Section: Communications, Smartphones, Mobile, Web, Google  It looks like Google is going to begin cracking down on the apps available in the Android Market in the form of ratings. The information is coming by way of Eric Chu over on the official Android Developers Blog where he writes that;
“Starting in a few weeks, we will be showing content ratings for all applications on Android Market. This new capability will provide users with additional information to help them select the best applications for them.”
The ratings will be simple enough, either Pre-teen, Teen, Mature or All. The catch here comes in for the developers at this point as they need to either submit a rating or risk being tagged as mature. All things considered, this is probably not all that bad of a deal, but at the same time it may lead to some innocent apps having mature ratings. By that I am not referring to the developers that do not submit ratings in time, although that will likely happen, but instead with apps such as RSS readers where the user could potentially access something age inappropriate. It should be interesting to see how Google handles that. Read [Android Developers Blog] Via [TechCrunch] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Reviews, Peep Shows, Features, Originals Motorola’s latest business-centric smartphone, the Motorola DROID PRO launched November 18 on Verizon Wireless. The DROID PRO is a sleek, powerful Android smartphone operating on Android 2.2, 1 GHz Processor, 2GB internal memory, 5MP camera with flash, and a 3.1 inch touch screen display. So far, I’ve enjoyed using the DROID PRO as the front facing portrait QWERTY keyboard allows for quick messaging and everything loads super fast with its 1GHz processor. My only complaint so far is the fact that the screen is a little small and the resolution (320 x 480). Expect a full review of the world phone in several days, but for now, feel free to check out the unboxing below. Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Haven’t caught all of the Gadgetell news this week? Here's your chance to catch up on this week’s top 10 articles! - Will iPad cost $399 after holidays?
” Apple has pitched the iPad as in between unit - right between the iPhone and a Mac. That leaves the door open to what kind of commercial strategy lies ahead for the iPad. The way I see it, we have a pretty good shot at seeing a…” MORE » - Dell offers up unlocked Dell Streak with Android 2.2 for $579
” If you’ve been eyeing the Dell Streak Android tablet but doesn’t want to get tied up to carrier contracts, here’s your chance to finally own this cool Android tablet in its unlock iteration. Dell…” MORE » - Dell Inspiron Duo pre-orders up for $549, no shipping date
” Dell has made good on it’s promise by putting the Inspiron Duo up for sale before the holidays. Here we are just a few days before Thanksgiving, and we can finally pre-order the netbook that converts…” MORE » - eBay updates it iPhone app, brings in barcode scanning for in-store comparison shopping
” If Amazon has just released its price comparison app for iPhone and iPod Touch in preparation for the Black Friday deals and other Holiday shopping gigs, eBay too is joining the party by updating its iPhone and iPod Touch app.…” MORE » - iPad, iPhone and iPod touch gets 4.2 *TODAY*
” Apple is releasing iOS version 4.2 to users for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. While iPad users gain the most in this update, there is plenty for iPhone and iPod users alike. Apple is looking to sweeten its product offering for the holiday rush. "iOS 4.2…” MORE » - Gadgetell review: cases for folks that despise cases
“When it comes to my phones, I rarely leave a case on for more than a week. I despise, and to a point, resent the added weight, thickness and altered feel of the case. Today, I’ll look at two solutions that make the Apple bumper look like the before shot…” MORE » - Check out this database for Black Friday deals
” Black Friday can be a daunting day for those of us who aren’t seasoned bargain hunters—what with retail stores bombarding us with deals in preparation for the largest retail day in the year. Fortunately, DealsVista has compiled a neat master…” MORE » - T-Mobile to offer Black Friday BOGO deal
” T-Mobile has announced that starting on Black Friday, customers who sign up for a family plan and purchase a featured smartphone such as the MyTouch or BlackBerry Bold will be eligible to get a second featured smartphone or Android phone free. This…” MORE » - Amazon Price Check iPhone app lets you compare product prices before making a purchase
” Just in time for upcoming Black Friday deals, Amazon has released a new iPhone app - Price Comparison. Available now from the App Store as a free download, Amazon Price Check iPhone app basically does one thing. It…” MORE » - Google preparing a self-branded Chrome OS netbook?
” When we first started hearing about Chrome OS the browser-centric netbook OS was said to be launching sometime around now. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened yet as the OS is still being worked on. It could be however, that Google is…” MORE »
Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Gadgets / Other, Imaging, Reviews, Features, Originals A short while back a rather large and rather flat box found its way to the Gadgetell offices, and while it did not look anything like a regular gadget sized box we were more than a little curious to see what was inside. Upon opening it up—there was a nicely framed image and initially we were a little puzzled as to who would send that. Well, it turns out the the picture came from Art.com. And for those looking at the above image and wondering, the picture they sent us was “El Nido, Palawan Island, Philippines” from Peter Adams. Just in case you missed that, they sent us, as in Art.com provided the goods for this review—that was the disclosure. Needless to say, the picture looked very nice and we were curious about the service itself, you see Art.com offers the ability for you to send in your own images and have them printed and framed. A little about the Art.com services include sizes ranging from 8” x 10” up to 45” x 56” and more than 75 mats and 30 moldings to choose from in terms of image prints. Furthermore each piece can be framed with up to 3 mats. And in addition to the image prints, there is also the option to do photos to canvas. These are done on “artist-grade-cotton canvas” and are UV-coated acrylic finished. The photo to canvas option is also noted as being mounted on 1 1/2” wooden support bars that allow you to hang without a frame. Last in terms of the photos to canvas, these are described as having a “museum wrap” with “hand painted black edges to provide a clean look.” In terms of how much you can expect to pay, the photo prints begin at $29.99 for an 8 x 10 and go up to $179.99 for 36 x 54 and the photos to canvas start at 29.99 for an 8 x 10 and go up to $349.99 for a 42 x 56. Otherwise, while the key here seems to lay in the fact that you can easily get your own images professionally done, there are also lots and lots of stock images for those lacking the ability to take a great picture. According to the stats provided to us, Art.com has 850,000 images to choose from which come from 64,000 artists. In other words, there should be something for everyone. The bottom line The framed image they provided was very nice—not only was it packaged securely to ensure an undamaged arrival but the work itself was put together nice both in terms of the matting and frame. As I am not really an art critic and somewhat unsure of the proper ways to describe a framed piece of art I will say this. Given the sample that was provided to us I would not have any hesitation in ordering something for myself, or suggesting that others use the Art.com website either. Personally I thought the prices were fair, and now it seems the only hard part is going to be in trying to find a picture of mine that I want to have framed and hanging on my wall. With that, if you are looking to get something of yours framed for hanging, you should at least check out Art.com. As for me, I am thinking this is going to be an easy way for me to get at least one Christmas gift taken care of this year. Product/Service [Art.com] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Smartphones, Mobile It has been a few weeks since we last heard anything in terms of Windows Phone 7 apps and it looks like there has been decent growth. According to the latest numbers coming from the Windows Team Blog, the Marketplace should have “roughly 3,000 apps and games by the end of this week.” Which considering they were at almost 2,000 back on November 9th, that seems like good growth. Of course, as we told you shortly after that, the total number of apps should not be the end-all-be-all because that number can sometimes be misleading. Either way it is still nice to see some growth in terms of apps especially on such a new platform. In addition it was also mentioned that there are now more than 15,000 registered developers. Given that it should be interesting to see where the Windows Phone 7 Marketplace is one year, or even 6 months from now. Read [Windows Team Blog] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Audio Despite having officially merged way back when here in the US, it seems that Sirius and XM have remained independent in Canada all this time. “As a combined entity, XM Canada and Sirius Canada will deliver exceptional value to subscribers, and enhance the long-term success of satellite radio in Canada,” John Bitove, chairman of Canadian Satellite Radio, said in a statement.
The merger was completed as an all stock deal and valued at $520 million which includes $130 million of long-term debt. Furthermore, this means a combined audience of roughly 1.7 million. With that, it looks like they are still awaiting the official approval from the CRTC. Otherwise, Sirius and XM are now one in Canada as well as the US. Read [CBC News] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Computers, Mobile Computers, Reviews, Features, Originals 
Since Black Friday is tomorrow, you might be shopping around for a shiny new Samsung Galaxy Tab on any carrier. In order to help make an educated purchase, I took an extensive look at the Samsung Galaxy Tab on Verizon Wireless and decided whether or not it is worth it. Even though I reviewed a carrier specific model, the other four carriers to sell the Galaxy Tab all share nearly identical specs but pre-load different software and offer different plans. It is one of the first legitimate Android tablets to compete against the Apple iPad, but after my review, I don't think it is ready to dethrone the iPad just yet. What is it? The Samsung Galaxy Tab is available on five carriers in the United States including the big four (Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile) and the regional U.S. Cellular. It features a 16GHz Cortex A8 processor, 16GB internal memory, 7 inch TFT LCD touch screen display, Android 2.2, Bluetooth, 3G, Wi-Fi, 3G Mobile Hotspot, Verizon's VCast App Store, and Swype. The Galaxy Tab is available for $599 on Verizon Wireless with no contract required. People may argue that the device is costly, and it is for those looking to sign a contract with month-to-month data regardless, but for those who just want to use 3G data sporadically, the pricing makes sense. It also comes with a dedicated number to use for texting and MMS, but you cannot receive or make calls. I assume most people would own a cell phone in addition to the Galaxy Tab, but if you want to make a quick text when using the Galaxy Tab, this feature would come in handy. The Good One of the first things I noticed about the Galaxy Tab is how sleek it looks. It is a glossy black throughout and fits comfortably in the hand. It is a little bit on the heavy side to hold only with one hand, but with two hands it definitely works. Typing on the screen in the portrait mode is simple and fast, but I hardly used the keyboard horizontally (landscape) because I couldn't comfortably type with two hands and I was considerably slower with one hand. I will expand more on this in the negative aspect of the review in a moment. A common complaint against the Samsung Galaxy S lineup of smartphones is the fact that it is still stuck on Android 2.1. Fortunately, Samsung got it right with the Galaxy Tab as it is operating on the latest and greatest version of Android—Froyo (Android 2.2) with Adobe Flash 10.1. The latter works nicely with the browser for an improved web experience. One hardware aspect the Galaxy Tab has over the iPad is the addition of two cameras—a rear facing and a front facing camera. The rear facing camera is 3.2MP and is accompanied by LED flash, making pictures clear and high quality. Again, most people probably own cell phones (if not smartphones) in conjunction with the Galaxy Tab, so the rear facing camera probably isn't a deal breaker but a nice component to have. The front facing camera, necessary for video conferencing, is 1.3MP and works as billed. Personally, I don't believe the front facing camera to be a deal breaker either mainly because the front facing camera isn't as widespread in mainstream consumer electronics at this point in time. The only devices that I can think of—off the top of my head—with front facing cameras include the HTC EVO 4G, Samsung Epic 4G, iPhone 4, Samsung Transform, HTC myTouch 4G and the Samsung Galaxy Tab. Once the front facing camera becomes commonplace in smartphones, or if tablets/smartphones can video conference with computers, then I believe the value of the front facing camera improves tremendously. Lastly, the GPS on the Galaxy Tab works as a GPS service should on a tablet. It locks into the location quickly and provides accurate and clear readout of directions. If you are familiar with 3G Mobile Hotspot, you'll be pleased to know Verizon Wireless includes this service on the Galaxy Tab. Basically, it allows you to connect five other Wi-Fi capable devices to use the Galaxy Tab's 3G connectivity as a hotspot. The battery life is quite impressive as it runs on a 4,00mAH battery and lasts through the day. The Bad As I mentioned in the opening paragraph, I don't think the Galaxy Tab can dethrone the iPad because of a few glaring issues. One, the screen size of the Galaxy Tab is seven inches compared to a similarly priced iPad (16GB model with 3G is $629) with a ten inch display. Granted, it doesn't have one nor two cameras, but screen size for tablets is probably the most noticeable feature. The three inch smaller screen and less weight of the Galaxy Tab doesn't necessarily make it much more portable than the iPad. I don't own an iPad, but I see people carrying it around in convenient carrying cases and I imagine I would too if I owned a Galaxy Tab. Bottom line, if Samsung wants to use a smaller screen, then I think the pricing should reflect that. While on the topic of screen size, it is hard to use two hands when typing with the Tab in landscape mode. I have seen iPad owners type with two hands when held in landscape, but for me, typing with two hands is uncomfortable and inefficient. Lastly, the iPad has a serious advantage over the Tab in terms of available apps that are designed for a screen larger than a smartphone display. I imagine the Tab will have more tablet-centric apps once developers are familiar with the larger screen technology. Verizon even has a dedicated app store—VCast App Store—but there aren't too many great apps in store yet. However, there is a great potential for strong apps on the Galaxy Tab because the device comes preloaded with LEt's Golf and N.O.V.A, two games that look great and work exceptionally well. Final Thoughts When everything is said and done, the Samsung Galaxy Tab is definitely a luxury item. Personally, for me on a tight budget, I would not open my wallet and spend $599, or $399 with a different carrier for a subsidized contract pricing. I would either wait around for a cheaper Wi-Fi only version, or perhaps a successor to the Galaxy Tab with a larger screen and hopefully similar pricing. However, the hardware on the Galaxy Tap is top-notch, and if you are fine with a seven inch touch screen and the current pricing plans, then it is a great device to have. Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Video, HDTV, Portable Video, Features, Originals Sam’s Club recently reached out to us and asked if we wanted the opportunity to give one of our readers a 7 inch portable television from Vizio and well, the quick answer was yes. And while it is always nice to be able to give back to the readers, we cannot help but point out that we were already big fans of Sam’s Club. That said, Sam’s Club has a fairly well stocked Electronics department with a wide selection of available goods both in-store and also online. Of which I must say it often gets me in trouble because that is the first section we see when visiting our local Sam’s Club to stock up. And it looks like Sam’s has taken their online presence one step further this holiday season with a special “Holidays Made Simple” page. But I digress, you all likely want to know what you need to do to with that Vizio. First things first, the model is the 7” inch Vizio Edge-Lit Razor LED and it comes with a regular retail price of $129.99. The specs include an 800 x 480 resolution, 60Hz refresh rate, 500:1 contrast ratio and a built-in antenna for receiving free to air signals. So without any further adieu, entering to win is simple—send an email to robert (at) gadgetell (dot) com with the subject line of “Sam’s Club Vizio Television Giveaway” And that is it, this will run as of this posting and close at 12 Noon EST on Friday December 10th, 2010. Product [Vizio] and [Sam’s Club Holiday Page] and [Sam’s Club Electronics Page] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile T-Mobile and Microsoft have announced a nice little Black Friday offer on the HTC HD7 - buy one get one free. Yup, those who purchase an HD7 will be able to buy one at the regular retail price of $199.99 and get the other for free. Of course, that means a two-year contract for each line, but still, paying $200 is much nicer than paying $400 for the phones. The offer kicks off today November 26th and is running for a while—though January 18, 2011. Read [Microsoft] Via [Engadget] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Video, HDTV, Video Providers If you were considering the purchase of a Roku set-top box then this weekend may be a good time to make a purchase. Those interested, and those who buy between today and Monday November 29th will be able to save 20 percent on the purchase of the Roku XD. And for those not feeling like doing the math, that means a purchase price of $63.99, which is not bad at all considering the regular retail price is $79.99. And as an extra added bonus, you will also get one month of Hulu Plus for free. Read [Roku] Via [BGR] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Email / IM, Mobile, Computers, Mobile Computers When T-Mobile first launched the Samsung Galaxy Tab they were offering something that none of the either US mobile carriers were including—unlimited messaging. The option came as part of the webConnect plans and included text, picture and video however it seems like it has since been quietly removed from the feature list. It makes you wonder if it should have been there in the first place or if it was a mistake right from the beginning. Either way, no messaging for T-Mobile Galaxy Tab users moving forward. Read [T-Mobile] Via [SlashGear] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Apple, Computers, Desktops, Mobile Computers, Laptops, Gadgets / Other There you go folks. One of the most anticipated Black Friday deals has just came out. Apple has unveiled what they will be offering on Black Friday. Scanning through the list, average deduction for most Apple products are around 8% which is basically the same as last year’s discount. Too bad, Apple is not being generous this year for their newest Macs, and only the old models of MacBook Pro and MacBook Air are being discounted. Still, it’s a good deal, slashing off $101 from their original prices. Fortunately, one of the iPad models are being discounted. It will be available for $458 from the list price of 499. That’s the 16GB Wi-Fi only iPad folks. So, if you’re eyeing to play around with an iPad this Holiday Season, I’ll grab one of this as soon as the online sale goes on. Another good deal is the 2TB Time Capsule. I’m seriously considering getting one of this since I’m currently using a Western Digital 500GB for backing-up my MBP through USB connection. This Time Capsule will be offered for $448 while the 1TB model’s price will be slashed off to $278. Alright, here’s a complete rundown of the major Apple products going on sale during Apple’s Black Friday 2010 sale. The list include retail price and sale price. The sale is for both online and retail outlets. Have fun shopping, folks! - iPod Nano - $149 to $138
- iPod Touch - $229 to $228
- iPad - $499 to $458
- iMac- $1199 to $1098
- MacBook Pro -$1199 to $1098
- MacBook Air - $1299 to 1108
Product [Apple] Full Story » | Written by Arnold Zafra for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 FROM GAMERTELL - Amazon’s going to have 38 video game lightning deals appearing throughout the day on Black Friday 2010. The first batch of 8 went up at 12:15am PST. Keep checking the site throughout the day for periodic game, console and peripheral sales.
MORE » Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
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