Category: Articles

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Product Advisory Issued for European Nokia Lumia 2520 Chargers

nokia lumia 2520 ac 300 chargerReleased this morning, apparently there might be some design issues with the European and travel charger variations on the Lumia 2520 charger. Nokia has released a safety advisory, though details are slim on what the problem might actually be.

 “While there have been no confirmed consumer incidents related to this potential quality issue, product quality and safety are top priorities at Nokia,” said Jo Harlow, EVP Smart Devices. “We apologize to the owners of the Lumia 2520, and we are working with urgency to minimize the inconvenience.”

Thankfully the 2520 uses a very unique charger, so this shouldn’t affect any other Nokia devices out there.

You can read the full press release below.

Continue reading “Product Advisory Issued for European Nokia Lumia 2520 Chargers”

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My Week Without a Smartwatch…

qualcomm toq activity tracker update smartwatchI’ve been super critical of the smartwatch. I make no effort to hide the fact that I hope people will move directly to heads up displays soon. I think they’re an evolutionary midpoint, a convenient way to continue the conversation on wearable computing started by Bluetooth headsets. Having worn watches like the Toq, Martian, and Pebble for a couple months now though, my opinion on smartwatches has changed a bit, and lately I’ve been more positive on the experience.

During my recent trip to Vancouver, I opted for a Windows Phone instead of an Android. It provided me a better camera and the ability to store maps for offline use, handy as data was something of a premium on my pre-pay SIM. Unfortunately this meant no smartwatch support. I was surprised by how much I missed wearing one… Continue reading “My Week Without a Smartwatch…”

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Chrome Remote Desktop App: Control Your Computer Remotely with Android!

Nexus 7 Chrome Remote Desktop Windows 8 SomeGadgetGuyThere are probably few things more horrific to the Android faithful out there than seeing their precious Nexus devices running Windows 8 Live Tiles…

I kid. I kid. For you folks looking for a free way to remote control your computer while you’re away from home, the Chrome Remote App might be just the ticket. Having just left BETA, Google is releasing it for free, for any device running Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or higher.

Running a small Chrome app on your desktop or laptop communicates with a web service, and that links up with an app on your phone or tablet. This allows you to see what’s on your computer screen and control the action remotely. Depending on your data connection there will be some lag, but I haven’t found it to be any worse than some of the paid services available for Android.

Google claims this app is designed for phone use, but it seemed to function just fine on my Nexus 7. You have keyboard support for text entry (mouse is controlled via screen touch), and a dedicated Ctrl+Alt+Del macro for those of you controlling Windows PC’s.

Give it a whirl, and drop us a comment below if it works for you!

For Android: Chrome Remote Desktop App (Google Play)
For Windows/Mac/Linux: Chrome remote Desktop (Chrome Web Store)

 

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Google Camera App available for all phones running KitKat – Full Review and Feature Walk through!

Another handy Google announcement. After updating Youtube, Google is also making their stock camera available on Google Play!

If you’re familiar with a recent Nexus or the Moto X camera, Google is now allowing ANY phone running Android 4.4 (KitKat) to download the app for free. It’s helpful consistency if you’re considering switching to a different manufacturer for your next phone or tablet, you wont have to re-learn the camera UI. It’s also nice knowing that your camera software can be updated like a regular app instead of waiting for a full OS or ROM update to get carrier approval.

Here’s our full hands on feature walk through and review!

Google Camera (Google Play) Continue reading “Google Camera App available for all phones running KitKat – Full Review and Feature Walk through!”

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Youtube Android App Update Supports Chromecast Live Video Streaming

youtube app for android update lg g2 somegadgetguySweet little update for the YouTube app on Android. Now there’s support for captions, for those who like/need to read what’s being said on screen.

Also a handy little feature for Chromecast users, you can now cast live video from your phone to a TV using Chromecast. Perfect for live hangouts and events. Hopefully Google also lands some kind of deal for live sporting events for all the cable cutters out there.

Hit the update, and let us know what your think!

Youtube (Google Play)

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Burger King partners with AT&T to provide in-restaurant WiFi

burger-king-kingHave it your way! Even online!

The home of the Whopper is turning to AT&T to upgrade all of their restaurants with faster hi-speed data and WiFi in all of their locations. The biggest upgrade for the platform is a streamlined set up and connection process for faster data consumption during customer’s fast food consumption.

Full PR below.  Continue reading “Burger King partners with AT&T to provide in-restaurant WiFi”

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Anyone Can Buy Google Glass on April 15th, but Should You?

google glass cameraOn April 15th at 6am PDT Google will open up the Explorer program to anyone interested in owning their own heads up display.

Here’s the deal though, it’s still a BETA product, and it’s still fairly expensive. While it’s currently our best hope for a consumer, wearable, eye-level computing solution, you’ll have to pony up $1500 + Tax to grab one of your own.

I’m very positive on Glass, but it’s fairly apparent that Google hasn’t handled the launch of this project well. The general public is still fairly ignorant as to what Glass can and can not do, resulting in dramatic interpretations of privacy abuses. People have been written tickets for wearing them while driving, restaurants have asked customers to leave for wearing them, and an Explorer was even physically assaulted by a mob of people.

Google should be praised for pushing the envelope, but the Explorer experiment was flawed from the beginning. When it’s an invite only program for geeks, and the cost of entry is north of $1500, you have to expect that a statistically significant number of participants wont be the kind of people that you’d want as ambassadors for something so new. This has resulted in the coining of the term “Glasshole” to represent people who use Glass in a rude fashion. Unfortunately that term is starting to generically describe anyone with Glass, as it only takes one bad apple to taint the whole bushel. Continue reading “Anyone Can Buy Google Glass on April 15th, but Should You?”

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For the Traveling Geek trying to pack light… ish…

On our recent vacation to Vancouver, I wanted to pack as minimally as possible. I have a rep in my family for packing an obscene gadget backpack, and using very little of the gear I bring. I wanted to see how minimally I could pack and still participate digitally.

Goodbye backpack.

WP_20140413_20_42_05_ProMy first task was whittling down the bag I travel with. Instead of my normal Canon backpack, or one of my Booq pro bags, I opted for a small travel camera sling. I love all the pockets and dividers you get with a camera bag, even though I wasn’t packing my DSLR.

The nice thing about a sling, it keeps everything cinched down pretty tight, while allowing me to have the use of both of my arms. I’ve started using them over my old messenger bags when I’m on the go.

Only ONE phone?!?!?

WP_20140413_20_45_04_ProEven near home I tend to have two phones on me at any given time, so leaving the country with only one phone already had me feeling a little vulnerable. I opted for the Nokia Lumia Icon for a couple reasons. Even though it’s a Verizon phone, it’s completely unlocked. It also allowed me to leave my point and shoot camera at home, as the only compromise I’d have to make is not having a zoom lens.

After landing I grabbed a Virgin Mobile SIM card with a meager amount of data, but I pretty much relied on WiFi during my visit. Using a Nokia worked well for travel as I was able to download maps directly to my phone and use them offline with HERE Maps to get around town.

Only my Google+ usage suffered because stupid Google still won’t let us Windows Phone users upload pics and videos or use Hangouts. Pretty much every other social network was included in my touristy food pic uploads, even VK. No Google+, but I could upload to VK. How messed up is that… Continue reading “For the Traveling Geek trying to pack light… ish…”

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