WaterField SleeveCase for Microsoft Surface Pro 4 / Surface Book review

I decided to start the Microsoft Surface devices reviews series with a thing I spent the most time looking for - a case. Getting a proper protection for such an expensive device like Surface Pro 4 or Surface Book is fundamental. Not only to avoid some serious damage (both devices are rather unrepairable), but also to keep these shiny gadgets in a good visual condition.

FORScan for Android review - your car under control

Do you know that feeling, when you drive your beloved, recently cleaned and waxed car and suddenly, out of nowhere, the orange (or sometimes red) Engine Check light appears on the dashboard? Is it a feeling of a fear, mixed with a thrill and anxiety? Few seconds later, after the shock is gone, you ask yourself - where's the nearest car service, where someone could connect to your car via special interface and diagnose the problem and/or delete the error code? Then you realize... it's Sunday. You're alone on that desert, and nobody is going to help you for the next 24 hours.

But thankfully, such stories are past now. Today, for about $10 you can turn your Android phone into semi-professional car diagnosis center.

Microsoft Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 reviews series

Soon I'll be reviewing Microsoft Surface line products, including some "must-have" accessories for both Surface Book and Surface Pro 4. In case you have some questions, here's the complete list of the incoming reviews:

• Microsoft Surface Pro 4
• Surface Pro 4 Type Cover
• Surface Pro 4 SleeveCase by Waterfield Designs
• Surface Pro 4 Full Body Protector by XtremeGuard
• Surface Pro 4 InvisibleShield Glass by ZAGG
• Microsoft Surface Book

All reviews are scheduled for March, so stay tuned!

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Microsoft Surface Book serious construction problem

I've been testing Microsoft Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book since some time and recently I noticed that among many software related problems there is also one, serious in my opinion, design problem that actually can't be fixed until Surface Book 2 is out.

HTC Sense 7.0 "G" version explained

Together with the latest and greatest HTC One A9 we saw the HTC Sense 7.0 "G" edition user interface for the first time. What exactly is the "G" version and how it differs from the "regular" version?

The future of Android Revolution HD

It's been quite a long time since I updated some of custom ROMs for HTC One series devices. This weekend I was able to release 2 major update for the HTC One M8 and HTC One M9.

HTC One A9 officially presented

No more leaks and no more speculations. The newest HTC Android device - HTC One A9 was officially presented today, at the HTC #BeBrilliant Launch event. Although it's hard to predict the future of the One A9 by looking only at the hardware specification, the device itself is described by many as controversial due to middle-end Snapdragon 617 SoC and iPhonish design. Is it justified? I'd say - NO.

First of all I'm still using "old" HTC One M8 as my daily device. I've never had One M9 and being honest I never "really badly wanted" to have one. In my opinion M9 has a great hardware but the design is a step back to the M7 days. With the M8 it was different. I literally felt in love in that piece of metal uni-body art ever since I touched it for the first time. This love continues, even tho my M8 looks like after one year of a high mountains climbing trip. Surprisingly, even the "C" letter detached from the back and lost somewhere. So it's just "H" & "T" now. But I still love it.

With the One A9 I feel like I could possibly use it as my next Android device. Even if the hardware may seems worse than One M9 is equipped with, my general opinion in that matter is simple: if you can't see a real performance difference in a real life operations between two devices, go for the one with a better design.

In my opinion Snapdragon 617 SoC is more than enough to satisfy 99% of customers. It's enough to handle newest games and it should generate much less heat than infamous Snapdragon 810. That means it will also throttle less. With AMOLED display it should find new fans among Samsung users too.

"The Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 617 processor with X8 LTE combines a fast and powerful octa-core CPU with integrated Snapdragon X8 LTE, full 1080p support, and dual-ISPs, designed to deliver the next high-end experiences." - link to Snapdragon 617 specs page.

The overall hardware specification doesn't look bad on the paper and I can't wait to see how One A9 behaves in real.

About the "almost iPhone design" argument - yes, it's true that it does look like an iPhone. Yes, it's true that HTC was first with such design. The question is - does it really matter? HTC One M9 design was unique and awful (sorry to say that). HTC One A9 design is not as unique, but it just looks good. It doesn't bring any innovation, but I'm sure it will find more supporters rather than the M9 design.

Unlike many of my friends I'm pleased with what HTC presented today. As a HTC One M8 owner the One A9 sounds like a nice upgrade option to me, the first good looking phone after the One M8.

You can find more details about the HTC One A9 on the official page - HTC One A9.

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How To: recalibrate battery life on HTC devices

This method is an official one, recommended by the HTC Technical Support Team. Finally we have some alternative to the old myth related with re-calibrating the battery by removing the batterystats.bin file from /data/system location, as it has no impact on the battery life.

So if you're having some problems with battery life, for example it rapidly or erratically discharges (the battery indicator says 18% left but then suddenly, 5 seconds later your device is OFF) this procedure should help, as it clears all battery stats, coordinates and normalizes charging. At least HTC Technical Support says that :)

The procedure is simple:

1. Make sure that Fastboot option is disabled in Power settings.
2. Turn off your phone.
3. Plug phone into HTC charger and charge for two minutes or more.
4. While charging, hold down volume-up + volume-down + power button and continue holding. Phone will turn on and off repeatedly every 15 seconds or so while continuing to hold all three buttons.
5. Keep this going for 2 minutes, then release all buttons when phone is ON.
6. Now, let phone charge fully normally (with phone either on or off) and battery level reporting, charging and battery life should be normalized.

So... have you tried it? Did it help? Let me know!

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The Truth About Kernels and Battery Life by flar2

When it comes to Android kernels, the number one topic of discussion these days is battery life. But there are many myths about the relationship between kernel and battery life. At one extreme, there are those who make outrageous claims about radical changes to battery life minutes or hours after installing a kernel. At the other extreme are those who think the kernel makes absolutely no difference at all to battery life. The truth lies somewhere in the middle.

HTC Sense 7.0 - Internet Browser

HTC has just started rolling out the new HTC Internet app update. Newest version is tagged as 7.1.2514183160 and it brings some Material Design touches. This HTC Internet browser is a part of the HTC Sense 7.0 interface. Let's take a look at some of the HTC Internet app features, but keep in mind that most of them were already available in the older version of the browser. The new HTC Internet is mostly about new design.

Introducing the HTC One M9+

The most anticipated phone after the HTC One M9 is finally here! Let's take a closer look at what HTC offers in the M9's "big brother":

Android 5.1: Unwrapping a new Lollipop update

It seems that Android 5.1 is finally out! The Android team just posted on their blog that new update is ready and it brings quite a lot of changes, including stability fixes, performance improvements and offers a few new features like support for multiple SIM cards, Device Protection and high definition (HD) voice on compatible phones. 

"Whether you want to share your phone with a family member or better manage your mobile costs, Android Lollipop 5.1 now lets you use more than one SIM card on a device with multiple SIM slots."

"With Device Protection, your lost or stolen device will remain locked until you sign in with your Google account - even if someone resets your device to factory settings. This feature will be available on most Android phones and tablets shipped with Android 5.1 in addition to Nexus 6 and Nexus 9."

"High Definition voice calling is now on your mobile phone. Get crystal clear calling with HD Voice between compatible Android 5.1 devices like the Nexus 6 on T-Mobile or Verizon."

"Android 5.1 Lollipop also provides enhancements such as the ability to join Wi-Fi networks and control of your paired Bluetooth devices directly from Quick Settings."

Source: Android Official Blog

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HTC Sense 7.0 - Priority Ringtones

Continuing observations regarding the new HTC Sense 7.0 features it's time to take a look at another very interesting aspect of the new HTC user interface - the Priority Ringtones. Priority Ringtones probably replaced the "DND" (Do Not Disturb) function as I can't find it any more in the Quick Settings menu. So how does it work?

HTC Sense 7.0 - Photo Editor

When you look at the HTC Sense 7.0 UI you might think it's not very different from the HTC Sense 6.0. In fact - apart from a few very obvious features like Sense Home with Smart Folders - most changes are either under the hood or are a part of extended functionality of a particular system component. One of such new extended functionality is HTC Photo Editor, which doesn't come as a separate, standalone app, but as a part of the HTC Gallery app (com.htc.album). And it has some really nice features!

HTC Sense 7.0 - Sense Home with Smart Folders

HTC "Sense Home" system is one of the greatest HTC Sense 7.0 feature I found so far. It's basically a widget where you can place apps and games icons from your app drawer or even create a new typical folder. "Sense Home" widget is connected with locations service and it automatically detects the location of your device, changing in a real time the content of the widget to "Home", "Work" or "Out". Want to know more? Keep reading!

HTC Sense 7.0 - Wallpapers

Earlier today you had a chance to read more details about HTC Sense 7.0 custom navigation bar. You are already familiar with the new HTC Sense Themes too, and now we want to show you brand new HTC wallpapers you can find in the newest Sense UI. Of course it's nothing really major, but I enjoy exploring new HTC Sense 7.0 features and sharing it with you!

HTC Sense 7.0 - Custom Navigation Bar

You've probably heard already about the new cool HTC Sense 7.0 feature called Themes Generator. In fact that's not the only surprise in the newest HTC custom user interface. In the sixth version of the Sense UI HTC opted for extensive configuration options of the Android Navigation Bar. Now in addition to the existing three main on-screen buttons you can choose a 4th button with a specific function.

HTC Sense 7.0 - Themes Generator

One of the new HTC Sense features is the HTC Themes Generator. And it's not only about the colour schemes of the UI elements. This time HTC went further and decided to create a various of different icons for each theme. It seems that HTC really listens to its fans, because the possibility to customize the look of the user interface is one of the biggest requests since years. HTC Sense 7.0 is definitely an evolution in a good direction!

HTC One M9 in all flavours! [Gallery]

If you didn't have a chance yet to see the official, high quality images of the newest HTC flagship - HTC One M9 here's the full gallery. Enjoy!

Utopia in Progress: HTC One M9, HTC Grip & HTC Vive

HTC aims to improve lives by empowering consumers through smart technology to build deeper, more meaningful connections with the things that matter most in their lives. HTC is also expanding its vision beyond the traditional smartphone and tablet space, to bring the award-winning design and category-shifting innovation to new markets.