With Windows 10, Microsoft corrects the problems it created
First released almost three years ago (and updated to 8.1 a year later), Windows 8 was a bet that didn’t pay off. Bold — or brash — design decisions and a fundamental shift in UX led to a very slow uptake of the OS, and we’re now just days away from the release of its replacement. Windows 10 comes at a difficult time for Microsoft, but although it too makes grand design revisions to the current formula, this time, it’s fixing problems, not causing them.
The strange thing is, Microsoft has found itself in this situation before. In July 2009, Vista (then the company’s current OS) was installed on just one in five Windows PCs, while the outdated XP accounted for about two-thirds. Fast-forward to today, and you have almost the exact same story. Windows 8 and 8.1 have a combined share hovering around the 19 percent figure, while Windows 7 stands at around 66 percent. It’s staggering how similar a predicament the company is in. You could point to any number of reasons for why upgrades have been so slow this time around. Perhaps the most pertinent is that PC sales are weaker than ever, and existing users don’t feel compelled to make the switch. When it came to designing Windows 10, Microsoft began with where it went wrong: the Start screen.
Windows 8 set the desktop back 22 years.
For 17 years, the core of Microsoft’s OS was the Start menu. It slowly evolved from a simple gray list in Windows 95 to a highly customizable dual-column affair in 7. Then came Windows 8, and the jump to a full-screen menu with Live Tiles. It was a control system built with tablets and touchscreens in mind, and the plan was for users to ditch the old desktop programs and switch to full-screen, modern apps — the sort that work perfectly on both laptops and tablets. For those without touchscreens, the basic tenet was supposedly the same as Windows 7: Press the Start key on your keyboard, and either move your cursor to (or type the name of) the thing you want to open. But this switch to a full-screen menu was more than just a visual makeover to make selecting things on a tablet easier. Design isn’t just about the way something looks; it’s about how you use that thing, and the Windows 8 switch set “traditional” laptop and desktop interaction back 22 years.
http://gfycat.com/ifr/FlimsyBriskGoose
Pre-95, Windows launched applications via the Program Manager, which loaded on startup and essentially took up the entire screen. Although there was a “desktop” that showed the currently open programs, Program Manager essentially represented the “base” level of the UI — the place from where you start anything you do. Windows 95 introduced the desktop as a new base, letting you pin frequently used applications like shortcuts, and, of course, added the “Start menu,” letting you open new applications without returning to the desktop. All versions of Windows had the same basic system, with the desktop being the base of operations, and the Start menu as a pop-over. Windows 8 reversed that, or at least, attempted to.
On boot-up, a Windows 8 computer presented the Start screen, which filled the entire display with applications for you to choose from. Microsoft threw away its highly successful pop-over menu in exchange for a prettied-up Program Manager that showed you everything in one go. It effectively swapped out a 17-year-old navigation system for a 22-year-old one, forcing users to jump away from their application to a full-screen menu to choose a new program. Because most use a mix of desktop and modern applications, this created a fight between two paradigms. Either you use the desktop as the base level of the UI, and get rudely booted into full-screen modern applications and the Start screen, or you do the opposite and frequently find yourself in an alien desktop environment with windowed applications. It didn’t work, and as it became apparent that many developers wouldn’t be switching over to the modern app system, Microsoft knew it needed to find a solution.
Windows 8.1 saw the tacit acceptance that users weren’t solely going to use modern apps. Adjustments were made to better cater to the huge number still using desktop programs. The iconic Start button, an integral part of the OS since 95, returned as a visual cue. An “All Apps” view let users swap the large Live Tiles for a simplified list, and booting directly to the desktop was possible — and even default in some setups. But these were small concessions following a major overhaul, and Windows 10 pulls things back even further. The desktop is now the base of the system again, and a more typical Start menu is back, which is customizable depending on a user’s preference. Those used to Windows 7 can go with a familiar two-column vertical layout, with the left side behaving much like Windows 7’s menu and the right featuring small Live Tiles. Those coming from Windows 8 can stretch the menu further across the screen for a wider layout with large Tiles. It’s an elegant modernization of the Start menu, and a solution that will make a lot of sense to those coming from both 7 and 8.
But there’s more to Windows than just that Start button. Its vast array of apps is the operating system’s main selling point, and, right now, there’s a mishmash of desktop and modern applications that Microsoft has to support. These modern apps now have a new home: inside their own windows on the desktop. They behave exactly the same as regular programs, but look and feel more up to date. That means they can be dynamically resized and rearranged, minimized and modified with the familiar “x” in the top-right corner.
Although many apps weren’t created with this in mind, more often than not the new system works well enough. Microsoft’s core apps, of course, look beautiful in this mode, with appropriate color accenting really helping to reconcile the once-disparate desktop and modern UIs. There are still a few design oddities, with rick-click menus in particular looking dissimilar in various apps and parts of the OS. Some third-party apps are also a little confusing; as their interfaces are entirely focused on the full-screen experience, having large back buttons and UI elements sitting within a desktop window make it feel a bit like you’re running a phone app on a computer. You’d imagine that things will get better with time. Given the low number of users with an entirely keyboard-less setup — most touchscreen Windows devices are hybrids or laptops — developers of modern apps have plenty of incentive to tailor their products to the largest audience possible, and make their UIs more at home inside a window.
The much-maligned Start screen and full-screen apps, for what it’s worth, always worked well on tablets. They’re still present in Windows 10, as “Tablet Mode.” If you’re using a Surface 3, and you undock from the keyboard, Tablet Mode will automatically kick in, pushing your apps full-screen and leaning on the Start screen for navigation. Click back in, and you’ll revert to the regular desktop environment. It’s such an elegant system it really should’ve been there from the start.
Another sign of the fragmentation between desktop and modern came in the form of Windows 8’s menus. On the modern side, a Settings menu offered basic functionality, while Control Panel had a full range of options, some of which duplicated the former’s. In Windows 10, you’ll find clearly labeled options and full functionality no matter what interface you’re using. The system tray (that little collection of icons next to the clock on the taskbar) is also massively improved, with glassy pop-ups for WiFi, volume, calendar and battery, and a refreshed slide-over “Action Center” that now shows toggles for frequently used settings in addition to notifications. It’s an altogether more unified experience, and one that works well on both tablets and traditional computers. The fact that it’s all very pretty is, of course, secondary to its functionality, but nonetheless helps Windows 10 feel like a coherent, single operating system, no matter what device you’re using.
Turning Windows on its head was never going to work.
And that’s really the story of Windows 10: Microsoft righting its design wrongs. History has shown that users don’t generally react well to big interface revisions. Purely cosmetic changes can slide by okay — although you’ll always upset some people — but turning the operating system on its head was never going to work out well for Microsoft. It’s spent the best part of a decade fighting, trying to force design changes that its users didn’t want or need, only to revert them with the next revision. Now, after the mess of Windows 8, it’s righted the ship once again. It just has to stay on this course, and make the small adjustments necessary to keep moving in the right direction.
Next ‘Splatoon’ update will fix matchmaking, increase level cap
Splatoon is easily Nintendo’s breakaway game for 2015. The brightly colored post-apocalyptic third-person multiplayer shooter sold more than a million copies in its first month. It’s tons of fun, but it also feels a little incomplete: the game launched with a low level cap, and a primitive, randomized matchmaking system that made it almost impossible to team up with friends. In a few days, that changes — in August, Nintendo will be upgrading Splatoon with new weapons, new items, a higher level cap and more robust matchmaking.
For players that have been with Splatoon from day one, the August update is flush with essential changes. For starters, the update fixes the game’s matchmaking. Right now, teammates for Ranked Battles are assigned randomly, making it almost impossible to play on a team with a friend — but the new update will introduce new a Squad Battle mode that allow you to form custom teams. A second new mode, Private Battle, will let players create matches with customized map settings and team sizes. The game’s “Regular Battle” mode will still be randomized, however.
The update also adds in a ton of new content, including two new weapon types (a gatling-gun called “The Splatling” and a fancy paint-bucket called “The Slosher”) and more than 40 new pieces of fashionable armor and gear. Nintendo is also bumping the game’s character level cap from 20 to 50 and will tack rank S and S+ to the top of its competitive ranking system.
Best of all? Nintendo’s not even done yet. The company says it will continue to add new battle modes, weapons and maps to the game throughout the rest of the summer and into the Fall. If you were holding off on buying Splatoon until it felt more complete, your time has come.
Filed under: Gaming, HD, Nintendo
Source: Nintendo
Everything we know about the Motorola Moto X (2015)
The Moto X, despite not being as commercially successful as the competition, remains one of the most respected devices in the world. Motorola keeps its phones simple and focuses only on areas that consumers actually care about. The jump from the original Moto X to last year’s model was quite the jump, but still lacked something to make it stand out from Samsung and Apple’s offerings for the holiday season. This year, Motorola once again has an opportunity to come out on top with a flagship device.
What is Motorola up to and will an anticipated refresh be as major as we’re making it out to be?
It’s possible that we’re all just getting wrapped up in the excitement around a new device, but it should certainly be a lot more than a small refresh this time around. Since the first model came out, consumers have been begging for a new Moto X that will employ an amazing camera, sharp display, and lengthy battery life.
Specs
The Moto X (2014) has fairly nice specs: a 5.2-inch Full HD display, Snapdragon 801 processor, and 2GB of RAM. Even for today, that’s still high-end. A small bump wouldn’t hurt anything, but it wouldn’t be a terrible idea for Motorola to simply leave them as it is, give or take on another gigabyte of RAM.
As much as the Moto X (2015) doesn’t need better hardware, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Motorola include the Snapdragon 810 in the package. Rumors indicate that the new Moto X should have a 5.5-inch Full HD display, Snapdragon 808 processor, 21MP / 5MP cameras, microSD card slot, and 3600mAh battery.
Features
A Moto X refresh shouldn’t pack a lot of extra features in it. One of the beauties of the device is that it aligns closely to stock Android, and many would prefer to keep it that way. After all, filling the software with undesired bloat only slows down the system and tends to cause some unnecessary errors.
On the other hand, aside from better hardware, many would like to see some major improvements to the device’s camera. We’ve heard a bevy of rumors regarding improvements to hardware thus far, such as a 16MP rear camera with optical image stabilization (OIS) and a front-facing camera with flash. Motorola’s CMO already dropped a few hints, saying that the camera will be a major focus in the upcoming flagship:
YES. We know we need to improve here and are definitely going to “bring it.” https://t.co/77Lzkvtvqb
— adrienne hayes (@purplehayez) June 9, 2015
That makes us fairly optimistic and, if Motorola follows through, the next Moto X will make many consumers extremely happy.
Price
How much will the new Moto X cost? It’s hard to estimate right now as we’re not sure what major improvements Motorola will be bringing to the table. What we do know is that Motorola has to keep this device fairly affordable for it to be well-received. You can usually pick up a high-end device between $199 and $299 on a two-year contract, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the new Moto X priced similarly. The off-contract price, too, is important. Depending how advanced the phone’s technology is, the off-contract price should be between $399 and $599.
Those estimates are clearly a guess for the base model of the rumored device. Select additions, like a premium back panel, through Moto Maker will only increase the price that Motorola goes with.
Release Date
Motorola has an global event taking place on July 28. The now Lenovo-owned company will hopefully refresh many of its devices in the Moto brand; however, only the Moto G (2015) is practically guaranteed to make an appearance.
Another element to keep in mind is that Motorola’s Moto X notoriously releases in September, so it’s highly possible that Motorola could host an entirely separate event for its flagship device. It would just be rather strange if Motorola held a sizable event around the world for a mid-range device while its flagship is coming in a few weeks.
You should be optimistic that we’ll see the Moto X alongside the new Moto G, especially considering that we’ve seen multiple Motorola devices pass through the FCC.
Closing
There are some high expectations for the next Moto X and Motorola certainly won’t be able to meet all of them. What the company can do is improve upon the camera and battery life, two areas that consumers and critics have long begged Motorola to fix.
What would you like to see in Motorola’s next flagship device?
Come comment on this article: Everything we know about the Motorola Moto X (2015)
Moto 360 wireless charger makes its way through the FCC
A new device from Motorola has made its way through the FCC under ID IHDT6UA3, and it seems to be similar to the Moto 360 charger we saw last year.
The FCC notes that this “wireless charger” was used to charge a “Motorola smart watch” at 0, 50, and 90% levels. While we most certainly expect to see a new Moto 360 this year, this wireless charger doesn’t drop many hints regarding that. It was used to charge a “Motorola smart watch,” but that’s quite vague and could even refer to the current Moto 360.
Either way, Motorola has hinted that there is another smartwatch in the works, but we just don’t know when we’ll see it. We could see it at tomorrow’s event, but Motorola seems to be focusing more on their phones this time around. But then again, Motorola says “our relationship status is about to change” and that could indicate some relationship between the company’s new lineup of phones and a smartwatch in the spirit of “our phones never leaving out sides.”
Whatever happens, if a Moto 360 is truly in the works, it shouldn’t be much longer before it makes an appearance.
source: FCC
via: Droid-Life
Come comment on this article: Moto 360 wireless charger makes its way through the FCC
T-Mobile sends Android 5.1 and battery improvements to the HTC One M9
Right now, T-Mobile is pushing a software update to the HTC One M9 on its network. The carrier updated the device’s support page this morning with a listing for new features and improvements.
The software update contains Android 5.1, Google Wallet, anti-theft protection, and battery improvements. All of those items except the new anti-theft protection sound familiar. The One M9 will now prevent unauthorized factory resetting from going through. Users need to have a screen lock and Google account on the device for it to be activated automatically.
T-Mobile’s build number for this software update is 2.7.531.6.
Source: T-Mobile
Come comment on this article: T-Mobile sends Android 5.1 and battery improvements to the HTC One M9
Google eliminating Google+ signup requirement from YouTube, other services to follow
Over the past few months Google has been consistently dialing back its Google+ integration into many of its other services. It all began with the announcement of the new Google Photos app, where the company would no longer require users to use Google+ to back up their photos and videos. Now these steps are becoming more apparent, as the company announced its next move to take Google+ integration out of more services.
In a blog post earlier today, Google explained that in the next few weeks, you will no longer need a Google+ account to comment, upload or create your own channel on YouTube. You’ll still need a Google account to access these features, though we’re sure most users will welcome this change to the video-sharing service. This change also means that comments you make on YouTube will show up on YouTube alone, not on Google+ like they do currently. This change starts rolling out today, while the removal of the Google+ requirement won’t go live for a few weeks.
In addition to these changes, the YouTube team also says it’s working hard to reduce the number of spam comments on its videos. The rate of dislikes on comments has already dropped by more than 35% across YouTube.
Google notes that YouTube is just the first of its services to receive this change – more will follow in the coming months. How do you feel about the big change? We know many users were upset when the company first rolled out this requirement, but we’d still like to know your thoughts in the comments below.
ZTE Axon review
Chinese OEMs are slowly but surely expanding their presence in the U.S. market, bringing to the highly-competitive arena what these companies are already known for around the world, great devices at comparatively more affordable price points. ZTE’s latest high-end offering is a prime example of this, and is a device that ZTE claims is made entirely with the consumer in mind. Of course, this is not the first time we’ve heard this bold claim from other OEMs. Does ZTE manage to stand true to their statement? We find out, in this in-depth Axon Phone by ZTE review!
Design
Looking at the current crop of high-end and mid-range smartphones, it is immediately noticeable that design has become a very important aspect of the smartphone experience. The availability of various color options, different material choices, and the use of premium build materials from the likes of Samsung, LG, HTC, and Motorola means that ZTE had a difficult task on their hands as far as design was concerned, and fortunately, the Axon Phone delivers.
The body of the Axon Phone is made entirely of a smooth metal that gives it that high quality premium feel that we all expect from any high-end smartphone, and a tapered back with rounded corners, similar to what is seen with a device like the HTC One M9, makes the device sit very comfortably in the hand. The great feel aside, the smooth metal finish can make the phone feel a bit slippery, and not helping the handling experience is the fact that the device is quite tall due to the large bezels and front speaker grills. Reaching up to the top to access something like the notification shade does require some hand gymnastics, and makes the phone feel even less secure when you can’t maintain your grip.
The Axon Phone is clearly not in the race for being the thinnest or lightest device either, with it weighing just shy of 175 grams, and coming in at just a little over 9 mm thick. This isn’t a bad thing though, as the added heft makes the phone feel even more substantial than it already is.
To give the Axon Phone a unique design element, ZTE added a distinctive grill pattern that can be found in multiple locations, such as the earpiece, front-facing speaker, and the rear camera. This is designed to make the phone stand out and focus the attention on certain parts on the device without being too over the top, and it definitely works. The grills aesthetically flow well with the overall design of the phone, and there’s no denying that it will garner a double take when out and about.
Taking a look around the device, the buttons are in very ergonomic locations, which helps alleviate some of the concerns with regards to the handling experience. The power button is on the right side, with the volume rocker and the SIM card slot on the opposite side. Also on the right side is a dedicated camera shutter button, which is something we do appreciate but is unfortunately not often seen with Android smartphones. Up top is the headphone jack next to a microphone, and the microUSB port is at the bottom, also next to another microphone. Finally, the Axon Phone features a capacitive circle home button, with the two dots flanking it, which act as the menu and recent apps keys. A nice touch with the home button is that it also doubles as a notification light, and will pulsate any time you get a notification or to indicate that the battery is low, which certainly proves to be very useful.
Display
For ZTE to truly compete with the heavy hitters, the Axon Phone had to be packed to the gills with the latest and greatest in current smartphone tech, and once again, ZTE manages to deliver, with it all starting with the display. The Axon Phone features a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display with a Quad HD resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 534 ppi, and there’s no doubt that this is a fantastic looking screen. It is is big, bright, and beautiful, with accurate color reproduction, and great viewing angles and contrast, making for a display that is an absolute pleasure to use. The large size and high resolution make it ideal for any sort of content, and there’s a nice amount of saturation that makes the screen pop. Brightness isn’t an issue either, and outdoor visibility is comfortable, and while you may not get the deep blacks afforded by AMOLED panels, the black levels on this LCD screen are still pretty good.
Performance
Under the hood, the Axon Phone features the octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, clocked at 2 GHz, and backed by the Adreno 430 GPU and a whopping 4 GB of RAM. Despite some known overheating issues, this processing package is still one of the best in the business right now, and that is reflected in the performance of the Axon Phone. Opening, closing, and switching between applications are all smooth, multi-tasking is an absolute breeze, and playing graphically intensive games caused no trouble at all. As good as the processor is, some of the credit for this fluid and lag free performance has to be given to the software which isn’t bogged down by a slew of pre-installed applications or unnecessary features.
As mentioned, the Snapdragon 810 is notorious for running hot, but this wasn’t exactly the case with the Axon Phone, which is a good thing. The device did get warm on a few occasions, but that was only during long gaming sessions, and would happen with almost any smartphone out there. Feeling the heat permeate through the metal body is a little bit jarring, but it has yet to get the point where the device got uncomfortably hot to the touch, and/or rendered any features or applications inoperable.
Hardware
ZTE made a very big deal about the audio experience provided by the Axon Phone, and deservedly so. The Axon Phone is the first smartphone to be released in the U.S. with a Hi-Fi audio chipset built-in for both listening and recording. You can use any pair of headphones or earbuds that you are comfortable with, but ZTE does include a very nice pair of JBL earphones in the box, available for free if you took advantage of the pre-order system, but will otherwise require an additional $50. The Hi-Fi audio definitely works well and it was easy to notice a difference in audio in comparison to a couple of other flagships like the Galaxy S6 and HTC One M9, while using the same JBL earphones with all of them.
On the Axon Phone, the sound is not only louder, but it is also a lot fuller, with depth especially along the mids and lows.
One aspect of the audio experience that isn’t quite what you might expect, however, is the front-facing speaker. The presence of dual speaker grills would lead you to believe that the device features a dual stereo speaker setup, but that is unfortunately not the case with there actually being only a single speaker on the bottom grill. The speaker does sound good and gets quite loud, but without a second speaker up top for a true stereo sound, the audio can be very lopsided, especially when using the device in the landscape orientation while watching videos or playing games, and is not particularly impressive overall.
Apart from the standard suite of connectivity options, the Axon Phone also comes with 4G LTE support for the AT&T and T-Mobile networks in the U.S. As far as storage is concerned, 32 GB is available on-board, but rather odd and disappointing is the lack of expandable storage via microSD card. 32 GB of storage should still be enough for most users, but if you’re heavily media-centric, some memory management will be required on your part.
When it comes to the battery, the large 3,000 mAh battery that powers the Axon Phone allows for some good battery life, but it isn’t spectacular. It is good enough to provide a full day of use with around 4 hours of screen-on time, but that is the upper limit as far as screen-on time is concerned. Even on a day with heavy usage, that involved playing a lot of games and taking lots of pictures, the phone still managed 4 hours of screen-on time, despite lasting only around 8 hours off the charger. With more casual usage, that number jumps drastically to between 13 and 16 hours, but with the screen-on time showing only a slight increase to around 4.5 hours. If you do end of charging the device halfway through your day, you will be able to take advantage of its fast-charging capabilities via Qualcomm QuickCharge 2.0. that will have you back up and running in a short amount of time.
Camera
Another big highlight of the Axon Phone is when it comes to the camera. The main camera on the rear is a 13 MP shooter with a f/1.8 aperture and OIS, but there is also an additional 2 MP camera for capturing depth information, similar to the Duo Camera setup seen with the HTC One M8. Selfie lovers will be happy with the 8 MP front-facing shooter with a wide angle lens, that should provide for some great self portraits, and also allow users to easily fit additional subjects into the frame.
The camera UI is simple, and navigating through the various elements involves swipes across the viewfinder to switch between modes. Typical modes like manual, panorama, sport, HDR, slow motion video, and more are all available but the one that stands out the most is the bokeh mode, which takes advantage of the refocusing capabilities of the camera. What is interesting about this bokeh mode is that it allows for manual f stop control, or at least, that is what you are led to believe. It does alter the depth of field or background blur, but unlike a real aperture change as possible with a DSLR, it doesn’t affect how much light enters the lens, regardless of if you’re shooting wide open at f/1.0 or f/8.0.
Shooting in this mode will allow for images to be refocused after the fact, along with the level of blur to be adjusted, and the camera does a really great job of separating objects in the foreground from the background. It can look very artificial if you get too carried away with the blur effect, and it can only fully refocus on a different part of an image if it hasn’t already been blurred out by the camera’s natural bokeh. It’s cool and can be rather convincing if you follow the appropriate guidelines, but right now, it still feels more like a novelty than a must-have feature.
In terms of general every day picture taking, the camera experience is mostly more positive than negative. The shutter speed and auto focus is very quick, which makes it very easy to snap photos, helped along by the inclusion of a dedicated camera shutter button. While the physical button is a nice touch, some unfortunate omissions are the lack of the half press to focus feature as well as the fact that the button cannot be used to launch the camera from a sleep state, but is hopefully something that will be addressed and added in a future update.
In fair to good lighting conditions, the camera is able to produce some pretty excellent images with adequate, natural looking colors, and maintains a high level of sharpness and clarity even when zoomed in. Dynamic range is just okay though, and tends to crush the darks a little too much, resulting in the loss of a lot of detail because of it. HDR works well to alleviate that in most situations, but in some cases it does tend to bias towards a more overexposed look with less natural looking colors. Macro shots can also be very hit or miss. The camera can sometimes find the right focus point quickly, but other times, it almost becomes an exercise in frustration to get the image that you want.
Even with OIS and a f/1.8 aperture, low light and night time photography is decent at best, and the image processing may be to blame. There’s a lot of noise reduction going on, which leads to softer details, and colors are much more muted in these situations, that it makes it tough capture an appealing image. As a whole, the camera is good, but as it stands right now it seems to fall a bit short of the hype.
Software
On the software side of things, the Axon Phone offers a very clean Android experience in comparison to the far more heavily skinned iterations seen with other ZTE devices. The device ships with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, and it is mostly a stock Android experience with all of Google’s Material Design elements kept intact. There are a few changes, like the custom launcher that offers the typical features like widgets and wallpapers, but you can also change the home screen scroll effect to something a little more dynamic. Themes are also available, but the theme engine isn’t very robust at the moment, leaving users with only a few choices to pick from.
The Quick Settings toggles have also been slightly tweaked, allowing users to rearrange the shortcuts to any order they find useful, and there are a lot more toggle options available as well, beyond what you find with stock Lollipop. Another functional change from Lollipop is the addition of a quick info panel that is accessible with a swipe from the bottom, which houses a music player, starred contacts, a step counter, and sports news from Yahoo. It can be useful to some, but I found it to get in the way more than anything, especially when trying to swipe away the notification panel, which launched this quick info panel instead.
ZTE has also kept the app experience extremely clean by not bogging things down with a slew of pre-installed bloatware. There is only a couple of pre-loaded applications with Argus and RockMyRun, both of which are geared towards health and fitness. Argus is a simple pedometer to help keep track of your steps, and can constantly keep you updated on your lockscreen and notification panel. You can even connect with friends to see how well they are doing, and helps keep you motivated towards meeting your health goals. The RockMyRun app on the other is essentially just a music player, but can tailor the tempo of the beat to the pace of your run to help keep you going. Listening to the music is free, but if you want manual control over the tempo, or have it automatically change based on your pace, you will have to pay a $4.99 per month subscription fee for the service, which also removes any in-app ads.
Specifications
| Display | 5.5-inch TFT LCD with 2560 x 1440 resolution, PPI 534 |
| Processor | 2.0 GHz Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 (MSM8994) |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Storage | 32GB |
| Camera | Dual lens rear: 13MP, 2MP, dual LED flash, 4K HD, Front: 8MP, 88 degree wide-angle, 1080p video and 4K at 30FPS |
| Battery | 3000 mAh |
| Connectivity | T-Mobile, AT&T network compatible: LTE B2/B4/B5/B12/B17/B29/B30, LTE IR B7/B3/B1/B13, USM/HSPA 850/1700/1900/2100 MHz, GSM/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, CA Band 2/4 + Band 17, LTE (Cat 6) |
| Software | Android 5.1 Lollipop |
| Dimensions | 6.06″ x 2.9″ x 0.37″ (154 x 75 x 9.3mm) |
Gallery
Pricing and final thoughts
The Axon Phone is available now for pre-order directly through ZTE and other outlets like Amazon, Ebay, and NewEgg, for $449.98, with the color options including phthalo blue, ion gold, and chromium silver. To make users feel more at ease with buying an unlocked phone, the Axon Phone comes with Passport 1.0, a protection plan that offers free premium protection, along with a 2 year warranty, advanced exchanges, and free two-way shipping should anything ever happen to your device.
So there you have it for this comprehensive look at the Axon Phone by ZTE! While its premium metal build, Quad HD display, a decent camera, and the latest processing package may not be above and beyond what is available with any current generation flagship, what makes the Axon Phone so impressive is its price point, which is significantly cheaper than any device this phone is directly competing with. ZTE may be the fourth largest smartphone manufacturer in the US, but their presence is generally unknown when compared to the heavy hitters of the Android world, but the Axon Phone is the company’s gateway to changing that, and they are certainly on the right track.
T-Mobile’s Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge now receiving battery-improving update
If you’re the owner of a Samsung Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge on T-Mobile’s network and have been experiencing battery life woes, a fix is headed your way. Starting today, both of Samsung’s most recent flagship devices are receiving minor updates that will bring various bug fixes and device improvements, as well as battery improvements.
The Galaxy S6 Edge’s update brings version number G925TUVU2COF8 to the device, while the Galaxy S6’s update comes with version G920TUVU2COF8. Both updates come in at roughly 103MB in size. It should also be noted that if you never updated your phone to the most recent Android 5.1.1 build, the update will come in at around 635MB.
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float: right;
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width: 100%;
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text-align: center;
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float: none;
display: inline-block;
vertical-align: top;
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clear: both;
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font-weight: 600 !important;
margin: 0 !important;
font-size: 24px !important;
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padding-left: 20px;
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font-family: ‘Roboto Condensed’;
color: #3a3a3a;
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padding-top: 10px;
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padding: 0 15px 0 0;
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padding: 0 0 0 15px;
float: right;
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padding: 0 7px;
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font-weight: 400;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a .yt-thumbnail
margin-bottom: 0;
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body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
width: 100% !important;
@media only screen and (max-width : 480px)
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos
width: 100%;
float: none !important;
overflow-x: auto;
overflow-y: hidden;
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
overflow: auto;
max-height: none;
body .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li
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As per usual, the update may take a day or two to make its way to your device. If you’d like to check manually, head to Settings>About device>Software update. Have you received the update on your device yet? If so, be sure to let us know in the comment section below if you’re seeing any changes.
IBM wants to cool data centers with their own waste heat
Those “do not eat” desiccate packets of silica gel that keep shoe boxes dry could soon help keep data centers cool. IBM has launched the THRIVE project with aims to do just that by creating a heat pump that runs on waste heat.
Normally heat pumps work by absorbing ambient heat which vaporizes refrigerant stored in an evaporator. That vaporized refrigerant then rises into an electrically run compressor which liquefies it. The heat is expelled and the refrigerant runs back down into the evaporator.
The THRIVE, however, uses an passive adsorption heat exchanger (which runs on heat at around 60 degrees C) in place of the condenser (which runs on electricity). This adsorption heat exchanger works kind of like a radiator. It pulls in massive amounts of vapor and compresses it within its multitude of fins. Silica gel, like that used in desiccate pouches, will be packed between these fins to improve their cooling efficiency.
“Through the extensive use of the adsorption heat pumps we are looking to develop in THRIVE, it could theoretically be possible to reduce the electricity demand for heating and cooling purposes by up to 65% and the consumption of fossil fuels for heat production by up to 18% by 2040.” This would correspond to savings of around 1.8 million tons of CO2,” Dr. Bruno Michel, one of the THRIVE project leaders at IBM Research – Zurich, said in a statement.
[Image Credit: Shutterstock / kubais]
Filed under: Science, Internet
Source: IBM Research – Zurich
What you need to know about upgrading to Windows 10
Everyone has a Windows upgrade horror story. For me, it was an XP installation that inexplicably crashed halfway through the upgrade process, somehow corrupting my hard drive at the same time. And with Windows 10 launching on July 29th, it’s hard to avoid the traumatic flashbacks to past Windows releases. But fret not. Windows 10, it turns out, offers the smoothest Windows upgrade process ever. It’s remarkable for just how unremarkable the entire endeavor actually is. Still, there are a few things you should know before taking the plunge.
What’s new in Windows 10?
For the most part, Windows 10 is a refined version of the Windows you already know, but there are a few notable additions. Cortana, the virtual assistant that debuted in Windows Phone recently, is finally making its way to the desktop. If you’ve used Siri or Google Now, you’ve got an idea of how Cortana works, but I’ve found Cortana to be a lot more useful since it’s always listening for your voice commands.
Microsoft’s new Edge browser is also a great addition. It’s still somewhat shocking Microsoft so deftly put the legacy of Internet Explorer behind it. It’s fast, stylish and has some compelling features like web page annotation. If you’ve gotten annoyed by Chrome’s and Firefox’s increasingly demanding memory needs, Edge might be worth a look. Finally, if you have an Xbox One, Windows 10 offers the ability to stream games from your console to any PC. (Just be prepared to upgrade your network so that it can run smoothly.)
Should I upgrade?
Yup. Windows 10 brings together everything we loved about Windows 7 with a few elements from Windows 8 that actually worked well. And don’t forget it’s completely free for existing Windows 7 and 8 users (for the first year). Yes, you’ll still be able to keep using the OS for free afterward. Starting next year, Windows 10 will be $120 for the Home version and $200 for the Pro version.
Our full review is coming later this week, but after using it for several months in preview form, I’m confident in recommending it wholeheartedly. The only stumbling block might be if you rely on hardware that doesn’t yet have drivers for Windows 10 (more on that later).
Can I upgrade?
Most likely. Windows 10’s minimum requirements are pretty much the same as Windows 7 and 8: A 1GHz processor, 1GB of RAM (2GB for the 64-bit version) and around 20GB of free space. If you’ve bought a new computer in the last decade, it should match those specs. The main thing you might have to worry about is clearing up disk space.
How do I upgrade?
Right now, Microsoft is giving Windows Insider testers first dibs on the OS, but you can sign up to get in the upgrade queue. If you’re running a qualifying Windows 7 or Windows 8 system (that should be most of them), you’ve likely seen a “Get Windows 10″ app in your system tray. If not, run Windows Update until you do. You just need to click “Reserve Your Free Upgrade” in the app to join the queue.
I’ve found that Windows 10 does a decent job of automatically recognizing hardware on your system, but if you’re using specialized equipment, be sure to check and see if your drivers are compatible with Windows 10. I also recommend backing up your data before upgrading, although if everything goes right, you won’t lose any data or settings.
Once you’ve got access, simply run the installer and follow the prompts. The installation process is mostly a hands-free affair once you get it going. Your computer will reboot a few times and will then ask you for some personalization options to get Windows 10 going. The entire upgrade process should take around 30 to 45 minutes.
What if I need a new computer?
Windows 10 can run on just about any modern computer, but if you want to take advantage of all the OS has to offer, there are a few things to look out for. If you’re interested in Windows Hello, Microsoft’s fast biometric login feature, make sure to get a computer with either a fingerprint sensor, or infrared camera (for facial recognition). Right now that list mostly consists of devices with Intel’s RealSense 3D camera, including the HP Envy 15t Touch and the Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 15. That will definitely grow over time, so keep an eye out for RealSense if you’re looking to buy a new PC over the next year.
AIVAnet 