Dragon Go! (for iPhone)

Your iPhone already does a lot for you, but it’s not like you can just pick it up and tell it to make you dinner reservations, right? well, actually, now you can. with Dragon Go!, the new voice search app from leading speech-recognition software maker Nuance, you can turn your iOS device into your own personal secretary. Tell it to buy angry Birds, for instance, and it will. Or ask it to find you movie times. the powerful Bing (Free, 4.5 stars) or Google (Free, 4 stars) search apps already have let you search by voice for a while, but Dragon Go’s big difference is less about speech and more about how it makes use of both the built-in and some installed apps on your iPhone or iPod touch to yield results in a more useful way. But Bing does excellent voice search, too, and adds several more capabilies, boosting it past Dragon Go as our Editors’ Choice.

Setup and Interface Dragon Go! requires your device be running iOS 4 or later and have some form of network connectivity (3G, Edge, or Wi-Fi). in addition to this, it is currently limited to the iPhone 3GS ($49, 4.5 stars), iPhone 4 ($199.99, 4.5 stars), and fourth-gen iPod touch ($229, 5 stars). if your device meets these requirements, just head on over to the App Store for a free download.

Upon startup, the app takes you through a simple, five-screen tutorial. This is more than enough to give you a basic understanding of how to use the app, but you can always click on the Settings button to learn more advanced commands (more on those later).

The interface itself is almost comically simple. There’s a big red button in the center of the screen. You press it, speak you search terms, then wait a moment for your results to appear. the results page is presented in a “Carousel” layout, with seven tabs at the top of the screen. each of these tabs represents a different page for the term you searched, all customized so the results you receive fall in line with your search. for example, the first tab to open when searching for movie times is Fandango. But Fandango didn’t show up at all when I did a search for cute dog pictures. (Google Images was the first tab to open for that one, displaying a veritable bounty of adorable pups.)

There’s an additional toolbar at the bottom of the screen that allows you to move back, forward, and reload a tab, or to remove the tab view completely so there’s more room to see your search results. There’s also a popup toolbar that makes it easy to share a link via SMS, email, Facebook, or Twitter. You can also open the link in the Safari Web browser or copy it to the clipboard.

Using Dragon Go Dragon Go! offers context-aware speech-driven search, not unlike the Google and Bing search apps. But Nuance’s app brings a new design concept, the Carousel, a scrolling range of tabs for major sites where your results come from. the center button is the app’s best guess: for example, a search for “Mexican restaurant” brought up the Yelp result in the center button. Nuance uses 180 popular content providers to deliver results, including AccuWeather, Bing, ESPN, Facebook, OpenTable, Pandora, Rotten Tomatoes, Twitter, Wikipedia, Yelp, YouTube, and Yahoo.

Not only does Dragon Go show Web results, but it can also be used for voice control of standard apps and even some installed apps like Yelp’s. You can tell Go, “Driving directions to the nearest ATM” and the map app will open. by contrast, after speaking the same phrase in the Bing and Google search apps, I just got links to bank websites and ATM locater sites. (And I might note that the two ads in the Google app’s results only left room for one link, while Bing’s had no ads.) You can also use Go to start playing music either on the iPhone’s built-in iPod app or in a music app like Pandora.

Once you find the result you want, the app makes it easy to share the link to SMS, email, Facebook, or Twitter, or you can open the link in the iPhone’s Safari Web browser or copy it to the phone’s cut-and –paste clipboard. in the options menu, I linked the app to my Facebook account, okaying the usual permissions, for instant sharing to my profile. the same is available with Twitter.

Dragon Go didn’t always transcribe my words correctly: I said “make reservations at Nobu,” and it got “make reservations at knob food.” But this was the exception; Dragon was mostly spot on. Another restaurant try, though, gave me the options of seeing results on a map, with the ability to call a restaurant directly, or to make a reservation through OpenTable.

When I asked for “directions to nearest ATM” Go launched the iOS map app with the perfect help. likewise, when I said “Play Boards of Canada” a slick integrated version of the iPod app launched showing all my songs by the fabled Scottish electronic lounge duo. of course, you can also do this using iOS’s voice control, but that doesn’t work with Pandora or other music apps that Dragon may support in the future. (A Nuance representative told me, “We’ll be looking to continually expand the list of content providers and supported apps.”)

Should You Download Dragon Go!? To be sure, there’s no dearth of ways to search on your iPhone or iPod touch, but Nuance’s Dragon Go really does add a worthwhile, fingers-free option. not only is the speech recognition nearly perfect, but its use of built-in and third-party apps makes the results you get more immediately useful and actionable. that said, I still prefer Bing’s iPhone search app, which adds visual search for logos and barcodes, and social connections with Facebook and Twitter.

More iPhone App Reviews: •   Hipmunk Flight Search (for iPhone)•   Travelocity (for iPhone)•   Dragon Go! (for iPhone)•   Ask.com (for iPhone)•   Bing (for iPhone)•  more

iPhone 5 may use Bluetooth 4.0 instead of NFC

The Bluetooth standard has been around for 17 years now offering up an open wireless standard enjoyed by many phone headset wearers and laptop users. for most people it’s just another bullet point they expect to see on the feature list of their latest gadget. but Apple could be about to make it an integral part of the next iPhone, and in so doing, completely bypass the need for an NFC chip in its smartphones.

Apple became a member of the Bluetooth special interest group a few months ago and has been on board with the development of Bluetooth 4.0, It’s a significant release because it splits Bluetooth communication into two categories: Bluetooth high speed and Bluetooth low energy.

The high speed version relies on Wi-Fi allowing for high data transfer rates, but using more power. The low energy version uses the legacy Bluetooth protocols, but is meant to draw considerably less energy than previous versions of Bluetooth. Switching between the two can be done on the fly using a dual-mode chip meaning high-speed data transfers on demand with very low power usage over time.

So why is this of importance to the iPhone? The fact Apple joined the Bluetooth special interest group and pushed ahead with Bluetooth 4.0 means the company has an interest in using it. Bluetooth is also an established and cheap, secure communication solution to use that’s already installed in a lot of devices. Apple has previously stated that NFC just isn’t ready yet, meaning there isn’t a solution that fits with the strict design requirements needed to fit all the phone features in the tiny iPhone package.

Dual-mode Bluetooth 4.0 chips already exist from manufacturers including Atheros, CSR, and Texas Instruments. The cost increase over the more typical Bluetooth chips we see in today’s gadgets is thought to be negligible. There’s also a lot of experience and refinement occurred due to Bluetooth being around for so long, meaning Apple will have an easier time finding a solution that fits the phone.

All of this suggests Apple may bypass NFC completely for its next generation phone, instead offering Bluetooth as an NFC-like solution. The question is, will retailers respond by embracing Bluetooth as a payment option? Millions of iPhone 5 sales mean they more than likely will.

Read more at ITProPortal

Reviews: Uniden BTS200 Bluetooth Speakerphone + Charger

The reason we’re looking at BTS200 and xqBeats together is that they’re both designed to serve the same basic purpose at very similar price points. Each unit pairs two small speakers with a Bluetooth 2.1 wireless chip, a microphone, and a rechargeable battery. They operate wirelessly from 30-foot distances from your iOS device, and have 3.5mm aux-in ports if you prefer to use them in wired mode, assuming you self-supply the audio cable. That’s not really why they’re here, though. Uniden positions BTS200 as a wireless desktop speakerphone that can also be used on the road—and as an iPhone or iPod touch charger. unlike any similar speaker we’ve seen, BTS200’s 2950mAh battery is detachable and has its own side-mounted USB port; you can use the battery to power BTS200 for up to seven hours, recharge an iPhone nearly two times, or use both features at the same time with reduced power for each device.

Though both Uniden and Strax refer to these little speaker systems as offering “HD” audio, the truth is that neither one is particularly powerful or sonically impressive. BTS200 makes the most of a 4-Watt amplifier and twin 50mm up-firing speakers by using SRS WOW HD audio technology, which is designed to squeeze superior sonic performance out of modest audio hardware. Both systems sound pretty flat, but BTS200’s renditions of songs have a little more body and dynamic range; its speakers can also be turned up quite a bit louder than “safe for close listening,” albeit with increasing distortion. when we used BTS200 in speakerphone mode, callers told us that the microphone sounded nearly as good as the one in the iPhone 4—with extra gain but also a little clipping—but there was no question that we could hear them more clearly than through the iPhone’s bottom speaker. Pairing was also easy.

xqBeats claims to be using a more powerful 6-Watt amplifier, but in practice, its audio was quieter and less defined than BTS200’s. while the volume level was louder than the integrated speakers in iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches, the difference wasn’t as profound as with the Uniden unit, and the audio was similarly flat, with very little midrange detail and no particular advantage in treble or bass over the BTS200, either. Like BTS200, xqBeats is not capable of filling even a small room, but it is adequate for letting you hear music or phone calls considerably more loudly than through any iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad integrated speaker. on the other hand, callers complained consistently about audio issues during iPhone calls made with xqBeats, citing a persistent hum or buzz in the background and distant-sounding audio. They urged us to get off the speakerphone when we were using xqBeats, which is never a good sign.

Yet where xqBeats really fell short of BTS200 in our testing was in the interface department. Strax chose to use a capacitive touch panel for volume, track, power, and call/play/pause buttons, and “a mess” would the easiest way that we can describe the experience of using it. The buttons illuminate only briefly when the unit’s turned on, then blend invisibly into the jet black top surface, and you’ll need to fumble around a little to reactivate their red lights and see them again. Even turning xqBeats on and off was a pain; moreover, a lock switch in the back needs to be engaged so the buttons aren’t inadvertently activated in a bag. BTS200’s buttons have their own issues—there aren’t any track controls, and though you get dedicated mute and phone buttons, iPhone and iPod touch voice control isn’t obviously accessible—but at least they’re easy to see and figure out.

Despite their similar prices, the overall experiences offered by BTS200 and xqBeats are pretty different, and Uniden wins in almost every category. BTS200 isn’t a purely awesome-sounding little speaker, nor is it the littlest portable Bluetooth speaker we’ve tested, but it sells for around half the retail price of the Soundmatters foxL v2.2 and offers better functionality and performance, besides: the speakers and speakerphone functionality work well, as does the integrated portable charger. It’s good enough to merit a B+ overall rating because of the value it delivers for $120; business users and frequent travelers will find it to be a handy accessory. by comparison, xqBeats falls well short of being recommendable. It’s a sonic disappointment, particularly on the microphone side, and between its problematic microphone performance and weak touch controls, we didn’t enjoy turning it on or using it. The idea is noble and the pricing wouldn’t be offensive if it worked well, but it’s only a decent sound system for the price. xqBeats is worthy of a C-, and then only because of the clean, compact design.

TwelveSouth BookBook for iPhone: Wallet and case in one little leather-bound book

I’m always intrigued when TwelveSouth’s Andrew Green sends me an email telling me that something new is coming out. sure enough, he warned me yesterday that something very cool was in the works, and this morning an email arrived touting the new BookBook for iPhone (US$59.99). By early this afternoon the FedEx guy brought one to the door, so I was able to try it out and write a review.

If you’re familiar with the BookBook for iPad, MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, you’ll know that I’m talking about a distressed leather faux book that protects the outside of your device while looking very swanky. the new BookBook for iPhone takes care of your iPhone and also acts as a wallet, so you carry one beautiful leather case in your pocket instead of an iPhone and a wallet.

Design

like most TwelveSouth products, the BookBook for iPhone shows a lot of design smarts. I was happy to see that unlike the bigger BookBooks for iPad, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, the iPhone version doesn’t have a zipped enclosure. When I reach into my pocket to answer a phone or grab a credit card, the last thing I want to do is unzip a case — here I just pull out the BookBook and flip it open, and answer a call or grab some cash.

the distressed leather exterior of the BookBook is beautiful, and should keep you from being concerned about scratching it. any bumps, scratches, and stains will only add to the charm of the case.

If you like leather, you’ll love the smell of the BookBook when you pull it out of the box. It’s that nice tanned leather smell, and the warm distressed leather feel that make this such a delightful iPhone case.

Functionality

Concerned about taking photos in a case like this? Don’t be. With a pull on the bright red “bookmark” you can nudge the phone out just far enough to snap a quick photo and then push it back into the case. One feature that TwelveSouth doesn’t advertise is that the BookBook brings “Find My Wallet” to life, since you’d be able to ping your iPhone and know exactly where it and your money are.

you have immediate access to the Dock connector, the speakers are wide open to the world, and all of the other buttons and ports are easy to get to. for the volume toggle, there are actually + and – “buttons” embossed into the leather covering the switch.

I have a lot of cards in my wallet — mainly things like membership and “frequent flier” cards — so I was worried that the BookBook wouldn’t have the capacity for my collection of plastic and paper. I was right. I had to leave a lot of cards out of the wallet side of the BookBook, and even with eight cards (driver’s license, medical card, credit cards, ATM card, etc…) the left side of the BookBook was bulging by the time I was done. I tried to slip some money into the slot allotted for it, and found that it doing that really made the BookBook swell up.

I guess I’m one of those kids who “can’t have anything nice,” since I noticed after putting my cards into the wallet side that the seam between the leather card holders and the material lining the cash slot was pulling apart. the moral of the story? If you are going to use a BookBook for iPhone as your only wallet, don’t carry a lot of cards.

Conclusion

If you have just a few credit or ID cards to carry and don’t have a huge wad of cash in your wallet, then the BookBook for iPhone is an elegant and unique case for your phone. I love the look and feel of this, and it will certainly be a conversation starter. In fact, according to the promotional movie below, the BookBook is apparently quite useful in “getting lucky.” Enjoy the fantasy!

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Dr Mac: Longer trips mean carrying more tech support

In my last column, I talked about travel essentials — my MacBook Pro, iPad, iPhone, cables, chargers, spare batteries and a bag to carry it all in. those are things that I take on every trip, even one-nighters. but if I’m spending more than a couple of days away from home, here’s what I pack to make life just a little bit better.

First, if I’m renting a car, I bring a car USB charger. I like the ones with two USB ports like the Griffin PowerJolt Dual Micro (griffintechnology.com; $19.99), so I can charge two iPhones or an iPhone and a battery in the car.

I always carry a power strip/surge protector or two when I travel, since most hotel rooms don’t have enough wall outlets for all of my devices. Look for power strips with one or more USB ports so you can recharge your iPhone or other devices without having to use their AC power adapters.

Or, to recharge a number of USB devices at once, take a look at powered USB hubs. I bought a generic four-port model for around $20, which uses one AC outlet to recharge up to four iPhones or other devices.

Along the same lines, I like to watch movies when I’m stuck in a hotel room, so I carry a bunch of different cables that let me connect my iPad or MacBook Pro to the TV in the room. more precisely, I carry an Apple Composite AV Cable, Component AV Cable and Digital AV Adapter (apple.com; $39 each) for watching content from my iPad 2. I also carry a Moshi Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter with Audio Support (moshimonde.com; $35) in case I want to watch video from my MacBook Pro.

Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus is an authority on Mac OS X, the author of 60 books, including iPad for Dummies,Mac OS X Snow Leopard for Dummies and incredible iPhone Apps for Dummies, and a Mac consultant, troubleshooter and trainer. Visit his website at boblevitus.com; e-mail comments to .

Apple to sell contract-free, $350 iPhone, report says

Just when you thought you had enough, anotheriPhone rumor pops up.

(Credit:Josh Miller/CNET)

The latest, courtesy of a story from Boy Genius Report today, has Apple selling a contract-free, $350 iPhone 3GS for the prepaid customer segment. The report also said the next iPhone, which may or may not feature a radical design, will be coming out or announced “by the end of summer, late August-ish.”

An Apple representative wasn’t immediately available to comment on the validity of the report.

Apple has been looking at ways to expand its potential base of customers and cement its leadership role in the smartphone world. The company has already expanded its distribution with the addition of Verizon Wireless as a carrier partner. But Apple wants to go after the burgeoning prepaid market, one of the few areas of customer growth still left in the wireless industry.

The move comes as Google’sAndroid platform steadily overtakes Apple for smartphone supremacy. The free software is already used by a number of handset manufacturers, allowing it to tackle both the low and high ends of the market.

Related stories:• Rumor: Apple to bring iPhone to Sprint• iPhone rumor roundup• Survey: iPhone leads Android among new buyers

The iPhone has traditionally been considered a high-end or aspirational product. But that changed earlier this year when AT&T began selling the iPhone 3GS for $99 with a two-year contract. a contract-free version of the phone for $350 would appeal to consumers that are increasingly reluctant to commit to pricey and long-term agreements.

in addition to the lower-end iPhone 3GS and the new iPhone, Boy Genius Report said Apple will continue to sell the iPhone 4, allowing it to have a product in each customer segment.

Apple enthusiasts, however, are awaiting the next iPhone, which has seen increasing chatter recently. The latest: a translated report from Sohu.com that claims the iPhone 5 was delayed because of overheating with the A5 processor that powers the device. The International Business Times has a translated story here. The dual-core A5 chip debuted on theiPad 2, but Apple has reportedly been trying to shrink it down to fit into the much smaller iPhone.

Memopal, New iPhone, iPad, Android and BlackBerry Apps

July 19, 2011 03:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time 

Two new features: Photo Album and File Browser. to celebrate the launch, 3 year licences for the price of 1 to the first 500 new users

ROME–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Memopal memopal.com presents new mobile apps to access files on your smartphone without using your computer. Two new features: Photo Album, for viewing and organising your photographs saved on Memopal, and File Browser, for navigating directories as though you were using your computer.

Memopal has an unmissable offer to celebrate the launch of the apps: the first 500 subscriptions will receive two years free: 3 for the price of 1! go to memopal.com/iloveapp to access the offer and insert the discount code “LOVEAPP”. to activate a free 3GB Memopal account, accept this invitation apps.memopal.com/r/?UjFUbltpAWQ and you will receive 3.5 GB free instead of 3. Forever.

Android: new Memopal app for Android tablets. You can access files protected with Memopal from Samsung, Galaxy and Motorola Xoom devices, and search for documents and share them at any time. There is also an update available for the smartphone version.

BlackBerry: as of today the free Memopal for Blackberry app is available on Blackberry App World, and is compatible with OS 5 and 6.

iOS: updates are available for iPhone and iPad apps at the App Store.

Access your files with Memopal from any other smartphone by simply going to our mobile site at m.memopal.com.

About Memopal:

Memopal is an online backup and storage service that simply and intuitively organises and protects files on all your computers. why is Memopal different? Memopal adapts to the users’ needs, is multi-platform, compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android and BlackBerry applications and is easy to use. at memopal.com you can activate 3GB of free space and purchase solutions from €49 for 200GB. for further information: memopal.com

Iphone 3gs Battery Life Part 2

The actual iphone is definitely an incredible device that has totally changed the actual mobile phone business. this launched contact–display technologies as well as applications (also called apps) that provide the iphone person use of nearly every device you can possibly imagine for any mobile phone. Many of these applications, nevertheless, may take a significant cost about the iphone’s battery life. There’s something that you can do to try and enhance your own iphone’s battery life.

One. make use of your rest switch! If you have completed making use of your telephone, click on the rest switch which means that your backlight becomes away as well as stops operating lower battery life. You need to do that every time you’re carried out making use of your telephone.

Two. underneath the Configurations tabs, see your Lighting environment, minimizing this in order to regarding midway. It’s also wise to switch on the car–Lighting.

Three. Reduce using applications which use area providers, because these applications may operate your own battery lower in a higher speed. You may also switch off area providers below Configurations > Common.

Four. Reduce using 3rd party applications. Numerous applications, such as numerous games that require continuous relaxing of the iphone, may burn up via your own battery life faster compared to imaginable.

Five. Eliminate your own 3rd generation system. this is particularly essential in the event that you’re in a restricted 3rd generation system, since the support may be under appealing. whilst information may fill just a little reduced making use of your Advantage system, it’ll certainly assist protect your own battery.

Six. Switch off ‘–Fi when you’re not really utilizing it. this is simple to complete. Simply navigate to the ‘–Fi tabs below Configurations as well as transform it in order to Away.

Many of these ideas may help you in making the most of your own iphone’s battery. Nevertheless, the final as well as best approach in order to enhance your own battery life would be to buy a battery Load up. a good iphone battery load up is really a situation that 35mm slides on your telephone that is able to dual as well as multiple your own iphone’s battery, letting you appreciate all the options that come with your own iphone and never have to be worried about not having enough battery.

Emergency kit gets high-tech makeover

By Deborah Porterfield, Gannett Updated

You can update your emergency plans with the ReadyBox, a high-tech emergency supply kit. In addition to containing traditional emergency standbys, such as a flashlight and water, the kit also includes a universal phone charger powered by a hand crank. To make the kit easy to find, even when the power is out, the supplies are stored in a case that glows in the dark. Water rising? The water-resistant case is light enough to float, not sink. inside the case are sealed packs of nutrient-dense food, three one-liter boxes of water, an LED flashlight and radio, antiviral masks, medical supplies and protective thermal wraps. The kit costs $80.

Phone controls TV

Looking for yet another chore for your iPhone? The Beacon can turn your iPhone into a universal remote control. Designed to work with the iPhone, the iPad or the iPod Touch, the Beacon includes an AV remote control system from Griffin Technology and a remote control app from Dijit Media. Once the wireless system is set up, it transforms the Bluetooth signals on your mobile device to the infrared signals needed to control a TV, DVD player, media player and other AV components. using Dijit’s program guide, you can then use your device to change TV channels, lower the volume on the stereo or record a favorite show. The Beacon costs about $80.

  • MORE: 10 gadgets for tech-savvy college students

griffintechnology.com

Earbuds can handle sweat

You can work up a sweat while working out to music delivered via Pioneer’s SE-CL331 earbuds. When you’re done, you can safely rinse off any perspiration from the water-resistant earbuds. Available in pink, blue, yellow and white, the earbuds deliver bass response with 9mm drivers and have an in-ear design that minimizes outside noise. The package includes a 3.9-foot cord, a carrying pouch and four different sized ear tips. They will go on sale this summer for about $60.

pioneerelectronics.com

Bracket keeps GPS unit in place

You can put your portable GPS in its place with a Universal GPS Window Mount from Bracketron. The package consists of a Grip-iT Universal Holder with adjustable wings that hold your mobile device and a Rotating Window Mount with a 9-inch flexible arm and a 360 degree rotating head for vertical or horizontal viewing. The holder can handle a variety of different-sized devices, including GPS devices, cell phones and satellite radios. The mount, which uses a suction cup, can be removed for use in different vehicles. it costs about $30.

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Smartphone Shootout: Google Nexus S Vs. Motorola Droid 3

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Even though there are some shortcomings, such as lack of expandable memory, Google Nexus S is still quite appealing to smartphone lovers.

On the other hand, Motorola Droid 3 was released on July 7, which is a successor of the Droid 2. it comes with a 4-inch qHD display and claims to have a 30 percent faster graphics chip than its predecessor, but it also sports a larger 5-row keyboard.

Verizon that carries DROID 3 claims it is the world’s thinnest full QWERTY smartphone, and still delivers the power of a dual-core 1 GHz processor for fast multi-tasking.

Droid 3 also runs on Android 2.3 and equipped with a brilliant 4-inch qHD display, a 5-row QWERTY keyboard and 3G Mobile Hotspot capabilities, with the ability to connect up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices.

Verizon is selling Droid 3 for $199.99 with a new two-year customer agreement. Customers that purchase a DROID 3 will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan and a smartphone data package.

Here is a comparison between Google Nexus S and Motorola Droid 3:

Size: Google Nexus S is merely 0.43-inch thick and weighs about 4.55 oz. Droid 3 is 0.51-inch thick and weighs 6.49 oz.

Display: Nexus S features a super-sized 4-inch Super AMOLED display with 800×480 screen resolution. it has a slightly curved surface of what Samsung called “Contour Display”. the glass covering the display, however, has a slight curve to its exterior surface, which can fit more comfortably against your head than the typical flat display.

Droid 3 has a razor-sharp 4-inch quarter high-definition touchscreen with 960×540 screen resolution. it has Corning Gorilla glass.

Processor: the Nexus S sports a single-core 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 (Samsung Hummingbird) chipset with 512MB RAM. Droid 3 is powered by dual-core 1GHz OMAP4 chip from Texas Instruments with 512MB RAM.

Operating System: both the phones run Android 2.3 or Gingerbread juice, but Nexus S is considered to be the first phone to run Gingerbread. However, they optimize the OS with their own UI. Droid 3 ships with Motorola’s Blur UI. Instead of a custom Samsung UI overlay, Nexus S offers a pure Android experience.

Camera: Nexus S comes equipped with an 5MP rear-facing with LED flash and a VGA front-facing camera. but Droid 3 sports a 8MP camera with LED flash. Meanwhile, Droid 3 offers 1080p HD video capture capability, but Nexus S offers 720p DVD video capture capability.

Memory: Nexus S comes in 16 GB internal memory configuration. On the other hand, Droid 3 comes with 16GB on-board memory, with microSD card slot for up to an additional 32GB.

WLAN/Bluetooth/USB: the Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n DLNA is common in both the smartphones. the Bluetooth version found in Nexus S is 2.1 with EDR while Droid has 2.1 version with A2DP and EDR support. Although USB version 2.0 is featured in both the smartphones, Nexus S also has NFC hardware.

3G: Nexus S has HSDPA 7.2 Mbps and HSUPA 5.76 Mbps support, while Droid 3 supports 14.4 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 Mbps HSUPA.

Battery Backup: Nexus S comes with a battery capacity of 1500 mAh, which offers talk time of up to 14 hours in 2G and 6 hours in 3G. Meanwhile, the standby time comes around 713 hours in 2G and 427 hours in 3G. On the other hand, Droid 3 comes with a batter capacity of 1540 mAh, which offers talk time of up to 9 hours and standby time of up to 300 hours.

Pricing: Nexus S is priced at $99.99 in Best Buy Web site with two-year contract each from AT&T and T-Mobile. but with a two-year Sprint contract, you get Nexus S at $0.00 in Best Buy. On the other hand, Droid 3 is priced at $199.99 in Best Buy Web site with two-year Verizon contract.