Belgian Twitter users post cat pics to help police in weekend raids
Belgium’s capital, Brussels, entered lockdown this weekend as authorities swept the city for suspected terrorists, including at least one high-profile fugitive wanted in connection with the Paris attacks. On Twitter, authorities prompted residents to refrain from posting pictures or information about ongoing police movement — and Belgian residents obliged, with a twist. They flooded the hashtag #BrusselsLockdown with pictures of cats, making information about raids harder to find and showcasing the country’s solidarity against terrorism. On Monday, as the city remained under its highest-level terror alert, Belgian federal police thanked residents on Twitter with a picture of cat food and the message, “For the cats who helped us last night… Help yourself!”
[Image credit: Flickr/julochka]
Via: The New York Times
9 naughty and nice gifts
Winter is coming. And with it also comes the need to show the loved ones in your life just how much you care for them by spending, spending, spending on gifts. Trouble is, there are just so many options to choose from. What you really need is someone, some outside force to hold your credit card-holding hand. And boy, do we have some suggestions for you. Happy Holidays! You’re very welcome.
Not everyone’s looking to find the latest gaming console, set of chef knives or wholesome [insert foreign culture here] cookbook boxed up with a bow this holiday season. For those folks that like to unwrap their presents after dark, we’ve got more than a few salty suggestions to get you (and them) in the spirit.
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Image credit: Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images
Google Street View gives you a tour of ancient Jordan landmarks
Jordan is home to some extremely significant historical and religious sites. However, visiting those landmarks in person is no mean feat — which is why Google just added many of them to Street View. Fire up your web browser and you can get virtual, 360-degree tours of more than 30 ancient locations, including the city of Petra (above), Jerash and legendary castles from the Crusades. We suspect that this will pale in comparison to the grandeur of seeing these relics first-hand, but you should at least have an inkling of what the experience would be like.
Source: Google Maps
3D printing files for guns are illegal in an Australian state
The Australian state of New South Wales has made it illegal to possess the blueprints necessary to make your own projectile weapons. Lawmakers have passed an amendment to the Weapons Prohibition Act 1998 that makes it a crime to own information necessary to produce guns, like the Liberator. If a person is found to have “digital blueprints,” they could face a prison term of up to 14 years. This goes beyond 3D printers, too, as the law also includes “electronic milling machines” should anyone want to get creative with their nearest CNC.
Via: Computerworld, Slashdot
Source: Bill (.PDF)
BlackBerry Priv review
It’s no secret that BlackBerry has faced a dramatic shift in fortunes over the past few years, but the Canadian company is now looking to make a comeback by doing what many wanted them to do for years now – to make an Android phone! The name of this high-end offering finds its roots in the word PRIVacy, and perhaps more appropriately, PRIVilege, given that this is a phone that stands out in more ways than one.
How will this device fare against the intense competition it faces in the saturated Android flagship market it is entering? We find out, in this comprehensive BlackBerry Priv review!
Design
BlackBerry literally slides into the Android space by bringing back a feature that we haven’t seen from a flagship-level device in a long time, a hardware keyboard. Taking a look at the rest of the device however, Blackberry has done a good job of making it fit into the general Android lexicon. The large 5.4-inch has no capacitive keys accompanying it, and the very bottom portion of the phone does not slide, but houses a front-facing speaker.
The power button is on the left side, which takes some getting used to, and the volume rocker is to the right, with a single button between the volume up and down keys, which, in my testing, doesn’t seem to do anything more than open the notification dialog to switch modes. Also noteworthy is that all of these buttons do not move when the screen is slid up, leaving them well within reach. The back of the phone features a soft plastic weave that helps a lot with grip, and while the camera optics up top do protrude, the ring around the glass is quite substantial. Despite everything the device is packing however, BlackBerry has managed to keep the Priv really thin.
When sliding the screen, it slides up assuredly, but doesn’t snap into place with a satisfying click like other sliders you might remember, but instead moves up and softly locks into place. Focusing on the feel of the keyboard, though it takes on the classic BlackBerry construction and layout, it ultimately feels a bit squishy. It admittedly takes a while to get used to typing on a physical keyboard again, as the keys obviously require a tiny, but noticeable, bit of force, and something that you need to get acclimated to again. The keyboard feels about as standard and as good as you may remember it, but when it comes to the handling, the already large phone becomes harder to maneuver with the screen further away when slid up.
The inclusion of the keyboard likely jacks up the price of the phone, and it is clear that BlackBerry, despite maintaining the executive look and feel of their pedigree, thus had to hold back just a little bit in overall build quality. The Priv is substantial in weight and overall size, and features a weight distribution that doesn’t become uneven when the screen is slid up. The soft backing is nice as well, but doesn’t feel incredibly solid when pressing down on the lower half of it.
Ultimately, BlackBerry has succeeded in creating an Android smartphone that is simultaneously a throwback to the days of old, while also a sleek device worthy of today’s expected aesthetics and features. Executive is still a word that can easily be used to describe the way the Priv looks and feels, and with the screen slid up, the device is sure to turn heads and result in questions, and the answer of “BlackBerry” is bound to create a sense of nostalgia. On the other hand, in a world that has quickly become dominated by flagships with all-metal or metal/glass construction, the all-plastic design of the Blackberry Priv might be a bit of a turn off for some users.
Display
BlackBerry, despite not being a part of the full flagship game in a while, has worked hard to ensure that all of the right features are available from their first high-end Android offering, and the display is a great example of that. The Priv comes with a 5.4-inch AMOLED display with a Quad HD resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 540 ppi.
The screen is really good, with the right color saturation and sharp text, making it a great for choice all the work you might be looking to get done on this device. A subtle curve on the right and left help keep the whole device looking sleek, and provide an obvious starting point for sliding over particular features. The AMOLED construction is taken advantage of with features like Ambient Display, that only triggers when new notifications arrive, and the screen can be set to awake whenever you pick it up, even though this doesn’t work all the time.
Overall, we’re happy with the high-quality display BlackBerry has on offer, and not only is it enjoyable to use, but it also shows that the company is definitely trying here.
Performance
Under the hood, the Priv comes with an hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, clocked at 1.8 GHz, and backed by the Adreno 418 GPU and 3 GB of RAM. The Snapdragon 808 may not be the latest and greatest, but this has been the go-to processing package for a few other flagships out there as well, and the performance remains as good as expected here. There haven’t been any problems doing just about anything on this device, and any stutters and bugs we did run into felt more like the fault of BlackBerry’s Android iteration.
General web browsing and media consumption go along without incident, and the device handles gaming very well too. Most of the work BlackBerry faithful will do on the Priv will involve the built-in Hub and other productivity tools, which all proved to be snappy. When BlackBerry gets an even better handle on their version of Android, the performance aspect will improve more, but even now, the Priv is still more than able to get the job done.
Hardware
In hardware, we start with the front-facing speaker, which is in and of itself a great choice and provides decent sound. It skews towards the higher end, though it could do with a little more volume. Still, Blackberry’s speakers are better than any rear mounted speakers out there. Voice calls were of no issue either, and with the phone connected to the T-Mobile network, there were no problems with call quality on either end. The phone also comes with all of the necessary connectivity options, including NFC, and up top are the SIM slot and the microSD card slot, to bolster the 32 GB of in-built in storage by up to 200 GB.
Such a large phone allows for an equally large battery as well, and the Priv packs a 3,410 mAh unit, but while that seems impressive, battery life has unfortunately been a pretty average affair, even if that isn’t particularly surprising, especially with there being a lot going on at all times if you leverage all of BlackBerry’s features and the Hub. Two other Android Authority team members have been using the Priv as well, and their battery life experiences have also been mixed. While Nirave has been able to get close to the 5 hour screen-on time mark, that has been an incredibly rare occurrence, and Lanh has at most managed about 3 hours of screen-on time.
In my experience, the phone has been able to get through a full day of use and more, but that’s because most of my phone usage revolves around listening to podcasts and music, which means the screen is mostly off. With even slightly heavier usage however, and anything that was screen-centric, I often only touched 3 hours of screen-on time, and nothing more. Coupled with the fact that there is no fast charging or wireless charging to be had here, what you have is a phone that power users will have to keep on a tether more often than not.
Finally, we get to the biggest difference this phone has over the rest, the physical keyboard. Slide the screen up, and revealing the physical keyboard hides the on-screen one, freeing up a lot of work space. As mentioned, the keys do take a little getting used to, and so, your mileage will vary when trying to type fast. In my personal experience, I am a very fast typer when using on-screen keyboards like Fleksy, and, even the very good BlackBerry on-screen keyboard, which makes the physical keyboard pale in comparison.
There are other uses for the keyboard however, such as, if typing occurs pretty much anywhere else in the interface, either an automatic Google search triggers, or any short or long presses can be used to trigger shortcuts. The entire keyboard is also outfitted with touch and swipe sensitivity, so that tasks like scrolling a webpage can be done by lightly passing the finger over the hardware keys. Though typing speed will probably be different for everyone, there are these extra features that make the keyboard useful. I found myself using the touchpad-like scroll very often, as well as a few shortcuts for easy access to particular tasks.
Camera
The BlackBerry Priv looks to make good moves in the camera department by employing a 18 MP shooter with optical image stabilization and optics made by a reputable European company, Schneider-Kreuznach. A misstep is obvious right away however, with the front-facing shooter being just 2 MP.
BlackBerry’s camera application is another big tell that they’ve been out of the loop recently, as it is not only rather rudimentary in its design, but it is actually quite slow in processing as well. Only a few modes are available, from Video to Panorama, but HDR is Auto capable. Not much manual control is available either, aside from the ability to change the exposure compensation.
Shooting pictures take a solid second to do, and even more if you have HDR on. We found that the only way of shaving time off each shutter press is to change the picture quality from Fine to Standard, but it only helped a little. By far though, the one thing we really don’t like about this camera app is that it goes back to default settings each time it is opened, and as a person who almost always shoots without flash, having to turn it off every single time got annoying really fast.
When it comes to picture quality, BlackBerry continues to show just how new they are in what has become a great camera space in Android. The optics are capable of some good detail capture, but processing looks to be the worst of it. Pictures in bright light look quite good with adequate color saturation and a bit of a boost in HDR, but lower light situations really show the flaws. Processing is a little too aggressive, so low light photos tend to look really smudgy. Add in the sensitive auto white balancing, and there are times when pictures are too warm. This is also a reason why I don’t prefer spot metering, with the Priv tending to overcompensate for the very spot picked, either making the surrounding areas way too blown out or too dark. This is the case in video as well, where the low light performance is the biggest issue we saw.
Overall, the BlackBerry Priv camera is the biggest example of the company’s good intentions and poor execution. Whereas other companies have evolved their cameras in feature set and processing, BlackBerry simply has a lot of ground to make up in a short amount of time if their follow ups to the Priv are to be true competition against the likes of Samsung and LG.
Software
On the software side of things, the big story here is BlackBerry’s adoption of Google’s operating system in the hopes of becoming relevant again and they’ve done a pretty good job with it, despite trying just a little too hard. The general interface is very familiar, with homescreens and widgets easily within reach, and an app drawer that includes the old pages for widgets, and even the small shortcuts that used to permeate the OS. These little shortcuts can also be tied to any of the keyboard shortcuts, so with some due diligence, the keyboard can be a very powerful tool.
There are, however, some extra features somewhat hidden within, such as the three dots under the icons on the homescreen, that mean that if you swipe up from it, a pop up widget will appear, which is a great way of saving space on the actual homescreens. Further, swiping up from the on-screen home key can be catered to any applications that you might need easy access to.
The Recent Apps screen features a grid layout, which might be easier to use for some than the card-based iteration that Android currently employs. Notifications have been grouped together, and a line of icons at the top of the dropdown can easily sort them, which is great for seeing only what you need to see, rather than being inundated with information. The BlackBerry on-screen keyboard is also a stellar performer, which features swipes up from the next letter in a word to put the suggested word in, while swipes to the left delete whole words, which is a useful addition.
Overall, BlackBerry’s little additions baked into the general shell of the Android interface have been pretty sublime, but it is when the company tried to start adding in layers and applications on top of it that we found some issues. Mainly, it is how BlackBerry has stuck to their guns for a number of functions, such as BBM, which is a nostalgic return to a once ubiquitous messaging network that no one uses anymore.
For security, DTEK is the way to see if the phone is as safe as it can be. These features can be anything from setting a screen lock, to encrypting the entire device, and this can be a good way of getting into some better security habits for the general user. The app will also show all that the applications are doing and what they are accessing, and even event logging is available for you to take a look back at what was going on. Any little bit of extra protection is beneficial, and BlackBerry’s commitment to security is commendable.
For all tasks and messaging services, the BlackBerry Hub is the built-in way of consolidating all of them. Opening it up and setting up GMail and social media accounts, gives you access everything in one place. The Hub works well enough, but picking specific accounts to dial down the information helps. If you already have an app for consolidating all your of e-mails though, this might not cut it. For one thing, there is no unified login for the Hub, so you have to set up every account individually, and there are a lot more settings to fix up after that. To that end, the Hub needs to be updated to support some main features of GMail, such as the ability to search more than what has been synced to it, and the ability to archive messages rather than just completely deleting them.
Push notifications are also available for all accounts, but by default, it checks every 15 minutes for new messages, which is a relic of a long-passed generation of smartphones. The Hub does connect to one nice feature, which is triggered by swiping from a specific area on the side of the screen. Quick access to most recent messages in the Hub, as well as Calendar and task entries, make this an easy way to maintain productivity without having to file through apps and further screens.
BlackBerry clearly knows how to make Android work for its own purposes, with extra little features baked into the core of the interface. The fundamental uses of their long-standing applications are not quite updated for today’s Android landscape however, such as how the ways of the Enterprise Server don’t quite fit in with the way a lot of Android users simply go about their daily business. Of course, it is possible to forego all of the BlackBerry-specific applications, and just use any that you may already be used to, but that isn’t entirely the point of what BlackBerry is trying to do here.
Specifications
| Display | 5.4-inch AMOLED display Quad HD resolution, 540 ppi |
| Processor | 1.8 GHz hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 Adreno 418 GPU |
| RAM | 3 GB |
| Storage | 32 GB expandable via microSD up to 200 GB |
| Camera | 18 MP rear camera with OIS, dual LED flash Schneider-Kreuznach optics 2 MP front-facing camera |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac A-GPS Bluetooth 4.1 NFC microUSB 2.0 |
| Battery | 3,410 mAh |
| Software | Android 5.1.1 Lollipop |
| Dimensions | 147 x 77.2 x 9.4 mm 192 grams |
Gallery
Pricing and final thoughts
The BlackBerry Priv is available now for the very premium price of $699, which is certainly steep, though there’s always the option of signing up for a monthly payment or getting the phone cheaper by signing a contract through a carrier like AT&T. For those looking to buy the phone off-contract and fully unlocked, the Priv is still a little hard to come by, and pricing on Amazon is as high as $1000 for the privilege.
So, there you have it for this in-depth look at the BlackBerry Priv! The BlackBerry brand used to be iconic, and in the wake of a declining public image, the Priv is supposed to be the phone that brought them back to the limelight. However, you may be paying a lot of money just to be a part of the nostalgia that the BlackBerry name evokes. By prioritizing features like the keyboard and security measures though, BlackBerry is also selling exclusivity. By getting this phone, you just might be a part of the privileged group that not only still believes in the brand, but can manage to deal with the high price for what is BlackBerry’s first effort at Android.
Credit has to be given where it is due, and the Priv does get a lot right. Plenty of features and extra ways of getting tasks done keep the Priv viable as a productivity tool, but the company has to improve the features that users often require from current Android flagships, like the camera, and better ease of use in the operating system. If BlackBerry manages to stick around long enough in this market and learn from its competitors, we just might see a real comeback for a company that, especially now, is fundamentally different from what we’ve had over the last couple of years.
Galaxy Note 5 vs iPhone 6S Plus
Buy the Samsung Galaxy Note 5
Buy the iPhone 6S Plus
Samsung and Apple undoubtedly dominate the global smartphone market and they are responsible for some of the most popular mobile devices out there. There has been no shortage of accusations of copying and “inspiration” from either camp, but with Samsung doing away with a couple of key features, and Apple giving into the large display trend that is more or less a standard in the Android world, what we have with their latest smartphone offerings are two devices that appear to be quite similar.
Despite their similarities on the surface however, when diving in a little deeper, these two devices couldn’t be more different. How does the current Samsung flagship fare against the latest large display smartphone from Apple? We find out, in this in-depth look at the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 vs iPhone 6S Plus!
Design
Premium design and build quality are the order of the day with both smartphones, and while that has always been the case with the iPhone, we see a dramatic departure on the part of Samsung, with plastic finally going by the wayside, in favor of a metal and glass unibody design. This choice by Samsung does result in the removal of some features that were taken for granted, like expandable storage and replaceable batteries, and is another reason for the increasing similarity between these two smartphones, given that these features were never a part of the Apple ecosystem.
Given that this an “S” year, the iPhone 6S Plus features the same design language as the iPhone 6 Plus before it, but unlike previous generations, where the successor had generally been thinner and lighter, the iPhone 6S Plus is actually slightly thicker and heavier than its predecessor. This is because the device is now made with a stronger 7000 series aluminium, to help avoid any “Bendgate” issues, and there is also an additional pressure sensitive layer below the display, needed for the phone’s new 3D Touch feature.
As mentioned, the iPhone 6S Plus features a full metal body, while the Galaxy Note 5 sees its premium nature with a combination of a metal frame sandwiched between two glass panels. Both smartphones look beautiful in their own right, and it does, of course, depend on your individual preferences as to which looks better. What is key here, especially when considering the size, is the feel in the hand, and both devices have their pros and cons. Both material choices result in quite the slippery device, and the use of glass in the case of the Samsung flagship means that it is also a fingerprint magnet.
Despite the Galaxy Note 5 featuring a larger 5.7-inch display, compared to the 5.5-inch screen of the iPhone 6S Plus, the former actually manages to be slightly smaller and lighter than the latter, even if the iPhone 6S Plus is a touch thinner. Of course, both devices are still too big for comfortable one-handed use, but Samsung has to be given points here for creating a relatively more compact device. Also helping the handling experience of the Galaxy Note 5 are its sharper edges, compared to the more rounded corners and side of the iPhone, along with the fact that the rear glass panel comes with curves along the sides, that help the device feel more secure in the hand.
The similarities in design continue when looking at the layout of the buttons and ports, with the volume rocker on the left side and the power button to the right in both cases. The power button of the iPhone 6S Plus does seem to be on the higher side however, making it a touch harder to reach. At the bottom is the charging port, microUSB in the case of the Galaxy Note 5 and the Lightning port with regards to the iPhone 6S Plus, flanked by the headphone jack and a single speaker unit. In differences, the Galaxy Note 5 does comes with the S-Pen stylus that is nestled into the bottom right side, and the iPhone 6S Plus features a silence toggle above the volume rocker, allowing for a very simple way to quickly silence the device.
Display
The big difference between the two smartphones can be seen when it comes to the display, not only with regards to the size and resolution, but also their respective underlying technologies. While the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 comes with a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display with a Quad HD resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 518 ppi, the iPhone 6S Plus features a 5.5-inch IPS LCD screen with a 1080p resolution, resulting in a lower pixel density of 401 ppi.
Despite the difference in resolution and pixel densities, there isn’t a whole lot of difference between the two displays in terms of clarity, but a contrast can be seen because of the different technologies. As is now expected from Samsung displays, Super AMOLED allows for deep blacks, high contrast, and colors that pop, with the higher resolution only further enhancing an enjoyable viewing experience. Of course, the screen of the iPhone 6S Plus is plenty vivid and bright as well, and the display experience available with it is almost equally as good.
Performance
The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 comes with an octa-core Exynos 7420 processor, clocked at 2.1 GHz, and backed by the Mali-T760MP8 GPU and 4 GB of RAM, while the iPhone 6S Plus features a dual-core Apple A9 processor, clocked at 1.84 GHz, and backed by the PowerVR GT7600 GPU and 2 GB RAM. However, a by the numbers comparison is never fair when comparing Android and iOS flagships, given the two very different ecosystems that are being catered to, and despite any differences on paper, the performances of both devices are quite comparable.
In either case, both smartphones handle daily tasks with ease, and anything from opening, closing, and switching between apps, to browsing the web and media consumption are done with no issues. Gaming and multi-tasking are a breeze as well, even with the Galaxy Note 5 offering a lot more ways of multi-tasking compared to the iPhone 6S Plus, by also taking advantage of the S-Pen stylus. Games load really fast with both devices, albeit a touch faster in the case of the iPhone 6S Plus, but once loaded, everything is equally smooth and snappy.
The argument with regards to how much more powerful high-end Android devices are compared to the iPhones is unending, but as far as day to day performance is concerned, you will have a wonderful time getting work or play done on either smartphone.
Hardware
With Samsung removing key features like expandable storage and replaceable batteries to accommodate their new design language, things have never been more similar between the two ecosystems than now in terms of hardware.
Both smartphones come with fingerprint scanners integrated into the physical home buttons up front, but the iPhone 6S Plus does get the leg up with Touch ID being faster than ever. The fingerprint sensor is actually a little too fast, which is definitely an odd complaint to have, but if you are trying to take a look at the notifications on the lockscreen in the gap between pressing the button to turn on the display and the device unlocking, you will likely not be able to. The obvious work around here is to use the power button to wake the device first before unlocking it, but given its slightly difficult to reach position, it isn’t the best solution. That’s not to say that the scanner of the Galaxy Note 5 is particularly slow either, but some may actually prefer the extra time it takes to allow for a quick glance at the notifications.
32 GB and 64 GB storage options are available with the Galaxy Note 5, while the iPhone 6S Plus comes with 16 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB iterations. With expandable storage not available with both, power users will have to opt for the higher storage versions, even though you will end up paying a significant premium. As mentioned, both devices also come with single bottom-mounted speakers, and while the placement isn’t ideal, both get plenty loud. The speaker of the iPhone 6S Plus does seem a bit clearer, with the Galaxy Note 5 speaker tending to compress the sound a little too much, even if that does help certain sounds come through a bit more.
Both smartphones come with a standard suite of connectivity options, including NFC, but in the case of the iPhone 6S Plus, NFC is locked for use only with Apple Pay, while in the case of the Galaxy Note 5, you can use it for anything, including, but not just limited to, Samsung’s and Google’s own mobile payment systems, Samsung Pay and Android Pay. Samsung Pay does have the edge over Apple Pay however, with it possible to use the former almost anywhere with its use of Magnetic Secure Transmission, which works by sending a small magnetic signal from your smartphone to a credit card reader, basically mimicking the same signal that is produced when you swipe your card.
Each smartphone does have an ace up their sleeve however. In the case of the Galaxy Note 5, it comes in the form of the S-Pen stylus, boasting an even more robust set of features. You can now quickly make a note simply by taking the S-Pen out of its slot, even when the display is off, crop areas of screenshots and take notes on it, and also capture long screenshots by capturing long passages and stitching them together. The Galaxy Note 5 makes jotting down ideas and sharing them effortless, and can be a lot of fun. Other hardware extras of the Galaxy Note 5 include the heart rate monitor, found next to the camera unit on the back, which allows for a quick way to keep track of your heart rate during a workout.
As for the iPhone 6S Plus, we get a new technology called 3D Touch, which uses a pressure-sensitive layer below the display, that allows for hidden menus to be shown when pressing on something like an app icon with a bit more force. This helps keep the menus and homescreens looking clean, while adding a lot of functionality, such as Peak and Pop, which allows for a preview of something like an email or an image, and using a little more force will then take you into the full image. 3D Touch is certainly a great addition, and could prove to be a game changer for the industry.
Finally, in battery, the iPhone 6S Plus packs a 2,750 mAh unit, while the Galaxy Note 5 features a larger 3,000 mAh battery. Both devices feature better than average battery life, and you should comfortably get a full day of use out of either smartphone, if not more. That said, the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 has its advantage in the form of its fast charging capabilities, that allows for a full charge in just around an hour and fifteen minutes, while the iPhone 6S Plus does tend to take a lot longer. The Galaxy Note 5 also comes with wireless charging, which Samsung claims is the fastest iteration that is currently available.
Camera
Moving on to the cameras, the Galaxy Note 5 comes with a 16 MP rear shooter with a f/1.9 aperture, OIS, and 4K video recording capabilities, along with a 5 MP wide angle lens front-facing camera, while the iPhone 6S Plus camera has been upgraded to a 12 MP primary shooter with a f/2.2 aperture, and also comes with OIS and 4K video recording, as well as a 5 MP front-facing unit.
Taking a look at the camera applications first, both apps are designed to be very simple and be fantastic automatic shooters, so if you are looking to just point and shoot for a great shot, either camera will do. The iPhone 6S Plus camera app focuses on being a great automatic shooter, with only a few modes available, like time lapse, hyper lapse, and slow motion. On the other hand, the Galaxy Note 5 does bring a lot more to the table, with plenty of modes, including its own slow motion capture, panorama, and even a GIF creator, and also features a robust set of manual controls in the Pro mode, allowing for granular control over aspects like white balance and ISO.
Samsung Galaxy Note 5 camera samples
As far as image quality is concerned, you are going to be hard-pressed to pick a winner between the two the majority of the time. Both offer sharp details and nice colors, but the overall theme here is that you will get more realistic colors and less sharpening with the iPhone 6S Plus, while the images feature more saturated colors and more sharpening with the Galaxy Note 5. Of course, that doesn’t mean that the iPhone 6S Plus camera is better, as many would prefer the extra pop in colors available with the other. The same can be said for video capture as well, with it being hard to make a choice between the two. While the Galaxy Note 5 adds some software enhancements, the iPhone 6S Plus does create a flatter, and more accurate, video.
iPhone 6S Plus camera samples
The lower aperture of the Galaxy Note 5 allows for better looking close up shots with some nice depth of field, as well as better low-light photography. It is also great the Galaxy Note 5 allows for shooting in the 16:9 aspect ratio with their full sensor, while the iPhone 6S Plus shoots at 4:3 with its full sensor. When it comes to the front-facing camera, the Galaxy Note 5 does hold the edge with its wide angle lens, that allows for a lot more to be fit into the frame. That said, the camera app does tend to smooth out the skin a bit too much, even with Beauty Mode off, which is a little annoying.
Software
On the software side of things, we return to the age-old comparison between Android and iOS, and the two completely different ecosystems and experiences on offer. The iPhone 6S Plus runs iOS 9, while the Galaxy Note 5 comes with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop out of the box, and as always, simplicity vs customization is the name of the game here.
iOS is purposefully simple, and while Android users may feel limited by its simplicity, it is instead the most compelling aspect for Apple fans. The home screens remain grid of icons, with the only way to keep things somewhat free from getting too cluttered being folders. There have been a few additions over the last couple of years have made a difference, such as the notification dropdown, with a secondary screen can bring up a few extra shortcuts and glances at some contextual information, and a swipe up from the bottom opens the Control Center, where a number of controls and toggles are easily accessible. Of course, there is also 3D Touch now, which brings in an extra layer of functionality where applicable, while maintaining the aesthetically simplicity overall.
On the other hand is Samsung’s TouchWiz UI, a historically over-saturated software package, that has been toned down this year. That said, plenty of features do still make it in, including Multi-window and the floating S Windows for multi-tasking. Themes are also now available, allowing users to change the look of the interface if they don’t enjoy the default look. The main feature here is the S-Pen and all that it entails, including useful features like Action Memo, Smart Select, Screen Write, and Screen Off Memo.
Specs comparison
| Samsung Galaxy Note 5 | iPhone 6s Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display Quad HD resolution, 518 ppi |
5.5-inch IPS LCD display Full HD resolution, 401 ppi |
| Processor | 2.1 GHz octa-core Exynos 7420 Mali-T760MP8 GPU |
1.8 GHz dual-core Apple A9 PowerVR GT7600 GPU |
| RAM | 4 GB | 2 GB |
| Storage | 32/64 GB no expansion |
16/64/128 GB no expansion |
| Camera | 16 MP rear camera with OIS 5 MP front-facing wide angle lens camera |
12 MP rear camera with OIS 5 MP front-facing camera |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 4.2 GPS + GLONASS NFC USB 2.0, USB Type-C |
a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 4.2 GPS + GLONASS NFC ( with Apple Pay only) USB 2.0 |
| Software | Android 5.1.1 Lollipop | iOS 9 |
| Battery | 3,000 mAh | 2,750 mAh |
| Dimensions | 153.2 x 76.1 x 7.6 mm 171 grams |
158.2 x 77.9 x 7.3 mm 192 grams |
Gallery
Pricing and final thoughts
Both premium smartphones command equally premium price points, with the iPhone 6S Plus starting at $749 for the 16 GB iteration, with the available color options being space gray, silver, gold, and rose gold, while the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 priced at $699 for the 32 GB version, with the color options being Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum, Silver Titan, and White Pearl.
So there you have it for this in-depth look at the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 vs iPhone 6S Plus! It is certainly difficult to pick between these two smartphones, and with their differentiating factors coming down to personal preference, fans of one ecosystem will likely not be jumping ship. While the Galaxy Note 4 had its advantages over the iPhone 6 Plus in the form of expandable storage and a removable battery, things are lot more closer this time around. All said and done, if great performance and a fantastic camera experience is important to you, you will be happy regardless of which device you choose.
Deal: Take 15% off all drones in the AA Deals Store with this coupon code
A new drone is a great gift for the hobbyist in your life. The problem is, drones are normally pretty expensive, and it can be difficult to find the right one to suit your needs. So if you’d like to purchase a drone for your loved one this holiday season but aren’t sure about which one to get, you might want to check out the latest promotion in the AA Deals Store. Right now, all drones are 15% off in the Android Authority Deals Store, as long as you use coupon code DRONE15 at checkout. Wondering where to start? Here are a few drones that you might want to check out.
The Code Black Drone is widely known as one of the best starter drones out there. It has a flight time of about 10 minutes and a built-in camera for taking high-flying video footage of the sky. It also provides an ultra-smooth ride, thanks to its 6-axis flight control system. You can even perform forward, backward and side-to-side flips. The AA Deals Store is already selling the Code Black Drone for $69 (53% off), but now you’ll be able to bring the price down an extra 15% if you use coupon code DRONE15 at checkout. Not bad, right?
Interested in something a little easier on the wallet? You’ll definitely want to check out the Snowflake Stealth Drone. It can perform all of the same flips as the Code Black Drone, and even features 6-axis gyro technology for smooth and steady flight. It’s durable and easy to use, making this yet another great entry-level option. The AA Deals Store is currently offering the Snowflake Stealth Drone for $34.99 (65% off), but again, you can get it for 15% cheaper by using coupon code DRONE15 at checkout.
If you’re interested or want any more information on these two drones, be sure to head to the links attached below!
ZTE releases the ZMAX 2 and has some great Cyber Week deals
ZTE has just released its follow up to the ZMAX, the ZMAX 2 unlocked Android smartphone. ZTE is a Chinese company who has been making waves in the U.S. unlocked smartphone market and our own Scott Webster just reviewed the ZTE Boost Max+.
The ZTE ZMAX 2 is a premium 5.5” HD large screen device at a budget price. It comes with an 8MP rear shooter with 16Gb of on-board storage. It also has Dolby Digital Plus, giving you a richer audio experience for your movies, music, and games. The ZTE ZMAX 2 comes unlocked giving you the freedom to decide what carrier is best for you. Running on 4G LTE, Android 5.1, you get exceptional value at an affordable price.
Specs
| Height | 6.06″ |
| Width | 2.99″ |
| Depth | 0.37″ |
| Weight | 6 oz. |
| Color | Titanium |
| Physical Size | 5.5″ |
| Resolution: Width | 720 |
| Resolution: Height | 1280 |
| Technology | TFT |
| Features | Gorilla Glass |
| OS | Android 5.1 (Lollipop) |
| Main Resolution | 8MP |
| Features | Auto Focus + LED Flash |
| Video Capture | 1080p |
| Front-Facing Resolution | 2MP |
| CPU | Quad-Core 1.2GHz MSM8916 Snapdragon®400 |
| Capacity | 3000 mAh |
| Talk Time* | Up to 17 hours |
| Standby Time* | Up to 16 days |
| Wireless Charging | No |
| Internal | 2GB RAM + 16GB ROM |
| Expandable | Up to 64GB microSD™ card |
| Frequencies | GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz – UMTS 850/1900/AWS – LTE Bands 2/4/5/17 |
Cyber Week deals, Nov. 23-30
· Axon $279 ($50 off)
· Axon Pro 32GB $329 ($70 off)
· Axon Pro 64GB $349 ($100 off)
· ZMAX 2 Unlocked $129 ($50 off)
· Spro 2 WiFi $449 ($100 off)
Check out the ZTE ZMAX 2 at www.zteusa.com and save yourself money during cyber week.
The post ZTE releases the ZMAX 2 and has some great Cyber Week deals appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Mounting System for New Apple TV and Remote Launching in Apple Stores
Innovelis has announced that its TotalMount Pro mounting system for the new Apple TV is now available for $29.95 at Apple retail stores worldwide and on the Apple Online Store. The TotalMount Pro is available to ship in 1-2 weeks on the Apple Online Store, with Personal Pickup offered in the U.S. and where available pending in-store stock.
The flexible mounting system securely holds the new Apple TV, includes a charging remote holder and cable management, has ventilation channels and installs easily with no tools required. The kit is ideal for wall-mounted TVs, as it positions the Apple TV near the HDMI port, eliminating the need to tunnel the HDMI cable through your wall.
“Running an HDMI cable through a wall is too destructive and time-consuming for many people,” stated Eric Wengreen, one of the inventors.
A power cord is still required, although some wall-mounted televisions have a power outlet behind the television. Running an Ethernet cable is also needed for a wired internet connection.
The new Innovelis TotalMount Pro can also be adjusted to fit the second- and third-generation Apple TV, as shown with the original TotalMount Pro, pictured right.
Tags: Apple retail, Innovelis, TotalMount Pro
Buyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Buy Now)
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Square Launches NFC Reader to Bring Apple Pay to Smaller Businesses
Mobile payments company Square today announced the launch of its new NFC reader within 100 small businesses around the country, letting stores who previously were unable to accept Apple Pay — due to the lack of a required contactless reader — begin supporting the service (via USA Today). The small square-shaped reader will act like all other Apple Pay-accepting terminals, letting users wave an iPhone or Apple Watch near the device to complete a purchase.
“Until now, technology like our new reader has been out of reach for local businesses,” said Jesse Dorogusker, head of hardware at Square, told USA TODAY via email. “Now Square sellers across the country can quickly and easily accept the new forms of payment that are crossing their counter tops.”
Business owners can buy the Square reader for $49 to begin allowing customers the option to use Apple Pay in their storefronts. With the recent surge in popularity of chip cards, touted as being a safer and more secure physical payment alternative, the reader also has the option to accept chip cards in a small slot located on the side of the device.
Square initially announced incoming support for Apple Pay last November, with no real hint as to what the device would be. The company then announced the Square reader during WWDC earlier this summer, confirming its NFC and chip-reading capabilities would bring the success of Apple Pay to businesses and merchants who as of yet hadn’t had the chance to support the service. Merchants interested in adopting Apple Pay can visit Square’s official website to reserve their own NFC reader.
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