by Lori Cunningham

I have reviewed a lot of Android phones but I have finally found the Android phone for me — the new HTC Amaze.  Each Android phone has a bit of it’s own personality, but when you boil it down, they are pretty similar to one another.  The same is true with the Amaze…with one exception…this phone takes the BEST pictures I have ever seen on a phone.  Truly, there is no comparison – the pictures come out sharper, clearer, and with more contrast than any other phone I’ve tested.

The video comes out great too.  We just recently moved.  We went back to the old house to give the new owner their keys and I decided to take the kids up to their old rooms to say “goodbye.”  I had no worries that I didn’t have my camera because I knew the pictures and video I captured of the kids that day would turn out great…and they did.  I also took many pictures whiles at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) using the Amaze. I took my camera with me, just in case, but found I didn’t need it, the Amaze did great.

Camera Scenes

I didn’t read this on T-Mobile’s site until I began writing this article, but T-mobile says that the Amaze “offers our latest most advanced camera of any smartphone.”  I believe it.  The Amaze is the first smartphone I’ve used that offers manual ISO and white balance adjustments.  The Amaze also has some great options to choose from when shooting a picture:

• SmartShot – capture an array of shots combined to create the best photo of everyone smiling – LOVE THIS!
• SweepShot – capture landscapes by holding camera steady and rotating to capture panoramic scenes
• ClearShot HDR – capture objects in bright settings so that your photos don’t result in high light contrast
• BurstShot – capture multiple shots in a quick burst so that you don’t miss the perfect photo – when I think back to how many pictures I missed because my camera didn’t have this feature!
• Night – capture photos at night so that your pictures appear crisp in low light
• Macro – capture objects up close so that you can capture each minute detail of the object
• Portrait – capture an individual so that the subject is sharp and in focus and the background is blurry
• Manual – enables you to change advanced settings

Here are some photos I took of my dog, Bear.  Bear is not one to sit still – he’s a mover.  The BurstShot feature worked great.  I just selected the BurstShot scene and took one shot of Bear.  The other shots (there are two more I didn’t post) were taken automatically.  The BurstShot is great for sports scenes, your child’s first bike ride, or even when your kids are posing for a pic but one of them never seems to smile at the right time…that’s my son!

Features

• 4G
• 4.3: HD touch screen
• 960 x 540 qHD resolution
• 1 GB RAM
• 8 MP rear facing camera
  

  Look at this great close-up of these wires - you can see the dust really well.

• 2 MP front facing camera
• Dual LED camera flash
• Backlit camera sensor – takes better pictures with low light
• 1080p HD camcorder
• Easily synch w/Microsoft Outlook
• MicroSD card slot
• Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 chipset processor – the best you can get in a smartphone for graphics, gaming, video, etc.
• Uses Gingerbread Android operating system
• USB Tethering – allows you to hook up to your netbook/laptop so share your Internet access (without additional costs)

Pros:

• Takes great pictures
• Pictures in low light come out surprisingly well
• Hard button on side of phone for camera and video
• Nice size screen
• Case is mostly metal – nice looking, not cheap
• Can run multiple programs at once with no issues
• Programs and menu items move fast thanks to the Snapdragon S3 chipset processor (learn more about Qualcomm processors at My Bountiful Days at BlogHer Days 3 & 4).

 

Cons:

• No tripod mount connector
• Battery doesn’t last long enough – though it could be due to the many pictures I take!
• Slightly heavy
• Charger cord is not a traditional mini USB, so it doesn’t work with all mini USB connectors for charging/data transfer

I just love green hills! This is what winter looks like in So. California!

A Mom’s Perspective

If you’re looking for a new phone, I cannot recommend the HTC Amaze enough.  Seriously, I love this phone due to it’s camera and video capabilities.  The Amaze is the model all future phones should be based on.  And I’m not alone.  I went through pages and pages of positive reviews on T-Mobile’s website for the HTC Amaze.

As moms, we treasure up moments in our hearts.  More than anyone else, we see moments we’d like to capture and remember.  Having a camera smartphone that can take great photos close at hand is a dream come true.  With these photos, you can feel comfortable enlarging them for portraits or scrapbook projects and know they will keep their resolution.

Do you think you’d feel comfortable enough leaving your camera behind with a phone like the Amaze?

 

 

*  I was loaned the HTC Amaze smartphone in exchange for my honest opinions and review.  As it has now become one of my favorite devices, my request to keep the phone was granted.

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by Lori Cunningham

So many products, so little time.  Even after spending six full days at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Vegas, I still didn’t get to see everything.  Nonetheless, I summarized our top 5 products for moms (and bloggers) from the show.  Be sure to see our top mom gadgets from CES in 2011 and 2010 as they are still very much pertinent to moms today.  And just in case you missed it, don’t miss the Top Six Product Tech Trends of CES 2012 and CES in Pictures as well.

Top 5 Products for Moms from CES:

1.)  Grid-IT! The Ultimate Organizer – When I saw this Grid-IT!* in the Cocoon booth, I immediately knew it would be on my top products for moms list.  When you travel do you end up with a mess of cords and adapters?  One for your phone, one for your husband’s phone, one for each of the kids’ phones/hand-held devices, one for the DVD player, one for your camera, one for your camcorder…the list goes on!  I usually wrap each one up nicely and throw it in a bag, but then it’s still unruly going through the bag to find the right charger.  With the Grid-It!, your cord chaos can be greatly diminished.  Grid-IT! features a bunch of rubberized elastic straps going horizontally and vertically to accommodate different sizes of items.   But the organization doesn’t stop at your tech items!  You can also use the Grid-IT! for your art supplies, first aid kit, tools, office supplies, a catchall for the back of your car’s sun visor…and one of my other favorite uses…(drumroll please!)…YOUR PURSE!  I’m sure you have a purse full of stuff, just like me, that you can never seem to find.  My purse is like a bottomless pit.  Once, it took me 3 days to discover my son’s leftover pizza was still in my purse!!!!  Ugh!

With the Grid-IT! you can buy just the right size for your purse to house your lipstick, makeup, anti-bacterial spray, mints, gum, pens, coupons, sunglasses, camera, important notes…you name it!  Just take the grid out of your purse and all your stuff is neatly organized right at your fingertips.  Slick, huh?  Grid-IT!’s come in all sorts of different sizes and in different organizer formats (laptop cases, backpacks, iPad cases, etc.).  Grid-IT!’s range from $9.99 and up.

2.)  Sony HDR-CX580V Flash Memory Handycam Camcorder with Projector – I am a big Sony camcorder fan.  I have owned a Sony camcorder since 1999.  I down-scaled (much smaller size)  to my second one around 2005.  I love how camcorders are getting more powerful and smaller.  I had heard about Sony’s camcorders with projection but I’ve never seen one before CES.  Can you imagine how cool it would be to instantly project your movies and pics right there on a wall after you take them?  Sure, that would be cool, but how big would the screen size really be?  To my amazement, I found out the diagonal screen size can be projected up to 100 inches!   That’s twice as big as my TV!  Wow!  And Sony didn’t just tell me about it,  they showed it to me.  They set up a dark room with a movie running from the camcorder.  The picture had such great quality that I had to swipe my hand across the projection on the camera just to ensure they weren’t pulling my leg.  I was sold right then and there.  Not only is the projection great, this model features 1920×1080 full HD 24p recording and boasts a 20.4 megapixel camera!  AND, finally, Sony has allowed for Flash Memory (32GB included) which means you don’t have to use their proprietary memory stick any longer.  You can switch out your cards as needed.  The Sony HDR-CX580V Handycam has tons of other features as well.  This Handycam will be available in March and retails for $800.  Sony has other projection models available soon for less money (and less features), namely the HDR-PJ260V for $650 and the Sony HDR-PJ200 for $440.

3.)  XPrintServer – LANTRONIX introduced the xPrintServer wireless printing solution for iPad, iPhone, and iOS devices.  Do you have a lot of pictures/documents/webpages/even email’s on your iPhone or iPad that you wish you could easily print?  There’s no need to link up to your computer anymore to print them out.  Just plug in the xPrintServer into your network and you can easily print to up to 10 connected printers (wireless or wired).  No apps or software to download.  The xPrintServer automatically discovers the printers for you.  What a great device for home or the office.  the xPrintServer sells for $149.95 and will be available soon.

4.)  Simple.tv – Simple.tv is a new product that acts as a DVR and allows you to watch your favorite broadcast TV shows anywhere and on any connected device.  This is the solution you have been looking for if you would like to cut your cable but can’t live without a DVR.  All broadcast channels, NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, even ESPN are available over the air for free.  Depending upon your antennae, HD channels are also available for free.  Simple.tv allows you to watch, pause, and record live TV.  And after you download the Simple.TV app from your device’s app store, you can start watching your recorded shows on nearly any device.  Love it!  Simple.TV will cost $149 when it launches later this year.  There is no monthly cost for basic service.  If, however, you would like to record shows automatically, use an enhanced electronic program guide, receive more info. about your favorite shows, and be able to remotely stream to up to 5 users, you’ll need the premier service, which costs $4.99/mo.  Simple.TV is a great complement to Boxee and ROKU as well.

5.)  TP-Link Mini Pocket Router  - OK, I know a router doesn’t sound like much fun.  But the TP-Link TL-WR700N is a handy little device.  Do you have a room in your house that just doesn’t seem to have a strong enough signal from your wireless router?  I do.  My office is too far away and the signal is weak.  Have you ever gone on a trip and noticed that the wireless access in your hotel room is as slow as molasses?  I have.  My hotel at CES had terrible wireless service.  The TP-Link Mini Pocket Router is the solution.  Just plug the ethernet wire from your wired room or hotel room into your Mini Pocket Router, which plugs into the wall, connect your router, and your set.  The Mini Pocket Router amplifies and makes wired the wired connection you have in a room, providing you with instant wireless access.  As long as the room you’re in has a wired Ethernet port, you’re good to go.  Another great TP-Link product is the Portable 3G/3.75G Wireless Router (TL-MR3020) which allows you to share your 3G connection with other phones wherever 3G service is available.  It can be powered by a laptop or power adapter, which means you can use it camping, on trains, at conferences or wherever! Cool!

The TP-Link Mini Rocket Router sells for $31.99 and the 3G Router sells for $44.32  at Amazon.com.

Well, there you have it – our top 5 products from the show.  There were plenty of other products I’d love to tell you about…and many of them I will throughout the year.  Don’t forget to check out our top products for moms from CES 2011 and CES 2010 too.  Which of these products would you love to try?

*  Upon my request, I was provided with a Grid-IT! pouch and TP-Link mini router to review.  I will be writing reviews on both of these products.  However, I liked them so much, I wanted to include them in my favorite mom products from CES this year.

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by Lori Cunningham

Editor’s Note:  Congratulations to Sadie Beery of Frankfort, OH on winning the cool Striiv pedometer!  We had over 400 entries – she’s one lucky lady!  

I had another fun, exhilarating, and exhausting year at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this year.  As always, CES does not disappoint.  With over 20,000 new products launched just that week, you can imagine there was something new to see around every corner.  On the other hand, there was nothing that stands out as a super “wow” as in year’s past.  There was a lot of excitement around the new tablets in 2009.  In 2010, 3D was all the rave at the show.  I would say the most exciting thing this year were the 55″ OLED TV’s.  We were all amazed at the super thin 20″ OLED’s last year so seeing the technology expand to 55″ was pretty incredible to see…but of course, the technology isn’t new.

There’s no doubt that the trends I identified in 2010 continue to grow strong.  Smart TV’s are quickly becoming the norm as manufacturers are dramatically increasing the percentage of  Smart TV’s they produce.  Smart Phones and tablets are remotely controlling more things – TV’s, cable boxes’, music, home surveillance, door locks, etc.  Apps Everywhere continue a strong presence and are part of the category trend I list below for this year under Multiple Platform Experience.  The Connected Car continues to take off as more car manufacturers are building computers into their cars to help consumers maintain their connected lifestyles.  And of course, will Green Energy ever go out of style?  Let’s hope not!  To learn more about last year’s trends see the Top 6 Tech Product Trends of CES 2011 (and of 2010 for further ongoing trends).

Onto the trends stemming from CES 2012:

1.)  Ultrabooks – Ultrabooks were introduced at the end of last year.  Ultrabooks are the next class of laptops in that they are very thin (20mm or less), weigh less than 3.1 lbs, have a long battery life (5-8 hrs), have an ultra-fast start-up from sleep (similar to a tablet), and are priced right at $1,000, though the price will get closer to the $500 mark as more ultrabooks are introduced.  There were 30-40 ultrabooks launched at CES this year.  Expect to hear a lot about ultrabooks this year.  Sometime later this year it is likely they will include touchscreens so the ultrabook can be used like a tablet as well.

2.)  Multiple Platform Experience – Today, people have 1-3 smartphones, one or more Smart TV’s, 1+ tablets, connected gaming consoles, PC’s, Macs, connected Blue-Ray players, connected cars, connected smart alarm clocks, you name it, people have it!  Most of these different devices have apps.  Now that consumers are more connected and more savvy about the apps they use, they are expecting their app on their smartphone to utilize the same info. of the same app they use on their TV.  Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, and many others have already been doing this.  No matter what device (platform) you log into, your information will be there.   Storing user information in the cloud enables this process for your information to follow you to each device.  This trend continues to grow as new devices and apps are created.

3.)  Connected Home – I’m thrilled to see a much bigger presence and  focus on home automation this year.  Home automation is no longer for the elite who can afford to have their lights turned on and their air conditioned controlled by the press of a button.  Home automation is becoming mainstream.  I have been studying this trend for a while and in fact, it’s the impetus for our new website, TheWellConnectedHome.com.    Using certain protocols (Z-Wave or Zigbee), a consumer can install and program (it’s now user friendly) lights, thermostats, door locks, cameras, draperies, and more to turn on or off with your smartphone, PC, Mac, tablet, and more.  I know because I have done it myself.  Find out more on theWellConnectedHome.com website as I begin posting my experiences.

4.)  Connected Health – it’s  been fun to see fitness and measurement products grow every time I go to CES.  Pedometers have really taken off and include social elements (see the new Striiv pedometer social enhancements in this CES video).  Pedometers are built-into fitness watches and devices…as well as accelerometers  (which measure the change in acceleration), galvanic skin response (measures how active you are), heat flux (the rate of heat leaving your body), heart rate, sleep tracker, and more!   A number of devices even allow you to enter in your food intake to get a complete look at matching your dieting or fitness goals.  Absolutely remarkable.

In addition, home medical testing devices are getting smarter.  I remember oooo’ing over the Withings Digital Scale three years ago when I first discovered it at CES.  It tracks your weight, muscle, and fat…and sends it via Wi-Fi to your computer, smartphone, or tablet.  Wow.  Love it.  Some of the new digital scales even have a social element where you can post automatically to Facebook.  Uh, no thanks.  I suppose if you have a private support group, this might be helpful.  Withings also has a new Wi-Fi enabled baby scale coming out that is a much needed home device for parents with underweight babies.  Ideal Life also had a number of connected products to help seniors (and others) keep connected to their doctors such as a glucose monitor, blood pressure monitor, Sp02 oxygen monitor, and scale.  With these devices and devices like the Sonamba, keeping track of your health and that of your aging parents is becoming easier.

5.)  3D TV Content – If last year was the year of the 3D TV, this year is the year of 3D content…finally!  Sales of 3D TV’s are progressing well due to the end of year discounted prices of excess 3D TV inventories.  Many people bought 3D TV’s because the price was right, so, why not?  Unfortunately, besides some movies, there is not a lot of 3D content out there to watch.  This is changing.  ESPN now has a 24/7 3D channel showcasing football, basket ball, boxing, the X Games, and more.  Discovery has created

a new 3D channel, as well as other content carriers like Comcast and DirectTV.  But the biggest 3D news of the show was Panasonic’s announcement that this year’s 2012 London Olympics would be filmed in 3D.  Talk about one event that will get a whole nation talking about 3D.

6.)  OLED TV’s – Thin is in.  As I stated above, the new 55″ TV’s are pretty remarkable.  So incredibly thin.  Your finger is thicker than these screens.  With a contract ratio of 100,000,000, you can imagine how beautiful the display is.  The colors are vivid and vibrant.  Models will be available in 3D as well.  Can you imagine 3D coming out of such a thin screen?  OLED’s do not use backlight so transmission of the pictures is clearer and more colorful.  Also, as a result, they have a faster response time,  enabling up to a 100,000 Hz refresh rate.  Today’s LED TV’s only go up to a 240 Hz refresh rate.  Plasmas typically have 480-720 Hz refresh rates.  A faster response rate means less ghosting when a person or object moves.  Pricing is not set yet for OLED’s. The materials themselves are actually cheaper than for plasma or LCD TV’s.  It’s the fabrication process that is so costly.  The price will drop as more manufacturers begin producing OLED TV’s.

Although over 20,000 products were introduced at CES this year, many of them are not fully functioning yet.  Most will be produced and in stores by the end of the first quarter, although some will  not be ready until the Fall.  To get a birds eye view of CES as a whole, be sure to check out The Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2012) in Pictures.  Next week we will publish our annual CES Great Technology Products for Moms for 2012.

Have questions about CES or interested in a particular product or type of technology?  Leave a comment and I’ll reply with any info. I have to update you, stemming from the show.

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