MOTO Z THE FINEST LARGE FORMAT SMARTPHONE

Thinner than any other PHABLET, Moto Z is also a highly modular model. Unfortunately for him, his finesse is also a disadvantage: its battery is far from the more durable the market.

First high end model of Motorola designed entirely under the banner of its new owner Lenovo, Moto Z is characterized by a system of additional modules. We will soon return to these accessories. We will content ourselves, in this testing, we look at the pure performance of the smartphone.

With only 5.2 mm thick, Moto Z ranks as one of the thinnest smartphones on the market. It must be acknowledged, the effect is really striking when taken in hand. Unfortunately, such a design implies that the Photo block exceeds the back cover prominently.

Another defect: very sharp edges that make the sometimes unpleasant handling. The smartphone is fortunately comes with a magnetic protective cover (This is the same mounting system present on the Mods) which is pressed to the back. If it helps give the mobile a more pleasant hand made, it increases, however, the overall thickness of the device.

NO JACK ... EXCEPT ON HEADPHONES

On the low range, we also note the absence of audio jack. If this makes you think about the iPhone 7, it's normal, it's exactly the same principle as Lenovo adopted here. Except that the audio signal transmission is not done via a Lightning port, but by USB Type-C. To remedy this lack, the manufacturer has also included in its box a USB Type-C to Jack Adapter.

We will necessarily use this device with headphones come with the smartphone, their connections remaining jack. For consistency, we can forget. Other ergonomic inconvenience the cable of quick charger, very cumbersome moreover, is crimped into the outlet. so it is impossible to use it to connect the Moto Z to a computer. A choice really not practical that requires the user to purchase a second USB Type-C cable, for example, synchronize the phone with a computer.

ANDROID WITHOUT A OVERLAY OR ALMOST

On the interface, the manufacturer has chosen to continue the policy that made its previous models very pleasant to use. The Moto Z and uses almost no overlay on its Android 6, inherited a choice from Google few years, at the time when the US giant acquired with the manufacturer. This especially enables faster deployment updates of the operating system. 

Use side, we note the presence of a fingerprint reader at the bottom of the screen. Devoid of mechanics, it is not a real button, plus a touchpad. However, it can pause the device (or unlock) when used leaving his finger placed on it during a big second.

Question screen, Lenovo has here chosen to equip this model of a slab AMOLED Quad HD (2560 x 1440 pixels) 5.5-inch. As always with this technology black are perfect. The brightness rises in return only 375 cd / m². This is significantly worse than the Galaxy S adopts the same AMOLED technology but manage to exceed 600 cd / m².

POWERFUL, BUT NOT VERY AUTONOMOUS

The display is managed by classical Adreno 530 graphics chip coupled to the processor Snapdragon 820 Qualcomm, clocked here at 1.8GHz, when competitors using the same processor usually choose a speed of 2.2 GHz. This choice is wise to use. The processor and especially its graphics chip proves sufficiently powerful for navigating the interface is ultra fluid, like 3D games. The test with the application Epic Citadel, one reaches also the 60 frames per second, without noting any slowdown after several tens of minutes. This attests to a great technical mastery from the Chinese manufacturer, especially with a Quad HD display. 

With a form factor of such finesse difficult for Lenovo to cram in this Moto Z a huge battery. This is only a model of 2600 mAh which team so this smartphone, away from the usual capabilities of these large formats. This feels so logically on the results of our versatile test where the model performs only 7 hours 18 m. It is in much better fate in communications with 26 hours 21m, but the overall autonomy remains very mixed. The choice to curb the processor at 1.8GHz nonetheless limited the damage.

We could say much the same of photographs taken with the 13-megapixel sensor Moto Z. Rather good in the light, they are marking time as soon as the last drop. However, it remains in the top of the basket of the Photo quality, but without reaching the performance of a Galaxy S6 or S7, for example. Small also regret the video side: if the image is stabilized it is still too choppy and distorted for a smartphone price level. Finally, note that the 5-megapixel sensor on the front accompanied him as a flash to make selfies in the dark.

Moto Z Very powerful, with a beautiful display, but less convincing as to its autonomy and photos skills, Moto Z remains, after all, if not a total success, at least an extremely attractive smartphone. It is furthermore helped by interesting design and modularity.

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Sony Xperia X Compact, Best In Everything Except Photo

If the new smartphone from Sony impresses on many aspects (display, performance, battery life), it was expected on a particular point: the photo. Unfortunately, the manufacturer remains entangled in his choixtechniques still amazing.

This is already the fourth model of the Year of the series Xperia X. Unveiled at IFA in Berlin at the end of August, the Sony Xperia X Compact inaugurates new brand Photo device in which much hope is placed. It is supposed to reduce the backlog in the field by Sony.

When the out of the box for the first time, it is first seduced by its design and color "blue haze" of our exemplary, such as Sony has christened. It is also available in black and white, much more classic colors. The catch in hand is pleasant, despite the exclusive use of plastic to its hull. The finish is beautiful and does not suffer any default. We simply note its thickness of 9.5 mm, larger than competing models. But it allows, for example, the lens of the camera not to exceed the hull, as now on almost all smartphones. Note also the absence waterproofing on this model, unlike its big brother, the sony Xperia XZ.  

SCREEN AND GOOD HOLD PERFORMANCE

Note that the screen still occupies as little space on the front. The bands top, bottom, sides are always important, just like what Apple also be still with his iPhone. This plays on the footprint of the phone and is not involved in its compactness. However, Sony delivers here a 4.6-inch HD panel in good order. It offers a brightness of 526 cd / m² and a contrast of 1143: 1. The manufacturer is therefore continuing its habits in the area of the display that will make the screen readable in all circumstances, including in the sun

Question performance, midrange Snapdragon processor 650 to 1.8 GHz coupled with a HD display only promises rather good results especially in terms of 3D performance. They are excellent reality. Never the sony Xperia X Compact is be found wanting There have been no slowdown at the interface navigation. Its Adreno 510 graphics chip turns out to be perfect for 3D games which do not undergo any stutters. This is confirmed by our tests with Epic Citadel smartphone application that displays 58 frames per second. Best of all, the entire manages the heat very well and has never unpleasant in hand.

AUTONOMY A MARKED INCREASE

Another pleasant surprise: autonomy. The Xperia X Compact and its battery of 2700 mAh realize 9 am to 15 our versatile test and 22 h 13 in communication. Good scores, especially compared to the rest of the Xperia range that had disappointed us on this point. One could thus compare the Xperia X, it also equipped with a Snapdragon processor 650 and a nearly equivalent battery of 2620 mAh, who had reached only 7 h 13 to our versatile test. The use of a Full HD screen, more resource hungry, surely has played a negative role.

Finally comes the question of the photo characterized by two points: the application responsiveness and image quality achieved. Was repeated for several generations of Xperia, Sony has a concern about the image processing time. After pressing the shutter button, the result is only available to two seconds later. Certainly not enough to make the phone unusable, but still baffling at a time when the competition offers a snapshot.

THE INCONSISTENCIES FROM SONY PHOTO

Despite Sony's efforts on this Sony Xperia X Compact thanks to the triple image detection helping a tune actually very fast focus we found exactly the same shortcomings as the previous models. We even compared to the reactivity of the Xperia X tested last June and since updated. But the conclusion remains the same, both models are equally slow to process the image. 

On the second point, there either, no particular improvement in image quality. Sony still uses its "smart" mode to deliver only a default image to 8 megapixels, built from the 23-megapixel sensor. This process is supposed to improve the quality of shots, but finally made that slow processing. The Sony Xperia X Compact remains still lagging behind compared to the best models on the market. 

If the photos are far from bad, they do not offer, despite everything, not even a stung Galaxy S7 or iPhone 6s, both high in low light. Thus the repeat again, it is urgent that Sony software review its approach to photography, strange for a company that provides some of the best devices of the market and its team of sensors of many smartphone brands.

SONY XPERIA X COMPACT

Although more successful than previous Xperia X, thanks to a much better managed autonomy, smartphone, however, leaves a sense of unfinished business. The fault still and always the quality of the photos, a notch below the best market players. When Sony will solve this problem, the company will finally be able to play on equal terms with its competitors.

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HTC Makes The Buzz Around The Release Of Desire 10

The upcoming smartphone from the Taiwanese brand could arrive in two versions with a richly equipped.

That's ten days that HTC turned up the heat around an event which will run September 20, 2016. The brand should present the HTC Desire 10.

After a teaser «showing» a fingerprint sensor accompanied by the hashtag #BeEdgier, then another revealing some smartphone design (rounded contours and gold line on the perimeter) HTC has released a third where we can see an optical image and the number 150. It could be the angular coverage of the device, which would make it the equivalent of a super wide angle. Awesome!

These are, for now, the only "official" information on this smartphone. For the rest, we must be content with leaks and rumors. According to them, there are two versions of the HTC Desire 10, a Pro and Lifestyle.

The «HTC Desire 10» Lifestyle offer a HD screen of 5.5 inches. It would be powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor along with 2 or 3 GB of RAM and 16 or 32GB of storage space. It should run on Android Marshmallow and have two sensors picture 13 Mpix and 5. Both would be able to film in 1080p.

About the «HTC Desire 10» Pro, it should also offer a 5.5-inch screen but this time in Full HD. This remains very uncertain. Other sources based on a page GFX Bench, longer see a 5.1 inch screen with 2560 x 1440 pixels. The HTC Desire Pro 10 is powered by a Snapdragon 820 accompanied by 4GB of RAM and offer 32 or 64 GB of storage space.

With a bit of luck, other information, we will not fail to relay emerge by the conference of HTC.

Sources: SlashGear 

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Apple Keynote: The 7 Major New Features iPhone 7

We waited an iPhone not really exciting, however Apple opera some significant changes to its smartphone. Summary of the Apple keynote in 7 important points.

1. Design

For the first time after a two-year cycle, Apple has not fundamentally changed the form factor of a smartphone. To make up this lack, the manufacturer has yet attempted to bring out the big artillery aesthetic. Two details can thus be highlighted. The first is the finish "black jays," and thus fully polished glossy appearance. The second is the integration of the camera sensor, set within the casing in a ring carved directly into the mass. Finally, we note the removal of parts of the antenna that stood in the back cover. 

2. Camera

This is one of the most important developments of the iPhone 7. Optical stabilization is now used on both models, while the aperture of the lens goes to f / 1.8. But it is especially the dual sensor of the iPhone 7 Plus that challenges. It combines a wide angle and standard focal length corresponding to the perception7. from the human eye. This allows optical zoom x2 and x10 digital zoom.

3. Home Button

Central element of the iPhone interface, the home button had not really changed since the first model in 2007. IPhone 7, Apple is inspired by the Force Touch trackpads on MacBook and MacBook Pro to design a central button-free mechanics. It is now a vibration that will simulate activation. It will also be programmed with shortcuts to predetermined actions and can also work with third party applications.

4. Waterproof

Apple was late on that point, compared with Sony and Samsung, none of his iPhone was never sealed. This version 7 henceforth responds to the norm of IP67. This means it is sealed against dust and can spend up to 30 minutes within one meter of water. 

5. The end of the jack

Another event planned by rumors for months: the complete disappearance of the audio jack. The EarPods shipped in the box available henceforth a Lightning port. They will be accompanied by a Lightning adapter towards jack to use the old helmets. Others can use the Bluetooth connection or the new «Wireless» Apple coupled with new AirPods headphones and a range of Beats headphones.

6. Speakers

Apple also set a speaker on each side of the screen. Like other manufacturers (HTC has done for a long time). This allows especially to enjoy a stereo effect. Apple also announced that the volume will be doubled compared to the iPhone 6s.

7. A10 Fusion Processor

Finally, the heart of the smartphone is obviously updated. The new processor - which is adorned with the suffix «Fusion» - has four cores. Two are dedicated to the performance, while the other two are trimmed for energy efficiency. They will be asked about such low-intensive tasks such as reading e-mails. This allows Apple to promise autonomy rising. The iPhone 7 would allow two hours of use in addition to the iPhone 6s, while the iPhone 7 Plus would gain an hour compared to the iPhone 6s Plus. IPhone 7 and 7 Plus will be available for pre-order on 9 September and delivered from September 16. They are available in 32, 128 and 256 GB at the respective prices from 769, 879 and 989 USD (909 USD in 1019 and 1129). Be between 20 and 50 USD more than the models of last year.

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Apple Will Announce The Next iPhone On September 7

No more mystery and uncertainty. Apple has sent invitations to the US media to tell them that it will hold a keynote next week to announce his new iPhone.

It's official, the next iPhone will be presented in San Francisco on September 7. Apple has just sent her invitations: the event will take place, like last year, the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, where we were also last June at its developer conference.

As usual, the invitation is very stylized and cryptic. It shows bright spots of colors that draw the shape of an apple. A short sentence says "See you on the 7th." See you on the 7th ... Should we extrapolate a double meaning which would also give a clue on the name of the smartphone? Perhaps, even if the rumors hinted in recent times that the next iPhone may not change numbers to mark the transition to a development cycle on three years, not two.

We will be in any case soon fixed. Many analysts have suggested for months that this new iPhone may not introduce Apple reserves for next year and the ten years of its smartphone. In addition to Apple A10 chip more efficient, iPhone 6SE or 7 could disappear its jack and perhaps even its Home button, even if that innovation seems rather book in edition 2017 of the Apple phone.

This keynote could also be an opportunity for Apple to announce other products. Watch 2 A new version of the clock connected to the American giant, could thus be presented. This course will run on watchOS 3, the operating system dedicated Apple announced at WWDC 2016. According to rumors, the Watch 2 could be equipped with better battery, a more powerful processor - to accelerate the launch and implementation of applications, and even 3G and GPS chips, two alleged shortcomings of the first generation launched in April 2015.

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Zika Virus Can Proliferate In The Vagina For Several Days

This replication of the virus Zika in the genital tissue, observed on mice, could be an important source of infection through sex. 

Zika virus can replicate in the vagina several days after infection, have revealed Thursday, August 25, 2016 researchers after studying, on mice its sexual transmission. This replication Zika Virus in the vagina can be an important source of infection "With consequences potentially serious " Note this study for Yale University and published in the journal Cell. Specifically, pregnant mice were infected in their vaginal device by Zika virus, which then spread throughout the genital tract to the brain of the fetus. "We noticed a significant duplication of the virus throughout the genital tissue up to four to five days " said Akiko Iwasaki, professor of immunobiology at Yale and clinical expert at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. When the mice were assigned at the beginning of pregnancy, the virus reaches the fetal brain, the researchers found. Infections associated with a weight loss of the fetus.

The vagina, incubator of the virus?

Even though the phenomenon has to be demonstrated in humans, "This discovery may be important for all women, not just pregnant women, said Ms. Iwasaki. The vagina is a body where the virus can copy itself and potentially be transmitted to partners " points out the researcher. In fact, Zika is usually transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito. But through sexual transmission is also possible. There is thus at least one known case of woman who infected her partner; and several other cases are under investigation for men. Zika can indeed persist in the sperm up to six months according to the latest studies.

"This study could therefore help (...) to find a treatment for virus infection during pregnancy." - Jill Rabin

Jill Rabin, doctor specializing in women's health at the Health Northwell New Hyde Park in the State of New York, has qualified This discovery of "interesting". "The infection of the vagina to the fetus might be a more direct way infectious. This study could therefore help (...) to find a treatment for virus infection during pregnancy." For Tomer Singer, director of endocrinology reproduction at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, the study "revives concern that Zika is a sexually transmitted disease rather than a virus affecting pregnant women. 

" The vagina may promote duplication because it is a hot and humid place, he said.  Health agencies therefore recommend pregnant women to use condoms or abstinence if they live or travel in regions contaminated by Zika. A woman infected with this virus runs a greater risk of giving birth to a child with a brain defect known as microcephaly.

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Pokémon Go lost 15 million players in one month

After an outstanding start in early July, the game developed by Niantic is running out of steam. But he keeps a solid base of followers.

There are less than two months the world was going crazy with the arrival of Pokémon Go to the United States. Around the world, lovers of the universe created by Nintendo rushed to unofficial versions to start hunting. Quickly Pokémon Go  became the most downloaded app in the App Store. But according to the US firm Axiom Capital Management, the trend is now downwards, since the beginning of August.

Around July 20, about 45 million trainers opened the application daily. A month later, that figure is only 30 million users. A community that remains huge, but was reduced by a third. Still, the app is still in top spot free games on the Europe Play Store and in second place in the same category on the App Store US.

The breathlessness of the game can be attributed to the time investment it requires to progress, cheaters aside. The study published by Axiom Capital Management has also been carried out following the concern of investors and other leaders applications like Facebook, Tinder Twitter or face down the time spent on their services.

Niantic remains to keep the adrenaline through its updates of (Pokémon Go) - the latest of the APK is available. But the new opponent of the studio could finally be winter. Running after a Rattatac under 25 degrees is not bad. With 20 degrees less, some might be tempted to give up.

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