Google’s recently revealed augmented reality glasses is not going to be the only one of its kind. Oakley, a company that makes all kinds of eyewear and accessories, has been working on something similar for the past 15 years. Oakley’s CEO Colin Baden told Bloomberg all about it.
Much like Project Glass, Oakley is working on a type of technology that would relay information in someone’s vision without obstructing the real world environment. Unlike Project Glass, Oakley isn’t immediately targeting general consumers. Oakley is going to focus on getting its product to athletes and possibly the United States military before reaching out to broader markets.
Oakley isn’t ready to give a window for if or when its project will become available.
Read It Later was one of the finest services available that allowed you to save content from the web, and view it at a later time across multiple platforms. Today, Read It Later got a total makeover and rebranding. Read It Later is now known as Pocket.
Unlike Read It Later Pro, Pocket is free for everyone. It retains the same principles as its forefather, but does so with an entirely different interface. Pocket is now more visual, and highlights articles you save with thumbnail images. There are also different sections of Pocket that are dedicated to images, articles and videos.
Getting content into Pocket hasn’t changed. There is however a new desktop bookmarklet and Google Chrome app that you may want to install.
The recently announced LG Optimus Elite appeals to those looking for an affordable, entry-level, and environmentally-friendly Android smartphone. On Earth Day, which is April 22, the Optimus Elite will officially launch for $29.99 on a two year contract following a $50 MIR. In case you prefer to buy the Optimus Elite without a contract, then you may want to wait until it launches on Virgin Mobile shortly after it launches on Sprint.
In terms of specs and features, the Optimus Elite is mainly an upgrade over the Optimus S. With this in mind, the Optimus Elite sports a 800MHz processor, 3.5 inch touch screen display, 5MP rear facing camera, Android 2.3, WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth. In addition, it features NFC capability, which allows Google Wallet to be enabled on the Elite.
Again, the LG Optimus Elite will launch on April 22 for $29.99 on a two year contract. This entry-level smartphone will do its part to help save the environment by being manufactured in an efficient manner.
There are many apps available in iOS and Android that allow users to send text messages using data instead of conventional texting. Under most circumstances, texting using a third-party app should work pretty well, but what happens when the texting takes place in Canada and it is being rerouted through the United States? This incident occurred to a 16 year-old resident of Canada named Ryan Dunsmore who racked up an initial $400 bill by texting his girlfriend who lives nearby.
His girlfriend was using HeyWire, a free iOS based texting app, to keep in touch with Ryan who was texting via his phone. Within the terms and conditions of HeyWire, it mentions that texting will be rerouted through a U.S Phone number causing text roaming on behalf of Ryan. Since the couple texted about a thousand times until the bill came in, the charges racked up to $400. The father claims since his son is on an unlimited data plan, the charges aren’t valid. However, Rogers stands pat saying roaming through texting is going to charge extra and there are tools in place to track charges on your account.
Up to this point, the father refuses to pay the overage bill and their account has since been terminated resulting in two $400 early termination fees bringing the grand total of debt owed to $1,400.
The moral of this story is to completely understand the terms and conditions of any third party apps being used, especially those involving VOIP or texting.
Up for review today is the Cushi for Kindle Fire, which is a soft foam backing for your ereader/tablet.
Disclaimer: This Cushi for Kindle Fire back cover was provided to GadgeTell for the purpose of this review.
The specs
The Cushi is a soft foam pad made from a “durable” EVA foam material. The price is $19.95 and the title for the pattern is Dream. And in addition to the foam backing, those who make the purchase can also expect to find a screen protector, microfiber cleaning cloth and a squeegee for installation included in the package.
My thoughts
While I cannot say there was any issue or real need for me to have this placed on the back of my Kindle Fire (the tablet was already easy and comfortable to hold), I will say that the Cushi does make it a bit softer and nicer feeling. Plus, as far as I am concerned, the design certainly adds a bit of flair to the back of the Kindle Fire. Aside from a slightly more comfortable grip and a better look, I will say that the Cushi appears to be holding up well. It has been on my Kindle Fire for a few weeks now and with some around the house use as well as the device being taken in and out of my gear bag (and also a separate slip cover) — it shows no immediate signs of wearing out.
The bottom line
Simply put, if you are looking to decorate your Kindle Fire a bit and at the same time make it a little more comfortable to hold, I would suggest checking out the Cushi.
Mophie just joined the many manufacturers in releasing ruggedized products. For its part, Mophie has launched the Powerstation PRO, a battery pack that extends the battery life of any USB-enabled device. These include cameras, smartphones, iPads and other tablets. The Powerstation PRO boasts of 6000 mAh capacity lithium ion polymer battery which is said to be the largest among other Mophie Juice Pack products out in the market right now. With a price tag of $129.95, the Mophie Powerstation Pro features a thick and solid impact resistant exterior made of aluminum and rubber. This gives the battery pack ultimate protection against bumps and falls. It is also encased in heavy-duty rubber shell. It is also IP-65 rated having passed the tests for resistance from environmental elements such as liquid, dust, and sand. Additionally, the device is also capable of switching between 500 mAh, 1A and 2.1A charges, allowing you to conserve battery while charging any device. The Mophie Powerstation PRO is available now from Apple.com and Mophie.com. A video demo on how this thing works is attached below.
Perhaps following Sprint’s announcement yesterday on the arrival of the Galaxy Nexus and availability for $199.99, it seems that Wirefly wanted to beat this price. So, Wirefly has just reduced the price of the Verizon Galaxy Nexus to $49.99 for new accounts and $149.99 for those upgrading their current plans. This is not the first time though that Wirefly reduced the price tag of the Galaxy Nexus. If my memory serves me right, the last reduction happened a couple of months ago, putting the price at $189.99. And since the Verizon Galaxy Nexus will now be competing against the Sprint Galaxy Nexus, it seems about time for Wirefly to make the Verizon price a bit more competitive. So there. Will this new development force Sprint to bring down the price of its Galaxy Nexus some more?
It looks like Sprint has announced their latest cellular connected “mini notebook.” Or as many will dub it, a 3G/4G (WiMAX) connected netbook. Name argument aside though, the model is the Lenovo IdeaPad S205s and it arrives priced at $199.99. Though, just to clarify that price — that comes AFTER a $100 mail-in rebate and along with a two-year agreement.
As for the features, the IdeaPad S205s is running the 32-bit edition of Windows 7 Home Premium and sporting an 11.6 inch (1366 x 768) HD LED display along with a dual-core 1.33GHz Intel Pentium U5600 processor, 2GB of RAM, 250GB hard drive, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band 3G and 4G (WiMAX) and a 6-cell (4400 mAh) battery that should get “approximately” 5 hours of run time. Additionally, the IdeaPad S205s also has a memory card reader and a 0.3 megapixel webcam and sports measurements of 11.4 x 7.6 x 1.0-1.5 inches with a weight of 3.26 pounds.
That said, if you were looking for a cellular connected mini notebook netbook with Sprint, the IdeaPad S205s may be the device you were looking for.
Braven has announced a few new 600 Series Bluetooth speakers. And nicely done, these Bluetooth speakers also have some wired functionality. The new model speakers arrive in the form of the Braven 625s, Braven 600 and Braven 650 — all of which are available for pre-order as of today. The speakers are selling for $179.99 (for the 625s), $149.99 (for the 600) and $189.99 (for the 650). In terms of actual availability and shipping, Braven expects these to begin arriving in customers hands sometime around the end of June.
The Six Series speakers all have a battery life of between 12 and 20 hours and they can play from up to 33 feet away. The speakers can be used to listen to audio as well as to make hands free calls. And in addition to Bluetooth connectivity, the Braven Six Series speakers also have a 3.5mm jack. And in terms of that wired functionality, that comes in the form of charging. Yup, you can actually plug your phone (or other USB device) into the speaker and power up.
The speakers all have “two custom extended-range drivers and 3 watt speaker output providing high-fidelity stereo audio with left- and right-channel passive sub woofers.” And lastly, here is a bit further of a breakdown of each of the three new models;
BRAVEN 625s: Encased in a rugged, shock-absorbing exterior with aluminum grills that let listeners take this tough speaker on the go, the Stealth Black BRAVEN 625s is ideal for sport, travel, and outdoor experiences. Equipped with a waterproof bag, USB flashlight, and up to 16 hours of continuous play, this stylish, durable speaker is built to experience stunning audio and extreme adventure.
BRAVEN 600: Made from aircraft-grade aluminum, the BRAVEN 600 is an ideal choice for an ultra portable, gorgeous audio solution. Delivering rich high fidelity sound, this sleek and stylish speaker is available in Ash Grey and Moab Red and has up to 14 hours of playtime.
BRAVEN 650: Crafted to precision, the powerful BRAVEN 650 is equipped with industry leading aptX and AAC audio encoding for an amazingly clear, near lossless listening experience and up to 20-hour playtime. The 650 comes in a spectacularly designed aluminum body.
There has always been some complaints about how users have to pay for a Hulu Plus subscription and are still treated to advertisements while watching. Some have been saying that those who pay should not be subject to ads. And well, it looks like Hulu Plus is growing rather nicely despite those complaints. Me personally, I am a Hulu Plus subscriber and love it. My personal love for Hulu Plus aside though, it looks as if I am just one of about 2 million. Yup, according to some recently announced numbers — Hulu Plus now has more than 2 million paying subscribers. And on top of that, that number is up a half-a-million from the end of 2011. Otherwise, while Hulu is not denying that they make money with the advertisements, it looks like the paying subscribers will soon be making up a good portion of their revenue. According to Hulu, they expect “revenue from Hulu Plus to account for more than half of its total in 2012.”
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