54243869
submission
zacharye writes:
When we reviewed Google’s Nexus 5 early last month, we didn’t mince words. In fact, we called it the only smartphone Android fans should care about this holiday season. But what about Apple fans? Should they care about it as well? There’s a lot to like about the Nexus 5 and with a price tag starting at just $349 off contract, it’s a shockingly good value — perhaps the best there is for the time being. It’s a deal that looks so good, a self-professed “eternal Apple fanboy" couldn’t help but give it a shot...
54102899
submission
zacharye writes:
Are you a cable TV subscriber who might be considering cutting the cord? Did you already take the leap and dump your TV service? Cable TV doesn’t want to see you go, and it wants you back if you’ve already left. And what better way to convey that message than with a nice little campaign put together by the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, the main trade association for cable operators in the U.S. Behold: The Hole Saga...
53955365
submission
zacharye writes:
AT&T wants subscribers to have a merry Christmas this year. It also wants some of the people who have been fleeing its network in searching of cheaper smartphone plans to stay put. As such, the carrier on Thursday announced a brand new set of service plans that are far more consumer-friendly. AT&T is still making plenty of money on them, of course, but several of the plans offer significant savings compared to the older plans they replace. What’s more, the new plans finally — FINALLY — take smartphone subsidies into account to an extent, and they automatically drop in cost by $15 per month once your phone is paid off. Or, if you bring your own phone or opt for one of the carrier’s AT&T Next plans, your service is $15 cheaper per month from day one...
53069229
submission
zacharye writes:
Nokia, as we know it, is going away. The company itself will remain, of course. It might even be consistently profitable some day. But the face of Nokia that most consumers are familiar with will be a thing of the past. Nokia will soon sell off its devices and services business to Microsoft for about $5 billion as part of a $7.2 billion deal. But in the meantime, the company has a product pipeline to clear and the new Lumia 1520 is certainly one of the more interesting devices Nokia will be launching before the big changing of the guard. The 1520 marks Nokia’s first foray into the increasingly popular phablet category and if not for Apple, Nokia would be the last major smartphone vendor to enter the space. But is the company’s new 1520 just a bigger Lumia phone, or is it also a better Lumia phone that continues moving in the right direction and picks up where the Lumia 1020 left off?...
52955268
submission
zacharye writes:
Companies are trying as hard as they can to convince us that smartphone-based payment systems are the future, but we have seen little thus far to convince us that this new technology will break out anytime soon. Tap-to-pay smartphone solutions require retailers to update their point of sale (POS) terminals, and mobile payment solutions providers are having trouble coming up with a solid system that works across platforms. On top of everything else, people haven’t yet shown that they’re comfortable replacing standard credit cards with a smartphone-based solution. But what if there were a middle ground? What if an innovative solution came along that required no new POS equipment and could instantly be used anywhere credit cards are accepted? What if that solution looked as familiar as a credit card but still let users empty their wallets of all current credit cards, debit cards, gift cards and membership cards? One San Francisco-based startup is now looking to make this seemingly impossible middle ground a reality...
52854245
submission
zacharye writes:
Activision’s smash hit Call of Duty: Ghosts racked up a cool $1 billion in channel sales during its first day of availability alone, approaching Rockstar’s recent Grand Theft Auto V debut and cementing its place in the record books. But not everyone is impressed. In fact, one reviewer thinks the latest addition to Activision’s popular franchise is the clearest evidence yet that modern military shooters have run their course and the entire category needs to be retired...
52689633
submission
zacharye writes:
After months of rumors, leaks and speculation, Google finally took the wraps off of its new Nexus 5 smartphone last week and Android fans were elated. The sleek new handset started selling out in mere minutes and by the end of the day, it would be weeks until new orders of some Nexus 5 builds would be dispatched. Can Google’s new Nexus phone possibly live up to all the hype that has built up over the past few months?...
52285953
submission
zacharye writes:
Poor John Sculley. The man has done plenty before and after he was Apple’s chief executive for a decade beginning in 1983, but he will always be known best for his role in ousting Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and nearly running Apple into the ground. Jobs came back to Apple in the mid-90s and helped the company return to glory as it grew to eventually become the most valuable consumer electronics company on the planet. But in a curious twist of fate, Sculley may soon have the opportunity to try to become BlackBerry’s "Steve Jobs"...
52241149
submission
zacharye writes:
Apple unveiled two new additions to its iPad lineup on Tuesday, just as we all expected. The new fifth-generation iPad Air features a completely new design and the second-generation iPad mini finally includes a high-resolution Retina display, also just like we all expected. Both new tablets bring plenty to the table and Apple’s iPad and iPad mini are each widely believed to be the top-selling tablets in their respective categories by a pretty substantial margin. But they’re far from perfect and there is one important feature in particular that Apple’s new iPads are sorely missing: Multiple account support...
52205329
submission
zacharye writes:
Apple remained silent for most of 2013 and industry watchers panicked as the months rolled by with no major product launches. Well, when it rains it pours. Apple launched the brand new flagship iPhone 5s and the sort-of-new iPhone 5c almost exactly one month ago, and opening-weekend sales absolutely smashed Apple’s earlier iPhone sales records. Now, it’s time for the next few pieces of Apple’s 2013-2014 product puzzle to fall into place. Here's how to watch live streaming video of Apple's big event...
52069649
submission
zacharye writes:
Apple’s iPhone 5s represents the biggest “S” upgrade an iPhone has ever seen. The guts of the phone have been completely overhauled, just as BGR exclusively reported they would be back in May. Beyond the internals, Apple’s new Touch ID fingerprint scanner also makes the 5s the first “S” upgrade ever to include a major new user-facing hardware feature. The processor is better, two of the color options are new, the battery lasts longer, the camera takes better photos and even the display is slightly easier on the eyes thanks to its cooler tone. But as a total package in the context of being an upgrade from last year’s iPhone model, Apple’s iPhone 5s may very well be the least impressive jump to date...
52039769
submission
zacharye writes:
It’s not just Samsung’s phablets that are gigantic Samsung announced earlier this week that it has broken ground on the new research and development facility it is building in Mountain View, California. Set to be completed by the end of next year, the new Silicon Valley campus will span 8.5 acres and will be highlighted by two six-story office buildings totaling 385,000 square feet. Those facilities still won’t be as massive as the company’s San Jose campus, which is in the process of being expanded by another 1.1 million square feet. Samsung’s various offices are indeed huge but if you think Samsung’s square footage is impressive, wait until you see its global head count...
52036539
submission
zacharye writes:
We have covered Apple’s new iOS 7 software extensively here on BGR, and we’re clearly fans of Apple’s mobile overhaul. iOS 7 is more about renovation than innovation, but Apple did an impressive job of redesigning every visual element of the platform while still managing to maintain familiarity for longtime iOS users. Of equal importance, Apple also laid the groundwork for innovation in upcoming new builds of iOS. But not everyone is impressed, and the Nielsen Norman Group recently panned iOS 7 in an extensive user experience review. Now, a new critique from a well-credentialed designer further supports the notion that Apple made some serious missteps in iOS 7, and that it has a lot of work to do if it hopes to clean things up...
51998497
submission
zacharye writes:
Consumer Reports is still the buying guide of record for many consumers in older age demographics, and the not-for-profit group recently took a look at Apple’s new wares. While Consumer Reports has historically been pretty rough on Apple gadgets, it came away from its iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c tests fairly impressed, giving each handset a respectable score. Where the flagship iPhone 5s is concerned, Consumer Reports found a happy surprise in the Touch ID fingerprint scanner, which it said was surprisingly reliable. It also said the 5s camera is better than ever and that the iPhone 5c is a “compelling offering for budget-minded buyers.” Despite all that praise, however, Consumer Reports still thinks that Motorola’s latest Droid handsets are a better buy...
51754403
submission
zacharye writes:
The Galaxy Gear smartwatch is the worst product Samsung has made in a long time. The device was rushed to market in an attempt to beat Apple’s non-existent iWatch to consumers wrists — and it shows. It doesn’t innovate or even attempt to bring anything new and useful to the table, and what little functionality it does offer is anything but exciting. So it’s easy to draw parallels between Samsung’s first smartwatch effort and the new Galaxy Round, Samsung’s first smartphone to feature a curved Super AMOLED display. Why does it feature a curved Super AMOLED display? Because it does...
