Wow– we thought Verizon would slow up on the new products for a little bit after it just announced and released one the biggest phones of the year last week, the Motorola Droid. But we were dead wrong (I mean the Droid just launched yesterday!). The other day, Verizon took the wraps off 4 new phones for the holiday and there seems to be something for everyone. We’re talking new BlackBerry Curve, new LG Chocolate phone, new Samsung phone specially designed to withstand being dropped or spilled upon, and another Android phone– the HTC Droid Eris (Verizon’s version of the HTC Hero).

While none of these are as powerful as the Motorola Droid, there is still some sick stuff here that you’d definitely want to know about– so what you waiting for, hit the more link and get to it!

Samsung Convoy

One of those people that always seems to be dropping your phone or spilling something on it? Want that extra protection against such accidents? Then listen up as that’s what Verizon and Samsung got for you here. The Samsung Convoy, like the Casio EXILIM that was launched early this year, meets military specs, meaning don’t worry bout this phone getting dropped or wet and then breaking down on you. Unlike the EXILIM, this isn’t as loaded with features like a 5 megapixel camera– instead going with a 2 megapixel camera, 3G, GPS with VZ Navigator and push to talk (walkie talkie). The design also isn’t like the swivel screen EXILIM, instead looking like your normal flip phone.

Though a phone being this simple can be a good thing, priced at only $49.99 with a new 2 year contract. It launches in a little over a week on November 15th.

LG Chocolate Touch

The LG Chocolate Touch is the next in the hit LG Chocolate line, going away from the Chocolate 3’s flip phone design in favor for an all touchscreen one.  Of course, like all the phones in the Chocolate series, this phone is loaded with features, particularly music-based ones.

• Thin design with 3 inch touchscreen– I think the best comparison here is with the LG Dare and Versa, meaning thin and comfortable for pockets of all sizes.
• 3G with V Cast services like V Cast Music, Video….
  
• Built in apps for Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace– There even is a special social network key that will give you one touch access to update your status’.
• 3.2 megapixel camera with video and built in photo editor– So you can make your shots look nice before sending them to Facebook.
• Visual Voicemail
• GPS with VZ Navigator
• Threaded Messaging– Your texts will look like an IM conversation instead of a bunch of different replys.

Of course, like the Chocolate 3, this thing is a music BEAST! And wow, LG has bumped that up even more here.

• Music Player with Dolby Mobile– Meaning surround sound, better bass etc., be it through optional speakers or on headphones. In other words, you’ll get a sick music experience that looks to rival an iPod or Zune. Oh, and it’s got a regular 3.5 mm headphone jack so you don’t need any special headphones.
• 1 GB of built-in memory just for songs– You got room for about 250 out of the box, with the ability to up that to 16 GB through a microSD card.
• FM Radio built in– The Chocolate 3 sadly only had an FM transmitter, which let you play your music in say, a car over the FM radio, but it didn’t give you an actual FM radio to listen to stations. The Chocolate Touch looks to fix that by giving you one built-in. (No word on whether the FM transmitter made it back in as well, though I think getting a full FM radio is a more than acceptable upgrade.)
• Join the Band Mode– This is pretty awesome, and something we’ve never seen on a phone before. This let’s you play along with the song your listening to with either a full drum kit complete with snare drum, kick drum, floor tom, hi-hat cymbal, ride cymbal, crash cymbal, and even a cowbell! Or you can go with a full 88 key keyboard. You also got the option to press “Pause” to stop the music and show off solo skills. I’m not gonna lie, this sounds pretty cool.

Best part? It’s available NOW, for only $79.99 with a new 2 year contract from Verizon’s site.

Ok, now to some of the big boys. First up, a new BlackBerry Curve!

BlackBerry Curve 8530

A couple of weeks ago we wrote about T-Mobile getting a cheaper, new BlackBerry Curve 8520 complete with a sleeker design and new trackpad. Well, today Verizon get’s their own version of said Curve, bringing all those features to Verizon with even some new ones thrown in. What we got?

• Thin design– Like all the latest BlackBerry’s, this thing definitely looks thin and nice and should be easy to carry around.
• Touch Sensitive Optical Trackpad– Instead of the trackball found on older BlackBerry’s
• Full QWERTY keyboard– Wouldn’t be a BlackBerry without it.
• Verizon 3G– 3G was something the Curve’s BlackBerry really lacked, and we’re glad that Verizon’s has it.
• 2 megapixel camera with video recording– Decent camera, but not as great as the Curve 8900 which is 3.2 megapixel with flash and video recording.
• BlackBerry App World– For downloading apps.
• GPS with VZ Navigator
• WiFi– something the Tour was sadly missing.
• Mp3 player with microSD card slot and dedicated media keys at the top– Comes with a 1 GB card out of the box, but you can always replace it with a bigger memory card (up to 32 GB)  if you want. The media keys is pretty great as seen on T-Mobile’s Curve, as you now have dedicated play/pause, rewind and fast forward keys like you find on most non-smartphones. This should be great for controlling your music while your phone is in your pocket.

All in all, another nice Verizon BlackBerry, that with the Storm2 and Tour, should give anyone looking for a new Verizon BlackBerry something that suits them perfectly. The Curve 8530 will be out on November 20th, for an also not too bad $99.99 on new 2 year contract and BlackBerry email and web plan.

HTC Droid Eris

This is the biggest news of Verizon’s new products announced today. Their 2nd Android device, and it too isn’t a bad one. Called the Droid Eris (looks like Verizon plans to name all their Android phones with some sort of Droid name), this is their version of the awesomely specd HTC Hero from Sprint, and looks to bring another solid Android experience to Verizon users. It’s even got some updates that the more powerful Motorola Droid is missing, like interface customizations such as HTC Sense (while the Motorola Droid runs the stock Android interface, you get the nicer looking and more social connected HTC Sense here), and more importantly, multi-touch (something that for a reason we can’t think of didn’t make it into the Droid. HTC made sure to put it on here, and we’re really glad Verizon kept it).

That being said, it still runs Android 1.5, not 2.0 like the Moto Droid, and therefore doesn’t have all the awesome updates like the better web browser and Google Maps Navigation (rumors are that the HTC Hero devices will be getting 2.0, so let’s hope Verizon and HTC it here soon). It also runs a slower processor than the new Droid, and doesn’t have the slide out keyboard and better display also found on the Droid. So what you getting here? Specs:

• Verizon 3G
• WiFi
• GPS with digital compass (like what’s on the new iPhone 3GS)
• 3.2 inch touchscreen with multi-touch (as mentioned above. This brings things like pinch to zoom on pix and web sites and using more than one finger at a time on the keyboard for typing)
• an awesome 5 megapixel camera with video
• 8 GB microSD memory card in the box (upgradable to 16 GB)
• Visual Voicemail
• Android Market for downloading apps, with Google Apps built in like YouTube, Gmail and Google Maps
  

Again, as with the Chocolate Touch and the BlackBerry Curve 8530, the price is the best part. You get all this for only $99.99 with a new 2 year contract (with a data or email plan), which is a whopping $80 cheaper than what Sprint charges for their Hero! Oh, and release date? Like the Chocolate Touch, it’s also out NOW! Yes, if you want Android today on Verizon and would prefer something without a slide out keyboard like the Motorola Droid, than look right here. You can check it out and order it at Verizon’s site here.

So that raps this latest Verizon phones post, and wow does their holiday phone line up look stacked. 2 Droids, a bunch of sick new BlackBerrys and a new Chocolate! If your on Verizon, what do you plan/want to get for your next phone?

full drum kit complete with snare drum, kick drum, floor tom,
      hi-hat cymbal, ride cymbal, crash cymbal, and even a cowbell
      --  The "Join the Band" piano function allows customers to play along
          on a full scrolling 88-key keyboard.  With the option to press
          "Pause" to stop the music and show off solo s
What this is, is mode that let's you "play along" with the songs your listening to. You can do this with either the full drum kit complete with all the bells and whistles like snare drum, kick drum, floor tom, hi-hat cymbal, ride cymbal, crash cymbal, even a cowbell! Or you can go with the piano function which lets you play while scrolling an 88-key keyboard. You can also "Pause" to stop the music and show off solo skills. This is pretty sick in my opinion.
kills, the
          possibilities of fun are endless

The coolest box ever.

There are a few apps on my computer that get the honor of running full time – things like iTunes, Tweetie…. and Dropbox. As the name somewhat implies, Dropbox is free online storage– 2 GB, to be exact. After a brief sign up on the site, you now own your personal Dropbox which you can upload to and download from via the Web, as well as add and delete files.

But perhaps the coolest part is their desktop app. Available for Mac, Windows, and Linux, it’s basically a folder as well as a mini-app which syncs all info when opened. Simple, really. And, being a folder, it acts like a folder – easy to use.

This synchronization is the highlight purpose of Dropbox. Personally, I use it to keep certain files available to me everywhere – a few of my favorite songs, a couple important school notes, some of my pictures – the stuff I want to have at my fingertips at all times. Dropbox shines in this regard – because of the whole folder system. Add an mp3 to my Dropbox on my Mac, and I can get it from my Window’s netbook on the go. Need to go over those notes on my way to school? There’s an iPhone/iTouch app, so you’re covered there too. At school, and need that important essay you wrote? Just use the website. It’s pretty awesome. Also, there’s the ability to make a file Public – so you can pass a download link to your friends if they need a file from you. And again, it’s all free.

You start with 2 GB and can upgrade that to up to 3 GB by referring people. The Desktop apps are free, iPhone app’s free – its pretty sweet, and highly recommended.

Now, those of you who DESPERATELY need more then the 2-3 GB? You can upgrade to 50 or 100 GB at $10 or $20 a month respectively – if, say, you need to have your whole computer with you everywhere.

So – interested? Check out Dropbox here. (iPhone App here [Note - iTunes Link])

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is one of the most anticipated titles of the year and the sequel to the critically acclaimed Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, which was one of the launch titles for the PS3. We will be reviewing the single player and multiplayer separately. Read on for the review of the single player and some first thoughts to see if we think this is a game worth getting.

You wake up and look around. Then with a shake you are thrown out from your seat and onto the back of a train hanging off the side of a snowy mountain. Unless you want to die, you are forced to climb up the back of the train to get to terra firma. And this is only the tutorial of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.

To say that Uncharted 2: Among Thieves looks like a movie is an understatement. You feel like you are IN a movie. I haven’t played such seamless integration of game play and cinematics since Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Speaking of cinematics, they are gorgeous. The graphics in this game could easily be the best graphics in a game this year, and arguably all-time. There were times when I saw stunning vistas of mountains and my jaw dropped. It was like actually being there in Nepal right alongside Nathan Drake.

Onto game play, which is great and fun. The mix of shooting, platforming, and puzzle-solving work together perfectly. The shooting works great– I was able to land headshots on bad guys from 3 rooftops away. The cover system also works fantastically, and one thing Naughty Dog improved on Uncharted was stealth and combat. The stealth is much better and if you love Metal Gear Solid, like me, then these stealth levels will be a treat for you, just like they were for me. The combat also works great as you can go from shooting under cover to beating up a baddie seamlessly.

Three things that made this game stand out were things that make this game so unique was the voice acting, active cinematics, and the camera direction. That’s right, I said the camera direction. It was so incredible the way the camera moved, it really made you feel that you weren’t playing a video game, but instead an action-packed blockbuster movie.

And the voice acting is another thing that makes this game feel like a movie. The characters talk to each to other during fights with things that give you the feeling that these characters have known each other a long time and it gives them a backstory. The little quips and comebacks that the characters fired at each other while taking on a helicopter were funny and seemed right out of a blockbuster movie.

Lastly, what’s active cinematics you ask? Here’s an example: You are in a tall building which just got hit by a rocket and is crumbling down towards the ground with you in it. Instead of the game cutting to a cinematic, you are in full control of Nathan Drake and having that control, you have him jump to an adjacent building for safety. Instead of what would usually be cinematics, you play instead.

By itself, the single-player of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is truly an incredible experience. Add a truly addicting multiplayer and co-op, and you have a possible game of the year in your hands.  Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is a must-own if you have a PS3 and if you don’t have one, go get one, because this is an incredible game. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves gets a much deserved 5/5.

A well deserved 5

A couple of weeks ago we wrote a little preview post on EA’s upcoming successor to their hit Need for Speed racing franchise: Need for Speed Shift. Over the past couple weeks,  we got a chance to review the game, and as far as adding this racing game to your holiday wish list, we gotta say– one of the best racing games we’ve ever played. It really is a great racing game. Read on for a full review.

Graphics

This is where Need for Speed really shines. The graphics– on everything from the sick cars (we’re talking BMW’s, Ashton Martin’s, Lamborghini’s etc.) to the actually driving and looks of the tracks and other cars as you drive– is absolutely amazing. It really looks that great and is one of the best features of the game.

Gameplay

This is another fantastic part of the game. Using a racing wheel –not required (regular Xbox 360 controller works too, though not as well in my opinion) but I highly recommend for better control and overall experience–really replicates the true driver feel, the new cockpit view is fantastic (as are the other views too), and the new “Dynamic Crash” system was also put to good use here. Overall, a great racing experience.

Furthermore there’s the new Driver Profile. Kinda like Madden IQ in my opinion, giving you tougher races as you progress through the game, it really was well done and a fun incentive to play: the better, more aggressive/precise  your driving (such as bumping other riders by forcing them out of your way, staying along the green line in front of you and making smooth turns), the more points you get and the faster you increase your Driver Level.

There also is a Career mode, which I found to be just OK. It definitely was fun, but it left a lot to be desired such as more control on the driver, being able to do more things like control sponsorships etc. Overall though, the Career Mode was pretty solid, allowing you to build a nice amount of tricked-out cars to race.

Now here is my biggest gripe with Need for Speed– the load times. This was just annoying. 2 (very long feeling) minutes every time for a race to load is way to much in my opinion, and really hurt the experience. The game still played well once loaded, but still, the wait times are too much.

Wrap-Up

In the end, this is still a great racing game, and one of the best racing games we’ve ever played. From a strict racing point of view, it provides a great experience that with a racing wheel, really gives off a driving in the car experience. Whether you’re a big racing junkie or just someone look for a cool, fun game to play this holiday season, we really recommend Need for Speed Shift.

If it weren’t for the long wait times, and other minor issues like a simple career mode, we would give Need for Speed Shift a perfect 5 out of 5. But even taking those into account, we still really love EA’s next version of this hit series, are going to give it a Very Good 4 out of 5 rating.

We give Need for Speed Shift a very good 4 out of 5 rating.

So there’s our review and we wanna know your thoughts. If you have this game, you like it? Also, what kinda of games are looking to get this holiday season, be it racing or another type? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Need for Speed Shift is out now for the Xbox 360, PS3, PC, and PSP and you can order it now from EA’s site here.

The DSi XL

Well this pretty much came out of left field. Nintendo has announced the next version of the DS called the DSi XL (or DS LL for Japan). The new DS is said to be coming later this year to Japan and early next year for Europe and the US (which sadly is like what happened with the first DSi when it was first announced last year).

We got the info on the DSi XL, so let’s take a look and see what this does and how it differs from the DS Lite and DSi.

Ok, so the first thing you’ll notice is that compared to the DS Lite and DSi, this thing is huge. Nintendo has bumped up the screen size of both the top and bottom DS screens a full one inch to a 4.2 inch screen. And from the looks of it, Nintendo didn’t make this any thicker, which is definitely pretty awesome. The stylus also has been made bigger, much bigger actually since the first DS stylus’s. Check out this comparison pic of the DSi and the DSi XL from Nintendo Japan’s site.

Check out the size difference between the DSi and DSi XL– clearly you can see the DSi XL is much, MUCH bigger. (Pic from Joystiq)

We don’t yet know any other info like price or actual release for the US (or even all the differences in the two models beyond size). Don’t worry, we’ll make sure to keep you up to date on all the latest info.

Info from Kotaku

Watch out because here comes the Droid

Verizon users, today is your lucky day. Verizon , Google and Motorola have officially announced that one of the sickest phones of the year is coming to you– and very soon. Yup, the Droid is officially coming to Verizon, and brings some new Android 2.0 awesomeness that should make more companies than Apple a little nervous.

Ok, so in terms of specs, nothing we really haven’t covered in our previous Droid post– Verizon 3G, WiFi, 3.7 inch high res screen (we’re talking better than the iPhone’s screen here), 16 GB in the box (on a memory card), 5 megapixel camera with auto focus, flash and DVD quality video camera, Verizon Visual Voicemail, slide out full QWERTY keyboard with a design near the size of an iPhone, and Google’s Android 2.0… ok well that last part is a still a little new, and  where things got really interesting and plain awesome today.

This is the first of many devices to bring out Google’s next version of Android, Android 2.o. Android 2.0 brings along all the Android stuff we mentioned before– nicer looking interface, Facebook sync with contact app on the phone, built in apps like YouTube, GMail, Android Market, Amazon Mp3 store, and a better web browser.

Plus, there’s Google Maps, which got A LOT of news today, as now Google is also throwing in built in GPS guidance. We’re talking Garmin or TomTom quality GPS for FREE on your Android phone. Called Google Maps Navigation, this stuff is crazy. It brings all the latest Google Maps, Street Views, and live traffic, all constantly being updated to the latest info. This is something we’re really hoping Google brings to other Google Maps apps on other devices like Windows Mobile, webOS, BlackBerry and the iPhone.  (For right now, it probably is scaring the garbage out of competitors like Garmin and TomTom, or at least it looks like based on all the news of their respective stock prices dropping like a rock today, and can you blame them for not being scared of Google? Think bout it: $100 for the iPhone TomTom app versus a free Google app that does the same things on a bigger screen, for the perfect price of free). Motorola is also making docks for the Droid– one for using it in the car– like you would a regular GPS, and a multimedia station for syncing with your PC, showing off movies, pix and playing music, and also being an alarm clock with weather info from the GPS.

Anyways, check out this shot of the new navigation feature in action, looks pretty sweet no?

Google Maps Navigation– yeah, it’s that sick.

Now the big details: price and release. Well, you won’t have to wait long for this guy– the Droid comes out next week on November 6th, and the price is not that bad either, $199.99 with a new 2 year contract (with a $29.99 a month email and web plan) and $100 mail in rebate.

I don’t know bout you, but in my opinion this phone really looks to be Verizon’s true answer to the iPhone (we know it wasn’t the first Storm based on last year’s problems), and a device that if I were on Verizon, I’d definitely look into as it looks to be a great “do it all” phone.  What you think? You like what Motorola and Verizon got cooking here in the Droid, or you looking for something different in your next phone? The world wants to know, so let your voice be heard in the comments.

You can see full details on the Droid at Verizon’s preview site here.

So let’s begin our Windows 7 coverage with trying to simplify the many different versions of the OS. Unlike with Apple’s Snow Leopard, where it’s more of a one-size fits-all approach, with Windows 7 you got a nice selection of editions: Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate and Happy-Go-Lucky… Ok, fine, we just made up the happy go lucky part, but as you can see, there are a whole lot of different versions, and so let’s try to simplify that into what you should looking for when getting a Windows 7 upgrade or when looking for a new PC, and what you should be looking for specs wise to make sure whatever version of 7 you get works well.

Ok, so let’s knock one of these guys off the bat right away. As  some of you may be noticing, there really is no Home Basic, which basically is like the other versions of 7 like Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate, just lacks the nice looking and surprisingly useful Aero. Home Basic also isn’t sold by Microsoft in the US, Europe or other developed countries, instead being sold only in developing countries.

That still leaves Starter, Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate. These are the much more common versions of 7 that you’ll see when your looking in Best Buy or online for a new PC. Let’s break’em down.

Starter

The Starter version is the netbook version of 7. It’s cheaper and therefore easier for manufacturers like HP, Dell, Lenovo, Asus and Acer to put on their very low-cost netbooks. That doesn’t though mean that the other versions can’t run well on the low-spec’d netbooks. In fact, it’s quite the opposite: while we were at IDF, Microsoft showed a low spec’d HP Mini netbook (512 MB of RAM and standard Intel Atom processor), running Windows 7 Ultimate– with all its bells and whistles — just fine.

So what is the difference in this cheaper version of Windows 7? Microsoft is giving netbooks a real watered down version of 7 here, so watered down that you can only run 3 apps at once. Not cool in my opinion, though if it means that netbooks stay cheap and boot up and work fast (and that I can upgrade to a higher version of 7 if I want), it’s not the end of the world.

Windows 7 on an HP Mini Netbook

So, you want Windows 7, but you want a more powerful, full featured version for your laptop or desktop PC. Alright, that’s  what Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional and Ultimate are for.

Home Premium

Home Premium, is the successor to the Windows Vista equivalent, also named Home Premium. Here your getting a lot more than the Starter version, and this is the version we think most people will get, as your standard new laptop should have it at the least. You get pretty much all of the new 7 features– the updated Windows 7 Media Center (which works a lot better than Vista’s), the new Aero features– known as Aero Peek and Aero Shake/Snap, they’re really cool looking and productive new add ins to 7. Aero Peek lets you just drag your mouse over an icon in the new taskbar and it will hide all your other open windows to let you view just that window (say you got a new IM and you’re in iTunes, just drag your mouse over your IM in the new taskbar and it will show you the IM without you needing to click through windows). Aero Shake/Snap are really two different features, though I find that they work so well together that I put them into one. Aero Shake lets you take one of your open windows– say a Word document your working on– just take your mouse, click on it and “shake” it, and all your other windows are cleared. Aero Snap let’s you put two windows right next to each other like you got 2 screens. It automatically resizes the windows to fit the sides, and is something I personally find this very useful for things like writing papers and having your research open right next to each other.

Windows 7 Home Group

Also new in 7 Home Premium is Windows Home Group, which let’s you share your music, videos, pix, documents and even printers with other Windows 7 PC’s on your home network.

Windows 7 Home Premium also supports 64-bit applications (the future of software writing, and something anyone investing in a PC should make sure to get–it’s pretty standard now on most PC’s you find in stores and online), and better multi-touch and general touchscreen support (which is also something we expect to see coming to a lot of new PC’s in the future).

These Aero, 64-bit  and multi-touch support, and Home Group features are also found in the Ultimate and Professional versions of 7.

Professional

Windows 7 Professional is like Vista Business–  nice, but not really worth the extra money for what most of us will use it for. As mentioned above, it’s got the new Aero, Windows Media Center and Home Group, and some better networking features that the business users will love. It also brings in something called XP Mode, which basically gives you a virtual XP  that runs inside of 7 (like Mac users run Windows in a Mac. The XP copy is downloadable and does not cost any additional money to use– though you will need to reinstall the software you want to use on XP in the XP mode as it is separate from 7). Otherwise, there’s not much more to see here for the non-business user.

Ultimate

Windows 7 Ultimate pretty much combines all the versions of Windows 7 and gives it to you in one package. Put together all the different features of Home Premium and Professional coupled with some extra features like more language support (yay?) and BitLocker, which provides another layer of protection for your data (both your hard drive and portable storage) if your are one of those super cautious types.

If you want everything  7 has to offer than there is no better choice than to go with Ultimate, though that choice will most likely cost at least another $100 over the Home Premium version.

So, what should I get in my next PC?

So you’re getting a new PC  or are looking into the many different versions of 7, what do we think you should look for?

Based on what most of us use our PC’s for– internet, iTunes, school work, and even the occasinal games– we feel that you should at least look for Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (definitely don’t buy a new PC now with Vista even if your told you’ll get a free copy of the equivalent version of 7– why bother with the upgrade process if you don’t have to?), with at least 4 GB of RAM, a 320-500 GB hard drive, and at least a dual core processor like an Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Turion X2. Get something along those specs (which you can get for well below $1,000 for either a laptop or desktop from HP, Dell, and many other PC makers both online and in stores), and we think you should be more than fine using your new 7 PC for many years to come.

So there you have it– what the difference is between the Windows 7 versions, and our thoughts on it. What are yours? You looking for a new PC? You thinking of switching to a Mac instead of sticking with Windows?

And stay tuned, we’re finishing our review of 7 as you read this, so keep an strong eye out for that.

You can check out Microsoft’s full comparison chart of Windows 7 here, and you can see Microsoft’s comparison chart of 7 and Windows Vista and XP here.

If you’ve been watching any TV over the last few days (or any of the amazing Yanks-Angels series), you’ve probably been seeing the above commercial pretty often. This Motorola/Verizon commercial seems to be poking a lot of fun at what the iPhone lacks: a keyboard, a 5 megapixel camera, flash, multitasking, customization, widgets, and removable battery.

This all done in a very iPhone-like ad, the black text on white background and with chilled, fun music in the background. Though the end of the commercial says little of what their new device, the Droid, does or even looks like, other than that you should look forward to November. Well, if you don’t want to wait that long to learn about this exciting new phone, we have all the info and pix right here, and Verizon users– this one’s definitely for you.

Ok, first off, the name– Droid is short for Android, as in Google’s Android OS. This is the first Android device coming to Verizon, and boy is it awesome. The device is sleek looking with a huge 3.7 inch touchscreen and full slide out QWERTY keyboard (hence the keyboard comment in the ad), and is definitely one of the nicest looking slider phones we’ve ever seen– far better than the first Android slider phone, the T-Mobile G1.

The Motorola Droid– the phone behind the hype

Specs wise, your getting another really loaded device:

• Verizon 3G– Yes, this bad boy is coming to you lucky ones on Verizon.
• Dual microphones– For you know, making good sounding calls.
• 5 megapixel camera– With the ability to take photos in the dark using the really bright dual LED flash, and a whole lot more. You got image stabilization here as well, and the ability to take DVD quality videos!

The 5 Megapixel camera with flash on the back of the Droid

• GPS
• WiFi
• Verizon Visual Voicemail
• 3.5mm headphone jack– For using your regular headphones.

And then there’s one of the biggest features that is so big we’re can’t possibly put it on the bullet list: Android 2.0!

This is obviously a huge update to the Android platform, and looks to bring a bunch of new features to Android. We’re talking better contact integration with your Facebook and GMail (kinda like Motorola already does with their MOTOBLUR Android skin on the Cliq. Sadly, rumors are saying that Verizon and Motorola aren’t bringing MOTOBLUR to the Droid), a nicer looking interface, and my personal favorite– updated web browser with, coming next year, full Adobe Flash 10 support! While Android’s browser is already very good at displaying sites, using the same Webkit browser found on other phones like the iPhone and Palm Pre, this phone though will let you view websites that require Flash 10, like Hulu or ESPN vids (no known plans for the iPhone OS to be getting Flash anytime soon, though you can expect the Palm, Windows Mobile and BlackBerry phones to have Flash 10 on their mobile browsers next year as well). This though is still amazing.

You also get the usual Android apps: the Android market for downloading more apps, Google search with voice searching, GMail, Google Talk for IM, Google Maps with turn by turn directions and Street View, YouTube, and it even comes with other non-Google built in apps like the Amazon Mp3 store, QuickOffice for viewing Word, PowerPoint and Excel files, and Facebook.

The Droid when closed– pretty thin for a phone with a full slide out keyboard

We still don’t know an exact price or release date, but we obviously can expect it really soon (Motorola and Verizon wouldn’t hint toward November if they weren’t planning on announcing and releasing this right?). You gotta admit though, this looks like a sick phone– we told you Verizon’s got a lot of sick stuff on the way (and this and the Storm 2 aren’t the end of the new phones coming Verizon’s way, rumors are pointing to a lot more). If your looking for a new Verizon phone, you couldn’t have picked a better time to start looking.

We’ll of course keep you up to date on all the latest Droid news (you can sign up here at Verizon’s site for the latest emails as well), and all the latest Verizon phones. Though what do you think– does the Droid look to live up to all the hype it’s getting, or will it not come near the success the iPhone has had?

Today is October 22nd, and you know what that means: Windows 7 is out! This is the day anyone using Vista has been waiting for. Microsoft has officially made Windows 7 available for purchase. In the coming days we’ll be doing a ton of coverage of Microsoft’s awesome new OS (it is truly awesome– I’ve been using it on a couple different PC’s for a few months now, and am really loving  it. It’s just so fast and easy, and not Vista) and how it relates to you.

In the meantime however, go on and check out our first thoughts that we posted a few months back, and if anyone out there already got 7 and wants to share their thoughts on the OS, or if anyone has any questions about 7, feel free to post them in the comments and we’ll do our best to answer them in the coming days.

You can get Windows 7 now from your local Best Buy, Walmart, or other local computer store now, or order it online from Amazon and Microsoft’s own sites among many other online retailers.

The Barnes and Noble Nook eBook

We’ve all probably been to Barnes and Noble a couple of times over the past years– either by choice or for something for school reading. What if told you that soon those trips won’t be needed and you can have every book from there physical stores in your pocket? Interesting, yeah? Its true. Today, book giant Barnes and Noble have announced their entrance into the future for books with their new eBook called the Nook. This is ready to take on Amazon’s hit Kindle, and boy did Barnes and Noble do a great job with this device (case in point, look up at the pic– wow is right). And that top pic is only part of the story– read on to learn all about Barnes and Nobles new eBook and how they plan to continue to change books as we now know them.

Ok, so obviously this thing looks a whole lot nicer than Amazon’s Kindle 2. Like the Kindle, you got a nice 6 inch e-ink (aka electronic ink, or a screen that doesn’t use a lot of power and provides an experience that is similar to reading a book on paper), and a very thin, portable design (about the size of a paperback book). And while s the Kindle’s got that full QWERTY keyboard going for it under the screen for notes and searching for books, the Nook has a 3.5 color touchscreen to do all that and more. This acts as a keyboard when needed for the aforementioned tasks, and even does other cool tricks like letting you go through your book collection in a “Cover Flow” like way. I really like this design a whole lot better than the Kindle’s and pretty much any other eBook out there. Oh, and you can also buy a bunch of accessories and designer covers to customize this to your style.

The Nook in “Cover Flow”

Now let’s go to some of the more spec type details of the Nook. Like the Kindle, this also has built in 3G for downloading books, magazines and newspapers anywhere you are (thanks to AT&T), but unlike the Kindle, it even throws in built in WiFi, with free WiFi in all Barnes and Noble bookstores (no shock here).  There also is 2 GB of built in storage for about 1,500 eBooks (yeah, that’s a whole lot of books), and you can add up to 16 GB through the microSD slot to take a whopping 17,500 books where ever you go (there goes the library).You also get a built in Mp3 player, 3.5 mm (regular size) headphone jack and a speaker so you can put some music on here, and a PDF and image viewer where you can create your own screensavers and keep some pix on your Nook. All this powered by Google’s Android OS, which is interesting and cool at the same time (though no you can’t browse the web on here, which would look pretty bad on the current e-ink screens. Apps though are unknown at this point if you’ll be able to just load them on).The battery life is also said to be pretty good– 10 days with wireless off (though lower than the Kindle’s claim of 14 days with wireless off).

Pix on your Nook

Best of all is the bookstore for this beautiful device. Over a million books are ready in Barnes and Noble’s eBook store, with free samples available for trying out a little bit of the book and even 500,000 free eBooks available. Again, wow. You also get the previously mentioned ability to get magazines and newspapers on the device, so there should always be something new for you to read. The bestsellers and new release books will, like the Kindle’s bookstore, also be priced at $9.99. Throw all this with a built in Miriam Webster dictionary and your English class should become a lot easier and more interesting.

If that isnt enough to make this a solid device and Kindle rival, Barnes and Noble also makes free apps for PCs, Macs, BlackBerrys and iPhone/iPod touches (and soon Windows Mobile and possibly Android), that allow you to download and view your stuff on the go. Barnes and Noble decided to really tie that into the Nook experience, automatically syncing up your notes, highlights and where exactly you left off across all these devices (the Kindle also has a feature like this, but right now it only works with other Kindles you own, iPod touches and iPhones). But they even take this one step further using a new feature called “LendMe,” which let’s you actually lend out your digital book to someone else with either a Nook or another eBook device.  How long you’ll be able to lend the books out we don’t know, and this will only be with books that publishers allow to be shared (something Barnes and Noble is trying hard to push to get everyone on board).

This is a pretty sick eBook in my opinion (and I’m not even a big book reader– though this definitely makes me more interested in reading more often), and something I think has a lot of potential to really give Barnes and Noble a nice spot in this eBook race. The Nook will be available in November for $259, and you can pre-order it today from Barnes and Noble’s site.

Can you–bookworm or not–see yourself getting one of these? What do you think of its potential?