gadget news and reviews

Apple Announces The iPad 4

Apple just finished up their Press Conference at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco and finally announced their poorly kept secret: the iPad. There’s a lot that the media expected, however details such as the price range was quite impressive. So here’s what it can do:

“iPad is our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iPad creates and defines an entirely new category of devices that will connect users with their apps and content in a much more intimate, intuitive and fun way”

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RIM BlackBerry Curve 8530 (Review) 1

Research in Motion’s cell phones have been the business standard ever since email was introduced to the mobile market. An enormous BlackBerry clipped to your belt was a symbol for the technologically capable businessman (and woman) long before the notorious Bluetooth headset. More players have joined the smartphone game, but RIM still remains king of the business market and has successfully entered the consumer market. The BlackBerry Curve 8530 is RIM’s most recent entry for consumers and it’s available through Verizon Wireless.

BlackBerry Curve 8530 Specifications:

• Provider: Verizon Wireless
• Operating System: BlackBErry v5.0
• Display: 2.5-inch 320×240 pixel TFT LCD
• Camera: 2.0 megapixel camera
• Music: MP3, WMA, AAC/AAC+
• Video: MPEG4, WMV, H.263, H.264
• Memory: 256MB internal + microSD expansion
• Dimensions: 4.29H x 2.36W x .55D inches
• Battery: 270 mins talk time | 252 hours stand-by
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.1+ | WiFi b/g

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Sennheiser-Adidas CX 680 (Review) +

This year at the Consumer Electronics Show, Sennheiser unveiled a new line of headphones in a collaboration with the famous Adidas athletic company. The new sporty lineup consists of the CX 680 in-ear earphones, MX 680 earbuds, OMX 680 ear clips, and PMX 680 behind-the-head headphones, all of which are aimed at active users. These new models have many innovative features that I wish other ultra-portable headphones would offer. Sennheiser was gracious enough to give Skatter Tech a pair of the CX 680s, the most expensive set in their new lineup. So will the new CX 680s grab Rookie of the Year or be sent back to the farm leagues? Let’s take them to the field.

Packaging & Items
Purchasers of the new CX 680s are greeted with a clean-cut and professional looking packaging that conveys a confidence for their upcoming sporting activities. The Adidas logo prominently stands ready in the upper left hand corner of the packaging while a less conspicuous Sennheiser logo appears opposite the boxing ring in the lower right hand corner. Information on the packaging touts features such as water resistance, passive noise blocking, DuPont kevlar reinforced cables, and a vast multitude of accessories. The crisp sound of ripping open the perforated strip on the bottom gives you anticipation of the great match to come like watching one of Rocky’s montages. Read More

In Photos: Palm Pre Plus & Pixi Plus +

About two weeks ago at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Verizon Wireless and Palm announced a new partnership and the launch of the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus. Our review units just came in, courtesy of Verizon Wireless, and these are looking great. There’s one big difference between the ‘Plus’ and the regular version that we reviewed for Sprint last year: it sports a built-in hotspot feature. With just one-click, customers can enable a local WiFi hotspot for up to five devices. And of course, it that will run off Verizon Wireless’s 3G network. Both the phones still sport the existing popular features such as the webOS, Palm Synergy, App Catalog, QWERTY keybaords, WiFi b/g, GPS, Email, MMS, Sensors (Proximity, Light, Accelerometer), replaceable batteries, and much more.

The Pre Plus also comes with some extra goodies over its predecessor. It now comes with a touch-stone enabled rear cover. You won’t need to spend extra cash if you decided to buy a Touchstone Dock. The phone now has 16GB of internal storage versus the 8GB available on its older sibling still running on the Sprint network. The phone also has double the RAM, meaning more multitasking. The hardware gesture key is now embedded into the casing and is no longer visible, but functions just the same. The Pixi Plus also has some improvements in addition to the new hotspot feature. Yes, if you didn’t guess already, that means the Pixi now has WiFi. It’s also compatible with a variety of designer rear plates that are all compatible with the Touchstone Dock. Read More

CES 2010: Powermat (Preview) 2

Last November we published our in-depth review of the Powermat. We thought it was awesome, but it was expensive and wasn’t necessarily hassle free. Earlier this month during the Consumer Electronics Show, we met up with Powermat. They showed us their new lineup of products for 2010. With some new unique products, I’m quite confident that they’ll have a successful year. One of my personal favorites was a special wireless charging enabled battery that replaces the one currently in your phone. You’ll essentially be able to charge your phone with the mat without cords, sleeves, or any other accessories. That’s not all, they’ve got more in stock so keep reading for details.

The New Mats:
When we last reviewed the Powermat, they had two offerings: the “Home and Office” and a “Portable” version. While we didn’t particularly have an issues with the Mats, they came up with new ones anyways. The new Home and Office model is offered in three sizes: 1X, 2X, and 3X. They can charge one, two, and three devices, respectively. While I didn’t have the chance to spend too much time with the new model, it was noticeably sharper looking and slimmer. I felt that a single charger defeated the purpose of advertising a cable-free solution since a cable would need to go to the mat anyways. You could save some cash and just plug in a single device if that’s all you need to charge. However, the dual and triple Powermats make sense. Read More

iFrogz EarPollution Timbre With Mic (Review) +

Over the past few weeks, Skatter Tech has published reviews of two iFrogz EarPollution headphones. So far, all these headphones have been unique in their own way, both functionally and artistically. Now it’s time to see what iFrogz brings to the table with earphones.

Admittedly, headphones are not for everyone. Some find them too bulky and overbearing, and prefer the alternative being earphones. iFrogz offers a variety of products each varying in aesthetics, style, and quality. Today I’ll be focusing on the Timbre earphones. Advertised for its sound quality and a built-in microphone, let’s see if these affordable earphones really live up to their name. Read More

Project Voldemort: Building An i7 Gaming Rig +

When I first set out to build a gaming computer I had to sit down and ask myself a few questions. They were questions such as, “How much do I want to spend?” and, “What am I trying to achieve exactly?” These questions and a few simple others led me to the final question, ”What’s dark, snake-like, powerful, and intimidating looking?” AHHHHH! RUN! IT’S GODZILLA… and Lord Voldemort. I decided that instead of building a monsterous and rampaging Godzilla of a computer that a tidy and composed, yet just as powerful “Lord Voldemort” of a computer would suit my style better. My Voldemort computer would need to be powerful, stealthy, and sleek while still having that element of intimidation to strike fear in to those who see it. I progressed with these goals in mind to take the next step of collecting the various horcruxes I would need in order to raise the Dark Lord (without actually killing anyone, of course). Read More

Lost Planet 2 (Preview) +

There were high hopes for the announcement of Lost Planet 2 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC given the success and popularity of the original Lost Planet: Extreme Condition. During Capcom’s Press Event at CES 2010, Skatter Tech was able to take a look at the upcoming sequel and check out the dramatic changes that have been made thus far. After playing the demo and getting a walk through of new gameplay mechanics, I’m pleased to say that all of these changes have added to an already great game.

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ContourHD Wearable Camcorder (Preview) +

Extreme sport enthusiasts have had moments they’ve wished to capture on film whether it was the amazing ski-run or the the scene from a paraglider. Holding a normal camcorder is bulky, ties up one hand, and makes it harder to balance. Not to mention the dangers of damaging the camcorder or getting hurt. VholdR hopes to solve those issues with their new wearable ContourHD 1080p camcorder that can survive through the harshest of conditions.

A quick look at the VholdR’s website reveals recordings of the camera in action during base jumps, mountain biking, and backcountry ski trips. The ContourHD 1080p camera mounts onto just about anything: bike handlebars, ski helmets, goggles, or even cars. It is clear that this camcorder can go places that other 1080p camcorders can not. It sports a dual laser for alignment with a 180 degree rotating lens. This ensures a calibrated shot even if it’s mounted sideways. Unlike competitors such as the Go Pro Camera, the ContourHD does not look like a boxy point and shoot camera shoved in a waterproof case. Instead, it packed in a sleek and stylish black anodized aluminum body that’s shock resistant. VholdR claims that it can hold its own through snow and all types of debris. Plus, its not bulky either, it weighs just 4.3oz. To stay compact, the camcorder uses a microSD (16GB max) for storing recordings. One charge is expected to last for capturing 3 hours of content. The ContourHD is ready out of the box since it comes packed with a 2GB microSD card. Read More

Sprint Overdrive (Preview) +

During the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Dominic Raad and I attended Sprint’s Hottest Spot 4G event. Although we arrived late since Microsoft’s Press Conference lasted longer than expected due to a power failure, we still made it to the event. Steve Ballmer made it to the stage and presented to the audience at Sprint’s event immediately after his own keynote even though we didn’t make it there on time. Sprint’s CEO, Dan Hesse, hosted the event and Best Buy’s CEO, Brain Dunn, joined him on stage as well. The topic was of course their new 4G offerings and a the new Overdrive personal WiFi hotspot, much like Verizon’s MiFi. Read More