Adam Z. Lein

1938 posts
Adam has had interests in combining technology with art since his first use of a Koala pad on an Apple computer. He currently has a day job as a graphic designer, photographer, systems administrator and web developer at a small design firm in Westchester, NY. His love of technology extends to software development companies who have often implemented his ideas for usability and feature enhancements. Mobile computing has become a necessity for Adam since his first Uniden UniPro PC100 in 1998. He has been reviewing and writing about smartphones for Pocketnow.com since they first appeared on the market in 2002. Read more about Adam Lein!

A $99 Chromebook is so much better with Gallium Linux installed

Chrome OS is okay if all you need is a web browser, but upgrading a Chromebook to Gallium Linux turns your Chromebook into a much more powerful, serious computer.

Hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy S20 5G family

Did you hear? Samsung just announced its trio of Galaxy S20 5G smartphones. We were there and this is our hands-on. Check it out!

Wacom’s new MobileStudio Pro 13 is now available

The 2020 version of the Wacom MobileStudio Pro 13 is now available with updated specs an upgradable body and included stand.

Why you should probably avoid Google’s RCS Text messaging chat feature

RCS is being promised as the upgrade to text messaging that we’ve been waiting for, but… why can’t we just use the internet for this?

Building your own mobile phone is serious fun

Making your own mobile phone sounds like a daunting task, but it’s actually really fun! We’re not talking about a fancy iPhone here, but it is still quite an excellent learning experience.

Kai OS impressions: the world’s #3 smartphone OS

Kai OS is rising from the ashes as the world’s 3rd most popular smartphone operating system. How does it stand up so far?

Pinebook Pro Review: A $200 laptop that’s only for cool people.

A Chromebook alternative where you don’t have to install Linux yourself? And it can also run Chromium OS or Android off an SD card? Sign me up!

Nokia 7.2 Review

Nokia’s new 7.2 Android One phone is priced for the midrange market and includes a 48Mp camera. How does it stack up?

Why are we still using phone numbers?

Often if you take a logic-based critical look at something that society has long taken for granted, you might see that it really doesn’t make sense in modern society.  It may have made sense many years, or decades, or centuries ago, but it clearly doesn’t make any sense today. In the age of the internet, phone numbers are another one of those things.

Hands on with Samsung Galaxy Book Flex and Galaxy Book Ion

Today Samsung is announcing two new series in their line of Galaxy Book laptops and tablet PC convertibles; the Samsung Galaxy Book Flex and the Galaxy Book Ion.

How to avoid paying extra for Gmail

Back in 2004, Gmail’s email storage system seemed unlimited. Today, there are many cases of Gmail users’ losing email functionality because their account storage limits are full. Here are some tips for managing that storage limit without losing your data.

Panasonic Toughbook FZ-55 Review

Being able to easily swap out hardware components in desktop towers and servers has always been pretty great, but what about in a laptop? Finally, some one made a modern laptop with modular components that are easy to replace.

“Frost” makes Facebook almost tolerable

The Facebook app on Android is not very well-designed and kind of bloated. There are a lot of ethical reasons to avoid it too. Frost for Facebook is a web wrapper that actually brings some excellent features to Facebook on Android.

Hands on with the HP Spectre x360 13

The 2019 version of the HP Spectre x360 13 is a lot smaller than the old one and it packs even more power than before. Take a look at our hands-on with this new premium tablet PC convertible.

What happens if your Huawei phone breaks while in the U.S.?

I bought my Huawei Mate 20 Pro in New Zealand, but it broke while I’m in New York. How will I get it fixed? Here’s what happened with Huawei’s excellent customer service.

The Privacy Friendly Librem 5 is now shipping (for cool people)

If you’re getting concerned about how much of your privacy is sucked up and used by the likes of Google, Apple, Facebook, etc., you probably should be. The Librem 5 smartphone aims to give control back to the user.

HP zBook 14u G6 review

HP’s Z series has always been about high-end workstations. With the ZBook 14U, we’ve got high-end workstation power in a much more mobile-friendly package.

Hands on with the HP Elite Dragonfly

The HP Elite Dragonfly is one of the lightest, most-powerful, travel friendly tablet PC convertibles around. Take a look at our quick hands-on with it.

Google Chrome for Android is almost usable!

Somebody at Google is finally learning about one-handed smartphone usability; something that should have been obvious 15 years ago. Chrome may be getting a much better user interface soon.

Hong Kong protesters should be smarter about their messaging apps

Hong Kong protesters have been seeking out new ways of communicating without government intervention. Here’s a potentially much better option compared to the messaging apps that they’ve been using.

Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16 (2019) Review

If you’re looking for a serious professional grade tablet PC for a career in the visual creativity fields, the 2019 Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16 should be at the top of your list.

Could you survive with only 6 apps on your phone? Which ones would they be?

Huawei has this great Ultra Power saving feature that limits you to only running 6 apps. If you had to live like that, which 6 apps would you choose? Us the #6appsChallenge hash tag and let us know.

The Librem 5’s hardware specs & pre-orders

The highly anticipated FOSS-friendly Librem 5 smartphone now has its specs finalized and the pre-order discount is ending soon.

Apparently, I have to install spyware on my phone in order to attend a Weird Al concert

If you enjoy supporting your favorite artists by attending their shows, watch out for the AXS ticketing app. It could be a nightmare!

How to fix your phone’s shitty portrait mode (as explained by a professional photographer)

Smartphones are getting better at photography, but they are still lacking in the bokeh blur department especially for the portrait mode. Here’s a fix!