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  • Amazon Is Coming to a Best Buy Near You

    Amazon Is Coming to a Best Buy Near You

    As the old saying goes, “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” Although they have long been battling each other in the arena of consumer electronics, Best Buy has decided to join forces with Amazon. Beginning in summer of 2018, Best Buy will be the only place you can get Amazon’s new Alexa-enabled smart TVs.

    It’s All About Alexa

    Available in their brick-and-mortar stores, on the bestbuy.com website, and through the new Best Buy seller’s portal on Amazon, the 10+ new smart TV models feature the Fire TV operating system. Fire TV allows users to operate their device with the same voice commands as the Amazon Echo and other Alexa-enabled products such as the Fire Stick.

    The Fire TVs will be manufactured by Toshiba and Best Buy’s own Insignia brand. Although prices have not yet been released, the TVs promise to be an upgrade over the previous Amazon offerings sold at Walmart, Target, and other big box stores.

    This news comes as a blow to smart TV competitor Roku, whose televisions will no longer be manufactured by Insignia as part of the new partnership. Roku stocks tumbled nearly 10 percent when the deal was announced. Best Buy plans to continue offering Roku devices in store, but it’s clear that they are betting big on Amazon.

    Mutually Beneficial

    By bringing more customers into their retail locations, Best Buy hopes to see increased sales across the board. Amazon, meanwhile, can introduce potential buyers to its HD and 4K TV models in a brick-and-mortar showroom. This may be a risky move for Best Buy, which has struggled to establish its own online retail presence to compete with the Amazon juggernaut, but for now, the former rivals are committed to their new partnership.

  • GoPro Wants Your Old Digital Camera

    GoPro Wants Your Old Digital Camera

    If you’ve been thinking about buying a GoPro, now may be the time. The company—in an attempt to bolster less-than-robust sales over the 2017 holiday season—has extended last year’s trade-in program indefinitely and expanded it to include any digital camera. In exchange for your old camera, GoPro is offering deep discounts on their latest models.

    Seriously, Any Camera

    The TradeUp program promises to accept any digital camera, regardless of whether it works—or even whether it’s still in one piece. Theoretically, you could send them a totally wrecked piece of gear and still receive the discount. The company will be recycling the trade-ins, so don’t worry about your camera taking up space in a landfill.

    How It Works

    First, you need to decide whether you want the Hero6 Black or the Fusion camera. The Hero6 Black usually runs $400, but with a trade-in, the price drops to $350. The 360-degree Fusion retails for $700; the trade-in brings the price tag down to $600.

    Once you’ve chosen your camera, you’ll add it to your cart and check out on the company’s website. During the purchasing process, you’ll receive a free shipping label for your old camera. Once GoPro receives the trade-in, they’ll finish processing your order at the discounted price.

    Should You Do It?

    As with many questions in life, the answer is that it depends. If you have an outdated point-and-shoot or an earlier-generation GoPro that you’re no longer using, then the discount could be very tempting. However, you’ll want to make sure that the resale value of your camera is less than the maximum discount of $100 on the Fusion. In other words, don’t send in your top-of-the-line Canon or Nikon.

    If you’re a fan of instant gratification or need a camera in a hurry, then you may be frustrated while you wait for the company to receive your trade-in. Ultimately, if you were already thinking about buying a new GoPro, the TradeUp program is a good bargain, but be prepared to jump through a few hoops to get it.

  • Update to the iPhone SE line Could Be Coming

    Update to the iPhone SE line Could Be Coming

    A new hint has surfaced to support the rumor that Apple will release an iPhone SE 2 in the near future, but it’s a roundabout one, so bear with us. I promise, this will all make sense. Apple recently registered several unreleased iPhone model numbers with the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), a Russian-language regulatory organization.

    The filing by the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), which authorizes devices for a number of countries including Russia and Armenia, shows it has given the all-clear for a number of iPhones to go on sale. The information in the filing does not specify model names, but rumors and the timing of the filing strongly point to another iPhone SE launch.

    Found by Consomac, the devices are identified with the model numbers A1920, A1921, A1984, A2097, A2098, A2099, A2101, A2103, A2014, A2015, and A2016. None of the iPhones Apple has previously launched use these model numbers, indicating them to be brand new devices.

    Few other bits of useful information are offered in the filing, but it is noted the listed iPhones will ship running iOS 11. It is likely this is shorthand to refer to iOS’ main generational release, and the iPhones themselves will ship with a more recent version, such as iOS 11.3.

    But before you start celebrating the thought of 11 new iPhones, keep in mind that Apple sometimes uses different model numbers for the same type of iPhone.  However, there is a chance that at least a few of those model numbers could belong to the rumored iPhone SE 2, which is overdue for a refresh. As iPhones become larger and quite possibly more expensive, the smaller, scaled-back iPhone SE is Apple’s one phone that can compete with an army of cheaper Androids.

     

    Apple released the original iPhone SE in March 2016, then released it again with more storage a year later. But besides that, there haven’t been any major upgrades to the iPhone SE line. The iPhone SE is unlike other iPhones because of its small 4-inch size and its lower price tag. Rumors about an “iPhone SE 2” started cranking up in November, with allegations that it would ship in the first half of 2018 and be manufactured by Wistron in India. More recently, reports suggested that the device would have a glass back, to facilitate Qi charging, like the iPhone 8 family and iPhone X.

     

    The Fin

    al Thought

    Why be surprised, why even bother looking forward to a SE release. Its definitely time to update the se, which is essentially an iPhone 5. The update will in all likenesses be a cheap version of the 6. Its cheap but at least its an iPhone is what my father would say..

  • What is this Motorola, a G6?

    What is this Motorola, a G6?

    Motorola has offered its biggest tease of the incoming Moto G6 yet. Rumored to launch soon on April 19, the clip shows off several angles of the budget-friendly phone that is looking more high-end than ever.

    Throughout the teaser, shared from the Motorola Twitter account, we’re taken on a tour around the G6’s curves and design highlights. From its glossy trim, to its notched power button and metal ear speaker grille, the video appears to confirm many of the leaks that we’ve reported on. Its front-facing fingerprint sensor makes an appearance, too, as does the dual rear-facing camera system that we saw on the Moto X4.

    Not indicated but expected, the Moto G6 Plus will have a 5.93-inch Full HD+ 18:9 screen, probably no notch, on its front and dual cameras on its back. It will be joined by the Moto G6 and the Moto G6 and Moto G6 Play when Motorola announces its 2018 roster this week.

     

    Quick Spec Look

     

    Specifications    Moto G6                                                  Moto G6 Plus                                                    Moto G6 Play

     

    • Processor            Qualcomm Snapdragon 625         Qualcomm Snapdragon 660         Qualcomm Snapdragon 430
    • Display  5.7in Full-HD+ (2160×1080) 18:9 5.93in      Full-HD+ (2160×1080) 18:9            5.7in Full-HD+ (2160×1080) 18:9
    • Memory              3GB/4GB                                                        3GB/4GB/6GB                                         3GB/4GB
    • Storage                  32GB/64GB
    • Primary Camer         Dual-lens 12Mp + 5Mp,                          Dual-lens 12Mp + 5Mp                  Single-lens camera, dual-LED flash
    • Selfie Camera               16Mp, LED flash
    • Ports                       3.5mm headphone jack
    • Fingerprint scanner         Yes, front                                                           Y es, front                                         Yes, rear
    • Battery Capacity               3000mAh                                                         3200mAh                                              4000mAh
    • Colour Options                  Black, Silver, Rose Gold Black, Silver, Teal                                             Charcoal, Gold, Deep Blue

    The Final Thought

    It’s hard to shake the feeling that we’re not looking at Moto’s next flagship. As other companies like Nokia and Asus have shown, low-end is the new high-end. Flagship features like the 18:9 aspect ratio display and dual cameras are trickling down and are now more accessible to more people.

    So while the Moto G6 and its Moto G6 Plus and Moto G6 Play may not be top-end in terms of spec, this will likely be Moto’s biggest release of the year. Since the rumored launch date is upon us, stay tuned for the latest news and hands-on reviews of Moto’s new swath of phones. The base 32GB G6 model was listed by the site at $249.99 unlocked and G6 Play priced at $199.99

  • Intel Aims to Improve Performance by Moving Virus Scanning to GPU

    Intel Aims to Improve Performance by Moving Virus Scanning to GPU

    Intel is going to open the doors for virus scanners to use integrated graphics chipsets for scanning instead of relying solely on the CPU. This could mean better performance and battery life.

    Accelerated Memory Scanning

    “With Accelerated Memory Scanning, the scanning is handled by Intel’s integrated graphics processor, enabling more scanning, while reducing the impact on performance and power consumption,” said Intel’s platform security division vice president Rick Echevarria. “Early benchmarking on Intel test systems show CPU utilization dropped from 20 percent to as little as 2 percent.”

    Since typical machines do not fully utilize their onboard graphics chips, Intel is making a smart move to offload threat protection.

    Supported Processors

    The supported processors go back to the 6thgeneration of Intel, meaning that three generations of processors will allow the offloading of virus scanning. This should cover a very wide variety of computers that are already in the field.

    Skylake, the earliest supported Intel processor, was launched in 2015. If you purchased your computer before then (or if your computer uses AMD instead of Intel), then you will not be able to use the new offloaded virus scanning feature.

    Supported Virus Scanners

    Microsoft’s Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) will be the first to offer this new feature… as soon as later this month. Intel has also been working with other antivirus developers to help facilitate the change. Keep an eye open for news from your preferred vendor.

    Spectre Protection

    Last month, Intel said that they are redesigning their processors to prevent another Spectre-like attack. Changes that Intel had to make to protect applications after Spectre cause a performance hit but updating the silicon itself will restore performance and provide better protection.

  • Samsung Has Released an Internet-Free Smartphone

    Samsung Has Released an Internet-Free Smartphone

    Samsung has released the Galaxy J2 Pro, which appears to be a standard budget smartphone, but there’s one major feature (or lack thereof) – it cannot connect to the internet.

    The Galaxy J2 Pro

    Connecting to the Internet is an impossibility on the Galaxy J2 Pro. There is no Wi-Fi, no LTE, no 3G… nothing.

    Why would Samsung release a phone with no Internet capabilities? They’ve decided to cater to students or senior citizens who want to make calls and use some apps without the distraction or confusion of internet connectivity. It may also be a solid choice for parents who want to give their youngsters a way to keep in contact. Smartphone addicts looking to break free from the always-connected culture may also be intrigued by the J2 Pro.

    Features

    So, what can a smartphone that doesn’t connect to the internet do? In a nutshell, it can make phone calls, send text messages and take photos.

    • 5-inch display (qHD AMOLED)
    • 4GHz quad-core processor
    • 5GB of RAM
    • 8-megapixel rear-facing camera
    • 5-megapixel front-facing camera
    • MicroSD card slot
    • 2,600mAh removable battery

    Budget Friendly

    The Galaxy J2 Pro is nothing like Samsung’s most popular Galaxy phones like the Galaxy Note 8 or Galaxy S9. It aims to cover a different segment of the market. And unlike their big name phones, the price of the Galaxy J2 Pro is much, much cheaper.

    Right now, the J2 Pro is only available in Korea and Samsung has made no announcements on whether it will release in other countries. The price of the phone converts to around $185.

  • AMD Releases New Ryzen Processors

    AMD Releases New Ryzen Processors

    Last year, AMD made a successful re-entry into the high-performance world of desktop computing with their Ryzen processors. Now, they have announced the second generation of their fiercest competition to Intel in years.

    Ryzen Generation 2

    At the upper end of the new Ryzen chips is the Ryzen 7 2700X. The 2700X replaces both the 1700X and 1800X chips from the first-generation Ryzen processor lineup – those two older chips were extremely similar.

    The base clock of the 2700X is 3.7GHz with a boost up to 4.3GHz, which makes it up to 300Mhz faster than the 1800X. The price has also come down, with the 2700X selling at $329 compared to the 1800X’s $499 price point. This puts the price close to Intel’s six-core i7-8700K.

    Their budget offering is the Ryzen 5 2600, a six-core chip with will sell for $199. The base clock on the 2600 is 3.4GHz with a boost up to 3.9GHz. The most similar Intel chip is the Core i5-8500.

    The Lineup

    Ryzen 7 2700X – 8 cores, 16 threads, 3.7 to 4.3GHz, $329

    Ryzen 7 2700 – 8 cores, 16 threads, 3.2 to 4.1GHz, $299

    Ryzen 5 2600X – 6 cores, 12 threads, 3.6 to 4.2 Ghz, $229

    Ryzen 5 2600 – 6 cores, 12 threads, 3.4 to 3.9GHz, $199

    Up Next?

    AMD will debut their new platform, Zen 2, next year. So far, they have been mum on details but there are a few knowns. The new Zen chips will run on their new 470 AM4 chipset and they’ll support its StoreMI technology which links SSDs, platter hard drives and RAM together, increasing performance.

  • Verizon’s Unlimited Plan and the Details

    Verizon’s Unlimited Plan and the Details

    Last summer, Verizon split their main unlimited plan into three other ones:

    $75 de-prioritized Go Unlimited
    $75 prepaid version of Go Unlimited
    $85 all-in Beyond Unlimited

    While not the cheapest unlimited plans on the market, all three offer particular strengths, and are backed by the nation’s most powerful network. We’ve broken down Verizon’s two main unlimited plans below, and picked our favorite.

    Verizon Unlimited Data Plans Breakdown

    Plan Verizon Beyond                                           Unlimited Verizon Go Unlimited
    1 Line $85                                                                                       $75
    2 Lines $160                                                                                   $130
    3 Lines $180                                                                                   $150
    4 Lines $200                                                                                  $160
    Video Unlimited: HD                                                          Standard definition
    Mobile Hotspot :15GB/line/mo                               Unlimited at 600kbps speeds
    Mexico & Canada Unlimited talk and text; 512MB data limit/day                  Unlimited talk and text; 512MB data limit/day

     

    Verizon Beyond Unlimited

    The Great

    • Unlimited HD streaming
    • 15GB hotspot allowance
    • Unlimited talk and text in Mexico and Canada
    • Amazing coverage

    The Not

    • Pricy at $85
      Taxes and fees not included in priceNot much data allowance abroad

    The Conclusion

    While it’s hard to recommend an $85 unlimited plan with so many less expensive options out there, the fact is that Verizon’s Beyond Unlimited is backed by the most robust network in the nation.

    What’s more, Beyond Unlimited is chocked full of nice-to-have features like a generous 15GB hotspot allowance, unlimited talk and text in Mexico and Canada, and HD streaming. Pair that with Verizon’s superior coverage, and you’ve got yourself a winner.

     

    The Deats

    Full HD streaming
    With Beyond Unlimited, you can enjoy HD streaming to your heart’s content. If video quality is important to you, the plan makes sense.

    15GB Hotspot Allowance
    One of the key benefits included with Beyond Unlimited is the plan’s generous 15GB hotspot allowance. To learn more about using your phone as a hotspot, check out this article.

    Not the Cheapest
    It’s inarguable that there are a host of less expensive unlimited plans out there, especially among MVNOs. Still, how many of them can boast Verizon’s coverage? Answer: none.

     

    Verizon Go Unlimited

    The Great

    • Excellent network

    The Not

    • 4G LTE subject to data de-prioritization
    • Video limited to SD
    • Talk and text to Mexico and Canada not included
    • Hotspot limited to 600kbps

    The Conclusion

    Verizon also offers the slightly more stripped down Go Unlimited. It includes 4G LTE data, but it’s subject to de-prioritization, anytime. If you live in a place where there are lots of people on the Verizon network, this could potentially translate to slower speeds.

    Also, video on Go is limited to standard definition (480p), while the hotspot is offered at glacial 600kbps speeds. For all of these reasons, we recommend Beyond Unlimited over Go Unlimited. That said, if you’re looking for a less expensive way to enjoy unlimited data on Verizon’s amazing network, Go Unlimited may be just what you’re looking for.

    The Final Thought

    Its hard to justify the Beyond but due to the de priortization it is a must. I tried and tried to save that $10 but it is inevitable. They say that its 15gb vs 22 gb to deterioration, this reported has deemed that a lie.

  • 4 Improvements We Need in iOS 12

    4 Improvements We Need in iOS 12

    Apple’s iPhone X is not only the most impressive iPhone Apple has ever made, it’s also the most controversial. It’s a completely reimagining of the iPhone, and much of what users have grown accustomed to over the years has changed. Of course, it goes without saying that many people don’t like change, especially with regards to a device that is such an integral part of our lives.

    The iPhone X is Apple’s first iPhone that doesn’t have a home button, which means users have to learn new navigation gestures. Most people seem to like them, but there are also people who do not — and that’s the least controversial of the major changes in Apple’s iPhone X. The infamous “notch” at the top of the phone’s display continues to be a point of content, and the wounds left by the removal of Apple’s beloved Touch ID fingerprint scanner are nowhere close to healing.

    There are 4  things I would like to see improved in Junes announcement of iOS 12

    1. Grouped notifications

    Apple’s notification system in iOS continues to be a major pain point among many, many iPhone users. We’ve discussed it a million times before here on the site, so we’re not going to dive back into all the ways it’s annoying. Suffice it to say the notification system in iOS needs a lot of work.

     

    They could solve this by creating notification groups. This way instead of having notifications from each app spread throughout the list, each individual app’s notifications are displayed in a group, one on top of the other. A simple 3D Touch would then expand any app’s notifications. simple problem simple solutions

     

    2.Improved widgets

    Apple’s widget implementation in iOS is somewhat useful, but Estefad has a way to improve it in iOS 12. In addition to a single page where multiple app widgets can reside, as is the case now, this iOS 12 concept allows app developers to create widgets that are displayed when the user 3D Touches an app icon. So instead of just an action menu that almost no one uses or even remembers is available, a 3D Touch on an app icon would give users access to key info and features without having to actually open an app.

     

    3. Mode of Darkness

    This one needs no introduction. iPhone users have been clamoring for a dark mode in iOS for years. The difference with iOS 12 is that a dark mode would finally make a lot of sense. Beyond being easier on the eyes at night, a dark mode on devices with OLED displays like the iPhone X would save battery life.

     

    4. New pull-down menu for apps

    For a long period of time, iOS was all about uniformity. As the years passed with more and more new features being added, things have gotten far less organized. App settings is one area where there is no continuity in iOS. Some settings are accessible within each app itself, though there are a million different places where one might find the settings menu. Then there’s a section in iOS’s main Settings app where additional settings are located for third-party apps. Ugh.

    In this iOS 12 concept, there’s a great hidden pull-down menu that creates a single, uniform location for key features and a shortcut to app settings. Adding a nifty additional piece to the puzzle is a great feature at the top of that pull-down menu: a way to secure each app behind Touch ID (or Face ID on the iPhone X) at the system level. Many apps include Touch ID and Face ID implementation, but why leave it up to developers?

     

    The Final Thought

    Reality strikes ands Apple will likely release a much more tame upgrade with iOS 12 at WWDC this year after reports of Apple putting some major iOS features on hold to focus more on reliability and performance. I can dream though and mabye someone will read this and think, yeah that could work.

  • R-9 Smartglasses and I Can See The Future Clearly Now

    R-9 Smartglasses and I Can See The Future Clearly Now

    R-9 smartglasses are ODG’s visual powerhouse and offer an extra-wide-field-of-view for enterprise design and visualization, gaming and entertainment, and extended reality development. Leverages Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 chipset, 6DoF and SLAM technologies to create, collaborate and consume content.

     

    These are the real deal with Dual-stereo depth cameras for advanced mapping and tracking, expansion port for customization, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 chipset for the ultimate XR experience. THX-certified, Hollywood-standard smartglasses delivering true cinematic quality.Powerful, versatile, and with a 50° field-of-view, R-9 is ideal for light enterprise and prosumer media consumption use. It plays movies with
    cinematic clarity, drops you inside immersive 3D interactive experiences, and reveals new worlds of invention and productivity. R-9 is also a flexible development platform for mobile virtual reality and mixed reality experiences, with module expansion capabilities that make it our most
    customizable device for a wide variety of environments and end user.

    The Looks

    Ive been looking for this type of solution, AR/VR glasses that can have a multiple use as real sunglasses. These units definitely look and feel much closer to real glasses than anything I have seen in the arena currently. They weigh far less than the HoloLens, and at a distance past 10 feet, could easily pass as a real pair of sunglasses.

    Unlike the HoloLens, the form factor of both the R-8 and R-9 are too small to wear with a pair of glasses. So one important feature that I had missed previously is their ability to have prescription lenses placed in them—with a simple snap. The ODG team had a selection of lenses at GDC for just that purpose waiting on the table for the glasses wearers in the room, thankfully.

    The Feels

    The demos that I saw were fully immersive applications, more in line with a VR experience, through a non-occluded headset. This is arguably not an ideal test for smartglasses. The projection quality itself was good, though it was a little darker than expected. Also, it seemed a bit more transparent that I would have liked.

    In all fairness, both the transparency and image brightness are factors that could, and most likely are, attributed to being under florescent lighting. My personal frame of reference, and in essence my base of expectations, is my development environment which uses far less harsh lighting.

     

    What Do I Do With Them

    The R-8, aimed more squarely at consumer early adopters, trims down the specs a bit. Its field of view is a more modest 40 degrees, its display has 720p resolution, and there’s no port for expansion modules. But it’s also lighter — 4.5 ounces compared to the R-9’s 6.5 ounces — and cheaper, at under $1,000. It’s also got two 1080p cameras on the front that can capture stereo video. ODG expects to ship it in the second half of 2017.

    So what exactly are you supposed to do with these glasses? ODG admits that they’re not “designed to be worn all the time,” but are meant to be carried around for watching movies on a digital big screen, playing games, or using apps. It’s working with 21st Century Fox’s Innovation Lab on experiences that include 3D movies and an interactive augmented reality demo based on the Alien franchise. Combined with the Migu partnership, this provides at least the start of a catalogue, although we’re still waiting to see how well the glasses themselves hold up.

     

    The Final Thought

    While they were announced at the CES 2017 a year later and we still cant buy or own pair. The idea is novel and innovative but I feel like this will just be a high priced stepping stone to the real solution.