Nokia Licenses Brand Name to FoxConn for N1 Android Tablet

After teasing fans for a couple days, the mystery has been unveiled. The Nokia name will return to hardware much sooner than many of us might have expected, however maybe not in the way we might have wanted.

nokia n1 tablet front z launcherThe N1 is a 7.9″ tablet running Android, and featuring Nokia’s Z Launcher skin. The 4:3 aspect ratio display will have a resolution of 2048 x 1536 for the IPS LCD, which will be protected by Gorilla Glass. The slate is powered by a 64-bit Intel Atom Quad-Core, 2GB of RAM, and will have 32GB of storage. The rear camera is an 8MP shooter, and the FFC will have 5 million pixels to play with for selfies. The one piece Aluminum frame will feature bottom firing stereo speakers, and maybe one of the more interesting specs is the reversible USB 2 Type C connector.

If the design of this tablet, and some of those specs like the 4:3 screen and the reversible cable port sound familiar, they should. Continue reading “Nokia Licenses Brand Name to FoxConn for N1 Android Tablet”

TV Channel G4 Shutting Down November 30th

It’s officially run its course. The NBC owned channel, originally aimed at tech and gaming fans, will pull the plug the end of this month.

I was a huge fan of TechTV, and followed the transition to G4 with shows like The Screen Savers which became Attack of the Show, and X-Play.

The channel ran into issues while trying to re-brand itself away from the “Geek” badging. Running syndicated content like Star Trek: The Next Generation and Lost, and courting buy outs from Esquire and professional wrestling organizations. In many ways the channel had already died due to the lack of original content.

For us fans of tech and gaming commentary, TV was just never as hospitable as the internet. Now Youtube and Twitch have replaced traditional broadcasting. Still there’s that little itch of nostalgia over what might have been, especially now with geek and tech gear going mainstream. A sentiment near perfectly summed up in the series finale gag in the last episode of AotS (about 2:54 into the embedded clip below).

So long G4. It’s been real.

“LA? That’s actually worse than hotdog mouth…”

Facebook Reverses Course on Separate Messenger App

facebook messenger returns to facebook appI WIN!!!

Ok. So I was never really concerned with privacy issues or permissions on the standalone messenger app Facebook forced users to install. The app’s notification settings and geo-location controls bothered me. Also the design, including the messenger icon in the Facebook app, which showed notifications, but then forcing a second app, was another nitpicky reason for me to fight it.

Since the switch, I’ve been replying to instant messages through my browser. Clumsy, but I could stick to my “first world problem” principles.

Well it seems that Facebook might be reversing course on the two app solution. On the newest update (version 21.0.0.23.12) if you clear out your data or reinstall the app, the messenger “Nag Screen” has changed back. You can now bypass that screen, and IM through the main FB app again. It’s unclear why Facebook might have made this 180, or if this is a permanent change.

VICTORY! How sweet it is…

SomeGadgetGuy Videos Moving to High Frame Rate 60FPS HD!

The bummer is, I’ve been shooting 60fps video for a couple weeks, but Google has only just now graced my Youtube channel with the ability to broadcast high frame rate video.

Thankfully the first video to feature the extra frames is my review of the Galaxy Note 4 (which is embedded below), so I’m happy to see that monster review actually benefit from the extra time it took to render that huge file.

If your browser supports it, hit the quality settings in the bottom right hand corner, and you should see the option to stream in 60fps on all videos moving forward. Delight in the almost unnaturally liquid-y smooth motion, and know that my workstation is melting in producing it.

HTC Hot Deals Every Tuesday – Half Priced Nexus 9 Tablet and One M8 Phones

htc hot deals 2014 nexus 9 one m8 re cameraIt’s the season of giving and HTC is playing Santa.

Every Tuesday starting now through December, HTC will be running crazy savings on a limited quantity of phones and tablets. If you’re ready to jump in at 12pm Eastern, you might be able to score a Nexus 9 for half price ($199), or take $350 off a no-contract M8. It looks like each deal will only stock around 200 units for the day, so you better be quick with your browser.

Happy hunting folks!

HTC Hot Deals

President Obama Would Like the FCC to Reclassify the Internet as a Utility

president_official_portrait_hiresOn the campaign trail, then candidate Obama campaigned on keeping the Internet free and fair. As President, he’s been quiet on the recent plans laid out by the FCC to allow for paid fast lane access to web services.

In a two minute video uploaded to Youtube this morning, President Obama laid out his plan for what a free Internet should look like. He submitted his proposed plan to the FCC, encouraging them to prevent gatekeepers from arbitrarily degrading services like Netflix, and that rules should be drafted which protect service regardless of how someone connects to the internet. That last point would also mark a large shift in how data access is managed as cell networks operate under different rules than traditional wired networks.

While it’s encouraging to finally see the White House comment publicly on the continuing battles over Net Neutrality, the FCC’s response threw some cold water on those happy feelings.

“As an independent regulatory agency we will incorporate the President’s submission into the record of the Open Internet proceeding,” chairman Wheeler says. “We welcome comment on it and how it proposes to use Title II of the Communications Act.”

Essentially saying that the President’s recommendation would largely end up on the same pile of comments that the public has been submitting.

You can see President Obama’s statement below.

AT&T to Acquire Wireless Provider Iusacell in Mexico

LogoIusacell.3The second largest carrier in the United States is making a move to acquire Mexico’s Grupo Iusacell SA for $2.5 Billion, expanding their customer network by 8 million subscribers and pushing farther into Latin America.

The deal will include covering $800 Million of Iusacell debt, and should make Mexico’s third largest more competitive, especially as Mexico is building out more middle class services for consumers.

“Our acquisition of Iusacell is a direct result of the reforms put in place by President Peña Nieto to encourage more competition and more investment in Mexico. Those reforms together with the country’s strong economic outlook, growing population and growing middle class make Mexico an attractive place to invest,” said Randall Stephenson, AT&T chairman and CEO. “Iusacell gives us a unique opportunity to create the first-ever North American Mobile Service area covering over 400 million consumers and businesses in Mexico and the United States. It won’t matter which country you’re in or which country you’re calling – it will all be one network, one customer experience.”

Full PR is below. Continue reading “AT&T to Acquire Wireless Provider Iusacell in Mexico”

Friday Freebie: Play Hundreds of Classic Arcade Games inYour Browser at Archive.org

Screenshot (238)The Internet Archive is a terrific resource for finding old media, from classic films in the Public Domain to old versions of web sites. Recently they branched out into archiving video games, and now they’re announcing a treasure trove of classic arcade games.

Over 900 old school coin-op games are now available to play through your browser for free! They join a growing collection of consoles like the Atari 2600, Colecovision, and Sega Genesis.

It’s an easy way to waste a little time this weekend. Enjoy!

Internet Archive: Internet Arcade