Smartphones & Gear

The Gennum nXZEN PLUS 5500 Bluetooth Headset Review

Alright, alright, settle down! Just because you are looking at a picture of a pink headset, there is no excuse to dismiss the product as “not something I’d be interested in.” It’s also available in a unisex silver; I just wanted to try something different. 😉 With that out of the way, let me tell you about how I gained first-hand knowledge of the? Gennum nXZEN PLUS 5500 Bluetooth Headset‘s noise canceling properties. My buddy Vincent likes to call every time he gets a new headset, so I can tell him how he sounds on it. Generally I’m able to…

Reviews

The VITO Technology QuickContact For Pocket PC Phone Edition Review

If you own a Smartphone with hard numeric buttons or a Pocket PC Phone Edition with an always visible keyboard such as the Treo, then you probably don’t need the program I’ll be talking about today. But if you have a Pocket PC Phone Edition that is all screen with very few hard buttons – such as the HTC Universal, HTC Hermes, and other similarly styled large-screen devices, then you might have noticed that making a one-handed call is not always a simple proposition. Case in point: To make a call from the Treo 700wx, I can hold it in…

Reviews

The i.Tech Virtual Keyboard (VKB) Review

[Ed. note: this review picks up where the Unboxing left off. If you haven’t already read it, read the i.Tech Virtual Keyboard Unboxing first.] This past month with the i.Tech Bluetooth Virtual Keyboard has been a bit of a roller coaster ride for me. During this time, I have managed to learn way more about Bluetooth Stacks and Windows XP Service Pack 2 upgrades than I ever wanted to know…but I’m getting ahead of myself already, and we wouldn’t want that… 😉 As many of you will recall from my previously posted unboxing, the Virtual Keyboard (VKB) is a futuristic…

Reviews

The Spectec SDG-810 GPS Receiver Unboxed

After all of the excitement caused by my December 23rd post, it was almost anti-climatic to receive the Spectec SDG-810 SDIO GPS Module today. Almost! 😉 Included in the box are the driver disk, the module and a nifty plastic case. The module comes with a 128MB microSD. And I think that it looks pretty odd hanging out of my Treo 700wx. 😉 When the GPS module is installed and the PDA is turned on, an LED indicates that it is operational. Nope, it doesn’t look any smaller on the HTC Universal. It’s okay though…an all-in-one GPS device may be…

Reviews

The Palm Treo 750v WM5 Pocket PC Phone Review

In August this year I went 3G. I moved over to Three, a 3G-only carrier here in Australia that provides the best prices on calls, caps, data rates and other services. I didn?t want to be locked into any contracts, so I bought both the SIM (or in this case, USIM) and phone outright. I got the Sony Ericsson M600i, which has a fantastic form factor, including a touch screen and thumboard into its very compact dimensions. However, it wasn?t long before I started to have problems. The phone would hang, the email program would crash, calls wouldn?t ring but…

How to Do It Yourself!

Treo 650 Housing Replacement Do-It-Yourself Instructions

[Ed. note: Larry originally wrote this article for the Palm Is Life forum, but he has also translated it for posting here.] Around two weeks ago at “http://www.palmislife.com/“, we had a group purchase activity for buying complete set of Treo 650 Housing as replacement parts for those with “poor looking” Treos. These are “Genuine Replacement Housing For Treo 650” with a “Verizon” logo printed. They are not brand new housings, they are all used but in good condition.

Reviews

The SPB Backup for Pocket PC Review

My Treo started playing up recently, with random software crashes and some sort of battery drain. It got to the point where my Treo would only last 6hrs without any use before it would be dead. I had also just received my MacBook Pro, but I couldn’t get it to sync with it, so I decided it was time for a hard reset. Since I hadn’t been able to sync all my contacts/calendar to my MacBook yet, I needed to get that data off before I did the hard reset. Before I did I loaded up SPB Backup to see…

Reviews

The Ultimate Theft Alert v3 Review

Ultimate Theft Alert is an application that runs hidden in the background and monitors the SIM card in your Windows Mobile Phone Edition device. It is designed to send an SMS message from your phone in the event that the SIM card is changed. Installation is just like a regular Windows Mobile application, but configuration requires a little digging in File Explorer. You will not find any shortcuts for UTA in any menu on your device. It runs stealthily in the background, so that any would-be thief cannot disable the software. Obviously you will need to install it to the…

Reviews

The HTC Star Trek / Qtek 8500 WM5 Smartphone Review

It’s been a little over a month since I received a Qtek 8500, HTC‘s first clamshell phone which runs the Windows Mobile 5 Smartphone operating system. Unlike some of the other Smartphone OS devices available, such as the Dash and the Q, which attempt to “be all and do all” without the benefit of a touch screen and the full Pocket PC operating system, this is one model that appears to be happy just being a smart phone. Phone first, PDA second, which is an interesting concept these days.

Reviews

The i.Tech Virtual Keyboard Unboxing

The i.Tech Bluetooth Virtual Keyboard has been on my list of must-try items ever since I first heard about it – which if I remember correctly was in 2003! The first time I saw pictures of a keyboard which worked by beaming a red laser display on any flat surface, my inner geek did a happy dance! This is a product that looks like came straight out of a Philip K. Dick novel, out of a Star Trek episode, out of a…you get the picture. 😉 Like many new technologies, the VKB had a few false-starts and took longer to…

Reviews

All About the Treo 680

[Ed. note: This unboxing with comments was written and translated by Michael Lin (“puttingdog”) and posted on the Palm is Life Forum. The original Chinese version with larger pictures may be seen here. Gear Diary would like to thank Michael for making his pictures and commentary available to an English Speaking audience and Larry for obtaining Michael’s permission to re-post in English.] The Palm Treo 680… My first impression: why does it take so long just to turn on the machine! It takes almost 50 seconds, dude! Appearance I assumed the coating on the front side and the back are…

How to Do It Yourself!, Reviews

The Palm Treo 650 Speaker Fix

[Ed. note: Larry originally wrote this article for the Palm Is Life forum, but he has also translated it for posting here. To see this article in the original Chinese, click here. Happy Hacking!] When the Palm Treo 650 launched, it came with an earpiece issue; its speaker sound was too low for regular people to hear. How bad is it? Well, you could clearly hear the caller’s voice in a quiet room, but you probably couldn’t hear a honeybee flying around your ear while outdoors – even if you have turned your Treo 650 to the loudest level. Later…

Reviews

The Palm Treo 700p Palm OS Smartphone Review

It didn’t hit home that the last Palm OS device I had owned was the Tapwave Zodiac, until Alison from Astraware asked if I would like to take a look at their new Palm OS game Cake Mania. But I couldn’t, because I had sold the Zod in 2005 and had never replaced it. D’oh! Seeing that I enjoy using a Windows Mobile 5 device as my main brain, I thought it would be a good idea to swap my Samsung A900 (a decidedly non-smart phone) with a Palm OS smart phone – specifically Sprint‘s Treo 700p. This device has…

Reviews

The Gomadic Sync and Charge Retractable Cable Review

Shortly after buying a Treo 700wx I decided to ditch the bulky power and USB cable set that came with the device. I wanted to trade them for something much more compact, and the obvious choice – since I already had a collection of Gomadic tips – was to try the Gomadic Sync and Charge Retractable Cable system. Knowing that this same gadget would work with any of the other tips I already owned was a major selling point. Measuring approximately 5″ when retracted, the body of the charger is made of glossy black plastic. The center compartment which houses…

Reviews

The Jornada 928 Pocket PC Phone Edition Revisited

Back in the day of the Jornada 568, I remembered reading about a similar PDA called the Jornada 928 which offered about the same features and form-factor as its non-wireless enabled brother. At the time I owned a Jornada 545 (which unfortunately passed away due me accidentally breaking the screen 🙁 ) and thought how great that it would be to have both a phone and a PDA in one, and be able to surf the web anywhere I wanted (at the time never considering the cost of GPRS 😛 ). I never expected to get one, because at the…

Reviews

The Vaja I-volution For Palm Treo 700 Series Case Review

It wasn’t long after I received a Palm 700p review unit that I knew I would be buying either the Palm OS version or the WM5 version of the Treo to use as my mobile phone. Other than which OS to go with, my next decision was what case. I’ll admit it, I went right to the Vaja‘site, and I literally swooned when I saw the T7 Silver. However, reality eventually set in once I saw the price for that intricate piece of sterling silver accented leather-art. Luckily, there was a very similar case available with a more wallet-friendly price…

Reviews

The Datexx ULTRABattery Rechargeable USB Power Bank Review

It never fails – I’ll either get caught on a flight with no power outlet under my seat, or I’ll be stuck somewhere with no power outlet and a device with a dwindling battery. Because of this I am always on the lookout for products that will help manage or extend my battery life, which is why I was interested in reviewing the Datexx ULTRABattery Rechargeable USB Power Bank. Measuring 3.9″ tall x 2.4″ wide x 0.8″ thick and weighing 5.7 ounces, the ULTRABattery is housed in a pearly white plastic casing which feels quite solid in hand and does…

Reviews

U R A Q T: The HTC Star Trek / Qtek 8500 PINK Unboxing

UPS dropped off a little jewel this morning, the HTC Star Trek branded as a Qtek 8500. This is HTC’s first clamshell Smartphone, and it runs Windows Mobile 5 Smartphone. Immediately evident is the fact that this is not the business-like black version – oh no, instead this is the hot pink version. 😀 So let’s unbox her and take a look… Inside the wider portion of the box are all of the documentation and software disks. The box includes the Qtek 8500 “Musicphone” (that’s what the box says!), headset, AC adapter, USB sync cable, user manual, quick start guide, two CDs…

Reviews

Unboxing the HP iPAQ hx5915 Travel Companion

I just received the HP iPAQ rx5915, so let’s open the box together… Seal is broken, and the quick setup is printed on the hood of the box, which is just what I like to see when I purchase something. Hopefully this will be all the “instruction” needed. 😉 Can anyone tell me how much Tim Burton is getting paid for HP to use his “Nightmare before Christmas” font? The iPAQ hx5915 wrapped in plastic… Better not crack the screen…it’s not covered under warranty. 😉 Battery loading instructions… The 1700 mAh battery… A?THICK user manual that I hope to never…

Reviews

The Motorola Q Windows Mobile 5 Smartphone Review

Not long ago I was asked to review a few Motorola Q cases for Vaja; the only problem was that I didn’t actually have a Motorola Q! It was no problem to put in a request for a review unit and one was sent very quickly, but there was one potentially major caveat – the device I received did not come with local service. I had a signal but I could not make calls or use the data services. While it would technically have been no problem to simply write the case reviews and then send the Q back, it…

Editorials

An Interview With Nandini of Instablogs Network

Nandini Maheshwari is the managing Editor and Publisher of a truly entertaining blog, BornRich. Launched on October 5th, 2005, it has quickly become a place where visitors can come and be amazed at what more than a few dollars will buy. Whether it be the Multi-Media Bed with RUF Cinema, the Chrome Robot TV Stand, the Solarjo Solar Power Purse, or the Sharp Refrigerator with Thawing Mechanism, Nandini scours the web to find interesting and generally quite pricey items that we all might enjoy using if they were more easily obtainable; and always, Nandini will spike her posts with a…

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