Category: Video

SXSW: Chevy Eyes-Free Siri Integration

by Katherine Elsasser
Chevy Hand-Free Integration
Demo of Siri Eyes-Free Integration in the new Chevy Sonic

One cool thing we saw at SXSW was how tech is being incorporated into our vehicles so we can use our phones and apps even while we’re driving. We got a chance to get a demo from Chevy in their new Sonic, a compact car with their MyLink system. The MyLink system is basically their in-car entertainment system. But what’s new here is that it links up to your phone, so you can use your iTunes or apps like Pandora through your car screen. That means no fiddling with your phone when you’re supposed to be driving!

If you have Siri (iPhone) or Nancy (Android), you can also use that through your car to make calls right from your steering wheel, which means you never have to take your eyes off the road, because it’s all voice activated. Siri can also send and read your text messages. And since your phone plugs into the car, you don’t have to worry about Bluetooth battery drain. We’ll be posting more about in-car tech in action, but for now here’s a demo of Siri at work in a new Chevy Sonic:

CC Chapman at SXSW: Amazing Things Will Happen (If You Work At Them!)

by Katherine Elsasser

CC Chapman at SXSWMany of you may have already seen our SXSW interview with CC Chapman. But it’s worth reposting here, because he talks a lot about something that’s important to all of us: how to get where you want to go. As he says in the video, it’s not enough just to be unhappy with what you’re doing: you have to make changes if you want to make progress, and those changes take hard work.

One great point he raises is that if you know where you want to go, you can make an action plan to get there. That means trying to work backwards from your end goal, and setting up concretes milestones (with deadlines!) you think will get you there. But starting from the end result is key.

It’s also important to remember that your plan will change along the way: it’s important to be flexible and respond both to positives and negatives that may come up. That may mean changing your plan slightly to accomodate a new opportunity that presents itself, and it also means constantly evaluating what you’re doing: if it’s not working, it’s time to change the plan!

For more info on CC Chapman, check out his new book Amazing Things Will Happen or find him on Twitter at cc_chapman.

Austria’s Telekom-Presse Posts Hands-On BlackBerry Z10 Video

by Katherine Elsasser
hands on with blackberry z10
the BlackBerry Z10 in action

 

Seems like we were just talking about this, but looks like an Austrian site called Telekom-Presse has a hands-on video with a new BlackBerry called the Z10 well in advance of the January 30th announcement. It’s in German, but the video is embedded below. This video is labelled as “Teil 1” (Part 1 auf Deutsch) so stay tuned for more updates! Via BGR.

 

 

CES: Hands-On With New Flexible and Color E-Ink Displays

by Shy Mukerjee

eReaders like the Amazon Kindle utilize current e-Ink tech

One of the technologies I’m most excited about here at CES it e-Ink. Why? Because the problem with wanting to everything with our phones is that it drains the battery life. E-Ink is cool, because it uses way less power, which means you get more usage between charges. Two of the latest (and most exciting) developments in e-Ink are the flexible display, which is almost impossible to break, and color. In the video above, I go hands-on with both to give you a sneak peek of this upcoming tech!

Read More

CES2013: Demo of the Gravitas Interchangable iPhone and iPad Dock

by Shy Mukerjee

gravitas dock holding the ipad mini
Gravitas Dock

 

Gravitas is the name of the new iPhone dock from Henge Docks, and it’s pretty appropriate: this thing is heavy. It really gives the dock a level of sophistication that matches the high-end design of iPhones and iPads.

And that’s the other best part: the same dock can be used for multiple devices, simply by swapping in different inserts. Watch the video to get the idea!


 

Will you be using the iPhone’s Photo Stream to Share Pictures this Holiday Season?

by Shy Mukerjee

The latest Apple ad just hit the web, and it shows off one possibly-overlooked feature of the Photos app—shared photo streams that let you quickly and easily share your Holiday photos with friends and family.

It’s a pretty neat idea, but what do you think: Will you be using Photo Stream to share pictures this Holiday season? Or is there another service you prefer?

Mario’s Hands-On Review of the Microsoft Surface

by Mario Armstrong

We’ve had the new Microsoft Surface in our hands for a few days but now that the big Microsoft event happened yesterday, we’re finally allowed to share our hands-on experience with the Microsoft Surface tablet!

The new Surface is a big move from Microsoft as they move to compete head-to-head with Apple and Amazon. And the launch corresponds with the brand-new Windows 8 operating system too. In the video, I walk you through how the new Windows (called Windows RT on tablets) is new and different. Plus I demonstrate the innovative new tablet cover that double as keyboards, called the “Touch” and the “Type,!” We also walk us through the App Store, and give you a general “feel” of using the device. It’s not quite the same as trying it out yourself, but it’s close!

The Surface costs $499. If you want to pick one up try the Microsoft site or the Microsoft retail stores.

For a complete comparison of recent tablets, check out our tablet comparison chart where we compare all the major tablets on the market.

Check out the Sony Xperia TL, aka the new James Bond Phone

by Shy Mukerjee

While pricing and availability for the new James Bond phone, the Xperia TL (called just the Xperia T in the UK, as seen in the advert above) have now been announced, I’ll give you two hints.

– Skyfall, the latest James Bond thriller starring Daniel Craig, hits theaters in the US on October 23rd (and the 26th in the UK)

– This is a premium Android smartphone, boasting a best-in class 13-megapixel camera.

You do the math.

The Sony Xperia TL will be available exclusively from AT&T in the US and will be backed by AT&T’s lightning fast LTE network, so it should be able to achieve super fast speeds if you live in an area with LTE coverage.

Want to be the first to find out when the Xperia TL is made available for sale? Sign up for AT&T’s mailing list to find out when all of their newest 4G LTE devices launch this fall.

I got to play with the phone briefly last night, and can definitely say this is one to watch out for. It’s got a really cool curved design just like the old Xperia Arc, is fast and snappy—basically, it looks and feels like a James Bond phone.

I also had a chance to play with the new bundled apps from Sony, Walkman, Movies, and Album. Combined, these offer great ways to access your music, movies and pics. Album, the photo app, includes some cool features to help you make the best of that 13-megapixel shooter (seriously, how did they cram that thing into this phone?) with a ton of Instagram-like filters, red eye reduction, and more. It’ll also geotag your photos and put them on a map so you can quickly see which photos you took where.

Specs from the press release below.  Read More

WATCH: Apple iPhone 5 Announcement now available online

by Shy Mukerjee

The talk of the town this week is that Apple announced the iPhone 5, but while blogs can speculate every which way on whether or not Apple made the right choice changing the form factor and moving to a taller screen, whether or not the new dock connector is a frustrating or a good long-term decision, and whether or not it’s the right time to upgrade. But why take everyone else’s opinions for granted? You can stream the entire launch event straight from Apple’s website, so if you’ve got some time today watch Tim Cook and his team discuss why they’re so excited about the iPhone 5 and draw your own conclusions.

If you decide the iPhone 5 is the right decision for you, you can pre-order the phone right now on AT&T. Customers on other carriers can pre-order straight from Apple.