Mobile World Congress 2015, Day One: SAMSUNG, LG, HTC, WHY?

Mobile World Congress 2015 is arguably one of my favorite trade shows of the year, along with CES. New mobile devices are being flaunted here and there, major corporations are making risky bets and mistakes...

Yeah, it's that time of year again. Prepare yourselves for snark, confusion, and the ever-present question:

WHY? JUST, WHY?

The Fight with APUSH and Oklahoma

As a high school student, I had the honor of taking three different AP courses and one dual-credit course to count for college credit. These four college level courses helped me not only earn credit to move up from certain classes, but also prepared me for the intense studying I had to do for college.

However, with new changes to the AP United States History curriculum (lovingly nicknamed APUSH), many people are getting mad. Lawmakers are scrambling to either ban the course, cut funding for it, or change up the course to better fit what they think needs to be put in it.

Everyone. Calm down. We can fix this rationally. Both sides are at fault.

Nvidia Shield Tablet vs. Razer Forge TV: Battle of the Android Gaming Devices

Gaming and the Android mobile OS used to seem like a pair of odd bedfellows when it comes down to the mobile gaming movement, particularly on phones. Tablets, however, seem to get some more love; take the Nvidia SHIELD Tablet, for example. At a $300 starting price tag, you get a tablet with a stylus that not only features a top-of-the mobile processor with the Tegra K1, you also get the ability to play PC-quality games on it either through its GRID gaming service or through streaming games from your own gaming PC. However, the Razer Forge TV has come up as a challenge at $100, offering the same streaming feature for less yet sacrificing mobility; it's a TV set-top box running Android TV. The question is, which one is better for you?

The Internet of Things Explained

It's one of the hottest growing trends in consumer tech, and yet the term used to describe it is confusing yet equally all-encompassing. It's been a major topic at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and it's becoming a device category that will become more and more talked about in the coming months. What does it really mean to understand the Internet of Things? What exactly is the Internet of Things?

BREAKING NEWS: My generation is NOT spoiled (mostly)

I'd first like to start off this post with a cartoon from Cagle.com:

Tablets, tablets, tablets: what to look for when buying this season

'Tis the season to buy stuff for Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Festivus/etcetera! One popular tech toy that you or your loved ones may be asking for is a tablet, which is certainly a handy piece of equipment for games, notes, reading, and media. Tablets are basically oversized phones, but many do not have the capability to make calls or texts. 

Nokia's N1 tablet flips a rather obscene gesture at Microsoft

Per their arrangement, when Microsoft acquired Nokia's mobile phone division, Nokia can't sell mobile phones anymore. Nokia no longer can make handsets with Microsoft's still-struggling Windows Phone platform, nor will they.

But that doesn't mean they can't do other things to get at Microsoft. And they did just that today.

Meet the Nokia N1 tablet, dear readers.

Matthew to Samsung: You're (almost) literally the devil

Where do I even begin with Samsung? I'm in an almost love-hate relationship with you, you stubborn manufacturer, you.

A call for openness, stability, and features.

Recently, Google put the LG G Watch R up for sale via the Google Play store at a whopping $300. The G Watch R is another round-faced smartwatch like the Moto 360, but it doesn't have the issue of the awkward black bar at the bottom of the face and looks just as slick. However, it still doesn't quite appeal to me in terms of functionality.

Nexus 6 and 9: Why Pure Android Devices are so, SO important

It's been a few weeks since Google announced the Nexus 6 and 9, the newest devices in Google's Nexus family of devices, running the next generation of Android, 5.0- Lollipop. The Nexus 6 marks Google's first phablet with a 6 inch screen, and the 9, made by HTC, is HTC's first tablet in years and marks its coming full circle with Android since the Nexus One. But there's more to take from these devices than just what they mean to the companies. The real question is: why are these devices important to consumers? What makes the Nexus family so important as Android devices?

State of the Smartwatch: Moving to independence may not be all that good

The smartwatch landscape is changing, ever so quickly. We started with square designs, and now manufacturers are making traditionally round-faced devices to behold (or, maybe, be-wrist?).

Dear parents: let your children read Harry Potter

One of the courses that I'm taking this semester is a study of the work of C.S. Lewis, and the class recently concluded reading the first book of The Space Trilogy, Out of the Silent Planet. To sum up the book, a professor named Ransom is kidnapped by two men and whisked away into space, eventually landing on a planet named Malecandra.

Apple finally did one thing right...and another thing absolutely wrong...and are using Google's tricks as usual

Yes, yes, I'm referring to Apple's announcement of the Apple Watch, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Yes, I am absolutely going to criticize Apple in this post. Apple diehard fanboys and fangirls, leave this blog now because I am 100% sure that I will offend you.

Samsung, Samsung, LG....huh

First things first, I'm definitely not gone. I've simply been busy getting back in the grind for school this week and finishing off my internship two weeks ago and band camp last week and...*wheeze*

Anyway, I'm back!

And I'm going to get uber critical with Samsung and LG.

Samsung Gear 2 Neo review: useful and natural tech for a decent price

I've spent a few days now with my new Samsung Gear 2 Neo. Opening my little brown box from Amazon had me smiling and wide-eyed as I held the even smaller faux bamboo box that held my Gear 2 Neo safely inside it. Now, I'm still just as happy to have it and I've found that the little orange watch on my wrist is the perfect companion for my Galaxy S4. 

Matthew to Samsung: You win this round. And possibly the next few.

So I did it. I decided to go with the Gear 2 Neo in Wild Orange. Ordered it on Sunday and it'll be on my doorstep by tomorrow night. WHEEEEEEEE!!

Settling the Dust

99.99% of the time you'll see me post technology news or opinions on here, though you'll sometimes see other posts. I'll probably post more about the ASL song translations I'm working on or why I'm doing better with an online summer Spanish course from my local junior college than I did in high school. But rarely do you hear me talk about more somber topics, and yet this has been bugging at me for a week now and I need to get it off of my chest.

GREAT GOOGLES, BATMAN!

Google has had a serious case of no chill within the past 24 hours. Shots have been fired 
today at the I/O Conference and all the cannons just won't stop reloading and firing. Here's the skinny on today's conference:

Sammy, you never fail to surprise me

According to the lovely folks of CNET, Samsung will be releasing an Android Wear smartwatch at this week's Google I/O conference, joining LG and Motorola with their offerings.

Amazon Fire Phone: The Smartphone War just got even more heated

Amazon, you finally freaking did it.

After mild successes with the Kindle Fire family of tablets, you finally developed a smartphone. It took you a little while, but I am thoroughly impressed.

Today, Amazon revealed the Fire Phone, the first smartphone from the company famous for its shipping services and Kindle family of e-readers and tablets. Let me tell you, she looks like a beauty.