Nexus 9 Review

I want to love Google-branded, HTC-manufactured Nexus 9. But ours is a contentious relationship. N9 is not a bad tablet; others offer better value and performance for the price (or less), with Apple iPad mini being high among them. That said, if pure (aka stock) Android is your thing, there is no worthy alternative. Just prepare for a few compromises, particularly if moving up from Nexus 7.

In his November 2014 review, my BetaNews colleague Brian Fagioli calls Nexus 9 “magical“. I can’t agree. During my four months using the tablet, response occasionally hesitates and WiFi too often disconnects. Last week, my N9 received the newest Android update, which somewhat resolves both problems. I purposely delayed this review, waiting for v5.1.1.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 20, 20156:57 am

Flickr a Day 140: Key Man

Today’s selection comes from Italian Fiammetta Bruni, who joined Flickr in February 2008. She’s generally a street shooter of artistic flavor whose sense of composition differs from my own. That said, she makes the Day […]

Apple by Joe WilcoxMay 19, 20158:06 pm

Whatever the Future, a Bigger Screen in Your Pocket isn’t It

I love my Nexus 6. This morning, while waking to the rush of caffeine from steaming coffee, I read headlines on the device. “I’m Phed Up With Phablets: They’re too big to prevail” caught my attention. The short commentary, by Brian Rubin for ReadWrite, rails against the bigger-is-better-smartphone trend. Screen on my cellular is massive: 6 inches, and I forever promised myself to never use a phone so large—until I did and converted. Much as I enjoy using the N6, for which I can still manage many operations one-handed, smaller would be my preference. Perhaps yours, too.

Big isn’t necessarily better and reverses a longstanding trend in the other direction. Does no one recall when using a smaller phone was chic? Consider the StarTAC, which was a huge hit for Motorola going into the late 1990s. I remember when seemingly everyone used one of the diminutive cell phones. Smaller was better—and if there was real innovation in mobile device design shrinking size would be again.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 19, 20157:00 am

Flickr a Day 139: ‘Nature Sunset’

Like Day 121, our selection demonstrates that iPhone 6 can be, in competent hands, a fantastic camera. Pablo Fernández captured self-titled “Nature Sunset” on April 26, 2015, in St. Albans City and District, United Kingdom. Vitals: f/2.2, ISO […]

Gear by Joe WilcoxMay 18, 20159:13 pm

Meet the Fujifilm X-T10

Fujifilm’s line of cameras increasingly looks like choices among toothpastes. Do you want fluoride or gingivitis protection? Oh, this one whitens teeth, cures bad breath, and eliminates body odor. Decisions, decisions. That’s kind of my reaction to today’s debut of the X-T10 digital camera, which shouldn’t be confused with Fujifilm’s X10, X100T, or X-T1. Dyslectics and the visually impaired, beware!

As a X100T owner, I’m a Fuji fan. So, please, don’t take my criticism wrongly. It’s just this lineup is quite crowded. The company’s product website lists—count `em—18 different X-Series models. Sure, some aren’t current and not all can be confused. But many of them are close enough in actual benefits to perplex potential buyers.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 18, 20157:30 am

Flickr a Day 138: ‘Cold Soul’

For once I am glad for a photostream with so many images licensed All Rights Reserved, which means instant disqualification. This series only features Creative Commons works. There isn’t a Hamed Parham pic I wouldn’t pick otherwise, making the selection next to impossible, if not for the small number designated CC.

Some photos command character. Hamed goes further, by way of composition and perspective revealing each subject’s character. His street portraits are classic. Iconic. They’re ripped from the present and transported into the past.

News Media by Joe WilcoxMay 17, 20156:10 pm

Responsible Reporting Section 1 ‘News in Context’: Chapters V and VI

The fourth installment in the serialization of my ebook Responsible Reporting: Field Guide for Bloggers, Journalists, and Other Online News Gatherers continues the assault on Google, which provides a necessary utility that benefits all news organizations; they sacrifice content and revenue for the privilege.

Last week, Chapters 3 and 4 focused on the broken advertising-driven model in context of Google’s greater ambitions. The previous two, and the Foreward, explain what changed since 2006 and why the Fourth Estate is in crisis.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 17, 20157:35 am

Flickr a Day 137: ‘Monks on Smartphones’

Some selections are instant decisions. “Monks on Smartphones” makes the Day as much for the self-title as the excellent, suggestive composition. We don’t see the devices but know they are there. The choice of focal […]

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 16, 201510:44 am

A Hundred Smiles and My Frown

How unexpected. For the second time within three days, I spotlight photography that won’t be part of my Flickr a Day series but should be. The project, which reaches No. 136 this fine Saturday, only features […]

Critters by Joe WilcoxMay 16, 20158:32 am

Best Frenemies Forever

For Caturday, we reveal what BFF really means—or at least with respect to fluffy felines. Neko, the ginger, is our shelter cat, which we adopted in March 2012 more than two months after magnificent Maine […]

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 16, 20157:24 am

Flickr a Day 136: ‘Ghosts’

Motion describes the street style of Nadine Heidrich. From Mölln, Germany, but living in Hamburg, she is a relative Flickr newcomer, joining in August 2013. What a contribution her black-and-white portfolio brings. Each photo is a […]

Digital Lifestyle by Joe WilcoxMay 15, 201511:09 pm

What Good is Tidal HiFi if Content won’t Play?

Editor’s Note: Tidal resolved the problems long ago; I continue to subscribe a year later.

On May 1st, Tidal billed my credit card for the first month of music streaming. Yesterday, my subscription to Google Music ended. I should be satisfied with the switch, given how much more I enjoy 1411kbps lossless listening over the more typical 320kbps compressed streaming music. But recent, recurring service problems put my customer continuation into question.

Quality of content, or available selection of it, isn’t the problem. I find plenty of music to enjoy, and the default playlists are smartly curated. The high-fidelity is just that. But slow starts, drop-offs, and song skips disrupt the listening experience—and for a service costing twice as much as major competitors, like Beats, Rdio, or Spotify, I expect more but get less. There is no customer support option that I can find, either.