gadget news and reviews

OtterBox Impact Case For iPhone 3GS +

On Skatter Tech we constantly emphasize purchasing cases for your expensive gadgets to maximize protection and to prevent them from experiencing any damage. Today we’ve got a look at the Impact Case for the iPhone 3G/3GS by OtterBox. The company specializes in making heavy duty cases for just about every popular gadget on the market. Some of their cases look as though they could be run over by a tank and still survive. Some of these items are a bit overkill for the average user, but there are definitely situations where they would be put to good use. Fortunately the Impact Case being reviewed is fairly compact, offers decent protection, and is affordable.

Installation – 4/5 stars
Some cases I’ve come across have been quite a pain to install. Placing the iPhone 3GS into the OtterBox Impact Case takes just a few seconds. The silicone case easily stretches to let the device slide in. The Screen Protector wasn’t too difficult to install. Just clean the screen with a microfiber cloth first, then wipe it down with the cloth they provide to clear off any lint.I aligned and placed the screen protector onto the display from the top to bottom. A few large air pockets got caught in between, but they weren’t to difficult to push out with the included “application card.” Afterward just peel off the remaining layer. Read More

OtterBox Impact Case For BlackBerry Tour 4

On Skatter Tech we constantly emphasize purchasing cases for your expensive gadgets to maximize protection and to prevent them from experiencing as much damage as possible. Today we’ve got the Impact Case for the BlackBerry Tour by OtterBox. The company specializes in making heavy duty cases for just about every popular gadget on the market. Some of their cases look as though they could be run over by a tank and still survive. I personally think some of them look a bit overkill for the average user, but there are definitely situations where they would be put to good use. Fortunately the Impact Case being reviewed looks great, offers excellent of protection, and is affordable.

Installation – 5/5 stars
Some cases I’ve come across have been quite a pain to install. Placing the BlackBerry Tour into the OtterBox Impact Case takes a mere 15 seconds. The silicone case easily stretches to let the device slide in. The Screen Protector was also fairly easy to install. Just clean the screen with a microfiber cloth first, then wipe it down with the cloth they provide to clear off any lint. Then just align and place the screen protector onto the display from one side to another. There weren’t any air pockets or bubbles that got caught in between, but if some do, just use the provided application card to squeeze them out. Read More

Snow Leopard Ships On August 28 1

Looking to upgrade your Mac to Snow Leopard? Apple announced earlier today that the new OS X Snow Leopard (10.6) will go on sale on Friday, August 28, 2009. The new operating system will be available in Apple Retail Stores, Apple’s Online Store, and at authorized retailers. A single license will cost just $29, while a “family pack” (5 users) will be priced at $49. Also if your purchased your iMac, MacBook, MacBook Pro, or Mac Pro after June 8, 2009, as a part of Apple’s  “Up-To-Date Program,” you can grab yourself Snow Leopard for just $9.95. Here’s a blurb from the Press Release in regards to what’s new:

Users will notice refinements including a more responsive Finder; Mail that loads messages up to twice as fast; Time Machine with an up to 80 percent faster initial backup; a Dock with Exposé integration; QuickTime X with a redesigned player that allows users to easily view, record, trim and share video; and a 64-bit version of Safari 4 that is up to 50 percent faster and resistant to crashes caused by plug-ins. Snow Leopard is half the size of the previous version and frees up to 7GB of drive space once installed. System applications including Finder, Mail, iCal®, iChat® and Safari are 64-bit and Snow Leopard’s support for 64-bit processors makes use of large amounts of RAM, increases performance and improves security while remaining compatible with 32-bit applications.

Don’t know if your computer is compatible with the new OS? It’s quite simple to figure that out. Just click on “About This Mac” from the “Apple Menu.” If you are running Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard on an Intel based machine, you are good to go! All you’ll have to do is purchase Snow Leopard and pop in the disk to upgrade! So what are you waiting for? Head on over to Apple’s Online Store which even guarantees FREE delivery to your door on August 28th, 2009!

Buy: Snow Leopard – Apple Store | Snow Leopard – Amazon
More Info: $10 Up-To Date Program | Snow Leopard Info

The Sony PlayStation 3 Slim 5

Today at the Gamescom conference in Germany, Sony announced the long rumored and awaited PlayStation 3 Slim. As implied merely by the title the unit is actually about 35% smaller than the original PS3 in volume and weighs about 4 pounds less. Despite being put on a diet, the compact unit doesn’t lack features either. The PS3 Slim is packed with a 120GB HDD and a Blu-Ray Player. And as a bonus for those of you saving on electricity, the unit now consumes about 35% less energy.

This isn’t the first time Sony’s slimmed down on a console. It’s predecessor the PlayStation 2 also shed a few pounds and was re-launched with a new look a couple of years after launch. The PlayStation Portable also was re-branded as a more compact PSP Go and will be reaching stores later this year.

Sony’s PlayStation 3 hasn’t dominated the console war as the PS2 had during it’s time, mainly due to competing prices. As of early 2009, the Sony PS3 has sold about 24 million units worldwide behind both Microsoft’s Xbox 360 at ~32 million units and Nintendo’s Wii at ~52 million units. For consumers, the good news might be the new price tag of $299, which is effective immediately, for both the upcoming Slim model and the currently available one. One quirk that still disappoints is a continued lack of backwards compatibility for PlayStation 2 games. Despite that, if you are interested in grabbing a unit, the PS3 Slim will be available for purchase online and in stores on September 1st, 2009.

Pre-Order: Sony PS3 Slim – $299
Links: PlayStation Blog

Proporta Crystal Case For iPhone 3GS +

If you own an Apple iPhone, you probably have or are looking for some sort of accessory to protect it. If you aren’t, you definitely should be. An iPhone is quite an expensive investment, replacements aren’t cheap, and one slip is all it takes to break one. After having to deal with last week’s (horrifying) review of the Griffin Wave Case, we for glad to have received Proporta’s Crystal iPhone 3G/3GS Case. The case looks a whole lot better, doesn’t add to much bulk, and offers a good amount of protection.

The Proporta Crystal Case feels robust and study when held. Just about all parts of the phone are covered. The top and bottom have been left exposed for access to the headphone jack, hold button, dock connector, and speakers. Other parts left exposed are for the volume cradle, earpiece, and home button. What’s great about the case is that the phone’s display is recessed into the case, so it would hopefully be protected if it were to fall face front. The one thing the case lacks is the inclusion of a screen protector. If Proporta threw one in with the Crystal case, that would have been better deal. Read More

Wallpapers: Windows 7 & Snow Leopard 3

2009 is the year for the launch of two new next generation operating systems: Apple’s OS X Snow Leopard and Microsoft’s Windows 7. Just as with every prior version of both those operating systems, they come with a set new stunning backgrounds. If you aren’t willing to spend the cash to upgrade or can’t afford to do so in these difficult times, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be able to enjoy these new wallpapers. So as a treat, our readers can download the entire set of backdrops included with both Windows 7 and Snow Leopard in full high resolution glory!

The download includes 31 Windows 7 Backgrounds plus two bonus ones we’ve thrown in all at a 1920×1200 resolution. And it also includes 35 Snow Leopard Backgrounds, all at a whopping 2560×1600 resolution. So what are you waiting for? Download a copy and let us know which set you like best!

Download:
next-gen-wallpapers.zip (~79.8 MB)
Note: Download only contains JPG images, we never distribute spyware/malware/adware.

Pre-Order: Snow Leopard | Windows 7

Griffin Wave Case For iPhone 3G/3GS +

Most iPhone 3G/3GS owners are usually motivated to purchase a case for their gadget. And if they are not, they should be. The iPhone is quite an expensive investment and spending a fraction of the cost to purchase some sort of protection is well worth it. A case I recently came across was the Griffin Wave, which is compatible with the iPhone 3G and 3GS. I also purchased it since I found it at an affordable price and I had used the “Griffin Wave” line of products previously for my 4th generation iPod Nano, which was a great case. Unfortunately the same can’t be said entirely about the Griffin Wave.

Griffin Wave package is composed of a few pieces: back and front pieces which snap together and a screen protector. The first thing I did was attempt to install the screen protector. Immediate reaction: horrible. It was a bit too thick of a plastic which reduced sensitivity, made the screen more difficult to see, and wouldn’t even stay on properly. I hilariously found that the thin sheet of plastic that protects the screen protector while in the packaging to function better. Read More

iPhone 3G/3GS Charger Deal – $3 4

If you own an Apple iPhone 3G or 3GS you were provided an “Apple USB Power Adapter” in the box. It’s a great little device mainly due to the fact that it’s so small. The charger doesn’t add much bulk to packing and just simply works. It isn’t just for an iPhone, but can also charge most other USB-powered devices. Here’s where my dilemma came in, I wanted a second one so I could charge my iPhone both at work and at home. After spending a minute or two on the online Apple Store to realize that they charge $29, I decided to hold back from purchasing another. If you add tax and basic shipping to the equation, it totals in at just about $36. I felt that was just a bit too expensive for just a USB charger.

I soon came across the Ultra-Mini USB Charger, a third party accessory, that caught my attention. Not only did it look exactly the same in the photos, but it only cost $3 and would be shipped for free. After taking a look into the online retailer, DealExtreme, I decided to take the $3 plunge after deciding it was a fairly reliable site. Everything worked out just fine, I was charged the correct amount and even received the look-alike USB Charger within a week. I was a bit worried to attempt charging my expensive iPhone 3GS, so I tested it on some older USB devices first. After those all charged just fine, I plugged in my iPhone 3GS. It worked no differently then Apple’s $30 charger and took no longer to fully power my iPhone’s battery. What was even more stunning was the design, it was literally identical in terms of size and color. If you held them up to someone, they probably wouldn’t think they were both the same. Read More

Apple MacBook Pro 13 vs. Dell Studio XPS 13 69

As the time is coming around for students across the country to head back to college, many are still deciding on which laptop they should purchase. Last year we compared the Dell XPS M1530 and Apple Macbook Pro 15, which sparked an intense debate. This year, two popular 13-inch models are Apple’s new MacBook Pro 13 and Dell’s new Studio XPS 13. There’s a lot of similarities in terms of hardware between the two, however a different set of features and the included operating system sets them apart. To help you folks decide which machine is right for you, here are two charts provided below. The first compares the Apple and Dell in terms of features with a total score. For the second chart, we picked the base model of the Apple MacBook Pro 13 and then configured the Dell Studio XPS 13 to match the same specs to see how much the price would differ. Take a look and let us know what you think!

Feature Comparison:
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Skatter Tech: August 09 Upgrades +

Skatter Tech has received some new features and enhancements over the past couple of days. Things will be faster, easier to use, and more compatible with the technology you use. We’re not stopping here either, more upgrades are due soon including the ability to allow you folks to leave comments on Skatter Tech using your Facebook account. For now, here’s what we’ve got for you:

Follow Us and Be a Fan:
Skatter Tech is now officially on both Twitter and Facebook. We’ll be posting updates both sites about newly published content. We’ll also be doing a few giveaways before the end of this year of gadgets that have been reviewed here. So if you’ve followed or become a fan of us, you’ll be notified when it happens!

Comments:
Discussions on articles will now be easier than ever before. The “quote” feature has now been dropped in exchange for a threaded commenting system. Replies to a person’s comment will be displayed directly below the original comment. For now only one level of replies have been enabled, however if found useful more depth will be implemented. User images are now fully powered by Gravatar. If you have setup an account there, your photo will be displayed on any comment you leave on Skatter Tech.

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