Android L review

Apple isn't the only firm to announce a major update to its mobile OS this month: Google has been busy, too. At its annual Google I/O developer conference, the company announced Android L – the follow up to Android Kitkat – which we've been using courtesy of an early beta on a Nexus 7 tablet.

It's all about "Material Design" with Android L: a new, cleaner look that, in conjunction with a revamped set of animations, gives the OS a more modern feel. The design draws heavily on Google Now's card-based design; expect to see plenty of rectangular panels whizzing around the screen.

Despite the cleaner, flatter visuals, though, there's some depth to Android's new visual approach: by allowing developers to specify the position of UI elements with Z (depth) as well as X and Y co-ordinates, Android L's flat elements have the ability to rise and slide above the other elements, with subtle effects such as drop shadows giving the feeling there's more to the OS than simply minimalism.

Android L preview: notifications and lockscreen

This is most obvious in Android L's notifications system, which has been completely redesigned: before, notifications were largely white on black; now they're displayed on collapsible and expandable white "cards". The two-fingered downward swipe for access to the quick settings has been abandoned, too, but the settings are still there. Instead, you pull down once to access notifications, then again to reveal the quick settings panel, which has also been redesigned and simplified.

These redesigned notifications also make it onto the lock screen, where it's now possible to scroll through them and expand, dismiss and launch into apps directly. With Google Now cards appearing at the bottom of the list, and quick settings also available here, it means you can get a lot done without having to unlock your device.

It isn't only the Notifications that have been perked up, however; the settings menu looks completely different, too. On our Nexus 7, items were arranged across two columns, rather than one, allowing you to see more at once. The Recent Apps view, meanwhile, goes from a flat thumbnail view to a smoothly animated, Rolodex-style 3D card view.

The most extreme aspect of the redesign comes with the new onscreen keyboard. This is completely flat, with the "keys" losing their outlines altogether and blending into the background. It looks odd initially, but we found it easy to get used to; if anything, it feels more spacious than before, since you're less worried about hitting the centre of each key.

Security has been revisited, too, via the personal unlocking feature. This allows your phone or tablet to be unlocked automatically when in proximity with another trusted device or in a trusted environment. Alas, it wasn't working in the release we tested.

Android L preview: new runtime

However, all this is mere window dressing next to the most significant update in Android L, which is the introduction of the ART runtime. The main difference between ART and the current Dalvik runtime is that it employs ahead-of-time (AOT) compilation, by which apps are translated to machine code on installation. This contrasts with in-time compilation, which compiles on an as-required basis. There's also support for 64-bit CPUs (in anticipation of them appearing in handsets).

The move to AOT should improve the speed at which apps launch and run and reduce stutter, at the cost of slower install times and a larger storage and memory footprint. Another benefit should be longer battery life, since AOT reduces CPU usage. In conjunction with the new battery-saver mode, we expect to see a jump in battery life when the next generation of Android tablets and phones appears.

Android L certainly felt more responsive on our Nexus 7 than KitKat, with snappier, punchier transitions and animations and less judder all round; in other words, what you'd expect. Headline benchmark figures, on the other hand, showed no improvement whatsoever, although this perhaps shouldn't be surprising. Since most benchmark utilities are already built using native code they wouldn't benefit from ART anyway.

Android L preview: verdict

The first Android L devices won't see the light of day until the autumn, but Android L feels like a major step forward for Google's mobile OS, even at this early stage. A slicker look and feel, combined with improved performance and, potentially, better battery life, should further strengthen Android's hold over the smartphone and compact tablet market.

Twitter : https://twitter.com/TechBaaja

Facebook : 

https://www.facebook.com/techbaaja

Android Wear Review: The Watch That Wants to Save You From Your Phone

Google's smartwatch platform shows promise, but needs better hardware and smarter features.

A funny thing has happened to me over the last week and a half, as I’ve been reviewing a couple Android Wear smartwatches from LG and Samsung: Instead of being the guy who takes out his phone at every opportunity, I’ve become the one who stands idly by while other people thumb around on their handsets.

It’s not that I’m always fiddling with the screen on my wrist instead; I’m actually spending less time interacting with screens in general. By having all my phone’s notifications in view, I can ignore the ones that aren’t important and quickly deal with the ones that are. And because the phone stays in my pocket, I’m not tempted to spend the next five minutes looking at Twitter or Facebook. Against all logic, tethering a computer to my wrist has been liberating.

But is that idea enough to convince people to start wearing watches again? It’s doubtful, especially in Android Wear’s current form.

Right now, there are two smartwatches that run on Google’s Android Wear platform. Samsung’s Gear Live costs $199 and is a bit gaudy with its metallic trim and slim snap-on wristband, while the $229 LG G Watch strikes a more utilitarian look with a rubberized band and all-plastic finish. In both cases, the aesthetic leans toward “geek badge of honor,” thanks to clunky rectangular bodies and thick black bezels around the displays. (I’ll compare the two watches more in a future post, as I’ve only spent a day with LG’s model. My quick impressions are that Samsung has the better screen and more appealing design, while LG’s drop-in dock is more convenient for nightly charging.)

The Notification Machine

Like other smartwatches on the market already, such as the Pebble and Samsung’s Galaxy Gear line, Android Wear puts your phone’s notifications on your wrist. But what stands about Google’s approach is how little effort it takes to view these notifications and take action on them with a swipe or voice command.

With Android Wear, there’s hardly any setup involved. Everything’s tied to the actionable notifications on Android phones, so once you’ve paired the watch over Bluetooth, you can immediately do things like manage e-mails, dismiss text messages, control the phone’s music playback, glance at sports scores and get traffic alerts from Google Now. The screen stays in greyscale mode until you tap it or tilt it toward you, at which point you can view each notification by flicking upward.

This can lead to some delightful moments as you get in the habit of glancing at your wrist for information. Last weekend, for instance, I made a quick trip to the grocery store to grab some breakfast items when I caught a notification from Todo Cloud, a free smartphone app that supports location-based reminders. It was telling me to pick up some pasta–something I’d reminded myself to do earlier–and I would have missed the message if it hadn’t been waiting on my wrist. Without any extra effort on my part, Android Wear saved me a return trip to the store.

It helps that the software is smooth and responsive, and generally runs without any glitches, but I do have a few nitpicks: It takes a little too long for the system to recognize swiping after the screen lights up, and I wish you could un-dismiss a notification if you accidentally swipe it away. It’d also be nice if the main screen had an icon bar, like the one on Android phones, so you could get a high-level view of which notifications are waiting.

Android Wear will also face some natural growing pains, as a lot of third-party apps still haven’t optimized their code for wearables. For example, Secret can notify you when a friend posts, but doesn’t show you the actual post on the watch. You can retweet or “favorite” a Twitter mention, but you can’t reply directly by voice. In WhatsApp, there’s no way to view full messages, reply to them or mark them as read. Because Android Wear is supposed to just work, it’s disappointing when these apps don’t.

That same kind of uncertainty carries over to Android Wear’s voice commands, which you trigger by tapping the main screen or saying “OK Google.” This is useful for quickly dictating a text message, setting a reminder or pulling up turn-by-turn directions, but most third-party apps don’t work with voice — and the handful that do require you to memorize specific syntax. Voice recognition also stumbles in some areas, always recognizing “Android Wear” as “Android Where,” for instance, and failing to interpret punctuation commands like “comma” and “question mark.” I quickly learned to avoid voice unless I knew exactly what I was going to get in response.

Why Not Just Take Out Your Phone?

A lot of the above issues are annoyances rather than dealbreakers. But as Google tries to improve the platform, there’s a more fundamental dilemma that Android Wear needs to figure out: If most people are happy to whip out their phones, why would they care about a device that spares them from doing so?

The answer, I think, will come from functions that are not as practical on a smartphone–things you might not do at all if you have to take the device out of your pocket. Android Wear lays a foundation for these kinds of uses, but doesn’t provide nearly enough of them.

Going back to my grocery store example, while I was shopping I also saw another notification from Google Wallet, letting me know that I was close to the in-store Starbucks. The reminder alone wasn’t useful, but imagine if Wallet had gone a step further and put my Starbucks card’s barcode on my wrist. If every loyalty card, coupon, ticket and boarding pass could pop up in the right location, I wouldn’t even have to think about reaching for my wallet or phone. This is definitely possible with Android Wear–Delta is already doing it for boarding passes–but it’s not a centerpiece of the platform right now.

Likewise, Google has promised the ability to unlock your smartphone or Chromebook with a paired Android Wear device, and it’s easy to imagine this capability expanding to sensitive third-party apps in the future. But even the basic unlocking feature won’t arrive until the next version of Android comes out this fall.

What we have now is a classic Google work-in-progress. The software needs more ways to surpass the abilities of users’ smartphones, and the hardware needs to get thinner, lighter and less clunky. (Motorola’s Moto 360 watch will bring some much-needed style to the lineup later this summer, but it’s not a panacea for bulky tech.) And while I’m not bothered by the one-day battery life of these watches, they need more convenient ways to recharge overnight, such as a wireless charging mat on your nightstand. Until the hardware and software are further along, saving yourself from your phone should probably wait.

Sony SmartBand SWR10 review: A health band that goes beyond just fitness

In the past few months, there’s been a sudden wave of fitness-focussed smartwatches and smartbands. Jumping on to the bandwagon, Sony also launched its new SmartBand SWR10, which comes bundled for free with the Z2. The company hasn’t limited its use to only Sony phones, and any Android device running 4.4 KitKat and supports Bluetooth LE and NFC can use it. Sony has also ensured that the device stays within your reach and priced it at Rs 5,990, but don’t expect a Samsung Gear-like smartwatch at that price.

It appears to be more like the FitBit, rather than the Gear series. It is basically an activity tracker for fitness freaks, and not a mainstream smartwatch that is looking to bring a smartphone experience to your wrist. After living a couple of weeks with the device and using it with the Xperia Z2, here’s what we have to say.

Design and build

Sony’s Smartband is quite simple looking. We got our hands on the black-coloured band that appeared to be a bit dull, but discrete enough to go unnoticed. You will get a slew of other colour options too, like bright pink, orange and yellow, to name a few. But if you plan to make a style statement using the band, then the Nike Fuelband or Jawbone are definitly be more stylish.

The bracelet or strap is built of silicone rubber and is highly flexible. The belt is adjustable and should fit all sizes. Moreover, it is IP58-certified and can withstand submersion up to up to 5-feet of water for up to 30 minutes. It did survive a 10-minute drizzle, when we used it. However, the band does attract dust to a certain extent, making it look old quickly.

This strap is simply the housing for what Sony calls the ‘core’ – a small rectangular plasticky device that is housed inside the strap. It features just one button with three minute LED indicators. On the side, one will find the USB charging dock.

While the SmartBand won’t score high when it comes to the design, but the most notable thing is how light it is. One can almost forget that you’re wearing it all day and night. The core weighs a mere 6 g and together with the strap, the SmartBand weighs barely 20 grams.

Features and Performance

To begin with, the Sony Smartband is similar to the Fitbit and doesn’t feature a display. So, you will need a smartphone to view all the data. Though one can use it with any compatible Android smartphone, it will require Sony’s ‘LifeLog’ app. LifeLog is the brain of the device that works in tandem with the core. The core captures all the data and transmits it to the app, but not in real time. Besides, you will also need the SmartBand app that lets you pair the device and tweak the settings of the band. Setting up the device was hassle free using NFC and Bluetooth.

The LifeLog app comes with a neat interface that is divided into two parts. The upper section displays a colourful visual timeline that shows your daily activities like sleeping, walking, running, travelling, and even the weather condition is displayed in the background.

Colourful visual timeline; tracks your sleeping patterns

Just below the timeline, you will find several a grid of colours, each box pertaining to a certain activity. Here users can check how many hours they were engaged in a particular activity. This also includes non-exercise activities as the device is also capable of tracking the time you spent on the web, social networks, gaming or listening to music. You can set a goal for each of the activity. For instance, we set 30 minutes of cycling goal. So, once you tap on cycling, you can view how long you’ve cycled and if you’ve achieved the goal. You can check the cycling history for over a week and even a month, to gauge your performance. It offers a neat graphical representation too.

Besides tracking steps, calories, running, walking and digital activities, you can also a new activity or even delete an activity you don’t want tracked. This way the app looks clutter-free, allowing you to view information that is important for you. Apart from your day activities, it also tracks your sleeping patterns like how many hours you’ve slept, how many hours the sleep was deep or light.

The single core button offers several shortcuts, trying to make up for the lack of the display. The button can also be used to control a few functions on the smartphone such as call and message alerts and also serves as music control. The button can also be used with apps like camera and Find Phone location service. You need to enable these options using the Smartband app.

Lifelog and SmartBand apps

Smartband lets you automatically set the day or night modes, depending upon what time you sleep. It can also be changed manually by long pressing the button on the core. To check the mode at any time, users can also press the button once, if the three LEDs blink in succession then it’s day mode, and if alternately then it’s in night mode.

Another notable fact is that the device is a standalone tracker, and doesn’t need to be around your phone all the time. For instance, you can go for a run and come and then sync the device with your phone. Then there’s the bookmark option that allows users to bookmark a location, date and time by double pressing the button.

It accurately detected our digital activity, like how many photos we clicked, when we used social networks or mobile web and so on. The UI is very slick, and you can go back to check what you were doing at any particular moment. It is a great way of tracking the sleeping pattern, and improving your wake-up times.

Let’s you track your daily activities, and view them in graphical form

It is pretty decent at tracking activities, but that doesn’t mean it is flawless. It tracked our steps all the time, but the problem arises when you take up activities other than running or walking. For instance, one of the days, it detected we were cycling, but we were in another mode of transport. It couldn’t really differentiate our time in an auto rickshaw from our cycling. This is where the software needs to work, as the device needs to accurately gauge the difference between slow-moving vehicles and a bicycle.

Verdict and pricing

Firstly, the band is extremely comfortable to wear. Within a couple of hours, we almost forget that we are wearing one. The subtle black colour and simple design kept it away from inquisitive eyes. While the Sony SmartBand has ticked most of the boxes right, it still has its flaw when it comes to accuracy. This seems to be a common problem with tracking activity wearables, and Sony could probably work at making the tracking software more accurate through firmware updates.

Though we didn’t really miss the display, given the price of the device, there were several moments when we seriously did miss it. For instance, when we left the phone home while on a run or submitted it at the counter before entering the gym. In these cases, a display, even a small one, would have been handy.

In a nutshell, the SmartBand is great for those looking for an activity tracker alone, and want to track their daily exercise routine better. It does allow you to do a little more, but it’s scope is limited by its fitness features.