2013 was a bust! Or so we’ve been told. Whether you follow that line of thinking or reflect on the last 363 days in a more optimistic light, it’s clear the year wasn’t all big breakthroughs and great triumphs. This was the year of government surveillance revelations, fallen giants and lackluster product releases. But it was also the year Netflix took on the studios, patent reform became a real priority in DC and two new game consoles hit the scene. No, we won’t be riding our hoverboards into the sunset at the close of 2013, but the stories that rocked the industry had a profound impact not only on technology, but also on society as a whole. So let’s raise those half-empty glasses and make a toast as we recap the year that was: Here’s to the glassholes! Read more...
When you’re shopping for a smartphone, what do you expect to get for less than $400 without a contract? Certainly not a top-of-the-line device, right? Until recently, that kind of price has been reserved for devices that were mid-range at best, or entry-level at worst. Ever since the gorgeous and powerful Nexus 4 came out last year for $300 on the Play Store, however, it’s been clear Google is trying to give the high-end, $600-plus Android flagships a run for their money. Now the company’s back with the Nexus 5, a power user’s dream that sells for $350 and features some of the same specs you’d expect to see in a top-shelf device. Read more...
The Nexus 4, being a smartphone geared towards Android developers, is relatively easy to root; the whole process requires the use of some simple fastboot commands, which even novice users can master relatively quickly. Here’s how to get started.
To root your Nexus 4, you will first need to unlock the handset’s bootloader, which means wiping all of your data. With that being the case, make sure you’ve backed everything up first so that you can transfer it all back to your device when you’re done. Once that’s done, follow the steps below. Read more...
It is just like Ferrari to one-up someone. Hublot’s relationship with Ferrari continues with vigor into 2013 with the introduction of the intensely engineered Masterpiece MP-05 LaFerrari watch. With 50 days (days!) of power reserve this timepiece is record setting, and it also has a tourbillon escapement. There haven’t been a lot of watches in the Hublot Masterpiece collection: those watches which represent the top level of in-house made mechanical wonder at the brand. The LaFerrair is one of them however. Hublot’s take on luxury sometimes takes the form of gold and diamonds, but much of the time is about performance, mechanical intrigue, and modern design. The MP-05 is one of those. Read more...
Roku’s media streamers have carved out a notable niche for themselves, with what started out as a Netflix box, but quickly grew to include hundreds of other entertainment options. Whatever they’ve lacked in style, they’ve always made up for with an easy-to-navigate menu and remote, not to mention low prices. In fact, they’ve become our default recommendation in the media streamer category, and now the company is back with its third iteration. Read more...
Sometime during the course of the summer, I wrote an editorial where I pledged I would never buy another Android device that didn’t carry the “Nexus” name. In that editorial I laid out my case and stated that, thanks in no part to the incredibly unreliable timetable for Android updates, I felt most comfortable investing in a future Nexus device, even if I was only doing so once a year. To me, the idea of being first with updates is more important than having the latest hardware. One could still argue the Galaxy Nexus, which appears long in the tooth when compared to the newest Nexus, Galaxy S III or HTC One X, is not only a viable smartphone but remains one of the best options available. Perhaps iPhone ownership has spoiled me as I’m used to getting all my updates on all my (iOS) devices at once, but the moment I wrapped my hands around the Nexus 4, I knew that editorial still held true. Read more...
