It's a bold move naming something/someone HERO. That's a big label to live up to! And i must say, the HTC Hero is living up to it so far... i'm kind of loving how it feels in my hand, and how beautifully they've skinned Android into HTC Sense! This was going to be an unboxing post, but it came in a white box, no real paperwork to walk me through (and it didn't really need any!)... it is totally the white label version of a mobile? (Yes, i'm completely giddy that this showed up today!)... so unboxing aside, and without getting too far into the UI side of it... this is a beautiful object to handle! And the details are just awesome! So see lots of close ups on the next page...

So, Justine checked out the launch of the HTC Hero and HTC Sense in London a few weeks back, and i've been curiously lusting since... And for those paying close attention to the differences between the original design Mike and Maaike made for the G1 and the actual G1... you'll notice the Hero is actually a little closer. So far i'm already loving the 5mgp camera, the BUTTONS, and the awesome integration of twitter/facebook/flickr... the HTC Hero just feels amazing in my hand! Only curiosity not put to rest... what's that magical white dupont coating like? They sent over this rubbery soft touch metallic pewter like color. (UPDATE: sources tell me "FYI the white non-stick coating feels exactly the same as the brown. the additive is simply there to keep the white, white. no need for it on the brown one.") I can already tell, the HTC Hero is going to be a hard one to send back at the end of testing! Anyhow, take a peek at pics on the next page!

P.s.
for physical comparisons, you can also see it stacked with the G1 and iPhone 3GS. As for what i'm currently using these days... Primary is BB 8900 Secondary is iPhone 3GS... but the iPhone sim just went into the Hero for play time...

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Tags: gifts - phone - reviews - shopping - technology - unboxing

Phone Lust! Crunching to get this post sorted out before i run to LAX to pick friends up... and because of that i wasn't able to make it out to London today for the HTC Hero and HTC Sense launch! Fortunately Dr. Justine (yes! my little sis is all done!!!) was able to spare a few hours, hop out of oxford, and out of the academic world to go see what all this mobile fuss was about. And get pics to show me what i was missing. As usual, you can get all the technical details on any site, but she got us those key moments and details i love seeing... like the expressions the C-level presenters have, and the presentation graphics they used... and quotes about things like Drunken Thumb and Teflon fingerprintlessness and how 'fun people make fun phones, nerdy people make nerdy phones' (yes, this is a "fun" phone). So on the next page you'll see a bunch of hands on pics of the new phone, as well as my favorite snippets of her press event experience.

As for the phone lusting ~ the new HTC Hero is like a super thin keyboardless version of the G1 (in shape!) ~ and it is running Android, with their new HTC Sense experience that takes it to a whole new level (keep in mind HTC are the guys who even skinned windows mobile to a point where i loved looking at it, and the UX, until you realize its still win mobile under there, too bad they couldn't hide everything?) ~ Its most appealing feature is that it is truly PEOPLE centered, in that instead of looking for your friends on twitter, facebook, flickr, address book, email (of various accounts)... it sorts the content by PEOPLE! So you can see all of a person's feeds/interactions with you in one place. And it sounds like it does it pretty easily too ~ get your account info in and the phone does the rest and updates it regularly and syncs people up. Now if that meant all those people i'm bad at officially putting in my address book can have their info sucked in from facebook/linkedin etc ~ that'd be awesome. (p.s. while it does apparently magically sync matching names on its own, you can decide which get paired or manually sync for people who like pseudonyms on various accounts.)

OK ~ go see the pics!

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Tags: events - gifts - htc - london - phone - shopping - technology

More Jawbones ~ already! And i've barely used my other ones (they live in my car ~ i tend to use speakerphone as my handsfree when driving alone...) I must say the starburst color palette is pretty fun, particularly the photography they with this new Ear Candy line ~ there is also the new Prime line, which is the usual black, silver, bronzey palette as well... So for what's new and more pics ~ check out the next page!

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Tags: accessories - fashion - gifts - phone - shopping - technology

News of this magical new battery doubling sleek iPhone case has been circulating, but only tonight (or i guess now its 4am... so morning?) did i really sit down and go through the press release and high res images ~ Not surprising, it's Incase, so it's gorgeous... and it's available in 2 days! (Nov 28!) Actually what brought the Power Slider up was talking to dan about his super early flight to Pennsylvania this morning, and how there is the possibility there will be no internet (*gasp*) and hopefully some cell reception where he's going... and how badly he wished he has the Incase Power Slider to magically double the battery life on the go!

So upon further inspection, the Power Slider deserved a full post ~ have you looked closely at it? like REALLY closely? To notice the mac inspired details like "A five-light LED battery status indicator gauges battery life and also denotes sync mode and charging." Or the subtle single leaf logo on the front bottom left? How about the deepness of the camera hole on the back? And it has my favorite matte black soft-touch coating! Also love that its converted the charging to a more standard mini-USB, much more friendly when roaming in random non-iPhone friend cars without your own charger! I am curious how the 0.86" thickness feels in my hand relative to a normal iphone... So anyhow, check out the super closeups on the next page, i think this is definitely making the list of good gifting options for the holidays...

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Tags: accessories - gifts - iphone - phone - shopping - technology

Android logo is so freaking cute! Ok that's my first half awake impression coming back from the T-Mobile store with the HTC G1 ~ And physically, its a really nice piece of hardware, clean sleek and understated (unlike *some* phones) ~ full pics on the next page of everything from the store displays and my #42 card to a proper unboxing, showing you all the bits.

Being a commitment-phobe, i opted to start my own t-mobile family plan of one ~ family of blackberry curve and G1. Screen looks a bit prettier than the iphone, the bounce up screen action feels great, and i'm totally smitten by the way its nice matte finish feels in myhands... also that slight curvature... ahh the details. Ok so beyond the unboxing and close looks at the hardware, i'm only just starting to poke at all the UI details, maps/email/phone/camera/etc, so far it looks great, only a few random bugs encountered when playing with things like street view, but will see how it goes - so more to come on that, but i just wanted to get some pics up before i ran out to a meeting! For the super thorough UI breakdown, check out Boy Genus Report ~ and see my pics on the next page!

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Tags: gifts - google - phone - review - shopping - technology - unboxing

NOTCOT Note: While i'm running around france learning about champagne at hyper speed, it's hard to get much time or a good connection to work from... so good thing Anna has my back, and found this super awesome Band in My Pocket!

Yamaha has teamed up with au Design to create Band In My Pocket - a series of cellular phone prototypes that also function as musical instruments. Depending on the prototype you use, you can turn your phone into a brass instrument, drum sticks, piano, string instrument, etc. The au Design website is in Japanese, but be sure to check out the videos that showcase each design (click on the black box with the arrow beneath the diagrams). Also worth checking out are videos of Band In My Pocket in action over at Bola Sociology's blog.

Check out the individual phones and their uses on the next page!

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Tags: music - phone - sub-studio - technology

DEAL for NOTCOTers - 20% off all Hulger Products until Sept 14th! (just click through, they'll take care of you.)

Next up ~ on the next page i have a full reverse unboxing of the Hulger Penelope*Phone and USB Base in Black and classic P*Phone & USB Base in Red... While the Penelope is sexy and classy and oh so modern designy retro... i couldn't resist the red P*Phone... ok this is going to sound pretty silly, but i was wondering whether having an "official work phone" on my desk would somehow make me more professional on the phone... something about wandering around the house on the cell phone, i just have a tendency to get far too casual + friendly... It's like the new NOTCOT Hotline! Less in that Moscow-Washington Cold War sort of way, and more in the playful Powerpuff Girls from the Mayor's office to Pokey Oaks Kindergarten sort of way. I guess for NOTCOT, its more like ad folks to me hotline... So have been messing with the vinyl cutter and at the moment i have it filled with a black notcot logo texture inside and a little notcot on the front, have considered covering it with random textures or some fun pirate dinos...

Oh, and for those curious why i went corded over bluetooth ~ i'm terrible with charging, and the Hulgers are already far too large to get away with for the driving/talking handsfree laws, so this makes for a really fun desk phone, whether plugged into my monitors via USB, or into my curve. Anyhow, see a full unboxing of how awesome the packaging is on the next page! (And some old 80's red phone ads as well...)

p.s.
yes, i do seem to feel more serious when on an old school phone, especially a red one, how silly is that?

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Tags: bluetooth - gifts - iphone - packaging - phone - reviews - shopping - technology - unboxing - usb

Ok packaging lovers... you will definitely want some AIAIAI headphones, iphone/curve headsets (headphones + mic/button), and the new laptop sleeves (but more to come on that in a future post!)... These danish designers don't mess around, their gorgeous headphones (you have to feel these cables to realize how nice the quality is) come in these incredible thick plastic tubes (think perfect for pens/pencils/paint brushes) where the ends aren't just plugs but little containers with their own caps (they are like little pill boxes) with alternative ear pieces! As you can see, they have great attention to detail ~ and the Y-com model is named so for its signature Y shaped center piece where the L and R are labeled... some even have a playful behind the ear coil...

As for how they work ~ well i tried them hooked up to my blackberry curve for the 5.5 hour drives up and down to/from SF/LA this weekend, and it was great (driving with only one side in of course, since both sides in the sound is so good you can't hear the world around you). Also, see the fun flashy page flipping AIAIAI Catalog here! See pics on the next page to get the full experience!

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Tags: gifts - iphone - music - packaging - phone - reviews - shopping - technology

Fun packages to come home to ~ the new Sidekick that just launched today! Now with customizable skins that you can design yourself with black, white, or pink plastic as the base. So on the next page i have a full unboxing for you, and close ups of some of the fun details... and then some REALLY close up (like 200x) views of the new keyboard as well, which is my favorite feature. Overall, i'm loving the new design, its sleek, nice and matte in the center, and the font and non-chicklet like keyboard keys are so nice to use... also check out what the phone looks like with and without the new skins...

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Tags: phone - reviews - technology - unboxing

NOTCOT Note: This is the second in my series of Ultimate Accessories posts which have been sponsored by the new Infiniti G Sedan! As with any sponsored content ~ these posts are done - my way - my product choices, my content, and they help keep the site free!

The *new* Jawbone, the adorable "half the size of its predecessor" bluetooth headset with the same powerful noise assassin technology, and yves behar design... is taking LA by storm even more this week than ever before. We've written about this beauty before, but since as of July 1st, all Californians must legally use some kind of handsfree while driving - these have been flying off the shelves, and we gave in and updated the NOTCOT team with them as well. So far, they work incredibly as promised, and still have that incredible packaging and awesome design details in the whole opening experience... so see a full unboxing gallery on the next page!

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Tags: bluetooth - gifts - Infiniti Ultimate Accessories - phone - review - shopping

It's about time! The Jawbone has finally been redesigned to be less of a monstrosity on your face. Ok, so maybe i'm being a little harsh here, but i did fall in love with the Jawbone at first online sighting... but then i finally tried it in a store and was appalled at how massive it was on me... maybe my face just isn't large enough? But now the new one is about half the size! And it no longer cancels noise... it now assassinates it, with its upgraded "noise assassination". Rumor has it that you are also not to call this the "Jawbone 2" (so, watch out blogs that already did so)... since they are killing off the old one, so its more of a replacement product than a new option (not that you'd want the bigger one anyhow... although that one has longer talk time, but little one has more standby time). Oh, and this one also comes with a leather covered ear loop, and i hear you can headbang with it without the earloop and it stays on pretty well? Basically, i've woken up to many a good rumor about this one, and am now tempted to go hunt one down and try it! More pics on the next page as usual...

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Tags: bluetooth - gifts - phone - shopping - technology

I had to tear myself away from spinning the newly announced Blackberry (9000) Bold around on their site... to get this post put together, and it wasn't easy. It is so pretty - the rumors have been flying for weeks - we posted UI shots - the guys at Crackberry bought one early on ebay and reviewed the gorgeous UI (.org #10424) - so much anticipation... and now, official pics! I love the black/silver look (vs the curve) ~ and it looks like a leather/textured back ~ i still stand by my initial statement that it feels like what would happen if you mixed blackberry/iphone/psp... more pics on the next page!

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Tags: blackberry - phone - technology

Over at Engadget Mobile, they've gotten their hands on one of the future Blackberries... the elusive 9000! Which looks like a blackberry that got with an iphone and a PSP... this chimera has the body of the iPhone, the glossy ui of the PSP, and the brain of a Blackberry... with a very impressive result that makes me slightly sad when i look at my new curve now.

Basically the exterior design seems very iphone like with its sleek black face and chromed out edge... and the simple white on black icons (down to the style) and the way they glow is much like those sexy infographics seen on the PSP and PS3... does that wavy wallpaper seem very sony/apple as well? See some of the images of the slick UI after the jump, as well as a video... i can't wait. i'm drooling already.

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Tags: blackberry - iphone - phone - ps3 - psp - technology

iHole... yes, someone has gone and done it - made use of that gorgeous iPhone box and turned it into a camera! Scot Hampton announced "the world’s first iHole™; the revolutionary analog photographic device constructed from the recycled packaging of digital technology." (i wonder if he really trademarked that?) on his blog Feb 13th... see more of the fun pics after the jump. He suddenly has me overflowing with silly homemade cameras from recycled packaging ideas... like a collection of portraits of products as taken by their packaging?

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Tags: camera - iphone - packaging - phone - photography - technology

Ooooh fun packaging for the personalized Motorola ROKR E8's going to Oscar nominees. "Each nominee received their ROKR E8 in a personalized, custom-made box. Keeping up with the latest red carpet trends, the ROKR E8 arrived encased in a keepsake box wrapped in an iridescent faux iguana print with a contrasting, yet complimentary, textured inside. Female nominees received a fashionable fuchsia colored box (with a rose pink interior), while the male nominees received a handsome cobalt colored blue (with a dusty blue interior) box. Each box was personalized with the nominee’s name and category." Not so sure about the "faux iguana" thing... (but i'm biased i do miss my childhood iguana that grew from about 6" to 6') Check out more on the press release! And congrats to Ellen Page and Johnny Depp! via Laura Sweet

Tags: gifts - phone - technology

On new collaborations, Nokia brought Parisian artist/designer Frédérique Daubal on to design the 7900 Crystal Prism. The result is a playful combination of her multifaceted collages, the return of the 80's geometric motifs, Nokia's latest in technology (this 3G phone boasts a 2mgp camera - with video, 1GB internal memory, push email, music player), a "dazzling sapphire crystal centerpiece", matching headset, and variable color options for the keypad. I'm excited to get hands on with this one to play with the 49 different colors you can change the keypad to and the laser etched multifaceted aluminum backing. And if Frédérique Daubal sounds familiar to you, you have probably seen her work everywhere from Colette to Paul Smith ~ and my personal favorite are her Super Family buttons (see image after the jump) which were on NOTCOT.org... and exploring her portfolio, i just discovered her awesome buttons for Bumble & Bumble too! So check these out after the jump as well as some closeups of this fun new phone!

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Tags: gifts - phone - shopping - technology

There's a little something special for anyone who adds the NOTCOT sites to their iPhones! So when you save a Web Clip of NOTCOT.com, NOTCOT.org, TasteSpotting, or NotCouture ~ we've designed custom Web Clip icons for each of them! And for those of you who haven't checked out org, tastespotting, and notcouture on an iPhone yet, it looks pretty sweet! Also, i made a quick walkthrough of how to put a Web Clip on your Home Screen after the jump... much shorter than the long update video.

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Tags: iphone - phone - technology

On unexpected discoveries at CES ~ i first got pulled right into Winplus' Yada's booth from its crazy giant white painted frames filling a wall... each filled with what turned out to be bluetooth headsets and holders! And their space was a bright glowingly white that draws you right into it, with playful lights hanging from a grid above... and an adorable Yada Mini Cooper in there as well. Naturally it was making it onto my favorite booth list, but what i didn't expect was to be completely intrigued with their affordable, nicely thought out design bluetooth headsets and accessories. The Yada YD-V1 ultra lightweight headset, universal phone holder, multiple car mounting options, car charger and home charger is only a mere $46 at amazon. Affordable and adorable, the thing i liked most was how compact their products were... and i kind of want the cupcake looking car adapter for my cup holder. Also look how sleek the car charger is? Why waste more space then necessary with cables? Same with their USB solution. Nice simple speakerphones as well. Anyhow, take a look at pics i took of the booth and products at CES... as for sound quality, i have no idea... but i'm curious enough at that price, to impulse buy one from amazon to find out.

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Tags: bluetooth - cars - CES - events - phone - technology

Nokia goes green this CES with their Nokia 3110 Evolve, and to show it off they gave it a special corner of their large booth space. The most eyecatching things there? The Toyota Hybrid COVERED in green vinyl sticker trees (YES, i am so dreaming up things to do to my car) ~ the beautifully simple compressed wood layered displays ~ the bold typographic 60% recycled packaging. If there was one common trend between my favorite design centric booth displays this year it would definitely be silhouettes in vinyl...

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Tags: CES - events - phone - technology

Latest gadget to make it across my desk (and on my many road trips this last week) ~ the Happy Ear Flamingo. Ok get over the name, and moving along... while i've tried my share of bluetooth ear pieces, i was intrigued by this one because they decided to try something new with the way it actually stays in place... instead of inserting something directly into your ear canal, this one has two nubs that hook into the space above and below (look at the diagrams below to make more sense of it), and testing it on road trips from la-sd-sf its been working great. On silly features that won me over, the charging base is magnetic, so it just snaps right into where it needs to be to charge. Also sound quality has been great, and it really doesn't get tangled in your hair, etc ~ it was quite comfortable having that straight part hang straight against my face, i guess making it look like a flamingo with one leg up next to my head? Anyhow, the blister packaging didn't do much for me, but the comfort, stability, and sound quality of the headset impressed me.

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Tags: accessories - bluetooth - gifts - phone - reviews - shopping - technology

My blackberry pearl just had a hardware failure last night. The volume increase button is broken... and i lasted a few hours before i had to go into the store and have it dealt with (don't even talk to me about calling in... ugh. i tried.)... so a replacement is on its way... in a few DAYS. While further phone hunting (naturally in my frustration i turn to distracting myself with new options) ~ i discovered that you get a free personal ISLAND with the Blackberry 8830 over at Sprint.

Ok ok, so after you delve into all the small print, its just a crazy over exaggerated campaign microsite (privateislandoffer.com) ~ that reminds me quite a bit of the Nokia ones (Remember Great Pockets that was on .org?). So it turns out if you want to buy the $10.5 million phone with free island, you are actually paying the $199.99 and then $10,500,000.00 for the "exotic island with amenities" according to the fake checkout... since as soon as i tried to buy it ~ it pops up "Are you sure you're a billionaire? There is no way we would sell a commodity as precious as an island on a site that just anyone could access. If you are in fact a billionaire and you're still interested in purchasing an island, our broker would be happy to help you find one..."

Anyhow, the intro clip is cute ~ and their spammy sounding domain is amusing... privateislandoffer.com. Screenshots below as well.

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Tags: advertising - phone - technology - travel

Hehehehe. Ok this 2am, this made me giggle. So maybe "we" (yes, you too perhaps!) have a bit of an internet addiction going on. Luckily i'm not yet as bad off as Dilbert here... but those occasional iphone/pearl hits are critical even when happily exploring the real world.

Tags: comics - phone - technology

Wow, what happens when you give 15 fashion designers sidekicks to do what they want with? Some pretty crazy fashion/artsy looking phones. My favorites are below, and the stand out is definitely this Justin Giunta for Subversive one... gold bees, everywhere. Also interesting were the cool bags that some of the designers made to go with these... like betsey johnson, coach, tommy hilfiger, diane von furstenberg, and more... (even philip lim and j. lo did phones ~ crazy group they arranged) These are all being auctioned on eBay, and you have 4 days left! 100% Benefiting Fashion Targets Breast Cancer.

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Tags: fashion - gifts - phone - shopping - technology

iTrapped, yes this came up on .org yesterday (#5182) linking to Photojojo who then got dugg to the point where they were down and no one could view it. Well... checking out google blogsearch, i saw that one of the guys (Joshua Blankenship) that got iTrapped in the iPhonez actually noticed it on our site, and i agree with him, iTrapped is MUCH better than "Smooshtacts"... he says "It’s weird to open up my daily tabs and find my face on NOTCOT. (Oh, and calling it “Smooshtacts?” Honestly, Photojojo… worst name ever. It’s iTrapped, people.)" Hehe, it made me laugh in my half awake state, and i just loved the iTrapped name and this great image he had up, and am now imagining people starting the trend of photobooths where they are pressing against a glass pane for this effect with a black backdrop... oh the drunken scenarios waiting to happen.

Tags: art - phone - technology

On strange cryptic emails, here's a new one. Apparently i was *lucky* enough to receive number 442/500 (yay i made the top 500 of some list?) of Limited Edition Emails from Multi@MultiPolarProjects.com. Being lazy and confused by all of this, instead of following the precise framing descriptions, lets visualize and pretend the iphone is my shadowbox... This thing came with an invoice email as well... (read it below)... and thank goodness mine came "PAID (Compliments of the artist)" because this "Media: Variable depending on the buyer" goes for a whopping $1,000 USD - but luckily they say: "We will verify Edition Number & Purchaser for ebay and auction house sales." I hope i didn't destroy its value by spreading the sarcasm to all of you! Since, "You may only print out ONE copy. If you make multiple prints, your edition will then be revoked."

Also, i'd like to take this chance to say... this email is awesome because it gave me something fun to do with my iPhone before i go return it tomorrow or weds. I may try again once updates come out, and things become a bit more useable for my day to day life. But don't get me wrong its a great ipod with fancy email and web browsing, and zooming in and out is far too fun (as is wasting more time watching youtubes than i ever did on a computer).

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Tags: art - phone - technology