Hands On With The Nexus 5 And Android 4.4 KitKat

The Nexus 5 is here! The Nexus 5 is here!

After months of hype and more questionably “accidental” leaks than any device in recent memory, Google announced their new flagship Android handset this morning.

I’ve only had the device in my hands for a few hours, so it’ll be a few days before I’m ready to give my final yay or nay on this thing. With that said, I recognize that I’m amongst a very lucky few to have access to this thing before they start leaving the warehouse en masse later this week, so I figured I’d share some early impressions.

Thoughts so far:

• It’s quite nice looking, though not in a particularly unique way. Look at it from more than a few feet away, and most folks probably wouldn’t have any idea what phone they were looking at. It’s a big glass screen with a matte black back; I’m… not sure how you could get any more standard.
• The soft touch backside gets fingerprint-tastic, and fast. I had to wipe it almost constantly for our hands on photos. For reference, I’m using the black device and don’t have particularly oily hands.
• As you’d expect of a device with a nearly 5-inch (4.95 inches, to be specific) screen, it’s big. Real big. Any bigger, in fact, and I’d say it’s too big. And yet, Google and LG managed to keep it justwithin the realm of sanity. It’s not a strictly two-hand device, but unless you’ve got hulk hands, expect to need a second hand more often than not.
• With Android 4.4, Google Search is now automatically integrated into every single page of your homescreen launcher, and can be triggered by voice through an “Okay, Google” hot keyword. Search is always just there. It’s quite nice.

• Google Now is now always the left-most screen on your homescreen, which is a smart move on Google’s part. Google Now is incredibly neat (if slightly terrifying) — but, previously stuffed behind a swipe from the very bottom of the screen, it was far too easy to forget it was there. You can still reach it with a swipe up from the bottom, need be.
• It’s smooth. Really smooth. Every transition, every fade in – it’s like butter. If it stays this smooth after a few weeks of use, it’s by far the smoothest Android experience I’ve had; alas, that rarely seems to be the case with Android.
• The camera seems above average, but not mind blowing. I’ll save the example shots until I’ve had a chance to pit it head-to-head with a few comparable devices. The camera is also a bit crashy, though that might be my specific unit; three times now, the camera has just stayed at a black screen when I tried to open it
• Android 4.4 overhauls the dialer, with the main feature being a knowledge of nearby businesses. Just type a business name into the same field where you’d normally type the first few letters of your friends name, and it pulls up the details for nearby locations. In my early tests, this feature works very well. Typing “Starbucks” pulled up 8+ locations near me (hey, it’s San Francisco), broken down by their location, each offering their phone number at a click. It works in reverse, too; I had one of those Starbucks locations call me, and the phone identified the caller as such. Google says all this data is piped in from Google Maps

• In Google’s HDR+ mode (which takes photos in rapid succession and combines the best parts of each into one photo), the camera can be slow. Twice I moved the camera before it was done (but after the shutter sound went off), ending up with a photo of the ground.
• While Android 4.4 is largely focused on optimizations that allows it to run on lower-end devices, there are a number of lil’ subtle changes that really spruce up the place. The top bar and bottom nav bar are both translucent now, allowing the homescreen background to go fullbleed across the screen . The widgets drawer has been moved out from the pop-up app drawer (which always seemed like a weird location), and back to being behind a long press on the home screen (like it was in Android of yesteryear).

The Nexus 5 comes in two colors: one black, and one white. $349 gets you a 16GB model, while $399 gets you 32GB. Both of those devices are unlocked and off-contract, mind you — for the price, the hardware stuffed into this phone is rather amazing.

Alas, it might be tough to get one for a while. The Nexus 5 just went on sale this morning, and almost immediately sold out. If you’re one of the people who got their order in: don’t worry, so far I’d say you’ve made a solid choice.

While my notes above may seem neutral (or even neutral-negative), I’m actually pretty darn pleased with the device so far. It feels like they took the Nexus 4, the Moto X, and the HTC One — all three devices of which were devices I really liked — and mashed them together, pulling in many of the best parts of each. If you’re already an Android fan or a Nexus 4 owner, you’ll like what you see here. If you’re an iPhone user, this one really could be the one to convince you to make the switch. I know I’m tempted.

Dear Google, What’s Wrong With You?

Dear Google: What’s wrong?

I ask because last weekend, while in San Francisco, I asked Google Maps for “hot chocolate mission” — and was promptly directed to an ARCO station in Fremont, 40 miles away. Similarly, last month I searched for “coffee” while in the Embarcadero Center, one of the denser coffee hotspots in America, and was sent to a Starbucks more than two miles away. And it hasn’t escaped my notice that you keep highlighting faraway places with Zagat listings over much closer places without.

Now, sure, if you’re thinking “hey, you’re just abusing your position as a highfalutin tech columnist to make anecdotal complaints here!” — well, you’re not entirely wrong. Perk of the position. What can I say? But Google Docs won’t save documents, the new Gmail interface still feels like a big step backwards, Gmail Offline keeps crashing on me, Google Hangouts hangs whenever we try to combine text chat and video…and for what it’s worth, it’s not just me who’s wondering what’s gone wrong:

Don’t misunderstand. I’ve long been one of your bigger fans. Sure, I complained: “Google is in serious decline” a few years ago, but you’ve managed to turned your mighty aircraft carrier around quite nicely since. Stock at record heights, etc., etc., etc.

I don’t think you’re in decline now. Quite the opposite: I think in certain domains you’ve become so dominant that you’ve grown complacent. In fields where you’ve got real competition — e.g. Android, Chrome — you’re as incisive and innovative as ever. Google+ isn’t exactly setting the world on fire, but it’s probably become an asset rather than a hindrance. And the ambition of Google Glass and your crazy moon-shot stuff like balloon-powered global Internet and self-driving cars (oh, yeah, and immortality) remains awesome.

The problem is that in certain fields you hardly need to compete any more. I mean, who competes with Google Maps? Oh, there are plenty of competitors, but who actually competes? Even mighty Apple is perceived as dramatically inferior (although Apple Maps has improved by leaps and bounds since its balky launch.) As for Bing Maps, and Nokia’s There, and OpenStreetMaps et al. — forget about it.

So if you want to highlight all things Zagat since you acquired them, and downplay all others, who’s going to stop you, right? I mean, you sent me to a gas station 40 miles away for hot chocolate, and I just shook my head and took it in stride. It would be way too much work to install and familiarize myself with an entirely different map app, when you’re usually mostly good enough. (Also, to be fair, after I complained about you on Twitter, a friend who’s a Google employee directed me to Cafe St. Jorge, so I can’t rule out the possibility that you were just playing the long and subtle game.)

Same with your bread-and-butter search. Even if Bing was better — and I don’t for a moment believe that it is — who’s actually going to the trouble to find that out? I’d have to compare a multitude of different searches to figure out whether I should switch, and that’s way too much work in this modern world. As long as you’re perceived as good enough, you don’t actually need to get any better. Maybe you will anyways, out of the goodness of your heart, or, more accurately, your aesthetic hunger for purity and perfection — but you won’t be pushed there. So of course you slow down and get sloppy.

It’s not really your fault, Google; it’s the fault of your would-be competitors. So, what the heck, since they can’t seem to get their collective act together, why not go building barges instead of polishing products? I bet it’s a lot more fun.

But Google, be careful. IBM grew dominant and became complacent. Microsoft grew dominant, and became complacent. And look what happened to them. Okay, fine, so they’re still immensely profitable megacorporations, but they lost the initiative, they no longer dictate the conversation, they’re not the ones who build the future any more; they just come and mop up after it’s built.

That is not the Google way. But you’re pretty huge these days, arguably bloated, and middle-aged for a tech company — and while your numbers are great, revenue is a lagging indicator in the technology business. I’m not saying all is lost. Far from it. I’m just saying that, where everyone else seems to see a dominant unstoppable machine, I think I see some distant early warning signs. I hope you see them, too.

Image Credit: Rajesh Patel, DeviantArt.

iFixit tears down the 2013 Xbox 360, finds surprisingly familiar insides

The Xbox 360 has gone through quite a few hardware transitions in its lifetime, but the2013 model still intrigues us -- it's potentially the last, most advanced iteration that we'll see. iFixit must be equally curious, as it's tearing down the console just days after its launch. The shock of this latest system may rest in what hasn't changed: despite being smaller and (reportedly) quieter, the updated 360 is still using the cooling, processing power and storage of its 2010 predecessor. Most of the differences exist in the enclosure and some minor component tweaks, like the new RF module. This model isn't a revolution, then, but iFixit appreciates its more repairable design. 

Samsung Galaxy NX mirrorless camera appears in press shots, may launch later this month

Samsung's mobile chief JK Shin hinted that the company would soon be announcing an Android-powered mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera, and now the Galaxy NX is all but official. In press shots appearing on a Vietnamese gadget site, the device is pictured with a mirrorless mount and a trio of NX lenses. Judging from the body, the camera is likely to be closer in size to a DSLR than Samsung's existing CSC lineup, with a large touchscreen occupying much of the rear.

Hardware controls are few and far between, and may be limited to a shutter release, video capture button, top-mounted dial and a pop-up flash release, along with the compulsory lens release to the left of the swappable optic. It's said to include Android 4.2, a 20.3-megapixel APS-C sensor, ISO sensitivity through 25,600 and 1080p video capture. Pricing info is still up in the air, as is an official announce date, which could very well be as soon as Samsung's June 20th event in London. Hit up the source for a few more shots.

Foursquare Time Machine retraces your check-ins in a stream of light

Habitual Foursquare users don't have much context for their check-ins -- it's easy for them to track their favorite haunts, but not their long-term trends. The just-launched Foursquare Time Machine could help draw those missing connections, however. Sign in and it creates a map-based timeline of each and every check-in, color-coded by its nature. While the superficial result is a very pretty light cluster, it's surprisingly functional underneath: members can see their exact check-in times, their favorite days of the week and their most active periods. Naturally, there's also an option to share the stats with others. Time Machine is already popular enough that it's struggling to cope with the early demand, but the functioning site should be worth visiting for the (eventual) trip down memory lane.

Music licensing group BMI sues Pandora, deems radio station purchase a 'stunt'

Music licensors didn't waste any time in characterizing Pandora's acquisition of an FM radio station as an underhanded attempt to cheat performers out of royalties, but the rhetoric has now hit the courtroom, as Broadcast Music Inc. has filed a lawsuit against the streaming service in the New York federal system. Key to the action -- which casts Pandora's move as "an open and brazen effort to artificially drive down its license fees" -- BMI asks for a blanket determination of licensing rates for all music broadcast by Pandora. According to BMI logic, the lower royalty rates that terrestrial providers enjoy shouldn't apply to the online segment of Pandora's business. As the flip side to that argument, however, Pandora argues that it deserves equal footing with online competitors such as Clear Channel's iHeartRadio service, which pays the terrestrial rates. It's a murky decision, for sure. Hopefully the judge has a good supply of Advil.

Vodafone Smart Mini delivers cheap-as-chips Android for £50

In one sense, many budget smartphones aren't budget enough; they often require some substantial financial discipline for the typical buyer. Not so Vodafone UK's new Smart Mini: at just £50 ($78) on pay as you go service, it's very nearly an impulse purchase. You're even getting a bit more than you'd expect for that small cash outlay. While the 3.5-inch HVGA screen, 2MP camera, 1GHz MediaTek chip and 4GB of storage won't floor anyone, the Smart Mini ships with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean -- we've seen more expensive phones that carry older software. Those who like the Smart Mini's back-to-basics proposition can pick up a black or white model today.

Microsoft Office Mobile for iOS quietly launches in the US, requires Office 365 subscription

After rumor upon leak suggested Microsoft was cooking up a release of Office for iOS, you'd think its arrival would be celebrated with streamers and cake. Making a rather low-key entrance, the app is now available to those with a small-screen iOS device and an Office 365 subscription. You can create new Excel and Word files from scratch, or view and edit spreadsheets, docs and Powerpoint files stored on Microsoft's cloud services, or pinned to emails. Offline editing is also possible, as long as you've recently viewed or edited the file. You'll also be able to see any files you recently accessed at home if your computer is running Office 2013. You'll need an iPhone or iPod touch running iOS 6.1 (there's no iPad version just yet), and the app is limited to the US at the moment

Apple's newest AirPort Extreme base station gets dissected

The skyscraper? The hauteur router? The dapper WAP? All reasonable nicknames were considered, but in the end, Apple's sticking with "AirPort Extreme." The newest base station -- the one introduced alongside the company's Haswell-infused MacBook Air atWWDC -- takes on a new look and gains 802.11ac support, but that's not what you're here for. You're here for two reasons: first, you want to see this thing reverse engineered, and second, you want to get an idea of just how repairable it is. The gurus over at iFixit have done their usual teardown, offering up a plethora of lovely JPGs and settling on a respectable 8 out of 10 on the Repairability Index. Eager to learn more? Give that source link below a soft tap... with the key word being soft.

Magellan SmartGPS review: further proof your phone is the only navigator you need

When speaking with executives from the Google Maps team earlier this year at I/O, I was reminded that Maps wasn't even a product in 2004. In less than a decade, one of Google's bright ideas has completely and unabashedly transformed the entire routing industry. (Avid readers will no doubt recall this graph, depicting real moves in the stock market moments after Google Maps Navigation was first introduced.) That development, coupled with the explosion in smartphone adoption across emerged markets, has left players like Magellan in quite the predicament. It wasn't that long ago that dedicated PNDs (personal navigation devices) were the gift to get for the holiday season. And indeed, many units from Garmin in particular delighted me plenty over the years.

But the reality today is that PND makers have found themselves redundant. A few have resorted to innovating on the software side and nailing down partnerships with automakers and fleet-management firms in order to keep revenue rolling in, while Magellan has opted to create a new piece of hardware. That hardware, of course, is the SmartGPS. Rather than being a standalone PND suitable for mounting on one's dash or window, the device works best when used in concert with an accompanying iPhone or Android app (sorry, Windows Phone and BlackBerry users). In essence, the company is hoping that by creating a product that extends the functionality of your smartphone, you'll be inclined to hand over $250. After a week of road tripping through the US southwest, however, I'm inclined to believe differently.

Facebook to host new product launch on June 20th

In case you're interested, June 20th is a Thursday. It's more than that to Facebook, though: apparently that is the day the social network will show off a new product, or as the company puts it, a "big idea" coming from a small team. As to what this particular event -- to be held in Menlo Park -- could bring to the table, you now know exactly as much as we do; with recent talk regarding Facebook's interest in building an RSS reader, that rumor would certainly be a good stab in the dark. What's even more odd, however, is the method by which the press is receiving the invitation: the good old-fashioned postal service. Let us know in the comments if you have any particular theories on what it could all mean.

iPad and iPad mini coming to Rogers and Telus, iPhone 5 nano-SIMs reach Wind

While it's been easy for Canadians to get data plans for the iPad and iPad mini, they haven't had the luxury of picking one up at a carrier store like their American neighbors. They will soon, however: Rogers and Telus say they'll be selling the LTE versions of both iPads sometime in the "coming weeks." Details are scarce, although the two networks promise that they'll keep offering contract-free data plans. We've reached out to learn whether or not Bell is following suit.

There isn't any talk of similar offerings with smaller providers, although Wind Mobile is offering an olive branch to iPhone owners. The carrier is now selling $25 nano-SIM cards for those who've bought an unlocked, AWS-friendly iPhone 5 through Apple. These customers won't have LTE, but they'll get HSPA+ data on less expensive (and less restricted) plans. Hit Wind's Facebook page to learn just which devices qualify.