There’s a close look at the BACTrack breath tester over on our sister publication coolest reviews. Follow the link to see how well it worked in the real world…
Email to a friend Leave a comment Tags: pvp, video games, tests, home cinema (Read the full post about ‘BACTrack breathalyzer reviewed’…)

Nokia, sitting pretty in pole position as the #1 cell phone maker in the world, will move to reduce the prices of most of its handsets by up to 10%. Phones that are affected the most will fall under the music and media category - at least that’s what market data and industry sources imply. Will this price cut pressure Nokia’s smaller rivals into a desperate corner? I’m not too sure, as I’ve met my fair share of Sony Ericsson loyalists in this lifetime who swear on the Walkman and Cybershot range of phones no matter what Nokia throws their way. Will this piece of news cause you to get up and look for a Nokia handset instead? (Read the full post about ‘Nokia To Cut Phone Prices’…)

Stress is a huge part of everyday living. I’ve seen a lot of ways people relieve themselves of it–from breaking plates to sweating it out to sleeping on it until it ebbs away. But what about for those of us who sit in front of the computer for long periods of time. Professionals working in front of a screen could get so tired of the monitor, there are times when there’s this pressing desire to smash it to bits. That, of course, is not an option unless you can afford replacing computer parts every few months. With the help of ScreenSmasher though, you smash your monitor without actually breaking it. ScreenSmasher is a software which shows you a realistic smashed monitor complete with appropriate sound effects. (Read the full post about ‘Stressed? Smash Your Monitor As a Stress-Reliever’…)

I hate Bluetooth headsets. Being a geek, I liked the idea of them and tried to be an early adopter, but they all sucked. From the static introduced by poor Bluetooth connections to minor incompatibilities between phones and headsets to the problem of keeping them charged and the fact that they either hurt my ear or fell off, I never found one I could use. And that’s after purchasing the best that Logitech, Plantronics, and Motorola had to offer. I looked at the Apple Bluetooth headset, but the reviews on it all stated that the range and connection quality was poor. I also have rather small ears, so headsets designed to be held in place by the ear canal have never worked for me. (Read the full post about ‘Review: Jawbone Bluetooth Headset’…)

Sony Ericsson’s r306a clamshell cell phone has just hit the FCC, and some leaked information includes essentials such as tri-band 850/1800/1900 radios, Bluetooth connectivity, a built-in FM/AM radio (most other handsets just have FM radio), external radio presets and channel changing controls. Oh yeah, it also has a camera of unknown megapixel count albeit with the ability to record video - I’m going with 2 megapixels on this one. Other than that, information is scant and I still have no idea which network the Sony Ericsosn r306a is going to appear on. (Read the full post about ‘Sony Ericsson r306a hits the FCC’…)

We first saw the UTStarcom TXT8010 hit the FCC back in mid-April using the codename of Elvis, since then it seemed to have disappeared, that is until now. The TXT8010 has resurfaced with Verizon and is now known as the Blitz. The handset details are coming courtesy of a leaked Verizon Wireless Equipment Guide and what that means is we have some nice clean images, but lots of details are still missing. The Blitz is a slider style phone that offers a full (albeit small looking) QWERTY keyboard, 1.3-megapixel webcam, stereo Bluetooth and a microSD card slot. It looks like the Blitz is headed for the prepaid market, and its expected to be launched at Wal-Mart on August 8 and Best Buy on September 28. (Read the full post about ‘Verizon unveils the Blitz, previously know as the UTStarcom TXT8010′…)

In an effort to use renewable energy sources and less polluting products, I’m surprised that I never see barbecues being targeted. Everyone always thinks of cars or big industrial factories as the ones that leave the huge carbon footprint, but no one thinks about grilling. I mean, if you’re burning something, that smoke has to go somewhere. And I’m certain that propane is some sort of pollutant because it smells so funny. It appears that someone has addressed this issue with the Helios, an energy-efficient outdoor cooker. The dish that you see is not designed to pick up 400 stations, but for collecting solar energy. The solar dish, which is safely pointed away from you while cooking, is designed to heat a coil inside the barbeque and cook food. (Read the full post about ‘Helios: Changing Barbeques as we know it’…)

It appears that YouTube implemented a new audio compression scheme that causes problems for uploaded video clips with a wide dynamic range (some acoustic guitar pieces for example).

People concerned about this issue are already sharing audio tips and tricks to fool (so to speak) YouTube’s compression algorithm by manipulating the recorded sound. A Wired article mentions one tip suggesting using an inaudible high frequency sound (think dog whistle range) in quiet passages, for example.

If you are planning to use YouTube to promote something which requires decent audio quality, you definitely want to learn more about this new YouTube audio compression scheme.

For more information and sample YouTube clips read the Wired article: New YouTube Audio Compression Stymies Uploaders.

(Read the full post about ‘YouTube’s new audio compression ruins dynamic range’…)

There are quite a few of you out there still hanging onto the Sidekick 3, and wondering if it’s time to upgrade to the Sidekick 2008. Well, here’s our opinion, toss yours in the comments: If you’ve been sticking with a Sidekick 3 (or one of the older devices) then it’s time to upgrade. Take our word for it, you’ll love the higher resolution screen and won’t be able to go back. There’s video playback and recording. The new features in the browser (full page mode) and some new OS tweaks (Quickfind, new address book behavior, etc) are very handy to have. The keyboard may take some getting used to, but in our opinion it’s better than both the 3 and the II keyboards. (Read the full post about ‘Sidekick 2008/Gekko vs Sidekick 3′…)

Back in September of last year we reported that Sprint was rolling out a new service which would offer enhanced wireless mobile coverage in the home or office in addition to optional unlimited calling. The service utilizes the first commercially available femtocell which acts like a tiny cell phone tower. The Sprint AIRAVE by Samsung provides enhanced wireless coverage for up to 5000 square feet by using any Sprint phone, excluding Nextel phones, and a broadband Internet connection.The AIRAVE, which is expected to retail for US$99, will require the addition of a US$5 enhanced coverage service to an existing Sprint calling plan.

(Read the full post about ‘Sprint clears the AIRAVE for nationwide use’…)