Wayne has posted about how some stores are offering you bonuses when you buy gift cards from them, using your entire United States Economic Stimulus Payment Check once it arrives. While that’s all well and good, what if you would rather extend the life of something you already own, so that you can save the rest of that check - maybe start the IRA account you’re always talking about, or put the balance into a CD?

I’ve been writing about Pocket PC Techs products and services for ages, and I have always been impressed with them. Their latest special makes this a great time to give your slightly used Windows Mobile device an overhaul instead of buying a brand new one.

Did you break a connector? Have you cracked or scratched your screen? Is your device doing things that are making you crazy, but you don’t know why since you’ve only dropped it once? Better send it to PPCTechs and let them have a look…

April 15th is the date most of us in the US dreads.  Time to pay Uncle Sam the taxes owed, whether we agree or not!  So our marketing department suggested that PPC Techs give an extra discount the month of May, just to help those of us that didn’t get a refund, to recover from the tax sticker shock.

They say there are two things, that you can’t avoid.  Death & Taxes.  Sometimes, we’re not sure which is worse!

Since we all may need to get more out of the devices we have now we are very pleased to announce several new repairs for the latest devices released by Verizion, Sprint and AT&T!  So if you’re one of those individuals that just got a new device and had an accident with it, we’re here to help save you money over buying a new unit.

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I wasn’t going to post on this until in landed in my inbox, and lo and behold it was there this afternoon. Even though I have seen this bauble on other sites and thought for half a second about how cool it might be to have a wristwatch that was not only a phone, but was also a Windows Mobile device…reality set in. Do I think this is a cool idea? Oh, absolutely. Do I think it is necessarily a good one? Not so much. Can I imagine really trying to do anything serious that would take advantage of WM5 on a screen this tiny? Oh heck no. Would I like to try one? Heck ya!

Say hello to the EGP-98B, the new Wristwatch phone which also sports Windows Mobile 5. There is so much stuff supposedly contained in this wristwatch that I kept looking for the April Fool’s label at the end of the press release, but evidently it’s for real - and you can buy your own for just $629.95. No foolin’.

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It’s been a month since I unboxed and posted my first impressions of the Samsung SGH-i620. If you haven’t already peeked at that portion of this review, then go ahead…I’ll wait.

In that month, I have to admit that there have been a few times when I have wanted to toss the phone through my office window. Those of you who haven’t had the (dubious) pleasure of being around me as I trudge through a new product’s testing might not know that this is the phrase I use when I am repeatedly frustrated by a product that I really want to like. And I really did want to like the i620.

You see, I have been intrigued by this little fatty since last year, when Mike Temporale first posted about it on Smartphone Thoughts, and then Alison emailed to make sure I had seen it. I liked the idea of a smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard that could slide down to give a form factor similar to the Samsung Blackjack, the Palm Treo, and other similarly styled devices. The sliding keyboard design meant that the i620 would perhaps be fatter than some of these other devices, but the minimized height looked attractive.

It’s almost as if the Samsung has a dual personality: part fashion phone, yet all smart. You’ll see what I mean in a moment…

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If you are as excited as I am about the new WM 6.1 devices (is my sarcasm showing?), then here is a peek at two new ones.

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Q. Hi Judie,
I’m looking for an expert opinion on smartphones. I’m a Verizon customer, so I am due for my new every 2 free $100 in August.

I have a Palm TX, which I lovingly refer to as my electronic brain, and my cell phone LG8600.  The problem is that my brain often forgets the electronic brain, which is really bad for remembering meetings.  :(  So, I want to get an all in one device.

I’ve been reading reviews and checking out all kinds of info, but I’m so confused between Treos, Blackberries, etc.  What I need is a phone, calendar, to do list (mainly some organization software), contacts, camera, and the occasional internet use.  I don’t need to check my e-mail.  Work has not given me a phone to make me constantly check my e-mail, and until they do, I don’t want them to think I’m going to spend all my free time working. 

With that said, I thought maybe a blackberry would be overkill.  I don’t need the super-duper data package for my phone.  Plus, like most people, I’m all about the speed (RAM needed???), and reception.

I’ve thought about taping my phone to my Palm, but that’s just not the fashion statement I want to make.  Plus, the doublesided tape doesn’t hold very well.

Thanks,
Heather

P.S.

I had another question kind of related to the cell phone question: why is it that GSM seems to get the more advanced phones before CDMA.  I’m not talking about just the iPhone, but it seems that way for most new phones.  I thought it had more to do with the fact that more people use the GSM ‘network’, but is there something different about the tech that makes it more difficult to make CDMA phones.  I’m happy with my Verizon service, but I guess I’m a bit frustrated.

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Gah! I dared to step away from the computer, and in my absence I was sent all the Windows Mobile 6.1 release info! Oh well, better to have a life and be late to the posting party, than to always be glued to my computer…right?

Lots of release information and WM 6.1 Standard screenshots follow…enjoy!

Clock

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The Easter holiday delayed the delivery by a few days, but never mind, my new unlocked BlackJack II is here! I’ve had it for less than 12hrs but I wanted to post my first impressions of the device.

•    Looks great. The glossy black body is more stylish and “hip” than the original BlackJack. The new design is less functional, loosing out to the original’s superior grip and ruggedness, but with competitors like the iPhone and Nokia N95 8GB around it was a necessary change.

•    Build quality is top notch. No flexing , creaking or general crapness to be found. Very impressed.

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It’s been a long time, but I finally feel like I’m coming home! In the last few months I have had the pleasure of trying several fabulous devices from HTC, Nokia and Sony Ericsson but none of them could match my favourite form-factor: the one of the BlackJack. I love its thin design, excellent thumboard and beautiful screen. Combine that with HSDPA and Windows Mobile and it was pretty much the perfect phone for me. Alas it was short lived, as it went back to the shop for repair and never returned.

It wasn’t until today when I needed to respond to a bunch of emails while on the road, with no laptop, that I realised I need it back. I just can’t stand T9 for emailing. So tonight, with Judie’s ever helpfulness in considering gadget purchases, I clicked “Buy Now” on an new unlocked Samsung BlackJack II. Faster, more memory, bigger screen and much improved battery life, the new one looks to update and fix the original, in the same design and compact package as before.

As Judie will attest I have long wanted a HTC Tytn II, but alas it just didn’t fall into my price range at the moment, but hopefully the BlackJack II will serve me well for a while to come.

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The first time I saw the Samsung i620 in the flesh was in the lobby of the Amsterdam Hilton last November. Derek Snyder had brought a white one to Mobius, and Vincent and I couldn’t wait to play with it! Vincent is one of those guys who always has a video camera glued to his hands, and before I knew it, we were shooting.

Let me take a moment to say that one of the things I like most about V is that he doesn’t look at me like I’m an idiot when I get excited about a new device; nine times out of ten, he is just as excited. I really appreciate that in a friend.

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A look at a device we don’t have here in the States, just yet! Pretty Box, don’t ya think?

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