Do features in third-party UI’s outweigh the latest from Android?
It’s pretty well understood that Android is fragmented. Phone manufacturers nearly always tweak the baseline Android OS beyond recognition in an effort to stand out in the crowd. Enthusiasts who swear by a pure Android experience (the way Google made it to be) shun the crime that manufacturers continue to commit over and over again.
LG V10 with UX 4.0+ user interface
But what I’m questioning today is if it’s worth sucking up the non-ideal UI’s out there for the sake of functionality? Many Android fans peg stock Android as the only answer, but I don’t think it’s that cut and dry. I’ve heard the saying many times in Google+ chatter, “Once you go Nexus, you’ll never go back”. Well…I’ve gone Nexus before, and I’m back without contempt.
This isn’t to say that Material Design isn’t a gorgeous UI. I recently expressed how much I’ve missed it on the Nexus 6. But the other side of that story is that I’ve always found pure Android to be a bit too simplistic. Therefore, while I’m standing on this side of the fence (for the time being), I’m gonna throw a few nuggets at stock Android users, of what valuable features you’re missing out on. Not just because it’s fun to tease, but because I feel like these are features that we all should have.
Dual Window
It’s crazy to me that Google hasn’t coded a dual-window kind of feature into Android yet (splitting the screen between two apps, to use them simultaneously). I mean, Google is a software giant for Pete’s sake, it shouldn’t be that hard for its developers to do.
This feature debuted all the way back on the original Galaxy Note (Samsung calls it “Multi-Window”). It was introduced as a feature to take advantage of the large screen. But now that all phones are large now, whoever is not including it these days is being negligent.
Fortunately, Google did express that the dual window capability is finally in the works, as a response to the backlash over the Pixel C not having it.
“We’re working hard on a range of enhancements for Android in this form-factor – there are many things, like multiwindow, that we’ve been spending a lot of time on – hopefully we can share more about this soon.“
Navigation Button Customization
This fact is another crazy one to me. Google was the one who introduced software navigation buttons into Android (back with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus), so it should have been the one to make it better. Instead, third-party UI’s have stepped up to the plate.
LG was the first manufacturer to let us alter the navigation button layout to our hearts desire, on the G2. Not only could we rearrange them, but we could add two more buttons and fill up that unused black space with something useful. What’s more, LG’s software allows you to hide the bottom black bar all together and utilize your entire screen for content.
Theming
If you use Android, chances are that you like customization to suit your own style. What I love about theme generators is that it’s quick and easy to overhaul Android’s baseline look with touches of flare that make you happy.
Theming in HTC’s Sense UI
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Unfortunately, Google has yet to implement a theming engine into stock Android. I feel like this has been a significant oversight, because Android should be showing off what it can do in a world dominated by iPhone users. And a theme is simple to set, even an iPhone user can do it 
Tap-to-Wake
Why oh why doesn’t Google include double tapping on the screen to wake it from standby? It just doesn’t make sense. Even when the capability is built into the device, Google still refuses to allow it to work out of the box. I really want to know what’s going on here.
Sure, the brand-spanking new Nexus Imprint fingerprint method makes tap-to-wake not as critical. But there are times when I want to quickly glance at my screen when it’s laying on a table.
Gestures
Many Android enthusiasts are familiar with gestures, but through third-party launchers, because stock Android doesn’t have any. Essentially, gestures allow the user to register common functions to different motions on the phone. For instance, setting the browser to launch when you a two-finger swipe in a particular direction, or toggling Recent Apps when you do a pinch motion with your fingers. Motorola’s twist your wrist gesture to launch the camera is another good example.
Motorola gestures
Additionally, some manufacturers have coded in a nifty gesture in the front camera software, to take the shot with a hand motion.
Camera Software
I don’t think that stock Android fans can refute that Google’s camera software leaves to be desired. You can’t do much more than HDR, panorama, lens blur, photo sphere, and burst shot.
Third-party UI’s typically include camera controls that reach for dedicated camera capabilities, such as white balance, ISO, focus distance, exposure compensation, and shutter speed controls. Many camera-savy folks also like being able to capture the RAW format of images.
LG’s Android camera software
My ultimate point is that I wish stock Android would evolve more quickly. There are super useful features that have been in third-party UI’s for a while now that Google has yet to implement. Material Design is by far my favorite UI, but I don’t miss out on other things, so I’m torn.
I know that this discussion will follow with “Stock Android can have those features if you root/unlock/flash”, but we shouldn’t have to. Most folks either don’t want to mess with their phone or the process goes over their head.
What are your thoughts? Chime in down below!
The post Do features in third-party UI’s outweigh the latest from Android? appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Dating app Lulu’s controversial guy reviews are no more
When Lulu launched over two years ago, its approach to mobile dating raised more than a few eyebrows. Instead of connecting girls with eligible dudes nearby, the app let them share anonymous reviews of men they knew, complete with hashtags like “#LifeOfTheParty,” “#TallDarkAndHandsome” and “#PlaysDigeridoo.” Some loved it. Some were mortified. Still others wondered what the service could mean for the future of dating. The answer: apparently not much, because Lulu as we knew it is dead. A few days ago, the company quietly replaced its original app with a new version that cut out all of those juicy reviews in favor of a more generic — and very familiar — dating experience.
The updated software is live in both Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store, but its existing website still refers to the old, review-heavy version. It’s only when you go to new.onlulu.com that you get a sense of the company’s new mission. And more importantly, users are pretty pissed off too:
No wonder they’re miffed. Say what you will about the value of anonymous reviews; Old Lulu was a platform based more on information than action. You went there to see if that guy you just met was a creep, not to strike up a conversation or send emoji (though you could if you really felt like it). The new, neutered Lulu pegs itself as a “fresh way to meet new people,” letting users see others they’ve crossed paths with while traipsing around in the real world. One thing becomes obvious after even the briefest moment spent poking around in either the app or the new Lulu website, though: they’re both carbon copies of UK dating app/site Badoo. In fact, Lulu didn’t even take the time to scrub the Badoo logos off the images plastered on their “new” site:
Now, before anyone cries foul (or copyright infringement), know that Badoo has a white-label program that allows other companies to build services on top of its sizeable social network, and those companies seem to be able to just swap out logos if they feel like it. Lulu isn’t alone, either. Consider Blendr, the app often referred to as Grindr’s counterpart for straight people. Total Badoo clone. And remember Hot or Not, one of the best/worst ways to waste time in the early 2000s? It’s goddamn Badoo again! We’ve reached out to both Lulu and Badoo in hopes of clearing up the exact nature of their relationship, but neither responded yet (and we’re pretty sure it’s a white-label deal anyway).
At the very least, New Lulu/Badoo pays a little lip service to the idea of dating intelligence by showing off a ratio of how many times a person has been liked versus disliked. Still, the snarky, valuable and sometimes upsetting original has been replaced with a toothless impostor that mashes up features from rival services.
It’s not clear why Lulu took such a drastic leap, but we can hazard a few guesses. The one-sided nature of Old Lulu meant mostly women extracted value from the service; they’d get juicy tips on all the little things that did or didn’t make a guy dateable. Naturally, being a guy on the other end could be tricky, especially if you got tagged with a string of less-than-stellar reviews.
This experiential disconnect led to plenty of debates — often about how the app could transform the conventions of modern dating — that didn’t make the process of building a functional business any easier. The revamp equals the playing field in that both men and women can use the service, but man — if Lulu was looking for a competitive advantage, literally turning their product into a carbon copy of multiple others was not the way to do it.
Neil deGrasse-Tyson blesses a flat-earth rap diss
If you’ve ever gone deep enough down a Wikipedia or YouTube hole, you know something that many people don’t: there are a number of people in the world who believe the Earth is flat. Recently rapper B.o.B. (Airplanes Pt. II, Nothin’ on You) tweeted his theories in support of this — and also that there is a massive cloning conspiracy going on. His tweets drew enough attention to garner a response from astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, leading to an inevitable pro-flat-earth diss track from B.o.B. Of course, that merited a response in kind, with Neil’s nephew (rapping under the name Tyson) dropping ‘Flat-to-Fact‘ this afternoon.
It’s reusing the naming and beat from Drake’s diss towards Meek Mill, although I don’t think the quality of the bars is high enough to inspire any videogame spinoffs. You can listen to both tracks here, and while the battle was kind of over before it started (since the Earth isn’t flat, which you can prove with a basic application of math and/or physics), it’s no surprise that SoundCloud thinks its the real winner.
Dear @bobatl, as an astrophysicist I don’t rap, but I know people who do. This one has my back: https://t.co/BbMi4tzHLz
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) January 26, 2016
A lot of people are turned off by the phrase “flat earth” … but there’s no way u can see all the evidence and not know… grow up
— B.o.B (@bobatl) January 25, 2016
[Image credit: AP Photo/Richard Drew]
Source: Tyson – ‘Flat-to-Fact’ (SoundCloud), B.o.B. – Flatline (SoundCloud)
Death Star map coming to ‘Star Wars: Battlefront’ this fall
Get ready, Star Wars: Battlefront buffs — there’s a ton of downloadable content coming your way. For starters, following the release of the Battle of Jakku in December, DICE will add more DLC content to its game tomorrow, January 27th. This includes the ability for player’s to create private matches, support for new multiplayer modes in the Tatooine Survival map, and Battle of Hoth-themed character clothing for Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. While that’s all fine and dandy, we know what you’re here for: the Death Star.
In a blog posted earlier today, developer DICE revealed that a Star Wars: Battlefront Death Star DLC is scheduled to launch fall 2016. Not many details were discussed beyond this, but at least now you’re aware that the title’s getting one of the most iconic locations from the Star Wars franchise. Separately, Star Wars: Battlefront Outer Rim and Bespin are also set to arrive in March and sometime in the summer, respectively.
Of course, DICE says these pack are going to be available for free to Season Pass holders when they launch, while other users can buy them as a standalone downloads for PS4, Xbox One and PC (Origin).
Source: EA
Google drops the Nexus 5X price again, to $299
If the earlier price drop for the Nexus 5X wasn’t quite enough to make you pull the trigger, you might want to look again. Google has quietly slashed its official store’s price on the 5X once again, to $299; we understand that European prices have dropped, too. It’s not clear how permanent this cut will be, but it’s making the reference Android phone that much more tempting compared to upper-mid-range competition from the likes of Motorola or OnePlus. Just be patient — we’ve seen at least some reports that the Nexus 5X is out of stock, so you may have to wait a little while to plunk down some cash.
Via: Droid-Life
Source: Google Store
Apple Expects First Ever Decline of iPhone Sales Next Quarter
Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed during the company’s financial earnings conference call today that iPhone sales will likely decline in the March quarter, marking the first year-over-year decline since the smartphone was released in June 2007. The decline will be realized if Apple sells less than 61.2 million iPhones this quarter.
Apple forecasts that its total revenue in Q2 2016 will be between $50 and $53 billion, compared to $58 billion in the year-ago quarter, signaling the company’s first year-over-year drop in revenue in thirteen years. Apple has posted over 50 quarters of year-over-year revenue growth since 2003.
Apple is currently facing significant foreign exchange headwinds. A strong U.S. dollar makes it more difficult for Apple, which reports its earnings in U.S. dollars, to perform when some 66% of their business is overseas. Every $100 of Apple’s non-U.S. dollar revenue earned in Q4 2014 translates into only $85 U.S. dollars today.
Financial analysts had already predicted the iPhone would face its first quarterly sales decline in Q2 2016 compared to the year-ago quarter, with some reports claiming the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus may not outsell last year’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, its first devices with larger than 4-inch screens.
iPhone growth in the just-announced first fiscal quarter of 2016 was the slowest since the smartphone’s introduction in 2007. Apple sold a record 74.8 million iPhones during the quarter, which includes the busy holiday shopping season, up only 300,000 units from 74.5 million a year earlier.
Nevertheless, Cook said that 60% of customers who have owned an iPhone prior to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have not yet upgraded, meaning there is a large base of potential customers that could upgrade to newer models, including the iPhone 7 expected in September, over the coming year.
Today’s announcement has been referred to by some as “peak iPhone,” but Cook remains optimistic about annual iPhone sales in 2016. Even if Apple sells a projected 45 to 50 million iPhones next quarter, that would still be more revenue from one product than most companies earn overall in a single quarter.
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Apple Watch and Apple TV See Record Quarterly Sales
Both the Apple Watch and the Apple TV set new quarterly sales records in 1Q 2016, according to information shared by Tim Cook during today’s earnings call. The Apple Watch saw especially strong sales in December as people purchased the device during the holiday season, something that’s perhaps not a surprise given the significant discounts offered by some third-party retailers.
While Apple did not offer discounts itself, Best Buy cut prices on the Apple Watch by $100, and Target offered a $100 gift card with the purchase of an Apple Watch. These price drops likely boosted Apple Watch sales by a good amount during the quarter. Apple also expanded Apple Watch availability to more than 48 countries ahead of the holiday season.
As for the Apple TV, Apple says it saw its best quarter ever following the launch of the fourth-generation device. The Apple TV 4, priced at $149 to $199 depending on capacity, includes features like a full App Store, a touch-based remote control and Siri voice control. Available apps on the Apple TV have expanded, with 3,600 total apps now downloadable on the device.
Apple does not break out sales of the Apple Watch and the Apple TV, choosing instead to lump them into an “Other” category that also includes iPods and Beats headphones, so exact sales numbers for the two devices are not known. Revenue for the Other category did see a big increase, jumping more than 40 percent from $2.7 billion in 1Q2015 to $4.35 billion in 1Q2016. Sales were also up quarter over quarter, as revenue in 4Q2015 was at $3 billion.
Overall, it was a record quarter for Apple with $18.4 billion in profit on $75.9 billion in revenue. During the quarter, the company sold 74.8 million iPhones, 16.1 million iPads, and 5.3 million Macs.
Buyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Buy Now), Apple Watch (Neutral)
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Monument Valley soundtrack getting a beautiful vinyl release
The runaway hit mobile game Monument Valley is getting the soundtrack recognition it deserves with the release of a full blown double LP in vinyl. What may be the best part about this set, however, is the ornate, Escheresque gatefold jacket that encases the vinyl records. Sprawling, impossible architecture created by the game designers, Ustwo, bedeck every surface in an arrangement of imagery that seems to marry the minimalist with the mind-bendingly complex.
Monument Valley received a number of accolades upon its release in 2014, Many touted it as one of the most well-designed games of 2014. The thoughtful puzzle design and stark aesthetics were boosted by a chilling, ambient soundtrack that reinforced a looming sense of brokenness, isolation, and hope. The soundtrack, composed by Stafford Bawler, Obfusc, and Grigori, will be available in full on the vinyl release, as well as an additional, equally large collection of previously unreleased music.
See also: 14 best Android puzzle games
This beautiful collection of original art and original music won’t ship until Spring 2016, but you can pre-order yours tomorrow from iam8bit starting at 1PM ET tomorrow. It’s not necessarily a steal with a $40 price tag, but this is the kind of quality you don’t mind paying for. Plus, it always feels nice to support small developers.
If you haven’t played Monument Valley yet, click the button below to download it from the Google Play Store. It’s a $3.99, one-time purchase with no advertisements or in-app purchases. If you’ve played this game and experienced its soundtrack, let us know what you thought of it in the comments below. Worth forking over the cash for it, yes or no?
Monument Valley soundtrack getting a beautiful vinyl release
The runaway hit mobile game Monument Valley is getting the soundtrack recognition it deserves with the release of a full blown double LP in vinyl. What may be the best part about this set, however, is the ornate, Escheresque gatefold jacket that encases the vinyl records. Sprawling, impossible architecture created by the game designers, Ustwo, bedeck every surface in an arrangement of imagery that seems to marry the minimalist with the mind-bendingly complex.
Monument Valley received a number of accolades upon its release in 2014, Many touted it as one of the most well-designed games of 2014. The thoughtful puzzle design and stark aesthetics were boosted by a chilling, ambient soundtrack that reinforced a looming sense of brokenness, isolation, and hope. The soundtrack, composed by Stafford Bawler, Obfusc, and Grigori, will be available in full on the vinyl release, as well as an additional, equally large collection of previously unreleased music.
See also: 14 best Android puzzle games
This beautiful collection of original art and original music won’t ship until Spring 2016, but you can pre-order yours tomorrow from iam8bit starting at 1PM ET tomorrow. It’s not necessarily a steal with a $40 price tag, but this is the kind of quality you don’t mind paying for. Plus, it always feels nice to support small developers.
If you haven’t played Monument Valley yet, click the button below to download it from the Google Play Store. It’s a $3.99, one-time purchase with no advertisements or in-app purchases. If you’ve played this game and experienced its soundtrack, let us know what you thought of it in the comments below. Worth forking over the cash for it, yes or no?
Apple CEO Tim Cook: Virtual Reality is ‘Really Cool, Has ‘Interesting Applications’
During today’s earnings call for the first fiscal quarter of 2016 (fourth calendar quarter), analyst Gene Munster asked Tim Cook to share his thoughts on virtual reality in an effort to get a hint on whether or not that’s a feature Apple is working on for future devices. “What are your thoughts on the VR theme?” Munster asked. “Is this a geeky niche or something that could go mainstream?”
In response, Tim Cook said that he does not believe that virtual reality is a niche. “It’s really cool,” he said. “And it has some interesting applications.”
With virtual reality products like the Oculus Rift gaining in popularity, there has been speculation that Apple will release some kind of virtual reality or augmented reality feature in its iOS devices. Apple reportedly has a small team of employees working on exploring the augmented reality field.
Last week, Apple hired one of the leading virtual reality experts in the United States, Doug Bowman. Apple has also made some recent acquisitions that point towards an interest in VR/AR, including augmented reality startup Metaio, real-time motion capture firm Faceshift, and expression analysis startup Emotient.
Apple has also filed several patents for virtual reality products over the years, including video goggles, motion-sensing 3D virtual interfaces for iOS devices, and 3D “hyper reality” displays.
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