Cube Monster

Samsung Galaxy Nexus Just Blew My Mind

Stanimal — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 05:02:12 +0000

Ok, I watched the Samsung Google Live Event and I’m amazed, just utterly shocked, at the awesomeness that is the Galaxy Nexus. Where do I even being with this? Let’s start with the specs:

Android 4.0 Ice Cream
4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED Screen with 720p resolution
1.2GHz dual-core processor
Redsigned UI in Android 4.0
Improved multi-tasking, notifications, Wi-Fi hotspot, NF support, full web browsing
Android 4.0 features Software Navigation buttons – brand new
People App with Google+ Integration among other features
Redesigned camera with panorama mode, 1080p video, zero-shutter lag, new faces and background replacement features
Face Unlock: Facial recognition to unlock your phone
Android Beam uses NFC to easily share content with other Android users with the bump of phones
Pure Google Experience
All the Google Apps you love from Android Market and GMail to Movie Studio and redesigned Google+ app
8.94mm thick, 4.29mm bezel
LTE and HSPA+ connectivity
Available in USA, Europe, and Asia beginning in November and then rolled out globally

If you watched the live event and ooooh-ed and ahhh-ed at every new feature like I did, I’m glad I’m not the only one. These new features were amazing. Everything from the facial unlock (even though the demo didn’t work haha) to the pane to pane swiping to the contact integration to the tabbed browsing to the resizable widgets to the native screenshot support to the new folders to the improved speech to text functionality…it all ties together very nicely. Navigation through the OS looked buttery smooth with seamless transition effects from screen to screen. I really haven’t seen anything like it, in any phone, iPhone included.

But what’s my favorite part of the new phone/OS? Easy, the camera! I’ll admit, when I played with the iPhone 4S over the weekend, I specifically tested out the camera and was wowed by it. It took great quality pics and captured them nearly instantly…and I was jealous…very jealous…but NOT ANYMORE!! The Nexus camera has virtually no shutter lag, has in app effects like panorama and photo editing, and time lapse photography…all of this with GREAT quality results.

I am wowed. I think I might have even cried a little. I will have you Galaxy Nexus…I will have you.

If you missed the event, here it is in its full glory:

Making It Rain…Cell Phones

Stanimal — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 05:49:23 +0000

Ok, so the iPhone has been out all of what, 4 days, and there have been already over 4 million sold. Unbelievable. I’ll give it to Apple, they epitomize marketing at its best and have a viciously loyal following. I can’t really blame the iPhone fanboys, the iPhone hardware is pretty good…not top notch, but iOS does make for a smooth and enjoyable mobile experience.

But enough with the praise, let’s get down to the nitty gritty. Will this POS withstand being dropped?? Well, SquareTrade took it upon themselves to test it out. The crew over there pitted the iPhone 4S against the Samsung Galaxy S II…and well, you might be surprised at the results…or not. Either way, as a cell phone enthusiast, I cringed and my heart sank every time I heard them hit the concrete.

Droid RAZR is !!!!!!!!

Stanimal — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 18:24:40 +0000

With all the Galaxy Nexus hype-beasting, it’s kind of hard to get excited about any other Android device…right? Well, kind of, if you’re a Motorola fan then you have something to look forward to. The new-to-be-officially-announced-next-week Droid RAZR handset is supposed to be “faster, thinner, smarter, stronger” than…um…I’m not sure, than an iPhone 4S perhaps?

Let’s take a look at the specs:

1.2GHz dual-core processor
1GB of RAM
4.3″ qHD Super AMOLED screen
4G LTE
8MP rear camera
“HD” front camera
Gorilla Glass screen
Kevlar build materials
Android 2.3.5 with Blur

Nothing mind boggling, but I must admit that video gave me a nerd boner. Now I can’t wait to see it. Damn you advertising.

Verizon knows where you sleep.

Stanimal — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 23:06:43 +0000

Scary huh? Verizon sent out an email to all subscribers stating the following:

Verizon Wireless will use the following categories of information:

Mobile Usage Information:
•Addresses of websites you visit when using our wireless service. These data strings (or URLs) may include search terms you have used
•Location of your device (“Location Information”)
•App and device feature usage

Consumer Information:
•Information about your use of Verizon products and services (such as data and calling features, device type, and amount
of use)
•Demographic and interest categories provided to us by other companies, such as gender, age range, sports fan, frequent diner, or pet owner (“Demographics”)

You can always opt out of this by logging into your MyVerizon online account and going to this page:

http://www.vzw.com/myprivacy

I would suggest doing so!

Source: Droid-Life

Galaxy Nexus is coming! October 19, 2011

Stanimal — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 19:23:58 +0000

Best news all day! Finally the day will come, the day I can see ICS goodness on the mythical Galaxy Nexus…or the Nexus Prime…or Galaxy Nexus Prime…whatever the hell they’re gonna call it. I just want to see it and get a final word on the specs since they vary from website to website. It’s about freaking time…bring…it…on!

Source: BGR

Lana Del Rey performs “Video Games”

Stanimal — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 18:45:16 +0000

Beautiful and infectious…the 2 words that come to mind when describing both her and her hit song “Video Games.” Lana Del Rey is the new beauty queen that is taking the music scene by storm…a hot fire storm. Listen, relax, and let your eyes and ears be blown away.

iOS 5 is here!

Stanimal — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 18:01:40 +0000

Yes folks, the day has come, your heavenly iOS 5 is finally here. New notifications (VERY Android-like), new iMessage (BBM-like), new iCloud (Google-like), new Safari web browser (Mozilla-like), the list goes on (as you can see, Apple doesn’t innovate, they make it better).

Do I sound excited? Well, I am. Even this Android junkie can get excited about Apple stuff, why? Because I have an iPad 2 and think it’s the best tablet on the market…actually, I KNOW it’s the best tablet on the market. I ain’t gonna lie, so sue me.

One thing to mention, you’ll have to download and install iTunes 10.5 first before you upgrade to iOS 5 on your device. Have at it!

iOS 5 Features

Apple, are you ready? Samsung, are you ready? Ok, let’s bring it on!

Stanimal — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:03:07 +0000

Oh Apple and Samsung, you two are so cute, always patent trolling and trying to ban each others products, it’s like there’s true love in the air. Don’t you love pissing contests?! Well, looky here, there’s another one that opened up today…and it’s a good one.

Apparently, Samsung is trying to rain on Apple’s iPhone 4S parade in the land Down Under, and I gotta say it’s pretty hilarious but in the end it’ll probably backfire. Samsung has set up shop right next to Sydney’s Apple store…a temporary tent has been set up to promote Samsung’s new Galaxy SII line of smartphones, talk about poaching! Samsung is trying to lure would be iPhone 4S buyers into buying a brand new off contract Galaxy SII, for $2 AUD. YUP! And guess what, the Samsung line is longer than the Apple line. Of course only the first 10 people will be eligible, but that’s not stopping the others from trying. The article goes on to say that the people waiting in the Samsung line will probably sell their new Galaxy SII phone to to fund their new iPhone 4S purchase…now…that…is…smart.

Nice try Samsung, I applaud your efforts, even if they are for naught.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald

iPhone 4S and SIRI Demo

Stanimal — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 21:31:21 +0000

Looks like one lucky (or unlucky, depending on how you look at it) user has scored a new iPhone 4S, and is proudly showing it off the rest of the drooling Apple fanboys, and with over 1 million iPhones sold in the first 24 hours of pre-sale…that’s a lot of ‘em. I regrettably have eaten my words, I thought the new iPhone 4S wouldn’t sell as well as it would due to the fact that it looked exactly like the iPhone 4…yes, I was wrong, happy now? But I digress, here’s the demo:

Source: BGR

BlueStacks – The Death of Productivity

Stanimal — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:54:28 +0000

Oh great, as if we didn’t enough have distractions to deal with at work: Youtube, Gametrailers, Android blogs, Facebook games, Google+, etc. But now, BlueStacks is kicking it up a notch and forcing us to Alt+Tab even more times throughout the day…Android apps are now usable on your PC. Yes, you heard…errr…read that correctly. You can waste your day playing Flick Kick Field Goal!

Source: Droid-Life