Mobile Technology Deals and Help

Verizon Motorola Xoom 3G OTA Update - Build HMJ07B

2011-04-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

Verizon Wireless has released on their website information about the upcoming OTA system update for the Motorola Xoom. The new build will be HMJ07B and will contain a few interesting stuff, still no SD card activation in sight or LTE support yet. But what it does contain is the potential foundation for Netflix Support with the DRM.

See original PDF @ VZW: http://support.vzw.com/pdf/system_update/xoom.pdf

Web Browsing and Data Access
+ Access and stay connected to Wi-Fi networks
with added Proxy support.
+ SSL data transfer with websites is now supported.
+ WPA Pre-Shared Key pass-phrases are now supported
when using the device as a Mobile Hotspot.
+ Supports Google Widevine DRM and HDCP.

Email and Messaging
+ POP3 HTML emails will display in their entirety.

Call Features
+ Bluetooth® is now supported in Google Talk™.
Additional Device Features
+ Encrypted passwords can be entered during power up.
+ Calendar events will remain up to date after an installed
software update.
+ Application storage errors will not appear unless the device
has reached maximum storage capacity.
+ Safely dock the MOTOROLA XOOM into the docking adapter without interruption.
+ Ability to add and use a Bluetooth mouse.
+ A shortcut key for the Bluetooth keyboard has been added.
+ View and import pictures from digital cameras with Picture Transfer Protocol.
+ When using the device in accessibility mode, menus will no longer prompt with sounds.

Samsung Fascinate Random 3G Disconnect

2011-04-27T23:40:00.000-07:00

Recently Verizon Wireless pushed out Froyo to Samsung Fascinate owners. While having Froyo is a thing to celebrate on, it caused major headache for random users. It had been confirmed a number of cases of 3G randomly disconnect every few minutes and when it was connected, the speed was extremely slow.

We've tried numerous of method from reverting to older Radio / ROM / Kernel to multiple *228 and factory reset. All of these did not resolve our issue. However, if you are experiencing this, the good news is we believe we have discover a fix.

In a long discussion thread on XDA and Droid Forum by me and others, we believe by doing one of two methods below will solve the issue.

Method #1: Call Tech Support

No Joke, seriously. By calling Verizon Wireless Technical Support, request for them or if they are unsure request Tier #2 Support to re-activate your phone and force a new data stream be sent to your phone. Once they confirmed this was done, *228 on your phone with option #1 and again with #2. Let your phone reboot and notice the 3G should be more stable.

Method #2: Re-Activate The Phone Yourself

If you have a spare phone laying around, go to Verizon Wireless and log into your account. Activate that spare phone on the same line the Fascinate is on. After 5 minutes, re-activate the Fascinate Phone back on that same account. This forces a new data stream to be push and initialize your phone on VZW system. Once done, do *228 with optino #1 and again with option #2. Let your phone reboot. You should notice a more stable 3G connection

With either method, the main point is there seems to be corrupted data on either VZW side or on your phone side. The recent ED01 push or could be luck of the draw they having LTE outage, whatever it is, this affect random 3G accounts on Samsung Fascinate. It might affect other 3G phones, I don't know because I dont have one to confirm.

Try it out and see how it goes.

Motorola Xoom WiFi Version - Initial Impression and Additional Information

2011-03-26T22:05:00.000-07:00

The year 2011 is the Year of the Rabbit and also the Year of the Tablet. In several electronic conferences there seems to be a new tablet announced. Everyone wants a piece of the pie Apple baked last year with their Apple iPad. One of them and a strong contender as the matter of fact is Motorola with the announcement of the new Motorola Xoom using Google's new tablet OS, Honeycomb. A strong contender in the arena against some very strong opponent. Samsung just recently announced their 10.1 tablet, thinner and lighter than Apple's iPad 2. As the year progress, more and more tablet will be announced or released, will the Motorola Xoom stand a chance? Will your investment to purchase one now be worth it? Should you wait and buy something else? After reading this, I hope it will give you some insight and being able to make a sound decision.

The Motorola Xoom 3G version (upgradable to 4G later this summer) was released to the general public a little over a month ago. The WiFi version will be hitting store shelves tomorrow, including online vendors and wholesalers like Costco and Sam's Club. I was fortunate to get a hold of one ahead of tomorrow and this is my initial impression of the device.

Foundation:
To set the foundation, I've own the Apple iPad since it was first released last year. I've used it extensively and enjoy it while I had it. At the same time, I've own several Android OS phone from the Motorola Droid, Droid X, and Samsung Galaxy S (Fascinate).

Initial Impression:

Display: All of the demo I've seen on the 3G version and pictures / youtube, I have to say those do not do justice to the screen. I believe that be attribute to the auto brightness screen adjustment functionality. After disable that and adjust brightness to high, the picture actually looks pretty decent. Being a hobbyist photographer, I look at several images I had taken from Flower Field out near Oceanside, California. The color looks very vibrant and crisp. Again, unless you have the iPad next to you to comparison and purposely want to look for that detail, the Xoom display is actually pretty good.

DISPLAY SIZE
10.1-in.; WXGA (1280x 800 pixels; 150 pixels / inch), HD 720p

Weight & Size: Having own the first gen iPad and now having the Xoom, the weight from usage is very comparable. You can't really tell the weight differences, unless you have both of them in your hand and really focus on trying to feel the weight out. It is very comfortable holding to the hand. After using it for the past 24 hours, I have to say the landscape concept made it easy to use the Xoom. The design allow the weight distribution to make it feel (illusion) lighter than the original iPad.

WEIGHT
730 grams - 1.60lbs
SIZE (H X W X D)
249.1 x 167.8 x 12.9 mm

Battery: I haven't use it long enough to say if it is better or worst than the original Apple iPad. However to gauge it, I've taken it with me to the museum today. Light browsing of the internet, some light gaming with Angry bird, and a few downloading of Apps all done via WiFi, after 7hrs the battery was at 95% approx. This is after fully charging it over night. The display was not on auto, but was set @ 50% brightness the entire time.

BATTERY TYPE
24 W-hr
BROWSING OVER 3G
up to approx. 9 hrs.
BROWSING OVER WIFI
up to approx. 10 hrs.
MP3 PLAYBACK
up to approx. 3.3 days
STANDBY TIME²
up to approx. 14 days
VIDEO PLAYBACK TIME
up to approx. 10 hrs.

Software: The software come standard with the typical Google's app. You'll find two games and a movie editor. The Google mail app has been revised for tablet use and closely resemble the web version. The YouTube app also have been modified in a new 3D style display. Images of them can be found below.

The App Store: The Android market has some app already revised for tablet use. Similar to Apple when iPad was first launched, the lack of tablet app will be compensated in due time as more and more developer start converted or develop them. Especially when you have other tablets to be released such as Samsung 10.1 and LG G-Slate. Apple been bloating about their App Store and how many apps are there. Realistically, a lot of them are useless, not to say Google's App Store doesn't have them either. Recently Amazon launched their Android App Store. Samsung has one for their own devices. With that, using Motorola Xoom w/Honeycomb allow user to pick which App Store they want to use and where to buy their software.
Browser: The tablet comes standard with Google's own browser. I assume it uses Chrome style design / coding. It allow new tabs to be open and browsing is very fast. In comparison to Apple iPad Safari, the Motorola Xoom load much faster than Apple's iPad Safari. The added bonus of Adobe Flash, makes the experience closely resemble desktop browsing. Motorola Xoom wins in this category. What I see Apple iPad Safari is superior over Honeycomb Browser is during scrolling, the refresh is more smooth. But since Honeycomb is less restricted than Apple iOS, you can easily download other parties browsers such as Opera, Dolphin HD, or FireFox. This makes the experience more flexible and more custom to you as the individual. Once again, customization is the key to Honeycomb vs iOS.

Camera: I haven't had the opportunity to play with them, but they are there. Front and back.

CAMERA
5 MP
WEB CAM
2 MP
DIGITAL ZOOM
Yes
FLASH
Dual-LED flash
FOCUS
Automatic

Video Playback: Video playback is very smooth. No shutter or lag. See a quick demo of it recorded using Samsung Galaxy S (Fascinate) Phone. The video was in M4V format. The same format used by Apple's iPad. Motorola Xoom also takes many other format as well. See the list in the later section of this review.

Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8KuypTZVVw

Ports / Slots: As of the writing of this blog, the SD card does not work. It is pending the release update from Google/Motorola to activate it. So, it is just a dummy slot for future usage. If it does work, that is a huge added bonus over Apple's iPad. Being able to pop in 32GB microSD to give you 64GB cheaper than buying a 64GB device! You have a microUSB slot, can't use that to charge the device unfortunately. This is where I think Apple iPad is superior. They have standardize the port and across all of their devices (iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad), it uses the same style port for charging and data transfer. Saving a lot of cost to buying all of these plugs. I have not tried the dock yet, so not sure what exactly is on the dock and if it is worth the $50.00 on the non-speaker or $150 on the speaker version.

Other Features / Information: On the front of the Motorola Xoom, you will notice there is no button. That is meant to keep the front clean and simple. All of the functionality were design to be handle on the OS screen when it is on. The power button is on the back next to the rear camera. On the back, you have stereo speaker. A plus over Apple's iPad. The speaker is plenty loud and clear. To the right side, if held landscape mode, is the volume button. At the bottom, you have the docking port, power pin slot, and micro USB. The dislike I have about Motorola Xoom is the pin power slot. Why can't they take a chapter from Apple and learn that standardization sells. Having to buy new power supply and car charger is a pain and very expensive to the end user. Not to mention having to carry additional stuff around. On the top front is the front camera for video chat and skype. With the Apple iPad, the lack of 3G version also lack GPS. Interesting that the Motorola Xoom WiFI (non-3G/4G) actually has GPS. I was able to bring up google map and it found my location.

MUSIC PLAYER
Android™ Music Player
VIDEO CAPABLE
720p video playback
VIDEO CAPTURE
720p video capture
PLAYABLE FORMATS
AAC, H.263, H.264, MP3, MPEG-4, ACC+ Enhanced, OGG, MIDI, AMR NB, AAC+
STREAMING MEDIA
Audio, Video, Internet Radio
BLUETOOTH® TECHNOLOGY
Stereo Bluetooth® technology 2.1+EDR+HID
WEB BROWSER
Android HTML Webkit, Tabbed browsing, Chrome bookmark sync, Incognito mode, Form auto-fill
SYNCHRONIZATION
Corporate Sync, GOTA
WIFI
802.11 a,b,g,n
CONNECTOR TYPE
Micro USB; HDMI out
DATA TRANSMISSION RATE
USB 2.0 (High Speed)
MEMORY
up to 32 GB on board
PROCESSOR SPEED
1GHz Dual Core
ACCELEROMETER
Yes
GPS AND LOCATION SERVICES
eCompass, aGPS (assisted) with Google Maps™, Google Latitude™, Google Maps Street View, barometer
HEADSET JACK
3.5 mm

WiFi Version vs Verizon 3G/4G Version: This seems to be a popular question or topic as of late. Since I have both of them at the moment and from what I can see, the differences are minor. Of course the main difference is the lack of 3G/4G chip in the WiFi version, that has to be obvious. The back cover on the WiFi version is of lighter color, Titanium / Grey color, where as the VZ version is black. WiFi version does not have Verizon logo or name anywhere on the device or box. The exterior box is Blue vs White on the Verizon version. They both have GPS from what I can gather and the OS are very close / identical. With the exception of the build version being different. It both comes with similar standard software. So with all of that, it really makes me wonder why the $200.00 premium for the Verizon version. I think if they were to price that lower, it would fly off the shelves much quicker. The WiFi version from what I've gathered are flying off the shelves at all major retail locations. Should you get 3G or WiFi, ask yourself the question what are you planning to use the Xoom for? Will you need internet access all the time or it being available on demand? Or can you drive to the nearest WiFi area such as Starbucks / Barns and Noble, etc.? Below is a sample discussion on people giving their piece on which to get.

http://www.xoomforums.com/forum/motorola-xoom-general-discussion/1934-poll-3g-4g-xoom-wifi-only-xoom.html

Recommendation: Would I recommend everyone to get the Motorola Xoom, no. Each person would have to evaluate what they are going to use it for, their own level of technical knowledge, and of course how does it feel. It is like buying a pair of shoe, you have to find one that fit you perfectly. Apple iPad is very strong in the arena as they have many years experiences in developing the same or similar devices. They have been able to standardize the connectivity and well integrate their software. At the same time, I feel the Apple iPad is boring. It is inflexible and look no different than the iPod Touch or the iPhone. Motorola Xoom using Google's Honeycomb has a lot of potential. It is customizable, powerful, and since it is fairly new some what unstable. If you are into exploration, enjoying tweaking, and love having customization such as Widgets, maybe the Motorola Xoom is right for you. But don't expect it to be the perfect tablet and do everything you want it to do perfectly. Like any OS and devices, nothing is perfect. It was created by Human.

Overall Impression: I am pleased with the Motorola Xoom design and direction. While it is not the lightest or thinnest tablet out there, sometime size doesn't really matter. There is a balance where you have be and not lose certain aspect important, such as battery life, durability, and price are among them. The OS and tablet is pretty snappy, but over time it seems to do a slight lag. I believe this might be one of the reason why Apple iOS lack multi-tasking. With Apple iPad, even with the latest iOS 4.3 there is no multi-tasking. Yes there is this illusion of multi-tasking, but it isn't mult-tasking. With Google's Honeycomb, similar to Windows Mobile, there is a sense of multi-tasking. When you launch or usage an application, the previous one you were using is still active and you can swap to it while it is still running. As the result, it takes up memory. Over time, that needs to be clear up, so you would need to reboot your tablet to free up the memory and snappy responses back again. With all that have been said, I think for me, the Motorola Xoom is a keeper. I've sold my Apple iPad. Who knows, maybe something else might come out in the future and the technology cycle continues.

Some Tips & Tricks:

How To:

How To Take Screenshot - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=982468
How To Make Movies On Xoom - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=972812
How To Root WiFi Xoom - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1010568
How To Unlock 3G & WiFi Xoom - http://xoomfaq.com/hacks/index.html
How To Tether iPhone To Xoom - http://forum.androidcentral.com/motorola-xoom/66512-guide-how-tether-iphone-unlimited-data-xoom.html
How To Tether From Android Phone via Bluetooth - http://forum.androidcentral.com/motorola-xoom/63969-how-bluetooth-tether-android-phone-xoom-no-root-app-required.html
How To Tether From Droid To Xoom via Bluetooth - http://www.droid-life.com/2011/03/01/how-to-bluetooth-tether-to-motorola-xoom-using-original-droid/
How To Tether From Fascinate To Xoom - http://www.xoomforums.com/forum/motorola-xoom-help/944-help-tethering-my-xoom-unrooted-my-fascinate.html#post10502
How To Get TV.com App To Work - http://www.xoomforums.com/forum/motorola-xoom-general-discussion/1618-tv-com-working-now-2.html#post19853
How To Rip DVD to Xoom - http://xoomfaq.com/video/index.html
How To Make Phone App use Full Screen - http://xoomfaq.com/hacks/FullScreen/index.html
How To Do Factory Reset - http://www.xoomforums.com/forum/motorola-xoom-faq/623-how-do-i-reset-motorola-xoom-factory-settings.html
How To Get Zinio Magazine - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=870399
How To Tether Nikon or Canon to Xoom - http://blog.knguyentu.com/2011/03/motorola-xoom-eyefi-nikon-d300s-android.html

Other Tips & Tricks:

Handbrake Xoom Profile - https://sites.google.com/a/dibona.com/www/www/filestorage
Xoom Size Wallpaper - http://www.wallpapercasa.com/wallpapers/browse_by_size/1920/1200
Prep Your Xoom Before Sending In For 4G Upgrade - http://support.vzw.com/information/xoom_grg.html
Android Central Xoom Tips & Tricks - http://forum.androidcentral.com/motorola-xoom/64163-motorola-xoom-hints-tricks-tips-information.html
XDA Developers - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=969029
Android File Transfer Tool For Mac Users - http://www.android.com/filetransfer/
Motorola Xoom Warranty Information - https://motorola-global-portal.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/63877/kw/Xoom%20Warranty
Motorola Xoom Product Registration - https://motorola-global-portal.custhelp.com/app/utils/login_form/redirect/registration/
Motorola Xoom Optimized Video Setting - https://motorola-global-portal.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/63258
Motorola Xoom Product Support Site - http://www.motorola.com/Support/US-EN/Consumer-Support/TABLETS/MOTOROLA_XOOM?g_id=485&session=NjRvOwok
Motorola USB PC Drivers - http://www.motorola.com/Support/US-EN/Support-Homepage/Software_and_Drivers/USB-and-PC-Charging-Drivers
Xoom FAQ - http://xoomfaq.com/
iFixIt Xoom Teardown - http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Motorola-Xoom-Teardown/4989/1

Motorola Xoom Apps List:

XDA Forum - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=966697
Xoom Forum - http://www.xoomforums.com/forum/motorola-xoom-apps/570-optimized-honeycomb-apps-list.html
Amazon Free App Of The Day - http://www.xoomforums.com/forum/motorola-xoom-apps/1502-amazon-appstore-free-app-day.html

Motorola Xoom Reviews (WiFi & 3G):

Mobile Tech Review by KNguyenTu - http://mobiletech.knguyentu.com/2011/03/motorola-xoom-wifi-version-initial.html
Android Central Compiled Review - http://forum.androidcentral.com/motorola-xoom/60176-reviews-motorola-xoom-first-impressions-reviews.html
Video Review By Feverhost @ Xoom Forum - http://www.xoomforums.com/forum/motorola-xoom-general-discussion/1896-video-review-18-34-review-my-motorola-xoom-3g-4g-verizon.html

YouTube Xoom Review / Comparison / Info:

PC Mag Comparison iPad 2 vs Xoom - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmLWJMtTT5w
Wirefly Xoom Unboxing - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieK1tWYZWGI
Cnet Browser Speed Comparison iPad vs Xoom - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTo4Ujleq5k
IGN Xoom Review - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onppL6ot35c

Tablet Warranty Information - http://www.motorola.com/staticfiles/Support/US-EN/TABLETS/Navigation/US-EN/Link-Groups/Static_files/Us-Tablet-Warranty-Document.pdf

Out Of Warranty Information:

Motorola offers several convenient repair programs for Out-of-Warranty repair at a fee:

Repair Service	Fee
Out-of-Warranty	$369 plus applicable taxes
Battery Only Replacement	$99 plus applicable taxes
Lens Only Replacement *	$199 plus applicable taxes

* The Lens Only Replacement covers damage to the display (such as a crack) and the LCD is not damaged. If there is damage to both the lens and the LCD the full Out-of-Warranty fee will apply.

COOL HoneyComb / Xoom Optimized Apps
Note: I am not going to list all the Apps optimized, but only cool apps I would use and would like to share.

Featured Tablet Optimized Apps - https://market.android.com/details?id=apps_tablet_featured

News / Weathers:

Newrs - http://www.xoomforums.com/forum/motorola-xoom-apps/1976-newsr-google-reader-client-optimized-your-honeycomb-tablet.html
CNN - https://market.android.com/details?id=com.cnn.mobile.android.tablet&feature=search_result
USA TODAY - https://market.android.com/details?id=com.usatoday.android.tablet.news&feature=search_result
Weatherbug - https://market.android.com/details?id=com.aws.android.squall&feature=search_result
Beautiful Widget - https://market.android.com/details?id=com.levelup.beautifulwidgets&feature=search_result
Zinio E-Magazine Reader - http://www.xoomforums.com/forum/motorola-xoom-general-discussion/1923-zinio-e-magazine-reader.html

Graphics / Drawing / Photography:

DrawFree - https://market.android.com/details?id=com.drawfree&feature=search_result
zFolio (Zenfolio) - https://market.android.com/details?id=com.snapwood.zfolio&feature=search_result
FlickFolio (Flickr) - https://market.android.com/details?id=com.snapwood.flickfolio&feature=search_result
PicFolio (Picasa) - https://market.android.com/details?id=com.snapwood.picfolio&feature=search_result
SmugFolio (SmugSmug) - https://market.android.com/details?id=com.snapwood.smugfolio&feature=search_result

Video / Music / Media:

TV Live Stream - https://market.android.com/details?id=tvshows.kiio.es&feature=search_result
Movies (Flixster) - https://market.android.com/details?id=net.flixster.android&feature=search_result

Productivity:

Quick Office HD - https://market.android.com/details?id=com.qo.android.tablet.am&feature=search_result

Misc / Other:

Sex Offender Search - https://market.android.com/details?id=com.fibercode.sexoffenderssearch&feature=search_result
Wallpaper Slide Show - https://market.android.com/details?id=com.birbeck.wallpaperslideshow&feature=search_result (make image fit perfectly on wallpaper and random changes wallpaper)
Dropbox - https://market.android.com/details?id=com.dropbox.android&feature=search_result (a must have app / account. Allow you to store files and transfer between pc and devices easily)

Some Images:

Mapquest Comes To Android

2011-02-17T13:33:00.000-08:00

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.mapquest.android.ace

http://wireless.mapquest.com/android/

FEATURES:
• Absolutely FREE – There’s no trial period, subscription, or upgrade necessary. You get all these capabilities absolutely free!

• Voice-Guided/Turn-by-Turn Navigation – Your phone speaks to you, telling you when to make a turn.

• Voice Search – Speak your destination or your search, for hands-free input.

• Place Map Toolbar – Look for restaurants, coffee shops, gas stations, etc. with one 1-click.

• Auto Re-route – If you take a wrong turn, it will your route will be automatically adjusted your route to get you to your destination.

• Walking & Driving Directions – Choose to walk or drive and we’ll give you the best route either way.

• Live Traffic Flow/Incidents – Extensive coverage that’s updated every 5 minutes, to help – to keep you on time.

• Map Rotates in Orientation of Travel – So your map is easier to read (with ability the option to lock to north up).

• Satellite Maps, CitySearch Reviews, and more!

• OpenStreetMap (OSM) Map Setting - User-sourced maps can provide unique local perspective and detail.

• Bug Logging for OSM – Standing in front of a new building? Report it to the community and they’ll fill in the missing pieces.

• Bug Logging for OSM – Identify trouble spots in the data for an enthusiast to update, improving the maps.

• International Maps – Automatic OSM maps for international users, so you can– allows users to take MapQuest abroad.

Verizon Samsung Fascinate Gets FROYO! - DL30

2011-02-02T09:48:00.000-08:00

Yup, just as the title describe it. The Verizon/Samsung FROYO leaked has made it way on the Internet. Here are some useful information.

(Note: When using Desk Cradle, the middle button above activate, allowing you to use the 3.5mm jack on the cradle)

(Dial Pad and calls are now in landscape mode)

(When using Car Dock, by pressing volume button on the top right, activates the 3.5mm jack on car dock)

(MORE PICTURES AT THE BOTTOM)

Requirement:

You need to be on one of the newer version of the radio - DL05 or DL09. If you are not, upgrade that first (here) or (here)
This is for Verizon Fascinate, should not be used for any other version of Galaxy S.
Should have one of the later CMW.

Before starting installation: When in doubt, always WIPE CACHE / DATA before install to save yourself headache on why why why....

Installation / Where To Find DL30

How To Install DL30 - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=937499
Download DL30 Leak - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=937367
Super Clean DL30 - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=910921
Vanilla Froyo Based Upon DL30 Leak - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=919864
Rubik's version of Clean DL30 - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=939605

Installation was very simple, here a quick step of what I did

IF not DL05 / DL09

Download ODIN and DL05/DL09 from link above (under requirement)
Remove battery from phone
Hold Volume Down and Plug USB cable in (you should see DOWNLOADING warning)
Open ODIN, select "PDA" and find the DL09 file you had download and click on start. IMPORTANT to use "PDA", you will brick your phone if you use any other option.
Sit back and wait for it to finish.

IF on DL05 / DL09 and NOT using one of the newer CMW (i.e.: Red or Green)

Go to http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=913470
Again, download ODIN if you don't have it already
Make sure you are not on Voodoo yet, I used the quick one step method file (http://adrynalyne.us/files/odin/CWMRecovery_DJ05_DL09_RED.tar.md5) from the thread.
Similar to above, remove battery from phone
Hold Volume Down, plug in USB
Open ODIN and select "PDA" and find the CMW file. Click Start

IF on DL05 / DL09 and using one of the new CMW (i.e.: Red or Green)

Download DL30 Leak and copy it to your SD card
turn phone off
hold both volume up and volume down button and press power
In Recovery mode, select install update from SD card
Select the DL30 file from your SD card and install.
Once finish, reboot.

Now you are on FROYO..and you can say ya!!!

What To Expect With FROYO

For starter, the 3.5mm plug on the Car Dock / Desk Cradle now work! Once in Car dock mode / desk dock mode, there is a volume button. That will toggle you between 3.5mm vs phone speaker.
Multiple Email Accounts Supported
Revised Email Interface
If using non-clean version, you have a few new Apps (i.e. Media Hub)
Revised Facebook Sync
Task Bar has the option to disable "Mobile Data" and "Auto Rotation"
GPS Signal Improved
Email change font size
Update Camera Firmware
Dial Pad now work in Landscape mode while in Dock

What Other People Notice Changed (http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=719)

Other Interesting Info:

Getting Hulu To Work - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=939500
Theme: Matted Blue Engraved - http://androidforums.com/fascinate-all-things-root/269566-theme-port-matted-blues-engraved-2-2-dl30-2-1-11-a.html
Q&A For All Thing Leaked DL30 - http://androidforums.com/fascinate-all-things-root/269627-q-all-things-dl30-leaked.html
Power Options / Accurate Battery DL30 - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=938104
Gingerbread Theme DL30 - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=939275

Starbucks Mobile Payment Systems

2011-01-19T08:41:00.000-08:00

Later this year, Starbucks will be releasing a new company logo to celebrate their 40th anniversary. Since the announcement earlier this year, they have been busy with releasing a few other things to ramp up for the celebration. One being a new larger size drink, called Trenta. Up until now, we have the Tall, Grande, and Venti. The Venti, being 20oz, was their largest size drink. Now comes Trenta, the new 32oz. And the rest of the world wonder why we Americans are the size we are. We are a nation of free refills, super big gulp, super size menu, and burgers keep getting bigger and bigger. Now add coffee to the list, we will become a country of highly energized, wired, over weights. :-)

But that news isn't the cool part. The cool part is the new Starbucks Mobile Payment Systems. A system, I am pretty sure Japan been using for years now to pay for air services and other types of payment. With Starbucks, you can now download phone applications on your Blackberry, iPod Touch, and iPhone devices that is linked to your Starbucks reward card. The apps will generate a barcode where you can scan at the register to pay for your drink.

Samsung BD-C5500 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player

2010-12-31T18:11:00.000-08:00

To start out the New Year, I needed something new inside the house. So I decided to get a new blu ray player. I search through a few and decided between on of these, the Sony BDP-S570 or Samsung BD-C5500. They both fit the budget and the bare necessary (YouTube, Netflix, and DNLA support).

My first choice was the Sony BDP-S570 (also known as Sony BX-57 @ Costco). With upgrade of firmware, the Sony BDP-S570 supports 3D, in addition to the standard stuff like You Tube, Netflix, Pandora, etc., It has one thing the other choice I had in mind was standard WiFi. Not WiFi Ready, but actual physical WiFi functionality already in the device.

Product Features

BRAVIA Internet Video: Access movies, music, videos & more
Built-in Wi-Fi & Blu-ray 3D playback capability
iPhone/iPod touch BD Remote
Quick Start/Load to watch movies faster than ever
DLNA wireless streaming of photos, videos and music

My second choice and also the one I end up purchasing was the Samsung BD-5500. In reading review, there were some complaint with Netflix choppy or lagging. With recent firmware, that solved the issue. What got me decided on this vs the Sony was two things. First, it was $30.00 cheaper and second it came with a nice selection of Java based apps. Not only did I have Pandora, Netflix, YouTube, and Blockbuster out of the box, I can also download more apps such as AccuWeather, Google Map, etc.,.

The reason $30.00 cheaper price was that this device was "WiFi Ready", meaning it doesn't have a physical WiFi hardware. It relies on you purchasing a separated USB dongle to attach to it. What I did have and the Sony also has, is the standard ethernet port. I recently purchased a set of DLink Power Over Ethernet 307AV. That allows me to use my home electrical outline as network routing. More stable than using WIFI.

Product Features

Full HD picture quality (1080p)
WiFi Ready(Wireless LAN Adapter not included)
Internet@TV
AllShare
BD-Live (Profile 2.0)

I have to say I am satisfied with this device. I had some really bad choppy issue streaming movies I have on my NAS to the Sony Playstation 3 and was afraid the result will be the same. Turned out, it was very smooth. Netflix was smoothed, Pandora worked nicely, and video streaming MP4 / M4V from my NAS worked nicely. For the price, it is an awesome buy, I paid $109.99 for it at my local Costco.

Have a HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Fascinate Rom: DJ05, DL09, and Beyond - All You Need To Know

2010-12-13T18:32:00.000-08:00

When DJ05 was posted on XDA a few days ago, I've scratched my head on how to flash it and what do i need to do next. I've done it before with previous ROM, just can't seems to remember. Must be old age. While searching for the answer on where to get ODIN and the process, I realized I wasn't the only one with this. So I hope this post will help those who needs it.

What's In DJ05
Software Changes – i500.DJ05

Added a GPS icon in the status bar on the top of the screen
Added updated versions of the preloaded applications VOD, City ID, VZ Navigator and Amazon Kindle
Added support to update the software using FOTA when connected to WiFi.
Enhancements were made in the software to improve the accuracy of the signal strength that is displayed
You can now change the reminder time and alert tone for calendar events
Enhancements were made to improve the update consistency of the feed and widgets
Improvements were made to the contact merge capabilities so that the same number from two sources will not be saved in a single contact twice
Addressed an issue that was causing a “Force Close” when accessing the Gallery in some cases
A software change was made to address an issue with Bluetooth and connecting with the Mercedes Benz AMG C63, 2009 model where in some cases it would get stuck in a “Connect…Ready” loop which required the user to have to power cycle the device to correct
A UI change was made to the Visual Voicemail long press menu to move delete to the 2nd position
A UI change was made to the Visual Voicemail display to remove the date for messages displayed as today
If you unplug a wired headset or turning off a Bluetooth headset while playing music the music will now pause
The Visual Voicemail login screen now uses the full qwerty keypad
Improvements were made to standalone GPS performance
The device warning message that is displayed when setting up the device the first time will now tell customer the device will reboot after the OTA activation
A UI change was made to the lock screen alignment when the EAS security is invoked
The setting under applications called “Unknown Sources” has been change to off by default
The power on password has been changed to require 8 digits with 1 number and 1 symbol
A UI change was made to the “Share” menu when in portrait mode so that the screen can be scrollable in order to see the top row of selections
A UI change was made so that the “Save” and “Cancel” buttons are viewable when entering in a new password for the 3G mobile Hotspot feature.
Added support to hide the 3G Mobile Hotspot password while typing it in for security
You can now sync corporate contacts with the 2010 Toyota Prius Bluetooth car kit
You can now open PDF attachments sent in an e-mail. Previously you could only save them and then open them up outside of e-mail
You can now use special characters for your Corporate e-mail passwords
The backlight for the bottom 4 buttons (menu, home, back ,search) will now follow the device display timer setting
Addressed an issue were widgets were not always refreshing based on the defined refresh time interval
A software change was made so that when doing a factory reset that MDN, MIN and SID information is properly cleared
Addressed an issue seen in some cases when on an active data call that the data call is suspended causing the user to have to restart the data call to reconnect again
Addressed an issue were you could in some cases get a “Force Close” message if you hit the “Call” button on the Buddies widget
Not Listed, but It resolved my muffle bluetooth issue with Toyota / Lexus Cars

What's In DL09
Enhancements:
+ Updated versions of preloaded applications, including V CAST
videos, City ID, VZ Navigator,® and Amazon Kindle.®
Improvements:
+ Ability to change the reminder time and alert tone for
calendar events.
+ Improved the update consistency of the feed and widgets.
+ Music now pauses if you unplug your wired headset or turn
off your Bluetooth® headset.
+ Improved stand-alone GPS performance.
+ Increased security by hiding your 3G Mobile Hotspot password
while typing.
+ Ability to open any PDF attachments sent in an email.
+ Ability to use special characters in corporate email passwords.
+ Enhanced backlight display for the bottom four buttons on
the device to now follow the device display timer setting.
+ Widgets now refresh based on the defined refresh time interval.
+ If already in a locked state, the device will now remain locked
when placed in the desk dock or car dock.

Where To Get DJ05 and What Do I Need To Do:

As described in http://modadroid.com/showthread.php?t=81, you need to download 3 components. First the DJ05 Radio, then the DJ05 Rom, and lastly the Kernal that utilizes DJ05 features.

IMPORTANT: Always MATCH RADIO TO ROM (i.e.: DJ05 RADIO, use only DJ05 Supported ROM)

The RADIO

The ROM (full ROM, non-deodexed)

Note: To obtain DJ05 rom deodexed go here (http://new.alldroid.org/default.aspx?g=posts&m=9806)

The KERNEL

Note: You don't have to use these KERNEL, any one that is made for DJ05 will do. I will show a few more towards the end of this post and the one I am using.

Note #2: Copy those files to your phone SD card, you will need to access them later. The KERNEL, make sure it is .zip, if not, rename to make it so.

First Step: Flashing DJ05 Radio

What you need is Samsung Fascinate PC driver to connect your phone to your PC. You can download it here:

Now You Need Odin:

Now for flashing ODIN

Install the necessary drivers for your phone
Turn off the phone and take battery out
Press and HOLD volume down and plug in Micro USB cable
You will see on your phone screen saying "DOWNLOADING"
Open / Launch ODIN
In ODIN application, check "PDA" and select where you stored DJ05modem.tar file when you download earlier
Press Start
Let it finish in a couple of minutes, once finish you will see the start button from being gray out to black again. Now unplug USB cable and turn phone off.

Note: For step 1-8 above, you can see screenshot of ODIN here (https://sites.google.com/a/imnuts.net/update-to-dj05/)

Now on to flash the ROM (assuming you had unlock your phone previously and have CLOCKWORK already installed)

once you have place the battery back into the phone, press and hold volume up and volume down at the same time.
Press and hold power button
Watch the word SAMSUNG flash once and then twice. Now release power button, but continue to hold the volume button.
You have now enter into CLOCKWORK Recovery Mode
Now go and select to install DJ05 Stock Rom.zip

Now on to flash the KERNEL

Continue on from above, once DJ05 STOCK ROM finishes, select the KERNEL you had download to install. I used the NON-VOODOO version.

Once this is all done, you can now reboot your phone and let it continue into the phone as normal. From here, what I usually do is download ROM MANAGER and install a theme or another KERNEL. I am currently using Super Dark for DJ05 Only (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=871198) which I like.

You can download Super Dark to your SD card and use ROM MANAGER to install it. Very simple process.

Other DJ05 KERNEL:

Super Dark 1.0 For DJ05 ONLY - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=871198
Voodoo 5 For DJ05 - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=871915
Voodoo 5 Overclock for DJ05 - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=872378
Blackhole V2.3 For DJ05 (Could Also Be Found On ROM MANAGER) - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=834554
Stupid Fast For DJ05 - http://totalnerdity.com/sf/ (KERNEL ONLY, NO THEME)
jt1134's Clean DJ05 v.05 - http://www.mediafire.com/?cy0n3gvvmkva3ey
jt1134's Super Clean for DJ05 v.08 - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=9847721#post9847721

Themes DJ05 Ready:

Darkstar Port - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=857251
MattedBlues - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=834208
Ultimate Gingerbread - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=863882

A compiled list of Themes and Kernel (DJ05 and other versions) - http://androidforums.com/fascinate-all-things-root/214596-list-fascinate-themes-roms.html

OTHER INFORMATION:

DI01 Modem Tar - http://www.mediafire.com/?e9taa8fbi9d1zja
Another How To DJ05 Instruction - http://digi.stfuthxbye.net/stuff/Android/Fascinate/DJO5.html
How To Return To Fascinate Stock Odin - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=782204
How To Completely Remove Voodoo - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=804784
3G Fix - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=9558413&postcount=101
How to update to DJ05 or DL09 on the Samsung Fascinate - https://sites.google.com/a/imnuts.net/android/update-to-dj05

Verizon Samsung Fascinate - First Impression

2010-09-18T18:44:00.000-07:00

Verizon added the the Samsung Galaxy S to their Android line up on Sept 8th. The Samsung Galaxy S, known under Verizon Fascinate, has a few shocking differences compared to the other Samsung Galaxy S variations. In the past few months, we had Tmobile Vibrant, AT&T Captivate, and Sprint Epic released their version of the Samsung Galaxy S. All of those stayed true to the Android OS design and the "Google" standard products. The Verizon Fascinate, apparently went the other way. While it still uses the Android OS, it comes standard with Microsoft Bing services. By default you have Bing Search, Bing Map, and Verizon Navigator.

I recently picked up the Verizon Fascinate a couple of days ago from BestBuy. I hope some of my keys finding, comments, and thoughts will help those who are on the fence about this product.

What's Good:

You might have heard this before and heard it many times over. But the feature that makes this phone stand out above the rest, the Super AMOLED 4" screen. It is by far the most vibrant screen out there. What is debatable is how does it par up outdoors. I can say that when I purchased this, I was lucky to have the Apple iPhone 4 with Retina display next to me outside the parking lot of BestBuy. The screen is not as bad as most review would put it. In outdoor sunlight, it is actually comparable to Apple iPhone 4 screen as in usable.
Similar to the T-Mobile Vibrant, the Fascinate is among the lightest Android Smartphone out there. Lighter than Apple iPhone 4.
Power and Speed. It comes with a snappy 1Ghz Processor that focuses on graphic rendering. Benchmark will not do it justice as most benchmark software focus on core speed. Place this phone against any in gaming, video, and 3D rendering, this phone will give them a good competition.
LED Flash. Of the Samsung Galaxy S family, the Fascinate is the only one with LED Flash.
Camera quality is by far superior than Motorola Droid and Droid X. Instead of a single focus point, you can touch the screen to determine where to focus.
Micro USB slot has a sliding door to keep dirt out.
The car dock has both an AUX input and Micro USB. Once you have those two attach to the dock, just by placing the Fascinate into the holder, you are ready for some good music for long road trip.

What's Not So Good:

I find the Samsung Cardock Cradle difficult to use. Snap it in is easy, snap it out is a bit tricky. The Motorola Droid was better
So those who like Bing, good for you. For me. I prefer my Android Phone stick with Google's app. While there are work around out there, for the average user, coming standard with Bing is questionable.
Lack of Front Camera. The Sprint Epic version has Front Camera. Fascinate does not
Lesser memory compared with Droid X. While it comes with 16GB SD Card, it only has 2GB internal Storage. The Droid X comes standard with 8GB internal storage.
In this arena, you have to give and take. The Motorola Droid was solid built, felt solid and strong. The Fascinate felt plastic and flimsy. Good strong material add the cost of weight.
The power button is on the right side of the phone. Seems easy to use with the thumb there, but I prefer it to be on top.
While not a big deal, but the T-Mobile Vibrant (Verizon Fascinate GSM cousin) comes with the movie Avatar. VZW decided to surprise us with Bing. *sigh*

In short, the Verizon Fascinate will hold it's ground and give the competitor a run for the money. It has a superb Super AMOLED display, snappy 1GHz processor, and extremely portable and light for a 4" display phone. For me, coming from the original Motorola Droid, I am quiet happy of the Fascinate. After a quick and simple one-click root method, install WIFI Tethering, install ADW Launcher (most people recommend Launcher Pro, but I like ADW Launcher more), I am very happy with the Verizon Fascinate. It is a strong contender against the Motorola Droid X and the HTC EVO. With 0.3" screen size smaller than Droid X and EVO, it does make a difference.

I highly recommend people take a second look at the Verizon Fascinate, most of the issue you have with Bing and VZ Nav are all software and can easily be overcome with simple root and custom room in the near future. Once Android 2.2 is released, this phone will ROCK!

Revised:

09/19/2010

Took the Verizon Fascinate out for a spin in the car mount earlier to test out the GPS. Using Google Map, it took less than 2 seconds to aGPS my location. It took approx 15-30 seconds to get a complete lock on. In comparison to the Motorola Droid side by side during the 3 miles route, the Verizon Fascinate is fairly accurate. In a few re-try, it lock on quicker than Motorola Droid.

12/13/2010

After a few months of good using, a few things I noticed when compared with Motorola Droid or even Droid X. This is after the latest DJ05 radio patch they released. First, prior to the DJ05 radio patch, bluetooth connection to Lexus/Toyota cars sound muffled. Seems to improved with DJ05 patch. Overall 3G signal seems weaker than compared with Motorola Droid / Droid X. Stock ROM does present a slight lag, however with custom deoxeded ROM, a lot of improvement. GPS still works fine for me, no issue there.

Additional Information:

Improve Resolution - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=784911
Root / Unlock Fascinate - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=779238
Google WIFI Tethering - http://code.google.com/p/android-wifi-tether/
Apps Safe To Remove - http://forum.androidcentral.com/fascinate-roms-hacks/34208-apps-safe-remove-once-rooted.html
Bring Back Google Search - http://forum.androidcentral.com/fascinate-roms-hacks/34111-got-google-widget-works-now-bing-dead.html
Extended Soft Key Backlight Fascinate - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=826278
How To Root, Install Clockwork - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=798064
Remove VZW Nav From Car Dock - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=823763
Improve 3G Download Speed - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=814463
Android Secret Code String - http://forum.androidcentral.com/verizon-fascinate/37578-android_secret_code-string-revealed.html
Deoxded Car Dock - http://forum.androidcentral.com/fascinate-roms-hacks/42278-stock-non-verizon-car-dock-app.html

Popular Fascinate Discussion Forums:

Android Forum - http://androidforums.com/samsung-fascinate/
XDA Developer - http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=718
Android Central - http://forum.androidcentral.com/verizon-fascinate/
Droid Forums - http://www.droidforums.net/forum/samsung-fascinate-forum/
Fascinate Forums - http://www.fascinateforums.com/forum/forum.php

ASUS U43JC-X1 14-Inch Bamboo Laptop (10 Hours of Battery Life)

2010-08-26T08:18:00.000-07:00

Amazon is having a special on the new Asus Bamboo series laptop.

Technical Details

Intel Core-i5-450M Processor 2.4GHz with Turbo Boost Technology up to 2.66GHz
Nvidia G310M Graphics Engine with 1 GB DDR3 Dedicated VRAM and Optimus Technology
4 GB of DDR3 1066MHz DRAM (2 GB x 2 slots), 4 GB Max; Intel Wireless 802.11 b/g/n + WiDi
500 GB Hard Drive (5400 RPM); Super Multi Optical Disk Drive; Windows 7 Home Premium (64 bit) Operating System
14-Inch HD (1366x768) LED Display; HDMI Port; USB 3.0 port; 8 cell 5600mAh battery (up to 10hrs battery life)

Verizon Fascinate - aka: Samsung Galaxy S

2010-07-18T13:23:00.000-07:00

With the recent launch of the new Motorola Droid X on "the most reliable network", most people ask what is next to look forward to? Samsung announced the Samsung Galaxy S earlier this year. Every major carrier will pick it up and name it differently. But essentially the core main features are the same. AT&T will be launching it as the AT&T Capactive. T-mobile recently launched it as the Vibrant. Our buddy Verizon will launch it as Fascinate.

People at Android Central was lucky enough to get their hands around one long enough to take some pictures. You can check it out (http://www.androidcentral.com/hands-verizon-fascinate).

Verizon on the other hand have already started some advertisement video of them

What good about this?

Super AMOLED screen. More vibrant and sharper LCD than standard TFT used by other devices.
1 Ghz Humming Bird Process. While the speed is the same as Droid X and Apple iPhone 4, the process was made specifically for the Samsung Galaxy S. Think of it is as AMD vs Intel in the processor realm
Samsung unique Touch Wiz UI. For those who have used the Samsung Omnia in the past, this is version 3.0 of their popular Touch Wiz UI. The interfaces very closely resemble that of Apple iPhone OS, but is a lot more configurable and allow the usage of various widgets.
Similar to Motorola Droid X, it will include Verizon very own WIFI HotSpot app, allowing you to turn your phone into a WIFI access point / router.

Key features and specifications:

Android 2.1 platform – With support for Google Mobile Services including Gmail, YouTube, Google Talk and Android Market
Full HTML Web browsing capabilities
Preloaded with Bing Maps and Bing Search
3G Mobile HotSpot capabilities – Allows customers to transform their phone into a wireless modem for up to five compatible Wi-Fi-enabled devices
Super AMOLED Screen Technology – Brilliant display makes watching movies, viewing videos and playing games come to life like never before, even in bright light and outdoor environments
Advanced touch screen gestures capabilities, including multi-touch pinch to zoom, double tap to zoom and horizontal swiping, which provides easier and quicker access to many applications, including location-based services, Web browsing and digital photos or videos
Multiple file formats supported, including DivX support
Samsung 1GHz Cortex A8 Hummingbird Application Processor – Produces amazing graphics, faster upload and download times and HD-like multimedia content
Six-axis sensor that works with the smartphone’s accelerometer to provide a smooth, fluid gaming experience when the user is tilting the device up or down or panning the phone to the left or right
Virtual QWERTY Keyboard Featuring Swype Technology – Input text faster and in a more intuitive way with one continuous finger motion across the screen keyboard
Full suite of messaging options – Text, picture, video and voice messaging; corporate and personal e-mail accounts supported
5.0-megapixel camera/camcorder – Auto-focus and LED flash with HD video recording and playback (720p) capabilities to capture photos and videos for playback on your HD television
WiFi Connectivity (802.11 b/g/n)
Stereo Bluetooth® Technology – Support for headset, hands-free, stereo, phonebook access, object push for vCard and vCalendar
Corporate Email – Supports Android Éclair Exchange ActiveSync e-mail to synchronize corporate e-mail, contacts and calendars from office e-mail accounts
Music and video players and 3.5-millimeter headphone jack
2GB internal memory expandable to 32GB, 16GB microSD™ included with handset

Lifestyle features:

V CAST Music with Rhapsody®, V CAST Video on Demand, V CAST Song ID, Visual Voice Mail, V CAST Tones, VZ Navigator® and Mobile IM , City ID
Samsung’s Social Hub – Built around messaging, contacts and calendar sync, which allows users to send and receive information, whether it is e-mail, social network updates or SMS messages
- Integrated Calendar information from portal calendars, on Exchange, Google Calendar™ and social networking services (SNS), including Facebook®
- Integrated Contacts syncs with Exchange, Google, Twitter and Facebook® and displays a user’s contacts in four categories including Information, History (previous calls and messages), Activities (status updates and notifications on social networking sites) and Media (Facebook profile photos and photo gallery)
Feeds & Updates – Displays feeds from multiple SNS sites such as Facebook®, MySpace and Twitter, which also allows users to update their status instantly
AllShare Application – Enables inter-device connectivity through Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA), so users can send multimedia content wirelessly to other DLNA-enabled devices such as TVs and laptops
Daily Briefing – Instant access to weather, news, stocks and schedule
Write and Go – Quickly jot down an idea and later decide on a format, such as SMS/ MMS, e-mail, calendar or memo, to send or post to popular SNS sites such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace
Weather Clock – Displays current time and weather of the selected city (ability to add and select other cities)

Other news and informations

Verizon Official Newspress Announcement - http://news.vzw.com/news/2010/06/pr2010-06-27.html
Engadget Hands On - http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/samsung-t-mobile-vibrant-and-verizon-fascinate-preview/
You Tube PReview Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fGZ6OLy5GE&feature=youtube_gdata
Official Samsung Galaxy S Site - http://galaxys.samsungmobile.com/
Slashgear Review of Samsung Galaxy S - http://www.slashgear.com/samsung-galaxy-s-review-2891746/

To iPAD or Not To iPAD?

2010-07-01T22:57:00.000-07:00

Since the announcement of the iPAD back in Jan 2010, I have struggle with deciding to purchase the iPAD or not. After many months of deciding, many visits to BestBuy to play with the iPAD, and seeing some practical usage of it, I decided to buy the Apple iPAD 32GB without 3G.

To my amazement, by the time I decide to purchase one, I can't seem to find one. I called several Apple stores in the greater Los Angeles and Orange County, none to be found. BestBuy has none in stock and if ordered in Apple website, it would be a 4 weeks delivery date. One cool thing about BestBuy is the stock indicator. One of the sales associate told me they get shipment in daily, however what comes in is unknown. So checking their website several times a day, I finally saw one BestBuy pop up with inventory and quickly picked up one.

Why 32GB and not purchase one with 3G. Simple answer for me. I am a dedicated Verizon customer using the Motorola Droid. Verizon EVDO is much faster and has more coverage than AT&T 3G in Southern California. I've done many test with several friends against their Apple iPhone 3G/3GS, majority of the time, I win! With the Motorola Droid, WIFI Tethering is possible (if unlocked). So why pay an extra $130 and additional monthly service of $30.00 for 3G when I can tether from my Droid!

What's Great About Apple iPAD

It makes an awesome photography portfolio. With 32GB, I can import over 10,000 high quality pictures to show to people
With a NETFLIX account, I do get video on demand on the iPAD
Portable and not having to carry Apple iPOD Touch + Laptop when I am on the run.
ABC Media, TV.COM Software, and others from the APPs store allow me to catch up on TV shows
iBOOK + Kindle, both great book reading software. Why buy a Kindle, when you can Kindle on iPAD?

What's Not So Great About Apple iPAD

It is a tad heavier than I would like. Having a non-slip cover does help a lot since you are able to grip it better
With the release of iPhone 4, the resolution and screen of the iPAD does look a bit outdated. Shame on you Apple for poor release planning.
Expensive. At $599.99 for 32GB WIFI version and $729.99 for 32GB WIFI with 3G, it is pretty pricey. Especially with the shortage, I've seen reputable places selling it at 20% markup on top of Apple's prices for those who want one now.
Not too many iPAD specific apps yet

At the end of the day, the Apple iPAD is a nice to have toy if you have the extra money. Do I see it as a must have, nope. But it does look cool having one!

Here are a few interesting articles for those with the Apple iPAD:

Must Have Apps For Apple iPAD: (Free Apps)

Netflix (free video stream if you have a Netflix account)
IMDB Movies Database
ABC Player - Catch up on ABC TV Series
ETrade Pro - Stock Trading
Amazon Kindle E-Book

AweSync - Synchronizes Your Lotus Notes Calendar To Google!

2010-07-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

I've used many product in the past to do Lotus Notes sync to various of mobile devices I have had through the years. Commontime mNotes worked great while I was on Windows Mobile platform. Blackberry own delivered software BB Desktop does an awesome job with BB OS. With this Android OS, I have yet to find the perfect sync software yet.

I've tried CommonTime mNotes and CompanionLink. Both does the job, but have certain flaws. I recently was introduced to a new player in the market called AweSync. This is a fairly new product with a lot of promising potential.

URL: http://www.awesync.com/
Cost: $19.99

It does a pretty good job in sync'ing Lotus Notes calendar and contacts with Google products. With Android devices, this is great news to have another alternative to try. One flaw in which I've noticed is the inability to specify what Lotus Notes database to use for your contacts. For those with multiple address books, this will be turn off. Otherwise, I highly recommend people give this new product a try.

I am currently evaluating it and have provided many feedback to the company for future improvements. With how fast they are advancing, this sure look like a strong competitor for the Android users!

Flash 10.1 Beta 3 For Motorola Droid

2010-06-19T15:01:00.000-07:00

Motorola Droid users, time to rejoice! While the official version of the Adobe Flash has not been released, the beta version has leaked for us!

The dependency for this to work, you need to be on Froyo (Google Android OS 2.2) for this to work, as it contains some important files. If you haven't rooted your phone and upgrade it yet, it is very simple and as easy as 1-2-3. Head over to droidforums.net for all sort of discussions on it.

For those who are already on Froyo, download the flash APK file (HERE)

1. Download the apk to your SD card.
2. Open the app when it finishes, select “upgrade” and let it work its magic.
3. Enjoy!

Quicklook: Asus K52J Series

2010-06-08T10:13:00.000-07:00

After spending months on searching for a perfect laptop for me to use, I recently find myself in the arena for finding another laptop. This time is for my little cousin as a high school graduating gift. The laptop I got for myself was the HP Envy 15, which I am typing from in this blog.

In my search, I ask myself the the same questions I did previous. If I were to buy this laptop for me, what would it be. This time around, there is a lower price limit. This got me into looking a several laptops and end up with the Asus K52J Series. I picked the Asus K52J series because of the solid quality Asus is known for and most importantly, the standard 1 year accidental warranty Asus offers. For a new college student using it, I am sure that will definitely come in handy.

Asus Product URL: http://usa.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=CyyiEd0t9iKZ6Afg
Specification: Intel i5-430m, 4GB RAM, 320 GB Hard Drive, Blu-Ray ROM, ATI 5470 1GB Video

Here are some comparison picture of the Asus K52J vs my HP Envy 15.

Sync music and video to the Droid

2010-05-20T11:20:00.000-07:00

FYI...

There has been a lot of popular usage of DoubleTwist to sync Motorola Droid or any Android devices with Apple iTune.

http://www.doubletwist.com/dt/Home/Index.dt

HP Envy 15 - 2nd Generation Impression & Review

2010-03-13T16:03:00.000-08:00

Before I start, help support this site by using the Amazon Link Here if you plan to purchase items @ Amazon.

In my previous blog (LINK), I had mention the search for a new laptop and what laptops I had considered before finalizing my purchase. The laptop I purchased is the new HP Envy 15. This is the 2nd generation of the new design HP Envy 15 originally released towards the end of summer 2009. The 2nd generation was announced at 2010 CES and brought new breath to a fairly fresh laptop.

The 1st generation came the new Intel Quad Core i7 series processors (i7-720QM and i7-820QM). The laptop came in two models, the basic configuration and limited special edition. The basic configuration model came standard with 6GB of DDR2 RAM, 500GB HD, 15.6" Brightview 1920x1080 resolution screen, and ATI 4830 GPU. The limited "BEAT" model edition came in a glossy black casing and bundled with BEAT headset as part of the package.

There are a few things I noticed in the 1st generation preventing me to make the purchase. First, there was very limited on what you can configure to add/remove, as the result the price remain fairly high averages around $1999.00 brand new. Second, by having larger 45nm Intel Quad Core i7 processor in there, they didn't provide proper cooling systems. As the result, heat at the palm rest area and underneath was the number one complaint. A lot of reviews you find out there today with lower rating are from the initial HP Envy 15 (1st generation).

At CES 2010, HP announced a refresh to the HP Envy 15. The second generation brought a breath of fresh air to a laptop design that was almost the perfect laptop. In the revised model, HP uses the new 2010 Intel iCore family. You can now configure it to use the i5-430, i5-520m, i5-540m, and it was available briefly i7-620m. All of the new 2010 Intel iCore Dual processors are on the newer 32nm design. This made the laptop cooler to operate and uses less power, resulting in longer battery life. They replaced the older ATI 4830 GPU with the new more robust ATI 5830 GPU. The interior cooling system was improved to offer better air flow. With the help of the new i5 Core process being on a smaller 32nm and the new ATI 5830 uses less power, the over battery life and cooling of the laptop were hugely improved. On custom configuration, you can now purchase the HP Envy 15 using the new Solid State Disk. With all of these changes and among a few others not yet mention, they end up dropping the price to start at $1299. What puzzle me is the lack of 2nd generation review and impression out there. Most people got discouraged by the horrible 1st generation and haven't given it a revisit review. All of these feature making it a very strong contender in my book.

Now let's look at the HP Envy 15 2nd Generation. When you log on to HP website, you have a few thing to configure your base HP Envy 15 with. Below is an indication of a few of the available features to choose from.

Operating system Choices:

Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64-bit

Processor Choices:

Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-430M Dual Core processor (2.26GHz, 3MB L2 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 2.53GHz

Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-520M Dual Core processor (2.40GHz, 3MB L2 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 2.93GHz

Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-540M Dual Core processor (2.53GHz, 3MB L2 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 3.06GHz

Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-720QM Quad Core processor (1.6GHz, 6MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 2.8 GHz

Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-820QM Quad Core Processor (1.73GHz, 8MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to3.06GHz

Memory Choices:

4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)

6GB DDR3 System Memory (3 Dimm) - Only Available In i7 Configuration

8GB DDR3 System Memory (4 Dimm) - Only Available In i7 Configuration

16GB DDR3 System Memory (4 Dimm) - Only Available In i7 Configuration

Hard drive Choices

320GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection

500GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection

640GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection

410GB 5400RPM SATA Dual Hard Drive (SSD 160GB + 250GB 5400RPM)

320GB Dual Solid State Drive Flash Modules (SSD 160GB + SSD 160GB)

Graphics card

1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5830 Graphics - For i5 and i7-620M Processors

1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5830 Graphics - For i7 Processors

Display

15.6" diagonal High Definition LED HP Brightview Widescreen Display (1366x768)

15.6" diagonal Full High Definition LED HP Anti-glare Widescreen Display (1920x1080)

15.6" diagonal Full High Definition LED HP Ultra Brightview Widescreen Display (1920x1080)

External optical drive

External Tray Super Multi 8X DVD+/-R/RW w/Double Layer Support with 2 USB Ports

External Slot Blu-Ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD+/-R/RW Double Layer with 2 USB Ports

Dimensions 14.96" (W) x 9.60" (D) x 1.04" (H) Thinness 1.04"

Weight 5.17 lbs

For my setup, I have the following configuration on my HP Envy 15 and that is what is being used to base this review as.

Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-540M Dual Core processor (2.53GHz, 3MB L2 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 3.06GHz
4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
410GB SATA Dual Drives (SSD 160GB + 250GB 5400RPM)
1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5830 Graphics
15.6" diagonal Glossy Full High Definition LED HP Ultra Brightview Widescreen Display (1920x1080)
Webcam Only
ntel Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth
HP QuickWeb, Corel VideoStudio Pro X2, Corel Paintshop Pro X2, Stardock My Colors
6 Cell Lithium Ion Polymer Battery
BIOS Firmware 18A.
Total $1649.00 after discounts / before tax

I received my laptop few days a head of schedule, so excitement started early. I am sure on everyone mind right now are two main questions.

How hot is this the 2nd generation HP Envy 15?
How fast is the new ATI GPU?

These questions are the most basic questions most above average PC users go through They will use it for gaming, surfing the internet, and among other digital age activities. Maybe the following speed test and analysis might answer some of these questions. One main thing to note is, like any PC, it is it "tweakable". You can give an extra performance boost with the right set of settings and optimization. Bare in mind the analysis you see below are based upon STOCK OUT-OF-THE-BOX setup.

SPEED TEST
Someone I know in my life had a car with a license plate saying "I am not speeding, I am just flying low". With the HP Envy 15, that is what this laptop will do. It doesn't look like a monstrous laptop similar to Alienware m17x, but it can really dish out some pretty good result.

Like many laptop these days, it is all about how fast I can start up so I can browse the Internet. The Envy comes with with HP Instant On Solution, which allows you to boot directly into a mini OS with enough functionality to do the very basic function, like surf the internet, chat, email, and Skype. You can boot directly into this environment in under 5 seconds. Within this environment, to fully boot into Microsoft Windows 7 and be ready to use it fully in less than 12 additional seconds. Now that is FAST! Much of this is thanks to the primary disk being Intel SSD! If you look at the Windows Index below, it rated Primary Hard Disk 7.9! Wow!

Speaking of WOW, I am able to play World of Warcraft Online w/o any lag and using all of the high settings! Having the newer ATI 5830 GPU, the HP Envy isn't shy on gaming either. It can dish out some fairly good speed. The GPU is plenty strong enough to play World of Warcraft, Modern Warfare II, and any other current game out there.With some tweaking and overclocking, there are people out there with HP Envy 15 having their 3DMarks beyond 10,000! See benchmark thread for detail.

HEAT

In terms of heat, the #1 complaint about the 1st generation HP Envy 15 is high heat in two areas. One is the palm rest and second the battery vent. I can safely say those complaint is non-existence in this new 2nd generation HP Envy 15.

After completing all of the bench mark, I created the recovery DVD and start preping for a clean Windows 7 install and other applications (i.e.: Adobe Photoshop CS4, latest drivers, etc.,). The whole process took 4 hours and the laptop palm area is still very cool w/o any sign of heat.

On normal internet surfing for approx 2 hours straight, the laptop averages under 30C.

DISPLAY
The setup I've gotten for my HP Envy is a glossy 1920 x 1080 HD resolution 15.6" LCD. HP Envy 15 also comes in a matte / non-glossy finish with the same resolution, and a lower resolution. Of the 3, I believe this to be the best one as it is also the brightest. I do a lot of Adobe Photoshop editing with pictures and this LCD is sharper and more crisp than my Dell 21" desktop LCD. I believe it is approx 300 nit, if I recall correctly from reading somewhere. Please message me if that is incorrect. I have not use the HDMI slot and hook it up to my LCD TV yet, so I can not comment how is the quality watching playback. Beside, there is no internal DVD/BluRay Slot Drive :-)

SIZE & WEIGHT

I think this is the category where HP Envy 15 excel in comparison with other laptop in the same category (Alienware m15x, Sonystyle Series, Dell XPS 16, etc.,)

Dimensions 14.96" (W) x 9.60" (D) x 1.04" (H) Thinness 1.04" Weight 5.17 lbs

For what it offers and being under 5.5lbs is really good. Granted you don't have a slot DVD drive, but how often do you really use one? That add weight. Yes it doesn't have Edge to Edge, but again hello! add weight.The only thing I say that huge about this is the power brick. At 120w, this is larger than the one I am using on my Thinkpad T61!

PORTS & OTHER DEVICES
1xHDMI, 2xUSB 2.0, 1xEthernet, 1xHeadphone, 1xESATA. Intel Wifi 6200 Advanced Centrino -N

SOUND
The HP Envy 15 is advertised with using Dr Dre "BEAT" technology in their sound. While I can't tell the difference between a good Bose quality and BEAT, I can say these speaker are better than the IBM Thinkpad T60/T61 Series, Sony CW Series, and my Asus Z71V laptop. It is clear and good quality sound.

NEGATIVE / CON
A few key things I noticed with this laptop I think they could improve on or I was at least disappointed with.

The lack of internal slot DVD/CD/Blu-Ray Drive. If Apple Macbook Pro with dimension very similar to this laptop is able to have a slot drive, why can't the HP Envy 15. Could it be because Intel iCore processor requires a greater amount of heat distribution versus the old Core 2 Duo? I guess I'll have to wait for Apple to announce the iCore family in their Macbook and see.
The material while look nice, does feel a bit plastic. It would be nice to have comparable material used in Apple Macbook if this laptop is supposed to be compared to it.
No Edge to Edge, to me this is okay, but would be nice to have.
Lack of Back Lit Keyboard.
Lack of Compact Flash slot, they do come with SD, should've include one more slot to it.
Lack of HDMI to VGA/DV-I adapter. That should've been part of the package instead of having to purchase it seperately.
Limited USB 2.0 Slot. There are only 2 USB 2.0 slot, 1 HDMI slot, and 1 ESATA slot. Would be nice to have a couple more USB slot.
All of the plugs are on the right hand side, that does conflict a bit with those who are right hand mouse user.
LCD tilt back at a very limited angle.
Power LED Light is under the LCD Screen Cover. So if you close the lid, you wouldn't know the status of system.

OVERALL / CONCLUSION
Overall, I would recommend this laptop. There is no perfect laptop out there. You buy a laptop to the best of your ability and fit your need. Some prefer the looks of a laptop and can deal with the additional weight, while other prefer something else. At the time of this review, the strongest 2nd place contender in my opinion would be the Dell XPS 16. It has a lot of nice features, but an older / weaker ATI GPU and is approx 1.5lbs heavier. Another thing to note is this laptop has an even more powerful GPU at the time of this writting than Alienware m15x series. The CPU fan rarely goes on and if it does, noise is not an issue. It is a fairly quiet laptop, light, and low heat compared with other iCore series. Is this laptop worth $2000.00, maybe. But if there is a coupon floating around, I say this laptop is a great bargain one should jump on. I highly recommend the SSD combo setup as that definitely make a huge different in boot speed.

TIPS / TRICKS / & FAQ

http://mobiletech.knguyentu.com/2010/03/hp-envy-15-2nd-generation.html

ADDITIONAL PICTURES

HP Envy 15 - 2nd Generation Unleashed

2010-03-03T10:01:00.000-08:00

HP ENVY 15-1150NR 15.6-Inch Magnesium Alloy Laptop (Silver)HP ENVY 15-1150NR 15.6-Inch Magnesium Alloy Laptop (Silver)I had mention in earlier post I was looking for a laptop to replace my old Asus Z71v. It was a good laptop, could've been better and I think Asus pretty screwed those who purchased by abandon support for it early, but that is a different topic for another day.

In my quest to find a laptop replacement, I had a certain requirement in mind. I was looking for something powerful enough, not boring, light, and fun. No, it is not the Apple Macbook Pro, which a lot of times I have strongly consider one. I came close several times on purchasing the Apple Macbook Pro just so I can run Windows and use it as a PC device. Awesome fashion look, gives me the functionality I need!

In my quest, I've looked at several laptop and have seriously nail it down to one of three. It was between the Sony CW Series, Dell XPS 16, or the HP Envy 15.

The Sony CW Series had the best price to feature ratio. If purchased directly from Bestbuy, for under $1000.00 USD, you can get a 14" laptop with i5-520m processor, blu-ray player, 4GB ram, 1600x900 resolution LCD. It met my need in a sense, but a bit thicker than i would like it to be. Also, I wanted i5-540m at the very least, if not i7-620m. Sonystyle CTO website doesn't offer the 1600x900 resolution LCD and have a slower / older video card instead of GT 330M Nvidia.

Dell Studio XPS 16 on the other hand was a beast. You can configure it with all sort of things. What I dislike about it was the fact what was available to configure your laptop changes too often. It might be related to supply and demand. One week you will see i7-620m available, next week it disappeared. One week you see a price package starting at 999, the following week it goes over $1399 and they force you to bundle it with 2 years warranty. Dell like to play games with those and forces you to get certain base configuration. After reading a lot of thread about Dell XPS 16, there seems to be a lot of complain around heat and throttle issue. Another set back is Dell Studio XPS 16 uses the older ATI 4xxxx series video card, while the HP Envy had already upgrade to the ATI 5xxxx series.

This leads me to the HP Envy 15. The original generation released last year came with i7-820QM and limited on configuration you can do to it. After CES 2010, HP added the flavor of Intel i5 Series to it and multiple SSD configuration options to it.

With the recent coupon, I settle on the HP Envy 15. My setup includes:
• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-540M Dual Core processor (2.53GHz, 3MB L2 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 3.06GHz
• 4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• 410GB 5400RPM SATA Dual Hard Drive (SSD 160GB + 250GB 5400RPM)
• 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5830 Graphics - For i5 and i7-620M Processors
• 15.6" diagonal Full High Definition LED HP Ultra Brightview Widescreen Display (1920x1080)
• Webcam Only
• Intel Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth
• HP QuickWeb, Corel VideoStudio Pro X2, Corel Paintshop Pro X2, Stardock My Colors
• HP Color Matching Keyboard
• 6 Cell Lithium Ion Polymer Battery
• No Productivity Software
• HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

Note: To those who are not aware, HP Envy 15 with USB 3.0 only comes with system configuration having i7 Core laptop. It does not come with any i5 core laptop.

***REVIEW IS UP 03/13/2010 (LINK TO REVIEW)****

FAQ On HP Envy 15

Does HP Envy 15 2nd Generation Comes With USB 3.0?

Yes and No. USB 3.0 only comes standard with system configuration using Intel i7 Core Processor. You can not add or does it come standard with Intel i5 Core Processor

What Is Different Between 1st Generation and 2nd Generation HP Envy 15?

The primary differences you will noticed between the two generations will be the video card, CPU options, and USB 3.0. In the first generation, you will have ATI 4xxxx Series GPU. Where as in the second generation, you have ATI 5xxxx Series GPU. The 2nd generation also uses a newer WIFI adapter (Intel 6200 Wireless).

Does HP Envy 15 have E-2-E (Edge To Edge)?

No. HP Envy 13 does have Edge To Edge glass similar to Macbook Pro, however HP Envy 15 does not

With HP Envy 15 Intel i5 Configuration, Can I purchase more than 4GB From HP?

No, not at this moment. With Intel i5 Processor, HP Envy 15 only has 2 DIMM slots available. HP only offers 2GB bar at the moment, thus having a max of 4GB. Can you have more if you purchase the memory elsewhere and install yourself? Absolutely YES.

Does HP Envy 15 Support Switchable Graphics?

No, not at this current generation release

How Do I Disable Some Of The Core on Intel iCore Processor?

See Thread (http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=5975894&postcount=2)

Should I get Dual SSD or only use HDD?

You should get what you can afford and best for you. In my opinion, the best optimal is to have one SSD and one HDD. Why? SSD is fast and has no moving parts. It is also have it's own flaw. Have both HDD or both SSD is not fail safe. For my setup, I have one SSD + one HHD. All of the OS and Programs go to the SSD for insane start up speed. All of the documents, cache directory, and everything else goes to HDD. Plus the Acronis backup goes to HDD where I will occasionally burn or copy to my NAS for recovery purposes.

Some Useful Information For HP Envy 15 Owners

Interior Pictures & Temp Check Of HP Envy 15

YouTube & Other Video On HP Envy

HP Envy 15 Reviews

Other Useful Information

Drivers, Software, Patches, Updates

There are only 4 thing you need from the SWsetup folder:
1. The "drivers" folder... install everything in there, but DO NOT install the intel matrix storage manager IF you have seperated your G2 SSDs .
2. Quicklaunch Buttons installer
3. Webcam/Light sensor installer
4. Wireless Assistant installer
After all that, i also recommend installing the 9.12 Driver on www.strags.com AFTER you have the HP 9.11 drivers installed and working.
Everything else in that SWsetup folder is HP software or useless (to me, you may want them...and thats ok) drivers/utilities.

Useful Components Add-On

4GB SODIMM Addon Memory / Replacement

HP Envy Discussion Community / Thread

More To Come, This Post Will Continue To Be Updated As New Finding Occurs

ASUS N61JQ-X1 16-Inch Versatile Entertainment Laptop (i7 Quad Core)

2010-03-02T10:42:00.000-08:00

Asus N61JQ-X1 is a fairly powerful and versatile laptop. Under the hood is a powerful Intel i7-720QM processor. To the general consumer, it sound cool. But when you look at the spec, the Intel i7-720QM is actually a true QUAD CORE processor. Combine with Intel HyperThreading technology, within standard Windows OS, it see it as having 8 individual core to process stuff with.

Product Features

Intel Core i7-720QM Processor1.6GHz w/ turbo boost up to 2.8GHz
4GB of DDR3 1066MHz SDRAM, 2 slots, 8GB Max
320GB Hard Drive (7200 RPM); Super Multi Optical Disk Drive; Wi-Fi 802.11 bgn
16-Inch HD LED LCD Display; 2.0MP Webcam; Bluetooth; HDMI Port; ATI 5730 Graphics Engine with 1 GB DDR3 Dedicated VRAM
Windows 7 Home Premium (64 bit) Operating System

Processor, Memory, and Motherboard

Processor: 2.8 GHz Intel Core i7

Cases and Expandability

Size (LWH): 15.4 inches, 10.6 inches, 1.5 inches
Weight: 6.5 pounds

Key Features

Powerful Intel Core i7-720QM processor with Turbo Boost and Hyper Threading Technologies for smart multitasking performance that adapts to your needs (Learn more)
Color Shine 16-inch Edge-to-Edge HD LED-backlit widescreen for a vibrant and immersive cinematic experience (Learn more)
ATI Discrete Graphics Engine (DGE) powered by Mobility Radeon HD 5730 graphics with 1GB VRAM and DirectX 11 support for the latest gaming and multimedia enjoyment (Learn more)
Altec Lansing speakers enhanced with SRS Premium Sound produce crisp, clear audio reproduction (Learn more)
ASUS SonicMaster design for more detailed and richer sound quality
320GB 7200RPM hard drive for fast, convenient storage and access to all your documents, music, videos, and photos
4GB of DDR3 RAM brings increased performance with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit pre-installed
Multi-touch trackpad lets you intuitively navigate through web pages, documents, and pictures (Learn more)
Chiclet keyboard with numeric keypad for increased typing precision (Learn more)
HDMI output for easy HD video and audio connectivity to your HDTV or LCD monitors with HDMI input
USB 3.0 Superspeed connectivity for up to 10x faster transfer speed than USB 2.0 (Learn more)
High-speed wireless N networking (802.11 b/g/n @ 2.4GHz) with Bluetooth v2.1 + EDR (Learn more)
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit for a faster and more reliable operating system (Learn more)
ASUS Infusion Technology for scratch-resistant protection
2.0 megapixel webcam for video chatting with friends and family
1 year global warranty and 1 year Accidental Damage Warranty* (Learn more)

Learn More

Latest in Mobile Graphics Technology

The N61Jq-X1 offers you the latest in mobile graphics technology with its ATI Discrete Graphics Engine powered by Mobility Radeon HD 5730 with 1GB DDR3 VRAM. It is a powerful DirectX 11-ready graphics card that lets you enjoy the latest HD playback and gaming along with the latest graphical interface support for Windows 7.

DirectX 11 brings big improvements to graphics with features that enhance realism and enable faster computing. Ready for the latest in entertainment, ASUS N61Jq lets you enjoy lifelike gaming and cinematic experience on-the-go.

With its dedicated 1GB of DDR3 video memory, the DGE lets you enjoy the latest hit games while on the go.

Buying From Manufacture Isn't Always The Best Thing?

2010-03-02T10:00:00.000-08:00

I've been searching around for over a year now to replace my Asus Z71V laptop I purchased sometime ago. It was based upon the old Intel Centrino technology using Intel Pentium-M processor. As I search, I have a certain requirement in mind and recently settle on a one. I will go more into it once the laptop arrive. That will be a different blog.

For this particular post, it is about what I noticed and found. In the past, I had the mentality purchasing items directly from the manufacture is usually the best. Might not be the best price wise, but at least you get fresh new stuff inside. It turned out that is now always the case.

Let's take the Sony CW Series as an example. Apparently it is better to purchase it from retailer like BestBuy or online giant like Amazon. While the price might be comparable, the specification within the laptop differ.

If you purchase the Sony CW directly from Sonystyle.com using CTO (custom built) or pre-configured laptop, you are given a lower specification than if you were to purchase it from another source.

Sonystyle.com will give you the Sony CW Series with nVidia 310m video card and a lower resolution screen. If you purchase it directly from Bestbuy or Amazon, for about the same price (if not cheaper), you get a more powerful video card nVidia GT 330m and a much better LCD screen resolution of 1600 x 900!.

That is the same with Sony E/EB Series and other product/laptop from Sony. At Bestbuy, these are the wildly popular purchase in recent months. It comes with Intel latest 2010 i5 Core process (which is true 2 cores), a blu-ray player, a higher resolution LCD screen and the nVidia GT 330m video card. How does this laptop flair with gamers, totally rocks!!! I highly recommend this setup for anyone to is interested in purchasing a sub-$1000 laptop!

Cheers!

Motorola Droid - WIFI Tethering & Overclocking - Several Simple Steps!

2010-01-29T10:47:00.000-08:00

Note: Wifi Tethering is not officially supported by VZW. By doing so, you might be ding by VZW. Use at your own risk.

Ever since Motorola Droid was first released, most people believe the USB Tethering solution isn't enough. Everyone wants the ability to WIFI tether. What exactly is WIFI tethering? This method uses your Verizon 3G single and turn your Motorola Droid into a network WIFI router. You can then hook up your apple iPod Touch, Sony PSP, or even your laptop to use the 3G speed.

I've been procrastinating doing this until someone could make it actually so simple, I don't have to think to get it to work. You know what, someone actually did! High credit goes to ChevyNo1 @ Droidforums.net for this. He was able to compile together a Windows executable that does all the work for you.

URL: http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid-hacks/14389-wireless-tether-patcher-one-click-solution-2-x.html

If you enjoy his work, please do donate to him. This help motivate for bigger and better stuff in the future!

His paypal donation is at: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=GJYJRL97SAB3J

With this installation, you have the ability to install WIFI Tethering and overclock your Droid. There are currently 4 overclock speeds available (800Mhz, 900Mhz, 950Mhz, and 1Ghz). All of which are fairly stable from what I've gathered from other people using. I personally stick with the basic 800Mhz.

To get started, visit the URL above and download his latest version of Wifi Tethering. On your Motorola Droid, make sure you have USB Debugging enabled. Go to Setting -> Application -> and check USB Debugging.

Once you have the basic down, start by double clicking on the program and follow the easy steps it has. In less than 10 minutes, you will be done!

Try it out and let me know what you think!

Motorola Droid: Rooted and Upgrade to OS 2.1 (UNOFFICIAL Release)

2009-12-31T09:32:00.000-08:00

The guys across the Internet been busy since the Motorola Droid was release. Their main goal was to get it rooted, so they can modify what came with the OS and maybe enhance the experience. The star and moon somehow aligned that around the time it was rooted successfully, Google released OS 2.1 for Nexus, thus allowing this whole awesome experience to be ported over to Motorola Droid.

I've gone through a few walk through and found this one to be the easiest to follow.

URL: http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid-hacks/10247-how-install-2-1-easy-way.html

A few pointers on these steps.

Step # 8, when you download droidroothelper.apk.zip, you just need to rename it and remove .zip, no extract required.
Step #11, the timeout might occur more often for certain people than other. In my case, I had to try it a dozen time before I can get it to mount successfully. Once it could mount, there is no issue with unmount and re-mount afterward. So if you don't succeed, try and try again.
Always check the post often for updates to the OS as they uncover new fixes.
Use a sturdy good quality USB cable. I've used a normal one and seems to get the USB mount disconnected often. You want to ensure you copy the file back and forth successfully and not have corrupt files or you will brick your phone.

There are other sites out there with files and instruction on how to root and upgrade your phone. Here are the others.

URL: http://androidforums.com/how-tips/29204-how-root-install-droid-2-1-a.html

The main developer who released all of these 2.1 is Greek35T at (http://alldroid.org/viewforum.php?f=253)

Share your experience and enjoy the new OS.

Motorola Droid: Android 2.1 Weather and News App from Nexus

2009-12-19T10:50:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Benny879 @ Androidforums.com for finding this one.

Where To Find: LINK
More Droid Help: LINK

You can now install the Weather and News Apps found on the new Android 2.1 Nexus on your Motorola Droid. Here are screenshots of what you will get if you install it.

Download the zip file and rename it to .apk.Copy the file to your SD card via USB connection.

Go to Android Market and download the software called "APKInstaller" and use it to install this to your Motorola Droid.

Note: Before running APKInstaller, disconnect from the USB or else you will get a force error.

Enjoy!

Motorola Droid - Firmware Update 2.0.1

2009-12-09T08:13:00.000-08:00

T'is the season to be happy and rejoice! The newly released Motorola Droid that came with Android 2.0 originally now having a their first upgrade / update. The new version Android 2.0.1 is going to be release to the public sometime after Dec 10th, though a few have confirmed of receiving the update already. This time it is a double rejoice because they also release a new version of Google Map 3.3.1, but I'll leave that for a different story.

What's in Android 2.0.1 -> http://phandroid.com/2009/11/09/motorola-droid-and-htc-droid-eris-ota-updates-coming-december-11th/

Does the list look good? You want it before everyone else? You can! Thanks to iamkewl on androidforums.com, he post it is possible (http://androidforums.com/motorola-droid/25148-forced-2-0-1-droid-update-howto.html)

Download: https://android.clients.google.com/updates/voles/signed-voles-ESD56-from-ESD20.84263456.zip

Download the above files and save it to the root SD Card on your motorola droid as file name "update.zip"
Turn Off your Motorola Droid
To power on, hold the "X" on the keyboard and the power button to bring up the recovery screen.You will see a triangle icon with ! inside.
Press the volume up key and camera key at the same time to show the recovery menu.
In the menu mode you will see option "reboot system now", "apply sdcard: update.zip", "wipe data/factory reset", "wipe cache partition". Use the d-pad to highlight "apply sdcard: update.zip".
DO NOT SELECT "Wipe Data/Factory Reset" or you will lose all your data!
Select to install update.zip
Let it go through the install process. You will see " -- Install from sdcard ...", this is good it is processing. Allow it to finish.
At the end of the process, you will see "Install from sdcard completed" and it will show you back the menu option earlier. Select Reboot System Now.
You are now on Android 2.0.1!!! Time for some beer!

Give it a try and enjoy! Share your experience and thought!

Here are some screenshots of what is new.

Motorola Droid - Random Screenshot of Screens

2009-11-17T20:25:00.000-08:00

I've seen a few posts asking how the Motorola Droid / Android OS looks like and the layout it posses. Here are a few screenshots taken from my Droid. Before showing the screenshots, these are the articles people might ask when they see the screenshots

How To Activate Dock Mode - http://mobiletech.knguyentu.com/2009/11/motorola-droid-dock-mode-without-dock.html
How To Do Screenshot - http://mobiletech.knguyentu.com/2009/11/motorola-droid-how-to-capture.html
Motorola Droid Unleashed - http://mobiletech.knguyentu.com/2009/11/motorola-droid-day-one-beast-is-among.html

Motorola Droid Docking Mode

Motorola Droid Car Mode

Landscape Keyboard View

Main Phone Dialer View

Keyboard Portrait View

Setting / Control Panel View

Standard Alarm Clock View

Main Desktop View