Love the RAZR2, hate the video
Mobile Phones
The new Razr2 V9m from Motorola - available from Sprint for about $249 with a two-year contract (not including rebates) - is a classy successor to the original, with a clean touchpad layout, buttons on the side, and two beautiful, bright color screens inside and out.
RAZR2 V9m buyers can also subscribe to the Sprint TV and Music services and play classic games like Ms. Pacman.
But the device's sexy, slim proportions (it has roughly the same dimensions as the original RAZR) make it as impractical for enjoying multimedia entertainment as many other mobile phones.
The sound from the built-in speakers is excellent. But good luck getting through a full-length episode of "Grey's Anatomy," or a drawn-out discussion about Owen Wilson streamed from CNN Mobile Live.
The video streams, viewed on either of the phone's screens, can get pretty choppy. Also, as I watched one program on the external screen (you can watch programs with the phone shut), the Sprint TV logo kept flashing over the picture.
The RAZR2 is a solid phone, however, with some nice touches. I tested a model with a reflective black finish. Its side buttons, for controlling volume and the like, vibrate when you push them, providing a cool, tactile response that makes you feel more connected to the device.
The RAZR2 also has a camera and a 2GB capacity MicroSD memory card slot.
Green Energy
Maker of tailpipe tool says it boosts fuel efficiency, reduces emissions
I've often fantasized about owning a green grease car, something like the waste veggie oil-powered El Camino Darryl Hannah used to drive around Telluride.
But the problem with WVO and biodiesel (at least some of the homemade stuff), is that cold weather and impurities can gum up your car's works, and my wife insists on having a reliable set of wheels.
I may have found a simpler and less risky way to "green my ride." Sabertec, headed by Brockton-born William J. O'Brien, says its $150 add-on for your car's tailpipe will cut fuel consumption and emissions by making the car's catalytic converter and oxygen sensor work more efficiently.
You can get the device, called the Blade (bladeyourride.com), installed at Woodward's Auto Parts Express in Brockton or Ideal Automotive Services in Somerville. Or you can install it yourself. Sabertec says the job takes about 20 minutes.
Ideal Automotive's service manager, Skip Hansen, said he charges $199 for the Blade, including installation. He has sold 32 so far.
The Blade, attached to the end of the tailpipe, creates back pressure in your exhaust system. That will lead to more accurate oxygen sensor readings, and more efficient combustion, Sabertec says. Translation: The Blade can improve gas mileage by up to 30 percent and may save you over $1,000 a year in fuel costs, the company says.
The Blade reduces emissions of particulates, hydrocarbons, and other pollutants and helps to heat up the car's catalytic converter, so that it begins to treat emissions sooner after start-up, Sabertec says.
The Blade will also diminish exhaust-system noise - another plus. But that means Hansen will probably not be installing many Blades on Honda Civic low riders.
Mobilel Gaming
Nokia says N-Gage, again
Nokia recently unveiled additions to its N-Gage games lineup, and a name for the gateway to all of Nokia's Internet services. N-Gage (n-gage.com) and the new gateway, Ovi (ovi.com), are scheduled to be launched later this year.
Nokia plans to install N-Gage on its upcoming N81 and N95 8GB phones. But if you already have a compatible Nokia phone, you will be able to download the application from the Web in November.
The Sims Pets, Tetris, and Tiger Woods PGA Tour will be available for N-Gage players, Nokia said. The mobile phone maker also mentioned two of its own titles: Snakes Subsonic and Bounce Boing Voyage.
You can find out if your phone is compatible with the new application by visiting the N-Gage website. You can also reserve your player name there. I have already registered mine: it's "oscardelarenta."
Innovative last week
Make your horn honk like a Model-T
At the risk of touching off a car-horn arms race in Boston, I want to tell you about a new audio system that blasts an infinite number of sounds at your obstacles and adversaries. The Horntones FX-550 (about $250) has an MP3 Player-like device you use inside the car, and a loudspeaker that goes under the hood. Once they are installed, you make your presence known with the sound of a phaser, or a clown horn - virtually anything you download from your PC. You can purchase the Horntones system at horntones.com. The manufacturer recommends having it installed by a professional.
TECH LAB Watch Mark Baard demonstrate some of the technology he reviews at boston.com/business. 