OtterBox Leak Points to Camera Refinements on HTC One M9

HTC One M9 Otterbox LeakWe still don’t have a lot of information on what will be coming for HTC’s next flagship phone. No confirmation on screen size or resolution. We don’t even know yet if it will use Qualcomm’s new 810 chipset.

This leaked line up of cases from OtterBox however do show some detail as to what we might expect from HTC. Cut outs show they’ll be keeping the front facing stereo speakers. Also the button arrangement looks like HTC will yet again be “inspired” by Nokia, which would be a welcome change from the top mounted power buttons on the M7 and M8.

Most interesting however is the large square-ish cutout for the rear camera. We don’t see a secondary port for a duo camera sensor.

My biggest complaint with the M8 came from the camera quality, walking away from Optical Image Stabilization (a feature which greatly improves video and low light photos) in favor of a fun gimmick which developers never really embraced. We obviously don’t know the particulars of what will go into HTC’s next camera, but a return to a single sensor with OIS would be a welcome change.

And I’m always glad to see accessory manufacturers ready to support new phones. OtterBox’s Commuter case has seen regular rotation on my M8.

We’ll need to wait until March for the full scoop! What are you hoping to see in HTC’s next flagship phone? Drop us a comment below!

Review: Dog & Bone Wetsuit case for iPhone 6 – Slim, Rugged, and Waterproof!

The iPhone 6 is a gorgeous phone, but it’s not known for being the most rugged gadget on the market. Australian manufacturer Dog & Bone have adapted their wetsuit case for Apple’s latest and greatest. Let’s take a look!

Shop Dog & Bone on Amazon.
More info on Dog & Bone.

Review: Signal Edge+ 4000mAh Battery and Smartphone/Tablet Stand

I love it when one gadget can fulfill two duties. Signal won a CES 2015 award for their new portable battery and device stand, so let’s take a look at how it works!

Shop the Edge+ on Amazon.
More info on Signal products.

KickStarter Watch: Andromium Wants to Turn Your Phone Into a Desktop PC

We keep seeing the promise of this never completely fulfilled. Docking a phone into a tablet or a laptop shell. Running custom versions of Linux to reorganize the UI for a more PC like experience when plugged into a larger screen.

andromium demo image

Kickstarter project Andromium thinks they have the solution for using your phone as the brain of a home computing environment. A simple cradle connects to PC peripherals, and custom software borrows the more successful elements of OSX and Windows for a familiar PC look.

With our phones becoming more and more powerful, the idea of a ubiquitous data experience doesn’t seem too far fetched, and the lead designer of this project was formerly a Senior Engineer at Google. The project already looks like it’ll be compatible with several Samsung phones, with more handsets to follow. Best of all the dock doesn’t look like it’ll be prohibitively expensive if the project is funded with an expected retail price of $39.95.

Andromium (Kickstarter)

AT&T to Kick It Old School with Blackberry Classic

blackberry_classic_946x432Sometimes you just need a good, old-fashioned, nostalgic, throwback. This seems to hold true for cars and football jerseys, and Blackberry is hoping it’ll spark some interest in their phones.

AT&T announced it’ll carry the BB Classic, which pairs their spiffy new BBOS 10 with the classic stylings of older BB handsets. Were you missing that old tic-tac keyboard experience? The Classic should be available early next year on Big Blue, and you can catch the full press release below.

Continue reading “AT&T to Kick It Old School with Blackberry Classic”

Smartphone Camera Review: Nokia Lumia 830 on AT&T (Real World Video Samples)

Spoiler alert: It’s a really good camera.

You can always count on Nokia to pack a great camera on a phone at any price point. The Lumia 830 is a mid-range phone, so let’s see if the 10MP shooter is a mid-range camera!

Shop the Lumia 830 and Accessories on Amazon.

Review: OtterBox Defender Rugged Case for Nokia Lumia Icon (930)

Taking flagship smartphones out into rugged conditions can be a dicey proposition. The Lumia Icon is built solidly for day to day bumps and bruises, but it’s not really designed to be thrown around in rough situations. Thankfully OtterBox has a solution to improve that…

Shop the Lumia Icon Defender Case on Amazon.
More info on OtterBox products: http://www.otterbox.com/

iPhone 6 Defender Case Review
How the *#&^% Do You Remove an OtterBox Case?!?!?

Real Person Review: Mrs. GadgetGuy Spends Three Months with the Galaxy S5 on AT&T

For all the tech that travels through our house, my wife tries to steer clear of experimenting too much with her personal kit. Occasionally I can convince her to take a gadget for a test drive. For the last three months she’s been using the Samsung Galaxy S5, and now it’s time for her to share her thoughts.

What was the last phone you used before picking up the Galaxy S5?

I’m a Samsung person. I own the Galaxy S4 Active and before that the S2.

What are some of your favorite things to do with your phone?

I love the RunDouble App.  It’s the Couch to 5K training app.  It auto plays my music (any playlist I want) and will use GPS to track me.  I use my phone as a stop watch. I love using it to control our Chromecast (No more wrestling the remote away from you). I read way too much Reddit on it.

I tend to live out of my phone these days.  I just need it to work. I never want to wonder if an app will work, that it will open quickly and work easily. I don’t have to worry about it being laggy or slow. I use an iPhone for work (full disclosure – it’s an iPhone 4S GASP!), and I’ve always preferred my personal phone to it. Continue reading “Real Person Review: Mrs. GadgetGuy Spends Three Months with the Galaxy S5 on AT&T”