Moto X Moto Maker: How I Designed My Own Smartphone

“The Royal Blue looks tight.” “No, get the Crimson!” Those were some of the comments I heard from excited colleagues as I used Moto Maker, an online tool for designing your own version of the Moto X. Available exclusively to AT&T customers for now, you can choose from 18 back colors, 7 accent colors and 2 front colors. Then you can add an message on the back and choose from two case options before the phone is assembled in Texas and shipped to you in about four days.

Motorola invited members of the press to test Moto Maker so you could see what it’s like to personalize your own device. As it turns out, choosing among the many colors was easy and fun, but Moto Maker isn’t a fan of overly colorful language when it comes to inscriptions.

Step 1: Enter Your Code

AT&T shoppers who purchase their Moto X in the store and who would like to design their own phone will be given a card with a scratch-off code. When you get home, you’ll scratch off the PIN area on the back of the card you were provided. Next, enter the redemption pin in the appropriate box. You’ll also need to add the displayed words in the security box.

MORE: Top 8 ‘Made in the U.S.A.’ Gadgets

Step 2: Choose a Back Color

With six Cool colors, two Neutral colors and seven Warm colors from which to choose, Moto Maker offers plenty of variety so you can pick the right hue to suit your style. The white and black colors looked rather boring, so I gravitated towards the Royal Blue among the Cool colors. But then I started exploring the Warm colors, and I liked both the Lemon Lime option (reminding me a bit of the Lumia 1020) and the Crimson.

Ultimately, I went with Crimson because you just don’t see that color on the vast majority of handsets. I was a little hesitant when someone said that the color reminded them of the Washington Redskin and RGIII, knowing full well I’m a NY Giants fan, but I think I made the right call.

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Apple iPhone 5S Fingerprint Scanner Allegedly Leaked

If you’re not already convinced that Apple’s next iPhone will come with a fingerprint scanner, a newly leaked set of photos will probably change your mind. Images of what claims to be the internal components of Apple’s iPhone 5S have appeared online, hinting that a fingerprint scanner could sit right near the home button.

French blog Nowhereelse.fr, which has been known to leak components for unreleased Apple products, has published images that show the internal components of the alleged iPhone 5S. The photo set compares Apple’s next iPhone alongside the current generation iPhone 5, outlining the key differences between the two handsets.

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Nokia Windows RT Tablet Could Launch in September

It was just yesterday that we heard rumblings of a possible Nokia Windows RT tablet coming out next month. Today, we’re hearing that the slate may be introduced by Nokia during a Sept. 26 event in New York. The tablet, which has yet to be confirmed, has also appeared in a leaked image sporting a Verizon Wireless and 4G LTE logos, indicating that the slate will be available with its own data connection.

According to The Verge, which posted the photo, the tablet will also include a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor and be available for AT&T in addition to Verizon. These reports fit the news we reported yesterday, which indicated that the tablet will offer a 2.15-GHz Snapdragon 800 CPU and 2GB of RAM. The 10.1-inch slate could also feature a 1080p display, and come with a detachable keyboard cover similar to Microsoft’s Touch and Type covers for its Surface slates.

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Motorola Skip Unlocks Your Moto X With Just a Tap

Google made it clear in January that it was dissatisfied with password authentication, as reports revealed that the search engine giant was working on new tech to replace traditional PINs. Now, we could be seeing the first product of that effort in the newly announced Motorola Skip for Moto X.

Skip is a small thumb-sized clip that pairs with your Moto X and unlocks the device with a single tap. The accessory can be worn on you shirt, belt or any other area that feels comfortable. Essentially, users will be able to unlock their devices without having to remember a PIN or touch their phone whatsoever.


MORE: 10 Best Android Smartphones

Motorola says that each Skip clip comes with three Skip dots that also pair with your phone. Moto X owners can touch their device to these stickers to unlock their phone rather than typing in a passcode. For example, if you leave a Skip dot on your nightstand you can simply say “OK Google Now, set an alarm for 7 am,” without having to touch your smartphone. You can still unlock your phone with a password if you forget or lose your Skip, and both Skip clips and dots will only work when paired with your phone.

The company hasn’t announced exactly when these accessories will launch, but did say that they will be available on Motorola’s website when the Moto X goes on sale. The Skip will be available in gray with a black accent, but Motorola says it plans to release more colors soon. For a limited time, Skip will be available for free with all Moto X orders made through AT&T’s Moto Maker.

The Skip builds on the Moto X’ touchless controls functionality, which the company emphasized during the phone’s launch event in early August. For example, the Moto X is designed to spring into action whenever its owner says, “OK, Google Now.” It’s trained to recognize the user’s voice, so if someone snatches your phone or attempts to use it, the Moto X won’t respond.

More importantly, the Skip represents an effort to create secure alternatives for traditional passwords. In 2012 alone, numerous incidents illustrated just how insecure PINs and passcodes can be. Last June hordes of LinkedIn users had their passwords leaked by hackers. Mat Honan of Wired had his entire digital identity stolen last year when hackers stole his Gmail password, tarnished his Twitter account and remotely wiped his iPhone, iPad and laptop.

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Moto X Release Date Slated for Aug. 23 on AT&T

AT&T has officially announced it will begin selling Motorola’s Moto X phone on Aug. 23 for $199 with a two-year contract. In addition to being the first of the Big Four carriers to offer the handset, AT&T will also have a short-term lock on Motorola’s Moto Maker customization service. Moto Maker allows users to completely customize the look of their Moto X, from the material its rear panel is made of to its home screen background.

The 4.7-inch Moto X is the first smartphone to be jointly developed by Motorola Mobility and Google since the search giant acquired the handset maker last year. The phone offers several intriguing features including its always on Google voice control and a nifty camera that lets you tap anywhere on the screen to capture a photo. The smartphone’s Active Display function provides users with visual alerts whenever the phone receives a notification.

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Moms Use iPads, Singles Use iPhones, Study Finds

If you’re reading this story on an iOS device, you’re probably doing it on an iPad, sitting comfortably at home. Chances are you’re also a mom, pet owner or small business owner. Mobile data research firm Flurry tracked 44,295 iPhones and iPads in May and found that people with different lifestyles tended to favor different devices.

Flurry developed a set of personas based on different psychographics, creating identities like “New Moms,” “Music Lovers” and “Social Influencers.” Looking at what share of iOS devices were used by each Persona, the firm found that Value Shoppers, Singles and Hip Urban Lifestyle tended to prefer iPhones, while Pet Owners, Small Business Owners and Moms favored iPads.

The study also found that iPads were used for more home-oriented activities like reading, learning and playing games, while apps used on the iPhone were mostly Navigation and Fitness Tracking apps. And while app activity peaked between 6 p.m. and 11.p.m. for both iPads and iPhones, more iPad owners used their devices during those hours, while iPhone users take over from 10 p.m. and continue to be more active until 5 a.m..

But of course, many people own both devices. Flurry noted that while its data did not allow it to link the same user across his or her different devices, individuals may express different parts of their personalities and lifestyles through their use of different devices. So if you’re feeling like a “Casual Gamer,” you may turn to your iPad, and when you’re in the mood to return to your “Hip Urban Lifestyle,” you may pick up your iPhone and head out for a night on the town.

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Deal of the Day: Sony Xperia Tablet Z with Free Headphones

Sponsored Content: Each day, LogicBuy brings you the hottest technology sales and coupons on the web. Whether you’re shopping for a new Ultrabook, looking to grab a new tablet or just want to see the biggest discounts online, we’ve got them 7 days a week.

It’s finally Friday and we thought some killer deals would help get you ready for the weekend. We love it when there are deals on brand new tech, like the Sony Xperia Tablet Z. This gorgeous 10.1-inch quad-core Android tablet has a high-res screen, is water resistant, and comes with your choice of free premium headphones (up to $130 value).

You can also grab the fully-loaded Dell Inspiron 15R Special Edition complete with Core i7, 1080p screen, Radeon HD graphics, and more for just $799.99, a savings of nearly $400. Don’t miss the 1 terabyte internal hard drive from Hitachi for just $64.99 either. Scroll down to grab these and the rest of today’s hottest deals.

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Next Amazon Kindle Fire HD Specs May Include 2560 x 1600 Display

With the newly announced Google Nexus 7 and rumored Retina Display iPad Mini, it looks like Amazon may be stepping up its game. An allegedly leaked set of benchmark results for an unreleased Kindle Fire HD suggests Amazon will launch a slate with a 2560 x 1600-pixel resolution.

The results refer to a tablet called “Amazon KFAPWA” with graphics powered by an Adreno 330, hinting that it could be running on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chip. The leak also says that it will come with Android 4.2.2 out of the box. The test results, which turned up on GFX Bench, don’t mention a specific screen size but simply reveals that the resolution will be 2560 x 1600 pixels.

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Apple iPad Mini vs. Google Nexus 7: What’s the Best Small Tablet?

Tablet shoppers are thinking small, with slates that measure less than 9 inches expected to account for more than 66 percent of sales this year. And if you want a tablet you can take anywhere, the iPad mini and Nexus 7 are the two leading options. The latest Nexus 7 from Google packs a class-leading 1920 x 1200-pixel display and dual speakers into a much sleeker design.

On the other hand, the iPad mini is very portable given its larger 7.9-inch display, and there are more than 375,000 apps made for the device. To find out which small slate reigns supreme, we pit the iPad mini against the new Nexus 7 in 13 rounds of battle. Read on to find out which tablet takes home the crown.
Design

While both small tablets feature familiar rectangles, the new Nexus 7 is nice and slim. Measuring 7.9 x 4.5 x 0.34 inches, the width is easier to hold with one hand than the iPad mini’s 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.28 inches. On the other hand, Apple squeezed a larger 7.9-inch screen into a thinner chassis. The front of the Nexus 7 has a lot of wasted space above and below the screen.

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How to Use Google Voice on Your Smartphone

Google Voice may not get much attention from Google these days, but it’s still a great service. Google Voice gives you a phone number to use that, when called, will ring any of your phones — work, home, mobile, you name it. The service also offers visual voicemail and automatic transcription, and lets you send free texts from your smartphone or Web browser. Last but not least, you can make international calls for much less money than your cell provider charges.

Google Voice works well as a forwarding service for landline and dumb phones, but it really shines when you use it with a smartphone. As you might expect, it’s more closely integrated with Android than with iOS.

Here’s how to set up Google Voice and use it on your smartphone.

Set Up a Google Voice account

1. Go to google.com/voice from a computer and sign in with your Google Account. You’ll see an interface that’s similar to Gmail’s, as well as a software wizard.

2. Choose “I want a new number” instead of “I want to use my mobile number,” unless you’re absolutely positive you want to use Google Voice for your primary phone number. You can always port your mobile number to Google Voice later if you decide to do that.

3. Enter a forwarding number. This number will ring when someone calls your new Google Voice number. Google will then call that number to confirm you have access to it. You can add more forwarding phones later.

Once Google has confirmed you have access to the forwarding phone, you can pick a new Google Voice number. Input an area code or a word, phrase or number you want to try to incorporate into your new phone number, and Google will try to find an available number that uses it. 

Once you have a Google Voice number, you can send and receive texts for free, use Google’s voicemail transcription, and make cheap international calls. Now it’s time to download the app on your smartphone.

Download the App

1. Search the Play Store or iTunes for Google Voice. Click Install and Open.

2. Sign in with your Google Account. On Android, Google Voice will walk you through a setup process that verifies your phone number, sets up a voicemail PIN and lets you choose which calls, if any, to use your Google Voice number with. On iOS, you’ll follow the steps to add your cellphone’s number to your Google Voice account. On both operating systems, you’ll then see your Google Voice inbox where you’ll see voicemails, texts and missed call notifications.

3. Open the Settings menu to enable push notifications for new voicemail and texts.

4. Start making calls. In iOS, you can make calls via Google Voice, which places calls through an intermediary number but shows your Google Voice number in Caller ID. Or you can use Click2Call where Google Voice will call your phone number, then when you pick up it’ll call the number you’re trying to dial.

In Android, if you choose “Use Google Voice to make all calls,” all calls you make from your Android phone will use your Google Voice number rather than the number your carrier provides. Select “Ask every time I make a call,” and you’ll be prompted to choose on a per-call basis. 

Calling from within the Google Voice app on iOS or Android will use your cell minutes, and it doesn’t count as mobile-to-mobile, so your “unlimited mobile to mobile” minutes, if you have them, won’t apply, even if you’re calling another mobile phone.

5. Send and receive text messages. You can send texts to multiple people, like you can with most SMS clients, but Google Voice doesn’t do well with group texts if one or more of the participants has an iPhone. Also, Google Voice still does not support MMS. If you get a text message that says “MMS Received,” you’ll have to dig into your Gmail inbox to find it.

Customize Google Voice

1. Visit www.google.com/voice in your Web browser.

2. Click on the gear icon in the upper right and select Settings.

3. Click the Phones tab. Here you’ll see a list of all the phone numbers you’ve set up to work with Google Voice. You can add or edit your forwarding phones.

4. Select “Forward calls to Google Chat” to make and receive calls using your Google Voice number from within Hangouts in your Gmail window.

5. Click “Activate Google Voicemail on this phone” to use Google’s voicemail system instead of your carrier’s. Even calls to your mobile number, not your Google Voice number, will be transcribed and appear in your email and Google Voice app. Some prepaid plans do not allow you to use Google voicemail

6. Don’t select “Receive Text Messages on this phone” or “Notify me of new voicemails via text” for forwarding phones that you plan on using with the Google Voice app; otherwise you’ll get every text twice —- once in your normal SMS app and once in Google Voice. Select those options for phones that can receive texts, but don’t have a Google Voice app.

7. Tap the Voicemail and Text tab. Here you can record your voicemail greeting and customize notifications and text forwarding.

8. Check Voicemail Transcripts to have Google attempt to automatically transcribe your voicemail. It works well, but not perfectly. 

9. Tap the Calls tab. Here you can screen calls, activate caller ID and filter spam.

10. Click On next to Call Screening to filter unknown numbers.

11. Select whether incoming calls display the caller’s number, or your Google Voice number in Caller ID. We recommend the former; it’s more useful to know WHO is calling than it is to know which number they’re calling.

12. Enable Global Spam Filtering so calls from numbers Google knows are spam never even make it to you.

13. Click the Groups and Circles tab to customize ringtones, call screening, and even forwarding phones based on which contacts, groups or Google Plus circles are calling you.

14. Click the Billing tab to see your billing history or add calling credits for international calls. 

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Children and Smartphones: What’s the Right Age?

One of the biggest and most divisive debates among parents of young children and preteens deals with the age at which children should be allowed to have their own smartphone. The advent of kid-friendly apps and the ability to watch streaming videos in the palm of your hand have made the decision even more difficult for parents.

A recent survey conducted by mobile service provider Zact found that 56 percent of children ages 10 to 13 have a smartphone, while a shockingly high 25 percent of children ages 2 to 5 have a smartphone. But should children so young have access to their own handsets? And what is an appropriate age to own a smartphone?

We spoke with experts in the fields of child psychology and technology to help you decide when to finally cave and get your kid a smartphone.

How will the phone be used?

So, you’re sitting around the dinner table, and your 10-year-old brings up the subject of getting her own iPhone. Your immediate response may be to shut her down, deciding that she is too young for a handset, without giving it a second thought. But before you say no, you should question why she wants a smartphone in the first place.

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OWC Envoy Pro EX Review

Pros: Small and durable design; Bus-powered; Blazing fast read and write speeds
Cons: Expensive
The Verdict: Small, stylish and blazing fast, the OWC Envoy Pro EX external SSD can copy files in the blink of an eye.

Unless you had a lot of money to burn, chances are you didn't opt for the maximum amount of storage when you bought your MacBook or Ultrabook. But, with the increasing size of multimedia files, there's also a good chance that you're running out of space. The OWC Envoy Pro EX is a small external SSD that looks as good as your Mac, and transfers files just as quickly. At $314, this 240GB drive isn't cheap, but it's worth the investment if you prioritize performance.

If Apple were to design an external hard drive, it might look like the OWC Envoy Pro. The entire drive is made of anodized aluminum, which mimics the look of every Mac laptop on the market. Its all-metal design also makes it very durable, and combined with the fact that it has no moving parts, means that it should survive more than a few drops.

Trapezoidal in shape, the Envoy Pro is wider on top than the bottom. On one of the short sides is a USB 3.0 port, and on the other end is a small status light.

At 4.5 x 2.2 x 0.43 inches and 3.8 ounces, the Envoy Pro packs easily into a travel bag; for added convenience, it comes with a small felt pouch.

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ASUS Zenbook UX51Vz (2013) Review

Pros: Crisp and colorful Retina-like display; Blazing fast SSDs; Strong performance and graphics; Comfortable typing experience
Cons: Windows 8 not optimized for high-res screens; Below-average battery life; Expensive; Runs hot
The Verdict: The ASUS Zenbook UX51Vz offers a high-resolution display and strong performance in a thin design, but it doesn't come cheap.

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Nokia Windows RT 8.1 Tablet Rumored for Sept. Launch, Specs Leaked

Nokia may be looking to expand its Lumia line beyond Windows Phone 8 smartphones, according to recent reports. The Finnish manufacturer is allegedly prepping a 10-inch Windows RT 8.1 tablet slated to debut as early as next month.

The tablet is said to come with a 1080p display with five point multitouch and wide viewing angles, reports Microsoft News citing an anonymous tipster. It will allegedly be powered by a 2.15-GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chip and will come with 2GB of storage built in. Like many Windows 8 and RT devices, the purported Nokia tablet will come with a detachable keyboard similar to the Touch and Type covers for the Microsoft Surface. There’s also a battery in this keyboard stand for extra power, the report says.

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Apple Updates App Store Rules For Kids Apps

Apple has updated the guidelines for children’s apps available in its App Store. The new rules, according to MacRumors, ensure that app developers and apps comply with the Federal Trade Commission’s Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. The act, which is focused on restricting the collection of personal information from children. The expanded COPPA rules limit a company’s ability to track items such including images, video and audio without receiving express parental consent.

Apple’s new App Store policies state that apps can only ask for a child’s age and nothing more. If the app does collect additional data such as a child’s address, email, videos, photos and other information, it must ensure it complies with applicable COPPA statutes.

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Android Tablets Only Have Half of iPad’s Top 50 Apps

Apple’s App Store has been providing iPad users with a diverse selection of content ever since the tablet launched in 2010, and the Google Play store has many quality offerings for Android users. However, Google Play seems to have some catching up to do, as new research reveals that only half of the iPad’s most popular apps are available on Android tablets.

According to Canalys, 30 percent of the top 50 paid and free iPad applications are unavailable on Google Play. Plus, 18 percent of these apps can be downloaded on the Google Play store, but only as smartphone apps that aren’t optimized for tablets. This leaves Android tablets with only 52 percent of fully optimized apps from Apple’s top 50

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Nokia Lumia 825 Could be First Windows Phone Quad-Core Phablet

We’ve heard whispers of Nokia’s plans to step into the phablet territory, but a new leak has detailed the potential specifications for what could be the first Windows Phone 8 quad-core device. If legitimate, the purported 5.2-inch Nokia Lumia 825 would also be the largest handset to join the Windows Phone 8 lineup yet. Although the device is expected to be the first quad-core Windows Phone, its internal components may fall into the midrange category.

According to KnowYourMobile, which claims to have found the leak on a Chinese website, the alleged Nokia Lumia 825 would come with Qualcomm’s 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 CPU and an Adreno 305 GPU. Its roomy display is expected to come with a 720 x 1280-pixel resolution.

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Swiss Smartwatch Puts a 41-Megapixel Camera on Your Wrist

Nokia’s Lumia 1020 and 808 PureView may boast the biggest camera sensor on any smartphone, but a new gadget could give those phones some competition — if you’re willing to drop some serious bucks. Switzerland’s $1,200 Hyetis Crossbow smartwatch comes equipped with a 41-megapixel camera, which is the same-sized sensor found on today’s most advanced smartphone camera. Not only does the Crossbow come with a massive pixel sensor, but it also boasts an optical zoom lens with integrated ring flash.


Like most wearable gadgets, the device is designed to communicate with your iOS, Android or Windows Phone 8 mobile device. It does this through Bluetooth or NFC, and it can also connect to nearby Wi-Fi networks. Hyetis also claims that it has built in sensors to detect temperature, GPS location and biometric information. However, we’re a bit skeptical on these capabilities since Hyetis’ disclaimer says the watch’s “technical features can vary on the production model” at this stage.

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Deal of the Day: $190 Discount on Dell Inspiron 14z Ultrabook

Sponsored Content: Each day, LogicBuy brings you the hottest technology sales and coupons on the web. Whether you’re shopping for a new Ultrabook, looking to grab a new tablet or just want to see the biggest discounts online, we’ve got them 7 days a week.

Our deal hunters have been hard at work getting the best new offers from across the web. Topping today’s list is an ultrabook, a class of PC that offers a slim chassis and long battery life. The Dell Inspiron 14z uses a spacious 14-inch screen and even has a built-in DVD burner, now available for just $499.99 with free shipping.

We also found a very rare discount on the new 960GB Crucial M500 SSD; yes, that is nearly a terabyte of super-fast SSD storage. Don’t miss out on this uber-cheap monitor deal either, $84.99 for an 18.5-inch Dell LED-backlit monitor. Scroll down to get these and the rest of today’s hottest deals.

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Rumored 5-inch Sony Honami Smartphone Could Capture 4K Video

Sony’s rumored 5-inch Honami smartphone is apparently on the way, and the latest leak has this upcoming handset being able to capture 4K video. This would be a first for smartphones, and it could help Sony convince shoppers to purchase pricier 4K TVs with super-high resolutions.

The Honami is expected to pack a 20-megapixel rear-facing camera and 2.2-megapixel front shooter. The rear camera is what you’ll use to capture 4K action. But according to Engadget, there is a slight discrepancy in the leaked slide, which indicates that the Honami’s 4K video will sport a resolution of 4,000 x 2,000 pixels, rather than Sony’s defined standard resolution of 3,840 x 2,160. Today’s best smartphones shoot at 1920 x 1080 pixels.

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