Hitachi Drill – Cordless, Hammer and Impact Drill-Drive

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Cheap Contract Mobiles

When it comes to convenience, safety, and versatility it is hard to beat a Hitachi cordless power drill. Basically, you can use this superb power tool to drill holes, fasten, drive, and remove screws, mix paint, sand, and even to cut a hole in the wood work piece. Because it is portable, you can easily carry it anywhere with you. but if you are planning to do serious work around the house you might want to consider buying a corded drill rather than a cordless power drill.

Hitachi drills come in different chuck sizes and a wide range of accessories. for the majority of householders a 3.8 inch power drill is the right mix of speed and power usage. to use a cordless power drill as a screwdriver, first of all you will need to choose a variable speed drill and the appropriate bit.

This feature enables you to use a wide range of attachments for different applications such as drilling, sanding, mixing paint etc. So if you are a typical homeowner make sure that you purchase a variable speed drill with a reverse feature and a 3.8 inch chuck. this combination of features ensures a highly reliable power drill while providing years of trouble free usage.

These power tools will give you desired amount of torque. And all models have a sturdy construction and a comfortable design. they also feature a keyless chuck and some models have SDS adapter. this great feature allows for easy and fast bit installation and removal. So, no more searching around for that missing chuck key or using up time tightening the three points on a keyed chuck.

Hitachi hammer drills are mainly meant for making holes in tough concrete and in other hard surfaces. The way the hammer drill works is to hammer as the power drill bit is rotating. Basically, they utilize a mechanism which imparts a strong vibration to the drill bit when rotating. A rotary hammer drill works on the same principle, but is much more powerful than a regular hammer-drill and it is meant mainly for professionals. just remember that whatever you have to drill, these heavy duty drills are perfect.

Hitachi impact drills are an essential power tools for the professionals. Basically, any impact drill/drive works like a standard power drill when a small amount of torque is required. It delivers sudden strong torque after being struck by an internal hammer mechanism.

This power machine is intended for driving in and loosening screws and bolts that were either installed with thread adhesive or painted over. It is equally effective at loosening or removing rusted, frozen and over tightened screws and bolts.

-sharp Accessories - PDFpen app for Mac, iPad, comes in handy for tax-day signatures - (5/13/2012)

Posted on May 13, 2012 by Cheap Contract Mobiles

On tax day, April 17, I had a document problem.

My federal taxes were completed (I used TurboTax on my Mac), but I needed to fill out some paperwork to make a contribution to my retirement account.

This being the modern age, when I can file my taxes from my Mac without even looking at a mailbox, I forgot that transferring money from one account to pay for the IRA contribution would require a signature. in fact, it required the signatures of both my wife and me because the money came out of a joint account.

And here was the problem: I was at home, my wife was at work (with our car), and the paperwork needed to be signed and filed as soon as possible, because, of course, I had left this crucial step to the last minute.

Did I dash downtown on the next bus so my wife could sign the papers? Nope. I turned to our iPads and Smile Software’s PDFpen for iPad (smilesoftware.com/PDFpen/iOS/).

I’ve used PDFpen on the Mac for years, typically when I need to make last-minute, save-my-bacon changes to PDFs, or often just when I need to paste an image of my signature onto a form. (The company also sells PDFpen Pro, with more features; I’m referring to both when I mention PDFpen for Mac here.)

(Apple’s Preview application doesn’t support that feature, nor does Adobe Acrobat Pro, which astounds me. I think I’ve run into PDFs that require an electronic signature less than a handful of times over the years — and that includes signing nondisclosure forms from Adobe itself!)

In this case, that’s exactly what I did. our financial adviser sent scans of the forms to me via email, and I used PDFpen to add my signature.

My wife, however, uses a Windows PC at work. we contemplated sending the PDFs to her email account, having her print them out and fax them to our adviser. but that would require her finding a working fax machine, and, besides, I really despise faxing in general; it’s a technology that should have died out with parallel ports.

Then I remembered that she had her iPad in her bag. we could do the whole transaction electronically, and I wouldn’t need to hop on a bus.

I bought PDFpen for iPad for $9.99 — currently an introductory price until May 1 — which is less than what I would have paid to have the forms faxed at a local FedEx office.

Over the phone, I shared my App Store information with my wife so that she could sign in as me and download the app to her iPad. next, I sent the documents via email to her personal address, where they appeared in the Mail app. the iPad can read PDF files without a dedicated app, but since we wanted to open them in PDFpen for iPad, she touched-and-held the icon for the attachment, which brought up the option to “Open In” a compatible app. She chose PDFpen.

The next part was easy: She brought up the app’s Markup tools, selected the free-form line tool, and signed her name on the appropriate line with her finger. after closing the document, she emailed the signed version directly to our adviser and to me, saving us all easily a couple of hours of trouble.

As you might guess, PDFpen for iPad is great for other PDF uses, too. the Markup tools let you highlight, cross out or underline text. It even includes a library of conventional proofing symbols you can add, as if you’d been working on a printed page with a pen. (And, yes, you can even make the ink appear red; copy editors rejoice!) you can also add photos stored on the iPad.

And with the app’s latest release, you can opt to store documents using iCloud, making them available to the iPad and the Mac simultaneously. It requires PDFpen 5.7 or later.

If you bought PDFpen direct from Smile Software, you also need to purchase a 99-cent PDFpen Cloud Access app from the Mac App Store. (Only apps sold through the Mac App Store can tie into iCloud, one of Apple’s restrictions; this tiny inexpensive app is a clever solution.) If you purchased PDFpen from the Mac App Store, you’re set.

All of that is cool, no doubt, but I’m still most pleased with how PDFpen for iPad saved my tax day. If only it had helped me lower my tax bill.

Jeff Carlson and Glenn Fleishman write the Practical Mac column for Personal Technology and about technology in general for the Seattle Times and other publications. Send questions to . More Practical Mac columns at seattletimes.com/ columnists.

Sharp AL 1226 Printer – A Copier and Printer Combination

Posted on May 12, 2012 by Cheap Contract Mobiles

The Sharp AL 1226 Printer is a digital copier and printer that is medium in size. it is very compact and economical. you can find many printers with the same options but that are much more expensive. this printer can be used for personal or small businesses and comes highly recommended. it has a maximum print speed of 16 pages per minute and 20 copies per minute.

It is possible to connect the Sharp AL 1226 Printer to your computer using a USB 2.0 connection. However this is the only connectivity option, which is a weakness. Small businesses tend to prefer networking options and wireless connections are also becoming more popular. it uses a laser for printing and the copying is digital.

The memory is fairly standard for printers of this size at 8 MB and the media tray can hold 300 sheets of A4 paper. it is a monochrome, black and white printer with a copying and printing resolution of 600 x 600 dpi. The largest paper size that the Sharp AL 1226 Printer takes is legal.

The copying function has a few nice features as it is possible to zoom by 1% increments up to 400%. The machine comes with some fixes zoom ratios of 25%, 64%, 78%, 100%, 129%, and 400%. it is possible to scan color documents with a maximum resolution or 600 x 400. besides the printer you will also receive a users guide and software.

Your computer will need at least 10 MB of hard disk space, and you will need a free USB port, and CD drive. you can hook it up to any computer as long as it is running Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000 or Windows XP as the operating system.

The Sharp AL 1226 Printer uses the latest laser technology to produce high quality print outs and copies. Sharp printers use open system architecture so that other third party software can be used to customize and print applications specifically for your business or personal use. All of the printers have excellent security options that protect your data from unauthorized access. They offer encrypted PDF with password protection, secure network access, secure sockets layer and user authentication.

Sharp multi function printers have a very fast warm up with a quick first copy or print out. Your first copy and print out will be available in just under a minute at the beginning of the day. They are all very reliable and easy to use. The Sharp machines are also energy star compliant as the company is committed to protecting the environment. The printer/copier runs on a standard 240V AC, 50/60 HZ.

-sharp Accessories - Tips To Save Money On Laptop Chargers And Other Accessories - (5/11/2012)

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Cheap Contract Mobiles

Simply purchasing a laptop and ignoring all other accessories will never serve the purpose. if you want to enjoy complete functionality when using the laptop, it is important to have all the necessary accessories in your hand at all times.

The first and the most obvious accessory that you would require is the laptop charger. without this, you would not be in a position to charge the battery and use the laptop again and again. many persons make the mistake of thinking that the standard charger bundled with the laptop is good enough. How can you determine whether this is the best open available unless you analyze the different options at your disposal?

It is not compulsory to purchase the charger from the manufacturer. in most cases, the company manufacturing the laptop will outsource the production of batteries and will receive the chargers directly from them. hence, you will not receive laptop chargers manufactured by Dell when you purchase a Dell laptop. there is nothing wrong in considering alternate options as long as you rely on quality products.

Do not hesitate to buy multiple laptop chargers for your laptop. you can have one in your bag at all times and can make sure that you are never stranded in a position where you cannot charge the battery when on the move. This brings us to the next important accessory: the laptop bag. what is the point of purchasing a laptop if you intend to use it at one place only? the whole purpose behind the manufacture of the laptop is to make mobile computing possible. Carrying these expensive products in your hand does not make sense. you should have a stylish and classy backpack to hold not as the laptop but all of the accessories that you use with this device.

The bag should be spacious, comfortable and easy to carry. you should not be compelled to stuff your laptop into the bag. Almost all manufacturers provide a bag that is suitable for just the laptop and nothing else. you would be surprised how difficult it can be to insert the laptop chargers into the bag. hence, consider purchasing all these accessories from a single store on the Internet. you can plan your purchases and consider all options when finalizing the bag.

The laptop manufacturer will not give your discount on the purchase of these accessories. After all, it does not represent a significant percentage of the transaction value. however, the seller of these accessories on the Internet will definitely give you a good discount. if you purchase more than one accessory from the same seller, chances of securing a high discount will be near certain. you can also go in for a zero shipping cost option for the products and receive the same on your doorstep without spending even a single cent for shipping. consider these options when purchasing laptop chargers, bags and other accessories and you will save quite a lot of money the process.

-sharp Accessories - The Benefits Of Using LCD Business Projectors - (5/10/2012)

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Cheap Contract Mobiles

Business projectors are invaluable tools to help grow your business. The projectors can be used in a wide range of applications, from training new employees, to presenting marketing proposals or year-end reports. For this reason, purchasing a quality business projector makes good financial sense for businesses of any size — from large corporations to small home offices.

But just like any major business investment, it is important to know what to expect before you go shopping for projector. There are advantages and disadvantages of the different types of projectors, and in this article, we’ll guide you through the technology that is available, to help you decide which projector will most benefit your business, and fit your budget.

Basically, there are two different types of projectors: LCD projectors and DLP projectors. LCD injectors have several distinct advantages over the DLP type, and one of the most important is in the way that LCD handles color saturation of images.

The difference is that DLP projectors boost the overall brightness of the projected image by sacrificing color information. This results in an image that can appear washed out at times, and though the image may in fact be bright enough, it can lack the depth of color that LCD projectors can provide.

Another definite plus for LCD projectors is that they tend to produce sharper images. in a side-by-side comparison, you can easily notice that images displayed on the screen tend to get fuzzy around the edges when using a DLP projector. on the contrary, LCD projectors tend to produce a sharp, well defined border on the projected image.

Another difference in these two projector designs is in what is known as light efficiency. LCD projectors normally generate a higher light efficiency ratio, resulting in a brighter image than DLP projectors can offer. Even when using a lamp of the exact same wattage, LCD projectors will normally produce a higher light output in the projected image.

But DLP projectors also have their advantages, and one of these is that they do not produce images using individual pixels as LCD projectors do. LCD pixels can at times be visible on large projection screens, adding a harsh digital look to images.

Another big problem with LCD projectors is that it is common for individual pixels to burn out over time, resulting in uneven color and luminance on projected images. to make matters even worse, it is virtually impossible to repair a pixel that is burnt out on the LCD chip, which means you must replace the entire chip in order to eliminate the problem.

Because DLP projectors are not pixel-based, this is not an issue. Furthermore, DLP designs are known to handle true black better than LCD designs. This results in DLP projectors generating richer colors than LCD models, especially when viewed on very large screens.

So it is easy to see that both LCD and DLP projectors have advantages and disadvantages. overall though, and LCD projector offers the best performance to cost ratio, and has the advantage of producing a sharper, brighter image with most source material. Before deciding on which type of projector best suits your needs, be sure to try out several different models using a wide variety of source images. if at all possible, it is a good idea to set up a head-to-head comparison between these two different types of business projectors.

-sharp Accessories - Career Daydreaming - (5/9/2012)

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Cheap Contract Mobiles

I can say the majority of us daydream or dream on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. How many of us get paid for dreaming though?

Going to Sit Here and Daydream the Day Away! (Photo by RSheridan)

I am still deciding what I want to do when I grow up! I thought for a month or two about starting down the path of social media consultant or something like that. I have discovered my true love is writing, especially creative writing. The social media aspect is more secondary, but still important. I have been told by a few people I have a novel or two in me. Who really knows, but I am open to the possibilities!

I have joined a WP Meetup group and decided to take a few social media online classes. I want to take some writing classes now too. I love learning and growing as an individual. I will never know what I am capability of if I do not keep stretching my comfort zone and trying new things.

So . . . What is YOUR Dream Career or Ultimate wish? if you have found it, I am so jealous. if not, keep searching and looking, like I am currently doing. My Dream Job would be a paid writer (certainly a reachable dream). My Ultimate Wish would be retirement and traveling to my heart’s content.

NEVER Give up On YOUR Dreams & NEVER Stop DREAMING!!!

Logitech’s Ultrathin Keyboard Cover makes the right compromises

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Cheap Contract Mobiles

As more and more people are using the iPad for quote-real-unquote work, iPad keyboards are becoming popular accessories, offering the tactile advantages of real keys without sacrificing the iPad’s portability and touchscreen interface. Back in December, I wrote our iPad keyboards buying guide based on my testing of approximately three dozen keyboards, but a number of new models have been released since then. One of the best is Logitech’s $100 Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for the second- and third-generation iPad. despite its confusing name–no, it’s not a cover for your keyboard–the Ultrathin Keyboard Cover (which I’ll call the Ultrathin from here on out) is a solid keyboard that mostly makes the right compromises between portability and functionality.

Like most iPad keyboards, the Ultrathin connects using Bluetooth. just turn it on, open the Bluetooth screen of iOS’s Settings app, and tap the keyboard’s name when it appears in the list of devices. You’ll be prompted to enter (on the keyboard) a four-digit code and press Return. After this one-time pairing process, the keyboard will automatically reconnect to the iPad whenever both are on and in range of each other. (If you ever need to re-pair the keyboard, or pair it to a different iOS device, there’s an easy-to-press Bluetooth button next to the keyboard’s power switch.) the keyboard charges from any USB port or charger; Logitech claims a fully charged battery will power the keyboard for a whopping six months if you use the keyboard roughly two hours each day.

What’s unique about the Ultrathin is its design. instead of being a folio- or clamshell-style keyboard, where the iPad fits inside a complete-protection case, or a shell-style keyboard, which fits around the sides and either the front or back of your iPad for travel, the Ultrathin could best be described as a “Smart Cover keyboard.” Like Apple’s iPad Smart Cover, the Ultrathin is exactly the same length and width as the iPad and sports a magnetic hinge. Hold the hinge near the left-hand side of the iPad, and the magnets in each device find each other for a perfectly aligned connection. the Ultrathin then hinges closed to protect the iPad’s screen during transit; rubber pads at each corner, along with a slightly recessed keyboard, mean the keys never touch the iPad’s screen. the Ultrathin even supports the iPad’s magnetic sleep/wake feature.

Like the Smart Cover, the Ultrathin leaves the back of the iPad unprotected. You can use a Smart Cover-compatible back case if you need the extra protection, although not all are compatible. for example, you’ll want one that has an large opening for the Smart Cover’s hinge, rather than one–such as Incipio’s excellent Smart Feather–that actually attaches to the hinge, because the keyboard’s hinge is a bit thicker than the Smart Cover’s.

The Ultrathin and iPad fit together exceptionally well, forming a sleek, thin, aluminum package that weighs only 12 ounces more than a bare iPad. Unfortunately, you can’t fold the keyboard around to the back, as you can with Zagg’s Zaggfolio, when you don’t need the keyboard. You must instead detach the keyboard and use the iPad on its own. At least doing so is quick and easy.

When you’re ready to type, you open the cover, give a gentle tug on the iPad to disconnect it from the Ultrathin, and then place the iPad in a groove just above the Ultrathin’s keyboard. a clever touch is that the groove has its own set of magnets to keep the iPad firmly in place in landscape orientation, provided you place the iPad’s left edge down. in the other three orientations (right edge down, or either portrait position), a rubber strip along the front edge of the groove helps keep the iPad secure.

The groove limits the iPad to a single angle, but it’s a pretty good one–approximately 30 degrees from vertical. I would have preferred five or ten degrees more, especially when using the Ultrathin on my lap, but a less-upright angle would have made the Ultrathin noticeably less stable.

Speaking of stability, when your iPad is in landscape orientation, the Ultrathin is pretty solid. only if you tend to type hard will you notice a very slight jiggle of the iPad. You can also tap the iPad’s screen without much movement–firm taps along the top edge of the tablet will lift the front of the keyboard off your work surface, but otherwise you’ll see only slight shaking. in portrait orientation, you get a bit more iPad vibration while typing, and you have to be careful when tapping on the top half of the screen to avoid tipping. but considering that many iPad keyboard cases don’t even let you use your iPad in portrait orientation, I don’t want to be too critical here. I will say, however, that if you want to use the Ultrathin on your lap, you should stick to landscape orientation–portrait orientation is unstable on softer surfaces.

One minor beef I have with the Ultrathin’s design is while the bottom–made of smooth aluminum that looks and feels almost exactly like the back of the iPad–looks great, especially when the cover is closed against the iPad, on slippery surfaces the keyboard can slide around when you’re typing or when you tap the iPad’s screen. I ended up sticking a couple Bluelounge Kicks to the bottom for some grip, though you could use any kind of pad or adhesive feet. (This would also help prevent the Ultrathin’s aluminum bottom from getting scratched.)

Clever design out of the way, how is the actual keyboard? As with most iPad keyboard cases, the Ultrathin’s keys are slightly smaller than those of a full-size keyboard, and the layout is slightly cramped. unlike most others, however, the Ultrathin omits a dedicated row of F-keys. instead, the keys in the number-key row, themselves smaller than usual, double as special-function keys. Hold down the fn key in the lower-left corner of the keyboard, and each of those keys offer an iPad-specific function: Spotlight, language cycle, onscreen keyboard toggle, select previous word, select next word, cut, copy, paste, play/pause, mute, volume down, volume up, and lock. (The inclusion of features for selecting, copying, cutting, and pasting text means the Ultrathin doesn’t include screen-brightness keys or previous and next media-control keys.) There’s also a dedicated Home key.

Thanks to this F-key-row omission and the smaller keys used in the number-key row, the Ultrathin’s keyboard feels more cramped than that of similar keyboard cases, but it really isn’t. in fact, when comparing the main (non-number and non-function) keys, the size and spacing are almost identical to those of the aforementioned, and very good, Zaggfolio. with a couple exceptions–tilde (~) and backtick (`), which have been moved to the [ and ] keys, respectively, and accessed via fn–keys are also in their standard locations.

The keys themselves are low-profile, short-travel, laptop-style keys. while not as good as the keys of non-case iPad keyboards–which tend to be closer in feel to those of Apple’s current keyboards–they’re much better than the mushy keys you’ll find on many keyboard cases. One minor complaint is that in my testing, the keys need to be depressed slightly farther than they feel like they need to be depressed. As a result, when I was typing quickly, I occasionally wouldn’t press a key firmly enough. I’ve experienced this with a number of iPad keyboards–it appears to be a side effect of attempting to make these keyboards as thin as possible while still providing a solid, tactile feel. still, the Ultrathin’s keys are among the better ones I’ve tested.

I also give the Ultrathin kudos in that it has no sharp, raised edges that dig into your hands or fingers. the lip along the front of the keyboard is very short and has rounded edges–I never noticed it while typing, or even when I rested my wrists on the table in front of the keyboard.

Macworld’s buying advice

iPad keyboard cases are lessons in compromise–no company has been able to put full-size, quality keys in a standard layout inside a thin, lightweight, protective case that doesn’t add significant bulk to your iPad (or turn it into what’s essentially a laptop). this is one reason some people still prefer a separate keyboard with a portable iPad stand. but the Ultrathin Keyboard Cover is a good example of making the right compromises. Though it doesn’t offer much protection for the body of your iPad, it includes a solid (if compact) keyboard, and its clever, Smart Cover-like design allows it to remain thin and light. One of my biggest criticisms of keyboard cases–as opposed to standalone keyboards–is that you have to take them with you even when you don’t need the physical keyboard. the Ultrathin is svelte enough that if you do serious typing on your iPad, you may want to carry it with you all the time.

-sharp Accessories - TmoNews Reviews The HTC One S - (5/4/2012)

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Cheap Contract Mobiles

There is little question that HTC has been criticized for releasing too many phones that all seemed to be too much like each other. HTC was putting out the newest and best phone once a month, every month, for as long as we can remember. Arguably, these “superphones” helped launch Android into the stratosphere but, as a company, HTC was doing itself more harm than good. As HTC recognized a change in direction was necessary and that quality over quantity had to be the new emphasis, they came up with “One”. Three new smartphones, the HTC One X, HTC One S and HTC One V, make up the core of HTC’s 2012 launches thus far. There is little hope in beating around the bush so we’ll just come right out and say, all things considered, the HTC One X is HTC’s top-of-the-line model. That being said, the HTC One S is no slouch and it’s dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor is ready to stand its ground against the HTC One X. The HTC One has gorgeous hardware, a beautiful display, a powerful set of features and it is T-Mobile’s newest Android hero phone. So how did I like it? Read on and find out.

Specifications:

Pros:

Sexy hardware
Beautiful screen
HSPA+ 42 speed
Very good battery life
Superb camera quality

Cons:

HTC Sense is love it/hate it
Non-removable battery
Pentile display isn’t everyone’s favorite
Pre-installed bloatware
Will it stand out against Galaxy S III?

Hardware:

The HTC One S can only be introduced as thin, like I want to caress-this-in-my-hands-thin thin. Your first impression of the phone will almost certainly be a little bit of wonderment around its the slim profile. while it may anger a small percentage of users, HTC was partially able to accomplish the sleek profile by making the battery of the HTC One S non-removable. That’s not always a plus, especially when a hard rest is required due to a lingering issue disrupting your smartphone workday. also, there is no Micro-SD slot. Instead, HTC opted to include 16GB of onboard storage which can be paired with 25GB of Dropbox storage. The only removable part of the phone is the top cover on the rear of the device which hides the microSIM. Yup, you read that right, I said microSIM.

As for the rest of the outside of the device, on the top lies the Power button and 3.5mm headphone jack. The microUSB port is located on the left side, and on the opposite side you’ll find the volume rocker. It’s a pretty standard smartphone configuration and HTC didn’t try anything radical with the hardware button placement. The One S is going to appeal to many users, partially due to the beauty of its 4.3” Super AMOLED qHD display. However, there are some potential One S owners who will be turned off by the Pentile display. So what does Pentile display mean? In layman’s terms, when viewed up close, the sub-pixel matrix of a Pentile display will make lines look jagged meaning the edges of text and graphics don’t appear smooth. If you’re looking at the display at any distance farther than 18 inches or so, you’d be hard pressed to detect any difference between a Pentile and non-Pentile display. The qHD display has 540 x 960 resolution, which is better than the Galaxy S II, but less so than say the iPhone’s retina display or even the screen on the Galaxy Nexus. will any of this matter to you? to a very small sub-set of users who swear off Pentile display, yes. to the layman, no, you will likely never notice as the display is still beautiful.

The aluminum body of the HTC One S has to impress you. It’s seriously just that thin, that sleek and that sharp. T-Mobile opted against the micro arc oxidation treatment HTC has been giving international versions of the HTC One X and One S, providing it with a smoother finish. Not having tried the international version, we make our own fair comparison, but for those that have, there seems to be agreement that T-Mobile made the right choice. Most important, the HTC One S will not show fingerprints, at least not on the aluminum parts of the phone.

There is little question that HTC has compiled a powerful phone. The reigning benchmark champ on T-Mobile, the Galaxy S II, puts up a Quadrant benchmark score right around the low-mid 3000’s. The HTC One S? every Quadrant score I attempted on the One S scored over 4800+. I know, benchmarks mean little in the real world and that’s very true, but you can’t set aside just how powerful the HTC One S really is. Gorilla glass screen, 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor and 1GB of RAM — they all give the One S the goods to perform.

Software:

I’ll go out on a limb right away and say that HTC Sense 4 combined with Ice Cream Sandwich is the best-looking Android overlay currently on the market. Like all Android overlays, they exist in a love it or hate it world and that’s very fair to say. I’ve seen and read enough of your feedback to know that there are clear battle lines drawn in the TouchWiz vs. Sense war.

The One S packs a punch with graphical widgets, but with less 3D effects than we’ve seen in previous iterations of Sense. The iconic HTC clock and weather widget greet you as soon as you’ve finished booting the device, and they are joined by the internet and gallery apps, as well as the Google search widget. Google Play is surprisingly relegated to a second homescreen, just one screen flip to the right. Enter the main app screen and you’re immediately greeted with far too much pre-installed T-Mobile bloatware. say hello to 411 & More, Amazon, Game Base, Lookout security, T-Mobile Hotspot, More for Me, my T-Mobile, Polaris Office, Slacker, T-Mobile Mall, T-Mobile name ID, T-Mobile TV, Where’s my Water and Zinio. There is a pretty good argument for including apps like T-Mobile Hotspot and my T-Mobile, but less so for Lookout security, Polaris Office Slacker and the like. How about this? just stop installing bloatware all together. None of this accounts for the apps HTC has pre-loaded but we won’t get into those. Needless to say, there is — like all Android smarpthones these days — far too much preloaded.

On a side-note, for all of those who have asked recently, Wi-Fi calling is pre-installed.

Sense 4 is seemingly redesigned to mirror Android 4.0 and it’s safe to say that Android 4.0 has its own set of pretty large design changes. upon starting up the phone, you’ll be prompted to work through HTC’s start up process and it’s easy. You’ll choose your data connection, HTC account options, Dropbox account options, privacy policy and so on. my biggest issue with Android 4.0 and Sense 4 is the lack of a menu button. It simply doesn’t exist. to help counter the lack of the button, HTC has added a black bar that pops up with three vertical small dots that stand for menu. How they stand for menu and how you are supposed to know that the first time they pop up is beyond me. They do appear anywhere there isn’t a designated menu option and that’s good, but it’s inconsistent at best and you may find yourself looking for that menu button more often than you think during your first few days with the phone. sometimes though, apps that haven’t been updated for Android 4.0 have the bar but no options, but, hopefully, this will resolve itself as more apps are updated for Android 4.0 compatibility.

When it comes down to it, Sense 4 is easily removed. I spent the last few days playing around with Apex and Nova launchers and while I won’t get into which you should choose, they are both great for getting rid of any real noticeable inclusion of Sense 4 on the device. That’s not to say that getting rid of Sense 4 was a deal-breaker for me. I stand by my opinion that Sense 4 is “better” than TouchWiz. For all the customization Android has to offer, I had more fun playing around with launchers. For the every person, Sense 4 is intuitive and most of the lingering issues regarding apps should be rectified as they update.

Camera:

Camera quality is the meat, the goods and one of the critical advantages HTC tried to lay out for the One series of devices. HTC has included their new ImageSense or ImageChip processor which is said to provide nearly instantaneous shutter speed. At 0.7 seconds, it’s pretty instantaneous as far as I was concerned. There is no question this is the best camera HTC has ever produced on a smartphone, but that’s not to say the included 8 megapixel camera is so perfect you can throw out your DSLR. I still have to give Apple and Nokia the edge for camera quality as they’ve really gotten it right. However, if you’re coming from an older HTC product or even an older Samsung, LG or alternate Android manufacturer, you’re going to be impressed. I’d be interested to see how HTC Amaze 4G owners compare the camera quality. That’s where the real change could or should be noticed.

HTC has included an 8 megapixel f/2.0 back side illuminated camera capable of 180p and 60fps HD video recording. HTC included features like a 0.2 second autofocus, high-speed burst, and the ability to take pictures while recording among other less marketable features. There’s even a few filters if you just can’t wait to run the picture through Instagram before uploading to Facebook.

Overall, pictures were good and certainly better than 90% of the smartphones out there, but that’s not to say they were perfect. I often saw over-saturation of brighter colors, which wasn’t such an issue in low-light settings but there was enough noise on some of the images to make me retake the photo. part of that could be lighting, focus or just user error, but there was more than one occasion I wanted to re-snap the picture just to see if I would get the same results. sometimes I did, sometimes I didn’t.

I would have to say that I would still rank the iPhone 4S as the most solid camera in my stable of smartphones, but HTC comes close. It’s just not “there.” I will say that the ability to take a picture while recording video is just so awesome I could celebrate it all on its own. Video itself was very good, but not perfect. I feel like I should stop and say that while it may sound like I didn’t really care for the camera on the One S, that wouldn’t be true. I did like it and I found it more than useful for everyday shots. I think the problem is that we’ve come to expect more from our smartphone cameras as we tend to live our days more and more by the “the best camera is the one you have with you” mantra. For so many of us, our expectations grow as the manufacturers tell us how awesome x feature is and how great y feature will be in low-light. It’s a sales pitch and we know it, but it creates impossible expectations that can’t be lived up to. The bottom line is that One S camera is absolutely good enough for your every day life. If you spot Bigfoot, you’ll get a great shot of him with the One S. If you’re looking to capture your wedding with the One S, you should look elsewhere.

Speed:

In my preview of the One S, I noted that I was experiencing slower than usual HSPA+ 42 speeds because T-Mobile had not yet provisioned our hardware for the network. That’s something that happens from time to time when phones go out before they are ready for sale. It’s not uncommon that, as a reviewer, we received pre-production hardware or early versions of the final software. almost 24 hours after my preview was posted, T-Mobile activated HSPA+ 42 on my One S and the difference was more than noticeable.

I performed two sets of final speed tests, one from April 23rd, the day after my HSPA+ network was activated, and yesterday, April 29th. out of the last seven speed tests I performed, four saw download speeds of more than 20Mbps, and none were lower than 10. I’d call those speeds pretty good and more than acceptable for browsing, downloading and posting on your Facebook wall.

I still have to give the Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G the crown as the fastest phone on T-Mobile’s network. I performed the same set of speed tests in the same area as the One S and saw a more consistent set of results on the Blaze 4G. I still have to give an asterisk here due to the lack of HSPA+ network provisioning in early speed test trials. The bottom line here is that T-Mobile’s network still performed admirably on the One S and it’s an easy recommendation on their HSPA+ 42Mbps network.

Call Quality and Battery:

Overall, I found call quality on the HTC One S to be great. The speaker was loud, the earpiece was loud and I really had no complaints using the phone the past two weeks. All in all, I’d have to say this was one of the better performing handsets I’ve used recently on T-Mobile’s network. considering I’ve used just about all them, that’s high praise. I maintained a 4G network connection in all but one notorious dead zone location for T-Mobile near my home. no T-Mobile phone has ever survived the “4G” test there. It’s apparently an EDGE for life location.

The 1650mAh battery got me through an entire day of browsing, emailing, texting, tweeting, tweeting some more and checking my usual ton of daily emails. In my 12 days of fully charged overnight battery, only one saw me needing a charge and that was around 5pm, so late enough in the day when I consider a second recharge acceptable based on my usual smartphone habits. That I got through most days without needing any extra charge was impressive. I really think the One S performs admirably on battery life and it’s definitely a phone I would recommend to a smartphone warrior.

Conclusion:

There is little in mind that would have me say the HTC One isn’t one of the first smartphones you should look at on your next venture to your local T-Mobile store. The incredibly sexy hardware, screen, camera and video quality, and Sense 4 all scream “hey, look at me, I’m awesome”. The HTC One is truly an awesome device and the only hiccups on the One S aren’t likely to bother most smartphone buyers. The non-removable battery, Pentile display and lack of expandable storage is something that will likely rile up hardcore Android fans, but for most buyers, 16GB of storage with a promising 25GB of extra storage from Dropbox provides more than enough memory capacity for doing everything you want on your One S and more. Is removable battery really a non-starter? For some, yes, but I really have to say these are all nit-picky reasons not to choose the One S that affect less than a very small percentage of possible buyers. It may even only be one percent . Still, if those little things nag at you, look elsewhere than the One S.

If you’re looking for the best smartphone T-Mobile currently has to offer, the One S makes a very compelling argument. For those of you strictly in the Samsung camp, the Galaxy S II is absolutely a true competitor, though the Benchmark scores tell somewhat of a different story. HTC would also have you believe that ImageSense technology is another major differentiator between HTC and Samsung, but our real-world results tell us it’s not as big a deal as they may want us to believe.

The real decision may come down to the HTC One S and Samsung Galaxy S III/3 if and when it’s announced for T-Mobile in the US. Based on rumored specs, it’s going to arguably be the best Android phone ever but that doesn’t mean it’ll be the right phone for you. For Android fans who need the very latest, the extra few days wait is worth checking out the specs (and availability) on the Galaxy S III. Do you want to know what the best smartphone is on T-Mobile right now? The HTC One S will make a very compelling argument.

-sharp Accessories - Photos: Ray J parties at Gallery, dines and shops at Sugar Factory - (5/1/2012)

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Cheap Contract Mobiles

David Becker/WireImage

Ray J dines at Sugar Factory American Brasserie in the Paris on Friday, April 27, 2012.

Monday, April 30, 2012 | 3:53 a.m.

R&B singer and reality TV star Ray J had a busy Friday night in Las Vegas. before playing host at Gallery Nightclub in Planet Hollywood, the brother of singer Brandy dined at Sugar Factory American Brasserie in the Paris and shopped at the adjoining retail store.

Ray J and his entourage at SFAB enjoyed macaroni and cheese pops, sliders and spinach artichoke dip, while Ray J sipped on a large goblet of Sunshine Tea made with Seagram’s Sweet Tea Vodka and freshly brewed iced tea. The group also enjoyed shots of Patron.

At the confectionery, Ray J, who was reportedly dating Whitney Houston before her tragic death, stocking up on sweets and posed with a signature Couture Pop along the candy wall. He signed the candy shop’s chocolate cigars and stopped to say hello to fans.

Ray J was a sharp dressed man in a light-brown, fitted Emporio Armani suit, a white button-down-collar shirt and black dress shoes before heading to Gallery. Partygoers roared their approval when he got on the mic to hype up the crowd, while the sexy ladies fought for the love of Ray J.

Ray J held down the head VIP table, where he posed for several photographs and enjoyed Ciroc, Patron and Hennessy while partying to “My Chick Bad” by Ludacris and “Teach Me how to Dougie” by Cali Swag District. Thanks to David Becker of WireImage for his photo gallery.

Don Chareunsy is editor of VegasDeLuxe.com and arts and entertainment editor of LasVegasSun.com.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

-sharp Accessories - Win A Free Print From Robin Sharp! - (4/29/2012)

Posted on April 29, 2012 by Cheap Contract Mobiles

Yep, time for another giveaway!! the giveaway is courtesy of one of Robin Sharp, an amazing photographer located in Toronto. Robin is offering the following 5×7 print of one of her Cats in Glasses series!

I absolutely adore this series, and Hershey (the cat pictured) is so beautiful.

Did you see the gorgeous barn owl print in her shop? Robin has serious talent. I love her work so much that I’ll be doing a full interview with her in the future, so keep an eye out for that.

You can find Robin’s work around the internet at:

Robin Sharp Photography, Sharp-Photo Tumblr, If looks could Fill

And her Etsy shop, instantt (Robin is donating all profits from her shop between now and March 25th to disaster relief in Japan, so go take a look!)

To enter, simply leave a comment! Adore one of her photos in particular? let us know!

Want to earn extra entries?? you can earn one extra entry by posting about this giveaway on your blog, tumblr, twitter, Facebook, etc. Just leave a separate comment for each entry with a link to the post! you can also earn one extra entry for “liking” LEXoxo on Facebook (leave a separate comment for that as well, so I give you the right amount of entries! If you are already a fan, you still get that extra entry!)?

The giveaway winner will be announced March 23rd right here on LEXoxo

cheapcontractmobiles.co.uk

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