Tag: smartphones

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Minnesota Governor Signs Smartphone “Kill Switch” Law

phone with lock image on screenIt’s the first of a likely growing trend in consumer protection laws surrounding our technology.

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton signed off on the state’s “Kill Switch” law today, and the measure will go into full effect July of 2015. The law is aimed at devaluing the black and gray market for stolen smartphones. If a phone is reported stolen, there will be a process acted by the carrier which effectively renders the phone useless. The idea being, if a thief can’t easily profit from stealing a phone, they’ll be less likely to try and steal one.

While there’s always the potential for abuse with any system which can brick a phone, we’ve already seen companies like Apple institute similar features into the iPhone, preventing devices from being activated if they’re classified as stolen or missing. Continue reading “Minnesota Governor Signs Smartphone “Kill Switch” Law”

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HTC Unveils One Mini 2 Mid-Range Android Smartphone

htc one mini 2Following in the footsteps of last years One Mini, the One Mini 2 continues HTC’s new design language found on the M8.

Shrinking the screen to a 4.5″ 720p display, the OM2 features a number of our favorite features from the M8 like Boomsound speakers, Blinkfeed, and Zoe. What’s different is an odd collection of specs.

htc one mini 2 (2)First, we expected the camera would not be HTC’s new dual camera sensor setup which provides depth info to the M8, but it’s also not the same 4 Ultrapixel shooter we’ve seen since the M7. It’s a 13MP BSI sensor. Something of an odd move considering the lengths HTC has gone to in promoting Ultrapixels. There’s also no mention of OIS on board.

A Qualcomm 400 quad-core should be plenty powerful for most folks, and thankfully HTC has seen fit to add in NFC and a larger battery. That combo of efficient processor, Android 4.4, and a 2100 mAh battery should provide for noticeably better screen on time over the last Mini.

A MicroSD card slot will be appreciated by many, but OM2 owners will lose out on the M8’s IR blaster to use the phone as a universal remote, and it doesn’t appear to have 802.11AC WiFi either.

Continue reading “HTC Unveils One Mini 2 Mid-Range Android Smartphone”

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4K Video Test: Samples from the Samsung Galaxy S5 on AT&T!

Time to run the Galaxy S5 through the most comprehensive real world camera test available online!

We’ve already seen how improved the GS5 camera is when shooting 1080p, but how does the camera handle 4K? Watch on!

4K Video Test: The LG G Flex.
Shop for the Galaxy S5 on Amazon.

Continue reading “4K Video Test: Samples from the Samsung Galaxy S5 on AT&T!”

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LG Releases Teaser Video for the G3

lg g 3Under the banner of “Simple is the New Smart”, LG teased the Android community today with some footage of the next G flagship.

Rumors are swirling with what will actually be inside the phone. The G2 was fairly ahead of the curve from a specs perspective, so it’ll take some significant hardware to wow the specs-obsessed Android elite.

We’ll all know more come LG’s proper announcement on May 27, but until then we at least have some confirmation that the G3 looks like it will follow in HTC’s footsteps with an aluminum build. Hit the vid below, and try to keep the drool off your keyboards. Let’s maintain a little dignity ok folks?

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Entry Level Moto E Smartphone Official at $129, Moto G Gains LTE

Moto_E_White_ShellsAfter the leaked and blurry pictures, it’s nice to see Motorola continue applying pressure to the entry level market.

The Moto G started a “low cost” conversation, and we’ll see it get a nice little update. Already showing up on MotoMaker and Amazon, G gets LTE support and still maintains its $229 price point.

Moto_E_Single_NAThe big news is Moto E however, as it steps into an even lower cost market. Motorola is delivering a solid spec sheet for a $129 price. A 4.3″ qHD screen (960×540) will be powered by a Qualcomm 200 dual-core and 1GB of RAM. A 1980 mAh battery should get this low powered wonder through a solid day, and a 5MP camera is on board for photos and vids. Plus the phone will feature a removable backplate to customize the design.

It’ll also offer up some great “Offline” features like an FM Radio and a MicroSD card slot, notable as this phone will be targeted at areas where data coverage is spotty or prohibitively expensive.

Exciting stuff, as less than three years ago this would have been a premier phone in the $600 price range. Motorola released a fun welcome video, and you can read the full PR below.

Continue reading “Entry Level Moto E Smartphone Official at $129, Moto G Gains LTE”

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Case Review: Fliptroniks Wallet for the Galaxy S4

If you’ve been looking to consolidate your phone case and wallet, Fliptroniks might have just the solution for you! Let’s take a quick look at their wallet case for the Galaxy S4!

Continue reading “Case Review: Fliptroniks Wallet for the Galaxy S4”

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Buy Your Mom a Moto X for only $299 this Mother’s Day (Sale Today Only)

moto x mothers day saleShe’s your MOM! The least you could do is get her a nice smartphone. Thankfully there’s a sale happening today on the Moto X, and you can score a 16GB model for only $299. The 32GB will run you an additional $25. You can even customize the phone’s colors to match the beautiful flowers you’re sending her for Mother’s Day.

The sale runs today through 11:59PM EDT, so get cracking! And maybe give her a call occasionally. It’s not like she gave you life and then raised you or anything. Geez…

Moto X sale on Moto Maker.

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OnePlus Smash Your Phone Contest: When PR Encourages Irresponsible Behavior

oneplus one smash your phoneWhen you’re a newcomer you’ve got to build buzz. OnePlus is waking into a very mature market, so they need to get people talking. They need those internet points and hashtags and Youtubes. Their hook however is borderline irresponsible.

The OnePlus One smartphone looks like it could be an attractive competitor. The specs are cutting edge, comparable to many flagship devices currently on the market, and people are already talking about the intro level price of $299. It would seem that’s not good enough though.

The first batch of 100 One phones will be filtered out to a select few contest winners. What’s the contest requirement? Smash your current high end phone, and you might be selected to be one of the first hundred.

Not just any phone will do either, the list is very specific limited to phones manufactured within the last two years. HTC Ones, Galaxy S3-5’s, LG G2’s, and high end Lumias. The current cream of the smartphone crop, all still functional and competitive handsets.

The messaging is clear if a bit mean-spirited:

“Look at all these folks ready to smash their own flagship phones for a CHANCE to get our phone. That means it’s desirable!”

Using customers’ own social media followers to spread videos, hope for a few viral hits, and a good chunk of their marketing is tackled for cheap.

It’s all in good fun right? Continue reading “OnePlus Smash Your Phone Contest: When PR Encourages Irresponsible Behavior”

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