Author: Juan Carlos Bagnell

Juan has been obsessed with consumer electronics since before computers had GUI’s. Out of college he worked on a JIT computing contract which supported DOE facilities in New Mexico. He’s been featured on numerous podcasts and radio shows lending his tech insights. You can also find him in LA directing voice over actors and producing spoken word recording.
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#SGGQA 26: New Years Contest Winner, Lumia 950 Comparisons, and Are USB Cables Interesting?

Due to issues with my internet connection (thanks Time Warner Cable) we’re FINALLY getting around to announcing the winner of our New Year’s Fitness Gear contest. We’ll also chat you’re reactions to my Lumia 930 vs 950 comparison, and I ask you how interesting USB cables might be. Make sure you’re charged and ready! It’s Podcast Time!

Download this week’s show as an audio podcast!
Subscribe to #SGGQA via iTunes!
Subscribe to #SGGQA via RSS!
#SGGQA on PlayerFM!
#SGGQA on Stitcher!
Most Recent Episode on SoundCloud!

I wrote a book! If you want to take your smartphone photography and video skills up a notch, you’ll want to read my book! ‘Take Better Photos: Smartphone Photography for Noobs!’ is now available – http://amzn.to/1LZMa52

Continue reading “#SGGQA 26: New Years Contest Winner, Lumia 950 Comparisons, and Are USB Cables Interesting?”

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AT&T Revives Unlimited Data for AT&T TV Subscribers

ATT logoAs we’ve seen another carrier struggle recently with unlimited video streaming, and the Net Neutrality implications of throttling or degrading performance for network stability, AT&T looks to be returning to a business model consumers will understand easily: Unlimited Data.

Of course there’s a small catch. Unlimited data plans will be offered as part of a bundled service with AT&T TV (formerly DirecTV).

Earlier this week, Big Blue took the wraps off of their new Unlimted plan for DirecTV, AT&T TV, or U-Verse TV subscribers. They’ll pay $100 a month for the first phone, additional phone lines will cost $40, and the fourth phone line will be free.

It’s an exciting move. Instead of cherry picking a handful of individual services or apps, a fully bundled AT&T customer will have few restrictions on streaming any content they desire. As of now, the only limit appears to be a vaguely worded footnote that at 22GB of usage in a month “reduced speeds may apply”. How that might be enforced is still unseen, but it’s a fairly healthy chunk of mobile data for folks looking to move up from plan that often start users off around 10GB per month.

You can read the full AT&T press release below.

Continue reading “AT&T Revives Unlimited Data for AT&T TV Subscribers”

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Urban Armor Gear Rugged Phone Case Review Round Up

The folks at UAG heard about my experiences wrecking a Galaxy Note 5 and took pity on me. It would be more accurate to say they took pity on my other review gadgets, and they sent over a trio of rugged bumper cases.

Checking out solutions for the Galaxy S6 Edge+, Apple iPhone 6S, and LG V10, it was interesting seeing which phones needed more protection, and which phones felt like this case might be overkill. Here are full reviews for all three cases!

UAG Case for Galaxy S6 Edge+

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Microsoft Working on Project Fi Competitor?

Companies like Google and Microsoft consider themselves “services” companies, even though they sell hardware like the Nexus and the Surface. Those brands exist to make sure that other hardware partners have the proper “incentive” to continue producing high quality devices to utilize the software that Microsoft and Google produce.

While it’s important that consumers have access to high quality gadgets to run these services, it’s equally important that consumers have access to affordable data networks to utilize services which are becoming increasingly data intensive.

We’re seeing progress in some areas, carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile embracing practices like rollover data, but we’re also backsliding in other areas with Comcast expanding the number of areas where they will be capping data for home broadband even though it won’t have any significant impact on bandwidth or service stability.

For Google and Microsoft, it’s becoming increasingly important to support initiatives which improve coverage, data speeds, and reduce prices for their customers. Where those initiatives don’t exist, it’s up to those two tech giants to create them.

Continue reading “Microsoft Working on Project Fi Competitor?”

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#SGGQA25: BIG STORAGE, Bone Conduction Audio, and the New Years Contest is Wrapping Up!

I finally got off my butt and got a MUCH bigger back up solution for all my photos and videos. We’re also chatting about bone conduction audio, and we’re quickly wrapping up my New Year, New You fitness gear contest! Make sure you’re charged and ready! It’s Podcast Time!

Full contest details and where to enter: http://goo.gl/eqXp42

Download this week’s show as an audio podcast!
Subscribe to #SGGQA via iTunes!
Subscribe to #SGGQA via RSS!
#SGGQA on PlayerFM!
#SGGQA on Stitcher!
Most Recent Episode on SoundCloud!

I wrote a book! If you want to take your smartphone photography and video skills up a notch, you’ll want to read my book! ‘Take Better Photos: Smartphone Photography for Noobs!’ is now available – http://amzn.to/1LZMa52

Continue reading “#SGGQA25: BIG STORAGE, Bone Conduction Audio, and the New Years Contest is Wrapping Up!”

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What a $600 Oculus Rift Means for the Future of Virtual Reality

Back in October of 2015, Oculus founder Palmer Luckey responded to rumors that Rift would cost $350. To help mitigate any potential pricing backlash, Luckey told reporters that their VR headset would cost more than $350, but would be roughly in that ballpark.

Now that Rift is available for pre-order we know what that ballpark is. It’s $599 before taxes, shipping, and it includes and XBOX controller, but not the Touch tracking controller. We can be fairly certain that most people weren’t expecting this price point when we were told that $350 was too low but in the ballpark, and the Reddit Oculus and VR subreddits are awash with angry members decrying the headset as too expensive.

Screenshot (8)Sticker Shock

I’ve never much been a fan of how gadgets are valued online. I find the discussion pretty toxic when geeks try and grade something as being “worth it”. The second that phrase pops up, you can almost always find a radical justification for why someone isn’t going to buy a product.

I would buy this bleeding edge piece of technology if it instantly came with one hundred games, did my dishes, had month long battery life, and only cost $17 and a half a ham sandwich. Then it would be worth it for the monies.

While the above is an exaggeration, the tone of this kind of commentary often lands just shy of “a company failed me by making a product too expensive for me, so I will punish them by not buying said product”. I think it’s a defense mechanism. It’s not that the individual is cheap, or they can’t afford it, they would totally buy the thing IF it were worth it. Totally…
Continue reading “What a $600 Oculus Rift Means for the Future of Virtual Reality”

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Lenovo Intros Thinkpad X1 YOGA with OLED Screen

Lenovo has been a longtime champion of multi-mode computing for Windows portables, and their Yoga line is their most visible product demonstrating a mix of laptop and tablet features.

Unveiling a new Thinkpad at CES, the X1 Yoga builds on their history of ultra-thin laptops, while adding their signature 360 degree screen hinge, and featuring the first OLED display in a convertible computer. I’ve been a long time fan of OLED displays on phones, as you get intense contrast, inky blacks, and vibrant colors. Happily at this 13″ screen size, the X1 Yoga will be arriving with a Quad HD screen, a resolution of 2560 x 1440.

Expect business grade build quality, powered by an Intel Core (up to i7 vPro) with options for up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage when it’s released later this year.

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New Year, New You Contest: Fitness Accessories Giveaway! FitBit Charge and LG Tone Active Headphones!

Let’s work together to make our New Year’s resolutions happen! I’m giving away a FitBit Charge, an LG Tone Active BT Headset, and a CoolGear beverage infuser courtesy of my pals at AT&T! Check out the contest widget below for more details on how you can win some cool gear to get your 2016 started off right!

somegadgetguy new year new you contest 2016 fitbit charge lg tone active bt headphones att

New Year, New You Contest: Fitness Accessories Giveaway! FitBit Charge and LG Tone Active Headphones!

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