Smartphones & Gear

Editorials May 21, 2013

The iPhone Doldrums – I Think I’m Ready for Something Different

A bit less than two years ago, I excitedly drove to my nearby Verizon store to give up my Motorola Droid and jump ship over to an iPhone 4s. I was sure this would be a great match, and my days of smartphone-hopping were over. And they were, for quite a while. But over time I’ve grown frustrated, and the iPhone has begun to feel a bit stale. My main frustration has been with the battery life. My 4S started behaving atrociously about three months ago; I would routinely get under 8 hours of standby and maybe 5 hours of…

Reviews May 9, 2013

BlackBerry Z10 Review – Too Little Too Late? Or the Long Overdue Update of the Original Business Smartphone?

For some time it seemed that if you wanted to be taken seriously as a business person, you had to have a BlackBerry device. Research In Motion — or RIM as the company was commonly called — built smartphones that were solid, had excellent QWERTY keyboards, they were secure, and they were the first devices to have PUSH email. Side note: PUSH email may be something many of us take for granted now, but there was a time when if you wanted it, you had to own a BlackBerry. Those of us on Pocket PC phones, Treos, or other phones…

News & Features May 8, 2013

Waterfield SFBags Has Your Samsung GALAXY S4 Covered!

Whenever I get a new device I always jumped over to the Waterfield SF bag website to see what the company might have to protect it. Waterfield cases, pouches and bags are high-quality, well designed accessories that promise to protect your device for its life and beyond. I can honestly say that I have used/currently use a Waterfield product with every device I own. And while I don’t have a Samsung GALAXY S4 (yet…) I know many of you do and if you are looking for a stylish way to protect the new Samsung super phone you’ll want to check…

Gear Bits May 8, 2013

HTC First Was Last and It’s Now Almost Free

A few weeks ago we got exclusive information that the HTC First was in big trouble. As we first reported, sales number for the first phone designed specifically for Facebook Home were close to nonexistent. Our inside information told us that the pre-order and first weekend sales numbers of the HTC First were less than 500 total units on the East Coast. In other words, the HTC First was all but dead on arrival. My conclusion at the time was that: I cannot begin to imagine what stock AT&T is currently holding of the device, but I have a pretty…

Editorials May 7, 2013

Will Samsung Suffer Due to the ‘Lackluster’ S4?

Samsung recently started delivering their new flagship, the Galaxy S4. The GS4 is the follow-up to the Galaxy S3, which is the best-selling Android phone ever made, and one of big reasons Samsung is now the largest smartphone maker in the world. The GS3 was itself the sequel to the earlier best-selling Galaxy phones – but with the GS3 Samsung went from being a ‘leader’ to becoming the de facto Android flagship and market leader. Early critical and user reviews for the new S4 have been generally solid but not exactly glowing – and with more and more issues cropping…

News & Features May 7, 2013

Magnet Stick-On Periscope Lense for iPhone and Camera Phones Surfaces

The good folks at USBFever work very hard to bring plenty of the most unusual peripherals and accessories for iPhones and other smartphones to the market. From the most simple and functional to the rather esoteric offbeat tech, USBFever has got you covered! Take camera lens add-ons for cell phones. Some of you might think, “What else is there, more zoom to the telescopic lenses?” No, you’d be wrong there. The latest to swim into view is in fact the curious Magnet Stick-On Periscope Lens for the iPhone and Camera Phones. Maybe you are tired of having to…

Reviews May 4, 2013

HTC ONE: A Review from Two Continents

One of us is in the US while the other is in Australia; both of us have been using the HTC ONE for the last bit. With HTC pushing the phone this weekend through special sales promotions, we thought it would be a good time to share some of our thoughts. Dan: A couple of weeks ago, I wrote some of my first impressions of the HTC ONE Android Smartphone. My initial impressions have only continued to be positive, and I am more enamored with the device now than when I first gushed about it. At the time, I described…

Reviews April 25, 2013

Rokform Rokshield v3 and v3 Suction Mount for iPhone 5 Review

Some weeks ago, I had the opportunity to review the Rokform Rokshield v3 for iPhone 5 (read the review). The case itself offers nice protection, but that wasn’t what stood out for me. No, what stood out when I reviewed the case at the time was the numerous possibilities a case like this afforded any iPhone user. Why is that so? Simple, the Rokform Rokshield v3 for iPhone 5 is more a system than it is a case. The Rokform Rokshield v3 for iPhone 5 is a hard case, but it also ships with a rubber bumper that wraps around it…

Gear Bits April 23, 2013

How Do You Kill a Samsung Galaxy S III?

We’ve all done it., killed a phone at one time or another. I’ve had one die in the toilet, I almost lost my G1 in a glass of tea, and I broke my first PDA by dropping it on the floor at church. My friend from church lost his in unique way; that picture above is his Galaxy S III after it was chopped up by a bush hog lawn mower. It’s a good thing he had insurance! Come on, fess up! What is the worst thing that you have ever done to your phone? Has it changed what…

News & Features April 23, 2013

Organize, Share and Enjoy Your Dropbox Photos in New Ways

Dropbox is one of the most important productivity tools I use these days. Having my files, documents and images in Dropbox means I can have access to any and all of my files no matter where I am and no matter what device I happen to be using on any particular day. That’s the reason I keep almost all my active documents in my Dropbox account. Side note: I also have a huge folder in Dropbox entitled “Not Kept Local”. It has all the files, movies and pictures I want to safeguard but don’t need on a daily basis. That…

Reviews April 22, 2013

Kogan Agora Android Smartphone Review – Dual SIM, Great Specs, & Low Price

Bargain basement Android smartphones have been around for years now, but the Kogan Agora Smartphone looks to change the landscape. Many cheap models are available for under $200, but they all eschew large screens and fast processors to keep their prices down. The Kogan Agora Smartphone is just AU$149, unlocked and free of contracts. That’s a good price on its own, but the spec sheet could easily be mistaken for phones costing over $100 more. Starting with the display, a 5.0” IPS panel, by far the largest in this price bracket. The 800 x 480 resolution doesn’t get close to the…

News & Features April 19, 2013

HTC One Available Online and in Retail Stores Nationwide

If you want an Android handset with a solid build, great speed and superb audio, then you want the HTC One. The latest and greatest handset from HTC is now widely available online and in retail stores including AT&T, Sprint, Best Buy, Radio Shack, Walmart, Target, Amazon.com, Costco, Car Toys, Sam’s Club, HSN.com, and HTC.com. The HTC One stands out as a phone that is built like a piece of jewelry. It has a “full-metal, zero-gap unibody design” that looks and feels as solid as any phone you have ever held. It competes with, and may surpass, the iPhone 5…

News & Features April 12, 2013

Verizon’s New 24-Month Subsidy and the Handcuffs of Strong Network Performance

I am due for a new phone upgrade on Verizon in June. I keep track of these things awfully closely, because 20 months is a long time for me to stick with one phone, and I am usually chomping at the bit for a new one by the time my new subsidy is up! So I was, to say the least, absolutely dismayed to see the news that Verizon is moving to a 24-month cycle between subsidies. I sent a lamenting email to my fellow editors, and this set off a discussion about cell phones, subsidy strategies, and why we…

Reviews April 12, 2013

MiPow Boom Bluetooth Speaker Review

We posted our review of the MiPow Boom mini the other day. (Read it.) The speaker is tiny but the sound is anything but tinny. I’m impressed by the sound such a small speaker is able to pump out and I still can’t believe that, after using the speaker pretty continually since we got here to Jamaica, I still have not had to charge it. There is no question in my mind that MiPow’s battery rating is more than a bit conservative. The company also sent me the first ever review sample of the MiPow Boom. This speaker, the larger…

Reviews April 10, 2013

MiPow Boom mini Bluetooth Speaker Review

I will admit to having gone into my review of the MiPow Boom and MiPow Boom mini Bluetooth speakers positively inclined toward both products. After all, when Judie and I met with Brian Holmes, vice president and general manager of MiPow, back at CES in January we were immediately impressed by the attention to quality and detail the company put into their mobile accessories. During our meeting we got to check out their range of external batteries and liked what we saw. We learned about their Bluetooth headsets and were anxious to try them out. And, at the end of CES, we…

Reviews April 5, 2013

Nillkin Hard Case for Google Nexus 4 Review

Bulky cases on already large phones is a problem for me, and the Nillkin Hard Case line looks to be a good option. Having recently switched from my iPhone 5 to a Nexus 4, the main thing I have been getting used to is the extra size. Having 4.7 inches of screen to play with for browsing and videos is wonderful, but less so when attempting to type one-handed. It’s relatively easy with a naked Nexus 4, but when out working I always want that bit of extra protection. The Nillkin Hard Case is very no frills, and arrived in…

News & Features April 4, 2013

HTC First Puts Facebook First with Their Facebook Centric Android Phone

How much do you love Facebook? As we used to say when I was in elementary school, “do you LOVE IT love it? Or do you just love it?” Well, for those of you who LOVE IT love it, HTC has just announced the First, which is “the first and only smartphone built to feature Facebook Home.” The HTC First is also the first (and only) phone to come with Instagram pre-loaded, but that’s a little less exciting when you consider that it’s a free download that should only take seconds to do, anyway … unless they mean that it is integrated more…

News & Features March 28, 2013

Gomadic SunVolt Portable Solar Power Station Review

Last year my congregation became the first Reform synagogue in the country to attain certification in environmental leadership from GreenFaith, a nationally recognized interfaith environmental coalition. This winter our Pre-School completed a nationally certified outdoor classroom. The goal is to help kids, and parents, better balance “screen time” and “green time”. It should be no surprise then, that I love the idea of using the sun to charge and run my many mobile devices. After all, if the sun can fuel plants, then why not have it fuel my iPhone, iPod touch and various accessories? That’s where the Gomadic SunVolt…

Game Diary, News & Features March 27, 2013

Games Portal Premium Service Offers Mobile Social Gaming on Verizon Android

Games Portal will be preloaded on millions of Verizon Android devices beginning in the second quarter of 2013. PlayPhone has announced a major new tier-one carrier partnership with Verizon for its mobile social gaming platform. Verizon did not disclose which device(s) would be first to come with Games Portal pre-installed. In 2010, Verizon launches their own V Cast Apps store, which closed about a year later. Games Portal continues Playphone’s cross platform social game service with the latest free and premium games. Games Portal also includes various activities including achievements, friend invites, leaderboards, real-time updates, and recommendations. Friends lists can…

News & Features March 25, 2013

Jabra Motion Bluetooth Headset Review

The Jabra Motion Bluetooth Headset is the latest and greatest Bluetooth headset from one of the true pioneers in wireless accessories. Using it for this review made me remember my very first Bluetooth headset; it also came from Jabra and, like the Jabra Motion Bluetooth Headset, it also wrapped around my ear with the microphone extending toward my mouth. This first Bluetooth headset required a dongle connected to the phone’s 3.5mm headphone jack. Why? Because my Motorola flip phone didn’t have Bluetooth built into it! Yes, it was the dark ages, and in order to get Bluetooth functionality I had…

Reviews March 25, 2013

PhoneSuit Lightplay Media Projector with Android Review, Part 1

This is part one of a two-part review of the PhoneSuit Lightplay Media Projector.In this post we’ll look at the actual hardware included in the PhoneSuit Lightplay Media Projector box. In the second post we’ll delve more deeply into the actual functionality of the PhoneSuit Lightplay Media Projector . About here and a half ago, Judie and I used the BenQ GP2 Projector. We were amazed that something so small and light could push out such a large, clear image. Watch our videos… Bringing the BenQ Joybee GP2 to Aruba? Why Not! Benq Joybee GP2 Saves the Day When Rain…

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