GadgetMETER - Meet The Coolest Trends » Cell Phone

iPhone 4S Introduces iOS 5

halo — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 23:02:01 +0000

iPhone 4S Introduces iOS 5

iOS 5, which now can be downloaded on the iPhone 3GS and above, is certainly an integral part of the Apple operating system family and of central importance to the success of the new iPhone 4S phone deals.

This new operating system has a number of features that were not found on earlier versions. With little changing cosmetically on the iPhone 4S we will need to take a look at the new iOS 5 features to see what the iPhone 4S really has to offer.

iCloud

iCloud is an ingenious and ultra useful and well thought out service from Apple. The new cloud feature allows you access to your whole iTunes library on your device anywhere you want, once you have an internet connection. Unlike traditional Cloud services you won’t even have to upload the tracks. Apple has set the iCloud up in such a way that it stores the iTunes track IDs you have and then allows you access to them straight from the library on iCloud.

iMessages

Just like with the blackberry, Apple has included a free messaging service between all the different Apple devices. This will be a huge bonus for the company in the younger market who now won’t have to pay for the messages to their friends with the new app.

Notifications

The new notification section on the device is well thought out and homage to the way it is done on Android. Instead of the message system, Apple has included a drop down notification menu with all the information and changes on the device in one place – a huge help and a lot tidier.

Camera

It is also now possible to access the camera on the phone straight from the lock menu. This is a nice addition and means you don’t have to shuffle through unnecessary menus. If you’re someone who takes spontaneous photos this will be of huge help and will allow you a lot more freedom on the device.

iOS 5 also adds many new software features to the iPhone’s camera bringing it more in to line with competitors. This includes various effects that can be added to photos, and for the first time the iPhone comes with built in face detection.

Siri

The new voice control feature on the iPhone has gotten a lot of press, mainly because of the answers it gives to silly questions. However, its uses are more integrated than that and it works brilliantly with all the iPhone apps on the device.

This new integrated system can be used to keep your diary, voice dialling, sending messages and also a number of other features. It is also able to adapt to accents and learns as it goes, meaning it won’t be so likely to miscomprehend you as other voice control systems.

While most of the new iOS features are available to older devices making the upgrade, Siri is the one feature that is limited to just iPhone 4S use. Apple claim this is because only the iPhone 4S has the processing power to cope with it. Obviously this is not true because prior to Apple’s purchase of Siri it was available on other iOS devices as well.

This is no longer so. Although the iPad surely has the technical power to deal with Siri, and even though some diehard Siri enthusiasts have already managed to create a hacked version of Siri for jailbroken iPads and iPhones, Siri still will not work. This is because all of your voice commands and questions are fed through a central Apple system, rather than being managed directly from your iPhone 4S. Because of this, if you truly wish to enjoy the wonders that Siri brings – you will only be able to do so by purchasing a new iPhone 4S contract.

Trent iCruiser IMP1000 External Battery Pack iPad 2

halo — Tue, 17 May 2011 14:43:29 +0000

Trent iCruiser IMP1000 External Battery Pack iPad 2

Is 12 hour battery life not long enough for your iPad 2? then you need to get the Trent iCruiser IMP1000 External Battery Pack for iPad 2, iPad, iPhone 4 4G 3Gs 3G (AT&T and verizon) , iPod Touch (1G 2G 3G 4G), HTC Android EVO, Blackberry, Kindle DX, Samsung Galaxy S, Droid, Nintendo, Sony PSP and much more.

Never let your smart phones or tablet PCs run out of battery with this extra battery pack.

The design is compact and portable for the long-lasting backup battery for you to carry whatever you need to go. It can get you an extra 50 hours of iPhone 4 usage and 17 hours of iPad 2 movie time. This backup battery pack will work with almost every device in the market, such as your iPhone 4 4G 3Gs 3G (Verizon and AT&T), and 1G 2G 3G 4G iPod Touch, Motorola Droid, HTC Android EVO phones and Amazon Kindle DX, Samsung galaxy. IMP1000 can also power Sony PSP and Nintendo DS lite, DSi and Gameboy with additional adapters. Includes 6 month product warranty.

How To Convert iPod Touch to iPhone

Quang Ly — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 18:17:49 +0000

How To Convert iPod Touch to iPhone

Exciting news for Apple fans as the Apple Peel 520 is rumoured to be coming to the US. The handy peripheral will allow consumers who have shelled out hundreds of pounds on an iPod to convert their favourite musical device into a fully functioning phone. It will also save space in your handbag or pocket.

Designed like a protective case, the Apple Peel 520 comes complete with a dock connector, battery and SIM card and will provide users with five hours of talk time and 120 hours of standby use.

For even the most technologically challenged individuals, the Apple Peel 520 is easy to use. After installing the required software, two apps appear on the iPod Touch home screen: Yosian and YsSMS, which provide voice and text support. When the communication module is switched on, a signal bar and a battery icon will appear in the middle of the iPod Touch’s status bar. To make a call, users simply tap the Yosian app icon which loads the numpad screen.

The device is currently available in China for 520 Yuan but North American distributor, GoSolar USA said that the first demonstrations of the Apple Peel 520 are expected to arrive in America sometime next week.

“We’re obviously very confident that consumer demand is high for the Apple Peel 520, and we’re looking forward to getting our hands on the first batch,” said GSLO President and CEO Tyson Rohde.

“As soon as they arrive, we’ll begin distributing demonstration models to retail buyers across the country. The amount of interest in this product that we’ve received from distributors has been staggering.”

GoSolar are looking to sell the peripheral in Radio Shack, Best Buy, Walmart and Fry’s Electronics but no details regarding its retail price in the USA have been released as of yet.

The Apple Peel 520 allows you to convert your iPod Touch to an iPhone by installing an add on SIM chip. The Apple Peel 520 is planning to come the US. It will convert your favorite portable music device into a fully function iPhone without paying for 3G. You will still have use of WiFi

The Apple Peel 520 is designed like a protective case and comes complete with a dock connector, battery and SIM card. It will provide five hours of talk time and 120 hours of standby use.

The Apple Peel 520 is easy to use after installing the required software. There are two apps that appear on the iPod Touch home screen: Yosian and YsSMS, which provide voice and text support. When the communication module is switched on, a signal bar and a battery icon will appear in the middle of the iPod Touch’s status bar. To make a call, users simply tap the Yosian app icon which loads the numpad screen

GoSolar are looking to sell the peripheral in Radio Shack, Best Buy, Walmart and Fry’s Electronics but no details regarding its retail price in the USA have been released as of yet.

Top 5 Useful and Free iPhone Apps

Quang Ly — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 21:57:37 +0000

Top 5 Useful and Free iPhone Apps

There are thousands of apps available to use on your iPhone, iPod and now your iPad as well and, surprisingly, many of the best are free to download.

The following list shows 5 of the very best free apps that also happen to be extremely useful as well. There are loads of apps out there that can help make your life that bit easier so it’s well worth going through them to find the ones that will apply to you and your life.

Here are a few of the best useful apps out there that are well-worth a look.

Thetrainline – For those of you who commute to work by train, Thetrainline is a free transport app that outshines all of the others – and it’s free. The app can help you to plan your journey, obtain offline results and timetables and also has a location-aware ‘next train home’ option. All of these features are available on Thetrianline’s clear and streamlined interface. There are of course other train apps available but many will cost you upwards of £5 and when you can get this one for free and it does the job – why look elsewhere?

Skype – This is a great money-saving app and allows you and your friends to chat to each other for free via your Skype app. The interface is simple and usable, enabling anyone with a Skype account to make free calls to other Skype users and also offers you the ability to make cheap calls to anywhere in the world. Pay as you Go users will find this app particularly useful but so will iPod touch owners as this app also allows them to make calls to other Skype users.

Dropbox – There are many apps out there that transfer content between your computer and your device but this one is free and actually a lot easier to use than many of the paid ones out there. Any files you want to sync up – just drop them in to a folder on your computer and Dropbox will enable you to access them.

Around Me – Around Me is a great app for when you’re out and about. It works out where you are and then shows you all the local banks, bars, petrol stations and restaurants etc that are in your vicinity. The app is really useful when you happen to be in unfamiliar surroundings and the ‘augmented reality’ landscape mode is great for getting to know the area, just be aware that this new technology isn’t completely there yet so expect that you may come across a few little errors.

Moneysupermarket.com Voucher App – No matter what you’re looking for, moneysupermarket.com will no doubt have a voucher for it that will help make savings on your purchases. There are thousands of free discount codes and vouchers on this iPhone app that can help all UK shoppers save money on whatever they want to buy.

Philadelphia Apple Store Grand Opening on Walnut Street Friday, July 30

Quang Ly — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:05:48 +0000

After years of rumors, Apple will finally open an Apple Store in Philadelphia on Walnut Street! I walk by here almost every day. It’s amazing how Apple can keep its store openings and product releases so secret.

Apple will hold the grand opening celebration for Apple Store Walnut Street in Philadelphia on Friday, July 30, 2010 at 5pm ED

Address: Apple Store Walnut Street
1607 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103

The Apple Store Walnut Street is the best place to learn about all the latest products from Apple, including the new iPhone 4 featuring FaceTime, which makes the dream of video calling a reality, and Apple’s stunning new Retina display, the highest resolution display ever built into a phone. Customers can experience Apple’s entire product line hands-on including the magical new iPad that lets users browse the web, read and send email, enjoy and share photos, watch videos, listen to music, play games, read ebooks and much more. Visitors to the store can also try the updated MacBook and MacBook Pro with the NVIDIA processor for up to 80 percent faster graphics, and the incredibly popular iPod touch with access to more than 225,000 apps offered on the revolutionary App Store.

Every Apple Retail Store offers a range of free services designed to help customers get the most out of their Apple products, including face-to-face support and advice at the Genius Bar, hands-on workshops and special programs for kids. Customers who buy a Mac®at the Apple Retail Store or Apple’s Online Store can also join the popular One to One program. For just $99, owners of a new Mac get Personal Setup to customize their computer and transfer files from their old Mac or PC, plus a year of Personal Training sessions and Personal Project support on a wide range of topics, from getting started on a Mac to advancing their digital photography or moviemaking skills.

UPDATE BY JAY: Here are some more pictures I took when the family and I stopped by after dinner on Friday night. As you can see, quite the mad press!

And the requisite panoramic view!

Those smartphones are dang ‘spensive

Jay — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:00:37 +0000

Wow. When you’re just looking at a monthly bill, you really don’t stop to think about how much you’re paying over the term of the phone contract. When you run out to buy that Nexus One and it’s gleaming in your sweaty little palms, just try to remember the bottom line as shown in this great graphic from BillShrink.

Find the best cell phone plans and more graphics at BillShrink.com

Cool Screenshot – Happy New Year and Resolution!

Quang Ly — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 15:41:40 +0000

Captured at 1/1 11:11

Happy New Year to everyone from the folks at GadgetMETER. GadgetMETER is now officially 1 year old and I am proud of what we’ve accomplished in that time.

One of my New Years resolution consists of simplifying my online and offline lifestyle.

Get rid of junk in my house I haven’t used in years
Eat less or no meat.
Reduced the number of RSS subscriptions.
Deactivated my Facebook account. (I’ll talk more about this later).
Discovered http://mnmlist.com and http://minimalmac.com. These are two great websites if you feel you are too distracted with todays bombardment of information.
Run a 10k
Enrolled at UPenn for Graduate School.
De clutter my MacBook desktop and menu bar

Now, if you are wondering how this screenshot is appropriate for this post. Well, I just happen to look at my iPhone at exactly 1/1 11:11pm so I quickly captured it. The background is a picture of Monica Belluci on my jail broken iPhone. Pretty cool huh? It must be a sign because I see it as a way to reset our tech lifestyle and look back at what’s really important: family, friend (true friends, not the persons you don’t know on your Facebook), health, and the environment. Today, we have way too many distractions in our life that really clouds our judgetment on what’s really important. Let’s take time to get rid of online and offline baggage and welcome the New Year!

So I propose this New Years Challenge for you.

Go take a walk.
Meet with a friend for coffee.
Enough with Twitter already. It’s really just for celebrities!
Delete contacts on Facebook you don’t ever engage with. Heck, deactivate your Facebook account like I did!
Delete LinkedIn. Who really uses this anyway?
Stop texting while having lunch or dinner with someone. Enjoy the moment.
Volunteer at a community center or shelter.
Donate to a charity: time, money, clothes, food. It can be anything.
Read a long form book.
Go camping or hiking.
Call up a friend. No texting!

Screenshot – Google Phone Confirmed

Quang Ly — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 01:22:18 +0000

Google Phone

The rumors of the upcoming Google Phone has been laid to rest. Here is a screenshot of the Google Phone running Android 2.1 operating system. It is a Google branded phone but built by HTC. It is expected to be available as unlocked GSM in early 2010 on both AT&T and T-Mobile. Google apparently had a lot of influence on how the phone should be designed and operate since it is essentially their brand.

This comes only a few months after Verizon’s successful launch of their iPhone competitor Droid which also runs Android but version 2.0. Seems like iPhone competitors are coming out before the release of the next generation iPhone 4G which will be a bloodbath.

Via TechCrunch

Han Solo desk and more!

Sarah — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:02:10 +0000

Yesterday I thought I had found the desk of my dreams. But it was not to be since this desk featuring Han Solo frozen in carbonite is just a one off custom job, not ever to be sold commercially to all of us envious Star Wars nerds.

But I have to say, this desk was done right. I especially love the glowing panel legs. I imagine that if Solo had ended up as a prize for the Emperor instead of Jabba, this is exactly what would have been done with him.
The only thing that would make it better would be if the access panels on the front actually came out and acted as drawers (everything for me has to be functional… I don’t know why).

While I was still lusting after the Han Solo desk I came across yet another welcome Star Wars item, though admittedly not on anywhere near as grand a scale (but hey, at least I can actually buy these)…

Star Wars cellphone alert charms! I love phone charms, an obsession I picked up in Japan (those guys are NUTZ with phone charms, seriously). These might be a little too cumbersome to actually connect to your phone, but there are plenty of other places they could go. Where there’s a will there’s a way.

These little light up do-dads respond to frequencies emitted by your cell phone (only for 800-1600 MHz GSM network handsets). So you can leave your phone on silent, in your bag, and these little guys will light up and spin around when it goes off.
Neat. Sadly I don’t think there is one with Boba Fette, but for use uber-nerds there is one with a Dalek!

Can be bought from Thinkgeek.com for about $10, batteries included

Via Wired’s GadgetLab

Google Voice Quick Reference

Quang Ly — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:07:34 +0000

Google Voice Quick Reference

Google Voice is really quite an amazing service with a lot of features – for free. Granted if you have a smart phone with browser or near a computer to manage your calls. For those of you still sticking to your dinosaur phone lacking an Internet browser, this Google Voice Quick Reference is for you. Just print it out and put it into your pocket. I didn’t even know some of these features were available such as conversation recording. Managing Google Voice features is now whole lot faster.

Via TechCrunch

Please Android – give me hope

Jay — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:59:30 +0000

I don’t want to get my hopes up. I was so disappointed by the Palm Pre and I was not terribly impressed with iPhone 3.0 But I watched the promo vid for Google’s Android 2.0…

And I gotta say that I’m liking what I’m seeing. Oh please dear lord don’t let me be disappointed yet again. I gotta renew my two year ball-and-chain with the iPhone in July 2010, and it’s probably going to come down to a choice between iPhone 4G running OS4.x and an Android phone running ~~Cupcake~~ Eclaire 2.x. And I really really really wanna choose the Android OS because I’m getting pretty sick of the Apple monolith.

I think I’ve downloaded roughly 200 apps since I’ve owned the iPhone. I’ve paid for probably 40%-50% of those, maybe more, I’m not sure cause the App Store makes it so easy to buy junk you don’t need. Of those apps, I use maybe 10 on a regular basis. Maybe. Might be as few as 5, depending on how you define regular use. So it makes absolutely no difference to me that Apple has 100K apps in the store. I’m never going to know about 99% of those apps, and of the ones I do know about, I’ll want to try maybe 5% of them. And here’s where the sheer inertia of Apple’s store comes into play. Too many choices that people will never ever find out about. It’s like going to the local convenience store and standing in front of the drinks fridges. You have 50 kinds of ice tea, 90 kinds of soda, 30 different bottled waters – how many of those choices do you actually consider or even know about?

Transfer Your Mobile Number to Google Voice

Quang Ly — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:02:18 +0000

Transfer Your Mobile Number to Google Voice

I’ve been using Google Voice since it was owned by Grand Central. It is a great platform for managing free calls, SMS, and contacts with intelligence. Now Google Voice lets you port your mobile number from your carrier to Google as well. This way, your voicemail is accessible from the cloud. By allowing Google Voice to manage my voicemail, it solves my issue with AT&T which prevents me from receiving voicemail notifications. Once you receive a voicemail, you can be alerted a number of ways by transcribed email or SMS text messages.

Google Voice can let you have a single phone number that automatically rings to your mobile, work, home and other phones based on rules and settings. For example, calls from your kids will ring all numbers while office related contacts only ring your work number.

The process to move your carrier number to Google Voice requires a few steps. However, it is very worth it in the end.

Via TechCrunch

iPhone to roam free?

Jay — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:51:09 +0000

There’s a post on MacWorld’s iPhone Central that indicates AT&T is going to lose iPhone exclusivity. If that turns out to be true, then most likely this means T-Mobile will get the iPhone sometime in late 2010/early 2011. Given that Verizon has screwed the pooch by releasing the Droid commercial, I highly doubt that Jobs will permit his baby to graze on that network. Plus, it would be a royal pain to get the Jesusphone to work on CDMA anyways. No, it would seem that the easiest way for Apple to expand the customer base would be to allow both AT&T and T-Mobile to sell their baby.

If that should come to pass, it would be interesting to see how many net adds T-Mobile gains vs. jumpers from AT&T. I’d especially be interested in seeing how many folks would be willing to jump from AT&T to T-Mobile with their existing iPhone. That would be a pretty damning indictment of AT&T’s network.

Of course, this probably also means that Verizon will not be getting an iTablet next year either. I can’t imagine Jobs would be willing to let his new baby play on a network that was abusive towards his old baby.

Google Wave Already Works With iPhone

Quang Ly — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:36:49 +0000

Google Wave iPhone App

Google Wave has been making headlines in the tech world. Not many people know this since not everyone received the official invite yet but it already works in the iPhone. It looks quite fantastic. You can simply go to wave.google.com in mobile Safari on your iPhone and wil be prompted that you are using a browser not supported during the preview, however, once you click through, it actually works well.

You can save a bookmark on your Home screen and it creates a little icon like other Web pages on the iPhone. However, Google Wave is a bit different. Once you launch it it removes the Safari wrapper which allows you to nagivate to another page or search the Web. It actually looks like a regular native iPhone app.

The screen shot on the right is what Google Wave looks like on the iPhone launched from the Home screen bookmark. The screen shot at the bottom is what it looks like from within Safari.

Via TechCrunch

Google Phone Coming To Verizon

Quang Ly — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:46:08 +0000

Google Phone Coming To Verizon

Google’s Android operating system for mobile phones will be available on the Verizon Wireless network under an agreement the companies announced Tuesday.

Verizon states that Android-based handsets will becoming in the next few weeks. Android is Google’s operating system for mobile phones. The new Android-based devices will come loaded with mobile apps developed by Google, Verizon, and third parties.

Even if this competes with the tremendously popular iPhone, we believe as long as there are innovative devices coming out, it will force companies to improve for the sake of consumers.

The telecom industry was stale for so long. Remember when the Motorola RAZR came out? It looked slick at first, but there weren’t many features. They also kept coming out with many different versions with little varied features confusing the market. Apple’s iPhone was a game changer and forced telecom to make better phones and provide richer services.

AT&T Introduces A-List for Free Unlimited Calling

Quang Ly — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:04:08 +0000

AT&T Introduces A-List for Free Unlimited Calling

AT&T’s recently announced A-List plans on September 20, 2009. This calling feature lets customers talk with up to five people on any network for free, including landlines. The service is very similar to T-Mobile myFaves, which provides free and unlimited calling to customers’ five favorite people. The A-List feature is available on individual Nation plans that cost $59.99 or more. FamilyTalk customers with plans costing $89.99 or more can choose up to 10 people to talk with free of charge.

Want even more free calls beyond what AT&T offers? Add your Google Voice number to your A-list so now you can talk to anyone in North America without using your minutes. Google Voice acts like a conference call with the number you want to talk to (incoming or outgoing). The call with Google Voice is free which connects you to the number you want to talk to. When someone outside your network calls your Google Voice number, your Google Voice then redirects that call to you. So now the conversation is between your AT&T number and Google Voice. If you want to make a call outside your network, call your own Google number and sign into the Google voicemail system, you’ll have the option to place a call. Just press 2 and enter the number. You can also visit Google Voice mobile on your phone.

So what are you waiting for? Log into www.att.com/alist now and add your out of network numbers for free unlimited calls.

How To Fix AT&T iPhone Visual Voicemail Notification Alerts

Quang Ly — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:39:38 +0000

iPhone Visual Voicemail Notification Fix

One of the most frustrating and surprisingly under reported issues is with AT&T and iPhone Visual Voicemail notifications. When you receive a voicemail on your iPhone, an alert appears and you can play your voicemail as if its a song. There is now a solution!

Since the iPhone 3GS was released, some customers experienced lack of alerts for voicemail (me being one of them). I recently found a fix for it while I was researching tethering for 3GS. Apparently, tethering your iPhone may cause this issue.

So here’s the fix. Navigate to Settings → General → Network → Cellular Data Network and within the Visual Voicemail section add “acds.voicemail” into the APN field. Your visual voicemail will now work once again.

CAUTION: This fix does break the tethering. You can’t have voicemail notifications and Internet tethering work at the same time.

Via Apple Blog

Google Voice Now Fowards SMS To Email

Quang Ly — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:55:49 +0000

Google Voice Now Fowards SMS To Email

One of the most popular feature requested from Google Voice was the obvious forward inbound text messages to email. You can now receive incoming text messages to your email. Furthermore, you can even reply from email as well. Users previously could respond to the Google Voice text message on their phone but email forwarding was previously not an option.

Now, once we can have Gmail push to our iPhones then I can cancel the ridiculously priced text messaging plan from AT&T.

Via TechCrunch

iPhone App: Twitscoop Real Time Twitter Trends

Quang Ly — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:54:33 +0000

Twitscoop iPhone App

Have you ever wondered what people are talking about in the cyberspace cloud in real time? Well, now you can with the iPhone App Twitscoop.

Twitscoop allows visualization of real time trends and discussions on Twitter straight from your iPhone. The tag cloud grows and shrinks in real-time depending on the popularity of the topic. The app has a trend algorithm that pulls buzz words, breaking news, and content such as pictures, links, and videos.

Strangely, the key feature lacking in Twitscoop is the lack of ability to tweet from within the app. It is such an obvious feature that they should include it in future updates.

Twitscoop is available for $0.99 on the iTunes App Store.

Solar bags by Noon Solar

Sarah — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:05:44 +0000

I almost hate to interrupt the steady stream of Google/AT&T/Apple related topics that have been dominating GadgetMeter these last few weeks (kudos to you, Quang Ly, for fighting the good fight!) but sometimes a break is a good thing.
I’m heading out of the realm of “Serious Corporate Land” into “Eco Friendly Accessories World”.
So, I’m the kind of person that rides my bike most places. I’m also the kind of person who is rarely without my phone and ipod (I’m too scared to take my laptop on my bike because I know the minute I do something bad will happen). Anyway, the other day I was busy texting while laying out by Barton Springs Pool and my phone battery died! If only I had one of THESE:

I could have charged it up right then and there!
These new bags by Noon Solar integrate flexible solar panels into their design. They have several styles of both messenger bags and purses and they are made from either German leather or organic hemp or cotton.
The solar power is stored in a lithium-ion battery pack, weighing about 4oz, found inside the bag. Because the solar power is stored inside a battery pack, cell phones and iPods can be charged day or night.

From their website: Noon Solar bags are made from biodegradable materials so that the bags can skip the landfill and go directly into your backyard without hurting the earth. The bags are safe and non-toxic, and most of the materials will actually nourish the earth if buried. The other materials such as the solar panel and hardware can be removed and recycled or reused.

And after reading their design philosophy I’m about ready to drop the several hundred dollars required to purchase one of their bags.
This is a company whose products AND philosophy I am ready to support. And that in and of itself is a rare thing these days.

VIa Inhabitat.com

Make Free Calls to Canada with Google Voice

Quang Ly — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:17:25 +0000

Make Free Calls to Canada with Google Voice

Google Voice now allows you to make free calls to Canada from within the continental US. Previously, you can only make free calls within the US with your Google Voice number.

You can make the call by logging into mobile apps , or by dialing your own Google Voice number from one of your phones and selecting option 2 to place a call. You can also install GV Mobile for a jailbroken iPhone from the Cydia store. GV is now free and can utilize your phone’s Contacts.

GPush Notifications for Gmail on iPhone

Quang Ly — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 20:54:52 +0000

GPush Gmail Push Notifications

There is finally a simple iPhone app to allow Gmail push notifications. Can’t wait every 15 minutes for your iPhone to automatically check your email? This app is for you and the reviews have been pretty good. Push notifications allow you to receive a new email rather than having your mail application check (or pull) for new email. Simply turn on the app, enter your Gmail username and password (running over encrypted SSL) and you can get push notifications with From and Subject fields. It supports a variety of alerts such as sounds, badge, or vibrate.

A neat trick is to setup Google Calender notifications to push to a different email that you setup on GPush. You will still get alerts but they won’t come into your main inbox. This reduces SMS alerts which costs you less money as well. Every now and then you will just have to push your email for “junk” or notifications.

It only costs $1 at the App Store and may go up to $2 eventually.

Spy Camera Finder

Quang Ly — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:02:39 +0000

Remember how high-tech hidden cameras were in action movies? These rogue tools are now accessible to almost everyone. Miniature cellphones come with video recording capabilities like the iPhone 3GS. The iPhone 3G can also record video after it has been jailbroken with the Cycorder or Video Recorder app from the Cydia store. These devices are small enough to be hidden almost everywhere. ESPN Reporter Erin Andrews was recently a victim of a spy camera.

KJB Security SF-103 Spy Finder Personal [Misc.]

The Spy Camera Finder will help you find hidden spy cameras in your hotel, locker room, or next vacation. Just look through the view finder and scan your room to detect the location of hidden cameras (even if they are off). It works by using “optical” augmentation” to locate video cameras.

For $87, it is reasonable and affordable way to protect your privacy. It is also small and lightweight enough to be portable.

Via Gadget Grid

AT&T Plays the Blame Game Card on Apple

Quang Ly — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:40:38 +0000

Is exclusive relationship between the Death Star (aka AT&T) and Apple reaching the breaking point as well?

The FCC recently sent AT&T, Apple and Google a letter of questions in regards to the removal of Google Voice App for the iPhone. AT&T has kept quiet until recently and now showing it’s true selfish colors but blaming publicly that it is all on Apple

AT&T Is the Death Star

“AT&T does not manage or approve applications for the App Store. We have received the letter and will, of course, respond to it.”

Now, it doesn’t take a genius to know that AT&T more than likely do not have paper trails that could hold them liable for anti-competitive behavior. Nope, a phone call to Steve Jobs to have him authorize the removal of Google Voice app will do just fine. Google Voice iPhone App can offer free SMS messaging which competes with AT&T and other telecom companies highly lucrative paid SMS service. Typically, you are paying for both incoming and outgoing text message. This isn’t true when it comes to receiving an international phone call. Only the person making the call has to pay. The recipient does not.

It will be very interesting to hear the responses from Apple and AT&T for the FCC inquiry in the coming days.

Google and Apple Marriage Falls Apart

Quang Ly — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:04:57 +0000

Apple CEO Steve Jobs and Google CEO Eric Schmidt

Google CEO Eric Schmidt has resigned from sitting on Apple’s Board of Directors after nearly 3 years. It was a wonderful partnership at the start. Apple would create the fan boy devices while Google concentrated on dominating online services. However, as Google moves toward the telecom space with Google Voice, the mobile phone, its own browser, and creating its own operating system Chrome for both mobile and desktops, conflict of interests undoubtly arise with Schmidt sitting on the board.

Eric Schmidt’s resignation comes only a few days after the FCC sent letters to Google, Apple and AT&T on why Apple denied Google Voice from the iPhone App Store.

Apple released a statement on the matter

Apple today announced that Dr. Eric Schmidt, chief executive officer of Google, is resigning from Apple’s Board of Directors, a position he has held since August 2006.

“Eric has been an excellent Board member for Apple, investing his valuable time, talent, passion and wisdom to help make Apple successful,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Unfortunately, as Google enters more of Apple’s core businesses, with Android and now Chrome OS, Eric’s effectiveness as an Apple Board member will be significantly diminished, since he will have to recuse himself from even larger portions of our meetings due to potential conflicts of interest. Therefore, we have mutually decided that now is the right time for Eric to resign his position on Apple’s Board.”

Image Courtesy of Technologizer

Apple rejects Google applications for iPhone

Quang Ly — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 20:19:39 +0000

Apple recently banned all iPhone applications based on Google Voice, this will certainly add some friction between the two “frenemies” as their competing interests grow more acute.

It is likely not Apple’s fault but more than likely reflects the will of AT&T. AT&T can threaten to revoke Apple’s iPhone subsidy if Apple doesn’t adhere to its wishes. The Google Voice app on the iPhone would have enabled customers to send and receive free SMS and access visual voicemail while bypassing AT&T’s voice network and associated fees. Within a matter of months or weeks, AT&T’s SMS (short text messages) cash cow could have taken a serious hit. The Google voice app could have also become a compelling remedy to the Visual Voicemail issues that AT&T has been experiencing.

Question: Why does it cost so much to send text messages which employ a single “one way” communication mechanism, uses little network bandwidth — yet it’s free to download a full HD movie on a Wi-Fi Network? It is certainly not a technological issue but rather one of convenience. SMS is much more convenient, has less friction and is often a more efficient way to communicate instead of using voice. Like Twitter and e-mail, it’s asynchronous yet these services are free!

For now, you can still access Google Voice services on your iPhone by going http://voice.google.com. You can send FREE SMS messages, but since web pages don’t support push notification you’ll have to refresh to see new in-coming messages. I will anticipate that Google will eventually use some of their AJAX mojo to enable auto-refresh for receiving SMS messages.

Watch Phones are coming!

Sarah — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:00:35 +0000

In the UK there once was a mobile carrier called Orange. They partnered up with an innovative electronics company called LG (maybe you’ve heard of them). Together they are about to release some crazy tech in the UK next month.
Check it:

LG GD910

It’s the LG GD910 Watch Phone. The gadget blogs are all aflutter with this news. Some dissing it by calling it “cool but impractical”, but most embracing it despite the rumored cost of near £1000 (about $1600 US). This is definitely an awesome gadget and the inner nerd in all of us techies seriously desires it, mostly because it’s cool and futuristic giving us an actual excuse to act like super spies or intergalactic heroes (as if we needed another reason).
But just the fact that they are getting there with this technology is exciting to me.

Here is a quick overview of the features done by T3.com at the CES2009:

Another less well known company has come out with their own watch phone. It is also pretty cool with a nice touch screen AND a keypad on the side (though some people might think this detracts from it’s aesthetics a bit).
The company is called Phenom, and the model pictured is called “Special Ops”.

I like the more industrial design of this watch phone. And I like the price a whole lot more (between $200 and $300).
Both watch phones include bluetooth, touch screen, video conferencing and MP3 capabilities, and a micro SD slot. The LG also offers “high speed browsing” while that is not on the included list of features for the Phenom.
I can’t wait to start seeing people with these things on, but so far it looks like this Phenomenon will be limited to the UK, for the time being.

Via BoyGeniusReport

Apple iPhone 3GS

Quang Ly — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:29:57 +0000

Apple iPhone 3GS

The wait is finally over. Apple introduces the new iPhone 3GS (S stands for Speed) today.

The iPhone 3GS now comes with twice the speed of the 3G. One of the anticipated features is video recording support at 30 FPS VGA mode. We will just have to assume that the next generation after this will support HD. We’ll take VGA for now. You can also edit the video directly on the iPhone. iPhone 3GS also has improved 3MP camera.

Copy and Paste
Yes. We know. This should have been included a long time ago. Better late than never.

Tethering
Tethering allows you to use your iPhone as a bridge between your laptop and your carrier’s 3G Internet. There has been so many times I was in NYC where I need to get online with my laptop but all the immediate Wi-Fi hotspot are locked down or require subscriptions. Let’s just hope AT&T doesn’t take too much advantage of this demand.

Voice Memos
We’re not sure if this is exclusive to the iPhone 3GS or the OS 3.0 update but essentially you can record memos now on the iPhone. You can also do voice dialing by holding the home button and speaking the name of your contact.

Sony Ericsson w350

ethan — Fri, 22 May 2009 23:47:10 +0000

As mobile phones evolve the lines between electronic devices become thinner. With Apple’s iPhone blurring the lines between PDA, cell phone, music player, and internet browser, many other companies have felt the pressure to follow suit. Mp3 capable phones are nothing intrinsically new (think LG Chocolate) but Sony Ericsson has recently re-entered the scene by releasing their w350 as a mashup between mobile phone and Walkman media player.

The most notable thing about the new Sony cell piece is not its integrated phone and media capabilites. Rather, the most notable things about Sony Ericsson’s w350 is the design. It seems that in an effort to combine capabilites and gadgets, the have opted to add in the retro flip element. The flip mouthpiece is something that has not been seen on cell phones since the late 90′s and perhaps first year after 2000. The only functionality the flip piece provides are the controls for the Walkman feature – which could have, and should have, been easily integrated into the keypad of the device. The retro flip piece is an unbecoming feature to the phone, and makes it appear to be rather “cheap”. It is a shame too, becuase Sony Ericsson did have a pretty good thing going…

via Tech Reviews and Social Media News | Techsplosive.com

Spy Ear. For when you really just need to know.

Jay — Thu, 21 May 2009 02:09:26 +0000

Anyone who knows me knows I trust no one. NO ONE! Including my girlfriends. All five of ‘em. So I gotta keep track of them, ya know? And this little baby allows me to do that with my handy dandy iPhone.

This is the handy dandy Spy Ear, available via Brando. Basically, this is a microphone attached to a SIM card. You dial its unique number and the microphone activates and transmits any sounds it picks up. This is how I found out girlfriend #3 was sleeping with girlfriend #5, which made for one happy blogger a couple weekends ago. But enough about my fantastic personal life. This little baby can come in all kinds of handy. It’s rechargable and works over GSM networks, meaning it’s portable worldwide.

via Boing Boing Gadgets

Palm Pre. 6/6/09. $199.

Jay — Tue, 19 May 2009 12:06:15 +0000

The next coming of the Jesusphone is just a couple months away and yet Palm and Sprint are trying for a body slam by launching the Palm Pre literally days before Apple announces iPhone 4.0 at WWDC. Is that balls or what? When you’re on your last legs and desperate for anything to revive your company, I guess you play rough.

I’m really looking forward to the Pre. Not only because I think their WebOS is pretty darn impressive, but because it will give Apple some real competition. Reviews have given it a serious thumbs up, and many of the iPhone’s shortcomings (-cough- background processing -cough- single inbox -cough-) are resolved and handled beautifully in the Pre. Ain’t competition a wonderful thing?

Of course you have to live with Sprint as your carrier, but hey – how much worse can they be than AT&T? And Palm is notorious for sprinkling their handsets on as many carriers as possible so after six months, who knows where the Pre will end up. Maybe (hope hope hope hope) they’ll end up on Verizon and then I’ll have the best of all possible worlds. And maybe unicorns will deliver my breakfast of fried pixies every morning.

Informative links:

Wearable Technology Gives You Real 6th Sense

Quang Ly — Mon, 04 May 2009 09:03:00 +0000

Do you remember the Tom Cruise movie Minority Report when he used hand gestures to navigate his computing needs? Well, this technology is now a reality! Not the Cogs, but visual gestures that lets you interact with information physically in the real world.

The technology is actually made up of a cellphone with Internet connection, camera, a projector, and specially designed wearable finger devices. The camera scans objects in the real world such as items at a grocery, it can then look up the item based on your buying behavior and the project displays either a buy or not buy on the product. This is absolutely amazing.

This Minority Report technology is the brain child of Prana Mistry from MIT. He created a lot of buzz at TED. The application and uses of unified technology are endless. Parrie Maes who gives the introduction also states that the price is only about $300 since the technology already exists today.

How To Have A Web 3.0 Website

Quang Ly — Fri, 01 May 2009 13:34:18 +0000

Just when you think you are up to date with the latest technology platform running Web 2.0 principles. Web 3.0 is now upon us. In fact, this entire post is written with Web 3.0 technology while I was in bed.

Just what is Web 3.0? Well beyond the usual content management, social networking and widgets that weere introduced in Web 2.0, this is really about mobility and integration of devices.

GadgetMETER.com is built on the WordPress blogging platform and uses a plugin that renders the pages to various mobile devices. If you view www.gadgetmeter.com on your iPhone, this website will be rendered very appropriately. I highly recommend having your own hosted WordPress installation rather than using wordpress.com or blogger.com because essentially, you own your own site and can install additional plugins without restrictions relatively easy.

Web 3.0 Example - Our own GadgetMETER.com site

Web 3.0 Example - iPhone 4G Post

Web 3.0 Example - Website Pages

Web 3.0 Example - Website Categories

Mobile Plugins
There are various free WordPress plugins to convert your site for mobile devices. Feel free to experiment and install it. There is usually a few configuration you can do (but not required). These plugins detect the devices and renders the proper theme with managed content. GadgetMETER uses a combination of WPtouch: Mobile Plugin + Theme for WordPress, WPhone Admin Plugin, and WordPress iPhone App by Automattic, Inc.

Once you have the plugins installed and activated, just visit your site on a mobile device like the iPhone.

Web 3.0 Example - WPhone Admin

Web 3.0 Example - WPhone Admin Menus

Web 3.0 Example - Write Your Post

To capture photos and upload to WordPress, we use the WordPress iPhone App since the web based mobile WPTouch doesn’t allow file uploads (yet).

Web 3.0 Example - Upload Your Pictures

Now, save your draft and go back to WPTouch and set the version type (draft, scheduled, published) or assign an author

Web 3.0 Example - Assign Author

Using Web 3.0 is an absolutely wonderful experience. We will be live blogging at CES 2010 using the iPhone capturing photos at booths and uploading it here. We also have a Twitter Plugin that updates our twitter tweets automatically whenever a new blog post is updated. Another feature of Web 3.0 is write once, publish everywhere.

WEB 3.0 FEATURES

Integration between mobile devices, Web, and Internet
Even easier to use
Write once, publish everywhere
Portability
Usability

Another example of a Web 3.0 website is my personal site www.quangly.com. (yeah, yeah, it’s a shameless a-hem, plug). It uses the almost exact principles and plugins of GadgetMETER.

iPhone 4G With Unibody Design

Quang Ly — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:28:23 +0000

The excitement for the forthcoming iPhone 4G is roaring. Rumor has it that the iPhone 4G will feature unibody design following the recent MacBooks. Unibody is made of hard Aluminum and provides more durability.

Here is a concept picture of the iPhone 4G. Let us know what you think. You want one?

iPhone 4G With Unibody Design

This is our iPhone 4G wish list / rumor. We really hope Apple delivers on these.

Higher Resolution Camera with Video Mode.
Turn By Turn True GPS
OLED Screen
UniBody Design
iChat Front Face Camera
Haptic Technology (the touch screen will be raised in text mode for tactile feel)
Long Lasting Battery
Faster Processor
More Disk Space
FLASH and JAVA Support

iPhone 4G With Front Camera Multi-Way Video

Quang Ly — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 18:11:04 +0000

The iPhone 4G is rumored to have a built in front camera embedded inside the touch screen so the other person on the line can see you as if you were talking face to face. Here is a mock up design of the iPhone 4G with the MacBook Air inspired asthetics.

iPhone 4G With Front Camera Multi-Way Video

The technical challenge for Apple and AT&T (the cellular carrier and possibly Verizon), however, is how they plan to support the 2 way video bandwidth on a 3G network.

AT&T recently announced that they are planning to double the speed of their 3G network so this multi-way video and audio conferencing on your iPhone may very well be true.

Thanks Rodolphe Desmare for the art.

New Apple iPhone 4G with OLED

Quang Ly — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:33:14 +0000

The new iPhone 3.0 update will finally solve some of the common feature requests that are standard with any smart phone such as ability to send MMS and copy and paste functions.

New Apple iPhone 4G with OLED

Furthermore, it looks like the next generation if the iPhone 4G is rumoured to have something else skin deep. It will supposedly have an OLED screen by Korean electronics manufacturer LG. The advantage of OLED is that it does not require a backlight for displaing images or video on the screen thus vastly improving battery life. It should also be thinner and have better picture quality.

So what do you think? Think this is going to happen? Comment below.

Credit Card Phone – Literally!

Jay — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 12:27:57 +0000

I’m rarely serious in my posting, but here’s one device that literally could save your life. It’s a cell phone the size of a credit card. It’s thicker than your standard CC, but it’s fully functional. While its makers are thinking about its uses in advertising, I’m thinking how incredible it would be to buy a few of these things and throw one in the glove box of each of your cars. Give to family members as spares if they’re ever without a cell phone (or even worse, have their cell taken away from them by an abductor).

It’s waterproof, it has 200 minutes of talk time, and it comes with pre-programmed text messages so if you’re in a situation where you can’t talk, you can send a silent text.

It’s life-saving potential is awesome. I hope they bring it to America.

via DVICE

Optical Zoom Lens for iPhone

Quang Ly — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 12:29:48 +0000

Optical Zoom Telescope iPhone 3G

If you cannot wait for the next iPhone coming Summer 2009 with the 3MP Optical Zoom Lens, you might want to pick up this Telescop for iPhone 3G instead.

It features 6x Optical Zoom lens attached to your iPhone and also supports wide angle for a cinematic look. It is also overall brighter and has better color than the default iPhone lens.

The price isn’t too bad either. Currently it is $25 at Hand Held Items.

Product Features:

Zoom in and out with 6x optical lens
Special made case to fit the telescope
Wide angle, larger luminous flux, good color reduction
Better quality of picture
Includes iPhone telescope case, lanyard and the telescope

Via Gadget Grid

RCA Wireless Portable Phone Jack

Quang Ly — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 13:20:01 +0000

Wireless Portable Phone Jack

Even though people are replacing their home phones with cellphones. Some still believe in the land line for safety. However, if you start to run out of telephone jacks and don’t want the cost and work of installing new jacks, meet the Wireless Portable Phone Jack by RCA.

The Wireless phone jack converts your AC outlet into a phone jack with dumb proof installation. You simply plug the wireless phone jack into any of your AC outlet.

I’m sure there’s gadget converter out there for AC outlets to ethernet as well. We’ll definitely write about it when we get word.
Features

Turn any AC outlet into a phone or modem jack, Add a fully functional phone/modem jack without running wires, Easy phone line access for satellite and TIVO wherever needed, Fully compatible with new set-top baxes including Dish Network and DirecTV, Includes base jack and extension cord
Compatible with call forwarding, call waiting, three-way calling, conference calling, etc.
Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 8.2 x 3 inches ; 3.4 pounds.
Includes base jack and extension cord.

Wireless Portable Phone Jack

Via Gadget Grid

solCHAT untangles your car just a little bit.

Jay — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:14:40 +0000

I don’t know about you but my car is a mass of wires. I’ve got power cords for my iPhone, my GPS, and (for really long trips) a couple headrest monitors connected to a DVD player. That’s a lot of stuff plugged into cigarette lighters jacks. Thank god I don’t smoke, cause I really need the plugs. And while I like wireless Bluetooth headsets, they’re yet another thing I gotta have a power cord for just in case I run out of charge while chatting with my supermodel actress “friend” from Sweden. Well Scosche has just announced their solCHAT to help me deal with that last problem.

The solCHAT is a solar powered Bluetooth speakerphone. So you throw this little puppy on the dash, connect it to your iPhone or Bluetooth capable handset, and head off into the sunrise talking away.

Now my supermodel friend has said that the wind noise when I’m driving topdown in my Aston Martin makes it difficult to hear my melodious voice, but that’s a small price to pay for having one less thing to plug in.

Should be available soon.

via

New iPhone hotness coming in June

Jay — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:56:11 +0000

What, like you were surprised by this? Boy Genius Report got their hands on some hot news concerning the next generation of iPhone goodness. Supposedly being announced in mid-June, the new iPhone is supposed to be faster, with intimations of higher Internet speed (HSDPA, anyone?), plus possible keyboard, video camera, autofocus, etc etc. Apparently included will be the telepathic user interface as well as the ability to unfold from postage stamp size to 8.5×11 size as needed (kidding, kidding!). Dammit, now my iPhone 3G is looking like the old busted.

Read the full details here.

Pana-ramic images via your iPhone or iPod Touch

Jay — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 04:02:40 +0000

Check out the picture below. I recommend clicking on it to see its full size cause the compressed version doesn’t quite do it justice.

This is a picture I took this weekend via my iPhone 3G and an app called Pano. This is one of the most amazing apps I’ve ever seen for a handheld device and gives you an idea of just how powerful software and hardware have become.

Pano (link to iTunes store) is by a company called Debacle Software. The app allows you to take six portrait pictures or four landscape pictures, which it then stitches together into a single panoramic image. It’s amazing watching it work. After the first picture is captured, a “ghost” area is provided for each subsequent picture so that you can roughly align an item from the previous frame as a reference for the current frame. The alignment doesn’t have to be perfect – I took the above shot in dim light (around 5pm) and had trouble making out the ghost guide (thus the reason behind my girlfriend’s truncated head). Even so, that picture looks pretty impressive. Consider that only a few years ago, that kind of processing power required a fairly hefty desktop computer and some serious software.

The only downside to the app is that you HAVE to take all the pictures. You can’t just have it stitch together 2 or 3 photos – it’s either 6 or 4, depending on whether you’re in portrait or landscape mode. I hope they address that issue in future versions, but otherwise, this is a pretty amazing app. I can’t wait until there’s a sunny day in Love Park. When I get that image, I’ll be sure to post it.

Update: I had an email exchange with the developers of Pano today. Apparently, if you choose to cancel any time after you start taking pictures, Pano will give you an option to merge the pictures you’ve taken so far. So the 4/6 picture requirement is not really a requirement after all and you can use as few as 2 or as many as 6 images to create your panorama. Awesome.

The new Sony Style/Comcast Labs store

Jay — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 12:07:04 +0000

I know it’s rare that Philadelphia gets to be in the spotlight of the tech world but when you have the largest cable company in the country in your home town, sometimes things work out. When I heard that Sony and Comcast were opening a new showcase store in the Comcast Center, I figured I had to check it out. So here’s the scoop! All the pictures in the post are linked to full size images in the below gallery. Check out the full size pics – most of the pictures are landscape, and they look funny when viewed in their compressed state in the post.

The Comcast Tower itself is an imposing site. It’s the first LEED-certified office tower in Philadelphia and is currently the tallest building in the city.

Inside are two really cool things.

The first is a giant sculpture called Humanity in Motion by world-renowned artist and sculptor Jonathan Borofsk. It features a series of life-sized statues of people moving across the vast space that is the interior entryway of the Comcast Center. The sheer size of the interior is hard to capture on film – I was craning my camera almost to vertical to capture these images.

The second is the Comcast Experience, which is the largest four-millimeter LED screen in the world.

Spanning 83.3 feet wide by 25.4 feet high, the 2,100 square foot video wall brings spectacular original programming to visitors 18 hours a day. The images have to be seen to be believed. The pictures don’t really capture how high resolution the screen really is.

Comcast projected the Obama inauguration on this thing – apparently it was like being there (except warm). If you’re ever in the city, definately check it out. OK enough filler – lets get to the meat!

Here’s the main signage for the Sony Style/Comcast Labs store. Pretty impressive right?

Unfortunately, that sign is located in the middle of the store (which is basically a hallway with a cul-de-sac where Sony set up some stuff. The Sony Style/Comcast Labs experience is, to put it mildly, underwhelming. There’s a Sony Style store in nearby King of Prussia (home of the second largest mall in the country) which is much more interesting. This “showcase” feels really small in comparison.

I’m pretty sure I missed a part of the store that’s off to the right of the picture above. There’s no real “layout” to the store, so I’m going to excuse myself for that oversight – I think a lot of people will end up missing it.

The picture above is where you first gaze upon the store – you come down the stairs into the entrance to the Food Court and off on your right is Sony Style. There’s not really any big signage to indicate that this is there. Instead of something really fancy to draw the eye, you walk down into a display of…

cameras. Yea, I know – thrilling, right? There are some other gizmos and geegaws, plus an area to try out the various VAIOs. Check out the VAIO-P – that thing is totally cool. And tiny!

My son is a tad over 4 ft tall. His hands look normal sized against that keyboard. And the screen resolution is actually not bad at all.

Finally, there’s a section dedicated to the PS3. Nothing special to write home about here either.

All in all, we were through the place in about 10 minutes, and that was with taking pictures. I can’t see how it can host more than a small handful of customers – the lunch crowd at the Food Court would probably overwhelm the staff. I’d post more pictures but about this time was when the nice employee came over to tell me that photos aren’t really encouraged. Oops.

And I checked out the DOCSIS 3.0 connected laptops. Yes, they’re fast but not so fast that I was in awe. It’s about equivalent to being on a hardwire network connection. I’m wondering if they hadn’t really turned that on yet because the place just opened on Tuesday. I’m hoping it will evolve over time and become more of an “experience” but I’m not holding my breath.

Mio’s new GPS phone – sexy!

Jay — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 02:29:15 +0000

Mio’s just announced their upcoming product line. Included in their releases is this sexy beast – the Mio Explora K70. The picture does not do it justice – check out their web site for more pictures. It features quad band technology for you world travelers, a 3.5″ screen, WiFi, 3G, 3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, and (obviously) a GPS. I don’t know how they got it so skinny cause it seems they crammed everything but the kitchen sink in. It will auto-rotate as well, so you can see your trip in portrait or widescreen modes, and it plays videos and music so you can be entertained when you get to wherever it is you’re going.

Biggest downer? Windows Mobile 6.1. Dang.

via

The Biodegradable Grass Phone

halo — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 18:35:02 +0000

The Biodegradable Grass Phone

Two Year Life-Cycle

Too often the life of a cell phone is tied to the two-year contract provided by phone providers. When two years are up, the once innovative, phone is discarded for a newer, sleeker model.

Je-Hyun Kim’s grass phone concept carefully considers the life-cycle of a typical phone today. Made of grass and hay, this phone is made to recycle itself. Designed only to last the duration of it’s operative life-cycle, this biodegradable phone clumps apart for easy recycling. Once the grassy overlay has dissolved, the screen, keys, and other electronic parts can easily be recycled or integrated into a new phone. Hay may no longer be just for horses!

via Inhabitat

Generate Water from Air Using Solar Energy

Quang Ly — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 11:12:59 +0000

Ersa Water From Air Using Solar Energy

I must say this is one of the most amazing scientific break-throughs. Ersa generates water from the air using Solar Energy (30W solar module). This has so much implications especially for third world countries where clean water is hard to find. Scale it even bigger and we may never have famine again! Ersa also generates enough power to charge your cellphone and GPS devices. How perfect is that? We’ll keep you updated as soon as we hear more.

The Phone Watch by LG

Quang Ly — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 04:34:49 +0000

The 3G Touch Watch

It seems that science fiction and action movies have paved the way for the phone watch by LG. This watch is a touch screen that premiered at CES 2009. The phone includes a built-in camera for video telephony. It also features 7.2Mbps HSDPA network support and Bluetooth connectivity. The screen on the phone watch is a more 1.43 inch touchscreen. It is also water resistant for you water fanatics. Music folks, you won’t be disappointed. It can play MP3 through the built in small speakers.

Via Gadget Spy

The First See-Through Cell Phone LG GD900

Quang Ly — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 11:20:22 +0000

LG GD900 Clear

LG announced that it will be coming out with the first see-through cellphone. The cellphone LG GD900 is transparent

Let’s make one thing ahem..Clear. It actually has an invisible keypad. The screen itself is not transparent.

In additioin, it has 2 cameras, one for the front and one for the back. We’re assuming that the front camera is used for video chatting.

More details on the LG GD900 coming later this spring along with the price and availability.

Comment if you want one.

The Solar Cell Phone Emerges

ethan — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 20:21:13 +0000

After years of anticipation, green technology and gadget enthusiasts will finally see the implementation of a cell phone powered by solar panels on its backside. A company called HiTech Wealth has released the product, and the solar cell phone can be yours for the price of $510. The solar cell phone includes all of the features that have become standard in cell phones such as a camera, mp3 playing capabilities, text messaging, and web browsing.

The solar cell phone’s batter is chargeable by an type of light, whether indoor, outdoor, or even candlelight (according to ecogeek.org). HiTech Wealth reports that this phone is just the first of many to be released and designed over the course of 2009. Eco-gadget enthusiasts however, will have to wait for quite a while to get their hands on one. The solar cell phone is only for sale in emerging countries where electricity hubs are more difficult to come by. Until then, people in more developed countries will have to rely on their electicity sucking mobile devices.

Google Sync Synchronizes Calendars and Contacts on Your Mobile Phone

Quang Ly — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 18:42:24 +0000

Google Sync

Google Sync is a cloud service that keeps your Google Contacts and Calendar in sync wirelessly on your iPhone, BlackBerry, Symbian, or Windows Mobile phone. This is a much needed service since there are not many solutions for syncing to the cloud besides NuevaSync

Microsoft Exchange server is required for Google Sync to store all of your contact and calendar data over the air in another example of their “cloud computing”. When adding a new appointment on your desktop, Google Sync will push the update to your phone. Alternatively, when you make a change to your phone contacts or calender, it is automatically synced to your Google account in the cloud.

Right now Google’s sync is compatible with the iPhone (or iPod touch, incidentally), BlackBerry, Nokia S60, Nokia standard, Sony Ericsson, or Windows Mobile phone. Check out their site for instructions. Google Sync Beta for your mobile phone

Features

Synchronize your contacts. Get your Google contacts quickly and easily to your phone. With Sync, you can have access to your address book at anytime and place that you need it.
Get calendar alerts. Using your phone’s native calendar, you can now access your Google calendar, and be alerted for upcoming appointments with sound or vibration.
Always in sync. Your contacts stay synchronized whether you access them from your phone or from your computer. Add or edit contact information right on your device or on your Google account on the web.

We’d love to hear your comments and see how it works for you and your phone.