Hasta La Gadget!

I’ve backed an embarrassing number of Kickstarter projects, almost all of them in the hardware/gadget categories, and I’ve been disappointed more than I’ve been delighted. The Slim wallet by Supr however bucks the trend, delivering a front-pocket wallet that finally and truly deserves the honor of actually being carried in that place.

Minneapolis-based Supr Good Co. initially launched the Slim in August, with a funding goal of just $10,000 and an estimated shipping date of September for their minimalist wallet design, which essentially is just an elastic sheath measuring only 3mm thick. The U.S.-made wallet still boasts classic good looks despite its simplicity, however, thanks to a striking contrast-stitched “X” front-and-center where the two ends of the elastic material used in its construction meet.

Because of the wallet’s simplicity, a reviewer like myself doesn’t need to mince words: this is pretty much a perfect slim wallet for those who want just the basics in a lightweight, convenient package. I carry just four cards and some bills, all of which tuck into the Slim snugly in a way that leaves me confident nothing is going to accidentally fall out or go missing. It manages to be slimmer than the Fossil front pocket wallet it replaces, and a lot lighter, too. I’ve also varied the number of cards I’ve had in there over the past week, and so far, the elastic shows no sign of excess stretch or an inability to return to holding fewer cards securely.

Supr missed their original shipping target by a fair margin, but they were very transparent about their reasons for doing so, and they did also eventually deliver a terrific product. The online shop hasn’t officially opened yet, but you can register your interest for the Slim when it does start to ship to the general public. Kickstarter may not have the security of ordering gadgets from established companies, but when it works, it results in some amazing stuff that you aren’t likely to be able to pick up elsewhere.

This morning we’re getting in deep with not just everything pre-CES 2013, but privacy, gaming, and acquisitions too! You’ll be glad to know that we’ve got a whole new batch of photos of Mars from the Mars Express – hot and red as always! Barnes & Noble’s NOOK business is about to get a massive amount of cash from Pearson in the very near future. LG has all but spilled the whole bucket of beans on their CES 2013 showings well before the show!

There’s an amazing Valve-signed Portal Gun up for auction right now for charity – just about as close to the real thing as you’re going to get! You can now work with Amazon Instant Video with your Google TV. There’s a report out there that basically noone uses their Smart TV to full capacity.

Apple has been fined a drop in the bucket in China for a copyright violation. RIM is set to pay Nokia significantly more than a drop in the bucket for their very first patent settlement with the group. You’ll want to check out the rumors surrounding the next-generation Motorola DROID RAZR M HD – it’s higher-definition, imagine that!

There’s been a bit of a break in the new Facebook Poke app in which sneaky users are able to keep video for extended periods of time. You’ll be able to pick up The Walking Dead for cheap this afternoon on Xbox Live – ironic! Sony has ended the PS2 in Japan – the end of an era!

CES 2013 will be the home to some next-level SDHC memory card technology from Toshiba going by the name TransferJet. The folks making the Android-based console gaming machine OUYA have detailed some special edition translucent developer editions. And what’s this – McAfee labs have decided they know the future and have predicted that Anonymous attacks will decline through the next 12 months – like magic!

SlashGear Morning Wrap-up: December 28th, 2012 is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

With 2013 just around the corner, Google is starting early with its resolution to remove millions of fake views on its popular video streaming service, YouTube. According to Daily Dot, around 2 billion fake views were removed from YouTube channels belonging to Sony/ BMG, Universal Music Group, and RCA Records, following reports of black hat view count-building techniques. These techniques required using unethical search engine optimization tactics that increases view counts. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: China Legalizes Deletion Of “Illegal” Posts Or Pages, Hollywood Studios Reportedly Using BitTorrent To Pirate Movies,

A few details have been leaked by an anonymous tipster as to what the next-generation DROID RAZR M will be, building on the greatness of the already fabulous palm-sized beast. We had our first look at the original DROID RAZR M earlier this year in NYC, the reveal event also playing host to one of the first public showings of a newly minted Google-owned Motorola, complete with Google-minded software choices for Android – like on-screen buttons, for example. Here we’re seeing the logical next step for the DROID RAZR M with an “HD” name addition, but the specifications we’re seeing aren’t quite as solid as we’d hope – not logically, that is.

When you deal with leaks, tips, and rumors such as these, you’ve got to use logic above all else. We’ve got a bunch of text from a tipster that PhoneArena seems to trust well enough, but given the notion that this device would nearly out-do the now-hero-status-holding DROID RAZR HD, we’ve got to question its authenticity. The original DROID RAZR M is known for its lovely tiny 4.3-inch display, while the current DROID RAZR HD (and RAZR MAXX HD, for that matter) has a 4.7-inch display. The tip we’re seeing today cuts the gap between the two with a 4.5-inch display for a new M HD.

This machine has been tipped to work with Android 4.1, size up at 5.15 x 2.52 x 0.035 inches, and weigh in at 5.22 oz. The display is said to be a 4.5-inch 720 x 1280 pixel resolution TFT LCD, that being 326 PPI (highly impressive). This smartphone is being tipped here as coming with a massive 3300 mAh battery and will work with the same processor the original M had (and has) with the MSM8960, that being the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus dual-core 1.5GHz SoC.

Inside you’ve got 1GB of RAM (Dual-channel, 500 MHz) / DDR2 / 8192 MB ROM and built-in storage at 16GB. You’ll be able to add a microSD or microSDHC card for memory expansion up to 32GB with this device’s microSD card slot, and the machine will of course be working with Verizon’s brand of 4G LTE data. This machine will likely be appearing at CES 2013 if it does indeed show its face in the real world at all – stick with us in the [CES 2013 tag portal] until then – not too much longer now!

Motorola DROID RAZR M HD leaked with details is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Cycloramic is the new app which uses your iPhone’s vibration and sensors to rotate itself and take a 360-degree video. It’s amazing to see in action—and Woz loves it so much that a video he shot using it has appeared on Facebook. More »