Let's Talk Tech
A new iPhone means we have a new iPhone camera to test out! Staying with the same 1/3″ sensor at 8MP, the iPhone 6 Plus adds proper hardware optical image stabilization to the mix. Let’s see how Apple’s first phablet performs in our real world tests!
The Galaxy Alpha is an interesting statement of a phone from Samsung. The Alpha steps away from Sammy’s usual “throw in everything and the kitchen sink” manufacturing approach, and working on crafting a more refined experience. It seems tailor-made to combat the newly released iPhone 6.
Instead of continuing a specs war, the Alpha takes solid performing hardware and pairs it with the metal build quality we’ll soon see on the Galaxy Note 4.
AT&T has announced today they will be the exclusive carrier of the Alpha in the USA, and the phone will be available to buy starting September 26 for $200 on a two year contract. If you’ve been considering an Alpha, drop us a comment, and you can read AT&T’s full PR (with a video teaser) below.
Continue reading “Samsung Galaxy Alpha Exclusively Available at AT&T Sept. 26”
Here we go folks! AT&T was kind enough to open a store early for me to go hands on with the new iPhones! Here are my initial thoughts on Apple’s newest flagship phone and their first phablet!
Apple set the standard for audio playback with the original iPhone, but since then other phones have improved dramatically. Now that the iPhone 6 Plus has a phablet sized screen, did Apple bump up the speaker size and quality? Let’s take a listen!
MPOW makes some affordable wireless audio gear. I recently got a chance to try out their newest Bluetooth speaker. At a street price around $50, does it make too many compromises? Let’s take a listen!
It was one of the big questions left unanswered by Apple’s keynote. Introducing an NFC payments option is fantastic, but will that NFC radio be available for other uses, like “tap & share” or “tap & pair”?
The answer it would seem is “no”, at least for now. Following launch, the NFC radio in the iPhone 6 will only be made available to Apple Pay. This also means that competing services like Google Wallet will likely be blocked, but it’s still unclear if recently re-branded Softcard (former ISIS Wallet) will be allowed on the iPhone. Softcard was introduced by the carriers, and there’s no doubt they’re looking to leverage their own payment system on what’s sure to be one of the most popular phones of the year.
NFC is a fantastically versatile little radio capable of a variety of functions. On Windows Phone and Android it can be used to initiate file sharing between devices, control settings on the phone (I use stickers to toggle things like WiFi and Drive Modes), and it can take the place of RFID enabled cards in some cities which use the technology for public transit.
As Apple is just entering the mobile payment market, it’s no surprise they’d want to restrict access to the radio used. Security will be key in encouraging customers to use and trust this new service. Still, hopefully we see a little more flexibility out of Apple’s conservative hardware policies, giving iPhone owners more access to all of the fantastic accessories and services which already utilize this hardware.
(Via Cult of Mac)
You wouldn’t download a car would you?
Well if you have an industrial grade 3D printer you might be able to someday download the chassis. Based out of Arizona, Local Motors is introducing the world to Strati, a car built out of a carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic. Strati is a two seater electric coupe with a top speed of 40 mph and a range of around 120 miles.
While the motor, wiring, and windscreens are all made using conventional means, the car is built out of a ridiculously small number of individual parts thanks to the printing process. Local Motors expects to sell Strati for $18,000 to $30,000 depending on additional features and accessories.
This could represent a manufacturing breakthrough. If Strati finds any small amount of success, 3D printing could drastically lower the bar for other manufacturers looking to produce commuter vehicles. You can find more info on Local Motors site, and you can see their Strati time-lapse teaser video below.
It’s been a long fight for Tesla in MA, but yesterday the state’s highest court thew out the lawsuit which would have blocked Tesla from selling electric vehicles directly to consumers.
The Massachusetts State Automobile Dealers Association sued Tesla citing the state’s franchise law, but the court ruled that Tesla was not violating the spirit of that law. The franchise law was written to protect franchise owners from direct and unfair competition against a parent company, a relationship which does not exist for Tesla. Justice Margot Botsford wrote:
The law “was intended and understood only to prohibit manufacturer-owned dealerships when, unlike Tesla, the manufacturer already had an affiliated dealer or dealers in Massachusetts”.
“Contrary to the plaintiffs’ assertion,” she added, “the type of competitive injury they describe between unaffiliated entities is not within the statute’s area of concern.”
Tesla is current fighting similar statutes in several other states including Texas, Arizona, Maryland, and recently an ugly public fight in New Jersey. If the state laws there are similar to MA’s, then this case might set the stage for Tesla’s future legal strategy.