Also, GTA V gets first-person mode, Emoji becomes less racist, the new Amazon Prime Photos perk, and Conan O'Brien is clueless about CoD.
Is The Nexus 9 Good, Bad, Or Ugly?
http://youtu.be/yYHY3MFiq1o
The Nexus 9, made by HTC and stamped with the Google seal of approval, is a tablet powered by stock Android 5.0 (Lollipop). But is it any good? We honestly don't know, because reviews of the Nexus 9 vary wildly. Thus the problem with gadget reviews is revealed.
We know so because Reddit user Mejogid has looked through a number of Nexus 9 reviews to try and find common threads running through them all. Sadly, they don't really exist, with the reviews presenting different takes on all of the various elements considered when scoring the device.
Anyone with half a brain knows to take gadget reviews with a pinch of salt. They are, after all, just one person's opinion on a particular product. Facts are all well and good as the basis for a review, but personal biases and preferences always bleed into the final findings.
This reviews roundup reveals the extent of the problem when it comes to gadget reviews. And there is no simple solution. The Nexus 9 is either good, bad, or ugly, depending on who you believe. And that's the key: find a website and a reviewer who you believe more often than not.
Jawbone Unveils New Fitness Wearables
http://youtu.be/HgZearTObFg
Another day, another wearable device is launched. And just like most of the other wearables flooding onto the market, the Jawbone Up Move and Jawbone UP3 are focused on fitness. Both measure your activity levels in order to up your fitness and improve your health.
The Jawbone Up Move is a pod that can be worn either around the wrist or clipped onto clothing. Internal sensors count your steps, track your sleep pattern, and estimate the number of calories burned. The data is then sent to the free app (Android or iOS) for viewing. The Up Move is priced at $50 and is available to preorder now.
The Jawbone UP3 is a wristband which does all of the same things the Up Move does, but also measures your resting heartrate, respiration rate, and hydration rate. This combination of measurements means the UP3 costs $180 and won't start shipping for a few weeks. It will also be available to buy in Apple Stores.
Next-Gen GTA V Gets First-Person Mode
http://youtu.be/7oFmRN0oadI
The next-gen version of Grand Theft Auto V includes a first-person mode [No Longer Available] which radically alters the way the game looks and feels. As can be seen in the video above, the whole game can now be played from a first-person perspective, regardless of whether you're on foot, driving a vehicle, or partaking in a bank job.
This is a genius move on the part of Rockstar, as GTA V was a huge hit when it was originally released on PS3 and Xbox 360. What better way to persuade people who already own the game to buy it all over again than to add a whole new mode which makes it worth playing through for a second time? I'm in, and my PlayStation 4 is already excited at the prospect.
Emoji Embracing Racial Diversity
http://youtu.be/wkOQH4rBPmY
Emoji are about to get a little more racially diverse, with a plan to add five new skin tones to the notoriously white characters. The Emoji characters have until now been kept "as neutral as possible regarding race, ethnicity, and gender," but Unicode 8.0 will add a skin tone modifier meaning users can choose the skin tone which best fits their own. And about time too.
Amazon Rolls Out Prime Photos Perk
http://youtu.be/RqWJ9Fy9-WQ
Amazon has added another perk for those paying for Prime memberships. Prime Photos gives Amazon Prime customers unlimited cloud storage for all their photos, meaning they can back all of their cherished memories to the cloud to ensure they last forever.
Once uploaded via Amazon Cloud Drive, the images can be viewed both online and across a range of devices. Which means you'll be able to bore even more people by forcing them to look at photos of your food.
Conan Is Clueless About CoD
http://youtu.be/b82idSYHSu8
Spoiler Alert!
And finally, Conan O'Brien is back with another Clueless Gamer review, and this time he tackled Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Conan clearly isn't a natural when it comes to first-person shooters, but he eventually gets the hang of the controls.
What Conan can't quite get his head around, however, is Kevin Spacey's cold, dead eyes. Sorry, I mean Kevin Spacey's character's cold, dead eyes. And the funeral for a fallen comrade which asks you to actively get involved in proceedings. Which is just plain weird.
Your Views On Today’s Tech News
Are you surprised to learn how reviewers' opinions differ so wildly? Are you interested in the new Jawbone wearables? Will you be buying the new version of Grand Theft Auto 5?
Let us know your thoughts on the tech news of the day by posting to the comments section below. Because a healthy discussion is always welcome.
Image Credit: Very Quiet via Flickr