This week we have another collection of great smartphone and notebook reviews to keep you in tune with the latest and greatest technology. We also have come features that will help you get your work done in a coffee shop or stay active while you work in your office.
If you missed out on our reader meetup for June 3rd in San Francisco, don’t delay. We just received a new allotment of tickets and more prizes. Stop down, enjoy some cocktails and chat with your favorite tech writers from GottaBeMobile, SlashGear, Android Community, IntoMobile, BetaNews and Netshelter. In all we are giving away 10 Samsung Galaxy Tab Wi-Fi’s, 5 Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1′s and five different smartphones!
Smartphone and Tablet News for the week of May 27th
- Android Tablets Aren’t Made To Be Held The Right Way
Tim Bray, Google’s Developer Advocate for Android, has taken a stand on tablet orientation, and he says portrait mode is the way to go. I wouldn’t go that far, but he makes some good points. Unfortunately, the problem isn’t with how people are holding their Android tablets, but how manufacturers are designing them. - 10 Ways to Fight Desk Job Death & Stay Active at Work
A new study of how Americans work shows that as we have made the move to desk jobs we have become less active, leading to obesity and other health issues. Here are 10 ways to stay active. - Top 50 Android Apps, Widgets and Shortcuts – What’s On My Android Homescreen
Here’s a look at my Android home screen which includes my most used apps, widgets and shortcuts for Android. - Is There a Lack of Smartphone Diversity on Verizon’s 4G LTE Network?
Granted, 4G LTE and its consumer-facing devices are still in an infancy period having only been recently made available for purchase within the last few months, but the three Android smartphones–two of which are available today and one coming later this week–all exhibit similar traits. - Sprint Poaching Motorola Droid X2 from Verizon, Launching as Photon 4G?
Sprint may be adopting another handset from Verizon Wireless–the Now Network had previously announced that it will be launching the Verizon Motorola Droid Pro as the Motorola XPRT on its network–and this time it’s the Droid X2, which would launch as the Photon 4G. - HTC ThunderBolt Reboot Fix Coming Soon, Verizon Offering Trade-In to Those Affected?
HTC and Verizon are well aware of the random reboot issues that have been plaguing the HTC ThunderBolt since it was updated earlier this month. In fact, it appears that Verizon is on the verge of releasing a fix for the issues as its apparently ready and will head to Verizon employees with ThunderBolt’s first and then to the general public if all goes smoothly.
Smartphone Reviews for May 27th
- Motorola Droid X2 Review (Video)
You know the saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?” Well, Motorola and Verizon apparently had that phrase posted all over their offices when mulling over ideas for the successor to the original Motorola Droid X because the Motorola Droid X2 is a splitting image of its older brother. Thankfully it adds a qHD display and dual core processor. - Square: Small Business Owners Love This Mobile Payment System (video review)
From what I can tell, small business owners absolutely love Square and the service is going viral. Spin City Cafe is an example of one business I frequent that uses Square. - How To Tether To Your Android Phone with WiFi Tether
WiFi Tether is an app for rooted Android phones that lets you use your phone as a wireless hotspot. This allows users to bypass carriers’ built-in Wi-Fi hotspot software, which is especially helpful on phones that come with unreliable hotspot apps, such as the HTC Thunderbolt.
New Notebooks for the Week of May 27th
- Dell XPS 15z: Thinnest 15″ PC on the Planet, Takes on MacBook Pro
The Dell XPS 15z may look like a MacBook Pro, but it has a few extras you won’t find on Apple’s high end notebook. - Sony VAIO S Packs High Res Display an Optical Drive into Tiny Package
Sony delivers a crazy high 1600×900 resolution on the 13.3″ VAIO S. - Quad Core AMD Llano Processor Inbound to HP Pavilion dv6
AMD FUsion A Quad Core processors are likely to hit HP notebooks next month - Eee PC Netbook with MacBook Air Styling Coming at Computex
Asus is teasing a MacBook Air looking netbook to be unveiled at Computex. Check out what it might look like. - Notebook Designed for Seniors and Aging Population
We hope a manufacturer brings these notebooks designed to meet the needs of the elderly into production. - Sony Vaio F Notebooks Arrive Packing a Multimedia Punch
Sony unleashes a second upgrade, this time to the VAIO F notebooks with a full 1080P HD display and multimedia touches. - Panasonic Toughbook 31 Continues to Set Benchmark for Rugged Notebooks
Panasonic adds Sandy Bridge processors to the new Toughbook 31 notebook. This refresh also allows the screen to go form super bright all the way down to 2 nit for use in nighttime applications.
Notebook News for the Week of May 27th
- Amazon Mac App Store Launches With Apps You Can’t Get in Apple’s Store
Amazon’s new Mac App Store has apps you can’t get direct from Apple’s App store like Microsoft Office 2011 for Mac. - New MacDefender Called MacGuard Installs Without Your Password
Malware authors continue to pester Mac users with fake antivirus software. Now you don’t even need to enter your password to install the software. - Kanex mLinq USB to HDMI Adapter Gives Macs a 2nd or 3rd Display
Use the Kanex mLinq to turn your Mac’s USB port into a HDMI port capable of connecting to a monitor or HDTV. - 11 Last Minute High School Graduation Gifts That Don’t Suck – Tech, Gadgets and Games
Need a fast graduation gift for a high school senior? Check out our list of Graduation gifts that will actually get used. - 10 Tips To Getting Things Done While Working at a Coffee Shop
After spending 3 to 5 days a week working from a coffee shop for the last 5 months, we share our secrets to getting things done while working from a mobile office.
Notebook and Accessory Reviews for May 27th
- Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000 Offers Basics [Review]
The Microsoft Bluetooth Mouse 5000 is a capable Bluetooth mouse, but doesn’t stand out, even with a low price. - Verbatim Touch Mouse Brings Apple Magic Mouse Feel to Windows [Review]
Verbatim brings touch to the mobile mouse, a la the Apple Magic Mouse, but doesn’t deliver on the experience.