Translogic 188: Defiant EV3
Translogic drives the Defiant EV3, a boutique three-wheeled electric roadster designed by Shockwave Motors founder John McMillian.Host Jonathon Buckley hops behind the wheel of the Defiant EV3 on this episode of Translogic. This three-wheeled roadster pairs retro looks and a modern electric powertrain, for a truly unique package. The Defiant EV3 is different, just as Shockwave Motors founder and designer John McMillian intended.
Android Wear can do a whole lot more using your wrist
That big Android Wear update isn’t just about allowing cellular data on smartwatches — it’s also really helpful if you don’t have a hand free. Google has quietly revealed that Android Wear 1.4 has a ton of new wrist gestures beyond the usual flicks to navigate cards. You can take action on a card by pushing your arm down, for instance, or go back to your watch face by wriggling your wrist. You’re probably going to look silly if you use nothing but wrist gestures, but this beats dropping a bag (or freezing your hands) just to touch your watch for a brief moment.
Via: 9to5Google
Source: Google
LG Urbane Watch 2nd Edition first look: This is the best Android Wear watch of 2015
The LG Urbane Watch 2nd Edition was announced just over a week ago, and what makes this watch unique is, it is the first Android Wear device to get LTE support. I haven’t always been a fan of smartwatches mainly because I always have my phone with me, and I don’t find it difficult to pull out my smartphone when I need it.
LG G watch
But as I am increasingly becoming aware of the sometimes inconsiderateness of pulling out my large and bright Nexus 6P in places like church, movie theaters, in meetings, or at dinner, I am finding the need for a smartwatch more and more. Last year I gave the LG G Watch, Moto 360 and Samsung Galaxy Gear watch all a shot, but the first generation devices just didn’t appeal to me. The LG G Watch was unbearably ugly to me, the Moto 360 was uncomfortable and had that flat tire that disturbed me, and as much as I love Samsung, I absolutely hated the Tizen software that drove the Samsung Galaxy Gear watch.
Being a fan of tech, I still have been waiting on the perfect smartwatch. Google sent me an ASUS Zenwatch 2 a few weeks ago, and it was the first Android Wear device I actually liked. The price of $150 was appealing, as most other smartwatches like the Huawei Watch and the Moto 360 2nd gen. both cost over $300 and run as high as $450. The ASUS Zenwatch 2 actually looks great, although it is a rectangle which isn’t super appealing to me. It runs Android software which makes it super useful and means there are many compatible apps. I find it hard to justify $350 for a smartwatch that just looks good while still performing the same as the Zenwatch 2. Although that’s a weak argument for not spending money on a watch, because watches have been fashion statement pieces for a couple of centuries now.
When LG announced the LG Urbane Watch 2nd Edition I became super excited because it was the first Android Wear watch to have LTE support. That means I could text, make phone calls, and have updates all without carrying my large phone with me. I’m usually pretty active on the weekends – I love to hike, take my dog to the beach, go on bike rides and so on. My dog and I always walk for a couple of miles before bed, so having a watch that could replace my phone is something that has always appealed to me.
The LG Urbane Watch 2nd Edition became my first actual purchase of an Android device, with my own money, in over a year. The images of it looked stunning as it actually looked like a real watch, and it had a rubberized band that could keep up with my lifestyle.
Display in full San Diego sunlight.
Pricing
So I stopped by the AT&T store last night as they have begun receiving in actual shipments of the LG Urbane Watch 2nd Edition. The three stores I called only got in two of the black models each, so I made an effort to get to the AT&T store as soon as I could. I bought mine outright for $299, which is $200 cheaper than the identical Verizon model. There hasn’t been an explanation as to why Verizon charges a full $200 more, but at $299 from AT&T I had nothing to complain about. In order to use LTE on my 2nd generation Urbane, I needed to add a smartwatch to my mobile share plan at $10 dollars a month which can be cancelled at anytime. If you want to save $100 upfront you can sign up at AT&T for a 2-year contract, or you could pay $15 per month for 20 months on AT&T Next as well.
If you do happen to sign up for a 2-year contract, you are obligated to pay $10 per month for 24 months. And if you sign up for the Next financing plan, you are obligated to pay $10 for a connection to a Share plan as long as you still owe payments.
Display
When I opened the box and turned on the Urbane, I could instantly tell how gorgeous the 480×480 P-OLED display was. At 348ppi the Urbane LTE is super clear and reminds me of why I love OLED displays. The rich colors and true blacks in combination with the high resolution display actually make this look like it is an actual watch with the display always on. LG supplies quite a few well designed watch faces, and my personal favorites are the “Hiking” and “Sports” watch faces. The “hiking” watch face has a functioning compass and altimeter and it looks great. When the watch face goes into the always on mode, when it is sitting on your wrist at your side, the compass and altimeter disappear only to reappear when you bring your watch up to look at it.
This feature not only saves battery, but it also gives the watch a classic watch look and I love it. LCD displays simply don’t have the viewing angles that OLED displays have and if you have a Samsung Galaxy device or Nexus 6 or 6P, you know what I am talking about. This is the best display you can get on an Android Wear device today.
Hiking watch face in active mode.
Hiking watch face in passive mode.
Performance
It’s hard to truly test the performance of any device in 24-hours, but so far everything has been great. There hasn’t been any odd stutters and Android performs brilliantly on this watch. I streamed music to by Jabra Sport Pace wireless earbuds last night and this morning for my workouts.
I called my mom last night from my watch and it gets really loud. She also had no issues hearing me loud and clear, although I did find it awkward holding my watch up to my mouth to talk. That was a first for me, and it made me feel a little like Dick Tracy, but after a few minutes the weird feeling wore off. I grew up watching old Dick Tracy cartoons, and it is kind of mind boggling that watches can now serve as phones. That was always a fantasy to me as a kid.
Feel and comfort
My only hesitation when I read a bit about the 2nd gen. Urbane was that it was going to be really big. To my pleasant surprise it is no bigger than the Moto 360, but with the rubberized watch band it is really comfortable. I definitely like decent sized watches though, as I have a Rolex Submariner which is pretty weighty and a couple other watches with watch faces over 44mm. The Urbane watch face measures at 45.5mm which is a normal size for a men’s sports watch these days. It really does feel like a real watch which is very important to me.
Real watches feel comfortable as you wear them all day. If you’ve ever worn a G-Shock, the Urbane LTE feels very similar to that. It might look big but it is definitely comfortable.
Moto 360 on the left and LG Urbane 2nd gen. on the right. Almost identical size.
Summary
It’s been less than 24 hours that I have been using the LG Urbane 2nd Edition watch, but I am already head over heels for it. First and foremost it is super comfortable to wear. Second it looks absolutely stunning. Third, for $300 it is cheaper than other Android wear watches without LTE support. Fourth, it runs Android Marshmallow and can make phone calls, stream Bluetooth music to my Jabra earbuds, send text messages and can give me directions via Google Maps.Fifth, the 2nd generation Urbane can look classy or sporty. If I want a classy look I just have to switch the watch face to the Classic look, and if I want something sporty I just have to change the face to the Sports look.
What was once a fantasy with Dick Tracy is now a reality and I love it. If you’re on T-Mobile you are out of luck, but if you’re a Verizon customer you can click here to learn more. If you’re an AT&T customer, click here. If you want to check out the official website at LG, click here.
Specs
| OS | Android Wear |
|---|---|
| Case | Stainless Steel 316L, Brushed Metal Finish 45.5 mm Diameter; 14.2 mm Thickness |
| Chipset | 1.2 GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 400 |
| Display | 1.38″ Full Circle P-OLED (480×480, 348 ppi) |
| Memory | 768 MB / 4 GB eMMC |
| Battery | 570 mAh |
| Connectivity | LTE / 3G, Bluetooth® Version 4.1; Wi-Fi® Connectivity and Offline Music Play |
| Sensor | 9-Axis (Gyro/Accelerometer/Compass) / Barometer / PPG (Heart Rate Sensor) |
| Protection | IP67 Certified; Waterproof for up to 1 meter for 30 minutes |
The post LG Urbane Watch 2nd Edition first look: This is the best Android Wear watch of 2015 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Man survives Paris attacks thanks to his Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
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Yesterday’s Paris attacks have once again underlined the intentions of Islamic State militants to disrupt the sanctity of Western nations, and while the atrocities will not be soon forgotten, there was at least one small bright spot in all this. The number of people who were tragically killed has yet to be confirmed, but that number might have been one more had one man not been carrying his Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge in his jacket pocket. The man, identified only as “Sylvester”, was outside the Stade de France where some of the shooting and explosions occured. Sylvester was hit by shrapnel from the bomb, but thankfully, his Galaxy S6 Edge took the brunt of the attack.
http://www.vgtv.no/embed/?id=120925While the video above isn’t in English, it’s clear that had Sylvester not had his Galaxy S6 Edge in his jacket, his night might have ended a very different way. And for anyone doubting the structural integrity of the Galaxy S6 Edge, this seems like pretty good evidence that it can take a beating. Our thoughts and prays remain with those who have been affected by these attacks.
What do you think about this Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge saving a man’s life? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: VGTV via Phone Arena
The post Man survives Paris attacks thanks to his Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Googler finds that the OnePlus USB Type-C adapter is out of spec
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USB Type-C is all the rage right now, but as it’s a new standard of hardware, there are bound to be some teething issues for manufacturers. To uncover non-compliant cables and adapters before they potentially damage your device, Googler Benson Leung a.k.a. the USB Vigilante, has been testing every accessory available under the sun and advising whether you’ll want to risk it with your device or not. As it turns out, he has found that the OnePlus USB Type-C adapter is out of spec – as Leung puts it: “it uses the wrong identifier resistor”, which can potentially damage your device while charging.
OnePlus has yet to respond to Leung’s findings, but while it’s understandable that being one of the first to adopt the new standard you might make some mistakes, it’s kind of disappointing that a manufacturer who’s own device uses USB Type-C might potentially have damaged their own devices. Regardless, if you’re looking for a cheap USB Type-C adapter for your Chromebook Pixel or new Nexus 5X/6P, the OnePlus USB Type-C adapter probably isn’t the way to go for you.
What do you think about the OnePlus USB Type-C adapter being out of spec? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The post Googler finds that the OnePlus USB Type-C adapter is out of spec appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Google, Verizon and Sprint offering free calls to France after attacks in Paris
The world is in solidarity with France this weekend, after 6 orchestrated attacks in Paris occurred this Friday. The unfortunate event left 129 people dead and a devastated country, so most of the world wants to show its support in every way possible. Even the tech universe is not keeping its arms crossed.
Communication is key, especially for those of us who happen to know people in France and are worried about their well-being. Calls to Europe are usually not cheap, but it’s a dire situation and some communication giants are helping out. Google, Verizon and Sprint are stepping up to the plate and offering free calls to France!
They all bring slightly different options to the table, so let’s go over them one by one and see which would be a better option for you.
Google was among the first to offer help by making calls to France free via Hangouts. It’s simple, just dial the number and make your Hangouts call. But there is a very convenient part to going with Google – you can use it with any Android/iOS device, on any network.
Because Hangouts works online, all you would use is data, which wouldn’t really be a problem if you have extra megabytes laying around… or a WiFi connection. We are not sure about a couple details, though. For starters, Google didn’t really tell us until when this offer would stand. Additionally, there were no countries specified. Does that mean this will be the case when calling France from whichever country the service is available in?
Download Hangouts Dialer for Android
Download Hangouts for iOS
Verizon
Verizon’s new fees may not be very nice, but at least their heart is in the right place when it comes to helping out the French. Big Red is also offering free calls or texts from the USA to France this weekend (November 13 – November 15). And this does apply to both wireless and home telephone users.
Sprint
I would have to say Sprint is the one with the better deal here. The carrier is waving international long distance, SMS and even roaming charges to France. And because Sprint is not alone, they are extending the offer to Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile customers.
Unlike Verizon, Sprint is not yet sure when this offer will end. Free communications with France is effective starting November 13, but the concluding date is “yet to be determined”. This likely means the offer stands until the situation is appeased.
Conclusion
Do there you have it, guys. If you have any loved ones in France, go ahead and take advantage of the help these big tech companies and carriers are offering. Hopefully staying in touch can ease things for you, even if just a little.
AT&T reportedly testing Samsung Galaxy S7 already
Add another clue to the list of items suggesting Samsung is quickly approaching a release date for their next flagship device, the Samsung Galaxy S7. Actually, it will be two flagship devices as Samsung appears to be on track to produce a regular screen version and one with curved edges. Twitter tipster Evan Blass posted on Friday that U.S. wireless carrier AT&T is already testing both Galaxy S7 variants.
In the past Samsung used dedicated Unpacked events to announce their latest Galaxy S smartphones. This past year they moved the schedule up to coincide with MWC 2015. Typically only CES precedes MWC on the calendar and CES would certainly like the press that would come with a reveal at their event, but that may still be pushing it even with Samsung already working on the firmware for the two variants.
AT&T already testing both Galaxy S7 variants (SM-G930A and -G935A), adding weight to rumors of an early- to mid-1Q16 release.
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) November 13, 2015
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source: Evan Blass (Twitter)
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Steam Machines are slower gaming systems than Windows PCs
The whole point of a Steam Machine is to get PC-like gaming in your living room, but do you actually get PC-like performance? Not so much, if you ask Ars Technica. It recently ran benchmarks comparing the performance of SteamOS and Windows 10 on the same hardware, and it’s pretty clear that you’re taking a speed hit in the name of couch-based convenience. The two operating systems are very close in synthetic tests, but SteamOS lags well behind Windows when it comes to real gameplay: depending on the game and your detail settings, you could be losing dozens of frames per second. All of the titles tested were still very playable on the modest test rig (a dual-core 3GHz Pentium with an old GeForce GTX 660), but this could pose a problem with more demanding titles in the future.
Source: Ars Technica
Huawei poised for big leap forward in battery charging tech
With several smartphones hitting the market recently with Quick Charge 2.0 technology for fast battery charging, a new baseline for performance will be established in the minds of consumers. This means buyers will be looking for the next major improvement and Huawei hopes to be there to meet the demand for the latest and greatest. Looking beyond Quick Charge 2.0, Huawei’s Watt Lab says they have developed technology that can charge lithium-ion batteries 10 times faster than the current standard.
Huawei says they used heteroatoms bonded to graphite in an anode to increase the charging speed of lithium-ion batteries. This was achieved with no decrease in energy density or battery life.
In a demonstration of the new technology, Huawei shows a 600 mAh battery charging to 68% capacity in only two minutes while a 3000 mAh battery was charged to 48% capacity in just 5 minutes.
Clearly we would all like to be able to charge our smartphones in mere minutes and then get through a day. However, Huawei is hoping Watt Lab’s work extends to other battery applications like electric vehicles and wearable devices.
source: Huawei
Come comment on this article: Huawei poised for big leap forward in battery charging tech
The iPad Pro’s chip is not a big deal
The iPad Pro is here, and it comes with a lot of promises. The most-repeated is that its A9X chip is a desktop-class processor that fits inside a tablet. Initial benchmark results confirm that this is by far the most powerful chip Apple has ever put inside an iPad, leading some to suggest that Apple’s A9X is now at the same level as Intel’s laptop chips. This could change the PC and laptop industry forever, apparently, with popular Apple commentators suggesting that “the future belongs to ARM, and Apple’s A-series SoC’s are leading the way.” To put it lightly, that’s a bit premature.
AIVAnet 