Technology Android
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I don't care about having a browser on my Android TV for exactly the same reason I don't care about having a browser on my Android Wear watch - it's not the right form factor for it and it doesn't lend itself well to the platform. When I'm watching stuff on my Nexus Player, I have my Nexus 6, my Nexus 7, my iPad Mini and my Chromebook within reach if I need to look at a website. I can also wander over to my Windows desktop machine if I need multiple monitors.
Does Apple TV have Safari? I genuinely don't know.
Android isn't the same on every device, and it shouldn't be. If the Android Wear watches looked and functioned like a phone they'd be dead in the water. Same with the Android Auto car dashboards, and same with Android TV.
I love my Nexus Player, it does everything I want it to do and then some. I don't care that it's available at a cheaper price than what I paid for it because I have literally used it every day since I got it, when I've been home. It's not missing any functionality that I need, I like the UI, it runs Plex, YouTube, Netflix and some games perfectly and that's all I need it to do. It's not without flaws - the voice search doesn't work well enough and the YouTube app needs more features, but I think it's a solid product.
Phandroid had a list of top apps of the year http://phandroid.com/best-android-apps/
Not much else in the news for Android.
I recently learned how Samsung Pay works and I think the upcoming S7 is gonna be my next phone. Assuming Samsung fixes the memory leak issues with the S5 and S6 lollipops.
Not much else in the news for Android.
I recently learned how Samsung Pay works and I think the upcoming S7 is gonna be my next phone. Assuming Samsung fixes the memory leak issues with the S5 and S6 lollipops.
I recently watched the movie "her" and oh my god how I'm looking forward for those virtual assistants to develop, but it's so painful how slow it is happening, and how basic those things are. I could write software almost indistinguishable from Google Now within 1 month, all by myself, and I saw our software development and VI students doing that in less for projects just to pass class (assuming an existing voice recognition framework is used, but Google already has a fine one for starters).
It's confusing to me why Google Now, Cortana and Siri are all so basic and not evolving despite being backed up by such major companies who would be my best bets to carry on well. Instead, despite original releases what, 2 years ago, nothing seems to change.
It's crazy, considering that writing new code to make it seem more situation aware and have at least basic signs of memory (and thus seeming more truly intelligent and able to "connect the dots" using facts it remembers already) is doable within a day for a few good programmers. In the meantime, the current assistants don't even remember the last sentence that you are clarifying on. That is so crazy and mind boggling to me. Everyone wants to see something as close to AI, and nobody is doing even the most basic things considering the tools that have been available for a decade, not to even mention the newest advances. Why?
Just yesterday I wanted to play with Siri and started off literally with those 2 things, then gave up on her:
Me: "Ask me something"
Siri: "What would you like to open?"
Me: "Nothing"
Siri: "I couldn't find "Nothing" in your music"
Me" Can you ask me a question?"
Siri: "who, me?"
Me: "yes".
Siri: "That's what I thought".
Me: "So can you?"
Siri: "I can't answer that"
Me" "do you remember what I asked you?"
Siri: "who, me?"
"Me:" "yes"
Siri: "that's what I thought".
then
Me: "My name is Simon"
Siri: "I don't know who you are, but you can tell me"
Me: "Good, so my name is Simon"
Siri: "Good what?"
Me" "Everything is good"
Siri: *thought I said "remind me good" for some reason* "What would you like me to remind you about"?
Me: "Nothing"
*loop of "What would you like me to remind you about" and me answering "Nothing" for 5 times*
Me: "Stop"
Siri: "Reminder set"
*created a reminder called "Stop"*
I facepalmed and gave up. sad, wishing someone actually paid attention to those things, since they are so barebones now, and it is such an easy sphere to advance soooo far over where it is now in such short time.
I mean, give it 10 megabytes of space on my device and it could store a million short contextual facts and questions I asked, as well as its previous answers. Why won't it? All of those virtual assistants have exactly 0 traits of a perceivably learning virtual intelligence even - and that simple move and a basic algorithm would give it one significant one. How long does Google/MS/Apple need for that, a week?
Will I even see a smart virtual intelligence during my lifetime?
It's confusing to me why Google Now, Cortana and Siri are all so basic and not evolving despite being backed up by such major companies who would be my best bets to carry on well. Instead, despite original releases what, 2 years ago, nothing seems to change.
It's crazy, considering that writing new code to make it seem more situation aware and have at least basic signs of memory (and thus seeming more truly intelligent and able to "connect the dots" using facts it remembers already) is doable within a day for a few good programmers. In the meantime, the current assistants don't even remember the last sentence that you are clarifying on. That is so crazy and mind boggling to me. Everyone wants to see something as close to AI, and nobody is doing even the most basic things considering the tools that have been available for a decade, not to even mention the newest advances. Why?
Just yesterday I wanted to play with Siri and started off literally with those 2 things, then gave up on her:
Me: "Ask me something"
Siri: "What would you like to open?"
Me: "Nothing"
Siri: "I couldn't find "Nothing" in your music"
Me" Can you ask me a question?"
Siri: "who, me?"
Me: "yes".
Siri: "That's what I thought".
Me: "So can you?"
Siri: "I can't answer that"
Me" "do you remember what I asked you?"
Siri: "who, me?"
"Me:" "yes"
Siri: "that's what I thought".
then
Me: "My name is Simon"
Siri: "I don't know who you are, but you can tell me"
Me: "Good, so my name is Simon"
Siri: "Good what?"
Me" "Everything is good"
Siri: *thought I said "remind me good" for some reason* "What would you like me to remind you about"?
Me: "Nothing"
*loop of "What would you like me to remind you about" and me answering "Nothing" for 5 times*
Me: "Stop"
Siri: "Reminder set"
*created a reminder called "Stop"*
I facepalmed and gave up. sad, wishing someone actually paid attention to those things, since they are so barebones now, and it is such an easy sphere to advance soooo far over where it is now in such short time.
I mean, give it 10 megabytes of space on my device and it could store a million short contextual facts and questions I asked, as well as its previous answers. Why won't it? All of those virtual assistants have exactly 0 traits of a perceivably learning virtual intelligence even - and that simple move and a basic algorithm would give it one significant one. How long does Google/MS/Apple need for that, a week?
Will I even see a smart virtual intelligence during my lifetime?
Siri is definitely the worst between Google Now and Siri. I haven't tried Cortana.
Siri can absolutely knock it out the park once in a while with a random command, but Google Now is far more accurate in determining what you said. Siri occasionally gives extra info, more than what you expected, and it beats Now in that sense.
You're right, though; voice recognition has been around for a while. I think it was early 2010 when something called "Vlingo" came around and I thought it was the best thing ever since Google hadn't done voice search or voice to text in Messaging at that point. But it seems like voice rec. has only take a few long strides in the five years since.
I wonder how it is in Android Auto, something that probably relies a ton on voice more than anything else. That should be reason enough to get Google serious about voice.
Siri can absolutely knock it out the park once in a while with a random command, but Google Now is far more accurate in determining what you said. Siri occasionally gives extra info, more than what you expected, and it beats Now in that sense.
You're right, though; voice recognition has been around for a while. I think it was early 2010 when something called "Vlingo" came around and I thought it was the best thing ever since Google hadn't done voice search or voice to text in Messaging at that point. But it seems like voice rec. has only take a few long strides in the five years since.
I wonder how it is in Android Auto, something that probably relies a ton on voice more than anything else. That should be reason enough to get Google serious about voice.
I'm pretty excited for this Pokemon Go app they're supposed to release this year. They said it's like Ingress, augmented reality or something.
The S7 might fix some mistakes Samsung made with the S6. Namely the memory leak crap: http://venturebeat.com/2016/01/04/s...icrosd-water-resistance-and-larger-batteries/
Also, that T-Mobile Binge On campaign is a scam, it seems: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2016/...-optimization-just-throttling-applies#results
The S7 might fix some mistakes Samsung made with the S6. Namely the memory leak crap: http://venturebeat.com/2016/01/04/s...icrosd-water-resistance-and-larger-batteries/
Also, that T-Mobile Binge On campaign is a scam, it seems: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2016/...-optimization-just-throttling-applies#results
This is good: http://www.droid-life.com/2016/02/01/report-google-to-take-more-control-over-nexus-line/
It's one thing Apple has done well that has made its devices a lot more reliable, on average, and just not deal with fragmentation. Of course, their software is still locked out from users but if Google leaves Android the way it is and just has the hardware in a vice-grip. Be it the actual hardware performance or how the phones are distributed. Paying outright for a phone is not a viable option for most people. Hopefully they can strong arm carriers to not fuck over their phones either like the GalNex fiasco.
It's one thing Apple has done well that has made its devices a lot more reliable, on average, and just not deal with fragmentation. Of course, their software is still locked out from users but if Google leaves Android the way it is and just has the hardware in a vice-grip. Be it the actual hardware performance or how the phones are distributed. Paying outright for a phone is not a viable option for most people. Hopefully they can strong arm carriers to not fuck over their phones either like the GalNex fiasco.
Yay, this thread is getting some spark.
I'm going to quit holding out on a phone. I think the S7 is it, as long as Samsung fixed its memory leak bug.
http://www.sammobile.com/2016/02/19...ith-a-12-5-sensor-and-a-powerful-loudspeaker/
https://twitter.com/stagueve/status/700615155470589952/photo/1
I'm going to quit holding out on a phone. I think the S7 is it, as long as Samsung fixed its memory leak bug.
http://www.sammobile.com/2016/02/19...ith-a-12-5-sensor-and-a-powerful-loudspeaker/
https://twitter.com/stagueve/status/700615155470589952/photo/1
I didn't realize the G5 was being unveiled today.
http://www.androidauthority.com/lg-g5-hands-on-674822/
I'm on Sprint and I've heard various horror stories about the G4 on Sprint specifically. Something about boot loops that ultimately require you to RMA to LG and it's not always covered by warranty, or something like that.
But with the S7 rumored to be unveiled in March, the 11th I think, it'll be these two devices.
http://www.androidauthority.com/lg-g5-hands-on-674822/
I'm on Sprint and I've heard various horror stories about the G4 on Sprint specifically. Something about boot loops that ultimately require you to RMA to LG and it's not always covered by warranty, or something like that.
But with the S7 rumored to be unveiled in March, the 11th I think, it'll be these two devices.
The memory leak was a general Lollipop thing, and Samsung fixed it on their software in one of the patches. Also, I have the s6 and I didn't even know about it, and I'm a techie, which kind of shows how minor it was in real life.
To me the S7 is to the S6 what the S5 was to the S4. A minor upgrade + waterproof body. Both the S4 and S6 were quite revolutionary in their time, better than anything on the market in their time and a long while after, while the S5 and S7 were more generic, with common hardware and features.
Also, the MWC is under way.
Thoughts so far:
- The LG bot is kind of cool.
- LG still didn't figure out what made their G2 and G3 fairly popular and backtrack on their selling points, while introducing gimmicks.
- HTC Vive is awesome and all but 799$?! They're crazy. Oculus Rift is overpriced at 600$. It'll be an extremely niche product for a while, hope it makes VR desirable though, because the concept is amazing. I bought myself the gear VR which has almost the same hardware, minus the PC connection option, which they could easily introduce but at 99$ would eat into the Rift sales.
- I like the new 2 in 1 tablet/laptops. The Huawei one is cool, but that sleek TabPro S with that 12'' AMOLED is killing all so far.
Now watching the Samsung part, curious.
edit: yup, the S7 is just a waterproof S6 with an sd slot, and slightly more feminine design on the back. 30% in processing power increase? Almost nothing in mobile terms for a year, compared to more than doubling it with the S6 compared to the S5. It's a good buy if you're more than 2 years behind with your smartphone. Or even better, enjoy the S6 prices dropping if you don't need waterproofing. Otherwise I'd wait till next year, or later this year at best.
All the gains are precisely what the S5 offered compared with the S4. A small, waterproof upgrade.
I was looking forward to the Snapdragon 820, but it seems what it did is just caught up and slightly exceeded last year's Exynos, which means all flagship phones will be pretty much equal performance-wise this year, but not visibly faster than last year's best.
Thoughts so far:
- The LG bot is kind of cool.
- LG still didn't figure out what made their G2 and G3 fairly popular and backtrack on their selling points, while introducing gimmicks.
- HTC Vive is awesome and all but 799$?! They're crazy. Oculus Rift is overpriced at 600$. It'll be an extremely niche product for a while, hope it makes VR desirable though, because the concept is amazing. I bought myself the gear VR which has almost the same hardware, minus the PC connection option, which they could easily introduce but at 99$ would eat into the Rift sales.
- I like the new 2 in 1 tablet/laptops. The Huawei one is cool, but that sleek TabPro S with that 12'' AMOLED is killing all so far.
Now watching the Samsung part, curious.
edit: yup, the S7 is just a waterproof S6 with an sd slot, and slightly more feminine design on the back. 30% in processing power increase? Almost nothing in mobile terms for a year, compared to more than doubling it with the S6 compared to the S5. It's a good buy if you're more than 2 years behind with your smartphone. Or even better, enjoy the S6 prices dropping if you don't need waterproofing. Otherwise I'd wait till next year, or later this year at best.
All the gains are precisely what the S5 offered compared with the S4. A small, waterproof upgrade.
I was looking forward to the Snapdragon 820, but it seems what it did is just caught up and slightly exceeded last year's Exynos, which means all flagship phones will be pretty much equal performance-wise this year, but not visibly faster than last year's best.
Yeah, I'm on an S3, so that's about 4 years behind on tech. My S3 is working well enough for me on CM 12.1 with no lag and no crashes, but I think Samsung Pay is one of the greatest things ever. I'll have to verify that my bank and card are supported, but if it is, the S7 may be a simple choice. The LG G5 looked pretty nice too, but I really like having a good camera, despite not being a huge shutterbug. I think Samsung has that market on lockdown, as far as Android goes, though LG is pretty close too.
Best Buy was offering a 64 GB iPhone 6S for $99, on contract. $200+ off the usual contract price. I was about to get my mom to get it, but she balked on upgrading at the last second. So she's still rocking her Galaxy Nexus, lol
As a matter of fact, once the S7 series hit the market, it will be the best time ever to go for the S6 series. The difference is marginal, while the price difference will be significant. The S6 also has Samsung pay, exactly the same one. Most hardware in those 2 is exactly the same except the updated camera that takes even better night pics but the trade off is resolution and OIS, the chipset (30% faster), and DAC (custom solution instead of the loved Wolfson chip). Plus SD card reader, which would be the only thing that mattered to me.
Also, the S6 is significantly slimmer and lighter, while the S7 will have a somewhat bigger battery.
They'll be more like competitors rather than proper sequel and prequel.
Yeah, the time to pounce on an S6 was actually last week. In addition to the 64 GB iPhone 6S for $99 on contract, the S6 Edge was $1. Yes. A dollar.
Sprint has a deal for Buy one, get one half off. I'm trying to convince my mom to upgrade too so if we both get S7s, we'd get 2 for $300, which isn't too bad.
The camera is a big deal for me, and the reviews are saying it blows the 6S out the water.
http://phandroid.com/2016/02/22/sam...-iphone-6s-low-light-camera-comparison-video/
Also, I'm not making the mistake of buying a flagship late or not getting a flagship at all (damn you, Droid Eris) this time around and missing out on updates. Samsung is kind of moody with the updates so it would be best for me to have the latest offering rather than wait 9 months for a year old OS.
I'm assuming the S7 releases with Marshmallow?
The S6 camera also blew the Iphone 6S camera out the water. The S6 was a major improvement compared to anything else with night shots and overall picture quality (the G4 was close afterwards), while the S7 is a major improvement in night shots compared to the S6, but that's mostly it with minor improvements here and there, but lower resolution and relative blur around edges due to 1,7f of the sensor.
The S7 comes with Marshmallow, yes. That said, I received OTA to Marshmallow on my S6 also.
Well, if you intend to keep a phone for a long time, the S6 will probably get only one more major Android update. The Exynos chipset makes it more difficult to make custom ROMs for also.
The difficult situation is this : The S7 is the best phone on the market at the moment and probably for most of the year. At the same time, the S7 is a relatively minor upgrade compared to the S6, while the price difference is big. That's why I'd have a dilemma if I were in your shoes. Personally I'd probably get the S6.
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/review/a...msung-galaxy-s6-vs-samsung-galaxy-s7-3635467/
For me, the biggest con that Samsung marketing tried to cover and surprisingly nobody noticed with "less camera bump" is that the camera bump is not there because the phone is thicker, and also significantly heavier - it is the heaviest galaxy s phone so far. I like the S series for balance between screen size and pocketability. Also, I find the design of the back of the S7 to be too feminine, with really round shapes and glossy rounded glass. I saw the gold S7 edge at a Samsung store yesterday, take that one and you'll look like you robbed a Chinese hooker when making phone calls.
Just take a look at the S7vs S6 design, note how the back looks, and the size increase:
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