Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Samsung Galaxy Nexus : the review ( Finally)
So I have been meaning to do this for quite some time.... so here it goes.
The Galaxy Nexus: When it first came out I was like this
..... well, if you take out the rainbows in the back that is. Anyways, It seemed like a pretty nice phone and but at the time i had no idea I would have my own Galaxy Nexus. Fast forward a few months and my LG Eve ( I am not going to be nice with this one, so if you work at LG you may want to look away) fully crapped out on me. It was one of the worst phones I have ever used. Even the Nokia C3 that I got as a loaner when my phone was gone for repair the SECOND time was better. This time the main problem was a touchscreen that thought you wanted to press 4 instead of 1 and various lag issues. So anyways, I decided I had enough of the Eve and started looking for a new phone... that's when I decided to get the Nexus. And thus, a few days later a fresh Galaxy Nexus arrived at my door step. I open the box and turn on the phone. I am greeted with the friendly "Google" written on the boot screen , which reminded me one of the reasons I bought this Phone. Most Android phones these days have a complete nightmare scenario when it comes to updates ( The update monkeys at Carriers/device manufacturers are always busy filling the OS with bloatware). The Galaxy Nexus is one of the few phones that skips the middle man ( for the most part) and gives you direct updates. This is updating the way it should be done. Anyways, enough about my journey to obtain this epic phone... lets get down to the finer details
Appearance
The Galaxy Nexus has a fairly large screen and overall size, which makes it slightly hard to get used to at first. But once you do, all the other "smaller" phones seem miniscule. The phone fits nicely in my hands and the feel of the back cover is a nice touch ( rubber/plastic). There are no physical buttons on the front of the phone giving it a clean aesthetic. There is however, a notification LED that you dont even know its there until it starts slowly fading on and off. The LED has a pretty neat touch to it as well. It can sometimes change colour based on what app has a notification. An example would be that the LED is blue when there is a notification from Facebook. The buttons on the side blend in nicely with the phone and are fairly ergonomic. The Headphone and USB ports are at the bottom like in most phones these days ( except for the super hipsta iPhone which has the headphone jack on the top). The Phone is fairly strong and has survived ( without a single scratch or crack) numerous drops that my clumsy hands/ horrible pockets have subjected it to. My only complaint is how finger print infested the phone becomes ( I can easily see all kinds of neat lines on my fingers by just looking at the phone).
UI
The phone comes standard with Android 4.0 but can easily be upgraded to Android 4.1. The UI is different than most phone's with the same OS however, due to the lack of physical buttons which are replaced my onscreen buttons. These onscreen buttons are fairly nice and automatically "minimize" when in certain apps or when watching full screen video. The most significant feature of Android 4.1 is Google Now. This is like Siri.... but different( lets call this one Bob). Siri is a household maid that likes to be told what to do and cannot think for herself. she is slow to pick up what you meant and does not use any of the tools she has at her disposal unless you tell that B**ch ( pardon my language) what to do. Bob is the smart guy. He recognizes when you are about to leave for work and plans accordingly. If he sees that there is traffic, Bob will notify you in advance so you can leave earlier. Bob also does the same for the commute home. Throughout the day Bob also tells you when you have an appointment coming up and offers directions ( note you do not have to specifically state to Bob to be reminded). Bob also tells you the weather for where ever you currently are and tells you if there is any places of interest nearby. Bob also looks into your google search history and offers directions as well as a traffic report to any place you may have looked up. Bob also does not rely on 3rd party apps as much as Siri does when it comes to searching the web. The search results are shown within the Google Now app instead of opening up a browser window.
Hardware
This phone is over 9000% faster than the LG Eve. Everything is quick to open and there is virtually no lag unless you try real hard to lag the phone. Wifi Reception could be improved since the Antenna is weak and constantly loses connection... but it might be a software problem. The Phone comes with a rear 5 mp camera and a front 1.3 mp camera. Both Camera's deliver outstanding results during the day and work decently at night provided there is enough light. the 1080P video is also very good and the audio does not sound like you recorded with a toaster ( like the LG). The live video effects are nice but mostly useless for everyday use. The flash is decent but I mostly use it as a flashlight for when I am too lazy to turn on a light... or when performing maintenance on a car in low light conditions . The Panorma mode is very easy to use but is easy to make the picture distorted/ blurry if you go too fast or dont keep the phone at the same level and angle the whole time The speaker is not too loud but its loud enough to be heard in a semi crowded area. The microphone quality is also great. The battery can last anywhere from 24 hours to 48 hours depending on usage. It is not the best but it is enough to get you through the day. Overall the Peformance in this phone is very good ( much better than that shit box LG Eve)
So thats about it for this slightly longer than usual review of the Galaxy Nexus. Overall, the phone is a 9/10 and I am very satisfied. If you have any further questions, I will gladly answer them in the comments below.
The Galaxy Nexus: When it first came out I was like this
..... well, if you take out the rainbows in the back that is. Anyways, It seemed like a pretty nice phone and but at the time i had no idea I would have my own Galaxy Nexus. Fast forward a few months and my LG Eve ( I am not going to be nice with this one, so if you work at LG you may want to look away) fully crapped out on me. It was one of the worst phones I have ever used. Even the Nokia C3 that I got as a loaner when my phone was gone for repair the SECOND time was better. This time the main problem was a touchscreen that thought you wanted to press 4 instead of 1 and various lag issues. So anyways, I decided I had enough of the Eve and started looking for a new phone... that's when I decided to get the Nexus. And thus, a few days later a fresh Galaxy Nexus arrived at my door step. I open the box and turn on the phone. I am greeted with the friendly "Google" written on the boot screen , which reminded me one of the reasons I bought this Phone. Most Android phones these days have a complete nightmare scenario when it comes to updates ( The update monkeys at Carriers/device manufacturers are always busy filling the OS with bloatware). The Galaxy Nexus is one of the few phones that skips the middle man ( for the most part) and gives you direct updates. This is updating the way it should be done. Anyways, enough about my journey to obtain this epic phone... lets get down to the finer details
Appearance
The Galaxy Nexus has a fairly large screen and overall size, which makes it slightly hard to get used to at first. But once you do, all the other "smaller" phones seem miniscule. The phone fits nicely in my hands and the feel of the back cover is a nice touch ( rubber/plastic). There are no physical buttons on the front of the phone giving it a clean aesthetic. There is however, a notification LED that you dont even know its there until it starts slowly fading on and off. The LED has a pretty neat touch to it as well. It can sometimes change colour based on what app has a notification. An example would be that the LED is blue when there is a notification from Facebook. The buttons on the side blend in nicely with the phone and are fairly ergonomic. The Headphone and USB ports are at the bottom like in most phones these days ( except for the super hipsta iPhone which has the headphone jack on the top). The Phone is fairly strong and has survived ( without a single scratch or crack) numerous drops that my clumsy hands/ horrible pockets have subjected it to. My only complaint is how finger print infested the phone becomes ( I can easily see all kinds of neat lines on my fingers by just looking at the phone).
UI
The phone comes standard with Android 4.0 but can easily be upgraded to Android 4.1. The UI is different than most phone's with the same OS however, due to the lack of physical buttons which are replaced my onscreen buttons. These onscreen buttons are fairly nice and automatically "minimize" when in certain apps or when watching full screen video. The most significant feature of Android 4.1 is Google Now. This is like Siri.... but different( lets call this one Bob). Siri is a household maid that likes to be told what to do and cannot think for herself. she is slow to pick up what you meant and does not use any of the tools she has at her disposal unless you tell that B**ch ( pardon my language) what to do. Bob is the smart guy. He recognizes when you are about to leave for work and plans accordingly. If he sees that there is traffic, Bob will notify you in advance so you can leave earlier. Bob also does the same for the commute home. Throughout the day Bob also tells you when you have an appointment coming up and offers directions ( note you do not have to specifically state to Bob to be reminded). Bob also tells you the weather for where ever you currently are and tells you if there is any places of interest nearby. Bob also looks into your google search history and offers directions as well as a traffic report to any place you may have looked up. Bob also does not rely on 3rd party apps as much as Siri does when it comes to searching the web. The search results are shown within the Google Now app instead of opening up a browser window.
Hardware
This phone is over 9000% faster than the LG Eve. Everything is quick to open and there is virtually no lag unless you try real hard to lag the phone. Wifi Reception could be improved since the Antenna is weak and constantly loses connection... but it might be a software problem. The Phone comes with a rear 5 mp camera and a front 1.3 mp camera. Both Camera's deliver outstanding results during the day and work decently at night provided there is enough light. the 1080P video is also very good and the audio does not sound like you recorded with a toaster ( like the LG). The live video effects are nice but mostly useless for everyday use. The flash is decent but I mostly use it as a flashlight for when I am too lazy to turn on a light... or when performing maintenance on a car in low light conditions . The Panorma mode is very easy to use but is easy to make the picture distorted/ blurry if you go too fast or dont keep the phone at the same level and angle the whole time The speaker is not too loud but its loud enough to be heard in a semi crowded area. The microphone quality is also great. The battery can last anywhere from 24 hours to 48 hours depending on usage. It is not the best but it is enough to get you through the day. Overall the Peformance in this phone is very good ( much better than that shit box LG Eve)
So thats about it for this slightly longer than usual review of the Galaxy Nexus. Overall, the phone is a 9/10 and I am very satisfied. If you have any further questions, I will gladly answer them in the comments below.
An important note on programming
so I have not been posting much lately... this is due to a variety of reasons....
The first reason is that I am currently attending college and my workload is about 110% worse than before. As a result I lack the time to make a quality post.
The second reason is that I am having a tough time choosing on which products I should talk about and which can be ignored. For example if a new iPhone comes out ( no offense to Apple) but the only difference is a bigger screen , then I believe it is not news worthy regardless of how many page views I might get from the potential Apple fanboy.
The third reason is this thing that is now sitting in my garage
A full review will might be in the works but i cannot guarentee anything until I get the motivation to make a semi decent article that isnt just some crap load on 0-60 times and fuel economy ( this is not Prius chat ).
Also further updates:
Galaxy Nexus review: still have yet to find motivation/time to complete this one.... might just be a quick run through of pros and cons.
iPhone 5: No i will not cover a phone that is nowhere as revolutionary as the original iPhone 4
Samsung Galaxy SIII: someone send me one and I will review it ( hint hint.... this is your chance to motivate me)
Other stuff: Site Layout is out dated and will be refreshed sometime in the next couple of months....
Forum will also be updated ( we need moar members)
Regular programming is currently on hold ( although I may post occasionally)... but it all depends on college/personal issues i may have to deal with. Expect increased posting sometime in the duration of December 2012 and April-September 2013...
For now here is something to keep you entertained
The first reason is that I am currently attending college and my workload is about 110% worse than before. As a result I lack the time to make a quality post.
The second reason is that I am having a tough time choosing on which products I should talk about and which can be ignored. For example if a new iPhone comes out ( no offense to Apple) but the only difference is a bigger screen , then I believe it is not news worthy regardless of how many page views I might get from the potential Apple fanboy.
The third reason is this thing that is now sitting in my garage
A full review will might be in the works but i cannot guarentee anything until I get the motivation to make a semi decent article that isnt just some crap load on 0-60 times and fuel economy ( this is not Prius chat ).
Also further updates:
Galaxy Nexus review: still have yet to find motivation/time to complete this one.... might just be a quick run through of pros and cons.
iPhone 5: No i will not cover a phone that is nowhere as revolutionary as the original iPhone 4
Samsung Galaxy SIII: someone send me one and I will review it ( hint hint.... this is your chance to motivate me)
Other stuff: Site Layout is out dated and will be refreshed sometime in the next couple of months....
Forum will also be updated ( we need moar members)
Regular programming is currently on hold ( although I may post occasionally)... but it all depends on college/personal issues i may have to deal with. Expect increased posting sometime in the duration of December 2012 and April-September 2013...
For now here is something to keep you entertained
Friday, July 13, 2012
This is what car damage should look like in video games
What you see here is a demonstration of BeamNG, a revolutionary physics engine that uses CryEngine 3 and the same physics you saw in "Rigs of Rods" :
This is still in the early stages, but as you can see the cars deform very well and realistically. Looks like these guys are finally getting the attention they deserve.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Google I/O Day 1 So far
Alot has happened so far today at the Google I/O event So to Recap Today's main events:
1) Android 4.1 JellyBean
Google has announced their new operating system for their phones. Key Features include faster and smoother animations, improved UI, a "smarter keyboard", faster camera and much more.... expect a full review from us when the update is pushed out in Mid July
2) Google Nexus 7
This is Google's answer to the infamous ( and overly hyped) iPad. Priced at $199, this small 7" tablet comes with Android 4.1 Jellybean pre-installed. It also features a quad core Nvidia Tegra 3 and a 1280 x 800 IPS screen. Google has teamed up with Asus to bring you this somewhat intriguing tablet ( although the low price concerns me as tablets are normally 2-3 times that of which this once costs.
3) Google Nexus Q
This sphere shaped device is Google's answer to Apple TV. It is a multimedia box that allows Android devices to connect to speakers and Televisions that are connected to this device. It allows multiple users to choose what music they would like to play, or what movie to watch. The interesting thing behind this , is that this device can stream all of this content, directly from the cloud ( as opposed to from the device). Essentially you are controlling the cloud with your Android device.
And that is all for now.... stay tuned for more updates.....
1) Android 4.1 JellyBean
Google has announced their new operating system for their phones. Key Features include faster and smoother animations, improved UI, a "smarter keyboard", faster camera and much more.... expect a full review from us when the update is pushed out in Mid July
2) Google Nexus 7
This is Google's answer to the infamous ( and overly hyped) iPad. Priced at $199, this small 7" tablet comes with Android 4.1 Jellybean pre-installed. It also features a quad core Nvidia Tegra 3 and a 1280 x 800 IPS screen. Google has teamed up with Asus to bring you this somewhat intriguing tablet ( although the low price concerns me as tablets are normally 2-3 times that of which this once costs.
3) Google Nexus Q
This sphere shaped device is Google's answer to Apple TV. It is a multimedia box that allows Android devices to connect to speakers and Televisions that are connected to this device. It allows multiple users to choose what music they would like to play, or what movie to watch. The interesting thing behind this , is that this device can stream all of this content, directly from the cloud ( as opposed to from the device). Essentially you are controlling the cloud with your Android device.
And that is all for now.... stay tuned for more updates.....
Friday, May 4, 2012
Guess what we just got our hands on????
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Microsoft builds Retro Ford Mustang , Powered by Windows 8
Here at tech and car, we try to bring together both car geeks and tech geeks into one enviroment. This is a clear example of when the two worlds can collide ( in a good way ).
Microsoft has partnered with the infamous car customizing shop, West Coast Customs to bring you this:
What is it, you may ask. It is called Project Detroit and at first glance it appears to be a overly flashy 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback ( Still dont know why there is an entire blitzkrieg of flashy neon lighting). However, on the inside , it is actually a brand new 2012 Mustang outfitted with lots of neat Microsoft gear. So what does this car contain? Lets find out.
The Good :
- The awesome use of the old school meets new school approach by using the classic Mustang body on the outside while keeping up with today's electronics on the inside.
- The car can be started by the "Viper Start Smart" app, and also be locked/unlocked ( although this is nothing new and has been done for years).
- 4G/hotspot mode which gives wifi enabled devices, access to the internet ( no carriers have been announced for this yet).
- Dashboard instrument cluster is actually a though screen that can be fairly customized to use one of three themes ( Modern Mustang gauges, Classic Mustang gauges, and Windows 8 Metro UI). This seems like a great feature, but how will the car handle the infamous blue screen of death?
- There is also a windows 8 tablet for the passenger.
- Passenger and Driver each get a heads up display with augmented reality technology which gives both the passenger and the driver the option to display onboard telemetry or Bing maps.
- Integrated Kinect and xbox 360 ( you know for the passengers) that can be used to let the passengers play their favourite games on the rear window, or get this.....their side of the wind shield.
- PA system that allows you to express your anger to that guy who just cut you off. You can also trigger this system from outside your car to make people thing your car is cursed....
- Customizable "Horn Tones" that allow you to play Nyan cat, should there be a 2nd offender.... ( note: we recommend you use something like a foghorn for a better effect and to avoid people cutting you off on purpose).
- rear window can be used to deliver messages to people behind you like " nice car"..... or " @##$# $#@@# @#$$#$"
- the source code ( yes the source code) will be available soon.
The Bad:
- The kinect does not seem like a good idea for the windsheild.
The Ugly:
- The lighting on this car seems to be something out of a Tron film( or does it repersent a BSOD?). and really ruins the classiness of the car.
Overall, this car is pure awesomness and it has alot of stuff I would personally like in a car....Microsoft: can you atleast send us a test unit for atleast a couple of days??? I can assure the review will be fairly positive and will promote prospective buyers...better yet.... Y U NO BUILD MOAR??????
Source: Microsoft : http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2012/mar12/03-21projectdetroit.mspx
Microsoft has partnered with the infamous car customizing shop, West Coast Customs to bring you this:
What is it, you may ask. It is called Project Detroit and at first glance it appears to be a overly flashy 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback ( Still dont know why there is an entire blitzkrieg of flashy neon lighting). However, on the inside , it is actually a brand new 2012 Mustang outfitted with lots of neat Microsoft gear. So what does this car contain? Lets find out.
The Good :
- The awesome use of the old school meets new school approach by using the classic Mustang body on the outside while keeping up with today's electronics on the inside.
- The car can be started by the "Viper Start Smart" app, and also be locked/unlocked ( although this is nothing new and has been done for years).
- 4G/hotspot mode which gives wifi enabled devices, access to the internet ( no carriers have been announced for this yet).
- Dashboard instrument cluster is actually a though screen that can be fairly customized to use one of three themes ( Modern Mustang gauges, Classic Mustang gauges, and Windows 8 Metro UI). This seems like a great feature, but how will the car handle the infamous blue screen of death?
- There is also a windows 8 tablet for the passenger.
- Passenger and Driver each get a heads up display with augmented reality technology which gives both the passenger and the driver the option to display onboard telemetry or Bing maps.
- Integrated Kinect and xbox 360 ( you know for the passengers) that can be used to let the passengers play their favourite games on the rear window, or get this.....their side of the wind shield.
- PA system that allows you to express your anger to that guy who just cut you off. You can also trigger this system from outside your car to make people thing your car is cursed....
- Customizable "Horn Tones" that allow you to play Nyan cat, should there be a 2nd offender.... ( note: we recommend you use something like a foghorn for a better effect and to avoid people cutting you off on purpose).
- rear window can be used to deliver messages to people behind you like " nice car"..... or " @##$# $#@@# @#$$#$"
- the source code ( yes the source code) will be available soon.
The Bad:
- The kinect does not seem like a good idea for the windsheild.
The Ugly:
- The lighting on this car seems to be something out of a Tron film( or does it repersent a BSOD?). and really ruins the classiness of the car.
Overall, this car is pure awesomness and it has alot of stuff I would personally like in a car....Microsoft: can you atleast send us a test unit for atleast a couple of days??? I can assure the review will be fairly positive and will promote prospective buyers...better yet.... Y U NO BUILD MOAR??????
Source: Microsoft : http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2012/mar12/03-21projectdetroit.mspx
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Apple Fanboy thinks he is above the law
This very unusual encounter was videotaped somewhere in Russia. There seems to be an Apple logo on what appears to be a Vauxhall Corsa. Before i rant on about his driving, i must say that this car can easily be fooled for the long awaited "iCar" ( which is not an actual product). What is most Appleesque about this encounter is how the driver tries to cut off the small little Suzuki at 1:30. He seems to be above the law and does not even bother to signal his attempted lane change....then again this is Russia we are talking about ( no offense to any of our russian readers). Overall the whole effect seems to describe ( again no offense )
an Apple fanboy fairly well.
A quick note on programming
due to my studies i have been unable to write many blog posts lately. I would like to apologize for this. It is something i have no control over. Tech and Car is currently a one man show...and it will probably stay that way for a while.....we would like to apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused( though i seriously don't think there should be.....unless of course your life depends on it....in which case i recommend going to a hospital and get checked out ASAP).
Asyed
Executive Editor
Asyed
Executive Editor
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
STOP SOPA
WE NEED TO PUT AN END TO THIS
Contact your local government leader now!
.... tech and car will not be posting any new content until this bill is confirmed to not have passed in protest to this horrid bill
Contact your local government leader now!
.... tech and car will not be posting any new content until this bill is confirmed to not have passed in protest to this horrid bill
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