13
May
hue2

[New App] HueNotifier Beta Turns Philips Hue Light Bulbs Into Psychedelic Remote Notification Lights

Posted by in Applications, News

If a speaker, vibration motor, and an on-device notification light aren't enough to grab your attention when a new message comes to your phone, you need a more extreme option. The developer of HueNotifier Beta has provided one: an impressive sync between any Android 4.0+ device and Philips' range of Hue connected LED lightbulbs. After installing the app and setting it up, new notifications from any app can be assigned to pulsate the light bulb or bulbs in any available color.

unnamed (2) unnamed unnamed (1)

The app is pretty basic at the moment, but seems to have all of its bases covered, with easy setup and quick modifications.

10
May
recon small

Tek Recon NERF-Style Guns Use Smartphones For Radar And Scopes, Kickstarter Campaign Now Live

Posted by in Accessories, News

In many ways, the proliferation of the Call of Duty generation is just an extension of ye olde Cops and Robbers, traditionally played with cap guns, rubber bands, or NERF darts. The Tech 4 Kids company is trying to bring kids' games full circle with Tek Recon, a series of toy guns. What makes these toys unique is the video game-style smartphone HUD, enabled with a docked phone and an Android or iOS app. The Tek Recon Kickstarter campaign started this morning, and it looks like it won't have any trouble meeting the reasonable $50,000 goal.

Tek Recon functions well enough as a toy gun alone.

30
Apr
wm_IMG_0006

Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 Book Cover Review: Very Nice And Too Expensive, Just Like The Tablet Inside

Posted by in Galaxy Note 8.0, News, Reviews, Samsung

I picked up Samsung's official first-party cover for the Galaxy Note 8.0 shortly after getting the tablet itself, because Samsung's plastic body doesn't inspire confidence, because all tablets scream out for an easy freestanding solution, and (not least) because it was the only option right after release. The case hits all the high points: good protection, a built-in stand, and a magnet to activate the screen's sleep feature. The only major downside, like the tablet itself, is the price.

wm_IMG_0005

In many ways, the Galaxy Note 8.0 Book Cover Stand Case is a microcosm of the hardware it protects: nice enough, good at what it's supposed to do, way too expensive, and dreaming of the day it's a phone cover.

17
Apr
81HPXOCSW3L._SL1500_

[Deal Alert] ZeroLemon's Massive 9300mAh Galaxy Note II Extended Battery Is Bigger, Longer, And On Sale For $40

Posted by in Galaxy Note II, News, Samsung

Just last week we featured the battery-cover-busting ZeroLemon 7000mAh extended battery for the Galaxy S III. If that's not enough for you and your globe trotting, electricity eschewing lifestyle, the company also offers an even more expansive 9300mAh battery for the Samsung Galaxy Note II. In case you're wondering, yes, it's perfectly normal to imagine Also Sprach Zarathustra playing in the background right now. Amazon's got the battery for a mere $39.99 (US price) at the moment.

71DdPcd8v7L._SL1500_ 617cSNm4r8L._SL1500_ (1) 715dSjU5WjL._SL1500_

At 9300 milliamp hours, the extended battery is exactly three times as capacious as the standard battery. Naturally this requires an extended housing, provided by ZeroLemon in the form of a TPU plastic battery back (it's the slightly grippy, rubbery material that a lot of cases are made from).

15
Apr
2013-04-15_19-12-06

Smartphone Breathalyzer 'Breathometer' Reaches Over 5x Indiegogo Goal, Brings Sobriety Tests To Your 'Everyday Life'

Posted by in Accessories, Applications, News

Don't drink and drive. Ever. Now that we've got that out of the way, Breathometer, the smartphone-powered breathalyzer, has reached its Indiegogo goal about six times over. What does that mean for you? Cheap BAC tests for everyone! The $20 device aims to make it inexpensive and easy to know when you're too intoxicated to drive. This will, naturally, replace the more commonplace test of "Have I had any alcohol? Yes? Okay, then I shouldn't drive."

breatho1 breatho2 breatho3

The keychain-sized device plugs in to your smartphone's 3.5mm headphone jack, so it's almost universally compatible with every smartphone on the market. It will also support Android devices 2.3 and up.

10
Apr
2013-04-10_20-01-54

Nexus 10 Covers Finally Show Up In The Play Store For $30, Snap Directly Into Back Plate

Posted by in Accessories, Google, News, Nexus 10

It's been about five months since the Nexus 10 came out. In what is frustratingly becoming true Play Store fashion, accessories did not come out alongside the device. Now, however, the covers have finally landed in two colors: grey and "scarlet" (here being defined as "safety vest orange," at least as it appears in pictures).

2013-04-10_20-15-31

For those unfamiliar with how this case works, on the back of the Nexus 10 there is an ovoid plastic plate that snaps in place. This normally serves no purpose, but you can remove that plate and replace it with this cover that attaches directly to the tablet and folds over to protect the screen.

01
Mar
2013-03-01_19h40_23

[Editorial] Here's Why All The Google Glass Skeptics Are Wrong (And A Few Ways It Might Fail Anyway)

Posted by in Accessories, Editorials, News
Last Updated: March 3rd, 2013

I'm going to be up front: I want Glass. I'm thoroughly intrigued with the idea, I love the possibility of having an always-available camera that sees whatever I see, and completely hands-free Google sounds like a perfectly natural progression of the things like Google Now and voice actions. In the world where personal digital assistants seem commonplace, why should we not expect those things to be always accessible and visible?

Well, apparently there are a lot of reasons. And don't get me wrong. There are many legitimate causes to be skeptical. As is typical of the tech community, however, some things people have focused on are completely silly.

07
Feb
2013-02-07_14h27_53

Neptune Pine, A $335 Android-Powered Smart Watch, Skips The Smartphone Altogether With Its Own Micro-SIM

Posted by in Accessories, News

The Pebble sure wasn't the first smart watch, but it's been getting a lot of attention lately. In fact, wearable computing as an industry is seeing a bit of a resurgence in general. The trouble, at least as one company sees it, is that smart watches require you to already have an expensive phone. That's two batteries you have to keep charged! Craziness! That's where the Neptune Pine comes in.

pine1 pine2 pine3

The idea here is that your watch can have a micro-SIM of its own. It will connect to a data network and even make phone calls. Oh, and it runs Android.

07
Feb
2013-02-07_11h48_27

Wikipad Announces 7" Gaming Tablet For $249, Company Discusses Cancelled 10" Version

Posted by in Accessories, News

One of these days, we're finally going to figure this whole buttons problem for Android devices. While touchscreens are great, the tactile feeling of physical controls will always have its appeal. Some solutions are better than others, but maybe the Wikipad can find the sweet spot. The tablet comes with an attached set of game controls that can be removed, leaving the player with a regular 7" Tegra 3 tablet. The entire unit costs $250.

wikipad wikipad2

Here are the specs for the tablet itself:

  • 7" 1280x800 IPS display (up to 5-point multitouch)
  • Tegra 3
  • 1GB RAM
  • 16GB storage (expandable w/ 32GB micro SD)
  • 2MP front-camera
  • 4,100 mAh battery
  • Android 4.1

The attached buttons actually make this look a lot like a Wii U tablet, but this one is running Android 4.1.

24
Jan
2013-01-24_13h58_04

Amiigo Fitness Bracelet For Android Tracks Your Workout Automatically, Lets You Tell Your Friends How Much You Lift

Posted by in Accessories, Applications, News

One of the neatest things that the mobile revolution has brought about is an increase in intelligent fitness apps and accessories. Everything from belt clips that can tell how far you've run to zombie-augmented 5K training. The Amiigo bracelet and shoe clip combo may be one of the coolest projects, though. The company behind it promises that, between the two pieces, the system can track any workout you do. If it performs as advertised, this could be amazing.

The software is where the magic really happens (as always). The accompanying app can track up to a hundred different workouts and cross that data with heart rate, blood oxygen levels, calories burned and a bunch of other fun information your body spits out.

Page 1 of 512345