Gizmo

By Andy Walker, Cyberwalker Media Syndicate

One of the charms of the Nokia 3390 is its size and customizable aesthetics.

Women especially seem to be charmed by the little cellular phone, which measures about 4.5 x 2 x .0.5 inches.

"Oh I love your phone," said a check-in agent at New York City's Newark airport recently. "It's so small."

The 4.8 oz phone was adorned in a banana coloured front and back plate, dubbed Sahara yellow by Nokia. The snap-on shell comes in six styles.

Beyond the aesthetics, the phone is quite a piece of technology. It offers excellent audio that is crisp and easy to use even in the noisiest street.

Plus it has the ability to download or create your own ring tones.

It also can receive and send mobile text messages and even has a currency converter and calculator built in. There are several onboard games, some of which work with the vibration ring mode, to add a new dimension to game play.

The only quirky problem with the gadget is what's called a "soft" key. It's a button that changes function based on the command that appears on the screen above it.

If you let you finger memorize buttons and their location on a device, this will frustrate you, as you have to look before you push.

For the most part, this phone is a charmer and will be hard to resist if you want a small, feature-packed communicator.

Price: In Canada, $50 Cdn to $150 Cdn depending on airtime package. In the U.S., $69.99 US to $99.99 US, depending on airtime package.
More info: http://www.nokia.com
Buy it: In Canada through Fido dealers. In the U.S., through Voicestream dealer such as Amazon.com