Thursday, June 30, 2011

gadget reviews : HP TouchPad Unboxing!

HP TouchPad Unboxing!
HP TouchPad Unboxing! For more tech reviews and news, check us out at: www.technobuffalo.com Follow Us on Twitter www.twitter.com Like Us on Facebook: www.facebook.com Scheduled to ship on Friday, the HP TouchPad just made its way into TechnoBuffalo HQ a little early. So you know what that means — time for some sweet unboxing action! HP has experience building tablets for the Windows platform, but this is the company's — and the world's — first-ever WebOS tablet, so join me as I pop open the package and behold Palm's legacy on that 9.7-inch screen. For a better idea of what we're looking at, here are a few specs for your perusal. HP TouchPad Specs 9.7-inch XGA screen with 18-bit color, 1024x768 res 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-core (APQ8060) processor 9.45″ (L) x 7.48″ (W) x 0.0.54″ (T) 1.6 lbs Front-facing 1.3 MP webcam Available in 16GB ($500) or 32GB ($600) Wi-Fi -- 802.11 a/b/g/n Stereo Bluetooth 6300 mAh rechargeable battery HP is also sweetening the pot for current WebOS users. The company is offering a $50 mail-in rebate, good toward the 32GB TouchPad until July 31, to people who can prove ownership of a Palm Pre, Pre Plus, Pixi or Pixi Plus. Well hey, that's an innovative thought — why not reward existing users for their loyalty, right? (Here's hoping this will inspire a trend.) Then again, maybe this is just a smooth way of hyping the Touchpad's unique touch-to-share protocol with WebOS smartphones, which also lets people answer calls and texts on their

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

gadget reviews : HP Veer 4G Review Part 1

HP Veer 4G Review Part 1
HP Veer 4G Review Part 1 by Aaron Though the hardware clearly appeals to a niche market, webOS is back on a carrier. Aaron takes an in-depth look at the HP Veer 4G, one of AT&T;'s newest smartphones. Powered by an 800 MHz processor, the Veer has a 2.6-inch display, 5-megapixel camera, full QWERTY keyboard, and HSPA+ connectivity (14.4 Mbps). It's available now for $99.99, and if you can deal with the tiny size, it's quite the impressive smartphone. That said, there are some well-equipped high-end smartphones on AT&T; with better hardware (Infuse 4G, Inspire 4G, and iPhone 4, just to name a few). With all of those choices, is it worth sacrificing build quality and design just to have webOS? We'll figure it out. Part 1 of 2. Facebook: www.facebook.com Twitter: www.twitter.com Forums: forums.phonedog.com Win Free Phones: instantwin.phonedog.com

gadget reviews : HP Veer 4G Review Part 2

HP Veer 4G Review Part 2
HP Veer 4G Review Part 2 by Aaron After months of waiting, new webOS hardware is available on a nationwide carrier. That said, it's TINY! Aaron reviews the HP Veer 4G, and despite its size, it's no slouch. Sporting an 800 MHz processor, it offers a 2.6-inch display, 5-megapixel camera, webOS 2.1, and a full QWERTY keyboard that's surprisingly easy to use. It's available now at AT&T; for $99.99 with a two-year agreement. HP webOS fans will be happy to see something new out there, but due to the size, most people will probably gravatate towards the carrier's other high-end smartphones (Infuse 4G, Atrix 4G, and iPhone 4, just to name a few). Can this pint-sized webOS smartphone hold its own in an increasingly competitive smartphone landscape? We'll find out. Part 2 of 2. Facebook: www.facebook.com Twitter: www.twitter.com Forums: forums.phonedog.com Win Free Phones: instantwin.phonedog.com

gadget reviews : Goodbye iPhone & Adios Android

Goodbye iPhone & Adios Android
Goodbye iPhone & Adios Android For more tech reviews and news, check us out at: www.technobuffalo.com Follow Us on Twitter www.twitter.com Like Us on Facebook: www.facebook.com

gadget reviews : HTC EVO 3D vs. HTC Sensation 4G Dogfight Part 1

HTC EVO 3D vs. HTC Sensation 4G Dogfight Part 1
HTC EVO 3D vs. HTC Sensation 4G Dogfight Part 1 by Aaron HTC releases two new Android smartphones within two weeks of each other. Both have awesome specs guaranteed to woo prospective smartphone buyers. What do we do to figure out which one is the best? A PhoneDog Dogfight, that's what! Aaron throws Sprint's HTC EVO 3D and T-Mobile's HTC Sensation 4G into the ring to determine which one is the must-have HTC Android phone. Both phones have a 1.2 GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 4.3-inch qHD display, and run Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) with HTC Sense 3.0. The major differences? Aside from design, the EVO 3D has dual 5-megapixel cameras with 720p HD video recording capabilities and 1 GB of RAM, while the Sensation 4G sports an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p HD video recording and 768 MB of RAM. It's a case of speed versus beauty. Which one will come out on top? Part 1 of 2. ‪Facebook: www.facebook.com ‬ Twitter: www.twitter.com Forums: forums.phonedog.com Win Free Phones: instantwin.phonedog.com

gadget reviews : HTC EVO 3D vs. HTC Sensation 4G Dogfight Part 2

HTC EVO 3D vs. HTC Sensation 4G Dogfight Part 2
HTC EVO 3D vs. HTC Sensation 4G Dogfight Part 2 by Aaron It's a battle between two hot (and new!) HTC Android smartphones! Aaron pits Sprint's HTC EVO 3D against T-Mobile's HTC Sensation 4G to see which one is the manufacturer's true flagship device. Both offer a 1.2 GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 4.3-inch qHD display (540 x 960 pixels), and Android 2.3 with HTC Sense 3.0. The primary differences (outside of design)? EVO 3D offers dual 5-megapixel cameras with 720p HD video recording, 3D capabilities, 1 GB of RAM, and a 1730 mAh battery. The Sensation, on the other hand, has an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p HD video recording, 768 MB of RAM, and a 1520 mAh battery. At the end of the day, it boils down to design versus 3D capabilities and more memory. Which one will take home the gold medal? Part 2 of 2. ‪Facebook: www.facebook.com ‬ Twitter: www.twitter.com Forums: forums.phonedog.com Win Free Phones: instantwin.phonedog.com

gadget reviews : Windows Phone 7.5 Mango Landscape Support

Windows Phone 7.5 Mango Landscape Support
More WP7 News Here: bit.ly Back when the original Windows Phone 7 was released, one of the most annoying things about it was the lack of landscape view support especially on devices like the HTC Pro 7, HTC Arrive, and LG Quantum which included a landscape sliding keyboard. Unfortunately landscape support was very inconsistent. What has changed in Windows Phone 7.5 Mango? Well, it turns out, not so much. We've been told that Mango will include enhanced landscape support, but in our unfinished preview device we still saw plenty of unfortunate inconsistencies. Of course, the device we're using does not have a landscape sliding keyboard, but in most cases simply holding the device on its side should rotate the screen contents where supported. It's one thing for the hubs to be portrait orientation only, but in areas where a keyboard can be used, one would hope a landscape sliding keyboard would be supported. Unfortunately, the contacts search, phone history search, maps search, and even programs listing search don't rotate for landscape keyboard support. If Microsoft is unable to implement proper landscape orientation support for text input fields, should they even allow manufacturers to make devices with landscape keyboards? Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: www.facebook.com

gadget reviews : HTC ChaCha Unboxing

HTC ChaCha Unboxing
The HTC ChaCha is the QWERTY candybar "Facebook phone" from HTC launched at this year's Mobile World Congress along with the other F-button-enabled HTC, the Salsa. In this video we are unboxing the HTC ChaCha. Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: www.facebook.com

gadget reviews : HTC ChaCha First Boot

HTC ChaCha First Boot
After we've previously unboxed the HTC ChaCha "Facebook phone" we are now firing it up for the first time to see the initial boot sequence and setup tutorial on the landscape screen. Link to post: pocketnow.com

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

gadget reviews : Poor MySpace - Tom has No Friends

Poor MySpace - Tom has No Friends
Going over all the tech news for June 28, 2011 For more tech reviews and news, check us out at: www.technobuffalo.com Follow Us on Twitter www.twitter.com Like Us on Facebook: www.facebook.com

gadget reviews : Noah LIVE on TechnoBuffalo: 11AM PST (or so) Today!

Noah LIVE on TechnoBuffalo: 11AM PST (or so) Today!
Noah LIVE on TechnoBuffalo: 11AM PST (or so) Today! www.technobuffalo.com

Monday, June 27, 2011

gadget reviews : OtterBox Defender Case for Motorola Xoom Review

OtterBox Defender Case for Motorola Xoom Review
A video review of the new OtterBox Defender series case for the Motorola Xoom. Chech out our full review of this case: www.mobiletechreview.com

gadget reviews : iPhone 5 and iPhone 4s Launching and More!

iPhone 5 and iPhone 4s Launching and More!
iPhone 5 and iPhone 4s Launching and More! Weekly Bone Presented by Jon Q of PhoneDog.com iPhone 5 and iPhone 4s Both Coming This September www.phonedog.com Apple iOS 5 Beta 2 Now Available www.phonedog.com Nokia Sea Ray - Nokia's First Windows Phone 7 Phone www.phonedog.com Nokia Has No More Plans for Meego www.phonedog.com HTC Evo 3D Video Review www.phonedog.com HTC Evo 3D Review www.phonedog.com HTC Sensation Review www.phonedog.com HTC Evo 3D vs. LG Revolution Dogfight www.phonedog.com Samsung Transform vs Samsung Replenish www.phonedog.com

gadget reviews : Ask The Buffalo: Nokia's Sea Ray and Apple's iCloud - TechnoBuffalo

Ask The Buffalo: Nokia's Sea Ray and Apple's iCloud - TechnoBuffalo
Jon takes a look at Nokia's latest and greatest (not to mention first) Windows Phone 7 powered device, codenamed "Sea Ray." Jon also explains what "iCloud" is, as well as providing an analysis on the current "smartphone" and "dumbphone" trends. All this and more in this episode of "Ask the Buffalo".

Sunday, June 26, 2011

gadget reviews : Windows Phone 7.5 Mango Multilingual Keyboards Preview

Windows Phone 7.5 Mango Multilingual Keyboards Preview
We had a few requests to see how Windows Phone 7.5 Mango handles multiple keyboards an language switching. First you go to the Keyboard settings and check off which languages you want to be able to toggle between. After that there will be a language button in the keyboard that switches between the languages you selected. This makes it very easy to switch keyboard layouts even while in the same message or document. When you switch languages the word prediction and spell checking switches to the selected language as well.

gadget reviews : iPhone 5 Rumored Launch For September, Flickr And T-Mobile Loving The iPhone 4 - iReview

iPhone 5 Rumored Launch For September, Flickr And T-Mobile Loving The iPhone 4 - iReview
Watch this week's iReview as we go through rumored launch dates for the iPhone 5 or 4S, the success of the unlocked iPhone on the T-Mobile network, recent news about the iPhone 4 being the most popular camera on Flickr, and details on Apple winning the four year old patent on multi-touch gestures. In the Not So Cool section we go through the negative side of Apple winning this patent, the sad news about a judge ruling in favor of Apple and not letting us (meaning Samsung) see the next generation iPhone and iPad, and details on the new Verizon tiered data plans. All this and more after the break.

Friday, June 24, 2011

gadget reviews : Motorola Xoom on AT&T;!

Motorola Xoom on AT&T;!
AT&T; Motorola Xoom - How to get AT&T; 3G On Your Motorola Xoom! Negri: www.negrielectronics.com For more tech reviews and news, check us out at www.technobuffalo.com Follow Us on Twitter www.twitter.com Like Us on Facebook: www.facebook.com

gadget reviews : Rumor Round Up: Photo Revolution And More iPhone 5 Rumors(!)

Rumor Round Up: Photo Revolution And More iPhone 5 Rumors(!)
Rumor Round Up: Photo Revolution! Hulu for Sale! Nokia's Back? And More iPhone 5 Rumors(!) We've got tech rumors! Like there's ever a lack of tech rumors to report on, right? This week: Did a startup called Lytro just revolutionize photography with something called a Light Field Camera? Why did Nokia launch the sexy new N9 if it's built on a "burning platform?" And what's Sea Ray, anyway? Hulu's for sale, but is anyone buying? Google TV 2.0 is in some developers' hands - are they liking it? And like that kid who won't stop talking during math class, but you miss him when he's absent, iPhone rumors are baaaack! Rumor Roundup is a show taking a look at the latest trends, rumors, and leaks buzzing around the technology industry hosted by Noah Kravitz - a well-known and respected tech editor who's been involved in the industry for years. Not only does Noah deliver the news in full force, but he also provides his analytical thoughts and insight leaving one wondering of what lies ahead in the world of tech.

gadget reviews : HTC EVO 3D vs. LG Revolution Dogfight Part 1

HTC EVO 3D vs. LG Revolution Dogfight Part 1
HTC EVO 3D vs. LG Revolution Dogfight Part 1 by Aaron

gadget reviews : HTC EVO 3D vs. LG Revolution Dogfight Part 2

HTC EVO 3D vs. LG Revolution Dogfight Part 2
HTC EVO 3D vs. LG Revolution Dogfight Part 2 by Aaron

gadget reviews : Samsung Transform vs. Samsung Replenish Dogfight Part 1

Samsung Transform vs. Samsung Replenish Dogfight Part 1
The Samsung Replenish and Samsung Transform are two of the few Android smartphones that have a physical keyboard and they both happen to be on Sprint. So, if you're looking for a new phone, which one should you buy? Both phones are mid-range smartphones with similar specs, but the Replenish features a BlackBerry-style form factor which means it has a smaller display and keyboard than the Transform with a standard candy bar form factor and slide-out keyboard. Does the larger display and keyboard mean you should go with the Transform? In this Dogfight, Sydney compares each phone and tell you which one should consider. Everything from the display, camera, battery, processor, and more will be discussed in this Dogfight. Part 1 of 2 Facebook: www.facebook.com ‬ Twitter: www.twitter.com Win Free Phones: instantwin.phonedog.com

Thursday, June 23, 2011

gadget reviews : Samsung Transform vs. Samsung Replenish Dogfight Part 2

Samsung Transform vs. Samsung Replenish Dogfight Part 2
The Samsung Replenish and Samsung Transform are two of the few Android smartphones that have a physical keyboard and they both happen to be on Sprint. So, if you're looking for a new phone, which one should you buy? Both phones are mid-range smartphones with similar specs, but the Replenish features a BlackBerry-style form factor which means it has a smaller display and keyboard than the Transform with a standard candy bar form factor and slide-out keyboard. Does the larger display and keyboard mean you should go with the Transform? In this Dogfight, Sydney compares each phone and tell you which one should consider. Everything from the display, camera, battery, processor, and more will be discussed in this Dogfight. Part 2 of 2 Facebook: www.facebook.com ‬ Twitter: www.twitter.com Win Free Phones: instantwin.phonedog.com

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

gadget reviews : What's The Apps: Bird Games!

What's The Apps: Bird Games!
What's The Apps: Bird Games! Jon Q takes a look 5 bird based games on iOS. Jon plays around and reviews some of the newer guys to make it into Apple's App Store, as well as visiting some all-time iOS classics. What's The Apps is a in-depth application review experience hosted by Jon Quach (aka. WaffleJon) - known on YouTube and the internet for his upbeat personality. Tune into What The Apps to find out what's hot and to learn how you can improve your mobile experience one app at a time. Check us out on Revision 3: www.revision3.com Check out our site: www.technobuffalo.com Follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com

gadget reviews : Galaxy Tab 10.1 vs Eee Pad Transformer, Pt 1 of 2

Galaxy Tab 10.1 vs Eee Pad Transformer, Pt 1 of 2
Galaxy Tab 10.1 vs Eee Pad Transformer, Pt 1 of 2 For more tech reviews and news, check us out at: www.technobuffalo.com Follow Us on Twitter www.twitter.com Like Us on Facebook: www.facebook.com Noah pits two of the hottest Honeycomb tablets against one another: Samsung's ultra-thin Galaxy Tab 10.1 vs Asus' low-priced Eee Pad Transformer and it's notebook-style keyboard dock. Both tablets have Tegra 2 chips and 10.1" displays, so what's the difference? And which is the best? Let's find out!

gadget reviews : HTC EVO 3D Review - Best Android Phone Out?

HTC EVO 3D Review - Best Android Phone Out?
HTC EVO 3D Review For more tech reviews and news, check us out at: www.technobuffalo.com Follow Us on Twitter www.twitter.com Like Us on Facebook: www.facebook.com

gadget reviews : Galaxy Tab 10.1 vs Eee Pad Transformer, Pt 2 of 2

Galaxy Tab 10.1 vs Eee Pad Transformer, Pt 2 of 2
Galaxy Tab 10.1 vs Eee Pad Transformer, Pt 2 of 2 For more tech reviews and news, check us out at: www.technobuffalo.com Follow Us on Twitter www.twitter.com Like Us on Facebook: www.facebook.com Noah pits two of the hottest Honeycomb tablets against one another: Samsung's ultra-thin Galaxy Tab 10.1 vs Asus' low-priced Eee Pad Transformer and it's notebook-style keyboard dock. Both tablets have Tegra 2 chips and 10.1" displays, so what's the difference? And which is the best? Let's find out!

gadget reviews : Samsung Exhibit 4G Review

Samsung Exhibit 4G Review
A video review of the Samsung Exhibit 4G on T-Mobile.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

gadget reviews : Android 3.2 Coming Soon and More

Android 3.2 Coming Soon and More
Android 3.2 Coming Soon and More Weekly Bone hosted by Jon Q of PhoneDog.com Colossal iPad and Smartphone Sweepstakes www.phonedog.com Android 3.2 Honeycomb Coming Soon! www.phonedog.com Apple and Samsung Lawsuit Updates www.phonedog.com Verizon's New Data Plan Prices www.phonedog.com HTC Evo 3D Unboxing www.phonedog.com HTC Evo 3D 720p HD Video Sample www.phonedog.com HTC Sensation 4G vs. Samsung Galaxy S II Dogfight www.phonedog.com Pantech Crossover vs. LG Phoenix Dogfight www.phonedog.com

gadget reviews : LG Genesis Unboxing

LG Genesis Unboxing
LG Genesis Unboxing by Aaron Aaron takes a first look at the LG Genesis, US Cellular's newest Android phone and a device that looks quite a bit like the LG enV series of messaging phones. Don't let the looks fool you - it's quite the little QWERTY-powered Android, with a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, 3.5-inch external display, 3.2-inch internal display, full QWERTY keyboard, 5-megapixel camera with flash, and Android 2.2 with some minor LG customizations. It's a welcome addition to US Cellular, and with a full QWERTY keyboard, could be the catalyst that pushes BlackBerry customers to the Android side. ‪Facebook: www.facebook.com ‬ Twitter: www.twitter.com Forums: forums.phonedog.com Win Free Phones: instantwin.phonedog.com

gadget reviews : HTC EVO 3D Review Part 1

HTC EVO 3D Review Part 1
HTC EVO 3D Review Part 1 by Aaron Aaron reviews the HTC EVO 3D, the successor to the popular HTC EVO 4G, and the first 3D device to land on a US carrier. It's quite the device, with a 1.2 GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 4.3-inch stereoscopic qHD display (no 3D glasses needed), dual 5-megapixel cameras that shoot 720p HD video in 2D and 3D, a front-facing shooter for self-portraits and the occasional video call, and Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) with HTC Sense 3.0, the company's newest version of the popular user interface. It's more of an evolutionary upgrade from the original EVO, but it offers a number of features that make it worth buying. Unfortunately, it's not the best in the reception department, so those that live in a Sprint fringe area may have to stick with another device. Part 1 of 2. ‪Facebook: www.facebook.com ‬ Twitter: www.twitter.com Forums: forums.phonedog.com Win Free Phones: instantwin.phonedog.com

gadget reviews : HTC EVO 3D Review Part 2

HTC EVO 3D Review Part 2
HTC EVO 3D Review Part 2 by Aaron

gadget reviews : Nokia X7 Software Tour

Nokia X7 Software Tour
The Nokia X7 comes with Symbian Anna preinstalled so you no longer have to wait until August to get an OTA update. We take a look at Anna and the software in general on the Nokia X7. Link to post: pocketnow.com

gadget reviews : Samsung Exhibit 4G Review

Samsung Exhibit 4G Review
Samsung Exhibit 4G Review For more tech reviews and news, check us out at: www.technobuffalo.com Follow Us on Twitter www.twitter.com Like Us on Facebook: www.facebook.com While the population of 4G smartphones continues to flourish, the hierarchal order of devices becomes more defined. Take the Samsung Exhibit 4G, for example. The pint-sized Android 2.3 Gingerbread machine is a mere $80 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a two-year T-Mobile voice and data plan. This is T-Mobile's cheapest 4G smartphone to date, let alone the cheapest 4G phone in existence at this nanosecond in time and space. I saw the Samsung Exhibit 4G as more of a supercharged feature phone, rocking HSPA+ speeds, a bright AMOLED screen, and full Flash support for web browsing. The Samsung Exhibit 4G was a refreshing sign that not all 4G phones have to have big, bad attitudes. This was a simple texting, calling, and Internetting device that inherited many key features from its neighboring giants. Let's take a look at the Samsung Exhibit 4G in our full video review. Samsung Exhibit 4G Tech Specs T-Mobile's 4G HSPA+ network Android 2.3 Swype Flash Support 3.7-inch TFT AMOLED Touchscreen 480×800 1GHz Hummingbird processor 8GB MicroSD Card, 1GHz onboard 3MP Camera with LED Flash Front-facing VGA camera Scrabble, Bejeweled 2, Doodle Jump preloaded Samsung Media Hub, T-Mobile TV—stations like ABC News Now, FOX Sports, PBS Kids, Azteca America 1500mAh battery with 9 hours of talk time/15 days standby Wi-Fi

gadget reviews : TechnoBuffalo LIVE with Noah at 11 am Pacific

TechnoBuffalo LIVE with Noah at 11 am Pacific
TechnoBuffalo LIVE with Noah at 11 am Pacific Come join the fun! www.technobuffalo.com

gadget reviews : HTC Sensation Review!

HTC Sensation Review!
HTC Sensation 4G Review For more tech reviews and news, check us out at: www.technobuffalo.com Follow Us on Twitter www.twitter.com Like Us on Facebook: www.facebook.com When I ran the HTC Sensation 4G unboxing, I said, "If you're looking for an Android phone on T-Mobile, this just may be the one you've been waiting for." That comment was based on just a few minutes with the phone, and as anyone knows, the real test comes from using the phone for an extended period of time. Did this statement hold up after running it through my usual battery of tests? Is this the best Android phone currently on T-Mobile? There are a heck of a lot of pros to the HTC Sensation 4G, but also a few glaring cons. I can confidently say this is currently the best phone on T-Mobile, but the cons are strong enough to make you possibly think twice. You'll have to watch the video to find out all of the details, but there is definitely a whole lot of hotness to be had here. What do you think of the HTC Sensation 4G? Are you interested in picking one up?

gadget reviews : Ask The Buffalo: Top Android Tablets and 3D

Ask The Buffalo: Top Android Tablets and 3D
Ask The Buffalo: Top Android Tablets and 3D Jon ranks and explains the top Android tablets based on his first hand experience with them. He also provides helpful reviews and buyers information for 3D phones, the line of Samsung Galaxy S phones, and of course, the highly anticipated iPhone 4s/5. Ask The Buffalo provides an insiders look to the world of recognized tech enthusiast Jon Rettinger, also known as jon4lakers on YouTube. He answers a bunch of random questions, tech or non-tech related, submitted through Twitter as well as the TechnoBuffalo website. Check us out on Revision 3: www.revision3.com Check out our site: www.technobuffalo.com Follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com

gadget reviews : Windows Phone Mango Music + Video Preview

Windows Phone Mango Music + Video Preview
The Music + Videos hub has seen some pretty significant changes. The hub design has been slightly altered and now there's a little "..." menu at the bottom like most other applications. The "play all" button has also been moved to the bottom. The History section is now a vertical scrolling list of square tiles rather than a horizontal panning list. The same is true with the "New" listing, and the "Marquee" of music/video apps that integrate with the Music + Videos hub is now called "Apps". You can tap and hold anything in the New or History section of the top-level hub in order to pin them to the start menu or (if supported) play a smart DJ mix. Unfortunately there are no "Add to Now Playing" menu commands here. It would be great if I could quickly make a playlist of the new music in my music hub, but instead you still have to navigate to the artist/album/song deep within the music library before you'll find that "Add to Now Playing" command in a tap & hold menu. The music, videos, and podcasts libraries are mostly the same as Windows Phone 7, however you'll notice a couple new additions when you find an artist page. First of all the "Smart DJ" button is there at the top, and if you have a Zune pass that will create a mix of music that includes the artist you're looking at along with streaming cloud music that really nicely goes along with that artist. You'll also notice a new pivot tab for "Related" artists. This is another excellent feature that was imported from the

gadget reviews : Windows Phone Mango People Hub Preview

Windows Phone Mango People Hub Preview
Before we jump into the People Hub, let's talk about the Me tile a little. With Windows Phone 7, the Me tile was where you went to update your Facebook and Windows Live statuses, as well as see all of your updates and who has commented on them. Now there are a few new features in addition to those things. You now have a pivot tab for the What's New feed, as well as a new tab for notifications. That's right! You now see Facebook notifications right there. The Profile tab shows a little bit of what's new next to your profile picture (which you can still change, except now you can choose from cloud-based photos too). You've also got a few buttons for posting a message (to Facebook or Windows Live currently), Check in, and set chat status. The Check in feature hooks up to the Facebook Places feature and also Windows Live. Hopefully the final version will work with Foursquare as well just like the Check-in feature in the Bing App for iPhone, but we didn't see anywhere to add a Foursquare account in this build. Once you get into the People hub, you'll see it looks very much the same as before. The recent contacts still show in a horizontal manner, while the all contacts and What's new feeds are vertical lists. As mentioned before, the hardware search button is no longer context sensitive, so now there's a search button at the bottom of the screen on the all contacts listing along with a "new" button (both of those were moved from the top area.) The bottom menu also gives you

gadget reviews : Windows Phone Mango Pictures and Camera Preview

Windows Phone Mango Pictures and Camera Preview
The first thing that I love about the new Pictures hub is its live tile. It's still a full two column rectangular tile (which I like), but it's no longer a static image of whatever background you've got in your hub panorama. Now it does an awesome Ken Burns effect as it scrolls through different images. It seems to display mostly photos that have been marked as Favorites, and the slow movement means you don't have a weird cropping stuck there. It's really a fantastic little live tile now. In the Pictures hub panorama, there's now a little menu at the bottom so that you don't have to know the secret for changing the background image anymore. It's right there in that menu. Also, the hub panorama no longer just shows a random grid of photo thumbnails. It now shows a random grid of thumbnails that have been marked as your favorites. Favorite ratings still sync from the Zune desktop software via standard ratings metadata, by the way, so you don't have to mark them as favorites from the phone. Also, pictures now look great with 32-bit color support! A "People" item is now on the Pictures hub as well. This section will show tiles that represent people who's photos you may have recently browsed through, as well as tiles representing groups of people. From there you can browse all the pictures of your "Family" group for example. It will download and display all the images that any of your family members have posted on cloud services such as Windows Live and Facebook. Website

gadget reviews : Windows Phone Mango Messaging + Email Preview

Windows Phone Mango Messaging + Email Preview
The new messaging hub is really well done. It combines SMS/MMS messaging with Facebook Chat and Windows Live Messenger. Not only that, but all messaging types are supported by the Messages live tile, lock screen indicator, and the speech interface. I was very pleasantly surprised when my brother sent me a Facebook chat message, the notification appeared at the top of my phone and then a voice asked me if I wanted to read it aloud. After reading the message, the voice asked if I wanted to respond or ignore. So I said respond and then told it what I wanted to say. The phone's voice recognition converted my speech into a Facebook instant message and sent it back to him. I didn't even have to touch the device! Of course, that works with incoming Windows Live Messenger IM's as well as text messages. Awesome! When it comes to email, Mango brings some nice innovations too. First off, you can now link email accounts so that they're all available in one live tile and program listing. A lot of people were complaining that Windows Phone didn't originally have a unified inbox, and this is Microsoft's answer to that. Linking inboxes actually gives you a lot more control. When you open one email account inbox, the pop-up menu at the bottom has a command called "link inboxes." Tap that and you can choose which other inboxes or inbox groups you'd like to link to. After you link multiple accounts they'll only show up as one item (which you can name whatever you want) in the programs

gadget reviews : Windows Phone Mango Calendar + Todos Preview

Windows Phone Mango Calendar + Todos Preview
Tasks are back!! Not only do Exchange tasks now sync with the "To-Do's" tab with-in the Calendar, but now Windows Live Hotmail To-Do's sync there as well. Windows Live's To-Do's list never used to sync with anything. It seems dumb to call them "Todos" since Outlook calls them tasks, but whatever... at least you can see, edit, and manage the things you have to do at work and in your personal life. Most other smartphones still don't sync Exchange tasks, and it's great to see this feature back in Windows Phone... and in full force with Windows Live Hotmail. What about multiple Calendars you say? Yep, those are there too. Each calendar you add to any of your Windows Live, Exchange, and Google accounts will show up. Not only that, but Windows Live Group calendars that you've subscribed to will also show. Unfortunately shared Exchange 2003 Public Folder calendars and SharePoint/Office 365 Team Site calendars don't seem to work here. But wait, there's more! The Mango calendar app supports Facebook events and not just for the date, time, and description. You can set it to only show Facebook events that you've responded to if you want. When you open a Facebook event, in addition to all of the details that the organizer has included, there's also a "wall" tab where you can see and post comments, as well as a "Guests" tab where you can see who's attending, maybe attending, or not attending. Of course, there's also a respond button for Facebook events right there at the bottom

gadget reviews : Windows Phone Mango Office 2010 Preview

Windows Phone Mango Office 2010 Preview
Windows Phone Mango features a completely redesigned Office hub and some excellent new SkyDrive integration features. The panes of the Office hub are much more well organized as well. The first pane lists recent OneNote pages in a vertically scrolling live-tile list. OneNote notes are now purple instead of the orange they were in Windows Phone 7, and there's a search button in the bottom menu. The search only supports page titles, not the contents of each note. Also in the menu is a command that will allow you to pin "new" to the start page. This is great for a quick shortcut to create a new note. The notebooks button at the bottom will automatically show all OneNote notebooks in your SkyDrive as well as any that you may have opened through SharePoint. You no longer have to manually set up a OneNote notebook sync relationship via the SkyDrive web page. The documents pane also now lists documents as Live tile squares and also has its own search button at the bottom. The search interface for documents is a little different though. You've got pivot tab options at the top to search all documents or just specific locations such as SkyDrive, SharePoint, or your Phone's memory. Again, the search only works on file names, not contents, but that's okay. Website: pocketnow.com Twitter twitter.com Facebook: www.facebook.com

gadget reviews : Windows Phone Mango Bing and Local Scout Preview

Windows Phone Mango Bing and Local Scout Preview
Windows Phone 7.5's version of Bing has finally seen some updates. It's been kind of embarrassing seeing the Bing iPhone and iPad apps with so many excellent features not available on Windows Phone (or even Windows 7). Now with Mango, Windows Phone 7.5 has the same Bing Vision feature from the iPhone version. This is a great addition with some excellent capabilities. The Bing Vision option turns the camera on and you can point it at things like books, movies, CDs, bar codes, MS Tags, QR codes or anything with text on it. Search results will appear over the image and you can then tap the one you want more information on. If it recognizes any text in the image you're pointing it at, the "scan text" button will be available at the bottom. After you press that it will take a picture and show boxes around each letter it recognizes. Then there'll be a "Translate" button at the bottom, as well as a "Copy All" command in the pop-up menu. Pressing the "Translate" button will let you choose a language you want it translated to and then actually super impose the translated text over the image that you originally took. Yeah, that's pretty amazing. I kind of wish there was a special business card scanning feature built in that would add the person straight to a new contact. Another crazy new feature in the Bing app is the Music Search button. This one jumps in on "Shazam" territory. Say you're at a lounge or in the super market or where ever and hear a song that you like. Tap the Bing

gadget reviews : Windows Phone Mango Marketplace Preview

Windows Phone Mango Marketplace Preview
The Marketplace hub looks very similar to how it did in Windows Phone 7. There's now a search button at the bottom since the hardware search button only goes to Bing now. There's also a new graphic panorama design for the games section where as previously we only had panoramas for the top level, music, and apps sections. There's also a new section called podcasts where you can browse through and subscribe to various podcasts right from the device. You no longer have to subscribe to podcasts from the Zune desktop software. If you don't want to subscribe and download a number of episodes for a certain podcast, you have the option to just stream it right there over the internet. Yes, there are video and audio podcasts available. Unfortunately, there's currently no "Share" menu for podcasts. The Marketplace search has been hugely improved and now offers pivot tabs for different types of Marketplace content such as music, podcasts, apps + games. Zune Playlists still only show up in searches and unfortunately can only be streamed. I really wish some of those excellent custom Zune playlists could be downloaded straight to the device in full (without using the desktop software.) A few things are still missing from the Windows Phone Marketplace. I wish it had the Zune "Picks" listings that you'll also find on the Zune HD and desktop Zune software which recommends things you might like. The Zune Videos Marketplace is still non-existent on Windows Phone as well. Website: pocketnow

Monday, June 20, 2011

gadget reviews : Nokia X7 Hardware Tour

Nokia X7 Hardware Tour
See the X7 Unboxing Here: www.youtube.com We continue our look at the Nokia X7 this time with the hardware tour where we observe the build quality, hardware specs and compare it to some other smartphones before firing it up for the first time. Link to post: pocketnow.com

Saturday, June 18, 2011

gadget reviews : Nokia X7 Camera Test

Nokia X7 Camera Test
Video recording test on the Nokia X7 which sports an eight-megapixel camera with dual-LED flash and 720p HD video recording. Link to post: pocketnow.com

gadget reviews : New Nook Simple Touch vs Amazon Kindle 3 Comparison

New Nook Simple Touch vs Amazon Kindle 3 Comparison
A video comparison of the new Nook Simple Touch reader from Barnes & Noble and the Amazon Kindle 3 ebook reader. We compare the two mainstream readers on text rendering, format support, shopping, navigating the device, PDF handling, and much more!

Friday, June 17, 2011

gadget reviews : iPad 3 Gets Retina While Amazon Goes Hollywood

iPad 3 Gets Retina While Amazon Goes Hollywood
iPad 3 Gets Retina While Amazon Goes Hollywood We're only on the edge of Summer and already the rumors are heating up around hot new smartphone and tablets coming this Fall. Google may be prepping a new flagship phone with Android 4 and an HD display. Apple might be readying the next iPad with a Retina Display of its own. BlackBerry's already previewed the Torch 2, and we caught it on video! And why do Facebook and Twitter care so much about photos all of the sudden? Catch up on this week's tech news and rumors with Rumor Roundup, hosted by Noah Kravitz! Rumor Roundup is a show taking a look at the latest trends, rumors, and leaks buzzing around the technology industry hosted by Noah Kravitz - a well-known and respected tech editor who's been involved in the industry for years. Not only does Noah deliver the news in full force, but he also provides his analytical thoughts and insight leaving one wondering of what lies ahead in the world of tech.

gadget reviews : iMac 27'' 2011 Unboxing

iMac 27'' 2011 Unboxing
iMac 27'' 2011 Unboxing by Jon Q I know the iMac 27'' 2011 isn't new, but I thought it would be fun to share my unboxing experience. For those of you who are curious: iMac 27'' 2011 Specs Intel i7 3.4 GHz Processor 2 x 1GB Graphics Cards 2TB Hard Drive 4GB RAM (Upgraded to 16GB.. didn't come in the mail yet) Magic Trackpad + Wireless keyboard that I'm not gonna use :) Check us out at: www.technobuffalo.com Follow Us on Twitter www.twitter.com Like Us on Facebook: www.facebook.com Music by Kevin McLeod www.incompetech.com

gadget reviews : Verizon LG Revolution Software Tour

Verizon LG Revolution Software Tour
Sporting Android 2.2.2, the Verizon LG Revolution, being a new device in a Gingerbread world, seems to be already left behind. Unfortunately, the Verzion / LG software matches the hardware in terms of capabilities and reliability - still no "wow" to be found. Except for the LTE speeds, if you can get them... The LG Revolution is available from Verizon for $250 with a two year contract. Website: pocketnow.com Twitter twitter.com Facebook: www.facebook.com