Android Fan Network » Kenny Guilfou

Rhino Shield Screen Protector for the Sony Xperia Z1 Giveaway

Kenny Guilfou — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 21:37:26 +0000

We’ve got a cool giveaway for you guys this week here at AFN. Evolutive Labs has graciously provided a free Rhino Shield for the Sony Xperia Z1 to AFN for us to give away! Isn’t that awesome?! I’ve been using their screen protector on my personal Z1 since day 1. There’s nothing quite like it. It’s a tough screen protector that can stand up to the worst kinds of hits and scrapes. My Z1 is still in pretty great shape to this day thanks to the protection of the Rhino Shield.

The giveaway is for an unopened front and back screen protector for the Sony Xperia Z1 (C6902/C6903/C6906/C6943). This will not line up properly on the T-Mobile Sony Xperia Z1S. If you haven’t seen their product demonstration on YouTube yet, check it out below. Yes, the video is real, and I can attest to its strength personally on my own device. Neither I nor AFN are being paid for saying this. I just really love this product.

Giveaway Rules

1. Enter by commenting on the giveaway post on Google+, then reshare it.

2. You have until 11:59 PM CST on Friday (6/13/2014) to enter.

3. The winner will be announced on Saturday (6/14/2014).

4. You have 48 hours to claim your prize, or we’ll pick a new winner.

5. This prize is valued at $30 USD.

Circle and +1 us for more cool stuff! The winner will be announced below and on Google+.

Winner:

This could have been YOU!

I guess we’ll try again some other time.

Image Credits: nexus5accessories

About Kenny Guilfou

Kenny is a tech enthusiast and self-proclaimed grammar-Nazi. He enjoys constantly changing the look of his mobile device as well as berating others for their misuse of participles. His current favorite phone is the Xperia Z1, because he's a bit of a Sony fanboy.

The post Rhino Shield Screen Protector for the Sony Xperia Z1 Giveaway appeared first on Android Fan Network.

Harry Styles Called; He Wants His Fanboys Back

Kenny Guilfou — Sat, 03 May 2014 19:09:25 +0000

For those who may follow my mostly sparse writing, you’ll know that I very much enjoy playing devil’s advocate. It’s not about getting page views or clicks for me. Most people have a tendency to hop on a bandwagon and ride that sucker down the road with all of their friends. I prefer thinking critically about a controversial topic and forming my own thoughts and opinions about it. Avoiding fanboy-ism is my main goal in all cases.

Today’s topic is about the recent verdict in the Apple/Samsung case in which Apple was awarded substantially more mulah than Sammy in the end. I’ve been reading comments and reports all morning, and most Android fans are crying foul in one way or another. Why should Apple get so much in damages; I don’t think their phones look like iPhones at all! Well, guess what? It’s not up to you.

First off, if you haven’t heard the news yet, here’s a run down of it. Apple and Samsung have been in court for quite some time now. This recent judgement was over five Apple patents and two Samsung patents that each said the other infringed upon. Apple claimed that Samsung infringed on five of its patents this time around. The patents in question are listed below for easy reference.

Phones in question this time were: Admire, Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy S II, Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch, Galaxy S II Skyrocket, Galaxy S3, Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, and Stratosphere.

1. Patent #5,946,647

This patent covers a function on your device which allows one app to open another one through a single click. An example would be clicking a phone number in a text message to dial that number in the dialer app.

2. Patent #6,847,959

This patent is for what we know as universal search. This is where you type a word or two into the search bar, and you get results for contacts, apps, and other things on your phone delivered in addition to regular web results. You don’t have to tell the search app to specifically search for a particular app or contact. It lists everything it finds for you.

3. Patent #7,761,414

This patent is for syncing data in the background. Anything is consuming data but isn’t being actively used or looked at as the foreground, opened app is using background data. An example of this is when you’re looking at a webpage in your mobile browser, and you get an e-mail notification in the status bar. The e-mail was synced to your phone in the background as background data.

4. Patent #8,046,721

This patent is Apple’s famous “slide to unlock” lockscreen, where a simple swipe across the screen unlocks the display for use.

5. Patent #8,074,172

This patent covers word suggestion and autocomplete technology. This is where your keyboard suggests to you how to spell a certain word, or predicts the next word you might type.

Samsung also had a pair of patents it was going after from Apple. Those are listed below, again for easy reference. The phones listed in this case were all iPhones up to and including the iPhone 5.

1. Patent #5,579,239

This patent covers streaming video files over a network to a remote device. Think of it as a mid-90s example of video calling over a cellular network or e-mailing/texting a cat video to your friends.

2. Patent #6,226,449

This patent covers organization techniques in the camera and photo gallery. It’s basically a sorting system for pictures which can show you the number of pictures and videos you have in the app.

Great, now you know what was being argued. What does this mean to you? It means it has nothing to do with which device looked like the other one. This was about technology patents. Period. The judge and jury were not in Apple’s pocket. They assessed damages based on the evidence presented.

Ultimately, neither side got a full victory. Apple was awarded damages on patents #5,946,647, 8,046,721, and 8,074,172. The jury found that all Samsung devices infringed on patent #5,946,647 (clicking a link in an app to open in another), while only some Samsung devices infringes on patent #8,046,721 (slide to unlock). Judge Lucy Koh had already issued a summary judgement in January for patent #8,074,172 (autocomplete), so that one held through this case.

Samsung got a small victory when Apple was found to have infringed patent #6,226,449 (photo sorting) on the iPhone 4 and 5.

Apple was asked to pay Samsung $158,400 for its infringement. Samsung was hit with a whopping $119,625,000 bill for its wrong-doing in this case. The amount Apple was awarded was trimmed down to $119,466,600 to subtract its loss from the total.

Why is this a big deal now? It isn’t… at least not in the way a lot of Android and Apple fans are making it. The jury was asked to do a few things during their deliberations. They were supposed to figure out if each device on both sides infringed upon any of the patents brought forth, figure out damages for each device, then total it up. That’s exactly what they did over the three day deliberation process.

Judge Koh has shown herself to be more than fair in the trials so far on both sides. If you’re going to be a fanboy, at least look at all the facts on the table. This wasn’t a case to prove that someone had an easy to figure out patent. This wasn’t a case about how our patent system is broken, even though it is. This was a case about one company using ideas from another and making money on it. That’s all. Samsung used some of Apple’s ideas and made a phone with it. Apple used one of Samsung’s ideas and made a phone with it. It doesn’t matter who is on which side of the table or who has a record of being a bit of a troll in the patent world. It’s a single case, and it was handled fairly.

Samsung has to pay a higher amount because they infringed more patents with more devices. That’s why the numbers favor Apple. The judge didn’t rule that Samsung should pay that amount because she wants Apple to invent the phablet next year. She ordered it because that’s what the law states it should be. Yes, the laws need to change, but that isn’t the point. The point is that getting all bent out of shape over something like this is not the best way to represent your camp.You end up making yourself and your team (Edward) look like fools because you can’t keep it together for a few minutes.

Sure, I’m no big fan of Apple, but I’m also not a big Samsung fan either. Even if this was Sony (my current favorite OEM) battling Apple, I’m not going to lose my bananas over it. Look at the facts of this one case on its own. Apple owns some (to me) rather obvious patents, but the fact remains that they own them, so others need permission to use them. If you don’t have permission, you can’t use them. You can always try to invalidate them as being too obvious in court, but that’s a story for another time.

Just stay sane about this and the inevitable next case down the line. If you’re a Samsung fan, help them out by continuing to buy their devices. If you love Apple phones, then do the same. Just try not to go crazy the next time this happens, because we all know it will. Don’t forget that just because your smartphone OEM of choice is in the middle of this, it doesn’t mean they’re innocent just because you like them. Don’t be iSheep and Fandroids. Just be a reasonable tech enthusiast with an open mind. There’s plenty enough room for more than one ecosystem to exist.

Image Credits: Alexandre Porfirio

About Kenny Guilfou

The post Harry Styles Called; He Wants His Fanboys Back appeared first on Android Fan Network.

10 Things to do with Your Android Phone

Kenny Guilfou — Sat, 26 Apr 2014 01:01:02 +0000

Other Than Smashing It to Bits Like an Idiot

Why it’s really stupid to smash a phone with the battery still in it.

I’m pretty livid about the announcement from OnePlus about smashing up your phone in order to win a contest for another phone. Their list of phones are all flagships from the last 18 months or so. First of all, nearly every phone on that list is valued higher than the OnePlus One ($300) that people are trying to win. Secondly, this contest is set up to create quite a lot of needless electronic waste. Thirdly, the action of smashing most of these phones is downright dangerous as a lot of the phones listed do not have removable batteries.

Pro Tip: Don’t smash, drill, crush, bite, or otherwise purposely maim a sealed lithium ion battery. The chemicals inside the battery are hazardous to your health and possibly deadly.

Instead of participating in this terrible contest, I encourage you to find a better use for your phone than tossing it into a wood chipper. I’m going to provide you with 10 different things you can do with your phone that are considerably better than curb stomping it on camera.

1. Donate it to a good cause

Cell Phones for Soldiers is a great non-profit organization that will get your donated phone to a soldier in need. They include free international calling for the soldier for free. They will even pay for your postage.

I’m a former Army soldier, and I can tell you first hand that soldiers of any branch do not make much money. Seriously, after factoring in the normal hours soldiers keep into an hourly wage, they make about 2/3 of the US minimum wage. Active duty soldiers keep long hours and have a relatively low salary for the dangerous job they have. I’ve been discharged for 4 years now, and over half the guys I served with could not afford a cell phone along with their other regular expenses.

If you have another charitable organization to donate to, that’s perfectly fine as well. This is just one organization close to my life, so it’s been used here in my example.

2. Recycle it

Lots of tech stores, such as Best Buy and Office Depot have bins available to drop off your old electronics for recycling. This gets those hazardous materials out of our landfills and keeps the silicon in production for generations to come. This is your greenest solution, for those into the green Earth movement.

3. Donate that extra processing power to Science!

This one is cool and simple. Download either BOINC or HTC’s Power to Give from the Play Store. Both are completely free. Open the app and choose the project or projects you want to support. The apps will then use your device’s free resources to help calculate problems for those projects you selected. You’re actively contributing to a worthy cause you believe in as long as your phone maintains a charge and an active internet connection.

4. Sell it for profit

Swappa, Craigslist, eBay, your brother’s dumb friend. All of these options will net you a profit on your smartphone vs putting a bullet in it. Use that extra cash to fund your next phone, take your spouse out for a night on the town, or take a day off and go fishing.

5. Set up a surveillance camera

Kids and coworkers suck. Download IP Webcam from the Play Store, and turn your phone into an Internet enabled webcam. The setup is very easy to do. All you need is a few minutes and you’re up and running.

6. Use it as a kid’s entertainment toy

Grab an Otterbox case for your phone, load it up with kids’ games, and hand it over to your kid for some “you time.” Android 4.3 and 4.4 have profiles built right into the phone, allowing you to set your kid up with their own profile limiting their app choices and other things. There are a few launchers available on the Play Store that can help turn your phone into something worthy of Star Trek’s nursery.

7. Use it as an e-reader

Keep it on your nightstand and use it for some late night reading. Amazon’s Kindle app or the Kobo e-reader app are both great for getting a few chapters in before snoozing.

8. Use it as a digital picture frame

A dock or case with a kickstand along with a free app called Dayframe can transform that phone you were about to saw in half into an elegant digital picture frame.

9. Dedicated MP3 player

Maybe you want to get a new device this year and can’t afford one with expandable storage, or enough onboard storage. Turn your old phone into a dedicated music player with the help of Google Play Music, or your favorite music app (mine is PowerAmp). Take your old phone jogging with you, leave it in the car with an auxiliary cable, or just tie it into your home amplifier.

10. Keep it in a drawer as a backup

One day you’re going to sit your big butt on your new phone and crack the screen. What’s your plan B for that inevitable day? How about a really cool phone to hold you over until your insurance sends you a replacement?

Guys, the bottom line here is that it’s really, really stupid to destroy your phone for the OnePlus One. There are so many other great things you can do with your phone that won’t make you look like a giant vaginal cleaning aide. Please consider these or your own options before making your choice.

Image Credits: Discounted Drug Stores

About Kenny Guilfou

The post 10 Things to do with Your Android Phone appeared first on Android Fan Network.

Xperia Z1 or Z1S – There can be only one!

Kenny Guilfou — Mon, 24 Mar 2014 15:00:47 +0000

We’ve seen a ton of great quality mobile handsets this past year. Samsung wowed everyone with the S4 and Note 3. HTC brought their A-game with the One series. Nokia blew the doors off with this year’s Lumia line. Apple turned the mobile space upside down with the new iPhones. Even RIM stepped it up with their BB10 devices. What is there to expect of Sony after showing off their beautiful Z line early last year? The answer to that is, of course, the stunning Xperia Z1 and Z1S.

Technically, they sport the same internals, with some modifications that are noticeable on the outside of the device. I currently own both devices, so I thought I’d give you guys a look and see which one might be better for you to use on T-Mobile’s network. T-Mobile currently sells the Z1S model (C6916) for $600. It’s pretty easy to get the Z1 (C6903) for about $100 less than that imported and shipped to your door. We’re going to look into the differences between the models and see if it’s worth paying the premium for the branded T-Mobile model.

Specs

5-inch 1920×1080 LCD display w/ Triluminos imaging
2.3Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 SoC w/ Adreno 330 GPU
2GB RAM
SD support for 128GB microSD cards
20.7MP rear sensor (1/2.3 inches) w/ BIONZ processor + f/2.0 G Lens
2MP front-facing sensor
IP58 certified: Dustproof, water resistant up to 1m for 30min
WiFi (a/b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth 4.0 LE, A-GPS, NFC
1080p video capture
144 x 74 x 8.5 mm
170 grams

Z1S:

Android 4.3 Jellybean
32GB internal storage
2G Network – GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network – HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100
4G Network – LTE 700 MHz Class 13 / 1700 / 2100

Z1:

Android 4.4.2 Jellybean
16GB internal storage
2G Network – GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network – HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100
4G Network – LTE 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1800 / 1900 / 2100 / 2600

Build

The new Xperia line stands tall on the shoulders of its predecessor, the Xperia Z. It uses the same 5” 1080 x 1920 display, the same aluminum and glass construction, and the same internal storage on both the Z1 and Z1S, but with a 32GB storage upgrade on the Z1S. That’s pretty much where the similarities end, however. The newer siblings are thinner, but also a bit larger (taller and wider) and heavier than the original Z at about 170 grams. While these sound like drawbacks, they are anything but that. The added bulk allows for more rounded corners providing a more comfortable grip. This alone is a huge improvement in design, as the thicker profile also allows Sony to pack in an amazing camera sensor and a whopping 3,000mAh battery, while the Omnibalance design of the phone keeps the weight evenly distributed in your hand.

Speaking of design, the Z1 features a rigid, one-piece aluminum frame that blends perfectly into the phone’s character. It is largely unnoticeable and understated, save for the carefully crafted power button. The Z1S uses a plastic frame around the entire device to improve signal strength. The plastic frame is painted to look like metal, but ends up looking unnaturally glossy. It probably wouldn’t stand out as much if not for the retention of the aluminum power button. The volume rocker on both devices flows with the frame right on down into the dedicated, two-stage camera button, providing a subtle hint of this handset’s true focus.

Sony has cleverly integrated the port covers into the design of the phone. Above the power button is the microSIM slot. Right next to the microSIM slot, still inside the same cover rests a small, red reset button, which will help if the phone ever becomes frozen or stuck somewhere. The opposite side houses a cover for a microSD slot, which support up to 128GB with the exFAT format or 64GB FAT32/exFAT format. Next to that is a cover for a standard microUSB port with MHL support for hooking up a second wired display. In the middle of that side sits an indention for the magnetic charger. This is the only place where Sony has broken their otherwise flawless lines in the design. This should have either been pogo pins like the Xperia Z or somehow had the charge port flush with the side. The microSD and microUSB covers are reversed between the Z1 and Z1S, with the microSD port closer towards the top of the Z1, and the microUSB port taking its place on the Z1S. The covers over these ports are all aluminum on the Z1, and all plastic on the Z1S. They open from the outside on the Z1, while the Z1S hinges the port covers in the center.

The front display is protected by scratch resistant Gorilla Glass 3 covered up by a factory installed screen shatter-protector. The rear glass panel is a shatterproof Dragontrail glass also with a screen shatter-protector pre-installed. On the Z1, this style of aluminum frame with glass front and back panels reminds me of the radical styling on the iPhone 4S, although the Z1 manages to have its own very unique style and appearance. However, this common ground between Apple and Sony conveys a strong sense of both quality and prestige. The plastic frame around the Z1S ends up looking rather silly with the glossy finish to it.

A large factor in setting the Z1 and Z1S apart from any who dare to challenge them, is the element protection built-in. They are waterproof and dust proof to IP55/IP58 ratings meaning the duo is resistant to dust ingress, water jets, and being submersed in water for 30 minutes. The uncovered headphone jacks on the top left of the Z1 and slightly off centered on the Z1S are able to be filled with water without shorting out anything inside the phone thanks to a micro-coating of the port with water proofing material. There have only been a handful of Android devices through the years to offer such rigid protection, yet all have had to sacrifice the overall design in order to achieve such a feat. Sony does the user a service here by taking their mind off the impending danger of a light drizzle, or even a spill into the swimming pool, which plagues most other smartphones.

The Xperia Z1 is available to order in one of three colors: black, white, and purple, while the Z1S is available only in black. The black color is very subtle, allowing you to blend into the sea of other phone owners without raising eyebrows in your direction. The white pops out at you, gleaming in sunlight, begging for attention. Then there’s the purple. Sony’s royal color has an air of elegance in every corner, line, and detail. It feels exciting and subdued all at the same time. It’s a color that this phone was meant to have and commands attention. Even Sony themselves said that the purple they used was a combination of red, which is warm and reassuring and blue, which is exciting. Whatever. The purple Z1 is gorgeous; that’s all you need to know. T-Mobile decided not to take any color chances with the Z1S and stuck with the decent-looking black color.

Display

Like the previous Xperia Z, the Z1 and Z1S are built around a 5” 1080 x 1920 resolution display, coming in at a whopping 441 ppi. Sony has done a good job at improving the display technology all around, since the Xperia Z got lower marks and was generally underwhelming with generally washed out colors, and blacks that were just a touch below gray. The improvements to the display are immediately obvious on the Z1 brothers.

The main difference from the original Z’s display is that Sony switched to a proprietary Triluminos panel adapted from the calibration technology in their Bravia line of televisions. This improves the color range significantly on the newer Z1 pair compared to their predecessor. Even with this technology the Z1 and Z1S displays do not beat out the other competitors on the market.

The viewing angles are really the only place where the display suffers. Whites are crisp and accurate; blacks are deep and harrowing, but if you tilt the phone more than about 40 degrees off-axis, you’re seeing an entirely different color space. In real world use, this in not an issue unless you’re trying to fit five people around the screen for a YouTube clip.

Sony has also baked in its X-Reality engine, which is supposed to selectively process each image on the screen and provide the sharpest, most color accurate image possible. It automatically adjusts the brightness, contrast, colors and sharpness on the fly. After watching a few movies with wide color gamuts, such as The Dark Knight, Super 8, and The Wizard of Oz, I found that Sony has really outdone themselves here. The intelligent upscaling improves the pixilation common in older movies, or those of a lower quality source rip. The low light conditions in The Dark Knight are excellent due to the reduction of noise and sharpened textures.

Bright sunlight isn’t a problem either with Sony’s OptiContrast technology which adjusts the screen contrast to better suit the image to the lighting conditions of the room or outdoor space. Sony uses Direct Touch technology to incorporate the touch sensor into the lens layer, which greatly increases the responsiveness of touches. The display is miles ahead of the Galaxy S4’s AMOLED display and just a bit under the IPS display on the iPhone 5S. The natural color tone of movies and images look amazing, but viewing angles leave a bit to be desired.

Camera

Here we are at the meat and potatoes of the whole handset. The camera found in the Z1 and Z1S is the biggest advance they offer. Most Android smartphones of this generation are using 8MP to 13 MP shooters, except for HTC, who’ve opted for fewer, bigger pixels. Sony steps it up here with its 20.7MP camera. This means the only phone that packs in more pixels is the Nokia Lumia 1020 with 41MP, but at the expense of a thicker package and camera protrusion on the rear.

Competition aside, Sony has worked diligently to make the sensor and aspherical lens array that goes with it. As a result, we get a powerful camera that is not only fast and incredibly responsive, but one that delivers excellent results to boot. The camera module benefits from Sony’s vast experience in high quality sensors, which have even been included in recent iPhones. The both Z1 and Z1S have a 1/2.3″ 20.7-megapixel Exmor RS sensor with ISO 6400 sensitivity and are paired with a 27mm wide Sony G-Lens and a large f2.0 aperture.

Sony’s BIONZ mobile image processing engine is what powers the camera’s backend. It’s able to shoot both HDR photos and video along with a burst mode able to capture 61 frames in only 2 seconds. The default camera setting is called Superior Auto, and delivers 16:9 stills at 8MP quality. The advantage to this is that you can zoom in for up to 3 x magnification before the camera can no longer snap a full 8MP image. Switch to manual mode to take a full 20MP shot in 4:3. Superior Auto mode intelligently sets the optimal picture settings through a smart scene recognition.

The Xperia Z1 and Z1S bring out the best in normal lighting conditions, particularly where contrasting colors are present. Low light conditions are very go0d as well, taking full advantage of that large aperture and sucking in all available light. It has a single LED flash under the camera. The dual flash of the iPhone 5S bests the Z1 and Z1S when it comes to natural flash lighting, though not by much.

Sony has done a remarkable job at improving the market of smartphone cameras. It captures full HD video at 30fps, stabilizes your video while you shoot it, and offers a wide range of options for tweaking and customizing your experience. There are a few other camera modes to mess with, such as Info-Eye, which allows you to take a picture of an object and pull up relevant information about it (similar to Google Goggles). There’s a nifty little augmented reality camera mode, where you can have your pets get chased by dinosaurs and even a Social mode to see what everyone else is snapping shots of. Sony even threw in a setting exclusive to the Z1S that can blur out the background behind a photographed subject. All around, the camera is what makes this phone stand out. You don’t need to be a genius to take a great shot on these phones. The Z1 and Z1S are built with the enthusiast and the uninformed at heart and handles both like a dream.

I’m not a guru when it comes to photography, but I know just enough to be dangerous. I’d suggest reading more about the camera from more knowledgeable reviews than this one. While I can give some pointers to achieving an excellent shot 90% of the time, I honestly prefer to stay on the Superior Auto setting, as it does its job very well.

Performance and Battery

What can I really say here? Sony packs in all the modern hardware you’d expect of their newest flagship. Sony decided to use the next-gen 2.2GHz Snapdragon 800 (with 2GB of RAM) chip to its full potential. Since Sony doesn’t tune its chips to cheat benchmarks, you can see that it has end users in mind, and this fact shows through in the fluidity of the experience. There is no lag on this handset. Period. I’ve tried my best to create it. Opening every single floating window, using a floating video player with multiple instances, and running video and benchmarks at the same time. The Z1 and Z1S will power through all of it effortlessly.

Battery life is excellent. If you go with the Z1 or Z1S, they last just under the marks my old Note 2, coming in at a very respectable 22 hours of moderate use with 5 hours of screen time. Disabling some of the pre-loaded apps, like Facebook, helps out substantially. It’s not difficult to make it all day without hunting for a charger. The built-in Stamina mode can really save your bacon when the battery starts dropping by disabling background data while the screen is off.

Conclusion

Of the pair, I believe the Z1 is the better device for several reasons, though I give credit to the Z1S where it is due. Sony and T-Mobile made a big sacrifice in the design choice to use a plastic frame over a metal one, though it does vastly improve signal reception on all radios. The choice to swap the positions of the micro-USB and micro-SD ports was an odd one, but not design breaking. Moving the headphone jack on the Z1S to a slightly right off centered position is just plain weird. It looks like they wanted it centered but couldn’t manage to get it done. Lastly, the choice to move the LED notification light from behind the top speaker grill is not attractive at all. The Z1 had the front camera on the top right of the phone, with the sensors on the left. The Z1 moves the front camera to the left with the sensors on the right. The LED notification light is now on the top right next to the sensors on the Z1S. It is not an elegant placement and looks like a small pinhole of a light. Furthermore, with the light active, you may see a different color depending on the angle you look at it.

The Z1 in purple is really an amazing device. It is stylish, regal, and powerful in use as well as design. Sony shows its hand in design and uses its vast knowledge in other electronics fields to assist in crafting a stunning device that really captures your attention. With the Z1S, they haven’t thrown it all out the window, but the sacrifices made show through easily in the changed design language where the carrier choices obviously were the deciding factor in several instances. Sure, you get 32GB of internal storage and vastly improved signal quality, but it is at the expense of the nature of the Z1 at its core.

About Kenny Guilfou

The post Xperia Z1 or Z1S – There can be only one! appeared first on Android Fan Network.

Sony Releases KitKat Update for Xperia Z1, Z Ultra, and Z1 Compact

Kenny Guilfou — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 01:26:03 +0000

Great news for Sony fans, such as myself! Sony has just released the KitKat update for the Xperia Z Ultra, Z1, and Z1 Compact. The update brings a lot of goodies to the table, though you shouldn’t hold your breath for the announced Z2 features.

I’ve flashed my Z1 back to stock in order to take the update this morning, and I’ve been using it all day long. It’s an excellent build, with better response in some critical areas, like the recent apps screen, which previously saw some lag in the last build. The Z1 does not appear to heat up as much as it used to, so I can only imagine some better thermal control has been implemented as well. A full changelog from Xperia Blog is provided below.

Keep in mind that you’re going to lose global write permissions for your SD card. That can be fixed easily with a market app and root access, however.

Sony Xperia Z1 Android 4.4.2 KitKat changelog (14.3.A.0.681)

– Updated Camera application and overall tuning to improve the camera experience
– New camera resolution setting at 15.5MP in 16:9 ratio
– Enhanced email app
– A tweaked Status Bar and Quick Settings – More intuitive and customisable
– The same launch animation and live wallpaper as the Sony PlayStation 4 adapted across the lock and home screens
– Sony’s native app portfolio will be updated to the latest versions. This includes Messaging, MyXperia, Smart Connect, Small apps, TrackID, TrackID TV, Sony Select and Smart Social Camera
– Updated Media apps including WALKMAN, Album and Movies. Better Sony Entertainment Network & PlayMemories integration with a more intuitive UI and faster download speeds
– Stability, performance & battery improvements
– Answering machine option added in Call menu
– “Take screenshot” option returns in Power off menu
– Default SMS app can be switched to Hangouts
– Battery icon changed
– Switch between Notifications and Quick Settings from the drop down menu
– Touch block Small app included
– Calendar app updated
– Transparent status bar
– “Picture effect” camera app renamed to “Creative effect”
– New Printing option in settings
– New package of Xperia Themes

Took the update? What did you think about it? Need help getting it set up? Let me know in the comments.

Source: Xperia Blog

Image Credits: The Nerd Mag

About Kenny Guilfou

The post Sony Releases KitKat Update for Xperia Z1, Z Ultra, and Z1 Compact appeared first on Android Fan Network.

Review: Power Jacket for Sony Xperia Z1

Kenny Guilfou — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 16:00:37 +0000

Hey guys! This is a quick review of the Sony Xperia Z1 Power Jacket battery case, courtesy of Brando Workshop.

If you’ve got a Z1, you know that the battery life isn’t stellar considering its size (3000mAh). You either need to make sure to charge it every evening, carry around a charge cable and hope to be near a plug, or have an external battery pack on hand. I’ve been there a few times. This is where the Power Jacket comes in.

Essentially, it’s a slim case for your Z1. It offers back and side protection. It’s got a cutout for the camera, and a handy little kick stand. The shining feature, though, is the built-in 3200mAh battery pack. It offers a bit of protection and extra juice in a very slim and comfortable case design.

The Power Jacket charges the Z1 via the magnetic charge port on the side. The case itself charges via a micro USB port on the bottom. It slides on the Z1 quite easily and covers up the micro SIM and microSD slot covers. The case is simple enough to get on and off for this not to be an issue. It has a rubbery finish on the back, and a soft, felt material lining the inside.

Overall, the case performs well for the price. I would have liked to have seen some top and bottom protection, considering this is a case. It also would have been great if the battery in the Power Jacket was larger as it doesn’t give out a full charge to the Z1, even though the case battery is higher rated. I do like that I can stop and start the charge by pressing the button on the rear of the Power Jacket, though.

Check out this full video review for a hands on experience.

Order yours today!

Image Credits: Shop Brando

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Sony Flagships Getting Some Pre-Valentine’s Day Lovin’

Kenny Guilfou — Fri, 07 Feb 2014 17:55:11 +0000

The CyanogenMod Team announced via Google Plus early this morning that several recent Sony devices were finally getting nightlies of CM11. The Xperia Z1 (honami), Z Ultra (togari), and Z Ultra GPE ( togari_gpe) all now have the last of the major bugs squashed thanks to the tireless developers and can now begin seeing official support from the CM team.

The G+ post goes on to say that you shouldn’t mix up the Google Play Edition and Sony versions of the Z Ultra. I know from experience that you’re going to need one extra file if you’re using the non-LTE version (C6902) of the Z1 for radio-specific bits. This extra zip can be found in the CM11 Z1 thread over on XDA.

If you’re ready to get flashing, head on over to get.cm page for the Sony Xperia Z1, Sony Xperia Z Ultra, or Sony Xperia Z Ultra GPE. Download the ROM for your device, flash it in recovery along with the correct Android 4.4 gapps, and reboot into CM bliss! Please remember that you’ll need your bootloader unlocked in order to flash this ROM, as it requires a custom kernel. Z1 users, make sure you’ve updated your stock ROM to 4.3 BEFORE attempting to unlock the bootloader.

Source: CyanogenMod Google Plus

Image Credits: Android Headlines

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Carbon ROM KitKat Nightlies Begin Rolling out Today!

Kenny Guilfou — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 21:54:38 +0000

Great news for Carbon ROM fans, like me. Today is the day we’ve been patiently waiting for! Carbon ROM is now rolling out their first set of official KitKat nightly builds for a ton of devices. The developers decided to begin on the one year anniversary of Carbon ROM’s creation.

The revamped website to organize all the goodies is now online and serving up fresh, KitKat flavored, Carbon just for you. There’s a new downloader app in the Google Play Store that will remove the team’s dependence on Goo.im and their remarkably unstable service as of late. There’s a Gerrit up now just for Carbon ROM as well. There’s a new logo for the team and a better nightly updater. Overall, the team says that it’s been a busier two month hiatus than it seems on the surface.

So if you’re ready to get your flash on, just open up the Carbon Downloader app, and grab the ROM.zip for your device. If it isn’t available right now, check back later, as some devices may still be building, or there may not be a maintainer for your device. Make sure you do a full wipe (factory reset) before flashing the new nightlies to avoid any potential issues. If you plan to restore data, make sure you aren’t restoring any system data. User apps and their respective data should be fine to restore. Flash the ROM and KitKat Gapps, and enjoy your awesome new ROM!

If you need help or have a question, Carbon ROM has an awesome G+ Community and an IRC Channel (#teamcarbon), both of which yours truly is a part of. Let me know what you think about Carbon ROM in the comments below!

Source: Carbon ROM

About Kenny Guilfou

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The Day Everyone Lost Their Minds: A Googlerola Tale

Kenny Guilfou — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 05:00:54 +0000

Wow. Just wow. It’s insane to think how in just a few short hours, the entire Android community collectively crapped its pants. Over what? No more Nexus devices? Motorola is being sold to Lenovo? A unicorn just stabbed a hole in Eric Schmidt’s tire?

Do you guys remember when the first Google Play Edition devices hit the Play Store? People freaked out about that too. The Nexus line was coming to an end. Then what happened? The Nexus 5 dropped. Oh yea…

Remember when Google bought Motorola Mobility from Motorola? Googlerola was born and the Android community cried foul play, thinking that this would be unfair to the other OEMs who were now competing against a Google-owned company. Remember what happened then? Dennis Woodside turned blue in his face yelling at everyone that they weren’t getting special treatment. Oh yea…

Now, here we are today, seemingly devoid of the information we already know. My how time flies, eh? Let’s just try to remain calm for a minute here and think this one through.

First off, Motorola has been operating independently of Google since they were acquired in 2012. It was actually a condition of the buyout. Google owning them didn’t change the company. They simply had the resources to go about their business and make a device that they actually dreamed up. Did you forget that the Moto X was a 100% Motorola creation? Google didn’t tell them to make it. They simply had the freedom to actually do it. That’s what Google did to help them. Nothing. They just stayed out-of-the-way.

What about updates? Now, while I want to just scream about this one from the mountaintops, I realize that some people honestly just don’t get this one. See, without having to work a custom skin and tons of extras into the framework, like Samsung and HTC, there’s not much preventing them from timely updates. All the additional stuff in the Moto X ROMs are apps, not tweaks and extras that require extensive remodeling of the Android core. So, what did Google do here that helped the Moto X get to KitKat so quickly? Nothing. Yup, they just left them alone to do their own thing… again.

So what can we gather from this? For starters, consider that Lenovo is the fifth ranked OEM in worldwide market shares. They aren’t some fly by night start-up that just got funding on Kickstarter, like a lot of people make them seem. They know what they’re doing, and they’re doing it very well. Google is sending Motorola off into good hands.

Remember what else Google acquired in 2012 when they bought Motorola? A gigantic freaking portfolio of patents. Do you know what’s not being sold to Lenovo? If you guessed a gigantic freaking portfolio of patents, then pat yourself on the back. So, yea… that’s staying put.

Another thing that people have failed to take into account is the fact that Motorola has been hemorrhaging money ever since Google bought them. Motorola was operating at a loss of $248 million last quarter alone. This was an increase over the same quarter the year before. Google couldn’t save them. Hell, it barely was able to handle its own Nexus 4 and 5 launches, both of which could be called laughable at best.

What else is there? Oh right. You know that crazy division of Motorola that thinks up all the wild ideas like digital tattoos, authentication pills, and, oh yea, Project Ara? Well, that’s staying behind at Google HQ. Try not to lose sleep over it.

Here’s the short version: So long as Lenovo takes the same approach with Motorola Mobility, the updates shouldn’t be hindered in any way. Lenovo is a very reputable brand, with a very strong Chinese and global presence. Even if they do hinder things, the only thing that’s going to change is pretty much nothing. The Moto X in your hand is still a 100% Motorola device. The creation of it is not affected with the transfer of ownership. Please move on with life, and try to keep an open mind.

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Sony Finally Announces a Tablet Attachment for Its Lens-Style QX Cameras

Kenny Guilfou — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 01:30:07 +0000

Sony is set to launch its SPA-TA1 tablet attachment for its DSC-QX10 and DSC-QX100 lens-style cameras at the beginning of April. This attachment allows Xperia Z Ultra owners and Xperia Tablet Z owners to finally affix the lens to their devices. Before this, the lens shipped with an attachment to fit phones up to 2.95″ in width, leaving the aforementioned devices out in the cold.

This new attachment is meant to give owners of 3.35-7.48″ width devices a bit of relief from holding the lens separately. The arms come in six different sizes in that range to fit a variety of different devices. It is set to be priced at ¥3,675, or a bit under $36. Hopefully this makes its way across the ocean for the US camera enthusiasts (and fanboys) over here!

Source: Xperia Blog

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