tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86744486928211115022024-03-13T04:55:08.327-05:004th Dimension ThinkingA review of technology, current and future.4DThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11368303705408227143noreply@blogger.comBlogger167125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674448692821111502.post-46571715993082383972016-05-07T21:00:00.000-05:002016-05-08T14:02:11.165-05:00Sony HDR-CX455 HANDYCAM ReviewI own several of Sony's previous video cameras, and have been happy with their performance over the years. My only complaint now has been the 8mm tape and battery standards used then.<br />
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My more modern photo cameras, and even my phone can shoot video. Their form factors, internal microphones, and the ergonomics of holding them steady makes them less than ideal (in my opinion) for shooting more than a quick casual video. Rarely do phones or photo cameras come with built-in image stabilization.<br />
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A student of mine mentioned that his current digital camera could connect via wifi to his phone for transferring photos he'd shot. This intrigued me to research this current connectivity trend.<br />
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Enter the Sony HDR-CX455 Video camera:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEpoUzWRAEuHe0eRrJRmJRYSFsys-E-wKlXEOVeyBMEf0ATVcJPqD1FV2EQ9IsMe3U8Vd9O7SSkjtK4aeVfSWeSQsnBG0pbvgSlSPziNppSdVXQ0LY-VY6EycRArkzKRbhdJ4t_u6WGfk/s1600/CX455+Labels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEpoUzWRAEuHe0eRrJRmJRYSFsys-E-wKlXEOVeyBMEf0ATVcJPqD1FV2EQ9IsMe3U8Vd9O7SSkjtK4aeVfSWeSQsnBG0pbvgSlSPziNppSdVXQ0LY-VY6EycRArkzKRbhdJ4t_u6WGfk/s320/CX455+Labels.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This camera is much smaller and lighter than my previous Analog and Digital-8 cameras from Sony, The CX455 weighs 8.55oz with battery and media card installed. My Digital-8 camera weighs 34.2oz with tape and battery installed. The CX455 is 1/4 the weight of the older Digital-8! The CX455 has a larger/better view screen, runs longer on a battery charge, has better optics, and has many modern features that weren't conceived of 10 years ago.<br />
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I can control the CX455 over WiFi from the touch screen on my <a href="http://4dthinker.blogspot.com/2011/09/sony-tablet-s-my-review.html" target="_blank">Sony Tablet</a>. Many other phones and tablets are also supported. I can see on my tablet what the camera lens sees. I can zoom in and out from the tablet. I can start and stop video recording from the tablet, and I can take digital photos of what the camera sees. Anything the camera records will transfer to the tablet. Although as far as I can tell the tablet application is limited to those controls, the camera itself has many more features.<br />
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For those wanting the technical details, these specs are straight from Sony:<br />
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<ul class="a-vertical a-spacing-none" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #949494; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 18px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: disc; margin: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111;">3.0" LCD (Touch panel), Wi-Fi/NFC, 8GB memory internal memory, Dual Video Format Recording</span></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: disc; margin: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111;">ZEISS Lens (26.8mm), 30x optical zoom, 60x Clear Image Zoom</span></li>
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<li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: disc; margin: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111;">Full HD with XAVC-S, 9.2MP, Exmor R sensor, Optical steady shot</span></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: disc; margin: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111;">Sony NP-FV50 battery included. Sony FV70/FV100 batteries are optional for longer recording time between charges. There are also compatible batteries made by other companies that can power this camera. </span></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: disc; margin: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111;">It has a short on-board USB cable, and comes with a USB extension cable.</span></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: disc; margin: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111;">It also comes with a micro HDMI to HDMI cable for sending recorded content to a connected HDTV. </span></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: disc; margin: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111;">Dimensions: </span><span style="color: #111111;">3.5 x 4.72 x 6.3 inches</span></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: disc; margin: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="color: #111111;">microSD card slot for greater recording capacity.</span><span style="color: #111111;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">The optical steady shot feature is excellent at keeping the video steady even when zoomed out all the way (30x). . Dual format recording means it can record a 1080p version as well as a lower resolution version of the same video at the same time. The lower resolution version is more compressed/compact and intended for posting to the web. You can turn OFF dual recording. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">This camera has time lapse recording capability, but NOT slow motion.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">In use I am surprised and impressed by how lightweight this camera is. Flipping out the touch screen turns the camera ON, but you can turn the camera OFF using a button on the camera body. The screen rotates up or down, and even flips to forward facing. The screen image flips when the screen itself is flipped. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">If you have a phone or tablet that can create a wifi hotspot, then several Sony cameras including the CX455 can be controlled at the same time from that phone or tablet. I could not get my wifi-only tablet to work with the multi-camera feature, but I could get it to switch back and forth between two CX455s over WiFi. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Layout of the main camera physical controls, and holding the camera are well thought-out. The side strap is adjustable to fit most sizes of hands, though only for right-handed holding. The short USB cable hides and stores in the hand strap. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZKiS0kkPShdnwBW5w7DcBkrd_kUN-bsUiwSnnrtDrWlM39Yn1b1i0x92KZ21QbYnG5MF-uhdOCAsWDDeIcrBcLRCjgptJ9zwzehoNTp3EruJanpVySUlDQi7kuWgMe5nSMuvkZHYbz8k/s1600/CX455+Strap+Side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZKiS0kkPShdnwBW5w7DcBkrd_kUN-bsUiwSnnrtDrWlM39Yn1b1i0x92KZ21QbYnG5MF-uhdOCAsWDDeIcrBcLRCjgptJ9zwzehoNTp3EruJanpVySUlDQi7kuWgMe5nSMuvkZHYbz8k/s320/CX455+Strap+Side.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">The Record start/stop button is under your thumb. Wide angle/Zoom is a rocking lever on the top of the camera where my index finger naturally fell upon it. Zooming in and out is variable speed, depending on how far you rock the lever. .A button for taking a still photo is in front of the zoom rocker, and harder to reach. All these features are duplicated by on-screen icons.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Ig9EmnmNvkKGE6zE-xcaXuE_gEaC847p_q9fQAKsdli2rvtZATWTR0nq56ZXK_5_VMQFaEPbBTq6m-IBAjg8m2AqDkjekHGai4y2ZTkowcK9vOG_5S5DCFG8WfxtgmeJqNIxXWXonn4/s1600/CX455+Controls+45+back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Ig9EmnmNvkKGE6zE-xcaXuE_gEaC847p_q9fQAKsdli2rvtZATWTR0nq56ZXK_5_VMQFaEPbBTq6m-IBAjg8m2AqDkjekHGai4y2ZTkowcK9vOG_5S5DCFG8WfxtgmeJqNIxXWXonn4/s320/CX455+Controls+45+back.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span></span><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Unfolding the screen will turn the camera ON. It also reveals additional controls and ports. One hinged door covers a microphone input and headphone output jack. Another hinged door reveals the HDMI output jack and the microSD card slot. A Power button, Playback button, and Talk button are next to a speaker hole array. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF-eB4S-5E-d8x8BeRhzTP76Dk7sCofsouVCTwy5hv0sopoPEii15hckYoppkaX2IS58eXisk5ca442tXYr3Ro45bgDyUQ8U2RJXCAz1m_UqU34FChYk0eXH-pqgVhxhyCyvzz0PV1GtM/s1600/CX455+Under+LCD+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF-eB4S-5E-d8x8BeRhzTP76Dk7sCofsouVCTwy5hv0sopoPEii15hckYoppkaX2IS58eXisk5ca442tXYr3Ro45bgDyUQ8U2RJXCAz1m_UqU34FChYk0eXH-pqgVhxhyCyvzz0PV1GtM/s320/CX455+Under+LCD+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMGfIbYq05is2GvkZLQN3QqLefxCxvZREGe7SgoPF5LWyv2B_TESHooBiotZczT8jzI9jdhJ1XD0ws0ULYq098LmLqD0GDCkEU8s0EGApDassCYB6PCnRHM11OQChOKJTQAPKYSyrnR0/s1600/CX455+Under+LCD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMGfIbYq05is2GvkZLQN3QqLefxCxvZREGe7SgoPF5LWyv2B_TESHooBiotZczT8jzI9jdhJ1XD0ws0ULYq098LmLqD0GDCkEU8s0EGApDassCYB6PCnRHM11OQChOKJTQAPKYSyrnR0/s320/CX455+Under+LCD.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">On the strap side of the camera you'll find doors hiding a DC-in jack, and a Multi (micro-USB) port. </span></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHABYI5vgwOuVrY4QQ1MbDNFAVfj3Z3v0Bx4BTGatJS82QUa_rrRjav8Fbuyvf2aBjORrOxchSTAyvNd5JgdNEBtN4P27Pr1g-OIowvU_eparTwhF1zujngUOOwEFIWb-B87YcPWpQuRc/s1600/CX455+Multi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHABYI5vgwOuVrY4QQ1MbDNFAVfj3Z3v0Bx4BTGatJS82QUa_rrRjav8Fbuyvf2aBjORrOxchSTAyvNd5JgdNEBtN4P27Pr1g-OIowvU_eparTwhF1zujngUOOwEFIWb-B87YcPWpQuRc/s320/CX455+Multi.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">I have yet to shoot anything more than a few test videos and photos with my CX455. My intent is to record myself using various woodworking tools as examples/demonstration for my college students. I'm pleased so far with the quality of the video and photos I've recorded so far. When I have a few with content worthy of posting on Youtube I'll add links to them here. </span></span><br />
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Let me know if there is anything more specific you want to know about this camera from Sony. I will respond to comments if I have an answer for you.<br />
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4D </div>
<br />4DThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11368303705408227143noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674448692821111502.post-45950446651745807042011-10-18T16:55:00.001-05:002011-10-18T16:55:00.067-05:00Samsung Galaxy Player 4.0 Review.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUKsxHf40vBp1JXQRhprOpWz8_6sTVAaYr_tW1pmm4s7fLMF6Vg3gKJfMMLEogltDpbOKl9cPA9oX_-bgalbJzPnVDrtMz2pv8afQ1pVe_DJsSgp1c_b1u5f6wwse8FAdE4WKThHWU7zE/s1600/HomeScreen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUKsxHf40vBp1JXQRhprOpWz8_6sTVAaYr_tW1pmm4s7fLMF6Vg3gKJfMMLEogltDpbOKl9cPA9oX_-bgalbJzPnVDrtMz2pv8afQ1pVe_DJsSgp1c_b1u5f6wwse8FAdE4WKThHWU7zE/s400/HomeScreen.jpg" width="370" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Samsung 4.0 WiFi Player</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I have to admit that this media player has me conflicted. It may be a great device, but it should have been in my hands 4 months ago. I found one at my local BestBuy, and I've been running it through its paces to see what shakes loose. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcUZfv0kB3cBkt3hx5Be_SlpzryZX1D1YMtMrPyJr3HSzQw-KJgk0vuNLn4qLGBeSzh0FVqVvfEqHHmxJjkIZqRaUgiZ_HcQ5p9Vzllw4txvsTTWq80mUp_5Ms1tIfNvKnae1AmOCaOSc/s1600/Headphones+with+Mic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcUZfv0kB3cBkt3hx5Be_SlpzryZX1D1YMtMrPyJr3HSzQw-KJgk0vuNLn4qLGBeSzh0FVqVvfEqHHmxJjkIZqRaUgiZ_HcQ5p9Vzllw4txvsTTWq80mUp_5Ms1tIfNvKnae1AmOCaOSc/s400/Headphones+with+Mic.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Included Headphones with Mic</td></tr>
</tbody></table>In the box:<br />
<ul><li>Nice set of in-ear-monitors (IEMs) that include a microphone on the cord.</li>
<li>Micro USB cable.</li>
<li>AC power adapter.</li>
<li>User Guide.</li>
<li>Health & Safety and Warranty Guides.</li>
<li>1200mAh Battery: 36hrs Music play with WiFi and screen off. 5hrs video. Replacement batteries with greater capacity are supposedly available. </li>
</ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS31GTvbtTSP25xmcHJObQYJ6D7bQv7XGuSsroiSnILsxSmLy5tbp5cA6itRESov6rZHTKuhaPoNEnISDTxxlDFLSqs8s4H-fR9aL5AisAqrXkkfiovXseAZUm04VYROSDXJ1tHLPg8h8/s1600/AC+Adapter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS31GTvbtTSP25xmcHJObQYJ6D7bQv7XGuSsroiSnILsxSmLy5tbp5cA6itRESov6rZHTKuhaPoNEnISDTxxlDFLSqs8s4H-fR9aL5AisAqrXkkfiovXseAZUm04VYROSDXJ1tHLPg8h8/s400/AC+Adapter.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AC to USB Adapter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Hardware:<br />
<ul><li>4.0" <span style="font-family: inherit;">800x480 Super Clear LCD</span> </li>
<li>Front Camera: VGA 640 x 480</li>
<li>Rear Camera: <span style="font-family: HelveticaNeue-Condensed; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">3.2 Megapixel</span></span></li>
<li>FM Radio</li>
<li>GPS</li>
<li>Haptic (vibration) feedback</li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bluetooth<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">®</span> 3.0 (added speed and power savings)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: HelveticaNeue-Condensed; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n/a)</span></span></li>
<li>Stereo Speakers</li>
<li>MicroSD card slot (under back cover)</li>
<li>Volume Rocker</li>
<li>Power/Lock button</li>
<li>Microphone</li>
<li>USB port (under sliding cover)</li>
<li>Headphone Jack</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGPO5ho-WJny1ZUgN-umQEAczma1tTZ9MHBy1ddj4LMBrkOX9c2o-o4LO9If1tZczds2IkqlabD8ZLM0cPCeeWo11LZm3bh_qCDkOAhgEK0A4o9WnYpPaNBxC7AK5Yd0e2ecqqtrrbjls/s1600/Back+Off.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGPO5ho-WJny1ZUgN-umQEAczma1tTZ9MHBy1ddj4LMBrkOX9c2o-o4LO9If1tZczds2IkqlabD8ZLM0cPCeeWo11LZm3bh_qCDkOAhgEK0A4o9WnYpPaNBxC7AK5Yd0e2ecqqtrrbjls/s400/Back+Off.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back Off. Removable battery and MicroSD Slot</td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong>Media capability</strong>:<br />
<ul><li><strong>Music</strong>: The Music app is excellent with easy access to volume control, shuttle controls, shuffle/repeat, lyrics (if available), EQ settings (presets and 2 user settings), full-screen album art (when available), song info including artist, album, song name and track number, song position and length, etc.. There is also a LIST icon to tap to go back to the songs list. The menu icon will bring up several more options including Add to Quick List, Share Music Via, Add to Playlist, Via Bluetooth/Speakers, Set as Alarm Tone, and More. Tap "More" and you'll get a Settings and Details option. Settings include Samsung's SoundAlive, Choices for how the music is sorted, and the option for choosing a graphic to show when no Album Art is available. The Music app claims <span style="font-family: HelveticaNeue-Condensed; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: HelveticaNeue-Condensed; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">WAV, MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA (v9), WMA Lossless, </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">and Ogg formats will play</span></span></span>. The player also played M4A and FLAC files with no trouble. The was no left/right balance setting. The largest negative I can find is that there is <em>no gapless playback</em>.<em><strong> I'm giving music playback an A</strong></em> though. Just not an A+. </li>
</ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJsDDSxY2OCtA29dYpUVCWDz434OTetk3e8Tgdw7P8pXVr0F0zYOl3y5wAeyksyEKE_Q8GfSb5b9BkH0TzzWJ3g-5ynR24oSBLsZyX652dcOANcqHaB7MsBGFOjTVsRrtiY-3t__F7Sa4/s1600/Music+App.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJsDDSxY2OCtA29dYpUVCWDz434OTetk3e8Tgdw7P8pXVr0F0zYOl3y5wAeyksyEKE_Q8GfSb5b9BkH0TzzWJ3g-5ynR24oSBLsZyX652dcOANcqHaB7MsBGFOjTVsRrtiY-3t__F7Sa4/s400/Music+App.jpg" width="371" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Music: Now Playing</td></tr>
</tbody></table><ul><li><strong>FM Radio: </strong>The radio app is also well done. The first time I opened it the app started searching for stations. When done there were no active frequencies in range of me that were left out, and no frequencies logged that were nothing but static or noise. You can have it output through the headphone (required for antenna) or the onboard speakers. You can turn it OFF within the app or leave it playing in the background after leaving the app. Volume levels are separate for speakers and headphones. No RDS that I noticed. No FM output via Bluetooth. No Radio recording. <strong><em>That leaves Radio with a B+.</em></strong></li>
<li><strong>Video: </strong>Video support is great, supporting any WMV, AVI or MP4 up to <span style="font-family: inherit;">720p </span>that I've tried. The specs claim <span style="font-family: HelveticaNeue-Condensed; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: HelveticaNeue-Condensed; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">H.263, H.264, MPEG4, 3GP, </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">WMV (v9), Xvid, and DivX </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">® formats. The Video app remembers your position in the file when you return to it. Besides the normal shuttle controls, the Menu button brings up Share Video, Details, Via Bluetooth/Speakers, Play Speed, Subtitles, and Settings options. The Settings option includes Repeat, Brightness, Colour tone, and Outdoor visibility. You can resize/stretch video to fill the screen. There is also a toggle for 5.1ch audio although I'm not sure why given the player only has stereo out. <strong><em>Video deserves an A+.</em></strong> </span></li>
</ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkKOA8MKWsF9w49EU4BY1m_Ne1U1jAqmtMDVIhpCHA2fYurwDtTGzGMaZEl0kqDrx0XwtFdMJCtP5PB7kjaM4Afpku_YSLpI57E6pTcuAW_U9yMLKm9Q9sl0Nf9-HZTrS0iopdDw0XXCk/s1600/Mulan+Video.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkKOA8MKWsF9w49EU4BY1m_Ne1U1jAqmtMDVIhpCHA2fYurwDtTGzGMaZEl0kqDrx0XwtFdMJCtP5PB7kjaM4Afpku_YSLpI57E6pTcuAW_U9yMLKm9Q9sl0Nf9-HZTrS0iopdDw0XXCk/s400/Mulan+Video.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Video Player</td></tr>
</tbody></table><ul><li><strong>Photos: </strong>The larger screens get, the better they are for photo display. This is true for the 4.0" Samsung compared to my previous 3" P2, P3, and M1 players from Samsung. The Gallery app supports <span style="font-family: inherit;">JPG, PNG, GIF, and BMP files. Photos are vivid. Sliding between them is fluid. The included samples look great. You have Slideshow options, Share options, and Editing options including Crop and Rotate left or right. </span><strong> </strong>You can also delete photos from within the Gallery app.<strong><em> Photos get an A</em></strong> thanks to the great screen. </li>
<li><strong>Cameras:</strong> The front facing camera is worthless for anything other than video chat. Photos taken with it are low resolution (640 x 480) and grainy. The rear camera does a little better, but at 3.2mp isn't up to the images you'll get from most 5mp or 8mp phones these days. The lens is much better than that on the front, so with good light you can take some decent images. There are several settings and options in the Camera app. You have Shooting Mode choices of Single Shot, Smile Shot, Continuous, Panorama, Add me, and Action Shot. You have Scene choices of Landscape, Portrait, Sports, Night, Party/Indoor, Beach/Snow, Sunset, Dawn, Fall Colour, Firework, Text, Candlelight, and Backlight. You can adjust Exposure Value from -2 to +2 in .5 steps. There is also a long list of Camera settings you might find on Samsung's best consumer cameras. Finally you have tools, which include Guidlines, Review, GPS, Shutter Sound, Storage, and Reset. You may want to check out a few photography books for information on how to use all these features. The Rear camera's highest resolution is 2048 x 1536. There is no flash. <strong><em>I'm giving the Camera app an A</em></strong> though. They don't usually come as full-featured as this one. </li>
</ul><strong>UI</strong>: The user interface is Typical Android Phone. I'm guessing that if you own a Samsung android phone you'll be right at home. Samsung's TouchWiz additions are nothing more than useful. They include a dock bar that hold 4 apps and is always there no matter which home page you are on. Power shortcuts (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, Sound, and Auto Rotation) also were added to the dropdown notifications list. A long press on the menu icon brings up Search, and a long press on the Home icon brings up a window showing recently used apps and a shortcut to the Task Manager. There are 7 home screens, but Edit in the home screen menu options will let you delete ones you don't use. You can add them back using the same Edit option. The UI doesn't rotate as the device rotates. For few improvements over their phone UIs, <strong><em>I'll give the UI an Android average C+.</em></strong> Yes there are widgets and animations and such. Nothing surprising though. <br />
<br />
<strong>Apps</strong>: In addition to the Google Android Market, this player also comes with the Samsung Apps application. You can also add the Amazon App Store with relative ease. No need to root or hack this player to gain access to all of Google's apps. Some unique apps added by Samsung include AllShare, Samsung App(store), and Thinkfree Office. Several typical android apps (usually social or media related) also appear to have been altered (improved) by Samsung. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkMuG8ANoSCTCVAL7TR4joeq3GaCBAiIAl_bE3lVVPJ2HHG5509l9tnafyVjV4KtlGo9ZZl13B0ekxFvzJPBwmNkJASZGgiRQQ_ze2HAhFMDhPnTF_foCECdGkhyeJfG84mXZVQisdro/s1600/Market+App.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkMuG8ANoSCTCVAL7TR4joeq3GaCBAiIAl_bE3lVVPJ2HHG5509l9tnafyVjV4KtlGo9ZZl13B0ekxFvzJPBwmNkJASZGgiRQQ_ze2HAhFMDhPnTF_foCECdGkhyeJfG84mXZVQisdro/s400/Market+App.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Android Market</td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong>Impressions</strong>: Light weight. Well built. Beautiful screen. Great media support. Good headphones included. The removable battery implies this player could be the last player you'll ever need. Batteries have a limited number of charge cycles, and as such will wear out eventually. Any player without a removable battery will only last as long as that battery. This player is comfortable to hold although a little slippery. This is an "everything device" you can carry in your pocket. Cameras, Radio, GPS, Skype and Google Talk phone services, in addition to the great media capabilities make this a wonderful alternative to a phone if you don't want to pay that monthly phone service fee.<br />
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<strong>Conclusions</strong>: Samsung has built a great player here. At $229 for 8gb it is higher but more capable than the $199 8gb iPod Touch. GPS, FM radio, and a larger screen may be worth the $30 difference. There are other more subtle differences that should help justify that cost. I'm rating the Samsung Galaxy 4.0 a Great Buy. Consider that 9.5 out of 10, with .5 for hoping the price drops to $199. <br />
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P.S.: If you enjoy my blog, please consider clicking on an Ad or two. Thanks!4DThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11368303705408227143noreply@blogger.com65tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674448692821111502.post-17367006608327667122011-10-08T16:00:00.005-05:002011-10-08T16:00:00.368-05:00HTC Flyer Review. Is this the best 7" tablet available?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho2Dof4ekmD4_d0Lo_zKVCCswbpG7Sw5Cm4pFYlndQ4AQOC5TDzXSSoeWojb4InA_NVO__57WDfDnyUaaTlywgDNgEReaLhm-xO4eAwwJPinF1HoGTClpXHl4OoqWb8E5X9knZ816FbHc/s1600/Lock+Screen+V.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho2Dof4ekmD4_d0Lo_zKVCCswbpG7Sw5Cm4pFYlndQ4AQOC5TDzXSSoeWojb4InA_NVO__57WDfDnyUaaTlywgDNgEReaLhm-xO4eAwwJPinF1HoGTClpXHl4OoqWb8E5X9knZ816FbHc/s400/Lock+Screen+V.jpg" width="327" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HTC Flyer Lock Screen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The latest generation of tablets and phones have dual-core processors, typically running at 1Ghz. HTC's Flyer has a 1.5Ghz single-core Qualcomm processor. Now that its price has come down to Earth and you can get one for $299 this 7" tablet may well be the best performing tablet in it's price range. The Flyer isn't just an ordinary Android tablet. On top of the regular hardware features most tablets have, HTC has added their Scribe Technology™. You need their normally $79 Pen to take advantage of it, but the Pen can be had for $50 if you shop around. The 1.5Ghz processor is also unusual, and suffers only to make the Flyer fly. Boot-up time is delightfully brief. Screen reaction is fluid, and apps open quickly.<br />
<br />
<strong>Inside the box:</strong><br />
<ul><li>HTC Flyer</li>
<li>USB cable</li>
<li>AC Power adapter</li>
<li>Quick guide</li>
<li>Safety and regulatory guide</li>
<li>Call center card (hotline card)</li>
<li>Warranty card</li>
</ul><strong>Hardware:</strong> <br />
<ul><li>7-inch 1024x600 TFT capacitive touch screen.</li>
<li>16GB internal memory, with microSD slot.</li>
<li>Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz.</li>
<li>G-sensor, GPS/aGPS, digital compass, ambient light sensor.</li>
<li>Rear (5MP) and Front (1.3MP) cameras.</li>
<li>Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP for stereo headsets.</li>
<li>MHL port (HDMI-out) and DLNA capability.</li>
<li>SRS WOW HD™ surround sound over the dual speakers or headphones.</li>
</ul><strong>Dimensions:</strong> 7.6875 x 4.8125 x 0.5625 inches. Weight: 14.7oz (418g). A little lighter and narrower than <a href="http://4dthinker.blogspot.com/2011/10/blackberry-playbook-review-finally.html">the BlackBerry Playbook</a>.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUNXoDfohgvz-x4mB8u30GtS_5pCyfPTeHCj5J90FPJtO8u0ac91-Tb1BIiiZGm-c067mDCpbn7jaJqgJ4bqCVzBOepKW-Br_I3LVvbOaePfgtCfwG4c-WoOm_bj5k4MMwDkWbHQYc7l4/s1600/Music+H+Pink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="327" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUNXoDfohgvz-x4mB8u30GtS_5pCyfPTeHCj5J90FPJtO8u0ac91-Tb1BIiiZGm-c067mDCpbn7jaJqgJ4bqCVzBOepKW-Br_I3LVvbOaePfgtCfwG4c-WoOm_bj5k4MMwDkWbHQYc7l4/s400/Music+H+Pink.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Music: Now Playing</td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong>Media Support:</strong> I was able to play WMV (540 x 360 ; 960 x 720), MP4 (1280 x 720), and AVI (640 x 480) video files with no problem or dropped frames. I couldn't find any info on what the resolution limits are or what specific audio and video codec combinations play or won't play. Among the audio files I could test and would play were WMA, WMA lossless, MP3, AAC, M4A, and WAV. FLAC files wouldn't open. I had no problems with .JPG photos.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPkb7Z38HMMXJ9MxMPruMwPUh6991_kP5bu-3RwDXS71GEdfLAWFP3hglU-j29RagPPcwo3IncJGtPVJpwe6EQzwHR4L0GgoSBI_JxLyVa4s-BbuVVpdogtAxi2wO3qBplE1uge7zG2R4/s1600/Multi+Page+View.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPkb7Z38HMMXJ9MxMPruMwPUh6991_kP5bu-3RwDXS71GEdfLAWFP3hglU-j29RagPPcwo3IncJGtPVJpwe6EQzwHR4L0GgoSBI_JxLyVa4s-BbuVVpdogtAxi2wO3qBplE1uge7zG2R4/s400/Multi+Page+View.jpg" width="311" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Multi-Page View</td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong>User Interface (UI):</strong> is typical HTC sense, and almost identical to the Sense UI you'll find on HTC Phones. I have the HTC Evo 3D, and first boot-up of this Flyer tablet was deja vu. Rumors are that there is a Honeycomb 3.* update in the works for the Flyer, but for now the UI is very phone-like. It WILL switch from portrait to landscape when the screen is rotated though. Screen response is quick. A light touch is all that is needed to get a reaction from the screen. Graphics flow smoothly. Photos zoom in and out with no delay or sluggishness. If you pull down the notifications bar at the top of the screen there is a tab for Quick Settings. It include check boxes for Auto Brightness, Auto Rotation, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a link to All Settings. Very handy. The bottom of the screen has a row of icons that stay there no matter which home page you are on. They can be swapped out for any app or shortcut or web bookmark. A hold of the Home button brings up your 10 most recently used apps to choose from. A quick double-tap of the Home button (when on the 1st page) brings up an array of all the Home pages. Tap any one to jump immediately there. In landscape (horizontal) position the Home pages display in a 3D carousel view. Nice effect.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-8rDQE9v7u7L-R_0SQ04PqDqAVVgYtrIgB21EJP0YQa7UrA5QDf1rKW7eikYIm00pWaFvK28lmfTUl8yJAyX03nLpgn-QRCbLVBj79LFTPXsM1ch983uYqwYh3wZgIdlg_veQnw6Yx7w/s1600/Pen+Tools.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-8rDQE9v7u7L-R_0SQ04PqDqAVVgYtrIgB21EJP0YQa7UrA5QDf1rKW7eikYIm00pWaFvK28lmfTUl8yJAyX03nLpgn-QRCbLVBj79LFTPXsM1ch983uYqwYh3wZgIdlg_veQnw6Yx7w/s400/Pen+Tools.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pen Tools</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvSMmxP7P6SIOJSvR2ZchRXb2ONKLX8HYONK7aMevMrD8jnlC5N70ZM_PV6epexEior1pQeZe34FYCEnApBYNHt97Ot1jSbQTA6hLwhK33FMAoVvc3UlfacOW4f3xiolfpYKR2t4F8WM4/s1600/Pen+Share+Via.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvSMmxP7P6SIOJSvR2ZchRXb2ONKLX8HYONK7aMevMrD8jnlC5N70ZM_PV6epexEior1pQeZe34FYCEnApBYNHt97Ot1jSbQTA6hLwhK33FMAoVvc3UlfacOW4f3xiolfpYKR2t4F8WM4/s400/Pen+Share+Via.jpg" width="372" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Share your Pen Scribble</td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong>Pen:</strong> I ordered the Pen that goes with the Flyer from Amazon.com Saved roughly $30 over (OK, under)BestBuy's asking price. The first time you use the pen the tablet will bring up some quick lessons on how to use it. In use a tap on the pen on the screen takes a snapshot of what is displayed, then lets you draw over that image using any of several pens/pencils/brushes and colors. This capability alone makes the Flyer a very useful tool if you need to annotate a drawing or sign a document on the Flyer. I'm a design educator and students often email design sketches (as JPG images) to me. This feature will allow me to draw/comment on the images then "Share Via" them back to the student. The pen is far more accurate for drawing than any capacitive stylus, but it doesn't work as a stylus. It is only a drawing and high-lighting tool. Still a great feature that only THIS tablet has as far as I know.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3LIBXqSAFXvG9Z3S-WKFzMdMTfI_G59kugZtad_FDfLxxj1Ye6FjHUH2watIwH7AcMgR1-WdG6ZNNTEYW3w-Hz46cqk55IhZoVF_J0ZtAqRYh6s7Jh5S7Fodd8BiKc2xomuojkFlmLdY/s1600/Notices+Quick+Settings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3LIBXqSAFXvG9Z3S-WKFzMdMTfI_G59kugZtad_FDfLxxj1Ye6FjHUH2watIwH7AcMgR1-WdG6ZNNTEYW3w-Hz46cqk55IhZoVF_J0ZtAqRYh6s7Jh5S7Fodd8BiKc2xomuojkFlmLdY/s400/Notices+Quick+Settings.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notices Drop-Down</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIonIZ4Ru1JQalHsyrPScpFrTxlWyrqVHSJPspKWubYo13ZK_TXuHADczewoG2Zs5IltrwaH6DwllEmRKSBIYB7JynnmkSKB_FFXv1KN6RTaLwtmmN_8Y9s5QRu1hsMvnzy4R9VgRr7Ss/s1600/Google+News.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIonIZ4Ru1JQalHsyrPScpFrTxlWyrqVHSJPspKWubYo13ZK_TXuHADczewoG2Zs5IltrwaH6DwllEmRKSBIYB7JynnmkSKB_FFXv1KN6RTaLwtmmN_8Y9s5QRu1hsMvnzy4R9VgRr7Ss/s400/Google+News.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Google News</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn35tFBg0Gf-u-o4I3ad8zbgL0kFjCL_15dweescBytwE1q7uHHh7DG5t1WK9rh3kB3gE8LpxNXNxlezI8SISrHllETyGbLG9DitAiFNbTlha-taMHq1VtR1-PvmPEmKp6d7_k2bvk71s/s1600/Reader+Widget.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn35tFBg0Gf-u-o4I3ad8zbgL0kFjCL_15dweescBytwE1q7uHHh7DG5t1WK9rh3kB3gE8LpxNXNxlezI8SISrHllETyGbLG9DitAiFNbTlha-taMHq1VtR1-PvmPEmKp6d7_k2bvk71s/s400/Reader+Widget.jpg" width="303" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reader Widget</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoiHCo5vNpiAlEfAPbx_A1K3zHRD2_rk_qB5ybhKXGwYXQEOdN4bS9tSjUx782gDYs2ciFeL_kSsQCS3QZodc1CZCGIutvivgnpiBHb5LuMX0jeiQCAaoxxMzeJw9JAq-BFiYrYGxBRyg/s1600/Rear+Face.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoiHCo5vNpiAlEfAPbx_A1K3zHRD2_rk_qB5ybhKXGwYXQEOdN4bS9tSjUx782gDYs2ciFeL_kSsQCS3QZodc1CZCGIutvivgnpiBHb5LuMX0jeiQCAaoxxMzeJw9JAq-BFiYrYGxBRyg/s400/Rear+Face.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rear Camera and Speaker Slots</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOyPTqGgbqNjafUlntgXGbS1qZJqu2zDdc-K01Ksmw33XHvjNrtln7VwCORcaBjXUVPiu-eq_bpoDc8kqEwBjPHAv7d283EBX_uzc5JirLlnoZeyrHSULyOvjyMtnoaeOvdZFaFVHehkU/s1600/Weather+Widget.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOyPTqGgbqNjafUlntgXGbS1qZJqu2zDdc-K01Ksmw33XHvjNrtln7VwCORcaBjXUVPiu-eq_bpoDc8kqEwBjPHAv7d283EBX_uzc5JirLlnoZeyrHSULyOvjyMtnoaeOvdZFaFVHehkU/s400/Weather+Widget.jpg" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weather Widget</td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong>Conclusions:</strong> This is a fantastic tablet (at $299). Even with no Android 3.? update it is quickly becoming my most productive device. I can print straight to my Canon WiFi printer from within any app where it makes sense to. Anything on my screen can be captured then drawn on using the Pen. Essentially screen capture with annotation rolled into one. You could make a pictorial tutorial about any topic that can be displayed on the screen, complete with commentary and notes, then quickly post them all to email or Facebook or even send them via bluetooth to your PC or friend's phone/tablet. Every other feature is first rate as well. Boot up time is incredibly fast. The cameras work better than most tablet cameras. WiFi can be set to turn off when the screen times out, for a tremendous boost in battery duration. I get a giddy feeling when I hold this one. At $299 it is a steal. You want one. Go get it!<br />
<br />
4D<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
P.S. If you enjoy my blog, please consider clicking on an Ad or two. Thanks!4DThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11368303705408227143noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674448692821111502.post-73181825118193618002011-10-03T08:44:00.002-05:002011-10-03T08:47:04.994-05:00Amazon's Kindle Fire. Is it Worth $199?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPqIywyvPesMym80v9b0wOAF4QydsGe8ZC10rX8WVJLx-Zu7mmZQPytesDEad2pvfzmJQ-BfpYi1jH-SYYddRc3GYwdlt9hF0sMCJhBLjSOxq8Em_kF47ezwO8IyWdzx9nkZSqS1-_vX8/s1600/Kindle+Fromt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPqIywyvPesMym80v9b0wOAF4QydsGe8ZC10rX8WVJLx-Zu7mmZQPytesDEad2pvfzmJQ-BfpYi1jH-SYYddRc3GYwdlt9hF0sMCJhBLjSOxq8Em_kF47ezwO8IyWdzx9nkZSqS1-_vX8/s400/Kindle+Fromt.jpg" width="246" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Fire-Color/dp/B0051VVOB2/ref=amb_link_357575542_7?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=gateway-center-column&pf_rd_r=0QSZRKMGQD5ZJZ09GM6R&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1321696362&pf_rd_i=507846">Kindle Fire</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">It's official. Amazon has a few new Kindles, and one is the color Android-based <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Fire-Color/dp/B0051VVOB2/ref=amb_link_357575542_7?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=gateway-center-column&pf_rd_r=0QSZRKMGQD5ZJZ09GM6R&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1321696362&pf_rd_i=507846">Kindle Fire</a>. The press was stunned when the Fire's $199 price was announced. The hardware specs are competitive but missing a few standard components. Some estimate 5 million or so will be sold before the end of this year. The Fire isn't the first 7" tablet out there, and it isn't even the cheapest one. Walmart.com has a half dozen 7" tablets available for under $200. You can buy the Maylong 7" tablet for as little as $97. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Here are a few:<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/Maylong-M-250/16829858">Maylong M-250</a> 7", $97</li>
<li><a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/desktop-computers/15689195">E-Fun Nextbook</a> 8.4", $168</li>
<li><a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/Kaser-YOFUN722-7-Android-Mobile-Tablet/15522396">Kaser's Net'sGo</a> 7", $138</li>
<li><a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/Boss-2182/15754501">Boss Electronics 2182</a> 7", $124</li>
<li><span style="color: #1a75cf; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/Velocity-Micro-Cruz-T301-7-Tablet-PC/15529752">Velocity Micro Cruz T301</a> 7", $178</span></span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/Pandigital-R70A200/16681577">Pandigital Planet</a> 7", $178</li>
<li><a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/Naxa-NID-70004G/17057336">Naxa Core</a> 7", $132, </li>
<li><a href="http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=16419488&findingMethod=rr">Coby Kryos</a> 7", $148, Front camera 1.3mp</li>
</ul>So what magic makes the press think Amazon's Fire will sell better than any of these? Sure, most of these have worse specs than the Fire. Yet many also have hardware features (Cameras, HDMI-out) the Fire doesn't include. All have WiFi. All are touchscreen Android tablets. All run apps including all of Amazon's apps. Lined up spec for spec the Fire doesn't glow for what it can do. It blushes for what it doesn't do.<br />
<br />
So what is the secret? I'm blaming it on Respect. Amazon, like Apple, has built up a reputation for treating customers well. They have both simplified the process of buying media and products from them. We respect Apple and we respect Amazon. They are both American originals. We surrender our beliefs to Apple in exchange for designful and productive devices we didn't know we needed. The press and Amazon fans have done the same concerning the Fire. I've pre-ordered mine out of the same respect.<br />
<br />
Let's do a reality check though. The Fire is a first generation device. Remember <a href="http://4dthinker.blogspot.com/2007/12/kindle-review.html">the first wedge Kindle</a>? Original, but far from evolved. The second and later generations were better in every way. My experience repeatedly demonstrates that 1st generation devices are poor investments. This is more often true for ground-breakers, and Amazon is a ground-breaker. Late comers/Followers can learn from the mistakes made by others. I expect the second generation Fire to be thinner, faster, and have a few more features than this first gen Fire. It may also be less expensive. Previous Kindles have gotten cheaper each year since the first one came out at around $400.<br />
<br />
So is the Kindle Fire a good investment? I'm going to rate it a tentative "yes". From what I can tell the hardware is similar to the <a href="http://4dthinker.blogspot.com/2011/10/blackberry-playbook-review-finally.html">Blackberry Playbook</a>. Made by the same manufacturer I'm expecting the Fire to be similarly well-made. The dimensions are a little different, but the details are very similar. Each specification the Fire lists is equal to or better than the competition. A 1024 x 600 screen when many have 800 x 480 screens. Capacitive multi-touch when many have resistive single-touch input. A dual core processor when many have single core chips. The Fire will have a liquid user interface (UI) and shouldn't stutter or pixelate displaying movies or photos. The screen will react instantly to your touch, and using it should become a mere extension of your thoughts. I expect Amazon to do it right. The Fire should delight the user. Should it not you can certainly expect the 2nd generation to.<br />
<br />
Yes, I believe the new Kindle Fire is worth $199. The Blackberry Playbook and HTC Flyer are more capable tablets, and at $299 they are also priced proportionally correct given their additional features. If you think you might want a Fire, don't wait. Reviews will be out before new orders are shipped and you can always cancel should you change your mind. <br />
<br />
Comments are welcome. Feel free to contribute.<br />
4D<br />
<br />
<br />
P.S.: If you enjoy my blog, please consider clicking on an Ad or two. Thanks!4DThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11368303705408227143noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674448692821111502.post-5645037108157939272011-10-02T09:30:00.000-05:002011-10-02T13:09:36.648-05:00BlackBerry Playbook Review. Finally a Realistic Price!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMl_blFHtzBJC6rQ9orXo5wvwqRZhjvQwEFkbACkU335i5H6bzwykq1aLUiU5twQ3g7C1sIPO0eo6w_0_oeGkKEzKE4mJiI0aGSa2YHveY0dMJxDYyQhBuq1jIWhXbIDQsEXiEO-isLE/s1600/Front+On.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMl_blFHtzBJC6rQ9orXo5wvwqRZhjvQwEFkbACkU335i5H6bzwykq1aLUiU5twQ3g7C1sIPO0eo6w_0_oeGkKEzKE4mJiI0aGSa2YHveY0dMJxDYyQhBuq1jIWhXbIDQsEXiEO-isLE/s400/Front+On.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BlackBerry PlayBook</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
With most 10" tablets hovering around the $500 price point it never made sense to me why the major vendors thought they could ask the same for their 7" tablets. HTC's 7" Flyer is $499. <em>(edit: Oct 1st BestBuy lowered the price of the HTC Flyer to $299).</em> RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook was $499 until a few days ago when they dropped the price to $299. The PlayBook finally offers a compelling set of specs and an innovative OS/UI at what is now a reasonable price.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVBWfnoJeJIQk-YE4D-APETYNHkoHDZvHJCUCBUh_F825Cey7D7M8lOOdcBeWmIbF6OrEvk2Rj8uAURmpcNpunXI50aXZgTSbb8vvTLKrec7mzFh9JwQqhLml8pSMWJlrDUMrkfwFneDw/s1600/Headphone+Volume+Play+Pause.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVBWfnoJeJIQk-YE4D-APETYNHkoHDZvHJCUCBUh_F825Cey7D7M8lOOdcBeWmIbF6OrEvk2Rj8uAURmpcNpunXI50aXZgTSbb8vvTLKrec7mzFh9JwQqhLml8pSMWJlrDUMrkfwFneDw/s400/Headphone+Volume+Play+Pause.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Headphone Jack, Volume and Play, and Power. Rear Camera on Back.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<strong>Hardware</strong>:<br />
- Dimensions: 7.6" x 5.1" x .4" thick. Weighs 0.9 lbs/425g.<br />
- Cameras: 3mp front. 5mp rear.<br />
- Touch-Sensitive bezel.<br />
- Bluetooth DUN, HID, SPP. A Bluetooth mouse worked, but I failed with Bluetooth keyboards.<br />
- WiFi 802.11 b/g/n<br />
- Front-facing Stereo Speakers<br />
- Two Microphones. Voice Notes sound excellent.<br />
- Notification LED<br />
- External Volume rocker<br />
- External Play/Pause button.<br />
- Headphone jack.<br />
- Mini HDMI port. Full mirroring of the UI on your HDTV.<br />
- Micro USB port.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinR9c3U2cfNC0S1hII3rrjEym5qpi7-iKsUPYFA_TmkKMd2pZ_fPiUSfmuZ8DTxx66DNTG2F1mzgTIFAs91_vzrbvpW9waTwzp_iTaPsZDKMr93YtkzdaglhULyXdkRmGG_rhdusRbW8Q/s1600/Bottom+Edge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinR9c3U2cfNC0S1hII3rrjEym5qpi7-iKsUPYFA_TmkKMd2pZ_fPiUSfmuZ8DTxx66DNTG2F1mzgTIFAs91_vzrbvpW9waTwzp_iTaPsZDKMr93YtkzdaglhULyXdkRmGG_rhdusRbW8Q/s400/Bottom+Edge.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bottom Edge: microHDMI, microUSB, and Dock Port. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
With more features than the upcoming Kindle Fire, the $299 price may be right on track to help RIM sell a few million more of these. They'll still need more apps in their apps store. Adding the ability to run Android apps will be a step in the right direction even if there are limits on what apps will run. Updating the Playbook with Email, Contacts, and Calendar app will also go a long way to bring this tablet into the mainstream.<br />
<br />
The Playbook is well built and comfortable to hold. It doesn't feel flimsy or squeaky, and the matte-finish rear is both fingerprint-shy and non-slippery. Tapping on the back only finds a small hollow right in the middle where the logo is, with the rest of the area sounding solid. I greatly appreciate the play/pause button between the volume + and - buttons on the top edge. The front facing speakers are loud and efficient. The included soft slip-on cover was a nice touch too.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLj1QVb-vl8cgSL28wKB28IaOC9lS9qywz9IwnQPuCBrk8voGkYy1rC-alzR-x1M21v87ecz5gzgTSw-DkHJvmxkP9zKfe2AORnPuaRMcL7HAWnFsmqdcDhYcfBaB2Hq4BtKDD0BSsLzM/s1600/Playbook+in+Pouch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLj1QVb-vl8cgSL28wKB28IaOC9lS9qywz9IwnQPuCBrk8voGkYy1rC-alzR-x1M21v87ecz5gzgTSw-DkHJvmxkP9zKfe2AORnPuaRMcL7HAWnFsmqdcDhYcfBaB2Hq4BtKDD0BSsLzM/s400/Playbook+in+Pouch.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<strong>Cons:</strong> No dedicated email app. No dedicated contacts app. Limited app store compared to Android. The power button is also hard to press when you want to turn the Playbook ON. Very slow to boot up from the OFF state.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP06qy05iL7Rw5gTySkRN7BTNIqn2ek7hTAmnUkWjBHUpCKbar2uU9aA_Gz4xe3M0ZYa6gd2e1gCDWpJSaBHgjY5Ntigj0xlIc2WzSmlAZFeDVXSEwBMvuZWlI4bxlugHC5lTeBPW5bL0/s1600/Music.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP06qy05iL7Rw5gTySkRN7BTNIqn2ek7hTAmnUkWjBHUpCKbar2uU9aA_Gz4xe3M0ZYa6gd2e1gCDWpJSaBHgjY5Ntigj0xlIc2WzSmlAZFeDVXSEwBMvuZWlI4bxlugHC5lTeBPW5bL0/s400/Music.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Music App</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<strong>Media:</strong> Codec support is decent. AVI, WMV, and MP4 videos play just fine with the stock Video app. An MKV sample I had would not play. MP3s, WMAs (+ WMA lossless), AAC and M4A audio files would play. FLAC files wouldn't. The Music app allows sorting by Songs, Artists, Albums, and Genres. You can shuffle or play sequentially though a list. There is an on-screen volume slider, progress bar, and full play controls within the app. You also have a dynamic Search function. No Bookmark or Playlist options I could find though. The video app takes advantage of the Touchscreen capabilities and lets you stretch your video with two-fingers to enlarge or shrink them, as well as pan around the moving video as if it was just a photo. No bookmarking in the video app either, and it won't remember where you left off when you return to a video either.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwLs7cGiqqe95-AEj2ZV9hCDkQE9nwl6Xs1FabvagRAd_U-0EYvgsDw5F3IvBNQtyaQcD5jVROGoQcGMrjSr2GkusB-vPsHRFWn4qkSIJsbBzeSXGFg1iivNixrqmAeT5paN2MUztC60w/s1600/VideoScene.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwLs7cGiqqe95-AEj2ZV9hCDkQE9nwl6Xs1FabvagRAd_U-0EYvgsDw5F3IvBNQtyaQcD5jVROGoQcGMrjSr2GkusB-vPsHRFWn4qkSIJsbBzeSXGFg1iivNixrqmAeT5paN2MUztC60w/s400/VideoScene.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Video Scene</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<strong>UI:</strong> I'll give RIM some credit here. The Playbook's User Interface is original, practical, easy to understand, and fascinating to use. Far more clever than any iOS or Android device has implemented to date. I have to believe it was only the high price and missing apps that kept the Playbook from catching on faster. The price has been corrected now. Hopefully an Apps update will show up soon.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGACgwDJ6fZlm4H5alOZlwkXM20j6rgvhKv0hAdasciWtUl7KqEmfl2VPtS2iN-xHCzKF3QtE5mBND4ys0HGxnvm8X10r2EUNHHtL3tT1IB-dpz_OFeJf05S0jnLOzusV2hYOwNVnlWKQ/s1600/MultiTasking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="337" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGACgwDJ6fZlm4H5alOZlwkXM20j6rgvhKv0hAdasciWtUl7KqEmfl2VPtS2iN-xHCzKF3QtE5mBND4ys0HGxnvm8X10r2EUNHHtL3tT1IB-dpz_OFeJf05S0jnLOzusV2hYOwNVnlWKQ/s400/MultiTasking.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Multi-Tasking</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwUea2D-y5AwSuFBfD8AjvxSddzZHT4MjHzT8HBndNXc0zv8IrwMxqP6bn-KPA1zdPa8tyJ65jlBiC3Y6tM' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<strong><br /></strong><br />
<strong>Summary:</strong> This is a very capable tablet. The $299 price is fair for what you get and what it can do. Screen reaction is fluid. Media playback is beautiful though not fully-featured. The OS is refreshing compared to Android and iOS, but the missing email app and android app support is a wound that needs repair before I'll recommend this to anyone. Are you listening, RIM? I'm parking mine until that update shows up. The HTC Flyer is also $299 now, and it's an Android 7" tablet with some useful enhancements.<br />
<br />
4D<br />
<br />
<br />
P.S. I you enjoy reading my reviews, please consider clicking on an Ad or two. Thanks!4DThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11368303705408227143noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674448692821111502.post-78616576640793449732011-09-28T23:15:00.010-05:002011-10-01T23:13:02.304-05:00Asus Slider Review. Clever, but Practical?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEEFffVEnFuzbVl5JR_SsPfqbjzYaO5PqYM4wR60LFCy5g0Y1HfgIZuMXkDOGO-WISLpsvFVfEOrxYWB0beQGTBISrtHKLetss6Ru7EYW69jBrPJ2bce2QzLgdN0ud-q0QHGSYxSNwPZM/s1600/Box%254045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEEFffVEnFuzbVl5JR_SsPfqbjzYaO5PqYM4wR60LFCy5g0Y1HfgIZuMXkDOGO-WISLpsvFVfEOrxYWB0beQGTBISrtHKLetss6Ru7EYW69jBrPJ2bce2QzLgdN0ud-q0QHGSYxSNwPZM/s400/Box%254045.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>My Slider arrived via UPS on 9/29/2011. I bought it from CircuitCity.com as they had it in stock ready for shipping. The box was typical Asus with the tablet in a plastic tray and included accessories stored beneath it. All the glossy surfaces had clear plastic to protect them that you'll get to peel off. It came with an AC/USB Power Supply, USB cable, warranty card and a User's Manual. "Inspiring Innovation Persistent Perfection" printed on the last two to put you in a good mood.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLHwg5-Cot0zeXAjc0YZeNscEw48yT6AuMDYdLFVumWbWSZSUzIxSCRRlm_e_fAieeglrmPcSgU3bpChMZH42YBGJt5YL22MwBYC3CY0Ro1uZUrm_kLDTa4jx_kQL5v68EZAy__wQQgg/s1600/Main+Shot+Open.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLHwg5-Cot0zeXAjc0YZeNscEw48yT6AuMDYdLFVumWbWSZSUzIxSCRRlm_e_fAieeglrmPcSgU3bpChMZH42YBGJt5YL22MwBYC3CY0Ro1uZUrm_kLDTa4jx_kQL5v68EZAy__wQQgg/s400/Main+Shot+Open.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The Slider came with Android 3.1 installed, but started downloading the 3.2 update as soon as I had it connected to my wifi router. 20 minutes later or so 3.2 was installed. Out of the box and unpeeled the Slider is a thing of beauty. The front, of course, is mostly a big piece of glass. The setting for this glass is a wide bezel that bows out on the ends with a brushed metal edging on the sides and top. A spin around the edge discovers the power button, volume rocker, and microSD slot on the left end. Asus's docking port and a mini-HDMI port are along the top. The headphone jack and USB port are nicely articulated on the right end. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjerPWqDV7py927O_tWP2sBHkOp_1hAvtXoGbQczUdFc6VABSSYksSe6IicuzW1AD6ublR2kw16EXoMwnu7HJxNlRila2Mi587clieETJQz1p3vF4YS3AwQ9n5x1Y8daqEqJHsvqghug6w/s1600/MicroSD+Reset+Volume+Power.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjerPWqDV7py927O_tWP2sBHkOp_1hAvtXoGbQczUdFc6VABSSYksSe6IicuzW1AD6ublR2kw16EXoMwnu7HJxNlRila2Mi587clieETJQz1p3vF4YS3AwQ9n5x1Y8daqEqJHsvqghug6w/s400/MicroSD+Reset+Volume+Power.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_tkxeVvy_KGv9_C9veLfrdkn8iOX1Az8-NKnkxE-d89dflrvlSi4Y9nZ3JLNqdENcawpcd465eCHFjChjMnoG8ueBTYAVC5EyHL1JTjFAHF6DeZCkb5eIytBTFmvrnZ2-ojRuUDPwTTo/s1600/HDMI+and+Dock+Port.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_tkxeVvy_KGv9_C9veLfrdkn8iOX1Az8-NKnkxE-d89dflrvlSi4Y9nZ3JLNqdENcawpcd465eCHFjChjMnoG8ueBTYAVC5EyHL1JTjFAHF6DeZCkb5eIytBTFmvrnZ2-ojRuUDPwTTo/s400/HDMI+and+Dock+Port.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC_CvwzCyIEAJMmbawX4DMoaIuNweDK8ZPQq19Z73rnX8ka5iY6kPxDGMXt_Co0IL3BsvSCq8xKN9BGe8rnqA6QvbXDa89jXDfMiIaF0v1EEyXlxWzzeGdeAyRumN2dpUA3WqzUZ4SAUA/s1600/Headphone+USB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC_CvwzCyIEAJMmbawX4DMoaIuNweDK8ZPQq19Z73rnX8ka5iY6kPxDGMXt_Co0IL3BsvSCq8xKN9BGe8rnqA6QvbXDa89jXDfMiIaF0v1EEyXlxWzzeGdeAyRumN2dpUA3WqzUZ4SAUA/s400/Headphone+USB.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>That metal edging wraps around to the back where it widens to a 1.375" band across the bottom. A chrome strip seperates the brushed metal from a bronze field with the camera lens centered near the top. The top center edge has a raised lip at the seam between the front and back, with an arrow hinting something will happen if you pull here. Indeed, with a slight lift the front half rotates up to park itself above the newly exposed keyboard. The screen comes on and confronts you. The screen's resting angle is roughly 38 degrees above horizontal and not further adjustable.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ZQotCRofhKUjrSmpkkErnQV_I1MGalg6l51lVV8ZNay9QshYsqqxQfV1F2XjM_IO89tytTNcUz3m7mvFqIeONwhmJ54F676Zhhyphenhyphen0FkOc5LwSsTBJeK5lySOU28ukK3utMfebB3C6CPk/s1600/Side+Angle+Open.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ZQotCRofhKUjrSmpkkErnQV_I1MGalg6l51lVV8ZNay9QshYsqqxQfV1F2XjM_IO89tytTNcUz3m7mvFqIeONwhmJ54F676Zhhyphenhyphen0FkOc5LwSsTBJeK5lySOU28ukK3utMfebB3C6CPk/s400/Side+Angle+Open.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_kKK1M6gaRigcW2-8JXrLfEXmylnJPOpnSHyh3dvjI-PkBAHC0Y6tdUc64UTNUaqTK2Swu-u7gdvXCJh_Amfyt8xHyp4wnVx5MmFrazPYsT9oMq42SP5zHPlhwpMP_wZ-xWaXoI8IQk/s1600/Keyboard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_kKK1M6gaRigcW2-8JXrLfEXmylnJPOpnSHyh3dvjI-PkBAHC0Y6tdUc64UTNUaqTK2Swu-u7gdvXCJh_Amfyt8xHyp4wnVx5MmFrazPYsT9oMq42SP5zHPlhwpMP_wZ-xWaXoI8IQk/s400/Keyboard.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The keyboard keys are smaller than usual, but have a good action and nice feel to them in action. There are a few android-specific keys. They have included the number keys along the top row. The One and Six have a bright circle around them to provide a visual location aid. It appears as if it is carved from a bronze ingot, but is likely a high density plastic. Not the best keyboard for android tablet use, but it is certainly handy. Folding under the screen as it does leaves the screen exposed. I'll definitely need a case for this tablet.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSONe0elAFNOhDdo2F-3k_CBf8BC17SALzdk9MJ8nXfkH9QLYTOZgb0Ktg9XX93oRecdE-uHhMUZq2IivLT2Mj6hZtxYYzMLcj4H6u_tPYYhiPHCyAkxHBC8pBhtAzmkny14MgMRIb8CQ/s1600/Rear+Chrome+Open.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSONe0elAFNOhDdo2F-3k_CBf8BC17SALzdk9MJ8nXfkH9QLYTOZgb0Ktg9XX93oRecdE-uHhMUZq2IivLT2Mj6hZtxYYzMLcj4H6u_tPYYhiPHCyAkxHBC8pBhtAzmkny14MgMRIb8CQ/s400/Rear+Chrome+Open.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<strong>Dimensions:</strong> 10.75 x 7.1 x .72 inches. 2.21 lbs. Not light. Not thin.<br />
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<strong>Hardware:</strong><br />
- Screen: 10.1" IPS, 10 point multitouch, 1280 x 800, Gorilla Glass Screen. <br />
- Processor: NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual core mobile processor 1Ghz. <br />
- Battery: 25W/h Li-Polymer. Estimated 8hrs between charges.<br />
- Cameras: 1.2MP front. 5MP rear<br />
- WLAN: 802.11 b/g/n@2.4GHz<br />
- Bluetooth: V2.1+EDR<br />
- Memory: 1GB, <br />
- Storage: <strong>16GB</strong>/32GB + <span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;">MicroSD card reader (up to 32GB). 12.63GB available when new. </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"> - Ports: mini-HDMI port, <strong>Full size USB</strong> <strong>2.0</strong>. </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"> - Single (mono) speaker.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"> - Microphone.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"> - </span><span style="color: black;">G-Sensor<br />
- Light Sensor<br />
- Gyroscope<br />
- E-Compass<br />
- GPS</span><br />
- Volume +/- rocker<br />
- Headphone/Mic jack. <br />
- Keyboard: Android-specific keys include Home, Back, Search, and Menu. You also have Brightness up/down, and Wifi & Bluetooth toggles. <br />
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<strong>Build Quality: </strong>Impressive. When folded the top and bottom are a graceful compliment to each other. The front edge chamfers down then tapers to round over the back edge. The body is a composite of brushed metal, bronze (paint), and a little chrome. Cable connections are nicely articulated from the bottom edge. Buttons are inset yet project just enough to exhibit their function and permit their use. Reset is a button rather than a hole on this tablet. Speakers are a bit muffled when the tablet is closed, but perk up when you lift the screen to reveal two columns of slots as speaker grills. Strong magnets hold the screen down and up. The user manual warns against leaving your credit cards too close to the Slider. The lift mechanism is an offset parallelogram. The exposed face of this brace is a mirror polished rectangle with "<span style="font-family: inherit;">ASUS</span>" etched into it. The IPS screen is easy to see from any practical angle. <br />
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<strong>Media capabilities: </strong>AAC, MP3, MIDI, OGG, and WAV music codecs are all listed as supported in the User's Manual. I was also able to play WMA and WMA lossless files, along with FLAC files with no problem straight from the file browser and in the Music app. H.263/H.264 MPEG4 is the only video codec listed as supported. I was able to play MP4 videos with no trouble. AVIs played but with pixilation. MWV movies wouldn't open. There are apps available in the Market that will play just about any video though so don't let the limited initial video support disturb you. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnv8bugHsP-cxXGBQb1ZkWUfJLXzB1p4OE2qjwKXRz9JYCTjC73mPCId7m_HbHcmnXKNDM87hvUNBDo40tLTtL9yztFiU4voyJHZCRLMtiKsdh51N-CN6L1e4g2P6RH16qdlrXABITsqY/s1600/Speaker+Grill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnv8bugHsP-cxXGBQb1ZkWUfJLXzB1p4OE2qjwKXRz9JYCTjC73mPCId7m_HbHcmnXKNDM87hvUNBDo40tLTtL9yztFiU4voyJHZCRLMtiKsdh51N-CN6L1e4g2P6RH16qdlrXABITsqY/s320/Speaker+Grill.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Audio output from what sounds like a mono speaker source is limited to middle and upper frequencies. Audio levels only dropped a little with the keyboard closed tablet down. Quality out the headphone jack to good headphones is a pleasure though. Their "Supreme SRS Sound with max bass response" is a step or two better than the typical android tablet sound quality with no enhancements. I'll warn you to turn the sound down if you've been listening to the onboard speaker when you switch to headphone or you're in for an ear-busting surprise. This tablet can easily get loud enough to drive the most demanding headphones I have. <br />
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<strong>Asus applications:</strong> ASUS Launcher, MyLibrary, MyNet, MyCloud, ASUS Sync, Asus @Vibe<br />
<strong>Other Include Apps: </strong>File manager, Kindle books, Zinio Magazine, PressReader, Polaris Office<br />
<strong>Google Apps: </strong>GMail, Google Maps, Google Places, Google Navigate, Google Latitude, Android Market, Google Music, Google Videos, Google Books, ...<br />
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<strong>In use</strong> it is a heavy tablet but as capable as any of the competitors out there. Unless you'll always have a horizontal surface to open the keyboard up on, the extra weight is a bit of a penalty to have to carry. Yet if you plan to use the Slider as a laptop/notebook replacement it may be the perfect solution. The included Polaris Office app (word/spreadsheet/presentation) and that keyboard will let you get some serious work done. When folded away you have tablet simplicity behind a beautiful touchscreen to entertain yourself with. This tablet also has bluetooth and a USB port on the side. It is easy to add a full-sized keyboard and mouse if you really want to get serious. HDMI-out lets you mirror the android UI onto any HDTV or computer monitor with an HDMI port. Don't buy it if you only want to check email and play a game of Angry Birds. Consider it if you were considering a netbook to shrink your travel load. This has a nicer screen and broader array of uses than any netbook, and you can still get your work done on it for half the carry-on weight. It'll fit perfectly on that seat-back table too.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgafOY9iexPijho99O-iulyZLYYCZH78vQZWu1DOSsHymzaBz7MqHhXt9GCPrp6ifkygD2OhsEXIT_rjFqNg8k6LZOaQIXCHGIsttLjmhvSO9nKiP9Rx7khCzCbGK-84O4cQ6mjqt85i18/s1600/Box+Low+Angle1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgafOY9iexPijho99O-iulyZLYYCZH78vQZWu1DOSsHymzaBz7MqHhXt9GCPrp6ifkygD2OhsEXIT_rjFqNg8k6LZOaQIXCHGIsttLjmhvSO9nKiP9Rx7khCzCbGK-84O4cQ6mjqt85i18/s400/Box+Low+Angle1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><strong>Conclusions? </strong>I've spent the last few days with my Slider. It is easier to lug around than my Asus Transformer and it's keyboard dock. Far easier to tote than my notebook PC. It connected quickly and reliably to my home and work WiFi networks. It allowed me to check and reply to my email. I could browse the web when I needed to. I passed the boring moments playing Soduko or Angry Birds on it. That clever keyboard let me work on this review with relative ease. The screen is great. The Build is great. The engineering is clever. With nothing bad to say and only the size and weight to pick on I have to give the Asus EEE Slider an <strong><em>A+ Great Buy</em></strong>. It's unique features require a unique user though. If you fit that description then this is the tablet for you. Don't buy it if you want thin and light.<br />
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4D<br />
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PS: If you enjoy my reviews, please consider clicking on an Ad or two. Thanks!4DThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11368303705408227143noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674448692821111502.post-4740605898707345972011-09-23T09:46:00.000-05:002011-09-23T09:46:43.069-05:00Cradle for Sony Tablet S. My Review.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgneB_NvWJNPAJmATUbaHEfCGN8bHvSqcMQ71B39F0XSwP-3bF49AMaM7ZQiVs8syIeCi_Ttr9kQBOdKkV5KPNmFeFxK-0mBwMEWj6ST7rRh13D_8dFcfulS_mxFnGyIHuq5pHwrJFXWwY/s1600/angle+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgneB_NvWJNPAJmATUbaHEfCGN8bHvSqcMQ71B39F0XSwP-3bF49AMaM7ZQiVs8syIeCi_Ttr9kQBOdKkV5KPNmFeFxK-0mBwMEWj6ST7rRh13D_8dFcfulS_mxFnGyIHuq5pHwrJFXWwY/s400/angle+view.jpg" width="332" /></a></div>Sony's S Tablet includes the Chumby app, an alarm clock app, as well as a great TruBlack screen for movie and photo viewing. When you put your tablet on the dock it pops up the choice of Desk Clock, Chumby app, or Gallery. Laying flat on a table isn't the best position for taking advantage of these features, so Sony has now released a dock to hold the S upright and charge it at the same time. My dock arrived the Sept. 20. I've had a chance to use it a few days now. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnAkzXamWHmGvliNJK4SIaMUIiJW0O7WKfSP6spl14YmHWADXF2R4tgdEdL4WeDKXqcQZRvxGgN2aRMztCrisljCQdMVVjeoBHIS4-w-g5hFuT-_6aMY8RRn52wq3GGfdJxMx05Hrj_XI/s1600/Desk+Clock+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnAkzXamWHmGvliNJK4SIaMUIiJW0O7WKfSP6spl14YmHWADXF2R4tgdEdL4WeDKXqcQZRvxGgN2aRMztCrisljCQdMVVjeoBHIS4-w-g5hFuT-_6aMY8RRn52wq3GGfdJxMx05Hrj_XI/s400/Desk+Clock+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Desk Clock/Alarm</td></tr>
</tbody></table>It doesn't come with an AC adapter of its own. You have to commit the one that came with your tablet or purchase a spare from Sony. A shame, really, as I had intended to keep the dock at home and take my charger to work so I could top my S off when I wasn't using it. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2J5qCD6N12DBthW62frs33Bs5EpiTwgfOWrCM-N8L2T7QPPExwkQWOYrXeBEDbvkGKmiC23brtJL3D4mEPKYhlChuiUQAbp66gzwz5VtFw9YcwTeqNSJfnpVZTWaFgD7VxZJybHri20E/s1600/Angle+high.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2J5qCD6N12DBthW62frs33Bs5EpiTwgfOWrCM-N8L2T7QPPExwkQWOYrXeBEDbvkGKmiC23brtJL3D4mEPKYhlChuiUQAbp66gzwz5VtFw9YcwTeqNSJfnpVZTWaFgD7VxZJybHri20E/s200/Angle+high.jpg" width="185" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">high angle</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik48EtxO-NFslTzy9nEHamoQansf-xleGXbmo9LStqKWuURYKd0_xOyophTEHEW1DTunbWgbRg5lc3YV81aJVI1A9m6wyeRNKifgi-ta4pc29yZcLpwJNKKKdHex7Hcs0rIu0NLKTyL2k/s1600/angle+low.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik48EtxO-NFslTzy9nEHamoQansf-xleGXbmo9LStqKWuURYKd0_xOyophTEHEW1DTunbWgbRg5lc3YV81aJVI1A9m6wyeRNKifgi-ta4pc29yZcLpwJNKKKdHex7Hcs0rIu0NLKTyL2k/s200/angle+low.jpg" width="171" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">low angle</td></tr>
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The dock also allows two slightly different support angles. One best for passive viewing functions and the second a better angle if you'll need to tap on the screen repeatedly. Made of a stiff plastic and all black except for the rear support, it does a fine job of holding up the tablet in landscape with the thin edge down. The tablet's charge port aligns with the connection on the dock. You plug your adapter into the bottom. There is no way to use this cradle with the tablet in portait (vertical) mode. There are no other ports or outputs. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1CTzbnK-ehBRJjPyKF1HQQP_4Kw0sYqGs2O-gPUdYn8jgRimShlYVtUw2sW78d7TpOvEfH_FtCLfypSseFA2WPBL9ENFNR6Fy2ZFQb2WdVLhVAJC1SC9XJ1mowyVG84LwjiGS_XyrLaE/s1600/Dock+connector+bottom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1CTzbnK-ehBRJjPyKF1HQQP_4Kw0sYqGs2O-gPUdYn8jgRimShlYVtUw2sW78d7TpOvEfH_FtCLfypSseFA2WPBL9ENFNR6Fy2ZFQb2WdVLhVAJC1SC9XJ1mowyVG84LwjiGS_XyrLaE/s320/Dock+connector+bottom.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bottom cable jack.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>For $39 this cradle/dock is a useful accessory and fairly priced compared to docks I have purchased for other tablets. I wish it had been more capable (HDMI-out perhaps?) and had come with its own power supply. If you need a cradle for the Sony Tablet S though this is your only choice at the moment, and it is considerably better than a picture stand. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsL7LPW7NZZTxTBX80E2Cim-nNV7acJCB_xCwJlJsBeSXjueRif86T3IWv7HC2XALBsYzx99SzPs57H3jP_SZn2xMXlAy8dKYaRV4sTmp_Mh06FdMxAXxNTadBRiAgIlKL7wwxMQcAgYk/s1600/Elevation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsL7LPW7NZZTxTBX80E2Cim-nNV7acJCB_xCwJlJsBeSXjueRif86T3IWv7HC2XALBsYzx99SzPs57H3jP_SZn2xMXlAy8dKYaRV4sTmp_Mh06FdMxAXxNTadBRiAgIlKL7wwxMQcAgYk/s400/Elevation.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>My recommendation? If you need it get it. It works as advertised. Best recommended for your bedside table. A great alternative and improvement over the standard alarm clock. <br />
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4D<br />
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P.S. : If you enjoy my reviews, please consider clicking on an Ad or two. Thanks!4DThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11368303705408227143noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674448692821111502.post-13111285974505834652011-09-18T21:47:00.001-05:002011-09-26T06:26:55.362-05:00Sony Tablet S gets Updated to Android 3.2!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3EeXn9A-a648-d4p9WfbuhUzsiwhY7F8pcJqvnfG3m4Lcrwsxwjn7s-dD_AV5eky0-548W0MI8VWDi5DrUnGIMXTSeZhLAvwcFqSBrXIrcb5n1rMF6v6-8i2bRaB3bkyxMw6n6uQiod0/s1600/Lock+Screen1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3EeXn9A-a648-d4p9WfbuhUzsiwhY7F8pcJqvnfG3m4Lcrwsxwjn7s-dD_AV5eky0-548W0MI8VWDi5DrUnGIMXTSeZhLAvwcFqSBrXIrcb5n1rMF6v6-8i2bRaB3bkyxMw6n6uQiod0/s400/Lock+Screen1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>That's right. The S has only been out for a day or two, but mine is downloading an update to Android 3.2. No indication if there is are any Sony enhancements on top of what 3.2 brings, but you have to give Sony props for getting this tablet updated so quickly. <br />
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The update is 183.1mb, and will take awhile to download. Mine looks like it'll finish after 20 minutes or so. It will warn you to plug in the AC charger before continuing. Once ready the tablet reboots to install the update. <br />
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OK, now all updated. No new apps I can see. Looks like all we get is the few new features Android 3.2 brings.<br />
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For my full review scroll down or hit this <a href="http://4dthinker.blogspot.com/2011/09/sony-tablet-s-my-review.html">LINK</a>. Thanks for visiting!<br />
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4D4DThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11368303705408227143noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674448692821111502.post-84075276355227708672011-09-17T07:55:00.004-05:002011-10-21T07:59:41.414-05:00Sony Tablet S. My Review.Sony took their time entering the Android tablet race. At first glance their patience was not wasted. This <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sony-SGPT111US-Wi-Fi-Tablet-16GB/dp/B005FXYJZY?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Sony S Wi-Fi Tablet (16GB)</a> has some clever features and an original look that makes it stand out from the pack.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTBBTNpuNatPiTmnPf13X2CyTtbi1igKTVE-6Cj0RCjQoFkrcH7J1xYgGc2li4hoc_g5P7FAIlzczmsPi69_Cq_0KK0voHZ9Yb4AlxrPXfAHWczctNBGE9aIEm5Gflgmad2Kx7LQAFrE/s1600/Lock+Screen1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTBBTNpuNatPiTmnPf13X2CyTtbi1igKTVE-6Cj0RCjQoFkrcH7J1xYgGc2li4hoc_g5P7FAIlzczmsPi69_Cq_0KK0voHZ9Yb4AlxrPXfAHWczctNBGE9aIEm5Gflgmad2Kx7LQAFrE/s400/Lock+Screen1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Mine arrived the 14th of September. Well packaged. The box includes a Quick Start Guide, A pictoral guide to the power switch, unlocking the screen, calling up the onscreen keyboard, signing in for the first time, and swiping between home pages. The AC adapter appears straight from one of Sony's laptops with a long AC cord, a power brick, and a long cord from the brick to the proprietary charge point on the bottom edge of the S. I'm not a fan of the dock connection used, as it is snaps in and is a challenge to get out. You also get a wrist lanyard, but there was no USB/syncing cable in the box. Lastly there was all the usual boilerplate of warnings, licenses, and disclaimers. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzrziycUlruxIFY0z__xg0DuZ5L8cvSeJy_LNSSv8cNo53tyeajIE-MJiW8NW13zqadcKFteqUHaQ9Tnw54y0O8SsW6EfbLkZ0rGpv7lcRbmL3Dc9uib2IuY-gdzuULYkkjGqAeCNdUkY/s1600/Home+Screen1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzrziycUlruxIFY0z__xg0DuZ5L8cvSeJy_LNSSv8cNo53tyeajIE-MJiW8NW13zqadcKFteqUHaQ9Tnw54y0O8SsW6EfbLkZ0rGpv7lcRbmL3Dc9uib2IuY-gdzuULYkkjGqAeCNdUkY/s400/Home+Screen1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<strong>Hardware features</strong>:<br />
- Universal IR remote/transmitter<br />
- Battery Type : Li-Ion 5000mAh <br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> + <span style="color: #666666;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="color: black;">Battery Life when browsing web with Wi-Fi - 6.2 hours</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"> + Battery charge time - 5.0 hours.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: xx-small;"></span></span></span> - Camera : Front – 0.3 Megapixel Rear – 5.0 Megapixel <br />
- Bluetooth version 2.1 +<br />
- Wi-Fi : IEEE802.11b/g/n<br />
- Full-size SD Card slot<br />
- TruBlack 1280 x 800 9.4" screen.<br />
- <span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Internal, Monaural microphone</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: xx-small;"></span></span></span> - <span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Internal, Stereo speakers</span></span></span></span><br />
- Dimensions: 9.5" x 6.87" x 0.82" (thick end), and 1.29375 lbs (by my scale, no SD card inserted). <br />
- User manual available here: <a href="http://store.sony.com/wcsstore/SonyStyleStorefrontAssetStore/pdf/warranty/SEL-asset-273019.pdf">PDF Link</a><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiz7xyrvm8fKgq7OjQ7HFaki4jGr78VoEsbmLM-Gv72kXBdF4OyX8Jl441X_RGy0wAJyxXUQ1REbjlkiso5f6NYMxjMLEjQLM_PJr8H8f1J_rzHL6aH0G5nYxv2d6Bx_J2S2cl7TbdZLI/s1600/LeftEdge1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiz7xyrvm8fKgq7OjQ7HFaki4jGr78VoEsbmLM-Gv72kXBdF4OyX8Jl441X_RGy0wAJyxXUQ1REbjlkiso5f6NYMxjMLEjQLM_PJr8H8f1J_rzHL6aH0G5nYxv2d6Bx_J2S2cl7TbdZLI/s400/LeftEdge1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left Edge</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56tfk4qPHHYxzL3iMsaPvb3xjIMCpipqH5hx_fgdUqy8Qm3-hfNyxq7_bcuUhjGPHwhQj2oKFpAgBxejX-9zkTi9HOOZRtWtgg30WdClM1u7e4xRTbkK4wSlFJLVee18fNCmyMrehlis/s1600/RightEdge1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56tfk4qPHHYxzL3iMsaPvb3xjIMCpipqH5hx_fgdUqy8Qm3-hfNyxq7_bcuUhjGPHwhQj2oKFpAgBxejX-9zkTi9HOOZRtWtgg30WdClM1u7e4xRTbkK4wSlFJLVee18fNCmyMrehlis/s400/RightEdge1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Right Edge</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAIfnsPODcHMlu01tOZbYrkrkzi81dYow7D8S2JgZeF6Hf18onEnY929_mZ4VXSiOu7tJuLVy10qA_LMAS_-ypHjPDI9u2bLjcPUp8oE8RqXmiBDj1UaW5s7PlmGcwiI3SKG2QMA_k41A/s1600/USB_SD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAIfnsPODcHMlu01tOZbYrkrkzi81dYow7D8S2JgZeF6Hf18onEnY929_mZ4VXSiOu7tJuLVy10qA_LMAS_-ypHjPDI9u2bLjcPUp8oE8RqXmiBDj1UaW5s7PlmGcwiI3SKG2QMA_k41A/s400/USB_SD.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SDHC & microUSB port</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
A bit smaller than the 10.1 tablets out there, it looks like Sony didn't want to have to compete for 10.1 inch screens in case this tablet was a hit. Their 9.4" screen is still 16:10 wide screen rather than 4:3 like the iPad. It is better for movie playback and any other wide-screen media (like PlayStation games). I personally like the size. Lighter than the iPad2 and Samsung Galaxy 10.1 tablet I have, the weight plus the shape makes it almost delightful to hold. Sony also looks to have considered ergonomics in their design, and I'm very appreciative. None of the large tablets I've reviewed so far have been easy to hold up long enough to watch a movie or read a book. They tend to cramp the hand that holds them by the edge. It's not natural or comfortable. I've suggested adding a handle mount to the center back. Sony may have a better solution though, and it comes from a simple redistribution of weight. I have the thick end at about 55% of the weight and the thin end 45%. The wedge shape makes it obvious how to hold the S for best results as well. The back also has a texture and a friction coating to eliminate any slipperyness. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxR0hL7FFPiYU2XGOWgh28IIyyu3A62i-10EJZxGuossJEsbYfckLiStR2rSPLG-MafswUSmKaAMqUziFWTVfbS2tsZ3obfXbVx4lYs2eVpneUiNFUSyt4piGJ-2DN90ClFoJY65Bvzp0/s1600/Video1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxR0hL7FFPiYU2XGOWgh28IIyyu3A62i-10EJZxGuossJEsbYfckLiStR2rSPLG-MafswUSmKaAMqUziFWTVfbS2tsZ3obfXbVx4lYs2eVpneUiNFUSyt4piGJ-2DN90ClFoJY65Bvzp0/s400/Video1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Video Frame</td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong>Media</strong> capability seems to be thorough. The TruBlack screen is beautiful. Mine has played WMV, MP4, M4V, 3GP video files with no problem. Other formats/codecs are playable with downloadable apps. MP3, WMA (including WMA lossless), FLAC, OGG, WAV, MID, XMF music files played with no trouble. Sony has also thrown in access to it's own Entertainment Network. There are apps for Video Unlimited and Music Unlimited. Plus the Crackle app where you can view full-length Hollywood movies and TV series for free and on demand. Finish it off with the Reader™ Store from Sony for ebooks galore.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqo0AK30l9zCb9MbAjE7bM0Ls14dGG0OfSs_jUFvJihGrcc5422I80dLcnAIXVxnQSy9bF5FYe9Tdumtep0k4sVGElxlGgqfjVLXqlWnNwSsXmp75LyjsRpHf_oYnXsmsGuqIWfKoNg3E/s1600/YouTube1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqo0AK30l9zCb9MbAjE7bM0Ls14dGG0OfSs_jUFvJihGrcc5422I80dLcnAIXVxnQSy9bF5FYe9Tdumtep0k4sVGElxlGgqfjVLXqlWnNwSsXmp75LyjsRpHf_oYnXsmsGuqIWfKoNg3E/s400/YouTube1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">YouTube App</td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong>Camera:</strong> The 5.0 megapixel rear camera doesn't include a flash. It takes sunlight or photo lights indoors to coax a good picture from it, but it can be done. Like all my other tablets with cameras you shouldn't consider the cameras on the S a replacement for even an inexpensive pocket camera. The S's cameras are better than those on my iPad2, but about the same as what came on any of my other tablets. Below are samples from my yard taken with the rear camera. The front camera is best used for video chat. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWdlZhjelRnB-V-5U1Z1qcIYCNPGBGi7CWnuXkpVr4B6UOZ6SUwZDU6C5RfFH1RIUVBJNGYSNvvgBqCwJfE0Od7exbkq-OLCddD-qS4-AaPx4owAoXxjPpd9OJXAPX8uRrAcTqxh6-D9o/s1600/IMG_20110916_154258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWdlZhjelRnB-V-5U1Z1qcIYCNPGBGi7CWnuXkpVr4B6UOZ6SUwZDU6C5RfFH1RIUVBJNGYSNvvgBqCwJfE0Od7exbkq-OLCddD-qS4-AaPx4owAoXxjPpd9OJXAPX8uRrAcTqxh6-D9o/s400/IMG_20110916_154258.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLyKi5sSmcRBcsXyxKf4u9A7mx3JdmfhOh8bJ-i3xZ-dLu5PdEgdlDesQ7k0629J0Shyphenhyphen7zgyzRe5G1H4Y5uO-WZfypNeFsQvZcFd9L4ORU17wOVCAXsgbRpf6qdN15EhOVPQjCIpfs370/s1600/IMG_20110916_154317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLyKi5sSmcRBcsXyxKf4u9A7mx3JdmfhOh8bJ-i3xZ-dLu5PdEgdlDesQ7k0629J0Shyphenhyphen7zgyzRe5G1H4Y5uO-WZfypNeFsQvZcFd9L4ORU17wOVCAXsgbRpf6qdN15EhOVPQjCIpfs370/s400/IMG_20110916_154317.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><strong>Build quality</strong> is typical Sony. This tablet is light but solid. No flex or squeaks in use. The rear surface has a texture to it that is less slippery than most. Ports and buttons hide inside the crease on the sides, and visually keep the look clean. They are a bit more challenging to press or plug into though, although not enough to be an ongoing challenge. The screen appears to roll right around to the back surface. A nice affect. The edge is undercut and gives the appearance that this tablet is thinner than an iPad from the front. Under a flap on the left edge there is a micro-USB and full-sized SDHC card slot. You'll also find the headphone jack on the left. There are speaker vents on both edges. There is also a reset hole, which I've had to stick a paper clip into once so far. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT4wljXKxQRHe7xm7P7rq1QUP7ri1L5SJ6yZ-jxhdGoN2bau-0acyzi-LipSBCFhAB38E0WKDGq_K39DHedD38HxRQ8VS3YSnc68ah8Ymeb0PTNzqomoz8NCrhRqCNelyaTmIew2wuXAI/s1600/Apps1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT4wljXKxQRHe7xm7P7rq1QUP7ri1L5SJ6yZ-jxhdGoN2bau-0acyzi-LipSBCFhAB38E0WKDGq_K39DHedD38HxRQ8VS3YSnc68ah8Ymeb0PTNzqomoz8NCrhRqCNelyaTmIew2wuXAI/s400/Apps1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Applications Screen</td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong>Apps:</strong> The included app assortment is impressive. Most of my android tablets have had less than one page worth of apps to start with. There looks to be 45 or so apps on the S. You can sort them newest first, A-Z, or a custom way. The downside? The remaining memory space is only about 9gb. So much for thinking I could get six or seven 2gb movies on board. There were a few music, photo, and video samples included though. Roughly 430mb's worth. When you get tired of those you can move them to your PC to clear up some of that used storage space. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_75f6zfgOWuYl1eWoej7MlsK6ThIQhWi0N-RFotz3XN_B_OCzFpDAAQaT6g9BlovKzE-sK9lz_E_V93FPRhL3GcTMPODhAJUQyI2jsOsqI1wxYroLjk3HbedRErisINT7uBRo19yQSk/s1600/ChargeLanyardSpeaker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_75f6zfgOWuYl1eWoej7MlsK6ThIQhWi0N-RFotz3XN_B_OCzFpDAAQaT6g9BlovKzE-sK9lz_E_V93FPRhL3GcTMPODhAJUQyI2jsOsqI1wxYroLjk3HbedRErisINT7uBRo19yQSk/s400/ChargeLanyardSpeaker.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AC Charger Connection Point</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<strong>Problems?</strong> Sony's Music and Video stores aren't ready at the time of this post. The screen won't rotate with the thick (heavier) end down. I've also had off and on WiFi connectability problems. The AC charger is a lump to deal with. No USB cable included. Crash Bandicoot keeps dying on me (OK, my fault not the S's), and yet I'm spending more time than usual enjoying this tablet.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQuSZEo54s8SLdzo9FgnoJwi1L8dQRWL78DgEIVGfL7q2brMSoIQzh1qBFL8m2QBygxSh5wkrGd0DBr_6WC0jDX4UeU_9LYY76kpw02-u22WXtM8YJb1kx90qAaxCuhFKzeqtriGQnqk/s1600/CrashB1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQuSZEo54s8SLdzo9FgnoJwi1L8dQRWL78DgEIVGfL7q2brMSoIQzh1qBFL8m2QBygxSh5wkrGd0DBr_6WC0jDX4UeU_9LYY76kpw02-u22WXtM8YJb1kx90qAaxCuhFKzeqtriGQnqk/s400/CrashB1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crash Bandicoot</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<strong>Conclusions?</strong> At the same prices as the WiFi iPad gen2s, Sony's Tablet S is the best shot I've tested yet to directly steal some sales from Apple. It has a great screen, clever physical design, great media support, Built-in DLNA capability, and a great size/weight. Add PlayStation game playing as well. Easier to hang on to than any of my other tablets too. Battery life is a little short compared to most of the 10.1s and the iPad. It's a first generation tablet though, and probably compares better to the iPad-1. With that iPad selling for $399 or less, Sony has this tablet just a little too highly priced. I saved 10% on mine with a coupon code (now expired) and thought $450 was a fair price for it. Look for discounts. If you can save anything off the current MSRP then get one. I'm keeping mine. <br />
<br />
4D<br />
<br />
<br />
PS: If you enjoyed this review, please consider clicking on an Ad or two. Thanks!4DThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11368303705408227143noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674448692821111502.post-80380104509858657742011-09-11T11:51:00.001-05:002011-09-11T11:52:40.679-05:00Logitech Tablet Keyboard (for Android 3.0+) Review.<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0054L8MR8" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0054L8N7M" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSn6ZmSeEc7SnLbf_i5dyeOj_JjzzjPg4-sFkpVYeIqtuuNxGqBS59Rt_I8Ng3PI__XR59UOxRgRN0SXuMv8ehAxUhCY7Ql6FoSRVioU72Uxx5g6gGXFtlUeykIJ_C0Yd_qpz5qpHAVUY/s1600/Broad+Shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSn6ZmSeEc7SnLbf_i5dyeOj_JjzzjPg4-sFkpVYeIqtuuNxGqBS59Rt_I8Ng3PI__XR59UOxRgRN0SXuMv8ehAxUhCY7Ql6FoSRVioU72Uxx5g6gGXFtlUeykIJ_C0Yd_qpz5qpHAVUY/s400/Broad+Shot.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The most obvious feature of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Keyboard-Android-Keyboard-920-003390/dp/B0054L8N7M?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Logitech's Tablet Keyboard for Android</a> is not the keyboard itself. <a href="http://www.logitech.com/en-us/keyboards/keyboard/devices/tablet-keyboard-android">Logitech</a> was smart to realize tablets go portable in briefcases or satchels or purses, and if a useful keyboard goes along it needs to be protected when inside that briefcase. This keyboard comes with a hard shell slip-case. Better yet, the case pops open and re-configures to become an adjustable stand for just about any tablet with Bluetooth.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMSZvAYpFhRJTujNcB9JsRwyokIj9uwloVjVFT-ms1OyL-4fu7DbEl6Ge2g1LN7_l0JN2n6xfxsgvJx_TuOTYuIj_Jspz6o0ZwfN6LvNaPzkwi3a-qTSW_qGx9dgOWUAZsUJkGtacWLs/s1600/SideView.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMSZvAYpFhRJTujNcB9JsRwyokIj9uwloVjVFT-ms1OyL-4fu7DbEl6Ge2g1LN7_l0JN2n6xfxsgvJx_TuOTYuIj_Jspz6o0ZwfN6LvNaPzkwi3a-qTSW_qGx9dgOWUAZsUJkGtacWLs/s400/SideView.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The clamshell case stays closed with magnets. It will protect the keyboard keys but doesn't grip the keyboard in any way to prevent it from sliding out. Once hinged open, a fold-out flange reconnects to form a triangular stand. That flange will extend another 1.5 inches to allow adjusting the angle the tablet sits at by a few degrees. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbRlJVagIjhL3gbySFewL-0PB15Tmmt1QcrA1oQbzLKhguoMc5znlFhbk9IBdBFKjV2vgaLRwrb6sGUyMN2SC208Kvz4SS2XZL1TsnsATPXsGxn2n10GBjQNZPJn3F_GzsTaOEvvO7698/s1600/In+Case.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbRlJVagIjhL3gbySFewL-0PB15Tmmt1QcrA1oQbzLKhguoMc5znlFhbk9IBdBFKjV2vgaLRwrb6sGUyMN2SC208Kvz4SS2XZL1TsnsATPXsGxn2n10GBjQNZPJn3F_GzsTaOEvvO7698/s400/In+Case.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The keyboard runs on two AAA batteries that were included. There is an On/Off slide on the top right, and a Connect button on the back. The bottom has rubber feet on each corner to keep it from sliding about. <br />
<br />
Beside the normal alphabet and numerals, the keyboard has extra functions for android. They include Volume up and down, Play/Pause, Forward/Previous, and shortcuts to Calendar, Browser, Music, and Email apps. There are also specific Home, Back, and Menu, and Search keys. The Caps Lock key has an LED to remind you when it is ON. Keys are normal size and spaced the same as the keys on my full-sized desktop keyboard. The direction keys are the only keys that are smaller than usual. Shift, Enter, Backspace, CapsLock, and Tab are all wider than a single letter key. <br />
<br />
This keyboard even works with a PC. Not all function keys work as expected, but it'll do if you need a lighweight and wireless keyboard to get back from your PC a bit. I connect mine with my PC and have typed this review using it. Media and volume keys work. The Home button will take you to your Home page if you have a web browser open. Back works like a browser's Back button. Search opens a search window, and the direction keys move your cursor in the expected direction. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.logitech.com/en-us/keyboards/keyboard/devices/tablet-keyboard-ipad">Logitech</a> also makes a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Tablet-Keyboard-Keyboard-920-003241/dp/B0054L8MR8?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Tablet Keyboard for iPad</a>. This Android version does pair and connect to my iPad, but not all the Android-specific keys have a function in iOS. <br />
<br />
<strong>All in all this is a great package</strong>. The mostly plastic keyboard is well made with a matte black finish and has a nice action to the keys. It paired easily with both my Galaxy Tab and PC, and iPad2 (not at the same time), and had no problem maintaining the connection with either. The case/stand is very useful and cleverly functional. I paid $60 for mine, and that's the same or less than you'll pay for any Bluetooth android keyboard that doesn't include a case/stand. If you're interested in a keyboard for your Bluetooth enabled Android 3.0+ tablet, I highly recommend this one. <br />
<br />
4D<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
P.S.: If you enjoyed this review please consider clicking on an Ad or two.4DThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11368303705408227143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674448692821111502.post-33842016097419457912011-09-05T17:37:00.003-05:002011-09-08T06:08:16.064-05:00Acer Iconia Tab A100 Review.<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0053RJ3F8" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1400532655" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0001FTVE0" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004SJ3BCI" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004YHOUC4" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicRzzeu77Yj73DrwvzZwitNV7lE5ssQ1YzWlNPo9hn5pz2-s9ERicdiZAs0fd1M-teD3PjfxDEqL_HmSyUojJ5wdISuK5ou34fdVpYh-qVR1bhHaYb3kJOwd6MUt6Nr-39iNEJlob7qJE/s1600/View1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicRzzeu77Yj73DrwvzZwitNV7lE5ssQ1YzWlNPo9hn5pz2-s9ERicdiZAs0fd1M-teD3PjfxDEqL_HmSyUojJ5wdISuK5ou34fdVpYh-qVR1bhHaYb3kJOwd6MUt6Nr-39iNEJlob7qJE/s320/View1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This may be the best 7" Tablet available right now!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I picked up my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Acer-Iconia-A100-07u08u-7-inch-Tablet/dp/B00548QAPC?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">8GB Acer Iconia Tab A100 7-inch Tablet</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00548QAPC" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004YHOUCO" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> on the first day they were available at my local <a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/Acer-A100-07B08w/16560713">Walmart</a>. Well packaged, and at that time for sale at $328 with an included $50 Walmart Gift Card. Still haven't spent that gift card, but I am really enjoying the tablet. Far more portable that any of the 10" tablets I've tried. It came with Android Honeycomb 3.2 installed, and a few custom apps from <a href="http://us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/model/XE.H6RPN.002">Acer</a> in addition to the typical android apps normally included with Honeycomb. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxq_D8aAv3Knlj72Pm-8dM1uuXNjOxSPlu7tGVrgWwpggJwiluFYLhCMa6OLSLOfp5lkI_ItUYzJxY1C46bQ8evXgexG5LV2L7rYP3_SFKiffOO955WSm7xtDQNyVx4w3OmlKS6nxQmrE/s1600/View+Back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxq_D8aAv3Knlj72Pm-8dM1uuXNjOxSPlu7tGVrgWwpggJwiluFYLhCMa6OLSLOfp5lkI_ItUYzJxY1C46bQ8evXgexG5LV2L7rYP3_SFKiffOO955WSm7xtDQNyVx4w3OmlKS6nxQmrE/s320/View+Back.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Inside the box was an <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Acer-Iconia-AC-Power-Supply/dp/B004YHOUC4?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Acer AC Power Supply</a> for charging it up, a USB cable for syncing it with your PC, a large folded Getting Started Guide, and a shrink-wrapped assortment of warranties and safety disclaimers. No headphones were included. You can download the User Guide in PDF format <a href="http://global-download.acer.com/GDFiles/Document/User%20Manual/User%20Manual_Acer_1.0_A_A.pdf?acerid=634491723063401416&Step1=Tablet&Step2=ICONIA TAB&Step3=A100&OS=---&LC=en&BC=Acer&SC=PA_6">HERE</a>. <strong></strong><br />
<br />
<strong>Hardware:</strong> The A100 comes with a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mediabridge-Speed-Micro-HDMI-Ethernet-Motorola/dp/B004286VMW?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">micro HDMI</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004286VMW" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> output, micro USB port, docking port, 2mp front and 5mp rear cameras, LED flash with the rear camera, a headphone jack, microphone, microSD and SIM card slots, stereo speakers, external volume rocker, and a screen rotation lock slider. It also works with the <u><span style="color: #0066cc;">A500 Docking Station with Remote</span></u> sold for it's larger brother the Acer A500 Iconia Tab.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiYx6SHEq4zghzN6dDstwQhoPkzrA2bvT4ZpKuw55atoyPSnoOn7iKvheyZkyh2IGeHdJSygS-vFDlSa-HerVF4Ksn81CsfBJ95VMcYGKcrQQFFk6T_MMHn_yVYC1iurJvs9P5C4YiZvg/s1600/View+End.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiYx6SHEq4zghzN6dDstwQhoPkzrA2bvT4ZpKuw55atoyPSnoOn7iKvheyZkyh2IGeHdJSygS-vFDlSa-HerVF4Ksn81CsfBJ95VMcYGKcrQQFFk6T_MMHn_yVYC1iurJvs9P5C4YiZvg/s320/View+End.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><strong>Display:</strong> The capacitive multitouch screen shows <span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">1024 x 600</span> <span style="font-size: small;">Pixels with <span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">262K color support. Better than most 7" tablets I've seen. The screen is almost too sensitive using a stylus. My favorite capacitive stylus is read too quickly half the time, detected as a tap instead of the beginning of a slide or swipe. Using my fingers the screen accuracy is nearly perfect though. Movies and photos look great. View angles aren't wide. There is some color shift when off-center, but the view is fine for personal use. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Apps:</strong> The A100 came with the android market app, and as such has access to the entire collection available there. You can also side-load apps from 3rd part sources, and install the Amazon AppStore app easily. I haven't come across any apps that won't run on the A100. It is not a phone though, so don't expect apps made to use phone-specific hardware to work. I'm enjoying the Planner app that was pre-installed. The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rovio-Mobile-Angry-Birds-Free/dp/B004SJ3BCI?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Angry Birds</a> game collection plays great. Graphics are smooth, even in levels that have bogged down some of the other devices I've tested. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<strong>Battery life</strong> is the most disappointing feature of this tablet, although mine <em>does</em> live up to the 5 hours estimated by Acer. With a battery only half the size of what comes in most 10.1" tablets I'm not surprised duration on a charge isn't longer. I'll suggest turning wifi and the screen off between uses, and that should get you through 8 hours of off and on use. <br />
<br />
<strong>Android 3.2</strong> comes pre-installed on the A100 and is a significant improvement over earlier versions. It includes a <em>compatibility zoom</em> mode that gives users a new way to view fixed-sized apps on larger devices. Small phone apps are easily enlarged to fill the screen. These graphics capabilities are a big step for App makers and will mean updated apps are more likely to run on any android device no matter the screen size. <br />
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<strong>Build:</strong> My A100 is solidly built, with no creaking or flexing of the body. All edges are rounded over and it is easy to hold. Like most tablets the glass front and plastic body are fingerprint magnets. I suggest keeping a microfiber cleaning cloth handy. This tablet doesn't look much different than any of my other 7" tablets until you turn it on, at which point the high-res capacitive screen show off. <br />
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<strong>Media:</strong> I had no trouble playing assorted MP4, WMV, and AVI video files. MOV and FLV files wouldn't play with the stock player, but played fine using the Mobiplayer app downloadable from the Android Market. The video apps weren't the best at stretching videos to fill the screen, but all videos played with no dropped frames. MP3, WMA (and WMA lossless), FLAC, WAV, and AAC audio files all played fine using the Google Music app. I couldn't find an OGG file to test. Sound quality from the built-in speakers is tinny. Not bad for spoken audio, but missing any low end for music. Audio through my nicest over-ear headphones (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD595-Performance-Premiere-Headphones/dp/B0001FTVE0?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Sennheiser HD-595</a>) was static-free and generally delightful. <br />
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<strong>Conclusions:</strong> This tablet is a keeper. Yes, they could have used a better screen. Yes, it would benefit from a larger battery (assuming one would fit inside). Everything else considered and the Acer Iconia A100 stands out as the best 7" android tablet I've tried so far. Screen response is fluid. Web browsing is quick and complete, with the browser having no obvious trouble rendering FLASH on web sites. My A100 had no trouble multitasking between my email, the web browser, a game of Angry Birds, and the Astro File Manager (downloaded from the Market). At $328 it is fairly priced against the less-capable <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Barnes-Noble-Color-eBook-Tablet/dp/1400532655?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">NOOK Color eBook Tablet</a> and the thinner <a href="http://www.amazon.com/HTC-Flyer-Android-7inch-Tablet/dp/B0053RJ3F8?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">HTC Flyer</a> . Those are the only other 7" tablets I've seen with 1024 x 600 screens. Watch the ads, because if Walmart was able to offer a $50 gift card with one then there is some room in the price for nice sale-price reductions. I'll say it again: <strong><em>This tablet is a keeper!</em></strong><br />
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Comments and Questions welcomed!<br />
4D<br />
<br />
PS: If you enjoyed this review please consider clicking on an Ad or two. Thanks!<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span></span></span>4DThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11368303705408227143noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674448692821111502.post-78554325239048478592011-08-16T11:37:00.003-05:002011-08-16T11:41:58.216-05:00Cowon C2 Review<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001PNZ00G" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B003AYXJRE" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />Cowon's latest offering is a little hard to figure out. The C2 looks like a smaller thinner version of their D2. A throwback (after their Android D3) to the basics perhaps. Something new to buy for those wanting Cowon's great playback quality but at a far more reasonable cost than the Android based D3. The C2 is compact and well built. Mine arrived 7/21/2011 and opening up the package felt a little like Christmas in July. <strong>In the (reusable cardboard drawer) box</strong> I found:<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cowon-C2-16BS-Video-Player-Silver/dp/B005C3GYE6?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Cowon C2-16BS 16 GB Video Player, Black with Silver</a></li>
<li>Earphones</li>
<li>User Manual</li>
<li>USB cable (proprietary)</li>
<li>An e-Music offer for free songs </li>
<li>An Audible offer for a free audio book. </li>
</ul><strong>Optional accessories</strong> (available at jetmall.net and amazon.com) include: <br />
<ul><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/COWON-Line-cable-S9-J3/dp/B003AYXJRE?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">COWON Line-in cable for C2</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/COWON-AV-TV-out-cable/dp/B001PNZ00G?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">COWON AV (TV out) cable for C2</a></li>
</ul><strong>Hardware Features</strong>:<br />
<ul><li>MicroSD expansion slot (for up to 32gb cards).</li>
<li>2.6" Clear Color LCD touchscreen (240x320)</li>
<li>FM Radio and radio recording (but with no RDS).</li>
<li>Speaker.</li>
<li>Microphone.</li>
<li>55 hour battery for music). 10 hours for video. </li>
<li>Metal back.</li>
<li>External Volume +/-, Menu, and Power/Hold buttons.</li>
</ul><strong>UI</strong>: You have two choices. One uses icons that you may have seen on the Cowon D3. The other is a simpler text-based set of icons that will take a bit to get used to. <br />
<br />
<strong>Music</strong>: File formats supported include MP3/2, WMA, OGG, FLAC, APE, and WAV. I can verify that the C2 will play WMA lossless, which is a challenge for most media players. The only format I haven't tested is APE. All other play fine and sound great. The now playing screen doesn't sit still. Instead it puts your cover art on an LP and spins it around to keep you entertained visually. <br />
<br />
Music's Now-Playing features are a little more cryptic to find than they were on the J3, and they required an extensive examination to figure out. You can find Favorites and Bookmarks, but not easily. There is an alphabetic search option (limited to 12 characters) as well. You have the typical playback shuffle and repeat, speed and pitch controls. You can also access extensive EQ/JetEffect settings including 4 User configurations, Normal, and 34 unique presets. The music app is full featured, but far from intuitive to use if you really want to master it. <br />
<br />
<strong>Videos</strong>: File formats supported include AVI, WMV, ASF (and MP4 unofficially). The video app is also fairly complete, but given the small screen perhaps not the best excuse for getting a Cowon C2. <br />
<br />
The settings in the video app are nearly the same as on Cowon's other players, but again a little bit of a mystery as to where to find. A single tap on the screen brings up the play controls. Those include Prev/Rewind, Play, and Next/Fast_Forward. There is a slider to let you move to any position in the video, as well as Position (time) and Length (time) info. You can tap the lower corners to for "next" or "prev" pages which will take you to more video settings including Subtitle, Display, Playback, and Speed (to the right), with Loop, Brightness, Capture, and JetEffect (EQ) settings (to the left). <br />
<br />
Back to that first tap on the Now Playing screen: To the right after that first tap is an Open icon which when tapped will bring up a list of the available videos. From that list a tap on the tiny "next" icon moves you to Video Favorites if you've marked any, and one more tap gets you to Video Bookmarks. A tap on "Prev" brings you to an alphabetic search page. <br />
<br />
<strong>Pictures</strong>: JPGs appear to be the only picture format supported. You get all the basic features with the Pictures app including incremental and double-tap to Zoom, Pan, SlideShow (with transitions), and Rotate. <br />
<br />
<strong>Documents</strong>: You can view .TXT files on the C2 with the Documents app. You can also hand write notes to yourself with the included NotePad app. Lastly, you can type notes with the Typist app. Both would be fine for making notes to yourself. The NotePad app is limited to 30 pages, and of course there is no printing from the C2. The Typist app has 60 available pages. I highly recommend using a stylus with these apps on the C2. Any PDA stylus should work, and you don't need an expensive capacitive stylus with the resistive screen. <br />
<br />
<strong>Radio</strong>: You'll need to have the earphones plugged in to serve as antenna for the radio. All the expected features are there. A panel to the left (tap <prev) will (tap="" and="" find="" next="" options,="" preset="" record="" right="" settings="" the="" to="" while panels="">) include region and stereo/mono options. The upper left corner of each panel has a speaker icon you can tap to silence the radio. </prev) will><br />
<br />
<strong>Games</strong>: Flash games are supported on the C2. No samples came with it, and I didn't have any examples to try. <br />
<br />
<strong>Clock</strong>: There is a timer and alarm in the Settings>Time app, with a Stopwatch (or Countdown timer) as a separate StopWatch app. Very handy. You can also use it as a simple clock. It would make a great travel companion. Add a simple stand for greatest convenience. The default theme has it's first page as a clock with inspirational sayings. Tap on the upper right corner of this page to cycle through them. I find the clock and related features to be one of the best excuses for a C2. <br />
<br />
<strong>Summary</strong>: For codec support and audio output quality, the C2 gets an A+. The User Interface and app options are something you'll need to study awhile to get used to. All the features are there, just hard to find. I'm enjoying my C2 for its small size, light weight, and great sound. I'm not using the included earbuds though. Find a great set of headphones for the C2 and you'll be in audio heaven. <br />
<br />
4D<br />
<br />
PS: If you enjoy reading my posts, please consider clicking on an Ad or two. Thanks!4DThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11368303705408227143noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674448692821111502.post-56040369026719325862011-08-15T18:33:00.002-05:002011-08-16T09:58:02.121-05:00Latte Ice Smart Review.<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0056BRXWQ" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIAzj0QdafVUWIHmVC2A59C_7l8gGA97PLWmvdUN8jaS5Y-2Inz5DEGR0ASfd5B5ZmNUozgPxNJ-h2wvDJzbhAlv1ks02a047jTzmymcXS62lPG1_mvAA4zprCqMkh2t4X1dpB0V-JtY/s1600/latte+Ice+Smart+H%252BV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIAzj0QdafVUWIHmVC2A59C_7l8gGA97PLWmvdUN8jaS5Y-2Inz5DEGR0ASfd5B5ZmNUozgPxNJ-h2wvDJzbhAlv1ks02a047jTzmymcXS62lPG1_mvAA4zprCqMkh2t4X1dpB0V-JtY/s400/latte+Ice+Smart+H%252BV.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Latte Ice Smart</td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="http://www.lattezone.com/icesmart1.html">LatteZone</a> has released an Android-based media player with a 5" screen. It has been impossible to find Samsung's 5" Android player in the U.S. and the specs on the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Latte-ICE-Smart-Media-Tablet/dp/B0056BRXWQ?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Latte ICE Smart</a> look impressive on the surface. I decided to give one a look.<br />
<br />
<strong>The basics</strong> include a 5" LCD TFT dual-touch resistive screen showing 800x480 pixels, an 800mHz CPU with 3D accelerator, speaker and microphone, and 8gb of internal memory. There is a microSD slot for up to 32gb more of add-on storage. There is <em>no</em> camera or GPS or Bluetooth or FM radio. The Smart weighs 0.8lbs, and is 5.2x3.4 inches and roughly 1/2" thick. Pretty hefty and a (big) handful. The battery is rated at 5.0 hours of use on a charge. Not very impressive for a media player, but should get you through a movie or two. The HDMI-output will mirror anything on the Smart's screen to your HDTV. It comes with a (proprietary) 5v AC charger. It also appears to recharge when plugged into a powered USB port despite the official LatteZone claim that it won't.<br />
<br />
<strong>Apps:</strong> This tank of a player comes with both the <a href="https://market.android.com/">Google Android Market</a> and the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/mobile-apps/b?ie=UTF8&node=2350149011">Amazon AppStore</a>. You also have both the Gmail email app and the standard Android email app. Nothing unusual among the included applications. Of the android apps I've tried only the Google Music beta app and a Mahjong game (for tablets) didn't play perfectly. The Music Beta app wouldn't stream my own music over wifi from the web, although I was able to associate it with the account and see my music. All I got was a spinning circle. The Mahjong game wouldn't display text properly, showing only blank white boxes where text prompts should have been. Angry Birds in all versions plays, but I couldn't get the advertised two-finger zoom to work in those games.<br />
<br />
<strong>Media capabilities</strong> are a mixed bag. One disappointing flaw was in the gallery app, where some of my photos would show up poorly on the screen. It was almost as if the app wasn't fully decoding the JPG files. JPG, BMP, PNG, and TIFF files are all supported. Although the two-finger zoom worked, it worked slowly and was not as efficient as a double-tap or tapping on the (-) or (+) icons. Music playback was on par with any other android device. No gapless playback, but that can be remedied with a download of the <em>rockbox</em> app for android. Several music codecs/formats are supported including WAV, WMA, ASF, FLAC, and MP3. Audio quality from the single speaker is weak, but depending on the headphones you use Music playback should be satisfactory to most. Only 4 preset EQ profiles in settings and user EQ options. No sort by Genre in the stock music app either. Video playback is a strong feature. I had no trouble playing AVI, MP4, WMV, MKV, RMVB, and FLV video files. No MPG support out-of-the-box though. Video playback stands out as a good excuse for owning this player. With HDMI-out you can play the videos on the Smart through your HDTV.<br />
<br />
<strong>Cons:</strong> The firmware appears as if was taken right from a phone. There are mobile data connection options (Data enabled, Data roaming, Use only 2G networks, etc.) in settings, and one of the largest drains on the battery is Cell Standby. There is also the possibility it is missing some standard android fonts, which may explain why text didn't show up in my favorite Mahjong game. One of the advertised capabilities is the use of wireless keyboard and mouse, but with no Bluetooth and only mini and micro USB ports on board that would only be possible with at least one USB OnTheGo adapter ($5+ shipping) and the wireless USB dongle from a keyboard/mouse combo. Lastly, the Back/Menu/Home/Search buttons are afixed to one right-biased spot on the bezel. They don't rotate with you when you rotate the device.<br />
<br />
<strong>Conclusion?</strong> At $190 (8gb) this is a bit pricy for the included capabilities. It works as advertised though. If you can live without the few android apps that don't work well, and don't mind paying for it, then it'll satisfy your media, PDA, and game needs fine. I'm personally hoping they'll upgrade it to remove the android phone features, but not confident LatteZone will ever get around to that. There is no firmware update option in the settings. <br />
<br />
4D4DThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11368303705408227143noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674448692821111502.post-48498565497087416812011-06-27T18:03:00.002-05:002011-06-28T08:52:36.227-05:00HTC Evo 3D. Love it!<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0054LECV8" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTAelRxxu34ji62ZS3C4Q1JXVf7xjwJyrxN-pSsMW6BE7ytSeIiPqta8B6xJMMxMTsTiUdGVmjF7SUIMyAAFY6N6Wu2cMYAz7TXfU0Ctv7S1oCboyqBrl6syRbYph5k6QlILWdOBuAFsw/s1600/BackView.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTAelRxxu34ji62ZS3C4Q1JXVf7xjwJyrxN-pSsMW6BE7ytSeIiPqta8B6xJMMxMTsTiUdGVmjF7SUIMyAAFY6N6Wu2cMYAz7TXfU0Ctv7S1oCboyqBrl6syRbYph5k6QlILWdOBuAFsw/s400/BackView.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dual 5mp Cameras with Flash.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I previously wielded the HTC Hero Android phone, and although it worked fine it was so un-inspiring that I usually left it at home. <br />
Friday I swapped it for the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/HTC-EVO-3D-Android-Sprint/dp/B0054LECV8?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">HTC EVO 3D</a> and won't let it out of my sight. Here are a few key reasons why anyone looking for a new smart phone should seriously consider this phone: <br />
<ul><li>It is big. The <span style="font-family: inherit;">4.3" inch Super LCD 540x960 QHD resolution 3D display is crisp and beautiful too. </span></li>
<li><strong><em>It prints to WiFi printers</em></strong>. No special apps needed. It found my Canon WiFi printer and now prints wireless from email, photos, contacts, calendar, browser, and many other apps. Many Canon, Epson, and HP WiFi printers identified as supported so far. </li>
<li>It is blazing fast. The 1.2 GHz Dual Core processor moves the UI from "a little hesitant" to "fluidly natural". Nearly intuitive. It boots fast, plays 1080p videos, and handles 3D games with aplomb.</li>
<li>FM Radio including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Data_System">RDS</a>. Local channels. No need to miss local news, sports, weather alerts, or school closings. Headphone required as antenna. </li>
<li>It has 3D capabilities. Photos taken and viewed, Videos recorded and viewed, Games played.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.htc.com/www/htcsense/index.html">Sense 3.0</a>. </li>
<li>Customize Live Lock Screen. One glance to check the time, temperature and conditions, and quick access to phone, email, messages, and the camera. Or configure it how ever you want it. </li>
</ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW4-vGiKBJQyWF_nI0MDwPJMqSx2W9-76ECQYZSMNrByDZkwmvcThxTTzoMEeBaUIH56IyV-IAd3Ob8iv5p5RlgstcxfsGblywQKXjxi6JExq3LM_ddDkqAlhwGh-JTRSHmvUMuMsSr6o/s1600/Lock+Screen+Face.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW4-vGiKBJQyWF_nI0MDwPJMqSx2W9-76ECQYZSMNrByDZkwmvcThxTTzoMEeBaUIH56IyV-IAd3Ob8iv5p5RlgstcxfsGblywQKXjxi6JExq3LM_ddDkqAlhwGh-JTRSHmvUMuMsSr6o/s400/Lock+Screen+Face.jpg" width="271" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lock Screen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The charge port is a microUSB jack on the left side. It may also be a <a href="http://blog.gsmarena.com/the-mhl-port-explained-it-makes-the-galaxy-s-ii-even-cooler-and-more-high-tech/">MHL port </a> (outputs via HDMI to HDTVs) although I haven't verified that yet. The right side has a volume rocker and dedicated camera button. The headphone jack and power button are on the top edge. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoapevO-fEujyPIDdLFqqQL11B1l7A6lduFBZPhPF9xlqpYuaglZGA-eaoJ8JcnqVUjlZETNeCdhMAu9wH5uJzFsDPrEjFlfVnuNzl0q0ALxZx0NWY0xBfKe8UYMoNqdT5vpEWBHkubgU/s1600/MiniUSBportSide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoapevO-fEujyPIDdLFqqQL11B1l7A6lduFBZPhPF9xlqpYuaglZGA-eaoJ8JcnqVUjlZETNeCdhMAu9wH5uJzFsDPrEjFlfVnuNzl0q0ALxZx0NWY0xBfKe8UYMoNqdT5vpEWBHkubgU/s400/MiniUSBportSide.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mini USB charge port on left edge.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0_G-neRSI3Y5eOCOQO0Ue5CEDAiRfPCTFF2lrSX8lZdlE1VicvQ-WlXpNxSx4w2MEVWrT3Rho7b31VwTE-6DiSHMuyte0S0rJPYd1p6doN1rH235Yca_9OGfhOQbzhOr2QFresF3Hqkw/s1600/CameraVolumeSide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0_G-neRSI3Y5eOCOQO0Ue5CEDAiRfPCTFF2lrSX8lZdlE1VicvQ-WlXpNxSx4w2MEVWrT3Rho7b31VwTE-6DiSHMuyte0S0rJPYd1p6doN1rH235Yca_9OGfhOQbzhOr2QFresF3Hqkw/s400/CameraVolumeSide.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camera, 2D-3D switch, and volume rocker.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_1d5IqJmdD2FBeWJArMP-f6_KYRWvDkqNi4KgEmOBf05uQO5fVbrARBUUWgC3_YJfEnioeHALyCQ8ZakpJi0G4cWAvMaCIKHgV5INIokkH5kcXCtY3ILQkMgIH2_diPViY52aWWfU_c/s1600/HeadphonePowerEnd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_1d5IqJmdD2FBeWJArMP-f6_KYRWvDkqNi4KgEmOBf05uQO5fVbrARBUUWgC3_YJfEnioeHALyCQ8ZakpJi0G4cWAvMaCIKHgV5INIokkH5kcXCtY3ILQkMgIH2_diPViY52aWWfU_c/s400/HeadphonePowerEnd.jpg" width="340" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Headphone jack and Power button.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>You also don't have to worry about access to your music from your phone. Just sign up for <a href="http://music.google.com/">Google Music Beta</a>. All my music has been uploaded to Google's servers, and with the Music app I can access it on any Android device or even iOS devices using their web browsers. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHoGQKN9H7oOyDlzoK-c18bxAfqWWLE_bcDTg_86HOttM97K4F1WmgGS7F1W4ySEa1RY4mblN2_FSr5qbHPI8yB-MLvzh7NAeBDtm5Dq958k_EZYKBGgJze38hE04MJTufZtiuXMhh8U/s1600/MusicAlbums.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHoGQKN9H7oOyDlzoK-c18bxAfqWWLE_bcDTg_86HOttM97K4F1WmgGS7F1W4ySEa1RY4mblN2_FSr5qbHPI8yB-MLvzh7NAeBDtm5Dq958k_EZYKBGgJze38hE04MJTufZtiuXMhh8U/s400/MusicAlbums.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Google.Music.Beta</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The large screen is delightful for photos and videos. 2D or 3D. Several examples came with the Evo 3D, and the cameras can take 3D photos or video as well. There are also several 3D videos on YouTube which you can enjoy with no glasses on this phone. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS2x3v4w5ujWdtCoRM6cDZa04vYNIgTM9N2tOLqz0N9leqNo1I7LIC79xIPljKYQuZ9yakVUkMcunJygOPCicQj-YkxC8IpsYAgkQSrI20orC5KZy3TLzLiTZ93c-4IU8HpkOLoirH2B0/s1600/PhotoLandscapecCups.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS2x3v4w5ujWdtCoRM6cDZa04vYNIgTM9N2tOLqz0N9leqNo1I7LIC79xIPljKYQuZ9yakVUkMcunJygOPCicQj-YkxC8IpsYAgkQSrI20orC5KZy3TLzLiTZ93c-4IU8HpkOLoirH2B0/s400/PhotoLandscapecCups.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sample Photo</td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong>Conclusion</strong>: This is an amazing phone. The specs alone allow it to perform. Add Sense 3.0 for a delightful experience. Enjoy your favorite Android apps or flash-based web games. For those wondering if it is better than the iPhone, you should know that after seeing mine my Wife traded in one of her two iPhones for her own Evo 3D. <br />
<br />
4D<br />
<br />
PS: If you enjoy my blog, please consider clicking on an ad or two. Thanks!4DThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11368303705408227143noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674448692821111502.post-1854328217527958542011-06-23T11:30:00.003-05:002011-06-24T07:07:52.707-05:00Google Music vs Apple's iCloud. Showdown!I'm fortunate to have been invited to join Google's Music Beta program, and at the same time have several iOS devices from Apple that will soon be updated to iOS 5 and have access to Apple's iCloud for access to my music anytime those devices have a web connection. <br />
Both services are free (to start). <br />
<br />
<strong>Google</strong>: Required uploading all my music to its servers. <em><span style="color: red;">Free</span></em>. In my case the upload of 2000ish songs took three days of background uploading. I could still use my PC with no apparent slowdown of web access during that time. Google has a limit of 20,000 songs for each user. <br />
<br />
<strong>Apple</strong>: Past and new music purchases from iTunes will be available on all your iOS devices from the iCloud. <span style="color: red;"><em>Free</em></span>. Other music of yours (not originally from iTunes) will only require the uploading of songs Apple doesn't have a match for in the vast iTunes database. Songs in your collection it knows about will be available from that collection without any physical upload from you. <span style="color: red;"><em>For just $24.99 a year. </em></span><span style="color: black;">Apple calls this iTunes Match. Limit of 25,000 songs. Your songs will be available in (your) iTunes on your PC or Mac, and on any iPad1 or iPad2 or iPhone (3GS, 4), or iPod touch (3rd and 4th generation) registered to the same iTunes account. </span><br />
<br />
Basically, both services are offering to make your music available to you no matter where you are or what device you are using. <br />
<br />
Apple puts a few restrictions on that though:<br />
<ul><li>You have to be using (your) iTunes (so much for the Post-PC era) if you are at a PC, </li>
<li>Older iPhone and iPod Touches won't have access. </li>
<li>No accessing your music on a friend's computer, </li>
<li>No using any work computer you aren't allowed to install iTunes on. </li>
<li>No Linux PCs either. </li>
<li>Songs Apple provides will all be limited to 256kb</li>
</ul><strong><em>This is where Google Music gets the win</em></strong>: <br />
<ul><li>I can access my music on ANY WEB BROWSER, simply by going to Google.Music.Beta and logging into my account. </li>
<li>There is also the Google Music app for Android devices which runs on anything running Android 2.1 or higher. </li>
<li>Android devices running anything lower can still access the music via their web browsers.</li>
<li><em>It works via Safari on both iPads, all iPhones, and every generation of iPod Touch</em>. </li>
<li>It even works using the web browser on my Zune HD.</li>
</ul>Conclusion? It should be obvious by now. Google Music Beta is by far the best way to enjoy your music wherever you have a data connection. <br />
<br />
4D<br />
<br />
PS: If you enjoy my blog, please consider clicking on an Ad or two. Thanks!4DThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11368303705408227143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674448692821111502.post-36554460501994291732011-06-14T19:39:00.001-05:002011-06-14T19:42:13.965-05:00iPad Keyboard Dock Review: The Good and The Bad.<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0047DVWLW" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004U78J1G" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0040HEMP8" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />If you've read my short review of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Transformer-TF101-A1-10-1-Inch-Tablet-Computer/dp/B004U78J1G?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">ASUS Transformer</a> then you know its standout feature is the <a href="http://4dthinker.blogspot.com/2011/06/asus-transformer-keyboard-dock-with.html">symbiotic keyboard dock</a> for it. I'm in the process of writing an <a href="http://4dthinker.blogspot.com/2011/06/asus-transformer-details-with-photos.html">Asus</a>/<a href="http://4dthinker.blogspot.com/2011/06/acer-iconia-tablet-details-with-photos.html">Acer</a>/Apple tablet showdown. To be fair I need to point out that the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Apple-MC979LL-Tablet-White-NEWEST/dp/B0047DVWLW?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">iPad 2</a> also has a keyboard dock designed and produced specifically for it. Click on any of the following pictures to enlarge them. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8nIDTSuX_EbL81W1kJ6tPNdcfRQWiTh-DZD_JDk1YSBtFlU1tCDLb3ZpPlKwC6R9_mWDQtdd-GUWLKgo2eSh2C51wzwkwu2ukOl_3bqSAXnDjBN8NohaNx9HG8_viZGZqDqqgZwimfI/s1600/Keyboard+Dock+Keys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8nIDTSuX_EbL81W1kJ6tPNdcfRQWiTh-DZD_JDk1YSBtFlU1tCDLb3ZpPlKwC6R9_mWDQtdd-GUWLKgo2eSh2C51wzwkwu2ukOl_3bqSAXnDjBN8NohaNx9HG8_viZGZqDqqgZwimfI/s400/Keyboard+Dock+Keys.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple's Keyboard Dock for the iPad and iPad2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>This keyboard is well built. Surrounding the large keys is nicely finished aluminum. The tablet support is a hefty extension of the plastic bottom. That support receives your iPad dock port, meaning it will only mount vertically (portrait) in use. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbaftpxKwdaP2ZB7uFQ6qNrTj4c2TyLookPpnDBdkNilWupFpfb4S_koqztQBhf5wxnSzcUM4nEGxqqTjPr9DSpDx5m1JXnN7NfThsMdu43V7JKQs26ZdAh5RxuF4nbwahNLuBsabJ5o0/s1600/iPad+off+with+Keyboard+Dock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbaftpxKwdaP2ZB7uFQ6qNrTj4c2TyLookPpnDBdkNilWupFpfb4S_koqztQBhf5wxnSzcUM4nEGxqqTjPr9DSpDx5m1JXnN7NfThsMdu43V7JKQs26ZdAh5RxuF4nbwahNLuBsabJ5o0/s400/iPad+off+with+Keyboard+Dock.jpg" width="363" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dock with iPad in Portrait.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Beside the normal QWERTY layout of keys, there is a top row of iPad-specific function keys. They include Home, Search, dim (the backlight), brighten, Picture Frame Mode, On-screen keyboard, (blank), Prev, Play/Pause, Next, Mute, Vol-, Vol-, and Lock (sleep). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCULPv8TBbT87mA9kuqm7QMADUp1hp1l2z37Bz8Mkbvkl7vjazeuvhJL98_JwqbclSfydLwlhuvmMqfFE2uKLxqQ-W781lGNG7zcXzb5pcFmvkEQCJVXU4iJJbSQu8BtQoyEAmNb0Ktq4/s1600/Rear+Tablet+Support.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCULPv8TBbT87mA9kuqm7QMADUp1hp1l2z37Bz8Mkbvkl7vjazeuvhJL98_JwqbclSfydLwlhuvmMqfFE2uKLxqQ-W781lGNG7zcXzb5pcFmvkEQCJVXU4iJJbSQu8BtQoyEAmNb0Ktq4/s400/Rear+Tablet+Support.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rear Tablet Support. Fixed Angle. Doesn't detach.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The rear tablet support does its job well, but is the unfortunate downside of an otherwise great keyboard. Why? It doesn't come off or fold down. This keyboard will stay on your desk as that lump of a rear support makes it impossible to slip into a case with your model-thin iPad. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2m41hWmZrj6GZjScM9HuhktJE0BYVn-aDv6p6o-HxAJetB4KBVGqxz8i4fwwoJtZmID-Pqmj-UO_nDxfNQe0uQJDXHU2oRUos2lL8ZNLCkGzEgo5t3N3NYzy69OzwGBYkVjw2DzWG98A/s1600/Line+Out+and+Dock+Port.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2m41hWmZrj6GZjScM9HuhktJE0BYVn-aDv6p6o-HxAJetB4KBVGqxz8i4fwwoJtZmID-Pqmj-UO_nDxfNQe0uQJDXHU2oRUos2lL8ZNLCkGzEgo5t3N3NYzy69OzwGBYkVjw2DzWG98A/s400/Line+Out+and+Dock+Port.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Line-Out and Dock Passthrough. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=4thdimens-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B00006YZ3Y&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 251px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 132px;"></iframe>A redeeming feature is the Line-Out jack on the back. Using an 1/8" stereo miniplug to RCA L/R cable (left) you can pipe the audio from your iPad directly to your Home Stereo's Aux line-in jacks. <br />
<br />
<strong>Conclusion</strong>: This keyboard dock is easy to use and well built. The one fixed angle of tilt is reasonable, but having a little range in angle to deal with glare and reflection would be better. They (Apple) should have spent a little more time to get it folding flat, as this dock won't be going easily with you in its current form. <br />
<br />
If you have a lot of typing to do on your iPad, and don't mind the iPad in portrait view, this is a good solution. For more versatility in positioning you can consider any of the great cases and bluetooth keyboards out there for the iPad. I bought my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Apple-iPad-Keyboard-Dock-MC533LL-Mac/dp/B0040HEMP8?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Keyboard Dock </a> at <a href="http://www.target.com/Apple-iPad-Keyboard-Dock-MC533LL/dp/B0040HEMP8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&searchView=grid5&keywords=iPad%20keyboard%20dock&fromGsearch=true&sr=1-1&qid=1308098167&rh=&searchRank=target104545&id=Apple%20iPad%20Keyboard%20Dock%20MC533LL&node=1038576%7C1287991011&searchSize=30&searchPage=1&searchNodeID=1038576%7C1287991011&searchBinNameList=subjectbin%2Cprice%2Ctarget_com_primary_color-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin&frombrowse=0">Target</a> for $69.99 (+ tax). <br />
<br />
4D<br />
<br />
PS: If you enjoy my blog, please consider clicking on one or more of the ads. Thanks!4DThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11368303705408227143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674448692821111502.post-38071614018028118732011-06-08T15:25:00.001-05:002011-06-08T15:35:14.616-05:00Acer Iconia Tablet Details (With Photos).<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B003VWYBC2" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004UR1EYA" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004U78J1G" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B003WGJYCY" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0013FRNKG" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004XZL980" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqUJ5raJ3uc_Ik-RxKBUmXJrw9utRaVeXqNBTB6rfPQak-GsU4FSiuoDo3wsl95J2LLKw_xDBSWUmsEeCzZIxpdlAGL3JPBWP9eS1EiAmBcC1NPNwU7oJCz9Kk_F22teVYJ2virFGjdk0/s1600/Hiome+Screen+On.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqUJ5raJ3uc_Ik-RxKBUmXJrw9utRaVeXqNBTB6rfPQak-GsU4FSiuoDo3wsl95J2LLKw_xDBSWUmsEeCzZIxpdlAGL3JPBWP9eS1EiAmBcC1NPNwU7oJCz9Kk_F22teVYJ2virFGjdk0/s400/Hiome+Screen+On.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1280 x 800. Plenty of room!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Acer-ICONIA-A500-10S16U-Tablet-Android/dp/B004UR1EYA?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Acer's 10.1" Honeycomb tablet</a> weighs a bit more than most competitors. For that small weight penalty you get a tank of a tablet with more features than most. I've had my A500 for a few weeks now (<a href="http://www.target.com/Acer-Android-A500-10S16u-Internal-Storage/dp/B004UR1EYA/ref=sr_fkmr_1_1?ie=UTF8&searchView=grid5&keywords=Acer&fromGsearch=true&sr=1-1&qid=1307565005&rh=&searchRank=target104545&id=Acer%20Android%20A500-10S16u%20Internal%20Storage&node=1038576%7C1287991011&searchSize=30&searchPage=1&searchNodeID=1038576%7C1287991011&searchBinNameList=subjectbin%2Cprice%2Ctarget_com_primary_color-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin&frombrowse=0">Target.com</a>) , and am greatly appreciating the included full-sized USB port, 5mp Camera (with flash), and solid construction. You can find more information about it at <a href="http://us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/model/XE.H60PN.002">Acer.com</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7D36LGIT6Kg027KmEfC0KVBxpzLp3XgeRfETtErHjva37ceI4-zVXmENhywFO6hvW29tax3yCJrWT57d9jIA98XIHBxGK5YD0l9iZ9zxyRnKEgZUJZj31JB8T20YmSNXocRrKWAtZZX0/s1600/Brush+Aluminum+Back+View.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7D36LGIT6Kg027KmEfC0KVBxpzLp3XgeRfETtErHjva37ceI4-zVXmENhywFO6hvW29tax3yCJrWT57d9jIA98XIHBxGK5YD0l9iZ9zxyRnKEgZUJZj31JB8T20YmSNXocRrKWAtZZX0/s400/Brush+Aluminum+Back+View.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brushed Aluminum Back. Stereo Speaker.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Audio output is surprisingly good with the two built-in speakers. Not the best for music as there is no low frequency output, but fine for podcasts, audio books, and even movies. There is a standard headphone jack on the left end. The A500 also sports an LED flash next to the 5mp rear camera! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr1aTu4jiK4Rhgztv5kZqEbcv3CtDIWLiNs67mwMqn13ykncX4Yy5vFrEKO1s7KIdmOoPyFgwKOqj5dDyzwYBM8_kjpUJz84tas2JiuStu6KZHGSbEoxio7xXVNeUh1Rerv85iVD7OD2c/s1600/MicroSD+slot+Open.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr1aTu4jiK4Rhgztv5kZqEbcv3CtDIWLiNs67mwMqn13ykncX4Yy5vFrEKO1s7KIdmOoPyFgwKOqj5dDyzwYBM8_kjpUJz84tas2JiuStu6KZHGSbEoxio7xXVNeUh1Rerv85iVD7OD2c/s400/MicroSD+slot+Open.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MicroSD slot under the top-edge flap. Future 3G SIM slot on the right. </td></tr>
</tbody></table> You get a volume rocker and screen rotation lock on the top edge, left. The power button and headphone jack are on the left end near the top. That is a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/HDMI-Micro-Cable-Speed-Ethernet/dp/B003VWYBC2?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Micro HDMI</a> jack near the bottom of the left end (below). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0aHzvjDWsR3wOfU0q5uN2V3KU7NHVMCFTohG-kHSdz9na10WQIuxuYjdOXGV0kqtXKEFchsY9F0Vs1Wqzp37YIxRwvtqU97RD8IPGqzDfxtw0uYHT9qrMEQGeNOLxrvBk50glFlH80pw/s1600/Left+End.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0aHzvjDWsR3wOfU0q5uN2V3KU7NHVMCFTohG-kHSdz9na10WQIuxuYjdOXGV0kqtXKEFchsY9F0Vs1Wqzp37YIxRwvtqU97RD8IPGqzDfxtw0uYHT9qrMEQGeNOLxrvBk50glFlH80pw/s640/Left+End.jpg" width="377" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Power, Headphone jack, and HDMI jack.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The right end holds the rest of the goodies. The AC power jack is near the top, with microUSB and standard USB ports near the bottom (below). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqn4JAG2MSHqx5DCqNK9RTaokRQ8bm5mkrUJkmIP1kMkxH6NmiuGkZaGAWvrnOOep6gK4gtb1xoD-EO-mxd9vru7Wr41ZFLxdWmQKFEQuviplJqs_dfg9opIQ8d3yH0JOh7CnI3le9AW0/s1600/Right+End+Power+jack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqn4JAG2MSHqx5DCqNK9RTaokRQ8bm5mkrUJkmIP1kMkxH6NmiuGkZaGAWvrnOOep6gK4gtb1xoD-EO-mxd9vru7Wr41ZFLxdWmQKFEQuviplJqs_dfg9opIQ8d3yH0JOh7CnI3le9AW0/s400/Right+End+Power+jack.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">USB, microUSB, Reset, and Power jack. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>You can enjoy ALL of the web with Adobe Flash support and full sized web pages on the large screen. Angry birds is a joy to play on the 10.1" screen, and even more to watch on your HDTV via the HDMI out port. The USB port supports <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&search-alias=aps&field-keywords=USB keyboards" target="_blank">USB keyboards</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&search-alias=aps&field-keywords=USB mice" target="_blank">USB mice</a>, removable storage devices, and (when android 3.1 arrives) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&search-alias=aps&field-keywords=USB joysticks and game controllers" target="_blank">USB joysticks and game controllers</a>. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0MwAsidEApqXOAeVpnCm9E9UhzJZ6D7OUgX4roRiuzKG_As8S4mCwYoGddM7FYfkAHQ__jAofMc7LXwD9ozmxpnZS9Q5FJHgVYSkGi9NjYWmHhvNUpoU10u3hyvaIxZzER9wt7PKmO_A/s1600/Google+Webpage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0MwAsidEApqXOAeVpnCm9E9UhzJZ6D7OUgX4roRiuzKG_As8S4mCwYoGddM7FYfkAHQ__jAofMc7LXwD9ozmxpnZS9Q5FJHgVYSkGi9NjYWmHhvNUpoU10u3hyvaIxZzER9wt7PKmO_A/s400/Google+Webpage.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Google. Not their Mobile version.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK6rJdKh8tx-R7hzg5bTHSwB6wZcWVEyfRRZFWzNSYg9rZvHkKwd_pGMWASuDrl6KVoGstym38kve7Cw2xUg3ARuNCSm43N_Lv2xFzK82yc4VwxQWrpkpSKsSbgowRHOPwrYXlnG01pVY/s1600/Angry+Birds+Rio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK6rJdKh8tx-R7hzg5bTHSwB6wZcWVEyfRRZFWzNSYg9rZvHkKwd_pGMWASuDrl6KVoGstym38kve7Cw2xUg3ARuNCSm43N_Lv2xFzK82yc4VwxQWrpkpSKsSbgowRHOPwrYXlnG01pVY/s400/Angry+Birds+Rio.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angry Birds Rio!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Music and Video are well served by this Iconia. The 16:10 screen is far better than any 4:3 screen on a tablet for wide screen movies. The Google Music app works great! Photos look wonderful in portrait or landscape view. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrTXJ03HbP4-dzq-Pb2TwjyfP6ClvSEUbXjlgTv_WW5Ylkg2Nx-fCvf1z3skUUZUT4djjDSaRmhrdTNj3idJLCHk7O6g7t_WvGYcssO8RNGnZTjt-okC1Vr81RFBz3qhUphmkmRsP3x4k/s1600/Mulan+Scene+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrTXJ03HbP4-dzq-Pb2TwjyfP6ClvSEUbXjlgTv_WW5Ylkg2Nx-fCvf1z3skUUZUT4djjDSaRmhrdTNj3idJLCHk7O6g7t_WvGYcssO8RNGnZTjt-okC1Vr81RFBz3qhUphmkmRsP3x4k/s400/Mulan+Scene+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A scene from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&search-alias=aps&field-keywords=Mulan" target="_blank">Mulan</a> fills the screen. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqfQuG09326-fSLfUMmdyPHv39pdC9M2LoP1poAWEy0Hwp45FZHijFVXbhhWzTOvzpP4tCDP_E_nANK_OINp4mO-vHU61FdBhKOHAh8D4MOnY0vhyphenhyphen-PaOzMZYGSgiBDVLMTySbtcuNbO4/s1600/Now+Playing+Portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqfQuG09326-fSLfUMmdyPHv39pdC9M2LoP1poAWEy0Hwp45FZHijFVXbhhWzTOvzpP4tCDP_E_nANK_OINp4mO-vHU61FdBhKOHAh8D4MOnY0vhyphenhyphen-PaOzMZYGSgiBDVLMTySbtcuNbO4/s400/Now+Playing+Portrait.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Google Music app. Now-Playing portrait view.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgujsK6zVMUkejMEebmY-C9IEVl0CIXnPAweQ1ZnbEw8kWbahiTXFV_SNsxbofCe-ImSjBdv9bSDdl0qRYs1mYkIr9qHV6SKfO86BLfsW_EG0qb3-nqTqkwtD-AHvyOfJrRmQ9pMB1KwQQ/s1600/Photos+Portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgujsK6zVMUkejMEebmY-C9IEVl0CIXnPAweQ1ZnbEw8kWbahiTXFV_SNsxbofCe-ImSjBdv9bSDdl0qRYs1mYkIr9qHV6SKfO86BLfsW_EG0qb3-nqTqkwtD-AHvyOfJrRmQ9pMB1KwQQ/s400/Photos+Portrait.jpg" width="328" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo of a Rocking Hammock. Designed by Lydia Palma.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong>Conclusion</strong>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Acer-A500-10S16u-10-1-Inch-Computer-Aluminum/dp/B004XZL980?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Acer's Iconia A500</a> is a winner here. At $449 for the 16gb version it is $50 less expensive than a comparable <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Apple-MC769LL-Tablet-Black-NEWEST/dp/B0013FRNKG?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Apple iPad 2</a> yet far more capable. You can easily expand its memory with up to a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-32GB-microSDHC-Memory-Package/dp/B003WGJYCY?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">32GB microSDHC Memory Card</a>. Access media or documents off a connected <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&search-alias=aps&field-keywords=USB thumb drive" target="_blank">USB thumb drive </a> or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&search-alias=aps&field-keywords=external USB hard drive" target="_blank">external USB hard drive</a>. You'll find thousands of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&search-alias=aps&field-keywords=android apps" target="_blank">Android apps</a> certified to work with Honeycomb (Android 3.0/3.1). I was able to find parallels of every critical app I have on my iPad2. The dual-core Tegra 2 processor inside will play any game on the android market with ease. Plug in a USB keyboard and get some work done with the included Document to Go programs. Put your inner artist to work with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&search-alias=aps&field-keywords=Autodesk's Sketchbook" target="_blank">Autodesk's Sketchbook</a> or any of a dozen other drawing programs for Android. Send your sketch over Bluetooth or in an email to your friend's phone or tablet. If you are looking for a great tablet, this is a serious contender. Acer has promised an update to Android 3.1 before the end of June (2011). <br />
<br />
I'm keeping mine!<br />
4D<br />
<br />
PS: If you enjoy my blog, please consider clicking on an Ad. Thanks!4DThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11368303705408227143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674448692821111502.post-19255570482939022212011-06-07T13:15:00.000-05:002011-06-07T13:15:08.195-05:00Asus Transformer Keyboard Dock. With Photos.<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004U78J1G" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MrfX7uAZCvgDCZhWrjAkIEysOE1OVVu97lVQG-u5MMSXjJgHdlddzGwnc7MroNnFHZMCQiOABRiHlDhAsw9FF9lfXXDnFuoVdF5qXNZFrw0nA_MlLPHhtHwMPRKJF4EyVJI-sRc39m8/s1600/Keyboard+Tablet+Detached.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MrfX7uAZCvgDCZhWrjAkIEysOE1OVVu97lVQG-u5MMSXjJgHdlddzGwnc7MroNnFHZMCQiOABRiHlDhAsw9FF9lfXXDnFuoVdF5qXNZFrw0nA_MlLPHhtHwMPRKJF4EyVJI-sRc39m8/s400/Keyboard+Tablet+Detached.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>One of the nicest features of ASUS' Eee Pad Transformer is the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Transformer-TF101-Keyboard-Docking-Station/dp/B004U78628?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Keyboard/Docking Station</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004U78628" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />. For $150 (MSRP) you get a nice keyboard, two full sized USB ports, a full sized SD-HC slot, a second battery for your tablet, and a trackpad. The dock is as well made as the tablet. When connected you have a nice touchscreen netbook that shuts off when folded closed. The hinge is stiff enough to hold the tablet at any angle, with the weight of the battery in the dock keeping it from tipping backwards. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMmkxEk4UOjhIaeD8Ua7M57OfaKXl21OOPOzs9jZK1YxJINcTi4t6Bq25M6H0XO-qSTw1Zga0cxWK7F02QLePkG3BA2Hdad42Ni8F_yoF5oEFCVQh6QuPPYFGEK_SSGoqtQsYNnnxmZDc/s1600/Keyboard+Tablet+Closed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMmkxEk4UOjhIaeD8Ua7M57OfaKXl21OOPOzs9jZK1YxJINcTi4t6Bq25M6H0XO-qSTw1Zga0cxWK7F02QLePkG3BA2Hdad42Ni8F_yoF5oEFCVQh6QuPPYFGEK_SSGoqtQsYNnnxmZDc/s400/Keyboard+Tablet+Closed.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Together they make a perfect pair.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUOTC71_6m1ufDeMtQAfCDuz9ZbcSlm5JYzpllRMc7Muxzg-NdEP9ko1jnl190u9OFyGYgNeP_ziDA2HlZnvMmcXM99ghCMGpcvpWnvW_wC_hCar-gRjRrQwquKx3QNm9RxohYjNinDMA/s1600/Keyboard+Partially+Open.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUOTC71_6m1ufDeMtQAfCDuz9ZbcSlm5JYzpllRMc7Muxzg-NdEP9ko1jnl190u9OFyGYgNeP_ziDA2HlZnvMmcXM99ghCMGpcvpWnvW_wC_hCar-gRjRrQwquKx3QNm9RxohYjNinDMA/s400/Keyboard+Partially+Open.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good friction in the tablet hinge.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7a85PrD5AoCRJLcywDO9LZha5y-ywh6JzTeH6aHIZs0PqqEgwK_kKj5PGiN53t2snKh9M7oRmqCr_oobkRSK-ncgTag7-Pdg1hpNJnew6tIBJtCOwAT1b5wcReQtRXjRSPk99SG3V4I/s1600/Keyboard+Android+Keys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7a85PrD5AoCRJLcywDO9LZha5y-ywh6JzTeH6aHIZs0PqqEgwK_kKj5PGiN53t2snKh9M7oRmqCr_oobkRSK-ncgTag7-Pdg1hpNJnew6tIBJtCOwAT1b5wcReQtRXjRSPk99SG3V4I/s400/Keyboard+Android+Keys.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top row includes Android, media, and utility keys.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Special top row keys include (left to right) <br />
<ul><li>Back </li>
<li>WiFi </li>
<li>Bluetooth </li>
<li>Trackpad on/off </li>
<li>Backlight dim</li>
<li>Backlight bright</li>
<li>Backlight Auto</li>
<li>Screenshot capture</li>
<li>Web Browser</li>
<li>Settings</li>
<li>Previous Track</li>
<li>Play/Pause</li>
<li>Next Track</li>
<li>Mute/Unmute</li>
<li>Volume down</li>
<li>Volume up</li>
<li>Lock/Unlock (sleep/wakeup if no lock is set)</li>
</ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnzicogSk_P4kL6tqdVRK_9nIKoMoZPlYo3JZOW7fK2aKKOgUo1BDjm3HNK6ya1j8xgNlYsmEd8byECjmFe4IsDzi51kDi5w1B-H_rwh71MzEE8yjjTBmR0jMxwDh255dEkrWSSH5b60c/s1600/Keyboard+Cable+Connection+Reset+USB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnzicogSk_P4kL6tqdVRK_9nIKoMoZPlYo3JZOW7fK2aKKOgUo1BDjm3HNK6ya1j8xgNlYsmEd8byECjmFe4IsDzi51kDi5w1B-H_rwh71MzEE8yjjTBmR0jMxwDh255dEkrWSSH5b60c/s400/Keyboard+Cable+Connection+Reset+USB.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left side features cable jack, reset, and USB port (under flap)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>When docked, the tablet's charger and cable connect to the dock instead. It will charge both the dock's battery and the tablet when connected. Also notice the slight lift of the keyboard's back edge by the tablet bracket when rotated up. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy0sUMAqkM9t_upqwW1lFO6LHMT4zUfx3KNsn1ArY_awB0N90EWpahnfgjNNuDjATxY4wR56XQEMKj5clemgM9Hkts0wZHDBvL7VNNVY3PQ3ZyhYVlJwlWroBTgxWRoQEHHxJQ9Wsk4vE/s1600/Keyboard+SD+USB+right+side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy0sUMAqkM9t_upqwW1lFO6LHMT4zUfx3KNsn1ArY_awB0N90EWpahnfgjNNuDjATxY4wR56XQEMKj5clemgM9Hkts0wZHDBvL7VNNVY3PQ3ZyhYVlJwlWroBTgxWRoQEHHxJQ9Wsk4vE/s400/Keyboard+SD+USB+right+side.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The right side features an SD-HC slot and another USB port (under flap).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>One of the nicest features the Dock brings to the tablet it the SD slot. It reads cards up to 32gb, and is the perfect way to import photos from your digital camera. Simply take the card from your camera and slide it into the side of the keyboard. A notification will show up on the tablet which you can tap on to bring up options to display the card content (folders and files) or eject it safely. You also have two USB ports for accessories or external storage. Android 3.1 supports an array of keyboards, mice and game controllers. That should make the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Transformer-TF101-A1-10-1-Inch-Tablet-Computer/dp/B004U78J1G?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">ASUS Eee Transformer</a> the best device for Android game players out there. <br />
<br />
Conclusion: If you own the Transformer, you need this keyboard/dock. Well built. Feature rich. A great value. Be warned though, as any price over $150 is from a scalper. Demand is high for this dock, and people are taking advantage by buying them up at MSRP and reselling them for more. Mine came from <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834991427&Tpk=Asus%20eee%20tablet%20dock">Newegg.com</a><br />
<br />
4D.<br />
<br />
PS: If you enjoy my blog, please consider clicking on an Ad. Thanks!4DThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11368303705408227143noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674448692821111502.post-38851313269827880052011-06-05T15:42:00.001-05:002011-06-06T07:38:03.556-05:00Asus Transformer Details (with Photos).<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004XZL980" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0047DVWLW" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyzv8_lDx9XV9WUDeU4oBcR1NGsNtMxtwKW1ZuuThVgPPtlc44N7N4EZAWVA6rUx3QQWYU6W9M70a6wHrr91AtWyS7RfHowR_Wf62juQbfGmuYBBBUeXZReCOGiRqDXZPeZoeDoWRlmRo/s1600/Back+Panel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyzv8_lDx9XV9WUDeU4oBcR1NGsNtMxtwKW1ZuuThVgPPtlc44N7N4EZAWVA6rUx3QQWYU6W9M70a6wHrr91AtWyS7RfHowR_Wf62juQbfGmuYBBBUeXZReCOGiRqDXZPeZoeDoWRlmRo/s400/Back+Panel.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plastic Back. Not gloss black boring though. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>One thing I hear often when there is a debate between iPad fans and competing tablets is that no one make devices as well as Apple. Tech pundits who generally are also Apple fans dismiss the clever Asus Transformer as cheaply built. Here are a few photos I took of my Asus Transformer. You decide for yourself.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4H6c86JhQXxySQQMRTOr4csvaBeVbjAPhyphenhyphen6eivNqx9vlsNyt1GggBwUpRgsXTtL2lJVKl6tzd-c1nl6CHzzI_kpCHY2M5rKUdRLPPxDcv2UuXdfvF8fXNIwVqsBDSlxoAHdpGEQbkMDo/s1600/Right+End+Full+View.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4H6c86JhQXxySQQMRTOr4csvaBeVbjAPhyphenhyphen6eivNqx9vlsNyt1GggBwUpRgsXTtL2lJVKl6tzd-c1nl6CHzzI_kpCHY2M5rKUdRLPPxDcv2UuXdfvF8fXNIwVqsBDSlxoAHdpGEQbkMDo/s400/Right+End+Full+View.jpg" width="315" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Headphone, USB, HDMI, Speaker on right edge.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx5h8CNF8PvZFpWfeVod4Mk8zeIUFSwTl2c6HGKu7yZJcaElMOCIxe7erDawmw67V9GIIy-L3wXR_bf3F8fBx6fZVNd_7JIKdex23sOSca_vdQ2ufDhJ-OcCDhfPbRhCYb60l9JNRjqRE/s1600/Left+Edge+Power+Volume+Speaker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx5h8CNF8PvZFpWfeVod4Mk8zeIUFSwTl2c6HGKu7yZJcaElMOCIxe7erDawmw67V9GIIy-L3wXR_bf3F8fBx6fZVNd_7JIKdex23sOSca_vdQ2ufDhJ-OcCDhfPbRhCYb60l9JNRjqRE/s400/Left+Edge+Power+Volume+Speaker.jpg" width="331" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Volume and Power, Speaker along the left edge.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijyq8opNvR8T2O-VQvK2XPN38bQlfy9-SsWquNhuhe1rkhy-qkhiYmbGjZy70injzPUCg2Jfk17dcbhWFNk8aVBvJ_teKIex-FOOK39L1Yq_0DNWW6CtxFpfpo9ObdEtWLTe4PrhhL8YE/s1600/Bottom+Edge+Dock+Port.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijyq8opNvR8T2O-VQvK2XPN38bQlfy9-SsWquNhuhe1rkhy-qkhiYmbGjZy70injzPUCg2Jfk17dcbhWFNk8aVBvJ_teKIex-FOOK39L1Yq_0DNWW6CtxFpfpo9ObdEtWLTe4PrhhL8YE/s320/Bottom+Edge+Dock+Port.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dock and Latch slots on bottom edge</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhpEcLURqRaKgu7NNywoJhyWs_vhWh3GGJ-33gUn41r7SkAJBNTIs3I-kzjtIsly5h561dG2YSindklPA7mJpj2S0sXrF4YFrxGFcdZHaygPIY6ZCdkO6cYsJA-irJYbSS7gR3NpT9-_M/s1600/YouTube+App.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhpEcLURqRaKgu7NNywoJhyWs_vhWh3GGJ-33gUn41r7SkAJBNTIs3I-kzjtIsly5h561dG2YSindklPA7mJpj2S0sXrF4YFrxGFcdZHaygPIY6ZCdkO6cYsJA-irJYbSS7gR3NpT9-_M/s320/YouTube+App.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">YouTube App Cylindrical View</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
This is just the tablet. Click on most pictures to see an enlarged view. Monday I'll be getting the keyboard dock that includes another battery to power the Transformer. Stay tuned. I also have a showdown between the iPad2, Acer Iconia Tablet, and the Asus Transformer in the works. <br />
<br />
Amazon.com Links:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Apple-MC979LL-Tablet-White-NEWEST/dp/B0047DVWLW?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Apple iPad 2 MC979LL/A Tablet (16GB, Wifi, White) NEWEST MODEL</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Acer-A500-10S16u-10-1-Inch-Computer-Aluminum/dp/B004XZL980?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Acer Iconia Tab A500-10S16u 10.1-Inch Tablet Computer (Aluminum Metallic)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&search-alias=aps&field-keywords=asus transformer" target="_blank">Asus Transformer</a><br />
<br />
4D<br />
<br />
PS: If you appreciate this blog, please consider clicking on one of the ads. Thanks!4DThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11368303705408227143noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674448692821111502.post-36328896874709130432011-04-26T09:30:00.001-05:002011-04-26T09:30:02.458-05:00Creative's Zen Touch 2 gets an Upgrade to Android 2.2!It didn't take them long. Creative appears to be serious about the android tablet market. Their <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Creative-7-Inch-Android-Wireless-Entertainment/dp/B004DJQXDW?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">7"</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004DJQXDW" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Creative-10-Inch-Android-Wireless-Entertainment/dp/B004F139IK?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">10"</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004F139IK" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> Ziio tablets have recently received update to android 2.2. It came with additional features that make them better values than they were when first releases. The <a 2??="" href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&search-alias=aps&field-keywords=" target="_blank" touch="" zen="">Touch 2</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> is a pocket player. It comes in three versions. I reviewed <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Touch-Android-Based-Player/dp/B004EW0P9G?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">the one with GPS</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004EW0P9G" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> <a href="http://4dthinker.blogspot.com/2011/03/creative-zen-touch-2-with-gps-my-review.html">a few weeks ago</a>.<br />
<br />
<em>Enhancements:</em><br />
<div><ul><li>Upgrades the OS from Android 2.1 (Eclair) to Android 2.2 (Froyo).</li>
<li>Adds the Audible application (for selected regions only).</li>
</ul></div><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #232d2f;">So how much is the UI improved? </span></div><br />
<ul><li><span style="color: #232d2f;">No apparent improvements to the Music app. No EQ to be found. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #232d2f;">The Power Widget is buggy. After three reboots it "almost" works right again. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #232d2f;">Powered down while plugged into USB shows a nice battery status display with backlight dimmed. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #232d2f;">5 Home pages now, an improvement over the three available in the last version of the firmware. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #232d2f;">On-screen dots to indicate the current page as well as allow a tap to move to other pages. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #232d2f;">The BestTube (YouTube) app runs but crashes trying to preview videos and freezes trying to download videos. </span></li>
</ul><span style="color: #232d2f;">As I come across any new or broken features I'll add them here. Leave a comment if you have one. Not sure if anyone but me has bothered. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #232d2f;">4D</span>4DThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11368303705408227143noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674448692821111502.post-12999385062732948612011-04-15T16:31:00.001-05:002011-04-21T05:56:00.086-05:00Archos' Gen8 Tablets Updated. Minor Fixes and Major New Features!NEW!<br />
<br />
On April 21, 2011 Archos release version 2.3.26 firmware for its generation 8 tablets. The Changes include:<br />
<ul><li>Wi-Fi: fix cannot scan on an access point above channel 11 regression</li>
<li> Phone tethering: fix TCP/IP header compression setting crash</li>
<li> System stability: avoid Android reboot in case of missing audio</li>
<li> Media library: fix media libray not updated on hard drive based A70</li>
<li> Notification: decrease low battery notification volume</li>
<li> Application: attempt to solve Pandora application not able to switch songs</li>
<li> Application: solve music lag in applications using OGG format</li>
<li> Bluetooth GPS: increase compatibility with 3rd party applications</li>
<li> Display: avoid white/black screen happening sometimes when switching back the display on.</li>
</ul><a href="http://www.archos.com/support/support_tech/updates.html?country=us&lang=en&#firm">Download page</a>.<br />
<br />
On April 13, 2011 Archos released version 2.3.20 firmware for its generation 8 tablets. The Changes include:<br />
Version 2.3.20:<br />
<ul><li> <strong><em>Application:</em></strong> a new Archos remote service and universal Android application to control your Archos device remotely using Wi-Fi. It is intended to operate your Archos using any Android phone/device for instance when the Archos is connected to the TV. The "Archos Remote Control" application is available on Android Market and on Appslib </li>
<li><strong><em>Application:</em></strong> a new Archos YouTube application to easily view and play YouTube videos </li>
<li>Network shares: samba network share transfer speed has been enhanced to support HD streaming </li>
<li><em>Network shares</em>: password protected shares are now discoverable </li>
<li><em>Media library</em>: improve indexing behavior and robustness </li>
<li><em>Media info scraper</em>: more robust poster and information retrieval process for TV and movie shows </li>
<li><em>Media library cleaning</em>: all multimedia information (movie/tv shows posters and indexation data) can be cleared through settings->repair/formatting/reset multimedia library entry </li>
<li><em>Contacts</em>: fix importation and exportation of Vcards </li>
<li><em>Applications</em>: fix sound muted when initiating a call with Fring </li>
<li><em>Screen snapshot</em>: fix capture for all screens and TV </li>
<li><em>Camera</em>: increase quality of 720P H264 recording (decrease blockiness effect) </li>
<li><em>Multimedia</em>: improve UPNP stability preventing hangs when Wi-Fi connection stops </li>
<li><em>Multimedia</em>: for shoutcast network streams display url, station, genre on MusicPlayer </li>
<li><em>Multimedia</em>: fix next playing video being paused at start in folder play mode </li>
<li><em>Multimedia</em>: MMS playback support has been fixed </li>
<li><em>Multimedia</em>: MIDI playback support has been fixed </li>
<li><em>Multimedia</em>: fix compatibility with Rhapsody player application </li>
<li><em>Audio</em>: fixed alarm volume when headphone are plugged (was lowered) </li>
<li><em>Video</em>: fix some MPEG2 files not playing correctly on A28 </li>
<li><em>Video</em>: fix seeking in AVI with layer2 VBR sound </li>
<li><em>MusicPlayer</em>: display track number (like "3/10") for A43/A70/A101 </li>
<li><em>Videoplayer</em>: fix folder play mode with HD video </li>
<li><em>Subtitles</em>: auto detect UTF8 codepage </li>
<li><em>Storage</em>: remove disk damage notification happening sometimes even after a successful file system check </li>
<li><em>Peripherals</em>: display a notification when plugging a USB device that requires more than 100mA current for A28/A32/A70 to provide feedback that it is not supported (e.g. some USB keys) </li>
<li><em>Battery</em>: improve prediction of wake up time to shutdown the product when battery is low </li>
<li><em>Proxy</em>: http proxy support has been fixed </li>
<li><em>Phone tethering</em>: increase compatibility with Blackberry phones (introduction of a setting to enable TCP/IP header compression)</li>
</ul>You can find the firmware here: <a href="http://www.archos.com/support/support_tech/updates.html?country=us&lang=en&#firm">LINK</a><br />
<br />
One new feature I'm delighted to see is the remote control application. It allows any Android 2.1 device to control your Archos gen8 device while it is hooked up to your TV. It means you can sit back on the couch and interact with android on your HDTV with no cable between your phone and the Archos device. You can download the Archos Remote APK here: <a href="ftp://support.archos.com/Generation_8/ArchosRemote.apk">LINK</a><br />
<br />
I'm delighted to see Archos providing continued support for their gen8 tablets. They've made mine even better than it was when I bought them. <br />
<br />
4D4DThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11368303705408227143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674448692821111502.post-68666413619452088912011-03-25T10:40:00.003-05:002011-03-26T07:00:17.286-05:00Sansa Fuze+ Review.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_e50N2N7IKpIAWLJShAuuo3I6K2ViCnBxuPhZoE3wGCI7COeytM7jXs9u4xRAYnUg_NshiAmkoKbaelZqJEGW2lUnt2v-CsnE0Rn5gfIVGPmtEBiXhTRAV65bAyqTLuEoY6uJI8KfZQ/s1600/MoneyShot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="327" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_e50N2N7IKpIAWLJShAuuo3I6K2ViCnBxuPhZoE3wGCI7COeytM7jXs9u4xRAYnUg_NshiAmkoKbaelZqJEGW2lUnt2v-CsnE0Rn5gfIVGPmtEBiXhTRAV65bAyqTLuEoY6uJI8KfZQ/s400/MoneyShot.jpg" width="400" /></a>The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0041G62TW/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimensi-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0041G62TW">Sansa Fuze+ MP3 Player (Black)</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimensi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0041G62TW" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />is the successor to Sansa's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Sansa-Video-Player-Black/dp/B001GCQ3KM?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">original and legendary Fuze</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001GCQ3KM" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />. This model eliminated mechanical controls for the hopefully more reliable touch sensitive alternative. The gloss black plastic body is nicely sculpted, but aggressively attracts fingerprints. In general it is a fine MP3 player. It will also play videos, shows photos, and has FM radio for your entertainment. Use it to record a voice memo as well. I found it a decent player, although the UI takes a little time to get used to and there is no easy way to scroll through a long number of songs. Mine came from my local Target store. Sansa players are available <em>almost</em> everywhere you can find an iPod for sale.<br />
<br />
<b>Specifications</b>: 2.4” QVGA LCD(320x240) screen. Capacitive touch control pad. The rechargeable battery lasts for up to 24 hours of audio playback or 5 hours of video playback. Your results will vary (downward) depending on your usage habits and the properties of the content consumed. External controls include Volume +/- and Power/Hold. The control pad has Play/Pause, Back, and a 4-way direction pad with center Enter/Select. MicroSD-HC slot holds cards up to 32gb. The firmware version on the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sansa-Fuze-MP3-Player-Black/dp/B0041G62VU?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"> Fuze+</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0041G62VU" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> reviewed here is 2.36.03A.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH0zF04d9jfHayiZcJwHuhPFriz3uUokkng6W4QR9Vlo8NaCFAYF6Is2TFKpMW7J3fPor-wFbqfBXdh1M8CkyRFzyo9LrluJwDeVb9LZOAMY7DH9_5bQsv2kTZjrMN488D4QKvoDxJuEA/s1600/Controls+Flash+whole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH0zF04d9jfHayiZcJwHuhPFriz3uUokkng6W4QR9Vlo8NaCFAYF6Is2TFKpMW7J3fPor-wFbqfBXdh1M8CkyRFzyo9LrluJwDeVb9LZOAMY7DH9_5bQsv2kTZjrMN488D4QKvoDxJuEA/s320/Controls+Flash+whole.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b>Dimensions</b>: 3.8" tall x 2" wide x 7/16" thick, and weighs 2.26oz(64g). You can find the Fuze+ in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sansa-Fuze-MP3-Player-Black/dp/B0041G62R4?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">4gb</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0041G62R4" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sansa-Fuze-MP3-Player-Black/dp/B0041G62TW?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">8gb</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0041G62TW" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sansa-Fuze-MP3-Player-Black/dp/B0041G62VU?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">16gb</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0041G62VU" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> versions. It has a microSD card slot with support for up to another 32gb. Color choices depend on which version you get. The 16gb version is only available in black. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqdBmRTvJu07ZjFRUUjL98ffa6NMl5TwlKHScXgdLjSqiMkBh6dmrY7cqppiwI80gPlTqeQSA-3-yJmViveO3FbZ1E6DMQMz7VSRVo2ix5glAd7jHfvPgv-0UU9auCb52gvIGg4ZQR51M/s1600/Headphone+Jack+flash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqdBmRTvJu07ZjFRUUjL98ffa6NMl5TwlKHScXgdLjSqiMkBh6dmrY7cqppiwI80gPlTqeQSA-3-yJmViveO3FbZ1E6DMQMz7VSRVo2ix5glAd7jHfvPgv-0UU9auCb52gvIGg4ZQR51M/s320/Headphone+Jack+flash.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b>UI</b>: Getting around the Fuze+ is a little confusing. At the upper level you have the main media apps side-by-side, and can slide to each with a left/right slide or tap. Tap the center of the direction pad to make a selection. Once you enter into the music app you can slide/tap left or right to move from Artist to Album to Song to Genre and so on. On each sort option the list will rebuild using the selected ID3 tag. Scroll up/down to make your selection from the items listed. I often get the Back button confused with the Left button. Once in the Now Playing screen of any media app you'll need to tap or hold Back to go back to your content list. The Power button on the top edge will lock/unlock the controls with a quick press, but turn OFF the Fuse+ if you linger just a little longer on the button. I strongly recommend reading the User Manual, as there are several functions that use a double-tap or long press on a control button.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRzcAGk82niYggFHoL0T9yQLXJGJHPdRzAdDu76y4ga2rlp9pPk6uuDau3QFq2nX0lPoa8vFOeC115r5lE1OU9CtCxaChcphdjGZG7ltXU939dXi5-e9kYoUoK3xecqcaN_Verle_pdbk/s1600/Music+Whole+NoFlash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRzcAGk82niYggFHoL0T9yQLXJGJHPdRzAdDu76y4ga2rlp9pPk6uuDau3QFq2nX0lPoa8vFOeC115r5lE1OU9CtCxaChcphdjGZG7ltXU939dXi5-e9kYoUoK3xecqcaN_Verle_pdbk/s320/Music+Whole+NoFlash.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<b>Music</b>: Formats supported include MP3, WMA, secure WMA, FLAC, AAC/M4A, (DRM-free iTunes® music files), WAV, and OGG-Vorbis. In addition, the device supports Audible and audiobook formats. You can sort your music by Artist, Album, Song Title, Genre, or Playlists. If you have a few thousand or so songs expect it to take several dozen swipes to find a specific song. No textual search, and no alpha-numeric shortcuts. Sound quality is good. Not the best I've listened to but up near the top. One pleasant surprise was <b>gapless</b> playback. No break in the audio between consecutive songs in a live album where applause or prattle carries across tracks. Delightful! <b><i>Music gets an A from me</i></b>. If there had been a quicker way to scroll/search/locate songs it would have been an A+.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8-CZBJbz1VnvcCvBS0HTRJ_q-s_xhz5zBpUtG49lKGY2EVxIIxuwj8zlC2Dw8FdfgPoxsesDAdyQTCywoLh8nXhLUXLlULDSJtVviCd35EYvldCAAeLiMZsCLVnk9HUljhgk-ym78M8M/s1600/Songs+Whiole+NoFlash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8-CZBJbz1VnvcCvBS0HTRJ_q-s_xhz5zBpUtG49lKGY2EVxIIxuwj8zlC2Dw8FdfgPoxsesDAdyQTCywoLh8nXhLUXLlULDSJtVviCd35EYvldCAAeLiMZsCLVnk9HUljhgk-ym78M8M/s320/Songs+Whiole+NoFlash.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<b>Video</b>: The Fuze+ plays H.264, MPEG4, and WMV file types (<em>320 x 240</em>). Additional file formats including 3gp/3gpp2, ASF, AVI, DAT, DivX(ver 6.0), DVR-MS, MOV, MP4, MPEG 1, MPEG 2, MJPEG, FLV, and Flip® file formats can be added to the player easily using the optional free downloadable Sansa Media Converter (SMC). The 320 x 240 resolution limits the value of the Fuze+ as a Video player. Yes, it plays them. Odds are that you'll need SMC and lots of patience just to get playable videos installed on the + though. Don't buy it as a video player. <b><i>I'll give videos a C+</i></b>. Average for other devices with the same screen.<br />
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<b>Photos</b>: The Fuse+ will display JPG and BMP images. The screen isn't the best I've seen. The low resolution also reduces its value as a photo wallet. You do get a slideshow option. You can add any photo as background. You can reorient them. You can also select music for your slideshow, and also delete any photo.You start with a thumbnail array of the photos on board, then can swipe or tap to move from one to another. <b><i>I'll give photos a C+</i></b>. No zoom capability and the small screen suggests you don't buy the Fuze+ for its photo capability.<br />
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<b>Radio</b>: RDS support. Swipe left or tap right for Presets list. Hold center to Add or Delete current frequency from presets list. Double-Tap center to bring up options listed below. With RDS and recording capability, as well as great sound, <b><i>I'll give radio an A</i></b>.<br />
<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Add or Delete Preset status of current frequency.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Record Radio</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Play Recordings</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Auto-Scan for Presets</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Seek Mode On/Off</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Delete all Presets</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Delete all Radio Recordings</span></li>
</ul><b>Podcast</b>: Podcasts play just like any music on the Fuse+. No special features like bookmarking I could find. You do get fast or slow playback as an options, but I can't tell how MUCH it speeds up/down the playback. You can also delete a podcast from the Podcast player. With no bookmarking I have to give <strong><em>podcast playback a C</em></strong>. <br />
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<b>Voice (Recorder)</b>: The voice recorder does a good job of recording from within a foot or two of the Fuze+. Notably clear when played back with no static or buzz. You can Pause and Resume, or STOP and save the recording easily. The recordings are 44kHz Stereo WAV files. MUCH better than most players that use 128kbps mono MP3 format. You can play them back with a right tap or left swipe to the playback side of the Voice app. Double-tap the center of the pad to bring up an option to delete the recording if you wish. <br />
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<b>Card</b>: Media on an inserted microSD card is combined with onboard media in the music/photo/video apps. If for some reason you need to seperately access content on any inserted microSD card you can choose the CARD option. It will give limited options for card content. Music by Artist Search only. Videos, Photos, and Books if there are any on the card. <br />
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<b>Settings</b>: You get reasonable control over the capabilities of the Fuse+ in Settings. Here is a summary:<br />
<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Music: Repeat and Shuffle toggles.</span></li>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Video: Brightness and Orientation.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Photo: Slide show timing, Shuffle and Repeat toggles, Music choice, and Orientation. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Podcast and Book: Playback Speed and Chapter Skip On/Off.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Radio: Set Region, Mono/Stereo, or Delete Presets.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Background: Use one of three patterns or any on-board image. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Backlight: 15 to 90 seconds.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Brightness: </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Power Saver: None, or from 5 to 120 Minutes</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Sleep: 10, 20, 30, 45, 60, 90, or 120 minutes.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Customize Menu: Allows turning OFF or ON any media feature from showing in the main menu cycle. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Equalizer</span></li>
<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Normal, </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Rock, Pop, Jazz, Classical, Funk, Hip Hop, Dance, </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Full Bass, Full Treble</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Custom EQ (5 bar)</span></li>
</ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Replay Gain</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Volume Level Limit</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Language</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">USB Mode: Auto Detect, MTP, or MSC.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Date: <script type="text/javascript">
var d=new Date();
var weekday=new Array("Sunday","Monday","Tuesday","Wednesday","Thursday","Friday", "Saturday");
var <span class="<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">goog</span>-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">monthname</span></span>=new Array("01","02","03","04","05","06","07","08","09","10","11","12");
document.write(<span class="<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">goog</span>-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">monthname</span></span>[d.<span class="<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">goog</span>-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">getMonth</span></span>()] + "/");
document.write(d.<span class="<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">goog</span>-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">getDate</span></span>() + "/");
document.write(d.<span class="<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">goog</span>-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">getFullYear</span></span>());
</script></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Time</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Format</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Restore</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">info</span></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTfYqbnrr-JU6QENH0Y-xtx91bMCTa7a19CeCenGsiO1FlO_SVW6TWiGMqU2VNqTYz3ThH5yKyu1tJfvND8674nyrUn5aW_1n19hUC18Lik0ec4tsswCIOtB_kuoOv4R6cD-niwgzgttE/s1600/Albums+NoFlash+Whole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTfYqbnrr-JU6QENH0Y-xtx91bMCTa7a19CeCenGsiO1FlO_SVW6TWiGMqU2VNqTYz3ThH5yKyu1tJfvND8674nyrUn5aW_1n19hUC18Lik0ec4tsswCIOtB_kuoOv4R6cD-niwgzgttE/s320/Albums+NoFlash+Whole.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<b>Summary</b>: If all you need is an affordable and easy to find MP3 player, then the Fuze+ is a good option. Music playback was stellar and gapless. Easy to add music to it. No iTunes or Zune software required. You can drag and drop or use Windows Media Player to sync music to it. You can download Sansa's Media Converter for free if you want videos on your Fuze and need them converted to work. I prefer touchscreen rather than touchpad UIs, but you won't find a decent touchscreen player at the prices you can find the Fuze+ at. Amazon.com's prices: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sansa-Fuze-MP3-Player-Black/dp/B0041G62TW?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Sansa Fuze+ 8gb</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0041G62TW" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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4D.<br />
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P.S. If you enjoy my blog, please consider clicking on one or more of the ads. Thanks!4DThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11368303705408227143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674448692821111502.post-40189680897461013132011-03-10T12:33:00.004-06:002011-03-24T10:50:54.591-05:00iOS 4.3 Home Sharing. The Good and the Bad.My <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&search-alias=electronics&field-keywords=Archos android" target="_blank">Archos devices</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> have been able to stream media from my home network for more than a year now. Apple finally saw the writing on the wall and added that capability to their latest iPhone, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&search-alias=aps&field-keywords=iPod Touch" target="_blank">iPod Touch</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&search-alias=aps&field-keywords=iPad" target="_blank">iPads</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />. So how did they do?<br />
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To start, Apple doesn't just copy a feature they like. I give them credit for trying to add some value and capability when a feature finally shows up on their iDevices. My <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Apple-touch-Generation-NEWEST-MODEL/dp/B001FA1O0O?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">iPod Touch</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001FA1O0O" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> 4th generation received iOS firmware 4.3 yesterday. Today I've been running the streaming capability through its paces.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_0UOgl7vC1sY1qy2ufQFali6XTjG_tuOXF2ZWHt9VfkCwkVD2zgfESQyLoxBh2qhrx1YJh-_aHtpf5fzwqVxxKUtHy951-UfSyVcdL9Wa7ODWiCcLdr6EC6RjNhHfVjpKd7E6UUGydTI/s1600/IMG_0079.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_0UOgl7vC1sY1qy2ufQFali6XTjG_tuOXF2ZWHt9VfkCwkVD2zgfESQyLoxBh2qhrx1YJh-_aHtpf5fzwqVxxKUtHy951-UfSyVcdL9Wa7ODWiCcLdr6EC6RjNhHfVjpKd7E6UUGydTI/s320/IMG_0079.PNG" width="213" /></a></div>To start, I had to enable it on both my desktop iTunes software as well as in Music Settings on the Touch. The setting is under Advanced in iTunes. On the Touch I had to input my Apple ID and Password under Settings>Music>Home Sharing. <strong><em>None of these options will show up unless WiFi is ON and connected. </em></strong><br />
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What I like? My Touch is the 8gb version. I bumped into the limited storage the first time I synced it with iTunes. My music collect is over 20gb, and finding a 6gb or so subset of that to fit on the Touch came with compromises. Now as long as I'm home I can access, search through, and play any song in my collection. Once you select your library it will take some time to populate the Touch with album art and other database info about the songs. In the image below no art has yet been added from my local library. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_2H3YypcCW8F-AiJAVp5Yffi0YMFr08YZSHcnqEzGRcc700mzFuEVFG11BgLsN3nnhq5IOGFRjAkvcCiACUwFIYGvdf0kAn99o5BTQFBeASwml4xzvmeJlb8Qc6sRo9AHU85C3W-NFI/s1600/IMG_0082.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_2H3YypcCW8F-AiJAVp5Yffi0YMFr08YZSHcnqEzGRcc700mzFuEVFG11BgLsN3nnhq5IOGFRjAkvcCiACUwFIYGvdf0kAn99o5BTQFBeASwml4xzvmeJlb8Qc6sRo9AHU85C3W-NFI/s320/IMG_0082.PNG" width="213" /></a></div><div style="border: currentColor;">Inconveniences? The PC has to be on. You need to have WiFi ON on your Touch or iPad or iPhone. Even if your content is on a network shared external drive. iTunes has to be running. If you try to close iTunes it will warn you that closing it will disconnect anyone who is sharing your music at the time.</div><div style="border: currentColor;"><br />
</div><div style="border: currentColor;">What else will it do? You can share videos so long as your iTunes library knows about them. I had one 720p sample that played fine. Anything with lower resolution also played fine. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSs6KR5eTLt6bVI9RD9BF_3pxF2AiwSYIvTPKm-baoDX6lNgKjTAiIesD0_msHyNJPq10CFcw9zgRojT-mJdVY6BQ558O2NH8725sOigN8qqfYT8FYq6DitBSwj9EJ5zffxKyGNz0dwiA/s1600/IMG_0083.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSs6KR5eTLt6bVI9RD9BF_3pxF2AiwSYIvTPKm-baoDX6lNgKjTAiIesD0_msHyNJPq10CFcw9zgRojT-mJdVY6BQ558O2NH8725sOigN8qqfYT8FYq6DitBSwj9EJ5zffxKyGNz0dwiA/s320/IMG_0083.PNG" width="213" /></a></div><br />
There was no sharing option in the Photo app though. Rather disappointed. Videos playing over WiFi play fine, but the few I tried could not be resized or stretched to fit the screen. <br />
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How does it compare to home streaming on the latest Archos devices? To start, you don't need iTunes. My 43 found and could play Music, Video, and Photos in any shared folder on my PC. It would also find and play my shared media on my network drive when my PC was OFF. Win there. Unfortunately you can't access shared content in the media apps. Media is easily found using the file browser though. Any you find will play when tapped on. Videos were a better fit on my 43's screen, and would re-size with a simple press on the screen. Win there. Apple's strategy makes it easier to sort and search through songs so long as you don't mind having iTunes running when sharing. Win there. <br />
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Conclusion? iOS 4.3 is a worthy update. If for no other reason than Home Sharing. Well done.<br />
<br />
4D<br />
<br />
PS: If you enjoy my blog, please consider clicking on an Ad or two. Thanks!4DThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11368303705408227143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674448692821111502.post-68975819239524064902011-03-06T13:22:00.005-06:002011-03-23T14:38:50.807-05:00Creative Zen Touch 2 with GPS. My Review.<div style="border: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYzlD_MF320ichvlbnoc3W2zn_vC9NJouq-se_WWtzHbUo6oj7RIu4CtT-ynlzF7bgSIN4F51BLsRq-u08xW743N2amekf7OivO0UND0r9MNLoEoFd8OOynF3P6A7az4f09zlCrqYWwxQ/s1600/HomeScreenHorizontal1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYzlD_MF320ichvlbnoc3W2zn_vC9NJouq-se_WWtzHbUo6oj7RIu4CtT-ynlzF7bgSIN4F51BLsRq-u08xW743N2amekf7OivO0UND0r9MNLoEoFd8OOynF3P6A7az4f09zlCrqYWwxQ/s320/HomeScreenHorizontal1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border: medium none;">Creative is now making an Android-based Zen media player. I'm delighted to see more companies jumping on the android bandwagon. When the <a href="http://us.store.creative.com/ZEN-Touch-2-with-GPS-8GB/M/B004EW0P9G.htm">Zen Touch 2 (I'll referred to it as the T2) with GPS</a> became available on their web site (you can also <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Touch-Android-Based-Player/dp/B004EW0P9G?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">order them on Amazon.com</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004EW0P9G" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />) I ordered one. Mine arrived 2/28/2011, and since then I've been going through it in detail, hoping to find what special touches Creative could add to Android, if any. As of now, I'm not sure they did anything beyond putting their name on this device. </div><div class="separator" style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj82ts4P181Hk5nGrjveQ8tICCMcS9TAK970x9f4IOcgoLyVP-DlD0uB51n5MvHBUdpLaCZ5qnwfBcfVSUEbzL_eNsvHmaDSn2bkEtfhE4kctjg_g8uKk5R-YiUUy-k9vXDTHw7CQ0nM-s/s1600/Facet+Back+Camera+Speaker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj82ts4P181Hk5nGrjveQ8tICCMcS9TAK970x9f4IOcgoLyVP-DlD0uB51n5MvHBUdpLaCZ5qnwfBcfVSUEbzL_eNsvHmaDSn2bkEtfhE4kctjg_g8uKk5R-YiUUy-k9vXDTHw7CQ0nM-s/s320/Facet+Back+Camera+Speaker.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Aesthetically the only interesting detail Creative added to an otherwise boring T2 is <a href="http://us.store.creative.com/shared/viewProductImage.html?http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51g%2BlhvGGQL.jpg">a faceted back</a> derived from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Labs-Mozaic-EZ300-Player/dp/B002BDTLX6?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">their Zen Mosaic</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B002BDTLX6" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />. Don't consider this player if you want to impress your friends with your stylish choices. The nicest software touch they added was a quick graphic on boot-up advising you to "<b><i><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Touch</span></i></b> the Sound of Perfection". After that you get another annoying slide-to-unlock screen then a typical Android UI. <br />
<br />
<b>What's in the Box? </b>In addition to the 8gb (only 4.1gb available) Zen Touch 2 you get:<br />
<ul><li>A mini USB cable, although I hope you have a USB port on the front of your PC as it is only 4" long.</li>
<li><a href="http://us.store.creative.com/EP630-Black/M/B002EL4MXY.htm">In-Ear headphones</a>. Better than what usually comes with MP3 players.</li>
<li><a href="http://support.creative.com/warranty/warranty.aspx?pid=20276&cid=948&h=14">Warranty</a> sheet (one year).</li>
<li>Quick Start Guide.</li>
<li>An ad for <a href="http://us.creative.com/products/welcomenew.asp?category=13">Creative accessories</a>.</li>
<li> $10 <a href="http://www.emusic.com/">EMusic</a> card.</li>
<li>One free <a href="http://www.audible.com/">Audiobook</a> offer.</li>
<li>and advice on <a href="http://www.abelard.org/hear/hear.php">protecting your hearing</a>. </li>
</ul><b>Dimensions</b>: <br />
<ul><li>120mm x 69mm x 13mm, 122g. </li>
<li>4.72" x 2.72" x .5", 4.3oz</li>
<li>For comparison: </li>
<ul><li>The <a href="http://4dthinker.blogspot.com/2011/02/cowon-d3-review-getting-better-daily.html">Cowon D3</a> is 116.4mm x 64.2mm x 11.8mm, 120g.</li>
<li>The <a href="http://4dthinker.blogspot.com/2010/11/archos-43-with-android-21-my-review.html">Archos 43</a> is 135.0mm x 65.0mm x 9.00 mm, 132g</li>
</ul></ul><b>OS</b>: <a href="http://developer.android.com/sdk/android-2.1.html">Android 2.1</a>, with hints (no promises) that it may eventually be updated to <a href="http://developer.android.com/sdk/android-2.2-highlights.html">2.2</a>.<br />
<div style="border: medium none;"><b>Controls and Ports</b> (held horizontally with the Home button on the right):</div><ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoBJSKEzwAfyeGP-SrzE94P-OwkV7nxsIDD2d5v5x2nYVR75NTqNzgcsqVeArGcj49mvOhRgKeyopZHcQUhP2nRQlLfF-OzkdLlGPOooYM1nRxfIRPWPuPeQcR7YXYijTW854ZQxJsM_Q/s1600/Power+and+Volume.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoBJSKEzwAfyeGP-SrzE94P-OwkV7nxsIDD2d5v5x2nYVR75NTqNzgcsqVeArGcj49mvOhRgKeyopZHcQUhP2nRQlLfF-OzkdLlGPOooYM1nRxfIRPWPuPeQcR7YXYijTW854ZQxJsM_Q/s320/Power+and+Volume.jpg" width="164" /></a></div><li>Power button (left end). Hold in to power the T2 on or off. Tap to toggle just the screen off/on.</li>
<li style="border: medium none;">Volume +/- (top edge)</li>
<li style="border: medium none;">Search, Back, and Menu/List buttons (touch sensitive, to the right of the LCD screen)</li>
<li style="border: medium none;">HOME button (oddly a mechanical push button on the front face)</li>
<li style="border: medium none;">Speaker port (5/16" x 1/16" slot on back)</li>
<li style="border: medium none;">Camera Lens (on back)</li>
<li style="border: medium none;">Mini USB port (right end)</li>
<li style="border: medium none;">Headphone jack (right end)</li>
<li style="border: medium none;">Video output (Composite, uses headphone jack and custom cable)</li>
<li style="border: medium none;">MicroSD slot (bottom edge under a rubber pull tab)</li>
<li style="border: medium none;">Microphone (small hole on bottom edge, labeled by white microphone icon)</li>
</ul><div style="border: medium none;"><b>This Zen's media apps</b>:</div><ul><li style="border: medium none;"><b>Music</b>: The T2 will play music in these formats: MP3, AAC, WMA9, FLAC, OGG, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adaptive_DPCM">ADPCM</a>, MIDI, WAV, and Audible. I was shocked to discover there is no Equalizer. No Presets. No user settings. I had to dig out my ancient Zen 4gb to see if this was Creative's pattern or not (it is NOT). The audio output was powerful enough to easily drive my large Sennheiser HD595 headphones. No gapless playback though. Just the basics it seems. On the Now Playing screen you get a small album art view. Controls are all visible and active including <b>List</b>, <b>Shuffle</b> and <b>Repeat</b> buttons, as well as the typical <b>Prev</b>(Rewind when held)/<b>Play</b>(pause)/<b>Next</b>(Fast Forward when held) buttons. Info displayed includes a song length/position slider bar, artist, album, and song title. A long press on the last three brings up a Music/Browser Search window to find all songs or web info that matches the item touched. The Now Playing screen simply rearranges the same info for landscape or portrait view. A tap on the T2's menu icon will bring up options for Party Shuffle, Add to Playlist, Delete, and Library. With no Equalizer though the <b><i>Music app gets a B</i></b>. </li>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWb6r4oN6l1xD1bJk0ovjRWV800_01KeeMbC1RU7ZqCd2AU9DLhqen57IhgBEG009o_r5cJyc8sDLCcmPG5NGpSExr-VdpczqfhCWA9uMV_E5mzLn7gFaG3SmNv5kbhdczbV6fGHb7hd8/s1600/NowPlayingH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWb6r4oN6l1xD1bJk0ovjRWV800_01KeeMbC1RU7ZqCd2AU9DLhqen57IhgBEG009o_r5cJyc8sDLCcmPG5NGpSExr-VdpczqfhCWA9uMV_E5mzLn7gFaG3SmNv5kbhdczbV6fGHb7hd8/s320/NowPlayingH.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><li style="border: medium none;"><b>Gallery</b> (used for video and photos): Both Video formats supported include H.264, MPEG4, WMV9, and AVI video. Photo types include JPG, BMP, and PNG. My Touch 2 played WMV, AVI, and MP4 video files fine, although those that weren't the same width/height ratio as the screen had no way to be stretched to fit the screen. All you get when playing videos is the standard video Rew/Play/Ffwd and a length/position slider bar. No info, no submenu options, nothing. Don't buy the Touch 2 for videos. <b><i>Video gets a C-</i></b> from me. The Photo capabilities are only a little more useful. No swipe to the next photo. You have to tap on the screen to get a next or previous triangle to tap on. You also get a zoom (magnifying) in/out bar, a share icon, and a delete icon. Tap <i>Share</i> to bring up options for Bluetooth Object Push and Email. You can also double-tap on the screen for one step of zooming in. Once zoomed in it is easy to pan around the photo. Using the magnifying bar there are 13 steps of zoom, which does a fine job of bringing up the tiniest details in a photo. Tap the T2's menu button for a few more options including Rotate, Delete, Crop, Details, and More. More adds Show on Maps, Slideshow, Settings (for slideshow), and another Push Image by Bluetooth choice. Slideshow Settings are more complete than usual. Where both Videos and Photo suffer is from the poor screen quality. <b><i>Photos get a B-</i></b> from me for leaving out the easiest way to see the next photo.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga0YZF2POw1yTIbLkxIBWBEVQ4kfn8iyfvAqv1xJIFW4izorhheHbXZwzKLZytk-yClFdAknCSYRnBX8nR-KYxoAbDTSPYMx2-8883e1d5Ag4NKjDsNOPKRXcliveiOXg6ZJbSx5iQ0yk/s1600/GalleryArray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga0YZF2POw1yTIbLkxIBWBEVQ4kfn8iyfvAqv1xJIFW4izorhheHbXZwzKLZytk-yClFdAknCSYRnBX8nR-KYxoAbDTSPYMx2-8883e1d5Ag4NKjDsNOPKRXcliveiOXg6ZJbSx5iQ0yk/s320/GalleryArray.jpg" width="320" /></a></li>
<li><div style="border: medium none;"><b>FM Radio</b> with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Data_System">RDS</a>! You need headphones plugged in to use the radio. The Radio app will warn you to plug them in if they are not, and although the radio app will open it won't turn on without the headphones. The app is fairly complete. You get a station slider bar, Off/On button, scan forward and back buttons, frequency up and down (in .05 steps) buttons, an add-to- presets (+) button, and a Presets List button which includes the AutoTune choice. If the station tuned to includes RDS info it will display above the frequency displayed. No HD-Radio reception. No option to delete a preset from the list that I could find. No recording of Radio that I could find. Radio will play in the background while you run other apps that don't have their own audio. To turn it off you need to tap the power icon in the app, or run another program with its own audio (like Music). With no recording or preset delete <b><i>I have to give FM Radio a B</i></b>. </div></li>
</ul><b>Other hardware features include</b>:<br />
<ul><li><b>Bluetooth - 2.1 EDR</b>: So far I've found it supports file transfer, stereo audio to headphone or speakers. My bluetooth keyboards would pair but not connect. Audio quality over bluetooth to my <a href="http://4dthinker.blogspot.com/2008/08/headphones-compared-my-top-10-list.html">Sony BT50</a>s is on the better side of typical. All controls over media play worked both from the headset and the player. </li>
<li><b>WiFi - <span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span>IEEE 802.11 b/g/n</b>: No problems connecting to my Dlink n-capable router. Signal strength is as good as on any other 802.11n device I've reviewed, no matter where in my house I wandered to. </li>
<li><b>GPS</b>: I'll need to find a GPS enabled app to give this a test. Stay tuned. </li>
<li><b>Compass</b>: Seems to work. Found north just fine using a compass app. Not sure how useful it will be, but am optimistic it will eventually come in handy. </li>
<li><b>Accelerometer</b>: The UI and direction-sensitive apps react quickly when the T2 is rotated. Nothing else to test it with. Another "stay tuned". </li>
<li style="border: medium none;"><b>Camera</b>: The camera will take still photos at 1600 x 1200 (2mp) or 640 x 480 as JPGs. Video taken is MP4 (H.264) at 21fps and 360kbps, 640 x 480 pixels. Video doesn't play back very smooth. The camera app is pretty complete, with white balance, quality, GPS (location) tagging, effects settings, crop and delete, etc.. No zoom to speak of. No flash. The lens is fixed-focus and cheap. It is also easily blocked by your finger when holding the T2 naturally. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBgMFZVqjaUWqgEmx3VLOUNt5n-3MwZmknqvxNDEh7_1hP32ANDVNygPv0o_8UeLTx-Ptg4RtVps-rk5n-rze59RzDPEuTdYhRty7KsGDSE0I9BcOQUI-dV4YvL59enr2ZrFLmQaPf248/s1600/GoogleMobile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBgMFZVqjaUWqgEmx3VLOUNt5n-3MwZmknqvxNDEh7_1hP32ANDVNygPv0o_8UeLTx-Ptg4RtVps-rk5n-rze59RzDPEuTdYhRty7KsGDSE0I9BcOQUI-dV4YvL59enr2ZrFLmQaPf248/s320/GoogleMobile.jpg" width="320" /></a><b></b></li>
</ul><div style="border: medium none;"><b>Web Browser</b>: Works best with mobile web pages. The low resolution hinders usefulness on classic web pages. A double tap works as expected, stretching columns to fit the screen width. Panning and scrolling is responsive and smooth. I recommend using a stylus if you expect to be accurate tapping on tiny links. Settings include options to Add a bookmark, Find on Page, Select Text, Page Info, Share Page, Downloads, and page content settings. You can choose from Text Size, Default Zoom, Text Encoding, Open Pages in overview, Block Pop-up windows, Load images, Landscape only, Enable Javascript, Enable Plug-ins, Open in Background, and Set Home Page. In addition there are privacy settings to Clear cache, Clear History, Accept cookies, Clear all cookie data, Remember form data, Clear form data, Enable location, Clear location access, Remember passwords, Clear passwords, Show security settings, and even more advanced options. With exceptions for the low-res screen The Web Browser is very complete. Almost a joy to use on the Touch 2. <b><i>Web Browser earns an</i></b> <b><i>A</i></b>. </div><div style="border: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border: medium none;"><b>UI</b>: The android UI will turn horizontal or vertical depending on how you hold the T2, but only 90 degrees one way. The screen is sensitive and very responsive, but graphics do not instantly react like those on an iPod Touch. There are only three home page screens. This will prove limiting after you start adding apps. You get just 4 widgets including an analog clock, bluetooth control (PureAndroidAudio), Power Control, and Search. You can add Widgets, Shortcuts, or Folders to any or all home screens. You can also choose the wallpaper (background) from 10 included photos, your own photos, or 4 different colors. You can adjust the brightness of the screen from Settings-Display or the Power Widget. Viewing angles are decent in one axis and limited in the other, typical for the inexpensive LCD screen used. Other than for the poor choice of screen the UI response is as good as any other android device I've reviewed. Limited pages and included apps/widgets lead me to giving <b><i>UI a B-</i></b>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWbNrQ7X6Psg2Oc_iQTmXNb8jq1AdpYHBKovumy2RIxI1RrNZ-P4uzSFbe7Pqlo7_Xz75_SZZ4jcIw1PcKkgCaQCwEZFPvQOl5usMIn7qlmKNZ-2MHBtUvnarMHKDgUSQFcRPQyD_hxI/s1600/App+Screen+H.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWbNrQ7X6Psg2Oc_iQTmXNb8jq1AdpYHBKovumy2RIxI1RrNZ-P4uzSFbe7Pqlo7_Xz75_SZZ4jcIw1PcKkgCaQCwEZFPvQOl5usMIn7qlmKNZ-2MHBtUvnarMHKDgUSQFcRPQyD_hxI/s320/App+Screen+H.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border: medium none;"><b>Conclusion</b>: For a device with so many hardware features it is a shame Creative went with such a poor screen. The Touch 2 is almost as large as my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Archos-43-Internet-Tablet-Black/dp/B0042RRTOC?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Archos 43</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0042RRTOC" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />, but the 3.2" 480 x 320 screen is significantly smaller and less than half the resolution. Poor video playback and no audio equalizer round out the flaws. There appears to be plenty of processing power. Audio output is strong. Bluetooth is great and FM radio with RDS is appreciated. Is it worth $199? The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Archos-501574-Internet-Tablet-Player/dp/B00422SH20?ie=UTF8&tag=4thdimens-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">8g Archos 43</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=4thdimens-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00422SH20" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> is also $199 but comes with a better screen, better UI, more functional WiFi and Bluetooth features and remains my favorite device for now. So NO. <b><i>The Touch-2 with GPS is NOT a good value</i></b> at its current price. </div><div style="border: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border: medium none;">4D</div><div style="border: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border: medium none;">PS: If you enjoy my blog, please consider clicking on an Ad or two. Thanks!</div>4DThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11368303705408227143noreply@blogger.com51tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8674448692821111502.post-45610795711511300092011-02-27T07:24:00.004-06:002011-02-28T07:07:50.517-06:00Cowon D3 Plenue: The Missing User Manual.<a href="http://4dthinker.blogspot.com/2011/02/cowon-d3-review-getting-better-daily.html">Cowon's D3</a>, their first Android PMP, is getting better with each new firmware update. With your D3 you should have a CD with a Product Guide on it or you can view it on <a href="http://www.cowonglobal.com/product_guide/product_guide_main.php?product_name=D3">Cowon's web site</a>. What they haven't produced (so far) is a detailed owners manual with insight into the fine details of their custom UI and media apps. <br />
<br />
This blog post is where I'll post those details. I'll update it as more becomes known about the D3. All details here pertain to firmware versions 1.29, 2.29, 3.29, and 4.29.<br />
<br />
1. <strong>The Bottom Bar</strong>: Visible no matter which home page you are on. <br />
<ul><li>Successive taps on the left rectangular area will toggle between a view of the Day/Date, Free Space in MB and %, as well as the number of running applications.</li>
<li>Touch and hold the left area of the bar to bring up an array view of the different home pages. Then tap on any page to go directly to it. </li>
<li>Tap or slide (to the left) the <strong>APPS</strong> square to switch to an array view of all the apps installed on your D3. That page is scrollable if there is more than one page worth of apps installed on your D3. Tap (or slide left) <strong>HOME</strong> to switch back to the home page view. </li>
<li>Below the bottom bar is a short white line segment. It shows the relative position left and right within the many home pages you are currently viewing. </li>
</ul>2. <strong>The Clock Widget</strong>:<br />
<ul><li>In orange letters below the time numbers and above the day text there is a "time" word. Tap anywhere on the widget to toggle randomly between EnjoyTime, PartyTime, BreakTime, and HappyTime. </li>
</ul>3. <strong>Nine (9) Home screens</strong>.<br />
<ul><li>From the Home screen tap the Settings icon, then tap Home Settings. You can then pick the number of visible screens from 1 to 9. A reboot is required to implement the change. </li>
<li>You can also select the default screen (the screen the D3 returns to when you tap the HOME icon) from among the visible screens. This feature might come in handy when you have a selection of apps for Home, one for Work, or for any other unique purpose. Switch to make your Work page the default when at work. </li>
</ul>4. <strong>Other widgets</strong>:<br />
<ul><li>Analog Clock: A simple contemporary analog clock face. Hands only with no numbers displayed. No hidden features I could find.</li>
<li>Design Clock: An analog clock with each quarter of the face displaying a different color and word. The words include <em>partying</em>, <em>relaxing</em>, <em>chilling</em>, and <em>enjoying</em>. Tap the face to change.</li>
<li>Sports Clock: Also an analog clock, although the face graphics are sports balls. Tap to change from Basketball, Soccer, and Baseball. An android robot sits on top and wears a different sports jersey relating to the visible sport. Lakers for basketball, Dodgers for Baseball, and a red jersey for Soccer I don't recognize. The soccer droid is randomly animated with a quick lean to the right.</li>
<li>Day & Time: A digital display displaying the time, day, and date. You can set different scenes behind it that will change with your specific locale seasons. </li>
<li>Calendar: A simply flipcard widget that displays the weekday and date, as well as any current or upcoming events you may have added to the calendar. A tap in the widget takes you to the android calendar app. </li>
<li>Music Widget: Representing a CD player, it displays the current song title and album name, as well as the cover art as if printed on a CD. You get simply play controls including a play/pause button, and fwd/rev-prev/next buttons. Tap on the CD and it takes you to the Now Playing page of the music app. </li>
<li>Picture Frame: Looks like a stack of Polaroid prints. Prev and Next controls on the bottom. The current photo is displayed. Tap on the Photo to be taken to the pictures app. </li>
<li>Power Control: A bar of four control icons. They include WiFi, Bluetooth, and Sync on-off toggles, as well as a screen brightness 3-way toggle. Very handy.</li>
<li>Google Search: Basically a shortcut to Google web search. In Settings there are also options to search from among your apps and your contacts as well. Open Settings, then Search.</li>
<li>Videos: A simple shortcut to the Video app. It displays a snapshot from the last video played, as well as the filename and position % within that video last where you last left it. It also shows the time and date that video was last viewed. Tap on the overlaying PLAY icon to open the Video app at that position. </li>
</ul>6. <strong>Video app details</strong>:<br />
<ul><li>Opening the Video app leaves you on the Now Playing screen. To see a list of the onboard videos you'll need to tap the big arrow in the upper right corner.</li>
<li>Once in the video list view, you may or may not see your videos listed there. Videos should be saved in the Media/Videos folder. You can move up and down the directory folder structure with taps on the top line items. </li>
<li>You can search by Folders, Thumbnails, or Bookmarks.</li>
<li>If a playing video doesn't fill the whole screen, a long press on the center for a second or two will cycle through stretch-to-fit options.</li>
<li>Two-finger spread can stretch a video to fill the screen area, regardless of original side bars or aspect ratio.</li>
<li>Tap the D3's Settings icon for Details, AV Out control, Adding a bookmark, Screen capture, and more Settings.</li>
<li>Those additional settings include lengthy Subtitle options, Pan & Scan with Pinch-to-Zoom, Aspect ratio, a separate Pan & Scan option, AV out setting, Audio track choice, JetEffect (EQ) setting, Repeat, and Skip Interval.</li>
<li>Touchscreen devices really point out the interface flaw if you enjoy watching videos without looking through a smear of fingerprints. A great feature of the D3 is the external control buttons (top edge when playing video). Press the <strong>PLAY</strong> button to start or pause the video playing. The <strong>Next</strong>/<strong>Prev</strong> buttons will Fast Forward or Rewind your video <em>when held down</em>. Use the Skip Interval Setting mentioned above to set the fixed length you want <em>a single press</em> on those buttons to skip forward or back in the video. The power button (bottom edge when watching video) will also lock the touchscreen with a single press but leave the external buttons active. A great way to prevent accidental interruption of your video. </li>
</ul>7. <strong>Music app details</strong>:<br />
<ul><li>Opening the Music app leaves you on the Now Playing screen. To see a list of the onboard songs you'll need to tap the big arrow in the upper right corner.</li>
<li>While on the Now playing screen, a tap on the album art will display lyrics if any are associated with the current song.</li>
<li>Tap on the song title and it will take you to that song's alphabetic position in the main song list.</li>
<li>Tap on the Album name and it will take to the a list of all the songs in that album</li>
<li>Tap on the artist, and it will create a list including all the songs by that artist.</li>
<li>The song position bar near the bottom can be tapped to move directly to that relative position in the song, or you can slide your finger along the bar slowly to hear the song change as you find the new position.</li>
<li>For Music access or control when you are NOT in the music app, you have several choices:</li>
<ul><li>External buttons on the right side of the D3. Next/FFWD, Play/Pause, and Prev/REW. To fast forward or reverse, hold down the next or previous button respectively.</li>
<li>The Music widget. Place it on any home page, or all of them if you wish. Obvious Next, Play/Pause, and Prev buttons, and a tap on the cover art will take you to the Music Now Playing page. </li>
<li>The alert bar (top edge of the screen). When music is playing the play icon [>] will appear there. Slide down that alert bar to reveal ongoing info including the Title, Album, and Artist currently playing. Tap on it to be taken into the Music app. </li>
</ul></ul>8. <strong>Pictures app details</strong>: <br />
<ul><li>Opening the Pictures app leaves you on the Picture view screen. To see a list of the onboard photos you'll need to tap the big arrow in the upper right corner.</li>
<li>The Photo view screen has basic controls visible. From left to right across the bottom they are Rotate, Play, and Set as. At the top is displayed the number of photos in the current folder as well as the current image's position among them. </li>
<ul><li>Tap Rotate to temporarily rotate the current image 90 degrees clockwise. </li>
<li>Tap Play (>) to begin a slideshow of the images in the current folder. </li>
<li>Tap the center of the screen to turn on and off the on-screen controls. </li>
<li>Tap Set-as to pop up a window with options to set the current image as an icon for one of your <em>contacts</em>, or background <em>wallpaper</em> for the home screen. Pick Contact and you'll be taken to a list of your contacts. You can even create a new contact at that time which the selected photo will become the icon for. Use the D3's Back button to back out of any selection. </li>
</ul><li>Tap the D3's Menu button while in the pictures app to bring up List, Details, Share. Crop, Add-to-favorites, and additional Settings. </li>
<ul><li><strong>List</strong> takes you to the pictures file listing. You can then sort by Folders/Files, Thumbnails, or Favorites. </li>
<li><strong>Details</strong> brings up a window with File size, Resolution, and Date taken for the current image. </li>
<li><strong>Share</strong> pops up a window with Bluetooth and Email options to send the current photo through. </li>
<li><strong>Crop</strong> will overlay the current image with a green outline. Use one or two fingers to stretch the outline around the area you want cropped in the photo. Pan the outline around with a single finger in the middle of it. Tap the<strong> X</strong> to cancel the crop. Tap the <strong>storage icon</strong> to create a new picture file of just the area within the green outline. This does NOT overwrite the original file. </li>
<li><strong>Add to Favorites</strong> will add individual images to a list you can then choose to view separately from your big selection. Images in the favorites list will play back in the order they were added. Something to consider if you are putting together a specific slide show.</li>
<li><strong>Settings</strong> is where you'll find slideshow options. You can set both the interval (2, 3, or 4 seconds) and the transition (Fade in & out, Slide left-right, and Slide up-down). </li>
</ul><li>You can double-tap (to zoom in steps) or use two fingers to spread or pinch (zoom in or out). Use a single finger to pan around any image you have zoomed in on. </li>
<li>If you like music during your slide shows, press the external PLAY button to begin playing the last song that was played. </li>
</ul>9. <strong>Task Manager</strong>: Probably the most useful utility on the D3. Tap on it to open up a list of the running apps. Tap any app in the list to finish (stop) it. You can also tap the top bar to Finish All. Use the D3's BACK button to exit the Task Manager.<br />
<br />
10. <strong>Internet</strong>, the web browser. The D3's high resolution screen means it works great as a web browser. The capacitive screen reacts to a light tap. It will also zoom in on any web page with a two-finger spread, and zoom out with a pinch of two fingers. A double-tap will also zoom in on any column or photo. Options are three layers deep. This web browser will do just about every setting your desktop browser would have. There is no Flash support (yet). This will be your one frustration. <br />
<ul><li>With the browser open, tap the android menu button to bring up options including:</li>
<ul><li><strong>New window</strong>. Tap to open a new copy of your home page.</li>
<li><strong>Bookmarks</strong>. Tap to see an array view of bookmarked pages you've created, as well as several included standards. Pick from all bookmarks, Most Visited, or History.</li>
<li><strong>Windows</strong>. Tap to bring up a list of all open web pages and a New Window option.</li>
<li><strong>Refresh</strong>. Tap to reload the current page.</li>
<li><strong>Forward</strong>. Compliment to the D3's Back button.</li>
<li>and <strong>More</strong>. Tap More to bring up:</li>
<ul><li>Add bookmark</li>
<li>Find on page</li>
<li>Select text</li>
<li>Page info</li>
<li>Share page</li>
<li>Downloads</li>
<li>and Settings. Tap Settings to bring up:</li>
<ul><li>Text size (tiny to huge in 5 steps)</li>
<li>Default zoom (Far, Medium, or Close)</li>
<li>Open pages in overview (checkmark)</li>
<li>Text encoding (Latin, Unicode, and three Japanese options)</li>
<li>Block pop-up windows (checkmark)</li>
<li>Load images (checkmark)</li>
<li>Auto-fit pages (checkmark)</li>
<li>Landscape-only display (checkmark)</li>
<li>Enable JavaScript (checkmark)</li>
<li>Enable plug-ins (checkmark)</li>
<li>Open in background (checkmark)</li>
<li>Set home page (text input pop-up)</li>
<li>Clear cache</li>
<li>Clear history</li>
<li>Accept cookies (checkmark)</li>
<li>Clear all cookie data </li>
<li>Remember form data (checkmark)</li>
<li>Clear form data</li>
<li>Remember passwords (checkmark)</li>
<li>Clear passwords</li>
<li>Show security warnings (checkmark)</li>
<li>Website settings (advanced for individual websites)</li>
<li>Reset to default.</li>
</ul></ul></ul></ul>11. <strong>Installing Applications</strong><br />
<ul><li>There is no app store on the D3. Once hooked up to your PC and mounted though, you can access the folders on its storage space. One is APK. Any android program file (*.apk) you can find on the web can be copied to this folder. Once the D3 is safely disconnected from your PC it will notice and then offer to install any programs it finds in that folder. </li>
<li>The D3 is NOT a pure android device. Cowon has altered it somewhat, and so not every android program you might find will run perfectly. Proceed with caution. </li>
</ul><br />
That's all for now. The D3 comes with several other apps, but how many will be used will vary with each owner. You can read more about them at <a href="http://www.cowonglobal.com/product_wide/COWOND3/product_page_2.php">Cowon.com</a>. My inital review of the D3 can be found <a href="http://4dthinker.blogspot.com/2011/02/cowon-d3-review-getting-better-daily.html">HERE</a>. <br />
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4D<br />
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PS... If you enjoy my blog, please consider tapping on any ad you find here. Thanks!4DThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11368303705408227143noreply@blogger.com8