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

Pebble Smartwatches Looking Better Than Ever with Latest Update

Pebble has been offering relatively affordable smartwatches for several years now — in fact, its original wearable, which debuted with huge success on the crowd-funding platform Kickstarter, is credited with making modern smartwatches popular.
While the company currently offers several different models with a variety of designs and features, all of them tend to fall short of the competition when it comes to a few key areas.

For one, all Pebble smartwatches feature e-paper displays. Some of the products — like the Pebble Time, Pebble Time Round and Pebble Time Steel — feature color e-paper displays, but none of them have touchscreens, which you'll find on the Apple Watch, Samsung Gear products and pretty much all other Android Wear devices.

The upside is that these watches offer much longer battery life, since they don't have an LCD or OLED screen sucking up energy.

One other area where Pebbles have been relatively lackluster is its fitness tracking capabilities. While the Pebble app store has long offered apps like RunKeeper for monitoring your workouts, and the latest watches do offer basic daily step and sleep tracking thanks to Pebble Health. But, thanks to a recent update, this functionality is expanding, moving this data beyond your watch face.
The News
As Pebble announced in a blog post on its site, it's updated Pebble Health to display activity data over time — not just for a given day — and it's added automatic tracking for runs and long walks, including instant watch notifications with a summary of your activity after completing a walk or run (along with more in-depth data on the smartphone app.

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Plus, users will now get "insights and encouragements" to help provide motivation.

More activity-tracking data is definitely a good thing — especially if you're looking to choose a smartwatch that can also function as a fitness tracker — but what's especially important about this update is that Pebble's integrating this information with its mobile apps for Android and iPhone.
Previously, you could only view your health data on your Pebble watch screen, and given the small size it's no wonder you weren't able to pore tons of stats. However, with Pebble Health integrated with the company's mobile apps, you'll be able to pull up your activity info on your smartphone and get a more comprehensive picture of how much you move. You'll be able to view your latest activity levels and compare them with your average, plus you can see stats like calories burned, step distance and active time.
That's not even all the news: In addition to updating its fitness tracking to display much more info in its smartphone apps, Pebble's adding a new Smart Alarms feature to its official Alarms app. This functionality appears to mimic fitness trackers that specialize in sleep monitoring and optimization by waking you up when you're in your "lightest sleep." This means that the monitor could go off as early as 30 minutes prior to your set wakeup time, based on where you are in your sleep cycle.
The last aspect of the update will only concern iPhone users, as Pebble owners with an Android phone have had access to these features for some time. The iOS Send Text app will now allow you to start a text conversation from your wrist, and you can choose from a pre-written (canned) response or use a voice note to interact with contacts. You'll also be able to reply to incoming calls with either a canned response or voice note. It's not exactly as advanced as taking a call on your smartwatch, but it's important functionality for those who want to use their wearable without constantly needing to take out their phone.
As for how to get these updates, you'll need to update the smartphone app (via the appropriate app store on your phone) as well as your Pebble smartwatch firmware. As you'll see once you complete this updates, the app interface has changed as well, moving to a four-tab layout divided between Health, Watchfaces, Apps and Notification.
Why This Update Is Important
First of all, it's important to note that the new Pebble Health features only apply to Pebble Time devices, so if you own an older Pebble watch, you won't be able to enjoy the fitness data. However, Pebble Health itself is only available for Pebble Time watches, so if you have an older watch from the company this is either irrelevant or an extra push to get you to upgrade. (The cheapest device with Pebble Health is the Pebble Time, which starts at $150.
So, assuming you do own a Pebble Time Series watch or are considering buying one, why does this update represent a big improvement? Well, it paints a much fuller picture of your activity and movement, going beyond simple summaries displayed on your wrist to show you data over a span of days, letting you compare your most recent activity to past workouts and more. This is essential if you want a smartwatch that can handle activity tracking as well as on-wrist notifications and other non-workout-related tasks. When Pebble Health only revealed a limited glimpse of your activity info on your watch screen, it was hard to convince yourself that these smartwatches could compete with an activity tracker from the likes of Fitbit or Jawbone. However, now that you can access much more data from your smartphone app, a Pebble Time smartwatch can likely handle your activity tracking needs — unless you're a professional athlete (like a swimmer) or have specific fitness-monitoring requirements.
The bottom line is that this update makes Pebble devices much more competitive with both other smartwatches and basic fitness trackers. It's especially great news for those who already own a compatible device, but if you're on the market for an affordable wearable, the Pebble Time Series is looking more appealing than ever before.

Why Google Cardboard is Important to VR's Future

1.  It gives you an authentic VR experience

I've used various Oculus versions and the very impressive HTC Vive, but Google Cardboard, despite its lo-fi nature, still does an amazing job at conveying the nature of VR to you. The demos where you explore cities in 3D caused me to feel strong emotions, like I was there. Games work incredibly well, too. While you get only a simplistic experience due to only being able to look and use the cardboard trigger, you can still get the feel of what VR is capable of. Even when playing a makeshift Flappy Bird clone in VR, it conveys a lot.

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2.  Google Cardboard is very accessible.

 If you have a phone and a Google Cardboard headset, you have a VR headset and can check out the interesting content already available. Cardboard isn't expensive, there's a bunch of free apps, and Google has even given away many Google Cardboard headsets at various times; they ran a promo for Star Wars: The Force Awakens headsets that proved to be very popular, what with all the Star Wars mania going about. But it also put a bunch of headsets into the hands of people who might not have had them before. This gets a rudimentary form of VR to the masses.

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3.  It leaves you wanting more.

Google Cardboard has its limitations. The phone coming unaligned in the holder can be annoying. The fact that you have no real controls other than moving your head and the use of the cardboard trigger is very limiting as to what you can do, so most games and apps that support VR right now are very limited. Even the fact that many Cardboard headsets don't come with straps to keep them tethered to your head is a problem for usability. It's clear that Cardboard, at least in its current form, is not a long-term VR solution.
But what it does do is give you enough of a taste of VR to the point that you can see what the value of it is right away. And while it could leave some users thinking that VR is a bit overblown with the limited functionality of Cardboard, it should make you think that with a less-makeshift solution, VR could be truly fantastic. Based on my experience with VR demos in comparison to Cardboard, that's the case.

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4.  It clears a very important hurdle for VR

One of the issues with VR is that there's a high hurdle to getting people convinced that VR has value. See, it's easy to just think that VR is about wearing a giant silly headset, and that goofiness is difficult to overcome. Also, VR as a consumer product is tough to get your hands on right now – Oculus headsets are mostly for developers, and Gear VR requires that you have specific high-end Samsung models. Gaming events often have VR setups, and there have been tours for the HTC Vive, but it's still difficult to convince people of the benefits of VR unless they try it out.
What Google Cardboard does is that it lets people try it out. It's not an ideal experience, but it gets the point across. It's like when I demoed Owlchemy Labs' Job Simulator at IndieCade in LA. The game was set up in a tent, and the developers were having issues with the room sensors. Plus, there were cables to deal with and not a huge space. It wasn't the ideal setup. But that doesn't matter – it got the point across that this technology is here and it's impressive.
Google Cardboard won't give anyone the ideal VR experience, especially for gaming with its limited inputs. But it will give people the gist of what the VR experience will be.

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5.  It allows for a wider variety of content.

Having a commercially-available VR headset to the masses encourages developers to make VR content, and to make sure that they make mobile-friendly content, not just for the powerful hardware of tomorrow. Right now, VR is still a pipe dream unless you're talking about the Gear VR. Many developers are taking the risks to create VR content without knowing that it's viable for consumers. And many developers might ignore VR development because of the risks. Google Cardboard lets them test out VR and see how to create in it, and to be ready if and when VR becomes a fashionable future. And because Cardboard is encouraging developers to make mobile-friendly content, it means that developers are making things that will work on mobile devices. Mobile might just have a place in the future of VR.

If virtual reality is here to stay, it may have Google Cardboard to thank.

Virtual reality has a potentially iffy future. Will there be interest in it? Will it be ready for consumers when they're ready for it? There's many questions, and reason to have skepticism. But as a first step towards getting people to see the value of virtual reality, we may have Google Cardboard to thank for when we explore the immersive worlds that virtual reality can provide.

How Does Android Pay Stack Up Against Samsung Pay and Apple Pay?

Tap and pay apps, in which you can use your smartphone to make purchases at the store, are really starting to catch on. While Google Wallet has been around since 2011, it hasn't reached mass appeal. Google is trying to change that with Android Pay, which has started to roll out to Android smartphones after much hype. It follows Apple's launch of Apple Pay last year, which has gained wide acceptance.

Coming up next is Samsung Pay, due out later this month. So how does these services compare? I'll walk you through the pros and cons of each app and show you what's in store for Google Wallet users.

First things first. Android Pay is not a direct replacement for Google Wallet. Like Google Wallet, you can store your credit or debit card in the app and then use it to pay at retail locations that use PayPass technology.

However, Google Wallet required you to open the app first; with Android Pay, you simply need to unlock your smartphone, using a fingerprint reader if you prefer, and place it near the contactless terminal. You can also use it make purchases within other apps and store your loyalty cards. Google says that Android Pay is accepted at more than a million stores in the U.S. and will soon be available in thousands of apps, such as Airbnb and Lyft. AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon will pre-install the app on their Android smartphones.  

So what's up with Google Wallet?
If you're a fan, don't worry, Google Wallet will live on—just in a different capacity. Google has re-built the app, removing the contactless pay feature, and focusing on money transfers.

With it, you can easily send and request money (ala PayPal). The new Google Wallet works with Android smartphones and tablets running Android 4.0 or above, and Apple devices running iOS 7.0 or above. You can download the new app or update your existing app via the Google Play Store.

Samsung Pay
In the meantime, Samsung has developed its own contactless payment app.

Samsung Pay will be available on the Galaxy S6, Edge, Edge+, and Note5, and on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and U.S. Cellular carriers. (Verizon is notably missing from that list.) It works similarly to Android Pay in that you can verify your identity using a fingerprint reader, and then pay by placing your phone near the terminal. The big difference, though, is that Samsung Pay is also compatible with swipe-based credit card machines, meaning you can use it virtually anywhere that accepts credit cards. Samsung gained this functionality by acquiring LoopPay, a company that created patented technology that turns credit card swipe machines into contactless readers. For Samsung users, this is huge. 

Apple Pay
Apple Pay, which was launched in 2014, uses PayPass technology, so it has similar retail compatibility to Android Pay; it also enables you to store loyalty cards. The app is pre-installed on all the latest iPhones (iPhone 6 and newer) and compatible with the Apple Watch and newer iPads. For obvious reasons, it's not available on Android devices, just as Android Pay isn't available on iPhones.