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The BlitzWolf VR headset is everything Google Cardboard should have been (Review)

Derrick Miyao
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8

 

Virtual reality was definitely a huge hit this year at Mobile World Conference 2016. Facebook, Oculus, Google, Apple and HTC are looking to pioneer the next wave of media that is sure to be a hit.

What is VR?

According to Wikipedia virtual reality “replicates an environment that simulates a physical presence in places in the real world or an imagined world, allowing the user to interact in that world. Virtual realities artificially create sensory experiences, which can include sight, touch, hearing, and smell.”

In a nutshell, VR is a video experience that is brought to lige with some sort of display that you wear to cover your eyes. When you put it on and turn your head the video instantly responds to your movement like it is simulating a real life experience. I can’t think of a single consumer VR headset that offers touch or smell yet, but sight and sound are definitely the options available.

VR has been threatening to take hold in the consumer market for the past few years now. But with little support from content providers VR has been slow to take off. As Google, Facebook, Samsung and even Apple invest more money into development of media, third party VR headset manufacturers are finally seeing a place to make a profit.

Samsung offers its own VR headset, Gear VR, which costs $100 and is a superior upgrade to Google’s attempt called Cardboard. Google Cardboard is meant to introduce users to the world of VR. At $15 it may be one of the most expensive pieces of cardboard you might ever buy. It comes as a flat piece of cardboard which you assemble with the printed on instructions. Once assembled you can download apps immediately to experience what VR is all about.

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BlitzWolf VR headset on the left. Cardboard VR headset on the right.

Before I tried Google Cardboard I thought VR was a gimmick. And then I tried it.

While Cardboard was not designed for immersive experiences that were meant to last more than five minutes at a time. The Cardboard was designed without a head strap which means you have to hold it up to your face. And it is made out of paper.

While this is perfect for an introduction to VR, it is not conducive to long term use making Cardboard an expensive investment at $15 since you’re only going to use it for a few minutes.

And that brings me to the BlitzWolf VR headset offered by banggood.com, which is designed for smartphones with displays 3.5-6″ large. I’m here to tell you not to waste your money on Cardboard or Gear VR, and instead spend just $28.99, with shipping included, for a high quality VR headset that should last you a long time.

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Design

The BlitzWolf VR headset is a lightweight ABS shell with an elastic headband. It is designed to fit phones no larger than 154mm long by 82mm wide – phones like the Nexus 6 (159.3mm x 83mm) and LG V10 (159.6mm x 79.3mm) will not fit. Their bodies are just too darn wide. But phones like the Honor 5X and Nexus 5X will fit just perfectly.

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The ABS plastic body is well built and has comfort features designed to fit small, medium and large heads. The head strap is fully adjustable and the eye pieces can be moved to allow for differences in nose bridge width. Each lens can be adjusted for focusing similar to binoculars.

It also has a leatherette pad which is soft and supple. There is a spring loaded mechanism which clamps down on a variety of different sized smartphones.

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In total there are 59 parts that go into making this headset. In comparison, there are less than ten total parts on the Google Cardboard. BlitzWolf packed as many features they could into its headset.

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Usage

The BlitzWolf VR headset is hands down well worth every penny, especially when you compare it to other headsets that have the same function. At just $28.99 it shames the Samsung Gear VR which is solely designed for its Galaxy phones and costs over three times as much.

It is lightweight, extremely well built, and has a wide range of options for making the perfect fit. I have an abnormally large head according to my friends, but the simple explanation is my brain is massive. Nonetheless the BlitzWolf VR headset easily fit my head with some adjustments. I also had my nieces try it on who are half my size. While the headset did appear huge on their heads, with some adjustments it did fit just fine. They were oohing, ahhing and giggling with the content I put on for them.

Rather than try to explain in words what it is like to experience VR, click on the YouTube video below.

If you’re on a computer, grab the screen with your mouse and drag the video to spin. Or you can also click the four arrow cursor at the top left to move around. Now imagine that through a VR viewer and that’s what you get with virtual reality.

I included a music video below. VR isn’t limited to nature or skydiving – all kinds of different content can be experienced.

Now that you have watched the videos above, imagine what that is like through a viewer. It is immersive and makes you feel like you are there.

Now do you want to experience VR with a little piece of cardboard that your Amazon shipments arrive in? Or do you want a high quality experience that allows for visual and physical adjustments? While some of you may prefer Cardboard, I find the BlitzWolf VR headset to be the ultimate experience when you factor in the low price of just $28.99.

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What I liked

  • Build Quality
  • Price
  • Adjustment features
  • Head strap
  • Heat ventilation for extended usage
  • Support for wide range of phones
  • Comfort
  • Light weight

What I didn’t like

  • Couldn’t come up with anything

Summary

The BlitzWolf VR headset is an amazing deal at $28.99. When you consider what Google put together for $15, it’s pretty ridiculous what you can get for a little more money. While Google Cardboard is meant to introduce you to VR, the BlitzWolf VR headset is meant to give you a full VR experience.

With adjustable eye pieces and a comfortable head strap, it can fit heads of all sizes. And with a comfortable pad for your face you can wear it for hours in comfort. Banggood.com offers the BlitzWolf VR headset for just $28.99 with free shipping included.

Leave cardboard for your packages that come via UPS or FedEx. Experience VR with a high-quality headset like the BlitzWolf VR headset instead.

Head on over to banggood.com to learn more about the BlitzWolf VR headset. For a limited time save 10% off this headset by using discount code 12blitzw at checkout.
You can also purchase the BlitzWolf VR headset at Amazon.com with discount code 11PCTALL to save 11% off the total price.

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Perfect Screen Shot – Make your screenshots…perfect. [Review]

Donovan Jeska
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0

Overview –

Perfect Screen Shot is my app choice when making images for AndroidGuys. PSS lets you import screenshots and places them in the frame of an existing smartphone of your choice, complete with a classy background.

Developer: Mike DePaul

Price: Free (Pro, $0.99)

Highlights:

  • Stylize your screenshots in style.
  • Dozens of phone frames.
  • Ultra version creates complementary colored backgrounds.

Setup –

Next to nothing, here. The only step that requires attention is to download the assets of the phone frames you want to use. The steps to do this are as follows:

  1. Swipe right from the left side of the screen to open the menu.
  2. Tap “Devices.”
  3. Check the boxes next to each phone of which you’d like to download assets.
  4. Once this finishes, you can use any of the frames you downloaded.

[df-caption title=”Device selection screen.” url=”https://www.androidguys.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/1456959922168.jpg”%5D

Impressions –

Originally I used Screener for all my screenshot needs, but grew disillusioned when I realized it couldn’t properly handle Landscape screenshots. PSS, however, automatically detects the orientation of the shot and properly orients the frame to match. There are a number of backgrounds to choose from, including a custom image, custom color, or a very handy auto-detecting feature that takes complementary colors from the image and presents you with a number of options to make your shot pop. Really cool stuff.

[row][double_paragraph][df-caption title=”Different frames have different colors.” url=”https://www.androidguys.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/1456959941213.jpg”%5D [/double_paragraph][double_paragraph] [df-caption title=”Complementary background colors.” url=”https://www.androidguys.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/1456959987887.jpg”%5D%5B/double_paragraph%5D [/row]

You can export your screenshots to nearly any other app you want (I use DropBox, personally), making it ridiculously easy to share your fancy screenshots to the world. Perhaps the one thing I would add is the ability to have different styles of frames for each phone – a 3/4 view and a minimalist view are options that Screener has, for instance. In all, PSS is a very good screenshot app – I understand that not everyone has a use for it, but someone, somewhere does.

[df-caption title=”Made a fancy screenshot using the fancy screenshot app about which you’re reading a review.” url=”https://www.androidguys.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/1456959888299.jpg”%5D

What I like

  • Landscape or portrait screenshots.
  • Custom or complementary backgrounds.
  • Ability to save individual preferences.

What I don’t

  • More options would be nice.
  • UI isn’t perfect.
  • Best features are paid.

Conclusion –

If you want to make your screenshots look nice and purdy, Perfect Screen Shot is your app. It’s versatile, pretty, and has some really great options that are really simple to use.

Google Play Store –  Perfect Screen Shot

 

Google introduces hands-free mobile payments

Andrew Orr
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0

Financial technology has been on the rise for the past year or so, bringing more ways to exchange money and manage personal banking on your smartphone.

Google’s latest experiment shows it’s always looking for the next edge in mobile banking and payments. To make mobile payments even more convenient than holding your smartphone next to the register, you don’t even have to take it out of your pocket anymore. This new initiative called Hands Free wants you to be able to pay for your purchases simply by telling the cashier “I’ll pay with Google.”

handsfreeapp

Sound familiar? That’s because Square did something similar back in 2011 with Card Case, except Google’s experiment works a bit differently. Pali Bhat, Google’s senior director of product management, said:

“We believe we have some very unique assets and technologies that we’re bringing to the table…one of the things is this combination of technologies we’re using to ensure that a user’s near the store, the other piece that’s as important is all the things we’re doing on the security side. Those are pieces of technology that we feel are very critical and defensible.”

For now, this initiative is taking place as a pilot program in the Southern San Francisco Bay area to collect user feedback. Additionally, it’s only available in a few stores like McDonalds and Papa Johns. You’ll need to download a separate app to use this feature. It’s unclear if it will be baked into Android Pay or Google Wallet in the future, or if there’s a separate app just as part of the pilot program. The app is available for Android 4.2+ and iOS.

App Download Links: Android | iOS
Source: Google Commerce Blog | TechCrunch

MailWise: Trying to make your inbox more pleasant [Review]

Gerson Noboa
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0

For an industry that changes so quickly, it’s surprising to see the slow pace of innovation in email. If you think about it, we use email exactly the same way we did 15 years ago, something that cannot be said about other areas. Mailbox and Inbox tried to change things up a little, migrating the old paradigm of reading through an endless list of emails, to treating each conversation as a task, coupled with reminders, statuses, and at-a-glance information. Also, with Gmail coming pre-installed on many Android devices, Outlook and Yahoo offering solid experiences, and third-party options like CloudMagic and myMail rocking the scene, there’s a lot of clients to choose from. MailWise tries to stand out by offering compelling features that will make your life easier.

Developer: Mail Wise

Price: Free, Pro in-app purchase for $9.99.

Highlights:

  • Setup could be simpler.
  • Support for Gmail, Exchange, Outlook, Yahoo and others.
  • Interface is Holo with some Material Design elements.
  • Groups updates into one thread.
  • Conversation view for a succession of replied emails.

Setup

MailWise Setup
MailWise setup consists of several steps.

With most third-party email clients, you expect a lengthy setup in which you input your credentials, your name, configure inbound and outbound servers, and similar. However, MailWise makes the process a little less tedious by populating your current Google account automatically, so you don’t have to type your account and password. If you want to sync your non-Google accounts, you can choose between Exchange, Hotmail/Outlook, Yahoo and your own custom server.

The next screen prompts you to choose the sync frequency, from one minute (or push, in case it’s supported) to one hour. Other options in this screen include setting the email account as default, turning notifications on or off, disable syncing and automatic retrieval of attachments on WiFi. I believe this step could be done later by the user in order to make setup more straightforward.

Finally, when you reach the end of the setup, you can name your account and decide how your name is going to be displayed in outbound messages. I thought that I would finally see my long list of unread emails and newsletters, but instead I was shown a tutorial about the features that make this client different from other offerings.

Features

MailWise Main Screen
MailWise’s inbox view.

When you are finally shown the main screen, the first you’ll notice is the interface. It tries to incorporate Material elements to an otherwise Holo design, so it ends up as a mishmash of design languages. Google is pushing really hard on Material Design in order to maintain a more polished ecosystem, so all apps should have embraced it by now.

Otherwise, the interface looks exactly as you would expect from an email client, with a list of all your emails populating the main screen. There’s a FAB at the bottom right (used to compose a new email), search and overflow buttons at the top right, and a navigation drawer button at the top left. From this drawer you can change your current account, add new ones, access the unified inbox with all of your emails, and upgrade to the pro version. It also groups all of your important labels at the top (such as Unread, Drafts and Sent) and then your custom labels at the bottom.

The messages themselves can be swiped to the left or right. Swiping to the right shows options for deleting, moving to another label, marking the message as unread and favorite, while the same gesture to the left lets you delete the message. Meanwhile, when receiving an email, you get a notification with the subject, a small description and quick action buttons to reply or delete. This is expected behavior in any email app nowadays, so I’m glad it’s all present here.

The compose screen looks exactly the same as Gmail did in the pre-Lollipop era. You can choose the account from which to send the email, in case you have more than one configured. The app puts a “Sent my MailWise” signature which you can easily delete. However, it will appear in every message you create, and the only way to change the behavior is to purchase the Pro version.

One of the most advertised features of the app is the conversation view. Instead of showing a new email for each reply in the conversation, the app shows a chat-like interface to keep things less cluttered. Also, MailWise offers a cleaner approach to auto-generated email updates by grouping similar elements into one. For example, it grouped all of my Outlook birthday notifications into one thread, making it less annoying to have my inbox reminding me of birthdays instead of remembering them myself. It’s a really useful feature that works just as expected.

MailWise Grouped Updates
MailWise grouped updates in action.

Performance wise, the app shows no slowdowns or hiccups on my Nexus 6. Your mileage may vary, but the app seems fast enough to perform most of its activities. Even the remote search feature, in which you search your email directly on the server, seems swift enough to be useful.

MailWise Settings
MailWise offer several settings to make it yours.

Finally, the app offers a lot of options to change things to your liking. General settings include turning on or off the sender avatar, set “Reply All” as the default reply action, confirmation for various actions, and swipe actions. Settings for email accounts let you change things like your account, color, name, sync frequency, quick responses and notification settings. There’s a little blue icon beside the setting’s to indicate that it requires a Pro version in order to be modified. Overall, they are options that you would expect from an email client these days. No more, no less.

Conclusion

Offering a solid email experience, with several additional features that will definitely make your life easier, MailWise is a decent contender in the field. My biggest gripe with the app is it’s interface, which still retain many Holo elements, even though Material Design has been around for a lot of time now. Its one-time, $9.99 Pro unlock gets you the ability of customizing notifications for every contact (easily worth the price by itself), mark senders as VIP, automatic BCC, changing your signature, and more. Try the free version, and if you can overlook its design, then definitely go for it.

Download from the Play Store.

AT&T rolls out ‘second chance’ device protection plan

Andrew Orr
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0

Yesterday, AT&T rolled out a protection plan to replace lost, stolen or damaged phones. The enrollment period will be from March 1 to April 30. With most of these plans, you need to enroll within 30 days of buying a new device, but this new plan is aimed at customers who have had an AT&T phone for more than 30 days, and who still lack protection. So if you missed the initial window to get mobile insurance, AT&T is now offering you a second chance if you have regretted that decision.

Protection Plans

  • AT&T Multi-Device Protection Pack: Customers can add up to three smartphones or tablets, with access to the ProTech support team. ($30/month).
  • AT&T Mobile Protection Pack: Customers who have 1 smartphone or tablet, with Mobile Insurance and ProTech support. 50 GB of cloud storage and a GPS locator with the Protect Plus app. ($11/month).
  • AT&T Mobile Insurance: Protection against loss, theft, damage and out-of-warranty malfunctions. ($7/month).
  • AT&T Mobile Protection Pack for Business: All the benefits of the Mobile Protection Pack, with an exclusive Administrative Portal for managing insurance claims, direct access to ProTech support, remote lock and wipe features, 50 GB cloud storage. ($11 per device/month).

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For complete coverage details head to AT&T Device Protection.

 

Source: AT&T Newsroom

Scosche’s GoBat 6000 rugged battery is tough enough to meet anyone’s demands (review)

Derrick Miyao
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0

Scosche is one of the most well established mobile accessory makers today, getting its start in 1980 in beautiful Southern California. It has won countless awards for many of its products and continues to win over the hearts of its most loyal customers.

Up for review today is one of its most rugged products, the Scosche GoBat 6000mAh portable battery. I review a ton of batteries. Not surprisingly batteries can be one of the most mundane accessories to review, but without question they are one of the most valuable and necessary items we need to have with us if we want to stay powered up.

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Design

The Scosche GoBat 6000mAh portable battery is an ultra rugged device aimed at giving you up to three full charges on your smartphone or about one full charge on your tablet. It has an IP68 rating which means it is fully dust proof and can withstand being fully submerged in water up to three feet deep for thirty minutes. One unique feature is the zero discharge circuitry built into the GoBat giving the battery the ability to hold a charge for multiple years.

It comes with one 2.4AMP full sized USB out port for iOS and Android devices, and it has one microUSB port for charging the unit itself. The USB ports are protected by a door made from the same solid plastic material found on the outside of the case. That door is what keeps the water and dust out of the electrical components and there is a sticker telling you so. There is a multi-color LED light to indicate the battery level with a power button on the topside of the charger.

On the backside of the GoBat 6000 is an alloy ring made for a carabiner so you can attach the battery to a backpack or belt loop.

Overall the battery is well built and is designed to withstand the demands of being outdoors.

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Usage

While I may not live the extreme lifestyle like mountain climbers, cliff jumpers and cliff divers, I do however love the outdoors. And to be honest, I highly doubt a cliff diver is going to have a mobile phone on them while they’re out on a ledge.

Being a resident of San Diego, I find myself hiking, hanging out at the beach, and camping on a regular basis. San Diego’s average high temperatures hovered around 64 degrees Fahrenheit this February, and if you lived here I am sure you’d be outdoors too.

While I am outdoors I am always taking pictures and have a need to stay connected – battery life is one of my top concerns with mobile devices. I find myself needing to charge my smartphone often and there is a real satisfaction knowing I have mobile accessories that I can bring that won’t get damaged by dirt, drops or water. That’s where the Scosche GoBat 6000 fits perfectly. All I have to do attach it to my backpack and bring it along.

I usually have my best friend Taro (my Labrador/Shepherd mix) with me which means I am constantly setting my backpack down in the dirt to pull out her bowl and water to give her a break on our hikes. Or when we are at the beach, my backpack or beach bag is gathering sand with Taro usually using it as a resting spot when she lays down after swimming for a good 20 minutes in the ocean. The GoBat has been an accessory that has gotten its fill of dirt, sand and water and has lived through it with ease.

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It even dropped about ten feet down the side of a rock cliff when I tossed it to my friend who can’t catch to save her life. The only damage it sustained was a scratched corner.

With an IP68 rating all I have to do is wash it in the sink when I get home to restore it to like new quality.

The 6000mAh power rating is more than enough power to get two full charges on any smartphone I am using at any given time. While there are much bigger batteries with power ratings of 10000-20000mAh, I don’t always need to lug the extra weight with me. 6000mAh is enough power for me and a friend while we are enjoying the good weather in San Diego.

The Scosche GoBat 6000mAh battery easily refilled my phone twice, and even more importantly held a full charge while I wasn’t using it. I definitely don’t need a portable battery during the work week, and usually put it to use just about every weekend so leaving it connected to a charger is something I do not do. I have been using the GoBat for about two months now and absolutely love it.

It’s everything I need in a battery – it can survive my weekend adventures and I don’t need to worry about it while at home or outdoors.

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What I like:

  • Perfect power/weight ratio
  • Top notch build quality
  • IP68 water resistance and dust proof rating
  • Carabiner
  • 2.4A output

What I didn’t like

  • Relatively high priced at $69.99
  • A tad thick

Summary

While most portable batteries are designed for indoor usage, the Scosche GoBat 6000 is designed not only for the same purpose, but also for the outdoor lifestyle as well. It comes in a superior package that is so well built it has a military rating for drops. It also comes with an IP68 rating which means it can withstand being submerged in three feet of water for thirty minutes and is completely dust proof. This translates to the Scosche GoBat being one of the most versatile accessories that you should consider adding to your arsenal of tech items.

Learn more at Scosche.com or at Amazon.com.

Remix OS Beta is now out

Andrew Orr
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0

Back at CES 2016 in January, a company called Jide announced that its operating system, called Remix, would be available for all devices, not just its own proprietary devices. The company then released its Remix OS as an alpha release, which is pre-beta. Remix gave PCs and Macs an Android operating system, except specifically made for a desktop experience. Today, Remix OS entered the beta stage and offers an over-the-air (OTA) installation, which means you don’t have to perform a clean install every time you want to update.

remix chart

New Features:

  • Over-the-air installation
  • 32-bit hardware support
  • UEFI compatible with dual-boot functionality
  • More compatible devices
  • 50 bugs fixed

It’s important to note that the Google Play Store and Services still aren’t included by default, although Google is in the process to fix that. Google Play Services can still be sideloaded, though. Jide is also collaborating with the Android-x86 project to have Remix run on x86 hardware.

Remix OS Download Link
Source: Digital Trends

UE Boom 2 review [and giveaway]: Bluetooth speaker in a booming package

Josh Noriega
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3

Ultimate Ears (UE) has proficiently managed to position itself along side popular names in audio (Bose, JBL, Beats), and for good reason. Backed by Logitech, the brand has been able to keep up its excellent sounding momentum. A couple years ago, UE expanded into the portable wireless speaker market, with the Boom. Today, we have its sequel to review for you guys – the Boom 2.

 

UE promises big, impactful, and engaging sound. Bluetooth speakers often compromise audio quality for their portable aspects. Let’s find out if UE manages to strike a balance and bring the boom, as its name implies.

Design

UE built the Boom with a cylindrical design, and I kind of dig it. It’s a simple and concise package; all that a portable speaker should be.

And the design’s strategy makes sense. It doesn’t shoot audio in one direction like a typical speaker. The cylindrical shape (paired with dual audio drivers) allows the sound to encompass. It’s especially effective indoors, where sound can go in all directions and bounce off the walls. We’ll get to the sound quality later in the review.

UE also did a great job with the size of the unit. It’s not too big or too small. The official dimensions are: 2.75″ diameter and 7.1″ height. It’s not the lightest speaker out there at 1.2 lbs, but I’ll take a little extra heft for a robust build and large battery.

There is honestly not much to say on the Boom 2’s appearance, and that’s okay. There’s an appeal to the simplicity. Most of what you’ll see is a fabric weave around the device.

The two-tone blue color that I was given is called BrainFreeze. UE has a bunch of different color schemes to tickle your fancy.

A vertical, rubbery strip connects the top and bottom caps. The material’s considerable thickness conveys the sturdiness of the build. The Boom 2 is made rugged and definitely feels like it can take some hits. UE says that it is also IPX7 certified (can be immersed in 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes).

You won’t miss those huge +/- volume buttons on the body. The shapes are slits that expose a different color (orange on my unit).

Moving to the top, you’ll find a covertly placed power button dead center. The extra button adjacent to it puts the Boom 2 back in discoverable mode, to pair more devices to it.

On the bottom, you’ll find an attachment ring for clipping the speaker onto a travel bag. Two flaps flank it, which seal the micro-USB charging port and an aux port (for wired audio input).

Functionality

As implied in the previous section, the Boom 2 is extremely user friendly. The buttons/ports are all placed neatly and concisely. And pairing your source is fortunately easy as well.

On the initial power up, the speaker will be in discovery mode and await your source’s connection. It will stick to that source henceforth. UE allows you to pair a whopping eight devices to the Boom 2. Simply hold down the secondary button (that is next to the power button) for 3 seconds and it will look for more devices. If you prefer to pair via NFC, that capability is built-in too.

The packaging includes a flat charging cable and AC adapter. When you plug in the micro-USB connection for charging, you’ll see an LED light indication to let you know the status.

UE rates the battery at providing up to 15 hours of playback, which is great. Bear in mind that different volume levels affect how much battery is used. The charging time from an empty to full battery is 2.5 hours.

In my experience, the strength of the Bluetooth signal was fantastic. My previous Bluetooth speaker would flip out if I put my phone in my pocket. Not so with the Boom 2. It maintains the signal like a champ. UE rates the mobile range as 100 ft (assumingly with nothing in the way). And for those keeping tabs, Boom 2 uses the A2DP Bluetooth standard.

A couple notable tricks are: 1) If the speaker is idle for 15 minutes, it’ll automatically shut off to not waste battery and 2) If you press both volume buttons simultaneously, a voice will tell you the battery level.

Sound

So does the Boom 2 bring the boom? In short, very much so. But first, let’s briefly go over the internals. UE says that there are two 45mm active drivers. They output in opposite directions, which gives the encompassing, 360-degree sound.

A frequency range of 90Hz – 20kHz on the Boom 2’s spec sheet puts up a red flag, because it doesn’t include sub-bass frequencies. However, UE sidesteps this concern via what it calls passive radiators. There are two of those as well and they simulate the deep bass response.

So yes, there’s a pleasant emphasis on the bass, but it’s not done irresponsibly. It doesn’t overshadow the other frequencies. With a name like Boom, I expected a boomy bass. But it’s actually tight and punchy.

With that said, don’t worry if you’re a basshead. There’s plenty of satisfaction there. The bass is the star of the show. But the control pleasantly allows the other frequencies to join the fun.

I was surprised how nice the treble range is done. It’s clear and detailed. I also appreciated how the mid-range isn’t pushed back. Vocals actually come through naturally and in your face (in a good way).

It’s not perfect, though. The overall sound could be fuller. Not saying that it’s thin, but I see room for improvement. And to my ears, the bass isn’t always spot-on. Some songs make it lean on boomy, while others had me question its accuracy. However, that’s me nitpicking. I think that UE did a great job with the sound quality overall.

Final Thoughts

UE has a fabulous Bluetooth speaker here. In my opinion, this one is gonna be hard to beat. I love how ruggedized the build is. A portable speaker should be able to withstand life’s perils. The 360-degree sound output is also well-thought; it just makes sense.

I really appreciated that despite the Boom moniker, the audio was controlled and balanced. The sound quality is on par with what I would expect at the price range. Although, at a retail price at $199, the Boom 2 is not cheap. Check out retailers like Amazon for a slight discount.

Or you can be a lucky winner in our UE Boom Giveaway! Like our Instagram post for a chance to nab one for free!

UE Boom 2 product page

Neoix releases a new phone called AMORR

Andrew Orr
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1

Neoix, Inc. a brand new smartphone company based in San Diego, has released their second phone, called the AMORR, a phone that ships to users already unlocked.

Specs:

  • Battery: 2050 mAh removable
  • Camera: Sony 8MP rear, LED flash, autofocus/5MP front
  • Color: black, gold
  • Connectivity: 4G, Wi-Fi b/g/n; no NFC
  • Dimensions: 158 x 78.5 x 8.5 mm (6.22 x 3.09 x 0.33 in); 205g
  • Display: 5.5″ QHD (960 x 540)
  • Memory: 1 GB RAM
  • Processor: MediaTek 1.3 GHz, quad-core
  • Software: Android 5.1 with 8 UI themes
  • Storage: 8 GB, up to 32 GB microSD
  • Other: Micro USB, 2 covers+ translucent case included

4

Clearly designed for the budget phone market, the AMORR was created with the US market, although the UI has been optimized for both English and Spanish users. The company also offers “Worry Free” assurance, so if you severely damage your phone you can get a one-time replacement for a $75 deductible by sending the damaged one in. The AMORR also includes a 1-year warranty. The phone’s music player includes options for audiophiles, such as an equalizer and reverb settings, although the speaker isn’t listed in their spec list.

Neoix doesn’t directly sell the AMORR; you have to buy it from Amazon. Amazon lists the phone as $129, although it says there is only 1 new phone available.

 

Source: Neoix, PRNewswire

Folding@Home – A good deed at your fingertips. [Review]

AndroidGuys
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Overview

Folding@Home lets you remotely lend your phone’s resources to Stanford University scientists to aide in their research for disease cures.

Developer: Sony Mobile Communications

Cost: Free

Highlights

  • Contributes to a great cause
  • Does not use your data
  • Unobtrusive
  • Runs while you’re asleep
  • Truly free

Setup

Setup for Folding@Home is easy. Simply download the app from the Google Play Store, find the app on your device and open it. Once you’ve read the application’s introduction, you’re ready to go. You have the option to use this app anonymously, or you can create a user account to be tied with your contributions. Having a user account allows you to unlock achievements.

If you decide that you want to create a user account, from the app’s main screen, click the three little dots at the top right of the screen and choose “Sign in.”

What is it?

Folding@Home is, in essence, lending your phone’s processing power to Stanford University scientists to aide in their study of Protein Folding. What is “Protein Folding?” According to the app’s introduction, Protein Folding, or “Folding,” for short, refers to the protein activities in our bodies.

[blockquote author=”Folding@Home introduction”]Folding refers to protein activities in our bodies.[/blockquote]

The end goal of this study is to find cures for diseases such as Cancer, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimers. Each night (or day, if you sleep during the day) that you run Folding@Home, Stanford will assign a unique “folding problem” for your phone to solve. Once this problem has been solved, the results will be sent back to Stanford University.

The beautiful thing about Folding@Home is how unobtrusive it is. In order to contribute to the study, your phone must be:

  1. Plugged in
  2. Fully charged
  3. On Wi-Fi

The idea is that Stanford will use your phone for their work while you sleep. Because your phone is plugged in, you don’t have to worry about it being dead when you wake up in the morning. Because your phone is on wi-fi, you don’t have to worry about Folding@Home using any of your data.

You’re contributing to a great cause and it’s costing you nothing. How can it get any better?

[row][double_paragraph]

Introduction to a good cause
Introduction to a good cause

[/double_paragraph][double_paragraph]

Your privacy and wallet are both safe
Your privacy and wallet are both safe

[/double_paragraph] [/row]

Impressions

Folding@Home was surprisingly simple to use. I installed the application, opened it, read the introduction and then I was ready to go. I chose to create a user account so that I could unlock achievements.

One of my favorite features about Folding@Home was the ability to see what my phone was being used to study. My phone was helping in the study of something called Her2 Kinase, which is a protein involved in cancer. It was really neat to be able to see a picture of this specific protein and read about what it is and how it is involved in Stanford’s study.

Folding@Home stats
Folding@Home stats

I liked that on the app’s home screen, you are able to see stats that tell you what you’re phone is being used to study, how many other people are lending their device(s) to Stanford’s studies, and your device’s total contribution time.

I love the idea of Folding@Home. I love the goal it is working towards. I love how easy the application is to use. However, no matter how much I love the idea, the application, or its goal, I could not look past how hot my phone felt when I woke up in the morning. This heat was at a level that could plausibly (in my opinion), be damaging to my phone.

I don’t want to scare anyone away from helping contribute to such a wonderful cause, but the level of heat I was feeling from my phone deeply concerned me and led me to question whether or not I wanted to continue using Folding@Home.

Conclusion

Without a guarantee from Sony that my phone will be covered in the event that it is damaged from using Folding@Home, I can only recommend using this app cautiously and at your own risk. You may not have the same experience with Folding@Home that I had. In fact, I would still encourage you to download Folding@Home and give it a try for one night. See how you feel the next day.

Your phone getting hot may not bother you. Your phone may not even get hot at all. Either way, give Folding@Home a shot and know that no matter how long you decide to use it, you’ve helped contribute to the cure of an awful disease that has and is afflicting millions.

That’s something to feel good about.

Folding@Home – Google Play Store

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