Mobile app allows recordings of police interactions in Pennsylvania

Mobile app allows recordings of police interactions in Pennsylvania November 30, 2015 12:00 AM

Associated PressThe app in Pennsylvania came partly in response to a series of cases in which the ACLU alleged retaliation by Philadelphia police officers against those who watch or record police activity.

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ACLU app coming to Pennsylvania facilitates filming police interactions

Could a crime-reporting mobile app be on tap for Pittsburgh?

By Molly Born / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Smartphone users in Pennsylvania can now use a mobile app to record interactions with police and send the video directly to the American Civil Liberties Union.

Since its Nov. 13 debut here, "Mobile Justice" has been downloaded 1,200 times with 100 videos sent to the organization, said Ben Bowens, an ACLU of Pennsylvania spokesman.

The software, available for free download through the App Store (iPhone) and Google Play (Android), has three functions:

• "Record" captures audio and video files and automatically sends them to the ACLU, storing the video even if it's later deleted on the device.

• "Witness" broadcasts a user's location, notifying others using the app of a police interaction nearby.

• "Report" allows users to send incident details directly to the ACLU with or without visual documentation.

ACLU staff and volunteers in the Philadelphia office can review the content and follow up on reports. The organization keeps most videos for six months.

"There are going to be [situations] in which it exonerates the police, and other cases in which it's pretty damning," said Witold "Vic" Walczak, legal director of ACLU of Pennsylvania. "Those videos are often the best and only evidence of what really happened."

The app was developed by Jason Van Anden, a New York City artist and software developer, as an effort to capture unlawful stop-and-frisk encounters with New York City police. "Mobile Justice" is now available in 18 states, including Minnesota, where downloads soared after the Nov. 15 shooting of an unarmed black man by a Minneapolis police officer, Mr. Bowens said.

The app in Pennsylvania came partly in response to a series of cases in which the ACLU alleged retaliation by Philadelphia police officers against those who watch or record police activity.

In September, the ACLU filed a lawsuit on behalf of three Oakland residents who said a Pittsburgh policewoman verbally abused them, threatened to arrest one of them for trying to record a confrontation and then filed false charges of disorderly conduct against them after they made formal complaints about her.

A Pittsburgh police spokeswoman said the bureau would want to review the app before commenting. But in an email, police Chief Cameron McLay wrote generally about his thoughts on citizens filming police encounters.

"We, the police, are fully accountable for our actions, and as long as members of the public are not interfering with police operations, videotaping us doing our work is entirely lawful and acceptable," he said. "Video cameras are everywhere, and that is okay."

He said he supports equipping officers with body-worn cameras "on this same logic."

"The cameras allow better evidence to be gathered about police/​citizen interactions, and have been shown to have a civilizing impact on citizen and police behavior. … ," he wrote. "Our goal is to improve public trust and to ensure the best possible evidence is available in our investigations; it matters not who owns the camera."

Chief McLay halted an expansion of body-worn camera use in February while state legislators considered wiretap law revisions.

So far, no reports made by using the app in Pennsylvania have prompted further action by the ACLU. (Some have been test videos or recordings from app trolls.) But Mr. Bowens said he views it as a personal protection tool.

"Everybody should have it," he said. "Hopefully nobody ever has to use it."

Molly Born: mborn@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1944 or on Twitter @molly_born.

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Source: Mobile app allows recordings of police interactions in Pennsylvania

Micromax Canvas Xpress 4G: This phone doesn’t look budget

Written by Shruti Dhapola | Updated: November 30, 2015 12:01 pm Micromax Canvas Xpress 4G is the latest 4G smartphone in the Indian company's portfolio.

Micromax has recently launched a slew of smartphones at various price points ranging from the high-end Canvas 5 (Rs 11,999) to the Canvas Amaze (spotted online for Rs 7,999) and Canvas Pace 4G (online for a price of Rs 6,812).

The Canvas Xpress 4G is another such device in Micromax's ever-growing list and unlike the mid-budget Canvas 5, this is a budget offering at Rs 6,599. This phone is available on open sale on Flipkart. So is Micromax's latest budget phone worth it ? Read our review.

Specs: 5-inch 720p HD display| 1 GHz quad-core processor | 2GB RAM & 16GB internal memory (microSD card supported) | 8MP A/F rear camera with LED Flash, 2MP front camera | 2,000 mAh battery| Android 5.1| 4G LTE

Price: Rs 6,599

Micromax has been trying something new with the design of its latest phones. With the Canvas Xpress 4G, you get a slightly curved design on the back, a more rectangular shape and a metal frame on the sides.

Micromax has gone with a distinct blue colour on the Canvas Xpress 4G's rear cover.

On the back, Micromax has gone for a metallic, dark blue-colour with the rear camera bang in the centre and the Micromax logo below. Considering the price point, the colour and the design makes the Xpress 4G stand out. At least Micromax has made sure that your budget device won't look like every other one on the market with their boring blacks.

What's good?

The 5-inch HD display is actually quite good and given that this is not a bulky device, it is easy to handle with one hand. Browsing, watching videos, etc should not be a problem on this phone's screen. However, the screen gets covered in smudges with barely any use at all and I suggest getting a screen guard for this one.

The metallic frame on the side looks good on the Xpress 4G.

I've also tried playing some high-end graphic games like Beach Buggy Racing and Asphalt 8. The phone surprised me. Frankly, I didn't expect it to handle these well but the the games looked pretty sharp on the screen (Beach Buggy more than Asphalt) and the apps ran smoothly. From a gaming perspective, I think  this is pretty decent for its budget pricing. But do note that running these games ends up using pretty much all the RAM in the smartphone very quickly.

The rear camera is the second strong feature of this phone and while it is not the fastest camera in a phone, it handles some colours like blue very well. I particularly liked how it managed to capture some sky shots, again a bonus point if you consider the price. If you have sufficient light, the camera is good enough. The selfie camera is another story though.

Sample shot from Xpress 4G.

Sample shot from Xpress 4G.

What's not good?

Micromax still feels the need to add bloatware like 'Trending apps' and install apps like Temple Paradise, Scandid, Chaatz, etc, which frankly no one is going to use. Sure this is a 16GB phone, but I still feel that customers should not be burdened with apps they are unlikely to use. The Trending apps feature is one I tend to remove almost immediately as it keeps on giving useless notifications.

The selfie camera in this one is quite terrible, and has woeful performance especially indoors. But then this is a budget offering so this is not exactly the worst trade-off.

Battery is not a strong point with the Canvas Xpress 4G.

The battery on the Xpress 4G is also nothing to boast about. Even when the smartphone had no SIM and was just on WiFi, the battery would drain out in less than 7-8 hours. This is one area where Micromax really needs to improve.

Finally, the call-quality on this phone is not great and the other person's voice sounds like it is coming from a great distance.

Verdict

This is a budget 4G device and will compete with the likes of the Redmi 2 Prime, Motorola Moto E, and even Micromax's own YU brand's Yunique smartphone. Personally, I prefer the Yunique and Redmi 2 Prime in terms of performance and battery. While the Yunique has only 8GB space, the Canvas Xpress 4G offers double for its price point and its rear camera is better.

Xiaomi's Redmi 2 Prime costs Rs 6,999 which is just slightly more than the new Xpress 4G. So if you're really tight about your budget, then you might just prefer the Micromax phone.

© The Indian Express Online Media Pvt Ltd

Source: Micromax Canvas Xpress 4G: This phone doesn't look budget

EyesOnHives: App uses real-time analytics to monitor beehive health (Video)

Liberty-loving humans may not like the idea of mass surveillance, but for the embattled bees, technology that monitors their numbers may help in the epic fight against colony collapse disorder. EyesOnHives is a camera and app that allows beekeepers to monitor the health of their hives by video-recording, tracking and analyzing the colony's activity patterns over time, translating it into simple, real-time visual reports that indicate whether the colony is thriving or in trouble. Beekeepers can then act ahead of time to assist their bees. See it in action:

We know that the outlook is dire for the bees, and just as dire for humans who depend on bee pollination for food crops. Last year, an estimated 42 percent of bee colonies died off. According to the developer Kelton Temby of Keltronix, an avid beekeeper who's previously engineered telemedicine robots, the idea is to use technology to keep tabs on the "heartbeat" of hives. Temby explains:

EyesOnHives leverages a pretty powerful image processing algorithm but is simple and non-invasive for the sake of the bees. When placed a few feet from a hive entrance, it tracks activity all day, every day while reporting whether the colony is healthy (or not) based on the bees' activity.

© EyesOnHives

The set-up involves a camera with an integrated computer, which is placed about two feet away from the hive entrance. Colony activity patterns are recorded in hours of video, and automatically analyzed into easy-to-understand data that beekeepers can use to better manage their hives. The system uses Wi-Fi to send alerts, trending data, and allows beekeepers to view or share the videos of their bees with anyone, anywhere, anytime.

© EyesOnHives

The technology has already been field-tested for over a year with local beekeepers in Santa Barbara, California, assisting them in hive-related issues like "queen failure, ants attacks and robbing." Using the app, what the developers and beekeepers have found is that healthy hives have a spike in activity in the middle of the afternoon, when new field bees take their first "orientation" flights, while sick or threatened hives have a different activity signature all together.

© EyesOnHives© EyesOnHives

EyesOnHives is currently seeking crowdfunding to send more camera units to interested beekeepers, who can add to a growing database of nearly 450,000 videos and datapoints. Pricing for one of the EyesOnHives Model B units starts at USD $300. One of the greatest advantages is that the social aspect of the platform permits beekeepers to help each other solve hive problems. As Temby explains, technology may be the edge we need in saving the bees:

We might be able to intervene in time. We're trying to create a community of beekeepers who can monitor a metric. To really get enough data, we need other people's help. We're running out of time to save the bees. We're really dependent on the bees and right now they're depending on us.

For more information, check out Keltronix and the EyesOnHives Kickstarter campaign.

Source: EyesOnHives: App uses real-time analytics to monitor beehive health (Video)

Here come the rose gold Android phones

It was only a matter of time before the fad for rose gold cellphones spread from the Apple store to the Android marketplace.

Chinese maker Oppo claims its R7S is the first rose gold Android on the market — although more will likely follow, given the media buzz that followed Apple debuting the color on its iPhone 6S and 6S Plus models.

Samsung sort of beat everyone to the punch with its Galaxy Note 3 — but that only had the merest bronze-pink trim that Samsung called rose gold. For the most part, it was a black and white leather-encased phone that had a pink border.

Like the iPhone 6S, the Oppo R7S has a full-on rose gold rear — which is much prized in Oppo's home market. When the iPhone came out in the hotly anticipated rose gold, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the color was designed especially for the Chinese market. Apple's gold products — iPhones, iPads and now the gold MacBook — were also targeted at Chinese consumers, who have shown a special liking for the luxurious hue.

Side-by-side with an iPhone, the Oppo is a much pinker shade, and less gold-looking than the iPhone. While the rose gold iPhone has proven popular with male consumers, it remains to be seen how many will consider the R7s the same shade as so-called "bros gold".

Side-by-side with a rose gold iPhone 6S Plus.

Image: Victoria Ho/Mashable

Obvious Apple influence

Apple's influence clearly extended beyond just the rose gold veneer. ColorOS 2.1, Oppo's version of Android Lollipop, takes a page from Apple's iOS interface. While regular Android offers a separate list for all the apps on the phone, ColorOS goes the Apple route, showing all the apps on the homescreen.

Pressing on an app's icon will cause the apps on the page to wiggle, indicating that they can be rearranged. Apps that can be deleted will also display a little cross on their icons — just as on Apple devices.

The ColorOS camera app also apes the iOS camera. You swipe left and right to switch between camera and video modes. The placement of the square gallery button to the left, and the flash and selfie-mode icons on the border, are also very similar.

The Oppo R7s in camera mode.

Image: Victoria Ho/Mashable

In selfie mode, you can use a front-facing flash, which illuminates the screen to light up your face in dark settings — a feature Apple introduced with the 6S.

The 6S measures the color temperature of the shot and adjusts the screen color to compensate, creating a more natural-looking shot. But in our tests, photos on the Oppo appeared to display the same pinkish hue regardless of light temperature.

Great finish and features on a mid-end device

The Oppo R7s will retail for S$599 (US$425), putting it in the mid-range of smartphones and toward the pricier end of comparable Chinese phones.

Despite the mid-range pricing, it comes with a number of hardware features typically found on high-end devices. For one, its unibody metal finishing feels solid and premium, and only weighs 155g despite its size.

Its 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display sits behind a layer of Gorilla Glass 4, a step up from the Gorilla Glass 3 found on Oppo's older models.

But it's the chip that puts the phone in the mid-range. Oppo used the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 chip in its older R7 and R7 Plus models, and the average-performing chip is also used for mid-range phones like the Xiaomi Mi 4i and Samsung Galaxy A7.

Oppo has put a generous 4 GB of RAM behind the chip, which helps the phone multi-task and load apps better than its processor specs would indicate.

It comes with 32 GB of storage, but this is expandable to 128 GB via an external microSD card, which you can put in the nano SIM slot of its dual-SIM tray.

Dual-SIM tray for a micro SIM and Nano SIM.

Image: Victoria Ho/Mashable

The phone has a decent Samsung-made 13 megapixel, f/2.2 rear camera, and an 8 megapixel front shooter. The phase detection autofocus is what makes it impressive: In our tests, the phone managed to switch focal points quickly, and often avoided having to hunt for the subject by zooming in and out.

Big battery and super fast charging

With its big screen, it's no wonder Oppo had to put a large 3,070 mAh battery in the R7S. And when you run out of juice, Oppo's VOOC "flash charging" technology promises you'll be able to bring your phone back to a 75% charge in 30 minutes.

This competes with other fast charge battery tech, such as Qualcomm's Quick Charge, which HTC used to build its "Rapid Charger 2.0" plug.

Oppo claims it's been working on VOOC for the past three years, and is making the feature available in its car chargers and power banks as well.

The Oppo R7S hits the market in late December, with the gold version rolling out first. The device will be available to Australia and Asian countries such as Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, with the U.S. and European versions following later in December.

Oppo R7s The Good

Sleek design • Feels great in hand • Fast-charging large battery • Fast autofocus

The Bad

Some might find the pink a little too pink • ColorOS is not very innovative • Mid-range processor is not as fast as the competition

The Bottom Line

An affordable phone with premium trimmings that'll do the job for people keen on carrying a slick device around.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

Source: Here come the rose gold Android phones

Lumia 950 Review: Microsoft's Best Ideas Still Don't Fit In Your Hand

Microsoft's Lumia 950 is the first interesting Windows phone to be released in a while, mostly because it's the first phone designed specifically for Windows 10. It's a phone created with the ambition of turning around Microsoft's flailing mobile efforts.

At the very least, Microsoft has made a smartphone that's usable. After forcing myself to use it for the past week, however, I'm not sure why anyone would want to.

What is it?

Along with its bigger XL cousin, the Lumia 950 is first in the line of phones designed for Windows 10. The handset packs solid smartphone specs behind a 5.2-inch screen, including a Snapdragon 808 processor and 32GB of storage. The 20 megapixel PureView camera is a direct descendant from the excellent Nokia cameras from the good ole days.

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The 950 costs $550 and is currently exclusive to AT&T, but you can buy an unlocked version at Microsoft.

Why does it matter?

As I've already said, the Lumia 950 is a lot of firsts for Microsoft. It's the first Windows 10 phone. It's the first top-spec'd Windows phone developed since Microsoft acquired Nokia's phone business. Further, Microsoft hopes it will be the first phone to convince consumers, and perhaps more importantly, developers, that they should bother thinking about Windows as a viable mobile platform.

Sponsored

For all of its rabid fans, Windows has always been a very limited mobile operating system that few people would choose on its own. It has never had the apps or fluid user experience of Android or iOS. Theoretically, you could use a Windows phone to do the basics, but you sacrifice a lot by going with Microsoft. I know only person who voluntarily uses Windows as a phone.

That said, Windows phones have their attractive features. Nokia's handsets were beautiful. For the clumsiness of the tiled design, Windows Phone 8 did have a striking appearance even if it wasn't exactly easy to use. And it did have one of the best cameras, developed by Nokia, in hopes that people might buy into an inferior operating system for better snapshots.

With Windows 10, Microsoft wants to entice users with a platform that offers a seamless desktop-to-mobile experience. The same Windows apps that work on your desktop work on your phone as well. You get the same Cortana assistant, and you can even plug your phone into a monitor and use it as a desktop—kind of.

This is an intriguing idea! Windows 10 is very good operating system that fixes many of the screwups that Microsoft made with Windows 8. But the real key is whether Microsoft can manage the mobile-desktop convergence. Everyone seems to agree that this is the future, but no one has pulled it off. Microsoft would be the first, and it would be a formidable success.

Design

I'll say this much about the 950: People are curious about it. I tested the matte white version, and it definitely caught attention in the way you'd hope a $550 investment would. But when I handed it over to an inquiring observer, no one ever concluded that this was the phone for them.

The 950 is supposed to be the next era in Nokia's long line of beautiful phones, and frankly, you wouldn't know much of its design pedigree by staring at this minimal block in front of you. The Nokia phones back in the day, like the 1520 or the 1020 were loud and attractive. They were bold design statements. The 950 doesn't say anything at all.

The 950's shape is best described as "boxy," and the plastic removable back succeeds in both looking and feeling cheap. (At least you can replace the battery!). The phone's lone striking characteristic is the silver ring around the camera lens, which pops out of the matte plastic back like a robot eye—the one design feature I actually like.

Once you wake the phone up, things start to look a little better. Like many top phones these days, the 950 packs a QHD (2560 x 1440) display. The 950 is smaller than most top phones these days, however, which means that it's got a very high pixel density of 564 PPI. It's a vibrant and pleasingly bright screen, but it's probably a touch small for watching loads of video in a world now indoctrinated to the idea that 5.2 inches is "small."

Using it

I spent an entire week using the Lumia 950 trying to do everything that I would usually do on a phone. For the most, part you can use this thing as your primary smartphone almost worry-free. In the past, I found Windows Phone so limited compared to the competition that I would get easily frustrated, and to its credit, Microsoft has streamlined settings and notifications to the point that I don't have a daily urge to throw the Lumia 950 against the wall.

That said, the phone does bring its frustrations, and I might as well just get this out of the way right now: Windows 10 isn't a great mobile operating system, yet. It's quirky and buggy. Apps crash more frequently than on other platforms, and they're frequently slow to load. On battery life, the phone barely makes it through a day, and will need a charge if you're using it a lot.

That said, let's get our hands a little more dirty.

Apps (or lack thereof)

A big part of Microsoft's effort to make Windows a more appealing platform is universal apps, which means that all apps built for Windows 10 will work regardless of whether you're on a phone, tablet, or full-blown computer. It's a smart move in terms of attracting developers. Still, with Windows 10 being only a few months old, there aren't many universal apps to choose from.

For now, there are options for some of the platform agnostic services people use most, like Spotify, Twitter, Netflix, and Fitbit. There are even beta versions of apps like Slack and Instagram. Windows hasn't caught up on some of the most popular apps on other platforms, and probably never will. Don't expect to see Google apps on Windows any time soon.

But if you buy a phone for the basics—maps, messaging, and phone calls—then this phone will do you just fine.

Continuum

One of the billboard features of the mobile version of Windows 10 is Continuum, which is a fancy way of saying that you can plug you phone into monitor and use it like a low-powered desktop. You can use Continuum entirely wirelessly—with the help of a third-party dongle—or with a little $99 Microsoft-produced brick called the Display Dock. Despite the wires, I found the latter more practical.

The idea is that you can "leave your laptop at work," but Microsoft doesn't deliver on that claim. Does Continuum work? Yes, it technically works, however, it's a very basic experience. The 950 does not have the power of a desktop, and it's really not even close. Continuum is slow, and it's further hindered because there's not a fully developed ecosystem of universal Windows apps yet. (There is Solitaire. Bless you, Solitaire.)

This early version of Continuum is indicative of a wonderful future we might one day live in, where our phones are the brains for all of the screens we use. It's a beautiful fantasy, but we're not there yet.

Cortana

The most surprising thing about Windows 10 on a phone is how much it feels like Windows Phone 8 for the most part. There are touches here and there that remind you it's not Windows 8, and perhaps the most notable improvement involves Cortana, the new Windows productivity assistant. I've always been skeptical of how useful assistants can really be. That said, Cortana is functional and relatively proactive in the way you want it to be. It knows my package tracking numbers, for example. Occasionally, Cortana will flash me other relevant information, but other I'm never left feeling like I can't live without it.

Camera

When Nokia launched its PureView-loaded smartphone cameras, it changed the the baseline of what you could rationally expect from photos captured by your phone. So it's no surprise that the 950 takes very good photos. They're sharp, and you usually get the shot you want on the first try. In the event that you want to tinker with your settings, it's totally possible because the camera app gives you access to full camera controls, just like those you would see on a fancy shooter.

One particularly cool feature is the ability to "choose the best lighting" on photos you took with flash. On these photos you're presented with a little slider that allows you to choose just how much light you want to blast a scene with. For example:

The camera suffers from many of the performance foibles you experience across the phone. The hardware camera button on the side of the phone doesn't always work and when it does, the app is slow to actually start up. Generally, the app isn't as snappy as you'd like it to be. That's too bad because otherwise it's a robust camera.

Like

Windows 10 is an attractively designed operating system. You can do almost everything you want to, and the platform even has a good camera.

No like

Cheap feeling hardware. Buggy performance. There aren't enough universal apps yet.

Should you buy it?

No, unless there is some crazy reason that you need to have a Microsoft Windows phone.

Though the 950 is an important first step toward making Windows an attractive option for developers, that promise hasn't been delivered on the smartphone side of things. There's just no reason to choose a pricey Windows handset when Google and Apple offer way better options.

When I am done with this review, I will remove the SIM card from the Lumia 950 and put it back into a Nexus 6P. Big things might be happening for Windows, but the platform's biggest ideas still don't fit into your hand.

Lumia 950 Specs

OS: Windows 10

Display: 5.2-inch WQHD OLED

Processor: Snapdragon 808, hexacore, 64-bit

Storage: 32GB internal, microSD card slot (2TB)

Memory: 3GB of RAM

Cameras: 20MP PureView (rear); 5MP wide angle (front)

Battery: 3000mAh (removable)

Extras: USB Type-C

Price: $550

Photos by Michael Hession

Source: Lumia 950 Review: Microsoft's Best Ideas Still Don't Fit In Your Hand

Featured: Top 10 Photo Editing Apps for Android

Cameras on mobile devices have really come a long way in the past few years. Going from not getting great pictures out of our smartphones, to now getting amazing images. A little bit of editing can make these images even better though. There are some great, and very powerful, photo editors available for Android. So let's check out a few.

Snapseed

Since being acquired by Google, Snapseed has undergone quite a few changes, but it's still one of the best photo editing apps out there. With all sorts of different filters, frames, and so much more. The auto tuning for images is also almost perfect. Just run your photo through Snapseed real quick, and you'll be amazed at what happens.

Photo Editor Pro

This is another great photo editing app, and has an outstanding auto-enhance feature which makes your good pictures look great. Of course, it wouldn't be a photo editing app without filters, and there are plenty of those. We also have the ability to make photo collages right there in the app. Great for uploading to Instagram and such.

Adobe Photoshop Express

Photoshop is probably the most popular photo editing app on the desktop, and now it's here on your smartphone. If you subscribe to Creative Cloud, then you'll get all of the features of Photoshop Express. It's the most powerful photo editor on Android right now. You can fix blemishes, fix the color, auto correct everything and so much more.

PicCollage

Not necessarily a full-featured photo editor like some of these others here, but PicCollage allows you to create collages from pictures in your gallery. There are several different designs you can choose from as well. PicCollage allows you to share these collages anywhere you'd like, which is often times Instagram.

Layout from Instagram

This is another one that allows you to create collages of pictures that have already been taken (Google Photos can do it automatically). Layout is from Instagram, so you are able to use pictures you've posted to Instagram even if they aren't on your account. Additionally, you can seamlessly post the finished product to Instagram.

Photo Editor

Just as the name suggests, this is a photo editor. It's a pretty comprehensive photo editor as well. With the usual tools to allow you to fix the color or blemishes as well as auto enhance the picture. Not to mention the slew of frames, filters and so much more that are available in this app. And it's all free without a single in-app purchase.

Pixlr

Pixlr is another pretty popular photo editing app, here from Autodesk. It's a pretty simple photo editing tool, allowing you to make your pictures even better, without spending much time on them at all. With Pixlr, you can also add all sorts of great effects and such to your picture and really make them unique.

PicsArt Photo Studio

PicsArt Photo Studio has over 250 million installs, so it must be pretty good, right? Right. This is a great all-in-one photo editing app. With some of your favorite filters, frames, effects and so much more. There is also a collage maker built-in to the application, not to mention you can take a picture right there in the app and edit it without jumping between apps. Talk about convenience.

PIP Camera – Photo Effect

This app has a camera, but also all the photo editing tools you could ever want. We have the ability to make amazing collages in the PIP Camera as well, and of course share those in any app we wish to do so. They have some really unique effects available in the app, like picture in picture, which can bring some amazing images.

Photo Collage Editor

Here's another photo collage editor that is great for making some great memories all into one photo that you can share on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or anywhere else. This app also has plenty of creative photo frames available for your collages, to really give it that personal touch. The UI of the app is nice and simple, making it easy to make some great collages.

Source: Featured: Top 10 Photo Editing Apps for Android

ET Review: Gionee Elife E8 does not inpress as camera focused smartphone

Price: Rs 34,999

Specifications: 6-inch amoled (2560 x 1440 pixels), 2Ghz octa core Helio X10 processor, 3GB RAM, 64GB storage, microSD slot, dual SIM, 24MP camera with OIS, 8MP front camera, WiFi, NFC, Bluetooth, USB host, Android 5.1, Fingerprint scanner, 3,500mAh battery, 210 grams

Gionee launched the Elife E7 two years ago and it instantly impressed us with its camera capabilities. At that time, the E7 managed to deliver image quality at par with more expensive flagship smartphones. Now, Gionee has launched a successor — it's called the Elife E8 and is also meant for photography enthusiasts.

On paper, the Elife E8 has top-notch camera specifications. It boasts of a 24MP sensor with optical image stabilisation, phase detection autofocus, dual tone LED flash and 4k video recording support. In fact, you also get a dedicated shutter button on the phone. It can be used to call up the camera app, when pressed for a few seconds on the lock screen.

Thanks to all the se features and the way Elife E7 had impressed us, we expected the E8 to be a fantastic camera smartphone. However, the E8 fails to impress in picture quality. Images from the rear camera suffered from visible noise when we zoomed-in on the phone's screen itself — a big letdown.

It was only when we selected ISO 100 manually in Pro mode that the noise issue was fixed to an extent. Low light images suffered from more noise. On the plus side, the images captured had great colours and good details in daylight. Also, we liked the updated interface, the focus speed as well as capture speed on the phone. However, the Samsung S6 (available at the same price) delivers much better camera performance.

Gionee has also updated its camera interface to take benefit of the camera. You get the standard HDR, panorama, night mode along with an Ultra Pixel mode (takes images in 5 times the resolution -12608 x 9456 pixels), Smart Scene mode (automatic changes settings as per scene), PicNot e (for documents), face beauty, best photo, motion track, group shoot, motion blur, object removal, depth of field and a professional mode (access to all controls). In addition, you can also adjust settings for touch capture, use volume keys for capture or zoom as well as enable a countdown timer.

Looks and build quality are other strong suits of the phone. It has a gorgeous 6-inch amoled display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels — you get great contrast, superb black levels and excellent brightness. The metal body feels good to hold even though a part of the removable panel is plastic. Weighing 210 grams, the dual SIM phone does feel heavy to carry around in the pocket though. On the rear is a fingerprint sensor just under the camera module — in our usage the fingerprint sensor worked great 9 out of 10 times. It unlocked and woke up the device instantly.

Performance is as expected from a flagship device — the Helio X10 processor combined with 3GB RAM runs th ings butter-smooth and had no issues with any app or game we tried on the phone. You get 64GB internal storage and a microSD slot for expansion which is a welcome change from the non-expandable 16GB storage we are seeing in a lot of new devices. We did notice that the phone started to heat up after 15-20 minutes of continuous gaming. Battery life is over a day and half — good, considering the specifications and display.

As a camera focused smartphone, the Elife E8 does not live up to the promise (we'd prefer the Galaxy S6 any day). The steep price is a letdown too. That being said, the Gionee E8 does impress as a large screen phone that is loaded with features, offers good battery life in a great design. You can also look at the Nexus 6 that has a similar 6-inch amoled display, Snadragon 805, 3GB RAM, 13MP camera with OIS and a 3,220mAh battery and is now available for `29,999 (64GB storage). However, keep in mind that it has non expandable storage.

Source: ET Review: Gionee Elife E8 does not inpress as camera focused smartphone

The Android Central Thanksgiving app guide

Thanksgiving means a lot of things to a lot of people. For some, it's one of the few times of the year multiple generations of family get together. For others, it's that food coma right before you go pick a fight over the last BB-8 by Sphero at the local electronics shop. It's a time to try new recipes, kick back and watch some TV, and capture memories that you'll share online and in those family calendars that will probably go on sale at your local photo shop next week. Maybe take in a little football. There's a lot going on, and whether you're an active part of the Thanksgiving experience at your house or just someone along for the ride your phone or tablet can help you get through a lot of it with easy.

To help you with every part of the Thanksgiving experience, we've assembled lists for every kind part of the holiday experience. Pick the category that best applies to you and have fun!

The Android Central Thanksgiving App Guide!

1. Showing off your Thanksgiving spirit

Sharing your Thanksgiving experience with everyone around you isn't just a fun way to express yourself anymore. When Christmas decorations hit shelves the day after Halloween and Black Friday sales in many places starting the day before Thanksgiving, some folks view sharing Thanksgiving with the world around them as a must. If it's important to show off your Thanksgiving spirit, or you just want something fun to do while waiting for the dinner bell on Thanksgiving Day, these are your apps.

Thanksgiving Watch Face

If you are one of the Android Wear folks who plan to use their wrist computer to keep an eye on your digital life after you're scolded to put your phone away at the table this year, a holiday-themed watch face will go a long way towards making it clear you're focused on the holiday. It's simple, clean, and free, a combination that can't be overlooked when showing off your love for the holiday.

Download: Thanksgiving Watch Face (Free)

Classy Fireplace

While not explicitly Thanksgiving related, not everyone has an actual fireplace and everyone gets a kick out of walking into a room and seeing someone pretending to warm their hands by the warm glow of the 5-inch display. If nothing else, it's a fun way to break up any quiet moments or conversations with family you'd rather avoid with some levity.

Download: Classy Fireplace (Free)

IF by IFTTT

You can use IFTTT to do just about anything, but there's a couple of clever Thanksgiving recipes ready to activate as soon as you log in that might be of use. You can have photos upload to a special Facebook folder when you tag an Instagram post with #thanksgiving, get your Jawbone Up to guilt trip you about how much food you just ate, or go the other way and have IF post Happy Thanksgiving for you while you're deep in food coma land. With a little creativity, you could come up with your own recipes as well.

Download: IF by IFTTT (Free)

2. Getting down to business in the kitchen

Your smartphone or tablet should be considered just as vital in the kitchen nowadays as your favorite cutting board or your stock pot. It's a tool to help novices grow, an excellent resource to glance at every recipe ever, and the most convenient way to set multiple timers while you're kitchen is a food-based war zone in preparation for the holiday. There are dozens of ways your phone can be helpful in the kitchen, and here's a few of our favorites.

Google Now

If you have an Android phone, you have Google Now. If you have Google Now, you have a voice-activated timer system that will make every part of the kitchen experience easier. Hollering "OK Google, set a timer for [duration]" is one of many things you can do with this app, and with some phones the screen doesn't even need to be awake to activate the feature. Since this is the kitchen and there are dangers, your best bet is to plug your phone in away from liquids and leave your screen on so you can use Google Now whenever you need it.

Allthecooks Recipes

If you're going to try something new, or if you have to follow along with a recipe EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Allthecooks has a sizable recipe library, and it even has Android Wear support while following along. Because no one wants to keep swiping up and down on a tablet while they cook. — Ara Wagoner

Download: Allthecooks Recipes (Free)

My CookBook

Recipe apps are great for every other time of the year, but for some folks Thanksgiving recipes are passed down from generation to generation, usually in some king of tin that gets tucked away until this special time of the year. Instead of looking at old strips of paper for your recipes, maybe consider going digital this year? My CookBook is a simple, Material Design cookbook app for storing your personal recipes. That way you'll have them wherever you are and never have to worry about what happens when you accidentally drop a card in the gravy.

Download: My CookBook (Free)

3. Streaming everything. Watch everything. Enjoy everything!

If you're one of those people who get stuck in a side room while the big screen in the living room is dedicated to Football, or you decided to bring a Chromecast with you to this year so you can bring your entire streaming library to the family, video apps are probably a big part of this holiday. Fortunately, that's one of those things Android does really well nowadays.

Netflix

This one is kind of obvious, but it's got to be said. If you need something to watch, Netflix is probably your best bet. For the sake of variety, or if you suddenly find yourself needing something child friendly, this is the best place to look. All you need is a Netflix subscription and an Internet connection, neither of which are usually hard to find with so much family around.

Download: Netflix (Free with subscription)

Macy's Thanksgiving Parade

This app doesn't offer a live video stream of the parade, but it's got tons of behind the action stuff. If you want to see more about preparations for the event, or a minigame letting you create your own balloon, this is a fun addition to the parade. The app also includes a short about the history of the parade, which is fun. — Jen Karner

Download: Macy's Thanksgiving Parade (Free)

NFL Mobile or WatchESPN

Maybe you aren't the one in control of the TV this year, but you still want your Football fix. If you're on Verizon Wireless, the NFL Mobile app is without compare and will get you all the information you want on the game. If you're not a Verizon subscriber, the WatchESPN app will get you the next best thing. It's a quick and mostly painless way to get some Football in while getting the house together or standing in line at the store long after the Thanksgiving meal has ended.

Download: NFL Mobile (Free but only for Verizon)

Download: WatchESPN (Free)

MX Player

Over the river and through the woods, to grandmother's house we go.... The data is down, no Netflix is found, and the boredom starts to show...

In all honesty, if you're traveling and don't have a sufficient collection of Google Play Movies & TV you can pin for offline playback, you can't go wrong with MX Player for your locally stored video files (or for that flash-drive of movies you plugged in with an OTG cable). Simple UI, easy controls, including a lock button so that the tiny hands holding the phone/tablet can't accidentally pause it/turn it off. — Ara Wagoner

Download: MX Player (Free)

4. Games everyone can play

If there's one thing smartphones have gotten really good at, it's killing time doing things that aren't talking to other human beings. It doesn't have to be this way! Your Android phone has a ton of games that play nice with other people, and Thanksgiving is the perfect time to bust them out and demonstrate your gaming dominance over the rest of your clan.

Smart Dots & Boxes

Sit next to someone you want to play a game with and bust this out. It's a simple strategy game that will provide hours of enjoyment as you pass the phone back and forth to see who is the best at navigating the board and earning the highest score. If you find a family member who is just as skilled as you, the points earned in the game can be bet in the next round to earn an even higher score. It's either a quick round of silly fun or an entire day of passing the phone around and defeating everyone. Your call.

Download: Smart Dots & Boxes Multiplayer (Free)

Beach Buggy Racing

You need a Chromecast and $4.99 to unlock the special multiplayer mode, but Beach Buggy Racing is a great way to get up to four people playing a game on the TV without lugging a console around. It's Mario Kart-esque racing at its finest, and as long as everyone has a phone and the ability to download the free version of the game you can race all day long. — Jen Karner

Download: Beach Buggy Racing (Free, but $4.99 in-app purchase required for multiplayer)

Dual!

This is multiplayer gaming in a less traditional sense, in that two phones are required for it to work as intended. The end result, however, is a wickedly fun multiplayer Pong-esque game that can be played just about anywhere. If you have two people with Android phones or tablets and access to the Google Play Store, this is well worth your time.

Download: Dual! ($1.99)

Cardcast

Cardcast is a Chromecast game that plays like Apples to Apples or Cards Against Humanity. Everyone connects to the Chromecast, your decks are selected (you can import your own decks or use ones from the Cardcast website), cards are dealt, and hands play as they would with the real-life version. Except no one's hassling with real decks and players and come/go as they please. Not the most useful game while stuck in the car or in line for Black Friday, but it should produce some good laughs while you wait for Aunt Audrey to burn the bird, again. — Ara Wagoner

Download: Cardcast (Free)

5. Photography apps for capturing the moment

Every smartphone has a camera, and if this year has taught us anything it's that a lot of those cameras are really good now. If you're going to be relying on your smartphone to capture memories for this year's holiday, there's a few apps you can lean on to either help you get the shot or make the picture even better after you've tapped the shutter button.

Manual Camera

The camera app that came with your phone is great for most things, but if you'd like to up your game a little and make sure the memories you capture on Thanksgiving are of the highest possible quality your phone can generate, Manual Camera is something you should consider looking into. If your phone supports this app, Manual Camera gives you a significant amount of control over the photo you are capturing and even export the photos in RAW format for you to edit even further. It's a solid option, the only caveat is it doesn't work with every Android phone out there.

Download: Manual Camera ($2.99)

Snapseed

Google's photo editing app is downright magic in the hands of a skilled photo editor, but the rest of us can get some decent editing done as well. It's a powerful app with a simple interface that will take photos you've captured — even those captured in RAW mode — and improve them dramatically. Or, if you prefer, you can toss some filters on there and have some fun with it instead. Either way, this is a free app that belongs in your toolkit.

Download: Snapseed (Free)

Google Photos

Plenty of you are already using Google Photos on a regular basis, but what you may not have used yet are the wonderful sharing features of the platform. As soon as pictures from the family get-together start up, you should instantly create and share out that album to your family members. Whether they have Google Photos or not they'll always have an up-to-date album that you can keep adding photos to, and if they do have the app they can add and make changes themselves.

Whether the whole family is in the same place or spread out, Google Photos will be the best way to simply share photos to everyone, and let the photographers in the family all add to one place. When Thanksgiving is wrapped up, each person can download or take away the pictures they like the most — no more sending out emails or uploading to Facebook required! — Andrew Martonik

Download: Google Photos (Free)

Dubsmash

If you'd rather have fun than pretend to capture the next great family photo, Dubsmash lets you play like you're the voice of everything from popular songs to old commercials. It's something that, generally speaking, winds up being more fun when there's a group of people around who are down with having fun with it, and if you wind up recording something you really like the file can be shared to your preferred social network with little effort. It's a fun app for anyone vaguely musically inclined and everyone who refuses to take themselves too seriously.

Download: Dubsmash (Free)

On behalf of everyone here at Android Central, have a fantastic Thanksgiving no matter what apps you use.
Source: The Android Central Thanksgiving app guide