dbrand’s Pebble Time skins bring a ton of customization options at low prices
Before Android Wear and Apple Watch, Pebble offered a great smartwatch with great battery life and solid functionality. The launch of competing platforms has moved the spotlight off Pebble, but the Palo Alto-based startup showed it could give bigger competitors a run for their money with the Pebble Time.
Launched in February on Kickstarter and set to ship to regular customers later this month, the Pebble Time brings a color e-ink display protected by Gorilla Glass, voice commands support, and more, all in a $200 package.
Our Josh Vergara absolutely loved the Pebble Time in his review, noting its solid build and software improvements. But while the Time comes in three colors, it’s not exactly easy to customize its appearance, or protect it, for the matter.
Enter dbrand, which manufactures vinyl skin and wraps for a variety of devices, from gaming consoles to smartwatches. When it comes to the Pebble Time skins, dbrand prides itself with a couple of unique features that make it stand out from competitors. Namely, unlike other skins for the Pebble Time, dbrand skins include both an outer bezel component and an inner bezel one. You can also customize and protect the smartwatch’s buttons with precisely cut skins.
Ordering just the right combo of colors and textures for your Pebble Time is easy. Just head to the online interface, where you can easily mix and match various textures, including carbon fiber, matte, metallic, leather, true color, and natural wood.
As you can see from these shots, the ability to use different colors for the outer and inner bezels makes it possible to have some striking combinations. All it takes is a few minutes.
The individual skin elements cost $2 for each “face” and $1 for the buttons, with worldwide shipping available for $3 (you can order individual components as well). That’s quite lower than competing products on the market right now. And if you’re looking for a skin for the classic Pebble smartwatch, you can check out the full selection of Pebble skins on dbrand’s website.
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We have the HTC One M9 Plus: Ask us anything!
Back in May HTC took the wraps off the One M9 Plus, a curious device that one-upped the standard M9 when it came to the display and the addition of a fingerprint scanner, but arguably took a step back by ditching Qualcomm in favor of a Mediatek chip.
Curious about how the M9+ fares? Our review unit has now arrived! Lanh is currently hard to put together a full review, while also getting a better feel for how the device compares to the standard M9.
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In the meantime, we wanted to take the time to answer any questions you might have about the device. Specs, camera performance, how the phone feels in the hand — if you have a question Lanh and our team will do the best we can to answer you.
Feel free to post our questions in the official forum page, where Lanh and other team members will checking in regularly. You can also pose your questions here, though we highly recommend checking out the forum.
Deal: keep passwords protected with a lifetime SplashID pro subscription for only $25 (75% off!)
Bad password management can turn your life into an ever-burning, excruciating hell. If you don’t make these identity tokens complicated, they are easy to hack into; if you make them complicated they are easy to forget; and if you forget them they are hard to recover. It’s one of the reasons why we are so excited over other forms of security identification processes, but we can’t deny passwords are here to stay for a long time. We face the same issues with private documents, which can destroy our lives, should they fall in the wrong hands.
It’s usually very expensive to find a solution that can keep your private data secure without sacrificing convenience… or a lot of money. Did you know almost half of the USA’s population’s private information was hacked in a a period of 12 months (May 2013 – May 2014)? We are not saying we will solve this by using a program, as the problem really runs deeper than that, but it sure will help. And with today’s deal, keeping your private information a bit more secure won’t break the bank.
SplashID Pro is currently selling for 75% off from the AA Deals Store. To make matters more enticing, this deal is not following the same pricing model the developer is using (monthly/yearly subscriptions). Through the AA Deals Store you can get a lifetime subscription for only $25.
SplashID Pro allows you to save your passwords and private documents in a service that is both secure and convenient to use. You can access your information on a phone, tablet, desktop PC or browser. Cloud and WiFi syncing are also available, and you can back up your information to make sure nothing gets lost over time.
Want in on this deal? Head here! You could even try out the free version if you want to see what SplashID is like first. The only issue is the free version only supports one device and doesn’t offer any of the worthwhile features (sync, backup, sharing, etc.). Just hit the button below when you are ready to get your own lifetime subscription for SplashID pro.
Apple Watch Demand Slides Significantly in June as Launch Momentum Wanes
Apple Watch sales in the United States appear to have slowed down significantly in June based on new data that research firm Slice Intelligence shared with MarketWatch. Following a steep decline in the days after Apple Watch pre-orders commenced, which is to be expected of any product, daily U.S. sales remained relatively stable through May before experiencing a large drop-off last month as launch momentum begins to wane.
The report claims that Apple is now selling fewer than 20,000 watches per day in the United States, and fewer than 10,000 on certain days, while the logarithmic chart above indicates that sales dipped to as low as 4000 to 5000 units per day in late June. The data does not account for sales in Canada, Australia, United Kingdom or the twelve other countries where the Apple Watch is sold outside of the United States.
Slice Intelligence claims that two-thirds of Apple Watches sold to date have been the entry-level Sport model, far outselling the more expensive stainless steel Watch and 18-karat gold Edition models that start at $549 and $10,000 respectively. The research firm also estimates that Apple has sold fewer than 2,000 luxury Apple Watch Edition models in the U.S. through June.
Slice Intelligence previously estimated 1 million Apple Watch pre-orders at launch, an average 30,000 Apple Watch sales per day in late May and an estimated 2.8 million total sales as of mid June. The research firm’s sales estimates are based on e-receipt data from online shoppers in the United States that opted-in to have their inboxes tracked for email receipts.
Apple has not publicly disclosed any Apple Watch sales figures since the wrist-worn device launched in April, and will be grouping the device under its “Other Products” category, which combines sales of Apple Watch, iPod, Apple TV, Beats Electronics and accessories, in its quarterly fiscal reports. Apple’s Q3 FY 2015 results are scheduled to be released on July 21 at 2:00 PM Pacific.
CoolStream CarChat+ a bargain Bluetooth device for your car review
Nowadays, Bluetooth in your car is becoming as common as an AM/FM radio was 20 years ago. It’s a great feature that helps to eliminate potential distractions by allowing you to speak on your cell phone hands-free. There is also the added benefit of being able to stream your favorite music through the Bluetooth system. Of course, this only applies to vehicles that have been manufactured within the last 4-5 years. If you have an older vehicle, many times you are out of luck. This is an area where CoolStream sees an opportunity to bring in-car Bluetooth technology to the masses with the CarChat+.
CoolStream CarChat+ Overview
The design of the CarChat+ is pretty simple. It features a car power adapter with two 2.5A USB charging ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack to connect with your vehicle’s auxiliary port. There are 3 buttons on the device. A call button to answer incoming calls and pause your music, and a plus and a minus button to navigate your music. There is also an LED indicator light to let you know when the device is connected to power and to your phone via Bluetooth.
One opportunity that I think they missed here was to integrate a voice launcher into the unit. My LG Tones can initiate the Google Now voice commands and it is the one thing that I would change about this device if I could.
CoolStream CarChat+ Setup
Like its sister device the CoolStream Duo, this device is almost plug and play. First, plug the Coolstream CarChat+ into vehicle’s power outlet. Second, plug the 3.5mm jack and plug it into you vehicle’s auxiliary port. You’re almost done. Of course, like every other Bluetooth device out there, you have to pair it to your phone. CoolStream makes it dead simple, by not requiring a pin number to complete the pairing process. Just search for devices on your phone and select CoolStream Car. Now you’re done. Dead Simple.
CoolStream CarChat+ usage
I really like this device. I have another Bluetooth receiver that I was using before, but I had to manually turn it on, and it was battery operated. This allowed it to be more portable, but also less convenient. The CarChat+ feels like a factory installed Bluetooth system. It turns on and off with the car, and my phone connects to it automatically every time. Another great feature that I really like is that you can connect 2 devices simultaneously.
When it comes to streaming music, this device delivers clear, distortion-free audio. There really wasn’t any buffering or pausing in the music either. When two devices are connected at the same time, the device that starts playing music first will be the one that you will hear. However, upon pausing the music on the first device, the second device can begin playback on the CarChat+.
In terms of the voice function, let me say that the microphone works great. In my Honda Odyssey, the power outlet is placed low in the van. In fact, it was much lower the area that you would be speaking into naturally, but it didn’t seem to make a difference. Callers reported that they could hear me crystal clear.
When two calls come in at once, the second device was the one that took priority on the call. The downside here was that if you were already on a call, that call would be interrupted and you would manually have to switch the call back to your handset. This could potentially be a big problem for the person driving. I recommend that the passenger turn off the phone audio in the settings to avoid this.
What we liked
- Simple setup
- Great audio/call quality
- Factory like integration
What could be better
- Better implementation of the simultaneous phone connections in regards to phone calls
- Voice control integration
CoolStream CarChat+ Overview
This is a superb option for those without factory Bluetooth integration in their vehicle. If you have a spare outlet and an auxiliary audio port, then I highly recommend that you check this device out. The device retails for $29.99 with free shipping on their website and on Amazon. With such a low price, you really can’t go wrong here.
The post CoolStream CarChat+ a bargain Bluetooth device for your car review appeared first on AndroidGuys.
FBI director says he’s ‘not a maniac’ about backdoor cellphone access
FBI director James Comey is making a final push for backdoor cellphone access for law enforcement ahead of key Senate committee meetings. In national security site Lawfare, he first admitted that “universal strong (cellphone) encryption will protect all of us — our innovation, our private thoughts, and so many other things of value — from thieves all kind.” However, he quickly added that “there are many costs to this,” citing terrorist organizations like ISIS. He said that the group recruits members “through mobile messaging apps that are end-to-end encrypted… (and) may not be intercepted, despite judicial orders under the Fourth Amendment.”
However, as critics have pointed out, he again failed to mention the downsides of backdoor access. One of the biggest is that it opens new security holes that make everyone more vulnerable, including the government itself. For instance, a company that supplied tools used by the NSA to spy on US citizens and government was itself hacked recently, which could result in a security nightmare if its apps fall into the wrong hands. Another problem is trusting law enforcement not to overreach. Comey said that access would only happen “in appropriate circumstances and with appropriate oversight.” However, as the Snowden revelations proved, the FBI and NSA operate without much oversight and virtually no public transparency.
FBI Director James Comey
Comey thinks that the bad and good parts of strong encryption are “in tension,” but didn’t offer any evidence that the “bad parts” of encryption have thwarted law enforcement. Instead, he vaguely offered that “there is simply no doubt that bad people can communicate with impunity in a world of universal strong encryption.” By contrast, Apple’s new, strong encryption scheme has given thousands of iPhone users proven benefits by protecting their personal data from thieves, as one pundit pointed out.
Despite all that, Comey said that the US still needs to have a “robust debate” about encryption. Tech companies like Google and Apple have already made their feelings clear, though, telling President Obama that they were strongly opposed to special government access to devices. Both companies recently introduced strong encryption for apps like Gmail and iMessage, and Apple says it can’t read user’s messages itself, let alone share them with law enforcement. However, Comey’s message may be targeted more at politicians than the public. Later this week, he has crucial meetings with the Senate Intelligence Comittee and the Senate Judiciary Comittee, where he’ll try to convince them of the dangers of using encryption to “go dark.”
[Image credit: AFP/Getty Images]
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Apple, Google
Via: Nextgov.com
Source: Lawfare
A visual tour of the Pokémon Research Lab
There’s no better way to inspire children into a career in animal taxonomy and species classification than Pokémon. Possibly. A temporary Pokémon Lab in Japan is opening its doors to wannabe researchers (and their parents), offering them a pokéball and 12 different stations to test and identify the critter inside. Once you’ve derived the specific pocket monster (fortunately, at this junior research center, it’s limited to a pool of around 30), there’s also a healthy spoonful of real science and biology at the end — oh yes, it’s edu-tainment. This part of the exhibit tries to convey how important discoveries have occurred through observation and categorization of animals and creatures (the game’s creator was famously fascinated by categorizing insects as a child). There was also a giant Pikachu in a lab coat to assist where needed — although he didn’t really help all that much.
Filed under: Gaming, Science, Nintendo
Source: Pokemon Lab
EE Rook offers 4G and Android for just £49
Another day and another carrier device, this time from the UK’s largest carrier; EE‘s latest own-brand device definitely pushes the boundaries of affordable devices and is aimed specifically at the entry-level Pay As you Go (PAYG) market.
The Rook launches today and is priced at £49 for new customers (plus a mandatory £10 top-up) and £39 for new customers and EE is calling it “the UK’s lowest priced 4G smartphone” which is technically correct as it costs £1 less than the Vodafone Smart Turbo 4 on PAYG. EE estimate that 44 percent of PAYG customers spend up to £50 on a smartphone and the Rook is designed to offer the UK’s only 4G experience at that price point
What do you get for your money? Aside from double-speed 4G, you’ll get a 4-inch 480×800 pixel display, 1GB RAM, 8GB storage, a MediaTek 64-bit quad-core 1GHz processor and a 1500mAh battery. Also onboard is a 5MP rear camera sans flash and autofocus and a VGA front camera.
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The specs certainly won’t wow you but they definitely push the boundaries of what you can expect at the sub-£50 price point. The Rook runs Android 5.1 Lollipop, although we’re not sure how well it will run on the low-end hardware.
Sharon Meadows, Director of Devices at EE, said:
At EE, we believe everyone should have access to 4G and the experiences it offers on the go. The Rook provides a great 4G smartphone at a compelling price – allowing even more people to enjoy the benefits of our superfast mobile network from high speed web browsing and downloads to gaming and streaming.
EE’s decision to produce a budget entry-level device is certainly interesting given that both EE and rival Vodafone have – recently until now – focused on producing the best devices possible at an acceptable price. However, a tactic successfully implemented by some OEMs is producing entry-level devices to capture some of the lucrative volume market and the Rook is EE’s attempt to do the same.
Apple’s First Retail Store in Queens, New York Opens July 11
Apple has announced that its first retail store in Queens, New York, located at the Queens Center shopping mall in the Elmhurst neighborhood, will have its grand opening on Saturday, July 11 at 10:00 AM local time. The new Apple Store at 90-15 Queens Boulevard will be open between 10:00 AM and 9:30 PM on Monday-Saturday and between 11:00 AM and 8:00 PM on Sunday.
Apple’s first retail store in Queens will mark its eight location in New York City, with six existing locations in Manhattan and one in Staten Island. Apple is also planning to open its first retail store in Brooklyn, having signed a long-term lease for a 20,000 square-foot building at 247 Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg, although those plans are running behind schedule after the store missed its original April 2015 grand opening target.
Apple Store at Queens Center under construction in late May (Twitter/Joe Calati)
Apple recently opened its new Upper East Side store in Manhattan at 940 Madison Avenue, on the corner of 74th Street, on the site of a former banking complex built in 1921 that previously housed luxury retailer VBH. The company also plans to renovate its iconic Fifth Avenue store and temporarily relocate to the vacating FAO Schwarz toy store in the same General Motors Building plaza.
Tim Cook Named to Duke University’s Board of Trustees on Six-Year Term
Apple CEO Tim Cook has been named as one of eight new board of trustee members at his alma mater Duke University, where he earned his MBA from the Fuqua School of Business in 1988, the school announced today. Cook began serving his six-year term on July 1 and will assist the governing body in determining Duke University’s educational mission and fiscal policies.
Tim Cook speaking at Duke University in April 2013
The other new trustees are The Coca-Cola Foundation chairwoman Lisa Borders, PRM Advisors founder Patricia Morton, NBA commissioner Adam Silver and ValueAct Capital CEO Jeff Ubben. Duke University also appointed three observing members on the board, including Elastic Fabrics of America marketing executive and Duke alum Jack Boyd, recent Duke graduate Anna Knight and Duke JD/MBA candidate Ben Shellhorn.
Cook returned to Duke University in 2013 for his 25th reunion and participated in an hour-long dialogue with Fuqua School of Business Dean Bill Boulding and students about why Apple is successful, collaboration, ethical leadership, career planning, inspirational leaders, intuitions and more. The embedded playlist of videos above will play through each of the seven clips that the university shared.
AIVAnet 