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Android Phone Fans
Android Phone Fans |
| Android Wallpaper: Low Poly Art Posted: 26 Jul 2014 09:00 AM PDT See past editions of Android Wallpaper Happy weekend! It’s time for another edition of Android Wallpaper. This week we are taking a look into the world of low poly art. Every computer generated thing you see in a TV show or movie is made up of polygons. The more polygons the model has the more realistic it will look. This is an example of what a 3D model looks like when you can see the polygons. A recent trend in art is to take 3D modeling in the complete opposite direction. Instead of using millions of polygons to get a realistic effect they use much less. The result is abstract models or patterns with clearly visible polygons. The images almost look pixelated, but in a much different way than we’re used to. We think low poly art makes perfect wallpapers, and to prove it we have selected 7 beautiful examples. To get one of these on your phone, tablet, or even PC simply tap or click the download link underneath each image. Let us know which one is your favorite! Push new Android Wallpaper to your Android device with this IFTTT recipe. The BatmanJagged MountainsPoly LandscapeSharp Blobby De Simone Icy Polygonsby De Simone Island TowerLow Poly Planetby Sicaida |
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One Chip Arduino
- The circuit of LilyPad arduino is mounted on the DIP of ATmega88.
- There are Reset-SW,Skech loading pin-header and LED of D13.
- Using internal clock 8MHz.
- Doesn't put ICSP pin-header because there is no space.
- Cost is less than 500yen($5).
- Source code of bootloader for the ATmega88 which is made by Mr. bird.dip.jp. And recompiled it with clock 8MHz.
- Writing the sketch uses an USB-Serial converter.
Source by web
Arduino factory + Production tour
arduino’s story is unusual to say the least. five colleagues, seeking to empower students with the tools to create, developed the platform in 2005. now distributors estimate that over one million arduinos have been sold, and the arduino community is among the most resilent and inventive on the internet.
who would ever imagine that global cultural and economic revolution would spring from the tranquil fields of piedmont, italy, in tiny towns nestled against the stunning backdrop of the alps? but that’s exactly where arduino, the system of microcontrollers revolutionzing the maker movement and pioneering the concept of opensource hardware, was born in 2005 and continues to make its home today.
More Detail go to Main page
Android Phone Fans
Android Phone Fans |
- New Google patent shows contact lens with built-in iris sensor and capacitive detection, could finally make your eyeball your next password
- The House unanimously passes cellphone unlocking bill, Obama need only to sign it into law
- HTC Desire 610 now available on AT&T for $200 straight up
- Unlocked HTC One M8 now receiving Android 4.4.3 update, carries same security fixes as 4.4.4
- From the Forums: Dropped phone in the toilet, personal finance apps, and more
- New app lets you control Tesla Model S functions using an Android Wear smartwatch [VIDEO]
- Mobile Roar Podcast 55: Dude, Where’s My Phone?
- Grab the Amazon Fire Phone from Amazon and AT&T starting today
- So if I die or disappear, what happens to my Gmail and Google account?
- Deal: Best Buy offering $100 gift card on $0 down LG G3 from Sprint, AT&T or Verizon
- 8 things I miss after switching from Windows Phone to Android
- Leak: is this our clearest look yet at the Moto X+1?
- Deal: Back to School sale gives you an off-contract Moto X for as little as $300
- Amazon Fire Phone teardown shows all the love that went into the phone
| Posted: 25 Jul 2014 06:34 PM PDT Hollywood loves dreaming up future technologies in movie scripts, and although we may not (yet) have the beloved hovercrafts and flying cars from the Back to the Future trilogy, other flicks have proved more accurate. Remember the iris scanning seen in Minority Report starring Tom Cruise? If a new Google patent comes to fruition, that might become a reality sooner than you think. The idea is nothing new: ever since the inception of Android people have lusted for apps that leverage iris scanning unlock, and more recently, developments to use your face and your fingerprint to unlock your phone have hit the mass market. But these solutions have average performance and can be circumvented, making them more of a gimmick than anything else. Two Google patents hot off the presses imagine a world where special contact lenses essentially turn your eye into a fingerprint, with each person having a unique, snowflake like signature. Built in capacitive sensors would be used to ensure it’s an actual eyeball, not a fake replica, that is being scanned. The process has three steps:
This would make iris scanning much more predictable because it normalizes the output into a predictable set of data. Think of it as a contact lens with an invisible QR code; when light reflects off your eye and back out of the contact lens, you’re able to scan the balance of returning light which would form a unique pattern based on the person wearing the contact. What if someone ripped your eye out and tried to use it to unlock whatever was being protected? What if you tried to simulate the iris fingerprint with fake light output? That could be prevented with a second patent titled “facilitation of contact lenses with capacitive sensors”. When we think of contact lenses, we think of touch screens. No, Google isn’t expecting you’ll have pattern unlock on this contact lens (ouch!), but they do anticipate it will sense the liquids in your eye and other materials rolling atop your eyelid- most notably your eyelids. These contact lenses could sense when you blink. They could sense the thickness of your eyelids. They could sense the density of liquid in your eyes to ensure its a human eye with familiar traits using the contact lens. They could, if it all works out, ensure that the person using the contact lens is the right person before proceeding to the much higher confidence check of cross referencing the iris signature. This is mostly conjecture: I don’t have any inside knowledge of Google’s plans for these patents or if they plan to leverage them at all, but they exist and this implementation makes the most logical sense. If we wanted to get wacky with hypotheses we could suggest that Google contact lenses will be the next Google Glass. Instead of looking up to the right, nodding your head and swiping the side of your noggin, users could be composing text messages with disturbing combinations of eye blinking a la morse code, making everyone look like a maniacal uber dork. Let’s hope not, but even that wouldn’t be a new idea: some might recall Jeremiah Denton, the former senator and Vietnam War POW who blinked T-O-R-T-U-R-E in morse code in a televised interview from 1966. Denton’s spectacular story came to an end earlier this year as he passed away at the age of 89. Privacy buffs will most certainly rebuff the notion that anyone would want such invasive technology. I can understand that based on principle, but think of the possibilities beyond the consumer market. Think how this could be used in government facilities or corporations to protect access to high clearance areas or sensitive information. Unlocking your phone by looking at it is cool, but let’s pretend our motivational pool is a little less shallow, shall we? So what do you think? Will these contact lenses ever come to market, and if so, how long will it take? Would you buy them? If your employer required them, would you wear them? And what do you see as being the most useful integration of this technology? |
| The House unanimously passes cellphone unlocking bill, Obama need only to sign it into law Posted: 25 Jul 2014 05:03 PM PDT It’s happening… Soon it will once again be legal to unlock your smartphone (or have someone else do it for you) in the US. After the Senate passed the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act nearly 2 weeks ago, The House of Representatives is now following suit. The cellphone unlocking bill was passed unanimously by the HoR this afternoon, leaving only President Obama as the only thing keeping this bill from becoming law. But don’t worry — Obama has already come out in support of the bill, saying in a statement:
While this is a huge step in the right direction, keep in mind the new bill isn’t permanent, merely a 3-year exemption that will need to be examined by the Library of Congress again in 2015. You can thank 1998′s Digital Millennium Copyright Act for that (as well as a boatload of other headaches surrounding copyright claims around the net). Once signed into law, expect to find mom n’ pop shops popping up around your city offering cellphone unlocking services, or even a few who can do everything online. With telecoms gradually making the transition to LTE services — both data and voice — the days of universal cross network compatible devices could soon be upon us. |
| HTC Desire 610 now available on AT&T for $200 straight up Posted: 25 Jul 2014 03:28 PM PDT We recently featured an article on smartphone theft and often times when your smartphone is lost of stolen, you gotta consider a cheap replacement. For Android users on a budget, there aren’t too many choices when it comes to finding a nicely equipped sub $200 Android phone. More times than not, you’ll find yourself stuck with a phone with little to no software support and bottom of the barrel spec sheet. But starting today, you can pick up the all new HTC Desire 610 from AT&T, a phone designed to give you the most bang for your buck. The Desire 610 is being offered off-contract for a more than reasonable $200 straight up, or a measly $8 a month with AT&T Next (18 month). The HTC Desire 610 is very much like a tiny version of the HTC Desire 816 we took a look at back during Mobile World Congress. You’ll find the same polycarbonate body (shiny back, matte front) as well as HTC’s trademark front facing stereo speakers complete with built-in amp. Here is the full spec sheet for those interested: HTC Desire 610
You can pick up the HTC Desire 610 either online or in-store from AT&T where, as we mentioned before, it’ll only run you $200. The phone is even available under AT&T’s GoPhone prepaid service, making it one of the better devices to choose from. Unfortunately, the AT&T model doesn’t have access to wide range of colors offered in other regions, with “Dark Grey” being the only option. Hit up the links below to see the phone for yourself. |
| Unlocked HTC One M8 now receiving Android 4.4.3 update, carries same security fixes as 4.4.4 Posted: 25 Jul 2014 01:45 PM PDT It was last week HTC product manager Mo Versi revealed via his Twitter profile that — after hitting the HTC One M8 Developer Edition — owners of the unlocked HTC One M8 should be expecting an update to Android 4.4.3 late this week. Right on schedule, owners of the region-free unlocked HTC One M8 are now reportedly receiving the update that, while it may not be the 4.4.4 update as found on Nexus/Google Play/Motorola devices, includes the same SSL security fixes that 4.4.4 addresses in the first place. The update brings the software build to 2.22.1540.3 and is actually quite large, tipping the scales at a little over 592MB. That being said, if you want to make the process as speedy as possible, connect to WiFi and jump into your Settings > About > Software updates > Check now. [Twitter] |
| From the Forums: Dropped phone in the toilet, personal finance apps, and more Posted: 25 Jul 2014 12:13 PM PDT This week's edition of From the Forums comes with a lesson about properly handling your phone when handling your business in the bathroom. While you wait for the rice to dry out your beloved digital companion, take a few minutes to catch up on everything else that has been going on over at the internet's largest gathering of like-minded Android enthusiasts. We call it Android Forums. Let's do this! Your worst phone disaster stories (and how to deal with a dead device)It's a familiar story: user brings home new phone and treats it with kid gloves only to accidentally drop said new phone into [insert body of water]. In this case DungeonMistress managed to lose her beloved Samsung Galaxy Mega to the depths of the toilet bowl. Rice to the rescue? The water damaged device is now on life support and she is hoping some Android Forums user might have some helpful advice. This got us thinking, what are your worst phone disaster stories? Sharing might not do much to resurrect DungeonMistress' phone, but perhaps your experiences can provide a few tips on coping with early device loss. Taking better lowlight pictures with the Galaxy S5Taking photos in lowlight conditions is one of the biggest challenges for the average smartphone camera, and the same applies to powerhouse Android devices like the Galaxy S5. Unsatisfied with nighttime performance and grainy image quality, pasqo83 is wondering how this could be the case for such a highly-praised device. Our suggestion? Check out our guide on how to take better photos with your Android device. He welcomes any thoughts you may have on capturing better photos in poor lighting conditions, as well. Best personal finance app for AndroidWe're always searching for the best apps around, and so are Android Forums members. This week personal finance is on the mind, and alternatives to Pocket Money are being sought. What are you favorites? Be sure to hop over the thread at Android Forums and share your thoughts. Is your display draining more battery than normal?How much battery drain is too much battery drain when taking your phone's display into account? That's the question andre_scb asks after noticing what appears to be anomalous power drain attributed to his phone's display even with brightness set at a minimum. The response so far has been quite the opposite, with fellow users instead congratulating him on what looks like pretty good overall battery life. Funny how these things work. And more…
You learn something new everyday is an understatement when considering the trove of knowledge we call Android Forums. If you haven't already signed up for an account, we implore you to do so. Who knows, you might even see yourself in next week's From the Forums.
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| New app lets you control Tesla Model S functions using an Android Wear smartwatch [VIDEO] Posted: 25 Jul 2014 12:08 PM PDT We’re not sure how many of our readers have a brand new Tesla Model S sitting comfortably in their garage (if you do, we hate you), but we’re sure just about everyone will own this modern marvel of engineering (or a similar model) at some point in the near future. For those already saving up, you can now look forward to your Tesla being compatible with the latest Android Wear smartwatches thanks to a brand new app. Tesla Command for Android Wear is the latest app from Harth Labs Inc., makers of popular apps like the “Naughty by Nature” ebook, and games like “Say What?” on Google Play. Shown off in a video by Android developer Matthew Patience, the app simply taps into the Tesla Model S to enable control of basic car functions via voice commands. While there are only 5 commands currently available — lock/unlock doors, honk horn, and open/close sunroof — the developer does promise more features will be added in the future. Now, we don’t know about you guys, but we’ve been dreaming about controlling our car by voice since since Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman flick hit theaters. Now if only the developer can find a way to activate the Model S’ shields, we’d be all set for some late night crime fighting. Download on Google Play: Tesla Command for Android Wear |
| Mobile Roar Podcast 55: Dude, Where’s My Phone? Posted: 25 Jul 2014 11:54 AM PDT “Dude. where’s my phone?” We’ve all muttered a similar phrase at one time or another. Losing or having your phone stolen is a big fear these days. We share some of our stories of phone theft, and what we do about it. Other topics include the Xiaomi Mi4 having a very difficult name, the Fire Phone and soccer moms, Samsung marketing, Windows Phone campers, and much more! Thanks for watching/listening! Top Stories
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| Grab the Amazon Fire Phone from Amazon and AT&T starting today Posted: 25 Jul 2014 09:58 AM PDT If you haven’t already pre-ordered your Amazon Fire Phone from Amazon and had it shipped to your doorstep, you can grab yours from a couple of different places as soon as today. You’ll be able to stop into AT&T retail locations nationwide if you’re the type to need to feel a smartphone before you walk away with it. Like any smartphone by Ma Bell, you’ll be able to grab it for $0 down through AT&T Next so long as you don’t mind paying a monthly balance until you’ve paid the full off-contract price of the phone. The 32GB version can be had for $27.09 per month for 18 months, while the 64GB version steps up to about $31.25. Each option is available under a two-year contract structure, of course, costing $200 and $300, respectively. Amazon wants to change the way you find information about all the products you come into contact with using the Amazon Fire Phone’s Firefly feature. Whether you want to check prices for a book or CD you come across or you just want to learn more information about a painting or landmark you come across in your travels, Firefly’s expansive database is likely to have all the information you need. Of course, their end goal is to get you to buy as many of those products as you can… with them. The most interesting thing about Firefly, though, is how developers can hook into it. For instance, if you snap a photo of a poster of Orange is the new Black, Firefly could potentially tap the Amazon app to bring the series up for you to begin watching immediately. It’s pretty interesting stuff that we’re going to get down and dirty with in our full review in the days to come. Other unique features of the Fire Phone include Dynamic Perspective, an experience powered by four cameras that lets you manipulate your phone by tilting your phone and your head. For instance, scrolling through a web page can be done by simply tilting the phone up or down. The maps app could reveal a different angle of a street depending on which way you tilt your phone. There’s also the usual Amazon goods such as X Ray, Second Screen and that all important Mayday button should you ever need help with the device. Don’t forget that you’ll be entitled to a free year of Amazon Prime (movies, TV shows, music, book rentals and discounted shipping) and $10 in Amazon Coins to use on apps and games should you buy one. Quite a bit of value if I do say so myself. You can order one from Amazon or AT&T, or just stop into your AT&T store to do your shopping in person. Let us know if you’ll be picking one up! |
| So if I die or disappear, what happens to my Gmail and Google account? Posted: 25 Jul 2014 09:11 AM PDT I hate to sour the mood, but one day you’re going to die. It might be easier to ignore that fact, but all too often that’s exactly what we do, and in our wake we leave a mountain of complications that cause interfamily conflict, legal battles, and obnoxious amounts of wasted time. We take day-to-day things, like E-Mail, for granted- but what if something were to happen to you? Would your entire account including your pictures, movies, and documents, collect dust and eventually disappear without someone who knows or who can recover your password? Or perhaps just the opposite. Maybe you’ve got a lot of private facets of your life that you wish to remain private: could family or friends legally gain access to your account, uncovering some secrets that are so embarrassing that you blush in the afterlife? Not if you use Google’s Inactive Account Manager, a feature I accidentally stumbled upon yesterday. Here’s how it works:
It’s a pretty brilliant solution if you’ve got the gusto to set it up- and you should. This tool could be especially valuable if you’ve disappeared without a trace, perhaps giving law enforcement additional information that leads to a resolution. I know, I know… this is a depressingly sinister topic, but a little preparation can go a long way. You can even customize what Google services each separate contact can access (see above) and have a custom message prepared for each one (see below): Almost got a little teary eyed typing that… and hopefully it never gets sent, but if it does, could be fun to leave a little custom goodbye to your loved ones. And honestly, having to write them in the first place provides a nice little sense of reflection on your life and what’s important. The service isn’t perfect and there are two things I’d specifically like to see changed:
Alternatively, if instead of being worried about giving people access you want to make sure nobody gets access, you can delete your entire account on the spot the moment you’re considered inactive. Privacy paranoia people, weird fetish folks, cheating-on-your-spouse crapheads, and others take note: you’ll probably want to set this up right now. Or maybe you just don’t want family and friends dragging out the grieving process by hanging on every little word you’ve written, picture you’ve taken, etc… Now that I’ve thoroughly depressed you, take a few minutes to reflect on the people most important to you, what you’d want to say to them in your absence, and if giving them access to your online identify would help them in any way. |
| Deal: Best Buy offering $100 gift card on $0 down LG G3 from Sprint, AT&T or Verizon Posted: 25 Jul 2014 08:48 AM PDT Best Buy has one of the best deals we’ve seen yet for the LG G3 if you’re in the market for one. You can get the phone for $0 down on AT&T, Verizon and Sprint through each company’s respective payment programs (AT&T Next, Verizon Edge and Sprint Easy Pay). That’s nothing special by itself, but perhaps the $100 Best Buy gift card that’ll come with the phone will get you to consider buying through the big box retailer. Best Buy makes sure to emphasize that this offer will only apply to “well-qualified buyers,” which means you’ll probably need a decent line of credit to be able to take advantage. The other caveat is that these retailers usually tie you to the account for six months unless you’re willing to eat a hefty early cancellation fee, though that shouldn’t be much of an issue if you plan to stick with the LG G3 for quite some time. While yesteryear’s LG flagship was a huge first step in turning public opinion about LG’s smartphone prowess, the LG G3 was the definitive stake in the heart of any naysayer. The phone impressed the hair off Kevin Krause with him noting in our LG G3 review that it is perhaps the best phone they’ve ever created, and that it certainly can stand up to the stiff competition by HTC and Samsung. Be sure to read that review if you need a solid opinion before jumping into this deal. You can head into your local Best Buy store to take advantage if you eventually decide to take the plunge. [via Best Buy] |
| 8 things I miss after switching from Windows Phone to Android Posted: 25 Jul 2014 08:46 AM PDT Almost three years ago I was given the opportunity to become a Windows Phone user. I was a little nervous to give up my Android device and switch to something completely different, but in the end I decided to do it. The first month or so with Windows Phone 7 was very rocky. As time went on I got more acquainted with the OS and started really loving it. Two years and two massive updates later I was being called a “Windows Phone fanboy.” Four months ago I was given another opportunity, but this time it was to go back to Android. I was just as nervous to leave the OS I had learned to love, but in doing so I learned a lot. Switching back to Android from Windows Phone has given me an interesting perspective. Now that I’ve had the time to fully adjust back to Android there are a few things that I think Windows Phone does better than Android. Here are the 8 things I miss the most. “Unofficially Official” AppsEveryone knows that Windows Phone suffers from a lack of apps. The situation has been getting better, but there is still a ton of work to do. They say “desperation is the mother of invention,” and for Windows Phone developers that couldn’t be more true. If there is a popular app missing from the Store you can guarantee some developer is working on porting it over. This may sound like a sad situation, but it’s actually one of my favorite things about Windows Phone. There is no official SnapChat app, but there is an app that is better than anything SnapChat could ever make. Instagram finally made a Windows Phone app, but there is an unofficial version that blows it out of the water. Having the choice of which Instagram app to use is something you can’t do on Android. Sure, there are hundreds of alternate choices for Twitter, but most services arrive on Android so quick that there is no need for anyone to build their own. CustomizationCustomization is a funny thing. I am not going to try to convince you that Windows Phone can be customized more than Android. It can’t. The thing I miss is how Windows Phone does customization. You can’t choose custom launchers or icon packs, but what you can do is choose background and accent colors. These two simple color choices dramatically change how the entire OS looks. In the screenshots above you can see Cortana in three different color choices. Many apps tie into the background and accent colors like this to deliver a personal experience for every user. Even the Start Screen icons for most apps use the accent color. If you do some tinkering there are ways to theme apps in Android, but the ease at which you can make the entire OS look different in Windows Phone is truly great. No hacking required. Battery Saver ModeOne of the very first things I missed about Windows Phone was the built-in “Battery Saver” mode. This feature is a godsend when you’re stranded away from a charger. When enabled, it automatically shuts down some battery-hogging features. Apps won’t run in the background, email won’t sync, live tiles will be shut off, but important things like SMS and phone call will still go through. This helps you eke out several more hours of use from what would normally last a couple of minutes. In Windows Phone 8.1 the feature got even better. Now you can decide which apps should be allowed to run in the background when Battery Saver is enabled. I’m glad to see Android is finally adopting some of these features in the “L” release. You will be amazed at how handy it is. I’ve used it in the past to go through an entire camping trip without charging my phone. Volume ControlsI hate the volume controls in Android. I’m constantly changing the volume for the wrong thing. On larger screen devices like the Nexus 7 you get a little settings icon which lets you adjust the volume for media and notifications. For whatever reason that option is not available on phones. You can only adjust the volume for whatever is currently making noise. Windows Phone 8.1 does it better. Tap the volume button once and you get a numerical value for the volume of “Media + Apps.” There is a down arrow icon that expands the menu so you can adjust the volume for other things, such and ringer and notifications. There is even an option to turn vibrate on or off. I have to laugh that I’m including this because in Windows Phone 8 the volume control was awful. A lot can change in one update. Smooth as ButterYou have no doubt heard about how silky smooth everything feels in Windows Phone. It really is true. Android has come a long way since the days of laggy phones, but there is still just a little something that holds it back. For my money you can’t beat the smooth scrolling of an iOS or Windows Phone device. Even under-powered Windows Phone 7 devices felt incredibly smooth and fast. I will admit that I don’t notice a lot of lag on my Nexus 5. It’s not as big of a deal as it used to be, but just go into a Best Buy and swipe around on the newest Nokia Lumia phone for a bit. You will notice how buttery smooth it is. Hardware Camera ButtonsHaving a dedicated camera button is a feature that too many manufacturers overlook. Some Android phones still come with a hardware camera button, but the vast majority do not. Microsoft requires manufacturers to include camera buttons (at least they used to). Having a two-stage camera button on your smartphone is incredibly handy. Not only is it great for focusing and snapping pictures, but it also allows the camera to be launched while the phone is locked. Most Android lockscreens have a shortcut to the camera, but it’s not as quick as mashing down on a hardware button from your pocket. A physical camera button is also very useful for situations when I needed other people to take a photo with my phone. Every phone has a different camera UI, but all I had to say was “use this button like a regular camera.” MultitaskingThis one is honestly just a personal preference. I think the multitasking screen in Windows Phone looks nicer than Android. You get a full screenshot of the app, not just a list of square thumbnails. It also seems to be faster and more reliable. Sometimes when I tap an app in the Android multitasking it doesn’t open. I like the look of the new multitasking in Android L, but I would still prefer a full screenshot of the app. Like I said, this is just a personal preference. App Lists Are Better Than DrawersThe last thing I miss is the Windows Phone app list. Everyone knows about the Start Screen with live tiles, but if you swipe to the right you can see a full vertical list of the installed apps with icons and names. The apps are organized alphabetically, and by tapping on a letter you can quickly jump to a different spot on the list. I find this to be a much quicker way to launch apps than finding them in the Android app drawer. For this reason I have found myself using the Yahoo Aviate launcher as my daily driver. It organizes apps into categories, but also has a vertical list of apps in alphabetical order. Also, if you have a Samsung device you can switch the app drawer to a vertical list. So while the default app drawer might not be my cup of tea, at least Android allows me to download something that is. *** The great thing about Android is I can usually find an app or mod to do something that I miss from Windows Phone. The nice thing about Windows Phone is all these features are baked right into the OS. I’m glad Android L is addressing some of the things that I miss. Windows Phone will always hold a special place in my heart, but for now I am very happy to be on #TeamAndroid. Do any of these things sound like something you would like? Are there any other features from different platforms that you want on Android? Have you switched from another platform and missed some features? Let us know! |
| Leak: is this our clearest look yet at the Moto X+1? Posted: 25 Jul 2014 08:10 AM PDT We’re getting awfully close to August, which is the month we expect Motorola to announce the successor to last year’s Moto X. With that, the leaks are starting to barrel in and another huge one this morning gives us a pretty clear look at the device’s externals. The source of this leak is calling it a “near-final prototype,” which isn’t all that hard to believe based on a couple of factors. For starters, a leaked chassis shot from earlier this month showed that the backplate would have two holes. We didn’t know what the second hole would be for, but this leak shows that same design. Unfortunately it looks like the second hole will just be a flush slot for Motorola to place their logo (though it doesn’t look like a bad touch if these photos are anything to go by). Of noteworthy mention is that Motorola will be using a bit of metal in this thing, albeit only for the edges of the device and not its entirety. It should still make for a nice premium feel when it’s all said and done. Also contributing to a premium look and feel is the wooden back plate, something we saw featured on the Moto X. It’s telling that an early prototype unit such as this is already being flaunted with a wooden back plate. This could be an indication that Motorola will have premium chassis options available through Moto Maker at launch (whereas we had to wait several months for all of the Moto X’s options to come to the forefront). Of course, it could be just as likely that we won’t see it — the Moto X reveal showed us a huge lineup of wooden back plates, but they obviously weren’t ready for public consumption in time for launch. Guess we’ll just have to cross our fingers that Motorola’s more comfortable with their manufacturing and assembly process to have these ready to go for game day. Let us know what you think of the design in the comments below! |
| Deal: Back to School sale gives you an off-contract Moto X for as little as $300 Posted: 25 Jul 2014 06:34 AM PDT Ready for one last big sale before Motorola announces the follow-up to the Moto X? The device has gone on sale — as it has many times before — in a back to school promotion that gives considerable savings on off-contract prices for the phone over at Moto Maker. You’ll be able to get Motorola’s 2013 flagship for the following prices depending on which model you opt for:
Not too bad, I’d say. Note that the 32GB pricing also applies to the 32GB Developer Edition that can be had here for all of you tinkerers out there. The Moto X, while not boasting the most amazing technology, brought us a phone that introduced interesting, innovative features, a phone that you can customize however you want, and a user experience that was a breath of fresh air from the usual OEM skins we’ve seen in years past. You can check out our review if you want to know whether the phone was worth its skin in its heyday. We’re not sure how smart of an investment the Moto X would be at this point with its successor said to be on the horizon, but if you don’t care about a potentially dated experience (the price tag is good enough to dismiss that) then you can get started customizing your own right here. |
| Amazon Fire Phone teardown shows all the love that went into the phone Posted: 25 Jul 2014 06:02 AM PDT Wondering if the Amazon Fire Phone is just as nice on the inside as it is on the outside? iFixIt has come through once again with a teardown that will let you make your own mind up on that. The fearless team has cracked the device open to get a sense of build quality and to see how easy it would be to repair the thing. As for build, it’s about as clean as you’d expect from Amazon. They’ve no doubt done a great deal of research and development to make sure all the unique things they’re doing (such as putting for non-visible cameras into the corners of the phone for purposes of eye and head tracking) fit into a form factor that’s comfortable enough to hold on a daily basis. Unfortunately, though, this unique assembly comes at the cost of a huge pain in the rear-end when it comes to repairs. iFixIt scored the Fire Phone 3/10 (where 10 is the easiest to repair) due to copious amounts of glue and a cabling system where components share multiple cables. The lack of modular design means components are terribly expensive to replace, so you’ll definitely want to get insurance or an extended warranty should anything happen to your expensive investment. If you don’t mind that, though, and you like everything else the Amazon Fire Phone has to offer we reckon this shouldn’t be a big deal. Stay on the lookout for our Amazon Fire Phone review coming soon to see how the phone holds up from a user’s perspective! |
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