Google Photos’ automatic back up feature proves Canadian man’s innocence
Google Photos has seen a lot of success, and has gone through some rather large mistakes, but most recently its helped a man Toronto man prove his innocence after being assaulted by local police.
Abdi Sheik-Qasim was arrested by Toronto Police for, according to the department, assaulting an officer during an exchange between law enforcement and Qasim at his uncle’s house on January 4, 2014. The constables established that Qasim was not wanted for any warrants, but insisted on entering the apartment anyway. Qasim pulled out his cell phone to record the encounter, but was only able to get 10 seconds of video before Constable Dhaliwal knocked the device out of Qasim’s hands.
Qasim, as you would suspect, was arrested for the exchange, reportedly having assaulted an officer. Qasim lost his smartphone during the whole ordeal, but upon his return home, he found that Google Photos backed up the 10 second video, proving his innocence.
At Qasim’s court hearing, both constables said the man engaged them by trying to reach for one of their utility belts, but that didn’t seem to be the case after watching the video. Ontario Court Justice Edward Kelly cleared Sheik-Qasim of all charges during the exchange, saying:
“Officer Dhaliwal’s swing of his arm and hand was the very first physical force during the interaction. The accused didn’t grab a hold of the belt of Officer Gul in advance of this action by Officer Dhaliwal. I believe that Officer Dhaliwal’s action amounted to an assault against the accused.”
Albeit a unique situation, it’s interesting to see how technology could save you from a lot of heartache. Do you backup your photos and videos? You never know when they could get you out of hot water!
source: Toronto Star
via: Android Authority
Come comment on this article: Google Photos’ automatic back up feature proves Canadian man’s innocence
LG’s Nexus 5X (Bullhead) is spotted on GeekBench with 2GB of RAM
With Google’s September 29th announcement looming large, you could be forgiven for wondering if there was anything left to find out about LG’s Nexus 5X handset other than pricing and availability. Even Amazon India has gotten in to the act. But wait, there’s more news, because the Nexus 5X has been spotted being put through its paces on GeekBench under the code-name ‘Bullhead‘, the details which are after the break.
Other than confirming the Nexus 5X Bullhead specifications yet again, the main takeaway of the benchmark is that 2GB of RAM is also reconfirmed. Whether this means there is only one Nexus 5X model or whether it implies LG is following a similar strategy as it did with its G Series, offering 16GB/2GB & 32GB/3GB variants, only time will tell.
All things considered, the Nexus 5X is shaping up to be the true successor to the 2013 Nexus 5. Perhaps the current Nexus 5 owners who eschewed upgrading to the Nexus 6 because of its size and expense will view the Nexus 5X as a logical upgrade option. Thankfully, there really isn’t much longer to wait until Google reveals all on September 29th.
If you aren’t quite sure about the Nexus 5X, some press renders leaked yesterday that you can view here. The question has to be asked though – which Nexus are you more excited about, LG’s Nexus 5X or Huawei’s Nexus 6P?
Source: GeekBench
Via: TechTastic
Come comment on this article: LG’s Nexus 5X (Bullhead) is spotted on GeekBench with 2GB of RAM
Huawei Watch unboxing and initial impressions
Plenty of Android Wear devices come through our labs, but we have been waiting for a very specific one to reach our hands (or wrists) lately. Yes, I am talking about the Huawei Watch. It has just reached my doorstep and I am ready to give you an unboxing, as well as my very first impressions on this fancy smartwatch. Shall we dig right in?
Packaging matters
Huawei is not releasing your average watch here. This device is expected to go above the casual standards of technology and offer a high-class experience that very few competitors have accomplished. You only need to take a look at the Huawei Watch’s packaging to realize this much. Not only is the outside case very pleasing, but opening up the case is a very luxurious affair.
Opening up this box reveals the watch and its shiny sapphire crystal front right away. There’s a couple nubs on the sides, which will ease the struggles of lifting the internal leather cover, in order to get to the rest of the accessories. The fancy crystal is not the only beautiful part of the watch – this unit has a leather strap. which is also really nice, and the metal casing really makes the smart watch stand out.
What else is in the box?
Under the leather cover we can find your usual device literature, as well as the charging disc, a wall plug and a cable (which does happen to be proprietary). I have to accept this is a bit of a turn-off, as using any USB cable will not be a possibility.
This means that once this cable goes bad, or gets lost, you will have to buy a replacement from Huawei before you can get charging again. Not to mention, it’s a bit annoying to have to remember to bring a specific charger with you whenever you will be away from home for an extended period of time. Battery life is expected to average at about 1.5 days, so you will pretty much need to charge the Huawei Watch every night.
Pairing & hardware
Once you start playing around with the watch you will notice the experience goes right in line with other Android Wear products. Pairing the device to a smartphone is as simple as powering up the gadget and entering a simple code on your phone.
Now, what really caught my eye is the screen on this thing. This circular AMOLED panel has a stunning resolution of 400x400p. Underneath this display we can find a Snapdragon processor, 0.5 GB of RAM and 4 GB of internal storage.
Comfort
Let’s jump right into the comfort factor, though. After all, you will be wearing this thing at all times, making this an important matter to consider. I will tell you the device does come with a bit of heft to it. Sure, it’s not really heavy or weigh you down in any form, but you will certainly feel it. Otherwise, the band is soft and the watch wraps well around the wrist.
Software
Once you move into the software you will notice the experience is very similar to that of other Android Wear watches. The only major change is that Huawei has included a plethora of watch faces… they are actually over 40!
Gallery
Wrapping up
Just keep in mind this happens to be one of the lower-end Huawei Watch versions. There will be a bevy of variants, made of different materials. This will include other finishes, and even precious ones like gold. Keep it tuned to Android Authority to learn more about the Huawei Watch. By the way, we just got done unboxing the Moto 360 2nd-gen, so you will definitely see a comparison between these two, as well as both reviews.
The Google Store celebrates its birthday with a couple of sweet wallpapers
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Google likes to celebrate birthdays, so it stands to reason that they’d have a birthday for the Google Store. To celebrate, the Google Store’s Google+ page has made several wallpapers available featuring various sweets, including, of course, marshmallows. For those who are interested, the availability of the HTC G1 at T-Mobile was announced 7 years ago today, which is kind of an odd thing to celebrate, but hey, we’ll take it. You can check out the wallpapers below, or for the full-sized images, be sure to see hit the source links.
Wallpaper connoisseurs are probably going to be disappointed that the wallpapers are only 2048×1152, but hey, they’re free, and they have marshmallows in them.
What do you think about the Google Store’s birthday? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Google+ via Android Police
The post The Google Store celebrates its birthday with a couple of sweet wallpapers appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
The Nexus 6P will come in four colours: white, black, silver, and gold
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After seeing press renders for the Nexus 6P yesterday, the Nexus leaks have continued today, starting off with another leak for the new Huawei Nexus smartphone. The leaked press render image in question shows that the Nexus 6P will come in four colours – namely white, black, silver, and gold. As yesterday’s leak will have shown, the front of the device will remain black no matter the colour of the back of the device.
In the image here, it’s actually quite hard to see the difference between the white (far left) and silver (second from right) versions, but presumably the silver one will look much more metallic in real life. Personally, I think all the colours look pretty great on device – whether or not you like the black bar at the top of the device is another question entirely. Considering how authentic these renders look, we’re pretty sure these four coloured variants are going to be the devices announced at Google’s event on September 29th.
What do you think about the news that the Nexus 6P will come in four colours? Which coloured Nexus 6P do you like the best? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Android Police
The post The Nexus 6P will come in four colours: white, black, silver, and gold appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
The Nexus 5X will come in three colours: white, mint green and black
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Somebody at Google obviously has a deathwish. The Nexus leaks have been piling up over the last few days, and although more of them have focused on the larger Huawei Nexus 6P, the LG Nexus 5X has caught up with a couple of press renders today, one showing the device’s front and back, and the other showing that the Nexus 5X will come in three colours.
Like yesterday’s press render of the Nexus 6P, we get a clear look at the front and back of the Nexus 5X today – much like previous Nexus devices, despite the back of the device being white in this instance, the front of the device remains black. While we’re on this image, we will mention that the top and bottom bezels are quite noticeably large – take it or leave it.
The second image released for the Nexus 5X today looks like a promo image showing all three colours that the LG Nexus device is going to be available in – namely white, mint green and black. Mint green is definitely an interesting choice as it seems to be more of an acquired taste rather than an immediate yes, but at least Google has had the sense to at least offer the standard black and white – keep in mind there is also the possibility of other colours being released at a later date. All should be revealed at Google’s September 29th event, so keep your calendars cleared for next week.
What do you think about the fact the Nexus 5X will come in three colours? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Android Police
The post The Nexus 5X will come in three colours: white, mint green and black appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Leaked press renders of the Nexus 5X show the device off in white, black, and the reported mint color
Yesterday we reported on images of the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P retail packaging along with a high resolution press render of the Nexus 6P. And now today, Android Police got their hands on a press render of the LG Nexus 5X, and it’s definitely much more stylish than the Huawei Nexus 6P with the giant black bar on the back of the device.
As you can see (pictured above) the Nexus 5X has what seems to be two front-facing speakers on the front. Around the back, you can see the rumored fingerprint scanner right above a camera that seems to stick out of the device a bit more than normal.
Android Police was also able to get a press render of the device in it’s three color options as well:
There’s been many different variations of rumored specs that the Nexus 5X will sport, with Amazon even accidentally leaking some alleged details today, too. One thing’s for sure, heading into Google’s event in San Francisco next week, there aren’t going to be many surprises.
source: Android Police
Come comment on this article: Leaked press renders of the Nexus 5X show the device off in white, black, and the reported mint color
Best apps for reading books [2015]
One of my favorite things about smartphones and tablets is the ability to take a library of books with you wherever you go. Not only are eBooks cheaper than the physical alternative, but there’s no need to pack five or six books with you when travelings — it’s all on your tablet!
Amazon Kindle
Most will be familiar with this option largely because almost everyone uses Amazon. However, they’ve put together one of the best apps for reading books. Paired with just the right font, brightness levels, and background or “paper” color, the Kindle app makes electronic reading easy on the eyes.
Amazon is aiming to make electronic reading more convenient than with a physical book, and thus far they’ve done that and far more. While Amazon has designed Kindle with what is the best user interface in the industry, what makes or breaks an e-reader is its availability of books. And with Amazon being a leading retailer in the book industry, there’s no shortage of having access to the latest and greatest or even old classics.
One of the most convenient parts of Amazon’s Kindle reader is its syncing capabilities. If you read a few chapters on an iPhone during lunch break at work, as long as you’re logged into your Amazon account, you can pick up right where you left off on your Android tablet at home. It’s seamless and makes reading a breeze.
It also has your usual features that’re included in an app for reading books: highlighting, bookmarking, a built-in dictionary, brightness, font selections, and a bevy of a text customization.
Aldiko Book Reader
The Aldiko Book Reader is an excellent second option for those not a fan of Amazon Kindle. Aldiko has a massive library, featuring many of the latest books, classic, and more. Similar to Kindle, it has a great user interface making for easy reading.
But what makes this application particularly unique is its advanced library management system, allowing users to easily import their own EPUB or PDF files to read on the go. Users can also customize their reading experience to the fullest extent — font sizes, font type, font and background colors, margins, line spacing, and much more. This allows each user to adapt Aldiko Book Reader to their individual preferences, truly making it one of a kind.
Google Play Books
Google Play Books was fairly crummy when it first started out, but it’s gone through some major improvements making it a much more optimal reading experience. It has offline reading (which many apps don’t), elegant 3D page turns resembling a physical book, varying reading modes (day, night, sepia), and the usual bevy of text and background customization.
The great thing about Play Books is how seamless it works with textbooks. Physical textbooks can be extremely expensive, however, many are discounted on Google Play Books, allowing you to save yourself quite a penny.
Play Books is particularly enjoyable due to how hard it tries to resemble the experience of holding a physical book in your hand. It’s most certainly one of the better options available with a constantly expanding library!
Universal Book Reader
Universal Book Reader is an elegant application thanks to its robust library management. It keeps everything neatly organized through Bookcase, your digital library resembling that of an actual bookshelf. It has an integrated file browser, allowing you to quickly grab and import your EPUB and PDF files into Universal Book Reader.
The app has some of the most seamless and fluid page flipping animations out there. Additionally, the application is very smooth, even after loading almost thirty books into it. On the downside, it’s plagued with ads, which disappear if you purchase the premium version. With the premium version, you get some neat additional features, such as text-to-speech, the ability to create shortcuts to books on your home screen, and more.
Overall, it’s a great free application for book reading although ads can get frustrating quickly.
Audible
Some people aren’t a fan of reading, whether it be an electronic or physical book. Fortunately, Audible is available for those that would rather listen to a good book. Of course, audiobooks are significantly pricier than electronic books, but can be perfect for the morning commute, someone who drives truck, or a person who simply prefers listening to a book!
Audible is owned by Amazon, and they’re sporting a library of over 180,000 audiobooks. And if you own a Kindle, you can easily switch between listening and reading with Audible through Amazon’s Whispersync. Convenience at it’s best!
Wrap Up
These are five of the best reading apps available for Android, all of which give its users an excellent user interface while providing a reading experience resembling that of a physical book. There are plenty of other options on the Play Store, but none that seem betteer than what’s listed here.
What’s your favorite app for reading books? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!
Come comment on this article: Best apps for reading books [2015]
Huawei Nexus 6P shows up in white, black, silver, and gold
Things have gotten crazy this week with tons of new information surrounding the rumored LG Nexus 5X and Huawei Nexus 6P, which are both expected to be unveiled next week. And now today, there’s been an additional leak outing the colors the Huawei Nexus 6P will be available in.
This new press render comes by way of Android Police, not long after leaking the full image of the device yesterday.
The devices will be available in white, black, silver, and gold, according to the press render pictured above. The image above is interested–there doesn’t seem to be much of a difference between the white and silver option, and what is supposed to be gold takes on more of what seems to be a brown-ish hue. Of course, they’ll no doubt look a lot different in real life as opposed to images on the screen.
I’ll be honest, that black bar on the Nexus 6P looked quite ugly at first, but it doesn’t look too bad on the black and gold variants. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
source: Android Police
Come comment on this article: Huawei Nexus 6P shows up in white, black, silver, and gold
Best apps for reading books [2015]
One of my favorite things about smartphones and tablets is the ability to take a library of books with you wherever you go. Not only are eBooks cheaper than the physical alternative, but there’s no need to pack five or six books with you when travelings — it’s all on your tablet!
Amazon Kindle
Most will be familiar with this option largely because almost everyone uses Amazon. However, they’ve put together one of the best apps for reading books. Paired with just the right font, brightness levels, and background or “paper” color, the Kindle app makes electronic reading easy on the eyes.
Amazon is aiming to make electronic reading more convenient than with a physical book, and thus far they’ve done that and far more. While Amazon has designed Kindle with what is the best user interface in the industry, what makes or breaks an e-reader is its availability of books. And with Amazon being a leading retailer in the book industry, there’s no shortage of having access to the latest and greatest or even old classics.
One of the most convenient parts of Amazon’s Kindle reader is its syncing capabilities. If you read a few chapters on an iPhone during lunch break at work, as long as you’re logged into your Amazon account, you can pick up right where you left off on your Android tablet at home. It’s seamless and makes reading a breeze.
It also has your usual features that’re included in an app for reading books: highlighting, bookmarking, a built-in dictionary, brightness, font selections, and a bevy of a text customization.
Aldiko Book Reader
The Aldiko Book Reader is an excellent second option for those not a fan of Amazon Kindle. Aldiko has a massive library, featuring many of the latest books, classic, and more. Similar to Kindle, it has a great user interface making for easy reading.
But what makes this application particularly unique is its advanced library management system, allowing users to easily import their own EPUB or PDF files to read on the go. Users can also customize their reading experience to the fullest extent — font sizes, font type, font and background colors, margins, line spacing, and much more. This allows each user to adapt Aldiko Book Reader to their individual preferences, truly making it one of a kind.
Google Play Books
Google Play Books was fairly crummy when it first started out, but it’s gone through some major improvements making it a much more optimal reading experience. It has offline reading (which many apps don’t), elegant 3D page turns resembling a physical book, varying reading modes (day, night, sepia), and the usual bevy of text and background customization.
The great thing about Play Books is how seamless it works with textbooks. Physical textbooks can be extremely expensive, however, many are discounted on Google Play Books, allowing you to save yourself quite a penny.
Play Books is particularly enjoyable due to how hard it tries to resemble the experience of holding a physical book in your hand. It’s most certainly one of the better options available with a constantly expanding library!
Universal Book Reader
Universal Book Reader is an elegant application thanks to its robust library management. It keeps everything neatly organized through Bookcase, your digital library resembling that of an actual bookshelf. It has an integrated file browser, allowing you to quickly grab and import your EPUB and PDF files into Universal Book Reader.
The app has some of the most seamless and fluid page flipping animations out there. Additionally, the application is very smooth, even after loading almost thirty books into it. On the downside, it’s plagued with ads, which disappear if you purchase the premium version. With the premium version, you get some neat additional features, such as text-to-speech, the ability to create shortcuts to books on your home screen, and more.
Overall, it’s a great free application for book reading although ads can get frustrating quickly.
Audible
Some people aren’t a fan of reading, whether it be an electronic or physical book. Fortunately, Audible is available for those that would rather listen to a good book. Of course, audiobooks are significantly pricier than electronic books, but can be perfect for the morning commute, someone who drives truck, or a person who simply prefers listening to a book!
Audible is owned by Amazon, and they’re sporting a library of over 180,000 audiobooks. And if you own a Kindle, you can easily switch between listening and reading with Audible through Amazon’s Whispersync. Convenience at it’s best!
Wrap Up
These are five of the best reading apps available for Android, all of which give its users an excellent user interface while providing a reading experience resembling that of a physical book. There are plenty of other options on the Play Store, but none that seem betteer than what’s listed here.
What’s your favorite app for reading books? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!
Come comment on this article: Best apps for reading books [2015]
AIVAnet 