I was lucky enough to get the Solio Classic Hybrid Solar Charger as a review item for us at PPCGeeks. This solar charger isn’t like other ones in the market. Its a hybrid charger, meaning it has an internal battery that you can charger either via the sun or with a USB adapter. So even if you’re in the dark, as long as the Solio Charger has a charge, you can use it to charge your device. It has its own 1650mAh Lithium-Ion Battery, which is bigger than most cell phone batteries. This means that you should be able to get a full charge on your phone from the fully charged Solio Charger.

Features:
-Holds a charge up to 1 year, so it’s ready anytime, day or night
-Charge it from the sun, via USB or from an optional wall charger
-Intelligent charging – Preventative overcharging
-1650mAh Lithium-Ion Battery
-3 high efficiency solar cells
-Multi-function LED light/start button
-Charging cable input (USB/AC)
-5-6V, 800mA output range
-4.8 Watts

Adapter tips included: (You can purchase other tips here)
-Micro USB
-Mini USB
-Female USB
-Nokia
-Samsung3
-LG3
-Sony Ericsson

I took a 300 mile trip the other weekend and decided to put it to the test. To charge it, i left it on the dash in my truck during the day while I was at work. It was a clear sky, so it had direct sunlight almost all day. To indicate how charged the battery is, you press the power button and the LED flashes. Each green flash represents 25% charged, so 4 flashes means its 80-100% charged. Unfortunately, there’s no suction cups to stick it on the window, but I was able to secure it a little by putting an edge of it between the gap between my dash and windshield.

The bundled cable to connect it to your devices is a little on the short end, which meant that I would have to leave my phone on the dash in the sunlight too if I wanted to charge it. The plus side is that it comes with the female USB adapter, so you could use any USB cable with it. While the unit is in the sunlight, you can charge your phone by the sun instead of using the Solio’s battery.

Using it with my phone gave me a pretty fast charge, probably about the same as using the USB adapter. I did have an issue when trying to use it with my GPS unit though. I have a Garmin Nuvi, which uses the mini-USB adapter. When I tried to plug the Solio into it, the Garmin booted up into its “PC Connected” mode, which it uses for updates. Unfortunately, every time I tried, the Garmin thought it was connected to a PC instead of a charger. This would have been a good solution for long road trips where the Garmin’s battery wouldn’t have lasted, especially since I mount my Garmin to the windshield anyway.

Since this model has the built-in battery, it was a little on the big side as far as thickness goes. Its about twice as wide as my HTC Surround, which is already a thick phone. The size is 4.7″ x 1.3″ x 2.5″ and weighs 5.6oz.

The three solar panels are attached by a plastic piece, which felt a little cheap to me. Another cheap “feature” was if you wanted to prop it on a desk facing a window, they include a pencil to put through the hole to make a stand. Yes, a pencil! I guess it could be called a multi-use feature, but they could have made a real stand or something else besides a pencil.

Overall, I was pretty pleased with this unit. I can see where it has its place in the market, but I’m not sure how often I would use it. Other reviewers used it while backpacking or on hikes, and I can see where it would be highly functional for that, but I live in the midwest, and there’s not many places to do that.

Find it at the PPCGeeks’ Store here!

Posted on behalf of Phillip D. Eenigenburg

In order to really review the Seidio Active case for the iPad 2, I actually need to review it three different ways:

1. As a fully-enclosed and complete iPad-body shell: When fully covered using the Seidio case as a front-and-back cover when the iPad is not in use, the case is absolutely perfect. It puts about a half-inch of air space between the screen and the screen-side of the case and almost gives the whole thing a “Panasonic Toughbook” feel. It turns the normally sleek and sexy-looking iPad into looking like it could survive a 10-story freefall unharmed (Do not attempt, I’m just saying it makes the iPad look indestructible). The best part of this application of the case is the circle-window on the back for the Apple logo. Very cool.

2. As a hard case for the back and edges while iPad is in use: When you remove the front cover to actually use the iPad (which is why you have an iPad anyway), you will find that it can be a tedious couple of seconds trying to remove the front cover. It’s not that it’s difficult, but if it is to stay on properly when used as a fully-enclosed case, it can’t just fall off easily. Once you remove the front cover, you can either set it aside during handheld iPad use, or you can snap it onto the outside of the back cover. That’s what I prefer. It snaps easily onto the back cover and gives you even more grippable surface on the perimeter of the iPad, which is clutch for a guy like me with huge hands.

3. The third way to use this case is to utilize the removed front cover as a desk or tabletop stand for the iPad and back cover. The inside of the front cover contains a flip-out stand that gives you a surface to lean your iPad anywhere from almost-flat to almost-upright. It will hold up the iPad in either landscape or portrait format, whichever you need. The flip-out stand is a little tricky to pop in and out of its storage position, but I imagine it gets easier with use.

Thank you Seidio for giving us the opportunity to review this case for our readers!

The PPCGP, All the Mobile News You’ll Ever Need!

Season 2, Episode 25

Be sure to follow us on twitter!

Host: Laos101 AKA Joshua Sherman

Guests: Our Newsies! Hoodracer, and News Manager Jason Fieldz

Topics:
Data data data – how much data are YOU using?

Verizon claims it will expand 4G network even more – Sprint lagging behind (2.5 million sq mile rumor)

Lightsquared pushing out 4G – Sprint too?!

Sprint and AT&T bickering over T-Mobile Buyout

Verizon’s Tiered Data is here! Get your unlimited plans while they last!

Congrats to Hypeo and baalho! We’ll be contacting you for shipping info soon!

GIVEAWAY: Geeks! At the end of this review learn how to win either a BRAND NEW Thunderbolt or Galaxy Tab Case!

OtterBox has been more than generous with PPCGeeks and has sent me a whole box full of cases for review, overnight shipping from across the continent from the U.S. To Canada at that! They even sent me cases to devices I do not even own just so I can take a look at them and see the quality is consistent across devices for their case models. About 3.5 – 4 weeks ago I was greeted with a large box from FedEX, I assumed was full of air. Oh no, it was full of 5 cases for me to fondle, use and test out in general. Here is a list of what I got in the box: 1 Samsung Galaxy Tab Defender, 1 HTC Desire Defender, 1 HTC Desire Commuter, 1 HTC Desire Z/ G2 Commuter, and last but not least one HTC Desire HD / Arrive Commuter.

Today I am going to focus on my review, toughs and general expectations, and if they were achieved for the Samsung Galaxy Tab Defender, HTC Desire Commuter and Defender cases. Since I was able to spend approximately 4 weeks of hands on with these cases.

Some of you may be asking Jeff, what are the differences between the Defender and the Commuter? So I’ll try to see if I can explain this and give some pros and cons based on how one would use the case and what applications/scenarios you may encounter and may present one case as better than the other.

The Galaxy Tab Review

The Defender for the Samsung Galaxy Tab is the only case they currently offered for the Galaxy Tablet, it is a very rugged case, and it fits extremely well. It comes in 3 parts to be assembled.

First we have the plastic hard case that is in two parts. The front has a screen protector built in that also doubles as a semi-water resistant seal around the screen that would help keep water out of the device if you happen to be using it in a bit of a drizzle outside or one of the kids gives you a shot with a squirt gun while you’re reading a book on the back deck. The backing clips on and I have to say it was rather hard to get it to clip on. The fit was so tight to the device and formed perfectly to every contour that it had to go on just so, straight and pretty much with an even pressure. I pinched my fingers a few times, it was not pleasant, but it was not a big deal. I’ll take perfect fit over a sloppy but easy to assemble fit anytime. After I got the first step done, attaching the hard under case to the Tablet, I kind of rolled it around in my hands, took a look at the seams and made sure it looked suitable as I am very specific about how my cases fit. I have to say it fits perfect, from the edges around the screen, to the cut outs for the microphone, camera and flash. They’re not even a hair line off and perfectly aligned and looks great.

The case itself is not waterproof so do not take my observation of the sealed screen protector front as such. It’s just a form of protection for the device, since I don’t know how many times I have been using it outside and caught a few rain drops that I was worried about leaking down the seam of the device where the screen meets the bezel.

Second is the rubber skin that goes on the outside of the hard case. It was dead simple to put on, all the holes for the microphone, speakers, USB, camera/flash and 3.5mm jack all lined up perfectly, not a single issue. The buttons also lined up perfect, which is one of my biggest issues with cases and why I hate most, if not all of them. The buttons either felt too stiff, did not line up right or the case maker just leaves cut outs for the buttons. This causes people like me with big hands to have to fight to get their fingers in the notch left out to hit the low profile buttons of the device. I’m pleased to say OtterBox has the best feeling buttons on their cases that I have ever used/felt on any cases. They feel perfectly natural and that’s what every case designer and manufacturer should try to achieve this as far as I’m concerned.

Third, we have the case/stand that the tablet can clip in face up or down depending on what you are doing, and what you prefer. The case is a hard plastic shell with rubberized feet that grips very well on most surfaces. This case will do a great job protecting the screen from impact as it has a good quarter inch or so gap between the case itself and the screen. It would take a lot of force to impact the screen, while holstering the device in the plastic shell. The shell also doubles as a fold up stand so you can prop the device up at a perfect viewing angle allowing you to relax with some Netflix while you do some homework on the back deck, or maybe watch some YouTube with a few friends while you’re waiting on something. The fold up stand is kind of stiff and you have to give it a hard tug to get it to come out of its notches that hold it flat in the case. I assume this is by design as you do not want the stand flopping around and hitting the screen of the tablet as it’s in the holster in your laptop bag, backpack or on the dash of your car.

All in all, I love the Defender on the Galaxy Tab. It suits my needs well. I am rough with it and I forget it’s in my bag and I give it a heave-hoe onto the floor in my office at least once weekly. It protects my investments about as much as you could possibly can, without putting it in a sealed safe and never using it. It feels very good in your hands and gives it a sturdy feel and a reassurance that it won’t slip from your grasp and drop to the ground. Over the leather fold up case that I bought from Samsung, this is the same price and much better quality and protection. If you’re looking for something to protect the device not just keep the dust off of it, don’t waste your time and money on a cheap fold over case. If I gave this a rating out of 5, it would be a 5. It is the best case out of the 4 I have so far. It may be the best case for this device period in my opinion.

The Desire Reviews

Next up is the Defender for the HTC Desire, this also comes in 3 parts. Maybe because of the size or just the design, but this inner hard case was much easier to put on the device without sacrificing quality or perfect fit.

Firstly, the hard case that, goes on under the rubber outer case, it again has a screen protector built in but because of the cut outs for the buttons on the front of the device I do not feel that this is an effective water-resistant screen protector like the tablets defender. It literally went on in a snap and was dead simple and quick to put on. On the front and back all cut outs that are required for the microphone, speaker, buttons, 3.5mm jack and the camera/flash are again perfectly cut and not even off by a single hair of measurement. The shell fits to the device perfectly.

Second part to this kit is the rubberized outer cover, the defenders all carry this rubber bump guard which also doubles as protection for the buttons, ports and gives your device a non-slip grip in general. Because of the design of this case the rubber shell was harder to put on then the hard case. It’s a little bit tedious, with larger hands like I have; it was hard to get the edges of the outer case to fit in the rail they are formed for on the edge of the inner case. After it’s on it fits well, in fact it fits just as perfect as the inner case and again the buttons feel perfect and natural when pressing. The case is not restrictive and will not get in the way of your usage.

Last part is pretty simple, it’s the belt holster. The device fits like a glove in it and this can again allow the device to click in face out or face in. It’s not much to talk about really, it’s useful, and I enjoy having the use of it. It ratchets so you can wear it on either hip or orient the device how you prefer. The quality is in par with the rest of the case.

My last opinions and thoughts on this are mixed though. The case itself and the protection it offers is top notch. However, I had some issues with my review model that I cannot say for sure are consistent with all the defenders or if mine was flawed in some way. The two things that were the deal breakers for me as my every day case were the fact the outer rubber shell kept falling off, it would start to come off on the edges because the rails it sits in are rather small and hard to get the rubber case to attach right to them in the first place. The second is this case design somehow ended up getting a very large amount of dust and debris from the air around me, and or my pocket under the screen protector. After a 2 week use of the case it was utterly filthy under the screen protector. Either of these issues that may only be localized to my review unit did not affect the usage of the device, more of an annoyance really, and it may be because I’m very picky about my cases. I have a pile of about 6 Desire cases; I hate every single one of them. 85% don’t fit the device or the buttons are stiff and annoying. The other 15% are a hazard to my health with sharp edges from the poor manufacturing process. If I have to rate this case I would give it a 4 out of 5 for my minor annoyances. The holster is useful, I loved it. Wish it worked on the commuter!

Lastly we have the Commuter for the HTC Desire. I’m going to open this with saying this is by far the best case I have ever used. It is my favorite case out of the lot, and it will be my every day case until I retire this device.

This case comes in 3 parts as well. First is the inner case that is rubberized, which is opposite of the defender cases. It just slips on, there is nothing to say about it it’s just that easy. The buttons are perfect, 100% natural and lined up with the devices buttons. The cut out for the 3.5mm jack is so precise when closed you cannot even tell the rubber has been cut. Now that’s what I’m talking about for a dust seal! I also appreciate the USB cover with the little rubber nub that sticks out and goes inside the USB port when you close the flap keeping all my pocket filth and other debris out of the port with the extra protection of the rubber nub.

The second part is the plastic outer shell that just pops right on in with a quick snap. It acts as an impact guard for the edges and makes sure you’re not going to bang it up with a simple drop or fall. I’ll admit I dropped the Desire on purpose a few times with this case just to see how it would react. It is still in perfect working order and I am very happy.

The last part of this case I would classify as optional. It’s a screen protector and it’s straight forward and fits as it should. I declined to keep it on as I don’t feel a need for it on the desire as the screen is scratch proof. I am also not a fan of how screen protectors can gather debris and look disgusting after weeks of use. So I opted out of this. But it does fit as it should and work well when it is installed. It does not restrict any device functions.

Over all this case is a winner in my books. Congratulations OtterBox, this is the first case I have not cast away from my desire with spite and malice. Not that I did this with the Desire Defender but this case suits my needs better so it wins the show. 5 out of 5 rating on this one. It’s a perfect match to my style and it just fits and feels great. If it had a holster, I think I’d have to raise the rating bar to show how pleased I would be with it. However, it does not. Hint Hint OtterBox.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, If you take my opinion for what you figure it’s worth, OtterBox should be one of your first cases to look into if you want one that can suit your needs. With quality, no restriction of functionality and usage, and fits the device properly. If you’re a little rough with your devices or work/play in a rough environment, the defender is for you. That baby will survive impacts other cases cry and crumble over. It’s for the person who wants to lock up there device to keep it in shiny new condition while still being able to use it. If you’re a light user, or want something smaller to fit in your pocket only and don’t need anything too bulky but want uncompromising protection for your device, the commuter case is your fit. It adds little to the form factor of the device, is pocket friendly, feels and fits amazing and just looks great. Any OtterBox case will be a perfect fit from functionality wise with little to no annoying issues that almost all cases I have used suffer from. If you have a premium device, why not protect it with one of the luxury line of cases. I loved mine so much, I went out and bought a commuter for both of my girlfriends Blackberries and her iPhone.

Hey Geeks, Laos101 here – Mr.X did an awesome review, but we also want you to tell us what you think of Otterbox’s and have a chance to win one of your own!

here’s how you can win either an BRAND NEW OTTERBOX DEFENDER for Galaxy Tab or COMMUTER for the HTC Thunderbolt

Just REPLY to this post, stating you want either the Tab or the Thunderbolt case, and we’ll randomly choose one winner for each device and ship it to them!

Good luck to you geeks! We’ll wrap things up on the 24th of June (06/24/11), which gives you a little over a week! One entry per person, and HAVE FUN!

Thanks to the LG Electronics Corp – we were given the unique opportunity to look at the LG Quantum, one of the first Windows Phone 7 devices currently on the market,we took an in depth look at it in this review! Read on to hear our side commentary as well as see the clip itself!

We just want to note that this review does have a negative impact on the phone – but this is due to the look at the phones current potential, as opposed to the OSes future potential and implementation. Our users may consider this a negative and at best, pessimistic view – this is because we are approaching the major design / implementation flaws still prevalent in a mature product (It’s been out for several months when we got a hold of it,) not to mention the limited capabilities of the device at hand.
BUT, we are also aware it’s in the first 6 months of life since Microsoft unveiled WP7 last November. Like Android, and the G1, we are sure it takes time to invest and develop the product – and that the first of these devices will show as more of a proof of concept, as opposed to what you will see a year from now when the device is ripe. We however are giving the perspective to users who will buy it today – thus we will note the compatibility issues, along with the awesome features and potential we see in WP7. We hope to revisit this review and show the comparison in features and show the development of WP7 much like to Android several years back with the G1.

In the end, it’s a solid device in the hardware end, but needs a lot of software revisisions. There is that seamless integration at times – but then you can see the cardboard edges of the set you are placed on, and it ruins the dimensions of in depth and feel of the game. It’s like seeing the stage props occasionally fall over and break – and it hurts our first impression of WP7 – but this is coming from a WM / Android user. Check out Jason Fieldz’s review to see a WM – WP7 impression of the devices from the Surround.

Enjoy the review!

Hello again PPCGeeks! This is Oridus bringing you the first look of Angry Birds: Rio. This installment of Angry Birds has been a highly anticipated addition to the super popular game series for iPhone (and pads and pods and such) and Android devices. This version is an exclusive version to Amazon’s App store that they attempted to launch this morning, but quickly removed it, therefore stopping most people from getting their paws on a copy of Angry Birds Rio. As always though, there’s someone who discovers the magic quickly enough and has extracted the APK for us, and has it posted on XDA Developers.  I was able to get my hands on a copy as well and installed it on my HTC Inspire 4g, and did a little first look video. So here you are with your first glance at Angry Birds: Rio.

[Update] Since Amazon was only offering the game free for one day, we have removed the link to the apk. We hope that everybody’s as excited about the game as we are, and can’t wait till Amazon can get the app store up and running again!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O96zBwpYGc

Today we bring you the latest ROM review we’ve done here at PPCGeeks. Thanks to krazydude we have gotten some great insight on one of our Windows Mobile ROM developers work, the Touch Pro 2 Plutonium ROM by vin255764. Krazydude is here to share his own experience with the very popular Plutonium ROM.

You may have already seen, heard about or used this ROM yourself. Either way please take some time to really get to know what the ROM brings to your device.

1 ) What was your first impression when you first installed the CDMA Touch Pro 2 Vin Plutonium ROM by vin255764?
My phone is a world phone which can run both CDMA and GSM. So I use a GSM sim card on a CDMA phone. The first thing that i noticed was the speed at which I could operate the ROM. Also for me the most important aspect of any ROM is the stability while making and receiving calls.Vins ROM’s are outstanding as far as stability is concerned. I do not have to reboot the phone and I get very few SOD’s (or not at all) for days on end. This for me makes a good rom and Vins ROM’s never disappoint!!!

2 ) Can you give your input on the UI navigation/homescreen/buttons? What theme does it come with and how does it look?
Most of the time I use SPB mobile shell, which creates its own user interface. But the few times where I have not loaded SPB, I have always found Vins ROM’s to be asthetically appealing and functional. His programs are neatly stacked in folders and his ROM’s are very easy to navigate from. Also on the first boot as well, his choice of the WINDOWS BOOTUP ANIMATIONS are also very easy on the eyes and the color combinations (themes) used are very easy on the eyes as well.

3 ) How is battery life? (How much % drain per x minutes/does it noticeably drain in standby)
Battery life is also very good. I normally get 1-1.5 days on a single battery charge (though my usage is normal) I do use a lot of internet / phone / sms etc. on the phone and I would say that my usage is moderate – heavy. I have not noticed any noticeable drain in standby ever.

4 ) Does it have Sense UI or no Sense UI? If using Sense, is it CHT 1, 2 or no cookie?
I normally use the Titanium or Naked ROM builds of Vins (since I load SPB over and above). So the lighter the ROM (without sense / CHT) the better.

5 ) What are any specific applications that come with this ROM that you may not find on stock ROM’s?
Slacker Radio / provisioning utilities or cdma which I dont use

6 ) What is the bluetooth quality like on the device with this ROM? Were there any tweaks made in this ROM for that feature?
I’ve never had any problems using bluetooth with this ROM. I am not aware if Vin has actually made any tweaks on the bluetooth stack but if so, it must have helped in the overall functionality of bluetooth. My bluetooth usage is minimal though. I just use bluetooth to transfer a few files from my phone to my wives.

7 ) Can you describe how long boot time is? Does it take a while or is it pretty fast?
Boot time is pretty snappy. I also use Android on my phone and if the WM boot was slow I would never consider using android because I keep switching between the two. Boot time is normally around a minute (I’ve never timed it though) but its pretty snappy.

8 ) Can you describe RAM and ROM on 1st boot? (How much internal storage do you have after flash and RAM)
Immediately after the first flash I have around 175-200MB storage (depending if the ROM is plutonium or titanium or naked.) Ram is around 100MB on first boot which drops down to 70-80 after usage.

9 ) How well does the WiFi feature work on this ROM you use? Does it differentiate in any way from the stock WiFi features? Does it hold a strong network signal for you while in use?
I have not used a stock ROM since the first day I bought my phone so I can’t compare a stock ROM with a custom ROM. WiFi on this ROM is very stable and I have never had any complaints. I use my phone on WiFi at home and the office and I can say that the WiFi is very stable and fast.

10 ) What dialing options do you have available with this ROM? Can you give us details or screenshots?
Vins ROM comes with stock dialer options but he does give us skinning options (bling devotion dialer skins here.) These can be added to your rom to customize them to you liking. In fact, if you read the first page of vins ROM’s you have a lot of customization options and I love vins ROM’s for that reason as well.

That’s the end of this ROM review geeks and we hope you enjoyed learning what you may not have known already. If you own a TP2 and haven’t tried this ROM, what are you waiting for? If you have, that’s awesome! We hope to hear from you! Be sure to hop into our TP2 section and check out the official post and information on this development.

So I was privileged to have the chance of a lifetime; a 2 week special time with the HTC Surround – AT&T Windows Phone 7 Device. In this review I will break the phone down in Pro’s and Con’s, rate both the hardware and software and then give my personal opinion about the device. I hope that during your reading you feel enlightened enough to at least try a Windows Phone 7 Device, especially the HTC Surround.

You will notice a number group beside each category, example: 4/5. This is me grading each category from a 1 to a 5, 5 is the best, so don’t be confused.

Screen (4/5)

The Screen itself was stunning. It was sharp and clear even in the brightest sun light. I was always able to read the screen. Movie watching was like watching a movie on my 1080p 37 inch T.V. just in a 3.8 inch format. The reason I only gave it 4 out of 5 is because I would like to have seen a bigger screen say 4 or even 4.3. This device was “designed” to be a multimedia experience. Why not go big and bold?

Speakers (3/5)

OK, so movies are EXCELLENT! You could not have done any better on the surround sound for movies and music. The Phone speaker (headset) is good quality too, crisp and clear. Now the whole reason I only gave it 3 out of 5: the speaker phone – it sucks! It is almost so bad that I am ashamed to say HTC made it.

My Touch Pro 2 had better speaker phone and it is a 2 year old device. Now I have been told by other HTC Surround users that if you slide open the speaker bar the speakerphone is better. Seriously? I have to slide my speaker bar open to have speaker phone? That is crap in my opinion. Not what I want to do in a meeting or car. Sorry, this to me is a failure on the hardware of the phone. HTC should have done better, much better in my opinion.

Microphone (2/5)

I had people constantly telling me the sound quality stunk. I tried both speakerphone and non-speakerphone. I had several people tell me that they had a hard time hearing me in my truck that there was lots of background noise. Upon inspection it didn’t seem that the HTC Surround had dual mic’s to cancel out noise like 98% of other phones. Again, all I can say is WHY HTC? Just WHY? Again, failure on HTC’s part to give us features we need in this day in a phone.

Size (5/5)

OK given what it was it was nice, felt solid, firm and it was the perfect size for my hands. I enjoyed playing with the phone in all aspects. It was a blast and it just felt natural to have in my hands. I still think overall it needed a bigger screen but hey, I can’t knock the size down since it wasn’t designed for that screen size!

Battery (5/5)

14 hours of battery life. Need I say more?

Overall Thoughts (4.5/5)

I broke my rule. I had to give it 4.5. This phone was awesome to use hardware wise and it had its issues with the speaker and microphone but they were not huge issues. It does need improvement sure, but hey, overall it’s a good device. I would own one if I was on AT&T and if it came to Sprint I would own it in a heartbeat.

Windows Phone 7 is the OS; with that said I am going to review the software much like the hardware above. I am going to break it into categories rate them and give you my opinion on the OS of the phone. Please remember this is the first version of Windows Phone 7 and it’s brand new so there will be bugs.

Metro UI (4/5)

I like Metro UI. It is simple, fast, smooth and finger friendly. Coming from a Windows Mobile Device running 6.1 / 6.5, it was nice change. My Touch Pro 2 had issues with Sense and I like the idea of Microsoft controlling the UI for the phone. It did had issues with the fact that I can’t have a background other than white or black. The lock screen was a nice touch. It was the only real thing you could customize. Coming from Windows Mobile where you can customize everything, I loved it. Microsoft has done a good job at a standard and I look forward to this being developed more. Keep up the good work Microsoft.

Calendars (5/5)

Speaking from a Corp. Exchange user that has Hotmail, Gmail and Outlook Calendars it is amazing to have all calendars in one spot! I loved this feature. No more fumbling around asking what calendar is what appointment on. I can now live life simply and enjoyable. This has to be one of the best features of Windows Phone 7. I can’t think of one bad thing to say. GREAT JOB MICROSOFT!!!

Emails (4/5)

I like how the emails are smooth, snappy and very well presented. Much better in my opinion than Outlook/ActiveSync on Windows Mobile. My phone was syncing 4 accounts (Hotmail, GMAIL, Yahoo, Outlook) and they seemed fine. Only complaint I have is that it does not appear that I could make the choice to download pictures/email content automatically. This became a hassle as lots of emails have pictures embedded in them, or HTML style emails. I think this should be checked into Microsoft.

Bluetooth (2/5)

So I tested the Bluetooth with 3 different devices and 4 different cars. Bluetooth headsets worked amazing. The bluetooth connection to computers was a challenge for me, it did not always like the connection and would refuse items every once in a while. I also tested with my BlueAnt ST3 speakerphone/car kit and it worked, but with volume up and speaker phone all the way up it was still like a whisper to me. It seemed to also fluctuate in volume, like it was never “set” always changing louder, softer, louder, and softer. I also took it to a Lexus and Acura dealer and both those cars had issues connecting and once connected the audio quality was subpar in quality. Microsoft really needs to investigate this. I am assuming it is a driver issue since that has been reported on multiple phones not just the HTC Surround.

Zune (5/5)

Can you say mini Zune player? It was awesome. I have Zune on my computer and it was just like that, clear steady stream of music. I loved it! Even with the sound bar being out it was an awesome experience.

Internet (5/5)

This is nice! Finally an internet worth using on a mobile device. I swear I could not put it down. Keyboard was nice and easy to use. The screen was always easy to read, portioned right and overall amazing. I found myself in Wal-Mart using it to find idea’s for different products; reviews and such for games. It’s  just simply amazing!

Bing (4/5)

Bing was awesome on the Touch Pro 2 with turn by turn directions, instant search and voice searches. That’s all there in Windows Phone 7 BUT the turn by turn directions. I think this needs to be added. Sure we have Bing Maps but yeah, we need those directions announced. I love the voice feature and the button to access Bing. That was the best thing ever thought of in my opinion.

Marketplace (Apps) (4/5)

With version 1.0 the  new market place has around 6,000 apps. Seems fair, even if quality of apps are lacking it was nice to have apps to test. There are alot of free ones as well. Only problem is that I would like to see an ability to search for just “apps” or just “games or “just music,” not everything together. Other than that I like it. For where for the marketplace is now, I wouldn’t say it has too many improvements to make, maybe a few, but ask me again in 6 months I might give you a different opinion.

Overall (4/5)

For version 1.0 of Windows Phone 7 we have a good quality product. Sure there are flaws, but let’s be honest here. Who had a perfect device on the first release of Android? Nobody. We are at version 2.3/2.4 and 3.0 Honeycomb now and they still have flaws. Apple – HA, yeah let’s just call that a work in progress. WebOS, Where is version 1.0 and 2.0 at now? That’s what I thought.

So my point here is simple; the OS grows as it matures and we see features added, removed with time. We love it and hate it. This is a good start though right?. I would recommend Windows Phone 7 to someone, even a geeky person as myself. It really did do what they said, “In, out and back to life.” Keep up the good work Microsoft because I liked it. I will miss Windows Mobile though, but hey times change and we adapt.

PPCGeeks, please below let me and the others know what you think of the HTC Surround now that it has been torn apart from top to bottom. I enjoyed this review. It was fun and atlas I was sad to have to send the HTC Surround back. Simply because i have to go back to using 4 different calendars and no ability to link (merge) them together in one place. The Facebook address book was cool. It was nice to have one central place for contacts that are always updated. Features not above can be discussed below, and who knows maybe I will get another chance to review Windows Phone 7, then I will ask you what you want to see in a review. So tell me what you thought below. Grip, rant, rave and praise it. Just tell me!  What do you think of Windows Phone 7?

Hey Geekers! Have you ever been outdoors with the need to charge a cellphone or any type of electronic device without an outlet anywhere in sight? Well, the portable Solio Battery Pack & Solar Charger may be right for you. The compact unit is capable of charging a variety of different devices ranging from cellphones to digital cameras. The connectors included with the package are:

• Micro-USB
• Mini-USB
• LG3
• Female USB
• Sony Ericsson
• Samsung3
• Nokia

The Solio website also has more connectors available if the one you’re looking for is not included.

I’m working on a review for the device, but the midwest snow is not allowing for enough sun, so i’ve done an unboxing for you to get an idea for it. Enjoy.

Hey guys. Tony here bringing you another video review for WP7. This time we take a quick glance at the Twin Blades side scroller and the classic game of Pac-Man. If you have an app or game you would like me to review for WP7 or Android, email me at anthony.pollard@staff.ppcgeeks.com.

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Courtney1985 here, just saying be sure to hop into our forums and discuss this game. It looks very addicting and I must say, I can’t wait to try it out! What about you?

(EDIT: I apologize at the error in the video, the app is NOT free as mentioned in the video. It’s a one time fee of $2.99.  Many apologies.)

Hey there, Oridus here with a video review for Deluxe Moon from LifeWare Solutions.

As described on their website, LifewareSolutions.com

“The Moon is our closest celestial neighbor and the most prominent object in the night sky.

Although the Moon is so much smaller than the Sun, it strongly affects everything on the Earth, including many aspects of your life. Not only tides and animals are affected by the Moon, but also it influences human emotions, relationships, blood pressure an even finances.

Many forms of life on Earth depend on the Moon movement. If you keep track of it, you will soon discover some amazing relationships. This knowledge could help you make your life better!

We would like to offer you the tool to discover more about the influence of the Moon, your mobile assistant which is always at your service wherever you are.

Enjoy our Deluxe Moon application and save money: it is completely free. “

Features: o  Visual picture of the moon phases and the percent of the illuminated area.
o  Full names of all moon phases.
o  Zodiac Sign the moon is in.
o  Current moon’s age: how far along the moon is in its full cycle.
o  Moonrise and moonset times for your location.
o  Amount of time from moonrise and to moonset.
o  Supported languages: German, French, Spanish, Italian. Learn more
o  Calculations for the current and other dates.
o  Network independence: you can work anywhere in the world without Internet or cellular connections.
o  Your current location determined by GPS or cellular network.
o  Resolutions: QVGA (240×320), HVGA (320×480), VGA (480×640), WVGA (480×800).

Compatible with: Square 240×240, WQVGA (240×400), Square 320×320, SquareVGA 480×480

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.

The PPCGP, All the Mobile News You’ll Ever Need!

Be sure to follow us on twitter!

Host: Laos101 AKA Joshua Sherman

Guests: Our Newsies and (Possibly) Evan Selleck from AndroidCommunity.com

Topics:

Microsoft’s Marketplace is slowly (but surely) growing!

The Plot Thickens with Microsoft’s Updates!

The Dual Core Phone is here!

LTE from MetroPCS? Verizon Piggybacking?

The PPCGeeks Spotlight!

Personalized Voice Recognition is here!

The HTC EVO Shift? Possibly?

Are 4G Tablet coming anytime soon?

Hey there Geeks! The folks over at Otterbox happened to send my way a Commuter Case for the Apple iPad, so I took the liberty of tearing it apart.

Figuratively, of course.

For those of you who don’t know, Otterbox is a growing company out of the Ft. Collins area that we’ve been taking a detailed look at for a few weeks now. We’ve looked at their EVO, Epic, Hero, and now iPad cases for all shapes and sizes. They sell almost every device case for almost every model and we’ve seen a big emphasis on quality by the company

at $64.95, this case is a real number on the budget, but when it comes to defending a $500 – $1000 device, it comes down to being worth it!

The case features three main components. A strong, durable outer case, a flexible, protective inner piece composed of a silicone-rubber type of composite, and a free screen protector for cover those 9″ of real estate.

If you are looking for a proper case for a proper device, i cannot suggest any other than the Otterbox for the big spenders. It’s stylish (letting you see the lovely brushed metal back with the Apple logo,) clean, and well built. It also comes with a removable guard so when you’re on the go, your pin connector on the bottom won’t end up damaged. You can remove it when charging (it doesn’t stay part of the case except when attached, so don’t lose it!)

Last but not least, PLEASE take caution when applying it. The protectors for your headphone jack, and power button at top will get stuck on the plastic, and you have to apply A LOT of pressure to get it in. I suggest you take caution but not damage the device overall. Once you get it on, don’t take it off unless you’re sending your device in for repair. otherwise you may lose the quality of the build by breaking it.
In the end, I love this case. I think it protects the device yet still keeps that sleek, cool design Apple spent millions on developing. If you got the $65 plus shipping lying around, go out and get it!

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!

CONGRATS to southballa for winning that Incredible Defender case! Stand by for a PM!

Hey there Geeks!

As part of a month long of giveaways and contests before the holidays, we’re giving away a DROID Incredible Defender Case, courtesy of Otterbox!

Just read on to win!

HOW TO ENTER: Post a reply to THIS NEWS POST! Or, follow PPCGeeksDotCom and send a message on twitter, mentioning that you want to win the case! (Something like, @PPCGeeksDotCom I Want That Incredible Defender Case by Otterbox!) Do both and you DOUBLE YOUR CHANCES TO WIN!

Good luck! We’ll draw a winner on December 3rd!