Podcast 034: Joe doesn’t like children. Also, Nexus!
Google recently announced two new Nexus devices, is there anything more to say? Of course there is. Josh leads the entire panel through some talk about school road mayhem, a slight point of contention for Joe and Nirave. Andrew and Jonathan were a little more relaxed about it. Conversation shifts to tablets and TabTimes, ever so briefly, before we dive into the new Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P. We make the obvious comparisons to other devices like the Moto X Pure and ponder why LG announced the V10 right in the mix. Although not an after thought, Google also announced the Pixel C, a large productivity tablet with keyboard cover, not exactly a game changer, or is it? Join us for this and more, and we hope you have as much fun as we did. (Even though Josh calls it episode #33 in his intro, no worries, it’s still the next show.) Enjoy AA Podcast #034.
The Android Authority Podcast – discussing topics in Android every week.
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Nexus 5X announcement & Nexus 5X hands-on
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Joshua Vergara
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Joseph Hindy
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Recorded on October 2nd, 2015 – Hosted and Produced by Joshua Vergara
ZUK Z1 review
Lenovo’s smartphone strategy is certainly diverse. The company sells phones under its own name, it also sells phones under its Motorola brand, and it is also investing in other smartphone makers, in this case the Hong Kong-based ZUK. And it seems that ZUK isn’t shy about Lenovo’s involvement with the company since the ZUK Z1 comes in a box with Lenovo’s logo on it!
So what does the Lenovo-backed ZUK Z1 have to offer? How does it compare to the bigger brands? We find out, in this in-depth ZUK Z1 review!
Related – Best Cheap Android Phones
Design
The ZUK Z1 features quite a simplistic design language, and in many ways reminds me of the Samsung Galaxy S3, however the Z1 does sport a neatly made metal frame. According to ZUK, the metal frame is made from aviation aluminum and is crafted using 16 CNC manufacturing procedures and 209 machining operations in total. By using a metal frame ZUK have, in part at least, lifted the Z1 above the mediocre, all plastic generic phone design.
The metal frame also helps give the handset a sturdy feel and it is certainly easy to hold in the hand. Looking around the phone, you will find the volume rocker and the power button on the left hand side and the SIM tray opposite, on the right hand side. On the top is the 3.5mm headphone jack, while on the bottom edge is the speaker grill, microphone and the USB Type-C port.
On the front is the 5.5 inch Full HD IPS display, the front facing camera, the ear piece and the home button. The home button has a built-in fingerprint reader and is flanked by two capacitive keys, Recent on the left and Back on the right. Flipping the phone over you will find the rear facing camera, LED flash and the ZUK logo.
Overall the design may not be particularly innovative, but the use of the metal frame helps to notch up the style a little. However, I can’t help feeling that the first impression you will get from the Z1 is that of a generic smartphone. The handset also comes in dark grey, and maybe that version would appear less bland.
Display
The Z1 comes with a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display, with a 1080p resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 401 ppi. Having a Full HD display is a huge plus for a mid-range phone like this, and the good news is that the display is a good performer with s 450 nit peak brightness and 1500:1 contrast ratio.
Since it is an IPS panel the viewing angles are great and overall the display adds to the experience rather than detracts from it. I had no trouble seeing the display indoors or outdoors and the “adaptive brightness” works well. One interesting thing about this display is its “LiveDisplay” feature. When enabled, the display will change its brightness and color temperature depending on the time of day. In day mode the color temperature is set to 6500K, but at night it automatically switches to 4500K (i.e. the colors appear warmer). There is also an “Automatic outdoor mode” which increases the brightness and saturation under bright sunlight.
It is worth mentioning that there is a small black border between the end of the display and the start of the bezels/case. Some users might find this unsatisfactory, though personally it doesn’t bother me at all.
Performance
ZUK have made an interesting choice when it comes to the Z1’s processor. While many handset makers are moving to 64-bit processors from Qualcomm, Samsung or MediaTek, the Z1 packs a 32-bit processor, specifically the Snapdragon 801. In one sense this is a smart move as the Snapdragon 800 and 801 was/is a fantastic processor and has a great track record for performance and reliability. But, from a marketing point of view, some potential buyers might see the Snapdragon 801 as yesterday’s tech. However, the truth is I would rather have the 32-bit Snapdragon 801 than a very low-end 64-bit processor like the Snapdragon 410.
Obviously the Snapdragon 801 is no slouch and Android runs very well on this SoC. The UI is fast and responsive. I didn’t notice any lags or stutters and overall the performance from a user’s point of view is excellent.
Since we are talking about the same SoC which was in the Samsung Galaxy S5, the LG G3, the HTC One (M8) and the One Plus One, the benchmarks are going to be very similar to those devices. My tests show that the Z1 scores 44906 in AnTuTu and a manages frame rate of 52.8 fps from Epic Citadel in High Quality mode. In Ultra High Quality mode the Z1 achieves 48.1 fps. All very decent scores.
Hardware
The Z1 comes with a very generous 64GB of on-board storage, however, there is no microSD card support. There is also 3GB of RAM, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (that is 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz), Bluetooth 4.1 and GPS. The Z1 supports 2G, 3G and 4G LTE. The 4G bands are 1, 3, 7, 28, 29, 40, and 41, while the supported 3G frequencies are 850/900/1900/2100 MHz. The 4G bands are great for Europe, Asia and the Middle East, however the lack of band 20 support might be a problem for some (e.g. 02 in the UK uses band 20, as does “3”). In the USA you will probably be limited to 3G on T-Mobile and AT&T. You should always check with your provider if you are uncertain.
The speaker of on the Z1 is unfortunately average at best. It isn’t bad per say, but it lacks any kind of depth and can sound quite tinny. The situation is partially alleviated by the included AudioFX app which adds an equalizer with various settings like Rock, Folk, Classical, Normal and so on.
The Z1 comes with a massive 4100 mAh non-removable battery, which yields more than an average battery life. According to ZUK’s official figures it will give you a 4G talk time of 38 hours, let you play locally stored music for about 85 hours and let you watch locally stored videos for about 15 hours! I have no reason to doubt these figures. My own tests show that you can watch YouTube, over Wi-Fi, for a least 15 hours on one charge, or play intensive 3D games for around 6 hours. During my testing I charged the phone just once, did all my tests, got 6 hours of screen-on time over roughly 40 hours, and I still had 35% battery left!
The ZUK Z1 includes a fingerprint reader in the home button. Overall the fingerprint scanner is fast and accurate and is on par with devices like the Galaxy S6. You can wake and unlock the phone by pressing and holding the home button. The device will wake, read your fingerprint and unlock in around 1 second. Multiple fingerprints can be stored at a time, and the process of setting it up is simple and takes only a minute or two, involving just repeated presses of the home button. If you are familiar with fingerprint readers on devices like the Note 5 or Mate S, then you won’t be disappointed with the reader on the Z1. However it is worth mentioning that the Z1 doesn’t support NFC, so there are no additional fingerprint reader functions related to payments or other forms of authentication.
Because the home button has a built-in fingerprint reader, it has allowed ZUK to add an extra function to the button. If you press the button it takes you directly to the home screen. If you touch the button (without pressing it) it behaves exactly like the back button.
Like many next generation smartphones, ZUK has opted to include a USB Type-C port on the Z1. I think this is a good move, at least in terms of marketing and future proofing, however ZUK has also been pragmatic in its choice of USB cable. It doesn’t supply a double ended USB Type-C, but rather a cable with a Type-C connector at one end and a standard-A plug at the other end so that you can connect it into a “normal” USB port on your computer, or other charger. Talking of chargers the supplied charger for the Z1 is a fairly standard 5V/2A charger.
Camera
The device comes with a f/2.2 13MP camera which uses a Sony Exmor RS stack sensor. It includes optical image stabilization (OIS) and ZUK boasts that the sensor has a single pixel size of 1.12um and that it has incorporated a 5-element lens. On the front, there is a more run-of-the-mill OV8865 based 8.0MP camera.
For outdoor shots the camera is excellent, the colors are vibrant, the exposure levels are good, the images seem to “pop” without being unrealistic. For indoor and low-light photos, the situation is a little different. For indoor photos with a reasonable level of natural light coming from outside then the photos remain good (see the pictures of the toys in the gallery below), but for low-light situations the noise level can be very high (see the picture of the C-1 microphone in the gallery). Having said that, the picture of the C-1 microphone was taken in a darkened room with the curtains shut and yet the camera did a excellent job of making it appear light and natural.
As far as the camera application is concerned, it is the standard Cyanogen Camera app. You select the different modes like HDR or the different filters by swiping down on the mode name at the top of the screen. The live filters, like Sepia, Negative and so on, are a nice touch, as they show up in the entire viewfinder. Diving in deeper will help you find the settings available for ISO and exposure compensation, as well as the option to even change the codec used for video capture. The pictures are in 4:3 format by standard, but if you want 16:9 then you can change it in the settings, but the number of megapixels will drop to 9.7 MP.
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Software
One of the key features of the Z1 is that it runs Cyanogen OS 12.1, which is based on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, at least outside of China. Cyanogen is fully Google-certified, which means it comes with all of Google’s services and apps including the Play Store. Cyanogen offers lots of different features that can’t be found in stock Android. For example, there is the built-in theme store, better privacy features, and the ability to add on-screen buttons even though the phone has capacitive keys. Also a lot of the stock apps have been replaced with Cyanogen versions, I already mentioned the camera app, but other apps like Calendar and Email apps have also been replaced, in fact in Cyanogen 12, the Calendar and Email apps are provided by Boxer.
Other interesting settings are options for double-tap to wake and also double-tap to sleep; System profile, like Automobile, Default and Silent; Blocked caller list and WhisperPush (for encrypted SMS messages); and even user accounts!
The launcher is highly customizable, and the home screen has several different settings including whether to include a search bar, what scroll effect to use, the gird size, and so on. You can also customize the app drawer. By default the apps are shown in a vertical list but you can change that to a paged mode and also set the effect used between page turns.
If you are at all familiar with Cyanogen or Cyanogenmod, then you will feel right at home with the ZUK Z1.
Related: CyanogenMod 11S – Feature Focus
Specifications
| Display | 5.5-inch IPS LCD display, 1080p, 401 ppi, 1500:1 contrast, 450 nits. |
| Processor | Qualcomm snapdragon 801 (MSM8974AC), 2.5GHz. Adreno 330 3D GPU, 578MHz. |
| Storage | 64 GB |
| RAM | 3 GB |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz and 5.8GHz), Bluetooth 4.1, GPS. |
| Software | Cyanogen OS 12.1 based on Andriod 5.1.1 |
| Camera | Main camera: f/2.2 13MP Sony Exmor RS stack sensor, OIS, single pixel size 1.12um. Front camera: OV8865 8.0MP, single pixel size 1.12um, OmniBSI-2 technology. |
| Battery | 4100 mAh |
| Colors | grey, white |
| Dimensions | 155.7 x 77.3 x 8.8 mm, 175 grams |
Gallery
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Pricing and final thoughts
The ZUK Z1 recently went on sale internationally. Its normal retail price is €374.99, however as part of the launch it can be bought cheaper through the Spanish eBay site for as little as €279.99. This offer will be running until October 6th. If you live elsewhere in Europe, be sure to check out this eBay France listing between October 4th and 11th when another €280 sale is scheduled to take place. For those in the US, the phone isn’t officially available at this time, though it can be found on Ebay for around $350.
So there you have it, the ZUK Z1. The company is backed by Lenovo, the handset runs Cyanogen, and the 4100 mAh battery is excellent, as is the 64GB of on-board storage. The battery isn’t removable, there is no SD card slot, and the design could be seen as bland. However if those aren’t a problem to you then the ZUK Z1 could be a good choice.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Nexus Android 6.0 Marshmallow update downloads and release info
October 5th has finally arrived and that can only mean one thing for Nexus users – it is only a matter of time before those Android 6.0 Marshmallow updates begin showing up. As it goes with every large Android iteration, Nexus devices are the first in line to get the OTA update. This doesn’t necessarily mean your handset will be upgraded soon after the release date (October 5th), though.
In fact, it can take weeks for the fluffy marshmallow treat to hit your phone, depending on which one you own. That is, unless Google happens to move quicker than usual. Regardless, the update is coming and you could sit tight and wait for the notification to hit your own Nexus gadget… or you could just grab the darn file and manually install it!
We will provide you with the file download pages below, but keep in mind manually flashing an update to your Nexus device is not a cut-and-dry procedure. It takes some tech knowledge and a few requirements. You can use our ‘How to manually install Android 6.0 Marshmallow on a Nexus device” post if you are not feeling too comfortable about it.
Just make sure to remember that tinkering with your device may harm your device or void your warranty. Do this at your own risk, make sure to do a fair amount of research and corroborate that your device is rocking the latest possible software before making this update. If you are still up for it, keep reading and grab your required files!
Editor’s note: this list will continue to be updated as more information and files emerge, so keep it tuned to this page by bookmarking it!
Galaxy Nexus
Nexus 5
- Still not available.
Nexus 6
- Still not available.
Nexus 7 WiFi (2013)
- Still not available.
Nexus 7 LTE (2013)
Nexus 9 WiFi
- Still not available.
Nexus 9 LTE
Nexus Player
- Still not available.
Mayors unite to trash Verizon over slow fiber internet rollouts
New York isn’t the only city getting up in Verizon’s grill over the provider’s reluctance to roll out FiOS across its service areas. The mayors of 13 large US cities (plus a mayoral candidate in Philadelphia) have sent a letter to Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam criticizing his company’s network practices, especially its lackadaisical attitude toward fiber internet access. The telecom reportedly hasn’t met its obligations to offer FiOS in some cities (such as Newark and Pittsburgh), and in other cases (like Albany and Syracuse) is refusing to offer it at all. Verizon isn’t just frustrating customers who want high-speed data, the mayors say — it’s reducing competition.
Big Red is downplaying the letter, claiming that there’s “no news” and insisting that it has always met its FiOS promises. Clearly, local governments would beg to differ. Also, the carrier’s argument isn’t helped by its known tendency to neglect copper phone lines, even in places where locals have no choice but to use copper for wired data and phone service. There are frequent complaints that the copper network is falling short of government standards, and that Verizon either takes ages to repair broken lines or forces customers to use a sub-par alternative.
That tensions have come to a head like this isn’t surprising. Verizon stopped introducing FiOS to new cities five years ago, and even its deployments in existing areas have slowed to a crawl. It’s only interested in expansion once it recoups its investment in FiOS and can make more money — and that might not happen any time soon. Given that cities are increasingly presenting a united front against Verizon, though, it might not have the luxury of waiting that long.
[Image credit: Scott Eells/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Via: The Verge
Source: Michael Rabinowitz (Scribd)
DraftKings and FanDuel face questions about ‘insider trading’
Massive ad campaigns have made the rise of daily fantasy hard to ignore, but maybe there’s one thing that could put the brakes on the likes of FanDuel and DraftKings: scandal. The issue seems to have started with a forum thread on Rotogrinder calling out “Millionaire Maker” information posted early by a DraftKings employee. Usually, that info is not available until after games start because its impact on each football player’s value could help someone set up their roster, and it’s come under more scrutiny since that same employee won $350,000 in the same week on competing site FanDuel. Now players wonder who has access to what information, when, and if they’re using it to gain an edge by playing on rival daily fantasy sites. DraftKings and FanDuel have responded to the controversy with a joint statement, which is included after the break.
DraftKings/FanDuel:
Nothing is more important to DraftKings and FanDuel than the integrity of the games we offer to our customers. Both companies have strong policies in place to ensure that employees do not misuse any information at their disposal and strictly limit access to company data to only those employees who require it to do their jobs. Employees with access to this data are rigorously monitored by internal fraud control teams, and we have no evidence that anyone has misused it.
However, we continue to review our internal controls to ensure they are as strong as they can be. We also plan to work with the entire fantasy sports industry on this specific issue so that fans everywhere can continue to enjoy and trust the games they love.
According to Legal Sports Report, that information could give a massive edge to any daily fantasy player, but as of yet, no one has directly between the employee, Ethan Haskell’s win (apparently not his first, judging by an online profile) to having any additional information. Still, speculation on what employees could do ranges from using info on which players are most popular on rosters or simply copying information from the most consistent winners to inform their play on competing sites. A New York Times report says employees are not specifically banned from playing on competing sites, in an industry that is not regulated in the same way as poker (for example) because it is considered a “skill-based” competition, rather than a game of chance.
According to the statement from the fantasy sites, employees are not to “misuse” any information. DraftKings told the Times it was certain Haskell had not used the Millionare Maker info incorrectly, and people have been told that he received the info after rosters were locked on FanDuel. Meanwhile, Daily Fantasy Sports Report claims a FanDuel employee is notching large wins on DraftKings, quickly outpacing many other regular players. The report does not indicate that he’s cheating, but instead cites the lack of transparency over what employees have access to privileged information, and if they’re using it to win. We’ve contacted FanDuel and DraftKings, and will update this post if there’s any more information.
[Image credit: Associated Press]
Source: New York Times, DraftKings Playbook, FanDuel
New Apple Watch Ads Showcase Messaging, Fitness, Maps and Apple Pay
Apple debuted a new series of Apple Watch ads aimed at simply showing off specific features. The new ads, which are all set against bright backgrounds and feature people using their Watches for specific purposes, show off the device’s fitness and messaging capabilities in addition to Apple Pay and Maps.
The first two ads, “Sing” and “Date” feature people using Apple Watch’s messaging capabilities to live their lives. In “Sing”, the user sends someone an audio message of a song he’s singing.
In “Date”, actress Lake Bell, who is the narrator of the iPhone 6s commercial, enjoys a night out and is updated on her child via Messages.
The second two ads, “Train” and “Cycle”, showcase the Apple Watch’s fitness capabilities. In “Train”, a user can be seen checking his heart rate as he air boxes.
In “Cycle,” a user is completing their indoor cycling exercise and watching it get recorded by the Apple Watch.
In “Ride”, a user is shown driving around until they stop to ask Siri for directions. The Apple Watch then provides directions to her destination and she departs.
Finally, in “Sprinkle”, a mother carrying a child is shown using her Apple Watch to pay for more ice cream after one of her daughters drops her ice cream.
The new ads come nearly 2 weeks after the Cupertino company released watchOS 2 for the device, which adds native app support, new watch faces and third-party complications. Earlier today, Apple and Hermes launched the Apple Watch Hermes Collection in select Apple Stores and Hermes retail stores.
Google might be releasing Windows 10 apps at Microsoft’s upcoming event
Google currently offers its own selection of apps on both Android and iOS, but Microsoft’s Windows platform has been mostly absent from that list over the past few years. There are a handful of unofficial apps, some mobile websites, and plenty of alternatives on Microsoft’s store, but Google hasn’t made a serious effort to compete on Microsoft’s platform. It’s looking like that will change this year.
Rumors from an Arabic website suggest Google will be announcing Windows 10 apps for its services at Microsoft’s upcoming event, although there’s no detail on exactly which apps will be officially ported for Windows Phone. There are some safe bets, like Gmail and Hangouts and YouTube, but I think we can all hope to see Play Music and some others make their way to Microsoft’s side of the fence, too. Google does offer all of these services to Apple users, after all, and Microsoft has a pretty strong offering of apps on everyone’s mobile app store, so it’d be nice to see Google embrace the third biggest OS on the market, even if it is trailing significantly behind the first two.
Microsoft’s event kicks off tomorrow, so we won’t have to wait much longer to see how true this rumor ends up being.
source: w4phub
via: reddit
Come comment on this article: Google might be releasing Windows 10 apps at Microsoft’s upcoming event
BlackBerry Messenger gets PayPal integration new sticker packs
BlackBerry has updated their BBM application with a handful of new features. The biggest addition to the Messenger is PayPay integration, which allows users to link their PayPal accounts to their Messenger account to begin quickly sending money. There aren’t very many messaging applications that offer this kind of service, and especially ones that use something as popular as PayPal, so this is a pretty big advantage for someone looking for a new messaging replacement.
That’s not the only new feature in the update, however. BlackBerry has created a sticker club subscription that users can pay for that includes tons of new and frequently updated stickers. I’m personally not a big fan of stickers like that, but if you and your buddies send them often, it might be worth investing into just for some variety. There are a few other new tweaks to the app, including notifications for when people screenshot a private chat and customizable fonts in the Android app, so there’s some other stuff if stickers and PayPal aren’t interesting for you.
You can grab the updated app below.
Come comment on this article: BlackBerry Messenger gets PayPal integration new sticker packs
Russia demands Google to loosen up on their preinstalled app policies
Russia is demanding that Google loosen their grip on some of Android’s policies that keep Google’s own apps and services front and center on new devices. Currently, Google requires their own apps to be displayed on a device’s home screen, but Russia considers that anti-competitive. Google will have to lax up on bundled apps on Android devices by November 18th, or they’ll have to pay up to 15% of its Russian revenue from 2014.
Google still has over a month to decide how to handle this, but don’t be surprised to see Android phones with a wide variety of new apps and widgets preloaded in Russia in the next year. Because that’s exactly what Android phones need more of.
source: Engadget
Come comment on this article: Russia demands Google to loosen up on their preinstalled app policies
A brief history into Android Easter eggs
As I’m sure everyone here knows, each version of Android always has a hidden Easter egg message built into it. Gingerbread started it all with it’s hidden zombie painting that would appear when you continuously tapped the menu settings and the tradition continued on ever since.
However, why did they even start making Easter eggs a tradition? Luckily, Nat and Lo, two Google employees with a YouTube channel, made a video telling us exactly that. They talk to Android Framework Engineer Dan Sandler, who tells us some of the history and also makes all of the recent Android Easter eggs.
Unfortunately, they refuse to share what Marshmallow’s will be, but it’s alright, we won’t have to wait too much longer.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Source: Android Developers
Come comment on this article: A brief history into Android Easter eggs
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