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[The Faceless Master]

Not sure about the Xperia phones, but when you say "a specific model", you probably mean almost all Lumia phones released since late 2012. Even the $99 520 can do it.

But it's not surprising that you haven't heard much about the feature, considering Samsung has yet to copy implement it.

nah, Samsung has that feature too... did you miss the broadway play at their GS4 announcement event where the chick with opera gloves was using the phone?

 

[Nicktendo86]

Oh absolutely, I'm not saying anything against that, but I was talking strictly about cosmetical changes

Yep, only cosmetic change I can think of was they changed the google search bar from a white outline to a sold grey box.

 

[The Faceless Master]

Oh hell naw. If Apple's fingerprint unlock works like I saw in a video today then it is most certainly something I want. No sliding your finger, fast, and not having to worry about entering PIN...sign me up!

I don't have a PIN lock on my phone because I unlock way too many times a day and it would annoy the shit out of me. In my defense, I do have Cerberus installed as a system app (so immune to a factory reset).

edit: I just realize my Cerberus defense doesn't matter since if someone wiped my phone they wouldn't have my data anyway. Whatever.

you could still try to get the device back!

 

[Nicktendo86]

Anyone running CM10.2 on a NExus 4? Any issues? Battery life any good? I used to run CM on my GNexus but been running stock on my N4 and thinking about maybe flashing...

 

[Adam Blade]

Which one of you told me Big Red wasn't getting the Note 3 until December or so?

 

[Groof]

Yep, only cosmetic change I can think of was they changed the google search bar from a white outline to a sold grey box.

Which was a great decision.

edit: Also, USB tethering is godlike

 

[Talon]

NFC provides for a different use case as I understand BLE. The limited range and ability to activate passive receivers makes NFC perfect for secure transactions like payments and quick information grabbing from a source like a sticker or a token.

Unfortunately NFC was shoehorned to work with media transfer where something likebluetooh or WiFi direct provides for a better use case and now everyone hates nfc for it. paying for shit at the gas station with my phone is fucking awesome, and I saw uses for NFC all over the place, with public transit, museums, govt signage etc.

On an unrelated note, I can't see what ik typing on my phone as I type in GAFs reply window. Is it a stock browser issue? I constantly have to close the keyboard to see what I've done.

All of this can be done on Bluetooth 4.0. Scoble had a nice rant about this recently on Google+.

 

[Battersea Power Station]

Apple was smart not to include NFC last year. This year, they look like geniuses. NFC is crap when you think about Bluetooth LE.

Can Bluetooth LE sense when you're only a centimeter or so away? I don't know much about it.

NFC provides for a different use case as I understand BLE. The limited range and ability to activate passive receivers makes NFC perfect for secure transactions like payments and quick information grabbing from a source like a sticker or a token.

Unfortunately NFC was shoehorned to work with media transfer where something likebluetooh or WiFi direct provides for a better use case and now everyone hates nfc for it. paying for shit at the gas station with my phone is fucking awesome, and I saw uses for NFC all over the place, with public transit, museums, govt signage etc.

On an unrelated note, I can't see what ik typing on my phone as I type in GAFs reply window. Is it a stock browser issue? I constantly have to close the keyboard to see what I've done.

What's wrong with how Android Beam works? It only uses NFC for authentication, then Bluetooth for the actual file transfer. I think all Bluetooth pairing should be done like that: touch to pair. I can't stand going through the "discovery" process and waiting for things to become visible, entering pins, pressing accept on both devices. It's stupid considering I'm right there and the physical proximity of the devices IS the security. Also, printers. Oh, God, printers. I really need to get one with Google Cloud print server built in.

 

[snacknuts]

Which one of you told me Big Red wasn't getting the Note 3 until December or so?

I don't know, but that is incorrect. The pre-order confirmation email I got from VZW says it ships by 10/10.

 

[Jazzy Network]

Which one of you told me Big Red wasn't getting the Note 3 until December or so?

I think it was a joke.

 

[Talon]

What's wrong with how Android Beam works? It only uses NFC for authentication, then Bluetooth for the actual file transfer. I think all Bluetooth pairing should be done like that: touch to pair. I can't stand going through the "discovery" process and waiting for things to become visible, entering pins, pressing accept on both devices. It's stupid considering I'm right there and the physical proximity of the devices IS the security. Also, printers. Oh, God, printers. I really need to get one with Google Cloud print server built in.

You just described BLE. Minus having to handoff between NFC and Bluetooth. It's NFC with a larger range minus the need to tap. The handshake is handled automatically.

iBeacon could be a NFC killer because of its range. NFC tags are pretty cheap compared to NFC chips, but NFC tags are required on each product because NFC works only in very close proximity. In theory, NFC range is up to 20cm (7.87 inches), but the actual optimal range is less than 4cm (1.57 inches). Also, mobile devices need to contain a NFC chip that can handle any NFC communications. On the other hand, iBeacons are a little expensive compared to NFC chips, but iBeacons range is up to 50 meters. Not all phones have NFC chips, but almost all have Bluetooth capability.

The infrastructure for NFC hasn't built out, and pretty much every major handset in the past year has Bluetooth 4.0 built-in. This isn't an Apple-proprietary thing (other than iBeacon being an Apple API, the hardware is already there for this to work across devices). This is a - oh, this makes sense because most devices already have Bluetooth 4.0 but NFC adoption is severely lagging - sort of thing.

Using Bluetooth Low Energy(BLE), iBeacon opens up a new whole dimension by creating a beacon around regions so your app can be alerted when users enter them. Beacons are a small wireless sensors placed inside any physical space that transmit data to your iPhone using Bluetooth Low Energy (also known as Bluetooth 4.0 and Bluetooth Smart).

For example, imagine you walk into a mall with an iPhone 5s (comes with iOS 7 and iBeacon). You are approaching a Macy’s store, which means your iPhone is entering into Macy’s iBeacon region. Essentially iBeacon can transmit customized coupons or even walking directions to the aisle where a particular item is located. It can prompt a customer with special promotions or a personalized messages and recommendations based on their current location or past history with the company. Smartphones that are in an iBeacon zone will benefit from personalized microlocation-based notification and actions.

In the age of context, iBeacon can provide the information you needed when it is needed. Just like NFC, iBeacons even allow you to pay the bill using your smart phone. The best part? iBeacon can run for up to two years on a single coin battery and it comes with accelerometer, flash memory, a powerful ARM processor and Bluetooth connectivity. Also, you can add more sensors to iBeacon to provide better context.

GigaOM is conflating a little bit here.

This was Scoble's little piece on Google+

Broadcom builds a good percentage of the radios inside our smartphones.
Estimote, last week, showed off a new contextual set of sensors and low-power Bluetooth radios. I got a good demo that you'll see soon and their system is the best thought out I've seen: http://estimote.com/
Apple is, well, Apple and has the best distribution network known to the tech industry (I was reminded of this yesterday as signs above the Genius Bar in its San Francisco store taught me about what geo fences are).

So, what did Scott and Broadcom show me today? Low-cost device that has a Bluetooth radio, a small processor. You can see a video I shot of Scott on my Google Glass below.

Why is it important? Well, this whole package runs on a small battery for about two years! It also costs only a few dollars (in large quantities).

What does this let developers do? Well, let's say we put 100 of these things around the Ritz by my house. We could stick them under every chair. The bar has one. The entry way has one. The pool has a few. The spa has a few. The front desk has one. Each of the Segways has one. Each golf cart has one.

What would this let you do? Well, you could order things and have them come to you. Why? Each of these devices continually spits a number, er, identifier, into the air. Your iPhone (which will get a new thing called iBeacon when iOS 7 comes along that enables this) will see these "beacons" in real time. If you come within 100 feet of one of these devices your phone can start doing stuff. Then the stuff it can do will change when you are 20 feet away. Get 10 feet away and it will do yet more. Finally when you get within inches it knows that too.

On your screen things will contextually change as you walk toward or away from one of these beacons. Come closer to the bar at the Ritz, for instance, and your iPhone screen could show the drink specials today. It could even know what kinds of wine you like and contextually suggest another one you might like.

Oh, and each of these could have other sensors. For instance, a temperature sensor, so staff could get warned when it's cold outside and bring guests hot chocolate and blankets, not to mention turn on heat lamps (the lamps themselves could be controlled by these, so they would only turn on if someone was within a few feet).

The use cases go on and on. These could be used for payments. Ask for another glass of wine at the bar? Your phone is your identity and the Ritz could charge you automatically for it without asking for any cash or credit card.

What I realize now is that Apple is ahead of Google on its support of these new low-power Bluetooth devices. Yeah, Android supports it, but that ecosystem is so fragmented that it can't deliver a common experience to everyone the way Apple can. So, Apple will get the credit here.

I expect Apple will lay out a new contextual world strategy built on top of these low energy Bluetooth devices on September 10th.

Link

 

[Submarino Conversível]

Posted yet?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiQX-_Y0gms

It's a shame it only works like this on the US

 

[kehs]

I don't understand why BLE tag thingies are being called some sort of NFC killer or whatever. Maybe if you only think that NFC is for payments.

The benefit of NFC is to be able to easy handshaking and configuration, and not data transmission.

I can only assume that in order to take advantage of iBeacon you would have to manage some sort of white list, or else you'd just be bombarded with random shit all the time no?

Essentially you'd have to go into an app open it up to see the deals or info, right?

Shit if anything having NFC on board would make iBeacon even better because then when you get to the store, you tap a sign that says "Need Help" or some shit. Activates the iBeacon things, and then you don't have to do anything else.

 

[Bboy AJ]

Anyone running CM10.2 on a NExus 4? Any issues? Battery life any good? I used to run CM on my GNexus but been running stock on my N4 and thinking about maybe flashing...

I am. It works great. Battery life is good. I've never used stock so I can't compare battery but I can get slightly under 2 hours of screen time on 3G.

Thanks for posting all that, Talon. I'm glad you're around to elaborate. It's tough for me to write a coherent post while on mobile.

I don't understand why BLE tag thingies are being called some sort of NFC killer or whatever. Maybe if you only think that NFC is for payments.

The benefit of NFC is to be able to easy handshaking and configuration, and not data transmission.

I can only assume that in order to take advantage of iBeacon you would have to manage some sort of white list, or else you'd just be bombarded with random shit all the time no?

Essentially you'd have to go into an app open it up to see the deals or info, right?

Shit if anything having NFC on board would make iBeacon even better because then when you get to the store, you tap a sign that says "Need Help" or some shit. Activates the iBeacon things, and then you don't have to do anything else.

You'd just open up the respective app instead of running around tapping your phone on everything. Also, BLE's range is limited. So it's not like you'd be bombarded. Even in Times Square or something, the information would be manageable. But I understand your argument. I think the benefits of potential information overload outweigh hide and seek with NFC tags.

 

[Bboy AJ]

Posted yet?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiQX-_Y0gms

It's a shame it only works like this on the US

Bad ass. It doesn't work quite as great, though, in practice. IMO. You never know if your question will be answered properly so I'm always hesitating before asking.

 

[Talon]

I don't understand why BLE tag thingies are being called some sort of NFC killer or whatever. Maybe if you only think that NFC is for payments.

The benefit of NFC is to be able to easy handshaking and configuration, and not data transmission.

I can only assume that in order to take advantage of iBeacon you would have to manage some sort of white list, or else you'd just be bombarded with random shit all the time no?

Essentially you'd have to go into an app open it up to see the deals or info, right?

Shit if anything having NFC on board would make iBeacon even better because then when you get to the store, you tap a sign that says "Need Help" or some shit. Activates the iBeacon things, and then you don't have to do anything else.

Kaepernidickus at his finest.

NFC would have to be alive to be killed. It's stillborn if anything. Bluetooth 4.0 is a catchall that does both and already has built-in hardware support for any major phone going forward. That's why it matters more. And if you read both articles, you'd get that it's range limited and - hypothetically - context-relevant. That's what Scoble's more excited about. Example: It's 15 degrees outside, and you're wandering around at Barnes and Noble. You get a notification from Starbucks saying that they have 15% off on Hot Cocoa.

The sellers (ostensibly retailers, banks, etc.) like it more because it doesn't require the user to play hide and seek as Bboy kindly put it. Users should like it more because they'll be more contextualized and thus useful.

Now, I do imagine a scenario where this requires a whitelist, but I totally imagine that whitelist in Apple's case being whether you have the application. E.G., Starbucks will only show you offers if you have a Starbucks Rewards card in your Passbook (and/or have the application).

Thanks for posting all that, Talon. I'm glad you're around to elaborate. It's tough for me to write a coherent post while on mobile.

No problem, chief.

 

[Vanillalite]

You people should write a blog post on this.

*hint hint*

 

[thespot84]

From an infrastructure perspective you're talking about $1-2 active devices that need to be replaced every two years or $0.01 cent stickers that never need to be replaced. Something tells me that the build out will have some kind of combination of the two.

And for payments, I'm sitting at a bar and my phone is in my pocket, I order a drink, and the bartender does what again? Charges the 'closest' phone at the bar? How does he know which one is mine? That I as the patron and my phone are attached? Someone walk me through it.

BLE sounds awesome, but this 'hide and seek' thing you guys keep talking about with NFC is often times a benefit, not a detriment.

 

[Talon]

From an infrastructure perspective you're talking about $1-2 active devices that need to be replaced every two years or $0.01 cent stickers that never need to be replaced. Something tells me that the build out will have some kind of combination of the two.

And for payments, I'm sitting at a bar and my phone is in my pocket, I order a drink, and the bartender does what again? Charges the 'closest' phone at the bar? How does he know which one is mine? That I as the patron and my phone are attached? Someone walk me through it.

BLE sounds awesome, but this 'hide and seek' thing you guys keep talking about with NFC is often times a benefit, not a detriment.

Have you ever used Square? Just like that.

They see your profile, ask you for your name. Confirm it and complete the transaction. Your phone vibrates delivering your receipt. Done.

I use it all the time at the nearby coffee shop and wine store. Lot of food trucks, too.

I think Scoble's more practical point is that Broadcom is pushing this and YCombinator is on the prowl for startups that use BLE. Pretty telling where we're going when those two are involved.

 

[mrklaw]

is the nexus 4 the sweet spot of price vs performance? £199 sim free in the UK at the moment, vs about £500 for a galaxy 4, HTC one, LG 2 or Experia Z1, and the specs still seem to hold up well (assuming I don't care about 1080p willy waving on a 5" screen which I don't)

 

[Volotaire]

is the nexus 4 the sweet spot of price vs performance? £199 sim free in the UK at the moment, vs about £500 for a galaxy 4, HTC one, LG 2 or Experia Z1, and the specs still seem to hold up well (assuming I don't care about 1080p willy waving on a 5" screen which I don't)

The camera is bad on the nexus 4, the design doesn't look amazing (bit ugly), glass on the back can crack easily, some wifi issues with some Nexus 4, limited storage, mid range specs. Good deal for the price, could wait for nexus 5 ina few months. if you want.

The HTC One is £405 sim free on amazon btw. for new.

 

[Talon]

So AT&T are douchebags. What else is new?

 

[Nicktendo86]

is the nexus 4 the sweet spot of price vs performance? £199 sim free in the UK at the moment, vs about £500 for a galaxy 4, HTC one, LG 2 or Experia Z1, and the specs still seem to hold up well (assuming I don't care about 1080p willy waving on a 5" screen which I don't)

I got my n4 through affordablobiles.co.uk, £25 a month for 1000 mins, unlimited texts and data and they were doing a cash back offer where I can claim back £32 every few months, worked out by the end of the 24 month contract I will get back about £190. I thought that deal was amazing.

 

[Volotaire]

I got my n4 through affordablobiles.co.uk, £25 a month for 1000 mins, unlimited texts and data and they were doing a cash back offer where I can claim back £32 every few months, worked out by the end of the 24 month contract I will get back about £190. I thought that deal was amazing.

Yeh I would have gone for the cashback offer (dial a phone instead because less likely they will got into administration as they are owned by phones 4 u, and reviews make it seem dial a phone is the best cashback conmpany), but I have no credit history so i cant enter any contracts. Stupid system.

 

[thespot84]

Have you ever used Square? Just like that.

They see your profile, ask you for your name. Confirm it and complete the transaction. Your phone vibrates delivering your receipt. Done.

I use it all the time at the nearby coffee shop and wine store. Lot of food trucks, too.

I think Scoble's more practical point is that Broadcom is pushing this and YCombinator is on the prowl for startups that use BLE. Pretty telling where we're going when those two are involved.

I've only used square when it involves swiping a credit card.

What you said makes sense, except for having my name floating around for all to see.

Do I have to activate BLE momentarily to make my name visible? Can I make it visible to only the guy I am paying or does it broadcast it to the whole room (50m according to the other article).

Do you see where I'm seeing the benefit in a very short range, ie 'physical' handshake?

 

[Talon]

I've only used square when it involves swiping a credit card.

What you said makes sense, except for having my name floating around for all to see.

Do I have to activate BLE momentarily to make my name visible? Can I make it visible to only the guy I am paying or does it broadcast it to the whole room (50m according to the other article).

Do you see where I'm seeing the benefit in a very short range, ie 'physical' handshake?

Your name isn't visible to any one other than the cashier with Square.

 

[thespot84]

Your name isn't visible to any one other than the cashier with Square.

Pay the easy way
Open Square Wallet, check in to the business you’re visiting, then simply say your name at checkout to pay. Your card is charged automatically.

I'd rather just run my phone over a little nfc tag on the bar/register than have to open my phone, use GPS to determine where I am/store's around me available for check-in, and check-in in order to provide wallet access to the cashier.

 

[The Faceless Master]

BLE sounds good, but i'd have to see it in action. the #1 thing i use NFC for is to initiate Wifi file transfers via S-Beam or Superbeam.

I think it was a joke.

it was a joke based on Verizon's late launches of the Note II and GS4.

 

[gcubed]

I am. It works great. Battery life is good. I've never used stock so I can't compare battery but I can get slightly under 2 hours of screen time on 3G.

Thanks for posting all that, Talon. I'm glad you're around to elaborate. It's tough for me to write a coherent post while on mobile.


You'd just open up the respective app instead of running around tapping your phone on everything. Also, BLE's range is limited. So it's not like you'd be bombarded. Even in Times Square or something, the information would be manageable. But I understand your argument. I think the benefits of potential information overload outweigh hide and seek with NFC tags.

right, you open the app, find your friend, ask your friend for his code, pair your phones and transfer files.

In that time i could have walked over, sent the file and walked away. There are applications where the beacon is interesting and better then NFC, don't conflate it with the tap and send though. Ideally google would switch to S-beam instead of its current bluetooth use.

Kaepernidickus at his finest.

NFC would have to be alive to be killed. It's stillborn if anything. Bluetooth 4.0 is a catchall that does both and already has built-in hardware support for any major phone going forward. That's why it matters more. And if you read both articles, you'd get that it's range limited and - hypothetically - context-relevant. That's what Scoble's more excited about. Example: It's 15 degrees outside, and you're wandering around at Barnes and Noble. You get a notification from Starbucks saying that they have 15% off on Hot Cocoa.

i assume you live a sheltered life inside the boundaries of the US

 

[Cipherr]

I'd rather just run my phone over a little nfc tag on the bar/register than have to open my phone, use GPS to determine where I am/store's around me available for check-in, and check-in in order to provide wallet access to the cashier.

I would also rather have something thats used in more places worldwide than Square is. And NFC/PayPass is exactly that.

Not that I have to choose, Android phones can and will support both so /shrug. I don't mind if BLE catches on, but its not used in anything really right now, while NFC is. If NFC's main 'issue' was the supposed few places it could be used, then BLE isn't even in the conversation right now. Its really not even close.

 

[cuevas. PhD.]

http://www.droid-life.com/2013/09/11/video-att-lg-g2-vs-verizon-lg-g2/

Really?

 

[Groof]

http://www.droid-life.com/2013/09/11/video-att-lg-g2-vs-verizon-lg-g2/

Really?

The 10 minute video or the fact that it got Verizon'd to hell and back?

 

[cuevas. PhD.]

The 10 minute video or the fact that it got Verizon'd to hell and back?

Verizon ed. Do they not get that people choose them because of their network?

 

[The Faceless Master]

Verizon ed. Do they not get that people choose them because of their network?

hey now, it could have been worse... imagine if they... you know what, it really couldn't have been worse...

 

[Talon]

hey now, it could have been worse... imagine if they... you know what, it really couldn't have been worse...

 

[ThatObviousUser]

Verizon'd

 

[The Faceless Master]

Aaron from Phonedog said the LG G2 battery life was "a workhorse by all stretches of the imagination" and that he was "exceptionally impressed"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQZkvJ109xQ

i meant on that particular mobile handset.

 

[Groof]

Gotta hand it to Verizon for unbloating the notification shade and reverting the settings menu to a more stock appearance, though. Oh and wireless charging. The rest makes me want to throw up.

 

[Sandfox]

I'm going to pick up either the S3 or Nexus 4 from T-Mobile tomorrow and I'm leaning towards the Nexus; Is that what you guys would recommend?

 

[ThatObviousUser]

I'm going to pick up either the S3 or Nexus 4 from T-Mobile tomorrow and I'm leaning towards the Nexus; Is that what you guys would recommend?

Definitely.

 

[-PXG-]

http://www.droid-life.com/2013/09/11/video-att-lg-g2-vs-verizon-lg-g2/

Really?

Holy shit. The Verizon one looks like some kind of knock off. That's awful.

 

[Ephemeris]

I'm going to pick up either the S3 or Nexus 4 from T-Mobile tomorrow and I'm leaning towards the Nexus; Is that what you guys would recommend?

No no no.

If you're gonna get the Nexus, get it from here, not Tmobile.

I'd say wait though

(Or spite Andrex and pick up a cheap S3 from Craigslist)

 

[-PXG-]

I'm going to pick up either the S3 or Nexus 4 from T-Mobile tomorrow and I'm leaning towards the Nexus; Is that what you guys would recommend?

I'm assuming you're on a budget. If you don't care about LTE, having a removable battery or expandable storage, get the Nexus 4. If any of those are important, get the GS3.

If you're not on any kind of budget, get the GS4 or wait for the Nexus 5.

Spoiler

iPhone 5S/C is bullshit

 

[Toki767]

The G2 seems to really be getting rave reviews. I bet The Verge is going to crap on it though for being plastic and like TouchWiz.

 

[Sandfox]

No no no.

If you're gonna get the Nexus, get it from here, not Tmobile.

I'd say wait though

(Or spite Andrex and pick up a cheap S3 from Craigslist)

I would wait but we don't even know when exactly the nexus 5 is going to release and I don't really want to pay a new phone price lol.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

Nexus 5 rumours plz?

 

[-PXG-]

Nexus 5 rumours plz?

128 Bit SoC

 

[kehs]

Nexus 5 rumours plz?

Based on the LG Chocolate.

 

[Talon]

Nexus 5 rumours plz?

Dick-Print verification sensor on the back.

 

[ThatObviousUser]

Based on the LG Chocolate.

I was so hot for that phone back in the day. It was my first rebound after the breakup with Razr.

Never ended up getting on though... #lame