http://www.ecoustics.com Consumer electronics reviews and tech news Fri, 24 May 2013 19:31:54 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 http://www.ecoustics.com/reviews/sony-xperia-zl-2/ http://www.ecoustics.com/reviews/sony-xperia-zl-2/#comments Fri, 24 May 2013 18:00:50 +0000 Digital Trends http://www.ecoustics.com/uncategorized/sony-xperia-zl-2/ The Sony Xperia ZL has a few minor issues, but if you can put up with odd button placement and vibration, this is a solid unlocked phone. (7 out of 10) Pros Simple and attractive design Light and narrow enough for one-handed use Lots of customization and personalization in the UI Easily connects to other [...]]]> http://www.ecoustics.com/reviews/sony-xperia-zl-2/feed/ 0 http://www.ecoustics.com/news/apple-elegant-iphone-5-music/ http://www.ecoustics.com/news/apple-elegant-iphone-5-music/#comments Fri, 24 May 2013 16:18:00 +0000 PC Magazine http://www.ecoustics.com/uncategorized/apple-elegant-iphone-5-music/ The proof that the smartphone market is currently in its Golden Age is apparent in the clever and plentiful television commercials currently being aired by smartphone makers. Yet they all seem to have one thing in common, regardless of the company making them—Apple. From Samsung’s spots that profile iPhone users as old to the Windows [...]]]> http://www.ecoustics.com/news/apple-elegant-iphone-5-music/feed/ 0 http://www.ecoustics.com/reviews/sony-xperia-sp/ http://www.ecoustics.com/reviews/sony-xperia-sp/#comments Fri, 24 May 2013 15:28:00 +0000 TechRadar http://www.ecoustics.com/uncategorized/sony-xperia-sp/ The market for mid-level handsets is exploding, and manufacturers are hurrying to offer even more choice for those on a stricter budget, so the Xperia SP brings a mid-range price with a lot of technology borrowed from its bigger, Xperia Z, brother. Sony has been busy since the split from Ericsson and has put [...]]]> http://www.ecoustics.com/reviews/sony-xperia-sp/feed/ 0 http://www.ecoustics.com/reviews/archos-80-titanium/ http://www.ecoustics.com/reviews/archos-80-titanium/#comments Fri, 24 May 2013 15:15:00 +0000 TechRadar http://www.ecoustics.com/uncategorized/archos-80-titanium/ With the iPad mini selling for a mighty £269 (US$329, AU$369) despite its small size, it was never going to be long until those responsible for 2012′s slew of 10-inch iPad beaters turned their attentions to Apple’s newest, smallest pad. In truth the likes of Archos, Acer and Samsung were almost certainly working on [...]]]> http://www.ecoustics.com/reviews/archos-80-titanium/feed/ 0 http://www.ecoustics.com/reviews/canon-powershot-sx280-hs-3/ http://www.ecoustics.com/reviews/canon-powershot-sx280-hs-3/#comments Fri, 24 May 2013 13:42:00 +0000 TechRadar http://www.ecoustics.com/uncategorized/canon-powershot-sx280-hs-3/ The travel camera segment of the compact camera market is continuing to do well against a general backdrop of declining sales. These cameras can offer significantly more than the average compact camera, especially in terms of zoom capability. The Canon PowerShot SX280 HS – or Canon SX280 for short – replaces the Canon SX260. [...]]]> http://www.ecoustics.com/reviews/canon-powershot-sx280-hs-3/feed/ 0 http://www.ecoustics.com/reviews/nokia-lumia-928-2/ http://www.ecoustics.com/reviews/nokia-lumia-928-2/#comments Fri, 24 May 2013 05:00:16 +0000 Digital Trends http://www.ecoustics.com/uncategorized/nokia-lumia-928-2/ The Lumia 928 is one of the best Windows Phones. Though it’s hampered by Microsoft’s smaller app ecosystem, at $100, it’s a great buy if you use Verizon. (7 out of 10) Pros Vivid AMOLED screen Great exclusive apps Solid rear camera Cons Windows Phone lacks certain apps Windows Phone still has some quirks Battery [...]]]> http://www.ecoustics.com/reviews/nokia-lumia-928-2/feed/ 0 http://www.ecoustics.com/news/kim-dotcom-claims-invented-two-step/ http://www.ecoustics.com/news/kim-dotcom-claims-invented-two-step/#comments Fri, 24 May 2013 01:50:00 +0000 PC Magazine http://www.ecoustics.com/uncategorized/kim-dotcom-claims-invented-two-step/ Kim Dotcom can reportedly add “creator of two-step authentication” to his résumé along with founding file-sharing site Megaupload. Following Twitter’s recent introduction of a two-factor verification system, Dotcom announced that he in fact invented the process and was awarded a patent for it. Now the embattled Megaupload founder wants a kickback to help pay his [...]]]> http://www.ecoustics.com/news/kim-dotcom-claims-invented-two-step/feed/ 0 http://www.ecoustics.com/news/enormous-5000000-piece-lego-x-wing/ http://www.ecoustics.com/news/enormous-5000000-piece-lego-x-wing/#comments Fri, 24 May 2013 01:34:00 +0000 PC Magazine http://www.ecoustics.com/uncategorized/enormous-5000000-piece-lego-x-wing/ Surrounded by a storm trooper security detail, LEGO unveiled their largest model to date: a 5,335,200 piece Star Wars X-Wing fighter. The model is an astonishing 11 feet tall and 43 feet long with 44-foot wingspan, which means that it’s unlikely to ever be sold in a store near you. However, its inspiration—set #9493 for [...]]]> http://www.ecoustics.com/news/enormous-5000000-piece-lego-x-wing/feed/ 0 http://www.ecoustics.com/articles/deterioration-google-maps/ http://www.ecoustics.com/articles/deterioration-google-maps/#comments Fri, 24 May 2013 01:07:00 +0000 PC Magazine http://www.ecoustics.com/uncategorized/deterioration-google-maps/ Not long ago I wrote a column detailing how I lost a race to an Apple Maps user while I was using Google Maps. A fluke, maybe, but recently I’ve noticed that Google Maps is only getting worse. At Google I/O the company announced some improvements to its Maps, which might actually bring it back [...]]]> http://www.ecoustics.com/articles/deterioration-google-maps/feed/ 0 http://www.ecoustics.com/reviews/canon-powershot-sx280-hs-2/ http://www.ecoustics.com/reviews/canon-powershot-sx280-hs-2/#comments Fri, 24 May 2013 01:00:18 +0000 Digital Trends http://www.ecoustics.com/uncategorized/canon-powershot-sx280-hs-2/ The PowerShot SX280 HS is a powerful point-and-shoot with a strong feature-set, but isn’t without some shortcomings. (7 out of 10) Pros Powerful 20x zoom Sharp images in well-lit/daylight situations Built-in Wi-Fi and GPS Cons Poor placement of built-in flash Noisy at high ISO settings As much as we hate harping on the fact [...]]]> http://www.ecoustics.com/reviews/canon-powershot-sx280-hs-2/feed/ 0