Computer, Gadgets and All Things Digital

HTC Evo 3D is the first 4G smartphone with large 4.3-inch 3D qHD display. The device come on the heels of its predecessor, the Evo 4G which was greeted with fanfare the first time it was rolled by Sprint more than a year ago. HTC Evo  3D gets mixed reviews from average users and experts alike yet many consider it as one of the best Android phones available at Sprint and particularly and in the US as a whole. As the carrier is now aggressively expanding its 4G Wimax coverage as well as building 4G LTE network this device is a must-have item for many gadget freaks who always want to stay ahead of the latest top-end gadget. Running on the latest Andoid 2.3 OS (Android Gingerbread) and sitting inside of it the powerful dual core 1.2 Ghz Snapdragon processor HTC Evo 3G has certainly many features not available on other smartphones  to offer.

The EVO 3D design is strikingly similar to its predecessor, the EVO 4G. Since the the Evo  4G has been so successful, HTC must have figured why fix what isn’t broken. HTC has traded up the kickstand, to make room for a bigger battery even though  the EVO 3D battery is actually smaller than its EVO 4G predecessor . The Evo 3D also has longer battery life with glasses-free display and of course the capability to capture 3D image and video. The device dimension is at 5 inches x 2.6 inches  and is  0.48 inch thick and weighs about  six  ounces, the Evo 3D  is about  the same size as HTC Evo 4G. It is quite heavy and bulky the Evo 3D yet it feels narrower and is  easier to hold and grip. Like other high end HTC smarphones the Evdo 3D sports a distinct  construction in addition to the textured surface on back.

HTC 3D Evo Specs, and Key features

Bellow is an overviews of features,hardware, operating system and other HTC 3D Evo Specs you might be interested to find out:

Mobile Hotspot Feature

Like its predecessor HTC Evo 3D can be used as a mobile  hotspot, enabling you to share internet connection with up to eight devices. The number of devices it can connect to is also the same as HTC Evo 4G and is higher than similar smartphones with mobile hotspot capability and Mifi devices which typically confine users to share Wi-Fi hotspot to only to five devices.This Wi-Fi hotspot capability is of course comes with a price as with other smartphone it can drain the battery fast.

Design

The smartphone comes with  both Swype and HTC’s virtual keyboard for text entry. On the right side tou will find  a 2D/3D camera-mode switch, a volume rocker, a camera key, and also a Micro USB port which is  located  on the left. There are also a 3.5mm headphone jack and a power button located at the top of the device, with the front 1.3-megapixel camera that sits below it. The Evo 3D sports two cameras to captur image and video, the first to is for 2D image and video capture and the second is for 3D. There are four touch-sensitive buttons located below the display to access  the home, menu, back, and search functions.

Display and Screen Resolution

HTC Evo 3D sports  a 4.3-inch qHD with 960×540 -pixel resolution capable of  displaying  a crisp and sharp picture, crystal clear text and images with bright colors. To view the image and video you don’t need to use a 3D glass since it comes with  a parallax barrier that will show two different images on top of the screen that acts to produce a 3D.

Sprint HTC Evo 3D Full Specifications, Price and Data Plan Pricing

• Operating system ; Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
• Battery  : 1730 mAh Lithium-Ion Battery
• Talk time : Up to 6.0 hours of continuous talk time
• Dimensions :5.0”x 2.6”x 0.5”
• Display :4.3″
• Weight :6.0 oz
• Processor :1.2 GHz
• Memory :4GB ROM internal
• 4.3-inch 3D QHD (960×540) display with pinch-to-zoom and tactile feedback
• Dual 5 megapixel cameras, to capture 3D video and images and a 1.3MP front-facing camera.
• Ultra-fast 4G connectivity
• Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g)
• GPS using Sprint Navigation for turn by turn directions, and points of interest searches
• Download, edit and share HD-quality content directly from the device
• Access to 3D version of Blockbuster OnDemand app with access to 2D and 3D movies, TV shows and games for rent or purchase and download
• Video chat service available as an upgrade to the pre-loaded Qik app to enable conversational, interactive, real-time sharing between mobile devices or from mobile-to-desktop
• Capture video in HD quality, 2D at 1080p and 3D at 720p
• Output HD content to a compatible TV using HDMI or DLNA
• Media player with 3.5mm stereo headset jack
• Sprint applications including Sprint Zone, Sprint TV & Movies, Sprint Football Live, Sprint Navigation, and NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile
• HTC Evdo 3D price : $199,9 with two-year contract

Windows 7 and Vista come with Disk Management or partition manager, a handy Windows built-in tool that can be used to merge 2  partitions or more , shrink partitions and add unallocated space to the hard drive partition. Combining two partitions or more in Windows 7 and Vista, however, can only be done semi manually, you need to use a partition software to do the job automatically. Aside from merge partitions , using this tool you can also re-size and  expand existing partitions and many more.

In this post I will outline a simple way to do the above task using Windows Disk management. Before you merge the partition, the first thing to do is, and  it is higly recommended , you back up the entire folders and files and move them into an external storage  such as an external hard drive or  other movable storage devices with large space just in case you screw up with the steps bellow.

Now suppose that you have 2 partitions on your hard drive computer and you name them with drive C, drive D  and you want to merge drive D with Drive C. The first thing you need to do is move all files and folder from drive D to an external storage or if you if you’re sure you can execute the next steps correctly you may simply move them to drive C.

The next step is go to  Windows Disk Management, in Windows 7 you can access it by typing “partition” in the search box. See the bellow screenshot:

On the “Disk management” windows right click on the drive D and select “delete volume” to  merge hard drive partitions in drive C and D.

There are rumors that have been swirling around for the past few months suggesting Sprint will soon roll out its own iPhone plans.  A tipster told  9to5Mac the iPhone for Sprint is currently undergoing testing. The rumors claimed Apple had ordered a Sprint cell tower to test the iPhone at their campus, a similar move before the Cupertino California-based company launched the iPhone for Verizon. Rumors about the iPhone finally arrives at Sprint have been getting intense recently to the point they specify which type of iPhone will be available to grab once Sprint embraces the iconic smartphone. The rumors claimed the iPhone currently under testing was said to be iPhone 3G, meaning if Sprint iPhone plans indeed comes out this year it will not be a 4G-enabled device.

Meanwhile Talk Android reported the iPhone 4S will arrive not only at Sprint but also at T-Mobile. The site says  the four major US carriers TVerizon, Sprint and T-Mobile will take turns getting a new iPhone each year, with AT&T/Verizon getting first turn on the iPhone 5. Furthermore, the site claimed when the iPhone is available , the third largest US  carrier customers will  need to pay a monthly subscription of  $89.99  data plan instead of  the $69.99 Everything Data plan that Sprint presently offers. Talk Android in the same report also claims that Sprint currently begins implementing an LTE network to complement its 4G Wimax network.

The Sprint iPhone rumors are still sketchy though. While Android phones have seen spectacular rise  recently surpassing RIM’s BlackBerry and the iPhone market share and are present at all major US carriers it is only a matter of time before Sprint iPhone plans and T-Mobile iPhone plans will finally become available in order for Apple to make up for the lost ground.

See also : Sprint Phone Plans

Via : Talk Android and 9to5Mac

Are you trying to switch carrier to Sprint or you’re already a Sprint customer and want to change your subscription plan?. Bellow are an overview of Sprint cell phone plans presently available at US third largest carrier:

Sprint Phone plans:

1. Sprint Basic plan:

This plan is best suited for those who want to save their money and do not use their phones for making calls very often, have no need for data usage and for those who do not want text, picture and video messaging .The Sprint Basic speaks for itself as   it only offers the very basic phone usage. The plan only costs you  $29.99  and  it only comes with 200 anytime minutes. Should you go over the max minute usage you will be charged the additional 45 cents per  minutes.

2. Sprint Simply Everything plan

This is the one of the most expensive Sprint cell phone plans yet if you subscribe to it you can do basically everything; unlimited calls, unlimited text message, picture and video messaging  and also  unlimited data plan. You may make calls at anytime without worrying you have to dig deeper into your pocket. You can also surf the net without having to pay for additional cost.
Monthly subscription : $99.9

3. Sprint Everything plan

The next third most expensive Sprint cell phone plans is Sprint’s Simply Everything plan. Like the Sprint Simply Everything plan this plan comes with unlimited data usage and unlimited text message and video messaging yet  it does not come with unlimited calls. Calls to other Sprint phones are also included and like the Sprint Simply Everything plan there is no additional charge for roaming and no extra fee for long-distance calls. The Everything plan comes with two plans  for calls made at night starting at 7 p.m : 450 anytime minutes for $69.99 per month or 900 anytime minutes for $89.99 per month.

4. Sprint Talk/Message/Direct Connect plan

The  plan is particularly suitable for those not wanting to surf the net using their mobile phone and   just use their phones to make calls and send  messages regularly. The plan does not include  data usage yet like the two previous plans it comes with unlimited text, unlimited video and unlimited picture  messaging. It comes with  Direct Connect service if you happen to have  a compatible phone with the walkie-talkie capability. You can choose from 450 anytime minutes for $49.99, 900 anytime minutes for $69.99 or unlimited anytime minutes for $89.99.

5. Sprint Talk plan

The next on the Sprint cell phone plan ladder is Sprint Talk plan. The plan only comes with voice plan and does not include other advanced services like data usage, text message, picture message and video messaging as well as Direct Connect.
The Sprint Talk plan offers two buckets of minutes :  $59.99 for 900 anytime minutes or a $39.99 for 450 anytime minutes. Additionally you may also pay an extra  monthly subscription of  $5 to make calls that starts at 6 p.m. instead of   7 p.m. The plan only costs you  $29.99  and  it only comes with 200 anytime minutes. Should you go over the max minute usage you will be charge the additional 45 cents per  minutes.

6. Sprint Talk/Message/Data Share

Currently this is the most expensive Sprint share cell phone plan. The plan has two choices and they both come with long minutes. You choose 1,500 shared anytime minutes for $129.99 per month or 3,000 shared anytime minutes which will cost you $169.99 a month. The Sprint Talk/Message/Data Share also comes with unlimited data usage for Web surfing and unlimited  text, picture and video messaging.  This plan comes with two lines for two people. You may however have a total of five people on this plan if you pay additional monthly fee of  $19.99 for each additional person.

7. Sprint Talk/Message Share plan

One step down from Sprint most expensive share plans is the Sprint Talk/Message Share plan which has two  main differences: the plan comes without any data usage  and only costs $9.99 per additional line outside the default two person rather than the  $19.99 per additional line. As with the Sprint Talk/Message/Data Share you may have up to  five person on the plan with the above additional monthly fee. This plan comes with  1,500 shared anytime minutes which costs you  $99.99 or 3,000 shared anytime minutes for $149.99.

8. Sprint Talk Share plan

The monthly subscription fee for this plan is set at $69.99 for 700 shared anytime minutes with no data or text, video and picture messaging options. The plan is Sprint’s  cheapest  shared plans so far. The plan costs you $9.99 per month for additional three lines beyond the default two lines. Like other Sprint’s  shared plans, you may chose to pay for an additional monthly subscription of  $10 to make night calls starting at  6 p.m. instead of the default 7 p.m.

9. Sprint Business Essentials plan

The Sprint Business Essentials plan does not includes option for data or messaging. Data usage and messaging options can only be purchased  separately if you opt for  this plan. The plan costs you $99.99 per month for 2,000 anytime minutes. If you want to share the plan with others you will be  charged $25 per additional  line.

So basically you have nine Sprint cell phone plans to choose from, and the choice is yours

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Do you have a wireless headphone that you use for TV listening and now you want to use the wireless headphone to listen to the music from your computer or your PC?. If the answer is no you might want to take a glimpse of our previous post related to this post. Just check out the following link : wireless headphones for tv. Anyway several  wireless headphones can also be connected to a computer the same way to a TV. This post is about how to connect a wireless headphone to a computer, to be precise, hook up a Bluetooth wireless headphone to a laptop or computer.

Basically,  you can connect Bluetooth headphone to a laptop or computer if your computer and laptop is Bluetooth-ready. If you need to connect to a PC or computer then the first thing to do is to buy a Bluetooth dongle but if you want to connect to a laptop then you don’t need one since most notebooks have built-in Bluetooth.

How To Connect Wireless Headphones to Computer

• After buying a Bluetooth dongle then the first thing to do is to install the Bluetooth dongle driver as instructed by the manufacturer. After that you need to turn on your wireless headphone by holding the power button for at least 5 seconds. Make sure you have charged it first anyway.

• After the wireless headphone is switched on then you need to use your computer or laptop to scan for the Bluetooth devices which usually takes only few seconds, your computer then will display a list of Bluetooth devices around the computer including the wireless headphones. Make sure you connect to your wireless headphone and not to other devices that may also be active.

• Supposed that your wireless headphone has been detected by your computer. Then you need to proceed to the next step. The Bluetooth interface on your computer will provide you with two options. You may be able to pair the device as Stereo Headphones or Headset. You will need to choose headset and proceed  to the next step. A password will usually be required in order to hook up the computer and wireless headphone. The default pin/ password is 0000 yet you should check the manufacturer manual to make sure if it is indeed the default pin.

• If the pairing is successful your  headphone will start ringing and you will need  to press the Call/Answer/Power button. You may also need to provide a name this connection. You may give any name with whatever name you like. Most software also allows you to put  an icon on the computer/ notebook desktop and you can simply click it twice when you need to connect your headphones with your computer.

The above instructions are the basic steps to pair  a headphone with a computer or laptop. As stated above most Bluetooth software will place an icon on the desktop computer so that next time you want to connect your computer with headphone you can simply double click the icon

Couple of days ago  T Mobile rolled out a price cut on its no-contract plan, slashing its monthly prepaid plan from $60 per month to $50. This price reduction is also accompanied by unlimited data plan which also includes unlimited sms and instant messaging to Canada, Mexico and other countries. With this new pricing scheme you will also be able to surf the web, send email and watching streaming multimedia a no additional cost. This surely will trigger a price war with other US carriers which charge substantially higher monthly unlimited no-contract prepaid plans. Aside from offering its flagship smartphones such as the iPhone, Samsung Galaxy S  etc, the provider also offers several cheap prepaid cell phones with no contract plans. For those wanting to buy cheap T Mobile phones here is a roundup of them. The bellow list also some refurbished phones and the price is exclusive of refill card price.

The Nokia 1616

The Nokia 1616 is the cheapest of the league. It is an affordable, easy-to-use, and reliable mobile phone that will  keep you connected to your friends and family and to do the most basic tasks such as making calls and sending sms messages.

Key specs: Speakerphone Text messaging Games, calendar, FM radio Price: US19.99

LG GS170 RED

Another  cheap Tmobile phone is LG GS170 which only costs 37.9 bucks yet sports rich  features and stylish design.

LG GS170 RED Key Specs: Camera Bluetooth® connectivity Messaging [Text, IM & Picture] Price : $37.9

LG dLite – Electric Blue – Refurbished

Another LG brand among a list of TMobile no-contract plan phones is LG dLite . A clamshell phone with customizable external screen and fun sound effects.

LG TMobile No-contract plans Cheap phones

Key Specs: FREE $30 Prepaid Refill Card Light effects Messaging [Text, Picture & Social Networking Stereo Bluetooth® Connectivity Price :$49.9

Samsung t369

A stylish  slide-out QWERTY keyboard phone with affordable price tag. This TMobile phone offers basic features and connectivity.

FREE $30 Prepaid Refill Card Messaging [Text, IM & Picture] 1.3 Megapixel camera Stereo Bluetooth® Connectivity Price : $59.9 (web only)

Nokia X2

Nokia X2 is among newest Tmobile phoses and another QWERTY Nokia phone from TMobile/ The phone lets you stay connected to your family and buddies with e-mail, IM, and  social networking and other features such as Q a music player, downloadable games, and apps from the T-Mobile Mall.

QWERTY keyboard Messaging [Text, Picture & Social Networking] E-mail Price : 74.9

Samsung Comeback – Pearl White Plum

A stylish and sleek yet affordable Samsung phone which supports 3G for faster internet connections, Samsung Comeback sports a 2 MP camera with video capture capability

Video Messaging 2 Megapixel Camera with Video Capture 3G Price $69.99

The above list  of no-contract plans , cheap TMobile phones does not include several phones which are not listed here, most of them refurbished phones and those that can only be purchased through TMobile site.

To catch up with its rivals,  AT&T is set  to launch its 4G network based on Long-Term Evolution (LTE)  technology this summer this year. A rumor has it that July 24 as the official launching of AT&T 4G service. The company is said to initially roll out the 4G service in ten major US cities with more to come.
AT&T seeks to  extend its 4G LTE technology to almost 97% of the U.S. population. This suggests  that 46.5 million more Americans, mainly in rural and smaller areas should come under its coverage. The carrier will  boost its 4G cellular broadband coverage  in several ways which includes enhancing existing cell sites, adding more new cell sites to boost network coverage, installing fiber-optic Ethernet backhaul connections to most of the cell sites incorporating  HSPA+technology that will enhance 4G speed, and adding additional capacity to cell sites by including frequency layers. After losing its monopoly on the iPhone AT&T seems on playing a catch-up game to anticipate lost customers by offering a range of smartphones, bellow are several AT&T 4G phones currently still hot from the company shelf .

AT&T’s Samsung Infuse 4G

Samsung Infuse 4G was initially unveiled at CES 2011 and  gets to AT&T’s network on May 15 for $199.99 with a two-year contract. Samsung Infuse 4G is the company’s newest Android smartphones which was introduced with  a lot of fanfare. AT&T boasts the 4G phone is the slimmest smartphone  the U.S. and  also its fastest 4G phone. The Ifuse sports a large 4.5 inch display with AMOLED screen and is powered by 1.2GHz Samsung processor.

Bellow are key specifications of AT&T’s Samsung Infuse 4G:

• Dimension and weight : 5.2” x 2.8” x .35”, 4.9 ounces
• Display : 4.5 Super AMOLED Plus touchscreen, 800×480 resolution
• Memory : 16 GB internal memory, microSD memory card slot, 2 GB card included
• Camera : 8 MP  rear camera with auto-focus, LED Flash and  1.3 MP front-facing camera
• 1.2GHz Samsung CPU;
• Operating System : Android 2.2 (Froyo)
• Other features and specs : 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 2.1 +EDR, GPS, microUSB port, microUSB to HDMI adapter
• Price : $199.99 with a two-year contract

Motorola Atrix 4G

The Motorola ATRIX 4G is one of the  robust and powerful AT&T 4G Android smartphones . The phone is powered by  a 1GHz dual-core Tegra 2 processor, powerful enough to perform multi tasking that is  comparable in speed to a netbook. The ARIX 4G  is one of the latest Android mobile phones to run a powerful 1GB of RAM. It sports a rear  5 megapixel camera with LED flash and 720p video recording capability, the qHD (quarter HD) display, second microphone for noise cancellation, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, front-facing video camera, HDMI port, and a fingerprint scanner for security that doubles as the on/off button.

Motorola Atrix 4G. Key specs :

• Dimensions and weight: 2.1 x 0.6 x 4.2 inches ; 4.6 ounces
• OS :  Android 2.2; capable of running full Firefox desktop browser with optional accessories
• 4-inch qHD (Quarter High Definition) touchscreen; Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking (with optional Wi-Fi Mobile Hotspot service); GPS for navigation and location services
• 5-MP camera; HD 720p camcorder; front-facing video chat camera; Bluetooth stereo music; 16 GB memory plus microSD expansion; corporate and personal e-mail
• Up to 9 hours of talk time, up to 250 hours (10+ days) of standby time; released in February, 2011
• Price : $99.9 with a two-year contract with a two-year contract

HTC Inspire 4G

The HTC Inspire 4G is also one of most and affordable  Android AT&T 4G phones, with robust features it is one of the serious contenders of the hugely popular iPhones.  Quite similar in several ways to Verizon’s  Motorola Droid X, this smartphone  is packed with many useful apps and cited by reviewers as one of the best Android touch-screen phones
AT&T’ s sells for $99.9 with a two-year contract and is AT&T’s response to big-screen smartphones from rivals carriers such as Sprint’s HTC EVO 4G and Verizon’s Motorola Droid X . At 4.8 by 2.7  by 4.6 inches (HWD) and 5.78 ounces, this is not jus a thick phone, but it is also a big and wide phone.

HTC Inspire 4G Key specs :

• Operating system : Android 2.2 (Froyo) with over-the-air upgrade capability for future OS update
• Camera and video :  8-megapixel camera with dual LED flash plus auto focus HD 720p video capture capabilities (1280 x 720 pixels)
• Design and Hardware : 1 GHz Snapdragon processor
• Display : 4.3-inch Super LCD display with capacitive multi-touch capabilities, proximity sensor, and light sensor (480 x 800 pixels)
• Memory 4 GB internal memory included 8 GB microSD card with support for optional cards up to 32 GB.
• Multimedia Music player compatible with MP3, WMA, and AAC Video player compatible with MPEG4, WMV, XviD
• Price : $99.9 with a two-year contract

AT&T is also readying a new 4G phone from LG called LG Thrill 4G which is basically a LG optimus 3D, said to be the first 3D smartphone on the market. Even though the rumors about the upcoming AT&T 4G phone have been around for several months details are still sketchy on when exactly AT&T will finally roll it out.

AT&T’ offers the Mifi mobile hotspot device  at substantially lower than what the rest US networks offer, you can buy  the device on the company website  for 50 bucks for a two-year contract. AT&T’s Novatel Wireless MiFi 2372 hotspot sports a simple design with glossy black color, weighing around 3 ounces and measuring 0.6 x 3.9 x 2.4 inch, the lightest among other 4G Mifi mobile hotspot devices from other carriers yet compared with other MiFi devices from Verizon and Sprint it is slightly heavier.

Novatel Wireless MiFi 2372 (image credit AT&T)

The Body and Battery

AT&T MiFi 2372 mobile hotspot has a micro SD card slot to store and share files with others for up to 32 Gigs of data. This small device not just allows you to share AT&T’s 3G wireless internet access with up to  five Wi-Fi enabled devices the device also lets you see the signal strength and battery life right in your browser (see the screenshot bellow). You can also access widgets and applications powered by Novatel’s MiFi OS. Using these widgets you can tell how many devices are connected to it, send and  receive sms messages as well as check your data usage. There is also a weather widget displaying  the current weather conditions based on your location if you have the GPS setting enabled. AT&T’s MiFi 2372 also comes with  both an AC adapter and a USB cable that enables you to charge it from your computer or notebook.

Its 1,500 milliamp-hour (mAh) battery is able to power the hotspot for around 4 hours when in use, somewhat longer than the Verizon Mifi 4G hotspot yet  less than Sprint’s hotspot. The device network range is around  90 feet which is somewhere  between the Verizon and Sprint WiFi range.

Data Plan and Pricing

AT&T mobile hotspot costs  $50 per month with a fair quota of 5 Gigs of data, if you exceed the threshold data usage you will be charged $10 per per Gb, not quite a great deal and a cheap way of sharing the wireless internet connection for heavy users.

The Setup

AT&T’s MiFi 2372 mobile hotspot is compatible with  Windows, Mac OS X and Linux operating system. Once you enter the setup page you will be greeted with your location and the current weather conditions if you enable the built-in  GPS receiver . During the setup process you can change the MiFi device’s name, power conservation setting and other configurations. You can also configure the encryption settings using  the encryption methods you normally use when using a Wi-Fi router. It is highly advised that you use WPA2 encryption as it is the most secure Wifi encryption today.

Browser Interface (Image credit:  AT&T)

At&T Mobile Hotspot Mifi 2372 Speed

AT&T MiFi 2372 mobile hotspot  works with the  HSPA and upgraded HSPA+ networks, so basically it is not a genuine 4G technology. You may  expect a slower data speed when using their mobile hotspot service than  Sprint’s Wimax 4G  or Verizon LTE network.  Like Verizon and Sprint, AT&T has been aggressively upgrading and expanding  its 3G network, the carrier is also currently  building  a 4G network based on LTE technology, with planned launching in several major cities starting this summer. The Mifi 2372 works only in enhanced 3G network , consequently once the carrier has upgraded its network to the 4G technology the MiFi 2372 hotspot will not work any longer.
The AT&T boasts  average download speed of around 2 Mbps and around 1 Mbps upload speed , which are quite fast  for a mobile broadband internet yet substantially slower that Verizon MiFi 4510L  and Sprint’s Wimax 4G or Sprint’ HTC Evo 4G mobile hotspot . However the speed is theoretically faster than Verizon’s Motorola Droid X Mobile Hotspot.  If you seeking a bargain yet not bother having slower speeds the AT&T MiFi 2372 mobile  hotspot is for you.

I’m actually not a computer geek  yet am a quite  heavy computer users and spend around eight hours a day managing several sites including this humble blog.  I got a desktop PC and two notebooks and in total I have four hard drives and several  partitions. Hard drive is partitioned into several parts. The boot partition is regularly imaged using Acronis. In case there is virus infection or I encountered a Windows problem, the imaged partition is used to restore the booting disk which can be done quite fast. I have tried many backup software to find the best among them, a brief roundup of my experience using those backup applications can be found in my previous posting. See the following link for details: backup software reviews. This time I will only share my thoughts on one of the best backup software on the Market : Acronis which has few months ago rolled out its latest version Acronis True Image Home 2011.

I’ve been using Acronis True Image Home 2011 for over 2 months here my a list of the upsides and downsides of this backup software. Please keep in mind , this is my personal experience using the application  in my computer and notebook, you may have different situations.

Excellent Scheduled Backups Feature

This feature works pretty well.  I got a couple of backups which run on a weekly basis and Acronis has so far done a good job by emailing me the results whether the backup results are good or bad. The backups have worked well for me over the years and Acronis  never disappointed  me.

Recovery  and Restores Work Perfecly

This an area where Acronis Acronis True Image Home 2011 shines, I have never had any difficulty restoring partitions and  computer files from internal hard disks  or  from external hard drives. It worked perfectly most of  the time. Acronis is  even smart enough to handle the Windows security  file in and it updates the Windows boot.ini file to make Windows bootable.

Acronis Secure Zone.

This feature has also constantly worked perfectly well for me. On client the computers I use the Acronis Startup Recovery Manager and it works really well even though it can be very is slow on larger disks with incremental backups

Online backup feature

Another extra feature is the online backup you can save your backups on your local hard drive , then  upload them to the online service of your choice. You need a broadband or DSL internet connection to take the most of it though particularly if you deal with large files.

Other features

Acronis True Image Home 2011 also has typical features you can find in other similar products such as  mount  and unmount images, file shredder, system cleanup which, in my personal experience  is quite sluggish if you compare with previous Acronis versions.

Acronis True Image Home 2011 Key Features

• Reliable backup and recovery software for complete PC protection
• Intuitive graphical interface; create copies of hard drive with just a few quick steps while continuing to work
• Optimizations for Windows 7 make navigation faster; convenient Set&Forget scheduling
• Try&Decide creates safe environment to try new software and browse the Web
• Automatically creates incremental backups–roll back system, files, and folders to any point in time

Conclusion:

Acronis True Image Home 2011 sells for $39.76,  a no brainer for such a  powerful software despite few  drawbacks.  Hope you will find my brief  Acronis True Image Home 2011 review helpful, anyway you may try the software for 30 days before deciding to buy the  full version.

Despite receiving lukewarm reviews from many reputed review sites such as Engadget and Cnet Motorola’s Droid X is selling pretty well and has won many diehard fans. This is much like Palm Pre which has also niche market among users despite the Apple-centric hype in the sea of mostly Apple fan boys-turned reviewers.

Many fanatic Droid users seem to ignore many negative reviews and seems to love its bulky body and clunky user interface many reviewers cite as its major shortcomings. During the first few months of its launching Droid X was hard to get and  many seemed keen on pitting Motorola Droid X with Apple’s  iPhone . A feature iPhone lacks yet you can find in Droid X is its mobile hotspot feature even though since the launch of iPhone 4 the so-called iPhone personal hotspot  is available with some limitations.

Verizon Droid X Hotspot Data Plan

The Droid X can be turned  into a Wi-Fi hotspot to be accessed by  up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices. Verizon is charging an extra monthly fee of $20 to use the Wifi hotspot or mobile hotspot feature on top of  the $50-per-month data plan . The fair usage quota is  3 Gigs  per month, in case you go over the allotted data usage  and you will be subject to  five cents for every Megabytes in extra use. See the following link for details : Verizon mobile hotspot

Verizon also makes available this Wi-Fi hotspot feature  Palm Pre users. See the following link for details : Verizon Palm Pre Mobile Hostspot.

Verizon Motorola Droid X Hotspot Vs Sprint HTC Evo 4G

Sprint, another major US carrier aggressively jumping on the Wifi hotspot wagon is offering wifi hotspot service on HTC Evo 4G. The Taiwan-made smartphones can serve up to eight devices simultaneously. Sprint charges a monthly subscription fee of $29.9 with unlimited mobile hotspot plan and a $10 in addon fee  if you use the mobile hotspot plan over  its 4G networ. See the following link for details : Sprint mobile hotspot

Unlike the Droid X , HTC Evo 4G is a 4G-ready device, meaning you will get a faster data rates, which in most cases can be ten times faster. In terms of 4G coverage Verizon is a laggard compared to its rival particularly Sprint, it only managed to launch LTE 4G network recently.

So what to chose between Verizon Motorola Droid X  Hotspot or  the one with Sprint HTC Evo 4G?  The above data speak for themselves so the choice is yours