Let's Talk Tech
Monster specs!
The G2 is one of the first Android phones to rock the Qualcomm 800 processor here in the states. It’s also only the second Android handset to sport a camera with proper hardware optical image stabilization and a higher resolution sensor than the HTC One. This should be a recipe for camera phone success.
LG made some pretty bold claims with their ads, so let’s see if the LG G2 lives up to the hype!
Happy day for Nokia!
Kantar Worldpanel announced sales figures for the fiscal quarter ending October of 2013. Windows Phone has yet to break 5% here in the states, but we did almost double the number of Windows Phones sold here. The news in Europe is much more exciting for Microsoft fans. This same period last year, WP was floating around 4.8%, and moving into 2013 sales more than doubled with Microsoft cracking 10.2%.
Bolstered by some fantastic low end Nokia phones like the Lumia 520, Windows phone is rocking 11.9% in Great Britain, 12.5% in France, and 16% in Italy.
The news for Apple wasn’t quite as rosy. While sales are generally up fr the iPhone, they’re losing share in almost every major market. Down 6% in the USA, 3% in China, and 5% in Europe. The 5S is also unsurprisingly outselling the 5C more than three to one, it would seem that Apple is missing out on the hot smartphone growth sectors in the entry-level and mid-range.
Of course Android is continuing it’s domination in every major market tracked, but it’s nice seeing Microsoft step up as a potential competitor to the Android / iOS power struggle.
(via Kantar Worldpanel)
I guess you can have too much of a good thing. For Moto, this meant too many customers trying to take advantage of yesterday’s Moto X promo. People flocked to score a Moto X for $350 unlocked, and unfortunately Moto Maker just couldn’t handle the strain.
In a letter released last night Moto CEO Dennis Woodside issued a formal apology to all the customers who weren’t able to properly place their orders, and promised to correct the problem. They’ll be improving MotoMaker’s ability to handle large numbers of customers, and they’ll be doubling the number of phones that will be available for the promotion.
On Wednesday, December 4th at 9am Pacific time the Moto X will once again be on sale for $350 unlocked for the 16GB model on any network with any color combination. Mark your calendars. Apparently this is shaping up to be a popular sale.
Full Motorola apology letter after the jump.
I love rugged phones. There are a ton of smartphone gimmicks out there, but features like “drop resistant” and “waterproof” really light me up.
Quechua makes rugged outdoor activity clothes and gear, and now they’re moving into the world of consumer electronics. Working with Archos, they’re targeting the rough and tumble set. The Quechua phone will have a five inch screen (resolution to be announced) with a 1.2GHz Qualcomm quad-core, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of storage and a MicroSD card slot for expansion.
Not the most exciting specs to be sure, but it’ll be IP54 certified against water and drop damage. It will also sport a huge 3500mAh battery, which on these low power specs, should provide excellent run time. No LTE, but this looks like it’s following in the footsteps of other branded devices like Caterpillar’s licensed rugged phone.
Released for European markets, expect a price of €230 (about $310), and here’s to hoping Archos brings a similar design to the USA. This also reinforces how competitive the entry and mid level unlocked markets will be over next year.
Quechua Press Release (via Gadget Tech)
Posted on the Tesla website yesterday, the German Motor Authority (KBA) reviewed the Tesla data provided following the incidents in Seattle, Tennessee, and Mexico. The KBA has the power to perform investigations and initiate recalls.
They’ve concluded that no manufacturer defects were found and Tesla was not responsible for the vehicle fires. This could’ve been a disaster for Tesla as Germany is aggressively pushing alternative energy and electric vehicles. As Tesla sock has already taken a hit, a move from the KBA would likely have tainted Tesla’s reputation for an entire generation of consumers.
Instead, Tesla got a fist bump and a “we cool”, so hopefully this will help their reputation recover in Europe. Nice timing indeed as the Model X Sport Crossover should start delivering next year.
It also leads me to wonder why vehicle fires in internal combustion engine cars aren’t covered as viscerally in the media as the three fires Tesla Model S sedans have encountered…
I LOVE audio gear. Speaker reviews. Headphone reviews. They’re all good!
I haven’t tackled a pair of cans for a while, and thankfully I’ve got a MONSTER pair of Nokia cans to check out (see what I did there). One of my first gadget reviews was the wonderful Nokia Bluetooth BH-905’s, and now with the BH-940’s Nokia has added NFC pairing to their wireless headphone formula.
Retailing for around $250, let’s see if this is peanut butter jelly time!
Amazon is pulling out all the stops in their competition with traditional brick and mortar retailers. They used to be free from taxes, but many major markets now tax internet sales. They’re currently experimenting with local storage lockers, they might single-handedly save the US Postal Service, and they’re now talking high tech.
Yup. Drone technology might be the new front in their war on package delivery times. Dubbed Prime Air, these unmanned aircraft will be capable of carrying up to a five pound payload. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but over 80% of Amazon’s shipments are less than five pounds. For customers within a Prime Air zone, packages could be delivered in as little as 30 minutes. It sounds like a great solution for those times you need a cable or memory card quickly. There’s no way I could make a trip to an electronics store and back home in Los Angeles in less than half an hour.
Sign me up!
Pump your brakes there Juan. There are still plenty of kinks to work out. Sure there’s still technology hoops to jump through, but the bigger issue is getting swarms of flying devices through FAA approvals.
Still, CEO Jeff Bezos is optimistic that we could see an Amazon Air Force relatively soon, like four or five years. Maybe on the outside chance this happens quickly, we might even see a limited trial of the service by the end of 2015.
We wont have flying cars like Back to the Future 2 promised us we’d have, but if I don’t have to leave my house for deliveries, that might be almost as good! Check the Amazon video below for more info on Prime Air.
Motorola’s fresh spin on Android can now be yours for a very nice price!
If you’re shopping Cyber Monday deals, this is a pretty good one. How about $150 off a Moto X?
This brings Moto’s top handset in line with Nexus phones, and Moto is already rolling out KitKat. For the 16GB model, you can schnag one today only for $350. No contract, no financing. $350 and you own it outright.
Quantities will be limited, and the sale runs through today only, but for those lucky folks who can buy one at this price, you can pick one up for Sprint, Verizon, T-Mo, or AT&T. No carrier or color/customization restrictions. Go nuts! Sale starts at 8am Central time!
You folks buying phones this holiday season, will this price point tempt you to open your wallet? Are you considering a Motorola this year? Drop us a comment below!