(Cross posted from Mobility Digest)

Up for review today, we have a handy accessory your car. Snapped onto your air vent, this easily-adjustable mount will hold nearly any portable electronic device.

The Bracketron Universal GPS Grip-iT Vent Mount retails for $19.95, and can be found at a variety of local and online retailers (Amazon actually has it for $10.94). For more information on the product, check out the official information page on the Bracketron site.

Bracketron Universal GPS Grip-iT Vent Mount Review

• Author: Patrick Kortendick of Mobility Digest
• Price: $19.95
• Manufacturer: Bracketron

Quick Overview

• Provides a secure mounting option with easy installation.
• Adjustable arms open from 1.5″ to 4.5″ wide to accommodate wide range GPS and other mobile devices.
• Arms also adjust to allow easy reach of device button controls.
• Mounts to air conditioning/heating vent in your vehicle and keeps your device secure.
• Made of durable ABS plastic that holds up to wear and tear.

Product Description

The Universal GPS Grip-iT Vent Mount is designed for portable mobile electronics. The included Adjustable Rotating Air Vent Mount (COM-116) makes for easy mounting to the louvers of your vehicles air vent to provide a stable, secure, and easily accessible mounting solution for your portable device. Also included is an T-Slot AMPS Adapter Plate for use with any of Bracketron’s Custom Mounting Solutions.

Introduction/First Impressions

Personally, I’ve been looking for some type of car mount for my phone for a while now. Typically, I have my phone hooked up to my car stereo for music, and I also tend to talk on the phone a lot (via wired headset) while I’m driving. In the past, the cup holder has held my phone, but it’s harder to look at and/or interact with, a simple function of utmost importance while operating an automobile. So, I stumbled across the Bracketron mount, installed it, and have used it on a near-daily basis since. Read on for my impressions and more information.

Out of the box, the Bracketron Universal GPS Grip-iT Vent Mount includes a few pieces (shown above): the mount, the mounting hardware, and a mounting plate. Easily assembled, the device then clips onto the air vent of your car. While the installation certainly involves two hands (I wish I had a third at the time), that’s one of the few ‘gripes’ of the device, if you can even call it that. With the installation, I’m also able to easily plug cords into my device, allowing me to hook my phone up to both my stereo and power outlet at the same time.

The mount fits GPS units, mobile phones, smartphones, satellite radios, and more. As you can see from a few of the photos below, the grips can be easily oriented into any position to fit most any size of personal electronic device. Furthermore, the arms of the device are padded, to ensure that your device does not become scratched or damaged.

To ‘lock’ a device into the mount, just push the grips together until they snug the device that you’re trying to hold. To release the device, there’s a button on the back that will spread the grips. A device can be anywhere from approximately 2” thick to 4.5” thick, so it’s possible to fit most any portable electronic device. Additionally, the mount also rotates, so you can use your device in portrait or landscape mode.

As I mentioned earlier that installation was somewhat of an inconvenience, the only other negative aspect of the device is that it’s made near-entirely out of plastic, so the build could certainly be of a better quality. With the plastic track/gear system in place to widen the arms, I feel like it’s only a matter of time before the plastic breaks (if it does, I’ll update this review accordingly). Other than that, the general layout of the mount is well thought out, and highly functional.

While I’m not sure if it will work with all types of automobile air vents, I’d have to think that this was taken into consideration when they designed the unit. I tried it out in a variety of vehicles and had success with all.

Conclusion

Overall, the Bracketron Universal GPS Grip-iT Vent Mount is a great add-on for your personal electronic devices. With an easily-adjustable holder, the mount fits most any portable electronic device on the market. While the device has found its way into my daily use now, I think I can safely say that with turn-by-turn navigation coming in Windows Phone “Mango,” odds are that I’ll be using it even more. ~PK

Special thanks to Max Borges for providing us with this unit for review.

I’m excited to announce that my first Windows Phone release, Number Guesser, has been updated.

I’ve spent a decent amount of time with the application over the past week, and have released a trio of updates as a result. Version 1.1 enabled custom number ranges, and v1.2 added a feature called “Guess Assist.” With Version 1.3, the main new feature is the statistics panel, which showcases your best and average scores and a count of played games. I’ve also added the ability to toggle Guess Assist, and fixed a few bugs. Version 1.3 is the most notable so far, hence the blog announcement.

As for future development, there’s not much more to do with the app right now (it was more of a learning experience). However, if anyone does have any suggestions for features or implementations, please let me know.

To download the application, click here. If you already have it installed on your device, Marketplace will prompt you for an update.

Screenshots and more info after the break.

A simple number guessing application for Windows Phone 7.

Enter your guess, and the game will tell you whether it is too high or too low. Keep guessing until you determine the number, and then play again to try and beat your best scores!

Includes support for multiple number ranges, as well as a detailed statistics panel that shows your best and average scores and a count of played games.

This application appears in the Games Hub.

v1.3:

Added full statistics panel

Added ability to toggle Guess Assist

Bug Fixes

I’m excited to announce my first Windows Phone release, Number Guesser. This is my first independent release, so there’s not much to it, aside from the fact that it it is built from scratch.

A simple number guessing application for Windows Phone 7.

Simply enter your guess, and the game will tell you whether it is too high or too low. Keep guessing until you determine the number, and then play again to try and beat your best score!

v1.0.0.0: Introductory Release

To download, please visit http://social.zune.net/redirect?type=phoneApp&id=950673b6-3371-e011-81d2-78e7d1fa76f8

As always, comments are welcome.

(Cross posted from Xbox 360 Digest)

The Digest: Aside from a few minor updates, MLB 2K11 plays nearly the same as MLB 2K10. For those new to the series or new to baseball, the game is a great buy. For those wanting to upgrade from 2K10, only do so if $60 is your price for updated rosters and a few minor tweaks.

THE FACT SHEET

RELEASE DATE: March 8, 2011
PUBLISHER: 2K Sports
DEVELOPER: Visual Concepts
ESRB RATING: “E” for Everyone
GENRE: Sports

• Dynamic Player Ratings – Watch your favorite MLB pitcher strike out the side in a real game, then watch his stats improve in your game. Dynamic Player Ratings update daily in MLB Today, Franchise, and My Player.
• Revamped Fielding System – Completely revamped fielding system, featuring improved AI, throwing meters and landing indicators to give you more control to run down a fly ball or make the play at the plate.
• My Player mode – Guide your player through the Minor Leagues and into the history books with an improved My Player mode.
• MLB Today – Stay up-to-date on the latest happenings in Major League Baseball, with timely play-by-play commentary and stat overlays pulled from real life news and box scores.
• Total Control Pitching & Hitting – The battle at the plate comes to life in the palms of your hands. Paint the corners with pinpoint accuracy on the mound, and then fight off nasty sliders until you get the pitch you’re looking for at the plate.

Single Player: 6/10 | Multi-Player: 7/10

Special thanks to 2K Sports for providing us with a copy of the game for review.

Not sure how I’ll do this year, but with college basketball being one of my ‘go-to’ sports, I figured I would post my bracket here for other’s viewing enjoyment/critique/praise. I’ve done well in several years in the past (including correctly predicting all the first-round games on one occasion, and going 2^nd out of 350 people a few years ago), but only had one Final Four team last year. With that, I’m still not too sure of my picks this year, but I’m locking them in and putting them here for all to see.

If you want to see it live as the tourney progresses, check it out on ESPN: http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/en/entry?entryID=829552

(Cross-posted from Mobility Digest)

Up for review this week, we have one of the newest Android devices, the Nexus S by Samsung. Featuring a 4” AMOLED display, a 1 GHz processor, and the latest version of Android (Gingerbread), the Nexus S is a great device for Android fanatics, as well as those entering the smartphone market for the first time.

The Nexus S is available now, and will set you back $529.99 (unlocked) without a contract, or $199.99 with a two year T-Mobile service agreement.

Samsung Nexus S Review

• Author: Patrick Kortendick of Mobility Digest
• Operating System: Android 2.3.2
• Price: $529.99 ($199.99 with T-Mobile service agreement)
• Manufacturer: Samsung Electronics

Introduction/First Impressions

Editor’s Note: Having always been someone who likes a large feature-set in my phone, I was torn a few months back between Android and Windows Phone 7, before ultimately deciding on WP7 for a variety of reasons. With that being said, my review here also naturally reflects my initial thoughts on the latest build of the Android mobile operating system, in addition to the Nexus S as a device.

Upon receiving the device, I was very excited to hit the ground running. Having only spent limited time with Android in the past, I was enthused to get my hands on the Nexus. Having purchased my first Samsung phone less than a month prior, I was also excited to be testing a device similar to my current handheld.

Using the device, I was initially impressed with the smooth, cosmetic form-factor and the beautiful display. Even the little things like the live wallpaper and grabbed my attention. However, one drawback was noticeable from the start, and that was the ineffective battery life. While a few other hardware features were seemingly absent as well, they did not seem to detract from the overall experience of the phone.

The Nexus S is sold as a Google-branded phone, but Samsung is the OEM for the device, so it holds the build quality of any other Samsung device. By definition, the Nexus S is also sold as an unlocked device, meaning that it will work on any GSM carrier. This can be very handy for world travelers who use different SIM cards in different regions. I was able to use my personal AT&T SIM in the phone, and everything worked as advertised, with the exception of 3G data (as expected).

With that, let’s take a look at some of the specifications and details of the phone.

Connectivity

• Quad-band GSM: 850, 900, 1800, 1900
• Tri-band HSPA: 900, 2100, 1700
• HSPA type: HSDPA (7.2Mbps) HSUPA (5.76Mbps)
• Wi-Fi 802.11 n/b/g
• Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
• Near Field Communication (NFC)
• Assisted GPS (A-GPS)
• microUSB 2.0

While the Nexus S is a quad-band GSM phone, it seems that it was built to run on T-Mobile. This is mainly due to the bands it runs on, as AT&T does not use the same bands for 3G data (I was stuck with EDGE when using my AT&T SIM). On a speed test in my area, I was able to get 8.41 Mb/s Downstream and 0.93 Mb/s Upstream, a number that represents HSDPA speeds for T-Mobile. Overall, connectivity is rather quick for both voice and data, and calls are connected within a fraction of a second to the T-Mobile network, with good vocal quality. When it comes to internet however, there is no 4G support built into the Nexus S.

As for WiFi, connections start up and connect quickly to provide a quick alternative to cellular data (This was useful when testing with an AT&T SIM). Unfortunately, this also affects the battery life, so if you’re on an unlimited data plan, I suggest leaving it off.

As for other communication aspects of the device, the GPS works very well. On several separate occasions, I was able to obtain a signal lock within seconds of opening up a location-based program, such as Google Navigation or Latitude. There was no apparent signal stuttering, as well as no drops. Accuracy was also measurable within just a few feet of my physical location. While the GPS also noticeably affects the battery level, it seems to do so less than other devices I’ve worked with in the past.

MicroUSB is present for connectivity and charging purposes, and data transfer rates over the cable represent those of a standard USB 2.0 connection. I was able to successfully plug the Nexus into my computer for file storage, as well as placing the device in debug mode. File transfers to and from the device were comparable to that of a standard USB flash drive in terms of speed.

Display

• 4.0″ WVGA (480×800)
• Contour Display with curved glass screen
• Super AMOLED
• 235 ppi
• Capacitive touch sensor
• Anti-fingerprint display coating

Hands down, the display on the Nexus S is one of the most impressive things about the device. A 4” Super AMOLED display, the screen is 480 x 800 in resolution, and looks beautiful for animations and media. The fine detail also allows for smaller (and readable) font sizes for those with better eyes. Since the device has a AMOLED display, there is also a battery-saving aspect to it as any black pixels are actually off with no power being supplied to them. Android plays into this well with a darker theme, and black menus and navigation. Physically, the screen also has a slight curve to the it which Google dubs the “Contour display,” and seems to slightly improve the viewing angle on the device.

This display performance is evidenced all over, including upon booting the device with custom home screen animations. I can almost guarantee that when you notice the Nexus live wallpaper, you will spend more time then you want to by playing with it. Unfortunately, it does drain the battery quicker, but if you want some extra eye candy, there’s plenty of Live Wallpaper options to show off the display and CPU.

Size and weight

• 63mm x 123.9mm x 10.88mm
• 129g

All things considered, this device is very manageable in terms of size. With a 4” screen, the device is larger by definition, but there isn’t much more size to it other than the screen height/width and the depth of the battery. It’s also rather light, with most of the weight being that of the battery. Overall, the Nexus S is rather comparable to other smartphones of the day in size, including the iPhone 4 and other Android and Windows Phone 7 devices.

When using this device, I was able to draw strong comparisons between it and my current personal device, the Samsung Focus (Windows Phone 7). Both are relatively new Samsung devices for the respective operating systems, both sport a very similar form factor, and both are nearly comparable when ignoring the operating system. For a physical comparison, see the YouTube video above.

Hardware

• Haptic feedback vibration
• Three-axis gyroscope
• Accelerometer
• Digital compass
• Proximity sensor
• Light sensor

Most of these hardware features are fairly standard nowadays, so I don’t have much more to say other than the fact that they all work. The haptic-feedback system is rather handy, and something that all new devices should have turned on out-of-the-box. Other than that, the accelerometer works well with Android, switching apps between portrait and landscape modes in the blink of an eye (see the video review for a performance demonstration).

Processor and memory

• 1GHz Cortex A8 (Hummingbird) processor
• 16GB iNAND flash memory

As mentioned above, the Nexus S is very quick. With the 1GHz Hummingbird processor, calculations and animations are done in the blink of an eye, and often without notice. The 16GB of storage is average for current smartphones of similar nature, but unfortunately that’s it. There is no built-in expansion slot, so you’re pretty much stuck with just under 14 GB for all of your stuff, which can be slightly limiting if you want to load up on your music and video collection. As mentioned earlier, you can also use a portion of the 16GB for USB file storage by plugging it into your computer, a feature handy if you carry a MicroUSB cable in your briefcase or backpack.

Cameras and multimedia

• Back-facing: 5 megapixels (2560×1920)
• 720 x 480 video resolution
• H.264, H.263 MPEG4 video recording
• Auto focus
• Flash
• Front-facing: VGA (640×480)
• 3.5mm, 4-conductor headset jack (stereo audio plus microphone)
• Earpiece and microphone
• Software noise-cancellation

I observed media playback on the Nexus S to be rather seamless and have great sound quality, whether streamed online or played locally. The 3.5mm headphone jack also supports feedback-based headphones, allowing you to play/pause and adjust the volume without touching your device.

As for the cameras, the Nexus S sports both a front-facing and rear 5MP camera with a LED flash. The pictures aren’t the best, but it seems that no cell phone still takes excellent pictures. Another feature seeming lacking is 720p video recording, as the back camera is limited to 720×480 resolution for video.

See the below pictures for a variety of shots situations from the rear 5MP camera.

Battery

• Talk time up to 6.7 hours on 3G (14 hours on 2G)
• Standby time up to 17.8 days on 3G (29.7 days on 2G)
• 1500 mAH Lithum Ion

The battery life on the Nexus S could be described as “average” when compared to current smartphones of similar nature. While the 1500 mAh battery is certainly of a higher capacity than other devices, it was not difficult to have it last less than a day. With Exchange and WiFi on and with consistent usage, the device was dead before the evening was over. With just Exchange and WiFi on (minimal use), the device lasted up to 3 days. With everything turned off, I was able to have the device run for 9-10 days without a charge.

As for charging, a near-full charge was attainable within just 2-3 hours, and a full 100% charge taking another 1-2 hours.

(To be fair, I understand that it’s easy to plug your phone in every night. Additionally, I understand that not everyone has Exchange, WiFi, Bluetooth and other settings turned on all the time. However, I think that in order to remain relevant in the smartphone market, battery life is an important factor when choosing a device, and a device needs to be able to perform under a variety of conditions. With that, I dub the Nexus S’ battery capacity as average, and issue Samsung a challenge to improve upon it.)

Other features

For those unfamiliar with the Android platform, the Nexus S also has the option to serve as a wireless hotspot for up to 5 other devices. While significantly more convenient than tethering via USB (which the Nexus also does), the battery life is obviously affected. Additionally, the Nexus S has built-in voice recognition for a variety of commands, and interprets them with stunning accuracy. On top of these extra features, the Nexus also has a marvelous application selection, with the Android marketplace sporting tens of thousands of applications, themes and more.

As for other drawbacks of the phone, they were mainly Android/software based. Less than 10 minutes into booting the phone, I was able to observe the infamous text messaging bug found in Android 2.3.1 (before upgrading to 2.3.2). I also wasn’t too impressed with Google’s Navigation app. I’ve always sworn by Google Maps (on Palm, and then Windows Mobile) but was severely disappointed with Navigation, as some of the directions it gave me were simply puzzling. Lastly, it was also somewhat ‘inconvenient’ to acclimate to the Android soft keyboard from Windows Phone 7 (Hey Google, remove the ‘dead space’ between the keys). While all are minor details, they were annoyingly relevant when tested/discovered.

In addition to the newest version of Android, the Nexus S also sports a few features only found in newer-model phones. One of those features is Near-Field Communication (NFC), which seems to be one of the large selling points on the device, despite the fact that it is currently read-only (and has limited applications). Unfortunately, I didn’t have any tags to test it with, but there has been word that plans are in the works to make the NFC on the Nexus writeable as well. As the technology expands over the coming years and months, stay tuned for an update on NFC functionality on the Android platform here at Mobility Digest.

Conclusion

Overall, the Nexus S is a great device with a solid build, beautiful screen, and a large variety of features. Aside from the short battery life with the main features turned on, overall few complaints were to be had. The only real question becomes whether or not you want to part with $530 to get you hand on a new device. If you’re up for a T-Mobile contract extension however, you’ll certainly get your money worth for the $199.99 pricetag. ~PK

Special thanks to Samsung Electronics for providing us with a Nexus S for review.

As some may know, I just got back from Las Vegas a few days ago. While I was officially there on vacation, I was also able to attend CES 2011 for a couple days. Highlight of the show? Probably sitting 10 feet away from Steve Ballmer (above) at the Microsoft keynote. In addition to the keynote, I was on the show floor for a day and I had a chance to look around (that place is huge…) and network a bit for Mobility Digest.

I was only able to write a few articles, but I did manage some exclusive Q&A out of various members of the Microsoft Windows Phone team (link).

Overall, the trip was a lot of fun, and I’m hopeful to attend again in the future.

I certainly hope I’m at least able to hit the “Game Over” screen…

Finally got something up here, and while it’s pretty bare-bones, I think it does the trick.

For now, this will most likely serve as a personal blog for random musings and finds, but I’ve also included a link to some web design samples for anyone interested. For the site layout, I actually used the same WordPress theme that Xbox 360 Digest ran on for a while, as I’ve always fancied it for a general blog layout.

In addition to my next project (Kinect Digest), I’ve also grabbed PatrickKortendick.com, and that will link to here for the time being.

If you see anything broken or have any comments/suggestions, please let me know.