You were teased with the idea of it, then managed to catch glimpses of it from CES 2014 coverage. And not too long ago, the Outdoor Tech Big Turtle Shell speaker hit Kickstarter and surpassed the funding goal with the help of 1789 backers. I dig what Outdoor Tech dishes, so they sent me a pre-production unit to test out. With the Kickstarter campaign over, backers are eagerly awaiting their production model. Thumbs up to all of you for unlocking the bag, straps (omg, the straps!), and cable funding goals. Of course, the big question: how does it sound? You won't be disappointed. Design & Connectivity If you're familiar with the Outdoor Tech Turtle Shell speaker, then you certainly see the family resemblance with the Outdoor Tech Big Turtle Shell. Otherwise, if this is completely new to you, then you've never seen a speaker quite like this. The Outdoor Tech Big Turtle Shell speaker looks like a cross between a military stealth fighter and angled-turtle art. It doesn't look like any kind of traditional speaker, which is a big part of its appeal. It's not simply marching to a different drummer – Outdoor Tech cartwheels to its own fife.  Big, yet still easy to grab one-handed The build is solid and rugged. You can make a seat out of this speaker if so desired; it's not that comfortable, but it beats lava rocks and pointy sticks. It's shockproof, dustproof, and water resistant. It could probably take a dunking, but I wouldn't push it that far. A serious dousing, however, gets shrugged off no problem. The material is a smooth (but not slick) matte black that keeps fingerprints muted while rolling off water. Surely, this is a speaker for the outdoor adventurer in all of us. The underside of the Outdoor Tech Big Turtle speaker is concave, which lifts the bass membrane up a bit so it doesn't make immediate contact with surfaces. This helps to keep both the audio and the speaker itself cleaner (think dirt, water, etc). At the same time, it makes placement easier on uneven surfaces, with practically zero chances of it tipping over. Two handle openings are big enough to slip in four fingers for carrying or mounting. With a little imagination and creativity, you can go beyond a simple carabiner clip to put this speaker wherever you want. All of the ports are located lip edges and are protected by silicone covers. Non-Bluetooth devices can plug in to the audio in/out ports via 3.5mm cable. The other end has the wall adapter power connector and a 5V/1A USB output port. Since the Outdoor Tech Big Turtle speaker packs a whopping 7800mAh internal battery, it's nice to be able to tap into reserves to charge up external gadgets. Power and volume/track controls are located on the front, under the NFC surface for instant pairing. Users are greeted with audio notifications for power on/off and battery level. The announcing voice is slightly clipped, but I prefer quick info than some lengthy, drawn-out startup sequence full of musical noise. Operation is self-explanatory if you're familiar with speakers. Press-hold the power button to turn on/off, and the volume buttons double as track forward/reverse with a long hold. The single LED light indicates power, charging, and Bluetooth connectivity. Audio Quality The Outdoor Tech Big Turtle Shell speaker gets good and loud. It projects well enough to fill a large room with party-level noise (not easily drowned out by activity and conversation from a dozen people). I can blast this speaker downstairs and hear the lyrics clearly if I am upstairs. The volume can't compete with noisy outdoor environments. Places like a backyard BBQ, poolside party, or campsite work very well. A park playground teeming with children is too big to effectively carry music, and a beach's… Continue reading TechnologyTell Review: Outdoor Tech Big Turtle Shell Speaker The post TechnologyTell Review: Outdoor Tech Big Turtle Shell Speaker appeared first on GadgeTell.   Privacy features are becoming more important for consumers, so devices like the Blackphone are bound to become more popular as time passes. After it was introduced in early 2014, the privacy-centric Blackphone has begun shipping to most pre-order customers following some delays. Pre-orders began for the device in February, and while shipments were expected in April, it has taken until the end of June for units to actually reach customers. Continue reading Blackphone begins shipping to customers The post Blackphone begins shipping to customers appeared first on GadgeTell.   Samsung Galaxy Tab SChoosing just one tablet from Samsung's countless options, some smaller and lower-end, others larger and cutting-edge performance-wise and many sitting in between, isn't easy. In fact, instead of continuing to enrich the Galaxy Tab line, Sammy should probably release a manual next, to aid prospective buyers in discerning the microscopic differences between their various slate models. Continue reading PSA: Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4, 10.5 now available stateside starting at $400 The post PSA: Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4, 10.5 now available stateside starting at $400 appeared first on GadgeTell.   The S5 Mini launch is just around the corner, and SamMobile says that a global release could come as soon as mid-July. An anonymous inside source has told the publication that Samsung's mini version of the flagship S5 will come with similar features, though its specs will not be as high. Important features like a heart rate sensor and fingerprint scanner are reportedly present in the S5 Mini, and the phone may even come with the same dust and waterproof rating. Continue reading Galaxy S5 Mini may launch in July The post Galaxy S5 Mini may launch in July appeared first on GadgeTell.   Last week, Google unveiled the LG G Watch, a smartwatch powered by Android Wear, which went up for pre-order on the Google Play Store. If you're one of those who pre-ordered the smartwatch, you do know that it's not shipping until the first week of July. However, if you're based in the UK and want to get your hands on the LG G Watch a little early, Unlocked Mobile currently lists it in stock and ready to go. LG G Watch is available at Unlocked Mobile, a UK-based retailer, for £159.98, with next day shipping. Continue reading LG G Watch now shipping in the UK The post LG G Watch now shipping in the UK appeared first on GadgeTell.  Whether it's a good thing or a bad thing, your social media habits tend to say a lot about you. Your followers can pretty much see where you hang out, who you hang out with, what you like to eat and do for fun, and pretty much everything else. If you were to assemble someone's Instagram photos into a collage, you would have a pretty good idea of their personality. And it would look like one of those cool Hockney pieces of art.  Yeah! Just like that one! Like I've mentioned before, I was a late bloomer when it came to Instagram. My friends forced it upon me, and I feel like I've been playing catch up ever since. So, I tend to pay close attention to other people's Instagram habits in the hopes of graduating from my Instagram amateur status. Thus, I've picked up on a couple Instagram filter trends, and although Instagram filters might seem like an arbitrary and irrelevant way of reading someone, I'm starting to think they say a lot more than you'd think.  So, take a seat as I break it down for you. And as always, feel free to disagree in the comments section! And yes, I used my own pictures. ENJOY! 1) Normal – The #nofilter egotist:  This could go a couple ways. Either you're new to Instagram, and you're not ready to take the filter leap or you're fishing for compliments. Come on, the filters are right there! By exercising your right not to use one, you're telling the world you're perfect without a filter. Look how great my makeup looks, or even worse, look how great I look WITHOUT… Continue reading What your favorite Instagram filter says about you The post What your favorite Instagram filter says about you appeared first on GadgeTell.   Here in the U.S.A., it's a short work week as we head into Independence Day, July 4. Some of you are already on vacation. Others will be on vacation soon. And some of us will just be chillin' on the patio or in the backyard all summer. So we thought it would be a good time to list some cool product categories that can make your outdoor holiday experience super-awesomer. Waterproof Bluetooth speaker. Portable Bluetooth speakers are our favorite product this year, because all you need to do is wirelessly connect a smartphone to a little speaker and you can enjoy awesome sound anywhere. If you're particularly into music, you can have one in every room of your home. But what about outside the home? That's where the emerging category of waterproof Bluetooth speakers come in. Now you can enjoy music outside without worrying about damage to your Bluetooth speaker due to splashing, Super-Soaker attacks and rain. Some of these… Continue reading 5 outdoor electronics products for summer fun The post 5 outdoor electronics products for summer fun appeared first on GadgeTell.   The number of social media interactions that an event sees has become a common way to figure out how popular that event actually is. Most people already know that the World Cup is huge, but Facebook has provided some statistics that prove that point even further. Since the World Cup began in early June, there have been 1 billion interactions on the social network about the event. Sporting events are always a big draw for interaction on sites like Facebook and Twitter, but the World Cup has really pushed people to become active on the site. Continue reading World Cup sharing on Facebook tops 1 billion interactions The post World Cup sharing on Facebook tops 1 billion interactions appeared first on GadgeTell.  | |
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