Dermatologists can help you from your phone with Spruce
Scheduling an appointment with a doctor of any kind is difficult because an open slot in their office has to match your schedule. Then, when arriving at the office, wait times are ridiculously long. There are times when we wish we could just communicate with our doctors remotely and get quick, easy help. Dermatologists are among those who understand the frustration among patients and have decided to work with Spruce, a ‘derm-on-the-go’ app.
The service, which just launched an Android app, brings board-certified dermatologists to your phone for a diagnosis and treatment plan, picking up on conditions such as acne, fine lines, wrinkles, bug bites, eczema, and hair loss. Spruce works by asking users to take photographs of their conditions and answering medical questions as if they were sitting right in their dermatologist’s office. A dermatologist from Spruce will then examine the information provided and provide the patient with a personalized treatment plan. These responses are issued within twenty-four hours following the patient’s submission.
A single virtual visit with Spruce costs $40 and covers the diagnosis, treatment plan, and thirty days of a messaging with the service’s Care Team in the event additional help is needed.
Spruce is currently available in California, Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia.
Come comment on this article: Dermatologists can help you from your phone with Spruce
Master summer photography with the LG G4 using Colby Brown’s tips
Either Colby Brown is an amazing photographer or he has an infectious personality. Maybe it’s both. The photographer is again being featured by LG to provide advice. This time it is all about summer photography and taking it to the next level. Brown and LG firmly believe that the G4 is more than capable of being an alternative to a large DSLR while traveling.
Hit the break for Brown’s tips.
Tip 1 – Shoot From Above
Shooting down on any subject, whether it’s a selfie or otherwise, is more flattering because it can help smooth out any double chin action and awkward lines.
- Worried your arms aren’t long enough? Use G4’s Gesture Shot or Voice Shutter to take selfies or group photos using hand or voice commands–without having to touch the screen.
Tip 2 – Tell A Story With Movement Or By Freezing Action
Add interest to your photos with movement and stop action by playing with the amount of time the shutter stays open. The longer it’s open, the more you can blur motion and show movement, like a waterfall. While shorter shutter speeds help freeze action in its place. Just remember if you’re using a longer shutter speed, use a tripod or ledge to stabilize your camera so the whole shot doesn’t turn out blurry.
- Experiment with fast and slow shutter speeds from 1/6000 to 30 seconds in G4’s Manual Mode.
Tip 3 – Use The Rule Of Thirds
Want to frame your subject well every time? An easy trick is to imagine the subject of your photo on a 3 x 3 grid. This is a little professional trick called the “rule of thirds,” where you can create intrigue and eye-catching tension by offsetting the placement of your subject based on where these lines intersect.
- Turn on Grid View while in G4’s Simple Mode, or in Manual Mode use the horizontal leveling bars that indicate when your image is perfectly composed, to compose shots that draw in viewers.
Tip 4 – Get Creative With Lighting
Get sharp, detailed images that are vibrant in color by paying attention to the ISO setting. The lower the ISO, the sharper and cleaner the image. In contrast, higher ISOs produce brighter images but sacrifice detail and color. A quick rule of them to remember: the brighter the lighting, the lower ISO you need.
- In G4’s Manual Mode you can adjust the ISO number between 50 and 270 to create stunning images that use lighting creatively
Tip 5 – Look At The Big Picture
When out exploring the world around you, you might come across a scene that is simply too big to fit into a single image. One of the LG G4’s coolest features is its ability to take incredibly large and detailed Panoramas in Auto Mode. One of the LG G4’s coolest features is its ability to take incredibly large and detailed Panoramas in Auto Mode up to 104MP in size.
Tip 6 – Lean On HDR For More Dynamic Range
When working in challenging photographic situations, such as when you have a bright sky and dark foreground, use HDR (high dynamic range) to add more dynamic color to the shot. With HDR, the camera will automatically attempt to balance the iamge in terms of brightness and visible detail in the scene.
- HDR captures a wider range of colors without flooding the image with too much dark or bright hot spots
Come comment on this article: Master summer photography with the LG G4 using Colby Brown’s tips
‘Znaps’ Adds MagSafe-Style Connectivity to Your Lightning Cables
Znaps is a new Kickstarter project that aims to make connecting a Lightning cable to your iPhone or iPad as simple as connecting a MagSafe charger to your MacBook. Znaps consists of a connector that plugs into the Lightning port on your iOS device, and an adapter for your Lightning cable that lets it connect to the port magnetically.
With the Znaps Connector and Adapter, a Lightning cable can snap onto your device using magnets, making it quicker to connect and charge an iPad or iPhone. There’s also a version for devices that use Micro-USB.
Let’s make charging easier! ZNAPS is a simple yet perfect solution to prevent frayed charging cables, tripping over cable resulting in smashed phones, pointless fiddling to plug in cable in the dark, water damage through charging outlet, and more! This innovative magnetic charging adapter will make your life just a bit more convenient.
Znaps is small enough that it will work with a wide variety of custom iPhone cases that leave the Lightning port exposed, and as the project’s creators point out, it can cut down on the hassle of fumbling to get a Lightning cable plugged into an iPhone or an iPad.
Znaps works for both charging and syncing, and a small LED light on the adapter will light up when a device is being charged. The magnetic field it uses is “negligibly small” according to the project’s creators, and will not cause damage to the internal components of the iPhone. It also does not enhance or impede charging times.
A Znaps Connector and Adapter for Lightning or Micro-USB can be obtained for a pledge of $11 Canadian, or just under $9. There are also several other tiers available at different price points for purchasing multiple Znaps.
Znaps are projected to ship in late November of 2015, but as most of us have experienced on Kickstarter, there are projects that miss shipping estimates by months, especially when orders exceed expectations, so prospective purchasers should keep that in mind when backing this project.
NFL ‘Game Pass’ With On-Demand Game Broadcasts Coming to Apple TV
The NFL has long offered various packages that let football enthusiasts watch games on their mobile devices, but it’s always been difficult to get that content on the Apple TV. That may be changing, however, according to a website dedicated to a revamped Game Pass program that the NFL plans to debut later this summer.
For viewers in the United States, the NFL currently offers Game Rewind, with access to on-demand NFL games after they air on broadcast television. As of July 31, 2015, Game Rewind is being discontinued in favor of Game Pass, a consolidated service that will offer all 256 NFL season games on-demand as well as access to live out-of-market preseason games.
Game Pass access will be added to the existing NFL Mobile app on the iPhone and the iPad, and the website indicates Game Pass content will also be available on “select connected TV devices” including the Apple TV. When the new Game Pass service is made available on the Apple TV, it’ll be the first time the NFL has allowed full game broadcasts on Apple’s set-top box, which is big news for football fans who are also cord cutters.
At the current time, there’s an NFL Now channel on the Apple TV, but this is limited to historic videos, breaking news, and game highlights, rather than complete games due to contracts with television providers. With the prior Game Rewind service, the NFL went so far as to disable AirPlay mirroring to the Apple TV in an effort to keep broadcasts limited to iOS devices.
The new Game Pass works a lot like the former Game Rewind service. It includes live access to most preseason games, aside from those that are nationally broadcast, plus on-demand regular season, playoff, and Super Bowl games that are available after they air on broadcast television.
Game Pass is available in the United States, Bermuda, Antigua, the Bahamas, any U.S. territories, possessions and commonwealths (including American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands), and Mexico. Pricing for the Game Pass is not yet listed.
NFL fans outside of the United States already have access to an international “Game Pass” service that offers up live games and on-demand content, and while it confusingly shares the same name as the new service available in the U.S., it appears the international service will continue to be available.
(Thanks, Tyler!)
Deal: Stay safe with these cyber security hacking and training bundles from the AA Deals Store
With more and more sensitive information (credit card info, home addresses, etc.) making its way to the internet, it might be smart to learn how to better secure your information so it doesn’t get into the wrong hands. Whether you’d like to become a web security expert, start a career in IT management, just want to learn advanced hacking techniques to prevent attacks, the AA Deals Store has you covered. There are a few awesome deals going on at the moment, so let’s jump right in.
White Hat Security Hacker Bundle
Become a web security expert and take your career to the next level with the ultimate bundle to learn about protecting your WordPress projects, web apps, local networks and Mac desktops. Learn from experts in the know with over 40 hours of video as they take you through the ins and outs of ethical hacking, penetration testing, web scraping, using the Linux command line and more.
The White Hat Hacker Bundle includes 6 professional courses from Udemy that you watch online on any desktop, and learn at your own pace. Get the training you need to improve security on your next project. Right now, you can pick up this bundle for the low price of $49, which is a massive 92% off the suggested retail value! Head to the link below for more information.
iCollege IT Security & Management Bundle
If you’d like to secure a career in IT management, check out the iCollege IT Security & Management Bundle – currently 94% off in the AA Deals Store. With this bundle, you’ll get two-year access to four essential certification training courses that will help pave the way for your career path. The courses cover the basics of ITIL terminology and ITIL service management practices. You’ll even get CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor) and CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) certification, which will definitely come in handy when searching for a new job in this field.
Right now, you can get two-year access to these courses for just $59. Head to the link below if you’re interested!
Cyber Security Developer Course Bundle
This eLearning bundle covers everything you need to know to protect systems, networks and websites, and prepare for certification to further your career. With online hacking and identity theft on the rise, security on the internet is more important than ever. The Cyber Security Developer Bundle includes 5 courses with 50 hours of quality content to teach you about a range of essential topics like cryptography, encryption methods, application attacks, VPN protocols, website hacking methods and more.
You can get access to all five of these courses for just $49, which is 85% off the normal price of these courses. If you’re interested, head to the link below.
As always, be sure to let us know if you have any questions regarding any of these deals.
Meizu M2 Note review
The M1 Note has not been around for a particularly long time, but that hasn’t stopped Chinese OEM Meizu from releasing its successor. Does this latest low-cost offering from Meizu prove to be worthy of an upgrade? We find out in this detailed Meizu M2 Note review!
Design
Things largely remain the same between the M2 Note and its predecessor as far as the design language is concerned. The inspiration behind its aesthetics remains very obvious, down to the available color options. That said, the lack of creativity doesn’t translate to a poor design. The polycarbonate unibody design with a glossy finish and the rounded edges and sides at the back make for a device that feels great in the hand and sits nicely in the palm. The curves aren’t as prominent as seen with the M1 Note though, allowing for a better grip overall.
Going around the device, the volume rocker and the power button are found on the left side, which is a much appreciated change with regards to the power button, having been moved from its place at the top, as seen with the M1 Note. The buttons allow for a solid tactile feedback, and are all within easy reach. The dual SIM card and microSD card slot combo is on the opposite side. The headphone jack and the microUSB port are found at the top and bottom respectively, with the single speaker unit found next to the latter.
Apart from a few cosmetic changes and the shift in placement of the power button, the most notable change is the addition of a physical home button up front, replacing the circular capacitive key that also doubled as a notification LED. The new button no longer glows of course, but does provide a better navigational experience, with it acting as both a home button and a back button. Unlike its more expensive sibling though, the Meizu MX5, there isn’t a fingerprint scanner integrated into this tactile button though. Notifications are also now indicated by a traditional notification LED found above the display.
An incredible trend we’ve been seeing in the Android smartphone world is the fact that price is no longer entirely indicative of build quality, and that is certainly the case with this smartphone. The design may not be particularly unique, but the build quality is solid and certainly doesn’t feel cheap. And that goes beyond what the sub-$200 price tag of the Meizu M2 Note would suggest.
Display
The M2 Note retains the fantastic display of the original – its 5.5-inch IGZO display features a 1920 x 1080 resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 403 ppi, with everything protected by a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 panel. This display also brings with it everything we loved about the original, including excellent viewing angles and brightness, and with the colors even more vivid this time around.
There are a few additional aspects to the display as well, such as the adaptive brightness, which works well and is responsive to changes in the environment. There’s also a new system setting that gives you control over the color temperature, that can be useful given this display’s tendency to generally lean towards the warmer side of things.
As was the case with the M1 Note before it, Meizu continues to provide fantastic displays with even their low-cost offerings, and this screen is certainly the best we’ve seen when compared to other smartphones that fall in this price category.
Performance
Under the hood, the Meizu M2 Note packs an octa-core 64-bit MediaTek MT6753 processor, clocked at 1.3 GHz, backed by the Mali-T720MP3 GPU and 2 GB of RAM. What is quite odd is the fact that the processing package is actually clocked at a lower rate than what was found with its predecessor, even if the processor of the latter is older. This made the M2 Note feel slower than the previous iteration, which was also reflected in the benchmark scores, which were, on average, about 25% lower.
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That said, general performance with the M2 Note is still quite good, even if not entirely at par with some of its direct competition. The availability of 2 GB of RAM is a big plus though, and multi-tasking is smooth. There is also a slight step back as far as the GPU is concerned, but the device is still able to comfortably handle most games without noticeable performance issues.
Hardware
The M2 Note comes with 16 GB or 32 GB storage options, further expandable via microSD card by up to 128 GB. It’s important to note though that the second SIM card slot of the device is what also functions as the microSD card slot, so it will be up to the user to choose between enjoying the benefits of expandable storage or dual SIM capabilities.
The device also comes with a standard suite of connectivity options, and also fixes some of the GPS issues faced by its predecessor, though there still is some room for improvement. The M2 Note also allows for high-speed internet access via 4G LTE, but a compatibility check with your local network carrier is recommended before buying. Unfortunately, the device is limited to HSPA+ on the AT&T and T-Mobile networks in the US.
The audio quality provided by the single speaker unit at the bottom of the device continues to be the same between generations, and while it does get fairly loud, some distortion is seen when set to the highest volume. As is also the case with any speaker found in this position, it is very easy to cover it while holding the phone in the landscape orientation.
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On the battery front, the M2 Note packs a large 3,100 mAh unit, which allowed for a very impressive battery life; the device comfortably lasts through a full day even with some heavy usage. With the brightness set to auto and while using HSPA+ for most of the day, the device lasted for around 14 hours, with just over 4 hours of screen-on time, with usage that included taking a lot of pictures and using navigation for 20 minutes.
Camera
The Meizu M2 Note packs a 13 MP rear camera and a 5 MP front-facing shooter, which, at least on paper, is an impressive camera package for a device at this price point. The image quality is somewhat inconsistent though, as there are some misses along the way, in particularly related to issues with exposure. That said, some good shots are definitely possible, and the images feature good color and detail reproduction.
As far as the camera application is concerned, the interface is fairly simplistic, with an auto mode that is very easy to use. Surprisingly, there is a respectable amount of manual control available as well, that will allow you to truly cater the shot to your liking.
Software
On the software side of things, the Meizu M2 Note ships with the Flyme OS 4.5.1, a forked version of Android based on Android 5.1 Lollipop. As has been the case with previous iterations of this OS, Meizu does get a lot of things right, especially in its latest form, but a few flaws unfortunately happen to show up.
It’s important to note though that a lot of these issues are due to the fact that the intended market for this particular version of the device is China, and things should be a lot different when it makes it way to consumers in other international markets.
For example, as expected, there is no Google Play services available out of the box, and while there are a few Google Installer applications in the Meizu App Center, features like Google Now are still missing. The voice assistant and Drive mode system are both limited to Chinese, and there is also a slew of pre-installed Chinese applications that aren’t useful, unless you know Chinese that is. Luckily, these can be uninstalled, so they won’t be taking up any precious storage space. For now, users will also be limited to free features only, as you will be unable to purchase any music subscriptions, apps, or themes. Finally, the default keyboard isn’t very good for non-Chinese speaking users. As mentioned though, it will all be a very different story with the international version of the device.
Some other more general issues have to do with the launcher itself, which likely isn’t going to be any different with an international version. For starters, as we’ve seen before from various other Chinese OEMs and Meizu as well, an app drawer isn’t available, which can take some getting used to, and will leave you dependent on folders to keep things organized and avoid cluttered homescreens. The notification dropdown lacks a Settings shortcut, which means that the only way to get to the Settings is to find the app, which is also very watered down when compared to stock Android. The lockscreen also doesn’t display any notifications, which is actually a very surprising implementation, which definitely will require some adjusting to.
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These negatives aside, there is a lot that is great with the software experience as well. For starters, the gesture wakeup feature is fantastic, and letter gestures can be customized and added to directly open a particular app, with the device executing everything very quickly. You also have the ability to choose which apps can be launched from the lockscreen with a swipe to the left or right.
The system apps are all beautifully designed, and the music app comes with a large collection of free to stream music. The Tips application is very useful, Smart Touch is a fun feature to use, and the device also packs power saving modes that go beyond what is offered with stock Android. Finally, the transitions between the various elements of the UI are consistent, and provide a very nice visual experience.
Specifications
| Display | 5.5-inch IGZO 1920 x 1080 resolution, 403 ppi |
| Processor | 1.3 GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6753 Mali-T720MP3 GPU |
| RAM | 2 GB |
| Storage | 16/32 GB expandable via microSD up to 128 GB |
| Camera | 13 MP rear camera with dual LED flash 5 MP front-facing camera |
| Connectivity | HSPA, LTE Cat4 150/50 Mbps Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct Bluetooth 4.0, GPRS |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Battery | 3,100 mAh |
| Software | Flyme OS 4.5.1 based on Android 5.1 Lollipop |
| Dimensions | 150.9 x 75.2 x 8.7 mm 149 grams |
| Colors | Grey, White, Blue, Pink |
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Pricing and final thoughts
The Meizu M2 Note hasn’t seen an official release in the US and other markets outside China, but can be picked up on Amazon, priced at around $175, though the price does tend to fluctuate. Of course, checking for compatibility with your network carrier is highly recommended if you decide to pick this device up.
So there you have it for this closer look at the Meizu M2 Note! Since the M2 Note was released just a few months after its predecessor, there isn’t enough of a leap between generations to leave M1 Note owners upset. That said, the M2 Note does bring some improvements to what was already a good device, the most notable addition being the availability of microSD expansion, even if it involves sacrificing dual SIM capabilities.
A more refined look and feel certainly help, and the M2 Note continues the tradition of bringing quite a lot to the table at an extremely budget-friendly price tag. The competition in this space has been growing over the past year or so, but an international version of the Meizu M2 Note will certainly give all those a run for their money. While not without its issues, the M2 Note does stand out, by managing to shine in areas where many low-cost devices don’t.
A closer look at the Axon phone’s “Hi-Fi Audio”
Last week, ZTE launched its new Axon smartphone in the US, which boats some top of the line specifications at a price that substantially undercuts the competition. One of the big selling points is the Axon phone’s “Hi-Fi Audio”, but with lots of smartphones offering hi-resolution playback it’s worth looking at what separates the Axon from the rest.
The Axon phone boasts a “Premium 32-bit” AK4490 DAC which supports sample rates up to 192 kHz, features five digital filters, and AKM’s “Velvet Sound” technology. This is coupled with an AK 4961 codec used for recording functionality, which offers four differential channel 24-bit ADCs that operate up to 96 kHz.
So let’s take a look at this audio jargon in a little more detail.
32-bit playback, really?
Firstly, the Axon’s “Hi-Fi Audio” is capable of 32-bit 192 kHz audio file playback, which trumps the introduction of 24-bit 192 kHz capable flagship smartphones that have hit the market over the past year or so, at least on paper. I say on paper because bits and audio are a lot like megapixels and cameras, bigger numbers don’t always produce higher quality results.
You probably won’t be able to find a lot of 32-bit source material to playback, most high-quality audio downloads come at most as 24-bit 192 kHz files. Even then, you could fill up the Axon’s 32GB of memory pretty quickly with lossless files of that size, so it’s not an immediately useful addition. More importantly, the on paper capabilities of the codec don’t necessarily match up with real-world implementations.
“Customers told us what was missing from today’s smartphones, and low-quality audio was one of the biggest sticking points.” – ZTE
When we talk about audio bit-depth, from a consumer perspective, we mean the number of points available with which to record or playback the waveform’s amplitude. 16-bit CD quality audio offers 65,535 points (-32,768 through 32,767), 24-bit studio quality files offer 16,777,216 possible values (−8,388,608 to 8,388,607) and 32-bit files reach a huge 4,294,967,296 range.
People often confuse bit-depth with the resolution “accuracy” of something like a camera image or incorrectly think about smoothing out signal “stair-stepping”. But the real purpose of higher bit-depth at the recording and playback stage is to improve the signal to noise ratio (SNR). 32-bit math processing is a different matter. This is done by increasing the number of points between the peak signal and the noise floor (dynamic range) and reducing distortion caused by rounding errors, something which dithering also addresses.
On paper, an ideal 16-bit signal has an SNR of 96dB, 24-bit has 144dB, while 32-bit theoretically jumps to 192dB.
Noise pre ADC or post DAC reduces the useful bit-depth of digital audio.
However, there are physical limitations to the actual SNR that can be achieved, which depends on hardware layout and the noise limits of integrated circuits. Real world high-end audio implementations are often limited to an SNR less than 132dB, which works out to 22-bits.
Jargon Buster:
(Signal to Noise Ratio) SNR – The difference between a nominal signal level and the average level of the noise floor. Dynamic Range is a similar measurement that looks at the maximum signal level and the noise floor. Larger values are better.
(Total Harmonic Distortion) THD – Additional signal content added as a single wave passes through a component. This is usually an odd or even harmonic of the original signal. This test is usually done with a 1 kHz sine wave and lower values are better.
(Intermodulation Distortion) IMD – Additional signal content added by a component when passing multiple signals of different frequencies. Content is not necessarily an integer harmonic, which can produce particularly ugly distortion.
So although an ADC or DAC may be theoretically capable of recording or playing back 24-bits of data or greater, you should actually look at the real world noise values to get a better idea of how close the hardware can actually get to the ideal.
With that understood, we can determine that the Axon phone’s 32-bit audio playback is actually a rather pointless marketing ploy. The chip itself promises a 120dB SNR, while the phone’s hardware layout seems to reduce this to 108dB, according to the launch presentation. So we’re actually only looking at noise floor equivalent to what we would get with an ideal 18-bit source.
The chart below shows a comparison of the dynamic range headphone outputs from a range of smartphones, and roughly what that equates to in terms of actual available bit-depth for playback.
Data from the Axon phone press release vs other flagships (source).
The Axon’s result is still very good for a smartphone and shows a noticeable improvement over competing handsets on the market. However, it doesn’t provide as big of a gap between the competition as the 32-bit tag line would suggest, and won’t lend itself to the full dynamic range offered by a 24-bit source, let alone a 32-bit file.
All of that said, by the time we take the average listening environment, volume, and increased amounts of compression used in modern music, listeners will struggle to notice any difference between 16, 24 and 32-bit audio anyway.
Distortion Characteristics
The AK4490 DAC also offers up some improved Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise (THD+N) characteristics compared with other smartphones on the market. All audio hardware introduces some additional distortion and noise, including codecs, op-amps and speakers, most of all. A high-quality audio hardware chain should introduce less than 0.1% of additional content, or -60dB.
The Axon phone manages a THD factor of -97.7dB, which works out to 0.0013%. Typically, as output power increases THD rises as the speaker or driving chip works harder to increase the volume. The Axon phone retains its very stable -97.7dB all the way up to 10mW when driving quite typical 32 ohm headphones.
Compared with some of the leading flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S6’s THD measures around 0.0024%, the iPhone offers 0.0018%, the Xperia Z3 Plus measures 0.0049% and the One M9 comes in at 0.0082%. The Axon phone seems to offer the least distortion available in a smartphone and bests many of the current Android flagships by a notable margin.
Perhaps a better distortion test for actual audio use is intermodulation distortion, which measures the additional harmonic content introduced by the system when two or more frequencies are sent through the system. Again, the Axon phone offers substantially less distortion than leading Android flagships, and also again bests Apple’s iPhone 6.
As a side note, these figures alter quite substantially with headphones attached, but we don’t have the exact test conditions for the Axon phone here, so we have picked the lowest value for the other handsets as a precaution.
Apart from the pointless addition of 32-bit audio playback, the Axon phone indeed offers some significant important improvements in audio playback quality when compared with other flagship smartphones, and looks to be the best Android phone for audio playback on the market right now. The iPhone 6 and the Galaxy S6 are the two smartphones that offer the closest playback quality.
Recording options
Turning to the handset’s recording options, the Axon boasts a 24-bit ADC with dual-microphone for omni-directional recordings, using a microphone at the top and bottom of the device.
The two microphones can help more accurately pinpoint a sound within 20 meters from the phone. As for how it works, just imagine a sound traveling to your ears. The slight difference in space between the two means that a sound arrives at ever so slightly different times, which allows your brain to pinpoint the rough location. A single (or mono) microphone setup does not capture this time difference, but a stereo microphone setup can help preserve this additional sense of space.
The phase and time differences between offset microphones helps to preserve a more realistic sense of distance. (source)
While this effect will probably work reasonably well when listening back through headphones, the decision to use a single speaker in the Axon phone means that this effect may not preserve quite the same sense of space when mixed down to a mono signal.
The ADC boasts 24-bit 96 kHz sound capture, but a quick check of the spec sheet SNR again suggests that the real-world usable bit-depth is actually closer to 17-bit, or 16-bit when the mic amp adds an additional 18dB of gain.
This is still more than good enough for high-quality, low noise audio capture, providing that the microphone is good enough, and the ability to capture stereo audio data through the use of two microphones should offer up a compelling sense of space. This could be a particularly nice feature to use in conjunction with the phone’s video capture.
Extra Features
ZTE has also picked an audio codec that comes with a built-in DSP core. The AK4961 can handle echo cancellation and microphone noise suppression for audio recording on the chip. It can also perform voice processing to enable voice commands and wake-up functions, as well as hands free functionality. Having these processes managed on the codec will save on the need for additional hardware or using up main CPU processing time.
Like all good codecs, the AK4961 and 4490 feature oversampling modes to reduce noise from out-of-band sources and make use of differential inputs and outputs to help prevent noise leaking into the signal path from additional sources.
Wrap Up
Hopefully this breakdown has helped to give you an idea of the type of audio improvements that the Axon phone actually delivers and those that it can’t.
While a 32-bit “Hi-Fi Audio” DAC tag-line might be an easy sell, the reality is that the confined and noisy environments of a smartphone chassis are not going to allow hardware to operate anywhere close to that level of accuracy, if consumers could even notice the difference. However, the Axon phone’s choice of high quality ADC and DAC hardware does boast improvements to noise and distortion, which are sure to please audiophiles out there.
We’ll have some more time to spend listening to the phone when review time rolls around, so we won’t draw any final conclusions. But the Axon looks to be a step in the right direction for mobile audio lovers.
Axon Phone Hands on!
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Pebble Time now available from Best Buy stores for $200, Target sales coming soon
The new record-breaking Pebble Time smartwatch has been slowly making its way to early adopters’ wrists over the past few weeks, following the impressive crowdfunding campaign that resulted in the highest-grossing Kickstarter project of all time. Users are still waiting to get their hands on the slightly more expensive Pebble Time Steel, but that doesn’t mean Pebble Time fans will have to wait to buy theirs.
Starting today, the Pebble Time can be purchased from Best Buy both online and in-store, as well as from Pebble’s website. Target will also begin selling the Pebble Time in the U.S. during the week of August 17th, both online and in-store. The watch is now available for $199.99 in Red, Black and White color options.
Don’t miss: dbrand’s Pebble Time skins bring a ton of customization options at low prices
For the folks out there who would much rather head to a brick-and-mortar location to test out the watch before buying, this is certainly great news.
In our full review, we told you that Pebble not only improved the overall design and built quality with the Time, but that the refined software and user experience might make it worth everyone’s consideration. As a refresher, the Pebble Time features a color e-paper display, a much better software experience, and a battery that can last up to 7 days on a single charge.
If you’re interested in ordering one for yourself, head to the links below for more information.
New Moto Hint shows up on Best Buy’s website
Earlier today, we showed off how the Moto Hint was reduced in price from $149.99 down to $79.99 and asked if this was possibly a “hint” towards a new version coming out. Well thanks to a user on Google+, it seems that Motorola did just that, and has released an updated version of the Hint.
According to the Product Features on the Best Buy page, there are a few updated features that come along with the 2nd Gen Moto Hint.
- Bluetooth 3.0 + EDR Technology
- CrystalTalk noise and wind canceling technology
- Voice Control
- Rechargeable Battery up to 17 hours of talk-time
The biggest change here is the battery life. The first generation of the Moto Hint had a talk time battery life of 10 hours, the new version is touted to have a battery life of 17 hours worth of talk time. On top of the fact that the Hint still comes with a charging case for whenever you’re out of juice.
Finally, the price for the 2nd generation Moto Hint is down from $149.99, and instead is now being sold at $129.99 for a brand new one. If you’re still interested in picking up the old one, you can grab one from the Motorola website, but there are no signs of the new one being available anywhere other than Best Buy at this moment.
Please let us know what you think about the updated Moto Hint and whether you’ll be springing for the new version or just sticking with the 1st generation in the comments below. If there are anymore details released about this new version, we will be sure to let everyone know.
The post New Moto Hint shows up on Best Buy’s website appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Is stock Android perfection?
There is sometimes discord in the Android community that demands a time out. This subject is one of those. Too often do we see clamoring that the best solution to any manufacturers’ approach to their phone’s software is untouched, stock Android. And while part of me is with the purists (having owned Nexus devices myself), another part of me can’t bear to jump on the bandwagon and refute any other offering. Hear me out.
If you stop and think about each different UI, you can’t tell me that there isn’t something right it’s doing. Like some sweet feature that another software package doesn’t offer, even stock Android. For argumentative purposes, let’s break them down:
Samsung
Yes, TouchWiz is shunned a lot of the time, and for good reason. But what about the camera software? I had the Nexus 6 and I felt like the camera on it was set on simple mode. There wasn’t much it could do outside of point and shooting. The only modes available are: panorama, photo sphere, lens blur, and HDR.
On the Galaxy camera app, you have a Pro mode, where you can change White Balance, ISO, etc. HDR can be handled automatically, so no more user switching and that lag associated with it. There’s also slow and fast motion capture, selective focusing after the fact, and many more post-processing effects. Also, on the selfie mode, there’s a beautification ability to remove face blemishes.
One TW feature I must mention is the split screen view. It is beyond me on why the Nexus 6, with its ginormous screen, did not have this ability. There are also a multitude of gestures/motions as shortcuts to common actions, such as bringing the phone to your ear to automatically make a call or the screen remaining on until you look away from it.
LG
While LG’s UX 4.0 UI isn’t renowned, it does bring some unique features to the playing field. One of these is navigation button customization. Google is the one who introduced on-screen buttons, so they should have been the ones showing off their flexibility.
In UX 4.0 you can add in another button, with a multitude of functions to choose from to assign to it. You can also rearrange the button layout. For instance, I’m right-handed and like the back button to be on the right side.
LG has up’d their camera game this year as well. The LG camera software has capabilities reaching for DSLR-level of options.
We also can’t forget about that Double-Tap-to-Wake feature, debuted back on the LG G2. It’s another frustration that the current Nexus phone still doesn’t have this.
HTC
In contrary, HTC’s Sense is one of the most accepted UI’s. Since the release of the One M7, Sense has been well-optimized, quick, and for the most part, not annoying to look at.
One great thing HTC introduced with Sense 7 is a very capable theming engine, something Lollipop is lacking. It can basically take any color palate, whether user-specified or from an image, and match the UI’s appearance to it.
Sony
While many would agree that Sony’s UI needs a serious makeover, function-wise it has some great things going for it.
One of its most renowned features is battery optimization. As of late, Lollipop has had some issues in the battery department. Sony works their magic with hardware and software tweaks to make the battery only take sips from its capacity, while still allowing the user to feel like the phone is blazing fast.
Motorola
Even with a near stock experience, Moto still felt the need to spice things up. They did some fancy notification tricks with Moto Display, letting you wave your hand in front of the device to check it. Also, the when you touch the notification, you get a preview without having your entire screen lit up. This is great if you constantly want to know the status without constantly pressing the power button.
In addition, Moto Voice gives you more control over your phone than Google Now, Moto Assist lets you tailor your phone’s behavior for different parts of the day, and Moto Actions provides gesture shortcuts.
Now, before the Comments section of this article gets blown up by “You can have all that on Lollipop, if you root!”. That is not the point. We are not discussing a specific group of people, who are open to putting extra effort and risk to unlocking their phone. We’re talking about the Android community as a whole, and the majority of people aren’t comfortable with stepping out of bounds.
Here’s a thought to add to the mix: Why does Google leave out features that stock Android should obviously have? What if Google deliberately holds back, to leave room for improvement for their customers to fill?
Let us know what you think!
The post Is stock Android perfection? appeared first on AndroidGuys.
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