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Articles by David Steele
Can you identify these famous UK landmarks from a close-up?
Karlina Valeiko 05 October 2026 The UK from a different perspective The UK is home to countless world-famous attractions that are instantly recognisable. But what if we were to zoom right in? Can you guess these famous landmarks in the UK from their super close-ups? Click through our quiz to test your knowledge.
Six Challenges of Integrating Edge AI into Industrial Vision Systems
Industrial manufacturers are increasingly turning to machine learning and AI-powered vision systems to improve both safety and quality. In sectors like pharmaceuticals, electronics, and automotive, AI-based inspection detects anomalies, ensures product consistency, and validates compliance with safety protocols. But to meet the strict latency, bandwidth and privacy requirements of these use cases, inference must happen at the edge. This is where development becomes complex.
Letter: Stay the course with masks
To the Editor: I commend the Mitchell School Board for following science, the guidance of the CDC, the Department of Health and just about every other scientific publication produced in the last six months when it comes to wearing masks. Mitchell was on the forefront requiring masks early, and some other school districts followed suit. It’s astonishing to me as our state now leads the nation in COVID spread rate, other schools haven’t followed suit. Frankly, it’s mind boggling.
How to Take Ownership of Your Relationship Experience - A Four-Step Paradigm
Ultimately, we are responsible for what we feel, think, say, and do. Photo credit: Shutterstock By David Steele The single most important relationship skill is not communication, it is taking ownership. Successful relationships require taking ownership of your experiences. I have found that the easiest way to take ownership of your experiences in a relationship is to remember the triad of Facts, Judgments, and Feelings. Facts are normally measurable events: “the sky is blue”.
Difelikefalin for the Treatment of Uremic Pruritus
This article has no abstract; the first 100 words appear below. The care of patients with end-stage kidney disease is complicated; patients and clinicians alike feel frustration because of our limited options for controlling many of the symptoms associated with this condition. In this context, a phase 3 trial of the drug difelikefalin to treat uremic pruritus in patients undergoing dialysis, the results of which are reported by Fishbane et al.1 in this issue of the Journal, merits commentary.
Arctic Monkeys to play the Anthem July 28-29
Any students with wistful summer memories of growing up in the aughts should be aware that Arctic Monkeys will soon be bursting onto the stage at The Anthem. They will be accompanied by Mini Mansions, a Los Angeles rock band, which includes Queens of the Stone Age’s bassist Michael Shuman. The band that has been declared rock and roll’s savior many times over will kick off the tour in Queens before wrapping up the east coast leg of its tour here in D.C. on July 28 and 29.
How to Take Ownership of Your Relationship Experience - A Four-Step Paradigm
Home / Sex & Relationships / How to Take Ownership of Your Relationship Experience – A Four-Step Paradigm — The single most important relationship skill is not communication, it is taking ownership. Successful relationships require taking ownership of your experiences. I have found that the easiest way to take ownership of your experiences in a relationship is to remember the triad of Facts, Judgments, and Feelings. Facts are normally measurable events: “the sky is blue”.
2nd Look: 2018-2019 Salomon S/Lab X-Alp
[Editor’s Note: Our review was conducted on the 17/18 S/Lab X-Alp, which is unchanged for 18/19] Last year Jonathan Ellsworth and Cy Whitling offered their initial thoughts on the S/Lab X-Alp, Salomon’s lightweight touring boot. Then Paul Forward shared his on-snow performance notes, and included several comparisons to boots in the category. And now it’s my turn.
Wi-Fi Alliance Announces WPA3 Technology
The Wi-Fi Alliance announced it is to introduce WPA3 Wi-Fi technology in 2018. The announcement follows the news of WPA2’s security flaw, Krack, which broke in 2017. WPA2 is not going away, however – the Wi-Fi Alliance’s press release takes the time to remind customers what Wi-Fi systems can last for decades.
The 3GPP Has Set Down The First 5G New Radio Standard
3GPP, the standards group that decides how our cellular networks operate, has announced it has completed the Release 15 NSA 5G NR (New Radio). This follows collaboration between many different carriers and other telecommunication companies around the world. Earlier in 2017 the 3GPP agreed to split up the 5G Release 15 specification in two stages: Release 15 NSA, for Non-Standalone, will be released first followed by the Release 15 Full at some point in 2018.
Apple Deliberately Underclock Old iPhones, Claim It's For The Batteries
Regular readers will know I love to poke fun at Apple for, essentially, being the shady smartphone company thinking they are above everybody else. Apple smartphones are shiny, well made, but have awful software, nasty restrictions, and are difficult to repair. The latest Apple issue? The company deliberately slows down older ‘phones to help maintain battery life.
Snapdragon 835 Powered Windows 10 Laptops Are Coming
Although Qualcomm has very recently announced details of the Snapdragon 845 chipset, the current Snapdragon 835 is still very much alive and kicking – and soon it will reside in Windows-powered laptops.We’ve seen HP preview the Envy x2 device, which pairs the Snapdragon 835 with 4 GB of RAM and a twenty hour battery life. This is a similar core specification to many of 2017’s flagship smartphones, such as the Samsung Galaxy S8.
Oracle's Axe To Grind Against Google Isn't Personal, They've Always Been Like This
Recently, Google were blasted for keeping Android users’ location services enabled, despite the option turned off at the device level. Now it appears that Oracle are behind the story being unearthed. This is Oracle being the sore loser to Google since it bought Sun Microsystems and Java back at the turn of the decade. Ultimately, Oracle’s case against Google is that Android contains stolen Java code as the foundation of the platform.
OnePlus Unveil A Lava Red OnePlus 5T
Red is my favourite accessory colour for my devices. My Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet wears a red case, my 2013 Nexus 7 wore a red case, and my OnePlus 5 wears a red case. And now OnePlus are releasing a Lava Red OnePlus 5T. In the past, manufacturers have released red colour devices; HTC released a few red smartphones including the HTC One M7 and HTC One M8, and who can forget the first and second generation Moto X devices, available in pretty much any colour you wanted?
Google Eyes Up BlackBerry And BLU's Patent Agreement
Last year, BlackBerry accused American smartphone manufacturer, BLU (Bold Like Us) of infringing on fifteen patents. Earlier in the month, BlackBerry and BLU announced they had reached an agreement. The original patent infringement claim set down fifteen patents including issues such as chipsets, power management, signal transmission and other issues. A year later, the two companies seemingly have made amends, and BlackBerry explained that it would be earning revenue from the patent agreement.
Verizon's Rural Roaming Challenge
In September 2017, Verizon wrote to around 8,500 customers in rural areas to advise them that they were cancelling their service because of “substantial” roaming use. Verizon have since had to backtrack from their original letter. One of Verizon’s claims is that it has the best American network, with coast to coast coverage. Despite this, the carrier still has a number of roaming partnership arrangements in place for those areas where it does not have coverage.
Google Promises Three Years Of Platform Updates For The New Google Pixel 2 Family
It’s difficult for me to get excited by new product launches in 2017. It’s partially because most new products are leaked weeks or month before, and partially because of the hyperbole associated. Apple and Samsung’s events are the worst: this time Samsung’s Grace UI doesn’t lag. Every wretched iPhone since the first has been the best yet, but all of them apart from the iPhone 4 have been incremental upgrades from the former model.
Verizon Wireless Needs To Act Like The Market Leader
Apple’s view on carriers is simple: they are the dumb pipes that are merely providers of the connection that allows us to do what we want on our smartphones. Over a decade later, some carriers are still trying to prove that they are more than this by offering features and benefits that the other guys don’t have. In America, we’ve seen T-Mobile bundling Netflix with its family plans, a move followed by AT&T bundling a HBO subscription.
LG announces 87 Wi-Fi connected appliances now compatible with Google Assistant
Google was right when it said that its assistant would become part of our everyday lives. Recently, Google Assistant support expanded to include headphones, and now, appliances. LG has announced that 87 of its Wi-Fi smart home appliances are now compatible with the Google Assistant via the Google Home speaker, and compatible Android and iOS devices. This achievement has been made possible by the Google Assistant SDK.
The Moto X4 Leaked Wearing An Android One Logo
Motorola debuted the Moto X4 in August 2017, marking a fourth generation model in the Moto X family. The Moto X4 has now appeared in a leaked render showing it to be an Android One model. As it happens, the 2017 Moto X4 is different to earlier Moto X models: for 2017, Motorola seem to have simply made a cut-down version of their Moto Z flagship. Older Moto X models, especially the first generation, were designed to be more than the sum of their specification.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (2017) Announced In Vietnam
Samsung have announced a new 2017 variant of an existing Android tablet family, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (2017). This is an entry level Android tablet currently only announced for the Vietnam market. It’s likely to be released elsewhere around the world, but Samsung haven’t yet said when this might happen. The tablet is available in Black and Gold colours and is priced at an equivalent of around £180 in the UK or $240 in the USA for the LTE-equipped model.
The BlackBerry PRIV Won't Be Updated To Android 7.0 Nougat
The BlackBerry PRIV was the first BlackBerry device based on the Android platform, currently running BlackBerry software based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Unfortunately, the PRIV is not set to receive Android 7.0 Nougat. This was confirmed in an interview with the CrackBerry website by BlackBerry Mobility Solutions’ General Manager, Alex Thurber. This is disappointing: when BlackBerry released the PRIV, they also promised software support including Google’s security patches, and have delivered.
Ookla produces detailed carrier Speedtest report; T-Mobile and Verizon appear to be the quickest
Ookla, the network speed test service, has released its 2017 US Market Report. These tests comprise approximately 3 million devices, and the data now shows T-Mobile as the quickest US cellular provider. These results were taken during the time of a change in the market: AT&T and Verizon (re)introduced unlimited data plans earlier in 2017. Ookla noted that the country’s average download speeds have improved by a respectable 19% to 22.69 Mbps, and the average upload by 4% to 8.51 Mbps.
Smartphone Hardware, Software and Service
There are three sides to our smartphones: the carrier, the hardware and the software. Which of these is the most important for our experience? Undoubtedly, each of these facets is important and some companies have a better understanding of this than others. Let’s take a look at these three sides. Smartphone hardware has traditionally been very important and it’s easy to see why. After all, it’s the tangible part of our smartphone – it’s the bit we hold in our hand.
Sony introduces a pair of Xperia at IFA 2017, the Xperia XZ1 and Xperia XZ1 Compact
Sony is one of the more persistent and predicable Android manufacturers with eclectic lines of devices and accessories too. At IFA 2017 in Berlin this week, Sony announced a smart speaker and a couple of smartphones during a press conference of their own, two of them being the Xperia XZ1 and Xperia XZ1 Compact. Here’s everything to know. As with most Sony Xperia flagship devices, Sony is giving customers a laundry list of powerful specifications with a choice of panel size.
Google adds 30 languages to Gboard voice dictation
Google adds 30 languages to Gboard voice dictation August 15, 2017 David Steele Google App Updates Google explains that voice dictation is up to three times quicker than typing on a smartphone. This statistic is being used to highlight that Google has introduced 30 new languages (or locales) to their Android keyboard app, Gboard. This now means that Google’s software can understand 119 languages from around the world.
T-Mobile changes JUMP! On Demand leasing to allow for monthly upgrades
T-Mobile’s JUMP! On Demand is the name given to their handset leasing plan, which typically lasts for 18-months and allows customers to upgrade up to three times a year. We write ‘allowed’ because T-Mobile has just improved JUMP! On Demand to allow upgrades every thirty days. Customers will soon be able to conceivably swap their device more than twelve times a year.
OpenSignal Cellular Metrics Highlight The Change In The US Market
At the end of 2016, America’s third largest carrier, T-Mobile, dropped tiered data from its portfolio of postpay plans. Customers simply had data on their plan with an unmetered allowance. This meant an end of trying to decide how much data you needed and then looking up this amount with the carrier’s plans to pick the best option.
BLU responds to security scares to explain the data it collects is in line with its privacy policy
In late July 2017, a number of stories circulated the Internet implying that BLU smartphones could be transmitting information without their owners knowing. BLU, America’s fastest growing smartphone manufacturer, has released a statement taking exception to this report.
Google’s Project Fi introduces referral program including a ‘Race to Google HQ’ incentive
Google’s Project Fi has introduced a referral program designed to reward subscribers with additional Google Play store credit, Project Fi credit, and is going to put the top three referrers into Mountain View. Project Fi is Google’s MVNO, mobile virtual network operator, designed to work around a handful of Google-branded smartphones.
OnePlus Explain The Emergency Calling Bug
In mid-July 2017, stories started appearing around the Internet carrying the disturbing headline that OnePlus 5 customers were unable to call the emergency services. As it happens, a OnePlus 5 customer spotted a fire in Seattle and tried to call 911. However, rather than connect the call his device rebooted.
The unlocked 128GB HTC U 11 is available for pre-order at $729
The HTC U 11 is the Taiwanese company’s best-selling flagship for a number of years. For the American market, it’s been available with 64GB of internal storage since it first went on sale, but now HTC is selling a 128GB storage model. Interestingly enough, the new HTC U 11 variant comes with 128GB of storage and 6GB of RAM, which compares with the 64GB model and its 4GB of RAM.
Chinese Guanyun People's Court Dials Into Smartphone Addiction To Encourage Debt Repayment
I’m surprised that our mobile number – or cell ‘phone number – isn’t referred to as our “personal” number more often, at least in the developed smartphone world. In these days of wide population coverage and of being able to handle calls over a Wi-Fi network, our one ubiquitous number is usually handled by our cell ‘phone. Allied to a smartphone, many of us can control much of our lives from a small device able to be carried around with us.
Mugenter's Power Products | Android Social Media
In 2017, our smartphones and gadgets are more sophisticated than ever before – but they are only as useful as they have charge! Ever since the original Android devices first found their way into customer’s hands, so customers have wanted for longer battery life. We have seen new technologies introduced to either give us improved battery life or shorten how long it takes to recharge our gadgets, but the fact remains that we still have to frequently recharge our devices.
Long Term Review - HTC One M9, July 2017
Almost two years ago, I reviewed the HTC One M9. It seems hard to believe that the first 64-bit HTC flagship is two years old, but a glance at the device shows that it’s been through the works! Since July 2015, the HTC One M9, bought on the AT&T carrier, has been updated to Android 7.0 Nougat. My particular model has a cracked rear camera cover and some cosmetic scrapes and bumps, despite (or perhaps because) it’s been kept in a tough case during this time.
Intel’s x86 Threat To Mobile Innovation
Intel has a chequered history in the mobile computing arena. The company has achieved great commercial success in the desktop and server CPU markets. Chances are that the nearest desktop, laptop or Chromebook has an Intel chipset as its heart. Intel has developed many different chipsets based on the x86 architecture such as the Intel Pentium, Intel Celeron, and Intel Atom. Of these, the Intel Atom is the mobile-optimised chipset technology designed for mobile use.
Strategies For A Slow Device
Regular readers may know that I use a 2013-vintage, Sony Xperia Z Tablet as my productivity device. I do most of my writing and editing on this tablet. The Xperia Z Tablet is reasonably smooth but it can hesitate, especially when working with heavyweight applications (looking at Google Chrome here). This phenomena is also true of older, mid-range or lower end smartphones too, where sometimes switching between applications causes lags and delays.
Sony Xperia Z Tablet Review - Hello, This Is 2013 Calling
I’m a fan of Android tablets, and at the time of writing the Android device that I pick up and use most of the time is my much used Sony Xperia Z Tablet. This particular model was first announced by Sony in February 2013 and it reached stores in May 2013. It’s four years old, which in the Android world is an eternity. We’ve already covered using older hardware in a modern world, but let’s take a more detailed view of the Wi-Fi only version of Xperia Z Tablet.
Using Social Media To Raise Awareness Through The Power Of Unicorns
Starbucks made the headlines recently with the introduction of a new drink: the Unicorn Frappuccino. The beverage, which is not believed to contain real unicorn, is sparkly and shiny and has caught the attention of consumers and the media. We are even covering it here on Android Social Media! Why have Starbucks introduced a bizarre and brightly colored new drink? In their own words the beverage is described as: “The flavor-changing, color-changing, totally not-made-up Unicorn Frappuccino.
The BlackBerry KEYOne: A New Productivity Smartphone
BlackBerry recently announced that TCL are now responsible for the design and manufacture of all new BlackBerry-branded models. TCL have just announced the first BlackBerry-branded smartphone of their sole design and it’s called the BlackBerry KEYOne. For years, BlackBerry used to be synonymous with security and productivity on a mobile device and their handsets included features that other manufacturers and platforms were unable to match.
Samsung moved its fingerprint sensor to the back of the Galaxy S8 as a last minute design change
Leaked images of the Samsung Galaxy S8 show that the unreleased smartphone has almost an all-display front and Samsung’s traditional home button is missing. In previous generations of device, the home button housed the fingerprint sensor, which for the Galaxy S8 has been relocated to the back next to the camera. This has been explained as a last-minute decision because an under-glass fingerprint sensor was not ready.
AT&T streamlines its GoPhone plans to include an unlimited deal
AT&T has streamlined its GoPhone prepaid plans to just three plans, but is offering more data for your dollar. The higher plan costs $65 a month and comes with unlimited data whereas the cheaper plan costs $45 a month and comes with 6GB of high-speed data. Finally, there is a $30 plan that does not come with any data. All three plans benefit from an AutoPay discount of $5 per line, bringing the price of the AT&T GoPhone Unlimited plan to $60.
Weekly Recap: Here are all the major headlines from the week 3/6 - 3/10
The Droid Turf Weekly Recap includes all the major headlines in the Android Ecosystem over the recent week. The Droid Turf Overview Series complies three different sets of summaries, Daily Roundups, Weekly Recaps, and Monthly Rundowns. Daily Roundups will include the major takeaways from the day, and will be posted in the late evening hours in EST. Weekly Recaps will highlight the biggest stories of the week all in one post.
Nest is developing a simpler, cheaper smart thermostat and new home security equipment
Nest, Alphabet’s smart home technology manufacturer, is said to be developing a range of new products. This includes a simpler, cheaper smart home thermostat together with a number of new smart home security devices. The new, cheaper smart thermostat is reckoned to cost under $200, compared with the current device’s $249 price. In order to reduce the cost, Nest is using cheaper internal components and may be revising the hardware design by removing the premium metal edges.
Galaxy S8 release date reportedly pushed back one week to April 28th
Samsung is currently busy preparing its next flagship device family, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, scheduled to be unveiled during a private event on Wednesday, March 29th. The latest rumor is that Samsung has delayed the global release one week until April 28. This report follows previous speculation that the international release of the Galaxy S8 would be on April 21, the same day we expect to see the LG G6 hit some markets.
MWC + Weekly News Recap: Here are all the major headlines from the week 2/27 - 3/3
The Droid Turf Weekly Recap includes all the major headlines in the Android Ecosystem over the recent week. The Droid Turf Overview Series complies three different sets of summaries, Daily Roundups, Weekly Recaps, and Monthly Rundowns. Daily Roundups will include the major takeaways from the day, and will be posted in the late evening hours in EST. Weekly Recaps will highlight the biggest stories of the week all in one post.
We’re expecting a second generation Google Pixel, and it will be a premium device
Google released two Pixel devices – the 5-inch Google Pixel and the 5.5-inch Google Pixel XL – towards the end of last year. These two devices combined high-end hardware with a pure Google interface, a class-leading camera, and a premium design for a high price tag. However, the market is already considering what a second generation Google Pixel might mean. This question, and others, is what Google’s Pixel boss, Rick Osterloh, answered at MWC 2017.
Google announces YouTube TV starting at $35 a month
At the end of February 2017, Google announced the introduction of its new live television service, YouTube TV, which will be available later in the year for $35 a month with no long-term commitment. In some respects, YouTube TV offers a similar service to a number of existing providers in that it attempts to provide a comprehensive range of television channels for a competitive monthly cost, but the YouTube TV service has a number of important differentiators.
Google Allo desktop screenshot shown off by Google employee
Google Allo is one of Google’s new messaging apps for 2016, being the instant messenger partner to Google Duo, the video calling application. Nick Fox, Vice President for Google’s Communications Products team, tweeted a screenshot showing the Allo app running on a desktop class browser. Currently, Google Allo is only available for both the Apple iPhone and the Android smartphone platforms, but there are restrictions within this.
Nokia announces return of Nokia 3310 and brings along a trio of Android smartphones to MWC 2017
Nokia has introduced three smartphones at MWC 2017 in Barcelona, plus it has relaunched the Nokia 3310, a feature phone from twenty or so years ago with legendary battery life and toughness. Let’s take a look at these new smartphones and of course the Nokia 3310. Here’s everything you need to know. Starting with the three new Nokia smartphones, we have the Nokia 3, Nokia 5 and Nokia 6.
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