Home

Category: News

  • 5 Things We Found Out About the Galaxy S9

    5 Things We Found Out About the Galaxy S9

    Think you know everything about the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Samsung Galaxy S9+?  We have been posting, researching, speculating on the next big thing in the android world for a year now. Finally it has be unveiled, and we were mostly correct but here are 5 unsuspected things we were surprised to learn about the S9

    1.The bezels are thinner then the S8, but the phone is more durable

    The top bezel lands at 8.21mm with a 0.39mm reduction, while the bottom bezel measures in at 6.99mm. Impressively, that’s a reduction of 1.01mm. In both cases, the reduction in bezels actually brings the size of the device down by 1.2mm and 1.4mm on the S9 and S9+ respectively. Samsung has made the S9 more durable compared to its predecessor. In short, this comes as the result of using a different type of aluminum.

    2. The camera is quieter and does much better in low light

    I was blown away by how well the S9+ performed in dim conditions, because the variable aperture on the Galaxy S9 and S9+ goes as wide as f/1.5. Samsung says that its new flagships let in 28 percent more light. With the support of a  wider aperture, f/1.7,  that kicks in when the ambient light is 100 Lux or below.  100 Lux is the light you’ll see on overcast day or in most office settings.  At the same time, Samsung added dedicated memory to its camera in order to reduce noise.

    3. Dedicated Fingerprint

    This is a new feature for this year’s flagship phones and is for the Secure Folder element. This folder is a compartment for files and apps that you want to keep separate from the rest of the phone. It uses your Samsung account and you can access it using the same security protocol, fingerprint, passcode, iris recognition etc as you do to unlock your phone. Once you’ve moved files to the Secure Folder, nobody can see them without your passcode, fingerprint or whatever.

    4. We Get to Keep the Headphone Jack

    The S9 and S9 Plus have retained their headphone jacks, unlike other phones in the class, including the iPhone X, 8, and 8 Plus, Pixel 2 XL, or the Huawei Mate 10 Pro. That’s a blessing for audiophiles who just aren’t satisfied with the current state of wireless audio and for people who even have a designated pouch for their dongles but still lose them. Admit it dongles are tiny and easy to misplace.

    5. That Sound Really Bumps

    Dual stereo speakers to the device for the first time . The S9 finally  have Dolby’s surround-sound Atmos technology built-in.  Samsung created a device that offers premium sound experiences with stereo speakers tuned by AKG. Whether users are watching their favorite movie or streaming their favorite artist’s latest album, sounds are clear, crisp and rich in quality.


  • SmartPhone Spotlight: Nokia 8 Sirocco

    SmartPhone Spotlight: Nokia 8 Sirocco

    Nokia has officially launched the Nokia 8 Sirocco  at the MWC 2018, which will be available from April 2018 . In fact, this is the most powerful phone that will support  Android One.

    The Great

    • Premium Line
    • Solid Stainless steel build
    • Qi wireless charging

    The Not

    • No headphone jack
    • Poor battery performance
    • Snap dragon 835 not 845 processor

    The Conclusion

    a Snapdragon 835 chipset, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, dual rear facing camera, a fingerprint sensor, face unlock and Android 8 Oreo onboard – ensuring the Nokia’s 8 Sirocco has a sizable spec sheet to justify a lofty price tag. With a slew of new  android flagship phones launching from every direction, the Sirocco will have its work cut out to steal some of the market share.

     

    The smartphone is constructed from a single block of stainless steel  a lot like the Apple iPhone X. This makes the Nokia 8 Sirocco a very durable smartphone with stainless steel being much stronger than the Aluminium. It will be  IP67 water and dust resistance. As for size  it measures just 7.5 mm at its thickest point and 2 mm at it thinnest. This will be the first Nokia Android smartphone to support wireless charging as  well.

     

    Quick Spec Look

    The Nokia 8 Sirocco has a 5.5 inch pOLED QHD+ 2560 x 1440 px display with 18:9 aspect ratio. The display offers a dual curved design with the vacuum moulding technology with Gorilla Glass 5. The device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage.

    The Nokia 8 Sirocco comes with dual primary camera setup, powered by Zeiss. The primary 12 MP sensor has an f/1.75 aperture with 1.4-micron pixel size and the secondary 13 MP telephoto lens has an f/2.6 aperture. The device has a 5 MP front-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture and 1.micron pixel size. In fact, the primary camera setup found on the smartphone is exactly similar to the Nokia 7 Plus’s camera specifications.

    The device does offer additional features like NFC, 4G VoLte, Bluetooth 5.0, and a rear-facing fingerprint scanner. However, this is the first Nokia smartphone to remove the 3.5 mm headphone jack.

     

    The Final Thought

    Underneath that glossy exterior sits a Snapdragon 835 which enables VR goodness, but is still yesterday’s news compared with the brand new Snap Dragon 845.  This gives one big reason to pass on Nokia’s new bad boy, but nothing stands out as a good selling reason to grab one.

  • The Matrix is Calling from the Nokia 8110 Reboot

    The Matrix is Calling from the Nokia 8110 Reboot

    Nokia has debuted a wide range of promising Android phones across a full pricing spectrum, from the slick Nokia 8 Sirocco at the top to the ultrabudget Nokia 1, which runs the stripped-down Android Go operating system. The most exciting news from Nokia is that they are bringing back the Nokia 8110.

    Morpheus?

    The original Nokia 8110 popularised the slider phone. You know the one we all wanted from the Matrix. We got our first look at the rebooted classic alongside a slew of new phones from Nokia at the annual phone fiesta MWC in Barcelona.

     

    Looks like a Banana

    The classic model’s curved case also earned the nickname the banana which Nokia alludes to in the bright yellow colour of the new model. I’m personally going to go full Keanu and get the black. However it is not spring loaded. When asked Nokia’s Raun Forsyth explained: ‘We looked into it but it was a matter of the complexity and the cost and space it took up. So, the width grew, the thickness grew, there were difficulties of making it reliable and risk-free. In the end we had so many concepts on how to do it: one guy wanted an eject button, then we needed something to dampen the eject and so on. In the end, it came down to that conversation of the sweet spot of being reliable, essential, not over-complicated. The phone’s dimensions are very important. Keeping this to what we consider the perfect size is a real challenge.’

     

    It’s a blast from the past with a tiny, non-touch screen and a 0-9 keypad. Navigating it is just as hard as you’d expect until you remember you actually owned Nokia devices 15 years ago. Fortunately that unsightly top antenna from the original phone is nowhere to be seen.

     

     

    Quick Spec Look

    • Smart Feature OS
    • Dual-core 1.1GHz Qualcomm 205 processor
    • 512MB RAM
    • 4GB internal storage
    •  2.4-inch, 320×240-pixel display
    •  Micro-USB charging port
    • Micro SIM
    • 3.5mm headphone jack
    • 1,500 mAh battery

     

    The Final Thought

    I’m getting one, for $60 it will be a nice back up and it’s makes me feel like I can still walk in to a blockbuster video or call Trinity. I know shouldn’t even care about this phone’s specs because it isn’t a smartphone, so specs don’t really matter. It’s just at a 2.4-inch display, Snapdragon 205 processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of built-in storage, 2-megapixel camera, and 1,500 mAh battery that is removable. Remember removable batteries…. I remembers.

     

  • Ausu Z5 It Looks like iPhone Acts Like Cheap Android

    Ausu Z5 It Looks like iPhone Acts Like Cheap Android

    It was Taiwanese tech company Asus’ turn on Tuesday to unveil its latest flagship phone at Mobile World Congress. While better known for its various PCs and gaming products, Asus has been making smartphones for quite some time. Asus is taking on the iPhone X with a cheap android knock off. The Zenfone 5 is a slim, sleek, attractive device, but the first thought many people had was … this looks like the a cheap iPhone X..

     

    Available in three different models: The $500 “premium” Zenfone 5Z, the standard Zenfone 5, and the entry-level Zenfone 5 Q  , Asus’ new phones boast specs that read much like those of industry leaders, including dual rear cameras with a 2x zoom, powerful stereo speakers, face unlock, and a bunch of regular features with “AI” tacked in front, like “AI” charging, and an “AI” display with a 90-percent screen-to-body ratio. The Zenfone 5 even has a notch at the top of its screen similar to the new top product from Steve Job’s old company.

    CEO Says its not Fruit Company?

    Asus CEO Jerry Shen sees the Zenfone as a totally different proposition next to Apple’s luxury piece of kit.”Our price will be very affordable and attractive and for everyone to enjoy compared to the fruit company,” Shen said. The company didn’t say how much the Zenfone 5 will cost, but its top-end 5Z phone will be around $590.

    When Asked about the similar Apple notch at the top Shen Stated that Asus needed to include a light sensor and forward-facing camera on the front of the phone. But if it removed the top bezel, these would have to be squeezed in at the bottom of the screen. Shen explained that this would leave the front camera pointing squarely at his chin, demonstrating his selfie pose for us. “From the beauty decision, from the user experience decision, the team decided to use it this way and I agree,” said Shen about the notch. “We do not want to copy, and actually they told me we are thinner, we are nano.”

     

    Asus has made a major leap forward in design. The Zenfone 5 fits a 6.2-inch display within the same physical footprint as the 5.5-inch Zenfone 4. That’s thanks to a thin-bezel design that results in a 90 percent screen-to-body ratio. In its effort to appear more advanced, Asus accompanies the screen with some spurious AI claims. The company has an automatic adjustment for color temperature — much like Apple’s True Tone on the iPhone X — and a sensor to keep the screen on while you’re looking at it, which it collectively calls AI Display. They use the word AI loosely at Asus.

    Quick Spec Look

    • Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
    • OSAndroid 8.0 (Oreo)
    • Memory 64 GB, 4/6 GB RAM
    • Camera Dual: 12 MP (f/1.8, 24 mm, 1.4 µm)
    • Size 6.2 inches IPS LCD

    The Final Thought

    They Can deny this all they want, this was made to look like the iPhone X, only that is no iPhone. Cheap, Androidy, and nothing special. Down to the lackluster Zenimojis… yeah they went there. They did miss one big feature of all the other androids and the iphones which is water proofing. Asus will release the Zenfone Lite in March, followed by the Zenfone 5 in April and then the Zenfone 5Z in June.

     

  • Its a Deal with MoviePass

    Its a Deal with MoviePass

    MoviePass is an American subscription-based movie ticketing service. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in New York City, the service allows subscribers to purchase a single movie ticket per day for a flat subscription fee per month

     

    The Great

    • Terrific value
    • great interface and useabilty
    • Very Convenient
    • Unlimited Movies

    The Not

    • No New Releases
    • 2d standard movies only
    • You have to pay the full year up front

    The Conclusion

    I wish they had this when I was growing up, It would have been my wildest dream to have an unlimited movie ticket to the theater around the corner. Today, its def the worth the $8 a month.  I no longer need to pirate new movies and the headaches that come with that are long gone.

    The Movie Pass Experience

    Once you sign up, right now they are offering $7.95 a month rates, they will send you a credit card. You simply use your phones app to find the movie you want and reserve your ticket. Then head to the movies, when you get close to the theater you will get an alert your card is active. You then use the card to purchase your reserved ticket. Easy peasy.

    I don’t get to the movies as much as I used to and I’ve never been one to go to a theater alone. This made me a little apprehensive of the deal, but I decided to sign up after seeing how beneficial Moviepass can be.  After using it for the last month I have enjoyed the experience so much I thought I would give you my own thoughts. Moviepass is kind of like the Netflix of movie theater going.  You pay a flat fee and then you can see as many 2D movies as you want during the month.  The catch is you can only see 1 movie every 24 hours.  You could still easily see 25-30 movies a month if you so choose.

     

    Loop Holes

    So I thought I would look for weaknesses in the Movie Pass logistics. First up was using the card to purchase concessions, it worked with no issues but then declined when I bought my ticket. So I decided to reserve my ticket for the day before and pick it up, then book another ticket for the day Im going to the movies but use the previous days ticket. Thus making my card valid for concession purchases. So far its a lot of leg work but it works.

    I also thought it would be good to get a second pass so I could take who ever else with me to the theater, but apparently this is frowned upon and they will disable your account. I don’t know how they would every figure it out though. Again so far so good.

    Some have also reported that you can only see a movie one time with Moviepass.  This is not the case you can go to the same movie multiple times, at least that is my personal experience.

    The Final Thought

    It hasn’t quite been 30 days for me yet but I have gone to 4 movies.  The first 3 cost $5.99 per ticket and the 4th one was $9.99.  So I have gotten $27.96 in value out of my $7.99 monthly fee. I find Im going to the movies more because I can and seeing movies I would otherwise skip entirely. All in all its been a good experience its a must have for any movie buff, and a great investment for the casual movie goer. Im hoping this becomes adoptive and saves the movie theater platform. Being a catalyst for Studios to produce more movies for us to go to the theaters for.

  • New Apple AirPods 2

    New Apple AirPods 2

    In another update release for March 2018 is that we will see an update to the Airpods. There are 3 main updates to the Airpods, lets take a look at each of them

    New Chip

    The AirPods 2 will get a chipset upgrade from the W1 to the W2. The updated wireless 2 chip is already in place on the new versions of the apple watch and in the AirPods will make the connection between phone and headphones can be a little more time-consuming than you’d like. This was the main complaint with AirPod users is the connection was too slow when trying to answer a phone call. This new chip should make a significant difference in that overall AirPod experience.

     

    Water Resistant

    This is a biggie, as big a deal as the Watch 2 being water resistant. I’m not looking to go snorkeling with these, that would be cool, but I do need sweat and water proofing. It will be nice not to have to disconnect my AirPods just because its raining. This was a need and big upgrade.

    Hey Siri

    There will be a wireless addition to Siri for connecting with out hitting the button. Just the HomePods the Hey Siri function in to the AirPods will now launch the digital assistant. I mean why not? It is everywhere else, this just seems logical and convenient. While this will be a welcomed function I don’t think this will be a big reason to trade up for the Airpods 2.

     

     

    Bonus

    We know there will be an upgrade to the battery case. The Airpods 2 will have a wireless charging battery case. This will be another bonus and probly the deciding factor for anyone looking to update their Airpods. Considering Apple is releasing its multi device Charging mat very soon, this will be other big feature boost to the 2.

     

    In Black?

    Nope. while there are rumors we will see a black colored Airpods 2 it is highly unlikely. Henry Ford use to place a purple light in the brake lights of the Model T just so he could see who was driving his cars on the road. Steve Jobs has a similar thought on the iPod earbuds, he wanted an identifiable white earphones so everyone would know it was an iPod. This has stuck through apples earphone to EarPod to AirPod lines and there is no indication that it is changing.

  • Which Marvel Character Are You? – Outcome Quiz

    Which Marvel Character Are You? – Outcome Quiz

    Ever wondered which Marvel Character you were?

    Now you can find out with our short quiz! Just click on the answers that apply the most to you and see what your Marvel Match is! Afterwards, share your results in the comments down below!

    Looking for more Marvel?

    Read some of our articles on the latest Marvel movie, Black Panther here:

    Black Panther Smashes Biggest Monday Records

    Celebrities are Raving about Black Panther

  • Celebrities are Raving about Black Panther

    Celebrities are Raving about Black Panther

    Celebrities including Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, and Michelle Obama are praising the new Marvel film.

    This past week, Black Panther hit the big screen and it hit hard, smashing past President’s Day Weekend records with a $235 million debut. Here’s what celebrities high and low are saying about the latest Marvel action flick.

    [rev_slider alias=”bptweets20180220″][/rev_slider]

     

     

    For one pair of viewers on a budget, they were willing to go to even greater lengths to get into the movie theater. Take a look:

     

    Kids Attempt Trenchcoat Trick at Black Panther Viewing

     


    View the full video here: https://t.co/SFlJ7o9b3i

     

     

    According to this article by Essence, here are some of the milestones Black Panther has reached:

    Milestones

    1. Biggest February Debut Ever
    2. Fifth Film to Debut with over $200M
    3. Second Biggest Marvel Movie Opening
    4. Second Best Sunday Opening Ever
    5. Biggest Global Debut Ever for a Predominantly Black Cast
    6. Biggest Domestic Debut Ever for a Predominantly Black Cast

    Do you think Black Panther is just another Marvel action rehash or an incredible cultural phenomenon? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

    For more, check out trending tweets at https://twitter.com/hashtag/blackpanther and Instas at https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/blackpanther/. You can also read more on our article about all the records the movie has set here: Black Panther Smashes Biggest Monday Records



    Ever wondered which Marvel Character you were? Take our Marvel Character Quiz today and find out!

    Which Marvel Character Are You? – Outcome Quiz

  • Black Panther Smashes Biggest Monday Records

    Black Panther Smashes Biggest Monday Records

    Black Panther Smashes past Deadpool, Star Wars, and other blockbusters with a massive President’s Day Monday

    By JAKE COYLE, AP Film Writer
    NEW YORK (AP) — With a massive $40.2 million in ticket sales Monday, “Black Panther” has set another box-office record: biggest Monday ever.

    The Walt Disney Co. again raised its box-office estimates for the Marvel sensation on Tuesday. The film’s updated Monday performance — $7 million higher than Disney earlier forecast — narrowly topped the previous record, set by “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in 2015 with $40.1 million.

    The higher Monday figure gives “Black Panther” the second biggest four-day weekend, behind only the $288.1 million of “The Force Awakens.” With $242 million over the Presidents’ Day weekend, “Black Panther” moves ahead of December’s “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” in the ranks of four-day starts.

    Ryan Coogler’s film, starring Chadwick Boseman, is the first big-budget tent pole release featuring a nearly all-black cast. The movie’s three-day gross of $201.8 million ranks fifth highest of all time, not accounting for inflation.

    Internationally, “Black Panther,” which cost $200 million to make, is also outperforming earlier estimates. It has made $184.6 million overseas thus far, giving it a worldwide total of $426.6 million.

    More Stats

    Here are some more records Black Panther smashed:

    Record for Largest…

    • February Opening Weekend – $202M

      • (Previously held by Deadpool at $132.4M)

    • Winter Season Opening Weekend – $202M

      • (Previously held by Deadpool at $132.4M)

    • President’s Day Weekend Opening – $242.2M

      • (Previously held by Deadpool at $152.2M)

    • February Thursday Preview – $40M

      • (Previously held by Deadpool at $12.7M)

    Source: BoxOfficeMojo.com

    Could Black Panther Join the Marvel Big 4?

    With these numbers, it’s definitely possible to see Black Panther join Marvel’s top movies of all time, joining the likes of The Avengers ($1.51 billion), Age of Ultron ($1.41 billion), Iron Man 3 ($1.22 billion), and Captain America: Civil War ($1.15 billion). Interestingly enough, like the aforementioned movies which all featured the incredibly popular Iron Man character to some extent, the protagonist of Black Panther follows in some of the same footsteps.

    Born into a position of power? Check. Incredible genius-level talent? Check. Has an awesome exosuit? Check. Let’s hope that Black Panther follows through with even more movies as well!

    If you watched the movie, what did you think of it? Was Black Panther all the hype made it out to be? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

    Read what others are saying about Black Panther here:

    Celebrities are Raving Over Black Panther
    Celebrities are Raving Over Black Panther

     

    Read our article on the rave reviews Celebrities are giving Black Panther here

    Also read the NYTimes article on Black Panther here

     

     

     

    Ever wondered which Marvel Character you were? If so, then you can find out by taking our Marvel Character Quiz here!

    Which Marvel Character Are You? – Outcome Quiz

  • 5 Things We are Anticipating From the MWC 2018

    5 Things We are Anticipating From the MWC 2018

    MWC (or Mobile World Congress to give it its full name) is one of the biggest events on the mobile calendar, with 2017’s Barcelona show bringing us the LG G6, Sony Xperia XZ, and Huawei Pro among dozens of other devices. The 2018 Congress takes place February 26th- March 1st in Barcelona. Here are the Top 5 reasons to pay attention to the MWC this year

     

    1. Samsung Galaxy s9

    The Galaxy Flagship latest installment is going to be one of the highlights of MWC 2018. This upcoming flagship has  already been confirmed for the show. Samsung is having a unveiling conference the day before on the 25th, but all the hands on and non corporate views will happen at the MWC.  From what we are guessing the Galaxy S9 and its larger sibling are rumored to have a similar design and screen to the S8 range, meaning a metal frame, a glass back and an almost bezel-free curved display, but with the fingerprint scanner likely moved from beside the camera to below it. What we dont know is what will blow our sock off.

     

    2.Nokia 7+

    One of the devices we see is expected to be the Nokia 7+. We have all been waiting for our old trust Nokia to jump in to the android game and bring snake with it. The picture shows the front of the Nokia 7+, and as you can see, this will be the first Nokia phone to adopt a modern design with slim bezels. The Nokia branding can be found near the top left next to the front-facing camera, and the fingerprint sensor will be moved to the back.  rumored specs for the phone include an FHD+ resolution for the screen, Snapdragon 660 processor, dual 12MP and 13MP cameras, microSD card support. Im really hopping this one is a boom and not a bust, id love to see a big Nokia return.

     

     

     

     

    3. LG

    There are two options we could see out of LG. while we’re fairly certain we’re going to see an upgraded LG v30 at MWC, stocked with a new AI.  That means better image recognition for the on-board camera, so it can recognize what you’re shooting and adjust the settings accordingly, and an improved set of voice commands for Google Assistant. On the other hand there is buzz we will see the new G7, but most insiders are speculating that LG is going to push the launch of the successor to the LG G6 to later in the year

     

     

    4.Huawei Honor 7X and Watch 3

    Last Year, Huawei took full advantage of MWC to announce the P10. Whatever this new smartphone ends up being called, it’s likely to be the star of Huawei’s MWC 2018 appearance that won’t include the announcement of the P20 and P20 Plus flagships with them being pushed to a late march release. We are also hoping to see a Huawei Watch 3 upgrade. Some patents suggest added sensors would detect gestures you make on the back of your hand, so you could for example sketch a letter with your finger and have it appear on the watch screen, or make double tap and long press gestures, allowing you to interact with the watch without touching it.

     

    5. Motorola: New G6 or Z Force3

    The latest rumors have Motorola planning to announce a series of successors to last year’s Moto G5 lineup. The phones I’m looking to see are the Moto G6, Moto G6 Play, the Moto G6 Plus or a Z force3. Some mind blowing Moto Mods would be exciting as well. It is noted thought that Motorola does not have an event scheduled at MWC, so maybe not.