Android

Tab-X 9.7 Android Tablet Brings HD Big Screen Tablets To The Low End Market

News

Tab-X 9.7 Android Tablet Brings HD Big Screen Tablets To The Low End Market

In all the iPad Mini hoopla today, it was easy to miss that another (slightly less rumored) tablet was released. If $499 for an iPad is too rich for your blood, and you’re hankering for an HD tablet with a large screen, it looks like the non-mainstream brand Android tablet makers are catching up. Enter the Tab-X 9.7 from Arena Scientific. On paper, the specs sound pretty decent: Storage 16GB 32GB Display Retina-IPS display 9.7-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology 2048-by-1536-pixel resolution at 264 pixels per inch (ppi) Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously…

Whittling Down the '50 Reasons Why the Galaxy S3 Is Better Than the iPhone 5'

Editorials

Whittling Down the ’50 Reasons Why the Galaxy S3 Is Better Than the iPhone 5′

This week I discovered a cool video over at PhoneBuff called ’50 Reasons Why The Galaxy S3 Is Better Than The iPhone 5′, which takes a look at a massive list of things they claim make the S3 better than the iPhone 5. Considering I have the Galaxy S3, it would seem I should agree … but I found the list lacking in many ways. Rather than making a separate list, I decided to go through their list an item at a time and give my perspective as a long-time Android user and current Galaxy S3 user. I will provide…

HTC and Motorola Remind Us that EVERY Android Sale is an 'As Is' Screw-Over

Editorials, News

HTC and Motorola Remind Us that EVERY Android Sale is an ‘As Is’ Screw-Over

Apple is far from perfect, but if there is one thing they have demonstrated in the mobile space, it is how to ensure that nearly all users have the latest possible operating system revision as quickly as possible, and to keep updating those systems as long as the hardware is sustainable (obviously this is setting aside things like ‘Siri exclusivity’ and so on). Google and Android on the other hand seem to operate on a couple of different mantras – WYSIWYG and Caveat Emptor. In other words, do not ever expect anything except what you buy … and be careful…

Gear Diary Video Chat - Smartphone vs Smartphone Edition ... and More!

Editorials, News

Gear Diary Video Chat – Smartphone vs Smartphone Edition … and More!

For the last couple of Gear Chats, Dan and I have compared and contrasted things we both owned – the Google Nexus 7 and Amazon Kindle Fire HD. But as I have been greatly enjoying the Samsung Galaxy S III the great folks at US Cellular have provided me for review, and Dan has had his iPhone 5 for a bit, it seemed like a great opportunity for us to discuss the things we thought about what are arguably the ‘twin flagships’ of the iOS and Android world. Of course, from there we veer off into discussions of other things…

iEraser Screen Cleaner Review

Reviews

iEraser Screen Cleaner Review

Nearly every device most of us use today involve some type of touch screen. Phones, tablets, GPS units…you name it and we are smudging the screens. In fact, laptops and desktop monitors somehow seem to get greasy after just a couple of days use. There is not a day that passes that a smudged up screen is not annoying me. Anyone who is a parent of young children like myself know that anytime a kid gets near one of the screens it seems to get grungy. Our devices seem to be magnets for fingerprints and smudges. I recently had the…

The Kindle Fire HD, a Gear Diary Video Chat

Gear Bits

The Kindle Fire HD, a Gear Diary Video Chat

iPad-junkies Mike and Dan both purchased the 16GB version of the 7″ Kindle Fire HD. Dan got his on release day, Mike the following Monday; unlike with the Google Nexus 7 there is no attempt to use ONLY the Kindle Fire as a ‘daily driver’. Following on with their Nexus 7 chat Dan and Mike jumped on video to talk about the Fire, the Amazon ecosystem and how two devoted iPad-users are finding the newest Android tablet. Let us know what you think about the Kindle Fire HD, and about our video!

Kindle Fire HD Quick Hands-On Review and Comparison to Fire and Nexus 7

Reviews

Kindle Fire HD Quick Hands-On Review and Comparison to Fire and Nexus 7

Last year Amazon stunned the world with the $199 Kindle Fire, melding a 7″ tablet that was a solid front end for Amazon with a decidedly budget price. A few of us at Gear Diary bought them, but whether they remained varied quite a bit based on usage. Since then there have been some other 7″ tablets but only one worth noting – the Nexus 7. Now Amazon is back with the next entry – the Kindle Fire HD. Let’s take a quick look and see how the three titans of 7″ tablets compare! The Hype: World’s most advanced 7″…

My 7-Day Nexus 7 Experiment - Quality and Service are PROBLEM #1 for Google

Editorials, Reviews

My 7-Day Nexus 7 Experiment – Quality and Service are PROBLEM #1 for Google

When the Google Nexus 7 came out, both Dan and I pre-ordered one as I noted here. We discussed it in a video chat, and from that I had committed to a ‘7 Day Nexus Challenge’. The 7 days have long since passed, but I had wanted to get to the conclusion of my ‘initial Nexus experience’ before writing about it. So, here goes … Some background My pre-order through Google was confirmed and then canceled within a few hours for unknown reasons. Perhaps I should have taken that as an omen, but instead I just did another pre-order the…

Putting Down the iPad; Nexus 7 in Real Life

Editorials

Putting Down the iPad; Nexus 7 in Real Life

Recently I wrote a lengthy comment/review on the Skooba Weekender bag Dan reviewed last July. During that review, I mentioned that I am a road warrior and generally spend at least one or more nights out of town 40+ weeks of the year. A few weeks ago was one of those rare times where I was working in my NYC office all week. Being in the office allowed me an opportunity to spend some quality time using the Google Nexus tablet I had purchased some time ago. In the past, I’ve made an attempt at using the original Samsung Galaxy Tab,…

Check Out the New Kindle Commercials

News

Check Out the New Kindle Commercials

Amazon took a huge step forward in their hardware offerings with new a new Kindle and multiple new Kindle Fires. Do you think these are worth upgrades? Do they excite you enough to order or are you waiting to see what the iPad mini has to offer? Let us know in the comments.

Motorola Adds Three New Razr Smartphones on Verizon!

Gear Bits, News

Motorola Adds Three New Razr Smartphones on Verizon!

Yesterday was a smartphone lovers delight, to be sure. Piling on earlier announcements from other companies, Motorola had an event where they announced three cool looking new smartphones to add to their wildly popular Razr line-up. They updated the Droid Razr with Here are the basics: • DROID RAZR M: An impossibly compact smartphone that puts the world in the palm of your hand. A 4.3 inch edge-to-edge Super AMOLED Advanced offers 40 percent more screen space then the leading competitor. • DROID RAZR HD: This ultra-thin device shows you everything in stunning HD detail that beats the competition. Movies,…

Apple's Big Patent Win, and What It Means for Smartphones

News

Apple’s Big Patent Win, and What It Means for Smartphones

The Apple/Samsung patent trial’s jury shocked everyone by returning a verdict extremely quickly on Friday afternoon. Once we had the full details, I asked the team here at Gear Diary what they thought. Was this a game changer for Android and smartphones in general, or just another chapter in “lawyers gone wild”? Bryan: Yeah but remember, some of us don’t want to hear it:  😉 (Sorry, couldn’t help myself! :)) Dan: Agreed. Not surprised but I do think people will debate the issue for a long time. After all, as we learn in the Jobs bio, much of what Apple did initially…

OnLive, Moto Mobility and the Harsh Reality of Tech Wars for Real People

Editorials

OnLive, Moto Mobility and the Harsh Reality of Tech Wars for Real People

Over the weekend we heard about the founder of OnLive basically shuttering the company in order to protect himself and the property by using a California loophole that allowed better creditor repayment than bankruptcy, but for workers … they were totally screwed just as if the company went totally belly-up. But that doesn’t mean all is well for creditors and investors. Today we start to learn about more of the fallout of the OnLive collapse: specifically, that troubled smartphone maker HTC is losing $40 million due to the restructuring. This is the same HTC who recently posted a 58% net…

How to Root the Nexus 7; And Some Good Reasons Why You Should do it

How to Do It Yourself!, News

How to Root the Nexus 7; And Some Good Reasons Why You Should do it

  The Nexus 7 is no doubt one of the hottest tablets to hit the Android Community. Running a bloat free Google OS on top of a Tegra 3 platform has proven to be a crowd favorite. So why take the possibly “warranty voiding” steps to gain Root access to the device? Even if you are not an enthusiast there are many benefits to rooting the tablet past the obvious flashing of custom roms and themes. Some of the best Android apps require root access to work, so without root you can  pretty much use the tablet to its full…

The Waiting (for Android Updates) is the Hardest Part

Gear Bits, News

The Waiting (for Android Updates) is the Hardest Part

I have a Motorola Droid 4 – and I really love it. That said, it is lousy being not just one but TWO VERSIONS of Android behind … I mean, this is the sort of thing Google said they were eliminating. Anyway … that is about to end! Yesterday I read that the ‘Ice Cream Sandwich’ update was finally approved and a ‘soak test’ commenced, meaning that the full update would be released soon (unless something bad happened). Then later last night I heard that it was starting to ‘roll out in phases’. Motorola Mobility tweeted about it: 4G LTE…

Here I Go Again: An iPad User Tries a Google Nexus 7

Reviews

Here I Go Again: An iPad User Tries a Google Nexus 7

A short time ago I tried swapping my iPhone for a Windows Phone 7. If you read my posts on the subject, then you know I learned a lot of interesting things, good and bad, about the platform. This time I’m focused on my tablet.  I’m back to try one of the most heavily discussed gadgets this year, the Google Nexus 7. A Little Perspective… I have always loved playing with new gadgets.  That’s why I was interested in the Nexus 7.  But understand this: I come into this as a die-hard iPad user.  I have been one ever since…

In an Apple and Everything Else Funk

Editorials

In an Apple and Everything Else Funk

Lately I’ve been in a funk.  I thought, at first, it was an Apple funk.  I thought it might be about the fact that Apple today doesn’t seem to have the same excitement  and vision as it did under Steve Jobs.  I thought it might be about a sequence of products that is becoming very evolutionary instead of revolutionary.  I thought it was about Apple and where it might be heading. But it’s more than that.  It’s about where the mobile industry as a whole is heading.  It’s about what kinds of things we think are important (and it’s not…

Blurex Google Nexus 7 Folio Case Review

Reviews

Blurex Google Nexus 7 Folio Case Review

Image courtesy of Amazon  Android devices are usually pretty slow to adopt cases and accessories compared to the mind numbing amount available for Apple devices. If you picked up a shiny new Nexus 7 tablet, and are on the hunt for quality case without breaking the bank, then the Blurex Folio Slim might be the answer. There was nothing available for immediate purchase when the tablet came out, so I picked up a standard pleather folio case off of Amazon for a about $6 to my door. While this case has served me well the poor fit has been pretty…

U.S. Cellular Adding Two Hot New Motorola Phones This Week!

News

U.S. Cellular Adding Two Hot New Motorola Phones This Week!

Have you seen the recent U.S. Cellular campaign on Twitter? It is called #HelloBetter and it focuses on recent data showing how dissatisfied most people are with their carriers, and highlights how U.S. Cellular has the highest satisfaction ratings of any carrier. Unfortunately as a regional carrier, only certain folks have access to their service – but if you do, check this out! Recently it seems that smartphone makers are keen to get phones quickly into the hands of U.S. Cellular, as evidenced by the recent Samsung Galaxy SIII release, and now by two hot new phones coming from Motorola…

US Cellular HTC Flyer Honeycomb Update - Do It the Same ... But Slower!

Gear Bits

US Cellular HTC Flyer Honeycomb Update – Do It the Same … But Slower!

Just as it seemed we might be seeing some critical mass in the move towards updating Android devices to ‘Ice Cream Sandwich’ almost nine months after release, ‘Jelly Bean’ arrived and threw things back into a fragmented turmoil where the overwhelming majority of devices are TWO VERSIONS BEHIND. Oh well, at least we continue to see updates rolling out on pretty much a weekly basis. The HTC Flyer was an intriguing 7″ tablet that combined excellent performance from a single core chip with a full HTC Sense-ified Android 2.3 Gingerbread interface. Late in 2011 OS updates were initiated by HTC…