Gear Diary » Motorola

Motorola Mobility Empowers You to Do More, From Anywhere

Douglas Moran — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:00:27 +0000

Motorola--or "Moto", as your faithful Gear Diary crew often calls it--almost always makes some kind of splash at CES. It's a big company, after all, and they've been doing electronic gizmos for a long, long time. Last year, for example, our own Dan spent quite a bit of time checking out their (then-) new Xoom. What about this year? As you might expect, Moto is rolling out a batch of new items, including:

DROID RAZR MAXX by Motorola is the overachiever of the family of DROID RAZR by Motorola products. It’s the longest-lasting smartphone on the block offering 21 hours of talk time, and at just 8.99 mm, the device is still

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Droid 4 Revealed – Like a Moto Razr with a Slide-Out QWERTY Keyboard

Michael Anderson — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 22:20:53 +0000

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 ...

The Motorola Droid RAZR Android Phone Review

Mitchell Oke — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 18:00:07 +0000

The battle for “World’s Thinnest” presses on with the release of Motorola’s latest flagship. Resurrecting the name of a phone that became an icon, the RAZR is back, but aside from the name, it bears little resemblance to the phone-in-skinny-jeans of 2004. The new RAZR, or the XT910 as Motorola define it, is an Android slate measuring a trim 7.1mm at its thinnest point, handily eclipsing the Galaxy S II’s now portly 8.49mm figure. Make no mistake; this is a seriously thin phone. But like a Lamborghini, it may hug the ground when laid flat, but it’s seriously wide. At 69mm its wider than the G S II’s 66mm, and completely dwarfs the iPhone 4S at 58.6mm. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Amazon Has the Motorola Droid RAZR for $111.11 … But There’s a Catch!

Michael Anderson — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 14:30:31 +0000

Today is 11/11/11 - or in Europe 11/11/11 - and Verizon and Motorola are releasing the cool looking ultra-thin Droid RAZR Android smartphone - at 11:11:11, naturally. Never one to be left out of a chance to overuse a gimmick, Amazon Wireless is getting in on the fun, offering the Droid RAZR for ... yep, $111.11! But ... there is a catch. The image above is from when I select 'New Customer'. As soon as I indicate 'Exiting Customer', THIS is what happens.

So much for a good deal - I guess they figure if they Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

PDAir Releases Aluminum Metal Case for Motorola Droid Bionic XT875

Douglas Moran — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 18:15:41 +0000

I've mentioned it many times: PDAir cranks out a simply amazing quantity of cases on a regular basis. HTC or Motorola or Apple or Toshiba or you-name-it comes up with something new and BOOM! PDAir is right there with a case. I never know whether to shake my head in admiration, or weariness. I mean, how do they keep up? But keep up they do, and today's info is on their new aluminum metal case for the Motorola Droid Bionic XT875. Do you have one? Well, PDAir has a case for you, pal. Available for an MSRP of $29.99 Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Farewell, Android

Carly Z — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:00:18 +0000

(image courtesy ThinkG33k)

As regular readers of Gear Diary may know, I used an original Droid for almost two years. In fact, up until a few months ago, I was totally convinced my next phone would be an Android device. But Android and I had a falling out, and I picked up an iPhone 4s on Friday. Why? And is the learning curve tough? Read on for my thoughts! First, there's the "why". A few things dragged me away from my little robot friends. One, Android is becoming increasingly fractured. It seems as though the only way to guarantee timely updates and continued support is to pick up a Nexus device. Otherwise Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Gear Deal: Motorola Droid Bionic 4G Dual-Core Smartphone [Verizon]

Dan Cohen — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 11:40:09 +0000

It is big. It is bold. It is Bionic! It's the Motorola Droid Bionic 4G smartphone for Verizon and it is today's Gear Deal.

The Droid Bionic isn't a smartphone. No, it is a super-smart phone. It has a 1GHz dual-core processor, a 4.3" qHD (960x540) display, dual-facing cameras with an 8MP rear camera, and 16GB built-in memory plus the inclusion of a 16GB microSD standard. It is hotspot capable, offers 4G LTE/3G connectivity, runs Android 2.3OS, and, of course, has WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS. It has all that and it still offers up to 10.8 hours talk time. The full price of the Droid Bionic is $679.99. At Let's Talk it is just Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

To Bionic or Not To Bionic…

Carly Z — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 16:40:00 +0000

I have been angsting over a new phone for some time now. My original Droid is barely hanging on, and I am due for an upgrade. It was disappointing that Verizon didn't pick up the Galaxy S II along with the other carriers, but the Motorola Droid Bionic hung on the horizon. I have been trolling various sites for reviews, but they all seemed to sum up with one word: Meh.

All of them are quick to reassure readers the Bionic isn't a bad phone, it is just...not great. In fact, most of the reviews seem to end with similar sentiments.

Slashgear concluded:

Meanwhile, there are faster phones on the horizon. Samsung’s freshly-announced Galaxy S

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Android Phone Review: Motorola Droid Pro

Michael Anderson — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 20:00:42 +0000

Given how much I love my iPad and iPod Touch, and that I have constantly had a top-end Mac laptop as well as a PC laptop for nearly two decades, many people assume I would use an iPhone. I don't - I have used an Android phone since I got the Motorola Droid as my first smartphone when it was released. Since then I have tried the HTC Touch Pro 2, Palm Pre Plus, Palm Pixi Plus, and Droid 2 before settling on the Droid Pro as my 'go to' device. The Droid Pro is nearly a year old yet hasn't been replaced or matched in the market, and is only now being Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Yet Another Reason Why It Seems Android Users Love to Relive Their Windows Suffering

Michael Anderson — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 16:30:52 +0000

I have been an Android user since 2009, and have no intent on switching. But let's be honest - in many ways the OS mirrors DOS and Windows. For example, on my original Droid, the split between the internal storage and SD card was absurd - I would have 14GB of memory on my SD card, but get 'low memory' warnings trying to install a 2MB app because nothing would let itself be installed in 'HIMEM.SYS'. Another Windows-like behavior? The Add/Remove Control Panel - or, the 'Manage Applications' system item. This is the place you go to move apps to and from the SD card (when allowed), clear data, stop services, or Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

A Million Moms Discover Kid Mode for their Phone

Douglas Moran — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 18:30:48 +0000

Just so you know, I spent one whole year as a stay-at-home Dad. We had just adopted my son Joseph from Taiwan and wanted someone at home full-time to take care of him, and since my wife Sami had better stock options and was making more money than me, why not me? One thing I never got used to, though, is the fact that no matter how "liberated" this country is supposed to be, no matter that the feminist movement is now old enough to be in the history books, no matter that I lived in the liberal, liberated bastion of the San Francisco Bay Area, I was still viewed with various combinations of shock, derision, surprise Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

The HTC Incredible S and Motorola Atrix Get Some Aluminum Armor from PDair

Francis Scardino — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 19:45:50 +0000

Image courtesy of PDair

Since we are big fans of PDair here at Gear Diary we are always happy when they bring new products to market. I have to say that PDair is great when it comes to phone cases especially since they are one of the few companies that offer cases almost immediately after a new phone is released. Android phones clearly don't have all the protection options that the iPhone gets, but its nice to see companies like PDair giving you some options when you pick up your shiny new scratch free phone. If you've looking for an aluminum case option for either the HTC Incredible S or Motorola Atrix, then Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Some New PDAir Releases to Tickle Your Case-Needing Jones

Douglas Moran — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 13:15:54 +0000

PDAir makes cases, and no bones about it. Reasonably-priced, reasonably-solid cases that cover your precious device in the substance of your choice, be it aluminum, leather, or some kind of vinyl something-or-other. Cases. PDAir. That's what they do. And as you might expect, they haven't been just sitting around, watching devices get released and saying, "Gee, nice device!" No, they see a device, and they want to encase that sucker, darn it! And this week's encasement list is all about the Samsung Galaxy S GT-i9003 and the Motorola Xoom. Cases. For you. Take a look. Full information below.

Leather Case for Samsung Galaxy S GT-i9003 - Flip Type (Black)
Leather Case for

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Put Your Atrix 4G in an Otterbox

Douglas Moran — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 14:00:04 +0000

'Round these parts, we've been paying a lot of attention to the Motorola Atrix. Judie and Dan got to see an interesting demo at CES, and you'll no doubt see one of them review the gadget right here in our humble pages. So let's say you're an early adopter, and bought one. How do you keep your new 4G free of the bumps and bruises that life is no-doubt about to throw at it? Why, you consider getting an OtterBox case for it, of course. And why? Let me put it this way: when I finally allowed my ADHD son to have his first iPhone--graduating him from the most bullet-proof flip-phone we could find--the case Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

#1 Reason the Motorola Xoom WILL Fail (But Shouldn’t)

Michael Anderson — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 22:00:20 +0000

Everyone seems to be freaking out about the recently revealed pricing for the upcoming Motorola XOOM tablet. On the surface that seems silly: the XOOM has a dual-core processor, a 1280x720 10.2 inch touch screen, two cameras (a 5MP rear camera with flash and a 2MP 'webcam'), as well as the latest Android 3.0 operating system. On paper it seems like the XOOM completely blows away the iPad, but as we have learned with the fictitious Samsung Tab sales numbers, having better specs means little. An article at eWeek lists 10 reasons why the XOOM is overpriced, but there was one that caught my attention:

3. Apple can get away with it, but

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GD Quickie: Not Even Mother Nature Can Stop the Android Army

Francis Scardino — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 15:00:55 +0000

The National Guard does not get called to handle problems on the home front, well at least not in Southeast, Pa we don't. The overhyped ice storm we had yesterday caused some panic and the governor activated us just in case things got a little crazy. Well despite Mother Nature's efforts we didn't have much going on this time around and mostly just prepared our trucks and gear for a night out in the ice. While waiting for the order I was talking with some other soldiers in my crew about our mobile devices. One of my troops recently changed over from the iPhone world to Team Android and picked up a Droid X. My section Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Droid Does: Smartphone Monogamy

Carly Z — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 20:00:41 +0000

I bought my Motorola Droid in December of 2009. 2009 was a very busy year for me with smartphones; I started with an original iPhone, then became frustrated with the notification system and jumped ship to Windows Mobile. That lasted only a few months before I jumped ship AGAIN, to a Nokia E71x. I didn't love Symbian, so I jumped yet again to Windows Mobile Smartphone, which lasted all of two minutes before I went back to the iPhone again. Finally, a combination of factors led me to switching to Verizon from AT&T, and I switched to my Droid...the last smartphone switch I've made in over a year. So what led me to smartphone monogamy? Well, Android Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Phone Fail? Motorola Droid Allegedly Explodes While Owner Is In-Call

Judie Stanford — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 16:05:52 +0000

You can't even make these things up ... or maybe you can. It's hard to imagine that your two-day old Motorola Droid -- or any other mobile phone, for that matter -- would explode next to your ear while in a call. But that's exactly what Aron Embry says happened to him yesterday.

A North Texas man talking on his cell phone was rushed to a hospital after his phone apparently exploded Thursday morning. Aron Embry was at Ray Elementary in Cedar Hill at the time of the incident. The man said he had just finished a call when he said he heard a loud "pop." He then

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Coming Soon: Motorola Defy, the World’s First “LifeProof” Smartphone

Francis Scardino — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 01:15:20 +0000

Image courtesy of Motorola

Anyone who owns a Smartphone has to deal with the high maintenance that goes along with keeping it bright and shiny. I can't even own a phone anymore that doesn't have a screen protector and a case on it before it even leaves the store. I have to admit that a lot of the newer smartphones are built on the mediocre level. I love my Samsung Vibrant but would be first in line to trade the thin plastic housing in for something more durable and heavier. Most new phones still aren't that bad, but often fall short of surviving the wear and tear of the normal everyday consumer. Face Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Gear Diary First Look: Motorola ES400 Enterprise Digital Assistant

Jason Reese — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 21:00:03 +0000

The regular onslaught of weekly smartphone announcements highlighting the latest offerings running Android or the upcoming Windows Phone 7 OS, it's very easy for Motorola's ES400 to get lost in the mix. The device doesn't immediately scream 'sexy' and it's running Windows Mobile 6.5. Yes, I said 6.5!

So why on earth should you even care about the ES400? Read on to see why this semi-rugged and enterprise-ready handheld may be exactly what your business needs.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Let's be clear who the target audience for the Motorola ES400 is. It's not the tween texter. It's not

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More PDAir Aluminum Case Goodness: Motorola DROID X MB810

Douglas Moran — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 10:30:03 +0000

I'm an iPhone guy, I admit, but I'm also a gadget geek, so I'm well aware that one of the hot new device in the Android world is the Droid X, with its 4.3" screen and lots of other Droid goodies. But once you obtain your hot new gadget, you need to cover it, right? This week, those busy folks at PDAir have focused their attention on the Droid side of the world, releasing a new pair of their aluminum cases for the Droid X:

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Droid X Users Can Now Have Root, but No ROMS yet.

Joel McLaughlin — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 19:00:39 +0000

One piece of the puzzle for a complete Droid X hack has fallen in place after only one week. Owners of the Droid X may now have root privileges on their phone. Root privileges mean that you can modify any portion of the system area of your device., meaning in part that you can remove ROM built-in apps like the Blockbuster Application or the included games. The thanks for this go mostly to a hacker known as birdman. The hack uses the same security vulnerability that has before been used to hack the European version of the Droid, the Milestone. It takes advantage of a vulnerability found in Udev, which is Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Motorola’s Rugged Phones take on Mike Rowe and his Dirty Jobs

Francis Scardino — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 16:30:09 +0000

Image courtesy of Motorola

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you're a fan of the Dirty Jobs, then you know Mike Rows gets into some of the most brutal and nasty jobs that anyone has to endure. Motorola decided Mike would be the perfect candidate to test out both of their new super rugged mil-spec phones the Motorola Brute and i1. Both phones operate on the iDEN (800/900 MHz) network and meet Mil Standard 810F. Motorola gave some of these phones to Mike Rowe and told him to find the best people to test out these rugged phones and see if they could actually hold up to the Dirtiest Jobs. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Review: Otterbox Commuter Case For the Motorola Droid

Carly Z — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:00:43 +0000

I take my phone everywhere. During work and everyday life I don't worry much about it; I work in an office and live in suburban New Jersey. It's not really a rough life for a smartphone. I do, however, take it when I go hiking, biking and running as a GPS tracker, plus it rides along in my pocket when I walk the dog, rain or shine. So I'm always on the lookout for a solid case that can protect my phone during outdoors-y times, and still look good for everyday use. Needless to say, I was VERY excited when Otterbox announced their Commuter Case for the Droid Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Proporta Adds Droid, Nexus One and Storm 2 Cases, Plus a Coupon!

Carly Z — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 15:30:35 +0000

So your Droid is now rocking 2.1, and you need a way to protect it! Or you snapped up a Nexus One, and now you want to make sure it looks pristine. And maybe you stuck with a Blackberry and bought yourself a Storm 2. No matter what you have, Proporta has new cases for it! Check out the descriptions below, and if anything catches your eye, use the promo code BUNNIES for 15% off, from April 2nd to April 5th!

Perfect Proporta protection for the iPhone killers – Introducing cases for Droid, Milestone, Nexus One and Storm 2 The iPhone and its horde of devotees may

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Otterbox Brings the Commuter Case to The Motorola Droid

Carly Z — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 13:00:10 +0000

Looks like those of us with Motorola Droids can enjoy some OtterBox love these days. While they can't offer the waterproof/dustproof/lifeproof protection some of their tougher cases are known for, OtterBox seems to have cracked the ultimate dilemma; protecting phones that need to work as two pieces! Here's what Otterbox says about their new Commuter Case for Droid:

SLEEK AND TOUGH PROTECTION The OtterBox Commuter Series is a perfect on-the-go accessory for everyday handheld technology. Safeguarding the screen from scratches and the corners from bumps and shocks, this style case offers unique design with reliable strength. FEATURES OtterBox MOT4-DROID accommodates DROID smartphones by Motorola Layer 1: Self-adhering clear

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IDAPT i3 Universal Desktop Charger- I Need Three

Dan Cohen — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:56:18 +0000

I was looking at my nightstand last night and had a sudden realization...R I have too many devices laying around and I need something to organize them and charge them at th same time. Yes, there are lots of "stations" that will charge multiple devices but none have really caught my eye... Until now. The IDAPT i3 Universal Desktop Charger lets you simultaneously charge three different portable devices. At the same time it lets you cut down on "cord clutter" (you should see what the space under my work desk looks like!). Best of all, the system is affordable. The IDAPT i3 Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Flip AT&T’s Control Over the Backflip

Carly Z — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:30:49 +0000

If you bought a Moto Backflip, you probably noticed the odd use of Yahoo Search over Google, and the incredible amount of AT&T bloatware included on the device. Unfortunately, short of rooting it there's not much you can do about either of those, but AT&T did something far worse to the Backflip that you WILL want to change. Every other Android phone offers an option to install apps from outside the marketplace. Sometimes it is a beta (like the Swype keyboard beta), other times it is things like PDANet, a tethering utility, that isn't sold through the marketplace. If you own a Backflip, AT&T completely removed this option. Many sites have belabored the "Android is supposed to be OPEN" sentiment, and I won't continue it here. But I will share this tip, care of Android Central. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Android, AT&T and…Yahoo?

Carly Z — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:30:22 +0000

(underlying image courtesy Haunted Ventures)

Ever since the Droid landed at Verizon, everyone has wondered when AT&T would embrace the cuddly green robot phones. When it was announced that the Motorola Backflip, a rather unusual cousin to the Cliq, would be the first Android phone to hit the Deathstar AT&T, it sounded intriguing. It certainly would catch people's eyes with it's funky keyboard placement; no one is mistaking it for an iPhone wannabe! But there's something different about the Backflip beyond the keyboard...it won't be using Google for search. Nope. AT&T took a long, hard look at Android, at the obvious Google connections, and opted to use the logical choice in search providers: Yahoo! Well, it makes sense if you are AT&T and use insane troll logic! What could AT&T have been thinking? I polled some of the flies on the wall that were present during the brainstorming session with Darth Vader AT&T executives, and here's the scoop. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Review: PDAir’s Aluminum Case Increases the Droid’s Geek Factor

Jeff Frantz — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 23:00:26 +0000

After several years of mobile device designs trending toward smooth, curving lines and symmetrical shapes, the Motorola Droid stands out. Sure, you'll see lots of non-geeks carrying it, but from the angular design of the device itself to the style of the commercials Verizon developed to sell it, it's clear that the Droid is intended to appeal to the technologically inclined. So, how does one take a geeky device like the Droid and amp the geek factor? You slap a metal case on it, that's how. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...