October, 2013

• 9 October

  JBL Synchros S700: A bass lover’s headphone par excellence

  

  If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that most people like bass, and they like more bass even more. I suppose JBL engineers know the same thing, and they made sure the new Synchros S700 over-the ear, closed-back headphones deliver incredibly deep bass. Designwise, JBL avoided the slick, plastic look of Beats …

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• 8 October

  Prong PocketPlug hands

  

  Last month I wrote a preview of the Prong PocketPlug, an iPhone case that can plug right into a wall socket. In other words, no more carrying around an AC adapter and charge cable. I liked the idea, but had a few concerns. Now that I’ve had a few days to test-plug the PocketPlug, I can safely say that my …

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• 8 October

  Google’s $50 microsuede Nexus 7 cases arrive in four colors

  

  Nexus 7 owners looking to protect their tablet now have four new cases from Google. Introduced Tuesday on its Play Store, Google’s $49.99 cases for the 2013 Nexus 7 model come in black, white or gray — with colored accents. And similar to Apple’s Smart Covers and Amazon’s new Kindle Fire HDX cases, the covers can contort to function as …

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• 8 October

  Images of Samsung’s curved smartphone leak

  

  There are two curved smartphones rumoured to be in the works: the LG Flex and the Samsung Galaxy Round. Samsung’s Galaxy Round or just Photoshop chicanery? (Credit: @evleaks via Twitter) While CNET obtained information on and sketches of the LG Flex earlier in October, the often-reliable @evleaks has posted an image said to be that of the Galaxy Round. The …

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• 8 October

  Samsung’s acquisition list zeroes in on software

  

  Samsung’s recent acquisition shopping list zeroes in on several software names, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. According to the paper, some of those possible targets have included Unity Technologies, a San Francisco-based gaming platform developer; Green Throttle Games, a Santa Clara, Calif.-based company that makes game controllers and software that connects mobile devices to televisions; Israeli …

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• 8 October

  Samsung takes the wraps off the curved

  

  Just hours after images of the Galaxy Round leaked online, Samsung has officially launched the curved-screen smartphone in its home country of Korea. The Samsung Galaxy Round. (Credit: Samsung Tomorrow) As images on the official Samsung Tomorrow blog show, the curved phone does indeed feature a number of design cues from the Galaxy Note 3, including the stitched leather-look back …

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• 8 October

  HTC One Max launching next week

  

  Possibly the worst-kept secret in the world of smartphones is HTC’s big-screen variant of the HTC One. (Credit: CBS Interactive) Dubbed the HTC One Max, the 6-inch device will join the HTC One (4.7 inches) and the HTC One Mini (4.3 inches). Engadget is saying that the One Max will launch in China on 15 October, and the blog has …

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• 8 October

  Intel doubles down on wearables with investment in Basis Science

  

  The wearable-tech market — specifically the sector concerned with health and fitness — is a hotly contested space, with major players large and small waging wars for the wrist and shooting for the sweet spot between price point and functionality. Basis Science, a startup that makes a high-end fitness tracker called the Basis band, has just solidified its stake in …

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• 8 October

  Samsung Galaxy Round brings curve to smartphones

  

  Samsung has won the race to be the first phone manufacturer this fall to launch a curved smartphone. The company announced late Tuesday that the new Galaxy Round incorporates the latest in screen technology, along with other unique features. The device resembles the Galaxy S3 and S4, but it has slight dip in the middle that causes the phone to …

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• 8 October

  Google’s Hangouts for Android could get text

  

  It looks like Google’s Hangouts app could soon absorb new communications abilities with integration of text and picture messaging, according to screenshots and a report that surfaced Monday. Hangouts originally debuted as a video chat tool for Google+, but Google built into it the instant-messaging ability that formerly shipped in the Google Talk app for Android. Now it’s possible that …

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