Search Results for samsung

Positive Comment Doesn’t Make You A Shill, Good Customer Service Doesn’t Mean You’re Right

Over the past couple of weeks I have posted several articles related to products made by Sony – involving gaming, music and computers. I have gotten messages that have alternately called me a corporate shill and a screeching troll. And while I will definitely agree that my passion for gaming, music and technology in general comes through in my posts here, I found it amusing being called both an apologist and basher of THE SAME COMPANY! This week Dan did an unboxing on the new Toshiba Thrive tablet, and was immediately taken to task for bias. On a RPG discussion…


My Heart Bleeds as Much as the Screen on My LG G2X; Warranty Phone #1 Is on the Way

LG recently brought all their IPS goodness to Android with the Introduction of the T-Mobile G2X. Before getting this phone I was happily running a HD2 that still holds a spot on my shelf as my number one backup phone. With more dual core superphones launching by the minute, LG really had not dropped a flagship into the Android Community. The specs on the phone are at  the top of most lists with a 4″ IPS screen, Dual Core Nvidia Tegra, and TMO AWS bands topping 14.1 Mbps. The phone shipped with a *stock version of Android 2.2 with a…


Android WiFi Tablet Review: The HTC Flyer and HTC Scribe Digital Pen

Judie: When I attended Mobile World Congress earlier this year, there was one device which stood out for me above all others — the HTC Flyer. The Flyer is an aluminum-bodied 7″ Android tablet; my introduction to it came while I was still carrying a Samsung Galaxy Tab daily, and I could not get over how much better the Flyer looked and how much more solidly built it felt. It was positively Apple-esque, and that is not a bad thing. Couple that with the matching aluminum digital pen which suddenly made note-taking and doodling seem like some long-lost table feature…


Vertu Constellation Quest Review – Vertu’s First QWERTY Smartphone

Last October we posted about the then upcoming Vertu Constellation Quest, Vertu’s first QWERTY keyboard phone, a phone which compared to all of their previous models was a veritable smartphone. Half-jokingly (or perhaps presciently), Larry stated that it might be my next phone, and when we were in Vegas for CES this January, I stopped by the Vertu boutique, so I could see one in person. I thought it was lovely; I asked for a catalog, I fantasized about putting one on my American Express for a minute or two … and then I stepped away from the boutique and…


Music Diary Songs of Note: Nefertiti

If you are a jazz fan of any sort, chances are when you hear the word Nefertiti in the context of a song … you think Miles Davis. More specifically you recall the version of the Wayne Shorter composition that was the title and opening track of the epic 1968 Miles recording. Yet many other jazz fans might say ‘hey wait, there is a great 1976 Andrew Hill recording by that name’ – and they would be correct. So would those who point to the classic ‘Nefertiti, the Beautiful One Has Come’ by Cecil Taylor. I have been listening to…


“The iPod touch Effect”, or Why RIM Could Have Been a Contender… but Isn’t

Yesterday a post on Cult of Mac related some bad news for the Canadian-based RIM. They noted, “Realizing its failure, the handset maker is ready to surrender to Apple in the consumer ring, and focus on its business roots… an arena which iPhone is also increasingly dominating.” Their comment was, in part, based on a report from Wunderlich Securities analyst Matthew Robison who reported, “We no longer anticipate Research in Motion recovering to participate in the mainstream of smartphone industry growth,” As a result Robison cut RIM’s target price from $76 to $46. I expect they are correct in their…


The Linksys E4200 Max Performance WiFi-N Router Review

A few months ago Linksys announced their new E4200 Wireless N router. Linksys was kind enough to send out a review unit, which I have been using for a few weeks. The dual band router sports both a 2.4 and 5 GHz radio setup and a six-pack of internal antennas to maximize wireless coverage and throughput. Wireless N is pretty much the standard these days, and as you all know the force behind WiFi N is the need for streaming media. With all the new web connected TV’s and streaming media services, the last thing you want is your router…


Chromebooks Market Niche Still Mystifies

I’m not sure I understand the Chromebook pricing model. Acer is introducing an 11.6″ Chromebook [Ars Technica] in June, with wifi-only for $350. Samsung’s 12″ model will come with 3G wireless in addition to wifi, and cost $500. I could buy a Gateway dual-core Windows 7 11.6″ netbook today for $330 [Amazon]. The Gateway has 160 GB of hard drive space; the Chromebooks are limited to a much smaller amount of SSD space (16 GB). So, where’s the market for a notebook computer which costs as much as (or more than) a notebook with a known OS? Don’t get me…


PhoneSuit Primo Power Core Rechargeable Battery Pack for Tablets and Phones Review

Electronic devices always seem to run out of power at the most inopportune times, don’t they? Figuring out ways to keep those devices powered for as long as they are needed is key. Whether you are a regular road warrior or simply away from the office for the day, if you aren’t going to be near an outlet or power port, and if you carry multiple devices that will require energy doses at random times, carrying a portable power supply is the best option. Many times, these power supplies can best be described as bricks.


Apple is #1 in Global Handset Revenue

While there is a lot of talk about Android and how dominant a force it is in smartphones (hey, I love mine!), there is one thing people sometimes seem to forget: Android isn’t a phone. So while the Android OS is doing very well and some of the handset makers are also doing well, there is one company who makes a single phone on two carriers that is beating all of them – including the former #1 handset maker Nokia! That company is Apple. Here is some of the press release: Apple Inc. overtook Finland’s Nokia Corp. to claim the…


The HTC HD2: A WinMo Story with an Android Happy Ending

When the EU model of the HD2 came out in late 2009, it was one of the coolest phones I had ever seen. Knowing it was coming to the US a few months later, I had to decide if I was going to ditch my Mytouch and pick one up. The hardest part about doing that was that the HD2 still ran Windows Mobile 6.5. If you ever had that OS, or if you still have it now, then you know that there is much to be desired with that operating system, and it should for all intents and purposes…


iPad App Of Note: Will Blogsy Make Mobile Blogging A Reality?

One of the biggest issues I have faced since first getting my iPad is the challenge of trying to use it to quickly and cleanly write new blog posts from it. Sure there are iPad apps that promise mobile blogging but none of them have worked properly for me. The issue was so bad that Judie and I brought Samsung Galaxy Tabs to CES with use, and they work well for remote posting. Not so, any of the iOS apps either of us have tried. Well hopefully that changed with the release of Blogsy. This new iPad app is just…


BlackBerry PlayBook First Impressions

First impressions mean a lot when you are talking about technology. No, it does not sell a device or keep you using it, but it does make the difference when you’re considering a purchase in the first place. Given that many of the initial reviews are less than stellar, I wasn’t sure what my first impression of the BlackBerry PlayBook would be. That noted, I just had the chance to have my hands on one for a few minutes, and my first impressions are actually quite good. I have always liked the size of the Samsung Galaxy Tab, and this…


How to Win the Tablet War Against the iPad? It’s Not Even a Battle, I’m Afraid

Brandon over on Just Another iPhone Blog has a provocative post up today entitled “How to Win the Tablet War Against the iPad”. The simple answer to the title is: sell a Wi-Fi Samsung Galaxy Tab for just $349.99. That’s a full $150 less than you can get an iPad 2 for. Both have 16 GB of storage. Both are only Wi-Fi enabled. One costs $150 less. Brandon makes some good arguments about why this is the right strategy. His core point, So, this is how you win the war. You build a solid device and you sell it at…


Review: Tekkeon TekCharge MP1860A Dual Port Power Pack

Of all the commercials that Apple has run the one that ticked me off the most involved the iPhone 4 and its battery life. Yes, Apple ran an ad telling us how amazing the battery life of the iPhone 4 is and, while it is BETTER than other phones there really is no smartphone I have used that I would say has “great” battery life. That is the reason I still need to carry an external battery with me wherever I go. There are many out there but the one I am currently carrying comes from Tekkeon and I am…


iOS 5.0 Release Pushed Back to Fall? Just Proves Apple Still “Thinks Different”

The blogosphere was buzzing yesterday when word came that Apple might hold off on releasing iOS 5.0 until the fall. What does this mean? Why would Apple break such a long tradition that goes all the way to… January 9, 2007. Okay so maybe it is not such a long-standing tradition, but you know what they say: “Do it once it is innovative; Do it twice and it is redundant; Do it a third time and it is a tradition.” By now an annual hardware and OS update is a TRADITION. Why would Apple mess with tradition? But it is…


Google Plays “Hide the Honeycomb”

I am not a developer or a computer science person, so everything beyond the basic user experience is sort of like magic to me. But even as a former philosophy major, I know there’s a huge number of people out there who spend unpaid hours digging through Android’s guts to provide more services and software to the average user. And that much of that is thanks to Google being committed to open source and sharing Android with the world. Or it was… According to BusinessWeek, Google is holding back from sharing the full source code for Honeycomb with everyone who…


iDisplay Review: Gives You Second Monitor Capability on Your iPad (and iPhone)

All images courtesy of Shape Services A couple of months ago, Shape Services–the makers of IM+ and IM+ Pro for the iPad and iPhone (which I will also be reviewing)–let me test out their iDisplay program.  The idea behind iDisplay is simple:  why not turn your iPad or iPhone into a second monitor?  How did it work out in practice?  Read on. I tested this app with my  Lenovo T-61, which has an Intel Core Duo 2 Ghz/777 Mhz, with 2Gb of RAM, running Windows XP SP 3.  Being a work laptop, it also has considerable security software running, which…


How to Get Zinio “Unofficially” Working on Your Android Device

If you’re like me, and you have been waiting for the official Zinio app for Android, then you’re going to have to wait a bit longer. I like to harass Zinio every once in a while on twitter about the Android app, and they usually tell me that it’s being worked on and to be patient. That’s all fine and well, but in the meantime, since I don’t have an apple device it’s really not worth buying any subscriptions because I have nothing to read them with. Some of the members of the XDA forums found that unacceptable, so they…


Tycoon Windows 7 Tablet Review

It’s been quite some time since I last mentioned Tangent’s Tycoon Tablet.   Part of the challenge with also getting to often evaluate technology during my ‘day job’ is that I’m often not the only one who needs to work with it during any given time.  After it got the once over by a few of my colleagues, I (finally) got it back and can now give you my full review.   So how does this Windows 7 Professional tablet stack up to the competition?   While I don’t believe you’ll be rushing to exchange your shiny new iPad 2 for the Tycoon, I was…


IDC Reports eBook Sales Numbers with Some Surprising Results

IDC has done some number crunching, and their ebook sales numbers are…interesting, to say the least. They say Amazon is #1, but surprisingly Pandigital has a very strong showing against B&N, coming in third for the year but second for the fourth quarter. That’s a huge shocker, though Pandigital did flood the market with several models over the course of 2010. I do wonder why IDC didn’t include Pandigital under media tablets, since even though they’re marketed as ebook readers they all run various flavors of Android. Even more interesting, Sony’s numbers were up 80%, which sounds great…until you find…