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Cyngett Paparazzi iPhone 4S Case Review

Scott Schaen — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:37:42 +0000

The Cyngett Paparazzi is an iPhone 4/4S flip case is ideal for throwing in your bag or backpack (or if you’re a bit rough on your poor iPhone). It’s a folding case and the exterior of the “Paparazzi” is a textured animal-skin print on a durable faux-leather. The front covers iPhone’s entire face and flips down for full access to all iPhone functions.

The inside of the case is lined in a very soft micro-fiber. iPhone slides into this case from the top, between two side grips. It’s a very snug fit that keeps iPhone secure. It’s also quite easy to insert and remove iPhone when you want to. There’s no velcro or snap, the front cover has a rigid fold on the top that locks it into place.

The upper half of iPhone’s sides are exposed which makes the volume buttons, toggle switch, headphone port and lock button extremely accessible. The front cover is attached at the bottom by two rigid flaps, one located on top of the speaker and the other located on top of the mic. There is a hole in each one of these connector flaps to allow sound to pass through the mic and speaker. Even with the hole, sound is somewhat muffled. In between these two connectors is enough room for any type of sync/charging cable. The Paparazzi’s rigid back is a bit wider than iPhone on all sides, this will prevent the case from working with most iPhone docks. The weirdest feature of the Paparazzi case is that the front flap won’t fold behind the phone, you have to leave it hanging. The hanging cover isn’t actually that annoying, but it’d be nice if it was optional.

The Cygnett Paparazzi offers iPhone a lot of protection. The back cover is reinforced and is very tough. The same goes for the front cover and there’s even a layer of cushioned padding inside of it. To offer even more protection, Cygnett includes an adhesive screen-protector. It also comes with a screen wipe.

The Paparazzi happens to be very stylish looking. The textured animal print gives it a pretty luxurious vibe. It comes in glossy white (pictured) or glossy black, both with black interiors. It’s a great case for throwing in a bag or backpack because iPhone’s almost completely covered. It’s also very durable and can take a beating. The Cygnett Paparazzi is available from Cygnett.com for $29.99.

The Good: Stylish, Protective, Durable, Easy Access to Ports/Buttons, Easy to Insert/Remove iPhone, Easy to Open/Close Cover

The Bad: Cover Won’t Fold Behind iPhone, Speaker and Mic get Muffled

© 2012 Chip Chick

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T-Mobile Unleashes White Samsung Galaxy S II

Helena Stone — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 19:03:01 +0000

We love white gadgets, whether it’s the Sony NEX-5N, the white iPad, or the HTC Radar, we have been becoming more and more smitten with the color white. To feed our white gadget lust, T-Mobile has just announced that they will be offering a white version of the Samsung Galaxy S II. While white versions of the Samsung Galaxy S II have been available overseas for some time now, this makes T-Mobile the first carrier in the U.S.A. to offer up the Samsung Galaxy S II in white.

Pricing and availability is TBD, but T-Mobile says that the white Galaxy S II will definitely be available in time for you to stuff it under the Christmas tree. But wait, when is the pink version of the Samsung Galaxy S II coming out that they are so fond of out in Korea?

That said, you have to give the iPhone 4 some credit, since the white iPhone 4 is what started this whole white gadget fetish.

Bose’s White OE2i Headphones Will Rock the iPhone 4S

Chance Kinney — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:53:23 +0000

If the iPhone 4S sounded good to you when it was unveiled last week, it’s going to music to your ears now. The sleek, comfortable Bose OE2i Headphones are designed to work with the iOS devices, carrying the same inline remote functionality as Apple’s proprietary earphones.

Volume control and the ability to switch from phone to music, as well as a microphone, are built into the inline remote on the OE2i. It packs quality sound performance, aiming for high fidelity for the full range of notes in your music collection. Comfort comes from the memory foam that will conform to the shape of your ears over time. They’re also a lot less bulky than a lot of other headphone offerings. They look stylish, and they’re practical for people who don’t like to tote large things around – the headphones fold flat for ease of transport and storage. Plus, that clean white is going to look great with the white iPhone 4S.

The Bose White OE2i Headphones are available now, and are selling for $179.95.

Sony Vaio P Series Gets Updated with Same Florescent Colors as New E Series

Chip Chick — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 18:58:21 +0000

Just yesterday Sony announced their very colorful refreshed Vaio E series. Today they are showing off an update to their Vaio P series that is sporting the same florescent colors as the new E series. The Vaio P series is a tiny netbook with an 8″ LCD, 2GB of ram, a 128GB SSD, powered by an Intel Atom processor, all in a chassis that weighs 1.3lbs. And the P series screams summer-fun by coming in a choice of colors including neon green, hot pink, electric orange, black or white. The Vaio P series is available for pre-order now for $899 and comes with a pair of noise-canceling headphones too.

Sony VAIO P Series Gets Revamped with Hot New Colors

Chip Chick — Tue, 11 May 2010 04:00:57 +0000

Sony’s original Vaio P series was cute, but it didn’t make us go ga-ga over it exactly. Fortunately, they’ve now updated the VAIO P series, making the P series a lot more fun. For starters, the P Series is now available in an assortment of bold colors including neon orange, pink, green, white and black. The P series also now features a built-in accelerometer for screen rotating along with a small touchpad located along the right of the display for easier operation on the go. Under the hood you get the full Windows 7 experience running on an Atom processor. Pricing begins at $800 and the Sony VAIO P is currently available for preorder.

Doctor Who’s Daleks, Now Available in Several Different Colors (Spoilers)

Chip Chick — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 16:05:21 +0000

Over in the U.K., Doctor Who is as ingrained in pop culture as Batman is here. And for Doctor Who, his mortal enemy equivalent of the Joker are the Daleks. These droids might seem like cousins to R2-D2 at first glance, but don’t get them confused with the friendly fella – these robots have been giving nightmares to British children for over 40 years now. In this week’s episode, a new generation of the Daleks were created. But what made us chuckle, were their spiffy new colors – red, orange, white, blue, and green. What no, pink Dalek!? Really though, is this supposed to be some inside joke/commentary on the state of gadgets nowadays? The new colors make the Daleks seem even less imposing than ever. Now it’s just a matter of time before the after market Dalek accessory case industry begins firing up.

Microsoft’s Super Slim Arc Keyboard Now Available in White

Chip Chick — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 19:18:19 +0000

Microsoft’s super slick Arc keyboard is now available in white and lime green. This special edition of the Arc keyboard features the same sleek curved profile of the original, and this time around it certainly has an Apple aesthetic going for it. You can pick up the Microsoft Arc Keyboard in white now for $59.99 at Amazon.

Hello Kitty Headphones Are Officially Endorsed, But Still Sparkly

Chip Chick — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:00:40 +0000

Are you looking for a great pair of headphones to use with your Hello Kitty MP3 Player or Hello Kitty Cell Phone? These over the ear headphones have special earcups that have been blinged out with Hello Kitty, and some glittering pink and white crystals have been thrown in for good measure too. And believe it or not, this is one Hello Kitty branded electronic accessory that is officially endorsed by Ms. Kitty herself. The Hello Kitty headphones also fold up for convenient storage and they retail for $83 at Japan Trend Shop.

Zumreed ZHP-008 Headphones Are Too Hip to be Square

Chip Chick — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:03:32 +0000

Zumreed ZHP-008 Headphones might be square, but that actually very hip. Straight from Japan, these rectangular headphones come in bright color combinations like hot pink, orange/green, lime/blue, black/red, and white/red. Is the audio quality amazing on these? We haven’t a clue, but they look like a lot of fun. For $36.50 if you’re looking for headphones that are a little bit retro in design, and that pop, check out the Zumreed ZHP-008 Headphones.

10 Key Calculator Suffers from a Computer Key Identity Crisis

Chip Chick — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:12:28 +0000

The 10 key calculator is a calculator with a serious identity crisis. That is because its calculator keys are actually computer keys! On top of that, the 10 key calculator is also USB enabled so that you can use it with a computer just as a standard numeric keypad. Unplug it from your PC and you have a regular calc. The 10 Key Calculator comes in a choice of red, black, and white and retails for £50.00 ($83 USD).

Bionic Commando XBox 360 Review

Joseph Damanti — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 04:00:27 +0000

Based on the original Bionic Commando from Nintendo, Capcom decided to bring it back and give it a whirl with updated graphics and game play. Well they should have left it alone. The story starts with Nathan Spencer, the Bionic Commando being brought back into action by the same force that imprisoned him after he led the bionic commandos to victory 10 years earlier. The game is pretty mediocre at best. The pace of the game is pretty steady and fast. The best part was the awesome one liners when you killed someone such as “Kick A$$ or “I Would hate to be that guy”, very amusing for a horrible game. The worst is the extra long tutorial they put in which is helpful but very drawn out.

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.

Hello Kitty Cellphone Site has Hello Kitty iPhone 3G Knockoff

Chip Chick — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 05:19:12 +0000

Instead of waiting to read about the latest Hello Kitty branded cellphone knockoffs you can now go to the one stop shop that sells them all. HelloKittyPhones.com is a site that sells just about every Hello Kitty cellphone that is out there at the moment- Even one that looks extremely like an iPhone. It is called the Hello Kitty Phone 3G and prices range from $89 to $109 depending on capacity. So if you love anything Hello Kitty and don’t mind using knockoff cellphones, then this is your source.

Toshiba’s NB205 Pink Netbook Promises a 9 Hour Battery Life

Chip Chick — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:58:28 +0000

While the netbook space is getting really, really crowded, there still aren’t all that many many pink ones. Ok, so HP and LG have one, but that isn’t that many. Toshiba’s mini NB205-N310 is the latest netbook to get its pink on, metallic pink to be specific – with a textured finish and a chrome hinge. Other available colors include sable brown, frost white, and indigo blue. But for those of you who aren’t so colorful, there is the black NB205-N210. The netbook’s list of specs are pretty standard – you get a 10″ screen, Windows XP Home, a 1.66 Atom processor, 1GB of ram, and 160GB hard drive in a package weighing 2.9lbs. The NB205 also boasts a battery life of up to 9 hours, which sounds like a lot of bragging. But if it can pull that battery life off – it’d be a netbook to beat. Read on further for the full press release.

Toshiba Announces US Availability of the Toshiba mini NB205: A Mini Notebook to Envy

Sleek and Stylish Mini Notebook Perfectly Designed for Comfort with Extra-long Battery Life, Full-Size Keyboard and Touchpad, Choice of Colors and More

IRVINE, Calif. –(Business Wire)– Jun 02, 2009 Toshiba’s Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced the Toshiba mini NB205, a compact, lightweight companion PC that makes it easy to stay connected, productive and informed while on the go. With a design hallmarked by a comfort-driven, full-sized keyboard and large touchpad, nine hours of battery life¹ and a highly-stylized Texture Finish offered in a choice of colors, the mini NB205 marks the company’s first entry into the U.S. mini notebook market.

Ideal for digitally-active consumers who need a compact companion PC that’s easy to carry, the Toshiba mini NB205 series incorporates key usability, durability and style features that have yet to be seen in other mini notebooks at a competitive price point.

“We’re raising the bar in the mini notebook category with a premium brand that truly delivers on the portability promise these companion PCs were originally designed for,” said Jeff Barney, vice president and general manager of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division. “The addition of the mini NB205 expands our product line to meet the ever-increasing demands of consumers and exemplifies Toshiba’s reputation for quality that they expect and reflects the company’s long history of building mobility platforms.”

“U.S. consumers are rapidly realizing the benefits of mini notebooks. They are figuring out that this evolving category of PCs fits well into their lives, their budgets and their backpacks –the record growth in retail volume is a testament to that,” said Bob O’Donnell, vice president of Clients and Displays research at IDC.

Comfort without Compromise

The super-compact mini NB205 features a bright and vivid 10.1-inch diagonal widescreen LED backlit display, a full-size QWERTY raised-tile keyboard and a generous laptop-sized touchpad, making typing and navigating the Web easy and comfortable. The mini notebook also runs Windows^® XP, a familiar operating system with broad application compatibility.

Common-sense Portability

The mini NB205 is packed with common-sense usability features that address real-world consumer portability demands. It comes equipped with a Hard Drive Impact Sensor that guards data from the daily bumps of mobile life and a USB port with Sleep-and-Charge that enables users to charge various consumer electronics devices even when the unit is turned off.

The mini NB205 delivers peace of mind around the world – it is one of the few mini notebooks available that comes standard with a one-year international limited warranty, giving Toshiba customers access to over 271 service providers worldwide.

A Stylish and Eco-chic Companion

There are two available configurations of the Toshiba mini NB205 series.

The mini NB205-N310 features a unique and stylish textured finish, an accenting chrome hinge and will be available in four metallic color finishes – Sable Brown, Frost White, Indigo Blue and Posh Pink – to fit the most discerning consumer’s style and fashion needs.

The mini NB205-N210 features a Fusion Finish in Black Onyx cover and a sleek, flat keyboard with Black Matte finish.

In addition, continuing Toshiba’s commitment to help consumers and businesses reduce their carbon footprint, the mini NB205 is power efficient and meets the rigorous requirements of the upcoming EnergyStar^® 5.0 standard, is RoHS compatible and achieved industry-leading Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) Gold status.

Features available on the Toshiba mini NB205 include:

10.1-inch diagonal widescreen TruBrite™ backlit LED display (WSVGA)

Windows^® XP Home operating system

Intel Atom N280 processor² (1.66GHz)

1GB DDR2 800MHz RAM³, upgradeable to 2GB

Spacious storage with a 160GB HDD⁴

802.11b/g wireless⁵ and 10/100 Ethernet

Bluetooth V2.1 + EDR (only available in mini NB205-N310)

TOSHIBA Hard Drive Impact Sensor

Lightweight and very portable at only 2.9 lbs.

Long-life 6-cell battery delivering up to 9 hours of productivity¹

One USB port with Sleep-and-Charge and two USB 2.0 ports

Built-in Webcam, speaker and microphone

Toshiba PC Health Monitor

RGB port for connecting to external displays

Memory Card Reader Slot

Security Lock Slot

One-year international limited warranty and award-winning Toshiba service and support

Accessories Available

The company will offer several Toshiba-branded accessories for the mini NB205 series, including a Portable DVD SuperMulti Drive, available today at an MSRP⁶ of $99.99, a USB Mini Retractable Mouse available later this month at an MSRP⁶ of $14.99 as well as 12-inch Envoy Fabric or Leather Carrying Cases available today. A 10-inch Dual Function Hardside Case and a 10.1-inch Neoprene Sleeve will also be available this month direct from Toshiba on toshibadirect.com.

Pricing and Availability

The Toshiba mini NB205-N310 ($399.00 MSRP⁶) and mini NB205-N210 ($349.00 MSRP⁶) will both be available in late June at major retailers, e-tailers and direct from Toshiba on toshibadirect.com. Additionally, the mini NB205-N210 can be purchased through select Toshiba Preferred Partner Program resellers.

More information about the Toshiba mini NB205 can be found at laptops.toshiba.com/nb200.

iLuv Releases Affordable iEP505 Premium Earphones with Volume Control

Chip Chick — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 20:02:50 +0000

You might recognize iLuv for their awesome iPod speaker systems, but now they’ve got a pair of affordable premium earbuds to show off as well. The new iEP505 Premium Earphones sport an in-line volume-control, an ergonomic exterior, and they feature drivers that promise a balance between low and high frequencies – while still being light and comfortable and able to provide sound isolation. The earphones are available for $49.99 starting in April and they’ll be available in the colors white, blue, pink and red. 3G shuffle users will be happy to know that in Q2 the EP505 will be available with an iPod Shuffle Remote control as well.

Tissue Box Hidden Camera DVR Records Video at Night, Beneath Your Kleenex

Chip Chick — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 04:18:35 +0000

The Tissue Box Hidden Camera DVR is definitely one of the better places to hide a spy camera. After-all, who would suspect a DVR to be hiding underneath their Kleenex? This tissue box has no giveaway wires or pinholes yet it still manages to film a resolution of 720×480 at 30fps in full color in the light, and in low light/dark conditions it can even film in black and white. It’s also got a 6 hour rechargeable battery, which should be long enough to see what the babysitter is really doing when you’re out. A remote control is included for stealthily controlling the DVR from a far. The Tissue Box Hidden Camera DVR retails for $599.95.

Pantech C820 Matrix Pro Review

Chip Chick — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:08:52 +0000

The new Pantech C820 Matrix Pro is an update to Pantech’s Matrix Duo, a Windows Mobile smartphone that sports both a numeric and QWERTY keypad. For those looking for a Windows Mobile device that packs in just about everything – the Pantech Matrix Pro C820 runs on AT&T’s speedy 3G network, it sports GPS, a 2 megapixel camera, and a solid feature set overall. Before I delve in to the device itself, here is a little background about my personal experience with Windows Mobile Smartphones. I’ve been using Windows on a handheld since way back – when there were no such things as smartphones at all, but instead there was just Windows CE and monochrome displays. I was extremely proud of my Compaq Aero at a time when Palm pilots were all the rage. Over the years I’ve owned a crazy assortment of Windows based smartphones, my most recent one being the Treo 750V. After that, the iPhone came out and I betrayed my longtime love of Windows Mobile. However, there will always be a part of me that still is a Windows Mobile girl at heart.

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.

Zeno Mini Pimple Zapper Now Fits in your Purse for on the go Pimple Maintenance

Chip Chick — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 16:00:39 +0000

Looking to pop a pimple on the go? Well the Zeno Mini may just be the perfect companion for a quick touch up. If you remember, the original Zeno is a bigger pimple zapper and comes in different colors. The Zeno Mini is also "trendy" coming in either black or white. Utilizing Clearpoint technology with one controlled zap you won’t have any problem with a blemished face from 24 to 48 hours. The cute Zeno Mini can easily fit in a purse, backpack, or even a bra strap. The Zeno Mini retails for $89.00 at Amazon .

New Hello Kitty USB Hub and Keyboard Are All About the Polka Dots

Chip Chick — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 13:37:48 +0000

We’ve got two new Hello Kitty peripherals to share with you and if you’re in to polka dots than you’re in luck. The first is a red and white keyboard that comes with a cover decorated in polka dots. The cover is there so that you can keep your keyboard safe from dust, spills and stains when you’re not using it. The second new kittylicious peripheral is a pretty adorable USB hub shaped like a Super Mario like mushroom with Miss Kitty sitting on top of it. The hub only sports two usb connections, which makes it almost shameful for costing $49.99 – but Miss Kitty does look quite cute perching on it. The keyboard retails for $89.99.

Lubix NC1 Bluetooth Stereo Headset Review

Chip Chick — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 04:26:05 +0000

The Lubix NC1 Bluetooth Stereo Headset is for those people who want the best of both worlds. It’s not only a decent handsfree Bluetooth headset but it also doubles as a stereo headset to take advantage of those cellphones with A2DP playback. The Lubix not only attempts to do two things, but it also is customizable with Skins, making it a fashion accessory as well.The Lubix Bluetooth stereo headset is no stranger to Chip Chick readers either. You might recall that we featured a contest not so long ago where we gave them away.

Design:
The Lubix NC1 Bluetooth headset is designed to not only be wearable as a necklace but also be customizable to your taste. Lubix offers consumers a chance to create a skin for their pair of Lubix NC1 headphones and you can choose from predetermined designs or you can create one yourself. The skin itself is of good quality since the folks behind Skinit are behind it, so we were more than pleased. The pair we tested actually had two skins included which was a nice touch.

The Lubix NC1 headset may look a bit out there since the earphone pieces are a bit on the large size. However, they are designed this way because of all the jog button controls that are located on the left earphone. The headset is held in place together magnetically in a form that resembles a pendant. The two pieces easily pull apart when you are ready to use them. Once you are done using your phone for the moment, then just bring the two parts together and they will seal closed magnetically. The necklace cable is comfortable to wear and you can adjust the choker for neckband length. Included in the package is a manual, large/small eartips, USB adapter, and USB cable.

Setup:
Like any typical Bluetooth headset, the first thing that needs to be done is for the device to be paired. There are no batteries that need to be inserted but the device does need to be charged. Once the charging was completed, the next logical step is obviously to pair the device with your cellphone. I was using the new Blackberry 8900 Curve and turned on the Bluetooth feature to begin searching for Bluetooth devices in the area. Immediately I switched on the headset and held in the Talk/3D Sound button on the Lubix NC1 and the blue LED started to flash to indicate the pairing had begun. The Lubix NC1 was picked up immediately and I paired both devices. Now both the audio and phone calls would be heard and received by the device.

Features:

A key selling point of the Lubix Bluetooth headset is the stereo quality with 3D sound effects. I was impressed with the sound quality overall considering this is not a dedicated pair of headphones. The sound was of decent quality and when you switched on the 3D sound effects it only enhanced the aural experience. The different options consist of lowering the noise in the background of the song, delivering music that gives the impression of a live performance, or enhancing the vocals. With each effect you could hear a difference, which again I did appreciate for a bluetooth headset. Changing the volume can be done from the NC1′s earpiece’s jog button. Since the controls are on the left earbud of the NC1, it will take sometime to train yourself for as to which button does what, if you do it blindly. But if you just take the piece out of your ear for a moment the task can be completed easily.

Using the Lubix NC1 as a headset, I was able to hear callers on the other side of the headset just fine. However, when I was in a noisy environment, people on the other end of the call said that they did have problems hearing me because of surrounding noise, and as a result I would have to speak up a bit. Hopefully the next version of the NC1 will include noise cancellation tech in it.

The only real disappointment I had with the Lubix NC1 was that the buds were just too big for my ear canal. I switched to the smaller buds that were included and even squishing and pushing made no difference. They still kept falling out of my ears. If I stood still they stayed in my ears but as soon as I walked they popped right out of my ears. Of course I could just have an abnormal small size canal so this might only be an isolated problem with me. Many folks out there may not have the same issue.

Conclusion:
The Lubix Bluetooth Stereo Headset accomplishes what it set out to do. Be a decent handsfree device as well as a fashionable pair of stereo headphones. The fact you can customize (if you so choose) the NC1 with SkinIt skins and wear it as a necklace is a nice touch that makes it stand out from the very crowded Bluetooth crowd. Except with my own personal issue with the eartips – I think anyone who purchases the Lubix NC1 will be happy and pleased with a uniquely stylish and customizable product and the fact it can do two features well. The Lubix Stereo Bluetooth Headset SkinIt Bundle retails for $60 and the headset itself is available in blue, black or white. The Lubix Stereo Bluetooth Headset without the SkinIt option retails for $54.

The Good: Customization via skins is cool, fashionable pendant design, good stereo sound quality, easy setup.

The Bad: Eartips were a bit big for me, lack of noise cancellation

Spring is in the Air with the USB Tulip Hub

Ali Heriyanto — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 05:20:13 +0000

Spring is in the air, so why not add some tulips to your desk and you won’t even have to water them. The USB Tulip Hub has to be the cutest USB hub I have ever seen and we have seen quite a few in our day. The tulips stand proudly in their plastic white flower box waiting for someone to plug a usb cable into its petals. It can handle up to 4 USB connections and will work with either PC or Mac. The USB Tulip Hub retails for $22 at Fredflare.