road warrior

Five Things You Didn't Know About HTC's Hero

Chris Dannen — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:14:19 -0400

Sprint has announced they'll be selling HTC's next (and best) Android phone, the Hero, starting October 11th for $180 (after a hefty rebate). We profiled the Hero when its prototype was touted around town in July and loved it, but a lot's changed since then. Fortunately, it's almost all for the better. Let's be clear: the iPhone hasn't had a legitimate competitor until the Hero. Here's why.

Seven Things to Read Now

Chris Dannen — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:25:09 -0400

Why is Philip Morris Backing Antismoking Bills?

On Thursday, the U.S. Senate passed legislation giving the FDA authority to regulate the tobacco industry. Just 10 years ago, when Senator John McCain introduced a similar bill, it was scuttled in part by $100 million worth of lobbying on the behalf of tobacco giant Philip Morris. But PM has backed the new bill, which implements tough new restrictions on how cigarettes can be advertised. What gives?

Glympse: The Coolest Thing Your Smartphone Can Do

Chris Dannen — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:36:38 -0400

That's not a title I toss out lightly, but Glympse deserves it. Since smartphones first made Google maps mobile, no single application has offered so much practical functionality. Not only that--Glympse might be the only one that manages to take full advantage of that elusive little A-GPS sensor inside your device. But enough plaudits. Here's what it does.

Has the Cell Phone Market Hit Bottom Yet? Nokia and Sony Ericsson See Staggering Sales Drops

Chris Dannen — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:01:20 -0400

Nokia reported staggering losses in sales and profits for Q1 this week, including a 90% drop in net profit. The news came alongside similarly dim reports from Sony Ericsson, which reported that it lost nearly half its sales in the last three months

Some analysts were contending that worldwide demand for mobile phones would be resilient, despite belt-tightening worldwide--but if that's the case, Nokia isn't seeing any evidence of it. The company's sales plunged 27%, or about $4 billion, since this time last year.

Pay By Cellphone? Sounds Great. So Why Don't We Do It?

Chris Dannen — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:00:56 -0400

Obopay is an payment system that works on your cell phone--kind of like a mobile PayPal. The service is cheap, easy to use, and fantastically convenient. Not only that, it's well-backed; today Nokia [NOK] announced it would funnel an additional $70 million into the startup in exchange for a minority stake in the company. So why isn't everyone using this thing?

Is The MacBook's New Super-Battery Actually Cutting Edge?

Chris Dannen — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:10:09 -0500

The best new feature in Apple's [AAPL] new MacBook Pro is the 8-hour, ultra-durable battery that Apple says it custom-designed. But is it really the advanced powerplant it claims to be?

The Six Tech Marvels We Had Better See In 2009

Chris Dannen — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:05:49 -0500

As 2008 comes to a close, here are the six tech marvels that are ready to explode into ubiquity. And after a year of almost-breakthroughs -- fast-but-spotty 3G; cheap-but-slow netbooks -- we deserve them. After all, this is the future, isn't it?

Free National Wi-Fi

How To Love A Netbook

Chris Dannen — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 14:07:52 -0500

It's the holidays, and that means offering peace and clemency to your nemeses. Or, in my case, coming to tolerate -- even appreciate -- a netbook.

I didn't think it was possible at first; every UMPC I've used has felt cramped, slow, dim, and barely Internet-capable. I spent many a plane flight with a netbook in the overhead compartment, tapping away memos and emails on an iPhone. Then I started using Asus's 10-inch Eee PC.

What Ever Happened To Garmin's NuviFone? [video]

Chris Dannen — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 16:58:12 -0500

It looked like it could be the ultimate iPhone-killer, but delay after delay has kept it from market. Some reports say it will be ready soon, while others suggest it's been abandoned all together. Will we ever see Garmin's [GRMN] nuvifone?

RIM's [RIMM] BlackBerry Storm, T-Mobile's [DT] G1 and other contenders have already taken their shot at dismounting the iPhone from its pedestal, but Garmin's nuvifone has always looked like the most disruptive of the group. It boasted an ultra-thin form factor, 3.5-inch display, and an easy-to-use touch OS (see a demo video below). It was plagued by none of the dumb gimmicks of other phones: folding keyboards, clicking screens, and so on.

The nuvifone seemed ready to ship as far back as January of 2008; back then it would have been an industry leader, with 3.5G connectivity, full GPS navigation and all the usual tricks: Internet, email, and text messaging.

Then July 2008 rolled around, and there was still no nuvifone. In a statement, Garmin said that it was taking longer than anticipated to fulfill some "carrier-specific requirements," and that the company was working to resolve the problems.

It's nearly 2009, and Garmin has said that it will finally launch the nuvifone in the first half of next year. But Garmin has also recently joined Google's [GOOG] Open Handset Alliance, spurring speculation that it will release an Android phone next year. The original nuvifone, which is now purportedly being released on AT&T's network, pre-dated Android; it ran a Linux-based operating system all its own. Does this mean that Garmin scrapped the original nuvifone OS and switched to Android? Or will it release the nuvifone as is, and then make it obsolete a few months later by shipping an Android edition?

According to several reports, Garmin has claimed that the nuvifone it will release next year won't be an Android device, but that seems hard to believe. The existing nuvifone OS is a proprietary platform with no third-party software ready -- meaning that even if it's a great device, the nuvifone will already have a handicap against devices backed by the BlackBerry, Android and iTunes application stores. Sure, it might have map-based GPS to boast about, meaning it won't need a cell signal to give you directions. But that's about it. It'll flop.

And the few people who buy the first nuvifone will be mighty pissed if Garmin later releases a nuvifone based on the Android platform, which can load up all the Android apps. Only Apple [AAPL] has the gumption to do that kind of thing to their customers.

So what's more likely? Garmin might be taking a page from Apple, but not the screw-the-customer one. It's flatly denying a product that is very much under development. It's a PR move only Steve Jobs could love.

The nuvifone, when it is released next quarter, will probably be Android-based but look like the nuvifone of yore, with Garmin's own proprietary interface. Garmin can't openly say that the nuvifone has jumped to the Android platform, because if it does, everyone will assume it means more delays for a product that already seems near-mythical. That would hurt the company's stock price as well as its credibility. As it stands, there probably isn't a firm deadline for release, so setting one in public would be nothing more than a Microsoftian move of self-flagellation.

Whenever we do see the nuvifone, it will have the power of the Android marketplace behind it, along with the same smaller-than-iPhone body and big-screen beauty. Oh, and it won't have any of the stupidities that hamstring the iPhone: the inability to multitask, or the stupid SDK regulations that prevent things like software-driven maps. For once, Apple might meet its match in the mobile marketplace, if Garmin can ever get it out the door.

Which Tech Company Is Apple Investing In?

Chris Dannen — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 14:48:56 -0500

Apple [AAPL] recently bought 8 million new shares in a little-known graphics technology company this week. That company, UK-based Imagination Technologies Group [LON:IMG], makes a mobile video technology that could give the iPhone 3G a boost over its competitors.

2009: Year Of The Linux Revolution

Chris Dannen — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 10:50:36 -0500

As our software becomes more Web-centric and our devices cheaper, Linux is becoming the operating system on everyone’s lips for 2009. Sorry, Microsoft [MSFT]. If this week’s news is any indication, you’ve been served.

Beauty is Better Than Brains

Chris Dannen — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 18:56:54 -0500

It's no wonder Detroit's Big Three are failing; we hold them to a very high standard. We want cars that look good and function well, and why shouldn't we? We spend a lot of money on them, and use them constantly. But what about the other invaluable products in our lives -- our gadgets?

Tech Watch: Apple's MacBook Announcement Eclipses Toshiba's New Notebooks; Warner Reveals DivX Distribution Plans

Chris Dannen — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:45:04 -0400

Apple Showcases New MacBooks

At a special notebook-themed product event today, Apple revealed significant revisions to its two lines of portable computers, the MacBook and the MacBook Pro. The big news: brighter displays, faster graphics, and one-piece aluminum enclosures, with some innovative, smaller features making their debut as well.

Apple MacBook Release Official for October 14th

Chris Dannen — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 17:24:58 -0400

Not much to add to the already-reported rumors of new Apple [AAPL] MacBooks on their way in 5 days, but Apple has finally acknowledged the event by sending out an invitation to special media folks. The event will start at 10AM PST on the 14th of October, and will be held at Apple's Cupertino, California headquarters.

They haven't specified that this is a MacBook release event, but the invitation has a dimly-lit photo of a MacBook Pro shell on it, so this blogger has used his intrepid skills of deduction to come to the above conclusion.

Toshiba’s Refreshed “Satellite” Packs WiMAX

Chris Dannen — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 01:30:43 -0400

Now that Sprint [S] has announced its big WiMAX launch in Baltimore, bunches of companies are scurrying to announce products that will incorporate the wireless broadband technology.
As of this week, the XOHM network in Baltimore (and a handful of other cities nationwide; the list is growing) will have a new notebook to welcome: the WiMAX-ready Toshiba [TOSBF] Satellite notebook.

Dell Ink-less Printer Revealed by FCC

Chris Dannen — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 21:49:59 -0400

Thanks to the enthusiasts who peruse the FCC's filings website, we now know of a Dell [DELL] branded Bluetooth printer that may be coming out soon that's a little different from most: it doesn't use ink. The device looks from images to be about seven inches wide by about 12 inches long, and only about two inches thick, and is based on Zink technology to achieve printing without ink. It appears to have USB connectivity and its small form factor suggests it's meant for road warriors.

Dell Releases New Pocket Projector

Chris Dannen — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 22:09:52 -0400

Projectors are marvels of modern technology, but even more so when they're literally the size of a pack of cigarettes. The new Dell [DELL] M109S is only 3.6 inches long, 4 inches wide and 1.5 inches thick. It's not powerfully bright at only 55 lumens, and it's not quite HD at a resolution of 858x600, but it definitely gets the job done for the odd travel presentation.

Lenovo Announces Laptop with 13-Hour Battery

Chris Dannen — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:21:04 -0400

Not content to be outdone by the rash of ultra-marathon computers coming out of Dell [DELL] and HP [HPQ], Lenovo [LNVGY] announced yesterday that they'd be releasing two new ThinkPads, one of which is a 2.5 pound business notebook with a 13-hour battery.

That notebook, dubbed the X200s, will run on an a dual core Intel [INTC] Centrino 2 working with 4GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive (or 128GB SSD). It will also feature a 12-inch LED backlit display, ship with Vista, and should have WiMax functionality by the end of the year.

HP Releases 24-hour Notebook with Intel SSD

Chris Dannen — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 20:09:21 -0400

Microsoft Announces New "Laser-less" Optical Mouse

Chris Dannen — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:57:56 -0400

We're all probably pretty happy with the red-eyed laser on the bottom of our optical mouses, but apparently, Microsoft [NASDAQ:MSFT] isn't. They've released a tantalizing new ad campaign with the slogan "Say Goodbye to Laser," and while they haven't let the cat out of the bag yet, some users have spotted a new Microsoft Mouse listed on Germany's Amazon site that sports something called "Blue Track" technology. It's essentially a blue ring around the bottom perimeter of the mouse, and could be the laser-less solution that Redmond seems so excited about.

Microsoft Confirms New Zunes

Chris Dannen — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:46:14 -0400

A few weeks ago, there was web-wide speculation that Microsoft [NASDAQ:MSFT] was giving up on its beloved Zune. That, of course, would be a true shame, as the company has put together a pretty stellar device, even if it was a little late entering the mobile media game. Well, Zune-lovers everywhere can rejoice, because it looks like Redmond is keepin' on with the device, and updating it very soon to feature a 120GB capacity, as well as new software, and new (presumably lower) price points.

Two Mobile Should-Haves For Road Warriors

Chris Dannen — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 19:05:54 -0400

I don't normally consider myself a road warrior, but when my 92-year-old grandmother suggested I get an air miles card, I began to reevaluate. She's right -- I've been out of town almost every week for the last several months, scuttling around on too-expensive flights and sleeping on trains. It's no wonder that two little mobile phone accessories have established permanent seats in my laptop bag, minimalist though I am. Those two gizmos: ARC Wireless's Freedom Blade, and Spracht's Aura Mobile BT.

Foxconn Debuts Tiny Projector

Chris Dannen — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:25:56 -0400

AMD Announces "Puma" Notebook Chips

Chris Dannen — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:00:03 -0400

Asus Reveals Bamboo-Trimmed Laptop; Eee Deskop Box

Chris Dannen — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 14:37:44 -0400

If there were an award for most fecund tech company, Asus [TPE: 2357] would be the shoe-in; not only have they been cranking out new iterations of their uber-successful Eee PC laptop and thinking up new gaming devices, but they're now releasing a sharp-looking wood-trimmed laptop -- the "Eee Box," a barebones, low-cost desktop PC in a slim form factor.