Latest Gear Live Videos
A pouch for the paranoid: cellphone blocker
Posted by Sparky Categories: Accessories, Smartphones, Wireless / WiFi,
Brando is now offering the Black Hole phone bag, a pouch for your phone with two pockets. One of the pockets is ‘normal’ and just carries your phone, but the other pocket features a cell blocking material which essentially turns it into a Faraday cage. Slipping your precious mobile into this special pocket blocks all incoming and outgoing cell signals. It seems like a strange solution when simply turning off the phone offers the same functionality without the $12 price tag, but somehow we suspect that that may not be enough for the ultra-paranoid among us.
Read More 
| Brando Mobile
Advertisement
Bleeding Edge TV 190: How to Replace Your iPhone Battery
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, Apple, Cell Phones, Features, Handhelds, Podcasts, Portable Audio / Video, Videocasts,
Apple has locked down the iPhone battery, which means that once it can’t hold a charge, you need to send it in. If you’d rather just buy your own battery and replace it yourself, we’ve got your hookup. Nate and I got together to film this this tutorial, which shows how to replace your iPhone battery. Heck, even if you have decided that you will never open up your iPhone on your own, we think it’s still pretty cool to see the process - so just hit play, okay?
Oh, and just to be sure we’re all clear, we take absolutely no responsibility if you try and replicate what you see in our video and end up bricking or damaging your phone. Okay, happy viewing!
USB handstrap also charges your phone
Posted by Lolita Beckwith Categories: Accessories, USB, Smartphones, Misc. Tech,
Don’t you hate it when your cell runs out of juice…and your charger is back home? Well here’s something to consider: the USB Leather Handstrap. It’s an innocuous-looking, always-handy strap…that is until it’s time to charge your phone. Then, just slide the block down the strap, revealing both a USB cable that plugs into your computer, and a mini-USB for your phone. Now you’re ready to charge away! Measures 7” long x .3” Wide. The strap will not work with all phones, so make sure yours can be charged via USB before ordering. Currently on sale for $12 USD.
Read More | Everything USB via Gear Diary
Nokia Releases N82
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Cameras, Smartphones, Corporate News, Wireless / WiFi,
The latest in the long line of Nokia products to come out is their 5 megapixel N82. With Carl Zeiss optics and Xenon Flash for low light, it’s all about the camera. The phone/cam also features high-quality video recording, an orientation sensor, and can send pictures instantly. A successor to its N95, it comes with a 2 GB microSD memory card for 900 images or 84 minutes of video. The N82 also has WiFi capability and comes equipped with Nokia Maps. Count on a price of €450 (~$658.00.)
Read More | Nokia
Why I Love LG’s VX9400 Cellphone (aka the “TV Phone”): A Review
Posted by Lolita Beckwith Categories: Smartphones, Editorial, Features, Product Reviews,
In August, my contract with T-Mobile ended, and I was ready to upgrade my cell phone. Like most everyone else, I desperately wanted an iPhone, but the $500 price tag was too rich for my blood. I also considered the Sidekick, which would have allowed me to stay with T-Mobile (whose service I love). Then one day I wandered into a Verizon store to check out their “TV Phone”: LG’s VX9400. You’ve probably seen the commercials of people watching “The Daily Show” or “Spongebob” on their cellphone and wondered “Just how good is that thing?” Well, I was hooked instantly and purchased it the next day. Despite the phone’s drawbacks – and they are major—I’ve been in love with it ever since. Here’s why…
Click to continue reading Why I Love LG’s VX9400 Cellphone (aka the “TV Phone”): A Review
Sharing a 3G internet connection with the iPhone
Posted by Sparky Categories: Apple, Broadband, Smartphones, Handhelds, Internet, Mods / Hacks, Portable Audio / Video, Wireless / WiFi,
Pyrofers has posted a how-to on turning a Windows Mobile 5 or Windows Mobile 6 phone with 3G access into a high-speed modem for the iPhone. The whole process seems a little extreme given that you would have to pay for, carry, and keep active a 2nd device at all times, but might be useful if you have a spare Windows Mobile device hanging around and if you can convince your work to pay for an unlimited data account for it. Fair warning - the hack involves registry editing on your Windows Mobile device so proceed at your own risk. As for us, we will likely just wait it out for the iPhone 2.0 (iPhone Extreme?) to come out with 3G internet access built in.
Read More | Pyrofers Projects
Bleeding Edge TV 186: A Look at HP’s New iPaq Line
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, Cell Phones, Features, GPS, Handhelds, Podcasts, Videocasts,
We have even more video goodness for you from the HP Your Life is the Show event. This time we talk with David Fishman about the brand new line of HP iPaq handhelds. Specifically, we’re talking about the iPaq 100 Series, iPaq 200 Series, iPaq 310 GPS, iPaq 600 Series cell phone, and iPaq 900 Series smartphone. All good stuff. Let us know what you think, and stay tuned for one more video more from the Your Life is the Show event.
iPhone Update 1.1.1 Now Available
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Portable Audio / Video, Software,
The first major iPhone software update has finally been released from Apple. iPhone Software Update 1.1.1 includes a host of bug fixes and new features. When you launch iTunes to download the update, you are warned that if you have modified your iPhone in any way, there is a chance that the update might permanently damage it. Fun! This update is a big one, weighing in at 152.3 MB in size. Here’s the lowdown on what you can expect:
- iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store
- Louder speakerphone and receiver volume
- Home Button double-click shortcut to phone favorites or music controls
- Space bar double-tap shortcut to intelligently insert period and space
- Mail attachments are viewable in portrait and landscape
- Stocks and cities in Stocks and Weather can be re-ordered
- Apple Bluetooth Headset battery status in the Status Bar
- Support for TV Out
- Preference to turn off EDGE/GPRS when roaming internationally
- New Passcode lock time intervals
- Adjustable alert volume
Let us know if you find anything not listed there!
iPhone crushes HTC Touch and Nokia N95 in usability tests
Computerworld just published its in-depth usability test of the Apple iPhone, the HTC Touch running Windows Mobile 6 Professional, and the Nokia N95 running the Symbian operating system. The tests involved a number of participants who had never used any of the three devices, and had measurable results (i.e. the time it took to accomplish various actions). Apple’s famed information architecture and interface design skills seem to have paid off as the iPhone bested it competitors by a factor of two in some of the tests.
The study praises the iPhones information architecture and consistent user experience as a strong benefit to any user be it someone new to the iPhone or a power user. At Gear Live we have noticed several inconsistencies in the user interface, for instance, the new message button being in different locations in the mail and SMS clients for instance. We do however agree with the general consensus of the study that overall the user experience with the iPhone is far more unified that it’s competitors.
Things were not entirely positive for Apple - some users found the lack of tactile feedback a little disorienting, however all users were able to finish each of the tasks with the iPhone. The also iPhone fell behind it’s competitors in the sheer count of features. The N95 managed to edge out the iPhone in this category with GPS, voice activation and the ability to record movies with it’s camera. Considering that the Nokia is $100-300 more expensive in the United States than the iPhone many users have elected to splurge for Apple’s $400 easy to use wonder device.
Read More | Computerworld
Bleeding Edge TV 182: iPhone Reviewed by Average Consumer (My Wife)
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, Apple, Cell Phones, Features, Portable Audio / Video, Product Reviews,
So, let’s cut to the chase - the reason that Apple slashed the price of the iPhone by 33% at the September 5 Apple Event was because Steve Jobs and company felt that was the best way to bring the device to the mainstream phone buyer. Everyone I know who owns an iPhone is someone who is an early adopter of consumer electronics. People who buy Apple products the moment they are available, people who refresh their RSS readers a few times an hour (or more), and people who scour sites like Gear Live for news multiple times a day. The only person I knew who owned an iPhone who didn’t fit the mold was my wife, Monica. I figured I would have her review the iPhone from her perspective - that being someone who couldn’t care less about technology, gadgets, the Internet, or anything that involves something that has to be charged or plugged in to a wall. This, dear friends, is a review of the iPhone from someone who is completely satisfied with the free crappy phone you get when you sign up for any standard cell phone plan.
Do note that the video was recorded prior to the iPhone price drop, so keep that in mind.
Advertisement
© Gear Live Inc. {year} – User-posted content, unless source is quoted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Public Domain License. Gear Live graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, videos, articles, blogs, forums, scripts and other service names are the trademarks of Gear Live Inc.