Roocase Executive Portolio Leather Case Review for Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0: Executive and Functional
I don’t envy accessory manufacturers who are in the business of making device cases; with the market flooded with cheap cases which provide the minimal level of functionality, it can be hard for premium accessory manufacturers to differentiate themselves, whether it’s through better materials or better functionality. We’ve previously taken a look at roocase‘s products (see that review here) and we can see what it takes to be considered more functional and unique than the norm; today, we’ll be taking a look at another of roocase’s folio cases, the Executive Portfolio.
We’ll be taking a look at the Executive Portfolio specifically for Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0, though the case is also available for a whole number of other tablets such as the Nexus 7, Kindle, etc. (check out roocase’s website here to see if they have this case for your tablet). In terms of what you get in the box, what you see is what you get with the Executive Portfolio, but it’s what’s on the inside that is the main event. What you do get on the exterior of the folio is a leather covering with twin branded zips to make sure nothing on the inside of your case falls out.
The inside of the case is quite busy, much like an executive might be. On the inside cover, you will find a whole hosts of card slots and a pocket that can be used for storing cash. This space is likely to be enough as a wallet replacement unless you really like to horde cards, but it’s nice to see the option is here as well as the added security of the zipped up case.
You may remember from the roocase Dual-View case, there was a stylus/pen included in that package. Well, that stylus is back, this time located in the spine of the Executive Portfolio. As before, the quality of the hybrid stylus and pen is nothing to write home about, however it’s a neat inclusion for those people that like using styluses or often find themselves without a writing implement.
The actually case for your Galaxy Tab 3 is a leather framed affair, much like the one on the Dual-View case. Your tablet gets sealed inside the case with velcro and is a surprisingly snug fit with very little free movement. There’s ample room on all sides to get to all your Galaxy Tab 3′s access ports and buttons which includes the rear camera.
Which brings us to the coolest part of the Executive Portfolio case; the section which holds the tablet can actually be removed from the folio case to become a standalone case. While it obviously lacks the protection it had while inside the folio, this section has its own functions as well.
As you can see in the photos above, this section of the case has a stand built-in as well as a strap which can be used as a handhold to stop you dropping your tablet during use. While the stand is a bit too short to be used for movie viewing, it is the perfect height for use on the desk during meetings or at your desk and the handhold is something a bit different, particularly if you’re prone to losing hold of your tablet.
Attaching this section of the case back into the folio is as simple as doing up a button, though I’m a bit concerned about this part of the folio; there is no mechanism to hold the the above pictured flap down so if you were to tip your folio in a particular direction, your tablet would swing out and potentially unclip itself. While this isn’t extremely likely in a professional setting, I do wish there was something there to stop this eventuating.
Rating: 4/5
Professional-looking, functional and with lots of hidden tricks up its sleeve, the roocase Executive Folio leather case is a very multifaceted case, something which is somewhat of a rarity on the market. While individually there are parts of the case which are a bit lacking, the sum of its parts makes the Executive Folio a very good option for the user who wants to look a little more professional without losing the ability to be functional in the office, all for the relatively low price of MSRP $49.99 USD.
If you’re interested in picking up the roocase Executive Folio leather case, you can visit its product page here and see what participating retailers are selling the case. Additionally, the roocase Executive Folio leather case can be found for as little as $35 on Amazon right now (links to Amazon are below).
Gallery of Photos
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Ask Google Search on Android to ‘play some music’ and… it will
Sometimes, having your entire music collection in your pocket can be a bit overwhelming. When there are hundreds (or in our case, thousands) of tracks at your disposal, where do you even begin to listen? To help thwart that paralysis of choice, Google is going to do the guessing for you with its latest tweak to Search. From Google Now or the search bar, simply say the magic words “play some music” and your Android device will start playing a random Play Music “I’m feeling lucky” mix that’s based on recent listening habits. With its deep catalog of tunes, it’s pretty easy to imagine that this feature’s benefits increase exponentially if you’re paying for Mountain View’s All Access service, too. Subscriber or not, though, if you’re stuck in a Nine Inch Nails rut, this could be the ticket out.
Source: Google
New Slim 12″ MacBook and MacBook Air Updates Soon
A new forum post on Weiphone.com has revealed a number of details about Apple’s upcoming plans for their MacBook notebooks as well as some details about their iWatch initiative. The author of the post has previously posted legitimate leaks and photos of un-released MacBook hardware in the past.
The poster writes about the upcoming MacBook Pro line as well as a new 12″ notebook that has previously been predicted. A MacRumors reader provides a summary translation of the post:
1. MacBook Air updates are coming soon; MacBook Pro updates won’t occur until September.
2. He discusses a new 12 inch notebook without fan assembly. It comes with a new trackpad design that doesn’t include the mechanical button, as we do on current MacBooks.
3. An Apple watch device does exist but still in prototype stage, so its announcement won’t come anytime soon.
It’s not entirely clear where the 12″ Apple notebook will fit in the product line. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo first predicted in October that Apple would be releasing a 12″ slim MacBook with a Retina Display this year:
We expect the unprecedented 12” model will boast both the portability of the 11” model, and productivity of the 13” model. The high resolution display will also offer the outstanding visual experience of the Retina MacBook Pro. The offering will likely be lighter and slimmer than the existing MacBook Air to further highlight ease of portability in the cloud computing era.
The buttonless trackpad design that the author describes may be related to a recent patent application by Apple which describes a buttonless trackpad design using an array of sensors and an actuator to mimic the function and tactile feedback of the current trackpad.
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Apple may finally bring iTunes to Android due to drop in download Sales
For the longest time, Android users have had to deal with the absence of an official iTunes app from the Google Play Store; sure there are substitute apps, but that’s a far cry from an official app that evolves with Apple‘s aspirations and focuses, much like other music providers like Spotify and Pandora have done over the last few months. That void may be filled soon, however, as Billboard reports that Apple may finally bring iTunes to Android.
The change in heart is primarily due to a decrease in music download sales, down 11% according to Nielsen SoundScan. Conversely, while download sales are down, revenues from streaming sites like Spotify and Pandora have risen 39% in the past year, signalling to Apple that they should probably consider something along the lines of a music streaming service with an “All-Access” subscription model, possibly using the existing iTunes Radio platform as a starting point.
Whatever does happen, I’m sure many users will be ecstatic if, and when, iTunes finally arrives on Android. What do you think about Apple finally considering to bring iTunes to Android? Let us know what your opinion is in the comments.
Source: Billboard via Android Community
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Daily Roundup: Turkey bans Twitter, Peter Molyneux talks VR and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Leaked documents detail how and why NSA targets network admins
Thanks to several screengrabs uncovered by Edward Snowden, The Intercept derived new details regarding the NSA’s ability to monitor calls and emails. Once the agency gains access to a telco’s system admin PC, a user’s Facebook or web-mail account is susceptible to its surveillance malware.
Peter Molyneux wants more from VR than what’s available
Without failing to realize how far VR has come, Peter Molyneux told us at GDC that the tech still leaves him wanting. According to the famed game designer, it’s all about innovation, and the latest next-gen tech, like Sony’s Project Morpheus, doesn’t push the limits.
Sony shows (and tells) us why 4K on a phone isn’t crazy
Ultra HD is on the rise, but with the lack of 4K displays in the wild, are smartphones with such technology really that useful? We asked Sony’s Kichiro Kurozumi, and his answer, not surprisingly, was yes. According to the VP, “There’s no dependency on 4K TVs.” “[Video] will look best on those, but even when downscaled to 1080p, the higher-resolution video looks good.”
Turkey bans Twitter but users can still tweet via SMS
If you glanced at your Twitter feed this morning, you probably already noticed that Turkey joined ranks with Iran and Egypt by restricting access to the social network. Apparently, some users from the country posted voice recordings and documents regarding the Turkish prime minister’s political corruption.
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Filed under: Misc
Titanfall on PCs will soon support 4K and NVIDIA’s latest graphics tricks
Many gamers already argue that the PC version of Titanfall is the best-looking of the bunch. Pretty soon, though, it won’t even be a contest. Respawn plans to update its robotic shooter to handle both 4K displays as well as a host of technology from NVIDIA’s GameWorks program, including full support for multiple GeForce cards, improved antialiasing and more realistic shadow effects. The upgrades aren’t all that surprising. Some modern video hardware is powerful enough for 4K gaming, and developers have already used GameWorks to spruce up flagship titles like Assassin’s Creed 4 and Call of Duty: Ghosts. Still, the visual improvements are bound to make a big impact — Titanfall is one of the most important games of the year, and a good excuse to pick up a new gaming rig.
Filed under: Gaming, Software, NVIDIA
Source: NVIDIA (1), (2)
Google adds HTTPS encryption to Gmail between their servers
Google has always had HTTPS for Gmail since 2010, a secure web protocol which employs certificates to ensure the authenticity of the source of the webpage you are viewing, but it didn’t stop eyes from seeing what was being backed up and sent between the internal servers for Gmail.
The new security introduced recently from Google will prevent this from happening, as Gmail is now fully encrypted as it’s backed up between servers and data centres in the Google infrastructure. That means that unless the recipient who is trying to view the specific email that is encrypted has the private key to decrypt it, it will be unreadable.
…every single email message you send or receive—100% of them—is encrypted while moving internally. This ensures that your messages are safe not only when they move between you and Gmail’s servers, but also as they move between Google’s data centers—something we made a top priority after last summer’s revelations.
This is a welcomed move by Google, which too be honest should have been the default from day one, but with the increased focus on the security of personal information on the web, it’s nice to see Google taking measures to protect Gmail.
The post Google adds HTTPS encryption to Gmail between their servers appeared first on AndroidGuys.
See what Samsung’s new phone is like with the Galaxy S5 Experience App
Are you still on the fence about getting a Samsung Galaxy S5 when it is finally released in April? Have no fear as Samsung’s Galaxy S5 Experience app is here to help you make your mind up. Featuring multiple interactive and video resources, the Galaxy S5 Experience app will walk you through some of the Galaxy S5′s features including its camera, speed, fitness and life features.
The Galaxy S5 Experience app will also give you an overview of Samsung‘s new wearable devices including the Samsung Gear 2 and the Gear Fit as well as introducing you to some of the accessories that will be available for the Galaxy S5. This isn’t the first time that we’ve seen something like this as LG made a similar app to this one prior to the LG G2′s release; we can’t say it’s a bad effort either as it does give a nice overview of the Galaxy S5′s more appealing features.
If you’re interested in trying out the Galaxy S5 Experience app, Play Store links will be below. What do you think about the Galaxy S5? Will a simple Experience app be able to sway your decision? Let us know what you think.
Source: SamMobile
Application: Galaxy S5 Experience
Price: Free
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Google’s 3D-sensing phones are taking a trip to the International Space Station
It’s arguably cool enough that Google is working on smartphones that can scan your surroundings, but now those devices are slated to take a spin in space too. How’s that for living in the future? NASA first started sticking smartphones to machines back in 2011 when it used Samsung’s Nexus S as the brains for a trio of robotic SPHERES satellite that use bursts of carbon dioxide to putter around the International Space Station. Those aging handsets will soon get the boot, as two of Google’s Project Tango smartphones will hitch a ride on Orbital’s Cygnus spacecraft when it resupplies the ISS in May. Why? The space agency is interested in seeing if the phone’s spatial sensing abilities can help those floating robots navigate their surroundings better than they can right now. If it’s lucky, NASA’s zeal to upgrade the SPHERES’ brains could ultimately lead to the development of a roaming robot that works as well outside the station (or around an asteroid) as it does inside a tin can hurtling around the earth.
Source: PCWorld
Twitter’s Music app is dead, final shutdown scheduled for April 18th
It’s been months since reports suggested Twitter would shut down its #Music app and service, but now it’s actually happening. The service announced its iOS app is disappearing from the store today (download it now for that suddenly vintage feel), although anyone actually using it can continue until the service is shut down April 18th, a year after it originally launched. In a followup tweet, the team mentions it will “continue to experiment with new ways to bring you great content based on the music activity we see every day on Twitter.” In October, AllThingsD reported the service’s fate was sealed both by “abysmal” download numbers and project head Kevin Thau leaving for a job with Jelly.
Later this afternoon, we will be removing Twitter #music from the App Store. If you have the app, it will continue to work until April 18.
– Twitter Music (@TwitterMusic) March 21, 2014
We continue to experiment with new ways to bring you great content based on the music activity we see every day on Twitter.
– Twitter Music (@TwitterMusic) March 21, 2014
Filed under: Internet
Source: Twitter Music (Twitter), #Music
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