Section: Audio, Portable Audio, Gadgets / Other, Reviews, Features, Originals 
Product: Digital Foci Picture Porter 35 Digital Photo Manager
Price: $350-$450 To put it simply, the Picture Porter 35 Digital Photo Manager is a portable harddrive with a screen and speaker. It allows you to not only store your files but it some cases, view them as well. The device comes with a USB cord, a wall charger, some headphones, and a video-out cord. On the photo manager itself is a USB, AC, and headphone jack. It has ports for SD, MMC, miniSD, MS, MS duo, xD, and CF cards to expand or transfer files.  On startup, the Picture Porter takes about 15 seconds to boot up on the 250GB model. Once booted, you come to a basic homescreen with icons depicting each task you can perform. Navigation occurs through the a clicker-wheel on the side of the device. To click on an icon, you must push down on the clicker wheel which can be confusing at first. If you ever want to get out of any of the icons, an ESC button on the side is the universal back button. Unfortunately, that is really the only button that you know what it does no matter where you are. Otherwise, there is a nice learning curve with your Picture Porter. Pushing the clicker wheel when focused on a single file really does nothing. The box to the left of the file will be checked but that doesn’t do much. You would think that since pushing the wheel allows opens up tasks on the homescreen that pushing it when focused on a picture would open the picture. After playing around, it seems that it adds it to a playlist of sorts that you can view by hitting the “MENU” button on the side. Once you hit that button, an array of actions will pop up, one of them being “Play Slideshow” which will either play only the files you checked, or all of them.
 Quality-wise, the screen isn’t bad but it isn’t amazing and the same goes for that speaker. You definitely aren’t going to be using this as your main Mp3 player one for the not-so-good quality and two for the overall size of the device. I’m honestly not quite sure what to compare the size of this device to because there aren’t many devices this big anymore. But the best way I can describe it, which might be hard to see if you aren’t as big of a Reeses fan as I, is if you take two of the King Size Reeses BigCup packages and put them side by side. Confusing, I know, but just think about it; 2, King Size Reeses BigCup packages. Its big. Another note on the look of the device, the icons are a bit… similar to ones you would find on your Mac. It’s obvious where the inspiration was from.
In the end, the Picture Porter 35 Digital Photo Manager might be a few years behind. The size, the quality, and the idea are a bit outdated. Unfortunately, a 32GB iPod Touch and a 250GB portable hard drive will cost less and do more for you than this. I give it 2 1/2 stars out of 5 only because someone might have a need for a device such as this without the increased complexity of an iPod Touch. Images via [Digital Foci] Full Story » | Written by Greg Billetdeaux for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Audio, Portable Audio, Communications, Mobile, Web, Online Music/Video Here at Gagdetell we have been long time supporters of the folks over at Slacker Radio and were excited to discover the Slacker 2.0 update is now live in the Apple app store. Don’t worry, they have retained all previous functionality on your iPhone, iPod touch, iPad. With the latest installment you now have the ability to cache your favorite stations so listening availability is now everywhere sans network coverage or WiFi. Finally a win in the streaming music department for you iPod Touch and non-3G iPad users. The full extent of the back-cache has yet to be tested on our end but would love for some feedback from those chronic Slacker radio’ers out there who have updated with 2.0 The update could not have been timed any better with the today’s AT&T announcement rolling out updated data charges. Use your data when you need it, disconnect when you don’t. We presume this step one of many to assist users in avoiding data overages. End user 1, AT&T 0. Full Story » | Written by Aaron Thacker for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Email / IM, Smartphones, Mobile, Web, Google 
As the temps perk up across the nation, it’s time to pocket the BlackBerry and jump on your bike - armed with directions from Google. The fresh Google Maps 4.2 for BlackBerry adds biking directions, a redesigned search offering images and ratings as well as a new “share this place” aiming to make it easy to share where you’ll be power-lunching. The update comes on the heels of an update for Google’s own Android app that offered similar features. Also in the update, Google has fixed some installation issues. Trouble with permissions and BlackBerry Enterprise Server plagued some users when installing previous versions. Google Maps 4.2 should allow users a much better experience. Ready to go? To download point your BlackBerry browser to get Google Maps 4.2 here. Read: [Google Mobile Blog] Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Gadgets / Other, ebooks 
Amazon began rolling the Kindle into Target locations back on April 25th, though at the time the availability was limited to one store in Minneapolis and 102 in South Florida. Well, in a little bit of good news for anyone that is planning to hit up a Target and check out the Kindle in person—you can now do so as of this Sunday. The news is coming by way of the New York Times who are reporting that the Kindle will be available “beginning on Sunday.” Sunday as in June 6th 2010. As for pricing, nothing will be changing there and you can expect to pay the same $259 that you would direct with Amazon. Of course, the obvious perk is there in that you can actually touch the reader before you make a purchase. Well, touch it maybe, that is assuming Target is not storing these behind some glass. Anyway, Amazon Kindle this Sunday at Target for $259. Read [New York Times] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile If you were considering the purchase of a Droid Incredible from Verizon you are going to be disappointed as the shipping date has once again been pushed back. As of now its a few weeks time and currently showing as June 24th. Yup, you can order the Droid Incredible but will have to wait until June 24th before it will ship. Unfortunately other than the date, this is nothing new. After all, this date has been sliding further and further into the future since the phone was originally released and at this point I am just wondering when Verizon is going to say enough and stop sales—at least temporarily. Product [Verizon Wireless] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Email / IM, Smartphones, Mobile, Features 
Announced this morning, the Pantech Pursuit will be on AT&T shelves starting June 6 and will cost $49.99 with contract. The Pursuit is Pantech’s first touchscreen device with a full slide out QWERTY keyboard. The device, like most quick messaging phones, is geared for quick texting and social media. Pantech sent over the 3G Pursuit in Blue and it’s a good looking device. Pantech spent some time making this phone look good, from the textured no-slip back to the homescreen and rotating lock screens, it’s a very good looking piece of kit. The phone is also offered in green. Using the phone is very intuitive. After dropping the SIM card in and using AT&T’s cloud-based contact sync for contacts, the device is easily navigated through. The menus are very clear and good looking. Everything you’d expect is here. There are even somethings I didn’t expect. Things like Drawing Commander - a snazzy feature that can dial a contact or open an app simply by tracing a finger on the screen. Users can also set Shake to initiate an action. Some very neat customization can go on with this phone. The keyboard received mixed quick look ratings. While I found the keys problematic - a very short click, not raised enough to get a good typing feel, and my fingers bumped into the phone’s top section when typing on the top row; the teen in my house found it easy to use. Go figure. I was impressed that touchscreen typing is available should you not want to slide the keyboard out. The home screen itself is interesting. Like Android, users can swipe left or right to access shortcuts to their most popular apps - pretty neat. Likewise, when the keyboard slides open, a specific menu for texting, Facebook, and emails pop up as Pantech figures there is a reason you slide the keyboard out. I wasn’t as impressed with the web browser and scrolling through contacts wasn’t as smooth as say on the iPhone. It wasn’t horrible but a lag was noticeable. Maybe it will improve in time. A full review will be up early next week, so check it out as so far, I am overall impressed with the Pursuit. Product Page: [AT&T] Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Computers, Software / Applications, Web, Google Google has officially announced that the release for their Chrome OS is set for a fourth quarter release. The operating system will be targeted towards laptops initially. “For Chrome OS, we are focused on laptops for this year,” said Sundar Pichai, Google’s Vice President of Product Management.
It seems as this recent announcement debunks the previous claims of a a third-quarter launch for Chrome. The Chrome Web Store is expected to open at the same time allowing users to download web applications for the OS. According to Pichai, the Chrome OS was designed for devices with touchpads, keyboards and screens between 10 inches and 12 inches across. The trend seems to be pointing at a more powerful, yet lighter, OS stuck inside of a smaller devices. On the downside, the Chrome OS will limit certain customizations but will allow them later on in the future. Don’t ask me what the point of this little tease is because I can’t give you a rational answer. The trend is reaching for an operating system as powerful as Windows 7 Ultimate on a device as small as your cell phone. This seems to be just another step in the right direction for consumers as we won’t be needing all of that RAM much longer. Via [NetworkWorld] Full Story » | Written by Tarun Kunwar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
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