#SGGQA 15: Let’s Chat Lumia 950, Surface Pro 4, Surface Book, Band 2, and the LG V10 is HERE!

This week’s episode is HUGE! I spent the week out in NYC to check out the Microsoft keynote, and we got to see a ton of new hardware! Lumia 950 and 950XL, Surface Pro 4, Surface Book, and the Band 2!

As soon as I got home though, my pals at LG had a shiny new V10 smartphone waiting for me to try out!

Last but not least, I went hands on with the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium’s new submersible ROV! Makre sure you’re charged and ready! It’s PODCAST TIME!

Microsoft Keynote Blog: http://goo.gl/iXEV65

Hands on with the Santa Monica Pier’s ROV: https://youtu.be/ufRAlVCIi7I

I GOT TO PET A SHARK!!!

More info on Jaclyn Friedlander and Friends with Fins:
https://www.youtube.com/JaclynFriedlander
http://www.friendswithfins.com

More info on Heal the Bay’s education and conservation efforts:
http://www.healthebay.org/

Download this week’s show as an audio podcast!
Subscribe to #SGGQA via iTunes!
Subscribe to #SGGQA via RSS!
#SGGQA on PlayerFM!
#SGGQA on Stitcher!
Most Recent Episode on SoundCloud!

Continue reading “#SGGQA 15: Let’s Chat Lumia 950, Surface Pro 4, Surface Book, Band 2, and the LG V10 is HERE!”

Meet The Santa Monica Pier Aquarium’s New Submersible ROV!

I spent the day down at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium with my pal Jaclyn Friedlander, the author of ‘Friends with Fins’. She was kind enough to set up a tour of the facility, and we got to demo their new Submersible ROV!

More info on Jaclyn Friedlander and Friends with Fins:
https://www.youtube.com/JaclynFriedlander
http://www.friendswithfins.com

More info on Heal the Bay’s education and conservation efforts:
http://www.healthebay.org/

Continue reading “Meet The Santa Monica Pier Aquarium’s New Submersible ROV!”

Microsoft Unveils New Surface Pro 4, Lumia Phones, and Surface Book Multi-Mode Laptop in NYC

Sitting second row for Microsoft’s unveiling of their new hardware line up, the WiFi is already slaughtered, and cell phone networks are melting down. It’s frustrating being detached from the wider social media world, but the buzz surrounding this event makes sense. Microsoft has never put together such a complete line up of products and services to show off before.

Chatting with others around me, everyone seems to be here for a different product category. Lumia fans, Surface fans, XBox Fans, Band fans, Microsoft has a lot riding on bringing these various teams together. Not just internally, as their company wide reorganization seems to be working, and we’ve recently seen a bit more product synergy between departments which used to feud. We’re looking at a company now trying to bring their diverse customer base together. Taking individuals who might turn to Microsoft for a single service or solution, and exposing them to a more comprehensive ecosystem.

They’ve made a lot of progress recently in re-establishing their reputation as a services company, providing apps on every platform. That doesn’t unseat the need for Microsoft and partners to find opportunities to continue pressuring the hardware market. While Windows is the dominate force in PC sales, they represent a much smaller slice of the mobile market. The timing on this event actually works in their favor, as tablet sales for Android and iOS are starting to cool off, Windows slates are in a good spot for consumers to replace both laptops and tablets with a single purchase. To continue moving towards one unified operating system environment, Windows needs to blur the lines between phones and tablets, as much as they did between tablets and PC’s.

One of the first major announcements to follow that theme came from Facebook, building out a new suite of universal apps for the entire Windows 10 platform. Continue reading “Microsoft Unveils New Surface Pro 4, Lumia Phones, and Surface Book Multi-Mode Laptop in NYC”

SomeGadgetGuy in NYC! Let’s Talk New Microsoft Hardware!

I’ve been blasting it all over social media. While I’m trying to keep my expectations in check, I’m really looking forward to Microsoft’s announcements tomorrow, where the company is expected to take the wraps off of a new Surface Pro, and where we fans of Windows powered phones will finally get some new flagship devices.

lumia 950 leaked photo

Specs have already leaked for the forthcoming Lumia 950 and 950XL, and from a hardware perspective they look like they’ll be competitive handsets with some novel new tech features.

Most interesting to me, will be how this Lumia team has refined the camera experience. It was the old Nokia devices group that ushered in an era of crazy high quality optics and larger sensors on our phones. Nokia was years ahead of the curve there, but manufacturers like LG and Samsung have largely caught up to older devices like the Lumia 1520 and 930 (which I’ve brought along to help cover this event).

lumia 1520 and 930

For my money, the camera battle between the Lumia 950 and the LG V10 is shaping up to be the most brutal as LG is working on improving their audio, and providing manual controls for shooting video, both areas where older Windows Phones still compete really well.

I’m also very curious to see how Microsoft will address mobile security. More Android devices are following behind the iPhone in offering up a smooth fingerprint scanning solution for unlocking phones and initiating mobile payments. The rumors on the 950 don’t show a fingerprint scanner on board, but instead the Lumia will be offering up an iris scanner. While other phones have flirted with using the front camera to unlock a device based on your face, we haven’t yet heard of anything as sophisticated as examining the iris of your eye. Whether this will be used solely for unlocking the device, or if we’ll see it utilized for some form of mobile payments will be closely examined.

And of course, I’m always going to be interested in seeing what Microsoft does with the Surface. As this division has become a billion dollar brand all by itself, the Pro 3 was a very well received product. Will the Pro 4 be a spec bump and minor refinement, or does Microsoft have something craftier up their sleeves?

I’ve only been on the ground here in NYC for about an hour, and we’ll be getting the official answer to all of those questions tomorrow morning! Now I’ve got to hunt down a good slice of pizza!

#SGGQA 14: LG V10 Impressions, Amazon Bans Chromecast, and Smartphone Camera Comparisons!

This week I got a DELUGE of questions about the LG V10 and Amazon banning Chromecast sales. We also released the most comprehensive review of the iPhone 6S camera, and compared it to the Galaxy S6 and and LG G4, so let’s chat about smartphone photography! Make sure you’re CHARGED AND READY! It’s podcast time!

iPhone 6S Camera Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWoffWRN5rs
iPhone Camera vs GS6: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC4PYZR5Ozw
iPhone Camera vs LG G4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGiC8iVIAEE
New Chromecast Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-No9ojLdBm8

Download this week’s show as an audio podcast!
Subscribe to #SGGQA via iTunes!
Subscribe to #SGGQA via RSS!
#SGGQA on PlayerFM!
#SGGQA on Stitcher!
Most Recent Episode on SoundCloud!
Continue reading “#SGGQA 14: LG V10 Impressions, Amazon Bans Chromecast, and Smartphone Camera Comparisons!”

Experian Hack Compromises T-Mobile Customer Data

T-Mobile LogoIn a letter to consumers, T-Mobile CEO John Legere disclosed that the vendor his company uses to process credit applications has been compromised.

The investigation is ongoing, but what we know right now is that the hacker acquired the records of approximately 15 million people, including new applicants requiring a credit check for service or device financing from September 1, 2013 through September 16, 2015. These records include information such as name, address and birthdate as well as encrypted fields with Social Security number and ID number (such as driver’s license or passport number), and additional information used in T-Mobile’s own credit assessment. Experian has determined that this encryption may have been compromised. We are working with Experian to take protective steps for all of these consumers as quickly as possible.

In responding to this attack, T-Mobile will be offering up two years of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection through ProtectMyID.com.

We don’t have confirmation on when this attack took place, or how quickly T-Mobile and Experian responded to the issue. Though the data stolen represents approximately two years of records, we can assume that the hackers have not had access for that length of time.

You can read Experian’s official press release here, and John Legere’s full letter to T-Mobile customers below.

Continue reading “Experian Hack Compromises T-Mobile Customer Data”

LG Unveils V10 Premium Android Smartphone

The end of 2015 is shaping up to be a competitive race. Of course we had iPhone launch day, Google’s new Nexi, and we’ll be talking new Windows Phones in about a week, but LG is making sure they don’t go quiet before the holiday buying season.

Before their official keynote, LG published an aggressively stylish video to show off their new aggressively stylish smartphone. The V10 builds on the success of the G4, but mixes in some new technology tweaks and higher quality build materials.

LG V10 premium smartphone Android Somegadgetguy (5)

We’re looking at the same Qualcomm 808 processor, but now paired with an additional gigabyte of RAM. We also keep the same 3000mAh battery, with a removable back and MicroSD card storage expansion.

That’s where the similarities with the G4 end. Everything else gets some kind of tweak. Continue reading “LG Unveils V10 Premium Android Smartphone”

Are Tablets Ready for Productivity? The Promise of What’s to Come…

Yesterday Google unveiled their new Nexus line up, new Chromecasts, and showed off a slew of services. One curious tease towards the end of their keynote revealed their strategy for offering up a new tier of productivity device.

The Pixel C.

Previous “Pixel” products utilized Google’s Chrome OS, but this next entry to the line will run stock Android, the operating system reserved for phones and tablets. Clearly Google is looking to compete with the recently announced iPad Pro, and the focus on productivity is clear. The Pixel’s signature accessory is a magnetic keyboard cover which includes and adjustable hinge.

There’s been a bit of a scramble lately in the tablet market. Sales are generally down. After being the hot item, destined to replace those boring old laptops, even Apple is struggling to grow sales year over year.

Continue reading “Are Tablets Ready for Productivity? The Promise of What’s to Come…”