The end of the spec war
With the rate that mobile hardware is advancing, the specs of a device become less and less important. This is repeatedly shown by devices like the Moto E/G, our Moto E review by Scott Webster, and the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3, see our review by Henry Wiygui, that have been hitting the market with a sub-par specs by today’s standards, but also a price tag that is a third of the cost of a flagship.
Specs used to be everything. There was a time when your experience with your phone was determined by the specs. Top notch specs gives the user the best experience. Dial down your specs and you are rewarded with a lesser experience. This was the start of the spec war.
This is not the case in today’s world. You can get the same experience with lesser specs.
There is nothing wrong with a cheaper phone that offers the same experience. There are people out there who buy the latest iPhone or the latest Sony, Motorola or Samsung device because they are scared to be seen with a low end device. Sadly, phones have turned into a status symbol for some.
In this day and age, the $200 devices turn out to be better(due to price and performance) than flagships that cost upwards to $600. While it costs 1/3 of the price, and the specs are a little lackluster, they still work just as well.
Everyday people do not need 4 GB of RAM and a quadcore Snapdragon 810. In fact, people might find that they get a better overall experience with a single GB of RAM and the Snapdragon 400 found in the Moto G(2014).
For a user like my mother, she only plays simple games like Farm Heroes Saga, and the Moto G works wonders for her. The lack of 4G LTE and overpowered processors lower battery drain and help make her phone last longer than my flagship Nexus 6.
There is no reason for the latest and best devices if you aren’t a heavy power user. I for one am a power user, and I put my Nexus 6 through two full charges every day, but my mom is not.
The display and processor in the Nexus 6 would run down the battery after four hours of use on my mom, but the Moto G will last upwards to nine hours of usage.
The older processors found in middle to low end phones are still capable of running the daily tasks the the average users will throw at it. Hardware has surpassed software for the time being, meaning that the software does not fully use the power in the hardware.
That being said, the same hardware will be able to keep up with progressing software for a few years to come.
So the next time you are out looking for a new phone, consider your options thoroughly. Do you really need that flagship device for $600, or can you save $400 and go get something nice for someone you care about?
And before you say it, you contract plan doesn’t change anything. There will be time for that topic later on though.
Check out our buyer’s guides if you need some help weighing the high, mid and low end devices!
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White ‘Halo’ Xbox One bundle coming to the US
It’s no secret that people love white gadgets. And in case you missed out on the Xbox One Sunset Overdrive bundle from last year, now’s your chance to get one. Microsoft just revealed a kit that’s loaded with a white version of the console, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, 500GB of storage and a 14-day Xbox Live Gold trial. The special edition is only available in the US and costs $350, which would save you about $50. But you better hurry if you want it — as usual, this will only be up for grabs in limited quantities.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Microsoft
Source: Xbox
Viber’s calling and messaging app launches on Chromebooks
In order for Chrome OS to succeed, Google needs all the support it can get from developers. Hardware companies are certainly doing their part, namely by offering Chromebooks to people at affordable prices. That’s why it’s important when a popular service such as Viber launches on the platform, like today. Now users can start using the app to communicate with friends or family directly from their Chromebook, just as they would on iOS, Android or Windows Phone. Not only can you send text and picture messages, but also make phone and video calls to your contacts. It’s free too, which comes in handy if you’re trying talk to people across different countries.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Google
Source: Chrome Web Store
Google Editions cases come with live wallpapers and a shortcut button
Before you dismiss this as a slow-day news post, hear us out: these aren’t your run-of-the-mill phone cases. These are the first products Google has released under its new Editions project, a series of collaborations with artists to develop limited edition “live cases” for select Android phones. For this batch, Mountain View worked with electronic dance music producer/DJ Skrillex, who designed an outer space-inspired set. Now, here’s the cool part: in keeping with the space theme, the products come with live wallpapers showing images of the Earth from the statosphere during the day and constellations visible from your location at night. The tech giant actually launched a high-altitude balloon named after Skrillex’s dog Nanou to capture images of our planet and didn’t just take images from NASA.
In addition, the cases are built with a shortcut button — it leads to the DJ’s YouTube feed out of the box, but you can reprogram it to launch the camera or any other specific app. The Skrillex Editions cases are now up for sale on Google Store for the Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Samsung Galaxy S5, Samsung Galaxy S6 and Samsung Galaxy Note 4. If you own another Android phone, we’re afraid you’re going to have to sit this one out.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google
Source: Official Android Blog
How to set up your computer for Android application development
The thought of creating our own Android apps amuses most of us. “I have an excellent idea for an app,” we tell ourselves. “I could do that so much better than this developer,” is another common one. We’re never going to be able to bring those admirable ideas to light or improve upon someone else’s work if we don’t start.
Starting can be difficult, though. It can be even more difficult if you don’t have the tools to begin your Android coding journey. We’re going to show you what those tools are, how to download them, and how to get them ready for you to start programming your own apps.
The JDK and the IDE
The JDK (Java Development Kit) and IDE (Integrated Development Environment) are crucial to begin programming Android applications. The JDK implements platforms released by Oracle Corporation, such as Java EE or Java SE, to let you begin developing on the Java platform. An IDE is essentially the interface you will be programming in.
We’re going to be downloading the Netbeans IDE with JDK 8 packaged with it. We could download them both separately, but Oracle’s Netbeans and JDK download package removes quite a few steps and streamlines the process really well. You can click here to find the package.
Next, you’re going to want to select the correct download for your computer. In my case, it’s going to be the Windows x64 download. Depending on your Internet connection, it may take awhile to download the large file size.
Once it’s finished downloading, open the .exe file. A window will appear. Start the installation process, and make sure to accept the license agreement. Beyond that, it’s just like installing any normal file. Keep in mind that the installation process will take awhile, as it’s unpacking a rather large file. Once the installation is complete, simply click “Finish.”
Netbeans
Next up, you need to go here to download the Android SDK (Software Development Kit). Once it’s finished downloading, go through the installation process and setup all the recommended options. Make sure you install it to C:Androidandroid-sdk.
Once that is installed, go into Netbeans > Tools > Plugins > Settings. From there, you need to add a new update center. To do that, press “Add” and use this URL: http://nbandroid.org/updates/updates.xml. Now, go back to Available Plugins, and install the one that says Android. It’s a small file and should only take a short amount of time to finish. Once finished, a window will pop-up saying that the plugin certificates are not trusted, just say OK.
Now you’re almost ready to go! Select File > New Project > Android Project > OK. It will say that an Android SDK location has to be specified first. This is an easy fix because we downloaded the Android SDK earlier in C:Androidandroid-sdk. Simply click the Manage Android SDK button. It’ll open up an Options menu, asking you for the SDK location. Give it to the location, select OK, and you should be good to go!
Android Studio
If you’re just getting started programming, all of those previous steps are great experience. However, there’s a more simple way to setup the Android SDK. You can simply use Google’s custom Android Studio IDE to begin development. You can download it here.
After downloading Android Studio and launching the .exe, it will take you through all the necessary steps to get you setup. They aren’t hard steps to follow either, it’s quite simple, and it downloads most of the necessary tools automatically, but with your permission.
Wrap Up
So that’s how to get your computer ready for Android development! If you’re not sure how to start programming in Android and want to learn YouTube user The New Boston has some great beginner tutorials for you to go through. I personally used the tutorials when I was first starting, and they were wonderful.
How smoothly did the Android SDK setup go for you? If you still need some assistance, be sure to leave a comment below. We’d be glad to help you finish the process.
Come comment on this article: How to set up your computer for Android application development
Skrillex-branded “Live Cases” now available from the Google Store for the low price of $40
Are you a fan of famed dubstep artist Skrillex? Do you own an Android device? If so, head on over to the Google Store and check out the new Skrillex-branded “Live Cases” now available for the Nexus 5 and 6, Samsung Galaxy S5 and S6, and Galaxy Note 4. They’re now available for $40 a piece and come in three different designs: Space Shield, Circuit Bae and Lil Planet.
Each case features a customizable shortcut button on the back that gives you one-touch access to any application of your choosing. You can also set it to launch a webpage, similar to how homescreen shortcuts work. All of the cases come with a matching live wallpaper which features ever-changing views of Earth during the day and constellations at night. Purchasing one of these cases will also give you early access to one of Skrillex’s favorite OWSLA artists, along with updates sent straight to your mobile device from Skrillex himself.
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This first round of accessories are part of Google’s new “Editions” case program, so we’ll definitely see more of these pop up in the future. All of them are now available from the Google Store, so if any of this interests you, head to the link below to check them out for yourself. Oh and if you’re interested in seeing how these cases were made, be sure to head here to watch the Skrillex/Google collaboration video.
Robotic news writers are faster, but not necessarily better
Robotic news editors promise to save the trouble of picking and writing news stories (and might put people like me out of work), but are they really ready to replace human writers? Yes and no, if you ask NPR. The outlet held a showdown between Automated Insights’ WordSmith news generator and a seasoned reporter to see which of the two could not only finish an earnings story the quickest, but produce something you’d want to read. The results? WordSmith was much faster, producing its piece in two minutes versus seven, but the writing was more than a little stiff — it lacked the colorful expressions that made NPR‘s version easy to digest. With that said, newsies might not want to relax just yet. It’s technically possible for software to adapt to a given style, so flesh-and-bone writers may still want to update their resumés… y’know, just in case.
[Image credit: Justin Cook, NPR]
http://www.npr.org/player/embed/406484294/408159254
Filed under: Software
Source: NPR
Gaming cooperatively makes you more sociable, say scientists
Gaming has well known dark sides, but it can also improve spatial skills, reduce stress and even bring families together. Two new studies may further confuse you about the benefits, with one concluding that gaming makes you friendlier in the real world, and another implying it could ruin your brain. First the plus side: Texas Tech researchers think that cooperative gameplay, whether in violent or non-violent games, makes people nicer. “We found that playing with a helpful partner increases the expectation of others to reciprocate that pro-social behavior,” said author John Velez. He added that teaming up even makes you “nicer to the other team… that just tried to beat you.”
Playing cooperatively, rather than alone — even online — can stimulate gamers’ empathy so much that it negates the aggressive effects of violent games and even carries over into the real world. Velez found that players were more likely to help out pals in social situations and less likely to be hostile to friend and foe alike. “What we found was cooperative play seems to have the biggest effect in terms of decreasing aggression toward other people,” he said.
What we found was cooperative play seems to have the biggest effect in terms of decreasing aggression toward other people.
On the downside, because of the way that gaming stimulates your brain, it may increase your risk to neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s Disease. Researchers from the Douglas Institute and Université de Montréal found that gamers tend to navigate their environment using the brain’s reward center (the caudate nucleas), rather than using spatial memory from the hippocampus like non-gamers. The results were hardly conclusive, and the team said that further studies should focus on specific games. But the study shows that while gaming may make you more attentive visually, that might be outweighed by the negative effects on your brain.
Filed under: Gaming
Via: Science Daily
Source: Texas Tech University, EurekAlert
Trolls are using Twitter ads to push hate speech
As much as Twitter is doing to fight harassment lately, it’s clear that ill-willed users are still slipping past the social network’s defenses — and sometimes, in very conspicuous ways. Users have spotted trolls using Twitter’s promoted tweet ads to spread racist and anti-transgender messages, guaranteeing a wide audience for their hate. The company tells The Guardian that it’s pulling these ads and suspending the offending accounts, but it’s not offering an explanation for why these tweets got through despite policies that explicitly ban hateful language. The failures suggest that Twitter’s ad approvals are relatively hands-off, and that it needs to keep a much closer eye on things so that its ads remain friendly.
[Image credit: Señor Nejo, Flickr]
Filed under: Internet
Via: The Guardian
Source: Marie Le Conte (Twitter)
Can’t Wait for the OTA to 5.1.1 with the LG G Watch? Get the Flashable File Here
Just today our own Brad Ward wrote about the Android 5.1.1 OTA update rolling out to the LG G Watch and G Watch R. Well it didn’t take long for Googlites to provide us with the flashable update in the event you are too impatient to wait your turn in line. And impatient you should be. Don’t they know how important you are?
Now bear in mind that installing this little bit of flashed imagery requires root, so if you aren’t rooted, you’ll need to take care of that first. Our simple tutorial will get you set up in a jiffy. Remember, however, that this can still be a complicated process and if you are completely technically inept, it’s probably best to skip it. Also, we’re not responsible for anything goofy that happens to your device if you root it and break stuff. It’s on you.
With that legalese out of the way, hit up the link at the bottom and become best friends with that .zip. You’ll be on your way to an updated smartwatch experience in no time, except the time it indicates on said smartwatch.
Source: Brian Buquoi
Come comment on this article: Can’t Wait for the OTA to 5.1.1 with the LG G Watch? Get the Flashable File Here
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