Deal: get a One M9 for $390, Re camera for $80 from the HTC store
If the Black Friday extravaganza was not enough to satiate your discount hunger, Cyber Monday may just fill you up.
Tech retailers and manufacturers are back for round two of deals and promos. As promised, HTC is discounting its One M9 flagship down to $390, an excellent 40% off the list price.
The One M9 hasn’t taken the market by storm, but that’s largely due to the lack of innovation in the design department. Simply put, the One M9 looks too much like the M8, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a solid device that works as good as it looks. Check out our One M9 review for our full impressions.
For a limited period, HTC is selling the One M9 for $389.40, down $260 from its normal unlocked price. The device is available in silver, black, gold or pink.
- Get the HTC One M9 for $389.4 from HTC.com (the discount is applied in cart)
HTC also has its quirky Re camera up for sale, down from $199. For just $80, you can get your hands on this compact, ultra-wide angle 16MP camera, that is ideal for anything from selfies to vlogging.
HTC’s limited-time deals typically run out pretty quickly, so make sure to get your order in soon.
Deal: Samsung Galaxy S6 is just $400 on Amazon right now (Update: accessories too)!
Amazon had some pretty sweet deals on Black Friday, offering the Nexus 6 for just $200, the Moto G (2014) for just $100, or the Nexus 6P for $80 off. But that’s not all. Today Amazon is discounting Samsung’s acclaimed Galaxy S6 down to just $400!
Featuring a striking metal-and-glass design, an excellent high-resolution camera, a beautiful AMOLED display, and Samsung’s powerful Exynos processor, the Galaxy S6 is proof that Samsung is still king of the Android hill. Read our full review to learn more.
Normally listed at $600, today’s deal sees the 32GB version of the Galaxy S6 down to just $400, a great deal for a device that is a little over six months old. This is the US version of the Galaxy S6, including US warranty.
Samsung is also discounting two cool accessories for the Galaxy S6:
- Get the Samsung Wireless Charging Pad with 2A Wall Charger for $23.99 (down from $99.99)
- Get the OtterBox DEFENDER SERIES for Samsung Galaxy S6 for $23.50 (down from $45.50)
This is a Deal of the Day promo, but like the Nexus deal from last week, the stock for this Galaxy S6 deal will likely run out pretty soon. Happy shopping!
The Nexus 6P takes Android smartphones to new heights (Review)
The Nexus 6P is a product of the perfect marriage between a relatively unknown Chinese company, Huawei, and a well known company, Google. Before this year, very few people in the U.S. knew of Huawei as a consumer product company, but they have been a leader in the communications industry since the 80’s. In 2014, Huawei generated a record profit of $5.5 by becoming one of the world’s leading smartphone manufacturers among many other consumer products.
Google and Huawei partnered to bring us the most “premium” Nexus in the 6P. The Nexus 6P has been my daily driver, on the AT&T network for the last two months, and has genuinely made me a fan of stock Android and Huawei. The Nexus 6P is a device designed and built to impress: it is a representation of how much pride, research, and countless hours went into making one of the best smartphones ever. Let’s take a look.
Design
Without question the Huawei made Nexus 6P is a device that stands apart from the crowd. It’s really difficult to stand above a crowded market of great looking devices, but the 6P manages with its clean lines, all metal build, premium colors, chamfered edges and perfect size.
The Nexus 6P is a sturdy all metal phone, and comes in three colors: Aluminum, Frost(white) and Graphite. There is a circular fingerprint reader on the back, a power button with a volume rocker on the right side of the phone, a 3.5mm audio jack up top, with dual speakers on the front.
On the back of the device is a glass strip near the top which houses the flash and camera. Some may think it looks out of place, but on my Graphite colored 6P I don’t even notice it. After two months of daily usage without a case, my 6P is scratch free and looks the same as the day I got it. The chamfered edges hold up well and do not chip or scratch like some devices with similar edges have been known to do.
The all metal build is a nice change from the Samsung Galaxy Note5 which has a glass back. That glass back looks nice, but is a fingerprint magnet and also feels extremely fragile. The Nexus 6P is extremely well balanced, which is very important for a device with a 5.7″ display and using it one-handed.
Software
I’m sure many of you Android fans have heard Apple loyalists say the iPhone “just works.” It is one of the most annoying statements that Apple fanboys can possibly say, because there’s an implication that all other software does not work. And as much as I hate to admit it, there is a little bit of truth to “it just works”, even though iOS has its fair share of issues. With all of the freedom Google allows manufacturers, many companies like Samsung and LG have completely changed what Google intended with Android. By doing so, Android sometimes gets a bad reputation as buggy and slow.
Samsung and LG heavily customize Android by adding in features like S-Voice(Samsung’s own OK Google), Samsung Pay, split-screen, a customized skin, and much more. Some of the features are great, and some are downright terrible. But the main issue with customization comes when Google releases an update to Android. Samsung and LG have to modify every update Google releases, which creates fragmentation. By having fragmentation, some users of Samsung’s Note Edge and Note 4, waited six months longer than those on stock Android, to receive Android 5.1 which was a huge improvement over 5.0. Android 5.0 was riddled with bugs like poor battery life and memory leaks, and those users were left hanging with $800 devices that “just didn’t work.”
The solution for some is to “root” which allows those users to install their own versions of software and fix those bugs, but voids the manufacturer warranty at the same time. And the vast majority of users will not root their devices as they simply do not know how.
In addition to fragmentation, Samsung and LG also partner with companies like AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon to add in their own software. My last count of AT&T fpre-installed apps on my last Samsung Galaxy Note5 was an astounding 25, all of which could be deactivated but not deleted. Those apps took up an incredible 1.5GB of space, and when I paid for 32GB of internal memory, I should hope that I would have the freedom to delete AT&T’s junk ware.
AT&T bloatware on the Note5
Stock Android
I know many of you already have been fans of stock Android, but for those of you who weren’t, now is the time to consider it. Android 6.0 Marshmallow is the best version of Android to date. Google has built in new features such as Doze, which is designed to improve battery life when your phone is not in use. It also brings built-in fingerprint reading for unlocking and waking your smartphone, while also being verification for Android Pay.
With Android 6.0 there is far greater control in what you share with new permission controls. There’s deeper integration with Google Now ,and Android is there to help you search phrases and words with much greater ease.
Better yet, there is no carrier bloatware. While one, two, or even five apps aren’t bad to come pre-installed from AT&T, I cannot condone AT&T’s behavior with its incredible amount of bloatware they install on its devices. Not only do they waste space, but they frequently ask for updates, and I simply do not want them. Seriously, how many people actually use the Yellow Pages app that AT&T installs on every device?
With stock Android, you have the basic apps that Google provides you with and nothing more. Google gives you the freedom to install whatever apps your heart desires.
And most importantly, when Google does release an update, Nexus devices are the first to receive them and that will keep them up to date. I never truly appreciated how important updates were until I was stuck on Android 5.0, and dealing with all of its awful bugs on my Samsung Galaxy Note Edge. I truly felt ripped off by Samsung for charging me over $900 dollars and then making me wait six months to get simple bug fixes.
Pure Android 6.0 just works and it works well. After two solid months, I have yet to experience a slow down, random closing app or any other common software issues.
Battery Life
The Nexus 6P comes with one of the largest batteries available in a mainstream U.S. smartphone at 3450mAh. Phones of a very similar size, the Samsung Galaxy Note5, Moto X Pure and LG V10 all come with a 3000mAh battery, over 10% smaller. After two months, those devices have still yet to update to Android 6.0 which has the Doze feature that dramatically improves battery life.
Doze is defined below:
“If a user leaves a device unplugged and stationary for a period of time, with the screen off, the device enters Doze mode. In Doze mode, the system attempts to conserve battery by restricting apps’ access to network and CPU-intensive services. It also prevents apps from accessing the network and defers their jobs, syncs, and standard alarms.
Periodically, the system exits Doze for a brief time to let apps complete their deferred activities. During this maintenance window, the system runs all pending syncs, jobs, and alarms, and lets apps access the network.”
In day to day terms, this means, the Nexus 6P has damn good battery life. You can imagine most of us phone enthusiasts push our smartphones pretty hard, and I am no exception. I frequently take pictures, take notes, text friends and family, message Androidguys colleagues, email, play games and listen to music.
I will admit before Android 6.0 and the Nexus 6P, I plugged my phone in to charge whenever and wherever I could. There is no shortage of micro USB cables, and I hate having anxiety over low battery life. For a phone enthusiast, there are very few things worse than running out of power. Doze, app-standby and a 3450mAh, make this one of the best performing devices when it comes to battery life.
I know without question that the Nexus 6P has the best battery of any phone I have used before, because I do not have a compatible charger at my work. My typical work day starts between 5-6am, and runs until 5-6pm. Once I get home, I immediately take my super cute dog to the park for an hour, and when I get home I exercise for 45-60 minutes before dinner. At no point in my day am I connected to a charger, because Huawei and Google decided to go with USB type-C, the latest standard in USB cables. The main benefits of USB type-C are a completely reversible plug, and faster data rates. And I’m too cheap to buy more USB type-C cables for my office, so there literally is one place to charge my phone which is at home. At the end of my day, I am typically left with 40-50% power and that’s with heavy usage. I never charge my phone during the daytime.
Micro USB on the left and the new USB type C standard on the right
As much as I hate having a new USB standard, the trade-off is well worth it and I hope USB type-C does take over as the new standard. It is so much easier to not have to worry about making sure I plug the charging cable in the correct direction, and it still provides fast-charging capabilities.
With a 3450mAh battery, Android 6.0 and USB type-C, the Nexus 6P is the next generation in battery life performance.
Display
I have been a huge fan of AMOLED displays ever since I started using Samsung phones. Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode(AMOLED) differs from Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD) by how they light up the screen. (I’m not a display expert so I apologize for my ignorance but if you want to learn more click here for a comparison). Many LG and Sony smartphones use LCD displays, which in my eyes, show back-light bleed and don’t show true blacks because of the nature of the back-light.
AMOLED displays on the other hand offer super high-contrast ratios, as every pixel is controllable, and has saturated and rich colors. Some may prefer LCD due to better color representation, but I simply love AMOLED displays and that is the technology that the Nexus 6P uses for its display.
Both AMOLED displays on the Nexus 6P(left) and Note5 perform admirably in full day light.
With a QHD resolution, 1440 x 2560 pixels, the Nexus 6P has a very clear and easy to read display. The only phones I have come across with a similar performing display are the Galaxy Note 4 and 5, Blackberry PRIV, and Galaxy S6 and variants.
The Nexus 6P has one of the best performing displays on the market.
Performance
Powering the Nexus 6P is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 v2.1, 2.0 GHz octa-core 64-bit with 3GB of RAM. The first generation Snapdragon 810 was riddled with issues like over heating and throttling causing Samsung to go with their own Exynos octa-core processor for the first time in the U.S. Many feared the Nexus 6P would suffer from performance issues with the Snapdragon 810, but Qualcomm solved the issues in the v2.1 processor and my day to day experiences would prove that to be true.
Benchmark tests are designed to test hardware and the latest Samsung processors usually win those tests by a long shot. The Nexus 6P won’t win first place in benchmark tests, but it will win in day to day usage as it does not stutter or have memory issues. On a perceived performance level, I have yet to use a faster phone. 3GB of RAM is more than enough memory when paired with stock Android 6.0 and the Snapdragon 810.
The Nexus 6P may not win benchmark tests, but it will win in real life usage.
Gaming, multi-tasking, photo editing, emailing, video watching was all smooth sailing with the Nexus 6P.
Camera
The Nexus 6P comes with a 12.3MP rear camera, f/2.o aperture, with IR laser-assisted auto-focus and an 8MP front facing camera. The pictures I took look great to me, but I will let you decide in the gallery I have listed below. As for the speed of the camera, it loads super quickly with a double-click of the power button and snaps pictures just as quickly.
The Nexus Camera’s lens with f/2.0 aperture lets more light in and captures sharp images in stunning detail.
For a camera in a smartphone, I am more than happy with it and desire nothing more. The Samsung Galaxy Note5 is still has the best camera, but the Nexus 6P is a close second. Decide for yourself if you like the camera in the pictures I have in the gallery.
Fingerprint Reader
The new fingerprint reader is going to be something everyone uses going forward. Google developed “Nexus Imprint” as a way to unlock your phone, turn on your screen on and breeze through checkout lines using Android Pay. The Nexus 6P asks you to set up a fingerprint, you can do more than one, when you set-up the device. All you have to do is place the same finger on the fingerprint reader five or six times so it can accurately read your fingerprint without worrying about placement.
The fingerprint reader is so easy to use, I don’t see anyone leaving their phones unlocked anymore. I was one of those users who hated to type in pass codes, and also hated Samsung’s fingerprint reader because of the failure rate. I always thought Apple did the fingerprint reading the best on its iPhone, but I can now proudly say that Google OWNS every other fingerprint reader on the market.
Nexus 6P fingerprint reader.
One downside, after two months of usage I have seen an increase in the failure rate with the fingerprint reader. I attribute the failure rate in the fingerprint reader accumulating smudges and oil from my hands. When I clean the back of my phone with a damp cloth, performance improves, but this is something I hope Google and Huawei address in the future.
Audio
The Nexus 6P comes with dual front-facing speakers which get loud. They are definitely clear at the highest volume, but do lack depth and bass if I were to judge it against the HTC One. If I were to judge it against the Nexus 6 or Note 5, I would choose the 6P in a blind test as the best performer every time. Speakers should not be on the back or bottom of a phone as it does not make sense to point sound away from your ears.
I wish all phone manufacturers would stop putting speakers on the bottom or rear of the phone and make it a general rule that they should be placed in the front. Having two speakers is always better than one as well. It may not be important to most, but dual-front facing speakers are a must have for me and the Nexus 6P delivers.
The best Android phone of 2015
I know choosing the best Android of 2015 is highly subjective and there are worthy contenders like the LG V10 and the Samsung Galaxy Note5. But I choose the Nexus 6P as the best phone of 2015 – it is cheaper than the Note 5 and V10, and is equal to or wins in almost every head to head category. Most importantly it wins in the software department with no carrier bloat and gets the first updates from Google.
Thanks to Huawei and Google, I have become a true fan of stock Android and simply do not desire to change to another smartphone which is a first for me. The Nexus 6P truly is premium and is a product that both should be tremendously proud of. Both companies should take a bow and we all should stand and applaud this device. With superior software, gorgeous and durable build, a super high resolution display, fantastic camera, a new fingerprint reader, dual-front facing speakers and incredible battery life, the Nexus 6P leaves no detail behind.
The Nexus 6P has set the bar for all other Android devices. I highly recommend the Nexus 6P.
Buy the Nexus 6P at the Google Play Store.
The post The Nexus 6P takes Android smartphones to new heights (Review) appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Virtual wound will teach medics how to treat soldiers
Field medics have ways to practice their craft before they’re helping soldiers on the battlefield, but it’s hard for them to understand how wounds work until they’re involved in a life-or-death rescue. UCLA scientists may have the tool these medics need, however: they’ve developed the first detailed injury simulation to show medics what to expect. The virtual gash could make you a bit queasy (sorry!), but it’s uncannily accurate. A mix of fluid dynamics and in-depth mechanics (such as bones, skin and vessels) makes sure that blood flows much as it would from a real person.
Via: New Scientist, Gizmodo
Source: APS Physics
Kobe Bryant decides to announces his retirement online
Kobe Bryant announced his retirement at the end of the NBA season through the web and social media — not by press conference. Sure, Twitter retirement announcements aren’t a new thing: Shaq did so in 2011, not to mention David Ortiz and Steve Nash. It wasn’t a completely Twitter-specific announcement. He linked to his farewell message / poem in full on The Players’ Tribune (a site launched by fellow former-athlete Derek Jeter). The site, which allows pro athletes to self-publish (and say what they want to), meant Bryant gets to say his piece — although it’s not specific That said, it’s already been retweeted over 70,000 times, and half an hour later, the NBA followed up itself on Twitter. The response was so strong that Jeter’s site crashed under the strain. It’s back online now, so if you’d like to see a portrait of Bryant whispering his farewell sonnet into a basketball, here’s where to go.
Source: The Players’ Tribune
Thinner MacBook Air in 13″ and 15″ Sizes Coming at WWDC 2016?
Apple may be preparing to introduce a revamped MacBook Air at next year’s Worldwide Developers Conference, according to Taiwan’s Economic Daily News [Google Translate]. If Apple holds true to recent history, WWDC 2016 would be held in June, and the today’s report claims the new MacBook Air will launch in the third quarter, which corresponds to the July–September timeframe.
The new MacBook Air is said to take on a slimmer design and arrive in 13-inch and 15-inch sizes, but it is unclear whether an 11-inch model will also be included. The slimmer design will be enabled by “fully redesigned” internal components across the board, and Apple is reportedly currently working with its suppliers to develop these new components.
Apple’s notebook lineup expanded earlier this year with the addition of the new MacBook, an ultrathin machine carrying a 12-inch Retina display and utilizing ultra low voltage Intel chips for a fanless design.
Many have assumed the MacBook Air will be discontinued at some point as declining costs allow the MacBook to become Apple’s mainstream notebook offering, so a redesigned MacBook Air giving the line a new lease on life could be considered a bit of a surprise.
The addition of a 15-inch MacBook Air could hint at Apple’s vision for its future lineup, with the 12-inch MacBook occupying the ultraportable spot, the MacBook Air serving mainstream customers at 13 and 15 inches, and the MacBook Pro offering more power at those same sizes.
Economic Daily News has a hit-or-miss track record with Apple rumors, so caution should be observed with today’s claims until or unless other supporting rumors surface in the coming months.
Discuss this article in our forums
Turning sunlight into clean fuel is now cheap and simple
Scientists have already produced artificial photosynthesis, but it has been an exotic process until now. You aren’t about to replace the oxygen-giving plants around your home, in other words. However, researchers at Florida State University researcher have found a way to make it practical. They’ve developed a single-layer manganese oxide material that efficiently traps sunlight and makes it easy to break down that energy into hydrogen and oxygen. Current light-gathering techniques, like solar cells, frequently need multiple layers just to work at all — this would be far cheaper and simpler to make.
Via: CNBC
Source: Florida State University
Kickstarter project of the week: Lumenus is “designed to save lives”
Kickstarter is teeming with innovation, but very few projects manage to really catch our attention. This new article series is our attempt at bringing the best funding campaigns to your attention. This will include all kinds of different mobile-related products, so be sure to stay tuned for a new Kickstarter project of the week every single… week.
Today we are going with my personal favorite project, not only of the week, but of the year. If you are an avid runner or biker you will definitely understand my instant infatuation with the Lumenus products. These guys have created a set of clothing accessories and backpacks that will keep you safe during the night.
Think of these as your portable/wearable smart light system. They have integrated turn signals, brake lights, performance indicators and more. But won’t it be an annoyance to operate a separate set of blinkers and lights? The best part is that you don’t really control it manually. This thing already knows when to activate certain lights and let other drivers know what you are doing!
How does that work, exactly? These products happen to be pretty smart, and they connect to the official app, which would be installed in your phone. The application uses GPS and navigation to process everything. For example, if the GPS detects you slowing down, it will turn on the brake lights. And because you set your route in navigation beforehand, it will also know when you need to turn, and will use the blinkers accordingly when approaching an intersection.
For performance buffs there’s also a light that informs you how well you are doing with your daily jogs or rides. And guess what? These have a smart touch to them, as they can also give you call and text notifications.
I happen to be a motorcycle rider and riding is my life, but I am definitely conscious that I am also putting that life on the line every time I mount my bike. This is definitely a hobby you need to respect. Your life can be gone in a second when you are in the road. The sad part is that often accidents are not really your fault, they can also be caused by distracted drivers who don’t see you. When you are running or riding, being as noticeable as possible is key! You want to make sure you wear bright colors and reflective clothing… or something awesome like the Lumenus products!
By the way, these happen to look great! Even the bright yellow Performance Vest looks cool. And the other jackets and coats are actually quite stylish. The backpacks look pretty darn good, too.
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Want to get your hands on a Lumenus product? The idea is that they want to bring this to market, but need the funds in order to do this, hence they went with popular page Kickstarter. You can back the project at different price levels and choose between the backpacks and the other clothing accessories. For example, those who pay $125 or more can get a backpack, while a Performance Vest will cost you at least $175, while the Lightweight Jacket and Commuter Coat both cost $275. There are slightly cheaper prices for early birds, though. And shipping begins in June 2016.
Interested? I know I am. Just click on the button below to see the Kickstarter page and hit the comments to let us know what you think of Lumenus. I love the idea, do you?!
Scientists show that gene editing can ‘turn off’ human diseases
Gene editing has already been used to fight diseases, but there’s now hope that it might eliminate the diseases altgether. Researchers have shown that it’s possible to eliminate facial muscular dystrophy using a newer editing technique, CRISPR (Clusters of Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) to replace the offending gene and ‘turn off’ the condition. The approach sends a mix of protein and RNA to bind to a gene and give it an overhaul.
Via: Huffington Post
Source: Molecular Therapy
Scientists show that gene editing can ‘turn off’ human diseases
Gene editing has already been used to fight diseases, but there’s now hope that it might eliminate the diseases altgether. Researchers have shown that it’s possible to eliminate facial muscular dystrophy using a newer editing technique, CRISPR (Clusters of Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) to replace the offending gene and ‘turn off’ the condition. The approach sends a mix of protein and RNA to bind to a gene and give it an overhaul.
Via: Huffington Post
Source: Molecular Therapy
AIVAnet 