Mar 25
The New York Times reports that President Obama is planning to reveal a legislative proposal that will overhaul the NSA’s practices—and put an end to its bulk collection of phone records.
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Mar 08
Are you still on the search for the perfect iPhone case to match your personality? For some, it’s near impossible, considering how their personalities change on an almost-daily basis (you know what they say about self-discovery being an ongoing process…)
But with the advent of the 3D-printed Fraemes iPhone cases, then that first-world problem might be put to rest.
Fraemes are a welcome change in the current sea of bland phone cases on the market: they’re colorful, customizable, and interchangeable so you can swap the designs out for another, depending on your current mood or what you feel like at any given time.
The Fraemes team has collaborated with designers and will be offering 150 designs to choose from when they officially launch. Aside from the many designs and patterns available, the inserts can be customized further in terms of their color and by adding text and shapes. You can even upload your own designs and have them rendered.
Fraemes are up for funding on Kickstarter through March 27, where a pledge of $25(USD) or more will get you one of your very own. A $50 pledge gets you a custom design, while a $250 pledge will get you a dozen, so you can have a different look for each month of the year.
Mar 05
Boeing (yes, that same Boeing that makes airplanes) is currently working on a smartphone called “Black” that can reportedly self-destruct when it senses that it’s being tampered with.
It’s especially made for government agencies and their agents. Boeing’s emphasis in designing Black is security, with the goal of ensuring that sensitive information and data stay private or secure, even when the phone changes hands (or is stolen.) Apparently, the phone can also be set to automatically “brick” itself in the event that it falls into the wrong hands. Adding to security, it can transmit on private satellite channels.
Boeing’s tamper-proof phone is aimed at government agencies and contractors who need to keep communication and data secure. Made in the United States, the phone runs on Google Inc’s Android operating system. The 5.2-by-2.7-inch handset, slightly larger than an iPhone, uses dual SIM cards to enable it to access multiple cell networks instead of a single network like a normal cellphone.The device’s hardware roots of trust and trusted boot ensure the device starts in a trusted state, enabling maximum security of data. Hardware media encryption and configurable inhibit controls are embedded to protect the device, its data, and the transmission of information, significantly reducing the risk of mission compromise due to data loss.
[via Geekologie]
Feb 20
A lot of phone cases incorporate features that give users added convenience. This particular case, however, takes a couple of steps backward.
Dubbed by artist/hacker Dennis DeBel as the S.M.S. or “smoke messaging service” case, the bulky case can be used to send smoke signals at the push of a button. It has a chamber where lamp oil is stored, which is heated when the button is pressed. This, in turn, produces the wisps of smoke when you’re ready to send a message of the smoky kind.
The SMS Case is just a concept design for now, considering the fact that, well, they’re incredibly bulky and you can’t really translate smoke into actual messages. But it’s still pretty neat, though.
[via LikeCool]
Feb 08
Given the hundreds of ways your phone could come into life-threatening contact with liquid, you should know what to do when it happens (because it will).
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Jan 21
LG G Flex to arrive in Europe soon
Posted in: Today's Chili
For those living in South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore, you would most probably have seen people carry the LG G Flex around already, which so happens to be the first smartphone in the world that was specially designed for it to follow the curve of the human face. Hmmm, this certainly brings back memories of the Nokia handset that Neo used in the Matrix, where it had a curved bottom, no? The Banana Phone, if I am not mistaken. Well, this just goes to prove how fashion recycles trends from before, although the LG G Flex is light years ahead of Nokia’s archaic device in terms of hardware technology. We now have word that LG is preparing to roll out the LG G Flex to over 20 countries in Europe soon.
Among the major European markets where you will find the LG G Flex, they would include the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Sweden and Austria, among others. This is a surefire way of attracting attention, as the LG G Flex sports a 6” display that relies on Plastic OLED (P-OLED) technology, and it will also make use of the world’s first curved battery. Apart from that, there is another feather in its distinguished crown, that is, this is the first handset that boasts of a self-healing coating on the back cover. This means you need not worry yourself sick too much about minor scratches and nicks happening, as just like Wolverine’s body, it ought to shrug off such scratches without batting an eyelid.
Other hardware specifications of the LG G Flex include a quad-core 2.26GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (MSM 8974) processor with an Adreno 330 450MHz GPU, a 1280 x 720 resolution 6” curved P-OLED (Real RGB) display, 2GB RAM, 32GB of internal memory, a 13MP shooter at the back with a front-facing 2.1MP camera, a 3,500mAh battery, and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean as the mobile operating system of choice. Connectivity options include Bluetooth 4.0 and WiFi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac) alongside NFC support.
Press Release
[ LG G Flex to arrive in Europe soon copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Dec 12
In-flight call ban lift open to discussion following FCC vote: needs DOT approval
Posted in: Today's ChiliThough the vote of 3-2 knocks out a technical ban in the FCC, the rule against using cellphones to make calls in-flight is still being left up to the Department of Transportation to make a final ruling on here near the end of 2013. This week’s vote was a close one. The FCC’s meeting today […]
Nov 28
Gionee isn’t exactly a name that you’d come across in the Western market every day, but this time, the Chinese company has big global ambitions. The latest proof is its Elife E7, a 5.5-inch 1080p Android phone that boasts two titles: it’s the first known phone featuring the 2.5GHz flavor of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 chip (MSM8974AC); plus it has the most sensitive 16-megapixel camera, courtesy of its Largan M8 lens (though the aperture is still unknown) and 1/2.3-inch sensor with large 1.34µm pixels. Compared to the competition, Gionee believes this particular OmniVision sensor has the best balance between resolution and pixel size, and the phone maker even went as far as claiming this already beats the 1.12µm, 16-megapixel counterpart on the yet-to-be-announced Galaxy S 5. Of course, we’ll believe it when we get to properly test the E7’s camera ourselves.
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Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Nov 19
China’s Nubia offers Android phone with Snapdragon 800 and 16GB storage for $330
Posted in: Today's Chili
It was only just over a month ago when ZTE’s premium brand Nubia made its debut launch in the US, and today the company’s already launching follow-up models in China. Starting with the Z5S, this is essentially the Z5 (or simply the 5 in the US) packed with some new goodies: a 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 SoC, a 5-megapixel front camera, a dedicated camera button, 4K video capture, a multi-purpose infrared remote feature and rare support for all three 3G networks in China (China Mobile’s TD-SCDMA, China Telecom’s CDMA2000 and China Unicom’s WCDMA).
The rest of the phone is pretty much the same as before: 5-inch 1080p (443ppi) LCD, 2.67mm bezel, 7.6mm thickness, 2GB RAM, 2,300mAh battery, and a 13-megapixel main camera with f/2.2 aperture plus digital image stabilization. %Gallery-slideshow122229%
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Via: Engadget Chinese
Source: Nubia (Chinese)
Nov 18
Xiaomi to set up 18 stores in China by end of year, but not for selling phones or TVs
Posted in: Today's Chili
Even though Xiaomi’s been doing quite well in mainland China and Taiwan, you still won’t be able to find its products in brick-and-mortar stores, except for those of partner carriers and scalpers. This is why we got a bit giddy when we heard the company is now in the process of setting up 18 stores across China. But there’s a catch: you won’t be able to buy any Xiaomi Phones or Xiaomi TVs in them. Instead, you’ll only find accessories there, including the Xiaomi Box, phone cases, batteries, cables, RC toys, clothes and even dolls of the Xiaomi bunny mascot.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Source: CBN (Chinese)
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