scattered technology news

LG Chocolate 3 (VX-8560) - Verizon - Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Last month Verizon Wireless rolled out LG’s third Chocolate phone, the Chocolate 3 (VX-8560). Just like its predecessors the Chocolate 3 is aimed towards music lovers and this version surely will not disappoint. While remaining simple and stylish, the phone has plenty of new features including a standard 3.5mm headphone jack and a built in FM Transmitter which owners will appreciate.

LG VX8560 Specifications:

• Provider: Verizon Wireless (CDMA 800MHz / 1.9 GHz)
• Form Factor: Flip phone with external display
• Display: 2.2 inch, 320×240 pixels, & 260k colors
• Media: MP3, WMA, & Unprotected AAC(+)
• Imaging: 2.0 mega pixel camera & camcorder
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, GPS, & microUSB
• Others: microSD, FM Transmitter, & 3.5mm headphone
• Size / Weight: 3.87″ H x 1.94″ W x 0.64″ D (inches) / 3.4 oz
• Battery Life: 4.5 hours talk time & 350 hours standby
• Price: $100 with a new 2 year agreement

The Body - 4/5 stars
The Chocolate 3 is fairly compact and can fit into most pockets. It is a bit too long when flipped open and will reach past most people’s ears and mouth in both directions. This is the first officially branded Chocolate phone which isn’t a slider, but rather a flip phone. It retains some elements from its ancestors such as the click wheel on the front, unfortunately it isn’t touch sensitive. The front side of the phone also features an unusually large 1.76 inch display which has a beautiful rotating interface. The camera is also on the front and allows taking self portraits using the external screen. The microSD card reader, the Music key, and lock button can be found on the right side of the phone. The left side contains the 3.5mm headphone jack, the volume toggle, voice command key, and the microUSB port. The inside of the phone is quiet basic; it has a standard numeric keypad, four way navigation, two soft keys, and the Send/END buttons. The only real downside I encountered was finger print magnet nature of the shinny metallic finish on the front side. Other than that body of the phone is well built and should last.

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Dell Announces The Latitude E4200 - Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Early this morning, Dell announced over seven new models to their Latitude lineup during their press event. Although each of the models has some amazing new features such as their 14-inch laptop with 19 hours of battery life, I’ll be focusing on their 12-inch Latitude E4200 which weighs just 2.2 pounds. Dell has taken a whole new approach to everything from battery life, hardware, security, software, and style before building these machines and it is all looking pretty good.

Starting with the tech specs, this laptop has got just about all the latest circuitry. The Latitude E4200 uses the Intel Core 2 Duo Ultra Low Voltage Processor running at 1.4 GHz which is the first aspect to conserving battery life. Next, the 12.1 inch WXGA LED backlit display and the 128GB Solid State Drive, which supposedly performs better than a standard 7200RPM HDD, also demand less power than their traditional counterparts. Since this laptop comes with a flavor of Vista, most consumers will demand a good amount of RAM. With the new chipset, the E4200 Latitude has 1GB built-in onboard and supports up to 4GB in the extra slot. In addition to the standard goodies that come with most laptops the notebook also has USB port with “PowerShare” which allows charge devices even when the laptop is turned off and an eSATA port for high speed data access to external storage. The laptop is completely networked with Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/g/n, Mobile Broadband & GPS, and Bluetooth 2.1. Every Latitude series is also compatible with a set of newly designed docking stations. You definitely won’t be left in the dark with lack of ports, however one thing this laptop does lack is a built in optical drive.

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Das Keyboard Professional Reviewed - Monday, August 11, 2008

For those of you who are heavy computer users, a high quality keyboard is an important aspect of typing. The high-end Das Keyboard Professional features high quality gold-plated mechanical key switches and a two port USB 2.0 hub. What sets this device apart from all the other keyboards on the market is the way it feels and sounds while typing. The keyboard responds rapidly to pressure and also emits an audible “clicking” sound from the pressing of a key. The Das is targeted towards everyone from gamers to writers and for those who spend large portion of their day on their computer.

The main reason for the existence of this product is the way keys have been designed. The first time you use this keyboard you will immediately love the way it provides tactile feedback with the press of each key. I personally found the “clicking” sounds that comes with the press of each key quite irritating in the beginning, but came to like it after some time. It might be a problem in some situations, say if you are working around others or if someone in the room is asleep. If you don’t like the idea your keyboard sounding like a type writer, this is not the right keyboard for you. I can guaranty that most people who use it will find it extremely comfortable for brief or extended periods of use.

For those of you who are gamers, you might be interested in the Das Keyboard’s “n-key” rollover feature which accepts up to 12 simultaneous key presses without any jamming. I put this feature to the test by pressing all the keys in the “QWERTY” row down at once. It did indeed succeed to input them all into my text editor instantly. My $10 Logitech keyboard on the other hand constantly failed to accept over four simultaneous key presses while my laptop keyboard would jam after six. So not only does the keyboard feel and sound good, but the designers kept technology in mind making it a very accurate keyboard. Read More

Super Talent Pico 8GB Flash Drive - Sunday, August 10, 2008

Just about everyone owns couple of flash drives these days, but ultra-portable flash drives are not yet that common. I purchased a Sony Micro Vault Tiny flash drive about two years ago and unfortunately after a long time of being handled roughly, it physically cracked. While looking for a new ultra portable flash drive I came along the Super Talent Pico. I got a hold of a unit about a week or two ago and I am quite impressed with everything from the read/write speeds to durability. The flash drive’s 8GB storage capacity is probably the most notable aspect. And for those wondering, this is a standard flash drive and it will fit into any USB 2.0 port on your computer without any adapters or other equipment.

The main reason for purchasing an ultra-portable drive is to be able to carry it on you at all times without having to worry about extra baggage. The Super Talent Pico allows doing just that. The flash drive is slim enough to fit into a wallet without any noticeable bulge. Others may prefer to attach it to a key chain with the included chain. The flash drive is quite robust and won’t bend even the slightest amount even with a good amount of force. As a bonus the drive is completely waterproof so you can be sure that your data won’t be lost if it ends up getting drenched. There are no movable parts or caps, the front of the Pico fits into the bottom portion of a USB port. Not only is this drive small, but it looks pretty stylish too.

As for performance, the drive attained an average of 22.0 MB/sec transfer rate with an access time of just .8 milliseconds. The Pico-C was on par with the performance of the SanDisk Cruzer Contour which reviewed recently and was much faster than the SanDisk Cruzer Micro. Despite the tiny size, this flash drive is probably now one of the fastest drives I have used. Read More

LG Dare (VX-9700) - Verizon Wireless - Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Ever since Apple released the “revolutionary” iPhone, competitors have been trying to imitate and create a better phone. LG has been fairly successful so far. They released the LG Voyager through Verizon Wireless last year, which we reviewed but weren’t too happy with. Fortunately their latest phone, the LG Dare, has surpassed our expectations and can truly be considered an iPhone competitor especially at its price point. It also has plenty of unique features that impressed us.

LG VX9700 Specifications:

• Provider: Verizon Wireless (CDMA 850MHz / 1.9 GHz)
• Form Factor: Full Touch Screen Candy-Bar
• Display: 3 inch, 240×400 pixels, & 262k colors
• Media: MP3, WMA, & AAC(+)
• Imaging: 3.2 mega pixel camera with flash & auto focus
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, GPS, & microUSB
• Others: microSD, ambient light, & accelerometer
• Size / Weight: 4.1″ H x 2.2″ W x 0.5″ D (inches) / 3.8 oz
• Battery Life: 4.7 hours talk time & 360 hours standby
• Price: $200 with a new 2 year agreement

The Body - 5/5 stars
The LG Dare is quite compact and can fit into even a tight pocket. It is actually about 16% smaller in volume than the iPhone 3G. The phone looks quite sleek with a silver trim on the front and a black colored back. Unfortunately since it is a touch screen, it is also prone to attracting finger prints. The front of the phone contains the send, clear, and end buttons in addition to the display. Although not too visible, when looking carefully at certain angles the ambient light sensor can be seen at the top blank portion above the screen. The left side of the phone contains the screen lock button, the microSD card slot, speaker phone key, and the microUSB charger/data port. The volume increase and decrease toggle and the camera/camcorder capture button can be found on the right side. The backside of the phone merely contains the digital camera with flash, the speaker, and a battery cover lid. Finally the 3.5mm standard headphone jack can be found at the top of the phone. Overall the entire design is a success.

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SanDisk Cruzer Contour Review - Monday, July 21, 2008

The flash drive market today has been infiltrated by cheaply manufactured devices which offer large amounts of storage space, however most of these are not reliable for storing important data. As a result brand name companies such as SanDisk still produce high end flash drives that have high quality memory and offer fast read and write speeds. The SanDisk Cruzer Contour, which I would like to thank SanDisk for providing for review, is a great example of one of these premium drives. The Cruzer Contour supports AES hardware encryption, has a sliding USB mechanism (see video demo), is Windows Vista ReadyBoost verified, and includes a selection of pre-installed U3 Smart Apps.

The Cruzer Contour is a bit heavier than most flash drives, but this is due to the aluminum encased back-side. The top front was made of glossy plastic, which unfortunately had a “cheap” feel to it. To open the drive, you’ll have to slide it backwards then forwards. To close it, you’ll have to slide the top forward then back. Overall the build quality was superb. It isn’t an IronKey, but it is more than enough for the average consumer. I also personally felt that this looks much better than most flash drives I’ve seen. The only other physical caveat I had was that the “cheap” plastic on top kept creaking when opening and closing the flash drive. I also appreciated the fact that SanDisk threw in a leather protective case with a key chain loop along with the flash drive. The whole package looks “executive” enough for me. Read More

Proporta Ted Baker Portable Battery - Saturday, July 19, 2008

If you happen to be someone who travels or commutes a lot, this gizmo might just become one of your favorites. Proporta was kind enough to provide us with a demo unit of the Ted Baker Charging Kit, which includes a variety of components. The entire set is centered around the battery pack, pictured above, which can be used to charge many different portable devices. Proporta provides plenty of methods to charge the battery pack and offers even more ways to disperse the energy to your portable gadgets.

The Battery Pack - 5/5 stars
The Proporta Rechargeable Battery Back seems to be an excellent idea all around. The unit is fairly small (about the size of a iPod Classic), quite robust, lightweight (4.2 oz) and fairly good looking. There is only one button on the device which also contains an LED indicator inside. The indicator turns red while charging and goes green when complete. You’ll have to click the button to begin charging a connected device and the light remains green until it completes charging. The front side has a mini-USB input to charge the battery pack and a standard USB port to output power to your gadgets. The battery contained inside has 3400 mAH of storage and can output energy at 5v (700mA). I was able to fully recharge a completely depleted Creative Zen and a Apple iPod Nano without having to recharge.

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LG Decoy (VX-8610) - Verizon - Thursday, July 17, 2008

If you live in California, you are most likely aware of the new law requiring everyone over the age of 18 to use a hands free device to talk while driving. There’s a huge market of people looking to purchase a Bluetooth headset to accompany their mobile phones. To curb the tensions of looking for a compatible device, Verizon Wireless has released the LG Decoy which features a built-in pre-paired Bluetooth headset. I personally felt the idea was quite interesting, however there are plenty of pros and cons to discuss. This phone may be suitable for some, but definitely isn’t for everyone.

LG VX-8610 Specifications:

• Service Provider: Verizon Wireless (CDMA 800/1900MHz)
• Form Factor: Slider with attached Bluetooth headset
• Display: 2.2″ 262k Color QVGA TFT, 320×240 pixel resolution
• Imaging: 2 Megapixel camera and camcorder
• Media: MP3, WMA, AAC, and AAC+
• Other: Bluetooth 2.1 & microSD (8GB max)
• Dimensions: 4″ H x 2″ W x 0.7″ D (inches)
• Battery Life: 3.8 hours talk time & 330 hours standby
• Price: $180 with a new 2 year agreement

Body: 3/5 Stars
The LG Decoy looks sleek, with only four buttons (two programmable buttons, a “Speaker” button and a “Clear” button) and a joystick on the front. The back of the phone houses the Bluetooth headset, which makes a bulge, and to the right of the headset is the 2MP camera. The right side of the phone has a camera button, microSD slot, and a 2.5mm headset jack. I have no idea why they added a 2.5mm headset jack considering that one would purchase this phone to use with the Bluetooth headset. A 3.5mm jack for standard headphones would have been a better choice. The left side has two volume control buttons and a microUSB port. The only other folly might be that it is difficult to slid open the phone to access the keypad. There is no way easy way to slide the phone open without touching the joystick in the middle or touching the screen, unless you want to get more fingerprints all over it.

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Replace Vista’s Ugly Shortcut Icon - Wednesday, July 16, 2008

If you use Windows Vista, you might also hate the large and ugly shortcut icon overlays the operating system uses. They seem to cover up almost a fourth of the area of each icon on your desktop. I had found some solutions on some forums, however changing the icon easily and safely without additional applications wasn’t an option. To make things easier I have included a tiny REG file for Windows Vista users which will allow them to change their shortcut icon quickly.

Modifying Vista’s Shortcut Icon Overlay:

1. Download ‘shortcut-icon-changer.zip‘ and Extract it
2. Close all unnecessary applications except this page
3. Copy ‘Arrow.ico’ into the ‘C:\Windows\’ folder
4. Double-click on ’shortcut-icon-changer.reg’
5. Say ‘Yes’ to accept the changes being made

The setup is now complete, to see the new icon in action you can either reboot your machine or end and restart the “explorer.exe” process in the Windows Task Manager. If you wish to use another ‘.ico’ icon overlay instead of the one provided, just rename it to Arrow.ico and place it in the ‘C:\Windows\’ folder.

Download: shortcut-icon-changer.zip

Notice: Keep in mind that we only provide tweaks that are safe. If something provided here was to result in damaging your machine, we are not responsible. If you need help or have any questions, just leave us a comment below. We’d be glad to help!

Creative Launches The ZEN X-FI - Wednesday, July 16, 2008

After a couple of weeks of leaks and rumors, Creative offically announced the ZEN X-Fi and the ZEN X-Fi With Wireless LAN. And as implied by the title of the second product, owners of the X-Fi w/ WiFi will have the ability to Stream and Download music, photos, and videos from their home networked computers. The Zen X-Fi looks quite similar to the ZEN, which we reviewed last year, but it now has tons of new features and hopfully has resolved all the shortcomings of it’s predecessor.

“We’re very excited to achieve this breakthrough of adding our X-Fi audio technology to a ZEN player, setting the highest standard in audio quality for portable music players,” said Craig McHugh, president and COO of Creative

In addition to the new WiFi hardware component, the Zen X-Fi now has built-in speakers, a SD card reader, built-in FM radio, and a microphone for voice recordings. With a 2.5-inch TFT display with the ability to playback WMV, AVI, MJPEG, MPEG4-SP, DivX 4 and 5 and XviD, the player should satisfy the needs of most customers. As for audio, the unit supports playback of unprotected MP3, WMA and AAC audio formats. Creative also bundles in a set of high quality EP-830 in-ear earphones, which are much better than the standard sets of headphones that usually come with most digital media players.

The ZEN X-FI with Wireless LAN 32GB and 16GB models are now available for $279.99 and $199.99, respectively. They are now available for purchase through online retailers including Amazon.com, Buy.com, Creative.com, Fry’s.com and Newegg.com. The standard ZEN X-FI 8GB (without WiFi) will become available later this month for $149.99.

Links: Creative.com ZEN X-FI
Buy Now: Zen X-Fi 32GB $280 | Zen X-Fi 16GB $200
Related: Creative ZEN Review