T E C H N O G A D G E T S ®

Verizon COO Lowell McAdam announces an iPhone, arriving in early February. It has all the features of the AT&T iPhone but, of course, it’s CDMA. The phone will also offer the ability to create a personal hot spot for up to 5 devices. It will run on the 3G network, not Verizon’s 4G LTE which was hyped so heavily at the Consumer Electronics Show. Verizon customers can pre-order the phone stating February 3. A week later, it’ll be available to everyone else and at Verizon stores. Your Verizon iPhone4 will be priced at $199 for 16GB and $299 for a 32GB model. A comment was made that, after rigorous testing, they feel confident about the phones performance (for those worried about a pesky antenna problem). A lot of people have been waiting for a Verizon iPhone since their network is considered by many to be better than AT&T, but there’s always been disagreement between the two carriers about coverage. A recent comment from AT&T claimed that their GSM network is faster than CDMA and that Verizon iPhone users should get ready for “life in the slow lane.” But Verizon says they’ve beefed up their network in anticipation of their iPhone launch. The downside of CDMA comes when traveling overseas, and the fact that a CDMA phone can’t do voice and data at the same time. A solution for that is said to be in the works, although they really didn’t talk about it during the press conference. The most important thing is, the iPhone really IS coming to Verizon!

Will you make the jump to Verizon? If you’re already a Verizon customer, will you get a discount? Check your eligibility here.

I got to experience the amazIng General Motors EN-V this weekend, making its North American debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Part car, part Segway, part amusement park ride, and 100% futuristic. The EN-V stands for electric networked vehicle. It’s a concept that demonstrates what cars can be, and maybe what cars should be, especially in crowded urban environments. These carbon fiber vehicles had been produced all over the world. Using a platform built by Segway, the EN-V vehicles were built in Australia, Germany, and California. GM doesn’t talk price, but my sources tell me that each of these exclusive little prototypes comes in at around 4 to 5 million dollars. Smaller than a Smart car, they have a top speed of 25 miles per hour and they have a range of 25 miles, and that’s adequate for the urban commuter. But they have amazing abilities beyond that. They have the ability to platoon down the road, with one following the EN-V in front of it. They have the ability to stop for an obstacle, like a pedestrian. Yep, it’s the hands-free driving of the future, the ultimate smart commuting vehicle. The EN-V even has the ability to come when called. Really, walk out of a restaurant and call the EN-V on your smart phone. It wakes up and comes to you. Due to the Segway powertrain, the EN-V balances and has incredible turn-on-a-dime capabilities. Like the Segway, that zero-degree turning radius lets you turn your car into very tight spaces. Like the Segway, the EN-V has no suspension. I still feel it in my kidneys. It was point out that a person who only knew the Model A would still recognize the car of today. They have not changed that much…and they really need to. Now, I know many of you say you’ll never trade in your Malibu for a GM EN-V. Then again, with a target date of 2030, you have some time to think about it.

Click here to see a video clip of my ride in the EN-V!

We welcome your comments, will people ever embrace cars this small…even in crowded urban areas?

We got an early hands-on with the Motorola Xoom, introduced at CES. I was really impressed with the form, the feel of it, the speed, the front and rear cameras, the ability to do flash. Can it be a real alternative to the iPad…you betcha. We welcome your comments, will we see an iPad killer in 2011? I didn’t shoot much video at CES, so enjoy this video (shot in the same ballroom I was in) by the fine folks at PC Magazine.