Smartphones & Gear

Why eReader for BlackBerry is a fail

News & Features, Reviews March 25, 2009

Why eReader for BlackBerry is a fail

I had really high hopes for the eReader (beta) for BlackBerry which I have been testing on my BlackBerry Bold. At first glance the layout is decent and I had no trouble scrolling around and reading the text. The smaller display screen isn’t going to give paper books or the larger screen Kindle a run for their money any time soon – but I was hopeful that I’d at least have a decent backup book reader for when I didn’t have a paper book or the Kindle. Unfortunately ignoring the eReader’s many annoyances – starting with the price of books…

Kensington Hands-Free Visor Car Kit REVIEW

Reviews March 25, 2009

Kensington Hands-Free Visor Car Kit REVIEW

When I’m barreling down the highway meeting and greeting folks, it can be a challenge (but NOT always safe) to call whoever is deserving of a return call at that moment. I have an iPhone that allows my fingers to flip through the spinning wheel of contacts, but dialing and driving are frowned upon. Some places even have laws against such behavior. The other time tested alternative is to wear a Bluetooth earpiece. I have a favorite reviewed here, but in some places there are fashion laws displaying such behavior. So what’s a road warrior to do? Kensington has introduced…

Proporta Leather Case for BlackBerry Storm

Reviews March 24, 2009

Proporta Leather Case for BlackBerry Storm

Proporta just released a leather case for the BlackBerry Storm. The case includes an inner aluminum screen saver to protect against crushing and impacts. Instead of crowding the front of the case with a leather sleeve – the Storm clips into the front of the case. Since my sister Lynn has a BlackBerry Storm – I’ve asked her to give us a look.

ProClip for BlackBerry 8900 - easy to install, easy to upgrade, no gooey mess

Reviews March 23, 2009

ProClip for BlackBerry 8900 – easy to install, easy to upgrade, no gooey mess

In the last two years I’ve used a ProClip dashboard mount on my BlackBerry 8700, 8800, 8300, and now my 8900. What I like about this mount is that my BlackBerry is held firmly in a place where I can easily read the display and it stays up off my car seat where it could slide around onto the floor, become damaged and possibly lost from sliding out the door. I installed my first ProClip three years ago. Because you order a model that is specific to your car make, model and year – it clicks neatly into place with…

First Impressions of the AT&T Pantech Matrix Pro

Reviews March 20, 2009

First Impressions of the AT&T Pantech Matrix Pro

The new Pantech Matrix Pro is a chunky and solidly built little smartphone, offered exclusively by AT&T. Measuring 4.17″ tall x 2.0″ wide x 0.85″ thick and weighing 5.34 ounces, it might be easy to dismiss this little beast as too thick and too heavy. But just like a story with a surprise twist at the end, there is more to this quad-band Windows Mobile Standard 6.1 device than first assumed.

BlackBerry 8220 + T-Mobile Wi-Fi + UMA = Surprisingly Good

Reviews March 9, 2009

BlackBerry 8220 + T-Mobile Wi-Fi + UMA = Surprisingly Good

Quite honestly when I started reviewing this T-Mobile BlackBerry 8220 a month ago there were a few people who laughed at the phone. They’d heard the build quality was so-so and told me the first time I jostled the phone it’d disintegrate in my hand. I’d read a few online remarks downplaying the overall screen quality. Imagine my surprise when I completely fell in love with this affordable BlackBerry.

BlackBerry Pearl user describes the Storm upgrade experience

Reviews March 8, 2009

BlackBerry Pearl user describes the Storm upgrade experience

Thinking about buying a BlackBerry Storm? My sister Lynn recently traded in her BlackBerry Pearl for a Storm. I asked if she’d give her un-filtered feedback for those of our readers who might be in a similar situation: Well, after much deliberation, I decided to give the Storm a try. I have had the Pearl for almost a year and the keyboard was driving me crazy. Although I was getting used to it, I was envious of how quickly my kids could text and be onto their 3rd message before I’m done with my 1st. Don’t get me wrong—I liked…

Nokia E63 Review

Reviews March 8, 2009

Nokia E63 Review

About six months ago I bought the best phone that I have ever owned: a Nokia E71. Obviously this is a personal thing, since the E71 wouldn’t suit everyone’s needs or tastes, but for me it just fitted into every situation I put my phone in. It is the perfect messaging device, with it’s QWERTY thumboard that has excellent feel and feedback, it has outstanding battery life thanks to it’s enormous 1500mAh battery, it is as thin as possible without being uncomfortable to use, it has an bright, rich display, that while low on dimensions and resolution, looks absolutely great…

The HTC Touch HD One Month Later

Reviews March 7, 2009

The HTC Touch HD One Month Later

[Ed. note – This is a joint review between Mitchell Oke and myself. My comments will be in black, and Mitchell’s will be in blue italics. Before reading this, you might want to first read Mitchell’s article “HTC Touch HD = Stands for Hot Damn!!” and my “HTC Touch HD Walk-Around and First Impressions” and “A Quick Tease: the HTC Touch HD and Nokia N85″] It seems like it’s been ages since there was a Windows Mobile phone with a nearly 4″ screen. The last one I can remember was my much loved HTC Universal, and that was back in…early…

Windows 7 on the HTC Shift

Editorials, How to Do It Yourself! March 4, 2009

Windows 7 on the HTC Shift

There have been two activities that have become the norm across the world of technology blogging in the last couple of years: unboxing, and loading Mac OS X onto netbooks. As a person who is lucky enough to have the opportunity to play with lots of phones, notebooks and other “unboxable” items, I’ve done the former a fair bit, and as an owner of a MacBook Pro for the past few years, I can understand peoples need to load OS X onto any device with an x86 processor. Another trend that’s come up in the last month or so is…

The Nokia N85's Killer App

Gear Bits March 4, 2009

The Nokia N85’s Killer App

There are many reasons to like the Nokia N85, but the one thing that has blown my hair back and made me truly appreciate this talented little device is something I had never before seen in a mobile phone…an FM transmitter*. And not just any weak wannabe transmitter, I’m talking about one that is just as strong – and allows the music to sound just as rich – as the dedicated transmitter on my Sirius box does.

iPhone 3G vs BlackBerry Storm

News & Features February 23, 2009

iPhone 3G vs BlackBerry Storm

Judging from the quantity of Twitter questions asking for purchasing advice on the “BlackBerry Storm vs iPhone” – it looks like plenty of people still are undecided between both these devices. While I typically have a one sentence response of “If you want email buy a BlackBerry otherwise buy an iPhone” – I realize that the analysis isn’t always so cut and dry. There’s the touchy issue of AT&T’s signal quality, the ability to capture video, ease of on-screen keyboard use, integration with iTunes. James at JKOnTheRun has done an excellent job with comparing and contrasting the iPhone and Storm….

Openmoko Neo Freerunner from SDG Systems Review

Reviews February 22, 2009

Openmoko Neo Freerunner from SDG Systems Review

It’s been over a year since I have looked at anything from SDG Systems, but it is time to do so again.  SDG is now working with Koolu on the Openmoko Neo Freerunner.  Not only are they working with the standard Openmoko firmware, but they are also working on getting Google’s Android Operating System working on the Freerunner.  I will touch on both operating systems in this review, but first let’s look at the hardware.

Help my phone is in the toilet!! Guide to replacing your phone without getting fleeced by a carrier

How to Do It Yourself! February 20, 2009

Help my phone is in the toilet!! Guide to replacing your phone without getting fleeced by a carrier

Hey, it happens. You’re sitting to answer nature’s call and without warning or provocation the phone you thought was securely clipped to your hip goes for a swim. Sometimes you’re lucky and can fish it out of the water fast enough and there will be minimal damage. Other times you’re not so lucky and the water shuts your phone down – forever. Unless you’re signed up with an extended warranty company such as Squaretrade – you are out-of-luck because water damage is not covered under most carrier insurance plans (this is the first thing they check – and they know…

Killer Pool for iPhone by SD Games

Reviews February 19, 2009

Killer Pool for iPhone by SD Games

I’ve been looking at a number of iPhone games lately.  Some of these games take excellent advantage of the iPhone hardware and some don’t.  Some are excellent ports of web games or Windows Mobile games, and some are not.  Killer Pool is a title unique to the iPhone, it’s not a port, so I would expect it to take good advantage of the iPhone hardware.  Let’s take a look in more detail…

T-Mobile's BlackBerry 8900 - why the lack of 3G may not matter as much as you think

Reviews February 15, 2009

T-Mobile’s BlackBerry 8900 – why the lack of 3G may not matter as much as you think

Have you been pondering whether to purchase a BlackBerry 8900 or T-Mobile? Every review I’ve read says the lack of faster 3G data (the 8900 is EDGE only) is a deal killer. Nobody wants the pokey stuff now the blazing 3G speeds are available for about the same monthly fee. I agree in concept. Given a choice – faster cellular data is always better. Always. However before you write off T-Mobile’s 8900, let me give you my pitch about why I just bought an 8900 and why you should take a serious second look at this device.

HTC Touch HD = Stands for Hot Damn!!

Reviews January 28, 2009

HTC Touch HD = Stands for Hot Damn!!

Only a few days ago Judie posted her first impressions of HTC’s hottest new devices, the Touch HD, and I am lucky enough to be able to follow that up with my own! For several weeks I have had my cursor hovering over a Touch HD in Hong Kong on eBay, but I wanted to try it out before I committed over $1000 to purchasing one. At last, the Touch HD was released here in Australia, and HTC’s local PR agency received their review units! Having gotten my name on the list some time ago, I was set to receive…

Mili Power Pack Review

Reviews January 28, 2009

Mili Power Pack Review

My biggest complaint about the iPhone 3G is its battery life. Sure, the lack of being able to run 3rd part apps in the background stinks and the crippled Bluetooth unnecessarily limits the device, but the battery life is a CONSTANT struggle since I use my iPhone so much during the day. Thankfully there are a host of options available for juicing up the device on the go. This week I’ve been using one of the newest- the Mili Power Pack from PhoneSuit – and I’m more than a bit impressed. Let’s take a look-

Nokia N85 Walk-Around and First Impressions

Reviews January 27, 2009

Nokia N85 Walk-Around and First Impressions

This has got to be one of the most agonizing weeks I have ever spent with any two devices. Why? Because I have had to struggle over which PDA phone I would carry each day – and which would get left behind. Such has been the daily dilemma while acquainting myself with both the HTC Touch HD and the Nokia N85. I know; you don’t feel a bit sorry for me, and it’s okay because I wouldn’t either…