ZTE Nubia NeoAir VR is a 360-degree camera for your smartphone

Why it matters to you

ZTE’s offering shows that the 360-degree camera space is heating up, with potential benefits for consumers.

Filming 360-degree video content for viewing on your virtual reality headset doesn’t need to cost you a lot of money anymore. There are a number of manufacturers out there making compatible cameras and now ZTE has joined that list, with the debut of its Nubia NeoAir VR camera alongside a new Nubia Z17 Mini smartphone.

Although not a household name in the U.S., ZTE is one of the top five smartphone manufacturers in China. This is its first entry in the virtual reality camera game, but it kicks things off with strong specifications.

The Nubia NeoAir VR 360-degree camera is a small sphere that attaches to the phone through its USB Type-C connector. It’s made up of two cameras with a 2:1 aspect ratio, each offering 210 degrees of coverage. GizChina reports (via PocketNow) that still images can be taken at a resolution of 3,008 x 1,504 pixels, while video is recorded at 2,560 x 1,280.

More: 5 cool new 360-degree cameras that will turn your head

The only system requirements for the camera are that a compatible smart device have 2GB of RAM and support for USB On-The-Go (OTG). Although it’s only available in Chinese markets right now, priced at 700 yuan ($101), it may be importable or expand into international markets in the future.

If it does, it will have to face off with other established cameras, though the NeoAir may have a specifications advantage if it does. The Giroptic IO 360 camera we reviewed recently has some excellent features, but its resolution is limited to 1,920 x 960, which makes the NeoAir far more visually capable.

It won’t always lead the pack in that regard though. Although Samsung’s reputation in the smartphone market took a hit with the Note 7 fire debacle of 2016, it has its Gear 360 camera, which has a much heftier 4,096 x 2,048 resolution, and that aligns with dual 195-degree cameras.

ZTE’s Quartz is one of the most affordable Android 2.0 smartwatches yet

Why it matters to you

If you’re looking for a decent smartwatch that won’t break the bank, ZTE’s Quartz is shaping up to be a great option.

It is safe to say that smartwatches, the once-derided mash-ups of digital guts and analog bodies, have graduated from passing fad to budding business. You need look no further than timepieces like Tag Heuer’s $1,500 Connected 2, Movado’s $700 Bold, and Michael Kors’ $350 Access for evidence that smartwatches aren’t just novelties anymore — they’re functional accessories. And they’re also a market that Chinese smartphone maker ZTE can’t wait to break into.

ZTE’s Quartz, which leaked prematurely a few weeks back, is a first step in that direction. It runs Android Wear 2.0, the newest version of Google’s Android operating system, and in many ways, it’s an amalgam of current smartwatch trends.

More: The only guide you need to get started with Android Wear

The Quartz boasts a unibody design with a 1.4-inch, Gorilla Glass 3-shielded circular touchscreen (400 x 400 pixels) that can withstand water and dust. Under the hood is a step-tracking accelerometer, a  gyroscope, a pressure-sensing barometer, a GPS, and a heart rate sensor. A 1.1GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor and 768MB of RAM handle the heavy software lifting, and 4GB of storage provides ample space for music and apps.

But there is more to the Quartz than meets the eye. Like LG’s Watch Urban 2nd Edition and Samsung’s Gear S3, it has a speaker, microphone, and a built-in cellular antenna that can handle phone calls, texts, and data.

The Quartz taps T-Mobile’s network for connectivity, and will eventually support the carrier’s Digits service (currently in beta) to deliver a seamless calling experience. With Digits enabled, the Quartz will be able to share your smartphone’s number.

More: 9 of the worst Android Wear problems, and how to fix them

NFC is a notable omission — the Quartz doesn’t support Android Pay’s tap-to-pay feature, so contactless transactions are a no-go. But ZTE has taken advantage of the extra space to stick a massive 500mAh battery inside, which it said should last a full 36 hours off the charger.

Lack of NFC also helped ZTE get the Quartz’s price down to $192, making it far and away the cheapest smartwatch to ship running Android Wear 2.0. Considering competition like LG’s $350 Watch Sport, which ships with a 430mAh battery and smaller (1.38-inch) screen, that is not a bad deal.

ZTE is a brand best known for its killer phones and awesome accessories. Sales of the blockbuster Axon 7 propelled the Chinese smartphone maker’s shipments to a record 15 million phones in the U.S. With the Quartz, the firm is trying to replicate that success in the wearable space.

More: Android Wear is back in business with two new watches from LG

“The ZTE Quartz is the industry’s best introductory smartwatch that allows you the opportunity to experience Android Wear 2.0 without breaking the bank,” a ZTE spokesperson said. “The ZTE Quartz smartwatch evokes a solid and sturdy, yet stylish design that blends form and function.”

Best app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time

Everyone likes apps, but sometimes the best ones are a bit expensive. Now and then, developers make paid apps free for a limited time, but you have to snatch them up while you have the chance. Here are the latest and greatest apps on sale in the iOS App Store.

These apps normally cost money, and this sale lasts for a limited time only. If you go to the App Store and it says the app costs money, that means the deal has expired and you will be charged. 

More: 200 Awesome iPhone Apps | The best Android apps for almost any occasion

dB meter

The dBA Meter app is well-calibrated with professional noise meter tool OKTAVA 110A-PRO so you can keep close tabs on any noise level.

Available on:

iOS

iMerchandise

This Trade Show App helps retailers like you buy more efficiently, plan wholesale purchases and deliveries, and generally be more organized, productive, and profitable.

Available on:

iOS

Dahli

Dahli makes it very hard to text or email while driving. Are you a parent of a teen driver? Have you ever tapped a text or email while driving? This app will stop that risky behavior.

Available on:

iOS

Musicfeed

Find your next favorite song from the friends and experts you trust. See what your favorite artists and music friends are sharing in your music feed.

Available on:

iOS

WorldMessage

WorldMessage is a cross-platform mobile instant messaging app which allows you to exchange messages, and automatically translate messages, videos, and more.

Available on:

iOS

Thinglist

There are plenty of “to-do” and task apps out there. Thinglist was created for all the things you “want to do” to make life a little more enjoyable.

Available on:

iOS

Google strives to make its Duo video-calling app a FaceTime killer

Why it matters to you

As tech companies focus more on emerging markets, finding ways to service slower connections and older networks is a top priority, and Google’s Duo app does just that.

Is there really room for yet another video-calling app? Google certainly thinks so with Duo, and it has the numbers to back it up. In a little more than a week after launching, the app was downloaded more than 5 million times on Android, and its popularity has only continued. In March, Google introduced users in Brazil to audio calling in Duo, which allowed folks to easily move between video and audio-only calls. And now, Duo’s technical lead Justin Uberti has announced that audio calling is globally available.

At its core, Duo is a FaceTime-like offering for Android and iOS that Google first showed off back in May. The app is all about simplicity — you’ll find no superfluous features here, with the app pretty much a case of tap-and-talk.

Google Duo now over 5M Android downloads in a week! https://t.co/ctwn131gYq

— sundarpichai (@sundarpichai) August 25, 2016

Google CEO Sundar Pichai tweeted about the 5 million milestone last summer, when the app shot to the top of the free apps list on the Google Play Store within the first two days of its offering.

Duo focuses on reliability. Aware of how frustrating most video-calling apps can be, with calls temporarily dropping out or crashing entirely, Google claims to have created something altogether more stable.

“We’ve built Duo to be fast and reliable, so that video calls connect quickly and work well even on slower networks,” Google software engineer Justin Uberti wrote in a message launching the new app. “Call quality adjusts to changing network conditions to keep you connected [so] when bandwidth is limited, Duo will gracefully reduce the resolution to keep the call going smoothly.”

This same concept applies to Duo’s audio calls, which is to say that you’ll be able to maintain connection even in 2G networks. And as tech companies focus more and more on markets with slower, older infrastructure (like India), apps like Duo will become ever more important.

Knock Knock

Duo’s most notable feature, however, is something called “Knock Knock.” No, it’s not a built-in joke generator that automatically offers up corny word-play gags at the conclusion of every call, but a feature that lets you see live video of the caller before you even answer. It’s supposed to “give you a sense of what they’re up to” (hopefully not picking their nose) before you take the call.

If after 30 seconds of absurd face-pulling (or whatever other antics that your buddy thinks will persuade you to pick up) the call remains unanswered, it’ll automatically disconnect, leaving your friend to wonder if you weren’t available or were simply ignoring them.

Google insists Knock Knock “makes video calling more spontaneous and welcoming, helping you connect with the person before you even pick up,” though some users may consider it as little more than a creepy gimmick they could well do without.

More: We break down Google’s 6 different personal chatting apps

The company has endeavored to keep the software simple, but there are still restrictions that mean not everyone will be able to use it. For example, it’ll only work on Android handsets running Jelly Bean (v. 4.1) or later, and iPhones running iOS 9 or later. And the requirement of your phone number to get started means it won’t work with tablets or other devices like the iPod Touch.

Duo’s arrival leads us to expect that Google’s text-based messaging app, Allo, will also land soon. You can learn more about that particular offering here.

So does Google’s new Duo app have what it takes to persuade users already happy with FaceTime or Skype – or messaging apps with video-calling capabilities already built in like Snapchat and Facebook Messenger – to take the software for a spin? Pulling in users could turn out to be quite a challenge for the web giant, but it’s hoping Duo’s ease of use and lack of flashy extras will be enough to make a success of its offering and keep it from going the same way as many of its past efforts, among them this, this, and this. And all of these.

Article originally published on 08-16-2016. Updated on 04-10-2017 by Lulu Chang: Added news of Duo’s audio calling rollout to users globally.

Teaser hints at an imminent rollout for Google Home’s multi-user support

Why it matters to you

Google Home has been teasing us with the possibility of multiple user support for at least a month, but now, it looks like the feature is finally ready to be unveiled.

We’ve been waiting about a month for this, and it looks like Google Home is finally ready to start rolling out support multiple users. As of Monday morning, it seems as though users have begun to discover something new in the Discover tab of the Google Home app. The new card is called “Multiple users now supported,” and unless Google is playing a very mean trick on us, it would suggest that the smart home hub can now be linked to multiple people in a household instead of just one master commander.

The card’s description reads: “Now, you and others in your home can get a personalized experience from your Assistant on Google Home.” Unfortunately, however, although Google is already touting the new feature, it doesn’t appear to be live quite yet. That said, it certainly doesn’t seem as though Google would allow such a card to exist on the app if multiple user support weren’t truly forthcoming, so hopefully, we can expect the feature to become publicly available in the near future.

More: Google Assistant keeps gaining skills, adds new Listen tab for Google Home app

Of course, we should point out that details still aren’t available around how different users will actually be able to use the same smart hub. Ostensibly, Assistant will be able to identify different individuals’ voices, and switch among different accounts accordingly. After all, if Siri is working on voice recognition, it stands to reason that other smart assistants are as well.

Once multiple users are indeed able to use Google Home and its associated features like Assistant, Android Police notes that you might be able to access a number of options that were previously available only on your phone, like setting personal reminders, sending messages, and creating calendar events.

So get excited, friends. Your smart home assistant looks to be getting even smarter in the days ahead.

Meet the company that’s hoping to democratize art collection — Absolut Art

Why it matters to you

Art is meant to give us global perspectives on matters of import, but sometimes, art simply isn’t that accessible. One company is hoping to change that.

It’s meant to transcend boundaries and break down walls, but for all intents and purposes, much of art today simply isn’t all that accessible. From expensive museum entry fees to the high costs associated with collecting, creative works seems to hide behind a paywall. But one company is hoping to give the public a key. Meet Absolut Art, the new digital platform looking to democratize international art at a time when access to global perspectives may be more important than ever. 

By digitizing the process of art collection, Absolut Art hopes to allow a wider audience to participate in a previously exclusive conversation. So how does it do it? Absolut commissions artists the world over to create limited edition, one-of-a-kind prints specifically for the e-tail platform, making them far more accessible and indeed affordable for those interested in purchasing original pieces.

More: Forget turning photos into paintings, this software copies another photo’s style

The vast majority of the art found on Absolut falls within the $150 to $600 range, so even if you’re a first-time art buyer, there’s likely a piece within your means. And profits are split evenly between Absolut and the artist, so you can rest assured you’re indeed supporting creative endeavors. And because this is the 21st century, art ships within 48 hours and arrives framed and ready for your wall.

To ensure that new and seasoned collectors alike are selecting from the best collections, Absolut’s team explores cities like LA, Berlin, and Havana with expert curators to handpick local artists to bring to the platform. And thanks to the company’s deep-seated connections, you’ll also be able to buy works commissioned from major names like Frances Stark, Miranda July, Malin Gabriella Nordin, and Sascha Pohflepp.

So whether you’re looking to buy your home’s first piece or adding to a growing collection, Absolut may become your online destination for all things art.

Samsung Gear 360 (2017) initial review: Improvements all around

As early hardware and unfinished software goes, this is actually pretty good.

Samsung stopped in the middle of its big Galaxy S8 unveil to hand out a new Gear 360 to the crowd. With that camera came instructions to have fun capturing the world around us in a new way, and while 360-degree cameras aren’t new to me it’s still exciting to see what Samsung has in store for the next Gear 360. Here’s what I have to say after using this camera for the last week.

For starters, I want to make sure it is clear this is in no way a full review of this camera. The Gear 360 (2017) was delivered in a little cardboard box with no instruction manual, lens protection, or even a charging cable. The only thing I got in the box, besides the camera, was a QR code to download a beta version of the Gear 360 app for handling this new camera. This is hardware given to me before retail packaging with unfinished software, so none of my opinions are final and very little about the overall experience is set in stone.

That having been said, I’ve had a lot of fun with this camera so far.

Samsung has traded the sphere design for something more like a stick, but instead of a rounded rectangle body we get a nice round body with plenty of grip. The single button on the side of the body is easy to find and press without looking, with the power and menu buttons out of the way up near the lenses. This keeps you from accidentally hitting any buttons, so you can quickly grab the camera and capture with confidence.

It’s smaller than last year’s version, but the 2017 Gear 360 is still pretty chunky.

Just above that single button is a display, and like the previous version of this camera it’s easy enough to read in direct sunlight that you don’t need to grab you phone when you’re supposed to be enjoying the moment. Through this display you can see how much storage you have left, read to you in photos or video time remaining, and an icon with text for the shooting mode you are currently on. Tapping the menu button on the side of the camera will allow you to cycle through Photo, Video, Time Lapse, HDR Landscape, and Looping Video.

While the Gear 360 has stepped away from the orb shape with all of the computer bits in between the lenses, it’s still a little chunkier than most other 360-degree cameras. This camera is more pocketable than its predecessor, but still a little on the awkward side. Ricoh, LG, and Insta360 all have less physical space between the two fisheye lenses that work together to take a photo. The farther apart the lenses are, the more work software has to do to make the sphere seamless. In its current state, the sphere created by the Gear 360 is far from seamless.

The blurry line splitting the two halves of the sphere appear in every photo, but are most apparent when using the HDR photo mode shown in the above image — which is a shame, because it otherwise does a great job addressing the biggest problem with 360-degree cameras in difficult lighting. On most consumer 360-degree cameras, this photo would have been completely blown out on one half of the sphere due to the sunlight.

Samsung’s HDR Landscape handled it much better, though it takes significantly longer to take these photos when compared to the normal button press. As the name suggests, this mode is only really useful if you’re taking photos of a landscape with little or no movement. You’re also going to want a tripod or something to keep the camera steady.

You have a lot more flexibility when it comes to shooting video on the Gear 360, but only if you use the app to set things up the way you want. The Gear 360 app lets you choose between 4K video at 24fps and 720p video at 120fps, with a number of options in between. These options are incredibly important for a number of reasons, but VR is the most important. By offering 360-degree video at 60fps or 120fps, you ensure the videos are much easier to watch inside a VR headset.

The Gear 360 does a great job addressing the biggest problem with 360-degree cameras in difficult lighting.

The general rule of thumb here is based on motion: increase your FPS when you increase motion, or you risk nauseating some of the people watching. Samsung doesn’t do a great job explaining this anywhere, but the options available are very easy to switch between. What would be especially cool here would be a quick button to send the video you’re looking at directly into a Gear VR app for you to quickly view, but right now that’s not an option.

Everything you do on this camera is stored initially to the microSD card in the camera. This unit came with a 32GB card from Samsung, which is enough for thousands of photos and hours of 360-degree video. When you’re ready to view or share what you’ve captured, it’s time to head to the app on your phone.

The Gear 360 app establishes a Wi-Fi Direct connection with the camera, and lets you either transfer files to your phone or use the app as a remote shutter for the camera. Like the original Gear 360, using Wi-Fi Direct means a faster and more stable connection to the camera than the usual Bluetooth. It also means you’re going to drain your battery if you leave the app open for particularly long, which is why there’s a notification warning you to turn it off.

While the app works well enough in its beta form, it only works on modern Samsung phones and no update is going to fix that. Which is a bummer, because while you don’t need a Samsung phone to take pictures you need the app in order to stitch the two halves together to make a sphere. To make things even weirder, there’s eventually going to be an iOS version of the app, so in relatively short order there will be more iPhones able to use Samsung’s camera than Android phones. There’s also a YouTube live streaming feature in the app, but it only works on Android 7.0 or greater and in its current form isn’t particularly stable.

As it stands right now, there’s a lot to like about the Gear 360. The camera is easy to use, the software offers a lot of useful new features, and the battery will get you at least four hours of fairly constant use. It’s small enough to be reasonably portable as long as you have something to protect the lenses, and it just plain looks nice. Assuming Samsung is working on making the stitching a little smoother while we wait for release details that are a little more specific than “sometime in April or May” this will be a great camera to use just about anywhere.

See at Samsung

Google Duo’s audio calling feature is now rolling out to everyone

Everyone can now make audio calls on Google’s Duo.

Google rolled out audio calling in Duo last month, starting with users in Brazil. The feature lets you easily toggle between video or audio calls from within Duo’s interface, and the app’s technical lead Justin Uberti announced today that audio calling is now available to all users globally.

Just like Duo’s video calls, the audio calls feature is optimized for spotty connections, so even if you’re on a 2G cellular connection, you’ll be able to make audio calls with passable clarity. The feature certainly makes the app much more versatile, but the main problem with Duo and Allo — an instant messaging app that has the Assistant baked in — is user adoption.

Both apps are aimed at emerging markets like India, where millions of users are making their way online for the first time. If Google launched them two or three years ago, they would’ve racked up millions of users. But with WhatsApp effectively sowing up the Indian market thanks to its smorgasbord of features and ubiquity across platforms — both Allo and Duo don’t have a desktop app yet — there’s little incentive for customers to install multiple apps when there’s a single platform that does it all.

Google is ready to spend a billion dollars to give the Pixel a curved display

Google is looking to better compete with Samsung by partnering with LG on displays.

Google is ready to spend close to $1 billion — around $880 million at today’s exchange rate — to LG Display to produce curved OLED panels for its next Pixel phones, according to Korea’s Electronic Times (via Reuters).

The report says that LG has not approved the offer just yet, but the move is an indicator that Google understands it needs to follow Samsung, LG and presumably other OEMs in producing thinner, more flexible OLED panels to maximize the screen space of its next Pixels while keeping overall device footprint down.

While the original Pixels use OLED panels, which are ideal for virtual reality and optimized for the Daydream platform, the phones, available in 5-inch and 5.5-inch variants, have been criticized for their bezels above and below the display, making their overall size much larger than other devices with the same usable screen real estate.

Google Pixel + Pixel XL

• Google Pixel and Pixel XL review
• Google Pixel XL review: A U.S. perspective
• Google Pixel FAQ: Should you upgrade?
• Pixel + Pixel XL specs
• Understanding Android 7.1 Nougat
• Join the discussion in the forums!

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Verizon

ZTE Quartz is an affordable Android Wear smartwatch with 3G and a huge battery

The maker of budget smartphones begins its foray into the wearables market with the biggest battery in Android Wear.

ZTE isn’t quite known for its wearables because it hasn’t really offered any — at least, not any running Android Wear. The company is hoping to turn that around now that smartwatches and wearables have become a veritable thing in the mobile industry, and companies of all sorts are investing in their own devices in this space, ZTE has committed to trying its hand.

ZTE’s first smartwatch is the Quartz. It runs Android Wear 2.0 and features 3G connectivity, and it’s nearly as polished and preened as some of the pricier fashion smartwatches available. Its main appeal, however, is its price point. When the watch launches on April 21, you can buy it at T-Mobile for $199.

See at T-Mobile

Bang for the buck, but with compromises

The ZTE Quartz isn’t a bells and whistles kind of Android Wear smartwatch. It’s barebones packed into a pretty well-crafted metal chassis. It’s up to speed with all its specifications, too, as it runs on the same Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor and 768MB of memory as the LG Watch Sport. It has 4GB of onboard storage for Google Play Music playlists on the go, as well as a built-in speaker for speakerphone, GPS, and a barometer. It’s also IP67-rated for water resistant, too, and features removable watch bands — which is appreciated, considering the default silicone watch band that comes with the Quartz is stylistically limiting.

The ZTE Quartz isn’t a bells and whistles kind of Android Wear smartwatch.

There is only one button the Quartz: a ridged crown located on the left upper corner of the device. It doesn’t spin and scroll like the LG Watch Style’s, but it is placed on a part of the chassis that’s easier to access when wearing the watch.

The Quartz’s most alluring feature its is comparatively huge 500mAh battery. If a long-lasting Android Wear smartwatch is on your wish list, but you don’t want to spend too much, you’ll want to give this particular wearable a look over. ZTE says the Quartz can last up to 36 hours, which is just enough to make it back home for a charge after a rowdy night on the town.

ZTE’s first major smartwatch is lacking a few marquee features, though that’s the compromise for its cheaper price. To keep its thickness at a minimum — for reference, it’s 0.3mm thicker than the LG Watch Sport — ZTE left out a heart-rate monitor and an NFC chip, which would have enabled Android Pay. And though it’s compatible with GSM networks, the Quartz is limited to 3G connectivity.

The Quartz also charges on an antiquated MicroUSB-connected dock. This decision was likely made in an effort to keep the overall cost of the Quartz as affordable as possible, but it feels like a stumble backward as the rest of the industry is moving forward with USB Type-C. It’s certainly not a deal breaker, but it is an annoyance.

Coming soon

A pretty basic smartwatch.

ZTE has made its business on affordable smartphones, and now it’s hedging its bets on smartwatches. The wearables market may have slowed down a bit in sales, but ZTE’s is hoping its connected watch will attract any early adopters in search for a cheap entry point. For $199, the Quartz offers 3G connectivity on your wrist through T-Mobile, a longer battery life than its competitors, and a relatively abbreviated design chassis that’s malleable enough for anyone to style.

The ZTE Quartz is on sale exclusively at T-Mobile on April 21. You can pre-order it starting April 14. And in the meantime, we have a review in the works, so stay tuned.

Android Wear

• Everything you need to know about Android Wear 2.0
• LG Watch Sport review
• LG Watch Style review
• These watches will get Android Wear 2.0
• Discuss Android Wear in the forums!