iPad and Velcro

Let me first disclose that I’m violating my own editorial guidlines (product must be used by the writer), but hey – I think this idea is too good not to share!  It shows many creative uses for the iPad when you put Velcro on the back.  iPad vs. Velcro

How to save a soaked phone

Last night, a bunch of us are at an outdoor concert when the heavens opened up and we were totally soaked in a couple minutes. Our folding chairs became full of water, and wouldn’t you know, a friend of ours had her phone in her back pocket. When she pulled it out, water came streaming out of the phone. (I have never seen so much water come out of such a small device)! Which brings to mind a great technique to bring your phone back to life when it gets soaked and is seemingly dead.

Here’s how to save your soaked phone. Remember the quicker you can perform this Phone First Aid, the better chance your phone will live again.

1.) As soon as you realize the disaster, remove the battery and the SIM card (T-Mobile and AT&T users in the U.S). (iPhone users can’t remove the battery so turn off your phone if it is responsive). Dry the SIM Card and Battery with a towel and set aside.

2.) Get a vacuum cleaner with a crevice tool. Open all access doors and flaps on the phone and proceed to suck water out of every opening or crack in the phone (all around the keys – everywhere!). DO NOT use compressed air or a hairdryer to BLOW – all you’ll do is move the water deeper into your phone.

3.) Submerge the phone in a bowl of uncooked rice or surrounded with desiccant. Turn the phone every hour or so to allow gravity to help get water out of the phone and be wicked up by the rice or desiccant.

4.) Check the phone every couple of hours for wetness. When you change positions during step 3, put the phone on a paper towel. If you have moisture on the towel, there is still water in the phone. Keeping the phone on that side, use the vacuum with the crevice tool to remove the water.

5.) After you have left the phone in the rice or desiccant a day or so, put the battery and SIM card (if used) into the phone and power it up.

6.) If it works, you’re done! If not, there’s couple more things to try.

6a.) Remember when you discovered your phone was soaked? Was the display or any lights still on? If not, the battery may have shorted. Try a spare battery or see if your friendly cell-phone store might have one for the test.

6b.) You could take your phone apart and check for more water. Here’s a good website that specializes in such things.

Last thoughts:
-When I say “soaked” I’m thinking fresh water. Not saltwater or salad dressing. If you’re in this situation all is not lost, check this link on Tekzilla for more tips.

Do you have tips and tricks to save soaked cell phones? E-mail me at chiefgeek@gadgetreviewworld.com.

Zagg “z.buds” earphones

I purchased the Zagg z.buds about a month ago and have been using them daily. They offer a number of improvements over the regular free or low cost bud-type earphones.

Features:
–z.buds have heavy rope-like wire instead of the thin plastic (nylon?) wires. This makes them very tangle resistant. When I wrap them up and put them in my pocket, I don’t spend much time untangling them.
–z.buds have an ingenious cable management system (pictures here). Basically you stick your head through a loop created between the earbuds and they stay put whether they’re in your ears or not. (See diagram here.)
–They are offered with or without a microphone. I purchased them for my Palm Pre so I ordered the microphone.
–They have about 6 or 7 different earbud tips so you have the correct size for your ear. Replacements are available on the zagg website.
–z.buds come with a little carry pouch.

Review:
When you open the package, the first thing you have to decide is which eartip to install on the buds.

–Selection of eartip is VERY important. The best way to do this is to listen to music that is familiar to you, and try on the different tips. You should find a set that isolates outside noise and retains fidelity of music. Trust me, the tip makes a huge difference. For me, some didn’t isolate outside noise and made the music tinny. One gave me a muddy sound. However, I did find a couple of tips that fit my ear and significantly attenuated outside noise while providing an accurate reproduction of the music. I like this passive system better than the active noise reduction systems I have tried.

–Cord management system: It works very well once you understand how to wear the z.buds. The trick for me is to make sure that the first retainer-bead is about 12-inches from the buds. You have to make sure that the buds will reach your ears with enough slack so you can turn your head. I can use use the 2nd bead to loop the cable around a shirt button to keep the cable close to my body so my flailing arms to catch the cord.

–integrated phone and volume control: They have changed the arrangement and now both controls are on one switch close to the left earbud. It works well. You can use the controller to start and stop music, end calls, and adjust volume. However, I’m not certain this is the best place for it. For me having a control like this next to my left ear is awkward. I often pull the left bud out as I fiddle with the control. I wonder if a better position would be at the base of the split which would put the control down by my waist.

–Price $69.99 for the version without the mic. $10 more if you want the mic. Pricey compared to the free ones that come with your device, but well worth the value. The quality of components is great. z.buds are proof you get what you pay for. Zagg always has a special running so if you plan to use their invisible shield product you can get some good savings.

–Conclusion: Great job Zagg folks. Change the position of the controller/volume control.

Why am I doing this blog? Answer here.

Please your experiences with these or other earbuds. Which ones work for you? Which ones don’t?

-Remember, technology is your friend!
John (aka “Founding Geek”)

Palm Pre

The Palm Pre went on sale in the U.S. on June 6, 2009. I was a first-day purchaser.
Did you know that Smart-phones have been around for awhile now? Since 1993, according to WikiPedia. My first smart-phone was a Palm Treo 650, then at Palm 755p, and now the Palm Pre. OK, maybe there’s a bit of brand loyalty bias, but not as much as you think.

No, the first smart-phone was not the iPhone. It was just the first smart-phone that was marketed properly. Here’s one of the first commercials for the iPhone.

Truth be told, my Palm 650 (and most smart-phones) could do most of what was in the commercial, except maybe the GPS trick. The first commercial demonstrated what most of us with a smart-phone already knew – a smart-phone becomes a 2nd brain! The iPhone is a great phone. In fact, there are several good choices in the marketplace today.

So why did I choose the Palm Pre? Several reasons.
1.) Palm webOS: I think this is a promising OS because anyone who knows CSS, HTML and XML will be able to develop for this new OS without having to learn any new programming languages.

2.) Synergy: This technology combines e-mail, contact, calendar, and messaging. I have e-mail accounts with google, mac.com, aol, comcast, yahoo, hotmail…, well you get the idea. All the inboxes can be accessed in one folder. Contacts: if you have different information in your various accounts, it all show up in one contact on the Pre — assuming the name is the same.

3.) Multi-tasking: My co-workers know I always have many windows (applications) open on my work desktop. It’s called “Windows” you know… On the Pre, you can have multiple applications open and easily change between them with a flick of your finger. Here’s a demo.

4.) Full QWERTY keyboard: I like having a tactile touch to the keyboard. Some people complain that the keyboard is too small. Well, it’s smaller than the Treo 755p, but you get comfortable with it in time. Do you want a bigger phone? Sure you could have it slide sideways, but that has other limitations. Get over it. Life is a series of compromises.

5.) Size: Not a big part of my buying decision, but I benefit I enjoy now. Because the Pre is a slider, you can have a small phone in your pocket or purse.

6.) WiFi: Great around the home and other places – even the local grocery store.

7.) Sync with iTunes: The Palm folks piggybacked on the popularity of iTunes. You mean I can sync with my iTunes library?

What have I learned since my purchase?
webOS: The operating system is rock solid. Just like the early iPhone users, Palm Pre owners are waiting for more applications. At this publication, they are starting to be released. There are applications through the Palm app store, and homebrew apps available here.

sync: Sure, there is software to do a hardwire sync, but with a phone so connected to the Internet, you’ll need to see what’s best for you. Here’s an application for a hardwire (or WiFi) sync.
My thought was to use the easiest, least software intensive way to merge data. I have a .mac account, and a google account. I personally think that using Google contact and calendar and allowing the Pre to wirelessly sync works better. My advice is to cut the cord and use a Google account. I use Spanning Sync to keep my Google account in sync with Apple AddressBook and iCal.

Keyboard: It is small, but you’ll get comfortable with it.

Battery life: Depends on how you use the phone. Basically, you have a computer in the palm of your hand. What do you expect? If you listen to a podcast to/from work, have it check e-mail every 30- 60 minutes, search the web a handful of times and receive a few calls, you’ll get a days use before you have to charge. If you’re coming from a smart phone you’ll understand. If you’re coming from a phone, you should have a charger at work. In my opinion, you should always have on in the car. What if there’s an emergency and your battery is dead? Have a car charger regardless of the phone you have.

e-mail: I find it easier to check e-mail on the phone than on my compter!

build quality: Could be better, but it’s not poor. There is a little flex in the slider.

Touchstone charger: Seemed like an extravagance when I bought it. But it makes perfect sense. Why should I have to plug in my phone. Why can it work like by toothbrush?

Apps: Just like when the iPhone launched with a new OS, it took time for the apps to roll out. I consider myself a power-user when it comes to the smart-phone, so miss some of the applications I used with my Treo. However, if you just use the phone for contact information and normal personal information management, you’ll be fine.

overall: The Palm Pre is my 2nd brain. The OS is very stable. I really like Synergy it makes checking my schedule, contacts, events, and e-mail surprisingly easy. WiFi and Bluetooth work well. Battery life is about the same as my Treo 650 and 755p.

In subsequent posts, all address applications and accessories that I have found and use.

-Remember, technology is your friend!
John (aka “Founding Geek”)