Category: Articles

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Verizon Surprises Lumia Icon Owners with Denim Update

***UPDATE: We now have a full review of the 4K video quality embedded below!***nokia lumia icon denim update verizon wireless somegadgetguyComing down the pipe this morning, if you happen to own the oft neglected Nokia Lumia Icon, you’re in line for a BIG update.

Jumping the line over all the missed updates and patches, skipping over the Lumia Cyan firmware, VZW will be skipping directly to Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1 with Lumia Denim. Go directly to GO, Collect $200. Fantastic.

In the updates arms race between AT&T and Big Red, Windows Phone users have been left out in the cold of late. The Lumia 1520 phablet still a ways behind it’s international brethren, but now Icon owners have a little something to brag about.

We’ll be tearing into the new Lumia Camera app soon, as we can’t wait to try out the new 2160/30p shooting mode.

lumia denim camera exposure somegadgetguy

An OTA should be pushing out soon, but if you don’t want to wait (and you don’t mind completely wiping your phone) you can use the Lumia Software Recovery Tool.

You can see our real world benchmark test of the Icon shooting UHD video below!

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App Review: Blue Skies Weather App for Windows Phone 8.1

There are a number of weather apps available in the windows store to choose from. I like to try different apps to bring you the best of what is available and I came across this sweet weather app from Blue Skies.

Blue Skies is designed and developed by Rohit Rajendran who did an amazing job. He literally thought of everything you need from a weather app.

Blue Skies has a well designed UI that is very easy on the eyes, and is simple to navigate. There are light and dark themes to suit your needs. On the first screen you will see basic information about weather in your city. If you tap on the circle it will give you wind and chance of rain. Near the bottom of the screen it will tell you how far the nearest storm is from you.

Heading over to the next screen on Blue Skies you will see your high and low for the day, humidity, precipitation, sunrise and sunset. The boxes at the bottom of the screen will show your weather throughout the different times of the day. Just scroll through the boxes to see if you will need sunglasses, your umbrella or snow shoes! Continue reading “App Review: Blue Skies Weather App for Windows Phone 8.1”

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LG to Release Free Plastic Version of Google Cardboard VR Headset to G3 Owners

LGE_VR+G3_5002We’ve seen a few companies build out variations on Google’s “inexpensive” solution for using a phone as a VR screen.

Based on that template however, LG will be building a plastic rig, designed specifically for the G3, and if you’re looking to buy LG’s current QHD screened flagship smartphone, chances are you can score a headset for free. We don’t have details yet on how or when LG might start shipping, but you can read their full press release below for more info!

Continue reading “LG to Release Free Plastic Version of Google Cardboard VR Headset to G3 Owners”

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Samsung Officially Reveals NX500 Mirrorless Camera – NX1 Features at Half the Price!

We’re wrapping up our review of the MONSTER NX1, but in the meantime, we can also whet your appetite with a smaller mirrorless camera coming from Samsung boasting many of the same specs.

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The NX500 is officially official, and looks like it will live up to the rumors of Samsung delivering an NX1-Mini.

We see the same 28MP APS-C Backside Illuminated sensor, with full support for Cinema 4K Video (4096×2160), and the flip up touchscreen display. Absolutely monster specs for a camera in this segment. You can already pre-order this beastie on Amazon for $799 with the 16-50mm kit lens.

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For those interested, we have Cinema 4K video samples from the NX1 below, and under that you can read the full Samsung press release with full product specs and a few more images of the NX500.

Continue reading “Samsung Officially Reveals NX500 Mirrorless Camera – NX1 Features at Half the Price!”

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OtterBox Leak Points to Camera Refinements on HTC One M9

HTC One M9 Otterbox LeakWe still don’t have a lot of information on what will be coming for HTC’s next flagship phone. No confirmation on screen size or resolution. We don’t even know yet if it will use Qualcomm’s new 810 chipset.

This leaked line up of cases from OtterBox however do show some detail as to what we might expect from HTC. Cut outs show they’ll be keeping the front facing stereo speakers. Also the button arrangement looks like HTC will yet again be “inspired” by Nokia, which would be a welcome change from the top mounted power buttons on the M7 and M8.

Most interesting however is the large square-ish cutout for the rear camera. We don’t see a secondary port for a duo camera sensor.

My biggest complaint with the M8 came from the camera quality, walking away from Optical Image Stabilization (a feature which greatly improves video and low light photos) in favor of a fun gimmick which developers never really embraced. We obviously don’t know the particulars of what will go into HTC’s next camera, but a return to a single sensor with OIS would be a welcome change.

And I’m always glad to see accessory manufacturers ready to support new phones. OtterBox’s Commuter case has seen regular rotation on my M8.

We’ll need to wait until March for the full scoop! What are you hoping to see in HTC’s next flagship phone? Drop us a comment below!

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Google Quietly and Oddly Pushes Lollipop 5.1 Update to Android One Devices

android oneThe 5.1 update isn’t a typo. It’s real and it’s already available on entry level Android One devices designed for emerging markets.

In the nomenclature of updates, it’s a fairly large jump from 5.0.2 to a full 5.1, though we don’t have an official changelog on whats included. AndroidPit published a list in December on what was coming in 5.1. They expect we’ll see the Silent Mode return alongside improvements to performance, RAM utilization, and radio management.

It’s just somewhat odd that Google would launch a decimal point update like this with virtually zero fanfare, though it’s interesting to see what phones Google selected first to receive the new software. Android One is one of the few areas that Google can almost completely control the software experience on a smartphone. It’s an area where even the Nexus experiment can falter when carriers get involved in support. Continue reading “Google Quietly and Oddly Pushes Lollipop 5.1 Update to Android One Devices”

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Android Wear: What is Sync Loop? How to Unlock Developer Options, Take Screen Shots!

I’m just starting to find my sea legs on Android Wear, and one of the things that puzzled me was the persistent notification on my phone. What the hell does “Connected, running sync loop” mean? Here’s the answer!

Shop Android Wear on Amazon.
Shop Android Wear on Google Play.

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T Mobile price cut on the LG Optimus L90!

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Are you looking to save some dough on a new phone? T Mobile just cut the price of the LG Optimus L90 from $168.99 all the way down to $49.99! The LG Optimus L90 features a 4.7 inch qHD screen, a quad core 1.2GHz processor, LTE ready, a front facing camera and a 5mp rear camera with LED flash.

The LG Optimus LG90 is running Android 4.4 Kit Kat with 1 GB of ram and a 4GB expandable memory slot.  The back cover features self healing powers if you scratch it although if you gouge it with your car keys it may not heal. Not a bad little phone for $49.99 to have as a back up phone or for someone who is new to the smart phone world!

Grab the LG Optimus L90 here from T Mobile!  Continue reading “T Mobile price cut on the LG Optimus L90!”

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