scattered technology news

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

Back To School: JanSport Revolt 0

With school starting just around the corner, students everywhere are looking to purchase new backpacks to start the year. We would like to thank JanSport was kind enough to provide us their Revolt day pack for this review. An important aspect of backpacks these days is included protection for laptops and electronics. And with that being said, it must be done without adding too much bulk or weight to make the bag uncomfortable to wear. The Jansport Revolt is fairly lightweight, looks great, and was spacious.

The day pack features the new “Biovent” padded shoulder straps and the “Ventech” cushioned back panel. This is essential for those who have longer commutes as it helps reduces strain and adds some comfort. Plus the design is suppose to improve airflow between you and the bag, to keep yourself cooler. After a few days of use, I actually have to say that I actually found it uncomfortable. I continued to use it for another week and breaking it in helped it become a lot better.  The bag weighs just under 2 pounds and can hold up to 2001.6 cu in, which is about the average size for a backpack. The Revolt also has adjustable chest and waist straps, to help transfer the weight.

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InvisibleSkinz for LG enV Touch 0

Last week we reviewed the ZAGG invisibleSHIELD for the Apple iPhone. And as we mentioned there, we highly recommend purchasing cases to protect expensive gadgets. But even with the best cases, there are a couple of drawbacks. These include reduced functionality, extra weight, and loss of the original design. An alternative option, that has become increasingly popular, is using Invisible Skinz. It’s a piece of durable, but barely noticeable film that safely adhere themselves to the device. The film will help ward off  scratches and wear and tear. The best reward of using a skin instead of a hard case would be that the device would look just about the same as before adhering anything to it.

Installation: Time Consuming + Difficult
Getting the InvisibleSkinz film on the LG enV Touch isn’t a few minute job. It actually took us about 45 minutes to get everything installed properly. It comes with a few pieces of film, which was a bit of a puzzle to figure out which went where. (15 included pieces) Installing it requires using a “SHIELDspray” liquid solution, to be applied to both your hands and the film. One thing that may worry many is actually getting this liquid all over your device. I can assure, after installing this type of product on many devices, that using a proper amount of solution won’t cause any issues. Just be sure to avoid getting any solutions into any critical openings. If the device is off and allowed to dry for a couple hours after installation, there’s nothing to worry about. Applying the film was pretty difficult, you only have a short window of time to get it adjust to the right spot. If there are any bubbles caught between the film and the body of the phone, just squeeze them out with the included tool. There’s also a ton of smears and small particles making the entire thing look horrible after you finish. However if you wait patiently overnight or a day, most of those work themselves out. Read More

LG enV Touch (VX-11000) Review 53

Bringing back the “enV” name, the LG enV Touch (VX-11000) is the upgrade to the popular LG Voyager (VX-10000), which was released in late 2007. The phone keeps the same form factor as its predecessor, but is now slimmer and more stylish. The enV Touch has many new features, normally found in more expensive devices, such as video editing and a office document viewer.

LG enV Touch VX-11000 Specifications:

• Provider: Verizon Wireless (1.9 GHz /800 MHz CDMA)
• Displays: 3-inch 800 x 480 pixels & 1,600K colors
• Camera: 3.2 Megapixel Camera w/ Autofocus, Flash & Image Editor
• Music: MP3, WMA, Unprotected AAC/AAC+
• Memory: 250Mb (internal) / 16GB microSD (external)
• Battery: 260 Minutes Talk Time & 408 Hours Standby
• Other: Bluetooth 2.1+EDR | Stereo Speakers

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foneGEAR Mini Blu Headset (Review) 2

Every bluetooth headset hitting the market today seems to be getting new wild features, for example an LCD display for Caller ID. All the average consumer honestly needs is the ability to talk. foneGear has taken this approach with their Mini Blue (fG876) lightweight headset with no unnecessary extras. The Mini Blue isn’t exactly the most innovative feature-packed unit, but it’s simple and it works!

foneGear Mini Blu (fG976) Specs:

• Battery: 4 hrs talk | 75 hrs idle
• Range: 30 foot wireless range
• Wireless: Bluetooth 2.0 EDR+
• Weight: 0.4 oz (11g)
• Charger: AC Adapter

The layout of the Mini Blu is as simple as it can get. It’s got a multi-function button on the front which acts as the talk/end button as well as turns on/off the unit. On the side, you’ll find a plus and minus button to control the volume level. The volume down key doubles as the redial button as well as the mute control. Even after testing the headset with multiple phones, we still had issues getting the redial and mute functions to work properly. An LED indicator can be found on the front, which lights up red while charging and flashes blue while it’s on. The audio quality was decent, but not too great. The audio would crackle and the listener would also have a hard time hearing us if we turned up the volume too high. Despite this, the quality of voice calls on the Mini Blu is more than enough for most consumers.

The headset can be worn on either ear and was quite comfortable. The actual speaker portion is surrounded by a soft rubber, therefore will be easy on the ear even after hours of use. The headset is fastened to your ear with a thin plastic around-the-ear hook. With this hook, it is close to impossible for the headset to fall off even if you are actively moving. This can not be said for other headsets we’ve reviewed such as the Samsung WEP200, which is quite hard to keep in place. Read More

March 07 Wii/PS3/Xbox Games 0

This month Wii owners will rejoice with the arrival of four highly anticipated games. We are looking forward to how games like The Godfather: Blackhand Edition will work with the Wii controls. The PS3 will face some great games like Oblivion and Rainbow Six: Vegas this month, but unfortunately rather than MotorStorm they are all ports from the Xbox 360. Finally on the Xbox 360 we are looking forward to Armored Core 4.

Wii:

• Medal of Honor Vanguard – EA
• Prince of Persia: Rival Swords – Ubisoft
• The Godfather: Blackhand Edition - EA
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 – EA

PlayStation 3:

• MotorStorm - SCEA
• F.E.A.R - Vivendi Games
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion – Bethesda Softworks
• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas – Ubisoft

Xbox 360:

• Def Jam: Icon – EA
• Virtua Tennis 3 – SEGA
• Armored Core 4 – Sega of America

Game Lists: Nintendo Wii | Sony PS3 | Microsoft Xbox 360
Related: Upcoming PS3, Wii, & 360 Games: Feburary

Proporta – iPod Shuffle Cases 2

Apple released the new 2nd generation iPod Shuffle last month. Many have complained that the unit is too small, making it quite easy to drop. Although the shuffle has been proven to withstand occasional drops, since it is an item that is constantly handled, we still would recommend purchasing a case. Proporta was generous enough to provide Skatter Tech with three of the iPod Shuffle cases they recently released: steel sleeve, crystal sleeve, and silicone sleeve. (continue reading for a 10% off coupon code)

Protection:
All three of the cases protect the front and sides of the iPod Shuffle. In addition, the crystal and silicone sleeves protect the top and bottom. The silicone sleeve is the only one of the three that also protects the click-wheel. The steel sleeve has an inner lining of foam to prevent scratching the unit and is the strongest. Despite this, we would still rate the silicone sleeves to offer the best protection for your iPod Shuffles.

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Upcoming PSP Games: November 1

The following is the Offical list of games, as published by SCEA, that will be released for the Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) in North America for November 2006. Note: This was the accurate list of games as of 11.01.06, games may be removed and new ones may be added later.

Our Picks:

• SOCOM U.S. Navy Seals Bravo 2 – SCEA
• Sonic Rivals – Sega
• NFL Street 3 – EA
• Superman Returns: The Videogame - EA
• Metal Slug Anthology – SNK
• Tony Hawk’s Project 8 – Activision

view full list

Sony also plans to release a pink, silver, and blue PSPs by Christmas along with the camera and GPS modules. Skatter Tech will also be getting a hold of some of these games early so check back for some reviews and more PSP updates. On another note, still PlayStation-related, Sony still plans to launch the PlayStation 3 on November 17, 2006 as originally planned.

Links: PlayStation Portable Upcoming Games
Related: Upcoming PSP Games: October | Killzone Liberation Review Read More

(Product) Red iPod Nano 0

Apple, in partnership with “(Product) Red”, released a special edition 4GB RED iPod Nano last Friday. (Product) Red is a new brand which makes partnerships with corporations such as Apple, Motorola, American Express, and Gap in which a percent of the “red” products sold will be contributed towards the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa. In this case, $10 will be added to fund for every red iPod Nano sold.

The red iPod Nano will cost $199, which is the same price as all the other 4GB iPod Nano models. Apple also plans to sell (red) iTunes gift cards next month, which will also help contribute to the Global Fund. Overall the (Product) Red is a good deal since it costs the consumer the same price, gives us another color to pick, and helps fight AIDS.

“Now customers can buy the best music player in the world and do something to help the world at the same time,” Steve Jobs, CEO

Since we never got a chance to cover the release of the second generation iPod Nanos due to downtime, here is our quick briefing. The Nanos were announced in mid-September, and are slimmer and skinnier than the original Nano. The new Nano wears an aluminum case and looks very similar to the discontinued iPod Mini’s style. The iPod Nanos are also available in 5 colors and is available in capacities from 2GB-8GB. The unit also has an improved now 24hr battery life, a 40% brighter screen, and new software. All new shipped iPods will also include a set of newly designed headphones which are more comfortable to wear and are suppose to sound better.

Links: (Product) Red – iPod Nano
Related: Join Red | Apple iPod Nano

Super Bowl XL in HD 0

The SuperBowl XL is going to be broadcast completly in HD by ABC. This is the first Super Bowl ever that a broadcasting company has decided to do this. Last year’s game had HD, but was only available to a very few amount of subscribers. If you do have a HD set here are three ways to get the Super Bowl XL in HD:

1. Cable – If you have cable, a HD reciever, and get ABC then you should be able get the game in HD. But there are many different cable providers, so you should check with your provider to be sure.
2. Satellite – There are two major providers Dish Network and DirecTV. If you have DirecTV, they offer ABC in HD in most areas. If you have the High Defenition service you will recive it on Channel 86 (Eastern & Central time zones) or Channel 87 (Pacific & Mountain time zones). You will need the a HD-Capable box for both networks. If you have Dish Network you are probably out of luck. Dish does not offer ABC in HD, which means no HD Super Bowl. But if you have an over the air antenna module facing major broadcast centers such as SFO, then you might be able to catch the game.
3. Antenna – ABC brodcasts free off air conent in HD in certain areas. Check your local listings to see if you are elligible to recieve the content in HD. You will need to have a HD tuner to retrive the content as well as a HD supported off air antenna.