It looks like there is an unconfirmed Google Maps outage on Android devices. A few users from AndroidForums.com have reported that they are getting the error “Data connection lost, retrying…” when they open Google Maps. Whether this is just a problem for users who downloaded the updated app yesterday or not remains unknown. I will post more info as it become available.

UPDATE: Things look to be back up. I’m looking for any official word from Google.

After playing with the HTC Eris I’ve only come to one conclusion, but you will have to read through to the end to see what that is.

Out of the Box
You can read my initial reactions here but straight out of the box I love how small the Eris is and how well it fit in my hand.

It’s really fast; there was some initial lag when I first started it up, especially when moving through the home screens, but over all this phone is just as fast as the Droid.

Play Time
You have all read the specs so I’m not going to bore you with the details that you’ve seen all over the web already. Playing with the Eris was fun and the Sense UI made it a joy to engage with the device. The lack of hardware keyboard will put some off but if you aren’t planning on typing much then this droid is the one you are looking for.

Since it isn’t running Android 2.0 there are some things that aren’t on this device that Verizon has advertised are on the Droid, namely Google Navigation, a slower browsing experience, and the older Marketplace. Of course an over-the-air (OTA) upgrade to Android 2.0 is rumored to be hitting the HTC Hero and HTC Eris in the near future so that could all change.

There’s not much more about this phone to say, it’s a great little phone — it is fast, reliable, and Verizon’s 3G makes it the best non-hardware keyboard phone the carrier has out. If you don’t like the bulk of the Droid or don’t need a hardware keyboard then definitely go check this little beauty out today. (Currently, for a limited time Verizon is selling the HTC Eris for $99.99 with a NEW 2-year agreement, $199.99 for existing customers.)

Before I get to my first impressions review I want to say that this is not the same as the Motorola DROID. This has an older version of the Android OS (Android version 1.5, the DROID runs version 2.0) so some apps that have been advertised for the DROID will not work on the Eris, namely Google Navigation. Google Navigation is currently only available for Android 2.0 devices. The only reason I bring this up is because I’ve heard consumers complaining about this to Verizon and apparently they aren’t being told this by the company, they are just getting the answer, “I don’t know why it’s not working on your phone.” It’s not working on the phone because the phone doesn’t run the same OS as the DROID.

First, the phone is a little taller, thinner and heavier than the HTC Touch, the curves are curvy and it feels good in the hand.

The phone is fast and sliding between screens moves just as fast as you think it should. Apps pop up quickly and respond at lightning speeds, the browser is fast with 3G even though I enjoy the Android 2.0 browser more.

Unlike the Motorola DROID, the HTC Eris has HTC’s signature Micro USB adapter for charging so you’ll be able to use any Micro USB cable to charge or move data over.

So there’s a brief run down of my first impressions. Keep an eye out later this week for the full review with pictures and a video.

IntoMobile just released the news that Wirefly.com is selling the Moto DROID for $99.99 and the HTC Eris for FREE (after activating a new Verizon account, of course). Get ‘em while they are hot!

According to IntoMobile the DROID deal is just as it seems — only available on new accounts — but the Eris deal is for current subscribers who are willing to sign a new 2-year agreement and pay $59.99 or more on the accompanying plan. Shipping is free on both phones so if you want to save you’ll just have to wait a few more days for the phones to be shipped.

Wirefly DROID deal
FREE HTC Eris

[via IntoMobile]

I just received a question on Aardvark and had to do some quick digging to find out that T-Mobile is experiencing major network downtime. There’s no official word yet but stayed tuned to the blogosphere and twitosphere, word will pop up as soon as we hear more.

UPDATE: T-Mo knows about the issue and is working on it. They say that it’s less than 5% of it’s subscribers with out service now. Just hold on, things could be over soon.

UPDATE 2: According to T-Mo’s twitter page: “We’re making good progress restoring voice and messaging service to affected customers. More: http://ow.ly/z2hQ“

New reviews will be slow coming over the next few months as we are doing a site overhaul for the new year. Keep watch to see how things change around here.

I’ve been using Aardvark since they opened the doors and it is an amazing service. Not only can you get answers to your questions from multiple people (giving you the quickest and easiest way to find information when you need it) but you can also answer questions and help others. I’ve made buddies on Aardvark and I’ve also looked at questions and thought, “They should have just Google’d that one.”

Well, now Aardvark have opened another door and it’s one that makes it so much more simpler to get answers to your questions. The main tab of the app has a box for you to ask your question and it lists all the questions that you’ve asked or answered in chronological order. There’s a tab for you to view current questions to answer and to view your buddies on Aardvark.

Overall, a great, simple app that does that it should. The iPhone/iPod Touch app is out and ready to be downloaded from the App Store free of charge.

Today, Meraki released a wireless census and found out what many in the tech sector already knew — the number of Apple wireless devices have increased in the past year. This is mainly due, of course, to the demand for the iPhone.

Another mobile charger review, these are getting to be fun! This time it’s a solar-powered charger that can be attached to pretty much anything with it’s velcro, fold-over strap. Unfortunately, because it is solar-powered, it takes a while to charge; according to the instructions that came with the SolarStrap (which you can download and read on their site), if it’s a sunny day it will take 12 hours to charge, if it’s partly cloudy you are looking at a full 24-hour charge time, or if it is completely cloudy it’s going to take 5 days of charging.

To speed up the process, though, (or if you just so happen to get it when the heavens decide to rain every day of the week) they include a handy AC charger and a USB charge cable. I let mine hang on the blinds in my office at home for a day and then plugged it up that night to top off the charge.

To show the charge status of the SolarStrap you are given two LEDs, one green and one red. The green one, when a device is plugged in, will flash according to the SolarStrap’s battery charge. Four green blinks is full, three green blinks is nearly full, and so on until you have no green blinks and only the red one blinks once, which means the battery is empty. When charging the battery with an AC adapter the red LED will continuously blink and it will cease blinking when the charge is complete.

I received a few adaptors with my review unit as well, along with a generic “charging” cable I received: USB-B, USB mini, USB mini 8-pin, USB-A female, Samsung D600/A300, Samsung G600, Nokia 2.1mm, Sony Ericsson, and iPhone/iPod adaptors. There are other target specific adaptors available as well as a cigarette lighter and AC adaptor. According to the instructions you only get the strap, the charging cable, and the user guide, so you will be able to buy adaptors to suit your needs when you get it.

The SolarStrap has kept a charge very well and is pretty flexible. It’s made of some kind of a foam exterior with the wiring, battery, and solar panel glued into place between the two pieces of foam. I was assured that this was not a production unit and it had been hand-glued, which is good because in one or two places around the solar panel the foam wasn’t glued down all the way.

As for the foam itself, I don’t know how well it will hold up, after unvelcroing and velcroing a few times I could see how it could start to break up if it was used regularly. Also, if it was left out in the sun (on your car’s dashboard or in a window sill) I’m not sure how the foam would hold up.

The only beef I have with the SolarStrap is that I don’t know what the charge amount on the battery is until I connect a device to it. I wish there were a button on the battery to show charge status of the battery, or something along those lines. But, overall, it’s a great charger if you are out and about a lot but if you are like me and stuck in a windowless office all day it may not be ideal for you.

The charger is scheduled for shipping this month (August ‘09) and currently there are only a few dealers listed on their site, with only one being in the USA. The SolarStrap is priced at 29.00€ (about USD$41), for more information visit the Suntrica website.

This is a test, this is only a test. If this were a real post and not just a test of the Wordpress->Twitter integration, you would have been told to just shut up and read!

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