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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LG Announces G3 Flagship Phone with Quad HD Screen

LG_G3_3Today LG took the wraps off of their long awaited follow up to the popular G2 Android phone. The LG G3 continues in the design language of the G2 and G Flex, while taking the brand upscale and including some bleeding edge specs.

LG_G3_Metallic_Black_BackThe G3 retains the power button placement on the back of the phone under the camera, but now the build material of that backplate has a metallic finish which LG claims is fingerprint resistant.

The screen has also increased over the G2’s 5.2″ diagonal to a 5.5″ diagonal, placing the G3 screen firmly in the territory of last year’s phablets. The major talking point however is the bump to screen resolution. Called “Quad HD” the G3 display contains 2560×1440 dots, or four times the resolution of a 720p display. This delivers and insane pixel pitch (538ppi), which should make text and fine photo detail crisp. Continue reading “LG Announces G3 Flagship Phone with Quad HD Screen”

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Samsung Galaxy S5 Camera Tip: Should You Leave Picture Stabilization on for Low Light Photos?

Samsung is doing something a little different with the electronic image stabilization on the Galaxy S5 Camera. Does it really result in better pics with less noise?

Let’s take a look!

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Solar Roadways Breaks $1 Million Crowdfunding Goal

solar roadways indiegogo conceptWith 5 days to go on their IndieGoGo, Solar Roadways has shattered their $1 million funding goal by a solid $300,000.

The crowdfunding campaign was to help kick start manufacturing for the first round of this new roadway construction process which incorporates solar cells and LED lights into hexagonal tiles that can be used to replace sidewalks, driveways, and streets. The cells are protected by a tempered glass which is durable enough to handle vehicles up to 15 tons.

The main benefit of this kind of retrofit is it takes ground that’s already dedicated for one purpose to generate electricity.  It’s a futuristic idea, that every piece of passive asphalt and cement could instead be generating power. Other solar farm proposals might need large areas of land, which means pushing them farther away from populated areas.

There’s still time left to contribute to the campaign, with some fun perks for donating. If you’d like more info on the Solar Roadways project, we’ve got their pitch video below.

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#LootCrate Unboxing May 2014: ADVENTURE!

What time is it? Time to unbox a new Loot Crate!

This month’s theme is “ADVENTURE”, so let’s see what adventures we have in store…

Sign up for Loot Crate and save 10% on a Loot Crate by using promo code “SGLOOT” at checkout!

What is Loot Crate?

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Google Plus App Updated! Feature Walk Through of the New UI!

new google plus app on HTC one m8

We normally wouldn’t make such a big deal out of an app update, but Google has made some pretty significant changes to the Google Plus UI for Android.

Utilizing a sleeker and bolder interface, the whole experience feels a little snappier too. We go hands on in the video below to compare it to the older G+ app, and show off all the goodies!

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Kairos Launches Pre-Order Page for Hybrid Mechanical Smartwatch

watch_large_noReflection_msw_allThis is a pretty sexy looking concept piece.

Kairos is showing off a concept watch with a mechanical chronograph and a semi-transparent touch screen. The teaser shows off the newly announced Android Wear smartwatch OS, which is exactly what us watch fans were hoping to see. Now that Google is directly involved in wearables, other companies don’t have to risk as much to enter the smartwatch market, nor do they have to build a watch UI from scratch.

watch_large_noReflection_msw_chrome_02At first glance, you’d only see a precision analog watch face, but as the “smart” features are activated, and as alerts are received, the screen lights up to show off data.

Kairos is confident that they’ll be able to deliver on this mock up, as they’ve launched a pre-order page with four models to shop. They’re trying to entice new customers with early bird pricing up to 50% off what retail will be once the watches are officially released. Starting at $499 and climbing to $1199, you’ll have several options for build material and watch band.

Better get a jump on though as prices will double in about 40 days. You can see their teaser vid below, or hit up https://kairoswatches.com/ for more info.

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Review: STM Pocket Sleeve for Surface Pro and Widescreen Tablets

STM is becoming one of my favorite bag manufacturers. High quality, affordable prices, sturdy build, and fashionable design.

They’ve sent over a new sleeve for widescreen ten inch tablets which is specifically designed for the Surface and Surface Pro, but anyone not rocking an iPad will probably want to check this out.

Continue reading “Review: STM Pocket Sleeve for Surface Pro and Widescreen Tablets”

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Apple Working on iMessage Fix for iPhone Expats

iphone android windows phoneThe problem: If you started with an iPhone and linked your phone number to iMessage, if you decide to move to a Windows Phone or an Android, messages from your friends sent through iMessage will be delayed or rejected.

Whether it’s a bug or an actual punitive measure taken by Apple, it’s frustrated a number of former iPhone users, upsetting one woman enough to file a class action lawsuit.

That apparently garnered enough press to motivate Apple to act. They’ve now set up a support page, detailing the best way to deactivate iMessage, and they’ve now publicly stated that they’re working on a proper fix for the issue for people who decide to switch from iDevices to competitor’s products.

Have you been affected by this iMessage glitch? Drop us a comment below!

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