Brad Molen
Articles by Brad Molen
Meet the HTC One M8's Windows Phone twin brother
The above picture isn't Photoshopped -- what you're seeing really is the HTC One M8 for Windows (Phone), and it's available today as a Verizon exclusive. Thanks to Microsoft's latest update, it's now possible for manufacturers to slap the third-place smartphone OS onto existing hardware (replacing Android), and HTC is the first mainstream phone maker to take advantage of the opportunity. Spoiler alert: The hardware of the Windows Phone-equipped One M8 is completely identical to that of the Android version launched earlier this year, aside from gratuitous Verizon and Microsoft logos. What makes this new variant so special is on the software side.
Nabi's Big Tabs are kid-friendly Android tablets the size of computer monitors
The term "big" seems like a bit of an understatement when it comes to the Big Tab HD, a new lineup of tablets that are no smaller than 20 inches. Produced by Fuhu, these massive slates are essentially a larger version of the company's DreamTab series: The $449 20-inch version comes with a 1600x900 "HD+" display, while the $549 24-inch model sports a 1920 x 1080 Full HD panel. The new tabs, which will be available this fall, are designed primarily to educate and entertain kids, thanks to its simplified (and parentally controlled) Android-based Blue Morpho user interface. Of course, it could be helpful to seniors and for playing games as a family or group of friends. The tabs come with an adjustable and removable frame that gives it the ability to stand up at nearly any angle, but it also doubles as a coffee table device if you want to play games together.
The government shouldn't regulate smartphone kill switches
Few things are worse than realizing your smartphone's been stolen. Your personal information is now in the hands of a dishonest soul, who can decide to either erase and sell the device or -- even worse -- do whatever they want with your contacts, photos and texts. If it's happened to you, you're not alone; millions of people have gone through the same nightmarish experience. The technology to deter thieves, known as "kill switches," exists, but it's up to phone makers and carriers to implement it. Most major phone companies have committed to adding kill switches to their products, and some have already begun selling phones with the tech included. A handful of state governments, like California and Minnesota, don't believe this is good enough, so they're passing bills that mandate anti-theft measures in every phone sold in those states beginning next year. This seems like a great idea, but let's take a closer look at what exactly these laws mean and if they make sense.
HTC's Zoe app is a social network that uses highlight reels
HTC's days of acting like a wallflower at the school dance are over -- the company's ready to explore its social side. Its first attempt is to turn Zoe, one of its most creative software features, into a social network that not only lets you share photos and videos with your friends, but allows them to pitch in and edit them as well. Known simply as the Zoe app, the new program launches in open beta today and will be available on several Samsung, LG and other Google devices. Finally, HTC is looking outside of its own user base and reaching out to those who may never have touched any of its products before.
This tattooed HTC One M8 is the company's latest Limited Edition
Of the many phone makers in the world, HTC is one of the best (if not the best) at churning out Limited Edition collector's items that focus on unique design and features. The latest in a long series of such products (most of which are highlighted in the gallery below) is a collaborative effort with Singapore-based design collective Phunk Studios, in which the group made a specially designed HTC One M8 with its own unique packaging. Only 64 of them were created (32 in gold, 32 in silver), and they're being used as a sneak preview of the collective's upcoming Wonderment exhibition. As you might expect, these unique devices won't be for sale, but HTC will be providing Engadget with one of them to give away to a lucky reader. That giveaway will take place in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out for it!
IRL: A week with the thinnest phone on the market
Ever since the original Moto RAZR V3 came out 10 years ago, the smartphone industry has had a strange obsession with skinny phones. Not because shaving a millimeter or two off a device will give it more functionality, but because it's an effective marketing tactic. In emerging markets in particular, slimmer phones at slimmer prices enjoy a distinct advantage. Gionee, a handset maker based in China, isn't very well known, but it's looking to make a name for itself with devices like the $375 Elife S5.5. At 5.55mm thick, this svelte beauty currently claims the title for the thinnest smartphone on the market. To put that in perspective, that's a full two millimeters skinnier than the iPhone 5s. I spent a few days with the device to see if thinner really is better.
Leaks, lies and the bottom line
"The iPhone 6 will be released globally on September 19th," an email in my inbox reads. I don't know who the tipster is, nor how they came across this nugget of information. The communication came from an email service called Leak, which allows anyone to send emails anonymously so the receiver can't trace it or reply to it. It could've come from Apple CEO Tim Cook himself and I'd have no way of knowing. (Though I doubt it.) Leaks like this not only show up all the time, they've increased in number over the years -- and now that it's easy to start anonymous rumors without accountability, our inboxes will simply give up. We are becoming a leak-obsessed culture. Nearly everyone wants to know about tomorrow's devices, today, and few (if any) smartphones get launched without someone spilling the beans. The next iPhone hasn't even been announced yet, but millions of people already think they know what it looks like and what it will do, thanks to images of its supposed chassis, casing and sapphire display. Even if the leaks aren't accurate, it's too late -- there are likely plenty of folks who have already (bizarrely) decided whether to buy it or not.
Lenovo's new flagship features Quad HD screen, metal body and huge battery
Lenovo isn't exactly well-known for its smartphones this side of the Pacific, but it's got a solid following in Asia. Now, Motorola's soon-to-be parent company is showing off more of its mobile chops with a six-inch Quad HD (2,560x1,440) flagship device called the Vibe Z2 Pro. Besides the super high-res display, the Pro's not lacking in other features: For starters, it'll come with a metallic brushed-weave unibody frame and 4,000mAh battery, which is more than generous even with the phone's large chassis (to compare, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is 3,200mAh and the HTC One Max is 3,300).
Sprint reportedly withdraws its bid to buy T-Mobile (updated)
Softbank-owned Sprint has reportedly changed its mind about buying T-Mobile US, according to the Wall Street Journal. It seems a bit surprising, given the amount of time and energy Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son has put into pursuing the fourth-largest wireless carrier in the US -- committing to buy the company for as much as $40 billion. That said, the alleged reasons behind the decision to withdraw a bid make sense: Sprint faces too much of a challenge getting the deal over the necessary regulatory hurdles. The company likely came to this conclusion after a long series of meetings with government officials, who reportedly expressed concern that such a deal would take a toll on competition in the US wireless industry. Sprint declined to comment, but the Journal reports that the carrier plans to make an announcement early tomorrow.
Apple will reportedly announce its next iPhone on September 9th
Grab that box of sodium chloride, folks -- it's rumor time. Re/Code is reporting that Apple will hold its next iPhone event on September 9th. And while any publication can pull a date out of the hat and report on it, this particular entity has a good track record predicting Apple events (even when it was AllThingsD). This date places it just a few days after Samsung's upcoming product launch at the IFA trade show in Berlin; traditionally, this is where the Korean manufacturer announces its next Note flagship smartphone, so it's not too hard to see Apple taking on its arch rival with a similar-sized product. According to rumors, the company plans to introduce a 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch version of its next iPhone. Still, nothing's set in stone, so we'll let you know as soon as we get official word from Cupertino. Update: Both Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal are also corroborating the September 9th report with their own sources.
Gmail now recognizes email addresses from non-Latin alphabets
Since the beginning of time -- or at least since email was invented -- most email services have required the use of non-accented characters from the Latin alphabet for each individual's address. It's inconvenient for those who don't natively use that alphabet, which means that more than half of the world's population have been frustrated. Here comes Google to the rescue: Gmail (and soon to be Calendar, we're told) now recognizes email addresses that have accented characters or use non-Latin alphabets, so you'll be able to send and receive correspondence to these types of addresses as much as you want, and soon Gmail will let you create non-Latin accounts to call your own.
Flappy Bird Family makes your Fire TV five times as fun
A family that flaps together, stays together. As promised, the creator of Flappy Birds -- you know, the insanely viral and addictive game that enjoyed massive success before quickly being removed from the iOS and Android app stores -- is bringing a new version of his prized title to the Amazon Fire TV. Not only will you be able to relive the wonderful memory of topping your high score of 14, you can do so while pitted against other players in a multiplayer, dual-screen setup. There's no word on if the game will make its way to iOS or Android eventually. But in the meantime, get grandma, the kids and your cousins into the living room, power up the Fire TV and see which one is the best at navigating an 8-bit bird through a series of Mario pipes. (Our vote's on grandma.)
Sprint LivePro review: A mediocre projector hotspot that appeals to few
The "Swiss Army knife of electronics." That's the best way Sprint can define the LivePro, a touchscreen projector/Android hotspot made by Chinese manufacturer ZTE. The device, which goes for $300 with a two-year contract, is the first in a brand-new hybrid category -- and depending on how successful it is, it may well be the last. Although the LivePro has a wide range of capabilities that make it useful on many different fronts, its demand will be incredibly niche. What kind of person needs such a unique device, and is it good enough to even attract them?
Sprint's proposed T-Mobile buyout now faces a competing offer from Iliad
Sprint isn't the only company hoping to shell out billions for the privilege of scooping up T-Mobile's US branch; according to the Wall Street Journal, a French company called Iliad wants in on the action as well. Iliad, which owns a mobile operator in France known as Free, recently made a bid to counter the reported $32 billion offer T-Mobile is already entertaining with Sprint's parent company Softbank. The terms of the deal are unknown, and it's unclear how Iliad can pay for such a transaction, since its market value of $16 billion is merely half of what Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son is putting on the table.
With Qi wireless charging, you'll soon be able to charge your device from a short distance
It's becoming more and more common to find mobile devices with wireless charging capability, either as a built-in feature or integrated into third-party cases. Progress has been somewhat hampered, however, by the fact that no universally adopted standard is available. Of the three major groups trying to corner the market, Qi -- a standard created by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) -- has arguably been the most successful at courting manufacturers and carriers (over 200 have signed up so far). The problem is, its abilities have been limited because it only uses a method called inductive charging; in other words, you can power up your smartphone as long as it's sitting on a charging pad. Wireless, sure, but it's still only marginally more convenient than simply plugging the handset in. Fortunately, Qi's adding some crucial functionality later this year that will allow you to charge your device from nearly two inches away.
Microsoft's latest Windows Phone update expands Cortana to more countries
More than three months after the first builds of Windows Phone 8.1 hit the scene, Microsoft is ready to tick more features off the to-do list with the OS's first refresh. Known aptly as Update 1, the download will be available as a developer preview starting next week. Understandably, Cortana is on the top of the release notes, because the beta program will officially expand to the UK and China as promised in April. This means users in both countries can enjoy different voices and more localized options, such as air quality info (in China specifically), local celebrities, specialized suggestions and commute times. Additionally, the Chinese version supports Mandarin and comes with unique animations, sounds and other visual features.
Twitter's active user growth continued to improve this quarter
One of Twitter's primary concerns is that the number of active users -- those who use the network at least once a month -- continues to grow at a healthy pace, and its latest quarterly earnings confirm that the social network has been eating its vegetables. After reporting a solid growth of 14 million active users last quarter, the service brought in 16 million this time around, reaching a grand total of 271 million. This is an increase of 6.3 percent, which is an improvement over last quarter's 5.8 percent (though not quite as good as the ten percent growth the company saw a year ago). Not bad, given that it had to admit a slowing number of new users earlier this year in its first earnings report as an IPO. Of this number, Twitter acknowledged that 78 percent of them are actively using the service on mobile devices (this is reflected in the fact that 81 percent of advertising revenue comes from smartphones and tablets).
Here's what the phone unlocking bill means, and how it affects our future
Getting Democrats and Republicans to pass an act of Congress is the exception more than the rule. But if there's one thing both sides of the aisle can agree on, it's that the US policy for unlocking phones is backwards. Early last year, it became illegal to unlock your handset for use on other carriers unless your provider directly gives you the permission to do so. Thanks to moves from the Senate and House this month, legislation to remove this restriction is just a presidential signature away from passing; it's not a permanent solution, but at least it's a step in the right direction for consumer freedom.
Amazon Fire phone review: a unique device, but you're better off waiting for the sequel
After producing a long line of e-book readers and tablets (not to mention a set-top box), Amazon has its sights set on the smartphone market. But finding success here won't be easy, even for an established tech giant like Amazon. With the Fire phone, the online retailer is coming in as an unproven underdog, hoping to bring iPhone and Android users into its fold. CEO Jeff Bezos says the only way to do that is to differentiate; to wow potential buyers with new features they didn't even realize they needed. These unique offerings include 3D head-tracking, product scanning and fast help from customer service agents.
In and out: a look at HTC's two-year executive exodus
If you get offered a high-level position with HTC, run. At least, that's the reputation the Taiwan-based manufacturer has unfortunately built over the last two years. Since 2012, no fewer than 22 members of its senior management have left the company. Some took off for personal reasons; others faced criminal charges; and still others moved on to different companies. Many of these exits have been attributed to HTC's state of health, as the smartphone (and soon to be smartwatch) maker has made costly mistakes and experienced a string of decreasing profits stretching back to the end of 2011. Let's take a look at each major departure from the beginning until the present day.