If you trawl the blawgosphere lately you will see that two poorly concealed product releases are begging for attention like an ignored child. The Blackberry Pearl is out on T-Mobile and Rogers and has been getting good reviews as a consumer-friendly device that still has the core Crackberry features. Am I the only one who wonders why there wasn't a product tie-in with Pirates of the Caribbean II? Just askin'.

The other smartphone looking for a date is the Nokia E62, which I have talked about here before. Rogers also has the E62, the bastard North American child of the E61, first. I got to handle the E61 in Helsinki at a couple of shops, and it does have a nice look and feel, not as sexy as the Pearl, but overall better weight and feel, though it is definitely a business device. Without the WLAN or 3G, it's just doesn't seem as exciting, though.

One thing I did notice on my recent travel binge is how many Americans are carrying Treos and Blackberries abroad and in US airports. Oh, and how big the PSP and DS are outside the US as well. And how nice the handsets are once you escape the blandscape that is US mobile culture. So many flavors, so many accessories, such civilized usage patterns (Dorkbot belt clip or giant holster? Not in Europe mes amis!) On the trip back? 20-somethings with scratched-up RAZRs. So predictable.