The controls are OK, some maneuvers need a little bit to get used to. To get around, it is easily all controlled by the D-Pad with a jump action and your right thumb stick to move your view. You can also get around by swinging with a built in hook from your bionic arm, which is rather difficult. First you must aim and make sure the surface is able to be hooked, then you line up and fire your hook, from here you can either pull yourself right to the structure or grapple your way to a roof. You can also use it to swing from a light post to a monorail, the possibilities are limitless but when you have 5 or 6 guys hunting you down and shooting at you, trying to fiddle with this when you only have mere seconds to move can be challenging to say the least.

The weapons are pretty good, anything from your classic 9mm to a shot gun, You can only carry 48 rounds at a time on most weapons so if you are a trigger happy shooter type, I would seek out a cheat code for unlimited ammo and weapons. To aim you will see your circle target light up red when you are on target otherwise it will be white. You can zoom in by pressing your right thumb stick in. This would be a great feature for some other shooter games to put into play.

The graphics are decent during the game, similar to looks of the recent Capcom game, Resident Evil. One thing that I did not find to be helpful is in areas of radiation, lighting seemed to be an issue. Areas affected by radiation  are defined by a glowing blue color, these are areas you should not venture into, you will die within a few seconds. However due to the lighting, it is hard to actually tell which is a contaminated area, from above it is much easier to tell, but that does not help you when you are on the move on the ground.To get around there is no map, just your immediate target area is highlighted in the corner of the screen. You need to keep following your relays to stay on path. This was ok, but I still would prefer a full map feature. It is difficult when you are completely lost and cannot figure out how to get around buildings and radiation.

Sometimes classic games shouldn’t be messed with and even though it lacked the fancy schmancy graphics of this latest version. I still enjoyed the retro Bionic Commando much more. For those who are to young to remember the classic version, probably will enjoy this even with the frustrating movements of the bionic arm, those who remember the good ole’ days will probably not appreciate the remake. Bionic Commando retails for $39.79.

Good: As always Capcom doesn’t let us down with awesome graphics and a decent storyline.

Bad: Controls could be frustrating. Bionic arm was more of a pain than it was worth trying to get it to work, before getting killed.

The new Canon PowerShot SX200 IS packs in a lot of features considering that it’s still just a compact camera. For starters it’s got a 12x optical zoom to compliment its 12.1 megapixels. It’s also capable of going up to IS0 3200, it has got a 3.0″ LCD screen, an optical image stabilizer, and for those who dig HD – you can record HD video with a resolution of 1280×720 pixels. The SX200 IS also has HDMI output so you can connect it directly to your TV. Design wise, it’s got a somewhat traditional and boxy looking design which might not appeal to everyone, but it does come in the color choices of black, red, or blue. The Canon PowerShot SX200 IS is available now for $349.99. Overall, this is definitely more of a prosumer compact, and we expect it to make great shots like most of the PowerShot line.

You won’t be making a fashion statement with this hat, that is for sure. But it will display how committed you are to producing green energy. The Solar Powered Ventilated Cap will help you avoid the sun and keep you cool at the same time as it transforms the solar energy to operate a working fan on the bill of your hat. The hat itself is your typical adjustable baseball hat and there is no need for any extra batteries as the hat charges itself. It’s available only in blue and at Computer Geeks.com

Design:
Lacie’s new iamaKey promises to be shock-proof, scratch-proof and water resistant. And the iamaKey does indeed have a sturdy design – just like a real key. It’s also got a silver metallic finish like ordinary keys and thus it will easily blend in unassumingly on your key chain.

The iamaKey feels like it will withstand the riggers of everyday use much better than your average plastic USB key, and it seems like it will also have a longer shelf life than ordinary USB keys. The iamaKey is definitely a USB key for the clumsier amongst us or those that work and play too hard for their poor little flash drive’s own good. The iamaKey also come with a little see-through plastic cap to cover the part the USB connector, the cap fits snuggly, but we imagine that it can be easily forgotten or left behind because it’s so small and see-through. And by the time we actually got to writing this review, we had already misplaced the cap.

Performance:
Lacie claims read speeds of up to 30MB/s and write speeds up to 10MB/s. In real world tests we got consistent 10MB/s read and write speeds on average when transferring video files on to the iamaKey. Below are the Xbench’s results. We also noticed that the iamaKey heated up significantly during use.

Conclusion:
If you’re in the market for a USB key that is quirky, rugged, and affordable – look no further. Lacie’s iamaKey comes in 2 capacities – of 4GB or 8GB and it comes standard with a 2 year warranty. The 4GB version retails for $17.99 and the 8GB is $27.99.

The Good:
Adorable design, more rugged than your average USB key, affordable

The bad:
USB connector cap is easy to misplace

Pantech C820 Matrix Pro

Hardware:
The Pantech Matrix Pro’s hardware is solid and feels sturdy. The Matrix Pro sports a metallic finish and curvy top and bottom. Unfortunately the Matrix Pro’s screen tends to attract fingerprints and smudges, so you might want to keep a wipe handy. Overall, it is not the most attractive phone in the world, but definitely pleasant looking, especially considering that many phones which manage to fit in two keypads end up being pretty fuggly.

The Pantech Matrix Pro is on the small size for a smart phone, width and height wise (4.17 x 2.0 x 0.85 inches) – so it will fit in your pocket easily. However, it will also bulge out of your pocket a bit because the inclusion of two keypads end up making it pretty thick. Though the Matrix Pro weighs 5.3 ounces, which isn’t all that much, for some reason the handset also feels a bit hefty in your hand. It’s also got a 2.4” screen with a 240×320 resolution. The screen is clear and pretty bright, and is pretty much on par with other similar Windows Mobile smartphones.

The keyboard on the Matrix Pro feels good to type on and key presses feel slightly stiff but comfortable. The keyboard surface area is smaller though then lets say the T-mobile G1, and is made up of just 3 rows, and as a result it is a bit more cramped. However I still found it comfortable to use. The numeric dial pad is made up of totally flat keys, sort of RAZR style, but they are also comfortable to dial with. The sides of the phone sport dedicated volume controls, a camera button and a record button. Its front face holds dial and end keys as well as a circular navigation key that looks like it’s ready to be a scroll wheel, but it’s unfortunately not one.

In the box you get a sync cable, software CD, charger, 3.5mm headphone adapter, a case and a manual.

Interface / Home screen:
One of the strongest aspects of Windows Mobile 6.1 over its predecessors are the slick updates to the home screen layout which includes a new slide panel layout that now lets you easily access things like recent calls, get access to your voicemail, text messages, mms, email, appointments, AT&T services (xpress mail, instant messenger, media net, media mail) and settings (profile wireless manager, ringtones, background image and task manager) without leaving the home screen. You can now also scroll through, and play music from your Windows Media playlist. The slide panel home screen can even show off the album art associated with the track you’re playing. While this new home screen option is very welcome, the rest of the Windows Mobile 6.1 interface is starting to look old.

Overall, navigating through the OS didn’t feel sluggish and overall the phone had good pep, though there were pretty minor delays, like a second or so delay when switching between landscape / QWERTY and portrait views. The handset comes ships with just 256MB of ROM and 128 megs of RAM, but it sports an SDHC slot for up to 32GB expandable memory.

For those of you looking for a touch screen, the Matrix Pro does not have one, however between both keypads you don’t feel like you’re missing one. Also, the OS is designed well for phones without touchscreens. That said, we do wish that the circular navigation button on the front face doubled as a scroll wheel.

Call Quality:
Call Quality was very good on the Matrix Pro, testing in New York City, I could hear callers clearly and vice versa. I generally had full bars as well, but then again I only have gotten a chance to test in an area which is known to have good coverage. The speakerphone worked ok, but often callers on the other end said they had some difficulty hearing me when talking to them on speakerphone. Also the speakerphone does not get quite loud enough for noisier environments. Overall, the phone’s battery can manage to last a few days with light use and even over a day with moderate use. In contrast, most smartphone I’ve worked with tank out after a day of even moderate use.

Software:
The Matrix Pro comes with plenty of software including an instant messaging app that gives you access to AIM, Yahoo and MSN messenger, a weather app, a PDF program, a Java VM app for running other Java based apps, a mobile banking app as well as AT&T’s optional specialized services like Xpress Mail and MobiTV, and AT&T’s Navigator application which takes advantage of the built-in GPS. Office Mobile is also included which contains Excel, OneNote, Powerpoint and Word Mobile. Oddly, there are some apps, like the Mobile Banking app which have icons in the menu system but aren’t actually installed on the device yet until you manually download them. The handset also comes with a great selection of games, including Guitar Hero 3 Mobile, Brain Challenge, Bubble Breaker, Jewel Quest II, Midnight Pool, Ms. Pac Man, Scrabble, Solitaire, and Tetris. Unfortunately many of these like Ms. Pac-man and Guitar Hero 3 are just demos, which is a bummer.

Internet:
The Matrix Pro does not have Wi-Fi abilities, instead you have to rely on only 3G for surfing the net speedily. The Matrix Pro comes preloaded with Internet Explorer, of course. Using DSLReports’ Mobile speed test, the Matrix Pro came up with a 120kbit/sec result. Surfing the net with AT&T’s 3G network in NYC felt pretty fast, even when using bloated Internet Explorer. However, I would highly recommend downloading the free Skyfire browser which is a lot faster than I.E. and also emulates the closest desktop surfing experience possible on a Windows Mobile smartphone. Skyfire also renders web pages better than Internet Explorer and overall takes better advantage of AT&T’s 3G network. In order to understand just how much faster Skyfire is, check out the loading time comparisons below.

Internet Explorer:
1:05 for ChipChick.com
8 Seconds for m.cnn.com

Skyfire:
23 Seconds for ChipChick.com
5 Seconds for m.cnn.com

E-mail:
Windows Mobile of course integrates with Microsoft Exchange beautifully and does a good job of playing nicely with imap and pop3 accounts. However, the Matrix Pro also comes with support for AT&T’s Xpress mail which is a $4.99 a month push email service that lets you get your mail as soon as the email server receives a new one. It’s compatible with most personal email accounts including Yahoo! Mail, AOL, Windows Live Hotmail (MSN, Hotmail and Live), Comcast, EarthLink, and others. Xpress Mail also saves the devices from running scheduled sync if there is no mail and it enables you to to sync contacts and schedules with your phone.

Multimedia:
A trial of MobiTV is included. MobiTV offers the ability to stream TV popular TV shows to your handset. I was able to watch streaming episodes of Lost without a hitch. Granted the screen isn’t big enough for watching video for serious lengths of time, but it was awesome being able to watch some TV while waiting for the train. Other notable preinstalled multimedia apps include Pandora for free music listening, a trial for XM radio Mobile and for MobiVJ which provides access to music videos, and there is also access to AT&T’s music shop.

As for audio and video playback, the device comes with the standard Windows Media Player which lets you access your music by artist, album, and genre. Album art and star ratings can also be viewed while listening to tracks. Unfortunately the Matrix Pro comes uses a proprietary headphone jack. The T-mobile G1 is guilty of the same offense. We can’t understand why companies would bother making a multimedia handset with anything but a 3.5mm jack. However, to their credit, at-least Pantech does ship the Matrix Pro with a 3.5mm adapter.

Camera:
The Matrix Pro sports a 2 megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom. Both the camera and video recording/camcorder function give you a nice amount of options such different choices for white balance settings including Auto, daylight, cloudy, and fluorescent. You also have options for special effects: Normal, gray, sepia, and negative, and a self timer. The video recording is nothing to write home about with just  a 176×144 resolution. But it’s a nice feature to have regardless. The camera photos also were just mediocre and like most other average camera phones, photos taken in the daylight came out much better. And unfortunately, the camera sorely lacks a flash.

Conclusion:
I have to be honest and admit that until now, I hadn’t paid all that much attention to Pantech’s handsets. But after spending time with the Pantech Matrix Pro, I have come away pleasantly surprised at what a solid phone it is overall. For those looking for the best of both worlds as far keypads, an affordable price tag, and a solid feature set for a business phone with decent multimedia capabilities, the Matrix Pro doesn’t disappoint. The Pantech Matrix Pro C820 retails for $179.99 with a 2 year contract from AT&T. Alternatively you can pick one up from Amazon for just $99 with a 2 year contract.

The Good:
Dual keypad form factor is very cool, great messaging and email abilities, good overall performance, fast internet browsing and multimedia streaming, good call quality, solid feature set.

Bad:
No Wi-Fi, lacks dedicated 3.5mm jack for audio, Windows Mobile isn’t the hot shot OS that it used to be, camera lacks flash and its photos are mediocre.

Meet Robot Dreamy Tina, the newest member of the Philips Active Crystals line from Swarovski. She joins her relatives Robot Happy Laura and Robot Naughty Raymond. Dreamy Tina has cute pinkish cheeks and her violet outfit is filled with Swarovski crystals. This is a perfect adornment that can be worn as a pendant or charm. Tina can store up to 500 songs or 2000 photos with her 2GB capacity and her LED ears shine as data is transferred, she retails for a whopping $180.

Last September we reported on the Aexea KeyXpress USB Key that actually looked like a ‘key’. Well who knew the firestorm that would incur, blogging about what ended up being labeled a ‘crapgadget’.  Just released today, the iamaKey and itsaKey ( unique names ) come in 4GB and 8GB capacities from LaCie and your eyes aren’t deceiving you – they look like real keys!. The third addition to the line is the the PassKey which is a microSD card reader. Designed by 5.5 Designers. The ‘keys’ are designed literally to look like metal keys you would use in a typical lock and each will fit nicely on to a key ring or in a pocket. The keys are made to be durable like its real counterparts, being able to withstand various conditions. The gold SIP connector on the iamakey is both water and scratch resistant. The LaCie iamaKey, itsaKey and PassKey can be used with both PC and Mac and are available now, starting at $9.99 at LaCie .

I never really considered anything made by Coby all that great, but once in awhile they do release something that is a little bit different than its counterparts, that doesn’t appear to be a total clone. The Coby MP565 Clip MP3 Player with LCD Display looks almost like a clothespin rather than an MP3 player. It’s a cute little compact and convenient way to take your music with you and it even has a decent set of features. It supports MP3 and WMA files, shuffle playback, and has a LCD display with a 7-color backlight. It comes in black and silver and both have a 1GB capacity. The black one however comes in 2GB as well.  It can be found at Amazon, J&R, and Home Depot (strange!) starting at $19 bucks and up.

Looking to spice up your ever growing USB Flash Drive collection? Then this cute little retro robot might fit the bill. The USB Robot comes in a 1GB capacity and in the colors green, black, and blue. Just yank his head apart from the body and plug the little guy into your computer. When you transfer files to him, his little eyes will light up! Retailing for only $15, its a great gift for those that love robots, terminators or cylons, and you won’t have to worry about it turning on you… fo rnow anyway

Sometimes something comes around that isn’t necessarily techie but is still pretty damn cool, that you just have to write about it.  No this is not some latest addition to the Hello Kitty line… it’s an Albino dolphin that is the color pink. This extremely rare dolphin was found around Lake Calcasieu, an inland saltwater estuary, north of the Gulf of Mexico by a boat captain.  The dolphin is indeed pink from head to tail with reddish eyes.  He had been seen at least 50 times in the same areas since originally spotted. It is truly a site to behold.

Ever want to go vroom vroom with your usb key? Well now you can and its even in the shape of a Nascar. This officially licensed Nascar product offers a selection of USB keys that are 1:88 scale replica design. Each one is named after a famed driver, be it Dale Jr. or Jeff Gordon. The storage capacity is 4GB and comes pre-loaded with driver specific videos, pictures, and sounds. The tail-light even flashes indicating activity. All of this and an official Nascar logo lanyard too! The DataStick Nascar USB Flash Drive can be found in several retailers including Amazon for only $19.00

Finally a creative use for wasted energy. Scientists are figuring out a way to utilize the bio mechanical energy emitted as people exercise or perform daily tasks. To research this ability, hamsters are being monitored for what they do best – running in a wheel. Devices are strapped to the animals as they run in their wheel and the bio mechanical energy is captured as they exercise. “Dr Zhong Lin Wang of Georgia University’s Nano Research Group developed the flexible jackets, which are fitted with wires plugged into a nanogenerator that produces energy when they are bent and stretched.” One test result from a hamster produced a small amount of AC power. Dr. Zhong believes in 5 years that this technology could be outfitted in clothes for people and then used to charge cell phones or other devices. Or maybe your pet hamster will be powering your iPod? Read more here.

Just released is the Philips SIC4714BB/27 digital camera.  It’s not your typical looking camera and honestly I’m not sure if it’s trying to capture the Flip Mino crowd or what …but with just 1.3MP it’s going to have a very hard time. It shoots photos, video, and records voice memos  and it’s small enough to slip into just about anything. Some of the features include a VGA resolution, a 1.5″ LCD display and a SD expansion slot. No pricing is available yet, however I think you can find other ways to spend your money then on this useless item that doesn’t do anything more than your cellphone does. Especially when cellphones have a minimum of 1.3 MP these days too.

Samsung A767 Propel

LAST DAY TO ENTER IS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19TH.

The Propel is the perfect quick messaging device for heavy users. And as you might expect, Valentine’s Day is one of the biggest text messaging days of the year—inextricably linking texting with the universal language of love!

• 36% of texters intend to send a text or picture message in celebration of Valentine’s Day
• 61% plan to send a text message to someone with whom they’re currently in a relationship, while another 35% plan to send a text message to a friend of family member
• 40% of people who plan to send a Valentine’s Day text or picture messages plan to send five or more messages
• 48% of texters felt that receiving a Valentine’s Day text message would have the same or more meaning or impact than a card, and more than two thirds of texters (68%) felt that way about receiving a picture message
Full survey results are available here.

Regulations: The Samsung Propel being used in this giveaway is an AT&T locked and branded phone. It does not come with service or a contract. AT&T & ChipChick.com are not responsible for any lost packages or incorrect shipping addresses. The prize is not redeemable in cash and must be accepted as awarded. Approximate value of prizes may vary. By claiming the prize, the winner authorizes the use, without additional compensation of his or her name and/or likeness and/or voice/photograph and municipality of residence for promotion and/or advertising purposes in any manner and in any medium (including without limitation over the internet and picture data storage).