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|2007-09-01, 13:51
|Link #43
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
hi GW ppl, im considering buying GW but i got a few q's id like to ask u guys first b4 i do
1> which combo would b better in terms of accessabilty and enjoyability: prophecy + factions/nightfall/eye of the north?
2> hows the community like? compared to other/standard mmo's?
3> is it easy to find a pt or do most ppl tend to solo?
4> [for those whove played WoW] how does it compare to WoW [im considering this too]? i know theyr supposed to be different games but how do they differ? which one would u say is more enjoyable ?
5> i heard u cant jump/fall but does the terrain hav gradients that u can climb apart from stairs?
thats all for now
|2007-09-01, 15:13
|Link #44
Peek a boo
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Dec 2005
Well, it has been some time since I've last played GW, so these are my opinons.
To choose the combination that best suit yourself, it boils down to your playing style. All of them includes the 6 core classes, but Factions has the Assasin and Ritualist while Nightfall has the Paragon and Dervish. You may want to read up on those 4 classes before you make a decision. http://eu.guildwars.com/gameplay/cat...e_professions/
It's usually difficult to complete the later missions alone. However if you are unable to find players to party with, you can choose AI companions called Henchmen to fill up your party. While the AI henchies are relatively competent, they will still make you pull your hair out in fustration sometimes.
Flashback to one of the last few missions of Prophecy -> AI: "HALP! IM STANDING ON LAVA WHILE ENGAGING THE MONSTERS. IM BURNING! HEAL!" *dies* *gets ressed* *repeat*
If you rather play missions yourself with only AI, then a feature in Nightfall (and EotN) might interest you. It's called Heros. They are like your regular henchmen except that you can customize their skills and items as well as having more control over their actions.
Do you PvP alot? Factions has Alliance Battles (12 on 12 to conquer new territory for your faction) while Nightfall has Hero Battles (1 on 1 matches, supported by 3 of your Hero NPCs)
You can jump, but it's only aesthetic and doesn't affect movement. There are slopes, stairs, bridges, high and low ground, if that's what you were asking.
You can refer to GuildWiki for more information.
|2007-09-01, 19:03
|Link #45
Know who you are
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Resides within the depths of Ned infested Glasgow
I don't like the whole comparing to WoW thing. I've played both and altho I do like the depth of WoW, I'm always gonna love GW more as its the game I've played for much longer. GW is the better constructed game I think. One thing I will always take note of in MMOs is their chat channel system, and for me GW is the best there is.
If you live in North America finding other players is very easy even in the later stages compared to Europe. Wish I still had my territory changes
I think you would be best off starting with Prophecies and Nightfall
GWEN I can't say anything about yet as I don't have it, but like the other Installments it probably rocks
|2007-09-02, 09:51
|Link #46
Yummy, sweet and unyuu!!!
Join Date: Dec 2004
GWEN is the best out of all the chapters, and the humour is so funny
I just went G-On Rider style with my rit
On the subject of eye candy, I need some help please. I really can't decide what colour to dye her shoes. The only dyeable part is the brown part.
Last edited by grey_moon; 2007-09-02 at 11:22.
|2007-09-02, 14:00
|Link #47
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
most people suggest i get nightfall over factions id just like to know what is it that makes nightfall better then factions? cos i rly like the prospect of playing the assasin class even though ppl hav said its difficult to get to grips with, and one more thing i understand eye is an expantion but would i b rdy for it if i just played prophecy alone or should i wait till ive completed factions and nightfall to really enjoy and/or handle eye?
thnx in advance :P
|2007-09-02, 15:12
|Link #48
Yummy, sweet and unyuu!!!
Join Date: Dec 2004
Assassins are fun. But if you play them like a warrior they become a burden for the healers. Nightfalls has heroes which makes playing solo a lot easier. But personally I find Factions much more fun. Its faster paced and the timed missions really get people into bad habits.
Oh if you want to go for the survivor title you can not die until u get 1.3 million exp
|2007-09-02, 19:54
|Link #49
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
im no longer considering prophecy's as a must but what would u guys suggest for a first time GW player? =/
im still unclear about eye of the north : is it only for those with more uber eq + skills? cos it looks nice but seems like a burning crusade type expantion, for the more pro gw player =/
im also considering getting a factions + nightfall combo now? good or bad combo?
was hoping to be an assasin with heroes
what stuff would i miss out on if i dont get prophecy?
|2007-09-02, 20:35
|Link #50
Know who you are
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Resides within the depths of Ned infested Glasgow
Well if u want GWEN I would suggest getting prophecies as well, as it would explain alot of the back story for GWEN. If ur not gonna bother with prophecies for time being then yea get NF and Factions.
Only thing you'll miss with prophecies is Pre-Searing, which isn't all that important but for me its a absolutely great place
|2007-09-03, 05:18
|Link #56
Yummy, sweet and unyuu!!!
Join Date: Dec 2004
As long as you add all the chapter keys to a single account then your characters can travel between the 3 continents. your character can take everything with them. them heroes follow you around like gold fish poo
|2007-09-03, 13:40
|Link #57
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2004
When GW came out, I too was curious to know about it and -imagine- even bought a real copy of it with real money. Two weeks later I sold it, since it was terribly boring. Most of the time you simply just trudged from place A to place B, where you whacked some anonymous monsters for an hour, and then went to place C for more menial whacking.
But still: the concept is welcome, since I dislike the monthly fees of WoW. Hopefully it is a lot better, because otherwise it will end to the same place as the previous copy: somewhere else.
|2007-09-04, 04:41
|Link #58
Yummy, sweet and unyuu!!!
Join Date: Dec 2004
Hoo hoo that is one way to play it. But if you are like me a lasy bum who likes to have nice looking eye candy, then you avoid prophecies apart from for story line and lore.
Instead start with chapter 2 or 3 you can max level in 1 to 2 days with max eq. Then you can start unlocking the interesting things such as the challenge missions and lots of the fun pvp/pve alliance battles etc. The npcs in chapter 2 and 3 are far more generous then in chapter 1 and you can get lots of exp and cash by doing quests. Granted that it does involve whacking monsters but if you look around and pay attention to detail, there is a wealth of story buried away there.
|2007-09-04, 11:08
|Link #59
An Intellectual Idiot
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: The Internet, ranging from the World of Warcraft------Deviantart----and much more!..My mostly WoW
Age: 25
The community's good....You find some that are complete jerks, and then the one's that are nice but then freak out if you screw up in a mission...If you have ever played WoW, it's like there community...only smaller...and more crowded in the towns and stuff...lol...I'm normally in the Euopean server because most of them are nice and understnding when you screw up...alot in the American servers are all jerks...so yeps.
Well...I don't know what a pt is...I'm guessing like a group...So...alot of people do solo quests, They just go with henchmen...but then there are those quests that you need help with...and it's hard to find a people that are doing that same quest...so that's normally where a guild comes in...usually most guild members are willing to help, Then the missions...When your first doing a mission, you more and likely can't solo it...you can, but it's best to find a group, Normally in the Mission City, everyone there is doing it, or running it...so it wouldn't be that hard.
Ok, GW and WoW arn't really simalar...WoW has more options...Like quests, professions, speicies, effects, like jumping and stuffs, and a bigger terain. Guild Wars, when your leave a town you bassically enter an instance...noone else can see you there besides who is in your group...to me, WoW wins over that...I nto big on the hole instance out of city thing....but...GW also has a more storyline mission rather then WoW, GW follows this giant epic storyline, and then WoW doesn't. Then the gamming comunity, WoW definatly wins there, they have alot more people. WoW gives you more opportunities to do stuffs, as in skills, Cooking, mining, etc...is not on GW...Then GW is free to play...so yea...Though GW2....from what I read it's supposed to be more like WoW except free, so you should definatly play that when it comes out.
You can jump, Just not the jump like jump over obsticals...it's and emote...you type /jump, and no...aside from stairs you can't climp..though GW2 is supposed to let you climb trees WOOT!
I'm sorry if this isn't much help...I'm in school right now trying to avoid detection from the teacher ...But yea...It should be a little help atleast (unless you already knew this stuffs...lol )
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text: Can anyone please tell me whether or not the old problematic fuel strips are installed in the new R1200GS water cooled bikes? I have a 2009 R1200RT, and I'm thinking about trading it in on one of the new R1200GSs. I personally hate those fuel strips that constantly fail, so I'm trying to find out about this before I close the deal on a new bike. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

subset: commoncrawl


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Physical attributes:
-In shape, healthy, good teeth, nice skin (but not flawless, because who has that?), tall (5'10+), and buff (but not grossly so). I don't have much of a preference as far as hair and eye color goes. I hate dreadlocks though, so I could never date a guy with them.
I like smart guys, but not so smart that I feel stupid when I'm around them. I prefer guys with some common sense and a whole lot of maturity. Dorky guys are pretty shmexy to me. You know, the guys who study a lot, are well-read, play video games (even though I don't care for them), collect tons of music, know computers well, etc. I don't know why, but they're just so much cuter than the typical jock type. But I suppose that a mix of dork and jock would be the ultimate! Unfortunately, they are usually not one in the same. I am also extra attracted to guys who can carry on a conversation and who I can joke around with easily. Christian guys just make it easier to be with them, because there are not a lot of things of moral or ethical content that we will end up disagreeing on. :]


text:
KEXP Reviews
|Browse by one of the following:
- (New West/Ammal)
Aside from a handful of shows in their hometown of Boston, Buffalo Tom has kept a low profile this decade, which makes their new album a welcome surprise. Their 1st record since '98's Smitten sounds like prime Buffalo Tom – passionate, melodic, roots-tinged alt-rock alternating between catchy anthemic rockers and heartfelt ballads. 6/26/2007 - Don Yates
Other Buffalo Tom album reviews:
Skins - 3/11/2011


text:
ASI Announces 7.5 BP Assessment for 2013
American Share Insurance on Friday announced its primary insured credit unions will pay a 7.5 basis points assessment for 2013.
That's a reduction from 2012's assessment of 9 basis points and the 15 basis points it assessed in 2011.
As in previous years, ASI said the charge was needed to fund loss reserves due to continued low yields on its government bond portfolio.
"The ASI Board of Directors closely monitored ASI's earnings, reserves and equity throughout the year and has given due consideration to the inputs of our actuaries, member/owner credit unions and ASI's Primary Insured Credit Union Advisory Council before arriving at this decision," President/CEO Dennis Adams said in a statement.
In the past five years, the credit union-owned ASI has assessed its members a total of 61.50 basis points, which the insurer pointed out is 26% less than the 83.32 basis points federally insured credit unions have been required to pay over the same time period. That federally insured figure includes assessments collected by the NCUA to pay for corporate stabilization.
After the assessment is applied, ASI said it anticipates ending the year with a superior equity ratio of 1.59%.
The assessment does not apply to federally insured credit unions with excess share insurance underwritten by the Dublin, Ohio-based ASI.
Chartered in 1974 to insure credit union members' savings up to $250,000 per individual member account, ASI currently serves approximately 140 state-chartered credit unions.


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Aviva Premiership
Young Ford impresses Alred
ESPN Staff
July 29, 2012
George Ford has worked on his conditioning over the summer © PA Photos
Former England coach Dave Alred says young Leicester fly-half George Ford has one of the best attitudes he has ever come across and insists there is no limit to his potential.
Alred - who played a key role in realising the potential of the likes of Jonny Wilkinson, Jonathan Sexton, Rob Andrews and Neil Jenkins - has been working with Ford over the last two years, developing his kicking and mental game.
After much anticipation, Ford, 19, enjoyed a breakthrough season last year as he starred in Leicester's successful Anglo-Welsh Cup campaign and started the Aviva Premiership final, which the Tigers lost to Harlequins. Such was his end-of-season form some pundits suggested he may force his way on to England's tour of South Africa.
However, Ford stayed with the Tigers over the summer to work on his condition, skipping the Junior World Championships, in preparation for a central role in Leicester's Aviva Premiership campaign this season. Ford's kicking at goal was one of the few areas of weakness in his game last season but Alred insists he has the right attitude to fulfil his potential.
"I have really enjoyed working with George so far," Alred told the Rugby Paper. "He has got solid fundamentals and more importantly he has got one of the best attitudes I have come across. In my experience, attitude is the gatekeeper to everything else in your career.
"I am not surprised at all by how far he progressed last season. I was pleased but not surprised. How good he can become is all conjecture. The work I do with him is not about setting outcome goals related to playing in particular teams or kicking percentage.
"What we do a lot of is process based targets, both physical and mental, that he is learning and then executing. But in terms of his talent and potential, you cannot set a limit on how good he can become."
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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© 2010 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Harden, Rangers fall two outs shy of no-no
Righty leaves after 6 2/3 innings; Feliz allows single in ninth
By T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com
ARLINGTON -- Rich Harden knew he had a no-hitter going. He also knew he had just come off the disabled list and his pitch count was getting up there. He was hoping for a no-hitter, but he knew he wasn't going to be around at the end to get the final out. "You could tell in the fifth inning," Harden said. "I just wanted to go out there and go as deep into the game as I could. I thought about it, but I knew my pitch count was up unless I started getting five-, six-pitch innings." The Rangers didn't get the no-hitter, but they did get a big victory over the Twins. The no-hit bid ended with one out in the ninth, when Joe Mauer singled off closer Neftali Feliz, but the Rangers still held on for a 4-0 victory before 22,757 at the Ballpark in Arlington. Mauer's single kept Harden and three relievers from combining for the sixth no-hitter in Rangers history and the sixth no-hitter in the Major Leagues this season. In both cases it would have been the first combined no-hitter. That was obvious to everybody, but didn't alter the suspense that mounted inning after inning, even after Harden left the game and was followed by Matt Harrison, Darren O'Day and Feliz. "In the end, it would have been a combined no-hitter, but they still don't happen every day," outfielder David Murphy said. "A combined no-hitter still would have been something special. It was fun to play out there. It's fun to be locked in on any ball hit to you and knowing anything even remotely within your reach, you're still going to dive for it." Harden, who went 6 2/3 innings, was sitting on the bench when Mauer lined an 0-2 fastball from Feliz into center field for the Twins' only hit of the night. It's the fifth time in club history that the Rangers have had a no-hit bid end in the ninth inning. "Hey ... that's baseball," Harden said. "We had Feliz, who is one of the best closers in the game, and we had Mauer, who is one of best hitters in the game. It was a good matchup. It's also pretty uncommon for Mauer to go 0-for. He's good. That's the way the game goes." Feliz walked Orlando Hudson with one out before Mauer delivered his single. A wild pitch moved the runners to second and third, but Feliz struck out Jason Kubel and retired Michael Cuddyer on a comebacker to the mound to end the game. "We're just trying to get some runs," Mauer said. "We had some opportunities where Harden walked a couple guys, and we just couldn't get that hit to get a couple runs across the board. But you definitely don't want to get no-hit. It's nice to get a hit up there, but we want runs. Hits are good, but we want some runs." Harden was activated off the DL before the game. He had been sidelined with inflammation in his right shoulder and had already missed six weeks earlier this summer with a strained muscle in his lower back. This was just his 16th start of the season and easily his best, walking five and striking out six. He threw 111 pitches before coming out after walking Cuddyer with two outs in the seventh. "Rich did a great job," manager Ron Washington said. "He had a good fastball and he mixed in his changeup. He just got to the seventh inning with 111 pitches, and he was through." Washington, with left-handed hitter Jim Thome standing at the plate and the Rangers leading, 3-0, came out to get Harden with the crowd booing in dismay. Harden made an attempt to convince Washington to let him finish the inning, but also knew he wouldn't be back for the eighth anyway. "I knew that was my last inning," Harden said. "I couldn't have lived with myself if Thome had done something crazy," Washington said. "It was about winning the ballgame. Rich did a great job tonight in that heat, but I wasn't going to sit around and let him throw 120 pitches. The seventh was his last inning." This was the 22nd one-hitter in club history, and the first since Sept 3, 2002. That was also almost a combined no-hitter as well, between Aaron Myette, Todd Van Poppel and Joaquin Benoit that was also broken up in the ninth inning. "It was an interesting night," Harden said. "I was effectively wild. But I got out there and had a good arm slot. Even when I missed, I felt I was getting everything into my pitches. I made pitches when I had to and had good defense behind me." The Rangers haven't had a no-hitter thrown since Kenny Rogers threw his perfect game on July 28, 1994. That is one of five thrown by a Rangers pitcher in club history. Nolan Ryan threw two in 1990 and '91, Bert Blyleven threw a no-hitter in 1977 and Jim Bibby threw the first one in club history in 1973. Ryan, now the Rangers club president, watched from his front-row seat at the Ballpark, while Blyleven was upstairs working as an analyst on the Twins' television broadcast. "I was hoping they would get it done," Ryan said. "That was a really well-pitched game."
T.R. Sullivan is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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I won't.
I will say -- hopefully enough -- that stories of population explosion could be greatly exaggerated [snopes2.com].
I assume it because that's what some people I've asked have literally said to me; I understand that there are people who have children for reasons. My problem is with thoughtless behavior.
It's that or assume they're lying to me, and I generally presuppose that people don't have a reason to lie to me. Usually, they don't.


text:
2002-2003: Disclosure of diagnosis
Completed projects
Alzheimer Europe members' survey on disclosure of diagnosis to the person with dementia - Introduction
The OPDAL survey was designed to shed light on the circumstances in which the diagnosis is disclosed to the patient and/or to the family and to have a clearer idea about the information provided by health professionals as well as the information carers would like to receive.
Funding and Duration
This survey involved 323 active family carers, mainly recruited by Alzheimer Europe and its national members from 11 European countries. The survey was funded by an unrestricted grant from Janssen-Cilag.
The field process started on 5 March and ended on 30 August 2001.
323 Alzheimer family carers from 11 European countries were involved in this survey, mainly recruited through national Alzheimer family Associations members of Alzheimer Europe.
The characteristics of these carers broadly reflected those seen in clinical practice: mainly spouses, predominently women, aged 59.4 years old (mean age), most acting as principal caregiver and caring for relatives with a mean age of 69.9 years at the time of the diagnosis.
This European survey has been designed:
- to shed light on the circumstances in which the diagnosis is disclosed to the sufferer and the relatives
- to have a clearer idea about the information provided by health professionals to carers and families
- to collect carers' opinions about this information
- to identify gaps and needs
- to provide guidelines to design a programme focused on optimising the circumstances in which the diagnosis is disclosed.
The survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed to be self-administered but, when necessary, interviewees were helped to complete it. Results were collated and expressed both in absolute numbers and percentages.
In addition to analysis of raw data (global and per country), some subgroups have been isolated and studied: spouses and sons/daughters as carers, specialists and general practicioners as physicians. Specific cross-tabulations were carried out to know of any association between different factors. Chi-Square tests have been performed for statistical analysis.
At the end of the project a report was written which contained the main findings. The survey showed that a diagnosis is still made at a later stage of the disease. The delay between the moment when the family perceives that something is wrong and the confirmation of a diagnosis is reported to be over a year in 45% of the survey participants. Furthermore, nearly half of the respondents said that the person with dementia would have been unable to understand the full implications of the diagnosis, which similarly suggests that the diagnosis was made at a later stage.
The survey also highlighted the lack of information provided by health professionals to carers and families. Carers clearly expressed their opinion that information on the disease provided by professionals was not sufficient and regretted in particular the small amount of time professionals dedicated to explanations.
If you are interested in receiving this survey, please contact the Alzheimer Europe office: email@example.com
Last Updated: Wednesday 25 April 2012


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Same starters for Sox in Game 6
Francona tweaks lineup, but goes with comeback crew from Game 5
By Ian Browne / MLB.com
"I knew who was going to play. I didn't know what order," Francona said. "We could have led off [Mark] Kotsay, led off J.D. [Drew], led off Coco. Me and [bench coach Brad Mills] sat here forever. Every time we'd look at it, having Coco at the top gave us the balance we were looking for. That's kind of what we ended up with."
The only changes in the lineup were some alignment tweaks because the Rays were going with right-hander James Shields.
|Sox Game 6 lineup
|1. Coco Crisp
|2. Dustin Pedroia
|3. David Ortiz
|4. Kevin Youkilis
|5. J.D. Drew
|6. Jason Bay
|7. Mark Kotsay
|8. Jed Lowrie
|9. Jason Varitek
Kotsay, who had a two-out double to set up Crisp's equalizer, went from ninth to seventh. Shortstop Jed Lowrie moved from seventh to eighth.
Catcher Jason Varitek, who came into Game 6 hitless in 12 at-bats in the series, batted ninth.
The Red Sox players with the most success against Shields were in their normal spots in the order. No. 2 hitter Dustin Pedroia came in 5-for-10 against Shields, while No. 3 hitter David Ortiz was 7-for-14 with two homers and six RBIs.
Francona has used a different batting alignment for all six games in the series.
"We've had to make some changes every day pretty much just because of health, production," Francona said. "We try to think it through during the season, too. I'll tell [Mills] the night before. If somebody is not playing or somebody is banged up, we'll tell them the night before. We always know who's playing. It doesn't take terribly long."
Rays manager Joe Maddon, meanwhile, went with the same lineup from Game 5 -- Tampa Bay's normal lineup against a right-hander -- with Cliff Floyd as the DH against Boston starter Josh Beckett.
Ian Browne is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Smith's road included baseball, football
A's left fielder served as Eli Manning's backup at Mississippi
One website called Seth Smith a two-sport star at the University of Mississippi. Not even close.
Another said he played two sports at Ole Miss. Hardly.
Oh, he was a quarterback on the Rebels' football rosters in 2001, 2002 and 2003.
So was Eli Manning, which probably explains why the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Smith can now be found in the Athletics' outfield.
"Football's always been my favorite sport. Still is," Smith said. "Funny, I always dreamed of playing college football and professional baseball. I never dreamed of playing in the NFL, so the way it worked out is probably ideal."
Smith was a baseball star at Hillcrest Christian High, where he also played football, basketball and soccer, and was drafted by the D-backs in the 48th round in 2001 but opted to go to college. Several schools recruited him, but Mississippi was the only one to let him play football and baseball.
"I didn't have any expectations as far as playing pro sports, which one I'd play," he said. "Once I was playing behind Eli -- once I was behind Eli and not playing -- and I started playing well on the baseball field, it kind of became evident that that would be the next step."
Smith was Manning's backup for those three seasons. He never threw a pass. Never even saw a snap. And he played baseball well enough from 2002-2004 to be selected to play for the 2003 USA Baseball team that won a silver medal at the 2003 Pan American Games. Smith batted .322 with four home runs and nine RBIs.
"Seth was a ..." Manning began, then laughed and started over. "The best way to describe his football skills is to say that he was a very good baseball player, and he chose the right profession."
Manning left Mississippi after the 2003 season, was the No. 1 pick by San Diego Chargers in the 2004 NFL Draft, and was traded in a pre-draft deal to the New York Giants for the No. 2 pick, quarterback Philip Rivers, and draft choices. Manning, who has two Super Bowl rings, had insisted before the draft that he wouldn't play for the Chargers, who have none.
"If I hadn't been drafted after my junior year," Smith said, "I would have had two more years of (football) eligibility and would have had a chance to take over (at quarterback)."
The Rockies gave him a better chance, picking him in the second round in 2004.
"I couldn't turn down an opportunity like that," he said. "My college football career didn't really work out -- well, it's tough to say it didn't work out. Things change, I guess. But I wouldn't change anything."
He moved quickly through the Rockies' Minor League system, but getting to the Majors was delayed due to shoulder surgery.
"I got hurt the end of August and didn't get activated for the first time until Sept. 16," Smith said. "Literally two weeks later, I was in the playoffs, and a couple of weeks after that I was in the World Series. That's all I'd known. We joked that it would only go downhill from there."
It did. The Rockies fell to third in 2008, were knocked out of the 2009 playoffs in the first round, finished in third and fourth places the next two years. Smith was traded to the Athletics last January.
"Bit of an adjustment," he said. "New pitchers, new ballparks, stuff I'm still trying to get used to. But it's baseball -- same distance to the pitcher's mound and all."
Does Smith ever think of what might have been had he pursued a career as an NFL quarterback?
Smith laughed. "I'd have a 9-to-5 job," he said.
Bruce Lowitt is a freelance writer based in Tampa, Fla.
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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DC Health Link, in partnership with the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Department of Health Care Finance (DHCF) will host a series of One Touch Enrollment Centers designed to provide on-site health insurance enrollment services and resources to DC residents, small businesses and their employees. These "one-stop shop of services" will include DC Health Link certified in-person assisters and licensed health insurance brokers to provide information, answer questions, help with enrollment and selection of insurance plan coverage. Event contact: Michele Fennelly; [email protected] (301) 257-7409. The enrollment checklist is available at dchealthlink.com.
DC Health Link One Touch Enrollment Center
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Carlos Rosario International Public Charter


text:
Just as rail and rail-shipper lobbyists commenced mapping strategy to deal with the Senate Commerce Committee's incoming ranking Republican Jim DeMint of South Carolina—a/k/a the combative Tea Party turbocharger—DeMint stunned them Dec. 6, announcing he is resigning to lead the arch-conservative Heritage Foundation.
The Commerce Committee is Senate ground zero for railroad economic policy issues. Its Democratic chairman, Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, has led the attack on Staggers Act changes.
On the minority Republican side, DeMint was to succeed consensus-building Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.), who is retiring. Hutchison, whose former chief of staff, Amy Hawkins, is now a BNSF lobbyist, was viewed as having a commanding understanding of railroad policy concerns, and was celebrated for defusing what railroads regarded as more radical provisions in the original Rockefeller bill that had been advanced by captive shippers. The bill, which exited the committee, failed to reach the Senate floor.
DeMint, by contrast, frustrated carriers by ignoring invitations to discuss, informally, rail issues. Still, his October comment, "The warrior role is going to be the governing role ... we don't have shared goals with Democrats," was seen as putting in limbo a renewed Rockefeller assault on the Staggers Act.
For sure, Rockefeller will renew his attack on railroad deregulation in the new Congress, with South Dakota's John Thune now likely to become the Commerce Committee's ranking Republican. Note his advancement is not a certainty, as he would have to relinquish his chairmanship of the Senate Republican Conference— the No. 3 spot in the Senate Republican leadership. But insiders predict Thune will choose the top Republican spot on the Commerce Committee.
Thune has a better understanding of railroads than most in Congress. A former House member, Thune served as South Dakota's state railroad director and as a lobbyist for Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad before his election to the Senate.
But Thune carries troublesome baggage. His constituency teems with grain shippers, ethanol producers and coal-using electric utilities seeking to roll back Staggers Act reforms—and Thune does not have a deaf political ear.
Thune wrote the Surface Transportation Board, complaining the premium paid by Berkshire Hathaway to acquire BNSF should not qualify for a return on investment financed by higher freight rates. He has complained about shipper captivity and railroad market dominance, and sought to move the Rockefeller bill – as moderated by Hutchison—to the Senate floor for a vote, saying, "We've got to provide an expedited way for shippers to have their grievances heard and settled, and hopefully a less expensive way [with] an empowered, more robust STB."
It takes two chambers to pass legislation, and even captive shippers acknowledge the Republican-controlled House is in no mood to tinker with the Staggers Act. So all's well that ends well?
Not quite. Recall that retiring Senate Antitrust Subcommittee Chairman Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) led a failed effort to subject railroads to increased antitrust penalties. Kohl may be leaving, but his co-sponsors remain—and remain energized. Chief among them is Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a member of both the Antitrust Subcommittee and the Commerce Committee. Another co-sponsor remaining on the Antitrust Subcommittee is Al Franken (D-Minn.). And new to the Senate will be Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) who, when in the House, sponsored a bill similar to Kohl's.
Again, railroads will look to the Republican controlled House to block Senate attempts at exposing railroads to increased antitrust penalties. The new House Judiciary Committee chairman will be Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), viewed as "largely unknown" in his position on rail antitrust changes. Goodlatte's predecessor as chairman, Lamar Smith (R-Tex.), was viewed as "solid" by rail lobbyists.
And while incoming Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) will be a strong bulwark against captive shipper attacks on the Staggers Act —Shuster's Dickinson college roommate was Union Pacific lobbyist Mike Rock—ranking Democrat Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.), who previously sided with Republicans in support of railroad market freedoms, has inherited a new captive shipper problem via redistricting in the name of M&G Polymers, which produces plastic pellets.
For three years, M&G has been embroiled in a rate challenge against CSX, which M&G says is costing it $3.5 million annually in higher tariff charges and millions more in attorney fees while awaiting an outcome. Among the objectives of captive shippers is legislation to streamline and speed the rate challenge process through the STB—especially as it relates to non-coal customers whose shipping patterns are more complex.
Were Harold Wilson alive today, he might add, "And the more things change, the more they stay the same."


text:
For the first time in more than a decade, the governor is not from the coast
North Carolina has a governor from someplace other than the coast for the first time in more than a decade. But one week after the election, the effect that could have on coastal issues remains largely unclear.
Gov. Bev Perdue is from New Bern and her predecessor, Mike Easley, is from Southport. Both governors were friends of the coast, but Gov.-elect Pat McCrory grew up in Jamestown, near Greensboro, and rose to political prominence in Charlotte.
Environmentalists said this week they have no idea if McCrory's lack of coastal roots will influence his views on an array of unique and specific issues, ranging from offshore drilling to beach nourishment.
Representatives from McCrory's office did not return requests for comment, and the Gov.-elect didn't outline specific plans for the majority of coastal issues during his campaign – a trend that environmental experts said was largely expected given the timing of the election.
"Just in general, because of the attention that the presidential race got, there wasn't as much attention to issues in the governor's campaign as there normally would be," said Molly Diggins, state director of the N.C. Sierra Club. "Most candidates really did not end up going on the record on very many issues."
Still, McCrory's positions on several issues are well-known. Throughout his campaign, the Gov.-elect was adamant about his support for exploring all of the state's natural resources, including offshore drilling.
"As governor, Pat McCrory will establish a partnership with neighboring states to develop offshore resources and recruit companies to bring a much-needed infusion of energy, jobs and investment to the state," McCrory's website states.
But Diggins said that offshore drilling in North Carolina waters is unlikely to happen in the near future, regardless of McCrory's position on the issue.
"As a practical matter there is a moratorium off the East Coast, and so while he advocates for offshore drilling, the likelihood that it's going to occur anytime soon is fairly remote," she said, adding that it could be difficult to drum up regional support for the measure even if the ban were lifted. "Tourism is the economic engine of the coast, and there's a higher environmental sensitivity among people who live on the coast, so I do not think it would be a slam-dunk by any means that he would find public support for moving expeditiously."
McCrory's plans for state contributions to beach nourishment tie directly into offshore drilling. At an Oct. 16 debate, the Gov.-elect said that North Carolina needs to strengthen its relationship with the federal government to solve the problem, according to WFMY News in Greensboro.
"One of my ideas is, and I've mentioned it to the coastal communities, with strong support to my surprise, that is if we get into the natural gas exploration, either offshore or inland ... we can use a portion of that revenue to have beach re-nourishment," McCrory said.
But the tenuous nature of offshore drilling makes that plan troubling, Diggins said.
"Revenue from offshore drilling at this point in time is magical thinking," she said. "It's not going to pay for beach renourishment or anything else, because it's not available."
Still, given McCrory's business background and the responsibility of any governor to deal with problems statewide, local political leaders said they feel mostly confident that the governor-elect will understand the issues and problems facing coastal North Carolina.
"Gov.-elect McCrory is from Charlotte, but I don't think he would do more there than he would do here. That's the job," said Ray Rothrock, mayor of Carolina Beach. "I think if he did, he would hear from a lot of people."
State Rep. Carolyn Justice, a Pender County Republican who didn't run for re-election, agreed.
"I think it's an excellent question because the coast does have unique issues, but I think it has to do with who the person is you've elected," she said. "Pat McCrory has run a large, diverse city and certainly has had to understand the different needs of every part of that city, and he's proven successful at that."
Kate Elizabeth Queram: 343-2217
On Twitter: @kate_goes_bleu


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Afternoon: Check-In to hotel after 3:00 PM. Registration from 5:30 to 5:45 PM at the Mezzanine Level.
Dinner: Welcome dinner at the popular steak house restaurant Le Vieux Port, located on rue St-Paul, the oldest street in Montreal (3-minutes walk from the hotel).
Evening: After dinner, presentation of program details, general information and a few other useful tips to enhance your stay in French America.
Breakfast: Varied, buffet-style breakfast at the hotel.
Morning: Guided excursion of Montréal by deluxe motorcoach, focusing on the city's history, architecture, main neighborhoods and its astounding underground city, which features a 20-mile network of pedestrian walkways.
Lunch: Montreal is known for its abundant cafés, which are well attended by Montrealers at lunchtime. We will select one for a light yet fulfilling meal.
Afternoon: Visit the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts new Pavilion, featuring 600 works of its outstanding collection of Quebec and Canadian Art.
Dinner: Dinner in Old Montreal.
Evening: Free time to explore Montreal. Suggestions will be made.
Breakfast: Varied, buffet-style breakfast at the hotel.
Morning: Enjoy an expert-led walking exploration of Old Montreal. Learn about the delicate transformations of public art and architecture, and why the importance of blending old and new is at the heart of this urban conversion to create the Montreal of today!
Lunch: Lunch in Old Montreal.
Afternoon: In the afternoon, you will be invited to independently explore Old Montreal, Pointe-à- Calliere Museum, the port, the Botanical Garden. Suggestions will be made.
Dinner: Dinner on your own. Suggestions will be made.
Evening: With our local expert join the festivities of Montreal's 375th anniversary celebration with a unique discovery of the streets of Old Montreal, which will be animated for the occasion with multi-media projections inspired by historical events.
Activity note: Note: Please note participants need to carry their own luggage and on the train each participant is restricted to one price of baggage and one carry-on bag.
Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.
Morning: An unforgettable visit to the Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal featuring an exclusive presentation of the fabulous organ by the Basilica's titular organist. The visit is followed by a transfer to Quebec City by train (train ride is 3.25 hours).
Lunch: Lunch on the train.
Afternoon: Check-in at the Hotel Manoir Victoria.
Dinner: Dinner in a renowned pub in the heart of Old Quebec.
Evening: A local expert will tell you all about the history of Québec City — the birthplace of French America and the first settlement in Canada. This stimulating lecture will also highlight different aspects of the city's present-day social and economic reality.
Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.
Morning: Expert-led walking exploration of Quebec's historic district. You will be charmed by the very European atmosphere of its quaint streets as well as the historic value of its buildings.
Lunch: Enjoy lunch at Manoir Montmorency, featuring area specialities, and visit the astonishing Montmorency Falls Park, just a few minutes away from Québec City. Located between the river and the cliffs, it's one of the province's most spectacular sites.
Afternoon: Explore Quartier Le Petit Champlain on your return to the lower town, Old Quebec.
Dinner: Dinner on your own. Suggestions will be made.
Evening: Free time to explore the city.
Breakfast: Buffet-style breakfast at the hotel.
Morning: Discover the Official Residence of the Governor General of Canada, located within the Citadelle of Quebec and overlooking the majestic St. Lawrence River; a historic building housing an important collection of art and period furnishings.
Lunch: Lunch on your own. Suggestions will be made.
Afternoon: With a local expert discover the Augustines Monastery, their way of life, their work caring for the sick, a unique glimpse into the past of Quebec City. Follow by free time to explore Quebec City (we will provide suggestions of places to explore).
Dinner: Farewell dinner at the hotel.
Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.
Morning: Independent departures after breakfast.


text:
I've never been a fan of CarMax's advertising campaigns, but their current effort hits a new low. It's so bad that no one has bothered to put it on YouTube, which means that I can't give you a link to view any of the campaign's ads. It's probably just as well; asking you to view these ads is tantamount to someone handing you sour milk and saying, "Here–Does this taste funny to you?"
If you're fortunate enough to not have been assaulted by these ads, here's what you've missed: each ad features a different dog or other animal watching a CarMax commercial and turning toward the camera; when the image freezes, a harsh musical chord is struck, and the words "Dramatically smart!" are splashed across the screen.
Duh, gee, I get it; they're telling us that becoming a CarMax customer is a dramatically smart thing to do! Why, however, is dramatically less clear. Even though I've probably seen at least 10 of these commercials, I honestly cannot recall a single thing that is said about CarMax or why you would want to give them your business.
There is nothing the least bit clever or engaging about any aspect of these commercials, and they were executed as poorly as they were conceived. (For example, once the image is frozen, it seemingly takes forever before the words "Dramatically smart!" appear.) It is absolutely astounding to me that the marketing powers-that-be at CarMax could have determined that these ads would interest or in any way impress prospective customers.
As I often ask whenever I see a major corporation with such ill-conceived advertising, "If they're this clueless when it comes to advertising, what other things are they getting wrong?"
The only thing that makes sense about these ads is their use of dogs, as this campaign is a real woofer. (I know, that was a predictable joke, but thinking and writing about this campaign has apparently dulled my own creative senses. Woof!)


text:
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About This Show
- Summary
McKinley High School's Glee Club used to be at the top of the show choir world, but years later, it has turned into a haven for misfits and social outcasts. But at McKinley, things for the Glee Club are about to change. From Ryan Murphy, the creator of Nip/Tuck, comes Glee, an uplifting comedy musical series with biting humor that features a soundtrack of hit music from past to present. The show follows an optimistic high school teacher as he tries to refuel his own passion for singing while reinventing the school's glee club and challenging a group of underdogs to realize their star potential. Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) has offered to take on the Herculean task of restoring McKinley's Glee Club to its former glory with the help of fellow teacher and germaphobe Emma Pillsbury (Jayma Mays). It's a tall order when the brightest stars of the club include Kurt (Chris Colfer), a nerdy soprano with a flair for the dramatic; Mercedes (Amber Riley), a dynamic diva-in-training who refuses to sing back-up; Artie (Kevin McHale), a geeky guitarist who spends more time avoiding bullies than chasing girls; and Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz), an awkward girl who needs to suppress her stutter before she can take center stage. Will's only hope lies with two true talents: Rachel Berry (Lea Michele), a perfectionist firecracker who is convinced that show choir is her ticket to stardom; and Finn Hudson (Cory Monteith), the popular high school quarterback with movie star looks and a Motown voice who must protect his reputation with his holier-than-thou girlfriend and head cheerleader, Quinn (Dianna Agron), and his arrogant football teammate, Puck (Mark Salling). Driven by his secret past, Will is determined to do whatever it takes to make Glee great again, even though everyone around him thinks he's nuts. He's out to prove them all wrong – from his tough-as-nails wife Terri Schuester (Jessalyn Gilsig) to McKinley's scheming cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) to an über-hip world that thinks jazz hands and sequined tuxedos litter the road to infamy rather than pave the way to Hollywood dreams.


text:
A's middle infield positions still up for grabs
By William Boor / MLB.com
GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- There are 11 days left until the Athletics open the 2013 season against the Mariners, but the team has yet to decide how the middle infield will be configured.
The second-base position has been up for grabs throughout Spring Training and manager Bob Melvin admits he is facing some difficult decisions.
"It could go down to the last three games against the Giants," Melvin said. "There's quite a pack in the infield at this point, and a lot of them are playing really well. We have to decide whether or not Spring Training means something for certain guys and not for others and what the best mix of guys to start with [is]."
Ultimately, Melvin will have to settle on a 25-player Opening Day roster as well as a nine-man lineup to face Seattle, but the manager was quick to point out that changes are a part of the game, and nothing is "etched in stone."
Fifty different players made at least one appearance for the Athletics a season ago, and Melvin expects the same sort of platooning to be used in 2013.
"With the personnel we have, mixing and matching [is what we expect to do]," Melvin said. "We've made no decisions on who is where and how much. A lot of guys are playing well, and it's making our decisions tougher. Having said that, it could be two guys that we lean on in the middle [infield], but I don't know that yet."
Among the plethora of players competing for spots in the Oakland infield are Jemile Weeks and Jed Lowrie, who started at second base and shortstop, respectively, on Thursday.
The competition for playing time is far from over, but both Weeks and Lowrie have been impressive this spring.
"Lowrie has been terrific," Melvin said. "Weeks got set back a little bit by his injury, so he doesn't have the amount of at-bats that other guys do, but he has swung the bat well."
Lowrie, who was acquired via a February trade with the Astros, was hitting .313 this spring, while Weeks entered Thursday's contest against the Reds with a .409 batting average.
Anderson will have different approach in final spring tilt
GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Brett Anderson's stats may not have looked like those of an Opening Day starter, but he was able to take some positives from Thursday's start against the Cincinnati Reds.
"The results weren't awesome, but I take more positives than negatives from this outing," Anderson said. "[I] threw some good pitches, threw some not-so-good pitches [and] threw some pitches I wouldn't ordinarily throw in a regular season game."
Anderson threw 4 2/3 innings, allowing six runs on eight hits and striking out five. He now has a spring ERA of 9.45.
"He got his pitches in," manager Bob Melvin said. "He threw quite a few changeups to work on that, a couple of them got hit."
The left-hander began his outing sharply, striking out two and retiring the side in order in the first. However, that was the only inning in which Anderson faced the minimum number of batters.
In the second inning, Anderson allowed three extra-base hits and three earned runs.
"That was a really long top of the second there," Anderson said. "It took me a little while to get back into rhythm."
Anderson is expected to make one more Cactus League start prior to the Athletics season opener on April 1 and said he will approach that game more like a regular season tilt instead of working on certain pitches.
Melvin sees positives in Colon's uneven Minors start
GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Oakland had a rare spring off-day Wednesday, but Bartolo Colon made an appearance with the Minor League team in order to keep his schedule intact.
Colon's final line -- 10 hits, two walks and five runs over five-plus innings -- is certainly nothing to drool over, but manager Bob Melvin was pleased with the report he received.
Melvin was not in attendance as Colon faced an Angels' Minor League team, but pitching coach Curt Young was on hand and reported back to the manager.
"There were a lot of balls on the ground, his velocity was good -- 90 to 93 -- maybe some poke hits, and [he] got a little tired at the end," Melvin said. "But [he] felt good, and with a guy like him, with his experience, [it's] more important [that he's healthy] and getting the pitches."
The Athletics were hoping to get around 80 pitches from Colon, who finished with 81. The right-hander has a 7.36 ERA in 11 innings pitched this spring, but Melvin is not concerned.
"The one thing about the few veterans we do have is they are serious about what they are doing out there," Melvin said. "He is working on some things. It's not like he's just throwing the ball up there. He's trying to get a good workout out of it and get something out of it."
Melvin said Colon, who threw 89 percent of his pitches for fastballs in 2012, has been working on his changeup and breaking balls.
Colon will miss the first five games of the regular season as he finishes up his suspension for violating Major League Baseball's drug policy. before he joins the team. However, Melvin remains undecided on when Colon will be worked into the rotation and make his debut.
Nakajima adjusting to Majors and new home
GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Hiroyuki Nakajima's .176 Spring Training batting average is not where he or the Athletics organization would like it to be, but manager Bob Melvin is being patient.
Melvin is evaluating Nakajima differently than the rest of the players in camp because his situation is, well, different.
"It's easy to sit here and look at his performance … [but] he is having a lot of things he has to deal with that nobody else is," Melvin said. "He is going through a lot more."
The shortstop hit .311 in Japan last season, so the A's know he has talent and potential. However, Nakajima is adjusting to not only life in the Major Leagues, but to life in America as well.
"There's a learning curve for him right now, and everyone handles that differently," Melvin said. "It's difficult to come into this country and have to deal with the things he's had to deal with that aren't just on-field stuff."
While some of the off-the-field adjustments will come with time, the A's are trying to get the 30-year-old shortstop ready for the regular season as soon as possible.
Nakajima was not in Oakland's lineup Thursday, but he will get some at-bats with the Minor League team.
"[We are] trying to combat lack of experience here by getting him some more at-bats, but not overdo it to where we wear him out," Melvin said.
William Boor is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text: "Yours Ever is nuanced, informed, full-blooded, a vigorous literary salute.... It is next to impossible to read these pages without mourning the whole apparatus of distance, without experiencing a deep and plangent longing for the airmail envelope, the sweetest shade of blue this side of a Tiffany box. Is it possible to sound crusty or confessional electronically? It is as if text and e-mail messages are of this world, a letter an attempt, however illusory, to transcend it. All of which adds tension and resonance to Mallon's pages, already crackling with hesitations and vulnerabilities, obsessions and aspirations, with reminders of the lost art of literary telepathy, of the aching, attenuated rhythm of a written correspondence."NYTBR


text:
months of wrangling with various Middle Eastern and Asian countries
over security issues, Research In Motion, the makers of BlackBerry,
are finally in compliance with the United Arab Emirates.
in July, government regulators in the UAE expressed concerns over
BlackBerry's encryption, which didn't comply with security
legislation passed in 2007. Local authorities could not trace the
encrypted data used in BlackBerry services -- e-mail, BlackBerry
messenger, etc. -- because it is sent to offshore servers. The UAE
cited this as a threat to national security.
response, RIM said that their servers were set up that way for a
reason, and that not even the company itself could access customers'
data. In short, they implied that compliance would be impossible.
the pressure on RIM continued to mount, as
Saudi Arabia, India, and Indonesia all
joined the fold, threatening to ban BlackBerry services within
their borders as well. With an impending ban in Saudi Arabia, RIM
began to cooperate and started testing servers within the country to
host the BlackBerry services. RIM also began
complying with the Indian authorities, avoiding a ban that would
have affected approximately one million users.
just short of an October 11 deadline for compliance in the
UAE, Reuters is
reporting that
RIM has made all the necessary changes to appease the government
Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has confirmed that
BlackBerry services are now compliant with the UAE's
telecommunications regulatory framework," said a statement on
state news agency WAM. "Therefore all BlackBerry services
in the UAE will continue to operate as normal and no suspension of
service will occur on October 11, 2010."
further details of the agreement that was reached between the two
entities were given, raising the issue of possible privacy concerns.


text:
For the love of all that is holy when are the refs going to start calling these fouls!!!!! Enough is Enough!
For the love of all that is holy when are the refs going to start calling these fouls!!!!! Enough is Enough!
Someone please punch Andrea in the face so he's forced to leave the game, cuz Casey's not taking him out.
Seriously what is going on with Andreas shot
FTLOG Bargs is cold, Ed is hot. Play the hot guy.
I feel sorry for ED. He must be really pissed watching andrea throw up brick after brick after. Colangelo is a joke.
"Stay steamy"
- Kobe
MAybe he should shot with his left?
He's uselss on both ends of the floor today, why are they so stubborn??
We would have won 5 times already if Bargnani hit at least 20%. Ridiculous. You don't need to be a hater to hate him..
OT is not the time to hope your best shooter finds his stroke again. Silly. Yeah, get a real coach maybe....
Had Bargnani made one his threes, this game would have been over before any overtime...
LMAO and that goes in
finally... thank you.
He did something!!!!
Bargnani 1 for 1 on his last shot!
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text:
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text:
She was born in Bee Branch to Charley Hamilton and Dovie Ward Edwards and was a member of First General Baptist Church.
She is preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Elmer Pearson; brothers, Claude, Cliff, Lamon, Earl, Henry and Dallas Edwards; and sister, Corilla Sohn.
She is survived by her daughters, Lou Ella Glenn and husband John of Heber Springs and Betty Rachel Moore and husband David of Russellville; brother, Luke Edwards and wife Willamae; sister, Ella Belle Nicholson; eight grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
Funeral service will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Roller-McNutt Funeral Home, 115 S. Broadview St. in Greenbrier officiated by the Rev. Mike Lindley. Burial will follow the service at Union Hill Cemetery in Formosa in Van Buren County. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Friday.
Arrangements by Little Rock Funeral Home, 8801 Knoedl Court in Little Rock.
An online guestbook is available at www.littlerockfuneralhome.com.
Paid obituary


text:
* Prices may differ from that shown
In my opinion the Sony Ericsson C902 is an excellent phone. I found it relatively easy to navigate around, it has a great quality camera and best of all it is robust! I have honestly lost count of the amount of times this phone was dropped, thrown, slid etc etc. And in all the time I had it (probably about 18 months or so) I never once got bored of it and decided I wanted a new one, which happens a lot with me! I was so sad to have to get rid of this one, but I had used it so much that the keypad actually started to come away. We tried to glue it back on but it just was not staying! So reluctantly I had to replace it with the phone I now have. It was a fun phone though, it still has actual buttons but also a partial touch screen which you mostly use for the phone's camera features. I also loved the sliding part that covered the camera up, I would sit and fiddle with that for ages, popping it up and down! Very theraputic. Unfortunately though another downside is the fact that the C902 has quite a small screen, especially compared with most of the more up to date smart phones there are available in the market place now. But all in all a good reliable phone.
Product Title
Sony Ericsson C902
The Producer of the Product
The Target Audience
Suitable for anybody who is after a basic phone, with some good features and a decent mobile camera.
£75.00 (Amazon)
Is the product for you?
If you are after a phone which has an excellent Cyber-Shot Camera, is built solidly so which with stand many hits, is capable of video calls, great media player and all the basics of a mobile phone then this is the product for you.
If you are after a more hi-tech phone then I would recommend something like a HTC or an IPhone.
The product in one
Opening the box to this Cyber shot phone you will find that this is a classic styled Sony Ericsson, except at its best compared with other models. The keypad is a traditional one which has good size rectangle keys and great for fast text messaging. Picking it up and holding it in your hand you can just tell you are holding a quality handset, well built, it even feels solid yet at a great weight in the hand or pocket. The housing to the phone is a good combination of plastic and metal, which has a great elegant finish and is probably why it feels solid when holding it in your hand. The screen looks great when turned on, has a high quality look and sense to it and isn't too glary on the eyes. There are touch-sensitive shortcuts added to both sides of the screen. These are used to activate the camera and switch between still and video. They can also change the autofocus mode, flash and other camera settings.
As this is a Cyber-shot phone it is expected to have a top quality camera... and it does. It meets the expectations and more, the camera is hidden by a sliding cover, which when pulled up triggers the camera off. The camera is a whopping 5 megapixel, with auto focus, image stabiliser and flash. The auto focus feature is one that will use face detection software which means that it automatically detects the features of a face in the picture and target it for you so you can find the centre. The image stabiliser feature is one which helps avoid any photo blur when taking pictures in low lit rooms or when outside in the dark. The flash simply lights up any room that you are in so that you will have a better quality of photo. The camera also has another great feature called the BestPic feature. These is where if you choose it, it will take 9 photos in a single second and you can then go through and choose which one you want to keep. The phone is able to detect which way it is being held using an accelerometer, and the phone will automatically rotate your pictures into portrait or landscape mode.
Older Cyber shot phones weren't to good when it come to music and media, but this phone, although been a Cyber shot has excellent music capabilities too. The media player built in to the phone is fully featured and has added support for album art whilst playing your music. Sony's Mega Bass feature ensures that you get rich, quality sounds out of the small speaker on the phone. You can personalise this phone by downloading MP3 ringtones which are MP3 and AAC Supported using the Play Now feature. TrackID can identify a song from a few seconds recording. An FM radio with RDS is also included. You can plug in a stereo headphone, or use an optional Bluetooth stereo headset. The memory is average by modern standards at 160 Mbytes but the phone supports Memory Stick Micro (M2) cards up to 4 GB, which is enough to store 1,000 music tracks. For some reason though, there's no support for microSD cards.
There is support Bluetooth and USB. The USB connection enables the phone to act as a USB mass storage device, so moving music and images between phone and PC is drag-and-drop simplicity itself, plus if you ever have any complications with the phone you can always sort it out through the USB by connecting it to a PC and re-installing the operating system onto the phone. This is a 3G phone, with HSDPA support enabling an "always-on" internet connection with download speeds of up to 3.6 Mbps - comparable with a home broadband connection. As well as being 3G, it's a quadband GSM phone, so should be usable anywhere in the world.
Battery life is adequate, but ultraslim phones tend to have shorter battery lives than conventional phones, which isn't surprising. The smaller screen size does help to reduce power consumption, and I don't think that the battery life will be an issue for most users.
How does it compare to other Products?
Compared to other mobile phones and other Cyber shots this is a great phone. Not only does it have a brilliant camera and software to go with it, but it also offers a brilliant music and media system on the phone. It is solid built and looks fantastic been a mix between metal and plastic.
Does the Product Achieve its Purpose?
This phone achieves its purpose in providing a fully featured phone, which is well built, has a great camera and support for media
Breaking it down
* 3G video calling
* 5 megapixel camera with LED flash, autofocus, 16x digital zoom and lens cover
* Video camera
* Display: TFT, 262,144-colour, 240 x 320 pixels
* Media player
* FM radio with RDS
* MP3/AAC ringtones
* Speakerphone
* Voice recorder
* Messaging: SMS, MMS, Email
* 3D Java games
* Animated wallpaper
* Web browser, RSS feeds, blogging
* HSDPA (3.6 Mbps)
* Personal organiser functions
* Flight mode
* Vibration alert
* Memory: 160 Mbytes plus support for Memory Stick MicroTM (M2TM) (up to 4 GB)
* Connectivity: Bluetooth, USB mass storage, modem
* Quadband (GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900) plus 3G (UMTS 2100)
* Size: 108 x 49 x 10.5 mm
* Weight: 107g
How to Improve
To improve this phone I would probably make the screen larger and add support for microSD cards instead of M2 cards.
Product Rating 4/5
(Thank you for reading my review, if you get chance please take your time to read and rate my other reviews, it will be highly appreciated and I will always go out of my way when I get chance to read through yours and give an honest rating. Many thanks J)
I bought this phone a little while ago due to the fact my other phone had broke and couldn't be repaired. This is a Limited edition James Bond Sony Ericsson C902, which I didn't realise at the time. I'm not a massive fan of James Bond, but I did feel slightly 'cooler' knowing this was a limited edition. I've never been really picky over phones, as long as a phone is user friendly then it's good enough for me.
-- About the Sony Ericsson C902 --
The James Bond Limited Edition Titanium Silver C902 was released in November 2008 after the Quantum Of Solace film was released. The users will get the chance to know exactly what it takes to be a secret agent, like with the first level of an exclusive pre-loaded spy-style game. In addition, the full color trailer of the film, behind-the-scenes interviews with the stars and exclusive content such as wallpapers and screensavers will be available on the phone and the memory card.
-- Appearance of the phone --
When you recieve the phone it comes in a cardboard box including all the needed accessories, such as:
* The user manual - Containing all the needed information to set-up your phone and learn to get the grips with all the software. Also gives you information about any of the problems that may occur whilst using your phone, how to correct the problems and other options if you cannot correct the problems yourself and need help or advice.
* Hands free - Which you can use anytime, anywhere for example whilst driving.
* Usb cable - This can be used to either charge your phone through your laptop/computer, also to transfere music, photos ect either to your phone or your computer.
* Battery and battery cover
* Software CD - Which you can use to re install programmes on your phone, help correct problems on your phone and much more.
* Travel charger - Another option to charge your phone, rather than through your laptop/computer, which you can anywhere with you and plug into a socket.
The weight of the handset is approximately 107 grams which is an excellent lightweight size for its capabilities. The casing is slim only being 11mm in depth, being ideal for carrying around with you. The phone comes with a two inch colour display, which provides up to 262k colours on a QVGA screen with a 240 x 320 pixel screen resolution. The 3G phone comes with easy to access touch, sensitive keys which light up and are situated on either side of the two inch colour screen. There is a built in accelerometre feature, which allows you to rotate your phone and the screen to roatate with it. The phone is mainly black with a silver highlights.
-- The camera and video --
The phone contains a 5 mega pixel camera is the main feature available on this phone. with high quality camera feature which allows the user to capture a more precise and clear picture. The camera comes with many easy to use features which you can use to better your needs such as:
* Auto focus with a face focus - To use when the user needs to capture a picture of a person, the focus feature will automatically aim to focus on the persons face.
* A 16 x digital zoom - This allows the user to get up close to a person, object ect.
* Flash- This will light up in any darkness.
* Image stabiliser - This will steady all the pictures even if there is slight movements in the images, so there is no blurred shot.
* A Bestpic feature - This allows to take nine shots with one press of the camera keys.
* Photo fix - This is a programme that will adjuct and correct the light balance and contract after the photo has been taken and it can also banish red eyes, with the reduction tool.
* PictBridge - This allows you to print poctures on a compatible printer directly from your handset.
The pictures are taken in appoximately 1 second and this allows you to choose the best picture out of the nine that were taken. It also comes with blogging capabilities which you can send pictures directly to a blog site and allows your contacts to veiw the pictures from your website.
-- Video --
The camera can also be used as a video recorder, which can be played back to you from your handset. The video comes with a stabiliser which will cancel all the small hand movements the user might make whilst recording, this leaves you with a smooth, non interupted video. There is also a built in video light which allows you to light up the darkness whilst you are recording. It also enables you to have video calling with the built in 3G technology.
-- Music --
The phone always has a media player with supports most music video formats so you can watch and listen to your music to get the best experience. With the support of Bluetooth stereo A2DP, this allows you to have a wireless connection between the phone and the headset. The phone also comes with a FM radio with RDS which provides you with on screen text infortmation relevant to a song playing on the radio. The media player also comes with useful music tools such as:
* Megabass - A frequeny enhancing feature.
* TrackID - a Music recognition feature.
-- The Internet --
You can send and recieve emails from your phone, which allows you to stay in contact with anyone using an email address. The phone also supports MMS messaging which you can send pictures, videos and music. You are also able to use a instant messaging (online chat) with any contact that may be online, it works the same way as if you were using an instant messaging service through your laptop/computer.
-- Other features of the C902 --
* A rechargable battery - This provides you with 400 hours of standby battery time or up to 9 hours of talk time.
* Built in 3G HSDPA technology - To provide you with a high speed handset when it comes to connectivity, data transfers and internect connection.
-- My experience --
I found this phone incedibly easy to use, the texting is very simple you can either use predictive text or standard texting. I prefer to use predictive text as it's fairly simple and quicker to use compared to the standard texting. The only problem I found with the predictive text is that you may have to enter some words into the dictionary that the phone doesn't seem to recognise, especially slang words. The phone is also brillaint with the picture functions and having a wide variety of tools you can use to edit pictures, such as changing the contrast, colour options (sepia, black and white ect), cropping the photos and editing red eyes. Its also brilliant at caputing smooth, flowing videos. The phone also comes with 160 MG of internal memory and a slot inside the phone, which enables you to connect a memory card for additional space. I did receive a 1 GB memory card with the phone, which enables me to save more video recordings, pictures, texts and music. The 160 MB didn't last me very long, but with the option to add more memory I think is absolutely brillaint.
The phone comes with all the needed software for you to get the most of your phone including, an orgasier folder which includes all the nessacery tools such as an alarm, calendar, stop watch, timer, tasks and much more. In this folder you can also manage all of your music, pictures and videos. I also found the internet extremely useful whilst on the go, especially if you need to look at something and don't have time to get to a computer. I find it very easy to use and it loads extremely fast. I do have a problem though with the fact of having no signal which makes the internet completely useless, as you can't search for anything. You quickly get used to the phone and all it's functions, being that it's easy to find your way around.
The phone also hands a handy lock function, which enables you to lock your phone whilst you are not using it. This keeps your phone secure from accidently ringing people or sending strange random texts. I also like that you can edit the short cuts on your phone by going onto the settings menu, the short cuts are displayed when you press on the up, down, left and right arrow keys.
There isn't much variety when it comes to ring tones, message tones and alarm tones which is slightly disappointing. I also didn't like the fact that when I first got this phone and wasn't sure on how to change my message and ring tones, James Bond starting going off.. which did slightly embarras me, as I looked like a crazy James Bond fan especially along with the background and screen saver. You can easily download new ones either from the internet or transfer some music from your laptop/computer instead to use.
I love the style of the phone, it looks very elegant, nice choice of colours and the slide up and down camera is really awesome (does slightly make me feel like a special agent). The size of the keys on the keyboard are also a brillaint size, so good for when your texting. Also the light shines through the keys, so you can clearly see what they say which is also very handy.
--Price and Availability --
The James Bond special edition is no longer avaiable but I've had a look on ebay and have seen some advertised going very cheap. The normally version of this phone is widely avaiable in most phone shops and there are everywhere online. The price does depend on where you get it from as I have seen some being sold for as little as £50 to £300. I have never been a massive fan of having the most recent up to date phone, so I would never purchase any phone for £300 but anything up to £100 seems definitely reasonable for this, especially with all the snazzy and useful tools that you receive.
-- Conclusion --
I find this phone absolutely brillaint and easy to get on with. It comes with many different tools and applications for you to get the most out of it. I would definitely recommend this phone for it's ease of use and good quality camera. The price may be a little high, but if you dig around I'm sure you will find a brilliant deal!
I have owned the sony ericsson c902 for more than three years and have found it to be a robust phone with just enough features and easy to navigate menu screens. Compared to the modern smart phones which have captured the market the c902 is unassuming and discrete, I doubt you would be mugged in the street for one unlike Iphone owners! My own phone has been dropped and whacked on numerous occasions and has kept on working. I have found the battery life to be excellent, I can go 3 or 4 days without worrying about it. With a decent sized memory card I have loads of music and it performs very well as a mp3 player.
The camera is not the greatest and the frustrating thing with it is the delay from pressing the button to a picture actually being taken. It immediantly shows you a review of the picture you have just taken and so if you want to take pictures in quick succession, you have to repeatedly press the shutter button to be able to take another picture. I also find that it is not as easy as it should be to change the ring tone to one of your mp3 tracks, theres a lot of menus to go throught to make it happen.
The camera is the only thing that lets this mobile down as it is an excellent mp3 player and a solid all round performer. I`d highly recomend it to someone who doesn`t want an all singing all dancing smart phone as I feel it has enough of the usefull features at a good price to make it a valuable purchase.
This was the first Sony Erricson phone that I purchased. I was drawn to the modern twist of the touch screen on the side for the camera and the long clear screen. Also, Sony Erricson's are well known to be a music Walkman. However I found I had to buy and extra memory card to store all the pictures and music, but this only cost me an extra £5.
Texting on this phone I found was very easy and the screen is clear and simple to understand. The camera is very good quality and quick to use as all you need to do is pull the upper half of the phone upwards to release the camera, unlike other phones that you have to search for the camera app which is a hassle!
The main problem and only problem I found with this phone is that is froze towards the end of my contract. I suppose this is to be expected seen as I dropped it numerous times on a night out, however from other friends who also had the phone, they also had the same problem.
The Sony Ericsson c902 cybershot is a great phone, it offers most of the capabilities of a normal Sony Ericsson Walkman phone, except it technically has a different player to the Walkman. It is a 5.0 MP camera/ video recorder which takes good quality pictures and videos, and as with most Sony Ericsson's has a great sound system with good volume.
For me on Vodafone, the signal quality was great and I almost always seemed to have signal. The screen is an ok size at 2.2 inches, and is quite good quality. It also has onscreen touch buttons that work when the phone is in cybershot mode. The phone can hold up to an 8GB m2 memory card that can be taken out and put back in while the phone is on, as it isn't under the battery.
The music player allows you to have lots of playlists, and although the original memory of the phone only allows you to store a few songs, by adding in a memory card, you can increase the amount of songs that can be stored on the phone. It can also store and play .mp4 files, so films can be added and watched, although the screen is quite small.
The battery life of the phone is very good, and usually will last 2 days of use, that include using it as an MP3 player and video player, although using these functions does impact quite a lot on the battery life.
However because of the Sony Ericsson charger, I find that after a while of listening to music on the phone, and charging it, the connecting cable can start to come loose, and will no longer charge the phone.
I have always only ever had nokia mobile phones; have always stuck with nokia because I have never had any problems and find them easy to use. However, I bought the Sony C902 because I wanted a phone that would double up as a camera and that I could take out with me easily in my pocket. This phone certainly fits that bill because it is so slim and so light, it really couldnt be any better in terms of size.
However, the camera I am a little disappointed with. I have also had a couple of Cybershot cameras and had high hopes for this phone being the same. It does have many of the features of a normal cybershot, and during the day it takes lovely pictures, but in the evening I was not impressed with the photos. Perhaps thats my photography skills (!!) but it did not take good pictures and there is no flash.
I would recommend this phone to someone who wants to be able to take decent pictures, make calls, text and surf the web all with the one device, and not have an over complicated phone like many of the latest models. I personally dont think you can go too wrong with this phone; a classic model.
I had this phone up until about six months ago when unfortunately I dropped it in the snow and shattered the screen. This is a fantastic phone. The main reason I liked it so much is how thin and light it is. The phone has a great camera. At the time I upgraded to this model it was one of the best on the market. I like the fact that you can't see the camera until you slide the top part of the phone up. When the phone is in camera mose there are blue icons on the side of the screen that you can touch, so it becomes a touch screen in camera mode. As this is a cyber shot phone it does all the same things as a Sony digital camera. The flash and zoom are fantastic as is the 'best pic' option. With the best pic the camera takes several shots in quick succession and you can choose which one you prefer. Perfect if your fussy about your photos like me. The phone has an easy to navigate menu and is great for facebook and checking emails. I find that the screen is small compared to other phones on the market. But then the whole handset is small so it's a compromise. I would recommend this phone to someone who wants to be able to take decent pictures, make calls, text and surf the web all with the one device. I regret breaking this phone and upgrading to the Satio which is by far the worst phone I have ever owned!
When I walked into the O2 store in order to upgrade my old phone, I was dazed by the whiteness of it all. I showed 'Ryan' my old phone and he quickly called over a fellow worker - they were shocked I still had such a phone (and the original box) and before I understood what was happening to me, a Sony Ericsson C902 'cybershot' had been handed to me by 'Ryan' and it was now my phone.
The sleekness of the device, the mystical blackness of the thing, drew me closer. It seemed too thin for a start and I questioned whether or not a working mobile phone could operate within such a small housing. I was assured by 'Ryan' that this C902 was the phone for me as I had mentioned to him I enjoyed taking photographs. Like a magicians wand being extended, the phone was suddenly slide across and became longer. This simple motion had activated a camera / film mode. The large display allowed me to see what I was filming. At the top and bottom were beautiful blue lights, which allowed features to be accessed. A quick touch on one blue icon switched the phone to video mode, another icon activated the camera flash. It all looked good, but could it take a decent photo?
Back home, I was following Ryan's instructions and was getting it all charged-up. Once ready, I snapped away with the 5 mega pixel camera. I had no intention of making this phone my primary camera, so wasn't disappointed with the 5 mega pixels. For me, this was a massive leap anyway, having previously owned a mobile phone invented by Alexander Graham Bell.
I noticed quite a lot of dust build up in the area which slides open when the camera is activated and I am always having to wipe it down. Despite having it for a year the scratches on the phone are minimal. It seems relatively sturdy. The charger slots in easily and has never let me down. It seems to go a long time without needing a charge.
I have never come close to filling the phone memory and an additional option would be to buy a memory card if required. Transferring material to and from the phone to a computer is easy, thanks to a separate wire which comes with it.
The phone display can be customised with a variety of themes - there aren't too many to choose from. It came defaulted to a James Bond theme which I swiftly deleted. Ryan had tried to tell me he was giving me James Bond's phone. I had smiled and nodded and considered Ryan had been drinking too much dry Martini.
Now we come to my gripes. When the phone is not locked, it is too easy for the internet button to be pressed. Before you know it you've been surfing the web for 2 hours. I'm not John Paul Getty - that sort of thing could bankrupt me. As for the internet option, browsing is as slow as a week in the jail. It's very Acorn Electron when trying to badmouth people on Facebook or outbid someone for a Westlife calendar on E-bay.
Also, 2 months after I received this phone, it began to act up and stopped switching on. It had to be sent away to the manufacturer and staff at the store claimed it was a software fault. When I got the phone back it worked for about 6 months and the same thing happened. My faith in this phone was gone. Staff at the store explained on this occasion it was not a software fault, rather the software was ready to be upgraded. They helpfully explained this can be done via the Sony website. I followed the instructions and was able to download software into the phone by plugging it into my laptop and it worked straight away. I believe 'upgraded' is salesman speak for 'error'. If it happens again, this phone is history. Numbers lost twice, messages evaporated. A mobile phone needs to be reliable. So much for it being the phone James Bond uses. The defence of the realm thrown into jeopardy due to a 'software error'.
I only originally got a model C902 Sony Ericsson mobile as a temporary measure when my other Sony phone finally died, but I must admit to being hugely impressed with it. It's pretty outdated now if you compare it to high performace, internet browser phones like the HTC Wildfire and suchlike, but as a sturdy, reliable, basic phone it's damn near impossible to beat.
It has a very straightforward layout, with a 5 megapixel cybershot camera (accessable by a sliding panel on the back) that produces some farily decent photos and also comes with a flash as well as an automatic face-detection feature. It can also be used as an mp3 player, and though it only has a memory capacity of 160mb it supports Mico M2 Memory sticks of up to 8gb in size. The sound quality is decent enough on headphones, and it can also be used as a single speaker and player in one, although it does sound unsurprisingly tinny, though impressively loud.
It is capable of some quite nice graphics, and supports a range of basic 3d games, though I have dound that it is best to turn off the graphics from the main menu system as doing so extends the already impressive battery life even further to a good week before it needs to be recharged. Even when flat, it can recharge to full battery in about an hour, which is very convenient.
The c902 can be picked up cheaply nowadays and is straightforward to use and ideal for someone looking for a simple, uncomplicated phone on which to perform basic functions. It is extremely reliable and robust, but though small it is not particularly light.This is a minor point however, and overall the c90 is ideal for the more undemanding phone user looking for something cheap, simple and effective.
The Sony Ericsson C902 is a pretty sophisticated phone that won't strain your funds. To start off with, the phone itself is satisfyingly slim, so it fits neatly into any pocket, and the screen is a good size and quality. When you slide the top up to reveal the cameras, little illuminated icons will appear around the screen. These are touch sensitive shortcuts, and something I have actually found genuinely useful and not just an attempt to just on the touch sensitive bandwagon - rather than scroll through menus you can instantly switch to photo, video, playback, timer, flash and so on. The camera in the front of the phone not only allows video calling but also lets you see what you are pointing at if you take a photo of yourself. The main camera has an impressive 5 megapixels and an excellent flash, which can be on continuously if shooting video in the dark. I was also impressed by the photo manipulation tools, although these are becoming standard in most modern phones now.
The features that the phone boasts are just as useful and wide ranging, with all the expected organiser/ alarm and media capabilities in the usual Sony Ericsson layout. One feature that pleasantly surprised me is that it is tilt-sensitive - you can play the driving game just by tilting the phone from left to right, and also rotate pictures you are viewing. It does not exactly hold its own against the iphone, but this is a nice idea that doesn't seem to be mentioned much.
One thing that I have noticed is under the sliding cover where the camera hides is a magnet for dust and dirt, and it is very hard to get this out completely. One other slight problem is a difficulty in getting the sim out, but this wouldn't happen very often. To complete my list of slight issues (these really don't impair enjoyment of the phone as a whole) is when texting with predictive text - when you spell a word wrong or write one that is not in the dictionary a warning will come up saying so, but stay there for about a second with no way to cancel it! This seems hardly worth mentioning, but over time it can become very annoying if you want to text quickly.
Overall I have really enjoyed using this phone, and after about a year of solid use the battery life remains very good and the working of the phone is as good as ever.
I chose this phone as my original (N95) had broken and 02 said they had none in stock and were going to have none in stock for a while. I was given a choice between the C902 (I had always had S E up until upgrading to the N95 or some Lg effort.
The phone arrived and I was greated with James Bond all over the box. My version is the Bond C902. Within the box was the handset, the charger, the battery, instruction manuals and software on a CD.
The phone is very thin and nice to look at. Unfortunately the screen is somewhat small to accomodate the touch sensitive buttons around the edge for operating the camera. The camera is not visible on the phone until a section of the body at the top is pulled lengthways along the phone. This I thougt, was a very nice addition.
Ease of Use:
As this phone is based on the reliable SE software, anyone who has had a SE in the recent past would be able to use the phone. The buttons are placed nicely which is great for replying to text messages quickly.
Battery Life:
As usual SE have done very well in this area. I use my phone regularly: calls, texts and internet. I manage to get away with a charge every 5th night. However, I have had this phone for just over a year now and I am having to charge every 4th night. I think if this declines anymore I will purchase a new battery.
Shamefully, the cubershot range in the C902 did not live up to expectations. I had the K800i before the N95 and this camera was fantastic. It was suitable to take on days out instead of your normal digital effort. However, I find the colour is not particularly great on this model and the camera is somewhat sluggish.
Overall, this is a very nice phone and performs basic tasks well. I like how I am not forced to delete my inbox or sent items which means I can keep every text message.
I got this phone as part of a contract with o2 just over 6 months ago after my contract with Virgin ended. I have to say what a great phone this is, and will probably keep it for a few years to come. I changed to a Motorola phone on my last contract and didn't like it at all. I will be sticking with Sony Ericsson for a long time as I never seem to have any problems whatsoever with their phones. It is a smart looking phone, not too heavy so you can just have it in your pocket, very durable, and a fantastic 5MP Camera. I have replaced my camera with this phone rather than having both, as it does just the job. The buttons are easy to use (however may be a little small if you have fatter fingers), and the screen large enough to see everything. Features such as games and face warp are great fun, and can also listen to your mp3's on there, so all in all, a great little phone. Very easy to use.
After having had a Sony Ericsson K750i for 2 years and loving it when I decided to upgrade I was keen to buy another Sony Ericsson.
I wanted a good quality camera so I went for this phone, despite it costing £200 when I bought it a year and a half ago which was more than I would have liked to spend.
+ The phone's camera is great quality and the photos come out clear and as good as can be expected from a 5MP camera. There are lots of shooting options such as macro, flash, BestPic etc. etc. and it should definately be praised for this
- However I've always found the photos to be a little on the dark side and find my self having to increase the brightness all the time which is very time consuming.
Also, it's easy to accidentally press all the touch screen options whilst taking a photo. It's so frustrating when you're trying to take a quick photo and suddenly you realise it's on self-timer now and you hear it counting down >:(
General ease of use:
As someone who is used to Sony Ericssons the phone's layout is similar to that of others and couldn't really be easier to get used to. Everything is well organised and easy to find.
I love the looks of this phone, I think it looks stylish and classy, however I guess that's a matter of opinion. Many of my friends have commented on it being heavy, but it's not a problem, just one of those things!
Overall I'd highly recommend the phone. It's great quality and has served me well for the 18 months I've had it so far. I'll definately try to get another Sony Ericsson after this and plan on keeping the phone until it dies. Despite it getting a bit older now the camera is still better tan most mobile phone cameras and it does everything I want it to do. Highly recommended!
I got this phone as part of an upgrade over 2 years ago with my contract with 3 mobile. My previous phone with 3 was also a Sony Ericsson, and was part of the K series which preceded the Sony Ericsson C902 - Cybershot phone.
When upgrading over the phone, I didn't really know what phone I was after, as I simply wanted a new free upgrade mainly because my K series phone was cracked, and damaged. I just specified that I wanted another Sony Ericsson, black in colour, and that I wanted to be able to use the internet on the new phone. With that, the guy on the phone said that there was a Sony Ericsson C902 which ticked those boxes, and so I opted for that, on the same deal (15 pound a month plus 5 pound extra for unlimited internet usage). It should be noted that this phone is also available in red, bronze and silver, if black is too plain for you.
After finishing my conversation on the phone, it suddenly dawned on me that I had no idea what this phone was, or even what it looked like!! I quickly logged on to the internet, and looked it up, and to my relief it looked very similar to the K Series phone.
A few days later the phone arrived, and I have been very pleased with it ever since, and even though my initial contract has expired, and I could request another free upgrade, I am continuing with the C902, and probably will do for at least another 6 months yet.
As mentioned above the C902 is similar looking to the K series, but it is a bit more slim-line, and so fits into your pocket easier than the chunkier predecessors.
It has a 262,144 colour TFT QVGA screen with a resolution of 240x320 pixels, which doesn't really mean anything to me, but it is a decent size in comparison to the phone, covering about 50% of the total area, and the picture is sharp and clear.
I find general navigation around the phone is very easy with simple sections for the basics like contacts folder, messages, and camera.
The camera / video camera is excellent on this phone, and just slides out of the top of the phone, which instantly lights up the blue light under the camera lens, along with the 6 blue touch screen camera option buttons on the phone front.
The camera is a 5 mega pixel type, and as such provides great quality pictures - there is no need to have a separate digital camera with this phone.
There are lots of tools, and options available on the camera including a Flash, and a Digital zoom, landscape / portrait choices, auto focus, face detection, and a self timer, along with basic features such as brightness and colour adjustments, and effects such as 'Black and White', 'Negative', 'Sepia' etc.
I use the internet on my phone a lot, mainly for sport results, email, and reading Dooyoo reviews!! The internet is simple to use, and works reasonably fast, but I do find that it flattens the battery quite quickly. For example if I am using the internet for about 90 minutes each day, I will need to charge the battery each day. Without using the internet, it can last up to 3 days.
There are also a lot of demo games on the C902, including:
Brain Challenge
Foto Quest fishing
Need for Speed
Overall I find this a very good phone, with a fantastic camera.
It is very user friendly to Navigate around the different folders, and I am happy to continue using mine for some time yet.
Thanks for reading