Hasta La Gadget!

Amazon has been churning out LCD-based Kindle tablets for the past two years, and there’s no question that the company has improved from the original, BlackBerry PlayBook-style Kindle Fire. But with the Fire HDX, is there enough of an improvement to upgrade from the Kindle Fire HD?

That’s the question John Biggs and I investigate on this latest episode of Fly Or Die.

John, as a real-life Kindle fanboy, feels that this is the very best Fire that Amazon has to offer. The specs have been bumped considerably, with a 1920×1200 display at 323ppi, a 2.2-GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, and up to 64GB of internal storage under the hood.

Biggs also reported in his review that battery life is improved, while camera functionality has some strange issues.

But for me, I’m not sure that a slightly better display is worth the upgrade, considering that the Fire HD already has a hi-res screen. The form factor is nice, as the new model is thinner and lighter, but again the improvements aren’t convincing enough for me to advocate throwing down $300 on a tablet limited to Amazon content if you already have one.

Of course, Amazon is a strong competitor in the tablet market against Apple, and the HDX will most certainly sell well. Plus, at the end of the day, the decision is yours.

LEGO Mindstorms EV3. Even the name is formidable, but just wait until you connect the dots and fire up these dragon-esque robots.

The EV3 set of robotic, programmable LEGOs is the very best version of this 14-year-old product line we’ve ever seen. The most notable edition is that users can program directly from the smart brick, the computational component included in each robot that gives the simple “If/Then” commands.

In the past, users had to program from their computers and then sync with the brick.

The Mindstorms EV3, the aptly named third generation model, also offers awesome build-guide apps for iOS and Android that give 3D models for each of the LEGO configuration, helping you get the robot built so you can get down to programming.

For the first time, the EV3 kit also includes an infrared sensor, which lets your robots see and detect various objects and colors. And as per usual, the system runs on Linux-based firmware and is equipped with USB and SD ports.

The price point is slightly high for kids, at $349.99. However, unlike video games that rot the mind, the EV3 is teaching basic skills that could turn your little guy into the next Steve Wozniak. On the other hand, hobbyists and adults looking to learn a little bit about programming might find the EV3 kit to be a solid investment.

If you want to see the Mindstorms EV3 in action, check out this video below from CES.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0, while having a numerically challenging name, is a slick little guy that’s not too big, not too small, but just right.

Still, is that enough to compete with not only the iPad mini but also Samsung’s own Galaxy Note 8-inch tablet?

To start, the specs on this bad boy are sure to please. John Biggs felt that the 8-inch 1280×800 display was beautiful, which is no surprise considering Samsung manufactures some of the best displays in the industry. The tablet comes in 16GB and 32GB options, and starts at a perfectly reasonable $299 price point.

But without any 4G/LTE connectivity (which isn’t an option in the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0), the tab itself is inherently limited. Moreover, neither of us are particularly pleased with the plastic build materials or the Galaxy S 3-style design language.

Nonetheless, it’s hard to argue with Samsung as a whole, which has risen to be the undisputed market leader in mobile computing. The company very strategically offers a variety of products in each category, with different uses and price points for each. The GalTab 3 8.0 is yet another sheep in the Samsung-flavored herd, but it doesn’t mean that it won’t help you get to sleep at night.

If you’re part of the Apple ecosystem already, it’s hard not to justify the extra $30 for an iPad mini. If not, however, the GalTab 3 8-inch is a reasonable consideration, especially alongside Samsung’s Galaxy Note line of tablets.

We first caught wind of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active back in May before it had been announced.

Ruggedized smartphones aren’t always so tantalizing, but seeing that the Galaxy S4 Active is a variant of the Samsung flagship Galaxy S4, we thought it wise to bring the little guy in for an episode of Fly or Die. This week’s episode is particularly special, as we’re joined by Engadget’s Brian Heater.

So what do Brian and I think of the waterproof Galaxy S4?

Personally, I find the design language to be a bit loud, and it’s unclear why the rugged version of the phone can’t come in the same standard black and white as opposed to grey, blue and orange. We’re also unsure if the flashy screws on the backside of the device are necessary to keep the phone shockproof and waterproof, or if they’re just to portray ruggedness. If the former, excellent. The latter? Not so much.

On the brighter side, we’re both quite pleased to see a manufacturer ruggedize a hot-selling, full-featured phone as opposed to locking down a mid-range device with bulky armor.

As for waterproof smartphones in the future? Please! Keep them coming!

Two flies.

Skullcandy’s Crusher headphones may not be John’s favorite, but I must applaud the headphone maker for stepping outside the box and doing something different with the Crusher headphones.

The Crushers don’t try to fake a bunch of bass with digital signal processing, but rather use two Sensation55 drivers (one in each ear cup) to trigger a vibration system that gives the sensation of head-rattling bass. Plus, there are two REX40 drivers built in to deliver highs and mids.

I was wrong in the video when I said there was a sub in each ear cup, and John was wrong when he said these are awful headphones, so there are our admissions.

Sure, the Crushers use a gimmick to get their message across, but once you strap in that battery and get to listening, you’re sure to enjoy the same reaction that we had at CES.

To be clear, the Crushers wouldn’t get the same kind of endorsement for me if it wasn’t for the $100 price tag slapped on to these bad boys.

For less than you pay for Beats, Sennhesier, or Bose, you can have the sensation of true, club-style bass direct to your ear, with that same Skullcandy style the company has become known for.

These aren’t meant for the audiophile, musician, or DJ. However, anyone who enjoys over-the-ear audio at an affordable price should check these out. They’ll make you feel like your stroll down the street is a part of a Nicki Minaj music video, and who can put a price on that?

The Crushers come in a number of colors and are available in April for $100 at various retailers and Skullcandy.com.