Bush discusses Iraq, China military

SYDNEY, Australia - U.S. President George W. Bush said in an interview broadcast Friday that he would be concerned about China's military if the country ever turned hostile, and he urged U.S. allies to complete the work still left in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Speaking to Australia's Sky News network in Washington ahead of a visit to Australia an annual meeting of Pacific Rim leaders, Bush said he believed China's biggest issue was keeping it's economy growing.

"My view of China is that they're internally focused to the extent that they want economic growth and vitality, they're externally focused in order to get the raw materials they need. But if they ever turn hostile, I would be concerned about the military," Bush said.

He said that his administration spends "a lot of time on China" and that Washington had good relations with both China and Japan, two traditional rivals in Asia.

He said it was important for the United States to be an "active presence in Asia to make sure that old tensions don't flare up."

Bush also urged countries considering pulling out troops to base their decisions on restoring the country's security, saying the U.S. needs "all our coalition partners" in Iraq.

"I understand that everybody has got their own internal politics. My only point is that whether it be Afghanistan or Iraq, we've got more work to do. We, the free world, have got more work to do."

Australia has about 1,600 troops in and around Iraq, 550 of them in combat roles. The timing and circumstances of the troops' withdrawal is a political issue in Australia, as it heads toward national elections due by early next year.

Labor opposition leader Kevin Rudd, who opinion polls suggest is headed for victory in the elections, has pledged to set a timetable for withdrawing Australian combat troops from Iraq. Prime Minister John Howard has refused to set a timetable.

Bush said in the interview he would meet Rudd during his visit to Australia next week and that he would be glad to explain to Rudd why he believed victory in Iraq was important.

"What I ask if he were to win (the election) is that he consider the conditions on the ground before making decisions," Bush said. "What matters is success, and I believe we can be successful."

"My attitude is, coalition partners ought to be making decisions based upon conditions on the ground, because failure in Iraq would lead to, in my view, turmoil, chaos in the Middle East and other attacks on the United States and other nations," Bush said.

Bush said he did not want to take sides in Australia's upcoming elections, and said U.S.-Australia relations were strong regardless of who were the leaders of each country.

He said he looked forward to meeting Rudd in Sydney and offered high praise to Howard, who has been a staunch ally of Bush in Washington's war on terror.

Howard "no doubt about it, is a close personal friend of mine," Bush said. "He is a man of steel because he is a person who stands on conviction and principle."

EcoJet - Jay Leno's New Supercar

Jay Leno, comedian and talk show host and Ed Welburn, GM's veep of Global Design showcase EcoJet at SEMA's.It's the 650 hp (400 lb.-ft. of torque), bio-diesel monster supercar named the EcoJet. The mid-engined beast, originally sketched by Leno and Ed on the back of a napkin, shares design cues with everything from jet aircraft and Formular One racecars, and even, it would appear, the nose of a Cadillac STS.
The Leno-Welburn love child is powered by a Honeywell LT-101 turbine engine running in a modified Corvette Z06 hydroformed aluminum frame with aluminum and magnesium structural and chassis components. The shell's composed of a carbon fiber over Kevlar skin.
EcoJet Was born with the ideas of Jay Leno and Bernard Juchli,his car mechanic and caretaker.Welburn helped them in design direction.This resulted in EcoJet.

Technology Bar

EcoJet - Jay Leno's New Supercar

Jay Leno, comedian and talk show host and Ed Welburn, GM's veep of Global Design showcase EcoJet at SEMA's.It's the 650 hp (400 lb.-ft. of torque), bio-diesel monster supercar named the EcoJet. The mid-engined beast, originally sketched by Leno and Ed on the back of a napkin, shares design cues with everything from jet aircraft and Formular One racecars, and even, it would appear, the nose of a Cadillac STS.
The Leno-Welburn love child is powered by a Honeywell LT-101 turbine engine running in a modified Corvette Z06 hydroformed aluminum frame with aluminum and magnesium structural and chassis components. The shell's composed of a carbon fiber over Kevlar skin.
EcoJet Was born with the ideas of Jay Leno and Bernard Juchli,his car mechanic and caretaker.Welburn helped them in design direction.This resulted in EcoJet.

Technology Bar

Shelby - one of the greatest sports car

Carroll Shelby has had a remarkably long career as a driver, owner, team manager, manufacturer, consultant, and visionary.
Early in his career, Carroll's accomplishments as a race car driver included breaking land speed records at Bonneville in 1954 for Austin Healey and winning the 24-hour Le Mans in 1959 alongside teammate Roy Salvadori. As a team manager, Carroll was a part of the FIA World Grand Touring Championship as well as Ford GT victories at Le Mans..

When his health caused him to give up racing in 1960, Carroll got out of the driver's seat and turned his attention to design. He had a vision of creating a racecar made from a lightweight European chassis with American V8 power.

The result of this vision was what is considered perhaps the greatest sports car and one of the fastest road cars ever constructed - the Shelby Cobra. The aluminum-bodied 289 and 427 Cobra models and the subsequent Shelby Mustangs he built for Ford, made Carroll Shelby a household name in the 1960s.

Shelby - one of the greatest sports car

Carroll Shelby has had a remarkably long career as a driver, owner, team manager, manufacturer, consultant, and visionary.
Early in his career, Carroll's accomplishments as a race car driver included breaking land speed records at Bonneville in 1954 for Austin Healey and winning the 24-hour Le Mans in 1959 alongside teammate Roy Salvadori. As a team manager, Carroll was a part of the FIA World Grand Touring Championship as well as Ford GT victories at Le Mans..

When his health caused him to give up racing in 1960, Carroll got out of the driver's seat and turned his attention to design. He had a vision of creating a racecar made from a lightweight European chassis with American V8 power.

The result of this vision was what is considered perhaps the greatest sports car and one of the fastest road cars ever constructed - the Shelby Cobra. The aluminum-bodied 289 and 427 Cobra models and the subsequent Shelby Mustangs he built for Ford, made Carroll Shelby a household name in the 1960s.

Taliban to release Korean hostages

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korean negotiators in Afghanistan have reached a deal with Taliban militants holding 19 South Korean Christian aid workers for over a month, a presidential spokesman in Seoul said Tuesday.

Seoul welcomes the deal, but spokesman Cheon Ho-sun cautioned that many details must still be worked out and the aid workers will not be released immediately.

Under the terms of the agreement, South Korea agreed to stick by its previous decision to withdraw its 200 non-combat troops from Afghanistan, which work mostly in an engineering and medical capacity.

In addition, Seoul will halt all Christian missionary work in Afghanistan.

The spokesman said there was no agreement to pay the captors, nor was there any mention of releasing Taliban prisoners -- a major demand of the kidnappers.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi said delegates from South Korea and the Taliban had "reached an agreement" to free the captives in face-to-face talks Tuesday in the central town of Ghazni.

Twenty-three hostages, all church volunteers, were seized July 19 by the Taliban militant group while they were traveling on a bus in Afghanistan. Two were executed and two others were freed, leaving 19 still in captivity.

While South Korean missionaries have been active in the region, the hostage group's church has said the kidnapped group's trip to Afghanistan did not involve Christian missionary work.

The kidnapping of government officials or foreign aid workers has been used increasingly by insurgents in a bid to destabilize the Western-backed government that took power after the defeat of the Taliban in 2001.

Violence in Afghanistan is running at its highest level since the Taliban were expelled from government nearly six years ago.

A suicide bomber in eastern Afghanistan killed three NATO soldiers and wounded six others on Tuesday as they were working on a bridge project, according to a news release from NATO's International Security Assistance Force.

As a matter of ISAF's policy, the soldiers' nationalities were not released. The suicide bomber approached the soldiers and "self-detonated, instantly killing himself and two nearby soldiers," ISAF said.

The third soldier died en route to an ISAF medical facility.

"Our thoughts during this very difficult time are with the friends, family and colleagues of the soldiers who were killed in this incident," said ISAF spokesman Maj. Charles Anthony.

On Monday, three coalition service members and two Afghan soldiers were killed in an ambush in Kunar province, also in eastern Afghanistan, the U.S.-led coalition said. Three coalition and seven Afghan soldiers were wounded.

The nationalities of the slain service members in this incident also were not supplied. U.S. troops have a strong presence in the eastern part of the country.

Near the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, Afghan and coalition forces on Tuesday killed two Taliban militants and detained five others. The operation occurred southwest of the city, the U.S.-led coalition said.

Tesla Roadster the 100% electric car

Tesla roadster is one electric car that boasts of a 0-100 kmph in about 4 seconds-a figure many sports cars and supercars will struggle to match.The car will move on to a top speed of over 200 km/h and has a range of almost 400 kms.

At present price of electricity the average cost of fuel for this car comes to 2 cents per mile.

The car is priced at US$ 100,000 plus taxes(approximate).The next delivery of this car will start from Feb 2008.You can even customize your car.The website gives all the details about booking.

But why is it important to go electric with tesla cars:

Pollution control - Go Green

Reduce dependent on Oil

Special tax benefits

Cost saving on fuel

The tires and battery of tesla cars are recyclable.

Tesla Roadster the 100% electric car

Tesla roadster is one electric car that boasts of a 0-100 kmph in about 4 seconds-a figure many sports cars and supercars will struggle to match.The car will move on to a top speed of over 200 km/h and has a range of almost 400 kms.

At present price of electricity the average cost of fuel for this car comes to 2 cents per mile.

The car is priced at US$ 100,000 plus taxes(approximate).The next delivery of this car will start from Feb 2008.You can even customize your car.The website gives all the details about booking.

But why is it important to go electric with tesla cars:

Pollution control - Go Green

Reduce dependent on Oil

Special tax benefits

Cost saving on fuel

The tires and battery of tesla cars are recyclable.

A monster truck performing stunts in front of an auto parts store plowed into a crowd of spectators Thursday, injuring at least nine people, officials

Two people, including a mother and one child, were in serious condition at area hospitals, officials said.

Six others, including a mother and her four children, were treated and released, said Sharon Emanuelson, a spokeswoman for Kishwaukee Community Hospital in DeKalb. The other person injured was in good condition.

Another person refused medical treatment, said DeKalb Fire Chief Lanny Russell.

The demonstration, part of a monster truck tour sponsored by NAPA Auto Parts, featured the truck driving over and crushing four cars.

"After its third or fourth attempt of rolling over the cars, and getting back down to the street, it appeared to have lost control and at that point careened off to the left into part of the crowd that was watching the event," said City Manager Mark Biernacki.

After plowing through the crowd about 2 p.m., the truck went through a fence and stopped on railroad tracks, Biernacki said.

Witness Patrick Sheridan, 16, said NAPA staff members had asked observers to stand back from the road after the truck's first few passes.

"I watched the guy go over two or three times getting some air and one time he went up and he came really close to hitting people," Sheridan said, adding that the truck appeared to come within just three feet of bystanders.

The final pass "was like a full-out jump because he, like, floored it and it just went up and landed on the back tires and kept going," Sheridan said.

"It sounded like he couldn't get the gas off and like it kept going and going and going," he said.

The 44-year-old truck driver did not appear to be injured, Biernacki said.

"There was just this sound of steel crunching," DeKalb resident James Vesely told The Daily Chronicle of DeKalb. "I ran over to see if it hit anybody's car, and I saw a woman and a little girl around 3 years old lying on the ground with dirt on them."

Jerry Nix, a spokesman for NAPA's parent company, Genuine Parts Co., said he could not comment. A message left at the auto parts store near the accident site after business hours was not immediately returned.

The city of DeKalb gave the store permission to close the street for the demonstration, Russell said. DeKalb police would not immediately comment.

The manager of a bicycle shop on the block where the accident happened said he didn't see the incident but saw the truck performing stunts beforehand, and estimated at least 100 people were watching.

"It looked very precarious," said Tobie DePauw, manager of North Central Cyclery.

Nokia Shows 6500 Slide with 3.2MP AF Camera

Nokia has reaffirmed its leadership in driving the benefits of third generation technology to the mid-range market with the announcement of new handset, the Nokia 6500 slide. Designed to be precisely balanced in the hand, with large keys and ergonomically correct dimensions and surfaces,this phone have been created with maximum usability in mind.
Along with third generation WCDMA technology and sleek, contemporary designs, these new devices feature carefully engineered touches that help to ensure that the beauty endures.
"Nokia is a recognized trailblazer of the 3G revolution and a pioneer in the use of new and innovative materials for mobile phones. With the Nokia 6500 slide, Nokia is skillfully combining these areas of expertise to deliver a compelling blend of design and technology at a mid-range price point," said Peter Ropke, Senior Vice President, Broad Appeal Business Unit, Nokia. "While features like the aluminum "loop" structure of the Nokia 6500 classic or the Carl Zeiss optics found in the Nokia 6500 slide separate these devices from the pack, it is the skillful balance of features and style that will make them irresistible to customers."
Nokia 6500 slide
Featuring an enthusiast-quality 3.2 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and the ability to easily share pictures, videos and even video calls on a television, the Nokia 6500 slide brings unsurpassed levels of imaging and sharing to the mid-range market. Additionally, the Nokia 6500 slide delivers a refined tactile experience with its elegant brushed stainless steel finish and smooth slide mechanism.
The 3.2 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics found in the Nokia 6500 slide marks the first time that mid-range camera phone consumers have been able to experience the outstanding imaging capability of Carl Zeiss optics. The addition of autofocus, a dual LED flash and 8x digital zoom optimizes the Nokia 6500 slide for creating high-caliber images. Using the speed of 3G technology, these images and videos can be quickly shared with friends around the world, while the TV-out jack allows them to be instantly viewed on any television with standard RCA inputs. The TV-out feature can also be used to allow an entire group of people to simultaneously enjoy the fun of video calling.
Fashioned to stand apart from the crowd, the Nokia 6500 slide incorporates a number of design elements not often found in a mid-range device. Ensuring that the sophisticated brushed stainless steel body retains its timeless beauty, a unique hard coating helps to prevent scuffs, scratches, and even fingerprints. Precision engineering of the slide mechanism means that the Nokia 6500 slide feels solid in the hand, yet moves with a smooth, fluid action to create a decidedly upscale user impression.
The Nokia 6500 slide is expected to be available during the 3rd quarter of 2007 at an estimated retail price of 370 before taxes and subsidies.

Some interesting facts about Ford Car

The first ford was launched in 1908 and the price of the base model was $ 850.Henry Ford worked relentlessly on innovations such as the conveyor belt,and brought the price down to $ 500 in 1914.By 1924 ,the base model was selling for just $ 290, a third of its original price.
This price cut made ford the biggest producer of car in the world.

Some interesting facts about Ford Car

The first ford was launched in 1908 and the price of the base model was $ 850.Henry Ford worked relentlessly on innovations such as the conveyor belt,and brought the price down to $ 500 in 1914.By 1924 ,the base model was selling for just $ 290, a third of its original price.
This price cut made ford the biggest producer of car in the world.

Holocaust Survivors Protest $20 Stipends

Angry Holocaust Survivors Protest Israeli Government's Offer of $20 Stipends

Israelis march during a demonstration next to the Knesset, Israel's Parliament in Jerusalem, Sunday, Aug. 5, 2007. Holocaust survivors and advocates marched in front of the Israeli Parliament building Sunday, calling on the government to increase stipends for the state's 240,000 Holocaust survivors, many of whom suffer from economic and health problems. Hebrew signs read "Holocaust and Shame".

Holocaust survivors in Israel demanded Sunday that the Jewish state raise what they consider a laughable new offer of $20 monthly stipends.

At least 500 of the elderly survivors and supporters rallied outside parliament, carrying placards and wearing stickers reading "The Holocaust is still here" and "Forgive us for surviving."

"The government of Israel has not recognized us. We don't belong to them," said Josef Charney, 82, who survived the Treblinka death camp.

Six decades after World War II and the Nazi killings of 6 million Jews, about 240,000 Holocaust survivors live in Israel. Many have long complained that Israel does not do enough to support them, and that they lack money for basics, sometimes even food. Some have said European countries treat them far better.

Last week, the government announced $28 million in new stipends for 120,000 needy survivors about half of them now in Israel. That works out to just 83 shekels or $20 a month for each survivor.

Existing Holocaust survivor benefits are calculated by complex regulations depending on country of origin, where claimants were during the war, when they arrived in Israel, whether they received German government reparations and other criteria. The benefits come on top of state pensions and government health care available to all elderly Israelis.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the $20 supplement was a stopgap while the needs of the survivors are carefully analyzed, but many have deemed the measure an insult.

"We don't think that 83 shekels a month is enough," said Gal Rotem of the Holocaust Survivors' Welfare Fund, which helped organize the march. "You can't buy food or drugs or anything else with 83 shekels."

She noted the group was not growing, saying an average of 35 survivors die each day in Israel.

At Sunday's weekly Cabinet meeting, Olmert said the issue was "sensitive and painful" and acknowledged that previous governments had failed to address it. He said he would meet Wednesday with survivors' groups and government ministries to find the "best, fairest and most just solution," according to a statement from his office.

Nokia N73

Release Date: Q3 2006

The Nokia N73 offers a multimedia computer in a compact and savvy exterior with photography features and integrated stereo speakers with 3D sound. In addition to a large 2.4-inch display, the N73 includes a 3.2-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus and support for Internet communities like Flickr. Music fans can tap into the N73's integrated digital music player with playlists and equalizer or tune into the FM radio. Available in 3G or quad-band EDGE/GSM networks, the N73 has all the diversity of a powerful multimedia computer enabled with the S60 3rd Edition Software on Symbian OS.

Nokia N73 Features

• Integrated 3.2-megapixel CMOS camera with autofocus and digital zoom up to 20x
• Digital music player supports Visual Radio and various audio formats with playlists and equalizer controls
• Bundled PIM (Personal Information Management) features including Anti-virus software, Yahoo! Go, and Email client with attachments and mobile VPN support
• Nokia PC Suite connectivity with USB, Infrared and Bluetooth wireless technology

• Nokia N73

  Reviewer: sinleong on Mon Oct 30, 2006
  

  Ahem.. Guess I'm the first to review this phone.. I'll go as detailed as possible and I'm sure a lot of you guys have read the reviews over the internet. Here goes..
  
  1. Imaging
  Maybe it was my opinion but Nokia N73 have the best still image capture in the Nseries and probably in the Nokia family..(Not really know how N95 quality is). With 3.2 Mega pixel Carl Zeiss Optics, You can assure that you get the best quality for still image. With 8 settings on its camera, you can snap pictures according to the situation. E.g Sports for quick snap, Landscape for sceneries and etc. You can also found all the functions normally available in the camera or N70 except for anti-shaking functions of course. on the video mode, you can choose 3 options, from 3GPto MPEG4. unfortunately, the video quality is below average. N70's video mode is cleare and sharper than N73. Perhaps Nokia doesn't want it to compete with N93, which I heard its still image is poorer compared to N73. A dedicated key for user to view the pictures and also allows you to send pictures to friends and family via Bluetooth, Infrared, MMS or even Email and web upload, thanks to partnership with Flickr.com
  
  2. Sound
  The N73 comes with 2 dedicated speaker on top of the phone, although I can still hear the music coming out from the dedicated speaker below the phone. Music is clear and sound is good quality. But if you compared with K800i, you have SE as winner. With preset equalizer, you can also create your own equaliser according to your desire. Supports eAAC, AAC, MP3 and WMA, you can create your own MP3 ringing tone and download in.
  
  3. Software
  Bear in mind N73 is a multimedia phone. In other words, this phone is pack with various softwares. F-Secure is an anti-virus for scanning your phone, memory card and also detect internet viruses. N73 is preloaded with Web browser for mobile internet and normal internet. A program called Search is where you get to search the image and web using Yahoo or Windows Live. The best part is that you can choose the country accordingly and you can even view the map of the country as well. Close to GPS satellite but kinda limited to certain countries. another program worth check out is the 3D tonez. You can set the ringing tone to be set as 3D surround sound, trajectory and reverberation. Other software include IM, tutorial, help, Visual Radio, Flash Player etc.
  
  4. Performance
  N73 is a powerful tool for business. Equipped with Symbian S60, you can say its an upgrade version of N70. Programs are load much faster compared to N70. The battery life is 3 days on normal use. Twice compared to Motorola RAZR V3x.
  
  5. Negative feedback.
  There are no phone in this world that is 100% excellent, N73 wasn't spared from my criticism. Camera loading is far slower than its rivals. I compared with K800i and found that N73 requires twice the time to be ready to shoot than K800i. Sometimes you might have the feeling that it freeze. A lot of website and user complain that this phone hangs and freeze. I experience this problem and not once.. Its been almost 2 months since I own this phone and the number of times it freezes are uncountable.. Sometimes I have to take out the battery when it freeze. Fortunately, The freeze was not so serious as some user report but be prepared because this phone packs tonnes of multimedia software, you can't blame it freeze. As earlier I mentioned that the programs load faster.. BUT also sometimes load slower. Compared with K800i, you may find you finish sent a sms while a K800i user already sent and snap photos. One thing I couldn't understand are why Nokia don't allow wallpaper to be full screen and there are no screensaver..
  
  Overall.
  If you ask me K800i and N73, which is better? Well, I tried K800i and found it very fast and ser friendly. Unfortunately, few software support hinders the glory of K800i, perhaps that you need to sacrifice for a fast phone. Regards the image quality, I can't really tell who is the winner. Auto shot, N73 is rich with colour and crisp. K800i is so sharp at close range. N73 claim have better shot at night, K800i have the best flash. For me, I prefer N73 because of office tools. K800i is too 'basic' for me.

The Best Limousine rental service in USA

During our recent business travel to USA,I got the chance to utilize ,one of the best limousine rental service in the USA eTaxiLimo.com.The booking was done through the website, etaxilimo.com.
The booking was easily done with the help of the website.This is the one of the most reasonably priced limousine service available because of its tieup with many different limo service provider.The service is available in all the major cities of USA.
etaxilimo.com also provides listing of over 10,000 limo providers offering airport pickup and drop facility over 300 different airports worldwide.The limo service is also available for wedding, and special occasions.

The Best Limousine rental service in USA

During our recent business travel to USA,I got the chance to utilize ,one of the best limousine rental service in the USA eTaxiLimo.com.The booking was done through the website, etaxilimo.com.
The booking was easily done with the help of the website.This is the one of the most reasonably priced limousine service available because of its tieup with many different limo service provider.The service is available in all the major cities of USA.
etaxilimo.com also provides listing of over 10,000 limo providers offering airport pickup and drop facility over 300 different airports worldwide.The limo service is also available for wedding, and special occasions.

Nokia N95 Review

No, it wasn't the Wi-Fi, the excellent browser, or even the 5 megapixel camera that wowed me. It wasn't the FM tuner, the Symbian operating system, or the media player accompanied by Nokia's media controller accessory. It was the TV-Out feature that made me think that this "phone" changed the game.

Nokia calls the N95 a multimedia computer; I call it a lifestyle accessory. And more so than devices such as Treos and BlackBerries, the N95 could be the start of manufacturers understanding what people want to do, and putting it in a package that looks good in the office, as well as out on the town.

The N95 is just that cool. I was left with that impression when I first saw it at CES back in January, so I jumped when I was asked to review the device.

The N95 is the flagship multimedia computer/smartphone device by Nokia. Offering a drool-worthy list of features, it's designed to do a lot in an extremely pocketable package.

And, at the same time, the Symbian OS and accompanying PC Suite software tend to give a soft edge to the cutting edge features found within the N95.

In my time with this device, I battled with it as a smartphone, and marveled at it as a regular phone. I "found" reasons to use the camera and Wi-Fi; and saw the reactions from others around me who gave reasons why such a device is both good and bad.

But when all was said and done with the N95, I gathered a level of respect for Nokia that I had not had before. And even more than that, I figured out what I need in my own personal computing device.

Is It a Phone?

Normally, when doing reviews of smartphones I like to take the perspective that some people are going to use it more as a phone in some situations, and more like a PDA in others. The N95 slightly changes that methodology for me, for reasons that will become clear as this review continues.

A quick glance at the specifications section at the end of this review shows that this is a world-class phone. About the only thing that it doesn't have is the American flavor of HSDPA/UMTS. And even without it, the N95 performs just fine with the EDGE networks in the places where I tested it: the DC Metro and Charlotte (NC) Metro areas.

Voice quality was superb. People told me that I sounded very clear and that there was little to no echoing that could be heard. I noticed that voices sounded clear (albeit a bit high in tonal quality). The only nag when not using the headset was the whine from the LCD panel (similar to that which some Palm Treo 650 users have said happens with their devices). It was noticeable, but not annoying. The included stereo headset was good enough for some casual conversations, but picked up too much background noise. While working with my Jawbone Bluetooth headset however, conversations were nice and clear.

In contrast to the Treo 680 (which is my daily phone), the N95 has a standard numeric keypad. The keys are spaced nicely and feel excellent to the touch. However the top level of keys is too close to the top of the slider and therefore can be difficult for some who might have large fingers. Dialing and texting is handled by either repeated taps or by using T9 input.

Above the keys, the most prominent buttons when the slider is closed are the D-pad and command buttons. The arrangement of the buttons are fine for all except the most demanding of tasks (games, and sometimes web browsing).

The D-pad has excellent feel, but the menu and application buttons that flank it on the left and right sides are too close for such a small directional pad.

Surrounding these are action buttons on the top left and right (corresponding to on-screen menus); call and end buttons on the bottom left and right; and edit (the pencil) and clear keys for text operations. Only the top action buttons were an issue, and normally only when unlocking the keypad (as there is a sequence of left then right button to do so).

As a phone the N95 is just solid. It does nothing spectacular, but just does the job well. Granted, battery life could be better when continually paired to my Bluetooth headset, but it gets through a good day so that is not a major issue. I am used to the threaded SMS on the Treo models, and the screen space in the SMS app seems wasted without it. But other than that getting a handle on T9 is just fine. Is it a super phone? No, not really. But, is it a capable one? Yes, and one that can do a whole to more once you slide things the other way.

Is it a smartphone?

The N95 has this really cool feature where if you slide the display to the top, you get the number pad and can treat it like a normal phone. But, if you slide the display down, you will see the music buttons, the display turns to landscape and the fun begins.

The display changes from the standard Nokia Active Standby front end (a Today-type screen in the Windows Mobile mold) to a slick interface giving access to several applications and features of the N95.

Music Player: Just a standard music player. It is easily controllable by the slide-out buttons, or you can use the directional pad and other front-side buttons to control the music playing action.

Getting album art to work is a bit on the difficult side for someone who is not used to digging into the file system and moving things around, but it can be fixed.

The Music Player works well in the background while doing other applications, but because of the limited RAM of the N95 (less than 20 MB on startup), browsing or viewing a ton of photos and videos can stop the party relatively quickly.

SanDisk has noted on its web site that its 4 GB micro-SDHC card is compatable with this smartphone. While I haven't been personally able to verify this on my N95, something from Nokia officially stating this would be advantageous to its billing of the N95 as a multimedia computer.

Gallery: One of the more pleasant user interfaces for a photo gallery that I have seen on a mobile device. The Gallery program lists all of the photos and videos that can be found in internal memory and on a memory card.

You have the option of viewing the small thumbnails, or clicking through each one individually. Only with the largest pictures was there any lag, and even then it was just two or three seconds.

Messaging: A bit of a can-do-everything kind of application. It handles SMS and MMS message, and can also be configured to grab your email from a POP or IMAP account.

The problem with this application isn't the application (though threaded SMS would greatly help), it is the input methods. If you're just doing a short text, T9 is great. It's when you have the N95 syncing email that it becomes an issue that's hard to overcome. Granted, I can't see Nokia daring to add a QWERTY keyboard to the N95's form factor, but if it did, this would be an ideal messaging device.

Personal Information Management: Contacts, calendar, and other PIM functions were handled by applications that are bundled with the Symbian OS and Nokia's S60 user interface.. Despite my unfamiliarity with the Symbian OS, I found navigating through the phone book quite easy. Still, I did find myself wishing that I had a touchscreen so that I could get back and forth a bit easier on some of the menu and calendar items.

Nokia Web Browser: This is a fine bit of software here. Web sites rendered just fine unless I was using GPRS (for some reason using AT&T GPRS sent me through a proxy that made the images distorted).

Despite the N95 not supporting the U.S.'s version of UMTS/HSDPA, downloading apps, music and web pages were done quickly and without much lag.

About the only thing that I would wish were able to be adjusted is the option of viewing the handheld version of some sites. Some web sites that are mobile friendly are much more usable on the N95 than their desktop counterparts.

GPS: I had a bit of trouble with the GPS initially, but after a firmware update things seems to settle in. GPS was a cinch to setup and was generally quite accurate (within a block or so when in the middle of DC).

I liked that you could browse the maps that came with this smartphone, but if you wanted more features that you would have to subscribe to Smart2Go. This is a mapping service that provides you with some more maps and points of interest comparable to standalone GPS units.

Battery life did suffer when using the GPS, but then again, if I was not in a car, I did not find that I needed it any.

Is It Something More?

Nokia bills the N95 not as a phone or smartphone, but as a multimedia computer. So can it really replace your computer, or at least come through in a pinch? Here are a few of the other applications and features of the N95 that make for an interesting case:

• There is on-board video and picture editing software. No, not Photoshop good, but enough to make a quick movie and then upload it to a web site or home server.
• TV-Out is an option with the included A/V cable. It is the same 3.5 mm port that is used to house the stereo headphones, and gives excellent quality on a variety of TV and projectors. Essentially, you could use all of the features of the N95 on your home computer and never miss a beat in taking a call.
• The included QuickOffice office suite is not bad; but works well for editing non-complicated documents, spreadsheets, and presentations on the go. Upgrading to the latest version will cost some, but it offers better functionality.
• While input options are limited to T9 and multi-tap, pairing a Bluetooth keyboard is quite simple and only requires that you have the S60 3rd edition driver for the N95.
• The Symbian world does not boast the number of applications that the Windows Mobile and Garnet (Palm) OS worlds do, but there are sufficient applications to do everything from track your diet to be a personal media server.
• Speaking of media server, the N95 can use wireless LAN/UPnP to connect to some of the latest media devices in your home and then stream from the N95, or to the N95 and then also control those home devices.

With all of those features, you could gather that the N95 is possibly a really well designed smartphone. Well, it's not really a smartphone. You see, smartphones are most definitely communicators first, and phones (and everything else second). The N95 is certainly a phone first, and everything else a close second.

That and its input issues raise a flag to anyone looking at the N95 to replace a BlackBerry or Treo. It could -- and I think should -- replace any other mobile though, and it will do so quite well.

Conclusion

As you can probably tell, the N95 packs a whole lot into one heck of a nice package. Nokia even ran a few Web ads talking about how the N95 helps you reclaim your pockets, and how people did computing back in the 'old days.'

The N95 is truly a different kind of mobile device. One where there are literally no limits on how you can apply it. It does try to reach too far for some people, and yet, because it can, the N95 is a niche device of its own.

If the battery life were a touch better, and the user interface were a bit more refined, I could see this being an even better device than what it is now. But, even as it is, there is no under-stating the fact that the N95 is the best mobile device out there right now. Whether you want to call it a phone, smartphone, or multimedia computer, though, depends on how you will take advantage of its abilities.

Disney reports higher third-quarter profit

-- Walt Disney Co., the No. 2 U.S. entertainment company, reported a higher net profit Wednesday, driven by strong performances at its television network, parks and consumer products businesses.

Disney, which runs broadcast, movie entertainment, theme parks and consumer products businesses, said its fiscal third quarter net income from continuing operations rose to $1.2 billion, or 58 cents per share from $1.1 billion, or 51 cents per share a year earlier.

Revenue rose 7 percent to $9.045 billion, from $8.47 billion a year ago.

During the quarter, Disney released the hit films "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" and "Ratatouille," finalized the sale of its ABC radio stations, and concluded a probe into backdated stock options at its Pixar Animation Studio.

Disney (Charts, Fortune 500) shares traded between $36.55 and $33.40 during its fiscal third quarter, at a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.8 times estimated fiscal 2008 earnings. Shares of Time Warner Inc. traded at 16.5 times estimated 2008 earnings, and Viacom Inctraded at a multiple of 14.7