Android

How Important Are Benchmarks? Enough for Samsung to Tweak the Note 3 System to Cheat!

For some people benchmarks don’t matter … and for others they are ALL that matter. For hardware companies, benchmarks provide an internal performance metric and external bragging rights. But new evidence shows that Samsung tweaked their Galaxy Note 3 to perform better on benchmarks than in ‘normal usage’. This isn’t the first time they’ve done this, either! According to an article at ArsTechnica, Samsung tweaked their CPU performance when a known benchmark app was run, so it would give better than expected results. This was noticed when the Galaxy Note 3 outperformed the LG G2 — despite the two sharing…


Get the Boost Mobile Warp 4G Today, and Enjoy an Affordable Smartphone

If you are considering a prepaid mobile plan, and you are interested in keeping your hardware costs down, but you don’t want a budget phone, then Boost Mobile has some news that should pique your interest. Today they are releasing the Boost Warp 4G LTE, their $199.99 Android-powered smartphone that has a 4.5″ display and an 8 megapixel camera. The Boost Warp 4G comes with •       Android™ 4.1, Jelly Bean OS •       Dual Mode 3G/4G LTE •       4.5inch HD IPS touchscreen display with durable glass •       8-megapixel camera with 1-megapixel front-facing camera •       1.2GHZ dual core processor •       Wi-Fi & GPS enabled •       Stereo Bluetooth 4.0 •       Visual Voicemail •       Services: Boost…


Droid MAXX by Motorola Phone Review – Maximum Advantages/Options

The Droid MAXX by Motorola lives up to its name with maximum screen size and considerable battery life. The MAXX (Android from Verizon) officially released this past August; it features a nice rounded design protected with DuPont™ Kevlar® fiber material, and scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass for the 5-inch HD multi-touch screen which also vibrates with user interaction. The MAXX’s style is sleek and durable. The striations on the outer case and chin accentuate the large panel screen. The dimensions are 5.41 (H) x 2.80 (W) x 0.33 (D) inches (137.5 x 71.2 x 8.5 mm), and users can really feel the weight is 5.89…


It’s Not Your Imagination – Every Other Phone Has a Laggy Response Compared to iPhone

Laggy Android touchscreen response has been covered so much it’s practically a meme; we’ve heard with each device and OS version they’ve solved it ‘this time for sure’. But here is the blunt and simple reality – the flagship Samsung Galaxy S4 is even slower to respond than the iPhone 4S, let alone the iPhone 5 or the newest devices! And before Windows Phone folks start feeling smug, the Nokia Lumia 928 from Verizon falls in just behind the Galaxy S4. Check out all the results here.


Unintended Reveal of New iPhone Speed Test: Samsung Galaxy S4 Is Slower Than iPhone 5!

We all know both the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S4 are excellent phones. But since the iPhone 5 is now ‘obsolete’ and the S4 is just a few months old, it might surprise you that in ‘real world’ tests the iPhone 5 is considerably faster than the S4. The tests were intended for the iPhone 5s, which is insanely fast. You can see all results here, but I do realize that these sorts of tests are seldom an indication of exactly the experience someone will have. For some it is all about app-switching, others are data-throttled, and so on. Personally…


A Monster of a Tablet for Under $150 Comes to Walmart.com

Monster, best known for their headphone lineup, just jumped into the low-price tablet market. The Monster M7 tablet will be available exclusively at Walmart.com for just $149. The M10 tablet will come later this fall. Available in a variety of colors, the M7 is optimized for sound and actually has some decent specs for the price. Check it out. The Monster M7 tablet has a unique non-skid surface. It comes in eight custom “candy” colors that match the Monster N-Tune headphone line. You can choose from Candy Blueberry, Candy Tangerine Orange, Candy Grape Purple, Candy Apple Red, Candy Lime Green, Cotton Candy…


Hidden Linux of the Week is Android

In the Linux community, the term “Year of the Linux Desktop” has been bandied about for over 12 years. See, I use Linux every day and I bet you do too. This is especially true if you carry an Android device. Yes Android uses the Linux and is in the hands of millions. The year of the Linux desktop is here. History Android was started in 2003 by Andy Rubin as Android Inc. Originally Android was being developed to run on cameras but they quickly realized that would be a limited market. So they started developing it for Smartphones. Money…


Sony QX Series “Lens-Style Cameras” Take Mobile Photography to a New Level

Sony’s new “lens-style” QX series cameras are an interesting beast that look like a pancake-style lens but are much much more. Utilizing Wi-Fi connectivity they transform connected smartphones into powerful cameras. The cameras can be mechanically attached to a connected phone or used as a standalone unit. Priced starting at $250, they will ship later this month.  


Android 4.4 is Now Android KitKat

Google has given Android versions names of desserts for a long time now.  Android 4.4 was supposed to be Key Lime pie but in a fit of marketing genius or avarice, Google has announced that Android 4.4 is now code named KitKat. This includes a contest by Hershey (in the US) as well where winners can win a new Nexus 7. Plus you can see how the smartphone and the KitKat have precision builds by heading to KitKat.com…truly a sweet case of corporate synergy!


A View from a Linux User on the Nokia Buyout

  Dan posted about the buyout of Nokia’s Mobile Device division by Microsoft this morning. I pretty much expected this to happen.  Nokia always had great hardware and a great OS in Maemo. Some say they should have went to Android, but I think they gave up on Maemo way to soon. Nokia had some of the best hardware just a few years ago before the iPhone and Android trounced them. The N series of Nokia phones had some of the most unique form factors. It’s the N series itself that led to 4 unique devices that had a lot of…


Impact of Android Fragmentation: Vulnerability to Malware

An interesting report from the U.S. Homeland Security Department looks at the threat of mobile malware and other malicious threats, and breaks it down by operating system. Not surprisingly Android (especially 2.x and earlier versions) was most vulnerable, but the bigger concern was the slow adoption of more secure newer OS versions left many consumers at risk. Here are more findings about the major malware which has been identified by the bulletin: 1.SMS Trojan: sends messages to premium rated numbers owned by criminals leaving the user with heavy mobile charges. 2.Rootkits: logs the user’s locations, key strokes and passwords without…


Why Does Google Hate Windows Phone?

Whether or not you’re a fan of Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system, there’s one issue both fans and detractors both recognize: there is a definite lack of Google support in the apps. It’s not just the lack of Google Maps, but also the lack of a Gmail app, a Google+ app, and worst of all, no official YouTube app. That last one has been the subject of a fair amount of drama as of late, with Microsoft creating an app, getting it blocked by Google, collaborating with Google, releasing a new YouTube app, and getting it blocked again. So what’s…


Samsung Galaxy Mega Adds a 6.3″ Phablet to the Family

In their quest to dominate the smartphone world by having a Galaxy device in every imaginable size, Samsung today announced the upcoming US availability of the 6.3″ Galaxy Mega phablet. Shipping soon with Android 4.2.2, a 1.7GHz processor, and 1.5 GB of RAM, the phone and its features will be immediately familiar to anyone using a Galaxy device. Check it out.


The HTC One Mini Makes Its (Diminutive) Appearance

My phone du jour is an AT&T HTC One. I think that it is the perfect size, but there are some who wish it was just a bit more “mini”. Well, here you go — it’s the HTC One Mini, available exclusively from AT&T beginning August 23rd for $99.99 with a two-year contract. 


My Workspace: 50 Year Old Desk Mixes Modern and Old School Tech

One of my favorite set of posts on Lifehacker is the “Featured Workspace” posts.  Your workspace is important.  It’s where things get done. Each and every workspace is different because we are all different. My workspace utilizes a 50 year-old desk and a mix of tech from old to new. Read on for more on how I have set this up. The desk is one I picked up many years ago on Freecycle.  Freecycle is a Yahoo group in our area that people list stuff for free.  This desk’s previous home was a local church here in the Columbus area,…


3 Reasons I Almost Bought a Nexus 7 2 … and 5 Reasons I Held Back

Over the last few years it has become somewhat of a mantra – a new 7″ Android tablet comes out, I buy it and quickly lose interest, sell it off for a minor loss, and repeat. I have gone from Samsung Galaxy Tab to HTC Flyer to Acer Iconia to Kindle Fire to Nexus 7 to Fire HD … but it all pretty much stopped with the iPad Mini. With the Mini I found the perfect intersection of a size I knew would work and the functionality I need. Still … I kept contemplating new Android tablets as I heard…


Protect Your 2013 Nexus 7 the Waterfield Way!

I broke down and ordered one of the second generation Nexus 7 tablets the other day. As much as I love my iPad, I really wanted to see what the latest generation of Google’s tablet has to offer. Knowing it is on the way, I wanted to make sure I had a good way to carry and protect it. Thankfully our friends at Waterfield have some great cases that will keep the new Nexus 7 pristine when on the go. Let’s take a quick look at just a few of the cases that are sized perfectly for the slightly smaller…


Nvidia Shield Lands in Stores Tomorrow!

Way back at CES 2013 in January Nvidia announced the Shield, a high-performance gaming and entertainment portable system based around the powerful Tegra 4 processor system. Well, the system hits stores on August 1st, and is already seeing some positive early buzz. Some of the features include: • The ultimate gaming and entertainment portable – powered by Tegra 4 • Ready for Android gaming – compatible with 100+ games on Google Play • Capable of streaming your PC games over Wi-Fi – to play anywhere in the house • Featuring a console-grade game controller, 5-inch retina-quality multi-touch display, custom-tuned bass reflex…


Muzik Socially Integrated Headphones – Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should

“Just because you can include some technological advance in your consumer product, it doesn’t mean you should.” That’s really the thought that came to mind when reading about a pair of new, upcoming headphones. Muzik (while I’m on a rant… I hate it when companies intentionally spell words incorrectly) just announced their first product – a pair of “smart headphones”. As the company release notes the company is, “pioneering a new space called social smartware”. The term describes their goal of connecting consumer electronic devices to content and social media platforms with the goal of making “music instantly discoverable and…


Traveling with the Nokia Lumia 928 – Good Enough to Be My Only Camera?

Before leaving on our recent trip to NYC, I was given the opportunity to try out a Nokia Lumia 928. I wasn’t expected to review the phone — Carly had already thoroughly done that. Rather, the idea was that I see how well the Lumia 928 could do as my primary camera while traveling, and to see whether I liked it better than some of the other phones I had also brought along on the trip. Ordinarily when traveling I’ll bring either my Canon G11 or 5D; on this trip I brought nothing but a bag-full of phones. Although I…


Vertu Ferrari Ti Limited Edition – Inspired by the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta

I have owned four different Vertu phones over the past decade, and while I can’t quite bring myself to spring for another one (yet) — I’m not gonna lie — I miss owning one. There is something to their saying that “Nothing will ever feel the same”. Vertu phones are handmade of the finest metals, ceramics, and leathers, and they are basically works of art that also happen to be rock solid phones. The concierge feature is a big part of why they cost so much, but the odd thing is that even though I had access to the service…