We’re getting this out of the way now: Motorola’s Droid is the best Google phone on the market.

Maybe that’s not saying a whole lot. The Droid’s only competitors in the U.S. are T-Mobile’s 1-year-old G1, its chubby younger brother the MyTouch 3G and HTC’s Droid Eris, a $99 Verizon Wireless phone that comes out Friday — the same day as the Motorola Droid — with an already-outdated Android operating system.

Here’s another one: Droid is the best phone on Verizon.

As we wrote last week, the Droid marks a notable shift for the nation’s largest carrier. Verizon — often renowned for its service, not its selection of phones — seems to be wisely minimizing its interference with handset makers.

What we get is an attractive and fast smart phone packed to the brim with features for $199 (with a two-year contract).

The Droid hardware is a technical feat. It has a 5-megapixel camera with a flash that doesn’t perform exceptionally well but still pretty great for a phone. The speaker is pleasantly loud. The touch-screen screen is gorgeous — larger than the iPhone’s with way more pixels per inch.

Oh, and it has a keyboard.

After spending plenty of time with the iPhone and MyTouch, we realized just how much we don’t miss physical keyboards. Granted, the Droid’s isn’t as nice as most Blackberry keyboards. We spewed just as many typos on the Droid’s black-and-white-and-brown keyboard as we did on software keyboards. Only problem is that we’re not offered automatic corrections like we get on the touch-screen keyboard.

Impressively, the slide-out keyboard doesn’t add much thickness compared with the iPhone — the Droid is only slightly bigger and noticeably heavier. The keyboard is a nice option (geeks will enjoy the pro shortcuts), but if you’re not digging it, you never have to pull it out.

Motorola takes a step back with its navigation buttons. Competing Android phones use a scroll ball — you know, that little nub that makes the Blackberry so good for e-mail. Instead, the Droid opts for a four-way rocker navigation with a center button, which sits next to the keyboard and provides little utility.

Under the hood, the Droid runs a version of Android 2.0, becoming the first device that has it. That means it packs features and polish you won’t see on the other guys — most notably the free Google Maps Navigation software.

Android has really come a long way in a year. The software keyboard is smarter, the included apps more sophisticated and the subtleties of switching between programs more natural.

But for as far as Google’s operating system has come, it remains several steps behind Apple’s iPhone in many respects. Even though we ripped on Apple for leaving out the copy-and-paste feature for so long, there’s something to be said about how it was finally implemented. It’s simple and works incredibly well.

On the flip side, selecting text on the Droid drives us nuts. The option is hidden behind a menu screen; there’s no clever magnifying glass to help you grab the right section; and to copy, you have to again find the option somewhere in the menus.

This design choice underlines a prevalent problem that still plagues Android. Some fairly common actions are hidden, including the basic ability to delete apps.

(Here’s a tip so you don’t look like a stooge at the Verizon store: Press the lock icon and turn to the right to open the phone. The majority of people who played with our review unit couldn’t figure out how to get into the phone.)

Button layouts can vary widely from app to app. Transitioning between the many programs that can run simultaneously works well enough, but some can’t be closed while others gobble up battery power with no warning.

Android’s Marketplace offers more than 10,000 apps — that’s certainly not on par with Apple’s library of 100,000, but Android’s selection covers most of the main utilities.

As a game system, it’s severely lacking. As a media player, it’s even worse.

The iPhone can sufficiently replace a standalone iPod. The Droid won’t. Getting songs onto the thing is a hassle. No media sync, no smart playlists, no TV shows or movies.

Sure, we love some of the features Motorola built exclusively for this handset — things that could never be done on the iPhone without Apple engineers building it themselves. For example, the Droid phone book integrates with your Facebook contacts.

But these little perks don’t make up for the intuitiveness and maturity of the iPhone’s operating system that Android has yet to match.

Yet, as a phone, the Droid is top-notch. It integrates seamlessly with Google Voice and runs on Verizon, a telecom with a superior reputation for reliable call coverage – unlike AT&T, the exclusive carrier of the iPhone.

For at least the next couple of months, Droid will wear the crowns of best Android device and best Verizon phone.

But Google is constantly making improvements behind the scenes to its mobile system, so who knows how long that will last? With more phone makers on the Google bandwagon, next year could very well mark the Droid renaissance.

– Mark Milian

Video credit: Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times

via [LATimes]

You can play music on the iPhone with the Leaf Trombone app. Researchers believe they can come up with a similar app for smokers to help them quit smoking. Credit: Peter DaSilva/Los Angeles Times .

In a few years if you see a person nervously blowing on his cellphone for five minutes, do not call the cops.

Activision CEO Robert Kotick. Credit: Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times.

Video game sales this holiday aren't likely to top last year's, said Robert Kotick, chief executive of Activision Blizzard Inc., the world's largest video game software company.

“If the consumer materializes and spends money, we'll do well,” Kotick said in an interview today. “If not, things will be a challenge. And today, you really have no way of knowing what will happen. Shopping season hasn't kicked off. Consumers saw significant discounts last year after Black Friday, and they're waiting for it to happen again this year.”

Kotick's sober remarks came just before

Even if you don’t quite see how a MID or UMPC might fit into your daily life, most people can summon up some enthusiasm about just how much tech is squished into those tiny chassis.  Kohjinsha’s PA-Series MID wowed us when it made its dinky debut then caused us to choke when we saw what the company were charging; now Wow-Pow have unboxed the tiny convertible.

Video unboxing after the cut

As with previous Kohjinsha units, there’s a fair bit in the box with the MID itself.  As well as the AC adapter and a battery rated for up to 8hrs runtime you get a neoprene carry case and a VGA adapter cable to plug in an external display.

The PA-Series MID itself has a 4.8-inch touchscreen, Atom Z520 processor, 512MB RAM, GMA 500 graphics, a 32GB SSD and both WiFi b/g and Bluetooth 2.1.  It certainly looks impressive, but with pricing in the region of $760 to $880 we can’t imagine this will be a rampant sales success.

[via UMPC Portal]

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We’ve seen it teased and we’ve seen the first photos, but today Dell is finally giving us the skinny (pun intended) on the thinnest notebook ever – the Dell Adamo XPS. The 9.99 mm thin notebook, which will be shipping in time for the holidays, will inevitably be compared to Apple’s Macbook Air and no doubt it is thinner, but the starting $1,800 price tag won’t make it cheaper.

After the cut: Dell Adamo XPS hands-on impressions, gallery, and video

To say the Dell Adamo XPS is thin is the understatement of the year. Both times I have seen it in person I have been equally as shocked at how freaking slender the notebook really is and just how amazing it looks. Measuring 13.4 x 10.8 x 0.4-inches and tipping the scales to 3.2 pounds, it was like carrying around a legal sized notepad in the crook of my arm. (The Macbook Air is taller at .7 inches at its thickest point, but does weigh a minuscule 0.2-pounds less). How is it that Dell accomplished creating the almost emaciated Adamo XPS, you ask? The answer lies in the notebook’s completely radical design. Its keyboard folds into the display allowing it to basically disappear when it is closed.  This is accomplished with a totally different hinge creation; the hinge is actually beneath the system which causes the keyboard to be propped up, but more on that soon. Either way, it is as crazy as it sounds!

Of course, that thinness comes with some sacrifice. The notebook only has two USB ports (one more than the Macbook Air!), a DisplayPort and a headphone jack.  An Ethernet and DVI adapter will come in the box and a good old external optical drive will be sold separately.

Clad in all aluminum there is no doubt that the futuristic system has a similar look to its long lost twin the Macbook Air, but the notebook has more pizazz or gimmicks, whichever you decide. Along the front of the lid is a “capacitive latching device” that unlocks the notebook. Seriously, the notebook will not unlock unless you rub a finger across the strip. It is totally James Bond, and is cool at first but I’m thinking it will get annoying to have to rub your finger on this strip every time you want to open your laptop (the whole process takes about 7 to 10 seconds). And don’t think it is some sort of security feature; anyone’s finger can unlock the lid.

When you finally do unlock the key to the Adamo XPS’s chastity belt you are greeted by a glossy 13.4-inch 1266 x 768 resolution display and an elevated keyboard. When I placed the notebook on a table the keyboard  was propped up, much like a desktop keyboard, and was insanely comfortable to type on. The keys themselves are coated in metal and felt really solid. Putting the laptop on my lap while sitting back on a couch wasn’t as cumbersome as I expected and it didn’t tilt as I typed on it, though I did have to adjust the screen angle ever so slightly to get everything at the right angle. As for the trackpad, it seemed pretty spacious and I think Dell may have finally have gotten it right by leaving out the multitouch failures and integrated mouse buttons.

The Adamo XPS is clearly the front runner in the best looking laptop competition, but will it also be about performance? All signs point to yes. The notebook doesn’t have a Intel Atom processor like the Sony X Series (and every other netbook on the market). Instead it has a dual-core 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo ULV processor, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB solid-state drive with Windows 7 Premium (64-bit). The notebook itself should be a decent performer, though it seems its battery life won’t be as strong as some other ULV notebooks on the market. With its included three-cell battery (which can be swapped out) it is rated for just over 2 hours of runtime.

The question on everyone’s mind: what the heck will it cost!? That’s a good question and though Dell is answering most of our questions with the official specs of the Adamo XPS they are still leaving the price out of the conversation. We were told the notebook will start at $1,799 (including the 128 GB SSD, three-cell battery and VGA and Ethernet dongles). Funny, that is just as much the Macbook Air with its faster processor and NVIDIA graphics. But hey, the Air doesn’t have the design of the Adamo XPS, an awesome propped up keyboard, or require a finger stroke to open it.

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Verizon have announced a new set of prepaid data plans that the carrier is hoping will lure in some occasional mobile users currently turned-off by the contract offerings.  As of November 16th, the Verizon Wireless USB760 modem will be available with a $15 daily access rate (with a 75MB allowance); alternatively the carrier is offering weekly or monthly rates.

For a weekly allowance of 250MB, you’re looking at $30, while 500MB to use in the course of a month is $50.  The USB760 itself has a memory card slot for up to 8GB of storage, and is Windows and Mac compatible.  We’d still recommend looking at Virgin Mobile’s pre-pay mobile data plan, however, as its rates undercut those of Verizon.

Press Release:

RELIABILITY MEETS FLEXIBILITY WITH PREPAID PLANS FOR VERIZON WIRELESS’ MOBILE BROADBAND SERVICE

Customers Can Choose From Daily, Weekly or Monthly High-Speed Internet With No Long Term Commitment

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. –Verizon Wireless today announced three new Mobile Broadband plans that will be added to the company’s prepaid portfolio. Customers will be able to get speed when they need it on the Verizon Wireless 3G network with contract free pay-as-you go plans for daily, weekly or monthly access. The new prepaid options are ideal for those who have intermittent or seasonal use whether on vacation, enjoying a weekend getaway, or for students away at school. They give customers the following service options:

• Daily – $15 for 75 MB
• Weekly – $30 for 250 MB
• Monthly – $50 for 500 MB

Mobile Broadband prepaid will be sold as a bundle with the Verizon
Wireless USB760 modem, which comes with a high-performance internal antenna, removable memory of up to 8 GB and support for Windows® 2000, XP, Vista and Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) or 10.5(Leopard) or Linux. This modem will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and at Best Buy locations beginning Nov. 16.

For more information about Mobile Broadband from Verizon Wireless, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or visit www.verizonwireless.com/mobilebroadband.

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Details on Sungale’s Cyberus Smart Info tablet are scarce, but to look at the product listing on Amazon you’d ask yourself what the darned thing couldn’t do. Centered around a 7-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen, the Cyberus promises not only ebook access but – courtesy of WiFi – a web browser, YouTube viewer and internet radio streaming.

There’s also Picasa access, stock and Gmail alerts, and various PIM features including a notepad, calendar, clock and alarm.  It’ll even give you driving directions, which we’re guessing is courtesy of Google Maps online, and of course there’s a clutch of media formats supported: JPG, TIF, PNG, BMP images, MP3 audio, AVI video and PDF, TXT and HTML text files, with an SD card for storage.

If anything, it’s the ebook compatibility that lets the Cyberus down, with no ePub or other dedicated formats supported.  Still, you’re getting – at face value, at least – plenty for your $279.

[via BestTabletReview]

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These days the a computer problem is a real hair pulling out thing, so why not take all of the trouble out of calling up the helpline and holding up for hours when it’s costing a fortune and let fate decide the outcome of the computer issue.

In many cases, these dice are faster and could even deliver the right answer, just like the real thing!

Features – Three acrylic dice, Packaged in an attractive felt bag, Each die shows the problem, the culprit, and the proposed solution and Likely just as accurate as a real diagnosis* – * – but not really.  Priced at $19.99.

Source [Think Geek]

Post from: Laptop Pimp Blog – Laptop Reviews for Laptop Whores

The easy PC diagnosis

Laptop DIY, Laptop Fun, let the dice decide, pc issues

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The easy PC diagnosis

It seems to have been quite while since the Litl Easel Webbook first hit the scene, but now after the anticipated wait this fun laptop is ready for pre-order on the Litl website.

Yet this may be called little or Litl whatever way you put it, but it does in fact have a twelve inch display, which places in the laptop category fair and square.

Specs – 12 inch display 1.6 GHz Intel Atom CPU, graphics processor that handles H.264 video at 720p resolution, HDTV output via HDMI port, 1 GB of RAM, 2 GB of flash storage, Wi-Fi, 2 IR ports for remote control operation. Priced at $699

Source [Eee PC]

Post from: Laptop Pimp Blog – Laptop Reviews for Laptop Whores

Litl Easel Webbook ready for Pre-Order

Litl Webbook Laptops, New Laptops, pre order now, the litl webbook

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Litl Easel Webbook ready for Pre-Order

It is nice to see a decent high end release from Acer; it uses the Intel Core i7 CPU so we know that this machine is going to be good. The Acer Aspire 8940 is an 18.4 display model, so there is the possibility that gamers may be interested in hijacking this laptop for themselves.

Specs – 1.6 GHz Intel Core i7 720QM processor, 18.4 inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen display, 4 GB of DDR3 RAM, nVidia GeForce GTS 250m 1 GB graphics cards, 4 x Blu-ray / DVD Super-Multi double layer drive, a multi card reader, 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-FI, Acer Crystal Eye web camera, 5 USB 2.0 ports, 1 HDMI port, 1 eSATA port, 8 cell Li-Ion battery, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit. Priced at $1,349.99.

Source [Tech Fresh]

Post from: Laptop Pimp Blog – Laptop Reviews for Laptop Whores

High end release for Acer

acer 8940, Acer Laptops, acer release high end laptop, New Laptops

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High end release for Acer