Fossil Q Founder review: More Qs than As for this fashion smartwatch
Once gadget manufacturers started producing smart, connected watches, it was never going to be long before traditional watch brands got on board. Companies like Tag Heuer, Casio, Nixon and Michael Kors have all launched Android-powered smartwatches, as has one of the most popular fashion watch brands around: Fossil.
The Fossil Q Founder is the company’s first foray into the full-in Android Wear smartwatch market, a device which has since been joined by the unveiling of Marshal and Wander devices. Elsewhere in the Q-range are some basic connected gadgets with fitness and health tracking benefits.
But we’re here to talk about the Q Founder, the foundation of the company’s smartwatch offering. A watch that, just like the Motorola 360, has a black-out “flat tyre” bar in its design. Does that singular design feature cost this fashion brand dear, or is this the Android Wear watch to go for?
Fossil Q Founder: Design
Fashion brands and watchmakersare benefitting the smartwatch hype-train by producing products that look a lot more like a “proper” watch. So much that it’s started to influence the electronics manufacturers – you just take a look at the Samsung Gear 3 to see that.
READ: Best smartwatches to look forward to in 2016
That’s not to say companies like Motorola, LG and Huawei haven’t given it a good go. But the fixtures, clasps and overall look of the Fossil Q Founder seems a little more watch-like. It feels more like the real deal.
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The large 47mm circular casing has a polished, bevelled edge, while the metal link strap has a reassuring heftiness and opens and closes using a familiar-styled one-button clasp.
If a chunky metal link bracelet isn’t to your taste, you can buy the Q Founder with a leather strap. What’s more, you can easily swap out the strap for another that you like thanks to the addition of the quick release pins on the strap lugs. The watch will accept any 22mm watch strap, so whether you prefer leather, canvas or a milanese-style bracelet, you’ll be able to fit your own.
Fossil opted to decorate the single button on the side of the casing in a housing that looks and feels like traditional crown. The textured finish tempts you to try turning it, but sadly it’s just a push-button. And just like virtually every other Android Wear smart watch available, it’s the only button.
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Underneath the watch’s main bod is a matte black disk which sits very comfortably on the arm. There’s no heart-rate monitor here, so it’s completely smooth and comfortable to wear.
Fossil Q Founder: Display
On the whole, the quality of the round 360 x 326 resolution screen is great. Details are sharp at this size, meaning there’s no obvious fuzziness or distortion at arm’s length. What’s more, gradients and colours show up really nicely on the display, meaning it’s great for colourful watch face choices.
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There is one big drawback, though, which can’t be ignored: the “flat tyre” black-out bar to the bottom, which we’ve already mentioned, stops the watches round face from being truly “round”, as nothing displays in this bottom section.
The second minor complaint is to do with screen tech choice: the Q Founder uses an LCD panel, not AMOLED, so the always-on ambient screen isn’t very high contrast, making it hard to see the time when the watch is inactive, especially in bright daylight.
Fossil Q Founder: Software
At the moment, the Q Founder runs Android Wear v1.5. With Google having a fairly tight grip on the Android Wear ecosystem, it’s no surprise that the software experience is pretty much identical to every other watch loaded with the wearable operating system.
Like other watch makers, Fossil has added its own unique flavour by pre-loading it with its own bespoke watch faces. These can be customised using either the on-watch setting options, or you can download and install the Fossil Q app from the Google Play Store on your Android phone. Android Wear does also support iOS for Apple users, but it’s rather limited.
READ: What’s Android Wear really like on iOS?
The Fossil Q app for Android allows you to adjust colours and styles of the watch faces, plus choose what information should show up in the onscreen widgets. The only problem with the smartphone app – and it’s a major one – is that more often than not it either forgets your watch exists or pretends it’s not connected. Whoops.
Often when launching the Q app, we were met with a screen asking us to setup a watch as if it never had been, or leading us to the watch overview screen with a notice saying it wasn’t connected. When it works, however, it offers a great number of customisation choices.
That’s without mentioning our general frustration with parts of Android Wear that still seem unintuitive. Sure, that’s Google’s fault, but it’s an ongoing issue we feel with all such devices. For example: the cards that come up to show part of a notification aren’t well designed, often showing the same Google Now cards over and over again, even after being dismissed.
Fossil Q Founder: Performance
Rather than go with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips, Fossil partnered with Intel, with the result generally decent. Cards swipe away easily, while scrolling through the list of apps and the settings is speedy and mostly stutter-free.
The one area of performance we found weak was the automatic raise-to-wake feature. If it worked, there was a noticeable delay between lifting an arm and the screen activating. Sometimes it didn’t wake up the screen at all. We also experienced a delay when using the “Ok Google” voice search feature. But we’ve found that to be the case with many other Android Wear watches out there – again, Google’s fault.
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The 4GB of onboard storage ensures that if you do want to save a few albums onto your Fossil watch for offline listening via Bluetooth earphones, you can do – and not worry about having to take your phone with you.
Other hardware features include the usual collection of fitness-tracking sensors for counting your steps. But as there’s no heart-rate monitor, as previously mentioned, and no GPS built-in, this watch isn’t really designed with fitness fanatics in mind. Not that you’d take a watch like this on a run anyway.
Fossil Q Founder: Battery Life
With an Android Wear watch it’s generally considered good if the wrist-worn device can make it through a full day without dying. With the Q Founder, that’s certainly the case.
Even with a long, busy day beginning at 7am and ending after 10pm, we still found the 400mAh battery made it to bedtime with around 30 per cent charge remaining. Sadly, it never made it to the end of a second day in testing, even with minimal use.
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Once depleted, the watch battery can be recharged using the charging stand which – although seeming cheaply made – is far more attractive than most of the docks or cradles that usually come in smartwatch retail boxes.
The main middle section of the cradle is cushioned and coated in a PVC-like material, while the translucent charging disk glows red or blue during charging. It’s a secure fit, it keeps the watch protected and looks good on a bedside table.
Verdict
What Fossil gets right with compared to traditional electronics manufacturers’ smartwatches, as you might expect, is in the overall design of the Q Founder. The casing, the strap and the fixtures ensure this fashion wearable hit enough points of difference to standout from the otherwise similar Android Wear crowd.
Except for one major problem: that black-out “flat tyre” to the bottom of the design. It stops the circular watch face from being properly round, just as it’s an issue with the Moto 360 and some other models. That alone sees the Tag Heuer Connected a far more enticing prospect, despite its considerable added expense (and we mean considerable).
Speaking of price point, we would take the Fossil over the competition as it’s competitively priced, in a similar bracket to the Moto 360 and Huawei Watch, yet the better looking option overall. Assuming, of course, you’re ok to ditch the heart-rate sensor.
As with any Android Wear smartwatch, the other downside is the software, which still feels clunky to use with its card-based notification system and graphics that still aren’t well suited to a (sort-of) round display.
Overall, it’s that “flat tyre” and Android Wear’s current state that leave the Fossil Q Founder with more questions than answers. And that only helps to open the door for proper round displays and other operating system prospects, sych as the Samsung Gear S3.
Opera’s VPN-equipped browser is now available to everyone
You no longer have to grab test software to try Opera’s VPN-toting web browser. The company has released the finished version of Opera 40 for desktops, which revolves around a free virtual private network (provided by SurfEasy) that offers both a more secure connection as well as access to foreign content that would otherwise be blocked. Hi, Hulu and Pandora! It can automatically choose whichever VPN server will provide the fastest connection, but you can specify one of five countries (Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Singapore and the US) if you’re more concerned about visiting region-specific sites.
The update also brings a reworked battery saver and RSS feeds in personal news, so there’s something to check out after the novelty of the browser’s central feature wears off. One thing’s for sure: it’s worth a shot if you hate paying for VPNs, but want to stick to a mainstream browser that includes plenty of familiar elements.
Source: Opera
HTC’s Desire 10 phones make mid-range power feel more premium
The last time we saw a new Desire phone, HTC had basically speckled it with paint in the name of fashion. We can’t blame them — the effect was pretty damned cool — but now the company is trying something a little different with the new Desire 10 Lifestyle and Pro. HTC’s midrange work is getting wrapped up in a classy new look, and (spoiler alert) it’s a pretty impressive change. The Lifestyle is set to hit certain markets this month, ahead of the more expensive Pro model in November, and we got to take a closer look at both of them just a little while ago.
As you’ve easily deduced, the Pro is the more powerful of the Desire 10 twins. That’s mostly thanks to the octa-core MediaTek Helio P10, assisted by either 3GB or 4GB of RAM; the former model comes with 32GB of storage, down from the latter’s 64GB. Plenty of power to render things on the 5.5-inch 1080p IPS LCD screen and keep it all moving at a respectable clip, too. It’s always a little tricky to get a sense of what a phone’s capable of pre-launch, but poking around in the lightly skinned build of Android 6.0 Marshmallow felt more than adequately snappy. Anyway, just above that screen is a 13-megapixel camera (with a software-powered wide-angle selfie trick to boot), while a 20-megapixel camera sits on the opposite side. And below that? A rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, a nice touch that doesn’t often wind up in mid-range devices.
All of that (plus a 3,000mAh battery) is packed into a really handsome frame, with a matte body that gets criss-crossed with gold-ish antenna bands. This change is a far cry from the youthful Desire 530 — the Desire 10 Pro isn’t as exuberant as it is elegant. The tight tolerances and sturdy feel definitely give the 10 Pro a more premium air, and HTC’s color choices don’t hurt either. (The phone will be available in black, white, navy blue and a light blue the company’s calling “Valentine Lux”.)
You’d be forgiven for thinking the Desire 10 Lifestyle is just another barely-touched variant. After all, that’s definitely the impression HTC is trying to give off — the Lifestyle looks basically identical to its more expensive sibling despite its more modest spec sheet. There are some tell-tale signs, though, like the lack of a fingerprint sensor and a smaller flash setup under its main 13-megapixel camera. Once the Desire 10 Lifestyle is on, the phone’s lower-end ambitions are confirmed by the 5.5-inch 720p Super LCD screen — it’s still decently bright and vivid, if not the crispest out there. The rest of the differences are under the hood: there’s a slightly pokier Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chipset clocked at 1.6GHz, either 2GB or 3GB of RAM, 2700mAh batteries, and 32 or 64GB of storage.
There is one other big deviation from the Pro, however: the Desire 10 Lifestyle packs support for 24-bit high-res audio like the full-blown 10. Sure, you’ll lose out on a crisper screen and biometric unlocking, but the lure of improved audio is still pretty tantalizing. That’s also the sort of feature that rarely pops up in lower-end smartphones, so here’s hoping that trend keeps up for a while. And beyond that, HTC’s build quality impresses even when it comes to less expensive hardware (think around £249 in the UK). From a distance, there aren’t any discernible, physical differences between the Pro and the Lifestyle.
As usual, HTC is leaving most of the pricing and availability details up to the carriers and retailers themselves, but if you’re in the US, you can just put your wallet away. It’ll be a least a little while before either version of the Desire 10 winds up around these parts, and probably longer still if the Desires turn out to be hits and supplies get constrained. After just a little bit of time spent with HTC’s new devices, it was pretty clear that the line that represents “good enough” smartphone performance has gotten pretty high. Then again, it’s not like the best phones are guaranteed successes: the 10 was the best device HTC had cooked up in ages, and even its tremendous quality and performance couldn’t drive huge demand for it.
Leaked Google Pixel phones might look familiar
In just a couple of weeks, we could have our first official look at Google’s renamed flagship phones, so brace yourself for leaks and unofficial revelations. Take for instance, these images posted by Android Police. They apparently show the Pixel and the Pixel XL, and they do look like the computer render of the phone that leaked earlier, as well as the device Nest used in a new commercial.
If legit, then the big G’s latest devices resemble the phones its staunchest rival is known for. Before anyone starts hurling copycat accusations, though, take note that HTC developed the Pixels, and the Taiwanese manufacturer has been using a similar design for its previous models. When it comes to Apple and HTC, there’s been a lot of discussion about who copied whom over the years.
In the photo of the phones’ backside above, you can see a fingerprint sensor in the middle of the shinier, glass-like section. You can also see a snapshot of the phones’ screens with their thick bezels below. As always, take these leaked images with a grain of salt — you’ll only have to wait a bit more before the actual reveal anyway.
[Image credit: Anonymous Alligator/Android Police]
Via: Droid Life
Source: Android Police
Apple Now Accepting iPhone SE, iPhone 6s, and 6s Plus Trade-Ups, Offers Up to $315
Following last week’s iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus launch, Apple has added the iPhone SE, iPhone 6s, and iPhone 6s Plus to its trade-up program in the United States, offering estimated trade-in values of $160, $275, and $315 respectively towards the purchase of a new iPhone.
Apple has also lowered its estimated trade-in values for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus by $25 each to $200 and $225 respectively, while the iPhone 5s now scores $90 instead of $125. iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c trade-in values are now $50 and $40 respectively, down from $75 each, and the iPhone 4s is no longer eligible for trade in.
The iPhone trade-up program, not to be confused with the iPhone Upgrade Program, allows customers to trade in their old iPhone to Apple in exchange for credit to lower the full cost of a new iPhone, or to reduce the monthly payments of a carrier financing plan. Trade-in values, managed by third-party vendor Brightstar Corporation, may vary based on the condition of the iPhone traded in. Select Android, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone devices are also eligible for trade in.
iPhone owners looking to get the best value for their old smartphone should consider selling the device for cash through classified ad websites like Craigslist, but Apple’s trade-up program does provide a convenient and safe resale option.
Related Roundups: iPhone 6s, iPhone SE
Tag: Apple trade-in
Buyer’s Guide: iPhone (Buy Now)
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Opera Desktop Browser for Mac Officially Launches With Built-In VPN
Norway-based company Opera Software has brought its VPN feature to the masses with the release of Opera 40 desktop browser for Mac.
For those unfamiliar with the technology, a VPN creates an encrypted tunnel from the user’s computer to the VPN server, which hides browsing activity from other users on the local network and enhances security and privacy online. It shields a user’s real IP address, allowing them to bypass firewalls, block tracking cookies, and access geo-restricted content regardless of their true location.
“If people knew how the internet truly works, I believe they all would use a VPN,” said Krystian Kolondra, SVP of Opera browser for desktops, in a blog post. “By making our browser VPN free and easy to use, we hope to make it an essential tool, just as the lock and key is to your house.”
We know that people are concerned about their privacy online and that the interest for VPN is increasing. However, two major obstacles are blocking people from using it: VPNs are too complicated to use, and they require a monthly subscription. Opera resolves both issues by introducing its free and easy-to-use service right into the browser.
Opera’s VPN supports AES-256 encryption and auto-selects the best server to route users’ traffic through, based on speed, latency, and traffic congestion. Currently the service has server locations in the U.S., Canada, Germany, Singapore, and the Netherlands.
VPNs typically come in the form of separate plug-ins or client apps, making Opera one the first major browsers to include one as standard. The feature comes after the company’s acquisition of U.S. VPN company SurfEasy last March. Opera has been testing the VPN in developer betas since April, and says that neither it nor SurfEasy logs any information about a user’s browsing history.
Opera 40 also includes an automatic battery saving feature, Chromecast support, video pop-outs, a newsreader with RSS support, built-in ad-blocking, and an overhauled browser engine.
The Norwegian firm is on the verge of a $600 million deal with a Chinese consortium which will transfer ownership of its apps to a group that includes anti-virus company Qihoo 360.
Users can download Opera 40 browser from the company’s website.
Tags: Opera browser, VPN
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iPhone 7 Plus Availability Improving Through Apple’s Upgrade Program
A spot check of Apple’s reservation system for iPhone Upgrade Program members reveals iPhone 7 Plus availability is slowly improving in the United States.
iPhone 7 Plus models in select storage capacities and colors, sans Jet Black models, are available for reservation at select Apple retail stores in California, Florida, New York, and some other states as of the time this article was published. iPhone 7 models continue to be more widely available.
Apple Century City in Los Angeles, for example, currently has 128GB iPhone 7 Plus models for AT&T and Verizon in Rose Gold available for reservation at 4:00 p.m. local time. Similarly, Apple Williamsburg in Brooklyn has 128GB iPhone 7 Plus models for AT&T and Verizon in Black, Gold, Rose Gold, and Silver.
iPhone 7 Plus reservations are available at six other Apple stores in New York City, including its Grand Central, SoHo, Upper East Side, Upper West Side, West 14th Street, and World Trade Center locations. Each location has iPhone 7 Plus models for all four major U.S. carriers, aside from T-Mobile models at Apple SoHo.
iPhone 7 Plus reservations in Florida are available at Aventura Mall in Aventura, St. Johns Town Center in Jacksonville, and International Plaza in Tampa Bay.
Elsewhere, customers can reserve the 5.5-inch model at Highland Village in Houston, South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, Pasadena, Irvine Spectrum Center in Irvine, West County Center in St. Louis, Woodland in Grand Rapids, Fayette Mall in Lexington, Jordan Creek in West Des Moines, and some other stores.
iPhone 7 Plus stock both in stores and online has been limited compared to iPhone 7 since last Friday’s launch. New data suggests the 5.5-inch model has outsold the 4.7-inch version for the first time ever, likely fueled by exclusive features such as dual cameras, longer battery life, and 3GB of RAM.
Yesterday, it was reported that some Jet Black iPhone 7 Plus pre-orders will be delivered sooner than expected as shipping estimates improve.
Related Roundup: iPhone 7
Tags: iPhone Upgrade Program, Apple retail
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US government outlines its policy on self-driving cars
It’s not out of the realm of possibility for fully self-driving cars to hit public roads in the next few years, what with Google, Tesla, Uber and other big-name companies working on the technology. Now, the US government has officially thrown its weight behind the technology and released a Federal Automated Vehicles policy. In it, the Department of Transportation outlines a set of 15 safety assessment objectives manufacturers have to meet to ensure their vehicles can meet regulators’ requirements. It also clarifies the division of state and federal responsibilities, as well as the regulatory tools the DOT plans to use. According to the department, the policy is “rooted in [its] view that automated vehicles hold enormous potential benefits for safety, mobility and sustainability.”
The policy’s 15-point safety assessment includes guidelines on how companies should validate their self-driving systems, how their vehicles should record and share data and how AVs should act after a crash. It also has guidelines covering the system’s user interface and its ability to protect a user’s privacy. You can see a short description of each guideline in the DOT’s document, but the the department is slated to release a longer, more detailed version on Tuesday.
As for the division of responsibilities between authorities, the policy states that feds will be in charge of setting safety standards, investigating and managing recalls, as well as enforcing compliance with safety standards. State authorities, on the other hand, will be in charge of licensing human drivers and registering AVs, enforcing traffic laws and conducting safety inspections. In short, as the DOT told Vox, the feds are in charge when the software is driving, but state authorities are when the human driver is the one steering the wheel.
DOT secretary Anthony Foxx is hoping that the points the agency tackled in the policy will help it “avoid a patchwork of state laws.” The POTUS also championed self-driving vehicles by publishing an op-ed piece for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette at the same time the policy was released, wherein he talked about their potential to save lives:
“Right now, too many people die on our roads – 35,200 last year alone – with 94 percent of those the result of human error or choice. Automated vehicles have the potential to save tens of thousands of lives each year. And right now, for too many senior citizens and Americans with disabilities, driving isn’t an option. Automated vehicles could change their lives.
Safer, more accessible driving. Less congested, less polluted roads. That’s what harnessing technology for good can look like. But we have to get it right. Americans deserve to know they’ll be safe today even as we develop and deploy the technologies of tomorrow.
That’s why my administration is rolling out new rules of the road for automated vehicles – guidance that the manufacturers developing self-driving cars should follow to keep us safe. And we’re asking them to sign a 15-point safety checklist showing not just the government, but every interested American, how they’re doing it.”
Via: The New York Times
Source: Department of Transportation (PDF)
Adult Swim streams ‘Space Ghost’ episodes for free
Over the weekend, one of the people behind Adult Swim’s Space Ghost Coast to Coast cartoon passed away, and the network has decided to honor his memory by making episodes of the show available for free. C. Martin Croker voiced two characters on the show, Zorak and Moltar, as well as serving as an animator on the show and other projects. Like many shows of its era, viewing the old episodes is difficult since the DVD releases are now out of print. Adult Swim says it has posted every episode “that we could get our hands on,” and you can watch them here with no log-in required.
In memory of our friend C. Martin Croker, @adultswim is putting every episode of SGC2C up on https://t.co/tSHbtM7czW, available w/o login.
— SPACE KNIGHT DEMARCO (@Clarknova1) September 19, 2016
RIP C. Martin Croker pic.twitter.com/Ol6RNHhs60
— [adult swim] (@adultswim) September 18, 2016
Via: AV Club
Source: Adult Swim
The all-electric Chevy Bolt costs $30,000
Chevy has hemmed and hawed over the ins and outs of its Bolt electric vehicle’s pricing, but now we have some specifics. Driving one off the lot with the “well equipped” LT trim package comes with a rear camera, 10.2-inch touch screen and a Regen-on-Demand paddle will set you back $37,495 according to the automaker.
There’s a higher-end “Premier” model with leather interior, heated seats, surround camera and a backup camera display in the rearview mirror, but GM hasn’t said how much that’ll cost yet. The company is banking on the $7,500 federal tax credit making the LT’s standard price more attractive, bringing it down to a cool $29,995. For those keeping track at home, that’s just over $5,000 cheaper than the Tesla Model 3.
