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Kodak Ektra camera phone comes to the US in April for $549

Alexandra Arici
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You might remember Kodak’s latest photography centric Ektra smartphone which was released on the European market in December 2016 for €499 a pop.

Well at CES 2017 Kodak announced it will be bringing the device to the US and Canada, so customers looking for an apt camera phone should watch out for Ektra. Kodak says the photography-led smartphone will be available for pre-order in the two countries starting April for $549 a pop.

For those who are really curious about the device, Kodak has put the Ektra on display at CES 2017 in Las Vegas.

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In case you don’t remember, let us tell you a few things about the handset. In order to produce the Ektra, the iconic photo company has partnered up with British smartphone manufacturer, Bullitt. The phone’s design is inspired by the 1941 Kodak camera bearing the same name, so don’t expect it to be extremely thin.

The phone offers the services of a 5-inch display with 1080p resolution and bundles a MediaTek Helio X20 chipset under the hood. There’s also 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, but a microSD card slot is provided for memory expansion for those who want more.

The photo department is where the Ektra shines. The device boasts a main 21MP sensor with f/2.0 lens, Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), Phase Detection AF, 4K video recording and dual LED flash.

As for the selfies, everything is taken care of by a 13MP selfie camera. Kodak also bundled the Ektra will lots of edition options and manual features are also provided, so you almost get the feeling you’re using an analog camera and not a handset.

Last but not least, the Ektra draws power from a 3,000 mAh battery and runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box. But customers should probably not get their hopes up about Android 7.0 Nougat.

Kodak also offers a camera case to make it look like you’re carrying an old school camera instead of a phone. To celebrate CES 2017, Kodak has also shared with us a few image samples taken with the Ektra, so users can see for themselves the wonders it can achieve.

Braven redefines its Outdoor Series of rugged speakers with new, smarter models

Scott Webster
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Braven today introduced the next iteration of its rugged Outdoor Series of Bluetooth speakers with a number of new models. Moreover, the fresh batch also include Bluetooth Smart technology to facilitate power, customization, control, and connectivity.

Known for their ability to withstand water, dust, and other elements, Braven’s speakers often employ aircraft-grade aluminum and other tough materials. Until today, the Outdoor lineup consisted of various BRV models that range from ultra portable to bigger-than-boombox proportions. As you’d expect, the price differs, going anywhere from about $99 up to around $350.

The new Ready line of speakers, as well as a refreshed BRV-XXL, continue on the same path. Prices are right about the same, however the speakers are smarter than in the past. Each of the new units are expected to arrive in the second quarter of the year.

Here’s a breakdown of the new models in Braven’s 2017 Outdoor Series of portable speakers.

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READY PRO

  • Bluetooth® Smart integration offers full speaker and sound control via App
  • Designed with an aircraft-grade aluminum grill, shockproof over-molded cabinet complete with an IP67 waterproof rating
  • Omni-directional passive subwoofer generates big bass and supports a 16-hour playtime
  • Integrated 2600mAh power bank for charging mobile devices
  • Includes action mount and tie-down strap for added portability
  • Equipped with a small Multi Tool Hang Tag, to support users with essential tools including a bottle opener, Philips Screw driver, Carabiner Clip and more
  • MSRP $149.99 USD

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READY PRIME

  • Bluetooth® Smart enabled, Ready Prime™ offers users customizable sound and full control via App compatibility
  • Designed with two large drivers and dual passive radiators to deliver rich bass and a long-lasting 18-hour playtime
  • IP67 waterproof rated with an aircraft-grade aluminum grill and shockproof exterior
  • Built-in 4000mAh power bank for charging USB-enabled devices
  • Includes tie-down bars and carry strap for added transportability
  • Equipped with a large Multi Tool Hang Tag, to support users with essential tools including a bottle opener, fishing line cutter, Ruler, Philips Screw driver, and more
  • MSRP $199.99 USD

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READY ELITE

  • Bluetooth® Smart integration and App-compatibility supports wireless control of Ready Elite™ power and sound
  • Internal design features two large drivers and dual passive radiators generating rich bass and a 12-hour playtime
  • Features an all over IP67 waterproof and dustproof rating and shockproof drop-proof exterior
  • Empowered with a built in 10,000mAh power bank to continuously charge mobile devices
  • Includes tie-down bars and carry strap for added usability
  • Equipped with a large Multi Tool Hang Tool, to support users with essential tools including a bottle opener, fishing line cutter, ruler, Philips Screw driver, and more
  • MSRP $299.99 USD

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READY SOLO

  • Compact IP67 waterproof rated design with aircraft-grade aluminum grill and shockproof exterior
  • Omni-directional subwoofer generates decadent bass and supports a 12-hour playtime
  • Integrated 2200mAh power bank for charging smartphones on-the-go
  • Includes action mount and tie-down strap for added portability
  • Equipped with a small Multi Tool Hang Tag to support users with essential tools including a bottle opener, Philips Screw driver, Carabiner Clip and more
  • MSRP $99.99 USD

As to what makes these speakers smarter than their predecessors, that revolves around the BRAVEN Smart App. Available for Android and iOS devices, it gives listeners more control over the sound experience. One can, for instance, remotely turn the speakers on and offor  adjust equalizer settings. Additionally, the Smart Lock features can be toggled to product buttons from accidental pressing or interruption.

Google Calendar gets better at helping you keep your health goals

Alexandra Arici
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Now that the holiday season is over, we can really start contemplating our New Year resolutions in order to create strategies to help us keep them. In a recent article we offered you a list of apps that will help with this important task.

Now Google wants to help you achieve your goals too, so this week the search giant is adding a number of new ways to motivate you to keep up the good work via an update to Google Calendar.

The Goals in Google Calendar app, which was launched last year helps you make time for the activities that matter to you. This tool is design to record your goals and find time in your schedule, so you can put theory into practice. Users can set duration and frequency of activities and the app will send notifications alerting you when its time.

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With the new update, users can see in the Calendar app health data from wearables and fitness trackers, as well as connect goals from Google Fit and Apple Health. Prior to the update, users had to mark goals as done manually in Google Calendar, even if they were using a fitness app to track their progress.

Now don’t go thinking that if you miss an appointment, you’re off the hook. Calendar will now reschedule them for you, so if you are set to go for a run at 6.30, but are unable to get going until 7.15, Calendar will make sure the goal is rescheduled.

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A new visual performance tracker has been added to allow users to see their progress, because as Google theorizes “if you’re setting out to achieve a goal, seeing progress can be a great motivation.”

Scosche and Rockstar reveal lineup of rugged accessories for active users

Alexandra Arici
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Accessory designer Scosche signed a licensing deal with Rockstar – the popular energy-drink maker – to put the Rockstar brand on its consumer technology products including Bluetooth speakers, headphones and such back in April.

Both brands share common demographics, meaning they are designed for people who lead active lifestyles, from athletes to rock stars. At CES 2017 Scosche has pulled the veil off a lineup of rugged Rockstar branded consumer tech products which includes a pair of earbuds, headphones, speakers and more. Let’s take them each and see what they are all about.

BoomBuoy

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This is a small, portable 3W 50mm speaker and passive radiator which was designed for sports fans who love going out for a bike ride or hiking. The device features IP67 certification for dust resistance and water proof and rechargeable lithium-ion battery capable of lasting up 7 hours of playtime.

If dropped in water by accident, the BoomBuoy will float face up thus allowing users to quickly retrieve it to safety. The speaker also comes with a carbineer that allows users to attach it to a tent and microSD cable. It sells for $39.99 a pop.

BoomBottle

boombottle

The BoomBottle might look like a bottle you can drink from during a hike, but it’s actually the speaker you will want to take with your during all your adventures. It’s small and light, but also rugged.

The speaker is IP67-rated and has been tested to meet military standards. Its main features include integrated front panel control buttons, EQ function to improve sound quality in outdoors environment and 6,000 mAh rechargeable battery which sustains up to 15h of playtime. Furthermore, the power box can be used to charge your smartphone and other mobile devices, while music is still playing. The BoomBottle will become available in Q1 2017 for $199.

ThudBuds

thudbuds

ThudBuds are a pair of ear buds that feature 10.5mm drivers for a rich reproduction of the user’s favorite tunes. The ThudBuds feature sweat resistant jackets, so the earphone drivers should remain unharmed over time. The ear buds are available in three versions: small, medium and large in three color options including black, black/yellow and white/yellow. Customers can purchase a pair for $19.99.

RH1060RS Bluetooth Stereo Headphones with Controls and SHPRS1 On-ear Headphones

rh1060rs-bluetooth-stereo-headphones-with-controls

Scosche also released two on-ear headphone options. The first one comes equipped with 40mm divers in order to provide an advanced audio experience. Users can control play, pause, skip track from the headphones. The RH1060RS Bluetooth Stereo Headphones with Controls will be available later in Q1 2017 I black, white, gold for $199.

shprs1-on-ear-headphones

The second pair of headphones takes advantage of a light headband and a 3.5 connector that aids with strain relief and superior signal transfer. The SHPRS1 On-ear Headphones can be ordered now for $39.99 a pop.

goBAT 10K

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Worried you might run of battery on your phone while you’re out on the mountains hiking? Sosche has your back. The goBAT is a portable two-port backup battery built to last thanks to its IP67-rated design. The external battery comes pre-charged and allows a fully drained iPhone 6 to charge up to five times. You can get it now for $79.99.

syncABLE HD and strikeLINE HD

syncable-hd

Last but not least comes the syncABLE HD four-foot reversible microUSB charger and Sync Cable designed to allow users to quickly charge their drained devices.

The strikeLINE HD is a four-foot, heavy-duty Lightning USB Cable with MFI certification, so customers can both charge and sync their devices. The two devices come with a 3-year warranty and will become available for purchase in Q1 for $19.99 and $24.99 respectively.

 

iHome unveils a slew of versatile Bluetooth headphones

AndroidGuys
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iHome, the popular smart home and audio company, has revealed its new line of Bluetooth headphones at CES 2017. The models iHome has at the show this year are focused on long battery life and durability for use anywhere. They are also aggressively priced at sub-$50 for most models, which should make them a compelling option for headphone shoppers in the coming year.

There are four different models, all of which feature Bluetooth wireless, built-in push-button access to smartphone assistants like Google Now and Siri, and voice control also will be available on select SKUs.

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iB71 ($39.99) Bluetooth Water-resistant Sport Clip Earbuds – The iB71 sports earbuds offer rich, detailed sound with enhanced bass response. They are Bluetooth wireless for up to 30 feet and feature a slim cable between the two buds. IPX5 water resistance ensures they are sweatproof and protected from the elements, while custom fit ear cushions make extended listening a pleasure. The headphones feature in-line controls and come packaged with a travel pouch and charging cable.

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iB76 ($49.99) Weather Tough Bluetooth Sport Earbuds with Melody Voice Assistant – iP65-rated splashproof, sweatproof, shockproof and dustproof, great for outdoor use and protection from the elements. Rechargeable battery provides up to eight hours of continuous use. Built-in echo-cancelling mic allows you to have crystal clear wireless phone calls and a remote control on the cable puts music, call and volume controls within easy reach. Voice prompts enhance user experience with Bluetooth pairing and interface confirmations. Voice activation lets you access Siri and Okay Google over the earbuds.

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iB88 ($69.99) Weather Tough Foldable Bluetooth Headphones with Melody Voice Assistant – iP65-rated splashproof, sweatproof, dustproof rugged design, great for offering extreme protection from the elements. Foldable construction for easy portability. The iB88 also claim to provide up to 18 hours of continuous use per charge. Also, they feature in-line mic/remote and voice control.

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iB90V2 ($49.99) Bluetooth Headphones with Extra Long Life Battery – Boasting impressive battery life, the iB90V2 features an extra-long life rechargeable battery that provides up to 43 hours of continuous listening. These headphones feature padded, cushioned pads and headband for comfort during long listening sessions. Also, the iB90V2 features remote and microphone on the earcup and supports voice controls.

All of these headphones are feature-packed and super affordable, so if you’re in the market for headphones in 2017 be sure to keep an eye out for these.

Keep checking back with us for more coverage of CES 2017!

T-Mobile flattens phone bills, kicks back money for unused data, and streamlines to one rate plan

Scott Webster
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Today’s a big day in the land of T-Mobile. The carrier, err, Un-carrier, rather, today announced a number of changes as part of its latest initiative. Speaking in Las Vegas today, T-Mobile president and CEO John Legere and COO Mike Sievert announced that it will do away with “crazy monthly fees and added taxes”. Well, at least in a consumer-facing manner, that is.

Going forward, the T-Mobile One rate plan will be flattened; a $50 plan is going to appear as $50 on the bill. In other words, the taxes and other charges will be folded into the price. You might still see oddball charges for upgrades or equipment installation costs, but the rate plan is getting cleaned up.

Now, the price you see advertised is actually the price you pay. When you sign up for T-Mobile ONE and AutoPay for $40 a line for a family of four, your bill at the end of the month is EXACTLY $40 per line for your wireless service. And not a penny more.

Additionally, T-Mobile is going to start kicking back money to customers who don’t use very much data. Effective January 22nd, any subscribers on a Simple Choice or One plan who doe not use at least 2GB of data in a month will receive a “KickBack” worth up to $10 per line. Available for phones and tablets, the options can be enabled via the T-Mobile app, or via customer service.

But, wait, there’s more

In a move some saw coming a mile away, T-Mobile will now ONLY offer T-Mobile One plans later this month. Current customers will be able to keep their current data packages, but all new customers and current customers changing to a new data allotment will only be able to pick a T-Mobile One plan.

Here’s the problem with that: a lot of customers don’t want their streaming video capped at 480P. Sure, some, maybe most, don’t care, but that T-Mobile is locking customers into this unless they pay an additional charge for HD access every month is troubling from a company who claims to be all about the consumer and removing pain points.

Nevertheless, subscribers will be able to get HD Day passes if they sign up for the T-Mobile ONE Plus option which runs an extra $15 per month. Also included in the bundle is Gogo Full Flight Unlimited Wi-Fi, 2x the data speed when traveling, Voicemail to Text, and Name ID.

A ONE Plus International add-on can also be purchased for $25 per month, per line which also offers Unlimited international calling to landlines in 70+ countries and mobile numbers in 30+ countries,  and Unlimited 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot.

 

Polaroid is still around and announced a camera/printer combo that is a thing for some reason

Matt Adams
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Remember Polaroids? The memories of taking a picture, ejecting a film and waving it around until a picture formed will be burned into my memory until the end of time. Polaroid is trying to capitalize on that nostalgia by announcing the Polaroid Pop, a new digital camera that will allow you to print your pictures on the spot in the same format as Polaroid pictures of old.

First, the nuts and bolts. The Pop is a digital camera with a 20MP CMOS sensor and dual-LED flash. The camera features Bluetooth, WiFi, a 3.97″ LCD touchscreen, and a microSD card slot that can take cards up to 128GB. The camera can also shoot 1080P but no word on if it can do 60 frames per second or will be capped at 30FPS.

At the heart of the camera is the Polaroid Zip Instant Printer. The onboard printer will allow you to print out a 3×3 picture onto the classic Polaroid frame, and thus end up with a 3×3 image on a 3×4 picture. The camera can also connect to other devices via WiFi or Bluetooth to allow them to use the printer function. A photo editor with a number of picture enhancements, stickers, filters, and the like will also be available.

These a frames in a photo editing application now. Not something you go to the store to buy.
These are frames in a photo editing application now. Not something you go to the store to buy.

Now, I hate to doubt Polaroid because they have a ton of experience in the photography world and have exactly none, but I just don’t see who is going to buy this. Younger kids don’t care about printing pictures, hell they would rather them disappear on Snapchat. Maybe Polaroid is banking on nostalgia to be enough for the 30+ crowd to pick one up… but with pricing and availability details not released yet, it’s hard to say if it would even be worth the cost. I loved Polaroids growing up, but this isn’t anything I’d be remotely interested in. My pictures live on my phone now and I’m happy with that.

We’d love to give you more pictures of this thing or pricing, but those aren’t available to us right now because Polaroid hasn’t released them. There’s a vague Q4 2017 release date for this thing if it ever actually sees the light of day. Polaroid went on for several sentences about the company it teamed up with to design this thing (Ammunition) how it had won awards for its work with brands like Beats By Dre., Adobe, Square, Lyft, and Williams-Sonoma, but I’m not seeing it. It doesn’t look great and the functionality feels redundant and unneeded.

Polaroid has been putting out variations of the same thing for years now and I honestly have no idea how the company is still afloat. Please, Polaroid, heed these words: Innovate or Die.

Acoustic Research unveils two indoor/outdoor wireless speakers at CES

Scott Webster
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Acoustic Research, makers of wireless audio solutions, and a subsidiary brand of VOXX International, has unveiled a pair of wireless speakers at the annual CES trade show. The new speakers are actually an update of an existing one plus an actual new model.

“Acoustic Research continuously adds to its speaker family while never faltering on the side of both style and functionality,” said Ian Geise, President of Acoustic Research. “Whether you’re indoors or out, these speakers blend into any home environment perfectly, while constantly producing high-quality, dependable sound.”

First up is the Hatteras Bluetooth Wireless Speaker, a tower that sits about two feet tall. Priced at $199.99, it delivers sound via a pair of 20-watt amplifiers and a large, enhanced bass radiator.

Hatteras
Hatteras

In addition to the Bluetooth connection, listeners can also play music via the 3.5mm auxiliary input. Designed to withstand different types of weather, the Hatteras works both indoors and outdoors. Thanks to a 360-degree multi-color LED strip, the speaker can put on a light show in a variety of modes.

The Heartland Wireless Speaker comes in with a more affordable $49.99 price tag and promises “sound quality and clean design”.  With up to 12 hours of music playback, the speaker includes a 360-degree LED candlelight feature. So, while you’re chilling out to a down tempo playlist, the speaker is setting the mood, too. Pair it together with a second Heartland and you’ll have a true Bluetooth stereo sound that reaches even further.

The Hatteras Bluetooth Wireless Speaker will be available later this spring; however, the Heartland Wireless Speaker is available now.

Use Google Home to control your lights with Hue [How-To]

AndroidGuys
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In our quest for making your home the smartest of all the smart homes, we have brought you things like controlling your thermostat with Alexa and controlling your home with WeMo. Today we bring you a simple way to set the mood with custom lighting controls with the Phillips Hue. In case you don’t know, Hue is a wireless lighting kit that is controllable by a mobile app, or in this case by Google Home (or Alexa).

Prerequisites:

Of course, there are things we assume are completed prior to this setup.

  1. You have purchased and set up the Phillips Hue system
  2. You have the Hue App installed on your phone
  3. Have a Google Home with an associated Google account
  4. Have the Google Home App installed

Setup:

Now that we have all of the boring stuff out of the way, lets get into how to make your life just a little bit easier.

  1. Launch the Google Home application
  2. Tap the menu button in the upper left corner
  3. Tap on “Home Control”
  4. Select the “Philips Hue” option
  5. Google Home will find your lights (You may have to press the button on your Hue bridge again for Google Home to find them)
  6. Scroll through your lights and assign nicknames to more simply voice control your home

BAM, you are all done! In no time you can have your thermostat, outlets, light switches and bulbs all controlled by voice. What other Smart Home devices do you have? What devices would you like to see us cover? Leave us a comment below to let us know.

Alcatel A3 XL with 6-inch display offers Android 7.0 Nougat on the cheap

Alexandra Arici
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Yesterday, Chinese company TCL talked a bit about its future business model and publicized the fact that its portfolio includes the BlackBerry and Alcatel brands.

Alcatel is mostly known for its affordable devices and at CES 2017, the company also had a new product to show us – the ginormous Alcatel A3 XL phablet.

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If you love talking on huge phones, then you’re going to love the new Alcatel A3 XL and it’s 6-inch display. However, spec wise the device isn’t too interesting. It’s biggest selling point might be that it’s running Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box. Apart from that, expect really low-end specifications.

We have to give it to Alcatel, the A3 XL’s promo shots are quite gorgeous but misleading. So instead of turning out to be an awesome phablet, the A3 XL proves to be quite a boring device.

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The phone has a 6-inch IPS LCD display with 720 x 1280-pixel resolution and 5-point multi-touch. Meh.

On the inside sits a MediaTek MT8735B quad-core chip clocked at 1.1GHz working hand in hand with a flimsy 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. In the photography department, we have a boring 8MP main camera capable of shooting 720p video at 30fps. As for the selfie snapper it’s of 5MP variety.  The phablet also has a fingerprint sensor located on the back.

The battery sustaining the huge device is a 3,000 mAh one, which might seem insufficient. However, keep in mind that the A3 XL features a low resolution and not a very demanding processor. Android 7.0 Nougat should also help preserve battery life.

Now the Alcatel A3 XL might have been announced in the States, but it will not be sold in the country. The phablet is aimed at developing markets such as Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa and Latin America. It will make it out in Q1 2017 with an unspecified price-tag attached to it.

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