Gadget and Electronics news and reviews.

Next week Verizon will begin pushing out the Android 2.2 also known as Froyo to Motorola Droid devices.  While this is at least the 3rd time we have heard of such updates it seems this time around more reputable websites are reporting it (PC Magazine and CNET).  If this is true it would mean Flash and Wifi Hotspot features will come to one of the more popular Android handsets to date. An update like this would make many Droid handset owners (including myself) very happy.

One of the features I am really looking forward to having is being able to use my Verizon Droid device as a Wifi hotspot.  This comes in handy when I travel since I own a Wifi only Apple Ipad.  Now I can connect to my Droid via Wireless and get on the internet where service is available.  This of course also means my battery will be drained much faster.  I might have to stock up on some Droid batteries to get the most out of this feature but definately worth it if the speeds are good.

Sometime this year Verizon is expected to start rolling out LTE (4G) technology which will increase internet speeds and latency.  Customers are eating up the new mobile technology that has been hitting the market as of late.  Apple has been selling Iphone and Ipad devices faster than they can make them.  Android handsets have also been increasing market share as of late.  It will be interesting to see what innovations these companies bring once 4G technology is more readily available.

Apple Ipad is a huge hit

Having used the Ipad for over a month now I can officially say it is now my favorite gadget.  Since I received a unit I have barely turned on a computer for browsing or email. Some applications worth downloading:  Etrade for Ipad,  Bloomberg, Thompson Reuters Market Board and News Pro, Ny Times Editor Edition,  USA Today, Yahoo Entertainment, Amazon Kindle App for Ipad and Scrabble.  We will have a more in depth review of some Ipad applications shortly.

Google appears to be experiencing a Gmail outage for some users. Users logging into Gmail.com at 3:50 P.M EST are experiencing slow response and 502 Server Errors.  This isn’t the first time that users who rely on Gmail have had outages and I’m sure it won’t be the last.

When I was a kid, I always dreamt about being a secret agent like James Bond (who doesn’t?). Of course, modern media never failed to introduce young spies like the Kids Next Door or Totally Spies. So here is the Wild Planet Ulitmate Spy Watch for kids(and some adult too) who want to get some spy agent action.

The Ultimate Spy Watch is equipped with 8 thrill seeking features. First is the motion sensor with alarm and date stamp to protect your valuables and to alert intruders whenever they might come. Second is the message decoder to read messages from your fellow spies. For sending messages, it can drop message capsules with a spy paper. A night vision light is included to gain an advantage against your enemies during night time covert operations. A crosshair can definitely make a shot hit or miss, making it an indespensable tool for a spy, is built in too. Of course, watch functions are also a must such as world time for some international missions, stopwatch for time critical missions up to the last mili second, and a wake up alarm which can be very handy for some early morning operations or training. As for an added feature, this 10 inch watch is protected by a locking armor for increased durability - a must for tough agents.

For $14.99 at Amazon, this Ultimate Spy Watch can somehow realize your inner spy agent dreams!

You! Yes you! Look at your computer desk. Most probably than not, it could be full of stuffs that you are just to lazy to clean. Like bread crumbs, some broken Cheetos pieces or even microscopic dead skin cells that you are have shed for years (if you are guilty of this last one, maybe it is really the time to clean up your desk). Well here is the Cheeseburger Vacuum. A vacuum small enough (3 x 4 inches in fact) for cleaning your desktop or anything that this little sucker can place its buns on.

This will set you back $20. In these tough times, buying a not much needed gadget isn’t really worth the best decision. But hey, if you already have the hamburger phone like the one in Juno, this would be nice addition to your burger gadgets collection.

Vacation is just around the corner and pool parties are too! The Grace Aqua Sounder is a floating portable speaker that can connect from your favorite portable media player even up to 150 feet away! That’s like more than from your room to your neighbor’s pool! Another neat feature is its expandable capability allowing up to 10 speakers connecting with one another and playing the same tune. Imagine playing the ultra cool music in your room, garden, pool, even up to the bathroom wouldn’t be a problem with 10 speakers connected.

Needless to say that it is waterproof, it also has mood lights to make the night just more special. The device can play music continuously for up to 10 hours. An adaptor of course is included for use whenever you’re not using it underwater to be a standard set of speakers.

So whenever you’re in the pool, hot tub or maybe just relaxing in the garden, Grace Aqua Sounder will keep your music streaming.

The first thing that get’s into people’s mind when the word iPod is said are mp3 players, or media players. Too bad though that iPod, being a popular media player, isn’t equipped with a microphone that can make it listen to aside from playing stuffs.

The Alesis ProTrack was designed to make it connect to your iPod seamlesly through the iPod port and make it record high quality sound. The recorder also gives you an option to record either 44KHz or 22KHz, 16-bit WAV files and is stored directly on the iPod’s memory.

This high end recorder is good for people who record things on the regular basis like journalists or reporters where clarity is an important factor. Listening to music while on a break is a plus factor.

Unlike other professional recording device, the Alesis ProTrack is reasonably priced at $299. But since this was originally made for older iPod models, using this device on 2nd generation iPod Touch costs another $4.9.

Quickly after relseasing the FX-38 last July, Panasonic was quick on its feet to introduce a successor. The FX-48 is pretty much like the FX-38 in terms of the looks which is pretty much quite simple if you ask me as compared to what Sony and Canon have been offering. However, its CCD sensor was upgraded from 10 megapixels to 12 megapixels which is a welcome upgrade since most of the newly released point and shoot cameras sport this size. Having 12 megapixel sized photos will enabale users to print quite a large size photo without worrying of stretching it too much making it pixelized. Also, if you love cropping photos, having a picture with a large number of megapixels will make even just a face from a group photo big enough to be a good facebook photo.

Another upgrade from FX-38 is the advanced face tracking and recognition technology along with the intelligent Auto(iA) . Of course face recognition has been something common in digital cameras but this one is more complex. The camera can remember 6 faces so whenever you and your buddies’ face comes in the picture, you guys will be prioritized by the camera to make every shot of of your faces in perfect focus. The ultra wide angle plus 5x optical zoom is a crowd pleaser since having wide angle lens can take huge group shots without stepping away too far just to accomodate everyone. It would also be perfect for panoramic shots like in the beach or in top of the mountain.

Some creative shooting modes were also included, all 26 of them! Wow that’s a lot of creativity opportunities to take! To mention some, one is the pinhole camera mode where taking pictures would be like how post production editing works and making it the effect of a picture taken with a pinhole cam. Another is the grainy film shooting mode where shots would appear as if it was taken waaay back our grand parents lived. The FX48 is equipped with Panasonic’s latest processing chip for point and shoot, the Venus V which is a good things since the processor is the main component for determining the picture quality of an image.

Pricing hasn’t yet been determined for this one since it has just been announced during the recently concluded Photo Marketing Association (PMA) tradeshow. However, you could already think of the color that you will purchase since it is available in Black, Pink, Gold and Red.

Umbrellas. If you think of them for a moment, they are very important in our everyday life. Either by protecting us from the harmful UV rays of the sun or from the rain. But have you ever thought that the umbrella haven’t evoleved since then. Of course minor conveniences have been developed such as the folding umbrella which minimized space thanks to its folding design. Then came the automatic folding umbrella which not only making the umbrella compact, but also making it easy to open with just a push of a button. Other improvements such as the sheath like thing in an umbrella that makes it not drip water all over which everybody hates when someone comes over during a rain.

How about something cooler than those mentioned above? Something like really cool that people would respect you like those in the old ages. The Samurai Umbrella might have been the thing you’ve been waiting for. The black color of the samurai umbrella gives it a very minimalistic design which can span 41″ when opened. The handle is its best asset since it looks like the handle of a samurai sword which would deceive anyone thinking it is a real sword if only the handle is exposed. A nylon scabbard with an adjustable strap is included for some some portable samurai action.

So whenever you feel that you are threatened by the UV rays of the sun or the cold drop of the clouds, never think twice and unleash the sword that you carry and with the push of a button, you are protected.

You might have thought that you can throw a great party pool by decorating the place nice, doing some cleaning to make it spic and span, scheduling it on a perfect night, and making sure that the drinks flow. But have you ever thought that lighting up the place can also be a good opportunity to fire up the event? of course, renting professional equipments would be expensive so here is a cheap alternative.

The Underwater Light Show is like a disco ball for your pool. It works by floating on your pool and the lights emit green, blue and red in 5 combinations that could changes pattern as you like. Either the lights are still or could blink variably by pressing the buttons on the side. The dome shaped design of the device makes it cover a wide area. With the balancing mechanism inside, the Underwater Light Show wouldn’t sink in the pool which could be such a downer. Of course, if you don’t have a pool or friends, you could still use this device while you’re in the tub and celebrate a party of your own. A great idea though is that the device is versatile. If not in the water, you still use it in your room by flipping it on its back side and voila! an instant floor disco light show is available.