Sarah Nyberg’s Twitter bot feeds the emptiness of alt-right trolls
Engaging with “alt-right” Pepe-spewing racists on Twitter is a diversion I have yet to tire of, but the fact is even I can’t tweet enough satisfy the masses. Fortunately, automating the process is a viable option, as shown by writer Sarah Nyberg’s @Arguetron Twitter bot.
It’s not the first such scripted process to hit social media (according to Nyberg, her inspiration came from a number of similar bots created by Nora Reed including @opinions_good and @good_opinions.), but it does have a remarkably deep capability to create benign but baiting responses. One egg avatar’d tweeter determined to defend the honor of a not-as-popular-as-his-follower-count-suggests alt-righter went back and forth with Arguetron for about ten hours without catching on.
this infowars egg is the record holder
it argued with the bot for… almost TEN HOURS. yes, really. pic.twitter.com/DiQdNd8azw
— Sarah Nyberg (@srhbutts) October 6, 2016
It’s not exactly a coincidence that Nyberg has been able to create a language so familiar and responsive to these elements, as she was a member of the same online communities that birthed so many of them. Like many of us with a background in 90s/00s chatrooms and forums, the nature internet arguments comes easy, however, some of us grew up to temper that with some amount of respect for humanity in general. Some have not, and in a turn, Nyberg has been targeted by Gamergate-related harassment over the last couple of years.
Tweets by arguetron
Still, Arguetron is by design not abusive or malicious in its tweets, and does not actively seek out adversaries. That’s in contrast to some bots, like Nigel Leck’s 2010 project @AI_AGW, which hunted down global warming deniers to provide automated fact-based responses explaining the science. One Hacker News commenter described it at the time as a “pro-active search engine,” able to answer questions people didn’t even know they needed correcting on — particularly interesting given the current trend of messaging bots launched by Google, Facebook and others to do just that. Other examples include the SNAP_R bot that security researchers used to phish Twitter users, and @BrandLover7 which absolutely loves your product.
Thomas Kuhlenbeck
I chatted with Sarah, and she explained that a big part of the motivation is not to engage in harassing behavior, but to “expose reactionaries and harassers.” Since the bot doesn’t automatically tweet at anyone, it only picks arguments with the folks who are searching Twitter for keywords to argue. As she puts it, “I’d like the project to help people critically look at how toxic Twitter can be, especially for people expressing these kinds of opinions. That it also makes the people engaging in this sort of behavior looks ridiculous is a nice side effect.”
No matter what ends up happening to Twitter, it would be nice if whoever controls it took a look at these behaviors and applied it to addressing abuse on the platform. Unfortunately, I think there’s little indication that will happen under its current administration. Of course, if any of those Silicon Valley companies working on bots need a side project, assigning everyone an AI might be a worthwhile 20 percent project. While it can’t address the very real issues of stalking and harassment that affects our safety, at least this way trolls get the attention they so clearly crave and the rest of us keep the time they’re hoping to steal. It’s a win-win.
Source: Sarah Nyberg (Twitter)
LeEco inadvertently spoils its US launch plans
LeEco’s hardware lineup is supposed to make its splashy US debut on October 19th, but it appears that someone at the company couldn’t wait to show what it had in store. Vizio’s new owner briefly posted listings for most (if not all) of its American devices, and it looks like the company’s cost-conscious Chinese pricing will survive the trip across the Pacific. Its 5.7-inch Le Max 2 flagship, for example, could cost just $349 before a $60 promo discount — and the mid-tier, 5.5-inch Le S3 (likely a rebranded Le 2) could start at $299 before discounts. You may not like the absence of a built-in headphone jack, but these phones could offer a lot of performance for the money.
There are four 4K TVs listed (the Super4 X43, X55 and X65, plus the uMax 85), although their prices are definitely placeholders. Sorry, folks, you won’t pay $15 for an Ultra HD set. However, their very existence is telling. It suggests that LeEco isn’t going to rely solely on Vizio for TV sales in the US, and could complement Vizio’s in-house smart TV strategy with its own Android TV models.
There’s no guarantee that these are the prices you’ll get, or that the devices you see here represent exactly what LeEco will present on the 19th. From initial appearances, though, the company might be planning a more cautious US rollout that focuses on the hardware most likely to prove a success.
Via: The Verge
Source: Android Police
The Galaxy Note brand is now damaged beyond repair
Should Samsung give up on the Note brand entirely?
There’s no question that the beleaguered Galaxy Note 7 is having a hard week, after a hard month. Things were looking up for the Korean giant after the recall was deemed a success, a huge undertaking from around the world that attempted to corral over two million handsets. But then an AT&T-branded Note 7 caught fire on a still-grounded Southwest flight after being powered off and things went to hell again very quickly.
The response
In the immediate aftermath, Samsung issued what was perhaps the most tone-deaf response possible, saying that it wasn’t obvious the phone was a Note 7, nor that the battery was the cause. Obviously, the company was and is looking into the root cause, and was merely hedging against an outcome — that this replacement, “good battery” Note 7 wasn’t suffering from the same issues as its distressed early-production counterparts.
Should we find ourselves in a situation where a number of new Note 7s are spontaneously combusting, we’ll have no choice but to retract our recommendation.
Here at Android Central, we’ve taken the cautious route: We want to believe that when Samsung says it has things under control, it really does. As a result, while we all but stopped publishing peripheral Note 7 content during the recall, we began ramping up again as the situation returned to a semblance of control. But since the most recent incident, another Note 7 reportedly exploded in Taiwan, and in the coming days AT&T is expected to pull support for the device entirely.
The AC editors have discussed this internally over the past day or so. And we’ve decided that unless the ongoing investigation can prove conclusively that there’s no danger from the new, replacement Note 7s, we’ll be forced to withdraw our recommendation in the near future. We’re not there yet, but if you’re on the fence about a Note 7 purchase, maybe wait a few days and see how this pans out.
That may be inconvenient for us — the Note 7, battery problems aside, earned our most vociferous approval — but it would be devastating for Samsung, whose trust vector with consumers has already abated and may be about to expire. That is also being compounded by an increasing willingness by carriers to (thankfully) take the sides of the customers and allow them to return their Note 7s for, well, literally any other phone they sell.
Somewhere between then and now, between the Note 7s exploding and the Note 7s exploding again, trust in not just the product itself but the company as a whole began to wane. I’ve been witness to casual conversations wherein regular phone-buying customers have expressed reticence to buy another Samsung phone again, period; many of them claim to be moving in the direction of the iPhone 7 Plus, which came out in mid-September and is roughly the same price. Apple will surely benefit from this fallout, but it of course won’t be a one-to-one lateral movement; many Note buyers, existing or potential, will find other Android devices to buy, or — best case scenario — stick with a Samsung Galaxy S7.
But it’s safe to say that the Note line is practically finished, and that the repercussions of this debacle will have far-reaching effects across the industry. You’ll likely see improved controls around battery production, and greater emphasis put on the safe transportation of those batteries from nearly every company that buys Lithium-Ion cells in bulk. Samsung will lose money, yes, but it will also likely slow the speed of hardware production, perhaps culling the twice-yearly release schedule it established in 2011 with the release of the original Note.
The bigger question for Samsung now is what happens to the Galaxy S8, which is presumably just over four months from its debut. Not only does the company need to do an extensive audit of its battery suppliers (which is surely already in progress), but it has exactly that period to reassure every potential upgrader and new customer alike that it is working to ensure the most important computer in their lives is not going to be considered a dangerous good. We don’t know exact numbers, but between them the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge sold nearly 30 million units worldwide; that number may be cut in half if Samsung can’t win back the trust of its customer base.
The damage is done, a chemical burn searing three feet of carpet in an aisle seat of a Southwest flight, with no hope of repair.
The problem is compounded by the fact that most people buy their phones from carriers. In the U.S., carriers have been quite clear in their positions of helping customers replace phones they suspect are dangerous, but it’s the salespeople who, a few months from now, will be put in the position of answering questions about battery safety, likely taking the path of least resistance. Even if the fire incident on a Southwest flight turns out to be an isolated incident in the U.S. — and I hope it is — reps at the store level and over the phone have almost certainly been instructed to avoid lingering on the Note 7 and instead push customers towards another brand.
What’s next
Circling around, without declaring it dead, the Galaxy Note brand is now damaged beyond repair, done in as much by the company’s callous response to the initial claims of explosions as its follow-up earlier this week. Samsung is a big company, with a lot of moving parts, and it’s difficult to speak as a single entity. But now is the time it needs to unify under a single conceit: We made a bunch of mistakes, and we’re learning from them. If you want your money back, you can get it. If you want another phone, you can have one. But we’re not going to rest until every Note 7 customer is happy.
After that, Samsung may need to shut down the brand and move on. The damage is done, a chemical burn searing three feet of carpet in an aisle seat of a Southwest flight, with no hope of return.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7
- Galaxy Note 7 recall: Everything you need to know
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 review
- The latest Galaxy Note 7 news!
- Here are all four Note 7 colors
- Complete Galaxy Note 7 specs
- Join the Note 7 discussion in the forums!
Verizon
AT&T
T-Mobile
Sprint
The sweet sound of the ‘world’s most expensive’ earphones
I imagine I’m like most people in that I’m fairly content with a leaky pair of earphones that came bundled with a phone I bought 18 months ago. Some of you will have more expensive tastes, of course, dropping a few hundred on a “nice” pair of Beats, Sonys or similar cans. But there’s a whole other world out there, where money is seemingly no object in the pursuit of the perfect sound. And for roughly a week, I’ve been masquerading as an audiophile myself, wearing oBravo’s EAMT-1 in-ear headphones that cost no less than £3,082.50 (roughly $3,900). Yes, you read that right.
Made by an obscure Chinese company, these earphones are “the world’s most expensive” — a claim I haven’t been able to debunk even after a significant price drop (they originally cost £3,699). We’re only talking in-ears here, though. There are plenty of over-ear headphones around that price and more. Some are way, way more.
As far as in-ears are concerned, though, the EAMT-1s are as expensive as they come, backed up by the proprietors of exclusive UK stockist Audio Sanctuary, who were silly kind enough to lend me a pair. (The store appears to be the only place on the entire internet you can buy oBravo’s latest right now, in fact.)
I wish I could tell you exactly why these earphones are so damned expensive, but the deeper my research has gone, the more oblivious I become. The language used to describe the technical capabilities of the EAMT-1s is even more alien to me than the vocabulary audiophiles employ to explain the various qualities of sound. To illustrate what I mean, this is Audio Sanctuary’s explanation of oBravo’s Air Motion Transformer (AMT) technology:
“The AMT diaphragm is made of a Mylar ribbon bonded with conductive aluminium strips. It is equivalent in surface area to a conventional seven-inch cone-type mid-range driver, but is accordion-folded down to a compact one-and-a-half-inch grouping for point-source dispersion. The low-mass diaphragm is suspended within a dipole magnetic field concentrating an intense field around said diaphragm. When signal current passes through the aluminium strips, the ensuing bellow-like motion of the folded pleats moves air five times faster than with a conventional cone driver.”
How anyone without a degree in sound engineering is supposed to make any sense of that, I don’t know. Apparently, though, the 8mm AMT tweeter (for mid- to high-ish frequencies like vocals and hi-hats) paired with a 13mm neodymium dynamic driver is primarily what you’re paying for. I’m reliably told that crafting an extremely high-end earphone is markedly more complex than making a great-sounding pair of over-ears simply because there’s so much less space to work with.
Though I hate to be skeptical, the opinion that money is directly related to quality is common in specialist circles, particularly when audio and video are concerned. Some cables sell for $1,000, for example, even though the vast majority of people wouldn’t say there’s any difference between them and a $10 equivalent. An audiophile, however, might claim the difference is stark. It’s that kind of subjectivity, compounded by impenetrable lingo, that can blur the line between genuine innovation and snake oil.
With my skeptical hat returned to its drawer, I can say the EAMT-1s just ooze quality, from the smooth metal and rich, dark wood of the backplates to the luxuriously wrapped cables. Every connector is gold of course, and you can actually detach individual buds and swap the lead out for one with a 2.5mm jack. I didn’t even know those existed. Because of the earphones’ coaxial design, they are much deeper than “normal” in-ears. But at 35g, they aren’t noticeably heavy and are perfectly comfortable to wear all day, especially with the included Comply tips made from expanding foam.
The pair I’ve been testing have a handmade ceramic enclosure, chosen because the material is relatively inert from a resonance perspective — meaning it barely interferes with driver output (Yay! Something I actually understand!). The ceramic version is described as the best of the best, but you can also request the EAMT-1s with an aluminum enclosure that’s supposed to offer a more “neutral” sound, or an Acacia-wood enclosure for extra warmth.
Materials and build quality aside, the EAMT-1s sound absolutely incredible. I mean, you’d hope so for nearly $4,000, but it’s quite hard to communicate the clarity of these earphones. Listening to the Cure’s greatest hits in high-res FLAC format, for example, I can practically pick out the moment each string of a chord leaves the plectrum; similarly, I swear I can hear the creak of bass-drum pedal on some of my favorite Foo Fighters tracks. The clarity and depth are insane, like you’re sitting in the recording booth as these songs are being played.
And that’s with the EAMT-1s plugged directly into my MacBook, which I’m sure will anger one or two people who would probably argue I have no idea what they really sound like as I’m not running them through a dedicated DAC/headphone amp.
Because the output is so crisp and clear, the EAMT-1s feel at their best when there’s a lot going on in a track. By that I mean several guitars, drums, vocals, effects, et cetera. That said, simpler arrangements sound great too. The Wu-Tang Clan’s 1993 album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), for example, or Kendrick Lamar’s Untitled Unmastered from earlier this year. Never have heard I bass so … beautiful as on the EAMT-1s. The low-end is real deep and silky smooth. It’s not kick or volume, just pure bass tones.
But the thing is, it’s extremely rare for me to be sitting at my computer listening to high-def audio, especially as I have a pretty slim collection. The vast majority of the time — and I’m talking pretty much all day, every day — I’m jacked into Spotify. And I’m talking free Spotify here, where the maximum bitrate is roughly 160 kbps. While that sounds, well, fine on a pair on phone-bundled buds, the EAMT-1s expose every flaw. You might as well be listening to a Galaxy S2’s loudspeaker at the other end of tin-can telephone, to massively exaggerate the point.
Where high-res tracks give a real sense of presence, the same songs piped through Spotify on my phone sound muddy, ill-defined and distant. You can literally feel the compression like a haze hanging over the track — especially if it hasn’t been expertly produced and mixed. But I’m not an audiophile, and there’s only so long I can pretend to be one, with my paltry FLAC library and nonexistent Tidal subscription. Simply put, oBravo’s EAMT-1s aren’t made for muggles like me.
This was never more obvious to me than when I took them out of the safety of my flat. I was genuinely nervous carrying around a pair of earphones I couldn’t even dream of affording, knowing that soon enough I’d be returning to them to Audio Sanctuary, a task I’m seriously looking forward to. I can’t deal with that kind of responsibility. What if one fell out of my ear and somehow I managed to shatter a ceramic enclosure? What if I left them on the bus? People who can afford $4,000 earphones probably don’t have to worry about that, though. I doubt they catch buses very often.
Source: Audio Sanctuary
Six next-gen battery technologies
By Cat DiStasio
We all love our battery-powered gadgets, but portable power cells can be devastating to the environment. Fortunately, recent developments have proven that greener batteries are coming in the not-too-distant future. Engineers are replacing toxic components with less harmful materials ranging from leaves to sugar. Other innovations on the rise look to nature to help make batteries last longer, perform better and leave less of a trace once they’ve been discarded. This gold nanowire-based battery, for instance, was created by accident and could make lithium ion batteries obsolete, while this single-use battery dissolves in water when its job is done, making it easier to reuse its components.
The leafy green battery
A team of University of Maryland researchers sought to develop an inexpensive material to serve as their batteries’ negative terminal (anode). In the end, they found the perfect material right on campus. The team found that oak leaves could be heated to 1,000 degrees Celsius to destroy the existing carbon structures, and then introduced the electrolytes to the leaf’s natural pores for absorption. The result is a plant-based anode that performs similarly to traditional battery components. Research is ongoing to test other natural materials, such as peat moss, banana peels and melon skins in search of the nature-based battery of the future.
A graphene battery that charges in an instant
Scientists are working hard to create rechargeable batteries that can withstand more use. Australia’s Swinburne University has created a new graphene-based battery that shows rapid charging abilities — and it has enough durability to last virtually forever. Super strong graphene replaces lithium in the battery’s supercapacitor, addressing all of the shortcomings of that widely used material while also reducing the environmental impact of battery production. The graphene-based supercapacitor allows the new battery to charge to 100 percent power in just a few seconds, it can withstand many more recharging cycles and it also costs less to produce than traditional lithium-ion batteries.
Sweet and cheap: a battery fueled by sugar
A Virginia Tech team developed a sugar battery that lasts longer than any previous sugar-based prototypes could. Maltodextrin, a polysaccharide made from the partial hydrolysis of starch, is isolated from natural sugar and then used as fuel. When combined with air, the battery releases electrons from the sugar solution to generate electricity. Sugar is cheap and abundant, so it makes for a battery that’s not only affordable, but biodegradable as well.
Gold-based battery that doesn’t die
An accidental discovery by researchers at University of California, Irvine led to a technological breakthrough that could leave lithium-ion batteries in the dust. The team built a nanowire battery using gold and some new-fangled materials, and it can be recharged hundreds of thousands of times without slacking in the performance department like lithium-ion batteries are known to do over time. The battery consists of protected electrode nanowires made from a thin core of gold, surrounded by layers of manganese dioxide and a Plexiglas-like electrolyte gel. Although the team had initially been searching for innovations to increase the power capacity of batteries, they stumbled upon this method of building a battery that can last basically forever without showing any signs of wear.
Self-destructing battery dissolves in water
A self-destructing battery won’t come in handy for everyone, but the development of this dissolving energy storage device is a key innovation for certain applications where single-use batteries are currently being left behind to pollute the surrounding environment. Created by a team at Iowa State University, this battery is designed to self-destruct when triggered by light, heat or liquid, so it’s well suited for military applications and other so-called “transient” devices that require a power source for a finite amount of time. Certain medical devices and environmental sensors might fall into this category, and since the battery simply dissolves in water once it has served its purpose, its lasting impact on the environment is approximately nil.
Edible saltwater battery
Although there’s probably no need to eat a battery, you could chow down on parts of this one if you really felt compelled. In an attempt to demonstrate how natural and eco-friendly his company’s new battery really is, Jay Whitacre at Aquion Energy has eaten parts of the saltwater-based battery, and lived to tell. The battery’s components are comprised largely of naturally derived materials such as dirt, cotton, carbon and saltwater acting as an electrolyte solution. While hardly a delicious meal, the battery components demonstrate an ecological sensitivity not often found in the energy storage field.
This battery is designed for large-scale jobs, such as providing backup power for a home or business equipped with a renewable energy source, such as wind or solar. It can also be charged up with off-peak grid power, to save money on energy use during peak times when prices are higher.
The VR reading library Oculus hid at its developer conference
Oculus’ annual developer conference serves as a touchstone for its community; a time to see how far virtual reality has come in the last year and to inspire, motivate and help developers build the VR experiences of tomorrow. Most of that comes in the form of announcements, panels and software showcases, but in the media demo rooms, the VR company hid dense sources for inspiration in plain sight. Stacked just above the TV in at each demo station was a small collection of books — all of them about either games, game development or the effect of virtual reality on our culture.
Executives at Oculus have been pretty open about the books that inspire them. Both Ready Player One and Snow Crash have been name-dropped by the company’s founders on multiple occasions, and the former novel is almost required reading at the company: every new employee gets a copy. It’s supposed to get employees motivated about building great virtual reality experiences — but it seems like the team at Oculus gets inspiration from more than just science fiction.
Between game demos, one could read about the perils of game addiction in Edward Castronova’s Exodus to the Virtual World, or bone up on the value of games as an artistic medium in Tom Bissell’s Extra Lives. There were books on the effect of virtual reality on the human psyche, the lives of pro-gamers, how commerce in video games is effecting our real-world economy, and more. It’s not an official reading list by any means, but it’s clear that Oculus’ set dressers chose the conference’s display books carefully. Through the course of three days, we counted sixteen different books on gaming or VR, all catalogued in the gallery above. If you’re looking for something to read now that Oculus Connect 3 has come to an end, take a look — there are plenty of options.
Should you upgrade to the Google Pixel from the Nexus 5X?
There’s a ton of hype surrounding Google’s new Pixel, but should you upgrade from last year’s Nexus 5X?
If you picked up the Nexus 5X last year, you were likely swayed by one reason or another — appreciation for a smaller size screen versus the Nexus 6P, or simply nostalgia for its Nexus 5 predecessor. You might also enjoy the soft-touch plastic backing which helps you maintain your grip. However, if your experience actually using the phone on a daily basis has been anywhere similar to that of the AC writers who gave their thoughts on the Nexus 5X three months on, you may share their common complaints about inconsistent performance, limited storage space and some questionable moments when using the camera.
But it’s a new year, and that means a new phone launch from Google. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know the Nexus name has been replaced by Google’s new Pixel line up. Assuming you’re interested in upgrading to a phone around the same size as the Nexus 5X, should you get the Pixel to replace it? Let’s explore.
Let’s first compare the specs:
| Operating System | Android 7.1 with Google UI | Android 7.0 Nougat |
| Display | 5-inch 1920x1080AMOLEDGorilla Glass 4 | 5.2-inch 1920x1080LCDGorilla Glass 3 |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 |
| Storage | 32/128GB | 16/32GB |
| RAM | 4GB | 2GB |
| Rear Camera | 12MP f/2.01.55-micron pixelsPDAF, LDAF | 12.3MP f/2.01.55-micron pixelsLDAF |
| Front Camera | 8MP f/2.4 | 5MP f/2.2 |
| Charging | USB Type-CRapid Charging | USB Type-CRadpid Charging |
| Battery | 2770 mAhNon-removable | 2700 mAhNon-removable |
| Fingerprint sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Dimensions | 143.8 x 69.5 x 8.6 mm | 147.0 x 72.6 x 7.9 mm |
| Weight | 143 g | 136 g |
Hardware
As you would expect given the pricing and its late-2016 release, the Pixel offers better specs in nearly every category, and continues that into the overall build quality. The Pixel features an aluminum unibody build with Gorilla Glass 4 on the front, and a panel of glass along the top one-third of the back where the camera, LED flash and fingerprint sensor reside. Compared to the plastic featured in the Nexus 5X build, the Pixel resides in a completely different class. While some may like that the Nexus 5X bucked the trend of an aluminum unibody design as found on the Nexus 6P, there’s simply no denying how slick and cool the Pixel is — plus it’s also available in three distinct color styles.
The Pixel’s hardware and specs reside in a completely different class.
Internally, with the Pixel you get a Snapdragon 821 processor and 4GB of RAM to ensure everything runs smoothly. The Pixel’s 5-inch screen is slightly smaller than the 5.2-inch screen found on the Nexus 5X, which means you’ll enjoy better pixel density for a crisper viewing experience. When it comes to the camera Google is making a lot of bold claims, and though the hardware is very similar to the Nexus 5X the big change here is going to be overall camera performance and that’s a big deal.
Software
Each Pixel will ship running the latest version of Android, version 7.1. The Nexus 5X was one of the first phones to receive the Nougat update, so chances are you’ve already updated your Nexus to the latest OS.
However, as we’ve reported earlier there are a number of new features that will remain Pixel exclusives for the forseeable future. This includes the revamped Pixel Launcher. The Pixel and Pixel XL will be the first phones to ship will Google Assistant, which may well prove to be a real gamechanger in the way we interact and use our phones. Pixel users will also get free, unlimited original-quality cloud backup for all your photos and videos via the Google Photos app — and that includes 4K video. And the Pixel phones are the first to be specifically designed and shipped with Google’s Daydream VR platform.
The experience on the Pixel won’t be too far removed from the Nexus 5X, but there are enough new features here that you may be taking an extra look.
Bottom line
The Pixel is the first phone “Made by Google,” and by all accounts will be an amazing device with awesome specs and cool new features you’ll want to check out. But on the flip side of all that hype, the Pixel is not cheap. Starting at $649 for the 32GB version and getting as high as $849 if you upgrade to the 128GB of storage and get Google’s device protection, the Pixel line up is significantly more expensive than what you paid for your Nexus 5X.
This might price out a portion of the Nexus fan base, but if you’re still rocking the Nexus 5X and aren’t scared off by the steep price of the Pixel, then it’s definitely worthy of your attention, and your hard-earned dollars.
Google Pixel + Pixel XL
- Google Pixel and Pixel XL hands-on preview
- In pictures: Google Pixel and Pixel XL
- Pixel + Pixel XL specs
- Understanding Android 7.1 Nougat
- Verizon is the exclusive U.S. carrier for the Google Pixels
- Join the discussion in the forums!
Google Store
Verizon
Polar M600 review: Top-notch smartwatch and fitness tracker fusion
The explosion of smartwatches and fitness trackers has thrown up some real gems and thrown down some real turds, leaving us all to step carefully when choosing a new device. Polar is an established name in fitness devices, one of the oldest, perhaps, when dealing with heart rate monitoring.
A widening portfolio from Polar has seen the birth of more lifestyle devices in the A family and stepping up in functions across the M (sport) and V (pro) devices, with a gradual increase in wider connectivity across the brand’s offerings.
The M600 is a rethinking, adopting a proper smartwatch platform and offering those fitness tracker functions the company is known for combined with a lot more on the watch side than you’d normally get. The result is one of the most considered sports devices we’ve seen and certainly one of the best Android Wear devices to date.
Pocket-lint
Polar M600 review: Design and build
The Polar M600 mates the body module with a rubber strap and, like the TomTom Spark, the body slots into the strap meaning the two sections can be easily separated when you want to clean them.
The design looks a lot like previous Polar watches, although it’s pretty thick, meaning you need enough wrist for it to sit on. If you’re of the thin forearm variety you might think it’s too big, but we found it sat well on an average male arm. The chunkiness gives it some substance and it looks good, both from a sports point of view and as a smartwatch.
Compared to other Android Wear devices, Polar’s watch-making experience is apparent, as this is much nicer than something like the Moto 360 Sport and looks better and wears better than that previous attempt. As with other Polar devices the screen is square fitting Polar’s family design.
Pocket-lint
On to the more serious stuff. There’s proper waterproofing with an IPX8 rating so it supports swimming, the screen is protected with Gorilla Glass to avoid scratches and the metal detailing that frames the display left and right gives a premium look. There’s the choice of black or white, although we’d like to see a choice of strap colours to give the design wider appeal.
The rubber strap is easy to adjust and uses a conventional two pronged buckle, with two bands to stop the spare strap catching on things. Most importantly, the M600 is comfortable to wear and sweat through, and weighing 65g, it’s not too heavy either.
Polar M600 review: Sports features first
Designed as a sports watch first, there are two buttons. The first button to the left side is the standard Android Wear button, letting you go home, wake the display or long press to access the menu.
The second button on the front takes you straight to the sports side, opening the Polar app. This is very much sports territory and we really like that Polar hasn’t been distracted by Android Wear: it’s taken the platform and owned it, rather than skipping around Google’s fancy smartwatch features.
Pocket-lint
The hardware tells a similar story. With an optical heart rate sensor onboard and its own GPS you’re ready to run out the door and leave your smartphone at home. There is no compass or barometer, however, so direction and elevation is based on GPS. There’s also support for accessories, so if you have an H7 Polar chest strap, you’ll get the option of using that, which might be the preferred option for cyclists.
One of the skills that Polar does adopt from Android Wear is the support for Bluetooth headphones and local storage for your music, meaning you can take your music with you on the run, again without your phone. TomTom Spark 3 offers this, as does Apple Watch 2, and it’s a feature that is sure to be popular.
The great thing is that this full feature set, supported by this hardware, makes for a great fitness device, before you even touch the smartwatch side of things.
Polar M600 review: Hardware specs and display
The Polar M600 is powered by a MediaTek chipset with 512MB RAM and a standard 4GB of storage. The battery is 500mAh which is pretty good for this type of device and explains the thickness.
Pocket-lint
There’s a 1.3-inch display on the front with a 240 x 240 pixel resolution. This isn’t the largest or sharpest Android Wear watch display, but as we said, the screen fits and we found it a good size for reading on the move. It supports always on functions, dimming in normal wear and brightening up when you move the watch to look at.
As an LCD this is a backlit full colour display so it’s illuminated, rather than using the lower power displays that some other sports watches offer. It looks great, which adds to the appeal, but does draw more heavily on the battery than the mono TomTom or Garmin displays, for example. It does have an ambient light sensor, however, so adjusts to the lighting conditions around you.
Polar M600 review: Battery life and charging
The 500mAh battery will give you about 2 days of use when connected to an Android device, including exercise time. You might be able to push it to a little more in casual wear. We’ve not tested the Polar M600 with an iPhone, but reports suggest this drops to about a day with Apple’s phone. In reality, the Android Wear experience is much enhanced when paired with an Android phone and at least you have the option, unlike the Apple Watch.
Pocket-lint
Two days is good for Android Wear devices, but it does mean regular charging compared to many other sports watches which will often give you perhaps 5 active days or more – but without really offering any smart functions.
That’s the trade-off here: the Polar M600 doesn’t have great endurance in sporting terms, but it offers a whole lot more in terms of functionality, meaning it does a lot more than just tell you the time when you’re walking around.
Charging is via the magnetic connection point on the rear and over the past weeks that we’ve been using the M600, we’ve typically opted to charge every other day without it running flat. The charger neatly attaches to the rear of the watch without needing to clip anything on or fiddle around.
Polar M600 review: Setup and connections
To get the M600 up and running you need two things: the Android Wear app and the Polar Flow app on your phone. The first handles the connection to your phone, the second syncs with your Polar account and syncs the data from your watch.
Using Android Wear on an Android smartphone makes for a fast and easy connection as the devices are designed for seamless cooperation. Once you’re connected, you can use the Android Wear app to control many of the smartwatch functions, like deciding what notifications you want from your M600 and so on.
Pocket-lint
The Android Wear app will also then sync your apps, so anything you have on your device that’s compatible with Wear will then move over – like Spotify, Play Music, Citymapper and even other fitness apps if you want to use them.
The Polar Flow app then handles everything else. This is where you’ll view your stats and be able to get a good look at your activities you record using the M600. We like the Polar Flow app. It’s very much a lifestyle app on your phone, firstly delivering a report on your daily activities, but it lets you dive into your runs, check out your heart rate and pace from an activity as well as your route and other essential details.
Taking things further, the Polar Flow app has a calendar in it too where you can schedule workouts, meaning you can tap the watch and dive into the workout that you’ve planned. If you’re training against a plan, it means you’ve got the information on your wrist, ready to get going. You can setup intervals, distance or time targets. You can also sync Polar training results and targets into your Google Calendar if you want and share the data with a couple of other services – Strava and Training Peaks.
Pocket-lint
Information is synced from the app to the web version of Polar Flow which includes a few more options and has more in-depth information. However, you don’t have to use the browser at all during setup: you can connect the Polar M600 to your phone and do everything there, without having to use a PC.
There are a couple of bespoke Polar watch faces that will show you daily activity, so you can see where you are with your target at a glance, which help boost the fitness tracker side of the M600.
Polar M600 review: 24/7 activity monitoring
Before we get to actual sports tracking, the M600 wants to monitor what you’re doing all the time. We mentioned that the Polar Flow has a lifestyle approach and this is has, breaking down your day into sleep, resting, sitting, low, medium or high activity.
With this in mind, you’re presented with your progress through your day on the watch face. One of the elements of this is steps, which we feel is a little too enthusiastic about awarding you a “step”. It’s a hard thing to measure, as when we measured physical steps, the results seemed accurate enough, but in an average day in the office, we seemed to accrue many more steps through other movements.
Compared to Fitbit tracking, for example, it’s a lot easier to hit your step target with the M600, suggesting that it’s a lot more sensitive to movement than it perhaps should be. Steps isn’t really an absolute measure, however, so if it’s steps you’re interested in, this probably isn’t the device for you.
If you’re inactive for too long you’ll get inactivity alerts and these aren’t just reminders to move, they get logged in Polar Flow, so you’ll feel the enduring shame. If that’s not a motivator, we don’t know what is.
One of the nice aspects of Polar Flow is that it reports on your day, week and month assessing your activity and telling you what difference that has made to your life.
Polar M600 review: Running and sports functions
Press that button on the front and the Polar app opens on the M600. There are two sections, one to check your daily activity in more detail and the second to start recording a sport.
Polar gives you freedom to choose your sport profiles to suit the activities. For many this will be running, cycling or swimming, but there’s a full range of sports to choose from, like badminton, dance, football or plain old walking, for example. That’s great, because you don’t have to compromise on categorising your activity. Want to record your dog walking? No problem. Want to record your Friday rowing session? No problem.
Pocket-lint
For outdoor sports you have GPS tracking, so there are different profiles for pool and open water swimming for example, which we really like and you only have to have the sports on your watch that you actually need. Don’t want “other outdoor”? You can remove it. Head into the Polar Flow website and you get to customise your sports profiles further, changing the information you see on your watch, which it really clever.
Once you’ve selected your activity, the watch sensors fire up, looking for GPS and turning on the optical heart rate sensor on the rear. You can start the activity immediately, or wait for those things sensors to lock on, but again, with time being precious, it’s sometimes good to get going without having to wait.
We’ve found the GPS to lock on quickly, however, so there’s never really been too much of a delay in getting started.
During your sport, you’re presented with a number of screens with relevant information, based on the activity you’re doing. For running you get a main screen that’s similar to Polar’s other devices, like the V800. The M600 has the advantage of colour, so as you move through different heart rate zones, the colour of the HR readout will change too, for at-a-glance information. There’s also clear indiction of pace and distance when running.
Swimming isn’t as well served as it could be, with pool swimming lacking the option to detect lengths automatically like the Apple Watch 2 does. That leaves you with heart rate tracking and time, which is good enough. We also found that the flow of the water was able to swipe through screens, so we’d often stop a set in the pool with something different on the display.
Pocket-lint
With Android Wear automatically dimming the display, Polar has added the option to have the display always on. This means you can glance and see the stats without having to touch and avoids the problem of not being able to view the screen without an over exaggerated gesture. That will eat more battery, but if you’re busting a gut trying to beat your 10k PB run, you won’t care, you’ll just need to keep an easy eye on your pace.
If there was one thing we’d want to boost the watch’s sporting credentials, it’s another button. We’d love a start/stop button, rather than having to use the display, but that’s a minor thing. There’s also no automatic detection for your activities, but sitting closer to a serious running watch we think that’s fine: it will differentiate between activity levels in the daily tracking anyway, so there’s no harm in selecting the sport you’re doing for detailed tracking.
One of the great things is that the Polar Flow website provides a lot more information than you’ll find on other platforms. It will give you an overview of your running progress, it will estimate how much fatigue you might be carrying over from earlier workouts as a guide to whether you’re over or under training. You can also sign-up to training programmes, meaning there’s a lot on offer, beyond your actual running stats.
Polar M600 review: GPS and heart rate performance
There’s a wide degree of variation in performance with the latest crop of sports gadgets, something that’s seen widespread reporting about accuracy. The Polar M600 performs well in tracking via GPS, with some really accurate route tracking and good distance recording.
Polar has put six LEDs in the optical heart rate sensor on the back of the M600, aiming to ensure it’s as accurate as it can be. Naturally, using the optional chest strap will give better results, but wrist measurement is all about convenience. The M600 performs fairly well, but we have seen some inconsistent HR results at times.
Pocket-lint
We’ve seen a fairly slow start at times, with the first 10 minutes or so seeing a slow build-up of heart rate, not quite reflecting the real rate increase. We’ve also had some runs where the watch would occasionally show a blank result, as though it wasn’t recording, but it was. On checking the results afterwards, there’s no sign of drop-out.
To verify what was happening, we tested it against a Garmin Forerunner 610 with chest strap. The Garmin was faster to respond to rate changes, more accurately reflecting the build-up of heart rate at the start of the run, as well as responding faster to some sprint sections we threw in. However, at the end of the run, both showed an average of 152bpm and both showed the same distance covered and same average pace.
So, although there are some anomalies with the results, that overall doesn’t have a huge impact on the bigger picture of runs when using the Polar M600. Outside of running we’ve found it to deliver some good results and we’re impressed it manages to offer a consistent result when swimming, for example.
Polar M600 review: A full Android Wear experience
That’s where most sports devices would reach the limit of their functionality, but sitting on the Android Wear platform, the Polar M600 offers a whole lot more.
You get a full range of alerts and notifications and if you have an Android smartphone, this really is a first class offering, especially compared to the arrangement on some other sports devices. It’s something that’s offered by other Polar watches and some Garmin devices, but here you’re supported by the Android community for your functionality, not just Polar.
Pocket-lint
We’ve mentioned apps and one of the aspects that the M600 gets from Android Wear is Bluetooth headphone and music support. You can connect any Bluetooth headphones you like, but music support is limited to Google’s Play Music service and you have to download and sync that from your phone, which is a bit of a faff so it’s worth only syncing music for running, but we love not having to carry that vintage iPod on the run.
Expanding out into other Android Wear highlights, you have Google Maps for navigation while you’re connected to your phone, support for Ok Google voice controls, so you can speak replies to messages and so on. Then you have all the fun stuff, like being able to pause your Spotify music from your watch, controlling Netflix over your Chromecast, or getting Citymapper directions right on your wrist.
Although Android Wear has a bad rep from lacklustre early devices, the Polar M600 isn’t one of them. This is a sports watch that benefits from a huge range of extra functions enabled by Android Wear, resulting in something fun and functional. In many ways, the Polar M600 is currently without compare.
Verdict
The Polar M600 is a fusion of smartwatch and sports device. It takes Android’s platform and laces in sports and fitness tracking functions, but maintains a balance that some devices don’t manage. It succeeds in being both where others have failed. It feels like a proper Polar sports watch, boosted by the best of Android Wear.
For an Android smartphone user, this is a device that’s worth serious consideration. If you’ve been put off by Android Wear so far, this is how to do Android Wear right. It’s not about bland presentation, it’s about underpinning something more exciting. In this case, it’s a fully-featured activity watch, especially good for running, that barely feels like Android Wear at all.
The Polar M600 is currently rather unique. It’s not only an effective sports partner, it’s a great smartwatch too.
Sony’s RX100 V camera makes a strong first impression
With the introduction of its RX100 series in 2012, Sony raised the bar for point-and-shoot cameras. As such, it’s no surprise that the latest model can do things like capture JPEG and RAW photos at a mind-boggling 24 frames per second. The RX100 V is all about speed, driven by a 20.1-megapixel 1-inch sensor and an autofocus system that, according to Sony, meets and exceeds the requirements of any professional photographer. That may be a marketing hyperbole, but I did shoot with the RX100 V last night and the results are impressive. Especially for a camera that fits in my pocket.
I’ll hold off on making any final judgements until Sony sends a review unit to Engadget HQ. But, for now, I can tell you that the RX100 V’s burst shooting mode is as good as it seems on paper. And you can’t help but crack a smile when you listen to that shutter fire shot after shot in quick succession. The sample images we have here were taken at a studio in New York City, which Sony decked with different performers for members of the media to use as subjects.
We’ll have more on the RX100 V soon. Stay tuned.
To view our sample images in full resolution, click here.
Recommended Reading: Behind the scenes of Google’s Pixel phones
Behind the Pixel:
Google’s First Real
Threat to Apple’s iPhone
Mark Gurman,
Bloomberg
Before Google’s Pixel event had even started on Tuesday, Bloomberg already posted a behind-the-scenes article on how the phones were made. There’s some solid perspective to complement all of the news and analysis you’ve likely already read, so this is certainly worth as you settle in for a relaxing weekend.
|
Not Another Fembot HBO’s new series Westworld does more than just rehash the same ol’ female AI or fembot tropes we typically see in movies and television. And doing so made the characters much more interesting. |
The Human Remembering Machine Scientists have developed a new mathematical model to better understand how human memory works. Their findings could have wide-reaching implications for how computer systems store information. |
|
Making a Big Budget Video Game Is Riskier and Harder Than Ever. So Why Do It? Gears of War 4 debuts next week and while the reviews are in, Motherboard offers some perspective on why pricey games are such a risk and what it takes to make one. |
Not OK, Google Google’s new Pixel phones, WiFi routers and Home hub will give the company more access to your life than ever before. Google Assistant seems handy enough on paper, but what are the trade-offs in terms of privacy? |
AIVAnet 