Editorial: The future of smartphones is now
Up until recently, it’s seemed like the smartphone industry has been focusing on cramming the highest resolution screen and fastest processor into the largest phone possible before people complained it was the size of a tablet. Many of these smartphones may have been beautiful machinery, but many lacked the latest updates, the highest quality build materials and even reasonable battery life.
This is where the newly Google-owned Motorola came in last year with the Moto X, saying that it was going to take a new approach, with a device that had specs that could satisfy not only the casual user, but more, had a high build quality, a reasonable price, especially for an unlocked smartphone and was extensively tested and optimized, giving an amazing user experience, great battery life as well as fast updates to the latest version of Android.
Now, this brings me to the one company that I believe is taking this “Googerola” approach even further and that’s the newly-founded OnePlus, the startup of ex-OPPO exec Pete Lau.
It may be true that OnePlus has been bashing its competitors through marketing a bit while it has not even shown off its device yet, but with its approach to the upcoming smartphone and being open with the Android community all along the way through its forums and even a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything), the new company is surely one to watch.
While I’ve been excited about the OnePlus One from the beginning since I’m a huge fan and supporter of CyanogenMod, what prompted me to write this and what validated my excitement was a recent post from Lau.
When OnePlus announced the processor being used in its device, it wasn’t the newest on the market and they spent countless hours testing numerous CPUs. Lau said that his company chose a 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor because while it’s not the latest, it provided the best speed, battery consumption and heat management.
“Yes, and the higher number may have given us a slight marketing advantage while not providing any noticeable change in performance,” Lau said. “But ‘Never Settle’ doesn’t mean we tip the scale to one extreme, and let our users suffer the imbalance.”
This is exactly what Motorola was trying to also achieve last year when many said they wouldn’t buy the Moto X with its “outdated” processor and 720p screen, but it then ended up being one of the most popular and successful Android phones of 2013, that also was optimized to compete with the best of them.
To me, it seems like Motorola started something — companies focusing on the overall experience for the smartphone user rather than just trying to win the specs race. The OnePlus One will be a very fast and powerful smartphone, don’t get me wrong, but the company is focusing on releasing an optimized phone that also runs one of the best builds of Android, CyanogenMod, that was created to give Android users what they always wanted, whether the latest updates since it didn’t come from their carrier, useful tweaks or even a built-in theme engine.
Before I move on to my last point, I just need to touch on some of the specs and features of this unannounced beast, since we may have not had the chance to touch on them recently here at AndroidGuys. OnePlus also announced that the One will have a 5.5-inch display, but a body that’s the same size as a phone with a 5-inch display, it’s said to feature touch-less controls like the Moto X and will be sold at under $400 for an unlocked LTE smartphone, something pretty much only accomplished previously by Google’s Nexus program.
Finally, I’d like to finish by saying while, all these features are great, the best thing about the OnePlus Plus One is that it seems to be focusing on the customer, whether through its features, price or engagement, being open nearly every step of the way and trying to get feedback from those who will be using and developing for the phone. Much of the OnePlus One remains to be seen, but from the way things have been going, it seems like the company may also be trying to offer its customers some customization, which Motorola did with its Moto Maker. I’m not sure what extent they will take this to, but a leak from the Evleaks may give a hint of something we’ve never had the choice of before with the same smartphone, the choice of either capacitive or on-screen navigation buttons. As someone who has been with Android from nearly the beginning and evolved from capacitive to on-screen nav, it’s a very important feature to many and I imagine this could only be part of the ability to customize this device.
In closing, it seems like Motorola may have started it, but companies, especially the new OnePlus, are realizing that specs may be important to some degree, but they aren’t the only thing that matters and people want a device that is nearly perfect all around that they can customize to their liking. It may be a while until we see the high level of customization and unlimited upgrade-ability of Project Ara, but the OnePlus One is due in Q2 and the Moto X successor is coming late summer, so it’s going to be an interesting year. The future of smartphones is now and it’s going to be awesome.
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Apple Working to Boost iCloud Integration with Preview and TextEdit Document Viewer Apps for iOS 8
Apple may be expanding iCloud in iOS 8 by releasing iOS versions of Preview and TextEdit that use iCloud for document retrieval and storage. It also is developing tools that will make it easier for developers to create iCloud-based applications. These improvements are expected to arrive later this year, reports 9to5Mac.
Apple is developing versions of the Mac operating system’s Preview and TextEdit applications that are optimized for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The applications are said to not be designed to actually edit PDFs, images, or text documents. Instead, the apps are built to serve as tools to view Preview and TextEdit files stored in iCloud by OS X. Apple added iCloud synchronization for Preview and TextEdit with OS X Mountain Lion, but has not yet released iOS counterparts to actually view the synchronized content.
These new Preview and TextEdit apps will be document viewers only and won’t include editing functionality. iPhone and iPad owners will be encouraged to use iWork applications to edit common document types and iBooks to manipulate PDFs.
These changes reflect a new development strategy championed by Apple Senior VP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi. Instead of two separate teams with one focusing on iOS and the other dedicated to OS X, Federighi has merged the teams so the same group of developers work on both the iOS and OS X versions.
Apple also is exploring ways to make iCloud app development easier for developers. Details are sparse, but Apple may provide new iCloud storage tools that allow developers to use iCloud as a file system for sharing data across iOS and OS X platforms.
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Microsoft said to be waiving Windows Phone fees for some manufacturers
Rumors have been popping up lately that Microsoft’s Windows Phone OS may become free to some companies to help them compete with Android devices. Now two unnamed Indian manufacturers, part of a group of new Windows Phone partners, have said that they are, in fact, getting WP8 at no charge. One told the Times of India that it’s “not paying Microsoft a license fee” through a unique, specific agreement. Redmond wouldn’t confirm that, however, saying only that “we have extensive programs to help our partners build great devices.” Indian OEM Karbonn notably just launched a dual-boot Android/WP8 phone, though it hasn’t admitted to receiving any largess. Either way, it would mark the first time Microsoft hasn’t taken a fee for its mobile OS, even from Nokia. Until it clarifies things, though, it’s best to take all this with a grain of salt — even though it would give a more viable non-Android option to Microsoft in the developing world.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Microsoft
Via: WM Power User
Source: Times of India
Dish’s Super Joey DVR extender arrives, lets you record eight shows at once
Dish subscribers who fret over choosing shows to record can relax a little today. The satellite provider has just released its promised Super Joey, which both extends the Hopper DVR to other rooms and adds two tuners to the Hopper’s already plentiful six. As the math suggests, the device combo lets you record a full eight shows at the same time — four of your own choosing, plus four from the biggest US networks (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC). Dish hasn’t said how much it will cost to bring a Super Joey into your home as of this writing, although we’d expect it to carry a premium over a run-of-the-mill Joey.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Dish
Bright House set to match Google’s Fiber speeds in Tampa community
Despite some recent PR setbacks, Google has become the people’s champion in cities with its gigabit fiber network — thanks in part to the low reputation (and speeds) of regular providers. However, one cable outfit, Bright House Networks, is at least seeing the commercial value in such installations. It’s joining forces with a real estate company to build a gigabit fiber-to-the-home network for a 6,000-unit development in Tampa, Florida. The first houses will be occupied this summer, with completion slated for 2017. Bright House said the move is not a response to Google’s recent announcement that it’ll expand Fiber to 34 more cities, but meant rather as a “differentiator” for the community. With its average internet speed around a fortieth of that figure, we imagine the rest of the company’s 2.4 million subscribers will keenly notice the difference.
Filed under: Internet
Source: WSJ
Amazon raising Prime subscriptions by $20 to $99 a year
We suspected a price rise was imminent for Prime subscribers in the US, and now we have the details: When you sign up or renew, you’ll be charged an annual rate of $99, versus the $79 that has been a steady price since the service first launched. If you’re new to the service, however, and you sign up for a free trial within the next seven days, you’ll be able to lock in the old price.
Filed under: Misc, Internet, Amazon
Via: CNBC [Twitter]
Chromecast app updates to version 1.5.3, adds easier navigation and MAC Addresses [Download]
With all the Google apps getting updated today, we were wondering if the app for Chromecast was also going to get some love. Sure enough, today the Chromecast app updates to version 1.5.3, adding some navigation changes and the ability to show the MAC address of your Chromecast in case you have network access issues. The full list of changes includes, as per the Play Store page:
What’s New
- Easier navigation.
- Improved time zone display.
- Display the Chromecast MAC address, to help with network troubleshooting.
- Fixed a crash when launching device settings screen.
Mostly minor changes, but all in the hopes of making Chromecast the go-to media streaming tool. Also of note is the improved time zone display, which is a change we’d expect given that Android head Sundar Pichai mentioned at SXSW that Chromecast would be coming to many other countries in the very near future.
You should be seeing the update via the Play Store now (links below) but if you’re a bit impatient for the download, we have that down below as well:
Let us know how you find the updated app and if you spot anything different!
Application: Chromecast
Price: Free
11 bit studios announces chilling new game, This War of Mine
11 bit studios is best known for its award winning and action packed Anomaly games, the latest of which, Anomaly 2, has gained high praise all over the web. While the Anomaly games focussed on a top-down real-time strategy approach involving fantastic graphics and intense tactical engagements, their latest game appears to be a little more emotional and grounded. Their new game, This War of Mine, carries the tagline: “In war, not everyone is a soldier”, and is a survival game focussed on a group of civilians caught in the thick of war trying to get by. By day, you will need to craft, feed and provide for your small group of survivors, while at night, you scrounge your vicinity for food, medicine and anything that will keep you alive another day. Here is the game’s first trailer:
Said to be inspired by real-life stories, lead designer of This War of Mine, Michael Drozdowski says that “We decided to work around this idea and make something real, something that moves people and make them think for a second. It’s about time that games, just like any other art form, start talking about important things.” It’s definitely a very interesting and engaging game concept, one which I’m extremely excited for. While this is the extent of what we know about This War of Mine for now, 11 bit studios will be showing off the game at GDC 2014, and is expected to release in 2014 sometime for PC and mobile devices.
What do you think of This War of Mine? Is this the time of game you’d like to play? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: This War of Mine
Google Search App Updated – Brings in expanded card information
Google have pushed an update to their Google Search App bringing in a variety of new features. The new changes primarily revolve around the Google Now cards which now include extra information for various sports and expandable information relating to stocks.
Also included in the update is improvement to image searching which now allows a user to open an image in the browser and quickly save it.
In addition, Google has performed a number of under-the-hood enhancements including bringing the ‘OK Google‘ hotword to the UK and Canada.
Check out the full log:
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Mohu Channels aims to make TV fun again with custom channels
Mohu has taken to Kickstarter to raise funding to make TV less confusing. If you’re like me, then you’ll probably watch TV from many different sources: over-The-Air (OTA) broadcast TV and streaming apps, Netflix, Hulu+, YouTube and Crackle, to name a few. Mohu has identified that having to switch between all these different inputs in order to find what you want to watch is often confusing and frustrating, and they wouldn’t be wrong.
We’ve set out to make this new era of TV viewing significantly easier. Now you can watch all of those video sources, plus the Web, all combined together in an incredibly easy-to-use personalized channel guide.
With Mohu Channels, the aim is to bring all these sources into a single TV guide of which Mohu are calling “Personal TV”. This new guide simply pulls in information from the various sources and displays information in a single TV Guide. Pretty much anything can be pulled into the Guide as listed below:
- OTA: Over-The-Air = Broadcast Stations (independent & networks: CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, PBS, plus all your local favorites) All of these are FREE with the help of a simple HDTV antenna!
- APP: Streaming video apps = Netflix, Hulu+, Crackle, YouTube, and thousands more. Download as many apps as you want! Get them from the Google Play app store exactly like you would for any Android tablet or smartphone.
- WEB: Websites = Simply bookmark your favorite web page and it instantly becomes a TV channel in Mohu’s Channel Guide. Choose your favorites – school websites, business, shopping, photo websites – you decide!
To get Mohu Channels working is as simple as plugging in another box. The Mohu Channels Tuner sits behind your TV and connects into your antenna and to the Internet via Ethernet or WiFi then via HDMI to your TV.
The Mohu Channels solution seems like a great way to solve a problem we all have fallen victim to at some point. For just $89 you can get yourself a Mohu Channels product with a keyboard ready to connect to your TV. Mohu have reached $79,526 of their $35,000 goal so the project looks like it’s a go.
You can see the full Kickstarter project here.
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