TechBytes: Evo 4G Review

May 28, 2010— -- Sprint is releasing the nation's first 4G smartphone on June 4. The HTC Evo 4G works on the carrier's fourth-generation network, which it claims is up to 10 times faster than current 3G networks. The phone runs on Google's Android operating system, and features two cameras, including one that's front-facing for video chats. USA Today's Ed Baig says the phone is faster, but there's one big hang-up.

"In my tests in Philadelphia, I couldn't get through a business day when 4G was turned on because it just is a real drain" says Baig. "It's a drain not only when it's using 4G, but when it's searching for 4G when the network isn't quite there. So that's the big drawback: battery life." The phone costs $200 after a rebate and with a two-year Sprint contract.

Smartphones may soon eliminate the hassle of checking in at hotels. Holiday Inn will begin testing a new system next month that essentially turns a phone into a key card. Guests could skip check-in by downloading an application that enables them to open their door by holding their phone to a sensor. Holiday Inn is testing the technology in two locations, and could eventually roll it out to about 20 percent of its rooms.

One of the world's best-selling books is going digital. Guinness World Records is now available as a free iPad app. It features color photos and videos of record holders, like the world's fastest man. But it's really just an appetizer to the book, covering only eight categories including tallest and strangest. A paid version of the app is due in November.

A new survey finds a majority of adults now Google themselves. As many as 57 percent of Americans admit to keeping tabs on their reputations online, according to a report from the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project. That's up from 47 percent in 2006. But most people don't do it often. Only 2 percent say they regularly look up information about themselves.