Category: Smart Devices

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.
February 27, 2018
The Home of Tomorrow is Here…

Smart Home communities are beginning to pop up in the United States. Home builders are starting to recognize the potential in creating a fully functional smart home form the ground up. These homes of tomorrow come fully equipped with voice activation of every switch and appliance throughout the home.

What can these Smart Homes do?

One Smart Home Community, Brookfield Homes in Washington D.C. has partnered up with Amazon to have the home fully controlled by Alexa. From turning on the stove to drawing the shades. All can be done with a simple voice command through Alexa. The home also comes with a Smart Home app that let’s you control lighting, music, and appliances even when you’re not home. These homes have the ability to learn the owners work, sleep, and daily habits to better assist the owner. The home can make simple automation task such as turning the A/C down before you arrive home form work. These homes usually come with a higher price tag, but can save big on energy bills and efficiency.

So it has Alexa, what else?

These smart homes, also come with energy efficient roofs and solar panels to keep your carbon footprint to a minimum. Also these homes are starting to come equipped with Telsa Powerwalls, which is a solar charged lithium battery that can power your whole house. This battery can basically eliminate your monthly electric bill when utilized properly. From voice control lights to automated vacuum systems, these homes are truly designed to improve your life.

Summary

Smart Home Communities are a new endeavor in the housing market that are just now beginning to be explored. But with all the tech advances as of late, these smart homes are extremely convenient for a reasonable price tag. Years ago, an automated robot vacuum sounded made up and pricey but now you can get one online for $200.00. These new communities will continue to grow and advance. Their sole purpose is to facilitate our daily needs and make our homes functional and modern.

February 26, 2018
Hyperloop One, the Train of Tomorrow…Today

In 2017, Virgin Mobile purchased the Hyperloop One company and unveiled its concept for the train of tomorrow. Hyperloop One chose 10 cities around the world to introduce it’s high speed commuter trains and plan to grow from there. This underground train travel up to 7oo MPH in a vacuum sealed tube. Making long distance travels or work commutes obsolete.

How it Works

For the first time in over 100 years, someone has created a completely new form of travel. The idea started with putting the train’s engine not in the train itself, but on the track. Hyperloop one has created a linear motor using electromagnets that lays on the track while propelling the train car at high speeds with minimal effort. The track is encased in a vacuum sealed tube so the train can travel at very high speed with little-to-no resistance. The airless tubes mock a plane traveling in the stratosphere at 200,000 feet. This makes for a very smooth ride, giving the passenger the feeling as if they’re floating. Achieving incredible speeds while simultaneously creating noiseless and comfortable environment, has fundamentally changed travel as we know it.

One area that was chosen for a Hyperloop One system was Central Florida. The Hyperloop line is expected to run from Orlando to Miami and can carry passengers to and from the two cities in only 26 minutes. Being able to work in Miami and live in Orlando with a 30 minute commute has never been a possibility. The adverse effects of this commuting system are just now being realized. In this writers opinion, this will terra-form all areas surrounding the Hyperloop One line. There are also plans to place this system in many other countries such as India, Mexico, United Kingdom, and Canada. The trains will eventually carry freight cars completely revolutionizing how we ship goods and resources.

Summary

Hyperloop One has done something that will change the way we live and travel forever. With any new groundbreaking technology it is hard to image how it will change our lives, but it will. We are on the eve of something here. As long as we keep the safety and practicality of it at the foundation, it will only be a benefit for mankind. I don’t know what the future holds for Hyperloop One, but I eagerly await its arrival.

February 25, 2018
Easy Smarthome Devices to Increase Your Homes Value

From smart thermostats to automated lighting and everything in between, there’s no question that innovative, Internet-enabled technology can make a home more fun, convenient and safe. What you may not know, however, is that it also represents a potentially valuable investment. Im going to take a$7000 investment to smart home upgrade to increase my homes value by $25000. Lets look at how I spent it and what value it brings.

Appliances

I started with replacing the refrigerator and stove, with smart appliances.

for a combined $4300 I installed the Samsung Family Hub 2.0 wifi enabled fridge and the Self-Cleaning Slide-In Gas Convection Range both in stainless steel of course. considering I was going to have to spend $2000 anyway on these appliance the extra money to purchase the smart appliance is well worth it for the wow factor alone.

Samsung Family Hub 2.0 Refrigerator

The Samsung Smart Fridge is really cool, looks great, creates shopping lists and lets me see inside from anywhere with 3 built-in cameras. It also set expiration notifications to make sure everything is fresh. Plus it has Bixby built in for a digital voice assistant right in the kitchen, I’ve always wanted to talk to my refrigerator.

Samsung Self-Cleaning Slide-In Gas Convection Range

The stove looks like something you would see in a professionals kitchen, its no joke. There are cooking options with the intuitive guiding light controls. This lets you program your favorite recipes, plus easily control temperature and time settings. Wi-Fi connection gives you real-time alerts and control the cooktop and oven remotely. You just have to download the app for iOS or Android devices.

I was able to get both devices with a bundle package at best buy, factoring the money I was going to spend anyways im only out ($2130)

Lighting

Next step set the mood, for 3 main light switched I installed the Brilliant Smart Panel. With the digital touch screen or simple verbal commands, this switch can control your homes lights, air conditioning, intercom system, video surveillance, music and has a built in camera and even the ability to make video calls.

I replaced all light bulbs with Phillips Hue Smart Lighting, this will allow the lights to be controlled from the 3 smart-panels, with the color bulbs setting different lighting and the colored light strips in the kitchen.

This has added a great wow factor, adding in the Sonos speakers already through out the house. I can set music and lighting with just a shout. ($1000)

Little Things

The Smart Panel for Brilliant can control a lot of smart devices, so I upgrade my thermostat to the Nest, a Smart lock from August, Skydrop 8-Zone Smart Sprinkler Controller, Smart Security Video system from Nest with a video doorbell and an Amazon Eco Show for Alexa integration with all the new devices. ($1500)

Bathrooms

This home has 2 bathrooms so I’ve updated both toilets to the Smart 1 Piece by OVE. Little expensive, but a heated seat, warm bidet water, and air drying features are a big sell for small price. This looks great and comes with a remote control. You can adjust the power and temperature right from your remote.

I also updated the 2 shower-heads and added the Moen U Shower Smart Home Connected Bathroom Controller. The Moen U integrates smart temperature control, timers and also an app. You can even pre-time your morning shower, walk yourself to the bathroom and it turns on automatically as soon as it senses your presence!

I have effectively updated my home and prepped it for sale. With these little upgrade I have moved my home from the bottom end of its appraisal to the top by making it a cutting edge smart-home and increasing my value and netting me an extra $18, 000 after the sale.

February 24, 2018
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.

February 22, 2018
New iPads this March!

Good News Everybody, the highly top secret Apple company has leaked a little bit of news. IT looks like we will be seeing two new iPads in march. While the details are still fuzzy here is what we know and what we can gather.

A product filing from app was discovered this week that received approval from the Eurasian Economic Commission on two devices codenamed A1954 and A1893, The product description in the filing was labeled as ‘tablet computers’. The codes are in line with Apples current product ID’s. Apple is working on new iPads that it could announce in March. Those reports say that the design will be slimmer and have less bevel on the screen, similar to that of the iPhone X. Additionally, Apple could be planning to deliver the Face ID options we have in the iPhone X in the iPads.

In the past we have seen a release event or announcement on the iPhones and recently AirPods two weeks after a similar EEC approvals. My guess is we will see the event March 6th, with it featuring two new iPads, but not the iPad Pros. Replacement for the current, consumer-level 9.7-inch iPad seems likely, and judging from the product numbers I would guess they are both the same device with one of them being a cellular model.

Probably nothing earth shattering here but its always cool to get new toys from Apple, but maybe just maybe it will be. iPad X?

February 22, 2018
Bose SoundSport Free are Spot On
The Bose SoundSport Free are the the companies first exclusively wireless earbuds. They have a lightweight body with an IPX4 rating for water resistance, a seamless fit, and up to a rather impressive five hours of battery life. The bundled battery case provides an additional 10 hours of wireless tunes. Users can also connect the SoundSport Wireless to a mobile app and tweak their sonic experience.

The Great
- Noise canceling
- Wireless
- Water resistant
- Quality Bose Sound
- Charging carrying case
- 15 total hours use with case
The Not
- electronic interference
- left bud drops connectivity
The Conclusion

These headphones have an unmatched combination of comfort and stability. They sound great, stay in place in all activities. The volume-optimized EQ and Bose digital signal processing make music sound full and balanced at any volume. They are great Wireless headphone, if that is what you need.

The Bose SoundSport Free have a compact and comfortable design. They fit nice in the ear and Im not insecure they will fall out while exercising. The sound in fantastic, its Bose, you cant go wrong with Bose and they never disappoint with sound quality. Set up is easy and they have a very nice charging/carrying case that add to an overall pleasant usability. Lets take a look at some of the little things if you want to nit pick.

Battery

I gave it a full charge out of the box before pairing. It has since been a few weeks since I first started the test. while generally the batterlife is good, I found that occasionally even though you leave both not-fully-charged-earbuds in the case that supposedly charges your Bose earbuds, it actually does not. Even after sufficient time, the earbuds do not fully charged.

Noise Cancelling

As far as I am aware there are not any true noise cancelling bluetooth earbuds. To do proper noise cancelling you need a signal processing module that in the QC20’s is in the external controller and in the QC 25’s is in the ear cans. There are bluetooth noise cancelling cans but I haven’t found any that both have good noise cancelling and excellent music quality. For example, the Bose bluetooth QC35 music quality is inferior to the wired QC25’s and the Sennheiser Momentum’s have good music quality but inferior noise cancelling.

Connectivity

This is the most significant issue Ive come across. It occasionally drops the connectivity between the left and right earbuds without apparent reason. This is massively irritating. I have had quite a few instances where, for no apparent reason, the left has gotten disconnected from the right. At that point the only way to reconnect them is to put them both into the case, which essentially means that they have to go thru the bluetooth disconnected/connected.

The Final Thought

These are easily the most comfortable, best-sounding truly wireless earbuds to date. In the wireless earbud landscape the little things are non issues and the buds will do exactly what you need and do it well.
February 21, 2018
Top 5 Augmented Reality Apps for iOS

We have all been hit with an augmented reality buzz on all our apps. From Pokémon go to every shopping app, we are being given the ability to use our camera to bring a whole new layer to our lives. Here are the top five out of the box and interesting applications for augmented reality

1. Miratia City Treasure Hunts

Miratia is smartphone treasure hunt games played live outdoors.Miratia games are played live on the streets of your current city. Become your own Indiana Jones and set up a treasure hunt with historical places through out all your sight seeing visits. This is endless fun, and adds a whole new dimension of traveling and exploring new cities. Finally Paris is interesting, and Budapest will never be the same.

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February 20, 2018
5 Great Mobile Gaming Apps

We all love the mobile games and we all need them to pass a little time here and there. Some are duds, some are expensive, some are just too addicting. Here are some great games that keep you entertained and casually having you coming back for more!

5. Marvel’s Contest of Champions

With a long list of all your favorite Marvel Universe characters, this “Arcade-Fighter” game has a lot to offer. It’s visually pleasing animations, smooth fighting mechanics, and fully customizable Marvel superheros will have you playing at length and loving it. Because of its constant additions and challenges, you’ll have this game on your mobile device for quite some time.

4. Plague Inc.

Do you need your “Destroy the World” fix? Then look no further. Plague Inc. has a plethora of viruses, bacteria, and world ending organisms at your fingertips and it’s up to you how to use your tools to cause a global catastrophe. The object is to keep your deadly pathogens one step ahead of the world governments and CDC in order to end all life on Earth. With the amount of options and routs of evil to achieve your objective, this mobile game will give you hours of twisted fun.

3. Rusty Lake Roots

This extremely dark and alluring indie-puzzle game is one that you can’t seem to step away from. With intricate puzzles and a twisted plot, Rusty Lake Roots keeps you on the edge of your phone. The animations are simplistic but perfectly capture the creepy factor and suspense that mirrors the dark plot. Follow a man Thomas as he explores his family tree in the abandoned farmhouse that his ancestors left to him.

2. Injustice: God’s Among Us

Quite simply, this is the best arcade-style fighter possibly ever. Mobile, Console, PC or otherwise. The visceral animations, coupled with your favorite DC superheros beating the tar out of each other makes this a very enthralling game. Add on a very simple but sophisticated character upgrading system and, voila! You have an amazing fighter game. I consistently played Injustice for the better part of 2 and half years and never tired of it. I still miss it, but I traded Injustice in for Injustice 2 which is a very good game, but not as good as the original.

1. Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes

Even if you aren’t a huge fan of the Star Wars universe, this is still a very entertaining and great game. But if you are a fan of SW…oh man is this game for you. Find your favorite Star Wars heroes and villains in this turn based fighter game and pair them up to form an elite fighting squad. Each Star Wars character has their own special set of skills that if teamed up with other characters correctly, can form a deadly fighting squad. Training and upgrading the characters of your choosing is very rewarding and the game challenges are difficult but not to the point of frustration. If you enjoy Star Wars, it’s a borderline perfect game.

Summary

All these games are great in their own right and have done amazing work. They have each mastered the concept they were looking to achieve and the end results are so satisfying and entertaining. All are available is the IOS App Store and Android Market. Hope you give them a try!

February 20, 2018
Samsung Gear 3 is Still Just a Timepiece
Samsung’s Gear 3 is a boldly designed smartwatch that’s ready for anything and tailored to you. There are two versions with sleep tracking ,multi-day battery life all day calorie tracking , and Samsung Pay it has all the functions and Android smartphone one could hope for.

The Great
- Big Bold Design
- Always-on display
- Decent Activity Tracking
- Built-in LTE
- Samsung Pay
- OLED display is bright and crisp
The Not
- Poor Gps tracking
- Lacking compatible app
- Missing intuitive functions
The Conclusion

This is an average looking watch and a lack luster smartwatch. While Samsung tried to squeeze a lot into the new Gear S3 its really just not enough.

More Gear from Samsung

For the Gear S3, Samsung has decided to offer up two designs. There’s the more rugged Frontier for outdoor types, and the Classic, which aims to be the more luxurious option of the two. Both still run on Samsung’s own Tizen operating system and that rotating bezel makes a welcome return. It can be pair with all samsung and most android smartphones, even and iPhone with reduced functionality. With the LTE model of the Gear S3, you can leave your phone behind and still have complete functionality on the watch. Note: LTE is only avilable on the Frontier model. The call quality is surprisingly decent if you turn the volume up to the highest level. It’s still weird talking to someone on your watch, but it can be handy sometimes. You can also use it to listen to music, but get some Bluetooth headphones, its not enjoyable from the watch speaker

Not for the Weak Wristed

the Gear S3 is a big smartwatch, its a heavy watch, and its beastly. Its hulking 46mm frame makes it most certainly a more mans man’s watch. It’s also noticeably heavier and thicker as well, probably to house the additional sensors and a larger battery. The Frontier rocks a more rugged look, with a knurled, rotating bezel, a chunky stainless-steel body design and IP68 certified water resistant.

The Interface

The Gear S3 runs Tizen, it’s very easily laid out to make the most functionality of the spinning bezel. The highlight that makes the Gear smartwatches unique is the innovative rotating bezel. Crank it clockwise and you’ll get all of your notifications in one place. Spin it the opposite direction to breeze through the widgets you’ve added. The default set up includes thee current weather, favorite contacts, calories burned and what’s up on your calendar. Sadly that is all there is to the Gear S3’s interface.

The Apps or Lack of Apps

According to Samsung, there’s something like 10,000 apps in the Tizen Store, but just a fraction of those are tuned for the Gear’s small display. Whats worse it that most of them are not wort using to begin with. Its as if no developers consider creating apps with Tizen in mind.

The Final Thought

All in all the Gear doesn’t excite me as much as I’d have hoped. Though it has a very intuitive interface, complete with a rotating bezel for navigation, many parts of the experience still need more engineering attention, whether that’s the dreadfully useless selection of apps or the irritatingly malfunctions of S Voice digital assistant. In the p rophetic words of american Idols Randy Jackson, This is gonna be a hard no for me dawg.
February 19, 2018