I review the Motorola XOOM that I received for review. I’m bringing it along the BlogHer conference happening in San Diego this weekend!
I cover the hardware specs and features of the Motorola XOOM. Pretty amazing tablet overall and I cover the hdmi option, the dual cameras, usb host option to transfer files and my initial thoughts on the tablet.
Motorola XOOM Tablet, MZ604
10.1 tablet
Honeycomb 3.01 installed, upgraded to 3.2
Dual core 1GHZ processors
32GB storage with micro SD card slot (supports up to 32GB)
USB host adapter for transferring files, music, movies
GPS for navigation
GeForce video card
HDMI port (mini HDMI) for video/audio output
I’m going to use this tablet for productivity and entertainment so I’ve installed widgets to display my calendar, Skype, social media apps, Netflix and more! I talk about transferring music over to this Android tablet using DoubleTwist and how I’ve signed up for Google Music beta.
Disclaimer: Although my reviews are my own, Motorola sent me this device to review and I was compensated for my time.
Earlier this year at CES, Samsung announced the release of a new digital camera that meets the needs of busy social media folks by making it easy to capture and share high quality photos and video with their new Samsung SH100 (aff).
I’m snapping your photo
Today I’ll be heading out with Samsung folks here in San Francisco to test drive this new camera. We’re going to explore San Francisco from the camera lens and I’ve picked out two locations for us. First we’ll head to Capsule, a local festival happening in Hayes Valley today and then we’ll head up to the Presidio for some beautiful scenic, views.
Question: Where should we go in San Francisco to capture beautiful photos?
About the camera
When Samsung reached out, I went to research the camera and was happily surprised to find out the ability to remotely control the camera was develop for the Android platform instead of the ever-s0-common iPhone OS.
This makes sense because Samsung also Android devices. It certainly makes me feel better about being an Android owner, ahem ”on the other side of the fence”, because, let’s face it Android owners; it can get sorta lame seeing so many cool things rolled out for the iPhone like Instapaper!
Here are the tech specs on the camera:
14 megapixel image capture
Video mode 1280 x 720 at 30fps
5X zoom
Remote control Viewfinder via your Android smartphone
Built in Wireless to transfer photos to your computer
Sponsored Post Discloser
This is a part of Samsung’s new “Coast To Coast Photo Post” which will be tied to their Facebook page (link coming soon). I’ll be receiving one of these cameras and will be compensated so I’m disclosing that here and in the future posts I write about this camera.
This is the Dell Vostro V130. There was no tiger blood involved although it in the making of this video commercial. This is a great laptop that will make you stylish, professional and on point at work and in the boardroom.
Review of the HP Wireless Elite Keyboard (Amazon affiliate link) I purchased July 2010 from Amazon.com. I paid $34.82 and it’s going for $32.61 as of this posting so pretty stable price.
At Amazon, it has 4 out of 5 stars based on 251 reviews. Reviews were also good at Newegg but for some reason they have it priced at $45.99. In this case, Amazon FTW with free shipping!
I finally saw a real Nexus S in person last night! In one week, the Nexus S will be released for public consumption. This is the second generation of unlocked Android phones from Google. It’s Samsung hardware. Public release date is December 16th, 2010 available unlocked so it will work on any GSM carrier’s network including T-mobile. It will cost $199 with a contract on T-mobile or $529 without a contract.
Let’s explore initial impressions, features, the potential shortcomings of this phone. You can check out the full list of technical specs at Google’s Nexus S site.
Initial Impressions
As a technology geek who’s had a smartphone, there are particular things I notice when checking out other people’s phones. Sort of like two dogs sniffing each other, you could say.
Tonight I’ll share a few of those observations. The other part is when a gadget has been churning in the rumor mill for months with sightings in the wild, you want to see if what they really say is true.
Nexus S Weight. This smart phone is very light. Compared to the Android G2 or even the iPhone 3GS, I found the Nexus S to be on the light side. According to Google’s site, the Nexus S weighs 4.5 ounces while Apple’s iPhone 3GS is 4.8 ounces and HTC’s G2 for T-mobile is 6.3 ounces making the Nexus S the lightest smartphone I’ve considered buying. Interestingly, the iPhone 4 also weighs 4.8 ounces but that was never on my geek gaget drool list. I like the lighter feel because it means less pocket sag!
Nexus S Body material. Unfortunately, it seems to have a plastic body casing. When I played with a co-worker’s G2, I really liked the feel of the metal in my hands. This is also one of the reasons I love my 13″ macbook pro. Brushed aluminum cases feel like higher quality gadgets. They certainly clean up easier than plastic. Speaking of which, I was unable to find anyone selling Nexus S cases online as of yet.
Nexus S Screen Dimensions. This smart phone seemed wider than what I was used to. It’s almost 2.48 making it almost 2.5 inches wide! That’s a lot of screen real estate when you compare it to:
Apple iPhone 3GS – 2.4 inches wide
Apple iPhone 4G – 2.31 inches wide
HTC G2 for T-mobile – 2.3 inches wide
On the Google site, they have this wonderful video for the Nexus S where there are little gingerbread cookies and a warm roaring fire. But what I noticed (and I’m hoping this was not digitally enhanced!) was the video quality displayed on the device:
Why gingerbread men? The new Android operating system, 2.3, is nicknamed “Gingerbread”. Matt Mullenweg, founder of WordPress, names major versions after Jazz artists so there’s a long history of computer programs having cutesy nicknames.
Can’t wait to see what the video quality looks like on my phone! Is there a Hulu or Netflix Android App? I couldn’t really bogart this person’s phone and sit down to watch something but if I do get a chance to, I’ll update this post!
Nexus S Cameras and flash. There are two cameras, I REPEAT, two cameras in the Nexus S. One is facing away for you to take photo and video while the other faces you so you can do video calls. So exciting! You all may remember Jason Calacanis joking on Twitter that the new iPad would have two cameras. I’m a big fan of mobile photography. I capture my world in the lens and am able to look back over the photos and rebuild the amazing experiences I’ve had over the last few years. Cooking is one of my new and enjoyable hobbies and I love to snap photos when I’m out eating with friends! Conferences, skylines, weird people in San Francisco, I capture it all. Since the loss of my iPhone 3GS (upcoming post), I’ve tried to hold off taking photos as the iPhone 2G’s camera is quite pitiful. As an iPhone user, I’m also looking forward to having an LED flash, finally! Again, I didn’t wan to be taking photos and transferring them to my mac but I-won’t-be-waiting-too-long!
Nexus S Virtual Keyboard. There’s an on-screen keyboard, similar to the iPhone. Nothing else too mentionable until I get mine and play around with it more. The benefit of a virtual keyboard is you don’t have to worry about breaking a hinge or losing a key so for those of you in colder climates (*cough* Minneapolis) texting on a physical keyboard when it’s -24 with the windchill is re-dunka-lious. If you had a separate keyboard (see bluetooth mentioned below) then you’d have to wrangle batteries for the keyboard and suffer additional battery drain on the phone. Now, I will say that if you’re going to be somewhere for a while, like a coffee shop, I really liked being able to prop up my Windows mobile device, attached the external keyboard and type up a storm while sipping on a breve latte (steamed half-and-half with espresso).
Mmm, spelling, copy/paste on the Android is a little bit different. It’s hard to explain but once I get some more hands-on time with the OS, I’ll explain the differences. When I first got an iPhone, I thought the on-screen keyboard was dumb. I searched high and low about connecting my existing bluetooth keyboard used with a palm and windows mobile device to the iPhone. With each new update to the iPhone iOS, I had fingers crossed they would update the bluetooth standard….no such luck! As people can attest to in Minneapolis, I was just about the slowest mobile typer in the world! I got advice on how to hold the iPhone, type with fingers and thumbs, having “faith” that Apple’s spell check would correct my keystrokes automatically and so on. It really took over a year for me to master typing on a flat screen. I’ve never been a big “text’er” sending messages back and forth on my phone. Always thought of it as a kid’s “sport” and something Blackberry geeks did. Why wear down my thumb pads when I could head over to a regular sized keyboard? That’s all changed now and I can type out entire emails on my iPhone, no problem…and quickly!
Nexus S Features I Drool For….Coming Soon
I’ll continue with features later this week like the ability to tether up to 6 other devices from your Nexus S!
How do you find a great deal on a new computer? Crowdsource it!
Finding a good deal online has always involved networking with other people so Twitter isn’t new in that sense. Forums have been lively areas where people swapped information on deals, coupons, mailers and Black Friday specials. Read More…
This shiny new desktop arrived Tuesday just after I was getting over not feeling so well. When the Fedex guy showed up, I felt instantly better! I unboxed it on Wednesday night over at AskAdria.com.
Today is Blog Action Day. It’s where thousands of bloggers unite on a single day to write about a specific topic and this year it’s climate change!
I want to raise your awareness today on how easy it is to save the world. You want a shiny new Macbook. Buy a refurbished one from the Apple store. I did and here’s why:
I like to save money
I like to save the environment
I eat my own dogfood (take my own advice)
I wanted to see the quality of a refurbished item from Apple
I just bought a 13″ Macbook Pro and rather than buying new, I went into Apple’s Refurbished section and ordered my new (new to me) laptop. I saved $200 and it shipped out fast!
Often, people are worried if they buy a refurbished item that it will have visible scratches or not work right. I am here to say there was not a single scratch on the Macbook. Companies will often reuse the guts of a computer by testing them and replacing the shell if there is any defect.
Not only do you save money taking this route but the machines are fully eligible for the same warranty and you save the environment by not having the company build a new machine. Computers are bad for the environment and the workers who build them because it takes a lot of toxic stuff to make them. Gina Trapani mentioned a website that supports people not rushing out to buy the latest and greatest but holding onto your gadgets and gizmo’s a little longer: LastYearsModel.org
Find out what you can get in your next macbook and watch the unboxing as I share the tech specs on the 13″ Macbook pro and my decision to buy one. Read More…
It’s finally happened! There is coffee spilled all over your keyboard. In order to save your keyboard, you need to act fast. This can work for a regular keyboard, laptop or wireless model.
update: one week later and my keyboard is doing great!
Items you need
Paper Towels (a lot!)
Windex glass cleaner
Blowdryer
A clean paintbrush
Rubbing Alcohol
Just like a paramedic, the first thing you need to do is stabilize the patient
1. Turn the keyboard upside down so the keys are facing the floor.
2. Unplug the keyboard from your computer.
3. Pull off a handful of paper towels (about 5) and lay them down on a flat surface.
4. Lift the keyboard and place it on top of the papers towels.
5. Holding the keyboard in one hand (still facing down) and the mass of paper towels in the other hand, swiftly hit the keyboard against your hand to draw out as much sticky liquid as possible. Do this a few times and freshen up with new paper towels.
Now Revive the patient
6. Now turn the keyboard so it’s on the short side and spray the Windex a few times. Repeat step 5 to draw out the Coffee/Windex liquid. The goal is to start diluting the remaining coffee. Most modern keyboards have a thin plastic barrier between the keys and the circuit board. You are now working to prevent further damage.
7. Switch the keyboard on the other short end and repeat step 6. The goal is to not let the liquid pool.
8. If you’re lucky enough to have a clean paintbrush on hand (Think Gattaca), begin to draw the brush the long way between the rows of keys. This will help to draw the liquid away from the key springs. Wipe the brush off on a paper towel. Keep the keyboard moving.
9. If you’re also lucky enough to have rubbing alcohol, repeat steps 6 and 8 with rubbing alcohol. This will start the drying process.
10. Take the keyboard and paintbrush to meet Mr. Blowdryer. Hold the keyboard facing down while you alternate between hot and cool air. I put the keyboard between my knees for this part. Run your free hand across the keys the long way back and forth. This will keep the keys from getting stuck and help work the Windex and rubbing alcohol in.
Check for Vitals
11. Take a look at the keyboard and try a few keys. There may be certain keys like “Shift” or “Enter” that are sticky. Repeat the above process again on the entire keyboard and then spot treat.
Results
I was able to save my keyboard tonight by doing this and am typing this blog post on said keyboard. I am feeling some key stickiness so I plan to repeat the above process but I will surely be putting in an order a new keyboard from Newegg next week!
Did this work for you? Did you tweak it? Let me know!
Newegg is my favorite place to order my techie supplies.
Here are my hardware tools for data recovery and transfer for SATA drives. I found out a friend had a drive go south on him so he lost some productivity because he didn’t have SATA based recovery hardware on hand; thus I share my tools to you for future reference.
NOTE: These links for Newegg will generate affiliate credit back to the blog. It’s a great way to say thanks for the content and if you click through and buy something, Thanks! My goal will be to not directly advertise on ButYou’reAGirl.com but use links for hardware products and various software I use myself.
Today I sold my Palm Pilot m515 and Ultra Slim Keyboard to a guy on Craigslist. He’s going to use it to measure and adjust his car’s performance through the ECU. I don’t know much about cars (yet) but I do remember that you need an ECU to have the car run right.
Here are the links I sent him so he has the drivers and support documentation
Download the perfect desktop companion for managing your life at the office or on the go. Palm Desktop 4.1.4 for Windows lets you quickly add or update your contacts, appointments, to-dos and memos at your desktop computer. Then synchronize to your Palm® mobile device with the touch of a button.
My alphabet starts with this letter called yuzz. It’s the letter I use to spell yuzz-a-ma-tuzz. You’ll be sort of surprised what there is to be found once you go beyond ‘Z’ and start poking around!— Dr. Seuss
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