Whether you know it as the HTC One Vogue or the HTC One Ace, the One (E8) is here to put an end to HTC’s usage of low-res cameras… and metal unibodies.

The HTC One (E8) is a plastic variant of the HTC One (M8) that retains almost all aspects of the flagship’s premium package but asks significantly lower at retail. The front is still adorned by a 5″ Super LCD3 of 1080p resolution, the chipset is still a Snapdragon 801, the speakers are still stereo BoomSound and the software is still Sense 6 on top of Android 4.4.2 KitKat. Read more »

Starting next year Hilton will allow iPhone users to use their phones as hotel room keys. That means that you’ll be able to bypass the front desk of the hotel completely.

Currently as is iPhone users do have the Hilton app but upon walking into a hotel they’d still need to get a physical key with the app handling online check-in, reservations and such – Android users have the same deal going on but there’s no word on using your droid to unlock Hilton doors, although it should happen as well. Read more »

Microsoft has a new ad out and it pits Windows Phone 8.1′s virtual assistant Cortana against Apple’s own Siri in a fight to prove which is the best.

The assistants battle on the grounds of a Lumia 635 and iPhone 5s. Microsoft naturally picks its strong suits asking Cortana for things it knows it can do like set up a reminder for the next time a contact calls. Read more »

The LG G Pad 10.1 is the biggest member in this year’s G Pad lineup by LG. Despite having the largest screen (10.1″ vs 8″ and 7″) it carries the same underwhelming resolution of 1280x800px as the rest of the new G Pad pack.

The quad-core Snapdragon 400 chipset is in charge of running everything while the latest Optimus UI on top of Android 4.4.2 KitKat adorns the software side of things. Alongside the midrange chipset and low resolution, LG has included some features that will turn the G Pad 10.1 into a somewhat potent multimedia machine. Read more »

Today we have the LG G Pad 7.0 at HQ. This is the latest portable tablet from LG but it’s safe to say we’re expecting a higher-end portable tablet yet as the G Pad 7 sheds the premium specs package in favor of a very affordable price.

The LG G Pad 7.0 base specs may not sound like much with only a 800 x 1280 pixels screen and a Snapdragon 400 processor, but LG has equipped it with several extra features to make up for those – an IR blaster on the top, stereo speakers on the back and an IPS matrix for superior screen viewing angles all for under 200 euro. Read more »

Microsoft’s OneNote team has made its own ad, spoofing LMFAO’s Sexy and I Know It and transforming it into Click it an I Note it.

The video is not professionally made but it’s still fun to watch and does a good job of getting the attention the OneNote app wants. Underneath it all, the ad celebrates the fact that OneNote now has integration with the Microsoft Surface Pro 3. Read more »

Last week a couple of pictures surfaced showing a deformed back panel on an apparently overheating Exynos-powered Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4.

According to the information received by early adopters the slate would get so hot that it would cause its thin plastic back panel to bend at certain spots. Now Samsung has officially addressed the issue saying the problem lies with a limited number of defective back covers and the processor isn’t to blame or fear. Read more »

It’s a story as old as time – tech time that is. At first when Samsung bashed Apple in ad form it was amusing to some and not so much to others and now it’s just par for the course with big company rivalries.

The latest Samsung ad is nothing new really – an iPhone user that’s oblivious and insecure and a Samsung Galaxy S5 user that is upbeat because his phone has a big screen, which evidently is what the first guy is dying to have added in the next iPhone. Read more »

Google is currently updating its Maps app on Android devices to version 8.2. Upon release we saw the changelog and it had biking elevation info, voice actions in navigation, better My Places menu but Google didn’t say anything about the Explore Nearby page.

Explore Nearby has been sighted by a couple of users and it manifests via a shortcut right next to the GPS button in the Maps interface. When you select it you’re taken to a separate menu that gives you information on where you are, what’s the weather and lists points of interests, broken down by the time of day. Read more »

The OnePlus One is the latest phone to pass our battery test and if you haven’t checked out the review we have the scorecard right here plus some extra juicy details.

Walking about with a 3100 mAh battery inside, the OnePlus One needs to show respectable performance. Of course, it does have pretty large screen to power on (a bright 5.5″ 1080p display) plus a powerful Snapdragon 801 chipset. So jump after the break to find out how it did in our proprietary battery test. Read more »

The LG G3 is one of the phones to shape the industry landscape in the short 12 month tenure before the next iteration comes out and so far it’s shaping up quite good.

LG did well to tone down the K Pop look of the Optimus UI in its latest release and the redecoration continued with the set of accessories. We’re about to check out the LG QuickCircle flip cover, the Slim Guard back panel, the wireless charging dock and the USB stick.

You all know, flagship smartphones aren’t just expensive silicon nowadays and all the bells and whistles of this or that platform. No, style is very much involved – these phones cost a pretty penny and are made to impress. They come duly accessorized as manufacturers try to maximize their appeal and, in most cases, that goes well beyond the fashion statement.

Accessorizing them has become the next fad but it’s a trend we don’t object. Just on the opposite, we enjoy it. So let’s look at the LG G3 trinkets that came in the mail this week. Read more »

Motorola’s latest promo video for the Moto 360 smartwatch is meant to explain why this new smart device has taken the form of a watch (rather than perhaps a smart microwave oven). The answer comes from the Product Lead for the Moto 360 Lior Ron and his belief that the watch was the most personal piece of technology and a self-expression on a wrist.

The video also addresses the round shape as magical, super comfortable and allowing for a larger display. What it doesn’t address is when eager users will be able to get their hands on one or better yet one on their wrists. Read more »

Microsoft’s spanking new voice assistant that premiered on Windows Phone 8.1, Cortana, predicts that Argentina has the edge over The Netherlands in today’s World Cup semi-final clash at Sao Paulo’s Arena Corinthians stadium.

If you ask Cortana on your phone which team will win in the match Cortana will do some clever behind the scenes match to tell you the most probable outcome. And for the upcoming Argentina – The Netherlands clash it thinks it’s a close call but still favoring the Argentinian side. Read more »

This year will see another big rise among smart devices shipped to retailers and sold to customers – by its end more than 2.43 billion units will have left the manufacturing facilities which compares nicely to to 2013′s 2.34 billion.

The numbers come from Gartner which breaks them down by traditional PCs, ultrabooks and premium laptops, tablets and mobile phones. Interestingly the PC market will account for 308 million devices with tablets closing in at 256 million. Gartner’s projection for 2015 is that tablets will overtake PCs with roughly 4 million more shipments. Read more »

Another day another leak – an iPad Air 2 one in particular. We’re dealing with a dummy once again and it looks like we’ve seen this one already.

This time however the leaksters have been considerate enough to picture the dummy iPad Air 2 next to the current version like in that video we saw a recently. Read more »