[Review] LG GPad 8.3 tablet

Recently, chance and good fortune happened to land me a 1st generation iPad mini.  While very grateful for such a princely gift, I (of all people) had no use for such an Apple product.  So, armed with some courage and a good story, I found a local merchant that was willing to swap me out for my choice of Android tablet.  I had thought to find myself the proud owner of a 32GB Nexus 7 (2013) but at the 11th hour found myself going with the LG GPad 8.3 instead.  As those of you who follow this blog might know, I am rather fond of LG's most recent tech products (see my review of the G2 here) and thought to give their new tablet a try.  Is it as outstanding a product as their flagship superphone?  Read below to get my thoughts!

[Op-Ed] The benefit to rooting an Android phone

Once upon a time, I was the proud owner of a Blackberry Pearl.  (Don’t laugh)  I had worked my way up at a previous employer to be in a position to recommend the products the company purchased.  Since mobile e-mail was king, we ended up purchasing a fleet of Blackberry devices.  My first smartphone impressed me so much that when I left the company I decided to buy one for myself.  I owned two before the Pearl was released, and I really though I had found the perfect smartphone for me.  The size, form factor, and RIM’s e-mail integration made this a real winner in my book.  Some days, I miss the feeling I had when I first got it…there’s nothing like the thrill of buying your next tech toy.  This was right about the time the iPhone began to gain traction as an all touch screen smartphone that had a host of other features that a Blackberry couldn’t hope to match.

[Review] The iPhone 5S (from an Android users point of view)

As an Android enthusiast, I constantly hear the strident call of those on the other side of the smartphone debate that I am “wrong” for bashing the iPhone and, along with it, iOS.  And I am happy to defend from all comers the Android platform and what I perceive as its superiority.  So it came as a great blow to my personal belief system when my daytime employer suddenly was to provide me with an iPhone 5S as my work phone.  This was to replace my trusty Blackberry which (let’s face it) was dying a slow hideous death.  So grudgingly, I accepted my new tech, and thought this would be an ideal chance for me to give it and Apple fan boys everywhere a fair shake by spending a weekend getting to know the “real” Apple.  Will I be converted?  Will my passion for all things Android taint my desire to use the 5S at all?  Read on to find out!

[News] LG's G2 named 2013 Consumer Reports top product

Well folks, by now you already have read about my love for LG's new flagship smartphone the G2 - and it looks like I'm not alone.  A recent article from Consumer Reports named the LG G2 a "brilliant smartphone" citing a "stunning 5.2-inch display and a battery that doesn't know when to quit."  I've raved about the G2 ever since I got one, and its nice to see that other folks are high on this device as well.  The Consumer Reports folks are no joke.  If you are in the market for a new phone, give the G2 a long look.  You won't regret it.

Source:  Android Authority

[Op-Ed] Why people (including me) love to hate Verizon

For a while now Verizon Wireless has been the only game in town where I live.  Back in the day, I tried T-Mobile and AT&T and their networks weren't mature enough at the time to compete from a voice and 3G data standpoint.  Then of course came the 4G LTE tech and the data usage explosion, which only widened the gap between Verizon and their competition even further.  By the time both other major companies (no one really uses Sprint anymore, do they?) leveraged enough funds to increase their network infrastructure, I was already happy with my grandfathered unlimited 3G to 4G data plan.  I mean, come on...unlimited is unlimited, right?  And then came the real deciding factor - both AT&T and Verizon decided to stop offering unlimited data packages in favor of tiered data, and my choice was made for me: if I wanted to keep my existing unlimited data plan, I was going to be on Verizon for the foreseeable future.

[Rumor] HTC to annouce One Max phablet on 10/15/13

The latest rumors are in - and its BIG folks...get it?  The latest phablet superphone is coming, and allegedly soon.  HTC seems poised to launch the XL version of their very well reviewed HTC One device on October 15th.  As this is just a few days away, we should be able to confirm or deny this very, very soon.

More...

Now that things are back to rocking and rolling again for the Two Tech Geeks, I just wanted to drop a quick line and say "thanks" to all the folks that stuck with us through our hiatus, and to let you know that there is plenty more to come.  Including, but not limited to:

• Fearless Predictions for 2014
• Two Tech Geeks look back at the Best of Tech 2013
• Verizon's honoring a website glitch that gives hundreds (perhaps thousands) of upgrades AND keep unlimited data plans
• More device reviews as fast as we get our grubby hands on them

We appreciate everyone taking the time to read our site.  We welcome comments as well - if you want the scoop on a smartphone or other device, or just want to get some more info on an article, feel free to comment and we'll do our best to answer your questions.