Wear OS (the new rebranding for Android Wear) has just received its first developer preview image. This preview updates the platform to Android P and with that brings some important, new features.
This first Wear OS preview only brings with it five new features, one only able to be noticed by developers. Also, the preview can only be installed on the Huawei Watch 2 and Huawei Watch 2 Classic. If you’re ready to install the Android P image, you can look forward to these new features.
There’s a new default Dark UI system theme, which Google hopes improves glanceability for Wear apps. This theme should change all those white and light backgrounds to either a dark grey or black color. Google also has limited background activity so that apps will no longer run unless the watch is on a charger. Limiting activity should improve performance with the general usability of your watch.
These last two features should enhance battery life for your watch. First, when off your body, radios will be turned off including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi , and cellular. Also, when Bluetooth is disconnected, Wi-Fi will no longer automatically connect. The only exception to this feature is if an app is requesting high bandwidth.
Google does state in the developer notes that this initial preview is not intended for daily use, so be wary. They also provide instruction on how to properly flash the preview on your watch using a command prompt.
Hopefully, we see more Android P preview images for all of the platforms we have available. Are you planning on flashing this preview on your device?
Huawei just announced their new flagship series, the P20 and the P20 Pro. Before we dive into the new camera system, the top-notch, the specs and all else that is the P20, let me say that the phone WILL NOT be coming to the US. Bummer, right?
The most important and marketable feature of these phones is their cameras, specifically the P20 Pro’s triple camera system. Co-developer by Leica, the P20 Pro has three cameras on the rear of the device: a 40MP RGB sensor (f/1.8), a 20MP monochrome sensor (f/1.6), and an 8MP telephoto sensor (f/2.4 and OIS). The telephoto sensor is separated from the other sensors physically, but they all work together to bring you the best photos possible.
The P20 doesn’t get this extraordinary camera treatment though, instead sporting a 12MP RGB sensor (f/1.8) and a 20MP monochrome sensor (f/1.6). As you may have noticed, Huawei only included OIS on the P20 Pro’s telephoto sensor. It is relying on the AI built into the phones for stabilization in the other sensors.
The cameras, even the P20 Pro with its 40MP sensor, natively shoot 10MP photos and use the monochrome sensors to help with sharpening and dynamic range. Combing the telephoto lens with the other sensors allows the P20 Pro to have a 5x hybrid zoom. Huawei claims that the P20 Pro will also crush competition in low-light photography. Both phones should do exceptionally well with mobile photographers, both topping DxOMark overall camera charts.
As far as other specs go, the P20 has a 5.8” 1080p LCD display, 3400mAh, and 4GB of RAM. The P20 Pro has a 6.1” 1080p OLED display, 4000mAh, 6GB of RAM and is IP67 waterproof. The phones also come in 64GB and 128GB of storage respectively. All signs here point to the P20 Pro being the better phone over the P20 unless you like smaller devices.
The designs on both phones are similar and very sleek. Both phones have a nearly bezel-less design with a notch at the top and a slight chin at the bottom, with a home button/fingerprint sensor. Huawei OS, EMUI 8.1, allows you to effectively hide the notch though if you’re not a fan. Huawei has also introduced new gradient color for its phones as well, named Twilight and Pink Gold.
Overall the new P20 series is leaps ahead over the previous P10 series. Although the phones won’t be coming to the US official, they should still be fantastic phones with spectacular cameras. To anyone outside the states (or anyone able to import them) are you looking forward to Huawei’s newest flagship?
Xiaomi has been relatively quiet recently, but the rumor mill has been churning. The anticipation has been building for the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S, the successor to the Mi Mix 2.
The device was unveiled at an event in Shanghai and shows off what Xiaomi thinks a flagship should look like. Unsurprisingly, the Mi Mix 2S does not look all the different from its predecessor.
The design itself features a gorgeous IPS LCD display, along with an aluminum frame and ceramic on the front and rear. This makes for an absolutely gorgeous device that will definitely garnish some glances, but could collect all of your fingerprints.
Specs
5.99-inch Display
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
6GB/8GB RAM
64GB/128GB/256GB Storage
5MP Front Camera
2 x 12MP Rear Cameras
3,400mAh Battery
The Mi Mix 2S is the true flagship from Xiaomi, as we have a 2:1 display, along with the latest Snapdragon 845 chipset and either 6GB or 8GB of RAM. Additionally, Xiaomi has included three different storage options – 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB of storage.
Moving onto the cameras, this is where Xiaomi spent most of their money. The front-facing camera sports a standard 5MP sensor. This has been placed in the bottom right-hand corner on the front, removing the need for a notch.
As for the rear camera, Xiaomi has packed a dual-camera system. There is a primary 12MP wide-angle lens, and a secondary 12MP telephoto lens. These combined will provide up to 2X optical zoom, along with a proper portrait mode.
While the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 only included a single 12MP sensor, the dual-camera system in the Mix 2S is rather impressive. Xiaomi upgraded these sensors to the latest Sony IMX363 which should greatly improve low-light performance.
In fact, Xiaomi is so excited about its new camera system, that it has already shared the camera score from DxOMark. The Xiaomi system scored 101, which is a slight improvement over even the Pixel 2 (which scored 98).
Of course, the problem with Xiaomi products is that they are rarely made available here in the US. The same is likely to be said about the Mi Mix 2S, short of going through retailers such as GearBest.
Xiaomi confirmed that the Mi Mix 2S would be launched in China next month, before rolling out to other regions. Pricing for the device is slated to start around $500, with the 8GB/256GB model being priced at a bit more than $700.
Tired of being bombarded with unimportant, ridiculous news all day, every day? We feel your pain. Today’s web-based information environment is increasingly being populated with fake news and misinformation that sometimes, can have a real-life impact.
So if you get your news from social media – and many of us do – you are exposed to a daily dose of hoaxes, rumors, conspiracy theories, as well as misleading news. And when mixed with info from reliable information from decent sources, the truth becomes a lot harder to grasp.
A new app called nwsty aims to solve this problem by offering to deliver the day’s most important news pieces from reliable sources straight on your Android device.
Setup
Simply download nwsty from the Google Play Store and launch it on your Android phone or tablet. The app is minimalistic and doesn’t have a lot of Settings to go through. So you’ll be thrown right in the middle of it. Its goal is simple, to deliver reliable news on a daily basis so you can stay truly informed and updated about important worldwide events.
Impressions
Nwsty is a pretty basic app. Launch it and you will be able to start reading news immediately. Every morning (Monday through Friday) the app will deliver a collection of what it deems to be the most important news of the day (six to ten bits).
The app takes advantage of AI technology to be able to “discern” which news is of importance. If you’re a person who doesn’t usually read the news but still likes to be up to date with the things going on in the world, then nwsty is the perfect app for you.
But I like to use my news sources as a means of discovery too. I follow science and I’m really interested in the latest advancements and published papers. So I prefer a news app which lets me choose my interests.
Nwsty simply assumes you’ll be interested in a story just because it’s trending right now or it’s flagged as breaking news. Which isn’t the wrong approach. If you want to stay informed, you’ll certainly have to go through global headlines on a daily basis. This is why nwsty is a great tool if you want to do just that.
Every day you’ll get a group of summaries outlining the latest news. These are concise, easy-to-read abstracts of larger, more in-depth articles.
Need more details? Simply tap the expansion icon in the upper right corner and you’ll be redirected to the source’s website, so you can read the full story. As far as I could see, the app uses reliable sources such as CNN, Reuters, Financial Times, NBC News, NPR, and the BBC for its pieces. So if you need a tool to combat the fake news trend, nwsty is once again the app for you.
You can also easily share the news with your friends and families by tapping on the social media button in the upper right corner. Easily share content on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram Direct.
The app delivers news from various categories including technology, business, gun control, banks, and science. But if you have a specific interest like I do, the app quickly become unsatisfactory.
As I mentioned above, the app is pretty bear. You download, install it and start getting news on your Android device. The app will send a notification each time a new selection of stories is available.
You can also revisit older news by accessing the calendar and tapping on a specific date. Other than that, there’s not much you can do in nwsty. You can’t customize your feed or pick a certain hour when you’d like to get your news delivered.
For me, the most frustrating part was that I wasn’t able to pick a specific news category or categories. But to be fair, the app’s purpose isn’t to give you an overview of news in a specific area, but to keep you informed of the important things happening in the world. Sometimes the two can overlap, but not always. I for one like to see more info about advancements in neuroscience than political stories in my news feed. But it’s my personal preference.
Conclusion
All in all, nwsty is a pretty useful app. It keeps you away from fake news by tapping into reliable sources while letting you read straightforward mini-articles that won’t take more than a few minutes to go through. It has a clean and simple interface and it’s not riddled by ads either.
It’s been a year and a half since we’ve first seen the idea of a headphone jack-free smartphone implemented, with the iPhone 7. For fans of wired audio, it’s been a war we’ve been losing since that time. Several major Android players, like HTC, Motorola, and Sony have unapologetically followed in Apple’s footsteps. Fortunately, Samsung and LG are sticking to their guns, at least for the time being.
But chances are that, if you don’t want to carry around a dongle, you’ll soon be forced into wireless headphones. So should you start the emotional process of parting with your beloved headphones? Well, hold on. Fiio has come up with a way bridge both worlds.
External DAC/amps aren’t anything new, but the BTR1 is different. It’s tiny, barely weighs anything, and is wireless (and affordable!). That is, you connect to your wired headphones to the headphone jack on it and stream audio from your smartphone like you would do to a wireless headphone. The benefit isn’t just that you can keep your wired headphones and buy any smartphone you want, but superior audio, which is a field that Fiio is well-recognized. Let’s see if the BTR1 is a successfully executed endeavor.
Design
For this kind of idea to work, the wireless DAC has to be small. It also needs to be exceptionally lightweight, so that it’s effortless to manage. Traditional external DACs can be as big as smartphones themselves and can weigh you down. For the BTR1 to work, it needs to be barely there.
Fortunately, this describes it almost completely. No, the BTR1 isn’t as slim as a mere dongle, but it’s not far off. It’s about the footprint of a traditional flash drive, and weighs only 20 grams.
Still, it may be awkward for the unit just hang from the end of your headphones. That is why Fiio incorporated a robust clip on the back. You can attach it to your clothing, or like I like to do, just throw it in my pocket.
For a device that aims high but only costs $50, it’s common that we get a mediocre build. This doesn’t happen to be the case here. The BTR1 is mostly cased in a metal shell, with an attractive ridged texture and solid buttons. There’s of course also plastic in the construction, but overall, the unit conveys sturdy and premium feelings. It’s not often manufacturers go above and beyond.
Function
As expected, there are few exterior features on the BTR1. This thing is ultimately a pass-through for wireless music, so it shouldn’t be complicated.
3.5mm jack on top.
Front and center is the main button, which primarily serves as the power button but also plays/pauses the music. On the right side of the unit is simply a volume rocker. And towards the bottom on the front is a small LED to indicate status.
Getting started is also a simple process. The BTR1 will be in pairing mode at its first boot-up, and lock-on to the mobile device thereafter. One thing we appreciated is that the volume control on the unit adjusts the volume on the phone end, so you don’t have to annoyingly deal with two separate volume sets like on with many other Bluetooth pairings. However, a drawback of that is coarser volume attenuation – a concern for sensitive headphones.
Volume rocker on the side is solid.
There are more functions baked into these few buttons via multiple or long presses. This means there’s a bit of a learning curve associated with navigating the BTR1 proficiently, but many are intuitive, like long-pressing the volume buttons to switch tracks or pressing the main button to answer/end a phone call (yes, the unit has a microphone to administer phone calls). But we were stumped when we wanted to pair it with another device, and we had to look at the manual for that (holding the main button for five seconds only from an off state). Speaking of which, the BTR1 can stream to two devices at the same time despite not having Bluetooth v5.0.
From the manual, we also found that Fiio generously incorporated a custom sound effect. You access it by double-pressing the main button, and a green LED lights up at the center of the button. It, unfortunately, isn’t a multi-option or customizable EQ feature; it only has one preset that you select or not. But it does sound pretty good. Bass gets a slight boost and the sound gets fuller and more 3D-like.
The 205 mAh capacity of the unit is rated at about 8 hours of playback, and we got close to that. Mind you, battery life is volume dependent, and we used low-impedance earphones. Speaking of volume, don’t expect the amp in this little guy to be able to push demanding headphones. Fiio pits the impedance recommendation between 16 and 100 ohms. This will be fine for most people, and almost all portable headphones are within this range.
Audio
Considering the small size of the BTR1, it’s reasonable to not expect much in terms of audio quality. What capable DACs out there can be this small? Well, turns that AKM made such a chip, called the AK4376. It can impressively do 384 kHz and 32-bit decoding and sports a notable signal-to-noise ratio of 116 dB. We put that number to the test, plugging in our sensitive 9 ohm Shure SE846 earphones, and we were surprised to hear an almost silent noise floor. Very impressive for a tiny, wireless streamer.
Fiio also didn’t forget about wireless transfer bit-rate. There’s no point in processing power if the audio data is poor. The BTR1 uses the aptX Bluetooth audio codec, which caps at 384 kbps streaming. It isn’t the least compressed aptX HD codec, but the standard aptX rate is where most streaming services cap their “High” audio quality setting, so it should be fine for most people.
But does all this actually equate to great audio? For the most part, yes. Of course, this tiny DAC isn’t going to be able to compete with larger offerings, but it does punch well above its weight. What we appreciated the most is that the sound signature sounds like it’s tuned by someone who knows what they’re doing. We praised Fiio’s fantastically balanced sound in its flagship X7 Mark II audio player, and the company’s DNA is even detectable in this little guy. All areas of the sound have the presence they should and are cleanly articulated. It’s also a full and engaging sound, as opposed to a sterile, “referenced” one.
Again, balance is the prominent aspect. So you won’t find a strong, boomy bass, V-shaped sound signature, or bright treble. There’s enough impact in each range to capture your attention but not past that. Fortunately, if you do want more oomph, then there’s that sound effect feature on the unit that we talked about.
No, you won’t get the most detailed or clearest reproduction you’re able to with a portable DAC, but BTR1 surprisingly gets a good of the way there (while delivering a refined sound). The same goes for soundstage width and dynamics – the BTR1 isn’t the most skillful here but well-done for the unit’s size.
Final Thoughts
If you are reluctant to give up your wired headphones and are eyeing a smartphone without a headphone jack, then the BTR1 is quite frankly a no-brainer. Even if you have a headphone jack, there’s still benefits here. You’ll get better audio quality than a standard phone DAC will provide, and you’ll have the convenience of wireless by being able to detach from your phone. The BTR1 is only $50, so it’s even worth it if you were only to use it sometimes (like when you’re traveling and doing a lot of walking). Great job Fiio.
Hot on the heels of recent company layoffs, Motorola’s previous Chairman and President, Aymar de Lencquesaing, has stepped down. He served as president of the company since 2016. Before his time as President, he led several Lenovo divisions. Motorola cited in its blog post that Lencquesaing stepped down to spend more time with family.
Not to miss a beat, Lenovo (owner of Motorola) has appointed Sergio Buniac as the new president and chairman. Buniac has been with the company for over 20 years and most recently served as the SVP and GM over Motorola’s Latin American operations. With that role, he helped Motorola achieved the #2 position in market share for those countries.
In the announcement, Lenovo also stated that we should see new phones coming, starting in April 2018. Those phones will probably include the highly leaked Moto G6 or Moto Z3 lines. We will have to wait and see whether these changes will help Motorola.
Ahh spring. The temperatures are rising, plants are springing to life and baseball is back. In anticipation of Major League Baseball kicking off the 2018 season on Thursday, T-Mobile and MLB are teaming up to give away free MLB.tv premium accounts. These accounts give you access to all radio broadcasts and out-of-market television broadcasts for the entire year.
That’s great and all, but how do you get one? Well, the steps are pretty simple. I just claimed my account and it only took about 90 seconds. Here’s what you need to do:
Turn off your Wi-Fi so you are using your cellular connection (this is important!)
Log into the app. If you’ve never opened the app before, T-Mobile will ask you to enter your phone number and will send you a text message with a code you have to enter
Tap on the MLB.tv banner
Click Redeem
A page will come up that shows your discount code and some instructions. Instead of visiting MLB.tv from a browser, just hit redeem again
You will be taken to a page where you will either log into your existing MLB.tv account or create a new account
Once you do that, your discount is applied and you will receive a free premium account for the 2018 season
There are links to download the app on this page, but just in case you closed it, you can get the MLB At Bat app from both the Play Store and App Store
Now that you’ve claimed your account, you can explore the app and find a ton of awesome features. MLB tends to put out a ton of news content and video clips to keep you up to date on your team even if you can’t watch the games.
You can also use your account on other devices. If you have a smart TV, streaming box, or a game system like the Xbox One or PlayStation 4, you can use your account in the MLB At Bat app on those systems. You can also cast games directly from the MLB At Bat app right on your phone to a Chromecast-enabled device.
Online retailer Gearbest is celebrating its 4th anniversary with major discounts and giveaways. Starting March 20 until April 2, customers will be able to able to take advantage of promotional prices on a wide variety of products including smartphones.
For starters, Gearbest is offering limited stock items at their lowest prices every day (throughout the period) at 02:00 UTC and 9:00 UTC.
Here are a few examples of what sort of the deals available today:
But wait, that’s not all. Gearbest is also hosting an Anniversary Draw.
All you have to do to take part is visit this page and click the Spin Button to win Free gifts or coupons. If you get three matching images, you will receive a random prize from the category.
Each customer has 3 free chances to spin during the whole promo period. You can get more, but you’ll have to share links on Facebook or Twitter to do so.
By participating in the Anniversary Draw you can win a free UMIDIGI S2 Lite or a Leagoo S8 smartphone. Check the page for the full list of prizes.
Since Easter is coming right up, Gearbeast is challenging you to play a fun game, in which you break eggs to win prizes. Each customer has one free chance to smash an egg each day. Lucky players can win a Chuwi Hi8 Air tablet.
Last but not least, Gearbest is offering exclusive discounts for loyal members in the form of coupons. For example, customers who registered between 2014 and 2015 with the online retailer can get $40 off on orders over $400.
Regular members can get coupons too. For example, orders over $50 get a $3 coupon, while orders over $200 will receive a $20 coupon.
Don’t forget the deals are available until April 2, so you better hurry up and place your order.
Trivia games have been part of good old family entertainment for decades. Who can say they aren’t familiar with games like Jeopardy or Who Wants to Be A Millionaire?
Well in recent times, trivia games have made their way to mobile, so quiz fans don’t have to settle for being just spectators. They can join the game and show off their brain muscles.
Fancy yourself a know-it-all? Well, whether you’re in need of a brain workout or simply want to have some bun, there’s a wide selection of trivia apps available for your Android phone and tablet.
For this article, we decided to come up with a list of the best trivia games you can install on your device right now. Let the fun begin and the facts flow.
HQ Trivia
What it is:
HQ Trivia is the live trivia game where you answer 12 questions on your phone to win real cash.
Why it’s fun to play:
Previously an iOS exclusive, HQ Trivia finally made it to Android a few months ago. Why is everyone so hyped about this particular trivia app? In part because it feels more like a game show than an app. Users from around the world get to participate and compete against each other from the comfort of their home.
Charming host Scott Rogowsky will ask you 12 questions in real-time (that increase in difficulty) and you have 10 seconds to answer. Get all the questions right and you win cash. Although you’ll have to split the daily prize (usually $2,500) with the other winners.
The app sends out a notification to your phone each time a game is about to begin, thus ensuring you are present for each round.
QuizUp allows you to engage in PvP battles to show off your erudition. Pick your favorite category and dominate!
Why it’s fun to play:
Unlike HQ Trivia, QuizUp lets you choose a preferred subject. So you’re good at history or perhaps art? Test your knowledge by choosing the exact topic which you excel at.
QuizUp also has a social component. It lets you meet and interact with people who have similar interests.
Special categories are added around big events or when new movies are released.
You can win badges and awards, so you show off your might!
A trivia app with a similar approach to QuizUp. With one big difference – the cartoony graphics and unique characters included meant to spice up the gameplay.
Why it’s fun to play:
Trivia Crack Kingdoms lets you subscribe to specific categories or channels and then engage in head-to-head trivia battles with other know-it-alls.
You can get localized content in up to 18 languages including English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Dutch, Swedish or Korean.
For even more fun, open boxes to uncover unique characters who will give you specific challenges (ex: Queen: Answer five questions correctly in 30 seconds to get a special prize).
As the name suggests, this is a specialized trivia game focusing on logos. It’s prefect for people who think they know all the companies around the world.
Why it’s fun to play:
A trivia games for those who are passionate about company brands. The app includes 86 unique logos and features up to 2,625 brands from all over the world.
The app includes a retro level that allows you to test your knowledge of past company logos and images.
Levels increase in difficulty as you play, but you have 6 unique hints to help you complete the levels.
A quiz app for smart people that aims to stimulate your brain with high-quality and challenging questions.
Why it’s fun to play:
The free part of the game includes 20 lessons with 200 challenging questions. Each lesson tests your knowledge with 10 question from 10 different categories. The aim is to improve your general knowledge with regular training.
You get 5 difficulty levels for each training categories.
The app has a review function for missed questions.
Financial planning enables you to chalk out your long as well as short term financial goals easily. And attaining your financial goals is directly related to your financial stability. In this article, let us find out why you are required to give prime importance to tracking your expenses and plan your finances especially when there are so many financial apps to fall back upon when it comes to investment, savings, and returns. The article will deal with the following aspects, namely,
Tools that can assist you in achieving your financial goals
Reasons why financial planning is crucial
Tools that can assist you in achieving your financial goals
These days financial planning and savings has become much easier as there are several tools that can assist you in the same. The most sought after tools are the financial planning apps that have proved to be effective. Why is it so? The reasons can be summarized as below-
These financial apps can be easily downloaded and installed promptly
Some are free, some are offered on trial while few have to be paid for.
They are available on your mobile or any other hand held device which makes them easily accessible regardless of wherever you are.
There are many fields available in the apps that allow you to put the accurate inputs to get the best results or returns.
Few are investment apps that will help you in investing in ETFs or Exchange Traded Funds and other investment vehicles.
Mostly the interface is user-friendly
Menus enable easy and hassle free navigation
Even if you are not into trading or investing, these apps can be used and do not require you to know rocket science to use them
Some of the financial planning apps also offer the privilege of free usage for the first month
Regardless of the app you are using, make sure you are able to get answers to the following before you take the plunge-
Given below are the main aspects that you ought to take into account when setting your finances straight.
Cash flow
Keeping track of your cash flow is the first step to stability financially. Planning your taxes, frugal spending habits, and budgeting can do justice to your cash flow status.
Investment
You choose your investment vehicle depending on how much you earn, the amount you can keep aside for the rainy days, your disposable income, and the expense you incur on your lifestyle.
Capital
This is directly related to your cash flow. Spending patterns influence your cash flow, which in turn impacts your capital.
Assets
Assets can serve as a “cushion” or “buffer” when you are in dire need of some cash. However, it is important to remember that there are several assets that are attached to liabilities. As such, it is essential to determine the actual value of your assets after taking into account the liabilities.
Savings
Opt for investments that are highly liquid in nature. In that way, you know you have liquid cash to fall back upon when you need it the most.
Lifestyle changes and standard of living
In order that you save money and keep your hard earned cash from getting drained off ‘unceremoniously’, opt for changes in your lifestyle. Once in a while it is alright to lead an extravagant life but not always. In times of trouble, you shed the frills and fancies to maintain financial equilibrium in your life.
