Cloud Chasers review: immigration isn’t simple, and neither is this game
Immigration is a hot topic across the globe, but it’s especially important for many of us in the USA. Living in San Diego, CA, I find myself in close contact to the Tijuana, BC border (often literally). Over here, immigration is not only your daily cup of tea, but you can literally see it, feel it and sometimes even taste it.
When I first heard of Cloud Chasers: Journey of Hope and what it was all about, I simply knew I had to try it out and take care of this review. And so I paid my $4 and started traveling to through the desert. I have been playing it for a while and am ready to give you my thoughts on the game, but I will give you one spoiler before we begin – I was never actually able to beat the game. As I said in the title: immigration is not simple, and neither is this game.
The Story
The story is quite simple, but oh so complicated at the same time. Amelia and Francisco take on a quest for a better life after Gertrude (mother and wife) dies. Their mission is to find those cities above the clouds, where the privileged reside. You will find yourself incessantly walking through the dessert with limited supplies and death watching your every step.
So that’s the simple side of the story; now we have to focus on the more complicated part. Well, at least it’s hard to narrate, because the story will change and develop itself in different ways to all of us. As you progress through the game, you will find items and meet people that reveal personal details about your own trek. You may run into some special circumstances, be attacked, get sick or even find friends (or enemies) along the way.
It all depends on your decisions. And sadly, I am afraid I can’t really tell you how the story ends. As I have already mentioned, the game is so hard that I was never actually able to finish it. This was a bit frustrating at times, but I think it represents the struggles that many migrants have to go through. It also makes the game that much more challenging. Who likes an easy game, after all?
Gameplay
I know what you are thinking: “wait, how could you not have finished the game?”. You know how life doesn’t give you second chances? Neither does Cloud Chasers. Once you die, you have to start from the beginning. There’s no saving here, which makes the game much more interesting (and very unforgiving).
The concept is rather simple. You are going through a desert and must survive at all costs. There’s a plethora of factors to consider during your quest, but generally you have to worry more about two things: your health and water levels. As long as you keep those two in check you should be fine. That is exactly the problem, though. There’s no stores or water fountains in the desert, which make water and food very hard to come by.
The key element is water, which you run out of if you walk, or if you just stand there. How do you get it? Well, You may have noticed Francisco is always dragging around a Steampunk-styled contraption. That is actually a glider, which has a bag of sorts that will allow Amelia to collect water from clouds while soaring through the skies.
The addition of the glider arcade mini-game is very odd when compared to the rest of the game, but I do feel it balances the mood pretty well. Riding around in a glider keeps things light and fun, while the more grim mood the rest of the game provides makes the experience a bit more serious.
By the way, this is what you will be doing most of the time. Water runs out quickly, so you better get to those clouds and collect water every single chance you get. Literally, every single one. You will regret it if you just let a cloud go by thinking you have enough water.
There’s other challenges in the way. You will be able to examine locations, which will appear in different shapes throughout the map. Some are caves, some are vehicles, others are small houses and some can be camp sites. Each of these will have its own story and outcome. You could run into some friendly people who will offer you water. It’s also possible to find goods you will need to improve your health or fix the glider. Or maybe you are not as lucky and a group of people attack you to take your things. And pray you won’t get injured or sick.
There are other things trying to stop you. Some towers will shoot you while you are trying to get water. And then there are water collecting machines, both large and small. You are pretty much competing against these for the precious elixir of life. Watch out for these, as they can sometimes harm you if you get to close and/or crash into them.
You’ll reach cities in between levels, where players will get the chance to heal up, trade goods and more. Take advantage of them, but remember your resources are limited. Don’t get too happy buying things and making all kinds of upgrades. One time I spent all my water trying to heal up and then died a few steps into the next level. Not good at all.
Graphics and effects
Graphics are much like the game itself – simple, yet very deep. The application has a huge focus on design and aesthetics. It is simply beautiful. Its pastel colors and vibrant hues will engulf your thoughts right into the story. And since the game is relatively slow-paced, you get a lot of time to enjoy the scenery.
Surely, the game is nowhere close to looking realistic or high tech, but it does a great job at creating a captivating image to enjoy and sometimes appreciate with a bit of sadness. But it’s not a cartoon style that is bright and dandy, the colors and effects have a dirty effect that really mirrors the game’s aura. It is entertaining and challenging, yet it has a dark side that you don’t see in many other titles.
In terms of app performance, I never noticed a single hiccup or bug. And in terms of app design, you really can’t do much better. This application is beautiful, even if all the commands can be a bit confusing at times, as some of the buttons seem like ancient hieroglyphs.
Conclusion
Would I recommend Cloud Chasers? It’s $4, so I know it’s not an easy decision, and the answer depends on your preferences. Those looking for an action-packed, fast-paced game will probably not be too fond of it. I grew up playing RPG titles, back in the days when we video games had no voice; we had to read all the script!
If you are like me, you will enjoy the deep story, full of emotion and a personal touch that will really get you to meet these characters in a more personal level. Failing will sadden you just a bit, especially after going through so much with Francisco and Amelia. And if you ever make it to the promised land of opportunity, your accomplishment will be that much more heart-felt.
Cloud Chasers is an immersive experience in which every single one of your decisions makes a difference. This is no linear game that anyone can be successful at. It’s raw, it’s hard, and it will have you playing for hours on end.
To summarize: I would recommend the hell out of it. But only if emotional, difficult, psychological content is your thing. If you are the type who really wants to just lighten up and play some casual games, you are probably best away from the dangerous desert.
Guard your info from prying eyes with LEO Privacy Guard
With many of us having our entire lives and all our personal information somewhere on our phones, security and privacy are extremely important. LEO Privacy Guard is a security app full of features that attempt to keep your information safe and away from anyone looking for it. You can lock apps, hide messages and contacts, and even give your phone a performance boost if it needs it. The only question that remains, how well does it work?
LEO Privacy Guard setup
Setting up LEO Privacy Guard is fairly simple. When you first open the app, you are given a few splash screens that go over the main features in the app, and you are then asked to set a password so only you can access and make changes within the app itself. It defaults to a pattern password, but you can change it to a PIN code if you prefer. In case you forget your password, there is also a security question to fill out so you can still gain access.
LEO Privacy Guard usage
LEO Privacy Guard is free, and the first thing you will notice are the little aliens that hide at the edges of your screen. Clicking on them opens a page called “APP JOY” that gives you a grid of sponsored apps to install. These are basically the only ads you will see in the app aside from a couple of banner ads at the bottom, and for the most part, ads are unobtrusive.
The overall design of LEO Privacy Guard is somewhat cartoon-ish. Some may like this and others might not, and I happen to fall into the latter category. It is not bad, but I find it a bit to childish for an app centered around security.
The main feature of this app is App Lock which allows you to protect whichever apps you want behind the same password you set at the beginning. Putting an app behind a password is fairly simple. You tap on App Lock, select the apps you wish to protect, and you are done.
When you try to open an app that is protected, you are supposed to be met with the splash screen asking you enter the password. Unfortunately, I experienced significant delay between opening the app and having the password screen appear. For a full three seconds, you can see everything in the app you opened before being prompted to put in a password.
While that might not sound like a long time, it did give me enough time to open my email app (which was protected) and click on a specific email. After the password prompt popped up, I exited the app and immediately opened it again. I found the email I had clicked on was still open and I was able to take a screenshot before the password screen showed up again. This gives someone plenty of time to search through your email or text messages to find certain personal information and snap a picture before being met with the password prompt.
As I mentioned earlier, there is a “Boost” feature that cleans up your RAM and claims to make your phone run faster. With most modern smartphones, memory cleanup is not needed and I would have rather they left this feature out.
There is also a section in the app labeled “Protection” that looks like it will tell you if your phone is susceptible to a security risk. What it actually does is tell you if you have utilized all the features in LEO Security Guard. So if you haven’t hidden apps, pictures, messages, and contacts, you will have a protection “alert” in the app.
One more feature called “App Cover” attempts to add a little more security to those apps you password protected. You can choose to have a fake phone call happen, an error message, and a few other screens pop up every time a protected app is opened. Unfortunately, I found these to cause an even longer time between opening an app and being prompted to enter a password.
Roundup
What I liked:
- Easy to set up
- Decent security for protection against siblings or friends
What I did not like:
- Actual security features are lacking
- Long time between opening app and seeing password prompt
- Mostly useless “Protection” feature
- Not needed “Boost” feature
2.5 out of 5 stars
Now it is time to answer the question from the beginning of this review, and the answer is that this app does not work extremely well. Interaction is fluid, but the actual security part (which is the point of the app) is majorly lacking. If you are just planning on using this app to keep a younger sibling or nosy friend out of your messages or pictures, it will probably work.
But if you are looking for an app that will provide real security for the sensitive information you keep on your phone, you should look elsewhere. The lag between opening an app and being asked for a password allows for anyone looking for personal information to find it and even take a picture of it.
The post Guard your info from prying eyes with LEO Privacy Guard appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Beat Da Beat is here to rock your world! [App Review]
If there’s one thing that all humans enjoy, it is almost certainly music. Although we may have different styles, music is always utilized in movies, plays and daily life in order to change our emotions and thoughts. And that’s exactly what makes Beat Da Beat such a special game: It uses music and beats to change your mood while playing. Being particularly effective, it certainly made my time with the app very enjoyable.
Indie styled!
The story-line behind the app may not be original, but certainly is executed well. You, the protagonist, must save the love of your life who has been abducted by aliens. Throughout the story, you face an onslaught of aliens in a space-shooter style indie game. Entertaining? Yes, it is.
Setup
After an epilepsy warning, you advance to a short video which sets out the basic story-line. A tutorial then follows, giving tips and showing you how to play with the controls, which are minimal. In fact, you simply drag the ship between your two fingers and it automatically shoots. Releasing allows you to pause the game.
Settings wise, you can only turn off sound effects, not the actual music. Attempting to do so pulls up a message that says, “Seems someone broke the switch so no one could turn it off”. I don’t really see why one wouldn’t want the music as it is a pivotal part of the game. You could just turn your device volume down.
Since this game is based around music, it is advised to wear a headset for the full audio experience.
Gameplay
With the music playing at just the right time and being in sync with all the explosions, the game really creates a sense of unstoppable-ness. This is rather good as the game is challenging, even in casual mode (which comes before easy!).
The alien kidnappers defend in little ships as they shoot different ammo in several varying directions. While it may be a rendition of the popular retro-style game “Space Invaders”, you can feel that Beat da Beat breaths new life into it. It will keep you entertained for hours on end until you manage to complete the game. There are some twists in the plot, but that’s for you to find out.
One minor (albeit major) annoyance that got to me was how Google’s Play Games sign-in dialogue kept popping up. More specifically, when you enter the game or die in a mission. I’m not convinced that this is entirely the developers fault, as it may just be a network or Google error. There were no other inconveniences or bugs that affected gameplay. In fact, the game ran as smooth as butter.
What we liked:
- Awesome music and sound effects
- Entertaining gameplay
- Several features and unlockables
And not so much..
- Google Play pop-up (doesn’t affect rating)
Beat Da Beat is an entertaining game. You’ll specially like it if you like Indie styled adventure games. The music itself is capable of being on my music play list, and the game elements are guaranteed to bring fun to anyone.
The post Beat Da Beat is here to rock your world! [App Review] appeared first on AndroidGuys.
HTC One A9 review
Pre-order the HTC One A9 from HTC.com
We’re used to only seeing one flagship smartphone come from HTC every year, but this year is different. The Taiwanese company launched its One M9 flagship back in March, and now we’re getting a new handset that’s quite different, yet oddly familiar.
The One A9 is HTC’s latest flagship, and so far this device has been causing quite the stir. It may not have the best internal specifications on the market, but the company thinks the affordable price point and all-around great user experience will make up for that. With its all-metal design, solid software experience and fast fingerprint reader, the One A9 certainly brings a lot to the table. But does it stand out enough from the competition? We aim to find that out, and more, in our full review of the HTC One A9!
HTC in video
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Design
The One A9 comes with an all-metal unibody design like the rest of HTC’s One family, but the similarities pretty much stop there. It has a smaller body than what we’re used to seeing on HTC phones, but that’s not a bad thing at all. In particular, the One M9 and M8 were a bit difficult to hold due to their larger construction, but we haven’t experienced those problems with the A9. It has rounded sides and corners, along with a panel of 2.5D glass on the front that make this device a pleasure to hold.
The 5.0-inch display also helps in the handling department, which makes it perfect for one-handed use. The power/standby key and volume rocker sit on the right side, opposite of the SIM and microSD card slots on the left. All of the other ports (Micro USB and 3.5mm headphone jack), as well as the speakers, are found at the bottom of the device.
This is an odd move for HTC. This company has received a ton of praise over the years for its inclusion of front-facing BoomSound speakers, and those are absent on the One A9. Instead of front speakers, we get a recessed fingerprint reader below the display, which can also be used as a home button if you so choose. Also on the front of the device sits an UltraPixel camera above the display. The back of the phone is quite bare. HTC’s logo sits in the middle of the device, and the company’s new camera package can be found dead center at the top.
See also: The One A9 is the start of a fashionable phase over at HTC
Alright, alright – let’s talk about the elephant in the room here. The HTC One A9 looks like the iPhone 6. Really, it does. Many folks would say that HTC’s main source of inspiration comes directly from Apple, but HTC would rather tell us that they were the first company to make all-metal smartphones popular. This isn’t enough to reconcile what will be an incredibly familiar design for most users. But consider this: even though we have some really attractive smartphones out there, none have had the same feel of the iPhone, and some users actually want those worlds to collide.
What we have with the One A9 is the closest thing to an Android-powered iPhone that we can possibly get, and there might not be anything wrong with that. Sure, some people won’t like it, but others will, and HTC is trying to get those users to buy its new smartphone.
Display
HTC chose to include a 5.0-inch display on the A9, which is great news for those who value one-handed usability in a smartphone. It’s an AMOLED panel, toting a resolution of 1920 x 1080. No, it’s not the most crystal clear display on the market, but it’s plenty good enough for most users out there. The colors benefit from good black levels and contrast, so overall, everything looks a bit more saturated on this panel. Viewing angles are decent in most conditions, too.
Overall this isn’t a bad display by any means, but it does keep the A9 from going above and beyond.
Performance
Don’t miss: HTC One A9 first impressions: trying some new things
As is the case with the display quality, performance on the One A9 is slightly above average. Though it may have been released fairly recently, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 617 processor definitely doesn’t go quite as fast as its 800 counterparts. The 3GB of RAM in the 32GB storage model really help the device with opening up applications, though the slower speed of the 617 is hard to overlook at times. Apps take a noticeable bit of time to load. And when certain tasks are operating, such as GPS navigation, the phone gets much laggier.
Still, for typical daily tasks, it hasn’t been unbearably slow – just slow enough for us to notice that it isn’t as fast as other flagships on the market.
Hardware
The display and performance aspects of the device have been closer to the mid-range standard, but that’s not necessarily the case for the hardware section. For starters, HTC decided to include an all-new fingerprint reader, mounted on the front of the device underneath the display. It works pretty well, even if it seems a bit tacked on.
Even though the fingerprint scanner easily wakes the phone and unlocks it by leaving the thumb down, it’s also an added feature atop previous HTC unlocking methods. Remember the Sensor Suite originally announced in the HTC One M8? It allowed for the phone to go straight into specific areas with taps and swipes after the phone knew it was brought up for usage. Now, because the fingerprint reader is there, it is the wall that prevents all of these extra unlocking methods from being used. That also doesn’t include the fact that it can be a home button, without any capacitive keys accompanying it. Soft keys are still used, so using the reader as a home button takes some getting used to – and fiddling between the two, we’ve found to be really common.
Of course, there is also the omission of BoomSound speakers due to the addition of the fingerprint reader. This is a pretty bold move for the company, as one of its most-recognized features isn’t here anymore. Sound, thus, gets a big downgrade with the bottom-mounted unit. It certainly doesn’t get very loud at all, and it’s safe to say that we miss the stereo audio found in past One devices.
Storage options with the A9 are pretty standard, with the option to choose between 16 or 32GB variants. It should be noted that the 16GB model comes with just 2GB of RAM, while the 32GB variant comes with 3GB. We’ve been testing the 32GB model with 3GB of RAM, and we’ve noticed that it gets a little slow at times. So be sure to keep that in mind before making your decision. Both storage variants also come with a microSD card slot that supports expandable memory up to 2TB.
Related: HTC One A9 vs Nexus 5X vs Moto X Style vs ZTE Axon: specs comparison
Though our version of the phone is a European SKU and thus only connects to HSPA+ on AT&T, it has been quite reliable in data and voice so far. Voice calls were all pretty good, though we did find that the phone speaker needed a little extra volume in noisier environments.
When it comes to battery, the A9 sports a very small 2150mAh unit, and that comes with it some obvious issues. You might be thinking that this is way too small of a battery, but we’d say there are a few things to keep in mind before you make up your mind. The Snapdragon 617 processor does a pretty good job at managing power consumption throughout the day. It’s also Quick Charge 2.0-compatible, so charging is nice and quick. HTC also says the A9 will get support for Quick Charge 3.0, which is definitely good news.
With that said, we had trouble making the A9 last a full day on a single charge. Anything more than moderate usage makes the phone’s battery drain quickly, with screen-on time often not making it as far as 3 hours. Despite the addition of Android 6.0 Marshmallow’s Doze mode, it can only do so much when the phone needs to be left alone in order to up the standby time. Doze is definitely at work here, but as we mentioned, anything more than moderate use doesn’t help the A9’s longevity.
Camera
When it comes to the camera, a few past experimental phases bring what HTC hopes is the most effective camera combination they’ve ever put out. The camera experience starts off well with the front-facing UltraPixel shooter. 4MP is what you get here, but it still does a great job flooding in light for great looking selfies. We have to commend HTC for keeping the UltraPixel camera but moving it to the front, which is definitely the best place for it at this point.
The rear shooter comes in at 13 megapixels with an f/2.0 aperture. Overall, it performs quite well. If you’re still sour from the One M9’s camera, this might be the camera you’ve been waiting for from the company. It isn’t an incredible performer, but it still falls in line with the kind of image processing that we’ve come to expect this year – details are pretty well captured and colors are quite saturated. Low-light performance gets helped by optical image stabilization (OIS), which also helps with video capture. It’s kind of funny to think that we are impressed with this camera simply because we had the previous HTC One to compare it to. Due to that fact, this camera isn’t necessarily overachieving, but it gets the standard down and shows that HTC is capable of moving up in the image department in the future.
The stock camera app is pretty nice. It has the same Zoe-powered gallery backing it that we’ve seen in past HTC devices. A number of different modes are available as well, including a new Hyperlapse mode that proved to be pretty fun to use. The Pro mode brings manual controls as well as RAW capture, which help in those situations where the Auto mode just isn’t cutting it. And in terms of HDR, though not auto-capable, adds a pretty good amount of punch and evened out shadows and highlights to photos, though processing time takes a bit longer than we would like.
Software
The HTC One A9 is the first non-Nexus device to feature Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box, and it was all due to some close work with Google this time around. Not only is Marshmallow at the helm, Sense is starting to strip down a bit in order to be as close to vanilla Android as it can be, while retaining the familiar HTC Sense feel that we’ve gotten used to. That means some smaller customization features are gone, such as adding buttons to the softkey line, Those are pretty minuscule by comparison, though, because Sense is still pretty prevalent in the skin.
After all, Blinkfeed is still here, which we actually aren’t really complaining about this time around. It replaces what would otherwise be Google Now in Google’s own launcher. This version of Sense still features a vertically-scrolling application drawer, though it’s still paginated and doesn’t include the line of most used applications at the top. This is one of the features that we are a little perplexed didn’t make it in. If Sense is trying to be as stock-like as it can possibly be, HTC probably should have included this handy feature.
All of the major features in Marshmallow are included here, such as Doze, Google Now on Tap and the revamped permissions system. App permissions are found in the Settings menu and will chime in when key portions of the phone are first accessed by the applications. Ultimately, we’re pretty happy that Marshmallow is available out of the box. If the little things that Sense no longer has allows it to be even more easily updated in the future (as HTC claims), then we are all for it.
In the end, Sense still feels like Sense. If you haven’t been a fan of it in the past, you probably won’t like it now. But we’d say this is the best version of Sense yet, so you might want to give it another shot if you were on the fence.
Specifications
| HTC One A9 | |
|---|---|
| Display | 5.0-inch AMOLED display 1920 x 1080 Gorilla Glass 4 |
| Processor | 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 |
| RAM | 2/3GB |
| Storage | 16/32GB |
| MicroSD | Yes, up to 2TB |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 4.1 Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 & 5 GHz) 3.5 mm stereo audio jack micro-USB 2.0 (5-pin) port |
| Fingerprint scanner | Yes |
| Sound | Dolby Audio and Hi-Res Audio |
| Software | Android 6.0 Marshmallow HTC Sense |
| Camera | Rear: 13MP with sapphire cover lens, f/2.0 aperture, OIS Front: HTC UltraPixel, f/2.0 aperture, fixed focus |
| Battery | Non-removable 2150mAh, Quick Charge 2.0 (forward compatible with Quick Charge 3.0) |
| Dimensions | 145.75 x 70.8. x 7.26mm 143g |
| Colors | Opal Silver, Carbon Grey, Deep Garnet, Topaz Gold |
Gallery
Pricing and final thoughts
The HTC One A9 was originally launched with the promotional price of $399 off-contract, but that will be over soon. The price will soon go up to $499, which definitely leaves us a little perplexed.
At a lower price point, this phone could actually make some waves. There’s only one way for us to describe this phone – experimental. Every company goes through an experimental phase, sure, especially after HTC didn’t do to well with the One M9. It’s as if the company wanted to go back to the drawing board with what it thought the mass market wanted. iPhone inspiration aside, the design is in line with what a lot of users have said (in one way or another) they wanted from HTC. It has a solid and easy-to-hold build, great camera and a fast fingerprint reader, which all make for a great combination of smartphone features. But some of these additions throw a wrench into the general narrative that HTC has tried to form over the past few years.
You see, this is a phone that actually gets the singular parts correct, yet still struggles find a way of actually putting them all together in a coherent way. And that craziness just might be the reason why I couldn’t stop smiling for a while as I used the A9. HTC is definitely trying here, and the price will be a big stumbling point. With that said, if the company really puts its best foot forward, we might see some great things from the next One flagship – and that’s because the One A9 was the breeding ground for all of the features and quality that may have been missing in the past.
Would I recommend this phone to everyone? No, not when we have other great flagships on the market at even better price points. But HTC loyalists can have a good time with this experimental device that addresses a number of issues they may have felt in the One M9. And the best we can hope for is that what this phone means greater things for their future.
Pre-order the HTC One A9 from HTC.com
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Kinivo URBN: A premium Bluetooth headset
If any of you read my review of the Kinivo BTX450, you know that Kinivo has completely blown me away with the quality of their audio equipment.
To give a quick recap on that review, what the BTX450 lacked in sound quality, it made up in power. It sounded good enough, but the volume was ridiculously loud. Great small outdoor get-togethers or to pump music throughout the entire house.
Well, Kinivo gave me the pleasure of test driving their new Kinivo URBN premium headset. They really wanted you to know that these things were premium with it being written clearly on the bottom of the packaging.
Kinivo has promised a premium product; they haven’t disappointed. Enough of the background flub, let’s get into the review.
The Good
Why should I consider the Kinivo URBN?
Style
They look great. Some claim that this isn’t a big part of audio equipment, but we are all influenced by visual stimulus. The URBN are aesthetically pleasing and don’t look goofy on someone’s head.
The Moto Surrounds that I have been playing with are great in their own way too, but they lack in the visual department. Their design seems a little silly in practice. Not going to lie, they make me feel a little self-conscious when I am using them in public.
With the URBN, there is no such feelings. I love the way they look, and despite them being louder in design, I am perfectly fine with someone noticing me while wearing them.
Actually, I was sent the Candy Apple Red version which is very loud, and there is no way that someone wouldn’t notice me wearing them.
Sound Quality
Looks aside, how do they sound? The URBN blew me away with their sound. The first song that appeared on my Spotify playlist was Bang Bang from Jessie J, Ariana Grande, and Nicki Minaj. Okay, maybe I selected that as my first song. You aren’t allowed to judge; you know you turn up the radio whenever it hits the airwaves.
Everything was crisp and loud. At max volume, the sound gets blown out, but that is to be expected from any speaker or headset. At a low to moderate volume, everything sounds amazing. It is clear that Kinivo spent a lot of work into creating the best Bluetooth headset that they could.
Controls
One of my complaints with the BTX450 was the lack of controls over media playback. Well, that is no longer an issue with the URBN! On the right side of them, you will find volume controls as well as playback controls. While they don’t always work depending on the media player you are using, they work very well with major apps like Google Play Music and Spotify.
There is about a second delay between pressing the button and action taking place, but it is better than nothing and the same issue is apparent on every Bluetooth headset I have ever tried.
One thing worth mentioning is that the URBN’s volume control is separate from the playback device’s volume control. Each device can have its own volume level, so if you think your music is a bit quiet, but the headphones won’t let you raise the volume, check your phone to make sure that the volume there is at an appropriate level.
The Okay
Where does the URBN fall between good and bad?
Build Quality
While they look great, Kinivo’s URBN doesn’t particularly feel great. They are made out of plastic and creak when adjusted. Now, this is completely normal, but I really wish that they didn’t creak with head movement interrupting the amazing sound quality.
I don’t feel like they are going to break on me, but that is always a thought that comes when you hear creaking. They feel sturdy enough, and I have fallen asleep in them multiple times now with no issues. They still look brand new and function just as they should.
Comfort
As I will mention later, the on-ear design isn’t the best for my personal use. I can’t wear them for too long. About two episodes of Arrested Development is my limit with these headphones. That is actually pretty good since I can usually only last 30 minutes with on-ear headphones, so these are rather comfortable and exceeded my expectations there.
The reason that this isn’t a good thing is because they still aren’t great for long usage. Despite the 20-hour battery life they can get with these headphones, I can only wear them for about one to two hours before needing to take them off for a breather.
The Bad
What should I be aware of before making my purchase?
The Fit
Now, this will vary by head size, but these things will NOT stay on my head. If I don’t keep my head upright, they will just slip right off my head. When I bend over to pick something off the floor, I always have to pick up my headphones too if I forget to grab a hold of it before I bend down.
Once again, this may be due to my smaller head size, but it is something to note before dropping $99 on a headphone. The good news is that they are adjustable as most headphones are and will accommodate larger heads just fine. Just, these may not be the best for a child with a small head.
On-Ear Design
This one is 100% opinion based, but I hate on-ear headphones. I find that I can only get half an hour of comfortable wear out of them before my ears need to breath. However, there is a good amount of people who like on-ear headphones, and that is why they keep making them.
A good thing to note is that sound doesn’t leak out of these as badly as they do with my JLab Bombora headphones. In fact, at a moderately loud volume, someone sitting next to me could only faintly hear my music in a quiet environment.
The Noteworthy
What else does Kinivo offer with their URBN headphones?
Features
- NFC pairing
- Hands-free calling (built in mic)
- Stereo playback
- 20-hour battery
- Wired and Bluetooth connection
In the Box
- URBN Premium Bluetooth Stereo Headphones
- Micro USB charging cable
- Quick reference guide
- 3.5m cable
- Carrying case
The Conclusion
Buy buy buy! These headphones are by far my favorite right now in my arsenal of audio equipment. They would be great as a gift, Christmas is coming up you know, and they would be even better for your own personal usage.
If $99 is just a bit out of your price range, you can get a $30 discount thanks to Kinivo with the code URBN2015. Just apply it at checkout at either Kinivo’s website or Amazon.com.
Amazon Links
The post Kinivo URBN: A premium Bluetooth headset appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Coocheer Bluetooth Earphones review
It’s interesting to see how different manufacturers decide to build their Bluetooth headphones. We come by a lot of them at AndroidGuys, and they’re all different. Most wired earphones have the same look, more or less. But when you make them wireless, it’s a whole ‘nother deal. Manufacturers have to fit in a battery, microUSB port, and Bluetooth radio. Hence, they end up being much bigger and potentially less comfortable.
Coocheer was the latest accessory manufacturer to let us have a try at its approach to the affordable Bluetooth earphone. At a retail price of $30, I imagine there’s quite a challenge to fit all that technology in, make a great sounding product, and a profit. Let’s check out how Coocheer did and if this is a Bluetooth headset you should have by your side.
Design
When I opened the box, I had a positive first impression of the Bluetooth earphones. The design seemed to make sense from a functionality standpoint.
The shape is reminiscent of high-end IEM pods, which redirect the cable over and behind your ears. Although, these are much bigger in comparison and don’t fit the same way, I’m strictly speaking about the design.
Interestingly, the earpieces are bridged by a thick cable that really resists being straightened. Its desired form is to be coiled up. But this isn’t a design flaw, that was the intent.
When you’re not using the earphones, it hunkers back into a compact, portable shape. What’s neat is that when you stretch the cable out, it forms the wearable shape.
The cable is meant to go up around your ears and against the back of your head. The stiff guides that curve out of the earpieces are what forces the form. We’ll talk about fit and comfort a little later.
I appreciated the earpiece design. While a majority of the build of the earphones is typical, hard plastic, the surface of the earpieces have this cool triangular texture.
Also, it’s glossy, so the varying angles of the texture reflect in different ways. It’s a nice little touch to simulate a high-end look.
The audio component stems out of the earpiece. There’s a plastic bubble between the eartip and earpiece. I assume this is where the audio magic happens.
The eartip is your typical silicon form, which is meant to go inside the ear canal and isolate.
Functionality
So one of the biggest questions with earphones is how does it fit? It was honestly a bit of a mixed bag for me. The stiffness of the cable causes a bit of resistance when you’re trying to situate the earpieces in place. Also, for some reason I just couldn’t get any size of the eartips to create a reliable seal (three different sizes are included – small, medium, and large). But this is a huge “your mileage may vary” scenario, it totally depends your inner ear shape.
The good thing about the stiff cable is that it won’t be flopping around if you’re exercising. It will keep its form when it’s set. And with bouncing and moving my head around, I found that the rigidity substantially helps to keep the earpieces in place.
A minor annoyance was with the flap that covers the microUSB port. It too easy pops open. The flap isn’t flush and is a little flimsy, so it’s sensitive to bumping open as you’re handling the earpiece.
As far as features, there is a blue/red LED that lets the user know the status – charging (solid red), pairing mode (blue/red flashing), or playing (slow blue flash). There is a microphone in case you’re interrupted with a call (there is a button you press to pick up the call) and a volume rocker. The Bluetooth standard is version 4.1. The signal range is about 30 feet.
Battery
Coocheer’s Bluetooth earphones pack a 120mAh battery. The company rates it for 6 hours of music time, 8 hours of talk time, and up to 160 hours of standby time.
I tested the music time (playing music from a full charge until it died) and was left impressed. Instead of the rated 6 hours, it went to about 9 hours. This is a decent amount of battery life for Bluetooth headphones.
Sound
Considering the $30 price tag (and the development needed for the wireless-enabling components), you may not be expecting the best audio output out of these things. That’s certainly justified, but let’s go over exactly where they stand.
If you’re a basshead, these earphones may not be your cup of tea. The first thing I noticed off the bat is that fullness that bass should provide (particularly, mid-bass) is lacking. This can also be described as a thin sound. Also the treble lacks some detail. For instance, sounds from cymbals fall flat, when there should be some sparkle.
I did enjoy vocals, however. Clarity in the mids is decent and vocals sound natural. Also, in regard to imaging, there is distinct separation between instruments.
Final Thoughts
With budget earphones, the consideration revolves around value. In other words, how much you get for your money. So despite the cons I’ve found, are Coocheer’s still worth the low $30? I think so. It’s not like they don’t work. They’re just not as refined as I would like them to be.
But at $30, you know they won’t be perfect. Actually, on Amazon
The post Coocheer Bluetooth Earphones review appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Drivemode app review
- Easy to learn and use
- A minimalist UI that is perfect for in-car use
- Could use some extra polish
- Some minor bugs and odd UI choices at some places
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In an ideal world, we would probably just pocket our smartphones and not even touch them while driving, but we all know a handset is very necessary for some essential road needs, such as navigation, music and a few other things. At the end of the day, though, driving safely involves looking at your smartphone as little as possible. That’s it – there’s no way around it.
How do you find the balance between safety and usability? In order to answer the question, we must tackle the real issue first. The problem with using a smart device while driving is that mobile interfaces were designed to be immersive. They embrace you with a full array of services, apps, settings, notifications and flashy features that will pop at you at once. This is great for your daily tasks, but it can prove to be dangerous (and even fatal) when operating a vehicle that weighs multiple tons.
What gives? Many app developers have created dashboard apps and driving interfaces claiming to simplify your smartphone experience while driving. And for the most part they accomplish that, but I must say I have never felt as comfortable with other apps as I have with Drivemode. The app may not be perfect, but I will tell you right now there is not much to complain about. But let’s not spoil the review. Instead, we will go through all the components one by one.
Welcome screen
The main reason why we use our phones while driving is likely to navigate somewhere, so Drivemode welcomes you with a screen that facilitates grabbing directions to anywhere you need to go. Your favorite locations are saved, and you can enter new ones manually at any time. To do this, just hit the “SOMEWHERE ELSE” option.
This section will open a new window that will allow you to search new destinations, use recent ones, grab location details from calendar entries and access your favorite spots. Simple and clean, but this is only the beginning of the fun.
The “Tab”
You will notice that once you open Drivemode, a round tab will take over the left side of your screen. This is the main point of interaction between Drivemode and the driver, as it it used to call upon the vehicle-centric interface. Even if you press the home button and head to your regular home screens, that tab will be there. It’s a constant portal to your driving mode, so to speak.
My only problem with it is that it gets too much on the way. Not that you should be using your phone, anyways, but sometimes you just might need to. And let’s hope whatever you need to do with your phone is not on the left edge of the screen, because you won’t be able to access it (that is, if what you need to tap is behind this tab).
I would usually have to fumble around just to try to access certain things. And this is not good while driving, as it proved to keep my eyes off the road for a little longer. The trick was to turn off the tab, do what I was planning to do and then turn it back on. But even then, that was a lot of time and effort. I would appreciate if the tab was a little more discrete or didn’t take over most of the side of the screen. Something more like a Facebook Chat Head.
Maybe a nice gesture option to bring up Drivemode would be better? You can always call me for more ideas, developers!
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The main UI
So here is where things really get interesting. I would say the user interface and the way you interact with it are the best parts about Drivemode. The application’s main lure is its “no look” experience, which is amazingly simple and manages to look very good. Press on that overwhelming tab and you will be able to start interacting with very little attention.
You can swipe up and down between Settings, Navigation, Music and Contacts. The app uses the vast majority of the touchscreen for this section. You just have to make sure you don’t press the “Power off” button (which shuts down Drivemode) on the left or the minimize button on the right. Otherwise, the rest of the screen is fair game! The application also reads everything out for you, so you will always know where you are. Tap on the middle of the screen to select whichever of the actions you prefer.
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Accessing each of the functions
Settings
Accessing settings will present you with a full list of customization options you can rearrange. Because the app is very simple, there are not many things you can do (that’s a good thing!). Setting the default navigation app, selecting favorite places, choosing your favorite music players and more.
Safety is key, so the Settings menu also includes plenty of options to avoid distractions. You can select whether calls go through or not while driving. The same applies for messages, which you can also have read out to you. And one can even include preset text messages to quickly send something to your contacts.
Here’s the real kicker. My favorite options are under “Advanced Settings”. From here, you can allow Drivemode to automatically start when it connects to your car’s Bluetooth, or when the app detects that you are driving (using distance, speed and integrated sensors). There’s actually some fun stuff in here – you just have to dig around.
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Navigation
You will likely be using this one the most. Navigation is important for driving, and Drivemode keeps it very handy. Access this section and you will be presented with big circles showcasing your favorite spots. Swipe from side to side to switch them. Of course, the app will continue reading everything out to you, so you don’t need to take a look at the screen, at all.
Press the sandwich menu button (three lines) and you can switch between your destinations, which proves to be rather convenient. It’s very simple to single out your favorites, or your calendar entries. It’s also possible to add a new place by selecting the last bubble to the right. Just enter a keyword, location or address. The app will simply send the search term to the desired navigation app when you need to travel to this destination.
By the way, that is the way Navigation works here. It pretty much simplifies the most intensive actions and then sends you over to Google Maps (or whichever navigation app you prefer). The rest of the work will be done from there.
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I happen to love the way this system works. It’s super simple. I only have two gripes with this section. The first is that there is no way to go directly to the main UI. And this is not only for the Navigation section, this is an issue with all other actions, except Settings.
If you are within the Navigation, Music or Contacts sections, pressing the “X” button will close out the app and you will have to press on the Tab to re-access it. Annoying, but definitely something you get used to with enough time.
My second complaint is that searching for new location or adding a new favorite address requires you actually knowing where you need to go. Drivemode can’t simply access your contacts or access other sources. In this case, I would need to go over to my Contacts app, find my desired contact, copy the address, and ultimately, paste it on Drivemode. Not fun, right?
Music
Music works the same, pretty much, with the only difference being that choosing a music service won’t send you directly to another app. Instead, you will be presented with another interface that pretty much controls the music service you opted for. Tap on the middle and you can play/pause. Swipe right or left to switch songs. Also, dragging your finger up or down the screen will manipulate the button. And of course, there is also a huge bubble at the bottom; pressing it will minimize the UI and send you back to your home screen.
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Contacts
As you would expect, Contacts works the same way. Everything is uniform here, which is what makes the application awesome. One can easily do a voice search or scroll through favorite, recent and recommended contacts. Selecting one of your contacts will allow you to call him or send him a preset text message. Simple as pie!
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Conclusion
Overall, I happen to love the app. I am not very good at multi-tasking when driving, which makes me one of those who don’t even touch their phones while on the road. While I still tried to avoid using the phone as much as possible, the little I did interact with it was made very simple with this app. I mean, I barely even looked at the screen! It’s just so easy once you get used to it.
Of course, the application is not perfect. It needs some polishing, that’s for sure. I find that getting in and out of the main UI can get confusing when you are first getting used to the app. I would also like it if the app could tap into your contacts for adding favorite locations. That proved to be an annoyance, as I had to go to the Contacts app, copy the addresses and then paste them in Drivemode.
Aside from small nuisances like those, the app has great potential. It just needs to be polished, which I am sure the app’s makers are working on. All in all, I say this is the best dashboard app for drivers who focus on safety and ease of use. You can go ahead and download it to test it yourself. Just give it a try and come complain to me if you don’t like it. Trust me, that probably won’t be the case.
Samsung Galaxy Note 5 review: A change for the best?
Samsung completely revamped its entire Galaxy smartphone line this year, focusing on premium build materials. Their sales numbers have been dropping off in the recent past with their Galaxy line, especially in countries like China where Apple and Huawei are seeing tremendous growth. Overall Samsung still sells more smartphones than any other manufacturer by a wide margin. The days of Samsung dominating the smartphone market appear to be in threat as others steal market share.
To slow the declining sales numbers, Samsung shook up management in hopes that changes would start from the top and work its way down. The new management team had a clear vision of what it wanted: it took the utilitarian, do everything devices, and turned them into a superficial devices that looked great for the masses while eliminating features it deemed useless like the removable battery and microSd card slot. Ironically they still kept features most of us find useless like duplicate apps which I will delve into in the software section.
The Samsung Galaxy Note line has been my favorite over the past few years and by no small margin.The Note line typically offers the best specs and hardware of any calendar year and can handle all tasks I throw its way.
When I was given the opportunity to review the Samsung Galaxy Note 5, I was more than happy to do it. Samsung is hoping a new design and construction of one of its best selling smartphones will help turn the sales tide back in their direction. Lets check it out.
Overall Design
Without question, the new Galaxy Note 5 put aesthetics ahead of all other features. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it really is one of the best looking phones of 2015, if not the best. Off the top of my head, I cannot think of one other device that looks as good as the Note 5. The device is framed in metal and is covered with Gorilla Glass 4 on the front and back, giving it a super clean look. The Note 5 I have comes in a deep midnight blue, which Samsung calls Black Sapphire, and is absolutely stunning. It’s a nice change from simple black or silver that we have been seeing since the arrival of smartphones.
Being glass on both sides makes the Note 5 feel incredibly fragile. Almost all of us have seen the consequence of drops as a shattered screen, either through our own devices or someone we know. I’m not someone who really likes to use cases as I feel it: 1. ruins the look of the phone 2. adds unnecessary bulk 3. adds more cost. I don’t see a point in buying a phone for its looks only to cover it up later. With that being said, I am playing Russian Roulette by not using a case on the Note 5, and because of that I am always holding it a little tighter than previous phones. Having a shattered screen AND a shattered back panel would end the desire for a great looking phone rather quickly.
Another downside to having a glass back panel, is the Note 5 is a fingerprint magnet. It looks greasy immediately and every time I would show the phone off to someone, I would have to wipe it down first so it didn’t look so dirty. This was an annoying side effect from having glossy plastic phones, but having glass just brings that problem back again.
Another sacrifice, at the expense of design, is the lack of a microSD card slot. Samsung, once a pioneer in keeping expandable memory alive, is now forsaking it for aesthetics. Like the Apple iPhone, memory upgrades come in $100 increments, but at least the Note 5 comes in a base 32GB model in the US. This is a deal breaker for some, and I don’t understand why Samsung did away with it other than to assume it was to drive up revenue through memory upgrades. There are other metal phones like the HTC One M9 that provide memory card slots.
Overall, you can’t argue the Note 5 looks incredible. But there’s a cost to looking so good in that it attracts fingerprints and now runs the risk of having a shattered screen as well as back cover.
Processor – Exynos 7420
Samsung decided to forego Qualcomm this year and thankfully so. Qualcomm, for the first time in years, ran into overheating and throttling issues with the Snapdragon 810 which would have held the Note 5 back from performing its best. Instead they came out with their own octa-core Exynos 7420 which they used in their Galaxy S line and it proved to be ultra speedy. Almost everything performed quickly with the occasional hiccup which could be attributed to software. Overall this is one area the Note 5 shines in and the internal hardware should perform for years to come.
No other phone matches the hardware performance of the Note 5 in benchmark tests.
Display
The Note 5 comes with a nearly identical 2k, 5.7″ Super AMOLED display found on the Note 4 and it is simply the best display you can get your hands on today. According to some expert reviewers, the colors aren’t perfect but I think they look stunning. The contrast ratio is unmatched by LED displays, and in full sunlight you can still read the Note 5’s display, even with sunglasses on.
The area where I enjoy the screen the most is when I review the photos . The level of detail and color is unmatched by any other phone and makes looking at photos a fun experience.
Text and movies are equally stunning on this 5.7″ inch display and since the Note 3, I really have given up on tablets as a source for media consumption as the screen size is perfect for me. I tried using the Nexus 6 this year, and had fears the larger screen would make it hard to go back to a smaller screen. Instead I found that the 6″ inch display was just a little too big for me to handle and verified my love of the 5.7″ display size.
S-Pen
The S-Pen, also known as a stylus, is the most distinctive feature about the Samsung Galaxy Note 5. It is where the Note derived its name for it is a tool designed for taking notes. No other device does the stylus as good as the Note and Apple saw the success of the stylus and came out with its own “Pencil”. A new design feature in the Note 5 is a spring loaded stylus which pops out at the push of a button. This does help contribute to a much cleaner look, but one big issue is if you put the stylus in upside down it will break off inside of the device causing a set of issues. So don’t put it in upside down.
The S-Pen is perfect for jotting down notes, phone numbers, drawing, or even navigating the display as it is pin-point accurate. It isn’t a feature everyone uses on a regular basis, but for those of us who do, like me, we absolutely love it. As a medicinal chemist, there aren’t many tools outside of paper notebooks that are easy to draw chemical structures in, but this note handles my needs perfectly. I can jot down chemical structures and keep them all stored on my phone without having to go through old notebooks. I love it, but for many it might not be useful as typing on a keyboard is quicker than pulling out the stylus.
An added feature to this year’s Note is the ability to takes notes on the screen when the phone is off. Yeah, that’s right when you pull the stylus out of the phone, you can write on the unlit display in white lettering and it will auto-save to your device when you hit the power button. This makes for super quick note taking and is a very advanced feature no other phone has.
Whether you love doodling, taking notes, editing pictures or using the stylus as a navigation tool, the S-Pen is unique and sets the Note line apart from all other phones.
Battery Life
The Galaxy Note 5 comes with a 3000mAh battery, which is smaller than last years Note 4, but it also comes with Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0 and built-in wireless charging. The trade-off was the removable battery which every other Note had and for some that is a deal breaker. I would dare to guess that most people never need to change their batteries for an instant refill, but for many Note enthusiasts this is something that broke our heart.
The Note is designed to be a powerhouse, not just a typical texting and web browsing machine. Note users adore the line because of the versatility it offers and probably use their phones more than the average user. This means they need a versatile and long lasting battery as the last thing they need is to be sitting next to a wall waiting for their phones to be charged. Nothing beats swapping in a fresh battery to bring the charge up to 100% within one minute. Not even Quick Charge 2.0 can beat that.
With that being said, the Note 5 does have excellent battery life and I found myself being able to make it through a full day with moderate to heavy usage. Over two solid months with the Note 5 as my daily driver, I did not see a decline in the quality of the internal battery, but there were many days when I was traveling where I had to pull out an external battery to keep my phone charged. Again, this feature isn’t necessary for everyone, but for me it was a heart breaker knowing I once had a feature that could get me to 100% power in one minute.
The addition of wireless charging was something I actually came to enjoy. Not having to plug in my phone when I went to sleep, or sat at my lab bench was really nice. Wireless chargers these days are really efficient and the Note 5 even charges faster than the last generation wireless chargers with a compatible device.
Having fast wireless charging and Quick Charge 2.0 are two features most people will love. I love them too, but I just wish Samsung kept the removable battery option which will be a deal breaker for some die-hard enthusiasts.
Camera
The camera in the Note 5 is really one of the best cameras you can get in a smartphone. Samsung knows everyone is taking more and more pictures documenting our food, pets, children, sunsets and everything else you can think of. The camera on the Note 5 really shines and is not only fast, but it is super clear and performs well on every level. It does well with action shots, still shots, close-ups, selfies, panoramic scenes, and night shots.
The specs of the camera are nothing short of impressive: 16MP, optical image stabilization, LED flash, 1/2.6′ sensor, HDR, with a 5MP wide front shooter. Check out some of my samples below to gauge for yourself. You will be hard pressed to find a better camera than what comes with the Note 5.
Software
I have the AT&T model of the Note 5 which runs Android Lollipop 5.1.1. This is a very stable version of Android which is skinned with Samsung’s own Touchwiz. Touchwiz brings a lot of useful features like Multi-Window or S-Pen, but it also brings a ton of useless features. Installed on the Note 5 are duplicate apps of what Android already provides. Samsung forces duplicate apps onto its devices like Samsung Pay(Android Pay), S-Voice(Ok Google), Gallery(Google Photos), Galaxy App Store(Google Play Store), email, phone dialer and texting. This can be confusing for some and I have yet to find someone who actually prefers the duplicate Samsung apps over Google’s apps.
In addition to duplicate apps, Samsung also lets AT&T provide a whole host of its own apps which can only be deactivated wasting more than 1GB of precious memory. As a consumer, I don’t think it is right that we pay for an expected amount of advertised memory(32GB), only to have it wasted with apps we do not want and cannot delete. It’s this behavior from Samsung that is really causing the downfall of sales as customers don’t want to be confused with duplicate apps or apps they don’t want. If Samsung really wants to take a lesson, they need to take a hard look at iOS and see how they limit bloat on its devices.
I’ve used stock Android on the Nexus 6 and it is normally very fast. With Samsung’s Touchwiz over-layed onto Android, I’ve seen more hiccups than I would like with a processor that beats all others in benchmark tests. The software itself is still fast by any measure, but there are times when apps lag and close on their own which I attribute to Touchwiz.
The other thing to be aware of, with Samsung, is terrible timing with updates. Other manufacturers have committed to updating their phones to the latest Android version within reasonable amounts of time, but Samsung works on its own schedule and should be a major concern to anyone who uses their phones more than six months.
Many reviewers like myself use phones for maybe three months until they get a new one. Reviews on software will usually be positive as the device they are reviewing usually comes with the software that is most up-to date. I decided to not upgrade my Samsung Galaxy Note Edge for one year, to really try to understand why so many users complain about slow updates, and boy oh boy, did I feel their pain. My Note Edge ran for six months on the buggy Android 5.0 and I could barely make it to 5pm on a single charge. My phone constantly lagged due to memory leaks and overheated on a regular basis. When I asked AT&T and Samsung when I would get an update to fix these bugs, the answer was indefinite. Samsung has yet to commit to Android 6.0 on my Note Edge which is just one year old and still costs $950 new.
So if you’re a typical user, be aware that Samsung may or may not update your version of Android and that will leave you stuck with security vulnerabilities and bugs that are addressed in the latest updates.
With that said, the Note 5 software is quick and does have nice features like themes and Multi-Window which is something yet to be found on stock Android devices. I still would prefer much less bloat and a simpler user experience.
Summary
I really think highly of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 in more areas than not. I admire its beauty and think it has incredible hardware specs that set the bar for other manufacturers. Its camera, S-Pen and display are second to none. But Touchwiz and Samsung’s poor record of updating software make me hesitate in recommending this phone to the average consumer. Yet, most will probably prefer the new design over having a removable battery and expandable memory.
For die-hard Note fans, I can see most of them sticking with their Note 4 in hopes Samsung will get back to its utilitarian ways and put aesthetics second to function and software updates. I’ve seen more first-time users now though as they simply love the design of the Note 5 and that scares me. It might validate that Samsung was right with putting looks first and they may never get back to what made the original Note series great – complete versatility.
Regardless, if you understand the risks in software updates, and do not care about expandable memory or a replaceable battery the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is a worthy option.
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Master the art of image manipulation with Sketch Master (app review)
Image manipulation on Android is nothing new. It’s been around since the early days of Google Play, then known as Android Market. Sketch Master is another one of those apps pining for that valuable space on your phone.
Sketch Master overview
Sketch Master is an app that allows you to manipulate an image through a series of filters, stickers, frames, and many other tools created for image manipulation. You can choose from one of your images already on you phone or you can use your camera and start from scratch. Many of the filters, stickers, and frames are free, but there are a few that require an in app purchase of $1.49 each.
The app is ad supported, but an ad-free version of the app can be found on google play for $1.49 as well.
Sketch Master setup
The setup is pretty easy. Aside from downloading the app from Google Play, you’ll need to create an an Adobe account, or if you currently have an Adobe ID, you can just log in using your existing credentials. In doing so, you’ll unlock various filters and overlays.
Sketch Master usage
The app is dead simple and very intuitive to use. You start off with a set of predefined filters designed around making the image look like it was sketched or painted. You’re not required to select any of the filters. If you want, you can select the original image as your base before proceeding to the next round of edits.
Once you move into the 2nd round of image edits, you’ll find the overlays and additional filters. In order to fully master and acquaint yourself with all the different options, you’ll need to click on the all of the various filters to see what you think.
This is where I found the app to be very enjoyable. I thought it was rather fun exploring the different filters and playing around with the stickers. There is even a meme generator that makes meme creation fairly easy.
The app’s UI, loosely follows Google’s Material design. It’s not bad, but I prefer the standard Material Design to this slight re-imagining.
The ads, for the most part, were fairly unobtrusive. There are a few full page ads that you can easily close, but for $1.49 you can get rid of them all, which, if you like the app, will be a small sacrifice.
One thing that I would like to see is a tighter integration with Adobe. It would be pretty cool if your images would sync with Adobe’s Creative Cloud. I mean, the developer already requires the Adobe ID to unlock certain effects, so it shouldn’t be to much more of a stretch to be able to sync your images with your creative cloud work space.
What we liked
- Easy to use
- Fun filters and stickers
- Lots of effects, filters, and stickers to choose from
What could be better
- Better integration with Adobe Creative Cloud
- The UI could follow Google’s material design a little closer
4.13 out of 5 stars
Overall this is a fun app to use, especially if you enjoy fine tuning your images. This, of course, goes far beyond the sepia tones of the early Instagram days and makes playing around with your images fun.
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AudioFly AF45 in-ear headphones review
I recently got the opportunity to review AudioFly’s complete performance in-ear headphone collection. There are four headphones in this collection that each fit into a consumer’s budget. There is the under $50 pair, the under $75 pair, the around $100 pair, and the around $200 pair. I recently reviewed the AF33 earphones that were the most budget conscious. Today, I’m taking a look at the AF45 earphones that that up the quality and the price.
Unboxing and Accessories
The package these headphones come in is actually pretty cool. Inside the plastic cover will all of the pictures and information about the AF45’s, there is a simple cardboard box with the AudioFly logo printed on it.
Opening it from the front, all the sides fold down and you are presented with the headphones all all their accessories neatly packaged in a foam insert. This nice display makes everything appear premium when first opening the box. Included in the package are the AF45 earphones, a selection of different sized ear tips, a nice vinyl carrying pouch, and some info about warranties and instructions.
The carrying pouch is pretty nice, although it is a tad small. You will be wrapping your earphones pretty tightly to get them crammed in there, and good luck carrying the extra ear tips in the pouch as well. The AudioFly name is embossed on one side with the website and phrase “Designed in Australia” printed on the other.
Design and Build Quality
I have found that the build quality is the biggest improvement with these over the AF33’s. Instead of the plastic cable on the less expensive model, the AF45’s have a braided cable that feels much more premium. AudioFly calls this their “Audiofelx” cable and says it is made for outstanding durability. I have not been able to test these headphone’s durability for a long period of time so I cannot attest to any durability claims.
What I can tell you is that this cable feels extremely premium, and I have noticed no frays or tears in the time I have spent using it. I would definitely bet on this cable outlasting the plastic on on the AF33. 
One problem with this cable is that you will notice it causes quite a bit of noise. It is not the quietest cable out there, and if you are walking around wearing these earphones, you will definitely notice some cable noise.
The other parts of the earphones are mostly the same. Most of the earphones are made of plastic, but that keeps them light and comfortable to wear in your ear. There are actually aluminium caps at the ends of the shells that give them a nice, quality look. The design of the earphones makes them extremely comfortable to wear for long periods of time, and I believe these are neck-and-neck with the AF33’s for second best comfort in AudioFly’s performance earphone collection.
Sound Quality
AudioFly touts that the AF45 has a custom voiced 11mm dynamic driver that “yeilds beautifully balanced bass, round mids, and a crisp high end for incredible definition,” but do they live up to that claim?
For the most part, it is a resounding yes. There is a wonderful balance to the sound, and listening to music is a delight. The low end was smooth and just punchy enough for my linking, but I am not one to like extremely punchy bass. This is matched with equally powerful mids and highs that both sound amazing.
When listening to music, separation is pretty impressive with individual voices and instruments being easily pinpointed. I noticed that detail was the main thing lacking, especially in the high end. Sometimes, sounds seemed to meld together in the highs. That being said, the AF45’s performed quite well over all.
The AudioFly AF45’s are fantastic for listening to music, and I imagine most people will not notice or care about the somewhat lack of detail in the highs. There is also an in-line mic on these earphones, and call quality sounds great on both ends. These earphones provide a great listening experience for their $70 price point.
If you are looking for a nice sounding pair of budget earphones, the AudioFly AF45 do a fantastic job compared to other earphones in this price range. The design is appealing, and the cable feels durable even if it is somewhat noisy. You can go and grab the AF45 straight from AudioFly’s website or you can get them from Amazon (which is running a great deal right now!)
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