text:
Reliance Jio's 4G speeds have gone down post launch, shows data from Speedtest app maker Ookla.
Reliance Jio's 4G speeds have gone down post launch but overall LTE coverage in India has increased, shows data from Speedtest app maker Ookla. A post on Medium by Isla McKetta part of Ookla team highlightshow Jio has grown in India since the 'Welcome offer' went live in September. Ookla is the company behind Speedtest app and website, which is regarded by many as the go to app for testing Internet speeds.
According to data from Ookla, they've seen a significant jump in the number of speed-tests being done on Jio 4G LTE network from January to September 2016. The map shared by Ookla shows the green dots rising slowly from January to July and then getting a sudden boost in August and September. This is also the period when Reliance Jio's preview offer was slowly being increased to more smartphones. In September it went live on all 4G enabled devices. The month of September has also seen a sudden jump in the number of Reliance Jio 4G users testing out speeds on the network, according to another data chart from Ookla. The data chart shows tests carried out by Jio 4G users are significantly higher than those carried out by other network users in India.
However, Speedtest's data also says that Reliance Jio's mean average speeds have been declining since it got more users on board. According to the data, speeds for "4G capable phones actually decreased 23% month-over-month from 11.31 Mbps to 8.77 Mbps, continuing a downward trend for 2016." The report also adds that Reliance Jio's claims of 135Mbps as average speed across the board is still a dream, and that even the "top 10% of tests averaged out at 17.77 Mbps in September." Note that this average is for the top ten per cent of the millions of tests that have been carried.
Ookla's numbers also show there is a big jump in the number of 4G LTE users, and the chart from August to September reflects this very clearly.
Also read: Reliance Jio 4G SIM: Terms and conditions you need to read
The gist from Ookla's data is this: A lot of Jio users are coming online to take speed-tests for their cellular network, and the number of 4G LTE users in India has risen. But the average speeds are declining since September and thus Reliance Jio hasn't kept up with momentum of the early speeds it was offering to those who had managed to get on the Preview offer.
In our own case, we've seen Reliance Jio's speeds come down drastically from what we got back in July or August. In the period before launch, our average speed was around 16-17Mbps download speeds for Jio SIM on a LYF phone, which was being used to power WiFi on other devices. But September has seen download speeds drop as low as 1.60 Mbps, and maxing out at 4Mbps in some cases.
Also Reliance Jio has put a cap on daily download limit to 4GB per user on the Welcome offer, after which the speed is further reduced by 128Kbps. These speeds are for Delhi and Noida. In Kochi, Kerala we got an upload speed of 1.25Mbps and an upload speed of 0.37Mbps, which is pretty terrible for a 4G LTE network.
Read more..


text:
URGENT MESSAGE FROM GABRIELLE MOORE: If you want your woman to LOVE receiving oral sex from you, watch this video!
Want To Heat Things Up?
Watch The Video Now!
Double-check your email address for accuracy to make sure you get instant access to this information.Our privacy settings keep your email address safe & secure.
How to irresistibly tease your partner with "mental" foreplay all day long so she can't wait to open herself up to being licked, nibbled and kissed to ecstasy.
(HINT: You don't even have to be together to do this but she'll be unbelievably wet and ready for you!)
The silent cue she'll give, automatically signaling she is ready for MORE--and how to read her like a book to give her everything she needs
(She'll think you're a sexy mind reader when you do this one thing!)
Become an orgasm detective by asking these three revealing questions. You'll quickly find out what she REALLY wants so you can always make her cum like gangbusters with oral sex
(This is hugely important to your cunnilingus success so DO this!)
How the different way men and women think could accidentally hold her
back from enjoying oral sex and the simple shift in YOUR thinking that
will unleash her inhibitions (Careful with this one you just may
end up with a tigress on your hands!)
Copyrights © 2010 www.HotLicksProgram.com
Earnings Disclaimer | Privacy Notice

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Learning at the College
Our programs are all about the law as applied to legal practice
We equip you with the skills and knowledge you need to enter the profession and to continually develop your career. Whether you want to specialise, become partner, set up a practice or work in-house, we can help you achieve your goals.
The College of Law is authorised to self-accredit its own programs – meaning we achieve the same academic standards, governance and quality as a university.
At the College, we offer blended programs combining face-to-face learning with online study.
'By the end of the College you had actually formed friendships with the lecturers and the students. It was a lovely environment. Every day in my working life I use the practical skills I took away from College.'
Unlike other online programs, The College of Law programs have not been adapted from a traditional format. They were all purpose-designed for the digital environment. Delivered via Canvas – our online learning portal – online study at the College is an interactive and dynamic experience. What's more, our lecturers are always available via email and phone – and feedback is continually forthcoming.
'The part-time online method was a mode of learning that suited me as a wife and mother to three young children. The course materials were of a very high standard (including relevant assessments, practice papers and quizzes) and the lecturer was very accessible in providing feedback and assistance.'
Many students are concerned that the online component of their study might be alienating and stressful. But when they finish, the story is very different!
Below are some common concerns about online study and how we address them.
Online study is just a series of recorded lectures to watch online
Our online modules are structured learning modules which use the Canvas learning system to guide you through the program. The program is designed to be taken online using a tested, contemporary instructional approach.
It is not a lecture series loaded to a website.
You can see how this works by viewing this short video (less than two minutes) about our PLT program. A similar approach is taken with our masters programs.
I will find it difficult to keep motivated and disciplined
When studying online at the College, you are not on your own. You have an assigned lecturer who is there to help you.
You have a number of options to contact and interact with your lecturer. In our PLT programs, lecturers will contact you via email or phone and will provide you with feedback via video, audio, document markup or text markup.
College lecturers are renowned for being helpful, supportive and approachable.
I will have to come in for the assessments and exams
You won't have to perform any exams – and there is no need to come onsite for assessments.
Assessments are varied and reflect current legal practice so you will undertake tasks that can be applied in day-to-day practice. For the PLT program, the oral assessments are designed to review your knowledge and develop your legal thinking and communication skills.
'I really enjoyed learning how to apply legal knowledge in practical ways – especially the exercises where we had to draft pleadings, submissions, affidavits and contracts of sale of land & business.'
'Very practical and the tasks are well designed. Work load is just right.'
'I found that the assessments often complemented what I came across in practice (e.g. letters, sales of land/business contracts, drafting of wills etc).'
I won't be able to network or meet other students
At the beginning of the PLT program, you will attend five face-to-face sessions onsite. This will give you the opportunity to meet and network with other students in your program.
You will also participate in group activities throughout the program where you will work with other students on an assessment.
our guiding principles
Lewis Patrick
Chief Academic Officer, The College of Law
"As Chief Academic Officer at The College of Law, I have seen enormous changes over the years in the way we approach and deliver our courses.
As legal practice evolves, our Principles guide us to adapt our courses to the changing needs of the profession.
In doing so, we also aim to continually strengthen all non-teaching activities including research, scholarships, policies – and professional and community engagement."
Graduate Attributes
Studying a postgraduate qualification at The College of Law is not just about acquiring new knowledge and skills.
It's also about acquiring personal and professional attributes that will distinguish you from other graduates and help you become more attractive to employers and clients.
The three most fundamental graduate qualities we encourage are:
- Professionalism (who we are)
Ethical, knowledgeable, well-presented and prepared
- Effectiveness (how we work)
Client-centred, clear, responsive and collaborative
- Practicality (what we achieve)
Strategic, commercially aware, solution-focused and systematic


text:
Come join us!
We are a community church where we are free to be who we are, seek answers to difficult questions, and build life changing relationships with God. We meet every Sunday at 10am at 51028 Base St., New Baltimore, MI 48047
Children's church and nursery are available during our gatherings.
Meeting Time & Address
Sunday Morning Worship: 10 a.m.
North Shore Church
51028 Base St.
New Baltimore, MI 48047


text:
3DBaz Exclusive – Back in our 3DShow 2017 talks, we made an interview with Mr. Mahmoodi, the CEO of iDesign. In a short introduction, they have started their job from 2011 in 3D Printing industry and manufactured their commercial SLS 3D Printing machine just recently.
According to Mahmoodi, their enterprise succeeded to prototype an SLS 3D Printer in 2013. They kept up the good work and after couple of years in research and development, we can see their final product here in 3DShow 2017, called T1 – R230.
The 3D Printer was introduced firstly in the "Made in Iran" exhibition days before 3DShow. After that, we had a chance to see and celebrate this achievement.
Their commercial name "iDesign" intrigued our curiosity so we asked why they chose this name for themselves. He explained:
Nowadays 3D Printers have eliminated many of design and manufacture limits. So by now, designers can do their job way easier than before and have their abstract model just like they want.
We try to induct our users that there aren't such limits in design processes any more. Therefore, you can design your thoughts and sky is the limit!
After appreciating the officials for making this event happen, he emphasized that all people in this industry have to focus on production and submitting added value.
He restated that we should be so strong in production so there wouldn't be any need for oil export incomes and as much as our population is, we have to generate capacities to manufacture every person's needs.
How about T1 – R230 specs?
The T1 – R230 is a Selective Laser Sintering System.
The features of this industrial machine are quite impressive and can easily be considered as a potential option for manufacturing enterprises and R&D departments.
As we reviewed the catalog provided by company, it provides 2 building options which we assume they work individually. If that's the way it works, it looks great!
Now let's check out the numbers and specs:
Main build size: 200 x 250 x 300 mm
Small form factor build size: 90 x 120 x 150 mm
Printing speed: 21mm/h in Z axis
Layer thickness: 60-180 microns
Size: 1195 x 1350 x 2495 mm
Required field for installation: 5000 x 5000 x 3000 mm
Total weight: 1200 Kg
Supported CAD file in machine: .slc – .stl format is supported
Connection port: USB
supported material: ASAL Poly-amid 12, ASAl Titanum (ASAL is iDesign's brand. Other materials including metals, ceramics, composites and etc are usable. only by company authorization).
Interactive Customer support and tutorials are also provided


text: Regardless of the topic under discussion, President Trump has all too frequently chosen to speak or tweet comments that are clearly racist and bigoted. This is no liberal conspiracy; the president's own words betray his prejudices. The problem is compounded by the rationalizations of the president's apologists and the deafening silence of mainstream Republicans. The president's racist and bigoted remarks hurt America and Americans in many ways. READ


text:
Written in 1996 for Gourmet magazine
To journey in the Middle East is to tread the dust of ancient history; and in the classical world no other ruin has the reputation of Jordan's Petra, that "rose-red city half as old as Time." Forgotten for centuries save by a few scholars and bedouin tribes, it had been the wealthy capital of the Nabateans, who flourished around the time of Christ. On "rediscovery" in the early 19th century Petra became a metaphor: the legendary lost city of Arabia.
Having admired the Scotsman David Roberts' lithographs from his daring 1839 visit, I'd long wanted to see Petra—hidden like a sandstone dream after a winding, narrow passage through rock. Even today, to reach it summons an ancient wonder.
I went later than I should have, in early June, when the south of Jordan is already too hot. Petra lies amid stupendous valleys reminiscent of the most dramatic American southwest: huge folded waves, hills, and gnarled fists of stone, seemingly impenetrable. To travel here is to trace Biblical events—first you cross the spring of Moses. Then past the new sand-colored town of Petra, nestled on switchback roads that descend. A few modern hotels, a ticket, a gate. You are walking a dusty road with thistly hillside rising on one side. Horses are chuffing; women pass, swathed in black.
The road winds through lunar outcroppings, many of which are tombs with gaping temple-entrances carved out. A red-headdressed bedouin on a white horse canters past; Petra has long been in bedouin hands and they still have the concessions, like providing visitors with horses, donkeys, or buggies. Then a canyon starts, and you enter the siq, the serpentine corridor of rock.
Though it goes on only about a mile, you might as well be moving back centuries. The time-travel sensation is increased by the remains of an ancient dam and diversionary tunnel the Nabateans cut to protect against flood—for the enclosed city's perpetual enemy was onrushing water. The siq descends; rock walls tower on both sides with carved niches, missing their statues. Welcoming shade, complex outcroppings with occasional trees, bird calls, pools of light. Your footsteps crunch the sand as the shadows deepen, and a darting lizard seems disrespectful.
A paved Roman road and a water gully begin. More niches, a flowering oleander—then abruptly it rises before you, through a convenient cleft where the shadowy walls nearly meet: a fragmentary vision of civilization in a burst of light, a glimpse of elegant floral columns, a winged goddess carved on a facade. This moment will be remembered as one of the architectural epiphanies of your life.
A few steps more, you come out of the siq, and a temple known as the Treasury is revealed entire, a camel kneeling appropriately before it—that miraculous moment to which no photo can do justice, when everyone becomes an explorer discovering Petra ("the rock") for the first time.
Like most names for Petra's buildings, the Treasury—El Khazneh in Arabic—is misleading. Originally a cult-temple of a king, the formal perfection of its twenty columns and its high stone urn had bedouin convinced for many centuries that this was where Petra's riches were still hidden; numerous bullet-marks on the urn are a result of potshots to remove the lid. The treasure, of course, is the building itself, to rival any in classical Greece.
The Nabateans were a desert trading people who, from the 6th century B.C. on, developed a genius for urbanism and commerce. They soon controlled the region's spice trade, expanding until they were less middlemen than overlords; Petra made an ideal trading crossroads, protected by the siq. Natural diplomats whose language and culture were a truce of East and West, the Nabateans were known for a humane system of justice and prowess at water management. Myrrh and frankincense—resins collected from trees in southern Arabia—could reach Petra by camel caravan in a mere two weeks, and Mediterranean ports like Gaza a week later.
These long caravans paid escort taxes on entering Nabatean territory and were led swiftly across by cameleers. Each city acted as rest-stop (at Petra, caravans stayed outside the siq) and also as a clearing-house. Fresh camels and crews were provided, goods traded, local items like Dead Sea bitumen added to the merchandise.
Petrans were both merchants and bankers for the caravans, investing large sums over vast trade routes outside their territory, and this way the Nabateans could reach out to most of their known world, exchanging goods and ideas. They maintained trade representatives as far away as East Africa, Italy, and the Aegean; hence the cosmopolitanism evident in every carved rock, where Greek, Assyrian, Egyptian, and Roman architectural details jostle each other in a singularly Nabatean style.
In 106 A.D. the Nabateans fell under Roman rule, which was typically benevolent and constructive. As cities to the north rose in trading power Petra lost its importance, and in the 2nd century the Nabateans became more agricultural and moved their capital up to the Sinai to recapture commerce from the Arabian Gulf. Massive earthquakes every two centuries hurt Petra's viability, and it was mostly abandoned in the 7th century.
For a thousand years bedouin tribes kept silent on its existence. Its name was familiar only to classical scholars until the courageous young Swiss explorer and linguist Johann Burckhardt, disguised as a Muslim student, entered in 1812. Soon all Europe learned of Petra.
Early travelers and artists often took their time seeing the site; Petra now tends to get included as a single arduous day stop on a week tour of Jordan. But to allow Petra only a day is an injustice; not to see every individual monument (there are over 800) but to let memory absorb one of the man-made wonders of the world. It's too overwhelming to take in hurriedly, and the Petra I describe in this article can be seen in one very active day only if you're in great shape.
The difficulty of any visit to the deep past is completing the picture. The paradox here is that most of what survives are tombs of several types: much of Petra is a carved, palatial necropolis. A motif of columns around gaping dark tomb entrances gives an obsessional unity; still, one should imagine those temple-like tombs in a bustling city of the living, those valleys and hills covered with mud houses and stone villas, pre-earthquake.
After a wider second siq, with tombs on both sides, the cliffs open to reveal the grandeur of the city valley. First the huge, commanding amphitheater, the site of plays and the struggles of gladiators and animals. The amphitheater seated about 5,000 before an earthquake collapsed the stage and the backstage columns, and it's worth going up an interior passage to come out like a spectator on the cheap high seats. (There'd have been cold drinks for sale on the way.) In another part of Petra a smaller theater was filled with water in the rainy season, so that mock naval battles could be enacted.
The valley broadens gradually, and to the east along one cliff-face a long array of Royal Tombs has been carved in a line like a majestic honor-guard. Here the size of the site takes hold and the distinctive local bedouin souvenirs, of sand in many colors dripped carefully into little bottles to make pretty images, seem appropriate, the many hues of Petran rock writ small. They bring to mind the visit of the artist and nonsense poet Edward Lear in 1855, who wrote that "All the cliffs are . . . in stripes." His cook, Giorgio, put it more vividly: "Oh, Signore, we have come into a world where everything is made of chocolate, ham, curry-powder and salmon."
The Royal Tombs convey the enormous scale of the city. The Palace Tomb with four massive columned Roman doors; the Corinthian Tomb, more eaten away but with a floral urn above; and the Urn Tomb itself, tremendously high, a colonnaded courtyard on its upper level, used as a Byzantine church in the 5th century. It is difficult to parse the magic of these grand edifices that flow with a precision and silken grace from the rock. Half-eaten by time, they are no less wonderful, and in contemplating them, incongruous details emerge—like raised geometric designs, with hints of art deco.
By the theater a sloping path climbs to the High Place of Sacrifice, the most well-preserved of the ancient world. (I suggest hiring a guide for this two-hour walk; it's easy to take a wrong path.) Heading up the gorge the view back is spectacular, past whorled and mottled continents of otherworldly rock in rust and rose and cream, striated like marble cake. Eventually a worn processional path begins, its indentations the weathered steps of priests, up and around desert cliffs with pink oleander blossoms everywhere. Near the top are twin stone obelisks, representing the fertile male and female Nabatean deities. In typical fashion they weren't brought here; Petrans simply carved the mountain out around them.
On the summit, after a bit of a scramble, is the High Place itself, a small sunken courtyard of stone with an altar and space for, presumably, only priests and honored guests. Here, before a vista of layered mountains and valleys, animals and sometimes humans were sacrificed for nearly ten centuries.
The descent follows a different route, via steps and paths both recent and ancient, by ravines and grottos. After many staircases there was suddenly a carved lion fifteen feet long, slender and sinewy. Once water had sluiced from its missing metallic head and run in cunning tunnels all the way to the city far below.
Extremely steep stairs lead down to elegant tombs which all resembled temples hewn out of rock, the most illustrious with three Roman soldiers on its facade. Across what was once a courtyard and portico—now bare rubble—is a funerary banquet hall hollowed from the cliff, with fluted columns along the interior walls and Petra's most gorgeous patterns.
Beyond is the elaborate Renaissance Tomb, whose arch and six urns make it arguably the most sophisticated design in Petra. The way continues down Wadi Farasa (wadi means riverbed), finishing at the valley's head after astounding views of giant temple-tombs shaped from a cliff and visible only from here. They add to the staggering immensity, the otherworldliness of a city not built but carved out of sandstone. At the valley's head the impressive colonnaded main street ends in Roman paving stones and an arched temple, one of the few free-standing buildings that survive; it was originally dedicated to Dushara, the principal Nabatean deity, and later to Zeus and Aphrodite.
There are two museums in Petra, one by a little restaurant and the other in a tomb on the adjacent cliff-face. Both collections give a sense of the city's daily life: small oil lamps, gold jewelry, bronze statuettes, terracotta figurines, coins, jars, gaily decorated bowls and pots, glass bottles, and larger statues of gods—some Egyptian, some Roman (Dionysus and Venus) and their Nabatean equivalents—along with enormous sculpted heads, winged angels, griffins, and gorgeous flowering pediments. Ceramic pipes attest to the Petran skill at supplying a metropolis of 20-30,000 with plenty of water via channels, aqueducts, and cisterns.
Most startling were the heads of winged lions, which were always delicate—whether in the earlier geometric style, or the realist style that followed the Roman invasion. Around both museums, stone tablets with animal and human figures in relief added a missing element to the site's empty niches and broken torsos.
A nearby path meanders up to the largest and most impressive monument in Petra, known as Ed-Deir or "the Monastery." No one coming down agreed as to how far away it was; in the end it took me under an hour, with rests to admire stone medusa heads and extraordinary views.
The path up is like a mountain equivalent of the siq. After many hundreds of worn steps and a couple of mildly steep moments, at 4,000 feet a pass leads through the usual scrub trees and boulders alongside a jumbled rock massif. I ambled into a kind of open courtyard past an abutment of rock, took a few steps, turned, and nearly fell to my knees.
Much wider and taller than the Treasury far below, the Monastery seems cataclysmic, carved to a deliberately inhuman scale—its muscular columns eerily smooth, its great urn towering over a doorway already four times the height of a man. It looms like a carved palace of justice eight stories high on a desert mountaintop, its softest colors revealed by the polished light of late afternoon.
Beside the Monastery a rough-hewn staircase traces a canny path up. I saw a daring young man make his way around, over, and emerge on the roof—then somehow clamber onto the lid of the urn, up the tulip handle, and then on top of that—while far below we all gasped and placed bets on whether he would jump or try a handstand. When I left he was still relaxing on the lid, admiring the view.
On my way down, I passed a bedouin goatherd playing a metal flute and singing to his flock. At the bottom, donkeys were braying to Arab music, the camels chewing and resting in the dirt as their owners lolled beneath canvas tents, enjoying a gentle peace at the end of the day.
A last sight of the Treasury, in lustrous light, just before the siq: here Petra ends in absolute glory, the decoration so ornate, so balanced and graceful—those human and mystical figures, the leaves and flowers on the columns. I stared at the bare rock beside it and thought: They started with only this. Art is not progressive; twenty centuries have not bettered their result, produced any structure more stately or more moving. That stone could be carved to such a softness and a classical formality, and with such freedom, seemed a miraculous statement of civilization.


text:
The world's largest annual mobile event - Mobile World Congress - takes place on the last days of February. We're on the ground in Barcelona to bring you all of the week's news. Tune in here for our full coverage, including hands-on with new phones from Samsung, ZTE, Nokia, Sony, Alcatel, Huawei, and more.
Also, follow us on Twitter for up-to-the-second news and extras:
All Samsung Nokia LG Sprint more... Discuss
Best of MWC 2018
In the world a mobile phones, Mobile World Congress is the main event. Taking place each year in Barcelona, it's where the world sees what's in store for phones and networks that year. Trends take shape and phones are launched. We check out everything in person, and pick our favorites with our Best of MWC awards. This year, three phones stood out.
Photographing Barcelona with the Samsung Galaxy S9+
Samsung's Galaxy S9+ has a powerful camera that allows you to really flex your creative muscle. We spent an afternoon strolling La Rambla in Barcelona experimenting with some of the camera modes. Here are some sample images, with a focus on comparing the differences between the f/1.5 and f/2.4 apertures.
Hands On with the Doro 7050
Doro has long made a name for itself as a purveyor of simple phones for older folks. Their latest entry is a super-basic, old-school flip phone with classic, easy-to-use design, Doro's special easy interface, and unique software powering it. We take it for a quick spin in this hands-on.
Hands On with the Huawei Mate 10 Pro Driving a Porsche
Huawei had some fun in Barcelona this year. The phone maker put the artificial intelligence inside its flagship Mate 10 Pro smartphone to use steering a Porsche around an obstacle course. Want to know what it was like for a phone to drive a car? We recount the experience here.
Internet Giants Agree to Support Tiny KaiOS on Feature Phones
Kai says its small operating system is about to get a lot bigger. The company has struck agreements with Airfind, Facebook, Google, and Twitter, each of which will offer its core apps to the fledgling platform. KaiOS is based on HTML5 (the old Firefox OS) and can run on devices with as little as 512MB of RAM. Kai's goal is to serve as the platform of choice for the 500 million feature phones sold to those who want or need something less expensive than a modern smartphone. Airfind will bring its news and weather apps to KaiOS, while Google will bring Search, Assistant and Maps, and Facebook and Twitter will each bring their namesake apps. Kai has scored some wins with hardware makers, too. For example, Nokia's 8110 5G "banana" phone runs KaiOS, as does the new Doro Phone 7050, and a forthcoming device from Bullitt Group. Kai also has the support of silicon makers NXP, Spreadtrum, and Qualcomm. KaiOS' HTML5 core is easily targeted by developers. What gives Kai a leg up on older platforms is its support for 4G. Kai expects to launch a storefront for these apps in the coming months.
Hands On with the Asus Zenfone 5Q
Asus has a "lite" version of its flagship prepped for a March release. It will be called the Zenfone 5Q in the US. This phone isn't quite like the more high-end Zenfone 5. Instead, the Zenfone 5 Lite offers middling specs in a middling piece of hardware. It is unique in that it has four cameras, so that's something. Here are our first impressions.
Hands On with the Asus Zenfone 5 / 5z
Asus today announced the Zenfone 5, its flagship handset for the year. The Zenfone 5 takes a lot of cues from some well-known competing devices complete with a notch in the display. The 5z is a version in the same exact body with upgraded internal specs. It's a premium device thanks to glass surfaces, metal frame, and high-quality cameras. Here are our first impressions.
Asus Shows Off the Zenfone 5 Series
Asus today revealed its new flagship series handsets, the Zenfone 5, Zenfone 5 Lite, and Zenfone 5z. All three phone run Android 8 Oreo with the new ZenUI 5.0
- Zenfone 5 Lite / 5Q:Called the Zenfone 5Q in the US, this low end of the series has 2.5D curved class on the front and rear with a plastic frame in between. It boasts a 6-inch full HD+ 18:9 display. The Zenfone 5Q has four cameras, with an ultra-wide, 120-degree lens on each side. The main sensor on the rear captures 16-megapixel images, while the selfie camera has a Sony 20-megapixel sensor. It features a number of shooting modes, including portrait/bokeh. The phone is powered by a Snapdragon 630 processor and will come with in 3 GB / 32 GB and 4 GB / 64 GB configurations. The phone ships with a 3,300mAh battery. Other features include NFC, dual SIM, face unlock, speaker, and microUSB.
- Zenfone 5: The middle of the pack is powered by a Snapdragon 636 processor with 6 GB of RAM. It features a massive 6.2-inch display with a 19:9 aspect ratio with full HD+ resolution. It can automatically adjust the color temperature to suit its surroundings. The display features a notch, similar to the iPhone X, where it holds an array of sensors and more. Asus shrunk the size of the status bar icons to ensure they fit. Tapping them will drop the notifications down so they are all visible. The camera includes OIS and an aperture of f/1.8 for the 12-megapixel main camera, which has a Sony IMX363 sensor. The front camera has an 8-megapixel sensor with an aperture of f/2.0. The camera relies on AI-assisted scene detection to adjust for the subject. The company uses AI to improve the efficiency of the 3,300mAh battery, particularly when it is not being used. The phone includes stereo speakers and noise-cancelling microphones, DTS, and aptX. It will come with either 4 or 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. It supports dual SIMs and expandable memory cards.
- Zenfone 5z: The star of the series is the Zenfone 5z. It shares nearly all features with the Zenfone 5 — including an identical body externally — but it upgrades to the Snapdragon 845 processor from Qualcomm. Options will include 4, 6, or 8 GB of RAM and 64, 128, or 256 GB of storage.
T-Mobile Is Building 5G in 30 Markets This Year, Will Launch In New York City In the First Quarter of 2019
T-Mobile today provided more details concerning its forthcoming 5G network. It will be building 5G across 30 cities in the U.S. this year. It will start with New York City in the 600 MHz and mmWave spectrum bands. Other named cities include Dallas, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. The company has been fortifying its LTE 4G network with technologies such as carrier aggregation, 4x4 MIMO, 256 QAM, License Assisted Access, and FD-MIMO with 64 antennas (32 transmit, 32 receive). The company is not going to cap its LTE network in any form, continuing to use it for the foreseeable future. All these technologies have helped the company prepare for 5G. T-Mobile says 5G and 4G are going to coexist and live together. T-Mobile reiterated that it will first use its 600 MHz spectrum for 5G, though it is also eyeing the 3.5 GHz mid-band and 28 GHz mmWave spectrum. The FCC expects to auction off 28GHz later this year. T-Mobile didn't specify what mmWave spectrum it will us for its 5G network. T-Mobile sees 5G encompassing fixed broadband (routers), mobile service (phones, AR/VR, wearables, drones), and IoT (sensors, industrial automation). It will cover every inch of the U.S. with some 5G service by 2020 with equipment from Nokia and Ericsson. The company is already deploying 5G NR-capable hardware in its base stations. T-Mobile expects to debut the first 5G smartphones and other products during the first quarter of 2019.
Hands On with the Gemini Keyboard Phone
Planet Computers is on a mission to bring back that very specific type of PDA that tried to put a proper QWERTY keyboard in your pocket. No, not a thumb-board like your phone, more like a shrunken laptop. If you remember those old Psion devices, you know exactly what they're going for. This device is aimed at writers, coders, and anyone else who types for a living (and needs to be able to do a lot of it on the go.) The Gemini launched on Indiegogo, and is finally shipping. It's a totally unique device. We took it for a quick spin.
Google's Flutter Toolkit Lets Devs Create Android and iOS UIs
Google today made the first beta release of Flutter available to developers. Flutter is a set of tools that can help developers create user interface designs for Android and iOS. Google says Flutter is quick and easy to use, and can be utilized by experienced and novice developers alike. It includes frameworks for windows, widgets, animations, and image libraries. It includes a GPU-accelerated renderer and native ARM code runtime. It supports accessibility features, right-to-left text, localization, and internationalization. On the iPhone X and iOS 11, it support inline video, additional image formats, and background processes. Google says developers who've been testing the alpha release since last year can switch to the beta channel via Android Studio. The end result, hopes Google, will be better looking and better functioning mobile apps that developers can create once for both Android and iOS.
Sprint Names Its First 5G Markets As It Preps Massive MIMO
Sprint today indicated which markets will be first to see 5G service from the carrier at some point in the first half of 2019. Sprint said customers in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. will be first to experience the company's 5G network. First, however, Sprint plans to bring massive MIMO to Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles in April, with Atlanta, Houston and Washington, D.C. to follow later this year. Sprint says massive MIMO is a critical bridge that will span its LTE 4G and future 5G networks. The company is preparing to deploy thousands of massive MIMO radios with 128 radios (64 transmit, 64 receive). All Sprint subscribers who have a device with 2.5 GHz (Band 41) will benefit from the increased capacity and speed provided by massive MIMO. Sprint is working with Qualcomm and device manufacturers on 5G mobile devices, which it expects to launch in the first half of 2019.
AT&T Drops Unlimited Plan to $80 Per Month
AT&T has adjusted the pricing of its unlimited service and also debuted a number of discounts and deals on its television services. To start, AT&T's Unlimited Plus Enhanced plan has dropped from $90 per month for the first line to $80 per month. Autopay is required. The plan includes 15 GB of mobile hotspot usage, an increase of 5 GB from earlier plans. At the same time, AT&T raised the price of its Unlimited Choice Enhanced plan from $60 for the first line to $65 for the first line. This plan may include unlimited data, but speeds are capped at 3 Mbps. Additional lines on Unlimited Choice Enhanced are $40 each. Customers who sign up for AT&T Unlimited Plus Enhanced can earn a $15 monthly bill credit towards AT&T's video services, such as DirecTV, U-verse, or DirecTV Now. Customers who sign up for AT&T's Unlimited Choice Enhanced plan will receive a $15 bill credit only on DirecTV Now. AT&T's wireless customers can snag HBO for free when they sign up for DirecTV Now. AT&T's unlimited plan is now more competitive with other carriers. For example, Verizon charges $80 per month for its unlimited plan, T-Mobile charges $70, and Sprint offers unlimited data for free for one year to customers who bring their own device. AT&T didn't say how long the TV-bundling discounts will be available.
Samsung Says Bixby-Powered Smart Speaker to Arrive During the Second Half of the Year
Samsung this week provided a bit more information regarding its forthcoming smart speaker. The company says it is targeting the second half of the year to launch the product, and it will be powered by Samsung's Bixby artificial assistant. Samsung warned it won't necessarily be cheap. "When I introduce the first model, I don't want to give the impression that Samsung delivered another affordable mass model. I want to focus on more premium," said Samsung's mobile chief D.J. Koh, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. The speaker will arrive in time for the holidays, but Samsung hasn't said much else. Apple recently released its HomePod speaker, powered by Siri, and Google has released a slew of Google Home speakers powered by Google Assistant.
MediaTek Brings the Smarts with Helio P60 SoC
MediaTek announced the Helio P60 system-on-a-chip, a processor that adopts artificial intelligence and other advanced features for mid-range devices. The P60 relies on a big.LITTLE architecture with four ARM A73 processors at 2 GH and four ARM A53 processors at 2 GHz. MediaTek says the chip pushes speeds up by 70% and power efficiency by 25% when compared to the P30. It includes an ARM Mali-G72 GPU clocked at 800 MHz for a 12% improvement in mobile gaming. The MediaTek P60 introduce a multi-core AI processing unit that includes facial, object, and scene recognition for security and camera apps. Developers can tap into the MediaTek NeuroPilot AI SDK and Neural Network API to take advantage of these features. MediaTek says the P60 supports dual-camera configurations of up to 20 megapixel and 16 megapixel pairings, or a single camera up to 32 megapixels. The tri-core image signal processor can handle bokeh effects, noise reduction, and support HDR viewing and recording. The P60 is paired with MediaTek's Cat 7 LTE 4G WorldMode Modem with support for dual SIMs, HPUE, and band 71 (for T-Mobile). MediaTek expects to see handsets powered by the Helio P60 reach the market before the end of the second quarter.
Snapdragon 700 from Qualcomm to Bring AI to Less Costly Phones
Qualcomm today announced the Snapdragon 700 Mobile Platform Series for sub-flagship handsets. This new processor tier is meant to outperform the 600 series while bringing the best tools of the 800 series down to a more affordable price point. Specifically, the Snapdragon 700 will rely in the core Qualcomm AI Engine with the Hexagon Vector Processor, Adreno Visual Processing subsystem, and Kryo CPU to improve camera and video results, speech recognition, and multitasking. The Snapdragon 700 will work hand in hand with the Qualcomm Spectra ISP to boost night-time and slow-motion photography, and bring more advanced camera features to reasonably priced devices. The processor also targets performance. Qualcomm says the chip delivers 30% improvements in power efficiency and battery life when compared to the Snapdragon 660 chip. It supports Quick Charge 4+ and can charge a battery by 50% in 15 minutes. Last, the Snapdragon 700 will be paired with Qualcomm's newer LTE, WiFi, and Bluetooth radios. Qualcomm says the Snapdragon 700 Mobile Platform Series will be available in samples before the end of June.
FCC Targeting November 5G Auction for 28 GHz
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said the agency will commence an auction for 28 GHz airwaves as soon as November. Pai expects the spectrum in question will be used for 5G. As soon as the auction for 28 GHz spectrum is finished, the FCC will move forward with another auction for 24 GHz spectrum for the same purposes. Pai is seeking public input on the idea. "To set the foundation for these auctions, the FCC will ask for public input this spring on the right procedures for these auctions," said Pai in remarks made at the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona. In order for the auctions to proceed, Pai says Congress will need to pass legislation by May 13 concerning upfront payments to be made by potential bidders. The agency is already looking at the use of 6 GHz spectrum for 5G based on feedback provided by the public last year. Future 5G networks will likely be deployed on low-band, mid-band, and high-band spectrum. For example, T-Mobile expects to launch 5G using its 600 MHz spectrum (low) holdings, while Sprint is looking at its 2.5 GHz spectrum (mid) for 5G. Further, the FCC says it has already changed some rules to help speed up 5G deployment. "We want to remove outdated rules and make it easier to deploy wireless infrastructure," said Pai. Relaxing rules governing how cell sites are deployed will let carriers put small cells where they need to in order to densify their networks. The FCC Chairman also spent time espousing the value of his open internet order, which removes net neutrality rules. He called the "light-touch regulation" one of the major pillars to his approach to 5G.
Hands On with the Cat Phone S61
Cat Phones has a new rugged flagship at Mobile World Congress this year and it takes the Flir heat-capture camera to a new level of productivity. This phone is tough as nails and still lets people measure temperature, air quality, and distance/area with a laser. Here are our thoughts on this rugged powerhouse.
Sprint, Delta, Others Aim to Bring Broadband to the Big Blue Sky
A handful of companies have banded together with the goal of bringing real broadband to airplane passengers. The founding members of the Seamless Air Alliance include Sprint, Delta, Airbus, OneWeb, and Airtel. The idea is to let carriers "extend their services into airline cabins" so passengers have immediate access to high-speed internet while in the air. Mobile network operators would be able to reach airline passengers through the Seamless Air Alliance's satellites, which the group claims deliver the "same high speed, low latency connectivity from ground, to air and back again" as traditional cellular networks. One of the goals is to improve the on-boarding process. Today's in-flight WiFi service often requires painful connection steps that include entering credit card information. The Seamless Air Alliance believes in can "eliminate the immense costs and hurdles commonly associated with acquisition, installation, and operation of data access infrastructure" on airplanes with an open specification for interoperability. "With our 5G network rolling out next year we're investing heavily to make sure our customers have the best mobile internet experience possible," said Dow Draper, CCO at Sprint. "As an initial member of the Seamless Alliance, we're looking forward to enabling customers to experience Sprint's high-speed connectivity in the air, hassle-free." The founding members are inviting others to join the initiative.
Jolla Debuts Sailfish OS 3 for Low-Cost Hardware
Jolla today revealed Sailfish 3, a significant update to its Linux-based mobile operating system. Jolla is targeting Sailfish 3 at inexpensive devices, such as feature phones, PDAs, and similar hardware. Jolla says the updated platform is chock full of new functionality. To start, the platform is offering developers a handful of new APIs, providing new access to the camera, VPN, location, WebEngine, and crypto. It now supports the latest version of Qt with 30% faster performance. Many of the new tools focus on business users. For example, it packs full cloud integration, enhanced security (biometrics, device wipe), and corporate mobile device management. On the connectivity side, it brings expanded support for VoLTE and Bluetooth Low Energy. Sailfish 3 also introduces new themes and animations, and improves multitasking with a new top menu. Jolla says Sailfish 3 will roll out during the third quarter of 2018. Jolla, formed by former Nokia employees, had originally hoped Sailfish would become a rival to Android. For now, the company is focusing on Latin America, Russia, and China.
ZTE Wants to Woo Washington In Order to Regain Trust
ZTE has built a respectable presence in the U.S. market and doesn't want that to change. The company plans to make "more effort to build the trust among the people in Washington," according to mobile device CEO Lixin Cheng. "We understand the concerns, and respect the concerns of different agencies of the United States government," said Cheng in an interview with CNN. "We promise we are going to work very openly, as we did before, [and] transparently to address their needs and their concerns." ZTE and Huawei were recently called out by the heads of the CIA, FBI, and NSA, who consider the Chinese companies a security risk. ZTE has spent the last few years building strong relationships with U.S. carriers. It now accounts for about 11% of the market thanks to low-cost phones such as the ZMax and XMax. Cheng indicated ZTE will do what it must to ensure it can continue to sell phones to Americans. Earlier this week, the company unveiled new devices, the Blade V9, Blade V9 Vita, and Tempo Go.
Hands On with the LG K10 and K8
LG popped out new K series devices this week. LG's K series generally represent entry-level phones. The K10 and K8 definitely fall into that category, but represent a welcome improvement in design and quality. These devices would do well with U.S. carriers as affordable alternatives to today's flagships. Though LG hasn't announced specific plans to sell the phones in the U.S., it's likely variants of them will show up eventually. Here are our first impressions.
Hands On with HMD Global's New Nokia Android Smartphones
HMD Global debuted no fewer than three brand new handsets, including the Nokia 1 with Android Go, at Mobile World Congress this year. The devices range from an $85 entry-level phone to an $800 exercise in design chops. None of these phones support the LTE bands to work in North America, but we took a quick look anyway. Here are our first impressions.
Hands On with the Nokia 8110
The Nokia 8110 is HMD Global's attempt to tug at our heart strings. This throw-back handset conjures up a popular phones from nearly 20 years ago and adds a dash of modernity to it. Here's a quick look at this nostalgia play.
Hands On with the Sony Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact
Sony's new flagship phones for 2018 pack all the bells and whistles into a curvy new glass design. Both phones include top-end features like a Snapdragon 845 processor, 2:1 ratio display, stereo speakers, HDR video capture and viewing, water resistance, and advanced cameras. The larger XZ2 sports an advanced haptic engine and fast wireless charging. The smaller XZ2 Compact continues to be one of the only truly small Android phones available with top-end specs. Here are our first impressions checking them out in person.
Sony Debuts New Design Language with XZ2 and XZ2 Compact Flagships
Sony today announced the Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact smartphones, two devices that take on a brand new design aesthetic the company calls Ambient Flow. The phones feature a metal frame and deeply curved rear panels. The XZ2's rear panel is glass made by Corning, while the XZ2 Compact's rear panel is made from polycarbonate. The XZ2 has a 5.7-inch display in the 18:9 aspect ratio with full HD+ (2,160 by 1,080 pixels) resolution. The XZ2 Compact's screen shrinks down to 5 inches, but maintains the same resolution. The phones share nearly all specs other than size. Sony opted for the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 premium processor with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. The phones rely on Sony's imaging sensor with embedded DRAM. The main camera captures 19-megapixel images at up to ISO 12,800 and can snag 4K video, or 960fps slow-motion video in full HD. The user-facing camera has a 5-megapixel sensor with Sony's 3D Creator software for mapping 3D scans of people's faces. Sony said it has improved the software, which now produces more details images. Sony gave the phones S-Force stereo speakers and the larger XZ2 has a Dynamic Vibration System haptic-driven subwoofer. The phones support Cat 18 LTE with 4x4 MIMO and 5-channel carrier aggregation for theoretical download speeds up to 1.2 Gbps. The XZ2 includes a 3,180mAh battery with wireless and rapid charging. Other specs include NFC, fingerprint reader, Bluetooth, GPS, WiFi, USB-C, and support for memory cards up to 400 GB. The phones will ship in the late spring unlocked with Android 8.0 Oreo. Pricing will be revealed at a later date.
Hands On with the Land Rover Explore
Bullitt, the company responsible for CAT and Kodak phones, has recently added a new brand to its portfolio: Land Rover. The The Land Rover Explore is a tough-yet-capable phone with features designed for the same adventure-seeking crowd that Land Rover vehicles are associated with. Like a Land Rover, the phone is tough and adaptable, while being a bit luxurious as well. Read on for our first impressions.
Samsung's Galaxy S9 and S9+ Can Track Blood Pressure and Stress
Samsung today said it partnered with UCSF to create an app that will allow S9 and S9+ owners to gauge their health. The My BP Lab app, which will be free to download from the Google Play Store, uses the optical heart rate monitor of the S9 and S9+ to monitor blood pressure and stress levels. Over time, it can create personalized insights for people so they may try to improve their daily health. People who download the app will be invited to join a UCSF study to track stress and emotions and how each impacts users' well being. Those who opt to participate will need to report about their behavior over a three-week period, such as when they exercise, sleep, and eat. They'll have to take multiple measurements throughout the day in order to create enough data for the study. Samsung says the My BP Lab app will become available starting March 15.
U.S. Carriers Share Galaxy S9 and S9+ Launch Plans and Pricing
All four major carriers in the U.S. plan to sell the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ beginning in March. Preorders for the phones kick off March 2 and the handset is expected to be available in stores on March 16. Samsung itself is selling the unlocked version via its web site. The S9 costs $720 and the S9+ costs $840. Customers can apply for financing from Samsung to break down the cost of the phone over 24 months. Samsung is offering app to $350 off the price with a qualifying trade-in. Pricing from U.S. carriers varies significantly.
- AT&T: AT&T is asking subscribers to its AT&T Next plans to pay $26.34 per month for 30 months for the S9 (total: $790), or $30.50 per month for 30 months for the S9+ (total: $915). AT&T says business customers can get a $150 activation credit with they by the S9 or S9+ on an installment plan. The devices support Band 14, and thus the AT&T-run FirstNet public safety network. AT&T's prepaid brand, Cricket Wireless, plans to sell the Galaxy S9 and S9+ at full cost.
- Sprint: Sprint is selling the S9 for $33.00 per month with $0 down on a Sprint Flex lease (total: $792). The Galaxy S9+ will be $38.00 per month with $0 down on a Sprint Flex lease (total: $912).
- T-Mobile: T-Mobile is asking customers to pay $30 per month for 24 months for the S9 with $0 down (total: $720), and $30 per month for 24 months for the S9+ with $120 down (total: $840) For a limited time, postpaid customers can get up to $360 off either phone with a qualifying trade-in when the S9 or S9+ is purchased on an equipment installment plan. T-Mobile's prepaid brand, MetroPCS, will sell the Galaxy S9 starting March 16 for full price.
- Verizon Wireless: Last, Verizon Wireless is charging $33.33 per month for 24 months for the S9 (total: $799) and $38.74 per month for 24 months for the S9+ (total: $930). Customers who switch to Verizon, port in their line, and trade in an old phone may get up to $500 in bill credits towards the purchase of a Galaxy S9 or S9+.
Hands On with the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+
Samsung's new flagship handsets, the Galaxy S9 and S9+, are here and they offer lots to be excited about. Samsung took the wining design of last year's phones and upped the ante with improvements to the chassis, cameras, and software. The S9 and S9+ are Samsung's most powerful, and perhaps most fun, smartphones ever. Here are Phone Scoop's first impression.
Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ Offer Refined Hardware, Improved Camera, AR Emoji
Samsung today announced the Galaxy S9 and S9+ phones, updates to last year's S8 models. The devices bear a striking resemblance to their predecessors and make only modest changes to the hardware. The S9/S9+ feature 2:1 screens with slightly reduced bezels and glass panels front and back. Most significantly, Samsung rotated the camera/fingerprint module so the reader is in a central location on the rear. The phones also adopt stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos and produce louder sound than the S8/S8+. The S9/S9+ carry over features such as the waterproof chassis, USB-C port, headphone jack, and dedicated Bixby button. Samsung made significant improvements to the camera. The 12-megapixel cameras now include switchable aperture, from f/1.5 to f/2.4, to help with low-light situations. The camera sensor includes embedded DRAM memory — similar to Sony's premium phones — that allows the S9/S9+ to capture 960fps slow-motion. The slow-mo mode includes a motion detection function so it knows when to slow down the video for maximum effect. Each phone also includes an 8-megapixel selfie camera, along with face and iris scanning for security. Samsung added AR Emoji, a tool that echos the Animoji feature on the iPhone X to a certain degree. Users record their face which is then turned into a cartoon avatar and applied to 18 different personalized GIFs. The AR Emoji also let users animate faces such as a devil, and even apply (and purchase) various types of makeup. Further, S9/S9+ owners can easily save and share the AR Emoji with most other devices. Samsung says the S9/S9+ include a more refined version of Bixby that is now able to recognize more actions. More importantly, Bixby Vision now works in real-time, allowing for instant language translation and searches when viewing items through the camera. The devices ship with Android 8 Oreo, the Samsung SmartThings app, and the latest version of Samsung's DeX software. Samsung's SmartThings will allow the S9/S9+ to interact with other connected Samsung devices, such as refrigerators. The DeX software now works with a new dock that lets the phone act as a virtual mouse and/or keyboard. The S9 includes a 5.8-inch quad HD+ screen and 3,000mAh battery, while the S9+ includes a 6.2-inch quad HD+ screen and 3,500mAh battery. The only other difference in the hardware is found on the rear of the S9+, which features a second camera for 2x telephoto images. Both phones rely on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor with 4 or 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. The phones support microSD cards up to 400 GB. Preorders for the Galaxy S9 and S9+ kick off March 2 and the phones will reach stores March 16. Samsung is offering up to $350 for trade-ins when put toward the purchase of an S9/S9+. The phone will be sold in black, purple, and blue in the U.S. AT&T, Cricket Wireless, MetroPCS, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, Verizon Wireless, and Xfinity Mobile all plan to carry the phone. It will also be available form Best Buy, Amazon, Costco, Sam's Club, Target, and Walmart. Pricing is about $799 for the S9 and $899 for the S9+.
Nokia Brings Back the 8110 'Matrix' Slider
HMD Global today announced the Nokia 8110, a feature phone that bears a striking resemblance to the Nokia handset used "The Matrix" from 1999. The 8110 is banana-shaped so it better fits the owner's face during phone calls. A plastic slider drops down to reveal the keypad. The phone has 2.4-inch full-color display and is based on the Snapdragon 205 processor with 512 MB of RAM and 4 GB of storage. It includes a 2-megapixel camera and ships with the refreshed Snake game of old. It supports European LTE bands. It goes on sale in May for $80.
HMD Global Updates the Nokia 6 with Better Specs
HMD Global today showed off a new version of the Nokia 6. The phone carries over the same design as the original, but improves the specs under the hood. It includes a 5.5-inch screen and premium materials. Key features include NFC and a fingerprint reader. It jumps from the Snapdragon 435 to the Snapdragon 630 and comes with either 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage or 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. The frame is milled from 6000 series aluminum and now comes in black/copper, white/iron, and blue/gold. Other features include face unlock, wireless charging, USB-C, and Android 8 Oreo. It goes on sale in April for about $300.
Nokia 1 Runs Android Go and Brings Back Nokia's Xpress-On Covers
HMD Global today announced the Nokia 1, an affordable, entry-level smartphone that runs the Android Oreo Go platform. The phone features swappable rear covers, a feature the former Nokia called Xpress-On covers. The shell is made from polycarbonate with metal inserts to help strengthen the chassis. The phone includes a 4.5-inch FWVGA display and is powered by a quad-core MediaTek processor clocked at 1.1 GHz with 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of storage. The main camera has a 5-megapixel sensor with LED flash, while the front camera has a 2-megapixel camera. Both are fixed focus. Other features include Bluetooth, FM radio, GPS, LTE, and WiFi; a 2,150mAh removable battery; and microUSB port and 3.5mm headphone jack. The Android 8 Oreo Go Edition platform includes slimmed down versions of Google's core apps so the device runs smoothly. The Nokia 1 goes on sale in April.
Nokia 7 Plus Packs Dual Cameras with Zeiss Optics
HMD Global today announced the Nokia 7 Plus, a large Android slab machined from a single block of aluminum with copper accents. HMD Global says the rear is coated with a "ceramic-feel" paint for texture. The Nokia 7 Plus feature a 6-inch display with the 18:9 aspect ratio and full HD+ (2,160 by 1,080) resolution. The phone is powered by a Snapdragon 660 processor with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. The phone has dual cameras on the back, both with Zeiss optics. The main sensor captures 12-megapixel images at f/1.75 and the secondary sensor captures 13-megapixel images at f/2.6 and offers 2x telephoto zoom. The selfie camera has a 16-megapixel sensor. The Nokia 7 Plus includes a "bothie" feature, which lets people take photos with the main and front cameras at the same time. Moreover, owners can apply AR stickers to bothies for fun. The phone packs a massive 3,800mAh battery that HMD Global says delivers two days of battery life. The battery also supports rapid charging. Other hardware features include Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, WiFi, LTE, and spatial audio. It relies on a USB-C connector and also offers a 3.5mm headset jack. The phone runs Android One, which means HMD Global has committed to offering rapid updates and security patches. The Nokia 7 Plus goes on sale in April for $399.
Nokia 8 Sirocco Relies On Stainless Steel Frame
HMD Global today unveiled the Nokia 8 Sirocco, a stylish update to the Nokia 8. The phone has a stainless steel frame and curved Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back. A 5.5-inch quad HD plastic OLED screen adorns the face. The Nokia 8 adopts the Snapdragon 835 processor with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. The Nokia 8 Sirocco has the same camera configuration as the Nokia 7 Plus. The phone has dual cameras on the back, both with Zeiss optics. The main sensor captures 12-megapixel images at f/1.75 and the secondary sensor captures 13-megapixel images at f/2.6 and offers 2x telephoto zoom. The selfie camera has a 5-megapixel sensor with a display-based flash. The Nokia 8 Sirocco includes Dual Sight for "bothies." The software includes a new pro mode for manual control over the shutter and other features. The 3,260mAh battery supports rapid charging and wireless charging. The phone meets IP67 for protection against quick drops into water. Other features include Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, WiFi, LTE, and USB-C. It runs Android 8 Oreo One. The Nokia 8 Sirocco will be available in April for about $800.
Hands On with the ZTE Blade V9 and V9 Vita
The latest in ZTE's Blade series phones are the V9 and V9 Vita. These devices bring ZTE's design language in line with current trends by adopting 18:9 displays. They also put the competition on notice with dual cameras designed to take better low-light photographs. Here is Phone Scoop's first look at the latest from ZTE.
ZTE's Tempo Go Will Be Its First Android Go Phone for the US
ZTE today announced the Tempo Go, a version of the Tempo X that adopts the Android Go platform. Android Go is Google's slimmed-down version of Android for ultra low-cost devices with RAM of 1 GB of less. Earlier this week, Google promised that more Android Go phones would arrive shortly, and the Tempo Go is leading that wave. The Tempo Go has a 5-inch display with 854 by 480 pixels (FWVGA) and it is powered by a Snapdragon 210 processor with 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of storage. Other features include a 5-megapixel rear camera and 2-megapixel front camera, microUSB, 3.5mm headset jack, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, and a 2,200mAh battery. The Tempo Go will be sold unlocked with support for the LTE 4G networks of AT&T and T-Mobile. Pricing wasn't immediately announced.
ZTE Debuts Blade V9 and V9 Vita with 18:9 Screens
ZTE today expanded its lineup of Blade series handsets with the Blade V9 and V9 Vita. These mid-range handsets bring the Blade series up-to-date with competing designs by adopting the 18:9 aspect ratio display. Shared features between these two phones include Android 8 Oreo, dual rear cameras, microUSB, 3.5mm headphone jack, memory card support, GPS, Bluetooth, and WiFi.
- Blade V9: The V9 (pictured) drops the plastic build common to ZTE's older Blade designs for an aluminum frame and glass panels on front and back. The screen measures 5.7 inches and includes full HD+ resolution (2,160 by 1,080). It is powered by a 1.8 GHz octa-core processor and comes in a variety of RAM (2 to 4 GB) and storage (16 to 64 GB) configurations. The V9's dual camera system includes a 16-/5-megapixel combo on the rear and either an 8- or 13-megapixel camera on front. ZTE says it made significant efforts in improving low-light performance of the camera, and the dual-lens system allows people to take bokeh/portrait-style images. The V9's front camera supports Facebook detection for waking and unlocking the phone. Other stand-out features include NFC, fingerprint reader, and 3,100mAh battery. It comes in black or gold.
- Blade V9 Vita: The Vita dials back the size and specs when compared to the premium V9. It drops the metal and glass for a polycarbonate shell that forms the entire rear of the device. The screen is reduced to 5.45 inches at HD+ (1,440 by 720) resolution. It is powered by a Snapdragon 435 processor with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage. The Vita also has a dual rear camera system with a 13-/2-megapixel configuration and a 8-megapixel shooter on front. The phone has a 3,200mAh battery and it comes in black, pink, blue, and dark blue.
LG's V30S ThinQ Adds Color, Memory, Storage, Camera Smarts
LG today updated its V30 smartphone with several new features and is now calling it the V30S ThinQ. The majority of specs of the phone are unchanged. The V30S ThinQ includes 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, while the V30S+ ThinQ includes 6 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. The new handsets ship with Android 8 Oreo, and they are now available in new Moroccan Blue and Platinum Gray colors. Along with Oreo, LG has updated the software to include a handful of new tools under the auspices of its ThinQ artificial intelligence platform. First up is Voice AI, which LG says are custom commands for Google Assistant made available only to the V30S ThinQ. These allow users to run apps and change settings through voice commands alone. For example, V30S ThinQ owners can tell their device to take a panorama, time-lapse, or slow-motion photo, perform an image search, or scan a QR code, among other actions. These new commands join 23 existing commands already available to the original V30. Next, LG is taking aim at the camera with Vision AI, or the ability to recognize objects and adjust shooting parameters to capture better photos. Some of the initial scenes the V30S ThinQ will be able to recognize include portraits, food, pets, landscapes, cityscapes, flowers, sunrises, and sunsets. The camera will automatically analyze the surrounding scene to adjust focus, white balance, and shutter speed based on what it sees. LG says it has scanned some 100 million images to create a database of known objects to compare against. Last, the V30S ThinQ gains a new low-light shooting mode called Bright Mode that should deliver far more accurate results when shooting in the dark. LG says Bright Mode relies on its AI-based algorithms to brighten images by a factor of two for better looking photos without the noise. LG didn't say when the updated V30S ThinQ would go on sale, nor which markets it will be sold in.
Hands On with Alcatel's new 3 Series Phones
Alcatel has a new lineup of very affordable Android phones with 2:1 displays. They come in three sizes. Some have curved-edge glass on the front, and one has a dual camera setup with a wide-angle lens. Read on for our first impressions of the newly-announced 3 and 3x models.
Alcatel 5 Series to Serve As TCL's Budget Flagship Phone
TCL today announced the Alcatel 5 Series, an Android handset that TCL describes as an "affordable flagship." The phone has a brushed metallic unibody design with a rear-mounted fingerprint reader and face ID for rapid unlocking. Core features include a 5.7-inch display with HD+ (1,440 by 720) resolution and the 18:9 aspect ratio. TCL opted for an octa-core MediaTek processor with four cores clocked at 1.5 GHz for high-power tasks and four clocked at 1.0 GHz for low-power tasks. The phone comes with either 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage, or 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. Both variants support microSD cards up to 32 GB. The device has a single 12-megapixel camera on the rear at f/2.2 with EIS, HDR, and panorama. TCL added new editing tools called Social Mode, which allow owners to take and review square images at the same time, create instant collages, and apply filters through the Photo Booth mode. The 5 Series is unique in that it has two front-facing cameras, one at 13 megapixels and the other at 5 megapixels. The secondary lens offers wide-angle selfies. Other selfie tools include face beautification, face recognition, and video stories. TCL says the Face Key identity tool takes less than half a second to recognize the owner's face. Further, the fingerprint reader can be customized to take different actions depending on which finger unlocks the phone, such as the camera with an index finger or Facebook with a middle finger. Rounding out the specs, the Alcatel 5 Series has a 3,000mAh battery, Bluetooth 4.2, WiFi, GPS, Cat 4 LTE, USB-C, and an FM radio. The phone runs Android 7 Nougat and comes in black or gold. It is available immediately in select markets for about $250.
Alcatel 3 Series to Come In Three Different Sizes
Alcatel today announced its 3 Series smartphones, part of its larger family of new Android handsets. The 3 Series encompasses three phones that will offer screens measuring 5.5 inches (3), 5.7 inches (3X), and 6 inches (3V). All three screens adopt the 18:9 aspect ratio. While the 3 and 3x use HD+ (1,440 by 720) resolution, the 3V jumps to full HD+ (2,160 by 1,080) resolution. All three phones share a number of features, such as 2.5D curved front glass, curved rear panels, dual cameras, and fingerprint sensors. Each includes Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS, microUSB, memory card support, and LTE 4G. The 3 series phones share the same 5-megapixel selfie camera with LED flash, and each packs a 3,000mAh battery.
- 3V: The largest of the three phones (pictured) includes a quad-core MediaTek processor clocked at 1.45 GHz with 2 GB of RAM and 16 or 32 GB of storage. The rear camera has a 12-megapixel main sensor and 2-megapixel secondary sensor for bokeh-style photos. Other camera features include HDR, panorama, EIS, filters, and video stabilization. It comes in black, gold, or blue, and runs Android 8 Oreo.
- 3X: The mid-sized member of this pack has a quad-core MediaTek processor clocked at 1.28 GHz and it ships with with 2 or 3 GB of RAM and either 16 or 32 GB of storage, depending on the variant. Its dual-camera setup includes a 13-megapixel main sensor with HDR, two-tone LED flash, and EIS, accompanied by a 5-megapixel secondary sensor with wide-angle shooting. It comes in blue, black, or gold, and runs Android 7 Nougat.
- 3: The smallest of the three phones has a quad-core MediaTek processor clocked at 1.28 GHz and it ships with with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage. The camera boasts a 13-megapixel sensor with EIS and HDR. The Alcatel 3 runs Android 8 Oreo and comes in blue, black, or gold.
Alcatel 1x to Be TCL's First Android Go Phone
TCL's Alcatel brand today announced the 1x, an entry-level Android device that runs Android 8.1 Oreo Go Edition. The phone is part of TCL's new lineup of Android handsets, all of which feature 18:9 displays. The 1x has a 5.3-inch screen with 960 by 480 resolution and it is powered by a quad-core MediaTek processor clocked at 1.28 GHz. The phone ships with 1 or 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage. The main camera has a 13-megapixel sensor at f/2.0 with EIS and HDR, while the user-facing camera has an 8-megapixel sensor with selfie flash. Other hardware features include Cat 4 LTE, Bluetooth, GPS, and WiFi; microUSB and memory card slot; and a 2,420mAh battery. Some variants of the phone will include a fingerprint reader. The phone is among a new wave of Android Go-based devices. It includes Go-optimized versions of core apps, including Google Assistant Go, Google Go, Files Go, Google Maps Go, YouTube Go, and Gmail Go, as well as performance optimizations to Chrome, Google Play, and Gboard. The Android Go platform is designed to run on low-spec'd hardware, particularly phones with 1 GB or less of RAM. The Alcatel 1x will go on sale in select markets in April. TCL didn't immediately say if or when the 1x might reach the U.S.
Alcatel Linkzone Hotspots Adopt Carrier Aggregation
Alcatel today announced two new mobile hotspots, the Linkzone Cat 12 and Linkzone Cat 7. The Cat 12 hotspot boasts a large 4,300mAh battery that delivers 15 hours of connected surfing for up to 32 devices. The Cat 12 LTE radio delivers download speeds up to 600 Mbps thanks to 3-channel carrier aggregation. The Cat 7 hotspot has a smaller 2,150mAh battery that delivers up to 8 hours of surfing time. The Cat 7 LTE radio supports download speeds up to 300 Mbps due to 2-channel carrier aggregation. Both devices support microSD memory cards up to 256 GB for connected storage. TCL says the Alcatel Linkzone Cat 12 and Linkzone Cat 7 all go on sale in select markets later this year. Pricing is about $200 for the Cat 12 and $125 for the Cat 7.
Google's ARCore 1.0 Released to Public, Google Lens Hits More Handsets
Google today made ARCore 1.0 available to developers and the public, bringing augmented reality to some 100 million smartphones around the world. Handsets compatible with ARCore include Google's Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, and Pixel 2 XL; Samsung's Galaxy S8, S8+, Note8, S7, and S7 edge; LGE's V30 and V30+; Asus's Zenfone AR; and OnePlus's OnePlus 5. More devices from Samsung, Huawei, LG, Motorola, Asus, Xiaomi, HMD/Nokia, ZTE, Sony Mobile, and Vivo will be compatible with ARCore later this year. The 1.0 release gives developers an updated set of tools to create virtual content. For example, it features improved environmental understanding that lets people put virtual objects on surfaces like posters, furniture, toy boxes, books, cans, and more. The refreshed Android Studio Beta supports ARCore in the Emulator, so developers can get to work right away. Some of the first brands to offer ARCore content include Porsche, FC Barcelona, and Sotheby's. Google says it is expanding the availability of the Google Lens Preview, which lets you take a picture and gather information about what's in the image. Google says Lens will hit all Google Photos English-language users over the coming weeks. Further, Google is going to add Google Lens to its Google Assistant on select Android flagship devices. Lens lets people create contacts from business cards, recognize plants and animals, and add events to their calendar by taking photos.
Android Messages with RCS to Reach More Phones On More Carriers
Google says its Android Messages app is on the upswing thanks to new RCS-based tools and growing support from phone makers and wireless network operators. To start, brands now have more power to interact with consumers thanks to RCS business messaging. Google says brands can "send more useful and interactive messages" to their customers with photos, videos, and links for purchasing. A number of companies have been testing RCS business messaging via Google's Early Access Program. Some include 1-800 Contacts, 1-800-Flowers.com, Booking.com, SnapTravel, and Subway — all on Sprint in the U.S. Google says more businesses will be deploying richer messaging via the Android Messages app over the coming months. The Android Messages app has gained a lot of traction with phone makers and carriers, and more support is on the way. Moving forward, Alcatel, BlackBerry, Transsion, Blu, Positivo, Multilaser, Mobiwire, Azumi, and Essential will all preload Android Messages as the default SMS/messaging app. A number of phone makers already offer Android Messages, including Huawei, LG, HMD Global, HTC, Kyocera, Motorola, Sony, and ZTE. The app has a growing footprint with carriers, as well. Google says America Movil, AT&T in Mexico, Celcom Axiata Berhad, Freedom Mobile, Oi, Telia Company, and Telefonica have joined Deutsche Telekom, Globe Telecom, Orange, Rogers Communications, Sprint, and Telenor in their commitment to launch RCS messaging. Sprint is the lone U.S. carrier to go all-in with Google's RCS and Android Messages. AT&T and Verizon each offers its own RCS-based messaging client for Android handsets. Google believes this new momentum for RCS and Android Messages will eventually mean a better messaging experience between people, brands, and more.
Google Working with Carriers and Phone Makers to Expand Assistant's Reach and Capabilities
Google today said the Google Assistant is prepared to grow in a number of significant ways. First, the voice-activated tool is picking up some new languages. Google says Assistant will speak Danish, Dutch, Hindi, Indonesian, Norwegian, Swedish, and Thai on Android phones and iPhones in the next few months, with more languages on the way. Google expects Assistant to understand as many as 30 languages by the end of the year. Further, Google Assistant will be able to understand multiple languages at a time, meaning people can speak both English and German to their Assistant without changing settings. This feature will first be available between English, French, and German, with other languages to follow. Google also noted that it is working more directly from carriers and phone makers to improve Assistant. For example, LG, Sony, and Xiaomi are all prepared to rollout device-specific commands and features based on Google Assistant. Moreover, carriers Sprint, Koodo, Telus, and Vodafone are developing integrations with Assistant. Between the phone makers and carriers, Google expects Assistant to support individual device features, customer service queries, and more. Last, Google Assistant is adding two new tools to help people manage their day. Routines let people issue one command and set off a chain of actions. For example, say "Hey Google, I'm home" and the Assistant on Google Home or phone can turn on the lights, share any home reminders, play your favorite music, and more. Location-based reminders have now expanded to Google Home speakers. People can tell Assistant on their speaker to set reminders for specific locations, such as to get milk when at the store, and the alert will popup when appropriate. Google expects to bring even more features to Assistant throughout the year.
Samsung Max Offers Data Savings and Security for Android
Samsung today announced Samsung Max, a free app for Android devices that will provide new data conservation and security tools. The app, a reborn version of the former Opera Max app, includes Data Saving Mode to help people stretch their mobile data buckets a bit further each month. The app can monitor which apps are using data and alert users to apps that consume too much. It also helps by actively compressing images, videos, music files, and web pages within apps and the browser to keep data consumption down. People can fine-tune how Data Saving Mode polices other apps in the advanced settings tools. On the security front, Samsung Max includes Privacy Protection Mode, a VPN for securing phones when on WiFi. It encrypts WiFi traffic with a single tap, blocks trackers and cookies, and includes a Domain Name System masking service to hide the user's location. Samsung says Samsung Max will reach the Google Play Store on February 23. The company will also preinstall it on some devices later this year.
Google Says New Android Oreo Go and Android One Phones On Deck for MWC
Google today highlighted some forthcoming announcements that should have Android fans excited. To start, the company says a number of its handset partners are bringing new Android Oreo Go devices to market, and that the phones will be available for purchase soon. Android Oreo Go is a lightweight version of Android that can run on inexpensive devices with 1G of RAM or less. Google has built light versions of Gmail, YouTube, Search, and other apps so people with Android Go devices can still access information and entertainment on the go. Further, Google's hardware partners have new Android One phones in the works. Android One is a pure version of the platform that includes a streamlined user interface, regular security updates, major system upgrades, and solid performance. Google said it also has news regarding Google Assistant, Google Lens, and its RCS efforts for mobile messaging. Specific announcements are expected as soon as Sunday, February 25.
Cat's Rugged S61 Improves Thermal Camera
Cat Phones today unveiled the S61, an update to the S60. The S61 is a fully rugged Android smartphone that is waterproof, dirtproof, and able to handle temperature extremes, drops, vibration, and salt water. The S61 provides a major upgrade to the FLIR Lepton thermal imaging camera, which now offers higher resolution imagery (up to full HD) and a wider range of readable temperatures (-20C to 400C). Owners can even livestream thermal video to Facebook if they wish. A new indoor air quality sensor alerts people to high levels of indoor air pollutants, such as paints or solvents, and will sound an alarm of levels become dangerous. The S61 packs a laser-assisted distance/area measuring tool that has a range of 32 feet. The S61 includes a 5.2-inch full HD display with Gorilla Glass 5, glove sensitivity, and wet-finger tracking. The phone is powered by a Snapdragon 630 processor with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. A standard 16-megapixel camera adorns the back and an 8-megapixel shooter is on front. Other specs include USB-C, 3.5mm headphone jack, FM radio, Bluetooth 5.0, and a 4,500mAh battery with Quick Charge 4.0. Cat says the S61 will go on sale during the second quarter. Pricing in the U.S. is expected to be in excess of $1,000.
Intel Targeting 2019 5G Launch in Phones and PCs
Intel today announced a range of efforts in the 5G space, including its timeline for bringing new Intel-powered 5G devices to market. The company says it has been developing 5G technology for some now, including virtualized network functionality and software defined networks. It is relying on the 3GPP 5G NR spec and is working with vendors and partners to create an ecosystem of products to support 5G as it rolls out. One of the primary pieces of the 5G puzzle is Intel's recently announced Xeon D-2100 system-on-a-chip (SoC) processor. It can handle intensive compute and network workloads demanded by 5G at the network edge. Further, Intel has partnered with China's Unigroup Spreadtrum and will pair a Spreadtrum processor with its own XMM 8000 5G modem. Intel expects to see phones packing the combined Spreadtrum/Intel SoC during the second half of 2019. PCs with embedded 5G are on the horizon, too. PC makers Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Microsoft all plan to enable their mobile computers to support 5G connections with the Intel XMM 8060 modem. Intel and its partners will have some concepts on display at the forthcoming Mobile World Congress trade show. They also expect to bring these concepts to market during the second half of 2019.
LG Refreshes K8 and K10 Series Phones
LG today revealed two new handsets, 2018 updates to its K8 and K10 mid-range series. Both phones carry over the previous generations' pebble-shaped contours and 2.5D arc glass, but make advancements in the materials. The K10, for example, has a U-shaped metal frame while the K8 relies on polycarbonate. Shared features between the new K8 and K10 include improved low-light photography thanks to Low Light Noise reduction that's combined with HDR to eliminate grain and provide more luminosity and contrast. The cameras also gain a new Timer Helper feature that uses the flash as a visual guide during timer countdowns. The Flash Jump Shot feature takes one photo every three seconds and pastes them together into a shareable GIF. Shared specs include LTE, GPS, Bluetooth 4.2, WiFi, FM radio, microUSB, and Android 7 Nougat.
- K10: The larger of the two phones includes a 5.3-inch 720p display and a 1.5 GHz octa-core processor. It will ship with 2 or 3 GB of RAM and 16 or 32 GB of storage, depending on the variant. The phone features a 13-megapixel main camera and either a 5- or 8-megapixel wide-angle front camera. The selfie camera can capture bokeh-style shots. Other features include a 3,000mAh battery and fingerprint reader.
- K8: The K8 steps down to a 5-inch 720p display and a 1.3 GHz quad-core processor with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage. The rear camera has an 8-megapixel sensor while the front camera has a 5-megapixel sensor. It has a 2,500mAh battery.


text:
I found the Color Boost Lipstick to be long-lasting, smooth and a non-sticky lip color. It glides on the lips effortlessly whilst creating an incredible glaze. It has moisturizing properties and keeps lips protected with SPF 15 (hurray!).
The 02 Fuschia Libre is a vibrant pink with blue undertones. The lipstick is pigmented and you don't have to re-apply every now and then. A slight tissue wipe leaves the lips with a translucent stain.
The first swipe creates a sheer/natural looking pink color on the lips. I love this look. A second layer boosts the pink to deliver a vivid coat of color.
I'm not a huge fan of lip glosses but I really like the Color Boost Lipstick for its finish (it's so lightweight it feels like the gloss is made out of water vs. the standard glosses) and the fact that it leaves a natural looking lip stain.
I compared this to Bourjois' Shine Edition Lipstick in terms of the finish. The top swatch is the Shine Edition color and bottom is Color Boost.
As you would expect, the Shine Edition delivers a creamy finish whereas the Color Boost creates a softer finish.
Which one do you like?
Bourjois Color Boost Lipsticks are available across stores in the UAE.
*The product was sent by the brand/ its reps for a review. All reviews are based on my personal experience & outcome thereby presenting an honest opinion to the readers.


text:
Currently, there are 10 different paint colors on my wall, representing 4 trips to Lowe's, one trip to Home Depot, and one trip to a local DIY store that carried Benjamin Moore Paint. You see, as soon as I spent a couple of days going over your posts, staring at the walls, and thinking of the end product for my bookshelf project, I decided to get busy. Last weekend was a long weekend; I thought I'd pick out a color and paint Sunday and Monday. Ha! I drove to Lowe's, picked out a color, bought a sample and came home. I put a little on the wall, and oh my gosh, I hated it. It looked like the worst of a wintry day, and I really don't like the cold, especially at this point in the season. So I went back to Lowe's and then back again. I then decided to switch it up and went to Home Depot, and y'all, the color that looked gray at HD was flat-out purple. Uh uh. Then last weekend, I had tea with my best friend from high school, and she suggested (and my mom too) that I write Pottery Barn because the tearout I had was from their winter catalog. I got home, checked on the website and found the color: Newburyport Blue, Benjamin Moore. *cue angels singing* Except when I got the sample (which ain't cheap in old Ben Moore), it was blue – country blue. I picked another color, got another sample and slapped it up on the wall. I think it's a winner. It's called Blue Note, which seems appropriate as I love Blue Note records. So, ten colors later (I mixed two together at one point to try to achieve the perfect blue gray), I give you the dining room table, in all its glory:
I. Am. THE. Picky. Girl.


text:
"When you love someone, you do not love them all the time, in exactly the same way, from moment to moment. It is an impossibility. It is even a lie to pretend to. And yet this is exactly what most of us demand. We have so little faith in the ebb and flow of life, of love, of relationships. We leap at the flow of the tide and resist in terror its ebb. We are afraid it will never return. We insist on permanency, on duration, on continuity; when the only continuity possible, in life as in love, is in growth, in fluidity – in freedom, in the sense that the dancers are free, barely touching as they pass, but partners in the same pattern.
The only real security is not in owning or possessing, not in demanding or expecting, not in hoping, even. Security in a relationship lies neither in looking back to what was in nostalgia, nor forward to what it might be in dread or anticipation, but living in the present relationship and accepting it as it is now. Relationships must be like islands, one must accept them for what they are here and now, within their limits – islands, surrounded and interrupted by the sea, and continually visited and abandoned by the tides."― Anne Morrow Lindbergh, from her book Gift from the Sea
On the subject of love
We love so much and so deeply. I often forget that love does constantly change and that the change does not lessen the importance of love. There's friends I haven't spoken to in years and lovers from my past who are now in happy marriages; I still love them and know they love me. Maybe not in the exact way we once did but the bonds of a love that's true don't get broken overnight. Let go and let love into your life, in whatever form it might take at this moment. Bask in the fact that you are loved and that you can share love. Maybe not the way you have envisioned, but truly, you are so loved.


text:
Identity politics reign in Spike Lee's 1988 film, School Daze, a production set at the all-black Mission College. Borrowing the tropes from classical Hollywood musicals, early exploitation cinema (which was largely focused on troubled youth) and the popularity of the college raunch comedy, Lee subverts the values of the dominant social ethics and reaches into the heart of artifice ripping on the whitewashed legacy of popular cinema. As a genre film, School Daze can be boiled down to college rivalries — different groups separated as much by ideology as they are by shadeism. Using the frankness of the musical genre, tensions that usually hang below the surface suddenly become the text rather than the subtext. Questions of identity reign in School Daze. What does it mean to be black? What is a real man? What use is an all black college in an integrated society?
As much as there is to unpack in this film, for the purpose of this column, female sexuality will be explored, as the role of woman is deeply connected with the perception of masculinity in this cinematic world. As ambitious as the women in School Daze are, time and time again, they are objectified or mistreated by men. There are different layers, some are common misunderstandings, wrought with a certain degree of possessiveness. Dap (Laurence Fishburne) and Rachel's (Kyme) relationship is wrought with compromise and negotiations. Dap, dealing with his own conflicted identity as an activist, can be judgemental. Outside the bedroom, he speaks a big game, but one on one, he has an impulse to control his girlfriend, treating her like a political wife rather than a human being. Kyme has the strength to stand up to him, but the tension of Dap's desire to own and control her sometimes seems insurmountable. Yet, the way Lee portrays their sexual relationship stands among the sexiest scenes in cinema — often bathed in cool light, their passion and respect for each other is palpable. In those moments, they are connected body and mind.
Then there is the question of virginity as Half-Pint (Spike Lee) is pledging to become a member of The Gamma Ray fraternity. As the organization boasts to only welcome in "real men," the question of Half-Pint still having his v-card is a sore-spot. Real men make love to women, and since Half-Pint is already, well… half-sized, the demand that he doubles down on masculinity is needed. In these sequences, women are seen as prizes to be won. "Do you love me? Do you really love Gamma Phi Ray? Well, you're going to have to prove it." Leading his girlfriend (Tisha Campbell-Martin as Jane) by the hand, Dean Big Brother Almighty aka Julian (Giancarlo Esposito), president of the Gammas, offers her up to Half-Pint as a prize. She cries as she's led to the "bone room," where reluctantly Half-Pint takes what is given to him. An incredibly loaded sequence, it veers from tragedy to comedy — sometimes uncomfortably. Jane is cast off; she is rejected, shamed and lost, and her sorrow echoes through the rest of the film like an unsettled ghost.
Justine Smith (@redroomrantings) lives and writes in Montreal, Quebec. She has a bachelor's degree in Film Studies and a passionate hunger for all kinds of cinema. Along with writing for Vague Visages, she has written for Vice Canada, Cleo: A Feminist Journal and Little White Lies Magazine.


text:
So, I just bought a BBQ and had to move everything around. The tomatoes are finally starting to grow and I'm hoping for 6-8 weeks of sun so they can continue to grow. Still have problems with lobelias and had to get rid of my purple petunia - I think the root system grew to large for the container. I had continued difficulty with the lettuce after one month but I think I just needed new ones.
|August 2011 - updated photo album
June 2011
On my June 11, 2011 post I gave you an update on the progress of my patio garden. There have already been a couple of failures but for the most part, I'm happy with what I have. I bought a euphoria plant and it smells so lovely - just like honey.
I've never had so much colour in my garden - usually, I stick to different tones of greens and yellows - but I can certainly get used to this.
|Gardening 2011 - updated photo album
May, 2011
So I started gardening at the beginning of the month. I attempted to make my own planters. For the most part, it was easy enough to do. Check the original post for pics.
It's certainly challenging to garden in a new space when you're so used to a certain lay out. I've done what I can for now. I will probably need to get rid of the lanterns as they just seem out of place. A nice heather bush or multicoloured arrangement would work much better down there.
I will continue to post updates about my garden now and again. In the mean time, please take a look at the album to keep track of the progress of my patio garden.
|Gardening 2011
I love gardening. I often take solitary field trips to gardens small and large and spend hours discovering and exploring. It's very overwhelming experience - the colours, the scents, the tactile sensations get processed through my brain to create a kaleidoscope of reactions.
When I bought my first apartment, I had a humongous patio. It would have been an utter shame to let it go to waste. During my first year, I feverishly educated myself by reading blogs, attending free seminars at the local nursery and experimented with different combination of plants and seeds. Even if the plants didn't grow or I committed a huge blunder I won't say that anything I did was a failure. It was all a learning experience.
Now in my third year of gardening, I have a new space, new exposure and new challenges. I can't wait to tackle them and share them with you.
|Gardening 2010
|Gardening 2009
If you have any suggestions or advise, I would love to hear from you. Thanks for sharing!
HTML Comment Box is loading comments...


text:
Real-Time TV Ad Measurement & Attribution
Alphonso Insights gives you TV ad campaign insights on thousands of brands, brand categories and commercials, at your fingertips. It's TV ad analytics for the digital age, with closed-loop attribution for understanding the offline impact of your TV spend.
Closed Loop Attribution
With our tv ad analytics you'll know the impact of your ads on store, restaurant, service station or dealership visits, credit card transactions, policy binds, auto purchases and more. Browse our real-world location attribution reports from Alphonso Insights, and initiate your own.
TV Ad Campaign Insights at Your Fingertips
No more waiting for days or weeks to find out how your TV ad campaign performed. Alphonso Insights gives you instant TV ad analytics on your brand, your competitors, and your entire category. Know which creatives work best, on which networks and in which dayparts.
Instant TV Ad Analytics For Your Entire Category
Real-time metrics for all your TV ad campaigns. And your competitor's campaigns too. Get granular details on airings, share of voice, spend, reach and more. Compare TV ad performance against competitors, or entire categories.
Powered by the Alphonso TV Data Cloud.
Actionable Answers, Before It's Too Late
Until now, data reporting could take weeks or even months. Therefore by the time you see it, you can't take action. Bring ad analytics in house. Optimize your ad spend across TV and digital while your campaign is in flight.
Use TV ad analytics from Alphonso Insights to inform your next TV-to-digital retargeting campaign. It's the best way to optimize TV campaign spend across all screens.


text:
Managing Multiple Servers with Windows Server 2012
By Edward Jones
The age of the internet and the expansion of Cloud Computing has largely eradicated the existence of single server companies. The life of a Windows Server Admin is not so simple any more, as depicted by our previous graphic, a majority of companies now operate multiple versions of Server OS systems simultaneously. Having to check the performance and monitor for issues across multiple servers can be both tricky and time consuming. Not to mention remoting into 10's of Servers being both inefficient and annoying.
Those lucky enough to be using Windows Server 2012, dubbed the 'Cloud OS', will no longer have this issue. The latest Server OS comes retrofitted with a powerful new function as part of the 'Server Manager' interface.
Admins using this Server OS can get a multi-server view of the environment, not only that they can check performance and troubleshoot issues on the fly from a central location. In the following graphic, Windows Server Instructor Ed Baker takes you through the powerful new feature and teaches you exactly how to Manage Multiple Servers in Windows Server 2012.
If you have any questions or want to see other guides for Windows Server 2012, why drop us a comment?
About the Author: Ed Jones works for Firebrand Training heading up community engagement within the Marketing department. Ed spends his days thinking up topics for surveys, article titles and concepts for engaging infographics. You can check out a range of his most recent work via the Firebrand Press Page.


text:
Thank you to everyone who voted for me in the election - and to the huge number of people who have sent me such kind messages of congratulations.
It is a real honour to be given the chance to represent our area again - especially in these challenging times.
I am currently appointing my staff but I will be available for advice surgeries as often as possible. For an appointment, please call 020 8288 2736 or email email@example.com.
With best wishes,