sensation

If you're in the United States and under 21 years of age, you really need to stop reading right now. In fact, I'm not sure I want anyone under 25 to know about this thing. Seriously, go look at some phone or video game reviews for a few minutes instead.

You're all still here aren't you?

Fine, then -- I tried. No, the headline doesn't lie. A French-American scientist named David Edwards has teamed up with French designer Philippe Starck -- who may or may not be behind some epic Apple product -- to create an aerosol spray that purports to make you "feel drunk" for a few seconds. … Read more

If you're eyeing a Samsung Galaxy Note but worry whether its 5.3-inch display makes it "pocketable," we've got you covered.

We put five powerful smartphones--the Droid Razr (4.3-inch), the Galaxy Nexus (4.65-inch), the HTC Sensation XL (4.7-inch), the Dell Streak (5-inch), and the Samsung Galaxy Note--to a pocket test.

Unfortunately, our mobile phone reviewer Aloysius wears (relatively) baggy jeans, so if your wardrobe only consists of skinnies, this might not apply.

See if these phones are a comfortable fit for you, then let us know your ideal handset size in the comments below.

(Source: Crave Asia) … Read more

SAN DIEGO--As the HTC Sensation XL is currently only available in Europe and Asia, we leapt at a chance to take a look at it here at CTIA in San Diego.

It does seem a lot like the Android version of the HTC Titan, with its large and imposing 4.7-inch WVGA LCD display. It feels rather big in small hands, but the payoff is that you get a very generous and colorful display for watching videos or surfing the Web. It has HTC's usual excellent design aesthetic, with a slim silhouette and comfortable feel. The one we handled was white all around with a bit of silver on the back.

Features of the Sensation XL are impressive as well. It ships with Android 2.3 Gingerbread with the HTC Sense 3.5 overlay, and is powered by a 1.5GHz single-core processor. You get 16GB of onboard storage, but it seems that it's not expandable, which seems odd to us. There's also an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p HD video capture, and it features several cool camera features like an automatic panorama mode.… Read more

HTC has a press event scheduled for October 6 in London where a "surprise headliner" is promised. Though a focus on HTC's Beats Audio could mean that the special guest is an actual musician, HTC may just be playing coy about a coming new phone as well.

One device rumored to take the stage is the Runnymede, a Beats Audio-equipped phone with a 4.7-inch display. Mirroring HTC's Windows Phone-powered Titan, additional specifications are expected to include a single-core 1.5GHz processor, an 8-megapixel camera, and 16GB internal storage.

According to a trusted source to Pocketnow, … Read more

Facebook organizes your friends into Smart Lists, Google Flight Search takes off, and Microsoft previews the next Windows operating system with a new touch-screen mode.

Links from Wednesday's episode of Loaded:

Well, that didn't take very long. One month after acquiring a majority stake in Beats Electronics, HTC revealed today its first smartphone to integrate Beats audio technology, the HTC Sensation XE.

As first reported by CNET, the Sensation XE is a souped-up version of the HTC Sensation 4G that utilizes Beats Audio to enhance to the sound experience of the handset and also comes with a pair of custom Beats by Dr. Dre headphones. Once plugged in, the phone automatically detects the headset and switches to a custom Beats sound profile that should deliver fuller bass, crisper vocals, and … Read more

If you thought HTC was only going to include Beats by Dr. Dre technology in its smartphones that are yet to come, then you'd mistaken.

In fact, it appears the manufacturer has decided to revise one of its recent and popular models, the Sensation. According to details obtained by CNET today, a coming special edition of the phone will feature not only better audio, but also a faster CPU, more internal storage, and a higher-capacity battery.

As one might expect, the Sensation Special Edition comes with a fancy set of headphones that will appeal to music lovers everywhere. Featuring … Read more

HTC shared some good news for a relatively small but enthusiastic group of its customers tonight, announcing a general time frame for unlocking bootloaders on some of its phones.

Unlocking a phone in this manner allows more-advanced users far more customization than is possible with a typical phone. And while the number of people who are interested in tinkering with their phones to this degree may be small, that group is a passionate--and vocal--one.

The company plans to release software updates to support bootloader unlocking for the HTC Sensation in August, followed by the HTC Sensation 4G on T-Mobile USA … Read more

I've seen these types of things before, but now Iogear has jumped into the fray with a new surround processor for stereo headphones. The product, the USB Theater Sound Xperience, is a USB audio adapter featuring DTS Surround Sensation Headphone technology. Connecting directly to a computer's USB 2.0 port, the USB Theater Sound Xperience simulates a surround-sound effect over stereo headphones or stereo speakers. It's a PC-only compatible device and will not work with Apple computers.

I have no idea what it sounds like, but I love the design; it looks like a vacuum tube! Fear … Read more