That said, the Google engineers saw what we were talking about in our photos, and they are doing more testing, but they believe we have a faulty device. So who knows! Hopefully it's just a glitch with our One. We'll be getting a new one shortly and will update.There are a few other quibbles, too, some small things you may have taken for granted with Sense that you don't get with stock. In HTC Sense's dialer app, you can start punching a friend's name into the number pad (using the superscript letters) and it will quickly pull up contacts. The stock dialer doesn't do this, so you have to scroll through your long list of contacts.HTC Sense also offers built-in profiles—an easy way to switch between Normal, Vibrate, and Silent modes. Not so in stock. Also, the HTC One has a built-in IR blaster for using your phone as a remote control. Not only does the stock version not come with a preinstalled app that lets you use it, but as of right now there are no apps in the Play Store that can take advantage of it, either. We were told that capability would be coming in the next software build, though APIs will still have to be released, and someone will still have to make an app that uses them.There's also the rather steep sticker price of $600, but that sounds like a bigger number than it actually is. For an unlocked, unsubsidized phone it's pretty standard. If you're used to paying $200 for a high-end phone and have your wireless carrier subsidize the rest (as a part of a two-year contract, typically) may experience some sticker-shock. That might sound like it all adds up to a lot of negative, but it's really negligible, especially assuming we were dealing with an abnormal camera. And we haven't even mentioned the biggest advantage of a Google Edition phone yet: Updates. The stock version of the HTC One will all but certainly be upgraded to the newest version of Android right along with (or at least close to) the Nexus program. The One with Sense, by contrast, is still running Android version 4.1.2, which is now more than a year old. For people who want the latest and greatest coming out of Google HQ, this is huge. And trust us, you want the latest and greatest.The stock HTC One runs on AT&T, T-Mobile, and other GSM carriers (i.e. not Verizon or Sprint), and yes, LTE works. We tested it on AT&T's network in NYC, and when we had four bars of LTE we averaged download speeds of over 20Mbps and upload speeds of over 12Mbps. We did have some problems with our radio, initially, but after talking with Google it appears that was unique to our particular test unit. And once we worked out the bug (it chose the wrong APN, for you geeks out there), it performed flawlessly. So, really, our only major gripe here is the camera. We've reached out to Google about it, and will update if we hear anything back.In our initial review of the Galaxy S4, almost all of our complaints about it were software-related. So you would think that replacing TouchWiz with stock Android would fix almost all of its problems, right?Yep. That's pretty much true. Samsung's TouchWiz is such a heavy skin that it slows things down despite the super-fast 1.9GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor in its belly. But while stock Android makes the HTC One a little faster, it's a serious change in the Galaxy S4. Scrolling through menus and across screens is faster and smoother. Apps generally open more quickly, and most importantly, there is now almost zero shutter lag on the camera, whereas the TouchWiz version can lag behind by as much as a second. TouchWiz is also just a clusterfrak of settings and bells and whistles, most of which sit there unused, clogging up menus. Stock Android is starkly minimalist by comparison. The stock apps look better and are more intuitive to use almost without exception. Desktop customization is way simpler. We were also able to install and use Google Wallet on it (not so on the HTC One Google Edition), which is typically blocked by AT&T. Why it worked on the S4 and not the One despite using the same SIM card for both, we do not know. On the hardware side, thankfully, photos the 13MP camera took look almost identical to those on the TouchWiz version. Again, the camera app is much simplified, and though you gain PhotoSphere and easier access to HDR, you do lose a lot of the fun camera modes that Samsung came up with, like Drama Shot (which superimposes several images of a subject in motion into a single shot) and animated GIFs. As you know, the Galaxy S4 features a micro SD card slot, and while you can read files off of it (photos, etc.) you can't take full advantage of it. For example, there is no native way to move apps over to your SD card, as there is in the skinned versions of Android. There are, of course, things you lose that you will miss. Again, TouchWiz's dialer lets you punch in numbers to get to your contacts quickly, stock Android's dialer doesn't (please fix this, guys!), and you lose TouchWiz's profiles feature as well. TouchWiz has some handy shortcuts to settings within the notification screen and some people may miss those, but for our money, the way stock Android handles it is better, and keeps your notification panel looking cleaner and easier to read. Also, while the IR blaster is technically ready to be used, the API hasn't been released yet, and so there are no downloadable apps that can take advantage of it yet. And, the S4 too, will only work on GSM carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile (not Verizon or Sprint). And as with the HTC One, the sticker price might be tough to swallow. At $650, it ain't exactly cheap, but again, that's not bad for a high-end, unlocked, unsubsidized phone. As we suspected, putting stock Android on the Galaxy S4 made one of the very best smartphones even better. So, you've decided you're going to go with one of these stock phones. Now that the software is essentially identical, here's how the two phones compare.The HTC One is still arguably the best-designed phone we've ever used, and its build quality is unmatched. It was cut from a solid block of aluminum and it feels amazing. The Galaxy S4 is by no means bad, but with its slippery plastic back, there's no comparison. The One is slightly narrower and is a bit easier to handle, too. Winner: HTC OneThe screens are definitely two different looks, as you can see in the video above. They're both 1080p. The S4 is a full 5 inches which gives you a little more real estate, whereas the One's 4.7-inch screen means the pixel density is every so slightly higher, making it look very slightly sharper."The camera hardware and underlying software (image processing, etc.) are the exact same between the Stock and Sense UX versions of HTC One, so there should not be any differences. Our camera tests show that the quality is consistent between the two."
In the whites HTC One skew a bit on the rosy side, whereas the whites on the Galaxy S4 skew blueish-green. Which is "better" is more a matter of personal preference, though we slightly prefer the One.In the blacks, there's no contest. The Galaxy S4 is like looking into the cold, black vacuum of space, even at full brightness. At full brightness, the HTC One's blacks are very slightly gray. It's still very good, but it's definitely not as good as the S4. Winner: TieAs you can see in the video above, the stock HTC One locks focus and snaps shots faster than stock Galaxy S4. But, as we mentioned above, the camera on the stock HTC One was under-performing compared to the original. As a result, the camera on the Galaxy S4 is much sharper, has better color, and better contrast. The One does, however, still stomp the S4 in low light. Hopefully we just got a bum HTC unit, but for now the Galaxy S4's camera is better. Click here for a gallery of comparison shots. Winner: Galaxy S4 (pending)The HTC One is the hands down winner here. It's not even close. The stereo front-facing speakers are loud and clear. The S4's external speaker (on the back) is quiet and terrible by comparison. Also, the pre-amp in the HTC One makes listening to music through headphones noticeably better. Winner: HTC OneUnlike full on Nexus phones, the One and the S4 both have hardware navigation buttons. The One has two capacitive buttons: One for Home, and one for Back. You double-tap home to bring up the task-switcher, and you long-press it to bring up Google Now. The Galaxy S4 on the other hand has three navigation buttons: Back and Menu are both capitative and there's a home button in the center which is press-able. You press it once to go home, twice quickly for multitasking, and long press for Google Now.The capacitive buttons on the HTC (for home and task switching) are simply faster and easier to use. Also, because there is no physical menu button, that puts the menu options on screen in apps, which we find to be more intuitive. Winner: HTC OneNavigating around the OS, the HTC One is just a hair quicker. Considering it has the same software and the same processor but it's clocked 0.2 GHz slower than the S4, that shouldn't be the case. But it is. Go figure. We're talking about a very small difference, though. Even in benchmarks, the two were dead even, with one or the other coming out a hundred or two hundred points ahead of the other in both Quadrant and Geekbench 2 tests, but the One came out ahead two out of three times. Go figure. Winner: HTC OneToo soon to tell. More testing required.Winner: TBDOptionsYou want expandable storage? The S4's got it, the HTC One doesn't. Want a removable battery? Ditto. If you like to tinker, you're going to get frustrated fast with the HTC One's lack of fungibility. Similarly, while there are some accessories available for the One, Samsung has built itself a much more robust third-party ecosystem. If you want your phone with a side of stuff, the S4 is the way to go.Winner: Galaxy S4Last but not least, the price. The HTC One is $600, and the Galaxy S4 is $650.Winner: HTC OneHonestly, these are both terrific phones, and you'd be happy with either. If an SD card slot and removable battery are a big deal for you, go ahead and get the Galaxy S4. Otherwise, the HTC One is our favorite by a nose. Most of all, though, just be glad that you can finally get the best possible versions of the best possible phones on Android. It's about time.You can get the stock Android HTC One here and you can get the stock Android Samsung Galaxy S4 here. They should ship out by July 9th.
There is nothing better than steak and potatoes. Or is there? Hmmm. Steak? Good. Potatoes? Good. Fried? Oh yeah!!! We took a classic meal and made it even tastier. Probably way worse for you too, but sooo good. So let's do this! *Please make sure you're blood pressure isn't already high before eating this! 
You'll need steak (any kind you prefer), russet potatoes (these work best for frying), 6 eggs, 1 cup of milk (we forgot it in the picture), 6 cups of flour, and a half cup of seasoning salt. That's it. This doesn't take long to prep, so go ahead and plug in your fryer and let it start heating up.
The Nexus 4 (8GB for $299 or 16GB for $349, contract-free) manufactured by LG, is the current official Google phone, and the flagship of the Nexus program. It's available contract-free directly from Google (or from T-Mobile in the US, if you want to buy it through a carrier) so you can pick and choose the carrier you use it with (including pre-paid options), which was a remarkable departure for Nexus phones compared to the previous models. Availability of the device has smoothed out over the past few months, and Google's order page now says a new Nexus 4 can ship to you in 1-2 business days.The Nexus 4 is a 3G/HSPA+ device, and garnered some criticism for not ticking off the 4G/LTE box in its spec sheet. Regardless, that hasn't stopped the phone from being wildly popular, packing stock Android 4.2 Jelly Bean under the hood, a beautiful 8MP camera on the back (and a 1.3MP camera on the front), a nicely sized 4.7" HD display that protected by Corning's Gorilla Glass 2, and is powered by 2GB of RAM and a Qualcomm quad-core Snapdragon processor. It's a killer device, but it's not perfect: the Nexus 4 eschewed a replaceable battery (although it does have a 2100 mAh battery) and expansion slot for a slim and trim design, so if you need either of those things, it might be a tough sell. Still, it does pack perks like NFC and wireless charging, and it is a Nexus device, so you can trust you'll get timely Android releases, always be up to date, and even if Google falters there's a massive development community working with the phone at all times.Despite a horrendous launch event, the Samsung Galaxy S4 ($149-$199 with contract, all US carriers) is without a doubt one of the most super-powered phones on the market today. Samsung's latest iteration in the Galaxy line will, without a doubt, sell millions of units, and become one of the most popular Android phones on the planet, much like its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S3 (which, coincidentally, almost made the top five of its own accord). Contrary to the rumors that Samsung would put a little more heft into its phones or improve their build quality, the S4 has almost the same case design and materials of its predecessor, so if you hate plastic and polycarbonate cases, you may not love the S4. The device only recently came out, but high demand has slowed its rollout, but regardless, it is available on all US carriers.The Galaxy S4 is a 3G/4G device, and since it's available for all carriers, each carrier model supports each carrier's 4G network. It packs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, although it's overlaid with Samsung's TouchWiz user interface, which directs you in some cases away from core Android features and to Samsung's branded counterpart services. Regardless, all of Android's features are under the hood, you just might have to dig a little through TouchWiz to get to it. You also get 13MP camera on the back (and a 2MP camera on the front), and it sports a 5" full HD display. Under the hood, the S4 packs 2GB of RAM, a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a 2600mAh removable battery, and it comes in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB varieties with a microSD card slot that allows you to add up to another 64GB to the device. It also sports NFC, and a host of Samsung-specific features, like the S-Health fitness tracking system, Samsung's Smart Scroll and Smart Pause systems, the S Voice personal assistant, and the S Travel trip advisor.The HTC One ($199 on contract with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, $575 unlocked direct from HTC) is a beautiful device. Seriously—it's earned high praise from all corners for its solid build quality and sleek aluminum body. It doesn't just look good, either—even after the launch of the Galaxy S4 and all of its features and power, reviewers are still torn over whether the One or the S4 is the current crown champion of the Android market. Just as well too, HTC needed a powerhouse phone to re-energize itself and get back in front of the Android market, and while the One X and One S of previous years were great devices, the new One flagship device is solid leap forward.The HTC One ships with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean (although an update to 4.2 is on the way), overlaid with HTC's new Sense 5 interface. Sense 5.0 represents a shift away from the old Sense UI, one that you'll either love or hate, but most critics have responded positively to it. Even if you dislike overlaid UIs, Android isn't too far away. You get a 4MP camera on the back that's also capable of full 1080p video (and a 2.1MP camera on the front), and a 4.7" full HD display. The One packs 2GB of RAM, a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor under the hood, a 2300 mAh non-removable battery, and comes in 32GB and 64GB versions. The One doesn't have an expansion slot, so make sure to get the model with the storage you'll need. The HTC One also comes with an array of actually useful HTC features, including the HTC Zoe photo gallery and web gallery that make uploading and sharing photos surprisingly easy, HTC's BoomSound audio processing system (which replaces—sort of—Beats Audio from previous devices), and HTC's Sense Voice noise isolation system that makes sure your callers can hear you and not the ambient noise around you.Despite being a "phablet," thanks to its large size and included stylus, the Galaxy Note 2 (prices vary, but average $149 on contract, all carriers, also available unlocked for $5-600) earned high praise from a number of you for being large enough to use for things you might want a laptop or tablet for, but still small enough to be portable and function effectively as a phone. Plus, you can't beat a large screen for reading the web, mobile gaming, or working on the go. The original Galaxy Note made it into our previous roundup, and for many of the same reasons. Whether the Note II is too large for you is entirely a matter of personal preference, but there's no disputing the fact that the it has the features under the hood to make it a solid contender either way.The Galaxy Note II is a little bigger than its predecessor, featuring a 5.5" HD screen and shipping with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean (although an update to 4.2 is planned for the summer), and includes Samsung's TouchWiz UI. It comes with an 8MP camera (and a 1.9MP camera on the front). Under the hood, you get 2GB of RAM, a quad-core Exynos processor, and a massive 3100 mAh battery. It comes in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB versions, and is expandable up to another 64GB. Of course, we can't mention the Note without talking about the included stylus, the S-Pen. Like its predecessor, Samsung has gone out of its way to make the S-Pen actually useful with the Note II and not just a gimmick. S-Note, S-Planner, and built-in support for handwriting and navigation by stylus make it an actually useful way to work with your Note II.The Galaxy Nexus (prices vary, but essentially free on contract, all carriers, also available unlocked for ~$300), the flagship of the Nexus program until the Nexus 4 came along, not only made our last roundup, but it took the crown after the votes were counted. It's still one of your most popular devices—it doesn't hurt that it's a 4G device, runs stock Android, and has models available that support virtually every carrier in the United States, locked or unlocked. That's another reason the device is so popular: It's widely available unlocked, so you can take it to the carrier you choose (mostly), and use it without getting locked into a contract. Other devices may be newer, larger and fatter, but the Galaxy Nexus is a slim, trim device that fits nicely in the hand, gets the job done, and because it's still a Nexus, it has huge dev support.The Galaxy Nexus is the oldest of the devices in the roundup, so availability new may be spotty depending on which carrier you choose. Still, they're widely available used. The Galaxy Nexus was the first phone to ship with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (stock) on it, and it has since been updated to 4.2 Jelly Bean virtually everywhere. You get a 5MP rear camera (and a 1.3MP front-side camera) featuring the Nexus' famous "zero shutter lag," and a 4.65" HD Contour display. The Galaxy Nexus also features 1GB of RAM, a dual-core Cortex-A9 processor, and a 1750mAh/1850mAh battery (which one depends on whether you have the HSPA+ or LTE model, respectively). No expandable storage, but the Galaxy Nexus is available in 16GB or 32GB models. It's not the newest or the fastest, but it's still a great phone.There you have it, the top five Android phones based on your nominations. Now it's time to vote for the all-out winner.Like we said, there were plenty of phones to go around in the nominees, but we have to give a little honorable mention love to the Motorola Droid Razr Maxx HD, which came two or three nominations away from making the top five, surprisingly—many of you praised its sleek design and its superior battery life as reasons why it should be considered as one of the best. Don't let its long name fool you—it's a super-thin phone with a beastly battery, a gorgeous screen, and a sharp camera. It's worth your consideration among the Samsungs you'll find on the store shelves next to it.Another honorable mention goes out to the Sony Xperia Z, Sony's gorgeous high-end smartphone running stock Android that was announced at CES this past January and launched only a month later. Not only is the Xperia Z a great looking device, it's also rugged, and features dust protection, impact resistance, and even water resistance for those of us who have dropped our phones in a running sink or a toilet before. Because it's Sony it doesn't get a lot of attention, but that's a shame—the Xperia Z is highly underrated.Have something to say about one of the contenders? Want to make the case for your personal favorite, even if it wasn't included in the list? Remember, the top five are based on your most popular nominations from the call for contenders thread from earlier in the week. Don't just complain about the top five, let us know what your preferred alternative is—and make your case for it—in the discussions below.The Hive Five is based on reader nominations. As with most Hive Five posts, if your favorite was left out, it's not because we hate it—it's because it didn't get the nominations required in the call for contenders post to make the top five. We understand it's a bit of a popularity contest, but if you have a favorite, we want to hear about it. Have a suggestion for the Hive Five? Send us an email at tips+hivefive@lifehacker.com!Photos by John Karakatsanis, Karlis Dambrans, John Karakatsanis, Conan174, and Jari
The SteelSeries Shift World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Edition Keyset presents gamers with predefined game mods and an intuitive layout of the most common commands, actions and emotes. The Keyset helps groups run more smoothly through its ability to mark targets for added group and raid functionality. The SteelSeries Shift Keyset provides new functionality that reflects changes that have come over the game since the last expansion. Its labeled and color coded keys, together with the World of Warcraft: Cataclysm artwork and functionality, will immerse players into the world of Azeroth and help to accelerate game mastery.