Wize Blog

Next Gen iPhone Info Sneaking Out

I know, we all want an iPhone (rated 87 at wize.com) with GPS and 3G. Well, guess what? Someone out there has one, at least according to Engadget.

"...And numerous units are floating around in super secret pockets," the site says about the iPhone.

My next question is: Is the device talking to the people running around with it, that is, when they ask for directions is it voice-enabled so they get the information out loud?

There's nothing better than having a phone, especially an iPhone, that will tell you where to go and that will give you an Internet connection just about anywhere you are.

LG enV2 Panned

Wired.com has a case against two-year signing a contract that offers the LG enV2 cell phone. The phone is awkward at best.

The experience of holding the handset, wired.com calls "hideous." The only good thing they say about the phone is that it's easy to dial.

The phone has no Wi-Fi and might be even worse that its predecessor, the enV.

See for yourself in the video below, which compares the enV with the enV2.

Free Shipping, Memory Card from Kodak

Kodak is offering a deal for Mother's Day. When you buy a Kodak digital camera (rated at wize.com) or picture frame that costs more than $99, you get free shipping. You also get a free memory card with a digital camera or frame purchase.

Here's the free shipping fine print: "Receive Free Standard Shipping on all orders of $99 or more, before tax and shipping charges. Select "Standard Shipping" option at checkout and free Standard Shipping will be automatically applied to qualifying orders. Not valid on KODAK Gallery purchases and orders containing KODAK EASYSHARE All-in-One Printers. Orders containing KODAK EASYSHARE All-in-One Printers will be charged special shipping rates that apply to All-in-One Printers. Valid only on purchases at the KODAK Store (U.S.only). Offer valid for shipping to U.S. addresses only excluding Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Offer valid from 4/21/08 through 5/1/08."

...and the fine print for the free memory card: "Buy any new KODAK EASYSHARE Digital Picture Frame or KODAK EASYSHARE Digital Camera priced $199.00 and up, get a Free KODAK SD Memory Card, 2 GB at the KODAK Store. Buy any new KODAK EASYSHARE Digital Picture Frame or KODAK EASYSHARE Digital Camera priced $198.99 and less, get a Free KODAK SD Memory Card, 1 GB at the KODAK Store. To receive your Free Memory Card, add the KODAK EASYSHARE Digital Picture Frame or KODAK EASYSHARE Digital Camera to your cart and your Free Memory Card will be automatically applied at checkout. Offer valid from 4/21/08 through 5/11/08, while supplies last. Limit 2 Free Memory Card(s) per order. Valid only on purchases at the KODAK Store (U.S. only)."

Go to Kodak.com for more info.

Do Cell Phones Have Health Risks?

Do cell phones have health risks? Well, we don't know yet (or do we?) and Dr. George Carlo says since we don't, we should take precautions anyway.

Go ahead and watch...interesting stuff.

Geeksugar, Engadget and iMacs

Sure everybody follows Engadget for the latest news. But now Engadget's following Geeksugar on Mac leads.

Engadget reported today that Geeksugar says, "spec-bumped iMacs are due on Tuesday."

The machines, which are rated 91 at wize.com, are expected not to have a bigger price tag.

Hmmm, who is Geeksugar? She's a Web site with tentacles that reach from conversations about geeky things to those of money and sex. Just click on her links.

Sandisk Sansa E-260 Mp3 Player Video Review

If you're considering an alternative to an iPod, you might want to take a look at the Sansa E260 (rated 93 at wize.com) by Sandisk.

In the video below, the narrator unboxes the MP3 player. It's a tiny player like the iPod Nano. The narrator actually compares the two.

The narrator also shows you how to get music and video files from the computer to the player.

10 Questions to Ask When Digital Camera Shopping

Computerworld named the 10 best compact cameras today in an article on their Web site.

What I want to know is what they looked for in a camera to name it as one of the best. By reading between the lines, you can find out a lot about shopping for the right camera for your needs.

Here are some questions to ask (with commentary) while you're shopping for a digital camera:

1. Does the camera start up fast? You don't want to wait forever for your camera to turn on.
2. Is the image quality good? You don't want a camera that always takes a blurry image.
3. Is the lens wide enough?  You want to be able to include your whole family in the frame.
4. Does the camera take correct exposures? In other words, are the images too light or too dark?
5. Does the camera have Av, Tv and P modes (manual exposure modes)? If you want to take cool night shots by controlling the amount of time the shutter stays open, then get a camera that lets you control it.
6. Does the camera zoom in adequately? If you've tried 10X optical zoom, you'll probably want it.
7. Does the camera have IS (Image Stabilization)? If it does you'll be able to take clearer pictures more of the time.
8. Does the camera take video? Video is always a nice feature to have in a camera.
9. Does the camera have a view finder? If you're old-fashioned and like the camera near your eye, then you'll want a view finder to use instead or in addition to a LCD screen.
10. Does the camera have enough megapixels? If they're aren't enough megapixels, you'll get a picture that looks like it came from a computer made 15 years ago.

10 Things the Blackberry Pearl 8110 Can Do

The new Blackberry Pearl 8110 with AT&T's navigator service lets the 8110 give voice directions, maps and traffic warnings.

Blackberry's Web site touts everything that this smart phone can do.

Some of the things include:

1. Wireless email
2. Speakerphone and VAD (Voice Activated Dialing)
3. Instant Messaging
4. Text Messaging
5. Media Player
6. 2.0MP Camera and Video Recording
7. BlackBerry Maps
8. GPS
9. Data Access
10. Calendar and Address Book

Canon SD790 IS Video Review

Here's one very cool video, which shows how the lens floats to get an image stabilized. The video, from TigerTV, demonstrates the 10MP camera with a 3-inch LCD screen.

There's a color swap mode in-camera. The narrator shows how it can turn a red dress into a green one.

The camera also has a manual mode and shoots video.

Here's the video--

Google's Gone Green in U.S. Cities

Say you wanted to take public transportation from San Francisco Airport to Dolores Park (S.F.'s current hotspot hangout). Google maps can tell you to take the Pittsburg/Bay Point BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) train from the airport to the 16th and Mission BART station in San Francisco. When you get off the service tells you to walk for 10 minutes to Dolores and 18th with a map showing you how.

All you have to do is go to Google Transit (google.com/transit), look at the list of cities covered (listed on page), then type in the start and destination addresses and the date you're leaving for that city.

A map then comes up with your directions via mass transit.

There's an information site with a video that tells you all about the new feature.