Category Archives: Electronics

Motorola Droid: Rooted, ROMed, Themed and Kerneled!

Android Corner, Electronics

I had a busy day today, obviously!  Not wanting to wait until Verizon decided to push out the Android 2.2 (“Froyo”) update, I decided to take a deep breath and modify the phone myself.  Thanks to the excellent instructions at DroidLife, I was able to get my phone rooted, and install a custom ROM, in no time at all.  “Rooting” an Android phone is essentially giving you “superuser” access to your phone’s operating system, opening the door for a lot of custom features and tweaks unavailable on a standard Droid phone.

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Motorola Droid: I Haz It!

Android Corner, Electronics

I admit that I’m the geeky type that likes all sorts of new gadgets.  But we were in a bit of a quandry here.  Our Sprint/Nextel phones were long in the tooth, and Sprint showed no interest in giving any loyalty deals.  I had almost settled on a Blackberry Curve, as I liked the keyboard, and there seemed to be a lot of Apps available.  But as I investigated the phones further, it occured to me that perhaps there may be something better out there.  And I found it!

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Motorola Droid Quick Report

Electronics, , , ,

While looking for a smartphone, I wanted something affordable yet powerful. Thanks to a good deal online, I managed to find a Motorola Droid with a two year plan for only $19.99. It’s quite a new experience for me, but it is also very amazing to have this much power in a handheld device. As it has the Android OS, it integrates tightly with Google. I will have a full report once I get acquainted with the many apparently available for this phone. Stay tuned!

Do you have your Chumby?

Computing, Electronics

Have you gotten your Chumby yet?  A Chumby, as their site describes it, “…takes your favorite parts of the internet and delivers them to you in a friendly, always-on, always-fresh format. It’s a window into your internet life that lives outside your desktop…”  Basically, it is a small WiFi-connected device with a 3.5 inch LCD screen that feeds internet content wherever you want it.  It can play internet radio, display digital pictures, deliver news and weather feeds, and function as an alarm clock.  Chumby has an active developer network as well, and there are dozens upon dozens of widgets that will add more content to your unit.  You can order a Chumby through their site, or via our Amazon affiliate link.

The In-Ear Monitor Quest, Part 4: Grado iGi

Audio/Video Hardware, Electronics, Zune

31XpksoajlL._SL500_AA280_[1]What can I say?  I couldn’t resist!  In the past several months, I’ve tried three different (albeit lower cost) in-ear monitors.  None were perfect, but each had strengths and weaknesses.  In my last installment, I had tried the Koss in-ear monitor and was pleased by its performance.  No, it wasn’t anything that would slay a $250+ set of Etymotics, but for the money, it was my favorite of the three I’d tried.  The ear tips have turned out to be mediocre–I still have a problem with them slipping out after about an hour of use, and they fall out even faster under moderate activity.  Still, I picked up a second set since they were on clearance, as they’ll be great for outdoor or “active” use.  Poking around online, I discovered that Grado now offers in-ear monitors.  One of them looked interesting, and the price was right.

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