Mojamix is an online granola manufacturing system. You select your base, then add dried fruit, seeds, and nuts. They package up your foodstuff and send it to your home via first class mail. The average 12-ounce bag costs about $12 and there is the possibility of adding chocolate-covered cashews to the mix. This last part is what clinched it for me.


The company sent me two handmade concoctions GORP and cereal. It was packed on November 3 and arrived on November 7. The GORP was quite tasty with plenty of fruit yet, sadly, a small smattering of chocolate covered cashews. The cereal was also good with a good flake-to-fruit ratio, ensuring I wasn’t just eating flakes although, to be honest, I’d have preferred to have seen a fewer flakes.

The company offers some Popular Mixes including the “Happy Camper” and “Runner’s Fuel,” and each of these mixes can be improved through the addition of chocolate covered cashews. You can also add flax seeds, but nothing good will come of that.

Let it be known: 12 ounces of cereal is not enough for a family of four, especially since there aren’t enough chocolate covered cashews in there to go around. I’d recommend getting two bags at a time, a pricey proposition.

Is Mojamix for you? I don’t even know what to tell you. If you’re too busy to head down to the health food store and really like goji berries, godspeed. The dried fruit was fresh and the granola was quite tasty so quality wise you’re going to get a better experience then you would back at the local food co-op where the granola is picked over by children and besmirched with hippie cooties.

That said, Mojamix has decided to be nice to you and offer a contest and a coupon code. First, enter “crunchgear” in the coupon code for 10% off of your order. Second, Mojamix has agreed to give away bags of goodness to 10 random commenters. What’s in your Mojamix (besides chocolate covered cashews)? We’ll close the commenting on Weds and send emails to the winners.

Recently they’ve decided that solar power isn’t efficient enough. Well spotted, Google! They must have Binged it. Of course, they’re no stranger to the green. They’ve got millions invested in renewable energy, two solar power firms in particular (eSolar and BrightSolar), but they’re also calling for backup from the government and other major investors. Their goal is to halve (at least) the cost of solar energy production facilities.

To be precise, their goal is “sub 5 cents a kilowatt hour,” which, depending on your area and the technology employed, may be as little as a third or a quarter of current solar costs. They’ve got their own research being done internally moving towards improving the mirrors and heliostats used in solar farms; they’re not simply funding research through their investments. Doubtless the companies they’re working with will aid in the prototyping and manufacture of whatever Google cooks up, having facilities for that purpose already. There’s no timeline yet — they’re letting science take its course.

The news, or rather clarification of Google’s position since it was no secret they were interested in this technology, came at the Reuters Global Climate and Alternative Energy Summit, where Google’s green man Bill Weihl spoke on their goals and the state of the green energy industry. There wasn’t much to announce, since they’re only planning to show some tech internally in a few months — Weihl did indicate that this was a long-term commitment on Google’s part, though far from sufficient to create lasting change.

Their total contribution may be around $100m, but they’re hoping the government might shell out $20-$30bn over the next decade to move things forward. You and everybody else, Bill.

[via Treehugger; image source]

Microsoft might have scored an exclusive deal to keep Netflix Xbox 360 only and off both the PS3 and Wii. But if you’re willing to forgo the fancy UI on the Xbox, there is still a way to get Netflix on the PS3 and eventually the Wii too.

MediaMall has a software pack called PlayOn that uses the DLNA system built into almost every networked AV device. Right now I use the software on my Xbox 360, Moxi HD DVR, Helios X5000 and Archos Gen 5 hooked up to my bedroom TV with a DVR station.  

The user interface isn’t spectacular as the program uses the device’s DLNA system. The great thing is that the software pack not only supports Netflix, but also Hulu, YouTube, ESPN, CBS, and Revision3. There are some drawbacks like the $39.99 cost after a 14-day trial ends, and the YouTube support isn’t exactly stellar. In the end though, the software gives you access to a lot of content not official supported by the devices.

All throughout the Ocean 2’s development cycle, pictures of it kept popping up in a silver and black motif. When it actually launched, however, everything silver had been turned red. The color change made sense, with the Helio-brand now under the parental guidance of Virgin Mobile (who’s primary color is red) – but it was one of the things we didn’t like. We said in our review that we hoped a black version would follow, as various hearsay had lead us to believe.

Looks like it is indeed. This render of the Ocean 2 decked out with a black bezel was hiding in a Helio page intended for Korean-American customers page, and it appears it might even be for sale already for that market. It might mean a trip to a Korea-town dealer or calling up a Helio CS rep and asking real nicely, but if you’re waiting for a slightly less vibrant Ocean 2, you might be able to get one now.

[Thanks David!]

Since the day the original Helio Ocean hit the shelves, rumors were abound that a followup was in the works. 2 years have since passed, countless rumors and leaks have come and gone, and the company that birthed the original has since been acquired – but it’s finally here. Has the wait been worth it?

After months of rumors and undercover imagery, the Virgin Mobile Helio Ocean 2 is finally just weeks away from hitting the shelves. Don’t want to wait to experience the rush of cracking open the box? Fear not, my friends – we’ve got what you’re looking for. We’ve peeled it apart, piece by piece, and snapped images all along the way. Ready for the unboxing of the Helio Ocean 2? Click on for the gallery.

After word got out that Britney Spears’ next tour would be sponsored by Virgin Mobile and the Helio Ocean 2, the estimated Ocean 2 launch date finally found it’s first deadline: March 3rd, the first day of the tour. We can now confirm that the Helio Ocean 2 will be coming over 3 weeks earlier, launching on Helio.com on February 12.

The Specs:

• 2.6″ QVGA Screen
• Optical Sensor for touchpad-like navigation
• Dual slider (One QWERTY, one number pad), a la the original ocean
• 5 hours of talk time, 10 days of standby
• 2GB internal storage, microSD support
• 2MP Camera w/ video support, night shot, and geotagging
• Full HTML browser with tabbed browsing
• Upgraded Ultimate Inbox: Threaded text messages, Google Talk
• Access to all the Helio services: Connect, Buddy Beacon, WHERE, HelioUP

Contrary to what we’ve seen in previously leaked images, the Ocean 2 will be launching in the “red limited edition” color scheme you see above, with other colors said to be coming “later in the year”.

Last month, an eBay auction appeared for a Helio phone that wasn’t supposed to exist. Now, we’d heard whispers of this phone before, but we only really knew two things: 1) It was a Helio-branded and modified version of the Samsung F400, and 2) It was cancelled.

Being the fairly obsessed Helio geek that I am, I just had to play with one – but somehow in the stir of craziness that is December, my intent to bid was forgotten, and the device (known only as the A533) slipped from my grasps. My disappointment was colossal – until I found out that the winner of the auction was a close friend of mine.

It took a few weeks to work out, but the A533 has now spent a good amount of time in my hands – and in my lightbox.

Long before Virgin Mobile acquired Helio, we started hearing whispers that the Samsung F400 was destined for the carrier’s lineup. With its vertically dual-sliding design featuring a number pad on one end and dual speakers on the other, it would have been a pretty snazzy little handset for music fans on everyone’s favorite MVNO. Don’t expect to expect to see this one hit the shelves anytime soon, though.

Read the rest of this entry at MobileCrunch »

(Thanks to Virgin Mobile for passing the $50 dollar gift cards our way!)

In the series of $50 gift card giveaways we’ve had so far, this is our third. Well, actually, if you count the one we gave away on the MobileCrunch Twitter feed last night, it’s our fourth. Congrats to Chance (Contest 1), Zulay (Contest 2), and Bernardo (Contest 3, via Twitter) on walking away with 50 greenbacks just in time for Christmas. Haven’t won yet? Don’t sweat it. We’re not even a third of the way done yet.

Click on over to MobileCrunch to find out how to enter >>

Long story short, Virgin Mobile sent us an envelope full of $50 dollar gift cards, and we’re passing them on to our readers at a rate of one or two per day. (If you really want the whole back story, here you go.) The only catch is that they expire at the end of 2008, so if you nab one you’ll have to spend it quick.

This is the second card we’ve given away so far. Find out how to win it at MobileCrunch >>

When Virgin Mobile acquired Helio, they also acquired a fat stack of 50 dollar Prepaid AmEx cards that were originally intended for Helio promotions. I assume it was kind of like finding a $20 in a pair of pants you haven’t worn in a long time, except it was a whole bunch of pieces of plastic worth $50 each. Rather than filling the Virgin Mobile offices with PS3s, they figured our readers might be able to use some of them to make Christmas just a wee bit more exciting. The only catch? They expire at the end of 2008, so you’ll have to find something to spend them on quick (as if that’ll be difficult.)

Find out how to win at MobileCrunch >>

When I clicked my way through to the image attached to this morning’s Helio Connect press announcement, I couldn’t help but laugh. Not because I find social news site aggregators inherently funny, mind you – but because there’s a little Easter Egg hidden inside and, oddly enough, it’s somewhat related to yours truly.

If you haven’t spotted it by now, take a glance at the second item on the list. “Secret handset”, it reads. Now, before you get too excited that you’re getting a sneak peak at Helio’s next big thing, read on after the jump for the history of this image.

Read the rest of this post at MobileCrunch >>

Replace “Marcia” with iPhone

AT&T is reporting a boom in customer acquisition and, it seems, a bust in profits. According to a recent earnings report, the company activated 2.4 million iPhones but lost $900 million in third-quarter earnings as a result of all the data and voice blowing through Apple’s darling.

The iPhone, we see, is a double-edged sword. Because it goes out to early adopters and folks who understand mobile data, AT&T faces the same problems MVNOs like Helio faced in the U.S.: aim at heavy data users and get hit for data usage. While this is a testament to the majesty of Steve Jobs, it’s also a problem for AT&T. How can they keep making profits if they’re spending on their cash on network upgrades?

As we all know, all that data comes at a price. The high bills AT&T is sending out to 3G users attests to this and it will definitely be harder in the coming months to convince price-conscious consumers to pony up $175 or more just to get Facebook on the go.

AT&T’s third-quarter 2008 reported and adjusted margins and earnings reflect revenue growth and continued progress with previously outlined cost initiatives, offset by hurricane-related expenses and effects on wireless results from the iPhone 3G. Impacts from the company’s iPhone 3G initiative reduced pretax third-quarter earnings by approximately $900 million or $0.10 per share…

Based on third-quarter customer response, AT&T is optimistic regarding continued strong iPhone 3G activations and is confident in the long-term value created by this investment in acquiring high-value, data-centric wireless subscribers. As a result, AT&T expects its dilution associated with the iPhone 3G will run above its previous expectation, and AT&T now expects, depending on volumes, its full-year 2008 wireless service OIBDA margin to be better than 37 percent versus its previous outlook of 39 percent to 40 percent. AT&T expects its full-year adjusted consolidated operating income margin to be approximately 23 percent versus its previous outlook of approximately 24 percent.

I will keep this review short and straight to the point, folks. You know how Google likes to keep things in Beta for years and years? Well, Android is no different. Like many of you I was excited at the prospect of a new OS to muscle it’s way in and take down the iPhone, but I’m afraid Android is not it – at least not yet. The OS actually isn’t that bad, but it does have its issues and those cannot be overlooked. Unfortunately it’s the hardware that will be Android’s folly this go around until the other manufacturers can churn out some better goods.

Let’s start with the hardware.

The Good

The variety of input mechanisms is superb. The keyboard is quite responsive and laid out very well. It’s almost on par with the Sidekick keyboards and we all know those are the gold standard. The trackball has a nice tactile feel to it and I especially like that it’s dark grey, so it won’t show dirt and grime over time. But it remains to be seen whether dust, dirt and anything else that can get into it will affect its performance. The touch-screen is nice and bright and quite responsive. It’s not as big as the iPhone screen, but it gets the job done.

The camera works great and takes decent photos when there’s enough light, but in low light situations it stinks and that’s to be expected. It fires up rather quickly when you tap the hard key firmly, but a quick tap won’t do anything for you, so make sure you give it a good push.

I wasn’t keen on the placement of the speaker when I first saw the G1, but it’s a heck of a lot better than being placed along the bottom of the phone like the iPhone. Being super loud isn’t always a good thing but audio quality on the G1 doesn’t deteriorate when it’s at full volume. It’s still just a speaker on a phone, but it’s loud and crisp. Even when it’s placed speaker side down on a table the audio doesn’t get muffled. I’m actually listening to Bob Marley’s Legend while writing this review and it sounds great (speaker side down).

Call quality is relatively clear on both ends and does pretty well out on the streets. It’s par for the course. Nothing great but not terribly bad.

The screen’s hinge is rather strange, but it works. Greg and I are both heavy users of the Helio Ocean, so we know a good hinge when we see one and HTC did very well with this. It slides open and out and does not “fold” like most smartphones. It’s much more similar to the TK than anything else.

The Bad

My biggest gripe with the G1 is that the GPS does not work. I thought maybe it was because I lived in Manhattan, but my iPhone never has a problem finding me within seconds and neither does my T-Mobile BlackBerry Curve (no GPS but at least I’m within a few hundred yards based on cell tower triangulation). Regardless of whether or not I enable the GPS satellites, I’m never where I’m supposed to be. And if it does manage to find me, it immediately drops me off two or three blocks away. Even on my way to JFK earlier in the week, I thought there would be enough exposed sky for it to accurately locate me. No dice. It stinks and turning on the GPS satellites drain the battery like nobody’s business, which brings me to my next point.

If you thought the battery life on the iPhone 3G was bad then you haven’t had to deal with a G1. The first day I had it I managed to kill it within six hours and I was just cruising the Web (medium heavy), sending/receiving e-mails and getting used to the device. I figured it needed a drain and a full charge overnight to cure itself, but I woke up the next day and did some light Web browsing, checked a few e-mails and attempted to locate myself via GPS for 10-15 minutes and the battery drained down to 7x percent within an hour. I can’t imagine what it would be like if I used it as much as I do my BlackBerry or iP3G. The battery life is atrocious. It drops 5-10 percent after 30 minutes of unplugging it and not even doing anything.

While the keyboard rocks that hip with the hard buttons makes it extremely awkward on your right hand and I still haven’t found a comfortable way to hold the device and type on it. I’m sure with time it’s something I could get used to, but I shouldn’t have to. Seriously, who gave this design the green light? It reminds of the Wing and Tilt, but a fugly mishmash of the two. It’s huge and that section with the hard keys is angled up making it uncomfortable to put in the front pocket of my jeans. And I’m no hipster wearing skinny jeans. I see the Touch series and wonder why something like that wasn’t used for the G1.

And last but not least, no 3.5mm jack. That’s right, you’re forced to use the headphones that come with the G1 and connect via USB. Weak sauce.

Now on to Android.

The overall UI is clean and easy to figure out. I hate making comparisons to the iPhone, but Android does a good job in this area. The layout is similar, but with smaller icons, which could look a lot better. I can’t really say that Android is good or bad, but my initial reaction was that it seemed to be slapped together last second and held together by duct tape. It’s not as buggy as the iPhone first was but it looks and feels archaic.

Before I go on a rampage I will point out the few little gems that Android has to offer. The notifications bar is a nice touch and keeps me up to date on what’s going on and it’s easy enough to access by swiping from the top of the screen down. The variety of inputs can be confusing at times and I barely remembered that the menu hard key was there, but it’s something you just have to get used to. It gets much easier and you can whip through the device rather quickly once that happens.

The ability to add things to the home screen was also a nice touch like shortcuts. Having folders that I can dump certain apps like games into is convenient and takes up less real estate.

A minute detail that many might overlook that I found quite useful was the status menu for the device to see vitals like battery level and signal strength. I just wish I could make a shortcut for it to put on my home screen.

Now here’s the bad (and good)

Gmail
-Inability to have more than one Gmail account linked to the device. I know it would throw off everything else linked to it like the calendar and contacts, but I don’t think it’s too much to ask to have the option of switching back and forth.
-Surprisingly not as polished as the BlackBerry Gmail app, but everything is more streamlined. Depends on the user, I suppose.
-Digging through menus isn’t fun when you just want to spam an email. Not being able to trash your entire spam folder is also a negative.
-Despite the aforementioned quibbles Gmail on Android works and it works well.

Google Maps

-If the GPS would actually work I might shower Maps with flowers, puppies and praise, but it doesn’t so I won’t.
-Street View is phenomenal, but it shows me locations that are nowhere near where I am or where I want to go. Maybe it’s because the GPS doesn’t work, I don’t know.
-The compass (you have to download the app Spare Parts to even get it) in Maps that I thought would kick ass was underwhelming and it’s hard to tell which direction it’s pointing you.
-The entire app is underwhelming due to the non-working GPS and when it is able to locate me it’s slow to update.

Google Calendar
-It works, but it takes a while for things to sync.
-The home screen icon should reflect the actual day.
-I’d like to see the calendar on the notification bar but when the keyboard is closed that wouldn’t leave too much for notification icons. It does show up when you pull the notification bar down though.

Google Search
-It works. No problems here.

Browser
-After using the iPhone’s Safari browser I’m spoiled, but the Android browser can firmly rest in second place among mobile browsers.
-Zooming in and out is a smidge painful when you’re having to tap the + and – icons, but like I said, it’s way better than every other browser on the market except for the iPhone.
-Eight separate browsers should be enough for anyone.

YouTube
-It’s not as polished as the iPhone’s YouTube app, which is appalling, but it works.
-You can also comment on each video’s direct page, but do we really care about that?
-No dedicated video player other than this. That’s rough.

MP3 Player
-No equalizer.
-Longpressing on an album, song title or artist will bring up links to search the Amazon MP3 store, Google and YouTube.

The Market
-I cannot give this a fair review because the apps that are currently available are not very good. But Namco’s Pac Man is FREE! Rejoice!
-The whole barcode scanner app is lame. Comparing the price of items doesn’t locate local pricing for me and I don’t care how much a bottle of Jack costs online. Maybe it’s because my GPS wasn’t working. Who knows?
-Deleting applications is far more difficult than it needs to be. When you hold down on an icon from the home screen the tab at the bottom displays a trash can which you would think is actually a trash can, but it’s not. It’s a receptacle where all your apps are stored. You must delete apps from inside the Market. Fail.
-I’m sure with time the Market will get better, but right now it’s nothing to swoon over.

The Network
T-Mobile’s 3G network is strong in the markets that it is currently deployed in. I’ve had great coverage in NYC, SF and Chicago thus far and have had less switching between EDGE and 3G than on the iPhone 3G. Download speeds are comparable to that of AT&T’s network and I didn’t drop any calls. Oh, and the actual phone works great.

Other gripes
Did they choose black as a background just because the iPhone uses white (grey/blue)? From the home page everything looks vibrant but once you jump into settings or IM or anything then it turns dark and dreary. At least let us change the themes or something. Beyond the home page it’s an ugly and unpleasant experience.

Conclusion
If you’ve been waiting for Android then I suggest you keep waiting. The overall OS seems to be held together by duct tape and needs a lot of work. Apple focuses on the minute details to enrich the overall experience for iPhone users and Android could learn a lesson or ten from it. The hardware design is dated and while the touch-screen and keyboard are great you can’t just forget about the wretched battery life, horrible GPS and the overall ergonomics of it. I wish the G1 were better in every respect because I don’t think the iPhone is that great, but I find myself wishing it were more like it. It’s the best alternative to the iPhone, but it’s just not there yet.

Available starting today is the Pantech Matrix for AT&T. It features the same dual sliding keyboard from their Helio Ocean design in a much better looking form factor. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the pill design, but this new QWERTY keyboard looks a lot easier to use. It features a 1.3-megapixel camera, XM radio, Bluetooth and an MP3 player. Get it now in blue, green and red for $80.

Now that Virgin Mobile has finished the process of gobbling up Helio, they’ve started launching devices which utilize some of the partnerships the buyout brought to the table. The first one out the door is the Virgin Mobile Shuttle, which purportedly totes Buddy Beacon, a locational application that began its life on Helio handsets. I haven’t actually found it (or any other hints of Helio) on the handset, but I’ll keep an eye out and let you know whats up in the coming review.

Though there’s not all the much box to be seen, we’ve gone ahead and stripped it down and documented the process in photos.

One click makes them bigger – click that second shot for the high res image:

We’ll be covering the event live, which starts in about 20 minutes. We already have the official press release and images, though, so here you go. Enjoy…

Introducing the T-Mobile G1 with Google, the first phone powered by Android, an innovative mobile software platform. Available for T-Mobile customers spanning two continents, the T-Mobile G1 combines full touch-screen functionality and a QWERTY keyboard with a mobile Web experience that includes popular Google services such as Google Maps Street View, Gmail, YouTube and others.

With a fun and intuitive user interface and one-touch access to Google Web Search,
T-Mobile customers can now get instant answers on the go to all of their questions and stay connected in more ways than ever before. The T-Mobile G1 is also the first phone to provide access to Android Market, where customers can find and download unique applications to expand and personalize their phone to fit their lifestyle.

Key Features of the T-Mobile G1 include:

· Intuitive user interface and hinged touch screen that slides open to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard

· Convenient trackball for one-handed navigation

· Three color options in the U.S. – white, brown and black

· One-click contextual search to instantly find relevant information with a touch of a finger

· Full HTML Web browser and zoom function that expands any page section by simply tapping on the screen

· One-touch access to popular Google applications including Google Maps Street View, Gmail, YouTube and others

· Google Maps provides map information, satellite imagery, local business info and driving directions as well as MyLocation to let users know where they are; Google Maps Street View syncs with the built-in compass on the phone – an industry first – to allow users to view locations and navigate 360 degrees by simply moving the phone with their hand

· Google Maps Street View for virtual street-level exploration while on the go

· Rich HTML email client, which seamlessly syncs e-mail from most other POP3 or IMAP mail services, including Gmail; displays photos and graphics right along with the text

· A beta version of Android Market for access to new, innovative software applications to personalize your device to fit your life from games, music and on-the-go shopping

· At-Launch Applications:

o ShopSavvy: designed to help people do comparative shopping

o Ecorio: developed to help people keep track of their daily travels and view what their carbon footprint looks like

o BreadCrumbz: enables people to create a step-by-step visual map using photos; customers can create their own routes, share them with friends or with the world

o Amazon MP3 Store (pre-installed on device): enables people to search DRM-free, full-track MP3 music and download that music from Amazon directly to their device using a Wi-Fi connection

· Built-in support for T-Mobile’s 3G (HSDPA) and EDGE network as well as Wi-Fi; T-Mobile G1 will seamlessly transfer between 3G and accessible Wi-Fi networks including T-Mobile HotSpot locations worldwide

· Built-in support for YouTube allows customers to enjoy the website’s originally-created content, easily navigate through YouTube’s familiar video browsing categories or search for specific videos

· Built-in instant messaging client with support for Google Talk, AOL, Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger

· Support for advanced text messaging features to easily flag, delete or move groups of messages and keep track of group conversations through threaded text messaging

· 3-megapixel camera with photo-sharing capabilities

· Music player supports MP3, M4A (iTunes AAC, DRM-free), AMR, WMA, MIDI, WAV, OGG Vorbis

· Pre-installed 1 GB Micro SD memory card that can hold approximately 500 songs (device supports up to an 8GB memory card)

· 11 pre-loaded songs including tracks from The Helio Sequence, Kinski and Flight of the Conchords

· Bluetooth-enabled

· myFaves-enabled

· GPS capabilities

· Voice recognition, voice dialing and speakerphone

· GSM/GPRS/EDGE/Wi-Fi and UMTS/HSDPA

· 850/900/1700/1800/1900/2100Mhz

· Up to 130 hours standby, up to 5 hours talk time

· Dimensions: 4.60” x 2.16” x 0.62”; Weight: 5.6 ounces; Display: 3.17 inches

Pricing & Availability

For specific information on pricing and availability, please visit www.t-mobileg1.com.

Not reading MobileCrunch yet? Why the heck not? While a MobileCrunch post or two might make the jump over to CrunchGear each day, there’s a ton of good stuff each day that you’ll only see on that side of the fence.

Here’s some stuff you may have missed on MobileCrunch today:

• Rumor: Verizon’s HTC Touch Diamond may launch in October
• QuickPwn 2.1 released for Windows
• Analysts predict 4% Q4 marketshare for Android
• Shots of the HTC Dream G1 handset in the wild
• Helio Ocean II (Oz2) gets the FCC photo treatment
• Nokia E72 and E75 promo video leaked, quickly pulled

Now that the Ocean 2 has slipped back until January of ‘09 at the earliest, we’ve cruised right by the September confidentiality date of the original FCC filing back in March. As a result, a handful of hardware photos and a pack of details have made their way out.

Check’em out over at MobileCrunch >>