Gadget Gestures

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Tuesday, April 13, 2021
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Facebook’s Mobile Device Lab Tests Apps 24/7 On 2,000 Phones

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Facebook Tasks Mobile Device Lab To Test Out All Its Apps

The Mobile Device Lab tests several versions of all of Facebook’s apps.

How many phones does it take to test out the Facebook app? Almost 2,000. The number is no joke and not even a rough estimate. In Facebook’s Mobile Device Lab, dozens of server racks are lined on each side humming to the point where it feels more like an airport hanger rather than a cool, dark room.

Some of the server racks hold smartphones, of varying models and varying ages. Each rack can snuggly fit 32 devices, and each of them is on Facebook 24/7. Facebook’s Mobile Device Lab manages the phones in order to test the apps’ performance before each update.

Within The Racks Of The Mobile Device Lab

The devices run different versions of the Facebook app, Facebook Lite, Messenger, Instagram, and so on, but all of the devices have automated gesture programs running on them, which makes the phone behave as it was actually used by a human being. Likes, comments, stickers, tagging, searching, surveys, the gesture programs do them all, while monitoring chip, memory, and battery usage.

Small cameras hang above the screen of each phone recording every second of uptime so that engineers and researchers can see exactly what crashes when so that they can fix it.

So why does a Facebook’s Mobile Device Lab need almost 2,000 different devices? Well, because they are different. The smartphone market is a very big place. While most of us know the bigger names that pop up every year, there are actually hundreds of different smartphone manufacturers.

Almost each brand has a different chip covering the CPU, GPU, and modem, potentially different RAM and internal storage manufacturers, as well as different battery manufacturers and limitations. And each brand releases on average one or two phones per year.

The Mobile Device Lab needs to account for all the tech specs of a device. The apps need to look good and behave, no matter what device they run on. Phones with different or unique screen sizes, for example, also require their own version of Facebook.

Then there is the issue of operating systems, as almost each version of Android has its own settings and most phones also come with their own modified version of Android.

App developers are well aware of the fact that an app can work perfectly on several models of phones but crash on others, even if they’re running the exact same OS.

iOS devices run the same version, which is great for app developers, but technical specifications such as CPU, GPU, memory, and screen size are still an important factor.

So the next time the Facebook app glitches out, we can think of the Mobile Device Lab and know that they sometimes have their hands full but that they will eventually get to it.

Photograph Courtesy of Flickr.

Alcatel Launches Kiddie Smart Watches

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"Alcatel Launches Kiddie Smart Watches"

Alcatel showcased many cool devices, including a smarwatch for monitoring kids playing outside.

This year, Alcatel managed to showcase some very interesting devices at the Consumer Electronics Show. Among other electronic goodies, Alcatel launches kiddie smart watches, good for kids and for parents with paranoia.

As expected, CES 2015 displayed some awesome electronic devices. Some are them are brand new, some of them revamped, but all of them managed to catch someone’s eye.

Alcatel did not make any exception. The electronic giant provides its fans with a surprise in the form of the new PIXI 4 device family. This brand new family devices include 4 and 3.5-inch smartphone models, a whopping 6-inch phablet and a 7-inch tablet, all of them being powered by the Android OS.

All of these devices might be shiny and powerful, but CES 2015 featured another product, showcased by the same tech giant which can literally take your breath away or upset your child.

Besides the PIXI 4 device family, the company also announced that they will soon be launching another device that, according to them, is going to ensure the child’s safety when he’s playing outside.

The product bears the name of CareTime Children’s Watch. At first glance, the watch isn’t all that different from all the colorful children watches which you can buy from any store

Of course, there’s a catch to it. Beneath its colorful plastic cover and LED display, is a very powerful GPS locator. Basically, you can use this device in order to track your child’s movement while he is outside.

The device has to be paired with another device in order to work. Once that is done, the parent can set a “safe zone” and fire up the application which starts to monitor the child’s movement. But that’s not all.

A child wearing this smartwatch can receive text messages and calls from parent and friends of the family. Of course, the device is restricted so that no one can send or call your child beside you and your family and friends.

Also, when the child leaves the designated “safe zone”, the device send a message, notifying the parent. We don’t know whether to catalog such device as being useful or highly intrusive.

What we know is that the device might come in handy if you’re child made a habit of roaming free or if you live in a rough neighbourhood.

Although all showcased devices sound good, Alcatel hasn’t yet disclosed any prices or launch dates. But if you’re interested in testing one of these devices, then head on over to the Alcatel’s CEA booth and try them out for yourself.

Photo credits:www.wikipedia.org

Microsoft Delays Windows 10 Update For Older Lumias

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"Microsoft Delays Windows 10 Update For Older Lumias "

The update is expected to roll in starting in January 2016.

Everyone is getting worked out on getting the new Windows 10 update. Whether it’s for you PC or for your phone, you’ll be sure to get a real kick out of your new OS. Unfortunately, not all of us are so lucky. Microsoft delays Windows 10 update for older Lumias, reason remaining yet unknown.

According to several top-ranking mobile device sites, the only phones from the Lumia family that are able to run the newest operating systems are Lumia 950XL and Lumia 950. But, we should not fret or get enraged, because we do have a piece of good news for you.

Sources inside Microsoft have revealed that the tech giant in planning on shipping the new update after the first half of January. But it would seem that only a few Lumia models will be eligible to receive the new update. That doesn’t look to good for Microsoft’s target regarding Windows 10 users.

Since it was launched, we can state for a fact that the new operating system has managed to turn a few heads. Compared to 8.1 and 8, Windows 10 could be easily be construed as a truly mind blowing event. So much power at your fingertips and yet so little resources.

Windows 10 could virtually run on any computer provided that it supports an x64 architecture. What’s, even more, amazing is that Microsoft managed to deliver the same viability and stability as it did with Windows 7 with cutting back on resource consumption.

In terms of mobile users, we can clearly state that Microsoft has a lot of catching up to do. Moreover, it would seem that the tech giant has some fierce competition ahead when we take into consideration the total number of Android users and Microsoft’s projection for the next 3 years.

According to several official spokespersons from Microsoft, the company wants to increase the total number of mobile devices with Windows 10 to one billion by the end of 2018. As stated, Microsoft would have to get it together in order to achieve its goal.

And the latest announcement coming directly from the horse’s mouth might offset their plans of taking over the mobile device market.

We are unsure as to the date when the new updates will roll in. All we can say is that they will be available in January and only a couple of older versions of Lumia will be able to get it.

Photo credits:www.flickr.com

Apple Gets Partial Win in First Samsung Appeal

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A partial win obtained Monday in court by Apple Inc. gives the U.S. giant more leverage for a final agreement it could seek with Samsung Electronics Inc. to finish up a fight over mobile smartphones that started under Steve Jobs, who accused the South Korean company of copying his designs.

Samsung used some patented designs and two other features of the Apple iPhone in a few older models of its devices, a U.S. appeals court announced in upholding approximately $548 million in damages for the Cupertino-based company. The court explained the iPhone’s appearance which Apple sought to protect is not only about beauty, but also function, and isn’t eligible for coverage under U.S. trademark law. This could remove about $382 million from the original decision.

The ruling gives Apple an advantage in any further negotiations with Samsung. The two smartphone producers have seized their global patent wars except for the question which was decided on Monday and another case, also in front of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

“It appears that the end is near in this case, as the bulk of the damages awarded were on the design patents, which have now been upheld. If the parties want to call a cease fire, as they have in other jurisdictions, the table is set,” said Michael Risch, a law professor at Villanova University School of Law in Villanova, Pennsylvania.

While the splitting of damages is only based on an interpretation of the jury, the jurors never compiled a list with each amount in the verdict form. That translates to the fact that the judge will have to organize a hearing to find out how much Samsung must pay, Risch mentioned.

A case that involves Apple’s contention which it will be allowed to force Samsung to take out certain patented features from Galaxy phones is still awaiting the verdict.

“We are pleased the Federal Circuit Court of Appeal confirmed Samsung blatantly copied Apple products. Even though Samsung must pay for its widespread infringement of our patents, this case has always been about more than money. It’s about innovation and the hard work that goes into inventing products that people love, which is hard to put a price on,” Josh Rosenstock, an Apple spokesman, explained in a statement.

For Apple, the legal dispute is more about reputation than money. According to recent data, the $548 million equals to approximately two days’ worth of iPhone sales.

Image Source: Talk Android

Will the New Samsung Galaxy Alpha A5 and A3 Smartphones Save Samsung?

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New Samsung Galaxy Alpha A5 and A3

Samsung has recently announced rapidly declining profits and shortly after their statement, Samsung announced the new Samsung Galaxy Alpha A5 and A3 smartphones. The two devices are targeted towards the mid-range market, but analysts are skeptic about whether or not these two smartphones are going to help Samsung sales increase.

The new Samsung Galaxy Alpha A5 and A3 have a:

[…] beautifully crafted full metal unibody, slim design, superior hardware and the best possible social media experience.

The full metal unibody may refer to the chassis, because the photos released by Samsung for the new Samsung Galaxy Alpha A5 and A3 show a removable plastic back-plate.

Their target audience are young people with a penchant for fashion, but analysts are wondering if consumers are going to be attracted by the sleek design of the new Samsung Galaxy Alpha A5 and A3 and overlook its less-than-great technical specifications.

The tech specs are simply correct for the mid-range market smartphones: both smartphones have a 1.2 GHz quad-core processors and upgradeable 16 GB of internal storage. The A3 has 1 GB of RAM, a 4.5-inch HD screen and a 1,900 mAh battery the A5 has 2 GB of RAM, a 5-inch HD screen and a 2,300 mAh battery.

The new Samsung Galaxy Alpha A5 and A3 are both running Android KitKat, which many are saying is a big compromise that is going to cost Samsung quite a lot of money, as the newest version of Android, Android Lollipop was released a month ago. Maybe the new Samsung Galaxy Alpha A5 and A3 are going to get upgraded to Lollipop, but there’s no certainty they will, just yet.

Samsung is putting all the attention on these two smartphones’ social networking capabilities. The new Samsung Galaxy Alpha A5 and A3 have social networks integrated in their interface and their 2.1-MP front-facing cameras are focused on taking good selfies.

The South Korean company is going through troubled times and it is making great efforts to turn round the mobile department so that it delivers more revenue for the company.

Google Unveils Nexus 9 tablet and Nexus 6 Phone

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Last month we discussed the rumors that the HTC Nexus 9 was going to be revealed in October and today we’re here to tell you that those rumors were true. Yesterday Google unveiled three new devices: the Nexus 9 tablet, the Nexus 6 Smartphone and the Android TV player and the newest version of Android, the Android 5.0 Lollipop.  We’re absolutely thrilled to take a look at two of these impressive devices: the Nexus 9 tablet and the Nexus 6 smartphone.

Nexus 9 Tablet

The Nexus 9 tablet is an amazing device produced by HTC in collaboration with Google. It has an 8.9-inch display and it comes with the latest Android Lollipop. It has an IPS LDC screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio. Inside lies a little beast! The 2.3GHz nVidia quad-core chip will make playing games an experience you’ll never forget. It has 2GB of RAM and 16/32GB of internal storage. Naturally, the speakers are as wonderful as all the HTC ones, as it features HTC BoomSound speakers that give you an amazing, distortion-free sound. You can preorder the Nexus 9 tablet starting with October 17 (that’s tomorrow!). The 16GB version will cost $399 and the 32GB version, $479. The 32GB Nexus 9 tablet with LTE is a whopping $599.

Nexus 9 Tablet

Nexus 6 Smartphone

The Nexus 6 smartphone has a 6-inch display and it’s made by Motorola in collaboration with Google, the first time Motorola got involved in the Nexus project. It did an amazing job, we believe. It has a 1440×2560 p Corning Gorilla Glass 3 display, with 3GB of RAM and a 13MP back camera. It’s water resistant and it weigh only 184 grams. The Nexus 6 smartphone also comes with the Android 5.0 Lollipop. The Nexus 6 smartphone will be available for preorder at the end of October and it is going to hit the market in November. The unlocked version will cost $649 (32GB) and $699 (64GB).

Do you think the Nexus 9 tablet and the Nexus 6 smartphone are too expensive? Are you looking forward to getting your hands on the new Android devices? Drop us a line in the comment section below and tell us about it.

Asus PadFone X Mini is a Smartphone and a Tablet, but not a Phablet

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Earlier this year we discussed the Asus Chromebook and how it was possibly bringing the old PC back and today we’ve got more Asus news. Asus has launched the Asus PadFone X Mini, which is both a smartphone and a tablet, but it’s not a phablet.

How’s that, you may be thinking? Well, it’s a smartphone that slides into a docking station with a screen and becomes a tablet. That’s quite an innovative idea, isn’t it? Let’s take a look at the new Asus PadFone X Mini!

Asus PadFone X Mini

Asus and AT&T have announced that the Asus PadFone X Mini is going to be available in the U.S. starting with October 24 for the price of $199.99 with no contract on the GoPhone prepaid plans of AT&T. The Asus PadFone X Mini is an entry-level smartphone that comes with a docking station that transforms it into a tablet. The docking station has a display that allows this transformation to happen.

Asus PadFone X Mini

The Asus PadFone X Mini is not too shabby when it comes to technical specifications: it features 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of internal memory, a dual-core 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor and a 4.5-inch display that has a resolution of 853×480 pixels. Granted, this is not the best smartphone on the market, nor does it want to be. The Asus PadFone is happy to be average in the tech specs domain, just because it’s not average at all as a device.

Its docking station that makes the Asus PadFone X Mini a cool tablet, features a 7’’ display that has a resolution of 1280×800 pixels with its own 2,200mAh battery. For the first time, a docking station improves the tech specs of a device.

The Asus PadFone X Mini also has a 5MP back camera and a 2MP front-facing camera with its own 2,060mAh battery.

Are you interesting in getting the Asus PadFone X Mini? Drop us a line in the comment section below and tell us about it.

HTC Re Camera Revealed and It’s Quirky

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There are a lot of cameras that work with smartphones nowadays. Just a couple of months ago we took a look at the Flir One infrared camera for iPhone 5/5s; today we will take a look at the new HTC Re camera, which goes with pretty much any Android or iOS smartphone.

During their Double Exposure media event yesterday in New York, HTC revealed two impressive new products: the HTC Desire Eye camera (a new smartphone with the most powerful front-facing camera) and the HTC Re camera. Today we’re going to take a look at the latter and see if it’s worth buying.

HTC Re Camera

The purpose of the HTC Re camera is to allow your smartphone to catch its breath. It takes pictures, records video and it pairs up with iOS and Android smartphones. It’s not meant to be an action camera, like the GoPro; its target audience are the normal people who use their smartphones to take pictures and record videos of normal everyday things (cats, food and funny stuff, naturally!).

The idea is that you shouldn’t get your smartphone out of your pocket every time you want to take a picture of your plate. Instead, you should use the HTC Re camera. Its interesting design really does make you want to take it out and show it around!

HTC Re Camera

The camera costs $199 and features a front and back button and two LED lights. You’ve got no display or viewfinder, which can prove a bit of a nuisance, and no user interface. It’s a good camera, though: it has a 16 MP sensor and an ultra-wide 146-degree angle that can shoot HD videos (1080p) at 30 fps or slow motion videos (720p) at 120 fps.

After having tested the HTC Re camera we’re not really convinced. The thing that bothered us most was the fact that it took too long to wake up, take a picture and save it. Something that a good smartphone has no trouble with.

Are you interested in the new HTC Re camera? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

HTC Desire Eye: the Smartphone that Was Built for Selfies

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Only a month ago HTC revealed their Desire 820 smartphone, an impressive phone with a great price; now HTC has gone and done it again with the new HTC Desire Eye, the smartphone that was built for taking selfies.

HTC had its media event called Double Exposure yesterday in New York. During the event it unveiled two products: the HTC Re camera, a camera that acts as a smartphone accessory and the HTC Desire Eye, a smartphone with a powerful front-facing camera.  Let’s take a look at the HTC Desire Eye and see what the fuss is all about.

HTC Desire Eye

HTC Desire Eye was built for taking selfies. It features a great, big camera on the front of the phone and one on the back. It’s the first smartphone to feature the same camera on the front as on the back. It is a 12 MP camera with autofocus capable of recording 1080p videos; it has a dual LED flash performed wonders during the day. In low light conditions, not so much.

HTC Desire Eye

The tech specs of the HTC Desire Eye are pretty impressive. The smartphone features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor and has the same RAM their flagship phone has, 2 GB. The 5.2-inch, 1080p display looks very good and has good viewing angles. You can even dunk the HTC Desire Eye in water for 30 minutes and it would be alright, as it is water resistant. It comes in two color options: light blue with dark blue and red with white.

To be honest, the HTC Desire Eye looks great and is a great phone with an even greater price. We recommend it if you don’t want to spend a small fortune on a smartphone, but still get impressive tech specs. Are you impressed with the new HTC Desire Eye? Drop us a line and tell us about it.

Get Ready for Gesture Control Phones

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New advancements in the field of technology are being made every day! Just last week we reported on Panasonic’s new pin-sized battery that is going to help power the smart glasses of the future and today we’re going to take a look at gesture control and how gesture control phones are a coming sooner than you might think!

Get Ready for Gesture Control Phones

Elliptic Labs is a relatively new company that started in 2006 in Norway. They made a splash last year at the CEATEC trade show in Tokyo, Japan where they introduced the concept of ultrasonic technology or controlling devices through movement.

At this year’s CEATEC they’ve shocked the world by introducing much more than a concept, they’ve actually implemented their technology into a smartphone prototype and the result is absolutely amazing. We urge you to take a look at the video on their official website and you’ll be stunned.

Gesture Control Phones

If this is going to catch on, and we’re betting it is, then gesture control phones are going to be the new trend in following years. Elliptic Labs even revealed that it signed some partnership deals with important tech companies and that the first gesture control phones will be available on the market at the beginning of 2015.

Multi Layer Interaction is something that allows the phone to display different content based on the distance between the user’s hand and the device.

Laila Danielsen, the Elliptic Labs CEO, revealed:

Without touching the device, as your hand moves towards your phone for example, the screen lights up and information is displayed. As you continue to move your hand closer, different information is revealed. It’s all about improving the user experience and by presenting easier ways to interact with mobile devices.

Are you as excited about gesture control phones as we are? Drop us a line in the comment section below, we would love to hear from you.