bigzinewicz's blog

Chromebook Pixel

2013-02-25T04:35:00.001-08:00

The newest Chromebook from Google is by far the best. It sports a retina destroying 13 inch display, an intel core i5 with 4gb of RAM, a 32 or 64gb solid state drive, and most importantly has the option for LTE. A number of other goodies are thrown in to sweeten the deal such as 1tb of Google Drive storage for 3 years. This gorgeous piece of hardware comes at a price though with the WiFi only model coming in around $1300 and the LTE model around $1500. Would anyone actually pay these prices for a Chromebook? Sound off in the comments and let me know. I am seriously considering picking up an LTE model and running Linux on it. Apparently it is easy to install and the device can be used as a linux ultrabook. Let me know what you think people.

https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=chromebook_pixel_lte

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 on sale on Steam this weekend!

2013-02-22T23:24:00.000-08:00

Call of Duty: Black Ops II is on sale on Steam this weekend for about $40 which is 33% off the usual price. Also the multiplayer mode is free to play all weekend long so I suggest hitting the link and killing some bad guys because if you don't already have this bad ass game then there is no time like the present to go pick it up at a reduced discount of course.

http://store.steampowered.com/

Is the HTC One phone enough to revitalize HTC?

2013-02-19T22:34:00.004-08:00

Hit the link and go hands on at Android Central with the brand new, just released, HTC One!

http://www.androidcentral.com/htc-one-hands

LG Optimus G Pro coming to America!

2013-02-17T21:40:00.003-08:00

This phone is a monster! A 5.5 inch 1080p IPS display with the new 600 series Qualcomm snapdragon quad core processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB or internal storage expandable to up to another 32GB, 4G LTE, a 13 mega pixel rear camera and 2.1 mega pixel front camera, and a removable 3140mah battery. All I have to say is WOW. This is a beast of a phone and is scheduled to come to the U.S. market in Q2 this year so be ready to get your hands on this thing. I got my girl the LG Optimus G on Sprint which is probably the most beautiful looking phone I have ever seen but it runs ICS out of the box. The new Optimus G Pro will run Jellybean and has some nice software tweaks from LG. LG is really impressing me lately and seem to be making a comeback of late. Hit the link to check out the story on Android Central and leave some comments about what you think of this monstrosity.http://www.androidcentral.com/lg-finally-reveals-optimus-g-pro-specs

PowerGen external battery pack

2013-02-16T19:49:00.001-08:00

I live in CT and after the last winter storm I started looking for a battery pack of some kind to charge all my smartphones and tablets next time I lose power. After searching numerous websites and looking into solar powered charges I came across this on Amazon. The PowerGen PGMPP1200 external battery pack with 3 USB ports and 3 amps output. It looks like it will do the trick next time the lights go out and I have no way to charge my phones to make emergency calls if need be. Once I get it I will write up a full review and unboxing video as well. If anyone has used this or other such products leave a comment and let me know what works best. Hit the link to check it out and order one for yourself! It never hurts to be prepared.

http://www.amazon.com/PowerGen-PGMPP12000-12000mAh-External-Battery/dp/B0085OB0IE/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2SSIHFCMNENQV&coliid=ILV335JB0L355

Make unlocking cell phones legal and sign the petition

2013-02-15T18:13:00.000-08:00

Hit the link and sign up for an account with whitehouse.gov to sign the online petition to reverse the ban on unlocking cell phones. It is our right as consumers to unlock our phones because we own them. Make your voice heard and help get this petition before Congress.
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/make-unlocking-cell-phones-legal/1g9KhZG7#thank-you=p

Google Now widgets for home screen and lock screen

2013-02-14T21:52:00.001-08:00

Well it looks like Google Now has finally gotten the widgets everyone has been hoping for since it was first released. The update to Google search adds the ability to place Google Now widgets on the Android home screen as well as lock screen so hit the link and check out the full story and remember to update your Google Search in the Google Play Store. Google Now is by far my favorite feature of Jellybean and if your not using it or you use Siri on an Iphone instead you really don't know what you are missing. It is that good. So switch to Android all you Apple fanboys and fangals and all those Android lovers who don't have Jellybean go spend some of that hard earned cash and get a new phone this year with Google's latest and greatest release. You won't be disappointed and the money is well spent.

http://www.androidcentral.com/google-now-officially-gets-widgets-latest-google-search-update

Android 4.2.2 update for Nexus 4 kills LTE

2013-02-14T21:48:00.000-08:00

For those lucky enough to get LTE on they're Nexus 4's, mostly Canadians, the free ride has come to an end with Android 4.2.2. The new OTA update kills the ability to use the LTE chip to pick up certain bands of LTE spectrum so if your one of those few lucky bastards that is using the Nexus 4 on Android 4.2.1 to pick up LTE data then you might want to consider skipping this update. Hit the link and check out the story over on Android Central and don't forget Android 4.2.2 is live for all the Nexus devices now so go get it!

http://www.androidcentral.com/android-422-ota-nexus-4-go-and-here-s-your-download-link

Nexus 4 4.2.2 OTA update is live finally

2013-02-14T09:08:00.000-08:00

The update to Android 4.2.2 is finally live for the Nexus 4. Grab the link from Android Police and follow the instructions to install it. With the new update comes lots of bug fixes, improved sound, Google Now widgets, and better notification toggles so check it out.

http://www.androidpolice.com/2013/02/13/the-nexus-4-finally-gets-android-4-2-2-jdq39-as-well-here-are-instructions-for-installing-it-manually/

Android 4.2.2 updates for Nexus devices rolling out now!

2013-02-12T12:23:00.001-08:00

Out of nowhere it seems Android build 4.2.2 which is still Jellybean has begun rolling out to Google Nexus devices. The Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10 all have flashable zip files already and the Nexus 4 is reporting the update in other countries outside the United States but nothing local so far. Neither my Nexus 7 or 4 have received the OTA updates so far but I have grabbed the zip file for the grouper and will be flashing it in my custom recovery later tonight. If you don't have a custom recovery like Team Win Recovery or CWM installed you can use WugFresh's Nexus Toolkit to sideload the update as long as you are currently on Android 4.2.1 so hit the link and grab the downloads for your particular device and install away! I will post an update if the Nexus 4 gets the OTA as well. The AOSP website also seems to have the new builds posted now as well so get ready for the custom ROM's to start flowing. Leave comments and let me know who has gotten the update and what bug fixes there seem to be.

http://www.androidpolice.com/2013/02/12/download-the-android-4-2-2-update-jdq39-for-the-nexus-7-and-nexus-10-right-now/

Nexus 4 wireless charger finally for sale on Google Play!

2013-02-11T15:16:00.000-08:00

Here it is, finally, as promised. The Nexus 4 wireless charging orb is up for sale on Google Play for a not so reasonable $60 right now. Get it while the getting is good because I have a feeling these won't last long. Hit the link and pick one up right now while you still can and leave a comment letting me know what you think about the hefty price tag.

https://play.google.com/store/devices/details/Nexus_4_Wireless_Charger?id=nexus_4_wireless_charger&feature=accessories#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDExMSwiZGV2aWNlLW5leHVzXzRfd2lyZWxlc3NfY2hhcmdlciJd

LG Optimus G Pro in 5 inch and 5.5 inch sizes?

2013-02-07T06:47:00.000-08:00

http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/07/lg-optimus-g-pro-korea-55-inch/

The rumor mill is suggesting that LG is going to have a big year in 2013. The LG Optimus G is one of the best phones I have ever used and it runs ICS still. I can't wait to see it with Jellybean. So far the next generation of the Optimus G line is said to include both a 5 inch device and a 5.5 inch phablet size phone both named the LG Optimus G Pro. Also, they both are said to come with a 1.7ghz quad core processor from Qualcomm along with 2gb of RAM, 32gb of internal storage plus micro sd, 13 megapixel cameras, 4G LTE and Jellybean. I can't wait to see how these phones turn out since I am such a big fan of the last Optimus G on Sprint which is probably the most beautiful handset ever put together except possibly for the Nexus 4, also by LG, but either way it looks like its going to be a big year for LG as they continue to make a comeback. Hit the link and head over to Engadget to check out the full article and let me know what you want to see from LG this year in the comments.

HTC M7 price and release date leaked.

2013-02-07T06:34:00.001-08:00

http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/htc-m7-price-leaked-and-its-as-lofty-as-youd-expect-1129926

The new flagship phone from struggling phone manufacturer HTC is reportedly to be released March 8th and announced to the world at the HTC event on February 19th. The top end handset is said to come in at a staggering $880 in the U.S. With high end specs comes a high end price. The device is said to sport a 4.7 inch 1080p screen with the quad core S4 pro processor from Qualcomm along with 2gb of RAM, a 13 megapixel camera which is said to be an ultrapixel lens that combines three 4.3 megapixel lenses to combine for a total of 13 megapixels. Along with 4G LTE connectivity and Jellybean out of the box this is one impressive looking piece of hardware. Hit the link and check out the leak from earlier this morning and leave comments to let me know what everyone thinks of this bad boy. Is HTC making a come back this year or not?

Prison tip

2013-02-05T09:08:00.001-08:00

Something you might never think of as a way to earn extra income in prison legally is to sell your food. Yes, if you don't eat the state or federal food that is provided to you for free other inmates that like certain meals will pay you for them. You can accept money if in a prison system where currency is available to inmates or through commissary items as well. This is a great way to earn a little extra money to buy coffee every week or whatever it is you are into.

XDA developers cases made by Cruzerlite.

2013-02-05T09:03:00.000-08:00

Cruzerlite has lots of great cases for a number of different phones and tablets on the website but these XDA developers cases are truly something unique and special. They are available not only for the Nexus 4, as in the images above, but for the Galaxy S3, Galaxy Nexus, and Galaxy Note 2 as well. Hit the link and check out all that Cruzerlite and XDA has to offer. http://www.cruzerlite.com/community/xda-developers

Nexus 5 and 7.7 rumors already!

2013-02-04T07:14:00.004-08:00

Already rumors are circulating about upcoming Google Nexus products to be released at Google IO in May. A new Nexus 5 smartphone from LG is reported to include a 5 inch 1080p screen and the new Tegra 4 processor from Nvidia along with improved 13 and 3 megapixel cameras. The same 2gb of RAM is also now standard on high end devices like these. The price tag and storage options of 8 and 16gb at $300 and $350 are said to remain the same but this news also comes with speculation of the next Android release, key lime pie, also being released at the same event. If these rumors prove true the Nexus 5 phone from LG and the Nexus 7.7 tablet from LG will ship with key lime pie out of the box. The 7.7 inch LG made tablet is said to also sport a 1080p display with a front and rear facing camera as well as the Nvidia tegra 4 processor and 2gb of RAM. Storage options are said to start at 8gb and probably go up to 32 with a possible 3g option again. I for one, would love to see an LTE option for Nexus devices. Not just the next Nexus phone but for the next tablet as well. Who believes these rumors? Leave comments and sound off on this topic I want to know if anyone else has heard anything different. Hit the link for one of many stories on this topic from phone arena. http://www.phonearena.com/news/LG-Nexus-5-and-Nexus-7.7-rumors-commence-higher-resolution-screens-Google-IO-announcement_id38784

Dead Trigger on Android getting Christmas update

2012-12-17T12:10:00.000-08:00

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.madfingergames.deadtrigger&feature=nav_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDNd

Hit the link to get Dead Trigger on Android just in time for the Holidays. Its a free game on the Google Play Store but does make use of in app purchases. It is well worth it to most people though as this is one of the most popular games on Android and has been for some time now. A new Christmas themed update with Santa zombies and new weapons has just been released so I highly recommend picking this one up. It is good for hours of entertainment and is updated often especially with holiday themes such as Christmas and Halloween. Check it out and leave a comment to let everyone know what weapons your using to massacre zombies this Christmas. HO,HO,HO!

iFixit Pro Toolkit

2012-12-16T14:36:00.000-08:00

http://www.ifixit.com/Tools/Pro-Tech-Toolkit/IF145-072-1

Talk about an awesome Christmas present for the tech enthusiast on your Holiday shopping list, this Pro Toolkit from iFixit should help them dismantle brand new hardware well into the new year. It is only $60 and includes 70 tools. It has a 54 bit driver kit, 2 plastic opening tools, anti static wrist strap, tweezers, a small suction cup, spudgers, a 6 inch metal ruler, and a beautiful clothe case. There are multiple expansion packs for it as well to further upgrade your self repair arsenal. iFixit is a website dedicated to helping do it yourself enthusiasts repair they're own products. I also highly recommend the thirsty bag, which is a liquid absorption bag in case you drop your gadget into water. The site includes detailed guides on how to repair pretty much any type of electronic item you can come up with from laptops, to tablets and phones this site will give you the know how to repair your own stuff from now on. No more shipping out your laptop every time you want to upgrade your RAM. Just click the link and visit the website to learn more and leave a comment to let me know what devices your planning to fix yourself.

Exploit in Samsung Exynos kernel

2012-12-16T14:25:00.001-08:00

http://www.androidcentral.com/samsung-exynos-kernel-exploit-what-you-need-know

Here is the link to the article on Android Central. I suggest you read it if you have a Samsung device especially if it is one of the devices listed in the article such as my Sprint Galaxy SII or Epic 4G Touch. There are a number of devices affected by this exploit but if you are careful with what you download you don't have anything to worry about. I am rooted and unlocked but running a stock ROM and stock recovery right now on my Epic 4G Touch. I'm using the FK23 Jellybean 4.1 build that is rumored to be the OTA on this device. I don't download pirated apps or anything else so I'm not worried about it. I use Lookout anti - virus protection on all my Android devices which also helps. If you are a power user and root your devices plus flash custom ROM's and Recoveries there is always a risk of getting malware. Unlocking the bootloader makes it much easier for apps to gain access to system dumps, ect. and infect your device or send information from your device elsewhere. Read up on the subject, including this article. Knowledge is power.

Nexus 7 sharing apps on multiple accounts

2012-12-16T08:24:00.001-08:00

http://www.xda-developers.com/android/share-apps-across-multiple-users-on-the-nexus-7/

Having the ability to finally have more than one user account on our Android devices has been a long time coming and much needed feature. Now there is a way to share applications just like on a Windows PC or most other Operating Systems. XDA forum member jeepguy04 has made it possible. So hit the link and check it out. Your tablet needs to be running the latest version of Jellybean 4.2.x to enable user accounts but other than that your good to go. Just follow the instructions in the thread and enjoy!

Fallen out of love with your old gadgetry?

2012-12-15T19:37:00.000-08:00

Cue music: You've lost that loving feeling... Oh, that loving feeling... You've lost that loving feeling and it's gone, gone, gone, gone. So your shiny, new gadget isn't so shiny and new anymore and you don't have the cash to get the latest shiny, new hotness. No problem. I've got you covered. Just check out the blog and leave any concerns you have with your device whether it's lag or broken or whatever and I'll help you out with a solution to your problems. I'm your friendly neighborhood tech blogger and I can point you in the direction of the latest hot ROM for your device and show you step by step how to install it on your phone or tablet so that it has the latest Operating System with all the new features just like the latest superphone your lusting after. Or if its scratched up we can find a new case for it. Maybe one of the cases over on XDA developers for instance? There are so many options to pick from when choosing a case now or you can order replacement parts and get do it yourself manuals on how to fix your device on Ifixit.com along with the tools to do your own dirty work. If that doesn't work there are products that will get scratches out and shine up that metal or plastic body to have it look like new in no time. All you have to do is ASK! So what say you fellow nerds? Hit me up anytime day or night and let me know what you need. I'm here for YOU. And if none of this floats your boat then I'll point you in the right direction as to where to buy the newest gadgets so that you can quit complaining. Either way, leave comments and just let me know.

Franco kernel for Nexus 4

2012-12-15T12:23:00.000-08:00

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2002782

Francisco Franco is one of the top kernel developers over on XDA developers forums and this is his latest offering to the Nexus family of products, the Nexus 4 kernel. Currently it is on version r14. It is compatible with Cyanogenmod ROM's as well as AOSP ROM's and can be flashed through a custom recovery of your choosing or through fastboot. Franco's kernels are some of the most stable I have ever tried and offer excellent battery life as well as getting rid of unneeded junk and boosting performance at the same time. No CPU over clocks here but with this kernel you don't need it anyways. Hit the link and get to flashing!

NFC Mod to poll while screen is off

2012-12-15T10:46:00.001-08:00

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2026439

Hit the link in the description to head over to XDA developers for a cool new modification for the Nexus 4, if you have been able to successfully purchase one of these phones, and let everyone know how it works. The NFCSerivce.java has been modified to poll for NFC tags even while the screen is off. So if you use NFC and tags in various places but are tired of having to turn your screen on every time you want to use it this mod may be your ticket. It is a simple apk. file and all that is changed are some file permissions and locations so your not risking anything to check it out. The Nexus devices by design are pretty much unbreakable as far as software goes. You can always drop the thing and shatter it but hacking and modding it won't do any permanent damage as long as you stay away from the bootloader. So, check it out and report back. I'm curious to know how this affects battery life on the Nexus 4 so leave comments and let us all know if this is a worth while fix or not.

Samsung Galaxy SIII vs. Iphone 5

2012-12-14T19:53:00.000-08:00

http://crave.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/samsung-galaxy-s3-beats-iphone-5-as-best-gadget-of-2012-50009954/

The smartphone wars are raging and this year it's the Galaxy SIII by Samsung against the Iphone 5. Read this article and make your choice. Android or IOS? Samsung vs. Apple. I for one am going with the Galaxy SIII all day as phone of the year but the latest Iphone is beautiful and looks much cleaner and more sophisticated than the big piece of plastic that is the SIII. CNET is going with Samsung but make up your own minds and leave comments to let me know which phone is your pick for smartphone of the year. Don't forget to vote in my Android phone of the year poll as well while your at it!

Connecticut School Massacre

2012-12-14T15:01:00.000-08:00

I'm a long time off and on Connecticut resident and I just wanted to say something about the shooting in Newtown, CT. I know Newtown and the area and it is mostly a peaceful, quiet community. You have drug addicts and what not but so does every other fucking town in Connecticut these days. 27 people lost they're lives today and 20 of those were innocent children. I really just want to send my prayers to all the families who lost loved ones in this horrible tragedy. There is nothing anyone can say that will make this alright for the families, especially those who lost children. Just offering my condolences is all. Too bad they couldn't have caught the kid that did this. People who murder children get to live out they're own personal Hell everyday in prison in this state. It is a shame he couldn't have experienced that everyday for the rest of his life. He is a coward and died a coward's death. Hopefully, if there is any justice in this world, he is burning in the deepest, darkest part of hell right this second.