ASUS ZenFone 2 Laser 5.5s Review; Still A Good Catch

ASUS ZenFone 2 Laser 5.5s Review; Still A Good Catch

INTRODUCTION:

The new line of ZenFone devices was already unveiled locally about a few weeks ago and some of them are actually out now in the market. But, before we delve into the third generation ASUS smartphones, there are still a lot worthy ones from the previous iteration, a very good example is the ASUS ZenFone 2 Laser 5.5s. Come, join us as we dig deeper with what it has to offer in our comprehensive review.

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Kata Drive Review; Moving Ahead

Kata Drive Review; Moving Ahead

Kata has been in the business for years now, and the company now has a healthy portfolio of mobile devices with some boasting special traits of their own. We’ve seen the Kata V4 that came in with a unique back button that can perform a couple of things, and we’ve also taken note of the company’s push in digital entertainment in bundling VPNs and whatnot with their smartphones and tablets. Now, Kata has done it again with the Drive – a 6.95-inch tablet that, as its name suggests, is designed for the road.

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Marshall Major II Review; Interval Of A Semitone

Marshall Major II Review; Interval Of A Semitone

INTRODUCTION:

Marshall is a name synonymous to top quality audio products that it’s already a no-brainer to buy them whenever their headphones and guitar amps go on sale. With clean and powerful audio performance, Marshall’s products are easily the boon for anyone looking to get into a proper gear for the listening needs. Now, with that said, we’ve taken the Marshall Major II for a spin, and we’ve been pleased thus far with its performance.

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Cherry Mobile Cherry Fit Review; Health Watch

Cherry Mobile Cherry Fit Review; Health Watch

INTRODUCTION:

Smartphones have already taken over the world by storm that they’re now practically essentials. Now, while the market is indeed getting stale for quite some time now and only a handful of upgrades focuses on performance, there’s another area of interest that’s currently thriving, and it comes in the form of accessories. Cherry Mobile doesn’t limit its portfolio in mobile devices alone. In fact, the company has been growing its lineup of accessories, and there’s one that happens to be a fitness gadget to help you get on with your daily activities. Meet the Cherry Fit.

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Kata V4 Review; V For Value

Kata V4 Review; V For Value

INTRODUCTION:

We've been seeing Kata rise up in ranks in the country through several devices designed for the entertainment and mobility of the masses. From a fresh line of uniquely designed smartphones and tablet, and the set top Android-based TV Box, Kata's portfolio has been nothing short of competitive. Now, the company wants to push things further as the V4 attempts to conquer the entry-level range of things.

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Cherry Mobile VR Review; Virtual Reality and Beyond

Cherry Mobile VR Review; Virtual Reality and Beyond

INTRODUCTION:

Virtual Reality was somewhat a dream of the past during the days of popular sci-fi movies and whatnot. Today, however, the technology is now set as the trend all thanks to the push of companies that bring both hardware and software for it. At this time, you’ll probably see deals from Takatack and Lazada plaguing your social media with the promise of an affordable yet immersive VR experience. And apparently, Cherry Mobile is also one that jumped into the foray when it released its very own VR headset, with a wireless remote to boot.

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Cregle Fine-Point Active Stylus Review

Cregle Fine-Point Active Stylus Review

INTRODUCTION:

Accessories for smartphones aren't as lucrative as what it is supposed to accessorize, and a selection of them is pulled by the usual essentials that you can't leave home without. Besides standard power banks and smartphone cases, there isn't much need for other items. But for those that require all the accessibility options they can get, of course, there's a number of solutions that can justify a purchase. One accessory perhaps is Cregle's fine-pointed stylus.

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Starmobile PLAY Click Review; Budget Smart Phone That Makes Sense

Starmobile PLAY Click Review; Budget Smart Phone That Makes Sense

INTRODUCTION:

Entry-level phones today already come a dime a dozen in today's standard, that you'd actually be hard-pressed as to what you would want to get as a good old back-up phone or something that can you get kick started in the Android race. Apparently, Smart wants to bolster its presence even in this range, and that case has been evidently present from the My28s that fell below the Php1k mark. Now, the telco giant wants more piece of the action as it partners with Starmobile to bring the PLAY Click to more hands in the Philippines as it comes with a decent price tag of Php1,288.

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OPPO F1 Plus Review; Bigger and Better Selfie Expert

OPPO F1 Plus Review; Bigger and Better Selfie Expert

INTRODUCTION:

OPPO officially entered in the Philippines more than two years ago, and from that point on, they grew bigger and has one of the strongest presence in the local retail. For this review, we will look into their latest top of the line offering, the OPPO F1 Plus, dubbed as the bigger and better selfie expert.

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Huawei P9 Review; Smart Powerful Camera Phone

Huawei P9 Review; Smart Powerful Camera Phone

INTRODUCTION:

There is no doubt that Huawei's has been very successful with its mobile division, with many of its devices, whether entry-level or flagship offering, took huge success and enormous sales figures. To put that in numbers, that is 27.5 million units shipped, that alone is only for the first quarter of this year. One great contributor is the focus of this review, the Huawei P9.

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Review: Raspberry Pi 2

Geek Amok Projects with the Raspberry Pi 2

Product Info
The Raspberry Pi 2 is the latest mini computer for only $35 and features the following:

• A 900MHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 CPU
• 1GB LPDDR2 SDRAM
• VideoCore IV 3D Graphics Core
• Micro SD Slot
• Full HDMI Out
• Combined 3.5mm audio jack and composite video
• (4) USB Ports
• Ethernet Jack
• 40 GPIO pins
• Camera interface (CSI)
• Display interface (DSI)

Since it has an ARMv7 processor, it can run the full range of ARM GNU/Linux distributions, including Snappy Ubuntu Core, as well as Microsoft Windows 10 currently in development.

However, the price is so cheap because it does NOT come with a power cord, SD Card loaded with a compatible OS or a video cable. Basically everything else you need, besides a case, to get it up and running. Think of it as a motherboard/processor/memory combo.

I picked up the Vilros Complete Starter Package which included the missing items as well as a WiFi adapter and (2) heat sinks on Amazon for roughly $70.00.

After receiving everything I did notice that there is another onboard chip that you can place a heat sink on. It seems to be warmer and have more heat surrounding it due to laying down on the bottom. There are packages and separate items that includes all three heat sinks after a quick search on Amazon for it.

Assembly and Setup
The assembly of the Raspberry Pi was painless and simple. The board just snaps in the bottom of the case. Applying the heat sinks were just as easy by removing the cover of some adhesive patches and pushing them down on the relative chips. The top of the case just snaps to the bottom of the case. Finally all that was left was plugging in the HDMI cable to the Pi and then the TV and plugging in the power cord ONLY to the Pi. I purposely did not mention plugging the power cord into the wall or installing the SD Card. The entire process with unboxing was less than 10 mins. Very user friendly and quick. Beats building a Full PC. Another hiccup in the testing process, there is no Power button. This is not really an issue, but for testing multiple images it does require to unplug the power cord from either end and plugging it back in after switching out the micro SD card. There are multiple solutions to implement a Power Button as well as using a Powered USB Hub that applies power to the Pi through USB. This is referred to as a Back/Backwards Powered USB Hub.

Flashing The Micro SD Card
Before you can plug in or supply power to the Pi you need to create an micro SD card (4GB or higher) and slide it into the micro SD slot on the pi. There are many different types of flashable premade images using something similar to Win32DiskImager. I have downloaded roughly 8 different ones, but will only focus on the Media and Gaming aspect of it for now.

Another recommendation is to buy additional 4GB or higher micro SD cards to place different images on to quickly switch between and to determine which image you like the best or just to be able to switch to for different needs at anytime. This way you never loose your configurations on those images due to reflashing a micro SD card. I picked up a (10) 8GB Micro SD pack with SD Card Adapters, cases and a USB SD/Micro SD Card Reader stick for under $40. Otherwise you can just format and reimage the card as needed, but again you will lose your configurations or any modifications to it.

Once you have your micro SD card flashed and ready, just insert it in and power on the unit to enjoy. Next we will discuss the different images I have tested to date. This article will be updated every time I test one as well as to include the Linux Based OS's and when available the Microsoft Windows 10 edition which is the one I am personally waiting for.

The Many Flavors of Pi
To start this off, I will only be listing the first (4) flavors of Pi that I have downloaded and will be trying out. The outcome and my opinions of them will be served later on this week. They are as follows:

• PiPlay: A pre built Raspberry Pi OS made for gaming and emulation.
• RasPlex: The Plex Home Theater port for the Raspberry Pi mini computer
• RasXBMC, soon to be OSMC: A minimal Linux distribution based on Debian that brings XBMC to your Raspberry Pi.
• RetroPie: A collection of works that all have the overall goal to turn the Raspberry Pi into a dedicated retro-gaming console

Outro
Overall this is a decent mini computer for the HOBBYIST and DIY'ers. I know you can just as easily setup a Google Chromecast, Roku device, Apple TV, Amazon Fire device, Playstation TV or just about any other Streaming device that will be simpler and just as effective, but what those devices do not offer is the ability to run an ARM GNU/Linux based Operating System on. In my opinion this is an more effective solution than any other device out there, excluding the Arduino, Beagleboard and similar DIY mini PC's. Stay Tuned and keep this article bookmarked for future updates as I taste the other flavors of Pi available.

Peace out my Ninjas and remember to Geek Out With Your Tech Out!

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Review: OnePlus One Smartphone

OnePlus has a motto, "Never Settle", that is a represtation of the company's goal to build a perfect smartphone that everyone can purchase it for less than the name brands are selling for off contract. If the LG G3, Google Nexus 5 or the Samsung Galaxy S5 (forget Apple, they are always outdated) were priced at $299 to buy outright, off contract and unlocked, would you consider purchasing it instead of signing a 2 year contract or paying $29 a month for 18 - 24 months? I would. Unfortunately the off contract price of these high end phones are the cost of a decent PC these days. OnePlus is changing that and is offering the same technology for half the price of it's competitors. Their first phone, called the One for obvious reasons, is a self proclaimed 2014's Flagship Killer. Believe me when I say this, it is!
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No More Xenomorphs in Prometheus 2!!?

No More Xenomorphs....SAY WHAT!!!!?

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Review: Destiny

Our Fate is What we make?

  
  So Destiny and most people interested have played it and all of them have some strong opinions. Here at Geeks Amok we also have some opinions. Some reviewer will completely bash Destiny because they are susceptible to hype.  I'm not I take everything I play or watch with an open mind....

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My Love For The Legend of Zelda

  The Year was 1998 and I was 10 years old when I was introduced to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. A game at which I had fallen in love with.  A game that  made me feel like I was actually in Hyrule and living out that fantasy as a kid.


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Review: My TIME With The Samsung Galaxy Gear Smartwatch

Did you catch the pun in the title. Get it...TIME.

The next set of "smart" devices are here and I was able to snag a Samsung Galaxy Gear 1 Watch for under $90. My time with the watch was fun at first, but 30+ days in things are not going as smoothly.

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MSI GS 70 Stealth 17.3" Notebook Review

  The evil geniuses at MSI have released a Gaming Notebook to complete with the Razorback Razor Blade.  I get in depth with my new toy the GS70 Stealth 17.3 Notebook.  I'll give some info on whether my money was well spend or a complete mistake.  Stay Tuned! 

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Review: Transformers Age of Extinction

The herprisinglySurprisinglyurodesexple Arlington Road...I should have known better.

  First let me say that I'm a movie buff, for the most part I enjoy all movies no matter how terrible.  There is a unique artistic quality to each and every movie that makes them very unique.  That being said I like the Transformer movies all of them....to a point.  Transformers: Age of Extinction is no different.

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Review: Battlefield Hardline Beta

  Within a twenty four hour period I have lost sleep to play this beta. Having seen the movie Heat before hand made it that much better. I for the most part played on mode, Heist.

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