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LG G4 dbrand skins review: Perfect fit

Jason Botha
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0

The good guys at dbrand were willing to send us a few skins to try out on the LG G4. It’s likely you’ve heard of dbrand before, but if you haven’t, they specialize in making skins for your phone. These can be easily applied and removed with perfect precision. Different themes and color combinations can be used for different areas of the phone, and you can even order a custom sticker if you’re really in the mood for customization. Go have a peek at their website if you’re still confused.

In the box 

All dbrand skins come in a desirable plastic sleeve, stuck onto the specialized 3M paper (more on that later). Simple, compact and effective, I could marvel at the packaging the whole day. Yes, it’s that… appealing. You’ll understand if you’re that type of guy that keeps his packaging.

Application

Ignoring the big bold text that recommended to firstly watch the video on how to apply the skin, I went straight ahead and applied  it without prior knowledge of what I’m doing. Thankfully, my first application worked out just fine, my only problems were that the skin was slightly misaligned with the speaker grid and that the edges were sticking out a bit.

After then watching the video, I learnt that you have to use a hair dryer to push down the edges and bits that stick up a bit. This stretches it a little bit and activates the stickiness a bit more, meaning the entire skin is flush with the device and that you won’t have pokey corners, instead it’ll curve round the edges more consistently.

dbrand have confidently said that their skins are the most precise on the market. While I have not had experience with other brands, I can certainly back them up here and, barring the speaker cutout, say that every millimeter is on point.

On that point, on the three skins that I had, only one aligned perfectly with the speaker grill, making me think that the problem is not within the skin itself, but rather how it is applied by the user. Perhaps I just need to jack up on my skills.

With the front stickers, you have the option to either have two separate skins for the top and bottom bezel, or have one skin which joins the top and bottom parts with the side bezels. These were the easiest to apply, and aligned perfectly with all the components at the top.

If you want to remove them, you simply pull up a corner somewhere and pull gently. Thanks to the high quality 3M paper that dbrand uses, you won’t find any glue or residual marks left behind. You also may be wondering if it’s possible to reuse skins, and the answer is yes, at least with the G4. You will, however, have to pull it off gently in a way that does not excessively stretch or create tears. Unfortunately, I could not reuse my carbon fibre skin:

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Now is also a good time to mention that you cannot apply a skin to a leather back, only the plastic version.

The skins are approximately 0,23mm thick, but provide reasonable protection against scratches and the elements. Their high quality is the epitome of dbrand’s good workmanship.

In case you’re wondering what color to get, I’ll highly recommend the mahogany wood back. It looks better without the accents, though.

Overall, dbrand certainly has some quality products up their sleeves. The excellent customer service, range of skins and product quality is testament to their success in the field.

You can head over here if you want to take a look at G4 skins, or here if you want to go to their main page.

 

 

 

New 32GB Nexus 6 back on Ebay for $299

Jack McNenny
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0

The sale of the year is back people, the 32GB unlocked and brand new Nexus 6 is on sale at Ebay for just $299. Seller mobilepros1 has a 97.7 rating in user feedback so this deal is quite legit.

Shipping is free, and the expected delivery is between Oct. 12 and Oct. 23. The model only comes in the midnight blue variant. Grab them while you can!

Specifications for Google’s 2014 flagship phablet include:

  • 5.96 Quad-HD AMOLED display
  • Quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor
  • 3GB RAM
  • 13-megapixel back camera
  • 2-megapixel front camera
  • Dual front-facing speakers
  • Matte plastic back with aluminum metal frame

Google Nexus 6 Ebay page

PureGear DualTek Pro case for Samsung Note5 review

Josh Noriega
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0

Choosing smartphone case isn’t a simple task, as we have to sift through a sea of types and brands. Fortunately at AndroidGuys, we get the opportunity to get our hands on great offerings and are able to take closeup, real-world pics and provide usability insight.

PureGear is such case company that keeps up with the latest smartphones and gives us the opportunity to check out. Today, I have an interesting case made for the Note5 – the DualTek Pro. It is PureGear’s latest crack at merging sleekness with robustness. Let’s check it out.

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Design

I was surprised when I opened the box up and toured the Dualtek Pro case. It’s different. With cases, we typically see either TPU material (flexible plastic) or hard shell plastic. However, PureGear merged both of these approaches.

From the back it looks and feels like typical hard plastic. But then the perimeter is a mix of clear TPU and that hard plastic that wrapped itself around the sides. Take a look.

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Why has PureGear done this? Robustness is a big reason. It can now boast a “Military Tested and Approved” standard. Also, we can have a pad that sits in the middle of the interior for shock absorption.

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So then why not just make the whole case hard plastic? Well, PureGear thinks that you don’t want to completely cover up that beauty of a phone. It’s their solution for compromising sleekness and robustness.

I like the choice of finish of the plastic on the back. It’s a matte, smooth and soft feeling plastic. It feels like quality and like it can take a beating.

As expected, there is a lip on the front TPU wrapping, for protection of phone’s front glass.

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The TPU material feels as expected from other cases. It’s great how PureGear made the hard plastic and TPU seamless where they meet on the sides.

The buttons are nice and firm. They have a satisfying click and protrude out of the sides slightly to make them easy to locate. They also have an appealing chrome finish on them.

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Usability

The smooth-touch plastic on the rear of the DualTek case feels nice in hand. It does well with smudges too. Moisture it initially picks up from your fingers disappears within a couple seconds.

Being that this case carries a Military drop standard, don’t expect it to be the slimmest option. Not that we’re looking at a thick brick either, I’m just saying you’ll certainly notice the extra thickness in your pocket.

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That also means that your phone won’t feel fragile anymore. You’ll have a solid grip now. And the case retains the curved-back design of the Note5 for a nice fit in hand.

You’ll naturally grip the phone on soft touch plastic around the sides. This is another reason why it was a nice touch to design the frame this way.

The cutouts for the ports on the bottom of the phone are perfectly done. And there’s plenty of an opening to access the SPen.

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I must mention that the fit is tight. I’ve never had so much difficultly getting a case off before. So if you plan to just have one case, then there’s no problem. But if you have several cases you switch between, keep this in mind.

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Final Thoughts

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PureGear’s DualTek Pro is a great case to consider for your Note5. I’m happy to say that the quality impressed, both from an in-hand feel and robustness perspective.

I would recommend it to anyone who wants a good compromise of protection and slimness. However, keep in mind that the case wants to stay put once it’s installed.

You can find more info about the case at PureGear’s product page or on Amazon.

Moshi Venturo laptop backpack review: classy with function

AndroidGuys
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0

With the school year being in full swing for more than a month, we take for granted what we use to carry around all of our supplies. The backpack is probably the most needed and essential tool for students throughout their education, whether it is high school and younger or college. What a perfect time to review a backpack, right? Well you’re in luck because Moshi was kind enough to send over their Venturo backpack for review.

I currently am in college for Web Programming, so I need to bring my laptop everywhere I go, from class to class and even to work on occasion. One thing that annoys me a bit about my current backpack is that it doesn’t have a dedicated laptop sleeve (it’s a Dakine skateboarding backpack). If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it as they always say. Well, thankfully Moshi wanted me to test out their Venturo backpack, so I got my wish.

Moshi Venturo with Dell XPS 13

The Moshi Venturo is a sleek and slim laptop backpack that looks a little more professionally and presentable than my current backpack. For this review, I was sent the Charcoal Black version with orange accents. If that’s not your thing, Blue Steel, Titanium Gray, and Navy Blue options are also available. The backpack comes in at only 28.74 ounces and has dimensions of 20.08″ x 4.13″ x 14.57″. It is very light and slim, but is still able to hold a 15″ laptop.

Moshi Venturo diagram

On the outside of the Moshi Venturo is “lightweight and durable fabric with weather-resistant surface treatment”. That seems pretty technical, but I can’t disagree. Using the Venturo for the better part of September into October, I have seen no signs of wear whatsoever. During my daily usage, it is opened and closed around ten times a day at the minimum and that is with taking a computer and textbooks out multiple times in between.

Up in Minnesota during the fall it doesn’t rain too much, but when it did I wasn’t worried. I fully trusted having my school computer in my backpack without the fear of it being damaged. I still wouldn’t want to let it sit outside for extended periods, but with 5-10 minutes of rainfall, everything remained dry as could be.

One thing I’ve learned from reviewing Moshi products is that they are nothing but quality. When I opened up the Venturo I was impressed with the high-quality zipper handles Moshi employed. They are very heavy-duty and don’t seem like they will bend or break. I’ve had that issue in the past where my zipper handle will bend or even break, but that looks nearly impossible on the Venturo. I couldn’t even bend them if I tried.

Moshi Venturo zipper handle

One thing necessary on backpacks is a lot of padding to keep things comfortable, especially when hauling around multiple textbooks. The back of the Moshi Venturo has a very thick padded air-mesh back support along with some on the actual strap. When using the Venturo, I have found out that it is comfortable with very small amounts of weight. Although it has a good amount of padding, once I added a few textbooks alongside my 15″ laptop, the strap stressed my shoulder.

Moshi Venturo padding

The backpack does fit very nicely and is definitely comfortable to wear, just with an adequate amount of weight. Once it gets a little too heavy, it is uncomfortable after extended periods of time. To be honest, no padding could help this, that’s just the sacrifice you make when you purchase a one strapped backpack. On the other side of things, I do like how Moshi included a second handle on the side of the Venturo which then can be carried like a briefcase. I found myself using this option a lot more when I had to carry more than two textbooks.

Overall, the Moshi Venturo is a great option if you are looking for a nice backpack to carry your laptop, schoolwork, and other electronics. The problem is, it becomes a little uncomfortable with a little extra weight. The design is spot on and is very appealing. It is very easy to tote around to an interview for example, that is what I plan on using it for. It is a lot more presentable than a regular backpack if you have to bring your laptop or papers to show examples of your work. If Moshi were to make a “regular” backpack with two straps, I would jump all over that.

If you would like to purchase the Moshi Venturo, it can be found on Moshi’s official website for $119.95  and on Amazon for $118.95.

What does HTC need to do to get back on track?

Josh Noriega
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I need to start by saying I’m partial to HTC phones. Not only because they were my entry into Android phones (like many Android users in fact), but because I stuck with them. Up through the One M7, they were my only experience with Android. I had every HTC Evo phone in the series prior to the M7.

The One M8 gave me a reason to finally try another OEM, because the M8 did not push the envelope like previous HTC phones did. When the One M9 launch came by, I was hoping HTC would knock it out of the park. It didn’t, by any means.

So here I am, still waiting for a reason to join HTC once again.

But what exactly is HTC doing wrong? In other words, how would you change the One phone so that you would buy it?

Before I begin, this article is not meant to be another opportunity for haters to drop in a “HTC sucks, I hope they go under” comment. While HTC has made mistakes, it is no where near the level to just say the company sucks and turn your head away.

Design

It’s no doubt that the One series have been beauties. HTC lets the finely-machined metal do the talking. Although the simplistic design is tired at its 3rd iteration, that sexy brushed metal can still attract.

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Unfortunately with the M9, HTC did not fix a glaring problem with the M8. The phone is simply too big for a 5-inch phone.

The size of the phone is too weird of a spot to be in. The phone is too big for consumers who still want a smaller display. And the display is too small for consumers who want a phablet.

And why is this? The bezel is due to both the dual-front speakers and that infamous black bar area under the screen.

Now, HTC has expressed that there’s important circuitry under the black bar that inhibits removing it. Excuses won’t help save your phone. Something has to be done.

Concept of what the M9 was thought to be
Concept of what the M9 was thought to be

The next problem is in only offering a 5-inch display phone. This is the craziest thing to me. There are so many people who want large displays. Ignoring that much of the market is inexcusable.

Camera

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As many, I was pretty upset about the camera in the One M9. Not only because it was a weak contender in the flagship arena, but because in the past, HTC had so much emphasis on superior smartphone camera technology. On the One X/Evo LTE, HTC made it a point to increase the lens aperture (where others didn’t make it a focus until later on).

The subsequent Ultrapixel camera received mixed reception, but at least HTC was taking a stance on something they believed in. I still value low-light capability over MP count.

But with the M9 camera, I didn’t sense any of that passion. It just felt like HTC said, “Here you go, a high MP camera. Enjoy.” Firstly, abandoning the low-light focus made HTC look disorganized and lost. Next, the Toshiba-manufacturer camera sensor in the M9 had issues that other flagships have ironed out by now (grainy/fuzzy shots in lower-light and over-exposure in dynamic range situations). I don’t know if the fault was in the choice of sensor or not enough development on HTC’s part.

What else?

I’ve covered my big issues with HTC’s current offering: Bezel, no large display option, and camera. Do you agree? If you could, what would you tell HTC the next launch needs to have to get your hard-earned money?

Leaks of the upcoming One A9 are worrisome, hinting at a mid-ranger with considerable bezel. It was once thought to be a big-hitter, to make up for the M9’s lack of sales. The direction of the A9 now appears to be a strong budget contender. We’ll know the full scoop on Oct. 20th.

Regardless of what happens, I won’t forget where we’ve come from. HTC was there in the beginning of Android, and its contribution isn’t deserving of quick dismissal.

Braven Balance review: Portable, waterproof, and 4000mAh of juice to share

Scott Webster
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Up for review today is one of the newest portable Bluetooth speakers from Braven, the Balance. We’ve been impressed with the stuff we’ve seen out of the Braven camp in the past so we jumped at the opportunity to test one of these out.

20151007_144013The Braven Balance speaker is a waterproof and semi rugged experience. This means you can take it out on the deck, patio, or set it next to the pool to provide hours of audio entertainment. It isn’t designed to take a bunch of drops, but it can withstand some moderate abuse. The rubber coating is nice, and ensures that it doesn’t slip or slide out of your hand.

Thanks to the way this one is designed, you can set it on its side, or flip it over on its stomach. Sound comes from the center of the device however the ends do have some play for the bass and lows. In terms of dimensions, it is not much bigger than a standard size Bible or book of that nature.

20151007_143813While it is a Bluetooth device, it also pulls double duty as a portable power solution, too. Indeed, you can use the Braven Balance as a battery bank to provide some juice to your phone. This is a fantastic little feature should you need to power up while out and about. There is a 4000mAh battery inside, so there’s more than enough to get your phone to where it needs to be and ensure you’re charged for the rest of the day. Just be sure to bring your charging cable as it’s not included in the box.

As to be expected, there is a 3.5mm headphone jack inside that allows you to plug in directly so you can use the auxiliary port from your phone rather than Bluetooth. Should you not have a smartphone or something equipped with Bluetooth, you can always plug in your mp3 player or audio source.

Do note that the ports on the rear are not going to withstand water on their own. You will want to make sure that you cover up the device using the rubber boot or protective cover. Forgetting to do so or neglecting to do so could result in a wet and potentially damage device.

The model that we reviewed was Raspberry Pink, however there are a number of color options (Electric Lime, Raven, Periwinkle, Alpine, Sunset) available from Braven. We tested this unit outdoors as well as indoors. My wife likes to use it for when she teaches yoga, and it certainly does its intended purpose. She finds that she only needs to play volume about halfway up for a handful of her classmates to hear music.

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When used inside, you definitely don’t have to turn the volume up very loud. It will fill a room quite easily.  But, if you need to go loud, it goes loud. There is a semi-hidden feature that allows you to turn the volume to what I believe is maximum capacity. Called Boost Mode, you hold down two buttons (power and “+” button) for a moment whereupon it will switch to maximum capacity. It is quite jarring and unsettling if you’re not ready. If you need to really pump out the jams and liven up a backyard party, then this is the way to do it.

The sound is quite accurate, if not robust. There were very few times where we had to go above half the volume to be satisfied with levels. Regardless of where we set the volume, audio was crisp, clear, and warm.

We found that we only had to recharge the battery once every few uses. The capacity allows for up to 18 hours of playback, however your mileage will vary depending on how loudly you are playing your music. Keep in mind, too, that if you’re using the speaker as a power source to charge up your phone, you’ll need to top this one off more often.

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We were thoroughly impressed with this device and it fits right in line with other Braven models we tested in the past. We are happy to recommend this to anyone interested in a portable speaker. You’ll find the Braven Balance retails for about $130 at a variety of outlets, including Best Buy and Amazon.

 

 

BRV-X-IPX7 (1)If you are looking for something that offers even more out of the speaker with a battery combo, check out the Braven BRV-X. Not only does it bump the battery up to 5200mAh, but its certified waterproof, shock absorbent protection lets it take a beating. And, the included travel strap ensures you can buckle it down to your bike, kayak, or off-road vehicle.

WhatsApp users can now create private backups in Google Drive

AndroidGuys
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1

s3-chataudioThanks to a partnership between WhatsApp and Google Drive, users of the wildly popular message app can now keep copies of chat history. Indeed, there are some 900 million of you out there, many of which are using Android as the mobile platform of choice.

According to Google, WhatsApp users on Android are able to backup chat history, voice messages, photos, and videos in Google Drive. Moreover, it’s also possible to restore all of this to a new device should you ever upgrade your Android. Everything is native, seamless and secure as Google will encrypt the multimedia in the cloud.

The new feature is coming to an Android near you, however the process is expected to take a few months to fully deploy. Keep an eye on your WhatsApp settings to see if you’re ready to start backing things up.

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Virgin Mobile’s latest move lets customers stream music without affecting data

Scott Webster
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Virgin Mobile USA has revealed a new feature for its prepaid plans which lets customers stream music without having it impact the data plan. Dubbed “data-free” streaming, it allows for unlimited access Pandora, Slacker Radio, and iHeartRadio.

The move is similar to what T-Mobile does for its Music Freedom feature in that it frees up customers from stressing about data usage. Music is one of the more popular ways to chew threw monthly data; the three services are some of the bigger names in the space.

Virgin Mobile customers can receive the data-free streaming for any of the carrier’s three plans. The $35 option includes 1GB of monthly data and includes unlimited talk and text. For $45, subscribers can jump to 3GB of data while the $55 plan gives 8GB of high speed internet.

Virgin Mobile

Barnes & Noble debut Samsung Galaxy Tab E NOOK

Scott Webster
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Barnes & Noble and Samsung on Wednesday announced the latest in a collaborative electronic book reader effort. Specifically, the pair introduced the Samsung Galaxy Tab E NOOK, a $250 eReader with a 9.6-inch display.

Available immediately, the tablet runs Android under the hood and features 16GB internal storage with microSD expansion card slot (up to 128GB). The rear houses a 5-megapixel camera while the front offers up a 2-megapixel lens for selfies and video chat.

The aforementioned 9.6-inch screen has a 1280 x 800 pixel resolution image; it’s larger than the more expensive Tab S2 Nook but considerably lower resolution.

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The Galaxy Tab E NOOK comes loaded with a suite of Microsoft Office apps and also includes access to a number of Google apps. Like other NOOK devices, this one comes with free NOOK Cloud storage, lifetime in-store support at Barnes & Noble, and the ability to read NOOK Books free inside of B&N retail stores.

Purchase the Samsung Galaxy Tab E NOOK from Barnes & Noble

ES File Explorer: Access files, view images, play music, and more (App review)

Jalen Benjamin
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1

ES File Explorer is the most popular file explorer available on Google Play if you go by downloads, with over 1.7 million and counting. As a file explorer, it provides a user interface for managing files and folders. This includes operations, such as viewing, playing, and editing.

Features

When you open ES File Explorer, it will display the homepage. This view provides access to documents and images, as you would expect. You can easily access internal and external storage if available. Interestingly, it has shortcuts for music and installed apps, as well.

The tools section includes tools for network file management, Remote Manager for PC access, and System Manager, a task manager.

The bookmarks section provides links to the documents folder, Google Images (through Images), Google News (through News), Google Play (through APP), and others.

In order to access the menu, either tap the menu button in the top left, or swipe from the left of the screen to display the menu options. The menu includes sections for Favorites, Local (as in, local storage), Library (images, music, movies, etc.), Network, and Tools.

You are able to exit the app, change the theme, and go to settings from the three, respective buttons at the bottom of this sidebar.

From settings, you can change ES File Explorer’s layout, its cache, its directories, the search engine, and more. Here, you also can set a password, backup your settings and apps, change settings for the download manager, and set default windows for startup.

Let’s go back to the homepage. You will see another button at the top right for extra options. From here, you can make a new file or link, refresh the page, add or close windows, and manipulate files and folders that have been copied to the clipboard. The Default button at the bottom of the Windows sidebar provides a shortcut for you to change the default windows for startup.

If you want to make a search, you can specify what ES File Explorer should search for by clicking the options button after you tap the search button. These options include web search, searching in documents, searching in video, and so on.

Now, let’s go back to the homepage one more time. In the first screenshot above, you should see a transparent circle overlapping the tools and bookmarks sections. This circle, which is available to you in all directories, helps you to perform swiping gestures for shortcuts. In order to make your own gestures, click “Gesture” from the menu sidebar.

What We Liked

  • Many, specific settings
  • Homepage provides options to many of the app’s functions and settings
  • Gesture support
  • Network file access and management
  • Built-in video player
  • Built-in music player
  • Task Manager (requires installation)
  • Customizable themes

What We Didn’t Like

  • Music player can’t play all formats
  • Barebones video player
    • No options for subtitles, rewind, fast-forward, playback speed
    • Unappealing UI that does not match the rest of the app
  • Only 12 windows can be open at a time

Summary: 4.63 out of 5 stars

To conclude, ES File Explorer is a great file manager. Although it is packed with features (some of which some users may not use), no main functionality is lost. The app never slowed down or crashed during my moments using it.

Power users will be satisfied, I think, with these many features and settings. Those include an SD Card Analyst, FTP support, and the aforementioned System Manager and Remote Manager.

There were only three, minor issues I had with ES File Explorer. First, its music player can only play .mp4 files.

The video player is also barebones since it has no subtitle, rewind, fast-forward, or playback speed support. Also, its UI does not match the rest of the app and is rather unappealing with a design based on Android 2.x.

Lastly, only 12 windows can be open at a time within the app, which is rather easy to do if you’re exploring all the options in one session.

However, with that aside, I do not think these issues take away too much from ES File Explorer at all. A file manager at least needs to do the essentials of accessing and manipulating files and directories well, and it does that.

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