Saturday, March 22, 2014

Deal: LG Wireless Charging Pad for $35.12



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For those of you with devices that can do wireless charging, you probably haven’t picked up a wireless charger yet due to the price of most wireless chargers out there, right? Normally they are pretty expensive, like over $50. Well right now Amazon has the LG Wireless charging pad on sale for just $35.12, which is 30% off of its normal price of $49.99.


The LG Wireless Charging Pad has a sleek low-profile design, it’s also compact and portable and has a LED indicator light to let you know your device is charging. It’s a pretty small wireless charger, but still big enough to charge most devices like the Nexus 7 2013, Nexus 5, Nexus 4, HTC DROID DNA, Verizon LG G2, Motorola DROID Maxx, just to name a few.


How many of you are planning on picking up this wireless charging pad from Amazon? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.


LG Electronics WCP-300 Wireless Charging Pad – Retail Packaging – Black


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Friday, March 21, 2014

Featured: Top 10 Best Cases for the Samsung Galaxy S5



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The Samsung Galaxy S5 is about to launch in a few weeks, and we already have pre-orders going for Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T and US Cellular here in the US. So we thought it’d be a perfect time to do a top 10 best cases for the Samsung Galaxy S5. This way you can order your cases and they’ll be there when your Galaxy S5 arrives.


Spigen Ultra Fit Capsule Metal Slate Case


Spigen has a few cases for the Galaxy S5. In fact, they may have the most cases for it. This one is the Ultra Fit, and it looks really nice on the Galaxy S5. It’s available in many colors, although I’m a fan of the Capsule Metal Slate color. It covers up the back and sides of your Galaxy S5 with cutouts for the camera, flash, heart rate monitor, speaker, headphone jack, microUSB port, power button and volume rocker. It’ll be in stock on March 31st.


[STRONG-FLEX] [+Screen Film] Spigen Samsung Galaxy S5 Case Protective **NEW** [Ultra Fit] [Capsule Metal Slate] Full HD *Japanese* Screen Protector Included + Premium TPU Case Soft for Galaxy S5 / Galaxy SV / Galaxy S V (2014) – ECO-Friendly Packaging – Capsule Metal Slate (SGP10735)


Spigen Neo Hybrid Metal Slate Case


Here’s another Spigen case for the Galaxy S5. This one is also available in about 6 colors. The Neo Hybrid has been available for many smartphones already, in fact we reviewed it for the Galaxy Note 3. So it’s a pretty awesome case. It’s made of hard polycarbonate edge and a soft TPU cover.


[METALLIZED BUTTONS] Spigen Samsung Galaxy S5 Case Protective [Neo Hybrid] [Metal Slate] DOTTED Design Bumper Case Slim Fit Dual Protection Cover for Galaxy S5 / Galaxy SV / Galaxy S V (2014) – Metal Slate (SGP10774)


Obliq Xtreme Pro Case


Obliq has a nice and bright case for the Galaxy S5. This one is available in black, blue, gold, green, pink, red, white, slate, orange and a few other colors. It’s a tough yet slim, form fitting hardshell with a soft core for your Samsung Galaxy S5.


[Orange] Obliq Samsung Galaxy S5 Case Xtreme Pro w/ HD Screen Protector – Premium Slim Fit Dual Layer Hard Case – Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, International, and Unlocked – Case for Apple Samsung Galaxy S5 5 2013 Model


KAYSCASE Slim Soft Gel Cover


KAYSCASE has a nice slim soft gel cover which is available in a few different colors as well. It’s available for about $12 with shipping costs, which isn’t too bad. It’s made of high quality thermo poly urethane materials.


KAYSCASE Slim Soft Gel Cover Case for Samsung Galaxy S5 Smart Phone (Lifetime Warranty) (Black)


i-Blason Dual-Layer Holster Case


i-Blason has a holster case here for those interested. It’s also got a nice kickstand on the back and is available in black, blue, green, purple and red. It’ll also be in stock as of April 16th. And only costs about $7, which is definitely not bad at all.


i-Blason Samsung Galaxy S5 Case – Prime Series Dual Layer Holster Case with Kickstand and Locking Belt Swivel Clip (Samsung Galaxy S5, Black)


SUPCASE Unicorn beetle Pro Case


Here’s a Hybrid case for the Galaxy S5, which doesn’t look all that appealing to me, but it is pretty safe for your Galaxy S5. Which is always nice. It has an advanced dual-layer which is designed with a polycarbonate hard shell and a flexible TPU which can withstand falls, bumps and shock.


SUPCASE Samsung Galaxy S5 Case – Unicorn Beetle PRO Series Full-body Hybrid Protective Case with Built-in Screen Protector (Black/Black), Dual Layer Design/Impact Resistant Bumper Prime


Incipio Feather Shine


This is one of my favorite cases no matter what smartphone I have. I’ve reviewed it for about four different smartphones on the site already and I would recommend it every time. Right now it’s on backorder, for about 1-2 months. But it is definitely worth it. It also costs about $30.


Incipio Feather Shine Case for Samsung Galaxy S5 – Retail Packaging – Black


Incipio Watson Wallet Folio


This one is also on backorder for about 1-2 months. It’s an eco-friendly vegan leather front cover. It also has a 2-in-1 offering which includes removable feather case for convenient mobility. There are also three card slots which allow you to easily carry credit cards, ID and another card if you like.


Incipio Watson Wallet Folio for Samsung Galaxy S5 – Retail Packaging – Navy/Gray


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Huawei’s Honor 3X Play Edition Looks To Compete With Xaiomi’s RedMi Note



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File photo of a Huawei logo seen above the company's pavilion during the CommunicAsia trade show in Singapore


The Xaiomi RedMi Note(HongMi Note)that we told you guys about not too long ago seems like a pretty good deal. It might even make it outside the initial planned home market of Xaiomi which is China. It looks like Huawei is planning on offering its own similar device to compete though as it isn’t going to sit back and let Xaiomi steal all the thunder. Hauwei’s upcoming Honor 3X Play Edition is a direct competitor to the RedMi Note, and it comes in at only $160. That’s right around the same price as the RedMi Note,($1 less in fact) but how does it fare on specs and features? For those who may end up trying to import one of these devices, you may want to consider both if you’re looking for an extra device with a low cost.


The Honor 3X Play Edition is coming packed with a 5.5-inch display so it’s the exact same size as Xaiomis first phablet, and it comes with 2GB of RAM and a 13MP camera to boot, which is again the same as the RedMi Note. The kicker for the Xaiomi fans is that the RedMi Note will come with a less expensive and less powerful option sporting only 1GB of RAM for $30 less. The Honor 3X Play Edition is said to also have a MediaTek Octa-Core processor inside, specifically the MT6592. It’s also said that the Honor 3X will come with a 5MP camera on the front face, another direct similarity to the RedMi Note from Xaiomi.


None of this is coincidence, as this is Huawei’s strategy to battle Xaiomi for a mid level smartphone at the absolute lowest cost possible. There will likely be a couple key differences about both devices, one major one being that the RedMi Note will come Running the latest version of Xaiomi’s Miui ROM that is their own special brand of aftermarket Android firmware. The Honor 3X will come powered with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, with some sort of Huawei UI skin. The Honor 3X is expected to start pre-order reservations on March 24th, and then will go on sale through vMall which is Huawei’s online store for a week, then move to retail. Xaiomi’s RedMi Note is expected to go on sale in China on March 26th, so it’s still likely they might have the upper hand against Huawei if their phone hits retail first.


Huawei-Honor-3X-Play-Edition-image-1 Huawei-Honor-3X-Play-Edition-image-2

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Google Looks To Distance Itself From DARPA And Any Future Funding



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BigDog Boston Dynamics Robots


With all of the negative attention that Google has gotten lately in regards to the NSA spying and government ties, it should seem less of a shock that Google wants to distance itself as much as possible from DARPA, the military defense group for advanced research, also known as Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Although Google has previously worked with DARPA in the past and is still linked with the military defense research team, they have no intentions of accepting any further military funding for future research, and just as well because DARPA isn’t keen on giving it out. Google now conducts all of its advanced robotics research in their own Google X lab, and has even hired on some of DARPA’s employees to help power forward some of their aspirations like the self driving car project. Their X lab is also responsible for research into other projects like Loon, and the smart contact lens.


Although the two research companies still have to work together for at least a year thanks to contractual obligations to DARPA from Google owned robotics companies Boston Dynamics and Schaft, Google wants as little to do with them as possible to avoid any further negative media backlash. Since Google’s interests are more in line with the public sector, it makes sense for them to want to keep looking good in the public eye. On the flip side of the coin, DARPA would rather take the money it has for use with its funding budget and give it to startups that don’t already have the means to cover their own research expenses.


So why all the friction between the two? Most recently it boils down to the DARPA robotics challenge which Google never signed up for. The issue is that Schaft, which is the Google owned robotics team we talked about above, is the most likely winning candidate for the challenge and they had already received funding from DARPA that amounts to $2.6 million. Boston Dynamics which Google bought last year has a contract to provide its ATLAS robot to the the challenge along with any needed technical support. So both of Google’s robotics teams are tied to the challenge which isn’t scheduled to have its finals until sometime next year. Google may not want any connection with a group that is primarily used for military research, but for now it looks like they have to play ball.


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Apple looking Into Android Compatible Streaming Music Service To Compete With Spotify



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In an interesting turn of events, Apple is reportedly considering opening up and launching their own streaming music service to compete with the likes of similar services like Spotify and the newly released Beats music. In addition to this they are apparently considering launching an Android app for the streaming service to go along with the launch of the service itself, all in an effort to attack the declining sales of US iTunes music downloads according to sources that are close to the matter. People still use iTunes? All jokes aside, it has been difficult for apple to compete with services that offer streaming music at a low price, as the music libraries are competitively similar in size, and listening is unlimited, all for a small monthly fee. Downloading the same number of songs through iTunes that you would have at your disposal with a service like Spotify would take massive amounts of money, even with most songs on iTunes being available as singles with most as low as $0.99 a hit.


It’s interesting to hear these possibilities as Apple and iTunes have always been known to be a partnered exclusive company and service. While Google’s popular Google Play Music is available on multiple platforms including Mac, Windows, Android and iOS, Apple’s iTunes is only accessible to those who use iOS devices or Mac computers. They have effectively closed themselves off from other possibilities for quite some time, and it used to work for them when they were the dominating force in digital music. With the iPod reaching its end of life though, and a myriad of subscription based music services available on virtually any platform you can think of, Apple will have to find a way to take the once reigning king of music services and transform it if they want to compete.


It’s not that music sales in the industry are down as a whole, but more specifically album and single song sales through iTunes that are taking the hits. Apple’s recorded US sales for digital tracks and albums are down 11 and 13 percent respectively, with tracks being down in sales from last year and album sales declining the week that ended March 9th. All the while, services like Spotify, Play Music All Access, and the newcomer Beats music streaming service have all grown and have been gaining subscribers. It looks like the time may come where Apple in some form may end up having to play with Google and Android on the play ground in a way they never thought they would. Apple’s decisions on whether they will begin to create and implement such a streaming music service that offers unlimited listening from a vast library of music is all in the early stages of discussion still, but would it really come as a shock to anyone if they decided to go through with it? Apple already has a streaming music service in a sense called iTunes Radio, but it’s more in line with Pandora and is also limited Mac and iOS, with limited control for the user on what types of music they want to hear.


If Apple ended up offering a streaming music service that would compete with Spotify and offered up the service to Android users, would it be something that you would consider? Or are you happy with the service choices that you already have available?


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AOC Expands Past The PC Monitor Market And Is Poised To Offer Android Tablets



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You may not think of AOC as a tablet company, and that’s because they’re not really. However they have set their sights on entering the tablet market and that’s just what they plan to do. AOC is going to be releasing three Android tablets in the future in three different size models. They will be offering a tablet with a 7-inch display, one with an 8-inch display, and one with a 10-inch display. So basically it looks like they’ll have a tablet to answer for every persons taste when it comes to size. Everyone seems to have a preference in what they think is the perfect size to have for a tablet, so AOC looks to want to cover all its bases here.


Some prefer the ultra portability that a 7-inch screen provides, but for others that is still too small and stepping up to the 8-inch category might be the way to go. For the rest, it’s go big or go home and tablets with 10-inch screens are all that matters. All three of these tablets from the Taiwanese manufacturer look to be low-end specs or borderline mid-grade. That doesn’t mean they’ll be sub-par quality, just that they’ll be trying to attract more of the budget market than those who are looking for something that is extremely high-end and performance driven.


The 10, 8 and 7-inch tablets are said to be coming with 5MP rear cameras, with a 3MP front facing camera for the largest and the smallest tablets of the three, and the 8-inch tablet will be coming with a 2MP front facing camera instead. All three tablets are said to have IPS displays, as well as come with processors made by Rockchip with the processor model being the RK3188 ARM Cortex A9 quad-core. It is unclear whether the 10-inch and 7-inch tablets will come with the same screen resolution as the 8-inch tablet which sits at 1,280 x 800, or if they’ll come with the same metal body design, 3G, and WCDMA network support. It is also unconfirmed whether AOC means to sell these tablets in any other markets other than Taiwan, or what all three will cost when they launch on their unannounced release dates.


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Rumor: Samsung’s Second AMOLED Tablet Specs Allegedly Made Public



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Not too long ago we brought up the rumor that Samsung was working on and testing a new tablet that would carry an AMOLED display, which seems like no big deal but it’s bigger than you might think since this would be the second tablet from Samsung to have an AMOLED screen. The first was the Galaxy Tab 7.7, which came out around three years ago in 2011. Since then Samsung has pushed out a ton of tablets but none have come with an AMOLED screen. This new rumored tablet is said to have a 10.5-inch display with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,600, and thanks to these leaked specs now open for all the public to see on the GFXBench website, we now have an idea of what this fabled new AMOLED tablet may be have under the hood.


According to the image the very first thing we see is that tablet will be running on the latest version of the Android OS(this is relative to the current time, and assuming this tablet gets released before we see an updated version of the OS get unveiled and pushed out)which is Android 4.4.2 Kit Kat. The next detail down is the is the screen size and resolution that comes with at least 5 finger gesture support, which we already heard rumors about. Moving down the line we see that the benchmark states this tablet will be carrying Samsung’s own CPU, an Exynos 5 octa-core processor comprised of four Cortex A15 cores and four Cortex A7-ARMv7 cores with bigLITTLE architecture. The GPU is listed as an ARM Mali -T628 MP6 hexacore, with OpenGL ES 3.0.


It’s listed to come with 2.7 GB of memory, and 11GB of storage space which are odd numbers, so we can’t help but wonder if these amounts are the real values of what you’ll have at your disposal, and not the actual RAM and ROM that the device will have. The benchmark shows this tablet also carrying a 7MP rear camera and FHD video with autofocus, face detection, flash, and touch focus. The front camera is also listed, and is 2MP with FHD video. The wrap up of the specs listed here show that this tablet will come packing an accelerometer, Bluetooth, compass, GPS, gyroscope, light sensor, nfc, WiFi, and the capability for 1 SIM card.


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