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Google Properly Kills Softcard in New Update. Google Wallet Reigns Supreme.

softcard google wallet app dead somegadgetguysoftcard isis google wallet android app dead somegadgetguy nfc mobile paymentsI’ve already written a cranky editorial about how frustrating it’s been to watch Google and the Carriers repeatedly shoot themselves in the foot over mobile NFC payments. Thankfully, with Google buying out Softcard, we can maybe see some more progress in the retail arena.

My Note 4 just got an app update this morning for the pre-installed Softcard service, which now labels “Google Inc” as the developer. Upon opening the app, what did I find? You are no longer able to create a new Softcard account, and are now directed to use Google Wallet.

It’s dead Jim, and I can’t say I’m sorry to see it go.

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Long Term Review: Samsung Gear S on AT&T – The Smartwatch to Beat?

Apple would have you believe smartwatches are brand spanking new, but Samsung has already released three generations of Gear products. The Gear S represents the company’s most ambitious push in migrating data services to your wrist. Does it live up to the hype? Let’s take a look!

Shop the Gear S on Amazon.

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Moto 360 Smartwatch Gets a Price Drop!

android wear motorola moto 360 price drop google somegadgetguyWas it my favorite Android Wear Watch? Nope. But it still represents one of the most stylish entries into the world of wearable tech, and now you can get it for a LOT less.

Originally launched at $249, you can now find it for $165 on Google Play before tax and shipping, or $179 on Amazon for you Prime folks. Not a bad piece of kit at around half the price of the Apple Watch. You can catch our full review below.

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4K Video Showdown! LG G Flex 2 vs Nokia Lumia 930 (Icon)! You Decide the Best UHD Video!

I could blather on about the pros and cons of each camera, or I could just let each camera speak for itself! I spent a lovely day at the Los Angeles Zoo with the LG G Flex 2 pitting it against my old favorite, the Nokia Lumia 930/Icon.

Which phone shoots the best UHD video? Well that’s up to you!

Shop the LG G Flex 2 on Amazon.
Shop the Nokia Lumia Icon on Amazon.

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I Ask You: How Should I Produce an iPhone vs LG Camera Comparison?

I NEED YOUR HELP!
I want to do a video quality showdown between the iPhone 6 and the LG G Flex 2, similar to the recent LG vs Nokia video we just published. Now, I think you should always produce the highest quality samples that a phone can shoot, but that means 1080p video on the iPhone and UHD video on the G Flex 2. I don’t want to produce four different videos to compare these two phones, so what makes the most sense for a SINGLE comparison video?

I’m taking this poll VERY seriously as whatever the general winner is here, will influence how I shoot and produce a comparison video. These videos often take me a couple DAYS to shoot and edit. Beyond just voting, comments and sharing will be GREATLY appreciated, as I want this to be as professional a comparison as I am able to create.


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Samsung Responds to SquareTrade “Bendgate” Galaxy S6 Edge Video

Recently, gadget insurance company SquareTrade made some waves showing off a stress test of the Galaxy S6 Edge, claiming it had bending issues similar to the iPhone 6 Plus, and that it wasn’t as “bend resistant” as the HTC One M9.

Samsung today replied with a video showing how they test the durability of their phones, comparing it to the amount of force necessary to snap five pencils.

While a three point test is certainly dramatic, what’s concerned me about phone durability, since the release of the iPhone 6, has been deformation over time, especially uber-thin phones utilizing aluminum shells.

It’s all well and good that a phone can bounce back from one brief instance of extreme force, but how does it hold up to months of lower pressure “influence” exerted by pockets and the contours of the human body. In that regard, having a glass back plate might actually be a benefit, and we’ve seen (anecdotally) that the Gorilla Glass 4 shell seems pretty durable.

Does this response from Samsung assuage your concerns over claims of another “Bendgate”? Drop us a comment, and you can read Samsung’s full response below.

Continue reading “Samsung Responds to SquareTrade “Bendgate” Galaxy S6 Edge Video”

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HTC Sense Home Arrives for One M7 & M8 via Google Play Updates

Continuing their trend of delivering updates to services via app updates, HTC has unleashed Sense 7 for the M7 and the M8.

One of the more anticipated new features from the M9, Sense Home provides easy tools to customize and skin the Sense skin overlay on HTC handsets. They’re also building a community around sharing wallpapers and skins.

Sense is also more predictive now and, like launcher Aviate, it will try to offer up apps and services you might want to use in that moment, while also using your location for restaurant suggestions.

It’s also a nice consideration that this functionality is coming not only to last year’s M8, but is running pretty snappily on my two year old M7.

Hit the Google Play store for an update!

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Amazon Brings Prime Video to Android Tablets – Still Finicky to Setup

Amazon has been notoriously slow in bringing their Prime Video service to Android. Cross platform compatibility was a key factor in making the Kindle service the most widely used way to consume e-books, but Amazon seemed happy to let Netflix, Hulu, and Google Play run away with the Android streaming video market.

Recently they caved on allowing Android phones to stream video, and now, the most recent update for the Prime Video app includes support for Android tablets.

It’s not all roses however. Getting the service up and running still requires a multi-app strategy. The fastest way we got it running?

  1. amazon prime instant video on android tablet browser chrome somegadgetguyInstall the old Amazon App Store APK manually.
  2. Sign in to your Amazon account through the Amazon App Store App.
  3. Use the Amazon App Store to Install the “Prime Instant Video” app.
  4. Open your tablet’s browser (I use Chrome), and log into your Amazon account through that browser.
  5. Navigate to a video you’d like to play, and press “Watch Now”. You should get an option to “Open with Instant Video”. Use that.

Congratulations, you’ve set up Prime Instant Video on your Android tablet! From here on out, you should be able to continue using the service by using your browser to search for videos to watch.

I don’t see Amazon Prime Video unseating Netflix, Google Play, and Hulu on Android devices any time soon…

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