The 4 Best Smart Home Security Systems of 2016

Everyone wants a secure home, but not everyone understands how to go about making their home safe and secure. There are just too many products on the market, and with the advent of smart tech like the Samsung SmartThings and Google’s Nest, the possibilities are nearly endless. So what’s a homeowner to do?

The best course of action is to figure out exactly what your home needs—before doing any research. From there, you can begin to narrow down the type of home security system that’s right for you and your family. To help guide you in choosing the right one for your home, we’ve compiled a list of the best smart security systems available.

1

Best Overall: Nest Cam

Nest

Formerly called “Dropcam,” the Nest Cam is a pretty little gadget meant to deter would-be intruders from doing all the bad things intruders do. It features 24/7 live vide streaming (HD) to your phone or tablet, motion and sound alerts, night vision, digital zoom, two-way audio and an easy setup. It also features one of the strongest designs we’ve seen from a security cam, with a magnetic base, pivoting stand and a sleek appearance that’s just plain cool.

While the Nest Cam packs enough functionality into the core product, you may be tempted to spring for one of Nest’s subscription packages. Most smart home security solutions skip the fees (because, honestly, no one wants to pay fees), but Nest Aware certainly has its selling points. For $10/month or $100/year you’ll get cloud storage of your video streams for up to 10 days. That time limit increases to 30 days with the $30/month, $300/year packages. Nest Aware also gives you alert summaries, downloadable clips, and time-lapse functionality, among other features.

But maybe the biggest selling point for the Nest Cam is its compatibility with Nest’s other smart home products: the Learning Thermostat and the Protect Smoke Alarm and Carbon Monoxide Detector. As a family, these products offer an impressive array of possibilities. Buy from Amazon »

2

Best Overall Runner-Up: Piper nv

Courtesy of Amazon.com

Piper nv is similar to Canary in that it’s a standalone module with familiar home security features: There’s a camera, a siren and motion detection. But it has a few additional features that make it more of a competitor with the Nest Cam (albeit a little more pricey) rather than the Canary.

The HD camera can record video or be used to monitor your home in real time from your phone. The 180-degree field of view (compared to the Nest Cam’s 130 degrees) is another nifty perk that sets the Piper apart from the pack. Like the Nest Cam, it features two-way audio, which allows you to yell at any intruders scrounging around in your home. It’s also well designed and aesthetically pleasing—a point that a lot of manufacturers overlook when designing products that are meant to sit around in plain sight.

Piper nv also doubles as a home automation hub, allowing you to connect any Z-Wave module, light dimmers, switch or sensor. The only problem with that is the somewhat limited saturation of Z-Wave products. Some folks prefer the competing ZigBee standard, but many more simply prefer an either/or situation. Piper nv is justZ-Wave. Some users may also find the app experience a bit irritating. All-in-all, though, the Piper nv is a solid standalone smart home security solution. Buy from Amazon »

3

Best for Large Homes: iSmartAlarm

Courtesy of Amazon.com

The iSmartAlarm takes a modular approach to home security, sort of like Samsung’s SmartThings. The system features a variety of switches, sensors, cameras and remote tags that can be bundled together or bought separately according to your needs. The system as a whole is self-monitored and self-controlled, and this is perhaps its greatest strength and its greatest weakness.

At the heart of the iSmartAlarm is the CubeOne hub, which coordinates the activities of all the different sensors and switches. It’s easy to set up and necessary if you want a highly thorough, home-wide security system. This DIY approach allows you to, in a sense, customize your home security. There are capabilities for SMS and push notifications, break-in detection and real-time monitoring through the associated App. There are also no monthly fees or contracts to sign, and the network can be expanded to control a near-unlimited number of sensors.

The biggest drawback, however, is that the system does not automatically contact police or emergency services. (Hence, the “self-monitoring” format.) The iCamera, which can be bought individually is buggy and a bit of a hassle to set up, and you may experience some difficulties connecting it to the CubeOne.

Still, iSmartAlarm is a decent option for securing your entire home with smart tech. There are a variety of packages for the iSmartAlarm system, (You can also buy individual sensors, switches, and cameras.) Buy from Amazon »

4

Best Plug-in-Play for Apartments: Canary

Courtesy of Amazon.com

Unlike iSmartAlarm, the Canary is an all-in-one home security solution—with a few extra perks thrown in. The beer bottle-sized device includes a motion sensor and HD video camera, as well as temperature, humidity, and air quality sensors in an affordable package.

All that hardware allows for an impressive range of features, including a 90+ dB siren (which is loud!), motion-activated video recording, automatic arming and disarming, and instant access to emergency services. And it’s easy to set up: no installation, contracts, or fees to pay.

While the Canary may be a solid smart security solution for small apartments and studios, its single-unit design is less practical for large homes. Set it in a room with valuables and rest easy knowing you have the room well monitored, but if you want the same for other areas in your home you’ll have to buy another one.

Some users have complained about the accuracy of the various sensors, while others have expressed concerns about an over-active sensor, poor reliability and a clunky user interface. This could be problematic because the number one attribute you want from a home security system is reliability.

With that said, the Canary may prove useful if you have a specific home security need, and maybe you want to monitor your home’s air quality while you’re at it. Buy from Amazon »

Disclosure

The Sonos Play:1 speaker is $50 off for Black Friday

The Play:1 is the entry-level gateway speaker from Sonos, and this weekend it’s on sale for $149 — $50 off the usual price — at a variety of retailers, including Amazon, Sonos, Best Buy, and the Apple Store. And despite being at the lower end of the Sonos product line, the Play:1 is still a fantastic speaker, whether used on its own or in a multi-room setup.

Sonos has bundled two Play:1s together for $349 in the past, but this individual $50 discount is one of the best prices we’ve seen on the speaker. It’s a good deal, especially for a Sonos product given that the speakers rarely go on sale. So if you’re looking for a single-room speaker or just want to build out your Sonos system, now's a good time. Sonos’ Black Friday sale will run from November 24th through November 28th.

(Affiliate links are automatically generated by our partner, Skimlinks. For more information, see our ethics policy.)

DirecTV Now streaming service will reportedly launch without CBS

AT&T’s foray into digital TV is running into a snag. Its new streaming service, called DirecTV Now, will reportedley launch without support from CBS, according to a report from Bloomberg. That means the service won’t at launch have access to shows like The Big Bang Theory, a sizable number of NFL games, or any of the other programming from the largest US network. DirecTV Now is said to have more than 100 channels and cost $35 a month. It represents one of the best values out there for the price, but the absence of CBS will likely undermine its initial success.

The dispute is also forging a wedge between two of TV’s largest players, and the results may have ripple effects far and wide beyond the industry. Many companies, from Apple to Sony to Google, are trying to find the perfect combination of price and channel selection to finally crack what’s keeping cable subscribers from cutting the cord. AT&T knows it will eventually need CBS to compete with these offerings and the rise of Netflix and Amazon, even if it has to pay a premium.

AT&T knows it will eventually need CBS, even if it has to pay a premium

Because CBS offers its own streaming service, CBS All Access, for $5.99 a month, it has been aggressive in demanding higher fees to license its content. Dish Network’s Sling TV does not have a deal with CBS, and Sony’s PlayStation Vue offers it only in select markets. According to Bloomberg, Hulu has yet to strike a deal with the broadcaster for its upcoming live TV bundle, while YouTube is paying higher-than-average fees to license CBS content for its upcoming pay-TV service.

So CBS is clearly leveraging access to its network as a way to test the waters of both its own streaming service and the future of skinny TV bundles. No single over-the-top offering has yet to offer a robust enough cable alternative to start converting cable subscribers, and it’s starting to look like DirecTV Now won’t either. We’ll know more about the service on November 28th, when AT&T will announce the service at an event in New York City. While we may get some answers on rumored features like cloud DVR and the ability to pause live TV, what we likely won’t hear about is access to CBS.

Facebook is reportedly building a censorship tool so it can re-enter China

Facebook is developing a software tool that suppresses users’ posts from appearing in the News Feed in designated geographic areas, a possible first step toward making the social network available in China, the New York Times reported. The tool has reportedly caused a controversy within Facebook, with “several employees” quitting in protest after working on it, according to the Times.

Facebook has been banned from China since 2009. Like many US technology companies, Facebook has long sought a way back in, seeing the country’s 1.3 billion residents as a source of enormous potential growth. Google built a version of its search engine that complied with China’s censorship guidelines but retreated from the country in 2010 after a series of seemingly state-sponsored cyberattacks. More recently, Uber exited the Chinese market with a quick sale of its business there to local rival Didi Chuxing.

As the Times notes, Facebook has taken down posts in other countries around the world, including Pakistan, Russia, and Turkey. But the tool now in development would prevent the posts from ever surfacing in the News Feed at all, according to the report. Facebook plans to outsource censorship duties to a third-party company, the report said.

Allowing censors to manipulate public opinion directly

The news comes in the midst of a national discussion about Facebook’s growing power as a distributor of news, its role in containing the spread of lies and hoaxes, and the possibility that its refusal to adopt editorial standards may have influenced the US presidential election. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said the company is building new tools to address fake news. “I want what we do to have a good impact on the world,” Zuckerberg said earlier this month. “I want people to have a diversity of information.”

But the existence of a “censorship tool” would muddy those waters by allowing censors to manipulate public opinion directly by essentially preventing users from posting articles that offended the state. Once it were introduced, Facebook would likely face pressure from other autocratic regimes to enable its use in their own countries. It is not impossible that the United States would be one of those countries — a fact that led some sources to come forward to the Times, reporter Mike Isaac said on Twitter.

The Times cautioned that the tool is one of several approaches Facebook has considered and that it might never be introduced. “We have long said that we are interested in China, and are spending time understanding and learning more about the country,” a spokeswoman told The Verge. “However, we have not made any decision on our approach to China. Our focus right now is on helping Chinese businesses and developers expand to new markets outside China by using our ad platform.”

Fresh blow to China's troubled tech giant LeEco

The Chinese smartphone-maker Coolpad has unexpectedly warned of a sales slump, causing its shares to fall by nearly 10%.

It blamed tougher economic conditions and "fierce competition in the domestic smartphone market" for its troubles.
The news is a fresh blow to its biggest shareholder LeEco, which had recently increased its stake in the business.
Earlier this month, one of LeEco's co-founders warned of its own financial problems following a push into the US.

Partnership phone

Coolpad's stock dropped to a four-year low after it announced that sales had fallen by 43% over the first 10 months of 2016. It now expects to post a £3bn Hong Kong dollar ($386.8m; £313.2m) loss for its financial year as a whole.
LeEco became the firm's biggest shareholder in June, when it raised its stake in the company to 28.9%.
The two companies subsequently teamed up to release the metal-cased Cool1 Dual smartphone in August.
But the device struggled against rival handsets from other Chinese tech firms including Huawei, Oppo and Vivo.
"Chinese manufacturers used to be able to rely on their home market to give them unprecedented scale," commented Ben Wood from the tech consultancy CCS Insight.
"However, this year the Chinese market has plateaued and we are starting to see some of the casualties as a result."

American ambitions

The latest development casts a further cloud over LeEco after a period in which it pursued rapid growth.
In June, the privately-owned company bought 49 acres (19.8 hectares) of land from Yahoo in Santa Clara, California for a reported $250m.
In July, it revealed it was buying the US TV-maker Vizio for $2bn.
Then last month, the Beijing-based company held a high-profile launch event in San Francisco, where it announced it was to start selling a wide range of own-brand products in the US.
These include a range of 4K TVs, two smartphones, a virtual reality headset, a set-top box with its own streaming TV platform and an Android-enabled smart bicycle. It also planned for its concept car to drive itself on to the stage, but the vehicle was damaged en route to the event.
LeEco has outsize ambitions," noted the Recode tech news site at the time.
"The company literally describes itself as Apple, Netflix, Amazon and Tesla all rolled into one."
But on 7 November, Bloomberg revealed that LeEco's co-founder Jia Yueting had written to its 10,000-plus workers warning that its finances had come under pressure.
"We blindly sped ahead and our cash demand ballooned," the internal memo said.
"We got over-extended in our global strategy. At the same time, our capital and resources were in fact limited."

it had promised to show off the production vehicle at this January's CES.
It is unclear whether this is still planned.
"It would appear to be the case that LeEco has overstretched itself in multiple areas," said Mr Wood.
"Our bet is that it will now have to retrench and perhaps one of those investments will have to be sacrificed."

Google is updating Pixel phones with double-tap and raise-to-wake features

Google’s new Pixel smartphones received rave reviews at launch, but they also shipped without some much-wanted features found on their predecessors. Now, with an update pushed live for Canada owners today, the Pixel and Pixel XL have double-tap and raise-to-wake features. That way, you can tap two fingers on the device’s display to see alerts, or raise the phone to wake the screen and see notifications.

These features were present in one form or another on previous Google devices like the Nexus 6P. So they’re a welcome addition to the Pixel family, especially considering Apple just introduced raise-to-wake in iOS 10, and the Pixel is being positioned as the perfect Android alternative to Apple’s smartphone. It’s unclear when Google will release the features for US or international Pixel owners, but we can expect it some time soon.

To turn these features on, head over to the “Moves” section in the general settings panel. There you should find “Double-tap to check phone” and “Lift to check phone.” For those outside Canada interested in getting the features early, you can install a captured over-the-air zip file directly, though you’ll have to do a little extra work to ensure the update works on international and Verizon versions of the phone. For more information on that hack, head over to Droid Life.

Huawei Mate 9 review: Even with unfinished software, Huawei's best ever phone

Huawei's gigantic new flagship is off to a promising start, even on pre-release software. And it's an update away from being a really great handset.

With the spectacular failure of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 comes an opportunity for everyone else with a big-screened Android phone to sell. A major competitor in the world of "phablets" has been taken out of the game, and China's Huawei stands to benefit handsomely from Samsung's misfortune.

The company's long-running Mate series — itself a reaction to the success of the Note line, back in the day — has carved itself out a niche among consumers who appreciate its metal construction, enormous displays and epic battery life.

The new Mate 9 continues the family line — a slightly slimmer, smarter version of last year's Mate 8, with upgraded internals and a new dual camera setup courtesy of imaging partner Leica. Just as important as any hardware upgrade is the new EMUI 5 software, which is the biggest overhaul to Huawei's UI in years, bringing with it Android 7.0 Nougat.

But there's more than one Mate 9 model this time around. Alongside the vanilla 5.9-inch Mate 9 (with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage), Huawei will release a limited edition Porsche Design Mate 9, with a 5.5-inch curved AMOLED display, and a capacious 6GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

We've had a little over a week to get to know both the sensible and ludicrous Mate 9 models in the form of pre-release devices given to us by Huawei. They're running non-final software with a few bugs, and will be getting a software update before launch. Nevertheless, we've seen enough to come to some early conclusions. So here's what we think so far...

About this initial review

We're writing this initial review after a week with the regular Huawei Mate 9 (dual-SIM, MHA-L29), and four days with the Porsche Design Huawei Mate 9 (dual-SIM, LON-L29). We used both devices on the EE and Vodafone UK networks while in the UK, and on Telekom.de and Vodafone Germany networks while roaming in Germany.

Both phones were running pre-production software (build B109SP02). We're expecting an over-the-air update to both devices in the next couple of weeks to bring them up to retail-quality firmware. We'll finalize this review in the coming weeks once we have final firmware on both Mate 9 devices. For now, we present our first impressions.

Google makes Translate more accurate and sophisticated

Here's a bit of news that will make your translation prowess a little more sophisticated.

If you're like me and you check yourself before you make a fool of yourself by butchering someone else's native tongue, you'll appreciate the latest update to Google Translate.

Google has announced that it's launched the next step in making its translation services even better: Neural Machine Translation. This technique translates whole sentences at a time rather than tackling them word-by-word. The results are less robotic, more contextual translations that won't make a fool of you when you're overseas.

The Neural Machine Translation engine is now in action for English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Turkish.

You can use it with Google Search, the Google Translate app for Android, and on the web. Google said its goal it to eventually roll out Neural Machine Translation to all 103 languages, but until that's fulfilled, consider contributing to the Translate Community, where you can help review translations. I just helped with Romanian!

LG V20 Hands-On

At a press event in San Fransisco, USA, LG has announced the successor to its V10 handset, and it’s calling it the V20. Now, even though the device has just been made official to the world,  LG invited me to briefly play with the smartphone a few days prior to the launch event. And here’s what I think of it from the short amount of time I had with a pre-production unit.

What’s new? A brand new design, which looks and feels premium, yet is durable at the same time. LG acknowledged the fact that the V10 was a big and clunky device, so they decreased the thickness by a millimetre, and, at the same time, made it a tad narrower as well. I have actually never held a V10 in my hands before, because it never came to Europe, therefore my LG UK PR folks weren’t able to arrange a review unit for me.

With that being said, just by comparing the dimensions of both devices on paper, the difference seems tangible — LG V10: 159.6 x 79.3 x 8.6mm; LG V20: 159.7 x 78.1 x 7.6mm.


As for the build materials, LG has somewhat spiced things up with its next generation V-series smartphone. While the V10 was made mostly out of plastic, with stainless steel rails on the sides. The V20 is primarily constructed out of aluminium, which is not anodised and does actually feels like metal this time around, unlike the LG G5. The top and bottom part of the handset, however, are made out of Silicone Polycarbonate (Si-PC), which LG says reduces shocks by more than 20% compared to conventional materials; this is how LG is retaining the rigidity of the device, while making the design more premium.

The V20 has also passed the MIL-STD 810G Transit Drop Test, which determined that the device could withstand shocks when dropped repeatedly from a height of four feet, landing in various positions, and still function normally.

Even though the back is made out of aluminium, it’s user-replaceable — simply press the button located on the bottom right side of the device and the cover will pop right off. You have probably already guessed where I’m going with this. Yes, the battery is removable. And its size has been increased from 3,000mAh to 3,200mAh. Additionally, the device supports QuickCharge 3.0 technology, so you don’t really need to carry an extra battery with you, but you can, if you want to. And the smartphone uses a USB-C connector for syncing and charging.

Just like the V10, the V20, too, is packing two displays. The primary display (IPS Quantum display) comes in at 5.7-inches with a Quad HD (2560x144) resolution and a pixel density of 513ppi. The secondary display is located just above the primary display. It has double the brightness and 50 percent larger font size, compared to its predecessor. What’s more, the Korean firm has implemented a new Expandable Notification feature, which allows the user to interact with their incoming notifications through the secondary display. The unit I tested suffered from slight light bleed, but, overall, I was impressed by the quality of the panel, during the short amount of time I had access to it.

Now it’s time we had a little chat about the multimedia capabilities of this device, because they are insane. LG has brought the G5’s dual-camera system to the V20, which includes a 16-megapixel sensor with an aperture of f/1.8 and a 78-degree lens, and an 8-megapixel sensor with an aperture of f/2.4 and a 135-degree, wide-angle lens. I wasn’t able to extract pictures from the device I was testing, but they looked pretty solid to me. The device is also capable of shooting 4K video at 30FPS.

Then there’s the Hybrid Auto Focus system, which elevates the photo taking and video recording experience to a whole another level. In total, there are three AF systems: Laser Detection AF, Phase Detection AF, and Contrast AF. According to the scenario in which you’re shooting a video or capturing an image, the device chooses which AF system to go with (LDAF or PDAF), and then further refines the focus with Contrast AF.

With the LG V20, the company is introducing SteadyShot 2.0. It’s a technology which utilises Qualcomm’s Electronic Image Stabilisation (EIS) 3.0 and works in conjunction with Digital Image Stabilisation (DIS). The EIS uses the built-in gyroscope to neutralise shakiness from the video footage, while DIS uses algorithms to minimise the rolling shutter in post-processing.

Basically, the new auto focus systems should allow you to easily focus on an object in any lighting condition. And the new SteadyShot 2.0 technology should make your videos so smooth, that they should seem like they were shot using a gimbal. Nevertheless, at this very moment, I can’t really comment how well these technologies work in the real world, as I haven’t extensively tested the V20’s camera yet; expect a thorough examination of the camera in the full review.

The front-facing camera setup has received a few changes as well. Remember how the V10 boasted two 5-megapixel camera sensors at the front, one with a standard, 80-degree lens and the other with a wide-angle, 120-degree lens? The V20 only has a single 5-megapixel sensor, but it can shoot in both, standard (80-degree) and wide (120-degree), angles. Neat, right? Well, I certainly think so. Moreover, It comes with an Auto Shot feature, which automatically captures an image when the software detects the subject has a big, wide smile on their face, so no need to press the shutter button yourself.

It’s not just the imaging system which has received an upgrade, the audio system has been drastically improved as well. The V20 comes with a 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC (ESS SABRE ES9218), and the DAC’s main aim is to reduce distortion and ambient noise by up to 50%, which will, technically, result in a much clearer  listening experience. The device also has support for lossless music formats: FLAC, DSD, AIFF, and ALAC.

Furthermore, there are three built-in microphones on the V20, and LG is taking full advantage of them. Firstly, the company is bundling a HD Audio Recorder app with every V20, which allows you to record audio with a wider dynamic range frequency range. Secondly, you can record Hi-Fi audio using 24-bit / 48 kHz Linear Pulse Code Modulation (LPCM) format, while recording video, and use options like Low Cut Filter (LCF) and Limiter (LMT).

And, that’s not it. LG is partnering up with B&O PLAY (Bang & Olufsen) to further enhance the audio experience, which will result in their engineers tweaking the device’s sound profile, B&O PLAY branding on the device, and the manufacturer including a set of B&O PLAY earphones inside the box. But, there’s a catch.

The B&O PLAY variant will only be available in Asia, at least for now, it won’t be coming to either North America or Middle East. As for Europe, the LG rep wasn’t sure if it will receive the B&O PLAY variant or the standard variant, once the device eventually becomes available in the region — LG still hasn’t decided if it will be launching the V20 in Europe.

The LG V20 is packing a Snapdragon 820 SoC, with a quad-core CPU and an Adreno 530 GPU, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of UFS 2.0 internal storage, which is user-expandable up to 256GB via a MicroSD card slot. Performance-wise, I was actually surprised by how responsive the V20 was, switching through apps was lightning fast, but keep in mind that there were no 3rd party apps installed on the device, and I only used the device for about 40 minutes. There’s also a fingerprint sensor on-board, it’s located at the back, underneath the camera sensor, and works really, really well.

In terms of software, the V20 is the world’s first smartphone to ship with Android 7.0 Nougat with LG UX 5.0+ running on top of it. Yes, you read that exactly right. There’s not a single Galaxy or a Nexus device out there which ships with Nougat out of the box, but now an LG smartphone does. Congratulations, LG.

The V20 will be launched later this month in Korea and will be available in three colourways including Titan, Silver, and Pink. LG hasn’t yet confirmed pricing nor a release date for the US market.

So far, as you can clearly assume from my first impressions, I really seem to like the V20, much, much more than I liked the G5. And I can’t wait to put it through its paces and give you folks my full review of LG’s multimedia powerhouse. Stay tuned!

iPhone 7 Hardware & Software Specs

Each year when Apple introduces a new iPhone, critics and users hold their breaths for a major breakthrough to be included in the new model. With the iPhone 7, there's no major breakthrough, but there are two fairly big changes—one good, one maybe not so good.

The positive major change introduced with the phone is the new dual-camera system available on the iPhone 7 Plus. With two 12-megapixel cameras, a telephoto lens, and the ability to capture DSLR-quality depth of field effects, the 7 Plus' camera is a big step forward and could lay the ground work for even more advanced features later (think 3D). On the downside, the features don't ship out of the box; they'll be delivered via software later.

The negative change is the removal of the traditional headphone jack. The iPhone 7 will now include only a Lightning port for connecting wired headphones. Apple put the removal in terms of "courage," and it certainly fits with the company's other controversial-at-the-time feature removals (DVD, Ethernet, floppy discs), but whether the included adapter dongle is enough to satisfy users remains to be seen.

Removal of the headphone jack—Bound to be the most controversial iPhone change in years, the iPhone 7 removes the traditional headphone jack entirely. Instead, users are expected to use headphones that connect to the phone's Lightning port or AirPods, a new set of wireless headphones introduced by Apple at the same time.
The dual-camera system on the iPhone 7 Plus—The camera system on the iPhone 7 Plus is a major upgrade. It includes two 12-megapixel cameras on the back of the device, with the second camera offering a telephoto lens. This enables new image effects using depth of field (the foreground of the image in focus, the back blurred), live previews of depth of field effects, and up to 10x zoom. The camera flash also includes four bulbs (up from 2) for better color accuracy.
Higher top-end Storage—The highest capacity storage on the iPhone 7 is now 256 GB, up from 128 GB in the iPhone 6S.
Better color fidelity in screen—Both Phone 7 models have technology built into their screens that allows them to display a greater range of colors, delivering better-looking images. This technology was introduced previously on the iPad Pro.
New color options—In addition to silver, gold, and rose gold, the iPhone 7 offers two new color choices: Black and a high-polish "Jet Black." Jet Black is only available in the 128 GB and 256 GB models.
iPhone 7 Hardware Features

In addition to the changes noted above, new elements of the iPhone 7 also include:

The new A10 Fusion processor
W1 wireless audio chip to support AirPods and new wireless Beats headphones
Redesigned, solid state Home button with new force feedback engine
Improved user-facing camera
25% brighter screen
The ability to edit and add effects to Live Photos
Improved battery life
IP67 water and dust resistance
Support for Felica NFC standard used in Japan.
Screen
iPhone 7: 4.7 inches, at 1334 x 750 pixels
iPhone 7 Plus: 5.5 inches, at 1920 x 1080 pixels

Cameras
iPhone 7
Back camera: 12 megapixel, digital zoom up 5x
User-facing camera: 7 megapixel

iPhone 7 Plus
Back camera: Two 12-megapixel cameras, one with telephoto lens, optical zoom to 2x, digital zoom to 10x
User-facing camera: 7 megapixel

Panoramic photos: up to 63 megapixel
Video: 4K HD at 30 frames/second; 1080p at 120 frames/second slo-mo; 720p at 240 frames/second super slow-mo

Battery Life
iPhone 7
14 hours talk
14 hours Internet use (Wi-Fi)/12 hours 4G LTE
30 hours audio
13 hours video
10 days standby

iPhone 7 Plus
21 hours talk
15 hours Internet use (Wi-Fi)/13 hours 4G LTE
40 hours audio
14 hours video
16 days standby

Sensors
Accelerometer
Gyroscope
Barometer
Touch ID
Ambient light sensor
Proximity sensor
3D Touch
Taptic Engine for feedback

iPhone 7 & 7 Plus Software Features

The improved camera features of the iPhone 7 Plus don't ship with it. Instead, they'll be delivered as a free software update later in 2016
Editable Live Photos
iOS 10 support
Support for all existing iPhone features like FaceTime, Siri, GPS, AirPlay, App Store, Apple Pay, etc.
Colors
Silver
Gold
Rose Gold
Black
Jet Black

US Phone Carriers
AT&T
Sprint
T-Mobile
Verizon

Size and Weight
iPhone 7: 4.87 ounces
iPhone 7 Plus: 6.63 ounces

iPhone 7: 5.44 x 2.64 x 0.28 inches
iPhone 7 Plus: 6.23 x 3.07 x 0.29 inches

Capacity and Price

iPhone 7
32 GB - US$649
128 GB - $749
256 GB - $849

iPhone 7 Plus
32 GB - $769
128 GB - $869
256 GB - $969

Availability
The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus go on sale Sept. 16, 2016. Customers can pre-order them starting on Sept. 9, 2016.

Previous Models
When Apple releases new iPhones, it also keeps previous models around to sell at lower prices. With the introduction of the iPhone 7, Apple's line up of other iPhone models is now:

The iPhone 6S & 6S Plus will be available in 32 GB and 128 GB models for $549 and $649, and $649 and $749, respectively
The iPhone SE remains in its current 16 GB and 64 GB configurations and at its current pricing
The iPhone 6 & 6 Plus will be discontinued.

iPhone 6S Review By A Long-Time Android User

I have always wanted an iPhone, ever since Steve Jobs announced it in 2007. However, back then, I was 11 years old and there was no way my parents were buying me an iPhone, and there was nothing I could do to convince them. And trust me, I tried plenty of methods to persuade them, and none of them did the trick.

Nevertheless, I did get to use it and play with it quite a lot, because my Dad bought one, for himself. Sigh. I mean, how can a parent do that to his kid, right? It’s like, you can play with it, but you can’t put your SIM card in it and truly make it your own. And if you mess something up, you’re doomed!

In 2010, my Dad bought a Samsung Galaxy S and I fell in love with its Super AMOLED screen and the Android OS. And, finally, in 2011, I bought my first ever Android-based smartphone: Samsung Galaxy S II — I saved for seven months until I had enough to buy one. Since then, I have exclusively only used Samsung’s flagship smartphones as my daily drivers; upgrading every year to the latest model as soon as it came out.


Moreover, as I have been in the media industry for more than three years now, I have also tested a plethora of Android smartphones from other manufacturers as well. But I have never owned an iPhone, until now.

Mainly because, before the iPhone 6, Cupertino refused to manufacture an iPhone with a bigger screen than 4-inches. While on the Android side, we were rocking devices with screen sizes ranging from 5 to 5.7-inches and sporting a display resolution much higher than that of the iPhone’s Retina Display. There was no way I could use a smartphone with a such a small display.

So whenever my colleagues or friends used to ask for my opinion on the iPhone, I used to say to them: as soon as the company launches a bigger iPhone, I’ll buy one instantly. And Apple ultimately did it. It launched two variants of the iPhone 6, one with a 4.7-inch display and the other with a 5.5-inch display. On launch day, I tried to get one by queuing outside my local Apple Store; I queued for two hours, yet I wasn’t able to score one. Apple ran out of all 64GB variants of both, the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus. After that, I gave up and never bothered getting one.

My good friends over at MobileFun.com have been following my work for quite some time now and sent me a 64GB, Silver, 4.7-inch iPhone 6S for this editorial. I have been using it for more than six weeks now, and I’m ready to give you my thoughts on the current state of the iPhone — a perspective from an Android user.

Now, this piece won’t be like my usual comprehensive reviews, it will be more like the things I like and don’t like about the product, and what I think Apple needs to do in the future.

Design and build quality

There was a time when if somebody wanted to buy a smartphone with a premium design and exceptional build quality, they would just get the latest iPhone without thinking much about it. And, to be honest, I would have done the exact same thing, because Apple was one of the few manufacturers — if not the only one — who focused on the form of its smartphone, not just the spec sheet.

With that being said, nowadays, the tables have turned and almost every Android OEM is producing their smartphones by keeping the design at the centre of the development process. We have passed the point where one device is significantly faster or powerful than the other in its category, so the design is what often plays the differentiating factor in the consumer’s buying decision. Hence, the iPhone 6S’s design doesn’t excite me.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that it’s a poorly designed smartphone; It’s just that it doesn’t have the wow factor we all expect from an iPhone, at least in my opinion. And as it’s a flagship Apple design, it’s blatantly being ripped off by other companies to sell their own smartphones, which in return has made Cupertino’s design a bit too generic.

The iPhone 6S’s design language to me is very reminiscent of the original iPhone. It features 7000-series aluminium back (no more bendgate issues) with rounded corners and curved edges, which seamlessly connects with the 2.5D glass on the front; the glass is also curved at the edges.

The entire body is extremely slippery with almost no grip whatsoever; I have actually almost dropped it a few times while taking it out of my inside jacket pocket. In my experience, a glass back provides a bit more grip over a metal back, even though it’s more prone to get shattered once dropped on to the ground. Furthermore, I’m not a big fan of the antenna lines at the back, they break the consistency of the overall design. I really hope the company figures out a way to get rid of them in the next iteration of the device.

As far as the build quality is concerned, I think we all are very well aware of the fact that Apple doesn’t joke around when it comes to the quality of its products. And just like its other products and previous generations of the iPhone, the iPhone 6S’s build quality is top notch. I have been using the 6S without a case since day 1, and there’s not a single scratch or dent to be found anywhere on the enclosure — even the stainless steel Apple logo is so far scratch-free.

Display

Believe it or not, the new 6S is a tad taller, wider, thicker, and heavier than its predecessor — 138.3x67.1x7.1mm, 143g (compared to the 6: 138.1x67x6.9mm, 129g) — and that’s because it’s equipped with Apple’s new pressure-sensitive display technology, which is called 3D Touch. And, in my opinion, it’s the best characteristic of the iPhone.

With 3D Touch, Apple has taken software interaction to a whole new level, it has basically developed a right-click for the iPhone. As the display is now pressure-sensitive, the device detects how hard you’re pressing the screen and acts accordingly.

For instance, if your friend sends you a link to a website, you can light press on the link and a preview window will open up, giving you a peek at the website itself. And if you like what you see, you can increase the pressure of your thumb and it would pop open the website inside Safari.

Just like that, 3D Touch works throughout iOS 9, with the same peek and pop principle. My most-liked 3D Touch feature, however, is being able to change the position of the curser while in a textfield. Almost all the 3rd party apps I use have already been updated to support 3D Touch, except a few Google apps — mainly Gmail and Hangouts.

A very limited number of Android OEMs have also tried experimenting with pressure-sensitive displays, but their implementation hasn’t been as great as Apple’s — won’t get the push from Android app developers. Nevertheless, Google has recently confirmed that Android N will have native support for pressure-sensitive displays, so that sounds like a step in the right direction.

Speaking of the display, the iPhone 6S is packing a 4.7-inch IPS  HD (1334x750) panel with a pixel density of 326ppi, which makes it a Retina Display. Sure, the display isn’t boasting a Quad HD (2560x1440), or even Full HD (1920x1080), resolution or is of an AMOLED variety, it’s still sharp enough and gorgeous to look at.

I must say, before making the switch, I was a bit skeptical about the iPhone’s display, as I had been using Android flagships with much, much higher resolution displays. Nonetheless, I’m glad to report that Apple has sourced one of the best LCD panels in the business. The only issue I had was with the brightness of the panel, it doesn’t perform really well under direct sunlight. And the auto-brightness system isn’t that great too.

I have also been using Night Shift — introduced in iOS 9.3 — which allows the user to manually control the colour temperature of the display, it can also automatically activate and deactivate upon sunset and sunrise or a custom timeframe. Technically, it should have helped me sleep better, but I don’t think it has affected my sleep at all. In spite of that, I did notice that the warmer temperature was less straining on my eyes.

Camera

Apple’s smartphones have always been known for their superb camera systems, and the 6S didn’t disappoint at all. There are three things you need to know: the resolution of the sensor has been increased from 8 megapixels to 12 megapixels, it can shoot 4K video at 30FPS, and there’s a new Live Photos feature. Furthermore, just like its predecessor, the iPhone 6S isn’t equipped with optical-image-stabilisation, while the Plus model is.

Here’s the thing with the camera: the image quality isn’t as impressive as Samsung’s flagship Galaxy devices, but it’s extremely close, and the software isn’t as feature-rich as LG’s G4/V10. By default, 4K video recording is disabled and has to be enabled from the settings, probably because of the 16GB variant Apple is still selling in 2016. Overall, the camera experience is pretty solid — it’s easy-to-use and the sensor is capable of taking great pictures in almost all lighting conditions. However, if you do a lot of low-light photography, I would advise you to put your money on the Plus model instead, as it has OIS built-in.

As for the Live Photos feature, I only found myself using it just for the sake of testing it, actually. I disabled it a week later, as it took double the amount of storage compared to a standard, single image. If you aren’t already familiar with the feature, it’s basically a GIF with audio. What it really does is, it records a 1.5 second video before and after you capture a picture, so you can relive the moment every time you view it. This is actually also the primary marketing trait for Apple’s 3D Touch technology, because in order to preview a live photo, you need to press down hard on the display.

Hardware and software

In terms of hardware specifications, the iPhone 6S is a mid-range device on paper, yet it’s the fastest and smoothest smartphone I have ever used in my life. And that’s because Apple builds the hardware and software itself, so the entire platform is heavily optimised. I don’t think I need to say anything else regarding the performance.

Software-wise, my experience with iOS was mostly pleasant, but sometimes frustrating as well.

The best thing about iOS is that it seamlessly interlinks with OS X on the Mac. As I use a Macbook Pro as my computer of choice, iOS allowed me to make and receive calls directly through my computer, and switch from the mobile app to the desktop one and pick up right from I left off. For example, I could start writing a text on my iPhone, while walking towards my desk, and continue with it on my MacBook, and vice versa. Moreover, I was finally able to use FaceTime and iMessage to converse with my friends and family, who use these specific Apple services regularly.

Furthermore, almost all of my banking apps support Apple’s Touch ID for authentication, so it was super convenient using Touch ID to log into them, as I no longer had to type in a password or a pin number in public places — which potentially is a security risk. Speaking of Touch ID, Cupertino’s fingerprint sensor is insanely fast and accurate. I almost never saw my lock screen, it’s that fast.

I have to say, the user interface is pretty basic and intuitive, it’s so simple that even my grandmother could use it without asking for my help after 5 minutes — it’s brilliant. However, I did miss not having Weather and Google Calendar widgets on my home screen from time to time. Also, not having a permanent back button was a big issue for me. In order to go back to the previous screen, some apps required me to swipe to the right or press the back button on the top left or press the ok button on the top right; it got really confusing sometimes.

The company should take some cues from Android for its notification system, as it’s somewhat deficient. It dismisses notifications from the lock screen as soon as you unlock the device, and if you have already attended a notification but haven’t accessed it directly from the notification centre, it won’t get removed. Additionally, I would have liked if there was a built-in file manager to access my local files and a file extractor to unzip/unrar compressed files.

I live in the UK and we don’t yet have Android Pay or Samsung Pay, but we do have Apple Pay. So it was really an experience using the iPhone to pay for a meal. With that being said, It wasn’t able to completely replace my wallet, due to it being not that reliable. I’m not talking about the service, but the iPhone 6S as whole. I say that, because the battery life on this thing is a joke. It doesn’t even last an entire working day, usually dies on me around 6PM, so I have to charge it at least twice a day. And as it doesn’t have fast charging, it takes more than 2 hours to fully charge it.

Conclusion

Now it’s time for the magic question: will I be using the iPhone 6S as my daily driver? As I mentioned earlier, I don’t really have a daily driver; perks of being a technology writer and reviewer. I’m always testing something new and exciting. However, these days I’m thinking of getting a separate work line, and If I do get one, the iPhone will get my vote for a second smartphone.

Should you get one, you may ask? Well, If you want your smartphone to just simply work, you should get an iPhone. If you own a Mac, look no further and get the iPhone. If you have been using Android for quite a few years now and love customising your software experience, it’s better that you stick to Android for now.

Podcast Mysteries Unraveled: 12 Steps to Your First Podcast

 There are a lot of reasons to start a podcast, you may want to connect to your existing audience in a more personal way. You may not have an audience but would like to build one. Podcasting is a great way to build a new audience. You may want to become a recognized expert in your chosen niche. Podcasting is a great way to get your message out to the masses. Spencer Haws of Niche Pursuits has a great article about what podcasts are not good for, but he does add that they are great for branding and relationship building.
Whatever your motivation, podcasts are a great way to get your voice and message heard, but getting started can be a bit overwhelming. In this article, we break podcasting down into 12 simple steps to get your show on iTunes and have your voice heard. From a big picture perspective, you can break podcasting down into four parts plan, produce, publish and promote.

Planning Your Podcast

This is probably one of the most fun parts. You get to decide what your show is about. This is where you get to be creative and decide on the name of the show, the tone and message you want to portray, the format such as having co-hosts or guest interviews, and how long the shows will be and how often you will podcast. You also get to decide fun things like the branding, podcast music, logos and cover art that you will be using. The planning stage is a great time to be creative and weigh your creative options while still taking the time to iron out the nitty gritty details.

Planning Stage

• Discover your topic, podcast title, and description
• Decide on your format, podcast length, frequency and editorial calendar

• Develop your branding such as your cover art, logo, music, and script

Producing Your Podcast

This is the part where you get to record your podcast. This is another fun part of your podcast journey. This is where you get to gather up all of your podcast equipment and decide on the type of software you are going to use for recording and editing your show.

This is where you get to record and maybe re-record your first show. This is where you develop your microphone technique and your speaking and interview skills. This is where you get to hear what your voice really sounds like. This is the part you will revisit over and over and really develop to grow your brand and voice.

Producing Stage

• Record your show using your microphone and headphones
• Get your recording into a mp3 format using audio software and your computer
• Edit your mp3 file - take out ums, pauses and mistakes. Then add your music, intros, outros and advertising if any.

Publishing Your Podcast

Publishing your podcast is a three step approach. You need to make your recorded podcast files readily available for your listeners. This involves finding a media host. A media host is similar to a web host, but it is an affordable way to have your audio files always available with no downtime or bandwidth restrictions. Libsyn and Blubrry are two of the most popular media hosts.
You can also get a podcast feed from your media host. A podcast feed is similar to a blogging RSS feed, but it has all of the information for your podcast. Once you have your feed, you can use it to publish your podcast to podcast directories such as iTunes without doing any additional work other than uploading your new shows to the media host. The feed will automatically update the directories with your new information each time a new episode is added.
You will also want a way to interact with your podcast listeners. Publishing your podcast on your existing blog or website or creating one just for the podcast is a good idea. You can create a post for each new episode. On that post, you can have a podcast player with the episode, a link for your listener to subscribe to iTunes, show notes with a summary of that day’s topic and any links mentioned, and a call to action or a way to continue interacting with each listener that visits your site. The content can also help with SEO.
You will also want to publish your feed in iTunes. The biggest podcast directory in the world and where many of your new listeners will come from. There are quite a few requirements for publishing in iTunes, but the main things you will need is the validated feed from your media host, the cover image, the podcast title, description, categories, and tags.

Publishing Stage

• Sign up for a media host to submit files and create a feed
• Create a category on your blog or website to publish each episode and show notes
• Submit your podcast to iTunes using your podcast feed, title, description, and image

Promote Your Podcast

After all of the work you want to get as many listeners as possible. Like any online endeavor, promotion is one of the best ways to do that. As you hone your craft and build your content library, you want to promote along the way. The most common ways to promote your podcast is through an established website or mailing list that you already have. You can also grow your audience by interacting with the audience of other podcasters by being a guest or interviewing other podcasters and bloggers. You can also leverage social media using your accounts or your guest's accounts. These are the most common methods, but don’t be afraid to think outside the box. There are a number of steps to get started podcasting, but broken down they are not that overwhelming.

Promotion Stage

• Use your website and mailing list
• Leverage the audience of guests or bloggers you interact with
• Find a way to leverage social media for your podcast and potential audience