#recently so the other day i unlocked it and flashed android 6 on it which was ALSO a nightmare btw

[kronecker-delta]

Farscape Nier crossover and ideas

Snippet (from 2017) Farscape/Nier: Automata --- Her room was a mess. Scattered parts of her uniform and other clothes piled along along the sides, kicked there when she came and went. Her personal books disarrayed, off the shelf and toppled over by her bed. She'd been putting off cleaning again and with the recent arrivals none of the operators could be spared to make up for her bad habits. None of that mattered at the moment. White sat in her chair, staring out into the void. A souvenir of her old days in the ground based resistance held in her hands. The framed picture of pair of androids seated on the still smoldering bulk of the ruined machine behemoth a memory of a simpler, happier time. A knock on her door brought her attention away from melancholy remembrance. Before she could compose herself and more sternly tell whoever had interrupted her what she had meant by 'Only bother me if there's an emergency' another knock issued forth. Followed by a voice. "Hey White? You in there?" She froze. She had so desperately hoped that it wouldn't be him. *** "I've never been here before," White said apologetically as their transport ship came down beside the small lunar outpost. A tiny thing, compared to the bunker. Even given the greater volume underground for secured data storage and backup generators. "No problem. First time I've been on the moon," he said, giving her a reassuring smile that didn't quite manage to look entirely honest. His frown returning as they stepped out of the transport, the boots of his pressured suit crunching into the light dusting of lunar sand that had covered part of the landing pad. "Feels like I should say something... 'Great leap for mankind and all that' you know. Hey, is the Apollo site still around?" "It is. If you want we could visit there Commander Crichton." "Just John... or Crichton. Being called Commander all the time feels weird," John Crichton said. "I know I'm the last human but..." "I-I understand," White answered. Keeping her own emotions deeply locked down as they passed into the fortified complex of the moon server. Past the scant few technicians and guards and into a dark room, nearly empty save for a single console located in the center. A black void engulfed the walls, impenetrable shadows, as the terminals and screens had long laid dormant. "So now what?" His voice echoed in the room, which must have been far larger than they had at first thought. Low clicks and whirs came from the bulk of the machine, the long slumbering physical access port awakening. Lights flashed along the walls and beyond them, racks upon racks of computer systems networked together awakening. A great screen before them coming on and displaying a stylized picture of a tree, long dark roots stretching out from its base. OVERSIGHT AND RECORDING SYSTEM VER. 2.01 SLEEPING BEAUTY ONLINE. CONFIRM USER PERMISSIONS NOW. "Commander White, YoRHa access S-Class security," White said. Looking to her side and adding, "As well as a guest." CONFIRM GUEST'S IDENTITY. "John Crichton, Commander in the IASA," John said. "Born... 1969. June 6th. If that helps any." The computer sat in silence for a long moment, not responding, the screen frozen as the loading bar seemed stuck in time. They shared a look of confusion, both android and human wondering if the ancient archive might have crashed and who was going to have to go out and ask the few technicians to help reboot it. Then the room came alight, a dozen more monitors online, the totality of it awake for the first time in forever. HUMAN IDENTITY CONFIRMED BASED ON HISTORICAL RECORDS. YoRHA S-CLASS SECURITY CLEARANCE SUBSTITUTED FOR UNRESTRICTED SYSTEM ACCESS. S-CLASS, SS-CLASS, AND HAMELIN ORGANIZATION FILES NOW UNLOCKED. GREETINGS COMMANDER JOHN CRICHTON. HOW MAY THIS SYSTEM AID YOU TODAY? "What... what's 'SS-Class?' There shouldn't be a level of security above mine." NEGATIVE. THERE ARE TWO. SS-CLASS, CONTAINING SENSITIVE FILES DEEMED TOO DANGEROUS TO BE KNOWN OUTSIDE OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL. AS WELL AS FILES REGARDING THE HAMELIN ORGANIZATION, WHICH WERE TO BE SEALED UNTIL SUCH A TIME AS A HUMAN USER ACCESSED THIS SYSTEM. "We do this so that the future generations will have the opportunity to judge us for our sins." "Who the hell was that?" John asked, shocked by the computer suddenly vocalizing. Producing the sound of some long dead man. Old and ill, his voice straining to make the words clear into the recording. DR. EUGENE ADLER, HAMELIN RESEARCHER IN DEMONIC ELEMENT MANIPULATION EXPERIMENTS. BY HIS RECOMMENDATION AND THE UN SPECIAL SECURITY COUNCIL'S AUTHORITY IT WAS FELT THAT KNOWLEDGE OF THE HAMELIN ORGANIZATION'S INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE DEMONIC ELEMENT AND THE 6-12 INCIDENT COULD NOT BE PUBLICLY REVEALED UNTIL THE CRISIS HAD PASSED. John looked to White, hoping she might be able to explain something, anything of what the computer had just told them. But she looked just as confused as he did. "Ah... Computer?" YES JOHN CRICHTON? "Define 'demonic element' please." DEMONIC ELEMENT: QUANTUM OBSERVATION REACTING PARTICLES BROUGHT OVER BY THE ENTITIES INVOLVED IN THE 6-12 INCIDENT. TWO VARIETIES WERE DETERMINED UPON FURTHER RESEARCH. TYPE I, WHICH CAME FROM THE ENTITY CLASSIFIED 'QUEEN OF THE GROTESQUE' AMONG NUMEROUS OTHER NAMES ACQUIRED FROM OBSERVATION DATA OF LEGION FORCES AND PRE-SUBLIMATION MEMETIC CORRUPTION OF WHITE CHLORINATION SYNDROME PATIENTS. TYPE I MATERIAL HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THIS UNIVERSE FOR THE LAST EIGHT THOUSAND YEARS FOLLOWING THE COMPLETE PURGING OF IT FROM THE EARTH'S ENVIRONMENT. TYPE II CAME FROM THE OTHER ENTITY, CLASSIFIED AS 'A DRAGON' NO OTHER NAME OR IDENTITY DETERMINED. WHILE HIGHLY REACTIVE AND DANGEROUS IN LARGE DOSES IT WAS FOUND TO BE STABLE IN SMALL AMOUNTS AND TO LACK THE MALEVOLENT EFFECT ON INTELLIGENT LIFE THAT TYPE I MATERIAL EXHIBITED. EVENTUAL CONTROLLED EXPOSURE AND SYNTHESIS EXPERIMENTS LED TO THE CREATION OF FOCUSED MAGIC ENERGY EFFECTS AND SUBSEQUENT DEVELOPMENTS IN FIELDS OF NEUROLOGY AND META-COGNITION AS WELL AS NUMEROUS OTHERS. PROJECT GESTALT AND ANDROID CONSCIOUSNESS ARE BOTH LONG TERM SUCCESSES OF THIS RESEARCH. HIGH ENERGY MAGIC WEAPONS WERE ALSO ATTEMPTED BUT LATER SHELVED FOR BEING UNRELIABLE. AS OF THIS DATE THE AMOUNT OF TYPE II MATERIAL PRESENT IN THIS UNIVERSE IS ESTIMATED TO BE 63 METRIC TONS, OVER A HUNDRED FOLD INCREASE IN MASS FROM THAT OF THE ORIGINAL ENTITY BROUGHT ABOUT BY CONTINUAL SYNTHESIS AND ITS NECESSITY IN THE CREATION OF NEW ANDROIDS AND ALL CURRENT GENERATION MAGICAL DEVICES. THE ANDROID WHITE HAS 6 GRAMS OF IT AS PART OF THEIR INTERNAL SYSTEMS, MOSTLY RELEGATED TO META-COGNITIVE PROCESSES. "Wait... wait!" John yelled out, grabbing onto the unused console as he stared at the enormous amount of text that had just been displayed. More and more appearing on other monitors, going into greater detail about all sorts of absurd things. "What do you mean by magic? And dragons? What the hell happened to Earth?" THE 6-12 INCIDENT. PLAYING ARCHIVED DATA NOW... *** Crichton sat on the edge of her bed. Looking down at his hands, fingers intertwined. He hadn't spoken since White had stepped aside and ushered him in. Neither had she. She had wanted to be alone, and had hoped that Crichton would choose to spend some time with his alien friends. Or his semi-human lover... "You know, it's kind of funny," he said at last, a low chuckle that surprised White. He truly did sound amused by the dark comedy of his situation. "What?" "Well, when I first realized you were lying about something... after I got over the whole 'android' deal anyway," Crichton said, looking up from his hands to look into White's eyes. "I was so certain that the deep dark secret you were keeping from me was that you all went Terminator on the humans and than got ashamed about it." White found herself smiling despite it all. "I guess I can imagine why you would think that. Even if we don't all look like Central European bodybuilders from the Old World." His expression collapsed, going from amusement to a shock so profound it looked like a stiff breeze would have knocked him over. White found herself confused and then very worried. Had she said something wrong? Then he started to laugh, slow at first, but building into something that bordered on mania. Rolling onto his back and shaking in the hysterics. "Haha... oh god... you have no idea, no goddamn idea how long I've wanted someone to get one of my dumb references," Crichton sat up looking far happier than he had a moment ago, the levity of their absurd connection dispelling the melancholy cloud that had hung over them since their return from the lunar server. "Like I love those idiots on Moya, but being around aliens on the other side of the galaxy for a few years really makes you long for some normal human conversation." "I... I think I can understand. Somewhat. It must have been very lonely out there." "Lonely, terrifying, insane... beautiful too. Space is crazy like that. Full of contrasts so sharp it's stunning. I-I wanted to bring that back you know? Not just to get home, but to show what I had found out there," he said, pointing to the stars outside White's window. "I guess it's too late for that now." "I'm sorry," White said. Noting the strange look that Crichton was giving her now she hesitated before continuing. "I'm sorry we failed." "Failed? Failed at what? Stopping a magic apocalypse that had already started before the first androids came online? Which reminds me, we're going to need to do something about them later. Those twin models that someone had the bright idea to shoulder with some fucked up version of android collective punishment." Crichton leaned forward, massaging his forehead as he did so. "That's probably only the tip of the bullshit you're dealing with and here I come with a whole new mess of problems. Maybe it would have been better if I had never found Earth." "No! Crichton you-we can fix things. I know we can. Not just your presence here or for getting access to sealed archives in the server. The technology you brought with you. It very well might represent a turning point in the war with the machines." "And what about the Sebaceans... the Peacekeepers? The Scarren Empire? Or hell, even the Nebari Establishment? Better gravity control systems and two hundred year old ship scale energy shields won't stop a fleet if it comes knocking at our door." "We'll do what we always have. Try and protect Earth and mankind's legacy from any aggressor. Whether distant cousins that no longer remember their home-world like the Sebaceans... or these Scarrens you've mentioned so much. We won't- we cannot retreat from this fight. Not now." White clenched her fist tightly, the glove creaking as she set a firm expression on her face. "I promise you Crichton, even if the past is lost, we will make a future worth fighting for." Ideas: I've been thinking over the ideas of a Farscape/Nier crossover some more, coming up with elements, themes, and specific scenes that would be fun to explore and write. These are some of the ideas I've had in no particular order. 1. Androids in relation to the Last Human (Crichton). Crichton is a self-admitted sci-fi geek, not surprising for a second generation astronaut that grew up wanting to explore the stars. He straight up makes comparisons to how he attempts to handle alien encounters to be inspired from watching Star Trek. Given that I think his relation to the androids would develop in a certain direction. Once the initial shock of a) the amount of time passed and b) that these people he thought were human aren't passes, he wouldn't feel comfortable having an intelligent race acting subordinate to him. I can see multiple incidents where some variety of complex philosophical quandary or just plain relationship question from 6O results in him telling them that humans really didn't have a better answer. Long term this would likely take the form of a very serious conversation where he points out that Earth, and what of its culture and history still lives, isn't in just human, whether the dead ones or genetically altered human descended Sebaceans. Or even in any hypothetical offspring that he might have. Basically, 'Mankind' includes them, as they're what's keeping the memory of it all alive. Aside from some bonding scenes between various androids and Crichton as they go over bits of alien tech, one idea I have in particular is that he takes a tour of moon landing sites, including the one his father visited. Effectively the only place he will ever see any lasting evidence of that man in particular. And the reaction of his android guide (White perhaps?) as well as the Apollo 11 plaque cements his decision to change the way the androids view their relation with humans, at least in so much as he can. 2. 2B and 9S (and others perhaps). I think there's a lot of fun to be had in placing the androids into weird situations with the aliens, and even more so if for some reason they have to head off away from Earth for a period of time. Since I can easily see the plan being for them to lie constantly. Lie about being human, lie about the 'Glorious Terran Federation' which is totally a military power that we didn't just make up, lie about what they're capable of, lies upon lies as they try and deceive the Scarrens and the Peacekeepers and keep Earth safe from either side those aggressive powers. In general I think 'Androids pretend to be human to deceive aliens' is a good plot for lots of stories, and could easily be turned into a rather long plot. Since the androids wouldn't want to let Crichton head off to parley with these alien aggressors on his own. And he could really use all the help he can get for whatever crazy ass plot he comes up with next. 3. Aliens would want Android tech. Probably just Scorpius, but others too if they find out more about Earth. I hadn't realized it at the time, but there was a period of the show where the hybrid Scarren-Sebacean was working with Crichton, and that would be the perfect opportunity for him to learn something about the androids and Earth history. And being him, he would look at all this extra-dimensional BS and android super soldiers and see potential weapons. He'd probably be disappointed that the Queen's Maso wasn't around anymore and that Hamelin Organization stopped human testing after Emil, since it would mean he'd be working from scratch if he could just get back into the good graces of the Peacekeepers and do so with enough of the demonic element to set up another research base. Hell, he'd probably try to directly convince Crichton get the androids to agree to serve the Peacekeepers, since that would technically put them back into contact with 'humans' if genetically engineered ones. Arguing that he could get the entire remaining population of Earth a ticket off world (to a nice Peacekeeper controlled colony where the can serve their new military overlords) if destroying the machine lifefroms proved to difficult even with a few starships to blast them from orbit. 4. The Terminals. The central intelligence of the machine lifeforms would likely reconsider its direction of evolution far earlier with a living human to observe, especially one that tries so hard to avoid aggressive resolutions. Even if that doesn't work, Crichton's crew and allies proves that he has managed to connect and form lasting bonds with entirely alien beings over and over. A direct repudiation of what the machine network had thus far found to be the fastest way to accelerate its own growth. Whether this would lead to a quicker conclusion that it needs to escape Earth and find its own destiny, likely expedited by FTL tech it took from the androids once Crichton revealed it to them, or an attempt at some kind of allegiance against the various hostile powers of the greater galaxy is unknown. While I can easily see Pascal and various pacifistic or non-hostile machine lifeforms being taken into account as potential allies the actions of the terminals past and potentially present would form a barrier to attempted cooperation. 5. Allying with the Worm Hole Ancients. The aliens that gave John Crichton knowledge about worm holes in the first place did so because they were running from an unstated catastrophe that had destroyed their home world. They originally decided against direct contact with Earth because it was likely to be divided and hostile. 21st century Earth that doesn't exist outside of Crichton's memories. It would be very interesting to see how they might react to finding out the new status quo. I've got a couple ideas that might be fun with them. One being that their dimension/time traveling tech lead to them accidentally creating their own personal Watcher related incident and the subsequent self-inflicted annihilation of their home world to stop it from spreading to the greater portion of the galaxy. Creating a situation where despite their far greater technological adeptness they find a reason to deeply respect humans/androids for facing down and defeating what they truthfully could not, reclaiming their world instead of burning it and running. (Though I'm iffy on that alteration/crossover expansion as it sort of makes them more like the Stargate's Asgard.)

[embeanwrites]

Finding Home (Gavin Reed x Reader)

Chapter 2

Read: Chapter 1 here!

         I had just left my apartment a little after 11 am and started walking towards the university. I couldn’t help but to think about lunch yesterday. I was surprised how well it went; my dad seems like a totally different person from when I last saw him. Connor has been really good for him, almost like a son and Connor seemed to look up to him like a father figure. As I walked towards my office, I wondered if that meant eventually, I would think of Connor as a brother.

         I walked into the Faculty Administration Building and up two floors to reach my office. As I got closer to my office I noticed Nines was standing patiently outside the door.

         “Oh! Nines, if I knew you were waiting, I would have come sooner!” I rushed over to the door and unlocked it. I walked in and he followed.

         “I wasn’t waiting long, Dr. (L/n).” I sat at my desk and gestured for him to sit across from me.

         “Nines, please you can call me (Y/n). I really prefer it.” He nodded. “So, what can I do for you?”

         “I wanted to talk about one of your earlier papers. You wrote a piece about the Stanford Prison Experiment and how you didn’t believe, at the time, the results would be any different with androids. However, deviancy wasn’t a known problem. I’m quite curious on how you reached that conclusion.” Nines leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees.

         “Wow, that is an old paper. That was one of my first in grad school, I’m surprised you found it. Well, Zimbardo found that regular college students in the role of the guards allowed power to go to their heads and they mistreated the ‘prisoners’ even though they were all very similar. I mention this in the paper, but I do think it would depend on the type of android and if everyone in the simulation is an android or if some are human. For example, if the guards were all AX400 models and the prisoners are human, I don’t believe we would get the same results. However, let’s say we remove the androids LEDs and mix them with humans, where the humans don’t know who is human or android and there’s a varying mix between each group in the role of the guards and the role of the prisoner, we would get the same results. Even without deviancy, the androids would know who is human and who isn’t, so if they are in the role of the guard, they would follow the lead of the others. On the other side, androids who were not deviant would comply with any mistreatment and therefore wouldn’t fight back from the guards.” Glancing at Nines, his stare was extremely intense and made me a little nervous. I’ve had to defend my papers to a lot of different individuals, in and out of academia, but never had to do so in a one on one conversation like this. 

         “What about now? If you could run the experiment?” He asked.

         “Well, I wouldn’t. The Stanford Prison experiment was highly unethical and did a lot of damage to the psyche of many of the participants. I wouldn’t cause that pain on humans or androids. Hypothetically speaking, I believe the results we would get would be the same as Zimbardo’s. Especially now, many androids have removed their LED and it’s sometimes difficult to pick out androids versus humans in a line up.”

         “What if they were all androids?”

         “Well, if this is before deviancy, I would say nothing out of the ordinary would happen. But today we do have android on android crime, so it’s reasonable to assume that similar emotions will arise from Zimbardo’s experiment.”

         “Yes, that makes sense.” Nines nodded and leaned back, seeming content with my answers for now.

         “I’m glad I could answer those questions for you. May I ask you one?” He paused for a few seconds before answering.

         “That seems fair.”

         “Why are you curious about this?”

         “It’s simple really. You’re one of the few people in academia who write about androids and more specifically android behavior. You’ve also been studying this the longest out of anyone I’ve seen, and you approach the subject objectively which can be hard to come by. It’s part of my job to understand human and android behavior and I would consider you an expert on the topic.”

         “Well, I don’t know how many of my peers would agree that I’m objective when it comes to my research, but it seems to come with the territory. What prompted you to come visit me so soon?”   

         “Detective Reed takes his lunch break from 11 to 12:15, since I don’t eat, I normally sit in the precinct. Recently Captain Fowler has asked me to actually leave the building for my break like Connor. For some reason, I think it upsets him seeing me sit there and not move. If it is alright with you, may I visit again tomorrow during this time?”

         “I don’t see why not, but Nines we don’t have to only talk about sociology. I would like to get to know you too.” Looking at him I noticed he barely turned his head, if I hadn’t been looking at him there’s no way I would have noticed. I wonder if he picked that up from Connor or if it was in both of their programming?

         “I’ve told you, I’m the RK900 model and I work with Detective Reed at the Detroit Police Department.” I sighed.

         “How about this, for every sociology question you ask me, I get to ask you something in return. About you or your opinion on something?” Nines looked at me unblinking for about thirty seconds before finally answering.

         “That seems fair. Do you have a question now?” I tried hiding my smile from him, it was always so rewarding to get androids who have stuck to their programming, despite being deviant, to talk about themselves.

         “Do you like working for the DPD?” I asked.

         “Of course, it’s what I was made to do.”

         “Yes, but do you LIKE working for the DPD?”

         “I don’t understand the difference you’re trying to get me to make.”

         “If you could work at a different police department, would you?”

         “No. The city has a high number of cases to solve and as difficult as he can be, working with Detective Reed is another challenge that has been interesting to solve.”

         “What do you mean?”

         “Well, when we were first partnered, he refused to even discuss cases with me. Overtime he’s seemed to warm up, maybe because I can finish both of our case paperwork in less than an hour. However, I have noticed unlike Connor and Lieutenant Anderson, Detective Reed doesn’t get upset with me when I use my forensics kit. He doesn’t like androids, but I think he prefers me to Connor.”

         “Well, Connor did knock him out apparently.” I said with a smile and I swore Nines’ lips twitched for a second as if he was going to smile.

         “Detective Reed will be returning from lunch soon.” Nines said while standing up, “I need to return to the precinct before he does.”

         “Does he get mad at you if he has to wait on you?”

         “No. However, it is easier to tease him about being late rather than teasing him for being on time.” I couldn’t help but laugh at Nines comment.

         “Before you go, here’s my card. It has my email, school phone, and my cell phone. In case you have any pressing questions. Please send me a message, so if something happens and I cannot make it before one of our meetings I can let you know.” Nines nodded and his LED flashed yellow.

         “I sent you a message. Have a good day Dr…. I mean (Y/n).” He said turning towards the door.

         “You too Nines! I look forward to our conversation tomorrow!” As Nines left, I relaxed in my chair. With this new job, many of my coworkers seemed hesitant to talk to me about my research, maybe they believed I was too radical. It felt nice having someone ask questions about my work and to show a genuine interest. I looked at my cell phone and giggled at his message.

          This is Nines, the RK900 android that works at the DPD

          Part of me wanted to poke fun at him, because of course I would know it was him, but I didn’t want to alienate him in any way. I looked at my other text messages to see what else I had missed during my walk and conversation with Nines.

          Hey! Me and some people from the precinct are going to get drinks at Jimmy’s bar around 7pm. Do you want to come? I think Connor’s going. Hank’s been trying to get him to hang out with people his “own age”.

          I bite my lip, I have been wanting to hang out with Tina, but I don’t know if I’m ready for questions on why I disappeared. I looked at my phone and decided to text Connor first.

          Hey, are you going to Jimmy’s tonight? Tina invited me and said you may be coming?

          Connor immediately responded.

          Lieutenant Anderson is forcing me to go. He said he was going to lock me outside the house until it was an “unreasonable time to be home”. Do you know what that means?

          Haha yeah. He wants you to hang out with other people, I guess. Branch out and make some friends. If you want, I can go with you and if it’s lame, we can just walk around and tell my dad we spent the whole time at the bar. 

          Yes, I think if you were there it may be better. I’ve tried going before, but I was the only android. I believe I made Detective Reed uncomfortable with my presence since I can’t drink, and he believes I record every conversation.

 Alright, well Jimmy’s is closer to the precinct, so I’ll meet you there around 6:45?

 Are you alright walking here alone? It would be no trouble for me to come to the university or your apartment first.

 It’ll be okay. It’s a short walk! I’ll see you at 6:45 in the lobby!

 Okay.

 I sighed gently, I had to go now. There was certainly no backing out now, unless I wanted to hurt Connor’s feelings. I swiped back to Tina’s message.

 I’ll be there.

[chinad]

rattling rats from PRC surveillance.

Sep 15, 2018

these days pestered by upper floor's rats a lot. they had access to PRC telecom's account administration and frequently closed my Internet connection. since last week it totally shutdown my Internet after they failed to intercept my vpn traffic. in 2 days my dorm fiber optics broken, I had to rely on my mobile cellular data. at first I thought it would soon resume. later I thought might be I forgot to hand over Internet fee due to busy workload around salary day this month. waited to Monday I recharged my dorm Internet and found it wasn't caused by my account deficit. my account valid still cut out of service by PRC Internet cop. late Monday my fiber optics network restored after filed connection failure complain. in the harsh I bought my son a second mobile, a product of HTC, Taiwanese digital producer, for the price too attractive. after broke neck looking forward twice, first time a cheap bolt version then replaced our order to HTC 10 for popularity and max compatibility, we got it. then misled by online developer's community, I upgraded is OS to android 8 and unable to unlock its boot loader. I tried all means, in wilder sought for replace its verizon bundled OS with custom rom which easier and user friendly. after so many tries, I finally turned it brick when trying flash its boot loader. after nearly half month relentlessly sought settling it, now I had to wait the vendor repair it in another half month. this is a peaceful sunny morning. it's not too bad, isn't it, God dad, after so many best buy in this Summer and Autumn? I felt so bounty with these equipment and ready tools. in every sense of office and warehouse, I had it. this month also saw my younger brother sent us moon cake when lunar Mourning Day coming. I shared some with my concerned people around the dorm. it's bountiful, too. I also talked first time to my nephew, ie. second son of my 2nd elder brother, since his marriage broken and refused female in his life as his mom rumored when a year before my elder sisters shared their lunar Spring festival with us. my elder brother carefully protected his dear son not to hurt by reckless chatter, but this time he allowed me talked with his innocent kid. I urged him not to give up enjoying life, material living. I demonstrated my workspace I gathered in my half life, with my recent satisfactory. my nephew listened a lot, admitted his continue efforts to carry on family life. I also told my elder sister my complacent upon this year's purchases. I fearless under espionage around trying paralyze my workspace, humiliated me by torn apart my vpn and secure web. God dad, the rats on upper floor made relentlessly noise when I worked. rid me off the hazard sooner. bring me sooner my Royal China, bring me my Crown Queen, Asoh Yukiko, from Japan. bring me sooner my new family and house. grant us, esp my concerned son, woz, his enjoyable school experience. violent dark web of PRC trying these days to afraid me, let them fear, scatter their mob. God dad, save us in faith securer.

Aug 27, 2018

dreamed in my hometown I likely in my vacation. the village driver, the only son of passed carpenter, asked me to find my younger brother to help him drive for an event. I open my proud book I reading which full of symbols and very precious legacy, to search my younger brother's phone number. it soon settled and all happy with that. my brother in dream already a nearly millionaire with his mills. the dream very vivid after I got up. I intended to blog it at once around 6am. but the upper floor's insane PRC surveillance, likely a freaky, made sounds warned me the under skin espionage, so I would rather wait. the state backed agent not only surveillance me, but also every chances attempted to terrify me with its psychotic: recklessly closely approaching me and coercing me with relentless noises it can make on the thin sensitive floor with chair, stride, nail, bump etc at every synchronic moments beside wall. last week we refreshed with my younger brother's loan for monthly cinema and dine out. he previously attempted to detain my help cry, refused twice my mobile calls when I tried to change our broadband capacity, which requests ï¿¥500 but in fact that's dirty cheat from unqualified chinatel staff while in its official office next week the crew girl charges free to change our plan for 200MB/s within a data bundle discounts to 82CNY/mon includes mobile data limitless. my mean brother each time reluctant to draw his purse for me, usually in cause not to admit my investment or deluxe lifestyle. I had previously determined to carry out the data plan change on my own. so when he buzzed back claiming he had been accompanying his son to park and missed my calls, I told him nothing special. but he was listening, so I told him my story: my son's mobile 4G data plan deficits in his morning exercise while playing with his pals outdoors and I intending upgrade to speeder broadband for the sake of modern fiber optic broadband and time saving on internet time lapse. he almost defied it in hurry to close talk to drive. returned to dorm, I felt I hardly cope the expenditure with my poor salary. so I messaged him he can loan us ï¿¥800 as he previously admitted to help me repair my erode tooth base. he replied he only responsible for my living, not my other costs. I waited a night. next day I sms him in rage about our ancestor's legendary: Ming Dynasty's 1st prince tried to use imperative force to restrain his blood sibling, killing family love with ruling power, which only resulted in disastrous himself suicide in Royal city he inherited from his grandpa, Founder of Ming Dynasty, with his all fondness and fidelity. I didn't expected reply nor reward. but next next day when I search all means to pay groupon for my son monthly cinema and dine out, I found my brother already remit us 1000 CNY 2 days ago. I had previously check my financial account several times and never gained. so I doubting if my brother aid's arrival date hacked by state intelligent agency, just trying defying power of my persuading and prophet. after all, the ï¿¥1000 let us so plenty in entertainment and business capable: I renewed zho.io for 2 more years with our domain registrar, equip myself another ssd of 128GB for scenarios like copying larger file fat32 forbidden. It's just too wonderful to be constrained in scarcity. last weekend, I also overnight worked out to switch our old chromebox OS from chromeOS of google to open source chromiumOS, which adorably native supports Android apps, even google play store. Sunday night I non-break 6 hours to re-flash my son's new zonfone 3 with custom rom world developers contributed, after found previous OS let down chinatel gsm calling and sms. even finally I didn't fix sms and calling failure, but LTE data at least working, allowing us making full potential of our new data plan with chinatel: no limit of data! and my son's wifi heavily under PRC surveillance attacks, almost all internet traffic through the router disabled vpn. we badly sought auxiliary channel to evade deadly blockage in falling PRC wasteland cyberspace. God dad, bring us sooner our viable work space, secure our growth independently, out of entrenched by state backed hackers. bring me sooner my Royal China for relieve all trapped Chinese in felling PRC. bring me my Crown Queen from Japan, Asoh Yukiko, for unites Japan and China after turbulent world war 2, for ambitions 2 nations manifested in centuries, in tears, glories an proud, in likage of language. grant our workload meaningful and intact through ruin of PRC dictation, rampant fires of national revolts in insanely depressed and depravity.

Aug 17, 2018

dreamed my university era artist friend, Benba Chungdak. at first with his friend Li Moufeng, in the campus I familiared. then in Benba's house or my house we at leisure. my son joined our conversation. Benba in dream now a well know artist. we talked a lot. my son trusted our guest and learned. my dorm internet under a new wave of surveillance and breakin attempts. I already gave up router but client, which also sometimes unstable. new weekend arriving, there is a new blockbuster PRC granted to import, Antman 2. my son chose it from 2 other optional USA films on show recently. he also delayed my invitation to visit my dorm this weekend, rather he will invite his peer into his house, likely for gaming and entertainment. It's a cool morning. wardless web turns so hard to archive now. I more and more speechless now, amid hardship tyrant PRC exerts upon my living sphere. there are more state intelligent agents in QRRS Dorm surrounding my room here to surveillance me 7*24, costly on PRC fragile totalitarian treasury. God dad, how long we will wait for the overturn, I in faith of the future out of burning campfires among insanely pressed domestic nations. in bitter reality, I hope it fosters revolution rips us off the poorly endangered dictation. bring me sooner my Royal China. my Crown Queen from Japan, Asoh Yukiko, come and overturn my prison our enemies engulfed. live us freedom, so to China bitchy mob, jobless riot. game changer, Dad God, let out the active agenda for the sake of better China. thx God, survivor is U.S.

Aug 12, 2018

last night watched a talk show of Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon. his easygoing charactor deeply touched me. turth of life, of fortune, of mission, expand in front of me. in dawn dream, I worked for him, then in army, both reveals truth, or secret of success, course inchangeable. aging let me harder now to memorize dream, but its scenario conforts me. it's a boring morning. the ugly lesbian again lingered in the shabby neighbor room chattering, pretending she had a job there. the whole dorm administrative team moved from their offices seperate into the dorm, mimic my office in dorm. they can't believe they doomed to lose their jobs. their cheap copycat deprives their means of living. they are all thieves in fact, or robbery of innocent. the room in my upper direct floor likely occupied by state backed intelligent agent. they constantly made noise in key situations trying to coerce me. my new chromebox frequently encountered abnormal quit, likely hacked by PRC government online. my son last night just returned from his mom's hometown journey. they visited again the woman's relatives in their hometown, a small town hours away by train. I hope my son enjoy it but affraid he was hijacked by his stupid mom in fact. hours later I will reunite him for lunching out and shower in spa weekly. my new chromebox not only securer, but largely changed my workflow and efficiency. I now consume news most of workday, rather than prevously only in the begining of moring, restricted by portable device for desktop windows might fail me in its insecure. last night I check my alipay credit, found my installment total near ï¿¥900, which much a relief for my monthly return alipay ï¿¥1300 and stumbled about uncommon expenditure. made clear of debt base, I immediately recharged our mobiles fee, around 300 CNY. God dad, lift my dependence on my local loaner, who might turning reluctant. grant us a richer salary this month for I due to pay some extra bills including medicine, clothes, etc. secure my worksapce with findings, revealing truth our mission concerns. bring me sooner my Royal China, my Crown Queen from Japan, Asoh Yukiko, for ease of living. let me stay in self-contain upon life stream and social motivation. guarantee my cyberspace publishing booming and plenty of self-rely.

via Blogger https://ift.tt/2NIjavg

[josephlrushing]

The Google Pixel 4a Is Now Available, and It’s a Spectacular Value at Just $349

It’s no secret that I love my Google Pixel phones. I converted from an iPhone to the Google Pixel 3 XL, then to the Google Pixel 4 XL. One thing both Pixels in common was their amazing cameras and solid builds paired with Pixel-exclusive apps and a true, stock Android experience (which I prefer). Google has just released its budget-priced Google Pixel 4a, and there is so much to like — including its excellent camera.

I should start by saying that the Google Pixel 4a is much smaller than the phones I usually carry. Measuring just 5.7″ tall by 2.8″ wide by 0.35″ thick and weighing 5 ounces, next to the Pixel 4 XL, the size difference calls up comparisons between Arnold Schwartzenegger and Danny DeVito in the movie Twins.

Even though the Pixel 4a is quite different from the Google Pixel 4 and Google Pixel 4 XL, it has brought back some of the things I loved about the 3 series (the fingerprint reader on the backside, for one), and added things that make it stand on its own as a solid choice. Even though it is a budget phone with a polycarbonate body, it doesn’t feel cheap, and the single camera on the back is as good as any other Pixel camera — which means it is excellent. The Google Pixel 4a box includes the phone, an 18W USB-C power adapter, a 1-meter long USB-C to USB-C cable (USB 2.0), a quick start guide, a quick switch adapter, and a SIM tool.

The most significant and immediate difference between the 4a and the other latest Pixel phones is the 4a’s lack of an annoyingly large bezel at the top (or bottom, in the case of the 3 series) of the display. The pricier Pixel 4 XL needed such a large top bezel for all of its extra sensors and the ear speaker, but it cut into the display area and made it feel a bit cramped compared to other full-display devices.

On the Pixel 4a, there is a simple punch-hole which houses the 8-megapixel front-facing camera, and there is an ear speaker bar built into the top of the Gorilla Glass 3; the 5.8″ OLED display area appears to take up nearly the entire front of the device. This is a welcome change from the 4 series.

In hand, the Pixel 4a feels so tiny and light, but it is still large enough to not feel like a toy. I don’t feel cramped when using the phone, as I would if I were to try to use an iPhone 4 or 5, for instance. I still have one of each of those iPhones, and every time I pick one up, I wonder how I managed with such tiny devices. I’d say that for someone who likes a smaller phone, the size might be just right. While the Pixel 4a has a polycarbonate body instead of a more modern glass one, it doesn’t feel cheap or fragile in the least; if you put it in a case, you won’t even notice.

The 4a is available in one color — Just Black, and that’s just fine. On the right side, there is a light green power button with a volume rocker underneath.

On the top, there is a microphone and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

On the left side, there is a single nanoSIM tray.

On the bottom, there is a microphone, a Type-C port, and a speaker.

On the back, there is a small square-shaped camera array that holds the 12.2-megapixel camera. The rear camera has autofocus with dual pixel phase detection, and it offers optical and electronic image stabilization to help keep your photos from being blurry. The only other item in the camera array is the LED flash. Just below that, centered in the back, is a very responsive fingerprint reader. Worth noting is that the fingerprint reader has the swipe for notification scrolling feature that I enjoyed so much on the Pixel 3XL (I miss it on the 4 XL, to be honest).

Inside the phone, there is a 3,140mAh battery (it’s larger than the more expensive Google Pixel 4’s battery!) that adapts to your usage to squeeze out a full day’s power; I got a solid 6 to 7 hours’ use before the phone absolutely had to be recharged, and the phone has QuickCharge for faster power top-offs.

The 4a has 6GB LPDDR4x RAM with a surprisingly generous 128GB user memory. Bear in mind that the more expensive Pixel 3 and 4 both came with 64GB base configurations, and you had to upgrade to the tune of $100 or so for 128GB. I’m hoping that this means we will see more significant user memory amounts available on the upcoming Pixel 5 series, but we’ll see. The processor is a very capable Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G; whether you are gaming or tend to leave a ton of apps running at a time, it can handle it. The phone is not 5G capable, but then, neither are any of the other Pixels yet.

The 4a runs the latest Android 10 with the new Google Assistant and Google Lens. The Pixel 4a also has all of the Google Pixel features that users love — like built-in call screening with transcripts, Now Playing (which identifies music playing around you on the lock screen), personal safety features, bedtime features in the Clock app, and voice recorder transcripts, to name a few. Most importantly, Google has committed to supporting the Pixel 4a for a minimum of three years with OS and security updates. Google has been excellent about delivering monthly updates to its Pixel phones; when you are using a Pixel, you can expect the latest and greatest features as soon as they become available. Worth noting is that there isn’t any mention of IP dust or water-resistance, however. Also missing is the side-squeeze that would pull up the Google Assistant on the 3 and 4 series, but it’s no dealbreaker.

So in and of itself, the Google Pixel 4a is a really good phone at a rock-bottom price.

But then you add in the camera.

The Pixel 4a is capable of taking excellent photos, fantastic portraits, and it also offers astrophotography like the Pixel 3 and Pixel 4 series did. Here are some examples.

Portraits

Astrophotography

But where the Pixel 4a camera really shines, in my opinion, is that it takes excellent photos just about all of the time, no matter what you are shooting. I recently spent some time on a sweltering afternoon taking pictures at the International Waterlily Collection Park in San Angelo with several of the phones I have in for review. The temperature was well over 100º, so my plans of taking methodical and perfectly framed photos of the waterlilies with each of the phones went out the window as I tried to cycle through the phones and get representative photos with each as quickly as possible — so I could escape back to the AC in my Jeep. Even in those less than ideal circumstances, the Pixel 4a did an excellent job of catching the park’s beauty. None of these photos has been filtered or cropped, so they are excellent examples of what you can expect — even if you aren’t an experienced photographer. In my opinion, at this price, there is no better smartphone camera available.

Should you get a Pixel 4a? It depends. There are some trade-offs for getting a budget-priced phone. You won’t get the latest Qualcomm processor, you won’t get a huge display made with the latest Gorilla Glass, and you won’t get wireless charging or 5G. But what you will get is a solidly-built phone that feels good in-hand. The Pixel 4a is fast, and it has better than average battery life; you’ll also get a phone with all of the Google Pixel software tweaks that Pixel users love, and you will get the excellent camera that Pixel users love to tout. If saving some money on your tech is essential to you right now, you will absolutely love this phone because it won’t make you feel like you have settled.

The Google Pixel 4a retails for $349, and it is available directly from the manufacturer (the unlocked version works with all major phone carriers, and there is also a Google Fi option); it is also available from Verizon.

Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample

What I Like: Smaller size is perfect for people who have been wanting a capable yet pocketable phone; Excellent front and back cameras; A minimum of three years of OS and feature updates; Better than average battery life

What Needs Improvement: As long as you are okay with it not being 5G, not having the top-of-the-line Qualcomm processor, not having the latest Gorilla Glass display, and not having wireless charging, you will not be disappointed

The post The Google Pixel 4a Is Now Available, and It's a Spectacular Value at Just 9 first appeared on GearDiary.

from Joseph Rushing https://geardiary.com/2020/08/24/google-pixel-4a-review/

[techprolonged]

Vivo Y90 is the company’s latest entry-level smartphone that it launched in Pakistan two weeks ago. With the name, it follows the previous Y91C (review) with a trimmed down hardware components.

The Y90 comes with very basic set of features that people usually start using a smartphone with. But thanks to the taxes and rupee value that eventually affects consumers as the Y90 costs exactly the same as Y91C did cost initially. You will get the Y90 for Rs. 18,999- as it’s announced just last week.

Let’s have quick look at the specifications and features of the Vivo Y90.

Quick Features and Specifications

Vivo Y90 SoC Chip: MediaTek Helio A22 – MT6761 – Quad-core CPU:  4x Cortex-A53 2.0GHz GPU: PowerVR GE8300 Memory 2GB RAM + 32GB Storage microSD card dedicated slot (up to 256GB) OS / Software Android 8.1 Oreo / Funtouch OS 4.5 Display 6.22-inch IPS LCD – Full-incell 1520×720 HD+ resolution, 19:9, Pixel density: ~271 ppi Screen-to-body ratio: ~88% Rear Camera 8MP, PDAF, f/2.0 lens aperture, LED flash 720p/1080p video recording at 30fps Front Camera 5MP, f/1.8 Battery 4030 mAh Charger included with retail package: 5V/1A Size/Weight 155.11 x 75.09 x 8.28 mm / 163.5 grams Sensors Accelerometer, Proximity, Ambient light, E-Compass, Virtual Gyroscope Connectivity WiFi: 802.11 b/g/n, 2.4GHz WiFi Tethering, WiFi Direct, Personal Hotspot Bluetooth: 5, GPS/AGPS, FM Radio, USB 2.0 micro USB Color Options Black, Gold

Unlike the Y91C, this phone doesn’t come in multiple variants with various chipsets. Y90 is the single variant with MediaTek’s Helio A22, still the entry-level processor. In fact it’s low performer than the Helio P22 in Y91C.

There are two color options to choose from – Black, and Gold. Here I have the black model which I believe is preferable over the gold one.

You may have noticed that Y90 doesn’t carry a fingerprint sensor. Yes, as told so, this is very basic handset with entry-level features. But don’t worry, the phone offers face unlocking.

Unboxing of Vivo Y90

Just like any Y-series smartphone from Vivo, Y90 also doesn’t ship with earphones. There is only a power charger and a micro USB cable. Let’s just count the factory-applied screen protector and an add-on silicone back cover.

Vivo Y90 device

5V~1A charger

micro USB cable

Add-on silicone back cover

Factory-applied screen protector

User guide

SIM Eject Tool.

#gallery-0-22 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-22 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; } #gallery-0-22 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-22 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Build and Design

Just like Vivo Y91C or any other Y-series smartphone, Y90 also comes with full plastic body. Well in fact like most Vivo smartphones are plastic built and as you know plastic is always prone to attract scratches far quicker. But you shouldn’t really bother about that as the phone you are looking at can only bring charm of a cheaper phone.

The good thing is always Vivo’s quality-built devices, no matter plastic. The matte finish is good to handle on this Y90, the grip is fine and overall the phone is compact in average sized hands.

There is nothing on the back apart from the VIVO branding in the middle and a single 8-megapixel camera on the corner with an LED flash.

There is a mid-frame in between the screen and the body for shock absorbing and it’s literally identical to the Y91C in design. Yes! just like many other things, the Vivo Y90 shares identical design with Y91C and I already had liked that as it’s not so thicker.

Components and Ports

The Vivo Y90 also has just a common layout of components and ports as we usually see on other many phones recently. What I don’t like is the audio jack on the bottom end. In fact everything is on the bottom along with the audio jack – micro USB port and a speaker grill along with a mouth piece.

#gallery-0-23 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-23 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; } #gallery-0-23 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-23 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Power button and volume rocker is on the right side of the phone, while there is nothing on the top end.

#gallery-0-24 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-24 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; } #gallery-0-24 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-24 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

The SIM slot is on the left, though it’s fully dedicated slot for two nano SIM cards and a micro SD card. So it’s good that you can use all of them at once. Much better than those hybrid slots.

Interesting is that the Y90 exactly weighs 163.5 grams just like the Y91C. Though the phone feels not-heavy in hands, but compact.

Again like Y91C, the Y90 has a nice a 8.28mm thickness and has narrow overall profile with thinner bezels around.

Slim bezels have helped the phone stay quite within limits, though I’ll again note here that the phone could have been a little smaller in size with respect to its display. Specially with only HD resolution.

Display

Wider notches have gone, but the U-shaped, dewdrop or waterdrop shaped or just the likes of those seem to stay for a while. Y90 carries last year’s most trendy, yet infamous, display notch. The Vivo’s so-called halo display has it on top in the center.

It’s 6.22-inch large screen with FullView bezel-less experience. The front still has a bit larger chin. The display resolution is HD+ with 720×1520 pixels on board. It’s an an ideal resolution for lower-end phone with low performing processor but I’d prefer a smaller display in size with these numbers.

The phone has a screen-to-body ratio of 88.6% approximately, according to official document and delivers content at pixel density of 217ppi. IPS display is better with incell technology. it’s vivid but not sharp due to low-resolution on a large display – the reason why I’d prefer a smaller display with this resolution.

But the reality is, we do not see phones with displays smaller than 6-inch these days. Just let us know if you love to buy larger display with lower resolution in the comments below.

Software and UI

Vivo y90 still runs Android 8.1 Oreo operating system out-of-the-box with the proprietary Funtouch OS 4.5 software layer on top. This interface doesn’t have any app drawer but only the home screens as app launcher.

Like previous iterations, Funtouch OS 4.5 keeps its resemblance with iOS. All the apps are there on home screen however you can organize them into folders. A static bottom row of apps is also present.

The drop-down panel from top status bar only brings notifications. You can pull up a control center with a swipe-up gesture on the bottom edge. It brings a row of frequent apps icons, the brightness and media volume controller, and the quick switches/toggles.

#gallery-0-25 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-25 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; } #gallery-0-25 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-25 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

The lock screen is as simple as usually it is on most smartphones. Without a separate app launcher, Funtouch OS currently only ships with the home screens. Customization with widgets and folders is available though. Unlike many other Android software interfaces, the Funtouch OS offers more like an iOS feeling with the notifications panel via swipe-down gesture. Control Center is also similar but has more charm of customization of Android OS.

#gallery-0-26 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-26 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 20%; } #gallery-0-26 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-26 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

In addition to standard Android navigation, Vivo Y90 offers gesture based navigation too that we now usually see on every next Android smartphone. It’s easy to understand and keep in mind just like shown in the screens below.

#gallery-0-27 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-27 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 25%; } #gallery-0-27 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-27 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Though the mid-range and higher-end phones offer more features, Y90 doesn’t feature split-screen. In fact the most disturbing thing is when you can’t do a search within the system or settings. No option to search from apps or from the settings leads you to a troubling state of mind. I believe it shouldn’t take a performance hit on the system if Vivo offers a global search feature on all the phones, no matter which price category.

Performance

The Vivo Y90 is powered by the MediaTek Helio A22 chipset that features a quad-core ARM CPU. All the four cores of Cortex-A53 are clocked at 2.0GHz. The PowerVR GE8300 GPU and 2GB of RAM support the system.

On paper, though, the hardware should be low performer than of the Y91C. In fact it is indeed if we look at the benchmark scores. Geekbench 4 didn’t even run on this phone – not sure why but I believe it wasn’t the hardware issue as it was reporting about internet connection.

Only a few other tools were able to run on Y90 including AnTuTu. So I could actually compare the numbers with it at least. The Y90 hit only 62,898 score on AnTuTu, whereas the Y91C could achieve 76,059. That’s a big difference, but as the GPU is only a minor different, I could play PUBG Mobile on Y90 just like I did on Y91C. So my opinion remains the same – a snippet from Y91C review below.

But you shouldn’t really expect some heavy gaming from this phone. As the PowerVR GPU is not so good to play some graphics hefty games. However you can still play games like PUBG which offer different levels of graphics configuration. Means it will limit the system resources to let you play smoothly but with not-so-cool graphics quality.

Camera Test

The camera user experience is also same as we have seen in other Vivo smartphones previously with Funtouch OS 4.5. Seems to be identical with the one in Y91C – very limited set of options.

#gallery-0-28 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-28 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 20%; } #gallery-0-28 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-28 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

The camera app opens with the Photo mode along side a couple of other viewfinder modes – Video, Face Beauty and Professional. One thing that Y91C had but Y90 does not, is the Document scan mode. The phone doesn’t even support panorama mode. Professional mode is there for the name sake. You can record up to 1080p, 720p, and 480p videos at 30fps but system does not support any kind of stabilization – no EIS in fact for low resolution.

Image Quality

The Vivo Y90 has a lower resolution camera than we saw with Y91C. However the 8MP camera still captures nice shots in bright day light. Image detail seems to be fine from this price point but the distant objects looses detail. Colors are accurate and looks nice. Noise handling was also good in some situations but can be spotted in dark gradient shades

There is no HDR feature with the camera but the dynamic range isn’t that bad. The camera is not that good in low-light as heavy noise mostly occurs due to higher ISO usage.

Daylight/Outdoor Samples

[slickr-flickr search=”sets” set=”72157710009098281″]

Low light/Indoor Samples

[slickr-flickr search=”sets” set=”72157710009098276″]

Front Camera

Front camera with a 5MP sensor is just not up to the mark as we have seen a couple of others in this price range. Realme C1 for example was better than this in handling detail. But the C1 has already been replaced with the C2 with some extra cost. It’s only of some worth in bright light.

Conclusion and Verdict

This phone is more like a trouble maker specially when you try to figure out about its price. For this price you were able to buy a better performer only a couple of months ago – that too from the same brand.

In fact I made wrong assumption of the price when unboxed the phone as the price was not officially unveiled. I also thought it would be the cheapest phone from the company. But it was later revealed to have affected by the recent taxes and rupee value just like many other devices.

Vivo actually tried to offer consumers below 20k smartphone by hook or by crook. So in my opinion Vivo Y90 is “A Treat for Low-Budget Customers”.

With all that respect, I believe Y90 is just a replacement for those who missed the Y91C at first place and now want a phone right in that price. If you want some better phone, you would need to increase your budget.

Vivo Y90 Review – A Treat for Low-Budget Customers Vivo Y90 is the company's latest entry-level smartphone that it launched in Pakistan two weeks ago. With the name, it follows the previous Y91C (

[netunleashed-blog]

Android through the ages: from Cupcake to P and everything in between

http://www.internetunleashed.co.uk/?p=33263 Android through the ages: from Cupcake to P and everything in between - http://www.internetunleashed.co.uk/?p=33263 Android was announced more than a decade ago, on November 5, 2007. Since that initial announcement, the mobile platform has come a long, long way.Android has the largest install base of any operating system, mobile or desktop. And it's not just in phones and tablets: smart TVs, cars, smartwatches and smart home devices are all powered by the little green man.From the original beta to Android P through Android Froyo, Lollipop, Marshmallow and more, we track Android's rise from unlikely start to acquisition by Google and today's dominance. 10 years of Android: 10 times it wowed the world In October 2003 Android, Inc was founded by Andy Rubin, Rich Miner, Nick Sears and Chris White. Its aim was to create an advanced operating system for digital cameras, turning them in to "smarter mobile devices that are more aware of its owner's location and preferences," according to Rubin.It soon became apparent that there wasn't much of a market for that, so Android, Inc. turned its attention to smartphones in a bid to rival mobile operating systems Symbian and Windows mobile.After a shaky start, where funding became an issue, Android, Inc was acquired by Google on August 17 2005, and a number of Android, Inc. employees stayed on. A team led by Rubin began work on a mobile device operating system based on the Linux kernel. The green Android logo was designed by Irina Blok, and the beta version was released on November 5, 2007. Android 1.0, the first commercial version of Android, was released on September 23, 2008, with the first commercially available Android device being the HTC Dream.Even though it was the first official release, Android 1.0 brought a number of features that we've come to rely on, including a web browser, camera support, Gmail synchronisation with the Gmail app, YouTube video player, Google Maps, Contacts and Calendar synchronisation as well.Applications could be downloaded through the Android Market and launched from the Home screen. An update, Android 1.1, was released on February 9, 2009, adding a few new features and fixing a range of bugs. The Android 1.5 update was launched on April 27, 2009, and it is notable for being the first Android release to have a code name based on a dessert – something that has since become a trademark. Each new version since also gets a dessert-inspired statue erected on the lawn of Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California.But why the dessert names? According to Randall Sarafa, a Google spokesperson who talked to CNN: "It's kind of like an internal team thing, and we prefer to be a little bit - how should I say - a bit inscrutable in the matter. The obvious thing is that, yeah, the Android platform releases, they go by dessert names and by alphabetical order for the most part."With Android 1.5 Cupcake new features were introduced such as widgets, which were small versions of apps that can be viewed from the home screen. Android 1.5-equipped smartphones could also record video in MPEG-4 format, Bluetooth devices could auto pair and stream stereo audio, and user pictures could be added to favourite contacts. Android 1.6 Donut was released on September 15, 2009. Android looked better than ever thanks to support for WVGA (780 x 480) resolution screens, and apps such as Gallery and Camera were better integrated, letting you take photos and then view them quickly and easily.Voice and text search was also improved to include bookmarks, history, contacts and content from the internet, and app developers were able to include their content in the search results. This meant that Android 1.6 Donut felt like the most coherent version of Android so far. On October 26 we got our third major Android release of 2009 with Android 2.0 Éclair. This important update included Microsoft Exchange email support, along with the ability to browse emails from a number of different accounts in the same inbox.Text messages were also improved, allowing users to search all of their saved SMS and MMS messages, and typing speed was improved on the virtual keyboard.The camera app got additional features as well, including flash support, digital zoom scene modes, colour effects and macro focus mode.Android 2.0.1 was released on December 3, 2009, and Android 2.1 followed on January 12, 2010, both bringing minor improvements and bug fixes. Android 2.2 Froyo hit devices on May 20, 2010. "Froyo" is frozen yoghurt, in case you were worried Google had confused desserts with annoying children's toys .This update included a number of speed and performance optimisations. USB tethering and Wi-Fi hotspot functionality, now commonplace on smartphones, were brought in with Android 2.2. You could also prevent your device from downloading data over your mobile network, which was helpful for keeping your phone bill under control, and you could create passwords using both numbers and letters for additional security.The Market application was also improved to allow batch and automatic updates of the apps you've installed, and high PPI (Pixel Per Inch) screens were supported for better image quality.Android Froyo is now so sparsely used though, Google doesn't consider it worth supporting anymore. Under 0.1% of people are using Android Froyo anymore. Android 2.3 Gingerbread was released on December 6, 2010 with an updated user interface that prioritised ease of use and speed. The onscreen keyboard was also overhauled for more intuitive text input and improved accuracy.Near Field Communication (NFC) was included for the first time, and the new Download Manager made keeping track of files you downloaded from the internet or your emails easier than ever.Native support for gyroscopes, barometers and other sensors meant your Android device could now feature advanced apps that accurately track your location, movement and activity. On February 22, 2011 Google launched its first tablet-only Android update: Android 3.0 Honeycomb, and two days later the first device to have the update preinstalled, the Motorola Xoom, was released.As Android 3.0 Honeycomb was a strictly tablet-focused release, a new "holographic" user interface was ushered in with the update. The System Bar brought notifications and the soft navigation buttons to the bottom of the screen. These navigation buttons, which include the Back, Home and Recent Applications icons, have become a common sight on Android devices, and allowed phone and tablet manufacturers to make completely button-free devices.The bottom of the screen wasn't getting all the love, however, with the Action Bar being brought to the top of the screen, offering contextual options, navigation and widgets.Other improvements to the user interface included multiple browser tabs, an "incognito" mode for anonymous browsing, and advanced views for contacts and emails.Multicore processors were supported for the first time as well, ushering a new generation of powerful Android devices.Android 3.1 launched on May 10 2011 and brought USB connectivity for accessories, FLAC audio playback and resizeable Home screen widgets. A further update, Android 3.2, included support for Google TV. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich released on October 18 2011 and was promised to be compatible with any device that was running Android 2.3 or later. The Holo interface was given a major revamp, and a brand new typeface, Roboto, was brought in as the default system font for Android.Folders were overhauled to be easier to create using drag and drop commands, apps could be accessed from the lock screen, the camera app was improved and now supported 1080p video recording, and the web browser could now synchronise with user's Chrome bookmarks.Face Unlock, which uses facial recognition to unlock devices, was also included, though even now many of us wonder why Google bothered. On July 9 2012, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean was released, and the main aim of the update was to improve the user interface in both performance and features. Special attention was lavished on the graphics side of the operating system, including technology that would ensure the interface would run at 60 frames per second to make it feel smooth and responsive.Sound was also improved with multi channel audio support, USB audio and gapless playback. Third party app launchers were also given better support, allowing users to tailor their Android experience.Android 4.2 followed on November 13, 2012, which brought widget support to the lock screen and allowed you to swipe to directly launch the camera app. Quick Settings was added to the top power controls menu, Daydream screensavers were included and multiple user accounts were now supported on tablets.Android 4.3 was released on July 24, 2013, and included a number of new features including Open GL ES 3.0 support for improved graphics in games, Bluetooth low energy features, right-to-left language support and compatibility with 4K screens. For a while Google was expected to go with the codename Key Lime Pie, however on October 31, 2013, Android 4.4 was released with the more identifiable KitKat moniker, and the first device to run it was the Nexus 5, which was released on the same day.A number of tweaks were made to give the interface a fresh look, but it wasn't all about aesthetics. A new "immersive mode" was also included, which allowed apps to hide the onscreen buttons and status bar when they're not needed, giving the apps use of the full screen. If you needed the buttons at any time you could swipe down from the top of the screen or up from the bottom to bring them back.NFC host card emulation was another new feature, and although it doesn't sound particularly exciting, it meant that a device running Android 4.4 could emulate an NFC card and talk to NFC readers, allowing you to use your device to pay for goods, and make use of other contactless features.You can read our review of Android 4.4 KitKat to see what we made of all the new features. Announced: March 2014 | Released (on devices): June 2014On March 18, 2014 Android Wear, a version of Android specifically designed for smartwatches and wearables, was released.Android Wear uses Google Now and mobile notifications to bring important information to wearable tech, though you need to pair it with a smartphone running Android 4.3 or later to get the full experience.The first Android Wear devices, the Samsung Gear Live and the LG G Watch, were launched on June 25, 2014, with the Moto 360 coming later on September 5, 2014.Android Wear has been a big hit, with estimates that over 720,000 Android Wear smartwatches were shipped in the six months after its launch.On December 10, 2014, an update was released that added the ability to create and install custom watch faces, and updated the software to Android 5.0 Lollipop. Announced: June 2014 | Released: November 2014Android 5.0 Lollipop, was first announced on June 25, 2014, during the Google I/O conference, and became officially available on November 12, 2014.Once again the interface received a major overhaul, this time getting the flat and minimalist "material design" theme. Notifications were also tweaked and could now be seen on the lockscreen – though the ability to view widgets when the handset is locked was removed.The results of Project Volta were included to help improve battery life for devices running Android 5.0, third party apps were again allowed access to data stored on SD cards, and a new smart lock feature allowed you to easily lock and unlock your device in certain situations and locations.Version 5.1 followed on March 9, 2015, giving users the ability to make high definition voice calls between Android 5.1-toting devices, multiple SIM card support, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth settings including in the quick settings menu and improved device protection. Android 5.0 Lollipop is currently still being rolled out to devices, so if you're waiting to upgrade check out our regularly updated article on when you can expect to get the latest version of Android. Announced: June 2014 | Released: November 2014Android Auto isn't strictly an operating system in its own right, rather it relies on a physical connection to an Android smartphone to project a simplified interface onto a car's internal display.Providing a car-friendly interface which works with steering wheel mounted controls is nice, plus Android Auto allows you to utilize apps such as Maps for navigation and Spotify for seamless music streaming.In terms of functionality, Android Auto hasn't developed at the pace we hoped when it was launched back in 2014, and today the app selection is still rather limited. Android Auto: Google's head unit for cars explained Announced: May 2015 | Released: October 2015Android 6 Marshmallow was officially unveiled in May 2015 at the Google I/O conference, but it became available for a number of devices in October of the same year.The update brought with it a feature called Now on Tap to provide contextual search results using your search history to make them more relevant. It also had a great power management system update for when you're not fiddling with the phone.It allowed for Adoptable Storage for the first time, which means you can use your microSD card but your phone will treat it like internal storage instead.Marshmallow also allowed for better fingerprint recognition tech and USB Type-C connectors for the very time. It now means most Android manufacturers are now adopting the reversible charging technology. Announced: March 2016 | Released: August 2016Android Nougat was released as a beta very early (March 2016) compared to previous software releases, but it officially landed in August 2016.Differences between Nougat and Marshmallow are quite minimal, but the update does bring with it split-screen mode on Android devices for the very first time.That's particularly useful for the Google Pixel C, but also works on phone devices as well for when you want to use two apps side-by-side.Nougat also allows for inline replies to notifications so you won't need to open up your Messenger app to be able to send a quick reply back to your friends. Announced: March 2017 | Released: August 2017The latest version of Android takes its name from another popular snack, the infamous Oreo.Originally announced back in March 2017 as Android O (or Android 8, if you prefer the numerical naming regime) it wasn't until August 21, 2017 when the Android Oreo name was confirmed.On the same date Google pushed out the final build of its new platform to devices signed up to its Beta program, which included the Pixel, Pixel XL and Nexus 6P. Everything you need to know about Android Oreo Announced: March 2018 | Launched: TBCAndroid P is the next major software upgrade for Google's expanding operating system, and its beta is already available on a number of handsets.We're yet to learn the sweet-treat name Google will apply to this Android 9 update, but rumors online are pointing to the likes of Pistachio, Pecan Pie and Pez. How to download the Android P beta right nowAndroid P: everything you need to know Source link

[infotainmentplus-blog]

Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra Review: It’s about time For more than five years, Sony’s smartphone lineup has more or less remained the same. Compared to other competing smartphones, the company’s offerings always trailed behind in design, overall hardware features, and other popular smartphone trends like near bezel-less displays, dual cameras, and QHD resolution screens. They were good phones, but they were unexciting and almost always priced too high for what they offered compared to the competition. Factors like the fingerprint sensor being unavailable in the U.S. and a lack of carrier support made them even more unappealing. Now it looks like Sony is finally starting to make some significant changes. Is it too little too late? We won’t be able to fully answer that question until Sony’s flagship Xperia XZ2 hits the market, but its new mid-range smartphone might give us a glimpse into Sony’s future. This is the Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra review. Design Sony’s previous design grew stale rather fast but the XA2 Ultra is Sony’s first smartphone in a long time to make some drastic changes. Despite its decidedly mid-range specs, it looks and feels every bit like a high-end smartphone. The distinct boxy and rectangular Sony shape mostly remains intact; from a distance, you may not notice anything different. Once you take a closer look though, the changes Sony made to modernize the design become clear. With a thick and heavy all-metal body, the XA2 Ultra is sturdy. It feels like an absolute tank. The build quality is top notch, with nice design flourishes like chamfered edges, a slightly curved back, and rounded sides for improved ergonomics. Despite all that, the XA2 Ultra isn’t the most comfortable phone to hold and use. The smooth metal finish provides very little grip. The Ultra name means this phone is big, which may not appeal to everyone. The Ultra name means this phone is big, which may not appeal to everyone. There are so many big Android phones out there nowadays that physical size is rarely a topic of conversation anymore, especially with manufacturers shrinking down bezels and switching to 18:9 displays to make big phones smaller. The XA2 Ultra follows some of these trends. Its side bezels are practically non-existent and the top and bottom bezels are slightly smaller, though the phone is still incredibly wide, tall, and thick. It takes me back to the days of the Nexus 6. It’s an uncomfortable one-handed device and its sharp corners jab you in the palm, only adding to the discomfort. Display It's not the most impressive-sounding display but it certainly won't disappoint. The smaller bezels might make you think the XA2 Ultra has an 18:9 display, but that isn’t the case. Instead, the XA2 Ultra sticks with a more traditional 16:9 display, which is partly why the phone is still so wide despite its thinner side bezels. The screen is a 6-inch IPS LCD with a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, covered in 2.5D glass for a slight curve along the edges which blends in nicely with the rest of the phone’s subtly rounded aesthetic. It’s not the most impressive-sounding display but it certainly won’t disappoint. At six inches there’s plenty of screen real estate to comfortably browse the web and enjoy content such YouTube videos, movies, or games. Read more: What is the 18:9 aspect ratio all about? The 1080p resolution spread over a 6-inch display doesn’t result in the highest pixel density, but the screen is still plenty sharp and easy to read. The display has vibrant color, excellent contrast, great viewing angles, and gets bright enough to see in direct sunlight. Like many other Sony smartphones, The XA2 Ultra offers the ability to easily adjust the screen’s white balance, color gamut, and contrast within the software if the default out of the box settings don’t quite suit your taste. Performance The XA2 Ultra is powered by fairly run-of-the-mill midrange specs. It packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor and 4GB of RAM. In my week of use, the XA2 Ultra performed admirably. Swiping through home screens, launching applications, and playing games was a responsive and fluid experience and 4GB of RAM was plenty of memory for smooth multitasking. The XA2 Ultra will not produce mind-blowing benchmark numbers, but in real-world use, it should be more than enough to satisfy most users. Where the Snapdragon 630 processor truly shines is its battery life because it’s one of Qualcomm’s more battery-efficient processors. Sony also bumped up the battery capacity in the XA2 Ultra to 3,580mAh, a significant increase over the previous generation. The XA2 Ultra consistently lasted me two days on a single charge, with screen-on time easily reaching the six-hour mark. Fast charging is available via Quick Charge 3.0 and Sony’s stamina mode can help prolong battery life when you can’t get to a charger. The XA2 Ultra also comes with other useful battery features like Battery Care and Qnovo Adaptive Charging, which helps keep your battery healthier and extends its lifespan. Hardware The XA2 Ultra is available in two storage options with 32 or 64GB variants. If you want more space there’s a microSD card slot for up to 256GB of additional storage. Bluetooth 5 is onboard with support for higher-quality audio with AptX HD. You’ll probably also be happy to know the XA2 Ultra keeps its headphone jack — something which won’t be in Sony’s upcoming XZ2 flagship. You'll probably also be happy to know the XA2 Ultra keeps its headphone jack. Flanking the USB Type-C port on the bottom is a single speaker, which, much like most single-firing speakers, isn’t much to write home about. It gets fairly loud, with no noticeable signs of distortion, but the placement makes it easy to muffle and it fires audio sideways when holding the phone in landscape. It's unfortunate Sony took this long to make it happen but as the saying goes — better late than never. The biggest hardware change Sony made this year is the relocation of the fingerprint sensor. What used to be embedded in the side mounted power key has been moved to the back, right below the camera. It’s spacious, easy to reach with an index finger, and reasonably fast at unlocking. It also finally works for U.S. users. It’s unfortunate Sony took this long to make it happen but as the saying goes, “better late than never.” Camera One of the biggest highlights of the XA2 Ultra are its cameras — at least according to Sony. The XA2 Ultra comes with two front-facing cameras, which we haven’t seen since the LG V10. The main sensor is a 16MP camera with optical image stabilization for improved low light shooting and less chance of a blurry selfie should you have a shaky hand. The secondary sensor is a wide-angle 8MP shooter with a 120-degree field of view to make group selfies easier or simply fit more of the background into the frame. Next to the primary front-facing shooter is a flash Sony calls a slow-sync flash. Normally when you take a selfie in a dark environment and use a flash, your face will be properly illuminated but the background remains dark. The slow-sync flash is designed to alleviate this problem by evenly lighting the subject and the background so you can see more detail. In everyday practice, it works but it isn’t as impressive as it seems. Photos appear more natural and more of the background is easily visible but it introduces more noise into the shot. Image quality in general from the front-facing camera is not as good as I would have expected from a 16MP camera with OIS. Sony’s image processing will give your selfies a very soft look, which is great for hiding blemishes and fine detail but it feels a little aggressive. A skin softening feature is enabled by default, but turning this off doesn’t seem to make a noticeable difference. The rear camera is a 23MP Exmor RS sensor with f/2.0 aperture and max ISO performance of 12,800. This is impressively high for a smartphone camera (although a far cry from the Huawei P20) and will create brighter images in low light, though unfortunately ISO levels beyond 3,200 can’t be dialed in manually. Regardless, you’ll likely never want to shoot at higher ISO levels due to the heavy increase in noise, which already visibly creeps in when the camera approaches even 1,000 ISO. Image quality deteriorates quickly in dark or night time situations with soft details, overblown highlights, and washed-out colors, giving the images a very muddy appearance. Unsurprisingly, the camera fairs better in bright or well-lit environments. Color reproduction is natural and properly saturated, and images are sharp. The camera’s biggest downfall is its poor dynamic range. Shadows are heavily crushed in almost every situation, resulting in less detail. HDR helps tremendously with that, but I’m still not a fan of how Sony buries HDR in the manual mode camera settings. It’s cumbersome to access and unintuitive, meaning many users will never enjoy its benefits. Software The software experience on the XA2 Ultra is very standard Sony. It’s based on Android 8.0 Oreo with Xperia customizations. If you’ve used any recent Sony smartphone, you’ll instantly feel right at home. Sony’s customizations are unobtrusive and they keep the experience very close to stock, which I’ve always enjoyed. Sony's customizations are unobtrusive and they keep the experience very close to stock. The XA2 Ultra comes with typical Sony features be found in many of the company’s other devices, like Playstation integration and the Xperia theme engine for customizing the wallpaper, icons, and general UI. A list of recommended apps can be accessed by swiping down on the home screen or through the app drawer, though I’ve never found this to be particularly useful. Specific to the XA2 Ultra is the addition of one-handed features, which can make operating the phone with one hand easier. Using these features you can shrink the UI into a smaller resizable window and shift other elements such as the dialer and pattern lock to either the left or right side of the display. Gallery Specifications Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra Display 6" Full HD 1080p Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 RAM 4 GB Storage 32 GB 64 GB Expandable up to 256 GB via microSD Camera Rear: 23 MP Exmor RS with f/2.3 aperture, hybrid AP, and 5x zoom Front: 16 MP sensor with OIS and 8 MP with 120 wide-angle lens Battery 3,580 mAh battery, Quick Charge 3.0, Battery Care, Qnovo Adaptive Charging Software Android 8.0 Oreo Miscellaneous Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, USB Type-C, 3.5 mm headphone jack Pricing & Final Thoughts The Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra is available as an unlocked device for GSM networks and is priced at $450 in the U.S.. For a mid-range phone, the XA2 Ultra has a lot to offer, with its long overdue design refresh, dual front-facing cameras, fantastic battery life, and a fingerprint sensor that now works in the U.S.. But it’s not priced as competitively as it should be — typical of most Sony phones. The XA2 Ultra would be more attractive — possibly even a no-brainer purchase — if it were priced at under $400. $450 puts this very close to “budget flagship” devices like the OnePlus 5T and Honor View10. Both are only $50 more and arguably offer better bang for your buck, especially on the performance side. Still, the XA2 Ultra is another solid offering from Sony and a great step forward in the right direction. Unfortunately, like many Sony devices, its price may hold it back from success. , via Android Authority http://bit.ly/2E7jJpz

[techprolonged]

Realme launched its third smartphone in Pakistan this month – Realme 3, following the first two entrants earlier this year dubbed Realme 2 Pro and Realme C1. While the company entered Pakistani market this year, it had started operations earlier in India and other regions. Hence the Realme 3 is a successor to the company’s Realme 2 which wasn’t launched in Pakistan.

Expecting soon another smartphone, Realme 3 Pro, a successor to the 2 Pro in Pakistan, Realme 3 is currently the company’s most recent contender among the budget market. The phone’s lower variant with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage retails at PKR 23,000. However the company also offered this model for even less during the first sale from Daraz.pk.

There is also another variant of the phone with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage and that costs PKR 29,000. Interesting fact is that the only difference between the two variants is the RAM and storage. Otherwise you get everything identical from both the variants.

If you are still thinking about the brand and its reputation, then I guess you also need to know that it’s like the Honor sub-brand name for Huawei and Redmi sub-brand name for Xiaomi. They same way, “Realme” is the sub-brand of OPPO. It’s powered with OPPO’s ColorOS as well. Now I believe you know the company very well, right?

So the question is, would you prefer a 4GB RAM and 64GB storage with 26% extra cost? Well the answer is not that simple because in the price range you may also have other options from other brands with a bit of trade-offs. However the fact is, the price of 3GB model is attractive because in its price, the Helio P60 processor is a deal-done event.

Though the phone we have here for review, is the 4GB model, you shouldn’t expect a significant difference in performance. However the more the RAM, the more tasks the phone can run simultaneously. On the other hand, the large storage capacity is also a welcome element in today’s date because everybody likes to take pictures and record videos, without even deleting the crap ones instantly.

So I have just told about two factors that may require you to buy an expensive variant. If you are just an easy dude who can manage cleaning the recent apps and does not take a lot of unneeded photos or doesn’t store a bundle of heavy games, you are good to go with a 3GB RAM with 32GB internal storage.

If you haven’t seen our unboxing session of Realme 3, you shouldn’t miss that because we’re not covering that here in detail. Also you would learn about our initial thoughts about the phone.

[iframe width=”850″ height=”470″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/VerZaMqPi2M” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen=”yes”]

Right now we have told you the basic and important difference between two variants of Realme 3 that you may choose to buy. You have also watched our unboxing session with our first impressions. But that’s not everything you needed to know before you buy. Sure, you want to learn more about how does the Realme 3 performs in all aspects including system performance, power management, and of course the camera performance. Well, you are just at the right place.

Just before moving, have quick look on the package content you are gonna get with Realme 3.

Realme 3 – the device

5V/2A charger

Micro USB connectivity cable

Silicone back cover

Quick User Guide

SIM eject tool

Realme 3 Unboxed

Let’s have quick look at the specifications and features of the Realme 3.

Quick Features and Specifications

Realme 3 SoC Chip: Helio P60 (12nm) – MediaTek MT6771 CPU: 4x Cortex-A73 2.0GHz + 4x Cortex-A53 2.0GHz GPU: Mali G72 MP3 Memory 3GB RAM + 32GB Storage 4GB RAM + 64GB Storage microSD card dedicated slot (up to 256GB) OS / Software Android 9 Oreo / ColorOS 6.0 Display 6.2-inch IPS LCD 1520×720 HD+ resolution, 19:9, Pixel density: ~271 ppi Screen-to-body ratio: ~81.9% Rear Camera 13MP 1/3″ PDAF Sensor, f/1.8 lens aperture 2MP depth sensor for portrait mode. 720p/1080p video recording at 30fps Front Camera 13MP 1/3″ sensor, f/2.0 lens aperture Battery 4230 mAh 5V/2A (10-watt) charging Size/Weight 156.1 x 75.6 x 8.3 mm / 175 grams Sensors Fingerprint sensor, Accelerometer, Proximity, Ambient light, E-Compass, Gyroscope Connectivity WiFi: 802.11 b/g/n, 2.4GHz WiFi Tethering, Hotspot Bluetooth: 4.2, GPS/AGPS, FM Radio, USB 2.0 micro USB, USB-OTG Color Options Radiant Blue and Dynamic Black

Realme originally comes in three colors including Radiant Blue, Dynamic Black and Classic Black. But here in Pakistan you will have two options the Radiant Blue or Dynamic Black.

Helio P60 or Helio P70?

Well this is also a big question about the Realme 3 that it was originally launched with MediaTek Helio P70 which was a successor chipset of Helio P60. But the Realme 3, in Pakistan, was launched with the Helio P60 chip. When we reached out to the company for this concern, they literally responded with some logical reason which was the cost.

We already knew that both the chipsets are identical, packing the same CPU architecture, same GPU and APU. But only a minor increase in clock speed of the performance cores of Helio P70 with the claim of better AI performance.

On the other hand, we have trialed a variety of devices running on Helio P70 and Helio P60, both were were pretty much similar in day to day performance as well as on the benchmark scores.

So we believe if you get a significant price impact with only a minor performance difference, you really should go for the lower price.

Should we move on?

Realme 3 Build and Design

Realme 3 has unibody design with a plastic back panel and mid-frame. All the color variants have the back panels with their own certain types. The one we have here for review – the Dynamic Black comes with the “Starry Particles” as an important factor.

The upper parts is all black while the lower part of the panel has that night-blue accent with shinning stars inspired by the milky way. “The precious particles give the phone shell starry surface as well as magical chameleon effect.”

The fingerprint sensor is on the back at the upper part along side the dual-camera module that also hosts an LED flash. You can see a golden circle around the main camera which just for a visual distinction and nothing else.

The grip and handling is comfortable with the less-slippery back panel, while the 3D curved back panel helps better when you need to pick the phone up from some surface.

Components and Ports

Realme 3 hosts the Micro USB port along with the loud speaker and 3.5mm audio jack at the bottom. There is also a mouthpiece (primary mic). The power button is on the right side of the phone but the volume rocker is on the left along side the SIM slot.

#gallery-0-31 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-31 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-0-31 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-31 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

I have always liked the power button and volume rocker on the right side of the phone. But it’s a preference, and you may like the way it is on Realme 3. We don’t have anything on the top side of the phone.

The SIM slot serves with a dedicated dual-SIM and one microSD card expansion tray. That means you can use all of them all along at once.

This is something better than the hybrid SIM slot on most phones.

Front and Display

I may have mentioned earlier in previous reviews that the only notch I like on smartphones is the dewdrop one – referred as water-drop by OPPO and Halo by Vivo. As expected, this tiny notch houses a single front-facing camera with an earpiece between the screen and the body.

#gallery-0-32 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-32 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; } #gallery-0-32 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-32 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Thin bezels like these ones are now common as we know already. The bottom chin is still present with some space.

Realme 3 features a 6.2-inch display with aspect ratio of 19:9. It comes with HD+ display resolution of 1520 x 720 pixels serves with the pixel density of around 270 ppi. Realme says it has 88.3% screen-to-body ratio which does not include the the frame outside the screen. But when we include the the full front profile to calculate the display area ratio, it comes out as around 81%.

Realme 3 packs with an IPS LCD panel but its outdoor visibility is also good. Resolution is not something that you might be impressed with but in this price range this is something which you really look for. Higher resolution displays with mid-range processors is not a good combination for long term battery performance as well as gaming.

HD resolution is quite good for most type of content on screen. Not that bad for reading but also helps with the battery. Graphics performance comes out as better as the GPU has to render pixels on the screen.

Software and User Interface

Realme 3 runs Android 9 Pie operating system out-of-the-box. Having its family relation with OPPO, this phone or any other Realme phone comes with OPPO’s ColorOS. Realme 3 comes with the latest ColorOS 6. The new ColorOS has revamped totally that the home screen look like a stock Android one but many other elements are visually changed with large and flat icons.

To give a quick glimpse, here is the notification panel with the large toggle switches.

The phone starts with a lock screen, unlock to go to home screens, the folders, and multitask view and so on. Those who always wished for an app drawer in their OPPO smartphones, or Realme ones, it’s there now. The new ColorOS 6 now offers you an option to switch between the standard mode or drawer mode.

#gallery-0-33 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-33 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 20%; } #gallery-0-33 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-33 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Realme 3, ColorOS 6 – Lock screen, standard home screen, home screen style switcher, home screen with app drawer

The far left screen offers to enable or disable Smart Assistant of ColorOS, however the Google Now app can be opened from settings. Folders on the home screen are just same as before but unlike before now they have sharp and straight user interface with no rounded corners.

Recent apps view is just like before with big cards, however you can opt to display RAM/memory information on this screen from settings.

#gallery-0-34 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-34 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 25%; } #gallery-0-34 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-34 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Realme 3, ColorOS 6 – Smart Assistant, Folder view, Recent Tasks, Recent Tasks with memory information

The new system comes with a new navigation keys layout with no Recent tasks key by default. There is a back key, and home key but instead of recent tasks key, you need to perform a swipe-up gesture on the blank key spot to bring up the recent tasks view. But you can switch back to standard back, home and recent apps keys layout from the settings if you want. By the way, I liked to stay with this and it was easily adaptive.

#gallery-0-35 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-35 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 25%; } #gallery-0-35 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-35 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Realme 3, ColorOS 6 – Default navigation keys layout, navigation layout options or gesture based navigation

Complete gesture based navigation control set is also available like other smartphones. However split-screen function has the impact of default navigation keys layout. You might have been used to with the long-tap recent tasks key to trigger split-screen feature. Well that function is still present if you switch back to the standard navigation keys layout from the settings. But the default keys layout doesn’t offer the recent apps key, you may need to swipe-up and bring the recent tasks view. There you can use the card menu to trigger the split-screen.

#gallery-0-36 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-36 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 25%; } #gallery-0-36 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-36 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Additionally you can use the three-finger swipe-up gesture on the compatible app, to trigger the split-screen.

Here is the completely new notification panel with white background and colorful toggles and switches. I wish there was a dark theme as well, hoping it to ship via a software update soon. It’s only the visually change. Experience wise, it’s just same as before – you can change and rearrange toggles and switches.

#gallery-0-37 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-37 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 25%; } #gallery-0-37 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-37 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Then there is also a Smart Sidebar that you can turn on for quick access to you favorite apps and features.

ColorOS 6 keeps my favorite feature in the File Manager – the ftp based remote file manager that you can access via web browser or the file explorer on your computer. Phone manager with all its features is also present. The security features include App Lock, Kid Space and Private Safe.

For improved gaming experience, there is also a Game Space which is now included in every other Android smartphone. If you didn’t know it actually prioritize the system performance for gaming when you are playing.

#gallery-0-38 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-38 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 25%; } #gallery-0-38 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-38 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Overall the software is good to play with. A special “Realme” touch is not present but you are bound to get everything OPPO builds into the system as long as the system supports it.

Realme 3 does have a fingerprint sensor on its back which is really fast and provides a good experience with accurate recognition. In addition, the phone also support face unlock which is equally and impressively fast.

System Performance

Something that you really need from your smartphone, is the performance. Realme 3 comes with the MediaTek Helio P60 which is comparable with Snapdragon 660 smartphones. Overall the system was fluent with every day task in Realme 3.

The phone features the Mali-G72 GPU along with the 4GB of RAM. The 720p resolution was a good match for the processo. However our previous experience with Helio P60 devices was better in gaming. The famous PUBG Mobile did actually lag in our Realme 3 experience. Considering the fact that we previously didn’t had that kind of experience with this chipset, I believe it’s just a optimization that may fix the issue via simply a software update.

Other titles were just fine playing on Realme 3, However this certain device wasn’t compatible with Asphalt 9. If you are looking for benchmark numbers, then why not take a look at the benchmark scores below.

AnTuTu: 132709

Geekbench Single-core: 1419

Geekbench Multi-core: 5078

3D Mark – Sling Shot Extreme (OpenGL ES 3.1): 1123

3D Mark – Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan): 1068

#gallery-0-39 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-39 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 20%; } #gallery-0-39 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-39 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

If optimized well, the Realme 3 should be good for all kind operations as well as gaming. ColorOS 6 still needs optimization but the day to day usage with almost every kind of stuff was fine.

Battery Performance

The 4230 mAh big battery is really a power pack for this phone. The company’s cheaper Realme C1 also had the same battery but the Snapdragon 450 is little less to manage power due to big size of semiconductor. The 12nm process of Helio P60 is actually helpful making the battery last longer. On top of that, as I told you already, the 720p display did its trick to further increase the battery timing.

A bad thing is that phone doesn’t support fast charging but the bundled 10W charger pulls up the battery power to 20-22% in around 30 minutes. A full charge would take up to 3 hours.

Camera

Realme 3 features a dual camera setup on its back with a 13-megapixel main unit paired with a secondary 2-megapixel depth sensor. The second camera is mainly for portrait mode that simulates blurred background, aka bokeh effect in close up shots.

The 13MP main camera is the main shooter for almost every occasion. The sensor features phase-detect autofocus with 1.12µm pixel size. There is a large f/1.8 aperture lens and an LED flash for it.

The front camera also equips with a 13MP image sensor for selfies with a nice f/2.0 lens aperture. The front camera comes with a fixed-focus lens like most mobile cameras out there.

Camera UI

Camera UI is what has the biggest makeover in ColorOS 6. It’s totally different, and probably simpler too. The main view finder offers with the three main modes – Photo, Video and Portrait. All of which are available with front camera as well.

Further from the hamburger menu button, you can choose options from nightscape (night mode/long exposure), panorama, expert (pro mode), time-lapse and slo-mo. The front camera only supports panorama and time-lapse.

#gallery-0-40 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-40 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 25%; } #gallery-0-40 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-40 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Image Quality

Realme 3 captures decent image detail in daylight for its price value. System enhanced vividness is present but not so aggressively. However there is a Chroma Boost option to further enhance the colors which also maintains the image detail. Noise handling was also impressive but images looked little over sharpened.

Outdoor Shots

[slickr-flickr search=”sets” set=”72157678009266147″]

Low-light Shots

[slickr-flickr search=”sets” set=”72157678009266167″]

The camera looses detail in low-light however Night mode comes handy with long exposure shots while hand-held. With standard mode, the camera prefers to stay at 1/25th of the second at minimum for exposure while having the ISO increased. That way you will normally see heavy noise and low-detail in the image. But the Night mode (Nightscape) can go down to 1/9th of a second with low-ISO sensitivity. But you need to be little steady with your hands to get much better night shots.

[sciba leftsrc=”https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/32798182047_5afe6cc69b_z_d.jpg” leftlabel=”Standard Shot” rightsrc=”https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47688772882_d8aef0e3e3_z_d.jpg” rightlabel=”Nightscape Mode” mode=”horizontal” width=”640″]

Conclusion

Well the one liner would be like – the Realme 3 is an impressive contender among its price range. Specially when if we talk about the 3GB variant that costs PKR 23,000 (or 22k in flash sale). 4GB model is also good in 29,000 but that’s the price tag where we usually see the Helio P60 or similar processor line up.

The same processor, when you get for Rs. 23k, is something that should attract the customer. 32GB storage is not that bad. It should be good for most users out there. 4230 mAh battery is also impressive in this price. No fast charging can be quite disappointing but in this price I guess 10-watt charging shouldn’t bother you either.

Camera is also something above the the price range and we usually see such a quality in mid-range phones. The Realme 3 3GB model is indeed a lower mid-range phone and we are really impressed with its offering.

You may give it a try, specially if you are good with 32GB internal storage.

Realme 3 Full Review – Is it really a Budget King? Realme launched its third smartphone in Pakistan this month - Realme 3, following the first two entrants earlier this year dubbed Realme 2 Pro and Realme C1.