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Pure White Essential Phone finally goes on sale in the US, ships with white accessories

Alexandra Arici
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So far if you wanted to purchase Andy Rubin’s Essential Phone you could only grab the Black Moon version.

At launch, the company teased four different color variants including the Black version mentioned above, but also the Pure White, Stellar Gray and Ocean Depths models.

Well, we’re happy to report the Pure White version is now on sale, available through Essential.com, Amazon, Best Buy, and Sprint. Just like in the case of the Black Moon version, the Pure White edition will set you back with a hefty $699, but it will ship with white accessories instead, including a USB cable, headphone jack adapter and a faster charger.

What about the other two color versions, especially the eye-catching Ocean Depths model? Unfortunately, the models are still in development and we can’t exactly tell you when they are going to be available at this point. It might take a while, due to the complex processes involved in reproducing these colors on the phone’s ceramic body.

In the meanwhile, the company is hard at work preparing the Android 8.0 Oreo beta which according to a recent AMA (Ask Me Anything) is only weeks away. We were also told the Oreo update will bring a Night Mode to the handset. A future update is expected to add fingerprint reader gestures to the phone.

Google Duo integration now available in Phone, Contacts and Messages apps (for some phones)

Alexandra Arici
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Google is making it easier for users to make video calls using its own video calling app – Duo. Starting this week, owners of select Android smartphones will be able to make Duo calls right from their device’s Android Phone, Contacts, and Android Messages apps.

From within the phone app, you’ll be able to initiate a video call from the call history or search. In Contacts, you will notice a Duo video call icon has also appeared, while in Android Messages app, you can start a call straight from your chat. But remember, that both you and the person you’re trying to reach need to have the Duo app installed on your handset which should run Android 7.0 Nougat or above.

Google notes that if both you and your partner have ViLTE-capable (Video over LTE) handsets, the video call will be routed through the service rather than Duo.

For the time being, deeper Duo integration is available on the Nexus and Android One family, Pixel or Pixel XL. The feature will also be available on the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL.

For those who don’t own a Google device, don’t be sad. The Mountain View-based company says its working closely with carrier and device partners to bring the experience on more Android models soon.

Optoma’s NuForce BE Free 8 offers a solid truly wireless experience with a really wordy name (Review)

Donovan Jeska
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Build

Build is a funny thing. It’s usually a combination of a few things for me: durability, aesthetic, and feel. Optoma’s NuForce BE Free 8 (what a mouthful) demonstrates rather well how a device can be great in a couple of those subcategories, but receive low marks in others.

With an Ingress rating of IPX5, and a quality hard-plastic shell, the BE Free 8s are very durable, with a secure fit considering the buds only use your ear canal. Aesthetically, though, the glossy black finish that’s supposed to come across as classy just ends up looking like faux luxury. It gathers a small army of fingerprints in a matter of seconds – especially on the smooth, contours of the charging case – and the case itself is just a bit too big to fit comfortably in a front pocket.

That case is built well though, with a lid that snaps open and closed with ease and purpose. The buds fit snugly into the inner frame and while I personally would have preferred a slightly stronger magnetic connection, the connection that is there holds it gently but securely. Two sets of LEDs make it easy to tell the power levels of both the buds and the case with ease, at-a-glance. Unfortunately, the BE Free 8s (and most similar products) use a MicroUSB port for charging, rather than the newer, more versatile Type-C port. The sooner these manufacturers realize that a newer, better standard makes their products more appealing to buyers, the better.

Performance

The primary challenge with this first generation of truly wireless Bluetooth earphones is striking a balance between sound quality and portability. Optoma’s NuForce BE Free 8 is no exception: while the sound clarity is nice and crisp for such a small profile, the drivers contained within just can’t pump enough bass to make a truly robust listening experience. The result is an almost tinny quality to the sound, despite advertising “deep, explosive bass.” That’s not to say that these are poor quality earphones, or that using them is not entertaining – far from it – the technology just hasn’t quite matured yet.

Connection-wise, the BE Free 8 is a mixed bag: pairing is ridiculously easy, and the connection between the two earbuds is painless and stable, but the connection between buds and phone is prone to drop connection just for a split second at any sudden movements – unfortunately, another limitation truly wireless Bluetooth earbuds right now. These earbuds use a technology called NMFI (Near-Field Magnetic Induction) to maintain a connection between the two earpieces, but the positioning of the antennas means you need to have the earpieces in just so to maintain that reliable connection.

Battery

According to Optoma’s documentation, the BE Free 8 sports a 4 hour battery life – unsurprising, given the small profile of the earbuds. In addition, the charging case offers three more charges for a total of 16 hours of play on a single case charge – not bad at all. One thing I would like to see is the ability to plug in your phone to the case and use the case as an external battery – this kind of goes along with the Type-C connection I mentioned earlier, eliminating the need for a second port.

Value

At $149.99 on Amazon, the BE Free 8 is pretty pricey, on par with Apple’s AirPods. While I personally think that’s overpriced for a pair of earbuds, the impressive amount of technology crammed into these buds may sway others. With NFMI, an included charging case, and near-complete freedom from wires (give us a Qi-chargeable charging case!), Optoma’s NuForce BE Free 8 is a fantastic set of earbuds that nonetheless falls prey to the limitations of other first-generation truly wireless earbuds.

Cloud Eye: Live camera that is big on style, extremely small on size (Promoted)

Guest Blogger
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Are you tired of carrying your office projectors and cameras to every other meeting, sometimes across different cities? What about the trouble of loading multiple cameras, often awfully huge in size, to your every trip for recording your precious moments. Then there’s the hassle of of uploading your captures to the world through social networks and sharing platforms.

We understand these difficulties, which is why we came up with Cloud Eye Live Camera. Cloud Eye Camera is the world’s smallest live camera to date. We aim to give you more style in less size. A camera that is suitable for any multimedia crises you are going through, whether it is at the office or vacations. You name it, and Cloud Eye Live Camera will be there to comfort you.

The uses of Cloud Eye Live Camera are endless. It can be used for personal as well as business or more official means. On the high end of features, it comes with an application through which you can monitor 20 of these beauties so as to support multi-channel live broadcast. The application can also upload the results fast to any social media sites such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other platforms. All of your pictures and videos are just one click away from publishing.

One of the most amazing features of the Cloud Eye Camera is that it can be turned into a VR system very quickly; you can experience super stylish VR works shot by Cloud Eye on phone and computer.

The nanotechnology means that no sweat or dirt from sports can damage the device or its functions. You can actually dive into the ocean with this camera and come out with your entire experience on tape. How does that sound?

As it comes to specs, Cloud Eye adopts a clever design that combines everything into one device which is only 15 x 15 x 35mm making our device the world smallest camera. Its 2-megapixel optical glass lens lets you record high-definition and high-speed pictures and an experience like never before. The built-in wireless network connection leaves you worry free as it pertains to cables. Just connect straight through the Wi-Fi and all of your data transfer is done.

All in all, the Cloud Eye may be among the coolest things you’ll ever own. The product is just hitting Indiegogo and looking for some backing. Learn more about it at the official website or head to Indiegogo to support it and get in on early bird pricing.

OUKITEL K8000 looms on the horizon with an 8,000mAh battery

Luke Gaul
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If you’ve followed smartphone technology closely over the last decade, you can remember when battery capacities were routinely 1,200mAh. We couldn’t go more than a few hours with our Android before it needed charged.

Jumping into 2,000mAh was an incredible deal; coupling that much juice with a more efficient Android OS made for a much longer life. And, now that phones are regularly in the 3,000s, we’ve come to expect a certain amount of battery from our devices.

How about a phone that could pack some 8,000mAh worth of power? Indeed, that’s not far off, thanks to the upcoming OUKITEL K8000. That’s right, a battery that’s good enough to last some five days.

Other specifications in the forthcoming phone include a 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED LCD display and an aluminum unibody. Internally, the hardware puts it firmly in the middle of the pack.

With 4GB RAM and 64GB of space, it’s more than what your average user needs to get through a typical day. Rounding out the main details is a Mediatek octa-core 1.5GHz processor.

As for cameras, the OUKITEL K8000 packs a 16-megapixel/2-megapixel dual setup with a 13-megapixel front-facing shooter. Moreover, the selfie camera offers up an 80-degree wide angle for better group shots.

Powered by Android 7.0 Nougat, the massive battery should get most users through a full work week. That is, of course, if you’re not spending the boss’s time playing games. Seriously, though, you may only have to charge this phone like twice a week.

It’s not clear when the K8000 will arrive, but, given how much we know about it, the phone should be here soon. What are your thoughts on the upcoming OUKITEL handset? Interested?

Learn more about Oukitel and its smartphones on its website: oukitel.com.

Zenge: A charming experience that should not be missed (Review)

Gerson Noboa
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A lot of developers these days (even on consoles) try to focus only on some aspects of what makes a good video game. For example, some games try to focus too much on graphics, others in trying to provide a decent multiplayer, others provide good gameplay at the cost of audiovisuals, and so on. However, there are also games like Zenge that understand that, in order to provide a good experience, all pieces have to work together flawlessly towards a common goal.

Developer: Hamster On Coke Games
Price: $0.99

Overview

I’m a fan of games in which I don’t have to write a “Setup” section. When you start the game, you get a comically simple puzzle (you just have to swipe right), but it’s the perfect way of introducing you to the only controls you will need throughout your journey.

In essence, you have to solve a puzzle by moving pieces around. Since they all have a distinctive shape, then it’s not hard to figure out which piece goes where. The problem is that their arrangement on the screen means that you have to move them around in order to clear the way for them.

At first, you will only need to move them out of the way and the puzzle will be solved. Afterwards, however, you need to strategically plan how you’re going to make your movements, or it simply won’t work. Later, the game introduces other mechanics, such as rotating elements, or elements that merge into each other, to make your life even more complicated.

The most beautiful thing about the game is that it tells you a story without using any words. Each time you complete a level, Zenge shows you a picture. Even though at first they seem to be completely random, after a few levels you start to notice that they are related to each other. Little by little, they are telling you a story that you can interpret in different ways since there is no dialog. It’s one of the most original ways I’ve seen of telling a story, even if it’s clearly not one of the game’s priorities.

General Impressions

At first, you might think that the game is too easy since its puzzles take you mere seconds to complete. However, things start to get serious afterward, when the game introduces more complex puzzles and mechanics such as rotation of elements. You’ll really have to think through your movements after a while. No puzzle feels Bloodborne-like complicated, though. It never gets to the point that it’s more frustrating than enjoyable.

This game is so well put together from all perspectives. The main goal of it is to relax you through puzzles, and every element in the game is there to achieve that. The art design, the music, the sound effects, the pictures after every level, and the minimalistic interface all work together in order to create a soothing experience.

With that said, this is exactly like a real-life puzzle. Once you are done with it, there’s not much else to do other than maybe revisit your favorite levels. Since there is no movement counter, elapsed time, or rating system, once you are done with a level, there’s no reason to go back to it. You could argue that it makes the game more relaxing since nothing is pressuring you to do well, but it does affect negatively the replay value of Zenge.

Graphics

The developer has opted for a simplistic and minimalistic art design for this game, and it works wonderfully. This is a perfect example of why graphics don’t have to be flashy and cutting edge in order to be good.

The pictures that you get at the end of each puzzle are beautifully done, and, knowing that they kind of tell a story, makes them even better. Because they are simple, they do not tax your device, which translates into better performance. However, there’s a bit more battery drain than expected when compared to more complex games.

Nevertheless, everything flows smoothly and is crafted in a very careful way, providing a superb experience that would easily captivate even the most demanding of players.

Sound

This is definitely one of the highest points of Zenge. The piano music that plays in the background, coupled with the relaxing puzzles and minimalistic art design makes up for one of the most relaxing experiences I’ve seen on a mobile game. The developer understood that music is part of the package, and made sure that it was perfectly aligned with the other parts of the game in order to fulfill its goal.

The sound effects are also top-notch, although there are very few of them. They are mostly present when you shift pieces around in a puzzle.

Conclusion

When I downloaded Zenge, I thought it was going to be a decent puzzler with Monument Valley-like visuals that could keep me entertained for a while. However, I’ve been pleasantly surprised and definitely got much more out of it than I ever imagined. It is not trying to provide flashy gameplay or technically impressive visuals, but rather an experience. Every single element in this game serves a greater purpose, and the cohesion between them results into an astounding experience that should not be missed. Even if you are not fan of puzzle games, give Zenge a chance. I assure you that you will be amazed at how good this game is.

Download and install Zenge from the Google Play Store.

Which Android One smartphone is better? Moto X4 vs Xiaomi Mi A1

Alexandra Arici
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This year there have been some exciting developments in relation to the Android One initiative. For starters, Google has teamed up with some interesting new partners to produce affordable Android One handsets. Secondly, it has finally brought the program to the US.

In what follows, we take a look at two smartphones from the new wave of Android One devices. One is the first Android One phone to be sold in the US, while the second is produced by the Chinese company, Xiaomi and isn’t (yet) officially available in the States. Below you’ll see how they compare against one another.

On the outside

In terms of pricing, the Moto X4 is a middle-range smartphone, but in terms of specs, the phone skews more towards the high-end. For starters, the phone takes advantage of an anodized aluminum frame with IP68 rated protection against water. It also includes a 5.2-inch display with 1920 x 1080 resolution.

As for the Xiaomi Mi A1, this is basically a re-branded Mi 5X with an unmistakable iPhone-esque design. It’s made of metal and comes with curved edges and corners. The 5.5-inch LTPS IPS LCD display of the device is as nice as you can hope to see on a budget device such as this.

Although calling it “budget” brings about some negative connotations from the low-cost, low-quality devices of old, today a budget smartphone doesn’t necessarily have to mean anything more than “affordable price”. Case in point, the Mi A1 offers a fullHD resolution which puts it on par with flagships like the OnePlus 5 or Sony Xperia XZ1.

Both models retain the 3.5mm headphone jack. However, the Xiaomi Mi A1 has its fingerprint scanner living on the back, while on the Moto X4 is embedded within the home button.

On the inside

The Moto X4 relies on an octa-core Snapdragon 630 clocked at 2.2GHz with Adreno 508, while the Xiaomi Mi A1 relies on an octa-core Snapdragon 625 clocked at 2.0GHz with Adreno 506.

The Moto is offered with 3GB of RAM + 32GB storage, while the Xiaomi has a bit more to offer in this department, coming with a 4GB of RAM + 64GB storage configuration. Both support a microSD card slot for memory expansion up to 256GB and 128GB respectively.

There is a 3,000 mAh battery keeping the Moto X4 alive and a 3,080 mAh one inside the Xiaomi Mi A1.

Photography

The two phones are special among Android One crowd because they include a dual camera setup. On the Moto X4, it’s comprised of a 12-megapixel sensor with f/2.0 + a secondary 8-megapixel sensor with f/2.2, phase detection autofocus, dual-LED flash. As for self-portraits, users can take advantage of the 16-megapixel selfie snapper with f/2.0.

The Xiaomi Mi A1 takes advantage of a dual 12-megapixel camera with phase detection autofocus, 2x optical zoom, and dual-LED flash. It also includes a less impressive 5-megapixel selfie camera.

Other features

Since these are Android One devices, you’ll get the clean Google-made Android experience in both cases. Xiaomi has slipped in some apps, one for Xiaomi support and another for built-in remote control. Yes, you’ll also find the Xiaomi Mi camera experience on board.

As for the Moto X4, it’s the first Motorola phone to bake Amazon Alexa into the device. Other additional features include the Moto Key – a special tool that lets users access password-secured websites with the touch of a finger.

Motorola has also worked with French startup Tempow to deliver an improved Bluetooth experience on the device. So you can now pair up to four audio devices to the phone including headphones, speakers or stereo systems.

While both phones launched with Android 7.1 Nougat on board, they will soon be upgraded to Android 8.0 Oreo. And they will also get Android P next year.

Pricing

The Android One Moto X4 is offered through Google’s Project Fi for $399 in Super Black and Sterling Blue. However, according to recent information, the phone is facing productivity delay with Project Fi shipments being pushed back.

An unlocked version of the Moto X4 will be coming to the US at some point.

As for the Xiaomi Mi A1, the device is available for purchase from retailers like Gearbest for around $248 a pop.

Amazon new Kindle Oasis is waterproof and has a 7-inch display

Alexandra Arici
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Amazon’s next-generation eReader is here. Called the all-new Kindle Oasis, the reading device comes boasting a large 7-inch display, a built-in audiobook library, and a cheaper price.

The next-gen Kindle Oasis starts at $250 for the 8GB version, which is a bit less than the $290 the previous Oasis retailed for at launch.

But while 8GB of storage might be enough for keeping your library of eBooks, it might not be sufficient to carry all the audiobooks you want to listen to. That’s why Amazon is also offering a 32GB version. In total there are five versions to choose from, as follows:

  • 8GB storage Wi-Fi only with special offers – $250
  • 8GB storage Wi-Fi only, no special offers – $270
  • 32GB storage Wi-Fi only with special offers – $280
  • 32GB storage Wi-Fi only, no special offers – $300
  • 32GB storage Wi-Fi + cellular, no special offers – $350

The new Kindle Oasis’ display boasts 300 pixels/inch and 12 LED lights are used to illuminate the screen. It includes a touchscreen panel, as well as a physical button for turning pages. Due to the larger display, the device can now fit over 30% more words per page, which translates into fewer page turns.

More interestingly – Amazon’s latest Kindle marks a first: it’s the first eReader made by the retail giant that’s waterproof.  Basically, it should be able to survive being immersed in up to two meters (approx. 6.6 ft) of water for under 60 minutes, so it’s safe to be taken with you at the pool or at the beach.

As we mentioned above, new Kindle Oasis users will also be able to tap into a large library of audiobooks which includes more than 375,000 titles via the built-in Audible app. All you have to do is connect the new Kindle with a Bluetooth-enable device (like speakers or headphones) and start listening.

Also today Amazon announced a new Kindle software version which adds more font sizes and boldness levels, as well as new accessibility options.  You’ll be able to invert black and white on the display (which lets you read white text on a dark background) or increase the size of the text on the home screen or library, as well as book icons. These new features should also land on Amazon’s older eReaders.

If you like new Kindle, then you should know you can already place a pre-order for it. Shipments are scheduled to start on October 31.

Google’s predictive suggestions could soon be improved with thumbnail images, descriptions

Alexandra Arici
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Google’s predictive search has become a welcome part of our daily web interaction, helping us search faster, find results quicker and discover answers to all the questions we have.

Google’s predictive search mechanism uses a predictive search algorithm passed on popular searchers to predict a user’s search query as it is typed, providing a dropdown list of suggestions that changes as the user adds more characters into the equation.

Google’s predictive search now

Now it appears Google is looking to give its predictive search suggestions a makeover by introducing thumbnail images and descriptions in the dropdown list.

Let’s say you want to search for an actor but you can only (barely) remember his first name – James. As you can see in the screenshot, searching for James will prompt suggestions which are now accompanied by a thumbnail image and additional information.

The tweak will make finding the information you’re looking for a lot easier. Getting “James Franco” just in text as a prediction might not be enough to ring any bells in your head, but now seeing the actor’s face plus the mention “American actor” you’ll be able to identify the person you’re searching for a lot faster.

The change can be noticed while searching for TV shows, movies, sports teams, and celebrities, for the time being, but it will probably get implemented for other types of content, as well.

The new feature probably became available due to a server-side update, so it’s not accessible for the general public just yet. But it will probably be, soon enough.

VEX 3 review (Promoted)

Guest Blogger
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Vex 3 is an incredibly popular html5 web action game. You can play Vex 3 online on your computer for free. All you need is a computer or mobile phone with internet connected.
In today’s review though, we’ll be talking about the mobile version of Vex 3, specifically the Android version.

In this mobile version, everything is the same as the original, however the developers (Yepi) have cleverly made some tweaks in how players interact with the smartphone screen to make it easier and more comfortable for players when approaching the game.

Impressions

The first thing I want to talk to you about is this game’s visual design. The game has incredibly simplistic visuals which might make some people think that the game is boring. I can tell you one thing however, that they are wrong. Vex 3’s simplistic visual design in and of itself is what makes players feel comfortable and relaxing when playing the game. It doesn’t require your computer to be powerful nor does it take up too much memory (44.86MB). This has helped to make the game become popular with gamers.

The second thing I want to talk about is its gameplay, more specifically though, the challenges within the game. They’re incredibly hard, requiring me to really pay attention and be absolutely careful in order to beat them (the challenges have been made anew and are different them before).

You only need to lose focus for one second and you’ll immediately either be cut to shreds by the saw blades or be squashed by the obstacles. That’s where the difficulty comes from, however that also gives me great joy whenever I overcome many of the game’s challenges and safely reach the end of the stage. That’s when I’m really happy and think to myself that “the game is hard, but I’ve finally managed to beat it”.

I also really like how the game developers support players in many ways, like giving you checkpoints for example. It helps to relieve pressure from the player, making it so they can focus on reaching these mini save points.

The game is genuinely hard, however by adding the checkpoints, the developers made it easier not by reducing the difficulty of the obstacles and challenges, but by reducing the pressure of going the entire way through for players. That is a really good design feature of this game. There are also other things for you to do through the achievement system and the leaderboard which lets you where you are compared to the top players of the game.

The final thing I want to talk about is the interaction between players and their smartphones. Yepi has handled this very well. Firstly, the game was design to be played while holding the phone vertically, very convenient for players to experience the game and have a more overall view. Next, it gives us digital buttons to control our characters with, and these buttons are designed to be big but see-through so players can both easily tap the buttons and still see the map clearly. Thirdly, the game allows players to tap on the screen to see the obstacles and terrains that are further away from the character which helps players know ahead of time the obstacles coming up. And finally, the game lets players adjust the volume, effect volume, particle limit as well as switch to old control, background parallax, blend mode…

There is only 1 thing that I don’t really like and that is the ads that appear when you start the game. However I do understand that the developers did this because they need a source of income so that they can continue to create more new and high-quality products.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a simple recreation game but want a real challenge then I think you should play Vex 3 (there are also other games in the series like Vex, Vex 2…). The game is easy to play and quite appealing. I myself have spent hours on end playing the game right after downloading it to my phone.

You can also challenge your friends to play this game with you and see who can clear through the most challenges in the game. I guarantee that you’ll have many laughs and many enjoyable moments. So what are you waiting for, download Vex 3 now and see for yourself if what I’m saying is true.

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