Ubergizmo Gadget Guide – Nov 2012

This post is sponsored by eBay.
From the new to the hard to find, when it’s on your mind, it’s on eBay

We are fast approaching the “decision” moment for the holiday purchases, and while you still have time, why not start wrapping your head around those cool gadgets, many of which came out just recently. While previous guides were specific to laptops or smartphones, this one is more generic and include cameras, tablets and audio accessories. We look at a lot of devices, and we’ve compiled a list with some of our favorites – we can’t put all of them in there, but at the end of the day, we all have choices to make :) (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: T-Mobile’s unsubsidized Nexus 4 will cost you $499, Google Nexus 7 32GB tablet with 3G now available for purchase,

Xiaomi Phone 2 review: high-end specs in a surprisingly affordable package

Xiaomi Phone 2 MITwo review priceperperformance ratio reaches a new low

As mobile phones have become more powerful, prices for many flagship models have managed to linger were they always were — at the top end. The Xiaomi has always been one exception, though. Last year, this Beijing startup launched its very first namesake phone at just CN¥1,999 ($320), which was rather impressive given that this was the first Chinese device to feature the 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon MSM8260 chip (not to be mistaken with the Krait-based MSM8260A). This stimulated two fronts of the smartphone war: the price-per-performance ratio kind, and the cheap-as-hell kind. With regards to performance, we’re looking at competitors like Huawei, ZTE, Lenovo and good old Meizu; while the price battle involves taking on MediaTek-powered devices under various new brands — many of which have done so well that they’ve now set up stores in Shenzhen’s Huaqiangbei area.

Needless to say, Xiaomi is now facing a greater challenge — one that barely existed a year ago. But on the brighter side of things, the company now has three Android devices spanning two price tiers: two editions of the Xiaomi Phone 1S for ¥1,299 ($210) or ¥1,499 ($240), and the quad-core Xiaomi Phone 2 — the star of this review — for ¥1,999, which is well below its ¥2,350 ($380) raw cost, according to CEO Lei Jun. There’s no doubt that Xiaomi could recoup some of the costs from its vast range of accessories, and with the imminent launch of the Xiaomi TV set-top box next month, it’s clear that the company’s hoping to profit from content. Still, as mama said, it’s the first impression that counts (especially for consumers outside China, anyway), so read on to see how we coped with Xiaomi’s second-gen flagship phone.

Continue reading Xiaomi Phone 2 review: high-end specs in a surprisingly affordable package

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Xiaomi Phone 2 review: high-end specs in a surprisingly affordable package originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Nov 2012 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Droid DNA Hands-On!

So Verizon’s new top-end phone is out, and one thing’s for sure–this guy is a brick. It’s large enough to give the Galaxy Note II a run for its money as king of the phablet hill. What’s nice is that HTC has continued to use the soft-touch back we first saw on the 8X, which certainly gives the phone a premium feel. Also nice is the red speaker grilles on both portrait sides of the phone: HTC’s design director said they were inspired by Lamborghini, and they do look like intake grills. But it’s also nice to see on a phone. The phone is big–5 inches–but it doesn’t feel as huge as say, the Galaxy Note II. As mentioned in the announcement post, there’s some pretty impressive guts inside, including a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro. HTC is also using the physical buttons we first saw on the HTC One X. The screen’s what you came here for, and we’ll have photos of the 1080p monster as soon as we get the handset up and running. In the meantime, take a look at these photos:

We’ll be publishing our review of the Droid DNA soon, so keep your eyes peeled.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: HTC Droid DNA Officially Announced!, Verizon’s HTC DROID DNA gets pictured one more time ahead of its announcement,

Under the Radar Conference – $300 Discount on Tix!


Why are Target, P&G,  Conde Nast, and Visa working with Startups? Because startups are essential to their business! They are all sending their top guns to Silicon Valley to find and meet with the next generation of technology startups trying to solve the biggest challenges facing publishers and retailers today. From in-store location services, the mobile wallet and mobile ad targeting and offers, everyone is looking to the Valley to find the next big thing.

Below are some of the lucky startups that will present to these executives at the upcoming Under the Radar Conference in San Francisco. The event will be held on November 15-16th 2012, at Mission Bay Conference Center.

If you want a chance to meet any of them, they are holding open office hours during the event.

 Get your ticket through Ubergizmo for $300 off. http://undertheradarcommerce2012.eventbrite.com/?access=uber

Participating executives: (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Vator Splash LA – Los Angeles, June 7, InsideAR Augmented Reality Conference: Munich, Oct 1-2,

Toshiba Satellite U845W Review


Over the past couple of months, it’s become clear that the way computer makers–those companies that specify and brand the actual physical device–need to make less models. It’s because when you’re optimizing for portability and battery life, what you don’t include is almost as important what you do include. Newcomers to the laptop game Vizio and Razer have adopted this one-model few-options approach, and computers like Microsoft’s Surface show that it’s increasingly about the product, not the customization.

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By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Toshiba Satellite C660 unveiled in Europe, Toshiba has new Satellite and Portégé notebooks out,

Save big on VentureBeat’s flagship cloud event – Nov. 28-29

It’s unlikely that any single player will dominate the cloud computing market in the foreseeable future, so more and more enterprise IT leaders are taking a pragmatic, creative approach and adopting a wide range of cloud solutions.

Unlike nearly all other cloud events, CloudBeat 2012 is putting those customers (the adopters) front and center to share their experiences and insights on what really works, who’s buying what, and where the industry is going.

UberGizmo readers register here with code “Gizmo” and save 20%!

Core to the two-day event (Nov 28-29 in Redwood City, CA) will be a series of customer-centric case studies, big-name fireside chats, and deep-dive breakout sessions, all aimed at helping a broader audience navigate through the rich, complex, and rapidly evolving cloud ecosystem.

New participants include: (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: 3 Lessons Learned From FailCon – Failcon San Francisco – Oct 22, InsideAR Augmented Reality Conference: Munich, Oct 1-2,

SF AppShow, Nov. 8th, San Francisco

SF App Show logoAfter showcasing over 130 mobile apps in 14 shows,in 4 cities, the SF AppShow will celebrate its 3d anniversary on November 8th in San Francisco. With the holiday shopping season right around the corner we’ll be focusing on apps for saving time and money with all your holiday shopping, apps for planning holiday travel, apps for creating unique gifts, and apps for entertaining you and your family while you’re all home for the holidays.

Watch as our host Gina Smith checks out hot apps, interviews their developers and takes your questions from the stage.   See newsworthy new apps, get insight from app developers, find unrecognized app gems.  Space is limited; seats are available on a first-come basis.

Ubergizmo readers get a 25% discount on the registration fee, register here with the discount.

(more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: InsideAR Augmented Reality Conference: Munich, Oct 1-2, Kicker Studio’s 3rd annual Device Design Day (D3) – Aug. 3, SF,

Google Nexus 10 Review

Google Nexus 10 ReviewThe end of year is traditionally when Google launches its new “pure Android” smartphone, but this year, Google came up with more than that. The Nexus 10 represents not only the best there is in terms of Android software, but incidentally, Google has also pushed the envelope in terms of hardware design and specifications. The company has worked with Samsung to design, and build what is simply the most powerful Android tablet to date. The specifications are quite evident.

With an amazing 2560×1600 display, and Samsung’s fastest processor to date, the Google Nexus 10 screams “high-end”. Yet, Google will sell it at a mere $400, which is significantly lower than competing devices. It is a strategy that Google has rolled out with the Nexus 7, and so far, it seems to take hold, so Google is now extending it to three Nexus products: 4, 7 and 10.

In this review, we will go over the Nexus 10 hardware, and the Android 4.2 features. Hopefully, by the end of it, you should have a good idea of how it is to use one of those in the real world. Ready? (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Google Nexus 4 Review, Samsung outs Nexus 10 with 64GB of storage on website, typo or accidental leak?,

Google Nexus 4 Review

Google Nexus 4 Review
It’s that time of the year, and Google has just introduced the Google Nexus 4, a smartphone designed by Google to embody the Android experience, and built in collaboration with LG which used its latest technology and manufacturing know-how which was acquired during the design of the recently launched, and excellent, LG Optimus G.

The Google Nexus 4 is different from other smartphones out there: for one, it comes with Google’s latest and greatest mobile OS: Android 4.2 (4.1 and 4.2 are code named ”Jelly Bean”). Secondly, Google will retail this smartphone as “unlocked” (will work with any carrier with a compatible network) for $299, which is about half of the regular price for comparable unlocked phones. Finally, the Google Nexus 4 is a “world phone” that should run with most GSM/HSPA+ natworks on the planet, including T-Mobile USA, which makes it a de-facto top choice for an out-of-contract smartphone.

Now the question is: how good is it in the real world, and what exciting features does Android 4.2 bring? In this review, we will go over the critical Android 4.2 features, and we will tell you how it feels to use the Google Nexus 4 in the real world. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Android 4.2 Preview with the Google Nexus 4, Google ‘secret police’ visits bartender for Nexus 4 prototype possession,

Android 4.2 Preview with the Google Nexus 4

google nexus 4Although the big Google Android NYC event got cancelled because of hurricane Sandy, we have been able to catch up with the Android team at home in San Francisco and get a hands-on demonstration of the Google Nexus 4 by LG. The Nexus 4 name comes from the 4.7 inches screen of the handset. In terms of hardware, it is very comparable to the recent LG Optimus G which was launched in Korea last month, and in the USA shortly after that (read our full review of the LG Optimus G).

The Google Nexus 4 uses a different industrial design, which is inspired from the Optimus G, but with the design language of the Nexus series (round corners, completely clean and unbranded front). Inside, you will find the same Snapdragon Pro quad-core chip from Qualcomm, but Google opted for a unique HSPA+ penta-band radio that works worldwide (yes even on T-Mobile USA), instead of several variants of modem to support LTE worldwide. Finally, the price of $329 should make a lot of people happy – this is just about half the price of unlocked phones.

We will work on a full review of the Nexus 4, but for now, let’s look at these new Android 4.2 features. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Google sends out invites to Android event for the 29th of October, Google ‘secret police’ visits bartender for Nexus 4 prototype possession,