gadget news and reviews

Lenovo IdeaPad S10-2 Netbook (Review) 2

The IdeaPad S10-2 Netbook is likely Lenovo’s final model running on Intel’s Atom Diamondville processors as most new models are taking the leap to the Pineview series. Although this might be at the verge of getting “outdated” as the new IdeaPad S10-3 series is just beginning to hit shelves, these will begin to drop in price and will still be worth every penny. With a 6-cell battery offering nearly 8 hours of juice on Windows XP and 7 hours with Windows 7, it’s quite impressive. I’ve been putting it to the test for the past few weeks and here’s what we found:

The Specifications:

• Processor: 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270
• OS: Windows XP Home with SP3
• RAM: 1GB DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz
• Screen: 10.1-inch LED Glossy 1024×600
• HDD: 160GB at 5400RPM
• Video: Intel GMA 950
• Wireless: WiFi 802.11b/g
• Battery: 6-cell Lithium-Ion
• Card Reader: 4-in-1
• Ports: 3x USB, VGA, Ethernet
• Weight: 2.65 lbs with 6-cell

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Sonic the Hedgehog 4 1

Sonic the Hedgehog is finally coming back and at top speed. Sega is bringing the blue speed-demon back to what he does best. This new teaser for the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 4 arcade game shows how the high-octane 2D platformer stays true to its roots. If you’ve been nothing but disappointed with the “next generation” of the Sonic series over the past few years, you aren’t alone. Fans have spoken and Sonic is racing back at top gear to catch up with his loyal followers.

The franchise has struggled to catch up with the current consoles which has resulted in clunky, awkward controls for our favorite blue hedgehog. The new Sonic games have tried hard to look great and expand on the classic gameplay, however flashy changes have proven successful. The introduction of new gameplay elements have proven as overkill, changing the franchise altogether. If any ounce of high-speed gameplay is present in the newer games, it’s only there to tease on how great the game series was. Anybody who still owns a Sega Genesis knows how Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles work at their best.

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Palm Pre Plus – Verizon Wireless (Review) 5

Thanks to  the folks over at Verizon Wireless, Skatter Tech received a review unit of the Palm Pre Plus about a week ago and I’ve been putting it to the test since. It’s an upgrade to last year’s Palm Pre, which is still offered on Sprint’s network. It’s Palm’s third webOS device and just it sports just about all exciting features: Synergy, multi-tasking, a full QWERTY keyboard, and a gesture area. As a bonus, it features the ability to create a “WiFi Hotspot” utilizing Verizon’s 3G network, much like the MiFi we reviewed recently. With some new features, a new network, a hardware upgrade, and a slight cosmetic makeover, let’s see how it compares to other smartphones on the market. Read More

Apple Announces The iPad 4

Apple just finished up their Press Conference at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco and finally announced their poorly kept secret: the iPad. There’s a lot that the media expected, however details such as the price range was quite impressive. So here’s what it can do:

“iPad is our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iPad creates and defines an entirely new category of devices that will connect users with their apps and content in a much more intimate, intuitive and fun way”

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RIM BlackBerry Curve 8530 (Review) +

Research in Motion’s cell phones have been the business standard ever since email was introduced to the mobile market. An enormous BlackBerry clipped to your belt was a symbol for the technologically capable businessman (and woman) long before the notorious Bluetooth headset. More players have joined the smartphone game, but RIM still remains king of the business market and has successfully entered the consumer market. The BlackBerry Curve 8530 is RIM’s most recent entry for consumers and it’s available through Verizon Wireless.

BlackBerry Curve 8530 Specifications:

• Provider: Verizon Wireless
• Operating System: BlackBErry v5.0
• Display: 2.5-inch 320×240 pixel TFT LCD
• Camera: 2.0 megapixel camera
• Music: MP3, WMA, AAC/AAC+
• Video: MPEG4, WMV, H.263, H.264
• Memory: 256MB internal + microSD expansion
• Dimensions: 4.29H x 2.36W x .55D inches
• Battery: 270 mins talk time | 252 hours stand-by
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.1+ | WiFi b/g

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Sennheiser-Adidas CX 680 (Review) +

This year at the Consumer Electronics Show, Sennheiser unveiled a new line of headphones in a collaboration with the famous Adidas athletic company. The new sporty lineup consists of the CX 680 in-ear earphones, MX 680 earbuds, OMX 680 ear clips, and PMX 680 behind-the-head headphones, all of which are aimed at active users. These new models have many innovative features that I wish other ultra-portable headphones would offer. Sennheiser was gracious enough to give Skatter Tech a pair of the CX 680s, the most expensive set in their new lineup. So will the new CX 680s grab Rookie of the Year or be sent back to the farm leagues? Let’s take them to the field.

Packaging & Items
Purchasers of the new CX 680s are greeted with a clean-cut and professional looking packaging that conveys a confidence for their upcoming sporting activities. The Adidas logo prominently stands ready in the upper left hand corner of the packaging while a less conspicuous Sennheiser logo appears opposite the boxing ring in the lower right hand corner. Information on the packaging touts features such as water resistance, passive noise blocking, DuPont kevlar reinforced cables, and a vast multitude of accessories. The crisp sound of ripping open the perforated strip on the bottom gives you anticipation of the great match to come like watching one of Rocky’s montages. Read More

In Photos: Palm Pre Plus & Pixi Plus +

About two weeks ago at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Verizon Wireless and Palm announced a new partnership and the launch of the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus. Our review units just came in, courtesy of Verizon Wireless, and these are looking great. There’s one big difference between the ‘Plus’ and the regular version that we reviewed for Sprint last year: it sports a built-in hotspot feature. With just one-click, customers can enable a local WiFi hotspot for up to five devices. And of course, it that will run off Verizon Wireless’s 3G network. Both the phones still sport the existing popular features such as the webOS, Palm Synergy, App Catalog, QWERTY keybaords, WiFi b/g, GPS, Email, MMS, Sensors (Proximity, Light, Accelerometer), replaceable batteries, and much more.

The Pre Plus also comes with some extra goodies over its predecessor. It now comes with a touch-stone enabled rear cover. You won’t need to spend extra cash if you decided to buy a Touchstone Dock. The phone now has 16GB of internal storage versus the 8GB available on its older sibling still running on the Sprint network. The phone also has double the RAM, meaning more multitasking. The hardware gesture key is now embedded into the casing and is no longer visible, but functions just the same. The Pixi Plus also has some improvements in addition to the new hotspot feature. Yes, if you didn’t guess already, that means the Pixi now has WiFi. It’s also compatible with a variety of designer rear plates that are all compatible with the Touchstone Dock. Read More

CES 2010: Powermat (Preview) 2

Last November we published our in-depth review of the Powermat. We thought it was awesome, but it was expensive and wasn’t necessarily hassle free. Earlier this month during the Consumer Electronics Show, we met up with Powermat. They showed us their new lineup of products for 2010. With some new unique products, I’m quite confident that they’ll have a successful year. One of my personal favorites was a special wireless charging enabled battery that replaces the one currently in your phone. You’ll essentially be able to charge your phone with the mat without cords, sleeves, or any other accessories. That’s not all, they’ve got more in stock so keep reading for details.

The New Mats:
When we last reviewed the Powermat, they had two offerings: the “Home and Office” and a “Portable” version. While we didn’t particularly have an issues with the Mats, they came up with new ones anyways. The new Home and Office model is offered in three sizes: 1X, 2X, and 3X. They can charge one, two, and three devices, respectively. While I didn’t have the chance to spend too much time with the new model, it was noticeably sharper looking and slimmer. I felt that a single charger defeated the purpose of advertising a cable-free solution since a cable would need to go to the mat anyways. You could save some cash and just plug in a single device if that’s all you need to charge. However, the dual and triple Powermats make sense. Read More

iFrogz EarPollution Timbre With Mic (Review) +

Over the past few weeks, Skatter Tech has published reviews of two iFrogz EarPollution headphones. So far, all these headphones have been unique in their own way, both functionally and artistically. Now it’s time to see what iFrogz brings to the table with earphones.

Admittedly, headphones are not for everyone. Some find them too bulky and overbearing, and prefer the alternative being earphones. iFrogz offers a variety of products each varying in aesthetics, style, and quality. Today I’ll be focusing on the Timbre earphones. Advertised for its sound quality and a built-in microphone, let’s see if these affordable earphones really live up to their name. Read More

Project Voldemort: Building An i7 Gaming Rig +

When I first set out to build a gaming computer I had to sit down and ask myself a few questions. They were questions such as, “How much do I want to spend?” and, “What am I trying to achieve exactly?” These questions and a few simple others led me to the final question, ”What’s dark, snake-like, powerful, and intimidating looking?” AHHHHH! RUN! IT’S GODZILLA… and Lord Voldemort. I decided that instead of building a monsterous and rampaging Godzilla of a computer that a tidy and composed, yet just as powerful “Lord Voldemort” of a computer would suit my style better. My Voldemort computer would need to be powerful, stealthy, and sleek while still having that element of intimidation to strike fear in to those who see it. I progressed with these goals in mind to take the next step of collecting the various horcruxes I would need in order to raise the Dark Lord (without actually killing anyone, of course). Read More