Socal Stuff: Reviews by Donna Schwartz Mills

The Perky New Peek: Mobile Email on a Budget

This recession is kicking my butt. Paying the monthly bills takes a lot longer, because I am spending more time these days trying to figure out where else I can cut.

One of the toughest nuts to crack is our wireless bill, and I'm the family's worst offender, because I have a Blackberry. This has become essential for my online activities... but it adds a whopping $35 a month to our bill, for unlimited email and texting.

That's one of the reasons I decided to take a second look at the Peek mobile email communicator. You may recall that I reviewed this handy dandy little device back in January, when I concluded that it could save me over $100 per year over Blackberry service.

The other reason for giving Peek another whirl is that they've issued a new model: The Peek Pronto allows you to access up to FIVE email accounts and gives you unlimited text as well as email - all for the bargain basement price of $19.95 per month.

This time around, I decided to hook my Peek up to one of my business accounts, which is hosted on its own server -- and I was shocked that connecting was just as easy as Gmail. All I had to do was enter my email address and password and Peek did the rest -- no need to look up an SMTP or POP3 server name.

And the ease of use carried on to all of the device's functions. I like the full keypad (my Blackberry Pearl doesn't have one). And the Pronto's reception and delivery of messages seems quicker than the original Peek.

The one thing I don't like as much is the trackwheel on the side, which is a little tougher to manipulate than my Pearl's centrally located trackball - but that is a minor inconvenience. And I finally discovered how to do a mass deletion of accumulated messages, which is not included in the teeny amount of documentation that comes in the package. As the simplicity of the device is what the marketing people are emphasizing, they must have decided that the documentation had to be simple, too -- but I would have preferred having the shortcuts included with the package, rather than having to search for them on the Peek website. (The trick for mass deletions, by the way, is right here - and it's simple too, even if it's not readily apparent.)

The initial cost of the device won't break your budget, either. The Peek Pronto I used this month retails for just $59.95... and the original Peek Classic is now available at the unbelievably low price of $19.95. That is the TOTAL cost of the equipment -- none of that two-year agreement baloney you have to put up with when upgrading your cell phone. In fact, Peek service is month to month - there's no contract requirement AT ALL.

The main difference between the two models is that email delivery on the Pronto is faster, and you can link to up to five email accounts (vs. just two for the Classic). You may also view photos, PDF and Word attachments on the Pronto, while the Classic model only gives you the ability to access photos.  Finally, you can use the Pronto to send SMS text messages for the same monthly subscription fee (which means you can drop the unlimited text message option on your mobile phone plan and just use the Peek).

For right now, I am holding on to my Blackberry, if only because I've become dependent on it for syncing with Outlook on my computer (so I forget fewer appointments now). But I'm more and more tempted to switch with each monthly bill -- so don't be surprised if I decide to give the smartphone up in the near future.

You can find both the Peek Pronto and the original Peek Classic at nationwide chains (like Target, Radio Shack and Costco) and online... including here at SoCal Stuff, where I am giving an unopened Peek Pronto package away to a random reader!

To enter the drawing, just email me at socalmom @ socalmom dot net. An entry will be announced here on Monday, August 10.

Entries to the Peek giveaway have been closed.

DISCLOSURE and DISCLAIMER: I did not receive any compensation for this review. I was given a Peek Pronto device and service for one month for purpose of writing this review, as well as a second Peek to give away. There were no guarantees made that the review would be a positive one. The opinions in this review are my own.

The Head Turning Lexus RX

This is another in a series of posts I'm writing about my search for a new car to replace my current Volvo.

Catch up with the entire series here.

I was not prepared for all the attention I got the first day I picked my daughter up from school in a Lexus RX450h -- all from the other parents.

"WHAT are you driving?" was the question on everyone's tongue.

The newly designed RX is a head-turner - especially when its color is Matador Red. The interior is just as gorgeous: all leather seats and wood trim. And the drive is just what you would expect from Lexus. It didn't take me long to understand why someone would shell out $37,000 for the base vehicle ($41,660 for the hybrid model I was driving).

Let's forget about the comfort of the 10-way heated (and cooled!) power seats, and the smooth feel of the drive -- these are things you have to expect in a luxury brand like Lexus. The focus of this review will be on the vehicle's innovative technology.

I'm glad I enjoy playing with tech, because at the time Lexus loaned me the 450h, they hadn't yet  finished writing the owner's manual, so I didn't have one to refer to and had to figure things out for myself... such as the fact that the keyfob they give you unlocks the car but isn't used to start it!

I know this is old news for those of you lucky enough to own a Lexus - or even a Prius - but it took me a few minutes to realize that I couldn't start the engine unless I pressed a button while my foot was on the brake... and then it took me another couple of days before that became habit.

"What prevents someone from stealing the car?" my daughter asked (quite logically, I thought).

I got the answer to that a couple of days later when I accidentally dropped the keyfob before I got in the car. I learned from experience that it must be present within the vehicle in order for it to start.

The Lexus dashboard is dominated by the screen to an onboard computer system which reminded me a lot of the Sync technology available on many Ford vehicles. You get a main menu that allows you Bluetooth access to your mobile phone and its directory, the navigation system, your MP3 player (hooked up via cable), radio/CD/DVD, vehicle information as well as an onboard calendar and weather and traffic info. Unlike Sync (which is operated via voice commands and a touchscreen),the Lexus system employs a joystick-like apparatus found on the center console, which allows you to move through the different onscreen menus.

Downloading my mobile phonebook into the Lexus' system was easy and seamless, and making calls was a breeze. The voices of my friends and family came through loud and clear over the vehicle's speakers - however, they complained that I sounded a bit muffled on their end.

And the Mark Levinson^® Surround Sound system that comes standard in the RX 450h and 350 is amazing! It was easy to download my iPod's library through the USB port hidden in the armrest and a pleasure to listen to my favorite tracks in there. There were times when I drove the car a couple of extra times around the block after reaching my destination, because I didn't want to get out.

I did have some difficulty with the navigation system on the 450h I was driving. Apparently, this car had been prepped to be driven in the Washington, DC area and was only programmed with information from that region! I could not enter my own home address in the vehicle unless I went to the satellite system and pinpoint it manually on the map -- and the best I could muster was the house across the street.

I was also disappointed to learn that one of the RX's more innovative technologies - "Heads Up Navigation Display (HUD)" - was not available on the model the company had lent me. This projects the nav system directions onto the driver's side windshield in a kind of holographic format (so you don't have to look left to the screen) and was one of the features they had wanted me to write about in the first place.

Because of these two mixups, I was given a unique opportunity: One month after returning the 450h, Lexus delivered me a beautiful golden RX350, which allowed me to compare the hybrid with the standard model. This one not only included the HUD feature, but had a fully functioning nav system programmed with maps from Southern California.

But it still did not have an owner's manual - and I was reluctant to call the company's PR folks to complain about that again. I concluded that most people who write about Lexus cars for a living are a lot smarter than I and able to figure out which features are available and how to access them without written documentation. I knew that the nav system could be voice activated (just like the one on the Sync), but I never figured out how to use it.

And it took me a couple of days before I figured out how to turn on the HUD system, and it was really cool. I discovered that the projection was done with light and mirrors (not truly a hologram, although that is how it appeared). I made my daughter videotape it from the backseat while I was driving, but unfortunately, it didn't show up well... so you'll just have to settle for this official Lexus video to show you what it looks like:

Another feature I'd wanted to try was a dual-screen function on the DVD entertainment system, which is cool when your backseat passengers want to watch different programs. It's a great idea -- but alas, I could not figure out how to make this feature work either.

How did the hybrid model compare with the standard one? I only noticed one difference: it took a little bit longer for the seat heater to work on the 450h. That, and I got about 100 more miles to a tank of gas. The performance for both vehicles was excellent, and I felt no difference going up our neighborhood's hills in the hybrid model.

I would purchase the RX450h in a heartbeat - that is, if I won the lottery. Right now, I have my fingers crossed that some of that innovative technology will trickle down quickly to the Toyota line (How about the RAV4? That actually IS in my budget).

DISCLOSURE and DISCLAIMER: I did not receive any compensation for this review. I was lent two vehicles to drive for a week each for the purpose of writing this review. There was no agreement made that the review be a positive one. This auto review is my opinion after driving each vehicle for one week. I am not a mechanic or an automotive expert and make no claims on the vehicle's reliability. For that, I suggest you check out trusted automotive publications like Edmunds.com, Kelly Blue Book, and Consumer Reports. And as a female auto buyer, I always go to AskPatty.com for trusted advice on my vehicle purchases.