Beginner's Guide to Android Wear 2.0

Smartwatches have been around for decades.  Of course, they have evolved over time.  The first digital watch which came out in 1972 was Pulsar manufactured by the Hamilton Watch Company (eventually Pulsar was acquired by Seiko).  In 1980’s, the first computer watch came out – Seiko Data 2000 watch.  Over the years, the watches evolved some more but we will skip those until we get to the modern smartwatches.  It was not until 2014, when both Apple & Google announced smartwatches.  Apple introduced the Apple Watch in 2015 while Google introduced Android Wear which would be a version of Android specifically designed for smartwatches and other wearables. 

Photo Comparisons: Google Pixel vs Samsung Galaxy S7

Two current flagship phones battle it out for who has a better camera.  There are, of course, multiple articles online that talk about the differences and make comparisons.  I am not going to talk in detail about the differences.  My goal is to provide actual photo comparisons between the two phones under various scenes.

Asus ZenPad S 8.0 (Z580C) Review

**UPDATE (09/18/16): Asus has finally released an update to Marshmallow (6.0). This is major news as no one expected Asus to release a Marshmallow update. Initially indications are that battery life has improved and performance seems to be the same or slightly better. The only thing that the update is not via OTA. You must download the file from Asus (http://www.asus.com/US/Tablets/ASUS_Z...) and install it to your main directory. When you restart, it should give you the option to go through the update/upgrade.

Asus has been in the tablet business for several years. In 2012, Google introduced its first Nexus tablet, Nexus 7, at its I/O Developer’s Conference.  Google chose Asus, a leading Taiwanese computer and electronics company, to manufacture its first Nexus tablet.  At that time, the Nexus 7, as our review stated, was “the best value Android tablet currently on the market.”  Asus then followed up with the second generation Nexus 7 which again proved to be an excellent low price Android tablet.  Asus has a line of different tablets from its Eee Pad Transformer series to its Memo Pad series in addition to its Vivo Tab series. Around August 2015, Asus released its latest series of Android tablets.  So is this device worth it?  Read on...

TabletConnect's Favorite Android Apps

We created two videos to show our favorite Android apps of all time.  The videos were recorded on our smartphone but should work on your tablets.

Feel free to note your favorite apps in the comments section.  See below for the two videos:

How to send & receive texts (SMS) from your Android tablet

As more individuals own both a smartphone and a tablet, you would want the devices to work together.  If you are like most people, you use your tablet (especially if its WiFi only) at home.  Instead of carrying around your phone and tablet, you can use your tablet primarily at home.  Or you have a situation where you are charging your phone but you do not want to miss your texts.  In the video below, I will show you how to setup your phone and tablet so that you can send and received text from your Android tablet using an excellent app called MightyText (available in the Google Play Store). 


However, MightyText does much more:

• Allows you to also send and receive texts from your computer.  What is great is that all your devices are sync'd.
• Sends you call notifications.
• Send photos, videos & maps to your phone.
• Schedule messages (Pro version)
• Themes (Pro version)
• Send bulk SMS (Pro version)
• Templates (Pro version)
• Much more

Nexus 9 vs. NVIDIA SHIELD Tablet - Spec Comparison

With Google releasing their highly anticipated Nexus 9 tablet a few weeks ago, the question is whether its a powerful tablet.  However, NVIDIA released its own powerful new tablet - SHIELD Tablet before the release of the Nexus 9.  Although NVIDIA promotes their tablet as a gaming tablet, one should not discount it because you are not a "gamer".  The SHIELD is very capable  for every day activities.  Plus you can rest assure that with the SHIELD Tablet, you do not need to worry about needing to replace it in a year or two because its hardware is outdated.  Although we have not reviewed either tablet, we did put together a spec comparison.  So how do they look?  Continue below.

Acase TipTop Case for the iPad Air Review

With many cases out for the iPad, it is sometimes difficult to decide which cases are good.  There are also many types of cases: sleeves; folio covers; clutch; built-in keyboards; etc.  Plus there are different price ranges too.

Today, we are reviewing the Acase TipTop which is a hard shell folio case for the new iPad Air (5^th generation).  This case was designed specifically for the new iPad Air which is thinner than previous generation iPads.  Therefore one must look for a case that specifically fits the new iPad Air.

Upgrading to rooted Android 4.3 on Nexus 7 (original version)

     Android 4.3 is has been available for a little over a week (longer depending on when you read this article).  If you are currently rooted, you will lose root by taking the Over-The-Air (OTA) upgrade.  However if you want to keep root and not lose all your apps and data, there is a rooted Android 4.3 file that you may use and keep root plus your apps and data.  This is stock Android not a custom ROM.  If you want to install custom ROM, there are many threads that provide information on this.  This article only pertains to stock Android 4.3.  Continue reading...

Asus ME400 Windows Tablet - First Impression

   I had the opportunity to test Asus' VivoTab ME400 tablet.  At first site, it looks small/short compared to typical 10" tablets.  It is one of the lightest 10" tablets at only 1.3lbs which is as light as the Samsung Galaxy 10.1.  Also one of the thinnest at .4".

   The 10.1" screen has an 1366x768 resolution capacitive screen which looked great .  It is one of the nicest looking screens that I have seen.  The screen is apparently scratch resistant.  The screen also has 178 degree viewing angle.

Favorite Apps - 2012

It is that time of year where the year ends and a new one begins.  I am going to go over my favorite apps this year.  Now, these apps were not created this year or discovered this year.  However, this post should help those who bought or received a new Android tablet and/or smartphone this holiday.  Yes, I am only talking about Android because I own both an Android tablet (Nexus 7) and an Android smartphone (Samsung Galaxy S3).  My list will be primarily focused for a tablet but you can use them on either device unless otherwise indicated.  Let's begin....

Black Friday Tablet Deals 2012

Last year, we posted some deals on tablets for Black Friday.  This year, we are doing the same.  If you know of any sales that I have not mentioned below, please put them in the comment section. However, please do not make things up. Note source that you received the info, the store and which version of the tablet that is on sale. This year consumers have many choices in the tablet market. So here are the first items:

Google Nexus 7 (16GB) Review

Google introduced a Nexus line of Android phones in 2010.  The Nexus series is meant to provide a pure Android experience with an unlockable bootloader, no carrier modification, and be the first to have the latest Android updates.   Although there have been three Nexus phones, Google introduced its first Nexus tablet, Nexus 7, at its 2012 I/O Developer’s Conference.  The tablet itself is manufactured by ASUS, a leading Taiwanese computer and electronics company.  The Nexus 7 is aimed at the lower price market to compete in the $199 - $250 range.  Therefore, it is not meant to be an “iPad-killer”.  The media tends to incorrectly compare devices that are designed for different markets.  The Nexus 7 is currently a hot selling item as most retailers including the Google Play Store cannot keep it stock fast enough.  So is this device worth it?  Read on...

Google Nexus 7 Unboxing

After weeks of waiting, I finally received my Google Nexus 7 which is probably the hottest selling tablet at this point in time.   We will be doing a full video and written review in the next couple of weeks.  So stay tune.  In the meantime, I decided to do a first time unboxing video since I read that people were having trouble unboxing their new Nexus 7.  (Before the comments come in, I should have worn a different T-shirt.)  Thanks for watching.

Google shows off the Nexus 7

     As we noted in our post  on May 28th, Google did show off its Nexus 7 tablet at its I/O Developer Conference this week.  The lucky attendees were provided with one along with the Nexus Q and Galaxy Nexus phone (Google traditionally gives away certain hardware to all attendees each year).  There were no major surprises as much about the tablet was leaked before.  Here is a recap of the specs:

• 7” 1280x800 HD display (216 ppi)
• 1 GB RAM
• 8 or 16GB of storage
• Quad core Tegra 3 Processor 1.3GHz (single core) or 1.2 GHz (2 or more cores)
• 12 core GPU
• 1.2MP Front Camera
• 4325 mAh battery
• NFC
• GPS
• Gyroscope
• Bluetooth
• WiFi
• Micro USB
• Android 4.1

Microsoft introduces their Surface Tablets

    So Microsoft today introduced their Surface tablets which will be Microsoft branded.  The first is their Windows RT tablet which is ARM-based.  This big boy (10.6" screen) will feature NVIDIA Tegra-based processor weighing in at a 676 grams (1.5 lbs) and only 9.3 millimeters thick.  It will come with either 32GB or 64GB capacity.   No details on screen resolution.  Price was not announced but Microsoft stated it will be competitively priced.  Should be available around Windows 8 launch (fall 2012).

Google Nexus Tablet - July Launch?

     **Updated** We previously reported that Google will be selling Nexus smartphones and tablets directly.  However, additional information has been leaking regarding the Nexus tablet.  DigiTimes is claiming that the Asus-made tablet has an initial order of 600,000 for possible July launch.  In addition, Google's annual I/O Developer Conference is in June so its possible that the attendees will receive the Nexus tablet as it the normal tradition of Google giving away certain hardware to its all attendees. Last year, everyone received the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet.

Tablet News - Week Ending 5/18

     It has been a while since I posted here so I apologize.  For this post, I am posting a summary of recent tablet news for the week ending 5/18/12.  So let's get started:

     First up is the continued rumor that Apple will launch a 7" iPad to combat the Kindle Fires of the tablet world and the rumored Google Nexus Tablet.  Although Steve Jobs was against launching a 7" iPad, Tim Cook (Apple's current CEO) may feel differently.  Apple has, of course, not confirmed they are releasing a 7" iPad so this is all rumors for now.  My opinion is that it would make sense for Apple to release this model as long as it is aggressively priced.  I believe they already have dominated the larger (9 - 10" screen) and more upscale pricing ($499+) levels.  They cannot continue to grow sales by releasing a new version of the iPad each year.  Attacking a lower price point (around $250) would make sense as that would open up a new market (people who cannot afford iPads) for Apple.  Let's see if that happens.    

Installing CyanogenMod 9 (Android 4.0 - ICS) on your HP TouchPad

I wrote an article about installing a ROM (customized software) on the HP TouchPad.  The ROM was Xron which is a variant of CyanogenMod 7 (Android 2.3).  The developers, ClassicNerds, do have their own version of Android 4.0 (CM9 variant) but I have not had a chance to download and test it.  However, many people are running CM9 (Android 4.0) on their HP TouchPad.  For those not familiar with CyanogenMod, it is "an aftermarket firmware ... based on the open-source Android operating system.  The CM team has progress in getting the OS to work.  This is an Alpha 2 so there are still many bugs and some things do not work. 

Apple Introduces the New iPad

So after all the hype the media has provided, the new iPad is not going to be called the iPad 3 or iPad HD.  Its just the new iPad.  Some specs were expected while others were missed completely.  Again, the media likes to always write about rumors.  Let's dig in and see what the new iPad is all about...

Archos Launching Kid-Friendly Tablet

We all know kids love tablets too.  With many games available, tablets have been keeping kids entertained.  However, parents do get afraid that their little one will drop their $400 - $600 device.  Worry no more, parents.  Archos will have you covered.  They are introducing a kid-specific Android tablet for less than $200.  What to know more, read on...