Yes you heard me correct…Those of use that don’t have NFC built into their devices like the new Google Nexus S we may have an option for using that Google Wallet afterall. It seems that a Chinese company called Netcom (no relations to Norwegian carrier with the same name) has put together this nice little device. It is a mirosd card + NFC chip.

Now before we get our hopes up let me remind you that 1. this is not released yet, and it has a few tricks that you have to over come. First trick is that the phones back cover can not have any metal in it. Second the microsd card holder (the slot) must not be made of metal. The reason behind that is because the NFC part of the storage device has very tiny antennas and metal interferes with the signal. Also your phone must have a special app running in the background to communicate with the NFC chip.

Even with all of this tricks to make it work, I would love to see one and try it out. It is still cool to think about in my books…Kind of reminds me of the EyeFi card (combines Wi-Fi and storage) that was release some time ago. What do you think PPCGeeks, is this little thing going to be a good thing? Are you willing to try it – assuming it comes to market and is priced right? How important is that NFC ability/Google Wallet to you? You tell me below!

Source: pocketnow

Anyone tired of waiting for the HTC  Multimedia docking station for their Thunderbolt? Well if you are tired of the wait and are willing to use a third party docking station, relief is on its way! Deluxe Desktop Charging Dock and Sync is currently the leading in dock among third party vendors.

 With its sleek design, functionality, and small size, users are highly pleased. This docking station features rounded corners, a mixture of shiny and dull black plastic, and is pretty lightweight yet durable. The phone sits sideways on the station putting your phone into landscape mode which is excellent for browsing the web, looking at pictures, watching movies and lots more.

This slender docking station is accompanied by all the necessary cables (micro USB and a wall outlet) allowing the user the choice of where you dock your phone. Whether you want to hook it to your desktop or the wall. The choice is yours!

The drawback? This station will only fit phones that use the standard battery door. So if you are rocking out with the extended battery, this isn’t the docking station for you.

But for those of you out there rocking the HTC Thunderbolt, this might just be a must have!

 Source: HTCPedia

Seidio Online was kind enough to send me a sample unit of their Convert Combo (formerly known as the Rugged) for the HTC EVO 4G, and I have spent the last week using it and I am now ready to share my thoughts.

First off, the first impression you get is that the case is quite large for an already large phone. The minimal clear plastic packaging holds the belt clip/holster, a Surface hard shell, The silicon outer shell, the ballistic plastic skeleton, and a static cling screen protector with cloth and plastic smoothing tool. The Surface case, the screen protector and the overall packaging had instructions on how to assemble all the various parts that make up the Convert.

Putting the case together was a snap. The Surface case fit snugly and with just that case on, the phone still fits into my leather belt holster. Once you slip on the silicone cover and then snap on the skeleton, though, you can kiss the old stand-by leather holster goodbye. The only way you are clipping this to your belt is with the provided holster that places you phone screen down for protection. The clip on the holster has a lock on it that works surprisingly well and will keep your phone from falling out if it gets snagged on something.

One feature that I like, since I have to be outside for my job from time to time, regardless of the weather, is that the silicone portion of the shell has covers for the headphone jack, the camera, and the USB and HDMI ports. These fit snuggly, but are easy to open and move out of the way when you want to plug in or use the camera. One drawback: When you have the full case on, you cannot use the kick stand, it’s sealed up inside.

Now, since I have kids, I have had my 4 year old play with the phone with the full case on. While he is very good with my phone, he does tend to drop things from time to time, and with the Convert Combo on, there has been literally nothing he has been able to do to damage the phone. The raised edges protect the screen from impact and the rest of the phone’s body is covered in silicone and ballistic plastic. The skeleton reinforces the likely impact points nicely at the corners and sides, giving your phone a high degree of protection in case of an impact or a drop. Very reassuring when your kids take your phone to feed their Angry Birds addiction…
One thing that I noticed was that the contours of the case and its size actually make it easier to hold the phone for an extended period of time. It fits the hands naturally and is still totally usable. You might think that the plastic skeleton would make it slick, but it is positioned in such a way that your hand comes into contact with the silicone more than the plastic, giving you a good solid grip.

Overall, after having used several different cases that were either just skins, or shells similar to the Surface, I will say that the Convert Combo is easily the best case I have used on my EVO. It fits well, and allows you to use the phone just as it was designed (except for the kickstand, of course…). The strength and durability of this case make it a must for anyone with small kids, or if you are going to be in an environment that could put your phone at risk. It looks good on your phone, but most importantly, it provides solid protection for the EVO for those who need it the most.
Thank you to Seidio Online for providing the product sample!

Photos courtesy of Seidio Online.

We give a special thanks again to our friends at Seidio for letting us review another case of theirs. This time were here reviewing the Seidio Innocase II Surface Case for the HTC Incredible. I can honestly say I don’t think anyone will be disappointed in this case. Those who are in need of a case that offers more protection with minimal sacrifice in thickness and weight gain should love this case as much as I do. With it, you are in charge of how much protection you need and when you need it thanks to the unique design and protection layers available.

My first impression after applying the first layer of the case was it is very thin. It does not add a lot of thickness to the phone unlike many other cases out there. The first layer snaps on to the phone in a two piece arrangement, rather than the standard one piece arrangement most cases use. As a result, it feels much more sturdy. It is designed from a hard and flexible material, with a unique soft-touch rubberized texture that gives me a better grip when holding the phone.

Let’s talk about the Ultimate Screen Guard. It’s crystal clear, easy to apply and actually the easiest and most stress free protector I’ve ever tried to apply to any phone. I work in a phone store so that is wonderful for me to find something so simple. The protector does have cut outs for the optical mouse pad and speaker for the ear. It covers the whole front of the phone unlike other protectors who only cover the main screen area and there is not one single bubble in it. I am thrilled that the installation went so well, and of course having a clean screen using the microfiber cloth provided was a big help.

The second layer of protection is the rubberized and hard plastic skeleton like shell that makes it much more durable for days you expect to be rougher on your device. This shell covers the first layer of the case and adds just a small amount of thickness to the phone. If you are one of those who drops your device on roads while working, running etc. this layer of protection will suit your needs just fine.

The third layer of protection is the holster. I chose not to use it but that’s for you to decide. I do like it but don’t have a need for it. There are many workers out there who would disagree and love to have the holster. This holster is very sturdy and I can’t imagine anyone breaking it by a hard drop. The spring clip is very easy to use and doesn’t scratch any parts of the case as it lies over it. There is a felt lining on the inside of the holster which protects the phone even more because you are putting the phones screen face in. Another great feature is the clip also has a strip of rubber on it to prevent the holster from scratching your case.

Overall this case is definitely my favorite so far. I don’t see a need to use each layer of protection on a daily basis but they are all great to have. The first layer with the screen protector is just like the average silicon cases most of us have tried before except the Seidio Innocase is much more durable and easy to apply. As you can tell in the images above, the cases aren’t really adding much thickness to the phone. Still, my favorite part is that the screen protector was a breeze installing! When I go jogging I will take those extra layers of protection with me and the holster also so I don’t have to worry about dropping it again. With the Seidio Innocase II on my Incredible it looks brand new! Who wouldn’t want one?

Tired of the original iPhone look? We know some of you are. Straight from Smartphone Clinic you can now pre-order iColors, covers for your iPhone that change it from it’s current color to Red, Blue, Pink or White.

The SmartPhone Clinic is committed to providing customers with superior quality service and parts by using only high grade manufacturer OEM parts. They back repairs and parts with a 90 day warranty to ensure complete satisfaction with customers. At The SmartPhone Clinic you will find a wide variety of services and solutions to meet your smart device needs.

Do you plan on getting one of these iColors? If so, let us know when you do and share your feedback. If not, let us know what you think about it anyway in the comments box below.

Thanks Hoodracer!

Source: SP Clinic

Not long ago here at PPCGeeks I had the privilege to review the Rover Puck and received great feedback. Some users were very quick to jump on the deal and others dug in to find out more information. Overall, the device was well worth it for those who didn’t have a 4G cellphone and wanted to have an easily accessible internet ‘hotspot’ device. The puck supports up to 8 devices; phones, pc’s and more so it’s a great deal for the money.

Today I am back to review Rover’s latest product: the Rover Hub. With the Rover Hub 4G Internet service at home, you have the freedom to connect on your own terms and choose your own plan with no commitments. Of course remembering that you must have 4G coverage, check that out here. Simply connect the Rover Hub to your computer, select the plan that’s right for you and you’re good to go. Purchasing this device will only cost you $99.99. This is $50 dollars less than the Puck!! The hub is compatible with Mac & PC devices as well as being able to hook it up to a wireless router and sharing your 4G service with up to 8 other wifi-enabled devices.

Receiving, Unpacking and Installing

The Rover Hub was the simplest way I’ve ever been able to connect to the internet through any sort of similar devices, sort of like the puck. All I had to do since I already have the Rover account setup from using the Puck was sign into my account and click on devices. Rover had already added it to my account so there wasn’t much more to do except for pick the plan I wanted to use.

I only use the $5.00 a day plan because I will not have time to use it daily. Saving all I can for when I want to use it! If you want to find out more information on the plans, see my previous review here for details. They are exactly the same for both devices.

To get it connected to my computer was also another simple step. All I had to do was connect the hub to my computer with the ethernet cable. I was then connected and browsing the internet in a flash! When I wanted to use it for more than one device all I had to do was connect the hub to my router and then connect each device to it. Simple as that!

Scenario #1

The first thing I did when I received the hub was connect almost every single computer in my home to it. This would include two laptops and two desktops with both of the desktops downloading the same thing I did in the Rover puck tests, Ubuntu. It’s one of the few programs I can use that is as large as it is.

Results:
File size of Ubuntu = 693 MB

Highest Download = 8.69 mbps

Highest Upload = 1.9 mbps

Lowest Download = 958kbps

Lowest Upload = .56 mbps

Time – about 20 minutes

Remember, that was with two desktop computers downloading this large file on each of them. I’d say that’s great speeds and time for completing a download, especially one of that size on two different computers.

Scenario #2

The second set of testing I did was on the fabulous Xbox while wideawake was playing COD Black Ops. Too many friends wanted to know how the service was and what our thoughts were. This event we couldn’t pass up!

Again, connecting this device to the Xbox was very simple. We simply plugged in the ethernet cable to the xbox and power cord into the wall. We then went to the Xbox internet connections and the hub was already listed. We simply connected to the hub and were online in less than two minutes!

Results:
Check out the video below to see for yourself just how clear it was.

We can tell you that 4G service while playing this game was awesome! No lagging, no freezing, very clear and for those who know what this means, the “NAT” was open! This was a huge surprise because normally when gaming on the Xbox with any routers or devices similar to the Hub, the “NAT” would be restricted causing you to have severe complications when trying to join your friends or groups for team matches.

Scenario #3

The third set of tests done were while watching a movie on my television on Netflix through Xbox and being connected to the hub. I must take advantage of everything possible that can be done with this device, so Netflix was definitely on the list.

Results:
While watching a movie on Xbox the hub was able to stream HD content with no problems. I was very excited to see another great outcome during the testing of this device.

Scenario #4

The fourth test I did was while using Skype on my computer and being connected to the hub. I not only used the chat service but of course video conferencing as well which is where the real testing took place.

Results:
Once again I can say that the quality of the call sounds and video content were crystal clear. Being in a 4G area and using the hub for skype is a great idea! The other person I was conferencing with saw and heard me clearly, same for me on my end.

Scenario #5

The last test I did was a simple speed test just to see what the highest speeds I could get would be.

Results:
Have a look at the image and see for yourself. Remember this is while testing in my home, same as from the puck. If I were at work in town I think I would’ve gotten even faster speeds. Either way, the rover hub is fast!

Conclusion

Pros
4G connection speeds for gaming and streaming online
Connects to Xbox
Connects to multiple devices
4G speeds in most areas
NO CONTRACTS!

Cons
Has to be plugged into ethernet for multiple devices while the puck doesn’t
Must have 4G coverage (too bad it’s not everywhere)
For now the only security seems to be WPA

Overall I was very satisfied while using the hub. The service I received was exactly what I expected from a 4G device, if not better. At first I was really worried but now that I’ve done several tests with the hub and used it for a while, I see how easy and convenient it really is. The size is perfect! It fits almost anywhere you want it to go. The coverage area seems to be very broad, especially here in Missouri. If you are a gamer and have been using a 3G device, I would highly recommend this to you for that as well. The 4G speeds of the hub will keep you online at high speeds with no freezing or lagging as some call it. Being able to use the hub while playing games on the Xbox or watching movies on Netflix through Xbox just doesn’t get any easier than this! To check out the latest deals on rover products click here and to purchase your very own hub or learn more about it click here.

Review of the HTC Evo Defender Series Case from Otterbox

By NinjaMom and PPCgeeks.com

Retail Price: $49.95

Pros:

• Durable Polycarbonate Mid-Layer
• High Quality Silicone Outer-Layer
• Built-in Screen Protector
• Protective Camera Lens Cover
• Port Covers
• Easy Access to Power Button and Rocker Buttons
• Silicone casing makes the phone less slippery in the hand
• Swivel belt clip

Neutral Points:

• Causes the phone to feel thicker and heavier.  However, to some this offers a better grip and feel for the device in one’s hand
• Due to the way the case adheres to the device, one may experience some initial difficulty with using the screen along the edges of the case, but you get used to it quickly.

Cons:

• Silicone casing needs to be re-fitted onto the device on the bottom after opening the charging port
• Makes changing batteries a bit more tedious and difficult since the case would have to be dis-assembled/reassembled after changing batteries.

The Otterbox Defender, sold for $49.95 at www.otterbox.com, comes in three pieces. The middle layer is a two-piece set of an incredibly durable polycarbonate that acts as a hard shell around your phone. Simply lay your phone in the bottom-half of the shell and snap the top piece on with the six contact points across the case. I did find that snapping these pieces together was difficult, and caution should be taken when assembling the case for the first time. In the past, I’ve had a hard time finding a snap-together case that would actually withstand a drop from the waist down. Most of my previous cases would come apart in such a drop, or end up scratching my EVO from the contact of banging against it! Thankfully, the Defender series case is not one of those cases. It snaps on and stays put as it was designed! Also, this middle layer has an integrated screen protector that makes the Defender ideal for any typical environment. No worries stashing the phone in your purse or bag!

The third layer of the case a shock-absorbing silicone that fits around the edges of the polycarbonate layer. It takes some time to fit the silicone around all the edges of the case, but once you have it installed, it really does give the true feeling of durability as all the parts come together. I have to admit that I was not sure if I preferred this case until I installed this layer, but I felt reassured as I took a look at the completed case in detail. I’ve used a variety of cases on this fragile phone before, but no other case made it seem so safe and protected like the Otterbox Defender. Though it gives all 360 degrees of protection, you can still open and close the rubber sockets to allow access to the headphone jack, charging port, and other vulnerable, yet necessary parts of the device to use even when protected.

With the case installed, I noticed that the phone felt a little heavier and thicker in the hand. I would not really consider this to be a negative aspect, as it does make the phone seem to “stick” to your hand somewhat. Therefore, I consider this to be a neutral point. After utilizing the case for a week, I can attest that the amount of weight and size that was added does not bother me as much as I had first thought.

Another neutral point for me is the way the case outlines the screen of the phone. It is more invasive on the screen than my gel case was, but the more I used the case during my day-to-day tasks, the less problematic this became. The only thing that the case does is to cause accessing my status bar a little more tedious.  However, if I drop my phone face down it will keep my screen further away from the point of impact.  I would much rather take the time to become accustomed to a new way to access my status bar, because if your phone breaks in a fall, you are not going to have a working status bar anyway.

Some minor cons with this case are as follows:  If you have a spare battery that you carry around with you, instead of just charging your phone, you will have to fully disassemble the case and reassemble it every time you switch the battery. When using the charging port, you might find that sometimes it is required to refit the silicone layer around the bottom portion of the screen. Thankfully, this is a minor point, as it is really not that time-consuming to re-assemble.  It takes nothing more than rubbing the layer up toward the screen with your thumb.

The case does come with a swivel belt clip that allows you to the flexibility to have your screen facing in or out from your belt. The phone feels very secure in the case, and the case itself does not add much weight. So for those of you that like to use a belt clip, this is a nice one.

When I started using this case (in place of my $20 gel case), I was skeptical on whether I would be able to find a way to justify spending $49.95 on a case such as this for my phone. I can honestly say that after using this Defender case, having suffered through with the old case which would not even let me press buttons with ease, I think the old adage “sometimes you get what you pay for” applies here. It is my opinion that this case is worthy of the added investment. After all, as valuable as your phone is, you want to make sure that your investment is well-protected.

The Defender Series case is without a doubt the best case I have utilized to date.  I enjoy the freedom it grants me to enjoy my phone without having to worry about the daily bumps, scrapes and scratches incurred in day-to-day use with such a fragile device, as well as the added insurance against the less-common harder impacts such as drops.  Would I recommend it to a friend? Yes! In fact, I already have.

Video Review :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L63Ho9BKfYQ

Now that resistive screens are on the way out and capacitive require the touch of a finger (or a reasonable facsimile…), those of you that live in cold parts of the country had exactly two options when you want to use your iPhone or Android device outside in the cold: Take your gloves of (or wear fingerless…) and risk freezing your fingers, or don’t use your phone. Now you have a third option: the E-Tip Gloves by the North Face.

Full disclosure: I live in Texas, and unfortunately, right as I received these gloves for review, we had a heat wave hit, so it has been abnormally warm here (it’s 82 degrees as I write this. That is just not right…) so it is going to be tough for me to evaluate the cold weather potential of these gloves, but I will do the best that I can with the limited experience I’ve had.

For any one that has ever used The North Face’s products before, you know they specialize in cold weather gear for hikers and skiers and they are not afraid to use different materials to achieve a balance between usefulness, dexterity and protection.  The E-Tip gloves are a classic example of this. They are a unisex glove, so either men or women can use them. The gloves are 93% Polyester and 7% Elastane with the tips of the thumb and forefinger of both gloves having a silver metalized nylon fabric sewn on.  The pair provided was black, but they are also available in white and asphalt gray. The gloves are form-fitting and comfortable without being tight or confining. I felt that while wearing them, it would make perfect sense to have them on under a larger pair of gloves or mittens if you were out in some truly nasty cold or snowy weather.

The palm, thumb and first two fingers have a slip resistant pattern on them that make gripping your phone (or the steering wheel, for that matter) comfortable and secure. At no time did I feel like my EVO was going to slip from my grasp while wearing the glove. This is a good thing, since most gloves that I used with my old Touch Pro 2 made me feel like I had to be extra careful as I lost dexterity and the fabric could get slick in the cold and wet. You get the feeling with the E-Tip, that even wet and frozen, you will not lose your grip on the phone.

In the limited cold we have had recently in my part of Texas, the gloves we comfortable without making your hands sweat. It was easy to pull my phone out of my pocket and my belt holster with a minimum of effort and I did not feel like a klutz while doing so. That’s not to say that it was as easy as using a bare had would be, but it wasn’t an impossible task.

Now to the real reason to have these gloves: Using your phone.  The short version is that I was able to easily navigate the app drawer, settings, messages, etc easily and confidently while wearing the gloves. The one thing that took a bit of getting used to was learning how much pressure to use and how to position your fingers without having the normal sensory input from actually touching the device with your bare fingers. The secret: Don’t try to compensate. That will mess you up. Just use normal pressure and movements and you’ll be able to fly through your phone like normal. Typing a message out on the on-screen keyboard was a bit of a pain with the smaller buttons, but if you trust your t9/Autocorrect/dictionary, you should get through it fine, I just would not recommend writing War and Peace in an SMS with these on. It will take you longer. But that is really the only physical drawback the E-Tip Gloves have.  The other drawback is the price. At $40 a pair on thenorthface.com, they are a little pricey for me and I would liked to have seen them listed at $20 a pair as that seems to be a more reasonable price point for a pair of gloves.

Overall, I was happy with the E-Tip Gloves. They are useful in making it easier to use your phone in a safe & secure manner while keeping your fingers warm. The only drawback, besides the price tag, is that it is much tougher to type wearing the gloves. In all other areas: comfort, grip, the capacitive finger tips, and the trade off of dexterity vs. protection, the E-Tip Gloves are a winner and I would highly recommend them to anyone that needs to be able to use their device in situations that would leave most of the rest of us inside, drinking hot chocolate and warming our toes near a fire.

I have recently been given the opportunity to review the Powermat 2x Mat and Dual 1850 battery pack, courtesy of the Michigan based company. To start out I would like to note that before I used the battery pack, I was the kind of person whom toted at least 3 fully charged batteries with me wherever I’d go. However, the consequences of having a juice-sucker like my EVO and needing to constantly change the battery are long gone thanks to the Powermat.

The mat comes with everything you need to get started: from commonly used tips to a convenient carrying case included for the pieces when traveling on the go, you will always have what you need and never have just a haphazard pile of adapters sitting somewhere waiting to get lost. The first thing I did was separate the tips that I was going to be using and put the others away in the nice little bag included. Typically the external batteries come dead as a doornail from most companies, as the cells are made in China or Japan, but the Powermat battery already came with a near full charge! The most commonly used tips included are a Sony camera plug, Apple iPhone and iPod, Nintendo DS Lite & DSi, Samsung, LG, Mini USB and of course Micro USB!

The dual 1850 battery pack is a dream! It’s probably hands down one of the best portable devices to recharge your phone with in my opinion. It has multiple ways to charge, whether it is on the Powermat or via the Micro USB port located on the device. Once fully charged it packs an 1850mAh punch to recharge your device’s battery; mine is only 1500 mAh, so I expect it to fully charge my phone even when it’s dead as a doornail! (Great if you constantly forget to charge it overnight.) It also has a retractable iPhone/iPod tip that pops out the side. Sadly this will not charge an iPad due to the device’s mAh output limitation – it’s just not enough juice. It also has a Micro USB cable to charge any device compatible, which I used on my HTC Evo when it died instead of having to remove the case, remove the battery cover, swap batteries, and put it all back together; those days are OVER!

These days I just have to charge my phone with the 2x mats and universal adapter, while simultaneously charging the dual 1850 battery pack. Much better than carrying tons of batteries around! When I leave for the morning I just carry my phone and the battery pack with me, all together two full batteries, which gets me through even the toughest of days. No more yanking that case off to swap batteries – it’s a wonder! Once the EVO battery is getting low, I just throw it on the battery pack and get a full charge in no time. I’ve also noticed that the phone rests nicely on the back of the battery pack while connected to my HTC Evo as seen in the photos below. All thanks to the power of magnets!

Overall, I would have to say that the Powermat products provided to me for this review were great. I would recommend them to anyone that is a multiple battery carrier or anyone other battery-changers out there. You know it’s a pain and if you can afford the price tag, RUN to your nearest store or head online and grab one.

I was privileged in being able to write a review on the BlueAnt SuperTooth 3. This is a speaker phone made for your car and works with text to speech, noise canceling and voice answer. It also tells you when you are disconnecting and reconnecting to a call as well as being able to talk to you in six languages!

Overall first impressions:

The boxing of the unit itself was nice, and simple. It came with a car charger, house charger and two mounting brackets for your visor and of course the unit itself with an owners manual. It was clear wrapped with plastic.  The first time that I used the device it connected without problems. The voice prompts were a little hard to understand when I turned my unit on the first time because the volume was all the way up which is what made it hard to understand.

Set-Up – Simple but time consuming – 3.5

So the set-up of the device was easy; the same standard setup for bluetooth devices with entering a pin of “0000”. It then goes through a brief connection setting up the hands free part. Here is the catch it then disconnects the hands free and then asks to initiate the transfer of your contact book. This is great, and is also super easy but it does take it’s sweet time. I have about 450 contacts on my phone and it took it about 10 minutes to transfer all that data to the unit itself. I think that this could be improved on but it is really nice feature! I love how you get to chose the accent of the device, of course I choose American English.  The other languages are: British English, Spanish, French, German, Italian.

As far as it goes installing in the car you slip the metal clip over the visor and then attach to the BlueAnt SuperTooth 3 via the two magnets on the back of the unit. This is super nice if you have to take the speaker phone with you into a building it comes off easy with little hassle. It comes with two clips so I guess for two different cars and it is nice not to have to pull the clip off and switch cars.

Size – 5.0

Well the unit itself measures 4.8 inches in width and 2.4 inches in height. I have to say that it feels about right when you hold it in your hand. When it is clipped on your visor I can say you don’t notice it at all! I really like how it feels and also looks when in use in a vehicle.

Overall Quality of Calls 4.5

Ok so this is the brass tax of everything and is what we all care about…Let me explain how I tested the unit and what was told to me by the person on the other end of the calls.

Inside Test – 5.0

First I tested it in my basement in our utility closet, this is by far the most quiet room there is in my house. I called both land line and cell phones and also made sure to switch who I called to get good quality feed back. I tested this with a land line first and the other party told me it was very clear, they couldn’t even tell I was on a cell phone. Understand this was a “perfect environment”. I then hung up with them after a total of 30 minutes. (Hey I am a guy that likes to talk)

I then called another friends cell phone. This is the interesting part, during our call of 30 minutes they had to ask me to speak up several times and said I sounded gargled. When I turned off the unit itself, and talked via my cell phone microphone they said all the sound issues were gone and to stop screaming at them. I do not know what happened there, but it did seem strange.

So for my third call I figured I would do a party call – one to a land line and one to a cell phone at the same time. I have to admit I called my parents on this, figure what better way to test it. We talked for a little under 15 minutes, and they both told me that they loved how crystal clear I sounded. I personally feel the second test just had a bad connection – somewhere in the loop.

My Truck – 4.5

Let me explain my truck it is a 2005, Chevrolet Silverado Crew Cab. I have 4 windows and a big V-8 engine. What a better way to test it then in this vehicle. Normally the cab is really quiet and very little road noise, engine noise but lots of radio noise. I love my music! So I called the same people over again with windows rolled up. Other than places where my cell phone would lose a bar or two in signal strength everyone said it sounded awesome. They could not hear my engine when I revved it up, and when I had my radio on. They also said that it seemed to be better than my normal cell phone conversations with them. I did have many complaints that the other end would hear themselves talking – like reverb… I.E. the microphone was picking up themselves from the speakerphone.  This is not all abnormal but it was bad enough that I had to end a couple calls because of the echoing the other parties had.

I then decided on a nice day of 55 – 60 degree weather to drive with all four windows rolled down, and talk to them again and really test the SuperTooth 3 voice DSP voice and echo canceling technology. This was amazing that I was able to have a conversation with all windows rolled down doing 70 MPH down the freeway without them having any trouble understanding me, and with a little volume control I was not having hard times hearing them. I was really surprised that this unit canceled out a lot of the wind noise.  I did get complaints that I did sound abnormal though, and I figure this was the unit trying to over compensate for my windows being rolled down.  Overall I really liked the quality it gave me in this situation and I was really surprised how well it functioned with my windows rolled down.

Battery Life – 5.0

So after getting the unit a full charge I have yet to charge the device back up. It gives you about 30 days of standby time and 15 hours of talk time. I have used the device for about 8 hours of talk time and it has been in stand-by time any other time, I do not shut this device off ever.  It has a really awesome feature that it detects when your car door is open, and closed and will reactivate and reconnect to your phone whenever you get in and out of your vehicle. This is super nice if you forget to turn the unit off – it goes to sleep. I find that it is quick to reconnect to – and it is quick to disconnect when you walk away.

Volume – 4.5

Ok so this thing does have “SUPER” in it’s name. But I did not expect it to have such a loud speaker. I mean this thing is fantastic – windows rolled down, radio cranked up and I can still hear my friend on the phone! This has to be one of the best functions of this speaker phone! I just love it. I never have to ask for my friends to repeat themselves and I hear them crystal clear. A disclaimer though, if the unit is set to full volume, the person on the other end of the phone hears themselves talk, the microphone is very sensitive. This is a drawl back to the overall unit in my opinion and I wish something could be done to fix it.

Price – 3.5

The list price of the unit when we asked to do the review was $129.00 dollars. This was hard for me to swallow because I hate to think of spending that much for a Bluetooth device. I like to buy accessories for my phone in the 40 – 70 dollar range. I don’t know just seems more practical. Now that we have had the unit the price is $79.00 dollars. Even this is a little hard to swallow but hey it is better than $129.00. The device was worth it though, and if you’re not shy about spending that kind of money on an accessory I would tell you to do it. It is amazing to talk to someone without having to hold your phone to your ear in the vehicle and not have something coming out of your ear.

Overall – 4.0

I like the device it is worth the money; despite the fact that the unit did have faults with connection the few times I did use it. It does seem to be a good solution to having a bluetooth device stuck in your ear all the time to enjoy a phone conversation. The other thing that is nice is if you have a car full people and you call a friend you all can laugh and joke with each other. It is nice device overall. I highly recommend it for road trips, now that I have one I can’t live without it. I find myself on my phone more in the vehicle now that I don’t have to take my hands off the wheel and have no issues hearing the other person. Check this device out or purchase it when it is available from right here!

There were high hopes for the HTC Merge to hit Verizon on November 18th, and those high hopes had quickly come and past. There has recently been sightings at Verizon stores with accessory inventory, giving new life to the anticipation for yet another world phone from Verizon using Android software. While all the accessories entering stores look to be complete, there is still no definitive sign on when the device will launch.

The HTC Merge is a mid-rage Android device, sporting Bing instead of Google Search (Identity crisis anybody?), an 800mhz processor, 3.8 inch, a full qwerty keyboard, 5 megapixel shooter, 4 gigs of internal memory, and running a healthy serving of Froyo with a some HTC Sense 1.6 sprinkles on top. The reason the Merge needs to hit the market, and soon, is because it’s been rumored to have LTE connectivity. With Verizon’s December LTE Launch, the Merge could be a hot seller up until the HTC Mecha comes into the playbook for Verizon. Either way, it looks like Verizon’s starting to rev up their engines for their 4G launch, and the Merge could help Verizon out in the upcoming Christmas season as an affordable 4G stocking stuffer.

We’ll let you know if we get any more news on this interesting slider and it’s impending release, so stay tuned.

Source:  PhoneDog.com

Are you an Android Developer? If so, you should check out the 2011 at&t Developer Summit!

UPDATE: Congrats to the winner of the case, O.A.T.! You’ll receive a PM with instructions soon!

My motto: “You can never have enough watches, purses, shoes, and yes, cases!”

My friends call me the “Case Lady” because I go through so many cases for my precious toys.  Since I acquired my iPad last May I have purchased more than five cases of different styles and purposes. There is always that new one that I just have to try. Imagine my joy when I had the opportunity to try out and review not one, but two cases from well known Case Logic.

Though similar in purpose, each of these two cases also has unique individual features.  Both cases are well padded sleeves with wrap around zippers and slim styling. As with most sleeve styles there is no strap or carrying handle suggesting the best uses would be for a quick trip from the office to the meeting room or to slip inside a bag, briefcase, purse or other carryall. The black (IPAD-101) is made from a semi-shiny nylon material that is very clean and durable with a contrasting teal liner. The herringbone (IPAD-102) is made from a woven cloth material that is suited to a business look with a not-too-bright orange liner.  Both products are very pleasing to the eye and are cleanly constructed with strong seams, rounded corners and finished edges. I asked my male friends which case they would prefer based no looks alone and all agreed they would easily use either one so case styling is truly gender generic.

The obvious difference between the two is in the fabric material. However, size differences also come into play; the Herringbone style is an exact fit to the iPad with virtually no extra room. The iPad slides right into the landscape-oriented opening and the case zips closed easily. When I put my soft shell on the iPad I am still able to slide the iPad into the case easily though the zipper is a bit snug. So far, with several weeks of use there has been no signs of excessive wear on the zipper from this setup. The black case is actually much larger, as seen in the photo. The ipad fits loosly into the portrait-oriented opening with plenty of room to spare. In fact, I was able to easily place my HP netbook into this case and close it up, great dual purpose!

In order to duly test these Case Logic productss, I ditched my portfolio style case and pulled on the sleeves. I recently had a stint with Jury Duty and took my iPad, incased in the Black (101) sleeve, to help pass the time. The experience was rewarding.  I was able to carry a few essentials (ID, cash, pen, phone) inside the case no need to carry extra baggage. The case also is great for security scanners since there is no requirement to remove the iPad. With this case I am not concerned with wear and tear, dirt, or snags as the material is very durable and yet pleasing to the eye.  The  Herringbone style case is much more business-like and eye-catching.  I used that model during the work week, carrying my ipad as I would a folder or clipboard to my meetings. I have to say several collegues were impressed with this look.

At the end of the day, I have to say  my favorite is the herringbone, though I used the black case more often. I am mostly concerned with the durability of the fabric, though I have had no adverse experiences. I have been known to be rough on my possessions and I do fear snagging or staining the product. I did not realize how much I would enjoy the sleeve experience as I always thought the portfolio was the way to go. I am happy to have had the opportunity to try the Case Logic products and I really do not miss the portfolio. Sleeves are so much thinner, easily fit into any bag or pack and can be used with the gel shell backing. The only complaint is I have yet to find a nice femine pattern or color that is not too girly or over the top. When I do, I will finally be satisified in my case quest… Yeah, right!

Thanks for the cases Caselogic! Now we’re going to give one away!

Post a comment on this review and you’re entered to win one of these ipad cases! Remember, these can be used for any device smaller than 10″ in size! Perfect for an upcoming Galaxy Tab

You have until November 20th to Enter!

Earlier this month, Otterbox was kind enough to provide me an Impact case for the HTC EVO 4G, and after a week’s use, I am ready to share my observations.

First Impressions

When the case arrived it was in the standard Otterbox packaging. In addition to the case, Otterbox includes and self-adhesive screen protector, a small microfiber cleaning cloth and squeegee card.  As I already have an XtremeGuard film screen protector on the phone, I did not use the included protector and it will not be covered in this review.

The case itself feels thick when you take it out of the box, especially in comparison to the Amzer Jelly Silicone case I was using previously. It somehow feels right before you even put it on the phone. Unlike many other silicone cases, the camera, flash and speaker are totally surrounded instead of one large opening on the back of the case. Another immediate difference that stands out is the build quality. I’ve used 2 other protective cases on my EVO, the Amzer I already mentioned, and a TPM Candy case I purchased on E-bay. Both of these cases had flashing and raised seams that not only looked ugly, but also felt odd when holding the phone. They felt very unfinished. Not so with the Impact case. While the molding seams are there, they are minimal and do not have the excess flashing and other manufacturing flaws the other two cases have.

The case itself slips on easily and it gives you the feeling that it is not coming off unless you want to take it off.  The camera is totally protected and you no longer have to worry about the lens getting damaged.  The raised edges of the Impact case also protect your screen, so if you ever put your phone facedown, it is will not touch the table.  One thing that takes a little bit of adjusting too is the larger than normal upper lip of the case that totally encloses the front-facing camera, speaker and light sensors. It makes it a bit more difficult to slide you notification bar down, but once you get used to it, you won’t notice it anymore.  The kickstand is easily accessible and the phone actually feels more comfortable in your hand. Otterbox has provided a good texturing on the back that makes it easy to grip and keeps the phone from sliding when you do set it down.

Another nice feature is, unlike the other cases I have used, the volume and power buttons are raised and can be easily found and used without looking. The other two cases just have barely raised bumps and could sometimes be difficult to uses those key. Otterbox has completely avoided this mistake.

Day-to-Day Use

In everyday use, the Impact case holds up very well. If you put your phone in your pocket, it can sometimes be a bit of a pain to get out as the silicone and anti-slip texturing grip the cloth quite nicely. But the alternative solution, a belt holster or case is limited by a lack of cases on the market that will fit the very large EVO already, when you add the Impact case to the phone, most belt holsters will not fit your phone anymore. And while this is not Otterbox’s problem, I would have liked to have seen them offer a list of recommended holsters that would work with the Impact.

I have not noticed any tendency at all for the case being a dust and lint magnet like other cases have shown themselves to be, and even if something does attach itself to the case, it brushes off easily with just your hand.  The case stays in place through normal use and you feel that your phone has a good level of protection, certainly enough protection for the vast majority of users would ever need.

Conclusion

Overall, I really like this case. It is comfortable in the hand, it fits the phone well and while it does add some bulk, it is not excessive. And most importantly, I feel that my phone has a good level of protection without turning it into an armored box. The case is more expensive than the cases you typically find in mall kiosks or on Amazon or eBay, but you do get what you pay for. The less expensive cases I bought on eBay had numerous production flaws and just did not fit as well or feel as good in the hand as the Impact case does. I would highly recommend this case to anyone that wants protection for their phone, but does not want or need the higher protection and cost of the Otterbox Defender or Seidio Rugged cases

Sprint is releasing an iPod Touch case sometime before the end of the year. The case is made by ZTE and is called the ZTE Peel. The case will give your iPod access to Sprints 3G network and also make the device a WiFi hotspot. No details as of yet as far as pricing goes, or whether or not a contract will be necessary. Most likely it will require a two year agreement since they are allowing access to their network.

The FCC just posted documents for a curious Sprint-branded case called the ZTE Peel 3200, packing its own battery and EV-DO connectivity as well as mobile hotspot capabilities. It might be for heroically transforming your iPod Touch into a phone.

Apparently the Peel doesn’t physically connect to the device it’s slipped around, which has the folks at PhoneScoop surmising that it could be designed to connect to the iPod Touch over Wi-Fi, allowing it to make calls on Sprint’s 3G network. The Peel also has the ability to serve as a Wi-Fi hotspot for 5 devices.

The real question is could you to “peel” away from AT&T’s iDevice hegemony? Would the additional bulk be worth the freedom from the AT&T ball and chain? Let us know what you think.

What Do you think, would it be worth the ditch to have to use it on Sprints network, over AT&T, or is it best to just leave it alone and use the iPhone as designed?  How do you think Sprints network would hold up to a flood of iPods coming on their network?? Express your thoughts on this, and iPod owns, would you be willing to use this type of service?

Sources: FCC via PhoneScoop via BGR

Not too long ago I felt the longest two seconds of my life when I accidently dropped my Evo and watched it fall to the ground. Thanks to our friends at Otterbox now you never have to worry about it again.

Over the past few weeks I have had the privilege to test and evaluate the all new HTC EVO Commuter Series Case from Otterbox.  The Commuter Series case is now available (after a long anticipated wait) and willing to protect your HTC EVO from the elements to include scratches, dings, dust and bumps while allowing full usability of the device. For $34.95, you get a triple-layer case that comes with a self-adhering protective film and features silicone port plugs, added shock/bump protection, and separate cutouts for the camera, flash, and speaker.

The Commuter provides two-layers of protection, a smooth silicone and a tougher polycarbonate shell that latches on top of the silicone. This will add some considerable bulk and weight, which may not be ideal for users who prefer to keep the phone slim. The extra shell appears very durable and beneficial should the phone be dropped or at risk for scratching.

As I mentioned earlier I have tested this case for about three weeks now and I have to say for the most part I am very satisfied with the product. Within the first few hours of having the case on the phone I accidently dropped the phone on some concrete and to my surprise there was no notable damage to the HTC EVO, the only damage done was a few slight scratches to the phone case that were barely even noticeable. The case is not waterproof but will provide some protection against rain. Using the case day-to-day I have to say I love everything about it, well everything except the awkward chin that covers the USB and HDMI ports. I think this part could have been designed a little bit better. I would have liked to see the silicone shell fit a little snugger. The silicone cover is a little lose and allows dirt and lint to get underneath it along the edges, not to mention the silicone cover is a lint magnet but wipes off pretty easy with any cloth. As I mentioned earlier the case does add some extra bulk and weight to the slim and elegant HTC EVO but in my opinion is worth the protection of the case.

The Commuter Series is the first of several cases OtterBox has planned for the HTC EVO, so this isn’t the last you’ll see of the company here on PPCGeeks.

UPDATE: It’s  been about three months and my zaggsparq 2.0 has kicked the bucket. I hope yours doesn’t meet the same fate. After a short investigation and opening it up – i spoke with an electrician who told me it appears there was a battery short circuiting – which led to a capacitor blowing and frying the entire kit. I hope your warranty holds out longer than mine.

Nonetheless, enjoy your zaggsparq while it lasts folks!

If you own a smartphone one of these days, one of the biggest blunders of the rapidly evolving and advancing technology is its life when on the go, AKA the battery life. When you stick 1GHZ processors and 512 MB of RAM into a tiny frame, you’re going to have such problems come up. Rather add to the weight and bulk of the device, as devices get more powerful the battery amperage remains the same, leaving you in the dust with poor battery life!

The only way to compete is to keep around an AC outlet or car adapter – unless of course you have been blessed with the ZAGGSparq 2.0!!

The ZAGGSparq was a portable lithium polymer (li-po) battery system developed by the Corporate Giant in the industry of phone protection: ZAGG, creators of the InvisibleSHIELD. For years, they’ve controlled the market as the leading accessory maker for phones, and continue with this POWERFUL and HUGE portable battery. Originally, the ZAGGSparq was released last year with horrid performance due to a technical issue. After ZAGG offered free replacements to users of the older ZAGGSpraq, they went straight back to the factory and redid the entire unit from scratch, repairing the poor performance and setting the road for this great device!

This device is huge, and when we mean huge, we MEAN HUGE. The unit is a 3.5″ square and 1 inch thick, so we hope you have deep pockets! (Or a backpack to store it in)

Now, how fast does it charge? FAST. Just as fast as an AC adapter, thanks to that optimized port. Charging on two ports at once will of course slow your charging process, as you distribute the mAH further, But considering you can’t get a faster charging process aside from AC (PCs only pump out 550 mAH, and this bad boy will do almost quadruple that in output!) so this is truly a game changer on the road.

Recharge? No problem! This unit will recharge in just a few hours, perfect if you’re at the train or bus and have a long ride ahead of you without AC. This bad boy will keep you going all the way home and back!

On a stress test, we kept the EVO running off of the ZAGG’s power and turned EVERYTHING on, this includes WiFi, Bluetooth, 4G, FM Radios, and also kept a constant TV stream going. The unit survived for over SIX hours before finally depleting the ZAGGSparq, leaving us with another 100% on the EVO to keep it going. What does this mean? This essentially means you can go almost 8-10 hours of moderate or typical usage before you use up your sparq, saving you from the horrid car rides and family reunions of boredom. Why watch Aunt Sally play horseshoes with Cousin Rachel when you can be watching the latest from the Daily Show News Room, not to worry about losing your battery at the picnic site!

Now, some of you may acclaim ZAGG didn’t fix the problems visited in the first release, and we wag our finger at them, as we constantly and consistently tested the ZAGGSparq for not one, but TWO months, confirming it will NOT fail due to heavy usage over a long period of time, and the next best thing, the HTC Battery Bank, won’t even compare with less Amperage, no simultaneous charge/discharge, and the limitations overall. The ZAGGSparq is a beast for mobile power, and you will NEVER again be without juice with this monster of a battery bank!

Be sure to pick one up over at the ZAGG website, at 99.99, the investment of always having power (say during emergencies, long road/train trips, or boring family reunions) even when the moment doesn’t offer it.

Thanks to Mr. Sherman for the assistance in this review!

Hello Again Folks! And we’re back with the winners in our lovely WinX DVD Conversion Software Contest!
Below are the winners, congratulations and remember to send me an email @ Joshua.Sherman[AT]PPCGeeks.com or PM me to claim your prize! You can pick it up here (the software that is) while you wait for your serial keys!

Updated Download Link! http://www.winxdvd.com/download/winx-hd-converter-deluxe.exe

Results are Generated from stattrek.com!

42:  raybudd

39:  dashlot

47:  toviaheli

23:  s8perman

12: bhl1523

24: smu

72:  whosdaman

32: coolwhip1220

09: gregjuice

34: popdog54

40: fitzbg

45: cruiser78

31: hieste

71: cparuch

35: frisco speedball

01: BigChico67

58: Jdizzle

52: qbertlives

33:  jpslater

66:  tk4223

Case Mate is known for high quality cases for all types of phones. A few months ago I purchased the Case Mate Tough Case and have been using it since. Today I got the opportunity to try out their Gelli Case, so I put them head-to-head. The Gelli Case comes in a clear smokey color while the Tough Case comes in 10 different color combinations.

First, we’ll start with the Tough Case. It comes with a silicon skin that goes around the phone to protect the phone from shock and an ABS plastic shell around the sides and back. This case is rated to protect against hard knocks and falls. You can get five different colors for the silicon skin and either black or gray for the plastic shell, giving you ten color combinations; of course you can only select one combination when you purchase it. This case offers the best protection from drops, although it won’t protect the screen, trackball, or the front bezel. You also won’t be able to use it with a dock although it has the cutouts for the gold connectors. There’s also no flap or insert to protect the micro-USB port from dust and debris. You can easily find all of the buttons because they are covered by the colored silicon case and stick through the plastic shell; so with the exception of the black on black combination, you can easily see them and no functionality is lost.

Now for the Gelli Case. This case is a flexible thermoplastic material which offers more grip than the regular phone backing. This one is rated for protection against minor impacts and scratches. As mentioned earlier, it only comes in a smokey gray transparent color with a unique design. As with the Tough Case, the buttons are covered, offering dust protection, and there are cutouts for the gold plated dock connectors on the bottom (although I don’t think it will work with a dock). It also doesn’t offer any protection for the micro-USB port since there’s just a cutout. The power button and volume rocker are raised but they aren’t different colors, so they don’t stand out as much as the Tough Case.

For everyday use, the Gelli Case is easier to get in and out of your pocket and it doesn’t seem to collect as much lint and dust as the silicon part of the Tough Case does. They are both very stylish cases and it basically comes down to cost and protection. Neither case interferes with the proximity and light sensors either.

If you want cheaper with less protection, then go with the Gelli Case. Its also better for when you pocket the phone and collects less lint.

If you want more expensive but the most protection, then go with the Tough Case. This one is top-of-the-line when it comes to protection, but it also adds bulk and the silicon can collect dust easier.

They both feel great in the hand and offer more grip over the regular, unprotected phone. They both also come with a basic screen protector which fits perfectly and offers some protection for the screen.

For my everyday use, I’ll probably stick with the Gelli Case and only go with the Tough Case when I’m more likely to drop the phone or if I’m in an environment where I’m more likely to damage it.

Buy them now from the PPCGeeks store (they may be back ordered though)!

Gelli Case / Tough Case

Hello
Hello, baby; you called
I can’t hear a thing
I have got no service in the club you say, say
Wa-wa-what did you say?
Huh?; You’re breaking up on me
Sorry; I cannot hear

Maybe with a certain Lady Gaga Bluetooth headset this phone call could have been heard. Well if you are searching for such a design than you are in luck! Earloomz has come out with 4 different Lady Gaga designs for their bluetooth headset. The 4 designs, whose naming are Famous, Monster, Speechless, and The Fame, are glamtastic and very Gaga-ish.

Other than the design, the rest is pretty standard fare. Each of the headsets support Bluetooth v2.1+EDR and use an internal rechargeable lithium polymer battery that can last for 8 hours of talk time and 120 hours of standby time. Each headset can pair to two devices at once and the package includes two ear hooks and three different ear buds. The Earloomz headsets can be picked up for around $60 dollars and are readily available for purchase.

Source- Slashgear

Where Bluetrek has set themselves very apart from their competition is in a way that seems logical with the progression of today’s smartphones and accessories, but has yet to been seen. Until now. The headset has its own free apps via the Talk2Me App Store, with some very intriguing offerings, such as the Personal Handsfree Assistant Dial2Go and bing411. The Personal Handsfree Assistant Dial2Go offers the user the ability to not only place calls via voice prompt, but also listen and reply to emails and text messages via voice, and much more. The bing411 app will allow the user to get news, weather, stock, traffic conditions and more all through simple voice prompts.

It is unknown as of yet whether the apps install onto the headset itself, the phone that is is paired with or function via a dial-in number. The Bluetrek Crescendo retails for $99.99 and is currenly available through Amazon for as low as $79.99. You can expect a reveiw of the headset soon as I just ordered one for myself. Considering the coolness factor of the apps and the technology that drives it, I couldn’t resist. If you already have the Bluetrek Crescendo, are planning to buy it or just want to give us your thoughts, let us know in the comments.

Source: SlashGear