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Reasons why the Amazon Fire Phone Failed

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On July 25th of 2014, Amazon took a major leap of faith with their entry into the mobile phone market with the Amazon Fire Phone. This was an Android Phone that was completely devoid of Google’s Application Ecosystem. This AT&T exclusive phone was released and failed to sway users away from existing ecosystems into the new Amazon ecosystem. Despite everything Amazon tried including aggressive price cuts, bundling a year of Amazon Prime, Firesales and unlocking the phone – it still failed to sell. This post will take a close look at the Amazon Fire Phone to try to understand the reason for its failure.

Installing RemixOS to the HTC Nexus 9

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The company Jide Software released a new multi-tasking centric build of Android known as RemixOS. Unlike Android, RemixOS focuses on multi-tasking by allowing you to run applications in a “windowed mode”, similar to a desktop computer. Unfortunately the instructions published on the XDA Developers website and Jide’s own website had several issues that left many (including myself) with a tablet that would not boot. This post will go over the instructions to get RemixOS working on your (Affiliate Link)Nexus 9 (WiFi Only)

OnePlus Two VR Tour Hidden Invite Codes

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OnePlus’s announcement video was a leap forward in product announcements, easily setting the bar higher for other OEM manufactures. Due to several product leaks, we already knew quite a bit about the OnePlus Two prior to the livestream. What did surprise me however was the fact the OnePlus seemed to hide several invite codes all over the livestream for wandering eyes to find, essentially creating a geek filled Easter Egg Hunt. It is worth noting that all of these have been claimed. I managed to capture a screenshot of several of them.

Why Samsung Needs To Build A 2015 Nexus 10

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In the weeks leading to Google I/O, it is not uncommon for Android Fanboys to let their imaginations go wild when it comes to guessing the latest hardware that Google will release in the upcoming year, if any. Back in 2014, Google took a gamble on partnering up with HTC to release the Nexus 9. The Nexus 9 was a very nontraditional Android Tablet and many Android fans will agree that while it did have a lot of positive attributes, it failed to reach the market share that Google wanted. Here are the reasons that I personally feel that Google should work with Samsung to build the next generation of Nexus 10 tablet.

Thoughts on Google’s Project Fi

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Rumors of a Google sponsored cell phone service have been around since the launch of the HTC Dream in 2008. These rumors were accelerated with Google purchasing the VoIP provider Grand Central less then a year later (later re-branded to Google Voice). Google Voice had an amazing launch but later became a barren wasteland which failed to receive the attention it deserved, many felt their dreams of a Google phone service slowly die a painful death. Google Voice eventually became integrated with Google Hangouts which helped to jumpstart its use. Finally, on April 22nd of 2015, Google was ready to show off Project Fi, the first Google MVNO. Here are my thoughts

A Review of the Google Nexus Player

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Over the years, I have amassed a large collection of Google Home Entertainment products including several Google TV set-top boxes and a handful of Google Chromecasts. Google made a somewhat expected announcement late last year that they would discontinue the Google TV system and at the same time announced the successor, Android TV. I managed to pick up a Nexus Player about a month ago and spent the past few weeks kicking the tires. Here is my review of both the Nexus Player and Android TV.

Google in the Home Entertainment Market

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It should not come as a shock that I am a huge Android Fanboy who is often an early adopter of the the latest offerings from Mountain View however I will also be the first to admit that Google has often failed miserably in capturing a fair share of the Home Entertainment market. Google’s “Google TV” platform was in many ways ahead of its time but in other ways but in other ways suffered from some serious problems such complicated controls and a lack of OTA upgrades. With the release of the Nexus Player last year, has Google made a comeback?

A Guide To Selling Your Old Android Devices

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I tend to get very attached to my Android devices although I do not like to part ways with my devices, I would rather have them being appreciated by others rather then collecting dust on my bookshelf. I have sold my fair share of Android Devices over the past few months and have put together a comprehensive guide to selling your old phones and tablets.

A Crash Course in Android Security

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I spend a lot of time online reading technical and security websites and am often baffled on the amount of misinformation I keep seeing. Several of these websites seem to promote several different third party products and services that are not really necessary in most cases. This is a modern version of the old defunct argument for Android Task Killers. Instead of promoting any third party products, lets look at three practical Android Security Tips that will keep you safe.

Why I Root

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Rooting an Android Phone is seen as a right of passage to adulthood within the groups I personally associate with. While rooting your Android Phone is not a necessity as we enjoy a lot more freedom than other mobile platforms, rooting does open up a whole new world of possibilities. I am encouraging all Android Users to share the reasons why they root on their favorite social media sites with the hashtag “#WhyIRoot”. Here are the reasons that I personally root my devices.