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Top Gadgets For Christmas 2011

techconsumer — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 01:36:48 +0000

It’s that time of year again – jingle bells can be heard in the distance and the smell of roasted chestnuts lingers on every busy street corner. Storefronts are festively decorated with lights and ornate wreaths, while somewhere far away Santa is making his list and checking it twice. Of course, the gadget guru hasn’t noticed any of this – as he’s been glued to his iPhone playing angrybirds. Oh well, you still need to get him a gift, so without further ado, here are our Top Gadgets For Christmas 2011:

iPhone 4S

It shouldn’t come as any surprise that one of our top picks this Christmas is the newest model iPhone – The Apple iPhone 4S. Sure, the iPhone 5 wasn’t announced, and that disappointed many people, but the iPhone 4s does offer a few rather significant upgrades over its predecessor. Improvements in the iPhone 4S include:

Better camera: The iPhone 4S features an 8 megapixel camera, a significant upgrade over the 5 megapixel camera on the iPhone 4. It is also capable of shooting HD video.

Improved processor: You better fasten your seat belt, as the iPhone 4S features a major upgrade in processor power over the 4. In fact, the dual-core a5 chip offers more than double the speeds of the iPhone 4, and 7 times its graphic rendering speeds.

Perhaps the most talked about new feature of the iPhone 4S is the fact that this smartphone talks! The iPhone 4s is the first iPhone to offer “Siri” which is essentially a service that allows you to make more requests to your iPhone via voice — and “Siri” will even respond with audio. The video below shows just how advanced and potentially game-breaking this feature is:

Amazon Kindle Fire

Perhaps the most exciting and mysterious tech gadget available this Christmas is the Amazon Kindle Fire, which is Amazon’s first full fledged tablet to hit the market. This tablet should quickly become a very popular gadget for Xmas 2011, as well as a potentially hard to find gift. Why is this? Well not only is the Kindle Fire a much anticipated rival to the iPad, but it is also extremely moderately priced (especially when compared to newly launched gadgets – the Amazon Kindle Fire is available for pre-sale (from Amazon.com, of course) for only $199! Compare that to the price of the iPad (or iPad2) when they launched, or even the Samsung Galaxy and you’ve got a significant saving on your hands if you choose to make the Amazon Kindle Fire your tablet of choice.

3D TVs

Okay, these are a “little” bit big to be classified as “gadgets” but they are still bound to be a big hit for Xmas 2001, so we couldn’t resist adding them to our list. If you know someone who has been an especially good boy or girl this year ( or perhaps you yourself feel deserving) the Sony Sony BRAVIA and the Toshiba Cinema Series 3dTVs are both worth checking out for Christmas 2011.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus – (Nexus Prime) – Google Nexus 4G

The much anticipated smartphone with many names is sure to be a big hit this winter: The Samsung Galaxy Nexus AKA (Nexus Prime) AKA Google Nexus 4G. The specs are impressive: 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 4.6-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen (720p), 1GB of RAM, 8.0 mega-pixel camera and Android’s latest operating system.

Motorola Dinara

Yup, smartphones and tablets are truly the “it” items again this year as the Motorla Dinara rounds out or list. The Dinara is rumored to be leaner and meaner than the Droid Bionic. Motorla Dinara is said to include a 13 megapixel camera, an HD touchscreen, and an unspecified as of yet but what should be a heavy duty processor as well as a large storage capacity. It’s not known if it’s going to be running Gingerbread or Ice Cream Sandwich (Do these names make anyone else hungry, or is it just time for this blogger to head for lunch?) but the Motorla Dinara is certainly going to be a very high end and highly demanded phone this Xmas season.

Massive Recall From LG

techconsumer — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 21:15:53 +0000

LG Electronics Canada has issued a recall for its LG 150 model phone, as routine tests have determined that it is no longer meeting government standards in regards to allowed radio frequency. The problem is thought to be due to a errant hinge on the phone, which is not properly grounding its antenna

The recall is voluntary but rather large, with over 129,000 phones (all of the LG 150 model) being affected. The recall is specific to phones produced between August of 2007, and February of 2008.

Those who own LG 150 phones manufactured outside those dates are also able to return their phone if they wish. Over 200,000 LG 150 phones have been sold in total.

Could A New Kindle Be On The Way?

techconsumer — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:56:16 +0000

The blogosphere is abuzz with rumors that Amazon is readying to launch a successor to their popular Kindle e-book reader offering. The rumors come as Amazon has announced a press conference set for February ninth, and as you might recall, the last time Amazon held a press conference it was in 2007 and included the announcement of the first Kindle.

What’s the new Kindle likely have in store for us? Well, the name is likely to be a simple “Kindle 2″, and it is thought to be lighter, thinner and feature an increased ease of use which will chiefly help newcomers to the device. Also the current “click-wheel” is likely to be replaced with a joystick. This is known as photos were leaked on BoyGeniusREport.

Unfortunately for Canadians, we’ll still have to take a trip south to get our hands on the e-book reader as the Kindle is so far a US only released device.

Nokia Steps Up Its Game

techconsumer — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 17:57:53 +0000

…and it comes with a big price tag! I’ll let you decide if the onslaught of features being released with Nokia’s N96 is worth the $895.00 price tag, but I will tell you this: she sure is pretty.

Nokia has gone the extra mile to make an all inclusive device that includes every option a wireless enthusiast could ask for. The Nokia N96′s wrap sheet includes: the ability to hold over 20,000 images and 18,000 songs, a 5 megapixel camera including video capability, 2.8 inch QVGA display, GPS, Bluetooth, WiFi, and by the way of microSD – expandable memory. If I missed something, don’t worry, this device almost certainly has it. Really, its aim seems to be “one device to do it all.”

Where can you find it? Well the device had already been unleasehed in both India and the UK, as well as in limited quanities in the US. If you gotta have it, look to the Noka flagship stores in NY as well as Chicago — or of course, online.

T-Mobile to sell 500,000 G1 Google Phones in Q4

techconsumer — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 21:37:51 +0000

It sounds like a lot, and should mean a big increase in profits for manufacturer HTC in the upcoming months and year. However, while 500,000 units is certainly impressive, it won’t rival the first gen iPhone’s launch, which occurred in the summer of 2007.

Regardless, it’s a good number, and will give Android developers a sizable user-base to market new applications toward.

If you haven’t heard, or are perhaps were enjoying sometime living under a rock, T-Mobile is scheduled to launch the G1 Google Android phone on October 22nd. It offers touch screen, (hidden) QWERTY keyboard, Wi-Fi, 3-megapixel camera, navigation ball and will retail for $179.

Nerd’s Rejoice – The Wii Sabre Is Cool, Regardless Of Star War’s Latest Game Ratings

techconsumer — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 21:34:04 +0000

Despite some lukewarm reviews of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, you have to admit, the virtual reality aspect of playing a video game with a Wii saber is pretty darn neat. Frankly, these are no question the most unique and intriguing game controllers I have ever come across, and Star Wars really isn’t even my thing. I haven’t found them in any stores around here, but they are made by a company calling itself Thrustmaster (no comment), and are available from Amazon.com.

The sabers are designed to hold the wiimotes inside their handles, providing for a more authentic star wars experience. Also, they glow (either red or blue) when turned on. And yes, you will look fantastic wielding your Wii Sabre.

The Nintendo marketing genius must be making a killing off all of the wiimote accessories they get to peddle along with the actual games and the Nintendo Wii console.

Nokia Touch-Screen On The Way

techconsumer — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 19:31:04 +0000

In a market where iPhones and Gphones are getting all the hype, Nokia holds a special place in my tech loving heart, as the company that has produced most of the reliable cell phones I’ve chosen to use over the years. I’ve yet to have an issue with them, either. Knock on wood, just in case, though.

A flashy appearance and abundance of features, including the latest technology of the day is no doubt what moves merchandise off of wireless retailer’s shelves (this cell phone even sold for 1.3 million.) So, it’s good to see Nokia coming out with a touch-screen phone, in order keep pace with Apple and the new Google G1.

Nokia’s first touch screen, which has become known as “The Tube”, is to be unveiled at an October second event. The device, which in actuality is called the Nokia 5800, (although right now many are simply calling it the Nokia Touch screen phone), has a focus on music and strong multimedia capacity, includes the companies “Comes With” music software, which is intended to compete with Apple. It will be interesting to see how well the Nokia 5800 fares in the US, amid heavy competition.

Is The Google Android G1 Cell Phone The Next Sarah Palin?

techconsumer — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 22:53:34 +0000

The G1 Google Android

wireless phone is certainly a rising star, hitting Sarah Palin levels of interest this week. I’m not sure which one is garnering more interest, but it’s clear in either case, that people want to know more. I’ll leave the political news media to pursue Palin, while I consider the Android Google “Gphone” cell phone.

The G1 device, which is being produced by Taiwan’s HTC and sold in the US by retail wireless carrier T-Mobile, surely appears to be serviceable mobile, but with all the hype surrounding the G1 device, that’s hardly going to be enough to win over many critical tech-fanatics – which are, of course, used to the Apple iPhone’s sleek design and abundance of features.

Gphone features include a good sized touch screen, (hidden) QWERTY keyboard, 3G, Wi-Fi, 3-megapixel camera, navigation ball, dedicated internet button, and built in web apps. To build on this foundation, many more applications are offered through Google’s Android marketplace.

The heart of this endeavour and the hype going a lot with it, is Google’s open-source Android software, which is a Linux-based, open-source operating system for wireless phones that will work with Google applications. Google has promised that it will be free for manufacturers to work with, though there has been some debate throughout the blogosphere on whether that is entirely accurate or not.

As for cost, the price tag is a lot more decent than previously speculated, at $179 with two data plans available for $25 and $35 respectively. Currently, the G1 phone is only available to current T-Mobile customers through their website, however look for the new device to be featured at all T-Mobile locations by the end of October.

For a retro viewpoint, check out our previous Gphone update here.

Google G1 Phone

Blackberry Flippin’ Out

Charlie Jones — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 01:38:31 +0000

RIM’s popular Blackberry gets a makeover and targets a new audience with their first flip phone offering. With a sleeker design, that also means a smaller keypad, the new device is suited more for the personal user than the business tycoon. In fact, the new model, called the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220, does not contain a full QWERTY keyboard, instead opting for a 20 button keypad.

The BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 also offers a 16GB memory card, two megapixel camera, built in Wi-fi, satellite navigation system and more. The release date should land in fall, and pricing has not yet been disclosed.

It’s a smart move by RIM – spreading their eggs into multiple baskets in an effort to protect their market share from significant competitors. My personal opinion is that the new phone will do well, especially amid recent Iphone connectivity blunders.

Social GPS? Is This Really Necessary?

Charlie Jones — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:26:42 +0000

Okay, some people will like this. To me, however, it sounds like volunteering to be stalked, and not just Facebook stalked.

Garmin has aligned itself with the location-specialists in the app world – ULocate, integrating Where.com’s software with Buddy Beacon to be compatible with some of Garmin’s products. If you’re not familiar with this software, it shares your current location with those you have dubbed as friends, and viceversa. Of course, this can be integrated with the Facebook app, as well.

What makes Where’s Buddy Beacon software unique, is its ability to operate over multiple networks, allowing users to enjoy the service with friends, whether they use the same carrier or not.

The models that Garmin intends to have supported with Buddy Beacon, as well as the launch time, have not yet been released.

It will be interesting to see if there is a real demand for this, as location-based networking, both online and device based, have somewhat flopped in the past. Personally, I think I’d feel just a little bit too much like dog embedded with a microchip, and doubt many people are comfortable with anyone apart from immediate family having access to their whereabouts at all times. However, as always, the market will decide the success or demise of this one.