The Nokia 7600 looks funny. Give it fins and a tail and it would look like a juvenile pomfret. It is definitely fishy to use. Mind you, this is the first WCDMA-compatible (that is 3G network capable) phone in the country.

I quote from Nokia's publicity literature: Introducing a bold icon for the age of mobility. The distinctly new-paradigm Nokia 7600 imaging phone is a synchronous blend of torqued curves and the latest technology. It's compact, futuristic, and conveniently contoured to fit your palm. Um, it still looks like a fish and I look and feel stupid holding it to my ear. Thank god, for hands-free, but Nokia has given such a length of cable that I end up looking like Inspector Gadget.

Admittedly, the phone is an easier messaging device compared to the Nokia 3650 (remember the U-shaped marvel?), but that is not saying much. Arranging the keys in two rows on either side has led to an irritatingly small '6' key and an 'accept' key, which is half the size of the 'cancel' key. I have still to figure out what the target audience for the phone is. Methinks it is targeted at six-year-olds because only they have fingers small enough to operate the phone.

That said, this phone does have a lot of nice features, a great 65 by 536 pixel screen, a music player capable of playing mp3 and AAC files, and most importantly a great camera capable of capturing images at a decent 640 by 480 resolution, as well as capturing decent quality video with sound (I'm currently making a office-video called The World's Funniest Office Movie).

However, it was while using this phone that I discovered that the mms service offered by Airtel and Hutch in Delhi, to put it bluntly, is pathetic. People with mms complain that it takes 10-15 minutes to send a message, if it is ever lucky enough to leave your outbox. The easiest method of transferring images is to hook-up the phone to your computer with the USB connector that comes with the phone.

The Nokia 7600 is a very cool toy, but that is what it is, a toy and an expensive one at that, with a retail price of Rs 26,939.

If this is 'telephonie' haute couture, I will stick to the pret range. Thankfully, Nokia still does a great job at that.

-Kushan Mitra

ATTACK OF THE FUNNY PHONES...

You have a Nokia phone that looks like a fish, one that looks like a weapon to club someone with, another which looks like an Ostrich egg and then there is the 'geometry box'-shaped Communicator. Its not just Nokia-Motorola, Siemens, and Samsung have funny looking phones as well, which range in shape and size to resemble anything from the male sex organ to Marge Simpson's hairdo.

But why the fascination with the funny shapes? Is it because somebody put a bit of LSD in the designer's morning cup of coffee? Actually, the truth is the explosion of shapes has come around, thanks to technology miniaturisation and platform sharing. Most Nokia phones have the same innards, it is only the skin that is different. A phone can actually be the size of a small wristwatch, and Reliance India Mobile is actually offering a CDMA phone in that size. The problem facing engineers now is about batteries. The moment you see innovation there, expect phones to get funnier.

But do people really like these new shapes? Well, by the number of people holding the new Nokia 6600, one would assume so. Siddhartha Basu, TV-presenter and new-convert to the 'egg', thinks the phone is 'rather handy' and has a 'nice feel' to it. And what about the 'geometry box', with the earpiece on one side and the screen on another? "It's a status symbol and it is a good phone to boot," was what Sanjeev Sharma, MD, Nokia India, once told this correspondent. No wonder he uses one.

-Kushan Mitra

HEALTH NOTES

THE PERFECT CURL

When beginners start weightlifting, they tend to focus on their biceps. The reason is simple. In our minds, muscles equal biceps. The first muscles boys in their teens try to develop are the biceps. That's probably wrong. Smart weightlifting involves developing large muscle groups like the back muscles, leg muscles, chest and shoulders first rather than 'vanity' muscles like the biceps and the triceps. Also, nearly every exercise for developing back muscles also works the biceps. So, it is actually possible to tone and strengthen your biceps by doing only workouts for your back muscles.

Still, if you're serious about sculpting your body, you can't give biceps workouts the skip. And the classic biceps exercise is the barbell curl. Nothing adds shape as this. It's a simple exercise: grab a barbell and curl your arms. But many seem to ignore proper form and, thus, lose out on the BC's full benefits. Here's a primer on doing the perfect curl:

Back: While doing barbell curls, your spine has to stay in line through the movement; if you arch backward or forward, you risk stressing your lower back and that could be bad news.

Head: Keep your head in line with your upper back. Turning your head or tilting it down can cause neck muscle injuries.

Shoulders: At the end of the curl, fists should be directly in front of the shoulders; this ensures that your upper arms are tucked tightly to your body throughout the movement.

Hands: Hold the bar with an underhand grip. Your hands should be shoulder-width apart, and your grip firm, but not too tight.

Now, for some additional tips. Do the curls from a kneeling position. This makes it more difficult to use your body momentum to curl and hence targets your biceps in isolation rather than your back. Also, change the space between your wrists. A grip few inches closer stresses the outer part of the biceps, while a wider grip stresses the inner part.

And here's a surprise fact. If you're a beginner in the gym, doing lower body exercises can help you gain upper-body strength. Legs have a lot of muscle mass and trigger a release of hormones when exercised. These hormones, in turn, lead to muscle growth throughout your body. Next time, do leg squats. They may actually help your biceps!

-Muscles Mani

FAQS ABOUT COLON CANCER

What's the net outcome of changing lifestyles in India Inc? Colon cancer. Experts would have us believe that colon cancer is on the rise in India, as in the rest of the industrialised world. And if you're one of those harried execs leading a fast-paced and punishing lifestyle, it could be time you got yourself checked, or rather, get a colonoscopy done.

Dr. Ajay Kumar, Senior Consultant Gastroenterology at New Delhi's Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, says, "Though there is no strong data available to justify a screening colonoscopy, people with family history and symptoms (below) should get themselves checked."

Symptoms: There may be symptoms like blood in stool, change in bowel habits and shape or size of stool, abdominal discomfort, unexplained anaemia, and unexplained weight loss. But beware, there may be no symptoms at all! All the more reason to get yourself checked.

Detection: Done through colonoscopy-a colonoscope is inserted into the colon via the rectum to look for abnormal growth.

Treatment: Regular cancer treatment: surgery, or at a later stage, chemotherapy. And like all cancer, early detection is key to cure.

Prevention: Eat fibre-whole grains, cereals, fruits and vegetables-and lots of it. It helps.

Passing Thought: Think diarrhoea is revolting? Think again. The bacteria that causes diarrhoea, E. Coli, may actually prevent bowel cells from turning cancerous. So next time you have the dreaded-D, thank your stars.

-Payal Sethi