LG bets on two 2016 flagship phones after ‘challenging’ 2015 and 60M sales

Following a phenomenal half a decade or so for many smartphone manufacturers, market saturation caused by lack of innovation and too few upgrade incentives made it much trickier for even Apple and Samsung to turn a profit and post sales growth in 2015.

Of course, there was also your occasional overperformer based in China that knew how to cater to increasingly cash-strapped audiences, while companies like Xiaomi or LG reported bright spots and not-so-bright ones in their end-of-year financial records.

Ultra-low-cost Huawei Honor 5X launches in multiple European markets on February 4

When Huawei announced plans for the US expansion of the budget-focused Honor sub-brand, it wasn’t immediately clear if certain North America-only phones would be designed, or if the love would be spread to the old continent as well.

But at least the Honor 5X is headed for Europe in addition to the United States, at an as-yet undisclosed price. It can’t be more than €250 and £250, though, and there’s reason to hope for a tag as low as €/£200.

Second-gen Apple Watch now said to enter mass production in Q2

It’s hard to say what the ideal release cycle might be for smartwatches these early days in their evolution, but apparently, Apple aims to follow its traditional 12-month upgrade window after all.

According to notoriously fickle “sources from the upstream supply chain” quoted by Digitimes, the “second-generation” Apple Watch should only enter mass production in the year’s second quarter, thus having no chance to see daylight as soon as March. Unless, of course, we’re talking a March announcement and subsequent commercial launch in April or May.

NETGEAR NIGHTHAWK X8 REVIEW

The router is an oft-overlooked part of a home computing setup. A slow network has the power to bring even the highest-end PC to a crawl, and troubleshooting a wireless network is a vague and frustrating process.
Sure, there are routers like Google’s OnHub that make the process easy, and provide excellent coverage, but in particular for gaming, there’s a thin line between optimum performance and crushing defeat. Netgear’s Nighthawk line has always gone above and beyond in network performance, and the new X8 is no exception.

Uber reaches deal with NY attorney general to cap surge pricing during snowstorm

The snowstorm that’s going by the moniker “Winter Storm Jonas” is going strong in the northeast U.S. this morning, which means residents are facing limited travel options. In New York City, where more than a foot of snow could accumulate when all is said and done, Uber is making things slightly easier by capping surge pricing from Saturday 8 a.m. EST until Mayor Bill de Blasio declares the end of the city’s snow emergency.

BELTRONICS GT-7 RADAR DETECTOR REVIEW

Take a car made prior to the ’90s up past 55 MPH, and you would half expect the wheels to fall off and the whole car to shake apart. But today, even base-level economy vehicles are peaceful enough for a passenger to needlepoint while cruising upwards of 80 MPH, provided the law doesn’t mind.
Thankfully, Beltronics has packed the GT-7 with the latest radar detection to help keep you alert to any red-light cameras, speed traps, or highway patrol headed your way. Because an expensive ticket is a quick way to ruin your long family trip — and could certainly spoil your needlepointing.

Do these new headphones confirm Apple’s plans to kill the headphone jack?

If the name Audeze doesn’t ring any bells, that’s ok. The high-end headphone maker isn’t exactly as popular as Beats. But Audeze just made a move that could be a bellwether for a potentially radical turn for the headphone world — a turn rumored to be led by Apple — and it might just give the company a serious boost in recognition. Say hello to the new EL-8 Titanium, an exciting new iteration on the company’s already revered planar magnetic headphones which includes a new Apple Lightning connected headphone cable, with a digital audio converter (DAC) and headphone amplifier built right in.