jkOnTheRun review- Blackberry Storm, yes it can cut and paste

We've seen a good run on hot smartphones being released since the iPhone 3G.  The T-Mobile G1 was introduced recently as the first Android-based smartphone and RIM has been releasing Blackberry models every few days, at least that's what it seems like.  One of the most anxiously awaited smartphones is the Blackberry Storm as it takes a path RIM has never taken before, and that's to shed the physical keyboard.  Blackberries have always enjoyed a great reputation for good keyboards and the Storm drops one entirely.  Many have been waiting to see how well RIM could provide the Blackberry experience with just an on-screen keyboard and just a few days before launch on Verizon in the US we've got one of these jewels in our hands.

The short answer to the question of how good a Blackberry can a device be without a keyboard is pretty good, at least the Storm is.  The innovative touchscreen is in essence not one but two keyboards depending on the orientation of the screen.  We'll address that in detail below but first here's a video overview of the hardware to get things started.  Pay close attention in the video and you'll see you can in fact cut and paste on a touch screen.  The rest of the review is after the jump, including another video showing off the sweet web browsing on the Storm.

iPhone 3G battery deathmatch- Mophie Juice Pack vs. Richard Solo 1800

You got one of those fancy new iPhone 3Gs and find you keep running out of juice?  Apple's decision to keep the iPhone battery safely tucked away in the inaccessible innards of the phone keeps you looking for a power outlet toward the end of the day?  This decision may not be popular but it's opened up the external battery market to those enterprising companies looking to make a buck to keep you all juiced up and we bring you a deathmatch between two of the popular solutions available.

The Mophie Juice Pack 3G is the brand new version of a battery that has been out since the first iPhone was released.  This new version is designed specifically for the iPhone 3G and has some innovative features that we'll look at in the comparison below.  The Richard Solo 1800 Backup Battery (RS1800) is that company's newest model and while it will work with any iPhone or iPod it has specific features when coupled with the iPhone 3G.  We will compare both batteries with iPhone 3G usage.  Read on to see who wins this deathmatch for extra juice.

Blue Snowflake USB microphone sounds good

I've noticed a common denominator in some of the netbooks I've seen of late: the integrated microphone is sub-par. And while many folks don't use a netbook for audio recording or voice communications, I've found that the form factor makes for a great little Skype machine. If only the microphone worked as well as the camera. That's why I was interested in the Snowflake USB microphone from Blue. The folks at Blue sent over a review unit and I've had a few weeks to give it a go.

jkOnTheRun- hands on with the HP Mini 1000 netbook

We were one of the first to get our hands on the first netbook from HP and today they have announced the release of the next addition to that little notebook family.  The HP Mini 1000 is a netbook aimed directly at the consumer in us all and has some great features that sets it apart from the crowded pack.  We got to spend some quality time with the various models of the Mini 1000 and in this hands-on review we'll share what we found about what may be the thinnest and lightest netbook yet.  We'll share the full deets about the Mini 1000 and cover how it compares to the predecessor, the Mini-Note.  We should note that according to HP this does not replace the Mini-Note which will still be sold to the education market.  The Mini 1000 is aimed at the consumer market and becomes a product line in its own right.

UPDATE: The Mini 1000 is now available for order at HP.

UPDATE #2:  Both screen sizes are LED backlit.

UPDATE #3: There may very well be a 3G option early next year.

jkOnTheRun: first impressions of the new 13-inch MacBook

The new 13-inch aluminum MacBook from Apple certainly looks like the MacBook Pro line, albeit much smaller due to the smaller screen.  It sports the same unibody aluminum case that Apple is so proud of and admittedly it makes the MacBook seem more rigid while handling it than the older MacBooks.  The construction definitely makes the new MacBook appear very thin, if a tad heavy at 4.5 pounds.  It's a svelte 4.5 pounds though and carrying it around so far has been very easy.

The MacBook closed looks almost seamless, all sleek metal with soft round edges.  It looks like it's been sculpted from a single block of aluminum, oh wait that's how they make them now.  I've only had this MacBook for barely a day but it's been used almost continually for that time so here are my first impressions of the "MacBook lite".

jkOnTheRun video- HP EliteBook 2730p Tablet PC

The HP 2710p has been my favorite mobile computer and Tablet PC of choice for a while and when HP told me about their refreshed model, the 2730p, I was happy to hear about it.  I have been using the evaluation 2730p for a few weeks and it has been a wonderful mobile PC and and even better Tablet PC.  HP addressed virtually every major niggling thing I didn't like about the 2710p and in this video I show how they made a great Tablet PC even better.  This is a unique opportunity to see the 2730p side-by-side with the 2710p and get a look for yourself how the new model has changed.  You also get a chance to see the slice battery in use and the slim dock with integrated 7mm optical drive.  I know, I know the video is a bit long but that was the only way to get all the great things you see at one time.  The extended battery/ docking solution is the best I have ever used in practice and you'll get a chance to see for yourself.  Enjoy the show.

Picture tour of the Lenovo S10 netbook

The Lenovo IdeaPad S10 netbook has arrived and I've spent the two hours I've had it getting it set up and ready to work in the cloud.  I haven't had enough time on it to provide my first impressions yet but due to the interest in the S10 this is a tour in pictures of the netbook.  Initial thoughts, very brief:

• The keyboard is fine for touch typing.
• The right shift key is not the best but I'll get used to it.
• The trackpad is the best I've used in a mini-notebook, responsive and easily used.
• The ExpressCard slot sets the S10 apart, it works well with my Verizon AirCard.
• The web cam is pretty good.
• It is smaller than I thought it would be and incredibly light.
• Performance is snappy so far.

More pictures after the jump.

Special thanks to Lenovo for the temporary loan of this review unit.

jkOnTheRun review- Incase Sling Pack

I have a thing for gadget bags, there I've admitted it and can now get help.  I don't want help, though, I want a good bag to carry my gear with me and the one I'm trying now may well be the one.  Not THE one mind you, but the one.  The Incase Sling Pack is what I am using to carry my big 17-inch MacBook Pro around and so far it's doing a pretty decent job.  It's thin and light when empty and not much thicker when loaded which is a big requirement of mine.  Read on to see if the Sling Pack might work for you.

Fig. 1: Incase Sling Pack empty

iPhone 3G- jkOnTheRun first impressions

I've had the iPhone 3G in my hands for less than a day but as tradition dictates I'm offering up my first impressions of real world usage for your amusement.  Granted my impressions will no doubt firm up as I use it in the workplace but here's what I think as of right now.

MID first, phone second

My initial impression of the iPhone 3G is a very firm one.  I find that using the iPhone 3G for very long drives home the point that the device is a web-centric gadget first and foremost.  It's a combination of how well web apps function versus how easy and intuitive they are to use.  Surfing the web is a snap with Safari, it's easily the best mobile browser the way it's implemented.  Couple that with the tight integration the iPhone has with the AT&T network and it's a simple affair.  I find it thoughtless to pick up the iPhone to check something quickly online, and that's the mark of a well-designed interface that provides a good user experience.  Working with email couldn't be easier making the iPhone a true communications powerhouse.  Sure it's no Blackberry but I find for the most part it doesn't need to be.

I have never considered the iPhone to be a Mobile Internet Device (MID) but my thoughts on that are rapidly changing.  I am finding it super simple to check my RSS feeds using Google Reader (iPhone interface) and it's already become my "go-to" device for doing that.  It's fast and easy to go through hundreds of items in a short amount of time, delving into individual items of interest as deeply as the mood strikes me.  For those items I want to check out later it couldn't be easier to "star" it for saving, just tap the star and there you go.  Having Google Reader open items in detail inline also keeps everything easy to use and minimizes the need to refresh the screen making it even faster.  I am very happy with the internet capabilities of the iPhone 3G whether it's on WiFi or AT&T 3G.  That smacks of a true MID to me.

I haven't gotten quite comfortable with the MobileMe syncing yet.  I did my initial sync with my MacBook Pro via iTunes and everything came over fine.  All of my 3,000+ contacts were there on the iPhone when done just as they should be.  I then set the iPhone settings to sync them via MobileMe and all of the contacts disappeared, something I need to research to see what happened.  I simply turned off push contacts with MobileMe and resynced with iTunes and all the contacts came back.  I think my problem is on the MacBook Pro configuration so time should see me get this straightened out.

The iPhone is working fine on the phone front, although it's not the best phone I've used.  Then I see a lot of evaluation phones so I don't expect it to be the best.  It performs OK, though, and pairing it with my Bluetooth headset was quick and easy, in fact I did that in my car after leaving the Apple store yesterday.  Today I had a one hour 3-way conference call using the BT headset and everything worked as expected.  I'll reserve any further impressions of the phone functions until I've had a chance to use it more.

It's all about the apps

The real strength of the iPhone 3G's functionality definitely comes from the Apple App Store.  I've already loaded about ten free apps and they work very well as a rule.  Of course I installed Super MonkeyBall which I have to admit is a HUGE time-waster, albeit very cool.  My favorite app is already eReader but that's no surprise since I have been a long-time eReader user.  Once Fictionwise adds the ability to buy books direct from the phone it will be absolutely killer. 

ereader

Another free app that is absolutely killer is the Evernote app that allows remote access of your entire note collection from the iPhone.  You can add notes as you go and they can be text, images from the web or even snapped photos.  It make be the killer app on the iPhone.

Evernote

Twitterific is a pretty interface to your Twittering buddies to keep you up-to-date with your online friends.  There's nothing that special about it rather it's an easy way to interact with Twitter.  Plus it's free.  Another cool free app is the Mobile News app which does simply that.  Pulls news to your mobile.

Twitterific

That's it for now, I'll have further observations over time but wanted to share these for you now.  I am very pleased with the purchase so far.

BlueAnt Z9i headset first impressions

I've only been using it for a few hours but I'll offer up my initial impressions of the BlueAnt Z9i Bluetooth headset.  It's very small and so light that I don't realize it's on after just a minute of putting it in my ear.  It comes with two earpieces for a proper fit and a loop over the ear for security.  It also comes with a second clear plastic ear loop for those who don't want others to know they have an ear loop on.  There is a tiny A/C adapter for dedicated charging and it also comes with a short USB cable for charging the Z9i on a PC so you can leave the adapter at home.  That's pretty much all there is to tell.  The audio quality so far has been good and the dedicated volume buttons easy to use while wearing the Z9i.  The ant logo flashes blue when it's on and connected to a phone.  It also shines red when charging until fully charged when the LED goes out.

I haven't tried the dual phone usage yet but will do so as I use it more.  It's definitely smaller and better looking than the original model Jawbone I have which is pretty big and ugly.  I'll keep using the BlueAnt and report back as time passes.