Review: iPhone Smart Battery Case

Seemingly out of nowhere, Apple created a battery case for the iPhone 6/6s. It may seem weird that Apple would release a new type of product unannounced, and it may also seem weird that the company chose to enter the competitive market of battery cases. But given Apple’s track record of trying out new things, and the fact that anything with that logo will sell, maybe this isn’t that surprising. Sure, you could speculate that Apple created the Smart Battery Case to supplement the unimpressive battery life of the iPhone 6s, but don’t mistake this as an admittance of failure. It’s more likely an attempt by Apple to branch out into a potential new market—right in time for the holidays. But is it worth your money?

WIRED

This case is designed to be forgotten about. Just put it on and enjoy the extra battery life. There are no indicator lights that show the case’s battery, and no on/off switch that will initiate charge, instead the case acts like it’s part of your battery. If you put your phone in the case when it has less than 100 percent, the case will start to charge it. When the case’s battery is gone, your iPhone will use its own battery. How do you know what percentage the case is at? Pull down the Notification Center and an icon will appear near the top telling you how much juice is left in your phone and case. It’s a cool little detail that shows off Apple’s inter-device compatibility, but it’s also the only way you can gauge the case’s battery. The case has a Lightning port for charging, which means you can plug in your iPhone in its case and charge both at the same time. This adds to the illusion that your case becomes one with your iPhone, and you never have to take it off.

Besides performance, the material is quite nice. The silicone is super soft and feels like much higher quality than a lot of cheap silicone cases on the market. The case also manages to walk the middle ground between the slipperiness of a naked iPhone 6s, and those high-friction cheap silicone cases that are hard to pull out of tight pockets. It isn’t too bulky either, like a lot of battery cases out there, so you might get accustomed to the way it feels in your front pocket (depending on how tight your skinny jeans are).

TIRED

OK, so there’s no ignoring that hump. Apple was so focused on making their new iPhones as sleek as possible that it seems comical that their battery case has a strange-looking growth on its backside. Personally, it reminds me of an Almond Joy, except Almond Joys are delicious.

But even if you get over the hump, the performance of the case isn’t that great. The 1,877 mAh battery won’t even give you a full charge from zero percent. Even if you don’t need that much charge, it puts the Apple case at a distinct disadvantage compared to other battery cases. And compared to other battery cases, this one is not cheap. The Smart Case sells for $99, which can get you a Mophie Juice Pack Air case with much better battery life (and no hump). Or you can buy a Mophie Juice Pack Reserve for $60 that has a comparable 1,840 mAh battery. It may seem harsh to keep bringing up Mophie, but you have to consider your options.

The lack of buttons and indicators on the battery case also mean you don’t have any say in when your phone should be charging. If you’re used to other battery cases, this lack of control may be unsettling. If you like to your battery case on and off to give it a little bit of juice when needed, this case isn’t for you. But if you just want a case to put on once and never think about, then maybe this is worth the $99.

Visit our website:  www.pixotritechnologies.com  , http://pixotrigames.com/

Math Game - A Game that improves your math skills and cognitive abilities

Math Game -  A Game that improves your math skills and cognitive abilities

Improve your math skills and cognitive abilities. The game will help kids and adults to improve their math skills in a fun way.

The game has a user friendly interface designed to learn and improve your mathematics knowledge..

Progress your arithmetic abilities from addition, subtraction, multiplication and division in a time trial environment.

Download from Play Store:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pixotritechnologies.mathgame

Download from Windows Store:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/games/maths-game/9nblggh5wznc

Download from Apple Store:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/math-learn-game/id1039388049?mt=8

Technology Now The business and culture of our digital lives BUSINESS Technology Google's super-fast Internet service could come to Los Angeles

Google Fiber is currently available in three cities: Kansas City Mo.; Provo, Utah; and Austin, Texas. 

(Michael Bocchieri / Getty Images)

Internet providers used to battle one another for access to a city, agreeing to a host of demands that often included assurances that the provider would serve the poorest neighborhoods.

Then came Google Fiber and its brand cachet, which turned the tables by asking city governments what they were willing to do to be chosen for the tech giant's ultra-fast Internet. More than a thousand cities have obliged.

Los Angeles appears to be following that same path now that the city has been added to Google Fiber's list of 17 new markets to which it's working to expand.

The announcement Tuesday, which provided scant details, comes only a day after AT&Tsaid it would expand its equivalent of super-fast broadband service into 38 additional cities, including parts of L.A.

To better qualify for Google Fiber, L.A. will have to adhere to a checklist developed by the company that includes “efficient and predictable” permitting, access to city property for network hubs and the appointment of a person to deal directly with the company. The goal is to streamline the process to reduce the risk that a city may not be ready.

“In the past, municipalities would ask for significant concessions like 100% coverage or building connections to schools. It was really hard to get into a new area,” said Jan Dawson, chief analyst at Jackdaw Research. “What Google has done is turn the model on its head by saying, ‘If you want us to build fiber, what are you going to do for us?'”

It remains unclear whether Google Fiber, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., will pledge fair access to its service across all neighborhoods, even those with residents who would struggle to pay the charge of about $70 a month or the $300 construction fee for those opting for the service's free, and much slower, basic Internet.

Jill Szuchmacher, Google Fiber's director of expansion, said it was too early in the process to determine how and where the company hopes to roll out its service.

“This is just the beginning of the conversation,” she said.

A company spokesperson, Lauren Barriere, later added: “Our goal is to bring Google Fiber to as many people as possible, and we would design our network to cover as much of Los Angeles as we can.”

Google Fiber has typically introduced its gigabit-speed Internet one neighborhood at a time and only where there's demand for it, Dawson of Jackdaw Research said.

Fair access to the Internet has been a top issue for Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who has championed the tech industry in the city.

“Expanding, improving and strengthening Internet access throughout Los Angeles is vital to further accelerating L.A.'s economic growth — and affordable service is essential to erasing a digital divide that leaves too many people without the tools to maximize potential in the 21st century,” the mayor said in a statement Tuesday. “When companies like Google and AT&T invest in our communities, it shows that L.A. is determined to be America's most connected city, and will continue leading the world in innovation and creativity.”

Google Fiber is currently available in three cities: Kansas City, Mo.; Provo, Utah; and Austin, Texas. The service will soon roll out in six other places: Salt Lake City; Atlanta; San Antonio; Nashville; and Charlotte; and Raleigh-Durham, N.C. The company is also trying to bring Google Fiber to San Diego, Irvine and Chicago, which was named alongside L.A. in Tuesday's announcement.

Google Fiber also offers a $130-a-month tier, which provides access to more than 150 TV channels.

The service includes Internet speeds of 1 gigabit per second, which represents about 40 times faster uploading speeds and 100 times quicker downloading speeds than the typical service used by Angelenos, according to network testing company Ookla.

The speeds are more than most people need to stream video or music today, but may become the norm years from now as data demands get bigger. Google Fiber noted that L.A.'s entertainment industry would stand to benefit first since people in that industry often have to transfer large media files.

“In L.A., faster Internet may mean that indie musicians and YouTube stars can spend less time worrying about bandwidth,” Szuchmacher said.

Los Angeles recently closed a bid for companies to introduce gigabit Internet access, offering up to $1 billion in incentives, including expedited permitting, discounted real estate to house networking hardware and a guarantee to become a customer.

That proposal was written closely with Google Fiber in mind to attract big Internet providers, said Peter Marx, Garcetti's chief innovation technology officer, who believes that the city will have little trouble meeting the demands of the company's checklist.

“We knew about the [Google Fiber] checklist when we were creating” the language for the bids, Marx said. “There's no such thing as coincidences.”

Despite that, Google Fiber said it was working independently of the city project — known as CityLinkLA — and would shoulder the costs of adding super-fast Internet to the nation's second-largest city.

Any work would mean thousands of miles of fiber cable being either laid underground or added to electrical poles.

“It is a significant investment,” Szuchmacher said.

AT&T said it had submitted a bid for CityLinkLA, although its announcement Monday to add some gigabit access to the city is independent of that project. The project revealed Monday uses the company's existing infrastructure in L.A. and will benefit from expedited city permitting, said AT&T spokesperson Kate Ijams.

Marx said AT&T is required to provide low-cost access to its Internet service as part of its deal to acquire satellite TV provider DirecTV.

He added that the city would work closely with Google Fiber and AT&T by helping them identify public works projects that may make it easier to install fiber.

Marx is confident that competition between Google Fiber, AT&T and perhaps other companies will keep prices down for low-income residents.

“We don't necessarily have all the power to determine what prices can be but we can make it easier for broadband providers to come here and create more competition,” he said.

Visit our website:  www.pixotritechnologies.com  , http://pixotrigames.com/

The Balloon Boy - Free fun Game !!

The Balloon Boy - Free fun Game !!

A boy goes soaring up into the sky after holding on to too many balloons.

• Help him to get back down by popping all the balloons before time runs out!

• Be careful of the dangerous balloons which will result in penalties.

• The stunning visuals and sounds will appeal to all ages.

A fun game for kids and family. Have fun popping balloons and bringing the boy down.

Download this Game Free on Play Store:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.PixotriTechnologies.BalloonBoy

Download this Game Free on Windows Store:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/store/games/theballoonboy/9nblggh36v6p

Download this Game Free on Apple Store:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-balloon-boy/id998319746?ls=1&mt=8

The Balloon Boy - Free fun Game !!

The Balloon Boy - Free fun Game !!

A boy goes soaring up into the sky after holding on to too many balloons.

• Help him to get back down by popping all the balloons before time runs out!

• Be careful of the dangerous balloons which will result in penalties.

• The stunning visuals and sounds will appeal to all ages.

A fun game for kids and family. Have fun popping balloons and bringing the boy down.

Download this Game Free on Play Store:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.PixotriTechnologies.BalloonBoy

Download this Game Free on Windows Store:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/store/games/theballoonboy/9nblggh36v6p

Download this Game Free on Apple Store:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-balloon-boy/id998319746?ls=1&mt=8

Teens think Facebook uncool, but still use it

A third of teen Facebook users say they're on the site "all the time," far more than any other social site

American teens think Facebook has definitely lost its cool factor, but use it as much as ever.A survey released Monday by Forrester Research found 78 percent of US teenagers use Facebook, a figure unchanged from last year.

That's more than any other "social" site except the video-sharing service YouTube, used by 80 percent of teens.

The cool factor isn't there for the leading social network, Forrester found: 65 percent of online users ages 12 to 17 say Facebook is cool, far less than services such as YouTube (80 percent), Snapchat (79 percent) and Facebook-owned Instagram (78 percent).

"Sure, young people don't think Facebook is cool—but that doesn't mean they've stopped using it," the report said.

Forrester analysts said Facebook "generates more hyper-usage than any other social site" adding that a third of teen Facebook users say they're on the site "all the time," far more than any other social site.

"Facebook is a key way for young people to keep in touch with friends," they wrote.

The report said the billion-plus member social network can be an important tool for marketers who want to connect with youth, but they need to finetune their approach with tools such as "social relationship marketing" to build brand awareness and loyalty.

The research firm surveyed 4,485 teens ages 12 to 17 in April 2015. The margin of error was estimated at 1.5 percentage points.

Visit our website:  www.pixotritechnologies.com  , http://pixotrigames.com/

Math Game - A Game that improves your math skills and cognitive abilities

Math Game -  A Game that improves your math skills and cognitive abilities

Improve your math skills and cognitive abilities. The game will help kids and adults to improve their math skills in a fun way.

The game has a user friendly interface designed to learn and improve your mathematics knowledge..

Progress your arithmetic abilities from addition, subtraction, multiplication and division in a time trial environment.

Download from Play Store:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pixotritechnologies.mathgame

Download from Windows Store:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/games/maths-game/9nblggh5wznc

Download from Apple Store:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/math-learn-game/id1039388049?mt=8

Facebook shuts down its experimental Creative Labs division

Social apps including Slingshot, Rooms, and Riff are removed from the app stores

Since it was founded two years ago, Creative Labs has been one of the most interesting parts of Facebook. Built as a startup within the company, it built a series of experimental social apps designed to test new interfaces and interaction patterns. But the experiments have come to an end: Facebook said today that the division has been shuttered. As a result, the division's apps are being discontinued. "Since their launches, we've incorporated elements of Slingshot, Riff and Rooms into the Facebook for iOS and Android apps," a Facebook spokeswoman told The Verge. "We haven't updated these apps in some time and we've decided to officially end support by removing them from the App Store and Google Play."

At its best, as with the alternative News Feed browser Paper, Creative Labs pushed the boundaries of Facebook's design forward. More often, though, its apps clumsily aped features from other companies, notably Snapchat. Slingshot was an effort to replicate Snapchat's success with ephemeral messaging; Riffs was a take on Snapchat's popular Stories feature. Year-old Rooms was more interesting: it tried to reimagine web forums for mobile devices. But joining a forum bizarrely required taking screenshots of QR codes; it never gained any traction, and creator Josh Miller left to join the White House as director of product in September.

Facebook says no one was laid off as part of the division's shutdown. And while it doesn't bode well for Paper, the app is still in the App Store. It hasn't been updated since March, though. And if today's news is any indication, updates may not be coming at all. Still, the company says it will continue to allow small teams to work on standalone apps, noting it continues to support efforts like Hyperlapse and Layout for Instagram. In the meantime, Slingshot and Riff will continue to work for those who have already downloaded them.

Visit our website:  www.pixotritechnologies.com  , http://pixotrigames.com/

Math Brain Workout – A Game to give your brain a workout with Math Skills

Math Brain Workout  – A Game to give your brain a workout with Math Skills

Give your brain a Math Workout by playing the "Math Brain Workout" game. Test your math skills with this intuitive and fun game and improve your math. The game trains your brain to respond fast and accurately in a time trial environment.

 

 

Game Features:

• Progress through the game by mastering addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. 
• Get rewarded with score multipliers with each advancing level. 
• Compete against your friends on Facebook by setting High Scores. A fun math game for kids and all ages.

The game is designed to improve your cognitive abilities along with improving math. The game trains your brain to respond fast and accurately in a time trial environment.

Download Math Brain Workout –  in  Google play store!!

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pixotritechnologies.mathbrainworkout1&hl=en

Download Math Brain Workout –  In App Store !!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/math-brain-workout/id1044614627?mt=8

Download Math Brain Workout – in Windows Store !!

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/apps/math-brain-workout/9nblggh5wzmv

Samsung Galaxy S7 Design Tipped by Accessory Maker

Samsung's next flagship smartphone, believed to be dubbed Galaxy S7, has been tipped by a third-party accessory maker. ITSkins has reportedly posted images of what could be possible case designs for the Galaxy S7. Additionally, the accessory maker has also claimed that the Galaxy S7 will be accompanied by a bigger sibling in terms of size.
According to the details from accessory maker, the Samsung Galaxy S7 may measure 143.3x70.8x6.9mm which hints that there might not be great design changes from this year's Samsung Galaxy S6, which measured 143.4x70.5x6.8mm. It adds that the other device launching alongside Galaxy S7 will feature 163.3x82x7.8mm which tips that the handset may sport a 6-inch display. Unfortunately, details about the other sibling of the Galaxy S7 are limited as of now, though the device may be called the Samsung Galaxy S7 Plus due to its size.
Some of the other visual changes expected in the Galaxy S7 include a slightly tweaked home physical button found just below the display. According to the image shared by accessory maker (viaGSMArena), the home button will sport a rectangular shape rather than the rounded rectangle (or stadium) shape seen in current generation flagships. Another noticeable change can be seen in the placement of the SIM slot which now has moved slightly lower on the side panel. The image also purportedly shows that the Galaxy S7 may again feature a protruded camera sensor on the back.
Based on preliminary leaks, we know that the anticipated Galaxy S7 may pack the recently launched Exynos 8890 SoC that was also recently spotted in benchmark listings. The Galaxy S7 flagship due next year is also said to feature a microSD card slot, something that was missing with the company's flagships this year. Another leak pointed out at a possibility of Samsung packing a large camera sensoron the Galaxy S7.

Visit our website:  www.pixotritechnologies.com  , http://pixotrigames.com/