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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Qualcomm Toq update points to 3rd party App support. SDK Available!

Qualcomm Toq More Applets Screenshot SomeGadgetGuySo this might be the most boring screenshot I’ve ever posted on SGG, but if you’re playing with a Toq, there’s a lot of potential for excitement.

The Toq is my personal favorite smartwatch, but it’s been difficult to recommend people pick one up, as the selection of applets is fairly limited. That changed yesterday!

A new update was pushed to the Toq adding a menu option called “More Applets”, and within that menu you’ll be able to see which apps on your phone are compatible with your Toq. Right now that number is zero, but Qualcomm has also finally released their SDK. Now app developers will have the tools to properly develop services for this wearable.

It’s been an exciting ride. Only a week ago, we got an unlocked accelerometer that most of us didn’t know was even built into the watch. Hopefully we’ll see new services pop up quickly!

Qualcomm Toq SDK Press Release

Related:
Toq unboxing, setup, and first impressions!
Toq Update – six day battery life!
qualcomm toq box smartwatch wireless charge cradle review somegadgetguy

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Google and IBM want to make the internet a LOT faster, but will consumers ever get the upgrades?

server rack rear cablingWithin a day of each other, complimentary stories about Google and IBM hit the net.

Google is working on plans to improve their fiber offerings from 1Gbps to 10Gbps, meaning their uploads and downloads would be 200 and 2000 times faster than what I currently have access to in Los Angeles. We can also easily estimate that the service would be cheaper than the top tier broadband in So-Cal. Originally their plan was to roll out 10Gbps connections over the next decade, but in light of 4K video services popping up to supply people native resolution content for their new TV’s, they’ve shortened that window to three years. The internet is going to need bigger pipes to handle future services.

And if you think Google’s data sounds audacious, IBM has even bigger goals in their sites.  Continue reading “Google and IBM want to make the internet a LOT faster, but will consumers ever get the upgrades?”

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Review: The Kodak PIXPRO AZ522 camera with 52X Zoom

Kodak AZ522 SomeGadgetGuy

Back from the Chapter 11 ashes, JK Imaging is reviving the Kodak brand, and iterating quickly on a variety of different photography solutions.

The AZ522 is their flagship point and shoot, utilizing a crazy optical zoom. Is that long zoom enough to compete in a world of terrific smartphone cameras? Let’s take a look!

Related:
Photo Samples from the PIXPRO AZ522
Kodak Badge PIXPRO AZ522 SomeGadgetGuy Review

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Valentine’s Day Freebie: DE LA SOUL giving away their ENTIRE album catalog!

de la soul free valentines day albumsNot a lot to this post. If you dig DE LA SOUL (and you don’t already own their entire catalog), they’re hooking you up today only!

Head over to www.WeAreDELASOUL.com and sign up for the mailing list. About an hour later you’ll have a link in your email to download the albums you want. It’s a fun way to spike some conversation in anticipation of their upcoming album You’re Welcome, which we’re still waiting on a release date.

Enjoy!

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Galaxy Gear Valentine’s Day Sale – $150 at BestBuy Today Only

29 gearSamsung and Best Buy are sharing the love.

If you’re biggest gripe with the Galaxy Gear was its price tag, you can now snatch one for a little more than the price of a Pebble! Today only, most of the color options for the Gear are ready to drop  for $149.99.  I would image at this price, they’ll move quickly…

Is this enough of a price cut for you to jump on the SmartWatch bandwagon?

Galaxy Gear Sale (Best Buy)

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Gadget Bag Review: STM Blazer Small Laptop & Tablet Sleeve

Damn how I love a good gadget bag. I’m constantly on the look out for anything which might satisfy that balance of “tech friendly” and “stylish”. In this case I wanted something slim and portable. STM’s Blazer might just fit the bill.


Shop STM on Amazon.

Continue reading “Gadget Bag Review: STM Blazer Small Laptop & Tablet Sleeve”

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Nokia Shows Off Lumia Icon Smartphone, coming to Verizon February 20th

nokia lumia icon verizonIt’s official! The next Lumia headed to VZW will be branded “Icon” instead of some string of numbers.

Icon looks to bridge some of the new high power internals found on Nokia’s 1520 phablet with a slightly more phone-like form factor. The 5″ OLED screen is 1080p, and it’s packing the Qualcomm 800 quad-core we’ve all come to know and love in our high end phones. 32GB of storage will be on board with 2GB of RAM to keep all your apps fed. Best of all, Icon retains internal wireless charging based on the Qi standard, so no futzing with sleds or cases.

nokia lumia icon verizon rearFor you A/V freaks, the 20MP shooter from the 1520 will make another appearance, as will the high fidelity quad microphone array which allows for incredible sound and solid noise reduction on your videos.

Bridging the boxy design of the Lumia 928 with a slimmer  Aluminum build and curved glass, it’s an attractive piece. Not as curvy as the phones we’ve used on AT&T, but distinctive and modern.

The phone will drop on February 20th for $199.99 with a two year agreement. Purchasing before March 16 will also get you a free wireless charging dock.

More info on Nokia’s site, or see their teaser vid below!

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