WANT ME GET ME

Get VIP Perks for No Extra Cost

There is no greater feeling than walking up to that bar or event where people are waiting in line and the velvet ropes are pulled back and you get the VIP nod.  It is even nicer when you go on a trip to somewhere and get hooked up with all kinds of VIP perks and all you had to do was buy your trip through a website (at no additional cost).  That is when Want Me Get Me comes into play.  While this isn’t a brand new website (founded in 2011) but the idea of providing these perks has quickly helped them grow in popularity.

You can see on their website some of the different relationships they have been able to establish.  They have inventory in a lot of the major cities with quite a few different hotels:

• Ace Hotel
• Ganesvoort Hotel Group
• Luxe Worldwide Hotels
• Morgan Hotel Group
• The Standard
• Trump Hotel Collection
• Several more

In a recent interview Tristan Mace, the Chief Strategy Officer gave a few insights to the business.  One that definitely stood out was the fact you don’t have to pay a fee to be a member.  So by using it as a free resource you get to have an enriched vacation experience.

It would be interesting to see if they will get specific about the different perks that they will offer customers.  Very cool concept and a good option if the prices are competitive with other travel sites.  Remember, as a guy, there is no better way to look awesome by taking a girl on vacation and have every VIP perk out there (why do you think the Rat Pack was so friggin’ cool?).  Definitely a gadget for tech guys.

By Creative Tech Reviews

SUPR – THE MINIMALIST WALLET

We are in the middle of a great fantasy football year that has seen some people lose their entire season in one weekend (Julio Jones, Doug Martin, Reggie Wayne) and have Ralph rub in his undefeated season in your face. We all know that Fantasy Football can be one of the most rewarding or heartbreaking games you can play but it does give a great excuse to watch every single game on Sunday (our wives and girlfriends love that). If you have ever taken the mantle of commissioner, one of the most frustrating parts is to get everybody to actually pay up. Nobody carries cash and you don’t want to go and cash a bunch of checks that inappropriate memo lines that make the bank teller look at you strangely (something usually involving a midget is usually on there). What does that tell us? Our friends suck. What else does that tell us? That nobody carries cash any more and there isn’t a reason to have extra room in a wallet being taken up to hold it.

The guys over at Supr thought the same thing and created one of the thinnest and minimalist wallets around. It very well could be the thinnest but we have no way of finding that out so it get’s our Gadgets 4 Guys thinnest wallet approval. The Supr Slim Wallet only has areas for cards and cards alone. There are a lot of claims out there that having a wallet in your back pocket and sitting on it can actually mess your back up pretty bad. The Slim Wallet will actually make it possible to have your entire wallet in your front pocket and not be big and bulgy (you’ll never have something big and bulgy in the front anyways) and save yourself possible back issues. Check out the Slim Wallet over at Supr. Click here for image source and where to purchase.

Price: 25$

GIGS.2.GO: Meet The Recyclable Micro USB

Shaped as a credit card, the GIGS.2.GO pack by Bolt Group is made of recycled paper pulp and contains four tear-off tabs with a USB flash drive in each.

The concept was inspired by Bolt Group designers frequently having problems sharing presentation and CAD files with clients.

The Gigs 2 Go packs feature a 100% post-consumer recycled paper enclosure. The molded paper pulp pack is not only light and durable, it’s also great for writing on when you want to label the tabs

Despite being made from paper, the memory sticks look durable enough to be reused, and can therefore command a higher sale price.

BOLTgroup has partnered with US-based CustomUSB to produce the Gigs 2 Go packs, and they launched a Kickstarter campaign on December 9th to raise funds for tooling and production. Their aim is to launch a new business focused on connecting people with green technology.

Follow Gigs 2 Go on Twitter: @Gigs2GoUSB

"Like" Gigs 2 Go on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gigs2go

By Mehdi Zerouali, Editor of Creative Tech Reviews

Ecōstik : Smart Design, Flawless Finish

The Ecōstik, as the name suggests, a wood stand for Apple's iPad tablet & iPhone designed by Joshua Lepley. Lovingly crafted, it actually looks better in the flesh than online. Clearly manufactured to a high standard, the Ecōstik is finished by hand.

We are also pleased to report no marks or scratches, which you might expect from an all wood design.

Viewing on a desktop, and in bed, we found the Ecōstik to be a reliable stand and comfortable on the eyes. While not as portable as some iPad stands, the Ecōstik proved to be a fairly useful paperweight when not in use. The design also features clear rubber feet on the underside so it grips and protects any surface when in use.

A choice of attractive type of woods, the Ecōstik is offered in Maple, Cherry, Walnut, Oak & Eucalyptus...you can't go wrong!

The Ecōstik can be purchased through Joshua's website here.

By Mehdi Zerouali, Editor of Creative Tech Reviews

Forget Smart Watches: Meet SMARTY RING

In the past year, we have seen a big movement to make more parts of our clothing and the accessories we wear become integrated with our smart phones and other technology. As Americans, we are so lazy that we think having to pull a phone out of our pocket is too much work so we integrated notifications into watches. As the large brick phones before them though, we always want our technology to be more compact which is why we now have the Smarty Ring.

The Smarty Ring is basically trying to move a lot of the functionality we see in smart watches like Pebble and smash it down into a ring. It is currently an Indiegogo project but has an expected delivery date of April 2014. Some of the cool things that the Smarty Ring will be able to do include:

• Be notified of incoming or missed calls
• Be alerted of new text messages, emails, and social media alerts too
• Trigger the camera from the Smarty Watch to take pictures
• Control music by starting, stopping, and going to the next track
• Have a clock displayed at all times
• Track your phone by triggering alerts if you get too far away from it

The Smarty Ring also took a lot of focus on the design of it. It doesn’t matter how many functions you cram into something, if it’s ugly people will not wear it. It is waterproof which was a huge selling point to G4G since we are super rough on our wedding ring. The ring can be programmed via their app which will allow for a variety of configurations. They also created a charger that is super sleek and will probably make your nightstand look a lot better. The charger will juice up your smart phone along with the Smarty Ring at the same time. The real challenge will be to convince your wife that this new ring is much better than the one she got you for that special day all of those years ago. Click here to reserve a Smarty Ring and for image source

Price: $175

Merry Christmas from Creative Tech Reviews

May the warmth and joy of Christmas bring your family closer to each other. 

A happy family wrapped together would be the best gift for a Christmas.

Merry Christmas from the guys of 

Creative Tech Reviews

EGG MINDER IS THE SMART EGG TRAY

Do you know why we have over 5 bottles of Ranch in the kitchen cabinet? We do love Ranch dressing but not nearly that much. We are men and we don’t do things like make grocery lists. In fact, you’re lucky if we even go grocery shopping. When we do actually grocery shop, we come back with frozen pizza’s, pizza bites, and pizza bagel bites (pizza is a food group). We also manage to buy things we already have plenty of and usually that is perishable items like milk or eggs.

Egg Minder is the “smart” egg tray that will actually sync with your smartphone. What does that mean for men that are out grocery shopping? You can pull up the app and see which eggs are almost bad, have gone bad, and those that might be considered a science experiment. It will also tell you if the eggs are fine which can save you some money and also not have to hear your wife complain about your inability to make a list before shopping. Egg Minder will sync and allow you to pull up the info on all of the eggs you placed in the Egg Minder tray wherever you might be. The other nice thing is that the tray also has LED’s for each of the eggs and will change to represent the shape of the eggs in each spot. That way when you see the color indicating all of the eggs have gone bad, you know it is only a matter of time before it starts to smell like your old gym locker. They also managed to have a slight bit of fame when the Egg Minder was featured on the Jay Leno show. It isn’t every day that you can say that your egg tray is just as famous as Carrot Top. Women do a much better job of tracking things that spoil but guys are terrible about it. Get the Egg Minder and avoid the smell of death in your fridge. Click here for image source and where to buy.

Price: $70

THE TWEETING BRA

So every single guy that is out there probably looked at this article and thought, “I thought I was on a site that featured gadgets for MEN and not women”. Why would we feature a bra made for women that tweets every time the clasp is undone? Do you remember how you acted at the age of 16 with girls? You basically walked around looking for any kind of nudity and testosterone coming out of your pores. If you stumbled across a girl that had enough daddy issues that actually allowed you to make it to second base, you became a crazy eyed teenager. So after going through that situation, how does that relate to you?  You’re now over 30 years old and have a wife and daughter…

Hopefully you just realized the angle we were coming from with this tweeting bra helping to keep the bra on your daughter. If it happens to come off, you will see a tweet go out announcing to the world (and you) that the bra clasp was undone. You can then select the appropriate punishment and never let her date again until she is 40 (or older depending on how strict you are). On a much more serious note, the tweeting bra actually serves a great purpose in reminding women of when they have reached the time for their own monthly self breast exam. While we might see it as a prevention of a pimply faced punk trying to cop a feel on our daughter, the tweeting bra is actually a great way to bring awareness to breast cancer. Most of the people that are reading this can think of a person(s) that was effected by breast cancer and would love the idea of publicly announcing to the Twitter world that you need to give yourself a breast exam. The clasp keeps count of how many times the bra is undone and uses that to measure the appropriate time to perform the self examination (and announces so on Twitter so you don’t miss it). Click here for more information on the Tweeting Bra from Nestle.

Price: ??? ( We are kind of curious )

LAT56 LAPTOP MESSENGER

There are accessories for men that can make your look go a good way or a terribly bad way. The right kind of belt can make a suit but sub in a fanny pack and the whole look turns creepy. If you wear a nice a nice watch it can say success but if you sub in a leather bracelet you instantly turn into a granola hippy. Rock the right pair of Chuck Taylor’s and they will go with any outfit you might wear but turn those into heels and your weekend just got a whole lot more interesting. If you’re Indiana Jones you can get away with wearing a satchel but anybody else get’s called out for having a murse. We see men make these mistakes over and over again until they can’t deal with their buddies making fun of them or their significant other breaks the sad news that their wardrobe choices are terrible.

One of the accessories that can go down either a good road or a bad one is what you carry your laptop in. You can go the hobo route and carry it around in a trash bag which might not be all that stylish (pretty darn manly though). You could also make the terrible mistake of buying a laptop bag that resembles your wife’s Prada purse which will turn heads everywhere in a bad way. Gadgets 4 Guys will make it easier for you and tell you to just buy the Lat56 Laptop Bag. We featured one of their all purpose bags last week and quickly fell in love with the rest of their line which is why we decided to feature their laptop case. The bag is strong enough to protect your laptop but the outside screams style with the unique design Lat56 has applied across their entire baggage line. The price is steep but the product is worth it. Click here to purchase

Price: $238

Mobee Magic Bar: No More Changing Batteries!

Portable computer peripherals are great, but when your keyboard battery is low on the go, you'd better hope that you've got your trusty Mobee Magic Bar Charger at hand. Developed by the same people who keep your wireless mouse juiced up, this brand has now engineered a way for your full QWERTY to keep functionality thanks to the relatively simple technology of induction.

Mobee Magic Bar will require you to slide in the apple keyboard and screw it into the provided slot in order it to work. Luckily, with the help of the Magic Bar, you don’t have to use batteries for your Apple keyboard and trackpad anymore.

The Magic Bar can work its charging charms via the USB port on an iMac or a powered USB hub. It needs only about 250 mAh to charge a battery pack, and its inductive charging process will take about six to eight hours to completely fill a battery pack.

The Magic Bar is retailed at $49 and can be found here

By Mehdi Zerouali, Editor at Creative Tech Reviews

Snap Remote - Photo Controller

The Snap Remote is a serious photo revolution. You can finally take group shots with yourself in the frame, without having to sprint between your camera and photo line up! All you need to do is download the free app from the App Store which automatically links to your Snap Remote. When ready to take a photo, simply press the button on the remote control to activate your shutter. The shutter will activate up to a distance of 3 metres! The Snap Remote even comes with a removable phone prop up to stand your phone on during the photo shoots! The reverse click on it will also change the iPhone from front to rear camera. For all you vain individuals out there, take self portraits and group shots to your hearts content by triggering the shutter without touching the screen.

By Creative Tech Reviews

Boombox Wireless Touch Speaker

The Boombox Touch Speaker by Thumbs Up allows you to place your phone or device onto the speaker to instantly amplify the sound.

No wires or pairing is required! This wireless speaker is perfect for outdoor entertaining or as a travel speaker with the built in rechargable battery blasting away for up to 10 hours per charge! New technology allows the speaker to interact with the speaker on your device so that the sound is instantly magnified, and because there are no cords or connections, the Boom Box is compatible with any device which has an external speaker.

You'll be nothing but amazed by the sound boost you get just from touching your phone to the speaker!

Features

• Compatible with most smart phones and MP3 players with external speakers.
• A USB charging cable and 3.5mm jack port is included (in case you'd like to use it with an mp3 player or iPod - 3.5mm jack cable not included).
• Built-in rechargeable battery: charge via micro USB cable (included)
• 10 hours play time per recharge
• Optional 3.5mm jack input (cable not included)
• Speaker: 4 Ω/3W
• Rating output: 100Hz-20KHz
• Charging voltage: DC 5V
• Battery Spec: 3.7V 850mAh lithium ion battery

This cool gadget can be purchased here

By Creative Tech Reviews

JBL Pulse Wireless Speaker

The JBL Pulse wireless speaker brings your music to life with five different light patterns made possible through 64 LED lights, plus it has a built-in bass port for some thumping sound. Find out what Polly and the Bath Rugby Team thought of it in the video above.

By Creative Tech Reviews

Microsoft Surface 2

Here we go: the sequel to the original Microsoft Surface is here, with improvements across the board. It's a different beast from its Pro 2 cousin, sporting Windows RT instead of full-fat Windows 8, and it's more business than play thanks to its handy keyboard cover. But does that hinder the Surface 2 in any way? Let's find out.

The good

At first glance, there's not much difference between the Surface 2 and its predecessor. Aside from the slight colour change (it's now got a silver finish), it's still pretty much the same as the rest of the Surface family: an attractive, minimal, solid tablet with a pop-out kickstand. It’s slimmer and lighter than the first model though, measuring up at a svelte 8.89mm thick, while the kickstand now clicks into two different angles, meaning you can actually prop it up on your lap this time. But the most obvious change is the display.

Microsoft's binned the 10.6-inch, 1366x768 screen on the first model, and now you'll find a 1080p, full HD display in its place - the same as on the Surface Pro 2. It's crisp and clear, and a definite improvement over the previous model, making movies and photos look great, while text is sharp. It feels like there's just more room to breathe in Windows RT itself too. Touch recognition is superb, viewing angles are great, and colours pop. Joining the screen are some surprisingly loud stereo speakers, as well as high-definition front and rear cameras, making the Surface 2 a great video chatting machine. But it’s just as capable playing your favourite movies through Netflix.

You won't find a plethora of buttons and ports here, which is all part of the Surface 2's minimalistic charm. There are power and volume buttons, a single USB 3.0 port, a microSD card slot, a headphone jack and video output for a second display - all enough for working on the go. On the bottom is the Surface's docking port which the various keyboard covers attach to - we tried out the new and improved Type Cover 2, which has individual backlit keys. Despite there being not a whole lot of travel between keys, it’s very satisfying to type on. That said, it is an eye-watering £109.99.

On the software front, Windows 8.1 brings a host of welcome upgrades, like an even more powerful search that crawls your hard drive and the web. And there’s the Snap multitasking option that now lets you adjust how much of each app is shown on screen. Microsoft has also bundled Office into each Surface, so you'll be able to continue working on the move.

Performance wise, it's even snappier that the original RT model. The Surface 2 is powered by Nvidia's 1.7GHz quad-core Tegra 4 processor, which is paired with a beefy 2GB of RAM, and Windows RT zips through seamlessly. Apps are quick to open and resume, while it’s lightening fast to boot up. It's also got a decent amount of battery life - we managed to squeeze just over six hours of use from the Surface 2 under heavy load, and while it's less than the Surface 2 Pro or even the iPad Air, it's still impressive. You'll be bound to get your work done in between power sockets - and you can surely get more life out of it if you're careful.

The bad

The Surface 2 still isn't sure what it's supposed to be. It's a tablet/laptop hybrid that wants to be both, but only partially succeeds in either. While Office is bundled, it's not a touch-optimised version, meaning you'll have to use either the Touch or Type Covers to get work done - making it more laptop than tablet. But as it's also a Windows RT machine, you won't have access to all the legacy and desktop apps you're used to on regular Windows. You’re limited to the Windows Store for apps, but even though it's still growing, it's still lagging behind Apple's App Store and the Google Play Store. Which means Android and iOS users will have to go without familiar apps. It's worse on the Surface 2 than it is with the Surface Pro, but until the Windows Store catches up with more versatility and choice, it's not an ideal machine.

While the screen is superb, the ratio is not ideal. The 16:9 display ratio works wonders in landscape, but turn the Surface to portrait to read a book or comic, and it's almost laughable at how tall it becomes. There's also the matter of using the Surface 2 on the move. You need to be sat down at a desk, or working on your lap, as using it while standing up is not ideal. And Microsoft's on-screen keyboard is woeful at best.

The Touch Cover 2 isn’t much better. It’s even thinner than its Type Cover brother, and gets rid of physical keys in favour of a backlit touch surface. While Microsoft has added even more sensors than before, we found it almost impossible to type on. The trackpad on either cover is also absolutely tiny, but it's a trade-off for a better-sized keyboard.

The bottom line

Microsoft's cheaper Surface offering is still a puzzling device. It's better than the previous version in every way, but it still doesn't solve the laptop/tablet conundrum. It tries hard to be a tablet, but it also clings to its laptop heritage, yet it's not the master of either. For £359, you do get a compelling platform for using Office on the move, something no other tablet can do, making it ideal for work - but what about play? With the Windows Store still lacking apps, and being stuck with Windows RT, it's still a hard sell for the Surface 2. Maybe next time?

Via Channel 5

Withings WS-50 Smart Body Analyzer

The Withings WS-50 smart scales pack in plenty of info for tracking your weight, and it was one of the top tech gadgets recommended by the former Hollyoaks boys, Matt Littler and Darren Jeffries. It’s got a large graphical display, four weight sensors and bioelectrical impedance sensors, and it could find its way under your Christmas tree - does it deserve it though? Hit play on the video to see what the boys thought of it.

By Creative Tech Reviews

Touch: Wireless Speaker for iPhone

Simply place your device onto The Touch Speaker and listen to those amplified beats!

The Touch Speaker is one of the first speakers to use debut wireless NearFA™ (Near Field Audio) technology. No longer is there a need to arrange any wireless settings or plug in cables, simply place your device on top of the speaker and sit back and enjoy your improved sound. It is stylish and lightweight, complete with grey silicone protector. Great for travelling it is sure to be a must have for any outing. The Touch Speaker is compatible with most IOS devices as well as Android and other phones that contain an inbuilt mobile speaker. It has a powerful 2.5w x 2 RMS output. Also an optional 3.5mm jack connection can be obtained to make sure you are always able to  ensure you will always have the option to magnify those sounds wherever you go.

As if by magic....! You can purchase it here

By Creative Tech Reviews

Cocoon SLIM 15'' Backpack : The Geek' Best Friend

I travel a lot and since I am a compulsive geek, I am well equipped with accessories, gadgets and other cables in my bag or backpack.  There are a lot of backpacks on the market which are "geek friendly", but most don’t have a lot of storage space for small objects. We end up putting all our stuff in a pouch and it gets hard to find what we are looking for.

The Cocoon Slim Backpack ( retailed at $ 80) has been designed to tackle this problem with a space dedicated to all the small objects. Thanks to the patent pending organization system Grid-It^® , you have endless configurations for your devices. It has a special compartment to accommodate a laptop up to 15 inches, power supplies, notebooks, pens, iPad, NOOK or Kindle, iPhone/cell phone, or most other small electronics. The other side keeps your files and folders (fits both A4 and U.S. Standard) neat and protected thanks to the water-resistant ballistic nylon and waterproof zippers. Not bad at all!

We spend an average of $100 for a regular backpack, why not a smart backpack for cheap? Here 

                

                By Creative Tech Reviews

Synology DS412+

I have been playing with the Synology DS412+ for a while now and so far it has really been an excellent experience. My guess would be that the ‘+’ stands for excellence. Thhe DS412+ has a dual-core Atom processor running at 2.13 GHz and has 1 GB DDR3 RAM installed. It can take up to four HDDs with a max internal capacity at 16 TB (that is of course if you use something like 4 x 4 TB harddrives).  It can take up to four HDDs and its max internal capacity reaches 16 TB (if 4x 4 TB HDDs are used).  The two Gigaports on the back support Link Aggregation (LACP) and also has two USB 3.0 ports, one USB 2.0 port and one eSata port.

One of the strongest points with a Synology NAS for is the Diskstation Manager (DSM) that Synology sends with the NAS ,  it extends the options and gives you the possibility of adding new ones to it. If you have time I would recommend that you check out the live demo at Synologys website, it really gives you a good introduction on what you can and can not do with it. Inside the box we have an instruction manual, cables, and NAS.   One thing that I have always enjoyed with Synology NAS is the fact that they always have that great quality over them.  On the front of the DS412+ the plastic cover hides access to the removeable trays. Each of these trays can house either a 2.5 or 3.5 mm drive.   If you want access to them you have have remote the tray.  In the bottom right corner on the NAS we have the On/Off switch and USB 2.0 port.  In the top right corner we have  five LED indicators which indicate status for the NAS itself and for each of the four HDDs that you have installed.

Specifications

2.13GHz Intel Atom D2700 dual-core x86
1GB DDR3 RAM
2x gigabit ethernet
1x front, 2x rear USB 3.0 ports
1x eSATA
2x 92mm fans
external 12V/8.33A power supply
DSM 4.0-2228
iPhone apps: DS file, DS audio, DS photo+, DS finder, DS cam, DS photo
165 x 203 x 233mm
2-year warranty

On the side of the NAS we have the Synology logo engraved into the casing and on the rear side most of the real estate is occupied by the two 92mm fans (perhaps my favorite thing since it provides a really cool solution). On the bottom left side the I/O ports are located, two USB 3.0, a single eSATA and two Gigabit Ethernet ports. Also the power input socket (12V) resides there also.

When you first boot up the NAS you have to install both Synology Assistant and Data Replicator. When you have installed these two your faced with another thing that you have to do install the DSM for your new NAS from Synology.  When you have installed it is you have en easy way to access your NAS both while you are at home and when you are on the go.  Either through the Synology Assistant or through the web.  The options are endless with DSM. One of my favorite packages with it is to install the Time machine package so that I easily can back up my MacBook Air at home. You can set it up a media server, iTunes music streaming, automated backups, mail servers, security camera storage and feeds, websites.  There is a lot of options available and they all hold a high quality. The range of the applications are diverse and all hold a high quality.

All in all the DS412+ has me really satisified with it’s combination of performance, high reliability and most of all it’s operating system, which I found to be very easy to use even for the most inexperienced users.  When using it in RAID 1 mode it is really fast and compared to other NAS that I have here at Swedish Tech Report HQ it is a lot faster.  If you are looking for a good quality NAS you can not go wrong with this one, it offers a lot of value for the money and that is speed:-) I have four 3TB drives running in mine and so far it has been an awesome experience.  

By Creative Tech Reviews

Sony Ericsson MK200 Music Lovers Kit

Sony Ericsson has rolled out a new pair of headphones which is called the MK200 Music Lovers Kit, which inclues a pair of Sony Monitor headphones (MH830) that includes the calling ability and the MC100 music cable.

These headphones are the closed type and have a 30mm driver. It includes a microphone, call answer key and 3.5 mm jack to swap headphones

By Creative Tech Reviews

Sparrow the popular email client acquired by Google

The popular email client Sparrow for Mac and iOS  has now been acquired by Google. It is not clear on what they will do except that they will work on the Gmail team.  One thing is certain there is a lot of options that we can see ahead of us when we look at at what they are going to do.

The statement from Sparrow

We’re excited to announce that Sparrow has been acquired by Google!

We care a lot about how people communicate, and we did our best to provide you with the most intuitive and pleasurable mailing experience.

Now we’re joining the Gmail team to accomplish a bigger vision — one that we think we can better achieve with Google.

We’d like to extend a special thanks to all of our users who have supported us, advised us, given us priceless feedback and allowed us to build a better mail application. While we’ll be working on new things at Google, we will continue to make Sparrow available and provide support for our users.

We had an amazing ride and can’t thank you enough.

Full speed ahead!

By Creative Tech Reviews 

Galaxy Gear: Compatible With Other Units Soon!

Smart watches are the latest trend in the mobile world. Several manufacturers have already , or will present , own devices. A manufacturer who made it on the IFA , Samsung to launch Galaxy Gear.

One thing that surprised with Gear is that its functionality is severely limited unless it is paired with the Galaxy Note 3rd In practice, it not more than a bracelet camera ( how good the images are , we know not yet) with a built-in pedometer.

Samsung said this at the launch of the Galaxy Note 2 , Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S4 will get an update so that they can be used with Gear , but no timetable for updates is not yet known.

The company now has, very vaguely , also confirmed that the gears in the future will be compatible with other manufacturers’ phones . But the decision to initially lock Gear to Note 3 is still a little strange strategy. The reasons may be that Samsung wants to see how it is received before they put more time and resources to make it more accessible , they do not want to give advantages to competitors by sharing Gear , or they simply believe that Gear will provide even better sales results for the Galaxy Note 3rd Two pure tekniskska reason is that Gear uses Blutooth 4.0 Low Enegy (also known as Blutooth SIM ) which is integrated in the Android 4.3 and a specially designed code used for sending app data from Note 3 to Galaxy Gear.

- Right now is the specific API and its functionality tied to Note 3rd For obvious reasons, we also look at other units that could support it. We will be notified when additional devices are supported but right now it ( Gear ) Galaxy Note 3- specific , says Samsung Product Marketing Manager Ryan Biden to Readwrite.com .

- It’s all about timing to get the software to other devices. It requires nothing more than programming work to do it. Some functionality is bundles for some updates in Android 4.3. We are working on to all the other devices so it’s definitely a factor affecting implementation , says Biden.

According Readwrite.com confirms Biden that Samsung’s programmers already in the current situation are working to make Gear compatible include Samsung’s Galaxy S4 and other mobile devices , including devices from competing manufacturers .

By Creative Tech Reviews

WD 2 TB PORTABLE HARD DRIVE

Western Digital is shipping the first 2 TB hard drive with the next-gen my passport drive. Which offers consumers a fresh new enclosure design and is available in sizes from 500 GB up to 2 TB.

  

                                                               

World’s Top-Selling External Storage Solution Gets Capacity Boost, Premium New Design, Improving Signature Features of Security and Automatic Backup

Western Digital® (NYSE: WDC) today announced the next generation of its top-selling My Passport® line of portable hard drives, offering consumers a fresh new enclosure design and the first-ever 2 TB capacity in a portable drive. Now available in five popular colours: white, black, silver, blue, and  red, with a range of capacities beginning from 500 GB, the new sleeker My Passport portable drives offer digital consumers an appealing array of storage options that reflect their personal style. Additionally, the new My Passport drives offer WD SmartWare™ automatic backup software and WD Security™ for password protection and hardware encryption.

With the addition of premium finishes, specially-engineered to make the outer shell more resistant to scratches and fingerprints, the new My Passport external drives feature ultra-fast USB 3.0 connectivity; USB 2.0 compatibility; continuous, automatic backup software; and password protection with hardware encryption. The included software offers the flexibility to customise the drive to a user’s storage preferences: installing all features, just the components needed, or using the drive without the software. The new 2 TB model offers massive capacity in an amazing pocket-sized enclosure, affording plenty of secure storage for all of one’s photos, video, music and other important files.

Given the small form factor and easy portability of My Passport drives, the built-in security features of password protection and hardware encryption help protect files from unauthorised use, making the drives safe data repositories for data while offering peace of mind to busy consumers on the go.

“More than money, jewellery and other valuables, the item most missed if ever lost or stolen is ones computer – and everything on it – so our goal in launching the next-generation of the popular My Passport drives is to encourage more consumers to protect their data before something happens,” said Jim Welsh, executive vice president and general manager of WD’s branded products and consumer electronics groups. “The new My Passport makes backing up and preserving one’s digital life easier, reliable and more secure than ever – it’s the perfect blend of monstrous capacity, reliability and user-friendly technology in a sleek form factor, now in five colours.”

Pricing and Availability
My Passport drives are available online and at select retailers and distributors. MSRP is $129.99 USD for 500 GB, $149.99 USD for 750 GB, $179.99 USD for 1 TB, $199.99 for 1.5 TB and $249.99 USD for the new 2 TB edition. Additional information on the My Passport family of hard drives can be found here.

About WD
WD, a storage industry pioneer and long-time leader, provides products and services for people and organizations that collect, manage and use digital information. The company designs and produces reliable, high-performance hard drives and solid state drives that keep users’ data accessible and secure from loss. Its storage technologies serve a wide range of host applications including client and enterprise computing, embedded systems and consumer electronics, as well as its own storage systems. Its home entertainment products enable rich engagement with stored digital content.

WD was founded in 1970. The company’s products are marketed to leading OEMs, systems manufacturers, selected resellers and retailers under the Western Digital®, WD® and HGST™ brand names. Visit the Investor section of the company’s website (www.westerndigital.com) to access a variety of financial and investor information.

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By Mehdi Zerouali, Editor @ Creative Tech Reviews