AT&T has sent us another one of their many accessories to review and this time it is one of our favorite accessories, are portable speakers. In this case, it is the rechargeable iHome Rechargeable Mini Speakers available at ATT.com and Amazon. The box comes with a pair of magnetic speakers that are easily stuck together to make transporting easy. We have taken a few pictures so that you can see what comes in the iHome box.

When you open the box you will see the iHome Rechargeable Mini Speakers, carrying case, instructions manual, and a USB charge cable.

On one side of the speaker you have the jack for for the USB charge cable and a notch to help you line up the speaker to open and close it.

On the other side of the speaker is the power on off switch.

Both speakers pop open which gives them a fuller sound and adds to the base. Notice the blue light showing that the power is on.

One of the features of the iHome Portable speaker is the ability to stick them together via a magnet for travel.

Early Thoughts

So far, I have tested the iHome Rechargeable Mini Speakers with two different phones and my PC and as expected using these portable speakers, cross device is a piece of cake. When playing music, my wife could easily hear what I was playing up a level up from the room I was in and my daughter started dancing. Using the speakers thus far have been enjoyable, therefore if you are considering getting these speakers look for our ful review soon.

Take a look at other Hardware Reviews!

Episode # of the SMRpodcast, Chicken Wings And Beer Part 3, has been recorded, posted online, and is ready for download. This week finds Rod away on business so Robb and Chris take over the show. We talk about Brandon Watson leaving Microsoft and whether he leaves a void. We also talk about RIM losing a huge supporter of the BlackBerry platform. Robb and Chris also have some comments on the SuperBowl and a few Xbox games. Finally we talk about a surprising revelation of Apple’s revenue source and the new DROID 4.

Show Details

• Recorded: February 7th, 2012
• Published: February 8th, 2012
• Duration: 01hr 11min 00sec

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Opening Thoughts

• Robb asks Chris about Rod missing the show
• Chris has a few complaints about Rod’s timing
• Chris talks about his love of Gears of War 3
• Robb has been playing Space Marines

Robb asks Chris about the Big Microsoft News Last week

• Chris talks about Brandon Watson Leaving Microsoft
• Robb says once Brandon gets settled, hopefully he will come back on the show
• Robb wants to know if there will a huge impact
• Chris says you cannot replace that talent

Robb Talks About Halliburton switching to iPhone

• Robb says that this is devastating news for RIM
• Robb also points out why they are switching
• Chris says that the effect will also affect RIM on their server side business

We talk about the SuperBowl and the commercials

• Robb picks his best commercial of 2012
• Chris talks about his favorite commercial 2012
• Robb picks his number one Superbowl commercial of all time
• Chris talks about his number one SuperBowl commercial of all time

Allison from the NosillaCast Podcast sends us some information on Apple

• Both of us can’t believe the chart that she sent us
• We talk about Apple’s number one source of income
• We also talk about where software falls in Apple’s business

Chris Talks about the leaked Windows Phone 8 information

• Chris lays out all the features that are expected in Windows Phone 8
• Robb can see where Microsoft is headed with Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8

Picks of the Week

• Rdio for Android (Music Streaming App ) Robb Dunewood (RIMarkable)
• iHome Portable Speakers (Portable Speakers) Chris Ashley (SimpleMobileReview)

It is hard to believe we are on the 4th generation of famous Motorola Droid. Today Verizon and Motorola have announced the Droid 4. The Droid is one of the best devices for users coming from a BlackBerry or any other device with a physical keyboard. Sadly it is powered by Android 2.3.5 (Gingerbread) but will receive an update to ICS, Android 4.0, sometime in the future.

As expected the device has Verizon 4G LTC service, 4.0 inch qHD display, 8-megapixel camera with 1080P hd video capture, and both front and rear facing camera’s for Skype calling. Verizon / Motorola / Google are highlighting the government grade encryptions support giving users yet another reason to leave the once dominate BlackBerry.

The Droid 4 will be $199 with a 2 year agreement and have and optional Laptop Dock for $300. You can start buying on Feb 10 2010.

Press Release

DROID 4 BY MOTOROLA READY TO WORK AND PLAY ON THE VERIZON WIRELESS 4G LTE NETWORK

Power, Speed and Reliability Get the Job Done

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – The award winning DROID 4 by Motorola will be available to handle even the most demanding lifestyles starting Feb. 10 in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com. Introduced at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the DROID 4 is the thinnest and most powerful 4G QWERTY smartphone measuring at less than half an inch thin. DROID 4 not only features a dual-core 1.2 GHz processor, but also a five-row QWERTY keyboard with a PC-like layout and edge-lit keys for fast, precise typing, even in the dark. Powered by America’s fastest, most reliable 4G network, DROID 4 customers will have access to 4G LTE coverage in 195 markets covering more than 200 million people.

Additional features

Verizon Wireless 4G LTE – Customers can expect fast download speeds of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps in 4G LTE Mobile Broadband coverage areas

Android™ 2.3.5 Gingerbread, to be upgraded to Android™ 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich

4.0-inch qHD display with scratch and scrape resistant glass

Government-grade encryption (FIPS 140-2) for email, calendar and contacts; preloaded with Citrix® Receiver™ for Android (available in webtop) for desktop virtualization and access

8-megapixel camera with 1080p HD video capture

Front-facing camera for video chat

4G LTE Mobile Hotspot supporting up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices

Business Ready

DROID 4 is designed to help customers get more done. Business professionals can impress their audience by presenting to a conference room full of potential customers in a snap by plugging the DROID 4 into an HDTV and presenting directly from the phone. Professionals can also combine the DROID 4 with the Lapdock 500 and its 14-inch display to create a full-featured mobile office. They can download documents, make edits using Lapdock’s full keyboard and email the updated documents to colleagues or customers. The Lapdock even features a built-in webcam so customers can attend virtual meetings and manage their business face-to-face.

The Smart Actions app on the DROID 4 helps automate everyday tasks and optimizes battery efficiency by letting customers create rules, such as automatically setting the phone to vibrate during work hours or dimming the display at a specific battery level.

Business professionals can leave their laptops behind and use the MotoCast™ app to remotely stream documents, videos, music and pictures from their work or home computers to their handset. The remote access of MotoCast eliminates the need to store documents on the handset as everything is stored on their office laptop.

Pricing and availability

· DROID 4 by Motorola will be available on Feb. 10 in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com for $199.99 with a new two-year customer agreement.

· The Lapdock 500 is available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online for $299.97.

· Customers that purchase a DROID 4 will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan beginning at $39.99 monthly access and a smartphone data package starting at $30 monthly access for 2 GB of data.

For more information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com. Follow @VZWnews on Twitter for the latest news on Verizon Wireless.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Media can access high-resolution images of DROID 4 by Motorola in the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.)

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s largest 4G LTE network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 108.7 million total wireless connections, including 92.2 million retail customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with nearly 82,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

About Motorola Mobility

Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE:MMI) fuses innovative technology with human insights to create experiences that simplify, connect and enrich people’s lives. Our portfolio includes converged mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets; wireless accessories; end-to-end video and data delivery; and management solutions, including set-tops and data-access devices. For more information, visit motorola.com/mobility.

MOTOROLA and the Stylized M Logo are registered trademarks of Motorola Trademark Holdings, LLC. Google, and Android are trademarks of Google, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © 2012 Motorola Mobility, Inc. All rights reserved.

Episode #102 of the SMRpodcast, Number One Somewhere, has been recorded, posted online, and is ready for download. This week Rod seeks out to get some vindication against Robb in what turns out to be a very funny moment. We talk about Rod switching back to iPhone because of Android reboot issues and Robb has a solid plan to help RIM get back on track. Finally Chris points out some solid Windows Phone news from the last week including Brandon Watson setting people straight.

Show Details

• Recorded: January 31st, 2012
• Published: February 1st, 2012
• Duration: 01hr 09min 00sec

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Opening Thoughts

• Rod points out that Robb could have been mistaken about his tablet travel intentions
• Robb defends himself by pointing out Rod may have incorecty inferred is intentions
• Chris sits back and laughs

We talk about Rod’s reboot issue on his Galaxy Nexus

• Rod switched back to iPhone because his Galaxy Nexus kept rebooting
• Robb says Rod just has bad luck with phones
• Chris is wondering if Google reader reboots too

We get into a conversation about return policies for carriers

• Rod said he was forced to return the phone because there was two days left on the return policy
• Chris says he hates that carriers use that policy
• Robb explains why they use that method for returning devices

Robb points out that RIM should be working on deal with Amazon

• Robb feels that an Amazon deal would help give app credibility to their platform
• Rod says that they should make the deal before Amazon does it without them
• Chris says he has no faith that RIM can right their ship

We discuss Microsoft and Windows Phone news

• Chris brings up another reason why Brandon Watson is great for Windows Phone
• Rod is happy to hear that Barnes and Noble lost their suit against Microsoft

Mentioned Links

Blake Griffin Dunk

Picks of the Week

• Formspring (Android Social App) Robb Dunewood (RIMarkable)
• Snapseed (iPhone Photo App) Rod Simmons (SimpleMobileReview)
• Man Up / Lost Phone Screen (WP7 apps Man up Button / Lost Phone return info) Chris Ashley (SimpleMobileReview)

A point that Microsoft has always maintained is that the number of apps is useless and what is more important is that the applications you need are available. Now a recent study performed by Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project points out Smartphone Apps may be even less significant.

An article on USA Today points out that a massive 42% of all US adults have a phone capable of running apps a majority 68% open only 5 or fewer apps at least once a week. You cannot talk to a smartphone sales associate without hearing about apps therefore we are wondering how important they are. Where are you with apps do you use the apps you download constantly or do you find yourself losing interest let us know in the comments.

You can read the full article on the USA Today.

Even though I am Windows Phone guy, I do see some android phones that I find interesting with one of them being the Samsung Galaxy Note. This Android phone has a massive 5.3-inch Super AMOLED HD screen. The Galaxy Note will be available on February 19 for $299.99 with a two-year contract.

Here is the full Samsung Galaxy Note Press release:

Create, Capture and Share in New Ways with the Samsung Galaxy Note, Available from AT&T Feb. 19

AT&T’s Latest 4G LTE Device Offers Customers a New Way to Communicate and Collaborate

Dallas, Texas, January 30, 2012

Key Facts

• Previously announced at AT&T’s Developer Summit leading up to the International Consumer Electronics Show earlier this month, the Samsung Galaxy Note™ arrives in carbon blue and ceramic white at AT&T* stores beginning Feb. 19 for $299.99 with a two-year agreement.
• Customers excited to get their hands on this dream device even earlier can pre-order athttp://www.att.com/galaxynote or any AT&T company-owned retail store beginning Sunday, Feb. 5 for delivery by Feb. 17.
• The Galaxy Note combines the best features of a smartphone with the larger viewing screen of a tablet and advanced technology in the S Pen™ — delivering an all-in-one device that allows users to work more efficiently and maintain productivity, while communicating in a unique, personal way.
• Galaxy Note boasts the world’s first 5.3-inch HD Super AMOLED™ screen (1280×800), one of the largest screens on a smartphone, for sharp, clear colors and readability – both indoors and out.  With the expansive high-resolution screen that provides an immersive viewing experience, customers can take full advantage of the large display, to create and consume more.
• The Galaxy Note includes a highly advanced tool called the S Pen, which delivers fast, responsive and precise control to create fine lines and detail on the device display, much like an ink pen and pad of paper.  With the S Pen, users can easily sketch drawings, jot down notes, or write emails and texts quickly and easily in free-form handwriting.
• S Memo™, a multimedia application designed to capture all forms of user-created content captured by the S Pen, allows for pictures, voice recordings, typed text, handwritten notes or drawings to be combined via a single application, converted to a ‘memo’, and shared as desired.
• It also includes a smart professional planning tool that makes full use of the device’s large screen. The calendar integrates the phone’s to-do list and schedule; control and navigation is intuitive, helping customers comprehensively organize their lives.
• An easy screen-capture function also allows users to instantly save any screen, which can also be annotated with the S Pen before being saved or shared.
• Users can communicate in personal, creative ways expanding beyond traditional sharing methods with the Galaxy Note.

Accessories

The Galaxy Note features a unique portfolio of custom designed optional accessories including:

• Desktop Dock to get the most out of your Galaxy Note at home
• Spare Battery Charging System that allows for a convenient backup charging solution
• Protective Flip Cover Case, available in multiple colors including tan, black, pink, red, white, blue.
• Galaxy Note S Pen Holder Kit which offers a solution for users in need of a more traditional writing instrument. With a spare S Pen included, the S Pen Holder secures the navigation tool inside and offers a comfortable grip and allows for more detailed use.

The Galaxy Note is also compatible with the following universal accessories:  Micro USB Adapter, HDTV Smart Adapter, Car Power Charger with Detachable Data Cable (Micro USB), Micro USB Data Cable, Travel Charger (Detachable with USB to Micro USB Cable), and the premium Refined Sound wired headset.

Pre-Orders

Beginning Sunday, Feb. 5 customers will have the option to pre-order the Note at http://www.att.com/galaxynote or by visiting an AT&T company-owned retail store.  Pre-orders processed by Feb. 15 will arrive by Feb. 17 at customers’ homes.

Quote

“The Galaxy Note brings a new level of efficiency to busy customers who would normally rely on multiple devices,” said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president, Devices, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets.  “This new breed of smartphone helps consumers accomplish more with a single device than ever before.  The unique all-in-one experience can simplify daily life while tapping into AT&T’s 4G LTE network to let customers work even faster.”

Limited 4G LTE availability in select markets.  4G speeds delivered by LTE, or HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul, where available.  Deployment ongoing.  Compatible device and data plan required. LTE is a trademark of ETSI.  Learn more at att.com/network.

Limited-time offer. Samsung Galaxy Note requires a new 2-yr wireless agreement with voice (min $39.99/mo) and min monthly data plan ($20/mo). Subject to Wireless Customer Agrmt. Credit approval req’d. Activ fee $36/line. Geographic, usage and other terms, conditions and restrictions apply, and may result in svc termination. Coverage and svcs not avail everywhere. Taxes and other charges apply. Data (att.com/dataplans): If usage exceeds your monthly data allowance, you will automatically be charged overage for additional data provided. Early Termination Fee (att.com/equipmentETF): After 30 days, ETF up to $325. Restocking fee up to $35. Other Monthly Charges/line may include a Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge (up to $1.25), a gross receipts surcharge, federal and state universal svc charges, fees and charges for other gov’t assessments. These are not taxes or gov’t req’d charges. Visit a store or att.com/wireless to learn more about wireless devices and services from AT&T.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile broadband and emerging 4G capabilities, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse^® and AT&T |DIRECTV brands. The company’s suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising.

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com. This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT.

^© 2012 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. Mobile broadband not available in all areas. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies.

Recently AT&T provided us with one of the many smartphone accessories they carry the Jawbone Jambox for review. This device is a desktop Bluetooth speakerphone functional enough for your office and sleek enough for your living room. Our network site WinGadgetNews.com reviewed the Jambox specifically with Windows Phone 7 and were quite happy with the results.

Here are some of the highlights of the Jambox with Windows Phone Review

The Jambox is loaded with accessories including a 3.5mm stereo cable for devices without Bluetooth. Here is the full list

• 60″ micro SB charging cable
• 12.5″ micro USB charging cable
• 36″ 3.5mm stereo cable
• Carrying case
• A/C wall charger
• User guide

The design is quite nice and subtly attracts attention from people show see it. In addition, the controls are located at the top of the speaker, which make it very accessible.

Listening to the Jawbone Jambox provides a surprising yet awesome surprise as the sound that comes from the speaker more than easily fills the room. This makes the device perfect for background music during a get together or even great for relaxing on a beach.

The Jambox also doubles as a speakerphone for conference call, which is achieved by including a microphone. The only downside was the lack of power on the Microphone as some callers had trouble hearing us during conversations.

Overall, the Jawbone Jambox that AT&T sent us is a pleasure to use. With the combination of a simple slick design and powerful stereo speakers, you are sure to enjoy this device with your phones. You can grab a Jambox from AT&T or of you prefer Amazon.com.

You can read the full Jawbone Jambox Review at WinGadgetNews.com

Surely one of my favorite features of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is the ability to show your data usage over a monthly cycle. In the data usage area, accessed via Settings | Data Usage, you can set a mobile data limit and track your data usage by application. While the Data usage feature is not an exact measurement, it does give you a good idea how close you are to your data cap. This is a feature of the Ice Cream Sandwich version of Android (4.0), and will be available regardless of your carrier once you upgrade.

The benefit of being able to set a data usage warning at a user defined level and a data limit at another level is fantastic.  Once you hit the data limit, the mobile data network is disabled to help you avoid overage charges. Thus if you have a 2GB data plan, you can elect to be warned at 1.5 GB but set the limit at 1.9 GB. The reason I would set your data limit, the point where mobile data is disabled, below the actual carrier cap, is to account for the inaccuracy that the phone and carrier bring.  It might be wise to do several checks online to verify how close this measurement is. It also goes without saying that if you hit your data limit and still need to continue and are willing to take the over-data charge, you can quickly adjust to allow a higher data limit.

This utility gives you a great deal of flexibility. In addition to showing how much data usage a given app has used, it also highlights the number in MB for both foreground and background data usage. For apps that are huge data hogs, you can restrict the background data usage on a per app basis as needed. I was shocked to find that my Evernote app was using approx. 1.4 GB of data per month. It led me to reduce the number of folders that I replicate to the phone, for offline use.

In addition to setting a data limit you also have the option to define the usage cycle. Thus if your billing cycle the Starts on the 12th of each month you can make this adjustment.

In full disclosure, using this utility is the first time I have seen this phone become unstable. I experienced a spontaneous reboot, unresponsive soft keys, unresponsive power button, and overall system lockup for 2-3 minutes. I only experienced this issue when I was adjust settings or drilling down on details for a specific application and the phone seemed slow to put the pie chart up for the app in question. Others I have talked to have not seen this, so I am not sure what was going on or what would cause such an instability.

Overall this is a welcome feature and it puts the power and control of data usage back in the users hand.

Our favorite PC Backup company CrashPlan, has released a Windows Phone version of there mobile applications. Responding to a question, CrashPlan’s tweeted,

“Actually, We’ve released a Windows Phone version of the apps today. Should appear in the Marketplace within a day.”

We rely in CrashPlan to back up our Windows HomeServers and other pc’s. CrashPlan has a few backup methods where one is to simply backup to the cloud and another is to backup to a friends house too.

{ via wingadgetnews.com }

Asus tweeted out they would be releasing a Android Root tool for there very popular Transformer Prime Tablet. This Android tablet features 32 or 64 gigabyte configurations running Android 3.2 Honeycomb OS and is 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich upgradable. Many of the Android fans that own this device would love to Root it and there time is coming next month.

{via – android central}