearly4,000 people in the U.S. die in home fires.  Thousands of others are injuredas a result of fires or accidental burns.  Most of these deaths involvechildren and elderly adults.  Kitchen accidents, space heaters, chimneyfires, faulty electrical wiring, and cigarettes are common causes.  Checkyour home for fire hazards.  Install smoke detectors on every floor.

Tips on Fire Safety

• Dispose of cigarettes, cigars, and matches carefully.

• Install smoke detectors on each floor of your home and test them often.

• Plan two escape routes from each floor of your home and practice usingthem.  Be sure you can open doors and windows from the inside without akey.

• Never leave a burning candle or fireplace unattended.

• Don’t place anything that will burn near a furnace, water heater, spaceheater, or the stove top.

• Don’t use flammable chemicals near appliances with pilot lights.

• Have your furnace and chimney inspected each year.  Some utilitycompanies provide free or low cost inspections.

• Know how to put out kitchen fires.  If a fire occurs, don’tpanic.  For oven fires, close the door and turn off the oven.  Use apot lid to smother a stovetop fire.  Keep a filled ABC-rated fireextinguisher near the kitchen.

• Pay attention when you are cooking.  If you must leave the kitchenturn off all burners.

• Prevent scalds by setting your water heater to 120 degrees or lower. Anti-scald devices are available for bathtubs or showers.

• Know emergency phone numbers for your area.  In most places it is911.  Post the number near each telephone.  Teach children theemergency number.

Tips to Protect Children from Fires and Burns

• Teach children not to play with matches or lighters.  Store them outof sight and reach.

• Teach your children what to do if they smell smoke or hear the smoke alarm.

• Have children practice escaping from a fire.

• Never leave young children alone.

• Place pots and pans on the rear burner of the stove and always turn handlesinward so they are not accessible to toddlers.

• Keep the cords for crockpots, coffee makers, and deep fryers out of thereach of small children.

Electrical Safety

• While enjoyingelectric TVs, radios and other appliances, we may forget they can cause shocksand fires.  In 1990, bad plugs, cords, switches, and outlets caused about13,000 home fires and nearly 200 deaths.  Most electrical fires andinjuries can be prevented.  People should take the time to have theirelectrical systems inspected and learn about electrical safety.

Tips on Electrical Safety

• People who live in homes that are more than 10 years old should considerhaving the wiring inspected.  If your home is more than 40 years old, aninspection is overdue.  Be sure to consult with your local building inspectorbefore making repairs.

• Never place electric cords under rugs or bedding.  Heat or sparks fromthese cords could cause a fire.

• Follow the safety tips on new appliances.

• Check electrical cords for signs of wear.  Replace frayed or crackedcords to prevent shocks and fires.

• Check labels on lamps and use the right size bulb.  Check the label onyour fuse box and be sure you use the right size fuses.

• Fix electrical problems right away.  If fuses blow often, circuitbreakers trip often, switches get hot or people are shocked, something iswrong.

• Cover unused outlets with plastic plugs.

• If a cord has 3-prongs, use it properly.  Don’t remove the extraprong.  The third prong is there because the appliance must be grounded toprevent electrical shocks.

• Take cover during a thunder storm.  If you are indoors, stay away fromopen windows and doors and use the telephone only in an emergency.  If youare outdoors stay in your car and away from water, trees, and metalobjects.  Avoid low areas that might flood in a heavy rain.

• Do not overhaul outlets.  Extension cords shouldn't be used aspermanent fixtures in home rebuilding.

Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters

• A ground faultcircuit interrupter or GFCI is a special type of outlet that preventsshocks.  These outlets are recommended for areas where water isused.  Install GFCIs in bathrooms, kitchens (within 6 feet of the sink),laundry areas, garages, basements, outdoor outlets, and around pools, saunas,and hot tubs.  Test these outlets monthly.

For more information

• Fire Prevention: call your local fire department.

• Electrical Safety: call your local utility or an electrical contractor.

How to Select a Smartphone

 Choosing the right smartphone for you is a matter of determining what you will be using your smartphone for and finding a phone that excels at that task. For example, photography enthusiasts should find a phone with a high resolution camera, while audiophiles may be more concerned with the device's audio storage capacity and playback quality. With the wide variety of smartphones available, you should be able to find one that is just right for you.

Step 1

Choose a network for your smartphone. Visit the Web pages for wireless service providers and compare their available plans and networks. Check their "Coverage Area" maps to make sure that you'll have coverage in the areas that you frequent. Look at the plans that the carriers offer. Select a plan that offers the right amount of data and voice usage. Also, consider what network your friends and family members use. Many networks offer free calling to other users in the same network.

Step 2

Open the "Phones" page on the network's website and select "Smartphones." Most carriers allow you to select phones based upon their features, using a search bar on the left side of the website. This will help you narrow down your options. You can click on a phone to bring up information about the phone and use your browser's "Back" button to return to the list of phones.

Step 3

Decide on the input method that is best for you. You may want to try out a few of your friends smartphones to get a feel for the different input methods. Smartphones with a touchscreen as their primary input method tend to have a larger display, but some people find them difficult to type on. You may also consider a phone with a slide-out physical QWERTY keyboard or a phone with a smaller screen and a QWERTY keyboard on the front.

Step 4

Think about the amount of data that you intend to store on the phone. If you plan on storing a large amount of music or videos, you should select a smartphone with a large internal memory or with an expandable memory card slot.

Step 5

Consider the devices that you want to connect to your smartphone. Most smartphones feature a micro-USB or mini-USB port for data transfer and charging and a headphone port for audio, but some smartphones use proprietary connections that require special cables. Specialized smartphones may also have video-output connectors so that you can connect your smartphone to a larger screen.

Step 6

Compare the screen size of the phones. Larger screens are better for browsing the Internet and watching videos. Typically, a larger screen requires a larger phone. Consider the amount of space that the phone will take up and how you typically carry and store your phone.

Step 7

Check the smartphone's data transfer rate. If your network offers 4G data speeds in your area, you may want to purchase a 4G-ready smartphone to take advantage of the higher data speeds when browsing the internet or downloading files.

Step 8

Think about how often you want to charge your phone's battery and how often you use the phone. Select a smartphone that has a battery that will last throughout the day.

Hazardous Material

• Followthe instructions on the label and in the corresponding Material Safety DataSheet (MSDS) for each chemical product you will be using in your workplace

• Usepersonal protective clothing or equipment such as neoprene gloves, rubberboots, shoe covers, rubber aprons, and protective eyewear, when using chemicalslabeled "Flammable", "Corrosive", Caustic" or"Poisonous"

• Alwaysuse your chemical goggles and the face shield when handling chemicals labeled"Corrosive" or "Caustic"

• Do notuse protective clothing or equipment that has split seams, pin holes, cuts,tears, or other visible signs of damage

• Each timeyou use your gloves, wash them, before removing the gloves, using cold tapwater and normal hand washing motion; always wash your hands after removing thegloves.

• Onlydispense a liquid labeled "Flammable" from its bulk container locatedin areas posted "Flammable Liquid Storage"

• Beforepouring, dispensing or transferring any liquid from a bulk container labeled"Flammable", observe the following safety procedure:

1. Only use the redcolor-coded, plastic or metal containers for transferring the liquid.
2.  Electrically ground andbond the containers as follows:

• a) Attach the clip at oneend of the grounding wire to the rim of the dispensing container and thenattach the clip at the other end of the grounding wire to a ground source, suchas a ground driven steel stake.

• b) Attach the clip at oneend of the bonding wire to the rim of the dispensing container and then attachthe clip at the other end of the bonding wire to the rim of the receivingcontainer.

• c) You are now ready todispense the liquid from the bulk container into the opened receivingcontainer. Upon completion, replace the lid on the receiving container andremove the bonding wire.

• Beforeusing the chemical exhaust hood, flip the fan motor switch to the"On" position

• Do notuse chemicals from unlabeled containers or unmarked cylinders

• Do notperform "hot work", such as welding, metal grinding or other sparkproducing operations, within 50 feet of containers labeled"Flammable" or "Combustible"

• Do notdrag containers labeled "Flammable"

• Use therubber cradle when transporting unpackaged, glass bottles of chemicals

• Do notstore chemical containers labeled "Oxidizer" with containers labeled"Corrosive" or "Caustic"

Motorola Droid Pro Review

 The Motorola Droid Pro is a model that runs Google's Android OS but has a design reminiscent of BlackBerrys.

It is one of a recent group of smartphones from Verizon Wireless catering to a more business-oriented market than their predecessors, sporting the ability to work overseas.

 

 It has a contract-free price tag of $480, dropping to $180 with a two-year service contract, though other retailers may offer it for even less.

BUILD & DESIGN

While many current Android devices are thinly veiled attempts to mimic the iPhone, the Droid Pro clearly has another target: the segment of business users that are mostly addicted to the BlackBerry and it's constant email access.

I'm not a BlackBerry user myself, but I am a member of the demographic that must have a keyboard, preferably in a one-piece design like this. So I came into this review curious about the Droid Pro, both because of it's slightly unusual design, and because it seemed to have the qualities I look for in a smartphone: a great spec sheet, simple design, and -- hopefully -- a solid operating system.

Screen

A key difference between the Droid Pro and its rivals is that while QWERTY-bar phones often include a relatively small  screen with a landscape orientation, the Pro has a larger portrait-oriented screen. This makes it a little longer than it's relatives within the class, but considering everything that is packed into this device, the Droid Pro is actually surprisingly compact.

Compared directly to my usual phone, a Samsung Jack, the Droid Pro is about a third of an inch taller -- and that's it. They're the same width, and roughly the same thickness, though the Droid Pro is actually a tiny bit thinner over most of the casing, with a small bulge along the top rear. Even granted that my Jack is cheaper and is a year old, I was pleasantly surprised by the size.

Despite it's compact footprint, it squeezes in a 3.1 inch, half-VGA screen -- not the largest or highest resolution on an Android-based device, but roughly comparable to the first three generations of iPhones.

Keyboard

Given the device's size constraints, I had been half expecting the keyboard to be cramped. So it was another pleasant surprise that it was, in fact, every bit as usable as the better thumb keyboards I've tried out.

Good key travel, key separation, and feel. The number keys are spread out along the top row, instead of being placed in a conventional grid formation. The good news, though is that this is made up for by a large and very usable on-screen keypad available from the phone dialer application. Or, you can just speak the number that you want to call -- but we'll get to that later.

Other Buttons & Controls

One of the ways the Droid Pro saves space is by not having a directional pad or directional control of any kind, which is a departure for most QWERTY-bar style phones. At first, I didn't think that I was going to be happy about that omission. Now, after having gotten to use it a bit, I'm not nearly as put out as I expected to be. Yes, there's some situations where it would be nice to have a physical directional control -- particularly navigating cramped web page elements, or relocating a cursor for text entry. But for the most part I've gotten along quite well using touchscreen gestures for scrolling and practicing accurate fingertip clicking.

My biggest complaint about the Droid Pro's design lies in the four navigation buttons right above the keyboard. Because they're part of the screen, and therefore touch sensitive, it's fairly easy to accidentally "push" them if your finger brushes the screen accidentally. Since the center two buttons -- those most likely to be hit accidentally -- both take you back out of the application you're using, it can be very annoying to have to go back and re-start what you were doing. Since you can't vary the sensitivity of these buttons -- and they really do have a hair trigger -- the only real cure for this is time and practice, to get used to having them there and not letting your fingers stray.

With the memory card tucked under the battery cover, the only open ports are the Micro-USB plug on the lower left hand side, and the 3.5 mm audio jack on top. It's nice to have a standard audio plug again, though I wouldn't object to having all the plugs on the bottom, so that I could have a nice car dock for the thing, but that's rather a nitpick.

Overall, the build quality feels good, the design is sleek and very usable, and it packs all it's features into a very reasonable size and weight.

Motorola Droid Pro Review

 The Motorola Droid Pro is a model that runs Google's Android OS but has a design reminiscent of BlackBerrys.

It is one of a recent group of smartphones from Verizon Wireless catering to a more business-oriented market than their predecessors, sporting the ability to work overseas.

 

 It has a contract-free price tag of $480, dropping to $180 with a two-year service contract, though other retailers may offer it for even less.

BUILD & DESIGN

While many current Android devices are thinly veiled attempts to mimic the iPhone, the Droid Pro clearly has another target: the segment of business users that are mostly addicted to the BlackBerry and it's constant email access.

I'm not a BlackBerry user myself, but I am a member of the demographic that must have a keyboard, preferably in a one-piece design like this. So I came into this review curious about the Droid Pro, both because of it's slightly unusual design, and because it seemed to have the qualities I look for in a smartphone: a great spec sheet, simple design, and -- hopefully -- a solid operating system.

Screen

A key difference between the Droid Pro and its rivals is that while QWERTY-bar phones often include a relatively small  screen with a landscape orientation, the Pro has a larger portrait-oriented screen. This makes it a little longer than it's relatives within the class, but considering everything that is packed into this device, the Droid Pro is actually surprisingly compact.

Compared directly to my usual phone, a Samsung Jack, the Droid Pro is about a third of an inch taller -- and that's it. They're the same width, and roughly the same thickness, though the Droid Pro is actually a tiny bit thinner over most of the casing, with a small bulge along the top rear. Even granted that my Jack is cheaper and is a year old, I was pleasantly surprised by the size.

Despite it's compact footprint, it squeezes in a 3.1 inch, half-VGA screen -- not the largest or highest resolution on an Android-based device, but roughly comparable to the first three generations of iPhones.

Keyboard

Given the device's size constraints, I had been half expecting the keyboard to be cramped. So it was another pleasant surprise that it was, in fact, every bit as usable as the better thumb keyboards I've tried out.

Good key travel, key separation, and feel. The number keys are spread out along the top row, instead of being placed in a conventional grid formation. The good news, though is that this is made up for by a large and very usable on-screen keypad available from the phone dialer application. Or, you can just speak the number that you want to call -- but we'll get to that later.

Other Buttons & Controls

One of the ways the Droid Pro saves space is by not having a directional pad or directional control of any kind, which is a departure for most QWERTY-bar style phones. At first, I didn't think that I was going to be happy about that omission. Now, after having gotten to use it a bit, I'm not nearly as put out as I expected to be. Yes, there's some situations where it would be nice to have a physical directional control -- particularly navigating cramped web page elements, or relocating a cursor for text entry. But for the most part I've gotten along quite well using touchscreen gestures for scrolling and practicing accurate fingertip clicking.

My biggest complaint about the Droid Pro's design lies in the four navigation buttons right above the keyboard. Because they're part of the screen, and therefore touch sensitive, it's fairly easy to accidentally "push" them if your finger brushes the screen accidentally. Since the center two buttons -- those most likely to be hit accidentally -- both take you back out of the application you're using, it can be very annoying to have to go back and re-start what you were doing. Since you can't vary the sensitivity of these buttons -- and they really do have a hair trigger -- the only real cure for this is time and practice, to get used to having them there and not letting your fingers stray.

With the memory card tucked under the battery cover, the only open ports are the Micro-USB plug on the lower left hand side, and the 3.5 mm audio jack on top. It's nice to have a standard audio plug again, though I wouldn't object to having all the plugs on the bottom, so that I could have a nice car dock for the thing, but that's rather a nitpick.

Overall, the build quality feels good, the design is sleek and very usable, and it packs all it's features into a very reasonable size and weight.

Fire Extinguiser Selection

Portable fireextinguishers can saves lives and property by putting out or containing fireswithin the capability of the extinguisher. However, they must be of the correcttype for the particular fire, and they must used correctly.

Selection of Fire Extinguishers
There are a number of types of portable fire extinguishers available inAustralia. Each type of extinguisher may be rated for one or more classes offire. In some cases, particular extinguishers are not only consideredineffective against certain classes of fire, they can be dangerous if used inthose circumstances.

The classes of fire are:

Class A : Ordinary combustibles (Wood, Paper,Plastics)
Class B : Flammable and combustible liquids
Class C : Flammable gases
Class D : Combustible metals
Class E : Electrically energised equipment
Class F : Cooking oils and fats

Portable fire extinguishers are distinguishable by their labels and theircolouring. In 1997 the standard colours of some portable fire extinguisherswere changed. It is therefore likely that you may encounter two of the sametype of extinguisher with different colourings.

Fire Protection Improve

Australia, -- Standards Australia has released an interim standard to assist fireauthorities in the selection and development of protective clothing forfirefighters. Fire agencies, the fabric technology industry, manufacturers andunion representatives contributed to the development of interim standard AS4967 -- 2001 -- Protective clothing for firefighters -- Requirements and testmethods for protective clothing used for structural firefighting. The recentlyselected New South Wales Fire Brigade uniforms have a garment shell andprotective liner for ease of cleaning and long-term maintenance. They conformto the standard. Two other fire clothing standards have also been released -- AS4824 (Int) -- 2001 -- Protective clothing for firefighters -- Requirements andtest methods for protective clothing used for wildland firefighting, and AS/NZS4821 (Int) -- 2000 -- Firefighters' protective footwear. 

A draft revision of the Standards Australiaportable fire extinguisher standard is expected later this year. Changes toAS/NZS: 1841 -- Portable fire extinguishers, may include the removal of the"E" fire classification when the extinguishing agent is a conductorof electricity, such as water or a conductive aqueous solution. There isconcern about the potential exposure of an operator to electrocution. 

Work continues on a revision of the StandardsAustralia fire maintenance standard. It is anticipated the revised AS 1851 --1995 -- Maintenance of fire protection systems, will be published in the secondhalf of 2002. The existing 16 parts of the standard will be consolidated. It isalso anticipated the standard will be referenced in the Building Code ofAustralia, making it mandatory.

Tips to Clean Your Smartphone

 At some time or another, we all drop our smartphones. We also put them in pockets or purses crammed with keys, forget to charge them, and leave them in hot or wet locations. Some of us have even taken them swimming. A dirty phone screen won't give you much pleasure--or much information.

Screens are delicate, however. Clean them the wrong way, and you ruin them for good.

The main tool you need is a microfiber cloth. You can get a very small one, perhaps even for free, at your optometrist's office, which should be just fine for a phone. You can buy larger ones for a few dollars at camera stores, electronics stores, hardware stores, or online.

Here's how to get your smartphone screen nice and clean:

As a safety measure, remove your phone's battery. If the battery cannot be removed, turning off the device will suffice.

Wipe the screen gently with the dry cloth. Don't press hard on it, but for particularly stubborn dirt you can apply some gentle pressure.

If a dry cloth doesn't do the job, you'll need to use a wet one--and that can be tricky. Distilled water is the safest and cheapest liquid for a screen. If that isn't strong enough, mix it half-and-half with white vinegar.

Put the liquid into a spray bottle, and spray it onto the microfiber cloth.

Wipe the display as described above, and then wait until the screen is completely dry before turning the device back on.

Here are a few tips to protect your phone from wear and tear while also prolonging its life:

Be careful where you carry your phone. That pocket full of keys was fine for your old, clamshell-style "dumb" phone. But your smartphone almost certainly has a screen--quite likely a touchscreen--open for all the world to scratch. So put your handset where nothing can scratch it.

Buy a case for your phone--preferably one built for your specific model--and keep it in that. Most cases leave the screen uncovered so that you can use it, so buy some screen protectors as well. These thin, transparent membranes fit over the screen, stay in place, and let both light and touch go through them. They're also reasonably cheap and disposable: You can buy a pack of three for as little as $6.

Turn off the touchscreen before pocketing the phone. Not only does this stretch your battery life, but it also avoids butt-dialing.

 If your phone feels hot to the touch, turn it off and (if the phone allows it) remove the battery. Let the handset sit awhile where it can breathe. If the phone or the battery is still too hot an hour later, contact the vendor; something of a chemical nature may have gone wrong inside.

Get in the habit of charging your phone every night when you go to bed. That way, you'll seldom (if ever) run out of juice in the course of a day. If you still have trouble charging, buy an extra charger or two; one that plugs into your car's cigarette lighter may be useful.

Don't worry too much about wearing out the battery. It will wear out eventually, no matter what you do, but probably not before your contract is up and you're ready to upgrade to the next new thing.

Samsung Nexus S Review

 The Samsung Nexus S is one of the latest Android smartphones from Google. It features Android OS 2.3 (Gingerbread), a 4-inch contour display, a 5-megapixel camera, mobile hotspot capability, and 3D mapping thanks to the latest beta version of Google Maps 5.0 with Navigation.

The Nexus S is currently available from Best Buy stores as an unlocked phone that will work with any GSM mobile carrier. It can also be purchased online for $200 with a new two-year contract with T-Mobile.

BUILD & DESIGN

The Nexus S looks like most smartphones available today, with a black exterior and a minimum of buttons and controls so that the overall look is streamlined and modern. Then again, you might have trouble picking out your phone if you put it on a table next to a few other smartphones at dinner, because there is nothing that really stands out about the Nexus S in a stylistic sense.

At 4.8-inches by 2.48-inches and 0.43-inches thick. the Nexus S is comparable to other large-screen smartphones available today. It does seem to be somewhat lighter than many of the other phones I've recently reviewed--when I first took it out of the box I looked for a battery to install, but it was already in the device. It might create a bulge in your pocket, but it won't weigh you down. My key ring, with its large assortment of office and home keys, weighs more than the Nexus S.

Display

The screen on the Nexus S is simply beautiful. It's a 4-inch WVGA (480 x 800) Super AMOLED display, so it is extremely sharp and bright. Even when I'm outside in full sunlight I can see the display clearly, which is a nice change from squinting and trying to shade the screen with my hand. There isn't any ghosting during video playback, and photos looks especially vibrant.

It's also the first phone with a Contour display, which means exactly what it sounds like -- the screen of the phone is slightly curved. The idea is to make it more comfortable in your hand and against your face, when you're using the Nexus S as a phone. The curve is quite subtle, I didn't notice too much of a difference except that the phone does seem to fit in my hand a little better than other devices I've reviewed recently.

There is an anti-fingerprint coating on the screen, and while I can't say that it works perfectly -- there are still plenty of fingerprints on the screen -- it does seem to extend the time between my compulsive screen wiping and cleaning sessions. I simply can't stand smudgy screens, so something that cuts down on the frustration is a step in the right direction, and the Nexus S delivers on that point.

Keyboard

The Nexus S doesn't have a physical keyboard, so you'll be doing your text entry on the virtual on-screen one. This has been improved in this new version of Google's operating system, so you'll see slightly larger keys thanks to an optimized, clutter-free layout. It has punctuation at the top for convenience, and works quite nicely.

Of course you can bypass the keyboard entirely using Google's speech recognition, which works amazingly well on the Nexus S. No matter which way you choose, text entry is fast and easy.

Other Buttons & Controls

The Nexus S has very few buttons or other hardware features. The power button is on the upper right side of the device, and the volume rocker is on the left.

The only other controls are the standard Back, Menu, Search, and Home controls underneath the display, the camera lens on the back, and the headphone jack and charge/sync port on the bottom edge of the device.

There is no microSD card slot, which is unfortunate. I know that everything is "in the cloud" these days, but I like to keep a lot of music, photos, and ebooks on my device, and the 16 GB of internal memory can fill up all too fast since there's no option to add more with an expansion card.