That Star Trek Bluetooth Communicator is going to be crazy accurate

Posted on by Michael Fisher

By now you’ve seen the stories coming out of San Diego Comic Con featuring the new top contender for nerdiest phone gadget of 2015, the Wand Company’s Star Trek Bluetooth Communicator. Some folks close to the manufacturer have known about the project for months, while others attending SDCC are going hands-on with the prototype even as I type these words. Because I’m in neither of those groups, I’ve spent the afternoon sitting in a New York sidewalk cafe fruitlessly throwing money at my computer screen ...

Continue reading »

The post That Star Trek Bluetooth Communicator is going to be crazy accurate appeared first on Pocketnow.

Microsoft DT-903 review: wireless charging is brighter than ever (Video)

Posted on by Michael Fisher

Despite sluggish adoption, confusing marketing and a long-simmering standards war, wireless chargers litter today’s tech landscape. From the TYLT Vu to the Aukey Luna to Google’s Nexus “

Continue reading »

The post Microsoft DT-903 review: wireless charging is brighter than ever (Video) appeared first on Pocketnow.

Foot in mouth: how I learned to love the LG Tone Ultra

Posted on by Michael Fisher

One of the unavoidable pitfalls of covering a field as vast as mobile technology is that sometimes, you get things wrong. It happens regardless of preparation, regardless of time spent with a device, and no matter how many colleagues help copy-edit your work. But it happens most often when you establish an opinion before going hands-on with a product, before incorporating it into your daily life. Out in the real world, that’s called prejudice – and it’s just as damaging to a product review as the myriad ways it’s destructive to broader society. Yes, that’s a ...

Continue reading »

The post Foot in mouth: how I learned to love the LG Tone Ultra appeared first on Pocketnow.

Motorola Power Pack Micro: unboxing and first impressions (Video)

Posted on by Rithvik Rao

One of the accessories that Motorola launched alongside the new Moto X and G was the Motorola Power Pack Micro, a 1,500 mAh battery pack with a bit of a twist. You see, the Motorola Power Pack Micro isn’t any ole juice pack in that ...

Continue reading »

The post Motorola Power Pack Micro: unboxing and first impressions (Video) appeared first on Pocketnow.

Carry your smartphone like a handgun with the LD West Original holster (Video)

Posted on by Michael Fisher

As you might’ve guessed, we’re big on saving pocket space here at Pocketnow … and we sometimes miss the days when phone holsters were a “thing.” I talked about this in a short editorial almost exactly one year ago, where I made a case for the return of the phone pouch:The added utility of freeing up a pocket is almost magical – especially in the summertime when fabric is at a premium. Also, phones don’t clang around on a belt like they do in a ...

Continue reading »

The post Carry your smartphone like a handgun with the LD West Original holster (Video) appeared first on Pocketnow.

HTC Dot View case: a hip but stiff accessory for the HTC One M8 (Video)

Posted on by Michael Fisher

With a device as aesthetically focused as the new HTC One M8, slapping a case on the back amounts to something like sacrilege (even more so than usual). That aluminum! That machined precision! Those chamfers! But then again … that aluminum. That precision. Those chamfers. We’ve shown time and

Continue reading »

The post HTC Dot View case: a hip but stiff accessory for the HTC One M8 (Video) appeared first on Pocketnow.

Nokia Lumia 2520 keyboard review: “Power Keyboard” is right (Video)

Posted on by Michael Fisher

The Lumia 2520 graced our lives months ago, brightening our unboxing desk and leaving a lasting first impression. Sadly, it didn’t stick around long enough for us to give it the full review treatment, disappearing in a shipping accident so mysterious we sometimes still bring it up on the

Continue reading »

The post Nokia Lumia 2520 keyboard review: “Power Keyboard” is right (Video) appeared first on Pocketnow.

dbrand Nexus 5 skin review (Video)

Posted on by Michael Fisher

The Nexus 5 we’re giving away isn’t just any old smartphone. First of all, it’s the larger 32GB model, so those of you with an aversion to cloud storage and an affinity for byte-hungry media can rest easy. More importantly, it comes bearing a cosmetic upgrade: a vinyl skin from the fine folks at dbrand that replicates a white carbon fiber/brushed titanium finish. And if that’s not your speed, ...

Continue reading »

The post dbrand Nexus 5 skin review (Video) appeared first on Pocketnow.

Smartphone giveaway: win a custom 32GB Nexus 5 from Pocketnow and dbrand!

Posted on by Michael Fisher

A question for you, fellow mobile geeks: do you ever wander over to google.com/nexus5 to behold the splendor of the 2013 Android flagship, soaking in the wonders of its “pure Google” software build and Snapdragon 800 chipset before seeing the $399 price tag and, after nervously eyeing your comically oversized pile of credit card bills, slinking away in disappointed defeat? Don’t answer that yet. Here’s another question. Have you ever found yourself tempted by the Smartphone giveaway: win a custom 32GB Nexus 5 from Pocketnow and dbrand! appeared first on Pocketnow.

HTC One max extended battery case hands-on

Posted on by Joe Levi

After you’ve made your decision and have picked up your very own smartphone, phablet, or tablet, you’re going to want to pick up a couple accessories. First off you’ll want a case, next you’ll want some way to charge it while you’re on the go. Cases come in all shapes and sizes, but your recharging options usually require a power outlet of some sort, whether it’s in the wall or in your car. What if you could combine the two? That’s the idea behind HTC’s extended battery case, the HTC Power Flip Case for the

Continue reading »

The post HTC One max extended battery case hands-on appeared first on .

The US Lumia 1520 has the wrong kind of wireless charging. Thanks, AT&T!

Posted on by Michael Fisher

I’m writing this editorial while sitting in a Boston-area Starbucks, which means two things: 1) yes, I’m one of those pretentious jerks who writes in public, and 2) I’m seated next to a wireless charging plate embedded in the tabletop. The hardware is unobtrusive, just a glossy disc about three inches across, mounted flush with the table. At first glance, it almost seems like a permanent coaster, a structural suggestion from management encouraging you to “put your drink here.” Only on closer inspection does the Powermat branding become evident, with tiny text ...

Continue reading »

The post The US Lumia 1520 has the wrong kind of wireless charging. Thanks, AT&T! appeared first on .

Smartwatches might be the new tablets – but I hope not

Posted on by Michael Fisher

I know that headline needs explaining. Couple things right up front: The tablet market has positively exploded in the past few years. From a 2010 high of 17 million units shipped (thanks in large part to the then-new iPad) to a Gartner projection of 184 million units shipped in 2013, the tablet is doing just fine, thanks. As a category, smartwatches would be lucky to find success even close to that. Even the bullish Canalys forecast for ...

Continue reading »

The post Smartwatches might be the new tablets – but I hope not appeared first on .

Automatic review: your car, smarter

Posted on by Taylor Martin

Since Friday, I have spent a total of six hours and eight minutes driving. I traveled 181.7 miles, averaging 32.7 miles per gallon. And the total amount of money I’ve spent driving since Friday is $19.10. But I can get even more detailed than that. I spent $0.69 driving to the office yesterday morning – a trip which was 7.3 miles. The trip to IKEA on Saturday cost me $0.99 and was 9.4 miles. I stayed under 70mph, hit the gas a little too hard once, and slammed on the brakes once, too. I know all of this because I plugged a module into the OBD (on-board diagnostic) port in our car ...

Continue reading »

The post Automatic review: your car, smarter appeared first on .