Tag Archives: review
HP Veer 4G Review
What do you get when you take a Palm Pixi Plus and dress it up like a Palm Pre? You end up with an HP Veer 4G. When HP’s webOS hand was revealed , the Veer was definitely something different. With a 2.6-inch display and a tiny QWERTY slider, would it actually have relevance in a smartphone market flooded with 4-inch screens or larger? As we got more details on its hardware, we started to wonder if it would really be a player? Or was it destined for free phone on a contract glory? We’ve spent some quality time with the little bugger and have reached a verdict. Move past the break for our full review.
DROID Charge Hitting Verizon Customers Tomorrow? (Confirmed!)
Are you a Verizon customer looking to to make the jump to LTE, but the HTC ThunderBolt isn’t exactly floating your boat? Did our stellar review of the DROID Charge give you a glimmer of hope that there just might be an LTE device in your future, only to find out the device had been delayed? Well turn that frown upside down! We know it’s Friday the 13th, but today is your lucky day! We’ve been hearing the DROID Charge is finally ready for its big release and tomorrow is supposed to be the big day! So are you ready to pony up $300 for some Super AMOLED Plus loving?
Update: Verizon makes it official the DROID Charge goes on sale tomorrow!
DROID Charge Review
Over the past week I’ve arguably spent more time with the DROID Charge than most of my friends and family. Verizon’s first LTE powered device the HTC ThunderBolt didn’t really float my boat, but the question is would the second time be a charm? The DROID Charge comes in ambitious and fully loaded featuring: a 1GHz processor, an 8-megapixel camera, a 1.3-megapixel front facing camera, and a beautiful Super AMOLED Plus display. So do all of these goodies and the inclusion of an LTE data connection have what it takes to make the Charge Verizon’s new headliner? Move past the break for my full review and find out.
Things to Buy With Your Tax Return (Toshiba 55VX700U Review)
Money comes and money goes and with income tax returns coming in people are starting to get that itch. When I say itch, I mean the itch to buy an expensive shiny new toy. One of the first things that comes to mind is a big screen TV. People always ask, “What TV should I buy?” After a bit of thinking we settled on an LED set. These things show an awesome picture and even save you a few bucks on your electric bill. We decided to give Toshiba’s 55″ 55VX700U a shot. On the surface this set has a lot of appeal, but how well does it hold up when it comes to everyday use? We’ve put this sexy beast to the test and we’ve reached a verdict. Move past the break for our full review.
Samsung Galaxy S 4G Review
It seems like just yesterday Samsung unleashed their Galaxy S 4G smartphone series on the consumer market. Pretty much each major carrier got their own version of the device but managed to keep a few similarities mainly: 1GHz Hummingbird processor, 5-megapixel camera, and a 4-inch Super AMOLED display. The biggest standout of the gang would have to be the Epic 4G which was exclusive to Sprint, mainly because the 4G connectivity via Sprint’s WiMax really gave it the extra boost. So here we are six months later and the Galaxy S series is still running wild like Hulkimania in the 80′s, but this time they’ve tacked on another 4G label giving T-Mobile customers the Galaxy S 4G. This makes us wonder will lighting strike twice for Sammy’s newest 4G cast member? Or is this handset nothing more than a Vibrant 2.0 with features that should have been there from day one? Move past the break for our full review.
Marvel vs Capcom 3 Review
After almost a decade of waiting, Marvel vs Capcom is now a trilogy! A lot has changed these past ten years. Arcades stateside have pretty much been replaced by powerhouse home consoles and gaming rigs. Even local competitive play has almost gone extinct thanks largely in part to online gaming. So the question is, can a true arcade classic with a next-gen face lift stand the test of time? Or has the market changed so much that there’s no room for a non shooter title to really make an impact in the online competitive gaming arena? Well, we’ve been playing Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, and here’s what we’ve come up with.
Motorola CLIQ 2 Review
Modern Combat: Domination (Quick Review)
A little goes a long way with Modern Combat: Domination. For eight bucks Gameloft has concocted a decent FPS. Sure, it lacks originality and the controls are somewhat primitive, but all the fundamentals for a decent online experience are there. They’ve even tossed in an offline option, which gives you a chance to sharpen your skills for competitive play. One of the largest selling points attached to this title aside from its bargain bin price, is the fact that it supports the PlayStation Move. That alone will make you consider purchasing MCD, but is it actually worth your money? Or should you use your eight dollars to buy lunch instead?
Look and Feel
When you fire up MCD you’ll feel right at home. The menus are simple and easy to navigate, and getting into a match is pretty straightforward, but you will encounter some fairly lengthy load screens. Speaking of matches, you can play up to 8v8 and all the basics are there: deathmatch, domination, team deathmatch, escort, extraction, and attack and defend. Some of these game types are map specific. The game’s ranking system is simple and plain. You kill enemies and earn cash to buy equipment, which you unlock as your skill level increases. Now as far as the overall presentation the game looks more like a polished Wii title. This isn’t a bad thing, remember this is a PSN game and not a full retail title, so it actually looks alright for what it is. The standard controls are what you’ve come to expect from a FPS using the the PlayStation’s DualShock 3, but they can be a bit clunky at times. As far as using the PlayStation Move, it takes a bit of getting used to. The controls can be very sensitive and somewhat frustrating. I’d like to revisit them when the PlayStation Sharp Shooter becomes available, but for now I’d say stick with the DualShock.
Conclusion
Keeping it short and simple, the game is fun, but it can get repetitive. This is truly a meat and potatoes game, with no dessert. You will run around shooting people in the face and if that’s your pleasure there shouldn’t be a problem. I’d say don’t expect this to be a Call of Duty killer or replacement. This is the game you wanna pull out for a quick online fix. The game is also good if you wanna see how it feels to play a FPS with your new Move controller. If you’re the thrifty type download the demo first, but if eight bones isn’t too taxing on your pocketbook, just buy it. You’ll get your money’s worth for the most part.
Final Verdict: 7.0 out of a possible 10
Toshiba A665 Laptop Review
We wanted a good notebook that could replace an everyday desktop. Toshiba’s A665 was up to the challenge. Packed with a ton a features we gladly took it on. Let’s see if this notebook has what it takes to get us away from the old ball and chain desktop that we do most of our work on.
| Priced As Reviewed | $799.99 |
|---|---|
| Processor | AMD Phenom™ II Quad-Core Mobile Processo |
| Memory | 4GB DDR3 1066MHz |
| Hard drive | 640GB (5400 RPM) |
| Chipset | AMD M880G |
| Graphics | ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 5650 (1GB) |
| Operating System | Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-bit |
| Dimensions (WD) | 14.98” x 10.0” |
| Height | 1.5″ |
| Display | 16.0” diagonal widescreen TruBrite |
| System weight / Weight with AC adapter | 6.3 lbs |
| Category | Desktop Replacement |
Keyboard and Touchpad
The keyboard on the A665 is awesome! Your keys are large and spread out. You’ll enjoy using this backlit keyboard over any standard desktop peripheral. The touchpad also delivered. It’s hard to find a good mouse replacement, but I’m glad to say this comes mighty close. It was very, very responsive, and that tends to be an issue with most notebooks, but Toshiba managed to get this right. The mouse buttons had a nice feel also, no squeaking or clicking, they pushed in really smoothly. With these sections being where you spend most of your time actively using a laptop, I’m glad to say the A665 is first class all the way.
Display and Audio
I played a variety of DVDs, games, and online videos which all handled well. This build is ideal for listening to music, watching Netflix and lightweight gaming. The display holds up pretty well, supporting a native 720p resolution, luckily most HD content on the internet is in 720p, so this works out nicely. The only thing missing was a blu ray player. As far as sound goes the A665′s audio was outstanding! The built-in Harman Kardon speakers pack a punch! It doesn’t matter what you’re doing, you’ll hear it! For a moment it felt like I had a gaming machine.
Performance
One of my favorite ways to test a system is by doing real everyday tasks such as: video conversion, gaming, and websites loaded with Flash content. Sure, anything can sound and look good on paper, but how well will it actually perform? Loaded with an AMD Pheno II Quad-Core the A665 is up for your multitasking, and just about whatever you can throw at it.
In regards to graphics ATI’s Radeon HD 5650 faired well. Games didn’t blow me out of the water, but were on par with what you’d expect from a home gaming console, and that’s not a bad thing. You’ll be able to play most titles on this machine, but you might have to tweak the settings a bit here and there. If you’re a Steam user you’ll come away happy.
I also managed to do a little video converting, and browsed the web while at it. If this is to truly replace my desktop it needs to hold up doing similar task. Video editing was quick and painless, even when browsing the web. Things slowed up a bit when I got to some of the heavy Flash sites, but that was somewhat expected. As far as battery life goes you’ll get about three hours of action after a charge, which is pretty decent. However, I still would like to see a higher capacity battery, but that would also drive up costs, resulting in a higher price tag.
Conclusion
When it’s all said and done the A665 makes a decent desktop replacement. It can pretty much handle the average user’s needs, and those of some advanced users. The price point is decent for what you’ll get. I really see this machine working for a college student that might be limited on space, but still wants the reliability of a home PC. As long as your heart isn’t set on blu rays and hardcore gaming, you’ll come away more than happy.
Final Verdict: 9.5 out of a possible 10
Quick Mid Year Recap Best Movie So Far(Video)
In keeping up with our Best of the Best So Far series we share our pick for the category of Best Movie. Just to keep things clear we’re talking about best movie from a tech and gadget perspective. This is not a best picture review as far as story and acting goes. This review is being based off the sheer awesomeness of what we saw. Now that we’ve stressed that enough get to the video and remember if you agree or disagree or just wanna be heard, you have to register to comment! As always thanks for stopping by.
