Posted under Gadget Reviews
This post was written by Journalist on April 21, 2012
Gadget Lab Podcast: HTC One S, Cheap Gadgets, Soundfreaq Sound Kick
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On this week’s episode of the Gadget Lab show, the gang checks out the HTC One S, a wireless speaker called the Soundfreaq Sound Kick, and a handful of really, really cheap gadgets. Read More…
Posted under Gadget Reviews
This post was written by Journalist on April 21, 2012
9 Bargain-Bin Gadgets for the Struggling 99 Percent
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Yesterday was tough. Like many Americans, you may have waited until the last minute to file your 2011 taxes — only to be surprised by paperwork that says you owe the government an arm, a leg, and an expensive assortment of internal organs.
But just because youre broke doesnt mean you cant assemble a comprehensive arsenal of consumer electronics. While the rich and fabulous enjoy gadgets for the elite 1 percent, the teeming, unwashed masses can explore hardware that occupies the lowest echelons of quality, specs and features.
And make no mistake: By no means are we recommending all of the gear in this round-up. No, this is more of a research study delving into the depths of product manufacturing — a survey of the extreme low-end gadgets that are aimed at the world’s most thrifty (or undiscriminating) shoppers.
MP3 Player: Eclipse CL2BLK MP3 Player — $11
The Eclipse looks suspiciously like an iPod shuffle. It has a clip that you can attach to your clothing or backpack, and its buttons are nearly identical to those on Apples compact music player. Unlike the iPod shuffle, however, this alarmingly inexpensive music player wont connect to iTunes. But considering how buggy iTunes has been the past few years, this isnt necessarily a problem.
Via drag-and-drop file management, the Eclipse supports MP3 and WMA audio tracks. MP3 is the default file type for Amazon and Google Play, but the lack of M4A file support is a bummer. Still, considering the $11 entry fee, its hard to complain. The player works with Windows and OS X, so its already better than a Zune.
Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired
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Source:wired.com
Posted under Gadget Reviews
This post was written by Journalist on April 18, 2012
Insanely Expensive Gadgets for the Elite 1 Percent
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They don’t concern themselves with value meals or club cards. They spend their days basking in the glory of their riches — diving into bouncy houses full of cash, swimming in infinity pools filled with Cristal, and jet-setting into different time zones to eat meals that cost more than most tax-payers’ monthly paychecks.
They are the elite One Percent, and like their lifestyles, their gadgets are lavish, amazing, and categorically ridiculous. Here are some of the hardware treasures they might be buying with their 2011 tax refunds — if, in fact, they’re paying any taxes at all. Read More…
Posted under Gadget Reviews
This post was written by Journalist on April 18, 2012
10 Insanely Expensive Gadgets for the Elite 1 Percent
<< Previous | Next >>
They don’t concern themselves with value meals or club cards. They spend their days basking in the glory of their riches — diving into bouncy houses full of cash, swimming in infinity pools filled with Cristal, and jet-setting into different time zones to eat meals that cost more than most tax-payers’ monthly paychecks.
They are the elite One Percent, and like their lifestyles, their gadgets are lavish, amazing, and categorically ridiculous. Here are some of the hardware treasures they might be buying with their 2012 tax refunds — if, in fact, they’re paying any taxes at all. Read More…
Posted under Gadget Reviews
This post was written by Journalist on April 17, 2012
Samsung Galaxy S III: Where Will It Fit Between the Galaxies Nexus and Note?
Samsung is hosting a May 3 event in London to show off its next Galaxy product, but the company hasn't said just what it will be.
Samsung emailed, tweeted and bloggedMonday about a May 3 event in which reporters are being invited to “come and meet the next Galaxy.” At this shindig in London, we expect Samsung to unveil theSamsung Galaxy S III — though where this smartphone sits in Samsung’s larger handset ecosystem isn’t entirely clear.
The Galaxy S III would be the successor to the Galaxy S II, which was never a single phone, but rather a line-up of devices with varying internal specs and exterior designs for different countries and carriers. Shoot, even the S II’s display sizes varied, with both 4.3-inch and 4.5-inch screens.
And while the Galaxy S II has been the flagship Samsung Android device for AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile, the nation’s largest carrier, Verizon, has avoided the S II altogether. Instead, Verizon has gone all-in with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, the first handset to boast the Android 4.0 operating system.
By all accounts, the Galaxy Nexus is currently Samsung’s best Android phone, its single-carrier limitation notwithstanding. But what will happen when the Galaxy S III is released? This question, too, is complicated by the 5.3-inchGalaxy Note, which has been a surprise hit for Samsung. More than 5 million Galaxy Note units have shipped worldwide — and this is a phone that runs on the horribly antiquated Android 2.3 (Gingerbread).
With Samsung making so many phones for different markets, carriers and countries, it’s difficult to figure out just where the Galaxy S III will reside in Samsung’s line-up, says Ross Rubin, executive director of the NPD Group market research firm.
“Samsung is producing anumber of of high-end smartphones with leading-edge specs and, yes, that does make it tough to figure out which one their flagship phone is,” Rubin told Wired. “But Samsung is one of the few companies out there that can make a lot of different phones withdifferent functionality, geared toward different markets, that can all be considered flagship phones somewhere.”
Regardless, when the Galaxy S III is unveiled, the smartphone will be worthy of flagship status for at least a few carriers, Rubin said.
“The idea behind the Galaxy Nexus is to provide a pure Google Android experience,” he said. “The Galaxy Note, which has the largestscreen sizeof any handset in a major U.S. carrier portfolio, is clearly about maximum screen real estate and the S-Pen for notes, annotation and drawing. Each device has its trade offs and Samsung is trying to have something out there for most anyone.”
The Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch. Photo by Jon Snyder/Wired
Rubin says the Galaxy S and S II have been about reaching as many consumers as possible, and the S III will likely be that type of phone as well, Rubin said.
“The reason there are so many versions of the Galaxy S II, and the Galaxy S before it, is because the Galaxy S line is aboutestablishinga high-end baseline and having broad carrier reach,” he said. “The whole point is to sell as many of those phones as possible, so what they’re going for is top-of-the-line specs, but also mainstream consumer needs.”
Carolina Milanesi, a Gartneranalyst, says Samsung should be less worried about where the S III lives in its broader line-up than how it stacks up against the S II, which hit U.S. shores last fall.
Conventional wisdom says the Galaxy S III will have a 4.7-inch screen, quad-core processor, an 8+MP camera, 4G connectivity and (of course) a custom, Samsung-skinned version of Android 4.0. The Galaxy S II had almost-as-large screens, a dual-core processor, an 8-megapixel rear camera, and 4G data support.
“If the Galaxy S III is just like the Galaxy S II, but with slightly better specifications, then I think Samsung will have a tough time selling it as differentiated product,” Milanesi said. “If that’s what Samsung releases, the question will be, Can Samsung do what Apple does so well, with a refresh of an existing phone?”
She makes a compelling point: When you compare the iPhone 4 to the iPhone 4S, Apple’s hardware specs are remarkably similar. In effect, Apple’s most successful phone launch ever was built on the back of an extra CPU core, an improved camera, and a clever voice-recognition system with natural language comprehension (Siri).
“Samsung’s brand is not Apple-strong yet,” Milanesi said. “I don’t know if Samsung will ever reach that emotional level for the brand from the consumer standpoint. And that’s what makes this question of ‘Will the Galaxy S III be a big flagship phone?’ so tricky. The Galaxy S II already has what most consumers are looking for from an Android phone.”
Samsung’s best chance at making the Galaxy S III a success would be introducing a ground-breaking new technology, she said.
“I don’t think phones can get that much thinner, and I don’t think they need to get much bigger,” Milanesi said. “If Samsung can release a phone with aflexibledisplay, something they’ve been experimenting with for awhile now, then they’d be far ahead of the curve. If they don’t do something like that, they might have a hard time getting enough people to see the Galaxy S III as atrulydifferentiated product.”
Source:wired.com
Posted under Gadget Reviews
This post was written by Journalist on April 17, 2012
Gadget Lab Podcast: Zombie Maps and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0
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On this week’s episode of the Gadget Lab show, we check out Samsung’s latest budget tablet, the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, as well as a cool mapping tool that shows you where to find food and ammunition in the event of a zombie infestation. The show ends with a show-and-tell of two iPad cases — which we’re giving away to two lucky viewers. Read More…
Posted under Gadget Reviews
This post was written by Journalist on April 17, 2012
