Finally, an official Bluetooth ‘Star Trek’ communicator
Star Trek fans have settled for toy prop replicas, DIY projects and the occasional off-brand (but functional) Starfleet comm-badge–but the age of compromise is almost over. In January of 2016, you’ll finally be able to buy an official, screen-accurate, Bluetooth-enabled Star Trek Original Series Communicator.
Technically, the replica prop is just a simple Bluetooth handset with pretty basic functionality: it takes calls and plays music. That’s about it. It’s pretty snazzy looking though–the Communicator is a die-cast metal, aluminum and ABS replica modeled after a 3D scan of the original “Alpha Hero” prop, made and manufactured by The Wand Company. Its magnetic charging connector turns the unit into a pretty nice display piece, too. It’s pricey, though: the Communicator will cost $150 when it starts shipping in January–the same price as the replica phaser (and TV remote control!) the manufacturer made last year.
Source: Star Trek
The Wirecutter’s best deals: the UE Boom, a Samsung SSD, and more
This post was created in partnership with The Wirecutter, a list of the best technology to buy. Read their continuously updated list of deals at TheWirecutter.com.
You may have already seen Engadget posting reviews from our friends at The Wirecutter. Now, from time to time, we’ll also be publishing their recommended deals on some of their top picks. Read on, and strike while the iron is hot — some of these sales could expire mighty soon.
Logitech UE Boom Bluetooth Speaker Crystal Edition
Street Price: $180; MSRP: $200; Deal Price: $145
Around mid-June we shared a deal where Amazon offered up the Crystal edition as part of their Deal of the Day for $150. Since then it has sold for $170 or higher, and most of the other colors are selling at $190 or higher. We have seen better deals in the now-distant past, but this is the best price since that June sale.
This is now our runner-up for the best water-resistant Bluetooth speaker because Logitech released a newer and larger version, the UE Megaboom. The Megaboom generally sells at around $300, so this deal definitely beats it on price. Brent Butterworth said, “The Boom is an easy speaker to live with. It’s about the size of a slightly stretched 12-ounce soda can, and weighs about half as much as a full soda can, so you can fit it in a beach bag or even most computer bags. It’s IPX4-rated, which means it’ll survive a splash and can probably being left out in the rain, but a hose blast or dunking might silence it forever.”
Samsung 850 EVO 500GB Internal SSD
Street Price: $178; MSRP: $270; Deal Price: $150
This deal comes from retailer Rakuten’s official eBay storefront, Buy. It’s a tie for the best price I’ve ever seen on this SSD. It has also been selling at a record low on Amazon for $162.
The Samsung 850 EVO 500GB is our pick for the best solid state drive. Nathan Edwards said, “Samsung has made some of the best SSDs on the market for the past four hardware generations; this is no exception. It’s not quite the cheapest great SSD, but it’s the best cheap SSD. It has a great combination of price, performance, and capacity, plus 150TB write endurance (which means it’ll last a really long time), hardware encryption, and a five-year warranty.”
GoPro Hero4 Silver Action Camera
Street Price: $400; MSRP: $400; Deal Price: $350
This isn’t the lowest price ever on this action camera, but it’s still a pretty good deal and the best price around at the moment. With a new GoPro on the horizon, this version will likely start seeing more and more discounts. This isn’t the lowest price we’ve seen, as it has gone as low as $330, but it’s still a good price for a great action camera. The retailer is Adorama Camera through their official eBay storefront.
The GoPro HERO4 Silver is our pick for the best action camera. Brent Rose said, “The GoPro Hero4 Silver takes everything we loved about the GoPro Hero3+ Black and makes it easier to use, thanks to a touchscreen and overhauled menu system. Throw in more low-light shooting options and the same price tag, and you have a clear pick for best action camera.”
Aukey CC-01 4-Port USB Car Charger
Street Price: $15; MSRP: $40 Deal; Price: $10 with code J79AK6NY
This car charger is available for $10 with the promo code J79AK6NY. This deal price is a couple bucks better than the last deal we had, and it’s a 33 percent discount from its street price. You’ll need Amazon Prime to qualify for free shipping.
The Aukey CC-01 is our four-port pick in our best USB car charger article. Alexander George and Nick Guy wrote, “Since it has two more ports, the Aukey is physically larger than our main pick. But you can orient it horizontally or vertically, however fits best in your car.”
Deals change all the time, and some of these may have expired. To see an updated list of current deals, please go to The Wirecutter.com.
iPhone encryption has locked out Manhattan cops just 74 times
You’ll frequently hear law enforcement complain that it can’t break the full-drive encryption in newer smartphone operating systems, but how often does the police run into that problem, really? Thanks to a US Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, you now have a better idea. The Manhattan District Attorney’s office has revealed that, out of the 92 cases where an iPhone with iOS 8 has been involved so far, the cops have been locked out 74 times. District Attorney Cyrus Vance portrays this as proof that officers need backdoors or other forms of guaranteed access, noting that there’s at least one case (in Illinois) where evidence from a victim’s iPhone led to a conviction. Police shouldn’t simply be told that there’s “nothing [they] can do,” he says.
Context is everything, however, and this isn’t quite as dire a situation as Vance made it out to be. The Manhattan DA typically handles 100,000 cases a year — 0.07 percent is a drop in the bucket. Moreover, there’s no records showing whether or not the encryption actually stopped the investigation cold. It’s possible that the security merely forced officers to rely on other forms of evidence. While there’s still a concern that clever criminals will take advantage of encryption, there’s also no data showing that there would be enough arrests to justify the reduced privacy.
[Image credit: Shutterstock]
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple
Source: Wired
Paramount tries bringing movies home faster than ever
Despite attempts by Mark Cuban, Comcast, Netflix and others over the years, movie studios and big theater chains have combined to keep the “release window” in place — until now. That window is the period of time between when a movie premieres in the theaters until you can actually buy or rent it to watch at home, and since the dawn of VHS it’s usually remained at about 90 days or so. Now the Wall Street Journal says Paramount is testing out a plan with AMC and Cineplex to release a couple of movies in theaters just six weeks after they premiere instead of three months.
The only two movies it’s announced plans for are Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension and Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse, but there could be more movies and theaters in the works. Paramount convinced the theaters to play ball by promising a split of the revenue from VOD outlets like iTunes, an interesting hedge against the possibility people will skip theaters to wait for the home release. While exec Rob Moore tells THR the industry is no longer “sticking their heads in the sand” release windows extend to more than just flicks, and hopefully this is just the first step to bring things closer.
[Image credit: shutterstock]
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Wall Street Journal, Deadline
Deal: Amazon Fire Phone discounted to just $159 today, includes full year of Prime
Next Wednesday, July 15th, Amazon is celebrating its 20th birthday by hosting a gigantic ‘Prime Day’ sale. This big promotion will last for just 24 hours and will offer Black Friday-like discounts and lightning deals for Prime subscribers in nine different countries – US, UK, Spain, Japan, Italy, Germany, France, Canada and Austria.
More on Amazon
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If you aren’t an Amazon Prime subscriber, unfortunately you won’t get to take advantage of any of the deals. Lucky for you, though, you might not need to spend the $99 fee to get a one-year subscription to Prime, because right now, Amazon has dropped the off-contract price of its Fire Phone to just $159, which is just about a $20 discount. Plus, it comes with a one-year subscription to Prime ($99 value), so in all, you’re basically paying an extra $60 for the smartphone.
Some folks would say the device may not be worth the money, but considering this price point comes with a full year of Prime, we’d say it might be worth your while. It runs a heavily customized version of Android 4.4 KitKat and comes with a few arguably gimmicky features that many folks might not use too often. Even so, it comes with a 4.7-inch 720p display, a 2.2GHz Snapdragon 800 processor, 32GB of on-board storage, 2GB of RAM, a 13MP rear camera and a 2400mAh battery.
While the specifications of the Fire Phone might not be worth $159, they’re certainly worth $59 with the added bonus of a Prime membership. There are plenty of ways to install Google Play Services on the device (even without rooting), which might make this a great option if you’re looking for a backup phone for emergency situations.
Taking into account all of the deals you might score during the upcoming Prime Day, this Fire Phone offer may be worth your consideration. If you’d like to take advantage of the deal or sign up for an Amazon Prime subscription, check out the links below.
Logitech redesigns brand with new ‘Logi’ sub-brand
For years, Logitech has developed products and accessories to work with everything from our computers and televisions to phones and tablets. Whether it is a mouse, keyboard, case, or remote among other things, Logitech has an affordable option. The only issue is that the brand has aged and the consumers view the products as having unassuming design, leading them to look elsewhere for innovation. Logitech aims to change that starting today with a brand redesign and the introduction of a new sub-brand.
The company’s focus will now be on design and how everything looks and feels to consumers, a transition that many companies are making to remain relevant and stand out from the crowd. To prove its commitment to design, Logitech has appointed Alastair Curtis, former design leader at Nokia, as its own chief design officer. Curtis will be exploring new categories and businesses for Logitech to innovate with.
Product design, though, is not the only thing that Logitech is changing. The company has a new logo (seen above) and an entirely new color palette to use across different media. This is a new brand, a new Logitech.
Logitech believes that design is vital to success:
We’ve put design at the core of everything we do and everything we are, from our products to our brand identity.
Logi, the sub-brand that Logitech created today, will be used for the aforementioned experiments that Curtis embarks on with the company. Among them will be products for the Internet of Things and that means we will see Logitech become involved in home automation and connected car platforms.
It is currently undecided whether or not the Logitech name will be retired and changed to Logi.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Source: Logitech
Come comment on this article: Logitech redesigns brand with new ‘Logi’ sub-brand
T-Mobile will “continue to rewrite the rules” on Thursday
Normally, summer is a time for companies to relax and prepare for new products launching in a few months. T-Mobile apparently takes no breaks. The carrier will be hosting a media call on Thursday morning with CEO John Legere and COO Mike Sievert participating. Consumers, too, can join the executives by tweeting them questions and comments on Twitter. Apparently, T-Mobile will further amplify their Un-carrier initiative and make their own rules in the wireless industry.
#UncarrierAmped. Tomorrow. Get ready!!!
— John Legere (@JohnLegere) July 8, 2015
The next #UncarrierAmped will seriously AMP something we’ve done before. You will like. A lot. See you at 6AM PT/9AM ET #SomeoneGetMeCoffee
— Mike Sievert (@SievertMike) July 8, 2015
This is what the media alert reads:
T-Mobile (NYSE: TMUS) will share how they continue to rewrite the rules of wireless by amping up their signature Un-carrier moves. You can be among the first to get the details on the company’s next industry-rattling move via live executive QA on the call and via the execs Twitter handles.
Soon after, we expect reaction tweets from Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure.
Source: T-Mobile
Come comment on this article: T-Mobile will “continue to rewrite the rules” on Thursday
Unlocked Moto G (1st Gen.) with LTE now receiving Android 5.1 in the US
Motorola may be gearing up to launch the Moto G (3rd Gen.) sometime soon, but that doesn’t mean the company is slacking on updating its current devices. If you happen to reside in the U.S. and own an unlocked Moto G (1st Gen.) with LTE, an update to Android 5.1 Lollipop should be on its way sometime very soon. The update began making its way to devices just last night, though it may take some time to come to all unlocked variants in the United States. Motorola began the 5.1 soak test for this device only a few weeks ago, so we were expecting to hear this news any day now.
With the update comes a variety of features and enhancements that have been showcased in a video by our own Joe Hindy, which can be found attached below. For the full list of improvements from Motorola, click here.
Motorola has been very busy over the past couple of weeks, pushing the Android 5.1 update to a variety of its devices. Motorola’s update schedule is a great example of why near-vanilla Android is a good way to go. Without heavy custom skins, the company is able to optimize Google’s code fairly quickly, and push it to more devices that wouldn’t normally have gotten an update.
Note that it will likely take a while for Motorola to push out the staged release to all devices in the US, so hang tight. If you have the update, let us know in the comments what you think of it.
Google is now selling an Ethernet adapter for the Chromecast for only $15
If you live in an area where you can’t get a good wireless signal or would rather prefer an Ethernet connection for your Internet needs, Google has just released a product to its web store that will make using your Chromecast much easier. The newest little accessory in the Google Store is a hardwired Ethernet adapter for the Chromecast, and it’s priced at only $15.
This new device is a power brick that plugs directly into your Chromecast’s MicroUSB port. You can then plug your Ethernet cable in to the power brick, and never have to worry about dealing with spotty Wi-Fi connections again.
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Although the new accessory just launched in the Google Store moments ago, it’s unfortunately already sold out. We’re not sure when the company will have more units for sale, but we’ll try to let you know when more show up. Also, it seems as though this is a U.S.-only accessory for now, so let us know if it’s available in your area.
Taco Bell now delivers ‘food’ to your door
When you don’t really feel like getting off the couch to make a run for the border, but you’re still thinking outside the bun, Taco Bell will now bring its fast food delicacies to you. So long as you live in certain areas, of course. The chain has teamed up with DoorDash, a company that handles food orders and deliveries, to drop off its waffle tacos and A.M. Crunchwraps at your door in select areas. Those locales include over 90 cities and more than 200 participating locations in and around LA, San Francisco and Dallas. Sorry, East Coast. DoorDash’s service allows you to order a meal through its iOS and Android apps, or on the web if you happen to be near a computer. Taco Bell says it has already been testing the delivery option and has plans to take it nationwide in the future. Of course, the restaurant isn’t the first to offer to bring you burritos and tacos, but it never hurts to have options. There’s no word on how long you’ll have to wait during the prime hours to Live Más of 12 AM to 4 AM.
Filed under: Internet
Via: Yahoo/AP
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