Nothing New?
Earlier today, Google wrapped up an event showcasing their newest flagship smartphones, as well as a few other "tasty treats". Thanks to many leaks online, there wasn't all that much to be surprised about, with Google's event. The Phones When it comes to the phones, the rumored specs were not that far off, although there were a few things that weren't let out. Here are the full specs of both of the phones that Google announced earlier today: Nexus 6P Operating System
Nexus 5X Display
In terms of pricing and availability, both phones are currently available for pre-order. You can find them HERE. The Nexus 5X is starting at $379 and the Nexus 6P is starting at $499. Both phones will begin shipping in 4-5 weeks. Currently with pre-orders, both phones include a 90-day trial for Google Play Music and a $50 Play Store gift card. The Tablet This was one of the later rumors to be released about today's event. The first Android tablet built 100% by Google. The Pixel C is 10.2-inch tablet that will run Android Marshmallow. The tablet is powered by an NVIDIA Tegra X1 processor and is equipped with 3GB of RAM. On the outside the Pixel C has an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. The resolution of the tablet is 2560 X 1800 (pixel density of 308 ppi). The "C" in Pixel C stands for "convertible". What makes the Pixel C convertible? The answer to that lies in the optional keyboard. This keyboard, unlike the Microsoft Surface or Apple's iPad Pro, the Pixel C does not require a dock to attach to the keyboard. Instead the tablet connects to it's keyboard through magnets. These--very strong--magnets keep the tablet attached to the adjustable hinge. The Chromecasts Along with the new phones and new tablet, Google also unveiled their new chromecasts. Yes, chromecasts, as in multiple. Two, to be exact. Google unveiled two new casting devices. One, simply called the New Chromecast and the other one called Chromecast Audio. The New Chromecast is a newly redesigned, and faster Chromecast. It now supports 5GHz WiFi (instead of just 2.4GHz), and it also has a new feature called Fast Play. Fast Play does exactly that, it is a faster way to stream your media from your phone to the Chromecast. For example, when you begin watching a show on Netflix, while the first episode is playing the Chromecast will begin loading the beginning portion of the next episode. This will allow you to go from the end of one episode to the beginning of the next episode, much faster. Chromecast Audio is essentially the same concept as the "regular" Chromecast, but for speaker systems. Plugging the CHromecast Audio into a non-WiFi speaker system will allow you to stream any and all Chromecast supported audio (YouTube, Pandora, Google Play Music, and soon Spotify), to said speakers. Both the New Chromecast and Chromecast Audio are currently available for pre-order. You can find them HERE. They are each priced the same as the original Chromecast, coming in at $35.
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According to rumor, Google is planning to launch a 10.2-inch tablet later this year. This tablet-rumored to be called the Pixel C-will supposedly feature a design similar to the Chromebook Pixel, down to the multi-colored light bar. Although it will be a Pixel device, it will not be running Chrome OS. Instead, the tablet will ship with Android Marshmallow. Since this tablet is Pixel device and not a Nexus, the hardware will be handled 100% by Google. The Pixel C will supposedly have support for a detachable keyboard, similarly to the Microsoft Surface and iPad Pro.
The 10.2-inch tablet will supposedly be powered by an NVIDIA X1 quad-core processor and Maxwell-made GPU, it will also have 3GB of LPDDR4 RAM. In terms of design, apparently the device will look just like a smaller version of the Chromebook Pixel-minus the keyboard. It will charge via a USB Type-C connector, and will have "two keyboard accessories to choose from". In terms of availability, it is being guessed (roughly) that the tablet will ship in November. With this estimated shipping date, it is possible that we will get more info on this tablet at Google's event tomorrow (September 29th). Over the past couple of days, a lot of what was rumored about the upcoming Google Event has been confirmed. Thanks to Android Police we now have leaked images that confirm some of the speculated details about these new phones. Names Thanks to leaked packaging for both of the phones, the names of both of these devices have now been confirmed. The smaller, LG made device will be the Nexus 5X and the larger Huawei made device will be the Nexus 6P. Phone Design Another (former) speculation that has been confirmed is the overall design of the phones. These leaked press images show both the LG Nexus 5X and Huawei Nexus 6P in all of their color variations. As had been previously suggest, both phones seem to feature a fingerprint sensor on the back of the phone. Also, they both feature protruding cameras. The 5X features a more subtle bump, while the 6P has a bump that goes across the entire top section of the phone. Although the protruding cameras might be a turn off for some, I'm sure if the hardware inside is good enough, others won't mind it.
Final Thoughts Although the names of the phones are ideal, I don't think that should deter anyone from considering them. If the specs on these phones do turn out to be true-that seems to be the only thing that hasn't been confirmed-the name would be the only "down-side". Personally, I do prefer the look of Huawei made 6P; even with the large camera bump. The New Chromecast It has been over two years since the Chromecast first hit the market. In that time it hasn't received any updates-in terms of the hardware-but it seems like that will change this year. It is being rumored that the Chromecast will finally receive a hardware update in the New Chromecast. As you can see in the image above, from 9To5Google, the Chromecast will be receiving an all-new design to go alongside the improved internals. The newly redesigned New Chromecast will supposedly feature 802.11 ac WiFi support. It will also come equipped with a feature "Fast Play". The "Fast Play" function, combined with the improved WiFi connectivity, should allow the Chromecast to connect and begin playing content much faster. This will give the users a more seamless experience. The New Chromecast will also include support for content feeds on its home screen. There are still no specifics on what type of "feeds" will be supported on the New Chromecast, although it will probably support social media feeds. Chromecast Audio
Along with the New Chromecast, Google is also being said to announce an additional device. This device is the Chromecast Audio, and it will enable speaker systems to connect to WiFi. The device will connect to your home speakers with a 3.5mm audio plug, that seems to be included with the device. The Chromecast Audio will feature multi-room support, which seems to mean that with several of these devices connected to speakers through out your house, you will be able to stream the same audio at the same time. Similarly to the original Chromecast, the Chromecast Audio will be able to stream audio from your Chrome web browser and Android Phone. Another announcement being prepared for the New Chromecast devices, Spotify will be adding Chromecast support to its app. Final Thoughts I am excited to see the updates to the New Chromecast devices. I have had my Chromecast since launch, and I'm excited to see what these changes bring. Along with the possible social media feeds on the Chromecast home screen, I would like to see some news feeds similar to Google Now. What are your thoughts on the New Chromecast? Will you pick one up? The Date On Friday, Google sent out press invites for an event that they are holding on September 29th. In the invite Google teased some "tasty treats" for the event. According to rumors this is the date that the new Nexus Devices will be unveiled, possibly along with a next generation Chromecast. The Phones If the rumors are correct, Google will be unveiling two new phones. One of these phones will be made by LG and the other by Huawei. The LG made phone (Nexus 5X) will supposedly feature a 5.2" 1080p display, the Snapdragon 808 SoC, 2 GB of RAM, 12 MP rear-facing camera, and a fingerprint sensor. While the Huawei made phone (Nexus 6P) is said to feature a 5.7" QHD display, Snapdragon 810, and 3 GB of RAM. The names mentioned above-the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P-are the expected names of the new Nexus phones. These names, all though likely, have not been confirmed as the official names of the LG and Huawei made devices. As mentioned above, the second generation Chromecast is also rumored to make an appearance at Google's September event. More info will be shared on that later.
What do you think of the possibilities of the new Nexus phones? Are you excited? Were you expecting more? Personally, I think the specs seem promising. The design of the Nexus 6P looks decent, although I am curious to see what it's going to pack inside of the camera bulge that takes up the entire top section of the phone. Apple finally released the final version of iOS a couple of days ago, (September 16). I waited until today to update my iOS devices to avoid any of the chaos of updating on release day. Last year, I tried updating my iPhone and iPad on release day, and I can honestly say that it wasn't the funnest experience. Between the constant notices from Apple saying that my update wasn't available at that time, due to the amount of people trying to update their devices. Plus, on top of that, the slower than normal download speeds. It made for an aggravating update experience. I will be covering the top (in my opinion) changes to this years iOS update. What's New With iOS 9, you are getting the same look as the previous two versions of iOS. One thing you probably will notice is that iOS 9 does have a couple of new built-in apps. These apps are Apple News, iCloud Drive. Apple's new News app lets you save all of your favorite news sources in one place. These sources range from the top news organizations to indie publications. The News app learns what stories you like to read and as you keep using it, it will provide more accurate recommendations. iCloud Drive allows you to access any files that you have saved on your iCloud. The iCloud Drive app is essentially Apple's in-house version of Dropbox. This will work between all iOS devices running iOS 9 as well as Macs that have access to iCloud Drive.
Other than the two apps mentioned above it appears that many of the changes made in iOS 9 were purely refinements from the previous versions of iOS. For example, the row of recent contacts has been removed from the multitasking window. Also, the left home screen has made a return; and has been redesigned to show your most used contacts and apps, as well as nearby places and top recommended news articles. Another refined feature is Siri, she has been given several new commands, and the Siri interface has been changed to look more like the Apple Watch's. In terms of the mobile devices (iPhone 6/6 Plus and older), these are the biggest changes made for these devices. It seems as though many of the changes made with iOS 9 were either made for the newer devices. For example, many of the new iPad features such as Picture in Picture and Split View will only be available on the iPad Air and newer/iPad Mini 3 and newer. Final Thoughts It if clear that iOS 9 isn't a huge overhaul in terms of what's changed from last year's update. It is a good refinement, but many of the biggest additions will only be available on the newest Apple devices. So far, my favorite change to iOS is the addition of the News app. It is a great way to find all of the latest stories from all of your interests, without having to search for too long. iOS 9 is supposed to run smoother and faster than iOS 8, but I haven't noticed any difference in speed. According to many other users, iOS 9 actually lags more. I personally haven't experienced this yet, but if it's true, hopefully Apple fixes it with an update soon. Thanks for reading. What are your thoughts on iOS 9 so far? Three Days Later It's been three days since Apple held their event, announcing the new iPhones, Apple TV, and new iPads. It is no surprise that, due to all of the buzz around Apple and all of their new announcements, that a lot of us missed the announcements of from other companies on that same day. One of these announcements came from Logitech, hours after Apple ended their keynote. The Logitech CREATE Not long after Apple ended their keynote on September 9th, 2015 Logitech announced their own new product. This product is the Logitech CREATE Keyboard Case for the iPad Pro. Yes, not long after it's announcement, the iPad Pro was already pegged to receive its first third-party accessorie. According to Logitech, they worked closely with Apple to develop this keyboard case, in order to get the most out of the new iPad Pro Smart Connector. The Logitech CREATE will be the first third-party keyboard that will work with the iPad Pro's Smart Connector. “With a full-size keyboard designed to work with iOS 9, the Logitech CREATE will help make the iPad Pro a creativity and productivity powerhouse. Even the color and finish of the keyboard are meticulously crafted to feel and look like the other half of your iPad Pro.” By using the Smart Connector, the CREATE is automatically pairs with and is powered by the iPad Pro. The CREATE Keyboard Case features a full-size keyboard, and similarly to the Apple Smart Keyboard is covered in a tightly woven fabric to protect it from spills and minor scratches.
The CREATE will be available in the U.S. and select other countries. According to Logitech, it will be available the same day the iPad Pro is available to purchase. Logitech will provide more information, including pricing, closer to the CREATE's release.
The Pokemon Company has made a big announcement; a new project, in collaboration with Niantic Inc. This project is an app called Pokemon GO. Pokemon GO will bring the awesome world of Pokemon into reality. Pokemon GO uses real world location tracking that will allow you to search for and catch Pokemon.
Pokemon GO uses your smartphone to create an augmented reality that allows you to explore the world of Pokemon with your friends. Nintendo, The Pokemon Company, Niantic Inc, and Game Freak will not only be working together to develop this app to be as amazing as possible, but they will also be working on ways to connect Pokemon GO to the Pokemon video game series. Pokemon GO Plus is a small device that connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth. It will notify you if there are pokemon nearby, or if there are any events around you. It does this using an LED light and vibration. Using Pokemon GO Plus, you will also be able to catch Pokemon. The Pokemon GO Plus is being developed and manufactured by Nintendo. Pokemon GO will be free to download for both iOS and Android, and will also offer in-app purchases. More information will be available closer to the App's release, in 2016. Things Known, and Things Unexpected Today's Apple Event came to a close earlier today. As expected, we saw some things we already knew were coming--the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, iPad Pro, etc--but we also saw a couple things we weren't expecting to see--Apple Pencil, iPad Pro Keyboard Cover. Apple Watch Yes, that is correct. Apple added to the existing Apple Watch Family. They newest additions are Gold and Rose Gold colored Apple Watch Sport. Both of these new colors are priced the same as the original Sport selections, $349 and $399. Apple also unveiled a new "premium" Apple Watch, the Apple Watch Hermes. Unlike the Apple Watch Edition, this watch isn't premium due to the watch itself. The premium aspect of the Apple Watch Hermes is the bands, which are "handmade by Hermes artisans". Other than the bands, the watch itself is the regular Apple Watch. there are three variations of the Apple Watch Hermes; Single-Tour is a standard looking watch strap priced at $1100, Double-Tour features a band that wraps around your wrist twice priced at $1250, and the Cuff priced at $1500. Each of these band styles come in various colors. These watches also feature a custom watch face inspired by Hermes. iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus As rumors have long been suggesting, this years iPhones are indeed the "s" models of last year's iPhones. These phones, do look identical to their predecessors from last year. The differences to this year's iPhones are almost entirely on the inside. In terms of what's different; Apple upgraded the iPhones' processors, cameras, and screens. The processors on the new iPhones is the A9 chip. It's Apple's third-generation processor with a 64-bit architecture. In terms of CPU performance, the A9 is 70 percent faster than the A8; and in terms of GPU performance, it is about 90 percent faster. The rear camera in the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus is now a 12 megapixel camera. It features Apple's advanced pixel technology. This years iPhones also feature the ability to capture "Live Photos". This feature is essentially, creating GIFs with your iPhone. With Live Photos your phone captures a 12-megapixel image as well as the seconds right before and right after the image. Another addition to the camera of the new iPhones is the ability to shoot 4K video. Now you can shoot video in 4K and zoom in on your recordings. Apple also incorporated optical image stabilization to video recording, for smoother shots. When it comes to the screen, Apple decided to keep the same resolutions as last years phones. The change that they did make to the screens is adding 3D Touch. It is unclear why Apple decided to go with calling the technology on the new iPhone displays 3D Touch instead of Force Touch. Even though it has a different name, it is essentially the same technology. Depending on what app you are accessing, different presses perform different tasks. For example, while holding down on the camera icon, you are given the options of taking a photo, recording slo-mo, taking a selfie, or recording standard video. Apple TV Revived It's been almost 3 years since the Apple TV got an update. It will depend on the users, if this iteration will have been worth the wait. One of the biggest updates to the Apple TV is the addition of Siri. Now, to find something to watch you just have to ask Siri. If you want to narrow down your search, you can even do that, just tell Siri how to narrow down the results and she will do it. Based on the demonstration Apple did, Siri does this fairly quickly. Another change is the new Siri Remote. Instead of a D-Pad, the Siri Remote features a glass touch surface that allows you to interact with your new Apple TV in a similar way as to many of your other smart devices. Possibly the biggest change to Apple TV has to be the software. Now, rather than just being a box that used your iOS device, or a few applications, to stream content, it is on the road to becoming a well rounded device all on its own. The new Apple TV features a very clean and simple user interface, as well as its own App Store. In all honesty, after seeing Apple's demonstration of the new device, the relationship between tvOS (the Apple TV's new operating system) and iOS is not unlike the relationship between Stock Android and say a skinned version like TouchWiz. The tvOS has many features similar to iOS, just with a different overall look to it. The iPad Pro...and More Yes, the rumors were true. Apple, earlier today, announced the iPad Pro. The newest member of the iPad family features a 12.9-inch Retina Display. The iPad Pro is powered by Apple's all new A9X chip. This chip features a 1.8 times faster CPU and 2 times faster GPU, compared to the iPad Air 2. The resolution on the iPad Pro is 2732-by-2048. It also features an 8-megapixel iSight camera, capable of filming 1080p at 30 fps and slo-mo at 120 fps. The iPad Pro also comes equipped with 4 built-in stereo speakers. It is estimated that the iPad Pro has a 10 hour battery life. Along with the new iPad Pro, Apple also unveiled a couple of new accessories to go along with it. They Smart Keyboard and the Apple Pen, they are the accessories that enable the iPad Pro to accomplish a lot more than on its own. They also make the iPad Pro seem vaguely similar to another device. The Smart Keyboard is just as it sounds, when talking about an iPad accessory. It is an iPad Smart Cover with a built-in keyboard. The Smart Keyboard is a full-sized keyboard covered in a water resistant material. It also doesn't add much thickness to the iPad Pro, coming in at just 4mm thin. The Smart Keyboard also features a wide range of shortcuts that can be accessed, both through the keyboard and on-screen. The Apple Pencil is a stylus made specifically for the iPad Pro. This stylus allows you to change the thickness of your lines just by applying more or less pressure. The Pencil also features tilt sensors, these calculate the orientation of the stylus and allow you to create shading effects. The Apple Pencil has an estimated battery life of 12 hours, but if and when you do run out of battery, the stylus has a removable cap on the end that exposes a lightning connector. This will let you plug in your Pencil directly into the iPad Pro, for a quick charge. 15 seconds of charging gives about 30 minutes of use. There is no doubt, there are many people that will be very excited to get their hands on all of these new Apple devices. What about you?
Samsung's Newest Smartwatch Goes Full Circle At IFA 2015, Samsung Unveiled their latest wearable. The Samsung Gear S2, the watch that was teased at Samsung's event a few weeks ago, was finally unveiled. With the Gear S2, Samsung completely changed what they normally did with their past smartwatches. The Gear S2 features a thinner and sleeker looking design, that looks more like a traditional watch. The past Samsung wearables didn't look bad, they just seemed too big and clunky. But with the New Gear S2 watches-yes there are two-they look as though you are wearing a standard watch. Both the standard model S2 and the S2 Classic feature similar designs, but they do each have their own unique aspects. The standard S2 features a sleek sporty design with a plastic band, while the S2 Classic looks like an old timepiece; with its textured bezel and leather band. Both S2 watches feature a completely circular display-no "flat tire" like the Moto 360. They also run the same operating system, Samsung's Tizen UX. To navigate the watch they both feature a Home and Back button, as well as the rotating bezel that had been rumored some time ago. In terms of functionality; both watches will allow you easy access to notifications, as well as send text messages. Samsung will also be releasing a 3G model of the S2 that will add an e-sim with voice capabilities.
Samsung has stated that they are openly collaborating with developers, to offer a wide assortment of watch faces and bands by launch, as well as multiple apps made specifically for the Gear S2 and its 1.2-inch circular screen. In terms of what's inside of the watches, both watches are almost completely identical. The only difference being the dimensions and weight of both watches. Specs- |
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