One (M8) comes last, Note 3 first in Consumer Reports bend test
"It’s not a real “****gate” scandal in the tech world until Consumer Reports weighs in. The respected consumer protection organization did it in 2010, when it confirmed that the iPhone 4 had a “death grip” issue, and now it’s literally weighing in on the new iPhones and several Android smartphones to see exactly how much force is needed to bend one."
How much does an iPhone 6 really cost? (Hint: It's way more than $199) |
To paraphrase Mark Twain: There are lies, damned lies, and smartphone prices. Every review I've read of the new iPhone 6 this week says the price starts at $199. That's not true. The total prices that buyers pay for smartphones on two-year contracts from American carriers will shock you.
iPhone 6 Plus vs. Samsung Galaxy Note 3: Decision time - CNET
"Basically what I'm saying is that I really can't make up my mind. If I had to choose one it'd be the Note, because maximizing productivity on a mobile device must be my top priority. However, if I had the means, I'd keep them both. Running off to a meeting? I'd grab my Note. Heading out for a night on the town with some friends? iPhone all the way. And, if I were jetting away for a business trip, I'd keep the pair -- the iPhone full of media, games and distractions, the Note full of email, reminders and other boring stuff.
That's not to say the iPhone can't be a serious productivity tool, or that the Note 3 doesn't do a fine job at whittling away idle moments. Both are excellent all-rounders. It's just that one each feels more optimal for one suite of tasks than the other.
So, if you're making this difficult decision yourself, it might help to think of things this way: business, or pleasure?"
Kindle Paperwhite Review: If Only Every E-Book Reader Was This Good
"The 2013 edition of the Kindle Paperwhite is, hands down, the best dedicated e-book reader out there. The display is clear and bright, the available content library covers all the bases, the battery life remains high, and the user interface is easy to use and doesn’t get in the way once you start reading.
There are other options available, but if you are looking for an e-book reader and are happy to spend the money, it would be hard to fault the decision to buy the Kindle Paperwhite."
Make sure you get the 2013 version of the Kindle, the one with the large Amazon emblazoned on the back. It has significantly better lighting to the physically identical 2012 model which many stores carry at the same price of $119.00. If you have older eyes the difference is well worth the search.
iPhone 6 Plus vs. Samsung Galaxy Note 3
"So that's a problem, but beyond that, I don't find myself missing anything else on the Note. The screen may be the same resolution, but the increased contrast of the iPhone 6 Plus makes it look better when out and about. The battery life of the Plus seems superior to the Note in how I use it, and every app that I use on the Note I'm also able to find on the Plus. As an Android user this is hard for me to admit, but almost all of those apps look and work better on iOS than on Android.
But there's one big exception: keyboard. Though my favorite keyboard, SwiftKey, is now available on iOS, it isn't nearly as pleasant to use there as it is on Android. How so? Why, stay tuned for the next installment, where we'll cover that very topic."
iPhone 6 Plus vs Galaxy Note 3 quick look
"Overall, the iPhone 6 Plus is a competent device, but the Note 3 is the better productivity device, with its powerful stylus and multitasking features. Samsung has figured out ways to use the large screen to its fullest, while the 6 Plus is mostly just a larger version of the iPhone 6.
Wrap up
We won’t issue a verdict after this quick look, but we’ll do list the features that we think tip the scale in favor of one device or the other. The Note 3 comes ahead thanks to its compact build and larger screen, larger, removable battery and microSD card slot (though not all users care about that), more hardware features, and especially the S Pen and all its software features. The iPhone 6 Plus has a premium build and a solid unibody construction, a fingerprint scanner, a great camera, and a fine-tuned operating system."
Ex-Employees Say Home Depot Left Data Vulnerable - NYTimes.com
"The data breach at Home Depot compromised the credit cards of 56 million of its customers. "
Samsung will give you $200 if you trade your old phone for the Note 4, even if it’s worth less
"Earlier today we learned the Note 4 will go up for pre-order in the UK and US starting tomorrow. For those that are planning to upgrade from an older handset, Samsung has now announced its “guaranteed $200 total trade-in” promotion.
In short, if you pre-order the Note 4 between tomorrow and 10/16 through any carrier or retailer, you’ll be eligible to trade in an existing handset for $200, even if the phone isn’t worth that much. As you can expect, there’s a bit of a process involved for getting your money back for the trade-in, but this could be a heck of a deal for those with older handsets like the Galaxy S3 and Note 2. For those with newer devices, you’re probably better listing your phone for sale online, as you’ll likely get much more than just $200."
Amazon's $200 Kindle Voyage is the Rolls-Royce of e-readers
"Perhaps Amazon sold a lot of 3G Paperwhites without special offers. Or maybe Kobo's Aura HD has quietly taken the world by storm and Jeff Bezos decided he needed an answer. Whatever the impetus, Amazon has decided there is room in the world for a $199 e-reader. The Kindle Voyage was built for people who "love to read." Clearly the company thinks there is a place out there for a premium e-reader and, while we can't vouch for the vibrancy of the high-end e-reader market, we can confirm that Amazon has put together a stunner of a device. The familiar Kindle software has even picked up some neat new software tricks that the Voyage taught its more budget-minded siblings."
"The iPhone 6 Plus is the all new phablet that was announced alongside the new iPhone 6. This is the first time ever that Apple is offering an iPhone which comes with a 5.5-inch display screen. It is the largest ever iPhone ever introduced by the Cupertino. Last year’s iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C came with a 4-inch screen.
The new iPhone 6 comes with a 4.7inch screen and the larger iPhone 6 Plus allows the Apple brand to penetrate into phablet category. The Galaxy Note 3 is the third iteration in the Note category from the South Korean tech giant. The Galaxy Note 4 is the successor model for last year’s Galaxy Note 3. It is yet to arrive in the market for purchase and the Galaxy Note 4 price has not been revealed by Samsung."
On Death and iPods: A Requiem | WIRED
Jim Merithew/WIRED
Have you ever loved a car? Maybe it was an old truck you drove for hundreds of thousands of miles, or maybe it was your very first car: where you had your very first beer and your very first kiss. You can love a car and keep on loving it as long as you don’t crash it. If you’re willing to maintain it, you can keep driving it basically forever. Maybe some day it’ll be old enough that you’ll get thumbs-ups from cool kids as you putter down the street in your charmingly vintage car. This is not the case with gadgets—even though, for many of us, our old gadgets were way more important than our old cars.
Gadgets come and go from our lives. Technology marches forward so rapidly that even if you could replace a broken part—which often you can’t—doing so just wouldn’t make any sense. Other times, the networks and services those gadgets depend on to keep running go away entirely. Gadgets die, even the ones we love."
This tablet packs a 3D camera, slim and sturdy design
"Smartphones slowly but surely usurped digital cameras as the popular way to take photos, but are tablets the next gadget to takeover? Dell is taking a step forward as a top challenger in this shift with the release of the Dell Venue 8 7000.
The 8.4-inch slate houses a 3D camera powered by Intel's RealSense technology and it ships with pre-loaded software to take full advantage of its unique capabilities."
