Home

Category: Reviews

  • Hassle-Free Charging: Which Is Our Favorite Qi Wireless Phone Charger?

    Hassle-Free Charging: Which Is Our Favorite Qi Wireless Phone Charger?

    I have forgotten to plug in my phone before bed more times than I can count. The frustration of missing your alarm because you forgot to charge your phone is quite profound. You have no one to be mad at but yourself. Well, yourself and whoever decided we were going to charge our phones with wires like low-tech losers. To remedy this, Qi has become the industry standard for wireless charging. Compatible phones like the iPhone X and Galaxy S9 can be charged as easily as just dropping them on the charging pad. Which wireless phone charger is our favorite? Check out our list! 

    Best Budget Option: Choetech Aluminum Wireless Charger 

    Choetech’s charger is only $13, which is a great price! It has an aluminum body and internal heat management, too, which helps keep it safe from overheating. It doesn’t support fast charging, but it’s also only $13. It has a sleek design and sports a glowing LED ring to indicate when it’s in use. It even has a light sensor to dim the indicator at night. An option to disable the indicator when sleeping would have been welcome, but it’s not a deal breaker. This is a great budget charger overall. 

    Native Union Drop Wireless Charger 

    The Native Union wireless charger is a very elegant and feature-filled device. It has ridged, rubberized grips on the top, and a rubber foot to keep it from sliding on your desk or table. The charger uses a USB-C connection and has a thick, durable, braided cord and an LED indicator for charging status. At $60, it’s a fair bit more expensive than Choetech’s charger. However, that increased price gets you fast charging through a safe and temperature-controlled pad. Native Union promises about three hours to charge from zero to full with their pad. That’s not too bad! 

    Our Favorite Wireless Phone Charger: Case Mate Power Pad 

    Case Mate’s pad is also $60, but it sports a unique feature: a stand. The Case Mate with the stand allows you to wirelessly charge your phone while it’s in landscape mode, letting you watch movies or TV while charging! How cool is that? Like the Native Union, it has rubberized feet and an LED status indicator. While it doesn’t sport the same durable cable or USB-C plug-in, the Case Mate does sport fast cahrging. If you’re on the lookout for a great wireless charger with a stand, the Case Mate Power Pad is for you! 

  • Top Ten Father’s Day Gifts Under $100

    Top Ten Father’s Day Gifts Under $100

    Father’s Day is this Sunday! Have you picked out a gift for Dad yet? If not, don’t worry, we’ve got a list of our favorite gifts for Father’s Day under $100! Giver your Dad something awesome! 

    Cord Taco 

    Photo Credit: Amazon 

    Dad probably has a ton of cords and cables loose in a drawer somewhere. Why not help him organize with these handy tools? They’re stylish and functional and Dad will love them! 

    Amazon Echo Dot 

    Photo Credit: Venture Beat 

    Commanding a virtual assistant with your voice is pretty cool. Alexa helps you schedule your day, reads your messages to you, tells you the news and so much more. The best part is, an Echo Dot is only $40 from Amazon! Talk about a cool gift at a great price! 

    Philips Hue 

    Photo Credit: Amazon 

    If your dad already has an Alexa device, you could get him these awesome smart bulbs from Philips. The Philips Hue bulbs can be controlled via Alexa, and they are seriously bright! You can even change the color of light they produce. You can even control the lights with an app, so if Dad forgets to cut the lights off before he leaves, no sweat! It’s just a tap away! 

    Looftlighter 

    Photo Credit: Williams Sonoma 

    If your dad is like mine, he loves to put on a bonfire in the back yard. An awesome gift for a grillmaster dad is a Looftlighter! This handy wand sets fire to wood or kindling without need for lighter fluid. As we all know, lighter fluid is bad for the environment, so finding sustainable alternatives is awesome! You can pick one of these awesome flame wands up for $80. 

    Hoveric Levitating Speaker 

    Photo Credit: MoMA Design Store 

    Every dad loves goofy magic tricks, so give your dad the gift of a cool floating speaker! When music is played through this futuristic speaker, it is lifted from I’s pedestal by the sound waves. How awesome is that? Dad will certainly love this one! It’s only $99, too, which is awesome! 

    Misfit Ray 

    Photo Credit: PC Mag 

    Dad probably doesn’t want some big flashy screen like an Apple Watch, but he’d probably love a fitness tracker. For the dad who’s trying to stay in shape, check out the Misfit Ray. It’s slick and doesn’t call attention to itself, and it sports a long battery life. You don’t need to charge it for four months after a full charge! It pairs to a smartphone app to show you your statistics. It’s a great price, too, at $40. 

    Kindle E-Reader 

    Photo Credit: Amazon 

    Your dad might just love an e-reader. There are so many awesome books out there, but it can be difficult to find enough shelf space for all of them! And they’re hard to bring with you on a long trip, or to the beach. To remedy that, get your dad a Kindle! Their simple interface and non-reflective screen make them excellent for reading by the pool or at the beach! You can snag one from Amazon for $60. 

    Roku Streaming Stick 

    Photo Credit: Roku 

    Dad’s probably complained about the cable bill. Loudly. And often. If your dad hates the price of cable but loves TV, consider getting him a Roku Streaming Stick. Roku lets him watch Netflix or Hulu through his account, and it even supports Sling streaming TV. All that for just $54! Not too shabby! 

    Tile Sport 

    Photo Credit: Amazon 

    If your dad’s constantly misplacing stuff, you should get him a Tile. Tile will help him find nearly anything he loses. All he has to do is attach the tracker to his valuables and install the Tile app. Ta-da, never lose that particular thing again! Well, not permanently, at least. 

    Our Favorite Gift for Father’s Day: UE Wonderboom 

    Photo Credit: Allround PC 

    Our favorite Father’s Day gift? The portable, loud and waterproof UE Wonderboom Bluetooth speaker. Sporting a great amount of battery life and durability, it’s perfect for any situation. Whether by the pool, at a party or at the beach, the Wonderboom provides excellent sound. The Wonderboom is a great value, too, costing only $70. You can usually find it on sale for less, too! 

  • Laptop Lookout: Alienware 17 R5

    Laptop Lookout: Alienware 17 R5

    Alienware has a new gaming laptop for their 17 line. They have spared no expense, except yours of  course, to develop a mind boggling, earth shattering, nay I say completely volatile piece of gaming tech here. Alienware threw everything it could at the Alienware 17 R5 , cramming a 6-core Intel Core i9 processor in there, along with 32GB of RAM, and a GTX 1080 graphics card. It’s certainly outfitted like a gaming desktop, so here we go.

     

    The Great

    • Excellent build quality
    • High refresh rate display
    • Variety of configuration options
    • Exceptional gaming performance
    • Tobii Eye Tracker
    • 13 customizable lighting zones
    • High Quality Audio

     

    The Not

    • Heavy and large
    • Mediocre 3 hour battery life
    • CPU performance fails to  competitors

     

    The Conclusion

    Its Bad, bad bad to the bone. Its all you can ask for in a gaming laptop. It has the power, the speed, the sound and the look. Not to mention a functioning eye tracking for aiming.. Moderatly priced and highly impressive fps in all test I’ve done, including a stunning 93 fps in Battlefront.

    Whats New With The Alienware 17 R5

    For the Alienware 17 R5, Alienware made design modifications to the exterior design, creating a slimmer chassis with even more customized lighting opportunities. Completely revamped the cooling and audio systems make for quieter fans and louder speakers. Then did an overhaul of the Alienware Command Center software making it much easier to  customizing your lighting and overclocking your processor and graphics card. Add in a powerful Intel 8th Gen Core i9 processor that can be overclocked to 5 GHz and and a factory overclocked Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 GPU plus speedy SSD and a brilliant QHD screen, you have the premier gaming laptop.  The Alienware 17 RS is also the first in the series to implement Intel’s new 2.9-GHz, 8th Gen Core i9-8950HK processor with a whopping 32GB of RAM, and thanks to the Alien Command Center, you can overclock this bad boy to a smoking 5 GHz.

    Design

    Alienware added even more LED zones to the Laptop, while making the system slimmer with its new hinge-forward design. There are now 13 LED zones you can control from the control center. Once open you find yourself staring at a full-size traditional keyboard glowing with stunning backlights. The keyboard and a massive touchpad glow in excitement. The 17.3-inch panel sits above the glossy plastic strip housing the Tobii Eye Tracker.

     

     

    Quick Speck Look

    • CPU Intel Core i9-8950HK @ 2.9GHz
    • Operating System Windows 10 Home
    • RAM 32GB
    • Hard Drive Size 256GB SSD
    • Hard Drive Type PCIe m.2 SSD
    • Secondary Hard Drive Size 1TB
    • Secondary Hard Drive Speed 7,200rpm
    • Display Size 17.3
    • Highest Available Resolution 2560 x 1440
    • Native Resolution N/A
    • Graphics Card Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 (8GB GDDR5X)
    • Video Memory 8GB
    • Wi-Fi 802.11ac
    • Wi-Fi Model Killer 1435 802.11ac 2×2 WiFi
    • Bluetooth Bluetooth 4.1
    • Touchpad Size 4.0 x 2.1
    • USB Ports 4
    • Warranty/Support 1-year
    • Size 16.7 x 13.1 x 1.2 inches
    • Weight 9.77 pounds

    The Final Thought

    One Word.. Fantabulous. Its not the gaming laptop we needed but its the laptop we deserve. Eye tracking aiming is game changing for me, makes battlefront so much more fun..

  • Laptop Review: HP Spectre 13

    Laptop Review: HP Spectre 13

    The HP Spectre 13 is marketed as the world’s thinnest touchscreen laptop. Is it a good laptop, though? Has it made too many sacrifices to be as thin and portable as it is? Or is it just right? To find out, check out our review! 

    HP Spectre 13: Razor Thin 

    It is seriously thin. That’s not just marketing hype, this laptop only measures 0.41 inches thick. That’s not the thinnest laptop in the world, that honor currently belongs to the Swift 7. Runner-up Dell XPS 13 has a taper that ranges from being thinner than the Swift 7 at one end to thicker than the Spectre 13 at the other, so it’s sort of cheating. What makes this thinness truly impressive, though, is the touchscreen. None of the other laptops mentioned have touchscreen functionality, which gives this razor thin laptop a natural edge. 

    Design 

    The HP Spectre 13 is a pretty machine, with a very alluring form factor that looks right at home in an office or on the go. The lid is aluminum and the bottom is carbon fiber, and the body is scratch-resistant. It has a trimmed-down, fashionable design that appeals to those who want a stylish computer. The only complaint about the design is that the model’s signature thin frame renders it a bit fragile. Be careful applying too much pressure to it or carrying it in a bag without padding. 

    Inputs 

    The keyboard is punchy and responsive in ways that are surprising for its dimensions. The screen is somewhat below-average, but it can be forgiven for just how novel the touchscreen is on such a small notebook. The speakers are above-average and situated underneath the display, which makes them rather inconspicuous. The touchpad does leave a pit to be desired, sadly, and is a bit of a black spot on an otherwise nice input suite. 

    Verdict 

    This is a very sleek and attractive notebook. If you really like the thin design and want a computer that is also fashionable, this one is right for you. However, if you’re remotely interested in gaming or anything computationally demanding, this one isn’t the right pick. However, if you’re okay with a fragile computer that doesn’t have too much power under the hood, this one might be your speed. This one is great for college students or high school kids who just need a device to type essays and do homework on. The HP Spectre 13 retails for around $1,400 when outfitted with a decent chipset, which is a pretty big drawback for how weak its computing power is. 

  • Luxury Car Breakdown: 2018 Tesla Model 3

    Luxury Car Breakdown: 2018 Tesla Model 3

    Everyone’s talking about Tesla right now. Their CEO, Elon Musk, is something of a celebrity and their cars are hot-ticket luxury items. Tesla’s newest luxury car, the 2018 Model 3, is here. Well, for some people. If you happened to reserve yours in advance. And you happened to be towards the front of the line. What’s the verdict? Read on to find out our thoughts on the futuristic vehicle. 

    Biggest Draw: Price 

    Tesla has a bit of a reputation as a company that makes cars rich people can afford, and that’s it. In order to bring themselves to mass-market, though, Tesla has made the Model 3 affordable. Musk has been promising a $35,000 electric car for years now, and the Model 3, nominally, delivers. It is worth noting, however, that the models currently available for reservation are closer to $58,000 than $35,000. Why is that, you might ask? 

    Well, there’s a few reasons. For one, the car is currently only available in its long-range configuration, which starts at $44,000. The long-range version can drive 310 miles on a full charge, while the standard-range gets about 220 miles on a full charge. Not to mention the price for wheels and paint, which add Additionally, amenities like heated seats come in the “Premium Package,” which adds $5,000 to the price tag, as does Autopilot. If you want to enable the vehicle to use the eventual self-driving functionality, you’ll spend another $3,000. Finally, you have to pay another $1,000 to have it delivered.  

    Okay, we finally have the thing paid for. Now what? Well, according to those who’ve gotten theirs and taken it for a spin, the next part is pretty sweet. 

    Interior 

    To get into the vehicle, you use a sleek black card that comes with it to unlock it. You can also pair an iPhone or Android phone to the car to have it unlock as you approach, which is awesome. Once you’re in, the interior is sparse and minimal. The design is either incredibly clean or dreadfully bland depending on who you ask. Personally, I tend towards the former, but I can see how someone might be put off by just how spartan it is for how much the car costs.  

    Oddly, the vehicle has no gauge cluster. Instead, it has a large, iPad-like display that handles all of the measurements and functions usually displayed on such gauges. It’s… it’s weird. But also, kind of cool? So, this display handles everything from speedometer to displaying how much charge is left. You control the radio, the autopilot, the wiper blades and nearly every other feature through it. It’s the only spot of note in the otherwise bare interior. If you’re into discreet, sleek tech you might love it. It’s as though Apple made a car with their focus on slick, immutable form. 

    The Drive: Worthy of the Title “Luxury Car”? 

    Is the car fun to drive, though? That’s the really important part. Thankfully, the answer is yes, and dreadfully so. The vehicle almost begs to be driven hard and fast, which, tragically, drains the battery pretty rapidly. That said, it hugs turns very well and steers like a dream. All reports say the Model 3 is a zippy, mean machine, especially considering it’s 100% electric.  

    The Verdict: Awesome, but Unfinished 

    Time will make the Model 3 the coolest car ever. Once it’s available for the (much more affordable) $35,000 and the kinks are worked out of the awkward interface, that is. As it stands, for how much you spend for the thing, and how clunky (and dangerous) it is to take your eyes off the road to fiddle with settings, it’s a bit disappointing. That said, the car is still stellar. It’s sleek, fast and high-tech, so enthusiasts won’t be disappointed. The average consumer will still be left wanting by the few wrinkles in the design, but I’m confident Tesla will have them ironed out in time. 

  • Laptop Lookout: Dell G3 15 Gaming Laptop

    Laptop Lookout: Dell G3 15 Gaming Laptop

    Laptops are the cornerstone of our computing resources in this day and age. We need power, robust performance and ultimate portability for every aspect of our daily lives. This is a guide and insight to the best Laptops on the market and today I’m here to talk about the Dell G3 15 Gaming Laptop. This is a Thin ultra-portable 15.6-inch laptop with a thin bezel gaming display.. Its a complete laptop solution with gaming at a affordable cost in mind.

    The Great

    • Slim, subtle design
    • Dell Product Support
    • Excellent performance
    • Red Backlight Option

    The Not

    • Terrible TouchPad
    • Tacky Keyboard
    • Cheap Plastic Look and Feel

    The Conclusion

    Dell’s budget gaming laptops get a line of their own, some redesigns and Intel Core eighth-generation options. For the price its quite average  for gaming laptop.

     

    Dell’s G-series line is the new laptops  intended to be Dell’s new affordable gaming machines. At 0.5 inches thick, the Dell G3 15 Gaming Laptop is Dell’s thinnest 15-inch gaming oriented laptop. While it still has some Inspiron lingering design, core and feel in it, it also has a unique youthful appeal with stripes decals  and faux carbon fiber patterns. It also packs Intel’s new Core i7 H-series six-core CPU, which sits at the top of Intel’s CPU hierarchy.

    Its got the goods, 8th Gen Intel® hex-core processors provide responsive, powerful performance whether you’re gaming, streaming videos, or working on CPU-intensive projects. With Dual fans let you experience uninterrupted gaming while your system stays cool and Dual drives with SSD options including NVMe PCIe ensure faster performance and better reliability, and a new Ethernet port supports full 100/1000 Gigabit connections for quick performance.

    Power?

    There are configuration options and with a price this series now goes up to the six-core i7s and as high as a Core i9 in the top-end G7. One of the important ways they remain different from Dell’s gaming-focused Alienware brand is the GPU options, which run only from a Nvidia GTX 1050 to a GTX 1060 Max-Q for the G models.

    Quick Spec Look

    •  eighth-generation mobile Core i-series processors
    • Installed Size 16 GB, 1x16GB, DDR4, 2666MHz
    • Capacity 256 GB Solid State Drive (Boot) + 1TB 5400RPM Hard Drive (Storage)
    • Clock Speed 4.1 GHz
    • Diagonal Size 15.6 -inch FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS Anti-Glare LED-Backlit Display
    • OS Provided: Type Windows 10 Home 64bit English
    • Graphics Processor NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 4GB GDDR5 graphics memory

    The Dell G3 15 Gaming Laptop  Design

    The G3 looks a lot more like the latest mainstream Inspirons, with touches like the patterned keyboard surround and notably slim profile for a gaming system. One nice design feature that you get with the Dell G3 15 Gaming Laptop is something you dont typically get with a budget laptop. LED Backlighting. Its simple and always impressive but the G3’s backlight comes in blue and red.

     

    The Final Thought

    Despite its cheap design, the Dell G3 15 Gaming Laptop is one of the best and powerful bangs for the buck. Starting at $750 with a I7 Processor you are really getting the best deal available for this kind of power. The track-pad is an issue but none of us game with a track-pad anyway, add a good wireless gaming mouse an enjoy the savings.

  • Beau’s Number 1 App Review: Twisty Arrow!

    Beau’s Number 1 App Review: Twisty Arrow!

    Beau’s App series. Each week, I install whatever is the No. 1 bestselling app on the iOS or Android store and review it, to save you the effort in case it’s total waste of life. This week a game called Twisty Arrow is in the top spot and we are gonna talk about it. Why isn’t it No. 1? not sure, its a very simple and basic game but it’s free. So let take a look and see what has this game rocketing to the top of the charts.

    Twisty Arrow is a simple tapping game. Shoot arrows at the spinning circle target but don’t touch the other arrows. Use the right strategy to improve your accuracy and hit the bullseye on the circle as it twists every time. The more arrows you shoot, the harder it is to be accurate and hit the bullseye. Can you beat this impossible rotating wheel? What level can you get to? Download right now and spin the wheel to find out.

    The Basics of Twisty Arrow

    • Tap your screen to shoot arrows at the spinning wheel
    •  Hit the bulls eye with the arrows without touching other arrows
    •  Each level requires a certain amount of arrows to hit the bulls eye to complete
    •  Different levels spin, twist, and rotate in different directions and at different speeds

    Highly Addicting

    I started playing for just a few mins just to get an overview next thing 6 hours is gone. Gone, hours ill never get back. Wasted? yes immensely. This should be a five minute game, yet somehow here we are. Its very repetitious and very simple, it gets frustrating and you start to doubt your self worth when you fail at something this simple. I wish there was more to say than its just a arrow into a spinning circle, in black and white.

    The Final Thought

    This is the most uninspired and basic game or app I have ever played. I can not comprehend why this made it to the top of the app store chart. However, it did and now with their incessant ads the creators are essentially printing money, Congrats to the guys a tasty pill. Capitalization on peoples boredom, what a time to be alive.

  • Top AARP Benefits: Should You Join?

    Top AARP Benefits: Should You Join?

    When you start to get past age 50 or so, the jokes start rolling in.

    Shouldn’t you get a discount here? Are you going to get the Early Bird special? Very fun, everyone; but, seriously, there are some good discounts for being older! Jokes aside, you might be considering joining AARP for a similar reason: the benefits! Today we’re looking at ten of the top AARP benefits you get for the modest $16 per year membership. Let’s see how it all stacks up!

    Top AARP Benefits

    Insurance>

    Some people find that AARP’s car insurance policy is more affordable than other insurers’ plans. This could vary from person to person, but they are often the most affordable option for people over 50. It’s worth asking for a quote from AARP and making a decision based on that. If the switch would save you more than $16 per year, it’s sort of a no-brainer to get an AARP membership just for that!

    You Can Join at 50

    Most senior discount programs don’t start until you hit 55. AARP, however, lets you join when you’re fifty. That means you can start reaping the benefits sooner, rather than later! You’re more than entitled to the discounts and savings by the time you’re fifty. Don’t let pride or vanity stop you from hopping on: there’s no shame in being 50, 60, 70 or whatever age. All it brings is wisdom and perspective!

    If You Are Married…

    If you join AARP and you’re married, good news! Your spouse is a member for free. That means that married people get double the value from their membership! It’s like a buy-one, get-one free deal! If you’ve been on the fence about joining and you’re married, you can be assured it’s a good value, as it practically doubles your benefits.

    If You Aren’t Married…

    Maybe you don’t have a spouse to share your membership with, but no worries! Members can join the AARP dating site as part of their membership. The best part about it is that you know you’ll be matched with people in the same stage of their lives as you are! There’s nothing quite as exhausting as sifting through tons of profiles of people who are half your age. You can cut that whole process out with an AARP membership!

    You Get AARP’s Magazine

    Your membership also includes a subscription to AARP’s magazine. While it’s not the biggest perk in the world, it does contain a ton of helpful articles detailing the deals you can take advantage of. Nothing quite like saving money while you’re saving money, huh? The articles are also top-notch and well worth the low cost of the membership by themselves! There are articles on personal finance, travel and a ton more. What’s not to love?

    AARP Travel Center

    Between deals on flights, parking and more, the AARP Travel Center is a huge plus for members. Most people think of AARP members are boring older people, but that’s pretty far from the truth. Going on fun vacations and traveling are some of the perks of having an established nest egg! Why not save while you travel? The AARP Travel Center will make sure you’re taken care of.

    Cruises

    You’ll often find better rates on cruises from Norwegian, Grand European and Windstar through the AARP’s Travel Center. There’s nothing quite like sailing the high seas on a luxury cruise liner! And it’s hard to beat some of the deals you’ll find on them through the AARP discounts.

    Rental Car Discounts

    Most rental car companies offer discounts to AARP members. In fact, all AARP members get a 30 percent discount on a Zipcar membership. AARP is a great deal for those who love to travel! Not having to worry about what you’re going to drive on your vacation is a pretty big load off your shoulders!

    Hotel Discounts

    To round out the awesome travel deals, you’ll also get access to great deals on hotel rates. Between the flights, hotels and rental cars, the AARP pretty much has you completely covered on vacation discounts. If you travel often, it’s hard to find reasons not to have an AARP membership!

    Other Discounts

    You also get discounts on nearly any and everything you can think of. It’s hard to keep track of how many ways you can earn back your membership fee through saving. Angie’s List, Dunkin Donuts, Outback Steakhouse, Kohl’s, AMC Theaters, Verizon and many more places all offer discounts. Really, it’s harder to find places that won’t offer you a discount for being a member!

    The Most Important Benefit

    The biggest benefit for being an AARP member is knowing that you’re supporting an organization that lobbies lawmakers on your behalf. Rules and regulations that affect seniors are lobbied on by the AARP to help keep you safe. The quality of life of every member is made better by the legislation that the AARP helps to lobby. That’s a benefit that’s pretty hard to pass up!


  • SmartPhone Spotlight: LG G7 ThinQ

    SmartPhone Spotlight: LG G7 ThinQ

    LG has released another Flagship smartphone for 2018. The LG G7 ThinQ. The new flagship comes to replace the LG G6 and arrives with a host of improvements which LG hopes will help outshine competitors like the Samsung Galaxy S9 and the upcoming OnePlus 6.Lg boasts The LG G7 ThinQ delivers thoughtful intelligence, inside and out. Lets just see

     

    The Great

    • Snapdragon 845
    • IP68 Water resistant
    • Qi Wireless fast charging
    • Revolutionary sound
    • Gorgeous

    The Not

    • So far… none other then its made by LG

    The Conclusion

    Its another high end android with very few but kinda cools differential features that no one else is doing

     

    LG announced the G7 ThinQ about a month ago, and now, the phone is available for purchase in the US for a retail price of around $750. THats a good price for a phone of this caliber, LG has always been know to make very pretty phones, but they have failed to stand out in the past 5 years. This has left consumers only remembering their failures, They could use a win about now. There are a few stand out aspects of the LG G7 Thinq matched with a good desgin and those LG screens we may just have a winner.

    The Design

    Lg didn’t set out to revolutionize their flagship but utilize trends to perfect upon their previous design. First with have a notch, everyone’s doing it so you go to too LG. The display is still flanked by razor-thin bezels, with the presence of the notch LG is maximizing screen size.  The G7 boasts a metal frame, a slightly curved glass back and comes in New Platinum Gray, New Aurora Black, New Moroccan Blue or Raspberry colors. And like its predecessor, it’s also IP68 certified. The LG G6 has a similar look, with a slightly curved glass back and metal frame.

    We also are getting some display upgrades as well. Lg has always had breath takeing display screen, even in there TVs, now that are taking it a step in the useful direction. LG’s new LCD technology will enable users to clearly view the phone’s screen in direct sunlight. This is possible thanks to a brightness of up to 1,000 nits and a 100% DCI-P3 color gamut.

    A+ on the desgin

    The Sound

    Audiophiles take a look, The new G7 because the flagship comes with a single mono loudspeaker, as opposed to implementing stereo speakers. This baby booms.

    LG calls it the G7’s Boombox speaker, and as the name suggests it’s bigger and louder than the G6’s. It’s also clever enough to use the inner space inside the device as an echo chamber to amplify the bass. The company says the speaker should be 39% louder than its predecessor.

    LG also cares about the new device’s audio quality, so it has included the 32-bit quad-DAC from the G6. The company says the quad-DAC should provide a clearer sound over wired headphones (yes, 3.5mm jack still on board).

    The phone also offers DTS:X virtual surround sound, which creates a 7.1-channel audio. This is the first time this technology has been incorporated into a phone.

     

    LG G7 ThinQ Quick Speck Look

    • OS Android 8.0 (Oreo), planned upgrade to Android 9.0 (P)
    • Chipset Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845
    • CPU Octa-core (4×2.8 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4×1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver)
    • GPU Adreno 630
    • Internal 128 GB, 6 GB RAM or 64 GB, 4 GB RAM
    • CAMERA Primary Dual: 16 MP (f/1.6, OIS, laser&PDAF) + 16 MP (f/1.9), laser & phase detection autofocus, LED flash
    • 3.5mm jack Yes
      – 32-bit/192kHz audio
      – DTS-X sound
      – Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
    • COMMS WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot
    • Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD
    • GPS Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
    • NFC Yes
    • FEATURES Sensors Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
    • Messaging SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM
    • BATTERY Non-removable Li-Po 3000 mAh battery

     

    The Final Thought

    the LG G7 ThinQ has got the specs, the looks, and something special. Its a contender and in all seriousness an upgrade over the galaxy S9. As far as carriers go, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, and US Cellular will all sell the phone, and it will also be available on Project Fi. For those who want to buy one unlocked, it can be found at Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H.

  • Having Trouble Connecting? Check out Our Favorite Wireless Routers

    Having Trouble Connecting? Check out Our Favorite Wireless Routers

    Nothing’s more frustrating than being in the middle of your favorite show and having the signal drop out. Or, worse, playing a match of your favorite game and then the dreaded “disconnected” image pops up. What are some of the best wireless routers to make sure this doesn’t happen to you? We’ve got our picks for favorite wireless router right here, so don’t worry about disconnecting due to a faulty signal anymore! 

    ASUS RT-AC3200 

    This router supports all three bands: short, medium and long. It is noted for its excellent long-range band and fantastic self-monitoring tools. The router provides graphs and charts for network usage which helps for troubleshooting network issues. It is somewhat difficult to set up and get the most out of, though. This makes it hard to recommend to those who are just looking for a solid router without having to fiddle with tons of options. If you’re relatively tech-savvy and like the idea of having great monitoring of devices, this one is a good pick. You can find it at around $190 from Amazon.  

    Netgear R7000P Nighthawk 

    Netgear’s offering is much easier to set up and use than ASUS’. It features an easy-to-use online portal and offers tons of options for those that want them. However, out of the box it does a great job distributing devices between its two bands. It makes sure there’s less overlap in signals and has excellent range. The Nighthawk is a pretty solid router for $190, and you can’t go wrong with its straightforward, simple functionality. 

    The Best Wireless Router: Google Wi-Fi 

    Google Wi-Fi is absolutely awesome. Rather than relying on one device to juggle various bands, it uses a mesh system. By hooking up multiple receivers, the system is able to produce an area of even coverage of Wi-Fi. The device is sleek and minimalist, as one could ecxpect from Google. The best part, though, is the software.  

    Google Wi-Fi’s app is the portal through which you set up and monitor the system. It allows for easy set-up of guest and family networks. It even sports smart home functional through the app! The best part? A single Google Wi-Fi router is only $120, and one will cover most houses. If you have a bigger house you can opt for a two- or even three-pack set, offering excellent mesh coverage. All in all, the best router for your money. You won’t be disappointed by Google Wi-Fi!