Apple reminds us all that tax holidays also apply in Apple Stores

Posted on by Jaime Rivera

Whether it’s in Apple’s online stores or in its brick and mortar stores, one of the biggest challenges that customers face is that price hump we all get with the sales tax. At times when most states don’t force you to pay taxes in order to buy the same things at Amazon, it’s obvious that if you were given a choice, you’d rather keep those extra bucks in your pocket. Still, some states are about to launch a couple of tax-free days, and Apple didn’t miss the opportunity to remind you.Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New ...

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The rear-facing buttons are the worst part of the LG G3

Posted on by Taylor Martin

Back when I owned my very first smartphone, I never paid any attention to the placement of any of the buttons or ports. But that quickly changed as the smartphone itself evolved and as I noticed how different button and port configurations affected how I used each device.On the Moto Q, the call and end buttons were exactly where you would expect them to be – on the face of the device, flanking a d-pad in the center. The end key doubled as the power key. There was no manual standby function we now associate with the power key.The Curve 8330 I later owned, however, did have this function. ...

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Leaked pics might reveal Sony Xperia Z3 Compact

Posted on by Stephen Schenck

Late last month a leak outed what were claimed to be front panels for the Sony Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact. While a little hard to believe at first, a series of subsequent leaks detailing the Z3 have really brought us around to the idea that this is a model Sony’s working on. But what of the smaller phone, the presumed Z3 Compact? We haven’t heard much of it since then, but now a new series of photos has arrived alongside ...

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HTC schedules August event; what could it announce?

Posted on by Stephen Schenck

The next couple months are shaping up to be chock-full of smartphone announcements. IFA in early September is bound to bring us a ton of new devices, and shortly after that we’re expecting news of the iPhone 6. We’ve even been picking up on word of a few possible launches for August, and an invite just landed for what may be a notable one, as HTC prepares for an August 19 event.But what could the company have to share? A few subjects come to mind, like

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Samsung Galaxy Alpha launch may be under a week away

Posted on by Stephen Schenck

The story behind Samsung’s Galaxy Alpha has rapidly been coming together over the past couple weeks, going from a name, to a spread of leaked pics, to hardware details in just a span of days. The breakneck pace at which news of the phone’s been developing is not looking like it’s due to slow down anytime soon, and word comes in ...

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Microsoft announces Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1

Posted on by Stephen Schenck

Windows Phone 8.1 has finally seen its public release, following months of availability as a Preview for Developers. But as Windows Phone users all over the world start installing their 8.1 updates, Microsoft already has its eyes on what’s next, and today gives us a little taste of what to expect, announcing the coming availability of WP8.1 Update 1 and going over some of the software’s key features.Remember that folder support we’ve been talking about? The update will introduce Live ...

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Will latency doom smartphone-based virtual reality?

Posted on by Joe Levi

Job got you down? Has your love life lost its spark? Are you sick and tired of real reality? Lucky for you, all of that can change thanks to the modern miracle of virtual reality!Okay, that sounds a little cheesy, right? Okay fine, it’s a lot cheesy. Virtual reality, however, is much less so and has the potential to revolutionize, well, everything! We’ve been trying to put virtual reality to use in more and more applications over the years, and now it’s poised to go beyond expensive simulators and make its bold entrance into our living rooms, and even our pockets!In the ...

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Here’s what the Amazon Fire Phone camera can do

Posted on by Michael Fisher

The Fire Phone is many things to many people: a funky 3D screen; a portal to a Prime membership; a refreshing escape from the normalcy of the typical smartphone world; a gimmick to be disregarded until the next generation – the list goes on. But whatever your personal opinion, the fact remains that as Amazon’s first-ever smartphone, the newest Fire is indisputably significant. And part of its significance lies in its camera.The Amazon Fire Phone camera is a 13MP sensor backed up by the usual slew of glowing marketing material on the device’s

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Every tablet needs a kickstand like the Surface Pro 3

Posted on by Adam Doud

Up until a couple of years ago, Microsoft was not known for its high quality hardware design. Sure, if you wanted a piece of software, you knew where to go. But hardware was just something Microsoft didn’t do. There was nothing wrong with that, plenty of OEMs were happy to step up, buy a license and go, go, go. But then Microsoft decided to get into the hardware game. It aimed high.The Surface is one of its more recent attempts at hardware and it is beautiful. The Surface RT and Surface Pro both debuted just over two years ago, and they were absolutely gorgeous machines. The metal design ...

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Battery experiment: survive a vacation trip with no chargers but a battery pack (updated)

Posted on by Anton D. Nagy

By the time you folks are reading this, I’m probably half-way to my destination at the Adriatic Sea. Taking a vacation for the first time in years was one of the most difficult decisions I had to recently take, but I’m leaving — for a tad more than a week — knowing that Pocketnow is in good hands with my dear colleagues I couldn’t be more proud of.The Nokia Lumia 1020, with its ...

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iPhone 6 phablet dates, more Google Nexus phablet details & more – Pocketnow Daily

Posted on by Jaime Rivera

Watch today’s Pocketnow Daily as we talk about some new Facebook patents discovered that reveal a smartphone in the works, again. Then we talk about Microsoft’s rumored launch of a selfie phone, aside from another high-end Windows Phone. Speaking of Windows Phone, we then talk about HTC’s future iteration of the One M8 running the operating system. Motorola follows as we get some additional details on the Nexus phablet it’s working on. We end today’s show talking about the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 launch dates rumored, in addition to more sapphire details on the ...

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New “Fake ID” exploit allows new types of malware on Android?

Posted on by Jaime Rivera

Malware issues and Android have been a mix of repeated controversy over the last couple of years. We do know of the existence of malware for Android, and we do know of the security risks involved, but it’s hard to remember the last time we’ve ever heard of a virus attack that’s rendered Android smartphones useless, or at risk. Malware on mobile devices is surely possible, but sadly not as popular as it was a decade ago on Windows ...

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Amazon prepping Kindle Fire HDX refresh with new SoC?

Posted on by Stephen Schenck

Amazon’s Fire Phone may be the company’s new baby right now, but when it comes to Android devices, Amazon’s best known for its family of Fire tablets. Last September we saw it introduce its latest lineup, including some new Fire HD models and the debut of the HDX series. With the anniversary of that launch coming up on us, can we expect a new offering of Fire tablets this year? Some benchmarks may give ...

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