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Toast review: Real wood covers for your tech devices

AndroidGuys
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Who is Toast?

Stationed in Portland, Oregon, Toast is a company that creates, designs and ships real wood covers for a multitude of devices. They are a small team of 8 who work diligently to put out Toast covers for your favorite tech devices! Toast started back in 2012 after a Kickstarter campaign that was backed by 300 people.

Meet Team Toast!

  • Matias Brecher – Founder, Product Designer & “Papa Toast”
  • Naiden Read –  Laser Grand Master & Head of Production
  • Jennifer Wright – Awesomeness & Brilliant Ideas Departments; “Mama Toast”
  • Danielle House – Social Media Butterfly, PR Power & Primo Pixel Pushing
  • Andre Wilder – Master Controller of Production & Taco Expert
  • Barrie Jo Hamilton – You Want It, You Got It Department
  • Laurent Vriesman – Toast Divine Oracle & Customer Whisperer
  • Robert Coronado – Production Team Whiz, Artsy-Fartsy Business & Life of the Party

[row][double_paragraph][blockquote author=””]You Want It, You Got It Department[/blockquote][/double_paragraph][double_paragraph]The team roster was pulled directly off of the Toastmade website. They are a company that really knows how to have some fun! My personal favorite is Barrie Jo Hamilton’s job description.[/double_paragraph] [/row]

Moving straight on to the review!

Toast cover

Toast makes covers for a large assortment of devices. They have covers for phones, tablets, laptops and even the Pebble smartwatch! They also carry leather skins for select devices.

The team over at Toast was kind enough to send me a beautiful ash cover for my Nexus 6 for the purpose of this review. Another quick shout out to them for being awesome!

Applying the skin

I am deathly afraid of applying things to my phone. I have a mild case of OCD, and I go crazy if a screen protector is the slightest bit off. It is actually one of the reasons that I prefer cases over skins; I can’t deal with a skin that is off just a little. It doesn’t help that companies like Toast make their cutouts precisely the right size. The camera cutout is the exact size as the camera, that sort of thing.

This preciseness scared me at first. I was horrified that I would miss and forever be stuck with a crooked skin. Luckily, that was not the case. Toast covers were actually surprisingly simple apply to my Nexus 6. The best part is that you don’t have to do it perfect the first time!

I missed the first time while trying to apply the backing. After gingerly pealing it back up, I was able to successfully apply it properly on the second go. However, Toast does note that the covers are not reusable. After you apply the cover and push down firmly on it, the skin is on to stay.

You can peal it off after a while, but you will not be able to reapply it and achieve a similar solid stick.

Looks

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First impressions

The skin is downright gorgeous. The color of the ash actually really works with the midnight blue Nexus 6 to great a visually pleasing device.

Toast surprised me by throwing in a front skin cover to go along with the back. Due to the curvature of the screen, the skin isn’t a single, solid piece for the front. It is one piece, but it is sort of cut along the edges to allow it to fold over and match the curve of the screen.

Not only does this help the cover get a better hold on the device, but it also creates a simplistic accent to the skin adding value in both function and fashion.front toast cover

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Wear and tear

Toast is definitely a higher end skin. The ash cover looks amazing! There aren’t really any blemishes on the skin, but even if there were, they would just add to the overall appeal. This is one of those products that will end up looking better with more wear and tear.

back toast cover

At least, that is in my opinion. The more the backing got damaged from sliding around on table tops and even concrete, the better it ended up looking! Each mark on the skin added to the overall natural look of the skin.

[/third_paragraph][third_paragraph]

Engraving

The engraving is probably the best part. Toast sets itself apart from other skin manufacturers by not only using real wood but by allowing users to add custom engravings into the back of the skin.

For a small fee of around $5, you can customize your skin to make your device even more unique.

The engraving is actually surprisingly legible. I wasn’t sure how clear the text would be when burnt into a wooden back, but it comes out nice and clear.

Toast also offers custom covers. With these, you can order a skin just like before, but now you have the option to upload a design to get engraved into the back of the skin in the same way that the custom text would be engraved into the back.

This is significantly more expensive, but it is worth the extra cash to a lot of people to be able to truly create a device that is their own.

[/third_paragraph][/row]

 back toast cover

Feel

As I have stated multiple times now, Toast uses real wood. This is the main selling point of Toast skins actually. Toast covers provide a feel that is unique to wood grain.

Despite the smooth overall feel of the cover, the wood grain also provides a solid grip. I wish I had one of these on my M8 before it slid out of my hand and down the stairs.

My phone feels nice and secure in my hand with the wood cover. I am not even afraid of dropping the phone without a case on it because I feel confident in the grip that the cover provides.

Price

Toast charges a premium price for a premium product. With varying prices, around the 25 to 30 dollar range, Toast comes out as one of the most expensive skin manufacturers that I have encountered.

However, their price tag isn’t without a reason. The materials and design well make up for the extra costs. The extra effort that so obviously went into the creation of this skins also adds lots of value to this product.

I am not sure about paying $59 for a custom cover, previously mentioned, but I can definitely see the $29 price tag being well worth it.

Wrap Up

The Toast wood covers offer a lot for what they are. A skin that is applied to your phone. It provides a stylistic way to add grip to your device. Toast also allows you to take personalization to the next level with their custom covers.

The only thing they have me wishing for is a skin for the side of my device. They do provide side wraps, but they don’t make them for the Nexus 6 currently.

I highly recommend getting a Toast cover for your phone if you are one of those people who enjoy going caseless! For any phone, not even just the giant monstrosity that is the Nexus 6. Toast covers will provide grip and extra style to any phone that they currently have in stock!

The best part is that if they don’t currently skin your phone, you can contact them and see about sending in your phone as a model to get a skin based off of! Actually, that is how I first heard about Toast, they were looking for a first generation Moto X to use as a model for their covers!

[df-gallery url=”https://www.androidguys.com/gallery/toast-cover-for-the-nexus-6/”%5D

 

Meizu announces the all new MX5

AndroidGuys
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Chinese tech company Meizu launched its new flagship, the MX5 smartphone, at an event event in Beijing. The MX5 will be the new flagship for the company this year, boasting high end specs and premium metal build.

meiz

Under the hood, the handset is driven by Mediatek’s Helio X10, a 64-bit octa-core processor clocked at 2.2GHz along with the PowerVR G6200 GPU for graphics. It is coupled with 3GB of RAM and comes in 16/32/64GB variants. The whole device is powered by a decently sized 3150mAh non-removable battery which will be sufficient enough for a day’s usage.

The Meizu MX5 features a 5.5 inch full HD AMOLED display and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The company has also included fast charging feature called mCharge, which allows you to charge your device from 0% to 60% in just 40 minutes. Speaking of the features, Meizu has also included a fingerprint scanner that is present in the physical home button, and is upgraded to version 2.0, which brings improved fingerprint scanning. Security has also been improved on a software level. The MX5 has a special TEE security environment, which can’t be accessed without a Meizu signature, even if the device is rooted.

In the optics department, the handset features a 20.7-megapixel rear facing camera with an aperture of f/2.2, which is capable of recording videos upto 4K and can also shoot slow-motion videos at 100fps. The rear camera is also accompanied by laser auto-focus which will bring better low light camera performance. The 6-element lens is itself covered with Gorilla Glass 3 so you don’t have to worry about scratches while the phone is laying down on the table. The front facing camera is 5-megapixel with an aperture of f/2.0 for better low light performance.

The new flagship will be running the company’s own skin FlymeOS 4.5 on top of Android Lollipop. The handset measures 149.9mm x 74.7mm x 7.6mm and weighs in at 149g, making it only slightly heavier than the MX4. The MX5 comes in deep grey, silver, and champagne gold colors, costing CNY 1,800 ($290) for the basic 16GB version. The 32GB version will sell for CNY 1,999 ($322) and 64GB variant will set you back for CNY 2,399 ($390).

Source: Meizu via GSMArena

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Huawei Honor 7 launched with in metal starting at $322

AndroidGuys
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The much anticipated Honor 7 was just announced today during Huawei’s official press event. The Honor 7 will will come in three variations, each sporting an all metal body.

Variants

The base model will ship with 16 GB of memory and LTE. A step up will lend you a dual SIM model and the top tier will ship with 64 GB of storage.

Each model will cost about $322, $355 and $400 respectively.

Huawei-Honor-7-frontDisplay

The Honor 7 sports a 5.2-inch screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 yielding a PPI of 423.

 

Processor

Powering that 5.2-inch screen is a octacore Kirin 925 processor. The Kirin is clocked at 2.2 Ghz. The chipset is made up of eight A53 cores. Four are clocked at 2.2 Ghz, and four more are clocked at 1.5Ghz.

Backing the Kirin 925 is a Mali T628 GPU.

Camera

In the camera department, the Honor 7 shows off a 20 mega-pixel rear camera with “Phase Detection Auto Focus” that will supposedly give you a 0.1 second focus time. This shooter also has a F2.0 aperture and 6  lens made out of sapphire glass.

Over on the front is a more modest 8 MP camera that has a fixed focus and F2.4 aperture.

Memory

Following today’s standards, the Honor 7 will ship with 3 GB of RAM. As stated before, the base model will contain 16 GB of internal storage for about $322 with the option to grab a 64 GB model for around $400.

Don’t worry if you can’t afford a 64 GB model though. Huawei has included a SD card slot with support for up to 128 GB microSD cards.

Battery

What good is a phone if it is dead? Huawei asks the same question and answers it with a 3100 mAh battery powering the Honor 7.

This battery supposedly will reach a full charge in a mere 1 hour and 25 minutes. Don’t have time for that you say? Well don’t worry, you can get up the a 50% charge in just 30 minutes.

If you don’t have 30 minutes to charge your phone, then I would say you have bigger problems then trying to find a way to keep your phone alive.

Although not specifically mentioned by our source, it would appear that the battery is non-removable as a consequence of the beautiful all metal body.

Connectivity

The Honor 7 will sport NFC, WiFi (802.11 a/b/c/g/n/ac) with support for both 2.4 and 5 Ghz bands, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, GSM, WCDMA and LTE.

Bands are, of course, dependent on your region.

Fingerprint Sensor

That’s right, fingerprint sensor. Huawei has equipped their latest device with a fingerprint sensor on the back of the device right under the camera.

This sensor will allow for one touch unlock. Huawei has also baked in various apps for banking and additionalpayment methods that will utilize the fingerprint sensor for security purposes.

Honor 7 comes with Fingerprint Cards AB (FPC)’s FPC1025 fingerprint sensor. A step up from the FPC1020 that can be found in Huawei’s Ascend Mate 7.

Gotta love those product names.Huawei-Honor-7

In a statement from FPC’s CEO, we learn that the FPC1025 is capable of 360 degree finger rotation.

[blockquote author=”Jörgen Lantto, CEO of FPC“]Huawei is a leading global smartphone manufacturer and we are proud that Huawei selected FPC1025 for Honor 7, following up on the great success of Huawei Ascend Mate 7 with FPC1020 embedded that was launched in 2014. FPC1025 supports 360 degree finger rotation capability, fast response time and industry leading 3D image quality.[/blockquote]

Wrap Up

The Huawei Honor 7 comes in at 143.2 x 71.9 x 8.5 mm and weighs 157 grams. Running EMUI 3.1 based off of Android 5.0, the Honor 7 packs quite a punch on paper.

For a base price of $322, the Huawei’s latest offering comes with near top of the line specs and a killer camera for half of what current flagships go for.

Hopefully the device will meet our expectations and deliver top grade performance for one of the cheapest prices out there.

The device will be start selling in China on July 7th while pre-orders are available now. A launch globally, including the US, is expected in the coming months.

Let us know in the comments down below what you think of Huawei’s newest device. Will you be getting it?

Source: GizChina via: PhoneArena

Blu’s Vivo Air is available for just $150 on Amazon for a limited time

AndroidGuys
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blu2

Blu has been in the smartphone market for while now and made name for itself in budget-oriented category with unlocked smartphones like the Dash 5.0 which sells on Amazon.com for $99.

The US based company launched the Vivo Air back at CES 2015 in January, 2015. Initially available for $199 at Amazon, the smartphone can now be grabbed for just $150 on sale. The smartphone is one of the thinnest phones available on the market measured at just 5.1 mm thickness.

The Vivo Air boasts decent specs for its price point. The smartphone has a 4.8-inch 720p display, and is powered by Mediatek’s 1.7 GHz octa-core processor along with Mali-450 GPU as the graphics engine. For RAM and storage, the Vivo Air has 1GB of RAM and 16GB of total on-board storage which should be more than enough for basic tasks. In the optics department, the phone has an 8.0 megapixel rear facing camera and a 5.0 megapixel front facing camera for selfie lovers. The whole package is powered by 2100 mAh Li-ion battery and should be sufficient for day’s use.  The specs are nothing to write home about, but in summation the phone should suffice for activities like browsing the internet, taking pictures, and making calls and texts.  But don’t expect the Vivo Air to run graphics heavy games like Modern Combat 5 with ease.

At this price point, this is a steal and I recommend that you consider the Vivo Air if you are looking for an affordable and unlocked smartphone. Keep in mind that this deal is only available for today and if you have made your mind to buy the smartphone click on the source link down below.

The unlocked phones from Blu only work on carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile, and will not work on CDMA networks like those from Verizon and Sprint.

Buy the Vivo Air here at Amazon.com

 

Blu launches new Life series of devices direct to consumers

Josh Noriega
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Today Blu Products let the cat out of the bag on their new Life series phones, the Life One and Life 8 XL.  Blu has been making a name for themselves over the past few years with low-cost, bang-for-your-buck offerings.  They’re getting aggressive with this launch, having partnered with Amazon for an exclusive 9 day pre-sale.

Blu Life One (2015)

blu_life_one

The retail price of the new Blu Life One will be $149.00.  However, if you pre-order on Amazon through June 19th, you can grab the Life One for $50 less, at $99.00.

One would not expect much for this price, but Blu believes it packed in all the important factors to make this device great.  Let’s look at what you get:

  • 5.0″ 720p (294 ppi) IPS LCD display
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 SoC (quad-core, 1.2 GHz, 64-bit, Mali-450 GPU)
  • 1 GB RAM
  • 8 GB internal storage with support for micro-sd expansion (up to 64 GB)
  • 13 MP rear (Sony IMX135 sensor) and 5 MP front cameras
  • 2820 mAh battery (non-removable)
  • GSM-only network capability with LTE
  • Android 4.4.2 (KitKat), upgradable to Android 5.0 (Lollipop)

The two red flags I spot in the spec list are the 720p resolution and 1 GB RAM.  More so the latter, because low RAM can lag the OS.  But at just $99, this is a killer deal!  Bear in mind that there is no CDMA network support, so if you’re on Verizon, Sprint, Boost, or Virgin, you need to look elsewhere.

Blu Life 8 XL

blu_8_XL

The Life 8 XL is a larger successor to the Life 8.  A lot of the specs are the same as new Life One, with the following exceptions:

  • 5.5″ display (same 720p IPS LCD, at 268 ppi)
  • MediaTek MT6592 SoC (octa-core, 1.4 GHz, Mali-450 GPU)
  • 8 MP rear  and 2 MP front cameras
  • 2920 mAh removable battery

Interestingly, the larger Life 8 XL runs $20 cheaper than the Life One (maybe due to the lower-costing MediaTek processor and inferior cameras), at a retail price of $129.00.  The pre-sale on the Amazon product page will run from June 22nd through June 30th, at a price of just $79!

These devices should most definitely be on your radar if you’re on a tight budget and need a new Android phone.  But you’d be silly not to expect some cut corners.  These phones are meant to get the job done, without burning a hole in your wallet.

Source | Source

Satechi 7-port multi charging station review

Scott Webster
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Quick! How many devices do you own that can be powered or charged by a USB port? Now, how many of those do you charge on an almost daily basis? Okay, now add the number of devices your spouse or roommate has, too. Do you see where I’m going?

As someone who reviews smartphones, tablets, and other gadgets I am always on the lookout for a way to charge them up. This goes double when I have to travel. How can I most effectively take advantage of the few outlets in this hotel room?

At night I typically find myself charging my phone, Moto 360, and the Kindle Fire HDX. Every once in a while I have to juice up a tablet or two as well. Suffice it to say, the outlets in the bedroom don’t cut it. That’s where multiple-port charging stations and docks come into play.

satechi-7-port

I recently spent some time with the Satechi 7-port multi charging dock, putting it through whatever paces it might need put through. In short, I found it to be an excellent solution for those who need to power up multiple devices at a time.

Featuring three 2.4A ports and four standard 1A ports, the Satechi is perfect for charging any combination of mobile devices. Between my wife and I we never really need to charge more than three tablets. And, really, smartwatches, phones, and other gadgets are just fine to plug into anything overnight.

What I liked about this one is that I can place devices into the dock without having to remove them from any cases. There is enough space between each rack to fit a phone or tablet with a little breathing room.

The power cord needed to run the show is plenty long enough (about 6′ or so) and should be more than adequate to tuck behind a dresser or night stand.

If there’s one area that I’d like to see changed it would be to include a couple of short microUSB cables. It’s not a dealbreaker in any sense but I ultimately ended up ordering a 10-pack of color coded cables (seen in photo above) from Amazon. If you opt to use the cables you already own you might find yourself in a hot mess of cords.

The Satechi 7-port USB charging dock is available in white or black for $59.99 through Satechi’s website. You can also find it on Amazon where, as of today, it lists for $54.99.

Phiaton BT 220 NC noise-cancelling wireless earphones review

Scott Webster
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Up for review today we have the Phiaton BT 220 NC noise-cancelling wireless earphones. We’ve reviewed a handful of products from Phiaton in the past and have always been pleased with the results. Spoiler alert: we really liked these, too. But, that doesn’t mean they’re perfect.

When reviewing headphones, earbuds, and things of this nature there are typically two things consumers look for. Are they comfortable? How do they sound?

phiaton_bt_220nc_2

Comfort

In short, we found these earphones to be very comfortable to wear, even for longer periods. My wife likes to wear them when she goes for runs while I typically use headphones for mowing and bike rides.

We went with the default ear tips that came with the earphones as they fit quite nicely. Should these not feel good to you there are others in the box. In fact, the Phiatons come with four sets of silicon ear tips and one set of memory foam. Regardless of ear size or shape there’s something for everyone.

There’s also an included neck strap however we didn’t bother with them. The main unit itself has a clip on the back which allows wearers to attach it to a sleeve or neck of a shirt. Your experience and preference may vary, but we couldn’t think of a solid reason to attach the strap.

Sound

As is the case with other models we’ve tested with Phiaton, the sound is excellent here. Whether it’s corded or wireless, noise-cancelling or not, this brand consistently delivers a solid sound experience.

phiaton_220_nc2This particular model offers noise-cancelling which can be accessed by sliding a little toggle on the side. Whether you want or need to use this feature remains to be seen, however, I like to enable it when there’s some sort of ambient noise to contend with. To me it’s like when your ears pop on an airplane and suddenly everything is so much clearer.

Lawnmower engine, air from riding a bicycle, or general traffic noises are essentially turned off. Don’t get us wrong, things work well even if you don’t bother with it. In all fairness, my wife didn’t realize this was even an option. Beyond that, she doesn’t use the earphones in situations which might merit the noise-cancellation.

I’m not the tech and spec guy so I won’t talk up things too much here. But, looking through the Phiaton page I find they offer the following details:

  • Frequency Range: 10 Hz ~ 27 kHz
  • Impedance: 32 Ohm
  • THD: Less than 1% at 1 kHz
  • Sensitivity: 100 dB at 1 kHz

Both highs and lows are very clear and I never encountered something that seemed muddy or tinny. I listen to a wide assortment of musical genres and nowhere did I find that sound came across as lacking. Even at high volume levels, the Phiaton is able to deliver a consistent and enjoyable audio experience.

Battery

According to Phiaton you should end up with up to 16 hours of calling time, 17 hours of music-listening, and upwards of 300 hours of standby. We typically don’t measure the actual hours but suffice it to say these are not a pain in the butt, charging-wise.

Given we’re prone to charging phones over night and carrying around portable power supplies for in a pinch, we didn’t have to worry about these earphones. Between my wife and I we were able to use these a few times each before one of charged them up.

One area of improvement, however, comes in the notification of life. Although there is a notification of a low battery we didn’t know exactly what percentage we were at our how much longer we had. Would they last for a quick couple mile run or are they gonna die in the next ten minutes?

phiaton_220_nc3

If there were some sort of audible alert that mentions “50% or 25% battery remaining” we’d have felt more at peace. But, even in the few weeks we played with these we never got stuck with a pair of dead earphones halfway through an activity.

Functions

Everything you might expect in a pair of Bluetooth headphones is present, including volume, track advance, play and pause. What’s more the noise-cancelling option (see above) is a nice added touch.

We like that we’re able to pair two smartphones to the device at the same time. This makes for a hassle-free experience which lets both of us grab them and go without slowing down to pair or reset.

Many modern smartphones feature NFC connectivity of which the earphones are able to take advantage. Simply tap the earphones to your phone and you’re paired and ready to go. It’s quick, easy to do, and worked every time we tried.

phiaton_220_nc1

One area we weren’t totally in love was the overall shape and design of the controller. Not that we didn’t appreciate its sleek design and lightweight presence. Essentially we were accustomed to another pair of Phiaton headphones and liked that setup better.

As one of our favorite Bluetooth headphones of the last few years, we really liked the egg shape and directional toggle of the now-discontinued PS 20 BT. To us, at least, it was easier to control tracks and volume without looking. Reach down and you have the D-pad joystick-like thing which works great. On the other hand, the BT 220 NC is more polished and sophisticated looking.

Price

Expect to pay somewhere between $160-$180 for these headphones; they don’t come cheaply. But, having spent the better part of three years with a different pair of Phiatons we know they’re built to last. We’re not saying you can be lazy or treat them roughly but we know they can take moderate abuse with no problem.

There’s nothing here in this model to suggest they are not worth the money. Everything is put together soundly and the entire experience is solid.

You can find the BT 220 NC online through a variety of retailers including Amazon, Newegg, and Best Buy.

Grain Audio Packable Wireless Speaker System review

Shawn Collins
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2

[dropcaps]I [/dropcaps]recently had the pleasure of spending the holiday weekend with the Packable Wireless Speaker System, or PWS, from Grain Audio and am thoroughly impressed. If you’ve read my reviews in the past, you’ll know that I hold the Jabra Solemate (and its big brother, Max) to be the touchstone by which I measure all other Bluetooth speaker solutions. While I certainly won’t be dumping the Jabra (more on that, below), it’s safe to say that a worthy competitor has surfaced.

THREE AG

While everyone has their own concerns, what I’m typically looking for in a portable speaker is quality of sound, volume, price, battery life and durability (in that order). The folks at Grain Audio have spared no expense at putting together this bad boy. By imbuing the PWS with MaxxAudio, an audiophile-targeted sweetening tool-set from the renowned folks at Waves, the quality of sound that you can expect is unparalleled. I owned and operated a recording studio for many years and Waves was the most trusted name in the industry when it came to plug-ins. They’ve brought that same integrity to the PWS and the impact is great. Rich, full, warm, round… whatever word you prefer to describe luxurious audio, PWS is that. To my ears, the entire spectrum is well-represented from bombastic bottom to sizzling high-end.

Let’s talk volume. For a unit that’s not much bigger than the boxes of candy you’d buy at a movie theater, the PWS delivers. I live in a fairly small apartment in Manhattan but I never even got to crank this thing to its max. The decibel level was perfect for my home, using just about 75% of its capacity, and I was blown away with the vibration isolation. Even with the bass rocking this little guy stayed perfectly still and didn’t rattle or transfer energy to any of its neighboring components. Pretty impressive. If you’re in a large home your mileage may vary but this is an ideal centerpiece to a living room or companion to a home theater.

FOUR AG

At $249.99, this isn’t the cheapest speaker on the block. Unlike a bloated Beats By Dre line, however, you’re actually getting what you pay for with Grain Audio: Attention to detail, an artisan approach and audiophile-quality sound.

The rechargeable Lithium-ion battery is basically standard fare for this type of device and doesn’t merit much discussion. The spec-sheet shows an 8-hour playback duration but I’m not going to sit around listening to The Dark Side of the Moon on repeat just to determine the validity of the claim. I’ll take Grain Audio’s word for it.

Superior sound aside, the PWS is a beautiful unit. As if the name didn’t give it away, all of Grain Audio’s creations have a natural wood design. The Packable Wiresless Speaker System is no different, boasting a hand-oiled, FSC certified, Walnut finish. It’s really quite striking and would be a lovely addition to almost any decor.

That brings me to my only concern with this unit: durability. With its gorgeous wood craftsmanship, I would be hesitant to take this to the beach or the park for fear of scuffing or scratching such a pristine body. One of my favorite things about the Jabra Solemate is the rubberized water-resistant finish which lets me bring it into the bathroom during showers without batting an eye. I don’t know that I’d try that with this unit.

SIX AG

If you’re looking for premium acoustics and a classic design, the Grain Audio Packable Wireless Speaker System is a sumptuous little staple for any home or office… just make sure to bring the included carrying pouch if you’re headed for the beach.

Shop for the Grain Audio Packable Wireless Speaker System on Amazon

Livescribe 3 review

Juan Vega
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1

Livescribe 3 Smartpen 

[dropcaps]As a writer, I find myself writing something here, jotting some notes over there, just basically writing on anything that is on hand. Then I have to remember where I jotted my notes down and decide on whether or not I want to make a digital copy of them for my digital archives. I am sure that I am not the only one that goes through those mental excursions (what, I am? Hm…) Well, I had accepted my fate of just having to write everything down and then typing it up when I had time until I got an email from the uber friendly people over at Livescribe. They informed me that their Livescribe 3 software was coming to Android and that it would be released soon. That was all I needed to hear to know that I had to try it out for myself. So, without further adieu, here is my review for the Livescribe 3 digital pen.[/dropcaps]

[df-subtitle]Design[/df-subtitle]

3020701-slide-s-11-could-livescribes-new-smart-pen-send-tweets-via-paperThe Livescribe 3 from initial impressions does not really have much to differentiate it from its not tech-infused siblings. It’s not until further inspections that you are able to see the small changes. Starting from the top, you are greeted with a rubber nub that serves as the contact point for the stylus aspect of the Livescribe 3. It’s a bit bulky, so you won’t be creating the next Mona Lisa anytime soon, but it still functions well if you are just tired of using your hands and want to use something else to input information on your device. The rubber tip also serves as a cap, as the USB port and reset button are located under it. Moving on down, in the middle of the pen, is the rotating button that turns the Livescribe 3 on and off. Move it to the right, it turns on, left, off. It also serves as the switch mechanism that makes the actual ballpoint pen nib retract.

[df-subtitle]Functionality[/df-subtitle]

Well, now that we have the design out of the way, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. To be able to use the Livescribe pen with your Android-powered device, you are going to need to download two apps from the play store. One of them contains the software to connect the pen to the device while the other contains the actual features. Such as the digital notepad. After you have those downloaded, you are ready to get started with using the Livescribe 3 pen.

 

This is where my only gripe with the Livescribe 3 comes in. Getting it to connect with my Droid Turbo was a hassle. I turned it on by rotating the middle switch and then I opened the Livescribe + app on my smartphone. I followed the onscreen prompts asking if I wanted to pair the Livescribe with my smartphone but whenever I would click on yes, it would just sit there. That went on for about five minutes before it finally connected. After it did, it needed a firmware update that took about 10 to 15 minutes. After the firmware finally updated, the Livescribe disconnected from my device and it took another 5 minutes to reconnect. This was more of a hassle than I was expecting, but I am sure Livescribe will have some future updates that should make this problem disappear. In the meantime though, you should take note that there will be some connectivity issues.

After the Livescribe finally connected with my Turbo, I was good to go. I opened up the app on my smartphone and I was ready to get going. I started writing down some random thoughts on the official Livescribe notepad, which you will need to make the Livescribe work. Text registered almost immediately on the app, and I was surprised just how well it worked. I did not random doodles as well, to see if it would pick them up and it did. After you start writing things down, you can create digital notebook on the app to organize all of your writing.

[df-subtitle]Final Thoughts[/df-subtitle]

Minus the issues with software and connectivity, the Livescribe 3 is a neat tool that would be a welcome addition to any writer’s desk. Due to the fact that the main issues with the Livescribe 3 are software propose, so easily fixed with some future updates, you should definitely consider getting one for the sheer pleasure of writing something down and seeing it digitized on your smartphone.

 

 

 

 

 

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LG G Stylo announced for Sprint, Boost Mobile, and Sprint Prepaid

Scott Webster
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Sprint on Wednesday announced the plus-sized LG G Stylo will be available on its network as well as two of its prepaid services.

Starting today, the 5.7-inch phone can be had at Boost Mobile for $199.99 with no contract. Powered by Android 5.0 Lollipop, the phone features a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, an 8-megapixel rear camera, and 5-megapixel front-facing shooter.

left_stylo

Given the size of the device you might hope for a stylus of some sorts and LG is happy to oblige. Additionally, you’ll find other custom touches such as QuickMemo+ and Knock Code.

The Sprint Prepaid brand will begin offering the LG G Stylo on June 7 where it will also carry the same $199.99 price tag. A few days later, on June 12, you’ll also find the handset at Sprint, too.

The post-paid version of the device will be sold with a variety of options including installment billing. The phone will cost $0 down with 24 monthly payments of $12 each for a grand total of $288.

[findthebest id=”daWe3HjvPrT” title=”LG G Stylo Key Facts” width=”600″ height=”610″ url=”//www.findthebest.com/w/daWe3HjvPrT” link=”http://smartphones.specout.com/l/3218/LG-G-Stylo” link_text=”LG G Stylo Key Facts | SpecOut”]

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