Super-midrange WileyFox Storm hits UK shelves for £199
Following its launch announcement a couple of months ago, you can now buy the Cyanogen OS powered WileyFox Storm in the UK for a quite reasonable £199. This low price makes it one of the most cost effective smartphones on the UK market right now.
The WileyFox Storm offers some pretty decent specifications, considering the price tag. There’s a 5.5-inch FullHD (1920 x 1080) LG IPS display, powered by a 1.5GHz octa-core Snapdragon 615 SoC, 3GB OF RAM and 32GB of internal storage, complete with a microSD card slot. The phone features a 20 megapixel rear camera based on a Sony IMX220 image sensor, an 8 megapixel front facing camera, and a non-removable 2,500mAh battery to keep the whole device powered.
The phone also features dual-SIM support and 4G LTE network compatibility. The UK based smartphone company has teamed up with Cyanogen OS developers to bring a slightly different flavour of Android to the Storm. The phone runs Cyanogen OS 12.1, which is based on Android Lollipop, and includes some unique features, such as customizable themes and Privacy Guard security settings.
The WileyFox Storm is available from UK retailers Amazon, Ebuyer, Expansys, Clove and Argos. The lower cost WileyFox Swift, which costs just £129, went on sale last month too and might be worth a look at if you’re on a tight budget.
How does Motorola’s new ShatterShield technology work?
Just yesterday, Verizon took the wraps off the brand new Motorola Droid Turbo 2 and Motorola Droid Maxx 2. While the latter is covered in a strong panel of Gorilla Glass 3, the former, which is the higher-end of the two, sports what Motorola is calling its new ShatterShield technology. What does that mean? The company walks us through just what makes up the Droid Turbo 2’s display.
Don’t miss: Motorola Droid Turbo 2 hands-on and first look
Motorola says the Turbo 2’s display consists of an integrated system of five layers that are designed to absorb shock and never shatter. Supposedly three years in the making, Moto ShatterShield consists specifically of these five layers:
- It starts with a rigid aluminum core that provides structural integrity and durability.
- On top of that, we’ve added in a stunning AMOLED flexible display. Using a flexible display absorbs shock and makes it possible to flex during a drop versus breaking like most screens.
- Then, a dual touch layer with redundancy was created to help it survive accidents. Often, after a drop, the touch layer can go bad and your touch doesn’t work as well. So we‘ve added a failsafe mechanism.
- The next layer is the interior lens which provides a clear protective shield that won’t crack or shatter.
- Lastly, we topped it off with an exterior lens that has a unique hardcoat that helps protect the display against normal wear and tear.
And they’re not kidding. Take a look at the video attached below. CNN actually put the Turbo 2 to the test, and the results were incredibly impressive. Not only did they drop the phone numerous times on concrete and gravel, they also ran over the phone, screen up, with a bicycle and a horse’s hoof. The phone’s screen actually dented before it shattered or cracked. Crazy, right?
Having a phone with a shatterproof screen may be great in some scenarios, but how great is the screen when you’re not dropping it? The Droid Turbo 2 has a big 5.4-inch Quad HD AMOLED display. But because there are so many layers between the display and the glass, the display won’t be able to shine as much light through all of those layers. According to Ars Technica, there is some visible space between the clear front panel and the display, which results in a device that isn’t as bright or as clear as other smartphones with higher-end displays. “It’s a gray, muddy mess”, says Ars’ Ron Amadeo.
Motorola says it will bring Moto ShatterShield to other devices sometime in the near future. We just hope the company can improve this technology before that happens. What are your thoughts? Would you rather carry a smartphone that has a “shatterproof” display, even if that means it won’t be as clear as others on the market? Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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Motorola Droid Maxx 2 first look
The Verizon Wireless and Motorola partnership continues to grow, with the companies recently unveiling the latest additions to their Droid series of smartphones. Along the lines of what Motorola did with their own Moto X offerings, consumers now have the choice between two new smartphones, the Droid Turbo 2 and the Droid Maxx 2, with the latter being to the former what the Moto X Play is to the Moto X Style (Pure).
In the face of increasing competition, does the Droid Maxx 2 prove to be a compelling option? We find out, as we go hands-on and give you our first look at the Motorola Droid Maxx 2!
Design
Given their similarities, it’s no surprise that the Droid Maxx 2 features a design language that is practically identical to the Moto X Play, including a metal frame, and curves along the sides and the back. The rubbery material on the back will certainly help with grip, and feels softer to the touch compared to what is available with the Moto X devices. The Motorola dimple returns on the back, this time a part of the metallic bar that also houses the camera unit. Compared to the Moto X Play, the only minor difference to be seen here is basically the addition of the Verizon Wireless and Droid logos on the back.
While a key aspect of the Moto X smartphones, and now the Droid Turbo 2 as well, is the availability of customization via Moto Maker, that is unfortunately not the case with the Droid Maxx 2. The back plate is replaceable however, with users having four color options to choose from. Granted, this is nowhere close to the personal touch that Moto Maker enables, but at least you get a modicum of customization.
Display
The Droid Maxx 2 comes with a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display with Full HD resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 403 ppi. Quad HD may be the new flagship standard, but 1080p is certainly not going to disappoint, especially with the added benefits to battery life. Sharpness isn’t an issue while reading text, and the color reproduction does look to be accurate, in the short time that we got to spend with the device. It has to be mentioned though that the display doesn’t seem to be very bright, but we will be testing that under differing lighting conditions in the future.
Unlike the Droid Turbo 2, this display isn’t shatterproof, but with its Gorilla Glass 3 cover glass, it should be able to handle minor bumps and keep any scratches at bay.
Performance and hardware
Under the hood, the Droid Maxx 2 comes with an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor, clocked at 1.7 GHz, and backed by the Adreno 405 GPU and 2 GB of RAM. This processing package has proved impressive in the past, allowing for surprisingly good performance despite its mid-range nature and that should continue to be the case here.
Unlike the Moto X Play, 16 GB of on-board storage is the only option available with the Droid Maxx 2, but any storage concerns you may have should be alleviated with the availability of expandable storage via microSD card, which is likely something you will have to rely on.
The Droid Maxx 2 may look like it has a stereo speaker setup, but there is only a single speaker to be found here below the display. This will understandably result in a rather unbalanced audio experience, but the speaker does get quite loud, and having even one front-facing speaker should be a better option than any rear or bottom-mounted speakers out there.
One of the biggest selling points of the original Droid Maxx was its large battery, and its successor shines in this aspect as well. The Droid Maxx 2 features a 3,630 mAh battery, that Motorola claims will last up to 48 hours with moderate usage. It’s not a radical claim to make, and if the Moto X Play, which comes with the same battery capacity, is any indication, the battery life should be impressive, something that is quite difficult to find with a current generation mid-range smartphone. Droid Maxx 2 users also get fast-charging, with Motorola’s Turbo Charger.
Camera
Camera is one area in which Motorola has sought to maintain some consistency across the board, with all their current generation smartphones featuring a 21 MP primary camera and a 5 MP front-facing unit. We will, of course, be putting this camera through its paces, but given the fact that the camera package is identical to what is found with the Moto X smartphones, things should be really good this time around as well.
Software
On the software side of things, you get a near stock Android experience here, but unfortunately, the Droid Maxx 2 will come with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop out of the box. While an update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow is in the works of course, it is certainly disappointing to see a new device not already running the latest version of Android. Some of Motorola’s useful software features, like Moto Display, are available here, but gesture controls are limited to only the twisting gesture to quickly launch the camera application. As is the case with any Motorola smartphone, the software experience is going to be very clean, but be prepared for a bunch of Verizon Wireless apps to be pre-loaded here.
Specifications
| Motorola Droid Maxx 2 | |
|---|---|
| Display | 5.5-inch display 1920 x 1080 resolution, 403ppi Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Processor | 1.7GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 |
| GPU | Adreno 405 |
| RAM | 2GB |
| Storage | 16GB |
| MicroSD | Up to 128GB |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac Universal LTE bands Bluetooth 4.1 NFC GPS+GLONASS |
| Networks | XT1565: VZW GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) UMTS/HSPA+ (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz) CDMA (850, 1900 MHz) 4G LTE (2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 13, 20) |
| SIM card | Nano SIM |
| Water repellent | Yes |
| Camera | 21MP rear camera, f/2.0 aperture 5MP front camera |
| Battery | Non-removable 3630mAh |
| Software | Android 5.1.1 Lollipop Upgrade to Android 6.0 Marshmallow coming eventually |
| Colors | Black with Deep Sea Blue Back White with Winter White Back Interchangeable back plates also available |
| Dimensions | 148 x 75 x 8.9-10.9mm 169g |
Gallery
Pricing and availability
There hasn’t been an official announcement on the full price of the Droid Maxx 2, but the device will be available from Verizon Wireless from tomorrow, priced at $16 a month. Assuming the requirement of a 2-year contractual commitment, this sets the price of the Droid Maxx 2 at $384. Verizon will also let you trade in your current smartphone, which will get you a discount up to $300.
Conclusion
So, there you have it for this first look at the Droid Maxx 2! The Droid Maxx 2 is essentially a Moto X Play that has been re-branded for its exclusive availability from Verizon Wireless. At first glance, the device has certainly left us impressed, and we cannot wait to put it through its paces, the results of which will be seen in the upcoming comprehensive review.
5 Android apps you shouldn’t miss this week! – Android Apps Weekly
Welcome back to Android Apps Weekly! Let’s jump right into those headlines!
- Telltale Games has announced that their Game of Thrones game will be free to download. The various episodes will still cost money but the up-front cost is now zero. They also announced that the final episode is coming next month!
- After a successful iOS launch, The Walking Dead: No Man’s Land will be coming to Android here in the next few days. It’s slated for official launch on October 29th and if it’s anything like its iOS counterpart, it’ll be free with in-app purchases.
- Apple Music has been spotted in the wild and we have a potential idea of what the app may look like. Surprisingly, it looks like it’ll adhere to Android’s design guidelines, at least to an extent. There’s still no timeline for an official launch right now and do keep in mind this may not be what the final product looks like.
- YouTube Red was officially announced late last week. The subscription service is $9.99 per month and will include features like an ad-free YouTube experience, screen-off video playback, offline video download, and a complete subscription to Google Play Music All Access. Frankly, that’s an awesome deal. It’ll be launched on October 28th and hopefully no one gets it confused with RedTube.
- On top of YouTube Red, Google also announced a new app called YouTube Music. This will essentially be like YouTube Kids and YouTube Gaming except that it’ll block out all content aside from music-related stuff. Of course, there will be additional features for the app if you subscribe to YouTube Red.
For even more Android apps and games news, don’t forget to check out this week’s newsletter. We have a lot more information there that we didn’t have time for here and it’s the best way to stay up to date on the latest apps and games news. If you want, you can use the form and sign up for the newsletter, which we now send out every Wednesday.
Signup for our newsletter
- Android Weekly
- Apps Weekly
Xcerpt for Twitter
[Price: Free]
Xcerpt for Twitter is a new app that lets you quickly and easily create images using webpages. Here’s how it works. You go to a webpage, news article, or whatever you want, then you use the app to capture a snippet of the content you want to share. Then you can have, say, a quote from an article while also still having 140 characters to input your opinion on it. It’s totally free with no in-app purchases and aside from a few early bugs, it seems to work rather well.
Get it now on Google Play!
Parchi
[Price: Free]
Parchi is a Microsoft app that came out of their Garage Project. This one is a lightweight and colorful note taking application that works pretty much like any other note taking application. The unique feature of this app is the ability to add hashtags to your various notes. You can then search the hashtags to find the notes. This is a fun little idea that many of us can pick up and use without thinking too much about how to make it work. It’s also free with no in-app purchases.
Get it now on Google Play!
Trick Shot
[Price: $1.99]
Trick Shot is a minimal, physics-based puzzle game developed by Jonathan Topf who is most notably a member of the ustwo team that brought us Monument Valley. In this simple game, you must get the ball into the box. The game uses various tools and obstacles to both help and hinder your progress but most levels have an air of elegance about them, despite the game’s simplicity. There are over 90 levels available and you get an unlimited number of chances to try again. It’s $1.99 and there are no in-app purchases.
Get it now on Google Play!
Boomerang from Instagram
[Price: Free]
Boomerang from Instagram is a new app that is, as the name implies, from Instagram. With this app, you can create fun little one-second videos that run on a loop. Here’s how it works. The app takes ten photos and then stitches them together to create a little loop-able gif-type of animation which you can then share on Facebook, Instagram, and other places. It’s totally free with no in-app purchases and, of course, do be cautious of those early release bugs!
Get it now on Google Play!
Prune
[Price: $4.99]
Prune is an interesting atmospheric puzzle game. Here’s how this game works. There is a tree that continuously grows and there is a light source. Your job is to prune the tree so that it grows into the light source and blooms pretty flowers. Prune doesn’t bill itself as being overly difficult but it can be challenging at times. The overall experience is one of relaxation and that permeates through all parts of the game, including the graphics, soundtrack, and even the game play controls. It’s fun and there are also no in-app purchases.
Get it now on Google Play!
Wrap up
If we missed any great Android apps or games news this week, tell us all about it in the comments! Thanks for watching and reading, we’ll see you next Wednesday!
Beat Da Beat is here to rock your world! [App Review]
If there’s one thing that all humans enjoy, it is almost certainly music. Although we may have different styles, music is always utilized in movies, plays and daily life in order to change our emotions and thoughts. And that’s exactly what makes Beat Da Beat such a special game: It uses music and beats to change your mood while playing. Being particularly effective, it certainly made my time with the app very enjoyable.
Indie styled!
The story-line behind the app may not be original, but certainly is executed well. You, the protagonist, must save the love of your life who has been abducted by aliens. Throughout the story, you face an onslaught of aliens in a space-shooter style indie game. Entertaining? Yes, it is.
Setup
After an epilepsy warning, you advance to a short video which sets out the basic story-line. A tutorial then follows, giving tips and showing you how to play with the controls, which are minimal. In fact, you simply drag the ship between your two fingers and it automatically shoots. Releasing allows you to pause the game.
Settings wise, you can only turn off sound effects, not the actual music. Attempting to do so pulls up a message that says, “Seems someone broke the switch so no one could turn it off”. I don’t really see why one wouldn’t want the music as it is a pivotal part of the game. You could just turn your device volume down.
Since this game is based around music, it is advised to wear a headset for the full audio experience.
Gameplay
With the music playing at just the right time and being in sync with all the explosions, the game really creates a sense of unstoppable-ness. This is rather good as the game is challenging, even in casual mode (which comes before easy!).
The alien kidnappers defend in little ships as they shoot different ammo in several varying directions. While it may be a rendition of the popular retro-style game “Space Invaders”, you can feel that Beat da Beat breaths new life into it. It will keep you entertained for hours on end until you manage to complete the game. There are some twists in the plot, but that’s for you to find out.
One minor (albeit major) annoyance that got to me was how Google’s Play Games sign-in dialogue kept popping up. More specifically, when you enter the game or die in a mission. I’m not convinced that this is entirely the developers fault, as it may just be a network or Google error. There were no other inconveniences or bugs that affected gameplay. In fact, the game ran as smooth as butter.
What we liked:
- Awesome music and sound effects
- Entertaining gameplay
- Several features and unlockables
And not so much..
- Google Play pop-up (doesn’t affect rating)
Beat Da Beat is an entertaining game. You’ll specially like it if you like Indie styled adventure games. The music itself is capable of being on my music play list, and the game elements are guaranteed to bring fun to anyone.
The post Beat Da Beat is here to rock your world! [App Review] appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Bosch counter-sues Dyson over claims it’s cheating efficiency tests
Dyson might have landed the first punch, but today Bosch is back with a counterblow. BSH Group, which owns both Bosch and Siemens, has announced today that it’s taking “legal steps” against its rival in the UK. Why? “Unfounded accusations of cheating,” CEO Karsten Ottenberg explains, related to some of its vacuum cleaners and how they’ve achieved top energy efficiency ratings. Two models in particular — the Siemens Q8.0 and Bosch GL80/In’Genius ProPerform — boast AAAA grades at the moment, based on low power consumption measurements of 750W. Last week, Dyson said these figures were inaccurate because they rise to more than 1600W in real-world conditions. As a result, it’s launching legal proceedings against Bosch in the Netherlands and Siemens in Germany.
Via: Ars Technica
Source: BSH Group
Dear Veronica: How many pixels are too many?
Welcome back to another episode of Dear Veronica! Very excited to welcome my friend Robert Heron onto the show this week, to answer a question about pixels. No, not Pixels (thankfully), but the kind you stare at every day.
I also discuss the appropriate use of inter-office emoji, and take some viewer feedback! Remember to keep sending in those question to me via email or using #DearVeronica on social media.
Outlook on iOS and Android gets a facelift from the Sunrise team
Microsoft’s Outlook mobile apps got a solid revamp last year, thanks to its acquisition of the email app Acompli. Now, it’s ready to integrate the spoils of another mobile acquisition: the calendar app Sunrise. The latest versions of the Outlook apps, launching on iOS today and Android in November, feature several design updates that would be familiar to Sunrise users. The calendar portion of the app now has a daily view that puts all of your activities in an easily scrollable list, and event entries now display their relevant information more clearly. On the email side of things, event invites are highlighted in your inbox, and you can even RSVP to them without opening up the message. For most users, these sorts of changes will be subtle experience upgrades, but it’s nice to see Microsoft integrate some of the design elements that made people fans of Sunrise. The new app also makes it clear what Microsoft is trying to do with Outlook on mobile: Bring all of the best design decisions from disparate apps into a single location. (One email app to rule them all, yadda yadda…)
Source: Microsoft
The Altwork Station is an expensive marvel of desk engineering
Standing desks are all the rage in modern offices these days, thanks in large part to plenty of research that claims sitting all day is detrimental to your long-term health. And you can spend a lot of money finding the right one — take the just-announced Altwork Station that goes up for pre-order today for $3,900. It’s a tremendous amount of money, but the Altwork Station is far more than your average adjustable standing desk. It’s a somewhat crazy but intriguing vision for giving users a totally customizable workstation, whether you want to sit, stand or even recline, and there’s some very impressive engineering behind all this. As a product for the average consumer, it might not make sense — but that doesn’t detract from the five years of work that went into the Altwork Station.
Source: Altwork
6 high-tech bikes that bring cycling to a new level
By Cat DiStasio
For cyclists who want to go farther, ride faster, and look cooler doing it, there are a lot of options on the market when it comes to high-end bikes. This week we’re gawking over a few of the world’s most technologically enhanced cycles. Some are electric hybrids, some transform for better ergonomics and some take the notion of a bicycle and darn-near throw it out the window. From the innovative to the chic to the out-of-this-world, here are six of the world’s most incredible (and expensive) rides on two wheels.Slideshow-335702
AIVAnet 
