Author Topic: My Tech Gadgets...  (Read 9338 times)

Offline Dan

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My Tech Gadgets...
« on: July 16, 2008, 02:12:00 PM »
Here's what I'm currently playing with. (HT: Costco and Sams Club  ;) )

Cell Phone: Palm Centro (Sprint)
Comment: Palm OS in a thin phone is great...but if only the Samsung i500 or Samsung i550 had EVDO...
At least USB Modem works like a gem!


Cell Phone "Tower": Samsung/Sprint Airave
Comment: Who knew that the Centro had so many bars!?!

Bluetooth Headset: Sony Ericsson IV-840
Sleek and gorgeous, incredible battery life, no-hook design, and noone can even tell you're on a headset!

MP3 Player: 80GB iPod Classic (Silver)
Comment: baaahh...

iPod Headphones: Sony EX51 Fontopia
Comment: Same comfortable earbuds as my bluetooth headset and great sound quality.

Noise-Cancelling Headphones: Bose QC2
Comment: Never fly without 'em!

Alarm Clock: iHome IH9 iPod charging system.
Comment: Why wake up to obnoxious beeps?

Notebook: Dell Inspiron 700m
Comment: Small, sleek, and nearing its 4th birthday.  Quite possibly the oldest gadget that I use on a daily basis!

Desktop: Dell Inspiron 530 Slim With 19" Widesreen LCD
Comment: Can't beat the price with a good coupon!

Wireless Keyboard/Mouse: Logitech MX5000 Laser
Comment: Because cords are old-school. 

Camera: Canon Elph SD870IS
Comment: Best. Camera. Ever.

GPS: Garmin Nuvi 880
Not only is she a great talker, but she's an even more amazing listener!

3.5" External Stationary Hard Drive: Seagate Free Agent Pro 750GB
B/c it's not a WD

2.5" External Portable Hard Drive: SimpleTech 250GB
B/c it's not a WD

That's all for now (I think!), now post what you've got!
« Last Edit: July 16, 2008, 02:29:33 PM by Dan »
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline moish

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Re: My Tech Gadgets...
« Reply #1 on: July 17, 2008, 02:34:38 AM »
nice post dan! letting us have a glimpse of your life. one thing, the camera, im not sure if its an old camera but the zoom is horrible 3.8x ?  i think you like it only because you have the same name (see your post on the dan club in tlv)! also did you actually pay 900 for the nuvi? if you did is it so much better than the 6 or 7 series to justify uch a difference in price?

Offline rover771

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Re: My Tech Gadgets...
« Reply #2 on: July 17, 2008, 03:00:45 AM »
Quote from: Dan link=topic=348.msg

Cell Phone "Tower": [url=http://airave.sprint.com
Samsung/Sprint Airave[/url]
Comment: Who knew that the Centro had so many bars!?!


dan is that what you got from denver?
Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see.

Offline Charles The Govenor

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Re: My Tech Gadgets...
« Reply #3 on: July 17, 2008, 03:25:19 AM »
Does it boost your cell signal?

Offline moish

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Re: My Tech Gadgets...
« Reply #4 on: July 17, 2008, 06:06:38 AM »
here goes

Cellphone: Unlocked Razr
Comment: works perfect for me here in israel

Bluetooth Headset:  Jawbone
Comment: because it looks cool

MP3 Player: ipod 30g black
Comment: is there anything worthwhile to upgrade to?

iPod Headphones: white ones that came with the ipod
Comment: if it aint broke dont fix it

Noise-Cancelling Headphones: Bose QC3
Comment: Never fly without 'em!

Notebook: Sony PCG-TR3A
Comment: after my dell inspirons motherboard fried for no reason my father graciously gave me his old laptop

Camera: Panasonic Lumix TZ5
Comment: Best. Camera. Ever. (because its wide angle (28mm) 10x zoom IS with a leica lens!)

Camcorder:  Panasonic H60
Comment: How can you argue with IS 50x optical zoom (2500x digital) and a 60gb hard drive?
   
GPS: Garmin Nuvi 670
Comment: Italy here i come!

PDA: Palm TX
Comment: Yes i know, Im old school

Offline Mordy

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Re: My Tech Gadgets...
« Reply #5 on: July 18, 2008, 01:27:11 PM »
Dan, where'd u get an AirRave? They sell them yet?
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Offline Eli

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Re: My Tech Gadgets...
« Reply #6 on: July 20, 2008, 01:02:00 PM »
There's a new one called ZBoost. Or maybe an old one but I saw it in this month's SkyMall mag. Boosts signals for all carriers besides Nextel. Basic version is like $100 for one user.
-Eli

Offline Charles The Govenor

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Re: My Tech Gadgets...
« Reply #7 on: July 20, 2008, 06:49:28 PM »
Eli you said it is not good for nextel what about sprint?

Offline Eli

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Re: My Tech Gadgets...
« Reply #8 on: July 20, 2008, 08:47:27 PM »
Eli you said it is not good for nextel what about sprint?

Right, I said it's no good for Nextel, but Sprint would be fine because I said it only does not work with Nextel. Just because Sprint and Nextel merged doesn't mean anything. The phones still operate on different technologies. Sprint is CDMA like Verizon and Nextel is I believe called "iDen". The hybrid phones that are sprint and nextel mostly use sprint for service so you'll be ok with that.
-Eli

Offline Dan

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Re: My Tech Gadgets...
« Reply #9 on: July 21, 2008, 01:04:37 AM »
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline Charles The Govenor

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Re: My Tech Gadgets...
« Reply #10 on: July 21, 2008, 02:39:58 AM »
O I see thanx

Offline Mordy

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Re: My Tech Gadgets...
« Reply #11 on: July 23, 2008, 02:41:23 PM »
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/2674

Dan, you sneaky devil!

I blogged about this almost a year ago, when the beta testing was just being announced...
I had set up my own UMA solution using WiFi (more on that here) for my office where there is weak to no reception (similiar to T-mobile's @home, but without being bound to t-mobile or paying them any extra fees).
However, my solution required a smartphone with WiFi to work, so the AirRave concept intrigued me. How come you never said anything about it? Its almost like the concept disappeared- I'm so glad you brought it up again. I was ready to file this one along with the "Sprint opens up their network to non-branded phones" announcement that didn't go anywhere.
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Offline Mordy

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Re: My Tech Gadgets...
« Reply #12 on: July 23, 2008, 03:20:16 PM »
What the hey, I might as well participate in the thread:

-Sprint HTC Mogul
Running a custom built accelerated firmware based on no2chem 5069k, and dual booting to Google Android for fun and testing purposes.
The Clincher: Its not an iPhone.
LOL, seriously though, still far from perfect, this phone happens to be the most versatile and capable device on Sprint's network (Sorry, Dan & palm fanbois!). Sure, WM isn't the easiest OS to use, but if you're willing to learn how to use it, its EXTREMELY powerful, and it IS more capable than most other current offerings- plus, HTC's architecture is standard enough that I have the option of running HaRet Linux or the beta Google OS for total customizability. I'm a control freak, and this is the only phone I can use on SERO that allows me to tell it how to work.

-i.tech R35 Stereo Clip

Possibly the coolest Bluetooth gadget out there for people like me... Supports full A2DP high quality stereo sound over the air, as well as AVRCP music controls on something the size of a small clip to attach to a tie or button-down shirt. 
The Clincher: Remove the headphones to expose a standard 3.5mm headphone jack! That means I can hook this sucker up to my home stereo and play music off my phone as long as I'm in the same room! Also has a mic on the clip for handling calls, and the handsfree mode is good for recording phone calls as well.

-Sony BT2500
Cheap aftermarket Sony car stereo w/bluetooth (picked them up for ~$100). Installed these in both of my vehicles.
The Clincher: Supports A2DP bluetooth stereo (yes, I'm a fan). I can play music from my phone on the car speakers while leaving the phone in my pocket. Buttons on the stereo control the media player.

-Gateway m280 Convertible laptop/tablet PC
I was about to buy a Dell Vostro laptop, when a buddy pointed out that for the SAME AMOUNT I was about to spend, I could get a machine with 2x the memory, 50% more powerful CPU, and just so happened to double as a touch screen. Sure, Gateway didn't always make good machines, but this model had good reviews and I've had no problems with it.
Clincher: I don't need the touch screen, but it impresses clients when I take notes during meetings on it. Also, Crayon Physics totally rocks, and my 2yr old can use it by pointing. And I got more computer for my money. :)

-Asus Eee PC
Technically, this is my Wife's (bought it in pink to make sure I don't steal it). This is the CUTEST little laptop I've ever seen, totally rockin interface and can go places a normal sized laptop (like my tablet) can't. I'm considering buying another one for me... but I've already got a fully featured PDA phone, Laptop and Desktop, so I'd have to be some kind of freak...
The Clincher: Fits in my wife's purse. wow.

-Samsung m300

Technically not a high tech gadget, however something high tech fans will appreciate: Its been cloned to my match my other phone's ESN and other authorization codes.
The Clincher: This means Sprint can't tell the difference between this and my larger PDA phone. Good for taking on trips, boating/hiking/camping, or just anywhere I don't want to take a larger and more expensive phone, but still want to keep a phone and my number with me.

That's all I can think of for now, unless you want to start counting all my pro equipment, Studio mics and workstations, DV cams, etc. Feels like too short a list really... I guess its because I really use my phone to replace other gadgets, like mp3 players and GPS units. It does all those things better than standalone devices would, so it really just fills all the gaps.

There's a new one called ZBoost. Or maybe an old one but I saw it in this month's SkyMall mag. Boosts signals for all carriers besides Nextel. Basic version is like $100 for one user.
Eli, Zboost is a signal booster. There's tons of them. AirRave is like T-mobile's @home service... it works over IP.
TOTALLY different ballgame.

Quote
Right, I said it's no good for Nextel, but Sprint would be fine because I said it only does not work with Nextel. Just because Sprint and Nextel merged doesn't mean anything. The phones still operate on different technologies. Sprint is CDMA like Verizon and Nextel is I believe called "iDen". The hybrid phones that are sprint and nextel mostly use sprint for service so you'll be ok with that.
Eli, Sprint and Verizon both use CDMA. In fact, Verizon is the "mack daddy" of CDMA, Sprint picked up the tech later along with Alltel, Cricket, and others. You are correct in saying Nextel is Iden, they are their own technology which is why their phones are not compatible with anyone else (whereas Sprint and VZ are compatible if they'd let you activate them... there are ways to get around this but they are "questionably legal").

Hope this helps explain a few things.
« Last Edit: July 23, 2008, 03:50:30 PM by Mordy »
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Offline Dan

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Re: My Tech Gadgets...
« Reply #13 on: July 27, 2008, 05:28:50 PM »
Whoa, how do you do ESN cloning???

Anyway, at the risk of setting off yet another WM/Palm debate: I don't deny that WM in a phone isn't by far the most powerful OS in a phone.  I just don't need my phone to be that customized at the expense of simplicity.  I (and others, including Walter Mossberg) just find Palm OS to strike the perfect balance between a smart OS with thousands of programs, and a very stable and simple phone.  For anything more complicated I'm going to be using my laptop anyway.
Now when a WM device can truly replace a laptop (something that I doubt will happen anytime soon) that will be a true game changer, but until that point I'm quite happy with an old-school palm OS powered phone like I've been with for 7 years now.

The Airave is totally absolutely positively awesome, but due to its GPS chip it only started working in Cleveland this month.
I'll make a post on it soon.

Also just to point out, most VZW phones only operate on the CDMA 850MHz band, so they won't work on the Sprint (1900MHz) network even if Sprint let you activate them, and devices like the Airave would be totally useless for them.
« Last Edit: July 27, 2008, 05:36:17 PM by Dan »
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline Mordy

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Re: My Tech Gadgets...
« Reply #14 on: July 28, 2008, 11:31:02 AM »
Whoa, how do you do ESN cloning???
Dan, its a rather complicated process, but simple once you get all the concepts involved. You and I should talk outside the forum if you're interested... I had written stuff about it on my blog and phone-related message boards, only to get banned from the forums and receive letters asking me to take down such information from my public pages.

Bottom line- the process varies from phone to phone, but generally will require a data cable and proprietary software that can read the programming info of your phone, know your MSL, and be proficient in a binary editor. I've figured out how to do this for several different types of handsets, however some are far more difficult than others, and I've seen many people "brick" their phones by rushing into things.
However, the result is very rewarding- you are able to take certain Verizon or Alltel phones and bring them to Sprint by cloning a working Sprint ESN!! This, by the way is a grey area, however arguably legal. The problem is that it is VERY easy to use this information for illegal cellular fraud (having 2 phones on one account to save money on a second line, stealing someone else's service, privacy invasion, etc), which is why the info is so very often taboo.
Just be aware, this is not for the faint of heart: If fiddling around in hexadecimal or binary code sounds too overwhelming, I don't recommend attempting.

Quote
Anyway, at the risk of setting off yet another WM/Palm debate: I don't deny that WM in a phone isn't by far the most powerful OS in a phone.  I just don't need my phone to be that customized at the expense of simplicity.  I (and others, including Walter Mossberg) just find Palm OS to strike the perfect balance between a smart OS with thousands of programs, and a very stable and simple phone. 

Hahaha.... you mean iphone-loving Walt? Yes, he prefers Palm to WM, but he also prefers Mac to PC- not that there's anything wrong with that, but people tend to "pick sides" at this sort of debate (he has said he prefers the iPhone to Palm as well, so go figure... sounds like someone who is anti-anything-microsoft).
I don't want to take this any more off-topic, but since you mentioned Walt, I'd like to point out that Mr. Mossberg is not well respected in the Mobile OS development community. He sees everything only at face-value, and has surprisingly little understanding of how things actually work. Engadget pointed out that during a review of the 3G iphone, Walt makes passing reference to the GPS antenna being "too small" to function as a proper GPS. This makes absolutely ZERO sense at all, as technically the size of the chip makes no difference. In fact, current location-based services work perfectly, giving you as exact a location fix as ANY gps. Walt seems to be referring to the lack of a turn-by-turn routing application, which doesn't exist yet because of licensing (rumor has it Apple and AT&T want to charge for such a service, and are developing one to be released soon for a subscription fee). This, as well as some other comments Walt has made, has made him something of a laughing stock to people in the mobile industry... So, don't bring him into this if you want to impress someone. :)

Quote
For anything more complicated I'm going to be using my laptop anyway.
Now when a WM device can truly replace a laptop (something that I doubt will happen anytime soon) that will be a true game changer, but until that point I'm quite happy with an old-school palm OS powered phone like I've been with for 7 years now.

Maybe I'm not understanding what you use your laptop for... my PPC always doubled as my laptop. Back when I was in Kollel and working part time, I'd be able to make changes to someone's website directly from my PPC in the Beis Medresh. To this day my phone is still my mobile office, able to do almost all the things my laptop can do, except perhaps editing video content- which I could still do if I needed to via remote desktop on my home or office PC (and have on occasion).
I move to the laptop only because I want to have a larger screen and full keyboard.

What are you trying to do that you need a laptop for?

Quote
The Airave is totally absolutely positively awesome, but due to its GPS chip it only started working in Cleveland this month.
I'll make a post on it soon.

Also just to point out, most VZW phones only operate on the CDMA 850MHz band, so they won't work on the Sprint (1900MHz) network even if Sprint let you activate them, and devices like the Airave would be totally useless for them.
That stinks about the GPS chip. There must be a bigger reason that the chip is embedded in the box tho... perhaps for triangulation / AGPS services?
« Last Edit: July 28, 2008, 11:37:15 AM by Mordy »
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Offline mancunian

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Re: My Tech Gadgets...
« Reply #15 on: August 03, 2008, 05:14:25 AM »

Offline mancunian

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Re: My Tech Gadgets...
« Reply #16 on: August 03, 2008, 06:48:58 AM »
btw tmobile is raising text cost 8/29

(and why wont it let me edit my posts?)

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Re: My Tech Gadgets...
« Reply #17 on: August 03, 2008, 08:38:26 PM »
well about esn cloning, u saw this...
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/10/sprint-agreeing.html
sprints unlocking their phones!
Yes, but this is old news and nothing much has been heard about this since then.
In fact, as I mentioned when I blogged about this almost a year ago, I think the announcement amounts to exactly didely squat. Sprint didn't really "lock" their handsets in the first place, CDMA providers just refuse to activate another carrier's phone. So, sure, Sprint will "unlock" or whatever that means, but where will you go from there? Verizon? They won't accept your phone if they didn't sell it. T-mobile and AT&T are on different and incompatible technology. So now what?
 You could go to cricket or some other smaller CDMA network that allows outside handsets, but you could always do that, even before this announcement.

Also, this has VERY VERY little to do with ESN cloning!

Quote
btw tmobile is raising text cost 8/29

(and why wont it let me edit my posts?)

You have a time limit to edit posts apparently. I noticed it too. function of the php powering this board...
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Offline Dan

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Re: My Tech Gadgets...
« Reply #18 on: August 04, 2008, 12:30:01 AM »
Sprint didn't really "lock" their handsets in the first place, CDMA providers just refuse to activate another carrier's phone. So, sure, Sprint will "unlock" or whatever that means, but where will you go from there? Verizon? They won't accept your phone if they didn't sell it. T-mobile and AT&T are on different and incompatible technology. So now what?
I activated a sprint phone on a CDMA network in brazil with the MSL, however it was only able to analog roam due to the lack of a brazillian PRL.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

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Re: My Tech Gadgets...
« Reply #19 on: August 04, 2008, 12:51:23 PM »
I activated a sprint phone on a CDMA network in brazil with the MSL, however it was only able to analog roam due to the lack of a brazillian PRL.
Ya man, you *gotta* flash yourself some preferred roaming lists if you're going to do service-transplanting with CDMA! Also, if you want data services, you've got to get in and change some settings normally hidden from consumers. I've done it, but its a pain, especially to change back again afterwards.

*Sigh* GSM is just SO much more practical.
But, CDMA ain't all bad...cloning CDMA phones is far simpler than cloning a SIM card, and sometimes that's better than swapping SIM cards. Its nice having a phone that is expendable when on vacation- if my phone falls into the lake or gets run over by a car, I still have another phone waiting for me in my hotel room.
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