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Keep the music going with Don't Pause! (App Review)

It’s 5:15 PM. You’re in your car after a hard day of your boss screaming at you. You’re driving home and you have your phone connected to your stereo through bluetooth, a metal album on and you’re singing as loud as you can. To say you’re into this song would be an understatement.

And then it happens. Your mom sends you a text, your pleasant little tone plays and completely takes you out of the moment. This could have been avoided.

You could have downloaded Don’t Pause!

Don’t Pause!

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Don’t Pause! is a simple app with a ton of options. It solves the problem I just laid out above. If you don’t want to be taken out of the moment when you get a text or an email, you may want to investigate it. Don’t Pause! will set your notifications to vibration, and won’t dip your music when when the notification comes in.

Your phone will vibrate in your pocket, your music will keep pumping, and you’ll go on about your business. Once you’re done listening to music, your notifications go back to normal. Easy.

Customization

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Don't Pause Options SmallThere are plenty of options to customize your experience with Don’t Pause! The first option in the list is the ability to remove the notification that stays in your notification tray when Don’t Pause! is active. Unfortunately for me, it doesn’t work. When I check the option to remove the notification, it never actually goes away.

Even when I stop the app from monitoring my music, the notification remains. The option is there for phones with lesser amounts of RAM so the background process isn’t killed, but it would be nice if the option to get rid of the notification actually worked.

If your phone is vibrating between songs, the “Only Silence Notifications” option may work out for you. If you decide to stop the app while you’re still playing music, you may want to check the “Default Ringer” option. This will return your ringer to its previous state even though the music is still playing. If you leave this unchecked, the phone will remain on vibrate even though you’ve stopped the process.

Pro users will have access to a couple of features for a small fee of $1.34. Under the “Enhancements” tab we have a couple options for when you want Don’t Stop! to autostart. Here we have options for “Start on USB”, which starts the process when a USB cable is plugged in, “Start on Bluetooth” which starts the process when your phone connects to a bluetooth device, “Start on Boot” which makes sure the process starts when your phone starts up, and “Detect Headphones” which will start the process when your headphones enter the 3.5mm jack. All pretty self-explanatory, and all work as intended. You’ll also have the option to disable advertising.

Widgets

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Under Widgets, we have three options. The first two options are 1×1 icons, and the third option is a 2×1 widget.Don't Pause Widgets Small All three of them do the exact same thing, turn the service on and off. These are handy if you don’t want to keep the notifications in the tray, and want to quickly start the service. The 1×1 widgets are the exact same thing. They are the same icon, serve the same purpose and show up exactly the same on the home screen. I honestly have no idea why there are two.

The widgets are frankly ugly. They look very low resolution on my Nexus 6P’s 2560 x 1440 screen. You can see outlines at the edge of the icon where empty space should be, and the text under the widget cuts off so you only see “Don’t”. They’re poorly made, and need some work if the developer wants to be taken seriously.

Functionality

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Don't Pause Notification Tray Small

When the app is running, it functions great. I had Josh Noriega and Derrick Miyao send me a few text messages to test the app’s functionality, and I wasn’t interrupted once. The phone vibrated every time just as intended, and never stopped or faded the music I was listening to.

If you bring up the volume bar while listening to music and try to raise the ringer volume, it will default it back to vibration. You’ll have to actually stop the process to do that. I wanted to see what would happen if I forced the volume up in the settings (Settings App > Sound & Notification > Ring Volume) and it shot my phone into Do Not Disturb mode. Definitely a weird result that the dev needs to fix, but it won’t affect many users unless they do the exact steps I did (which is unlikely).

Verdict

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I really like Don’t Pause! I don’t regret buying the pro version since it was pretty cheap, and opened up some options that make the app pretty powerful. The options you get with the free version are enough to get by on.

I do worry about users missing alerts. I have an Android Wear smartwatch which will still alert me to notifications when they come in when the process is running. You’re going to have to keep an eye on your phone if you don’t because you certainly won’t hear any notifications with Don’t Pause! on.

Play Store Link: Don’t Pause!

14 sweet tech gifts for Valentine's Day

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Did you know Valentine’s day is just around the corner? You better make your dinner reservations now if you haven’t already. The traditional gifts to show your love are cards, chocolates and roses. There’s nothing wrong with those traditional gifts, but sometimes your significant other may want something different. Many of you can get away with not getting gifts, but why risk it? Isn’t it better to make someone happy and show your appreciation and love for them rather than to complain and call Valentine’s Day a Hallmark Holiday?

We’re a tech site and as such we have 14 Valentine’s gift suggestions for you. But you better order your gift soon if you haven’t already. The 14th is less than two weeks away.

Google Nexus 6P and Huawei Smart Watch – Save $50 on both from Google.com

google

Operating System
  • Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Display
  • 5.7 inches
  • WQHD (2560 x 1440) AMOLED display at 518 ppi
Rear Camera
  • 12.3 MP¹
  • 1.55 µm pixels
  • f/2.0 aperture
  • IR laser-assisted autofocus
  • 4K (30 fps) video capture
Front Camera
  • 8MP camera
  • 1.4 µm pixels
Processor
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 v2.1
  • 2.0 GHz Octa-core 64-bit
  • Adreno 430 GPU
Memory & Storage²
  • RAM: 3 GB LPDDR4
  • Internal storage: 32 GB, 64 GB, or 128 GB

Bose SoundLink Color Bluetooth Speaker – $129.99 LINK

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  • Clear, full-range sound you might not expect from a compact speaker
  • Voice prompts make pairing your devices easier than ever
  • Up to 8 hours of music from rechargeable lithium-ion battery
  • Wireless connection to your smartphone, tablet or other Bluetooth-enabled device

 

Sphero BB-8 App-Enabled Droid – $135.99 LINK

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  • Authentic Movement: Guide your BB-8 with a smartphone or tablet
  • Listens & Responds: BB-8 recognizes and reacts to your voice
  • Holographic Messaging: Record and view virtual holographic videos with BB-8
  • Autonomous Behavior: BB-8 has a mind of its own – explore the Star Wars galaxy together
  • Adaptive Personality: Your BB-8’s unique attitude and actions evolve as you interact
  • Authentic Movement: Guide your BB-8 with a smartphone or tablet
  • Listens & Responds: BB-8 recognizes and reacts to your voice

Samsung Gear S2 Smartwatch – LINK

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  • Function meets style with elegant curves and premium finishes
  • Intuitive circular interface and rotating bezel for easy navigation
  • Access to important notifications, texts, and updates at a glance
  • Compatible with Android 4.4 and later with 1.5GB RAM. Some features may not be available. For best compatibility, connect with Samsung Galaxy devices.
  • Wireless charging dock included
  • 1.2-Inch Display Size
  • 4GB Internal Memory / RAM 512MB

Amazon Echo – $179.99 – LINK

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  • Plays all your music from Prime Music, Pandora, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, and more using just your voice
  • Fills the room with immersive, 360º omni-directional audio
  • Allows hands-free convenience with voice-control
  • Hears you from across the room with far-field voice recognition, even while music is playing
  • Answers questions, reads audiobooks and the news, reports traffic and weather, gives info on local businesses, provides sports scores and schedules, and more with Alexa, a cloud-based voice service
  • Controls lights and switches with compatible WeMo, Philips Hue, Samsung SmartThings, Wink, Insteon, and other smart home devices
  • Always getting smarter and adding new features and skills–over 95 added since launch

Kindle Fire 7″ – $49.99 LINK

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  • Beautiful 7″ IPS display (171 ppi / 1024 x 600) and fast 1.3 GHz quad-core processor. Rear and front-facing cameras.
  • All-new Amazon Underground, a one-of-a-kind app store experience where over $10,000 in apps, games and even in-app items are actually free – including extra lives, unlocked levels, unlimited add-on packs and more
  • Enjoy more than 38 million movies, TV shows, songs, books, apps and games
  • 8 GB of internal storage. Free unlimited cloud storage for all Amazon content and photos taken with Fire devices. Add a microSD card for up to 128 GB of additional storage.
  • Updated user interface – Fire OS 5 designed for quick access to your apps and content plus personalized recommendations that make it easy to discover new favorites
  • Up to 7 hours of reading, surfing the web, watching videos, and listening to music
  • Stay connected with fast web browsing, email, and calendar support

Magazine Subscription to Texture – LINK

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Google Play Store

With Texture, you have an all-access pass to world’s best magazines. So anytime you want to read something great, you can. Choose any issue from a catalog that includes all the top magazines in every category.

It’s magazine reading without limits. Flip through an entire issue that hit newsstands today. Or dig into a single article from a back issue in the vast archive. Audio and video exclusives bring extra dimension to the experience.

Caseco Blu-Toque Dual Layered Bluetooth Knit Hat – $49.99 LINK

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  • Wear your Blu-Toque while walking the dog, working outside, commuting, or going for a jog.
  • Knit from soft synthetic wool, Blu-Toque is lightweight, warm, and water resistant.
  • Blu-Toque is universal?it works with any Bluetooth device.
  • Take calls and listen to music right from this integrated beanie. No more headphones, no more wire

August Smart Lock – Keyless Home Entry with Your Smartphone, Red – $149.99 LINK

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  • Secure – Safe, keyless access to your home with iOS and Android smartphones
  • Easy DIY Retrofit Install, – Replace the interior of your existing deadbolt; outside is unchanged
  • Total Control – You control who has access to your home and manage how long their access lasts
  • Always On – Powered by batteries means it’s always on, even if your power, Wi-Fi, or cable go down

Behmor Connected Temperature Control Coffee Maker – $299.99 LINK

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  • Customizable, temperature control coffee maker with phone app for easy operation
  • Free Behmor app works on Apple iOS 7 and higher (available now); Android 4.0+ and higher (available January 2016)
  • Create your favorite brewing profile including brewing temperature and pre-soak time or select from app’s library
  • Delayed Brew option heats the water waiting to brew
  • Double walled thermal carafe holds 8 5oz cups per brew cycle

WeMo Switch, Wi-Fi Enabled, Control your Electronics from anywhere – $39.99 LINK

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  • Turn appliances and electronics on or off from anywhere. Never worry if you left the iron, coffeemaker or hair straightener on. Turn on the nightlight for your little ones!
  • Easy to install and simple to use
  • Set schedules and receive customized notifications
  • Works with any smartphone or tablet running Android 4.0 and higher or iOS 5 and higher. Electrical Rating120V/15A/60Hz/1800W
  • Compatible with Amazon Echo for voice control hands-free convenience

1byone Wireless Bluetooth 4.0 Speaker Dimmable Multicolored LED Light Bulb – $30.99 LINK

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  • Multicolored & ever-changing – Small smart LED bulb can convert 7 main colors – over 16 million supported colors, plus warm and cool white. You can choose your favourite color for each situation to surround you in your room.
  • Music playing via Bluetooth – Connect to your bluetooth devices easily, and the built-in Bluetooth speaker enables you to enjoy music anywhere. Play music from the app or your usual program and have the bulb change colors automatically.
  • Smart Functions – This smart light bulb can play your music, match the lights to the music, has a normal white lights mode, can adjust the brightness, can be renamed and can set a timer in the app to switch off / on. Wake up to your favourite music and color or come home with lights already switched on.

Jabra SPORT PACE Wireless Bluetooth Headset – $99.99 LINK

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  • Premium wireless sound and inline buttons to control music or phone calls
  • Secure and comfortable fit with behind the ear wearing style and multiple sized ear gels
  • Built toward US Military standards for rain, sweat, shock and dust resistance (IP54 rated)
  • Rapid charge feature to provide an hour’s worth of bather life in only 15 minutes of charging. Reflective cable for early morning or nighttime usage
  • Integrated training via Sport Life App to provide in-ear readouts during workouts: pace, time, distance, calories burned. Also works with most popular 3rd party sports applications.

Honor 5X Metal Body Unlocked Smartphone – Gold 16GB $199.99 LINK

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  • Unlocked Dual SIM LTE smartphone with three card slots. Supports nano-sim, micro-SIM, and a microSD card up to 128GB. Works with AT&T and T-Mobile Networks.
  • Sleek, robust housing crafted from aircraft-grade aluminum made with four metal finishing processes.
  • An accurate fast fingerprint sensor improves with time and unlocks in 0.5 Seconds. Set your fingers as shortcuts to call contacts and take photos.
  • Powered by Android 5.1 Lollipop with 16GB Internal memory and 2 GB RAM. A Qualcomm 64-bit Octa-Core Processor renders a smooth, responsive experience.
  • A Picture perfect 5.5-Inch, 1080P full HD display can Show off your 13MP Camera pictures with shooting modes like time-lapse, slow-motion, and perfect-selfie.

Motorola tries to capture your heart with deals through Valentine's Day

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Motorola is no stranger to running deals for some of its inventory over holidays. Valentine’s Day is still a couple weeks away, but the manufacturer isn’t wasting any time. Let’s check out what offers Motorola is using to show you its love.

Moto 360

This is probably the first deal that we’ve seen for the 2nd Gen. Moto 360. It’s not a discount off of the asking price, but rather, an incentive. If you purchase the Moto 360 right now, you can throw on a metal band and get a leather band for free.

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This is pretty sweet if you like changing up your look from time to time. The 2nd Gen. Moto 360 makes it easy is switch out bands (it’s just a latch on the band that pops it off). The free band is a savings of $40.

Moto G

The Moto G offer is a similar deal. You won’t get a discount on the asking price, but you’ll get an accessory for free. Actually, in this case, two free accessories: two extra back covers to change up the phone’s look.

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Recall that the Moto G allows the user to pop off the back cover and switch out with another from a multitude of colors.

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Each shell runs $15, so you’re looking at a $30 savings if changing up your phone’s appearance on a whim tickles your fancy.

Moto X Pure Edition

Lastly, the Moto X Pure Edition is getting some love as well. Motorola recently teamed up with a renowned designer, Jonathan Adler, for three unique back cover looks. The limited edition phones normally run at a premium ($475), but right now they’re at the same price of a normal Moto X Pure Edition ($400).

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Bear in mind that these offers run through Feb. 16th at 10:59a.m. CT. Hit up the source link below to get to the deal’s launch page.

Source: Motorola

HTC is doubling down on deals this week starting tomorrow

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HTC normally runs a weekly deal on its website where you can get heavily discounted products on Tuesdays. In celebration of Groundhog’s Day, HTC has decided to offer two specials this week:

  • Tuesday, February 2: Buy an HTC One A9 and get a free Jabra headset
  • Wednesday, February 3: get 60% off the RE camera

HTC did not specify which Jabra headset it will be offering in the promotion, but you can be assured that all Jabra headsets typically perform very well. The HTC One A9 is a fantastic release from HTC and comes in an all metal body while running Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

Deals will go live at 12:01am ET and will last until midnight PT each day at www.htc.com/us/hotdeal.

HTC One A9 highlights:

  • Size – 145.75 x 70.8. x 7.26 mm
  • CPU Speed – Qualcomm Snapdragonâ„¢ 617, Octa-core; 64-bit, 4 x 1.5GHz + 4 x 1.2GHz
  • Main camera: 13MP with sapphire cover lens, auto-focus
  • Memory – 3GB RAM / 32GB Storage
  • Display – 5.0 inch, Full HD 1080p, Corning Gorilla Glass

Xiaomi and Meizu gain first U.S. carrier sales via T-Mobile MNVO (UPDATED)

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Reasonably priced and high quality Chinese phones are coming to the U.S. We’ve been telling you for a while now that cheap phones are getting better, and good phones are getting cheaper. Now, we’re seeing the first step in these super mid-range Chinese phones invading the States.

US Mobile announced on Monday that they’ll begin to sell phones from two Chinese companies, Xiaomi and Meizu. On US Mobile’s online shopping portal not only will you have the option to pick up popular options from Apple, Samsung, LG – you’ll have access to the Xiaomi Redmi 2, Mi 3, and Mi 4 as well as the Meizu Note 2. All of these phones range from $119 to $219, and come factory unlocked.

It’s important to point out that US Mobile is acting as more of an online storefront for Omni Electronics HK who will import the English language versions of the Chinese phones. Since US Mobile is working in partnership with this importer, the smartphones it sells will never be locked to the carrier. You can buy the phone outright and have it work on any GSM network like AT&T and Cricket Wireless.

There are a few caveats with these phones with the biggest among them being the lack of LTE.

China and the United States use different LTE bands so you’ll be limited to 3G speeds on the devices in the U.S. If you’re the type of person that is constantly connected to WiFi, this will not have a huge impact, but there are options out there from Chinese manufacturers that still offer excellent value, while supporting U.S. LTE bands. If the lack of LTE bands is a killer for you, you may want to seek one of those other phones out.

Another large sacrifice that customers will be asked to make is to use an outdated operating system. The Redmi 2, Mi 3, and Mi 4 will come with Android 4.4 with Xiaomi’s MIUI skin on top. Xiaomi is sometimes called the “Apple of China” because of its similar skin (UI) and phone design. MIUI has no application drawer, and while it generally relies on internet services to expand the functionality of the device, those features won’t be making the trek across the Pacific.

When Xiaomi does decide to invade the U.S. on its own and not through a carrier, it’s going to be big news. With Ex-Googler Hugo Barra seemingly guiding the ship, Xiaomi has sold more phones globally than established players like LG, Sony, and Lenovo. Xiaomi is the fifth largest maker of cellular devices behind only behind Samsung, Apple, Huawei, and Lenovo. Its devices are a combination of low cost and high performance that deliver a heavily skinned, highly connected experience.

While mid-range phones are gaining popularity, Xiaomi hasn’t officially announced plans for the United States market. This could be a test balloon for carriers, and companies like Xiaomi to see how well their devices could do here. But to truly have an impact in the hugely profitable U.S. market, it’s going to take more than rebranded Chinese devices sold through a third tier carrier’s online storefront.

Looking toward the future, it’s within reason to think we could see major releases from these companies in a first tier carrier in 2016. Xiaomi is the world’s fifth largest phone maker with over 70 million phones sold last year, without even entering the U.S. market.

The mind goes toward T-Mobile first since the carrier conducting this trial balloon, US Mobile is a T-Mobile MNVO. T-Mobile is not afraid to try something new. It was the first company to start paying for ETF fees, and to have offered consumer friendly services like Music Freedom and Binge-On. It’s not out of the realm of possibility to see T-Mobile start selling phones from Xiaomi directly to its budget conscious customers. T-Mobile’s primary business is focused on providing cellular service and not just high priced smartphones.

It’s looking like 2016 is going to be the year of the moderately priced Chinese smartphone afterall.

[alert color=”green”]Update: US Mobile has pulled the ability to purchase Xiaomi and Meizu phones, and released a statement:

“For now, US Mobile said it is working with third-party sellers to make the Xiaomi phones available. But the company had to pull the devices from its online store, citing the need for additional testing. The company intends to go through the extra certification and bring them back to the market.”

Xiaomi also released a statement to CNET stating “There are no plans to sell smartphones through any authorized distributors in the US,” the company said. “US Mobile is not authorized to sell Xiaomi products in the US.”

Source: PCMag via Fierce Wireless

Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge recycled designs, expected but annoying

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Last week, we got a good look at the front of the upcoming Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge refreshes (to be unveiled at Samsung’s Unpacked event on Feb. 21st). This week, that peek is completed with back view of the two brothers, courtesy of the infamous leaker, Evan Blass.

Ugh.

Now, I won’t be unreasonable. It wouldn’t make much sense for Samsung to do a redesign. It is well invested in this overhaul done on the Galaxy S6. Only, I had the S6 Edge and Note5 last year, and didn’t feel like the design was a winner. Does anyone else feel the same way?

Sure, the phones most definitely looked pretty. But that was the extent of it. The design is super fragile (glass on both front and back). The phones feel like they want to slip out of your hand. I don’t like phone cases, so I had to baby them with a tight grip. I always had to be cautious to not set them down on a rough surface, and be mindful of their slippery nature (they were prone to slipping out of my pocket when I entered/exited my car, or fall from my lap). And those fingerprint smudges on the back…’nuff said.

I also questioned if the Edge variant was frivolous to a crucial point. The eye candy won me over initially, but I didn’t renew that enthusiasm with the S6 Edge+. I sprung for the Note5 instead and didn’t miss the curved edges one bit. The design is partly to blame for that, because you have less gripping area on the Edge variant.

When I later moved on to the LG V10, the experience was an eye-opener. In contrast, the V10 is built with practicality in mind. It has a very grippy back, beefy side rails, and a MIL-STD-810G drop-test certification. No, it’s no where as pretty as the latest Galaxy phones, but the usability experience is night and day. I’m such a premium hardware snob, so my whole world turned upside-down when I tried the V10 and loved it.

What I’m trying to say here is that Samsung should have recognized where last year’s design faltered and tried to supplement it somehow. I know the phones aren’t out yet, but the leaked pictures are pretty clear (and Samsung is known for making minuscule changes).

Do those Galaxy users out there agree that the current design didn’t do it for you? We’ll find out the full scope at Unpacked 2016 in three weeks time.

HAVIT Bluetooth 4.1 wireless sport headphones: review

The days of wired headphones are limited with more options of Bluetooth headsets. I’ve been using the HAVIT Bluetooth 4.1 wireless sport headphones for the last two weeks and honestly had low expectations. They are currently priced at just $26.99 with free 2-day shipping at Amazon.com, and with my experience in headphones, you normally get what you pay for. But in rare cases, you sometimes get so much more than you were expecting, and that’s what I got with the HAVIT wireless sport headphones.

Design

At first inspection, the HAVIT wireless sport headphones don’t really look “sporty”. They are not brightly colored nor do they look small. You get two earpieces which are about the size of a two U.S. Nickles and are connected by a single cable with a rubber coating. The two earpieces are made from plastic, and the right earpiece is the one that contains the brains – the volume up/down buttons, on/off switch, charging port and Bluetooth connection button. The left earpiece is identical in design, it just doesn’t have any built in controls.

On the right earpiece you will also find the tiny holes that house the dual microphones that allow you to make wireless calls. There is absolutely nothing fascinating about the design, but they are actually very well built. The buttons are in logical places, seams match up quite nicely, and the charging port is accessible and out of the way from any potential sweat that may harm the headphones if you were to wear them while working out.

And although they look large, there are small protruding earpieces which fit directly into your ear canal. And those earpieces are actually rather light weight.

Usage

Honestly I wasn’t expecting much when it came to sound quality. But with my first listening attempt with Charlie Puth’s Marvin Gaye, I was instantly surprised at how great these Bluetooth headphones performed. In the YouTube video of Charlie Puth’s song, it opens up with a drum scene and my ears could instantly feel the drum roll. And then the music comes to life with a full range of bass, decent mids, and clear highs.

Bluetooth music suffers to its wired counterpart when it comes to sound quality, but the gap is getting much smaller as time progresses. What helps sound quality dramatically is the type of seal you get with the earpieces. The HAVIT wireless sport headphones block out almost all outside sound with the silicon tips it provides out of the box. They’re extremely comfortable and can be worn for hours. I know they can because I wore them on a two and a half hour flight last week. With the great seal and improvement in Bluetooth technology, the sound is actually really great and most importantly these headphones are fun to listen to.

I also was not expecting much in terms of call quality. The microphones are built into the right earpiece so you won’t have a mic hanging down in front of your face which is nice. In my recent experience with wireless headsets, I haven’t had much luck with superior call quality.

Until now. HAVIT uses Bluetooth 4.1 and CVC 6.0 noise cancellation technology which actually works well. While walking my dog and while hanging out with her at the dog park I took a few calls to give this tech a try. I asked my test subjects if I sounded loud and clear, and all four of them answered with a unanimous yes.

My only real complaint with these headphones is the volume doesn’t get as loud as I sometimes need. Gyms can be very loud at times with music blasting in the background, weights clanking, and with people talking. It can sometimes push my volume needs a little beyond what most people would listen to, and to a level that probably isn’t good for my ears. But when I work out I need to block out all outside sound. There were times when I could still hear outside noise which sometimes left me desiring more volume.

Other than that, the battery life is great at five to six hours of use, build quality is better than I expected, and the light-weight is a great factor when wearing these. They feel no heavier than my custom in ear monitors and are comfortable to use.

Specifications:

Bluetooth version: V4.1 + EDR
Operating Range: 10M
Talk time: about 6.5h
Charging length: about 2h
Music Duration: about 6h
Voice prompts: Support
Channel: two-channel stereo
Support Agreement: A2DP / HFP / HSP / AVRVP
Functions: answer / end / reject / redial, mute, volume control / switch songs, multi-point links, music, noise cancelling
Charger Port: Micro USB

Summary

For $26.99 the HAVIT Bluetooth 4.1 wireless sport headphones are an absolute steal. I definitely was not expecting much with the price I paid, but was happily surprised that the headphones offer exceptional sound with a high quality build. Materials were nothing to write home about, but everything else was worthy. If you are on a budget, or if you don’t want to waste money on a good set of headphones to use at the gym or on a run, I can highly recommend the HAVIT Bluetooth 4.1 wireless sport headphones. Especially when they are priced at just $26.99.

Samsung sends out official invites to 'Unpacked' for expected Galaxy S7 release

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Samsung has just sent out the official invites for it’s ‘Unpacked’ event for February 21st – one day before the Mobile World Congress conference. The launch event of the Next Big Thing will take place at 7 p.m. in Barcelona, and can also be watched on YouTube for those of us who cannot make it out to Spain.

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Samsung is expected to release at least two new versions of the Galaxy S7, and possibly three. The regular, curved and large curved display S7’s are all possible flagships expecting to see their debut on the 21st of February in Spain.

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Evan Blass from evleaks has been releasing information about the latest S7 flagships, and there are rumors that the next device may bring back the micro SD card slot, in addition to unmatched battery life of 17 hours on screen time. With the inability to hide secrets from the public, I am sure there are bound to be many more leaks in the weeks to come. Are you excited for the next S7?

 

Looking for accessories for your Nexus 6P or 5X? Here are our favorites

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So, you have a shiny new Huawei Nexus 6P or LG Nexus 5X. How do you make the most of it? How do you protect it? It’s been hard sledding trying to find a wide range of accessories so far. These are by no means Samsung or Apple phones where you can find hundreds of cases, screen protectors, and cables in a ton of designs and variations.

SEE ALSO:

In a previous post, I declared this USB Type-C dock my favorite Nexus accessory, but here are some more contenders for the crown.

USB Type-C Dock

This is a product I have on the way to my house right now from across the ocean, so I can’t give a first-hand

usb type c dock2review of it. Users in the Nexus 6P subreddit do seem to like it though. You won’t be getting quick charging speeds from this dock, but that’s fine in my opinion. My phone almost never needs to charge rapidly when it’s sitting on my bedside table, but I would love a nice dock to keep it upright and easy to grab.

You can also daisy chain some cables using this dock. It comes with MicroUSB in and USB Type-A out, perfect for also charging your smartwatch. This dock is very light, so you may need to tape it down to keep it in place, and appears to be case friendly. And for $4,  you can’t beat the price.

Ebay: USB 3.1 USB Type-C Dock

 

NXET USB TypeC dock2For this dock, we’ve picked something a little more substantial. This USB Type-C dock has the Benson seal of approval, which means it will charge your phone rapidly and safely. If you don’t know who Benson is, he’s an engineer at Google who has taken the time to do a ton of product reviews to let the community know what cables and accessories are safe. Some cables don’t use the correct standard and can damage your battery when charging. You can check out his reviews here.

Back to the dock. This NXET dock has a USB Type-C connector that sits on a hinge so it won’t break off with when you grab your phone with a little bit of force. The dock is case friendly, and can also act as a data passthrough to a computer. Perfect for keeping on your desk at home or work. An AC adapter is NOT included here so to get rapid charging, be sure to use the one that came with your phone or another third party adapter that supports quick charging.

Amazon: NXET Type-C Dock

Insignia Hub 2

I’ve previously written about the next entry in our list in my post where I laid out why it’s my favorite accessory for the Nexus 6P. This USB Type-C dock is a little different from the first two. This dock, instead of giving you somewhere to charge your phone, lets you charge your friends’ phones.

The USB port on the Nexus 6P and 5X allow you to transfer power from your phone to a friend’s. If you have a USB Type-C to USB Type-C cable this is as easy as plugging the phones into each other. If you happen to have friends that use the older Micro USB or Apple’s Lightning connector, you can use an adapter like this to charge their phone.

This dock, in particular, has two USB Type-A and two USB Type-C ports out ports on it, but you can find other docks with things like card readers on them if that’s what you’re looking for. There are a lot of options here, most of them ranging between $20 and $30. I also picked up this cable with the heads for USB Type-C, Lightning, and Micro USB connections so I only need to carry one cable, no matter who needs some juice.

Best Buy: Insignia 4-Port USB Type-C Hub

Wraps

dbrand nexusIf you want to protect that phone from scratches, or give a new look without making it super bulky, a wrap may be in your future. Our own Derrick Miyao was not shy about telling us how much he thought of the dbrand copper skin last month. His exact words were “My Nexus 6P looks better than yours thanks to my dbrand copper skin”, and I have to agree with him.

dbrand just makes great products. I’ve owned at least a dozen of its skins because it make a ton of designs for a multitude of phones and accessory out there. Right now, you can head over to dbrand’s website and grab a skin for the back of your phone for $10. Crazy cheap.

It will let you customize your skin any way you want. If you want the cutout on the back to show the full Nexus branding, just the X or cover the entire backing, you can do that. You can also pick up a colored X in a ton of colors to make endless combinations or a multi-colored Nexus X. There are other companies that make wraps and skins, but dbrand is the best for a reason. Quality.

dbrand: Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X

Cases

Cases are pretty subjective. People have their own personal tastes, and have to weigh the protection vs. looks aspect of each case to decide if it is for them. Here are a few of my favorites.

verus nexus 6p case3

 

Verus makes a very nice hybrid case that has a strong bumper around the edges of the thin rubber case, and a raised lip over the front of the screen to protect your Nexus 6P from all sides. The design is refined and you’ll have no issue using your phone in any setting.

Amazon: Verus Nexus 6P case

adopted nexus 5x caseAdopted has been on the new Nexus hype train from the beginning. I ordered my Adopted case with my Nexus 6P, and have loved it ever since. Here is the same Adopted case for the Nexus 5X. It provides a lot of protection without bulking up the phone, or hitting your bank account too hard. I can definitely recommend this case from personal use.

This listing is for the Carbon version of the case, but Adopted also has the Quartz version. The Quartz case is pretty cool, but costs about double. The Carbon case is made from elastomer, which is just rubber. The Nexus 5X doesn’t need a ton of help with gripability but this will add some more since it’s rubbery. I’ve never had an issue getting it in and out of my pants pocket, and it helps to keep your phone in place on a slippery surface.

B&H Photo: Adopted Nexus 5X Case
Amazon: Adopted Nexus 5X Case

Screen Protectors

Orzly’s screen protectors aren’t perfect, but it’s good enough for me to keep on my daily driver. It make a tempered glass screen protectors for both the Huawei Nexus 6P and the LG Nexus 5X, and coming in at only $9 with prime shipping, it isn’t going to break the bank.

I’d love it if these screen protectors were edge to edge, but sadly it’s not. It stops just short of the edge, but it honestly doesn’t bother me that much. I hardly ever notice anymore. There are cutouts around the speakers with special attention to the proximity sensor on top. The screen protectors have an Oleophobic coating which Orzly says reduces the amount of fingerprints and smudges on the screen. Coming in at only .24mm thick, these shouldn’t interfere with a lip on a case like the ones we linked above.

Amazon: Orzly Tempered Glass Screen Protector for the Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X

Cables

There are a ton of cables out there with USB Type-C connectors on one, or both ends of them. If you have any question whether it’s a quality cable, I encourage you to stick to cables that Benson has reviewed. He’s widely recognized as the authority on this. Both of these cables have his seal of approval, which is the only reason I’d recommend them.

orzly usb 4 packIf you still want to use your USB Type-A ports and old adapters, then Orzly has the perfect pack for you. Orzly is selling a 4-pack of USB Type-A to USB Type-C cables for $20. This multi-color 4 pack has black, white, blue, and orange cables inside. The cables support USB 3.1 which is important if you also have a Macbook because some accessories require SuperSpeed operations to function, which USB 3.1 enables.

These are high quality cables, and come in at only about $5 per cable, which is impossible to find individually. These get the Benson seal of approval, and my recommendation as well.

Amazon: Orzly USB Type-A to USB Type-C 4 pack

anker usb type c to cNext we have Anker’s USB Type-C to USB Type-C cable. It’s appropriately priced at about $9 with Prime shipping for the 1 meter (3.3 foot) version of the cable. Depending on the power source and adapter you’re plugged in to, you’ll get quick charging and fast data transfer speeds.

This USB Type-C to USB Type-C cable will let you transfer data and power between you and any other USB Type-C device, and comes with an 18 month warranty for peace of mind.

Amazon: Anker USB Type-C Cable

Power Banks

Even though the Nexus 5X and 6P have great battery life, you may still find that you need to charge up when you’re out of the house. Power Banks have caught on in the last few years due to their convenience, portability, and price. The power bank we’re going to look at is one of the best all around packages.

ravpower usb type c battery bank2

The RAVPower 20,100mAH External Battery Bank is huge. Not in size, but in capacity. It holds enough power to charge the Nexus 6P about six full times and the Nexus 5X a little under seven and a half times. Not only is it big, but it’s fast too. The battery bank supports Quick Charge 2.0 input and output so you can charge your phones quickly, and recharge the battery bank quickly.

The one final feature that makes it a killer for me is that the RAVPower battery bank has a USB Type-C port on it! The battery bank has a USB Type-C 3A, Quick Charge 2.0 USB Type-A port, and a 2.4A USB Type-A port that will charge Apple devices at their top speed. This battery bank has everything.

Product Website: RAVPower 20,100mAH External Battery Bank

Amazon: RAVPower 20,100mAH External Battery Bank

That wraps up our list! What are your favorite accessories for the new Nexus devices? Let us know down in the comments what you have to make the most out of your Phone! Want to see more? Check out Volume 2 of our list!

New leak confirms Galaxy S7 launch date

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If you’re excited about the new Samsung Galaxy S7 and the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, you won’t have to wait much longer. Legendary leaker Evan Blass has once again worked his magic and leaked new slides from what appears to be a Samsung presentation that confirm when the new flagship devices will launch.

S7 Slides

That date appears to be February 21, 2016. You may wonder why that date has significance. It just so happens that the February 21 is the day before Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain kicks off. Samsung, and other device makers, have a history of announcing their early year flagships at MWC. It looks like this year is no different. LG and Huawei have also been rumored to have major announcements at the show.

[alert color=”green”]

  • Galaxy S7: 5.1″ 2560 x 1440 AMOLED display
  • Galaxy S7 Edge: 5.5″ 2560 x 1440 curved AMOLED display
  • 12 MP Main Camera
  • 5 MP Front camera
  • Sony IMX300 camera
  • f/1.7 lens
  • Adreno 530 Graphics
  • Exynos chipset or Snapdragon 820
  • 32GB or 64GB storage
  • 4GB LP-DDR4 RAM
  • Micro-SD card slot

[/alert]

The launch date is great, but when can you get your hands on it? The release date info is a little more murky, but we’ve seen the date March 11, 2016 multiple times. This would put it in the same month-long period where we normally see Samsung’s Galaxy S line launch so that makes sense.

If you’re interested in more information on the flagships that are going to launch in the next two months, check out What We Know about the Samsung Galaxy S7 and What We Know about the LG G5.

Source: EVLeaks