Zagg Invisibleshield

For those of you who don't know, the InvisibleShield by Zagg is a poly urethane film that is placed over either the entire device or just on the screen to protect from scratches. Now you may be thinking this is just another screen protector, but before you think that, go look at their website, and read through the rest of this review. We purchased 2 full body coverages last weekend, one for my iPod Touch, and one for my wife's iPod Nano. I walk around all day with my iPod in my pocket with my keys, and have noticed something. There are no scratches on the face or the back of the new InvisibleShield. I have dropped keys on it, with no scratches. This is one tough protection. We are a little disappointed with the installation that was performed but not only does their product have a lifetime warranty, the place we got it installed at offers a 14 day guarantee on their installation, so I believe we are going back to the store tomorrow to get this fixed. Other than that, we have been very happy with our purchase.

Apple iPod Nano (3rd Generation)

So my wife spent a couple weeks with the shuffle, and decided that she wanted to upgrade to an iPod with a screen. We purchased her an iPod Nano 3rd Generation (also in pink) in the 8GB model. So far it would appear that she is quite enjoying being able to watch her favorite TV shows on her iPod. The touch wheel is simple to use, the screen is big enough, for her, and the battery life is awesome. Personally, the screen is a bit small for me, but it works great for her.

iPod Touch 8GB (2G)

Upon using the new iPod Touch for the first time, I noticed a huge room for expansion. The layout of the main screen is straight forward and easy to use, the touchscreen, while it does not have haptic feedback like my LG Dare, is very responsive and accurate. I plugged my iPod in to my computer in, I already have iTunes 8 installed, and low and behold, the iPod Touch installer started and in just a few quick steps later I was up and running and installing applications from the iTunes app store. The screen on it is the best screen I have seen on a device and the clarity of movies is simply phenominal. The Touch has a full HTML browser running Safari, the only thing I wish it had is Flash support. If it had that, this would be almost a complete replacement for my laptop. Oh and did I mention this post is being made from the iPod?

Panasonic DMP-BD30K 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player

One unfortunate thing about this review is that I haven't been able to fully test the Blu-ray capabilities of this player. We currently just have a normal television, without Hi Definition. We do, however, plan to take advantage very soon by adding a Panasonic 42PZ80U 42" Plasma 1080p television to our home theater. We are looking forward to the Viera capabilities. So far this player has been great. It has very fast boot up (for a Blu-ray player), and outputs clear video, as well as being very friendly in setup. I will update this when we have done more with the Hi-Def portion. For now, you will just have to deal with a simple review only using it as a DVD player.

Apple iPod Shuffle (2nd Generation)

We recently picked up a 2nd Generation iPod Shuffle. This is the first iPod I have used, and we are currently waiting on delivery of an iPod Touch (2nd Generation). One of the major enticements for my wife to go with the Shuffle is its small footprint. While it is not the largest in terms of memory, its 1 GB size is more than enough for my wife's music collection. The controls are intuitive and the features are more than adequate. Of course, she got it in pink. I will update if there are any negative aspects that we run into, but as of now there have not been any issues.

LG VX9700 "Dare"

I have had the Dare for just over a month and a half now, and I have to say, it is by far the best "dumb" phone I have ever used. To start with the touchscreen on this phone is responsive, and accurate. The only issue I run into is a few problems when browsing the internet, and not being able to click small links. Supposedly that has been fixed in the new firmware update. I will have to wait on the update, as they have not gotten the FOTA (Firmware Over the Air) up and running. This is quite frustrating as this was one of the main reasons I purchased this phone.

One of the other great features is the full HTML browser. It has been a great asset when trying to find that hidden restaurant, or finding that obscure address when I am away from home. My wife and I have found ourselves referring to that in order to find our way.

The photos that come from the 3.2 Megapixel camera are quite stunning, and the battery life is phenomenal. For anyone looking for the smartest "dumb" phone imaginable, this is it.

Until next time,
Dustin