Apple vs. Google, a Bossy Activity Tracker, and Feeling Your Path

With both Apple and Google swinging, there's a lot to see in the new version of this week's Gadget Dreams and Nightmare, a look at the newly announced gadgets.

Both companies have new mobile devices on their way. The offing also has an interesting spin on an activity tracker, and a new way to navigate the winding city streets.

As always, ratings are not an indicator of quality, largely because I have not personally seen these gadgets. Instead, they indicate how interested I am in using them.

Apple iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3

Exactly one month after hitting the iPhone screen size, Apple is back on the table with an updated version of its tablet.

We first need to discuss the camera. The cameras in Apple's presentation received a lot of attention (if you'll forgive the expression), as it tries to promote the tablet as an ideal viewfinder for taking high-quality images, while periodically- Adds iPhone features like omission and burst mode. .

However, the new push of iPad photography is encouraging more people to look silly than taking photos with their tablets in public. This is a plague, and Apple is about to make the situation worse.

Honestly, I hope that "burst mode" is a misnomer, and anyone who tries to use it on a tablet shatters its camera lens. Tablet cameras are a must have for video chatting and quick photos around the house and nothing else.

Now, to turn off my soapbox, the iPad Air 2 (picture above) and iPad mini 3 have some truly earth-shattering progress. They look smooth and plain good, which is how Apple products have always been. They had an iterative update (thinner, faster, faster and so on), and have dealt with Touch ID. In fact, that's about it - except for the new gold finish, which is fantastic.

We expect Apple at every turn to woo us. This time, it is given to us with a half-baked smile, one that many hope will not capture for posters with their tablet's front-facing camera.

Google's Nexus Refresh and Android TV

Google has also updated its flagship smartphones and tablets, and they are literally bigger than ever.

Nexus 6, the successor to Nexus 5, has a 6-inch screen. This seems too cumbersome and cumbersome for a smartphone. It is also 10 millimeters thick, which will keep one of these two pockets ready to work without dignity.

It is a lot more expensive than the Nexus 5, starting at US $ 649 off-contract compared to $ 349. I think the screen size obviously comes at a premium - even though the Nexus 9 tablet starts at $ 399.

The bullet surprises some. It is naturally faster than before and has a faster screen. Disappointingly, Google has removed the micro SD expansion slot. Charging a premium for a few extra gigabytes of onboard storage is more important than making the product more user friendly.

Google has thrown a new toy into the Nexus line: the Nexus Player, a streaming media player and gaming device.

Note: The gamepad is sold separately for the Nexus player.

Adding voice search to the remote - which comes with the player - is a neat touch, and a smart move is to double the Nexus player as a Chromecast for streaming content from other devices.

Jaybird Governance Activity Tracker

Yes i know This is yet another wearable fitness tracker. This one, however, is a small trick, even if only a short distance away, even if it falls away from the pack.

The reign has a heart-rate measuring function, which tries to determine when your body is ready to work. The readiness function, combined with the regime's ability to track swimming activity, makes it slightly more compelling than many other fitness bands.

That said, being alert to my body's readiness to work is likely to cause anxiety and increase my heart rate rapidly, so I'm unsure if it will be highly effective for me.

NTT DOCOMO UB NAVI

Dokomo's UB Navi is a neat and neat prototype that aims to get people to slowly move their thumbs in the direction they're going.

It can prove to be eternally useful to the blind, who earns it a thumbs up from me.

Another feature, which allows two users to hold hands through a bump at the bottom of the stick with the paired UB Navy, reduces my interest.

Although I cannot claim to be completely in love with the idea of ​​carrying around a fancy stick in a foreign city, it is far less unpleasant to have Google Glass tell your face where you need to go - very at least.

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