9 Free Business Productivity Tools For Startups

Starting a business can be a daunting endeavor, especially if all you have is a cool product and not enough capital. In the tech world, or in any other niche for that matter, most startuppers fail not because they have bad products but because they are unable to generate enough consumer interest in their products. 

Considering overheads and other back-office expenses, this scenario doesn’t come as a surprise. So if you’re still starting out and find yourself strapped for much needed funding to keep your startup afloat, the following free business productivity tools are worth checking out.

# 1. Bitrix24.com

If you need a collaboration tool your staff are most likely to adopt with relative ease and minimum training, take the social intranet route.

Bitrix24.com is the fastest growing social intranet that’s free for businesses with 12 employees or less. The application comes as a combination of several different work tools like CRM, project management, real-time streaming, activity planner, file sharing, to name just a few. As it is cloud-based, access can be anywhere, whether using your computer or smartphone. An upgrade to unlimited users starts at $99 per month.

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HACKERS NOW USING APPS TO HIJACK OTHER APPS ON YOUR DEVICE

According to a recent study, one of the latest tricks hackers have employed is the use of malicious apps to not only spy on you, but also steal sensitive information like passwords and financial data from your smartphone.  Security researchers from the University of Michigan have found a weakness in Android, iOS, and Windows operating systems that allow these malicious apps to run in the background of your phone and spy on other popular apps such as email or banking applications.

So how exactly does this work and what can you do to protect yourself?

First the user downloads what they believe to be is a harmless, such as a ringtone or wallpaper app from the app store.  However this app is actually running a program in the background that is hijacking your shared memory as it records everything that you are doing on your phone in real time  As part of this study, Researcher Qi Alfred Chen has posted a video which demonstrates how this attack occurs as it steals the login credentials and the social security number from an H&R Block app.  Once this malicious app is launched, it also begins to track user behavior and record sensitive information, which is then relayed back to the attacker.  The scary thing is that these apps do not require any special permission from you to gain access to your shared memory, making them all the more dangerous.

To protect yourself from such an attack, it is wise to think twice before you download any random app, and make sure you check out the reviews and developer information.  Often these malicious apps are difficult to identify, as they masquerade as something else.  Only download apps from ligament sources and remove any apps from your device that do not meet your expectations or are no longer in use.  Report any suspect activities to your provider.

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HOW TO PROPERLY SET UP MISSION CONTROL ON YOUR MAC

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s typical that you will often be running several or more applications at the same time.  And even more typical is that the more applications that you have running, the more likely it is that you will find your workspace to become so cluttered and confusing that you have a hard time staying focused and organized.  This is the beauty of Mission Control, and often overlooked featured by many Mac users.

When running multiple applications, of course you can navigate between them by simply clicking on the application window or the dock icon.  You can even utilize the multi-tasking keyboard shortcut Command + Tab to quickly switch between applications on your screen.  However, often you will find that you just need to take a quick peek of everything that you on your screen to help you get organized and stay on track.  This is where Mission Control comes in.

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Google Nexus 9 blasts through AnTuTu with LTE on board

A couple of days after allowing us to catch a glimpse of its specs in CPU-Z, the yet to be announced Nexus 9 tablet showed up in the AnTuTu benchmark database. The HTC-made Android 5.0 tablet posted the impressive score of 45,923 in the popular benchmark.

The data from AnTuTu confirms the Nexus 9 specs we already know. They include 64-bit Nvidia Tegra K1 SoC with top clock speed of 2.5GHz (it explains the higher benchmark score than the non-64bit version we tested in the Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9).

The AnTuTu cameo of the Nexus 9 also reveals that the tablet will be available with LTE connectivity when official. The cellular connectivity was confirmed by the presence of an IMEI number on the device.

Rumored specs of the Nexus 9 include 8.9” display with 2048x1440 pixels, 16 or 32GB of built-on memory, 8MP camera, and built-in stereo speakers. The slate will likely debut at some point in Q3 this year.

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First Samsung Galaxy Note 4 video

The rumor mill sees Samsung's Galaxy Note 4 teaser videos and raises a short hands-on video. The video comes from Vietnam and features the phablet in a dummy box that conceals its design.

The device itself is the N910H, which should be based on Exynos 5433. Samsung's new chipset beat Qualcomm's Snapdragon 805 in leaked AnTuTu benchmarks. There's going to be a Snapdragon 805 version too.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will be announced at IFA on September 3. It's expected to have a 5.7" Super AMOLED screen with QHD resolution (1,440 x 2,560 pixels, 515ppi), 16MP OIS camera and strange, unique sensors like a retinal scanner and a UV light sensor.

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Android takes a bite out of iOS in the US

The latest smartphone manufacturer sales metrics provided by consumer analytics firm Kantar Worldpanel show that Android has increased its US market share by over 11 points compared to last year, for the three month period ending in July. Most of this gain comes at the expense of iOS, which has lost 11.8 points over the same period.

Growth in other markets is equally impressive, with sales in countries like Mexico breaking the 80% mark - a 17.6 point increase over the 3 month period ending in July 2013. China has also seen a healthy boost in OS sales, with Android gaining 8.4 points to rest at 84.6% - all at the expense of competing mobile OSs like iOS and Windows Phone, which lost 5.6 and 1.5 points, respectively.

This latest increase in Asia is attributed by Kantar to local handset manufacturers like Xiaomi and Huawei, with the former boasting a whopping 31.6% share in China. The trend is expected to continue internationally as well, as these players are expected to continue their expansion into outside markets. Not all local brands have seen success, however, as ZTE, Lenovo, and Oppo have all seen their shares drop.

The big five European markets - Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain - reflect the same strong Android presence with a 4 point increase over last year. This is attributed largely to Samsung, which saw sales of its Galaxy S5 flagship in the UK take 11.5% of all handset sales, making it the best-selling unit in the UK.

Windows Phone also saw increases in key markets, attributed to recent models like the Lumia 630 and 930. Great Britain, Italy, and Spain all saw healthy increases in WP sales figures, with the latter coming even at the expense of Android.

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Nokia HERE Maps to provide free, offline navigation to Samsung Galaxy smartphones

Samsung and Nokia have announced that HERE Maps are arriving in beta form on Android, free for Galaxy phones. HERE comes with voice-guided navigation capabilities and will work offline too, something which Google Maps doesn’t allow.

The Tizen-running Samsung Gear smartwatches are getting HERE maps too. The initial announcement was a little vague but now we have the full details.

You can download offline maps for nearly 200 countries, about half of which support turn-by-turn walk or drive instructions. In around 40 countries you also get live traffic information (which does require an Internet connection). HERE also supports public transport navigation.

The Here.com site lets you pick out destinations, which will be synced with your device. You can also share destinations with your friends and family to improve the planning process.

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Why are Macs thought to be better than PCs?

It was February 1981. Nearly half of the Apple II engineering team at Apple Computer had been fired the previous day, and now the company's CEO, Steve Jobs, was peering over the wall of programmer Andy Hertzfeld's cubicle.

Hertzfeld was typing code for Apple II'soperating system when Jobs rounded the corner, yanked the computer's power cord out of the socket and carted the machine -- with Hertzfeld in tow -- from the corporate campus to a small office overlooking a Texaco station in Cupertino, Calif.

Hertzfeld wasn't fired; he was promoted.

He would spend his days authoring code for Apple's new Macintosh project [source:Hertzfeld]. The team had only a few months to create a new operating system that would be faster and more efficient -- and become the predecessor of today's iMacs.

The abrupt reassignment and truncated schedule were a workplace phenomenon Apple employees knew as a "reality distortion field." This Star Trek term was used to describe Jobs' ability to convince nearly anyone to do nearly anything -- and deliver it according to an unrealistic timetable [source: Hertzfeld].

Regardless of whether Jobs really could bend the time-space continuum, his drive and personality helped Apple Computers change the way people use technology. It was one of the first companies to transform the computer from an imperceptible mass of vacuum tubes stationed primarily at universities and government offices to a manageable-sized machine for ordinary people.

Today, Apple is as relevant as ever, thanks to new releases of Apple operating systems, software and hardware, and related products like the iPod, iPhone and iPad.

Apple products are vertically integrated; the company makes its own hardware, software and accessories, and delivers the product whole to the consumer [source: Dalakov]. Instead of making decisions about what components and software to use and then manually installing them, Mac users can simply power up their computers and use them right out of the box. And if they have a problem with any component -- from keyboard to hard drive -- there's a single point of contact at Apple's customer service.

By contrast, PCs have hardware and software components made by multiple outside vendors. Users may need to communicate with several vendors to diagnose and fix a PC problem. However, being able to pick and choose components also makes PCs easier to customize than Macs in terms of both cost and capabilities [source: Nutter].

The ability to migrate information between Macs and PCs can be challenging because of each system's inherent differences. Macs are considered a "closed" system because their components -- software, hardware, operating systems -- are not compatible with non-Macs [source: Chaffin]. However, non-Apple-developed apps, accessories and even operating systems are becoming increasingly Mac-accessible.

Macs have a reputation for being more expensive than PCs, but feature-by-feature breakdowns have shown that show the fees are quite comparable. Building a laptop with similar features as a MacBook Pro, for example, may cost as much or more [source: Finnie].

For some Mac fans, however, price is not the point. It may be the lingering effects of reality distortion, but Apple's managed to create a computer with a virtual federation of loyal fans.

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Seagate announces the first 8TB 3.5″ HDD for enterprises

Following the launch of its 6TB hard drive, Seagate today announced its 8TB HDD. Unlike Western Digital,which uses helium for its high-capacity HDDs, Seagate has opted for an alternative method.

Sadly, the company is mum on the method in question. Seagate has been known to use a shingled magnetic recording technology to bump the areal density of its disk platters.

Seagate says its new 8TB Enterprise Capacity 3.5″ HDD increases storage capacity using fewer components, while requiring less power than before. Moreover, the drive boasts the best watts-per-gigabyte for enterprise bulk data storage, but no specifics were mentioned.

The company is making the hard disk available for select customers, which are not specified. A wider release of the 8TB monster of a hard disk will happen in Q4 2014.

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BioShock for iOS arrives for $14.99

BioShock for iOS has just landed and costs $14.99. The developers from 2K Games announced the arrival of the legendary title to Apple’s mobile platform earlier this month.

BioShock for iOS is a full port of the original 2007 game, so the premium pricing is hardly a surprise. The newcomer will feature slightly scaled-down graphics in order to be able to work with iOS hardware, as well as fit into the 2GB file size limit imposed by Cupertino.

Most importantly, the game is now available for you to download and try out.

BioShock for iOS will expectedly be compatible only with newer iOS hardware. The list of devices includesiPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5, iPad Air, iPad 4, and iPad mini 2.

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Olympus announces PEN E-PL7 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera

Olympus has announced the newest member of its PEN series of compact mirrorless interchangeable lens micro four thirds camera. The E-PL7 has some feature, many of which have been optimized for taking self portraits.

The E-PL7 has a 16.05 megapixel Live MOS sensor with TruePic VII processor. The camera features in-body 3-axis image stabilization, 81 auto focus points, 8fps burst mode (up to 20 RAW and unlimited JPEG images).

On the back is a 3-inch, 1.04 million dot articulating touchscreen LCD. The display can fold down and face forward to take self portraits. In fact, the camera seems almost optimized for this purpose, with several software features, such as an on-screen shutter button when the screen is facing forward that shoots a second later after you touch it so you can get into position, custom self timer with delay between 3 successive shots so you can change your pose between shots, ePortrait mode for better looking skin textures, and an improved iAuto mode that automatically detects and optimizes when a self portrait is being taken.

The E-PL7 also has built-in Wi-Fi and works with the improved OI.Share app to transfer images to your phone or control the camera through the mobile application.

The Olympus PEN E-PL7 will be available in late September in black and silver for $599.99 (body-only) and with M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 II R lens for $699.99.

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Microsoft Surface 3 Pro now available in 25 more countries

Microsoft is expanding the availability of the Surface Pro 3 (which recently got a price cut) with 25 new countries (up from just 3!). The Docking Station is available for pre-order in those same regions.

The company calls the Surface “the tablet that can replace your laptop” and has an infographic to prove the need for its hybrid device. The company surveyed 2,900 professionals in eight Asia-Pacific markets and found that half travel between different cities for their work and four out of five carry three different devices devices.

The main problem with tablets and laptops is that a single device doesn’t meet all needs. Two out of five carry both a laptop and a tablet and of the other three, over 70% said they didn’t get a tablet because they couldn’t find one that will replace the laptop.

Microsoft points to the deficiencies of tablets but it’s really the laptops that will take the bigger hit. The survey showed that 30% of people plan to get a hybrid device in the next 12 months, matching the 30% who are looking at tablets. 27% said they will buy a laptop.

And here are the countries where you can buy a Microsoft Surface 3:

Australia Austria Belgium Canada China Denmark Finland France Germany Hong Kong

Ireland Italy Japan Korea Luxembourg Malaysia the Netherlands New Zealand Norway

Portugal Singapore Spain Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Thailand the United Kingdom the United States

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Microsoft updates Windows Store app policy, removes over 1500 fake apps

Microsoft recently reported that a large number of its Windows Store apps are misleading users with inaccurate titles and descriptions. This has prompted the company to purge more than 1500 apps from its app catalog.

The removal of the apps in question comes as part of an attempt by Microsoft to improve the quality of its app selection, and is also reflected by the company’s updated app certification requirements.

The new requirements include:

• Naming – to clearly and accurately reflect the functionality of the app.
• Categories – to ensure apps are categorized according to the app function and purpose.
• Icons – must be differentiated to avoid being mistaken with others.

The new policy also applies to submissions to the Windows Phone Store.

Besides purging the 1500 apps that it has found infringing upon these new rules, Microsoft will be refunding the purchase cost to any users who downloaded the apps because of a misleading title or description.

The latest move can be seen as admission of sorts by Microsoft that it may have become overeager of late to build its app catalog without paying much heed to app quality. Although it still has a ways to go to provide a truly robust app selection, it’s a step in the right direction.

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Samsung’s Gear smartwatches to get HERE services from Nokia

Nokia has teased the inclusion of its robust HERE services suite, which includes Maps and Navigation among others to make its way onto Samsung’s Gear series of wearables.

Among those devices slated to get the HERE services is Samsung’s just-announced Gear S smartwatch, which will get turn-by-turn pedestrian navigation courtesy of Nokia’s service.

Currently, most of Samsung’s Gear wearables run on the company’s in-house Tizen OS, which Samsung debuted with the latest generation of the smartwatches. It’s unknown whether Tizen will be able to support more robust HERE applications than the pedestrian navigation on the Gear S.

The teaser, which Nokia posted on Twitter, is accompanied by the message “Tune in for more news tomorrow at 10am London time.” We’ll have to wait and see what Nokia has in store for Samsung wearables – maybe one day we’ll see an Android Wear-powered Gear with HERE maps to boot.

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Xiaomi launches Redmi 1S India sales with 40K units

Xiaomi is set to unleash the Redmi 1S on September 2 in India. The company is continuing its partnership with online retailer Flipkart and now we learn that there will be 40,000 units available from the first day.

That's not that many considering the staggering interest in Xiaomi phones in India.

The Redmi 1S will set users back INR 5,999 which translates to about $100. Xiaomi claims that some 100,000 users have already signed up through the registration form. Pre-orders for the Redmi 1S will open up midnight on September 1.

The Xiaomi Redmi 1S has a 4.7" 720p display, Snapdragon 400 with four 1.6GHz Cortex-A7 cores, Adreno 305 and 1GB of RAM, 8MP camera on the back and a 2,000mAh battery on the inside. The OS of choice is MIUI on top of Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.

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ECO-ESSENTIAL PEN AND STYLUS REVIEW

I almost feel weird typing this… but I recently got a new pen that doubles as a tablet stylus that just about makes me drool. It’s that nice. I’m talking about the Eco-Essential pen ($50).

Originally a Kickstarter project that raised about $20,000 more than the original funding goal, the Eco-Essential pen is something that resonated, and continues to resonate, with style-conscious techies everywhere.

At it’s core it’s very simple: it’s a pen with an optional stylus tip. But it’s more than that.

What sets it apart from a normal pen and/or tablet is it’s style and construction. It’s made from a beautiful, and sustainable, material: bamboo. Complimenting the body of the pen is a sleek aluminum cap.

It’s also customizable. Thanks to a stretch goal on Kickstarter, buyers can now use alternative cap-tips. Not only can you change the colored ring at the top but you can screw-on a Wacom-compatible tip (so all you designers out there can now have an equally design-worthy instrument).

There’s also an accessory that looks amazing that I haven’t had the pleasure of trying out, but would certainly love to: the Flex-Carry pouch. Be sure to check it out on the website.

There’s really not much else to say other than it writes well and taps equally as well. In other words, it works great and looks amazing.

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A ROUNDUP OF THE LATEST IPHONE 6 RUMORS

With Apple expected to debut the newest iPhone in just 15 days (September 9th), rumors and reports are at an all time high.  And although things tend to change on a near daily basis, here is a quick recap of the latest rumors and reports from the past few days:

Design

Images have surfaced over the past few days of what is believed to be one of the first looks at an assembled new iPhone 6, and it appears that, as expected, the design will be significantly thinner at 7mm.  Also, there have been multiple reports concerning a possible protruding back camera lens, however reports from schematics have noted that the camera lens will likely only protrude out 0.77mm, which is very similar to the iPod touch.

Modem

Internally, the new iPhone is expected to receive a complete overhaul, and rumors have indicated this will include the addition of a faster LTE modem from Qualcomm, which will offer speeds up to 150mbs with support for LTE advanced.

Screen Resolution

Most expect the new iPhone 6 to debut with a 960 x 1704 screen resolution, as this will provide a smooth transition for most developers.  However, a discovery by 9to5mac has indicated that a resolution of 828 x 1472 may also exist and that it is possible that these will be the two resolutions Apple includes for the 4.7” and possibly a larger 5.5” screen, as both resolutions still fall under Apple’s retina requirements.

Lightening Cable & USB Power Adapter

There has been much talk the past week in regards to a realistic possibility that the new iPhone 6 will include a re-designed lightening cable with a reversible USB connector.  This will allow consumers to easily charge and sync their devices regardless of which way they plug the USB connector into the power source.  However reports this morning are indicating that this new lightening cable may not be available until next year.

USB Power Adapter Re-Design

While the addition of a new lightening cable design is still in question, a re-designed USB power adapter is expected to ship with the new device this fall.  This looks to be a new ego-friendly design with rounded corners and side dimples that will allow for a better grip when inserting the adapter into an AC power outlet.  With the power output of 2A, this design will be only slightly larger than the current 5W power adapter, and looks to be similar to the design Apple currently uses in Australia.

Only time will tell what Apple has up it’s sleeve, but one thing’s for sure:  the rumor mill will be a flurry of anticipation over the next few weeks as we count down the days to September 9th.

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HOW TO OWN A SMARTPHONE AND STILL BE HAPPY

Is it possible to own a smartphone and still be happy? Seriously. Like, really happy?

I remember when the first iPhone came out. I wanted it so bad. I felt like if I didn’t get it I would somehow be incomplete. The funny thing is, now that I’ve had several iPhones, it’s almost become easier to feel incomplete than when I had none.

The main cause for this is that smartphones make us—me, you—want more. They make information about what we could have, but don’t, not only accessible, but addicting to consume.

Whether it’s reading the news (and finding out about recently minted technology millionaires or billionaires), discovering all of the exciting places on Instagram everyone seems to be visiting, noticing all the subscribers various self-made YouTube stars have acquired or simply perusing all the new apps in the app store I can’t or won’t have time to try, my smartphone is great at planting seeds of discontent in my life.

And it’s not just seeing things that I don’t have but want or can’t have. It’s the nature of the way the information is presented. It’s constant. It’s instant. If I’m not constantly checking for what is new “out there” as perceived through my smartphone, I feel like I might be missing out on something. But I’m also missing out on “real life” every time I swipe to unlock my iPhone. In either case I’m missing out… on something.

One could argue that there were always avenues for finding things you might want but didn’t or couldn’t have. Like magazines, for instance, or seeing a Ferrari pass you on the Interstate.

But the images from magazines didn’t nag you to view them with push notifications. And seeing a Ferrari in the wild was only ever a rare occurrence. These types of discontent-inducing input were never as ubiquitous before the dawn of the smartphone. Now its all in your pocket. And thanks to devices like Google Glass, the path from input to brain is getting ever shorter.

I used to think I’d be content as the owner of a smartphone. But now I realize smartphones themselves, not only the content they contain, breed discontent by design. I’d go as far as to say that discontentment is hard-coded into the DNA of all smartphones.

Think about it: Apple and Samsung aren’t going to make any money unless you upgrade your old phone to the latest iPhone or Galaxy model. And what’s the only way to make you want to upgrade? To make you feel like you’re missing out. To make you want more. To make you discontent.

For someone who wants to be happy it seems counterintuitive to own a smartphone. But this is a conundrum because smartphone’s do have a lot to offer. They can make us more productive and they do make it easier to communicate. In reality, they are essential to the way we live our daily lives.

So how can a person be happy AND own a smartphone? I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately and I’ve got a few ideas you can try.

Ultimately, as any conversation about contentment will conclude (smartphone or no smartphone), you’ve got to be happy with what you’ve got. This doesn’t mean settling for less—you can and should always strive to better yourself. But you’ve got to ask yourself if X will make you better. Or happier. Will that new iPhone make you better? Happier? What about that Instagram update? Will knowing it right now, instead of in a day, change your life in a profound way?

Something for you to consider. As a tech writer, I get a lot of fun tech toys to play with. From amazing speakers to computers to robots software and apps and all kinds of things in-between. There was one particular smart-guitar I wanted since I first heard about. I wished I could have it for months. Eventually I finally got it. It was fun, for a while, but my life went on just about the same as it had before.

The big point I’m trying to make is… stuff won’t make you happy. Whether it’s physical stuff—like a smart guitar you've been wanting forever—or digital stuff—knowing the latest news, updates, videos, etc.

So be happy with what you've got. Right now. In front of you. You know, the “real world.” The non-digital. Especially the people (and relationships) around you.

How? By disconnecting. Not cold turkey, of course. No need (or way) for that. But carve out some carve out some time where you can take a break from your pixel-driven world and enjoy the physical world. Divide and conquer.

It’s actually easier than you think. Use your phone’s do not disturb mode to give yourself 3 hours of no-phone time before bed. Take a weekend (or at least one day of the weekend, or most of a day…) to be phone-free.

In all honesty, every time I intentionally take a break from technology I become more productive.

And there’s an interesting affect: the more time you spend away from your smartphone, the more you appreciate it. And the more time you spend away from the “real world” (which you do all the time because you’re always on your smartphone) the more you appreciate it. So taking deliberate time to enjoy both is much more rewarding than drowning one out.

And the crazy thing is, when you do take a break from your digital life, it’ll all be there waiting for you when you come back.

To illustrate, I’ll tell you about my Vine experience to-date. I joined the mini-video-sharing social network a few months back, posted two videos, got little traction in the way of followers and eventually stopped opening the app. A few months later I got curious and opened it up and to my surprise had gained 70 followers—with no interaction on my part.

To sum things up, I have to say that I want more out of life than to be a smartphone zombie. I want to be more balanced. I want to enjoy the people around me. I want to be happier, even though my smartphone wants me to be discontent. And I will be.

What do you think?

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Why Your Next Smartphone May Not Cost A Fortune

Wanting to own the very best-the fastest processor, a display packing the most pixels, a professional-grade camera-made sense in the days when nearly every smartphone was terrible. A raft of new devices, though, has cemented that cheap price no longer means cheap quality. And they're going to save you a whole lot of money.

Just this week, two impressive devices were announced at equally low prices, chilling well below the $300 mark off-contract. Sharp's Aquos Crystal is a quirky, virtually bezel-free stunner that's deceptively competent, while ZTE's Nubia 5S Mini LTE found a way to pack in a 13-megapixel camera into a sleek, styled, affordable body. These phones join a growing group of devices that offer capable performance at similar prices like the Moto G or the Lumia 630. We've even crossed the price threshold were $300 can still get all the top specs you want; just look at the OnePlus One.

If $300 sounds expensive, remember that the full retail price of that new iPhone is at least twice that. The reason you get it for less is that you're signing away the next two years of your mobile life to one carrier. And if you lose or break your device midway through that contract? You're going to feel the full weight of that $650 replacement phone. T-Mobile's already done away with the antiquated concept of subsidies to a degree, but most of us are still trapped in that two-year mindset. Having affordable options that exist outside of that system, though, could finally set us free.

The biggest factor in all of this? The actual phones. In 2008, I bought an 16GB iPhone 3G on contract (c'mon, everyone was doing it) for $300. We're talking single core processors, 128MB of memory, 2 megapixel camera. After two years of use, Apple upgraded my phone into oblivion, and I moved onto the next best thing, which was substantially better. It was like leapfrogging into the future.

That's not really the case any more. I test, hold, poke, prod, and review all kinds of smartphones-I have four on my desk right now. Switching between them and my two-year-old iPhone 5, which you can buy used (and probably in better condition) for about $350, performance-wise. is pretty negligible. Smartphone progress has moved in, unpacked, and picked out matching drapes in the cul-de-sac of diminishing returns.

That's why many companies don't obsess over specs anymore, and instead explore frontiers like waterproofing, "premium materials," optical heart rate sensors, and even iris scanners. These peripheral features help Samsung and Apple justify top-tier prices. Meanwhile the cost to make smartphones do what we use them for 99 percent of the time, like navigating without stutter, playing games and movies, taking some decent pictures, and overall just looking great, keeps getting cheaper and cheaper.

And it's not just smartphones; the same thing's been happening for years in digital cameras, music, and even military tech. Some describe it as a "Good Enough" era, but these sub-$300 options are starting to offer features and hardware that we can just drop "enough" altogether. They're just good. In some cases, they're great.

This doesn't mean wanting the biggest or greatest or most powerful smartphone makes you weird. Believe me, I'll be obsessing over the new Note 4 and the iPhone 6 like the rest of you. But even for spec-heads, there's comfort knowing that if I need to replace my phone mid-contract, I can get a pretty damn good one for less than half of what a new, full-price iPhone would cost me.

Pulling back this long-standing pricing veil as well as a swell of smartphone manufacturers trying to undercut current devices leaders with competent low cost options shows that cheap smartphones could be making serious inroads in the U.S. And that means serious savings for your wallet, without even feeling like you're sacrificing.

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GoPro Finally Has A Dedicated Dog Mount

GoPros and dogs have always been a wonderful combination, but now the company has decided it's smart business, too. The company has just launched the Fetch mount, which allows you to comfortably fasten two cameras to your canine pal.

The padded harness lets you mount a GoPro on your dog's belly and back, and is adjustable to fit dogs from 15 to 120 lbs. (You can remove the belly cam mount if your dog is adorably tiny.) It also features GoPro tethers, so even if your dog bounds around like a lunatic, you shouldn't lose your camera. You should, however, get some amazing dog PoV footage. The mount is available now for $60.

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The G3 Stylus, LG'S Galaxy Note 4 Killer Phablet, Is Now Official

The curtains are finally off the LG G3 Stylus. After sneaking the phablet into a promotional videoabout the G3 Beat earlier this month, LG has officially announced that the G3 Stylus will be unveiled at IFA 2014 in Berlin next month.

This puts the G3 Stylus head-to-head with Samsung's Note 4, which will also be unveiled at IFA on September 3.

The specs? A 5.5-inch qHD display, a 1.3Ghz quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM 13-megapixel rear camera, a 1.3-megapixel front camera, and a massive 3,000mAh battery. The downer is that there's no 4G LTE (I know, what?). Instead, LG will be rolling out the phone in 3G markets like Brazil, followed by countries in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

No word on pricing yet, only the promise that it will be "exceptional". We'll see. 

Key Specifications:

￭ Chipset: 1.3 GHz Quad-Core

￭ Display: 5.5-inch qHD IPS (960 x 540)

￭ Memory: 8 GB / 1 GB RAM/ MicroSD slot

￭ Camera: Rear 13MP/ Front 1.3MP

￭ Battery: 3,000mAh (removable)

￭ Operating System: Android 4.4.2 KitKat

￭ Size: 149.3 x 75.9 x 10.2mm

￭ Weight: 163g

￭ Network: 3G

￭ Colors: Black / White/ Gold

￭ Other: Stylus Pen

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