Zach Epstein

@zacharye zach@bgr.com +Zach Epstein

Zach Epstein has worked in and around ICT for more than a decade, first in marketing and business development with two private telcos, then as a writer and editor covering business news, consumer electronics and telecommunications. As a writer, Zach’s work has been quoted by countless top news publications and he was recently named one of the world's top-10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Zach is now Executive Editor at BGR, where he guides the editorial team and contributes reports and analyses with an unbiased viewpoint and a widely respected voice.

Services
February 24, 2015
by
Free Personal Assistant Service

Text this ‘Magic’ number and you can get anything you want

By on February 24, 2015 at 11:10 AM.

Text this ‘Magic’ number and you can get anything you want

There was once a time when personal assistant services could only be enjoyed by the wealthy. Now, there are plenty of services that offer at least a portion of the personal assistant experience at a small fraction of the price of hiring a full-time person on staff. The experience isn’t quite the same, of course, but most people don’t really have a need for a real full-time assistant.

Now, when it comes to getting whatever you want delivered to you with a minimal amount of effort, a new service called Magic could be exactly what you’ve been waiting for. More →

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Apps & Software
February 24, 2015
by
Featured
Best Free iPhone Apps

7 awesome paid iPhone apps you can download for free if you hurry

By on February 24, 2015 at 10:20 AM.

7 awesome paid iPhone apps you can download for free if you hurry

We started the week off with a solid list of eight paid iPhone and iPad apps that were all on sale for free for a limited time, and a number of them can still be had for free if you hurry back to that post. Today, however, we have a great new list for you with seven more paid iOS apps that are all free downloads for a short time.

There are a few real gems on today’s list — especially for all the mobile photographers out there — so be sure to snag them as quickly as possible or you might miss these great sales. More →

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Apps & Software
February 24, 2015
by
Best Google Apps

11 great Google apps you’ve probably never even heard of

By on February 24, 2015 at 9:30 AM.

11 great Google apps you’ve probably never even heard of

To look at early versions of Android, when Google first began to truly embrace mobile, you would have never guessed that the company would eventually be responsible for some of the best and most beautiful apps on the planet. Today, however, apps like Gmail and Google Maps are the best and most widely used applications in their respective categories, and Google continues to wow us with its app quality each time new updates roll out or new apps are launched.

As much as you rely on the Google apps for computers, Android and iOS that you currently use, however, there are a slew of apps Google makes that you have probably never even heard of. More →

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Wearables
February 24, 2015
by
LG Watch Urbane Video

Apple Watch’s only real competition looks stunning in this new video

By on February 24, 2015 at 8:30 AM.

Apple Watch’s only real competition looks stunning in this new video

We do not yet know everything there is to know about Apple’s upcoming debut entry into the smartwatch space, the Apple Watch. What we do know, however, is that rival smartwatches to date have not been well received at all at this point. Total quarterly global smartwatch sales are still said to number in the hundreds of thousands at this point, so Apple will almost certainly surpass lifetime smartwatch sales of any given rival during the Apple Watch’s first few months of availability.

To be fair, smartwatches have been pretty lackluster until now, and there really isn’t much of a reason to consider buying any device that has been released at this point. As we recently reported, however, that is about to change. More →

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Mobile
February 23, 2015
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Google Now Gas Station Card

A great Google Now feature I’ve been waiting for was just added by Google

By on February 23, 2015 at 1:30 PM.

A great Google Now feature I’ve been waiting for was just added by Google

Google Now is easily one of my favorite mobile services. In fact, it’s probably one of the best things to happen to mobile devices in years. The service serves a number of different functions, but the easiest way to describe it is this: Google Now gives you information you need… before you even know you need it. I use Google Now constantly on my Android devices and on my iPhone, where the service lives inside the Google Search app.

Google Now is packed full of fantastic features, but there’s one simple one in particular that I have been waiting for — and now it has just been added. More →

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Entertainment
February 23, 2015
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House of Cards Season 3 Trailer

Watch this immediately: A brand new trailer for ‘House of Cards’ season 3

By on February 23, 2015 at 12:25 PM.

Watch this immediately: A brand new trailer for ‘House of Cards’ season 3

House of Cards marked a turning point for Netflix. It was a big-budget series with a big-name producer led by a big star, and it let traditional content makers know that Netflix was here to disrupt the space. The show has gone on to receive critical acclaim and win several top awards, and it is widely regarded as one of the best shows on — or off — TV right now.

After what seemed like a painfully long break, the hotly anticipated third season of House of Cards will finally premiere later this week, and Netflix just released a new trailer to whet your appetite. More →

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Hardware
February 23, 2015
by
Lightsaber Design Jony Ive

Designed by Apple in Tatooine: This is what a lightsaber designed by Jony Ive would look like

By on February 23, 2015 at 11:10 AM.

Designed by Apple in Tatooine: This is what a lightsaber designed by Jony Ive would look like

In a huge profile in The New Yorker last week, Apple design boss Jony Ive revealed that has gave director J.J. Abrams some advice on how to design a better lightsaber for his upcoming film Star Wars: The Force Awakens. As you’ll recall, the new lightsaber was the source of some contention among Star Wars fans who complained that it looked, well, a bit too ridiculous.

As we have seen in more recent images from The Force Awakens, it appears as though Abrams and company definitely took some of Ive’s advice and made some key changes to the lightsaber’s new design.

Even still, however, it’s clear that this device is not a Jony Ive creation… so what might a lightsaber look like if it was designed by Ive from the ground up? More →

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Apps & Software
February 23, 2015
by
Featured
Best Free iPhone Apps

8 awesome paid iPhone apps on sale for free for a limited time

By on February 23, 2015 at 10:20 AM.

8 awesome paid iPhone apps on sale for free for a limited time

The best way to start off the week on Monday is with a nice healthy breakfast… and by downloading some cool paid iPhone and iPad apps for free. We can’t help you make a sensible morning meal, but we’re more than happy to share a list of paid apps that can now be downloaded without paying a dime for a limited time. Today’s list includes eight nifty apps and as always, these sales could end at any minute so be sure to hurry and download anything that looks appealing. More →

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Wearables
February 23, 2015
by
iPhone Android Wear

Video: New iPhone hack does the impossible

By on February 23, 2015 at 9:05 AM.

Video: New iPhone hack does the impossible

Apple is known for many of things, but choice isn’t necessarily one of them. The company has a tendency to try to tell customers what they want rather than give them a number of different options. Of course, Apple is often exactly right about what customers want, and it has the all-time most profitable quarter in corporate history under its belt to prove it.

Some consumers want a wider range of choices though, and this is one of many reasons Android smartphones have become so popular. While the same hasn’t been true for Android-powered smartwatches, which haven’t sold well at all at this point, a new hack could ultimately kill two birds with one stone by opening up Android Wear devices to anyone with an iPhone. More →

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Services
February 20, 2015
by
Google Search Mobile Changes

Google’s latest mobile search change brings some key interface changes

By on February 20, 2015 at 6:45 PM.

Google’s latest mobile search change brings some key interface changes

Where would we be without Google Search? We have written a number of times about how important Google and its industry-leading search engine is — for a good example, see our article titled “The truth about Google and evil.” Google has launched and will continue to launch a number of important products with impact that reaches far beyond profits and revenue, but Search stands out because of the role it played in breaking down the barriers between people and information.

As good as Google Search is, however, Google is constantly looking for ways to improve its search engine and its interfaces, and the company’s latest big change brings some great improvements to mobile search. More →

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Entertainment
February 20, 2015
by
Making Of LEGO Movie

Video: An awesome behind-the-scenes look at the making of ‘The LEGO Movie’

By on February 20, 2015 at 5:25 PM.

Video: An awesome behind-the-scenes look at the making of ‘The LEGO Movie’

The LEGO Movie didn’t quite receive the universal acclaim many thought it would get while it was in development, but there’s no question that it was a fun flick. There are still plenty of people who absolutely loved the movie because it was packed full of action, cute comedy and plenty of big-name stars as well.

If you’re a fan of the movie, you’ll undoubtedly be interested in a fantastic behind-the-scenes look at the making of The LEGO Movie, which was posted on YouTube recently by Warner Bros. Pictures. More →

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Apps & Software
February 20, 2015
by
Pop App Download iPhone

This new free iPhone app is trying to transform texting

By on February 20, 2015 at 1:45 PM.

This new free iPhone app is trying to transform texting

Photo and video messaging is enjoying a huge resurgence right now as apps like Snapchat focus on fun new ways to communicate. Many popular apps that offer photo and video messaging are still heavily reliant on a text element for communication, mixing all three means of chatting together into one app. Now, however, a new app has just launched on Thursday that gives iPhone users a fun, fast and free way to communicate using only short video messages. More →

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Mobile
February 20, 2015
by
Galaxy S6 Vs iPhone 6

Galaxy S6 vs. iPhone 6: New video compares sizes using a Galaxy S6 mockup

By on February 20, 2015 at 12:55 PM.

Galaxy S6 vs. iPhone 6: New video compares sizes using a Galaxy S6 mockup

We have seen dozens of leaks and rumors leading up to Samsung’s March 1st unveiling of its next-generation flagship smartphones. From the look of things, Samsung plans to unveil two smartphones during the annual Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona, Spain. One will be the Galaxy S6, a sleek new handset with cutting-edge specs that will be Samsung’s first phone to feel like a true premium handset. The second is rumored to be a slightly modified Galaxy S6 Edge version with the same specs, but it will have a screen that curves toward the back of the device on both sides.

We’ve read the rumors, we’ve seen the schematics and we’ve watched the renders dance around on video. Now, however, a 3D printed Galaxy S6 dummy has been created and compared to Apple’s iPhone 6 on camera. More →

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