Pocket Reviews and Tips™

Nokia had enjoyed 14 years as the number one global cell phone maker. The Finnish company’s phones were ubiquitous throughout the late 90s and 2000s, but the rise of the smartphone era would see it stumble. By the end of the first quarter of 2012 , Samsung had charged ahead of its rival in global smartphone shipments, and Nokia would continue to nosedive thereafter. Editor's Pick A history of Samsung’s Galaxy Note series Everyone, and we mean everyone, has some sort of established smartphone series. By this, we’re talking about the many distinguished smartphones series’ that have accumulated a potent lineage throughout the years. Names like Apple’s iPhone, … Nokia had made a few significant missteps towards the end of its reign: the company had been focusing on its own Symbian platform believing it would become a viable competitor to iOS and Android, before signing a deal with Microsoft to create products for another doomed mobile platform — Windows Phone. But it wasn...

Get one right now! The day many of you have been waiting for is finally here, a Sega Genesis Mini Console is in the works, and it's launching on September 19. These devices are expected to sell out incredibly fast, so be sure to get your preorder in as soon as possible! The Sega Genesis Mini Console costs $80 and comes with 40 games. According to Sega, "The iconic Sega Genesis console that defined a generation of gaming returns in a slick, miniaturized unit. The Sega Genesis Mini console... is plug-and-play ready right out of the box! Games will be announced in four waves of 10 games." So far, only the following titles have been revealed, and these alone justify the purchase of the console. Ecco the Dolphin Castlevania: Bloodlines Space Harrier 2 Shining Force Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine Toe Jam & Earl Comix Zone Sonic the Hedgehog Altered Beast Gunstar Heroes The console itself comes with quite a number of different items which are listed...

Australia may take a stricter approach to violent online material than Europe in light of the mass shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand. The government is introducing legislation that would punish social networks that don't "expeditiously" remove "abhorrent" violent content produced by perpetrators, such as terrorism, kidnapping and rape. If found guilty, a company could not only face fines up to 10 percent of their annual turnover, but see its executives imprisoned for up to three years. The country's Safety Commissioner would have the power to issue formal notices, giving companies a deadline to remove offending material. Platform hosts would also have to notify Australia if they discover their service is streaming violent content taking place within the country. If they don't, they could face fines up to $168,000 AUD for an individual and $840,000 AUD for a company. The new legislation would ultimately be similar to those requiring compani...

This week we’ll test out just how much you really know about Xiaomi , the company known for its Android phones that offer great value for money. The quiz below contains 10 questions that revolve around the company’s products, history, and more. There are four choices available for each question, only one of which is correct. Are you up for the challenge? Press the Start button below and show us what you got — and don’t forget to share your score on social media at the end. Note: There is a widget embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's widget. Note: If you don’t see a Start button, click here. This is the 32nd quiz in our regular weekly series. You can take a few of the most popular ones via the links below or check out all of them by clicking here . Which Android skin is this? — pop quiz Fortnite vs PUBG: Which one is right for you? Pop quiz: Can you name these iconic phones? Smartphone quiz: Do you remember these gimmicky feature...

There are plenty of other options that actually exist. It's easy to point fun at Apple for canceling AirPower — its special wireless charging pad that was supposed to somehow charge things better than other wireless pads. And maybe we should just a little, because when you announce things as breathlessly as Apple does, you damned well better produce. (Note to Apple: That also applies to TV shows .) But it's not as if AirPower (seriously, that name, though) was the only way to charge Apple products wirelessly. It's not even the only way to charge multiple products wirelessly. Ikea — charging in style since, forever. Take, for instance, this Qi-standard wireless charger from Ikea , which I've been using since (checks Amazon history ...) September 2017. It's not inexpensive — just north of $100. But it was the perfect fit for my family. Three of us have phones that can be charged wirelessly. (OK, one of us has multiple phones that can be ch...

It's been well over a year since Apple first announced AirPower , a wireless charging mat that would power up an iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods (with a wireless case) all at the same time. At the time, Apple said the device would be available sometime in 2018. But after its announcement in September of 2017, information was scarce , and it seemed Apple couldn't solve the heating and power challenges necessary to finalize the product. Now, Apple's pulling the plug for good. In a statement received by Engadget that was first reported by Techcrunch , Apple senior VP of hardware Dan Riccio confirms that the company had cancelled the AirPower project. His full statement: After much effort, we've concluded AirPower will not achieve our high standards and we have cancelled the project. We apologize to those customers who were looking forward to this launch. We continue to believe that the future is wireless and are committed to push the wireless experience forward....

Earlier today, Huawei announced its financial results for 2018. Thanks to a strong showing by the smartphone division, overall revenues grew 19.5 percent to reach $105 billion. The jump in revenue comes despite strained relations with the US and increased scrutiny by governments all over the world. The company’s carrier division observed a 1.3 percent drop in revenues. Going into 2019, this division could find itself fighting an uphill battle amidst a tough political climate. Australia has already banned the use of Huawei’s 5G telecom equipment. Meanwhile, the US government is considering an outright ban over suspicions of a backdoor to Chinese government servers in the company’s network equipment. The brightest spot in the company’s financials was definitely its smartphone division. Recording a huge 45 percent growth in revenue, the division reported revenues to the tune of $52 billion. This number, of course, includes contributions from the company’s...

Baseball fans can now watch MLB games on Sling TV, just as the new season gets underway. Sling TV announced on Thursday the addition of two new channels exclusively for baseball; MLB Network and MLB Strike Zone. MLB Network will feature live regular season and postseason game telecasts and a nightly news program, "MLB Tonight". Strike Zone will feature highlights, updates and more when live games air on Tuesday and Friday evenings. Sling TV's decision to embrace America's favorite pastime offers MLB fans a rare option outside of cable. Major League Baseball, unlike other sports, is notorious for having few options for cordcutters. MLB games have traditionally been the domain of cable and regional sports networks. MLB.tv members can stream out-of-market regular season games with a subscription, but the league's blackout policies mean you won't be able to stream every game live. Sling TV's new baseball channels come as a part of their Sports Ex...

All the way back in 2006, a little website by the name of Twitter was created. This July marks the 12-year anniversary of the social network, and since then, Twitter's become one of the most popular apps/sites around. Over the years, Twitter's become the go-to place to learn about current events, new movie trailers, fresh memes, and to scream about politics with random people online. Whatever you use Twitter for, here's everything you need to know about it. The latest Twitter news March 28, 2019 — Twitter's blacked-out dark mode live on iOS, coming soon to Android It was dark. You asked for darker! Swipe right to check out our new dark mode. Rolling out today. pic.twitter.com/6MEACKRK9K — Twitter (@Twitter) March 28, 2019 Over two months ago, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said that the company was revamping Twitter's dark mode — changing it from a dark blue color to a black theme. As of today, that change is now live. Well, at least on iOS. For your Dar...

Sony will shut down a manufacturing plant in Beijing, China. Manufacturing is to be moved to Thailand to slash costs in half. The Mobile business aims to be profitable by April 2020. As smartphone shipments in China continue to decline, Sony has announced that it plans to shut down its manufacturing plant in Beijing. Reuters reports that the company plans to shift manufacturing to Thailand in a bid to halve costs. It is no secret that Sony’s smartphone business is on shaky ground. While there are no definitive numbers for the company’s shipments in China, analysts routinely bundle it in the ‘other brands’ category that accounts for 11 percent of the market. Last December, Samsung too announced the closure of a manufacturing facility in Tianjin amidst tough competition from brands like Huawei, OnePlus and Xiaomi. Globally, Sony’s mobile division is heading towards losses to the tune of $863 million for 2018, said Reuters . The company’s sh...

Private browsing for the win! You may know Namecheap as a domain registrar but late last year the company launched its own VPN service , too. To compete with the big guns like NordVPN and ExpressVPN , it's currently offering its service at a 68% discount , dropping the monthly cost to just $1.88. This is billed as one payment of $67.68 and covers you for three years of the service. Working out at under $2, it's one of the most affordable options on the market right now. Keeping secure Namecheap VNP Service It's time to stop considering your options and make the plunge. At this cost, it's worth trying out, but you'll want to act quick! $67.68 $211.68 $144 See at Namecheap You may or may not have considered using a VPN before, but in our increasingly connected world it's a good idea to have one installed. So much of what we do every day is now online — from shopping, to paying bills, signing up for credit cards, or just browsing, and that data c...

Security experts aren't done poking holes in LTE's armor -- not by a long shot. South Korean researchers have found 36 vulnerabilities in LTE that enable a range of attacks, some more sinister than others. They include temporary inconveniences like disconnecting someone from the cell network through to eavesdropping and controlling the data itself. The team found the abundance of exploits by using a custom "fuzzing" (feeding large chunks of random data to look for irregularities) tool. On top of this, the problem is rarely consistent. One carrier can have different vulnerabilities on two pieces of networking equipment, while one piece of network gear can have create headaches on two separate carriers. The research team plans to officially present its findings at a conference in May, and they're sharing their tool with carriers and device makers (but not the public, for obvious reasons) to help them spot vulnerabilities and develop fixes. These fl...

The Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus might be the most feature-packed Samsung device in years (aside from the 5G model ), but it looks like the phone’s signal strength is coming into question. According to several forum threads spotted by Android Police , users are finding that the Galaxy S10 Plus simply has worse signal strength than their previous phones (e.g. Galaxy S8, Galaxy Note 8). Many Sprint users have reported weak signal strength on the Samsung customer forums, but some AT&T and T-Mobile users have reported the same issue on the forum and reddit. So it certainly seems like it’s more than just a single carrier-related issue, likely involving a number of factors. Sprint users have apparently been able to find a workaround by disabling bands 41 and 25. Editor's Pick Samsung Galaxy A30 review: Why does this phone exist? From an Indian perspective, the mid-range smartphone category was one where Samsung was severely lacking behind competitors from Xiaomi, Honor and ...

Test the game earlier than everyone else Exciting news for PlayStation 4 and Xbox players. Anyone who pre-ordered their copy of Mortal Kombat 11 (MK11) on PlayStation 4 or Xbox can start playing their game next week. For some reason, Nintendo Switch and PC users will not be able to join the beta. Don't worry, we're just as upset about this as you are. Here is the information on the beta times and how you can get access to them! Whether you're playing on the PlayStation or Xbox, we've got all the details you need to know. Pre-order at Amazon What information you can find here Beta times for Mortal Kombat 11 How to get access to the beta How to redeem your code on PlayStation How to redeem your code on the Xbox Pre-order information! Beta times for Mortal Kombat 11 On 28th March, you’re next when the #MK11 Closed Beta begins! Gain access to the Closed Beta by pre-ordering MK11 and check below to see when it runs in your region. https://t.co/pmtQbuCse...

There aren't many great H.P. Lovecraft-inspired games, let alone ones that venture outside of Lovecraft's time period, but Rock Pocket Games and Funcom think can do both at once. They've announced Moons of Madness , a "cosmic horror" game that blends Mars exploration with Lovecraftian supernatural elements and at least a few cues from Dead Space . You assume the role of a technician at a Mars base who grapples with failing systems, a missing EVA team and strange visions, all of which ties into a strange signal emanating from the planet. You're fighting both against very real (and appropriately tentacled) enemies as well as your own possible insanity. The title exists in the same universe as the earlier Secret World Legends , although Funcom stresses that you don't need to have played SWL to enjoy the newer release. Moons of Madness is due to ship "during the Halloween season" on PC, PS4 and Xbox One. It's hard to say if this...

The MWC hangover is over and it’s finally time for Huawei to unveil its first flagships for 2019 — the Huawei P30 and P30 Pro. The Chinese giant confirmed the launch would take place in Paris, France, teasing its latest phones would #rewritetherules. Here’s what you need to know if you want to follow the Huawei P30 launch live. When does the Huawei P30 launch event start? Huawei will take the covers off the P-series today, March 26, starting from 6AM Pacific. Here’s the Huawei P30 launch live stream start time around the world: San Francisco : 6AM Chicago : 8AM New York : 9AM London : 1PM Berlin : 2PM Moscow : 4PM Mumbai : 6:30PM Beijing : 9PM Sydney : 12AM (March 27) Where can I watch the Huawei P30 launch livestream? Huawei is livestreaming the P30 launch event over on YouTube. You can follow along via the live stream video below: What to expect from the Huawei P30 launch? As with any modern smartphone launch there’s already been plenty of lea...

Spring cleaning just got easier. Amazon has the iRobot Roomba 614 Robot Vacuum available for $224.99. Usually it costs $25 more than that, and this is the best price since the winter of 2017. Today's deal is one of just three significant price drops in this item's history. This handy gadget features a three-stage cleaning system and dual brushes. That means a more efficient clean each and every time. The built-in Dirt Detect sensors means the vacuum will work harder on tougher areas, and there are also sensors that help the robot navigate obstacles like furniture and stairs. The edge-sweeping brush will make your baseboards gleam, and the vacuum intelligently returns to its base after the battery needs to be recharged. Each cleaning cycle lasts for up to 90 minutes. The vacuum works on both hard flooring and carpet. Just remember not to let it clean up after your pets . See at Amazon * This article was originally published here

To enable the fleet of software and service updates Apple is announcing today, the company is readying iOS 12.2 for your iPads and iPhones. It's not a huge, feature-packed update, but there's a decent amount to unpack here. The main event is access to the new Apple News+ subscription service, which you can get a free trial of now. The existing, free Apple News app is also available in Canada for the first time with this update. Beyond News, if you have a pair of Apple's second-generation AirPods on the way, they'll work with your device now. Other updates include new Animoji (!): owl, boar, giraffe and shark have now joined the fun. The AirPlay interface has been tweaked a bit, and the Browse section of Apple Music has been redesigned a bit. Apple Pay Cash users can now instantly transfer their balances from their virtual card to a bank account using a Visa debit card, and the Wallet app will now show recent transactions below saved cards. There are a host of...

Motorola has launched the Moto G7 and Motorola One in India. Both phones will be available from today, March 25, for 16,999 rupees (~$247) and 13,999 rupees (~$203) respectively. The Moto G7 (above) is the latest in the long-running G series and appeared in February with a 6.2-inch, 19:9 display with FHD+ resolution, a Snapdragon 632 chipset, and dual 12MP + 5MP rear cameras. The Motorola One, an Android One device released in the U.S. last October (below), features a 5.9-inch, 19:9, HD+ display, Snapdragon 625 chip, and dual 13MP + 2MP cameras. Both phones run Android Pie . As the handsets have been available for a while now, we’ve already had a chance to check out what they offer. You can read our hands-on thoughts with the Moto G7 series and full  Motorola One review at the respective links. We were fond of both phones, but there may be better options for the money in the Indian market right now. This is an ultra-competitive segment, and phones like the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pr...

Best answer: No. Almost everyone will find that the benefits don't outweigh the costs, and there are much cheaper options for better internet connections and fast speeds. Go wired: 50ft Ethernet Cable ($10 at Amazon) Mesh networks: Netgear Orbi WiFi Router ($130 at Amazon) What is a dedicated gaming router? Gaming routers are like normal internet routers on crack. They're designed specifically to give you the best wireless connections and speeds for online gaming, and to a certain extent may even go overkill. Most of their designs scream "stereotypical gamer" with their bulky black and red features. Why don't I need one? As mentioned above, most of these routers will be overkill for nearly everyone. You can still have a great gaming experience with excellent speeds without having to spends hundreds upon hundreds of dollars. Are there situations where I will need one? If you game 24/7 and are a serious competitor in a household that uses up a ton...