Apple Maps Vehicles Collecting ‘Street View’ Data in US, UK and Ireland
Apple has published a support document on its website confirming that it has been using a fleet of vehicles to collect street-level imagery for Apple Maps. Apple outlines that it will blur faces and license plates on images, as Google Maps does for Street View, and lists where Apple Maps vehicles will be driving in the United States, England and Ireland between June 15 to June 30.
“Apple is driving vehicles around the world to collect data which will be used to improve Apple Maps. Some of this data will be published in future Apple Maps updates. We are committed to protecting your privacy while collecting this data. For example, we will blur faces and license plates on collected images prior to publication.”
Apple has been driving around fifth-generation Dodge Caravans equipped with LiDAR camera equipment on the roof to collect street-level imagery in the United States, starting with major cities and metropolitan areas in the south, northeast and midwest regions of the country. The mapping vehicles have been spotted in at least a dozen states to date as they continue moving further inland.
Apple Map vehicle collecting street-level imagery in New Jersey in May 2015
MacRumors has been tracking Apple Maps vehicles in the United States for the past several months, with the first sightings occurring in New York City in August 2014. Since then, using verified photos with GPS metadata, we have confirmed Apple Maps vehicle sightings in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco and many other areas. Many of those locations are listed below.
Click on the map for an interactive view of Apple Maps vehicle sightings in the U.S.
Apple confirms many of these locations in the support document, while adding Oahu, Boston, Detroit, St. Louis, Seattle, Tucson and surrounding counties as additional U.S. regions it will be surveying in the second half of June. Apple Maps vehicles will also head overseas to collect street-level imagery in Birmingham, Dublin, Essex, Kent, London and several other cities in England and Ireland.
Galaxy S6 memory leak reportedly fixed
One of the biggest issues in Android Lollipop – which we’ve discussed on our Friday Debate Podcast several times – is the RAM management issue, otherwise known as the memory leak. The issue affects all Lollipop devices – albeit with varying effects on different devices – and on the Galaxy S6, it’s one of the biggest issues plaguing the handset.
However, S6 owners who have rooted their handsets may be able to fix the issues, with a post on XDA-Developer reportedly showing you how to fix the issue by tweaking your build.prop settings. Here’s how to fix your S6 RAM issues (all instructions courtesy of XDA-Developers):
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In your build.prop under #DHA Properties change these two lines:
ro.config.dha_cached_max=12
ro.config.dha_empty_max=36
Add these 4 lines:
ro.config.dha_th_rate=2.3
ro.config.dha_lmk_scale=0.545
ro.config.sdha_apps_bg_max=70
ro.config.sdha_apps_bg_min=8
Scroll down beyond the DHA properties where the other properties are stored and remove duplicate entires of
ro.config.dha_cached_max=
ro.config.dha_empty_max=
ro.config.dha_th_rate=
ro.config.dha_lmk_scale=
Finally this one will change your LMK values:
ro.config.oomminfree_high=7628,9768,11909,14515,16655,20469
As with all fixes like this, you’ll need root access and we’d certainly not recommend doing this if you are not comfortable with the risks, which include potentially bricking your handset and leaving you without a working device.
S6 vs the rest
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According to the comments on the XDA thread, the build.prop fix results in massive memory improvements but when using apps like Chrome or apps calling webpages via Webview (or Tinfoil for Facebook), the memory management is still really bad. This is kernel related meaning it requires flashing a kernel to your handset but again, only do this if you are really comfortable with the steps involved.
S6 in video:
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The Galaxy S6 might be the best handset this year but like all Lollipop devices, the memory leak issue is a concern. On the Galaxy S6 and the S6 Edge, the optimised software – which includes a lack of bloatware – offers one of the fastest experiences on the market and fixing the build.prop reportedly makes it much faster as well. For those who don’t want to edit the build.prop, the memory leak issue is expected to be included in the Android 5.1 Lollipop update, which will bring a range of new features as well.
No USB Type-C phones in the near future, says Sony
In Taipei, Sony’s mobile unit has been having a discussion about support for the up and coming USB Type-C standard in its future smartphones and tablets. While the company is certainly considering the technology, it doesn’t have any plans to switch over to the standard right away.
According to Takeshi Nitta, a program manager at Sony Mobile’s Tokyo project office, the industry needs more time to migrate over to the new connector type, presumable before it’s a feature worth including in future mobile products. Sony doesn’t seem to see much point in being a first adopter.
Speaking specifically about its mobile products and the Xperia Z3+ flagship, Nitta suggested that despite the smaller form factor of USB Type-C’s reversible socket, it would not contribute to Sony’s near term goal of producing thinner and lighter smartphones. Instead, the company is more concerned about reducing the thickness of camera modules and display components in order to achieve its target.
Type-C USB is being talked up not only for its potentially faster USB 3.1 data speeds and reversible plug connector, but also for its improved power delivery and support for a wide range of different video output types, including DisplayPort and HDMI. You can read more about the ins-and-outs of the standard here.
The reversible plug is just one of the benefits heading our way with USB Type-C.
USB Type-C devices support power currents of 1.5A or 3A at 5 volts, which is substantially higher than hundreds of milliamps offered by older connections. This means that mobile devices could charge faster from your laptop or share its screen to your TV via HDMI, providing that they both support Type C connections, which is perhaps Sony’s point after all.
The new USB standard has already appeared in a small selection of laptops and the Nokia N1 smartphone. Google has declared that it is “very committed” to pushing the standard in future Chromebook and Android phones. Sony is likely to make use of USB Type-C at some point the in future, but these comments seem to rule out adoption of the new connector type in the company’s near term product launches.
Is it a big deal that Sony doesn’t want to be on the cutting edge of USB technology, or is the company right to focus on other components and wait for broader adoption?
256GB storage Archos 94 Magnus cancelled for being too expensive
Do you remember the Archos 94 Magnus that was unveiled back at the beginning of the year? The tablet boasted a colossal 256GB of internal memory by default, plus room for another 128GB via a microSD card, making it ideal for the heavy media consumer. Unfortunately, Archos has decided to cancel the product, meaning that it won’t ever make it to store shelves.
The issue is very simply one of cost, the tablet was too expensive to produce, distribute and sell at a reasonable price that would entice consumers. Archos was planning to sell the tablet for around €299 ($340), but final retail prices were apparently ending up as high as €350 ($400), putting the tablet squarely in the higher price segment. Hence the decision to cancel the product.
Along with the super-sized internal memory, Archos also developed what it called “Fusion Storage” technology. This essentially combined regular internal memory and microSD storage solutions into a single memory partition seen by the OS.
The entire Archos Magnus range featured a lot of memory for mid-range tablets, but this ultimately made them more expensive.
Although 256GB of internal memory may have been enough to turn a few heads, the rest of the tablet’s specifications really don’t match up to the high price tag. The 94 Magnus would have shipped with a 9.4-inch 1280×800 pixel resolution display, 1.8GHz Cortex-A17 quad-core RockChip RK3288 SoC, 1.5GB of RAM, 5MP rear and VGA front camera, and a 6,400mAh battery.
While certainly not bare essential specifications, the 94 Magnus falls well behind other tablets in that price category and ended up as an overpriced mid-ranger. Given how relatively inexpensive micro-SD cards are these days and the amount of free cloud storage available, there are better deals out there if you need plenty of storage space.
Unfortunately for anyone who remains interested, the tablet is now listed as “unavailable” on Archos’ various European web pages and doesn’t look likely to be making a return. The other entries in the Magnus range also look to have suffered a similar fate.
Would you pay a premium for additional storage, or was the 94 Magnus doomed from the start?
Blu Life 8 XL review: really cheap, but that comes at a price
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The Bottom Line
- Flashy color options
- Stock Android version, with expected upgrade to Android 5.0 Lollipop
- Excellent battery life
- Very affordable price, especially in first week
- Disappointing camera performance
- Outdated processor and low RAM
- No 4G LTE support
While the Blu Life 8 XL is great for those on a tight budget, those with a little more to spare can find some arguably better options out there.
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While more and more budget-friendly offerings in their unlocked iteration are making their way to the US, one company that definitely stands out in this category is Florida-based Blu, with their diverse portfolio of devices that cover the entry-level and mid-range segment. The latest addition to their lineup is another such budget-friendly offering that falls in the sub-$150 price range. Does this device bring enough to the table? We find out in this Blu Life 8 XL review!
Design
As the name suggests, the Life 8 XL is essentially a larger version of its older sibling, the Life 8, featuring a 5.5-inch screen, compared to the 5-inch display of its smaller namesake. The design language is very similar, and other than the size, the only noticeable difference is in the navigation keys, with the Life 8 XL favoring on-screen soft keys, as opposed to the capacitive buttons found with the Life 8.
The Life 8 XL is available in five flashy colors, and is also quite thin, with a thickness of just 7.7 mm. The 8 MP camera unit at the back does end up protruding a bit as a result of the sleek profile though, which may be a point of contention, given that the phone tends to wobble a bit when set on a flat surface. The matte plastic back cover offers a nice feeling in the hand, and the back cover is also removable, despite it wrapping around to the chin of the device. Removing the back cover gives users access to the dual microSIM card slots, a microSD card slot, and the battery.
The faux metal band around the device isn’t all that convincing, and there are noticeable parting lines on both the top left and top right corners of the band. The power button and volume rocker, found on the right side of the device, are placed within easy reach and offer a decent tactile feedback, but they do rattle if you shake the device.
Maintaining the design language of its namesake, the Life 8 XL comes with a significant chin below the display, which ends up looking out of place and barren with the move away from the capacitive keys that would have otherwise been housed there. Above the display is an orange notification LED at the top left, which unfortunately isn’t bright enough to see unless you are in a poorly lit environment.
Display
The Blu Life 8 XL comes with a 5.5-inch display with a 720p resolution, with a resulting pixel density of 267 ppi. The lower resolution and pixel count does take away from what could otherwise have been a great media-consumption experience with a display of this size. Brightness is of no issue though, but outdoor visibility is surprisingly poor, and viewing angles could have been better as well. Overall, there are certainly better displays out there, even in the budget-friendly category, but this screen certainly isn’t the worst of the lot either.
There isn’t any Corning Gorilla Glass panel to help protect the display, but at least the device comes with a screen protector pre-installed, along with a spare that is included in the box.
Performance and hardware
Under the hood, the Life 8 XL packs an octa-core MediaTek MT6592 processor, clocked at 1.2 GHz, and backed by the Mali-450 GPU and 1 GB of RAM. This processing package, released in late 2013, is certainly starting to show its age, and while day to day performance is decent, it’s nothing to write home about. Multi-tasking is also a tough ask with the 1 GB of RAM unable to handle running more than a few apps at once. The stock Android software does help keep things smooth though, and the average user shouldn’t have any problems with getting things done. The device also handles gaming quite well, and even with the graphic settings set to high, the Life 8 XL did not drop frames as easily as a few other budget-friendly devices out there.
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The Blu Life 8 XL comes with 8GB of on-board storage, further expandable via microSD by up to 64 GB. The device also comes with a standard suite of connectivity options and sensors, with the exception of 4G LTE support, which is quite unfortunate. You do get full support for AT&T’s HSPA+ network, but only partial support for T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network, dependending on your location.
The single speaker unit at the back gets very loud, but the audio quality isn’t the best, with the sound quite tinny. As is the case with any device with a speaker placed at this location, the sound also gets muffled easily when the device is placed on a flat surface.
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The device packs a 2,920 mAh removable battery, and with the lower resolution display and power-frugal processing package, one of the highlights of the Life 8 XL is the battery life it provides. The device can comfortably last a full day and possibly longer, powering through a day that started at 7 AM and lasted till about 1 AM the next morning with just over 4 hours of screen on time.
Camera
The Life 8 XL comes with an 8 MP rear camera that takes some average shots. The camera did have some issues with focusing on closer objects, and the overall quality is unfortunately just not very good. That said, this holds true for most devices found at this price range, and isn’t just an issue with this particular camera unit. The camera application is quite simplistic, but you do get some manual control over aspects like white balance and ISO.
Software
The Life 8 XL runs Android 4.4.2 Kitkat, and with the exception of a few pre-installed apps, that can easily be removed, this is a completely stock iteration, which is quite refreshing coming from other devices. An update to Android 5.0 Lollipop is also in the works, and should make its way over the device by the end of July.
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Gallery
Pricing and final thoughts
The Blu Life 8 XL will be released on the 22nd of June for $129 via Amazon, but for the first week, you will be able to pick up the device for as low as $79. This offer is available just for the first week though, so it will be a good idea to move fast if you do decide to get it.
So there you have it for this closer look at the Blu Life 8 XL! The device does get some things right, especially with regards to the battery life, but the outdated processor, mediocre camera, and lack of 4G LTE support may be hard to ignore. All said and done, this is a good option for those on a tight budget, and the $79 price point is impressive. When it does go up to $129 though, there are some arguably better options available that will set you back only an additional $30 to $80, which isn’t that much more for a better experience.
Blu Life One review: LTE on a tight budget
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The Bottom Line
- Beautiful design
- 4G LTE support
- Will be upgraded to Android 5.0 Lollipop
- Great battery life
- Affordable price point
- Low resolution display
- Sluggish performance at times
- Low RAM
If you’re looking for a solid device that allows for access to high-speed internet on a budget, the Blu Life One should definitely be under consideration.
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There are only a handful of budget-friendly smartphones in the US, priced at under $200, that feature support for 4G LTE networks. Florida-based Blu is hoping to change that though, with their revamped Life One series of smartphones. Apart from offering high-speed internet access, what else does this device bring to the table? We find out, in this Blu Life One review!
Design
The Blu Life One series features two smartphones, one with a 5-inch display, and the other, the Blu Life One XL, featuring a 5.5-inch screen. In this review, we’ll be taking a closer look at the 5-inch iteration, but it has to be mentioned that the XL edition shares the same specifications as its smaller sibling for the most part, save for its larger display, larger battery, and slightly thicker profile.
The Blu Life One is available with a few different color options, all featuring a sandstone finish and metal side housing. The device offers a very comfortable feel in the hand, weighing just 125 grams and with a thickness of just 7.5 mm. The handling experience is also very good, and simply put, the Blu Life One not only looks great, but feels extremely good as well.
The back cover is removable and allows for access to the microSIM card slot and the microSD/nanoSIM slot. Unfortunately, the battery is not user replaceable. The power button and volume rocker are placed on the right side, within easy reach, and they feature excellent tactile feedback. Up front, there is a considerable amount of bezel around the display, but it was great to see the same sandstone finish of the back cover making its way over to the front as well. Above the display is the 5 MP front-facing unit to the right and the LED notification light to the left, flanking the earpiece.
Display
The Blu Life one features a 5-inch display with a 720p resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 294 ppi. The display offers good viewing angles, and while it does get bright, it can be difficult to see in direct sunlight. There is also a noticeable backlight bleeding, that takes away from a display experience that is otherwise quite good. The display is protected by a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 panel to keep things scratch-free, but there is also a screen protector included in the box if you are looking for an additional layer of safety.
Performance and hardware
Under the hood, the Blu Life One packs a quad-core 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor, clocked at 1.2 GHz, backed by the Adreno 306 GPU and 1 GB of RAM. While this processing package has proved to be a decent performer with some other devices out there, that is unfortunately not entirely the case here.
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The overall performance feels sluggish at times, and there occasional stutters while scrolling or swiping through the various elements of the UI. The available RAM is enough to keep just a few apps running at a time, and we’ll have to see how it handles the more memory-hungry Android 5.0 Lollipop that will be making its way over to the device soon. The device handles gaming decently well though, but you shouldn’t be surprised to see the occasional dropped frame and slow loading times when playing more processor-intensive games.
The Life One comes with 8 GB of on-board storage, which is further expandable via microSD card by upto 64 GB. As mentioned though, the second slot can serve as either a microSD card slot or a nanoSIM slot, so it is up to the user to choose between expandable storage or dual SIM capabilities.
Apart from a standard suite of connectivity options, the big selling point of the Life One is its support for 4G LTE on the AT&T and T-Mobile networks, allowing users to take advantage of high-speed internet access with a budget-friendly device. The single speaker unit on the back does get very loud, but the sound starts to get distorted at the higher volumes. As is the case with any smartphone with a speaker in this position, it is easy to muffle the sound when the device is placed on a flat surface.
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The Blu Life One packs a non-removable 2,420 mAh battery, and given the lower resolution display and power-friendly processing package, the battery life the device provides is unsurprisingly good, and most users should not have any difficulty in getting a full day of use out of it. In my testing, the device lasted for 15 hours with close to 2 hours of screen-on time, with heavy usage that involved using the device for an hour for tethering, and for navigation for around 30 minutes. Additionally, I was using the dual SIM setup, and maintaining a connection to both the AT&T and T-Mobile networks for the majority of the day.
Camera
The Life One comes with a 13 MP Sony IMX 135 rear camera, that mostly allowed for some good looking shots. Images taken outdoors in broad daylight look great, with good detail and accurate color reproduction. There were some minor issues with exposure, but the camera is a very capable performer overall. The camera application allows for a decent level of manual control, with options to change settings like white balance, ISO, exposure, contrast, saturation, and sharpness.
Software
The Life One ships with Android 4.4.4 KitKat, with a planned upgrade to Android 5.0 Lollipop by the end of July. The software experience is quite similar to stock, save for some custom icons and the use of Opera as the default web browser, with the included launcher not really doing much in the way of software customization.
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One point of note is the fact that you are currently unable to change the lock screen wallpaper. After trying to change it using the default launcher as well as the Google Now launcher, there was no option to change the wallpaper of the lock screen. The setting isn’t something that is hard to get to either, and changing the wallpaper under the Display section in the Settings menu yielded no results.
Gallery
Pricing and final thoughts
The Life will be available starting today, priced at just $149, via Amazon. Blu is also offering a special discount for the first week, pricing the device at just $99. Keep in mind that this is available for the first week only, so you’ll need to act fast if you do decide to pick up this phone.
So there you have it, for this closer look at the at the Blu Life One! Overall, the Life One offers great value for money with its beautiful design and solid build quality, good camera, impressive battery life, and more importantly, 4G LTE support. While not without its issues, notably in performance, the $149 price tag, and $99 availability in the first week, certainly make for a good buy. If you’re on the lookout for a device that allows for access to high-speed internet on a budget, you should definitely consider the Blu Life One.
Android M data binding: Step by step guide for developers
With the announcement of Android M at this year’s Google I/O conference, data binding becomes part of the developer’s tool set. With data binding, you create an ongoing link between an element in the user interface and a value (or a set of values). When a variable’s value is updated, the display on the user’s screen changes automatically. You don’t have to write code that explicitly updates the display. (More importantly, you can’t forget to write code that updates the display.)
During the Google I/O conference, I heard developers talking about “not having to call findViewById” and “not having to call setText.” It’s true that data binding eliminates the need for these method calls. But if you interpret “not having to call setText” as “saving you a line of code,” you’re missing the point. To eliminate only one or two setText calls (as I do in this article’s simple example), you must replace the calls with at least dozen new lines of code. The real power of data binding doesn’t come when you avoid one or two setText calls. It comes when the updating of a value occurs at many points in an app’s code. In that situation, the developer doesn’t have to keep track of all the ways a value can be updated. Instead, data binding creates a permanent tie between the data and the UI.
The official documentation on data binding is at https://developer.android.com/tools/data-binding/guide.html. The documentation has a few typos and (in my opinion) omits some useful details. So in this article I present the steps that I’ve taken to get a basic data binding example running. I also warn you about a few pitfalls that I met along the way. (All of this information is current as of June 10, 2015. Android’s beta’s change quickly. So I make no promises about the steps that you’ll be following at any later date.)
Step 1: Get Android Studio 1.3 beta.
You can get it at http://tools.android.com/download/studio/canary. Note that builds of Android Studio come via several channels — the stable channel, the beta channel, the dev channel, and the canary channel. In spite of being named “beta,” the 1.3 beta version of Android Studio isn’t available through the channel named “beta.” Instead, you download this version through the “canary” channel.
If you’re already running the canary version of Android Studio, you don’t have to visit the tools.android.com web site. When you launch Android Studio, you’ll be prompted to update to the 1.3 release.
Step 2: With Android Studio 1.3 running, open the Android SDK Manager to get the Android MNC Preview (the SDK for Android M) and the Android Support Repository (rev. 15 or later). Also open the Android AVD Manager to create an AVD that uses the Android M preview.
When I created this example, I had to experiment to find an Android M AVD that doesn’t stall when I try to run it. I tried several AVDs on my Mac with no luck. On Windows, I was able to get the x86_64 version running on a Nexus 6 skin. When the Android M preview emulator finally started up, it notified me that the SD card is damaged. I dismissed the notification with no ill results. Your results with the Android emulator will most certainly be different.
Step 3: Back in Android Studio’s main window (or the Android Studio Welcome screen) start a new phone/tablet project.
For the Minimum SDK select MNC: Android M (Preview). Otherwise, simply accept the defaults for creating a new project.
Step 4: Edit the new project’s code. Start by adding a dataBinder classpath dependency in the project’s build.gradle file. (See the boldface line below.)
// Top-level build file where you can add configuration options
// common to all sub-projects/modules.
buildscript
repositories
jcenter()
dependencies
classpath 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:1.3.0-beta1'
classpath "com.android.databinding:dataBinder:1.0-rc0"
// NOTE: Do not place your application dependencies here; they belong
// in the individual module build.gradle files
allprojects
repositories
jcenter()
Remember: A new Android Project has two build.gradle files — one for the project and one for the module within the project. The new com.android.databinding:dataBinder dependency belongs in the project’s build.gradle file.
Step 5: Add a few lines to the other build.gradle file (the module’s build.gradle file):
apply plugin: 'com.android.application'
apply plugin: 'com.android.databinding'
android
compileSdkVersion 'android-MNC'
buildToolsVersion "21.1.2"
defaultConfig
applicationId "com.example.androidm_project1"
minSdkVersion 'MNC'
targetSdkVersion 'MNC'
versionCode 1
versionName "1.0"
compileOptions
sourceCompatibility JavaVersion.VERSION_1_7
targetCompatibility JavaVersion.VERSION_1_7
buildTypes
release
minifyEnabled false
proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android.txt'),
'proguard-rules.pro'
dependencies
compile fileTree(dir: 'libs', include: ['*.jar'])
Once again, I’ve set the newly added lines in boldface type. All the other lines can remain as they were in the code that Android Studio generated. Of course, your project’s package name probably isn’t com.example.androidm_project2 as it is in my code. Just make sure that the SDK versions include the letters MNC.
When you use data binding, Android Studio generates some code that contains binary literals such as 0b1000L. So the project demands Java 7 rather than Java 6. That’s why, in the module’s build.gradle file, I added a compileOptions element to the project’s build.gradle file.
Step 6: Edit the app’s layout file.
In this very simple layout file, I’ve set only the interesting text in boldface:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<layout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<data>
<variable name="user" type="com.example.androidm_project1.User"/>
</data>
<LinearLayout
android:orientation="vertical"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent">
<TextView android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="@user.firstName"/>
<TextView android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="@user.lastName"/>
<Button
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:text="New Button"
android:id="@+id/button"
android:layout_gravity="left"
android:onClick="onButtonClick"/>
</LinearLayout>
</layout>
At the present time (early June 2015), Android Studio’s editor displays error markers on the <layout> start and end tags. But these error markers don’t prevent the app from running.
My simple layout file identifies several items:
- A class named User
You’ll create User.java in the next step.
- A field named user
You’ll declare this field in the app’s main activity.
- Two TextView elements with special new android:text attributes
These two android:text attributes begin the work of connecting text views with data values. If you look at the UI in Android Studio’s preview screen, you’ll see empty space where these text views normally appear.
- A button whose click-handling method is named onButtonClick
I apologize to those who find the android:onClick attribute distasteful. If you’re one of these people, use an OnClickListener instead.
Step 7: Add this User class to your code (with the package declaration tweaked appropriately):
package com.example.androidm_project1;
import android.databinding.BaseObservable;
import android.databinding.Bindable;
public class User extends BaseObservable
private String firstName;
private String lastName;
public User(String firstName, String lastName)
this.firstName = firstName;
this.lastName = lastName;
@Bindable
public String getFirstName()
return this.firstName;
@Bindable
public String getLastName()
return this.lastName;
public void setFirstName(String firstName)
this.firstName = firstName;
notifyPropertyChanged(com.example.androidm_project1.BR.firstName);
public void setLastName(String lastName)
this.lastName = lastName;
notifyPropertyChanged(com.example.androidm_project1.BR.lastName);
The secret sauce in this User class code has two ingredients: the @Bindable annotations and the calls to notifyPropertyChanged.
When you first type this User class code, Android Studio’s editor might complain about the BR class name. You won’t have a generated BR.java file until you build the project, and you haven’t built the project yet. Eventually, you’ll have a BR.java file that looks something like this:
package com.example.androidm_project1;
public class BR
public static final int _all = 0;
public static final int firstName = 1;
public static final int lastName = 2;
public static final int user = 3;
Step 8: Add lines to your app’s main activity.
This article’s main activity “swats a fly with a bulldozer.” It illustrates the simplest possible use of Android’s new data binding feature. Here’s the code:
package com.example.androidm_project1;
import android.app.Activity;
import android.databinding.DataBindingUtil;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.Toast;
import com.example.androidm_project1.databinding.ActivityMainBinding;
public class MainActivity extends Activity
User user;
@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState)
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
ActivityMainBinding binding =
DataBindingUtil.setContentView(this, R.layout.activity_main);
user = new User("FirstName", "LastName");
binding.setUser(user);
public void onButtonClick(View view)
Toast.makeText(this, "CLICKED", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
user.setLastName("NewLastName");
You might see some error markers when you type this code. That’s because Android Studio doesn’t generate the ActivityMainBinding.java file until you build your project. Thus, the next step.
Step 9: In Android Studio’s main menu, choose Build->Make Project.
When the build is finished, the new 160 line ActivityMainBinding.java file contains a setUser method (a method that’s called in your activity’s onCreate method). In your project’s main activity, the call to this setUser method creates the last link in the chain between the user field’s data and the text in the UI.
Your project is ready for testing.
Step 10: Run the app and watch it work.
In the main activity, I make a click of the UI’s button change the value of the user object’s lastName field. (I call setLastName in the activity’s onButtonClick method.) When this happens, the automatically generated ActivityMainBinding class calls a setText method.
if ((dirtyFlags & 0b1101L) != 0)
this.mboundView2.setText(lastNameUser);
The setText method changes the text in the second text view on the device’s screen. 
The screen is plain, but the underlying code is very cool.
Data binding has been available for a long time on many different platforms. But with Android M, this powerful feature makes its way into the Android developer’s bag of tricks.
Xiaomi has sold over 13 million Redmi 2 and Redmi 2A smartphones in 5 months
Over the last few months, we’ve reported on the various launches of Xiaomi’s smartphones, but just how well have the handsets fared in terms of units sold? Pretty well, it would seem. Lei Jun, Xiaomi’s CEO, has shared some impressive sales figures on his Weibo account.According to the CEO, the Redmi 2 and Redmi 2A handsets accounted for over 13 million sales in a period of around 5 months. The success is put down to aggressive pricing and competitive specs of the devices, with the Redmi 2A having recently been discounted to just $80 in Xiaomi’s home territory, China.
Xiaomi sold 61 million smartphones in 2014 while the company hopes to reach the 80-100 million mark by the end of 2015. Xiaomi has achieved this level of success despite its handsets only being available to purchase in a limited number of countries, mostly in Asia.
Source: Lei Jun (Weibo)
Via: GSMArena
Come comment on this article: Xiaomi has sold over 13 million Redmi 2 and Redmi 2A smartphones in 5 months
The Bluetooth Keyboard and Style Cover accessories are now in stock for Sony’s Xperia Z4 Tablet
Sony’s Xperia Z4 Tablet may only become available from June 29th in the UK, thanks to another delay, but there are some signs at least that it will happen, at some point. This sliver of hope is derived from the listing of a couple of accessories for the tablet on Sony’s website.
The first accessory listed is the Bluetooth keyboard attachment (model BKB50) with a price tag of £149 ($230), although it should be noted that the keyboard will be bundled with official stock of the Xperia Z4 Tablet at time of purchase.
The second accessory is the Style Cover SCR32 that offers adjustable viewing angles as well as the auto on/off function as you open and close the flap. The Style Cover is available for £38.99 ($60). Hopefully, the Xperia Z4 Tablet will be available to order by June 29th, as Sony have promised.
Source: XperiaBlog
Come comment on this article: The Bluetooth Keyboard and Style Cover accessories are now in stock for Sony’s Xperia Z4 Tablet
HTC One M9 update improves camera and battery
HTC is to begin pushing out an update to One M9 users in Europe, the Middle East and Africa beginning later today (barring any unexpected complications). The update will bring the software version to 1.40.401.5 and is the same update that rolled out in Taiwan a couple of weeks ago and will come to North America later this month.
setTimeout(function()
brightcove.createExperiences();
,
3000);
The update will aim to fix a few problems with the camera, the battery life and even overheating issues. The list of changes is:
Battery Life
The battery life on the One M9 is average at-best and the update should bring improvements to battery life when using two very popular preloaded applications: YouTube and Facebook. This should mean better battery life.
Camera
The camera on the One M9 is arguably one of its worst features and the update should bring a few much-needed improvements, including:
- Greater auto-exposure balance to improve overexposure, so images don’t look washed out
- Reduction of blur and noise in low light, so images are clearer with better detail
- Reduction of yellow/green hue in photos, so colors appear truer to their actual hue
Heat Management
For Qualcomm – who provide the Snapdragon 810 chipset used in the One M9 – the overheating concerns with its Snapdragon 810 were only enhanced in the One M9 as the metal build proved conducive to the overheating. One of the biggest concerns is overheating when your phone is being charged and the update should bring:
- Smart charging thermal improvement, which means your phone will stay cooler when it’s being charged
The update may only be small in size and stature but the fixes will be very welcome to HTC One M9 users, who may be considering whether they purchased the right handset. HTC’s latest flagship certainly has a lot of good features and – although I don’t like it personally – there are some who will find it pleasant. The biggest problem is its Product Strategy and the fact that, having released a bunch of better flagships in Asia, the One M9 is still its global flagship in the West.
One M9 in video:
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width: 350px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left
float: left;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none
width: 100%;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center
text-align: center;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: none;
display: inline-block;
vertical-align: top;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos:not(.align_none) ul li:nth-child(2n+1)
clear: both;
.rvs_title
font-weight: 600 !important;
margin: 0 !important;
font-size: 24px !important;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right .rvs_title
padding-left: 20px;
.rvs_title a
font-family: ‘Roboto Condensed’;
color: #3a3a3a;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
padding-top: 10px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left.cbc-latest-videos ul li,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 15px 0 0;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 0 0 15px;
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a
font-weight: 400;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a .yt-thumbnail
margin-bottom: 0;
@media only screen and (max-width : 480px)
.rvs_wrapper
width: 100%;
text-align: center;
body .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
display: inline-block;
float: none;
vertical-align: top;
Unfortunately for HTC, customers do read the web and its new devices such as the One M9 Plus – which should have arguably been the real flagship – the One E9 Plus and the One ME will only alienate customers. Then again, with poor demand for the One M9 resulting in cost-cutting and a return to loss-making, maybe some changes need to be made to HTC’s Product Strategy.
AIVAnet 
