I admit that I don’t take as many pictures as I should. My brother is exactly the opposite though. He is a certified picture hound. He often takes hilarious looking pictures with his son. Part of the reason they end up looking so funny is because he is taking the pictures of them on his own. You know how those pictures look when your camera is only as far as your arm will extend so your face ends up looking huge and partially out of the picture. Yep, those are a lot of the pictures that he takes. They are certainly cute, but far from professional pictures or even pictures taken by other people.

Up until receiving the Xshot I had not heard a thing about camera extenders. They are certainly a good idea, but for some reason I never thought to even try and find out if one was available. Still, when they sent us the Xshot I knew that my brother definitely needed to try this out. As his first camera extender, I have to say, it’s just what he needed. After using it for a brief time, there was at least one thing that I think needs to be added to the Xshot, but it’s certainly better than taking self-portraits the old fashioned way.

Before we get into the thing that I feel it needs more than anything let’s talk about the positives. First off, the Xshot is fairly lightweight. It’s not going to make your arm too tired if you’re spending a lot of time taking pictures or holding to get a shot. You just set the timer, extend the Xshot to the spot you desire to get the shot you want and wait for the timer to go off. It really could not be simpler.

If your camera is newer or at the very least has a tripod mount, you should be able to attach it to the Xshot with no problem. I’m told that you can even use this in conjunction with the Flip Mino or other, similar, video cameras, though I have yet to try this out. I am looking forward to doing it though as we do have a Flip Mino, so I would be more than willing to let him borrow it to see how videos turn out with the Xshot.

My brother isn’t always the most technically savvy person on the block, but he didn’t have a problem getting the camera mounted up and positioned for picture taking. The pictures are far better than the standard method, though they aren’t perfect just yet. The thing I think that needs to be added is a mirror so that you can see the picture before you take it. This would drastically improve all types of pictures being taken. If you have a camera with a shot window that can flip towards you, this is a good option, but it would be nice to see on later models.

The Xshot is currently available at stores like Amazon and other camera dealers. You can pick it up for around $30. It’s also available through the Xshot website. If you take a lot of pictures on your own you will definitely want to consider purchasing one of these handy accessories. They also make a great conversation starter because when you’re out using them people will definitely want to know what you’re using and where you got it! It can be such a painstaking process knowing who to ask to take your picture if you’re in an unfamiliar place, but with the Xshot you never have to worry about that again.

Technorati Tags: Camera, Self-Portrait, Xshot, Pictures, Camera Extender, Product Reviews, Electronic Reviews

I think I am one of the only people in the free world left that does not have an iPod. I have an mp3 player that I adore though, so I figure it equals out. However, when the PR folks over at Now and Zen sent me some goodies to review, including the iHome iPod Travel Alarm Clock, I needed someone to test it out. Luckily, I am of the good fortune to have a brother that needs an alarm clock and has an iPod. So, I was able to do this review, and find out how cool this alarm clock is without any problems.

People that read our reviews know how picky I can be when it comes to alarm clocks. We reviewed the Moshi a few months back to some terrible results. Generally, my hopes do not run too high when it comes to alarm clocks. I suppose that is because I have not had too much luck. The iHome alarm clock sounded pretty cool even before I saw it in action though. The iH16G is one of the newest models and with it’s small and fashionable size, it’s bound to be a hit.

I knew very little of the iHome travel alarm clock before we began testing it out. I knew you had the option to wake up via music from your iPod or from standard alarm sounds. I knew that the iPod could be charged via the clock while it was in the loading dock. I knew that you could use it as a stereo to listen to your iPod, if you were interested. That was about it. I knew my brother would like it as long as it worked, because he is always listening to his iPod and does not have a stereo at home currently. This gives him a chance to listen to his music when he’s not wearing his headphones.

He prefers to wake up to music playing, but after listening to the buzzer sounds to check them out, I feel they are an acceptable option if you decide not to use your iPod. In either case, the sound starts out low and gradually increases. I have always preferred this option because the idea of being jarred awake by a burst of sound just isn’t appealing to me in the least.

As small as this is (it is travel size, so it’s smaller than your average clock) I did not think the speaker power would impress me, but it did. There are speakers on both sides of the clock and they can certainly pack a punch. This would work for people that do not have stereos that want to be able to listen to music around the house. It probably wouldn’t replace a stereo forever, but it would certainly get you by if you don’t have one and cannot afford one.

There are a number of time setting options that you can use on the iHome iPod travel alarm clock. You can press the Daylight Savings button to make sure that the time is reflected as it should be. Also, if you are in the military or prefer that time keeping method, you can switch the clock to read military time. If you’re not fond of the clock light being on all night, you can turn down the level of brightness while you sleep or you can turn it off altogether.

One of the biggest bonuses about this clock is having the ability to charge your iPod while you are listening to music. It charges while in the dock, so you’re building your charge and still getting to listen to all of your favorite music. This was especially great for my brother because he often would forget to charge his iPod until the last minute. This ensures he won’t have to worry about that anymore. He just keeps it plugged in when he’s home and when he’s ready to go, it’s charged and ready.

You can purchase the iHome iPod travel alarm clock at a variety of places, including the iHome Audio website. The purchase price is listed on the site as $59.99. You might be able to find it cheaper elsewhere, but given all it does this is certainly a fair price. This would make a fabulous gift for someone needing access to a small stereo or an alarm clock that can be used for travel purposes. Whatever reason you might choose to buy it does not matter. This comes highly recommended.

Technorati Tags: iHome, Audio, Travel Alarm Clock, iPod, iPhone, Apple, iPod Travel Alarm Clock, Product Reviews, Electronic Reviews

I have always had bad luck with flash drives. In the past, when I have bought them they just never worked for me. So, when the folks at Mimobot emailed us about a review, I agreed with a slight bit of apprehension. I loved the designer aspect of the Mimobots so I agreed on that, but secretly had to hope that these would actually work for me. The good news is that it worked like a charm! I’ve never had an easier, free flowing experience with a flash drive and as a result, I love my Mimobot!

Talking about Flash Drives feels a little bit silly on some level. I mean, either they work or they don’t work. If they don’t work you end up wasting time and money buying them. However, if they do work they end up being a very useful tool. As a college student I end up having to carry large files that include projects and papers to school with me sometimes. I cannot always print out the projects or if I can I might rather save my paper and do it at school. This means I need a reliable flash drive. I bought a few before school began and they didn’t work for me at all. I ended up tossing them out.

When I received the Mimobot I was struck by how adorable it was. It looks like a miniature Darth Vader. They don’t get any cuter than this. I put it in my computer because I needed to transfer a project over to take to a class for an interactive media presentation. When I transferred it over the first time, it transferred so quickly that I opened all of the files just to make sure that they would work properly. I was glad to see that it was both fast and accurate as all of the files transferred without any problems at all. It took seconds and I was ready to go.

If you are not familiar with the Mimobots you can look them up at the Mimobot website. Star Wars including Darth Vader, C3PO, Storm Troopers, and Wickets are just some of the options. They also offer characters from such franchises as Hello Kitty, Halo, Happy Tree Friends, and Domo among others. This is just a small selection of flash fashions offered. You can see the whole line available on the website.

The standard size for each Mimobot is 2GB, but you can get them upgraded up to 16GB. Prices begin at $25 and go up from there depending on the size that you’re interested in owning. Some might consider this pricey and it is higher than the average, but you’re also getting a chance to own something that not everyone else is going to have and it works perfectly, so it’s well worth the money. Mimobots are fun and relatively inexpensive considering how much use you can get out of them. I highly recommend checking them out and buying your favorite one!

Technorati Tags: Computers, Accessories, USB Flash Drive, Star Wars, Darth Vader, Designer Flash Drive, Product Reviews, Electronic Reviews

I like to think I am pretty good when it comes to caring for my cell phone. I admit, I might have a tendency to occasionally leave it laying around, but on the whole I never cause too much damage to it. I am not the type of person that drops their phone excessively, steps on it, forgets it’s even there, or drops it in water. I know a lot of people that have cell phone mishaps, but on the whole, despite being sometimes forgetful, I am a good cell phone owner. Still, it is nice to have a case that will protect my phone because phones are flimsy and way too expensive. It’s always good to make sure your phone is as protected as it can be.

So, when the folks at Otterbox contacted us about a review, we requested the Blackberry Curve 8300 Defender Case. The natural reason that this case was picked is because it matches my phone. There are a few models to pick from, but I liked the Defender because it seems to be the strongest/toughest model. Still, they have many other cell phone cases for everything from more standard phones to the iPhone. A quick check of the OtterBox website will let you know what they have and how much each case costs.

In the case of the Blackberry Curve 8300 they offer the Impact case ($19.95), the Commuter case ($34.95), and the Defender case ($49.95). In terms of looks, the Commuter is definitely the best looking and the Defender looks the most heavy duty. Silicon is placed over the phone as a covering and the actual case is put over that. This means that the buttons on the side and top of the phone are covered in silicon. They are not much harder to press, but if you have an inability to press down hard on the regular buttons then you might find that these cases leave you unable to use all the functions of your phone.

Another beef, albeit a small one is that the cases for the Defender are black or yellow (the other Curve models appear to be black). I don’t mind yellow, but I think it would serve everyone, especially the customer better, if the cases came in a multitude of colors. Personally, I would have picked another color as yellow does not suit me as well as a darker shade does. I am sure that some people are interested in the cases, but hasten to buy them due to the color associated with them. People like their phones to be an extension of their own personal style and if they don’t feel that a color works for them they are less likely to take the leap and buy the product.

I tried not to be too hard on my phone, but I was a little careless for the purpose of this review. I dropped it once or twice just to see what would happen. As I expected, nothing happened. The Defender Otterbox is a solid solution for people trying to protect their phones. This is the first case that I have used for any of my cell phones. I never believed that they were necessary for someone like me. However, after using the Otterbox I can definitely see why a case would be necessary. I will be switching phones soon and when I do, I plan to check out the options available for my new model. Hopefully I will get lucky and something other than black or yellow will be available.

This makes a perfect gift for any cell phone owner, especially the ones with slippery fingers. This ensures that their cell phone will remain safe. Best of all, it will be safe but nothing will stop them from using each function as it was meant to be used. The Otterbox comes recommended, so keep it in mind when doing your holiday shopping!

Technorati Tags: Cell Phones, Cell Phone Accessories, Blackberry, Blackberry Curve 8300, OtterBox, Product Reviews, Electronic Reviews

When it comes to reviews, I have always found the battle method to provide more interesting results. Using one product and then another to pinpoint which is better and why has always been entertaining. We received four sets of ear buds for our holiday reviews and guides this year, so it was a no brainer how we would handle the reviews. We tried to be as fair as possible and we did the battles by the price of the ear buds. In the case of the Shure SE115s and the V-Moda Vibe II ear buds, both sets were around or just over $100. The other pairs (see our iBlink vs. iFrogz review) were around $13, so it would have been unfair to pair these reviews up any other way.

First impressions are given to the V-Modas. If you want something stylish, and dare I say, sexy, these are the ear buds for you. The Vibe II’s do not come with your standard look and plastic cable. Instead, they offer a cloth, rope-like cable and jewel encrusted ear buds that are quite fashionable. Both sets offer a selection of ear bud sizes that you can snap on and off to make sure that each person using them has the correct fit. This was a necessity for me, as I have smaller ears and tend to feel that most ear buds are uncomfortable or a wrong fit. I didn’t have this problem in either case as I was able to adjust to the right size for me.

To be fair, while the Shure SE115’s are a bit more plain in the looks department (you can get them in a variety of colors), they do come with a nifty carrying case, which makes taking care of them much easier than the standard twirling around the mp3 player method of carry. While both the Shure and the V-Moda’s are attractive, the V-Moda’s are definitely more fashionable. However, they are also a bit heavier and the rope cable does like to tangle quite a bit. I did not find this to bother me in the least, but some people might find this to be a problem. If you want something lightweight the V-Moda’s might not be for you, especially if you’re interested in something for everyday use. However, if they don’t bother you they will certainly make an impression.

When the sound comes into play both the Shure and the V-Moda ear buds pack a mean bass line. In the case of the V-Moda’s if you’re not a fan of bass you might find it to be too strong. The Shure ear buds excel in the bass area and would be perfect for hip hop fans because I found I preferred listening to Eminem with them as opposed to standard pop music. Unfortunately, this is where they are the best, so if you’re looking to use them for other genres you might want to look for something else. In other areas, the sound quality is not as strong.

Based on the professional quality label they offer, I was expecting some near-flawless sound, but did not receive that with the Shure SE115 ear buds. Granted, they provided a fair listening experience, but for $100 I was let down because I didn’t feel the sound was as mindblowing as the V-Moda’s. If I had to put a price range on it I would say $50 give or take a little would be a better price for these ear buds.

The V-Moda sound has very few flaws. Overall the sound is loud and strong. The bass provides a pumping, musically active experience and if you like bass you will love these headphones. If you’re looking for some earbuds based on sound quality alone where price is no object, it’s not a decision you should weigh. You need to pick up the V-Moda Vibe II’s today. The only major issues I can see with these are the weight, the cord that likes to tangle too easily, and the thumping bass (if you consider that an issue). These weren’t big issues for me though, so I found no reason not to fall in love with these fantastic ear buds.

Winner: V-moda Vibe II

Technorati Tags: V-moda, Shure, SE115, Vibe II, Ear buds, Earbuds, Battle, Electronics Review, Product Review, Holiday, Gift Guide, Headphones, Apple, MP3 Player

I love my Sony VAIO laptop. However, if there is one thing I could change it would be the sound of the built in mouse. I have no problem using the mouse, but the clickers on it are incredibly loud. If I am in class and find myself immersed in Facebook or another click-worthy activity, I notice this incredibly loud click, click, click sound that drives me mad and makes me wonder how many other people are noticing the same sound. This noise has made me consider picking up a laptop mouse before, but I never bothered buying one and have never used one until the Lifeworks iHome Laptop Mouse was sent to me.

I’ve seen the new mouse add-ons for laptops for some time, but something has stopped me from buying one. The fact that they make them so small always kind of weirded me out. It wasn’t that I thought I would have a problem using them, I just couldn’t get over how small they were. However, I figured it was time to get over it when we received a Life Works iHome USB Laptop Mouse for review.

The setup couldn’t be easier. You just take the mini-USB plug-in and plug it in and your mouse should begin working within seconds. My computer picked up the hardware instantly and was working right away. Setup was as simple as could be and using it was a breeze. Once the computer picked it up, I didn’t have any problems.

I like the stylish look of the tiny mouse. The iHome Laptop Mouse they sent over to me is pink. I am normally not a huge pink fan, but the specific color they sent me is adorable. Beyond the look I love how convenient it is. I can toss it in my laptop bag and it won’t take up any space. Likewise, the USB hookup is so small that I can leave it plugged in the USB port and won’t even notice that it’s there unless I need to use that port for some reason.

Beyond the stylish look you have a mouse that provides standard functionality. The mouse offers a left and right click space with a scroller in the middle. As you can see from the picture, the only thing that sets this iHome laptop mouse apart from all the other products out there is the size. I got used to the size fairly quickly, but I have smaller hands. If you have larger hands than the average female you might not enjoy a mouse as small as this iHome Laptop Mouse. There are products like this on the market, but I cannot really compare them because this is the smallest, truly portable mouse that I have ever used.

According to the iHome website, this Laptop Mouse works on devices up to 20 ft away. I cannot comment on this one way or the other because I have only used it on my laptop which is generally on my lap or right next to where the mouse is scrolling. You can read more about what Life Works says about this Laptop Mouse by visiting their website.

You can buy Life Works and iHome products at most stores these days. After looking around for the Life Works iHome Laptop Mouse I found prices of around $30. This is probably my only complaint. While there are more expensive options out there, you can also find a mini-mouse for less than $30. If you are looking for something that you are only going to use occasionally then I would recommend purchasing something cheaper to save some money. However, if you will be using this for every day use then the iHome Laptop Mouse will definitely be something worthy of your purchase.

Technorati Tags: iHome, Computers, Mouse, USB, Mid-Size, Mini, Life Works, Product Reviews, Electronic Reviews

One product that we seemed to get in abundance this holiday was earphones. With that in mind we have decided to double up and compare some of the earphones that we received. Two pairs that we got are known as iBlink and iFrogz. It’s worth pointing out that both are pretty decent if you’re looking for something in the inexpensive price range and you’re not looking for anything terribly high quality. They both come with a few positives and negatives, like any product, but overall, depending on your needs both of these earphones would be worth purchasing.

The great thing about these earbuds, in both cases, is that they offer multiple foam pieces for the earbuds to accommodate all ear sizes. I have smaller ears so I have always hated earbuds. I find that the earbuds either fall out or make my ears hurt because the one size doesn’t fit my ears. In both the iBlink and the iFrogz I never had this problem because I was able to switch to the smaller sized buds and save myself the trouble of having them not fit correctly.

Onto more important things. The price for both the iBlink and the iFrogz are reasonable. You should realize when you buy these that you’re not getting top notch ear buds. These are good basic buds but they are not anything exceptional. If you want the highest quality sound these aren’t going to be your choice in either case. However, if you want something moderate that is decent, without being spectacular or you just don’t want to pay big money, these will suit you just fine. The iFrogz can be purchased on Amazon for anywhere between $8 and $14. The iBlink are available for around $13.50. It’s a fair price when you figure that $13 doesn’t get you much anymore, but it doesn’t mean you should run right out and buy these either.

iBlink succeeds because it is gimmicky. The ear buds blink a specific color depending on which you purchase (we got blue for this review) and the colors will blink based on the beat of the music. The reason I say that it’s gimmicky is because the blinking doesn’t really benefit you in any way. In fact, I never noticed it until I lifted up the cord to watch the blinking. Other people might find it amusing, but it serves little purpose to the user of the ear buds. For this reason, I think they will be far more popular with the teenage crowd, as opposed to other groups.

iFrogz are your standard ear buds. The best thing about them is they are more stylish (they come in a variety of colors) than the stock ear buds that come with music players. I commented on how cute they were when I took them out of the package. They are also quite comfortable. Being that they are inexpensive, these are all very positive aspects.

In both cases, the negative is the ultimate level of sound quality. At times both sets of ear buds fail in the sound department in drastic ways. For the iFrogz I found the sound to be low. In fact, after using these first on my mp3 player, I began to think that the mp3 player did not get very loud at all because I turned the sound up high and got little in the way of sound. I could hear the music and it sounded good, but it never seemed to get high enough to provide that stereo-like feel that I prefer. The difference was vast when switching to the iBlink buds. The iBlink buds were much louder, which was good, but the sound quality was basic at best. The bass never managed to please without feeling forced and the louder you made them, the more sound distortion you can notice. If you compare them to the stock ear buds they end up being not much better.

So, which is better? Based on sound quality the answer would have to be iFrogz. Even with the lower sound, the quality was stronger and provided a better overall sound. If you’re looking for a holiday gift this year and don’t want to spent too much, I would recommend the iFrogz over the iBlink. However, if you have a teen/tween you might want to go with the iBlink. They will like the flashiness, even if they can’t really see it as much to appreciate it.

Winner: iFrogz (However, that isn’t saying a whole lot in terms of stereo quality.)

Technorati Tags: iBlink, iFrogz, Ear Pollution, Product Review, Ear Buds, Electronics Review, Battle, Holiday Reviews, Buds, Stereo Quality, Stock

I wanted a Roku from the minute that I saw them. I love Netflix because you can watch whatever you want (within reason) instantly thanks to their instant queue system. That being said, I don’t usually prefer to watch movies on my computer. I have been using my Xbox 360 to watch Netflix (it works peachy if you have an Xbox Live account), but that limits my Netflix-ing to one room. When the Roku arrived from the company for this review, I was excited to set it up in the living room, so that I could have two places to watch my favorite movies.

It took literally two minutes to set up the Roku and begin going through the instructions. You just hook the basic red, yellow, and white outputs to the television and turn it on the correct channel or output, if it’s necessary based on your television. Once you do that you will see the Roku screen and the set up will begin. It’s pretty simple. All you do is put in your Netflix email and password to allow the Roku to retrieve your movie queue. From there, it’s a matter of choosing a few settings and then the movies are ready to play.

You have a small remote control that works with the Roku. It’s extremely basic. It offers an up, down, and side to side option. There is also a home button which lets you pick from a variety of services including Netflix. I cannot comment on the other services and how they work with the Roku, merely because I have never tried them myself.

If you’ve ever used the Xbox for Netflix, it’s pretty similar. You move through your queue until you find what you are looking for. You can read info about the movie before you play it, rate it after it’s done, and resume the movie if you haven’t finished watching one. Once you have it hooked up there should be no reason that you would have any problem using this. The Roku is virtually fool proof.

The only complaint that I can muster in comparison to the XBox 360 is that you cannot see and add new movies to your queue. On Xbox you are able to see new movies and television shows, view recently watched and/or deleted movies, and see movies from different genres that you might want to add to your queue. You can even watch movies that are available in the other categories without adding them to your queue.

With Roku you can only watch the things that are already on your queue and you cannot add anything straight from the Roku. You would need to add it and then play it. However, I will say that the additions made via a laptop show up within seconds, so if you have your computer handy it’s not too much of a complaint.

If you’re using the Roku for Netflix, you can get the $8.99 Netflix deal that gives you one mailed DVD at a time and unlimited instant DVDs. I could care less about the mailed DVD, as we mainly stick to the instant options. That being said $9 for as many movies as we go through is not a bad deal at all.

When I hooked up my Roku to my Vizio television I was sad to note an annoying feedback sound that drove me nuts. It didn’t always play during the movies, but it was so bad when choosing a movie that I had to mute the television. I had a feeling that the Roku wasn’t to blame and I learned as much when I hooked it up to another television that was not a Vizio and did not produce the same annoying noise. This was just one of many problems I have had with my Vizio, leading me to begin looking for another television despite the fact that the one I have is only about a year old.

The Roku is one of the best things that we reviewed for the holidays this year. I love it and would highly recommend it to anyone that uses Netflix. For under one hundred dollars you aren’t going to find a better, more useful gift like this. Movie lovers will definitely want one of these boxes and they will certainly get good use out of it, especially as Netflix adds a more diverse movie lineup.

You can learn more about the Roku by visiting the Roku website. The Roku also made our Electronics Gift Guide!

Technorati Tags: Roku, Electronics Review, Netflix, Vizio, Television, Movies, Instant Queue, Gift Guide, Holiday Reviews

Vtech is a name that we are quite familiar with in our house. Our last phone was a Vtech. I wouldn’t say that it is my favorite brand of phone, but it is something that I wouldn’t hesitate to buy if I needed a phone. In most cases, Vtech’s are reliable, inexpensive, and good enough to at least get your moneys worth. When the nice folks at Vtech offered us a new phone for review, we were happy to try out the LS6225.

With DECT 6.0 technology and the ability to add an additional 12 handsets, the LS6225 offers plenty of benefits. If you’re looking for something black, sleek and trendy then you will love this fashionable phone with the blue backlit buttons. The buttons are by no means big, but they are spaced far enough apart to where you will not have any problems hitting the buttons. Most people using this phone should not have any issues with connecting and getting it to work.

The LS6225 has a few negative aspects, but it’s just a personal opinion. The phone includes the main base that has voice mail capabilities, but it does not have an answering machine. If you don’t have voice mail through your phone company then you might want to skip the LS6225 and look for another model that offers an answering machine instead. Another issue, though incredibly minor is that these phones will pick up fingerprints like crazy. This is likely due to the fact that the phones are shiny and black.

The talk/off buttons are clearly labeled, as are all of the other buttons on the phone. Each unit has a speaker phone on the phone. The actual bases of the phones do not have any buttons on them. Anything that can be done through the phone can be done with the actual phone. The bases are just there for charging and you won’t need to use them for anything else.

The battery is a 500mAh Ni-MH, which gives you eight days worth of standby time, five hours using the speakerphone, and up to eight hours of talk time. We did various tests over the time that we have had the phone and found these numbers to be pretty close. I found that the phone lasted for about six or seven days without needing to be charged and for the better part of the day if the phone is being used. We used speakerphone on and off throughout that time, but not consistently so we can’t say whether the five hour speakerphone time is accurate or not.

Here are the Features of the VTech LS6225-2:
DECT 6.0 digital technology provides the best sound quality, security and range in cordless phones
Two-handset system – includes two handsets and requires only one phone jack
Protects users from identity theft with digital security
Interference-free
Digital answering system
Handset speakerphone
Expandable up to 12 handsets using only one phone jack (uses LS6205 handset)
Intercom between handsets
Transfer calls between handsets
Conference an outside call between handsets
Caller ID/call waiting – stores 50 calls
Slim curved design
No buttons on the base – uses touch technology
50-name and number phonebook directory
Remote message retrieval
15 minutes recording time
Audible time and date stamp on recorded messages
Backlit message counter
Blue backlit keypad and display
Handset volume control
Last-number redial
Trilingual prompts – choose between English, Spanish or French
Page/handset locator
Selectable ring tones
Slim handset size

You can pick up the Vtech LS6225 at Amazon for $69.95. This includes the main base and an additional handset. Like most Vtech models this one comes with a selection of positives and negatives, though the good far outweighs the bad. This is most recommended for people that only need two phones in their home (so they don’t need to purchase additional handsets) and that have no need for an answering machine. Otherwise, I would recommend checking out another Vtech model, especially if you’re in need of an answering machine.

If you’re just looking for a standard phone you should enjoy the Vtech LS6225. It offers a good battery life, a sleek look, and well spaced buttons. The price is more expensive than some of the phones on the same level, but with the additional handset it’s a fair deal. You can also find deals with Vtech phones quite a bit, since it’s such a well known/sold brand. We haven’t had any significant problems in the month or so that we have been testing this out, so it’s worth trying out if you’re in need of a new phone.

Technorati Tags: Vtech, Phones, Handset, Answering Machine, Voice Mail, LS6225, Sleek, Fashionable, Product Review

Manufacturer: LG
Price: $549.00
Buy this at: LG Mobile Phones.com

I have been a Verizon user for close to five years now. One of the biggest struggles for me, despite loving my service, is finding phones that I like that suit my needs. Options such as the iPhone are not available through Verizon. I don’t want to say they are the most limited of the cell companies, because they aren’t, but they do have a few things working against them and cell phone options are one of them.

The good news is that there are a handful of companies out there that offer a plethora of cell phone options for Verizon. I have had a Blackberry in the past and though I loved it, the model was older and it was time to test out some newer options. This led me to LG and the gorgeous looking VX10000 Voyager. One of the first things that drew me towards this cell phone was that it is a touch screen phone. To my knowledge, Verizon doesn’t offer many touch screen models (the Blackberry Storm is another option, though I’ve not tried it), so when I find them I am immediately curious about how well they work.

LG has won me over. The Voyager is sleek, sexy, and does everything that I could ever want in a cell phone. I use this phone currently for business and pleasure. While I am sure that I will review other phones in the coming months, I will always keep this one close by to go back to once the reviews are done. Another model would have to be completely incredible to convince me to switch from my Voyager.

Look/Appearance:
The LG Voyager comes in two colors, Titanium and Black. Both give the look of a sleek and attractive phone. I received black and I admit that prior to it arriving (Titanium wasn’t available) I thought that I wasn’t going to like it as much. In person the shiny glossed over Black looks great. The front of the phone offers two speakers, to provide a sense of surround sound and an large 2.81” external touch screen. The bottom speakers also include three keys including Send, Clear, and End (the power key).

The side opens and you can flip the phone to take advantage of an internal screen and a QWERTY keyboard that offers larger than normal keys for easy texting and messaging. To give you an idea of the size, the Voyager is just a little bit bigger than my hand. It’s compact and packed with features, which is the most important thing, but it’s icing on the cake that it is as cute as it is.

Affordability:
I admit when I saw the potential $549 price tag I was skeptical. Cell phones are most often too expensive as it is, but I felt that this was just incredibly overpriced. Then I tried it. Granted, it’s still over $500, but depending on your needs and usage plans this price is not out of the question. If you’re in the market for a phone for basic needs then I would say the Voyager is too expensive for you because it’s just more cell phone than you’ll need. However, if you’re looking for a phone for business that gives you access to email and other strong and innovative features then this price means little based on all you receive.

Specs/Features:
There are so many features available on the LG Voyager that I am going to list them here rather than going over them all separately in major detail. Most of the important and common features are detailed in other sections of this review.

LG Voyager features include:

Dual Screens
2.81” External Touch Screen
Vibe Touch Technology
Touch Protection (a touch lock that stops unnecessary actions from occurring)
Large QWERTY Keyboard
Vcast (Additional Verizon fees apply)
Vcast TV (Only currently available in certain cities, dependent on Verizon availability)
Music Player (Covers MP3, WMA, and other formats)
microSD Memory Port
Ability to Create & Manage Music Playlists
BlueTooth including BT stereo and ability to Print/Send User Created Pictures
2.0 Megapixel Autofocus Camera/Camcorder w/ Image Zoom/Crop and other Customizations
HTML Web Browsing
Ability to use Instant Messenger (AOL, MSN, Yahoo) and Web Mail (Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo)
VZ Navigator (GPS with turn by turn directions)
Charging through USB on Computer or via Outlet
4 Hour Talk Time (Some features use more battery time so this is not a constant)
8 Hour Standalone Time
Voice Commands
Speakerphone

Functionality:
I have yet to find a problem with this phone. The touch sensitivity is not too light to cause problems, the space for the keyboard and the touch areas offer ample room, and the sound quality is not anything to complain about. Add that to the fact that it’s easy to use and you really have a winner. Some of the most important functions to me were the web-based functions. I am able to check my email on the go, stay in touch via messenger, and I have a GPS on me if I ever get lost. Some of these features I had when I toted around a Blackberry, but things like a camera and GPS were missing.

The Voyager manages to appease me in every area of phone use. It is big enough to allow for a good screen size, but it’s not at all clunky. It has a large phone book (1,000 Contacts) and plenty of mobile features that other models lack. If you’re big into interactivity and you long for those moments with an iPhone this is as close as you will get currently with a Verizon contract.

One of the things that I thought was funny about the Voyager, and this isn’t really a complaint, has to do with the battery life. The charge time occurs within a few hours. I’ve noticed that once I have it fully charged I can go for about two days without charging it. The first time I needed to charge it I noticed that it was on one bar. I was out and unable to charge it at that point, but it stayed at one bar for several hours. However, the minute it gave a red blink and that bar disappeared, the phone was turning itself off within five minutes. So, the battery power is extremely good, but when it’s dead…it’s dead.

Ease of Use:
I’ve never had an easier time using a cell phone. The LG Voyager makes it as simple as tapping a few buttons to do everything you want and need to do. Texting is a breeze thanks to the option of standard texting when the phone is in the upright mode or by flipping the dual screen open and using the Qwerty keyboard. All of the features are labeled by the appropriate graphics. You just touch the area to gain access to the feature you are trying to use. If there are additional options from there, those options will pop up once you hit the initial button.

To turn the phone on you just need to hold the End button in for a brief time and it will prompt the phone to turn on. The initial screen will need to be unlocked when you go to use it when you’re making a call or using one of the other features. This is done because of the touch screen method it’s incredibly easy to accidentally hit buttons that you are not planning on hitting. You just press the unlock button and can go about using any of the features you wish to use. If you get a call, for example, you just press the unlock button and then you can choose to accept the call (hit the accept button) or you can let it go to voicemail if you do not want to pick up.

Considering the fact that you can access every feature with just the touch of your finger and everything is clearly labeled, it really cannot get easier using the LG Voyager.

Overall Quality:
I have never been happier with a cell phone. It is sleek, trendy, and incredibly simple to use. It has all of the features that I could want and plenty that I do not necessary need or didn’t have to have to be satisfied. LG made an excellent first impression and as a result I will certainly be looking out for their products, especially cell phones, in the future. If you are in need of a touch screen phone for business or pleasure and you want something that comes close to the iPhone on a Verizon plan, I cannot recommend this highly enough. If you’re looking for a new phone you owe it to yourself to look up the LG VX10000 Voyager.

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