Technabob » antenna

iPhone 4 Antenna Fix

Technabob — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:40:16 +0000

So now that I’ve got my iPhone 4 in hand, I’ve managed to figure out a fix for that pesky antenna bug that’s been nagging so many of you out there. So here goes…

Now wrap the left mast with aluminum foil, stand on one foot, and touch your right hand to the window…

Motorola Droid X Ad Makes Fun of the iPhone 4′S Death Grip Issue

Range — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 15:04:51 +0000

By now, you’ve surely heard all the hullabaloo over the so-called “death grip” issue with the iPhone 4, which has intermittent reception issues if you hold your iPhone “wrong.” thanks to its innovative, but flawed antenna band design. So it was only a matter of time before the competition would take advantage of this flaw, and that’s just what these guys did in a flyer for Motorola and Verizon, touting the new Droid X..

To quote the ad:

…And most importantly, it comes with a double antenna design. The kind that allows you to hold the phone any way you like and use it just about anywhere to make crystal clear calls. You have a voice. And you deserve to be heard.

All kidding aside, from what I’ve seen and heard, the Droid X looks like a really nice phone. I like the fact that it’s got an 8MP camera, a big screen, and, of course, double antennas. I wouldn’t want to hold my phone wrong and get my calls dropped. Of course, it doesn’t run iMovie…

[via BGR via Ubergizmo]

LG Serie 1 Retro Classic Tv: Everything Old is New Again

Technabob — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:38:21 +0000

So now that you’ve bought that brand new 60-inch 3D capable 1-inch thick LED/LCD television for your living room, what’s next? Looks like the guys at LG are going back to the future with their latest TV.

The retro-styled LG Serie 1 television doesn’t just look like an old set, it actually uses good old CRT technology. No schmancy flat screens here, just a old-fashioned 4:3 aspect ratio cathode ray tube for you to watch your reruns of I Love Lucy on.

The set features a 14-inch diagonal screen, complete with rabbit-ear antennae and chrome legs. It even has old-school knobs for changing channels and adjusting volume. However, this set has a modern digital tuner, composite video for your retro video game console, and a wireless remote so it’s not completely antique tech.

For extra fun, you can flip the television between full color, black & white and sepia tone modes:

The sets are available in the orange color shown above (model 14SR1EB) and a dark brown (model 14SR1DB). At this point the LG Serie 1 Retro Classic TV is currently only available in Korea, where it currently retails for 249,000 KRW (appx. $216 USD).

[photos: EarlyShop]

Portable HDTV Antenna: Powerq Powerhd-100 Packs a Punch in a Portable Package

Technabob — Mon, 11 May 2009 12:10:19 +0000

If you’ve put off getting ready for the final analog to digital television transition, and don’t want to bother with cable or satellite, your only choice is over-the-air digital TV. This sub-compact antenna is designed to help ease the transition without cluttering your tabletop with a giant antenna.

PowerQ’s PowerHD-100 antenna is only 6.5″ wide, but delivers strong digital signal reception despite it’s size. PowerQ claims their compact powered antenna can grab OTA HDTV and SDTV digital signals from as far as 60 miles away.

Measuring just 6.5″(w) x 2.2″(d) x 1.5″(h), the minuscule antenna is small enough to throw in your backpack or briefcase. And since it can run off of USB or battery power, it’s the perfect companion for laptops with digital TV tuners built-in or those add-on USB ATSC tuner sticks.

You can find the PowerHD-100 antenna over at Amazon for $49.99 (USD).

Sqish: Camouflage Satellite Dish

Technabob — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:50:53 +0000

If you drive down the average city street, you’ll see scads of ugly satellite dishes protruding from the side walls, balconies and roofs of homes like some sort of convex grey metal virus. So it was only a matter of time before someone would come up with a way to do away with all those unsightly dishes.

The oddly-named Sqish (I know, a ‘Q’ with no ‘U’) conceals a satellite antenna inside a compact rectangular box, which can be covered with a camouflage weatherproof label to help it blend into its surroundings. What’s really cool is that you can actually send a digital photo of your surroundings to the Sqish folks, and they’ll make a custom camo sticker to make it blend in perfectly to your environs.

At this point, Sqish satellite antennae are only available for UK satellite customers using services such as Sky or Freesat. Hopefully, they’ll work up a version for Dish or DirecTV at some point.

If you’re fortunate enough to be in the UK, be prepared to drop £149 (appx. $294 US) for the antenna, and another £25 (appx. $49 US) for each custom matte photo sticker.

[Sqish via Daily Mail via Unplggd]

The High Seas Go High Definition

Technabob — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 16:49:58 +0000

Those of you lucky enough to own a boat can now watch high definition satellite TV when you head out to sea. This marine satellite antenna system continually adjusts to point at the correct location in the skies for you to watch HD satellite programming wherever you go.

Raymarine offers a variety of satellite television antennae designed to work even in extreme weather and sea conditions. The systems dynamically correct their beam to ensure uninterrupted TV viewing.

Complete systems including an antenna, control unit and an HD DirecTV receiver range from about $7,000 to about $9,000. I suppose that if you can afford to own a boat big enough to need an HDTV, that kind of money is just a drop in the bucket.