15
Nov
wm_IMG_2067

Most headphones are relatively straightforward. They're usually built around a simple metal or plastic frame, have leather or pleather ear pads, and if you're lucky, are comfortable. Hopefully they sound good, too. What they aren't, usually, is bendable or droppable. Nor do they have Kevlar-coated cables, steel frames, or military-level testing.

That's exactly what makes the M-80's so unique. That military testing certainly means they're durable, but with a $230 price tag, you would hope they sound great, too.

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Specs:

  • On-ear noise isolating headphones
  • 40mm dual-diaphragm drivers
  • Two detachable Kevlar-wrapped headphone cables - a 3-button and a 1-button, both with 24k gold 45° plugs
  • Flexible steel headband, brushed aluminum cans
  • Microfiber suede covering the headband, memory foam on the headphones
  • Hard rubberized carrying case

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The Good

  • They sound absolutely fantastic.

23
Oct
Shockwave TiltedAngle

It's easy to get caught up with the top-of-the-line Android devices, but there is also a thriving market for budget handsets. The Alcatel One Touch Shockwave is such a device, but it's not without appeal. The Shockwave, as its name suggests, is built to withstand being knocked around a bit.

Shockwave

The Shockwave has a shock-resistant casing, Dragontrail tempered glass, and water-resistant seals. It's a smaller device with a 3.5-inch screen and rounded corners. The specs are definitely toward the low end with a 3.2MP camera, single-core 800MHz processor, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. That small touchscreen is also sitting at HVGA (480×320) resolution.

31
May
htc one x

Your smartphone can be a lot of things. One thing it should not ever be is a hammer. The guy in the video below disagrees with my opinion that the HTC One X is not, in fact, a hammer. As you can see, he has a serious nail problem and, as the saying goes, "When all you have is a nail, all your HTC One Xes look like hammers." Or something like that.

The phone appears to be unharmed, despite being smashed in the face with a nail by a very sadistic Russian Chinese man 151 times. Yes, I counted. Each blow hurt my soul.

13
Mar
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Taiwanese manufacturer HTC released a short video today explaining the process used to create the One S' unique, durable body. For those who need a refresher, the One S is 1/3 of HTC's new 'One' line of phones, debuted at MWC this year.  The One S is just below the One X, and just above the One V spec-wise, carrying a 4.3" Super AMOLED display, 8MP camera, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, and a super slender 7.95mm profile.

HTC's video shows off a process called Micro Arc Oxidation, or MAO, which one HTC representative compares to "lightning striking the phone." As 10,000 volts hit the aluminum body, a microscopic reaction takes place, forming a ceramic surface on the metal.

01
Sep
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Leave it to Motorola to come up with a bizarrely compelling new device that they can slip MotoBlur onto.

We’ve recently seen the Charm and Flipout with Android 2.1 and MotoBlur, and now the Defy is joining them. However, this is a touchscreen only device, and it has something else special: an IP67 water and dust resistance rating. That rating qualifies it as fully protected from dust, and immune to the effects of immersion between 15 cm and 1 m for up to 30 minutes.

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Like the aforementioned Charm and Flipout, it also has the now-famous Gorilla Glass, making this one nicely durable package.