Nokia Handphone

Hp Nokia - Global vendors are eagerly awaiting the upcoming 3G network deployment opportunity in India. But it appears that Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) had a competitive foresight which saw the company setting up a manufacturing facility in India way back in 2008 and which is now ready to serve the 3G demand from Indian operators. Kanika Atri, Head of Marketing & Communications – India Region at Nokia Siemens Networks speaks to TelecomTiger on NSN India’s 3G preparedness.

Nokia - Ans: NSN does not disclose factory capacity, but we can confidently share that the Chennai facility has enough capacity to meet 100% of 3G equipment demand by all future Indian 3G operators. The facility is already producing 3G equipment and is also exporting to APAC region and even Europe. The choice of India to set up this manufacturing facility has been obvious. India is not just a high-growth telecommunications market, but also an innovation hub. Setting up manufacturing operations here has helped us enhance customer proximity and focus. We can now cater to the local demand more effectively with shorter time to market, improved delivery reliability, enhanced flexibility and reduced costs.

Nokia Siemens Networks inaugurated the Chennai facility for the manufacture and distribution of mobile communications infrastructure in 2008 with a USD 70 million investment spread over three years.

Q2) Apart from India which are the other markets you intend to serve through this facility?

Ans: The factory’s production will cater to domestic, as well as global markets such as APAC & Europe; however, the demands of the Indian market will be given priority in the manufacturing decisions Q3) Even with the setting up of local manufacturing facility, the threat from Chinese vendors still persists on the price front. How do you view this scenario especially considering that price is an important consideration in the decision-making process of Indian operators?

Ans: We believe that our true global and customer driven supply chain, with sourcing, manufacturing and distribution close to our customers in both mature and growth markets is a clear competitive advantage. Wherever our customers are, we can ensure short lead times, delivery reliability, flexibility and low cost. Our fully integrated, modular and lean delivery processes also give us the flexibility needed to quickly deliver not only hardware, but also software, services and solutions. So, our competitive advantage is not only cost based but value based, and our customers choose us due to our highest value of ownership of technology. We are highly competitive with our offerings right from manufacturing to deployment to maintenance, as we focus on building end to end efficiency and delivering superior customer experience for all our solutions and services.

Q4) Do you intend to cater to TD-LTE market in India as well through this facility?

Ans: The 3G base stations manufactured by Nokia Siemens Networks in Chennai are already LTE-ready. They can support LTE with a software upgrade; providing a convenient upgrade roadmap to operators.

Space Astrology

Primbon - Aries: Happy April Fool’s Day! Resist the temptation to think that you don’t know how to play the mediator. Take a page from your opposite sign of Libra, get out of yourself and imagine reality from another’s perspective. Act and initiate from the mantle of peacemaker. With the Moon (and She has been known to incite fools, La Luna, the lunatic) moving through the area of interpersonal relationships until Wednesday, April 7, make sure that you’re not being played for a fool by those closest to you. It happens when their eyes start to glaze over as you make yet another rant. Self-centered is one thing; selfishness is a whole other thing. Don’t be an old fool out of misplaced.

Taurus: There’s no fool like an old fool, and here’s how you’ve been foolish: You can be all mouth, tongue and lips with no ears. You are the practical joker of the zodiac (along with Sagittarius). Through being an old intractable fool, you can make silent enemies, when actually you’re very laid back and charming. Lately, you’ve been seeing family members all around you, like the young boy in "The Sixth Sense" who quipped, “I see dead people." You’ve been perceiving the qualities of Mommy and Daddy everywhere you place your psychological gaze. Karma, a.k.a. issues, brings up repeatedly what you have been suppressing. It’d be exceptionally foolish for you to ignore messages from those who remind you of those past. Time for emotional housecleaning, all jokes aside. Take a page out of the Scorpio (your opposite sign) book, look for the underlying motivations of those who annoy you, no matter how small the infraction.

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Gemini: You’d be the oldest fool if you ignore the messages from your subconscious. Mercury, your guardian, moves into Taurus until June 10. Prepare for your logical mind to seem like it is playing tricks on you. This happens to get you beyond your preconceived notions regarding how you think or feel life should be. It is as if your left hemisphere does not know what your right hemisphere is doing (because it doesn't). Coming out of imbalance of either extreme, logic or feeling, mixes up your messages. Don’t assume facts to fit your beliefs. Don’t let your feelings cloud your naturally objective judgment. Mercury is the original fool in the pantheon. That’s why you must check the facts and analyze the motivations behind your emotions, or you‘ll be the aforementioned old fool.

Cancer: Believing that you are only the sum total of your professional reputation makes you an old fool. Part of this day’s light-hearted shenanigans demands you keep to the personal touch and leave the cutthroat activities to those who are primed to behave in this manner. My grandmother used to call it "home training," her version of good manners. April Fools Day symbolizes your liberty to live how you want to live, regardless of detractors. You’ll be that old fool if you believe the physical world of 5 senses is the only world there is. Break with your patterns that overly serve us, but do not serve you. Too much home training suppresses your wild and crazy self. Allow yourself to have one less person or thing or place to take care of. Less nouns and more verbs, ok? Moon someone, especially on April 2.

Leo: You become the old fool based on your desire to control, plan and strategize. Come to an understanding that your sunny disposition lights in as your gift to the rest of us. Reclusive dressing may be a term that medics used, but for you it means showing up in a bit of a disguised individual. All that you see does not have to be outwardly expressed. Old fools have visceral memories of real surrender. Or at least they should have, idealism and all. When you move toward cynicism, you place yourself as the King in The Emperor’s New Clothes. In effect, you lose your child, and that is the most singularly foolish act you can do. The friendly skies are exceptionally so for you. If anything, you’d have character flaw from everyone saying "yes." Spoiled; no, indulged; yes.

Virgo: Refusing to sense that there’s total love existing from spirit and emanating from your soul adds age to your fool reality. To continue to accept that your past does not effect your imagination comprises an almost total folly. Doesn't your future deserve better than this? As “I analyze” is your key phrase, you have to know you can express yourself in a way-too-subtle fashion. Those Tea Party gene pool folk just won‘t get your synthesizing ways. Please resist the temptation to be seen as foolishly dumb by going along with narrow-minded ninnies or nincompoops. And, if your good girl clashes with your bad girl, just know who is who, ok?

Libra: Opposite sex making out creates the atmosphere of your old foolish nature. All Fools Day, circa 1592 France and Taily Day (April 2) exhibiting your exposed backside wanting to be kicked may be what you live for. Realize that you have an homoerotic subtext in your nature. Basically, it is not about genitalia, I’m speaking to the energies exchanged. There is no lovers beware; there is mostly love be aware. Acknowledge your innate powers to ascertain what a peer needs, and only then, take it under advisement of how to fulfill said needs. Hello, only fools fall in love. Asses are optional, in other words, you can show your love without showing your bee-hind. At the end of all life, fools defy will, no matter they be old or young fools, because will determines the perspective of age.

Scorpio: Being afraid of death is a foolish feeling. Generally, women fear death less than men because of the biological imperative of giving life. Men, well, our creative energies are more abstractedly focused. Of course, we want to believe that the 21st century will shift gender roles and biological clocks. However, this All Fool’s Day, take a page out of compatible Cancer’s message and moon someone. If you don’t feel you can do what I’ve suggested from integrity, think how you can contemplate why God protects babies and fools? Keeping your enlarged mind from calculation magnetizes angels, fairies and mermaids. Know this, for sure. Give yourself 6 weeks, then observe splendor from enriched realities. I be guaranteeing it, foolishly speaking or not...

Sagittarius: Oh, please, you live to be an old fool, or a free unmarried person. C’mon, by the time your soul’s evolution reaches the 9th sign of the zodiac, you need to be transcending some of those presumed gender roles. Bachelors don’t have to be gay; women who choose to remain unencumbered don’t either. Making unauthorized right-brained leaps keeps you in the same segregated categories, burned out, fringed out and strung out. Instead ask yourself, “Why do fools fall in love?” And, more importantly, “Are you easy to love?” Fools are easy to love because they stay centered on the present moment. No worries, no expectations, no obstructions to loving energies. That’s you when you don’t make more of what you really know and feel.

Capricorn: You can be like the people of ancient Troy who did not heed Cassandra’s prophecy. She had an nonreturnable gift from Apollo, she could see the future, but had a curse where no one would believe her. You can be a fool through conforming, so you tell no one what you see for fear of "rocking the boat." Whether you say something to us or not, please, baby, please, be honest with yourself. Speak to those whom you trust, even if it’s only to whom is printed on the dollar. Your ruler, Saturn, is moving backwards from incompatible Libra to supportive Virgo on April 7. You have been given almost four months to repeal mistakes made through "going along to get along." To ignore your vision (or your personal needs) creates a self-fulfilling prophecy labeled folly and loneliness.

Aquarius: Seriously, you can take the world too seriously. You can be foolish only when you have innocence. Looking too much to what could go wrong keeps you an old mental codger or crabby cat lady. You are a diamond in the rough. Fools like you push boundaries. Fools call out taboos. You’d have to have an pure vision without an agenda of action to not get caught in the heavy net of being used. Intimacy must accompany foolishness like Tanto and The Lone Ranger, or Louise does Thelma. Stand by your person(s).

Pisces: Too much drama based on exceptional criticism comprises your basic problem. You are seeing the contrasts between the extremes just a bit too starkly. Yours is a compassionate sign, and must heed the middle feeling ground based on planetary transcendent truths. To get locked in a visionary polarity without considering the other pole causes your voice to become shrill or rough. When we do not grant you an audience, you play the role of the unwelcome fool. Reframe your critiques. Know your mediating point, and watch your support increase. Who knows, maybe, just maybe, you are primed to create additional income streams, as long as your potentially foolish soul does not become the Devil’s fool.

Recipe Inspirations ‎

Vegetarian Recipes Easy - I will admit that I selected this recipe packet because it appeared to be the simplest, with the fewest ingredients: 6 chicken thighs, 1 1 / 2 pounds small red potatoes, salt and olive oil. The measured amounts of paprika, crushed rosemary leaves, minced garlic and ground black pepper were provided.

Vegetarian Recipes - Preparation was simple as well. Mix the oil, spices and salt in a large bowl. Cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Add the chicken and potatoes to the bowl and toss them to coat well (that was the really fun part). Then spread the chicken and potatoes in a baking pan (lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray) and bake for 30 minutes at 425 degrees. Couldn't be much easier than that!

The resulting dish was tasty and well-seasoned, but not overwhelming.

Some meals I've made with prepackaged seasoning mixes come out too powerful, but this was just right. As a bonus, it did fill the kitchen - actually, the whole house - with a tantalizing aroma while baking.

With their ease of use, these packets of premeasured spices would be very convenient for those who are not inclined to follow recipes from books or magazines or who do not already have a well-stocked spice rack. And you don't have to guess at which seasonings or how much to use; although the premeasured amounts here could limit you somewhat if you needed to prepare a significantly larger dinner than what's indicated.

One negative factor in this age of environmental awareness: Each of the seasonings is packaged in a separate plastic cube, all of which are contained in the overall plastic packaging. It may not be a large amount of packaging, but it's certainly more than if you simply measured your own seasonings from bulk containers.

Phil Schwartz can be reached at pschwartz@ southtownstar.com

Quesadilla casserole

Dinner took six cans, a packet of cheese, one onion, 12 corn tortillas and five pre-measured spices.

All that was soiled in the process was one pan, one baking dish and a spatula.

Although it was easy and tasty, the quesadilla casserole wasn't something I'd typically make.

For one, there was a lack of fresh produce. The only fresh ingredient the recipe called for was onion - otherwise, I just opened cans of tomato sauce, corn, chilies and beans and tossed in cheese.

The recipe did call for ground beef, but I'm a vegetarian so I substituted it with another can of black beans.

I ended up adding fresh avocado to the meal when I served it.

Although it was a bit sad to just plop out a bunch of canned goods, the results were delicious.

I can see why, after a long day, a family would be inclined to whip this meal up.

It's quick, it tastes good, there's little mess and it didn't cost a lot of money.

Plus, the premeasured spices means you don't have to have a lot of jars filling your pantry - after all, how often do you typically use most of those spices?

In the end though, maybe the way to strike a balance, and have more fresh food with dinner, would be to add a salad to the meal.

Becky Schlikerman can be reached at bschlikerman@southtownstar.com

Shrimp and Pasta Primavera

The good people at McCormick have come up with an easy way to try new recipes without spending a fortune on spices. Their new line of "Recipe Inspirations" include all the spices you will need making them very "cook-and-budget-friendly."

My husband and I sampled the Shrimp and Pasta Primavera on a recent Sunday night. A quick stop at the store for the four ingredients I did not have on hand and I was ready to cook.

The recipe was easy to follow and came out absolutely delicious. We both agreed that the spice freshness added to the great flavor. I made the recipe as directed with the shrimp, but to make it less of a budget-buster you could opt for simple pasta primavera (omitting the shrimp) and it would still be a great dish.

Sandra Sempowicz can be reached at ssempowicz@southtownstar.com

Garlic Lime Chicken Fajitas

The timing of the arrival of this new product by McCormick was perfect. I had just spent a day cleaning out outdated spices. (I honestly couldn't believe how many of my spices were old. Not just old, some were ancient when I checked the dates on the ones in the back row.)

I gleefully snatched up the garlic lime chicken fajitas package since I had all of the ingredients except for the spices. The recipe card was extremely easy to follow and the fajitas, well, they weren't just good, they were great, great as in I would serve them to guests great.

I like this concept by McCormick for a few reasons: Cost - you can try spices to see if you like them before buying a larger container. Ease/convenience - if you're running to store after work you don't have to try to remember if you have all of "those" spices at home to make a certain dish and perhaps even pick up a new recipe. And, health - If you wanted to try a dish but someone in the family has allergies to a certain spice it could easily be omitted from their portion or the entire dish as each spice is in a separate compartment in the package.

Jeannie Kadner can be reached at jkadner@southtownstar.com

Spanish Chicken Skillet

The recipe was straight-forward and amounted to a very tasty and flavorful dish. I liked the addition of crushed red pepper, but I thought it was good they warned it was optional for those who don't do spice. The one glaring ingredient that was never mentioned was salt, and when I did a final taste test, it need some pretty generous salting. In this case, I would have included salt along the way--in the flour mixture that coated the chicken and then to the pepper and onion when saut--ing those.

I added some yellow rice as a side dish, which went well with the chicken, I thought. You could eat the chicken on its own, of course, but since the dish ends up as chicken in a sauce, it's sort of calling for a starch of some kind. Potatoes, rice, even pasta-anything would work.

I was pretty surprised at how flavorful the dish was. It even passed the husband taste test, and he's got a better palette than I do. I'd say that I'd prefer to just buy the spices in a full jar than depend on these packets. Buying the whole jars seems more economical.

Maura Possley can be reached at mpossley@southtownstar.com

Apple and Sage Pork Chops

McCormick has a way of simplifying things. The Recipe Inspirations instructions are clear and easy-to-follow. The spices are neatly packaged in tiny plastic containers.

But does all that ensure a great tasting meal?

Turns out, yes.

My pork chops, which had been spiced and browned and then sauteed in chopped onions and apple slices, were moist and tasty. Even my daughters, who don't eat much meat, liked them, although the oldest said she was more impressed by the apples.

I must say I initially wondered if separating all the spices into their own bins wasn't excess packaging. Why not just combine them all into one pocket?

I was also reluctant to use dried, minced garlic. I prefer fresh.

On the other hand, what a wonderful introduction to the world of spices - for college kids, newlyweds or anyone just now deciding to cook more from scratch.

Tiger Woods in contention at the Masters

Tiger Woods Scandals -  has himself right where he wants to be, in contention at the Masters after two rounds. Woods followed up his first round 68 with a second round 70 in more difficult conditions at Augusta National Golf Club. At 6-under, he's in a five-way tie for third place, two shots behind a pair of Brits, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter, both at 8-under.

Had Phil Mickelson not lipped out a long putt on the 18th green, he and Tiger Woods would have been paired together in tomorrow's third round. As it is, they are tied.

"It feels good. It feels really good," Woods said about being in the mix in his first tournament after a five-month layoff. "I usually put myself in contention most of the time most years here, and this year I'm right there. We've got 36 more holes and I'm sure the golf course, they are not going to make it easy for us. They made it easy on the first day for us and today was certainly much more difficult."

On a day where the wind switched directions, making the par five holes more difficult, Woods continued his assault on them, with birdies on three of the four, putting him 7-under for the week on them. Thursday, he eagled two of the par fives.

On the 13th hole Friday, he laid up. On the 15th, he made a 15-foot birdie putt after getting a bit fortunate on a difficult chip shot.

"I had 218 front and obviously I could get there with a 5‑wood but the wind was all over the place, and it makes no sense to go for it," he said, explaining his strategy on 13. "So I laid up to the right, make sure I had an angle down to the flag, and I had 61 to the hole and was too conservative on the pitch. If I lined it anywhere near the flags it would probably hop over the back, so consequently I kind of eased up on it too much and ended up short."

Still, he made the 20-footer.

"Then 15 was an interesting little pitch I had there," he said. "I had to line it over the sprinkler (head) but short of the green."

The ball landed an inch past the sprinkler head and Woods was lucky it got onto the green. He made the 15-footer.

Woods has makeable birdie putts on 16 and 17 after he threaded a 9-iron shot through the trees to the green, but missed them both.

"I felt more comfortable because I was hitting the ball better and I was putting better, even though I didn't shoot as low a score," he said. "I think that's a factor of the conditions. But I feel like I had more control of the golf ball today from tee-to-green and I hit putts right on my lines. That's something I wasn't doing yesterday."

Girl With The Dragon Tattoo takes £375000

Zodiak Entertainment Distribution's film The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, launched in the UK on 12 March and distributed by Momentum to 113 screens throughout the UK took more than £375,000 (400,000 euros) in its first weekend. This figure lifts the film above other highly successful foreign language launches such as Motorcycle Diaries and Let The Right One In. The feature film also known as Men Who Hate Women has now sold to more than 50 countries and has grossed a total of more than €62.7 million internationally.

The third film in the trilogy The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, also opened in Spanish cinemas on 12 March to similar success. Distributed across Spain by Vertigo, the movie took more than €260,000 in its opening weekend. Box office receipts for all three films in the Millennium trilogy have so far reaped in excess of €117.5 million worldwide.

Millennium is produced by Yellow Bird (a Ramalan Zodiak Entertainment company) a Sweden-based production company which acquired the rights to adapt the complete Stieg Larsson book trilogy before it was published. Worldwide distribution is handled by Zodiak Entertainment Distribution.

Zodiak Entertainment Distribution scripted sales director Emmanuelle Bouilhaguet said, "Yet again Millennium has delivered to brand new cinema audiences. The success of the film in the UK, historically a very tough market for foreign films to crack, makes us all the more proud of this amazing product in the Zodiak Entertainment Distribution portfolio. We are extremely pleased that our international movie phenomenon continues to appeal throughout Europe and beyond."

Zodiak Entertainment head Distribution Marco Cordeddu added, "The success of the Millennium trilogy is part of the wider global success of the entire Zodiak Entertainment Distribution portfolio including brands such as Gormiti, Amazing spies, Wallander, Saint Tropez and The Guillotine."

Kesenian Tradisional

Zodiak - Kesenian tradisional Kabapaten Purbalingga, Jawa Tengah, akan digelar di Anjungan Jawa Tengah Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII), Minggu (4/4) mulai pukul 09:00. Di antaranya, Kesenian Campursari Calung Banyumasan, Tari Lengger, Tari Kuda Lumping, dan Tarian Ngoser. Tari Ngoser terkenal karena gerakan pinggang yang memutar atau menyamping sampai menyentuh tanah.

“Primbon Kesenian daerah perlu dilestarikan karena merupakan hasil budaya nenek moyang. Kalau bukan kita siapa lagi yang akan melestarikannya. Jangan sampai budaya kita diklaim bangsa lain,” kata Juli, Staf Humas Anjungan Jateng.

Pasar merupakan pusat transaksi ekonomi, perdagangan & komunikasi antar masyarakat yang sudah ada & menjadi kebutuhan sehari-hari sejak zaman dahulu.

Selama ini Pasar tradisional selalu identik dengan kesan semrawut, kotor dan kumuh & tidak aman sehingga sebagian anggota masyarakat lebih memilih berbelanja di Mall yang dikenal sebagai pusat perbelanjaan yang bersih, berpendingin udara, mewah tetapi dengan harga jual barang yang jauh lebih mahal serta tidak terdapat pengalaman tawar menawar antara penjual & pembeli.

Saat ini sudah hadir Pasar Segar yang merupakan merek dagang (trade mark) pasar modern yang dikembangkan oleh BSA Land yaitu konsep Pasar tradisional yang dimordenisasi & dikelola secara profesional dimana barang-barang yang diperdagangkan terjamin kesegarannya (fresh from the farm),  bangunan yang modern & tertata rapi, suasana pasar yang bersih & nyaman, serta keamanan pedagang & pembeli yang terjamin 24 jam.

"Sampai dengan Agustus 2009 sudah dua proyek Pasar Segar yang di-launching. Pertama, Pasar Segar Depok di Jl Tole Iskandar, Depok (Jawa Barat), pada bulan Maret, dan kedua, Pasar Segar Bintaro-Serpong, di perumahan Graha Raya, Tangerang (Banten), pada bulan Juli 2009," Ujar Steven, Staff Manager Pasar Segar kepada Rakyat Merdeka Online, di Kantor Pasar Segar, Ruko Madrid, Bumi Serpong Damai.

Selain terdapat Ruko, Kios & Lapak (tempat penjualan sayur mayur, daging, ikan & kebutuhan pangan lainnya) dan area parkir yang luas & memadai, PASAR SEGAR dilengkapi pula dengan Escalator (untuk bangunan pasar 2 lantai), tempat pemotongan unggas, ATM Center, Security 24 jam & area wisata kuliner yang disebut sebagai Plaza Café.

"Di setiap kompleks bangunan Pasar Segar selalu terdapat minimal sepuluh pintu akses keluar & masuk pasar & diharapkan semua tempat baik Ruko, Kios maupun Lapak akan menjadi tempat dagangan yang strategis," tambah Steven.

Kios & Ruko Pasar Segar sangat cepat penjualannya baik sebagai tempat berbisnis yang menguntungkan juga sebagai komoditi investasi yang sangat prospektif. Hal tersebut  dikarenakan selain Developer selalu memilih lokasi yang sangat strategis (harus selalu dilalui kendaraan umum, dikelilingi banyak perumahan padat penduduk kelas menengah atas & disekitarnya masih minim fasilitas pasar sebagai tempat belanja atau bahkan belum ada fasilitas tempat belanja sejenis).

Sebagai persiapan operasional Pasar Segar, BSA Land sudah menyiapkan divisi pengelolaan. Divisi Pengelolaan ini memiliki tugas sangat strategis. Pada saat persiapan, menyeleksi para pedagang yang akan menyewa lapak, memberikan arahan kepada para pedagang bagaimana melayani pembeli, cara memajang barang dagangan yang dipasarkan agar menarik pembeli, serta bagaimana mengelola sayur mayur, ikan & daging agar kesegarannya tetap terjaga, dan sebagainya. Kemudian pada saat sudah beroperasi, mengelola pasar agar terus terjaga kebersihan, keamanan, ketertiban, dan kenyamanannya. Dengan demikian pengunjung akan merasa senang berbelanja dan pasar semakin ramai.

Sony Ericsson Vivaz

Sony Ericsson Vivaz - The Sony Ericsson Vivaz, the successor to the somewhat hobbled Satio, has landed. Is this slice of Symbian S60 smartness worth signing away your life for? Or should you plump for something a tad more trendy? Read our definitive Sony Ericsson Vivaz review and we’ll tell all.

There’s no denying that the Sony Ericsson Vivaz is a looker. This is unarguably the hottest handset we’ve ever fondled from Sony Ericsson. Its tapered edges and slimline frame mean it sits comfortably in the hand and doesn’t suffer from the bulge which some smartphones suffer. Admittedly the plastic body does feel a tad cheap in comparison with the latest HTC Legend, but then pretty much everything does, so we’re willing to cut the Vivaz some slack.

Although this is a smartie in the Symbian S60 mould, the Vivaz also stakes its reputation on its media skills. Namely, its camera and video recording. The 12 megapixel sensor from the Satio has been eased back to a mere 8.1MP. That hardly makes a difference here though, with shots emerging crisp and clean and the snapper working surprisingly well for us in low light, despite the phone only packing an LED light for the wee hours.

The dedicated stills button on the Vivaz’s side is separate from the video knob, which avoids any confusion when you’re trying to bust out the Vivaz’s imaging skills in a hurry. The camera itself follows the trusted system of older Sony Ericsson phones, with one touch access to different modes, direct uploading to the web and of course, face detection. The latter we found to be occasionally wonky, failng to pick up the mugs of our mates when we pointed the cam in their direction. It’s neat, but not wholly reliable.

The aforementioned video button lets you duck straight into the HD video recording function too, and when working as a video camera, the Vivaz is a peach. With continuous focus and direct YouTube uploading, the Vivaz really does steal the limelight from other HD cams, phones or otherwise. For an in-depth look, check out our Vivaz camera and HD video review.

Although the camera really does set the Sony Ericsson Vivaz apart, the phone itself suffers nasty hangovers from the Satio days. The resistive touchscreen is, quite frankly, awful. It’s often necessary to stab at it at least twice in order to register your prods and dive into menus. And then there’s the onscreen keyboard.

Try as we might, it was nigh on impossible to get up to any kind of speed with it. You need to press down so hard to register a keystroke you fear the screen itself is about to snap.

We don’t have such harsh words for Symbian S60. While it remains at the back of the pack when it comes to smartphone OSes, scooting round menus is nice and straightforward and anyone who’s used Symbian before will easily find their way around the Vivaz. Read our Sony Ericsson Vivaz S60 and apps review for more details.

The Vivaz uses the same skin as the Satio, which can lead to plenty of confusion. The five different homescreens, with access to Twitter, favourite contacts, widgets, favourite apps and your photo reel is neat, but it’s let down by the poor touchscreen which makes it tough to flick through each one. Frequently you’ll find yourself heading into menus and apps you just didn’t want to select.

There are also some minor quibbles with the build quality of the Vivaz. The inclusion of a 3.5mm headphone jack is welcome, but the tapered ends mean it’s on the side, making it uncomfortable to plug in a pair of cans and stick the Vivaz in your pocket. The lack of a lens cover means we’re also fearful that scratches and scrapes will mar that lovely peeper.

The Sony Ericsson Vivaz is undoubtedly a decent camera phone, with superb HD video skills. But as the Sony Ericsson X10 approaches and a raft of brilliant new smartphones, with decent touchscreens and better interfaces hit the shelves, it feels more than a little dated.