Nokia have decieded that they want to release a device in unknown territory, the netbook market. Nokia have bravely entered the fiercely competitive notebook marketplace with their 3g computer called ‘The Booklet’. They are hoping their unbelievably powerful brand, and the accelerative association between cellphones and the web will put them in a good place to contend with other manufacturers such as Samsung, Acer, Toshiba, and Levono.

The notebook computer features on-board 3G, global positioning technology, and an HDMI socket for external HD video watching. Looks are definately one of the strong points, with the crystal-clear ten inch screen set in a stylish and professional case, and the battery life of twelve hrs is a real bonus for owners of the computer. There is speculation about the timing for the announcement of the Nokia Booklet, which is likely to include details about the specification and launch date. Early indications are suggesting the beginning of November.

The notebook market has grown significantly over the last couple of years, mostly due to the uptake of 3G technology; offering owners access to the net whilst on the move. It looks as if the inclusion of a 3g receiver within the device’s hardware is the way all laptops and notebook computers will be going, whereas previously, an external USB dongle has been required to supply internet to laptops on the go. There are still umpteen 3g free laptop deals available on the marketplace for savvy shoppers, where a mobile broadband contract can be bought that comes with a free laptop or notebook computer.

3g usb deals are available for people who have laptops which do not currently have on-board 3g receivers.

The Booklet should be in instant win with prospective buyers in the notebook computer market, with its awesome technology characteristics, and dazzling design. The notebook computer market looks set to carry on with it’s growth by providing affordable impressive tech features. You no longer require a home office, or a large chunky laptop to use the net in the home. People can browse the web from anywhere in the home or even the garden with ease, and they do not even need a home wireless network to be set up to do so. With a stroke of luck, we should see 3g technology being included inside most new netbooks and laptops.

Recipient of ten Academy Award nominations and winner of seven, including Best Picture, The Sting is widely lauded as one of the best films ever produced. Written by David S. Ward, whose unorthodox genius has produced such Hollywood hits as Major League (1989), King Ralph (1991), and Sleepless In Seattle (1993), The Sting boasts a superbly well-written screenplay, ripe with perfectly constructed dialogue and a plotline riddled with suspense. Directed by George Roy Hill, who previously teamed with Paul Newman and Robert Redford to produce Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969), it paints a colorful picture of 1930s Chicago. Complete with gangsters, card games, illegal gambling, sex, and murder, what else could a movie lover wish for?

The Sting follows the life of a two-bit grifter named Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford). Hooker runs small-time jobs with Luther Coleman (Robert Earl Jones) and Joe Erie (Jack Kehoe). Business is decent until they pull the con of a lifetime on a greedy numbers runner. Hoping for a few dollars, they end making off with several thousand. But Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw), the organized crime boss whose money they stole, places a hit on all three men that results in Luther’s death. Caught in the crosshairs of dirty cop Lt. William Snyder (Charles Durning) and a mysterious hit man (Dimitra Arliss), Johnny follows the advice of his dead mentor and contacts the best conman in the world, Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman), in hopes of becoming his understudy.

Gondorff promises to pull “the big con” (the ultimate score for con artists), and to sweeten the pot, he promises to make the mark Doyle Lonnegan himself. Gathering a star-studded team of con artists, pick-pockets, and grifters, Gondorff and Hooker set out to take Lonnegan for millions. Together, they set up a rival gambling operation in Chicago under the names of Shaw and Kelley. Hooker (a.k.a. Kelley) endears himself to Lonnegan so as to win over the gangster’s trust. Convincing Lonnegan he has friend at the Western Union who can telegraph winning horses moments before a race is reported, Hooker gets Lonnegan to place a series of winning bets at Gondorff’s gambling parlor. Under the impression Kelley’s goal is to break Shaw (a.k.a. Gondorff) and take over his establishment, the two agree to one last bet, with Lonnegan set to place a million dollars of his own money on the line. It’s a bet Gondorff and Hooker intend for Lonnegan to lose… But one problem remains. The FBI is hot on the trail of Gondorff, and they’re determined to break his operation at any cost…

Far ahead of its time, The Sting redefined the Hollywood plot twist with its ingenious organization of multiple subplots. Newman is masterful as the veteran cheat Henry Gondorff, and it’s well worth watching the entire film just to see the scene where he out-cheats the ultimate cheat at cards. With a parade of eccentric characters, well-developed sinister figures, and clever exchanges of dialogue, The Sting isn’t your typical sensationalistic Hollywood potboiler. Like a great novel, the film takes some time to establish its characters and develop its plotline. Patient viewers will be well-rewarded…

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of The Sting (DVD).