Google Nexus 5 in the flesh, first impressions

I posed a question to mostly everywhere in social media and to everyone I know – should I drop my Nexus 4 for the Nexus 5? Apparently, this article is the answer to that question. I got the Google Nexus 5 for a few major reasons: the 1080p IPS LCD display, the Snapdragon 800 CPU & the 8 megapixel camera packed with optical image stabilization.

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Taking it out of the box, I already knew what I was going to get; this is the white variant with the white rear cover & the white circular earpiece that adds some character to the device. The rest of the device is just glass & hardcore plastic – which really feels good but more on that in the full review.

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The button placements are basically the same when compared to the Nexus 4: volume buttons can be found on the left while the power button is on the right, the speaker is now on the bottom side beside the micro USB port and finally, the audio port is on the top left portion of the Nexus 5.

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When we booted up the device, we immediately upgraded to Android 4.4.2 KitKat – which enables bug fixes and the camera to work a lot better. Initially, we have to say that everything with stock Android works buttery smooth, not to mention the gorgeous display projects content vibrantly.

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Google LG Nexus 5 specs:
4.95-inch Tru-HD IPS+ LCD display @ 1080×1920 , 445pi
Gorilla Glass 3
Qualcomm MSM8974 Snapdragon 800 2.3GHz quad-core
Adreno 330 GPU
2GB RAM
16GB, 32GB internal storage
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 4.0 LE
GPS w/ aGPS support
NFC
HSPA+, 4G LTE
8 megapixel camera with LED flash, OIS
Full HD 1080p video recording
1.2Mp w/ front-facing camera
Android 4.4 KitKat
Li-Ion 2,300mAh battery
130g (weight)
137.8 mm x 69.2mm x 8.6mm (dimensions)

Months ago or so, I really wanted HTC or Sony to make the next Nexus (Samsung if it weren’t for the plastic). The Nexus 4 is still an impressive device, but I think LG & Google failed to deliver things like long battery life, great camera performance & 4G LTE. Moreover, it was made of very fragile glass.

But now that I have the Nexus 5 in my hands, I feel like Google & LG has polished the Nexus brand. For a price of $349 in the US for the 16GB version, you definitely couldn’t go wrong. Sadly though, that specific deal isn’t available for us in the Philippines; we’ll be paying a higher price for the Google flagship or you can get it through Smart.

The biggest question now is, for a higher price, will the Google Nexus 5 still be worth considering? That you’ll have to find out in our full review, so stay tuned!

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Conspiracy Theory: Technology’s Dark Role in the Future

Technology is a way of doing things, and doing things are either good, evil or indifferent. It isn’t always about getting faster computers, more powerful gaming hardware or more efficient car engines – it’s about what you do with them. Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.

Our ways of doing things have totally changed through time. Now, we get news fast, instant messaging & powerful mobile gadgets from cameras to laptop computers. Most of us even have probably experienced the rise and fall of compact disks. It’s all moving so fast that I think even parents have a hard time coping up with their kids & trends. The line of what’s right & wrong is starting to get blurry.

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But I’m not here to lecture anyone about morality. I’m here to talk about how powerful influences could easily change our future for the worse using technology. Aside from possible nuclear warfare & a far-fetched zombie apocalypse, I’m looking at the government’s way of handling us – the citizens.

Governments are taking advantage of technology to further their own interests – one great example of this is the U.S. Government. If you haven’t heard of PRISM, well where have you been for the past months? You should go catch up here.

In a nutshell, the surveillance project, PRISM, basically means that the National Security Agency of the U.S. can see through everything you have on the internet – even the ones you have passwords on as they have access to Facebook, Yahoo, Google & other internet giants. If you’re not yet as worried, then knowing that they spied on other foreign leaders should make you think again. With that said, it made me much more skeptical about the always listening & always watching Xbox One & the always listening Moto X - both of which are from American companies.

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Google applied for a patent of a microphone tattooed to your throat

I’m not saying that they’re spying on us right now using the said tech, but I do have to mention that the NSA has been spying on lots of people for decades. What’s worse is that issues like these are unregulated without checks & balances. Once these technologies have been embedded into our culture & lifestyle, it will be very hard to pull out. Aside from that, we’re just making a lazier generation. In the end, activists could become slacktivists.

In addition to these always watching & always listening technologies that the government might be using, there’s also the sudden shift to cloud solutions. Companies want you to pay them to let you store your data in their servers for accessibility. Also, online transactions are also starting to gain traction through NFC, mobile wallets & Bitcoin. There’s a huge possibility that we might all become dependent on these services & “conveniences” in the future.

Now, there are always two sides to a story. Technology isn’t all bad, and isn’t all good either. In addition to those two sides, I’m pretty sure people will be divided on the issues of privacy & an all-seeing government – so I’ll leave a quote here below:

“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” -Benjamin Franklin

In the future, we’re just going to have to try and change for the better. Be more aware & get engaged. Let’s not get very spoiled with new tech every now and then. Consumerism is consuming all of us, and with each day passing under abusive governments & corporations, the whole system just keeps getting less sustainable.

‘You know how movies usually portray an evil well-controlled highly-advanced totalitarian state? Well, that’s how these companies’ new innovations have made me feel like visualizing for the past few days. I hope that wasn’t a foresight; I hope it’s just paranoia.

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Nexus 5 gets a high repairability score

Here we are patiently waiting for the Nexus 5. Early adopters of the said device here in PH will probably have it from the grey market or directly from the Play Store (or wherever it is available). With that, official local warranty is out of the question but what if it breaks down too early or unexpectedly?


The famous fix-it-yourself website iFixit had the latest Nexus phone under their test. They found out that it’s just easy to repair, unlike other devices out their. What makes the Nexus 5′s repair so easy? It is due to the plastic clips it uses to bind the “non-removable” back cover and it only has few adhesives throughout the device. Screws are of standard design too.

Of course, the fun ends with the screen. Like any other great smartphone displays, the LCD panel and the glass are fused together within the frame. That means cracking, breaking or even scratching (on some rare cases) the Gorilla Glass 3 will definitely cost you.

Head over to the iFixit page for specifics and more internal photos.

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Android 4.4 KitKat: The Key Features

We’ve already known that the next version of Android will be called 4.4 KitKat for more than a month now, but what we didn’t hear about were the features and the glitters that the update was gonna pack. Coming alongside the new Google Nexus 5, here is a rundown of things to look forward to in Android 4.4 KitKat.

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  • Visual changes – While it’s not as big of a redesign compared to iOS 7, Android 4.4 KitKat updates a lot of its UI elements. Translucency is now more evident from search & notification bars to the app drawer. Also, Google has updates a lot of its app guidelines to shift away from the previous Holo UI and into the cleaner Cards UI.
  • Dialer – The new & redesigned dialer app also integrates search into its functions. Not only does it suggest your contacts, but it also gives you numbers of places nearby, e.g. a pizza joint. Also, when someone you don’t know makes a call, Google quickly searches for any local numbers to give you a caller ID.
  • Faster & smoother! – KitKat aims to improve optimization and responsiveness among the lower powered Android devices. Sadly, Google chose to not update the Galaxy Nexus & older Nexus devices to show it as an example, but nonetheless we’re expecting future low-end smartphones to run smoother than before.
  • New Storage Access Framework - From cloud storage to local storage, Google will be providing a better way to manage your files.
  • Hangouts & other app updates – The Messaging app is getting dropped on KitKat and Hangouts swoops in to integrate SMS functionality for it. Other updates include Emoji, which is coming to the stock keyboard, and the Downloads app which is getting a better interface as well.
  • “OK Google” – So far only available to the Nexus 5, this new feature will allow users to access Google now even from the homescreen itself just by saying “Ok Google”. No need for any button presses or whatsoever anymore.

There are a lot more than that coming in the next version of Android. Other features include Immersion Mode, Screen Recording & Wireless Printing. It also opens a lot of possibilities & dev improvements just as usual, from IR Blasters & sensors to NFC payments. For a full list of features, you can go over Android’s KitKat page here.

The update looks neat we have to say, but we’ll have to experience it for ourselves to see if it actually delivers. The update is said to be ‘coming soon’ on Nexus devices, so once it arrives on our devices, we’ll be providing more coverage so stay tuned!

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Google Nexus 5 now official!

Everyone probably saw it coming as it’s one of Google’s worst kept secrets. The Nexus 5 made by LG now makes it to the limelight, packing a 5-inch 1080p IPS display, a 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 CPU with Adreno 330 graphics and Android 4.4 KitKat.

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If you would notice, the phone packs very similar internals to the LG G2. This one however inherits the design language of the 2013 Nexus 7, drops the 13 megapixel camera & 3,000mAh battery for an 8 megapixel kind & a lower 2,300mAh capacity and gets the latest version of Android, 4.4 KitKat. It’s smaller too; at 5-inches, it’s more compact than the G2 & almost at par with its 4.7-inch predecessor Nexus 4.

Google LG Nexus 5 specs:
4.95-inch Tru-HD IPS+ LCD display @ 1080×1920 , 445pi
Gorilla Glass 3
Qualcomm MSM8974 Snapdragon 800 2.3GHz quad-core
Adreno 330 GPU
2GB RAM
16GB, 32GB internal storage
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 4.0 LE
GPS w/ aGPS support
NFC
HSPA+, 4G LTE
8 megapixel camera with LED flash, OIS
Full HD 1080p video recording
1.2Mp w/ front-facing camera
Android 4.4 KitKat
Li-Ion 2,300mAh battery
130g (weight)
137.8 mm x 69.2mm x 8.6mm (dimensions)

The phone will be available in 16 & 32GB (white / black) variants which will be priced at $349 & $399 (around Php15-17k converted) respectively in the Google Play Store.

Sadly, the Play Store isn’t available yet in the Philippines and we’ll have to wait for LG to bring it here. Last time, retail stores sold the Nexus 4 at a higher price of around Php24k. Anyway, we’ll just have to wait for more info on local availability.

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