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May

Pebble SmartWatch SDK Updated With Two-Way Communication For Watch Apps

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Accessories, Development, News

In our review of the Pebble SmartWatch, we only had two complaints about the software: a lack of apps, and a lack of utility. The second point stems from the fact that the Pebble can only receive alerts from your phone, and it can't send information back. Both issues have now been addressed by the Pebble SDK. Developers have been cranking away on watch apps for some time, but the latest SDK update adds AppMessage, a method of implementing bi-directional communication for Pebble. Translation: your watch can now tell your phone to do stuff.

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Of course, support for this feature will require Android app developers to either bake it into their existing apps, or create a bridge application, plus the official Pebble app.

May

Nexus 4 Slipping Off Its Charging Orb? There's A 3D Printed Solution For That

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Accessories, Google, News, Nexus 4

As a recent convert to the Nexus 4 (after waiting months for my Sprint ETF to drop), I'm in love with the wireless charging orb. That's not to say it doesn't have issues (besides its price), though. While I've had nary an problem with the orb, I have heard a few times that it has one serious issue – failing to keep the Nexus in place as it charges.

A few days ago, I came across a potential solution to this problem – the Nexus 4 Charging Orb Cradle by Etsy user Pixil3D.

The 3D-printed cradle isn't necessarily the most elegant solution imaginable, and adding a $24 fix to a product that already costs $60 isn't exactly palatable to this writer, but the cradle has one thing going for it – it's 3D-printed, and anyone that has a 3D printer can make their own.

May

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

Posted by Jeremiah Rice 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.

May

EasyAcc 12000mAh 4-Port External Battery Pack Is Just $40 On Amazon, With Refreshed Hardware After Customer Feedback

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Accessories

We're featuring this external battery charger for three reasons. One: it's a pretty neat piece of kit in its own right, with a huge 12000mAh capacity (4-8 charges for most recent Android phones) and four USB charging ports, three of which can be active simultaneously. Two: the manufacturer made some small but pertinent additions to the hardware design after receiving feedback from a knowledgeable customer. Three: at $40, it would be a pretty good deal even for a basic 1-port charger of this capacity. With the extra features, it's a downright bargain.

The EasyAcc charger's biggest differentiator is its four standard USB charging ports ,which are set to amperage outputs between .5A and 2.1A.

May

Deal Alert: Jawbone's BIG Jambox Available On Amazon For $249.99 (That's $50.00 Off)

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Accessories, Deals

We first heard about the Jambox's larger sibling, the BIG Jambox, just over a year ago. At the time, it promised to be bigger (of course) and better than the original, offering a bigger battery, a wall power adapter, and "unbelievable sound". If reviews are to be believed, the Jambox managed to deliver good sound and power, while maintaining the unique design language of its smaller counterpart.

If you're in the market for a Bluetooth speaker, the BIG Jambox is a decent choice, and Amazon's sweetened the prospect by putting the device on sale for $249.99, down $50 from its usual $299.99 price.

May

[Deal Alert] Samsung Multimedia Desktop Dock, Compatible With Most Samsung Phones Including The Galaxy S4, Is Just $16 On Amazon (68% Off)

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Accessories, Deals, News, Samsung

There are still very few "universal" docks available for Android users, but if you own a Samsung smartphone, this little baby comes pretty close. The Samsung Galaxy Multimedia Desktop Charging Dock includes a spiffy flip-out stand big enough to support the biggest of Notes, plus an audio-out 3.5mm jack for easy output to a nearby speaker. One Amazon vendor is selling the dock for just sixteen dollars American, a discount of more than two thirds off the retail price.

This is an official Samsung first-party dock, not some cheapo cash-in. It seems to be a slight variation of this dock, which retails for $49.99.

May

[Deal Alert] Do You Want A $20 Portable Speaker That Looks Like An Adorable Bugdroid? Of Course You Do

Posted by David Ruddock in Accessories, Deals

I may be an unabashed lover of quality audio, but the sheer "d'awww" factor of this bugdroid portable speaker is enough to contemplate reaching for my credit card right now. This isn't a new product, but it normally costs $30, and it's just $20 right now at Best Buy's website (free shipping).

It manages 8 watts of peak output, stows an 850mAh lithium ion battery that can be used for up to 6 hours of maximum volume playback, and has a retractable 3.5mm stereo cable (no Bluetooth, sorry). And surprisingly, the reviews for it on Amazon (where it costs $30) are outstanding - 4.5 stars with 182 reviews at the time of this writing.

Apr

Mophie's New 2500mAh Juice Pack For The HTC One Can Be Yours For $99.95

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Accessories, HTC, News, One

Mophie, purveyor of popular Juice Pack cases, today announced its offering for the acclaimed HTC One. The case maker is offering the One-specific 2500mAh case for $99.95 in Black at first, with a Silver version to come in "mid-May."

For those who aren't familiar, Mophie manufactures cases that are just a little more special than your average shell – besides protecting your device, they also charge its battery. The cases do this using a special "pass through" port that can be used for data transfer, or charging the case and the device inside (simultaneously, if you're into that).

Though Mophie's claims of the case being "lightweight and low-profile" may be a bit of a stretch, the shell does look quite elegant, if a little puffy surrounding the svelte physique of HTC's all-metal One.

Apr

Samsung Galaxy S4 Is Incompatible With Original TecTiles - TecTile 2 Coming Soon

Posted by Cody Toombs in Accessories, News

Many things don't work well together: oil and water, drinking and driving, and as it turns out, Samsung's TecTiles and the Galaxy S4. Samsung is acknowledging that the current line of NFC tags cannot be read by its new flagship phone. In fact, even the official TecTile site's Buy Now link is now defunct.

The SGS4 incorporates a Broadcom BCM2079x chip which lacks support for some types of MIFARE tags from NXP Semiconductors, including TecTiles which are built with MIFARE Classic chips. Samsung is planning to launch TecTiles 2 to replace the older stickers. Here is their official statement given to Android Police:

Samsung is introducing TecTile 2, an update to the original TecTile NFC programmable tags, which will be available in the coming weeks.

Apr

V-Moda Gives Otterbox A Run For Its Money With The Stylishly Expensive METALLO Galaxy S III Case

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Accessories, Galaxy S III, News, Samsung

V-Moda has been climbing the accessory maker charts lately with stylish (if divisive) designs for headphones and phone cases. The company's first foray into Android is the METALLO case for the Galaxy S III. The all-metal design (probably high-density aluminum) is unique, changing the shape of the phone and making it dockable with an extra amplifier/battery pack accessory. It's also one of the more expensive case options out there, starting at $101 for the frame, backplate and screen protector.

The METALLO case reshapes the GSIII, changing its soft corners into a sharper oblong rectangle with rounded sides. Protection for all sides is complete, save for some vanity panels on the back.