Andy Rubin, the literal man behind Android, has left Google to start up his own incubator. To be clear, he had not been part of the Android program in quite some time. Astute readers may recall learning his stepping down from Android to do “more moonshots” in the robotics department. It was early 2013 when the torch was passed to Sundar Pichai.
The timing of his departure comes just one week before Google celebrates seven years of Android and the first SDK.
There are few things better than watching Netflix in bed, but it can be a pain to find the right position to watch it in without knocking an expensive device over. If you have a tablet and this is something struggle with, the Tablift may help alleviate this problem.
The Tablift is a device that props up your tablet into a position that allows to you use it without having to hold it. It has three slots that allow you to use your tablet sitting, reclining, or lying flat. It stands on four adjustable legs, and uses a clip attached to an elastic cord to hold up your tablet that can be shortened if you happen to have a small tablet. It’s also very sturdy and can be used on a large variety of surfaces, no matter how uneven they are. Furthermore despite what the first paragraph in this review implies it can be used for a wide array of activities (not just Netflix).
When I first got the Tablift out of the box the legs were all folded up underneath the part that holds the device, and in order to set it up I needed to unfold the legs and adjust them to the position that I wanted them in. The whole process was uncomplicated, and fortunately for me the legs were a lot easier to bend than they appeared to be.
To test out the Tablift I decided to watch a couple movies to see if I could use it comfortably for a few hours. I found that at certain points I wanted to roll onto my side, and overall I’d it was very comfortable to use and I was able to use it for a pretty long period of time. Furthermore it definitely held the device at a good viewing angle no matter what position I was in.
The only problems I had with it were that at certain points I wanted to roll onto my side and the Tablift didn’t really allow me to do it without knocking the whole thing over in the process, I found that typing was difficult to do while using it, and I tested it both on an iPad and an android tablet and it seemed to work a little better on an iPad. At 59.95 it’s on the expensive side, but it is certainly good quality and very sturdy.
I’d say that if you’ve been looking for a good quality tablet stand that you don’t need to do a lot of typing with then the Tablft would absolutely be worth taking a look at.
Re/code reported this morning that Lenovo has completed the $2.9B purchase of Motorola from Google.
My dreams of a Google owned mobile phone manufacturer are over. I was attracted to the original Moto X because it was
Two of those reasons are now off the table, and time will tell what Lenovo does with the Moto X. Although, based on Nexus 6 sales, they would be wise to keep the brand alive in the United States, and allow Motorola to continue to design hardware.
According to Re/code,
Google…retains ownership of the bulk of Motorola patent portfolio, with Lenovo getting a license to the patents. Some 2,000 patents and a large number of patent cross-licensing deals will go with Motorola to Lenovo.
On the bright side, Lenovo didn’t make many changes to the ThinkPad line of laptops they bought from IBM. That could be a sign that they won’t try to fix what isn’t broken.
Further evidence that things will remain statuesque comes from the Official Motorola Blog,
The iconic Motorola brand will continue, as will the Moto and DROID franchises that have propelled our growth over the past year. We will continue to focus on pure Android and fast upgrades, and remain committed to developing technology to solve real consumer problems. And we will continue to develop mobile devices that bring people unprecedented choice, value and quality.
[findthebest id=”8hZAHNMA0jb” name=”Smartphones | FindTheBest” width=”600″ height=”400″ link=”http://smartphones.findthebest.com” url=”//smartphones.findthebest.com/w/8hZAHNMA0jb”]
Fingers crossed.
via [Re/code]
Source [The Official Motorola Blog]
Verizon, as expected over the last few weeks, today announced the newest member of its Droid family. Arriving tomorrow, October 30, the Droid Turbo is the most powerful Android handsets to date.
Powered by Android 4.4.4 KitKat, the Droid Turbo boasts a 5.2-inch Quad HD display, 21-megapixel rear camera, and 32GB/64GB internal storage. In keeping with its namesake, the smartphone packs a 3900mAh battery which can be charged with up eight hours of power in 15 minutes. Toss in the quad-core 2.7GHz Snapdragon 805 processor with 3GB RAM and you’ve got a veritable monster.
Go up to 48 hours without stopping to recharge thanks to a 3900mAH battery, one of the largest ever put in a smartphone.
Additional hardware features include NFC, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, and a host of sensors. Like other Motorola Droid models, this one also offers a water-resistant coating to protect against life’s splashes.
The 32GB Droid Turbo will be sold in three color options (Metallic Black, Metallic Red or Ballistic Nylon) for $199 with a two year service agreement. The 64GB model comes in Ballistic Nylon and retails for $249 with the same contract.
Earlier this year Barnes & Noble released the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook 7.0, a collaboration effort with Samsung to provide the functionality of a normal tablet and the benefits of an eReader. Well, on Wednesday they announced another tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook 10.1.
Despite the long name, B&N looks to provide more options to consumers when it comes to the eReader tablet market, with the option to choose between a 7-inch model, and now a 10.1-inch model. What’s great about this is you can get a Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 for $300, and included is over $200 worth of free content from the Nook store. I don’t care who you are, that’s a good deal.
The tablet will be available at B&N bookstores nationwide, as well as on bn.com and nook.com immediately. Evidently you’ll get a refreshed version of the Nook interface as an over-the-air update once you purchase it that will have a refreshed look, more content searching tools, and more.
Would you get this tablet? Even if just for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 10.1″ for cheap?
via Business Wire
Wasting no time in getting the week going, AT&T on Monday announced the upcoming availability of the Samsung Galaxy Mega 2. Expected on Friday, October 24, the handset features a 6-inch HD display and an 8-megapixel rear camera. Additional specifications include a quad-core processor and 2880mAh battery, and Samsung’s custom TouchWiz interface. Present here are features like Private Mode, Ultra Power Saving Mode, and split-screen multi-function.
While this one isn’t quite as full-featured or hardware heavy as the Galaxy Note series, it’s an affordable take on the plus-sized phone. Average user types who don’t have need for a stylus could do much worse than to consider a Samsung Galaxy Mega 2 for their daily driver.
The Samsung Galaxy Mega 2 will sell for $475 outright or $150 with a new, two-year service agreement. Qualified customers can opt for an AT&T Next plan, spreading payments out over a number of months: $19.80 per month with AT&T Next 18, $23.75 per month with Next 12.
As a reminder, AT&T will give customers a $100 bill credit when activating a new or existing line Next plans. The credit offer expires on October 31.
The new Nexus family is out, and the HTC Nexus 9 brings the latest iteration of Android 5.0 Lollipop, to a beautiful tablet.
The Nexus 9 comes with the typical Nexus matte back finishing, and a metal frame, which seems to be the trend with Android devices nowadays. It has a 8.9 inch IPS LCD panel, with a resolution of 2048 by 1536 pixels, which gives it a pixel density of 288 ppi. It has a huge 6700 mAh battery, front-facing HTC Boomsound speakers, 8MP back-facing camera, 1.6MP front-facing camera, 2GB of RAM, LTE antenna, the new 64-bit dual-core NVIDIA Tegra K1 processor, which clocks in at 2.3 GHz, and the Kepler DX1 GPU.
Of course, it comes with all the perks and upgrades that one can expect from Android 5.0 Lollipop. However, this tablet seems to have taken a leaf out of LG’s book, as it comes with a feature called ‘double tap to wake’. It also has an accessory keyboard which is almost identical to the HTC Volantis keyboard patent leaks previously.
Pricing is currently unknown, and preorders will start on the 17th of October. It will be available from the Google Play Store and respective carriers will also soon announce pricing. The Nexus 9 will come in 16GB and 32GB variants, and in 3 different colours; Indigo black, Lunar white, and sand.
Along with Google’s other slew of new products. the Nexus Player has just been announced and is Google’s next attempt at bringing the Android platform to your living room. But it’s not just another Chromecast.
Featuring a voice activated remote and game controller, the Nexus Player is designed to take entertainment on your TV to the next level.
Here’s the crux of what the Nexus Player has to offer:
– Personalised homescreen based on your interests
– Google Chromecast embedded
– Media syncing across Android devices
– Voice activation
– Gaming focused
Running a 1.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Atom processor, the Nexus Player is the perfect addition to your entertainment setup in your living room.
The Nexus Player is available for pre-order on October 17th. You can check out the Nexus Player gallery here.
As we have come to expect over the last few weeks, Motorola today announced its Nexus 6 smartphone. Due in late October, this is the first handset to run the Android 5.0 Lollipop build.
Standout hardware includes a 5.96-inch Quad HD display, a 13-megapixel rear camera with optical image stabilization, dual front-facing stereo speakers, and a 3220mAh battery. Motorola and Google will offer the Nexus 6 in two color options, Midnight Blue and Cloud White; storage capacities include 32GB and 64GB.
Like the Moto X (2014) and the forthcoming Droid Turbo, this one features Turbo Charging capabilities. In other words, a quick 15-minute burst is all it takes to get your Nexus 6 up by an additional 6 hours of battery life.
As for pricing, the Nexus 6 will not come cheap. With the starting cost of $649 we anticipate at least $699 for the larger capacity model.
The Nexus 6 will be sold through the same places as other Nexus models, including the Google Play Store. A number of wireless providers are expected to soon announce their own plans for pricing and availability.
1 represents a user
+ represents sharing
1 represents the status quo
+ represents improvement            -OnePlus
Created just last year, the small company called OnePlus set out to create the perfect smartphone under the motto “Never Settle”, which caught the attention of thousands of Android fans wanting that top-tier smartphone without any of the drawbacks. OnePlus revealed bits and bits of information on their One phone leading up to the launch, and each announcement had people drooling.
By the time of the announcement, almost all the high-end specs were already announced for the One, but OnePlus was prepared to hit the ball even further. The “Flagship Killer” would only cost $299 for 16GB and $349 for a whopping 64GB.
But months have passed now since it’s debut in April and the phone is still almost at pre-order status. With lots of phones coming out in the meantime, is the OnePlus One still “The Flagship Killer”?
Before launch, OnePlus claimed their smartphone would be one of the best looking phones on the market, and that’s a brave declaration coming from a brand new company in an industry where the HTC One is serenading critics with it’s gorgeous all-aluminum design.
Well I’m here to tell you that the OnePlus One is a beautiful device. In fact, it’s one of the best looking devices on the market.
When I first unboxed it and peeled off the protective screen cover, I laid the phone on the table and just stared at it for a solid couple of minutes. The phone is not flashy whatsoever, and resembles the minimal look of a Nexus phone; no ugly logo on the front, just all screen. Just on the outer border of the screen is a silver lining that gives the phone a very premium look and definitely not something that costs half the price of competing flagship phones.
The sandstone back cover on mine is indeed a very unique feel and provides a solid sense of grip when holding it. I wouldn’t say it is comparable to sand paper, because it is not rough at all on the skin, but almost like a cloth feeling. Imagine holding the matte plastic Nexus 5, but with a slightly rougher feel to it.
The phone feels just as premium, if not more, than any other flagship out there, and is surprisingly light too. At just 162 grams, the phone is a bit lighter than the similar sized Galaxy Note 3.
I don’t plan on dropping or bashing this device to test its durability, but I feel very safe knowing that the screen is protected by the powerful Gorilla Glass 3.
The 5.5 inch LCD display on the One is a beautiful thing. Colors look beautiful, but not over saturated, and viewing angles are great but a little dimmed when looking from the sides. One of the first apps I installed was Zedge to scroll through beautiful wallpapers and shed a tear over how great New Zealand mountain ranges look on this full HD phone. Web browsing and text looks extremely crisp and just about every app is updated for 1080p displays. I’m really glad OnePlus stuck with a 1080p display instead of a 1440p display, because I truly don’t think we are ready for 2K on a smartphone just yet. With a 401 ppi on the OnePlus One, you’re going to have to look really close for any pixels, but you’ll probably hurt your eyes in the process.
The side bezels are thin, but not as thin as the LG G3. But I like how the OnePlus One wasn’t as wide as the G3. It sort of takes after HTC’s approach of being more narrow than other phones.
The OnePlus One, however, is still a phablet.
The Nexus 4 was my daily driver before this, and with the One’s screen being almost a full inch bigger, it took time to adjust to the size of this beast. Unless you already own a Galaxy Note or a One Maxx, you are probably cautious as to if you should upgrade to this size. After almost two weeks of using the device, I feel comfortable with it and often times forget that I’m using a phablet. It’s only when I see other phones now that I realize the size difference. For example, I saw a friend with a Galaxy S4 and I honestly had think if it was the regular S4 or the S4 mini, because all phones seem small now! At times I do miss having a smaller phone for one-handed use, however. If you are a person who loves having their phone accessible with one hand, than you might want to look somewhere else.
OnePlus One comes equipped with Snapdragon 801 processor and Adreno 330 GPU. Navigating through the phone is on par with the speed of the Nexus 5 and no lag has been found so far. I’ve been trying different launchers, including Google Now Launcher, Nova Launcher, Action Launcher and Buzz Launcher. All of them were extremely smooth and a joy to use. You’ll never need to worry about how many apps you have running either because of the monster 3GB RAM found inside.
You can’t get much better in the gaming category either unless you have a device with a Tegra K1 chip. Playing through Riptide 2, Modern Combat 4, Injustice, Asphalt 8 and more was a real pleasure and only on some games like Dead Trigger 2 and Godzilla did I notice some FPS slowdown. But playing Injustice in full HD on this thing felt very close to console quality graphics. There’s a lot of power in the OnePlus One, and it’s still one of the fastest phones of the year.
The 13 megapixel camera on this phone is built by Sony, and is capable of recording video at 4K QHD resolution, as well as full HD 1080p. You can also record in slow motion at 1080p 60 frames per second or 720p 120 frames per second. I was very impressed with the quality of pictures I took, as it’s clear Cyanogen has put quite a bit of effort into tuning their camera app. HDR pictures look fantastic and I’m a very big fan of Clear Image Mode, a feature they recently added to greatly reduce noise found in darker pictures. Taking pictures at night presented no problems thanks to this camera mode.
The UI on the camera app is slick and presents a lot of options and features in a simple and fun to use way. Swiping through pictures modes was fun and effortless, and using the settings was as very easy.
The OnePlus One is the first phone powered by CyanogenMod 11S, a custom Android software that looks and feels like stock Android, but gives you more customizable options and freedom.
The first difference you’ll notice is the new Cyanogen lockscreen, which is very sleek and kind of has a Windows Phone 8 feel to it. Behind the lockscreen we have a very stable version of the popular CyanogenMod that allows you to change a lot more stuff behind the scenes. From customizing your soft keys, to tweaking your notification lights, there’s a lot to fiddle with. You can even turn off the software navigation buttons in favor of the hardware keys if you prefer more screen space.
Easily one of the most impressive features is the ability to toggle gestures when the screen is off. For example, you can draw a ‘V’ shape when the screen is off to turn on and off the flashlight, or draw a circle to go right to the camera app. Cyanogen has taken after LG and HTC to bring double-tap to wake on the One, which is really really nice when holding a phone this big. To turn it off, you can double tap the notification bar at the top of the screen.
The OnePlus One contains software all Android geeks should crave. It can be as vanilla Android as you want it to be, but then tweak every aspect of it should you desire. Using multiple Nexus phones in the past, I’ve always rooted in favor of more freedom and the ability to calibrate my screen for more color saturation. With the One, I have no desire to root whatsoever. CyanogenMod 11S is as fast and fluid as stock Android, however I have noticed more RAM usage, which is pointed out in the video.
The One I am reviewing is running the latest Android KitKat 4.4.4 and Cyanogenmod software, which brings a host of bug fixes and camera features. One of the biggest fixes they have brought is the removal of off-screen gestures accidentally being activated in your pocket. Before this update, my flashlight and music player was constantly being turned on in my pocket because of accidentally being swiped against the leg. But with every update, I’ve noticed a few new bugs. I’m glad Cyanogen is frequently updating this phone (as they should), but there’s much more room to improve on their end, compared to the high-quality build of the hardware side by OnePlus.
The 3100mAh battery powering this phone may sound like the god of all flagship batteries, but really there has been some mixed results. It’s the inconsistency that has me a bit worried about the battery life. It is a powerful battery, and it does get me through the whole day, from about 8:30am to about 11 or 12Â pm, but some days I’ll need to really find a charger by 10 or 11 but then some days I’ll have a solid 15-20% by 11. Without a dedicated battery saving mode too, you’ll need to be cautious late in the evening.
I wouldn’t call myself a heavy user either. On average, I make 2-4 brief phone calls a day, some average texting on Hangouts, some Gmail, check my Facebook and Instagram several times a day and browse my favorite sites a couple times a day with the occasional Reddit surfing, and maybe a couple pictures when necessary.
Ever since a couple Cyanogen updates though, the Android OS has been using most of my battery with my screen being the third biggest battery hog. Typically the screen should be the biggest battery hog, especially with this glorious 5.5 inch 1080p one. Overall, battery life is definitely comparable with the Galaxy S5, One M8 and G3, if not a tad bit better. However, without a battery saving mode, the other phones will probably squeeze a bit more life out.
OnePlus is a company that got me excited for something new in the smartphone market, and just about all the hype and build-up for it was well worth it. Dreamable hardware, awesome software, and a killer price has been brought to us in a very sleek and unique phone. There is something for everybody in this phone, and it can be customized to your exact liking without needing to root it. If you are lucky enough to grab an invite, I recommend you take advantage of that and buy this monster of a phone. If you are a fan of big phones with more power and space than you can even use, the OnePlus One is for you. If 5.5 inches is too big for you and don’t want to been seen carrying around a phablet, then this phone is not for you. But if there’s any thought in your mind that this phone has already lost it’s cool, think again. Cyanogen will support this phone for a long, long time. If they’ve only stopped supporting the Galaxy Nexus after 3 years of life, they’re definitely going to support an official Cyanogenmod phone for a long time too. With the hardware OnePlus packed into it, the One is going to be relevant for a long time.
If you have a OnePlus, let us know what you think about it in the comments, or share it with friends who are skeptical about buying a flagship smartphone from a brand new company. Take my word for it though, it is quite a wonderful phone.