Jun 24
Here’s how hearing aids work today: Oh you can’t hear well? Stick this ugly thing inside your earhole. But in the view of a new company called Soundhawk, that’s all wrong. Better hearing can be cool.
Jun 24
There’s a World Cup on, so what better time to talk about an analog smartwatch designed specifically for soccer football fans? Hoptroff, which normally makes timepieces for mad billionaires and stockbrokers, has announced that its next watch, the…
Jun 24
On vacation and forgot to arrange for your lawn to be mowed? Mowz has your back (depending on where you’re located). The start-up has targeted the chore many of use dislike, allowing you to order lawn service from the comfort of your smartphone. The startup, which is currently only servicing those located near Syracuse, New York, works with licensed landscapers … Continue reading
Jun 24
Dolby has brought its fancy new surround technology first to the cinemas and then to mobile devices. Now the audio experts are bringing Atmos back to a bigger screen again, but this time, the kind that fits in your living room. You heard that right, pun unintended. Dolby is bringing Atmos to your home so that you can enjoy all … Continue reading
Jun 24
In order to help guarantee and possibly rack up the sales figures, developers and publishers have tried to make it as attractive as possible to pre-order a game. Of course gamers have no idea what they’re getting into, save for trailers and information released by the developers, so safe to say sometimes it can be a gamble.
Now if you liked what you saw with Ubisoft’s upcoming Assassin’s Creed Unity, you might be interested to learn that Ubisoft has taken an interesting route with concern to pre-orders bonuses. Typically pre-order bonuses includes extra content, an exclusive skin, free soundtrack download, and so on. However with Assassin’s Creed Unity, Ubisoft has turned to a lucky draw kind of system.
Basically if you’re pre-ordering the game from North America, every week you will be entitled to five spins on a virtual slot machine of sorts dubbed the Guillotine Prize Drop. The wheel will offer a variety of prizes which ranges from in-game content and merchandize, to as extravagant as an all-expense paid trip to Paris, which is where Unity will be based in.
However in terms of being guaranteed actual content, all pre-orders will be given access to a single-player mission called the Chemical Revolution, whose promo materials were leaked earlier this month. Different retailers will also offer different bonuses, such as different weapons, so you might want to ask your regular game store as to what they might have for you.
Assassin’s Creed Unity Sweepstakes Could Win You A Trip To Paris , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Jun 24
It was only a couple of hours ago when Microsoft officially announced the Nokia X2. This is technically the fourth Android smartphone from Nokia, and the first for Microsoft since now they technically own the company. That being said, it’s interesting that Microsoft is continuing the Android push despite the fact that they have the Windows Phone operating system.
Then again, perhaps it could be the fact that the original Nokia X is selling well in various parts of the world that Microsoft sees potential in low-cost Android devices. According to a press release by Microsoft for the Nokia X2, Timo Toikkanen, head of Mobile Phones, Microsoft Devices Group mentioned that the Nokia X family was selling pretty well in countries like Pakistan, Russia, Kenya, Nigeria, and India.
Apparently in countries like Russia, Kenya, and Nigeria, the Nokia X family managed to reach the number 1 rank amongst phones in its price point. It managed to reach number 1 overall in Pakistan, and even landed the number 3 spot in India. “The Nokia X2 elevates the Nokia X experience with a stellar new design, ease of use and new Microsoft experiences. We’re proud to continue to bring smartphone innovation to lower and lower price points.”
It’s actually interesting that Microsoft is seeing success with low-end handsets. For example despite the fact that Nokia has plenty of high-end Windows Phone handsets, it is devices like the Nokia Lumia 520 that has proven to be a huge hit, so perhaps by keeping Android around, Microsoft will be able to establish a base in both the Windows Phone and Android low-end market.
Nokia X Is Apparently Selling Well In Certain Markets , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Jun 24
There is a lot of debate going on now with regards to electronic cigarettes. While some believe that e-cigarettes are a good way for smokers to wean themselves off smoking, others believe that it is merely a gateway device that will lead to smoking when they realize that they aren’t getting any “kick” from the devices.
Others also argue that the chemicals used in e-cigarettes are equally harmful to the body. Now if you’re leaning towards “against” for e-cigarettes, then a new creation out of Holland might not sit too well with you. A Dutch company called E-Njoint B.V. has managed to create what they are calling the world’s first electronic joint.
Now we know how that sounds, but it seems that it is more of a joint in name, rather than substance. The company claims that dangerous substances such as nicotine, tobacco, and even THC (the stuff found in cannabis) are not present in the device. Instead it will vaporize vegetable glycerine, propylene glycol, and will offer up a variety of flavors such as watermelon, green apple, and so on.
We guess the only thing that would hint that it is a joint would be the marijuana leaf which lights up when the user takes a drag. The company claims that it is 100% legal and that more than 10,000 of the e-joints are being sold everyday across Europe.
Dutch Company Creates An Electronic Joint , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Jun 24
Heads up Canon users, it seems that there could be an issue with the Canon EOS 5D MK III that you might want to take note of. According to an update issued by Canon, it seems that there could be an issue with the LCD panel on the camera. Now if you’re a 5D MK III user, you’re probably familiar with the LCD panel which can be lighted up in dark environments to check on your camera’s settings.
However it seems that when the LCD panel is illuminated, it can affect the displayed exposure value. What this means is that sometimes the exposure value could read wrongly, causing you, the photographer, to adjust your settings which might not have been necessary at all. Canon claims that this issue will not noticeably affect the captured image.
Based on this it sounds like the issue could merely be a display one, instead of it actually affecting the exposure value, since we reckon photographers will definitely notice if exposure has been taken up or down a notch or two. Canon has identified the cameras affected by the issue which includes serial numbers “0nnnn1nnnnnn” or “0nnnn2nnnnnn”. So if your camera’s serial number starts with 0 and has a 1 or 2 in the positions mentioned earlier, you could be affected.
However like we said, Canon does not expect this to affect your photographs so you can rest easy. At the same time Canon welcomes affected users to bring in their camera to be inspected. It is unclear if this is an issue that can be resolved, but it does not look like it is serious enough to warrant replacements or a recall.
Canon EOS 5D MK III Facing LCD Panel Issues , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Jun 24
Patents are important to companies because this helps protect them from intellectual property thieves who might otherwise try to steal their ideas and/or designs and pass it off as their own. It can also serve as an alternate revenue stream, like how Microsoft holds various patents pertaining to Android that OEMs have to pay them if they want to keep making Android devices.
That being said, when it comes to smartphone patents, who do you think has the highest number of patents? Nokia? Apple? Samsung? Well if you thought Nokia you’d be wrong. It’s true that they do own a massive portfolio of patents, but in reality it seems that it is Samsung who has the largest number of patents related to smartphones.
We’re not talking about patents in general, but smartphone related patents. According to a report from the Korea Economic Daily, it seems that Samsung has the largest amount of smartphone patents, which totals up to around 2,179. This is significantly more than Apple who owns 647, while LG comes in at second place with 1,678.
In third place is Qualcomm with 1,071, and interesting enough Panasonic and Sharp come in at fourth and fifth with 976 and 963 patents respectively. So what do you guys make of these numbers? Did any of them surprise you?
Samsung Found To Have The Largest Smartphone Related Patents , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Jun 24
Over the past few years or so, we’ve seen how Google has evolved from being a search engine to something so much more. The company has launched a variety of products and services, like email, social networks, smartphones, and are still looking at new ways at which they can conquer the internet.
Well it looks like they could soon be doing that as Google has recently announced Google Domains. For those unfamiliar, when you want to create a website with your own domain name, you will need to register it for a small annual price. This registration can be done via web hosting companies who will be more than glad to host your website as well, for a price, of course.
However with Google Domains, it looks like Google could soon be stealing some business from some companies. Now Google themselves will not host your website, but will point you towards services like Shopify or Weebly that will do it for you. Now as it stands, Google Domains is in beta and users will need an invitation code if they want to buy or transfer their domains over.
So what makes Google Domains different? Well for starters it will be run by Google, so there are some assurances there. Google will also allow users to conceal information used to register their domain for free, which is a service that some companies charge for. Google will also be providing both phone and email support.
It’s an interesting venture by Google but what do you guys think? Will your next domain purchase or renewal be done through Google Domains?
Google Domains Is Google’s Entry Into Domain Registration , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
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