Nokia Releases Their Own First Impressions Video for The Lumia 1520

nokia lumia 1520 hands on video youtubeWhy wait for reviewers right? This is pretty much the going trend for companies releasing new gear I suppose…

However, if you were curious about Nokia’s up coming phablet, you can get a quick taste of what the phone is like courtesy of the Nokia Youtube Channel. They spend almost four minutes getting hands-y with the Lumia 1520, checking out the hardware, playing with the new camera app, and it looks pretty clean.

The phablet wars have been joined by Windows Phone! What do you think folks? Will you be getting one?

Review: TRENDnet Powerline 500 AV Adapter Kit – Internet Over Your Home’s Electrical Wiring!

trendnet powerline 500 av adapters home networking somegadgetguy reviewWe recently moved to a new place, and the shape of our new condo means our current WiFi router no longer broadcasts a strong enough signal to our living room to enjoy Netflix with image degradation or tons of buffering.

We didn’t want to string Ethernet cabling all over our new place, so I reached out to the folks at TRENDnet to try out one of their Powerline adapters, which uses your home’s electrical wiring to carry a networking signal.

Let’s see if the 500 AV kit managed to solve our Netflix woes.

For more info on TRENDnet products: http://www.trendnet.com/
Shop for the Powerline 500 AV Adapters on Amazon.

Will Elon Musk Bring Android Apps to the Tesla Model S Dashboard Touchscreen?

model-s-interior1_960x640At a reception in Germany, Elon Musk spoke to a crowd about Tesla’s investment in the German market. Germany is very forward on renewable energy, alternative fuels, and they seem like a natural fit for the Tesla vibe. Especially considering that Germany was the second place market for the Tesla Roadster (behind the USA).

While answering questions about their corporate plans, Musk was asked about developing apps for the huge touchscreen built into the dash of the Tesla Sedan. The Model S currently uses a build of Linux, so porting Android apps over, or running them in an emulator, should be fairly easy to do, and he does specifically mention updating the car’s browser to chrome.

Elon actually takes the stage at 14:47 in this video, and you can skip to 37:20 to hear him answer the question about apps and Android.

I still have some ergonomic and safety reservations about an automobile control surface comprised mostly of a smooth featureless touchscreen, but at least I might not have to learn a new and unfamiliar  UI when I’m finally able to get my hands on a Tesla of my very own… Some day… It could happen… Sigh…

The New Nokia Camera App for PureView Lumia Phones – Feature Walk Through on the Lumia 1020!

nokia camera app windows phone lumia 1020I’m super excited to see Nokia combine the features of the Pro Camera and Smart Camera apps for Lumia Windows Phones. While Lumia phones often feature impressive cameras with cool features, it was always frustrating having to remember which features were in one app and which were in a different app. Now we have one camera app to rule them all!

But seriously there are some incredibly photographic controls built into this new app, allowing users to control a myriad number of exposure settings. If the camera is the most important part of your smartphone experience, and you haven’t checked out a Lumia, you’re kind of missing out.

Let’s take a look through the new Nokia Camera app on the Nokia Lumia 1020!

Related:

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

Ask Juan: How useful are 41MP pics from the Lumia 1020 when uploading to Facebook, Instagram, etc?

So Many Tablets! I Join BooredAtWork to chat iPads, Lumias, and Surfaces

iPadAir-iPadMini_34B2B_lock-blue_home-nebula-PRINTMany, yesterday was a pretty full day. Microsoft started selling the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2. Apple showed off sleeker iPads. Nokia unleashed a Windows Phone phablet and a Windows 8.1 RT slate. Plenty to keep a solo tech blogger like myself busy. Thankfully I have a few friends in the tech blog community to help me out. I joined BooredAtWork.com in hangout last night to chat about all the exciting developments.

It was a lively discussion, chatting up all the news. What was your favorite announcement yesterday? Are you looking forward to a Retina iPad Mini? LTE on a Nokia tablet? Drop us a comment!

Just for Fun: The Only Video Ron Livingston Ever Uploaded to Youtube…

425px-RonLivingstonMay10The internet is a strange and wonderful place. The spread of viral media can compel people to do incredible things, sometimes terrible things, sometimes silly things, but incredible nonetheless.

For example, this video clip found by a Redditor, uploaded by Ron Livingston (Office Space) in the summer of 2010. It stands as the only video Mr. Livingston ever uploaded to his Youtube account. There are so many unanswered questions. Why did he do it? Will he ever return to Youtube?

Only time will answers those questions, but in the meantime we can relive a once popular meme and speculate on what Mr. Livingston is doing these days…

Quick Tip: Boot Directly to the Traditional Desktop in Windows 8.1 – Super Easy!

Screenshot (91)I’ve been a fan of Windows 8 from the first release. I think it’s elegant, and it’s very interesting that Microsoft (of all companies) will be the first to offer up a unified UI across all of their various products.

However, I also totally get that for people on non-touch screen devices, the traditional desktop might be a better fit for getting work done. With the Windows 8.1 update, Microsoft has now included an option to boot directly to the traditional desktop, so let’s walk you through setting that option up!

Regal Entertainment Group to release ‘The Stream’ Oct. 18 – A film benefiting Boys and Girls Club of America

stream_xlgIt’s crucial that we find ways to bring technology and tools to children, engage them, encourage them to learn how to use the tools which will make up future carriers. For example, producing and distributing a feature film can make a significant impact on a number of kids.

With support from AT&T Aspire and Taco Bell’s Foundation for Teens, Dreaming Tree Foundation produced ‘The Stream’ starring Rainn Wilson, Christopher Gorham, Mario Lopez, and Kelly Rutherford. The film takes place in 1981 and follows a group of kids looking for adventure in the vein of their favorite movie Star Wars. Following the local stream, dodging bullies, and getting caught in a nasty storm, it looks like a solid family friendly kid adventure.

Regal Entertainment Group will be showing ‘The Stream’ at select Regal Cinemas, United Artists and Edwards Theaters starting October 18th. The majority of all revenue generated by the film will be donated to the Boys & Girls Club of America. While that’s certainly a generous contribution to a worthwhile organization which helps millions of kids across the country, the production of this film is equally exciting.

the stream kids film boys and girls club of americaIn making the film, almost 200 kids had some hand in creating it. From working on set or assisting in the post production and editing, members of BGCA got a little real world experience producing.  I was not involved with Boys Club growing up, but I got to benefit from a number of similar programs. Those experiences were critically formative.

For more info on the film, check out www.thestreammovie.com.

More information on Dreaming Tree, Foundation for Teens, and AT&T Aspire’s contributions to this film.