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iPhone 3GS full review
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Cameras, Smartphones, Features, Handhelds, Portable Audio / Video, Product Reviews,
Since Apple announced the iPhone 3GS at WWDC 2009, the buzz has been non-stop. There are obviously those Apple fanboys that are hyping this as the Third Coming, as well as those who are a bit more skeptical as to if the speed boost is truly real, and truly worth it. Oh, and of course, the lead-up to the iPhone 3GS launch hasn’t been without controversy, but AT&T stepped up in a big way to make it easier on iPhone 3G owners who want to upgrade without breaking the bank. So the question remains - is it worth it?
iPhone 3GS: The ‘S’ is for ‘Speed’
Okay, so many of us were speculating that this phone would be called the iPhone video. After all, when video came to the iPod, it was called the iPod video, and video would certainly be the big feature if it was included in the third iPhone, right? Wrong. Video takes a back seat to speed when it comes to the iPhone 3GS. I know, that sounds all sorts of silly, but allow me to explain. Apple has been focused on optimizing and refining OS X, as evidenced by what we are seeing with Snow Leopard. Remember, the iPhone is based on OS X at it’s core, and Apple wouldn’t neglect bringing those refinements to their flagship mobile device.
That said, believe the hype. This phone is very noticeably faster than the iPhone and iPhone 3G—even if you have an iPhone 3G that is already running the faster iPhone 3.0 update. You are able to launch and quit the core apps in a snap. Internet speeds are faster. Launching those games that take a while to load is nowhere near as frustrating. And best of all, despite this being a “little thing,” the little nagging stalls and overall lack of responsiveness are just gone.
Click to continue reading iPhone 3GS full review
Mophie Juice Pack Air review
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Apple, Smartphones, Features, Handhelds, Product Reviews,
The Mophie Juice Pack Air is the latest iPhone 3G (and iPhone 3G S) battery pack to come out of Mophie, and is the follow-up to the Mophie Juice Pack 3G. We’ve actually been big fans of the Juice Pack 3G since it launched last year, as it’s kept our iPhones running for just about twice as long as they normally would. FOr days during events like CES, that meant we could be checking email and texting all day and night without worrying about battery power dying. Of course, the Juice Pack 3G did have one drawback—its size. With the Juice Pack 3G on the device, it was just too big to fit anywhere comfortable, including a pants pocket. Looking to improve on that, Mophie has released the Juice Pack Air. Come on in for our full Mophie Juice Pack Air review, and be sure to enter our Mophie Juice Pack Air Giveaway!
Click to continue reading Mophie Juice Pack Air review
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Looking for a last minute gift for Dad’s day? I recently purchased a Garmin nuvi GPS unit for a friend who is navigationally and electronically challenged. These things are so easy to set up that my friend got the hang of it in less than 10 minutes. We went out to dinner and because the restaurant we wanted to visit had gone belly up (no pun intended,) we asked it to find us another. It took about 4 seconds to find one with similar cuisine in the same area.
The positives? Easy learning curve, touchscreen, low cost for smaller models (less than $150.00) and step by step oral instructions. The negatives? Go your own way and the sometimes annoying female voice will chastise you. And occasionally the unit refuses to stick to your windshield. Good thing it’s portable.
Read More 
| Garmin
Latest Gear Live Videos
Wicked Lasers Spyder II GX review
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Features, Product Reviews, Science,
We’ve been playing with the Wicked Lasers Spyder II GX laser for a few weeks now, and wanted to report back with some of our initial thoughts because we hit you with a video feature on Bleeding Edge TV.
So the Spyder II GX is a military-grade green laser that is housed in a light, black aluminum shell. The casing seems to be sctrach-proof, and just looks good. With purchase, you get the laser, two rechargeable lithium ion 18650 batteries (the lasers is powered by one, you so can always have a spare charged,) a pair of green 532nm LaserShades (to protect the eyes,) and a universal battery charger. All that will cost you $1,699.99.
Click to continue reading Wicked Lasers Spyder II GX review
Read More | Wicked Lasers Spyder II GX
We’ve spent a few days with the Amazon Kindle 2, which has been the talk of the gadget world this week. We know some of you are wondering if you should pick one up, so we are here to give you our thoughts on the latest iteration of Amazon’s e-book reader. If you’re like us, you already know that the Kindle 2 is available for purchase now, and you likely have one in your hands - but for the rest of you, join us for our full review of the Kindle 2 (and if you missed it, check out our Kindle 2 gallery.)
Okay, so while we were working on the review, we sent a couple of questions out to some of our Twitter peeps asking what they thought of the device, and Lisa from EllisLab hit us back with so much info, that we are using her feedback to break this down for you. Sometimes you need the point of view of a “real world” user anyway, as opposed to one of us gadget fiends. So what we will do is give some of our thoughts on the Kindle 2, and then bring in Lisa’s thoughts as well.
The Kindle 2 was announced on February 9th, and just started shipping on February 24th. The announcement came with the promise of a 25% improvement in battery life, 20% faster page turns, a better screen that supports up to 16 shades of gray (as opposed to 4 shades with the original,) and a much thinner design.
Click to continue reading Amazon Kindle 2 review
iLife ‘09 review
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Features, PC / Laptop, Product Reviews, Software,
When Apple announced the new iLife ‘09 suite during the MacWorld 2009 Keynote last month, we were immediately intrigued by the seemingly powerful features included in iPhoto and iMovie. If you happened to catch it, you know what I am talking about. Faces and Places in iPhoto had the ability to change the way we use the program, and image stabilization in iMovie would be amazing for any amateur videographer or video hobbyist. We couldn’t wait to get our hands on the software, and now that we have been able to give it a good few days of playing with, we are ready to report back with our thoughts. Should you purchase iLife ‘09 for $79? Hit the jump for our thoughts.
Click to continue reading iLife ‘09 review
Top 20 Gear Live stories of 2008
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Announcements, Apple, Smartphones, Features, Handhelds, PC / Laptop, Product Reviews, Science, Software,
We welcome the coming
already-here year of 2009 with open arms, but we thought it would definitely be appropriate to take a look back at the stories that made 2008 a memorable one. We’ve compiled the 20 stories from 2008 that were read more than any other, and the fact of the matter is that you guys (like us) are iPhone junkies, who also appreciate our giveaways, and reviews. So without any further delay, away we go:
20 most read Gear Live posts of 2008:
- Flash on iPhone is just around the corner
- Apple beta testing iPhone 2.1 firmware, adding more GPS features
- What do you want to see us cover at E3 2008?
- Our Verizon FiOS customer service nightmare: Why won’t they protect my private customer information?
- iPhone 3G: The details
- Why is Apple stalling Flash on the iPhone?
- HP Magic Giveaway: Enter our contest to win over $6,000 in electronics!
- How to tether your iPhone 3G to your laptop
- iPhone 1.1.4 Firmware Update now available, already jailbroken
- iPhone Dev Team jailbreaks and unlocks iPhone 2.0
- iPhone 1.1.3 Q&A: Batch Two
- Get the Mac OS X Update for MobileMe right now
- T-Mobile G1 details
- iPhone 1.1.3 Jailbreak app for OS X now available
- Venus, Jupiter and Crescent Moon In Alignment Tonight
- iPhone Pwnage Tool 2.0.3 now available
- iPod nano updated, elongated, and nano-chromatic
- Apple Time Capsule vs. Airport Extreme size comparison
- iPhone firmware 2.1 detailed
- MacBook Air SSD review
So, how does that look to you? You feel like anything was missed? Was there a particular Gear Live article that you enjoyed, but didn’t make the cut? Sound off in the comments, peeps. Oh, and have a fantastic New Year!
Mophie Juice Pack review
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, USB, Apple, Smartphones, Features, Handhelds, Product Reviews,
Okay, we’re mobile warriors here at Gear Live, and the battery life is the only negative for me when it comes to my iPhone 3G. The Mophie Juice Pack 3G aims to fix that problem, and so we took it to task. Now, mind you, not everyone uses up their battery as quick as I do - I have two email accounts that are on push data, and I also push calendars and contacts as well. That’s a lot of constant connectivity going on. If I’m not careful, my iPhone 3G battery will be dead within 9 hours on a typical day.
That’s where the Mophie Juice Pack steps in, aiming to provide that extra battery goodness. Read on to find out why it earned a spot in our Holiday Gift Guide.
Click to continue reading Mophie Juice Pack review
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Motorola MOTOAURA gets pictured and reviewed
Posted by Aaron Zollo Categories: Smartphones, Design, Product Reviews,
Not many people have the luxury of spending $2000 on a mobile phone. The MOTOAURA is a new luxury phone from Motorola which incorporates an 240x320-pixel display enclosed behind an A-grade 62-carat Sapphire lens, giving it expense and a scratch-proof cover. The enclosure is almost all metal except at the bottom where there is a small piece of plastic for the internal antenna. The back of the MOTOAURA has a watch-like quality in that it allows you to see the workings of its switchblade-style opening mechanism. The rest of the MOTOAURA is your normal cell phone, incorporating a keypad and screen. Mobile-Review has plenty of pictures, a full review and a video showing how scratch-resistive the screen is. It’s hard to see people spend this kind of money on such a simple device, but if you need that premium device that is out of reach for most of the population, then the MOTOAURA is just what you have been looking for.
Read More | Motorola via Mobile-Review
Casio Exilim Pro EX-F1 High-Speed Digital Camera Review
Posted by Nate True Categories: Cameras, Features, Portable Audio / Video, Product Reviews, Videos,
We’ve all marveled at super slow-motion footage on shows like MythBusters or on sites like CSU’s slow-motion archive, and longed to shoot slow-motion footage of our own. Until earlier this year, however, the equipment to do so was horrendously expensive. Fortunately, Casio announced a revolutionary new consumer camera at the 2008 CES in January called the Exilim Pro EX-F1. It boasts video capture of up to 1200 frames per second (where normal video is around 30 frames per second) and at resolutions up to 1080i HD (though not at the same time).
We recently got our hands on an EX-F1 and we must say, we are impressed. Read on for the full in-depth review, including sample pictures and videos.
Click to continue reading Casio Exilim Pro EX-F1 High-Speed Digital Camera Review
