gadget news and reviews

Bitbop – Movie Streaming Service For Phones +

Last week during CTIA Wireless 2010, I had a chance to meet with the folks behind Bitbop, a video streaming subscription service for smartphones. My initial thoughts wanted me to brush off the idea since startups such as these always face difficulty finding premium video content. Even ventures such as Joost that hoped to bring IPTV to every computer didn’t fare out so well. In fact, the only major success story that comes to mind is Hulu, but that was only because it was a joint venture between big names such as NBC, Fox, and ABC. However, I soon took a step back and reconsidered when I realized who was actually behind Bitbop: Fox Mobile Group.
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Skype Launches For Verizon Tomorrow +

Starting Thursday March 25th, Verizon Wireless customers will have access to Skype on their Android and BlackBerry-based smartphones. The partnership was first announced in early February, but the details are finally pouring in. According to Skype’s representative, there will be 9 compatible smartphone devices that can take advantage of the free service. Verizon customers can find the Skype Mobile App in the Android Marketplace or in the BlackBerry Downloads Folder on their respective device. New customers will find the Skype Mobile App pre-installed when they purchase a smartphone. Read More

Plantronics .Audio 476 DSP (Review) +

Plantronics is known for their high-end audio communication products, focusing primarily on the business crowd. Plantronics has made it their goal to deliver on headset quality, whether it’s for your job or just for casual use. Some of their products are on the expensive side, but there are still plenty of affordable high quality devices. The .Audio 476 DSP is a brand new Plantronics product that boasts high quality, whether it’s for communication, music, or gaming all at an affordable price. Can the 476 DSP’s live up to the advertised mobility, sound, and comfort? Or will they end up feeling like just another cheap headset?

.Audio 476 DSP Specs

• Speaker Frequency: 20 Hz – 20kHz
• Microphone Frequency: 100 Hz – 10kHz
• Cable Length: 2.0m
• Plug Size: USB
• Speaker Driver: 32mm
• Speaker Sensitivity: 0.0 dBPa +/- 4dB
• Microphone Sensitivity: 12 dBFS +/- 4dB
• Speaker Impedance: 32 ohms
• MSRP: $54.95

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CTIA 2010: Samsung Galaxy S +

Although I unfortunately didn’t make it to Samsung’s Press Conference at this year’s CTIA. I had a chance to meet up with some of Samsung’s PR team at their booth. Their latest flagship device? The Galaxy S (GT-I9000). In short, it’s an Android smartphone with a large 4-inch AMOLED display and an unusually fast processor. While I was excited for Sprint’s HTC Evo, this launch shouldn’t by any means be overlooked. Although Samsung didn’t mention which networks would carry the Galaxy S, it’s expected to reach Europe, North America, Australia, and Asia soon.

Samsung Galaxy S Specifications:

• Network: 2.5 and 3G (HSDPA 7.2Mbps)
• OS: Android v2.1 with ‘Social Hub’
• Display: 4-inch AMOLED 800×480
• CPU: 1GHz Application Processor
• Camera: 5 MP photos, 720p video
• Keyboard: on-screen with Swype
• Sensors: Accelerometer, Proximity, Light
• Networks: WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth v3.0
• Memory: 16GB/8GB with microSD (32GB max)
• Size: 64.2 x 122.4 x 9.9 mm
• Battery: 1500 mAh

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CTIA 2010: Sprint HTC EVO 4G 15

That’s right, it just happened. Sprint and HTC just changed the smartphone arena with the introduction of the first 4G handset on the market: the HTC Evo 4G. It’s not just any handset, but rather the most powerful smartphone on the market. I was invited over to Sprint’s exclusive event during the CTIA Wireless show in Las Vegas and had the opportunity to test the phone. I honestly had fallen for the device after a quick skim through the specifications, but after a first glance at the device, I knew that this would be an important play for Sprint and that I actually wanted one. Before I dive in, skim through these specifications and let it sink in.

HTC EVO 4G Specifications:

• Network: Sprint 4G/3G compatible
• Display: 4.3-inch 800×480 capacitive
• OS: Android 2.1 w/ HTC Sense UI
• CPU: 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon
• Memory: 1GB ROM, 512MB RAM
• Camera: 8 megapixel w/ 720p video
• Front Camera: 1.3 megapixel
• GPS: Sprint Navigation + Google Navigator
• WiFi: 802.11b/g + HotSpot for 8 devices
• Bluetooth: 2.1 + EDR + Stereo Audio
• Music: FM Radio, Amazon MP3, 3.5mm jack
• microSD: 8GB included (32GB max)
• Sensors: Accelerometer, Proximity, Light
• Output: HDMI 720p content
• Battery: 1,500 mAh

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Palm Pixi Plus (Review) 15

We reviewed the Palm Pre Plus that launched with Verizon Wireless early last month, but didn’t have a chance to give our take on it’s more affordable sibling, the Palm Pixi Plus. Although the Pre Plus came with some hardware improvements including more RAM, the Pixi Plus only received to new features: built-in WiFi and Mobile HotSpot. It’s hard to tell whether there’s even a market for the Pixi Plus since the Pre Plus has a lot more to offer for a fairly minimal price difference. However, Verizon Wireless seems to be touting it as a “free phone” by offering it through a buy one get one free deal.

Palm Pixi Plus Specifications:

• Provider: Verizon Wireless
• Operating System: Palm webOS
• Display: 2.63-inch 320×400 multi-touch
• Camera: 2.0 Megapixel Camera + Flash
• Music: MP3, WAV, AAC/AAC+
• Video: MPEG4, H.263, H.264
• Memory: 8GB internal
• Dimensions: 4.37L x 2.17W x .43D inches
• Battery: 5 hours talk time | 350 hours stand-by
• Wireless: WiFi 802.11 b/g & Bluetooth 2.1+

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Wilson Electronics SignalBoost DT (Review) +

It’s 2010 and cell phones are more than ever an essential part of our everyday lives. With the market becoming heavily penetrated with smartphones, it’s hard for people to find themselves going for more than just a few minutes without having a quick glance at their device for new text messages, checking emails, or just browsing the web. Even with many mobile innovations, a phone can still easily become rendered useless if there’s no signal. Both dropped calls and dead zones are still widespread and common problems. Wilson Electronics, with nearly 40 years of experience, hopes to solve that issue for the average consumer with a lineup of friendly signal boosters. These aim to offer improvements to both voice calls and data transfer speeds for just about every major cellular carrier (except Nextel).

We first tested their products in 2008, but found a mixed bag of results. After ruling out the previous units as likely defective, the folks at Wilson Electronics sent us some new units. These signal boosters are the real deal. They aren’t those little stickers from the 1990s that adhered to the back of phones, claiming to improve signal. The technology works by utilizing two antennas. Once receives signal from a cell tower site just as your cell phone would, but with a powerful antenna. It then amplifies that signal indoors with the second antenna for better performance. Wilson Electronics offers a variety of cellular signal boosters including the Sleek for a single mobile phone and the MobilePro for multiple devices when in a car, a hotel, or on the go. For this review, I’ll be focusing on the SignalBoost DT which aims to offer strong signals for an entire household (~2,000 square feet). Read More

Live From CTIA 2010 Keynote +

Skatter Tech is live at the CTIA Wireless 2010 (Day 2) Keynote with Dan Hesse (Sprint), William Morrow (Clearwire), René Obermann (Deutsche Telekom), John Stanton (Trilogy International), and Padmasree Warrior (Cisco). The event should begin shortly. We’ll be updating the live blog throughout the event, so keep refreshing for updates. Read More

SlingBox Solo + iPhone SlingPlayer (Review) 13

I rarely begin a review by drawing final thoughts right off the bat, but the SlingBox Solo simply rocks. For those that haven’t heard of SlingBox, it’s a little set-top box that streams a residential Satellite or Cable TV feed over the internet for remote viewing on a Mac, PC, or mobile device. That means being able to enjoy the TV content you receive at home from just about anywhere that has internet access. Asides from wishing for a few additional features in a future iteration, this was simply one of the few products that worked so well right out of the box that it deserves commendation. There are usually many pitfalls set-top boxes wind up in, but fortunately, SlingMedia got it all right. Read More