Jawbones - not a Bluetooth headset, but a cool construction toy

. Are your kids (or maybe yourself) bored with LEGO. Tired of TinkerToys. Do they even make TinkerToys anymore. Here's an alternative construction toy system that I just discovered. They are called Jawbones and they feature pieces that swivel, ratchet and snap together in all sorts of creative ways. They are billing it as The Buildable Art System and Jawbones sets are available in 12 – 500 piece sets.

The Gadgeteer , Jawbones - not a Bluetooth headset, but a cool construction toy, Jawbones - not a Bluetooth headset, but a cool construction toy

Alcatel One Touch Idol S and Idol Mini go official

Alcatel has extended its collection of smartphones with the introduction of One Touch Idol S and One Touch Idol Mini. Both the devices come with a compact design along with a slim profile. The Idol S is the slimmer of the two with its profile measuring just 7.4mm, while the Idol Mini is also very slender at 7.9mm. The highlights of the Alcatel Idol S include a 4.7-inch IPS display with a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels.


GSM Arena , Alcatel One Touch Idol S and Idol Mini go official, Alcatel One Touch Idol S and Idol Mini go official

ZF announces new GenShock energy-recovery suspension

It's only a matter of time before cars' suspensions become a part of the electric power-regeneration process (similar to regenerative braking), and that time is coming very soon courtesy of ZF Friedrichshafen AG and Levant Power Corp. Levant Power has been developing what it calls GenShock-technology, the first active suspension system with the ability to recapture energy, and ZF has entered a partnership with the Massachusetts-based company to build it. The active dampers employ a new type of valve technology to regulate the flow of oil in the shocks, which is the basis for the active and regenerative characteristics.

Autoblog , ZF announces new GenShock energy-recovery suspension, ZF announces new GenShock energy-recovery suspension

The Sound Bar Are A Pair Of Earphones Minus The Speakers

If you're not the sort of person who enjoys putting things in their ear for fear of damaging your hearing, such as earphones, the Sound Band could be the answer to your problems. The idea of the Sound Band is to eliminate the need for earphones, but at the same time allow you to enjoy your music at the same time. For safety reasons it also lets you be aware of your surroundings, such as the noise from cars or people, which might sometimes be deafened through your earphones, especially if you play your music really loud.

Ubergizmo , The Sound Bar Are A Pair Of Earphones Minus The Speakers, The Sound Bar Are A Pair Of Earphones Minus The Speakers

To Compete With Apple And Samsung, Other Manufacturers Should Start Selling A "Lifestyle"

When it comes to smartphones, there are a few brands in the market that are popular, such as Apple, Samsung, HTC, LG, Sony, and Motorola just to name a few, although in all honesty it does feel like the market does belong with Apple and Samsung. Given that companies such as HTC are struggling financially, what can they do to keep themselves relevant. According to the director of GfK's business and technology, Ryan Garner, he believes that these other companies need to stop selling products, and instead sell a lifestyle.

Ubergizmo , To Compete With Apple And Samsung, Other Manufacturers Should Start Selling A "Lifestyle", To Compete With Apple And Samsung, Other Manufacturers Should Start Selling A "Lifestyle"

Microsoft Rumored To Purchase A Stake In Foursquare

With Facebook offering their own "check in" feature, and with Google adding Waze to Google Maps, Microsoft seems to be lagging behind somewhat. However according to a report from Bloomberg, perhaps Microsoft won't be lagging behind for too long as the Redmond company is reportedly looking to purchase a stake in Foursquare. It does not appear to be a full on acquisition, but it is unknown as to how big of a stake Microsoft is interested in. Naturally neither Microsoft nor Foursquare has commented on the rumor, but word has it that the talks are in a somewhat advanced stage, a deal has yet to be finalized.

Ubergizmo , Microsoft Rumored To Purchase A Stake In Foursquare, Microsoft Rumored To Purchase A Stake In Foursquare

Microsoft Details How They Guard Against Malware On Windows Phone

According to our earlier report, the US government has found in a study of their own that about 80% of malware targets the Android operating system, about 0.7% for iOS, and 0.3% for Windows Mobile. Given that the Windows Phone operating system is not as popular compared to Android, we guess malware creators don't see a need to target the operating system, yet, but we expect a day will come when those numbers rise. In the meantime to assuage the fear of Windows Phone users, Microsoft has detailed how they will go about preventing malware from arriving on their Windows Phone platform.

Ubergizmo , Microsoft Details How They Guard Against Malware On Windows Phone

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, Microsoft Details How They Guard Against Malware On Windows Phone

Sony Xperia Z1 High Quality Spyshot Spotted

It will not be too long before the Sony Xperia Z1 (also known as the L39h if model numbers are your cup of tea) will be unveiled in an official manner, so in the meantime, you can be sure that there will be quite a fair number of leaks before the device's official release judging by the kind of seemingly loose security that companies seem to have these days. Having said that, if you cannot get enough of the Sony Xperia Z1, which has been endearingly called the Sony Honami for the longest time already, here we are with what seems to be the most detailed and clearest shot of the Sony Xperia Z1 to date.

Ubergizmo , Sony Xperia Z1 High Quality Spyshot Spotted, Sony Xperia Z1 High Quality Spyshot Spotted

IDC: Micromax close to overtaking Samsung in India

IDC released a report on the smartphone market in India and claims the country will become the world's second biggest smartphone market, displacing the US (which lost the lead to China in 2011). Despite a sluggish overall phone market (21% growth year on year, 4% quarter on quarter), smartphones are exploding in India. Smartphone shipments in Q2 2013 are up 50% quarter on quarter and have nearly tripled compared to the same quarter last year (9.3 million smartphones were shipped during the quarter, compared to 3.5 million in Q2 last year).

GSM Arena , IDC: Micromax close to overtaking Samsung in India, IDC: Micromax close to overtaking Samsung in India

Skoda builds its four-millionth Octavia

Skoda may not fall on your radar screen since it doesn't market in North America, but don't think for one second that it doesn't count. Volkswagen's Czech subsidiary sells and even manufactures cars around the world that sell in big numbers. In fact, it just built it four-millionth Octavia. Now entering its third generation, the Octavia has been Skoda's mainstay model for nearly 17 years, accounting for 38 percent of all its sales to emerge far and away as the best seller in the company's 118-year history.

Autoblog , Skoda builds its four-millionth Octavia

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, Skoda builds its four-millionth Octavia

Nokia Lumia 625 is now on sale for £240 in the UK

Nokia Lumia 625 is the latest WP smartphone to come out of Nokia. It comes with a 4.7" WVGA IPS display, runs on a dual-core 1.2GHz Krait processor with 512MB RAM, supports LTE connectivity, and packs a 5MP snapper with 1080p video recording. Just like the Lumia 620, the Lumia 625 also offers exchangeable battery covers in different youthful colors. Various UK retailers have begun selling the WP8 Nokia Lumia 625.

GSM Arena , Nokia Lumia 625 is now on sale for £240 in the UK, Nokia Lumia 625 is now on sale for £240 in the UK

"The New Padfone Infinity" shows up on ASUS site, benchmarks show Snapdragon 800 processor

It's been a while since we last heard from ASUS and exactly what the Taiwanese manufacturer was planning on doing with the ASUS Padfone Infinity. Unveiled back during Mobile World Congress, the PadFone Infinity was ASUS' latest convertible device that upped the ante from the previous ASUS Padfone 2 packing an all new sexy industrial design, upgrading both the resolution of the smartphone and tablet portion with a full HD 1080p display, and powering it with a Snapdragon 600 processor. I've been dying to get my hands on one since then, but so far ASUS has been mum on US availability… and now we may know why.



Android Phone , "The New Padfone Infinity" shows up on ASUS site, benchmarks show Snapdragon 800 processor, "The New Padfone Infinity" shows up on ASUS site, benchmarks show Snapdragon 800 processor

Edmunds settles with marketing firm accused of faking dealer reviews

Back in July, Edmunds sued a Texas company named Humankind Design Ltd. for fraud and breach of contract. Among other services, Humankind Design claims to be an online reputation management company, but the lawsuit says that the site created 2,200 fake accounts in order to post positive dealerships reviews on Edmunds.com. Now, Edmunds says that the case has been settled requiring Humankind Design to agree not to register users or submit reviews on Edmunds as well as providing information about the accounts and reviews it fraudulently created; Humankind Design also has to pay Edmunds an undisclosed monetary settlement for legal fees.

Autoblog , Edmunds settles with marketing firm accused of faking dealer reviews, Edmunds settles with marketing firm accused of faking dealer reviews

Riding along in Ford's bonkers Fiesta ST Global RallyCross car (video)

The Mountune-worked Fiesta ST GRC does 0-to-60 mph in 1.9 seconds. Unless you happened to be in the parking lot in Fontana, California where Ford, OlsbergsMSE and Mountune were showing off the Fiesta ST built for Global RallyCross. Ford's latest global performance car is an experiment on our shores that aims to find out if we – Americans – are ready to support a B-segment hot hatch with a European pedigree.
The Fiesta ST

More correctly, Ford's experiment isn't about us supporting a European hot hatch, but the same* European hot hatch born in the land of the Angles and Saxons.










Autoblog , Riding along in Ford's bonkers Fiesta ST Global RallyCross car (video), Riding along in Ford's bonkers Fiesta ST Global RallyCross car (video)

New WatchGuard XCS 880 Increases Content Security Performance by 20 Percent for Large Enterprises

New hardware doubles email throughput while reducing power consumption by more than half28 August 2013 – WatchGuard® today introduced the WatchGuard XCS 880, designed to meet the demanding email and web-based content security needs of large enterprises.

Press Release Distribution , New WatchGuard XCS 880 Increases Content Security Performance by 20 Percent for Large Enterprises, New WatchGuard XCS 880 Increases Content Security Performance by 20 Percent for Large Enterprises

iPhone 5S Scratch Test Video Makes Its Way Online

Just the other day we reported that a video had surfaced where Apple's rumored iPhone 5C was put through a scratch test to see how durable its plastic body really was. Now a new video has surfaced in which the iPhone 5S in a champagne/gold finish is put through a scratch test of its own. This video might be of more interest to would-be iPhone 5S owners especially since early iPhone 5 units have been reported to be pretty susceptible to scratches, which hopefully Apple will be able to address in the upcoming iPhone 5S through better quality materials or a better manufacturing process.

Ubergizmo , iPhone 5S Scratch Test Video Makes Its Way Online, iPhone 5S Scratch Test Video Makes Its Way Online

Nissan poised to nearly double exports from US by 2015 (video)

As a part of a plan to double its US export volume by 2015, Nissan started shipping 2014 Pathfinder SUVs from its plant in Smyrna, TN to Australia and New Zealand. These Pathfinders are not only the first right-hand-drive models Nissan has exported from the US, but their 10,000-mile journey through the Gulf of Mexico and across the Pacific is also the automaker's furthest export. Products from the Smyrna plant are exported to 61 different countries, and Nissan's export volume from the US will account for around 14 percent of its production this year, which is two percent more than 2012.

Autoblog , Nissan poised to nearly double exports from US by 2015 (video), Nissan poised to nearly double exports from US by 2015 (video)

Wrap up some fun with Ford's commercial vehicle configurator

Ford has combined multiple steps into one with its commercial vehicle configurator, which allows users to choose, design and place orders for the Transit, Transit Connect, E-Series vans and F-Series Super Duty trucks. The most interesting part of the new configurator is a fairly robust design tool. Users are able to choose paint color and wrap the vehicle, and then create their own graphics. No materials are needed – Ford provides numerous background textures, text boxes, plenty of shapes and 20 categories of images including floral, construction, plumbing and skylines.

Autoblog , Wrap up some fun with Ford's commercial vehicle configurator

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, Wrap up some fun with Ford's commercial vehicle configurator

Retail Pricing Activity Continues To Reinforce Recovery Optimism

The second quarter retailer pricing index report from UK retail analyst Cogenta (www.cogenta.com) reveals that Q2 pricing activity is up in every consumer category being tracked.  Personal Care Products and Small Kitchen Appliances showed the biggest increases in activity; both categories that are directly related to discretionary consumer spend.

Press Release Distribution , Retail Pricing Activity Continues To Reinforce Recovery Optimism, Retail Pricing Activity Continues To Reinforce Recovery Optimism

BlackBerry Aristo Z30 Spotted On Video

We saw some leaked images of the BlackBerry Aristo Z30 that was caught alongside the Nokia Lumia 925, but there is nothing quite like a video to show off a device in all of its glory, don't you think so. After all, if a picture speaks a thousand words, a video would certainly have a whole lot more frames – and hence theoretically speaking, it would convey a far longer message. So far, BlackBerry did not manage to achieve the kind of rebound that they expected with their new models released this year, but will the BlackBerry Aristo Z30 actually be able to help turn the situation around.

Ubergizmo , BlackBerry Aristo Z30 Spotted On Video, BlackBerry Aristo Z30 Spotted On Video

LG Optimus L9 II now official with 4.7' screen, 1.4GHz dual-core CPU

Following yesterday's leaked image promising an imminent announcement, the LG Optimus L9 II has been officially unveiled by LG in the Netherlands. The specs that have been confirmed by LG in the press release include a 4.7-inch True HD IPS display, dual-core 1.4 GHz processor (up from the 1GHz clock speed rumored yesterday), 2150 mAh battery, as well as an IR-port.

GSM Arena , LG Optimus L9 II now official with 4.7' screen, 1.4GHz dual-core CPU, LG Optimus L9 II now official with 4.7' screen, 1.4GHz dual-core CPU

LG Optimus L9 II photo leaks ahead of premiere, specs in tow

LG Optimus L9 was the only one from the L-lineup not to receive a successor at the last MWC but it seems this will change soon. As the rumor has it the LG Optimus L9 II will be unveiled and launched very soon. The handset looks a lot like its predecessor, but loses the hardware Home key in favor of a capacitive one. The Optimus L9 II will supposedly run on a Qualcomm's MSM8230 Snapdragon S4 chipset with a dual-core 1GHz Krait processor, Adreno 305 graphics and 1GB of RAM.

The rest of the L9 II specs include an 8MP rear and a 1.3MP front camera, 8GB expandable internal storage and a 2150 mAh battery.

GSM Arena , LG Optimus L9 II photo leaks ahead of premiere, specs in tow, LG Optimus L9 II photo leaks ahead of premiere, specs in tow

Auto critic calls out Corvette, Mustang and Cherokee faithful

Most automotive purists fear change, but not without reason. Change, after all, did kill big-block V8s, along with most station wagons and manual transmissions.

Autoblog , Auto critic calls out Corvette, Mustang and Cherokee faithful, Auto critic calls out Corvette, Mustang and Cherokee faithful

Eagle Tech Neptor 5600mAh portable battery pack review

Several times over the last couple of years, I've been left high and dry because my smartphone battery was so drained I wanted to "save" it in case of an emergency. There were still calls/texts/photos/global positioning I needed to do, but with no convenient place to recharge my phone, I was out of luck. That perfect photo opportunity - lost. Lost in an unfamiliar location with no GPS. If I kept a small battery pack like the Neptor in my purse or pocket I wouldn't run into these dilemmas.










The Gadgeteer , Eagle Tech Neptor 5600mAh portable battery pack review, Eagle Tech Neptor 5600mAh portable battery pack review

Race Recap: Belgian Grand Prix is new skirmishes, same war [spoilers]

It's been four weeks since we last saw a Formula One race, when Lewis Hamilton improbably put his Mercedes-AMG Petronas in P1 in Hungary. Even more improbably, he held onto the first spot at the finish of the race, ahead of Kimi Räikkönen in the Lotus and Sebastian Vettel in the Infiniti Red Bull. Resuming the season at Belgium's Spa-Francorchamps circuit this weekend, Hamilton picked up his recent – and just as improbable – pole-setting form by putting the Mercedes in P1 for the fourth time in a row.









Autoblog , Race Recap: Belgian Grand Prix is new skirmishes, same war [spoilers]

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, Race Recap: Belgian Grand Prix is new skirmishes, same war [spoilers]