Verizon announced a new DROID RAZR that is available on January 26th. I have often commented that I wished manufacturers would stop with the thin obsession, and focus on battery life, and they finally listened to me. OK, so probably not to me, but still, I like this change.

The RAZR MAXX is only 8.99 mm thick vs. its thin cousin the RAZR at 7.1mm. But for that modest 1.89 mm you go from a 1780 mAh battery to a 3300 mAh battery. They claim you will get more than 21 hours straight on a single charge, and this is a 4G LTE phone. See more specs after the jump.

The Specs:

• 8.99 mm thick (I assume this is at its thinnest like the RAZR)
• 3300 mAh battery rated for 21 hours straight on a single charge
• Dual-core 1.2 GHz processor
• 4G LTE (Mobile Hotspot capable)
• 2.3.5 Gingerbread, upgradable to Android™ 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
• 8-megapixel rear-facing camera
• 1080p HD video capture and image stabilization technology for crisp and clear videos
• Front-facing HD camera for video chat
• 32 GB memory – 16 GB on-board memory and 16 GB microSD™ card pre-installed (actual formatted capacity is less)

This is a very interesting update, and highlights what I really like about the Android eco-system, the ability to choose from an array of options that best meets your needs. If you are willing to sacrifice a little thickness (and I assume weight) you can get a 4G capable phone that can consistently last the entire day.

You can check out the entire press release on Verizon’s site.

Filed in categories: Android related, News

Tagged: 4g, Motorola, razr, verizon

Droid RAZR MAXX Announced originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 26, 2012 at 9:00 am.

It all started 7 years ago when I started my third  business, a computer retail and service store.  I was happy with my other two businesses which uses Verizon Business for our phone services.  So I decided to use them again for the computer store.  I ordered a few phone lines, fax / credit card services line, security line, etc.  The sales representative added everything a-la-carte and never told me about any package deals at all.  At that time the cost of everything “seemed” reasonable so I went ahead and ordered it.

Fast forward 7 years later,  I recently got a letter from Verizon Business stating that my contract was almost up and that I should contact a sales representative.  I proceeded to call them up and talk to a helpful sales representative which took her time to see what I have and recommended to me that I go with a package deal which not only lowers my cost of everything by like 30% but also includes a free DSL connection.  Sounds like a great deal right?  Of course it is!  So I agreed and had them schedule the rollover to the new plan after my current one expires.

That’s when the nightmare started.  The sales representative said that nothing would change and that there wouldn’t be any service interruptions because it was just a billing issue.  The only thing Verizon had to do was to just activate the DSL service on my fax / credit card services line.  Sounded easy enough and should be just a switch or setting on Verizon’s end to make it all happen.  Well…it wasn’t as smooth as that.  First I received an email from Verizon Business stating that my DSL would be activated in a few days.  A few days later I got another email stating that the DSL line is active and ready to go.  So I plugged in the DSL modem and the first webpage I got was the Verizon DSL activation page.  I followed all the directions but the activation never completed.  I then called up tech support and they said that they would fix it and that my DSL would be up and running by the end of the business day.  Well that didn’t happen and what’s worse is that now my fax / credit card services line is totally dead!!  This is a retail store business and the credit card services line has to work!  I called tech support up again and ran through their checklist of questions only for them to tell me that it’s a line problem and that they will send a phone service repair technician out.  Now I’m thinking, how could it be a line problem when everything was working up until they tried to “fix it” the first time?!?!  I tried to explain everything to them and that I was convinced that it should be something on their end that’s messed everything up.  But they insisted it was a line issue and that they would send someone out.  I explained to them that this is a business and that we needed that line to be active.  At this point I didn’t care about that free DSL connection.  I just wanted my fax / credit card service line to just work.

My store opened the next business day without a working credit card line.  We explained to our customers that the machine was down and they understood and paid with cash or checks.  A few were annoyed since they had to go back home to get their checkbooks or cash.  The Verizon phone repair technician finally came in the afternoon.  I prayed that it was a competent technician.  I was lucky he was.  I explained what has happened and he agreed that it shouldn’t be anything to do with the wiring in my store.  But he went back to the building’s phone switch board to check on the wiring there to make sure it was correct.  And guess what he found.  He said our original fax / credit card service line was cut and that a new one line was just hanging there.  So he explained that it was probably another technician that came out the first time to “fix” my problem by wiring a new line from the outside telephone phone but forgot to punch that new line into the switch board.  My frustration was why didn’t that first technician come into the store to make sure everything was working or at least inform me that they were working on the line.  I had no clue that they even came here and there weren’t any notes on Verizon’s end about that first technician coming here.

So at the end everything is working now.  Now all I have to wait is to see if they messed up anything on the billing at the end of the month.  Wish me luck.

An advice for Verizon Business: Tell your left hand what the right hand is doing!  And keep your customer’s informed before cutting any wires!

Verizon…big enough to suck yet too big to fail.  And that’s the same with the other 3 letter phone company.

Filed in categories: Articles, Miscellaneous

Tagged: verizon, verizon business

My excruciating experience with Verizon Business originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 15, 2011 at 5:15 pm.

Verizon has officially announced the Droid 3. The key features of the new phone include:

• 5-row keyboard. (dedicated number row).
• 4-inch display
• Dual-Core 1 GHz processor
• Front-facing camera
• Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)

It looks like a very strong upgrade. Yet another high-powered phone without LTE. This also seems very geared towards business. It is global ready, comes with Citrix GoToMeeting, and a Motoprint app to print to networked printers over Wi-Fi.

The phone is available now online, and will be in stores July 14th. It costs the standard $199.99 with 2-year commitment. If you are a new customer, looks like you will have to sign up for a tiered data plan (starts at $30 for 2GB data). If you are upgrading a current phone with data plan you can keep your old data plan.

I think the fifth row is a big deal. The dedicated number row makes the keyboard a lot more usable. What do you think? Is no LTE an issue? I’ll trade the LTE for the better battery life, myself. See the press release after the jump.

07/07/2011

Click to download

BASKING RIDGE, NJ, and LIBERTYVILLE, IL — Verizon Wireless and Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE: MMI), today announced the new Android™-powered DROID 3 by Motorola, a global smartphone that delivers power for work and play without making compromises.

DROID 3 by Motorola is the world’s thinnest full QWERTY smartphone, and still delivers the power of a dual-core 1 GHz processor for fast multi-tasking. Customers can take stunning photos with the 8-megapixel camera or capture the moment in 1080p HD video. Equipped with Android 2.3, the DROID 3 by Motorola features a brilliant 4-inch qHD display, a roomy 5-row QWERTY keyboard and 3G Mobile Hotspot capabilities, with the ability to connect up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices. DROID 3 by Motorola delivers the power needed to conquer the day whether customers are at home, work or somewhere in between.

Additional features:

• Powered by Android™ 2.3 Gingerbread
• Mirror mode allows you to view and share photos, videos and movies on a larger TV via HDMI output (requires HDMI cable)
• Global ready, allowing customers to enjoy wireless voice and data service in more than 200 countries, including more than 125 with 3G speeds
• Enterprise ready with advanced security policies, device and SD card encryption, complex password support, remote data wipe of device and SD card; document and presentation viewing and editing with Quickoffice®
• Citrix® GoToMeeting® for Android, gives users the ability to attend online meetings while on-the-go, and Citrix Receiver® for Android, a universal software client that allows companies to deliver corporate apps, desktops and data to any corporate- or employee-owned device
• ESP smart dock technology for a tailored experience based on whether DROID 3 is docked in home, office or car settings
• Adobe® Flash® Player 10
• Front-facing camera for still shots and video chat
• Video playback in 1080p HD in mirror mode

Pricing and availability:

• DROID 3 by Motorola is now available online at http://www.verizonwireless.com/droid-3-motorola.shtml, and will be available in Verizon Wireless Communication Stores by July 14 for $199.99 with a new two-year customer agreement.
• Customers that purchase a DROID 3 will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan and a smartphone data package. New Verizon Wireless customers will have the option of smartphone plans starting at $30 for 2GB of data. Current Verizon Wireless smartphone customers who are upgrading their smartphone can keep their current data plan.

For more information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s fastest, most advanced 4G network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 104 million total wireless connections, including more than 88 million retail customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 85,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visitwww.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library atwww.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

About Motorola Mobility
Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE:MMI) fuses innovative technology with human insights to create experiences that simplify, connect and enrich people’s lives. Our portfolio includes converged mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets; wireless accessories; end-to-end video and data delivery; and management solutions, including set-tops and data-access devices. For more information, visitmotorola.com/mobility.

MOTOROLA and the Stylized M Logo are registered trademarks of Motorola Trademark Holdings, LLC. Facebook is a trademark of Facebook, Inc. Adobe and Adobe Flash are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and other countries. Android is a trademark of Google, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © 2011 Motorola Mobility, Inc. All rights reserved.

Filed in categories: Android related

Tagged: droid, verizon

Verizon Officially Announces Droid 3 originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 7, 2011 at 10:30 am.

It’s all over the internets that tomorrow is the day that Verizon will finally announce that they will be offering the Apple iPhone 4 on their network. It seems like Verizon customers and disgruntled AT&T customers ready to jump ship have been waiting for this day to arrive ever since the original iPhone was unveiled back in 2007.

As a former member of the disgrunted AT&T group, I count myself among the people that have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the iPhone on a a more reliable carrier. I actually dumped my iPhone and AT&T back in September and have been happily using a Motorola Droid X running Android. There in rests my problem… Even though I continue to miss a lot of things about the iPhone, I have been surprisingly happy with Android. So now, I’m not so sure I really want to jump back. At least right now.

Although I will most definitely get my hands on a Verizon iPhone to review, I will probably not buy one when they become available because I will have to pay full price due to the face that my 2yr contract started last September. I think the best move for me is to wait for the iPhone 5. But that’s me. What about all of you? Will you buy the Verizon iPhone right away? And are those of you currently with AT&T planning to leave?

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: iPhone, verizon

Verizon announces the iPhone tomorrow. Will you buy one? originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 10, 2011 at 8:45 pm.

Verizon Wireless and LG Mobile Phones have announced the LG Vortex entry level smartphone which will be available starting November 18th. Available in Black and Violet, the Vortex is powered by the latest version of Android (2.2), with WiFi, 3G Mobile Hotspot capable, a built in 3.2MP camera, and a MicroSD slot. Not a bad set of features for an entry level phone that costs only $79.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year contract. Full press release after the jump.

VERIZON WIRELESS AND LG MOBILE PHONES CREATE A WHIRLWIND OF POSSIBILITIES WITH THE LG VORTEX 
LG Vortex, An Accessible Smartphone with Simple Solutions
 
BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and SAN DIEGO – Verizon Wireless and LG Mobile Phones today announced the LG Vortex™ will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com on Nov. 18.  The LG Vortex empowers first-time smartphone users to join and explore the growing Android world with 3G connectivity over the nation’s largest and most reliable wireless 3G network.  With its sleek design, LG Vortex gives consumers easy-to-use access to a variety of applications that make life simple and keep customers at the center of their social universe.
 
Colors: Black and Violet
 
Key features:
·         Powered by Android 2.2 – Offers customers support for Google Mobile Services, including Gmail™, YouTube™, Google Talk, Google Voice and access to Android Market™
·         Preloaded with Bing Search and Bing Maps
·         3.2” touchscreen with tactile feedback for fast and accurate touch vibration response
·         Wi-Fi Connectivity
·         3G Mobile HotSpot capable
·         Virtual QWERTY keyboard with Swype technology installed
·         Bluetooth® 2.1 capabilities with support for Bluetooth Profiles Supported: Headset, Hands-Free, Dial-Up Networking, Object Push, Advanced Audio Distribution (stereo), Audio/Video Remote Control, Phone Book Access, and File Transfer
·         microSD™ card slot with expandable memory up to 32 GB
 
Additional features:
·         Customizable home screens with shortcuts to text messages, e-mail, apps, favorite social networking sites and widgets
·         Customizable to 5 or 7 home screens
·         Proximity sensor instantly locks touchscreen while talking on the phone
·         Pre-installed LG Apps, including My Status with Twitter™ for LG and Facebook® for LG
·         Visual Voice Mail capable
·         Skype mobile™ capable
·         Android Market – Choose from thousands of downloadable apps
·         Full suite of messaging options – Text, picture, video and voice messaging; corporate and personal e-mail accounts supported
·         VZ Navigator® capabilities – Access for customers to receive audible turn-by-turn directions to millions of points of interest and share the directions with others
·         3.2-megapixel autofocus camera and camcorder with flash that includes:
o    Five different camera resolutions and three different video resolutions
o    Macro Mode for detailed, up close pictures
o    Image editor with zoom, rotate, resize, crop, added frames and stamps
o    Customize brightness, white balance, shutter sounds, color effects and use self-timer
o    Optimize video quality with normal, fine or super camcorder settings
o    Video recording time up to 16 GB
 
Pricing and availability:
·         The LG Vortex will be $79.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement.  Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.
·         LG Vortex customers will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan and an Email and Web for Smartphone plan.  Nationwide Talk plans begin at $39.99 monthly access.  Email and Web for Smartphone plans start at $15 monthly access for 150 MB.  Customers can track their data usage by downloading the My Verizon app available on Android Market or by logging on to their My Verizon accounts online at www.verizonwireless.com/myverizon.  For additional information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.   
 
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Media can access high-resolution images of the LG Vortex in the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.)
 
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving more than 93 million customers.  Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with  more than 79,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD).  For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com.  To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.
 
About LG Electronics, Inc.
LG Electronics, Inc. (KSE: 066570.KS) is a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, mobile communications and home appliances, employing more than 84,000 people working in 115 operations including 84 subsidiaries around the world. With 2009 global sales of USD43.4 billion, LG is comprised of five business units – Home Entertainment, Mobile Communications, Home Appliance, Air Conditioning and Business Solutions. LG is the world’s leading producer of flat panel TVs, audio and video products, mobile handsets, air conditioners and washing machines. LG has signed a long-term agreement to become both a Global Partner and a Technology Partner of Formula One™. As part of this top-level association, LG acquires exclusive designations and marketing rights as the official consumer electronics, mobile phone and data processor of this global sporting event. For more information, please visit www.lgusa.com.  
 
About LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company
The LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company is a leading global mobile communications and information company. With its cutting-edge technology and innovative design capabilities, LG creates handsets that provide an optimized mobile experience to customers around the world. LG is pursuing convergence technology and mobile computing products, while continuing its leadership role in mobile communication with stylish designs and smart technology. For more information, please visit www.lgmobilephones.com.

Filed in categories: Android related, News

Tagged: Android, LG, Spotlight Gadgets, verizon

Verizon Wireless Introduces the LG Vortex Android Smartphone originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 15, 2010 at 12:40 pm.

The new Motorola Droid Pro will be available in stores on November 18th, but you can go ahead and pre-order it tomorrow online and at select www.verizonwireless.com stores. The Droid Pro is a 3G world phone powered by Android 2.2. This phone 3.1 inch display, a 5 megapixel camera with auto focus and dual LED flash and a QWERTY keyboard built into the face of the phone, allowing for quick thumb typing that is reminiscent of the Palm Treo (one of my favorite phones of all time). The Droid Pro is $179.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement.

DROID PRO BY MOTOROLA NOW AVAILABLE ON THE NATION’S LARGEST AND MOST RELIABLE 3G NETWORK
 
DROID Does Business with Global Android Smartphone from Verizon Wireless
 
BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. – Verizon Wireless, the company with the nation’s largest and most reliable wireless 3G network, and Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT), today announced that DROID PRO, the first Android™-based smartphone optimized for business use, will be available as a pre-sale order at select Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com starting Nov. 9 and for purchase in stores starting Nov. 18.  The DROID PRO will be available for $179.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement.
 
DROID PRO, a global-ready Android smartphone, allows customers to enjoy wireless voice service in more than 220 countries and data coverage in more than 200 countries, with more than 120 with 3G speeds.  Powered by Android 2.2, DROID PRO is packed with features that meet both business and personal needs such as pre-loaded Quickoffice Mobile Suite, 3G Mobile HotSpot capabilities, and a QWERTY keyboard designed for speed and convenience.
 
Verizon Wireless customers who purchase DROID PRO will receive the mail-in rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.  DROID PRO customers will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan (beginning at $39.99 monthly access) and a 3G Smartphone Plan.
 
For more information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com. 
 
To learn more about DROID PRO, visit http://news.vzw.com/news/2010/10/pr2010-10-05.html. 
 
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Media can access high-resolution images of DROID PRO in the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at http://verizonwireless.mediaseed.tv/Story.aspx?story=37588.)  
 
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving more than 93 million customers.  Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with  more than 79,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD).  For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com.  To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.
 
About Motorola
Motorola is known around the world for innovation in communications and is focused on advancing the way the world connects. From broadband communications infrastructure, enterprise mobility and public safety solutions to mobile and wireline digital communication devices that provide compelling experiences, Motorola is leading the next wave of innovations that enable people, enterprises and governments to be more connected and more mobile. Motorola (NYSE: MOT) had sales of US $22 billion in 2009. For more information, please visit www.motorola.com. 
 
MOTOROLA and the Stylized M Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Motorola Trademark Holdings, LLC. DROID is a trademark of Lucasfilm Ltd. Used under license. Android, Gmail, Google Calendar, and Android Market are trademarks of Google Inc. All other product and service names are the property of their respective owners. © 2010 Motorola Mobility, Inc. All rights reserved.

Filed in categories: Android related, News

Tagged: Android, Spotlight Gadgets, verizon

DROID PRO By Motorola Goes on Pre-Sale Tomorrow at Verizon Wireless originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 8, 2010 at 10:01 am.

If you’ve been waiting for the special edition Star Wars R2D2 Droid 2 smartphone from Verizon, you’ll be happy to know that will be available on September 30th. Show off your geekiness by sporting a Droid 2 with cool R2D2 graphics on the back and exclusive Star Wars inspired content such as:
Exclusive content comes pre-loaded on the special edition smartphone, including:

• R2-D2 notification sounds and ringtones
• Four live wallpapers
• R2-D2 Clock Widget
• “The Best of R2-D2” video with the original Cantina music
• Exclusive Binoculars App

I am confident that we have some Gadgeteer readers that held out for this bad boy. Send me a picture of you holding your Droid R2D2 and I’ll post them to this news item Come on, I know you’re out there … in a galaxy far far away. Sorry, I couldn’t help it Full press release after the jump.

MAY THE DROID BE WITH YOU: LIMITED EDITION DROID™ R2-D2™ BY MOTOROLA LANDS ON VERIZON WIRELESS’ NETWORK

DROID™ R2-D2™ by Motorola Brings the Galactic Empire to Customers

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. – Verizon Wireless announced that the highly anticipated limited edition DROID™ R2-D2™ by Motorola will be available online at www.verizonwireless.com and in select Verizon Wireless Communication stores beginning Sept. 30.  With a graphic design to look like the iconic Astromech Droid from the Star Wars™ Saga, the DROID™ R2-D2™ by Motorola will be packaged in a custom box resembling carbonite and come with a Star Wars media dock and wired stereo headset.  Exclusive content comes pre-loaded on the special edition smartphone, including:

• R2-D2 notification sounds and ringtones
• Four live wallpapers
• R2-D2 Clock Widget
• “The Best of R2-D2” video with the original Cantina music
• Exclusive Binoculars App

Star Wars Mobile App Available for All Customers with Android 2.1 phones

To celebrate 30 years since the film hit theaters, customers with Android devices running Android 2.1 or higher will soon be able to get the Empire Strikes Back app from Android Market™.  The app, only for Verizon Wireless customers, allows Jedi Masters to browse, preview and download Star Wars content related to Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back.  Verizon Wireless customers can access premium Star Wars content for a one-time charge of $2.99.

The Star Wars mobile app will have the following features and content:

• Bounty Hunt Visual ID: Find and capture images around the Star Wars universe to unlock hidden content
• Sound and Photo Gallery
• Live Wallpapers:

o    Blast the Probe Droid

o    Luke Balancing Yoda

o    Navigating the Asteroid Field

o    Watch Bespin’s Cloud City

• Trivia Challenge: Answer trivia questions about The Empire Strikes Back
• Widgets

The DROID™ R2-D2™ by Motorola will be available for $249 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement.  Customers will need to subscribe to a Nationwide Talk plan or a Nationwide Talk & Text plan (beginning at $39.99 monthly access) and an Email and Web for Smartphone plan (beginning at $29.99 for unlimited monthly access).  Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.

For more information on DROID™ R2-D2™ by Motorola, go to www.droiddoes.com/r2d2.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving more than 92 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with  79,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD).  For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com.  To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

About Motorola

Motorola is known around the world for innovation in communications and is focused on advancing the way the world connects. From broadband communications infrastructure, enterprise mobility and public safety solutions to mobile and wireline digital communication devices that provide compelling experiences, Motorola is leading the next wave of innovations that enable people, enterprises and governments to be more connected and more mobile. Motorola (NYSE: MOT) had sales of US $22 billion in 2009. For more information, please visit www.motorola.com.

STAR WARS™, DROID™ and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd.  All rights reserved.  Used under license. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

Android, Android Market are trademarks of Google Inc.

Filed in categories: Android related, News

Tagged: droid, Spotlight Gadgets, Star Wars, verizon

The Limited Edition DROID R2D2 from Verizon will be available Thursday originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 27, 2010 at 9:46 pm.

It’s been 30 days since I terminated my contract with AT&T, ditched the iPhone 4, signed up with Verizon and purchased a Droid X. For the most part, the move has been a good one. Verizon’s call quality and 3G coverage in my area are significantly better than AT&T. But has the transition been all rainbows and unicorns?

My decision last month to terminate my AT&T contract wasn’t out of the blue. I’d actually been considering it for a really long time. I just didn’t want to deal with the early termination fee or the fact that I’d have issues doing reviews of GSM devices once I made the switch. I decided that having better/faster data capability and call quality was worth the price of admission, and finally made the move after having the opportunity to test a Droid X.

The Droid X is very nice. I really love the display and the fact that I can customize the home screens with widgets to give me exactly the info I want to see. I love the fact that I don’t have to deal with crummy call quality or people always asking “what’s that clicking in the phone?”. I also enjoy being able to use apps that require a data connection, without needing to be connected through WiFi. The other day I was driving and need to find quick directions, I was able to get the info I wanted in about 5 seconds by using the Google Voice Search. I doubt the iPhone would have been that fast. At least not in my town where 3G coverage is spotty and not reliable at all.

So after 30 days, I am not sorry that I made the switch from AT&T to Verizon. But I’m not going to lie and tell you that I don’t miss the iPhone. Because I do – quite a lot actually. Mainly I miss the iPhone hardware. The size and feel of the device in my hand. The biggest hardware feature that I miss is the camera. The Droid X camera is slow to launch and although it does take decent photos, it doesn’t do quite as well as the iPhone camera. Especially in low light. You also can’t capture close up video with the Droid X like you can with the iPhone. The iPhone will allow you to focus in on a specific point while recording, just by tapping the display where you want focus. I miss that feature.

Another hardware issue that I’m having with the Droid X, that I didn’t notice quite so much with the iPhone 4 is battery life. It seems that the Droid X is pretty thirsty with the juice. Some days I’m lucky to get through one full day without needing to plug in. I don’t keep GPS or WiFi turned on and I don’t make many calls so it’s odd to me that some days the battery seems to drain significantly faster than other days when I’m doing the same basic tasks.

I used to complain a lot about the quality of apps in the Android App Market and I am happy to say that they are getting better and better every day. That said, I still do find myself wishing that I had some of my fave iPhone apps and games on the Droid X. Even though Android phones are getting more and more popular every day, it seems that whenever someone is talking about a really cool app, it’s for the iPhone and not Android.

So when it comes right down to it, I am happy I made the carrier switch. But if the iPhone becomes available for Verizon, I can definitely see myself getting one again. At least that is the way I’m feeling right now. Who knows how I’ll feel if/when a Verizon iPhone ever becomes a reality.

Filed in categories: Android related, Articles, iPhone, iPad, iPod related

Tagged: AT&T, droid x, iPhone, verizon

My Thoughts on the Motorola Droid X After One Month originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 26, 2010 at 4:50 pm.

After a trip to my local Verizon Wireless store last night to check out the Droid 2, I have made up my mind which Android device will be replacing my iPhone 4. I spent some time on the phone with AT&T wireless and Verizon Wireless this morning. The first thing I did was call AT&T to verify what my ETF (early termination fee would be). My initial guess was $225 or so, because I was mistakenly thinking that their fee is $375 minus $10 per month served. Ends up that it’s only going to be $147. Yay!

While I was on the phone, the lady asked me a bunch of questions about why I wanted to leave and I explained about the clicks, audio anomalies and flaky 3G coverage. She offered to unregister my iPhone 4 and then re-register it to connect it back to the network. She said this would help it get a better signal. So I turned off the phone while she did her magic and then turned it back on. I was really surprised at the results. Before I turned the phone off, I had 2 bars. Now since she did that, I have 4-5 bars which is more than I usually have here at my house. Still no 3G here though, which I knew wouldn’t happen anyway. I’ll be curious to see if I notice any difference in the clicking problems this next week.

Even with the potential of better audio quality in my calls, it didn’t change my mind about wanting to switch carriers and phones. So after I ended my call with AT&T, I called Verizon and set the wheels in motion. I decided to go with the Motorola Droid X for several reasons. After using one for the past 2 weeks, I’m already used to the size and it would be hard to downsize to the smaller screen size of the HTC Incredible or Droid 2. Since one of my primary uses for my phone is as an eBook reader, a bigger screen is perfect for me. I also prefer the row of physical buttons that it has over the touch buttons that the Incredible and Droid 2 have. A quick play with the Droid 2 last night left me with a slight meh feeling. I think the DX is the best fit for me at this time. I had thought about waiting for the Fascinate (Verizon’s Galaxy S variant), but in the end I figured that I’ll probably get my hands on one to test/review later, so if I end up loving it, I can buy one.

The only bad thing about this whole switch over from AT&T to Verizon is that I’m going to have to wait another excruciatingly long 15 days or so before I get my new phone. Darn the popularity of the Droid X

Filed in categories: Android related, News

Tagged: Android, droid x, verizon

Trigger pulled – I have a Droid X on order originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 14, 2010 at 5:55 pm.

I bet the title of this post surprises a lot of people that visit The Gadgeteer on a regular basis given the fact that I just posted a favorable review of the iPhone 4 a few days ago. It’s true that I’ve been a relatively happy user of the iPhone since Apple released the first version back in 2007. So why am I dumping the iPhone now? And why Android?

I say I’m relatively happy because while I love iPhone hardware, I am less than enthusiastic with AT&T’s call quality and data reception in my area (Columbus, IN). I touched on this fact in my iPhone 4 review and while the antennagate issues may plague some people, I haven’t had any dropped calls with mine. But I have been putting up with clicks and other audio bleeding into my calls on a regular basis. This hasn’t been an iPhone-only phenomenon for me though. I’ve experienced these problems with almost all GSM phones I’ve tested in the last few years. I’ve been dealing with these AT&T issues for a long time because I haven’t found a phone from Verizon that has made me want to switch. Till now.

For the past 2 weeks I’ve been testing the Motorola Droid X. I didn’t think I’d end up liking it as much as I do. The last Android phone that I reviewed was the Nexus One back in March of this year. Even though I enjoyed using the Nexus, it didn’t make me want to stop using the iPhone. At that time, I was still hung up on the fact that Android apps seemed inferior to iPhone apps. I often told people that comparing Android apps to iPhone apps was like comparing Commodore 64 apps to OS X apps. I still think there is a lot of catching up to do on that front, but it’s significantly better than it was 5 months ago.

How Android and the Droid X won me over

Call quality. The first time I called Jeanne with the DX, she was like “What phone are you on? It sounds so clear”. Which was a nice change of pace from all the other times I’ve called her with my iPhone and her comment has been “Your phone is crap!”.

3G Data Consistency. AT&T’s 3G speeds might be faster than Verizon, but Verizon is way more consistent as far as actually working when you need it. There are so many times when I try to check the weather, stocks, email, etc, that my phone will just sit there mocking me. Heck, 90% of the time I don’t even see the 3G icon in my iPhone’s status bar. I love it that I can bring up the browser on the DX, point it to a page and boom, it’s loaded.  Same goes for checking email or browsing around in the app market.

The display. This is the first display that has felt just as responsive as the iPhone for scrolling, pinching and zooming. Not to mention the fact that it is just plain gorgeous and HUGE.

Homescreen widgets. Why the heck Apple hasn’t added this feature to the iPhone is beyond me… I’ve always liked the fact that Android allows quite a bit of customization to the home screens. I also like live wallpaper. I know that’s mostly just eye candy and not important, but I like eye candy

The first two items are the main reasons why I’ve decided to terminate my AT&T contract. It’s going to cost me over $200 to do this, so it’s not like it’s going to be painless.

I’m not 100% sure which Android phone I’m going to end up with yet. I’m loving the Droid X, but am not sure about the size. I love the large screen, but the phone sticks out of the top my back jeans pocket and cargo pants pocket when I am walking around with it. I’d like to compare it to the HTC Incredible, Droid 2 and the upcoming Fascinate before I decide for sure. I just know that I can’t wait to make the jump and dive head first into all things Android. That doesn’t mean I’m suddenly anti Apple or iPhone though… I’m still loving my iPad and Macs, so there’s no fear of that happening. :)

Filed in categories: Android related, Articles, iPhone, iPad, iPod related

Tagged: Android, AT&T, iPhone, verizon

Why I’m ditching my iPhone 4 and AT&T for a Verizon Android phone originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 12, 2010 at 3:32 pm.

I spent a lot of time experimenting with new ways to enter information in the Droid X. The voice recognition integrated into Android continues to improve, and the Droid X comes with Swype installed. I had not tried it before, but was encouraged by Craig to give it a shot when we were comparing the EVO to the Droid X. I am really glad I did.

Voice Recognition

I really enjoyed working with the voice recognition feature on the Droid X (an Android OS feature). It is not perfect, but is surprisingly good. I found that the few errors I had to correct did not impact how well this worked. I first started playing with it while watching TV. It did an incredible job of blocking out the noise of the TV to capture what I was saying. I also used it a lot outside with Tweetcaster one afternoon. I doubt it had anymore “typos” then my own (though that is not a hard thing to beat). Of course talking your tweets into a phone in public may not help you socially, but it was fun to play with.

To use it, you tap the microphone on the keyboard. When it prompts you to speak, talk into the phone, and then it processes what you say:

Editing

The advanced cursor control for the Droid X works very nicely. When editing text, it can be difficult to tap on just the right spot. Thankfully on the Droid X I can double-tap and hold, then slowly move my finger to put the cursor exactly where I want in the text. A magnified area appears on screen to help guide you:

Swype

Swype was a real pleasant surprise. If you have not tried it, give it a shot. At the minimum it is a really nice keyboard. You don’t have to swype each time. As you swype you see the trace of your finger. Here I am swyping “droid”:

If it is unsure what you meant, a pop-up menu appears with options. If it guessed wrong, you can tap the Swype button in the lower-left corner to bring up the same menu:

Be sure to check out the Swype tips. They have some on punctuation and how to do double-letters. I found that tid-bit after I finished the video. If I had the Droid X this would be my default Keyboard.

Browsing

This is the first phone I have used that I really enjoyed browsing on. Part of it is the size of the screen, but in addition I like how the browser in the Android has continued to improve. You can quickly double-tap to zoom, and you can use pinch and spread to resize. It is easier to show this in video, it is towards the end of the video at the end.

What’s Next

It’s about time to ship this phone back, so the next post will be the wrap up review. If you have been following along, there will be no surprises. This is a powerful phone with few compromises.

Filed in categories: Android related, Reviews

Tagged: Android, droid, droidx, Motorola, verizon

Droid X: Entering Text and Browsing originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 16, 2010 at 5:29 pm.

We ask a lot more out of our smartphones anymore. It’s not enough to make phone calls, access the web, and receive text messages. We want them to be our communications hub. Android has become very adept at this, and will get even better with Froyo (2.2), but how does the Droid X stack up on this?

Supported Accounts

Out of the box, the Droid X supports a number of accounts:

Social Networks like:

• Facebook
• MySpace
• Twitter

E-mail like:

• Corporate Sync (Exchange)
• Email (POP3)
• Google (multiple Gmail accounts)
• Yahoo! Mail

Picture sites like:

• Photobucket
• Picasa

Additional options like:

• Backup assistant(Verizon feature)
• Skype Mobile
• Visual Voice Mail (Verizon feature)

Exchange Support

I found the Exchange support works very well for me. I have heard of some folks having issues because of security settings on their company’s exchange server, but I have not had those issues. Also, it only supports syncing mail, calendar and contacts. No notes or to-do lists, but I have not use notes or tasks lists for a long time.

This can be taken care of with an add-on application, but I have not tested them much, and not for a while. There was quite a discussion of this on my Droid post last October. You may want to look at Touchdown or Moonrug.

Google has promised more robust Exchange support in Froyo (2.2). I hate to say “wait for the next release” but it is expected this year. You can check out the information on Androids Developer site.

As it stands, the exchange support handles all my needs. I also like that the exchange calendar is shown in a unified calendar view:

The exchange events are highlighted in blue, Gmail events in green. Each calendar you add is displayed in a different color. I did not see a way to change the color assignments, though.

Video and Pictures

YouTube is not listed in the Accounts section, but you can set up the gallery to upload to YouTube directly (large files will automatically wait for a Wi-Fi connection) and share anywhere you can e-mail. You can also upload pictures to your Picasa or Photobucket accounts, but unfortunately there is no direct Flickr support. To send to Flickr you need to e-mail it to your Flickr e-mail address (look this up on your Flickr account). I found this very disappointing. You can set a quick upload to an e-mail address (which I did to my Flickr photo address) but inexplicably this can not be set to send by your Gmail account. It is sent to your default e-mail account in the Email application.

Getting Social

After you setup your Facebook, Twitter, and (I assume) MySpace accounts, they are viewable through the social widget. I am not a big fan of this. I follow WAY too many people on Twitter, so it gets a little overwhelming. If you follow fewer people, this may not be an issue. I set the widget to only show Facebook status’ and I use Tweetcaster to follow twitter.

Conclusion

I think the Droid X handles accounts very well. For me, Flickr is a huge disappointment. HTC phones with the Sense UI work with Flickr (Droid Incredible, EVO). The work-around is OK, but not as seamless as I would prefer. The exchange support should satisfy a lot of people, but will not satisfy everyone. There are 3rd-party solutions out there thanks to the vibrant Android Market, but it will disappoint some to have to add software for what they hope is a basic function.

Filed in categories: Android related, Reviews

Tagged: Android, droid, droid x, Motorola, verizon

Motorola Droid X: Accounts originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 13, 2010 at 9:00 am.

I don’t buy my phone based on the camera, but there is a lot of truth to the adage that the best camera you have is the one that is with you. The cameras keep getting better and better with each generation of phone. The camera in the Droid X is an 8 megapixel camera with dual LED flashes and the ability to record 720p HD. It is certainly not going to replace my DSLR, but it is quite capable.

The Hardware

I love the fact that the phone comes with a capture button on top (when held sideways). It is the red button in this shot:

As mentioned, the camera is capable of 8 megapixels. You may be surprised that your first batch of pictures are 6mp. This is because the default is to take pictures in a 16:9 format that not only fills the display of the phone, but also a widescreen TV. You can set the phone to 6, 8, 5, 3 or 2 MP.

If you have read any of my reviews in the past, or know a little something about digital photography, you know the mp count is not that great of an indicator of quality. Unfortunately the more pixels you squeeze on a sensor of a given size, the smaller the area to react to light and the worse it performs in low-light.

This performs pretty well, however, and includes dual LEDs to help out. Here are some shots at a restaurant. Click to see the full size:

And this:

Outside in plenty of light, it really shines. Here is an example of the mounted police:

And a shot of a garden:

Camera Features

The camera has quite a few features. You can choose a Scene to optimize for your shooting circumstance including:

• Auto
• Portrait
• Landscape
• Sport
• Night Portrait
• Sunset
• Macro
• Steady Shot

You can also choose to apply effects like:

• Normal
• Black and White
• Negative
• Sepia
• Solarize
• Red Tint
• Green Tint
• Blue Tint

What is more interesting to me are the Picture Modes. You have:

• Single shot
• Panorama assist
• Self portrait
• Multi-shot

Panorama assist is a very slick feature. When selected you get to choose the direction of the pan; up, down, left, or right.

After you line up the first part of the shot you hit the camera button once and slowly pan. The camera lets you know where you are in the pan, and when it takes each shot. The panorama can include up to 6 shots (you can press the shutter again to end the capture). Here was a small pan:

Here is a larger one of 5 frames. I wish the day had been a little clearer. You can kind of see some shading at the four borders, but still pretty nice job.

Video

The phone supports HD Video. The quality is quite nice. i took a few samples (some that were in ridiculous conditions, that it did not do well in). This is definitely a good light feature. Here is the Youtube of a short video outside:

When the beach ball comes in frame, the camera did adjust the lighting change a little bit. I was very impressed by the quality of the video. I am not going to get rid of my Webbie or Canon HV20 for it, but still, this is in a phone.

Conclusion

This is not an in-depth analysis of the capabilities of the camera, but I liked it. For a camera in a phone, this is one of the best I have used.

Filed in categories: Android related, Miscellaneous, Reviews

Tagged: Camera, droid, droid x, mototola, verizon, Video

Motorola Droid X: The Camera originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 11, 2010 at 4:52 pm.

My birthday came a little early this year as I received the Droid X for review. I only get to keep it for a week, but I may be getting my own soon. This is essentially Verizon’s answer to the EVO. It has similar specs but doesn’t have the front-facing camera.

As we have done in the past, I will do a multi-part review of the phone over the next week, but I wanted to give my first impressions in this post.

Wow. This is a big phone. Just like the EVO, though, it doesn’t seem too big to me. I pulled out my old Clie TH-55 which is a little wider and thicker than this phone, but the phone is a tad taller. The size of the screen is breath-taking (assuming you are a gadget geek who likes those kind of things).

It does not have a physical keyboard like the original Droid, but does have physical buttons along the bottom for Menu, Home, Back and Search.

What’s in the Box?

The phone comes with a number of manuals, the phone, a USB cable and an AC adapter. It arrives with the back off and the battery in its own bag. It is very easy to install the battery in the phone.

Slim

The phone is very slim, with a bump at the top to accommodate the camera:

The red button is the camera shutter button. I am a big fan of a camera button, it just makes the camera application easier to launch and more convenient to use. The pair of buttons to the right are the volume controls.

HDMI

Just like the EVO, this phone comes with an HDMI out. It is a micro-HDMI connector which are pretty rare right now. I am hoping to get a cable to test it out. There is also a micro-USB port.

Power and Headphones

I’m encouraged that most manufacturers have figured out that we want a standard headphone jack on our phones now. It is located at the top with the power button:

I am not a fan of the location of the power button. I find it inconvenient. However, that may be because it is not in the location I am used to.

8 MP and Dual LED Flash

The camera is 8 MP, with a dual LED flash. I’ll await judging it until a later post. I would rather have fewer pixels to get more low-light sensitivity, but again, I will wait to test the camera.

I did a quick, basic unboxing of the phone. I will get better. Unedited, a little over 8 minutes.

Filed in categories: Android related

Tagged: Android, droid, Motorola, verizon

Motorola Droid X for Verizon First Looks originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 2, 2010 at 6:01 pm.

My week with the HTC Incredible turned into almost 2 weeks, but still it didn’t seem long enough. Even after the brief hour I spent with it to create the First Looks post, I knew I was going to like this phone.

Now after a week, the standout features for me were:

• Speed (1 GHz Snapdragon processor)
• Physical Size
• Screen size (480 x 800 3.7″)
• Sense UI

Specifications

• Android 2.1 with Sense UI
• 3.7″ 480 x 800 AMOLED Display
• 8 GB internal memory
• 512 MB ROM
• 512 MB RAM (actually had over 748 MB available)
• 8 GB internal storage (shows as 6.6 GB internal and is in addition to any SD card you add)
• Optical Joystick
• Bluetooth 2.1
• 12-pin micro-USB port
• microSD slot (no card included) up to 32 GB (Verizon’s site says 16 GB, HTC 32)
• AC Adapter and micro-USB cable

Battery Life and Charging

After using this for almost 2 weeks, I found the battery to be pretty much on par with most App phones. By that I mean barely satisfactory. Most days, the charge lasted all day, but on 2 days I ran out early. No surprise that these were the first days when I was playing testing extensively. If you are looking for an App phone, there are not  significantly better options, and given the fact that this phone is running at 1 GHz, the battery life is good, compared to its peers.

I love a slim phone, but you know what manufacturers? Bit the bullet, add some thickness and give me more battery life. Given the design of the Incredible, I have a glimmer of hope that they could release an extended battery with a new back. I would be all over that option.

I do love the fact that phones now typically charge via USB. This way I can charge it on my laptop, or use the car adapter I already own that has a USB port. I get tired of all the AC Adapters I have collected.

Memory

I was surprised that the phone did not come with an SD card. However, it has 8 GB built-in, so this is not a big issue. My biggest surprise was Phone Memory. The specs claim 512 MB. On my phone it displays 748 MB of total space. I wonder if this is pulled off by using some of the internal storage. The 8 GM of internal memory shows up as 6.6 GB.

Bottom line, the 748 MB of phone memory coupled with the 8(6.6) GB of memory is a great start. Add in that you can add a 32 MB micro SD card (which are quite expensive right now) and the memory and storage of this device is quite impressive.

Screen

I love the screen. By default it is set to automatically adjust, and after some experimentation I left it set there. I had one commenter ask how it worked in direct sunlight, and set to auto it worked fine. On par with my G1. You wouldn’t want to spend a lot of time using it in direct sunlight, but it works. If the light is turned off, it is not viewable at all, but I did not leave it set to off.

If you look at the screen at an angle, you can see a gridwork of dots. I was going to take a shot of it for the review, but returned it before I did. That indicates not only my poor memory, but also that it was not a big deal for me.

Form Factor

I loved the form factor. After adjusting to it, it felt very natural. Now that I am adjusting back to my G1, the G1 seems like a brick. I did find that I hit the volume buttons unintentionally a few times, and it is easy to hit the power when you are taking off and putting on the back, but those were the only issues with the form factor for me.

Controls

The optical joystick worked fine. I still am not a fan of the touchscreen buttons at the bottom. They contributed to some unintentional taps when working on the screen, but as I adjusted to the device, that became less of an issue.

I really miss physical call and hangup buttons. It’s warm now, but I wonder what it will be like using the phones with gloves in the cold. Also, with a physical call button I can launch a call from anywhere on my phone. Since the phone button is part of the home screen, I now have to go to one of the home screens to launch the phone.

Camera

This is a really good camera for a phone. It does fairly well in low-light, and I like the fact that you can use the touch screen to pick on off-center focus. The video worked well, and I loved that I could upload to Flickr and YouTube directly to my phone.

Bottom Line

This is a (if not THE) top-of-the-line Android phone. HTC has really made a name for itself in phone design. It will be interesting to see how the EVO performs when it is finally released, but right now, if someone asked me for the best choice for Android phones, I can’t think of anything to beat the Incredible if you don’t care about a physical keyboard or the Droid if you want a keyboard. At the risk of sounding like I am sucking up to the folks at Verizon, who have provided units to test, they are really making a case for being the best provider for Android phones.

Filed in categories: Android related, Reviews

Tagged: HTC, incredible, verizon

HTC Incredible Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 7, 2010 at 5:17 pm.

One of the big differences with HTC phones is the inclusion of the Sense UI. I first encountered it with the Droid Eris and really liked it. You can read my earlier post on the topic for more details. The downside of the Sense UI is that it can delay getting an update to the latest Android OS. I know the Eris is still not on 2.1, but the Incredible is running Android 2.1 and the Sense UI.

The Home Screens

One change with the Sense is that there are 7 home screens instead of 3. I believe the latest Android OS also provides more home screens now, but this was new to me with the Eris. Another nice feature of the Sense UI is that you can now get thumbnails of all your home screens. You access this view by hitting the Home button from the center home screen, or pinching on any home screen. This is a great way to maneuver to the desired home screen.

Scenes

What if 7 home screens aren’t enough for you? Sense also provides a feature called Scenes. This is a way to save your 7-screen setup, including wallpaper. The phone comes with 7 different scenes configured, and you can create and save your own:

This lets you easily change the configuration of your phone for different uses. I could see this being helpful if you want to have certain widgets (and backgrounds) for work, others for home and still others for being out and about.

Widgets

The widget enhancement could fill a whole series of posts. The HTC Widgets included provide multiple options and enhancements. The Music is a good example. It is better looking than the Android widget, and comes in two sizes, full screen and half-screen.

I also like the Clock widget. It provides a lot of creative clock faces including multiple time zone options.

Exchange Support

As with all current Android phones (2.0 or later) the Incredible supports Exchange. It incorporates your exchange calendar with all your other calendars.

Now to be fair, mine is a little complicated. Since I do a lot of testing I have one calendar listed three different ways. Abreon Calendar is the Google Sync calendar of my exchange account (my G1 does not support Exchange, and is my working phone), Exchange is the exchange account synced via wireless, and PC Sync is the PC version using HTC Sync I discussed previously.

Your exchange mail is not incorporated into the main mail program. You need to access it through another mail icon. For me, I like this, I don’t want my work mail in the same place, but for some this is a disappointment.

Another nice addition is QuickOffice. I was able to view an attached excel worksheet with it, and the included PDF Viewer let me see an attached PDF.

Getting Social

The Sense also builds on the Android 2.0/2.1 social account management. The big thing for me is Flickr support. If I didn’t already adore the Sense UI, this would make me want it. Here is just a sample of my accounts screen:

The duplicate Twitter accounts are for Twitter’s own Twitter app and Peep. I think this gives me insight into why the Twitter application for Android requires 2.1, since it uses this account setup.

The Peep twitter application is not bad. I have to say I do prefer Twidroid and my new favorite TweetCaster to it or Twitter’s own application.

The integration is really nice. The phone will try to link accounts for you, and you can go in and link more:

It automatically linked Bob’s Flickr, Google (Gmail) and Facebook accounts. If it incorrectly links (it is pretty conservative about declaring a match) you can tap on the green bar to unlink. You can also link others that it did not find.

As mentioned, I love the Flickr integration. My photo gallery now linked to my Flickr account for easy upload and browsing. Also, I can easily upload video shot on the phone to my linked YouTube account. Here is an example. it is large, so it waited until I connected by Wi-Fi to actually upload. Warning, it’s a video of my kid. I liked it as a test though, since lighting was not great and the dark wood surroundings:

Not bad for low-light. The musicians were on the other side of the platform. The unconverted version is a little crisper than what YouTube did to it, but even that did a nice job.

Conclusion

I think the Sense UI is a great add to this phone. The additional integration it offers, as well as user interface enhancements makes this phone not only more functional, but more pleasant to use.

Filed in categories: Android related

Tagged: Android, HTC, incredible, verizon

A Week with the HTC Incredible – Sense UI originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 4, 2010 at 12:39 pm.

Don’t you hate it when you want to do something and someone tells you that you are doing it wrong? Well let me get this out of the way. If you are planning on using your shiny new Android phone to sync data on your PC, you are doing it wrong. One of the really powerful things about the Android OS is the cloud. It is designed around the idea that your phone is accessing all your data directly rather than tying it to a PC. However, some folks need to synchronize with the data on their PC. For that, HTC has created HTC Sync.

Now that I am done telling you that you are doing it wrong, let me add, I love the fact that HTC includes this ability with their phones. Like it or not, there are some folks that need to sync with their PC. Now the bad news, the HTC Sync runs on Windows, so if your PC is a Mac, you are out of luck.

The software for HTC Sync is actually included on the HTC Incredible. When you mount the disk drive you see this:

You can run the HTC Sync install application right off the phone. I installed the application as a “Typical Application”, that is, I let it install it all instead of picking settings. Once you install it, you will need to set your Sync Settings. On my machine it found MS Outlook, and Windows Address Book (Outlook Express).

You can choose to sync your Contacts and/or Calendar, and you can choose to make it automatic whenever you connect your phone to your PC, or manual.

If you have no location information on your Window’s PC (I didn’t) you’ll need to enter what area code you are in. When syncing, you can see details:

When you go into settings, you can control things like how it manages conflicts:

You can also choose a repair option to overwrite your phone or your PC:

On your phone, your PC Sync calendar becomes another calendar. Here is an example where I have an event on my Google calendar, and a slightly re-worded one on my Exchange calendar:

Notice that each calendar has a unique color code. I could not find where to change the color. Also, I now have my exchange appointment duplicated by PC Sync. Since my Outlook is an Exchange account, there is no reason for me to use HTC Sync (except to write a review of it). If you do both, you will end up with these duplicates.

When you connect your phone to your PC you get a nice option screen:

Once you set up HTC Sync, that option will start the sync.

HTC Sync is a nice add for anyone that needs to sync with a desktop Outlook or Outlook Express account. It may violate the spirit of Android, but if you need it, it is essential.

Filed in categories: Android related

Tagged: Android, HTC, incredible, verizon

A Week with the HTC Incredible – HTC Sync originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 3, 2010 at 4:34 pm.

For day three I managed to track down a Nexus user in Cincinnati through Twitter.  Tim was kind enough to meet up for the opportunity to check out the Incredible while I checked out the Nexus.

These two phones are both HTC phones, and very similar in specifications and size.

Controls

Both phones sport the touchscreen buttons that seem to be the thing anymore. I was surprised to see them in a different order. Nexus arranges them Back-Menu-Home-Search while the Incredible arranges them Home-Menu-Back-Search. Not a big issue, unless you get to test lots of phones. I really wish they would settle on a standard order for buttons.

The Nexus has the same physical “track ball” that my G1 has while the Incredible using an optical one. I assume the move away from physical buttons and navigation controls is to make the devices more rugged. I miss a physical call and hang up button though, especially when it is cold and I have gloves on.

Memory

The biggest difference is that the Incredible comes with 8 GB of storage, but not as an SD card. It is actually built into the phone. In addition, you can add an SD card. The only issue with this strategy is that you need an SD card for many applications. It will be interesting to see if they rewrite applications (like QIK)  to work with the built-in memory instead of requiring an SD card. The huge plus is that you have 8 GB built-in. When you decide you want more memory you add an SD card without losing the original 8. Since this supports up to a 32 GB SD card, that mean you can get 40 GB on this phone.

Well, almost 40 GB. Of course you lose some in the formatting, and if you look at the right screen, there is only 6.6 of the 8 GB available. Also, I noticed that the Phone memory is listed as 748 MB, but the specs say 512 MB. Not sure where that is coming from, perhaps that is where some of the missing 1.4 GB has gone?

Camera

Another difference is the camera. The Incredible comes with an 8 megapixel camera with 2 LED flashes. I have not put it through a lot of tests, but I have been surprised at how well it works, Typically you lose light sensitivity as pixels increase, but this does quite well.

Here is a shot with the flash:

Here is one without the flash:

And one more shot, I pulled over to the side of the road to grab this quick picture, proving yet again that the best camera you have is the one with you:

I think all in all the Incredible is a great upgrade over the Nexus. Nothing earth shattering, but a nice evolution. I am also a big Sense UI fan, so that is a big add for me. Of course, that’s for another post…

Filed in categories: Android related

Tagged: Android, HTC, incredible, verizon

A Week with the HTC Incredible – Day 3 originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 30, 2010 at 12:00 pm.

On Friday I was provided the opportunity to play with the HTC Incredible. The only stipulation was that I could not post or tweet about it until today.

This is Verizon’s new Android phone. Some of the notable things about it are the use of the 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, a large display, and an 8 MP camera. I hope to get to spend some more time with it soon, to provide more details, but here are my first impressions.

Here is quick list of the Incredible’s features from the press release:

• Android 2.1 with HTC Sense experience
• 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon(tm) processor for maximum responsiveness
• Friend Stream for unified Flickr, Facebook and Twitter updates
• “Leap” view for quick access to all seven home screen panels
• 8 megapixel camera with dual LED flash for crisp, detailed images
• Razor-sharp 3.7 inch WVGA (480×800) AMOLED capacitive touch display
• Optical joystick for smooth navigation
• Dedicated, touch-sensitive Home, Menu, Back and Search keys
• Proximity sensor, light sensor and digital compass
• Integrated GPS
• Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g)
• 3.5 mm headset jack

The Phone

All I had to compare it to that day was my old G1. Here is a side by side:

I set both phones to maximum brightness, and this is at an angle, but you can see the Incredible is brighter, and the display is larger.

Since there is no keyboard, the Incredible is much thinner:

I am happy to see that most new phones come with a standard headphone jack. It is located on top with the power button:

The side contains the USB port and volume controls:

This may seem strange, but I was also happy to see that the USB port does not have a cover. In my experience they are a pain, and not long for your device. The cover for my G1 fell off months ago. I am a little concerned with the type of connector. It did not look like a standard MicroUSB port. One of my first tests will be to see if a standard MicroUSB plug works. I really do not need yet another cable to keep around.

First Impressions

This is a very sleek phone. It does not have a physical keyboard, so it is very thin. The screen is very responsive, bright, and beautiful. The screen is the same size as he Droid, but a slightly different resolution (480 x 800 vs. the Droid’s 480 x 854). I would be interested to see the two side by side, and may try to meet-up with someone I know who has a Droid.

The phone switches very smoothly between portrait and landscape, it gives you the 2-finger zoom features everyone seems to love, and lets you tap to choose what the camera focuses on. Here is a quick video, no audio:

The Camera

I was actually concerned with the fact that it is an 8 MP camera. A lot of times more pixels means less low-light ability. My quick picture was a surprise. It looked really good in a low-light environment. I also liked that you could tap to focus off-center. I didn’t think to send the picture to my account so that I could show a sample, but I will definitely look at the camera in more detail. It looks like a winner.

All in all this looks like a very impressive phone. It is taking all my strength to not say it is incredible.  It will initially be priced the same as the Droid  ($199) with rebate. You sacrifice a few pixels and a keyboard for a faster processor, the Sense UI and what appears to be a much better camera. I hope to have more to post soon.

Filed in categories: Android related, Wireless

Tagged: Android, HTC, verizon

HTC Incredible First Looks originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 19, 2010 at 12:35 pm.

I was recently given the opportunity to try out the new Palm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus from Verizon. The “Plus” refers to the ability of both these phones to function as 3G hotspots (like a mi-fi). You can connect up to 5 devices through Wi-Fi to access the internet through the phones. Since we have already covered the Pre with Julie’s Week with the Palm Pre and Craig’s Palm Pre: Six Months In, I chose to focus on the Pixi. If you are interested in the Pre, or even the Pixi, I encourage you to revisit these posts, as they contain a lot of good information about the Palm webOS environment.

The Palm Pixi is a smaller, and cheaper version of the Palm Pre. It takes it’s design cues from the original keyboard Treos and blackberries. If you are looking for a phone with a physical keyboard, but don’t want to slide it out, this is a great option.

Hardware Specs

• Operating system Palm webOS™ platform
• Dual-band CDMA2000
• 3G: EvDO Rev A
• 2.63-inch multitouch screen with a vibrant 18-bit color, 320×400 resolution Sub-HVGA display
• Physical QWERTY keyboard
• Microsoft® Exchange email with Microsoft Direct Push Technology
• POP3/IMAP (Yahoo! Mail, Gmail™, AOL, Hotmail®, etc.)
• Built-in GPS
• 2-megapixel camera with LED flash, geotagging, and video capture
• Ambient light, accelerometer, and proximity sensors
• Audio formats: MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR, QCELP, WAV
• Video formats: MPEG-4, H.263, H.264
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g with WPA, WPA2, WEP, 802.1X authentication;
• Bluetooth® wireless technology 2.1 + EDR with A2DP stereo Bluetooth support;
• Wi-Fi router functionality for up to five devices using Palm mobile hotspot.
• 8GB Memory (~7GB available)
• Up to 5.2 hours talk time and 350 hours standby time
• Charger/microUSB connector with USB 2.0 Hi-Speed
• 3.5mm stereo
• Palm Touchstone Charging Dock Compatible
• Width: 55.0mm (2.17 inches)
• Height: 111.0mm (4.37 inches)
• Thickness: 10.85mm (0.43 inches)
• 92.5 grams (3.26 ounces)

The screen is smaller than the Pre, but still very usable. Here is a side by side comparison of the Pre and Pixi:

When closed, the Pre is a little shorter than the Pixi. When open, it is taller:

The Pixi is considerably slimmer than the Pre:

In fact, that is the first thing I noticed about this phone, it is VERY thin. This is easily the smallest smartphone I have ever used.

webOS

This is an area I don’t feel I have a lot to add. Look through Julie and Craig’s posts for a lot detail. I’ll just share my impressions here. I found the OS to be very elegant. However, both the Pre and Pixi could benefit by a more powerful processor to run this OS. I found it a little laggy at times.

Synergy

This is one of the truly wonderful things about the Palms. Synergy allows you to access your accounts from multiple sources in one place. I was able to use my Gmail, an exchange account, and a yahoo mail account with ease. My calendar entries on my exchange and Gmail accounts were displayed in different colors. All in all, it was a great experience.

Keyboard

The keyboard is a touch smaller than the Pre. I didn’t think it would be very functional, but after a short while using it, I was surprised how well it worked. The keys are small, but the curve and the slight rubbery feel work very well. If you are concerned about the keyboard, I would recommend visiting a store and trying it out. Give it more than a few minutes, though.

Mobile Hotspot

One of the big attractions to these two phones is the “Plus”. That is, the ability to be a mobile hotspot. Both phones have the ability, but they require you to sign up for the service separately. This is usually a $40 /month charge, but right now they are waiving it. So with your Palm phone you essentially get a free MiFi. This can be a great deal for folks that travel. I also got to experience the convenience when my RoadRunner service want down, and they told me they could come fix it in a couple of days. I fired up the Pixi and was working in no time.

Palm’s Future

Since I received this phone to review, the news has come out that Palm is looking to be bought. This certainly raises issues with the future of webOS. This is certainly something you should factor into your purchase decision, but as I was considering that I realized how many different phone OS’ I have had over the years.

Conclusion

I really like this phone. As much as I like this phone, it won’t be my next phone. I felt it was a little underpowered, and I don’t really care for the form factor (except for the incredibly small size). I am a sucker for a large screen and some horsepower. Also, I have to admit, that I think I am losing the battle to not become an Android fan-boy.

This phone is a great choice for someone who is looking to get a phone that can access multiple online accounts, and wants a slick, modern OS in an incredibly small package. Add in the $29.99 price and being able to use it as a mobile hot spot, and this is a very strong candidate.

Filed in categories: Reviews, Wireless

Tagged: Palm, Palm OS related, verizon

Palm Pixi Plus for Verizon originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 19, 2010 at 11:00 am.

Verizon and Skype just announced an agreement to provide free global calls to Verizon customers on their 3G smartphones. Starting in March, users who have data plans can call Skype to Skype for free. Here are some of the details:

• make and receive unlimited Skype-to-Skype voice calls to any Skype user around the globe;
• call international phone numbers at competitive Skype Out calling rates;
• send and receive instant messages to other Skype users; and
• remain always connected with the ability to see friends’ online presence.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: skype, verizon

Verizon and Skype Partner for Free Global Calls originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 24, 2010 at 7:44 am.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Reviews, Wireless

Tagged: LG, verizon

LG Chocolate Touch Music Phone originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 15, 2009 at 10:33 pm.

I was able to talk the Verizon PR representative into letting me review two of the accessories for the Droid as a ploy to keep the it a little longer, I mean, as a nice companion to the series of reviews on the Droid. In this post I will look at the Car Mount, and later I will look at the Dock.

What’s Included:

• Mounting arm with suction cup.
• Disk to attach to dashboard for non-windshield mounting.
• Cradle for phone.
• Instructions.

What’s Not:

• Car Charger. This isn’t a “Car Kit” it’s a Car Mount.

I did not use the disk. I attached the holder to the windshield. One of the nice features of this accessory (and the dock) is that there is a small magnet in both that tells the Droid that it is attached. This means as soon as you turn on your phone it displays the Car Home when when it is in the cradle.

To see more information on how navigation works with the Droid, look at the Navigating with Verizon’s Droid post. You can rotate your phone vertical, or horizontal, but I think the horizontal position works best for navigation.

I was surprised how well the suction cup holds the phone and holder. There is a lever you press down to engage the suction cup:

The clear tab underneath the lever is used to break the suction after you release the lever. Even after releasing the lever, it would be difficult to remove it without this handy tab. I did not get to take that long of a trip with it, but it seemed very secure.

The cradle works very nicely. The phone fits very securely in it. The design utilized the little step down on the bottom part of the phone (where the Verizon logo is), and the angled edges of the phone very effectively to hold the phone.

I was very impressed by the thought that seemed to go into this accessory. It is a safe and convenient way to mount your phone. My only disappointment is that it does not come with a car charger.

Filed in categories: Android related, GPS, Reviews

Tagged: Android, droid, Motorola, verizon

Car Mount Phone Holder for Droid Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 13, 2009 at 2:16 pm.

First off, Multimedia Station seems a bit off for this device. This is a dock for your Droid phone. It has some nice adds, but does not include any speakers, or even audio out, it is a dock.

What’s in the Box:

• Manual
• AC Adaptor
• USB Cable
• Cradle

The dock is very attractive, and since it comes with an additional charger, is a very good value. The phone slides into the dock and connects via the micro-USB port. I found that it slide in very smoothly.

When inserted in the dock, the Droid recognizes that it is attached to the doc and launches the dock application:

This application displays the current time and date, your location and weather and also provides quick access to your music, photos, alarms and a dimming feature.

The Music and Photo buttons take you to the music and photo applications of the Droid.

If you tap the lightbulb to dim the display you get this:

You can tap on the weather icon to get a nice forecast:

If you tap on the Alarm icon you can set up to three different alarms:

I like the dock application. You cannot launch it from a stock Droid without the dock. Of course the beauty of the Android market means a work around is only a matter of time, and it has already been worked around. There is an application called DockRunner you can use on a Droid to launch the Dock application. This works only on the Droid, since it is the phone with that application.

I still think the dock is worth the $30. If nothing else, it is an easy place to drop your android for charging when you get home. Also, it comes with an additional charger, which I always need.

Filed in categories: Android related, Reviews

Tagged: Android, droid, Motorola, verizon

Multimedia Station for Droid Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 8, 2009 at 12:04 pm.

It’s finally semi-official. My Verizon PR rep let me know this morning that the Droid Eris would definitely be getting an update to 2.0. She had nothing for me to point to as official word, but now Eric Zeman on Information Week is reporting that same information. I let you go to the link for the details on that.

This is really good news to the folks who like the Eris. It does, however, highlight a negative of Sense, the delay in getting the latest Android. I think it is worth the wait though.

Filed in categories: Android related

Tagged: Android, eclair, eris, verizon

Droid Eris Will Get Android 2.0 or 2.1 in Q1 2010 originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 4, 2009 at 3:14 pm.