The Droid Charge smartphone from Samsung has been eagerly awaited by many power users.  It’s the second smartphone that supports Verizons 4G LTE network.  The faster network capability and Android 2.2 give Web browsing a performance boost and help the performance of popular apps like Facebook and Google Maps.  The Droid Charge can serve as a mobile WiFi hotspot for other devices.  It supports Microsoft Exchange for e-mail and also includes a GMail app.   

The 4.3″ Super AMOLED Plus touch screen display provides enhanced graphics and the battery life is longer than the battery of the competing HTC ThunderBold and other HTC smartphones.

See a video review of the Droid Charge in this YouTube video and read a review on CNET.

We always like to let people know when we’ve spotted a winning gadget.  Two years ago we wrote about Chumby, the “computer in a beanbag” which provided a 3.5″ screen and a custom Internet feed.  It was a quick way to check websites like Facebook without turning on a computer.  The latest version of this little gadget is Chumby8, which is actually the third version to be released.   The beanbag is gone and this new Chumby comes with and 8″ touch screen display and more than 1500 familiar apps including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and Pandora.   Probably it’s most useful app is an alarm clock that can wake you up music or any other scheduled app.  You can also insert a flash drive or SD card and play music or view photos from the device. 

The Chumby8 is no replacement for a tablet or smartphone, but it you’re looking for a digital photo frame or alarm clock with all the bells and whistles, check out Chumby8.  The price is about $200, which is the same as the original Chumby.

Read a complete Chumby8 review on CNET and visit the Chumby website for more information.

As the year draws to a close, most tech experts are agreeing that one of the biggest tech trends of 2009 was the social network. Sites like Facebook and Twitter, once the domain of techies and teenagers, went mainstream. Millions of non-technical users plugged into social networking this year.

As more people became involved, the content of many social network sites improved. Those involved in a cause found these sites to be a ready-made forum for discussion. Middle-aged people discovered the communication tools that are built into social networks. Many businesses also began using social network sites as a way to establish their brand and communicate with customers. This trend could continue and grow in 2010.

This month, Facebook announced that it now has 300 million users and is generating enough revenue to cover its costs. That makes Facebook the largest social networking site on the Internet. Analysts say this could lead to an initial public offering in the near future, though CEO Mark Zuckerberg is not committing to that happening anytime soon. Facebook was born in a Harvard dorm room 5 years ago and has now grown into one of the top Internet destinations, with membership tripling in the past year alone. Zuckerberg says the company is now exploring ways to boost performance and handle additional membership growth.