Acer DX900 Windows Mobile Smartphone

The DX900's main claim to fame is that it's the first Windows Mobile handset to support dual SIM cards. Why would you want a dual SIM phone? If you have to ask the question then a dual SIM handset is probably not for you. For others, though, support for dual SIMs is handy because instead of carrying around separate mobiles for work and personal usage, you can get the same job done with a single handset. They're also useful if you travel a lot and want one SIM for calls within your home country and another local SIM for use abroad in order to avoid racking up horrendous roaming charges.

Despite the world's first claim, the DX900 has actually been available before in a slightly different guise. This is because it's basically a re-branded version of a handset that was previous released by E-Ten under the Glofiish brand. Acer snapped up E-ten last year and has now re-released the phone as its first own branded handset. However, shortly it's due to be joined by new models including the F900 and M900.

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Looks-wise the DX900 isn't exactly what you'd call handsome. It's rather large and chunky and at 143g is quite weighty too. You'll definitely notice it when it's tucked away in your pocket. However, it does feel very well built and its sturdiness gives you confidence that it'll stand up to a few knocks and scrapes.

The slightly rubberised feel to the rear of the case also makes it quite tactile to hold and means it's not likely to easily slip from your grasp. Unlike manufacturers like HTC who use the miniUSB port to double up as the headset jack, Acer has instead kept the two separate. This means you can still take calls or listen to music when the handset is being charged or synced with your computer. However, the hands-free connector is a small 2.5mm socket rather than a normal headphone jack so you won't be able to use your own headphones with it unless you invest in an adaptor.

Of course, the key difference between this handset and its rivals is that it allows you to have two SIMs installed and active at the same time. That said, although there are two slots, they're certainly not equals. Only the first slot supports 3G/HSDPA, as seconds one is limited to 2.5G data speeds, which seems like a rather puzzling limitation to us. Once the SIMs are installed you do get two indicators on the home screen to show you the relative signal strengths of the two mobile networks.

Acer also includes an application that lets you control how the SIMs are used. This lets you easily switch between the two mobile networks, but also allows you to turn off one completely - handy if you want to switch the work SIM card off on the weekends or during holidays without having to actually physically remove it from the phone

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Panasonic Viera TX-P46S10 46in Plasma

Regular readers will know that so far this year I've been considerably more enamoured of Panasonic's new NeoPDP plasma TVs than I have of the cheaper models that use Panasonic's traditional plasma panel techniques. So on one level I'm not expecting anything particularly spectacular from the P46S10, sitting as it does towards the lower, non-NeoPDP end of Panasonic's current range.

But then again, I've long been a fan of the 46in screen size sported by the P46S10, finding it an unusually natural fit for your average decent-sized living room. And I'm also a fan of its £955 price - a really approachable sum for such a well-proportioned TV.

Especially when that TV also enjoys a specification sheet that boasts a vast claimed dynamic contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1, a Full HD resolution, and 400Hz processing achieved by using Panasonic's Intelligent Frame Creation technology to interpolate extra 'sub-field' images between the real ones coming in from your source.

Fans of TV stats might also enjoy the claimed 0.001ms response time claimed for the P46S10 - a figure Panasonic is keen to peddle given how impressive it looks against the 4, 5 and more millisecond figures usually associated with LCD TVs.

The P46S10 doesn't present a completely irresistible face to the world, though, for the simple reason that I personally don't find it especially well designed. The simple, slightly chunky gloss black bezel is getting pretty old-school now, and a silver strip and slightly bulbous bit of sculpting along the bottom edge don't really do enough to alleviate the gentle boredom.

The set's connections are pretty much as I would have anticipated for the S10's level of Panasonic's range, with highlights of three HDMIs and an SD card slot able to play JPEG stills and AVCHD video. Obviously a fourth HDMI would have been nice, and maybe, if I was being particularly miserable, I would have liked a more universal USB option alongside the SD card slot. But given Panasonic's involvement with SD, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised that things are as they are.

Aside from being very cleanly presented and easy to navigate, the P46S10's onscreen menus don't really have a great many features of interest; just an uninspiring automated colour management option and basic noise reduction system catch the eye.

The P46S10's performance is as typically accomplished as we'd expect from any Panasonic plasma. But as with other non-NeoPDP models we've seen, it's not quite consistent enough in all areas to carry an unreserved recommendation.

One thing I really like is how superbly natural HD pictures tend to look. Wimbledon matches were a joy to behold in most ways, with finely tuned colours - even when it comes to Panasonic's usual weak point of greens - and exceptional motion clarity particularly catching the eye. Panasonic is busy pushing the motion benefit of its plasma screens right now, and the clarity with which the ball and players speed around Centre Court on the P46S10 puts the vast majority of LCD screens to shame.

source: www.trustedreviews.com