BlackBerry DTEK50 preview: Hands-on with the Alcatel Idol 4 lookalike
BlackBerry has a long tradition of building its own hardware and software, but having fallen on harder times of late, the company was forced to outsource hardware building and designing to another company. With the DTEKT50, its first mid-range Android phone, it partnered with TCL Communication and added its own subtle tweaks to a pre-existing reference design.
The result is an all-touch device running a clean-looking version of Android, but with BlackBerry’s own useful software on top. Specifications are decent, and for a phone that costs less than £300, you get good value for money.
In a market this saturated though, BlackBerry’s going to have a tough task convincing consumers that the added element of security is a big enough distinction.
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BlackBerry DTEK50: Design
To describe it in the shortest, crudest way possible, the BlackBerry DTEK50 is essentially an Alcatel Idol 4 with a plastic back. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
The lightweight, slim aluminium frame construction – combined with the textured plastic on the back – makes a device that’s both grippy and light. From an aesthetic perspective, it doesn’t look quite as premium as devices covered in glass on both sides. But unlike those, it won’t slide off furniture or slip out of your hand.
A dark grey anodised finish on the frame contrasts really nicely with the polished, chamfered edges to give a result that is both elegant and subtle. Sadly, it is slightly hampered by the black plastic antenna gaps on the top and bottom which don’t sit exactly flush with the edges.
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The slim volume rocker switch on the right edge is coloured to match the frame, and is joined by a round “Convenience” key. This can be programmed to launch an app, or used as a shortcut to a specific function. As an example, you could press it to compose an email or a message, add an event to a calendar, set an alarm or use one of many other shortcuts available.
Above and below the screen on the front are two rows of machined holes which act as the grilles for the 3.6W stereo speakers. These are mirrored on the rear as well, so whether the phone is face up or facedown, you can hear your music and notifications clearly.
The micro USB port lives on the bottom edge, the 3.5mm jack is on the top edge, while the power button is – confusingly – on the left edge, opposite the volume rocker.
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BlackBerry DTEK50: Display
Underneath a flat sheet of scratch-resistant glass on the front, there’s a 5.2-inch full HD display.
It’s fully laminated, which means there’s no gap between the glass and the actual display panel. This has a few benefits, most importantly, it means colours and brightness are better than if there was an air gap. Also, it enables manufacturers to build the slim phones we’ve become accustomed to.
On first impressions, the screen seems really clear and text is nice and sharp. Colours are accurate, but there’s not the vividness or high contrast levels you might get from an AMOLED-based screen. Still, the IPS panel offers great viewing angles and is generally pleasing to the eye.
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BlackBerry DTEK50: Camera
The main camera on the back features a 13-megapixel sensor and f/2.0 lens and supports full HD video capture. As a bonus, the built-in BlackBerry camera app has a full manual control mode so that you can fine-tune your shots.
The manual control mode lets you adjust the shutter speed, white balance, focus and brightness. Those of you who like to play with long exposures for effects like light-painting and light trails will be disappointed to know that the longest shutter speed available is 1/2 second. Still, the addition of manual changes to other important settings should help you get the results you want.
The front camera has an 8-megapixel sensor and also supports 1080p video recording, it also has a front LED light which – as well as being used as a notification alert – can function as a flash for well-lit selfies.
BlackBerry DTEK50: Hardware
Inside, powering the DTEK50, is a mid-range Snapdragon 617 with eight cores. It’s paired with 3GB RAM to make sure that you get as smooth a performance as possible from a mid-tier phone, but sadly comes with just 16GB internal storage.
The upside is there’s a microSD card slot which supports cards up to a massive 2TB, ensuring that it’s future proof. What’s more, BlackBerry’s latest device supports Android Marshmallow’s adoptable storage feature, so you can adopt a microSD card and use it as if it was internal storage for saving apps and app data as well as media.
There’s a 2,610mAh battery which BlackBerry says will get you through a day, and even if it doesn’t, it supports Quick Charge 2.0 technology for fast charging. It can half-fill the battery in just 50mins.
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BlackBerry DTEK50: Software
With the Android marketplace being so saturated nowadays it can be hard for companies to put their own unique spin on devices. With BlackBerry, the most obvious way to do it was with software. It was something that worked well on the PRIV, and has yet again been implemented in to the DTEK50.
Starting with the most obvious – and where the phone gets its name from – the DTEK app is a very simple tool for checking up on your phone’s security. It’ll tell you your device’s current security status and, more importantly, gives you access to more granular controls for choosing which permissions are allowed for individual apps.
If an app that shouldn’t get access to your location or microphone has been getting permission to access those things, you can switch the permissions off. You can also see how many times a specific feature or function has been accessed by any app.
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Like the PRIV, it has the Productivity Tab, which slides in from the right and gives you quick access to your upcoming events and tasks, as well as favourite contacts and messages. BlackBerry has also implemented its great predictive software keyboard for easy typing and the Hub which collects notifications, messages and events from across the device and collates them in to one, easy-to-use inbox.
As well as that, there’s the useful pop-up widgets from the home screen. Any app that has white dots under its icon has widgets available, and you can access them by just swiping up from the icon. This saves lots of space on your home screen, and ensures you don’t have any potentially confidential information always on display.
All these software tweaks are joined by a handful of BlackBerry apps like the calendar app, BBM, Device Search, Password Keeper, Notes and Tasks. While many might class these as bloatware, the company has been careful about including only the software which improves the experience and makes it more BlackBerry-like.
On top of all this, BlackBerry is committed to delivering prompt security updates. So when Google releases its monthly security patches on Android, BlackBerry is usually one of the first to follow in updating its own devices.
First Impressions
As first impressions go, it’s impossible to ignore the phone’s similarity to the Idol 4, but that’s because it uses the same TCL Communication reference design.
Once you move past that observation you’re left realising that this is a pretty solid mid-ranger. And for those who love the BlackBerry Hub for managing notifications and want the extra piece of mind that their information is secure, this is an ideal device, especially if their budget is under £300.
Wireless charging tech harvests your phone’s wasted radio waves
When you think of wireless charging, you probably think of special charging pads for your phone. But what if your phone could partly charge itself? Radient Micro-Tech claims to have managed just that. It just received two patents for technology that reportedly captures energy from a device’s wasted radio waves (those that would merely dissipate in the air) for the sake of charging. While it’s not specific about how the technology works, it would harvest those RF waves through antennas built into your phone’s screen. Radient is claiming that you’d get up to 30 percent longer battery life, which could be enough to get you through a particularly active day.
It sounds too good to be true, and there are certainly reasons to be skeptical. There’s a working prototype (needed by the US patent office), but we’ve yet to see a practical demonstration — we’ve asked for one and will let you know if we get it. Also, Radient is planning to license the concept to device makers, rather than designing physical components it can sell. It’s easy to promise a revolutionary product if you’re not the one who has to mass-manufacture millions of units. If the reality comes anywhere close to the hype, though, the invention will either extend the battery life of phones or allow for smaller batteries without taking a hit to longevity.
Source: Radient Micro-Tech
Hyperloop One opens its first manufacturing plant
Hyperloop One has announced that it’s opening its first manufacturing plant to build the future of high-speed transportation. Metalworks is a 105,000 square foot facility in the city of North Las Vegas where components for DevLoop, the first testbed for the platform, will be constructed. As well as housing the company’s new propulsion lab, the location will also be used to solve some of the more practical engineering challenges the technology faces. Employees will work to design and build supporting columns, cradles and the joints that keep everything held tightly together.
The announcement will also help to bolster the credentials of North Las Vegas, which is becoming a big tech hub for promising new transportation firms. As well as Hyperloop One, officials have snagged investment from Faraday Future to build its new electric supercar factory in the region. In fact, Nevada is becoming a key battleground for transport businesses, since Tesla’s Gigafactory is being established seven hours up the road outside Reno.
Of course, Hyperloop One is putting a brave face on while it suffers from a little bit of internal strife. Co-founder Kevin “Brogan BamBrogan” Brogan has sued the firm, citing harassment and a potential death threat from the brother of co-founder Shervin Pishevar. The company has filed a counter-suit, saying that Brogan was responsible for causing internal strife and launching a “coup,” to grab control of the company. Although, as co-founder, you’d think he already had control of the company, wouldn’t you?
Source: Hyperloop One
Twitter’s Snapchat-like stickers are now available to all
After announcing its intentions late last month, Twitter has finally jumped on the sticker bandwagon. The company announced it has completed the rollout of its “visual spin on hashtags,” allowing you to furnish your photos with strategically-placed emoji and other custom-made cartoons. They’re searchable too, just in case you want to see other people’s crazy creations.
In the past year, apps like Snapchat and Facebook Messenger have helped popularize stickers, at least in the west. Asian messaging services like Line have been on board for some time and sell branded packs from popular franchises like Hello Kitty. It’s logical to assume that, like custom emoji, Twitter will seek to monetize its graphics and allow brands to pay cold hard cash to add their own.
If you’ve been looking to up your sticker game, or just think your dog could use a nice pair of cartoon sunglasses, Twitter will now place a small smiley icon on the bottom-right part of a photo you wish to attach. Once you hit the button, you’ll be presented with a menu of available stickers that are loosely grouped by category, allowing you to select, quickly place and post to your followers.
Source: Twitter
Facebook will refund app and game purchases made by minors
Parents, take note: if your child bought in-app or in-game purchases on Facebook without your knowledge or consent, you can get your money back. A California court has ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit originally filed by two kids and their parents back in 2012. The judge ordered the social network to provide refunds at parents’ request. Those kids bought Facebook Credits (now known as Facebook Payments) using their parents’ cards without their consent and racked up a few hundred to a thousand dollars in debt.
The website’s lawyers argued that the kids got what they paid for, but the plaintiff’s legal counsel reminded the court that the kids were minors and didn’t exactly understand that they were using their parents’ money. According to The Guardian, the whole case was centered around a California legislation called the Family Code, which applies not just to the state, but the whole country. That code voids contracts made with kids below 18 years old. It’s thanks to this case that Facebook had to launch a way for parents to get their money back. So, if you have a kid fond of playing with your tablet or phone, you may want to bookmark the Payments support page, just in case.
Source: The Guardian
Twitter Debuts ‘Stickers’ as it Faces Slowest Revenue Growth in Three Years
Twitter today will begin rolling out its new “Stickers” feature for iOS and Android devices, which it first announced in June, letting users choose from a set of custom-made stickers in order to customize photos before posting them to the micro-blogging social network. The update brings Twitter a step closer to the comical editing capabilities of Snapchat, where users can place, enlarge, and filter emojis layered on top of their pictures.
But, ahead of the official launch of Stickers, Twitter reported “its slowest revenue growth since going public in 2013.” As reported by Reuters earlier this week, Twitter’s most recent earnings forecast referenced a “disappointing” near future for the company as it struggles to keep pace with services that are catching fire, like Snapchat and Instagram.
Now, everyone can use #Stickers on photos! Celebrate with us tomorrow as we #StickTogether . pic.twitter.com/LOh2jygRno
— Twitter (@twitter) July 27, 2016
Overall, this year the company’s user base expanded 1 percent from Q1 (310 million monthly active users) to Q2 (313 million MAU). Revenue during the second quarter also hit below expectations, as the company’s current quarter forecast of between $590 million and $610 million fell below analyst estimates of about $678.18 million.
The question now for investors, and executives at Twitter, is whether the service should pivot into a “niche product,” now that its days of booming growth are behind it, and most people sticking around are longtime, loyal users. Either way, the company is said to have a plan in mind to turn things around, focusing on five key areas: its core service, live-streaming video, the site’s “creators and influencers,” safety, and developers.
“Clearly, the turnaround is still a work in progress and the question of whether being a platform for a mass audience versus a niche audience needs to be answered,” said James Cakmak, analyst at Monness, Crespi, Hardt & Co.
“We are a year into Dorsey coming back and there is really no end in sight of when it is going to start picking up to where investors are going to be happy,” said Patrick Moorhead, analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy.
During the earnings call (which the company has streamed on its own live-streaming app Periscope in the past), CEO Jack Dorsey pointed out small, incremental changes brought to Twitter that he believes will help make bigger differences in public opinion in the long run. These amount to gaining the most out of its 140 character limit, including not counting links and mentions — and soon media links — in a tweet’s character count. Presumably, beginning today, he and Twitter also hope Stickers will help bridge the divide between potential new users and their reluctance to commit to the service.
Those interested can learn more about Stickers here, and anyone who has yet to do so can get the Twitter app for free from the App Store. [Direct Link]
Tag: Twitter
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Phil Schiller Named to DNA Sequencing Company Illumina’s Board of Directors
DNA sequencing and array-based technologies company Illumina today announced that Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller has joined its board of directors.
“Phil’s track record and global experience in bringing world-class products to market will help guide us as we continue to develop innovative new solutions for our customers,” said Francis deSouza, Illumina President and Chief Executive Officer. “His vision, integrity and passion are fully aligned with Illumina’s core values.”
Schiller has been part of Apple’s senior executive team since the late Steve Jobs returned to the company in 1997. He has helped market several products, including the Mac, iPod, iTunes, iPhone, Apple TV and the Apple Watch, and he has managed the App Store across all Apple platforms since last December.
Illumina, founded in 1998, is a San Diego-based biotech company focused on genetic research solutions to fuel advancements in life science research, translational and consumer genomics, and molecular diagnostics. It ranked third on MIT Technology Review’s list of the top 50 smartest companies in the world in 2016.
Schiller holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from Boston College, where he graduated from in 1982.
Tag: Phil Schiller
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LG V20 is coming later this quarter
LG posted its second quarter earnings earlier today, in which the company revealed that a new phone in the V series will make its debut later this quarter. While LG didn’t name the device, it is likely that it’ll be called the V20.
LG didn’t specify a launch date, but rumors suggest that the phone will be unveiled sometime in the month of September, barely 10 months after the LG V10 hit store shelves. The expedited timeline may have something to do with the company’s mobile business, which recorded a loss of $132 million this quarter and $170 million in Q1 2016. Samsung’s decision to unveil the Galaxy Note 7 on August 2 may also have played a part.
Either way, the V20 is coming this quarter, most likely in the month of September. With the LG G5 failing to meet expectations, LG needs a strong contender to the Note 7 in the V20. Last year’s V10 was a decent phone in many regards, but LG wasn’t able to translate that to strong sales. Here’s hoping the brand does better this year.
What do you guys want to see in the LG V20?
Amazon launches its Dash grocery scanner in the UK to help you order stuff
Amazon has launched its Dash grocery scanner in the UK to help consumers quickly and conveniently add items to their basket for easy checkout by scanning barcodes. Once the items have been added, all that’s required is to complete the checkout process on a PC or using one of the official Amazon mobile apps.
As noted in Engadget’s report, should two Amazon Fresh orders be completed before August 28, the Dash can be delivered for free. For those who don’t, it’ll set them back £35. There’s also voice support, in case you’d rather say what you wish to have ordered, as opposed to messing around with scanning individual products.
All we need now are the Dash buttons so we can maintain an unhealthy supply of Monster energy drink.
Where to buy Google Play gift cards
Where can I buy Google Play gift cards?
Looking to buy a Google Play gift card for that special Android user in your life? We at Android Central just want to let you know that you’re a good person.
Google Play gift cards just don’t seem to be as ubiquitous as iTunes gift cards, but they’re actually a lot easier to find than you think.
Here’s where to find Google Play gift cards in your region!
- USA
- Canada
- UK
USA
Denominations: $10, $15, $25, $50
In-store: You can find Google Play gift cards at the following retailers:
- Target
- Sam’s Club
- CVS
- Kroger
- Walgreens
- Best Buy
- 7-Eleven
- GameStop
- Dollar General
- Rite Aid
- Safeway
- Walmart
Online:
The good ol’ U.S. of A. is the only place where you can send someone Google Play credit online and you can even gift Google Play Music subscriptions. You just have to make sure that the recipient is registered for Google Play in the U.S. as well. To share the Google Play love:
- Send Google Play credit
- Gift a Google Play Music subscription
Canada
Denominations: $15, $25, $50
In-store: You can find Google Play gift cards at the following retailers:
- Shoppers Drug Mart
- Sobeys
- Safeway
- Loblaw
- 7-Eleven
- Best Buy
- Mac’s/Couche-Tard
- London Drugs
- Walmart
- Circle K
- Provigo
Online:
You can’t send Google Play credit from one Google Play account to another in Canada right now, but you can gift a Google Play Music subscription:
- Gift a Google Play Music
UK
Denominations: £10, £25, £50
In-store: You can find Google Play gift cards at the following retailers:
- Tesco
- Morrisons
- Sainsbury’s
- ASDA
- WHSmith
- Currys PC World
- Boots
- Clintons
- Wilko
- McColl’s
- Co-op
- Argos
Online:
You can send Google Play credit in the UK, but you can give the gift of tunes in the form of a Google Play Music subscription:
- Gift a Google Play Music subscription
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