T-Mobile Cameo

From T-Mobile Cameo

I picked up the T-Mobile Cameo 'connected picture frame' yesterday afternoon after reading a very favorable review of it from Matthew Miller. To his credit, it's everything he described it to be, and I'm really enjoying this nifty addition to my desktop. It's basically a digital photo frame with a twist - it has a GSM 850Mhz cellular connection that allows it receive photos sent from cellphones or via email attachments to it's dedicated SMS/MMS and email gateway address. It's limited to 4MB max for image files sent to via wireless, and it also features a SDHC slot and a USB connection for times when you simply want to side-load some photos to the device directly from your digital camera or computer, or when you finally decide to cut the cord and cancel your T-Mobile Cameo monthly subscription (which runs only $1.99 a month with no contract.) Given the low price point for the monthly sub, I figure I'll enjoy it's connected-ness for a good while! If you want to send me some photos from your cellphone to the frame, the phone number is +13475535336. Thanks!

Cadillac Converj Concept

Here's another video clip, for the Cadillac Converj concept vehicle. OLED displays abound (and allow for no more of those big, bad, bulky mirrors!)

2010 Toyota Prius

I visited the 2009 New York International Auto Show this past weekend (toting my new camera, of course) and took a few video clips while wandering through the crowded displays. Here's the 2010 Toyota Prius, which exudes "aero-dynamicism" and "sporty feelings"..take a look!

My New Sony Cybershot T500!

I just received my new Sony Cybershot T500 today, and here are some unboxing and product shots for my newest gadget..er..toy. :) I know, Cybershots are not known for stellar picture quality when stacked up against consumer and pro-sumer heavyweights like Canon, Fuji, Nikon, but you can't deny the sexy and eye-catching design of the Cybershot T Series lineup. I previously owned the first Sony touch-screen model ever introduced, the DSC-N1, and was very pleased with its overall durability and ease of use (and of course, general picture quality), and hope the T500 does not disappoint. However, I was intrigued by the 720p HD video possible (with Stereo audio no less) on the T500, so I decided to take the plunge. Hopefully, you'll see a lot of sample photos soon debuting here on Gadgets 411 and it's sister site, Fotoblog: NYC very soon as seen from the lens of the T500.

Nokia, Connecting People in Iceland

From Nokia Iceland

This is a (secret shopper?) snapshot from a friend adventuring in Iceland last week. I have to say, the E71 White depicted on the wall ad looks very cool. ;) Thanks for the awesome contribution, Mr.'A'!

Nokia N810 Unboxing

Here it is, my Nokia N810 unboxing photos! This little guy is still currently charging for the very first time, and being the gadgethound that I am, I always try to fully charge the battery before using a device for the first time, ostensibly to 'cure' the battery and ensure a longer overall battery lifetime (not sure if this is even needed anymore, but I can kill some time and wait just a few nanoseconds longer.) The first thing that I noticed after unboxing the N810 was the noticeable heft and solidity compared to my N800. The all-metal body and tight construction seem to convey a sense of durability exceeding that of my otherwise solid unibody N800. The included carry case is a thoughtful touch, considering how difficult it usually is to track down genuine Nokia accessories Stateside (and not having to resort to the underworld that is eBay chock full of questionably "authentic" goods!) The next generation tablet, RX-51, is likely lurking just around the corner ready to be unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in a week or two, but this N810 fits the bill for me with it's handy QWERTY keyboard for the time being. I will be installing the Vagalume last.fm client as the first app, as well as my other favorites, Mauku, gPodder, and the Palm OS Garnet emulator. Now...where did I put my micro to miniSD adapter..

From Nokia N810 Tablet

It's here - my new Nokia N810 Tablet! I've owned my Nokia N800 tablet for almost 2 years, and with the recent price drop for the N810, I couldn't resist. I'll have a proper unboxing to follow. ;)

HP Touchsmart tx2z

Here it is, a brand new HP Touchsmart tx2z, multi-touch enabled, convertible tablet laptop! This unboxing is courtesy of a friend at work, who despite his eager anticipation in ripping the box right open, agreed to do a proper unboxing with his Berry's camera, just for my blog. To 'D', a big thank you!

The Sony Vaio P

Here at the Sony Style store in NYC today, I had a chance to see and handle a Sony Vaio P prototype, right in the flesh. The model number ended with the suffix -XXX, which seemed to indicate that the exact model type hadn't been finalized yet. My first impressions: a very slick, very stylish, high-concept and high-technology design, but alas, very slow. However, it was running Windows Vista, and if one unboxes it and wipes the drive in favor of XP or Windows 7, I'm sure it would offer a significantly zippier computing experience. That said, the Vaio P oozes class, from the high-gloss, high-style lid to the neatly integrated Motion-Eye camera and bamtam weight design. One small quibble - the seemingly type-able keyboard seems to be marred by the tendency of my normal-sized hands to strike the mouse buttons right below the keys. Maybe my little nieces will have better luck touch-typing on it.

Samsung Pebble S2 MP3 Player Unboxing

Here's a quick slideshow of the unboxing of my new Samsung S2 "Pebble" MP3 player. I wanted a small, pocketable MP3 player, akin to the iPod shuffle, for moments when toting my full size Walkman or iPod, or even my Nokia E71, is just overkill. So far, it's completely met my expectations for portability and ease of use, and the best feature is the ability to resume from paused audio after it's been shut off, which is a boon for podcast lovers. I've yet to try out the DNSe equalizer functions, but so far, the crisp sound quality and loud output seems to rival my iPod despite it's diminutive dimensions. No-nonsense simplicity without compromises here!

Strapya World

Too busy, or too costly to jet off to Japan for your gadget fix? I just discovered this online retailer from a friend - Strapya World - which was highly recommended it's gadget accessories and some rather kitschy straps for mobile phones. Check it out!

Cellphone retrospective - Can you identify these models?

Sony Walkman SRF-F1

From Sony SRF-F1 Walkman

This little guy is one of my favorite vintage Walkman radios - it's a Sony Sports Walkman FM Stereo, model SRF-F1, from about 1986 (almost 25 years ago!) It has a built-in fixed rechargeable battery (which suprisingly, still holds a charge) and is very compact and lightweight. It came equipped with a headband and armband for the Walkman to clip onto, and includes the BC-401 external charger (shown above), which charges the Walkman with 4 AA batteries. The portable charger can also power the Walkman directly if it runs out of juice on-the-go, so that was a bit of a forerunner to today's portable external battery chargers for iPods and the like. The baby-blue bright colors and diagonal graphics and styling motif reflect a very distinctive 80's look, which makes it very reflective of design trends of that era.

Happy New Year 2009!

From iPod Lego Speaker

Happy New Year 2009 to you all! I received this very kitchy Lego-shaped iPod speaker over the holidays, and expecting to be incredibly underwhelmed, decided to plug it into my iPod to see how (badly) it would perform. To my surprise, it actually produces pretty usable volume levels even though it doesn't require batteries to operate. It's my latest, favorite iPod accessory. In case you're curious, it's by a brand called Homade, and it's compatible with virtually any iPod out there, even my classic iPod Touch Wheel from 5 years ago! Very awesome.