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Lenovo Flex 11 Chromebook review: Tough, durable and inexpensive

1 Comment
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 26 Jun 2017 8:00 am
The Lenovo Flex 11 is one tough SOB. The Lenovo Flex 11 Chromebook is a consumer version of Lenovo's very solid Chromebooks For Education products. It's built tough — rated to take a 2.4-foot drop and has a water resistant keyboard tray to keep spills out, but still comes in at a very reasonable $279.99. Finding a "rugged" Chromebook that's not EDU branded and uber-expensive isn't a common...

TYLT Energi Pro review: MrMobile's favorite battery backpack

10 Comments
Posted by MrMobile on 22 Jun 2017 7:44 pm
I knew I needed to review the TYLT Energi Pro when I first saw Daniel Bader rocking one on an overseas trip a few months back – and even though he's beaten me to the official take with his own excellent review, I've gathered some followup thoughts on the backpack in the weeks since. See, the TYLT Energi Pro isn't just any old backpack. It's a bag with a built-in 20,100 mAh battery...

MrMobile's OnePlus 5 video review

8 Comments
Posted by MrMobile on 20 Jun 2017 1:39 pm
Almost a year ago to the day, I kicked off the MrMobile YouTube channel with a review of the OnePlus 3 – so it seems fitting that MrMobile's one-year anniversary lands alongside the debut of the next phone in the family formerly known as "flagship killers." Like its immediate predecessor the OnePlus 3T, the OnePlus 5 is better described as a killer flagship, with top-of-the-line...

OnePlus 5 review: Keep doing what you do best

116 Comments
Posted by Andrew Martonik on 20 Jun 2017 12:43 pm
OnePlus 5
OnePlus once again manages to straddle the line between quality and price, carving out a unique niche and executing perfectly. Since the launch of the original OnePlus One, the company has been aggressively refining its strategy. With each subsequent release the goals got a bit less ambitious, the marketing became less ostentatious, and the phones consistently improved. At the same time, the...

Xiaomi Mi 6 review: A new beginning

14 Comments
Posted by Harish Jonnalagadda on 20 Jun 2017 1:00 am
Xiaomi Mi 6 review
If you're willing to look past the lack of a 3.5mm jack, the Mi 6 is a fantastic phone. Quick take: The Mi 6 gets a lot of things right — powerful hardware in the form of a Snapdragon 835, dual rear cameras with 2x optical zoom, and a gorgeous metal-and-glass design, all at a price that's nearly half that of the Galaxy S8. The phone isn't without its drawbacks: availability is limited to...

Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro review: A great phone with one major drawback

5 Comments
Posted by Harish Jonnalagadda on 13 Jun 2017 2:00 am
Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro review
Samsung gets a lot of things right with the Galaxy C7 Pro, but outdated software and a high price prevent the phone from achieving greatness. The Indian handset segment saw a lot of changes over the last two years. One of the key trends was the influx of Chinese brands like Xiaomi, Huawei, and Lenovo, which siphoned off market share from local manufacturers. Chinese brands now account for 50%...

HD HomeRun modernizes the old-school over-the-air TV game

10 Comments
Posted by Phil Nickinson on 12 Jun 2017 7:00 am
HDHomerun is the perfect over-the-air addition to an already excellent Android TV experience. The thing about being a cord-cutter is that you're always trying to plug holes. It doesn't matter what streaming video service you ultimately go with — there's almost always something missing. For many of us, that hole comes down to local channels. And while services like YouTube TV are trying to...

Sony Xperia XZ Premium review: $799 of lust ... and disappointment

94 Comments
Posted by Andrew Martonik on 9 Jun 2017 8:00 am
Sony Xperia XZ Premium
Sony gets more right than ever before, but continues to have a few key stumbles that keep it from being in the conversation in the U.S. Sony's march of alphabet soup phone names continues on with the Xperia XZ Premium, and as you'd expect from such a name this one's all-out high-end. It has the specs and features to match the flagship competition released in 2017, plus undeniably unique...

FLIR One Pro preview: An Android-powered thermal imaging camera made for professionals

0 Comments
Posted by Florence Ion on 6 Jun 2017 8:00 am
If you require thermal imaging to get the job done, the FLIR One Pro is one of the best solutions for doing so with your smartphone. Contractors, road warriors, electricians, plumbers — whatever your occupation is, if it's dealing with scalding hot things or even temperate metal, chances are you'll get plenty of use from a little plug-in thermal imaging camera like the FLIR One Pro. This is...

MrMobile's HTC U11 review: A study in contradictions

41 Comments
Posted by MrMobile on 5 Jun 2017 10:10 am
In five years reviewing smartphones I don't think I've ever seen one so full of contradiction as the HTC U11. A stunning backplate mated to a forgettable face; fast software blunted by extraneous gimmicks; slick multimedia features without a big battery to back 'em up. Even the name "U11" seems an awkward compromise of last year's simplicity and this year's … peculiar claptrap. But...

Moto Z2 Play review: Midnight in the garden of good and sequel

82 Comments
Posted by Daniel Bader on 1 Jun 2017 9:31 am
The Moto Z2 Play is a great phone, but it's not a great sequel. The quick take Motorola went iterative for its Moto Z Play sequel, announcing it just nine months after the original. It's not a complete overhaul, and in two major ways is a downgrade, but it's also one of the most well-rounded and enjoyable-to-use Android phones on the market. The Good Excellent performance Beautifully...

VPN for dummies ... Or Dads ... Or why it's time to finally take the plunge

19 Comments
Posted by Phil Nickinson on 31 May 2017 8:30 am
A good VPN isn't as complicated as it used to be, but it's still a pretty big step for a "regular" user to take. But it's time to get my family used to it. Their data may depend on it. Over the past year I've been slowly moving my family to more secure options for their phones and computers. Password managers — to promote the usage of longer and stronger passwords — was the first step. Then...

Samsung DeX review: You got your computer in my phone

7 Comments
Posted by MrMobile on 30 May 2017 1:43 pm
Samsung DeX promises a lot. With nothing more than the DeX dock and a monitor, keyboard and mouse, you're supposed to be able to "leave your computer behind" and "make anyplace a workplace" ... by converting your smartphone into a desktop computer. And you know what? It works pretty well. If Microsoft's competing Continuum product weren't already dead, DeX would stand a pretty good...

Mophie Juicepack for Pixel XL: A beast of battery burden

22 Comments
Posted by Phil Nickinson on 27 May 2017 9:00 am
Mophie Juicepack for Pixel XL
What do you get someone who has a nearly perfect phone? More battery life, of course. Google's Pixel XL is a lot of things. It's the phone to have if you're into tinkering. It gets updates before any other phone. It's got a camera that's considered one of the best available today. But battery life? That's not always been its strongest asset, even considering its 3,450mAh capacity. For...

HTC U11 review: Back in the running

224 Comments
Posted by Andrew Martonik on 26 May 2017 9:42 am
HTC U11
HTC needs something to get it back in the conversation with today's flagships. The launch of HTC's new "U" series of phones came with a flagship-sized hole in the middle of the lineup. The U Ultra was too big and too expensive, while the U Play was underpowered and short on value for the money. With the launch of the U11, HTC is not only filling that flagship spot in the 2017 U series but...

Samsung DeX review: This isn't a replacement for your laptop

51 Comments
Posted by Florence Ion on 25 May 2017 8:00 am
It's useful, but it isn't practical, and you should only consider one if you're into the novelty. Admittedly, I'm in a bit of disbelief that I'm writing a review for a desktop operating system that's running off of the Galaxy S8+. Who knew this would be our future? I certainly didn't. I knew computers were getting smaller, particularly when netbooks and tiny little Chromebits were introduced...

There's nothing fab about a phablet TV remote

13 Comments
Posted by Phil Nickinson on 19 May 2017 4:00 pm
What are the odds of buying a Vizio SmartCast TV but not owning a smartphone? I ask, because the last thing I need is a publicly available tablet in my living room. Once upon a time the idea of a television relying on Google's Chromecast for content and shipping with a 6-inch Android remote might have excited me. Because for the most part television manufacturers have tried too hard to be UX...

Portal Home Wi-Fi System review: Life in the fast lane is great if you're ready for it

7 Comments
Posted by Jerry Hildenbrand on 11 May 2017 12:00 pm
Portal offers DFS "fast lane" technology, whether we're ready for it or not. Portal promises something different when it comes to Wi-Fi. It advertises this difference as being able to bring "fast lanes" to the devices you connect to your router so the connection is, well, faster. It can do this by using wireless channels normally reserved for radar systems in the unlicensed 5Ghz spectrum. Don'...

Steel HR brings brains, brawn, and battery to fitness smartwatches

8 Comments
Posted by Phil Nickinson on 5 May 2017 4:02 pm
Withings Steel HR
More than a fitness tracker but not quite a smartwatch, the Steel HR fits a sweet spot for me during my daily sweat sessions. SAVE 20% ON STEEL HR THROUGH MAY 31!!! The Steel HR activity tracker/watch/heart rate monitor retails for $199 for the 40mm version ($279 for the 36mm), but this month you SAVE a bunch o' 💰💰💰. ... Use this link to get on it!!! I spent a lot of years wearing a lot of...

MrMobile's BlackBerry KEYone review

9 Comments
Posted by MrMobile on 4 May 2017 10:28 am
The BlackBerry KEYone is more than just another anachronistic appeal to nostalgia. It's the best BlackBerry on shelves today, bearing the best keyboard you can find on an Android phone in 2017. Lest you think I'm damning it with faint praise, remember that MrMobile values smartphones that stand out from the crowd – sometimes even more than he values phones with great battery life...

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