Review: The Brick from Binatone

When one of the first press releases I saw from CES this year was the announcement from Binatone that they were bringing back the old Brick cell phone form factor from the late '80s/ early '90s I was sceptical.  When I read further and saw that it could not only work as a 2G cell phone but could also function as a bluetooth handset for my iPhone, I get a little more intrgued.

While the exterior dimensions are familiar to anyone who grew up with these phones, the first thing you will notice is the weight being greatly reduced.  Modern electronics are a lot smaller and lighter, and it is noticeable.  The Brick will support an optional XXL battery that will provide up to 6 months of standy time(!), but ships with a battery that provided me with about 3 days during normal use connected via bluetooth to my iPhone.

In addition to it's bluetooth functionality it also has a built-in FM radio, calendar,  everyones favorite cell phone game snake, an alarm clock, and will access your address book via bluetooth from your smartphone so that you don't need to program numbers into it to dial.

In all, it works as designed, and has that old school charm that will bring back those early days of technology for a lot of us.  Sound quality is very good, and volume is surprisingly loud from the speaker.

I must not be the only one intrigued, as their inventory is completely sold out and backordered for several weeks.  I'd pre-order now, as they are likely to stay sold out for a while.  The device can be ordered for $69.99 from their website.

Kickstarter Project: Dustcloud

Dustcloud is an interesting new Kickstarter project that has me intrigued.  The idea and proof of concept evolved in Prague during 2012, while the people involved worked together in a bar in the old city.  They came up with a spy game, and started brainstorming how they could make it work online.  The result took them to China to design hardware, and resulted in an ambitious project.  Their goal is to build a combination social network and online role playing game based on cold-war era espionage and assassination.

The only issue is that it's ultimate success will depend greatly on rapid adoption.  In Europe it would be easier, as travel between countries is much more common, but in the USA unless a large number of players in major cities are involved it would become boring pretty quickly.  It is definitely an interesting idea, and one that I plan to keep an eye on though.

You can find more details here.

CES 2014: Sphero announce newest addition to line of smartphone controlled robots

Sphero today announced the upcoming release of their newest connected toy, the Sphero 2B.  Sporting dual wheels instead of their previous ball, the newest addition should add some great new games and features to their ever growing catalog of interactive toys.  Check out the video and information below for more details.

Sphero 2B: The newest addition to the Sphero family of connected toys | Sphero Robot Ball:

Introducing Sphero 2B THE NEWEST ADDITION TO THE SPHERO FAMILY OF CONNECTED TOYS

First Look: Kindle Fire 7" HDX

The newest version of the Kindle Fire from Amazon.com started arriving at homes across the country today, and mine has been here for a few hours now.  First thing you notice is that Amazon put some time into packaging this time around.  Previous Kindle units have arived in a brown cardboard box with very few frills.  This time around we have stamped foil and full color graphics.  This is not critical, but it signals that Amazon is taking the fire far more seriously now than they have in the past.  A lot of that may be their sales in other retail stores, but I think with the HDX and all of the innovation it brings Amazon is finally where Jeff Bezos and his team always envisioned the Kindle would be: a single digital portal to everything the company offers in terms of entertainment and service.

The Fire HD that we saw last year was a decent Android tablet, but the Fire HDX is lightyears beyond.  The polish in this the third version of the KindleOS (now dubbed Mojito) is clear.  Add to this the hardware improvements and you start to see just how important this device can be.

The Welcome screen guides you through using the KindleWhen you power the kindle on you are guided through the setup process.  This is simplified if you have bought it online from Amazon as the device has already been registered to your Amazon account.  As you can see in the background of the picture above, my most recent book downloads are already there waiting for me to start reading once I complete orientation.  The wide range of entertainment options available through Amazon's cloud services is very comprehensive, and anything you have ever purchased is available to be downloaded or streamed immediately.  With the included PRIME membership you also gain access to free ebook rentals, streaming TV, and movies.  If you have never had the PRIME treatment before, this is a wake up call that you do NOT want to let the subscription lapse.

Now the important thing, use.  i obviously haven't had it long enough for a comprehensive review, but the speeed and elegance of this tablet is not to be ignored.  Sound is crisp, clear, and much louder than before.  The enhanced resolution of this model (1920x1200) means it has one of the crispest displays you will find in a tablet of this size.  In all there is no way to be disapointed in the hardware.

Many have been critical of the fact that Kindle devices do not have access to the Google Play store, but unless you have already invested money in Google's store I don't think you will miss the "Official" android marketplace.  Amazon has built their own OS from the skeleton of Android, it will not resemble any version of the "Official" AndroidOS you have ever seen.  However I think that Amazon does one thing better than any other player in this game:  they know what their customers want.  For the vast majority of Kindle buyers what is wanted (and needed) is something that is easy to use and understand.  Add the new live concierge support that the "MayDay" button brings and you have a recipe for great customer experience.

I'll have a full review in a few days, but right now I can't think of anything that I will find that could possibly change my take on this device.  If you've been waiting for a new tablet and aren't waiting to see what Apple announces next week, get this one before supply is limited.

Breaking: Amazon announces new Kindle Fire HDX

The new Kindle Fire HDX features full 1080P HDAmazon today has announced the latest in their Kindle line of tablets, the Kindle Fire HDX 7" and Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" tablets.  The 7" features a 1920x1280 display at 323ppi, Quad Core 2.2Ghz processor, dedicated video chip, and 2GB of RAM and will start at $229 when it goes on sale Oct. 18, 2013.  The 8.9" version upgrades the display to 2560x1600 at 339ppi and will start at $379 when it ships Nov. 7, 2013.  Both are available in 4G versions for $100 premium, and this time are available both on AT&T and Verizon.

Amazon is also adding a new feature to the HDX line, something they are calling the "Mayday Button".  Pressing this button will connect you to a live video chat with support personell and gives them the ability to see your Kindle's screen and even draw on it like a telestrator to show you exactly where to touch.  Not a new concept in support, but definately new to the tablet world.

In all this new offering looks amazing, and as always I'll be recieving a unit on launch day to review.  Stay tuned, this should be good.

Review: Google Chromecast

On July 24th Google held a press conference, and the world expected to see the new Nexus 7 tablet for the first time.  What no one expected was for Google to make another play for the TV and connected devices market, but that is exactly what they did with the announcement of the Chromecast.

The focus of the Chromecast is much like Apple's AirPlay with the Apple TV in that new Android apps will now have an API available to allow for video to stream to your TV.  The twist is that you can also stream video from the Chrome browser on any computer or device for which it is available, meaning every operating system and most mobile devices on the market today.

Setup was very easy.  Simply plug the Chromecast into an open HDMI port on your TV and switch to that input, then point your Chrome web browser to the setup page.  Download the Chromecast application and you will connect to the device to join it to your wi-fi network.

That is all it takes to get your Chromecast up and running.  Now any video that you can stream over the internet or even web page can be sent to your TV with the click of a button in your web browser. 

The ChromecastPackaging includes power supply, micro-usb cable, and HDMI extension if neededThe Chromecast's configuration software is dead simple to useThe amazing thing about this announcement is that it included three free months of NetFlix service (a $27 dollar value) for the $35 pricetag.  That means that this device really only costs you $9.00, an incredible bargain by anyone's standards.

Video controlled by the Netflix app on my Galaxy Note and displayed via the Chromecast

Special Event: Google I/O: What's New in Android, Chrome, and Beyond

Yesterday Google opened their I/O developers conference with some big announcements.  From a montly music subscription to a new all-in-one chat application called Google HangOuts, Google is taking technology, especially on their Android platform to new highs.  They also began the push for new smaller image and video formats to make sharing special events with family and customers more cost effective, reducing file sizes more than 25% with BETTER quality.  

Only time will tell how impacting these announcements will be, but the folks at Google sure made a splash.  Follow the link below for more details from the folks at Gizmodo.

Google I/O: What's New in Android, Chrome, and Beyond (Updating):

Google I/O: What's New in Android, Chrome, and Beyond

New rugged tablet trying to come to market - Meet Earl!

This is one of the most promising crowd-funded projects I've seen in a while.  The concept is a rugged e-ink based tablet, which is able to charge fully in 5 hours of sunlight.  The e-ink will keep power usage low, extending runtime to an awesome 20 hours between charges.  This thing is loaded with features and is almost ready for production, they just need some pre-orders to get them there. With a backer price of $249, this could be a huge hit for those who love the outdoors.  Check it out at the link below:

Earl - Backcountry Survival Tablet:

Meet Earl, a revolutionary tablet engineered for the most extreme of outdoor situations. Built for survival, Earl works where today's smart phones and tablets cannot. Style meets efficiency with Earl's intuitive design, fusing Android 4.1 together with an energy sipping E-Ink screen and the latest in GPS, weather sensor, and radio communication technology. With Earl at your side, stay in control of your journey no matter where it takes you.