Hasta La Gadget!

HTC has been criticized for years for bringing out smartphones that were too thick, something that the company even admitted themselves. This has changed in the last two years, and HTC has just released one of the best-looking Android phones I’ve come across. How will the new HTC One fare when compared with the competition?

I’ve had an iPhone 4S for about a year, but when the iPhone 5 was announced, I wasn’t enthralled. It didn’t really make much sense to me to have only a slightly larger screen, with a slimmed down profile. On top of that, I’ve had plenty of time to play around with my girlfriend’s iPhone 5 and I wasn’t impressed. So basically, I’ve been trying to make my iPhone 4S last as long as possible before I changed to a new phone. This year, two strong contenders appeared in the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S4.

After having played with some demo units, noticing that the HTC One ran smoother, took faster pics, and basically just looked better, I decided on the HTC One and ordered it last week. Two days later, I was playing with my 64GB silver Droid phone. I had also found a buyer for my iPhone 4S, which reduced the cost of upgrading significantly.

The S4 and HTC One have similar specs. Both offer 4G LTE versions. The S4 has a faster quad-core processor (1.9GHz instead of 1.7GHz), but in everyday use, because of the Android skin it has to run, the HTC is just snappier. There are other differences, including the fact that the S4 has a microSD card slot, allowing you to add a 64GB card to the 16GB internal memory, Gorilla Glass 3 (the HTC One has Gorilla Glass 2), and that the S4 has a removable back, allowing you to change batteries on the fly.

The HTC One’s housing is CNC-machined from one solid piece of aluminum, and it exudes quality, compared to the cheap plastic-feeling S4. The HTC One’s 4.7-inch full HD 1080p, 486ppi screen isn’t too shabby either. Having had an iPhone for a while, I’ve grown used to not being able to replace my batteries, but I would have liked to add another 64GB of storage via a microSD card slot.

The biggest difference between the HTC and my old phone, at least for me, is the camera sensor. The 300μm sensor is an industry first (compared to 100μm on most phones), and challenges the megapixel race in camera sensors on smartphones. While it only has a 4.7 MP resolution, the larger sensor allows it to capture more light, giving better performance in low-light conditions. On the other hand, the S4 has a traditional sensor with a 13-megapixel resolution, but I’d rather have better image quality than more megapixels.

The HTC’s camera app is very responsive and takes photos almost immediately. In my experience, the iPhone (4S/5) and S4 take longer to focus and to capture images. With the HTC One, it’s almost instantaneous and very easy to miss unless you check the gallery.

If you’re considering switching from an iPhone to an Android phone, you’re probably worrying about apps, and how Android works compared to iOS. I’ve had a couple of days with the HTC One, and I’ve managed to figure out most of my questions very quickly. Most of the apps you’ve grown accustomed to are available on Android. I like how the Google Apps all look slightly better and often have more functions than in iOS, due to the open nature of the operating system and its arguably more robust APIs. Also, unlike iOS, rooting an Android phone and using advanced features is quite easy.

The HTC One’s speakers simply blow away the competition. I’ve listened to videos, music, directly without any headphones and I was really impressed by the quality of the stereo speakers. Yes, there are two speaker grilles on this device, as well as an amp powered by Beats by Dre. Headphone amplification is nice as well. It’s definitely a step up from anything else that I’ve come across.

The included touchscreen keyboard isn’t the best that I’ve used. It’s frustrating at times, but I know that the more I use it, the better I will get at using it. Or, because this is an Android phone, I can just download another keyboard that will work better for me.

HTC’s Blinkfeed feels a lot like Flipboard, but I like the mix of Twitter and Facebook posts that appears on my home screen. You can customize it with different feeds, which is what I’ve done, but I haven’t yet managed to add Instagram, which is annoying. Also, I’ve encountered problems trying to sync my phone with my MacBook Pro. The HTC Sync Software doesn’t seem to work and I’ve been using the AirDroid app to transfer my music over my home Wi-Fi network.

Overall, the HTC One is a beautifully crafted device. Polished, running smoothly without any significant bugs, and easy to use. As with any Android phone, iPhone converts will need some time to adapt, but the added features and specs make it a nice alternative.

You can get the HTC One for as little as $148(USD) with a 2-year AT&T contract over on Amazon, or if you prefer an unlocked device, you’ll be spending around $649. For North American customers, it’s also available via T-Mobile and Sprint with similar contract discounts.

The NVIDIA Project Shield gaming system was one of the more interesting devices to surface at CES 2013. At the time, there wasn’t word on pricing or a release date. Today, NVIDIA started taking pre-orders for the hybrid handheld/TV gaming system, and revealed both a release date and a retail price.

Now officially known as just the NVIDIA Shield, the system is selling for $349(USD), and will ship in the US and Canada “by July 2013.” The system will include the handheld itself, a silver lid, AC adapter, USB cable, and two full games: Expendable: Rearmed and Sonic 4 Episode II THD. Additional accessories are also available for pre-order, including a carrying case for $39.99, and carbon fiber and black lids for $19.99 each.

For those of you who don’t recall exactly what the Shield can do, it’s a powerful Android-based gaming system that can play games on its own 720p touchscreen, or on your TV’s display. It can also stream games from your PC – though that feature will be in Beta at launch.

NVIDIA is limiting pre-orders for the Shield to four systems per person (presumably to cut down on grey-market reselling), and you can pre-order yours now over at the NVIDIA Store.

Water is one of the things a lot of people who own smartphones worry about the most. The problem is for most smartphones a little splash of water can spell the end. That’s not case with the new waterproof smartphone that Sony has announced today called the Xperia ZR.

The Xperia XR can survive for up to 30 minutes in waters up to 4.92 feet deep. In fact, not only can the smartphone survive being submerged in water, you can also capture 1080p HD video or take photographs underwater using its 13-megapixel camera. The camera can also shoot burst mode to capture fast action and offers 16x digital zoom. Keep in mind that you’ll probably need to wear swim goggles or a mask if you want to see what’s on the display.

Other key specs include a 4.55-inch mutitouch display with a resolution of 1280 x 720, and a 1.5 GHz Qualcomm quad-core processor running Android 4.1. Exactly how much the phone will cost is unknown at this time, but it is set to launch sometime in Q2 of this year.

There are lots of games with virtual drawing mechanics. Okami and Max & the Magic Marker come to mind. But what if you could literally draw your own game from scratch? That’s the idea behind Pixel Press, a mobile app that will help you make a short platforming game without the need to code or even use a PC.

Pixel Press has two main components: a Sketch Kit and the app itself. The Sketch Kit is simply a sheet of graphing paper customized for the app. You can download the pdf template for free from the Pixel Press website and then print it together with the instructions. In simple terms, your goal is to make a platforming game with five stages. Your character can walk, run and jump on and over the obstacles you made.

When you’re done with your drawing, you then take a picture of it with your mobile device and the app will process it. You’ll then test the app, polish it with textures and sound effects and finally play it from within the app. You’ll also be able to share your game and play other people’s games.

Clearly it takes imagination, patience and discipline to make a good Pixel Press game, but these are traits that you’ll need before you can program a game anyway. Plus it gives you the chance to be a game designer! You’ll learn the ropes of creating games without grappling with much of the technical difficulties that go along with it.

Pledge at least $10 (USD) on Kickstarter to be one of the first to own the app. The Pixel Press folks hope to raise $100,000 for the iOS apps, but if they raise at least $350,000 they’ll make an Android version as well.

[via Gamezebo]

If you’re on the go a lot, away from a power outlet you may have tried all sorts of things to help get more run time from your gadgets. A new solar power kit has turned up and features a small portable battery that can be recharged from the sun or a wall outlet. The charging kit is called the Sherpa 50.

The first time the Sherpa 50 turned up was during CES 2012 and it was delayed over a year and a half coming to the market. The good news is that it is here now and for $399.95(USD) you can get the complete kit including an AC inverter and a portable battery. The device can also be purchased a la carte – without the AC outlet or the solar panel, for as little as $199.95.

In addition to the standard AC outlet, the device also has a USB port for charging devices and a special port for your laptop. The battery weighs less than a bottle of water according to the manufacturer and can give you one full recharge for most laptops, and multiple recharges for other gadgets.

The battery can be charged completely in about five hours using only the included solar panel. You can also recharge the battery from the wall outlet in about three hours.

The Sherpa 50 is available now from GoalZero.