Hello Moto: Timely Android 7 Nougat update propels Z Force Droid over the Google Pixel XL

The Moto Z Force Droid Edition, see my full review, was launched in August and it demonstrated that a functional modular design was possible. I then purchased my own GSM Moto Z, but returned it because it was priced too high, the battery wasn't large enough, and I wasn't sure when it would get updated to Android 7 Nougat.

I bought my first 2013 Moto X because of the customization capability and the fact that it received upgrades from Motorola as fast as Google's Nexus devices. While these Moto devices were fairly stock, there were also valuable additions in the Moto Actions, Voice, and Display utilities.

After Lenovo's 2014 acquisition of Motorola Mobility we saw this upgrade strategy, and thus advantage over other Android devices, fall apart. Thankfully, with the new Moto Z line it appears that the Moto we knew is back in action. I was recently sent another Verizon Moto Z Force Droid Edition to test for a few months and shortly after it arrived the Android 7 Nougat update was released, along with the December Android security update.

It was impressive to see this version of the Moto Z upgraded so quickly since it is a Verizon-branded model and Lenovo hasn't been known for committing to quick updates. Needless to say, I was very pleased with the upgrade and am satisfied with the improvements on the Moto Z Force Droid Edition. Android Nougat improvements on this device include:

• Split screen support: You can now use two apps at once on the large 5.5 inch display of the Z Force Droid.
• Double tap of task switcher: This handy action has proven to be quite valuable on my Google Pixel XL so it's great to see support for it on the Z Force Droid.
• Settings area updates: The handy status lines in the settings, positioned below the name of the setting, are present. You will also find suggestions at the top of the settings page.
• Improved battery life: Improvements with Doze translate to longer battery life on a phone that already had solid battery performance.
• Google Daydream support: I purchased a Daydream View when I bought my Google Pixel XL and popped in the Moto Z to test it out. Everything I tried works perfectly and it's nice to have this functionality on a Moto device.

In addition to these Nougat improvements, the Moto Z Force Droid Edition is a fairly stock Android device that has Moto Actions for quick camera launching and flashlight enabling, Moto Voice for a custom Google Now launch phrase, and Moto Display for the best standby screen notification implementation on any smartphone today.

Given this rapid update and other Moto enhancements, the Moto Z Force Droid Edition is a compelling alternative to the Google Pixel XL. The Moto Z is priced at $720 (32GB) and $770 (64GB) while the Google Pixel XL is $770 for a 32GB model and $870 for a 128GB model. In addition to the lower prices, the Moto Z Force Droid Edition offers the following over the Google Pixel XL:

• Water repellant nano coating: I don't go swimming or try to dip my phones in the water, but it sure is comforting to know your phone might be able to survive an accidental dunking. Every high end phone should now have this capability.
• ShatterShield display: The display is designed not to crack or shatter, which is rather stunning. If you spend time outside or work in the field, it's an easy choice to pick the Z Force Droid over the Pixel XL for durability.
• Moto Mods: Instead of a select few lame modules like what LG launched with, there are good Moto Mods with new ones launching as well. I've tested the JBL speaker mod, projector, and Hasselblad camera. There are battery mods, including a new one from Mophie. Moto Mods are an easy way to extend the functionality of your phone, but most are still quite expensive.
• Expandable storage capacity: You can quickly and inexpensively add more storage to the Moto Z Force through a microSD card.

Have you made a decision between the Google Pixel XL and Moto Z Force Droid Edition? Do you agree that the Moto Z may indeed be the better choice?

IPhone 8: 4 Things We Can Expect

TheiPhone 7S, or iPhone 8 as many calling, will be the tenth anniversary iPhone and a lot have been expected of it. One of the main reasons for this is the underwhelming iPhone 7 that was released this year. The iPhone 7, despite introducing many featureslike the dual- lens camera and water resistance, it was a mere iterative update over the iPhone 6S. This led many tech writers and fanboys to believe that Apple may be holding off better things for its tenth anniversary iPhone. From curved display to wireless charging tech blogosphere is filled with iPhone 8 rumors. Here is what our expert analysis found reliable from the vast ocean of mostly baseless rumors. 

New glass on glass design
According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has been called the best Apple analyst on the planet, Apple willabandon its aluminum unibody design after five generations of iPhone. The iPhone 8 will have a radical redesign, especially considering that the last three iPhones, 6, 6S and 7, shares same design. It is expected that Apple will go back to its glass on glass design, that was seen in the iPhone 4 and 4S. The Nikkei Asian Review reported in August that Foxconn Group, who manufactures iPhone, has been developing glass casing technology since last year for manufacturing iPhone chassis in 2017.

iPhone made ofzirconian ceramics
Many sources point to the fact that Apple might create the new iPhone primarily from zirconia ceramics. Zirconia ceramics has high mechanical strength and toughness at room temperature and have the highest fracture toughness of any advanced technical ceramic. Its toughness, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance make it ideal for high-pressure applications notes writer Brian Roemmele in quora. Further , many of the recent patent filings by Apple, especially the patents they filed August 2015 and the landmark patent for the future direction of Apple products on September 2016, points to this. The patent, US 2016/0255929 A1titled: “ co-molded ceramic and polymer structure” clearly demonstrate Apple’s plan to have a ceramic built phone. The advantages of such a build are a better strength, radio transparency, heat conduction, and most importantly scratch resistance and ease of manufacturing. However, there may be a possibility of more than one iPhone coming with a glass variant and premium high storage version with the ceramic build.

The new iPhonewill feature edge to edge OLED display
From the early days of iPhone, it is well known that designer Jon Ive’s ultimate goal is to create an iPhone that will be essentially a single piece of glass. Rumors suggest Apple might be a step closer to this goal as the next iPhone is expected to feature and edge to edge display. Nikkei reports Samsung like curved display will be featured on the new iPhone.
It is being said that there will be a 4.7-inch model and a Plus variant in 5.5 inches. Additionally, Nikkei reports point to an additional premium variant with either 5.5 inches or larger and that might feature a curved display. This report goes hand in hand with rumors of a premium ceramic iPhone.
Foxconn’s recent acquisition of Sharp, one the pioneers of when it comes to display-manufacturing, points to an OLED display in future iPhone. An OLED display compared to LTPS screens offers better color contrast and power efficiency. Furthermore, OLED displays are flexible and allow manufacturers to create curved and even foldable screens. Additionally, Sharp president Tai Jeng-wu speaking to Nikkei, confirms new iPhones will adopt OLED panels.

No more home button
The iPhone 7 made a drastic change to the home button. Unlike the buttons existed before, the new home button is just a piece of glass with a haptic engine, that produce button like feedback.
Bloomberg reports that Apple, with the iPhone 8 will abandonthe home button as a whole. Sensors such as Touch ID, ambient light sensor, and front camera will be embedded in the display. Patents procured by Apple in recent years clearly shows that Apple has been working on a technology for embedding Touch ID and an ambient light sensor in the display.

3 Common Website Mistakes You Need to Avoid

  When creating a website, there are a number of elements you need to implement in order to make sure everything works perfectly and your website actually attracts a lot of visitors. Ensuring your website is actually effective is extremely important for establishing a strong online presence and boosting your reputation.

However, if you are not tech-savvy and you don’t quite know what you need to do when it comes to web design, you can very easily make a mistake that could not only cost you your website traffic and page views, but also your conversions and, of course, revenue. That is why you need to make sure you avoid the common pitfalls when it comes to your website and take the right turn towards making it as effective and successful as possible.

Take a look at some of the most common mistakes website owners make and, if you happen to recognize yourself in at least one of them, take proper actions to correct them as soon as possible.

Not Providing Mobile Experience

Despite the fact that the most of the internet traffic comes from mobile devices, many website owners still don’t have mobile-friendly websites. If you are one of those people, you need to understand that having a mobile-friendly website can have a huge impact on your business and that it can benefit you in a countless number of ways.

If your website does not offer a mobile experience, you risk losing a lot of customers, not to mention a lot of revenue, because the majority of people are browsing the internet via their mobile devices. More importantly, mobile responsiveness is one of Google’s ranking factors so, by optimizing your website for mobile devices, you will improve your SEO ranking and drive more traffic to your website, ultimately attracting more quality leads that you can convert.

Not Optimizing for Search Engines

You need to optimize your website for search engines in order to increase your online visibility and raise brand awareness. If your pages are not optimized for search engines, you cannot drive quality leads and generate more revenue.

You need to pay attention to your keywords and include them in your meta tag titles and H1 headings, as well as your URLs. Also, don’t forget about internal linking, since internal links not only make navigation easier for your website visitors, but they also help you build a higher domain authority in search engines.

There are quite a lot more elements regarding SEO that you need to implement into your website in order to improve your ranking and attract more leads, so make sure you learn everything there is to know about it. Proper SEO is the key for online success, so don’t underestimate its power and its critical importance.

Not Having a Content Strategy

Businesses that create blog content on a regular basis generate more income than businesses that don’t follow their lead. If you don’t even have a blog on your website, you should create one as soon as possible, since your blog can be one of the most effective tools for raising the awareness of your business and enlarging your customer base.

However, without a content strategy, you cannot really make your blog into an effective one. If you want to achieve that and even make money writing blog content, you need to develop a good strategy that will help you craft posts that provide relevant and useful information to your target audience. What’s more, you need to know how to promote your content in order to extend your reach and increase your ROI.

In order to accomplish that, you need to understand your target audience and know exactly what their customer pain points are, so that you can know how to provide them with the right solutions to meet their needs. Once you know how to reach that goal, you will be able to develop a long-term strategy that will help you capture the attention of many prospects and ultimately grow your business.

If you recognized yourself in these mistakes, you need to start undoing them right now. Don’t waste your efforts, but put them to good use and start improving your business. There are plenty more mistakes that people make regarding their websites, but these are definitely the most frequent ones that you need to be aware of, so make sure you don’t make them.

This blog was first published on: http://thinkdebug.com/blog/3-common-website-mistakes-you-need-to-avoid/

Growth in Website Security Tech a Good Thing

As the threat of cyber attacks and hacking has increased over the past couple of years, the website security industry has undergone some pretty significant developments and changes. Understanding how the industry is changing for the better is important for every webmaster and business owner.

The Growing Threat of Website Mischief

Just because your website hasn’t been compromised in the past doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. Website attacks and threats are growing and incident rates are increasing alongside this alarming trend. Just consider the following statistics as published in the 2016 Internet Security Threat Report by Symantec.

• In 2015, there were nine “mega-breaches.” The total reported number of exposed identities was roughly 429 million. However, the actual number is much larger. Many companies chose not to reveal the full extent of their breaches. Thus, the actual estimate of breaches was more than half a billion.

• Despite the increased emphasis on website security, vulnerabilities are still found in 75 percent of websites on the internet.

• In 2015, spear-phishing campaigns targeting company employees increased by roughly 55 percent, while ransomware grew by 35 percent.

This is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Cyber threats are growing and it’s imperative that businesses respond by securing their websites and protecting their information.

Three Ways Leading Companies are Responding

While some companies are sitting on the sidelines and refusing to believe the tales of destruction, others are listening intently and applying extra layers of security. Here are some of the things they’re doing:

1. SSL Certificates

“Also known as a secure sockets layer, an SSL certificate offers a high level of security for communication and the transfer of information over a network,” SSL Certificate Reviews explains. “This type of security is normally implemented by websites that process payments or accept information that needs to be secure at all times.”

If you process payments or accept customer information, then chances are, you need an SSL certificate. The good news is that they’re fairly cost-effective and, depending on your website host, easy to setup.

2. Complex Password Tools

“Everyone knows they should use complex passwords, but that doesn’t mean they always do,” says developer Ruald Gerber. “It is crucial to use strong passwords to your server and website admin area, but equally also important to insist on good password practices for your users to protect the security of their accounts.”

Gerber makes a really good point. While website admins have finally begun to understand the importance of complex passwords, many network users still do a poor job of creating sophisticated passwords. That’s why many companies are turning to password managers and encouraging their employees to use them for added security.

3. Server Side Validation

Smart companies make sure their websites are validating information both on the browser and server side. Browsers can catch some things, such as mandatory fields that are left blank. “These can however be bypassed,” Gerber mentions, “and you should make sure you check for these validation and deeper validation server side as failing to do so could lead to malicious code or scripting code being inserted into the database or could cause undesirable results in your website.”

How Will You Respond?

The time for sitting on the sidelines and hoping threats will go away is over. In the coming year, expect cyber attacks rates to increase rather dramatically from where they already are. You can also anticipate hackers getting more and more creative in their pursuit of compromising customer data. The only reasonable response is to double-down and secure your website using the new technology you now have at your fingertips.

The Current State of Weight Loss Technology

The weight loss niche is one of the fastest growing areas in all of fitness and healthcare. Thousands of companies are looking for the ultimate weight loss solution and many will tell you that they’ve finally honed in on the answer. But which weight loss technologies are actually worth your time?

3 Technologies to Keep an Eye On

There are dozens of ways to lose weight, but only a few of them are considered healthy and sustainable. If you want to shed those extra pounds – and keep them off – without compromising your health, then you should do your due diligence and carefully consider the potential consequences of using any sort of “new” technology. In this article, we’ll take a look at some specific technologies that are worth thinking about.

1. hCG Injections

hCG injections, also referred to as hCG shots, involve a medically administered form of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin. hCG injections are frequently given for fertility issues, but can also play a role in weight loss.

“It may seem strange that hCG, a hormone produced by pregnant women to nourish their growing baby, can actually assist weight loss,” Fitness Edge acknowledges. “The fact is, that the secret to the effectiveness of hCG for weight loss is actually due to the very role that it plays during pregnancy.”

If a pregnant mother doesn’t consume enough food to nourish both the baby and her own body during pregnancy, the hCG hormone stimulates the body and tells it to use any excess fat stores as an alternative form of nutrition.

The idea here is that by injecting yourself with hCG hormones during a period of low caloric intakes, the body mimics this scenario and burns fat. The key to being successful with hCG injections is consuming the right amount of calories. You need to eat enough to remain healthy, while not eating so much that the hCG fails to do its part.

2. CoolSculpting

By now you’ve probably heard of CoolSculpting. It’s a huge trend in Hollywood and is beginning to catch on elsewhere. “The CoolSculpting fat-freezing procedure is the only FDA-cleared, non-surgical fat-reduction treatment that uses controlled cooling to eliminate stubborn fat that resists all efforts through diet and exercise. The results are proven, noticeable, and lasting – so you’ll look great from every angle,” the company says.

While that’s obviously marketing-speak, there’s ample evidence to suggest that CoolSculpting does indeed eliminate stubborn fat with very few negative side effects. It’s primarily used to eliminate fat in the neck, stomach, sides, and legs.

3. Ultrasound Melting

While it may sound less appealing than CoolSculpting, ultrasound melting has been rather successful. It received FDA approval in 2014 and has been used for years in Canada.

Ultrasound melting takes place in three separate sessions, each of which occurs roughly two weeks apart. In this process, the doctor “pinches” abdominal fat and forms it into a rectangular shape that’s then taped off. A gooey gel is then applied to the surface and the ultrasound wand is waved over the fat for roughly 10 minutes. Many have reported seeing as much as an inch waistline decrease after treatments.

Do Your Homework

Just because something tells you that you can lose weight doesn’t mean it’s safe. There are plenty of unsafe weight loss technologies on the market and you have to make sure you avoid them at all costs. There’s no sense in losing a couple pounds of flab at the expense of permanently harming your body.

With that being said, the technologies listed in this article seem to provide all of the right answers. Do your own research and find out if one of them can help you finally achieve the weight you’ve been dreaming of.

Sony Xperia X Performance is now getting the Android 7.0 Nougat update

For a change, Android's latest version, 7.0 Nougat is popping up on phones earlier than the previous versions did when they launched. After the Moto phones received its fair share of updates, it's time for Sony's premium lineup to receive the update. Sony is now beginning to roll out the Android Nougat update to the Xperia X Performance.

For now, only model numbers F8131 and F8132, the Dual SIM variant of the phone are reportedly receiving the update. It has also not been confirmed which regions are getting the update.

The Xperia X Performance release back in February at MWC 2016 and Sony had been reportedly testing Android Nougat on the Xperia X lately through the Xperia Beta Program as of November 1st, according to Android Headlines. And only after a thorough round of test, the update is now rolling out officially to devices.

Android 7.0 Nougat is the new incremental update to Android, announced earlier this year in Google's I/O conference. While there are no significant design changes, Nougat brings support for multi-window and Direct Replies. 

Moreover, Android Nougat comes with a whole new notification panel and some nifty tweaks for battery improvements.

In addition, Nougat comes with the Google Assistant, the AI-powered Digital Assistant that is more contextually aware than any of its counterparts.

Nougat is also more secure than the previous versions in the sense that it now uses file-based encryption and direct boot which prevents the entire system to be compromised through one bad sector.

Google has also made it easier to install the monthly security patches that it releases to make it even more secure.

The update for the Sony Xperia X Performance is rolling out in phases. To update your phone, head to Settings, About Phone and hit on System Updates.

Meizu m5 Note to be officially revealed on 6 December

Meizu has sent out invitations for its upcoming smartphone called the Meizu m5 Note that will be launched in China at an event dated December 6. The phone will be an upgrade of Meizu m3 Note that sold 20 million units from the time of launch.

The specs of the Meizu m5 Note had been tipped online at a Chinese telecommunication site TENAA. According to the tipped reports, the phone features a 5.5 inch full HD display with a resolution of 1080x 1920 pixels and will very likely power on a MediaTek Helio P10 MT6755 Octa core chipset that comes paired with MALI t860 MP2 GPU and works on Andrid v6.0.1 Marshmallow operating system. The phone is likely to launch in three different variants, which include 2GB RAM for 16GB storage, 3GB RAM for 32GB storage and 4GB RAM with 64GB storage. More so, there will be an external memory slot for all the phones, but considering three different variants, the battery too of the 64GB model would be different and will host a large 4000mAh battery, on the other hand, the 16GB version as well as the 32GB variant might operate n a 3920mAh battery.

To click images and record videos, the smartphone at the back would use a 13 Megapixel rear camera where as at the front would be a 5 Megapixel camera that assists users in doing video chats and clicking selfies. The Mezu m5 will come in colour options of White and Black and in terms of design, the handset would be available in a metal unibody frame paired with rounded edges along with a presumable fingerprint scanner that most likely will be placed in the Home Button of the phone. The handset is likely to weigh 175 grams and come with 8.5mm thickness.

Well all the specs mentioned are alleged rumours, and shouldn’t be considered official. To get an official prospect about the specs of the phone, we would rather wait till the official launch takes place.