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Archive for May, 2011

Barnes & Noble Nook Color e-Reader

Posted by tomwiles at 10:03 PM on May 31, 2011

Over this past weekend I ended up purchasing a $250 dollar Barnes & Noble “Nook Color” e-reader from a Best Buy store. It has a very bright, clear 7” diagonally measured widescreen capacitive glass touch screen display.

Barnes & Noble ships the Nook Color with a specialized, tightly locked-down version of Android that promotes access to the Barnes & Noble store content. It includes the Android web browser, along with a couple of games and the Pandora music service app. With the latest 1.2 version of Barnes & Noble’s Nook Color Android, they also give access to email and currently about 170 or so apps that can be purchased from the Barnes & Noble app store.

I’ll be perfectly honest here. What persuaded me to buy the Nook Color was watching a number of different YouTube videos of Nook Color units that had been hacked to run different versions of Android. As it turns out, the Nook Color is a very hacker-friendly device. The Nook Color’s WiFi radio contains Bluetooth, which Barnes & Noble’s Android does not yet take advantage of, though alternative versions of Android can and do enable Bluetooth on the device.

The Nook Color is manufactured by Foxconn, the same Chinese manufacturers that make the iPad, iPod, and many other modern consumer electronics devices. The Nook Color is a very nice piece of hardware. It has a 1.1 gigahertz Atom processor that’s backed down to 800 megahertz in order to help conserve battery life. Also when the unit is asleep very little battery power seems to be consumed.

There are several different approaches to be taken from outright replacing the Barnes & Noble Android, rooting it to allow the full Android store, to running alternative versions of Android from the included Micro-SD card reader slot built-in to the unit, leaving the Barnes & Noble Android intact.

After a weekend of experimental hacking, here are my conclusions. Though the Barnes & Noble Android is fairly limited, it offers quite a nice experience. I’ve determined that I want to keep that Barnes & Noble Nook Color experience untouched. It is quite valuable as an e-reader that offers multimedia functionality.

I can, and am, experimenting with a couple of different versions of Android running directly from a couple of different Micro-SD cards. I have a Micro-SD version of Android 2.2, as well as a version of Android 3.0. The Nook will automatically attempt to boot first from the Micro-SD reader, so when I want to boot into the built-in Barnes & Noble Android, I simply turn the unit off, eject the Micro-SD chip, and turn the unit back on.

While searching the Internet for information, I came across a website (http://www.rootnookcolor.com/)that is selling pre-configured Micro-SD chips running either Android 2.2, or Android 3.0. I ended up ordering a 2.2 version, which I won’t receive for a few days. These pre-built versions contain a boot loader, which allows the user to select which operating system to load without having to eject or insert the Micro-SD chip each time.

I am perhaps more of a unique case, since I spend most of my time in my truck. I already have the latest version of the iPod Touch, which gives me 95% percent of iPad functionality in a smaller package. When my truck is parked, my MacBook Pro is almost always online. The only use I could come up with for a tablet would be for use as a nice screen to watch video on, or an e-reader, since other uses are already covered between my iPod Touch, my MacBook, and my Sprint Evo Android smartphone. At upwards of $1,000 for a fully-configured iPad 2.0, that’s a price that’s just too steep for these functions. However, at $250 dollars for a very capable piece of hardware that can easily be made to do other things, along with something to experiment with, it starts to really become interesting.

Barnes & Noble should be commended for the Nook Color. As stated before, it is an excellent piece of hardware. It’s been a long time since I was in a Barnes & Noble brick & mortar store, and until now I haven’t felt compelled to buy any e-books from them online. However, now that I have the Nook Color I’ve started out an experimental subscription to Popular Science magazine. So far I’m enjoying the experience. The Nook Color uses the ePub format, and also uses Adobe technology to display color magazine and newspaper publications.

My hope is that since the Nook Color is so hackable, it will act as a doorway to reward Barnes & Noble.

 

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Posted in Android, Barnes & Noble, Bluetooth, google, Hacker, Information, tablet, wifi

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Instagallery and Instamap

Posted by KL Tech Muse at 8:13 PM on May 31, 2011

If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch you are probably familiar with Instagram. Instagram is a great way of sharing photos. However unfortunately it is not a great way to view photos. Two applications for the iPad (both original and 2nd generation) are attempting to solve this problem.

The first is Instagallery by InfinitiApps for $1.99. With Instagallery you can view the photos by your feed, what’s popular and your own  photos. You can search by tag or user name. You can like or comment on a picture and check how it was tagged. You can view pictures in a slide show. In settings you can set how long a picture stays up during a slide show. You can also turn on and off Auto Repeat. Instagallery also allows you a choice on backgrounds. To pause and play a slideshow you hit the play button in the upper left hand corner. By clicking on the User’s picture you can see how many people are following them and how many they are following. If you want Instagallery allows you to view that user’s pictures in a slide show. Instagallery also allows you to search for pictures by tag or by user name. Instagallery allows you to view popular pictures whether you are signed in or not

Instamap by NextRoot is similar to Instagallery in that it allows you to view Instagram photos. However the first difference you will notice is that in order to view pictures within Instamap you have to sign into your Instagram account. After you sign in with Instagram and Instamap first opens up on the left hand side are the subscriptions which are divided into two categories location and tags. The default locations are London, Paris, New York, and Tokyo. The default tags are door, street art and flowers. You can add a location or tag subscription by clicking on the plus button on the upper left hand side. If for some reason you log out of your Instagram account on Instamap. you will lose any tags and location subscriptions that you added. Unlike Instagallery Instamap does not have an auto slide show, you have to scroll through the pictures manually. There is also no way to change the background color. Instamap doesn’t have any way, that I could find to view an individual users pictures or information about them. Each location and tag has a number next to it to indicate how many pictures are available. You can delete a subscription by swiping and hitting the delete button. However I didn’t see any way to mark pictures as viewed, fortunately when a new picture is added it does appear first. I am not sure how often the subscriptions update and older pictures drop off. On the right hand side of the screen you have a choice of viewing the pictures in a mosaic or if you want you can click on the map icon and search for pictures by location on the map. The one thing I didn’t like when using the map search is that if when a picture is added to a location, Instamap automatically goes to that location. I wish there was a way to turn that off. Also because of the way Instamap is set up it depends on the user tagging their pictures or having geo-location on their phone turned on. If you are like me and forget to tag your pictures or have location turned off, your pictures will not show up on Instamap.

Both applications have their strength and weaknesses, however if I had too choose I would choose Instagallery. It just has more options then Instamap. However if you want to view pictures from a certain location, then Instamap is great. Both applications are $1.99 so install both is not a bad idea.

 

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Posted in application, Information, Photography

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HTC Gratia Hands-On Review

Posted by Andrew at 5:20 PM on May 31, 2011

As a mid-tier offering, the HTC Gratia doesn’t appear to get the same notice as the Sensations, Desires and Incredibles, which is a shame because it’s a good phone and will suit those who want a small Android phone but don’t have the cash for a top-end device. If you haven’t heard of the Gratia before and you live in the US, that’s because over there it’s known as the Aria. It’s largely the same device.

To get the specs out of the way, it’s an Android 2.2 device with a 3.2″ 320 x 480 touchscreen. Weights in at 115 g and measures 58 mm wide, 104 mm tall and 12 mm thick. All the expected radios and gadgets – 3G, wifi (b/g), bluetooth, GPS, compass, 5 MP camera, microSD expansion slot – the full specs are on HTC’s site (though it lists the Android version as 2.1).

As you’ll see from the pictures below, the review model had a white plastic back that had a slightly matt finish to it. The phone felt comfortable in the hand and the detail of the extra screws on the back gave the Gratia an “industrial” edge, which I liked. I didn’t try to find out if the screws actually held anything together or were only for effect.

Taking the back off reveals the SIM slot, the microSD slot and the battery. At the bottom left, the two contacts are for aerials that were embedded into the back cover. The micro USB connector is in the middle. The back covers the sides, top and bottom as well.

Side on, there’s a sense of the shape and how it feels in the hand. It’s not a thin phone, but it’s not a fat one either.  It’s comfortable. As with most devices, there’s a little bit of bevelling to make it feel thinner than it really is.

Enough on the physical, what’s it like to use as a phone? Unsurprisingly, it’s much like every other HTC Android 2.2 phone. It comes with the HTC Sense enhancements and there did seem to be a few little extra launcher customisations that I hadn’t seen before. Unfortunately, I didn’t have another phone handy to compare and they may simply be incremental updates that went along with 2.2.

Generally, the phone was responsive using both the touchscreen and the trackpad. Animations were smooth and scrolling up and down lists was good. The usual slew of apps was present and the Gratia has access to the Android Market if you need more. Audio and video playback was fine with no glitches or jerkiness on the files I tried. Some other reviews said the Gratia was “underpowered” but I can’t really say that performance was an issue, though I’m not a big game player which seems to be the focus of the issue. And of course, if you do have lots of apps open, it will begin to slow down.

Setting up apps with accounts to access email, Facebook, Twitter, etc. was all by the numbers, as it were. I was up and running with the Gratia within minutes of turning the phone on.

Battery life was ok – I got a day’s worth of work out of it with some to spare and that’s with a bit of email, bit of surfing, bit of music listening. A typical day as far as I was concerned, but the Gratia will need recharged overnight for the next day.

Pricewise, off-contract the Gratia is generally available around £275 with the best prices being close to £250. I was unable to find any UK mobile telco carrying the Gratia at present so I can’t comment on contract prices.

Overall, this a fine mid-range smartphone at a fair price. There’s plenty to recommend and not too much to complain about. For someone looking for an Android 2.2 phone that’s not going to break the bank off-contract, this is a good choice.

Thanks to HTC for the loan of the Gratia.

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Posted in Android, HTC, review, smartphone

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ASUS Combines Smartphones and Tablets With The Padfone

Posted by Don at 5:18 PM on May 31, 2011

Considering the relative success ASUS has already seen in the tablet space it’s no surprise they want to keep them coming. The EeePad Transformer, according to them, is selling pretty well and they recently revealed another impressive Android tablet… err phone… no, tablet phone… Oh yea, it’s the Padfone.

What if we could take our tiny smartphone screen and blow it up to 10.1-inches whenever we wanted? We’d never have to squint again and when our phone rings we could just squish it back down to handheld size and answer the call. See where ASUS is going with this?

Rather than going out and spending money on a smartphone and a tablet, ASUS is going to combine the two… sorta. The smartphone will be just like any other Android handset we’ve seen before. What separates the Padfone from the competition isn’t the handheld itself, but the dock. In essence, the “Pad” aspect of the Padfone is just a 10.1-inch touch screen USB monitor with a battery shoved in it.

The phone provides all the computing power and a 3G connection for access to the web. Toss it in the back of the Padfone tablet-dock and your ready to go. The phone connects to a mini-HDMI and mini-USB at the same time, then you close the lid, completely hiding the handset it from view.

Details were absent regarding which version of Android will be running on the Padfone, but speculation is already swirling the web with “Ice Cream Sandwich” in the eye of the storm. It is definitely a possibility — ASUS says the Padfone’s interface will automatically adjust to better suit the larger screen size when it is docked and Google has already told us Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) would not be coming to smartphones. If you check out the promo video on the Padfone site you’ll see the same navigation bar we were introduced to in Honeycomb. But, if Honeycomb isn’t coming to smartphones (where the “brains” of this device will be located) than we can only move forward, right?

No pricing or availability was announced so we’ll just have to wait and see what happens over the coming months. As far as Ice Cream Sandwich goes, Google’s Eric Schmidt will be talking at the D9 Conference later today — fingers crossed we’ll learn something there.

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Posted in Android, Gadgets, Gear, tablet, tech

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The Swiss Army Knife of Android Apps

Posted by Alan Buckingham at 3:52 PM on May 31, 2011

Android has a LOT of great apps, many of them free.  There are also apps that replace multiple other apps – kind of the swiss army knife of apps.  Now there is one that is actually called Swiss Army Knife, and it replaces 6 stand-alone apps and does it pretty well.

These aren’t apps you may use every day, but when you need them they are quite handy to have around.  It’s also a free download so that makes it even better.  It can serve as a replacement for apps you already have or add some apps you didn’t even know you needed.

Once you have downloaded and installed the app it is pretty straight-forward.  Browse your apps and open “Swiss Army Knife”.  It will take you straight to a screen that displays the six apps that you now have available.

1. Flashlight – There are countless flashlight apps available for Android.  This particular flashlight app works just fine, but I have to say that it’s not my favorite.  Unlike Tiny Flashlight which uses the LED flash of the phone this one puts up a blank, bright white screen, which isn’t quite as bright.

2. Ruler – The Ruler app allows you to take a quick measurement of an object…providing that it’s smaller than your screen size.  That’s a big limitation, but it can be handy in a lot of instances.

3. Timer – The Timer is exactly what is claims to be.  It has simple Start, Stop, and Clear buttons and count time in hours, minutes, and seconds.  It’s handy for all sorts of uses from cooking to timing a workout.

4. Stopwatch – The Stopwatch app is similar to the Timer, but takes up less screen real estate and has one less button – Start becomes Stop when the stopwatch is running, plus there is a Reset button.

5. Compass – The compass app uses your phones built-in compass and accelerometer to move as you rotate the phone.  It is useful if you are into and activity such as hiking, r just have a reason know which direction is which to head or look.

6. Bubble Level – This is perhaps the most useful of the six apps.  A level is one of those tools that every homeowner needs on a regular basis for such simple things as hanging pictures, blinds, shelves, and a hundred other things.  It consists of three separate levels – a vertical, horizontal, and circular ones.

All  six of the included apps can be accessed from the home screen with the click of an icon.  The app is free from the Android Market and is lightweight, quick, and easy to use.  Plus, it replaces a bumch of other apps that you would otherwise download and install separately.

 

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Posted in Android

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Ebook Light and iPad Stand Reviews

Posted by KL Tech Muse at 3:10 AM on May 31, 2011

Over the Memorial weekend, I purchased a couple of accessories for both my Kindle and my iPad. Neither are complicated enough for a full post, so I thought I would review both within a single post. The first is a eBook light from Belkin, the second is the Mini-Stand for the iPad from Targus.

I was looking for an e-book light that wouldn’t cost me an arm and leg but was fairly sturdy. I finally decided on the eBook light from Belkin. It works, but I am not sure it is going to be the last e-book light I purchase.

Ebook Light

I was a little annoyed when I realized that it required three AAA batteries and none were provided. This is a pet peeve of mine, if you sell a product that requires batteries, either provide the batteries or clearly state no batteries provided. According to the Target site the package should have included batteries, so I double checked the box and there were no batteries. So I spent 10 minutes try to find batteries to test the light. The second more long-term problem is that when you clip the light to the Kindle it is not tight at the bottom of the clip. Because of the arm it is a little top-heavy, so the bottom pulls away slightly, this is something I may or may not get use to. I do like that the arm is adjustable in all directions. The light is bright enough even at the lower level that reading on the Kindle even with the room light off is quite enjoyable.

Mini-stand for the iPad

The second accessory was a stand for my iPad. I was again looking for something simple, not too expensive and easy to carry. I found the Targus mini-stand at Walmart and so far I am very happy with it. It is a simple clear block of hard plastic. There are spaces at both end where you can place the iPad. The angle of the iPad will depend on which end you choose. You can place the iPad in either portrait or landscape mode in the stand. It does not work if you have a cover on the iPad. The stand is about as thick as two original iPads, but not too heavy. I like that it is really simple with no parts that can break and easy to carry. Also at less than $15.00 the price was right. If you are looking for something fairly inexpensive that works, the Mini-stand from Targus is a good choice. An added bonus is it works well with the iPhone too.

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Posted in Accessory, Information

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GNC #675 Memorial Day Wrap Up

Posted by geeknews at 11:15 PM on May 30, 2011

Geek News Central Podcast I hope everyone had a safe memorial day and were able to pay tribute to those that have made the ultimate sacrifice. I have a full tech show for you and a introduction of a new sponsor. We hope that you will consider ADT for your home security solutions give them a call, we have a great deal especially for the ohana on this one. I also am running a contest to give away some cool prizes, you need to listen or watch to win.

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GNC Shows
Robot Underpants
Gadget Professor
Saturday Morning Tech

Listener Links
Money Shredding Alarm Clock

Show Notes:
Perfect Cocktail Ice.
Build your own Big Mac
Ramen Ramen Ramen
Grill Cleaning for better BBQ.
Colligan on BlogWorld.
BlogWorld Review on Sat Morning Tech Show.
MIT or Go to Work?
RFID Tags in your Food?
GM Food 30 years to late.
Facebook Primary Social Marketing Tool.
ET is out there somewhere!
TV that watches you?
How IOS encryption was hacked.
ISS Lego Kit.
Do your job and go to Jail?
3D on the down swing?
Computer Predictions of 1966!
Hash Tag in Video.
Which box wins?
Photo Hot Spots.
BT to embrace IPTV!
At least Twitter Tried?
NewsTweek!
PBS Hacked Tupac and Biggie Alive Hoax.
Facebook Gatekeeper.
Twitter Photo Sharing.
25% have mad online calls.
7 iPad habits of a mobile worker.
Plizy Review.
Digital Innovations.
D-Link Wireless Camera Review.
TP-Link Powerline.
Tom Tom Street View.
Google Find a Flight.
Germany no nukes by 2022?
Jetpack test Emergency Decent.
iPhone Rumors?
13.14 Billion Light years away?
iPad in the cockpit.
Tunny Code Cracking machine restored.
PSN back online in Asia.
Lockheed hacked?
P2P Admins dropping like flies.
P2P Admins Shutting down.
Transfer Media to your iPhone/iPad Tutorial.

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GoDaddy .co domains for $9.49 One Week Special!

Posted by geeknews at 5:30 PM on May 30, 2011

This .co special is for a very short time frame, and is an “exclusive” offer here at Geek News Central. Starting “now” aka 7pm CST May 30th and for the next 7 days only you can get a .co domain for $9.49 this is a historically  low price. Get your .co domain now to complement your current .com domain name.  Follow this link for all the details. Note this is for a 1 year registration!

Promo Code at Checkout is “Geek949”

Looking for other great codes to save money at Godaddy check out all my Promo Codes!

Also congratulations for Danica Patrick’s great finish at the 100th running of the Indy 500 this past weekend.

Disclaimer: GoDaddy is a longtime sponsor of Geek News Central and we are compensated for running GoDaddy ads and specials!

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TP-Link AV200 Powerline Adapter

Posted by geeknews at 3:28 PM on May 30, 2011

I have been testing a TP-Link AV200 Powerline Adapter now for the past 2 weeks. I have had experience with Powerline adapters from other companies in the past and for this test I really wanted to see how effective it would be when I re-located my kids Xbox to the Garage.

The distance from the Wireless router to where the Xbox is setup in the Garage is about 40 feet. The signal strength was not sufficient for some reason there to make the Xbox Live experience a good one. My son kept telling me he was getting killed in the games due to the lag on the connection. So I plugged in one powerline adapter in the Garage to regular wall jack and the other one in my office to a power strip (not recommended) a connected the lan cables up to the router and the Xbox.

Immediately the Xbox connected and my son was a happy camper. Knowing that you usually should not hook up a Powerline device to a power strip, I wanted to see what the speed difference was. Hooking up a laptop I did some speed test hooked up to wall connections on both devices and then with one hooked up to a power strip. The results were no different so I did not feel bad leaving the router side hooked to a powerstrip.

With limited powerplugs in the room my router was in this worked out well. Overall great speed through these TP-Link Powerline devices they are rated at 200mps for data transfer, can go as far as 300 meters. have 128bit encryption and are even green and save up to 65% power in their ability to power down when not in use. Great for wiring up set top boxes and taking the internet in your home where it currently is not available.

Here is the best part, unlike their competitors the price on these start at around $75.00 on most retail outlets compared to other companies PowerLine product pricing this is a great deal!

 

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D-Link Wireless Day/Night Home Network Camera

Posted by geeknews at 3:04 PM on May 30, 2011

I have been using a D-Link Wireless day and night home network camera DSC-932L for the past month or so. This is a great camera when you want to keep an eye on the house, talk with kids, let grandma login and chat with just a web browser.

I set my camera up in my studio and used it quit a bit when I was on travel. My wife was having trouble with her iPad and I could not understand what she was talking about so I told her to go to the office and hold the iPad up in front of the camera. I logged into the D-Link website “mylink” and saw what she was talking about and walked her through the issue. But where I think this camera could really be worth it’s weight in gold is you can have one of these in a living room, or baby bedroom and you can monitor the baby sitter or just monitor the baby in bed.

I was able to access the camera via my iPhone/iPad and they also have a Android app as well. If your in front of your computer you can get to it via your private security enabled login.

Setting the camera up took about 10 minutes and it is connected via wifi to my wireless router. The camera as a night mode as well. I will say the night mode of the camera is not as good as the night mode on my home security systems.  You can find this camera at all the major retail outlets as well as online from $99,00 to $139.00 the model number is DCS-932L.

So if your looking to get a camera that you can access via the web, iPhone, iPad, Android powered with D-Link mydlink service I think you will be pleased with this camera.

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