gadget news and reviews

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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V-Moda Vibe II Headphones Review +

V-Moda’s Vibe II is the second version of the Vibe series. The Vibe II has been re-designed with improvements over the last iteration. In addition, support for cell phones kept in mind with the inclusion of a microphone. The Vibe II headphones aren’t just the average pair of retail store headphones, but rather also make a fashion statement and boast superb audio quality.

V-Moda Vibe II Specs:

• Frequency Response: 12Hz – 22kHz
• Speaker Driver: 8mm V-MASQUE earth magnet
• Cable: Kevlar Reinforced (32-inch + 13-inch after Y split)
• Plug: 24k gold-plated and 3.5mm stereo plug
• Weight: 22 grams
• Warranty: 1 Year V-moda premier
• Price: $120

The V-moda Vibe II headphones are by far the most unique pair of headphones I have had a chance to use. The quality and style of the packaging alone gives a great impression of the caliber of the product. Unfortunately opening the packaging is a difficult and painful task. Once removed from the packaging, at first glance the things that stand out the most would be the cable material and the ear buds. Unlike the plastic and rubber coating found on most headphone cables, the Vibe II is actually covered in a Kevlar fabric. The cloth gives the V-moda headphones a distinct and noticeable look. The headphones also feel a lot more like clothing when worn compared to traditional ones. In addition I found the cables to be more resistant to becoming tangled and easier to straighten out. The one major concern would be the durability of the material, however even with a few weeks of use; they didn’t show any signs of wear. The second most notable feature would be the ear buds, which look like a piece of jewelry. The shinny coat makes them quite apparent. Both men and women will find the style attractive. Not only are the looks great, but the build quality is excellent and they sound great.

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Peek Pronto (Review) 1

The Peek Pronto is a compact gadget with a QWERTY keyboard and a display that was designed from the ground up to serve one purpose, email. Since the Peek is a fairly unique device that sits a bit timidly or awkwardly amongst an emerging market of smart phones, one would need to ask, “Who is this device for?” The best answer would be for consumers who aren’t the most technologically adept, but have a reason or need to be able to check their emails on the go for an affordable price whether it might be for a small family business, for grandparents, or even for casual use. One thing needs to be made clear, the Peek isn’t a phone; it can’t make or receive calls. The device was designed for easy, quick, and simple access to emails with some additional features such as text messaging added on. The best way to describe it would be to use the company’s own slogan, “Simply Connected.”

The Body: 4.5/5 stars
The unit stands about 4 inches tall, 2.5 inches wide, and is under a half inch thick. This places it at about the size of most handheld devices, phones, and media players. With an initial glance, most people will notice the 2.5 inch display and the backlit QWERTY keyboard on the front of the device. Further examining the device, there’s a jog dial on the right side, a flush power button on top, and the charging port on the left. Other than that, the only other thing left to mention would be the 700mAh battery found under the metal lid on the back.

The device reminded me of the early BlackBerry 5790 from 2004 which not only looked similar due to a QWERTY keyboard, display, and jog dial control; however also due to the fact that it was also a data-only device which only supported email and SMS. BlackBerry left this sub-market niche a long time ago, but Peek has picked up where they left off with current technology and the modern day consumer kept in mind. As for the body of the device, the unit looks fairly attractive. The keyboard is easy to use, feels great to type on, and has a click to each key stroke. The one main quirk I ran into was the fact that the jog dial and back button are on the right hand side of the device. Meaning if you happen to be a left handed person, there’s no question it’s going to be awkward or even difficult to use. This was also one of the reasons RIM moved their jog dial on their BlackBerry devices into a wheel on the center of the phone. Other than that quirk, the unit has an excellent build and due to its unique look when pulled from its included Peek-branded sleeve in public, people will often ask you about your hand held. Read More

LG enV Touch (VX-11000) Review 129

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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Pinnacle PCTV HD Mini 6

About a decade ago when you said television it would mean watching media on a traditional TV set. Today, TV content has spread across many platforms and has reached just about everything from treadmills to cell phones. For the past couple of years the technology savvy have been using TV Tuners to access off-air and cable channels on their computers. Things today have gotten easier than ever before. A simple USB Flash Drive sized gizmo plugged into an average computer provides instant access to High Definition Television content.

I personally wasn’t a fan of the idea of having content that would normally be on a TV brought over to my laptop’s display. I’m also sure that this isn’t exactly an idea too many others either. But there are many scenarios that the Pinnacle PCTV HD is an excellent solution. For example take a college student who may not have enough space in their dorm for a TV unit or the cash to afford one. For a minimal price a student can turn a laptop which they most likely already have purchased into a multifunctional device that doubles as their TV. As a bonus, most computers running Windows Vista are bundled with Media Center which can instantly turn their machine into a DVR that can automatically schedule and record shows.

When I opened the packaging the PCTV HD Mini came in, I was astounded by the size of the device. The USB device which is about the size of an average flash drive was supposedly capable of receiving Full HD content and playing it back on my laptop. The last generation of tuners were much larger and would even hog up any extra room around USB ports, Pinnacle thoughtfully also threw in a USB extension cable to prevent the tuner from rendering any other ports useless in case it were to be obtruding. The largest component of the package was the antenna and its base. Putting everything together was quite a cinch, with some intuition, you’ll have all the hardware setup in a few minutes even if you don’t have much familiarity with technology. A CD is included which is fairly straightforward, just pop it in and follow the onscreen instructions. The software will automatically scan for digital channels in the area. Positioning the antenna is quite important; placing it a location with minimal obstructions will result in better reception, more channels, and image clarity. Read More

Proporta Acer Aspire One Case Review 3

Proporta has done a solid job with its line of Acer Aspire One protective cases. These affordable premium cases are a perfect companion accessory to be used with the popular netbook series. My initial reaction to the unassuming packaging the case came in was followed by reassurance as soon as I felt the smooth quality of the case material.  I’m fairly recent to the world of netbooks and I have to admit case accessories weren’t high up on my wish list. But this case in particular is invaluable in both its aesthetics and ability to protect your netbook from potential damage.

The delicate yet durable feel of the case is a good blend of classiness and strength of protection you would find in any premium quality protective cases. However this particular product boasts a neat little innovative design. The design allows the ability to use your system while still in the case! The workmanship is excellent and seems quite durable. The white stitching works with the black color of the rest of the case, especially since my Aspire One was also white. The case is held together by a magnetic clasp which is a lot nicer than alternative mechanisms such as zippers and velcro straps. The designers of the case were thoughtful when it comes to functionality since they even created pores on the bottom to allow the laptop to “breathe” meaning maintaining cooler temperatures. Although, I wasn’t to wild about the appearance of the ventilation pores, it servers a purpose and in the end goes pretty much unnoticed.

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Andrea Bluetooth BT-200 Review +

The BT-200 is an exceptional bluetooth headset from Andrea Electronics, however there are two minor downsides: the price and the design. The headset, which is bundled with an USB Bluetooth Receiver, retails at $89.95 although it’s available for a bit less if you shop around. The design is a bit bulky and frail. I found myself playing with the microphone more often than not in order to simply position it properly so that person on the other end could hear me. The headset also has some quite useful features such as multi-device support, which worked seamlessly for answering calls on my cell phone and Skype running on my computer.

Andrea BT-200 Specs:

• Wireless: Bluetooth v2.0 hands-free
• Battery Life: 8-10 hours talk | 150 hours idle
• Special: Noise Cancellation + Boom Microphone
• Multi-device Pairing: Yes
• Notifications: LED Indicator
• Charger: USB

The headset fits snugly and securely onto your ear. Once it’s in, there’s no need to worry about it falling out unlike many headsets I’ve come across. However, as stated before, the microphone is an annoyance at times since I had to keep adjusting it so the person on the other end could hear me. Also, Andrea Electronics needs to keep up with the times. It’s not exactly fashionable any more to be walking around in public with a long wire extending from your ear lobe to your mouth. I personally wouldn’t mind using it in an office setting, at home, or possibly even in the car. The button configuration is fairly standard and simple to use. There is one button for answering and calling, another for control volume. The volume control buttons were a little stiff, but other than there, there were no issues. Read More