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Bear Lock: Keep prying eyes away (Review)

AndroidGuys
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Overview

Keep your apps as safe as Pooh keeps his honey pot. That’s what Bear Lock does: keeps prying eyes away.

Developer: Bear Lock Applock

Cost: Free

Setup

Setting up is relatively easy. Jasper, your guide in the app, will walk you through this. He will ask you to put in your name, set up a pattern lock and fingerprint (if you have a sensor), and your email.

Once the initial setup is complete, you are free to pick which apps you want to protect. You are given the choice between two lists: sensitive and all. Select which apps you want to protect and that’s it. You’re set up. To remove the protection, simply tap which app to remove the protection from and you’re good to go.

Review

Bear Lock is a neat app lock app. Say that five times fast. It does exactly what it says, locks your apps so no one else can get into them. Jasper will let you in only if you type the correct code. If you don’t have the code, he will eventually turn his back on you.

The fact that you can use both a pattern or finger lock is nice since some people (me in particular!) don’t like to use fingerprint locks. If you forget your code, don’t worry, there is also the option to be asked a security question or get an email sent.

Bear Lock also lets you theme the app. It may not be the most important feature in an app like this, but it’s a nice touch. The themes are limited to only changing the colors, but it’s still a welcomed feature. There isn’t too much more they could do in this area.

Conclusion

You can’t get much simpler than this app. I honestly believe you could get a six-year-old to set this up. The best part? It’s free. Zero dollars. I can’t find any in-app purchases anywhere and there are no ads of any sort. I’m kind of surprised about it. I wouldn’t be surprised if they added more features later for a premium. If you want a layer of extra security, and don’t want to spend any money, Bear Lock is for you.

Download and install Bear Lock from the Google Play Store.

Cover-Up’s #WoodBack cases make your Nexus 6P look and feel awesome (Review)

Matt Adams
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I don’t love phone cases. I know most people are content with putting one on their phones and not really thinking about it ever again. I honestly wish that I was more like that because I’ve definitely screwed up more than one phone from not having a case on it, even though I baby my devices. The cases I do get interested in have to have a niche. They have to be interesting in some way. They have to make me want to keep them on the phone, rather than just becoming a part of it.

That’s why I absolutely love Cover-Up’s #WoodBack collection of cases. Not only do they look phenomenal, but they feel great in the hand too.

Cover-Up WoodBack family

Protection

Let’s address protection first since that’s the reason you have a case in the first place. The #WoodBack cases aren’t military certified like UAG cases and they don’t make your phone water resistant like Lifeproof cases, but what they do offer is simple scratch and drop protection. I recently dropped my phone twice in two days. Once onto a driveway without a case and once onto a sidewalk with a #WoodBack case on. Without the case, I got scratched paint and dents. This phone is my baby (I should stop dropping my baby) and it hurts to see those scratches and dents on my phone.

The second fall, this time with the #WoodBack case securely on the phone, produced no ill effects. Not even for the case.

Your phone sits inside of a TPU case, that while thin, is pretty tough. There is some give in the case which helps disperse any shocks, but not enough that your phone is going to pop out of it. There’s also a bumpy texture on the sides of the case to help you grip the phone better. I owned a previous version of these cases that had smooth sides and it could be a bit slippery, but I haven’t had any issue holding onto my (rather large) Nexus 6P.

A slight lip comes up to protect your phone’s screen, but I really don’t know if it’s going to do anything to help it out in case of falls. It’s a bit too shallow to hold back your screen if it’s falling face down, but I think it will keep your screen from touching a surface if it’s just sitting on a table- which can help with scratches. I don’t have a tempered glass screen protector on my Nexus 6P, but I’d wager to say that if you have one on yours the #WoodBack case will come almost flush with the screen protector.

Look and Feel

The great thing about Cover-Up’s cases is the huge selection of different wood you have to choose from. Currently, for the Nexus 6P you can choose from 14 different styles of wood and designs. I am personally in love with the Blackened Ash wood and the Gold Lightning Bolt logo adds an awesome little bit of flair, without going over the top. The Elm Burl, Cherry, and Black Limba cases (pictured below) are also as beautiful in person as they are on the website.

Cover-Up WoodBack cherry burl limba

One very appealing aspect of these cases is that no two are alike. The Elm Burl case I have pictured has some of the same characteristics as the press pictures on Cover-Up’s website, but it’s completely different in design. There are a ton of knots and distinctive features in my case that no-one else will duplicate on theirs. I love having a one-of-a-kind design on my phone.

Cover-Up WoodBack grain

I covered the bumpy sides earlier and that’s plays in rather heavily to how the cases feel in the hand. There’s no sliding around with this thing so my phone always feels secure in my hand. The bumps, on top of the size of the case, add almost no bulk either. The Nexus 6P is a humongous phone but the #WoodBack cases doesn’t make it feel any bigger. That’s a huge plus for me.

There are only a few minor negatives to these cases, and it’s really stretching. They are a bit deep. You can really tell how deep the case is when you’re putting your finger on the scanner on the back of the phone. I’ve not noticed any issues with getting a good read (in fact, it helps me center my finger on the scanner better) and the cutouts for the camera and flash are big enough so it doesn’t reflect back into the lens, so this is just a minor negative because it changes the feel of the phone.

Cover-Up WoodBack fingerprint scanner

Also, the case does cover the buttons on the phone and they can feel a bit mushy to press. The buttons don’t stick out very far so it’s easy to miss them unless you’re looking for them as you’re running your finger along the side of the case. It’s not a huge turn-off, but it will bother some people.

Cover-Up WoodBack buttons

Conclusion

I think Cover-Up really hit it out of the park with the #WoodBack line. They aren’t the most protective of cases, but they’re on par with most cases out there. If you’re looking for something like an Otterbox, you probably weren’t looking at these cases anyway.

The wood backing of these phones look and feel absolutely fantastic. The fact that I will have my own unique design no matter what wood I choose is a huge selling point to me.

If you’re interested in picking up a #WoodBack case from Cover-Up, head over to its website or check out its listings on Amazon.

The Blitzwolf Bluetooth Selfie Stick is the only selfie stick you need…unless you have a Nexus

AndroidGuys
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Whether you love them or hate them, it looks like selfie sticks are here to stay. At least, for the time being. We have seen these arm extenders all over the world and even in amusement parks and museums. If you aren’t totally sold on jumping onto the selfie stick wagon, let me introduce you to the Blitzwolf selfie stick, and maybe you will change your mind.

Design

The Blitzwolf selfie stick has a fairly unassuming plastic and metal build, which also leads to a lightweight stick that is easy to hold. The compact length comes in at just under 9 inches, but fully extended, this selfie stick measures almost 3 feet. That is plenty of length for you to get all of your friends into frame. The plastic handle has a slightly matte finish which provides a nice grip so the stick won’t be slipping out of your hands while to try to capture the moment.

Blitzwolf Selfie Stick extensionThe body of the selfie stick is made of locking metal tubes that allow the selfie stick to extend and compress by simply twisting and pulling the end. The phone mount at the top of the stick can stretch to accommodate both large and small devices. I didn’t even have trouble getting my huge Nexus 6 fitted securely. The mount can also be rotated 180 degrees to fine tune your composition, and there is a thumb screw to lock the mount in place once you find the right angle.

Features

Blitzwolf Selfie Stick buttonsOn the handle of the selfie stick, you will find far more than just a shutter button. Since the selfie stick connects to your phone via Bluetooth, there is an On/Off switch on the right side for power along with a microUSB port for charging the stick. On top of the handle, there is a button for switching between front and back cameras, buttons for zooming the camera in and out, and a shutter button for snapping the final picture. All of the buttons are laid out so they can easily be reached when using the selfie stick with just one hand.

Usage

Setting up and using the Blitzwolf selfie stick is simple and straightforward. After turning on the selfie stick, you need to find and connect to it through the Bluetooth menu on your phone. I liked the fact that I did not have to connect any wires to my phone since everything was controlled over Bluetooth. Also, extending the selfie stick is quick and easy, which makes setting up for the photo much quicker.

Blitzwolf Selfie Stick feat image

In order to take full control of the selfie stick, you will need to download the Blitzwolf Shutter app. Here is where I found the biggest flaw with the selfie stick. When using the Blitzwolf app on my Nexus 6, my front facing camera always appeared upside down. Interestingly, the back camera was not upside down. Having the image flipped on your phone makes centering yourself or the subject in the frame much harder than you’d think.

Blitzwolf Selfie Stick front cameraAfter looking at reviews for the app, it appears that this is a common problem among Nexus devices. Thankfully, this should be fixable with an update to the app and hopefully Blitzwolf will update it soon. If you are not using a Nexus device, you should experience no trouble using the Blitzwolf this selfie stick.

Blitzwolf Selfie Stick back camera

Upside down picture aside, the app is fairly minimal with a zoom indicator and option to preview photos. There is also a Record button, Flash toggle, and Setting menu with a few more options. The app responds fairly quickly to each button press on the selfie stick, which is important for capturing those last second selfies. One thing that I would like to see is the ability to launch the app by simply pressing the shutter button.

If you want to use this selfie stick with a Nexus device, you can still use it to take pictures through the normal camera app; however, you will not be able to use the camera switching or zoom functions as the zoom buttons are actually what take pictures in the stock camera app. That being said, I would recommend another selfie stick for all of you Nexus users.

Conclusion

As long as you do not have a Nexus device, I would definitely recommend the Blitzwolf Bluetooth selfie stick if you have not yet gotten into the selfie craze. The build is sturdy and the zoom and camera switch features are great additions to have. Its compact size, lightweight construction, and quick deployment mean that you can take it pretty much anywhere and have it ready in a moment’s notice. Get yourself a Blitzwolf Bluetooth selfie stick for only $17 here!

Lumsing 8000mAh ultrathin power bank: Reliable, right-sized and perfectly priced at $10 (review)

Derrick Miyao
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No matter how hard we beg manufacturers for better battery life, they don’t want to listen. Granted they’re also listening to us ask for faster speed, higher resolution displays, better cameras, more powerful software, and everything else under the sun, which means they need to find a balance as to what “most” customers will be happy with.

You could be a power user, or you could have poor reception, which makes your phone work harder thus draining your battery. Luckily, for those of us who need more power we have portable power banks.

Today’s review is about the Lumsing 8000mAh ultrathin power bank.

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Design and Usage

Lumsing is a company that focuses on keeping things simple. Technology is complicated and requires an immense amount of effort to keep up with all of the changes. I work a M-F, 8-5pm job and write about tech for fun. As much as I love technology, I actually dislike tech that brings about more complication and appreciate Lumsing for taking a stance on simplicity.

The approach that Lumsing takes with simplicity is very apparent in the 8000mAh ultrathin power bank. It’s so simple that it doesn’t even have a name.

Yet it is designed to give you what you need most, the right amount of power while staying extremely thin for pocketability. 8000mAh is enough power to get two full charges for my Samsung Galaxy S7 edge which has a 3600mAh internal battery. The iPhone 6 has an 1810mAh internal battery, which means the Lumsing power bank can easily provide four full recharge cycles.

What’s nice is that 8000mAh could be squeezed into a very small package. The casing is made from one piece of metal, and as you can see in the images above that mine is a bright blue. The bright color makes it much easier to spot in my laptop bag, and it stands out amongst all of the portable gadgets I have in my office.

–Capacity: 8000mAh
–Input: Micro USB 5V / 1.5A
–Output: USB 5V / 2.1A
–Dimensions: 5.08×2.83×0.3 inches
–Weight: 5.96 oz

It can output power at 2.1amps, which is fast for iPhone users, but not quite fast enough to qualify for Qualcomm’s Quick Charge. On the front of the battery pack is where you will find a small flashlight that is activated by double tapping the power button. You will also find the battery indicator, output USB port, and microUSB input.

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The Lumsing 8000mAh ultrathin power bank is easy to use. All you have to do is plug in the supplied coiled cable into the battery, then plug the other end into your smartphone, tablet, wireless headphones or speaker and let it recharge your device.

lumsing battery

I like this battery because it is extremely reliable where it consistently gets me two full recharges on my S7 edge. The best part though, is its fantastic price point at just $9.99 with free shipping included.

Conclusion

Lumsing prides itself on keeping technology free from complications. It does that with the 8000mAh ultrathin power bank that I have been using. Lumsing also made the battery extremely affordable at just $9.99. With enough power to get at least two full charges on my S7 edge, $9.99 is quite justifiable on this purchase.

I highly recommend this battery based on its price, form factor, and reliability. They’re great to have if you ever experience power outages, or just need more power when you’re on the go. I leave one in my glove box, and one in my emergency kit as Lumsing batteries hold their charge quite well.

Get the Lumsing 8000mAh ultrathin power bank at Amazon or at Lumsing for just $9.99.

T-Mobile’s Uncarrier 11 brings a whole lotta love to its customers

AndroidGuys
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In another groundbreaking event, John Legere announced “Stock Up” at Uncarrier 11 to thank its customers for referring new customers to its service. Stock Up will allow users to become owners in T-Mobile through earning up to 100 stock of TMUS per year. Each referral will earn one stock, which is currently valued at $43.14.

“Get ready for a gratitude adjustment, America! This Un-carrier move is all about giving you a good thanking! No strings. No gotchas. Just ‘thank you for being a customer!’” said John Legere, president and CEO of T-Mobile.

As an owner, you are entitled to your share of the company’s earnings as well as any voting rights attached to the stock. What makes this deal incredibly smart is that John Legere wants his customers to be invested in T-Mobile.

t mobile stock

“For me, there’s no higher praise than hearing a customer say they recommend T-Mobile to family and friends, so we wanted to get this right,” said Legere. “And, what better way to thank you than sharing in the future of our company?! Now, T-Mobile customers own the place!”

How to earn free stock

Primary account holders will automatically qualify one free share of T-Mobile stock, as well as any new sign ups starting tomorrow. For every new customer you refer to T-Mobile, you earn exactly one share. T-Mobile is thanking its most loyal customers by doubling their rewards. For T-Mobile customers who have been with the company for more than five years, they will get two shares for every new customer they refer through 2017.

It’s a win-win situation

T-Mobile will be paying out shares to its customers, but in turn it will gain sign-ups for Loyal3 and it will also add new customers. New customers are worth far more than one share of stock, and one share of stock can go a long way if T-Mobile adds more customers. More customers will make the large investors happy and draw more interest in T-Mobile shares which will in turn drive the price up.

Existing customers can claim their T-Mobile stock starting tomorrow, June 7, through June 21 in the T-Mobile Tuesdays app, and customers can learn more about growing their ownership when they recommend T-Mobile at www.t-mobile.com/StockUp.

Wait, there’s more!

In addition to “Stock Up”, John Legere also announced T-Mobile Tuesdays, a new app that thanks T-Mobile customers with free stuff and epic prizes, every Tuesday.

Here’s how T-Mobile thanks you with T-Mobile Tuesdays:
• Get free stuff to use every week
• Play for top-shelf prizes and epic experiences from the coolest brands around
• Tell everyone how great being thanked feels with built-in social sharing
• And the best part? It’s all for free, for real, for you every Tuesday

T-Mobile has partnered with some of the best and coolest brands to thank its customers every single week, including Gilt, Domino’s, StubHub, Wendy’s, VUDU, Fandango, Legendary Pictures and Universal Pictures, Lyft and more.

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Every week, you’ll have a chance to win something truly mind-blowing. Here are just a few examples of upcoming prizes:

  • a trip for two to Vegas to stay at Mandalay Bay with tickets to see UB40 at the Mandalay Bay Beach and roll VIP style at Luxor’s LAX Nightclub. Plus $100 in Lyft credits to get around town.
  • a trip to MLB All-Star week in San Diego for you and a lucky guest, including exclusive access to the Home Run Derby press conference and batting practice to see the top players up close and personal.
  • a once-in-a-lifetime expedition for you and your hiking buddy up the legendary Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru, complete with accommodations, meals, and tours from The Clymb.
  • a trip to New York City to refresh your wardrobe with a $10,000 shopping spree with the help of an in-house stylist in the private Gilt showroom.

T-Mobile’s also thanking customers with a full free hour of Gogo Wi-Fi on your smartphone on EVERY Gogo-equipped domestic flight—for all T-Mobile customers.

 

[Review] The ZTE Nubia Z9 Max is a phone of contradictions

Andrew Orr
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One of our AndroidGuys writers recently sent me the Nubia Z9 Max to review. It’s interesting to use Android again after having switched to iPhone about a year ago. There are some annoyances about the phone, but also some features I like as well.

First Impressions

First of all, I’m going to say that one of the biggest annoyances about Android are the skins and bloatware that some companies and carriers slap onto their phones. For those that don’t know, bloatware is typically defined as sh*tty pre-installed apps that are basically native advertisements.

This phone came with five bloatware apps. I’m not going to give them credit by mentioning their names, but there they were. I promise this won’t be yet another article from an Apple user, endlessly comparing the two platforms. However, bloatware is a terrible experience for users, and manufacturer skins are barely any better.

Pre-installed adware
Pre-installed adware

 

As you can see above, this phone needs a serious rooting and flashing of a custom ROM. Without root, you cannot remove the preinstalled malware.

Features

  • Dimensions: 154.8 x 76.6 x 7.9 mm (6.09 x 3.02 x 0.21 in)
  • Weight: 165g
  • Display: 5.5″ 1080p, 401 ppi
  • Platform: Android 5.0.2 Lollipop (Nubia 3.0 UI skin)
  • CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 810; quad-core 1.5 GHz, quad-core 2.0 GHz
  • Memory: 3GB
  • Storage: 16GB internal; microSD up to 128GB
  • Camera: 16MP, autofocus LED flash; video 2160p@30fps/8MP front, 1080p
  • Battery: 2900mAh

The phone is a little big for my preference, and somewhat awkward to hold (I’m pretty sure I pulled a muscle in my thumb). The Nubia looks like a stretched out iPhone 4, and the sharp angles of this phone combined with the red color accents give the Nubia a masculine, almost aggressive appearance. Despite the phone having a glass back, it’s actually not that slippery to hold as it’s a very light phone.

nubiaz9max04

 

Buttons

On the bottom we find capacitive buttons that are software-based. I’m personally not a fan of phones that have these, but you can customize them in settings. Specifically, the Back button doesn’t pull up the list of recently used apps like other Android phones do. Instead, that’s all it is – it brings you back one app at a time. Aside from the home button, there is an Options button on the left that acts to pull up the menu in whatever app you’re in.

As for the hardware buttons, you’ll find a volume rocker and power button on the right side. The volume up button works as a camera shutter, so you can hold your phone a little more naturally when taking a photo.

Camera

As for the camera, I was pleasantly surprised. The Nubia’s camera produces crisp, albeit over-saturated images that give your environment a vivid look. It has several specialized features, including a Star Mode that works great for long-exposure shots of the night sky. For the creative crowd, there is also a mode for working with “light trails” created from points of light such as flashlights or car headlights.

Battery

Despite the 2900mAh battery, it didn’t seem to last very long even when I wasn’t using it. I found myself charging it almost twice a day, and it takes a couple of hours to charge. This might have to do with the poor battery management of Android Lollipop. Speaking of Lollipop, I did some research but I was unable to find a time frame for upgrading the system to Marshmallow.

nubiaz9max03

Speaker

The phone only has one speaker on the bottom right side. It didn’t sound tinny like other phones with one speaker, although it doesn’t seem to handle bass very well.

Other

I was unable to press the “System Upgrade” button, and I think this is more of the sneaky-handed tactics used by Nubia. Similarly, I couldn’t install any APKs. The phone simply would not let me press that “install” button, and my guess was that it automatically put some kind of block on it. Installing APKs is a security risk and not recommended for the majority of users anyway, but after the built-in adware that I had to experience, this just angered me even more.

The phone has a dual-SIM tray, and despite the fact that it’s a Chinese phone, it seems to work fine on U.S-based phone networks. I have an unlocked SIM card, so your experience may vary.

Conclusion

The hardware of the phone is good, and gives the off a premium look and feel. The software experience was incredibly frustrating though. To be fair, that’s not entirely Android’s fault, that is the fault of the manufacturer. The open nature of Android is both a blessing and a curse. If you have the knowledge and tinkering skills necessary to flash the ROM and install something like CyanogenMod, then I recommend the phone.

You can pick up the phone over at Banggood for $355.99.

Urban Armor Gear LG G4 case review: Where beauty meets precision

Jason Botha
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Urban Armor Gear is arguably the case maker for all devices. They claim to make quality, military grade cases for most of the popular devices, along with equally good screen protectors. I recently purchased one for my iPad Air 2 and was totally blown away by what it had to offer.

I also have the LG G4, and inevitably grew curious at what else UAG had up on offer. While the LG G5 has already been out for some time, I nevertheless thought it a good idea to test out what all the UAG hype is all about. So, here is our LG G4 Urban Armor Gear Case and tempered screen protector review.

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A big thanks to UAG for sending out these review samples.

In the Box

For the case, the box is relatively simple. There’s a small paper slip thrown in with basic step-by-step application instructions. There is, as a nice benefit, a screen protector that comes with the case. It’s a plastic film that will give you some protection against scratches. It’s something that’s not advertised as part of the package, but it is not something I’d use for a long term period either.

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The presentation is very nice and gives the impression of a premium product without actually applying the product or taking it out of its packaging.

The screen protector, on the other hand, comes with quite a bit more thrown in the box.

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Wrapped firmly in solid cardboard, it is nicely secured and should be protected against any shipping damage. With it is the application instructions, a dust remover, two microfiber wipes and a repositioning film.

All very good on the outside, but how well do they stack up when you use them?

Case

The LG G4 UAG case is downright excellent. It fits perfectly down to the micrometer and feels extremely solid and well defined. All the curves are accounted for and it snaps on without hassle.

Take the cutouts, for example. The case contours seamlessly to the outline shape of the camera and flash, while also providing a big enough charging hole and even a headphone cutout designed for odd shaped connections.

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The design makes for a case that is a pleasure to hold. It has grips on the sides for more firm handling, aided by the rubber bands running along the extreme top and bottom of it. Even the back design is aesthetically pleasing, although I’m not sure why UAG always goes with this particular signature patterned back.

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Not only does it look startlingly great, it fulfills its main function and provides a whole ton of protection. It is rated MIL STD 810G 516.6 for military drop protection which means that your device should be just fine if you happen to drop it.

In case you’re wondering, GCN.com defines the 516.6 test as the following:

This is probably the method that is cited the most by manufacturers and agencies alike. Part of this test method is sometimes referred to as the “drop” test, and it gauges how well a device holds up to impacts while falling from certain heights. The tests are designed to determine how well a device can put up with general physical abuse while in operation, but not from factors such as nearby explosions (these are covered in separate methods).

I dropped my G4 several times with the case on (I like to live dangerously) and it turned out just fine.

It’s all the small things that UAG takes notice of. For example, with my previous case, the flash would glare and be redirected through the side of the case, reducing the intensity of it. I was delighted to see that UAG had already addressed this and had advertised it on the box as “Glare-free flash” before I even opened the box.

In short, the case feels great, works great, looks great but on the whole is amazing. It will set you back $34.95, which is quite pricey. But hey, you pay for quality, right?

Tempered Glass Screen Protector

There is probably just as many things to say about the screen protector as compared to the case.

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First off, I love what was thrown in with the protector. It gives you everything you need for a proper and tidy installation. The instructions are nothing new:

  1. Clean the screen
  2. Apply protector
  3. Push out bubbles

I (obviously) started off by using the included microfiber cloth to clean the G4 screen. I’m rather accustomed to applying screen protectors to tablets, so doing it on a small screen was much easier.

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Once I had that done, I peeled back the film covering the sticky bit on the protector before proceeding to lay it down. The application was not as smooth as I wanted it to be: there are virtually no reference points to use to balance the tempered glass so that it lines up perfectly. It’s not exactly hard though, I however had to remove the protector several times until I got it seamlessly lined up with everything. It can be removed if needed, albeit with some caution.

Unfortunately there are no pictures from the application due the concentration required – I’m sure you can relate.

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Once it was on, there were no bubbles or dust particles left underneath it (but that may just be my perfection skills).

The protector is strong, bends with the phone curve and is certainly an outstanding option.

There is a tiny problem, however. The UAG logo slapped on the top corner covers the front LED light by a wee bit. It’s not a big problem, but it’s something that I feel UAG could improve upon. After all, not may people want to see another logo on their front screen, right?

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The LED gets partially blocked out by the UAG logo

Lastly, the biggest problem is perhaps the one that will prevent you from buying it: the price. At $39.95, I really begin to wonder how much engineering went into this thing that makes it more expensive than the case itself. Sure it’s a great case, but is a price like this really justifiable?

Keep in mind that the case comes with a free plastic screen protector.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for something to protect your LG G4, UAG is the place you want to go to. All of their offerings are premium, quality products that will bid you and your device well into its senior years. Granted that you can afford the price, you should not take a second look at getting these great products. I can say with almost complete certainty that this applies for the entire Urban Armor Gear range.

You can purchase this LG G4 case and tempered glass screen protector from UAG’s official website, along with related accessories.

Seven tips to freshen up your phone for summer

Matt Adams
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Summer is here! With it brings fun, bar-b-q’s, sand, and the beach- and who doesn’t love all of that? What sucks is letting your old phone slow you down or limit where you may want to go. Here are a few things that will give your phone a summer make-over.

A new skin

This one is almost purely cosmetic, but looking your best in summer is a valid concern! Our friends over at dbrand offer some excellent skins for almost any device on the market. If your device is scratched up, or even if you’re just going for a different look, they’re a great option to keep your phone looking good while not adding bulk. They’re also cheap enough that you can pick up a few at a time.

dbrand custom

Steal a look

Here at AndroidGuys, we love changing up how our home screens look. In fact, we have an entire section of the site dedicated to it called Steal This Look. A new background and icon pack can do wonders for how you feel when you look at your phone. Since the weather is nice out, why not try this icon pack aptly named Summer Icons or this one named Bayside that has some really colorful and fun icons. After that, pick up Wallpapers For Me to grab a wallpaper to round out your look.

Bayside Icon Pack
Bayside Icon Pack

Put some wood on it

There are few things more fun to put on your phone than wood. It just feels awesome in the hand and gives a classic look to a modern device. I personally love Cover-Up’s #Woodback collection, but there a ton of wood cases to be found on Amazon like these for the Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, and Nexus 6P. Not only do these cases look awesome, but they will protect your phone from scratches and some falls. You can also check out a company like Toast that makes wood wraps for your phone too, but they’re a little more involved than just slapping a case on it.

carved nexus 6P case

Replace the battery

If you have a battery that’s sealed into your device, don’t stop reading, because it may be easier than you think to replace it. iFixIt has a ton of guides to not only fix your phones but also replace batteries for devices like the Nexus 5. I replaced the battery in my personal Nexus 5 last year and it almost doubled my battery life. All I needed was a replacement battery ($9.50), tool kit ($7.39), and a half an hour.

If you have a phone like the Note 3 ($6), Note 4 ($10), LG G4 ($6.70), or  Galaxy S5 ($14), all you need is a battery. You might also want to find a charger specifically for the battery so you don’t have to have it in the phone to charge.

nexus 5 battery

Make it water resistant

If you’re heading to the beach or hanging out around the pool, you may want to invest in a case to protect your phone from water. There are some phones that have built-in water resistance, but if you don’t own one of those, taking some precautions against ruining your phone isn’t the worst idea in the world.

The most popular among these cases are Lifeproof cases. You can grab these for major models like the iPhone 6S, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S4, or Droid Turbo 2. If you’re willing to go with another brand, Supcase has a great water resistant case for phones like the Galaxy S7, Galaxy S6, Note 5, Note 4, Moto X Pure, LG G4, and HTC One M9. If you don’t have one of those phones, you can always consider a case that fits many phones, but limits functionality like this one.

lifeproof

Uninstall some apps

If you scroll through your apps list, I’m willing to bet you’ll find some apps you never use anymore. Get rid of those things. They’re doing nothing but taking up space and probably pinging your location in the background, which sucks your battery. If you have some built-in apps from Samsung on your phone, check out an app like Package Disabler Pro that can remove some of the bloat without root. You won’t get the space back, but you will remove some of those things that slow down your phone and suck the battery dry.

android-apps

Buy a smartwatch

Picking up a smartwatch can definitely help out the battery life on your smartphone. Checking your alerts on your watch instead of waking up your phone, unlocking it and reading the message is much, much easier on the battery. Not only that, but you can save music to your watch so you can leave your phone at home when you go to the beach or on a run and still have your tunes. The staff here at AndroidGuys definitely recommends the Moto 360 Second Generation, but my personal favorite is the LG Urbane.

From left to right: 1. Asus Zenwatch 2 2. Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 3. LG Urbane 2nd Edition 4. Huawei Watch 5. Moto 360

There’s our list! Do you have any other suggestions? Let us know down in the comments section what you’re doing to spruce up your device or keep it safe this summer.

App and Game news you may have missed (June 6)

Josiah Ward
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Thousands of apps and games get added to/updated on the Google Play Store every day and it is easy to miss these updates. It’s hard to stay on top of everything that happens in the mobile space. Aside from the big name players and their popular titles, indie devs and other game makers are pushing out stuff that’s worth covering.

For those, and other reasons, we here at AndroidGuys have collected some news for you guys:

Chatty Keyboard

Delvv, the developer of Glean News Reader and Defumblr Smart Lock Screen, released Chatty Keyboard on Wednesday. This Keyboard used machine learning to recommend gifs and emojis based on the context of a sentence. It can also link things you say to different apps and actions. On top of all that, Chatty Keyboard has multiple themes available.

Delvv promises that an iOS version will be released in the figure, but for now you can download Chatty Keyboard from the Google Play Store.

Super Phantom Cat now on Android TV

Super Phantom Cat, the game by Veewo Games, has reached over 400,000 downloads since its release on both Android and iOS. To celebrate this, Super Phantom Cat is now available on Android TV and is completely compatible with the SHIELD TV’s controller. Download Super Phantom Cat from the Google Play Store.

Astrå

Fabuloso Games has released their game Astrå, a one-dimensional game following the legend of Hermera, on Android. Hermera, the goddess of daylight, is trying to stop creatures of the night from enveloping the universe in complete darkness. You can download Astrå here.

Road Racing: Extreme Traffic Driving

T-Bull, the developer of Top Speed and Top Bike, has released Road Racing: Extreme Traffic Driving for iOS. It will be available for Android later this year. The game is set in the Top Speed universe and includes traffic dodging and police chases.

Playboy Music

BAMM.tv released its Playboy Music app. This app pairs exclusive videos and galleries from Playboy models with today’s hottest new tracks. This service costs 0.99¢/month and is available for both Android and iOS. Download Playboy Music from the Google Play Store.

DriveSense Mobile

After its success with DriveSense, Esurance has announced DriveSense Mobile. This app makes it much easier for Esurance users to get rewards and help while driving. It is currently only available in Utah, but you can download it here.

NonStop Knight

FlareGames released NonStop Knight, a mobile RPG that plays by itself until either you take the reins or a major decision needs to be made. It will even continue to play after your device turns off. Download NonStop Knight on the Google Play Store.

Temple Run 2: Blazing Sands

The Blazing Sands expansion pack for Temple Run 2 is out now. The new desert landscape has players running along rivers and jumping between canyon cliffs. Download Temple Run 2 now.

Templar Battleforce

The popular RPG, Templar Battleforce, now has a demo version. Previously available solely for $9.99, the demo version gives players the first four missions. Afterwards, the $9.99 will unlock 55+ scenarios and all eight templar specialists. You can download the demo version here.

Grimm: Cards of Fate

Grimm: Cards Of Fate was released. This game acts as a bridge between the Season 5 finale and Season 6. You can collect cards, solve puzzles and battle against others with your cards. Also, when the new season starts up, the content will continously update to keep up with new characters and Wesen. Download Grimm: Cards Of Fate from the Google Play Store.

Mobile Pay in KFC

KFC has announced Mobile Pay support in all US stores. This means that you can now pay with your Samsung, Apple, or Android device at your local KFC. This comes as a result of the Re-Colonelization movement, which is meant to be a refocus on customer satisfaction.

Aukey 5-Port USB Charging Station: The charging station that’s a steal (Review)

AndroidGuys
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We live in a highly connected world today. So much that we have devices upon devices. I myself have a phone, smartwatch, Bluetooth headset and a tablet that I need to charge up at night. Let’s not forget the rest of the family who has an assortment of phones, tablets, and gadgets. We have a total of 10 devices that have to be plugged in nightly. You could say there is a fight for the plugins. What do you do about that? You could get a bulky surge protector and have a bunch of big fat plugs, or you could consider a 5-Port USB Charging Station by Aukey.

In the Box

  • Aukey 5-Port Wall Charger
  • AC Cable
  • MicroUSB Cable
  • Instruction Manual
  • Wire Clip

Aukey3

Review

Aukey is known for making some really awesome chargers. In fact, it arguably makes the best chargers. Their 5-Port USB Charging Station is no exception to that rule. This charging station, model PA-T1, comes with four ports that have AIPower Technology and one port that has Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0. What does that mean? Without going into too much detail, I’ll give you the brief overview.

AIPower Technology is, simply put, the ability to recognize your mobile device and become automatically compatible with the voltage settings of it. This means you can charge at its maximum speed safely and without the fear of overcharging or overheating.

Qualcomm’s Quick Charge lets your device charge up to 75% faster if it’s compatible with the technology (something that is determined by the charger itself, without any effort on your part).

My actual nightstand
My actual nightstand

I absolutely love this charger. It has a sleek design that is small and portable. It’s the size of a credit card, about one inch thick and fits quite nicely on my night stand, so I have plenty of room for all my aforementioned gadgets to sit. You should have zero problems fitting it into your home office, night stand or your family tech corner (if you have one, like us).

I was really impressed with its charging ability. I used several different devices that were mentioned above, as well my friend’s iPhone and a couple of cameras that have USB chargers. The AI Power worked flawlessly. We have two Quick Charge devices, a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and a Note Edge. From a fully depleted battery, both phones were charged within an hour and a half.

Conclusion

Without a doubt, if you are in the market for a multi-port charger, and you have Qualcomm compatible devices, you should consider this. At a cost of $24.99 on Amazon (and eligible for Amazon Prime), you are sure to get your money’s worth.

Buy Aukey’s 5-Port USB Charging Station on Amazon.

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