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Sure, the HTC Evo 4G is one of the first smartphones to offer an HDMI-out port, but how well does it really perform?

On the bottom of the Evo is a small HDMI-out port. It's much smaller than the HDMI interface you're probably used to, so make sure to purchase a Micro-D size cable. One end will fit the port at the bottom of the Evo and the other end terminates in a standard HDMI interface.

After spending some time encoding various file formats and sizes, we found that MP4 movie files performed the most consistently. Also, files rendered closer to the Evo's native 800x480 resolution worked best as larger videos stuttered and would not play properly on-screen.

We were a bit disappointed in the lack of control the Evo gives in terms of HDMI-out playback. In fact, there are absolutely no settings associated with the connection. Other than videos stored on the external MicroSD card and YouTube, the phone can't play anything else through the port--this also includes third party software like Slingbox Player Mobile. Oddly enough, the Evo can't display individual photos either; they must be arranged together in a slideshow for them to show up correctly.

The Evo seems to output all video at 720p (1280x720), regardless of the source resolution. Also, it takes a few seconds for the phone to handshake with a TV, so be prepared to miss the first second or two of playback. In terms of sound, every video file played back was accompanied with solid audio quality. You can control the volume of the source material via the Evo's two-button rocker on the right side of the device.… Read more

Motorola kicks off National Safe Driving Month by launching the Smart Handsfree mobile app for Android that helps users to navigate the often confusing local hands-free driving laws.

Upon downloading and launching Smart Handsfree, the app will use the Android handset's location service to discern what state the user is in and display an overview of whether there exists a handheld or texting ban or if there are any special conditions for novice drivers. Having this sort of information at your fingertips is fairly useful. For example, while we knew that the state of California has bans on using … Read more

As more and more U.S. states enact hands-free mobile phone laws (we're at six so far, mostly in the Northeast), it's not a bad idea to buy a Bluetooth accessory for your phone.

I've never been a fan of Bluetooth headsets--though they're great for conference calls while telecommuting, I'm not a big walk-and-talk guy--but I've always thought car speakers were a different story.

On Monday, BlueAnt introduced the S4, which it calls the "first true hands-free, voice-controlled Bluetooth car speakerphone." At first glance, the claim seems silly--the point of a car … Read more

EMC's Mozy online backup service just got a lot more compelling--because it's not just online anymore.

Version 2.0 of the cloud backup service, released late Monday, adds a very useful option to store your data on an external hard drive, too. Storing data remotely is well and good, but a local backup is easier if you need to restore files, and setting it up was as easy as plugging in a drive and telling the software to use it. External USB drives are economical these days--less than $100 for 1TB--and it's nice not having to configure … Read more

So what's the big difference between the iPad and the iPad 3G? Aside from a $130 price bump, GPS capabilities, and an internal 3G cellular modem, there's not much to say.

But if you really want the nitty-gritty details over the cosmetic differences, the micro-SIM tray, the extra options in the Settings menu, signing up for a 3G account, and the glorified paper clip that comes in the box, I've put together a photo gallery that runs through everything.

If all that pointing and clicking feels like too much trouble, here's a First Look video that … Read more

Doodle Bowling is a free, ad-supported, one-player bowling game with a cute, scribbled sketchbook aesthetic.

The interface is attractive but fairly limited: you're looking down a bowling alley with a scorecard in the foreground. You touch the ball to pick it up, and then flick to roll it down the lane, with your flick controlling the direction and speed. Once your ball is rolling, you can swipe right or left to spin it (and the more slowly you send your ball rolling, the more time you have to do this). The physics are fairly predictable, but at times the … Read more

This week on preGAME, hosts Jeff Bakalar and Mark Licea take a sneak peek at the action-thriller Metro 2033! Join us as we play it live on the show and talk to the game's executive producer, Luis Gigliotti live in the studio. We chat with Luis about how the title made the jump from novel to video game and how the PC version was built in 3D from the ground up. Make sure to watch the entire episode to find out how you can score a copy of the game for Xbox 360!

But before our live demo, Digital City's … Read more

It's not a ripoff of GoldenEye in the James Bond series, but the Golden-i could have been something to emerge from the gadget labs of Q.

Spotted at the recently concluded Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, the Golden-i wireless Bluetooth/Wi-Fi headset is meant for users who usually have both hands busy but still need computer access. The entire system, which projects a 15-inch virtual display, is also voice-controlled, so you simply say the corresponding text on the icons to activate a PC's data and applications.

The software, supplied by speech solutions provider Nuance, is intelligent enough … Read more

LG announced its new Blu-ray lineup just over a month ago at CES 2010, so we were shocked to hear we'd be getting review units in early February. The BD590 took home the Best of CES 2010 award in the home theater category for its built-in 250GB hard drive and CD-ripping functionality, and the BD570 is the more direct successor to the popular (and well-reviewed) BD390. LG says the BD570 and the BD590 will be coming in mid-March with list prices of $280 and $380, respectively. We'll be doing in-depth reviews with both of these products over the next few weeks, but we wrote up our initial impressions of the BD590's exterior design and revamped user interface.

Design The BD590 takes its design cues from its predecessor, but it's a slightly slimmer, less bulky unit, despite the fact that it includes a hard drive. The front is dominated by a long glossy panel that automatically flips down when the disc tray is ejected. We're not big fans of flip-down panels--they seem like one more thing that can break down the road--but it does keep the unit looking sleek.

Under the front panel reveals a few playback buttons (including handy chapter forward/backward buttons) and a USB port. Of course, if you plan on keeping a USB drive in the port, you'll have to leave the front panel down, which is considerably less slick-looking. The power and eject buttons are toward the top and are always accessible.

The included remote is a complete redesign of last year's clicker. The main surface is glossy black, which looks sleek coming out of the box but, being a remote, naturally accumulates fingerprints quickly. Button layout is mostly straightforward. Playback controls have a "hill" that runs underneath, making it easy to find by feel; there are also nubs on the rewind/fast-forward button. The main directional pad is surrounded by six buttons, which is a little more cluttered than most Blu-ray remotes we use, but we didn't find it that troublesome in use. Along the bottom are a few buttons for controlling a TV.

User interface

We loved the dead-simple user interface on last year's BD390, so we were a little dismayed to see that LG has done a complete overhaul.… Read more