The HTC One M9 may have a 20MP Camera but is it any good? We find out in our review of the One M9's camera!
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Tuesday, 31 March 2015
HTC One M9 Camera Review
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The new Microsoft Surface 3 will be my next tablet
For the past 2 years (almost to the day) I’ve been happy with my Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 as my tablet. Thus far I haven’t typically had much of a use for a tablet except for the occasional sketch or Netflix episode. When I initially purchased the tablet I had high hopes of using it to offset some of the tasks I did on my smartphone every day in order to provide longer battery life for my smartphone. Things didn’t turn out quite like I had hoped, as it turned out; my tablet wasn’t as convenient to use for e-mail, web browsing, and organizing as my phone was for me.
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LG G3 now comes with free VR headset in the U.S.
Remember that “VR for G3” promo that LG announced back in early February? Well, nearly two months later, it’s going live.
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HTC Calendar, Print Studio apps hit the virtual shelves of Google Play
More custom HTC Android apps have made their way into Google Play.
First up is HTC Calendar, which is exactly what it sounds like. The HTC Calendar app will let you view your appointments in a day, week, or month format, create new events and edit existing once, sync with various services like Google and Exchange, and share events over Bluetooth, email, or text message.
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HTC One M9: 5 Biggest Disappointments
Top 10 Android Apps of March 2015
Beau HD gives us ten of the best apps for Android from the month of March 2015. Some of the apps in the video are new, some of them received updates, and some of them are just plain awesome and worth checking out.
The apps mentioned in this video include: Fotonica, ScoreCenter LIVE, UltraTuner, News360, Swipes, Table Tennis, Open Imgur, Peak, Star Walk 2, and FitHub.
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I'm still hoping Android Wear gets iOS support
The Apple Watch is set to go up for pre-order on Friday, April 10, and then launch to the masses a couple of weeks later. It’s a big product for Apple, even if it’s billed as one of the company’s most personal, too. The Cupertino-based Apple is betting big on wearable technology, just as the rest of the mobile market has in one way or another, and as usual it’s going to be interesting to see how the consumer market reacts to the device.
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U.S. Cellular reveals 2015 4G LTE plans, including the addition of over 600 cell sites
U.S. Cellular today revealed its 4G LTE expansion plans for 2015.
U.S. Cellular says that it will add more than 600 4G LTE cell sites in 2015 and expand existing LTE service in 10 states. The 10 states that’ll see additional U.S. Cellular LTE coverage are California, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia. USCC says that more than 2,000 new cities will get 4G LTE, and that by the end of 2015, 98 percent of U.S. Cellular customers will be covered by its LTE network.
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Chromebit is made by ASUS and Google, offers Chrome OS on a stick
Google’s Chrome OS is currently available on laptops and desktop machines, the two main form factors for computer operating systems. Now Chrome OS is making its onto a third form factor, and this is the smallest one that we’ve seen yet.
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OnePlus says DR-1 will land in April, looks like a drone is coming
Remember that “game changer” new product that OnePlus teased earlier this month? Well it looks like we may have an idea about what it might be.
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Alcatel OneTouch Watch now available for pre-order at $149.99
After making its debut at CES in January, the Alcatel OneTouch Watch is now available for pre-order.
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Sony drops Xperia Z Android 5.0 teaser image
Sony said last year that it planned to push Android 5.0 to all of its premium Z series devices. So far we’ve seen some Z3 and Z2 products get the Lollipop update, but Sony wants you to know that it hasn’t forgotten about older Z series hardware.
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Review: mini review: TDK TREK Flex
The Bluetooth speaker market is becoming aggressive. Companies are figuring out how to pack in a bevy of sought-after features like water-proofing, shock-resistance, NFC-connectivity and more into a smaller form factor. Not just that, the price for a well-stocked, portable option has come down significantly.
A noted example of this is the TDK Life on Record TREK Flex. For $129 (about £119, AU$166), a lot is on the table here. Better yet, I've seen it for as low as $99. You'll find almost every attractive feature under the sun stocked into this speaker. Even if you don't see yourself using its sporty lifestyle capabilities, this Bluetooth speaker is still a smart buy.
Design
The TREK Flex is champion of features that help it stand up to rugged handling and gentle water play, but you'd never guess that based on looks alone.
Its capabilities, of which there are several, are masked in a sophisticated, cylindrical presentation. This speaker is the size of a large coffee mug and also similar in weight to one that's full of delicious joe.
While comprised of several materials, the black grille is the most prevalent on the TREK Flex. Two pieces curve around the speaker, meshing together to form an almost seamless appearance. If you catch the right light, you can see right through the body.
This speaker can stand on end vertically on either end of the cylinder, which makes it perfect for fitting into tight spaces. However, it does seems like there is a correct side and a less correct side. One is more rugged than the other, which displays the spun metal branding.
When laid out horizontally, there's no puzzle involved. There's only one way to lay it. The kickstand protrusion jutting out from the band of rubber that wraps around the speaker keeps it from moving around when laying flat.
The main attraction for the TREK Flex's functionality and design is the button panel. Contained beneath a strip of soft rubber that stretches from top to bottom (or side to side depending on which way you orient the speaker), each button offers a subtle click. Each of these functions are lit up with LEDs to indicate battery life, Bluetooth status and volume level.
To finish the design tour, there are a few ports around the backside of the speaker. Lifting a protective rubber flap reveals the simple array: an on/off switch that allows entering in and out of standby mode, a micro USB charging port and an auxiliary port for wired listening.
In short: the TREK Flex is easy on the eyes and incredibly simple to use.
Performance
Just when you thought that the cylindrical design was only for portability and looks, TDK cooked in a bunch of features that leverage the form factor as well.
Let's start out by talking about the rugged build, which is arguably the TREK Flex's main draw. The speaker enclosure offers resistance against shock with a grade of IK07, enough to survive short tumbles. It's also built to resist the elements with a water and dust-resistance rating of IP65. That rating guarantees survivability against dust and a decent amount of water splash – just do not submerge this speaker. It isn't made for underwater expeditions.
As a standalone speaker, the TREK Flex offers plenty to like. Piggy-backing off the pleasing design are a few more desirable traits.
Similar to the way screens have a limited viewing angle, most Bluetooth speakers also suffer from a rather limited cone of sound delivery. Sure, sound can be heard outside of the cone, but not as clearly or with as much definition. Taking advantage of the cylindrical design of this speaker, TDK implemented 360-degree sound to moderate levels of success.
The angles of sound are indeed much wider than that of a strictly forward-firing speaker, but a true 360-degrees isn't what we're getting here. There are few dead zones, areas where sound just isn't emanating from. However, thanks to the open design that the grille puts forward, this emulated 360-degree effect still works pretty well.
The sound performance of the TREK Flex is another of its strengths. Either stood up or laying down on its side, this speaker provides sufficiently deep bass, and it's no slouch when it comes to delivering mids and highs. For also being such a rugged option, I'm impressed with the quality of the sound.
To touch on the rest of the speaker's features, I listened at a wide variety of rather loud volumes and the battery fell roughly one hour short of its advertised eight hour lifespan. I'm confident that the speaker would have surpassed it at a steady (and generally lower) volume.
Bluetooth connectivity is strong, too. In my studio apartment, my tethered device was 30 feet away at times and it operated without a hitch. Connecting via NFC and utilizing the built-in microphone are both issue-free experiences.
We liked
This Bluetooth speaker contains quite a large feature set for the price and thankfully, the inclusion of these features doesn't come at the expense of battery life and sound performance. In fact, both this speaker's longevity and sound profile are excellent for just over 100 bucks.
If you're a design nut, you're going to want to pick up and hold this speaker as soon as you lay eyes on it. A design ID this strong and sensible is rare at this price point.
We disliked
The 360-degree sound, while still rather effective, doesn't fire in every direction. Therefore, it's not really 360-degrees.
Another minor issue is that upon successfully pairing, the speaker will automatically resume paused music. This is great if you intend on it happening, but too often, it's not exactly ideal.
Final verdict
Simply put, the TDK Life on Record TREK Flex is a great value. No matter what you use it for – beachside jamming, hiking, or just on a bookshelf – you're getting a tremendously designed speaker for a sweet deal.
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Hands-on review: Surface 3 review
Microsoft has introduced its thinnest and lightest Surface tablet yet, and I know what you're thinking: no, the Surface 3 isn't the long-rumoured Surface Mini.
That said, the new tablet bears many of the qualities you might expect from a small Surface — it's plenty portable and more affordable than the Surface Pro 3, while packing less in the power department. And that last point is a concern.
The Surface 3 is the first non-Pro Surface to get full-fat Windows 8.1, rather than Windows RT, which featured on the Surface RT, Surface 2 (and Surface 2 4G). At 10.8 inches, the new tablet is closer in length to those devices while being slightly taller due to its 3:2 aspect ratio display.
Foregoing an Intel Core-series CPU (what, no Core M?), the Surface 3 comes with a Quad-core Intel Atom x7-Z8700 "Cherry Trail" CPU clocked at 1.6GHz (Turbo Boost to 2.4GHz), 2GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.
If you want to dial up the power (slightly), a second version comes with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Both will be available starting May 7. The former spec will set you back £419 (around $619, AU$814), while the latter comes in at £499 (around $738, AU$970).
While cost of entry is lower than entry-level Surface Pro 3, which starts at £575 ($799, AU$979), that device gets you a more powerful Core i3 fifth-generation Intel CPU and a larger display.
Design
I've always loved the design of Microsoft's Surface products, and the Surface 3 is no exception. Its smooth edges and two-tone silver-and-black finish just lend it that premium edge over most other Windows tablets.
If you're thinking that the Surface 3 is overpriced considering the specs inside, you can be reassured that design and build quality is partially responsible for that. Still, the price is a lot to ask for a device that comes with an Intel Atom CPU that will likely struggle to run Photoshop and other demanding applications.
The Surface 3 sports the same magnesium alloy design as previous Surface tablets, and at 622 grams (versus the Surface Pro 3's 800 grams), it's noticeably the lightest Surface yet. Holding it to scribble in OneNote using the Stylus Pen (once again sold separately), it's the closest yet to feeling like you're wielding a pad of paper in the hand.
If the Surface Pro 3's multi-position kickstand was considered a step forward, the Surface 3's is two steps back. Literally. Like the Surface Pro 2, you can position it back at two different angles, which could make it less attractive to designers who have got used to the Surface Pro 3's flexible leanings. For the casual user, however, it provides enough variation — even if it doesn't balance particularly well on the lap.
Display
One of the Surface 3's standout features is its display. It's sharp, and especially bright, with deep blacks and bold colours that 'pop'. At a pixel-resolution of 1,920 x 1,280 it provides more than enough room for snapping apps and windows side-by-side, and you can see more of what's going on vertically thanks to its 3:2 aspect ratio.
One of the big selling points of Microsoft's Surface tablets is that you can use them as both a tablet and a laptop, and the Surface 3's touch-sensitive display is highly responsive to touch. While double-tapping icons and moving Windows around isn't particularly taxing using a finger, and you get more accuracy using the Stylus Pen.
The display's clarity and strong colours make it suitable for watching videos. Firing up a 1080p YouTube clip produced impressive results, and the Surface 3 should be similarly up to the task of displaying content streaming from Netflix and other services. Microsoft plans to offer a version with 4G LTE connectivity, though a date and pricing is yet to be confirmed.
Accessories
The Surface 3 comes with a number of accessories in tow, including a Surface Pen that's identical to the Surface Pro 3's. It possesses a reassuringly weighty feel and has a pressure-sensitive nib that lets you make thicker strokes by pressing down on the display harder.
Like members of the Surface Pro line, the Surface 3 comes with a Type Keyboard Cover, which isn't included as standard and will add an eye-watering £109.99 (around $162) to the cost. When the Surface is billed as a more affordable cousin to the flagship Surface Pro 3, having to shell our a quarter of the Surface 3's cost for a sub-par accessory is a tough pill to swallow.
It operates identically to previous Touch Covers and features backlit keys, in addition to what Microsoft claims is a more accurate trackpad. If you weren't convinced by previous Surface keyboard covers, there's nothing that will make you want to pick one up this time around. With shallow key travel, the emphasis is once again on portability and it fares badly going up against chiclet-style alternatives on full-size laptops.
The Surface 3 will also be offered with a docking station that adds additional output and charging ports for £164.99 (US price yet to be confirmed). Unlike previous Surface tablets, the Surface 3 charges via micro-USB instead of using a proprietary connector. Microsoft claims that the tablet's battery will provide up to 10 hours of video playback, but stopped short on commenting how long it will take to charge.
Early verdict
The fact remains that the Surface 3 is the most affordable Surface tablet yet, while being the lightest and thinnest in the family. For that reason it stands a chance of swaying you if you was tempted by the Surface Pro 3 but was put off by its price tag.
That said, the Surface 3 isn't a great deal more affordable than the Surface Pro 3, and once you consider that it has an Atom (rather than Core-series) CPU, and you'll need to pick up at least a Keyboard Cover (not to mention the Stylus Pen and docking station), the price ramps up for a tablet that may not come close to providing the power to run the applications that many owners will need.
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