Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

This note is addressed to the almost 19 million households in the US whom receive their Television reception – not via cable or satellite but over the air using antennas.  Did you know that unless you already have a DTV compatible tuner or DTV set top box on all your Analog TV’s, or are connected to a cable or satellite TV service, you will lose your television reception on Feb. 18th 2009? You think February 2009 is too far away to be thinking of that?  Think about all the TV’s you presently have in your house or your grandmother’s house,  and about all the TV’s your family is going to buy between now and then.  Unless they are Digital TV capable (not to be confused with Digital Cable or Digital Satellite service)  – they will be useless.  Really.

What to do?  Buy a new DTV Set-Top Box or subscribe to cable or satellite service (and buy / rent their new set-top box) for each analog TV you own. And, here’s a tip:  You can apply for up to two $40 off coupons from the government towards the purchase of new set top boxes (while coupon supplies last).  Of course, you could always replace those old TV’s with TV’s that have the new Digital TV Capable tuners and continue to receive your over the air broadcasts.  Also note that many of the thin LCD/Plasma TV sets didn’t even include any tuner at all in their sets.

Now who said digital was better/easier?!?!

When I learned that there was a plastic shield that would protect my new Motorola Q from scratches and other nasty’s, I must say I was suspect that I would actually keep the Invisible Shield invisibleSHIELD (by Shield Zone) on my brand new Q for fear that the visual acuity and clarity of the screen would be impaired. So, pressured by a Gadgetell editor, I began the installation half hearted - not really reading the directions that were included in the simple package that also included a mysterious bottle of liquid that you are supposed to use to saturate both sides of the Mylar before applying it to your device (does anybody read instructions nowadays?).

I was impressed to find that each piece of clear Mylar film was precisely cut to the Q’s exact dimensions including the exact location for all cut outs for the microphone and speakers. When the installation was completed a couple of minutes later, I was puzzled that one precisely cut piece of Mylar was left over.  I then got the same sickly feeling as I did when I was a kid spending hours building a model airplane or car, only to discover at the end of the seemingly endless project, there was a critical piece left over that was supposed to be installed way back in step # 2!  While the packaging didn’t say it, I later realized that invisibleSHIELD even thought to include that perfectly cut piece of Mylar for the optional extended battery that I happen to also have purchased. If I had been more careful reading the directions, and applying the shield to the screen, perhaps I wouldn’t have allowed dust particles to get under the screen’s shield.

I must say, I prefer the way the Q feels in my hand as compared to before the shield was applied and the way it naturally protects against scratches by placing a protective barrier on top my Q. The full body protection is $24.95, just the screen is $9.95, and prices vary for other handset models as well as other products such as iPods, laptops, and more. 

By the way, the screen’s shield is indeed invisible and needless to say, this shield is a keeper and a perfect shield for my Q.

Product Page [Shield Zone]