Inateck Aluminum Car Mount: Keep your eyes on the road (Review)

Distracted driving has become a major problem in society. The National Safety Council reports that cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year. We are all guilty of it. We preach it to our kids and yet we don’t follow our on advice. I’m not confident that we will stop this from happening, but maybe we can slow it down a bit. Inateck offers a simple car mount that can help keep your eyes closer to the road and maybe a little less distracted.

Design

Inateck’s Car Mount is gold polished with a firm rubber front so it won’t damage anything. It’s has a sleek look and won’t be an eyesore in the car when the phone isn’t attached. The downside is if you’re like me and own a phablet, it will take away an entire vent. So you’ll need to forget about that vent and let the other vents do the work.

Function

Inateck’s Car Mount is an aluminium magnet mount that attaches to your car’s air conditioner vent, much like an air freshener in the louvers. It comes with two pieces of metal, you can use either one, that attach to the back of your device or case with a sticky adhesive. If you have a metal phone, (preferably with a flat back) then no worries as it should attach straight to it.

Another option is sliding it under your phone case is it’s thin enough and the magnet isn’t strong enough to go through a thick case.

The car mount is universal to any car and has an easy to install, yet firm enough to stay kind of power. Once you have attached the mount to the louvers and the metal to your phone, place your phone against the mount and let the magnet do the rest. Simple right?

 

Summary

I won’t pretend this is a miracle product that will save countless lives. It won’t. But maybe it will keep you from looking down at your phone or at least keep you from fumbling for it while driving. It will be safe and secure in front of your eyes. For $11, Inateck’s Car Mount is a good deal.

Buy Inateck’s Car Mount

Audeze SINE headphone review: High-end on-ears, because why not?

You may have not heard of Audeze, and that’s okay. The company makes some of the most premium (and expensive) headphones out there, specializing in high-end planar magnetic driver technology. Now, most of its inventory is large, open-back over-ears, but the company has just launched a more mobile and wallet-friendly solution for the more general audience who want a taste of what planar magnetic technology can do. Let me introduce the SINE On-ear.

If you compare the SINE to the rest of Audeze’s lineup, it’s obvious that the SINE is new territory. It’s on-ear, closed-back, and doesn’t cost a fortune. Fortunately, that doesn’t mean that Audeze skimped on the package. This is the world’s first on-ear that uses planar magnetics. Let’s check out if the SINE are the new leader in the on-ear headphone market.

Design

From a distance, the SINE aren’t that special-looking. The design is fairly basic, and its black, stealthy styling is somewhat discrete – nothing like the over-engineered cans that Audeze is known for.

That isn’t necessarily a bad thing; not everyone likes to draw attention with a flashy adornment on their head. However, this isn’t to say that they don’t look/feel expensive. Their sleek shape and premium materials ensure that the user will get their money’s worth. And when you take a close look, you’ll see that Audeze is serious about every detail.

When you pick up the SINE you’ll immediately notice that the frame is completely metal, resulting in a satisfying heft. This is certainly refreshing compared to today’s sea of plastic, cheap-feeling headphones. It feels solidly constructed, like a $500 headphone should.

The frame’s unique, truss-like design is from Audeze’s collaboration with a BMW subsidiary called DesignWorks. That group has the freedom to come up with some rad, unconventional designs, and I think added a sweet touch to the SINE’s somewhat basic form. The leather-wrapped ear cups and headband also up the sophistication.

At first glance, you may be fooled into thinking that the SINE are over-ear headphones. The ear cups are fairly large for on-ears. Audeze put a lot of consideration into the ear cup shape, and you’ll notice that their asymmetrical, tapered contour makes sense for the shape of the ear.

While the SINE cannot fold and collapse in size, the ear cups can rotate flat to slim its size.

This also means that Audeze was able to make the driver opening larger than average, which it says allows for more air and better acoustics. I also imagine that you get a better distribution of pressure on your ear. On-ear headphones can be tricky in regard to comfort, because the ear pads rest on top of the ear instead of around it.

Function

So to address one of the biggest questions for on-ear headphones: How comfortable are they?

Very. The larger than standard ear pad size works for me. The comfort is also due in part to the superbly supple ear pads. The cushions are very soft (kind of squishy) and the leather feels great against the ears. Isolation is terrific for an on-ear too, as the large ear pads engulf the ears and mold to fill any openings where air can escape. Thick padded over-ears will still easily beat it out in terms of isolation, but this ain’t bad for an on-ear. But bear in mind that the SINE isn’t exempt from discomfort over a lengthy listening session or heating up your ears.

A nice feature of the SINE is a removable cable, giving you the flexibility to replace it or use a third-party cable. Interestingly, both ear cups get their own 3.5mm audio input (probably the only on-ear on the market like this).

This allows the user to have a balanced output (separate left and right lines, if your player supports it). Although, Audeze only includes a combined cable, but a nice one at that. It’s lengthy (about 46″), very sturdy, and flat (which helps against tangles).

I must mention that the SINE has a unique perk, but sadly for us Android users, it’s only for Apple devices. There’s a variant that comes with a cable that has a custom in-line digital-to-analog converter (DAC). For folks not familiar with what that means, it’s a dedicated sound processor, built into the cable. Only, the only one Audeze makes at the moment has a lightning connector at the end of it. Here’s hoping that Audeze makes a Type-C compatible one in the future.

The $499 model of the SINE includes a quality carrying pouch, an lightning-compatible audio cable with built-in DAC, and a standard 3.5mm jack audio cable.

The 24-bit DAC unit is also a 3-button remote/mic.

The package with the special cable runs at $499 price, while the standard model will save you $50, at $449.

Sound

Since this is Audeze we’re talking about, you’d be right to expect some bangin’ sound quality. Rightly so. One important mention is that despite the SINE being a deviation from Audeze’s typical monster cans, they still pack top-notch planar magnetic drivers. This is a first for an on-ear headphone (I really like how Audeze follows its own standard and not the industry’s). Audeze explains what planar magnetic technology is in comparison to the conventional dynamic driver, so I don’t have to. Essentially, the diaphragm is able to respond more quickly, resulting in better dynamics and more accuracy.

That sounds great on paper, but does it mean anything in the real world? Yes, if you have an ear for the details. You can definitely pick up on the fast-paced response of the driver. This is one of the most detailed reproductions I’ve heard. And I can’t believe I’m saying that for an on-ear headphone.

The upper end is where the technology really shines. The treble is sparkly, airy, and clear. The mid-range is my next favorite. I love that it’s forward, lush, and natural. The sound engages the listener through realistic detail. But with that said, the SINE can’t work magic. It is still an on-ear, and its soundstage can’t quite match the fullness of larger headphones. The SINE is more confined in comparison (more width than height and depth), but still impressive for an on-ear.

The bass response may not be everyone’s cup of tea. I’m not talking about its quality, but it’s presence. The SINE doesn’t produce the head-rattling boom that bassheads live for. I want to describe it as delicate, but it’s still deep, clean, and full-bodied. The SINE tries to stay true to the music, and lets it do the talking.

Final Thoughts

I love that the SINE exists, not just because it’s an excellent pair of headphones, but because it goes against the status quo. We’ve known on-ears to be causal headphones, but Audeze comes in and turns the category around. And not only does it work in being something that audiophiles can be proud of, but the in-line DAC offers something you won’t find on any other headphone (if you’re an Apple user, that is).

And apparently the market is convinced on the idea of a high-end on-ear, because the SINE is currently backordered on its website, “due to overwhelming demand” (as of time of this writing). Hit up the official page at the link below for more details.

Audeze SINE On-Ear product page

SAVFY Bluetooth 4.0 Speaker Review

About SAVFY: SAVFY is the exclusive brand of Elifestore, which sells products ranging from accessories for your smartphone to lifestyle products such as design elements and even nail polish
About Product: The SAVFY Bluetooth 4.0 Speaker has:

• a dock for iDevices
• Bluetooth 4.0
• NFC Pairing
• Auxiliary port for non-bluetooth devices
• Two 5W drivers
• Kickstand
• 6-8 hour battery life

 

Impressions

Design
This speaker is constructed out of glossy plastic, but is still pretty solid. It rests squarely on any surface, but it has a kickstand in case you notice any instability.  The addition of a dock gives it a long, strange shape which doesn’t really scream “portability” to me.The dock claims to work for all devices, but if you have an Android device with capacitive keys, then you will not be able to access any of your keys while your device is docked
Sound Quality
The speaker doesn’t have any volume controls, which makes it not ideal for outdoor use. However, with my device at full volume, there is a great bass response and almost no distortion. There is a microphone for calling, but the call quality is terrible, with the other person coming through loud and distorted and with the caller unable to hear you most of the time.
Battery Life
The speaker touts a 6-8 hour battery life, and I found that to be very accurate. I used it extensively throughout my day(which is usually about 8 AM to 4 PM) and at no point did I ever see that the battery was running low
Connectivity
Pairing the speaker and my device was as easy as tapping the side of the speaker with NFC on. Once the device was connected,I was able to play and pause music with ease and answer calls. The speaker touts a 10M connectivity range, which allows me to listen to music and walk around with my phone while doing the day’s chores.

Conclusion

The SAVFY Bluetooth 4.0 speaker is a lot of speaker for $30(the current price on Amazon). For portability, it is not very ideal, as it has a strange shape and volume that is high, but not high enough. If you would like to purchase it, you can get it on Amazon for $26.99 with coupon code C7IWMEYW until June 30, and the normal price is $29.99.

You can find the official SAVFY Store here

Walli – Arty & Cool Wallpapers: Decorate your phone with this art (Review)

A few weeks ago I reviewed an app lock called Fingerprint App Lock. After a discussion with the developer, he brought up another app they recently released called Walli Arty & Cool Wallpapers. Naturally, since I was impressed with Fingerprint App Lock, it was obvious I should check out this wallpaper app. Who doesn’t like a good wallpaper app?

Developer: Shanga
Cost: Free with ads

Review

There are a crazy amount of wallpaper apps out there in the Play Store. Just search wallpaper, and you will see. That’s why it’s important to make sure worthy apps are seen, or they get lost in the sea of similar apps. Walli falls into that category, a worthy app that could get overlooked.

Walli doesn’t do the normal material wallpaper and landscape pictures that are popular today. The developers have hand selected and built a community of talented artists from around the world to ensure it has the most unique wallpapers.

You have three tabs to choose from: Featured, Popular, and Recent. I could explain all the categories, but let’s be honest, you know what they all mean so I’ll just skip past it. Once you find a wallpaper you like, you have two options – download or set as wallpaper. Walli will help you with the resolution that best fits your device.

There is also the option to click the creator’s name and browse their profile for more of their art if you’d like. You may also favorite any of the ones you like by clicking the heart button. Under your own profile, you can find all the wallpapers you liked and downloaded for later reference.

If by chance you can’t find what you’re looking for, there is a search feature available that will help you more specific art. I would like to see another tab added titled Categories and have them broken down. When searching, it’s sometimes hard to know what you’re looking for, so seeing categories to select from would be nice.

Walli does something I think is amazing. Instead of users just uploading their works and
getting credit, they instead get to share in a percentage of the revenue they earn from the ads shown after downloading wallpapers. Walli also gives everyone who downloads the app to submit an application if you want to try. Submitting doesn’t mean you get in; however, I think is an amazing program and only encourages the user content creation. It’s a triple win for the artists, the end users, and the developers.

 

 

Summary

Walli is hands down one of the best wallpaper apps in the market. I really believe they will grow and catch fire and will be vastly rewarded with the model they are using. It’s worth the download, so check them out.

Download Walli from the Play Store

1 of 10

Super Stacker is a kids’ block-stacking game that’s missing the big crash (review)

As kids, most of us played a game, be it with branded blocks or whatever items we had lying around, where each player would take a turn adding another block onto the previous one. This would create a growing tower, balanced by the skill of the stacking players.
Turns would be taken, and higher the tower would become. The tension would build, and at some point a mistake in placement would be made…and down the tower would come in a grand and loud crash.

That was the big payoff; it mostly didn’t matter who won, but it was the buildup and inevitable crash that made it fun.

Well, you can get most of those feelings in Super Stacker, an Android game you can get completely free in the Play Store. Super Stacker brings back that buildup and tension from your childhood game to your portable device. It’s a pretty simple game that lets you pick it up, play for a few rounds, and completely forget about it until next time. Which is exactly it’s point in life.

You begin with a rotating table/surface, with a large square block floating above it. The table/surface rotates while the block sites stationary.  You place the block by tapping on the screen. Then  the table (with the newly placed block) switches rotation direction (clockwise to counter-clockwise), and another block of the same size appears above, awaiting your tap. You repeat this process, and as you go up in tower size, the blocks get increasingly smaller, passing a Jenga-size block, onto extremely skinny sticks. In terms of controls, I would consider the game “good”, but we’re talking about repeated tapping here, so it would probably be pretty hard to get that wrong.

The idea is to continue the balance of the tower as it grows ever-higher with each block you place. This of course gets more and more difficult as the tower grows and your next block gets even skinnier.
The game does attempt to help you; as each block passes over the top block on the tower below it, it flashes white; this indicates that if you tap the screen now the block will drop in exactly the same orientation as the one below it, with of course maximizes the stability of the tower at that point.

You would think one could find a rhythm and line up most blocks pretty easily, but the game does a good job with geometry, speed, and rotation to mess with you. Also, the visuals and sound well-done for a game of this type: clean and unobtrusive. Other than the blocks, the only other major visual is your score high and center, which equals the number of blocks successfully stacked (my high score is 41, btw).

The game does have a negative in my opinion, but it’s a big one. During a physical version of this type of game (and as I stated earlier), most of the fun is in the simply buildup of tension and anticipation as the tower gets taller, and closer to it’s ultimate demise. The big payoff is when that fatal mistake is made, and the big, loud, messy crash brings the game to a definite and satisfying end.

With Super Stacker, this climax is completely missed. When the top block is set askew, instead of a grand cacophony of crashing blocks,

The top one tips over.
The screen freezers.
The universal “replay” symbol appears.

And that’s it. You really feel left hanging with that kind of ending, and it’s one that takes you from feeling “Hey this is pretty fun!” to “Really? That’s it? Hmph.”. To me that’s the crux of this game, and if the developer can create a couple of random crash scenes to provide, this game’s value goes way, way up.

 

Sesame Lock Screen: Fast access to everything on your phone!

Details

Developer: Sesame Crew

Price: Free

Category: Lockscreen, Google Now replacement

Description

Sesame Lock Screen sits on top of your stock lock screen. When you turn your phone screen on Sesame pops up and is ready to get to work. Your notifications are all here with previews clicking one of them will take you to the unlock screen. Once the phone is unlocked you are taken to the app that you clicked the notification for.

The real meat of this app comes from the keyboard at the bottom. In 1 to 2 clicks you can have almost any app or setting pulled up and ready for your use. For instance, if I wanted to change the Display Settings I would just type “dis” and I would see Setting:Display.

Click it and unlock the phone and BOOM there are the display settings. Another powerful piece of this is Sesame can search inside of other apps. So say I want to search for Thousand Foot Krutch music. I just start typing “Thousan”…and Sesame shows me the band name with the Spotify icon next to it, if I click the name Sesame opens Spotify and takes me to the correct page so I can now play the music I searched for.  

Determination

This app took me roughly three days to become comfortable with it. I was so used to hitting the home button to unlock the device and either pulling down the Notification shade or going to the app drawer to find what I needed. This app takes all those steps and combines them into a few clicks.

I think this a great app and once you get used to it, it will simplify the way you use your phone.  This is not the most visually appealing app I have ever seen but the function out weighs the lack of visuals here for sure!

You can find Sesame Lock Screen on the Google Play Store for Free.

The Hottest Android apps and games around (June 24)

Welcome to Week 5 of The Hottest Android apps and games around!. On top of pulling the top 10 downloaded apps and games from Google Play and the Amazon Appstore I have also included the top 5 New apps and games from Google Play and Amazon’s Underground project.

If you are not familiar with Underground check out this Article, but it’s basically Amazon taking apps that normally cost money and making them free, even the in-app purchases are gone so you pay nothing for an app that normally cost money! Leave a comment below if you download any of this weeks apps.

Top 5 New Free Apps and Games (Google Play)

1. T-Mobile Tuesdays

T-Mobile USA

2. Ninja Turtles: Legends

Ludia Inc.

3. Tap Emoji Keyboard-Smiley,Skin

Tap! Apps

 

4. Zombie Castaways

VIZOR INTERACTIVE

5. Ketchapp Basketball

Ketchapp

Top 5 New Paid Apps and Games (Google Play)

1. Toca Life: Vacation

Toca Boca $2.99

2. _PRISM

Clint Siu $2.99

3. MCF: Key To Ravenhearst (Full)

Big Fish Games $4.99

4. Goat Simulator Waste of Space

Coffee Stain Studios $4.99

5. My PlayHome Hospital

Shimon Young $2.99

Top Actually Free  Apps and Games (Amazon AppStore Underground)

1. Goat Simulator Waste of Space

Coffee Stain Studios

In App Purchases: FREE

Sonic Dash 

Sega of America

In App Purchases: FREE

 

Flow Free

Big Duck Games LLC

In App Purchases: FREE

Word Twist

Random Salad Games LLC

Flow Free: Bridges

Big Duck Games LLC

Top 10  Free Apps and Games (Google Play)

Messenger(Facebook)
slither.io
Facebook (Beta)
Snapchat
Pandora® Radio
Instagram
Netflix
GO Speed (Clean & AppLock)
Spotify Music
YouTube Music

Top Free Apps and Games (Amazon Appstore)

Sonic Dash
slither.io
Facebook Messenger
ES File Explorer
Goat Simulator Waste of Space
Netflix
Facebook
Color Switch
YouTube
Amazon Video

Top Paid Apps and Games (Google Play)

Minecraft: Pocket Edition $6.99

Nova Launcher Prime $0.99

Sleep as Android Unlock $0.99

Ultimate Guitar Tabs & Chords $0.99

Minecraft: Story Mode $4.99

Poweramp Full Version Unlocker $0.99

Ticket to Ride $1.99

Bloons TD 5 $2.99

Geometry Dash $1.99

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas $3.99

 

 

Top Paid Apps and Games (Amazon AppStore)

Minecraft – Pocket Edition $6.99

Plants vs. Zombies $0.99

Minecraft: Story Mode $4.99

TeenyTitans – Teen Titans Go! $3.99

Geometry Dash $1.99

Toca Life: Vacation $2.99

Five Nights at Freddy’s $2.99

Midnight Calling: Anabel Collector’s… $2.99

BlockLauncher Pro $3.30

PAW Patrol Pups Take Flight $3.99

 

Optoma NuForce BE6i Wireless Earphone Review

It’s no doubt that Bluetooth wireless headphones are the hotness in audio gear today. Many of our favorite headphone manufacturers now have a Bluetooth device somewhere in their lineup. Optoma is one of the newer guys to join the fray.

This week, the company has just launched the NuForce BE6i in-ears. Folks who are into the audio scene may have seen the NuForce earphone brand before, which can reach audiophile-grade, HiFi levels (and pricing). However, the BE6i looks to compete with today’s popular wireless in-ears, like from Jaybird and Plantronics, with a strong package and cool retail price of $129. Let’s check it out.

Design

From the bat, you can tell that Optoma means business. Most of the wireless in-ears you see today have a somewhat cheap-feeling plastic build. The BE6i earpieces are completely Aluminum.

Their cylindrical shape is nothing special, and it’s a little too reminiscent to Jaybird’s X models, so thankfully the BE6i have the metal to help them stand out. There’s slight tapers on the front and back of the chassis that also help the basic design. And at the back end, the “Nu” branding is etched into the metal.

A small mention is that the caps of the earpieces are magnetically attracted. It’s not a big deal, but nice to see them cleanly clasp when not in use.

The cord is also not unlike that I’ve seen from the competition. It’s a flat, rubbery cable (meant to route behind the neck), with an in-line 3-button remote/mic. The remote succumbs to cheap plastic, but I like that it’s exactly the same color as the cable, so that fact doesn’t distract that much.

This is also from where you charge the BE6i. The microUSB charging port is under a flap on the side of the remote. A small LED light indicates when it’s charging and when it’s fully charged.

Function

Optoma was quite considerate with the BE6i’s packaging. You’ll see a robust zipper case when you open the box. Within it are a total of six silicone ear tip pairs (three shorter and three longer), two pairs of Comply tips, silicone ear fins (help secure the fit in your ear), a cable clip (to tidy the cable slack), and a microUSB-to-USB charging cable.

It’s easy to get started. Simply hold down the middle button on the remote for a couple seconds and the BE6i powers up in discover mode. Simply find it in your mobile device’s Bluetooth settings and voila.

The fit is decent. Some folks may be concerned about the metal’s weight, but only the earpieces are metal (and light metal, at that). The rest of the unit is very lightweight. Bear in mind that the earpieces are a tad on the large side, but not unlike its competition.

Granted, they stay in the ear well. However, I’m not a big fan of the silicone tips. I tried multiple ones and can’t get a tight seal. So I’m glad that Optoma includes foam tips.

It’s important to know that although the BE6i have a premium aesthetic, that doesn’t mean they compromise on durability. Just like the other guys, they have sweat and water resistance (IPX5 rating). The Bluetooth range is also not hindered by the metal design. It is rated at a whopping 100 feet. Battery is decent too, at up to 8 hours.

Sound

Of course, nothing I’ve discussed so far matters unless the earphones sound good. Does Optoma manage to carry over its expertise into the Bluetooth arena? I think so. The quality definitely justifies the price tag, which says a lot, because the BE6i incorporates a lot of other technology.

The sound’s biggest strengths are the bass and treble. Fortunately, that doesn’t mean that the sound signature is V-shaped (forward bass/treble but recessed mid-range). The mids do have a good presence, albeit, the quality doesn’t quite match to the rest of the spectrum. They’re a little hollow, or flat, to my ears.

I would give the cake to highs. They’re satisfyingly detailed; instruments like cymbals and percussions have a fullness/richness (but not piercing or exaggerated). Bass is decent as a whole. The delivery is solid, with a nice kick from the mid-bass, but the depth and energy from the lower-end could be better.

The width of the soundstage is above average, but nothing to write home about. I would’ve liked it to be more 3D than 2D (there’s more width than height or depth). All in all, decent sound quality, but nothing that will blow you away.

Final Thoughts

I think that Optoma did a good job, but unsure if it’s enough to stand out in what’s now becoming a crowded market. I would definitely recommend the BE6i, though. It’s solidly built, functions well, sounds good, and is competitively priced, at $129. My only gripe is the silicone tips; they don’t have the best fit in my ears.

NuForce BE6i product page