Vertical Technology Blog

I recently had in hand the Samsung Epix (AT&T) and used the phone for about two weeks.  My first impression after unpacking the phone was that it was not as thin as my Samsung Blackjack II, and that was a little disappointing, as I always praise Samsung for their design being so thin.  But, after using the features, I found many reasons to like the Epix.

The Samsung Epix has the keyboard similar to the Blackjack II so I was comfortable using it right off.  There is an optical mouse for navigation but I hardly used it and I found the inclusion of it unneeded.  The Samsung Epix utilizes the Windows Mobile Pro OS and I liked most of the features it brought across as well as the added little touches (such as touch-screen ease) while adding contacts or notes to a contact.  There was a stylus to make handwriting easy and it was able to recognize mine quickly and easily so I tapped out quite a few notes using it.

Samsung did great by adding an extra sized 1800mAh battery with this phone, because it now has around 7 hours of battery life.  The phone also is more powerful with features like Wi-Fi, GPS, 3G networking.

A few of the third-party apps were fun to use and that almost outweighed my surprise that the phone was heavier and thicker than my Blackjack II device.  The camera interface was nicer with touch screen options to make taking a photo and changing things up easier.  Overall, the Epix was a great upgrade option but since I’m pretty spoiled to using my Blackjack II right now, I’m going to hold out and see what is available in a few months.

If you are a lover of photos, the T-Mobile cameo™ frame will allow you to have some fun with your hobby.  I recently reviewed this little frame and although many are commenting on the pricetag being high, the device would certainly serve a good purpose in certain situations and that makes it worth every penny.

This cameo™ frame allows you (and anyone you share the device phone number with) to post photos, text messages, and picture messages directly to the device.  You simply take photos using your phone and then send them, like you would to share them with friends, to the frame’s phone number.  In just moments they show up on the frame and you can utilize the menu to rotate and change your view if needed.  You can also e-mail the frame using the phone number and @tmomail.net.

In addition to all this, you have the added capability to use a memory card with photos and also transfer your favorite photos from your computer to the frame.  There is a $9.99 a month fee to send photos to the frame with your phone or through e-mail and the frame has a price tag of around $99.00 but for the right person, this would be well worth the extra cost to enjoy photos and be able to share them with others.

This is not available to order online, but you can find a nearby T-Mobile store and shop for yours, today.

An amazing Bluetooth headset arrived at my door the other day and I’ve had the pleasure to test out the features this past week.  The Plantronics Discovery 925 has had quite a bit of good press lately so I was excited to be able to review one myself.  When it arrived I went pretty easy on it, charging it up as the directions stated, and taking time to read the brief but precise directions.  That didn’t last long because I wanted to really put it to the test during my work week.

Opening the package revealed not only the VFrame design, that is impressive alone, but also a new feature I haven’t been exposed to yet with headsets–a carrying case with a battery for charging on the run.  Recharging can be done either directly via the headset and an AC plug or by placing the fancy headset into the case (which holds the Discovery 925 with a firm grip, no charging mistakes there) and plugging the AC into the bottom of that.  Then, later in the day when you are not using your headset, you can place it directly into the charged up case and recharge it between meetings or travels.

Plantronics has an AudioIQ noise control technology that passed my “convertible” test well.  I drive home from work with the top down on my car and I made several calls while both on side streets and on the highway (windows up, of course) and I had no problem hearing or conversing with the other party.  Impressive!  I can’t say they couldn’t hear road noise, but the conversation wasn’t halted because of it.

The setup with my Blackjack II was painless and quick, and the battery life has been incredible with the extended feature of the charging case.  Plantronics says that 5 hours of talk time can be enjoyed and 7 days standby, but add in the case charging time and I think that gets automatically extended.

Three sizes of eartips are shipped with the headset but I used the one it came with and haven’t had an issue with it falling out of my ear or moving.  I had previously insisted all my headsets have an over-the-ear design, but this product has converted me.  Light (so light I forget I am wearing it constantly) and easy to keep safe and charged up, this would make an excellent gift for business or pleasure seekers.

It tops my list of Bluetooth headsets that I recommend to others, for sure.  I think I’ve used the L-word a few times, too.  Shh!

I have been contemplating an upgrade to my Toshiba laptop but when dealing with laptops you have more than one option.  Instead of upgrading to a newer model, I could reformat and work on upgrading the memory.  I have been using my iPhone far more than my laptop lately and I haven’t put to use mobile broadband options because I have a setup at home that’s perfect.

I used to do more gaming with my system but since I lack the time, WoW hasn’t been the center of my life.  I don’t really need the power of a gaming system but I do need something that can keep up with my photo editing and multi-tasking.  I tend to do quite a lot of that with reviews and blogging.

If I do decide to upgrade I will probably shop laptops and the newer netbooks so that I know what my best buy would be.  For now, I will consider a reformat and a little more RAM to keep things going until it’s more convenient to spend the money on a better system.  There are some great deals on desktops, too, but I prefer to work with a laptop so that I can take it anywhere I travel.  That is a convenience I just can’t give up.

About 4 years ago I considered myself a hardcore case modder.  I got a new case and took my Dremel to it and after 30 hours of work and many case fans later I had a computer case sporting no less than 9 LED 80mm fans complete with cold cathode lighting inside.  It looked great when it was lit up but it sounded like a B-12 bomber was in the room with you. 

Water cooling was always there, but out of my budget and to be honest I didn’t feel comfortable putting water that close to my precious gaming rig.  Hardcore Computer (www.hardcorecomputer.com) has an unexpected alternative.  They have created a dielectric mineral oil cooled PC they call The Reactor.  The really interesting thing is that the coolant is not piped throughout plastic tubing and blocks attached to critical points in your PC case. 

The whole computer is immersed in a case filled with the oil.  This has been done with a 10 gallon aquarium and cooking oil, but after a few days it will get a nice stench to it.  Standard platter hard drives are not used in their configurations.  Instead they use SSD drives so they can be submersed as well.  Hardcore Computer systems start out at $4000 and go up as much as $11,000.  Not a bad way to blow through your kid’s inheritance.

Motorola has released the Motopure H12 which utilizes CrystalTalk 2-microphone technology which works to cancel any outside noise and make your voice clear to listen to for your callers.  The speakers that are incoming offer multiple choices of cushions so that you can pick the best fit.

The Motopure H12 is small and has a great look.  The sleek design of the H12 impressed me and the light fit made it easy to forget that I had the bluetooth on my ear.  With a talk time of 5.5 hours and a boasted standby time of 200 hours, the H12 is certainly easy to add to your list of wants, and will keep you mobile at your busiest times.

The Motopure has an automatic low power mode and LED light to help you keep up with your battery use.  An easy to use USB charger and dock kept the H12 powered up when not in use and I loved the ability to answer, end, reject, mute and hold calls with the touch of a button.  The Bluetooth Class 2 wireless technology is a must-have and the range of the headset is up to 33 feet.

Overall, a great experience with easy charging, light wear and easy-to-hear conversations.

Being a notebook user I really enjoyed using the Kensington Si750m Notebook Laser Mouse.  It features an easily held shape that was very comfortable with extended use.  The high resolution laser sensor was quick to react to my pointed movements and the mouse is nicely compact.

You store the receiver inside the mouse and when you place it inside, the mouse automatically turns off to save your batteries.  It has 2.4Ghz high-speed performance, and I even used this while gaming, it did wonderful.  I didn’t test out the range but they claim it has up to 30 feet.

The battery lasted and lasted, they say it should hold about a 6 month charge with only 1 AA.  I’m still testing this.  Being easy to use and lightweight make it a first choice when I am packing my laptop up to take it with me.  I don’t fret over the size or weight and it’s easily stored in a side pocket of my laptop case.  It has a small footprint but that didn’t interfere with the use.

Kensington offers a free 5 year warranty and technical support with each mouse and they have a metallic pink version for those of us that like to flaunt our Diva selves.

NetBlender has BD Touch technology that will work directly with BD Live and allow your iPhone or iPod Touch to interact with your Blu-ray player.  BD Touch would utilize the geo location features of your iPhone, the 3D sensors and easy to use QWERTY keyboard to enhance your experience.  This opens doors for you to enjoy a large amount of data trading between your gadgets.

You could keep detailed lists of your Blu-ray collection and get movie suggestions that match your taste.  While the movie is playing, trivia and extra information about the movie can be displayed.  Games and other features could definitely enhance things for you as well.  All of these things can happen as the Blu-ray is playing.

Also, your iPhone can be morphed into a lovely remote control for your Blu-ray player and keep things easily controlled from afar as you enjoy your collection.  It works over a WiFi connection, so no matter where you are located, if you have that, you can enjoy BD Touch technology fairly easily.

For such a company as Apple, with a name that so many are familiar with, it’s still a great claim to be on top of the “brand” pile.  You can be known as a brand for good or bad things, and overall, people are saying they put Apple in the number one spot even though they have had a few things try to slow them down.

Brandjunkie.com claims that with six out of ten questions, Apple stays on top of the rest as a name that people believe in when buying products.

They point out that innovation is of huge value to those surveyed, along with reliability and simplicity.  Read up on the results over on the site and you’ll see other brands mentioned like Microsoft and Nike.  I enjoyed reading this article and seeing how brand names impact our society so much.

Grace Digital has a wonderful gadget named the XLink that is a cellular bluetooth gateway.  It utilizes your home phone convenience and merges that with your cellular phone usage.  XLink was super easy to set up and worked on my first try.  I followed the simple instructions, plugged the XLink into the phone and immediately found the XLink in my Bluetooth list.

The connection was easily established and the sound was clear.  It connected my cellphone with a standard cordless that I had in the house.  Then, I was able to use my home phone receiver but all the calls coming into my cellphone rang into the house phone.  I can see this being very practical for people with National plans that desire to call long distance with a cellphone plan but wish to use the home phone receiver.

Simple to use, very few buttons, easy to understand lights and the convenience of Bluetooth were great combinations.  Caller ID and Call Waiting work just fine, so you don’t sacrifice features, here.  You can also connect the XLink to your PC for more advanced use.