Author Archives: Ewdison Then

We’re entering a period of change in the smartphone market. The boundaries between premium and midrange phones are blurring and features once reserved for more expensive products have become available even on cheaper ones. Previously “mid-range” phones are also getting more premium prices. No where is that delightful confusion more applicable than with the OPPO R17 Pro, the latest from the acclaimed Chinese smartphone maker. It definitely looks premium and sounds premium but is just a few steps shy of being the perfect smartphone you can get on a tight budget.

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We are surrounded by technology throughout our waking hours. In fact, some of them, through devious intention or accidental side effect, seem to be designed to keep us awake. There has been a recent surge of interest in technologies that will help us stay fit but, again, they put more emphasis on being active and awake.

Very few focus on taking advantage of science and technology to give our bodies the boost they need during sleeping hours. One of those few is Molecule, a new startup that is breaking into the mattress market with a Mattress that will help you keep your cool and keep you sleeping soundly.

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Everything is instant these days, from instant food to instant messaging. Replying to those messages, however, may not always be so quick. Google introduced Smart Reply two years ago to take care of that, requiring just a single tap to send off a succinct but sufficient response to a question. Now an R&D team at Google wants to bring that goodness to other messaging services. The project is simply called “Reply” and, if theory becomes reality, it will work even on Facebook Messenger.

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When Lenovo unveiled the first consumer Tango-enabled smartphone, the PHAB2 Pro, it was somewhat curious that the OEM went with a Snapdragon 625 instead of the highest end 820. Although we'll probably never really find out why, Qualcomm reveals that it has, in fact, made specific tweaks to make the SD652 work perfectly with Tango. Now it has done the same for the Snapdragon 820, its current flagship, and promises it will also be the case for future generations of the 600 and 800 chip series, opening the doors for more devices to dance their way to augmented reality as well.

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If VR and AR are to break into the mass market, they're going to need to slim down and raise their style game. That's what Chinese startup Dlodlo - you pronounce it "dodo" like the unfortunate bird - is aiming to do, a well-funded VR headset maker hoping to sneak up on Oculus and Vive and best them both with "the world's first sunglasses-like VR glasses."

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There is a market for luxury smartwatch after all! As a mechanical watch collector, I was one of those doubters that do not think luxury watchmakers would even be slightly successful in the smartwatch business. The launch of the Tag Heuer Connected has proven me wrong with demand and interest surging.

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Even as OPPO gains market share in China and South East Asia, it has a more ambitious target, the U.S.: probably one of the most challenging for any device manufacturer. Competition is fierce, against established and considerably larger brands including Samsung, Apple, and LG. OPPO knows that developing a good product is a must, and the R7 Plus reflects that intent – but is it good enough? Join us as we take a deeper look at the R7 Plus in our full review.

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You don’t have to be an automotive expert to know that tech is coming to the automotive market in a huge way. Technology in cars is so pervasive these days that many tech firms like Google, Apple, and Microsoft are fighting to get their foot in the door first. One big byproduct of tech firms moving into the automotive industry is that they bring ideas about what works in the tech market with smartphones and tablets and try to apply that to the automotive market.

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SUVs are some of the most popular vehicles on the road today and just about every automaker big and small either have a complete fleet of SUVs or are working hard to bring them to market. Alfa Romeo will have an SUV soon with Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne saying that the Alfa SUV will land next year.

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I always thought it was a great thing when cars went from soft fabric or vinyl tops to folding hard tops. A hard top is much better in an environment where the car and passengers are subject to temperature extremes. A hard top over your head will keep out the heat in the summer and cold in the winter much better than anything fabric. The downside is that the retracting hard tops are heavier and more expensive.

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While users of Windows 7 and Windows 8 will be getting free upgrade to Windows 10, many DIY builders will have to buy licenses at retail. Online retailer NewEgg is now taking pre-orders for Windows 10 OEM. Although Microsoft has not officially announce the shipping date of Windows 10 yet, NewEgg has posted a shipping date of August 31st.

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With every new release of mobile or portable devices, battery life has been one of the most deciding factors for many consumers to adopt a device. While battery technology has been improving and devices operate more efficiently, there isn’t anything revolutionary that would give our phones or laptop two or three days of battery life. Google X Research Labs is said to be working on several new battery technologies - one of them is a solid-state battery in the form of thin-film.

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