Smartphones & Gear

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…

Gear Bits

The Rise and Fall of My Lumia 928

I know … you opened this to hear how I’ve given up on Windows Phone, regretted jumping ship, and am moving to more mainstream phones. Sorry, but the rise and fall here is far more literal: my phone took a spectacular triple flip dive out of my pocket today, and the results were right about what you’d expect when phone meets concrete. It started out as a pretty typical walk with my dog. I had my Lumia 928 in the pocket of my workout pants, a pocket that was deep enough to hold the phone easily. My dog was feeling…

Travel

The Nokia Lumia 1020 Is the Only Camera You’ll Need When Traveling

I use an HTC One, but its camera is subpar, and I take a lot of pictures. When the Nokia Lumia 1020 was released, who wasn’t intrigued by its camera? I sure was, and so I bought one. But could the 1020 function as my only camera while on a dream vacation in Paris and Dubrovnik? I would soon find out. From the moment we arrived in Paris, I started snapping pictures predominantly with the Lumia’s Pro Cam app set to 5 megapixels, which is oversampled for lossless zoom. About midway through the trip (or about the time we moved on to Dubrovnik),…

Gear Bits

The MagiCable Duo with Lightning Connector – a First World Problem Solved

My phone has a Lightning Connector for charging. My headset uses a microUSB connection for charging. My desk looks like a snake pit of cables. That’s where the MagiCable Duo with Lightning Connector comes in. This $29.99 cable features a unique 2-in-1 design and works with both Apple Lightning and Micro USB tips. Check it out. You can file this one under “Solutions to First World Problems”

Gear Bits

13.56 Multifunctional NFC Wristband Hits Kickstarter Today

This is a pretty cool concept for all those NFC fanatics out there. This wristband, designed by ThirteenFiftySix out of Spain, can control many functions of your smartphone including turning off your alarm, unlocking the phone, unlocking private folders, sharing your contact information, controlling your music, and more. A £25 pledge will land you an NFC wristband of your own. Also, for a very limited time, the first 200 backers who choose the “Pay What You Wish” category can pay whatever they think is fair for the 13.56 NFC wristband. This wristband seems to have unlimited possibilities since the NFC technology…

Gear Bits

Element Case Atom S4 Case Giveaway

As promised in the Gear Diary Newsletter, we are giving away awesome review sample cases. First up is the Element Case Atom S4 Judie recently reviewed. It has an MSRP of $54.95. Read the review, leave a comment then tweet the URL and “@geardiary @dmcohen @elementCASE”. We will announce the winner tomorrow night when we launch the next case giveaway.

Reviews

Keizus Quadropod + Clamp Review – a New Way to Hold Your Smartphone

As smartphone photography has gotten better and better, it has become increasingly clear that the right accessories will help take things to an entirely new level. The Quadropod + Clamp is a tripod-like stand and mount. Easy to use and flexible enough to hold your smartphone or tablet in pretty much any position, it is just $39.95. As you can see the Keizus Quadropod + Clamp is going up against the likes of the Joby Gorillapod line. It offers some significant differences, such as the quad legs rather than the tripod legs, and it makes deciding which small camera and…

Crowdfunding, Gear Bits

Phonebloks – Groundbreaking Smartphone Idea, Pipe Dream, or Both?

Phonebloks is a conceptual solution to a very real problem. Electronic waste is a big concern, as today’s electronics are not built to last. Phonebloks is a concept that uses interchangeable “bloks” that can be switched out when it either fails or you’re in the mood for an upgrade. But can this seemingly simple idea really be produced? With this design, you can theoretically just swap in and out any number of components from the camera, processor, gyroscope, memory, WiFi, even the screen and replace them wherever you’d like on the base. Sounds like an incredibly simple way to fully…

Crowdfunding

JUICIES+ Lightning and Micro USB Power Cables Looking for Funding on Kickstarter Now

The folks at Juicies may have come up with a way to improve upon Apple’s lightening cables as well as the typical Micro USB cable. The JUICIES+ cable is made of anodized aluminum, wrapped in a tangle-free woven cable, and is a foot longer than the typical power cables. A $20 Kickstarter pledge lands you one power cable of the future. Project Title: JUICIES+ for iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Windows Phones Status: Currently Funding Closing Date for Funding: 11/1/13 URL of the Project: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/laudowicz/juicies-for-iphone-android-blackberry-and-windows Product Overview: JUICIES+ incorporate a few great cable designs that I’ve been looking for in a…

Reviews

Case Logic Reflexion DSLR and iPad Backpack Review

Case Logic’s Reflexion DSLR and iPad Backpack stands out thanks to its “split-pack opening” design and a zipper tha runs around the middle like a jagged belt. It opens and allows the top half of the pack folds down and out of the way. This leaves the camera and tablet compartment open and accessible. Check out the $99.99 pack. As you can see this is a rather unusual camera backpack. The Case Logic Reflexion DSLR and iPad Backpack lets you carry a camera, a few accessories, a tablet and some additional gear in something that looks cool and will cost you…

Music Diary, News & Features

FL Studio Groove for Windows RT Announced

In a rather surprising move, music app maker FL Studio has launched a new app called ‘FL Studio Groove’ … and they launched it for Windows RT first! The app provides an easy interface for creating grooves and chaining them together to build songs. The app is on sale for $4.99, and will come to iOS and Android eventually. The folks at FL Studio made some other comments about the release, noting that it isn’t related to or compatible FL Studio Mobile, that there is no date yet for iOS or Android, and that Windows Phone is not planned. The…

Gear Bits

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.

Editorials, News & Features

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…

Gear Bits

Tapatalk Comes to Windows Phone!

Windows Phone is fast developing parity with other platforms, and while there’s a handful of top-tier names missing (cue the 10,000 “Instagram or bust” complaints), it is becoming easier to switch. Now that Tapatalk has hit Windows Phone, the platform can add one more in-demand service to its growing portfolio! If you’re a forums junkie, you probably know the name Tapatalk. For those who don’t, Tapatalk is a service that brings various discussion forums to mobile form via the Tapatalk app. You can see new posts, browse forums, answer private messages, etc, all from a phone-centric and comfortable interface. Tapatalk…

Gear Bits

Pressy Takes Kickstarter By Storm- Coming Soon to Thousands of Android Devices

Pressy is the latest rockstar Kickstarter project. This simple button plugs into the headphone jack of your Android device and, thanks to a companion app, can be programmed to activate a variety of actions with a simple button press. With a goal of $40K, it is already over at $300,000 with 44 days to go! I backed. Check it out.

News & Features

Save Money with Republic Wireless’ Motorola DEFY XT

This post brought to you by Republic Wireless. All opinions are 100% mine. A few months ago we, reviewed Republic Wireless’ Motorola DEFY XT Smartphone. At just $199, the phone is inexpensive. At just $19 a month — about 60 cents a for unlimited data, talk and text the service is amazingly cost-effective. It is an inexpensive way to get all the smartphone goodness you could want. Check it out. Here’s a little factoid that’s worth keeping in mind: the average American’s monthly cellphone bill is more than their grocery or health insurance expense. That’s. Just. Crazy. Republic Wireless decided to…

Gear Bits

The Lumia 1020 Takes on School Plays in New Commercial

Microsoft’s “Wedding Crashers” video was a funny take on guests taking photos at weddings while arguing over operating systems. The sequel, “School Play”, still has some Android versus iPhone jokes, but focuses (no pun intended) on an area where the Lumia 1020 beats everyone: the camera. This commercial follows the same format-major event, smartphones out, fight fight fight, smug couple using a Lumia in the back laughing at the rest of the people. However, it’s a clearer commercial, highlighting a feature of the Lumia 1020 that no else has, rather than a “hey, we’re the alternative” vibe. And the camera…

News & Features

Lumia 925 Coming to AT&T

The Lumia 925 is, by all accounts, an excellent flagship Windows Phone. At least in the United States, it has been tied to T-Mobile since launch, but now that exclusivity has lifted, and it will be arriving on AT&T on August 28th, presumably to replace the Lumia 920! If you aren’t familiar with the Lumia 925, it is one of Nokia’s top-shelf Lumia devices. It has a 4.5in screen, a Carl Zeiss lens, and the latest update to Windows Phone, giving it access to amazing apps like Nokia Pro Cam. Unlike previous Lumias, the 925 also ditches the polycarbonate body…

Gear Bits

The 10 Worst Android Phones of All time

I was reading through the news this afternoon and came across this post on Phandroid listing the 10 Worst Android Phones of all time. Lists like this are subjective, of course, but I have to agree with Phandroid on a majority of their choices. What do you think? What is the worst Android phone you have ever used?

Reviews

iLuv Mo’Beats Bluetooth Speaker Review – Mo’Music for Less Money

There’s a lot to like about the iLuv Mo’Beats HD Bluetooth Speaker. It boasts Bluetooth and NFC connectivity, works as a desk and a battery-powered on-the-go speaker, packs SRS WOW audio technology and has a hidden universal tablet and smartphone stand hidden in the top. Best of all it has a price under $100. We’ve been looking at a huge number of Bluetooth speakers in recent months, and the flow of wirelessly connected audio devices doesn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon. The latest unit we’ve had the chance to check out is the iLuv Mo’Beats Bluetooth Speaker….

News & Features

ProtectCELL Offers a New Kind of Cell Phone Insurance

Cell phone insurance usually covers the basics, like your phone taking a swim in a pint of beer. But ProtectCELL thinks insurance should be more comprehensive bang for your buck, with buyback offers and even identity theft protection plans! I keep a lot of information on my cell phone. Between banking apps, email, Facebook, and photos, you could recreate most of my life from my cell phone, and I am sure most people could say the same thing. I’ve always felt like cell phone insurance was a waste of money, but I am intrigued by the pitch I received from…

« 1 … 75 76 77 78 79 … 121 »