Articles by Dan Cohen

HTC’s Sprint Hero Review

To watch the commercials for the Verizon Droid, being released tomorrow morning, one might get the impression that this is the very first android handset to be released. It certainly has garnered more attention and excitement and previous devices, but there are already a number of android handsets on the market that are actually quite good. I recently had a chance to spend a week with Sprint’s version of the HTC hero, and I found myself more than a bit impressed. So with that in mind, I thought we might take a good look at a fantastic Android device that’s…


Moshi Voice Response Alarm Clock – Review

This is one of those products that kind of snuck up on me. It looked like it was one of those electronic curiosities that catches your eye, leads to an impulse buy and then, within a week, is in a box collecting dust. As it turns out the Moshi Voice Response Alarm Clock works quite well, is remarkably useful and the review unit I was sent can will remain on my night table once this review is done. Lets take a look at this unusual, and useful, clock. A video demo follows…


Voice Recognition Technology Today

I’ve been using various voice to text solutions for a number of years. I began using Nuance’s Dragon NaturallySpeaking when it was back in version 7 or 8. Unfortunately, back then it was often more proof of concept than useful tool. The process of transcribing text was slow and the accuracy was not all that good. Over the years two things have changed. First, the power of our devices has grown exponentially. My iPhone is, on many levels, as powerful or more powerful than the computer I was using just a few years ago. And my iMac and my MacBook…


Mailtones Redux – Now For Blackberry Too!

I reviewed Mailtones for the iPhone a few weeks back and really like it. The app allows you to assign different sounds to various contacts so that you know who has emailed without even looking at your phone. Now every time Judie emails my phone cheers. Every time Larry emails a fire alarm goes off. And every time my assistant emails there is the sound of impending doom. I love it! Now Mailtones has rolled out a version for the Blackberry. What do I think?? I LIKE!!


SmartSwipe System For Online Shopping Review

“Hey D,” Elana said as she came down the step the other night, “did you spend $170 at Macy’s yesterday?” “Macy’s??” I asked, “No way. I mean, when was the last time I went shopping for any non-tech item without you? Why do you ask?” “Because AmexEx emailed and was checking up on a suspect purchase.” she said shaking her head. Yup, YET AGAIN someone was trying to use one of my cards to make purchases. (The last time it was caught much later by the company whose card had been compromised.) As luck would have it I was just…


Speck Protects… Your iPod Touch and Nano In Style

I’m a huge fan of Speck’s cases. They always offer great style, excellent value and superb protection. They recently rolled out some new cases for the new iPod touch and iPod nano, and they were kind enough to send along some units to review and then use. Let’s take a look…


With ReelDirector App Flip Loses Key Advantage Over iPhone

The iPhone shoots video that is “good enough”. The Flip UltraHD shoots video that is better. That allows the Flip to maintain a slight edge over the iPhone but just slight. The HUGE advantage the Flip series had was the inclusion of built-in editing software. Once plugged in to a computer, the software popped up and allowed you to trim video and add credits. That key advantage is now GONE thanks to the $7.99 app ReelDirector. It is pretty impressive…


Powermat Wireless Charging System – Review

Why should the Palm Pre have all the fun when it comes to cordless charging? Well now, thanks to Powermat USA, just about any device can charge without being directly plugged into a power socket. And if you have an iPhone, iPod touch or Blackberry device, all you have to do to charge them is… well nothing, you just put them on the table. Here’s a look at this innovative system…


Autograph from Ten One Design – Quick Look

Autograph from Ten One Design is one of those Mac applications that you definitely don’t need but at just $6.95 it is definitely worth a look. For just a few dollars it adds some unique functionality to your MacBook Pro. Simply put, Autograph is a signature capture application for MacBook Pros and a variety of Waacom tablets. With it you can add a signature using one of the company’s Pogo Stylus or Sketch devices. While a finger will work, the Pogo “pens” allow you to actually add your initials or even a signature with a fair degree of accuracy. Let’s…


Tenqa SP-99 Wireless Stereo Bluetooth Speaker – Review

I am not one of those guys who thinks that everything goes better with Bluetooth. At the same time, I do see the usefulness of Bluetooth in a variety of items. I like using Bluetooth headset, have had some positive experiences with Bluetooth stereo headphones, and I swear by the Bluetooth speakerphone in the car. I had not, however, ever tried a Bluetooth portable speaker before taking a look at the TENQA SP-99 Bluetooth speaker. Am I sold on this Bluetooth gadget? Let’s take a look…


Add Personality And Run-time To Your Blackberry Bold With Case-Mate

I have really been enjoying the experience of using the Blackberry Bold over the last few weeks. It is a fantastic device for e-mail and IM;and the integration with Google voice, while not as good as you’ll find on a device running Android, is quite good. I cannot see giving up my iPhone, but I am glad to have the opportunity to use both devices in parallel. While I have not gotten into the practice of surrounding myself with accessories for the device in the way that I have with my iPhone, I have discovered a few key accessories that…


Agent18 Rolls Out Two New Cases For iPod Nano G5 – Review

Sure it was a bummer that the new iPod touch didn’t add any camera. We all expected that it would be coming with a camera and perhaps even a GPS chip, but we got neither. At the same time, there was a significant advantage to the fact that there were no external changes to the new iPod touch. All of the cases, batteries and other accessories we had purchased for the second-generation device still worked. Yes, I also would have preferred to have a camera but being able to continue using accessories was certainly a nice benefit. That’s not the…


Review: Case-Mate iPhone 3G / 3GS Barely There Clear Case – Review

I tend to be a bit of a minimalist when it comes to iPhone cases. I have tried a wide range of cases over the years including expensive leather cases, fancy cases that include a wallet, and everything in between. Time after time, however, I come back to the simplest, lightest and most low-profile cases I can find. Last week Larry was kind enough to send me Case-Mate’s Barely There Clear Case. Larry had ordered one for himself, and when it did not arrive in the expected time frame, the company’s excellent customer service overnighted him a new one and…


Technology Meets Tradition: Funeral Webcasts

Rarely do I lead a service anymore, (ANY service!) during which at least one cellphone doesn’t go off. It can be a Bar Mitzvah… CELL RINGS! It can be a wedding… CELL RINGS! Or it could even be a funeral… CELL RINGS! I guess it is understandable, after all who would want to miss that all-important call during worship. :sarcasm: This, however, is a very different story about technology and worship…


Who Are You Calling Passe??? Tech Whose Time Has Come… and Gone

Earlier in the week I threw out the following question… What current technology, service or product do you see as totally passé… And why….? The responses were quite interesting and while there was a good deal of agreement there were also some places where our diverse group parted ways. Here are some of the answers…


iPhone/AT&T Feature Checklist… MMS- CHECK! VOiP Over 3G – CHECK! Tethering – NOPE!

I am still a bit surprised by AT&T’s sudden decision to allow VOiP over 3G. Happy but surprised. Sure the decision might just be an attempt to deflect some of the mounting criticism over lousy service (30% of calls in NYC are dropped!!) and numerous conflicts over apps like Google Voice and Slingbox. But no matter what the reason, I’ll take. AT&T has had a good couple of week. First they finally got MMS pushed out to iPhones. Now 3G VOiP. What’s next?? Perhaps tethering? NOPE! Don’t expect it any time soon. Here’s why… According to a Wall Street journal…


Hip Holster 6000 for Mophie Juice Pack™ Review

One of the most important accessories I carry day in and day out is the Mophie Juice Pack Air for iPhone 3G and 3GS. ($79.95) It is light, doubles as a protective case, and its 1200 mAh battery adds up to 270 hours of standby time, for 4.5 hours of talk time (on 3G) and more. It is a great accessory to keep around, especially on days such as today, when I will be out and about for the next 12 to 14 hours. There is, however, one problem with the case/battery- it adds just enough bulk and weight but…


Inconsistency … Skype App- Yes, Vonage App- Yes, Google Voice App- Nope…

Leave it to Michael Arrington to hit the nail on the head. In a post over on TechCrunch, Arrington points out how the recent approval of an iPhone app for Vonage merely serves to highlight the total nonsense Apple spewed when trying to explain their Google Voice rejection. The gist… Apple said the Google Voice app was rejected because it appears to alter the iPhone’s distinctive user experience by replacing the iPhone’s core mobile telephone functionality and Apple user interface with its own user interface for telephone calls… All good and well until you take a closer look and see…


SoundID 400 And Sound ID Remote Microphone – Review

Last April I reviewed the SoundID 300 Bluetooth Headset. I described it as “Comfortable; Great sound on both ends; Looks good.” Did I really like it? Well let’s just say that since April it is the headset I most regularly use. So how do you improve on at headset that already is comfortable to wear, not obvious when worn and offers great sound? The company has found a way. Here’s a look at the new SoundID 400 Bluetooth Headset…


Scosche tapSTICK For iPod Shuffle – Review

I bought the new iPod shuffle on the day it was released. I returned the new iPod shuffle the third day it was released. A few months later I repurchased the new iPod shuffle and am quite happy with it.What changed in that period of time besides the fact that I am “device fickle”? Only the fact that I recognized that the new iPod shuffle is a specific device for a specific purpose. The iPod shuffle is not meant to be someone’s primary iPod. Rather, it is intended to be a great device for listening to music when you want…


Blackberry Desktop Manager for Mac – First Look

I was excited to see the release of Blackberry Desktop Manager for Mac a few hours earlier than expected. Of course I immediately downloaded the application which is relatively small — the DMG file is just 28 MB. And they did a great job with it!