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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HTC Announces One M9 and RE Vive VR Headset with Valve Partnership

HTC took the wraps off their next flagship smartphone and showcased partnerships with Valve and Under Armour for a new VR headset and fitness tracker respectively.

Screenshot (12)The One M9 has been leaked and discussed, but we now have confirmation that the shell will be very similar to last years M8. We’re treated to the same 5″ LCD 1080p display covered in Gorilla Glass 4. We’ll get 3GB of RAM and 32GB of built in storage with an SD card slot which supports up to a 128GB card. Those BoomSound speakers return, everything we’ve enjoyed from the M8 is back.

What’s new is the Qualcomm 810 chipset will be powering this new phone. Should be interesting to see how performance is managed in an all metal phone with an HD display.

Screenshot (13)HTC has also updated the camera, walking away from the gimmicky dual sensor shooter on the M8, to a single larger 20MP rear shooter. It’s expected that this camera and chipset should deliver UHD video, 60fps 1080p, and a high speed slow motion mode, but we’ll have to wait for devices to confirm that.

Lastly, it looks like HTC has finally seen the light on ergonomics, and joined the rest of the Smartphone world in moving the power button to the side of the phone.

Partnering with Under Armour, HTC also took the wraps off of the Grip fitness tracker. Looking a bit like a Nike Fuel or Gear Fit. The P-OLED display should provide decent battery life, and the entire build is sweat and water resistant.

Perhaps the most exciting announcement from HTC however was watching them step into the world of Virtual Reality headsets with the RE Vive. Partnering with Valve, the headset is a high end competitor to Samsung’s Gear VR. Instead of using a phone as the display, Vive is a self contained unit with dual 1200×1080 resolution displays with 90Hz refresh rates providing smoother and faster responses than Oculus which pumps out 75Hz.

Over 70 sensors on board track not only movement, but when paired with a pair of SteamVR base stations, it will create a 15 by 15 foot action area. Instead of being tethered to one spot, Vive will track your movement.

HTC-Vive_White small

Vive will ship with a pair of game controllers, but we still don’t have details on price, shipping dates, or how this unit will be powered. Will HTC require an HTC phone? Will this be a standalone product? We’re all waiting to find out!

You can catch the full HTC Press conference below!

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AT&T Finally Delivers “Denim” Update for the Lumia 1520

With all the noise around the FCC yesterday, you might have missed a long awaited update start pushing out to the king Lumia on AT&T.

Verizon surprised us all in being first to deliver the Lumia Denim firmware update to the Icon, but now it’s Big Blue’s turn to update the monster phablet Lumia 1520.

Windows Phone fans will be happy to play with a new camera app capable of shooting HDR photos and 4K video. Also on board is a new voice activation trigger for the Digital Assistant search app. Saying “Hey Cortana” by your phone will initiate a voice search or command even when your phone’s screen is off.

This update will also replace any AT&T pre-installed software on the phone. If you uninstalled AT&T Navigator or FamilyMap in the past, they’ll return. Thankfully, unlike bloat on Android devices, these apps can still be uninstalled without rooting or jumping through hoops.

It took us a while to get here, but Denim brings a collection of bug fixes and new features to play with, while we wait for Microsoft to deliver Windows 10.

To see if your Lumia has received the update, head to “Settings”, then to “Phone Update”. You can see our 4K video review from the Icon below (and the 1520’s camera performs very similarly).

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Review: Microsoft Lumia 435 Dual SIM – The Best Budget Windows Phone?

I think the most exciting area for smartphone growth is the entry level and developing markets. The Lumia team has shown a real talent for providing smartphone solutions which aren’t painful to use at incredibly low price points. The Lumia 435 pushes this idea even further with a dual SIM card edition. Let’s take a look!

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Explained! FCC Reclassifies Broadband as Utility, Defends Net Neutrality! We Answer Your Questions!

It was a landmark day yesterday for the FCC and advocates of a free and open internet. Two major rulings were delivered. One defending Tennessee and North Carolina efforts to build tax payer funded broadband, and the second reclassifying the entire Internet as a utility under Title II regulations. If you have questions about the announcements, Enobong Etteh from Booredatwork and I are here to answer them!

Read the FCC’s Statement on the new Broadband Internet Rules.

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FCC Reclassifies Internet as a Utility, Defends Net Neutrality

FCCThis has been a crazy trip.

From Verizon suing the Government over the Open Internet Order, to proposed “Fast Lane” rules, to now. The FCC has been busy today. First, announcing it will preempt state laws in Tennessee and North Carolina which were preventing community funded broadband efforts.

Second, approving rules which will reclassify broadband internet as a common carrier utility under Title II regulations. Thankfully, unlike the OIO, these new rules will also apply to mobile networks, not just wired ones. The vote was 3-2 in favor, on party lines with the Democrat majority winning the day.

“While I see no need for net neutrality rules, I am far more troubled by the dangerous course that the Commission is now charting on Title 2 and the consequences it will have for broadband investment, edge providers and consumers,”

-Republican FCC member Michael O’Rielly, who voted against the new rules.

We can also expect much crying and gnashing of teeth from the GOP in the House and Senate, with tired FUD and scare tactics, even though companies like Sprint have already pointed out that light touch regulation can be incredibly beneficial to a market as stagnant as our telecommunications industry. You would not have carriers like T-Mobile today, if the cell phone industry hadn’t been reclassified as Title II in the mid 1990’s. You can lead an elephant to water…

It’s a day many supporters of Net Neutrality thought we’d never see, and while there will still be a number of battles to fight over who regulates the internet, and what those actions should resemble, we can at least call today a victory for pretty much anyone who uses any kind of commerce or data driven service online.

The FCC has a five page write up, detailing the new rules.

FCC ADOPTS STRONG, SUSTAINABLE RULES TO PROTECT THE OPEN INTERNET

 

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LG Unveils Urbane Smartwatch in Official Announcement Video

LG has an entry level Android Wear watch with the G Watch, and the G Watch R was nicely positioned at the higher end of the smartwatch market.

It looks like LG is pushing into a more fashionable tier with the Urbane. Using the same tech internals and the gorgeous circular P-OLED display, Urbane streamlines the form factor and introduces gold and silver metal linings for a more upscale look.

We’re awaiting pricing info and shipping dates, but it would seem the Apple Watch has even more competition in the upscale “premium” smartwatch category.  Catch the teaser video below!

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Google Buys Softcard in the Most Frustrating Mobile Payment Move Possible

softcard google walletIt’s officially official. Google now owns Softcard, and it’s everything I can do to not smash my face into my keyboard hard enough to erase from my memory the YEARS of debacles and shenanigans that led us up to this point.

Announced on the Google Commerce blog today, Big G is buying out Softcard from T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon Wireless. Google Wallet will now come pre-installed on Android handsets sold by these carriers.

This is ultimately good news, but one can’t help but wonder how much further ahead mobile phone payments would have been if we hadn’t witnessed this format war between cell carriers and Google. The two entities dickering around for years, carriers blocking the implementation of NFC Tap & Pay, until they had rolled out a competing “standard” built on differing security protocols. Making relationships with retailers more difficult. It was presciently fitting that the first iteration of Softcard was called ISIS.  Only to end up now where we should have been all along.

It’s no wonder Apple was able to roll into this space and instantly dominate the market. Google has their work cut out for them, but at least moving forward they wont have the entire wireless industry digging in their heels and holding them back.

Google-Wallet-banner

 

You can read Google’s full press release below.

Continue reading “Google Buys Softcard in the Most Frustrating Mobile Payment Move Possible”

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Review: STM Drifter Backpack – Durable Laptop Protection for Travelers

I’m a big fan of STM gear. They make stylish, trendy products which do a great job of protecting our gadgets and electronics. With the Drifter they’ve focused not on the boardroom look, but on crafting a durable and rugged pack for travelers. Let’s take a look at STM’s newest laptop backpack!

Shop STM’s Drifter on Amazon.
More info on STM Products.

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