Smartphones and Philippine Elections

Some people like Android, some people like iOS, and heck, some people like Windows & BlackBerry or their feature phone over a newer flagship smartphone. Sure, hardware specs and software design can make one phone better than the other, but at the end of the day, no single smartphone is perfect. It will always have its flaws and room for improvement, while the others may have it well and lack in some other parts.

smartphones

I stick to Android, and I have never stuck with an iOS device for more than a month as I cannot do away with the Apple system in general. I like how I am able to manage my files in Android; I like its Google-centric experience – but this doesn’t mean that iOS users are doing it the wrong way. In fact, it’s fine to like iOS over Android.

Android isn’t perfect either. Software updates significantly arrive slower than iOS, and there’s a lot more to count if we’re doing a heavy comparison here, but that’s not the point – iOS has a lot of flaws too, and other OSes have more flaws or less flaws depending on which you check out.

But the market is full of people with varying needs, and someone has to pick something. At the end of the day, it’s the bigger picture that moves the industry forward:

“What will people buy? Let’s do that.”

I think it’s very similar to real world politics if you look at it that way. We don’t have a perfect candidate for president; they all have strengths, they all have flaws – and each and every one of us have something that we look for in a leader, and we have specific compromises that we are willing to take. Sure, like hardware and software, there will be factual advantages and wrongs with choosing a specific candidate to vote for, but if you see all of them very close, then I think it’s just fitting for us to respect the decision of someone else. After all, it’s the bigger picture that moves the country forward. It’s how democracy works.

“Who will people vote for? Let’s do that.”

Politics is dirty and it involves a lot of people fighting over power, so it’s safe to say politicians will do everything to make you buy into them. Companies will also do the same with marketing – but I think this is where the good news come in: In these circumstances, we’re all pushed to do our research – to look into society on what’s wrong and what’s right, and to look into ourselves on what do we really want and what do we really need. If nothing fits your taste, you can always just wait for the next big innovation to buy – or you can just abstain. After all, if nothing’s good in the market, why buy anyway? Without any demand, they’ll have to push something better out, right? It becomes our job to tell other people of factual rights and wrongs so that the industry would improve. So that our country would improve.

We don’t have to fight others just because they have different priorities and they didn’t choose the same compromises that you did. I didn’t lose friends because they picked iOS, and I won’t lose friends just because they’re voting or not voting for a specific leader. I just hope everyone keeps an open mind on facts and make the right decisions. Don’t let cognitive bias get to you.

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Marshmallow 6.0 is now on 4.6% of Android devices

Android fragmentation issue is not going anywhere as the new numbers from Google itself shows that it’s latest version has reached only a few devices so far.

android-distribution-april-2016

Android 6.0 Marshmallow has just 4.6% of share among other versions. Among those less than 5% are probably Nexus products, Android One smartphones, and some newer devices released in the market. Major manufacturers have also started to update some its phones and tablets to 6.0.1.

It’s been months since Google released this certain flavor of its operating system but, once again, OEMs and other involved parties are not swift enough to distribute it. Then again, with the vast Android devices out there, from cheap to expensive, it’s quite difficult to push a compatible update.

The big share still belongs to the infamous Lollipop version with a combined stats of 35.8%, while KitKat is running behind at 33.4%. Jelly Bean is still at large at 21.3%.

So, what’s your Android version at the moment?

Source

The post Marshmallow 6.0 is now on 4.6% of Android devices appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines News & Tech Reviews.

Marshmallow 6.0 is now on 4.6% of Android devices

Android fragmentation issue is not going anywhere as the new numbers from Google itself shows that it’s latest version has reached only a few devices so far.

android-distribution-april-2016

Android 6.0 Marshmallow has just 4.6% of share among other versions. Among those less than 5% are probably Nexus products, Android One smartphones, and some newer devices released in the market. Major manufacturers have also started to update some its phones and tablets to 6.0.1.

It’s been months since Google released this certain flavor of its operating system but, once again, OEMs and other involved parties are not swift enough to distribute it. Then again, with the vast Android devices out there, from cheap to expensive, it’s quite difficult to push a compatible update.

The big share still belongs to the infamous Lollipop version with a combined stats of 35.8%, while KitKat is running behind at 33.4%. Jelly Bean is still at large at 21.3%.

So, what’s your Android version at the moment?

Source

The post Marshmallow 6.0 is now on 4.6% of Android devices appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines News & Tech Reviews.

Lenovo and Google partner on new Project Tango smartphone

Lenovo has announced at the CES 2016 that it has partnered with Google development of the first consumer mobile device with Project Tango.

If you’re hearing Project Tango for the first time, it’s a Google platform introduced in 2014 that develops mobile 3D technology for smartphones or tablets. These mobile devices are have custom hardware with built-in sensors to aid in 3D mapping. In this case, Lenovo will develop the first OEM Project Tango-enabled smartphone.

Project Tango will open a new level of experience for smartphone users as app developers can transform your home into a game level, or create a magic window into virtual and augmented environments. One example is this game from Shcell Games which lets you play virtual Jenga on any surface with friends.

To support the growth of this ecosystem, Google and Lenovo are inviting developers from around the world to submit their ideas for gaming and utility apps created using Project Tango. They will pick the best ideas and provide funding and engineering support. Submission period closes on February 15, 2016.

source: Lenovo, Google

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Google deploys Star Wars themes across its apps

With the Star Wars: The Force Awakens movie just around the corner, Google has released Star Wars themes for its apps, letting you experience the Light Side or Dark Side of the Force.

Google’s dedicated Star Wars webpage, google.com/starwars, will let you choose which side to join using your account – Light or Dark.

Choosing either side will provide you a custom avatar and will transform your Google experience across its apps – Android Wear, Chrome, Chromecast, Gmail, Inbox by Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Maps, Google Now, Google Search, Google Translate, Waze, and YouTube.

Once you’ve chosen a side, it may take a few hours before it implements the theme across all supported apps. Functionality of the apps will remain the same though and you can switch sides anytime you like.

The Star Wars themes work across Android phones and tablets, iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows, and Chromebook. So if you’re interested you may give it a go via the link provided above.

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