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So What Exactly is a Retina Display Anyway?

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Apple likes to tout its "Retina display" as the most advanced technology available; and maybe it is!  But do you know what it actually means?

Well, according to the Apple website....

The Retina display uses technology called IPS (in-plane switching) — found in both their new iPad and the iPhone 4S — to achieve a wider viewing angle than on typical LCDs. Which means users can hold iPhone almost any way they want and still get a brilliant picture. That’s perfect when sharing photos with a friend or moving the iPhone around while playing a driving or flying game. In addition, the Retina display offers four times the contrast ratio of previous displays, so whites are brighter, blacks are darker, and everything is more vivid.

Made from the same materials used in helicopters and high-speed trains, the Retina display glass is chemically strengthened to be harder, more scratch resistant, and more durable than ever. The glass also features an oil-resistant coating that helps keep the screen clean.

The Retina display includes LED backlighting and an ambient light sensor that intelligently adjusts the brightness of the screen for optimal viewing and battery life. When the iPhone is lifted to your ear for a phone call, a proximity sensor immediately turns off the display to save power and prevent accidental dialing.

Thanks to the Retina display, everything you see and do on Apple products using this technology looks amazing. That’s because the Retina display’s pixel density is so high, your eye is unable to distinguish individual pixels. Which means text in books, web pages, and email is crisp at any size. Images in games, movies, and photos pop off the screen. And everything is sharper.

By developing pixels a mere 78 micrometers wide, Apple engineers were able to pack four times the number of pixels into the 3.5-inch (diagonal) screen found on iPhone 4S and iPhone 4. The resulting pixel density — 326 pixels per inch — makes text and graphics look smooth and continuous at any size.

 

Everything That's Old is New Again... Even in the Fickle World of Electronics!

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Before the introduction of transistors in the 1950s, electronic amplifiers used vacuum tubes (known in Great Britain as "valves"). By the 1960s, solid state (transistorized) amplification had become more common because of its smaller size, lighter weight, lower heat production, and improved reliability. Tube amplifiers have, however, retained a loyal following among many audiophiles and musicians. Some tube designs command very high prices, and tube amplifiers have been going through a revival since Chinese and Russian markets have opened to global trade — in fact, vacuum tube production never went out of vogue in these countries.  Today, high end companies like Audio Research, Conrad Johnson and McIntosh continue to provide premium tube based amplifcation (and even tube based CD players!) to their rabidly dedicated consumers.

Audiophiles disagree on the relative merits of tube and solid state amplification. Some prefer the sound produced with tube amplifiers on the grounds that it is more natural and satisfying than the sound from typical transistor amplifiers. Those who subscribe to measurement and scientifically-based approaches to high fidelity note that, in general, solid state designs can be manufactured without output transformers, and are therefore immune to speaker-dependent impedance mismatches and other transformer effects which can impact the system's sound quality. Typically, in sound reproduction systems, accurate reproduction of the sound of the original recording is the goal; distortion and uneven response within the audible frequency band is something designers deliberately seek not to introduce.

iPhone 5 Official Release Date Pegged as August 7

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It's been close to a year since iPhone 4S with Siri made its debut, and on July 13, website knowyourmobile.com quoted an anonymous but "reliable industry source" that the official launch of the iPhone 5 will be Tuesday, August 7. The new version is widely expected to run on the new iOS 6 and its wealth of improvements intended to battle Microsoft's Windows 8 phone and Google's Jelly Bean 4.1.

That being said, what's the competition looking like for savvy consumer's like you? Here's a quick rundown on the best smartphones to counter Apple's dominance.

HTC One X

HTC’s One X, which we reviewed in an earlier blog, is categorically one of the best smartphones you can buy today – and by best we mean stunning to look at, as fast as anything and boasting an array of unique features. One of the biggest draws of the One X is the humungous battery that keeps the thing running all day, regardless of what your throw at it. Also, its camera may fall in just behind that of the iPhone 4S, but we would argue is still the very best of any Android device – period. The One X continues to carry the torch for HTC and the AT&T network, having set a new standard like never before.

Samsung Galaxy S3

The Samsung Galaxy S3 is nothing less than the poster-child of everything an Android smartphone can be in 2012. It basically takes each and every lesson learned over the course of Samsung’s history and delivers a package that is almost impossible to poke holes in. However, if you’re really adamant on criticizing the S3, it would be fair to say that it isn’t exactly the complete and total iPhone 4S-killer many had pre-dubbed it to be, nor is it strikingly better than the HTC One X.

Nokia Lumia 900

One of the saddest stories of 2012 so far is that Nokia sacrificed the quest for raw-power and epic-specs to instead build a smartphone specifically around its Windows Phone OS. Unfortunately, its generous performance, wonderful looks, super functionality and truly worthy operating system somehow added up to a package that nobody wanted – or at least that none wanted more than an iPhone or Android device. Worse still, Windows Phone 8 could have easily breathed new life into the 900, though was revealed by Microsoft as being incompatible with existing devices. As such, the best the Lumia 900 can hope for is a spot somewhere in the budget ranks and will not be classed even in the same league as the iPhone 5.

Samsung Galaxy Note

When the Samsung Galaxy Note was first announced last year, it was met with equal parts excitement and bewilderment. After all, did we really need a tablet/smartphone hybrid gap filler? Need one or not we got one, which went on to be a success story across many of the world’s major markets where it still plays a key role today. For its chances again the iPhone 5 however, we doubt that the Galaxy Note will ever be taken seriously enough to compete with any truly top-end Smartphone – it is just too big! It performs like a dream and is marvelously functional, but the very idea of a smartphone is that it fits in a standard pocket – the Note does not.

As always, we will vote with our wallets, and as inferior designs (and sometimes wonderful ones) get shaken out of the race, new devices move in and take over. It's shaping up to be an exciting summer.

The Rastaman Lives On.... With His Own Line of Personal Electronics!

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We've all seen Bob Marley's timeless image on t-shirts, energy drinks, posters and movies.... so why not a Marley themed line of electronics?

The newly launched "House of Marley" series of portable electonics claims that they are offering products made the right way.  Bob Marley was considered to be the master craftsman of reggae music, and the HOM is aiming for the same peak of excellence in everything they make. Their website says that their mission statement is to ensure that the music they love is heard like it was intended to be heard.

Their products feature the Marley "Signature" sound, incorporating more than 30 years of audio expertise into the design of their headphones (in-ear, on-ear and over-ear) and iPod docks. It is the goal of the HOM to produce audio products with smooth, powerful bass, mids with stunning presence, and an energized high-end that brings songs to life. Each product undergoes custom tuning for its particular size, shape and material.

HOM products are also made with environmental accountability in mind.  The website claims to "use natural, earth-friendly and renewable materials in our products and packaging, such as sustainably sourced, FSC-certified woods, organic cotton and recyclable aluminum.  We take responsibility for the impact our products and actions have on the planet. That way our children, and our children's children, can feel the joy of a beautiful earth."  Sounds a lot like the same environmentally friendly approach that we at Secure Trade-In adhere to every day!

For more information visit www.thehouseofmarley.com.

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Struggling Best Buy Tries to Reinvent Itself

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Details of Best Buy’s recently announced "Connected Store" format evoke a lot of what Apple has done with its stores, especially the focus on customer service.

The main feature of the new store format is a “central knowledge desk,” which very much resembles the Genius Bar in Apple stores.

Best Buy says the new store format is part of an overall transformation strategy to drive sales and profit growth for the company. Other aspects of the plan include enhancing the company’s online store, closing underperforming big-box stores, opening more small-footprint Best Buy Mobile stores and expanding in China.

Best Buy announced the radical new strategy in response to continued disappointing fiscal results. Analysts say Best Buy needed to make the changes to better compete with e-commerce leader Amazon, discounters like Costco and the retail stores of top brand Apple.

Best Buy plans to open two locations with the Connected Store format this year, one in the Minneapolis area in the fall and another in the San Antonio area by the holiday season. The format is based on pilot stores tested in 2010 and 2011.

Connected Stores are remodeled Best Buy big-box stores that focus on selling “connections” or services along with hardware sales. This includes mobile phone service and video and broadband data services.

The new stores also will feature an expanded Geek Squad services area and store checkout enhanced for multichannel shopping, such as in-store pickup for online purchases.

Living with iPhone, Lusting for Nexus

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In a recent and well-reasoned comparison worth reading on Lockergnome.com, blogger Matthew Pierson expressed something many long term iPhone users may have wondered about: What's Android really like? And, more provocatively for Apple devotees, might there be compelling reasons to make the switch?

 

Pierson's primary motivation for the switch is the fact that with upcoming iOS 6, neither his current iPhone 4 or iPad 2 will be getting Siri, the vaunted voice assistant. 

 

"Frankly," he writes, "I feel as though Apple is doing everything in its power to push its latest hardware and impose a premature obsolescence on devices that are hardly a year old." Ouch.

 

The alternative? Pierson decided to spend $350 to purchase an unlocked Nexus Galaxy directly from Google, a huge savings over an equivalent iPhone 4S at around $600 or more sans contract. Having had our own bone to pick recently with AT&T over questionable up-charges on data use, we are definitely thinking single vs. married life has some advantages.

 

Writes Pierson: "Perhaps the biggest reason for making the switch are the long-term costs involved. A contract would lock me in to a capped data and minute plan for two years. During those two years, I’d be subjected to terms and conditions changes which may or may not meet my needs as a customer. I could move, and the new location may also have a difficult time connecting to a specific carrier, leaving me without a proper signal in my own home." 

 

Then, back to the hardware itself. The Nexus display is a whopping 4.65″ 1280×720 screen that has a slight curve to it so it doesn’t feel like a giant flat surface against your face. Even the PPI (315 pixels per inch) is almost on-par with what Apple boasts as a Retina display. The iPhone has also been giving some of us serious doubts in the battery department. For Pierson,  the battery seems to drain faster than he can charge it, and he's resorted to using a JuicePack to keep it charged throughout the day. Meanwhile, you can buy an extra battery for the Galaxy Nexus and have a full day’s worth of charge without sacrificing its slim case.

 

With Android running the latest operating system in Jelly Bean 4.1, there seems to be credible reasoning in moving away from an iPhone. So, there you have it. Thankfully for consumers, there is a vigorous amount of competition in mobile platforms, and we can expect continued innovation in smart phone development. While we all wait with bated breath for what is expected to be an amazing iPhone upgrade this fall, it's good to know there are solid alternatives out there that can also save us a lot of money.

 

Read the entire blog post on this subject at http://bit.ly/PeFSYg

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Sennheiser Launches HD 700 Headphones

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For decades now, Sennheiser has been one of the world's leading producers of audio reproduction devices like headphones, ear buds and microphones.  The company recently announced the launch of another of their premium products - HD 700 stereo headphones.  This new line is said to offer the performance of their elite products but at roughly half the cost.  The list price of the HD 700 is currently $999, but it is common to see prices discounted within a few weeks or months after a new product is launched.

Beginning with an angled transducer, the 700 angles sound to mimic the positioning of a set of reference monitors. This, in tandem with the DuoFol diaphragm, provides a wide sound stage with ultra-fast response and rest times. Additionally, according to their website, Sennheiser's acoustic team used the HD 700 project as motivation to obtain a cleaner, purer sound in unconventional ways; thus the patent-pending ventilated magnet system was born. By venting the magnet laying behind the diaphragm, airflow was properly managed and overall turbulence was minimized. This advancement did not add to the sound- but subtracted an artifact from it. The result is said to be purity in sound.

Borrowing a design cue from the flagship Sennheiser HD 800, the HD 700 also utilizes a vibration damping frame - strategic layering of materials to aide in eliminating unwanted resonances from entering the acoustic chamber. These technologies lead to the warm, detailed, balanced and utterly revealing sonic signature that is demanded by the audiophile purist.

Motorola Unveils a Taste of ATRIX HD

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Have you been waiting for the newest Motorola smartphone to hit the market? Motorola piqued the market's interest when it posted information about its latest project in the ATRIX series. Although the information was only available temporarily, full specs and dimensions reveal some insight into the new device.

Similar in shape and function to Verizon's Razr - the ATRIX HD appears to be heading for the AT&T lineup when released. This sporty-looking phone has a slim compact body that is constructed of Kevlar and promises to be sturdy enough to keep up with the most athletic owners. Corning Gorilla glass was used to create the large ColorBoost display screen.

Users can expect 8 gigabytes of internal memory and up to 32 gigabytes extra with additional SD cards. This dual camera phone has a 4 1/2 inch screen and 4G LTE speed and connectivity. And of course, Goggle Apps and Motorola Smart Actions are available for downloading.

The phone runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) operating system with Motorola's customized interface. Additionally, it is expected to be compatible with the other Webtop gadgets and accessories already out there.

People have been waiting a long time for the new phone to hit the market. The advance information is great, but what was most anticipated was left out. There was no indication of a release date or the price for the ATRIX HD. Consumers will have to continue to wait for more details or an official press release.

Are you thinking about selling a used cellphone when you buy your new ATRIX HD? If you are concerned about personal data stored in your phone there are ways to ensure that data is protected by totally eliminating everything stored in a phone's memory.

Secure Trade-In offers several advantages for people who are selling a used cellphone. We have been around for a long time and have an excellent reputation for protecting your data. We recycle everything and customers can expect payment within two weeks of shipping.

Parrot Zik: Starckly Different Headphones

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At $400 a pair, the oddly named wireless Parrot Zik headphones by renowned international industrial design guru Philip Starck are nothing special in one sense and rather revolutionary in another.

 

The feature that makes the biggest immediate impression is the touch-sensitive panel covering the entire outer surface of the right ear cup. Like an iPad, you can control the headphones using touch gestures: swipe a finger up and down to adjust the volume, or swipe from side-to-side to go back and forth between songs. A tap pauses the music, another starts it back up again. A tap is also used to answer an incoming call or to hang up.

 

There’s also an accelerometer — slide the headphones off, and your music stops automatically. Lift them back onto your ears, and the music starts up again. This works about 95 percent of the time. In tests, the music sometimes didn’t pause when users slid the headphones down around the neck, though it always started up again when they put them back on.

 

Run these puppies via Bluetooth--an NFC chip in the left ear cup  simplifies pairing, and when you tap an NFC-enabled (Near Field Communications)  smartphone against the headset, you'll get an on-screen prompt to complete the hookup.

Two big microphones, one on the outside of each can, are used for noise-canceling. There are three other smaller mics on the undersides of the cups for talking on the phone, but they also aid in noise-canceling when you’re on a call. Finally, there’s a bone-conducting mic sewn into one of the ear pads. It lines up with your jaw, detecting vibrations so the headphones can interpret what’s your voice and what’s not, further aiding the noise-canceling.

 

But what about the sound?

 

For the money, what you get isn't extraordinary performance, though it's certainly on par with what you'd expect…or perhaps a bit less. The insides are fairly standard: a pair of 40-millimeter Neodymium drivers rated at 32 ohms. They’re plenty loud and punchy, but the Zik’s aren’t as lively or vibrant as many audiophile headphones — even pairs that cost hundreds less, like the B&W P5s ($300), or the trusty ATH-M50s ($140). Granted, the Ziks being wireless, noise-canceling Bluetooth headphones, they can’t be expected to deliver the goods as sharply and cleanly as their hard-wired siblings. But, the bass response became gummy at higher volumes, and the noise-canceling feature generated a discernible level of hiss for many testers.

 

These babies are also on the heavy side (12.4 ounces), but are comfortable to wear. Active noise-canceling requires a battery, and the Zik's have a replaceable 800mAh cell that recharges over microUSB.  The battery lasts about eight hours between charges if you talk on the phone a lot, and over twenty hours if all you’re doing is listening to music. When the battery dies, you can connect the included cable and keep listening, though you won’t get any of the fancy touch or NC features.

 

Verdict: Pretty doggone cool. These phones feel like they came from the future. $400 is on the high side, but for the geek factor there's nothing quite like them out there.

Convergence?

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Life used to be less complicated. A computer was a magical box that sat on the floor or on your desk. Now, they are in our pocket or backpack and go wherever we go. As technology puts more power and features into smaller packages, will we see the merging of tablet devices and smartphones? That depends on how you view the purpose of each device.

Smartphones are one of the most important devices a person carries with them. They are becoming as powerful as our old laptops and allow us to access email, send instant messages, view and edit documents, and browse the Internet. Not to mention the traditional service of making phone calls.

Tablets do all of those things as well. The question really is, how large can a smartphone be while remaining an portable device you can carry anywhere and how small can a tablet be while still functioning as well as a laptop or home computer?

Spending hours typing an article or doing Internet research on a smartphone is inefficient. The screen size of the tablet makes it the preferred device for those activities. Adding the components to a tablet to make calls sounds good, but the tablet is too big to carry in your pocket or purse. Reduce the size to make it easier to carry and you defeat its primary purpose, typing and browsing.

These devices have very likely reached an ideal size to match their primary functions, even though there is some overlap. An alternative approach may be to interface these devices, while maintaining what they do best. Cloud storage applications like SkyDrive and Dropbox help make this possible. Files maintained on the smartphone or tablet are available to both devices allowing them each to have access to the same information. Cloud computing can also allow access to the same apps.

Someone will likely debut an all-in-one device one day. Like many multifunction devices, it will do a lot of things just OK. But there will be compromises to get it all into one package.

If you're looking to upgrade to a new tablet or smartphone, there's always a question of what to do with your old devices. Who buys used cell phones and tablets these days? Secure Trade-In is where to sell your iPhone, tablets or other mobile devices. We scrub personal information from and repurpose the phone, keeping them out of landfills.