The two OnePlus 5 colors are almost identical

Chances are you won’t be able to tell the difference between ‘slate grey’ and ‘midnight black.’

The new OnePlus 5 comes in two color options, and damned if they’re not almost identical. Should you opt for the $479 6GB / 64GB OnePlus 5, you’ll get a “slate grey” chassis. Crank your purchase up to 8GB / 128GB for a cheeky $60 extra, and it’s “midnight black” — similar to the murdered-out hue of the midnight black 3T.

Dark grey, and a slightly darker dark grey.

There’s really very little difference between the two hues, though. Even side by side, it’s touch to tell which is which — perhaps partly because OnePlus has gone to great lengths to ensure the antenna bands blend seamlessly with the metal unibody on both versions of the phone.

Essentially, you’re looking at a dark grey, and a slightly darker dark grey. Colors shift slightly depending on whether you’re looking in daylight or artificial lighting. But regardless, without the context of seeing both alongside each other, it’s almost impossible to tell which you’re looking at.

It’s likely more colors will follow, based on OnePlus’s pre-release teaser of at least three additional hues. In the meantime, you needn’t worry about how your launch-day OnePlus 5 will look. The more meaningful differences between the two SKUs can be found on the inside.

OnePlus 5

• Complete OnePlus 5 review
• Reviewing our first OnePlus 5 photos
• OnePlus 5 vs. OnePlus 3: Should you upgrade?
• OnePlus 5 specs
• The latest OnePlus 5 news
• Join the discussion in the forums

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OnePlus 5 vs Sony Xperia XZ Premium: What’s the difference?

OnePlus has announced its new “flagship killer” smartphone in the form of the OnePlus 5. The new device will hit shelves on 27 June for under £500, but how does it compare to its competition?

We’ve put the OnePlus 5 up against the LG G6, Galaxy S8 and iPhone 7 in separate features, all of which you can find in our OnePlus Hub, but here we are looking at how the OnePlus 5 compares to the Sony Xperia XZ Premium.

• OnePlus 5 review

OnePlus 5 vs Sony Xperia XZ Premium: Design

• OnePlus 5 is smaller and lighter
• Sony Xperia XZ Premium is waterproof
• OnePlus is all aluminium, Sony is aluminium and glass

The OnePlus 5 features an anodised aluminium build, rounded corners and a chamfered hard edge. A horizontal dual camera is positioned in the top right corner of the rear, while a fingerprint sensor is situated within a capacitive button on the front of the device beneath the display.

Measuring 154.2 x 74.1 x 7.25mm and weighing 153g, the OnePlus 5 is slightly smaller than the Sony Xperia XZ Premium. There are two colours available, comprising Midnight Black and Slate Grey and there is no official IP rating for water or dust resistance.

The Sony Xperia XZ Premium measures 156 x 77 x 7.9mm and weighs 191g, making it quite a bit heavier than the OnePlus 5. It features an aluminium frame with 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass on both the front and the rear and it offers the signature Xperia OmniBalance flat-slab design as well as a side-mounted fingerprint sensor built into the power button.

There are three colour options available comprising Luminous Chrome, Deepsea Black and Bronze Pink, all of which are IP68 rated for both water and dust resistance.

OnePlus 5 vs Sony Xperia XZ Premium: Display

• Both have 5.5-inch displays, 16:9 aspect ratio
• Sony Xperia XZ Premium has much sharper, 4K resolution
• Mobile HDR compatibility on Sony Xperia XZ Premium

The OnePlus 5 has a 5.5-inch AMOLED display with an 16:9 aspect ratio and a Full HD resolution. Its pixel density is 401ppi, which is the same as the OnePlus 3T. 

There is no Mobile HDR compatibility on board, but the OnePlus 5 does have 2.5 Corning Gorilla Glass protection for a seamless design finish between the screen and the edge of the device. 

The Sony Xperia XZ Premium has a 5.5-inch display too, also with a 16:9 aspect ratio but it opts for an LCD panel over AMOLED, meaning the OnePlus 5 should deliver more vibrant and punchier colours in comparison, even if not as realistic. 

Sony offers Mobile HDR compatibility however and it also has a 4K resolution, resulting in a super sharp pixel density of 801ppi. Like the OnePlus 5, Sony’s Xperia XZ Premium also has 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass Protection.

• Mobile HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10 and Mobile HDR Premium explained

OnePlus 5 vs Sony Xperia XZ Premium: Camera

• Dual camera on OnePlus 5 for bokeh effect and optical zoom
• Higher resolution front and rear snappers on OnePlus 5
• Sony has 960fps super slow-motion video feature

The OnePlus 5 has a dual rear camera featuring a 16-megapixel main sensor with a f/1.7 aperture, coupled with a 20-megapixel telephoto sensor offering a f/2.6 aperture. There is a dual-LED flash on board, up to 4K video recording capabilities and up to 8x optical zoom.

The front camera on the OnePlus 5 is 16-megapixels with a f/2.0 aperture and it is capable of video recording up to 1080p. The OnePlus 5 has a Portrait Mode for bokeh images, along with a Pro Mode for manually adjusting settings such as ISO and shutter speed.

The Sony Xperia XZ Premium has a 19-megapixel f/2.0 main single sensor on the rear, capable of up to 8x digital zoom and 4K video recording. It is a memory-stacked sensor, which means it is capable of recording slo motion video at 960fps compared to the standard 240fps, making for one of its best features. 

The front camera is a 13-megapixel sensor, also with a f/2.0 aperture and like the OnePlus 5, it is capable of shooting video up to 1080p. Sony also offers manual control of certain settings for its rear camera.

• Sony Xperia XZ Premium review

OnePlus 5 vs Sony Xperia XZ Premium: Hardware

• More RAM and internal storage on the OnePlus 5
• Both Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 and similar battery capacity
• MicroSD on Sony Xperia XZ Premium, as well as high-res audio support

The OnePlus 5 features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor under its hood, coupled with either 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage or 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, depending on the model selected. 

There is a 3300mAh battery capacity under the hood, which is charged via USB Type-C and compatible with the company’s fast charge technology, Dash Charge. A 3.5mm headphone jack is also present.

The Sony Xperia XZ Premium also features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, but it is supported by a little less RAM than the OnePlus 5 with the only one model available at 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. Sony offers microSD support for storage expansion though, something OnePlus doesn’t provide.

An ever so slightly smaller battery capacity is also on board the Sony Xperia XZ Premium compared to the OnePlus 5 at 3230mAh, but it too is charged via USB Type-C and it also supports a form of fast charging with Quick Charge 3.0 on board. The Sony device has a 3.5mm headphone jack too and it supports 32-bit audio and digital noise cancelling. 

OnePlus 5 vs Sony Xperia XZ Premium: Software

• Both Android Nougat at core, but different experiences 
• Sony adds bloatware, OnePlus modifies Android for OxygenOS

The OnePlus 5 runs on OxygenOS, which is a modified version of Android Nougat 7.1.1, while the Sony Xperia XZ Premium runs on Android Nougat with Sony’s software over the top.

Both therefore have Android at their core, though Sony will offer a closer to pure Android experience with some bloatware. The OnePlus 5 on the other hand will deliver a slightly different experience, with a few extra features.

OnePlus 5 vs Sony Xperia XZ Premium: Price

• OnePlus is £200 cheaper for same internal storage

The OnePlus 5 will start at £449 for the 64GB model, creeping up to £499 for the 128GB model.

The Sony Xperia XZ Premium meanwhile costs £649, making it £200 more expensive.

OnePlus 5 vs Sony Xperia XZ Premium: Conclusion

The OnePlus 5 and the Sony Xperia XZ Premium are both all about the specs, with both devices offering plenty of power. The OnePlus 5 is the smaller of the two devices, whilst also offering more RAM, more storage, higher resolution cameras and a slightly larger battery capacity.

The Sony Xperia XZ Premium is waterproof though, whilst also offering a super sharp HDR display, a brilliant 960fps super slow motion video recording feature, microSD for storage expansion and high-resolution audio support.

The decision between these two handsets will therefore come down to what smartphone features are more important to you and how much you have to spend, especially as the Sony comes with a £200 price hike over the OnePlus 5. 

• OnePlus 5: Release date, specs and everything you need to know

Facebook Pride reaction: Here’s how to get that rainbow flag ‘like’ button

Have you noticed recently that some people can respond to Facebook posts with rainbow flag ‘likes’?

This new type of ‘like’ button is actually called the Pride reaction. In June, Facebook launched a set of features to celebrate Pride month, including the option to react to posts with a rainbow flag. But this option is not enabled everywhere or even automatically. It’s only available as a default option for people in “major markets with Pride celebrations”. So, if you live in a rural area, it’s not enabled for you.

However, there is a way you can still gain access to the feature. Here’s everything you need to know.

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What is the Facebook Pride reaction?

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride month is currently celebrated in the US each year in the month of June, though Pride celebrations are also held across the world. Facebook announced in June that it is “proud to support” its diverse community, including those who have identified themselves on Facebook as gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender, or gender non-conforming.

The company said that more than 1.5 million people plan to participate in one of the more than 7,500 Pride events on Facebook, so to give those users a way to express themselves, it is rolling out a colourful, limited-edition Pride reaction. When you choose this temporary reaction, you’re essentially expressing your “pride” to the post. But the reaction is not available everywhere.

How can you get the Pride reaction?

Facebook said it is testing the Pride reaction as a “new experience”, so it’s not for everyone. If you don’t live in a major markets with Pride celebrations, you must ‘like’ this facebook.com/LGBTQ page to access the reaction. Once you like it, you can hover over any post on Facebook to see the new rainbow flag ‘like’ button. Like any other reaction, just select it to show how you feel.

Are there other Pride features?

Profile picture

You might see a message from Facebook in your news feed inviting you to add a Pride-themed profile frame. If not, you can always access the profile frame by visiting facebook.com/celebratepride, or by tapping on the Edit button on your own profile picture.

Facebook camera

In Facebook Camera, you’ll also see new Pride-themed masks and frames. Just swipe to the left of news feed, then click on the magic wand to bring up camera effects, and browse through the effects in the mask and frame category.

Facebook Messenger and Instagram

You can add some colour to your conversations in Messenger, with new Pride-themed stickers, frames, and effects found in the Messenger Camera. Facebook is also letting Instagram users celebrate Pride with colourful stickers and a rainbow brush.

Using a 3D render as a French ID card ‘photo’

Everybody wants a decent photo ID, but French artist Rafael Fabre took the quest to a new level. Rather than just having someone snap him, he built a 3D model of his head and torso, then created a nearly photorealistic rendering of himself for a new project called CNI. He submitted that to the French authorities, who duly issued him a carte nationale identité, never realizing that the image was, as he put it, “practically virtual, a video game version, a fiction.”

To create the image, Fabre used “techniques used for special effects in movies and in the video game industry.” Specifically, he sculpted his head and torso from a bare cube using the 3D modeling program Blender, then adorned the model with clothing purchased from the Turbosquid 3D marketplace. The model was textured with photos of himself, as is typically done for photorealistic humans, then touched up to correct the lighting and proportions. Fabre said he created around 50 versions of his head before he found one that was believable.

When seen at the full render size, you can see tiny faults with the hair, jacket and details on his face. However, at the 32mm official size (about 1.2 inches) it’s easy to see why French officials bought it. Unlike with driver’s license photos in the US and Canada taken in person, France allows you to submit your own, much as you would with a passport.

Fabre’s ID photo does have a point and fits into a larger part of his art. Much of that revolves around the idea of leading viewers into a virtual, “non-existent universe … the construction of a permanent fiction,” he writes on his website. For instance, another project called Opening brings viewers into an installation featuring a fake company, complete with its own Facebook page, logo, promotional materials and website. Actors speak to the visitors, but frustratingly, never respond to them, not unlike chatbots on sites like Facebook.

It’s meant to illustrate how our increasing interaction with the digital via VR and 3D is, in effect, placing us more and more often into works of fiction. “The viewer, which is almost the only real thing in this fiction, circulates in the fake scenery, talking to the actors, going on fake websites, and interfering in this virtual world,” he said in an email to Engadget.

The photo ID fits perfectly with that idea. “I wanted to put fiction, digital and virtual into the most real object there is,” he said. “Since it is a representation, the idea of the identity itself becomes a sham … a reflection of the world of digital retouching, big data and social media in which we live.”

Via: Prosthetic Knowledge

Source: Raphael Fabre

Samsung ready to relaunch the Galaxy Note line in August

Samsung isn’t letting the Galaxy Note 7’s battery failure hinder the release schedule for its next pen-toting smartphone. A Reuters source understands that Samsung is planning a New York City launch event for the Galaxy Note 8 in August, or roughly around the same time as it introduced the Note 7 last year. The tipster hasn’t revealed many details of the phone itself, but does appear to corroborate earlier rumors. It’ll have a curved screen slightly larger than the 6.2-inch display on the Galaxy S8 Plus, the source says, and there should be an iPhone 7 Plus-like dual camera setup on the back.

There’s no indication that Samsung is being overly hasty in launching the Note 8 on a familiar schedule. The safety processes that emerged from the Note 7 debacle were already in place for the S8, which isn’t known to have run into any battery fires so far. In other words, there’s no reason why it can’t get back to business as usual.

All the same, it’s apparent that Samsung still feels pressured to launch the new Note sooner than later. It not only has to worry about courting skittish buyers (particularly fans who had to return their Note 7s), but preempting what could be one of the larger iPhone launches in recent memory. If it can deliver the Note 8 in August, it might steal a bit of Apple’s thunder and hold on to customers that might otherwise look for alternatives.

Source: Reuters

Sphero’s new company wants to bring intelligent robots into your home

Sphero is mainly known for its connected toys, and, of course, Star Wars’ BB-8 Droid (which it also turned into a very popular gadget). But the company has also been working on grander plans all the while. Today, Sphero announced that it’s spinning off its advanced robotics division into a new company, Misty Robotics, which will be focused on bringing intelligent personal robots into homes and offices. Surprisingly, the company plans to release its first product next year, TechCrunch reports.

Misty Robotics isn’t offering many details about its plans yet — though you can glimpse a peek at one of its prototype devices in the above image. In a press release, the company says the robots will be “seen and treated as our friends, our teammates, and a part of our families.” It’s basically going for the full science-fiction approach, envisioning robots that’ll help us with a variety of tasks. Misty’s CEO, Tim Enwall, doesn’t think the world is ready for a truly personal robot yet. But he sees the firm playing a role in getting us there, starting with products targeted at hobbyists.

“Even the first-generation of product will embody the principles required for putting a robot in everyone’s home and office,” Enwall told TechCrunch. “It’s just that this first version will be targeted at innovators.”

Sphero is in a unique place to explore the future of robotics. It’s had plenty of hardware experience with its original smart ball, as well as projects like its new Spider-Man toy. Anki, another connected toy maker, is already dabbling in robotics with the adorable Cozmo — though that’s far from something that could actually help you at home. Based on Misty’s pitch, it sounds like it’s aiming for a better version of ASUS’s Zenbo, which is cute, but not exactly the robot assistant we’ve been waiting for.

Source: Misty Robotics

Kickstarter Gold brings back successful creators for new projects

Kickstarter is bringing back some of its VIPs for another round of crowdfunding. The new project, called Kickstarter Gold, is a return of over 65 creators who have new takes on past successful campaigns.

The crowdfunding site selected creators based on past success as well as their creativity and innovation. According to Kickstarter, repeat campaigners bring in a third of all successful project pledges. And Gold follows the company’s request earlier this year for more ambitious projects.

Some of the projects being offered by Kickstarter veterans include Star Trek-themed 3D-printing pens from 3Doodler, a new animated short on African-American achievement from Karyn Parsons and a tile game to help people learn Chinese from the maker of Chineasy. Also, the creator of the 2015 campaign to make a music album for cats will be Kickstarting a new album that can be enjoyed by both cats and their owners.

The new projects start rolling out today and will continue through the coming weeks. See all of the Kickstarter Gold projects here.

Source: Kickstarter

Samsung exclusives are the last thing Google Play Music needs

Back in April, Samsung used the launch of its excellent Galaxy S8 smartphone to make a small but important announcement about a partnership with Google. Google Play Music would be the default music player on all Samsung smartphones, and Google would develop “exclusive features” for the company’s devices. That’s good for Samsung and its customers — now the company isn’t wasting time building apps nobody wants that simply duplicate ones that Android already has. And it’s a win for Google, whose music service is now the default on this top-selling Android phone.

But we’re now seeing the first signs that deal is going to be a bummer for everyone else using Play Music. Some enterprising Reddit users noticed a new Samsung-exclusive feature called New Release Radio: a personalized station that surfaces new songs every day. It’s similar to Spotify’s extremely popular Discover Weekly playlist and Apple Music’s customized New Music Mix (also updated every Friday). But, at least to start, this station appears to be exclusive to Samsung users. (We’ve reached out to Samsung and Google for comment on this, but neither company has responded yet.)

Oddly, Samsung and Google still haven’t made an official announcement about it. But that didn’t stop Reddit from figuring out a workaround so that anyone could access this station; I’m listening to it right now on my iPad. But most average users won’t even know this station exists. And that’s a shame: This is exactly the kind of feature Google needs to add to stay competitive with Spotify and Apple.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Play Music: It’s a lot cleaner and simpler to navigate than Apple Music, and it lets me upload my own music library to live alongside the streaming catalog, something Spotify doesn’t offer on smartphones. I’ve also come to enjoy the vast swath of stations that Google features; they often help me find new tunes. But some of Play Music’s simplicity comes from the fact that Google doesn’t update it very often and it’s lacking some key features that Spotify and Apple include — most notably any form of social integration.

Google’s slower development cycle makes sense. Spotify’s entire business rests on the success of its music service, and Apple has made music a tentpole of its strategy for almost two decades now. But Google has a number of vastly more important initiatives that take precedence over music. That’s what makes this supposed Samsung exclusive so frustrating: It’s not often that we see genuinely useful new features hit Play Music. When one shows up that’s only meant for a small number of people, it’s damn frustrating.

Sadly, that’s not likely to change any time soon. Spotify and Apple’s subscriber bases are growing rapidly; it’s basically a two-horse race at this point. And Google has made it clear that it would offer exclusives to Samsung going forward. I’m just hoping that exclusive features like New Release Radio aren’t kept exclusive forever, because I’m sure many of them will be notable improvements to a solid service. But if new Play Music features are kept exclusive to Samsung owners — even if only temporarily — it’s going to be hard for me to recommend or use it anymore.

PayPal ‘instantly’ transfers money to your bank account

PayPal can be frustrating if you want to put funds in your bank account. It can take a day or more for transfers to go through, and that’s a problem when rival services like Zelle can promise speedier access to your money without needing a separate app. To that end, PayPal is rolling out an instant transfer option in the US. So long as you’re willing to accept a 25-cent transaction fee, your funds will hit your bank account within a few minutes, and no more than 30 minutes in the worst cases. If you withdraw money from PayPal before a shopping trip, it should be ready to use by the time you get to the store.

The service is initially available only to a handful of PayPal users as part of a beta, but it should eventually be available to all Americans with “eligible” MasterCard or Visa debit cards in the months ahead. And if you’re not in a rush, regular bank transfers will remain free.

The addition could help if you’ve been drifting toward alternatives like Zelle. You may be more likely to use PayPal if you know that you can always get your cash in a hurry. At the same time, it’s another way for PayPal to generate income. A 25-cent fee may not sound like much, but it could add up. The company racked up 1.7 billion transactions just in its latest quarter — if even a fraction of those users pay to speed things up, that could amount to tens of millions of dollars in revenue. You may not like giving up a tiny amount of your money just to get your money, but it would definitely help PayPal’s bottom line.

Source: PayPal

Tidal’s ‘On Air’ podcast network features five exclusive shows

Jay Z’s forthcoming album isn’t the only new content coming to Tidal this month. The streaming music site announced Tuesday that it is following the lead of Google Play, Deezer, and Spotify and now offering podcasts to its subscribers.

The company already has five acts lined up for what it’s dubbed, TIDAL On Air. Angie Martinez and Minya “Miss Info” Oh will co-host “In Real Life” where, each month, they discuss “music, motherhood and everything else that happens off the clock.” “Rap Radar” host Elliott Wilson is relaunching his influential podcast for Tidal with co-host Brian “B. Dot” Miller, which will air weekly.

Stefi Chacon is slated to interview the biggest names in Latin pop from Miami on her weekly podcast “En La Mira”. And for the comedy nerds, Cipha Sounds’ “The Guest Spot” will feature stand-up comics debating the topic du mois. Finally, legendary DJ Luis Jimenez has agreed to produce a number of specials for commemorative days like Hispanic Heritage Month and Colombian Independence Day for the service.

The first episodes of In Real Life, En La Mira and Rap Radar are all currently available for Tidal subscribers. The Guest Spot and Jimenez’s specials will become available once they air.