Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones Looking to score a new Android smartphone on Black Friday? If so, consider checking out your local Verizon Wireless store as they are rumored to be holding some special deals, which include discounted prices and Buy-One-Get-Another free. Just as a clarification, BOGA implies that you will receive another phone of equal or lesser value for free. The new Samsung Galaxy S phone—the Samsung Continuum—will be on sale tomorrow and Friday for $99 after a MIR, which is $100 off its normal retail price. In addition, the HTC Droid Incredible is being offered for $149, but that does include BOGA. Of course, we have been seeing prices for the HTC Droid Incredible lower recently, but the BOGA is still a nice addition to the offer. In case you’re looking for a cheaper phone, you’ll be pleased to know the LG Vortex will be offered absolutely free with a two year agreement. The BlackBerry Bold by RIM is also being offered for $49 after a $100 MIR on Thursday and Friday. Lastly, if you purchase any of the above smartphones on Black Friday, you will receive a free Jawbone Icon Hero headset for free (which is a $100 value) while supplies last. Via [Droid-Life] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Mobile, Gaming, Games, Mobile 
First, take this as merely a rumor with a bit of certainty. Well, for one thing the source was merely a reply to a tweet so nothing is final yet. We’re talking about whether the cult mobile game hit Angry Birds is hitting Windows Phone 7 anytime soon. Angry Birds is currenty breaking the charts for iOS and Android platforms when it comes download numbers. And since Windows Phone 7 is being geared also a a mobile gaming phone - it certainly deserves to have Angry Birds as well. The source of the news came from RovioMobile’s Twitter account, promising to give an update on their plans for Angry Birds on Windows Phone 7. And that announcement according to the tweet will happen on Angry Birds Day which some rumors are saying to be on Dec. 11 right on Microsoft’s office in Richmond. There is another probability however regarding the fate of Angry Birds on Windows Phone 7. The announcement could also be about RovioMobile deciding not to port their popular game to Windows Phone 7. Why? RovioMobile and Microsoft previously had an issue when Microsoft used Angry Birds on it Windows Phone 7 without seeking approval from RovioMobile. But that said issue has been resolved though. So, the chance of Angry Birds not appearing on Windows Phone 7 is already slim. So, will Windows Phone 7 get their dose of birds and pigs? That we will have to wait and see. Read [Twitter] Via [Intomobile] Full Story » | Written by Arnold Zafra for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Computers, Mobile Computers, Hardware, Netbooks 
Tablets are great, but how do you hold them for long periods without dropping them? You might remember the post I wrote on the AppStation that hitched the iPad to your thigh that is a great idea for pilots. But how about something for the rest of us? Check out the HeloStrap. At first glance, it’s remarkably simple: a strap that grabs opposing corners with a hand slot. Easy on, easy off and doesn’t detract from the device. But there’s more - there is a piece that allows rotation of the iPad without moving the HeloStrap. Pretty cool. The HeloStrap goes on sale December 1st for $24.99 and comes in fashionable colors. Check the video below for more details. HeloStrap for iPad from Paul Wizikowski on Vimeo. Company site: [HeloStrap
] Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Computers, Netbooks, Software / Applications 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 prepping a small run of a Chrome netbook as it did last year with the Nexus One. According to Engadget, Google is preparing a “friends and family” launch of a Chrome OS netbook for launch by the end of the year. The device would see a small production run of about 75,000 units and be available for Google employees as well as sold as a developer device. There’s no hard specs for the device, though it could be running on the Pine Trail Intel Atom CPU. The OS on the netbook would still be a beta version of Chrome OS, which would be fine for early-adopters, but should dissuade regular users from trying the Google-branded netbook. The “consumer launch” of Chrome OS seems to be set for next year, hopefully early next year. With that launch we can expect netbooks from Acer and HP. For now, those of us who simply can’t wait that long for an official Chrome OS netbook just have to hold out for the end of the year, which isn’t too far away. Read [Engadget] Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Video, Accessories, Communications, Smartphones 
On sale now in the App Store is a new app that transforms your iPhone 4 into a air motion controller for your TV gear or presentations. The app Air Mouse comes from Movea, a company famous for its Gyration Air Mouse. The app costs just $1.99. MotionTools and the Air Mouse app enable a presenter to turn their computer's cursor into a highlighter, laser pointer or pen. MotionTools also has built in gesture recognition that allows users to gently swipe their phone in the air to launch applications, skip through songs in a playlist, activate presentation effects, navigate the web, and much, much more
The app features dynamic scrolling, pan and zoom; highlighting, drawing and stamping capabilities; shortcuts like copy and paste; Internet and media device hotkeys; and presentation tools. Because the iPhone is connected via WiFi, the range is quite good, up to 100 feet says Movea. iTunes link: [iTunes] Company page: [Movea] Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile 
I just finished my review of the Motorola Defy on T-Mobile yesterday and one of the sticking issues was the 2.1 operating system. Word come today from a German subsidy of O2 via twitter that we’ll see the 2.2 upgrade come next Spring. The bad news is the US T-Mobile version isn’t listed, just the European one. MOTOBLUR, Motorola’s UI skin is likely the cause of the delay in updating to the latest OS version. While providing a unique experience for their users, UI skins tend to be the reason for delayed upgrades to the OS. The 2.2 upgrade will bring Flash support, tethering and other features. This chart, shows Motorola’s upgrade plan for the US and countries abroad. You’ll note the US DEFY isn’t listed, but the European version is. So what gives? A DEFY 2 replacement? A feeling that even in the Spring, chances are Google will have dropped yet another version and the DEFY will just be updating to stay old? It’s too bad, because I really, really liked the DEFY. In my review of the Defy, there was a lot to like about the phone. From the rugged good looks and waterproofing to the small size and well-rounded aptitude. You can read the review here. Read: [Engadget] Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Video, Content, HDTV, Portable Video, Communications, Smartphones, Mobile Here’s a bit of good news for all of you Slingbox owners. SlingPlayer Mobile app just hit the iPad App Store and you can now enjoy watching your favorite TV shows on your iPad’s crisp and clear 9.7-inch screen. Using the iPad’s intuitive native interface, SlingPlayer Mobile lets you change channels, control your DVRs, and of course watch your favorite shows - anywhere for as long as your iPad is connected online. Wait, before you jump for joy, allow us to tell you that the SlingPlayer Mobile iPad app doesn’t come free though. If you are willing to pay $29.99 to grab it from the App Store, well and good. You can start using the app as soon as you’ve downloaded the app. All you need to do is to connect your iPad to a SlingBox SOLO or PRO-HD via 3G or Wi-Fi and start watching on your iPad. SlingPlayer Mobile iPad app lets you control - cable set-top box and DVR, satellite set-top box and DVR, Telco/IPTV set-top box and DVR, basic cable, digital over-the-air broadcasts for Slingbox PRO-HD users only, TiVo, Apple TV and even home security cameras. So there. It’s like having a personalized TV experience, right? Product [iTunes] Full Story » | Written by Arnold Zafra for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Smartphones, Mobile, Web, Web 2.0 / Social Networking  The popular BlackBerry Twitter app UberTwitter has officially made a move into the App Store. At present the app is sitting at version 1.0.2 and is available as a free download. Furthermore, it will run on the iPhone and iPod touch and requires iOS 4.0 or later. Sadly, nothing yet in terms of an iPad version. Otherwise, for those not as familiar with the app, the official description reads as;
“UberTwitter is a full featured Twitter client application to interact with Twitter . com. Users can connect the app with their Twitter account in order to view the posts of the people they follow, see any posts mentioning them, create new posts, send Direct Messages, and search Twitter. Additionally, any links that are included in any posts that the user readers can be previewed within the app either by tapping on the post or turning the phone into landscape mode. The content of the link is then displayed in a separate pane next to the tweet.”
And as for why they made the move over to iOS—I am sure you can likely guess, however officially it was because of “the iPhone’s growing dominance among smartphone users.” Take that BlackBerry users. Read [UberTwitter] and [BusinessWire] Via [Engadget] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Video, Accessories, HDTV, Computers, Laptops, Wireless, Reviews, Peep Shows, Features What is being reviewed? Up for review today is the Netgear Push2TV adapter which works with the Wireless Display Technology from Intel. And as a I mentioned in the two related gallery (Toshiba Satellite E205 & Netgear Push2TV) posts, these items were provided by Intel. That said, while they have offered the goods up for review, they are in no way limiting what we are saying in this review. Given that, this review is actually not one, but technically two items and keep in mind those can vary a little as the Wireless Display Technology is available in more than one brand of notebook. In addition to Toshiba, there are also Wireless Display capable notebooks from Lenovo, HP, Samsung, Asus, Sony and Dell. Just for reference, the computer we are using is a Toshiba Satellite E205 and it has a 14 inch display along with 4GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive and 2.27GHz Intel Core i5 processor with Windows 7 Home Premium. The adapter is from Netgear, it is the Push2TV PVT1000—TV Adapter for Intel Wireless Display. The price of the Push2TV is $119.99 direct with Netgear, however a quick Amazon search offers a price of $80.05. The specs Since we already gave the brief overview of the notebook in the above section, lets dive into the Netgear Push2TV adapter. The size of the adapter is small, it measures in at 4.17 x 5.43 x 1.25 inches. In other words, it can easily fit in your home entertainment setup. Furthermore, the connection with the computer is wireless so it can be hidden a little if needed or desired. In addition, there are connections in the form of HDMI and composite. Otherwise, the adapter only has a power button and power adapter jack on the back side. And thankfully, the adapter ships with an HDMI cable included. The setup process The setup process, for lack of a better description—simple and easy. Honestly, it took longer to gain access to the back of my television then it did to have the whole setup process done and sitting back on the couch with beer in hand watching Hulu on the big screen. Of course, there is more to the Wireless Display technology than just watching Hulu, but more on that in a moment. The setup process can be broken down into a few steps but first you need to decide on your connection, either HDMI or composite. Personally I would recommend HDMI as that is going to work better, but also because the cable is included. And then; - Attach the cables to your television and back of the adapter.
- Plug the power adapter into the back of the Netgear and the wall.
- Turn on your television and select the correct source (the one you plugged the HDMI cable into).
- Once tuned correctly, you should see the Push2TV “Ready for connection” screen.
- Once that is up, turn on the Intel Wireless Display software on your computer. For the Toshiba, that was as simple as pressing a button on the notebook.
- Once launched on your notebook you will see a Intel Wireless Display box pop-up, click “Scan for available adapters.”
- Then double-click on the adapter you set-up watch for the little light on the adapter to turn green. Once green you are connected and your notebook display should be showing on the television.
One quick note, the first time you pair the devices you will need to enter a four digits code. Otherwise, after that you are all set with simply clicking to connect. All said and done, like I said—this was quick. I would say the whole process to less than 10 minutes to set up. My thoughts While I want to reserve some more for a future post, I will offer some comments in terms of use. This is simple and easy to setup and use. For that it is good. As for what it actually does, it takes your notebook display and puts it onto your television. In other words, whatever is showing on the notebook is going to be showing on the television. Given that I can see several use cases. The first being to share photos and videos with family or friends because this will be much nicer than all gathering around the notebook trying to get a good look. And then you have the web video, which for me is where this shines—things like Netflix, Hulu and YouTube will work great. Well, in reality anything you can display on your notebook will work, though if you want to sit back and have a “television like” experience than you will want things that can shift into full screen mode. I could also see a use case for presentations where a conference room has an HDTV setup. Though, given I am a full-time blogger working from home I am not entirely sure how many office conference rooms will have an HDTV installed. The bottom line In the lead up to the review I will admit I had some reservations about how well this would work. Needless to say I have been impressed. Actually it has worked better than I expected, but, that is not to say it is perfect. Some of the issues include a small lag between the notebook and the television. That was not bad when watching video, but felt strange when navigating and looking at the cursor on the television as opposed to the notebook. Then again, that has an easy fix, watch the cursor on the notebook. The other issue that I saw was that the colors were not as bright or crisp as on the notebook. That is not to say it was not bad quality or not pleasant to watch, however it was easy to tell that the video I was watching was not coming from the television, but from a wireless stream from the computer. In the end, I like this and I plan to play around some more and hook it up to some other televisions in the house and see if we get anything different in terms of picture quality. And now for the important question, Would I recommend this? In short, yes. But that yes comes with some questions as to who wants it and how it will be used. For example, my non-geek friends and family members—without question. My geek friends looking for a super high quality video stream—yes, but with a word of caution. With that, keep an eye out for a future post after I am able to spend some more time sitting around watching video. Product [Netgear Push2TV] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Smartphones, Mobile It should not be any secret that we here at Gadgetell are big fans of Wirefly and their low prices. With that, given Wirefly is most always offering good deals on mobile phones it is hard to imagine things getting any better. But once again they have stepped forward and announced some sales. These latest come as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but in fact they will be running from November 23rd through November 29th. According to the details we received from Wirefly, here is what you can expect to see; 11/23 – 11/24 - Pre Thanksgiving Sale - Samsung Fascinate (Verizon Wireless) = Free for new accounts/$99.99 upgrades
- LG Vortex (Verizon Wireless) = Free for new & upgrades
- Samsung Intercept (Sprint) (gray & pink) = free for new accounts/$39.99 upgrades
11/25 - 11/26 – Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday - DROID Incredible (Verizon Wireless) = Free for new & upgrades
- Samsung Fascinate (Verizon Wireless) = Free for new accounts/$99.99 upgrades
- My Touch4G (Tmobile) = $48.88 new accounts
- PLUS: We aren't saying all AT&T phones are FREE…We're just saying ;)
- Wirefly will have the lowest prices ever, anywhere on ALL AT&T phones, PLUS: Free activation from AT&T, PLUS: A $30 Bill credit from AT&T on all Smartphones with data plan (up to two lines -$60 bill credit)
11/27 – 11/28 - Black Friday Weekend - DROID Pro (Verizon) = unbeatable price - we would publish if we could! (plus free activation from Verizon)
- Samsung Intercept (Sprint) = Free new/$39.99 upgrades
- Continuation of AT&T deal, including free activation and $30 bill credit on smartphones
11/29 - Cyber Monday - DROID Blowout Sale: On Cyber Monday, Wirefly will have the best price ever on all the current DROID Phones: the DROID 2, DROID Pro, DROID Incredible, and DROID X
- Plus FREE ACTIVATION from Verizon Wireless
- Last day of the AT&T deal, including free activation and $30 bill credit on smartphones
Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Apple, Computers, Mobile Computers, Reviews, Features, Originals What is being reviewed? Similar to my previous iPad case review, this one is also long overdue. That said, this can actually be considered more of a long term review as opposed to short term and that can be better in terms of an iPad case for wear and tear. Needless to say, up for review today is the “iPad Sleeve Gadget Pouch” from Saddleback Leather. And for the disclaimer, Saddleback provided the case to us for review, still, the opinions are all ours. The model that we have is the large pouch/sleeve in Dark Coffee Brown. The sleeve normally retails for $55.00 and is also available in chestnut, tobacco brown and carbon black. The specs Again, a little strange to think of a case in terms of specs, however given the quality and craftsmanship, that term almost applies. The leather is made with “100% stout 4 to 5 oz (2.0mm to 2.2mm) thick Full Grain leather.” And for those like myself who may not appreciate leather quite as much as I should, the example given was that cowboy and work boots are usually made with “1.8mm - 2.0mm thickness.” In addition to the quality leather exterior, the sleeve is made from a solid piece of leather as opposed to a few pieces stitched together and the thread is “double zero continuous-filament Polyester.” Furthermore, the inside is lined with pigskin. Otherwise, the sleeve measures in at 8 3/4 (w) x 10 3/8 (h). My thoughts I really, really, really like this case. Not only do I like the sleeve style itself, but I also like the 100 year warranty that comes with it. What can I say, the leather looks great, it smells great, the stitching is near perfect and the sleeve does what it is supposed to—protect the iPad. That said, I have to admit that for the first week I had this case it just sat on my desk, partially because I loved the strong leather smell, but more importantly because the case looks so nice I was afraid to damage it from using it. Needless to say, I have since been using it and it has not only retained the original good looks, but also added some nice coloring from the slight flex of the leather when the iPad comes in and out. Basically, it has only gotten better with use. Of course, that is what you are supposed to do. The bottom line Super high quality leather sleeve for the iPad and one that comes with a warranty for way longer than I am going to be around for. The sleeve costs $55 and I would say that is more than fair for a few reasons, one this is nicely made and two being that is a fairly standard price point in terms of iPad cases. And in a strange way, that almost makes this seem like a better deal. In the end, I would not hesitate to recommend, and furthermore, I am going to keep using this one until someone pries it out of my hands. Lastly, for those looking for another style design, or another product entirely, Saddleback has tons of items available in a variety of colors. In the end, if you want a high quality leather case, sleeve ect for your gadget then Saddleback Leather should be on your list of places to shop. Product [Saddleback Leather Co.] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Gadgets / Other, ebooks Amazon appears ready to part with the older Kindle inventory and are going about it Black Friday style. According to a recent tweet from the Kindle Team, they are going to sell the 2nd generation Kindle for $89. And yes, this will be a limited time offer and subject to limited stock. That said, if you want to give it a shot and try to get a Kindle for slightly less than 90 bucks—the sale begins at 9am PST on November 26th. “Black Friday Deal: Limited number of previous gen Kindle (same E Ink as current Nook) for just $89! Deal starts 11/26 at 9 am PST.” Read [Twitter @AmazonKindle] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Web, Web 2.0 / Social Networking Remember that group of geeky NYU students that were onto creating the “Facebook killer” known as Diaspora? Well, the first set of private alpha invites were sent out to the contributors of their fundraising site Kickstarter. Every subsequent week, the Diaspora crew will dish out more invites to the remainder of their mailing list. By doing so, the four young founders of the social networking site seek to identify and rectify any performance issues that might rear their ugly head in the early stages. I think it’s safe to say that this project has come quite a long way since its inception. “We are proud of where Diaspora is right now. In less than five months, we've gone from nothing to a great starting point from which the community can keep working. We've spent a lot of time thinking about how people can share in a private way, and still do all the things people love to do on social networks. We hope you'll find it fun to use and a great way to keep in touch with all the people in your life,” said the Diaspora team on their blog.
Team Diaspora is still very much focused on the security and privacy for its user base. In an effort to keep everyone’s information private, Diaspora will allow people to control their info with who they want to share it with and where the want to share it. Isn’t it great to see how open these guys are to bettering the site for the sake of their users? This ideal, paired with the fact that Diaspora isn’t Facebook, could potentially make this project a viable alternative to the current social networking king. Hats off to you four young lads. Read [Join Diaspora] Full Story » | Written by Tarun Kunwar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Gadgets / Other, ebooks Up until recently, 2600 The Hacker Quarterly was one of the few paper print magazines that I was still willing to subscribe. However things may be changing as they have not only recently began releasing Kindle and Nook versions of the quarterly issues, but they have also just announced another offering—The Hacker Digest which is described as being “a compendium of articles from Volume 26 of 2600 Magazine, rearranged in book form and totaling nearly 300 pages of material.” This issue is priced a bit higher as compared to a regular issue at $9.95 and/or $10, however at 300 pages it still seems like a great deal. The issue is available in a Kindle format ($9.95) with no restrictions as to the amount of Kindle readers that can download and read and a PDF version ($10) that is completely DRM-free. The breakdown of the Kindle and PDF versions are as follows; “The Kindle version has all of the articles, columns, letters, etc. while the PDF version has all that plus some extra features, such as enhanced covers, full page payphone photos, and the like.”
That said, it is interesting to see how the magazine went from coming to the digital world to jumping in with new format content and pushing the boundaries on DRM. Now if you will excuse me, I have a Kindle version of The Hacker Digest to go and order. Read [2600.com] Products [Hacker Digest in PDF] and [Hacker Digest for Kindle] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile 
Microsoft and AT&T are teaming up to push more Windows Phone 7 units to users by way of a hard-to-resist BOGO deal on Black Friday. Three Windows Phone 7 devices are up for grabs in this gig. Take your pick among HTC Surround, LG Quantum or Samsung Focus. Buy one of this unit and you’ll get another one for free for a low $199. Of course, it comes with a 2-year contract not just for one of the units but for both. The promo page says that the deal is good on a limited-time only. The good news is it doesn’t say when it will end. So, if you’ve been eyeing any of these Windows Phone 7, go check out this deal at your favorite AT&T outlets. And in case you need to know what these Windows Phone 7 units are capable of doing, check out our previous coverage here, here, and here. So who’s getting any of these Windows Phone 7? Too bad I can’t avail of this promo. Please share with us via a comment if you were able to avail of this deal, we really love to know how many are interested in getting a Windows Phone 7. Product [Windows Phone] Via [Electronista] Full Story » | Written by Arnold Zafra for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
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