OnePlus One Review

The OnePlus One has grabbed more headlines over the past few months than almost any other phone outside of an iPhone. Some of them have been good, many have been, well, not so good. The phone boasts incredibly good specs with an equally good price point, yet the world isn’t able to buy one because OnePlus can’t seem to get their sh*t together. Apologies for the strong words, but this phone had the potential to be a game changer, yet here we are months after it was announced and the general public still cannot buy it.

We were lucky enough to pick one up because this is what we do for a living, but that also made this review quite difficult. You see, we have had our OnePlus for almost two months now and have absolutely enjoyed every minute with it. The problem is, reviewing it seemed silly if none of you could buy one for yourselves after we said our piece. Thankfully, more invites are about to open and a handful of readers have begun asking for this review in case they get the chance to buy one.

So, here you go – this is our OnePlus One review. (more…)

Reported Photos of Samsung Galaxy Alpha Leaked, Show Off Refined Design

by Tim-o-tato on Jul 23, 2014 News

A few photos of Samsung’s reportedly upcoming Galaxy Alpha device have surfaced, showing off a quite refined hardware design. From the story the photos tell, the device will feature a metallic band around its outside, minor side bezel (plenty on top and bottom of the display, though), blackened backside with a slight texture added, frontside Home button, a large camera on the back, and it appears that the flash and heart rate monitor have been placed on the side of the camera. (more…)

Modern Combat 5: Blackout Now Available on Google Play, $7 With No IAPs

by Tim-o-tato on Jul 23, 2014 Apps Games News

Gameloft has published Modern Combat 5: Blackout to Google Play this afternoon, throwing players straight into the middle of warfare. Like console FPS titles, MC5: Blackout features a great campaign mode, as well as the ability to take your skills online with a multiplayer mode.

In campaign, you play as a hero who must save the world from cyber terrorists, using advanced weapons and technology to overcome countless bad guys with machine guns. In multiplayer, you choose between four customizable classes, picking off players with sniper rifles, assault rifles, SMGs, and more. If you play Call of Duty or Battlefield, you will feel right at home. (more…)

Samsung Sets Date for Annual Developer Conferenece, November 11-13th in San Francisco

by Tim-o-tato on Jul 23, 2014 News

Last year, Samsung held its first developers conference in San Francisco. Apparently, it was a success, so Samsung has set the date for this year’s conference, being hosted on November 11 through 13 in San Francisco, CA at the Moscone Center. (more…)

Verizon LG G3 Hands-on

by Tim-o-tato on Jul 23, 2014 News Videos

We have already posted up our full review of the LG G3 on AT&T, but since we have now received the same device on Verizon, we wanted to go over the differences between the two devices. While they both feature the same exact hardware, slight changes have been made in the amount of bloatware, plus minor UI tweaks have also been baked in on Big Red’s model.

Apps such as Hotels.com, Slacker Radio, and Clash of Clans have been added in, but the most notable software change is the addition of sliders for volume and brightness in the notification shade. AT&T’s model left these sliders out, which was actually one of our pain points while using the device. Sliders are not a complete deal breaker, but it is nice to have them for the sake of convenience. (more…)

LG Announces Puppy Pop Game for G3 QuickCircle Case Users

by Kyle on Jul 23, 2014July 23, 2014 Apps News

I’ve never understood so-called glance-able smartphone cases. HTC’s Dot View and Samsung’s S-View cover seem like transient novelties to me, forms in search of function. How much time do they really save you, anyway, when you are still required to fish out your device from your pocket?

My biases aside, I think most will agree that LG’s announcement of a game designed for its QuickCircle case is a little ridiculous. Puppy Pop is a time-based match-three game, won by drawing lines through identical puppies. Scores can be shared on social networks. (more…)

Amazon Adds New Playlists and “Hundreds of Thousands” of Songs to Prime Music

by Kyle on Jul 23, 2014July 23, 2014 News

Curious Prime customers who have had a chance to try Amazon’s Prime Music may have found the service a little lacking in terms of selection, as its catalog consists of around a million songs, while incumbents like Spotify and Beats boast well over 20 million.

That’s a shortcoming of which Amazon is well aware, and apparently actively working to fix. Today, the retail giant announced the addition of “hundreds of thousands” of songs to Prime Music, including albums from artists like Deadmau5, Shakira, Linkin Park, and Elvis. (more…)

Deal: Unlocked LG G3 in White, Gold, or Black for $499 on eBay Daily Deals

by Kellex on Jul 23, 2014July 23, 2014 Deals News

An unlocked LG G3 popped up today on eBay’s daily deals for $499, which actually seems like a solid price for a brand new phone that works on AT&T (LTE too if the specs on this page are correct).

You can choose from any of the three available colors: white, grey, or gold. This is the G3 that falls under model number D855, which appears to be an international unlocked UK unit, but again, the description lists out that it should work perfectly on AT&T’s GSM and LTE networks. Also, there is a good chance that this phone has built-in wireless charging out of the box. (more…)