Since the release of Apple’s first generation iPhone in 2007, every telecommunications company has been out to destroy Apple’s groundbreaking phone with new devices that claim to upstage the iPhone’s innovations. Sadly, these new devices have failed at their attempts. But this year, a brand-new one began to create buzz as the ultimate iPhone Killer, the Palm Pre.

Palm’s announcement at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Showcase in Las Vegas of a multifaceted touch-screen phone was met with excitement from the technology industry. And it was rightly earned; the Palm Pre offers a new phone experience for the user with its 3.1-inch capacitive touch screen over a 24-bit color 320×480 resolution. The Pre has a full QWERTY keyboard which slides out to a curvature contouring to the user’s face, an accelerometer that creates the ability to automatically switch the orientation of the display between portrait and landscape, a 3 megapixel camera with an LED flash ensuring crisp and clear photos and an 8GB internal storage.

But these are just the superficial details; the Pre’s real claim to fame is its new operating system, the webOS. The webOS’ interface was modeled on a system of “cards” used to manage multitasking. Once an application is launched, the user is able to switch among applications by clicking the front-face button to bring up the “cards” and just flicking the “card” up - and “off” - the screen to close. The webOS also includes a feature called Synergy that integrates contact information and calendars from many sources such as Facebook, Gmail, Outlook and LotusNotes.

The Palm Pre is offered by Sprint at $199.99 with a two-year service plan. For more information please visit www.palm.com
—Stefanie Marie Rivera

The XPERIA X1's slide-out QWERTY keyboard offers a sturdy grip.

Unboxing the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 smartphone from telecom provider Claro, the first noticeable quality was the phone’s heaviness Weighing 5.6 ounces while measuring 4.4 inches tall by 2.1 inches wide and 0.7 inch deep, the X1 is a bulky phone to carry around, especially nowadays, when slimmer phones are the norm.

On the other hand, this same heaviness helps when using the slide-out QWERTY keyboard because it allows a firm grip while typing on the small and closely-spaced keys. This QWERTY keyboard‘s top row was difficult to type with, since it is so close to the top cover.

The phone has the Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system, but it takes at least three minutes to completely load the home screen. Once loaded, the response time is still a bit faulty; Windows’ characteristic screen freezing now comes on a smaller scale in this mobile operating system.

Living on a bilingual island, being able to change the language of the cell phone’s operating system is essential. While attempting to switch the default Spanish to English, the unit did not allow the language switch. To make the change, users have to go to Claro and ask them to make the switch.

This smartphone also boasts a touch screen. The “touch screen” designation was invented for a phone with a tactile functioning interface, but this unit’s touch response leaves a lot to be desired. It does have a stylus to better operate the screen options, especially since the screen options are either too small or at the corners of the screen, which makes them incredibly frustrating to get to with a finger.

The phone has some good features. Call quality is very good, even through the speakerphone, and the phone can expand its memory through a microSD card. That helps because the 3.2 megapixel camera takes good quality pictures that a user would want to store. Also, the expandable memory
can store music since the phone has an integrated music player and with the standard 3.5 headphone jack, this phone is ready to bop along to the beat.

All in all, the phone has its pros and cons. If users don’t mind waiting for programs to open or dealing with a non-touch touch screen and love a good quality camera phone, then the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 fits the bill. The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 is offered exclusively by Claro in Puerto Rico. For more information, visit: www.sonyericsson.com
••• 3 out 5
— Stefanie Marie Rivera

In this tech obsessed world everything ultimately ends up online be it as a news item, blog item or even maps for the most unusual things. And once again the powers that be in the cyberspace world have spoken by creating a Google Map tracking the Swine Flu Virus that has caused hysteria in Mexico and now in the United States. The map has pinpointed the places where specific cases have been reported of the virus with complete details and even links to news items corroborating the fact, also it pinpoints cases that were falsely reported. To access the  Swine Flu Virus Google Map direct your browser to: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=p&msa=0&msid=106484775090296685271.0004681a37b713f6b5950&ll=32.639375,-110.390625&spn=15.738151,25.488281&z=5);

UPDATE 5/21:
Google is no longer updating this map, please redirect to the following link:
http://flutracker.rhizalabs.com/

On Metro’s March edition the Metro Bytes section explained what the microblogging social network Twitter is to our readers. Twitter has delved so deep into people’s every day that a new language has been born, the twittanguage. To spoof this occurrence and to keep explaining what this phenomenon truly is, Current TV’s Super News has created a viral video aptly named Twouble with Twitters.

- Stefanie Marie Rivera

For Blackberry Fanatics out there this might be a sad day: the first Blackberry Touch Screen phone, dubbed the Blackberry Storm, will not be offered by any of the local wireless carriers. A moment of silence please…

In the United States this innovative phone will be available through Verizon Wireless, the largest wireless network in the states, but since locally there isn’t a Verizon carrier the option was open to Claro, the Latin American carrier who bought Verizon’s stores and network in the island. After speaking with Ileana Molina, Claro’s press spokesperson, we are again sad to announce that her response when asked about the phone was:  “The Blackberry Storm is not in Claro immediate list of launches of new phones.”

So Crackberry Addicts once again Puerto Rico has to wait on the sidelines for the latest technology to swim over from the states. Let’s just hope this phone doesn’t take its cue from its touchscreen counterpart, the iPhone, and make us wait for a year and half before it gets here.

Remember for all the latest info on everything tech log on to Bytes!

Local Football fans and DirecTV subscribers will be disappointed to know that the current NFL Network promotion for DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers that boasts Football News and Games 24/7 will not be available for Puerto Rico. When contacted DirecTV Puerto Rico’s Sales Manager, Arnaldo Perez, said that since they did not have the NFL Network as part of their offering of channels, and were not planning to include it any time soon, the promotion would not be upheld in Puerto Rico. But the reasons as to why they were not planning to include the network seem to be most alarming… since DirecTV Puerto Rico is considered a part of DirecTV Latin America and not DirecTV USA, our channel selection is different than theirs. This practice of incluiding the Puerto Rican market a part of the Latin America market has been seen for decades specifically by technology based companies. But is it fair, especially when for many other things Puerto Rico is suddenly part of the United States?

So Football and Tech Fans, do you believe this policy is fair for Puerto Rican consumers?

This past weekend primary news outlets in the United States announced that the Electronics Chain Store Circuit City was planning on shutting down their stores to escape from bankrupcy. The chain store sent a press release to news outlets detailing that 155 stores will close at no later date than this Wednesday November 5th. A list was provided with said press release detailing which 155 stores would be closing and Metro San Juan is glad to confirm that no Puerto Rico Circuit City stores are closing but the Hatillo store opening has yet to be confirmed.

UPDATE: Circuit City filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy on Monday November 10, even after trying to beat the economic climate by closing 155 of their stores. But not to worry, the other 750 Circuit City stores still opened will remain open for all your holiday shopping.

Remember: For the up to date information in all things technology stay tuned to Bytes.