After months of rumors, Google is officially entering the wearables market. On March 18th, 2014, the company unveiled a specialized version of Android — Android Wear — designed to power smartwatches and other wearable products. On the same day of its major announcement, Google also revealed that it’s already signed on a number of hardware partners including LG and Motorola to help realize its vision.

Android Wear promises to deliver notifications, reminders, and navigation directions. Google says it also puts a huge focus on fitness tracking. The first smartwatches running the platform are set to arrive this year. Google has already released a preview of Android Wear to ensure that smartphone apps are optimized with support for the operating system by the time it reaches consumer devices.

Link: TheVerge

The Simple Known Facts:

• Automatic Passive Reminders – Sort of like Google Now – Requests are started by saying “Ok Google”
• Connects Automatically
• Touch & Voice Reply
• Circular (Motorola 360) & Square (LG) – They are working with a few other manufacturers
• The new Android Wear is promised to be released around summer so I have high expectations to get my hands on it by then
• Screen Resolution is Unknown, but from the video it looks impressive
• Battery Life hasn’t been disclosed yet

Now seeing this I got excited, Google is throwing their full force into this and here I thought Apple would be releasing a wearable product first, but it seems Google stayed quiet just a few months before release. I’m hoping its going to be much more reasonably priced then the $1500 Google Glass, and I still haven’t tried it out. The best part is that Google is working with multiple manufacturers to bring these to people as soon as possible and to give you options. The Sony Smartwatch 2 was a pretty good watch to give you information but not seemlessly and not all features worked with every phone, and honestly the Samsung Galaxy Gear was a good effort but really fell short in my opinion, it even failed to connect with a lot of the S4s the samsung application store left a lot to be desired, and I think they realized people don’t care about a crappy camera on a watch. I for one tried both of them out and really wanted to like them but they couldn’t replace my watch, it was fun to get the information but it didn’t have everything I wanted and needed. I’m hoping that Android Wear learned from other manufacturer’s mistakes and made something that can work seamlessly and provide all the information that you would want with a decent battery, and one important thing, I really hope it’s water proof.

Loved the music that went with this video, gets you excited to use it.

The one thing about taking shots on the move is that the shots usually come out very shaky, and getting to be smooth is a difficult task. There are lots of great kits out there in the market but they all take practice and skill to get the right weights perfectly to shoot with these stabilizers, I always wondered if there was an automated stabilizer and thankfully someone else was thinking the same idea and brought it to Kickstarter.

There are different models for different uses, for those who want to shoot with a GoPro or Camera phone there is one, and those who want to use a point and shoot there is a different model and there is one for a DSLR and they look very simple to use. I already made a pledge for the SP1 & MD1 for my usual use as thats what I shoot with mostly. Check it out if this interests you as there are is only a few days left to back this project.

Link: Kickstarter

A ridiculously large phone that bends, I’m honestly impressed with the specifications of the phone. The other large phones out there are the HTC One XL & Samsung Note 3 with the Note 3 being much more successful then the One XL. The LG G Flex is the best specced flexible curved phone out in the market at this point with a lot of interesting features.

Specifications

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 CPU
• 2GB RAM
• 6-inch flexible OLED screen at 720 x 1280
• Rear mounted power and volume controls
• Android 4.2.2
• 32GB internal storage
• Bluetooth 4.0
• 802.11 b/g/n/ac dual-band Wifi
• A-GPS and GLONASS support
• 13MP rear camera, 2.1MP front-facing camera
• 3500mAh battery
• 160.5 x 81.6 x 8.7 mm; 177g

I like that it has very good hardware specifications for a phone this size, and I like that its flexible. The only thing that is annoying about this phone is that it is Android 4.2.2 and not 4.4.1 which would be much better. LG has been very successful with the LG 2 and lots of great opinions about the phone so this one might be just as good even though the software is somewhat dated.

I really like that it’s curved and I want to try it out to see just how it feels. The interesting part is the self healing rear cover meant to withstand scratches in your pocket, not direct intentional scratches.

PicsFrom Gigaom

The iPad air has made it’s way to Kuwait and it is flying off the shelves. Now the iPad Mini 2 is up for sale on Apple as of a few days ago but hasn’t made it to Kuwait yet. As usual there are few stores that have it in stock and Blink is on top of it.

Blink.com.kw – iPad Air

• 16 GB Wifi – 165 KWD
• 32 GB Wifi – 219 KWD
• 64 GB Wifi – 259 KWD
• 128 GB Wifi – 295 KWD
• 16 GB 4G – 219 KWD

Pricing in Kuwait ranges from 15% to 30% more then the Apple Store prices but that isn’t too bad considering that 10-15 KWD would be attributed to shipping, and we would still be cheaper then buying it in the UK. I for one am going to wait for the iPad Mini 2 because it has all the specifications and features that I want.

I am always attached to my phone one way or another, and having a list of things that I need to complete with work and outside of Work is very important. Sometimes we all have too much to remember and even the best of us forget, and I tend to do that these days.

Prevouisly the only real useful online list for me was RememberTheMilk but luckily with the development of Android there are much better note taking/list making applications.

Right now my favorite Apps:

• Microsoft OneNote
• Google Keep
• Evernote
• Simplenote

Each one of them functions does basically the same things but each one has more options and sometimes more useful for different tasks. Quick follow ups I tend to use Google Keep so I have to do lists, Note taking and information I use OneNote mostly and sometimes Simplenote. And Evernote to take notes on Articles or things I want to keep in mind or details on travel plans that I later move to OneNote if I’m going to action it. 70% I use either Google Keep or Microsoft OneNote, 25% on Evernote & 5% on Simpelnote.

Each one will satisfy different requirements and I recommend that you check them all out as some people like one more then the other. I’m enjoying using all of them for my specific needs.

I was hoping for a light phone with a great screen & Camera that has 4G, even though the camera was a little less then the 8X. Well it turned out to be more then a disappointment then anything else, this phone has a beautiful screen but every other component is cheap and horrible, cheap price doesn’t necessarily mean cheap quality but in this case it does.

Cons:

• Crappy 5MP Camera, I’m really bad
• Speaker – You can barely hear it and there is this metal grinding sound when it goes to high volumes
• Heavier then a better specified phone
• No real change for the Windows 8 software
• No real added value for Nokia
• Battery doesn’t last as long as the HTC 8X

Pros:

• Beautiful Screen
• 4G/LTE Speeds are good on the phone
• Cheap Price

I really want to stay on the Windows Platform, I’m enjoying more integration with my Windows 8 laptop to a degree and I want it to get better, but if you are looking for a cheap Windows phone to try out the software then this will do, don’t expect much for the camera and speaker. I will still keep the Windows phone, but I will probably trade this one in for something better at a later stage. My only problem with the option coming out from Nokia are the either bulky or too big.

There are two option from Nokia as a replacement, the Nokia 1020 which has the perfect combination except for the ridiculous camera popping out of the back with 41 MP which is just overkill. Then the Nokia 1520 has a 6″ screen which is just overkill with a 20 MP which is more then enough, but at the end both of these phones are just too big. Both of these phones won’t fit in a normal cup holder in a car and even worse when I place it in my pocket.

I honestly have no patience when it comes to the Nexus line, I do love the line from Google and usually its a clean slate, I just wish they had devices with the right kind of power to it and camera with in it. The Samsung Galaxy S4 is still an amazing device with a fantastic camera, honestly the best phone camera out there in my opinion, let’s see how this 8 MP camera with stabilization will be different.

Technical Specifications:

• Screen 4.95” 1920×1080 display (445 ppi), Full HD IPS, Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• Camera 8MP rear facing with Optical Image Stabilization
• Battery 2300 mAh & Wireless Charging
• Builtin speaker, 3.5mm stereo audio connector
• CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragonâ„¢ 800, 2.26GHz, GPU: Adreno 330, 450MHz
• Dualband WiFi (2.4G/5G) 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, NFC (Android Beam), Bluetooth 4.0
• 16GB or 32GB internal storage
• 2GB RAM
• microUSB, SlimPort enabled, 3.5mm stereo audio jack, Dual microphones, Ceramic power and volume buttons
• GPS, Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Compass, Proximity/Ambient Light, Pressure

Networks (North America)

• GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
• CDMA: Band Class: 0/1/10
• WCDMA: Bands: 1/2/4/5/6/8/19
• LTE: Bands: 1/2/4/5/17/19/25/26/41

Networks (Rest of World)

• GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
• WCDMA: Bands: 1/2/4/5/6/8
• LTE: Bands: 1/3/5/7/8/20

The main issue of the phone is that there are two models that work on the LTE/4G networks the D820 & D821 and the one I am picking up is the US Version which will work fine for now just to test out KitKat which is Android 4.4. I am annoyed that they can’t fit all the frequencies onto one single chip but this has been the case with most technologies initially and the same case with 3G connectivity. As for the screen it is a 1080p 5 inch cornered Gorilla Glass which is going to be interesting to see. The D820 works in the US across all their networks, and the D821 is for the rest of the world, and it will probably be on sale in the UK soon enough. The device seems interesting at $400, and compared to other phones its on the cheaper side, I’m looking forward to tinkering with this device.

I was in love with all things Android, the freedom and flexibility with all the functionality. The Amazon product line was always trying to get you to work within the framework of the Amazon, the content all collected nicely and delivering TV Shows & Movies through Amazon Prime, but you have to be within the US for that to work.

What got annoying about the Amazon Kindle over time was that it was so stiff, the iPad is restricted within the iPad Framework but there is so much that you can do with an iPad it never really bother’s you, there is so much to choose from.

But only certain Apps from Android is allowed to install on your Kindle Fire/HD/HDX when the Android platform has a lot more Apps. It is honestly frustrating that I can’t get to all the Apps, and not all the ones I use are formatted for the Kindle. The Kindle has a great feature of integrating your Amazon details into your payments and subscriptions making it easy to use but I was still frustrating with the stiffness of it. The Kindle PaperWhite seems more useful since it is dedicated for those who want to read, to get that feeling that it isn’t a screen yet it is bright.

At first the Kindle Hardware was disappointing, but when the HD came out it was great and the HDX is eve better, even the PaperWhite is great for it’s purpose. But at the end it became a paper weight in my office with no other real use since I have an iPad which I use for all sorts of things and my Samsung Nexus 10 does have the flexibility of an Android device that I love.

I need a battery case for my S4, I pretty much abuse the hell out of with every form of communication possible. At this stage a phone lasting more then 12 hours is a miracle with any phone, so this battery case was meant to do both jobs, I haven’t found the Mophie Case for the S4 yet, surprisingly they made one for the HTC One as soon as it was out which is pretty good.

When I’m connected to the net my phone suffers immense abuse at my hands. My usage is summed up by the details below:

• 20% WhatsApp – Family, Friends, & Work – Nonstop Chatter
• 15% Gmail – Replying to All Emails – Personal & Work
• 15% Instagram – Entertainment
• 15% Feedly – Catching Up On Feeds
• 10% Pinterest – Entertainment
• 10% Google Plus – Going Through My Streams
• 10% Tumblr – Catching Up On My Feed
• 5% Twitter – Quick Read

Initially the battery was ok, it did the job and helped it last more then 12 hours. After two weeks of use it started degrading in quality but at this stage it has gone down the drain. This is the battery case made by Spice Technologies, I know the name should have been an indication to the quality but I thought why not, but now I know. I saw on Amazon some other Generic battery cases with the same look, if you see it don’t bother with it, they are crap.

Not just failing at charge my S4, it failed to protect it, a few days ago the phone fell with the case due to the fall it cracked the screen the phone fell out of the protection which was even worse since it came out on impact. This case was a piece of crash and luckily as of writing this review the Mophie case just came out, so I’m purchasing that and hopefully I will be able to fix my screen.
Rating:

After so many years Apple has finally upgraded the memory on the iPads, they finally got to 128 GB and with that I will be upgrading my 3 year old iPad 2 which I still love to use and abuse. Now with the latest update from Cupertino a lot of people wanted more like the iWatch or the Apple TV Major update, but it looks like that will be at a later stage, but for me the iPads were the winner and the iPad Mini 2 was the best of the bunch, yes now I have a reason to purchase one.

Basic Breakdown iPad Air

• Its Thinner
• Only 1 lb – Very Light
• Twice the Wifi – 2 Antennas that work smoothly together
• A7 Chip 64 Bit – More Power Won’t Hang – Hopefully it will survive my abuse
• New Design & iOS7 – I’m liking IOS 7 from my Update
• Up to 128GB of Storage – At Last

Basic Breakdown iPad Mini 2:

• New Design
• A bit heavier then the previous design due the new design
• A7 Chip 64 Bit – A lot of power packed into a small Design
• Retina Screen – 7.9inch Display – At Last, everything will look good on it
• Up to 128 GB – Thank you
• Twice the Wifi – 2 Antennas that work smoothly together

I am personally going to be getting the iPad Mini 2 – 128 GB because I want the space and that beautiful screen with the powerful wifi. I don’t care for LTE because I have one of the first 3G versions that I never put a chip in and when I did it was annoying and preferred wifi. Also if you purhcase the iPad LTE the US like most of us will, the 4G won’t work in Kuwait so that would be pointless. Also for the price of the 4G units, they are not worth it at all, serisouly almost 1000 USD for the top end iPad Air, thats just ridiculous, but the iPad Mini 2 is an excellent buy.

Pricing:

• iPad Air Wifi/LTE
• 16GB – 499/629 USD
• 32GB – 599/729 USD
• 64GB – 699/829 USD
• 128GB – 799/899 USD

• iPad Mini 2 Wifi/LTE
• 16GB – 399/529 USD
• 32GB – 499/629 USD
• 64GB – 599/729 USD
• 128GB – 699/829 USD

Pics From Venture Beat