Gear Diary » Mobile Phones http://www.geardiary.com Everyone can understand technology; sometimes it just takes a little translating. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:00:45 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 AT&T Set to Double Their Upgrade Fee to $36?http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/10/att-set-to-double-their-upgrade-fee-to-36/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/10/att-set-to-double-their-upgrade-fee-to-36/#comments Sat, 11 Feb 2012 02:15:18 +0000 Bryan Eley http://www.geardiary.com/?p=183255

AT&T is reportedly slated to increase their device upgrade costs from $18 to $36 this coming Sunday, February 12.
Because the overall costs associated with upgrading to a new device have increased, effective Sunday, February 12, 2012, AT&T will change its upgrade fee from $18 to $36
Just my luck. I'm due for an upgrade, and I've been chomping at the bit to try a Windows phone, as evidenced by Dan and Judie's saga of their HTC Titan usage. Speaking for myself, it's just unfortunate that by the time I want to try out the Titan II or the Nokia 900 I'll be paying a lot more than I anticipated. In a message to Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/10/att-set-to-double-their-upgrade-fee-to-36/feed/ 0 Checking Out Windows Phone Speed, Apps, Camera, Music Player and Gameshttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/09/checking-out-windows-phone-speed-apps-camera-music-player-and-games/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/09/checking-out-windows-phone-speed-apps-camera-music-player-and-games/#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:00:51 +0000 Judie Stanford http://www.geardiary.com/?p=179112

Judie: Our saga began when Dan and I received HTC Titans at a Microsoft sponsored dinner while attending CES; it's hard to believe that on the 11th it will have been one month ago. You can catch up on our previous posts before starting with this one by clicking the following links: Considering the Move from an iPhone 4S to Windows Phone Titan Comparing the iPhone 4s Hardware to the HTC Titan and Dipping into the Windows Phone User Interface In that month, my iPhone has never left my gadget drawer. Although I can think of a few times I wished I had it -- mainly when writing up a cool accessory I had just discovered that was 'iPhone only' or when feeling the absence of a favorite app -- not once have I missed it enough to retrieve it from the drawer. That's better than I can say for any other phone running any other operating system that I have tried in the past ... but I'm not sure if I'm ready to list the 4S on eBay just yet! Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/09/checking-out-windows-phone-speed-apps-camera-music-player-and-games/feed/ 14 A Four Year Birthday of a Different Kindhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/03/a-four-year-birthday-of-a-different-kind/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/03/a-four-year-birthday-of-a-different-kind/#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:00:20 +0000 Bryan Eley http://www.geardiary.com/?p=181984

This week I'm having a low-keyed celebration of sorts. You see, as of a few days ago my HTC X7501 Advantage turned four years old. I've had my share of mobile devices, but I've always enjoyed using the Advantage as a mini-computer and phone. With its huge 5" VGA touchscreen, magnetic keyboard, internal hard drive and metal and magnetic housing, 3G and WiFi capability my Advantage has been excellent for mobile productivity for me. How I came to possess this particular unit is a bit unusual, so permit me to set the Wayback Machine to October of 2007...

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/03/a-four-year-birthday-of-a-different-kind/feed/ 7 Comparing the iPhone 4s Hardware to the HTC Titan and Dipping into the Windows Phone User Interfacehttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/01/comparing-the-iphone-4s-hardware-to-the-htc-titan-and-dipping-into-the-windows-phone-user-interface/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/01/comparing-the-iphone-4s-hardware-to-the-htc-titan-and-dipping-into-the-windows-phone-user-interface/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:00:31 +0000 Judie Stanford http://www.geardiary.com/?p=181747

There's a dramatic difference between 4.7" and 3.5"!

Judie: For those of you who missed it, in our last article, Dan and I talked about the circumstances behind how we -- two iPhone 4S users -- each came into possession of an HTC Titan [you can click here to read it]. We also gave some of our initial thoughts about the operating system and why we might have been hesitant to make the change. In this installment, we dig in further into what we like and don't like about the Titan specifically when it's compared to the iPhone. Because our Windows Phone experience is occurring on the Titan, the hardware is directly influencing how we perceive everything ... Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/01/comparing-the-iphone-4s-hardware-to-the-htc-titan-and-dipping-into-the-windows-phone-user-interface/feed/ 15 The Droid Motorola RAZR MAXX and Droid 4 Were Worth a Look, but They Didn’t Steal the Showhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/22/the-droid-motorola-razr-maxx-and-droid-4-were-worth-a-look-but-they-didnt-steal-the-show/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/22/the-droid-motorola-razr-maxx-and-droid-4-were-worth-a-look-but-they-didnt-steal-the-show/#comments Sun, 22 Jan 2012 23:00:27 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=179962 Motorola stole the show last year at CES 2011. The Moto Xoom and the Atrix with its web top keyboard dock... oh my! They were pretty amazing to see. Francis and I even had a chance to remote log into my iMac in New Jersey using the Atrix smartphone as the "computer" powering the remote access. Sadly, the actual experience of using the Xoom and the Atrix left a good deal to be desired. Judie, Thomas and I all bought one; we all returned them. Judie and I visited Motorola again this year at CES 2012, and while they didn't blow us away, the two smartphones we did see were pretty impressive in their own right. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/22/the-droid-motorola-razr-maxx-and-droid-4-were-worth-a-look-but-they-didnt-steal-the-show/feed/ 8 U. S. Cellular Offers $100 Instant Savings on All Android, Blackberry and Windows Phone Devices!http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/21/u-s-cellular-offers-100-instant-savings-on-all-android-blackberry-and-windows-phone-devices/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/21/u-s-cellular-offers-100-instant-savings-on-all-android-blackberry-and-windows-phone-devices/#comments Sat, 21 Jan 2012 17:59:51 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=179769

The folks at US Cellular are always excellent with great deals on great phones - and now they are going one step further! Instead of mail-in rebates returned as semi-useful debit cards, US Cellular is giving $100 instant savings on ALL Android, Blackberry and Windows Phone devices starting now and running through Valentines Day!
U.S. Cellular is offering $100 instant savings - no rebates needed - on all of its Android-powered, BlackBerry and Windows Phone devices. The Motorola ELECTRIFY is just $149.99 and the BlackBerry Torch 9850 is $99.99. The Android-powered Samsung Repp and Huawei Ascend II are just a penny each. Right now, new customers also receive double rewards points that
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/21/u-s-cellular-offers-100-instant-savings-on-all-android-blackberry-and-windows-phone-devices/feed/ 0 Cool Infographic: The World of Mobile Phoneshttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/13/cool-infographic-the-world-of-mobile-phones/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/13/cool-infographic-the-world-of-mobile-phones/#comments Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:30:50 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=178831

With CES this week, there is even more focus on the state of mobile technology than usual. So I enjoyed browsing this cool infographic from SoMobile.com. Here are a few details:
Having gathered a number of statistics from around the world, our infographic also reveals that around 2.7 million SMS messages are sent in China every day, which is no doubt why 70 percent of Chinese mobile users – all 666,120,000 of them - admit they simply “couldn’t live” without their mobile. In Russia, it seems as if people can’t live without one or more handsets – with each person having, on average, 1.54 mobile phones.
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/13/cool-infographic-the-world-of-mobile-phones/feed/ 4 Nokia Introduces the AT&T 4G Lumia 900 to the United Stateshttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/09/nokia-introduces-the-att-4g-lumia-900-to-the-united-states/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/09/nokia-introduces-the-att-4g-lumia-900-to-the-united-states/#comments Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:45:49 +0000 Judie Stanford http://www.geardiary.com/?p=177991

This afternoon I attended a standing room only event in the impossibly small Ballroom A at the Venetian. The purpose was to hear about Nokia's latest announcement for North America, and what I was hoping for specifically was news that the Lumia 900 (the North American version of the Euro Lumia 800) would soon be available. I wasn't disappointed. The front of the room was decorated with color tiles on the wall reminiscent of the live tiles in Windows Phone 7; if there were any doubts about what we were there to see, these should have removed them. Stephen Elop, President and CEO of Nokia, came out and mentioned the first pillar of their global Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/09/nokia-introduces-the-att-4g-lumia-900-to-the-united-states/feed/ 1 HTC Announces Titan II, AT&T’s Tablet-Sized 4G LTE Windows Phonehttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/09/htc-announces-titan-ii-atts-tablet-sized-4g-lte-windows-phone/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/09/htc-announces-titan-ii-atts-tablet-sized-4g-lte-windows-phone/#comments Mon, 09 Jan 2012 20:30:31 +0000 Judie Stanford http://www.geardiary.com/?p=177930

Wow, I am glad that I hadn't already spring for a Titan from AT&T; today saw the announcement of the Titan II, and this model appears to be even more impressive than the first!
Today, at the 2012 International CES, HTC introduced the HTC TITAN II as the company’s first Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) device to run on a 4G LTE network. Expected to become available in the U.S. exclusively to AT&T customers in the coming months, the new smartphone is designed to help consumers stay connected while on-the-go with the largest display among Windows Phones, an advanced digital camera and access to 4G LTE speeds. Equipped with a brilliant 4.7-inch super LCD display, the HTC TITAN II offers
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/09/htc-announces-titan-ii-atts-tablet-sized-4g-lte-windows-phone/feed/ 0 T-Mobile Nokia Lumia 710 Windows Phone Reviewhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/05/t-mobile-nokia-lumia-710-windows-phone-review/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/05/t-mobile-nokia-lumia-710-windows-phone-review/#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2012 04:00:22 +0000 Judie Stanford http://www.geardiary.com/?p=177280

Nokia has long been one of my favorite hardware manufacturers because they consistently have devices with a better than usual build quality, their phones typically have strong radios, and they usually throw in a few excellent features not easily found elsewhere  -- like the built-in FM radio transmitters and Zeiss optics cameras many of their media phones sport. Like everyone else, I watched with interest when Nokia and Microsoft partnered up in February 2011; I wanted to see what types of designs these two titans would create, and I hoped that this would mean a bigger (and better) selection of Windows Phones from which consumers could choose Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/05/t-mobile-nokia-lumia-710-windows-phone-review/feed/ 2 Are Mobile Devices Wrecking Your Body?http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/30/are-mobile-devices-wrecking-your-body/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/30/are-mobile-devices-wrecking-your-body/#comments Fri, 30 Dec 2011 15:00:34 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=176392

The Jawbone Up health and wellness band didn't last long with me. As much as I initially like it, the product didn't offer enough functionality to justify the cost. Add in the fact that it needed to physically connect to my iPhone to transfer information and, well it just wasn't the homerun I was hoping for. It did, however, offer a feature I rather appreciated. If sedentary for a certain amount of time, the UP would signal you to get up and start moving. As someone who spends a ridiculous amount of time either sitting in meetings or in front of my computer such a reminder can come in rather handy. In fact, Judie and I have often discussed the fact that we can spend HOURS in front of a screen without realizing it. You can only imagine the damage to your eyes, your hands, your back… the list goes on and on. And when it comes to mobile technology things go from bad to worse. Just imagine what hours of looking down at your smartphone does over time! Mezzmer has an interesting infographic that asks the question: Are Mobile Devices Destroying Your Body? Here's a look... Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/30/are-mobile-devices-wrecking-your-body/feed/ 0 The Shrinking Price of Mobilehttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/28/the-shrinking-price-of-mobile/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/28/the-shrinking-price-of-mobile/#comments Wed, 28 Dec 2011 18:15:37 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=176276

Image courtesy of it's a small web

I'm often surprised at how easy it is to become accustomed to new tech.  Old pharts such as myself like to talk about How Much Harder Things Were When We Were Kids (but we were grateful for them!), but for me it's not that things were hard--I lived in middle-class suburbia, and it was just fine, thanks--but that things were 'way different.  The first car I drove was a 1972 Dodge Dart "Swinger" (really, don't ask):

(Really, it looked almost exactly like that, vinyl roof and all!) I mean, compared Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/28/the-shrinking-price-of-mobile/feed/ 1 Tekkeon TekCharge MP1580 reviewhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/26/tekkeon-tekcharge-mp1580-review/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/26/tekkeon-tekcharge-mp1580-review/#comments Mon, 26 Dec 2011 18:00:27 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=176090 We've seen and reviewed a lot of different external backup batteries for mobile devices. Many of them will be coming to CES next month in the hopes that, for once, we won't be scrambling to recharge our gear. One of the batteries that will be coming along is the Tekkeon TekCharge MP1580 but calling it an external battery is actually not quite accurate. No, the MP1580 can be thought of as a rechargeable battery charger that can double as an external battery. That means it serves a double function when you are on the go. Priced at under $25 it is a neat little product that can come in quite handy in a pinch. Let's take a look. IMG 6745 1 Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/26/tekkeon-tekcharge-mp1580-review/feed/ 0 (Don’t) Hold the Phone: NTSB Secretary Nixes Support for Hands-free Banhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/23/don%e2%80%99t-hold-the-phone-ntsb-secretary-nixes-support-for-hands-free-ban/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/23/don%e2%80%99t-hold-the-phone-ntsb-secretary-nixes-support-for-hands-free-ban/#comments Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:30:09 +0000 Bryan Eley http://www.geardiary.com/?p=175806 A week ago Michael Anderson posted a thought-provoking article here about the National Transportation Safety Board showing data that tended to support the notion that hands-free cellular use was just as hazardous as using a handheld phone. That the NTSB was mulling a recommendation for total cell phone/hands free ban was dire news indeed, both for automakers who spend huge sums on developing hands-free car technology and for us as the driver/talkers. In an abrupt split from his department however, NTSB Secretary Ray LaHood told reporters on Wednesday:
"The problem is not hands-free. That is not the big problem in America. Most people don't put Bluetooth or Sync in their cars because they can't afford it. Everybody
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/23/don%e2%80%99t-hold-the-phone-ntsb-secretary-nixes-support-for-hands-free-ban/feed/ 0 US Cellular Launching Huawei Ascend II in January for FREE After Rebate!http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/23/us-cellular-launching-huawei-ascend-ii-in-january-for-free-after-rebate/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/23/us-cellular-launching-huawei-ascend-ii-in-january-for-free-after-rebate/#comments Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:15:16 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=175700

Phones such as the Samsung Repp and HTC Wildfire have shown that low-end devices still have much to offer, and the Huawei Ascend II looks to step in at a somewhat higher level but still be available for free after rebate! This is the description:
The Huawei Ascend IITM with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) is your entertainment center, GPS navigator, news and weather hub, and your social network connection all in one powerful, pocket-sized device. Stream content from the web or your own media library and view it on the 3.5" HVGA touchscreen display. Grab apps from the Android Marketplace and snap photos with the 5.0 MP camera. Whatever you want
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/23/us-cellular-launching-huawei-ascend-ii-in-january-for-free-after-rebate/feed/ 0 C Spire Introduces The World’s Toughest Wireless Device – Sonim XP 3400 Armor™http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/20/c-spire-introduces-the-worlds-toughest-wireless-device-sonim-xp-3400-armor%e2%84%a2/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/20/c-spire-introduces-the-worlds-toughest-wireless-device-sonim-xp-3400-armor%e2%84%a2/#comments Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:15:25 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=174982 My boy Joseph, who I adore beyond measure, is (let us say) somewhat tough of things.  Walls, floors, pets, toys, bedding, trees, shrubs . . . you get the picture.  Nothing vicious, mind you; he's just tough on his environment.  One parent once watched him in one of those bounce castles and remarked, "He's like Boy cubed". So when Joseph asked for a cell phone, and Sami and I decided he was old enough, I didn't worry about the features, the models, the capabilities, or anything else.  I asked the AT&T rep on the phone, "Which one's the toughest?"  (And no, I don't remember which one that was--it was a while ago now.)  Ah, if only Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/20/c-spire-introduces-the-worlds-toughest-wireless-device-sonim-xp-3400-armor%e2%84%a2/feed/ 0 HTC EVO Design 4G for Sprint Reviewhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/19/htc-evo-design-4g-for-sprint-review/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/19/htc-evo-design-4g-for-sprint-review/#comments Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:00:06 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=174587 As smartphones continue their march into the mainstream the challenge of choosing the right phone for you grows ever-more challenging. This challenge is compounded by the fact that so many of HTC's phones seems to be a slight variation on the same theme over and over and over again. (The same holds true for Samsung's phones which all offer slight changes in screen size, features etc while remaining largely the same.) As Judie wrote in her review of the HTC Rhyme a few weeks ago,
I like items that have their own personality and that aren’t similar to every one else’s, but lately it seems like all of the HTC Android phones that I have
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/19/htc-evo-design-4g-for-sprint-review/feed/ 0 Teen Mobile Data Usage More than TRIPLES in 2011!http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/19/teen-mobile-data-usage-more-than-triples-in-2011/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/19/teen-mobile-data-usage-more-than-triples-in-2011/#comments Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:15:41 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=174715

Study after study has shown that teens text more than 'older' folks, something I can attest to as my kids rack up thousands of texts each month while my wife and I only do hundreds. But now, as more and more kids are getting smartphones ... they are starting to lead the charge in data consumption as well according to a recent report.

Here is a sample:
Teens ages 13 to 17 used 256% more mobile data in the third quarter of 2011 than in the same time period of 2010. Teens took in 320 MB of data per
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/19/teen-mobile-data-usage-more-than-triples-in-2011/feed/ 0 Something to Think of This Holiday Season: Hands-Free Just as Riskyhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/16/something-to-think-of-this-holiday-season-hands-free-just-as-risky/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/16/something-to-think-of-this-holiday-season-hands-free-just-as-risky/#comments Fri, 16 Dec 2011 15:15:13 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=174313

New research suggests that even hands-free phone use while driving is a significant risk. A recent study by the NTSB says that your brain becomes heavily engaged in that function at the expense of attention paid to driving. The NTSB study shows that regardless of the source of distraction, the result is the same. From a report on the study at the Omaha World Herald site:
The scientific evidence, however, is generally with NTSB, researchers said. "There is a large body of evidence showing that talking on a phone, whether handheld or hands-free, impairs driving and increases your risk of having a crash," Anne McCartt, senior vice president for research at the
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/16/something-to-think-of-this-holiday-season-hands-free-just-as-risky/feed/ 13 US Cellular Online Deal – All Messaging Phones are Free With Instant Rebate!http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/05/us-cellular-online-deal-all-messaging-phones-are-free-with-instant-rebate/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/05/us-cellular-online-deal-all-messaging-phones-are-free-with-instant-rebate/#comments Mon, 05 Dec 2011 23:15:22 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=172930

Cyber Monday became 'Cyber Week' ... but apparently no one told U.S. Cellular that it was over! They are back with another great web-only deal: for the next four days you can get any messaging phone for free after an instant rebate (in other words, NOT one of those 'wait 6 weeks for a restricted Visa gift card' deals)! Here are some details:
Now through Thursday, Dec. 8., all of our messaging phones, including the popular Samsung Character, LG Attune and LG Saber, are free with an instant rebate. U.S. Cellular is also waiving the activation fee and providing free shipping. The offer is available to new customers
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/05/us-cellular-online-deal-all-messaging-phones-are-free-with-instant-rebate/feed/ 0 Droid 4 Revealed – Like a Moto Razr with a Slide-Out QWERTY Keyboardhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/28/droid-4-revealed-like-a-moto-razr-with-a-slide-out-qwerty-keyboard/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/28/droid-4-revealed-like-a-moto-razr-with-a-slide-out-qwerty-keyboard/#comments Mon, 28 Nov 2011 22:20:53 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=171556

When it comes to mobile devices I tend to be fairly platform agnostic, owning Android phones, iPod Touches (well, iPods since the original one in 2001), and both iPads and Android Tablets. But there is one place where I have clear bias (well, aside from gaming performance), and that is my preference for physical keyboards. Listing the smartphones I have used over the last few years, there is the original Droid, Palm Pre, Palm Pixi, HTC Touch Pro 2, HTC 7 Pro, and Droid Pro. What do all of those phones have in common? A physical keyboard. I even stuck with PDAs with keyboards to the end - the Palm Tungsten C and HP Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/28/droid-4-revealed-like-a-moto-razr-with-a-slide-out-qwerty-keyboard/feed/ 2 U.S. Cellular Featuring Cyber Monday Web-Only Deals!http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/28/u-s-cellular-featuring-cyber-monday-web-only-deals/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/28/u-s-cellular-featuring-cyber-monday-web-only-deals/#comments Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:15:29 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=171685

Cyber Monday actually started on Saturday for many online retailers desperate to NOT see attention drift away, and is continuing all week long for many. And guess who wins? US, that's who! Joining the rush of great Cyber-Monday deals is US Cellular. Here are some details:
On our website today, the Android-powered LG Genesis and HTC Merge, and the BlackBerry Torch 9850, are free after a $100 mail-in rebate, along with free activation and free shipping. The offer is available to new U.S. Cellular customers and current customers who want to add a new line to their service. Also as before, customers will receive a 2,000 reward point bonus
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/28/u-s-cellular-featuring-cyber-monday-web-only-deals/feed/ 0 Get a FREE Samsung Conquer 4G from Sprinthttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/26/get-a-free-samsung-conquer-4g-from-sprint/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/26/get-a-free-samsung-conquer-4g-from-sprint/#comments Sat, 26 Nov 2011 17:35:43 +0000 Judie Stanford http://www.geardiary.com/?p=171327

All the usual terms apply; you must either activate a new line (or upgrade an eligible account) on an Everything Plan with Data, Premium Data add-on and a 2-year agreement, but you can get your hands on the normally $249.99 Samsung Conquer for free until December 3rd from Sprint. Not too shabby! =)
The Samsung Conquer 4G brings all the apps, features and speed you can handle without a price tag you can't. Powered by a 1.0GHz processor and Android 2.3, the Conquer offers a simplified and speedy experience for enjoying media, games or browsing. For serious speed freaks, fire up the 3G/4G hotspot capability and share a connection with up to 5 Wi-Fi®
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/26/get-a-free-samsung-conquer-4g-from-sprint/feed/ 0 U.S. Cellular Featuring Thanksgiving Day, Web-Only Deals!http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/23/u-s-cellular-featuring-thanksgiving-day-web-only-deals/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/23/u-s-cellular-featuring-thanksgiving-day-web-only-deals/#comments Wed, 23 Nov 2011 20:30:16 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=170987

Cell phones are featured on one of my kids' 'wish lists', which we know is true for a huge amount of kids (and adults) all over the nation. So if you venture out on Black Friday you can be sure that cell phone shops will just as busy as every other store selling trendy gadgets! One of the worst trends of this year is for stores to remain open on Thanksgiving Day. U.S. Cellular has a Thanksgiving Day sale planned that won't require a store to be open or anyone to lose their holiday! Here are the details:
On Thanksgiving day, U.S. Cellular is offering a one-day, web-only promotion for customers looking
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/23/u-s-cellular-featuring-thanksgiving-day-web-only-deals/feed/ 0 Holiday Gift Guide: Luxurious Items for Leather-Loving Gadget Houndshttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/15/gift-guide-2011-five-luxurious-gifts-for-leather-loving-gadget-hounds/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/15/gift-guide-2011-five-luxurious-gifts-for-leather-loving-gadget-hounds/#comments Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:00:31 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=168743 From the Editorial Staff of Gear Diary: Is there a lover of leather in your life? If so, here are five gifts with which you can't go wrong. Safari The Orbino Padova 2 Crocodile iPad 2 Case: Yeah, at $689.00 this iPad 2 case is a splurge but it is handcrafted from Crocodile and is a stunner. Judie has one and loves it. Here's a video of the case. Gorgeous isn't it? If that is too rich for you, then you can go with a Padova for iPad 2 made from standard leather. It costs $209.00 and is also a gorgeous case you or a loved one will use proudly Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/15/gift-guide-2011-five-luxurious-gifts-for-leather-loving-gadget-hounds/feed/ 0 Holiday Gift Guide: For Those Who Work on the Gohttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/13/gear-diary-2011-gift-guide-gifts-for-working-on-the-go/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/13/gear-diary-2011-gift-guide-gifts-for-working-on-the-go/#comments Sun, 13 Nov 2011 19:00:56 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=168751 From the Editorial Staff of Gear Diary: Is there someone in your life who loves music? If so, here are five gifts with which you can't go wrong. Apple MacBook Air Designed the way every notebook should be 1 We have to start this list with the 11" MacBook air. It's small, light, under $1000 and it makes working on the go a pleasure. You'll quickly forget that it is as small as it is. Judie has one and loves it. Dan has one and loves it. Elana has one and loves it (and she NEVER raves about technology.) Get one at Apple.com Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/13/gear-diary-2011-gift-guide-gifts-for-working-on-the-go/feed/ 0 Republic Wireless $19 Per Month Cell Service Open for Signupshttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/09/republic-wireless-19-per-month-cell-service-open-for-signups/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/09/republic-wireless-19-per-month-cell-service-open-for-signups/#comments Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:30:32 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=167983

Every now and then you hear about something - the $100 laptop, the $35 tablet, the $19 smartphone plan - that seem to good to be true. And in some ways they are - there are limitations and compromises and caveats. In terms of the $19 smartphone plan, this week Republic Wireless unveiled their rumored plan - and it is both good and bad. The system is based on controlling the hardware - you need to use one of their special LG Optimus phones - and shifting much of the 'heavy lifting' to WiFi. So if you need the latest phone or are constantly on 3G with no WiFi in sight, or Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/09/republic-wireless-19-per-month-cell-service-open-for-signups/feed/ 0 Android Phone Review: The HTC Rhymehttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/08/android-phone-review-the-htc-rhyme/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/08/android-phone-review-the-htc-rhyme/#comments Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:00:43 +0000 Judie Stanford http://www.geardiary.com/?p=166055 photos by Kevin

I like items that have their own personality and that aren't similar to every one else's, but lately it seems like all of the HTC Android phones that I have been posting about have been basically the same phone -- albeit with different features or screen sizes. Has it seemed that way to you? Whether it's been the Vivid, or the Rezound or all the EVO iterations, there are traits that most HTC Android phones seem to share: they are rectangular, they have four capacitive buttons on the bottom of the screen, there is a noticeable speaker grill at the top of the screen, they are predominantly black, they are trying to out-compete each other (and other brands) in screen size, they are trying to out-compete each other (and other brands) in processor speeds ... it's like  a massive nuclear arms race, but all of the weapons look the same! I understand building brand recognition,  but for some time it has seemed that HTC has been specifically marketing to masculine sensibilities, i.e. -- bigger, faster, stronger, harder, rawrrrr! I'm not saying that this is necessarily a bad thing, but I don't think that there is anything wrong with keeping a phone at a comfortable size for holding, recognizing that some people don't want to have such a personal device that looks like every other one out there, or making a phone that is a bit more convenient to use right out of the box. HTC actually has a history of offering phones that came in more feminine colors (remember the HTC Star Trek?), but I can't think of a single time that they pulled out all the stops and made a phone with the direct intent of going after the female side of the market. And then along came the Rhyme. If you could have been a fly on the wall the evening after I had posted the HTC Rhyme announcement ... oh my! I was looking forward to checking out the Rhyme because its specs looked pretty good, and I've been a bit bored with all of the HTC devices that look exactly the same. Carly was bothered by the fact that the Rhyme might be a sub-par Android device that had been prettied up and marketed specifically to women (ala the pink Palm Centro in early 2008), which would have totally offended me, too ...  if I had felt that was the case. But once we sorted out the specs (and basically discussed it to death), we came to the conclusion that the Rhyme might not be a sow's ear disguised as a silk purse. Of course, I still needed to use one in real life to make a final determination.

Obviously geared toward women and men who don't mind a deep splash of color, the Rhyme flaunts its plumness and comes with accessories that I haven't seen accompany ANY mobile phones since ... well, ever. So for pure colorful cheekiness and complementary accessories out of the box, the Rhyme was already on my "not too shabby" list.

Specifications

Size: 119 x 60.8 x 10.85 mm (4.68 x 2.39 x 0.43 inches) Weight:130 grams (4.58 ounces) with battery Display: 3.7-inch touch screen with 480 x 800 resolution Screen: 94mm (3.7") CPU Processing Speed: 1 GHz (Qualcomm MSM 8655) Storage: Total storage: 4 GB; Available storage:up to 1 GB; RAM:768 MB; Expansion slot: microSD™ memory card (SD 2.0 compatible) [comes with an 8GB microSD card] Connectivity: 3.5 mm stereo audio jack; Bluetooth® 3.0 with FTP/OPP for file transfer, A2DP for wireless stereo headsets, and PBAP for phonebook access from the car kit; Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11 b/g/n; DLNA for wirelessly streaming media from the phone to your TV or computer; ANT+ to connect with sport and fitness sensors Sensors:Ambient light sensor, G-Sensor, Digital compass, Proximity sensor Power & Battery: Battery type:Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery; Capacity:1600 mAh; Talk time: Up to 480 minutes for WCDMA, Up to 620 minutes for GSM; Standby time1:Up to 340 hours for WCDMA, Up to 295 hours for GSM (The above are subject to network and phone usage.) Platform: Android™ Gingerbread with HTC Sense™ 3.5 Interface Network: HSPA/WCDMA:Europe/Asia: 850/900/2100 MHz; Upload speed of up to 5.76 Mbps and download speed of up to 14.4 Mbps; Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz; (Band frequency, HSPA availability, and data speed are operator dependent.) Camera: 5 megapixel color camera with auto focus and LED flash; 720p HD video recording; VGA front-facing camera Location: Internal GPS antenna Multimedia: Audio supported formats: Playback: .aac, .amr, .ogg, .m4a, .mid, .mp3, .wav, .wma (Windows Media Audio 9); Recording: .amr, .m4a, .aac; Video supported formats:; Playback: .3gp, .3g2, .mp4, .wmv (Windows Media Video 9), .avi (MP4 ASP and MP3), .xvid (MP4 ASP and MP3); Recording: .3gp, .mp4 Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/08/android-phone-review-the-htc-rhyme/feed/ 2 Windows Phone Advertising – Doing Better By Pretending it Doesn’t Exist?http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/08/windows-phone-advertising-doing-better-by-pretending-it-doesnt-exist/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/08/windows-phone-advertising-doing-better-by-pretending-it-doesnt-exist/#comments Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:45:57 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=167018

After a first year that can most generously be called "disappointing", Microsoft and their key partner Nokia have been working hard to make this second year a success. Microsoft started with an amazing launch of Windows Phone 7.5 'Mango', which rolled out to all phones worldwide within only a few weeks - and that is counting a specific technical issue with an EU carrier that delayed roll-out for a couple of weeks! Nokia introduced their first two Windows Phone 7 devices recently, and while many had hoped for powerhouse phones (or a front facing camera), what Nokia is delivering is a stylish package and reasonable hardware that will work well Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/08/windows-phone-advertising-doing-better-by-pretending-it-doesnt-exist/feed/ 1 Quick Impressions: Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket Speedshttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/07/quick-impressions-samsung-galaxy-s-ii-skyrocket-speeds/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/07/quick-impressions-samsung-galaxy-s-ii-skyrocket-speeds/#comments Mon, 07 Nov 2011 15:30:25 +0000 Jeff Frantz http://www.geardiary.com/?p=167543 Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/07/quick-impressions-samsung-galaxy-s-ii-skyrocket-speeds/feed/ 0