Why is everyone so quick to criticize?  The masses haven’t even seen the bloody thing yet..!

This is the first in a 2 part series related to some criticism I’ve hard on the iPhone 3G.  You’ll see the second part of this next week.

Ok… I admit it…I was one of the many iPhone-hypers on Monday 6/9/08…and I was really hoping that Steve would have had the stores stocked and ready to buy that day as well…but that’s just sour grapes now.

I’ve been watching a lot of commentary hit the air since all of the interesting announcements on Monday 6/9; and I’ve really tried to hold myself back, as I am certain that everyone and their brother is going to have something to say…but I just can’t leave it alone. Oh well…

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Just thought I’d post an update on my experience with the Diamond after using it as my main phone for the last few days. My first impressions report wasn’t particularly positive, and while some things have been slightly better with some tweaks, it still just doesn’t perform as you’d expect it would.

First off I’d like to tip my hat to the guys over at XDA-developers. Somehow, they manage to take devices and software developed by massive corporations with millions and millions of dollars, and make them better in their basements. Every HTC device I have owned and used has been adorned with some kind of wiz-bang modifications that improved it, and the Diamond has been no different. Several registry mods have been suggested to improve performance of TouchFlo 3D (increasing cache sizes and such), and while they certainly did pickup the speed a little bit, it is still not fast. There are still stutters and pauses, which while not as irritating as before, still detract from the experience.

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I’ve been looking forward to the arrival of the Touch Diamond for quite some time. Windows Mobile used to be my mobile platform of choice, but since using the Nokia N95 and N95 8GB, I have been swayed over to the Series 60 OS. The N95 8GB has been my main phone for about 6mths now, and it’s been great. It was faster, more stable, had much better signal and camera than any Windows Mobile device I had used. My hope with the Diamond was that Windows Mobile had caught up to provide the easy and speedy experience that other phones provide these days.

Straight out of the box the Touch Diamond feels special. It’s not only small for a Windows Mobile device, it is small full stop! It is absolutely tiny, yet still packs in HSDPA, WiFi, BT, GPS and FM radios, underneath a VGA display! It is a fanastic achievement, and shows that a Windows Mobile device can be good looking, thin and capable at the same time.

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Police in Manchester Connecticut were able to capture a pharmacy robbery suspect thanks to the aid of a tiny GPS tracking device. One of the Manchester Police officers placed a small GPS tracker into a bottle of Vicodin. He then put the bottle back on the shelf inside a pharmacy that had experienced several hold ups. After hearing that the robbery occurred, police activated the GPS and were able to locate the suspect. Although the police are mum on exactly what type of device was used, it likely was a tiny 3 inch GPS locator similar to this P-Trac Pro GPS+. Once slipped into the large pill bottle, a device like the P-Trac Pro GPS+ is able to run for up to 21 days on a single battery charge. It works inside buildings and can be set to alert you when it has left a restricted area or strayed outside a pre-determined perimeter. All together now: Bad Boys Bad Boys…Whatcha Gonna Do…Whatcha Gonna Do When They Come For You…

Link: P-Track Pro GPS+
Link: Hartford Courant Story - GPS In Bottle Leads To Robbery Suspect’s Arrest

The Dash Express Two-Way Internet-Connected Portable GPS Navigator exploded overnight onto many online blogs - prompting blogger Jason Calacanis to proclaim it “Best Product of 2008“. In case you missed the hoopla around this release, the Dash Express is your typical automative GPS guidance system with two innovative features. First, it includes a WIFI and GPRS cellular transmitter for moving data onto and off your device (think updates and real time exchange of traffic flow). Second, it talks to Yahoo Local Search for real time searches (when in a data coverage area). It’s marketed exclusively through Amazon for $399 and using the data transmitting features requires a subscription that starts at $10 per month when prepaid. My testing tempered my enthusiasm for this device. Read about my experiences on the next page.

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I’ve reviewed the device, I’ve posted the pictures, now YOU get to keep the E-TEN X800, courtesy of Gear Diary and E-TEN!!  The device is in MINT condition, AND I’ve got all of the accessories that came with it. The ear buds have NEVER been used (so no worries, there). I hope you won’t mind if the device is just a little bit used.  I’ve taken EXCELLENT care of it; and anyone that looks at it will think you’ve been the original owner from the beginning.

Now, I know you’re wondering, how do I win this awesome toy?  Well, that’s pretty easy.  Polish up your writing skills and tell me all about your most interesting and humorous (lack of) GPS story. How lost have you gotten?  How did GPS keep you from getting lost, or rescued you from being lost?  Was the experience positive or negative? Did it make you laugh, or cry; or both?

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One of the things that I like the best about this job is the chance to look at and use some of the latest, greatest gadgets on the market today. I like writing for Gear Diary the best because of the diverse amount of products we get to look at. Recently, as many of you know, I’ve had the opportunity to take a look at a couple of new devices from E-TEN.  The E-TEN X800 is the top of the line model of the X series devices. Let’s take a quick look and see how the X800 stacks up.

Please note, that due to the recent site loss that Gear Diary had, I’m reprinting some of the previous posts related to this device as part of this review.

I’ve owned a number of different E-TEN devices, the M500, the G500, the M700, and now the X800 (and soon to be X650).  I was really concerned about this particular device, as the build quality of the previous three devices left a little to be desired. In fact, my daughter has been using the M700 for the past three months or so, and the device had some serious problems now. It is constantly getting stuck in boot loader mode, and getting it to turn on normally is a hit or miss exercise.

However, that’s another story for another time. Let’s take a look at E-TEN’s new slim, VGA powerhouse, the X800!!

The Unboxing

The box is WAY smaller than it looks here.  It’s really VERY tiny.

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Q.: Judie,

Hope this note finds you well. I need some gadget advice, if you have the time.  I have a birthday coming up in two weeks, and my wife wants a suggestion from me for a present. I am thinking about a new phone.  I have a Samsung Blackjack for work which runs Mobile 5.0 and I like it a lot.  Works very well with our Outlook Exchange server.  I also have a Motorola RAZR2 for weekends, which I also like, but I’d like a weekend phone that has a little more functionality.

I have looked at the N95, but if I am going to put that kind of dent in my wallet, I wanted to see if you have a favorite fun phone that you like and would recommend for a GSM system (I am AT&T).  Anything that really makes you smile?

Thanks for your time!!

Bill

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Do you have a GPS Navigation system in your car? I have a built-in Honda Accord GPS Navigation system and a Garmin Nuvi 660. Both are fantastic at getting me from address to address. What they’ve always been missing are updates. Just today I spotted a new GPS that has a WIFI and GPRS connection so that maps and points of interest are constantly updated. Keep reading for a link to a Walter Mossberg review and a link to the site where they can be purchased.

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Well, CeBit 2008 is underway, and that can only mean one thing: No, Gizmodo is NOT running around turning off televisions (we presume). No, it means a lot of your favorite device manufacturers are making significant announcements, and Navigon is not to be left out.

We have reviewed some of Navigon’s older units (sorry folks, due to the data outage, I cannot offer links), and now they are back with the all new NAVIGON 2100 max and NAVIGON 2120 max personal navigation devices.

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