Things Needed:

• Download & Install VirtualBox (Free)
• Download & Unzip the Chrome OS image (via GDGT.com)

Update: Looks like GDGT posted a image for VirtualBox as well. However it doesn’t seem to work. Just stick to the VMWare .vmdk file for use with VirtualBox as I did. Otherwise it just loads a black screen.

That’s pretty much it. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask below!

Links: Watch This in HD on Vimeo.com

For the most part, it’s unlike any other operating system. It focuses at making the web a better experience rather than on local desktop applications. Chromium tries to utilize Google’s vastly growing “cloud computer” network. Instead of installing applications, most will run right out of a browser, while still offering a similar experience. The entire OS caters to the idea of a light weight operating system. Most data will be stored on Google’s network instead of your computer’s hard drive. Google also boasts safer working environment since each application would be contained within a “sandbox,” preventing access to other bits of data on your machine. It supposedly can fix itself with a simple reboot if the base code becomes damaged. Reboots don’t take long either, Chromium takes just a few seconds to start up.

With that kept in mind, the OS will initially be designed for low-powered Netbooks. It won’t be able to replace a full Windows, Macintosh, or Linux system anytime soon, but it would be a great complement.

Links: Chromium.org | YouTube – “What is Google Chrome?”

Update: Install Google Chrome OS in VirtualBox (Video)

Main Features:

• Military-Grade Encryption
• Stealth Browsing with Firefox
• Built-in Password Manager
• Rugged and Waterproof Device
• Windows 7/Vista/XP, Mac OS X, and Linux
• 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB models

Security Features:
The IronKey is like most flash drives, just plug it in and copy data over. However unlike typical devices, any stored data is encrypted with IronKey’s Cryptochip technology. If you’re a computer security whiz, then you’ll be impressed to hear that it meets Level 3 of the Federal Process Information Standardization 140 (FIPS). The IronKey isn’t just limited to software encryption either, it also uses a 256-bit AES hardware encryption. That means that for the most part, unless you’re working for the NSA or are a hardcore hacker, any data on this device will be unreadable without the right password.

IronKey even takes extra precautions. All the software needed to run the IronKey is stored on-board the flash memory. No data is left over on a host computer’s hard drive or RAM. With an on-screen virtual keyboard, the device is immune to key-loggers. To prevent brute force dictionary attacks, if there are over 10 concurrent incorrect attempts to login, it self-destructs. It won’t explode into pieces, but the insides will become destroyed. It won’t be readable, writable, or usable ever again.

The unit is now also made from a single piece of metal, making it quite durable. The original model was slightly more flimsy with a rear plate. The unit has also passed military-grade waterproof testing. (Electromagnetic shielding too!) And just like the original model, if someone were to pry the unit open to extract the flash memory chip, it will detect their presence and self-destruct upon contact.

Software Tools:
In addition to the durable build quality and hardware security, there’s plenty of useful software on the device. There’s a built-in anonymous Firefox browser. It runs off the device with no installation required. No data remnants will be left over on the user’s computer. Plus, with a built-in password manager, you’ll never need to remember all your passwords. The device will store a secured copy of all your logins for important websites. Of course, it requires a master password to utilize any of the credentials.

The Firefox browser also has a specially built encrypted tunnel for browsing. When enabled, all data is sent through a triple-encrypted connection, routed through multiple servers, and eventually directed to the website you visited. (A high-performance dedicated Tor network.) With a masked DNS, it will be nearly impossible to track who you are or your location. So this means, if you are using an unsecure WiFi network or public HotSpot, there’s nothing to worry about.

How It Works:
It’s this simple. Just plug it in and if the software an auto-run dialog should popup in Windows 7. Just click on it and an IronKey window will appear, prompting the user for a password. If the correct key is entered, a second hidden partition on the drive becomes accessible. Just like any other flash drive copy any data over. The read and write speeds were also impressively faster than most flash drives I have used. (About 25Mb/s for both read and write speeds.) The IronKey portable app launcher will remain in the taskbar. It offers a simple interface to launch applications such as Firefox, the backup tool, and any other portable app you install. There’s also a control panel to change passwords, update the on-board IronKey software, and much more. When you’re done with a session, just press the Lock Drive item. It immediately secures and makes the partition vanish.

Conclusion:
The IronKey S200 is simply an awesome gadget. It’s the most secure flash drive I’ve come across. There’s nothing groundbreaking that sets it apart from the last iteration, but the simple changes and upgrades are appreciated. That being said, this is still a bit of an overkill for the average person. Unless you’re carrying sensitive corporate data, top-secret information, or are just plain paranoid, you probably don’t need this. The combination of the excellent hardware and software makes this a great device. The only downside is the price. While an average 1GB flash drive costs merely nothing in 2009, the IronKey S200 1GB model has a MSRP of $79. A 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB capacity models follow priced at $99, $149, $199, and $299, respectively. Even so, it’s a small trade-off if you have something to protect. If your IronKey gets stolen or lost, it’s pretty much guaranteed that your data is secure.

Buy: IronKey Model S200 on Amazon.com
Links: IronKey.com | Watch Demo

While you are waiting for the review of the Droid Eris to go live, please feel free to subscribe to our RSS Feed or sign up for Email Subscriptions. If you haven’t heard, we’re also on Facebook and Twitter!

Last year Skatter Tech reviewed the Das Keyboard Professional. Today, I present a review of the latest iteration, the Das Keyboard Model S Professional. The new version is almost entirely the same as the previous model, but it now comes with a few additions, changes, and improvements. For starters, the keyboard is no longer as loud when typing, but it still sounds like a typewriter. Other improvements include multimedia controls, powered USB ports, and compatibility for PS/2 ports and KVM switches. Although we took a look at the Professional model, an ‘Ultimate’ version is also available which is a completely blank keyboard without any printed text.

Comfort and Quality
As with the earlier model, the new Das Keyboard S Professional maintains its advertised guarantee of quality with precision, speed, and comfort. When they say this is the best keyboard to use for long hours of typing, they aren’t kidding. This is hands down the smoothest keyboard I have ever used. After some getting used to, I found myself typing faster and faster. Due to high sensitivity, there were quite a few accidental entries at first, but my accuracy increased as I spent more time with it. The feel of the keys is unlike any other keyboard. Instead of the immediate snap or click, the keys feel as though they are on a cushion. It actually accepts key presses before it finishes being pressed. There’s a special kind of fluid flow you feel with this keyboard that you won’t find on others. Plus, it’s comfortable. The Model S also sports the n-key rollover feature which accepts up to 6 presses at once. Most generic keyboards jam with more than 3-4 simultaneous key presses. This allows fast typers to do what they do best. The Das Model S makes the entire typing experience enjoyable by adding an aesthetically pleasing sound to each click. Although not as loud, it reminded me of the sound a typewriter makes and the confident feedback you get which each click. Unfortunately it’s still a bit too loud and may annoy others nearby.

Design and Look
The Model S once again retains the minimalistic look. It doesn’t have any extra text, icons, or nonsense other than the company’s name. The only visual difference on the S Model versus the original is the addition of a “Fn” button in the previous location of the left Windows key. The Fn key offers access to media functions which are secondary commands of the F1-F12 keys. Other than that, the keyboard looks almost entirely the same. The unit won’t budge an inch once placed on your desk. That’s because it weighs nearly twice as much as any keyboard I’ve used. Since this won’t ever leave most people’s desks, the weight is a non-issue. The Model S has a glossy reflective black coating which looks sharp. That also means that it does attract some fingerprints just like every other expensive shiny gadget on the market. That’s however not too big of a deal. Plus, you can wipe smudges off with the included cleaning cloth. Das Keyboard claims that each key can handle about 50 million strokes before it wears out.

Setup and USB Hub
The Das Keyboard S Professional is ready to use right out of the box. There’s no installation required. The device has two USB cables, one enables the keyboard component and the other for the USB Hub. My Dell Inspiron laptop, running Windows 7, detected everything instantly. It should be the same case for Mac OS X users. There’s a two-port USB hub on the right side. Although I wouldn’t recommend using any USB hub for any data heavy devices such as external HDDs, the ports are easy to access and great for flash drives. For the most part I didn’t notice any performance degradation due to the use of a hub. Also since the keyboard portion is independent of the USB hub, any freeze ups won’t affect your typing.

Media Keys
The addition of media keys are a great addition to this keyboard. They are accessible by pressing the ‘Fn’ key in combination with the corresponding Function key. There are keys for lowering volume, increasing volume, mute, play/pause, stop, previous track, and next track. There’s also a key to put your computer to Sleep. The media keys worked perfectly with Windows 7. They also worked smoothly with pre-installed Windows Media Player 12 and 3rd party programs such as VLC and Foobar 2000. They were quite responsive as well. The fact that no additional software was required is a big plus. After some use, I truly feel as though the media keys should be placed in a different location. Reaching across the keyboard to press two keys for each operation seemed time consuming. Either adding dedicated media keys or placing them elsewhere might yield a more productive typing experience.

The Recall
While using this keyboard, the space bar randomly decided to stop working. After a couple rapid clicks, it still ceased to function. I decided to unplug the device and reboot my computer. It then started working again. Over the course of about two weeks of use, it never happened again. I just assumed it was a random bug and never bothered to look into it. However, I was soon informed that the Model S was being recalled shortly prior to publishing this review. There’s apparently a faulty component which causes random keys to stop functioning. It shouldn’t cause any harm to your computer, but when you pay for something it should work flawlessly. If a unit you own does have this issue, unplugging and plugging it should apparently solve the problem temporarily. I’m also glad to see that Das Keyboards is handling this issue quite appropriately. They are offering all the customers who already purchased one the option to receive a free replacement or a full refund. They are no longer shipping out the Model S, but are taking pre-orders for the working model with some minor revisions. It will be available in mid-December.

Bottom Line
Overall, the Das Keyboard S Professional is much of what it used to be, a great keyboard. The minor improvements probably aren’t worth an upgrade from last years model, but is a great complement for new buyers. The slightly more silent keys will annoy your co-workers or roommates less. For the user, the aesthetics and the fast typing experience is great. It’s great for typing long papers or reviews such as this one. While the recall may turn off some potential buyers, keep in mind that Das Keyboards makes reliable products. Last years model worked perfectly and there was only one occurrence of the bug during my two weeks of use. Das Keyboards is taking responsibility and is addressing the issue properly. I’ll update this article when we get a hold of the working unit next month, but for now I’ll trust that they’ll fix it. The Model S is a great keyboard and is definitely worth a look at if you’re a serious writer, programmer, or just type a lot. It’s a quite pricey and will run you about $129. It’s a lot for a keyboard, but it’s a quality product and you’ll only appreciate it once you use it.

Pre-Order: Model S (ships mid-December)
Links: Das Keyboard Model S | Recall Information

.
Check back soon to find out about the Top Downloaded Movies of the Week!

Body Design: 4/5 stars
Keeping with the environmental theme, the Samsung Reclaim is available to customers in two colors: “Ocean Blue” and “Earth Green”. Although the colors are quite bright and standout, it has a nice glossy feel and texture. Plus, it stands out and is a nice change from the standard black and silver trimmed phones that most phones have today. The Reclaim has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, which is great for texting. Although they keys were somewhat narrow and cramped, it should be fine after some getting used to. There are dedicated left/right soft keys and send/end buttons. A speakerphone key, okay, and back key are also included. The large size and color almost reminded me of Fisher Price toys, but they are solid and comfortable. There’s also a volume rocker and a camera shutter key on the side. I was also truly surprised to see a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, which even some smartphones launched earlier this year didn’t offer. There’s also a standard microSD card expansion and an micro USB port concealed under a plastic cover. Other than that, sliding out the keyboard reveals a 2 megapixel camera on the back. The device is fairly compact to fit into just about any pocket.

Display and Interface: 4/5 stars
The Samsung Reclaim sports a 2.6-inch QVGA 320×240 pixel display. Although the colors and graphics aren’t stunning, it’s appropriate for a phone in this price range. The phone uses Sprint’s fairly new “One Click” user interface. Everything is controlled by the directional pad and text entry with the slide-out QWERTY keyboard. The UI is well polished, fairly responsive, and even has an “eco-friendly theme” incorporated. It’s fast to navigate, easy to use, and you’ll find the usual array of address book, calendar, world/alarm clock, calculator, memo, and stopwatch programs. Furthermore, there is even a chat client (AIM, Live, Yahoo), Facebook, MySpace, and a Mobile Email client. Although the Web Browser isn’t anything to get excited about, staying informed and even updating Twitter statuses is painless.

Camera: 3/5 stars
I didn’t expect too much out of the Reclaim’s camera when I picked it up. The quality is mediocre, images lacked color and were a bit blurred even with a steady hand. I did like the dedicated capture key on the side, which was convenient. The max capture resolution is 1600 x 1200 pixels. Fortunately, the user interface was quite impressive. It has plenty of options including self-timers, brightness setting, custom tones, night shot, and a few other fun features. The phone surprisingly also offered the ability to share images by uploading Facebook or Flickr as well as MMS. The Reclaim can also capture videos, however quality isn’t any better than taking photos. A newer iteration could use a few improvements.

Music Playback & Sync: 3.5/5 stars
The multimedia features were quite impressive for a phone in this price range. With a standard headphone jack and microSD expansion, this can easily be turned into a fairly decent MP3 player. Although the included card was unfortunately only 512MB, picking up a 8GB microSD is just $20. The phone supports playback of most major formats (MP3, AAC, & WMA) including support for Amazon MP3 and iTunes Plus Tracks. Transferring media over is quite simple with a micro USB cable, which I wish Sprint had included with the packaging. The Samsung Reclaim also has access to Sprint’s Music Store. It’s also compatible with Stereo Bluetooth Headsets such as the Jabra Halo.

Phone Calls + Texting: 4/5 stars
The most important feature of any phone is making calls. The Samsung Reclaim fell a bit short compared to other devices with slightly worse signal strength. Despite that it didn’t lack on quality for the most part. The person on the other end could hear me just fine. The speaker phone was a bit choppy at times. The phone battery can last through about 6 hours worth of calls with a full charge. When not in use, it should last at least 2-3 days on standby. Plus, with a full QWERTY keyboard messaging others is quite a snap. It was quick to send text messages and even using the instant messaging features.

Environmental Benefits: 5/5 stars
If I wasn’t told this was a recycled phone, I wouldn’t have known. The build quality is pretty impressive and it’s actually better than many other phones in this price range. If there’s a way to get people to “Go Green,” this is one of those. While most eco-friendly devices are over priced or lack on features, the Samsung Reclaim doesn’t linger on either. Sprint has taken the initiative to cut down on technology wastes in the next several ears. Along with Samsung, they managed to manufacture a device from bio-plastic, making the phone 80% recyclable. Even the packaging is entirely recycled materials and the printed ink is from soy-based materials. Although cell phone chargers don’t consume much power, Samsung even emphasized on the Energy Star approved AC Adapter. The phone is also pre-loaded with a number of links to Guides to living a healthy eco-friendly lifestyle. Sprint also donates a few dollars of the proceeds made with each sale to programs that help benefit the environment.

Bottom Line:
While most people are caught up in the smartphone trend, devices and initiatives such as these are often overlooked. Non-smartphones such as this Samsung Reclaim still account for the vast majority of mobile phone market share. The price is probably the best part. It’s available for just $49 with a new two-year contract. It’s probably even free if you are eligible for an upgrade. This phone has just about all the features an expensive top of the line device had just a year or two ago. I wouldn’t recommend this phone for Business or tech savvy customers, however it’s beyond excellent for students, those on a budget, or those looking for an environmentally friendly device. The Reclaim doesn’t sacrifice any important features. I would definitely love to see Sprint push this initiative further and apply it to even the smartphones that are becoming increasingly popular. If you are looking for a new device to make calls, text, and even to listen to music, definitely take a look at Sprint’s Samsung Reclaim.

Deal: Samsung Reclaim for FREE
Links: Sprint.com – Samsung Reclaim

After grabbing the Delivery Status Touch from the iTunes App Store, it’s quite easy to start using. Just tap the Edit button, and click the ‘+’ icon to add a new item to track. Just about every major domestic delivery service I’ve used was listed and there are quite a few international ones as well. There’s even tracking tools for Amazon, Apple, and Google Checkout orders. Once you choose the service, you’ll have to key in the tracking number and pick a name. Fortunately since the iPhone now has copy and paste, it’s quite simple to grab the code from an email and enter it into this App. Although it might be overkill, I would truly be impressed if they added Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for use with the Camera. I would love to be able to just take a snap of the tracking number on a sheet of paper.

The home screen will display a list of the active packages you are tracking. You can manually sort them or have it automatically organized by delivery dates. Each item updates each time the App is started and will display the number of days until delivery besides each app. There’s also a one-line message of the latest status provided by the carrier and the estimated delivery date. Once delivered, the countdown will be replaced with a check mark. The items are also color coded by each company’s most prominent color. You can click on an item for further details. The map link will display the last known location of the package and your current GPS location. The entire Delivery Status Touch App has a landscape mode and there’s even a Junecloud web page to sync tracking numbers. The application is quite responsive, well polished, and easy to use. The only feature that’s missing that I would love to see in a future version is Push Notifications for deliveries, exceptions, or even progress updates.

There’s plenty of ways to track packages on the iPhone, however none are as well designed as this. If you rarely track packages, you can probably survive just fine using email updates and using the browser to check on packages. On the other hand if you are always have a number of shipments going in and out, this is an excellent tool to stay organized. It’s available for just $3 from the iTunes App Store.

Buy: Launch iTunes App Store
Links: Junecloud.com Delivery Status Touch

An average brand-name Netbook (e.g. Dell, HP) with a standard 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor and 1GB of RAM costs about $300. Cell Phone carriers including AT&T and Verizon now offer subsidized Netbooks with a 3G Wireless Broadband card built in. So the big question: “Is it worth purchasing a Netbook with a contract?” The simple answer is NO.

For example, let’s take a look at the HP Mini 110. It retails for about $300 excluding tax straight from HP.com. Verizon Wireless offers the same configuration of the Mini 110 for a subsidized price of $150. Half-off seems like a great deal, but it’s not. First there’s a $35 activation fee. Next you’ll have to sign-up for a data plan that costs $60 per month for just 5GB of data. I should note that there’s also a $40/month data plan that offers just 250MB of data. Considering that I feel 5GB itself is too little, 250MB is just ridiculous. Plus there’s also a 2-year contract associated with the device. To get out, you’ll have to pay the $175 early termination fee. So if you add that up here’s what you get:

$150 (HP Mini 110) + $35 (Activation Fee) + $1440 (5GB Plan, $60 x 24 Months) = $1625.

Keep in mind that I didn’t include tax either. That’s nearly the cost of a fairly high-end Dell XPS laptop or MacBook Pro. Although Netbooks are a great tool, it’s not a good idea to spend that much for one and be stuck with it for two years. The technology is evolving and new models that run faster and longer keep coming out. Dual Core Atom processors are probably going to hit Netbooks within the next few months. Your Netbook will be outdated in no time. Unless you need a computer with 3G Broadband at all times, it might be better just to use hotspots when you need access. If you decide to upgrade your netbook every year, you can do so and still end up paying less than half of what a contracted Netbook costs. If you really need broadband on the go, either try to add a tethering plan to your current phone, grab a MiFi that works with multiple devices, or a separate 3G USB Modem.

Links: AT&T Netbooks | Verizon Netbooks

Of course, if you wish to opt-out after signing up, you can do so easily at anytime. Just hit the logout button or delete the Skatter Tech App in your Facebook App settings. We honor Facebook’s privacy settings so your real name and profile photo won’t appear if you have it locked down. Also we haven’t done away with the traditional commenting system. You’ll always be able to manually type in your information and even pick a Gravatar when posting a comment!

So what are you waiting for? Leave a Facebook-powered Comment below!

Links: Skatter Tech Facebook Fan Page

It all starts with the hardware. It’s shocking. With a 600MHz processor and 1GB of RAM, the phone resembles the configuration of a high end laptop just about 10 years ago. The 3.5 inch display packs 800 x 480 pixels, just a bit short of what the Droid offers. But it’s also has 32GB of on-board flash memory and even offers 16GB microSDHC card expansion. There’s also a 5 megapixel camera with a Carl Zeiss lens, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, HSPA 10Mbps, a FM Transmitter, and a microUSB data port.

As for the software, which has recently been a trending topic in regards to smart phones, the Nokia N900 runs on Maemo 5. If you haven’t heard of it, that’s because it’s fairly new. It’s a Linux-based open source OS and it deviates from using Symbian, which is found on just about every other Nokia phone. And of course, it’s quite powerful with multi-tasking, a Mozilla-based browser that supports Flash and AJAX, multi-protocol instant messaging, VoIP Skype support, and a consolidated all-in-one contact manager.

That’s just touching the surface of what this phone has to offer. An unlocked version of the Nokia N900 is already up for Pre-Orders on Amazon for $559. While I try get in contact with Nokia for a review unit, please enjoy some product shots of the phone that were included in the official press kit:

Pre-Order: Nokia N900 for $559
Links: Nokia.com N900

• Snap Right: WIN Key + Right
• Snap Left: WIN Key + Left

Fortunately after digging through the “internets,” I found a solution workaround. To move an active window to the left or right half of the center divider, just hit the WIN Key + Right or WIN Key + Left. Repeatedly pressing through either combo continually moves the window to all the possible snap positions. You can also add the SHIFT key as another modifier to have it jump to the same position on the next display. I’m definitely not a fan of having to do this and would have definitely preferred a visual method, but it’s the best option at the moment. It’s a lot better than manually resizing windows…

Microsoft, if you’re listening, please make a small tweak or two for Service Pack 1.

The second item SanDisk sent us was the MobileMate Duo, a MobileMate Micro USB card reader and a SanDisk SD card adapter for microSD cards. Although most modern gadgets should allow a mass storage mode to allow copying data over, the MobileMate Duo kit offers direct access to the microSD card. The USB card reader worked right out of the box on Windows 7 and OS X Snow Leopard. No extra drivers were needed. Using the SD card reader adapter is self-explanatory.

To see how well the microSD card performs, I ran some benchmarks:
(I used a Windows 7 machine with the MobileMate Micro USB)

Music Album (MP3s – 80MB)

• Write: 8MB/s
• Read: 17MB/s

Video (AVI – 800MB)

• Write: 14MB/s
• Read: 18MB/s

Just as a popular SD cards revolutionized flash storage for Digital Cameras, the microSDHC cards are doing the same for mobile phones. These are affordable, easy to carry, and swappable on most devices. SanDisk, a reliable brand, is producing quality products. The read and write speeds were higher than I had expected for such a small piece of flash media. This card is a excellent way to store music and photos on mobile devices. The USB adapter is a great accessory if your device won’t allow direct syncing. Although the MSRP is ridiculously high, priced at $109, it’s available for a fraction of that if you shop around. The 16GB model goes for around $45 on Amazon.

Buy: SanDisk MicroSDHC $45
Links: SanDisk.com microSDHC

Hardware – 5/5 stars
The form factor of the Anywhere MX is quite similar to the VX Nano. The MX feels as though it weights nearly twice as much mainly due to the use of 2 AA batteries rather than 2 AAA on the preceding model. The workmanship is excellent, just as it almost always is with Logitech products. From the minute you pick it up, you’ll know that it’s a high end quality product. The parts that previously had glossy plastic on the VX Nano are now covered with a chrome trim on the Anywhere MX. Scratches and fingerprints aren’t nearly as visible anymore. There’s a sliding cover which doubles as both the power switch and as a cover to protect the sensor from damage when in the “OFF position”. Other than that, there’s a large door on the bottom that reveals the batteries and a holster for the tiny USB Logitech Unifying receiver.

Buttons – 5/5 stars
The Anywhere MX features all the essential buttons necessary to make a good mouse. This includes a left/right-click buttons, back/forward-keys, a scroll wheel, and a middle-click. Unlike the Anywhere MX, many mice such as the Microsoft Mobile Mouse 4000 often fall short in offering all of those basic keys. The Logitech even takes it a step further by offering a scroll wheel that can switch between a frictionless free-spin mode and a notched  modes when the wheel is pushed in. The frictionless mode is great for flicking through long webpages, while the other mode is slower, but offers precision. The scroll wheel can also be leaned to the left or right for horizontal scrolling. The middle click defaults to the button placed right below the scroll wheel. Logitech made the wise decision to move the awkwardly placed forward and back keys on the VX Nano to the natural location of where the thumb finger would be located. The most important keys, the left and right click, have a strong and comforting feel. Overall, it’s a huge improvement over the VX Nano. Although I’m not taking a point off, I should note that this is a right-handed mice, it would be difficult for lefties to use this product.

Surface Tracking 5/5 stars
The greatest feature of this mouse is the new Darkfield Laser technology. It now can operate on virtually any surface including glass. Neither optical mice nor even Microsoft’s new BlueTrack technology can’t match it. The technology works by detecting imperfections and dust particles on the glass. It might not be as accurate as compared to using a traditional surface or mouse pad, but after a few tests on a glass desk, it seemed to work just well. Hard-core gamers will probably want a better mouse, but the precision of the new laser is better than any other mouse Skatter Tech has come across to date.

Other Components – 5/5 stars
Although Logitech offers a CD with Drivers, everything worked right out of the box on both Windows 7 and Vista. Unless you want to customize functionality, it might even be better to not install the extra tools to save system resources. The transmitter is about the same size as the one included with the previous model. It’s no longer limited to pairing with just this Anywhere Mouse MX, but can also connect to other products compatible with the Unifying technology. The signal strength is strong enough to transmit accurately from at least 20 feet away. Logitech even throws in a neat little pouch to protect the MX Nano when traveling. Although I couldn’t test the battery life span for obvious reasons, Logitech claims about 6 months with normal use. I’ll take their word for it considering the history of their quality products.

Bottom Line
There’s no question that this is one of the best mice on the market today. Although I wouldn’t mind using this as a full time mouse, Logitech also offers a larger desktop version called the Performance Mouse MX. We will be reviewing getting a hold of that one soon. This mouse simply works on just about any surface one would come across. The only downside comes with the price. The MSRP is $80. However if you shop around it’s available for a lot less. Amazon currently offers it for $50 after a $10 rebate. With the comfort, features, the tiny receiver, and even a case thrown in, there’s no way you’ll be disappointed.

Buy: Amazon.com Anywhere MX $50
Links: Logitech.com Anywhere Mouse MX

On another note, Verizon Wireless also announced the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8530. Unlike the clickable touch-screen the Storm2 features (see our review), it has traditional form factor with a physical QWERTY keyboard. Unlike older BlackBerry phones, this one does away with the trackball, replacing it with a touch-sensitive trackpad. And for some quick specs for this phone, it’s packed with WiFi, 3G, GPS, 2 megapixel camera, and mainly a lot of business/enterprise features. The Curve 9530 will be available on November 20th for $99 after a $100 rebate and signing a 2-year contract.

We will be getting a hold of both of these phones in the coming days and will be publishing full reviews shortly after. In the meantime, to be the first to read our reviews, subscribe to our RSS Feed, sign up for Email Subscriptions, or find us on Facebook or Twitter!

Using Powermat is quite easy. There’s only one cable needed to power the Powermat itself. Gadgets can be placed on any of the three magnetic charging spots on the device. It plays a futuristic sound and display an LED indicator to verify that it’s charging. If you begin to get annoyed with the sounds once the “coolness-factor” fades, there are buttons on the back to adjust the volume and indicator brightness level as well. An additional powered USB port has been conveniently added to the back to charge legacy devices that don’t yet have support for the Powermat.

Here’s when it gets tricky. The devices you own just don’t charge on their own if you place them on the Powermat. You’ll first need to place them in special Powermat sleeves. There are a number of receivers offered, however we were provided with three: iPod Touch Sleeve, Nintendo DSi Sleeve, and iPod Dock. Their website reveals sleeves for other devices including popular models of the RIM Blackberry. The Powermat representative we spoke with stated that many more accessories for popular gadgets are on their way.

The first device I tested was the iPod Touch Sleeve. I slipped the iPod Touch into the case and placed it on the Powermat. After the Powermat did it’s thing, played a sound and lit up the LED, the iPod Touch displayed the charging screen after a short delay. The case was actually quite a decent one and seemed like it would do a fairly good job of protecting my device. It did unfortunately have that obtruding portion on the back which is necessary for this technology to function. The case also required that I use a little headset dongle and their own USB cable since neither a standard headphone cable or iPod Connector would reach through the case. Although I didn’t see any negative impact to the performance of WiFi on the iPod Touch, I’m not sure if it would cause any signal issues on the case for the iPhone they are releasing this month. Charging worked perfectly and just about as fast, but the need for a headphone dongle made it seem a bit annoying.

The next receiver I tried was the Powermat iPod Dock. At the moment this is a workaround for charging an iPhone 3GS. However the dock also works with the majority of iPods on the market with a few exceptions. It detected and charged both a 2nd generation iPod Nano and iPod Touch perfectly. It also has an adjustable backrest to adjust for the various sizes of these Apple devices. This accessory also seemed to wirelessly charge a device in just about the same time a traditional wired charger would.

Although we only had a standard Nintendo DS, we were able to borrow a Nintendo DSi to test it’s sleeve device briefly. It snapped on easily and immediately began to charge the device. It does add a bit of bulk and make holding the Nintendo DSi a bit more awkward, but it wasn’t too big of an issue. And it was a lot more convenient to place the DSi on the Powermat rather than having to reach for a cable that is probably tangled up or fallen off a desk.

The final accessory we tested the Powermat with was the included and highly versatile Powercube. This was one of my favorite aspects of the entire product. It’s a simple cube that’s placed on the mat with a cable coming out of it. There are plenty of adapters for devices such as Apple, LG, Samsung, Sony, Nintendo, and mini/micro USB products included. Although its not really making anything more cable free, it’s almost a universal charger for the majority of devices out there. We’ve got plenty of gadgets coming in and out at Skatter Tech and this could probably charge just about all of them. Powermat even includes a little storage box that magnetically attaches to the Powercube to carry around a couple of the adapter tips you use most. While this certainly isn’t as awesome as simply placing your iPod or BlackBerry on the Powermat, it’s definitely a welcome addition.

The Powermat works exactly as advertised. We didn’t face any issues or problems. The version we tested is the “Home and Office” version, but Powermat also offers a foldable portable version for travel. A question that a couple of friends asked was, “Is this safe?”.  After a little investigating, I found that there’s nothing to be concerned about. The device is fairly low voltage and it wouldn’t have been approved for sale if there were potential health risks. It doesn’t damage any other devices placed near or on it either.

So does the Powermat have a catch? Yes, the price. The base unit sells for about $100 alone. Although it includes a Powercube and those set of adapters pictured above, it’s still expensive. Plus, each of the device-specific sleeves sell separately for around $30 each. Sure, if you’ve got the cash to spare, go for it. It works. I loved the simplicity of  not having to plug my devices in, but I don’t necessarily think it’s worth spending that much. Plus this technology has already been natively implemented into devices such as the Palm Pre. Dell even showed off the Latitude Z laptop that charges without cables. This technology is closer than ever and I wouldn’t be surprised if it appeared in a lot more gadgets we use everyday. I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot of those as early next year during the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show. In the meantime, it might just be best for the rest of us to wait until prices drop or until it becomes a built-in feature of new versions of gadgets that hit the streets.

Buy: Powermat for $99 | Accessories
Related: Powermat Video Demo
Links: Powermat.com

If there is anything you should take from that last paragraph, it should be that I am hypercritical when it comes to reviewing smart phones because I have yet to experience the recipe for a so-called “iPhone-Killer”. So when I say that the Motorola Droid is my new favorite phone, you can take me seriously. Yes, yes, all of the smart phones in this generation do just about everything short of cooking for you. But the Droid just does it better with Motorola’s feature-packed hardware, Android’s new open source operating system, and Verizon’s high quality network. I’ll explain.

The Hardware
This phone is built like a tank. It weighs about an ounce more than the iPhone, but the extra weight just makes the Droid feel like it’s expensive and has a lot to offer rather than just a heavy burden. I was initially concerned about the sliding mechanism for the keyboard, which is often the first to break on phones with a similar form factor. However, this isn’t the case. The Droid is far from flimsy. Although the phone doesn’t sit flush on a flat surface; the shape of the back elevates the phone just enough so that it doesn’t vibrate off of a table or let the camera get scratched. The lip below the screen didn’t seem to serve any purpose, but I soon realized that it houses the microphone and helps the user to tell the speaker from the microphone.

I only have a few small complaints. My first complaint is with the external buttons. Don’t get me wrong, all three power, volume, and camera keys work fine, but they sit loosely in the frame, which feels as though it takes away from the quality of the build. My second complaint is with the battery compartment cover. It slides off rather easily. It even came off once when I pulled it out of a tight pocket in my backpack. I suppose that’s better than not being able to take it off at all, but it’s something to keep in mind if you like your jeans extra tight.

• Overall Quality – 5/5
• Mechanical Parts – 5/5
• External Buttons – 4/5

The Display
Measuring 3.7 inches and 480 x 854 pixel resolution, the Droid’s touch-screen display is beautiful, bright, enormous, and knocks competitor’s displays out of the park. The screen is both larger than the one found on the iPhone and also has over two times screen resolution. That means it can easily fit and render websites normally designed for computers. Plus, it’s large enough of a resolution to playback DVD quality movies. It’s also accurate and sensitive enough to register touches properly. Like all glossy touch screen phones, the screen tends to get covered with fingerprints and smudges, but it’s nothing your t-shirt can’t fix.

• Size – 5/5
• Resolution – 5/5
• Brightness – 5/5
• Quality – 5/5

The Keyboard
The Droid offers both a physical keyboard and an on-screen keyboard to suit your taste. The on-screen keyboard works perfectly in both horizontal and landscape modes. A key press results in both a sound and/or haptic (vibration) feedback. In fact, the on-screen keyboard is almost the same as the iPhone’s, so it should be an easy transition for those used to Apple’s keyboard.

The physical keyboard is pretty standard. The buttons are square and the keys become illuminated when it’s dark. There’s nothing incredibly special or annoying about it. The only issue is the layout. Rather than having slightly offset keys as found on standard keyboards, everything is aligned in a perfect grid. However, just like any other phone, you get used to what you have after a day of use. I shouldn’t understate the keyboard. Many smart phone owners are first time buyers who are accustomed to the traditional click and feel of physical keyboards. The Droid wouldn’t have been as interesting of a phone if it didn’t have one.

One major drawback to the keyboards is the lack of language interchangeability. Android does not offer native on-the-fly language switching. There are a few applications on the Android Marketplace that will do this for you, and something may be in the works for future upgrades, but I’m disappointed that the Droid can’t handle more languages than I can out of the box.

• On-Screen Keyboard – 5/5
• Physical Keyboard – 4/5
• Language Options – 2/5

The Interface
The touch screen interface is flawless, responsive, and frequently used, which makes the Droid extremely intuitive. Surprisingly the Droid lacks multi-touch gestures, while the European version, called the Milestone, offers it. I can’t imagine why they left this out, but hopefully it can get fixed with a future software update. But even without that, the Droid is just as easy to get along with. I felt that the double-tab to zoom command was easier than the pinch-to-zoom since it can be done with just one finger.

There are four touch-sensitive spots below the screen: back, menu, home, and search. The interface controls for nearly every application stay in an orderly manner, so the touch sensitive keys work perfectly everywhere. My favorite by far is search, which looks through both your phone and Google. Thanks to the Droid’s ability to multitask, this feature can be used at just about any time without losing your work. For example, say you are in a call with a friend and need to find the address of a restaurant. Just hit search and type in the name of the restaurant. If the information is not already saved in your address book, it will search Google and display results while remaining on the line.

• Multitasking – 5/5
• Touch Interface – 5/5

Voice Recognition
Android’s voice recognition engine is unparalleled and works with almost everything. That includes slang and even thick accents; “Call Kreestan” works just as well as “Call Kristen”. Android was even able to recognize my French and (bad) Spanish without changing any settings. “Direcciones al gymnasio” (Spanish for “directions to the gym”) gave me a list of nearby gyms while my locale was still set to English. Unfortunately, it doesn’t allow using this feature to dictate text messages, but if it did I would image it would work better than the Samsung Rogue. With laws prohibiting texting while driving, it would be a great idea to let you speak your texts through a hands free device.

• Voice Recognition – 5/5

Phone Calls
With all the other stunning aspects of the Droid, it’s quite easy to lose sight of its primary function: a phone. The Droid does not fall short in this category. Calls are as clear as ever and the microphone intelligently cancels out background noises. During one particular call, a caravan of buses passed by not three feet away from me, and the person on the other end didn’t even notice. Until I mentioned the busses to see if anything was heard, the caller thought I was in a quiet room. Signal strength was strong just about anywhere I went in Northern California and I didn’t face any dropped calls. And as I’ve mentioned before, it’s easy to multitask while on the phone. You can add callers, look up contacts, search for information – the only thing you can’t do while on the phone is use the microphone.

• Call Quality – 5/5
• Signal Strength – 5/5

The Android Roadtrip
The Motorola Droid’s features integrate incredibly well with its operating system, Android 2.0, so it’s hard to talk about one without the other. I decided the best way to really discover the capabilities of both by taking the phone on the road and use the Droid for everything and really push it to the limit.

We had no idea where we were going, but we knew what route we wanted to take, so we packed a lunch, hopped in the car, plugged the Droid into the stereo, and created a station for The Kills on Pandora.

Navigation
The Motorola Droid on Verizon is the first device to feature Google Maps Navigation. It’s a completely free service that offers 3D maps with voice guided turn-by-turn directions. The VZ Navigator available on most Verizon Wireless phones costs an additional $10 a month for use. A decent turn-by-turn direction App on the iPhone sells for a one time fee of nearly $80-$100. On the other hand Google Maps Navigation is entire free and is offers a lot more.

Our journey through Sacramento was a familiar one. Kristen (my lovely driver) and I were feeling the familiar drone of the autopilot set in, and decided that a caffeine fix was necessary. The Droid features a “Car Home” mode, which offers quick access to on-the-road navigation features. I hit Quick Search and asked for “directions to Starbucks”. The voice recognition registered all the terms successfully and gave me directions to a Starbucks right off of the highway in Folsom. The navigator showed us a Google Street View of our destination, so it was easy to point out where it was upon arrival. If I had the official dashboard mount, the Droid could have easily replaced my current GPS.

The drive through El Dorado National Forest is beautiful. There were lots of trees and mountains that probably should have thrown off the GPS or at least our streaming soundtrack, but both remained strong. We lost GPS signal once while weaving through mountain roads, but that lasted less than five seconds, and the only reason we noticed was because the navigation voice started to give us alternative directions. After seeing a couple small rivers running along side the highway, we had the urge to go find a waterfall. With the GPS and Pandora still running, I searched for “nearby waterfalls”. The browser remained fast even while driving through a forest with the other programs running in the background. I was given results relative to our location – our new destination was Vikingsholm in South Lake Tahoe.

• Navigation Interface – 5/5
• Accuracy of Directions – 5/5
• GPS Accuracy – 5/5

Camera & Camcorder
The Droid sports a 5-megapixel camera. It produces images with a maximum resolution of 2592 x 1936 pixels. The scenic road through El Dorado was a perfect place to give the camera a shot. With 16GB of memory on the included Micro-SD card, I wasn’t afraid to keep snapping. The camera took some great shots, though I did find that the automatic stabilization function needed the camera to remain still for a few extra seconds to work properly. The digital zoom produced some pretty grainy pictures, as expected. The flash kicked in at appropriate times and improved pictures taken in darker environments. Plus the geo-tagging feature marked coordinates of where those photos were snapped. With a program such as Google Picasa or Apple iPhoto, you can easily import and view your photo library on a visual map.

The Droid’s large screen is great for reviewing photos and videos, though I was most impressed when I played back the captured videos on my laptop. Videos are shot at an impressive 720×480 pixel resolution at 24 FPS. The quality was excellent and it didn’t jitter at all. Android also supports sending images and videos via MMS, email, or uploading to services such as Facebook and YouTube. The Droid’s camera won’t be replacing a traditional camera anytime soon, but it’s a big step up from other camera phones.

• Photo Quality – 5/5
• Video Quality – 5/5
• Camera Interface – 5/5
• Media Sharing – 5/5

Notification System
Android has a centralized notification system to keep track of the things happening on the phone. By simply dragging down the top toolbar, you can view alerts for new emails, texts, missed calls, finished downloads, calendar reminders, and voicemail. On the other hand, the iPhone simply places a number above Apps that have an alert, but that requires swiping through multiple pages to check on them. The BlackBerry Storm2 probably has the most similar ability with its built in news feed. Simply organizing those updates into one place makes thing easy and responding to those alerts is just a single click away. The system also provides a simple interface to access applications that are running in the background. For example, it will show what song it playing on Pandora. It’s definitely going to be hard to go back to other systems after giving this a shot.

• Notification System – 5/5

Speakers & Headphones
The Droid uses a standard 3.5mm audio jack and has no problem putting out high quality sound. It sounded just as good as my iPod Touch. But using headphones on this trip would have been selfish, so I cranked up the volume of the external speakers so that Kristen could listen in. The speaker’s sound quality was absolutely fantastic; they sounded better than my three-year-old Macbook’s speakers! The speakers would not put out much bass, but surprisingly they did not garble the rest of the audio. From ten yards away with a river running in the background, Kristen was able to clearly comprehend Jack White’s lyrics.

• Speaker Quality – 5/5
• Headphones – 5/5

Media Player
While listening to Pandora, I came across a song I really liked by the White Stripes. I clicked on the “Buy” button in the menu and it took me straight to the song’s page on the Amazon MP3 store. I bought the song and opened up Music for an encore. The purchased song was added into my music library with the existing songs from the White Stripes album. Although the phone’s media player offers all the basic functionalities such as browsing by Artist, Album, Genre, or Songs it does have a few issues. For example, you can’t view all the songs by a single Artist, but rather have to jump back and forth through the Albums by that Artist one at a time. Edit: The media player does allow you to view all songs by a single artist, but it was a little tricky to figure out how (touch and hold the desired artist, select “Play”, and hit the “Playlist” button to view all songs). It’s a well developed player and includes Album Art, a shuffle and a repeat feature. Although it could use a few tweaks, it’s a completely viable alternative to purchasing a dedicated MP3 player.

• Music Player – 4/5

Syncing
Before my road trip, I manually copied a few hundred songs from my computer to the phone with the included Micro-USB cable. The phone appeared as a mass storage device and didn’t require any software. Android automatically recognized the music and other content. Although people despise the bloated iTunes software, it offers an easy syncing relationship between a computer and an iPhone/iPod. Unfortunately, neither Motorola nor Verizon suggest nor include a tool to manage your media. Edit: Scratch that, Motorola just released a tool called Media Link which easily lets you manage music, photos, and videos. Computer geeks will find a solution that suites their needs, but others will be left in confusion.

• Library Management – 4/5

Battery Life
The battery was at about 75% when we left Davis. After four hours of multitasking, the Droid was just about finished with a little bit of juice left to take a few pictures, exceeding my expectations completely. The official specs claim 6.4 hours of 3G talk time and about 11 days of standby.

As we headed to the car to start our trip home, after four hours of heavy multitasking, the Droid gave me a low battery notification. It wasn’t just a standard, single-line message; it brought up a panel that displayed the power consumption of each running application. Right at the top of the list were my power hungry applications. I knew where we were going, so with 5% battery left, I closed all applications and put the Droid on standby. It stayed on for another hour, which was both unexpected and impressive, though I would recommend purchasing a car charge if trips like these are a regular occurrence. It only took about three hours to completely charge the phone once we got home.

• Battery Life – 4/5
• Power Management – 5/5

The Bottom Line
So that brings us to the big question, “Would you recommend the Motorola Droid over the Apple iPhone?” Yes and No. In terms of technical specs, yes the Droid is better. Yes, the Droid does have more features. And yes, I would absolutely recommend that you check it out, but in the end it is a matter of preference. I don’t believe the Droid will be the mythical “iPhone-Killer”, but there’s a good chance the Android platform will. For example the HTC Hero which we reviewed last week and the upcoming Samsung Moment on Sprint both run on the Android platform. This means all the same set of applications downloaded through the Android Market, similar to the iTunes App Store, will run on any of those devices. Unless Apple drops a bomb in the near future with some major changes to the hardware and opens up the software, Android has a clear shot to take out the iPhone.

If you’re convinced and ready to buy a Motorola Droid, it’s going to hit Verizon Wireless stores this Friday, November 6th, 2009. Due to high demand, Verizon is opening all it’s stores earlier than normal at 7 AM. It’s not that expensive either considering the powerful camera, GPS Navigator, and 16GB MP3 player it packs inside. It will only set you back about $199 after signing a new 2-year contract and sending in a $100 mail-in-rebate. If you’re an existing customer who’s eligible for an upgrade, you should be entitled to an additional $50 or $100 discount based of the price of your current calling plan.

Links: VerizonWireless.com Motorola Droid

Note: This review was edited by Sahas Katta.

Hardware: 5/5 stars
Blue Microphones includes all the essentials to get started with podcasting or recording audio. The box includes the baseball-shaped microphone, a tripod stand, and a USB cable. The tripod extends upwards, rotates a complete 360 degrees, and even allows tilting the head back and fort. Rubber tips on the legs of the tripod are a neat addition as they offer a strong grip and reduce vibrations. The unit also has a standard threaded connector, so it can attached onto any standard microphone stand. There’s a red LED indicator on the front and the USB port resides right below the mode setting switch on the back. The unit stands sturdy and has a unique retro look that catches glances.

Compatibility: 5/5 stars
Starting with Windows 7, the Snowball was detected and automatically configured in seconds. Windows Vista was also able to recognize and setup the device instantly. Windows XP with Service Pack 3 took a bit longer, it required contact Windows Update before it worked. Mac OS X Snow Leopard also detected the device right out of the box. To use the external microphone, I had to either set it as the default device in the control panel or manually choose the device from within an application such as Audacity.

Sound Quality: 3/5 stars
There’s no question that the Snowball is a huge jump up from just about any integrated laptop microphone or cheap auxiliary jack one. It will definitely make podcast recordings, audio chat, and voice overs sound a lot better. In fact a co-worker and I used Snowball microphone to create a screen cast to show off Six Apart’s Movable Type last year. The microphone works great, but it’s still not on par with decent condenser microphones. There are three modes on the Snowball: Cardioid, Cardioid with -10dB to filter loud sounds, and Omni Capsule. There’s a switch on the back to choose between the three modes. If you aren’t too tech-savvy, the manual even has suggestions for which mode to use in which environment. The device does a great job of filtering out unwanted static, wind, and background sounds. Regrettably during the process, I also noticed that vocal sound also seems to be a bit lower. I found myself having to speak close up to the unit and even adjusting levels afterward in my audio recording program. But despite that, for the price it goes for, it’s satisfying.

Conclusion:
The Snowball is a great semi-professional microphone for anyone interested in podcasting or producing better quality audio. It’s also a great tool for video and audio conferencing in for casual and business users. As demonstrated in our video and emphasized by Blue Microphones, it has also been designed to record instruments such as Drums, Guitars, Saxophones, or the Piano in our case. Plus, one of these is available for as low as $70 if you shop around. And it’s an all-in-one solution as well, no other components other than a computer’s required. A decent condenser microphone and mixer will easily cost at least 2-3 times as much. If you are interested in doing any of the mentioned audio related activities, the Snowball USB microphone is a great place to start.

Buy: Blue Snowball for $70
Links: BlueMic.com Snowball