Never have we known of a $99 Android smartphone that is comparable to the best of other Android smartphones, but with a design that bleeds of premium quality. That’s the DROID RAZR M from Motorola: built from aircraft-grade aluminum frame, a hard plastic body, Kevlar, and water-repellent nanocoating to protect against water or something like a splash of coffee. And because of the build materials, the DROID RAZR M is astoundingly original and beautiful.
A qHD 960 x 640 near-edge-to-edge 4.3-inch display which adorns the front is crisp, clear, and at first glance is in fact the only thing unbecoming of the RAZR M, simply because it’s no a full HD display; colors, saturation, and contrast are all top-notch.
Google was happy to hand each member of the press a RAZR M at the recent Motorola event in New York City. Check out the LaptopMemo review of a pre-release version of the DROID RAZR M.
The hyperactive bloggers at TechCrunch seem to have bitten the tail of an exciting story: Spotify might actually be in the process of developing a browser version of their service to compete with Rdio, an proper explanation as to why they barely updated their desktop app. Also included in this transition might be much more socially active features, like better music discovery and improved playlist (much needed). Along with all of those changes, that might even be a great time to change the price for Spotify premium, perhaps lower than the current $10 per month.
Reviewing audio hardware is difficult. How can one person truly vouch for the way something sounds? It can even be more vague than smell or taste. But, without observations from every able mind, no one would ever come to a consensus? So, with all of that jargon aside, the Polk Audio Ultrafocus 8000 headphones use active noise cancelling up to 15 decibels and provides dynamic balance sound effects, made comfortable by the inclusion of supple leather cushions, and a carbon fiber strip on the top with the company’s logo. Maximum sensitivity is at an ear-ringing 110 decibels.
There’s nothing left to it. Mark Zuckerberg’s world domination of social networks and sharing is continuing to bring boots on the ground. On Thursday, Facebook completed the official acquisition of famous retro-style photo sharing service Instagram. Mike Schroepfer, Facebook’s VP of engineering, said that, “Instagram will continue to serve its community, and we will help Instagram continue to grow by using Facebook’s strong engineering team and infrastructure.” And with the official comment of the day complete, here are the usual source links.
For only $399, an action camera that can shoot up to 120fps at 480p and at full 1920 x 1080 HD at normal 24-30fps, with the option for live streaming and GPS is an awesome package. The included waterproof case is rated to a depth of 60 meters, with a 4GB microSD card and a mini HDMI cable for live streaming. Other improvements to the Contour +2 Action Camera include an external mic port and improved video from the 270-degree rotating lens. Also, there’s no power button; just slide the button and recording starts.
Want more tablets this holiday season? Amazon has that in check: the Kindle Fire HD has been announced, in three new intuitive versions. The first Kindle Fire HD, priced at $200 is an upgraded version of last year’s 7-incher, with a new design, 1280×800 HD display, Dolby audio with stereo speakers, dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi, a dual-core processor, 16GB of storage, and an upgraded software environment and interface. Moving up the line at $299, you’ll find a new, larger 8.9-inch version, including the same features as before, but with a 1920×1200 screen, and at the highest end of the spectrum there’s a $500 version of the 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD, with 64GB of storage and 4G LTE networking.
Android has been getting up-to-date lately, and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is no exception. Now in 1 of 5 Android devices, at precisely 20.8%, it has seen a rise at the deficit of Android 2.3 Gingerbread, which is now at 57.2% share.The latest version of Android however, 4.1 Jelly Bean, is only on 1.2% of the entire ecosystem.
While it may not have an HD screen, and instead goes for the smaller 960×540 qHD format, the DROID RAZR M is the least expensive of all three new DROID RAZRs, and has a thicker profile, but still the same top-notch specs of its brothers. Dual-core processors, 4G LTE, and long battery are all present here in the DROID RAZR M. Another difference to this particular mobile computer is that it will be available for pre-order starting today at $99.
If Motorola had reason to boost the DROID RAZR HD’s battery life, then it was only for kicks. And it’s come to life as the DROID RAZR Maxx HD. Tons of extra battery life, a 4.7-inch HD Super AMOLED display, a dual-core processor, 4G LTE network, and 21 hours of talk time. All of the previous features, like mobile hotspot, Kevlar, an edge-to-edge screen design are present on the Maxx HD, and will debut later this year with the normal RAZR HD, later this holiday season.
