ZAGG Ultra-Slim Bluetooth Keyboard Case for Galaxy Note 8 now available

zagg bluetooth slim keyboard for Galaxy Note 8 somegadgetguyI liked the Note 8 when I got to play with it. Tablets have always been good solutions for media consumption, and they’re getting better at media creation. For writers using a Note 8, ZAGG might have just the accessory for you.

The Ultra-Slim case connects to your Note 8 with a new hinge system, turning your Note into a small Android clamshell. The case also offers full protection of the back plate of your tablet. Connecting over Bluetooth, ZAGG estimates the keyboard should last up to three months of regular use on  a single charge.

Also a nice touch, the keys are backlit, and that back lighting is customizable with seven different colors at your command. The combination of a proper keyboard and S-Pen should make the Note 8 a mini writing powerhouse.

Available today on ZAGG.com for $99.

Lenovo shows off FLEX and Yoga 2 multi-mode touchscreen laptops

lenovo flex multimode laptop somegagetguyLenovo is waging an all out war on Windows 8 touchscreen laptops. Yogas and Twists for more portable, tablet style laptop computing, now they’re introducing a new line of bendy notebooks for people wanting larger screens.

The Flex will come in 14″ and 15.6″ flavors, and comes with the neat hinge trick of swiveling 300 degrees around to prop the screen up in “Stand Mode” to focus on touch apps. It’s a set up I use a lot with my Twist, especially when I’m eating to prevent junk landing on my keyboard. Maybe I Reddit too much, and should take more breaks. Who knows. Prices start at $629 for Flex Laptops.

Also, the Yoga is getting a refresh! Yoga 2 will now be sporting a QHD+ screen. At 3200×1800, it’s four times the resolution of the original Yoga in a 16:9 aspect ratio. It’s disturbingly close to a 4K screen, shocking at only 13.3″. It still retains the keyboard flip, where the base folds behind the screen to offer a tablet mode. All new tech, and it’s also thinner than the previous Yoga.

Lastly, a new version of Yoga will sport the ThinkPad moniker. For business folks looking for an ultra mobile touchscreen solution, a 12.5″ 1080p version of Yoga clad in classic Lenovo black will also be available. Along with Lenovo’s business grade tools like the fantastic Thinkpad keyboard, it’ll also have NFC on board for better connectivity with phones and other accessories. Expect to see Yoga 2 start at $1099 and ThinkPad Yoga around $949.

All of this new Lenovo gear is expected to be available Later this month.

Full PR after the jump.

Continue reading “Lenovo shows off FLEX and Yoga 2 multi-mode touchscreen laptops”

Bionic Vision Australia performs 1st successful implant of prototype artificial eye.

bionic-eye_0SCIENCE!

I hate to say it, but someday, probably within my lifetime, this will be an elective surgery and I’m TOTALLY on board.

Researchers at Bionic Vision Australia have implanted a prototype “Pre-Bionic” in a patient who suffered severe vision loss due to retinitis pigmentosa. Using a device implanted behind the retina connected to a series of 24 electrodes, this first unit is capable of generating pulses of light. This is a crucial first step in understanding how our “wetware” might interface with our current hardware.

Future bionic eyes will incorporate more electrodes which should result in higher quality information being fed to the brain. We’re cresting that push into true cyborg territory, and I love it!

(via Scientific Wizard)

Video samples from the Nokia Lumia 1020 – The best camera on a phone today.

nokia lumia 1020 pureview camera test video samples somegadgetguyNo joke. Nokia nailed it.

The Lumia 1020’s monster 41 megapixel PureView sensor is an absolute beast. Even when the output is scaled down to 1080p video, you just wont find a phone camera as capable of delivering the kinds of photographic output you’ll receive from this Lumia. Plus it has the first digital zoom which is actually worth using! It’s a whole new tier above what we would normally consider “premier” smartphone optics.

Yet with all of the accolades I can throw at this phone, no camera is perfect. Let’s go hands on with some video samples!

Watch my first impressions of the Lumia 1020.

Breaking Bad fans sue Apple over Season Pass Shenanigans

better call saul breaking bad apple lawsuit news itunes season pass somegadgetguyUh-oh! Apple better call Saul!

So what happens when seasons are sold on services like iTunes, but show runners divide seasons halfway through the year. AMC has recently exploded with a number of very successful shows like The Walking Dead and Breaking Bad. In order to spread content out throughout the year, and keep production costs in check, both shows have employed split seasons, airing half of a season before taking a mid season break and returning to finish the season arc.

That division is whats at argument with services like iTunes. Apple see each “half season” sold as its own unique DVD box set, and they want in on the action. For Breaking Bad “Season 5” Apple sold the first eight episode arc under their Season Pass service for $22 with the promise “this season pass includes all current and future episodes of Breaking Bad season 5”. A different season pass is required for the back eight episodes, and they’re treating it as if it’s a separate season. Of course this conflicts somewhat from AMC’s marketing which has billed Season 5 as having a 16 episode arc.

Now Noam Lazebnik of Ohio is filing a class action suit against Apple to get Apple to honor the Season Pass arc based on AMC’s definition of what constitutes a season of television, mid-season break or otherwise.

“When a consumer buys a ticket to a football game, he does not have to leave at halftime. When a consumer buys an opera ticket, he does not get kicked out at intermission…”

Hit the jump for the full filing (via Scribd)

Continue reading “Breaking Bad fans sue Apple over Season Pass Shenanigans”

Open source audio editor Audacity updated with new reverb, bug fixes & improvements.

Audacity-logo-r-450wide-whitebgIf you like to record audio, music, podcasts on the cheap, chances are you’ve heard of Audacity. This program actually stands as one of my favorites, and has a feature set which rivals many paid audio editors. Plus if once you learn how to use it, it doesn’t matter what computer you use it on. Mac, PC, Linux it’s all the same.  You can even run it from a USB flash drive.

Well Audacity has received a nice little update. Focusing mostly on stability and bug fixes, there are a couple neat little new features included in 2.0.4. First a new reverb plug in will help you add all the echo you might want. Also, for Windows users, you can now record your computer’s playback by choosing the WASAPI host.

Grab the newest version from SourceForge, and check out the Audacity Wiki for the full list of fixes and improvements.

HTC profits down 45% from a year ago. What does recovery look like?

Man. HTC just can’t catch a break here.

Last week, shares fell almost 5% on the news that HTC only pulled in $443 million this August, which is down 45% from a year ago. It seems that the critically acclaimed One and One Mini handsets aren’t quite motivating consumers to part with their cash. Investor confidence is also a little shaken by news of high level executives leaving the company. Some of those execs under investigation for allegedly leaking company secrets. In all, not a great position for the phone maker to be in given how competitive the phone landscape is.

The one resource HTC most likely needs to turn around its market image is likely the one most difficult to come by: Time. HTC’s recent moves have largely been celebrated by tech pundits. The HTC One marks the first handset by the company which isn’t hamstrung by carrier branding. Even the older One X was billed as the “Evo 4G LTE” on Sprint, diluting HTC’s presence. Future HTC phones will likely not be plagued by this consumer confusion.

HTC heres to changeAlso, we recently saw the first fruits from HTC’s $1 billion ad campaign featuring Robert Downey Jr. and “Hipster Troll Carwashes”. This is a long term brand identity move, which should net positive results, but HTC is also in need of some short term sales to help boost confidence internally and with potential customers. They need evangelists and fans who will tout the company line, and be a grassroots first line of attack when new handsets are released.

Recent moves have been smart, HTC is trying to build a presence on sites like Reddit, and they’ve been more active on social media sites. It’s a tough road to build that kind of loyalty however. Their 716,000 Twitter followers are nothing to sneeze at, but pale in comparison to Samsung’s 4.4 million, and comparing recent tweets, actual engagement with likes and retweet action mirrors those follower numbers.

So while their long term strategies look sound, this isn’t a market known for patience, and that magical recipe for pairing good products and actual sales has been eluding numerous companies of late.

See my hands on reviews for the HTC One and the HTC One Mini.

(via WSJ)

Just for fun: Mike Tyson plays Punch Out for the first time.

How meta is it watching Mike Tyson play Punch Out? One of my all time favorite NES games, though I was never able to beat it. It does make me feel a little better about myself that one of the most ferocious boxers in history, who was the subject of this very game, was unable to get past the very first opponent. Come on Mike! It’s Glass Joe!