Sony Smartband now available for purchase in the United States

A few months after launching the Smartwatch 2, Sony has now launched its latest wearable product,theSmartBand SWR10 in the U.S. The company revealed it can now be bought on the official Sony Store website as well as its U.S. retail store locations for $99.99.The device has been designed as a waterproof fitness band which can track data from the wearer on their walking, running and sleep motion activites. It can also be linked to Android 4.4 smartphones so it can offer notifications on incoming calls and messages, among other things.
The Sony SmartBand SWR10 can also be linked to the Lifelog Android app. Sony states:
Lifelog collects data from both the SmartBand and your smartphone to tell a broader story of what happens in your life — fitness, location, weather, photos, music, personal notes (life bookmarks) and more. Lifelog displays the information in a colorful, versatile interface that helps you reflect on what you did each day and set goals for the future. Lifelog displays your activity in a colorful, multi-faceted interface that lets you view your information in various ways.

The device can also be set up to silently wake up its wearer without distrubing anyone else. In additon, it can control the play, pause and skip functions on a smartphone's media player by a combination of pressing the SmartBand's power button and tapping the band.

While the Sony SmartBand SWR10 comes in a black color, the company will sell additional bands in different colors sometime later in June on the Sony Store site. There's no word on how much those extra bands will cost.
What do you think of the new Sony Smartband? Let us know below in the comments
Source: Sony

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How to not look like a geek when wearing Google Glass

Google Glass is one of the first devices to come to the wearables market that is truly next-gen. WhileGlass is available to the public in a beta form called the "Explorer Program," it is not ready for the consumer market right now. Setting aside all of the criticism about it invading people's privacy, the number one problem Google will have when trying to sell the headset is the way the device looks.

I have had Google Glass for over a year now and have loved the whole experience so far. It has changed how I view my public surroundings; however I'm constantly reminded of the awkwardness that comes from wearing a weirdly shaped device strapped to my head. Normally people would not notice something on a stranger's face as they walk by, but because of the unnatural form of the headband in conjunction with the Glass device itself, it tends to stick out like a sore thumb. When first seeing someone wearing Glass, it looks like they are wearing oddly shaped glasses. When that person actually realizes that you are not wearing glasses and does a double take to try and comprehend what you are actually wearing on your face, they tend to focus on the camera or the large battery compartment sticking out from behind the wearer's ear. So the question that is formed, is how to make Glass look normal and attractive enough for the average consumer to wear and use?

When Google first starting rolling out headset to its first round of Glass Explorers, they included two different types of "active shades" for the user to wear with Glass. The first was a traditional dark sunglass attachment that slides in between the nose pieces. These shades made for a perfect companion to Glass as it made it look a bit more normal and it hid the fact that there was a camera and prism protruding from your head. The second lens was the same shape and look as the previous one except that it was clear lens. As more Explorers came into the program, I saw more people wearing the clear lens to attempt to make Glass look more like glasses.

Almost a year after the Explorer Program launched, Google has finally announced several partnerships with different eyewear companies so that they can make their own frames for people to buy along side of Glass. This was and still is a huge deal when it comes to Glass because it is allowing people to wear the device and not have to wear contacts. In addition to allowing more people to use Glass, these new frames have revolutionized the way Glass hardware looks and feels. It went from being a metal band that wrapped around your head with a computer on it, to being a fashionable pair of eyewear that actually enhances the way Glass and the user looks. Personally, after getting my own pair of these new prescription frames, I noticed a lot less awkward stares and even received several compliments about how Glass actually looked nicer and more approachable.

While these partnerships are a huge leap forward, this option still does not let you fully customize the look and style of Glass. Luckily, there is one Glass Explorer that is taking this task into his own hands. This Explorer is named David Lee and he has started GPOP. GPOP is a reuseable decal that adds a different look and design to your device. With GPOP anyone can purchase skins for the headset that can change the look of the outward facing part of Glass. If you do have Glass or plan on one day getting it, I highly recommend looking over the always evolving collection of GPOP. In addition to what they have on the store, you can download a template from the site and even design your own skin so that you can completely customize your Glass.

So, while Glass in itself is a beautiful piece of hardware that has been crafted to look amazing, it can become an eyesore to look at and can attract a lot of negative attention. As a Glass Explorer myself, I know first hand that every once in awhile I want to change up how my Glass looks. With the use of the different official accessories from Google I could easily hide Glass but with the use of decals from GPOP, I am able to change up the look of Glass for different occasions. Either way, Glass is still in beta and available for anyone over the age of eighteen and living in the United States. So if you want to be apart of the awesome ride that is the Glass Explorer Program, you now know how to customize the look and feel of this wearable device.

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HTC One E8 specs

It's an HTC One. Mostly. The HTC One E8 takes most of the specs we've come to know and love in the M8, but replaces the 4-"UltraPixel" camera with a traditional 13MP shooter, puts it all in a plastic body and calls it a day.The HTC One E8 is destined for China at first, with other regions to be announced.

Following are full specs for the HTC One E8.

Size------- 146.42 x 70.67 x 9.85 mm
Weight---- 145 grams
Display------ 5-inch, 1080p
CPU ------Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 at 2.5 GHz in Asia/China, 2.3 GHz in other regions
Software ------Android 4.4.2 with Sense 6 HTC BlinkFeed

Storage -----------16GB (about 10.6GB useable), MicroSD up to 128GB
RAM ---------2GB
Networks -----------2G/2.5G — GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz (SIM1 & SIM2)
3G — WCDMA: 850/900/1900/2100 MHz with HSPA+ up to 42 Mbps (SIM1)
4G — LTE: China: FDD 1800/2100 (FDD-B1/B3), TDD-2600 (TDD-B41) (SIM1)
SIM ---------------Dual nano SIM
Sensors --------------Accelerometer, proximity, ambient light, gyro, barometer
Connectivity --------3.5mm stereo audio jack, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0 with aptX, Wifi 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4 and 5 GHz), DNLA, HTC Connect, microUSB
Sound------------- HTC BoomSound Dual front-facing stereo speakers with dedicated amplifiers Sense voice
Main camera -------------13 megapixel resolution, BSI sensor, f/2.2 aperture, 1080p video recording
Front camera------------- 5 megapixel resolution, BSI sensor, 1080p video recording
Audio playback------------ .aac, .amr, .ogg, .m4a, .mid, .mp3, .wav, .wma (Windows Media Audio 10)
Audio recording--------- .aac
Video playback --------------.3gp, .3g2, .mp4, .wmv (Windows Media Video 10), .avi (MP4 ASP and MP3)
Video recording ---------------.mp4
Location --------------Internal GPS antenna + GLONASS, digital compass
Battery-------------- 2,600 mAh non-removable Li-polymer
Talk ---------------time Up to 26.8 hours on 3G
Standby time ----------Up to 504 hours on 3G 

Ac adapter----------- Voltage range/frequency: 100 ~ 240 V AC, 50/60 Hz DC output: 5V and 1A

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DVF | Made for Glass collection is hoping to make Glass a bit more stylish

Building on the fresh designs of the Titanium Collection, Google is announcing the "DVF | Made for Glass" eyewear collection to provide new frame styles for Glass. DVF, if you're not familiar, is iconic fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg — a great partner to have if you're looking to combine high fashion with high tech. Starting June 23rd you'll be able to pick up five new Glass frame styles and eight new shades, considerably boosting the number of options available for Glass.

The second part of this announcement is that you'll be able to pick up the new DVF Glass frames and shades from Net-A-Porter, an online fashion store, on the same day as they become available from the Google Glass store. M-Porter (the men's fashion side of the site) will also begin carrying the Titanium Collection frames for Glass at the end of June as well.

Source: +Google Glass

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Sony debuts super-slim Xperia T3

Sony is the latest handset maker to field a mid-range product with a large, five-plus-inch screen size. Announced this morning, the Sony Xperia T3 packs a 5.3-inch display, and at 7mm thick Sony says it's the world's slimmest handset at this screen size. Like the Xperia Z family, the T3's sporting a metallic trim around its edge, with a dedicated camera key and Sony's signature rounded power button, but with a more traditional rounded back. Unlike Sony's line of premium smartphones, there's no water or dust resistance rating.

We've got more, including photos and video after the break.

It's powered by a 1.4GHz quad-core processor with a 2,500mAh battery, and there's an 8-megapixel Sony Exmor RS rear camera, complete with the company's AR effects and other software tricks. Naturally it's loaded up with the latest Xperia UI, based on Android 4.4 KitKat. The display is an 720p Triluminos panel with all Sony's usual software-based image enhancement tricks. And naturally, 4G LTE connectivity is included as well.

Source: Sony

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LG G3 reportedly off to a strong start in Korea

Western markets might not get the LG G3 for another month or so, but the phone is already on sale in LG's home market of South Korea, where apparently it's selling pretty well. Korean outlet ETNews reports that the phone is shifting 25,000 to 30,000 units daily in the country, and that sales are 1.5 to 2 times that of last year's G2. The publication points out it's also ahead of the 7,000 to 8,000 managed by the Galaxy S5, though that phone's Korean launch was disrupted by an unauthorized early release on certain carriers, as operators looked to sidestep government-imposed sales bans.

Nevertheless, it puts LG well on its way towards achieving its target of 10 million shipments for its new flagship. The G3 went on sale on all three Korean carriers last Wednesday, May 28; a European and U.S. launch is expected in early July.

Source: ETNews; via: PhoneArena
Further reading:
LG G3 video walkthrough
LG G3 hands-on
10 things you need to know about the LG G3

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Samsung Galaxy K Zoom gets zoom-friendly Vine app

With the Galaxy K Zoom now on (selected) store shelves in the UK, Samsung has taken the wraps off a specialized Vine app for its latest phone-camera hybrid.
The customized app will allow mobile videographers to use the K Zoom's 10X optical zoom capabilities in their Vines, a feature missing from the standard version of the app.
Today's press release doesn't state where the new version of Vine for the Galaxy K will be available from, but Samsung Apps is a good bet.
Any Galaxy K Zoom early adopters out there? Shout out in the comments!

Source: Samsung  click the source to know more details

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T-Mobile says Nexus update we know is coming is coming today

Update: T-Mobile has also posted an update page for the LTE Nexus 7, which it identifies as Android 4.4.3, build KTU84L. We're still not seeing the update on any devices.
Here we go again. T-Mobile says Android 4.4.3 is coming to the Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 today. Bugfixes and security enhancements are all that's on the changelog, and the build version is listed as KTU84M. Fixes are always good, but we'll not be holding our breath over this one just yet — it's hardly a surprise, and we've seen carriers jump the gun on this one already.
Source: T-Mobile (Nexus 5, Nexus 7);

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Acer brings low-cost, low-spec unlocked smartphones to Canada

Acer's Liquid smartphones have come in unlocked flavors to Canada. Liquid The Acer Liquid S1, Liquid Z3, and z5 are now available at retailers across the land of moose and maple, and bring with them low prices and specs to match. They're not the latest and greatest from Acer, but they're cheap.

Normally, seeing a smartphone for CA$119 isn't terribly exciting — if that's the on-contract price. But Canadians can now grab a phone like the Acer Liquid Z3 for that price off contract. Granted, for that much you aren't getting a terribly exciting phone, what with its 3.5-inch 480x320 screen, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, and 3MP fixed-focus camera. But that's what you can expect when you start dipping down this low, even though the Windows Phone-powered Nokia Lumia 520 clocks in at even cheaper with notably better specs.

Moving upmarket is the Liquid Z5 at CA$199, bumping up to a 5-inch 480x854 display and a 5MP autofocus camera, plus a front-facing camera that's not available on the lesser Z3.

Topping the Acer unlocked range in Canada is the Liquid S1. CA$379 gets you a 5.7-inch 1280x760 display melded with zero air gap to the front glass, an 8MP autofocus camera with 1080p video support. Inside is a 1.5Ghz quad-core MediaTek processor, 1GB of RAM, and 8GB for storage (plus MicroSD expansion). It measures in at a reasonable 9.5mm thick.

All three Acer Liquid phones come with Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with what look to be light customizations by Acer (good thing, considering the low-end specs), and top out radio-wise with HSPA+, there's no LTE to be had here. But that's what you get at prices like this.

Those interested can grab a Canadian-flavored Acer Liquid Z3, Z5, or S1 at the Acer online store, and possibly from other retailers in Canada, though we've yet to find any that fit that description.

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Spotify now lets you take your entire music collection offline free download

spotify now lets users easily make their whole Spotify music collection available offline should they desire to do so. With just a single button press, you can now download every song under Your Music. This ability actually came to Android users as part of the recent security update.
In the iPhone app, open the sidebar menu and selected Your Music, and swipe over to Songs. Under the Shuffle Play button, and above the first song on the list, you will now see Available Offline next to a switch. Press the switch to make every song in your collection available offline on your device.
Remember that depending on how much music is in your collection, as well as your download quality settings, you could be downloading several gigabytes of music onto your phone. Be mindful of how much space you have on your phone.
This app also contains fixes for a number of bugs. You can download Spotify 1.2 from the App Store now.
Free - Download Now

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US Department of Defense gives approval to Samsung Knox devices

Samsung has announced that five of its Galaxy devices have been approved for the U.S government's Defense Information System Agency (DISA) products list. The devices include the Galaxy S4, Galaxy S4 Active, Galaxy Note 3, the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 and the Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition. All of them are using Android 4.4 (KitKat) along with Samsung's KNOX secure workspace platform, which includessystem-level encryption for enterprise-based apps.

This move means that all of these mobile products can be used by the Department of Defense on unclassified networks, along with other federal agencies. Samsung claims that it will offer the government a larger choice of products while also cutting down on costs. Samsung previously announced a general agreement with the U.S government that allowed for devices running KNOX to be used by their agencies.

Samsung says that in order to comply with the the standards set by DISA, the devices had to have over 100 requirements, including more secure encryption, intrusion detection and more.

What do you think about this move by the U.S. government to approve use of Samsung's consumer mobile devices?

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Samsung reportedly collaborating with Oculus on VR headset

Earlier last week, it was revealed that Samsung was working on its own VR headset, and that the manufacturer was working on getting its product available to the masses before a consumer version of the Oculus Rift hits stores. A new report from Engadget states that Samsung is in fact seeking Oculus' help in developing the VR headset. More details after the break.


Samsung will be getting access to Oculus' mobile virtual reality software development kit, which the manufacturer will use in powering the software experience offered by the headset. Samsung is already said to have exclusive access to an early version of the SDK and is currently developing a user interface for its VR headset.


Oculus, meanwhile, will be able to get early access to Samsung's "next-gen, high-pixel density OLED screens." It is believed that these screens will be of a resolution higher than 1080p.


Engadget states that although both companies will be sharing key technologies, their VR headsets will be vastly different to each other. With the Oculus Rift, Oculus is looking to deliver a headset that is tailored for gaming, while Samsung is said to be working on a headset that can be used for entertainment and media consumption purposes.


A key differentiator between both products is that Samsung's VR headset will not feature a dedicated display, but will instead use your smartphone's display. You plug in your phone to the VR headset through a wired connector (most likely micro-USB), and then use the display as the screen for the headset. The early dev handsets are allegedly running a Galaxy S4 as the screen, but the consumer-version of the VR headset is said to work with a Galaxy S5 or its successor.


The headset in itself features an accelerometer and other sensors that frees up the phone's processor, which is used to drive the software experience. The user interface, which is still in the nascent stages, allows you to navigate using motion detection and head tracking.


The unit even features standard Android navigation buttons like Home, Back, and Recent, but these are believed to not be used for user interaction. It is possible that these will be removed in future builds of the headset. Also, the ability to dock your smartphone to the headset means that you can use the rear camera of your smartphone to show "a video feed of the outside world to your eyes."


Samsung is also said to be exploring gaming options for this headset and might offer a gamepad through which you would be able to navigate the user interface and play games. Since Samsung's VR headset utilizes your smartphone's display and processor, the device itself will likely be more affordable than standalone VR headsets.

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AT&T to begin rollout of Sense 6 to HTC One M7 users next week

If you're rocking AT&T's version of the HTC One M7 and are eagerly waiting to make the switch to Sense 6, we have some good news. A HTC executive has announced that users AT&T One M7 users will start receiving HTC's latest UI starting next week.

Sense 6 was rolled out to Verizon's HTC One M7 earlier this week, with Sprint's version also receiving the update on the same day. T-Mobile's version was the first to receive the update amongst the US carriers. With AT&T also pushing out the update, all four major carriers in the US have finished their rollout of Sense 6 to last year's One M7.
Sense 6 includes a host of changes that include a new Blinkfeed client that comes with new recommendation services, new camera app, better power management utilities and much more. With Sense 6, HTC has moved its apps to the Play Store, which means that individual apps can be updated with more ease in the future.

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Press renders of the 10.5-inch Galaxy Tab S leak ahead of official announcement

Notorious leakster @evleaks just posted press renders of Samsung's 10.5-inch Galaxy Tab S, an AMOLED tablet that the South Korean manufacturer is scheduled to unveil on June 12 in an event in New York.

The press renders confirm what we've seen in leaked images from earlier this month. The Galaxy Tab S tablets will feature a textured back that is similar to that of the Galaxy S5 in addition to a fingerprint scanner. The two prominent dots on either sides of the screen are allegedly connectors for Samsung's upcoming book cover.

As far as hardware is concerned, the tablets are said to feature 2560 × 1600 AMOLED displays, octa-core Exynos 5420 SoC (four 1.9GHz Cortex-A15 cores and four 1.3GHz Cortex-A7 cores), 3 GB RAM, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, IR blaster, GPS/GLONASS and LTE connectivity (there will likely be Wi-Fi only versions available for sale as well). The tablets are said to run Android 4.4.2 KitKat out of the box along with the Magazine UX user interface.

There is no official confirmation of the same, but an earlier rumor alleged that Samsung would be offering three variants in the Galaxy Tab S series: an 8.4-inch model, a 10.5-inch version and a 13.3-inch tablet. At this stage, there is no mention of availability or pricing of these tablets.
What do you think of the Galaxy Tab S series?

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Review 13: The Terminator

Review is like app or game coverage but for movie series, television shows, comic books, and other geeky entertainment. It's great stuff you can watch and enjoy on your Android phone, tablet, or Chromecast! On this week's episode Don, Matt, Guy, and Rene talk The Terminator. It's a post-apocalyptic trip through the original and T2, with a dash of T3, T4, and Sarah Connor Chronicles thrown in for good measure. So how does James Cameron's genre-defining 80s flick hold up today? We absolutely, positively will not stop until we've talked it to death!

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Show notes
The Terminator: iTunes | Amazon | Google Play | Xbox Video
T2: Judgement Day: iTunes | Amazon | Google Play | Xbox Video
T3: Rise of the Machines: iTunes | Amazon | Google Play | Xbox Video
T4: Salvation: iTunes | Amazon | Google Play | Xbox Video


Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: iTunes | Amazon | Google Play | Xbox Video


The Teminator on IMDB
The Terminator on Wikipedia
The Terminator Wiki
The Terminator deleted scenes
The Terminator scripts and treatments
The Terminator: How it should end
Panel
Don Melton of DonMelton.com
Matt Drance of Apple Outsider
Guy English of Kickingbear
Rene Ritchie of Mobile Nations
Feedback

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