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V-MODA Forza Review: the best $100 sport in-ear headphones

AndroidGuys
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Although wireless earphones are becoming the norm for runners, bikers, and gym-goers, there is still something to be said about wired workout earphones. While wireless ones keep you from having to deal with a cord while you’re working out, wired earphones provide better sound and never require charging so you won’t get to the gym and find yourself without music.

Unfortunately, many wired earphones are fairly bulky and heavy when compared to their wireless counterparts, which can get tiresome during long workouts. Thankfully, it appears V-MODA is coming to the rescue with a pair of extremely light, wired earphones that don’t compromise on sound quality – the Forza.

Design

When I first opened the box, I was amazed at just how small the Forza actually is. The earbuds themselves are smaller than most in-ear headphones I have used, and the entire look of the Forza is streamlined. The cable has a rubber coating to increase durability and help protect it from damage. Along the cable leading to the right earbud, you will find the in-line controls and mic. V-MODA touts that these controls are made for Android devices, which I was excited about since I had used so many earphones with in-line controls that didn’t work with my phone.

Unfortunately, the controls on the Forza do not work with every Android device, and my Alcatel IDOL 4S is one of them. The center play/pause button worked flawlessly along with the volume up button, but for some reason, the volume down button did not work at all. All the controls worked with my Nexus 6 so your experience will vary depending on the phone you have.

Taking a look at the earbuds themselves, I was impressed at their small size. The body of the earbuds is fully plastic to keep weight down, and I was glad to see that they still felt durable even with the plastic body. The Forza is water and sweat resistance and has military-level durability (according to V-MODA), so these earphones should last through even the most vigorous workout sessions.

The lightweight and compact design of the Forza helps most when it comes to the fit, and I found that the Forza fit securely in my ears without the need for fins or earhooks. For those of you who want even more of a tight fit, V-MODA includes three sizes of fins along with a set of earhooks that attach to the Forza and keep it frozen in place. The fins attach securely to the earbuds, and the fit is so seamless I would be surprised if anyone could tell the fins were not part of the Forza itself.

Sound

I have always been a fan of V-MODA and the sound that their products deliver, but I must admit that I was skeptical of the Forza when I first saw it. The tiny size reminded me of the inexpensive earbuds you purchase at a convenience store on a trip when you forgot to pack yours. To my delight, my first impressions were entirely wrong. The Forza comes with a 5.8mm driver that is designed to be lightweight but still provide excellent sound. I can confirm that the Forza delivers on both those fronts.

The sound from the Forza is well balanced with strong bass, clean mids, and clear highs. I was impressed with the amount of bass these little earphones could produce. The small size of the earbuds helps you get a better fit that in turn increases both noise isolation and sound quality.

Unfortunately, the Forza does have some cable noise from it rubbing against your clothes while you run or workout but using the included earhooks helps to minimize it. Even with the slight cable noise, I would still put the Forza at the top of the pack in terms of sound at this price range ($100).

Customization

For those of you who like to add a personal touch to your stuff, you have some customization options for the Forza through the V-MODA website that most other earphones do not have. Starting with the less exciting stuff, you can choose from three color options: Black, Orange, and White. However, you can go much further than this.

The Forza comes with the option to add custom 3D-printed caps that attach to the end of the earbuds. You have three designs to choose from: a steampunk design, the V-MODA logo, or a lion head. If you want to leave it there, you can have any of these printed in black acrylic for $20 bringing your full price to $120.

But I say if you are going to go this route, you must go all the way. And by “all the way,” I mean getting these caps made with a precious metal. Oh, yes. I’m serious. If you want to go the easy way, you can simply get them made of out bronze for a total price of $250. Or, you can work up the price ladder through gold plated, sterling silver, and 14K rose gold caps all the way to the top – full platinum caps costing a whopping $7500 dollars. Is this absolutely ridiculous? Yes. Is it also kinda awesome? Yes.

Conclusion

If you could not tell from the review, I think the Forza is an awesome set of earphones and the best workout headphones you can get at this price. The design is sleek and compact, the sound is full and clear, and the customization options are incredible. While these may be hard to recommend if you are thinking about going the platinum route, for those just wanting the earphones themselves, you would be hard pressed finding a better pair of wired workout headphones for $100. You can customize a pair for yourself at the V-MODA website or grab one from Amazon!

LG G6 arrives at Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint between April 7-10

Alexandra Arici
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The LG G6 was unveiled at MWC 2017 and immediately after – on March 2 – the company made it available for pre-order for customers in South Korea. But how about the rest of the world, you might wonder? When are LG fans in the US going to be able to grab the device.

Well over the weekend, @evleaks revealed that the phone (but not in white) should become available come April 7. Now the information is being corroborated by a report coming out of The Investor reveals that the phone will arrive with US carriers including Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint sometime between April 7-10.

The LG G6 seems off to a good start, at least in the company’s home turf. The phone scored 20,000 pre-orders on the first day – which was enough to make Samsung so nervous that it ran a Galaxy S8 TV ad, to remind customers in the country its flagship is only two weeks away.

The LG G6 arrives with a 5.7-inch FullVision display with covers over 80% of the front panel and brings 2,880 x 1,440-pixel resolution to the table. It runs last year’s Snapdragon 821, as the new Snapdragon 835 was hogged by Samsung.

Nevertheless, the phone brings some enticing qualities to the table like the main dual camera setup which takes advantage of two 13MP sensors (one designed for wide-angle shots with 125-degree lens and f/2.4 aperture and other for regular shots with 71-degree lens and OIS 2.0). The selfie snapper is of 5MP variety with f/2.2 aperture and 100-degree lens.

The LG G6 which will come to the US will feature 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC (digital to analog convertor) which is quite exciting given that this feature is limited to some markets.

According to the same source, the LG G6 will become available sometime later in April.

Are you getting the LG G6?

How-To use Chrome’s Data Save feature

AndroidGuys
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With all the buzz about companies giving “unlimited” data with their plans, it seems that a lot of people and sites have forgotten about data management. For those users who still choose to save money and go with lesser data plans, Chome has you covered with its Data Saver option.

For additional information about what this setting actually does to save you those precious bytes, the Data Saver support page can help you out.

Prerequisites:

All you need is an android device and Chrome installed

Saving Data:

There are four simple steps to saving data in Chrome:

  1. Launch the Chrome app
  2. Tap the menu button in the upper right corner
  3. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and select Data Saver
  4. Tap the slider in the upper right corner to turn the service on

Would you consider using Data Saver? Do you think it is still relevant in today’s mobile world? Share you thoughts with us in the comments below.

Balance: a shockingly fun game about power management (Review)

AndroidGuys
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I’ll be honest. I don’t really know much about how electricity works. Yes, I remember doing experiments in high school about opening and closing circuits, and there was a potato clock or something that I made once, but for the most part I flip a switch and stuff just happens.

How does it happen?

I don’t know, but I use to assume it was either people who were way smarter than I am or magic. Probably magic. Balance is an interesting little puzzle game that is brought to us by Statnett, the system operators of the Norwegian energy system. This game attempts to show what it’s like to be in charge of an energy grid and all the trials that come along with it. Buckle up, boys and girls, because we’re going to take a look at the magic behind why you have the electricity to read this right now.

Developer: Statnett
Price: Free (In-app Purchases)
Download: Google Play

Keeping the flow of power going

Gameplay

You are presented with your power station and a nearby town or two that need power. Starting off you just need to use your power lines to connect your station to the town. You then have a meter on the left that you use to adjust how much power goes out. Too little and the town doesn’t have enough power to operate. Too much and your lines will overload.

Fortunately, the game shows you through color and arrows if you need to raise or lower the power. After a round or two, you are presented with a town behind the original town, and you learn how to chain towns together. First, you have to use a heavy duty line to connect to the first town, then your regular lines to connect the second town to the first. You see, if you just use a regular line to connect to the first town, then try to connect to the second one, the electricity needed to power both towns will overload the first set of lines, but if you use the heavy duty lines, they can carry the extra charge to the first town where you’ll drop half of your charge.

Then the rest of your charge can safely travel across the lower voltage lines. After a little practice with this new concept of higher voltage lines, you’re presented with your first head scratcher puzzle where halfway through the round a tree branch falls on one of your lines and your town will be out of power until repairs are made. Not only this but the longer your town is without power, your level progress bar starts to decline, taking you longer to complete the round and reducing your odds of getting 3 stars.

It’s when these challenges start to occur that you start to realize why it’s called a power grid because your find yourself having grid-like connections between towns and generators so that if anything does happen, you’ll be covered. You start this game thinking very straightforward, just connecting point A to point B, but as you play, through necessity, you being to think beyond this linear thinking and start planning for whatever your town might need as the level progresses. Soon you’ll be balancing power back and forth between two stations, using even higher voltage wires as you daisy-chain 6 towns together, and you’ll have backups on your backups.

The game does a great job of pacing these tasks so each level will make you think, but using your prior knowledge you will be able to problem solve solutions on the fly.

Problem-solving on the go

Controls

Controls are pretty simple. The world is based on a giant grid. You just tap what kind of wires you want, tap a starting point at either the power station or at a town, and then tap each grid space where you want wires to be. Once you reach your town, just tap the plug icon that pops up. There is a slider on the right side of the screen when you tap on a power company that controls their output.

There are times when I will be tapping on a section of wire and the game thinks I’m tapping on the space next to it. There are also speech bubbles that pop up from each town on occasion. It’s fun sayings like “Hey, why won’t my TV work?” and at first I found it rather charming, however, you are not able to tap behind these bubbles, and if you tap them they don’t get dismissed. Nothing is worse than tapping out a power grid to have a town complain about having no power and blocking you from connecting to them. I’m trying to help you! Just let me help you! You can dismiss them by tapping various buildings around the map, but to stop one action to randomly click stuff for no purpose other than to get the game in check is highly annoying.

Problems can pop up at any time, so you need to stay alert and think quickly

Graphics & Sounds

Balance uses detailed little buildings and power plants but still keeps a rather minimalistic feel to the game, with landscapes having few details. Wires come to life with a bright blue glow depending on the power running through them. Overloaded wires start turning red and produce smoke once blown. The soundtrack is peaceful and calm, and the sound effects fit the game, but the sounds overall are forgettable.

Longevity

There’s a whole slew of levels to play through, with more getting unlocked based upon how many stars you collect in each level. There are also bonus levels to unlock with keys that you can earn by completing secondary objectives. There are lots of disasters to work your way around and the levels do require some out of the box thinking. Once you finish the game, it may not be the kind of game that you go back to, because once it’s done, it’s done. I hope that in future updates more levels are added because it really is a blast to pick up and play in short bursts.

Double trouble

Conclusion

Balance is a really fun game. It’s a pretty straightforward puzzle game that teaches you how to play as you go, but while it might give you the tools, it really relies on you to use the skills that you’ve learned and figure out how to use them in new ways. There are occasional hiccups with the touch controls selecting the wrong square or things being hidden behind word bubbles, but overall I had a lot of fun and have a new found respect for the magic that keeps a power grid up and running.

LeEco will challenge the Samsung Galaxy S8 soon enough

Alexandra Arici
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A week ago we told you that the OnePlus’s next flagship might make it out into the wild with a dual-curved display ala Galaxy S7 edge/Galaxy S8 and a Snapdragon 835 processor under the hood.

Well it seems that the Galaxy S8 won’t have only the OnePlus 5 to fear. According to images leaked out of China, it appears LeEco is also readying a flagship device which will be “borrowing” the dual-curved display design characteristic.

Apart from the display particularly, the LeEco handset is said to feature a Snapdragon 835 chipset with a hefty 6GB of RAM onboard. While not visible in the images, we’re told the phone takes advantage of a “top-notch” dual-camera assembly.

That’s pretty much all we can tell you about the mystery LeEco device at the moment, but as soon as we find out more we will update you.

Snapdragon 835 supplies are very scarce at the moment, so we do expect the LeEco beast to launch months after the Galaxy S8 becomes available.

LeEco probably wants to sediment its position in the premium market, by launching a top-of-the-range device. Currently LeEco offers Le Pro3 handset which takes advantage of a 5-inch display with 1080 x 1920-pixel resolution, 403 ppi plus a Snapdragon 821 (like the LG G6) and 4GB of RAM.

The device also ships with a 16MP/8MP camera duo and a pretty big 4,070 mAh non-removable battery. We expect the next LeEco premium phone to offer QHD resolution and maybe a 16MP selfie snapper on top of what we already told you already.

Want to win a Samsung Galaxy S8? Enter our giveaway here

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How-to: Get rid of Google Assistant and use Now on Tap instead

Alexandra Arici
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You probably know that Google has started rolling out the Pixel-exclusive Google Assistant for phones that are running Android 6.0 Marshmallow or Android 7.0 Nougat. Despite the amount of excitement generated by this announcement, some folks appear to be preferring Google Now or On Tap to the Google Assistant.

A pretty substantial thread has emerged on Reddit. Here a user going by Crowday asks the following question: “Anyone else feel like Google Assistant is more cumbersome than Google Now or On Tap”. He goes on to explain further:

“I was pumped to get it but there isn’t really good conversation functionality, or anything more useful than its predecessor. Instead of just having Now Google something for me, Assistant tells me that it Google’d it for me and lets me press a button to see the results. It’s as if the next step is to cut out the middleman voice confirmation and extra click and rename it to something like Google Now.”

Other users have joined and listed various other shortcomings of the Google Assistant. Like the one mentioned by imsoshappy:

“I hate the lack of text search. it’s funny how it’s gotten easier and easier to make a simple search on iOS (literally a swipe away now) while it’s gotten harder on Android, the operating system of the biggest search company.”

Now if you have reason to feel the same, the good news is that there’s a trick which allows you to use Now on Tap rather than the Google Assistant, if that’s your wish. Follow these simple steps and you’ll be good to go:

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Scroll until you find Language & Input
  3. Tap on Languages
  4. Tap on Add a Language
  5. Most users probably have the English option enabled, but now you’ll need to pick an option where the Google Assistant is not supported like the US Virgin Islands.
  6. Just like that the Google Assistant will be replaced by Google Now on Tap

Sure, the majority of users will probably still go for the Google Assistant. But this is a nice trick to be aware of, in case you get frustrated with the Assistant for whatever reason.

P.S. The scheme above works on the Pixel and Pixel XL.

LeEco smartphones and TVs are now available with more US retailers

Alexandra Arici
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0

LeEco is one of those daring Chinese brands that have ventured out on the US market. Unlike Xiaomi and others which remain pretty skittish to take their business stateside, LeEco has achieved quite a lot in the short time it’s been offering its products in America.

LeEco’s products including smartphones and TVs were previously available for purchase via BestBuy, Target and Amazon. And now LeEco is expanding retail availability of its products. Here’s the complete list:

HSN

Starting March 11, LeEco’s Super4 EcoTVs, the Super 4 X43 Pro, X55 and X65 will become available for purchase from the HSN.com website.

BrandsMart USA

Furtermore, LeEco has partnered up with retailer BrandsMart USA which will be offering the Le S3 and LePro 3 smartphones both in online (brandsmartusa.com) and brick and mortar locations.

Wider BestBuy availability

As we told you above, LeEco products were already available in select online and in-store BestBuy locations across the country. But in the course of next few months, we’re going to see the products land in more locations. LeEco hasn’t provided us with a complete list of these locations just yet.

Fry’s

Customers can expect to see LeEco smartphones and Super4 X65 EcoTVs in brick and mortar locations and online (frys.com) in the upcoming few weeks.

Need help customizing your phone? Take Google’s #myAndroid Taste Test

Alexandra Arici
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The main reason why people love Android so much is because there are so many customization options available for them. Throw in a custom launcher, icon pack or wallpaper and voila you have a new phone on your hands.

However, at times users might have a hard time navigating the extensive number of possibilities. So Google has promptly come to their aid. The search giant has created a tool designed to help you personalize your device in a way that made for you and only you.

My first try

Google’s new #myAndroid Taste Test is a simple quiz meant to uncover your aesthetic preferences, as well as additional info like how you tend to use the device (is it for texting, playing?). All questions offer two answers, so you’ll be done completing the quiz in no time.

Once you’re done with the questions, you are given three different homescreen options to choose from – and they all consist of a wallpaper, a launcher, widgets and an icon pack that you can download off the Google Play Store. Although they are not limited to Google’s offerings and can include third-party options from the Play Store.

My second try

Notably, Google isn’t restricting this test to Pixel/Nexus owners, so anyone with a decently-specced Android smartphone at their disposal can go ahead and customize their handset according to Google’s suggestions.

Example of a quiz question

If you are not satisfied with the results (like I was, too metallic for my taste) you can go ahead and take the test again and try to vary the answers a little bit. However, if you like what you see, you can go ahead and share it with your friends and see what they think.

US Cellular welcomes first affordable Android 7.0 Nougat phone

Alexandra Arici
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0

Do you remember the LG Aristo? This was an entry-level handset which so far was available with T-Mobile and its pre-paid arm, MetroPCS.

Well now the same phone – just under a different name, the LG K8 2017 – has landed with US Cellular. While T-Mobile and MetroPCS have been offering the device in silver, US Cellular is selling it in blue.

US Cellular also offers the high-end LG V20, but with the arrival of the LG K8 2017, the carrier can now cater to the needs of budget users who’d like to get Android 7.0 Nougat on the cheap.

The phone comes carrying a 5-inch display with 720 x 1280 resolution and takes advantage of a Snapdragon 425 processor which works in combination with 1.5GB of RAM and 16GB of built-in storage (expandable via external storage). Customers will also be able to take advantage of an 8MP rear shooter with LED flash and a 5MP selfie snapper.

The device relies on a 2,500 mAh battery to keep itself operable and given the low power specs, it should offer quite a sufficient life cycle.

As for pricing, you can grab the LG K8 2017 form US Cellular for only $49.99 a pop (after a $100 discount has been applied online) or just for $5 per month over 30 months. T-Mobile was previously selling the device with a $144 price-tag, so getting it here might be more convenient.

10 sophisticated mobile app user interfaces

AndroidGuys
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Android applications mobile user interface (UI) design emphasizes three goals; enchant, simplify, and amaze.

While beauty is considered a subjective quality interpreted individually, in Android it has a deeper meaning. An application’s UI is expected to be fast and beautiful, with a crisp layout and meaningful typography, with icons as works of art in their own right. Deep within the system, however, transitions should be fast and clear, combining beauty, simplicity, and purpose to create a magical experience that’s enchanting, effortless, and powerful.

For a user, the whole purpose of engaging an application is to simplify his or her life, beginning with an easy to understand interface. When people use any of the applications below for the first time they intuitively grasp the most important features, while back-end web hosting system tasks such as file management and syncing occur automatically without user intervention. A simple task should never require complex procedures, and when designing a complex task human factors such as hand movements and mind must be a priority. An effective UI makes the user feel in control, regardless of age or culture, and never overwhelmed by too many choices or unnecessary flash.

Following are 10 examples of mobile applications with some sophisticated user interfaces. Note that while most of these are Android-based apps, some of them are specific to iOS, too. Why? Because they have a UI worth showcasing.

Reddit

You may love it or you may hate it, but Reddit is big and getting bigger. As a social news service, it has major reputation issues. Its native mobile application UI design is a much better version from what browser users are used to seeing, with simpler navigation, aesthetically pleasing, and well-spaced content.

Colony

Colony offers an audio experience, while the UI design presents textual content in a very readable and pleasing way. The Colony FM application can narrate articles and stories found on web hosting systems, using clear, crisp voices that are easy to understand, turning the written web into your curated audio library.

Eat This Much

To really follow a diet effectively, a good plan is crucial, supported by self-discipline and sheer will. It’s not just calorie counting, that alone won’t do; it has to become a part of your lifestyle. Researching new foods and recipes that make sense for your particular situation is a time-consuming task. Eat This Much is an application that follows the “simplify” principle putting your diet planning on autopilot. You can create meal plans based on your dietary goals, budget, and preferences. Fully packed with features, the UI design of Eat This Much simplifies the whole diet process for you.

Remente

We are still early in the year and if you have not done so already there’s still time for a few self-development resolutions. Life is not just labor, and there are many other sources to derive personal satisfaction. Remente works as a portable psychiatrist constantly concerned with your mental health, offering articles and courses for mental training and self-improvement. Its UI makes good use of white space and bright colors and is a good example of effective two-dimensional design.

Dials Calendar

This is not just another calendar application. Dials Calendar unique UI design is above many other similar applications. Your daily agenda is shown as a beautiful clock with appointments and to-dos marked as icons. A countdown timer, right in the middle, displays your next agenda item. Dials Calendar is useful, cool, and its dark background and playful colors are fun to watch.

MailTime

When you feel like talking to an intelligent non-human being, and Alexa and Google Home are not enough, or portable enough, MailTime comes to the rescue as an intelligent email-as-a-conversation application. The UI design resembles an IM application, but instead of you spending time classifying emails, MailTime’s smart inbox will filter out the real conversations from your never ending stream of newsletters and ads.

What else?

The following apps might be strictly offered on iOS right now, but they definitely have a UI worth noting. Besides, we know at least some of these are coming to Android before long.

Plane

Do you like meeting new people but find it hard to do? Are you new in town and don’t know where to start? Common interests bring people together and the Internet is the premier tool to find like-minded people. Plane works as a social icebreaker offering an alternative to meet new people in new places. Forget Tinder with bots and sleazy folks, Plane instead sends out a “signal” to your location of choice for people to respond with social meeting ideas. What’s to love about Plane’s UI is its beautiful gradients and unique typography with an edgy, futuristic look that sets it apart from other social networking applications.

Letterboxd

Movie lovers, rejoice, this one’s for you. In between good movies, you probably spend a lot of time researching the next one to see, but find the process tedious and boring. The Letterboxd mobile application works as a social network letting you know what your friends and others have enjoyed watching. The UI design of Letterboxd is simple and good-looking, offering you all the information that you might want to know about a film in diaries and lists that you can create and share.

Great Italian Chefs

If cooking is your thing and you love Italian food, this is the application you have been looking for. Great Italian Chefs gives you access to recipes from 26 well-known chefs representing all the diversity of Italian cuisine. Its UI is gorgeous, with an elegant typeface, a visually balanced layout, and stunning food photography that will make your mouth water.

Today

This is one application that asks to be seen daily if you want to be happier, healthier, and more productive. A tall order for just an application, Today will help you pick a few good habits while you put in the willpower to stick to them. A stunning UI design is its hallmark, along with great features that enchant, inspire, and motivate you to achieve your goals. Your health data, or anything else you want to track, can be displayed as pretty charts and counters, collected from more than 30 different applications on your mobile device. Combine those charts in stunning cards and create your own dashboard. Beautiful cover images from stock or from your own photo gallery enhance an UI designed to motivate with visual reminders.

Conclusion

These are a few examples of well-designed UI’s that strive to be called “amazing”, a highly-sought quality that is not achieved by ease-of-use only. In their own way, they feel personal, providing access to web hosting technology with clarity and grace, and therefore empowering people to try new things and to use them in creative ways.

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