scattered technology news

Verizon Wireless MiFi 2200 (Review) 0

Although just about everyone has internet access at home, people still enjoy the freedom remaining connected while on the go. Even with WiFi hotspots around every corner, many still prefer to use 3G network for their own personal network. USB modems have been a popular solution, but they have limitations. Most require installation of drivers and leave a device sticking out of the side of your laptop. Although most new laptops offer configurations with broadband cards built in, those are even more limited since only that device will be able to utilize the network. Fortunately the MiFi 2200 came to the rescue earlier this year, introducing a personal 3G-powered WiFi hotspot.

Novatel MiFi 2200 Specifications:

• Network: Verizon Wireless CDMA
• Wi-Fi Mode: 802.11b/g
• Security: VPN & WEP/WPA/WPA2
• Size / Weight: 3.5″ x 2.3″ x 0.4″ / 2.05 oz
• Connector: microUSB
• Battery Life: 4 hours use / 40 hours standby

Hardware: 5/5 stars
The MiFi 2220, developed by Novatel, is about the width and height of a business card. It’s 3.5 inches wide, 2.3 inches tall, and just 0.4 inches thick to be exact. While weighing just about 2 ounces, it packs both a CDMA and WiFi antennas inside. There’s a power button on the top that lights up green when it’s on. A microUSB connector, for charging the device, resides besides another green LED indicator that displays WiFi activity. On the bottom, there’s a sliding back door that reveals a battery pack. Other than that there’s not much else to say. It’s light weight and compact enough to take with you.

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Do You Still Set Your Clocks? 0

This year’s Daylight Savings ends on tomorrow on November 1st, 2009 for those who live in countries that observe it. At 2AM clocks will need to be turned back an hour. And to remember which way the clock gets turned when, just remember the phrase “Spring Forward, Fall Back.”

However it’s 2009 and we live in a digital world. I realized I haven’t had to manually set a clock back or ahead for at least a year or two now. Everything I use from my computers to mobile phones all get their time from a centralized source. They all adjust themselves automatically. Even cheap standalone alarm clocks that are available that cost under $15 now sync up with the atomic clock in Colorado.

So my question to guys: “Do you still have clocks that need to be adjusted?”
Let us know by voting in our Twitter Poll and by leaving a comment below!

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Sprint HTC Hero (Review) 7

As a long time Sprint user, I had been deciding on a new phone to upgrade to. I’ve had the Motorola Q for over a year and although it might have been a decent device at the time, both the hardware and the Windows Mobile OS are truly outdated. After a long debate between the Palm Pre and the HTC Hero, I decided to go with the Android powered device. The future of Windows Mobile looks shady and there’s a reason why. After just a minute of use, I was in awe about the ease, speed, and power of the Android OS. With HTC’s excellent hardware and Sprint’s network with affordable data plans, the HTC Hero has been amazing. There’s a lot this phone offers to help organize and centralize all the data in your life.

The Hardware: 5/5 stars
Although the HTC Hero shares similar elements of style from it’s European predecessor, this model has a new and revised body. The distinctive bottom lip (Jay Leno chin?) that characterized the original Hero has been replaced with a more traditional rounded edge. I never spent much time handling the chin-ed version, but I’m satisfied with the comfort the new HTC Hero offers. There’s a large illuminated trackball centered below the display. A send and end button are on the far left and right of the bottom portion, respectively. A Menu and Home key are on the left of the trackball while the search and back key are on the right. The mini USB port is on the bottom, the camera is centered on the top portion of the back side, and the headphone jack is on the top of the phone. The trackball was quite responsive and the inclusion of physical keys for answer and ending calls suited my taste. The phone isn’t the most fancy device on the market by any means, but it’s smoke gray coat with gun-metal accents look elegant. The phone’s also has a great grip to it and feels durable enough to survive a few small drops.

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Jabra Halo (Review) 0

I’ve always wanted a pair of wireless headphones, but I have never had a compatible device and plus the technology just wasn’t ready yet. When the Jabra Halo showed up at our doorstep, I had also just upgraded my phone to the brand new Sprint HTC Hero. A perfect match. It paired up quickly and I was finally untangled from my phone. The Jabra Halo, appropriately named for its unique, thin, and sleek design, strays away from other traditional bluetooth headphones. They look great and are aesthetically appealing, but how do they hold up in other distinguishing areas? Read on to find out!

Body Design: 4/5 stars
As the name suggests, the Jabra Halo simply resemble a halo. As I removed it from the packaging, it struck me a luxurious gadget. They felt quite lightweight as I picked them up and the black trim was elegant. After skimming through the product info sheet, I looked at the quick-start guide for directions before trying them on. Ok, easy enough, just unfold and snap in to lock the headphones into position — wait… ’snap’? Although I was a bit worried, I realized that the headset actually had a joint to fold. This wasn’t just to make the device more compact for travel, but it was actually what turned it on and off as well. It’s unique, new, and the sharp look definitely certainly got me a few glances.

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Verizon Motorola Droid Unboxed 5

Skatter Tech received the upcoming Motorola Droid which runs on Verizon Wireless earlier today. The phone will be available for purchase online and in retail stores on November 6th, 2009. The price is currently set at $199 with a new 2-year contract after a $100 mail-in-rebate. The phone runs on the new Android 2.0 operating system, uses the Verizon Wireless 3G network, has a slide out QWERTY keyboard, WiFi, a high resolution touch screen, and even a 5 mega pixel camera. To top that off, it comes integrated with just about every service Google offers: Search, Google Talk, Gmail, YouTube, Google Calendar, and more. And as a bonus, it features a free beta version of Google’s new GPS Navigation software that offers voice guided turn-by-turn direction. It’s going to take a few days before we post a full review, but for now here’s a great gallery of some product shots I just took:

I had some time to handle the device and mess with the interface. My first impressions were quite positive. Everything from Verizon’s marketing to the quality of the hardware to the Android 2.0 software are stunning. Ian Thackston will be publishing an in-depth review of the phone in the next couple of days, prior to launch. This should give you guys some time to read the review and decide whether it’s the right phone for you before you pick one up. In the meantime subscribe to our RSS Feed, Email Subscriptions, or on Facebook/Twitter to get notified when the review is up!

UPDATE: Read Our Full Review!

Link: Verizon Wireless Motorola Droid

BlackBerry Storm2 (Review) 2

Today is the day, the BlackBerry Storm2 is finally here. We received this device a few days ago and I have put it to the test since. As the name implies, the Storm2 is the upgrade to the Storm, which was RIM’s first touch-screen device. Although the model shares a similar design and form factor, it resolves many of the issues the previous version faced. The BlackBerry Storm2 now features a new clickable capacitive touch screen, runs on the new 5.0 OS, is more responsive, and even has WiFi.

BlackBerry Storm2 Specifications:

• Provider: Verizon Wireless UMTS/HSPA & EDGE/GPRS/GSM
• Displays: SurePress 3.25-inch 360×480 pixels touch screen
• Camera: 3.2 Megapixel Camera w/ Auto-focus & Flash
• Music: MP3, M4A, WMA, & AAC/eAAC/eAAC+
• Video: MPEG4, WMV, H.264
• Memory: 2GB (internal) | 16GB microSD included
• Dimensions: 4.43″ L x 2.45″ W x .55″ D
• Battery: GSM: 5-6 hours talk time | 270-305 hours standby
• Other: Bluetooth 2.1 | 3.5 mm Audio Jack | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g

The Body: 5/5
The Storm2 is a bit of a heavy phone just like the original Storm, but there are plenty of changes that make it fantastic. For one it simply just looks sharp and feels like an expensive device. The front is completely glossy, the sides are covered with a chrome trim, and the back has a brushed metal look. Instead of having separated physical buttons for the send, menu, back, and end keys, they are all integrated onto the bottom of the SurePress touch screen. The speaker is now located on the bottom portion facing the user for undistorted quality instead of on the back. The voice command key and the micro USB port are on the left side of the phone. From the top to the bottom on the right side, there’s the 3.5mm headphone jack, volume rocker, and the camera shutter. The top of the back side has the 3.2 mega pixel camera and a LED flash right above the plate covering the battery pack, SIM card, and microSD card. The play/pause control and power button that also locks the phone is on the top. Everything is within fingers reach and the grip feels great.

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Netflix Finally Reaches The PS3 0

Since launch, Sony has advertised the PlayStation 3 as a household center for entertainment. In addition to Blu-Ray playback, Sony soon took it a step further with a few software updates giving it access to tons of Movies and TV Shows through the PlayStation Network Store. It even supports DLNA streaming to share music, photos, and videos between computers on your home network. Despite those features, it lacked something that Microsoft was able to put into the Xbox: Netflix Streaming.

Fortunately Sony has caught up with the times and has partnered with Netflix. They plan to offer PS3 owners and Netflix subscribers streaming access to their library as early as next month at no additional cost. This will be a great complement to their snail mail Blu-Ray rental service.  To enable your PS3 for the service, you’ll need to get a special free disc from Netflix that will enable the service. Let’s hope there will be more features such as this one coming down the line. Hulu please?

Links: Netflix.com/PS3

Haier Video MP3 Player (Review) 1

Haier America recently released their very own portable media player. It’s a simple music, photo, and video player available in 4 and 8 GB capacities. I didn’t expect much when I picked it up, but for the price it packs quite a punch. It even has a FM radio and voice recorder built right in. There’s no question, this device can’t compare to the quality of an Apple iPod Nano or Microsoft Zune, but it’s an affordable alternative which deserves a quick look.

Haier HV18A Specs:

• Capacities: 4GB and 8GB
• Screen: 1.8″ LCD Color Display
• Music Format: MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV
• Video Format: .SMV (huh?)
• Other: FM Radio & Microphone
• Connector: Mini USB 2.0
• Price Range: $45-$60

The Body: 4/5 stars
The design of the Haier media player is very simple. The face is slightly elevated, and the edges curve off into the side. Below the 1.8″ screen, the player includes touch sensitive buttons for the menu, volume, left/right, and “ok”. All these keys light up blue and are embedded into the body. That unfortunately means buttons are difficult to find when you aren’t looking at the device. The built in microphone and the power button slider, which also locks the device, are on the left side. There’s a small reset pinhole on the right side, which I hope doesn’t need to be used. Despite the player’s sleek and simple look, the glossy finish and mirrored back makes it a great finger print magnet. I found myself cleaning off the front constantly just to be able to see the display. The sliding key also had a few issues since it’s too small. If you have large hands, it’s hard to be able to slide and hold up for a few seconds to get it to turn off or on. But once again, for the price, I was pleased with the design. Read More

Sprint: Palm Pixie For $99 0

Earlier today Sprint announced that the Palm Pixie would become available on their network on November 15th, 2009 for $99. The device features a QWERTY keyboard, GPS, a multi-touch display, and the webOS interface. What’s not so exciting might be hidden fees behind the price. It only reaches the sub-$100 price after signing a 2-year contract, sending in a $50 mail-in-rebate, and filing $100 rebate. This is the second webOS-based Palm device Sprint has picked up. Earlier this year in June, Sprint added the Palm Pre to their lineup. The Palm Pre was the first of it’s kind and was originally announced in January at CES 2009.

The Pixie shares a lot from Pre, but has a few changes. The form factor is similar to BlackBerry-esque single candy-bar device. The Palm Pre has a slide out keyboard. The display is a bit smaller, but still is a fully capable multi-touch interface. The Pixie will also be compatible with the Touchstone cable-free charger. There will even be new and updated social networking applications including an upgraded version of Facebook. A new version of Synergy which syncs contacts with all your networks, will also connect with Yahoo. The biggest difference might be the lack of WiFi. Despite that, Palm hopes to reach a larger market by introducing another webOS device with a new form factor at a lower price-point.

Links: Sprint.com | Palm.com Pixie

OtterBox Commuter & TL iPhone 3GS 2

As you may be aware by now, all of us here at Skatter Tech strongly recommend buying a protective case for your phones and other expensive gadgets.  Spending a couple bucks is well worth the investment.  Today I’ve reviews of two new cases for the iPhone 3G and 3GS by OtterBox. The Commuter and the Commuter TL are both are quite similar, but have a few differences, keep reading to find out which one’s right for you.

Installation – 5/5 stars
Some cases that I’ve come across have been a pain to install. For example the Griffin Wave even ended-up scratching my iPhone. Both the Commuter and Commuter TL are truly easy to install. It took less than a minute to place my iPhone into the silicone sleeve then attach the hard case onto it. I was a little worried that the silicone might tear when the plastic portion was going on, but it went on just fine with some caution. OtterBox also includes a screen protector with both the Commuter and the Commuter TL. It’s a decent screen protector, but it does slightly reduce the screen’s sensitivity.

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